UPDATE: CNN/OPINION RESEARCH CORPORATION POLL Who Did the Best Job In the Debate? Biden 51% Palin 36% QUESTION Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate – Joe Biden or Sarah Palin? *** Our analysts tonight will be Citizen Mom and Jonathan Valania. Here we go… 8:57 PM Citizen: Wheeeee! I’m leaving CNN on because I am mesmerized by the neon spaghetti lines and the pie charts 8:59 PM me: so, any predictions? Citizen: Hmmmmm 9:00 PM I think they’ll both have a few carefully-placed zingers but neither […]
TONITE: The Audacity Of Dope
[Illustration by ALEX FINE] WASHINGTON POST: With the vice presidential candidates set to square off today in their only scheduled debate, public assessments of Sarah Palin’s readiness have plummeted, and she may now be a drag on the Republican ticket among key voter groups, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Tonight’s heavily anticipated debate comes just five weeks after the popular Alaska governor entered the national spotlight as Sen. John McCain’s surprise pick to be his running mate. Though she initially transformed the race with her energizing presence and a fiery convention speech, Palin is now a much […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR In his new book, The Devil We Know, former CIA operative Robert Baer argues that Iran is an up-and-coming — and often misunderstood — superpower, with strong influences throughout the Middle East. “The sooner we understand the Iranian paradox — who they are, what they want, how they want to both humble us and work with us — the sooner we’ll understand how to come to terms with the new Iranian superpower,” writes Baer. Baer’s previous book, See No Evil, was the basis for the George Clooney film Syriana. RADIO TIMES Hour 1 What’s your favorite song? Album? […]
SAGE FRANCIS: Conspiracy To Riot
SAGE FRANCIS: On Sept 1, 2008 I received a voicemail informing me that my longtime friend, Jared Paul, was sitting in a Minnesota jail cell. This was the first day of the National Republican Convention, a 5 day event that Jared was covering for a Providence publication. I thought to myself “Well…that was quick.” Jared Paul is currently in a legal battle with the St. Paul, MN court system, along with hundreds of others who face trumped up charges thanks to the overzealous riot police at the Republican National Convention. Jared is one of many who does not have the […]
CHARGE IT: Senate Passes 700 Bazillion Dollar Bailout
NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — The Senate strongly endorsed the $700 billion economic bailout plan Wednesday, leaving backers optimistic that the easy approval, coupled with an array of popular additions, would lead to House acceptance by Friday and end the legislative uncertainty that has rocked the markets. In stark contrast to the House rejection of the plan on Monday, a bipartisan coalition of senators — including both presidential candidates — showed no hesitation in backing a proposal that had drawn public scorn, though the outpouring eased somewhat after a market plunge followed the House defeat. The Senate margin was 74 […]
EARLY WORD: The Man Comes Around
[Photo by JEFF FUSCO] ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** For Immediate Release Wednesday, October 1, 2008 FRIDAY: Barack Obama Returns to Montgomery County Sen. Obama to speak at Abington High School PHILADELPHIA – Sen. Barack Obama will visit the Philadelphia suburbs Friday for a community gathering in Abington. The trip comes one day after the Vice Presidential debate and just four days before Pennsylvania’s voter registration deadline. Senator Obama will outline his plans to stand up for middle-class families and make Washington and Wall Street work for Main Street again. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required […]
HOT DOC: This Is What Voter Intimidation Looks Like
PHILLY CLOUT: With just weeks to go before the presidential election, voter intimidation has reared it’s ugly head here in Philly. An anonymous flier is circulating in parts of North and West Philadelphia, which says that if you have outstanding warrants or traffic tickets, then police will arrest you at your polling place on election day. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Everett Gillison says he learned of the flier last week. He stressed that the message is completely false. “The only thing that police officers are going to do that we’ll be encouraging that day is that they’ll be exercising […]
QUINNIPIAC POLL: A Change Is Gonna Come
QUINNIPIAC POLL: No one has been elected President since 1960 without taking two of these three largest swing states in the Electoral College. Results from the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe- ack) University polls conducted before and after the debate show: * Florida: Obama up 49 – 43 percent pre-debate and 51 – 43 percent post-debate; * Ohio: Obama up 49 – 42 percent pre-debate and 50 – 42 percent post-debate; * Pennsylvania: Obama ahead 49 – 43 percent pre-debate and 54 – 39 percent post-debate. Pre-debate surveys ended at 8 p.m. Friday with post-debate surveys Saturday-Monday. More than 84 percent of […]
PALINTOLOGY: I Has Supreem Kort?
WASHINGTON POST: After a lengthy, smiling pause, Sarah Palin could not name a Supreme Court decision she disagrees with, beyond Roe v. Wade, in an interview that aired tonight on CBS. The Alaska governor had just finished explaining that abortion should be decided by individual states when CBS anchor Katie Couric asked, “What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?” “Well, let’s see,” Palin said, stalling for time. “There’s, of course — in the great history of America rulings, there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, […]
PALINDROME: The Naked Truth
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Bruce Elliott, whose wife owns the Old Town Ale House, painted this nude portrait of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. He said his daughter, who does a good impression of the Alaska governor, served as model. (Kuni Takahashi, Chicago Tribune / September 29, 2008) MORE FLICKR: The Full Monty SALON: Is this the week that Democrats and Republicans join hands — to heap pity on poor Sarah Palin? At the moment, all signs point to yes, as some strange bedfellows reveal that they have been feeling sorry for the vice-presidential candidate ever since she stopped speaking without […]
BREAKING: Obama + Springsteen To Rock Philly
OBAMA/BIDEN CAMPAIGN: Bruce Springsteen is coming to Philadelphia this weekend to perform an acoustic set at a rally on the Ben Franklin Parkway in order to assist the Obama campaign’s voter registration and volunteer recruitment efforts. The concert will take place on Saturday at Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and 22nd Streets. Gates open at 2:00 and the program will begin at 3:30. DEVELOPING… UPDATE: Rolling Stone just asked me to cover this, and TIME is literally on the other line and wants to know what I think about the bailout. I am not making this up. [Ticket info after […]
NPR 4 THE DEF: Giving Public Radio Edge Since 2006
FRESH AIR The new documentary Religulous offers a satirical — and very critical — look at the world’s religions. Directed by Larry Charles, the film features Bill Maher posing undercover as a man seeking spiritual guidance from various religious groups, including Christians, Jews, Muslims and Mormons. In a recent New York Times article, Maher described religion as “the ultimate hustle,” and likened his role in the film to that of Toto, the dog who pulls back the curtain to expose the shortcomings of the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Maher is best known as the host of the HBO […]
SARAH PALIN: Gettin’ Crazy With The Cheeze Whiz
CNN: PHILADELPHIA – Sarah Palin partook in an established political ritual on Saturday night when she headed to Tony Luke’s in south Philadelphia to order a pair of cheesesteaks with whiz and onions. But as the kitchen sizzled and orders were barked out, Palin found herself talking politics, calling McCain’s debate performance “awesome” and taking questions from a voter about the hunt for terrorists in Pakistan. MORE CNN: WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain retracted Sarah Palin’s stance on Pakistan Sunday morning, after the Alaska governor appeared to back Sen. Barack Obama’s support for unilateral strikes inside Pakistan against terrorists. “She […]