Today America suffered a great tragedy: the shooting and mass killing which took the lives of at least 6 people in Tuscon, Arizona. Among the dead are a nine (9!) year old child, a federal judge, John M. Roll, and a government staffer. Among the wounded, a United States congresswoman, along with about 12 others.
I have to admit. I am a news junkie. My twitter feeds and top visited websites are news related, particularly politically leaning. I was clued in to the shooting this morning in Arizona not too long after it had occurred. I watched as information was scrambled together on-air to compose a somewhat cohesive news report. As time progressed, the gravity of the situation unfolded. A United States Congresswoman, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, was involved in the shooting. First it was unclear if she was injured. Then it was revealed she had been involved in the shooting. Definitely shot. Med flighted out to trauma hospital. Shot in the back of the head. Dead. Alive. Maybe not dead? No, not dead. Talking on her way to the operating room. Surgery successful, she's going to pull through.
Who was the shooter? White? Black? Brown? Terrorist? No. Not a terrorist apparently, as it turns out he was white, so definitely not a terrorist. Just someone who will in no doubt turn out to be a troubled youth who was a loner and yet, sweet to the neighbors and he would say hi from time to time, but who definitely kept to himself and at times raised a few eyebrows so to speak.
Did you know that Gabrielle Giffords was on Sarah Palin's hit list? (Okay, it wasn't a "real" hitlist, just a list of Democratic Congress members who needed to be "taken out" in the elections. Marked in the center of the cross-hairs of gun target. So what if Sarah Palin tweeted to her followers "Don't Retreat, RELOAD" she wasn't "really" serious.)
I sat and watched the TV for 3 hours or so, at least, waiting to hear officially the condition that the Congresswoman was in. ( In between checking copious websites and news feed updates). Honestly, I didn't think she was going to make it, but I am THOROUGHLY elated that she managed to survive this horrendous event. During this time, I was reminded exactly what it was to be an American. Not a Democrat. Not a Republican. Not a Liberal. Not a Conservative. AN AMERICAN. (Yes, I hug trees AND believe we need to overhaul the welfare system!..but regardless of that...)
I could not wrap my head around the idea that somebody was capable of such a horrific act as shooting a member of Congress in the back of the head while they were speaking with constituents of their district...the EXACT reason we should praise members of Congress.
I'm bringing my blog back after over two-years of a hiatus because it's events like these that make me sick to stomach and make me, at the same time, proud to be an American and stand-up for what this country was founded for. It's time for the pundits to shut their mouths unless they have something constructive to contribute. It's time for news media to be held accountable for their reporting. It's time for politicians to realize that their words and their actions actually do motivate people for good, or for not so good (Yeah, I'm talking to you Sarah). Those people in positions to influence others need to choose their words more carefully and stop instigating hate and fear and violence. You see what happens when you don't.
My deepest sympathy together with my well-wishes go out to Congresswoman Giffords and her family, as well as to the family members and friends of those killed and injured in today's events. My thoughts, and the thoughts and prayers of millions of Americans, are with you today.
In a stunning turn of events, word out of Alaska this evening puts Democrat Mark Begich enough ahead of current Alaska Republican Senator Ted Stevens that there is no way Stevens could overcome the deficit.
This Senate win puts the Democrats only 2 seats away from a 60-seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate.
The recount hasn't even begun yet in Minnesota's Senate election, and the numbers are shifting again in Al Franken's favor.
Norm Coleman was thought to be in the lead by over 700 votes after Tuesday's election, but a review of ballots and corrections of human typographical errors has cut that lead down to only 206 votes as of 2:30 Monday afternoon. The race qualifies for an automatic recount because it falls within the state's margin of error rule.
According to the web site for Minnesota's Secretary of State, the difference between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken in the race for Senate has shrunk once again this Friday evening.
Earlier in the day it had been widely reported that "a clerical error" was responsible for eliminating 100 votes for Barack Obama and Al Franken, bringing the ballot count to a mere 238 vote difference, down from the initial 740 or so votes . It now appears that there has been some more discrepancies unveiled and the total amount of votes separating the two candidates for Senate is only 221.
Could Barack Obama make an appearance on SNL this Monday night, election day eve? The commercial states that "You never know who might show up", and it would make sense due to Obama not having been on SNL other than during the primaries.
With 3 days to the election, all of the candidates have released their medical records, except one - Sarah Palin.
After telling the press last Sunday that Palin's medical records would be released early in the week, the McCain campaign has yet to produce them. When asked about it by several news organizations, the campaign responds by saying they have "No comment". This leaves one to wonder what exactly was uncovered when the McCain campaign finally decided to look into her records - something that should have been completed when she was being considered for the VP slot.
The American people deserve to know whether or not Sarah Palin's health is in good standing. Palin told NBC's Brian Williams on October 22nd that we would see in the medical records that she was healthy, "if they're released." Why not let us see for ourselves?
If there's nothing to hide, being upfront and forthcoming with the American public should not be a problem for the McCain campaign, but apparently, it is.
The ATF today said that it has intervened in a plot by two neo-nazi skinheads to assassinate Presidential candidate Barack Obama, as well as to kill and decapitate 102 black people in Tennessee.
The two males, Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tennessee, and Paul Schlesselman 18, of West Helena, Arkansas, are being held without bond. The pair have been charged with illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun, conspiracy to rob a federally licensed gun dealer and making threats against a presidential candidate.
The ATF said that they disrupted plans by the two men to rob a gun store and target a high school that has a majority of African American students. When they were arrested, agents recovered a sawed-off shotgun, a rifle and three pistols.
Special Agent Jim Cavanaugh gave more details this afternoon, saying that the men planned to shoot 88 black people and remove the heads of 14 more. The two numbers, 88 and 14, have significance within the white supremacist community. After they had done this, the planned to take their killing spree nationally, eventually meeting up with Barack Obama and attempting to kill him, even if it meant that they themselves died trying but were unsuccessful.
Palin's $150,000 wardrobe. General Colin Powell endorses Obama. McCain's brother calling 911 to complain about traffic. John McCain defending more red states than anticipated. And now, a recent McCain adviser and Solicitor General in the Reagan administration casts his absentee ballot for Obama. It's just not the best week to be John McCain.
Charles Fried, a Harvard Law professor and conservative thinker, says he cast his absentee ballot this week for Barack Obama. Although it may not be strange this election cycle to see a republican voter or congressman cross party lines to vote for Barack Obama, it gives pause to think that a former McCain adviser would vote for the opponent of the campaign on which he advised.
Fried stated in a letter to Trevor Potter, the General Counsel to the McCain-Palin campaign that the main reason he was casting his vote for Barack Obama was "the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis." Fried also requested that his name was taken off the several Mccain campaign-related committees that his name was attached to on various web sites and information sources.
Joe McCain, brother of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, reportedly called 911 on Tuesday to complain about being stuck in traffic, and then, called again to complain about being told not to call 911 for non-emergency issues.
Here's the first call transcript:
Operator: 911 state your emergency
Caller: It's not an emergency but do you know why on one side at the damn drawbridge of 95 traffic is stopped for 15 minutes and yet traffic's coming the other way?
Operator: Sir, are you calling 911 to complain about traffic? (pause)
Caller: "Fuck you." (caller hangs up)
The operator then politely called back and left a voicemail for McCain telling him that 911 is for emergency purposes only and to not call to find out traffic information.
Joe McCain then called 911 back to talk about the drawbridge on the highway and about how he didn't like being told 911 wasn't for traffic. He was still concerned that there was traffic going one way and traffic not going the other way. The operator then told Joe McCain that traffic is not something that 911 handles and that if he is worried about the drawbridge, he could call the Department of Traffic and Safety.
Really people. This stuff just keeps writing itself.
Politico has the audio.
Obama's campaign has released their numbers for September. How much did the Senator raise? The most any candidate has ever raised in one month: $150,000,000. Yes, that's correct, $150 Million dollars. 632,000 donors contributed in September, bringing Obama's total amount of donors to 3.1 Million.