Is the "November Surprise" in store from the Republicans an announcement, just one day before the election, that the Bush administration has flip-flopped on the issue of reimporting prescription drugs from Canada?

Atrios is hearing that, or possibly that, from what he terms "a realiable source."

If true, this desperate ploy should make it obvious that with Sen. John F. Kerry breaking away from President Two More Days in nationwide and swing-state polls, the Republicans are running scared -- very scared.

But, really, what a total failure of leadership, what a display of sheer incompetence that the president can find no alternative but stealing one of the most popular planks of the Kerry-Edwards campaign: allowing the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada.

A couple of points:

This is a proposal the White House and Republicans in Congress have been fighting for years, with all their might and with misleading claims and outright falsehoods about "safety" and "security." In fact, it's all about money, it's always been about money: the pharmaceutical industry's money. Why the sudden change of heart? How cynical a move is this? How stupid do they think we are?

And what of the much-ballyhooed "safety" and "security" concerns? Have they been addressed overnight? How and by whom? Or were the Republicans lying about these alleged concerns all along? If the Republicans were lying then, why should you trust them now? How many billions of working families' and senior citizens' dollars have these people squandered by blocking, until November 1, so reasonable, rational, and necessary a change in policy?

Finally, be careful of what they're selling, it's probably not what you think you're buying. As Atrios notes, "I'm sure that, if this happens, it'll be a big 'read the fine print' bait and switch." Absolutely. Don't doubt for a minute that the pharmaceutical industry, a major source of funding for the Republican Party, will have a giant apoplexy and immediately deploy all its resources to weaken any measure offered, carve out exceptions, add new tax advantages, tack on onerous conditions, and the like. Why do you think the drug industry's donations have been so heavily slanted toward Republicans? Count on the giant pharmaceutical companies calling in their favors. Count on the Republicans listening with open palms.

[Post-publication addendum (November 1): Looks like the source to Atrios was misinformed. Even I didn't think the Bush campaign would be that transparent. But you never know. Sorry if I scared you.]

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This evening a reader sent along some interesting thoughts about Election Day that are worth keeping in mind heading toward -- and on -- Tuesday. I've incorporated the reader's suggestions with some of my own below:

BEFORE YOU VOTE

Ignore the polls: The latest batch of polls can be interpreted or spun any which way. Ignore them, no matter where you live, no matter which candidate is "ahead" in your state, and no matter by how much. Just vote.

Check your paperwork: If you are required to bring identification make sure -- tonight, tomorrow at the latest -- you have everything in order. Find, study, and take along, if necessary, a sample ballot.

Find your polling place: Know where you are supposed to vote. If you don't know or aren't sure, a good place to find or confirm your location is My Polling Place. [Or try My Pollling Site.]

Know your rights: A good place to check your voting rights is the Election Protection web site: Our Vote. Don't be rattled or distracted by reports of intimidation; rest assured there are plenty of people working night and day, at, around, near, and away from your polling place, to make sure you can exercise your right to vote.

Prepare for a long wait: You may find yourself in line for three hours or longer, depending on activity in your precinct and the length of the ballot in your area. Mental preparation will help. Don't let the anticipation of a heavy turnout or any other news reports dissuade you from voting on Tuesday.

Check the weather report: Check your local weather forecast. Dress accordingly. Bring an umbrella if needed and extra umbrellas if you have them.

Time your vote if you can: Plan ahead by setting aside enough time to vote. It's usually better to plan to vote in the morning than in the evening. If you aren't working Tuesday, vote after the morning rush or before the evening rush to reduce lines for working people.

Pass the time: Bring reading material, including newspapers, magazines, and books, or video games, crossword puzzles, knitting, needlepoint, etc. Whatever works for you. Bring a lawn chair or folding chair if you need one.

Be patient: Relax and be patient. Take along a sandwich, fruit, snacks, candy bars, something to drink. Let the guy behind you bum a smoke if he needs one. Be civil and polite to everyone.

Stay in line: If you are still waiting in line when the polls close, stay right where you are: You are still entitled to vote. The door doesn't shut on waiting voters; the cut-off is the last person waiting in line.

AS YOU VOTE

Take your time: You waited your turn, now take the time you need. Don't rush yourself. Make sure you know how to properly operate the machines deployed in your area. Ask for help from poll workers if you need it. Make the right choice. Vote a straight Democratic ticket to save time for yourself and others.

AFTER YOU VOTE

Keep other Kerry voters in line: Do what you can to help other Kerry voters who may not have prepared sufficiently for a long wait. Encourage the tired, impatient, and frustrated to stay as long as it takes to vote. Here are some ideas:

Bring extra reading material.
Share your newspapers and magazines.
Bring quarters for voters who need to make phone calls.
Offer your cell phone if needed.
Buy bags of Halloween candy (Half-price on Monday!) to share with people waiting to vote.
Offer to watch kids.
Lend an extra umbrella if it's raining.
Time voters' progress so those in line have an accurate idea of how long they must wait.
Hold a place in line for someone who needs to make a phone call or return home for I.D.

Get out the vote: Check with your family, friends, neighbors, and others supporting Kerry-Edwards. Remind them, ask them, nag them to vote. Offer to drive Kerry-Edwards voters to their polling places. Mind their children, house-sit, pet-sit, water their plants.

Finally, if you believe your rights may have been violated, check with the poll workers for procedures to follow to file a complaint. If you are told you cannot vote at a particular polling place but believe you are entitled to do so, try to determine where you are supposed to be. There will be plenty of Democratic Party representatives near the polling place to assist you. You have the right to cast a provisional ballot, but should do so only as a last resort.

Complaints of voter intimidation, suppression, and fraud that are serious enough to require immediate legal intervention may be directed to 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-866-MYVOTE1 or 1-877-523-2792. These phone lines are expected to be busy; tap local resources, including those near the polling place, before calling.

[Post-publication addendum (November 1): Similar recommendations appeared in Monday's Philadelphia Daily News in "Your Survival Guide for Election Day."]

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"Hard Work" [*]
See the president work hard to defeat the evildoers. Read about the results of that "hard work": here and here and here and, well, everywhere.

Worrying About the Flu [*]
The World Health Organization will hold an emergency summit next month to attempt to address the emerging influenza pandemic.

By the way, did anyone in the mainstream media bother to call President Bird Brain to account for his brazen lie about the flu vaccine in the third debate? Bush said: "[W]e relied upon a company out of England to provide about half of the flu vaccines for the United States citizen, and it turned out that the vaccine they were producing was contaminated. And so we took the right action and didn't allow contaminated medicine into our country." This is patently false. The British stopped the vaccine from being exported. As Reuters reported on October 8, five days before the debate: "U.S. regulators were trying to decide whether to allow the release of 48 million doses of Chiron Corp.'s flu vaccine when British authorities stepped in to block the company from shipping the vaccine, FDA officials said Friday."

Which Candidate Meets the "Bulldog Standard"? [*]
Mildred compares the presidential candidates to the American Kennel Club's "bulldog standard."

Why Do Republicans Hate America?
I'll ask again, Why do Republicans hate America? Why don't they want Americans to vote on November 2? The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports on a fictitious front group, the "Milwaukee Black Voters League," seeking to suppress the minority vote in that city:

The flier inaccurately states that anyone who already had voted this year cannot vote in the presidential election; that anyone convicted of any offense, however minor, is ineligible to vote; that if any family member has any conviction, it also disqualifies other family members from voting; and that it's too late for unregistered voters to vote.

The flier also states that "if you violate any of these laws you can get 10 years in prison and your children will be taken from you."

Similar activity is taking place in South Dakota, just so subtly comparing American Indians to dogs. [Note: Links via Blue Lemur.] And the Washington Post has a disturbing round-up of problems nationwide.

Don't Mind the Polls
Diana Moon of Letter From Gotham has some interesting thoughts on polling and minority voters.

Look, let's all just ignore the polls, no matter where we live, no matter which candidate is "ahead," and no matter by how much. Just vote.

Republicans Eat Their Own
Via Suburban Guerrilla, Pennsylvania Republicans will stop at nothing to control the images in this campaign, even if it costs them GOP votes.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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Frank Rich is in top form in Sunday's New York Times ("Decision 2004: Fear Fatigue vs. Sheer Fatigue," November 1). A couple of quick pull quotes about President Three More Days to whet your appetite:

Mr. [George W.] Bush, having not brought back his original bad guy dead or alive, is now fond of saying that "three-quarters of Al Qaeda leaders have been brought to justice." Even if true, is he telling us the war on terror is three-quarters over? Al Qaeda is, by our government's own account, in 60 countries. Last time I looked we're only at war in two.

Mr. Bush calls himself "a war president" any chance he gets, yet he must be the first war president in history to respond to every setback with a call for new tax cuts. There isn't a person in the world, including our enemies, who doesn't know that we have fewer troops than we need, now or in perpetuity, and that we're too broke to spring for more.

And here's Rich on the president's performances during the debates:

Mr. Bush was, of course, far more entertaining in the debates than his opponent; he may be the most facially expressive president since the invention of television. But in 2004, this may not be the winning formula it was four years ago. Because the audience had seen the unplugged, petulant Bush in the first debate, it knew that his subsequent reinventions were as contrived (if not as effective) as Sally Field's in "Sybil." Unlike such natural performers as [Ronald] Reagan and Bill Clinton, he lets you see all the over-rehearsed preparation that goes into his acting. By the time he tried to mask his rage with inappropriate grinning in debate No. 3, he seemed as fake as the story line by which he had sold the country on the war in Iraq.

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Comments From Overseas [*]
The editors of The Guardian (London) write, in "The Case for Kerry": "To adapt the words of Talleyrand, the Bush presidency has been not merely a crime but a mistake. Mr. Bush has proved a terrifying failure in the world's most powerful office. He has made the world more angry, more dangerous and more divided -- not less. This, above all, is why it matters to us, as it should to Americans, that John Kerry is elected on Tuesday. A safer world requires not just the example of American power but the power of American example. Mr. Bush has done more to destroy America's good name in the world than any president in memory. Mr. Kerry provides an opportunity to begin to repair the damage. It is as simple -- and as important -- as that."

Lone Wolf
The latest issue of The New Yorker includes a lengthy profile of Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, "The Believer," by Peter J. Boyer. Pull quote:

[M]ost puzzling to some, perhaps, is the communion that Wolfowitz seems to have with George W. Bush. How can someone so smart, so knowing, speak -- and even apparently think -- so much like George Bush? Except for their manner of delivery . . . the language used by the two men when discussing Iraq is almost indistinguishable. . . . Alongside Bush himself, Wolfowitz is, even now, among the last of the true believers.

Still Waiting
It's a big book, an important book. But it's not complete. The New York Times reports (Part of 9/11 Report Remains Unreleased; An Inquiry Is Begun," by Jim Dwyer):

One last chapter of the investigation by the Sept. 11 commission, a supplement completed more than two months ago, has not yet been made public by the Justice Department, and officials say it is unlikely to be released before the presidential election, even though that had been a major goal of deadlines set for the panel.

Drawing from this unpublished part of the inquiry, the commission quietly asked the inspectors general at the Departments of Defense and Transportation to review what it had determined were broadly inaccurate accounts provided by several civil and military officials about efforts to track and chase the hijacked aircraft on Sept. 11.

Amazing. The most important inquiry in American history, and it's a work in progress.

Disgraceful. The most important issues of our time, and the Bush administration has to be forced to get the job done.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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I suppose if they were going to do it anywhere, they would do it in Pennsylvania. Not in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut: It's too sensitive an issue, and those states aren't "in play." But Pennsylvania, well, that's a swing state with voters just close enough to, and just far enough removed from, the tragedy to be exploitable.

I'm talking about the Bush-Cheney campaign's despicable use of images from September 11 in an attempt to win voters here.

The Blue Lemur reports, in "Final Hours," by John Byrne, publisher and editor in chief of Raw Story Media: "In a last ditch bid to win Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, where Democratic Sen. John Kerry is leading is most polls, President George W. Bush has engaged in mailings [that] contain myriad graphic images of the burning World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001."

As Byrne notes, this is a new trick: "While the Bush-Cheney campaign has routinely used 9/11 as a keystone of their campaign, these are the first print advertisements this site is aware of which actually display multiple images of the burning twin towers. The ad states that it was paid for by the Republican National Committee, with the approval of Bush-Cheney '04."

I'm sorry, my friends. They've done you wrong.

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This is just plain weird.

Here's Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) speaking about himself, or some incarnation of himself, in -- get this -- the third person:

"I'd like to see Specter reelected. As a centrist, I am able to pull people together."

Strange guy, Specter.

You have a choice, a clear choice: Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-Pa.).

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(Thanks to M.D.)

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(Note: Despite the link, the banner above was not created by and is not endorsed or approved by the Kerry-Edwards campaign.)

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Some of us know the place Bild occupies within the German media. Some of us don't. [See second item: "Germans for Bush."]

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The Economist has endorsed Sen. John Kerry.

It's nice to see the endorsement, "The Incompetent or the Incoherent?", but we all know the magazine will sway few if any voters, largely because an even smaller number of readers will actually make it to the end of the essay backing Sen. Kerry.

The Economist: Thoroughly unreadable.

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You know, it's strange, I think, that Republicans are having so much fun at the expense of Teresa Heinz Kerry, characterizing her as a rich, elitist, and foreign woman out of touch with the nation's soccer/security moms.

Funny, I think, that these same people never mention Elizabeth Edwards, who, to be frank, looks and acts like a helluva lot of American women I know.

Is she just "too normal" for them?

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The latest quote of the week comes from Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-Pa.), speaking of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.):

"It's time for him to go."

Actually, it's beyond time, but who am I to quibble?

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Why does former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani hate American soldiers? Why is Giuliani blaming troops on the ground for the brazen incompetence of President Lost in Space?

A direct quote from Giuliani:

"The actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?"

The buck stops pretty low in the Bush administration.

[Post-publication addendum: Gen. Wesley Clark responds: "Today George W. Bush made a very compelling and thoughtful argument for why he should not be reelected. In his own words, he told the American people that '. . . a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your Commander in Chief.' President Bush couldn't be more right. He jumped to conclusions about any connection between Saddam Hussein and 911. He jumped to conclusions about weapons of mass destruction. He jumped to conclusions about the mission being accomplished. He jumped to conclusions about how we had enough troops on the ground to win the peace. And because he jumped to conclusions, terrorists and insurgents in Iraq may very well have their hands on powerful explosives to attack our troops, we are stuck in Iraq without a plan to win the peace, and Americans are less safe both at home and abroad. By doing all these things, he broke faith with our men and women in uniform. He has let them down. George W. Bush is unfit to be our Commander in Chief."]

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From today's Miami Herald:

Broward County's election office is resending about 76,000 absentee ballots to voters who say they asked for but still haven't received them, an ominous sign of voting problems just days before the nation again sets its eyes on Florida.

76,000 ballots.

Margin of Bush "victory" in Florida four years ago: 537 votes.

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The New York Observer is like no other newspaper and so its endorsement of Sen. John Kerry -- "After Blundering Bush Years, John Kerry for President" -- is like no other.

Pull quotes:

It’s hard to believe that only four years have passed since Mr. [George W.] Bush left Texas and his callow past to assume the post of leader of the free world. So much has changed since the Supreme Court anointed Mr. Bush as President in late 2000. Little of that change has been for the better, and the America of Inauguration Day, 2001, now seems to belong to a vanished era. [...]

Before Sept. 11, this generation believed that the stupidities, absurdities, corruptions and venalities of modern American politics were the new business as usual. Before Sept. 11, the President of the United States, the indispensable man in American life, could still afford to be a kind of imperial Li’l Abner, brave, good-natured and oblivious. [...]

So, to succeed Mr. [Bill] Clinton, the nation sort of elected the ne’er-do-well son of a former President, a Connecticut preppie in Stetson boots, figuring that we could take our chances with him because, really, how much damage could he do? As a personality, he had an advantage on his stiff opponent, Al Gore. His ignorance of world events seemed inconsequential as long as the economy kept creating wealth and jobs. He was another example of what the age seemed to be creating, a personality with a slogan: "I’m a uniter, not a divider," with a wink toward those who knew he meant exactly the opposite. [...]

Mr. Bush [...] managed to set into motion staggering, mind-boggling, almost hallucinatory tax cuts and rebates, destroying Bill Clinton’s most impressive legacy -- an American balance sheet written in black ink -- and hurling the federal budget from a $5.6 trillion surplus back into a $5 trillion deficit. [...]

The nation can no longer entrust its future to a man so unsuited, in intellect and temperament, to grave responsibilities. John Kerry of Massachusetts is not a perfect alternative, but an impressive alternative he is.

The Observer endorses Mr. Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards. [...]

As a front man, this light-minded draft dodger is a pale shadow of the man he seeks to emulate, Ronald Reagan. The late President was a giant of principle and pragmatism compared to George W. Bush.

It is time for him to go. He has sharded America’s reputation abroad, weakened our economy, undermined the concept of American democracy. His Presidency has been more than a disaster: It has been an assault on the integrity of American life. [...]

His management of the war has been a disaster. Indeed, the shocking theft of 380 tons of explosives from an unprotected bunker in Iraq demonstrates the President’s incompetence as commander in chief.

John Kerry understands that disorder is dangerous in this world, that intelligence and rationality are the right partners to passion, resolve and principle. As he showed in his three focused and well-prepared debate performances with President Bush, he is a man of intensity and rationality, whose 30 years in public life have prepared him to restore America’s fundamental understanding of what it takes to be the "last, best hope on earth." A soldier of freedom, an American idealist, a public man with a tested private soul, he seems to understand that leadership in a democracy entails eliciting the better angels of our nature, and that greatness begins with goodness and surmounts in strength.

John Kerry is the right choice now to lead our country.

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My bulldog, Mildred, officially Chadwin VII's Mildred Pierce, is still blogging, that on behalf of Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates Sens. John F. Kerry and John Edwards.

Mildred would appreciate your taking the time to read her latest post, "Two Yalies: Only One Bulldog."

[Post-publication addendum (October 28): Mildred has a great post up today: "Mama Stallone's Dogs Don't Know Squat."]

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The editors of the Philadelphia Inquirer today ask ("Weldon Remains the Best Choice"): "How does a Delaware County congressman facing reelection get voters to look beyond his inexcusably tardy attention to a matter that appeared [sic] to be an ethical lapse?"

Good question.

The congressman in question is Rep. Curt Weldon, the Republican representing Pennsylvania's seventh congressional district, and it relates to clear evidence Rep. Weldon, in the editors own words, "actively promoted the interests of foreign businessmen who retained his daughter's company for lucrative fees."

Bad answer.

The answer the editors offer this lame, after-the-fact excuse on Rep. Weldon's behalf: "After the ethics flap, he directed that there be no contact between his office and any interests that hire his daughter's public-relations firm. Weldon, 57, now agrees on the need to avoid even a perception that his extensive good works as an emissary abroad are being co-opted."

Worse, the editors of the Inquirer seem oblivious to the congressman's nefarious interference in American foreign policy, characterizing his "repeated trips to Russia" as that of an "envoy for international cooperation." The State Department thinks otherwise.

Voters in the seventh district have a better choice: Paul Scoles (D). Let's hope they make it.

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Gratuitous Bulldog Blogging [*]
My bulldog Mildred has surgery in her future. Three weird growths: a wart, a sebaceous cyst, and a skin tag. The girl's a mess. It's going to be general anaesthesia and everything.

Hua Mei's Twins
Hua Mei, the female panda at the San Diego Zoo, has given birth to twins. You can keep up with the progress of Hua Mei's cubs here.

The D-List
Speaking of Kathy Griffin, and we were, New York Times reporter Bernard Weinraub quotes the master/mistress ("Bringing the A-List to Its Knees"): "I love Mariah Carey. Remember the breakdown? I loved the breakdown. She had that breakdown, and they wheeled her out like Hannibal Lecter to sing at the Super Bowl."

Asking Amy
Do you read Amy Dickinson's column? You don't? She's like the Ann Landers/Dear Abby for people with brains. She's good today, especially given her ability to refrain from referring to the woman discussed in the first letter with the "B" word.

Partisan Review For Our Times
The fall number of the Journal of the Lincoln Heights Literary Society, of which I am politics editor, is now online.

Once in an Orange Moon
The Great Pumpkin arrives.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “PP&T” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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Still Blogging [*]
Mildred is still blogging. Check out her latest post: "Two Yalies: Only One Bulldog."

B.C. = Beyond Crap
Did you catch "B.C." today?

Spitzer
How amazing is New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer? When does the guy sleep? Reminds me of Eric Alterman's "shadow cabinet," which at the time he suggested it, February 4, and still now, sounds more to me like a dream team. (Scroll down to "Speaking of a hypothetical.")

Fear Mongering
What if? Yeah, what if, but I doubt it.

The Religious "Right"
A major American newspaper had the guts, if only accidentally, to call them conflicted.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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More than a week ago I opened the pages of The Rittenhouse Review to readers, inviting undecided voter-readers to explain, as I said at the time, "why you have not yet made a decision between Sen. John F. Kerry and President George W. Bush, what issues are most important to you, what you are waiting to hear from the candidates, and anything else that might elucidate your current stance."

So far, there have been no takers, confirming my suspicion that I'm blogging to the converted and the unconvertable.

Time for a change in tactics.

This post is for the converted. Right now we're in the middle of a major scandal, one the mainstream media already has indicated they have grown tired. Think I'm kidding? On CNN today I heard an anchor call Ammogate "the story that won't go away." Too difficult, too complicated, too hard, not horse-racey. You know what? This story won't go away because it shouldn't go away.

Some of you, the converted, may find yourselves embroiled in debates over the significance of Ammogate. For you I offer the full text of a press release from the Kerry-Edwards campaign. It contains every argument you need to know.

For Immediate Release: October 27, 2004

Bush: No Mistakes, All Excuses. The Bush Administration’s Story on the Missing Explosives

Told only 10 days ago:

“We were informed on October 15th. Condi Rice was informed days after that. This is all in the last, what, 10 days now…. I think that this has all happened in a -- just the last few days. We're talking about the last 10 days.” [White House Spokesman Scott McClellan, 10/25/04]

Not a big deal:

“And the first priority, from our standpoint, was to make sure that this wasn't a nuclear proliferation risk, which it is not. These are conventional high explosives that we are talking about… Coalition forces have cleared and reviewed a total of 10,033 caches of munitions; another nearly 163,000 tons of munitions have been secured and are on line to be destroyed. That puts this all -- that puts this all in context.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

It’s a big deal:

“Q: This is really dangerous, isn't it? ARMITAGE: No fooling. Q: It's a major breach of security. ARMITAGE: Yeah.” [Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, 10/25/04]

“The U.S. . . . takes this matter with great seriousness. It is a matter of concern obviously. . . . So, yes, certainly and it is important to find out as quickly as possible what happened, when it happened and where these explosives are.” [U.N. Ambassador John Danforth, 10/26/04]

Blame the Iraqis:

“The sites now are the responsibility of the Iraqi government to secure . . . the sites now are really -- my understanding, they're the responsibility of the Iraqi forces.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

Blame our troops:

“Looks to me like somehow the multinational force didn't stay on top of this. . . . We're shocked.” [Armitage, 10/25/04]

“Our military does not know what happened to those munitions . . . the military does not know what happened to those weapons. . . . I think the military doesn't -- the material -- the military doesn't know -- well, because all during that time period there was the time -- that was the time period when they could have. And that's why I said, the military doesn't know what happened to those explosives.” [McClellan, 10/27/04]

“The Department of Defense can talk to you about -- because they did go in and look at this site and look to see whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction there. So you need to talk to Department of Defense, because I think that would clarify that for you and set that record straight. . . . You might want to direct questions like these to the coalition forces and to the Pentagon, who is looking into it.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

Wasn’t a priority:

“At the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom there were a number of priorities. It was a priority to make sure that the oil fields were secure, so that there wasn't massive destruction of the oil fields, which we thought would occur. It was a priority to get the reconstruction office up and running. It was a priority to secure the various ministries, so that we could get those ministries working on their priorities.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

Was a high priority:

“Let's talk to the military and ask them where this falls, in terms of the rest of the munitions. It's a high priority, and it has been a high priority.” [McClellan, 10/27/04]

Went missing after the invasion:

“I said that they reported that it went missing sometime after April 9th, 2003. . . . My understanding is that it went missing sometime after April 9th, 2003. So it's looking more back to that period, that period of time.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

Went missing before the invasion:

“And now we've learned that these munitions may well have been removed by the regime prior to the military forces coming into -- coming into or arriving at the site.” [McClellan, 10/27/04]

“Although clearly, the Iraqi Survey Group investigated hundreds of sites in Iraq looking for weapons and clearly there were people there who believe that in many instances Saddam Hussein took weapons out of weapons sites and put them in – we found them in hospitals, we found them in schools, we found them all across that country, buried in some instances.” [Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 10/26/04]

Probably not looted:

“Q: But what I'm saying is that there are military reports that looters receive at the site, after the invasion. So doesn't that make it more likely that there were looters? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, no, no, who said that?... What's your source?... Show me the source.” [McClellan, 10/27/04]

Possibly looted

“Remember, early on -- during and at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there was some looting. Some of it was organized that was going on in the country.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

Stored in a safe place

“Go back to the museum. Do you remember when the museum – everyone said the museum was looted? . . . It turns out that I talked to a person who’d been to the museum two weeks before the war started and he said it was almost empty at that moment. Clearly, the curators had gone in and taken much of that and put it into a safe place.” [Rumsfeld, 10/26/04]

Iraqi Survey Group looking into it:

“Now, the Pentagon, upon learning of this, directed the multinational forces and the Iraqi survey group to look into this matter, and that's what they are currently doing.” [McClellan, 10/25/04]

“Our military's now investigating a number of possible scenarios, including that the explosives may have been moved before our troops even arrived at the site. This investigation is important and it's ongoing.” [President George W. Bush, 10/28/04]

“I would say that we agree that it's important to ascertain the facts and to find out as quickly as possible what happened with regard to these explosives, and that the multinational force and the Iraq Survey Group are the appropriate bodies to do that, and indeed that they've been looking into the matter since they were instructed to do so by the Pentagon shortly after October 15th when we received the notice from the IAEA.” [State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, 10/27/04]

Iraqi Survey Group not looking into it:

“Charles Duelfer, the head of that unit [Iraqi Survey Group], told CBS News Tuesday that he has not received any orders to go looking for the missing explosives and doesn't think he should. ‘It's hard for me to get that worked up about it,’ said Duelfer, in a phone interview from Baghdad.” [CBS News, 10/27/04]

Bottom Line: We don’t have a clue.

“We don't know the facts.” [McClellan, 10/27/04]

“Q: How did this happen? ARMITAGE: I have no idea.” [Armitage, 10/25/04]

It's your choice: Excuses or leadership.

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I received this press release from the Kerry-Edwards campaign this afternoon:

For Immediate Release: October 27, 2004

CAROLINE KENNEDY TO BUSH: STOP INVOKING MY FATHER

DNC: Since Bush Is Now Trying a Last Ditch Effort to Reach Out to Democrats, Will He Finally Open His Campaign Events to Them?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In response to George W. Bush’s recent invocation of President John F. Kennedy in his latest stump speech, Kennedy’s daughter Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg issued this statement.

“It’s hard for me to listen to President Bush invoking my father’s memory to attack John Kerry. Senator Kerry has demonstrated his courage and commitment to a stronger America throughout his entire career. President Kennedy inspired and united the country and so will John Kerry. President Bush is doing just the opposite. All of us who revere the strength and resolve of President Kennedy will be supporting John Kerry on Election Day.”

A sane response to the Bush-Cheney campaign's ludicrous invocation of the great names of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John Kennedy, all of whom are rolling over in their graves.

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This, at 3:00 p.m., is my first post of the day. Sorry about that, but this morning and early afternoon were taken up by thorough diagnostic procedures performed on my PC.

It has not been a good day. My PC, or my e-mail account, has been trojan-horsed. As a result, some of you, readers with whom I have corresponded in the past, may be receiving e-mail messages that appear to be from me but actually are not.

Worse, my PayPal account has been hacked, or hijacked, completely draining my already meagre bank account and incurring a staggering $90.00 in overdraft charges. It will take at least ten days to sort this out.

Please be advised regarding e-mail that appears to come from me, especially messages with attachments, which I very rarely use. If in doubt, delete the e-mail immediately and without opening it.

Take this experience into account and make sure your PC is thoroughly protected against spyware, trojans, and keylogger programs. There are numerous programs out there, many of them free, to help in this regard. Use them!

I'm not saying any of this is politically motivated, but, really, these days you never know.

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Note: Photos removed, October 27. Too many readers were unable to see them or experienced loading problems.

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I would like to take a moment to send my thanks to Rittenhouse readers who have responded to pleas published here for contributions to various candidates, particularly to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and to Rep. Joe Hoeffel, the Pennsylvania congressman running against the long-time incumbent Republican. (Thanks also to readers who have hit the tip box or sent items from my Amazon.com wish list.) I try to send an thank-you note to each contributor, but that hasn't always been possible.

The Hoeffel campaign, for example, doesn't send me the names of contributors donating under the Rittenhouse banner. And so, with my gratitude to those readers foremost in mind, let me at least direct them and the rest of you to an interesting and reasonably fair profile of Pennsylvania's next senator, the aforementioned Joe Hoeffel, published in today's Philadelphia Inquirer: "Hoeffel Hasn't Been One to Play it Safe," by Carrie Budoff.

A few pull quotes:

He has snubbed conventional wisdom from the start, winning a seat in the state legislature as a 26-year-old Democrat in Republican-rich Montgomery County and later rising to congressional member. Hoeffel got there by casting aside the doubts of others -- much like he did in giving up his House seat to challenge Specter, a 24-year incumbent.

Now Hoeffel is a week away from his most important election. Although underfunded and trailing in the polls, Hoeffel is angling for the kind of finish that has defined his career -- a tough race followed by a paper-thin, against-all-odds victory.

Hoeffel had received a low selective-service number, 49, which meant he would be drafted to fight in Vietnam. "I didn't want to go," he said. "But I didn't want to dodge my responsibility to the country." So he joined the Army Reserve, a six-year charge that spared Hoeffel a tour of duty in Vietnam. He trained for six months, then returned to his studies in Boston.

Newt Gingrich's conservative sweep of Congress prompted Hoeffel to run for the House again in 1996. He lost by six dozen votes. His luck finally changed two years later, when he became only the second Democrat in 82 years to represent the bulk of Montgomery County. He won by 9,500 votes.

State representative, county commissioner and U.S. representative -- Hoeffel could have kept those jobs for a long time, said Neil Oxman, his media consultant who met Hoeffel in 1978. "And he chose to take risks," Oxman said.

Hoeffel thought he would run for the Senate someday, maybe against Santorum. But Oxman told him to check out Specter. "Specter? Why would I run against Specter?" Hoeffel said, recounting the talk. "He said, 'You ought to see his polls.' " Specter had mid-level job-approval ratings. He faced a Republican primary challenge from the conservative right. Democrats would be energized by the presidential race. A good landscape, Hoeffel thought.

But first, he had to promise his family he would address a personal matter: his diabetes, diagnosed about 10 years ago. He would be sleeping and eating less, so they urged him to go on the insulin pump, a small device on his belt that delivers insulin through a small injection site. He agreed, after rejecting it for years.

Now this self-proclaimed "white-bread" politician -- his one flourish is a gold pinky ring passed down from his grandfather during Hoeffel's 1998 House race -- is trying to score another upset with an issues-based campaign, tying Specter at every turn to President Bush.

A few comments. First, the "trailing in the polls" reference by Budoff, while technically true, should be placed in context. At last check, Rep. Hoeffel was only seven points behind his 74-year-old opponent, a man who, you need not be reminded, has been in the Senate for 24 years, and the poll was completed at mid-October. Not such a great lead for a lawmaker with so much seniority.

Second, I feel compelled here to express my disappointment with single-issue interest groups and voters who have latched on to the Republican and his overly vaunted seniority, seemingly unable to look beyond their narrow focus to the larger issues at hand.

Finally, you all know I badly want a win for Hoeffel, and I hope you do too. You can help by making a critical, last-week donation to the Hoeffel campaign.

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One-time first lady Barbara Bush Sr. rolled through suburban Montgomery County, Pa., yesterday, and the Philadelphia Inquirer reporter assigned to the event, Jeff Shields, someone managed to pull this line out of I don't know where:

Bush was just the latest member of the country's political royalty to pass through Pennsylvania, targeted by both parties as critical in this election.

Political royalty? Corruption, rampant cronyism, business dealings with the Nazis and the Saudis . . . some royalty.

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The Philadelphia Daily News yesterday published a lengthy letter from Christopher Nicholas, campaign manager for the fringe group that goes by the name of Citizens for Arlen Specter.

You've heard of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), haven't you? As Steve Goldstein put it in Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer ("Independence is Specter's Style"):

Most Americans, if they know him at all, think of Specter as the "single-bullet" advocate in the Warren Commission's Kennedy assassination investigation; the saboteur of Judge Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination; the relentless interrogator of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings; or the man who invoked Scottish law in President Bill Clinton's impeachment.

You may have forgotten the Scottish law reference. Goldstein explains: "Under Scottish law there are three possible verdicts: guilty, not guilty, and not proven," Specter said in a public statement. "I intend to vote 'not proven.'"

It's interesting, I think, that Specter, who is a lawyer, and pretty strange generally, speaks most strangely when the subject at hand is the law.

With that in mind, it would appear the campaign manager's letter was written by the senator himself. First, Nicholas compains the Daily News endorsed Rep. Joe Hoeffel over Sen. Specter without interviewing the candidates: "Sen. Specter questioned that procedure, which denies basic due process, saying that even criminals are entitled to a hearing before judgment is rendered."

Due process? What does due process have to do with it? Why not ask the editors whether their operations are governed by Scottish law. Besides, as the editors point out, in a note under Nicholas's signature, the accusation is transparently false.

Nicholas then rambles on about Pennsylvania's most notorious "leftists":

Sen. Specter was not surprised, however, that the Daily News followed its traditional practice of endorsing the far-left candidate, as they did in 1998 with Bill Lloyd, 1992 with Lynn Yeakel, and 1986 with Bob Edgar. Rep. Hoeffel certainly fills that bill, being farther to the left on the ADA's ratings with 100 percent than even Sen. [John] Kerry (85 percent) or Sen. [John] Edwards (65 percent).

Not one of these people is on the "far left." This is a joke, right?

There's more:

When Philadelphians (and Pennsylvanians generally) go to the polls on Nov. 2, they will certainly be more impressed with the endorsements for re-election that Sen. Specter has received, including the Philadelphia Black Clergy, the statewide AFL-CIO, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Sheriff John Green (elected on the Democratic ticket), Charles Bowser, Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht (elected on the Democratic ticket), to name only a few.

Oh, yeah, getting the Pittsburgh coroner in line was a real coup.

Still more:

In discussing the election, the Daily News might have taken the time to inform its readers that Sen. Specter is Pennsylvania's first four-term senator; that his seniority on the Appropriations Committee has produced very substantial funding for Pennsylvania (including Philadelphia) on education, job training, housing, and health care; that Sen. Specter is in line to be chairman of the Judiciary Committee in January, and that he will only be one step away from the chairmanship of the full Appropriations Committee then, too.

Unwritten subtext: Specter's old and he wants everyone to think he and his seniority will continue forever.

Pennsylvania may be, in some respects, an unlucky state, but we're not that unlucky.

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Sure, saying the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is sleazy is simply redundant, but when one looks at even a single congressional race and then considers the number of districts in which the games are being played, the mind reels.

Take Pennsylvania's eighth congressional district, in which Democrat Ginny Schrader faces Republican Mike Fitzpatrick for the seat occupied by retiring Rep. James Greenwood (R).

In this race, with tough ads from both sides hitting the airwaves every day, it's an old-fashioned standby, attack mailings from the NRCC, that are attracting attention. In one mailing, the Republicans are tying Schrader to terrorists, and more specifically with Hezbollah, an inflammatory accusation in a district with an abudance of Jewish voters.

Dave Davies of the Philadelphia Daily News today writes ("A Real Slugfest for Bucks House Seat"):

A recent Republican mailing in Bucks County sought to associate Democratic candidate Ginny Schrader with the terrorist group Hezbollah.

"The 'Hate America' crowd has found their candidate," the mailing screamed, charging that Schrader "raised money for her campaign by showing a film filled with propaganda that Hezbollah-related organizations offered to distribute."

"I was appalled," said Schrader, whose daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. "Disgusting is the mildest word I could use for this." Schrader walked out of a debate yesterday after demanding an apology from her GOP opponent, Mike Fitzpatrick.

The mailing was the work of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, which is working on behalf of Fitzpatrick but is legally barred by campaign finance laws from coordinating with his campaign. [...]

Both national parties have spent heavily on the race. The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee had spent $2.2 million as of Saturday -- including $52,000 on attack mail pieces over the last week alone. [...]

According to the Republican committee, the factual basis for the "hate America" mail piece on Schrader is a July event in which she hosted a viewing of Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 911," raising about $700 for her campaign and giving a speech about the war in Iraq.

The GOP group cited a June story in the London Guardian that said organizations "related to Hezbollah" had offered to help distribute the film.

It gets worse, or more bizarre, one might say:

The mailer also said Schrader gave a "speech filled with anger" in which she "unloaded on America . . . spewing venom on our leaders."

My! Whatever could Schrader have said? Surely she must be beyond the pale!

Challenged to substantiate such outrageous assertions, the RCCC offered "a newspaper account of the event in which Schrader's most strident comment is a reference to President Bush's 'arrogant administration.'"

Schrader called them "arrogant." Parlor conversation, that; hardly the stuff of a backroom brawl, let alone anything that would justify accusations of siding with terrorists.

Desperate times, desperate measures.

[Post-publication addendum: See related story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Schrader Decries Charges in GOP Mailing," by Leonard N. Fleming.]

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I'm not sure what it says about this campaign, or the times in which we live, that an important regional newspaper cannot make -- or, rather, cannot or will not publish -- an endorsement of any candidate in the most critical election of our time, but that's the decision the Cleveland Plain-Dealer had made with respect to this year's presidential campaign.

The editors write in "For President . . .":

The decision not to endorse in this race was not easily taken. A majority of the editorial board favored Kerry, but after long and difficult deliberations, it was decided that the better path would be to sit this one out. [...]

In this contentious presidential election, we saw no opportunity to serve the purpose of informing readers beyond what the news pages and their own civic diligence have done.

In the end, we did not feel comfortable giving either candidate what would essentially come down to bragging rights.

We believe our readers are perfectly capable of making an informed, rational decision by their own lights, and we strongly urge them to do so.

For background information on the situation at the Plain Dealer see "Cleveland Plain Dealer Editors Back Kerry," The Rittenhouse Review, Thursday, October 21.

[Post-publication addendum: See also the observations at Editor & Publisher magazine. Shawn Moynihan writes ("Cleveland 'Plain Dealer' Decides to Not Decide"):

Since Sunday, the Plain Dealer had been deluged with e-mails, according to three sources. The e-mails, noted Brent Larkin, the Plain Dealer's editorial page editor, came not just from readers, but from all over the country. [...] [Ed.: What? Not since Thursday?]

Tuesday editorial opened with: "In a year of deep political divisions, this newspaper's opinion section is experiencing deep divisions of its own." However, according to several sources, the editorial board clearly favored Kerry.

When asked Monday afternoon how negotiations were going between the editorial board and [Alex] Machaskee [the paper's publisher], [Brent] Larkin [editorial page editor] said, "'Negotiations' is not the right word. We're all in this together." [...]

If Machaskee deflected the Plain Dealer editorial board's choice, it reportedly won't [sic] be the first time: In the 2002 gubernatorial race, according to Plain Dealer insiders, Machaskee decided the newspaper would endorse Bob Taft despite the editorial board's preference for his opponent, Tim Hagen.]

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I received this press release from the Kerry-Edwards campaign this morning:

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2004

Kerry Statement on Bush’s Silence Regarding the Missing Explosives

Green Bay, WI -- Senator John Kerry released the following statement today on President Bush’s silence regarding the missing explosives in Iraq:

“What did the president have to say about the missing explosives? Not a word. Complete silence. Despite devastating evidence that his administration’s failure here has put our troops and our citizens are in greater danger, George Bush has not offered a single word of explanation. His silence confirms what I have been saying for months: President Bush rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. He didn’t have enough troops on the ground to get the job done. He didn’t have enough allies to get the job done. He failed to secure Iraq and keep it from becoming what it is today -- a haven for terrorists.

“And now this morning, we learned that the president wants an additional $70 billion early next year for Iraq and Afghanistan -- bringing the total cost to nearly $225 billion. This is the incredible price of going it almost alone in Iraq.

“Mr. President, what else are you being silent about? What else are you keeping from the American people? How much more will the American people have to pay?”

Paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.

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My Kind of Undecided Voter [*]
Stu Bykofsky, the still unretired Philadelphia Daily News columnist, is my kind of undecided voter: "I'm an undecided voter. I'm undecided about whether to vote for John Kerry . . . in the morning or in the afternoon."

Very Important [*]
How important is this election? Susie explains.

Brock, Limbaugh, and NBC [*]
David Brock of Media Matters for America has written an open letter to Neal Shapiro of NBC News, asking the network not to feature right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh as a political commentator on election night.

Malkin's Self-Imposed Internment
David Neiwert of Orcinus turns the tables on the whiney and cowardly Michelle Malkin, and asks, "What is she afraid of?"

Like so many right-wing half-pundits, Malkin hides behind squeals of "censorship" in order to duck the "open debate" she claims to be fostering with her half-baked, non-scholarly, Regnery-backed churn of self-righteous anger. Neiwert catches Malkin in the act of ducking, repeatedly:

But what's most striking to me about Malkin's refusal to do a phone interview is that she's suggested that time constraints are her chief reason for backing out. But the interview, as I told her, would only require about 30 to 45 minutes of her time. If I were to submit the questions to her in writing, and she were to respond even half-adequately, the writing time involved would almost certainly take up a good deal more time than that. Phone interviews, in my experience, are always less time-consuming than written responses to questions.

Malkin pretends to be a blogger -- about as well as she pretends to be a pundit and a scholar -- but she's obviously unwilling to respond to Neiwert, her most informed and reasonable critic in the blogosphere. What is she afraid of?

The Eagle is Grounded
It looks like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) might not make time for that great big nationwide campaign on behalf of Bush-Cheney. The Los Angeles Times reports ("Gov. Won't Commit to Stump for Bush," by Peter Nicholas): "[Gov. Schwarzenegger] told reporters afterward that 'we haven't really made up our mind yet' as to whether he would campaign for [President George W.] Bush in the last week of the presidential race. He is considering a single trip to Ohio -- there and back the same day, probably Friday."

Krugman on Bush Secrecy
In "A Culture of Cover-Ups," Paul Krugman writes: "Although President Bush's campaign is based almost entirely on his self-proclaimed leadership in that war, his officials have thrown a shroud of secrecy over any information that might let voters assess his performance."

Scheer on Cheney Secrecy
In "The Man Behind the Oval Office Curtain," Robert Scheer writes: "Whatever one thinks of George W. Bush -- do you see a smile or a smirk? -- it is now patently obvious that the most powerful vice president in U.S. history is in charge of the White House. [Vice President Dick] Cheney's ultra-secretive, anti-democratic and crony-capitalist instincts have defined this administration."

The Times on Rumsfeld Secrecy
The New York Times reports ("Delays on 9/11 Bill Are Laid to Pentagon," by Philip Shenon): "A months-long, behind-the-scenes lobbying effort by the Pentagon to water down the powers of a new national intelligence director is largely responsible for a stalemate threatening to derail Congressional efforts to enact the major recommendations of the independent Sept. 11 commission, Congressional officials and commission members said Monday."

Ted Kennedy Visits Philadelphia
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) was in Philadelphia Sunday, his visit sort of lost in the hoopla surrounding the stumping here by former President Bill Clinton. It was a well-timed and successful visit. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports ("A Day of Stumping Ends on a Light Note," by Natalie Pompilio):

In Philadelphia, Kennedy addressed the congregations of two largely African American churches -- Mount Airy Church of God in Christ on Ogontz Avenue and Zion Baptist -- and the mostly Latino users of a community center on North Third Street.

At Zion Baptist, the Rev. Daly Barnes Jr. introduced Kennedy by noting that the senator's work "has been service to all God's creatures across this nation."

Afterward, Sheila Olivo, 55, said that she had choked up listening to Kennedy's speech. "It means everything to us, his being here," the Manayunk resident said. "We know he is sincere, and we know we have a voice in politics with him. And it's the first time we've had a person in politics learn the language and sing from the heart."

Pennsylvania House Races
More reasons the keep your eyes on Pennsylvania: The New York Times yesterday focused on a handful of critical congressional races in the Philadelphia and Allentown areas.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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Just so you know, and I'm speaking to you, the undecided voter concerned about the war and budget deficits, "staying the course" is a costly, to say nothing of dangerous, choice.

The Washington Post reports ("Increase in War Funding Sought," by Jonathan Weisman and Thomas E. Ricks):

The Bush administration intends to seek about $70 billion in emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan early next year, pushing total war costs close to $225 billion since the invasion of Iraq early last year, Pentagon and congressional officials said yesterday. [...]

The new numbers underscore that the war is going to be far more costly and intense, and last longer, than the administration first suggested. [...]

A $70 billion request would be considerably larger than lawmakers had anticipated earlier this year. After the president unexpectedly submitted an $87 billion request for the Iraq and Afghanistan efforts last year, many Republicans angrily expressed sticker shock and implored the administration not to surprise them again.

Timing is everything. Remember: The upcoming request is in addition to the $25 billion Congress allocated for Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal 2005. So it was either $25 billion or $95 billion, but who's counting? Is anyone counting?

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Philadelphia Inquirer:
"Like a Rock Star, Clinton Draws Rapturous Fans," by Stephan Salisbury: "Lines of people four abreast snaked for blocks along Cherry Street, down 16th, around Arch, and on into a swirling mass of people. Teamsters. Boilermakers. African Americans. Young people. Veterans. Women. Lots of women. They transformed Center City into a jostling, jiving mosh pit." Boilermakers?
"Iraq explosives missing; Kerry faults President," by Tina Moore and James Kuhnhenn: "Sen. John Kerry, appearing at a Philadelphia rally yesterday in the final days of the presidential campaign, said President Bush's 'incompetence' was to blame for the disappearance of explosives from a former Iraqi military facility."

Philadelphia Daily News:
"Bill Steals Hearts in Philly," by Chris Brennan: "The crowd at the rally, Clinton's first public appearance since his Sept. 6 quadruple-bypass surgery, stretched from City Hall, across JFK Plaza and up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to 17th Street. Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers estimated the crowd at 80,000 to 100,000."
"He Fills the Bill for Kerry," by William Bunch. Bunch outlines five reasons Kerry needs, and gets a lift from, Clinton in Philadelphia.
"Clinton Proves to be Tonic for Kerry at Rally," by Jill Porter: "the pontiff's 1979 visit and the 1980 World Series parade were, in my memory, the only other times so many people in this city poured into the city streets for a common cause."
"Poll: Terror Not Scaring Enough Voters for W in Pa.," by Erin Einhorn. Latest Pennsylvania poll: "The poll showed Kerry leading Bush by a five-point margin overall among both registered and likely voters, with Kerry leading 49 to 44 percent among registered voters and 51 to 46 percent among likely voters."

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The editors of The New Yorker weighed in on the presidential election today, opting for Sen. John F. Kerry. In "The Choice," the editors write, among much else:

The Bush Administration has had success in carrying out its policies and implementing its intentions, aided by majorities -- political and, apparently, ideological -- in both Houses of Congress. Substantively, however, its record has been one of failure, arrogance, and -- strikingly for a team that prided itself on crisp professionalism -- incompetence. [...]

Throughout his long career in public service, John Kerry has demonstrated steadiness and sturdiness of character. . . . Kerry has made mistakes (most notably, in hindsight at least, his initial opposition to the Gulf War in 1990), but -- in contrast to the President, who touts his imperviousness to changing realities as a virtue -- he has learned from them. [...]

Kerry’s mettle has been tested under fire -- the fire of real bullets and the political fire that will surely not abate but, rather, intensify if he is elected -- and he has shown himself to be tough, resilient, and possessed of a properly Presidential dose of dignified authority. While Bush has pandered relentlessly to the narrowest urges of his base, Kerry has sought to appeal broadly to the American center. In a time of primitive partisanship, he has exhibited a fundamentally undogmatic temperament. In campaigning for America’s mainstream restoration, Kerry has insisted that this election ought to be decided on the urgent issues of our moment, the issues that will define American life for the coming half century. That insistence is a measure of his character. He is plainly the better choice.

An excellent -- and quite lengthy -- editorial. And the magazine's first-ever endorsement.

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During the six o'clock evening news broadcast, WCAU-TV, NBC, Channel 10, estimated the crowd at today's John F. Kerry rally in Philadelphia at 100,000.

(On air only so far.)

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Think you're taking the election seriously?

Read this article from today's Sun-Sentinel:

When Daniel Marinik, 50, of Sylvania, Ohio, died of a heart attack in July, his wife, Debbie, wanted his obituary to truly reflect his life. She referred to him as the "good-looking guy," named his dogs in the list of survivors and ended with, "And we're sure Dan would have liked to remind everyone to vote for John Kerry in November."

Apparently, it's not an isolated incident.

Speaking of dogs, it's amazing how much a bulldog can find to blog about.

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What happens after a television series or genre has "jumped the shark"?

Because whatever the phrase is that captures that moment, TBS has taken TV viewers to it with the upcoming series, "The Real Gilligan's Island."

Season premiere: November 30. Check local listings, as they say.

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The crowd, I've been told, is "massive."

Local media reports as they come in:

KYW-TV (CBS-3): "Clinton Stumps for Kerry," 1:31 p.m.

WCAU-TV (NBC-10): "Clinton-Kerry Rally Under Way," 1:36 p.m. [*]

Associated Press: "Clinton: Bush Trying to Scare Voters." (Warning: Nedra Pickler reports.) [*]

KYW Radio (1060 AM): "Philadelphia and Suburbs Remain Presidential Battleground #1." [*]

Philadelphia Inquirer: "Clinton Back on Campaign Trail, Stumps for Kerry in Love Park," by Tina Moore, 3:36 p.m. [*]

[* Added after initial posting.]

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Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has been hospitalized.

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The latest quote of the week comes from Kimberly Parmar, an undecided Michigan voter interviewed by the New York Times ("Still a Puzzle for the Undecided, a Pivotal Few Among Voters," by Jim Dwyer):

"One is too polished; the other one, I think to be honest, I don't know how he ever got to be president. I am really surprised he has gotten as far as he has in life."

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The editors of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader yesterday endorsed Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D) in his race for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Arlen Specter (R). The editors write, in their enthusiastic endorsement ("Joe Hoeffel's Strengths Outweigh Arlen Specter's"):

Experience is important, but not as critical as how it's used.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter likes to ask people if they know how long it takes to get 24 years experience. Giggle if you want but Specter wants to be reelected because of federal money and projects that have come to Pennsylvania. Specter claims capability and influence because he's a moderate Republican and a deciding voter in a polarized Senate, and because of his connection to important senate committees.

In Specter's four terms, projects and money have come to Pennsylvania, although remember, that's taxpayer's money. Specter does deserve credit for being a moderating voice in the past. That has not been the case, however, in recent years, particularly during a bitter primary election battle that split conservatives from Specter's base and had the expedient senator at the side of President Bush.

The people of Pennsylvania have reason to question the independence of a senator who votes with the president almost 90 percent of the time. Congress was meant to be a check against presidential power, not a chum. Since Republicans took control of the Senate, Specter's moderation is a whistle lost on the wind.

Where was Specter's leadership and experience to question and temper America's rush to war? Because he's failed to be a check on the executive branch, he's failed Pennsylvania. For a fresh start and a strong and truly independent will in Washington, the Times Leader endorses Joe Hoeffel to be U.S. Senator. [...]

Specter suggests a change will mean fewer projects coming back to Pennsylvania. Lord knows he's been in Washington long enough to know the politics.

But if it's a choice between living with potholes and sending our sons and daughters to fight an unjustified, trumped-up conflict in Iraq that diverts resources from Afghanistan and the terrorists that attacked America, well, we think voters know the answer to that.

Today Hoeffel is appearing at the Kerry-Edwards rally in Philadelphia. Hoeffel's campaign this week will be joined by James Carville in Philadelphia, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in Bethlehem, Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) in Pittsburgh, and Sen. John Edwards in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. (The campaign calendar can be viewed here.)

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Get Out There
Just my luck. I've been struggling with a head cold the last few days; I thought I was over it, but it has knocked me over this morning. So I'm going to miss today's Kerry campaign rally in Philadelphia, featuring former President Bill Clinton and singer Patti LaBelle. Tickets are not required but are still available for better crowd position here. If you're in Philadelphia and reading this, please go. (Thankfully, I have a "reporter" in the field.)

Staying the Course
If this -- stolen weapons, mass executions, and Halliburton-style contracting -- is what constitutes "staying the course" in Iraq, it's clearly time for a change.

[Post-publication insertion: The Kerry-Edwards campaign responds. And Sen. Kerry responds directly to the Al Qaqaa disaster. The New York Times reports: "Senator John Kerry seized on a report today that 380 tons of explosives had vanished from a site in Iraq that the United States admits it was supposed to have guarded, calling the disappearance 'one of the great blunders of Iraq, one of the great blunders of this administration.' He added that 'the incredible incompetence of this president and this administration has put our troops at risk and put this country at greater risk than we all need.'"]

The "Religious Left"
Yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing.

"Inning" the "Out"
Frank Rich on Mary and Lynne Cheney ("The O'Reilly Factor for Lesbians," New York Times, October 24): "When Mrs. Cheney hyperbolically implies that even using the word lesbian in 2004 is a slur out of the McCarthy era -- "a cheap and tawdry political trick," she said -- she is playing a similar game. She is positioning lesbian as a term comparable to child molester."

See also: Ellen Goodman in the Boston Globe: "Who's Insensitive to Gays? Start With the Cheneys," October 21.

Everything You Wanted to Know . . . But Were Afraid to Remember
Not sure how I missed this one . . . The Nation last week summarized it all in "100 Facts and 1 Opinion: The Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration," by Judd Legum.

[Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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Kerry and Clinton [*]
For more information about former President Bill Clinton's visit to Philadelphia tomorrow to campaign for and with Sen. John F. Kerry, click here.

Know Where to Vote [*]
The importance of getting out the vote in Philadelphia cannot be underestimated. And given recent Republican hijinks in this city, voters would do well to confirm their polling place. One place to get started is the Polling Place Locator sponsored by Hallwatch.org. (Link via Pennsylvania Victory '04.) [Post-publication insertion (October 25): Correction: The link comes via Philly Future.]

Feeling Our Pain [*]
Molly Ivins, writing in the latest issue of The Progressive, feel our pain ("Stop Being So Goosey," November 2004):

Keep your eye on the ball here: We need to beat George W. Bush. That's all you want to think about until it's over.

Trouble is, this is a freak election on many levels. For one thing, only fifteen states were ever in play, leaving those of us in the nonswinging thirty-five hearing little more than distant rumors of a campaign. Meanwhile, the hapless citizens in the swingers are drowning in all this. Nasty TV ads, e-mail, campaign mail, phone banks out the wazoo. Friendly progressives from neighboring states are descending on the beleaguered citizens of swing states like a horde of political Jehovah's Witnesses (no offense intended to the tireless purveyors of The Watchtower).

Poor bastards in the swing states, especially those who have voluntarily confessed to either party they are undecided, are suffering from campaign fatigue. By the time it's over, they'll probably have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Actually, it's not painful, it's really more of an irritation, and we're willing to live with it.

About That Ad
A Republican-oriented group, Progress For America Voter Fund, is blowing a reported $14 million on a television advertisement known as "Ashley's Story." Liberal Oasis has published an excellent overview of the ad, a spot that, like the "wolves" ad, is running in Philadelphia ("Misreading the Electorate," October 17):

The truth is "Ashley's Story" isn't much of a story.

Surely Ashley and her father, who are featured in the ad, must have gone through hell, losing their mother on 9/11.

But all that happens in the ad's "story" is that Bush saw Ashley at a rally, gave her a hug, and asked if she was "all right". That's it.

And Liberal Oasis isn't downplaying the ad: That really is all there is to it. The ad is thin, cloying, and does nothing but convey an emotion shared by every American.

Years ago I met an author whose life story had meant a great deal to me at one point in my life. There were numerous photographers at the book signing and while speaking with the author, we both became a little choked up, and the author gave me a big hug, but not before shouting out, twice, "No photos of this, please." Arguably, the president could have had the decency to do the same.

Update: Plain Dealer
As noted here on Thursday, the editorial-page editors of the Cleveland Plain Dealer are said to have decided to have endorsed Sen. John F. Kerry for president, only to have their decision overturned by the paper's Republican president, publisher, and owner, Alex Machasee. Daily Kos appears to have received the same information on Saturday. In an update today, the Daily Kos post makes a valid point: Now, if ever, is not time to get too upset about this. More important is to focus on getting out the Kerry-Edwards voters in Ohio, one of the most contested states in the coming election.

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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A direct quote from President Flim-Flam, from an interview with Fox News, as reported by Reuters earlier today:

"Whether or not we can be ever fully safe is up -- you know, is up in the air. I would hope we could make it a lot more safe by staying on the offensive," he said.

Oh, I see. First the war would be won no matter the cost, then he said he was "just not that concerned" about Osama bin Laden, then he said "I don't think you can win" a war against terrorism, then he said we must, and now he says, "It's up in the air."

That, I suppose, is how you "stay the course" with this administration.

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Heads Up, Democrats: Monday [*]
Democratic campaign officials are reporting Sen. John Kerry on Monday will first appear in Dover, N.H., then around noon in Philadelphia with former President Bill Clinton, and then travel rallies in Warren, Mich., and Green Bay, Wis. Sen. John Edwards will appear in Toledo, Ohio, Racine, Wis., and Dubuque, Iowa.

Kerry Picks Up Two Endorsements in Pa. [*]
Sen. John Kerry today picked up the endorsements of at least two important Pennsylvania newspapers: the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Centre Daily Times of State College, also known as University Park. [Note: The Washington Post also endorsed Sen. Kerry, but you knew that already.]

South Dakota Senate Race [*]
There are two lengthy reports out today in the major dailies on the South Dakota race for the U.S. Senate between incumbent Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle and challenger John Thune: in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. Too close for my blood.

Cheney's Fear-Mongering [*]
We can count on the punditocracy's resident hysterics, Charles Krauthammer and Michelle Malkin, not weighing in against vice-presidential candidate Dick Cheney's latest round of blatant fear-mongering as recounted in today's Washington Post. Cheney's counterpart on the Democratic ticket, Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), responded: "That's ludicrous. They want to talk about bizarre fantasy worlds because they can't talk about their record of failure. We don't have to create a fictional universe in order to understand what their incompetence has meant for this country. It's all too real."

Still the Same Race
It's interesting that the presidential race, at least when it comes to the electoral vote tally, today is very much the same as it was three months ago. According to New York Times reporters Adam Nagourney and Katharine Q. Seelye, ("Bush and Kerry Focus Campaigns on 11 Key States, October 24), both major parties are focused on 11 battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

A Frenzy in Pennsylvania
It's as frenzied here in Pennsylvania as I've ever seen in a campaign, the prevailing climate -- namely, you can't avoid either candidate's message or volunteers -- is detailed in "Candidates Step Up Pa. Blitz," by Tina Moore and Suzette Parmleya, in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. There's an interesting statistic in the graphic accompanying the paper's front-page political coverage (not reproduced on the web): "Kerry volunteers: 106,364; Bush volunteers: 102,735." A proxy for the final vote in Pennsylvania?

About that Ad
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd today writes about the Bush-Cheney campaign's new "wolves" ad (which is playing in the Philadelphia market):

The Bush-Cheney campaign began showing a new ad on Friday aimed at scaring up more votes. Meant to be a chilling cross between "The Wolfen" and "The Blair Witch Project," the ad plays more like a cross between a Sierra Club promotion and "Lassie."

The wolves stalking around the forest are not meant to evoke scary Paul Wolfowitz and the neocons stalking around the Pentagon, planning more mischief. They are supposed to be the Al Qaeda terrorists stalking America, even though they look too cuddly for the narration that ominously warns: "In an increasingly dangerous world, even after the first terrorist attack on America, John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's intelligence operation by six billion dollars, cuts so deep they would have weakened America's defenses. And weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm."

One Kerry aide joked to a reporter that the Democrats should do a response ad where Mr. Kerry comes into the forest in a camouflage jacket and shoots the wolves.

Yes, but a win on November 2nd will be good enough.

Good Letter Writers
Two letters to the Philadelphia Inquirer caught my eye this morning. The first, by Joseph Angelelli, assistant professor of health policy and administration at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa., makes clear: "Any claim that Kerry's proposal amounts to 'government-run health care' or a 'government takeover' of the health care system or of health care decision-making is simply inconsistent with the facts."

In the second, Jeff Brown, Upper Darby, Pa., writes: "It seems many Americans are looking for a leader who is resolute, steadfast. I'm here to tell them: I'm your man. I will not contemplate distracting paths. I will not hesitate on our chosen journey. Even at the precipice, I will stay the course. At the sound of the crushing surf, I will push forward. Yea, even while tumbling over the cliffs and onto the jagged rocks below, I will not waver, I will not falter. Onward, lemmings, onward!"

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to “Political Notes” after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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