Larry King Live on August 18, 2008:

…KING: From Lake Forest, California, we welcome — it’s always great to see him, a frequent visitor to this show. Not frequent enough, by the way. Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church, best-selling author of “The Purpose Driven Life.” and on Saturday, he conducted those interviews with Senators Obama and McCain at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.

Let’s take care of one thing right away. You introduced Obama and said that Senator McCain and said he was in a cone of silence.

WARREN: Yes.

KING: Now, obviously, Rick Warren would never tell a mistruth.

Did you not know that he was in an automobile?

WARREN: I didn’t know they had put — hadn’t put him into the Green Room yet. No, I didn’t. When we walked in, I knew he hadn’t been in about 10 minutes earlier. And I figured within the 10 minutes we got there, they had put him in.

The whole thing is really kind of bogus, Larry. The Supreme — I mean, the Secret Service were with him the whole time. Then our facility’s staff — our security staff were with him. And he was put in a building completely separate from everybody else. And there’s no way he could hear. I’ve been talking about this all day. There was a rumor going around that he watched the program on a monitor in the Green Room that we had him in.

Well, there’s only one problem with it. My staff, Chuck Taylor, disconnected that thing two days before it happened. So if he — if they had happened to turn it on, it would have been all just static.

And both Barack and John agreed to the terms that said we will not listen to the other’s, we will not get the questions in advance.

Actually, what happened is I did give Obama one in advance that I didn’t get to Senator McCain because he wasn’t there. Right before we started, I wanted to tell them there’s going to be one question that I’m going to ask you for a commitment on. And I didn’t think that was fair to ask for a commitment publicly without setting them up. And it had to do with orphans.

And so I did get to tell Senator Obama about that question. But because Senator McCain wasn’t there, he hadn’t — he didn’t have that question yet.

KING: All right.

Well, could he have heard it in the car, though, if he was still arriving at the event?

WARREN: You know what, if — not a chance. The Secret Service would have reported it. When he showed up, there were — and he says he didn’t. You know, I…

KING: All right.

WARREN: …I just have to accept his integrity on that.

KING: Sure…

[emphasis added]

I don’t think so.

What the United States Secret Service (protective mission) does:

Authorization

Today, the Secret Service is authorized by law to protect:

   * The president, the vice president, (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the president-elect and vice president-elect

   * The immediate families of the above individuals

   * Former presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except when the spouse remarries. In 1997, Congressional legislation became effective limiting Secret Service protection to former presidents for a period of not more than 10 years from the date the former president leaves office

   * Children of former presidents until age 16

   * Visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad

   * Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election

   * Other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President

   * National Special Security Events, when designated as such by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

Note that nowhere does their mission include keeping candidates from listening to KNX News Radio 1070 in Los Angeles.

Uh, yep, on Larry King Live ten years ago, July 14, 1998:

…KING: Is anything said, Tim, when you sign on about confidentiality?

MCCARTHY: Well, there’s no document that you sign, at least by the time I retired, Larry, about confidentiality. However, going on to the president, presidential detail, or vice presidential detail, it was made very clear to you in your briefings that what what you see there and what you hear there would remain there.

And not only because much of it could be confidential, much of it is classified, secret and top secret, but also for the issue that we’re talking about, I believe, today, that if the protectee feels that the agents could relay information to others about what’s going on, certainly, as Jerry said, the issue of proximity will change, and there will be mistrust of the agents.

And you have to remember, when an individual becomes a protectee of the Secret Service, whether it’s a foreign dignity, a candidate for the presidency or anything else there’s mistrust to begin with. They’re worried for example if they’re a candidate from the Republican Party and the president is a Democrat, that they may be passing information back to the president, for example, or to his staff. It’s not true. And it doesn’t happen.

But it’s difficult to get over that mistrust that they have that you’re an intelligence agent. And this is, as Jerry said, I couldn’t have said it better — it’s going to plant the seed of mistrust between the protectors and the protectees…

[emphasis added]

Uh, Larry, don’t you have staff who are supposed to research your past shows? Sloppy. Just plain sloppy.

This is the idiocy that gets foisted on our public discourse and on campaigns in general when our media sucks so badly that amateurs at a non-public sponsored event take over their role.

…KING: Now, obviously, Rick Warren would never tell a mistruth…

No, of course not Larry, but it’s still just ducky to be ignorant…

The McSame‘s don’t really feel your pain.

Priceless, er, I mean, pricey:

“…My husband was running for the Senate in Arizona, and in Arizona the only way to get around the state is by small private plane and I wound up loving it and buying a plane…”

…the plane, the plane…

Brett Penrose on the only professional “flip-flopper” in this campaign.

It’s in his nature…

…and the timing is perfect due to the uproar over cone of silence-gate.

McSame.

This is gonna leave a mark.

Text below the fold:

According to the Obama campaign the ad will start running in sixteen states, including Missouri, tomorrow.

“I’m Barack Obama and I approved this message.”

Economics … by John McCain.  

Support George Bush 95 percent of the time.  

Keep spending ten billion dollars a month for the

war in Iraq …

While the Iraqis sell oil for record prices.  

Giving Iraq a $79 billion oil surplus …

And hurting our economy.

Barack Obama’s plan:

End the war responsibly.

Better schools.

No more tax breaks for oil companies.

Barack Obama … the Middle Class first.

We’ve been sayin’. McSame.

Rasmussen conducted a poll of 500 “likely voters” in Missouri on August 7th and released it on August 8th. “This survey was conducted in partnership with Fox Television Stations Inc.” The margin of error is 4.5%.

2* If the Presidential Election were held today, would you vote for Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama?

Without Leaners

McCain 48%

Obama 41%

Other 5%

Not sure 7%

With Leaners

McCain 50%

Obama 44%

Other 1%

Not sure 4%

For any of you poll neophytes the race is still effectively tied (sort of) within the margin of error.

This is interesting:

1* How do you rate the way that George W. Bush is performing his role as President? Excellent, good, fair, or poor?

12% Excellent

20% Good

16% Fair

51% Poor

1% Not sure

dubya and his policies need to be the quintessential political albatross for McSame. Practice often, repeat the meme, rinse, repeat: McSame – if you’ve liked the last eight years, you’re gonna love the next 100…

The economy appears to be the primary concern of voters, cited by 43% (more than any other issues). But, there’s this:

13* When covering economic issues, do most reporters and media outlets try to make the economy seem worse than it really is, better than it really is, or do they present an accurate picture of the economy?

47% Worse than it really is

21% Better than it really is

23% They present and accurate picture

8% Not sure

They don’t trust the media or their own lyin’ eyes.

We can’t ask people at the pump, “how’s that $4.00 a gallon workin’ out for you?” anymore since it’s dropped a bit. But then again, if the price has dropped so precipitously, why did it go up so much? And doesn’t that drop in price undercut McSame’s argument for “emergency full speed ahead” drilling off shore? Just asking.

Brett Penrose on the politicization of veterans…

…and our lazy lap dog media which knows better, but plays the same old game anyway. After all, the media is McSame‘s “base”.

SurveyUSA released a 1459 sample poll of “Likely voters” on August 1st taken in Missouri July 29th through the 31st. The poll runs a head to head match up between McSame and Obama. The margin of error is 2.6%.

The poll was sponsored by KCTV in Kansas City and KSDK in St. Louis.

If the election for President of the United States were today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were (names rotated) Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, who would you vote for?

All

McCain – 49%

Obama – 44%

Undecided – 7%

These numbers, while different, have remained essentially unchanged (within the margin of error) since the June SurveyUSA poll. This poll has a much larger sample, and thus, a smaller margin of error.

The crosstabulations by party identification:

Party Affiliation

Democrats [38% of sample]

McCain – 12%

Obama – 83%

Undecided – 5%

republicans [36% of sample]

McCain – 87%

Obama – 10%

Undecided – 3%

Independents [20% of sample]

McCain – 55%

Obama – 34%

Undecided – 10%

The numbers among republicans remain unchanged. Obama again shows some improvement among Democrats over previous polls, though their share of the sample in this poll (as self identified Democrats) is smaller than the previous poll. The numbers among Independents remain unchanged.

Gender

Male [49% of sample]

McCain – 53%

Obama – 41%

Undecided – 6%

Female [51% of sample]

McCain – 45%

Obama – 48%

Undecided – 7%

The gender gap remains.

It’s the economy, stupid!:

Top Issue for Next President

Economy [56% of sample]

McCain – 46%

Obama – 49%

Undecided – 6%

This explains all those “Economic Town Hall” events in Missouri this past week. That 56% is the highest rating of the economy as the “most important issue” in Missouri since we’ve been covering these SurveyUSA polls.

As I exited the main lobby of Union Station I was approached by an individual who saw my press identification from the McCain event. She pointed me to the crowd at Liberty Memorial Park across the street. When I arrived at the location I found Bridgette Williams, Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO president, and Mike Sanders, Jackson County Executive, along with a backdrop of thirty or so AFL-CIO members and Obama campaign supporters.

Bridgette Williams, President of the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, and Mike Sanders, Jackson County Executive, at Liberty Memorial Park across from the entrance to Union Station.

Bridgette Williams’ statement for the media:

Today Senator John McCain will try to convince Missourians that his economic agenda represents a departure from the disastrous policies of George Bush. Bust as the old saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding.” The truth is that Senator McCain’s plan is little more than a carbon copy of the failed Bush agenda that has led to a rapidly collapsing economy. From skyrocketing gas prices to the health care crises, McCain offers more of the same…

…McCain’s ill conceived plan to extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and add billions more in tax breaks for the health insurance industry and Big Oil is just one example of his misguided agenda for Missouri’s working families. He also supports unbalanced trade deals, privatizing Social Security, and taxing people’s health care benefits. Nearly every part of the McCain economic agenda mirrors the Bush adminstration’s failed approach. And McCain stubbornly refuses to stray even an inch from his most damaging recycled Bush proposal, to continue the war in Iraq for up to one hundred years, costing America’s taxpayers ten billion dollars every month and dragging down the fragile economy.

With no end in sight to the current economic downturn, the last thing Missouri working families need is another four years of senator McCain towing the same lines as President Bush, “you’re on your own.” Thousands of families are losing their homes to foreclosure, energy prices are skyrocketing, good jobs are moving overseas, forty seven million Americans without health care, including seven hundred seventy thousand right here in Missouri. More than one hundred sixty thousand people in our state are unemployed.

We call on Senator McCain to change course by listening to working families’ concerns and supporting our priorities like good jobs, health care for all and fair trade. Anything less simply won’t cut it with Missouri’s working people.

SurveyUSA released a 543 sample poll of “Likely voters” taken in Missouri June 20th through the 22nd which was released on June 26th. The poll runs a head to head match up between McSame and Obama. The margin of error is 4.3%.

The poll was sponsored by KCTV in Kansas City and KSDK in St. Louis.

If there were an election for President of the United States today, would you vote for Republican John McCain? Or Democrat Barack Obama?

All

McCain – 50%

Obama – 43%

Undecided – 7%

These numbers, while different, have remained essentially unchanged (within the margin of error) since the May SurveyUSA poll.

The crosstabulations by party identification are always interesting:

Party Affiliation

Democrats [44% of sample]

McCain – 16%

Obama – 76%

Undecided – 8%

republicans [33% of sample]

McCain – 89%

Obama – 8%

Undecided – 3%

Independents [21% of sample]

McCain – 57%

Obama – 31%

Undecided – 11%

The numbers among republicans remain unchanged. Obama shows some improvement among Democrats, though there appears to be serious erosion among Independents.

Gender

Male [46% of sample]

McCain – 60%

Obama – 36%

Undecided – 5%

Female [54% of sample]

McCain – 41%

Obama – 50%

Undecided – 9%

Yep, there’s definitely a gender gap here. Those numbers among males just might explain these words on FISA. “National Security” is going to be an issue in that group. The republicans will make it so – you can count on it.

I should have driven to Springfield last Wednesday to hear John McCain speak, because then I might know whether to believe the Springfield News-Leader account about his stance on drilling in ANWR:

For years, McCain has opposed drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Refuge Area (ANWR).

But during today’s town hall meeting, McCain said he’d be willing to reconsider that stance.

“I would be more than happy to examine it again,” McCain said.

Or the   Post-Dispatch account:

McCain told audience members, some of them visibly stunned, that ANWAR was too valuable and pristine to be subject to oil drilling.

Come to think of it, going to Springfield wouldn’t have clarified a thing, because I’m not sure he knows what he thinks. He made the two contradictory statements at back-to-back events. At a one hour forum, he said he’d be willing to reconsider his years-long objections to drilling in ANWR, then he went to the Missouri State University campus and insisted that ANWR was too valuable a pristine wilderness for drilling.

If he had made the statements in the opposite order, I might think he was merely doing another pandering flip flop, like his change of attitude about offshore drilling. But as it is, either he’s got a loose grip on reality or I do. Maybe it’s me, because no one else, that I’ve seen, has commented on the disparity.

What’s not in doubt, though, is his support of nuclear power to break our dependence on oil. In a video of the on-campus event, he declared that he would fight to see 45 new reactors built by 2030 and 100 new ones eventually.

Whew! What a relief. Who can argue that we’d use less oil if we had 100 new nuclear reactors? And, like McCain, I leave it to the bean counters to figure out how much nuclear waste that would create. And where to put it.

McCain acknowledged that the nation will need to grapple with how to store and reprocess nuclear waste.

I wonder if he waved a dismissive hand when he conceded the difficulties. At least he restrained himself from calling them fiddle faddle.

You know, I’ve got one of those nuclear waste sites a couple of miles from my house, over on Latty Avenue. Nobody’s quite sure what to do about it, since it’s on the Missouri River floodplain and just 8.5 miles upstream from public drinking water intake pipes.  But I don’t worry. The radiation might give me an extra glow.

Still, his support of nuclear energy is puzzling. I mean, the toxic side effects of wind and solar power are, so those bean counters tell me … None whatsoever. Oh sure, building nuclear plants would create jobs, but so would building wind and solar infrastructure.

And yet last month, McCain and his good friend, Joe Lieberman, teamed up on an amendment to the energy bill that would have taken funds from clean energy sources and allotted them instead to nuclear energy. Somebody with more patience and knowhow than I have might ought to follow that money trail.

Oh, wash my mouth out with soap for allowing such cynicism to sneak in. McCain probably prefers nuclear energy merely because, as a former fighter pilot, he likes its elan. “Nuclear”–at least if you pronounce it correctly–sounds so much more manly than “windmills”.