Support NeoGAF

[PhoenixDark]

A former top Justice Department prosecutor now working for John McCain's presidential campaign has been helping to direct an aggressive legal strategy aimed at shutting down a pre-election ethics investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The growing role of Edward O'Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney's office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called "troopergate" inquiry into Palin's firing last summer of Walt Monegan, Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner.

But O'Callaghan (who resigned from the U.S. attorney's office at the end of July to join the McCain campaign) is doing more than just public relations when it comes to "troopergate." He told NEWSWEEK that he and another McCain campaign lawyer (whom he declined to identify) are serving as legal "consultants" to Thomas Van Flein, the Anchorage lawyer who at state expense is representing Palin and her office in the inquiry. "We are advising Thomas Van Flein on this matter to the extent that it impacts on the national campaign," he said. "I'm helping out on legal strategy."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/159260/page/1

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I hope Mccain's still living off his bounce. Obama's taking the polls back. This calls for a celebration.

 

[Zeliard]

no, you didn't read it closely. Apparently she DOES have a known yahoo account gov.sarah@yahoo.com, and the claim is that Anonymous broke into a DIFFERENT account, gov.palin@yahoo.com. that's in addition to her official account on the state of alaska's website. My question is, 1. If this is accurate why wouldn't anonymous have broken into the gov.sarah account which the Alaska Daily News reports is hers, and 2. why would she maintain 2 Yahoo accounts like that?

My bad, I hadn't read it correctly. But the main point still stands, as Steve Youngblood said: she did use Yahoo e-mail to conduct business (as was reported before this ever happened), and that's certainly unacceptable.

As far as why they didn't hack into the first Yahoo one, I wouldn't know, since I don't know how exactly they hacked into the other one. Perhaps they simply couldn't, or for that matter, isn't that account locked anyway because of the Troopergate investigation? If the guys at 4chan really did fake this, then I think they would've also taken the time to fake something scandalous to go along with it.

 

[Hootie]

That's good, but now we just need Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan to get back on track. Obama needs 2-4 point leads in those states for me to not get nervous.

In before chilloutigotthis.jpg

 

[PrivateWHudson]

Yay, send my healthcare costs through the roof! Yay! I'm not having a hard enough time getting by!

Unrelated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLswpZtca48

CNN accepts the SNL version of Clinton's request to grow a pair.

So your first assumption is that putting Healthcare into the free market will make the price skyrocket?

 

[giga]

guys. i'm really worried about obama. shit shit shit.

 

[Judderman]

guys. i'm really worried about obama. shit shit shit.

 

[ronito]

So your first assumption is that putting Healthcare into the free market will make the price skyrocket?

It's a silly assumption it's only what caused the rest of the world to go to universal healthcare.

 

[PhoenixDark]

That's good, but now we just need Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan to get back on track. Obama needs 2-4 point leads in those states for me to not get nervous.

In before chilloutigotthis.jpg

Dude what did I tell you about Michigan. Chill out, me and Cheebs have this in the bag

Spoiler

dunno about Gabron

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

 

[Hootie]

guys. i'm really worried about obama. shit shit shit.

I know the poll is very promising, but it all comes down to the state polls. If Obama can't nab NM and CO, he's not in good shape.

Then again, we still have the debates to make McCain look like an out of touch fool.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Yay, send my healthcare costs through the roof! Yay! I'm not having a hard enough time getting by!

Unrelated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLswpZtca48

CNN accepts the SNL version of Clinton's request to grow a pair.

To be fair, AC360 does that for everyone, several times a week, I think.

 

[StoOgE]

So your first assumption is that putting Healthcare into the free market will make the price skyrocket?

You are right, the free market did such a bang up job with CDO's these last 5 years. I mean, we had cheap mortgages for like 3 of those years, and 3 out of 5 is a winning percentage!

Bring on healthcare free market reforms!

 

[Learn2read]

Pardon me while I smash my face against the wall for a few minutes:

ELITISM.... In general, the notion that a Democrat that few Americans have ever heard of is prepared to support John McCain is pretty inconsequential. There are some high-profile Republicans, including Iowa's Jim Leach, backing Barack Obama, so the notion of a low-profile Democrat breaking party ranks seems largely forgettable.

But a lot of news outlets seem to be taking this pretty seriously, so it's probably worth taking a closer look.

Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee's Platform Committee, will endorse John McCain for president on Wednesday, her spokesman tells CNN.

The announcement will take place at a news conference on Capitol Hill, just blocks away from the DNC headquarters. Forester will "campaign and help him through the election," the spokesman said of her plans to help the Republican presidential nominee.

Explaining her distaste for Obama, Forester said, "I feel like he is an elitist."

Let me get this straight. Lynn Forester de Rothschild, who tends to go by "Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild," is the CEO of an international holding company. She's married to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, a British financier and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England. She splits her time living in London and New York.

And she's backing John McCain, a multimillionaire who has lost track of how many homes he owns, because she perceives Obama as "an elitist."

I think D-Day had the right response: "Pardon me while I laugh hysterically for the next 10 minutes."

Make the bad people stop Mommy

 

[Shins]

It's a silly assumption it's only what caused the rest of the world to go to universal healthcare.

Communist!

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

Dude what did I tell you about Michigan. Chill out, me and Cheebs have this in the bag

Spoiler

dunno about Gabron

Don't forget - I'm out there in the streets, making moves.

 

[Lost Fragment]

Anybody have Gallups for Bush/Kerry?

 

[Barrett2]

This is great! I can't believe that I finally agree with McCain on something. This is the first step to true Healthcare reform.

Go McCain, Go!

What? Perhaps you haven't been paying attention, but one of the largest personal insurance companies in this country was partially nationalized yesterday, largely because of de-regulation.

I might also add that the provision in McCain's health plan that would allow consumers to buy out-of-state insurance, while seemingly pro-consumer, is actually 100% anti-consumer. This is the EXACT SAME THING that the Republicans did with consumer credit laws a few years ago. They passed a law that said when a credit card company issues you a credit card, the company could choose any state's credit laws to control the contract. Rather than 'improving market efficiencies' like the Republicans promised, the actual result was that a few states repealed their usury laws, and almost every single credit card company moved to those states. As a result, credit cards no longer are subject to ANY usury laws, and credit card fees nationally have increased dramatically since the laws passage. Similarly, with this health care proposal, the only thing that would happen is a few states would change their health insurance laws to become as attractive as possible for the insurance companies to set up shop, and within a year or so, every major health insurance company would re-incorporate in that state. It would be a race to the bottom, not the top. Your health care would get MORE, not less expensive!

Anyone who thinks McCain's plan is good is a total sucker.

 

[Slurpy]

Yeah, I got that stupid Muslim DVD. What a crock

That 'documentary' is fucking trash, and a veiled hate-video with absolute no substance or intention, besides enticing hatred. There's no way an ignorant person can watch that and NOT feel extreme hate towards all Muslims by the end. They're distributing 28 million of them for fear-mongering purposes? How fucking disgusting.

 

[GhaleonEB]

So your first assumption is that putting Healthcare into the free market will make the price skyrocket?

Here are the specific policy proposals from John McCain that I am reacting to:

1) He will tax the portion of my healthcare benefits that my employer (Intel) pays. This is many thousands of dollars a year. My taxes will go up sharply. Using the comparison of his tax proposals to Obama's, his tax cuts to my income level will be more than offset by this tax increase. Overall, they will go up.

2) His tax credit is pegged to inflation, not the rate of healthcare cost increases. It will only take a few years for healthcare cost increases to outstrip the value of the tax credit.

3) He will do nothing about accepting pre-existing conditions. I have a number of serious health issues, that would be considered pre-existing conditions to insurers. If I try to switch under his plan, I'll actually be punished by the market for my heath condition.

4) He does nothing to help the uninsured poor, especially those in poor health. Beyond what his plans mean for me, ignoring the millions that are uninsured is...well, that's not change I can believe in.

 

[ronito]

Here are the two specific policy proposals from John McCain that I am reacting to:

1) He will tax the portion of my healthcare benefits that my employer (Intel) pays. This is many thousands of dollars a year. My taxes will go up sharply. Using the comparison of his tax proposals to Obama's, his tax cuts to my income level will be more than offset by this tax increase.

2) His tax credit is pegged to inflation, not the rate of healthcare cost increases. It will only take a few years for healthcare cost increases to outstrip the value of the tax credit.

3) He will do nothing about accepting pre-existing conditions. I have a number of serious health issues, that would be considered pre-existing conditions to insurers. If I try to switch under his plan, I'll actually be punished by the market for my heath condition.

4) He does nothing to help the uninsured poor, especially those in poor health. Beyond what his plans mean for me, ignoring the millions that are uninsured is...well, that's not change I can believe in.

Yeah, now that you put it that way I can see why Republicans would support it.

 

[CharlieDigital]

What? Perhaps you haven't been paying attention, but one of the largest personal insurance companies in this country was partially nationalized yesterday, largely because of de-regulation.

I might also add that the provision in McCain's health plan that would allow consumers to buy out-of-state insurance, while seemingly pro-consumer, is actually 100% anti-consumer. This is the EXACT SAME THING that the Republicans did with consumer credit laws a few years ago. They passed a law that said when a credit card company issues you a credit card, the company could choose any state's credit laws to control the contract. Rather than 'improving market efficiencies' like the Republicans promised, the actual result was that a few states repealed their usury laws, and almost every single credit card company moved to those states. As a result, credit cards no longer are subject to ANY usury laws, and credit card fees nationally have increased dramatically since the laws passage. Similarly, with this health care proposal, the only thing that would happen is a few states would change their health insurance laws to become as attractive as possible for the insurance companies to set up shop, and within a year or so, every major health insurance company would re-incorporate in that state. It would be a race to the bottom, not the top. Your health care would get MORE, not less expensive!

Anyone who thinks McCain's plan is good is a total sucker.

THIS. I'm pretty sure there's a Frontline documentary on this.

 

[Hitokage]

lawblob: "You know, there was a time when I couldn't even choose my own cell, much less the state I got my insurance from."

 

[Learn2read]

Here are the specific policy proposals from John McCain that I am reacting to:

1) He will tax the portion of my healthcare benefits that my employer (Intel) pays. This is many thousands of dollars a year. My taxes will go up sharply. Using the comparison of his tax proposals to Obama's, his tax cuts to my income level will be more than offset by this tax increase. Overall, they will go up.

2) His tax credit is pegged to inflation, not the rate of healthcare cost increases. It will only take a few years for healthcare cost increases to outstrip the value of the tax credit.

3) He will do nothing about accepting pre-existing conditions. I have a number of serious health issues, that would be considered pre-existing conditions to insurers. If I try to switch under his plan, I'll actually be punished by the market for my heath condition.

4) He does nothing to help the uninsured poor, especially those in poor health. Beyond what his plans mean for me, ignoring the millions that are uninsured is...well, that's not change I can believe in.

It's pretty fucking amazing that with the state that healthcare is in, McCain is actually proposing of fucking regressive proposal. My mind is boggled.

 

[PrivateWHudson]

You are right, the free market did such a bang up job with CDO's these last 5 years. I mean, we had cheap mortgages for like 3 of those years, and 3 out of 5 is a winning percentage!

Bring on healthcare free market reforms!

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

 

[Gaborn]

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

Bread lines for everyone!

 

[Slurpy]

So when this pathetic woman is campaigning for McCain, a former Hillary supporter, I wonder how she's going to go ahead championing all these causes that are diametrically opposed to Hillary's views. Should be fun.

 

[Hitokage]

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

FIRST THE COMMIES WILL BE AFTER YOUR HEALTHCARE, THEN THEY'LL TAKE YOUR CHILDREN! YOUR CHILDREN!!!

 

[PrivateWHudson]

Here are the specific policy proposals from John McCain that I am reacting to:

1) He will tax the portion of my healthcare benefits that my employer (Intel) pays. This is many thousands of dollars a year. My taxes will go up sharply. Using the comparison of his tax proposals to Obama's, his tax cuts to my income level will be more than offset by this tax increase. Overall, they will go up.

2) His tax credit is pegged to inflation, not the rate of healthcare cost increases. It will only take a few years for healthcare cost increases to outstrip the value of the tax credit.

3) He will do nothing about accepting pre-existing conditions. I have a number of serious health issues, that would be considered pre-existing conditions to insurers. If I try to switch under his plan, I'll actually be punished by the market for my heath condition.

4) He does nothing to help the uninsured poor, especially those in poor health. Beyond what his plans mean for me, ignoring the millions that are uninsured is...well, that's not change I can believe in.

Those are valid points. I just want to see it out in the free market, not linked to your employer, before we say it's worthless and socialize it. Obviously it's McCain, and the details are for shit.

I'd like to be able to shop around and find less expensive insurance that, for instance, covers accidents but not oil changes.

 

[The Blue Jihad]

FIRST THE COMMIES WILL BE AFTER YOUR HEALTHCARE, THEN THEY'LL TAKE YOUR CHILDREN! YOUR CHILDREN!!!

Well, in Hudson's defense, he was always the "GAME OVER MAN" giving-up-on-hope kind of guy.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

i think sex should be socialized too

 

[Steve Youngblood]

So when this pathetic woman is campaigning for McCain, a former Hillary supporter, I wonder how she's going to go ahead championing all these causes that are diametrically opposed to Hillary's views. Should be fun.

That's easy to reconcile. This election isn't about issues.

 

[CharlieDigital]

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

I tend to think that the government should treat a basic necessity for life - healthcare - a bit differently from lending. But that's just me.

 

[Gaborn]

i think sex should be socialized too

Praxagora?

 

[Hitokage]

I tend to think that the government should treat a basic necessity for life - healthcare - a bit differently from lending. But that's just me.

According to John Locke, the natural rights of humanity are "Life, Health, Liberty, and Possessions."

 

[Steve Youngblood]

I tend to think that the government should treat a basic necessity for life - healthcare - a bit differently from lending. But that's just me.

You know who else believed that? Stalin.

 

[Tamanon]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/159260/page/1

This whole thing is just turning awful. And now that the good stuff about Palin is out at the begninning, it's all downhill. It's like Bush 44 is actually the Veep.

 

[Hitokage]

You know who else believed that? Stalin.

Yeah, to him lending didn't require mass graves.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Those are valid points. I just want to see it out in the free market, not linked to your employer, before we say it's worthless and socialize it. Obviously it's McCain, and the details are for shit.

I'd like to be able to shop around and find less expensive insurance that, for instance, covers accidents but not oil changes.

I'm honestly not sure how to define a free market in this context. The events of the past few days make it clear to me that less regulation is not always a good thing.

It's probably not the case everywhere, but where I work we can choose from four completely different insurance programs, from different companies. Under Obama's plan, everyone will at least have the choice of choosing the government plan, or the one their employer offers. So he will be injecting some choice - and competition - into the market.

 

[JayDubya]

Praxagora?

lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimupotrimmatosilphioliparomelitoaktakexhumenokichlepikossuphophattoperisteralektruonoptopiphallidokinklopeleioplagoosiraiobaphetragalopterugon

 

[MaddenNFL64]

Yay, send my healthcare costs through the roof! Yay! I'm not having a hard enough time getting by!

Unrelated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLswpZtca48

CNN accepts the SNL version of Clinton's request to grow a pair.

Greatest fact check by CNN. Made Tucker Bounds look like the tool he is. The big "oops" moments:

Sarah Palin visited Iraq. - National Guard is 100% sure she never passed a Iraq/Kuwait checkpoint.

Palin said no to "Bridge to Nowhere". - Congress killed it before she said anything on it.

McCain/Palin assertion that Alaska produces 20% of U.S energy. - UEIA says Alaska produces 3.5%.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Praxagora?

The women then institute a Socialist-like government in which the state feeds, houses, and generally takes care of every Athenian. They enforce an idea of equality by allowing every man to sleep with every woman, but that the man must sleep with an ugly woman before he may sleep with a beautiful one.

:lol

anyways, ummm

just saw the Daily Show, McCain/palin contradicting themselves... funny shit

 

[Gaborn]

:lol

anyways, ummm

just saw the Daily Show, McCain/palin contradicting themselves... funny shit

Indeed, the scene where the 3 old crones were fighting over the young man was hilarious.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Speaking of taxing healthcare benefits, AFL-CIO mailer going out to a few million homes, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/big_laborbacked_group_to_unlea.php

 

[Jonm1010]

Good point. While we socialize Healthcare, we should probably socialize lending as well. Really, the free market is shit. Let's socialize energy production and food too. Let's just socialize anything that doesn't grow continuously without ever having any setbacks.

You need to go watch this, especially the part about Switzerland who did practically what you and McCain are advocating, further privatizing the market and why they went to a more regulated UHC system. Also not all UHC systems are government controlled and operated at every level - do your research.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

 

[JCreasy]

 

[PrivateWHudson]

I'm honestly not sure how to define a free market in this context. The events of the past few days make it clear to me that less regulation is not always a good thing.

It's probably not the case everywhere, but where I work we can choose from four completely different insurance programs, from different companies. Under Obama's plan, everyone will at least have the choice of choosing the government plan, or the one their employer offers. So he will be injecting some choice - and competition - into the market.

The fine line between over-regulating and under-regulating isn't one that I have enough facts to draw...That's why we hire people to do it for us...too bad they are all corrupt.

We have a few choices too, but most of the choices are "Expensive PPO from Company A" or "Less Expensive HMO from company B". What if I like company C in the middle? Pay a little more for better co-pays, but not the out-of-this world price for a PPO. Sorry find a different employer.

 

[Fatalah]

Has anyone noticed how the Obama camp has finally increased its media ad presence online the last 2 days?

I'm shocked @ the Obama/Biden image ad front and center on drudgereport!

 

[Hitokage]

The fine line between over-regulating and under-regulating isn't one that I have enough facts to draw...That's why we hire people to do it for us...too bad they are all corrupt.

We have a few choices too, but most of the choices are "Expensive PPO from Company A" or "Less Expensive HMO from company B". What if I like company C in the middle? Pay a little more for better co-pays, but not the out-of-this world price for a PPO. Sorry find a different employer.

Of course, that's all assuming Companies A, B, and C are all being honest and forthcoming.

 

[domokunrox]

You know who else believed that? Stalin.

Is this a joke post?

I want to know why people are so extreme that your well being shouldn't be profited upon = communism.

Its a ridiculous claim

Choose to live? That = Communism?

Makes no fucking sense to me.