Obama and McCain Seem to Understand the Importance of Renewable Energy
The good news from the presidential campaign is that even though Senator McCain and Governor Palin have resorted to swift-boat tactics, the fundamental issue of economic well-being has begun to dominate the race for the White House. In the past, that would be bad news for environmental protection and sustainable development, as we’d be hearing we can either have either economic growth or environmental protection. Fortunately, Senator Obama is connecting economic well-being with energy efficiency and renew

Obama notes McCain’s effort to temper GOP comments
AP - Barack Obama acknowledged Saturday that John McCain has asked his supporters to temper their attacks on him. But the Democratic presidential nominee said the Republican’s economic plans remain wrong for the country. "I appreciated his reminder that we can disagree while still being respectful of each other," Obama told supporters in Philadelphia. He said McCain "has served this country with honor, and he deserves our thanks for that." However, Obama said, McCain "still doesn’t get it" reg

McCain to Biden: Too early to celebrate
In response to a Joe Biden email telling supporters that the “McCain campaign is on the ropes,” the McCain camp responded that it is too early to celebrate. “Being an underdog is a role that John McCain relishes and with 26 days left I don’t think Joe Biden should pop the champagne just yet,” said McCain spokesman Ben Porritt. “We are confident that as people make their decisions they will choose John McCain, a maverick with a real record over Barack Obama —an unknown comm

Matthews: "I Want To Do Everything I Can To Make This...New Presidency Work"
Chris Matthews appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning to discuss Rahm Emanuel's decision to announce he has not yet accepted President-Elect Barack Obama's offer for White House Chief of Staff and other Obama-related stories. But after some questioning by co-host Joe Scarborough, Matthews said, "I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new presidency work." "Your job as a journalist is to make this presidency work?" asked Scarborough. Scarborough, co-host Mika Brzezinski

106-Year-Old Voter Taking It All In Stride
Ann Nixon Cooper, the 106-year-old who got a major shout out in Barack Obama's victory speech Tuesday night, hasn't had a moment of peace since. Cooper has been visited by representatives from outlets as diverse as the BBC and a Japanese TV station. As historical as the moment is, though, Cooper is not about to wax poetic about Barack Obama. "I wouldn't have anything special to say about Obama. I enjoyed listening to him, but that's all," she said, when asked what she would do

Schieffer set to moderate last debate
The debate season that has chewed up its moderators comes to a close Wednesday when John McCain and Barack Obama meet for the third time, with CBS News' Bob Schieffer directing the discussion. The veteran "Face the Nation" host won't telegraph what he will ask. But he said he will be seeking more details about their potential presidencies than have been evident so far. "By now we've all heard their talking points," he said. "We've heard the general outlines of what they are talking about. The time has c

Schieffer set to moderate last McCain-Obama debate
The debate season that has chewed up its moderators comes to a close Wednesday when John McCain and Barack Obama meet for the third time, with CBS News' Bob Schieffer directing the discussion. The veteran "Face the Nation" host won't telegraph what he will ask. But he said he will be seeking more details about their potential presidencies than have been evident so far. "By now we've all heard their talking points," he said. "We've heard the general outlines of what they are talking about. The time has come

Thom Yorke releases Obama celebration song
Radiohead's Thom Yorke releases Barack Obama celebration songThe track is available to download now Radiohead's Thom Yorke has made a new remix of his solo song 'Harrowdown Hill' available as a free download, in celebration of Barack Obama's win in the US presidential election. The song, the original of which appeared on Yorke's 2006 solo album 'The Eraser', is available to download now from Radiohead.com. Yorke wrote on the website: "In celebration of November 5, Jonny's [Greenwood, guitarist

Does McCain Really Expect Voters to Buy the Obama-Terrorist Line?
On Thursday, John McCain at last did away with all above-the-fray pretense and added his voice to the right-wing chorus now openly trying to portray Barack Obama as a fundamentally anti-American figure. McCain, whose running-mate previously accused the Democratic presidential nominee of “palling around with terrorists,” sought to frame Obama’s rather tenuous connection with Bill Ayers in the most sinister terms possible. “Senator Obama says he was just another guy in the neighborhood,” McCain sa

New will.i.am Obama video delayed; Oprah to debut
NEW YORK - Yes it will, but later _ and on Oprah. In this Aug. 30, 2008, file photo, Oprah Winfrey speaks in Whitesboro, N.J. (AP Photo/MJ Schear, file) A new will.i.am video celebrating Barack Obama's win has been delayed, and now will be debuted on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Friday.The Black Eyed Peas leader had said "It's A New Day" would debut on dipdive.com Wednesday, the day after Obama was elected. Will.i.am's publicist now says th

McCain weighs proposal to cut taxes on investments
AP - A top adviser to Republican John McCain said Sunday the presidential hopeful is weighing new economic proposals to help the nation weather the financial crisis. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said McCain was considering policy proposals that would cut taxes on investments. "I think it goes along the lines of now’s the time to lower tax rates for investors, capital gains tax, dividend tax rates, to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started," Graham said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "It wi

Election Night Ratings: ABC Wins in Broadcast; CNN Wins on Cable
On Tuesday night, some 71.5 million viewers tuned in across 14 television networks to watch Senator Barack Obama's victory over Senator John McCain, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Overall it was the highest rated election night since 1980. On broadcast television, ABC News was big winner. On cable, CNN dominated. The Nielsen numbers for total viewers via THR: ABC: 13,135,000 NBC: 12,018,000 CBS: 7,829,000 Fox: 5,137,000   CNN: 12,304,000 Fox Ne

Barack Obama, Conservative
Karol Sheinin makes the point that Obama is anti-gay marriage, pro-death penalty, pro-tax cuts and anti-meeting with despots without preconditions. (Or at least those are his latest positions; stay tuned for updates.) Absent was the Walter Mondale moment: “He won’t admit he’ll raise your taxes. I just said I would.” So was the big winner of this election…Ronald Reagan? Obama proved that campaigning as an overt liberal is dead. Topics: Barack

Pop culture moments that defined Election '08
NEW YORK - Given the historic election we've all just experienced, it's hard to remember back to last week, let alone June 2007, when Barack Obama was a true underdog, polling way behind front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. This Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 file photo shows President-elect Barack Obama, center, his wife Michelle, right, and Oprah Winfrey as they wave to the crowd at a rally in Manchester, N.H. If it seems like pop culture took a more prominent role in

Palin drubs Obama on abortion during Pa. rally
Palin says a vote for Obama is, in her words, "a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate that we deserve and that we need on this issue of life." Palin made her remarks Saturday during a rally before about 5,000 people in Johnstown, about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. On Saturday night, the self-described "hockey mom" is scheduled to drop the ceremonial first puck when the Flyers open their NHL season in Philadelphia against the New York Rangers. Share with

Obama fundraiser, convicted of fraud, spills beans
AP - Jailed political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer who helped launch Barack Obama on his political career, is whispering secrets to federal prosecutors about corruption in Illinois and the political fallout could be explosive. Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration faces multiple federal investigations over how it handed out jobs and money with advice from Rezko, is considered the most vulnerable. Rezko also was friendly with Obama — offering him a

Gay-rights wedge issue fading away?
For more than four years, the Bush White House has run against any changes in the law that would allow gay Americans -- even his vice president's daughter -- to marry. Under the guidance of political maestro Karl Rove, George W. Bush even ran against gay rights in his 2004 re-election bid. The strategy: push a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and thereby stir the base of evangelicals to the polls. It worked. Now, four years later, the climate has changed,

Presidential pirates
Filed under: Fun & activities, Holidays, Weird but trueThey disagree on the economy. They disagree about foreign policy. They even disagree on how to pronounce "Pakistan". But whatever their philosophical, economic, military or social differences, there is one thing the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, can agree upon -- pirates are cool.In interviews with Nick News, both candidates told the thirteen-year-olds quizzing them that their favorite costume from their own past was tha

Dave Karger says Obama’s win could help ‘The Dark Knight’ come Oscar time
I thought the sequence involving the two ferries (in which a group of commuters and a group of convicts have the power to blow up each others’ boats but don’t) was a bit too reality-show-ish for my taste. But I know most viewers loved it. Either way, that part of the film speaks to the innate goodness of human behavior. And let’s remember that Oscar ballots are due next January 12, just a week before Barack Obama is inaugurated. It’s safe to say most Hollywood types will also see tha

Tussle
John Lewis and Barack Obama on the deliberate agitating of low-information wingnuts by McCain-Palin at rallies. And McCain's harumphy response....

South Park Does Obama
“Yes! He’s so perfect and awesome!”

Minority Report
• Beyonce has already started lobbying for a spot on the Inauguration line-up. [MTV] • Well, we now know how the Rockdale Citizen feels about our new president. [TSG] • Speaking of our new president, 71.5 million Americans watched the election coverage Tuesday night. [Us] • The two crazies who plotted to go on a racist killing rampage [...]

The Country Is Getting Bluer and Bluer
The 2008 presidential election was about change, certainly. Barack Obama's victory shows, not only that people were ready to promote someone other than a older white male to the highest office in the land, but that the disastrous Bush administration has caused a dramatic ideological shift from right to left in our country. Above is a map from the New York Times. The blue parts of the map show areas where voters shifted further to the left since 2004; the red areas (notice Appalachia) show where voters

South Park: The Obama-McCain Master Plan
No wonder John McCain's concession speech Tuesday night was so gracious. It turns out he's been in cahoots with Barack Obama for the last 10 years, and the pair have been...

Winfrey's 'Mr. Man' ID'd as Obama campaign worker
CHICAGO - Colleagues of a Barack Obama campaign worker from California have identified him as the man whose shoulder Oprah Winfrey cried on during an Election Day rally in Chicago. This Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 file photo shows President-elect Barack Obama, center, his wife Michelle, right, and Oprah Winfrey as they wave to the crowd at a rally in Manchester, N.H. If it seems like pop culture took a more prominent role in Campaign 2008 than ever before, it's largel