This post is also posted here! 

If one is following the US presidential election closely- and one should, ye lazy bums- one could get all kinds of interesting information on the candidates from the campaign spokespeople of their contenders. For example, if you listened to the Obama campaign, then you would know that McCain is the product of a rather successful genetic experiment to clone an older, grumpier and more senile version of George W. Bush that is determined to nuke every country on the planet and serve your firstborn cooked a la king to the eating pleasure of CEO’s of Oil companies . On the other hand, if you listen to the McCain campaign, you would be surprised to find out that Barack Obama is an Islamist Theocrat, a socialist nationalist and a Marxist communist, all at the same time. Obama, it seems, has many faces, and all of them hate America.

The most recent McCain campaign meme, however, is focused on a fourth Obama: an Zionist-hating, Palestinian-loving, Kuffeyah-wearing, Israel-is-committing-genocide-against-the-Palestinian-people fifth columnist. Their proof? Well, he apparently has past associations with a Palestinian-American scholar , Rashid Khalidi , the director of the Middle East Institute of Columbia's School of International and Public affairs. What is the big deal about that? Well, he apparently does not like Israel very much, to such degree that he is rumored to have been an un-official advisor to the PLO during the Madrid Peace talks. Now, while I am shocked..shocked I tell ya..that a pleastinian-american scholar might not hold a favorable view of Israel and the Israeli occupation, I am almost speechless that a man who may have adviced the PLO- which the US government negotiates with- during peace talks is allowed to live in America today, let alone poison the minds of the airheaded susceptible C students they let into Columbia. For Shame.

But wait, the McCain campaign says: There is more. There is apparently a videotape, which they haven’t seen and that the LA Times has and refuses to release, of a party honoring Khalidi where Obama speaks, and during which Obama is rumored to have said bad things about Israel. Now, if you ask the McCain campaign how they know what’s on the tape even though they never saw it, they will respond to you that this is not really the issue, and that the real issue is that the LA Times won’t release the tape, and that is because the LA Times wants Obama to be President and knows how damaging this tape really is. The LA Times counters that they can’t release the tape because it belongs to a source for a story they did, whom they promised never to publically release. So, dear reader, being the diligent blogger that I am, I searched for the story and found it, hoping to find the clues that the McCain campaign followed to infer the existence of such a conspiracy, specifically paragraphs on what exactly Obama had said at that event. Here is what I found:

A special tribute came from Khalidi's friend and frequent dinner companion, the young state Sen. Barack Obama. Speaking to the crowd, Obama reminisced about meals prepared by Khalidi's wife, Mona, and conversations that had challenged his thinking.

His many talks with the Khalidis, Obama said, had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases. . . . It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation — a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table," but around "this entire world."

Ok… there must be something else…oh yes, here we go

Ok, so Obama said that conversations are good and that common ground is better, which is clearly….un-American? I don’t know anymore, man. This election is confusing me. My guess is that they know Obama didn’t say anything personally incriminating at the event, but that the other speakers-as the quote shows- did, so they would like to create a hoopla on how “he was there” when bad things were said about Israel and didn’t do something, unlike John McCain which would’ve pulled out his Hauser and killed them all in the name of Israel’s honor, or something.

So yes, this is the news currently in the US: a focus on how guilt by association is an integral aspect of the decision making process come election day, and that if one really wants to run for political office, one shouldn’t have friends from different political and ideological backgrounds and stick to people who think and act just like him. As for me, I am awaiting the Palestinian resistance name the McCain campaign will give Obama next. Abu Hussein, anyone?

I don't know if you guys have been watching the same McCain campaign that I've been watching, but has it been majorly sucking lately or what? I mean, I refrained from commenting on the last debate, simply because I was so angry that I- a measly blogger from egypt- actually had better answers than McCain on the questions he was being asked, well, that's just not a good indicator is it? And why is he sticking to the mavericky crap? It's nice being called a Maverick, but calling yourself one time and time again? That's like Obama calling himself " the great Hope" time and time again. It's hokey, it's unappealing and it's unbecoming. And now it's a national joke. I counted the amount of people on my friendslist on Facebook who are "feeling mavericky" today, and it's more than 2 dozens. While that says something on their level of creativity, it says volumes on how this talking point is dead. All is not lost, however, and McCain can still turn this thing around, but there are a number of things that he needs to do in order to stop sucking, and here is a couple of them. So, John, if you are reading, pay attention:

 1) Start today's debate with the following statement " Ladies and gentlemen, before I start today I would like you all to note something very significant: I have been in the senate for a some time, enough time for me to have what is referred to as a record; My opponent doesn't have a record, primarily because he was in the senate for like a year before deciding to run for President. Now, he knows this, and he knows that his only chance of winning this is to smear my record, so here is what he is going to do: He is going to keep saying Bush-McCain, Bush-McCain, Bush-McCain, in an attempt to link my record to President Bush. Now, Barack Obama knows I am not George Bush. Hell, all of you know I am not George Bush, and you all know how many times I have disagreed with the President in the past 8 years, on a number of issues that I could spend all night listing, but for example: The judges, the torture issue, the surge, campaign finance reform, etc etc. In each one of those issues, I decided to put Country above Party, and take a position that cost me popularity points with my colleagues and the republican base, because I knew it was the right thing to do for my country. Barack Obama has never done that. Never took a risky position on anything, never challenged his party on anything, never really been a leader on anything. So again, he has to smear me, or otherwise he looks bad. Me, while I understand it's politics as usual from him, Can't fathom how the people forget that while I was the democrats favorite republican senator for the past 8 years- so favorited that the democratic nominee in the last election wanted me to be his VP, have now suddenly became the same as Bush. Well, for the record Senator Obama, my name is John McCain, and you shouldn't forget this name because I was serving this country while you were in diapers. And to you, dear audience, please count the amount of times he will try to link me to Bush tonight. I promise you this much: it will make of an amusing drinking game." Now watch as Obama scrambles to find another strategy as you defused his only one.

2) Dude, you are a fiscal conservative republican, which means you are a DICK. Act like one. When you are discussing Obama's so called economic plan, go for the impracticality issue: How you don't know how Obama claims in his budget to increase education spending, reduce taxes on the middle-class, provide universal health care for everybody, make college education affordable for everybody, increase the size of the army and at the same time cut the deficit and balance the budget. Especially now, with the new 700 billion spending bill they just approved. You stress how for you it sounds like he is saying whatever the people want to hear to elect him, and that you are not doing that. You are going to do it the old-fashioned way: not pander to anybody, cut the waste and balance the budget. Just the way you always did it.

3) If they want to talk economy, then talk about how the most important thing to do is to create more american jobs. Pure and simple. that's the only thing that will fix the economy. How do you do it? Well, make it attractive for corporations to expand in america and hire americans, and for people to create new businesses and hire more people, by cutting , if not giving a limited time exemption, of corporate taxes. Tell them that you propose that from now on every new company that opens up and hires americans would get a tax exemption for the next 5 to 7 years, based on the size of the company and the amount of americans and residents they hire. Inform the already existing corporations that if they bring back 50 % or more of the jobs that they have outsources to the US, you will make their corporate taxes the same as Dubai's for the next 5 to 7 years: 4%. This will lower the cost of business in the US, thus encourage more foreign investment, more local investment, and will create more and more jobs, which means more salaries, more savings, more consumption= a functioning economy. Oh, and the tax difference they can probably make up with the Income tax revenues all of those new jobs will create.

4) I wish you never were for the bailout, because that would've been your issue. You could've exposed how much of a corrupt facade it was, and how if the issue was really liquidity, they could've just lent the financial corporations the money with the mortgages as collateral, instead of straight up taking the bad mortgages off of their hands, thus creating a huge opportunity for corruption and waste. But alas, you caved in, like they all did in the senate, but there is still something you can do about it: attack the earmarking they did in the house. You know, the 200 million they gave to rum manufacturers, the 120 million they gave to Nascar, the 2 million they gave to bow and arrow manufacturers. ATTACK THAT. Attack the republicans who asked for them. If you are truly against earmarks, you should totally own this issue, especially that the version you voted for didn't have all of this pork attached to it. And guess which party's majority voted for it: yes, the democrats. You can't lose with that one.

5) Stop with the Maverick crap. For real. Remind the voters of who you are supposed to be: You are a veteran of war and politics, and the one man steady enough to hold this country through those troubling times, instead of untested Orators who make people feel good but offer no substance. But have someone zap you every time you saw that maverick word. Seriously.

Why do I bother? He is going to lose this debate anyway. Obama just wants it more and it shows. And if he ends up winning it, well, good on him anyway, because he fought harder and committed less mistakes. Although I do have to say that american elections have this fantastic effect of taking two candidates that you liked at the beginning of the race and makes you really fuckin hate them near the end of it. Oh well. One month left to go. 

In what is quite literally a very political move, Hosny Mubarak just pardoned the recently indicted Editor in Chief of El Dostoor Ibrahim Eissa. This move aims to discredit Eissa in the eyes of the local press, where everyone will start wondering why would the President pardon his most vocal critic, and whether Eissa sold out in exchange.

Well, now the blogsphere officially has everything!

Praise Allah:

As the daughter of firebrand cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, Yasmin Fostok might be expected to share his fanatical beliefs.

But the radical Muslim's daughter has ditched his extreme interpretation of Islam  -  as well as most of her clothing.

The busty blonde has been revealed as a topless, tattooed pole dancer.

The 26-year-old single mother has been displaying her charms in
London clubs and touring as a 'podium' dancer with a troupe called
Ibiza Untouched.

Hundreds of youngsters go wild over the daughter of the preacher of hate who rants against Western 'depravity'.

Yasmin
shrugged off the secret life that her father would abhor. 'I don't
agree with his views  -  I just get on with my life and that's it,' she
said.

And what's his reaction of this? Oh, it's all lies, naturally:

Perhaps predictably Bakri, now exiled to Lebanon, dismissed the news
as a ' fabrication' and described it as an attack on him and Islam.

'The more you put pressure on me, the stronger I become. Islam will conquer Britain,' he said.

'I have not seen my daughter for nine years, but because she is a member of my family people want to make things up about her.

'You are going to pay a heavy price. You can read it any way you like. The time is now.'

Yeah, yeah, Tough guy. Remember how tough he was during the War on Lebanon, when he tried to board the british ship leaving the country after the brits kicked his ass out? He is very good at making threats from the safety of his home this guy.

But I digress, I don't usually find pleasure in seeing a man's daughter turn into a topless pole dancer (although it is a respectable way to get yourself through college, wink wink), since it is kind of every man's nightmare. However, when it comes to Bakri, ehh, I dunno. It seems kinda Karmic. I just hope they don't kill her in some weird attempt to avenge his honor. 

Here is the Tina Fey impression of the debate (which saddens me to say was rather spot on) and Bill Maher's reaction to it, where he showed the amount of eye-winkage she put in there (He put in 4, I counted 5. She did give a wink to that 3rd grade class that was watching, or something, right?). There is also that piece by George Saunders, which made me fall on the floor from laughing, using her folksy speak. Hey, I like her, but damn she is easy to make fun off.

I think it is. It saves time and, like, the effort of typing URLs. Check it out.

Okay, I just finished watching the debate, which meant that I had to stay up till 3 am my time just to see the damn thing start. But now that it's over, I figured I should have something posted up on it before I pass out.

Now, before this thing started, I have to say that I had pretty low expectations all around: Palin was dreadful in most of her interviews, and Biden, well, Biden was being Biden. So It's fair to say that like most of you, I placed the bar pretty low for this debate. So low that I wasn't actually looking for who answers best, but more like who will screw up the most. And I was also kinda dreading Ifill being partisan, because I didn't want anyone making excuses for Sarah if she does fumble it. Now, that being said, here are my reactions:

• "Can I call you joe?". Yep, she sure came with her charm on.
• They both start strong, him more slow and authoritative, and her more chipper and energetic. While I liked her answers, the speed in which she gave them were signs of either someone very nervous or someone who is regurgitating memorized talking points.
•  She supports the bailout, he supports the bailout, both of them are for the greatest scam in the histroy of the American public. Boooo..
• Okay, here we go, He starts saying Bush, she starts saying Maverick. This is gonna be a long night.
• The corruption and greed on wall street got said way too many times.
• "I am not gonna answer the question way you or the moderator want me to answer"? For real?
• She knows policy positions, she is calling Biden on Obam's positions, and the things Biden said about Obama. Biden deflects it all and attacks McCain. Palin is not attacking Obama that much. Biden doing the VP's job, she ain't.
• Is it just me, or does it seem like Biden is enjoying himself too much every time she attacks him?
• Good points on using her record in Alaska. I wouldn't have expected Alaskan experience to be used as an example in Darfur, but hey, she sold it, and gave proof that she does know there is a world outside of America.
• She seemed to try to convey that she is bringing something to the ticket as well. She is selling herself to the public while trying to debate Biden at the same time. The double-sided efforts started wearing her down after a bit.
• Okay, I have to say this. She is hot. A total MILF. I like looking at her speak. I even like hearing her talk. She has really good body language and sound inflection. Stylistically she is good. But to be honest I found myself not listening to some of her answers. I don't know if it's because she rambles on very quickly and is all over the place, or it's because she is distractingly eye-pleasing.
• Oh, wow, she really was sucking Israel's dick with that answer, and Biden was like"Hoe, no you didn't" and immediately started sucking on Israel's Balls as well. It was beautiful how they competed for the "who loves Israel the most "prize, which was completely unnecessary for either one of them to do, because Palin just wrote an essay in love of Israel and Biden is AIPAC #1 guy. But I am sure it made Florida's Jews happy, and they are an important group to keep happy. Ask Sarah Silverman, she 'll tell you.
• Is she getting angry? Her answers seem to be testier by the moment. Why is she getting angry?
• Palin is not winning this, but is not losing this either. She is holding her own, while Biden is clearly in his element.
• You and NATO Kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, Biden? For real? Anybody listening to this?
• Did she actually manage to turn Joe's attempt on reaching out to gay voters into having it on record that they both agree on their opposition for gay marriage? Did that just happen?
• Oh boy, the word Maverick again. How many times she said it so far? 25? I should've started a drinking game.
• Yay for Local politics pandering: Palin talks about coming from a small town and being one of the middle-class people, and Biden of course starts talking about his roots as well. One day I would like to see a candidate being like "You know, being raised in the upper east side of manhattan, I was surrounded by a lot of normal people who cleaned my house, and they thought me all about regular folk". Maybe in 2040? The Trump-Hilton Ticket anyone?
• "Say it ain't so, Joe". Folksy and cute. Does this translate to folksy voters? Cause the gradschool graduate democrat-voting americans I was watching this with looked like they were getting an aneurysm whenever she did something like that. Or winked. They would twitch when she winks.
• Holy shit. On the one issue she was supposed to own- having and raising a family- she was upstaged by Biden , who talked about how wife's death and how hard it was to raise his kids as a single father, and then he chocked back a tear. Holy crap. Sarah, you better start crying or talking about your special-needs child or something. He just got the sympathy vote.
• Did she just attack the media? She must be really confident that she did well in this debate if she actually goes out and says that she is gratrful to talk to the people without the media filter. Yeah, that Katie Couric sure is a manipulator, and like, a filterer. Yeah, a filterer. It's a word. Look it up!
• Hmm, pretty standard closing statements. We will fight for you. blah blah. snooz.

Okay, now to the verdict, substance wise Biden won, but Palin held her own- i.e. didn't commit any major blunders, was actually using big words correctly and even had a couple of good answers there. Style wise Palin won: she seemed more relate able, more common american woman and definitely a Washington outsider. She officially does better in debates or behind podiums than in interviews. Biden looked commanding, but there is something about him that never says "Leader". She has buckets more Charisma than he does, but since she is not the main name on the ticket, I am not sure that counts. On the bright side she just stopped hurting the ticket. Now if she can only give a couple of good press interviews, she just might be able to turn this whole thing around. But so far Obama/Biden are the stronger ticket. They are performing better. It's still anyone's race though.

You just never know.