You've got to love situational faith. Apparently voting is prohibited, but flying around the world to make millions of dollars, attend red carpet events and award shows is not.

Quoted: Serena Williams would vote for Barack Obama if she could. Don't even ask Venus Williams what her political leanings are..."I'm a Jehovah's Witness, so I don't get involved in politics. We stay neutral. We don't vote," she said. "So I'm not going to necessarily go out and vote for him. I would if it wasn't for my religion."

click to play

Thats Thomas McCotter (R-MI) from Livonia, Wayne County. Apparently he's missed the last 8 years of fiscal "responsibility" from "conservatives".

Perhaps this might have been useful at a Republican fundraiser or rally, but on the floor of the House Of Representatives I can't imagine what it accomplished.

Quoted: Rep. McCotter took to the House floor to try to translate for the American public in a speech entitled -- "Speaking Democrat:"

This election is over. Its just a matter of time. A couple of debates should hasten the tide of public opinion.

Quoted: QUESTION: The European Union has set mandatory targets on renewable energy. Is that something you would consider in a McCain administration? […]

Quoted: MCCAIN: Sure. I believe in the cap-and-trade system, as you know. I would not at this time make those — impose a mandatory cap at this time. But I do believe that we have to establish targets for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions over time, and I think those can be met.

That answer contradicts the energy plan McCain himself laid out last month (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/5/11/23034/2638). So he has either forgotten what he said last month, or he lacks a fundamental understanding of his own policy.

Wow. That sucks.

Quoted: Tim Russert, NBC journalist and political heavyweight host of "Meet the Press," has died after collapsing at NBC's Washington news bureau, a source said. He was 58 years old.

click to play

In unrelated news E.D. Hill's show, America's Pulse, has been replaced with an extra hour of Live Desk with Martha MacCallum. She will remain with Fox News in an unspecified capacity.

Nice half-assed apology there E.D.

Quoted: Fox News' E.D. Hill, June 10, 2008

Joe Lieberman decided to criticize Obama again today on national security and Iran, even after Obama's speech to the AIPAC. Apparently enough was enough:

Quoted: Furthermore, during a Senate vote Wednesday, Obama dragged Lieberman by the hand to a far corner of the Senate chamber and engaged in what appeared to reporters in the gallery as an intense, three-minute conversation. While it was unclear what the two were discussing, the body language suggested that Obama was trying to convince Lieberman of something and his stance appeared slightly intimidating. Using forceful, but not angry, hand gestures, Obama literally backed up Lieberman against the wall, leaned in very close at times, and appeared to be trying to dominate the conversation, as the two talked over each other in a few instances. Still, Obama and Lieberman seemed to be trying to keep the back-and-forth congenial as they both patted each other on the back during and after the exchange. Afterwards, Obama smiled and pointed up at reporters peering over the edge of the press gallery for a better glimpse of their interaction.

McCain is still a Senator, isn't he? Why not put pen to paper and actually submit some legislation on this then?

Oh, right. Because he'd get laughed out of chambers with a 90-10 rejection between his legs.

Quoted: Right at the top of his remarks before taking questions from the Nashville crowd -- where regular unleaded goes for about $3.85 -- McCain said he wanted to discuss "what's on everybody's mind, the price of oil." McCain said he was struck by the loud opposition by "the elites in this country." "The hysterical reaction was a little bit funny," he said. In Washington, McCain noted, "the wealthiest people live in Georgetown" and can walk downtown to work. By contrast, he said, the lowest-income workers live the furthest away. McCain explained that Barack Obama had called the plan "a gimmick". "Well, I’d like to have some more quote gimmicks to give-low income Americans some relief," he jabbed back.

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. "
(Luke 6:43-44)

Quoted: As members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws panel voted in favor of the measures, some supporters of Hillary Clinton's White House bid rose from their seats and began to shout “Don’t steal my vote!” and “Let’s go, McCain!” Several paced the back of the ballroom, yelling at the committee members and chanting “Denver! Denver!” – the site of this summer's Democratic presidential nominating convention. When Barack Obama’s name was mentioned, boos filled the room.

Quoted: There has been a lot of talk lately about some Hillary supporters who will actively or passively work against Obama if/when he gets the nomination. One place where these supporters seem to hang out is www.hillaryis44.com So I decided to compare the userbase of dailykos and hillaryis44 in an attempt to see how widespread this viewpoint is. I have downloaded 100,000 recent posts by users of both sites and looked at the userbase associated with those posts.

Quoted: HillaryIs44: The 100,000 posts were written by 310 users. That is NOT a typo. Three hundred and ten users wrote all 100,000 posts. The most prolific user posted 7170 times. The top 20 users have posted 45% off all posts and 24 users have posted half of all posts. 171 users are "regulars", where regulars are defined as having posted 20+ times, the regulars have posted more than 99% of all posts.

Those figures are absolutely staggering.