How low can these shitheads possibly sink? Early today, Obama remarked on the all the wackos yelling shit at McCain rallies: "It's easy to rile up a crowd," Obama said. "Nothing's easier than riling up a crowd by stoking anger and division. But that's not what we need right now in the United States." The McCain camp quickly jumped on this unprovoked attack on hardworking, blood-thirsty American xenophobes. Senior advisor Nicolle Wallace: "Barack Obama's assault on our supporters is insulting ...

tags: mccain obama, mccain camp, barack obama, john mccain, brian rogers, nicolle wallace, veiled threats, negative ads, xenophobes, shitheads, middle names, nthe, unprovoked attack, wackos, bigots, tax money, morons, rallies, middle class americans, nit

george bush is an economic wrecking ball. a few words from him, and the dow drops 400 points. thankfully, bush is a man of few words (and fewer thoughts behind them). “we’ll get through this together,” he says. no, we won’t. soon he’ll be off to crawford. or some country without extradition treaties. the rest of us will be slogging through the wreckage of the economy he’s left us with after eight years of monumental stupidity. the stupidity, ...

tags: man of few words, wrecking ball, scourge, dow, bush

The AP reports: BERNALILLO, N.M. — A hot air balloon crashed into power lines and burst into flames Friday during Albuquerque's annual balloon fiesta, throwing both men on board to the ground and killing one of them. According to the local NBC affiliate KOB 4: Friday's fatal balloon accident is not the first for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which began in 1972... During the 1998 fiesta, a woman was killed when a balloon plowed into power lines, ...

tags: albuquerque international balloon fiesta, international balloon fiesta, hot air balloon, kob 4, balloon accident, nkob, nbc affiliate, winters california, sea creatures, nice photo, ap reports, whimsy, condolences, briggs, flames, two men, nbc, burst, photos

Seattle's KCTS will host the second and final formal debate between Republican Dave Reichert and his Democratic challenger Darcy Burner this evening at 7 PM. I'll wait until after the debate is over to post my thoughts. Jason plans to blog the debate in real time as it airs, so feel free to check back here if you aren't near a television at 7 PM.

tags: kcts seattle, democratic challenger, dave reichert, formal debate, republican, real time, television

A report just released by Office of Professional Accountability Auditor Kate Pflaumer appears to have cleared the Seattle Police Department of allegations from civil rights groups and attorneys that officers have used obstruction charges to cover for improper or violent arrests. Pflaumer, who compiled the report at the request of Mayor Greg Nickels, examined "obstruction only" arrests between January 2006 and July 2008 and found "no pattern of abuse" in how officers use obstruction charges. According to ...

tags: mayor greg nickels, seattle police department, civil rights groups, spd officers, pflaumer, professional accountability, obstruction charges, obstruction charge, drug arrests, n22, jail time, paraphernalia, disparity, probation, interference, allegations, sentences, time frame, convictions, gig

Panicking McCain tries to control the monster he conjured up from the underworld: LAKEVILLE, Minn. -- Sen. John McCain responded Friday to the increasingly angry crowds at his rallies and town halls by urging them to be respectful of his rival, Sen. Barack Obama, despite their deep policy differences with the Democratic nominee. ical supporters at a town hall in this Minneapolis suburb, McCain prompted boos from his crowd when he called Obama "a decent person" and ...

tags: sen john mccain, minneapolis suburb, barack obama, angry crowds, communist manifesto, john mccain, bourgeois society, expectant father, nether world, policy differences, decent person, town halls, means of production, democratic nominee, boos, president of the united states, sorcerer, rallies, spells, underworld

"Happy Just To Be Here" by Seattlest Flickr contributor Grundlepuck As the battle for our Sonics unfolded over the past few years, Clay Bennett came to symbolize the greedy bastards who, along with the help of weasel-in-chief Howard Schultz, ran off with our NBA basketball team. But make no mistake, Bennett wasn't the brains behind the Great Oklahoma Rip-off. Nope. Clay Bennett was simply the bag man. The most influential person behind the deal was Aubrey McClendon, ...

tags: nba basketball team, aubrey mcclendon, chesapeake energy, greedy bastards, jim cramer, corporate ceo, nthen, clay bennett, margin call, howard schultz, cnbc, massive loss, influential person, oilman, dust bowl, oil prices, nso, emerald city, going out of business, spring and summer

The title above is a quote from Robert Heinlein, and also one of the three basic premises of Science Fiction. Today, they are also a warning to John McCain, Sarah Palin, and those people at their rallies who scream and cheer at suggestions of hate and violence. The Baltimore Sun has an editorial warning those candidates that they are walking a line that they need to cut short -- a line that is encouraging venom, ...

tags: mob behavior, robert heinlein, sarah palin, walking a line, john mccain, decent folk, baltimore sun, nthe, escalates, nostrils, stink, venom, rallies, hatred, premises, science fiction, opponents, generations, nif, republican

From the A.P.: The absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County identified the two presidential candidates as "Barack Osama" and "John McCain." The article goes on to helpfully point out: In the United States, the best-known individual named Osama is Osama bin Laden, leader of the al Qaida terrorist group behind the 2001 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City. Wow. Is this on purpose or not? (Thanks to various Slog Tippers including Tracy and ...

tags: barack osama, rensselaer county, absentee ballots, john mccain, osama bin laden, presidential candidates, terrorist group, al qaida, world trade center, nin, new york city, united states

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — Some of the anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is mostly letting it flare. A sense of grievance spilling into rage has gripped some GOP events as McCain supporters see his presidential campaign lag against Barack Obama. They're making it personal, against the Democrat. Shouts of "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head" have rung from the crowd at McCain and Sarah Palin ...

tags: mccain supporters, gop events, barack obama, sarah palin, planet of the apes, john mccain, quiet work, presidential campaign, grievance, wis, la crosse, rallies, traitor, liar, treason, gop, witch, democrat, rage, anger

Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren confirmed today that starting QB Matt Hasselbeck would likely miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, due to a knee injury he picked up in last week's game. With backup QB Seneca Wallace out with yet another injury (calf), the new starting QB of your Seattle Seahawks appears destined to be Charlie Frye. ...

tags: coach mike holmgren, green bay packers, matt hasselbeck, charlie frye, seneca wallace, backup qb, seattle seahawks, knee injury, head coach, nightmare, game

Ladies and gentlemen, I want metrics. In the spirit of objectively tracking the downfall of the global economy, I've decided to begin a semi-regular post conglomerating data on the (non-)functioning of the financial system. If I'm going to panic, I want evidence backing it up. Rather than focusing on the stock market (equity), like most daily coverage of this crisis, I'm going to focus on liquidity. The inability of companies, big and small, to borrow ...

tags: corporate bond yields, state of fear, relative state, market equity, ladies and gentlemen, objective data, global economy, beaker, implosion, downfall, stock market, liquidity, metrics, apocalypse, apologies, economist, doom, ted, spirit

This fall we are combining our love of the football and our dream of learning to cook by preparing a meal from the city of the Seahawks opponent. With the Hawks in need of a win, this might be the best week to play the Packers. They are the only American franchise that one can buy shares of, so their fans could be a bit distracted. On to the meal. We originally found this recipe in ...

tags: law school graduation, cooking bratwurst, new miller park, marcus pollard, husky basketball, safe bet, literacy rate, situation comedy, quarterback rating, nfor, olden times, nthe, basketball team, nwe, hasselbeck, miller park, seahawk, playoff game, brats, heart attack

A great mom is worth celebrating every single day, as Seattlest was reminded when our own good mother fell gravely ill in early 2008. Sometimes you have no idea how great you have it until you think you're losing it, and then--well, then you realize how important it is to appreciate and love on the people nearest and dearest to your heart while they are still around. That's why Yo! MAMA, tonight's benefit show at ...

tags: hard working mama, doula services, northwest network, brooklyn ave, support advocacy, giant hug, hiphop artists, benefit show, advocacy group, good mother, nall, nyo, prenatal care, n6, emcee, extra money, womanhood, single day, yo mama, child care

Obama as seen by America?Obama and GranmaNot since the days of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency have chickens been welcome guests and pets of the sitting president at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But that could quickly change come next January when the next president of the United States is sworn in…should Barack Obama become that next president. Obama’s grandmother, Sarah Onyango Obama, “Mama Sarah,” currently lives among the mango and mimosa trees in a somewhat austere cinderblock home ...

tags: mango and mimosa, mimosa trees, 1600 pennsylvania avenue, carter clan, secret service agents, kenya africa, lincoln bedroom, bowling alley, amy carter, onyango, barack obama, welcome guests, rollerskating, cluck, powerful man in the world, afterall, chickens, woodrow wilson, jimmy carter, president of the united states

Josh Marshall explains the bogus Republican claims of “fraud” surrounding ACORN and voter registration. Well worth a full read, but here’s a sample: I’ve always had questions about whether this is a good way to do voter registration. And Democratic campaigns usually keep their distance. But here’s the key. This is fraud against ACORN. They end up paying people for registering more people then they actually signed up. If you register me three times to vote, ...

tags: josh marshall, hysteria, acorn

Juan Alonso's Excelsion #1 (2008), ink and graphite on Claybord, 24 by 24 inches Seattle artist Juan Alonso is taking a stand on the continual drain on artists represented by auctions and all manner of do-gooders. He makes the point that in the last 18 months, he has donated more work to causes than he has sold. Don't mistake this for the statement of somebody who simply can't sell: Alonso has a pretty healthy market among ...

tags: juan alonso, seattle artists, claybord, person businesses, francine seders gallery, seders, professional group, tax incentive, worthy cause, nto, taking a stand, economic crisis, business group, fund raiser, graphite, works of art, fundraisers, nit, donations, mistake