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The Commentariat -- Oct. 15, 2012
Presidential Race
Nate Silver: "President Obama still appeared to hold a narrow Electoral College lead on the basis of state-by-state surveys, while national polls were suggestive of a tie or perhaps the slightest edge for Mitt Romney." ...
... Nincompoops Will Decide the Election. Alex Altman of Time: "As his standing in the polls improves, Mitt Romney is piling up public endorsements from a new cohort of voters: the celebrity train-wreck set.... Lindsay Lohan..., Hulk Hogan.... But the celebrity migration to the Romney camp is be a symptom of a potentially serious problem for Barack Obama: an indication that so-called low-information voters.... the bulk of undecided voters are undecided because they are not trying very hard."
The Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal, which endorsed John McCain in 2008, endorses President Obama for re-election. Their editorial is eminently sensible. Thanks to Victoria D. for the link.
Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "To prepare for the second round of the presidential debates, President Obamaretreated [to the Kingsmill Plantation resort in Williamsburg, Virginia,] this weekend.... Mr. Obama is practicing how to challenge Mr. Romney, something he inexplicably shied away from in Denver on Oct. 3..., how to accuse Mr. Romney of twisting the facts without seeming rude." ...
... E. J. Dionne: "Obama ... simply needs to invite voters to see that Romney, the product, will give them no clue as to what Romney, the person, might do as president. Romney keeps changing the packaging because he knows that the policies inside the box are not what voters are looking for."
... Mark Halperin of Time: "While an early October memorandum of understanding between the Obama and Romney campaigns and the bipartisan commission sponsoring the debates suggests CNN's Candy Crowley would play a limited role in the Tuesday-night session, Crowley, who is not a party to that agreement, has done a series of interviews on her network in which she has suggested she will assume a broader set of responsibilities." Both Obama's & Romney's campaigns have "expressed concern."
The Obama campaign is up with a new ad. The voiceover announcer sounds familir:
... Here's a new pitch. The Obama campaign touts the improved economy:
Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times: "Now campaigning as the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee, [former GOP New Mexico Gov. Gary] Johnson is still only a blip in the polls. But he is on the ballot in every state except Michigan and Oklahoma, enjoys the support of a few small 'super PACs' and is trying to tap into the same grass-roots enthusiasm that helped build Representative Ron Paul a big following.... Both sides agree that Mr. Johnson, whose pro-marijuana legalization and antiwar stances may appeal to the youth vote and whose antigovernment, anti-spending proposals may appeal to conservative fiscal hawks ... has the potential to draw from both Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama." Republicans are trying to thwart Johnson's candidacy through a variety of means.
Jonathan Chait of New York on how Obama & Romney each plan to govern: "... shortly after the next Inaugural Ball -- perhaps very, very shortly after -- the great stalemate between socialism and social Darwinism will break open and likely turn decisively in one direction or the other." CW: couldn't get the printer-friendly version to load, so you'll have to cursor through or give it a try. I haven't had time to read Chait's piece as I have some "other obligations" this morning, but I plan to go back to it.
Rosie Perez nails it:
"Death by Ideology." Paul Krugman: "Last week..., Mr. Romney declared that nobody in America dies because he or she is uninsured.... This followed on an earlier remark by Mr. Romney -- echoing an infamous statement by none other than George W. Bush -- in which he insisted that emergency rooms provide essential health care to the uninsured. These are remarkable statements. They clearly demonstrate that Mr. Romney has no idea what life (and death) are like for those less fortunate than himself.... A literal description of [the Romney-Ryan] plan is that they want to expose many Americans to financial insecurity, and let some of them die, so that a handful of already wealthy people can have a higher after-tax income."
Margaret Talev of Bloomberg News: "The father of Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya who was killed in the attack in Benghazi last month, said his son's death shouldn't be politicized in the presidential campaign. 'It would really be abhorrent to make this into a campaign issue,' Jan Stevens, 77, said.... Mitt Romney ... has criticized President Barack Obama for not providing adequate security in Libya, saying the administration has left the country exposed to a deadly terrorist attack. The ambassador's father, a lawyer, said politicians should await the findings of a formal investigation before making accusations or judgments." (See also New York Times editorial linked under Other Stuff.) ...
Ben Geman of The Hill: "President Obama's senior campaign adviser David Axelrod on Sunday defended the administration's handling of the consulate attack in Libya, accusing Mitt Romney of trying to 'exploit' the issue."
Musical Interlude
Big Brother Is Here and His Name Is Obama Romney. Charles Duhigg of the New York Times: "Strategists affiliated with the Obama and Romney campaigns say they have access to information about the personal lives of voters at a scale never before imagined. And they are using that data to try to influence voting habits -- in effect, to train voters to go to the polls through subtle cues, rewards and threats in a manner akin to the marketing efforts of credit card companies and big-box retailers." Thanks to a reader for pointing me to this story, which I skipped over earlier. Her comment: "incredible and scary."
CW: Oops, forgot to run this yesterday. Thanks to contributor Diane for reminding me:
"Arianna Huffington"'s review of Martha Raddatz's performance is fairly funny, too:
Mike Elk of In These Times: "In a voter information packet obtained by In These Times, the Koch Industries corporate leadership informed tens of thousands of employees at its subsidiary, Georgia Pacific, that their livelihood could depend on the 2012 election and that the company supports Mitt Romney for president.... Enclosed with the letter was a flyer listing Koch-endorsed candidates, beginning with Romney.... The packet also included an anti-Obama editorial by Charles Koch and a pro-Romney editorial by David Koch." Via Yahoo! News. ...
... Pat Garofalo of Think Progress: "Chris Hayes reported today on another CEO -- Arthur Allen of ASG Software Solutions -- who said in an email to his employees that they'd only have themselves to blame if they lose their jobs if Obama wins."
Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "Former South Carolina Governor and Fox News contributor Mark Sanford wandered off the Appalachian Trail again Sunday morning when, in yet another completely isolated example of a Republican being totally-not-racist even though he sounds racist, said that President Obama is going to 'come out and throw a lot of spears' at Tuesday’s upcoming debate." (See also story below re: Tommy Thompson's son.)
AND AP: "Pizza Hut is rethinking its contest daring people to ask 'Sausage or Pepperoni?' at the presidential debate Tuesday. After the stunt triggered backlash last week, the company says it's moving the promotion online, where a contestant will be randomly selected to win free pizza for life. In a segment on Comedy Central's 'Colbert Report,' host Stephen Colbert asked, 'What could be more American than using our electoral process for product placement?'"
Congressional Races
Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed: Jason Thompson, the son of former Governor and Wisconson Senate candidate Tommy Thompson, speaking this morning at a brunch attended RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said that 'we have the opportunity to send President Obama back to Chicago -- or Kenya.'" CW: hard to figure why these candidates' supporters are overt racists, isn't it? (See yesterday's Commentariat for a few examples.)
Alexander Bolton of The Hill: "The bruised feelings of retiring Senate centrists have created headaches for Republican and Democratic leaders who are trying to keep control of their seats. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are staying aloof from the battles for the seats they are vacating, giving challengers a better chance of flipping them." CW: bruised feelings? Maybe these senators just have principles & won't support a candidate with whom they fundamentally disagree. Oh, wait. Joe Lieberman.
Eric Moskowitz of the Boston Globe writes an in-depth piece on Elizabeth Warren as a teacher. Sorry, Scott Brown, no expose' here. She's tough and her students love her. Thanks to contributor Julie L. for the link.
Edward McClelland of NBC Chicago: Republican Joe "Walsh is a shameless, sexist, racist, creedist, colorist, national originist political bully who will do and say anything to win." And he just might win. A recent poll has him up by more than 2 points over Democrat Tammy Duckworth. Thanks to Victoria D. for the link. CW: maybe Frank Rich -- see link below -- is right.
Margaret Hartmann of New York: "Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has been out of the public eye since June when his office said he was suffering from exhaustion, revealing later that he was receiving treatment for bipolar II disorder. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that ... the F.B.I. and federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal probe into allegations that he used campaign money to decorate his house." CW: Mental illness or not, Jackson is a sleazy crook. ...
... An Unusual Convalescence. Update. John Cook of Gawker: "According to two independent sources, Jackson was spotted drinking at Bier Baron Tavern, a craft beer bar not far from Dupont Circle, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights last week. Each night, he was accompanied by a different woman. According to both sources, Jackson was drinking." Heavy on the sleazy.
Other Stuff
CW: Well, this is depressing. Frank Rich has a long piece in which he argues that no matter who wins this election, the Tea Party philosophy will eventually prevail. My comments on Chait's piece, above, are applicable here, too.
David Sanger of the New York Times: "Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists, and not the more secular opposition groups that the West wants to bolster, according to American officials and Middle Eastern diplomats. That conclusion ... casts into doubt whether the White House's strategy of minimal and indirect intervention in the Syrian conflict is accomplishing its intended purpose of helping a democratic-minded opposition topple an oppressive government."
"Republicans Have No Shame." New York Times Editors: "... the same people who are accusing the administration of not providing sufficient security for the American consulate in Benghazi have voted to cut the State Department budget, which includes financing for diplomatic security. The most self-righteous critics don't seem to get the hypocrisy, or maybe they do and figure that if they hurl enough doubts and complaints at the administration, they will deflect attention from their own poor judgments on the State Department's needs." ...
Deborah Kenny, the principal of Harlem Village Academies: "... the solution [to teacher accountability] being considered by many states -- having the government evaluate individual teachers -- is a terrible idea that undermines principals and is demeaning to teachers."
Bill Keller writes about British sexual predator [Sir] Jimmy Savile whose popular BBC television shows gave him access to young girls. Mark Thompson, who was head of the BBC when it killed a story about Savile's crimes (the story was produced after Savile's death), is about to become the New York Times' CEO.
John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News remembers Arlen Specter.
News Ledes
New York Times: "Dr. S. Ward Casscells, a nationally prominent cardiologist who astonished himself and those who knew him by joining the Army Reserve at 54 and volunteering to go to Iraq before being appointed the Pentagon's top medical officer, died on Sunday in Washington. He was 60. The cause was complications from prostate cancer, his family said."
New York Times: "The Pentagon and State Department are speeding up efforts to help the Libyan government create a commando force to combat Islamic extremists like the ones who killed the American ambassador in Libya last month and to help counter the country's fractious militias.... The Obama administration quietly won Congress's approval last month to shift about $8 million from Pentagon operations and counterterrorism aid budgeted for Pakistan to begin building an elite Libyan force over the next year that could ultimately number about 500 troops."
New York Times: "Health officials are warning that more people may be at risk from contaminated drugs made by a Massachusetts company linked to a growing meningitis outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration reported on Monday that the company's products may have also caused other types of infections in patients who have had eye operations or open-heart surgery.... The New England Compounding Center has shut down and recalled all its products. At least five states, besides Massachusetts, have suspended the company's license: Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia."
Washington Post: "The alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks appeared in court Monday at the Guantanamo Bay prison for a week of pretrial motions that are expected to touch on claims of torture at secret CIA sites and the public's right to unfettered access to the proceedings. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, 47, and his four co-defendants were quiet during the opening day of motions, a break from their disruptive and defiant behavior during their arraignment in the spring."
New York Times: "The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide whether Arizona may require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. The federal appeals court in San Francisco blocked the state law in April, saying it conflicted with a federal one. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case early next year, and the law will remain suspended in the meantime."
Washington Post: "Britain and Scotland signed an accord Monday clearing the way for a historic vote on independence that could see this island's northern lands stand alone for the first time in three centuries as Europe's newest overeign state. Monday's accord effectively launches a critical two-year independence campaign during which the Scottish National Party -- whose surprise victory in regional elections last year propelled the push for a referendum -- will go toe-to-toe against those fiercely opposed to rupturing modern Britain."
New York Times: "The European Union toughened sanctions against Iran on Monday because of the disputed Iranian nuclear program, banning trade in sectors like finance, metals and natural gas, and making business transactions in many other areas far more cumbersome."
New York Times: "Two Americans, Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd Shapley, were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science on Monday for their work on market design and matching theory, which relate to how people and companies find and select one another in everything from marriage to school choice to jobs."
New York Times: "The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing Morgan Stanley of fueling the production of risky, expensive loans that targeted African-American borrowers. In the lawsuit, expected to be filed on Monday, the A.C.L.U. claims that Morgan Stanley is culpable for predatory loans made through the New Century Financial Corporation because the investment bank lent billions of dollars to New Century, a now-defunct subprime lender, and pressured it to make troublesome loans to African-American borrowers who could not afford them."
New York Times: "The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban last week for advocating girls' education has been flown to Britain for emergency specialist care.... Malala Yousafzai, 14, left an air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where she was being treated for head wounds in a military hospital, on an air ambulance sent from the United Arab Emirates."
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