McCain still lying about his earmarks

One of the myths that John McCain has pawned off on the public most successfully is the one about his inveterate hostility to earmarks. For years McCain has been claiming that he never has put a single earmark in any bill.

“I have never asked for nor received a single earmark or pork barrel project for my state…”

Here he was praising himself last December as the NYT was about to break the Vicki Iseman lobbying story:

“I’ve never done any favors for anybody — lobbyist or special-interest group — that’s a clear, 24-year record.”

On July 29 in a speech to employees at the Wagner Equipment Co. in Aurora CO, McCain told the earmark lie again:

Next he moved on to talking about how he would never allow any “pork barrel” spending to be put into any bill he would sign. He made a claim that he has never (note the absolute here) put any kind of earmark in a bill in his time in the Congress or Senate.

You see McCain’s assertion about earmarks parroted all over. The Myth has such a grip on the public that The Google doesn’t know of anyone ever using the expression ‘McCain inserted an earmark’  - until now, that is.

However as BarbinMD has documented repeatedly, in his eagerness to shower federal money on constituents and cronies McCain does indeed resort to earmarks. For example, McCain slipped a $ 14.3 million earmark in the 2004 Defense authorization bill (from which it jumped into the appropriations bill) to purchase land near an Arizona Air Force base. The earmark had not been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee nor requested by the President nor part of Pentagon planning. From Roll Call (subscription required):

“Even though this project is in clear violation of the McCain rule because it was not authorized nor requested, we are happy to provide the funds at his request and the request of other members of the Arizona delegation,” said House Appropriations Committee spokesman John Scofield.

Scofield also noted that the provision may violate other tenets of McCain’s “pork” rules because the purpose of the funds — to acquire land to prevent the encroachment of residential development near the base’s live-fire range — is not included in Defense’s long-term strategic plans and may not be achievable within a five-year time frame.

McCain inserted the earmark on behalf of an Arizona developer, SunCor, whose executives have close ties to McCain’s political campaigns and have contributed $224,000 to him since 1998.

His friends at SunCor also benefited from dubious land-swap legislation McCain pushed through Congress in 2005. Over the years McCain has promoted quite a few bills to reward friends back home. Among the many favors he’s done for wealthy Arizona land developer Donald Diamond, McCain has sponsored at least 3 bills to assure land deals Diamond wanted. Two other shady land-swap deals McCain got involved in during the ’90s are described here. Then there was McCain’s 2005 legislation to give $10 million to the Univ. of Arizona as a tribute to William Rehnquist. Even in the corrupt Republican Congress of the day, the bill couldn’t get out of committee.

And let’s not ignore McCain’s prodigious letter-writing on behalf of constituents as he’s tried to tap into federal dollars by secretive routes. For example, in 1992 he wrote to EPA head Bill Reilly asking him to direct $5 million for a wastewater treatment plant in Arizona. This came after Congress had already rejected the spending request.

“I would like to request that EPA either re-program $5 million out of existing funds or earmark the amount from an appropriate account,” McCain wrote in his Oct. 9, 1992 letter to then-EPA Administrator William K. Reilly, calling the earmark “crucial to protecting the public health and the environment.”

How many more times from now until the November election will we read and hear that McCain has ‘never asked for a single earmark or pork barrel project’?

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Obama and Reality Team Up to Fight McCain Lies

In looking at John McCain’s latest attack ad against Barack Obama that childishly tries to equate him with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, let’s ignore both that and the questionable judgment used in calling attention to Barack Obama’s popularity at home and abroad, and instead focus on the ad’s claim that Obama will raise taxes on electricity. According to factcheck.org:

McCain’s new ad claims that Obama “says he’ll raise taxes on electricity.” That’s false. Obama says no such thing.

Well, that was easy, wasn’t it? Just put it down to, another day and another lie from the McCain campaign. Par for the course. But there are two positive things happening here. First, more and more the media is calling McCain out for his decision to take the low road…via Americablog

The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican’s campaign and his ability to control his temper. [...]

Virtually all candidates, including Obama, distort their opponent’s record. But McCain has gone beyond reasonable bounds. The self-described “happy warrior” in the 2000 presidential campaign has turned sour in 2008, and the candor and straight talk that once made him such an attractive candidate are rapidly disappearing.

And second, the Obama campaign isn’t sitting around waiting for Swiftboat ‘08.

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Late Afternoon/Early Evening Open Thread

Simplifying rhetoric to make it more accessible to the average citizen is a laudable enterprise, but at some point simplification becomes oversimplification, and the line between the two is often difficult to define, especially in a polity committed to democracy…. When presidents lie to us or mislead us, when they pander to us or seduce us with their words, when they equivocate and try to be all things to all people, or when they divide us with wedge issues, they do so with an arsenal of anti-intellectual tricks with rhetoric that is linguistically simplistic, reliant on platitudes or partisan slogans, short an argument, and long on emotive and human-interest appeals.

–Elvin T. Lim, The Anti-Intellectual Presidency: The Decline of Presidential Rhetoric from George Washington to George W. Bush

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Presidential Polls, 7/31

Florida

Quinnipiac. 7/23-29. Likely voters. MoE 2.8% (6/19-16 results)

Woah, with this poll, Obama has actually edged into the tightest of “leads” in Florida in the Pollster.com composite: Obama 45.7, McCain, 45.3. Check out the trend graph:

Much of that Obama competitiveness is being fueled by massive ad spending in the state:

The McCain camp probably hoped they could assume Florida in their column. Quite clearly, they won’t have that luxury.

Montana

Rasmussen. 7/29. Likely voters. MoE 4.5% (7/1 results)

A month ago, Obama had a five-point advantage in Montana. In April, the numbers were reversed and it was McCain by five.

The state is really volatile, or Rasmussen is having a hard time getting a consistent sample. Note that when leaners are included, it’s tied 47-47. The composite right now is Obama 48.3, McCain 45.2.

Ohio

Quinnipiac. 7/23-29. Likely voters. MoE 2.8% (6/19-16 results)

The composite score is still pretty tight in Ohio: Obama 46.1, McCain 42.5. Obama has the advantage, but its nothing to get comfortable over. Both campaigns have spent about equal amounts on the state:

The McCain camp has actually outspent Obama by $82,000 in the state.

Pennsylvania

Quinnipiac. 7/23-29. Likely voters. MoE 2.8% (6/19-16 results)

Strategic Vision (R). 7/25-27. Likely voters. MoE 3% (4/18-20 results)

The spread in Pennsylvania remains large — Obama 49.7, McCain 40.6. Given the state’s history, no one wants to let their guard down, but so far, this is far less competitive than in recent years. And to think that McCain has outspent Obama by a significant number ($665,000) on the air in recent weeks:

Also:
California (PDF): PPI, Obama 50, McCain 35
Texas: Rasmussen, McCain 50, Obama 41.
Washington: Strategic Vision (R), Obama 48, McCain 37

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KY-Sen: Mitch still under 50 percent

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 7/28-30. Likely voters. MoE 4% (5/7-9 results)

The trend lines are from an R2K poll commissioned not by Daily Kos, but by the Lexington Herald-Leader and WKYT. The methodology and sample breakdowns are virtually the same, however. And as for the results, we see what appears to be mostly float in the MoE.

Among Lunsford’s problems are Democrats, who make up a plurality of the state’s electorate. Much as they have done for a while at the federal level, these Democrats are more apt to punch the hole for Republicans. With Dems, Lunsford currently gets only 65 percent, with 18 percent going to McConnell and a high 17 percent still undecided. More than any other group, Lunsford’s chances appear to hinge on bringing home Democrats.

McConnell hasn’t locked this thing away, though. Given his high name ID and long tenure in the state, his 49-44 approval/disapproval rating is quite anemic.

As for Obama, this is one of those rare states (i.e. the Appalachian ones) in which he runs weaker than other Democrats (like Clinton) might have.

Obama garners only 29 percent of the white vote, and with African Americans making up only about nine percent of the electorate, that’s a recipe for a wipeout. (Kerry won 35 percent of the Kentucky white vote in 2004.)

Full crosstabs below the fold.

On the web: Bruce Lunsford for Senate

Update: Rasmussen released its own Kentucky polling today, President, Senate (6/25 results):

The Senate numbers are almost identical, but big difference in those presidential numbers.

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House and Senate Race Roundup: Still More Stevens, Still More Stupid Songs

AK-Sen: Kos wrote earlier on Rasmussen’s new AK-Sen numbers. They are impressive:

Stevens’ trial is to be on September 24, less than two months from now.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty to corruption charges Thursday and received an unusually speedy trial date, which he hopes will clear his name before voters consider re-electing him in November.

Stevens, a Capitol Hill bulldozer accustomed to winning political battles, wrangled control of the normally sluggish judicial process. The Senate’s longest-serving Republican faces a tough re-election fight and made it clear Thursday that he does not want his seven-count indictment getting in the way.

“He’d like to clear his name before the election,” attorney Brendan Sullivan told U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. Sullivan added: “This is not a complex case. It should be one that moves quickly.”

Until and unless Stevens does get an acquittal, this race should be considered “Leans Democratic”.

MS-Sen: For the first time in a long time, a poll is out with less than desirable results for Democratic candidate Ronnie Musgrove. From Rasmussen, with June numbers in parentheses:

This is not a bad poll. It’s within the margin of error of Rasmussen’s previous polls in Mississippi. Also, this particular poll seems a bit odd (the same poll shows Mississippi black voters going 100-0 for Obama, which is unlikely).

Cotton Mouth Blog notes another potential problem with the poll:

There is one major flaw with this poll. Being that this is a special election, there will be no reference to party on the ballot. The candidates will NOT be identified as Republican or Democratic in the polling booth. This poll erroneously identifies their parties, which has to be worth a few points to Roger Wicker.

If Rasmussen did use party ID, that is a possible liability, indeed.

Even if this poll is spot-on, a six-point deficit is a decent position for Musgrove, given Wicker’s recent ad campaign in the state.

The DSCC is currently advertising on Musgrove’s behalf, and hopefully we will conduct his own ad blitz shortly.

NC-Sen: It seems everyone’s backing away from Ted Stevens at this point.

John Ensign, NRSC chairman, certainly is:

Uh oh. Here’s another sign that top Republicans are backing away from Sen. Ted Stevens: Roll Call reports that NRSC chairman John Ensign refused to give a definite answer when asked if he was endorsing Stevens for re-election.

“I’m not going to make any comment,” Ensign said. “There’s a process in place and we’re going to wait to see how that process plays out.”

So is Mike Johanns in Nebraska:

A shelter for domestic violence victims will receive the $6,000 in campaign contributions that Senate candidate Mike Johanns received from Sen. Ted Stevens’ political action committee.

Johanns spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said Wednesday that the Republican Johanns decided to give the money to the Friendship Home shortly after the Alaska senator was indicted Tuesday. He’s accused of lying about accepting gifts from an oil contractor.

The Nebraska Democratic Party on Tuesday issued a news release calling for Johanns to return contributions from the Northern Lights PAC.

Everybody, it seems, but Elizabeth Dole:

OR-Sen: The DSCC has released a new ad on behalf of Senate candidate Jeff Merkley, hitting Gordon Smith for his role in enabling the Bush economy:

Merkley was also endorsed by the Oregon Independent Party, which can’t hurt.

OK-Sen: Young Orange to Blue candidate Andrew Rice liveblogged at Future Majority today, sharing his thoughts on his race and on young voters:

Two years ago, when I ran for State Senate and won, I watched a wave of young progressives sweeping across the nation. I was not just watching history happen, I was part of it with all of you.

This year, however, is proving that 2006 was just a prelude to a national movement, a generational shift that makes our nation’s hope for the future incredibly bright. And once again, I’m honored to be a part of history as it happens. This wouldn’t be a pivotal year without your work and your involvement, and I wouldn’t be here without the support of young people in Oklahoma.

I’m running for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma in part because I’m inspired by these times. A new group of people who have grown up believing that government can be a force for good in people’s lives are working to make sure that it fulfills that mission. We’re changing our nation from the inside out, from the state house to Washington. And the need for well-qualified and hopeful people to serve in the public sphere has never been greater.

Rice has also made a couple of very big hires in Geri Prado and Phil Singer:

Rice said Geri Prado, former deputy national political and field director for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, has joined his staff as campaign manager.

“I’m excited to be a part of this organization,” Prado said. “Andrew’s story, his passion and his hard work in the State Senate are going to make him a great U.S. Senator who focuses on what is best for Oklahoma families.”

Prado was Deputy Political Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2006 cycle when Democrats won control of the Senate. Originally from Colorado, she has worked in states like Missouri, New Mexico and Colorado at all levels of campaigns.

Rice also brought on top communications operative Phil Singer as a communications consultant.

Singer was recently the Deputy Communications Director for Hillary Clinton for President and previously worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Sen. Charles Schumer as communications director.

These are certainly high-profile additions to the campaign staff, and they speak to the legitimacy and seriousness of Rice’s challenge.

House Races

NY-26: OK, the Brand New Man was pretty awful.

But Jack Davis’ new radio ad/ridiculous campaign song is even worse. To the tune of “Build Me Up Buttercup”, no less.

Check it out. Seriously, it’s fantastic. From the Albany Project:

It’s called, and I’m not making this up, “Who’s Gonna Clean it Up?”. It’s an act of cultural ghoulism that is every bit as horrific as you probably imagine.

And when you’re done, send some love to Orange to Blue candidate Jon Powers.

MI-13: No risk of losing this D+32 seat for the party, but Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is in serious trouble in her primary. She faces State Sen. Martha Scott and Rep. Mary Waters in her race, and has a narrow, narrow lead:

Cheeks Kilpatrick’s popularity has no doubt been damaged by the, er, controversial tenure of her son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. One has to believe that she’d be dead in the water if she didn’t have two challengers splitting the vote.

FL-13: The NRCC is run by idiots. From their own website’s news section:

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R), the subject of recent news reports about alleged illicit campaign contributions in the previous cycle, on Tuesday began airing his first television spot on cable and broadcast outlets

Way to pump up your own candidates, folks. That’s got to instill confidence.

IN-09: The latest poll on fall blockbuster “Hill-Sodrel IV: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning”. Democratic Rep. Baron Hill leads former Republican Rep. Mike Sodrel in their fourth matchup in four cycles. According to SUSA:

Hill has had the best of it twice so far, Sodrel once. Hill should be favored, albeit slightly, until Sodrel can show a similar polling result.

MN-02, MN-06: DFL candidate Steve Sarvi won the endorsement of Minnesota’s Independence Party, which should aid him slightly in his long-shot bid to upset incumbent John Kline. So did fellow Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg, who faces down one of Congress’ finest nutters, freshman Rep. Michelle Bachmann:

In a recent news release, the Sarvi campaign said that the Independence Party endorses candidates from different parties when they don’t have one from their own, but the candidate must agree with at least 75 percent of the party’s key issues and meet several other qualifications.

“I’m proud to have this endorsement,” Sarvi said in the release, “and I look forward to having the Independence Party as an integral part of our team working for victory.”

The Independence Party has also endorsed DFL candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg for the Sixth Congressional District seat now occupied by Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann.

On the web:

Orange to Blue ActBlue Page

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Midday open thread

• Ha ha ha. Jake Tapper is so naive. This, on the other hand, is better.
• Paul Hogarth over at Beyond Chron reviews Taking on the System:
  

  Markos Moulitsas’ new book, Taking On the System, is not really about political blogs. One would expect the founder of Daily Kos to write about the netroots (and his book offers plenty of anecdotes about how they’ve changed politics), but it’s really a guide for how ordinary people can make an impact in the 21st Century. Moulitsas writes about how the Internet has democratized the process – making old gatekeepers like party bosses, media moguls and even record companies less powerful and relevant than before. But modeling himself after the late Saul Alinsky, Moulitsas offers plenty of pragmatic advice for political activists – like “stay on message,” “how to handle your enemies,” and “pick your battles” – that was applicable in an earlier era. In the 21st Century, however, more can play this game. Taking On the System is a resource for progressives hopeful about November – but anxious about how to keep that momentum going in an Obama Administration [...]

  Moulitsas has written a compelling book that illustrates the democratizing impact that digital media has had on political activism, and offers sound advice for how to navigate this medium for your cause.

  Pre-order today!

• Nice how the Politico is fluffing the “uppity Negro” GOP narrative.
• Welcome back, Billmon.
• Gov. Sarah Palin’s scandal hits the WSJ.
  

  ANCHORAGE, Alaska — When Sarah Palin was elected governor as a Republican outsider in 2006, she didn’t just take on an incumbent from her own party. She took on Alaska’s Republican establishment.

  Ms. Palin vowed to clean up a long-cozy political system that had been sullied by an FBI corruption investigation. She endeared herself to Alaskans by making good on her reform promises and showing homey touches, like driving herself to work.

  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with husband Todd Palin at her 2006 inauguration.
  Now, one of the bright new stars in the Republican Party has suddenly become tarnished. The state legislature this week voted to hire an independent investigator to see whether Ms. Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper.

• Yup, McCain’s press buddies like him less and less.
  

  I’ve spent three days on the road with McCain this week, and except for a couple of public town-hall meetings, where flashes of his old wit and friskiness shone through, I’ve barely clapped eyes on him. The forward compartments of his charter 737—his personal seating area in the front, and the “Straight Talk” suite in the middle—are blocked off from the press section in the rear by dark brown curtains. And as soon after takeoff as F.A.A. rules allow, McCain aides pull the drapes tight, so tight that his press secretary, Brooke Buchanan, spent several frustrated minutes this week fiddling in vain with one that drooped ever so slightly off its last hook, leaving a risky sliver of daylight between McCain’s compartment and the cage of the media beast he once not only fed, but tamed.

  McCain used to call the press “my base,” but if he came back to shoot the breeze with the reporters who cover him now, he’d face a million unhelpful questions that would shake him off his message of the day: Why has Barack Obama got his goat? What does he think of the indictment of Senator Ted Stevens, a Republican colleague with whom he has often tangled, on seven counts related to the kind of sloppy pork-barrel politics for which McCain has long had contempt? Does he worry that the biopsy of what turned out to be a benign little bit of his cheek this week will make voters recall that he is a cancer survivor, and about to turn 72 years old? How does he square his current support for offshore oil-drilling with his past opposition to it, and doesn’t he risk alienating the independent and swing voters who have been the mother’s milk of his political life?

• Chris Cillizza claims Obama’s veep short list isn’t that short. But the names mentioned are the same ones we’ve seen over and over again — Kaine, Biden, Nunn, Sebelius, Dodd and Bayh.
• Nice. Lanny Davis is also on the “Hillary Clinton or no other woman veep” bandwagon. That crowd is all about glass ceilings, obviously. And has there ever been a worse surrogate for anyone than Lanny Davis? Ever?
• Yeah, this isn’t Ben Smith’s best moment.

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There’s bias, there’s being in the tank, there’s carrying water, there’s kneepads…

And then there’s Andrea Mitchell:

Wow. Bravissimo, Miss Mitchell.

This entire post was stolen from Ace of Spades. I am sooooo sorry Ace, I just couldn’t contain myself.

Meanwhile, over at Gateway Pundit, the hypocrisy of Obama’s recent criticism of Rap music is examined:

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WA-08: Darcy still close

SurveyUSA. 7/27-30. Likely voters. MoE 3.8% (6/18 results)

Just some float within the MoE, this thing remains tight. Independents split 45/45, while 16 percent of Democrats still support Reichert. Bringing those voters home will be important for Burner’s chances of victory, and to do that, she’ll need cash to deliver her message to her district’s voters.

It’s the end of the month, I was planning on doing a last-minute push to get her over the $150K mark we pledged after her house burned down, so she could focus on putting her life back together rather than fundraising.

Well, heading over to our Orange to Blue ActBlue page,  it turns out that the blogosphere blew by that goal — she’s at $159K. So no need for a last minute push to get her over the goal. But this isn’t just a winnable race, but a chance to put a future bona fide and fearless progressive leader in Congress.

Darcy Burner is a candidate seriously worth giving to, regardless of whether we met our goal or not.

On the web:
Darcy Burner for Congress
Orange to Blue ActBlue Page

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AK-Sen: Stevens’ numbers collapse

Rasmussen. 7/30. Likely voters. MoE 4% (7/17 results)

Compared to last week’s poll, Begich has kept his supporters, but a significant chunk of Stevens’ supporters have dropped into “undecided” territory. He’s kept enough of his support to give hope that his chances in the Republican primary remain strong, but he’s clearly on life support. Perhaps that’s why he’s demanding a speedy trial.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) pleaded not guilty Thursday to seven felony charges and is requesting to “clear his name” before the November elections.

Looking calm in a light gray suit, Stevens appeared  in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with his attorney, who asked to have the trial expedited before November and moved to Alaska.
“I appear here not to ask for any special favors … But I do want to ask the court that he would like to clear his name before the general election,” said Brendan Sullivan, Stevens’s attorney.

He added that 90 percent of the 30-40 witnesses are from Alaska so a venue in that state would make for easier accommodation. It also would presumably allow Stevens to campaign in October when Congress will likely be out of session.

Sullivan said the case could move swiftly because the defense and prosecution will call
“very quick” witnesses.

But the government says that witnesses will have accommodation in Washington and can easily reach the court for the trial.

Prosecutors asked for no bond, but want Stevens’ passport so he doesn’t flee the country. Prosecutors are also refusing to offer Stevens a plea agreement. He’s the big fish. Plenty of folks at the lower levels of this bribery scandal have likely pled out already to get to this point.

The Stevens camp is clearly banking on an acquittal, thinking it’ll boost him to reelection. But for Republicans, it’s a huge gamble. Stevens’ popularity was already plummeting even before the indictment. An acquittal wouldn’t necessarily make him look clean in the eyes of Alaskans. But even worse is the possibility of a conviction.

The magic date is September 17. Republicans can replace Stevens on the ticket (assuming he survives his primary) until that day. Afterward, his name can’t be removed from the ballot.

The judge has just announced that jury selection will begin September 24. So if Stevens is convicted, there will be nothing Republicans can do to try and salvage the election.

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