Obama Unleases 'Keating Five' Attack Video

Obama waited for Palin to open her mouth and accuse him of 'palling around with terrorists [plural!]' before unleashing his most vicious attack yet. At Noon Eastern time, the attack was publically released on YouTube. Here is Obama's 14-minute Keating Five documentary. Spread it around. Keep in mind McCain and Obama have a town hall debate tomorrow night. This video will help set the agenda against McCain. McCain scored major points unveiling Palin the day after Obama's historic acceptance speech in Denver. This is Obama scoring points in response. Well played.

Win Number Two


What the hell was that? It was supposed to be easy. Four runs in the 1st inning was supposed to set the tone. But Francona left Matsuzaka in the game to face Vlad Guerreo for a third (and costly) time. Okajima did what he could. Then Francona left Masterson in the game too long. Masterson started the bottom of the 8th inning. When he let the first batter get on base, Francona then turned to Papelbon to get the final 6 outs. With the game tied 5-5, that was the moment we Sox fans thought the game was lost.

But the players were not going to let Francona's unusual bad day of managing stop them. Varitek's calls, Papelbon's pitches, J.D. Drew's big swing in the top of the 9th, and Youkilis' catch in foul territory marked a dramatic swing of the game back to Boston's favor. Boston had the game, then lost it, and then fought to win it back. It was quite a ride.

ALDS Game 2
Red Sox 7, Angles 5

































Care to admit to any mistakes, Terry? Care to take any responsibility? I thought not.

Good Burnett, Bad Burnett


I have to pause to make a comment on someone we've been seeing a lot more on MSNBC and CNBC lately - Erin Burnett. And like a lot of pundits and loudmouths on TV, she dishes out both good points and totally unfair points.

Here, about two weeks ago, she and Jim Cramer were logical (if a little loud) and explained how banks and smaller financial institution got into trouble by selling too many mortgages (and reselling them) without due diligence or proper risk management. This is correct.

Then, last week on Morning Joe, she went into evil mode. Ms. Burnett argued that not only are the takers of bad mortgages to blame, but in-fact, we are ALL to blame for the credit crunch and economic crisis.

Paul Abrams responds: No, Erin Burnett, We Are Not "All Responsible" for this Mess

Moreover, unlike the marginal homeowner whose purchase decision was binary, either they bought a home or rented, the sellers [of mortgages] were all making money, it was a continuum, just a question of how much. Thus, they did not face the same type of decision as the marginal homeowner.

The sellers, of course, were lobbying and supported by the Republican Congress, the Bush Administration and John McCain. The marginal homeowners did not have a lobby.

Greed is very different from need, even if need turns out to be a bit of stretch.

So no, Erin, we are not all equally responsible.

Michigan Stays Blue / Palin's Huge Gamble


McCain pulls out of Michigan. He has canceled TV ads, and is closing his Michigan campaign offices. With Obama now surprising everyone with a double-digit lead in Pennsylvania polls, McCain has sounded the alarm to fall back and regroup.

Oh, and his campaign is beginning to run short on cash. Not good.

And in Palin news today, her handlers have revealed her strategy: aggressively go after Biden:

“This is going to finally put her back into a position where we see her like we saw her the first couple weeks,” a McCain official said. “She was herself. She was authentic, and people related to that. ... Tonight, she’ll get into a rhythm. You’re going to see her in a way that you haven’t seen her yet.”

Really? I thought she was just going to portray herself as a humble regular Jane Doe. But, if she wants to go down swinging at the wrong guy, she can go right ahead.

Win Number One


Here we go again. They pulled out a win last night. The Red Sox look strong enough to make it to the ALCS. But first they have to beat the halos two more times. I think they will. Going back to Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, the Red Sox have now defeated the Angels in 10 consecutive playoff games, 1 shy of a new MLB postseason record.

On Friday night, the ball will be given to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is 9-0 on the road this season. His opponent will be all-star pitcher, Ervin Santana. The Red Sox are going to have to be aggressive to foul-off pitches and run the bases to wear him down. I may not be as confident in these Sox as last year, but this is still a Terry Francona team. And Francona's teams are experts in wearing-down opposing starting pitchers.

ALDS Game 1
Red Sox 4, Angels 1

















Andrew Halcro's Debate Advice For Joe Biden


Andrew Halcro: What It's Like To Debate Sarah Palin

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.

"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

...

So what does that mean for Biden? With shorter question-and-answer times and limited interaction between the two, he should simply ignore Palin in a respectful manner on the stage and answer the questions as though he were alone. Any attempt to flex his public-policy knowledge and show Palin is not ready for prime time will inevitably cast him in the role of the bully.

On the other side of the stage, if Palin is to be successful, she needs to do what she does best: fill the room with her presence and stick to the scripted sound bites.

I'm Loving Power Pros / Pawapuro / MLB Power Pros

Back in the early 1990s, I was a fan of Baseball Stars 2 for the insanely expensive NEO-GEO console. The only way I could play it was on a coin-operated NEO-GEO arcade machine. In 1999, I found it for free as a ROM file for the MAME arcade game emulator. And today, it is available for the PlayStation 2 as part of the SNK Arcade Classics anthology. Here is a video of action from the original Baseball Stars 2 ROM (1992):

As I graduated college in 1995, I wasn't aware that Japanese game developers were advancing the 'anime baseball' genre with the 'Power Pro Baseball' series. There have been 15 versions of the game in Japan, known formally as Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū (or Netto Power Pro Kun, or Pawapuro, or Power Pros).

Here's a video clip of Pawapuro 14 for the Nintendo Wii in Japan (2007):

And in North America, we now have MLB Power Pros 2007 and 2008 for the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Wii. Here is some action from MLB Power Pros 2007 for the Nintendo Wii:

Power Pros is fun and addictive, and it is a great find for those who are sticking with the tried-and-true PlayStation 2. Here are some trade reviews.

Three Media Blackouts

Just wanted to point-out three recent events that have not been covered in the mainstream media - two big and one small.

1. You may have noticed that pictures, videos, and coverage from Galveston, TX have not been plentiful. Ike was a devistating hurricane - on-par with hurricane Andrew and close to Katrina in terms of the cost of damage. In terms of how many homes were destroyed, it was on-par with Katrina. But you probably didn't see much of the aftermath. That's because Galveston's mayor, Lyda Ann Thomas, kicked the press out and prohibited city employees from talking to the press.

2. Glenn Greenwald at Salon is one of the only journalists to point this out: For the first time since the end of the Civil War, a US Army brigade has been assigned for duty in the US mainland. Didn't hear about that? Read about it here.

3. And in Anchoridge, AK, back on September 17th, there was a good-sized anti-Palin rally. Hundreds showed-up. Pictures below.



IIf McCain Were A Democrat, This Election Would Be OVER


From the McCain campaign:

Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.
Does this not make McCain look totally insane? Again, the question of judgment and temperament is front-and-center when observing the actions of candidate McCain. First, there was the selection of Sarah Palin without proper vetting and due diligence. And on Wednesday, we saw McCain panic and request that tonight's debate be postponed or even canceled just minutes after talking to Obama on the phone. Minutes! This is a dangerous, unstable man.

Why isn't this thing over? McCain's behavior this week is the biggest self-inflected wound I have ever seen a presidential nominee inflict on himself.

How could McCain tell David Letterman that he was canceling his media appearances to fly to DC to 'save the country', only to schedule new interviews with Katie Couric and others? He didn't suspend his campaign, either. In other words, he lied. Actually he lied, panicked, called for a time-out, lied some more, arrived in DC, postured, disrupted, accomplished nothing, and is now lying again, hoping everyone forgets he asked for a time-out.

Please, Obama. Deal the death blows tonight. I have faith in you.

Spencer Ackerman:

So, in summary: Humiliating failure. John McCain didn't screw the pooch. He was the pooch.
Wow.

The Palin Robot Malfuntions

It's OK, Katie. I'm pretty pissed-off myself. This woman is making zero sense.

Here, Sarah Palin is able to recall a talking point in the middle of answering the question in the video. Unfortunately for her, the answer she gives is incomprehensible.

COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? Allow them to spend more, and put more money into the economy, instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, we're ill about this position that we have been put in. Where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh, it’s got to be about job creation, too. Shoring up our economy, and getting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade — we have got to see trade as opportunity, not as, uh, competitive, um, scary thing, but one in five jobs created in the trade sector today. We’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation.

McCain's Really Bad Wednesday - Recap


Senator McCain lied to David Letterman in order to duck-out of yesterday afternoon's show. He called Dave to say that he was off to Washington, when in fact he dropped his appearance on Letterman in favor of an appearance on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Dave let the hammer come down, and rightly so.


Wednesday was so bad, Palin's poor interview with Katie Couric didn't get proper attention until Thursday.

Firedoglake to come-up with not one, but two recaps for what was a crazy day.

Blue Texan:

Special scared little scaredy cats edition.

* McSame wimps out.
* And so does Palin.
* But Bush comes to their rescue!
* Of course, no one cares what Bush says.
* And only 10% of Americans think the debate should be postponed.
* Here's why McSame flipped over the game board.
* Does she ask his permission to go to the bathroom, too?
* "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring 'em to ya."
* Stupid Democrats.

Christy Hardin Smith:

So, let's recap:

-- McCain campaign manager Rick Davis not only worked for Freddie Mac, but Davis persuaded the troubled lender to pay his lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, $15,000 a month for not working because he was close to John McCain.

-- Alaskans are now beyond miffed at Palin's troopergate machinations. Especially since it's McCain folks from outside Alaska who are roiling the political waters.

-- After a disastrous interview with Charlie Gibson, and bizarre spoon-fed answers with Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin moved into the Katie Couric Zone of Death. Wherein Palin promptly sucked. That Katie, she's a tiger. Sarah Palin let Katie Couric give her homework. Uh. Mah. Gawd.

...Palin did so badly that McCain tried a reverse maneuver to overshadow her crapitude. (With McCain's $5,000 make-up pro in tow?)

-- To do this, McCain had to cancel Letterman. By lying. What's worse than pissing off a comedian with a daily late night show? Other comedians now must one up Letterman's snarking about your craptastic idiocy. Because comedians cannot help themselves. Just tack a "big joke" sign on McCain's forehead now.

-- Palin. Witchcraft exorcism. Um...

-- Then there's the too frazzled to debate maneuver with a side of chicken. And the leaked McCain memo on selling it.

Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, the economy is still tanking...as are McCain's electoral numbers.