And Palin bashing continues...only in America!

Previously published on The Atlantic.com:


This is the kind of questions Sarah Palin gets...only show how stupid and bias we (the media) can be sometimes. Hewitt "interviews" Palin. The answers this time are not quite as hilarious as the questions:

"Governor, your candidacy has ignited extreme hostility, even some hatred on the left and in some parts of the media. Are you surprised?

Now Governor, the Gibson and the Couric interview struck many as sort of pop quizzes designed to embarrass you as opposed to interviews. Do you share that opinion?

Have you followed the attacks on you, say, via Drudge or the blogs? Some of them are just made up and out of left field, others are just mocking. Do you follow those?"

"Governor, you mentioned the people who are struggling right now. Have you and your husband, Todd, ever faced tough economic times where you had to sit around a kitchen table and make tough choices?

Governor, when you say things are tight right now, is that simply because of Todd being off not working? Or is it because of extraordinary demands on the fiscal resources of the Palin family? What’s the situation there?

Governor, let’s turn to a couple of issues that the MSM’s not going to pick up. You’re pro-life, and how much of the virulent opposition to you on the left do you attribute to your pro-life position, and maybe even to the birth of, your decision, your and Todd’s decision to have Trig?

Do you think the mainstream media and the left understands your religious faith, Governor Palin?

Last question, Governor. Have you and Todd heard from your son? And how is it on your nerves having your son deployed?"

Lance kissed a girl! And we like it!

Our queer friend, Lance Bass, kissing his partner, Lacey Schwimmer, at the end of their high-energy, edgy, macho Paso last night. Please vote for them.




















Below, comments by QueerGam's bloggers on the show last night.

AMBROSE ABAN
And it was super hot! Forget Len Goodman, their paso was incredible, edgy and modern. At the end of that rigorous dance, Lance showed the aggressive yet feminine side of being gay intangled passionately and sensually within the 2-minute Paso and kissed his professional dance partner, Lacey,...and brought down the house in the greatest of style. Thanks Carry Ann and Bruno for the high marks. Lance showed America (and the world) what it means being gay and being who he is. He should not worry too much about Len Goodman. Len is just an old, frustrated former pro who smells like Gin and regrets. We are proud of you Lance. Go get em bro!

THE SCORES:

PHIL SPENCER
Brooke Burke and Derek Hough – 24
Paso doble, scores: 8+8+8=24.
I like this couple very much. I think they will be saved tonight. Derek is a great leader and Brooke, a willing, throw-all-cautions-in-the-wind kinda follower, making them a solid team. Derek took Brooke to a karate dojo to practice her fierceness this week, and it paid off with praise form the judges.

Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson – 24
Paso doble, scores: 8+8+8=24.
Kym is sensational this season. No more botox! Good for her. She had too much botox last season and looked like a dancing prostitute! But this season she looks elegance and classy. Warren continues to surprise everyone with how good he is on the dance floor. He and Kym pulled off a wonderfully dark and intense paso doble tonight. This big guy is really light on his feet and moves extremely well, and he really got into the character of a fearsome matador tonight.

AMBROSE ABAN
Toni Braxton and Alec Mazo – 23
Rumba, scores: 7+8+8=23.
Could have been 9-8-8 cos Carry Ann said it clear last season that she would minus one point for a lift each! Toni should have picked Unbreak My Heart for her first rumba. There is no other song that is better than her song for the rumba. Despite two illegal lifts, Toni and Alec made their rumba super smoldering and sexy. The judges commented a little bit about how their transitions can be smoother, but overall, Toni and Alec were rewarded with high scores and high praise. Not too shabby for the first performers of the night.

GEORGE TYLER
Cody Linley and Julianne Hough – 21
Rumba, scores: 7+7+7=21.
I don't think Cody is sexy enough for DWTS. He is just way too young for the floor. Dancing what Carrie Ann Inaba called "an age-appropriate rumba," Cody and Julianne were really impressive with this romantic style. He tried tonight, tried to be mature. It is the face, the smile -- too young.

Misty May-Treanor and Maksim Chmerkovskiy – 21
Paso doble, scores: 7+7+7=21.
I am not a fan of this couple tho I love Max. Dressed in biker-chic leather outfits, Misty and Maks were hot, hot, hot tonight. Their performance was super aggressive and powerful, which worked well with the paso doble style. Misty still needs to work on being more feminine and soft, especially if she'll have a more elegant style next week, but her determination is definitely a thing to behold.

CHRIS GOODRIDGE
Susan Lucci and Tony Dovolani – 21
Rumba, scores 7+7+7=21.
Susan had a big week juggling between rehearsing for Dancing with the Stars in Los Angeles and filming All My Children in New York, but that didn't affect her scores too much this week. The judges thought she achieved a fine performance, although they still wish her to be stronger and more assertive in her motions.

AMBROSE ABAN
Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer – 20
Paso doble, scores: 7+6+7=20.
Dancing to "I Kissed a Girl," Lacey choreographed another nontraditional number that got Len Goodman's panties in a bunch. Lacey added enough traditional paso doble moves, but the whole was altogether far too hip hop to get high scores from judges. However, this routine was one of the highlights of my evening.

JEFFEREY JOHNSON
Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke – 19
Rumba, scores: 7+6+6=19.
Maurice must step it up if he wants to stay in the competition. Great expectations for him to do better than others cos he is partnered with a former champion and people have raised the bar too high for Maurice. The Cheryl-factor is also raising expectations every week. They've got to go crazy and ugly on the floor.

GEORGE TYLER
Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballas – 17
Rumba, scores: 6+6+5=17.
People are not very supportive of Kim. I like her. She tried very hard and I think she deserved Queers' votes. Her rumba was not "cold and soulless".

CHRIS GOODRIDGE
Rocco DiSpirito and Karina Smirnoff – 16
Rumba, scores: 5+6+5=16.
Karina is an incredible world champion. She thrilled even the world pros everytime she danced. She cannot help Rocco. Why? Not only because she is way too good for him, he is way too stiff.

PHIL SPENCER
Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas – 15
Paso doble, scores: 5+5+5=15.
Enough of Cloris. Her time is up. It is better for her to go tonihgt than to lose another celeb...she is going soon anyway...

The bailout rescue should have no place, however big or small, in politics.

The candidates should act like senators and should stay out of it because they are not negotiators in the troubled markets.

Wall St loses $3 million a minute today (that $1.3 trillion at the end of trading day) while politicians blame each other...as you lose your money

And all of this is happening as the Asian and Pacific stock markets are falling...and Tina Fey and the people at SNL have the audacity and the courage to poke more fun at Sarah Palin-Katie Couric interview knowing it could affect her debate on Thursday with Biden. If Sarah is weak on the economy, they are making her weaker. This is not helping the current financial crisis. What Tina Fey did is unacceptable and inexcusable.

Blames are going around... Nancy Pelosi's speech a disaster... as bailout fails and stocks nose-dive...and $1.2 trillion dollars loss today on the Dow

The bailout continues to rock the market. Wachovia is in the toilette. Who is next? The Citigroup? Is your money safe? Are you nervous about what the bailout can't see?

It is the biggest one-day plunge in market value.

Queers, please withdraw your money and spread your money around and make you are well below limits in case something happens. Bank failures are infectious. Do you think they have enough money to cover you?

It’s now 227 NAY, 206 YEA, 1 Not Voting.

1:59pm Eastern.
The allotted 15 minutes for voting is over, but there is still no official announcement. Arm-twisting is underway, but only one changed vote so far.

2:06pm Eastern.
It’s official. The MOAB has failed.

Yeah, a lot of Chicken Littles are running around screaming about the Dow dropping.
It’s dropped less than 5 percent. Apocalyptics said it would be down 20-30 percent.

The bailout failed. The world survives.

2:29pm Eastern.
We cannot access the House website for the roll call vote, but the entire site is hung up.

Here’s the roll call vote…

H R 3997 RECORDED VOTE 29-Sep-2008 2:07 PM

AYES
Democratic 140
Republican 65

NOES
Democrat 95
Republican 133

NOT VOTING
Republican 1

TOTALS

AYES 205
NOES 228

QUESTION: On Concurring in Senate Amendment With An Amendment

BILL TITLE: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide earnings assistance and tax relief to members of the uniformed services, volunteer firefighters, and Peace Corps volunteers, and for other purposes

Ackerman D NY legislator Aye
Allen D ME legislator Aye
Andrews D NJ legislator Aye
Arcuri D NY legislator Aye
Baird D WA legislator Aye
Baldwin D WI legislator Aye
Bean D IL legislator Aye
Berman D CA legislator Aye
Berry D AR legislator Aye
Bishop (GA) D GA legislator Aye
Bishop (NY) D NY legislator Aye
Boren D OK legislator Aye
Boswell D IA legislator Aye
Boucher D VA legislator Aye
Boyd (FL) D FL legislator Aye
Brady (PA) D PA legislator Aye
Brown, Corrine D FL legislator Aye
Capps D CA legislator Aye
Capuano D MA legislator Aye
Cardoza D CA legislator Aye
Carnahan D MO legislator Aye
Clarke D NY legislator Aye
Clyburn D SC legislator Aye
Cohen D TN legislator Aye
Cooper D TN legislator Aye
Costa D CA legislator Aye
Cramer D AL legislator Aye
Crowley D NY legislator Aye
Davis (AL) D AL legislator Aye
Davis (CA) D CA legislator Aye
Davis (IL) D IL legislator Aye
DeGette D CO legislator Aye
DeLauro D CT legislator Aye
Dicks D WA legislator Aye
Dingell D MI legislator Aye
Donnelly D IN legislator Aye
Doyle D PA legislator Aye
Edwards (TX) D TX legislator Aye
Ellison D MN legislator Aye
Ellsworth D IN legislator Aye
Emanuel D IL legislator Aye
Engel D NY legislator Aye
Eshoo D CA legislator Aye
Etheridge D NC legislator Aye
Farr D CA legislator Aye
Fattah D PA legislator Aye
Foster D IL legislator Aye
Frank (MA) D MA legislator Aye
Gonzalez D TX legislator Aye
Gordon D TN legislator Aye
Gutierrez D IL legislator Aye
Hall (NY) D NY legislator Aye
Hare D IL legislator Aye
Harman D CA legislator Aye
Hastings (FL) D FL legislator Aye
Higgins D NY legislator Aye
Hinojosa D TX legislator Aye
Holt D NJ legislator Aye
Honda D CA legislator Aye
Hooley D OR legislator Aye
Hoyer D MD legislator Aye
Israel D NY legislator Aye
Johnson, E. B. D TX legislator Aye
Kanjorski D PA legislator Aye
Kennedy D RI legislator Aye
Kildee D MI legislator Aye
Kind D WI legislator Aye
Klein (FL) D FL legislator Aye
Langevin D RI legislator Aye
Larsen (WA) D WA legislator Aye
Larson (CT) D CT legislator Aye
Levin D MI legislator Aye
Loebsack D IA legislator Aye
Lofgren, Zoe D CA legislator Aye
Lowey D NY legislator Aye
Mahoney (FL) D FL legislator Aye
Maloney (NY) D NY legislator Aye
Markey D MA legislator Aye
Marshall D GA legislator Aye
Matsui D CA legislator Aye
McCarthy (NY) D NY legislator Aye
McCollum (MN) D MN legislator Aye
McDermott D WA legislator Aye
McGovern D MA legislator Aye
McNerney D CA legislator Aye
McNulty D NY legislator Aye
Meek (FL) D FL legislator Aye
Meeks (NY) D NY legislator Aye
Melancon D LA legislator Aye
Miller (NC) D NC legislator Aye
Miller, George D CA legislator Aye
Mollohan D WV legislator Aye
Moore (KS) D KS legislator Aye
Moore (WI) D WI legislator Aye
Moran (VA) D VA legislator Aye
Murphy (CT) D CT legislator Aye
Murphy, Patrick D PA legislator Aye
Murtha D PA legislator Aye
Nadler D NY legislator Aye
Neal (MA) D MA legislator Aye
Oberstar D MN legislator Aye
Obey D WI legislator Aye
Olver D MA legislator Aye
Pallone D NJ legislator Aye
Pelosi D CA speaker Aye
Perlmutter D CO legislator Aye
Pomeroy D ND legislator Aye
Price (NC) D NC legislator Aye
Rahall D WV legislator Aye
Rangel D NY legislator Aye
Reyes D TX legislator Aye
Richardson D CA legislator Aye
Ross D AR legislator Aye
Ruppersberger D MD legislator Aye
Ryan (OH) D OH legislator Aye
Sarbanes D MD legislator Aye
Schakowsky D IL legislator Aye
Schwartz D PA legislator Aye
Sestak D PA legislator Aye
Sires D NJ legislator Aye
Skelton D MO legislator Aye
Slaughter D NY legislator Aye
Smith (WA) D WA legislator Aye
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Space D OH legislator Aye
Speier D CA legislator Aye
Spratt D SC legislator Aye
Tanner D TN legislator Aye
Tauscher D CA legislator Aye
Towns D NY legislator Aye
Tsongas D MA legislator Aye
Van Hollen D MD legislator Aye
Velazquez D NY legislator Aye
Wasserman Schultz D FL legislator Aye
Waters D CA legislator Aye
Watt D NC legislator Aye
Waxman D CA legislator Aye
Weiner D NY legislator Aye
Wexler D FL legislator Aye
Wilson (OH) D OH legislator Aye
Bachus R AL legislator Aye
Blunt R MO legislator Aye
Boehner R OH legislator Aye
Bonner R AL legislator Aye
Bono Mack R CA legislator Aye
Boozman R AR legislator Aye
Brady (TX) R TX legislator Aye
Brown (SC) R SC legislator Aye
Calvert R CA legislator Aye
Camp (MI) R MI legislator Aye
Campbell (CA) R CA legislator Aye
Cannon R UT legislator Aye
Cantor R VA legislator Aye
Castle R DE legislator Aye
Cole (OK) R OK legislator Aye
Crenshaw R FL legislator Aye
Cubin R WY legislator Aye
Davis, Tom R VA legislator Aye
Dreier R CA legislator Aye
Ehlers R MI legislator Aye
Emerson R MO legislator Aye
Everett R AL legislator Aye
Ferguson R NJ legislator Aye
Fossella R NY legislator Aye
Gilchrest R MD legislator Aye
Granger R TX legislator Aye
Herger R CA legislator Aye
Hobson R OH legislator Aye
Inglis (SC) R SC legislator Aye
King (NY) R NY legislator Aye
Kirk R IL legislator Aye
Kline (MN) R MN legislator Aye
LaHood R IL legislator Aye
Lewis (CA) R CA legislator Aye
Lewis (KY) R KY legislator Aye
Lungren, Daniel E. R CA legislator Aye
McCrery R LA legislator Aye
McHugh R NY legislator Aye
McKeon R CA legislator Aye
Miller, Gary R CA legislator Aye
Peterson (PA) R PA legislator Aye
Pickering R MS legislator Aye
Porter R NV legislator Aye
Pryce (OH) R OH legislator Aye
Putnam R FL legislator Aye
Radanovich R CA legislator Aye
Regula R OH legislator Aye
Reynolds R NY legislator Aye
Rogers (AL) R AL legislator Aye
Rogers (KY) R KY legislator Aye
Ryan (WI) R WI legislator Aye
Saxton R NJ legislator Aye
Sessions R TX legislator Aye
Shays R CT legislator Aye
Simpson R ID legislator Aye
Smith (TX) R TX legislator Aye
Souder R IN legislator Aye
Tancredo R CO legislator Aye
Upton R MI legislator Aye
Walden (OR) R OR legislator Aye
Walsh (NY) R NY legislator Aye
Weldon (FL) R FL legislator Aye
Wilson (NM) R NM legislator Aye
Wilson (SC) R SC legislator Aye
Wolf R VA legislator Aye
Abercrombie D HI legislator No
Altmire D PA legislator No
Baca D CA legislator No
Barrow D GA legislator No
Becerra D CA legislator No
Berkley D NV legislator No
Blumenauer D OR legislator No
Boyda (KS) D KS legislator No
Braley (IA) D IA legislator No
Butterfield D NC legislator No
Carney D PA legislator No
Carson D IN legislator No
Castor D FL legislator No
Cazayoux D LA legislator No
Chandler D KY legislator No
Childers D MS legislator No
Clay D MO legislator No
Cleaver D MO legislator No
Conyers D MI legislator No
Costello D IL legislator No
Courtney D CT legislator No
Cuellar D TX legislator No
Cummings D MD legislator No
Davis, Lincoln D TN legislator No
DeFazio D OR legislator No
Delahunt D MA legislator No
Doggett D TX legislator No
Edwards (MD) D MD legislator No
Filner D CA legislator No
Giffords D AZ legislator No
Gillibrand D NY legislator No
Green, Al D TX legislator No
Green, Gene D TX legislator No
Grijalva D AZ legislator No
Herseth Sandlin D SD legislator No
Hill D IN legislator No
Hinchey D NY legislator No
Hirono D HI legislator No
Hodes D NH legislator No
Holden D PA legislator No
Inslee D WA legislator No
Jackson (IL) D IL legislator No
Jackson-Lee (TX) D TX legislator No
Jefferson D LA legislator No
Johnson (GA) D GA legislator No
Kagen D WI legislator No
Kaptur D OH legislator No
Kilpatrick D MI legislator No
Kucinich D OH legislator No
Lampson D TX legislator No
Lee D CA legislator No
Lewis (GA) D GA legislator No
Lipinski D IL legislator No
Lynch D MA legislator No
Matheson D UT legislator No
McIntyre D NC legislator No
Michaud D ME legislator No
Mitchell D AZ legislator No
Napolitano D CA legislator No
Ortiz D TX legislator No
Pascrell D NJ legislator No
Pastor D AZ legislator No
Payne D NJ legislator No
Peterson (MN) D MN legislator No
Rodriguez D TX legislator No
Rothman D NJ legislator No
Roybal-Allard D CA legislator No
Rush D IL legislator No
Salazar D CO legislator No
Sanchez, Linda T. D CA legislator No
Sanchez, Loretta D CA legislator No
Schiff D CA legislator No
Scott (GA) D GA legislator No
Scott (VA) D VA legislator No
Serrano D NY legislator No
Shea-Porter D NH legislator No
Sherman D CA legislator No
Shuler D NC legislator No
Solis D CA legislator No
Stark D CA legislator No
Stupak D MI legislator No
Sutton D OH legislator No
Taylor D MS legislator No
Thompson (CA) D CA legislator No
Thompson (MS) D MS legislator No
Tierney D MA legislator No
Udall (CO) D CO legislator No
Udall (NM) D NM legislator No
Visclosky D IN legislator No
Walz (MN) D MN legislator No
Watson D CA legislator No
Welch (VT) D VT legislator No
Woolsey D CA legislator No
Wu D OR legislator No
Yarmuth D KY legislator No
Aderholt R AL legislator No
Akin R MO legislator No
Alexander R LA legislator No
Bachmann R MN legislator No
Barrett (SC) R SC legislator No
Bartlett (MD) R MD legislator No
Barton (TX) R TX legislator No
Biggert R IL legislator No
Bilbray R CA legislator No
Bilirakis R FL legislator No
Bishop (UT) R UT legislator No
Blackburn R TN legislator No
Boustany R LA legislator No
Broun (GA) R GA legislator No
Brown-Waite, Ginny R FL legislator No
Buchanan R FL legislator No
Burgess R TX legislator No
Burton (IN) R IN legislator No
Buyer R IN legislator No
Capito R WV legislator No
Carter R TX legislator No
Chabot R OH legislator No
Coble R NC legislator No
Conaway R TX legislator No
Culberson R TX legislator No
Davis (KY) R KY legislator No
Davis, David R TN legislator No
Deal (GA) R GA legislator No
Dent R PA legislator No
Diaz-Balart, L. R FL legislator No
Diaz-Balart, M. R FL legislator No
Doolittle R CA legislator No
Drake R VA legislator No
Duncan R TN legislator No
English (PA) R PA legislator No
Fallin R OK legislator No
Feeney R FL legislator No
Flake R AZ legislator No
Forbes R VA legislator No
Fortenberry R NE legislator No
Foxx R NC legislator No
Franks (AZ) R AZ legislator No
Frelinghuysen R NJ legislator No
Gallegly R CA legislator No
Garrett (NJ) R NJ legislator No
Gerlach R PA legislator No
Gingrey R GA legislator No
Gohmert R TX legislator No
Goode R VA legislator No
Goodlatte R VA legislator No
Graves R MO legislator No
Hall (TX) R TX legislator No
Hastings (WA) R WA legislator No
Hayes R NC legislator No
Heller R NV legislator No
Hensarling R TX legislator No
Hoekstra R MI legislator No
Hulshof R MO legislator No
Hunter R CA legislator No
Issa R CA legislator No
Johnson (IL) R IL legislator No
Johnson, Sam R TX legislator No
Jones (NC) R NC legislator No
Jordan R OH legislator No
Keller R FL legislator No
King (IA) R IA legislator No
Kingston R GA legislator No
Knollenberg R MI legislator No
Kuhl (NY) R NY legislator No
Lamborn R CO legislator No
Latham R IA legislator No
LaTourette R OH legislator No
Latta R OH legislator No
Linder R GA legislator No
LoBiondo R NJ legislator No
Lucas R OK legislator No
Mack R FL legislator No
Manzullo R IL legislator No
Marchant R TX legislator No
McCarthy (CA) R CA legislator No
McCaul (TX) R TX legislator No
McCotter R MI legislator No
McHenry R NC legislator No
McMorris Rodgers R WA legislator No
Mica R FL legislator No
Miller (FL) R FL legislator No
Miller (MI) R MI legislator No
Moran (KS) R KS legislator No
Murphy, Tim R PA legislator No
Musgrave R CO legislator No
Myrick R NC legislator No
Neugebauer R TX legislator No
Nunes R CA legislator No
Paul R TX legislator No
Pearce R NM legislator No
Pence R IN legislator No
Petri R WI legislator No
Pitts R PA legislator No
Platts R PA legislator No
Poe R TX legislator No
Price (GA) R GA legislator No
Ramstad R MN legislator No
Rehberg R MT legislator No
Reichert R WA legislator No
Renzi R AZ legislator No
Rogers (MI) R MI legislator No
Rohrabacher R CA legislator No
Ros-Lehtinen R FL legislator No
Roskam R IL legislator No
Royce R CA legislator No
Sali R ID legislator No
Scalise R LA legislator No
Schmidt R OH legislator No
Sensenbrenner R WI legislator No
Shadegg R AZ legislator No
Shimkus R IL legislator No
Shuster R PA legislator No
Smith (NE) R NE legislator No
Smith (NJ) R NJ legislator No
Stearns R FL legislator No
Sullivan R OK legislator No
Terry R NE legislator No
Thornberry R TX legislator No
Tiahrt R KS legislator No
Tiberi R OH legislator No
Turner R OH legislator No
Walberg R MI legislator No
Wamp R TN legislator No
Westmoreland R GA legislator No
Whitfield (KY) R KY legislator No
Wittman (VA) R VA legislator No
Young (AK) R AK legislator No
Young (FL) R FL legislator No
Weller R IL legislator Not Voting

Bam to McCain: "under your president..." was unpatriotic

Yes...I was shocked. Obama said that at one point during the debate last night when he responded to McCain. It sounded totally unpatriotic..."under your president..."...McCain's president is his president, too. Obama didn't even wish Sen. Ted Kennedy well. Again, Obama is not ready to lead and not ready to be the president (and Michelle Obama not ready to be the First Lady) of this great country.

Note: Not ready doesn't mean that he is not good or not qualified. Obama needs time to "understand" and to "get it".

Good bye Paul...we'll miss you.

He was one of Hollywood's most beautiful actors, the most generous giver, a loving father and husband. Moviestar, Paul Newman, died today at his home in Conn.


He was the object of our affection.

McCain punches Bam in the face, blow by blow, in first presidential debate

Ambrose Aban
Chief Blogger, QueerGam
New York | San Francisco


McCain (left) punches Obama in the face, blow by blow, in first debate in Mississippi











While there is now a mad scramble to spin who won or who lost, folks ought to step back and realize we saw one of the better "first" presidential debates in this modern era in quite some time. Neither candidate was "off," neither candidate was nervous. Both were on message (sometimes painfully so for those of you who have now witnessed your 38th presidential debate of the cycle). In fact, the primary debate practice clearly had them both prepared tonight. But for me, and I am saying this personally, it was clear. Common. Obama couldn't even sell his eloquence. McCain won.

Did McCain look like someone ready to buck the status quo?
It's hard to argue that he wasn't showing himself as someone wanting to shake things up. For every time Obama attempted to link McCain to Bush, the Arizona senator had no qualms going after his own party. In fact, Obama's "John is right" mantras were usually connected to one of McCain's anti-Republican establishment points.

Did the viewers (and you) get turned off by McCain's sometimes dismissive treatment of Obama or will they start asking themselves the same questions? While this was a very heavy and substantive debate, I do wonder if on style (cos looks count even in the boring hetero world), McCain lost a point or two, and that may explain why he's not staying even in some of these insta-polls. But Obama is not all that either.

Who will the voters-viewers (and you) punish for what seemed like a completely tone deaf conversation between the two candidates on the economy? Neither candidate emphasized jobs and instead allowed themselves to get bogged down on taxes and spending, two issues that don't rank nearly as high with voters as other economic issues. Bottom line on the economy: they both need work.

There are some who believe a "draw" is better for the candidate perceived to be ahead. If that's the case, then the polls will continue their Obama drift. But I wouldn't be surprised if the polls don't move much in either direction because neither candidate gave a reason why voters ought to stop listening and make their decision now. There are two more debates and this one was good enough that they may see audiences build on this one.

At least six times McCain said Obama did not understand something. First on tactics vs strategy; and then on Pakistan being a failed state when Musharraf took office; then on the connection between winning in Iraq and in Afghanistan and about meeting with a leader like Ahmadinejad without preconditions and then on the Russia-Georgia conflict; then again on the need to succeed in Iraq so al Qaeda doesn't establish a base there. And make that seven times if you count McCain near the end saying more generally that Obama doesn't have the knowledge to lead due to his responses on Russa/Georgia, and his failure to acknowledge surge's success.

If McCain's argument in the first half of the debate was all about earmarks, in the second, it seemed to be about Obama's lack of understanding.

The question is whether viewers will agree with him on these specific points or just internalize his oft-repeated argument.

In the debate over Obama's position that he would be willing to talk to unsavory world leaders without precondition, Obama brought up that Henry Kissinger -- an adviser to McCain -- actually favors that. That is true. Kissinger favors direct talks -- without preconditions with Iran -- but he prefers doing at the Secretary of State level.

UPDATE
The McCain camp sends along the following statement from Henry Kissinger:

"Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality."

Kissinger: "Well, I am in favor of negotiating with Iran. And one utility of negotiation is to put before Iran our vision of a Middle East, of a stable Middle East, and our notion on nuclear proliferation at a high enough level so that they have to study it. And, therefore, I actually have preferred doing it at the secretary of state level so that we -- we know we're dealing with authentic..." Sesno: "Put at a very high level right out of the box?"

Meanwhile, team McCain has just unveiled a new web video, featuring clips of Obama agreeing with McCain throughout tonight's debate.

McCain also slammed Obama for threatening to "announce military strikes" on Pakistan.

"I'm not prepared to threaten it as Senator Obama apparently wants to do, as he has said that he would announce military strikes into Pakistan. Now, you don't do that," he added. "You don't say that out loud."

Is that what Obama really said in August 2007?

Not exactly. Then, Obama said: "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."

So Obama said that he'd go after al Qaida targets within Pakistan's borders, not attack the nation itself. That's a move that the Bush administration actually approved this summer on at least one occasion -- to much objection by the Pakistani government.

The longer format appears to be working for Obama, who tends to be long-winded. He hasn't been forced to give a quick answer yet. He's on message, hitting his talking points on the contrasts with John McCain on taxes, his plans for healthcare and energy independence. He seemed to cover more ground than McCain whose main points were about cutting government spending. For several minutes, Obama was the only one to interrupt his opponent, which seemed to be an attempt to show his willingness to fight back.

OTHER OBSERVATION:
Obama took 34 minutes for Iraq to be mentioned (unless I missed it before). Obama pointed to ending the war as a cost savings. The strongest exchanges were on Iraq. Obama seeking to point out areas where McCain was wrong and McCain accusing him of not admitting the United States was succeeding in Iraq and talked about him voting to cut off funding for troops. McCain clearly doesn't like Obama questioning his knowledge, understanding or positions on the war in Iraq...he's getting that uncomfortable smile again.

OUR VERDICT:
It wasn't a draw. Common! It was clear. Obama couldn't even sell his eloquence. McCain won.

If love would stand in front of me and asked me: 'What are you willing to give for me?'

Latest from Ollian on Verbotene Liebe


















Ollian (above) Oliver and Christian (right)

The latest episode of Verbotene Liebe's Christian & Oliver Story shows Constantin reading to Oliver and Christian (or Ollian) something he's found on a blog on them. Lydia (roomate of Ollian) is the author of said blog, called Love-Burns.de and Grundy/UFA didn't waste a second to go viral with this!

If love would stand in front of me and asked me: 'What are you willing to give for me?' - I wouldn't know how to respond. Yes. Maybe I would ask:'What did I do to you? Why did you play me like a fool?' And then- a little angry, give it a good, somewhat deserved, shake. Until its thoughts are spinning around just as much as mine. A storm in a glass.

It's the biggest emotion of all. We would be willing to give anything for love. Anything, really? Is the price to high? Would we pay love with our life? Yes! That's what the newspapers write, anyway: Two young men, Oliver and Christian, endured humiliation, prejudice and violence - because the love each other. It pays off to hold on, to fight, to believe. A true and big love will conquer all. Christian and Oliver are heroes for me. They've proven: Love is made from courage.

If you're meant for each other, the world could end - but at least there's the two of you. Better to drown together than burn alone. Love burns - but maybe only if love is not enough? Maybe you believe in true love sometimes, even though this is not it? Maybe the feeling is too small to ever get big enough that you'll get through everything together? Just like those two boys, who held on two their love despite the barbed hooks - hand in hand. I wish I would find my courage again- and let the past be the past. With new power, without old wounds. That's the reason for these words. That's why I let my soul write. Someday I'll laugh destiny in its face again - just like Christian and Oliver.

Lance and Lacey nail the cha cha cha

Our fabulous queer dance ambassador, Lance Bass, and his professional dance partner, Lacey Schwimmer, nailed their "edgy" cha cha cha last night, earning 22 points along the way.

Larry King interviews the Iranian President...

KING: By the way, you mentioned human rights in Israel. Don't you have some human rights problems of your own in Iran?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): What do you mean by human rights problems?

KING: People protesting that they don't have the same rights as other people? Homosexuals -- you said last year, you denied there were homosexuals. There's homosexuals everywhere.


AHMADINEJAD (through translator): I said it is not the way it is here. In Iran this is considered a very -- obviously most people dislike it. And we have actually a law regarding it and the law is enforced. It is a law that was passed. It was legislated. And it is an act that is against human principles. A lot of things can happen. It can cause psychological problems, social problems that affect the whole society. Remember that God rules are to improve human life. In our religion, this act is forbidden and the Parliament has legislated about it. Not now, 70 years ago. This is something that happened 70 years ago, before the Islamic Republic became --

KING: So what happens to gay people?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Let me -- well, of course, nobody has held protests. You are -- are you concerned for 70 million Iranian people or a few homosexuals? Let's assume in Iran -- let's assume in the United States that 200 million people drive cars and a million violators are rounded up and they just basically violate driving laws. Should we be worried for the 199 million people whose safety you must be concerned about or the one million violators? The law is the law. It's law. And it must be enforced, of course. Of course we do pay attention that in Iran nobody interferes in the private lives of individuals. We have nothing to do with the private realm of people. This is at the not private, public morality. In their own house, nobody ever interferes.

Lance and Toni move to the groove, Cloris and Lucci steal the show

Dancing with the Stars will never be the same after Cloris Leachman's hysterical performance and Susan Lucci's joke for Bruno "...slut...you want slut..."

We laughed so much it crammed my tummy. I actually fell off my sofa, laughing, when Cloris placed her left leg on the judges' table. After last night's show I really think that Jeff Ross would be the first to be sent home tho I loved his jokes last night. America must eliminate him tonight. That means no more Edyta Sliwinska. And Dancing With The Stars will not be completed without Edyta -- the sexiest body in the world! Toni Braxton cannot be anymore sultry and sexy as she is dropdead gorgeous...and has so much potential. I think she can go very very far -- and be in the final. Grandmas and grandpas will be here for Cloris for a week or two more. Don't worry. I love Lacey Shwimmer. And I know she will take Lance all the way to the final. Cody and Julianne have very slim chances this season because of the many x-factors that come from Toni, Lance, Brooke, Kim, and Maurice. I expect nothing less than spectacular from Kim Kardashian (esp her costume, makeup and hairdo) and nothing less than sexy from Toni. The rest -- keep on dancing.

Good for you Clay!

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer rock Dancing With The Stars...

"Susan (Lucci) you look beautiful but cha cha cha needs a slut" - Bruno Tonioli.

You go Lance!

Do you believe the fundamentals of the economy are strong?

Thanks Brad

[Prop 8 seeks to ban gay marriage in California]
Previously published in AfterElton.com

Angie's hubby, Brad Pitt, has donated $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, which if passed would put an end to gay marriages in California. His donation is thus far the largest donation by an A-list celebrity for this cause! Way to go, Brad! Here's the statement he released Wednesday:




















"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8."
While it is great news that heterosexual Brad Pitt would make such a generous financial contribution, Pitt's philanthropical advisor Trevor Neilson said Pitt was "surprised that his colleagues in the entertainment industry had not donated more money to support the battle against Proposition 8."

Media bias continues...as Obama slips in the polls

In other words, Obama is paying for the continued media bias. Obama's supporters (the Dem's friends in the media) think that by hurting McCain and Palin everyday and by giving Obama more coverage, Obama would win this year's Miss Congeniality. American people deserved better, deserved justice, and deserved fairness in the media. Barack Obama continues to air negative ads as the econonmy careens out of control.

Below is a political cartoon by Rob Smith Jr
Previously published on Glenn Beck blog

He's got the moves, she's got the legs

He's got the moves. He's got the hair. He's a cosmonaut, so he's got the discipline. He's also got a versatile partner, newcomer to the show, Lacey Schwimmer, a 2006 Youth Latin and swing champion. It seems like this couple could definitely be in

She's got the legs and the songs for her rumba. Toni Braxton will be a dancer to watch.

Dancing With The Stars: QueerGam's top five, bottom five and more...

Bottom Five:
Brooke Burke
Cloris Leachman
Rocco Dispirito
Jeff Ross
Kim Kardashian

Top Five:
Lance Bass
Toni Braxton
Susan Lucci
Cody Linley
Maurice Greene

Top Three:
1) Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer
2) Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke
3) Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo

Dancing with the Stars is scheduled to take center stage on ABC again in just three short weeks. Last week, the official cast of 13 celebrities was announced, and although they are not exactly A-list, some among the roster do seem like genuine, likeable people who will be fun to watch on TV. The more I think about it, the more I am convincing myself that it might be a better competition without any A-listers because then, maybe it will be more about the dancing, and less about any one contestant's ready-made fan base.

Below is QueerGam's take on this season's stars and pros.

On Maurice Greene
Maurice Greene is surprisingly still good looking after all these years. Maurice got the best pro partner if you'd ask me. The sexy and gorgeous Cheryl has won twice before, back to back - with Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith - and she knows how to bring it on. She is also the most searched on the Net and Youtube, most photograped and most featured in the media of them all. She is currently dating 300 star, Gerard Butler...and last year she partnered Cristian de la Fuente and finished 3rd. Notwithstanding my own nerdery when it comes to track athletes, I think that Greene's biggest weakness is his obscurity to the American public. Not many people remember him as they remember Kristi Yamaguchi. He is an Olympic athlete, yes, but then, so is Misty May-Treanor. She is just back from the 2008 Olympics, so her Olympics-derived fame will probably overshadow Greene's in a big way. Further exemplifying the fact that he's not longer a household name, Greene participated in the NBC game show Identity in 2006, but the contestant failed to correctly identify him. I'm hoping that Maurice Greene can project a positive, outgoing personality to really get the fans behind him. But Cheryl is capable of charming the audience and she has her own strong gay following and fan base.

Below, Australia's Kim Johnson (left) and San Francisco's very own, Cheryl Burke.




























On Cody Linley
Cody (below) of Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, will be dancing with Julianne Hough. Word is out that Cody has the biggest chance to take home the trophy this season but team Lance-Lacey is the biggest threat on the dance floor. Rocco Dispirito, Ted McGinley, Maurice Greene and Susan Lucci will bring maturity and elegance to the dance floor while Kim Kardasian and Brooke Burke will bring sexiness as Toni Braxton will bring sophistication and class to the floor.
Last season, Julianne was with Adam Carolla, who, by all intents and purposes, is a dirty old man. It'll be a nice change to see Julianne as the older woman this season. She's always been a take-charge kind of dance teacher, but I wonder if her dynamic with Cody will be different than that with her other partners. I'm sure she'll have a great time bossing Cody around, perhaps making teaching a little bit easier for her. In any case, she reliably produces very fun and interesting choreography, and she will be a pleasure to watch this season.

On Lance Bass
Lance needs Queers' votes! We have to help our own people. We have to vote for Lance and Lacey. I actually think that Lance is such a strong contender that I'm hard-pressed to come up with any cons about him. I suppose it's all a big crapshoot anyway because half of his fate will be determined by voters. If he doesn't appeal to the home audience in that special way, then people won't vote for him and he'll be out. But, if the competition were based strictly on talent, technique and entertainment value, then I think Lance will do just fine. I have to congratulate Lacey Schwimmer for parlaying a fourth place showing on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance into a gig as a professional on Dancing with the Stars. I was really impressed with her skills on So You Think You Can Dance, and I think she has a great personality. However, I get the feeling that some people don't think that she has enough experience to be a pro on Dancing with the Stars. It's true that she does specialize in West Coast swing, but she has also won a national title in Latin as well. I suppose that we'll just have to wait until the show premieres in a few weeks, but I'm cautiously optimistic about how she'll perform on the show.

On Toni Braxton
One of the reasons why singers do well on Dancing with the Stars is because they already have a lot of practice in learning and performing choreography. Karina Smirnoff's partner Mario was very strong last season, particularly in the Latin styles, and I'm sure that his experiences dancing in his music videos helped tremendously. Same goes for fifth season runner-up Melanie Brown.

However, if you take a look at Toni Braxton's music videos, she sings a lot of slow songs and she doesn't have a whole lot of dancing in them. I'm thinking that she might be good at performing the slower, sultrier ballroom styles, like the rumba, but she might have trouble with the fast-paced stuff.

On Rocco Dispirito
While Rocco does genuinely seem like a good, earnest person who will try hard and put in the effort, I'm not terribly convinced that he has any kind aptitude for dance. I'm hoping I'm wrong about this, but he looks incredibly awkward in these pictures. His tentative posture reminds me of Steve Guttenberg from last season, and that's not exactly a good thing. If Rocco's lucky, he'll make it to week three, but I'm not expecting him to get even that far in Dancing with the Stars. Karina Smirnoff has a habit of rolling her eyes and pouting when she doesn't get the kind of scores she wants. Her sourpuss attitude might have been what got her and her partner Mario removed from the competition last season. She also has a tendency to mouth off about her competition in the tabloids (as she did about Shannon Elizabeth last spring), which doesn't endear her to a viewing public who might be sick of cattiness and in-fighting. However, not everyone is tired of gossip, so her appearances in the gossip magazines might work in her and Rocco's favor after all.

QueerGam thinks:

TONI BRAXTON
The sultry chanteuse, is hoping to continue the trend of successful crooners on the floor - even though, as a woman, she will be doing it backwards, and in heels. She looks trim and fit, and with veteran Alec Mazo taking the lead, she has a serious chance of making it at least past the double elimination. We're predicting her weakness will be the lively Latin numbers - just can't picture her breaking into the jive.

LANCE BASS
He's got the moves. He's got the hair. He's a cosmonaut, so he's got the discipline. He's also got a versatile partner, newcomer to the show, Lacey Schwimmer, a 2006 Youth Latin and swing champion. It seems like this couple could definitely be in sync.

BROOKE BURKE
Her bio calls her a host, spokesperson, celebrity mom and many other things. Her introduction each week will take longer than her dance routine. Burke, the mother of four, is a long shot. And matching her with the very young Derek Hough seems a little creepy - like last year's partnership of Derek's sister, Julianne, with Adam Corolla.

ROCCO DISPIRITO
This Culinary Institute grad can cook, but can he work with salsa? Our guess? No. Dispirito is a tireless self-promoter and that's probably his reason for putting on his boogie shoes. However, pairing him with hot-headed diva Karina Smirnoff should provide some spicy moments - while they last.

MAURICE GREENE
The former Fastest Man Alive barely qualifies as a celebrity. No matter how well he does on the dance floor, will the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medalist sprinter get any votes? That depends partly on his chemistry with another champion - his partner, Cheryl Burke, returning for her sixth season.

KIM KARDASHIAN
Hey, her stepfather is an Olympic medalist, her sister is appearing this season on "Celebrity Apprentice" and um, she embarrasses herself with chickens on her reality series. Not much of a resume for this celebutante. Even though she gets hard-working Mark Ballas for a partner, don't expect to see him have the success he had with Kristi Yamaguchi.

CLORIS LEACHMAN
Yes, she's the oldest contestant ever. We don't expect Frau Blucher to make it too far in the competition. But we expect a lot of laughs from her backstage comments. The real story here is that her partner, Corky Ballas, will be competing against three of his former students - his son, Mark, and the Hough siblings.

CODY LINLEY
Yes, at 18, he's the youngest contestant ever. Len Goodman will constantly berate him about his maturity. But youngster Mario proved to be a worthy adversary last year. This ‘Hannah Montana" star will have the advantage of millions of young voters on his side. Linley and Julianne Hough definitely will be the prettiest couple on the dance floor.

SUSAN LUCCI
She's in her 60s. She will soon tape her 10,000 episode of "All My Children." She's sprightly and funny, and with partner Tony Davolani, she will be elegant. Latin dances will be her downfall. Her fans will keep her in the competition longer than her footwork.

TED McGINLEY
This veteran of raunchy or silly shows is hard to take seriously, until you see a few photos from his rehearsals. Looking serious, and with beautiful posture, this 50-year-old could last longer than some of the shows he has starred in. His partner is another show newcomer, exotic-looking Inna Brayer, who wins in both Latin and ballroom competitions.

JEFFREY ROSS
The "Meanest Man in Comedy" looks uncomfortable when he's talking with his feet, not his sharp tongue. Even with veteran Edyta Slowinska showing him the moves, he will not last too long. But it should be fun watching him and quick-witted host Tom Bergeron trade barbs.

WARREN SAPP
He's big. He's bad, but this former Buccaneer defensive tackle is no Penn Jellete. He can move, which he proved by setting the NFL record for quarterback sacks. That, and millions of fans who watched him play for Tampa Bay and Oakland, should keep him in the competition for a while. He can toss his fearless partner, Kym Johnson, around like a football.

MISTY-MAY TREANOR
The only woman with the dubious distinction of wearing fewer clothes while performing than Edyta Slowinska, May-Treaner is fresh off her Olympic gold-medal victory in beach volleyball. Her new partner is Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The two athletic performers should be able to power through the competition for a little while. Let's just hope May-Treaner puts a ring guard on her wedding ring. If it flies off this time, it could put an eye out.

READY TO DANCE WITH THE STARS? Monday 8-10pm ET

Queers' fav gal, Cheryl Burke, is partnered with gorgeous Olympian, Maurice Greene. Karina Smirnoff with hunky chef, Rocco Dispirito, and our very own openly gay icon, Lance Bass, is partnered with Lacey Schwimmer of So You Think You Can Dance? Watch out for our international superstar, Toni Braxton. Toni is partnered with Season 1 champion, Alec Mazo. It will be a season of surprises in what promises to be the biggest and most demanding season ever as thirteen celebrities take the ballroom floor on the hit series Dancing with the Stars, which returns with a three-night premiere event. It is funny I stumbled upon Chef Dispirito in Potrero Hill in San Francisco yesterday. He was walking out of Cheryl Burke Dance while I was walking in for my salsa mixer. And? He looked stunning in his tight adidas track pants and classic Hanes v-neck white-t.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

Below, Chef Rocco Despirito. Karina Smirnoff will find him irresistible.
















Season 7 marks the largest cast assembled to date, the oldest and youngest competitors ever, and includes two Olympic Gold medalists, a Grammy®-winning singer, a television legend, an Oscar® winner, and a Super Bowl champion. Additionally, all four professional dancers who've previously tasted the thrill of victory return to compete against one another for bragging rights. Can one of them reclaim the mirror ball trophy?

For the first time ever, all thirteen teams must prepare two routines for the first week of competition, one of which they'll perform on Monday night. The judges will score the performances on Monday while the viewers cast their votes for their favorites. Only twelve will have the chance to showcase their second dance on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (9:00-10:0 p.m., ET). In dramatic style on Tuesday's show, one couple will be eliminated as the remaining contestants perform their second dance of the season. The judges will score the dances on Tuesday and the viewers will once again cast their votes before a second duo is dismissed WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).

WHO ARE THEY?

LANCE BASS & Lacey Schwimmer
Openly gay Lance Bass has sold over 50 million records as a member of the phenomenally successful pop group *NSYNC. He also executive produced and starred in a number of film and television projects. In 2002 he successfully trained to be a cosmonaut at Russia's Star City and was certified by both the Russian Space Program and NASA for a mission aboard a Soyuz capsule. Lance has also released his memoir, Out of Sync, for Simon Spotlight Entertainment. The 2006 U.S. Youth Latin Champ and 2007 World Swing Dance Champ Lacey Schwimmer teams up with Lance to make her series debut.

TONI BRAXTON & Alec Mazo
The winner of six Grammy Awards, Toni Braxton is a Billboard chart-topping singer and actress, selling over forty million records worldwide. Her U.S. number-one hit Un-Break My Heart is the second biggest single by a female artist in history. She has also appeared in two Disney Broadway shows: Beauty and the Beast and Aida. Dancing with the Stars marks her return to the spotlight after a six-month health hiatus. She teams up with season one champion, Alec Mazo, who returns for his fourth season.

This season's best looking partners, Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke, will find Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer as their main threat. Will Cheryl's new beau, the 300 star, Gerard Butler be jealous? Only time will tell...Below, Maurice Green.










BROOKE BURKE & Derek Hough
A host, actress, entrepreneur and celebrity mom, Brooke Burke has truly done it all. She has graced numerous magazine covers, has her own top-selling swimsuit calendars, and is regularly ranked in men's magazines as one of the sexiest women in the world. Recognized worldwide as host of the hit travel series Wild On!, Brooke has since hosted several high profile network series, including Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova. On the acting front, she has guest-starred on such television series as Las Vegas, Less Than Perfect, Eve, It's All Relative, The Bernie Mac Show, Monk, Rock Me Baby and That's Life. Brooke is a mother of four and recently launched her own babystore BabooshBaby.com, a site where she shares her secrets (and some products she used) to get back in shape after giving birth. Brooke teams with Derek Hough who returns for his third season.

ROCCO DISPIRITO & Karina Smirnoff
The James Beard Award-winning celebrity chef and author Rocco DiSpirito combines his world-class cooking with a passion for empowering home cooks. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Rocco opened the 3-star Union Pacific in New York City in 1997. In 2003 he launched Rocco's for the reality series, The Restaurant. Rocco will next appear on the A&E series, Rocco Gets Real, beginning in October, along with its companion cookbook, Rocco Gets Real: Cook at Home Every Day. He teams with Karina Smirnoff who returns for her fifth season. Karina teamed with R&B singer, Mario, last season.

MAURICE GREENE & Cheryl Burke
The winner of two gold medals, in the 100m sprint and the 4x100m relay at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, track star Maurice Greene was dubbed the "World's Fastest Man" during his career. In addition to being the former world record holder in the 100m sprint, and winning multiple world championships, he also won silver and bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. He is the current Indoor World Record holder in the 60m at 6.39 seconds. He teams up with two-time champion, Cheryl Burke. Cheryl returns for her sixth season.

KIM KARDASHIAN & Mark Ballas
Actress, model and reality television star, Kim Kardashian shot to stardom after the first airing of her hit E! reality series, Keeping up with the Kardashians. The series follows the exploits of Kim, her siblings, her mother Kris, and her stepfather, Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner. Kardashian recently completed her first feature film, Disaster Movie and will also be seen on The N's series Beyond the Break. She teams up with defending champ, Mark Ballas, who returns for his third season.

Ted McGinley to dance with Julianne Hough
CLORIS LEACHMAN - Corky Ballas (Mark Ballas' dad)
Actress Cloris Leachman's storied career has been recognized with nine Emmys®, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award®. She has the distinction of being the only woman to win eight Primetime Emmy® Awards and one Daytime Emmy®. Leachman has starred in a wide range of theater, television and motion picture projects, creating such indelible characters as Phyllis in the TV series Phyllis and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety, and Ruth Popper in The Last Picture Show (for which she won an Oscar® and a BAFTA). In 2008 she has already completed three new films; The Women, American Cowslip and New York I Love You. She is in the process of writing her memoir and is currently touring the U.S. with her one-woman show CLORIS! Cloris teams with World Latin Champion and Mark's father, Corky Ballas, who makes his series debut.

CODY LINLEY & Julianne Hough
Cody Linley will be the youngest contestant ever to compete on Dancing with the Stars. He is best known for his role as Jake Ryan on the wildly popular Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, a role in which he was nominated for a Young Artist Award. He also helped the show garner an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's Programming. Cody's film credits include My Dog Skip, HOOT, Miss Congeniality, and Cheaper By the Dozen. He teams with two-time Dancing with the Stars champ, Julianne Hough who returns for her fourth season.


SUSAN LUCCI & Toni Dovolani
As the most famous face in daytime television history, Lucci has held audiences spellbound for years as the sexy, sassy, beautiful woman you love to hate, Erica Kane on All My Children. In May 1999, all of America stood and cheered when Susan Lucci won the Emmy® Award for Best Actress. While competing on the show, she will continue her work on All My Children, and celebrate her 10,000th episode this November. In addition to her performances on Broadway and in cabarets across the country, Susan is an entrepreneur, having launched successful cosmetic, fashion, and jewelry lines on HSN. She teams with Tony Dovolani who returns for his sixth season.

MISTY MAY-TREANOR & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Beach Volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh captured their second Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and became the first team ever to repeat as back-to-back champs. The victory also marked their 108th straight match win. Misty and Kerri were distinguished as AVP Team of the Year for four consecutive years (2003 through 2006). Misty was also named Most Valuable Player in 2005 and 2006, Best Offensive Player in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and Best Defensive Player in 2006. She now joins a new teammate, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returns for his fifth season.

TED MCGINLEY & Inna Brayer
Actor Ted McGinley's extensive television credits include Married&with Children, Hope & Faith, Happy Days, recurring roles on the critically-acclaimed series The West Wing, Sports Night, Charlie Lawrence, Dynasty, and The Love Boat. He has also starred in such films as Pearl Harbor, Daybreak, Dick, Major League: Back to the Minors, Wayne's World 2, and the cult hit Revenge of the Nerds. Newcomer Inna Brayer will be paired with Ted. Inna is the current US Amateur 10 Dance Champion.

JEFFREY ROSS & Edyta Slivinska
Comedian Jeffrey Ross a.k.a. the "Roastmaster General," has delivered numerous show stopping performances at celebrity roasts honoring the likes of William Shatner, Hugh Hefner, Donald Trump, Pamela Anderson, Bob Saget and Emmitt Smith, inspiring New York Magazine to crown him The Meanest Man in Comedy. As a comic, Jeff has appeared on several late night and morning shows Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The View. Jeff's other TV credits include Weeds and C.S.I. He has also appeared in such films as the Farrelley Brothers' Stuck on You, and the critical sensation, The Aristocrats. Jeff continues to tour regularly. He teams with Edyta Sliwinska, who is the only pro to compete in all seven seasons of Dancing with the Stars.

WARREN SAPP & Kym Johnson
Recently retired defensive tackle and Superbowl Champion Warren Sapp played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year career. His 96.5 career sacks are the second-highest career total sacks for a defensive tackle in the NFL. Warren was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1999, played in seven consecutive Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. This Fall, Warren will co-host Showtime's Inside the NFL and will be a studio analyst and game commentator for the NFL Network. He is teamed with Kym Johnson who returns for her fifth season.

Dancing with the Stars:
The Results Show will feature the return of Macy's Stars of Dance, featuring some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers of our time, including an extra spectacular performance on October 21st to commemorate the Macy's 150th anniversary. The Kids Ballroom Dance Competition, a fan favorite, also returns.

Hollyweird!

Hollyweird is getting ready to fork over millions to save Obama at Beverly Hills meg-million-dollar fundraiser tonight. Barbra Streisand will sing at a $28,500-per-person gala. Will she be able to keep it together — or will we see another meltdown?
Bad Memories…

Why Palin will be the next VP

Sarah Palin’s private e-mail hacked, family photos raided...It is too much. Enough is enough. Obama supporters are now supporting Sarah Palinand there is nothing Hillary can do to help...it is too late.

[Previously published on Michelle Malkin blog]

Sometime early this morning, between approximately 3:00am - 4:00am, members of an infamous group of hackers broke into Gov. Sarah Palin’s private Yahoo e-mail account. The incriminating discussion threads included screenshots of Palin’s e-mail and private e-mail addresses of her contacts. The threads have since been deleted.

Hacking e-mail is a federal crime. A TV anchor who broke into his colleague’s e-mail account recently pleaded guilty and faces a maximum five years in prison. The law will catch up to the hackers, but what about the lowlifes who are now gleefully splashing the alleged contents of Palin’s private e-mail account all over the Internet?

Lance Bass to represent us on Dancing With The Stars...

Lance Bass and his professional dance partner, Lacey Schwimmer


"I think it's so important for me to do this. But my biggest concern is I just hope it doesn't hurt the gay community in any way because, you know, we definitely can be scrutinized and picked apart. I definitely feel a responsibility of making sure I represent well", Lance Bass tells E!'s Marc Malkin. The biggest shocker: Lance is the first openly gay dancer to appear on DANCING WITH THE STARS, which premieres on ABC next week.

Glenn Beck and his caller on the meaning of Middle Class...read on

From Glenn Beck blog

CALLER:
Well, I was just wondering middle class, since Mr. Biden is middle class, I'm just confused what middle class means.

GLENN:
Yeah. Well, I think everybody is confused what middle class means. I think everybody is confused with what middle class means and everybody's trying to everybody's trying to put everybody into a middle class box. Everybody's trying to be that middle class person. Here's my definition of middle class, somebody who busts their ass every single day to put food on their table, somebody who is just struggling every single day to make it through the day to be able to get your kids down into bed and safe, somebody who's fighting for their family every single day of their life. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with income. I think it has everything to do with a mindset. Somebody who is trying just to live the American dream. Does the American dream stop at a certain income level? Does it start at a certain income level? Stop with the categories! Stop telling me about the middle class! The middle class is shrinking. There it is. "See, I told you! The middle class is shrinking!" Yeah. I'm pulling this off the top of my head but I believe it's 11%, it might be 13%. It shrunk by 11%. Fortunately for that class the upper class grew by 11%. The idea is we should be encouraging people to get out of the lower class into the middle class and the middle class into the upper class. The idea is to fatten the upper class. The middle class is shrinking. Now, why are we setting up a system where we are trapping the lower class? How are we trapping them? We're trapping them by telling them, "You'll never make it. You'll never make it. You've got to have me to do it." That is a ruling class! And it is strange that it's always the politician upper class that's doing it. It's always people like Michael Moore or Barbra Streisand that somehow or another have you seen the nose on that woman? somehow or another one of the ugliest movie stars out there since Lon Cheney in makeup, made it! How? How did she make it? How is she hosting this $28,500 a plate dinner tonight? Because she worked hard. She took her God given talents and she never said she never said never. She just did it. But once she did it, then she started telling everybody, you can't do it. You can't do it. You know one of the most amazing stories I've read in a long time, do you know about Helen Keller? Everybody learns that Helen Keller was this great woman, "Oh, she did it herself." First of all, she wasn't the first woman to do it. I mean, I can't believe I'm taking down Helen Keller today, but the woman was a communist. By the time she was 25, full fledged communist, supporting Lenin and everything else he was doing. And she was then preaching, "You can't do it." Helen Keller was saying you can't do it, you can't make it? Why is it that all of a sudden the people who have come from the bottom make it and then all of a sudden try to tell everybody else that they can make it? I don't understand. Oh, maybe I do. It's about power.

Obama-Biden changes positions, offers different tax plans whenever they talk...McCain sticks to his

Here's the problem you have with Obama and Biden and their ever changing positions. They've had about four different tax plans in four different months. Every time that they go down in the polls, they go out and produce another tax plan. They've almost got to the point where they've taken the John McCain tax plan and put their name on it. And so here's what the real scary thing is. They really don't have a plan and they don't have any experience and they have absolutely no idea what they're going to do to the American economy. And what that means is more volatility, more unpredictability, and it doesn't settle the markets the way we need.

John McCain has had one plan since he started this campaign 18 months ago. He stuck to that plan. It's a good plan. It lowers the burden on the American family. It puts everybody back to work. And what more importantly it does, it puts teeth into the kind of regulatory environment we need for Wall Street so that these guys don't go out of control and ruin our economy.

Back in 2004 John McCain gave a speech in Washington where he attacked corporate greed and said the problem we have with our economy isn't the hard working Americans that pay their taxes and do the hard work. It's the corporate greed on Wall Street where these guys take enormous amounts of money. And you know what he said?

McCain said (well before Freddie and Fannie, AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers got into trouble) these CEOs don't own the companies. The shareholders own the companies and they are the ones who should be getting the economic benefit of their expansion. Now, this is a guy who's been 100% consistent on shedding the light on these kinds of institutions, many which we find out even the regulators didn't know what they were doing. McCain is the guy who's actually stood up when it wasn't popular, when it wasn't in the news, when it wasn't some big new scandal that they wanted to try and make political hay with and call it like he sees it and that's John McCain.

Poll shows radical shift in November expectations

ELECTION 2008
Previously published on WorldNetDaily
A new poll shows the winds are changing in this year's election: for the first time since Hillary Clinton conceded her party's presidential nomination to Barack Obama, more Americans now expect Republican John McCain to defeat his Democrat opponent than vice versa.

According to Rasmussen Reports, which conducted the poll, McCain has surged from an 18-point deficit a month ago to a narrow lead over Barack Obama when voters were asked who is likely to win this year's presidential election.

"While McCain's 35 percent to 34 percent edge is statistically insignificant," says the Rasmussen Reports summary of the poll, "it is a remarkable turnaround from a month ago when 46 percent expected an Obama victory versus 28 percent who thought the Republican would win."

A Rasmussen official told WND this was the first time McCain has surpassed Obama since the polling firm began asking Americans who they thought would win the White House.

The survey also showed a dramatic leap in the excitement level Americans feel about the election.

U.S. Treasury Department to fork out $85 billion to save AIG

Previously published on Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government has agreed to provide an $85 billion emergency loan to rescue the huge insurer AIG, the The Federal Reserve said Tuesday. The Fed determined that a "disorderly failure" of AIG could undermine already fragile financial markets. The government will receive an 79.9 percent equity stake in AIG, the Fed said...meanwhile the death toll in the wake of Hurricane Ike rose to 30 in Texas on Tuesday as officials in Galveston warned of a growing health threat on the island city that took a direct hit from the huge storm.

Links to Barack Obama's votes on IL's Born Alive Infant Protection Act

Previously published on Jill Stanek.com
February 19, 2008

Obama is lying about his position on Pro-Life.

















Below is a listing of then-state Senator Barack Obama's votes and state senate floor speeches on IL's Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

(Above is a political cartoon by Jack Higgins, printed in the Chicago Sun-Times on August 25, 2004, during his U.S. Senate campaign.)

NOTE: A package of Born Alive bills was introduced three times during Obama's tenure.

The cornerstone bill was the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, aka "Born Alive Infant Defined," which defined legal personhood to include born alive infants any time the words "person," "human being," "child," or "individual" was stated in IL law.

This definition was identical to the federal BAIPA which was drafted from the definition of "live birth" created by the World Health Organization in 1950 and adopted by the United Nations in 1955.

Following are Obama's actions and votes on Born Alive. The bill number changed every year it was reintroduced.

2001
Senate Bill 1095, Born Alive Infant Protection Act
Obama's "no" vote in the IL Senate Judiciary Committeehere, March 28, 2001
Transcript of Obama's verbal opposition to Born Alive on the IL Senate floor, March 30, 2001, pages 84-90

Obama's "present" vote on the IL Senate floor, March 30, 2001


2002
Senate Bill 1662, Born Alive Infant Protection Act
Obama's "no" vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, March 6, 2002
Transcript of Obama's verbal opposition to Born Alive on the IL Senate floor, April 4, 2002, pages 28-35

Obama's "no" vote on the IL Senate floor, April 4, 2002

Listen to audio from Obama's 2002 IL Senate floor debate wherein he argued that while babies might be aborted alive, it would be a "burden" to a mother's "original decision" to assess and treat them.

Meanwhile, the federal Born Alive Infants Protection Act with a "neutrality clause" added passed the U.S. Senate 98-0, the U.S. House overwhelmingly, and was signed into law August 5, 2002. The pro-abortion group NARAL expressed neutrality on the bill.

2003
Senate Bill 1082, Born Alive Infant Protection Act
Democrats took control of the IL Senate with the 2002 elections. This year Born Alive was sent to the Health & Human Services Committee, chaired by Barack Obama.
As can be seen on the vote docket, Obama first voted to amend SB1082 to add the "neutrality clause" from the federal version of Born Alive to the IL version to make them absolutely identical. (DP#1 means "Do Pass Amendment #1.)
Then Obama voted against the identical version. (DPA means, "Do Pass as Amended.)
Additional corroboration of Obama's vote: IL State Senate Republican Staff Analysis of SB 1082, March 12-13, 2003, bottom of page 2

For 4 years following his 2003 vote Obama misrepresented it, stating the wording of the IL version of Born Alive was not the same as the federal version, and he would have voted for it if so. As recently as August 16, 2008 Obama made this false assertion. But when evidence presented was irrefutable, Obama's campaign on August 18, 2008, admitted the truth to the New York Sun. The nonpartison group FactCheck.org has since corroborated Obama voted against identical legislation as passed overwhelmingly on the federal level and then misrepresented his vote.

Bam's supporters are not doing Bam any good by ridiculing Sarah Palin

Now they are saying Sarah Palin is using the government money to buy a tanning bed...the continued attacks on Sarah Palin reflect Obama's ability to lead. They obviously won't listen to him. He obviously won't tell them to stop and get out of Alaska.

The View, Whoopi, and Charlie...

Ambrose Aban:
Did you guys watch The View and the way they -- Whoopi and Joy -- attacked John McCain?

Jeferey Johnson:
Yeah, how can you do that on national TV? I thought Whoopi was out of line, out of character. Joy looked stupid. She behaved like a stupid woman. Why did they do that? I was hoping for them to ask him questions politely because they want to be respected as "journalists". And even invite Obama and ask the same questions...fair and square. But then again, this is about the supporters -- and Whoopi and Joy are Obama's supporters.


Phil Spencer:
I wish Ann Coulter was there to punch Joy in the face! I would love to see that. I'd pay to see that. I hope Ann Coulter will punch her in the face one day. I hate everything about Joy. So many things about that woman are just ugly...her mind, her...she's uglier in the inside, too.

Ambrose Aban:
I am disappointed in Barbara Walters for allowing this to happen on The View. Whoopi and Joy were so rude, interrupted him frequently, asked loaded questions then yelled at him for not answering they way they wanted. They were so unprofessional. They gave journalism a bad name. McCain walked in and out of there, feeling good. He tried his best. The women didn't. In the end they looked stupid and bad. And Whoopi missed being a slave.

Jefferey Johnson:
I am a democrat. But I have to admit that McCain was great, took it all in stride. Cindy McCain came on later and was flawless. The contrast between the class of the McCains and the unhinged attacks being thrown face-to-face is very illustrative. And I think Whoopi would make a good slave.

Ambrose Aban:
I didn't like the way Whoopi attacked John McCain. I thought she looked stupid. Rewind it, see it again. Doesn't she look so stupid?


Phil Spencer:
If you watch the whole interview watch Whoopi's facial expressions and posture. She looks like a 14-year-old, slouching, rolling her eyes. Ugh! Like when they were looking at his tape of being set free and he was telling them what he was feeling at the time, she looked like she was so bored.


Jefferey Johnson:
I bet if Obama was there and that was him being set free she would have sat straight up and cried. I really hate this election. I don’t understand why people have to be so nasty to someone they don’t agree with!

Phil Spencer:
I’m watching The View (why I put myself through this - I don’t know) and the ladies are talking about Sarah Palin’s Charlie Gibson interview. It was their first hot topic of the day.

Jefferey Johnson:
Their first comments on the interview: “She was obviously very well briefed.” Not that she did a good job, but that she was well briefed. Would anyone in the media say that Obama is well briefed on the issues? Doubtful, they would say he knows the issues. Even if that is not the case!

Ambrose Aban:
Do you think that Joy and Barbara would describe the Bush doctrine succinctly? Bill Sammon was on Fox discussing how that term has different meanings to different people, and Gibson should have known that. People like them are the reason why Obama will lose in November. They think they are helping his case, they are killing his likability.

Jefferey Johnson:
And here's to you Whoopi: If you want to be a slave, be a slave. Don't drag McCain with you, don't drag us with you. Maybe you are good at being a slave. Not us. You be a slave for all I care. You Walters, Joy can be slaves. We don't care.

Sarah Palin spells out her role in McCain administration

Women hold up lipsticks as U.S. Republican vice-presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin arrives to speak in Golden, Colorado September 15, 2008. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008
(USA)



















By DAVID ESPO,
AP Special Correspondent
Previously published on Yahoo! News

GOLDEN, Colo. - Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Monday she would concentrate on energy, government reform and helping families with special needs children if Republicans win the White House this fall, and drew cheers when she said, "too often government is the problem" rather than the solution.

Campaigning on her own, the Alaska governor also said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama "wants to raise income taxes and raise payroll taxes and raise investment income taxes and raise business taxes and raise the death tax.

"But John McCain and I know that's not the way you grow the economy," she added.

In fact, independent groups such as the Tax Policy Center have concluded that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposal, which include higher income and payroll taxes only for the wealthiest wage-earners.

McCain's selection of Palin a little over two weeks ago has brought renewed enthusiasm to his campaign, particularly among conservatives who have long been wary of him. Yet the governor, with little experience outside her own state, has largely been kept out of public view while aides seek to bring her up to date on a range of issues.

The current trip is her first outside her home state without McCain, and the schedule was relatively light, with only a speech in Colorado and a fundraiser in Ohio. The governor has had only one substantive media interview since joining the ticket, and she and her husband, Todd, ignored reporters' shouted questions throughout the day.

Aides went to unusual lengths to maintain her privacy aboard her chartered campaign jet, pulling a curtain across the center aisle to separate the Palins and their top aides from the rest of the passengers.

Appearing before an enthusiastic crowd in swing-state Colorado, Palin struck populist themes. She said that as governor of Alaska she had broken "the old oil monopoly that had controlled" the state, and eliminated the "good-ol'-boys network of lobbyists and special interests" once in power.

She also referred to her time as mayor of Wasilla in terms that echoed former President Reagan, a hero to many conservatives.

"We became part of the fastest growing area of the state because businesses wanted to be there," she said. "They also knew that they would have elected leaders knowing that government isn't always the answer. In fact, too often government is the problem."

Presenting her credentials as a reformer, she told her audience that she had told Congress "thanks, but no thanks" when it came to the so-called Bridge to Nowhere, designed to link a small Alaskan village with the mainland. She made no mention of the fact that she favored federal funding for the structure before she turned against it.

She also said, without elaboration, that "too often, the government gets in the way when innovators take on cancer or Parkinson's or Alzheimers.

"To help Americans overcome these terrible diseases, our administration will lead efforts to find new treatments and cures," said Palin. The governor did not mention embryonic stem cell research, which many advocates say holds the key to treatment or even cures of numerous diseases. Palin, along with many other conservatives, oppose federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. McCain's campaign is currently airing a radio commercial that indicates support for an expansion of the federal involvement in stem cell research.

The speech was the first time Palin has indicated what role McCain might give her in his administration.

She said Alaska has nearly 20 percent of the nation's supply of oil and gas and said her job as vice president would be to help McCain, "implement his 'all of the above' strategy for energy independence."

She also said she would play a role in an effort to reform government.

"I've got another idea that I think Senator McCain likes. In Alaska, we took the state checkbook and put it online, so everyone can see where their money goes. We're going to bring that kind of openness to Washington," she said.

In fact, there already is a searchable database that allows the public to track federal grants and contracts, and Obama was a principle force behind the 2006 law that created it, along with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act is one of Obama's few legislative accomplishments in his short Senate tenure.

Palin, who has a four-month-old son with Down Syndrome, said she would ensure government is on the side of families with special needs children.

And it's getting more and more troubling...Obama continues to point his accusing fingers at McCain...is it a black thing?

Wall Street had its worst day since markets reopened after the September 11 attacks as fears about the U.S. financial system's stability surged on Monday after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and insurer AIG struggled for survival...

With chaos rocking financial markets, John McCain assailed "greed and corruption" on Wall Street and promised to clean it up, while Barack Obama blamed White House policies and said his opponent would only deliver more of the same.

Democrats want a democrat in the WH more than Obama be the president

Because when you come right down to it: what has he actually done? He had 147 days of work in the U.S. Senate before announcing his campaign. He has authored no major legislative bills. He has no major accomplishments to speak of. He is - or I should say was - charismatic and a good speaker; but that’s about it.

The best you could say of him is that he is a black version of John Edwards. Edwards has failed to win the nomination in too tries and to be honest he didn’t really come close in either try. Obama beat a well-funded challenger in Hillary Clinton.

He’s the least accomplished presidential candidate from a major ticket in living memory. No way he does win the Dem nomination if he’s white. Just ask Geraldine Ferraro.

This point is so obvious we wonder that anyone would seriously dispute it.

New York Times & Obama = bad decisions

EDITORIAL
NEW YORK TIME

This nation has suffered through eight years of an ill-prepared and unblinkingly obstinate president. One who didn’t pause to think before he started a disastrous war of choice in Iraq. One who blithely looked the other way as the Taliban and Al Qaeda regrouped in Afghanistan. One who obstinately cut taxes and undercut all efforts at regulation, unleashing today’s profound economic crisis.

In a dangerous world, Americans need a president who knows that real strength requires serious thought and preparation.

Ok...then why didn't Obama pick Hillary Clinton, knowing she is the best one out there to be the next VP of the United States? What does that say about Obama's real strength? And I didn't know that the president can make decisions on his own without the approval of congress!!! Did you really think that President Bush didn't blink and decided to attack Iraq? I thought I read he was literally begging for Saddam to allow inspectors in!! And Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton voted for it. Obama did not vote for it not because he was right, but because he didn't have the guts to do it.

Death is looking more certain for Lehman Brothers as nobody wants to buy it...

Executives leave the Lehman Brothers headquarters on 7th Avenue in New York City carrying personal belongings as they clear their offices Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 after hearing the news that Lehman Brothers may be forced to seek an orderly unwinding of its businesses



Previously published on Yahoo! News

A failed plan to rescue the company was followed Sunday by more seismic shocks from Wall Street -- including a government-brokered takeover of Merrill Lynch by the Bank of America for $50 billion.

A forced restructuring of the world's largest insurance company, American International Group Inc., also weighed heavily on global markets as the effects of the 14-month-old credit crisis intensified.

A global consortium of banks, working with government officials in New York, announced late Sunday a $70 billion pool of funds to lend to troubled financial companies. The aim, according to participants who spoke to The Associated Press, was to prevent a worldwide panic on stock and other financial exchanges.


Ten banks — Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS — each agreed to provide $7 billion "to help enhance liquidity and mitigate the unprecedented volatility and other challenges affecting global equity and debt markets."

Charles Gibson gives journalism a bad name

Did you watch Charles Gibson interviewing Sarah Palin on ABC News on Sept 11?


What we've learned:
We should have looked into the history and count how many state governors who have become president or vice president and ask them how many foreign leaders they met and how many foriegn trips they made before they took office. And, as for the Bush doctrine, we should have also compiled the names of senators and governors who can and cannot quote it or remember it or guess it. In the end, it was Charles Gibson who looked rather stupid and bad. It was unforgivable, unacceptable and inexcusable. It was a sad day for journalism.

Ambrose Aban:
I support both Obama and McCain - for better or worse. But as an international observer, I thought Charles Gibson was dirty. He played dirty. He went out there not to help Sarah Palin to tell her story, he went out there to kill her, to see her fall flat on her nose...and he went out there hoping to be the first journalist to destroy her. No? Charlie Gibson had a chance to show that he could be fair and balanced with Sarah Palin’s first major interview. This is only my p.o.v and I thought he was unfair and unprofessional. Even the LA Times saw Gibson’s distortion and criticized him for that.

Phil Spencer:
I am a proud democrat...but I am not a blind democrat. I can see. And what I saw was a seasoned journalist who has broke his spine. He needs to grow a new spine! And, like million of other democrats out there, I want democrats to run the White House MORE than Obama be the next president. Honestly. I totally agree -- Charles Gibson blew it, taking quotes out of context, getting basic facts wrong. It was obvious. It doesn't take even a blind democrat or a republican to see the obvious. He was out of line, out of character...he is dangerous to our country. He should do the same with Biden and Obama -- trap them with trivia questions and see what happens...

George Tyler:
I am a proud republican. And as I see it, Charles Gibson is out of it. He lost his magic touch. What he did was unforgivable, inexcusable. Heis the reason why Obama is losing in the poll...

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.

That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie.

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln’s words, but you went on and said, “There is a plan and it is God’s plan.”
What she actually said:

“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”

Chris Goodridge:
Totally untrue, but that’s what he gets for relying on the Associated Press, which took the liberty of bowdlerizing her quote mid-sentence in order to make it fit the narrative they were trying to build of her as some fundie who thinks she can read God’s mind. Here’s my post on the subject from last Thursday. Read it and see just how egregious the distortion here is.


Jefferey Johnson:
I just finished watching both ABC News and I was okay with it for the first 5 minutes but when Gibson looked down his little nose at her disapprovingly and said ‘Why don’t you tell me what you think the Bush doctrine is……’he lost me. This one is going to backfire on the media once again. He blew it, women hate being patronized and women watching that are only going to see him trying play “gotcha” with Palin and her fan club is going to grow. What a jerk. He gets a gift handed to him and the most he can do is patronize her and try to trick her. Idiot.”

Ambrose Aban:
This is a lame interview. Charlie belittled her, chopped up her answers, seems repulsed, and sighed. What the hell is that? I've never seen him like this with any other politician. He needs to resign cos he has been on air for far too long now.

George Tyler:
L.A. Times Criticizes Gibson for Mischaracterizing Palin’s Prayer. She answered the question just fine. The media is running a hatchet job on her. Obama has NEVER been scrutinized like this guy Charlie Gibson has done to Palin.

Ambrose Aban:
Enough with the global warming stuff! Gibson just can’t get over the fact that it may not be caused by man! Keeps hammering Palin on it. She answered the question just fine. The media is running a hatchet job on her. Palin held her own in a difficult interview. She will survive to fight on and will in the end come off looking better than Gibson.

Phil Spencer:
The liberals will have a few talking points that will look mean and stupid to anyone with a brain and that will be that. Her popularity will grow because Gibson didn’t play fair. The libs can’t help themselves now, they are in self destruct mode. It will get worse and worse and in the end they will explode. Watch Biden try to step down this week. The Obama campaign has become a parody of itself. No matter what it does it can’t change that image, they can only reinforce it. The pig thing was Obama’s macaca moment.

George Tyler:
I guess Obama thought he had this election in the bag, now he is trailing in the poll. The arrogance of this man is truly amazing. And the questions that Gibson was asking Palin, should’ve really been pointed at Obama or Biden - asking her if she had enough experience being a major of a small town, governor in a sparsely populated state, never having traveled overseas, etc.

Ambrose Aban:
As if Obama has. He’s done what exactly? And he’s running for the #1 spot. Sorry, but living in Indonesia when you were a kid doesn’t qualify you to have foreign “experience”.

Jefferey Johnson:
After watching the interview again, I came away with a better impression of Palin. I thought she was more nuanced in her answers about the Bush Doctrine. I myself am still wondering which version of the “doctrine” Gibson was referring to: preemption? democratization? with us or against us?

Chris Goodridge:
Also, I think she looked thoughtful — and reminded me of how my aunt answers questions. She’ll try to dissect the question a bit before answering. I used to make the mistake thinking she didn’t understand the question in the first place. So, all in all, I’ll stick with my B-, but only because the interview was so bad, not Palin necessarily. Also, I thought the edits were terrible. What I thought were repetitive statements were simply poor edits. I’m glad I watched this again.

Phil Spencer:
The McCain/Palin campaign should issue a memo of “clarification” after all of the interview with Gibson has been broadcast. It should state plainly that Gibson’s and ABC’s implications that Palin banned books, fired librarians, that she supports a holy war, etc., are all false. Just a simple, unemotional correction of the record.

Ambrose Aban:
Big blunder putting her up for this interview? Not really. They’ve already been beaten up for keeping her under wraps. The worst is over now that she’s had her baptism of fire, and undoubtedly she’ll be more prepared in the future. Meanwhile, since the majority of the public already realizes that the MSM is in the tank for Obama, I doubt that this interview will do any harm. Obama did not have to answer questions. He was not asked about his experience. No traps were attempted. Thru it all Charlie prayed to the almighty one. I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who noticed Charlie Gibson’s patronizing, condescending interview of Sarah Palin.

Jefferey Johnson:
Charlie’s demeanor and tone was such that I’d never seen him question any other interviewee in that way - low tone; looking down his nose over his glasses; at times stretching his body to sit taller in the chair to look further down at Sarah. Third, the questions were rapdid fire, stacatto as if he were trying to confuse to the point she would hopefully give a bad answer - almost not letting her finish the previous answer. Fourth, at times he would sigh (Al Gore type) when she didn’t answer quick enough or give the answer he was looking for.

Ambrose Aban:
If Sarah Palin considers Charlie Gibson one of the fairest interviewers, journalism is in trouble. He may be fair, to the point of being soft with liberals, but not conservatives. After all is said and done, I think Sarah Palin handled “Charlie” quite well and gave straight forward, confident answers. Charlie Gibson is the one who looked bad.