"I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief,"

"At a time of war, at a time of economic stagnation, at a time of rising national debt ... one might expect our national leaders to pursue policies calling for shared sacrifice to achieve shared benefits. Regrettably, that is not the case."

The way to beat McCain is to use his own words against him. Including the admission that he doesn't really understand economics - although that would be redundant. Ask him just what it took to make him change his mind, why are policies that were so reprehensible just a few years ago now acceptable. Push him, make him explain his about-face. Ask him why it isn't a flip-flop when he does it.

Rebecca, can I come eat at your house?

if the Democratically-controlled Congress fails to ratify President McCain's fantasies that 2 + 2 somehow equals 17 (not a foregone conclusion), state of the economy will be all their fault for turning down the only plan that could have saved us. At least this will be the cry from the great right-wing Wurlitzer.

... with McCain now signaling that he's decided to go after Obama as a flip-flopping Washington politician rather than a scary outsider ...

McSame's not exactly in what would be called a strong position here. His whole campaign this year is a denial of the pre-2004 McCain.

Has "elitist" become the new "librul"?

For a variety of complicated political and legal reasons, few in Washington think any high-level Bush administration officials will ever face a judge because of their actions.

About all we can hope for is that the Europeans do the needful and issue warrants. They might still never see a judge, but at least they won't be able to travel in the civilized world.

Where's a Spanish judge when you need one?

If the conviction is overturned and the accused is exonerated after physical castration takes place, the sentencing judge loses his. If the judge is already short a set (or female), it's bad news for the prosecuting attorney.

For so-called "chemical castration", the judge gets to take the same judge for the same duration.

"The Democrats will unfortunately try to bring race into play when this discussion happens, as they do every cycle. It's unfortunate because illegally cast votes disenfranchise real voters by potentially canceling out their votes."

Short form: "When we engage in voter suppression based on racial profiling, the Democrats have the poor taste to point it out".

This is the same as calling complaints about how the Republicans are screwing the poor and the middle class "class warfare".

An Obama lead now means as much to the election as Red Sox 1-game lead in the AL East before the All Star game. I'm very happy to see both, but it's a long way to go until Fall.

When I wrote a few days ago asking if you were trying to be "Fair and Balanced" I was kidding - it wasn't a suggestion. Your headline for this isn't event supported by your own article. You write:

Moreover, this decision breaks a promise Obama made repeatedly to use public financing if his opponent in the general election would agree to do so as well.

Can you pinpoint for me the exact time that McCain decided to accept public financing? You can quibble and say that there's still time for him to do so, but he's given no indication that he would.

Maddie, if they're not thinking that way, they should. The beat thing to do is to let McCain have a full-blown "Hey you kids, get off my lawn before I shoot" carpet-chewing hissy fit at the debates. Or, more likely, he'll reprise James Stockdale's Vice-Pesidential debate performance.

In Stockdale's case I felt sorry, he was a decent, honorable man who had no business at a debate and unfortunately capped a lifetime of service by making a fool of himself.

In McCain's case, it would just be comeuppance.

From Josh Marshall's TPM:

"I think the nation respects the mayor's leadership after 9/11, and I do, too, and I think he displayed leadership at a time that Americans needed some steady hand, and I think that his conduct was very laudatory following 9/11," Mr. McCain said, when asked why so many voters identify Mr. Giuliani with the issue of terrorism.

But he went on to say: "I don't think it translates, necessarily, into foreign policy or national security expertise. I know of nothing in his background that indicates that he has any experience in it, with him or Romney."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/flashback_mccain_himself_said.php

Poor John, can't keep his experts straight.

Alex, I believe you mean "interstate" rather than "intra-state".

But that's a quibble, the real question is why is anyone paying any attention to this person? If I tell the press about the wild nights that John McCain and I spent involving nose candy, hookers, and trampolines, how much press would I get?

Granted, it never happened and I would possibly fail a lie detector test, but that doesn't seem to be an impediment to getting the message spread.

if they were selling and who was buying.

First of all, I didn't take a position on whether Bush deserves to be impeached, and I'm not doing so now either.

Fair & Balanced, eh Alex?

For god's sake man, this is a blog not the straight news section of a newspaper, you're allowed and expected to have an opinion.

Hobbs isn't a member of the KKK - as far as I know.