Today's Headlines

[ElfDude]

I must say, though, that if I had not read Marnie's post about this before seeing the first line of the story ("School officials in Paramus, N.J., weren't impressed when a student chose to pose as the Chosen One on Halloween."), I would have thought he got busted for dressing as Obama! LOL

If he'd been dressed as THAT "chosen one", it's more likely that the school officials would have called a special assembly, put the kid on a pedestal, and had the rest of the studentbody sing praises to him!

[zepboy]

[Walkinghairball]

Palin Cleared of Ethics Charges


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 3, 2008
Filed at 8:51 p.m. ET



ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A report has cleared Gov. Sarah Palin of ethics violations in the firing of her public safety commissioner. The report, released Monday, said: ''There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters.'' It was prepared by Timothy Petumenos, an independent counsel for the Alaska Personnel Board.

A separate legislative investigation recently concluded that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, abused her office by allowing her husband and staffers to pressure the public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

Palin fired Walter Monegan, but denies his dismissal was related to the trooper.

Alaska Personnel Board investigations are normally secret, but the three-member board decided to release this report, citing public interest in the matter given Palin's status as a candidate for national office. Election Day is Tuesday.

Palin had earlier waived her privacy rights, but others in her administration did not and Petumenos sought to keep the matter from playing out in the media.

Petumenos said documents to be released Monday would not include transcripts of separate depositions given by Palin and her husband, Todd.

That deposition was the only one given by Sarah Palin. She was not subpoenaed to answer questions in the Legislature's investigation, though her husband, Todd, gave an affidavit in that probe.

Palin initially said she would cooperate with the Legislature's probe. But after she became John McCain's running mate, she said the investigation had become too partisan and filed an ethics grievance against herself with the personnel board.

Telephone messages left with state Sens. Hollis French, who led the legislative investigation, and Sen. Kim Elton, chairman of the Legislative Council, were not immediately returned.

[ElfDude]

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. (AP) - A nudist community on Florida's west coast wants to establish the first clothing-optional polling site. The Caliente Resorts, located in Pasco County north of Tampa, has approached election officials about the idea.

Nothing in state law would prohibit it, but the supervisor of elections says he is opposed to creating any new precincts before redistricting in 2010.

I think I have a solution... make ALL polling sites clothing-optional!

[CygnusX1]

Chalk another one up for the good guys....

Soldiers with NATO's International Security Assistance Force killed a
Taliban commander highly involved in the procurement, building and
emplacement of IEDs.

http://pentagontv.feedroom.com/?fr_stor ... 0c9&rf=rss

[Big Blue Owl]

Rove predicts Obama landslide



(CNN) ? John McCain and his aides are still banking on a come-from-behind victory Tuesday, but the GOP's most famous political strategist has already called the race for Barack Obama.

Karl Rove, the man widely credited with engineering President Bush's two successful White House bids, is predicting the Illinois senator will take the White House in an Electoral College landslide, winning 338 votes to John McCain's 200. That would be the largest Electoral College victory since 1996, when Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole in a 379-159 rout.

Watch: Kenyans pulling for Obama

In an Electoral Map posted on Rove's Web site, the Republican mastermind predicts Obama victories in several key battlegrounds, including virtually all of the states where polls suggest he currently enjoys a slim advantage. In fact, Rove believes Missouri is the only crucial battleground state McCain will carry, while Obama scores victories in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Iowa. Rove also thinks Obama will win traditionally-Republican Virginia.

[CygnusX1]

Rove predicts Obama landslide



(CNN) ? John McCain and his aides are still banking on a come-from-behind victory Tuesday, but the GOP's most famous political strategist has already called the race for Barack Obama.

Karl Rove, the man widely credited with engineering President Bush's two successful White House bids, is predicting the Illinois senator will take the White House in an Electoral College landslide, winning 338 votes to John McCain's 200. That would be the largest Electoral College victory since 1996, when Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole in a 379-159 rout.

Watch: Kenyans pulling for Obama

In an Electoral Map posted on Rove's Web site, the Republican mastermind predicts Obama victories in several key battlegrounds, including virtually all of the states where polls suggest he currently enjoys a slim advantage. In fact, Rove believes Missouri is the only crucial battleground state McCain will carry, while Obama scores victories in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Iowa. Rove also thinks Obama will win traditionally-Republican Virginia.

Anybody calling this race right now is out of their mind.

Rove doesn't KNOW. He's going for one more 30-second interview
before he slithers back into obscurity. LMAO

She's gonna be tight. I just hope the country can get it together no matter who wins.

This has been a painful process for everyone.

There was no GOOD choice.

[Big Blue Owl]

I will agree that for some, there was no good choice, but for others it is the choice of a lifetime that inspires and motivates.

And then there is this:

Ohio police ordered to have riot gear ready for election 'unrest'
David Edwards and John Byrne
Published: Tuesday November 4, 2008

It sounds like the kind of thing that precedes "elections" under dictatorships: Riot police being readied for "civil unrest" during a presidential vote.

But the location is in the United States. According to an internal memo acquired by the local NBC News affiliate, Toledo, Ohio police officers have been ordered to "have their riot equipment with them Tuesday and Wednesday."

Police chief Mike Navarre told the network officers will carry equipment similar to the gear they used during 2005 race riots.

"They have been asked to have their helmets and their gas masks available tomorrow and Wednesday," Navarre said, "That's the equipment they would not normally carry with them on a normal day."

Police chief Navarre added that officers wouldn't be station at individual polling places -- but the memo says otherwise. According to NBC, it reads, "On Tuesday, units shall be directed to patrol the polling locations".

[CygnusX1]

I hereby promise that, if Obama wins, and two years down the road the
economy goes totally down the tubes, we're in gas lines...and
unemployed...

I won't be the first to say:

"told ya so"

Which makes me think....what if that DOES happen?

Would the conservatives actually be correct about something?

I'm thinking yes, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

I'm goin' for coffee.

[Big Blue Owl]

Fair enough, Cygman. If all goes well, though, I won't "toad-a-so", but congratulate us all for managing to stay alive through the thin and being here to experience the thick.

[CygnusX1]

Fair enough, Cygman. If all goes well, though, I won't "toad-a-so", but congratulate us all for managing to stay alive through the thin and being here to experience the thick.

Ditto BBO. True dat my brutha.

[Big Blue Owl]

I feel a party coming on.

[ElfDude]

I feel a party coming on.

A third party?

[Big Blue Owl]

Heheh...we're not that evolved yet.

[YYZ30]

I hereby promise that, if Obama wins, and two years down the road the
economy goes totally down the tubes, we're in gas lines...and
unemployed...

I won't be the first to say:

"told ya so"

Which makes me think....what if that DOES happen?

Would the conservatives actually be correct about something?

I'm thinking yes, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

I'm goin' for coffee.

And what if the opposite Siggy? Like Clinton did after Bush the Elder- brought this country out of the doldrums it was in and started to push it back towards prosperity?

We need a leader that will lead this country for the country's greater good- not for whichever special interest group will line their pockets, not for the pork they want, not for their own gain.

We as citizens have become too complacent and dependent on goverment to fix OUR problems- we need to take a bigger role also.