Following The Money, The Money, The Money...

So this is a bit unnerving. The "Non-Partisan" site FactCheck.org is controlled by the Annenberg Foundation, which has a branch called the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. That branch had a "key founder" by the name of Bill Ayers, and a board member by the name of Barack Obama.

Although the Mission Statement of the Political Fact Check says;

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

They have to get money from somewhere. That somewhere comes from earmarks. And who put the earmark in for Annenberg?

Obama Requested $3.5 Million For The USC Annenberg Research Network. In 2005, Obama requested $3.5 million for the USC Annenberg Research Network on International Communication, in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to support the deployment of pervasive broadband for education and economic development.Funding was for the construction of a large-scale broadband wireless systems in two communities—one in South Los Angeles and the other in small-town Illinois. In each community, broadband network coverage will be provided over a minimum of about a half-square mile area, utilizing leading edge wireless technologies. In Los Angeles, this will include the five schools in USC’s immediate neighborhood, with about 8,000 K-12 students. USC also will provide wireless equipment and access to every family with a student entering the first grade of a new Science Center School, and in Illinois, a similar group of students will be selected to receive wireless equipment and access within the coverage area. The impact of these technologies on the students and their families will be tracked.

Although the money link is vague, it is still there, and it shows that on top of the fact that he was a member of the board from 1995 to 2002, he was still connected to them financially 3 years later in 2005.

The money trail isn't as big to me as the fact that he was a board member of on of the Foundation's Branches.

I do believe a "conflict of interest" would be the proper term?

H/T: Death by 1000 Papercuts via Mr. Right

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Grrrrrr

You know, I've been thinking...The GOP this election cycle has had a nasty habit of sitting on their hind ends about key issues.

During the primaries, I was an avid Fred Thompson supporter. And in September of '07 he held 25% of the support, and rising fast as Giuliani was slowly falling. And what did he do?

NOTHING. While the GOP held a debate, he went on late night TV, and allowed "Tax Hike" Mike Huckabee to establish himself as the evangelical candidate.

From that point on, Thompson couldn't get any more traction and faded into the dark. That was missed opportunity number one.

Now, enter John McCain and the Obama and Fannie Mae, William Ayers, Franklin Raines, Reverend Wright connections. Again, the GOP sat on their fat tails thinking that they didn't need to bring those forward. It got so bad that during the debate, on the first question, Obama made a comment about how Republicans for the last 8 years had deregulated companies.

WHAT?!! This was a fat hanging curve...no, it was a FRICKIN BALL ON A TEE! Republicans called for stricter regulation of Fannie Mae 17 times, EVERY TIME blocked by Democrats, even after Fannie Mae was discovered to be involved in a $10.6 BILLION accounting scandal.

And you know what happened? McCain didn't swing and miss...He's the only person to ever strike out in T-Ball on a CALLED STRIKE. The man didn't even swing!

Yes, he brought it up later, but that was late in the debate when Obama had already gotten into a groove. McCain could have had him against the ropes right off the bat, but he waited. That debate could have become a very significant swing in the polls, but instead, since the debate, Obama has increased his average lead to 7.1%, and now almost has a true majority.

All of this sitting on their tail-end has got me really frustrated, and I'm not alone.

And I have to say, although I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR OBAMA;
Bob Barr is looking more and more appealing every day.

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HAHAHAHAHA!!!

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HAHAHAHA!!!!!

This is just too much AWESOME!!!! LOLdrivers!

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CNN Poll - Obama Won?

Umm, Excuse me? There were 2 or 3 questions Obama entirely didn't answer, and yet look at this crap;

54% said Obama did better to 30% McCain
65% called O more likeable
57% thought Obama was more intellegent to 25% Mac
60% thought O better expressed himself to 30% McCain



But here's the kicker;
According to the poll, 64 percent had a favorable opinion of Obama after the debate, up four points from the pre-debate result. McCain’s favorability rating remained unchanged: both before and after the debate percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of the Republican nominee both before and after the debate.

So the poll tipped the scales anyways, 60% for Obama.

Figures. Although I think McCain nailed Obama on a lot of things, Obama may have too strong of a hold on people's emotions this election, when they need to be voting with their minds. Obama has created a "warm and fuzzy" feeling that people just can't shake, regardless of what you tell them.

That is not a good thing.

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Debate Live-Blogging

9:05
Question one - How do we bail out average people who are losing money?

Barack used the tired line about the failed policies of the last 8 years, and that the Republicans had a lack of regulations...If McCain doesn't jump on that....I may have to vote for Bob Barr.

9:08
Whiff number one for Mac.

9:12
FINALLY! Go Mac! The link b/w Obama and Fannie has been used, and Obama did not respond to the fact that he was the #2 recipient of the lobbying money.

9:20
Here is Obama in a nut-shell. Under Bush, the deficit has grown to 10 Trillion. Under me, we're going to spend more money for health care, entitlements and others that will cost trillions of dollars. But some how I'm going to have a net decrease in spending.

9:37
Mac needed to hit him about raising taxes on people (ie small business owners) who make more than $2.8 Million by over $700,000 (25% of their income) and that small businesses don't pay capital gains taxes because THEY ARE NOT PUBLICALLY TRADED!!! They pay INCOME TAXES!

9:41
Obama ducking out of the entitlement question, and Mac called him out on it, "I'll answer the question Tom."

9:46
Obama is really about to say he won't drill??!!

9:54
Mac hits Obama on the difference b/w Private sector solutions and Government Mandates. Hehe, and the red light stopped flashing, and Tom wasn't waving.

10:08
McCain very good on intervention. The Pakistan question may be interesting.

10:11
Publicly announcing an attack decreases public opinion of you in that country. True.

10:14
Obama just gave McCain a VERY mean glare when he said "He thinks I'm a little green behind the ears."

10:22
Mac is owning Obama on Iraq. Obama is struggling to deliver his ideas. He'd against the ropes.

10:30
Mac made a good quip about the no preconditions statement Obama made, and then I found this quote from the Factcheck.org forums.
"Why wouldn't Obama meet unconditionally with the leaders of Iran, he met with Bill Ayers, a terrorist."

10:32
Last words. Obama on his soap box, McCain speaking similarly to FDR's fireside chats.

Also live blogging;
Malkin
Hot Air

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I'll Admit It, I'm Starting To Question Their Pricing

Here in GA, we have just gotten out of a gasoline crisis which left many people stranded, and stuck in long lines at the pump.

With this, I can understand the increase of the price of gas back to $4 per gallon to shrink the demand to the level of the supply. But now the crisis is over, and oil settled today at $87.81, nearly half the record highs of over $147 a barrel just a few months ago.

What irks me is that I can see the gas prices in places like Oklahoma, Missouri, and even my old home, Tennessee, and the gas prices are 50 cents lower in TN, and down to $2.77 a gallon in Oklahoma.

Granted there is a refinery in Oklahoma, but as oil prices plummet, but prices remain the same, I can't help but start to wonder where somebody is making a killing.

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When A Win Isn't A Win

Here is the verbatim quote of the "Yellow Line Rule;"

"This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR's judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black- flagged. If in NASCAR's judgment you force someone below the yellow line (in an effort to stop him from passing you), you may be black-flagged."

For driving below the line, you WILL be black-flagged, for forcing them down there, you MAY be black-flagged.

There is the fine print.

But don't forget that Mike Helton said this in a meeting in 2003;
"What we are beginning to see happen, and we saw it [in the Busch race], is some of you have figured out that to protect your spot, you can move down against the yellow line to prevent someone from going on your inside," Helton told the drivers. "That is OK. But if you do it while that guy is trying to get around you and you move him down there while he has a quarter-panel or fender alongside of you, if you make him go down there, then you are subject to a black flag, too."



At about 40 seconds in, Smith begins to move outside, then back inside, and Stewart CLEARLY went to block outside, then inside, and Smith very much had his right front inside his rear quarter panel and was forced below the line. I don't think Smith could be spared, but Stewart may have deserved the "pass through" penalty as well, as per the rules, and Mike Helton's statements.

Personally, in hind-sight, I would have either just let him get spun out, or I would have juked inside, then out.

But that's me.

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Cubs Getting SWEPT! ROFL! ROFL! ROFL!

The Cubs were the "Best NL team" and "This was their year to win it all." Excuse me while I go take some stitches. I just split my sides laughing so hard.


CUBS;
Completely
Useless
By
September

And I just remembered this from my previous post about how the Cubs suck...

CUBS;
Can
Usually
Be
Swept

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This'll Be Fun

Today is going to be a fun day at work. We are performing a 24 hour audit of a piece of machinery in the plant in order to prove to the manufacture that it is not performing as well as promised when the machine was purchased. This consists of two 12 hour shifts by the process engineers (like myself) and other management members. The shift I took? Not the 6 AM to 6 PM shift...but the 6 PM to 6 AM graveyard.

I get to be a fly on the wall watching a particular section of the line run for 12 hours without doing anything but watching, and recording when my area stops.

I'm gonna be a zombie Friday morning.

But on a side note, I'm REALLY excited about all the dirt track racing that is going on this weekend!!! Friday night is the Lucas Oil Rome Rumble in Rome, GA, and Saturday night is the Dixie Shootout at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock. I've got my tickets, and I am VERY excited about it.

*UPDATE* I finished the audit and left work at about 7:30 AM Friday morning, came home, slept, then checked back in on things from 4-6, and the Rome Rumble afterwards was a LOT of fun! Tonight, Dixie Shootout!!!

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