No doubt about it, it's a funny photo and considering the context that surrounds it all the more so. Of course, for many it will be an illuminating narrative in itself and a mixed one in that it elicits laughter and at the same time dismay should such goofiness be rewarded with the highest seat in the land.

Personally, I remember this moment from the last debate and it was due to McCain beginning to go around the desk to greet Bob Schieffer while Bob was going in the other direction. McCain reacted in a "cartoon" manner and I wouldn't put it past myself to react similarly if I were in a mood to do so.

Yet, it's one of those images that will be archived for a long time to come and will be the subject for many an interpretation from whichever party affiliation. Clearly, the ultimate impersonality of the camera plays no favorites.

It's an image you can add your own caption to. Here's mine: "Senator Obama, I am not Igor".

Here's some of the comments from Politico.com, one of the many that have run the picture:

I laughed until I had tears running down my face...
It's great that in a harsh campaign season there is something (well, besides Palin) to laugh about.

Oh my God, is McCain trying to toss Obama's salad. Nasty!

I hope Obama farted and caused McCain to make this face.

This is the most incredible photo ever taken in the history of American politics.

This photograph proves without doubt, that man DID indeed evolve from apes--no matter what Sarah Palin says.

Oh dear. It looks like he is ready to jump on O's caboose. Watch out for the Crypt keeper Barack! Hmmm.... now his close friendship with Lindsay Graham makes more sense.....

New dance craze, do the McCain Shuffle.

I've often wondered what Cindy saw in this guy, looks very cunning.

Don't we already have a President who makes foolish faces all the time, I can't take 4 or 8 more years of this.

Palin was right, man & dinosaur did co-exist

Forget Jim Morrison, McRage is THE LIZARD KING!!!

John McCain, while experiencing one of his 'senior moments', accidentally mistakes Barack Obama for his running mate Sarah Palin.

Confusion, that's all. Imagine him in the White house. Scary. He looks Freddy.
______

There are many more comments and they can be found at Politico.com and I'm sure other websites. It is a funny picture and on Nov. 5 we'll see just how funny or not funny it is.

"How do McCain and Obama not screen these types of associated problems out before they run? I just don't understand." __neorealist

Because if you're in Washington D.C. and had to screen out all of those who had questionable associations in the past or present you'd probably end up with a janitor or pizza delivery guy as the safest bets.

Inevitably for those new to the political ropes - and I'm sure Obama learned this early on - it's the ol' lesser of two questionable associations.

"While Bernanke gets plenty of praise and is well known for his knowledge on the great depression, where the heck was he before all this was going down the drain?"

Two possibilities:

1. He was one of the plumbers.
2. The plug wasn't in his control to begin with.

"...noted that recovery began in 1933 with large infusions of federal cash into institutions..."

Federal cash then and federal cash now are different critters.

Bottom-line: There's been a lot of raiding on the coffers for years now - they even tried to raid social security. The present situation seems nothing more than a final raid before a changing of the guard. Now, one may very well interject "if" the guard is changed. This "crisis", which just so happens to occur right at election time leads me to think that some in the upper circles know that the guard will be changed. The party bus is headed for a wall and for many it's grab what you can and jump out the window.

Even if the guard were not to be changed they are still grabbing and jumping because it has become so obvious right down to the man and woman on the street that sooner or later blood is going to be demanded and no one wants to stick around for that. In long cons the last thing you want is for the mark to catch on to the ruse; the consequences could be lethal.

But here is the real upshot of it all and one that many others and I have seen coming down the road:
 
“The US will lose its status as the superpower of the world financial system” with the emergence of stronger, better-capitalised centres in Asia and Europe, he told the German parliament. “The world will never be the same again.” __ Peer Steinbrück, German finance minister

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d6a4f3a-8aee-11dd-b634-0000779fd18c.html

A sentiment echoed no less by China and others. Here's Premier Wen Jiabao of China at the UN who while addressing the issue of the crisis sounds an upbeat note but not a very sweet one for those still intent on empire grabbing:

"So long as people of all countries, especially their leaders, can do away with hostility, estrangement and prejudice, treat each other with sincerity and an open mind, and forge ahead hand in hand, mankind will overcome all difficulties and embrace a brighter and better future."

Wonderful sentiment but I don't see it ringing any bells with private military corporations, black ops and their shenanigans worldwide. But I digress.

Of course, since I live here in the fruited plain and purple mountain majesty I certainly would like to see things take a turn for the better but it's going to take awhile. At this moment the financial crisis frames and intensifies all that is related to it but if it were solved then within a short period of time it will be back to the old habits, the old fears and the old cons looking for new marks.

Can someone like Barack Obama change all that? Well, at least it could be a seed or at the very least a respite. But sooner or later it will have to change regardless of who is in charge. Otherwise it'll be just another case of being relegated to the historical dust bin. Once there no bailout of any amount will save your ass. 

"The garden was never built."

A lot of projects that politicians from both sides of the aisle were involved with never got built. And many of them far outstripping the chump change of 100K.

This one will go nowhere and I even doubt that the McCain coffers will pony up millions for an ad on it.

At issue is that McCain did not wait for the joint statement his people were working out with Obama's camp. Whether this "undercut" was McCain's idea or his camp's is still pending but considering the overriding context of the financial situation I doubt it will get much play except as just another example of campaign strategies albeit a telling footnote for those inclined to seek them.

Already on some forums they are accusing  Obama of "I thought of it first" whimpering. If he really wanted to be thought of as being the first to suggest it then his people wouldn't have apprised McCain's of the joint statement. Make of it what you will. 

Reaganite,

"Sorta brilliant" works for those likewise proportionately minded. ( I leave you out of that proportion since you’re the one qualifying it as “sorta”.) In terms of outmaneuvering it is the equivalent of a chess player pointing to something behind the other player's back and when the player turns around to look the pieces are switched. Lame.

I seriously doubt that Obama is going to appear on a stage by himself with the implication being, "I'm here, where's the other guy?" A press conference, maybe, but more likely it would be a statement and a rescheduling.

I'm sure Obama and his camp are more than aware of the "stunt" factor and the joint resolution example is just more kindling. But again, the larger context makes it tricky to point this out and so the other player who realizes the pieces have been switched simply smiles to himself and let's the audience decide for themselves what is fair and what isn't.   

Actually, it was Obama who initially called McCain and made the suggestion of issuing a joint statement on the crisis. McCain's people said they would call back with an answer but the answer was McCain making his televised announcement and saying that "he" invites Obama to go to Washington with him. Even Fox news has confirmed this.

Go figure.

At first I thought you were just another one of those right-wing brainwashed idiots but then I read between the lines and realized your stating that those who hate the Constitution, freedom and the American way of life are actually the one's who've been ruining the country from their perch at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

And your sly aside that health insurance can be "purchased" especially when the situation has gotten where even many who can afford health insurance are increasingly finding it difficult to cover high co-payments not to mention other factors like doctors who don't accept some insurance along with the unavailability in the local community of practitioners for particular medical conditions. Well, that's just hilarious. 

BillyBob, you have the gift of satire. Keep up the good work! 

Forget the ads. Forget the Blackberry.

Remember this: http://www.truthout.org/article/mccain-and-pow-cover-up?print

One more reason why none of us should have to spend a 4 year "holiday" with McCain.  __RO
______________

My Holiday with McCain

By ANASUYA DUBEY

http://www.counterpunch.org/dubey09232008.html

It was just before John McCain's last run at the presidential nomination in 2000 that my husband and I vacationed in Turtle Island in Fiji with John McCain, Cindy, and their children, including Bridget (their adopted Bangladeshi child).
 
 It was not our intention, but it was our misfortune to be in close quarters with John McCain for almost a week since Turtle Island has a small number of bungalows and their focus on communal meals force all vacationers who are there at the same time to get to know each other intimately.
 
He arrived at our first group meal and started reading quotes from a pile of William Faulkner books with a forest of Post-Its sticking out of them. As an English Literature major myself, my first thought was "if he likes this so much, why hasn't he memorized any of this yet?" I soon realized that McCain actually thought we had come on vacation to be a volunteer audience for his "readings" which then became a regular part of each meal. Out of politeness, none of the vacationers initially protested at this intrusion into their blissful holiday, but people's buttons definitely got pushed as the readings continued day after day.
 
 Unfortunately this was not his only contribution to our mealtime entertainment. He waxed on during one meal about how Indo-Chinese women had the best figures and that our American corn-fed women just couldn't meet up to this standard. He also made it a point that all of us should stop Cindy from having dessert as her weight was too high and made a few comments to Amy, the 25 year old wife of the honeymooning couple from Nebraska that she should eat less as she needed to lose weight.
 
 McCain's appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David the American economist had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her.
 
 Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego, and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day and his response was shocking –"Oh, that was Cindy's idea – I didn't have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can't imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona. No, it wasn't my idea at all."
 
 I actively avoided McCain after that, but unfortunately one day he engaged me in a political discussion which soon got us on the topic of the active US bombing of Iraq at that time. I was shocked when he said "if I was in charge, I would nuke Iraq to teach them a lesson". Given McCain's personal experience with the horrors of war I had expected a more balanced point of view. I commented on the tragic consequences of the nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII – but no, he was not to be dissuaded. He went on to say that if it was up to him he would have dropped many more nuclear bombs on Japan. I rapidly extricated myself from this conversation as I could tell that his experience being tortured as a POW didn't seem to have mellowed out his perspective but rather had made him more aggressive, and vengeful towards the world.
 
 My final encounter with McCain was on the morning that he was leaving Turtle Island. Amy and I were happily eating pancakes when McCain arrived and told Amy that she shouldn't be having pancakes because she needed to lose weight. Amy burst into tears at this abusive comment. I felt fiercely protective of Amy and immediately turned to McCain and told him to leave her alone. He became very angry and abusive towards me, and said "don't you know who I am" and I looked him in the face and said "yes, you are the biggest asshole I have ever met" and headed back to my cabin. I am happy to say that later that day when I arrived at lunch I was given a standing ovation by all the guests for having stood up to McCain's bullying.
 
 Although I have shared my McCain story informally with friends, this is the first time I am making this public. I almost did so in 2000, when McCain first announced his bid for the Republican nomination but it soon became apparent that George Bush was the shoo-in candidate and so I did not act then. However, now that there is a very real possibility that McCain could be elected as our next president, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to share this story. I can't imagine a more scary outcome for America than that this abusive, aggressive man should lead our nation. I have observed him in intimate surroundings as he really is, not how the media portrays him to be. If his attitudes toward women, and his treatment of his own family are even a small indicator of his real personality, then I shudder to think what will happen to America were he to be elected as our President.
_______________

Anasuya Dubey is a clinical psychologist in California.

"Bush is a military idiot."

Sorry, Ahkenaten, but I have proof you're wrong:

Yes, he did okay. O'Reilly even said to another reporter on his show that he looked him (Obama) straight in the eye and added: "He's not a wimpy guy".

O'Reilly has been saying recently that he wants to interview Palin.  If she thought Gibson was a chore then wait till she meets Mr. Bill. Then we'll see just how "no-spin" O'Reilly really is or isn't. She's slated to be interviewed by Sean Hannity but we all know he's probably purchased the Palin action figures and probably has them on his night table.

I know it's a stretch, but oddly enough I get the feeling that O'Reilly would actually like Obama to win. If not in the sense of personal conscience then in the sense of business: An Obama administration will provide a lot more copy, examination and criticism than McCain.

Personally, I would qualify it as applying to a large segment of the white population but certainly not encompassing it all. I don't think Wise does either since he is white himself. Though he does touch a nerve especially in these current times. _RO
___________________________

White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election

By Tim Wise
http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is . . .

. . . when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

. . . you can call yourself a "fuckin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

. . . when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

. . . when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re "untested."

. . . being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

. . . being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

. . . being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

. . . being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

. . . being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

. . . being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

. . . not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

. . . being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.
_________________________________

Tim, the arrogance that comes from self-serving entitlement is the problem. Yes, a part of the white population is certainly dispaying its "color" on this one. Let us hope the other part prevails on this for the sake of a deserved entitlement across the spectrum. Otherwise we may end up with the case of a dis-entitled society; not a very good rep to have in the eyes of the world and the irrefutable progress it demands in the very name of survival.__RO

U.S. and Russia going nuclear on each other?

No. It would be critically bad for business and business is the name of the game for those who can see beyond the pawns. Oh, and there's also that little matter of fallout.

It's the ol' Western movie plotline: Ranch boss with a twisted sense of exceptionalism will terrorize the local, submissive townsfolk but he'll think thrice about upsetting bosses in the other county.

Now that is an interesting reply coming from you, Reaganite. I guess in your case we could update a well-known phrase to, "never judge a poster by the avatar". 

I'm curious, and if the question harkens back to McCarthy hearings it is purely coincidental: Are you now or have you ever been a subscriber to Manifest Destiny?

The inevitable cold shower regardless which side of the fence. And no amount of 'small-town values' will change it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/09/AR2008090903302_pf.html