Not over yet
“It’s practically unanimous: Polls, pols and pundits, not to mention bookies, agree that Barack Obama can start measuring the White House curtains,” New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin writes.
“Except the election isn’t over. And that’s more than a statement of fact about voters not yet having their say,” Mr. Goodwin said.
“John McCain still can win. Yes, he’s a long shot, and if he pulls it off, it would likely be by a very narrow margin in the Electoral College.
“But McCain has a shot because, despite a fumbling campaign in a hostile environment for the GOP brand, he remains within striking distance in enough swing states. While Obama leads in nine of 12 battleground states identified by RealClearPolitics.com, his margin is generally under 6 points.
“The tightness means McCain doesn’t need a miracle or an Obama collapse. His fate largely is still in his own hands.”
Caught on tape
“Why are Democrats trying to cover up their sweetheart relationships with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? And why does the media allow it?” Wall Street Journal editorialist Stephen Moore writes at www.opinionjournal.com.
“This past week I appeared on Bill Maher’s HBO show ’Real Time’ with Representative Maxine Waters of California. Ms. Waters fibbed on the air about her connections to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” Mr. Moore said.
“It all began when Mr. Maher tried to the lay blame for the credit meltdown on inadequate regulation of Wall Street. I pointed out that among the biggest failures this year were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and that Democrats had protected them against tougher regulation. I said to Ms. Waters: ’You said [the system for regulating the mortgage giants] wasn’t broke five years ago at a congressional hearing, and you took $15,000 of campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie.’
“Responded Ms. Waters: ’That is a lie, and I challenge you to find $15,000 that I took from Fannie PAC.’
“Naturally, on hearing such a categorical insistence from Ms. Waters that my facts were wrong, I double-checked the numbers on the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org Web site. … Sure enough, the report confirms that Maxine Waters was recipient of $15,000 in Fannie Mae Pac dollars since 1989. …
“This has become a pattern of congressional Democrats, who deny their incestuous relationship with Fannie and Freddie, even when it means strangling the truth on national TV. Ms. Waters said to me during and after the show that she had wanted to regulate Fannie. But here’s what she said in a 2004 congressional hearing: ’Through nearly a dozen hearings, we were frankly trying to fix something that wasn’t broke. Mr. Chairman, we do not have a crisis at Freddie Mac, and particularly at Fannie Mae, under the outstanding leadership of Franklin Raines.’
“Imagine the number of times network news would be playing the clip of a Republican congresswoman caught lying on national TV. Ms. Waters no doubt felt her allies in most of the major media outlets would protect her. And the real scandal here is that, regrettably, she was right.”
That’s show biz
After watching “Saturday Night Live” make fun of her from afar, Sarah Palin witnessed it first hand this week as Tina Fey engaged in fiction by depicting her at the news conference that the Republican vice-presidential nominee has yet to hold.
Later, Mrs. Palin came on stage during the “Weekend Update” mock news segment and bobbed to the beat as cast member Amy Poehler performed a rap song the Alaska governor decided was too hard core for her to perform personally. “I’m Jeremiah Wright ’cuz I’m the preacher; I got a bookish look, and you’re all hot for teacher,” Mrs. Poehler rapped.
Early Nielsen Media Research ratings estimates were that the show drew about 14 million viewers, with about 17 million tuning in during the first half-hour - the show’s best ratings since 1994. The week before, only two other shows in prime time had a bigger audience, Nielsen said.
In the show’s opening, Mrs. Fey’s impersonation of Mrs. Palin told a group of reporters, “First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions.”
Moments later, the camera cut away to the real Mrs. Palin watching a television monitor alongside the show’s executive producer, Lorne Michaels.
“You know, Lorne, I just don’t think it’s a realistic depiction of the way my press conferences would have gone,” Mrs. Palin said. She said she wanted to do a sketch about “30 Rock,” the NBC program in which Mrs. Fey now stars. That prompted Mr. Michaels to deadpan: “Honestly not enough people know that show.”
“30 Rock” co-star, Alec Baldwin then mistook the governor for Miss Fey and called Mrs. Palin “that horrible woman.” When Mr. Michaels then introduced him to Mrs. Palin, Mr. Baldwin feigned embarrassment and replied, “I see. Forgive me. I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person.” Mrs. Palin got even by saying, “Thank you, and I must say, your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother.”
After a cut back to Miss Fey, the real Mrs. Palin then walked onto the news conference set, sending her impersonator fleeing.
“Thank you, thank you,” the governor said to applause from the studio audience. “No, I’m not going to take any of your questions, but I do wanted to take this opportunity to say, ’Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.’ ”
An apology
A Republican group in California has apologized for putting a photo of Sen. Barack Obama’s head on a donkey and surrounding it with watermelon, fried chicken and ribs.
This month’s newsletter of the 200-member Chaffey Community Republican Women, based in Uplands, Calif., mocks the Democratic presidential candidate on a bogus $10 bill referred to as “Obama Bucks” and inscribed with the words “United States Food Stamps,” the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
Club President Diane Fedele apologized, saying she did not mean to offend anyone or seem racist. “It was strictly an attempt to point out the outrageousness of Obama’s statement that he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”
Greg Pierce can be reached at 202/636-3285 or gpierce@washingtontimes.com.
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