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The McCain/Palin campaign (or is it the Palin/McCain campaign?), with five day left till the Presidential election, is beginning to pull out all the stops in order to win at whatever cost to America as a whole. The GOP didn't get quite as much poll traction as they had hoped from the William Ayers/ "Obama palls around with terrorists" fear mongering, so they are now going for another past association in the hope that Jews will turn their back on Obama.

Rashid Khalidi is a widely respected, if controversial, Palestinian-American Middle East scholar who founded the Center for Palestine Research and Studies as well as numerous academic panels and news outlets. He is an author, a teacher, an adviser, a journalist, and geo-political expert. He has also been erroneously linked to the PLO as their "spokesperson" or "figurehead" because of his reporting for WAFA in the late '70's and his participation in the Madrid Conference in 1991.

John McCain is now taking that false claim and running with it, claiming that Khalidi is another terrorist and extremist with whom Barack Obama has a close relationship. Sara Palin, at a rally in Ohio yesterday, called Khalidi a "radical professor" and Obama's "political ally," all while sneering his name and generally attempting to whip her crowd into yet another hate-fest.

As I have stated before in these pages, I hate hypocrisy. Fear mongering at the cost of truth runs a close second. Put the two together and I run a fever. Thus, I feel it is necessary to shine a little light onto the bullshit that is McCain's new attack on Barack Obama.

Before you claim that I am a partisan hack with a hard on for the Democratic ticket, please let me say, my distaste for political hypocrisy knows no party boundary. Should a democrat or an independent say or do something monumentally stupid or nefarious, I'll be there to illuminate it and deconstruct it as well. Don't worry.

In 2003, when Rashid Khalidi was leaving his position as Middle East professor at the University of Chicago, Barack Obama attended his farewell dinner. He had some nice things to day about the academic who was leaving the city for Columbia University. This is fact.

Another fact? While John McCain was chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in the 1990's, the IRI granted more than $500,000 to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies to fund studies in the area. You can read details of the transactions in Michael Tomasky's Guardian article.

I repeat. John McCain and the International Republican Institute gave money to Rashid Khalidi. If Khalidi is such a terrorist and radical, why would John McCain give his research group American money?

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one of the most heinous and recalcitrant geo-political messes currently on the books. Any and all light thrown on its causes, reinforcements, and realities is money well spent. This is not only research but due diligence. As a Jew, I think all measures taken to encourage diplomacy and understanding should be employed. The issue is not black and white and to treat it as such is irresponsible.

To turn around and use Rashid Khalidi as yet another tool to cast suspicion on Barack Obama is first class hypocrisy and it sits about as well with me as a day old oyster. The depth to which the McCain/Palin campaign is now stooping is right up there with what Rove and Eskew did to John McCain himself in the Republican Primary of 2000 (it's notable that the GOP ticket now employs Tucker Eskew). These actions do not speak well of Senator McCain and are an embarrassment to the political process.

With all of the noise John McCain has been making this month about "elitists" and "Georgetown cocktail conservatives" and "Washington insiders" (not to mention the nasty spittle practically flying every which way), it is interesting to note that not only did his father, a four star Navy Admiral with whom he was raised, hold the political post of the Navy's Chief Liaison to the Senate, but so did John McCain III. The man was raised inside the Beltway and attended Episcopal High School, a prestigious and well heeled Capital prep school. Of course, we are all well aware of his twenty-two years in the US Senate. If those points, alone, are not enough to illustrate that Mr. McCain may well possibly be the mother of all "Washington elite", his brother sure is doing his best to remind the world that the McCains were raised in an atmosphere of entitlement and privilege.

While in Alexandria earlier this week, Sen. McCain's brother Joe was apparently caught in some rather annoying traffic. We, the unwashed masses, have learned to dutifully, if with frustration, wait our turn for passage. After all, there is nowhere to go when trapped in your vehicle. Joe, on the other hand, is a man of action. After fifteen minutes of unbearable prostration, he decided that the inconvenience was inappropriate for a man of his stature. The well heeled, apparently, are not designed to suffer the common indignities of waiting. Thus, he called 911 to complain about the traffic. Yes. The man vented his frustration using a public resource reserved for emergencies, a public resource that, by Sen. McCain's own definition must be one of those socialist plunders, as it is paid for with hard working, Real Americans'™ taxes.

When the dispatcher asked, "Sir, are you calling 911 to complain about traffic?" Joe shot back, "Fuck You!" and hung up.

It could have ended there, but the dispatch (who, in my opinion, should receive a special commendation), called back, only to receive Joe McCain's outgoing message toting his involvement in a "very important family political project." The dispatch left a message saying that it is criminal to frivolously tie up the 911 resource.

That would have been ironic enough on its own, but wait, there's more! Joe McCain called 911 back to complain about his treatment at the hands of the original dispatcher! I swear, I couldn't write this any better myself. While the indignant and, might I add, wickedly spoiled Joe McCain might have assumed the 911 dispatcher would apologize profusely and offer to send out a police escort to shuttle him through the delay, he was, instead, met with another sharp rebuke.

I can't embed the video, but you can watch WJLA Newschannel 7's story, which includes the 911 tapes, over at The Raw Story.

Sure, John McCain is not his brother's keeper and I certainly wouldn't want to be judged by my siblings behavior, but if John McCain is trying to convince the Joe Sixpacks and Joe The Plumbers and Real Americans™ everywhere that he is of the people, for the people, and not one of those martini swilling Georgetown types, it's best not to have those subtle reminders of your exceptionally privileged childhood popping up in the form of your petulant brother whining to the Alexandria, VA Emergency Services to do something about the damn traffic.

There has been no comment from Joe McCain or the McCain campaign. I suppose this could be an extraordinarily well crafted hoax, but until I hear other wise, I stand by the events as they were reported.

It's the middle of the night, but unfortunately, I am jacked on Sudafed. I watched the debate and I have to say, outright, I am now officially in love with Joe Biden. Who knew? He was dignified, knowledgeable, visibly experienced, articulate, succinct, and (as my 80 year old mother would say) a man of class. He spoke to all of the issues I care about and proved himself to be an effective leader and impressive proxy. I will waste no energy on Sarah Palin as she, obviously, wasted no energy on correct grammar construction or educating herself beyond route, empty talking points (so that's what Americans get after five days of debate camp).

Instead I will lead you to one of my favorite blogs, deusexmalcontent. Chez, as enlightening as always, has a much better take on the Governor than I can muster at this late hour.

For those interested in playing the home version of Liar, Liar Pants on Fire, check out Factcheck.org, a non-partisan website that take candidates to task for their whoppers. Ah! Truthiness!

My nose is chapped red and running, my body aches as if I got caught up under a bus, and I am a sweaty, sweaty girl, but god damn it, I am going to get up tomorrow morning, take a shower, wash my hair, put clothes on that don't involve a drawstring, and drive myself down to Denver. I am going to John McCain's "Women's Issues" Town Hall Meeting.

Since this cold has settled in like a tick, I moved my office tv into the bedroom for a little bed-bound, non-reading activity. This morning I could not sleep, stuffed as I was, so I flipped it on and caught my very first ever morning news program (I am not a rise and shine person). In between the local weather and a seemingly incongruous puff piece on assembling and baking twenty minute tartlets (I am not a breakfast person, apparently, either), announcements regarding the elections aired and what do you know? John and Cindy McCain are going to be in Denver tomorrow afternoon to have one of their "informal" Town Hall meetings! And the subject? Women's Issues! Oh my god, it felt like my birthday all over again. Unlike Michelle Obama's voter registration rally in Boulder today, which was open to the public and easily accessible for all, the McCain event was a by-ticket-only affair. What are the chances I would be able to get a ticket?!?

It was only 8am and this was the first I had heard of it. I did a little search on line and initially couldn't find info anywhere on the event (nothing on the McCain/Palin website). Eventually, buried deep in the Rocky Mountain News site, I found a listed number to call. A VERY chipper young man, Ron, answered the phone (who the hell is that happy at 8:15 in the morning?) and asked how he could help me.

"I just heard that John McCain is going to be in Denver tomorrow and I would LOVE to get two tickets to the event!"
"That's great! Can I get a little info from you?"
"Um, Ok"

Ron proceeded to ask me for quite a bit of personal information, just short of my birthday, social security number, and bra size. He then asked the same questions regarding my friend Emily, for whom I was procuring a second ticket. He did not, however, ask me for my or Emily's party affiliation. I was surprised about this, as I have been trying to get in to see President Bush speak for eight years and have never been able to get within two miles of him. Seriously.

Ron then asked if I would be coming in to my local McCain headquarters to pick up the tickets and would I be willing to volunteer my time in the crucial coming days. Um, no and no. Luckily, I can simply pick the tickets up at the will-call table at the event. Whew! So, easy as ordering a pizza, I was able to secure two tickets to tomorrow's Town Hall Meeting with the McCains.

I am a registered Independent. Even though I don't get invited to the primary parties here in Colorado, I just can not bring myself to name an allegiance. I am an American and a voter. Beyond that, I expect the the parties to work a little harder, with a little bit more integrity than they have exhibited in recent years to prove that they deserve my registration, my affiliation, or my whole hearted devotion.

Those of you who read my journal regularly know where I stand in this election. I have abandoned the past efforts of 2000 and 2004 to simply encourage people to vote and keep my own political opinions to myself. The stakes are too high at this point in history and I have made my peace with loosing listeners, record buyers, and audience members. I have accepted myself as a political creature at the risk of being rejected by the people who have given me a career over the last decade. I am putting my literal money where my mouth is. Such is life.

That being said, I would be one flaming hypocrite if I stood from the sidelines and condemned a candidate without ever personally attending a rally or at least attempting to ask him/her a question. I want to hear the bullshit right from the source, so to speak. After all, had I never had that ridiculous conversation with Fred Thompson's media manager and aspiring musician grandson, I never could have said with such totally and utter conviction that his campaign was as flimsy as a single ply tissue.

With this in mind, I am going to go down to Denver tomorrow afternoon and give the Senator two hours of my time for his so-called "Women's Issues" town hall meeting. We'll see if I can get a question in. Such as:

• Why should I vote for you when you repeatedly voted for (and co-sponsored) the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalizes a wide swath of abortion services, with no exception to protect a woman's health, and carries up to a two year sentence for doctors?


• Why should I vote for you when you have not written, sponsored, or supported a single piece of legislature over your 21 years in the US Senate that aids in reducing the number of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies?


• Why should I vote for you when you voted AGAINST the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which established criminal and civil penalties for those who use force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to interfere with access to reproductive-health facilities?


• Why should I vote for you, Senator McCain, as an independent voter and the wife of a Navy veteran who proudly served his country, when you voted against an amendment that would ensure that military personnel have access to abortion services in military hospitals, facilities that are often the ONLY medical services available to military wives?


• Why should I vote for you when you say you are a proponent of "equal pay for equal work", yet publicly came out against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a piece of legislature written specifically to address pay inequity?

Or, more to the point, as my beautiful friend Heidi wrote to me this afternoon, what about simply, "What the fuck, Senator?" Do you think I'll be accused of GOTCHA! journalism?