Nevermind those facts on Obama. Nevermind that he doesn't have one solid accomplishment that he can truly boast. Nevermind that his supporters cry racism every time someone questions his blank slate of a resume. Nevermind that every time the public turns against his policies, he turns, too. Nevermind that while working as a community organizer (his "charitable" claim to fame), he worked with corrupt products of the Chicago political scene, such as ACORN, to bully banks into making irresponsible loans to those who knowingly could not afford them. Nevermind that his dear ACORN is now being investigated for serious voter fraud. Nevermind that Obama is so insecure, he couldn't even put himself to giving the VP slot to his former rival, and second most popular person in the Democratic Party. Nevermind that when Palin's star began to outshine his own, he not-so-stealthily made fun of her gender and called her a barnyard beast. Nevermind that this is a man who launched his run for Chicago political office in the home of an only too well known domestic terrorist. Nevermind that he worked with the same terrorist on school-related "reform" projects, the agenda of which was vague, at best, and radical and cruel at worst. Nevermind that his self-described spiritual leader of 20 years is a conspiracy-prone egomaniac who turned on Obama just as soon as the cameras shifted. This man poured poisonous ideas of moral equivalence between September 11 terrorists and the US military, while simultaneously "guiding" Obama through the metaphysical realm. Nevermind that when asked for honest reasons why he will succeed in all that he dares to, and yet has never accomplished, he answers with vague and soaring rhetoric, backed up by nothing but a mentally bullying line: that he is the only solution to all that ails this country, but don't you worry your little head about what it will take. Nevermind any of this. Who needs facts? Who cares about history? It'll repeat itself soon enough, so why worry? Why not elect a "new" face? Only problem is, that same face is not new in a long line of corrupt Chicago politicians. But hey, who cares about facts? They can be changed anyway, right?

Mother Earth News has an excellent article on the rapid expansion in geothermal energy. Cost per kilowatt is, apparently, now about equivalent to coal or petroleum cost (after federal tax benefits). Most interesting is the statement that a $1 billion investment into research and development over the next 15 years could lead to 100,000 kilowatts generation capability by 2050. I wonder if it ever occurred to our politicians to invest a couple billion into this type of technology and its subsequent employment prospects rather than $700 billion (plus $150 billion in pork) into the industry that helped create our present financial debacle.

In a letter to the editor at the New York Times today, the man who tried to prosecute Ayers for his Weather Underground activities takes McCain to task. And here is the text of that letter: ---- "To the Editor: As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was, as he has noted, just a child. Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen. Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago. I do take issue with the statement in your news article that the Weathermen indictment was dismissed because of “prosecutorial misconduct.” It was dismissed because of illegal activities, including wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, initiated by John N. Mitchell, attorney general at that time, and W. Mark Felt, an F.B.I. assistant director. William C. Ibershof" ---- Now can we please go back to talking about the CURRENT crisis, Mr. McCain? You accuse Obama of looking backwards, yet your accusations of him do just that!! Explain to us, instead, just how you expect to: a. cut the Federal deficit b. freeze Federal spending c. solve the looming entitlement program bankruptcy d. keep our presence in Iraq e. increase troops in Afghanistan f. cut military spending g. buy back bad mortgages at peak market prices h. cut taxes i. solve the health care crisis And all while trying to convince our allies that we haven't gone completely around the bend! You may have noticed that many of the above items are completely incompatible with each other. You might try explaining that too, or at least the part where you intend to keep us from going bankrupt as a country, one bank at a time.

Much has been made of the “Keating Five” and attempts to discredit Senator John McCain, but there has been little reporting of many of the facts involved, who did what and the results of the Senate Ethics Committee investigation itself. “Keating Five” involved five senators: Alan Cranston (D-CA) Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) John Glenn (D-OH) John McCain (R-AZ) Donald W. Riegle (D-MI) The “Keating Five” were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. A Senate Ethics Committee investigation determined that Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI) had substantially and improperly interfered with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board & in its investigation of Lincoln Savings. Alan Cranston (D-CA) ended up receiving the most harsh punishment, a formal reprimand from the Senate Ethics Committee, but not the censure that was initially considered; most likely because of the fact he was suffering from cancer, and would not seek reelection. A Senate Ethics Committee investigation determined that both John McCain (R-AZ) & John Glenn (D-OH) were cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment. The circumstances of the Senate during the Senate Ethics Committee investigation are very interesting. The Senate had changed control from Republican to Democratic during the 1986 congressional elections, placing several Democratic senators in key positions affecting the Senate Ethics Committee investigation. The Senate Ethics Committee was composed of Howell Heflin (D-chair), David Pryor (D), and Terry Sanford (D), Warren Rudman (R-vice chair), Trent Lott (R), and Jesse Helms (R). Robert S. Bennett (D) was appointed as special outside counsel to the committee, tasked with conducting the investigation. Yes, he is Bill Bennett's (R) brother. Robert S. Bennett's (D) confidential report was leaked to the press; in that report he recommended that the committee continue the investigation of Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI). In regard to Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Glenn (D-OH), Robert S. Bennett (D) recommended that no action be taken as there was insufficient evidence to pursue. There were articles written in the press expressing urging that they be removed from the investigation. Further, Robert S. Bennett's (D) report also said that McCain's "actions were not improper nor attended with gross negligence and did not reach the level of requiring institutional action against him. . . . Senator McCain has violated no law of the United States or specific Rule of the United States Senate." But, there were political implications; removing Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Glenn (D-OH) would eliminate the only Republican from the case, and Republicans could portray the scandal as a Democratic one. After at least three meeting and weeks of delays, on October 23, 1990, the committee decided to keep all five senators in the case, and scheduled public hearings to question them and other witnesses. Much has been made that John McCain (R-AZ) was included in the investigation primarily so that there would be at least one Republican targeted by the Senate Ethics Committee. And that the Republicans on the committee included John Glenn (D-OH) as a result. From November 15 through January 16, 1991 C-SPAN produced live broadcasts of the public hearing. The results: Alan Cranston (D-CA) - reprimanded Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) - criticized for acting improperly John Glenn (D-OH) - cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment (went on to be re-elected to office) John McCain (R-AZ) - cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment (went on to be re-elected to office) Donald W. Riegle (D-MI) - criticized for acting improperly The McCain-Feingold Act of 2002 sprang up as a result of these investigations & hearings. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-keating-1,0,3744890.story http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DB143AF93AA35752C1A96F948260 http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/74752416.html?dids=74752416:74752416&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=NOV+21%2C+1991&author=Helen+Dewar&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Cranston+Accepts+Reprimand%3B+%60Keating+5'+Senator+Angers+Colleagues+by+Denying+Misconduct&pqatl=google http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DA133EF93AA1575AC0A966958260

According to Reuters, sources confirmed yesterday that Democratic candidate Barack Obama bought 30 minutes of prime time on NBC and CBS. “The Obama campaign is producing a nationwide pitch to voters that will air on at least two broadcast networks,” Reuters reports. “The ad will run Wednesday, October 29, at 8 p.m. -- less than a week before the November 4 general election.” Buying such a large amount of airtime just weeks prior to a presidential election was a common practice in the days before campaigns centered their endgame strategies on battleground states. However, Obama’s recent action is not that unusual; Ross Perot did the same thing in the 1992 election. According to Larry Sabato, a political analyst and director of the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia, the purchasing of airtime represents a “smart move” on Obama’s part. “Obama's theme is not just change but unity, so he's appealing to the whole nation rather than a handful of tossup states,” Sabato says. “He wants to win the popular vote by a good margin, which will enable him to govern.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee will investigate claims that the American military eavesdropped on calls made by military officers, aid workers and journalists in Iraq. According to the New York Times committee chairman Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., called the acusations "extremely disturbing" and a "very serious matter." The call for investigation comes after ABC News broadcast on Thursday interviews with two former military officers, both Arab linguists who were stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., where the National Security Agency has a Middle East listening post. Both officers claimed that from 2001 to 2007 they listened in on personal phone calls made by U.S. military personnel stationed in Iraq. One of the linguists said that colleagues at Fort Gordon would swap recordings of intimate phone calls for entertainment. An NSA spokesman told the Washington Post that some of the allegations were under investigation and that others had been discredited. The Times notes that it is unclear if the eavesdropping fell under a warrantless wiretapping program approved by President George W. Bush shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. An intelligence officer told the Post, "NSA is legally allowed to monitor communications of government employees in war zones." According to the Times, a spokesman for CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, who was director of NSA at the time of the alleged events, said it was "ridiculous" to think Hayden would have approved illegal eavesdropping.

Senator John McCain continued his attack on Senator Barack Obama's relationship with '60s radical William Ayers on Thursday at a rally in Wisconsin. According to the Boston Globe, yesterday marked the first time McCain himself talked about Obama and Ayers. Previously, the connection has been touted by McCain's ticket mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and campaign surrogates. The McCain campaign also launched a Web-based offensive by creating a Web site that calls Ayers a "terrorist" and friend to Obama, and questions Obama's truthfulness in describing his relationship to the former radical-turned college professor. McCain's comments drew a fiery reaction from the crowd attending the town hall meeting in Waukesha. The Washington Post reports that McCain supporters greeted the comments with shouts of "Nobama" and "Socialist" as well as boos, middle fingers and down-turned thumbs. In Ohio, a pro-Obama blogger interviewed Republican supporters at a McCain-Palin rally in Strongsville. In a video, McCain supporters were quick to call Obama a terrorist, with one saying that terrorism was in the Illinois senator's bloodline. In comments to ABC News, McCain said the Ayers issue was not about a past connection with a man who attempted to bomb the Pentagon and the Capitol building in protest to the Vietnam War, but about Obama's honesty. It is unclear what effect McCain's aggressive campaigning will have on the election, where the failing economy has most voters concerned. Recent polling in battleground states showed Obama leading McCain by as much as double-digits, and closing the gap where McCain once held a comfortable lead.

The U.S. Treasury is considering buying stakes in banks by the end of this month. According to Reuters, last week's $700 billion bailout package passed by Congress enables the Treasury to acquire common or preferred shares in banks the government capitalizes. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that the government would not seek seats on the banks' board of directors. Campbell Harvey, a finance professor at Duke University, told Bloomberg that the $200 billion to $300 billion allowed in the bailout would likely pay for two- to five-percent stakes in U.S. banks that are not on the brink of failure. Government purchasing shares in troubled brinks has already become an international practice. According to CNN, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Italy have already announced plans or already began to inject capital into troubled banks. Bloomberg reports that the Japanese parliament is considering reviving a law that would allow it to buy up bank shares, and Spain announced it will commit $68.5 billion to a fund to buy troubled assets.

The United States has asked its NATO allies to target the heroin trade in Afghanistan. According to the Wall Street Journal, the increase in violence has caused alarm for Western allies. U.S. General John Craddock, NATO's top commander, has asked the alliance to hit the $100 million-a-year drug trade that finances the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Some allies are on board with the U.S.-led proposal, but others, such as Germany, Italy and Spain, have expressed concern that a counter-narcotics campaign could result in a backlash. According to Agence-France Presse, Afghanistan provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, making the drug trade a viable business for Afghan poppy farmers. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, at a reunion of allied defense officials, said there were several options on the table, including one that would allow NATO countries to opt-out of the plan without interfering with participating countries. According to the Associated Press, Gates said the plan was not solely a counter-narcotics strategy but a way to give troops greater freedom in tracking down networks that support the Taliban.

Do names matter where presidential candidates are concerned? Apparently, they do to some people. The New York Times reports that a local Republican leader named Bill Platt twice referred to Democrat candidate Barack Obama’s middle name at a pro-McCain rally in eastern Pennsylvania. This incident marks the second time in three days that someone has done this in an attempt to cast doubt concerning Obama’s background and faith. In response to Platt’s actions, the McCain campaign released a statement saying that the Republican candidates do not condone “this inappropriate rhetoric.” According to the Times, “McCain has called the use of Obama's middle name both improper and inappropriate and once apologized after a supporter warming up a rally used it. Referring to Hussein -- a name Obama shares most famously with deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein -- is widely viewed as an effort to link Obama to radical Islam even though he is a Christian with no such ties.” On Monday, a sheriff told participants at a Palin rally in Florida, “On Nov. 4, let's leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happened.” When conservative talk show host Bill Cunningham used Obama’s middle name three times at a rally in Cincinnati last February, McCain was quick to condemn the remarks. Cunningham responded by referring to the Republican candidate as “Juan Pablo McCain” and accusing him of “throwing him (Cunningham) under the bus (Straight-Talk Express).”