Git Off My Trans Am!

A politican who promises not to get in bed with special interests -- just your sister? That's Tim Nieukirk. The write-in candidate for Illinois Governor has developed a following with his bizarre ads on YouTube -- and apparently only on YouTube.

From the Associated Press:

He'll blindside firefighters rushing to save cats caught in a tree. He won't climb into bed with special interests, but he will with your sister. And he goes after a breed of criminal that most politicians prefer to ignore - the Hamburglar.

As for getting into bed with your sister, that's one of his campaign platforms.

Check out one of his ads here and "get Nieuked."



The current Governor, Rod Blagojevich (D), doesn't hang around the state capital of Springfield. Mr Nieukirk tells the AP he would: "I'm more than happy to move into the mansion. I need to get out of my parents' house." (AP)

Kerry Pulls a Bushism

The White House accused Sen John Kerry (D-MA) of insulting the troops when the Senator botched a joke about the White House's own failures.




The actual prepared statement read:

"I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq.">

Good thing our President's eloquent speechifying style has never allowed anything like this to happen! (YouTube)

UPDATE: The GOP has a new web ad up attacking Sen Kerry's remarks. See it here.

UPDATE: CNN Political Ticker has notable quotes on the Kerry gaffe.

No Pesky Questions on this Campaign Stop

WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia got video (below) of Sen George Allen's (R-VA) supporters attacking a man who tried to ask the Senator a question during a campaign stop. The man was asking the Senator about his first wife.



Questions have come up in the past few days over a pair of arrest warrants issued for Sen Allen in the 1970s andabout why court documents in the divorce of his first wife were sealed -- when no traditional circumstances for sealing the records existed.

At the same time, speculation has mounted that the divorce papers may accuse the Senator of assaulting his wife. (AP/WVIR-TV)

Curt's Italian Vacation

Italian defense contractors are sweating out the FBI probe of US Rep Curt Weldon (R-PA).

Just a year ago he was celebrating with them -- on the US taxpayer tab -- over victories in directing millions in defense dollars toward the Italian companies. Rep Weldon was staying at the five-star Splendido with a harbor view of Portofino (see picture).

He'd flown to Italy aboard a US military jet, and taxpayers were shelling out $1,153 a day in walking around money for the Congressman. But the Congressman is suspected of some dirty deals to get the royal treatment. From the New York Times:

The Justice Department is looking into whether he used his position to steer almost $1 million in consulting contracts from a Russian energy company and other Eastern European interests to a lobbying firm headed by his daughter Karen, 31. Her home and her office were searched two weeks ago by federal officials.

Democrats have already started running ads tying the Pennsylvanian to troubles other GOP House Members have had in this session of Congress:

Dirty Money

The two major parties have spent $160 million dollars on political ads this year. Only $17 million on ads painting a positive image.

That means roughly $10 spent on negative ads, for every $1 spent on positive ones. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Dems Talk War, Rural Voters Turn Blue

Iraq has been the elephant in the living room at Republican rallies for weeks now. It's also been missing from GOP campaign ads. The reason is simple -- talk about Iraq, and voterf migrate to the Democrats.

The Democrats are talking about the war -- and little else -- going into the final week of the campaign. The DNC is launching ads on Iraq in Connecticut, New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. They also plan to launch the ads in other races they haven't named yet.



And new polling data from the Center for Rural Strategies (see video above) shows rural voters in some of the biggest, Reddest Congressional Districts are switching to Democrats this fall. They have the highest per capita enlistments in the armed services -- and the War is not only a local issue for them, but often a personal one. (Ap/KXMB-TV)

Porn & Politics

Republicans ran an ad accusing Rep Harold Ford (D-TN) of taking money from porn producers.

Turns out the GOP has taken porn money, too.

These are the Stakes

Saturday Night Live gave us a great preview on the final push of Republican campaign ads. (NBC via CrooksandLiars.com)

100

US troops in Iraq set a tragic benchmark this weekend.

The death toll for US troops in Iraq hit 100 Sunday -- making it the deadliest month for American forces there since January, 2005.

Overall, it's the fourth deadliest month since the start of the war in 2003.

Deadliest months in Iraq so far:

• November, 2004: 137
• April, 2004: 135
• January, 2005: 107
• October, 2006: 100* (as of Sunday, October 29)

The 100th death this month was a Marine -- as yet unidentified -- killed in action in the Anbar Province. (NYT, Photo from NYT Photo Essay)

[Click on Photo to View NYT Photo Essay]

Weapons Missing in Iraq

One in every 25 weapons the US has supplied to the new Iraqi Army & security forces has disappeared. Sen John Warner (R-VA) requested the audit. The findings suggest the weapons may have wound up int he hands of militants.

Still, 4% missing is an improvement.

After all, 100% of the WMDs are still missing. (NYT)

Rush Limbaugh's Truckload of Manure

The GOP shoots itself in the foot. Michael J. Fox talks politics. Rush Limbaugh fails to learn Biff's lesson in taking on Marty McFly. Bush fails to use "the Google" before sinking "Stay the Course," an Okie candidate shoots calculus books, and rubber ducks take on Rick Santorm.

Shut Up & Sing -- What a Dumbsh**

NBC is refusing to air commercials for the new Dixie Chick movie Shut up and Sing.

The film follows the uproar over their criticism of President Bush during a 2003 concert. (Crooksandliars.com)

Ain't They Supposed to be Spying On Us?

The county Homeland Security office in Memphis got a good going over from the FBI after someone bugged the place. From the Commercial Appeal:

Officials became suspicious and had the FBI sweep the office for bugs after a local television station said it possessed "damaging and embarrassing" audiotapes that were secretly recorded and given to the station.

With homeland security tax money going to popcorn factories, widescreen plasma screen televisions, and gym memberships -- it's hard to figure out what qualifies as "damaging and embarassing."

The Commercial Appeal got hold of a chain of emails that suggest the FBI suspects a former interim agency director. (Commercial Appeal)

Justice is Swift

Talk about an attack ad. Georgi State Supreme Court Justice Carol Hunstein(right) didn't like an ad here opponent ran against her.

So she ran one claiming opponent Mike Wiggins threatened to kill his sister.

Hey, at least he supports capital punishment. (Macon Telegraph)

Hall of Shame Ad

Remember the "Culture of Corruption." The issue kinda fell by the wayside as it became more of a way of life on Capitol Hill.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has brought it back as the "Hall of Shame" in this attack ad on Rep Curt Weldon (R-PA). (CNN)

Private Jets for Bush Appointees -- You Pay

An analysis shows Bush administration honchos taking flights on private jets and helicopters at taxpayer expense.

Rep Henry Waxman (D-CA) released the report showing 125 trips to 300 locations.

All this cost taxpayers around $1.5 million dollars.

He also shows that the taxpayer funded trips suddenly spiked in 2004 -- in trips to battleground states (see chart).

Some specifics:

• October, 2004: $50,290 to charter a private jet to travel from Philadelphia to Seattle to Kansas City for Education Secretary Rodney Paige
• September, 2004: $11,678 to fly Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to Spencer, Iowa, where she attended the Clay County Fair
• August-October, 2004: $41,471 for three multi-state tours by EPA Administrator Michael Leavitt

Administrator Leavitt may hold the record for taxpayer funded trips. The study found he made 19 trips to 100 cities aboard private jets at a cost of $726,048.

Fox Shakes Up the Election

The Michael J Fox stem cell ads have become surprisingly powerful. A new study by HCD Research and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) suggests the ad is causing people to switch their votes after seeing it:

"Support among Democrats increased from 89% to 93%, support among Republicans increased from 66% to 68% and support among Independents increased from 80% to 87% after viewing the ad.”

A real time response curve from a focus group shows interest peaking with Mr Fox's plea for help and plummeting when the candidate's photo appears. (BusinessWire, HT: PoliticalWire.com)