If American foreign policy had a gift shop, what would it sell? America the Gift Shop is an installation project that reflects the current foreign policy in the fun-house mirror of American Commerce. My palette is the vernacular of retail. Once the sugar coating of the ordinary dissolves, we are left with the hard and uncomfortable truth about where we've been as a nation. We buy souvenirs at the end of a trip, to remind ourselves of the experience. What do we have to remind us of the events of the last eight years?
I encourage you to visit it; it's worth eight years of your time.
Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin wants a quick ruling from the state Personnel Board she has asked to investigate her firing of the state's public safety commissioner, her lawyer said Wednesday. [...]
The matter already is under investigation by the state Legislature, which was scheduled to report its findings on October 31 -- days before the November 4 election. But Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said the Personnel Board could resolve the matter faster "if they want to jump on it."
"I think I'd rather have them act quickly and get the real facts out there in the open," he said.
While the percentage of Hispanics favoring Obama over McCain, 66% to 23%, is a couple of points higher than that of previous Democratic nominees, the poll shows Obama making great gains over his lackluster performance among Hispanich during the primary season, with three quarters of all Hispanics who supported Clinton now saying their support was behind Obama.
"This means that Obama is doing better among Hispanic Clinton supporters than he is among non-Hispanic white Clinton supporters, 70 percent of whom now say they have transferred their allegiance to Obama while 18 percent say they plan to vote for McCain," Lopez said, referring to a recent Pew Research Center for the People and the Press survey.
You've probably seen the emails that circulate (usually among our parents-- what's up with that) about Barack Obama. Well, here's a new one I received today. Enjoy. --M.
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?
There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.
Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.
Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.
A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.
Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.
Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.
A member of the Congressional Black Caucus who's met with Obama's vice-presidential screening team says she offered the names of former senators John Edwards and Sam Nunn - and was told they're on the list. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan says when she mentioned that Al Gore is her favorite, the two members of Obama's team smiled. http://politicalticker.blogs.c...
This new commercial from the Obama campaign was released for air yesterday and is being seen today in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia.
(That's 18 states, six more than what Kerry targeted in 2004.)
Also, it seems the Obama campaign is looking for a large summertime media placement, quite possibly on the Olympics.
Though the Obama campaign is keeping mum about whether it will definitely run spots, it has asked NBC Universal about Olympics advertising including $500,000, $2 million and $4 million packages of ads. (NBC presented those along with a $10 million package.) It's not only a sign that the Obama camp has faith it can continue its stellar fundraising achievements but a signal that a widening field of battleground states has the candidate contemplating national broadcast buys. An Olympics buy could also allow Mr. Obama to reach out to a large swath of women. http://adage.com/article?artic...
My favorite quote: "John McCain sounded the alarm on global warming... five years ago," which of course would be several years after the global warming alarm lit off like a train whistle as it was leaving the station.
My favorite trick of the day: McCain speaking out of one side of his mouth on the environment and separating himself from GW while, in the same day, lining up behind Bush on offshore drilling.
The funny thing about Bush's call to lift the ban on offshore drilling, though, is he's done nothing to lift the Executive Order put in place by his dad, the first President Bush, back in 1990.
Offshore drilling is blocked by two bans, one imposed by Congress and the other by the first President Bush's executive order. Asked why the current President Bush did not act at once to lift the order imposed by his father, Keith Hennessey, the director of the president's economic council, told White House reporters, "He thinks that probably the most productive way to work with this Congress is to try to do it in tandem." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06...
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
Anyway, would you buy "sustainability" from McCain? I might have ten years ago, back when he was his own man, but not today when more and more he's appearing as nothing less than Bush's sock puppet.
Enjoy his latest commercial; it makes Cornyn's look positively breakthrough by comparison, which is saying something.
