PeterDavid.net

Cowboy Pete is moved to ask if anyone is paying attention to "Clone Wars"

And I include George Lucas in that question. Because if so, how did the following exchange get through, as seen in the promos for the next episode:

ANAKIN: I lost R2-D2.

OBI-WAN: Well, R2 units are a dime a dozen...

A little free advice to the writers over there: If you MUST use cliches, try to avoid cliches that don't make sense in the universe your stories are set in, considering a dime is a unit of currency in the United States. In the Star Wars universe, the only denomination used is "credits."

Pay attention, people. Don't make me come over there.

PAD

Newsarama coverage of "Sir Apropos of Nothing"

There's a nice article at Newsarama about the upcoming limited series, including some of the variant covers. Check it out.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/100828-David-Apropos.html

PAD

A message from Dave Campiti

Most of you probably haven't heard of MICHELLE CALANOG PRINCIPE`, but she works in the comics industry abroad and is quite involved in many of the comics being published. She manages Glass House Graphics Asia and Studio Sakka, a creative agency and manga studio, respectively, coaching and guiding dozens of artists and colorists across the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, and even India. What's more, she oversees bunches of free seminars each year, bringing in experienced talent to teach hopeful young artsts about the comics biz.

Among her talent roster: Bong (Star Wars) Dazo; Carlo (Hulk) Pagulayan; Stephen (Wolverine: Manifest Destiny) Segovia; Lui (New Terminator) Antonio; Noah (Red Sonja) Salonga; Patrick (Avengers/Invaders) Berkenkotter; Harvey (Avengers: The Initiative) Tolibao; Jonathan (Battlestar Galactica) Lau; Anthony (Bratz) Tan; Wilson (Wolverine Manga) Tortosa, Tina (Space Ace) Francisco, and plenty of colorists for Marvel, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Dabel Bros., and so on.

She's also been a comic book character. Michelle is the sister of Jinky Coronado (artist of TokyoPop's Avalon High series and writer/artist of her own series Banzai Girls). Michelle has been a character in every issue of Jinky's comic book. And the two of them even appeared together in FHM Philippines. So Michelle's overall ties to the comics industry go pretty deep.

Married at the beginning of the year to her college sweetheart Rhene Principe`, Michelle had a baby exactly one month ago. That should be cause for celebration, and it was. But within 12 hours of taking home newborn Reinee, Michelle found him not feeding and unresponsive. Back at the hospital, doctors discovered what they thought were blood clots in his brain. A catscan and surgery further revealed them to be inoperable deposits of calcification in his brain. Soon they also learned the baby had multiple hernias -- intestines pushing through muscle walls -- and areas of bowel that were not processing food. Young Reinee went through four weeks of painful surgeries, spending nearly every day in ICU.

Born September 26, 2008, Reinee Jaden Principe` died today, October 26, 2008. But every mother's worst nightmare HASN'T ENDED.

Although Michelle and her husband emptied their savings account on hospital expenses, and Glass House's head honcho David Campiti and Jinky Coronado (they are married) have each donated thousands of dollars toward Reinee's medical expenses, the hospital wlll not release Reinee's body to Michelle for burial until she pays the remaining $9,000.00+ in medical costs.

What's more, they now have funeral expenses to worry about.

Jinky is trying to help her sister to raise the remaining money. Help from anyone -- a dime, a dollar, $10, whatever -- is greatly needed in a hurry, and appreciated. Michelle and Rhene need to bring some closure to their heartbreaking situation and, literally, put him to rest.

She has set up a PayPal donation Email specifically for this -- banzaigirlmc@gmail.com

For any generous individuals donating $1,000.00 or more, Jinky will illustrate and personalize a custom cover-quality illustration of whatever characters they want.

Your help for Michelle and her family is appreciated.

Update from PAD: The infant's body has since been released by the hospital in exchange for several post-dated checks. So contributions will still be welcome and are needed.

Maverick is his name

Glen brought this to my attention.

THIS JUST IN: Fox Cancels World Series

Fox today announced that, due to low ratings, they have canceled the World Series. The remaining games of the October classic will not be played and the Phillies will automatically be declared World Champions.

"We were as patient as we could be under the circumstances," said Fox spokesman Don Germaine. "But the ratings for the second episode were the second lowest in World Series history. The public's lack of interest was all too evident. Why wait for it to hit rock bottom? We felt we'd seen enough."

"If it had been Boston versus Los Angeles, we likely wouldn't have had this problem," he added. "But what can you do? That's baseball."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig expressed disappointment over Fox's decision to end the series. "We've done everything the networks have ever wanted, including eliminating daytime play so that it could be a prime time event," Selig said at a press conference. "It simply never occurred to us that we would then be held to the same standard as other network series, and that failure to deliver the ratings would result in our series being terminated."

Baseball enthusiasts were enamored of the Series, mostly due to the Cinderella-esque drive by the Tampa Bay Rays who had seemed favored to win their first World Championship. Unfortunately an audience that only consisted of Philly fanatics, Floridians, and a handful of hardcore baseball fans was deemed inadequate to keep the Series alive.

"Obviously we're disappointed in the decision to pull the plug," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "We were positive we were going to be able to bounce back. Sure, we lost last night's game, but in our defense, once we got past midnight it was past the bedtime of over half the team. It was just bad luck."

Phillies fans were overjoyed. "I was sure they were going to blow it," said Phillies supporter Josh Langstrom. "God bless Fox." Outside of Philadelphia and Florida, non-baseball fans expressed resounding indifference. "Were they still playing baseball?" said Chicago legal secretary Trish Piven. "I hadn't heard anything about it."

The presidential candidates weighed in on the decision. Barack Obama declared it a "disappointing decision. But in today's economic environment, caused by eight years of the Bush administration's disastrous policies, it was inevitable." John McCain likewise expressed frustration, stating, "I was really hoping the Brooklyn Dodgers would pull this one out."

Major League Baseball will be offering refunds for tickets on all unplayed games. Fox, in the meantime, will schedule marthon showings of the recently renewed "Sarah Connor Chronicles." "Look, none of us here are pleased about the decision," emphasized Germaine. "This is the fastest we've ever canceled a series that didn't star Nathan Fillion."

Happy Days for Obama

Long-time readers of this blog will remember that, during the writer's strike I wound up chatting with Ron Howard for about an hour while walking the picket line (even gave him a newly minted galley copy of "Tigerheart.") We didn't discuss politics all that much, although he did make "Frost/Nixon" sound interesting (and the trailer I just saw the other day made it a must-see if it wasn't already). Recently he put up an ad for Obama featuring him, Andy Griffith and a convention friend of the David family, Henry Winkler, that I thought was an absolute must-see. So see it.

PAD

Shat slinging

Back in July, the David family had breakfast during Shore Leave convention with George Takei and Brad Altman, and naturally we discussed the upcoming wedding. They were talking about how they'd had to whittle the invite list from several thousand to two hundred. And I had to ask the question that I"m sure you would have asked: "Are you inviting Shatner?"

"Yes," said Brad, nodding firmly, and George agreed, adding, "I think it's time to let the past go." They could not have been more definitive: the olive branch was being extended, bygones allowed to be bygones, hatchets being buried and every other cliche you'd care to roll out.

The result? The invite, which was sent to Shatner's manager, was never forwarded to Shatner for whatever reason, and now a video Shatner released in which he excoriates George is getting all kinds of media play.

"George came out. Who cares?" asks Shatner in the video. The answer to that, of course, is the opponents of gay marriage who are circulating e-mails and fliers filled with baseless scare tactics in order to try and push through Proposition 8. A Proposition that would make sure joyous days such as the one Kath and I shared with George, Brad and a couple hundred guests--which could have included William Shatner--will never occur again for anyone who's gay in California. Those bigots, those jerks, those killjoys...they're the ones who care, Mr. Shatner.

So that answers your questions: The questions of why George Takei didn't invite you (he did) and who cares that George is gay (those who want to push through Prop 8). So here's my question to you:

What are you going to do about it?

PAD

Doctor Who vs. John McCain

John McCain was so punchy that he got up in front of a crowd in Western Pennsylvania and accidentally said that he agreed with comments allegedly put forward by others that Western Pennsylvania is filled with racists.

And all I could picture was the Doctor standing toward the back of the rally and saying quietly to reporters within earshot, "Don't you think he looks tired?"

PAD

"The Daily Show" catches up with me

When I first posted my essay on "McCainism," noting the McCarthyesque vibe from the McCain campaign, some folks here claimed that Jon Stewart's likening McCain to Frankenstein--inadvertently unleashing a monster he couldn't control--was far more apt.

On last night's "Daily Show," Jon Stewart drew parallels between the latest speeches and comments from the McCain campaign, not to mention a mid-West congresswoman, that had a definite McCarthyesque tint to it that didn't even involve terrorism: instead it centered around real Americans versus, you know, people like me, who live in (or near) cities and aren't voting for McCain. You know: unAmericans.

Now to be wholly fair, I watched the full video of the Congresswoman who stated that the media should launch an investigation into who in Congress might be, y'know, unAmerican. And I tend to blame her interviewer, Chris Matthews, who basically strung together stuff that she didn't say, acted like she said it, and then hammered her until she blurted out something stupid. She was thrashing about in the deep end and Matthews tossed her an anvil for a flotation device. Still, McCain's team seems to be moving beyond this whole notion that there are two Americas (Linda Ellerbe pointed out that red states/blue states is entirely a media construction) and floating the notion that those who aren't with them aren't part of "real America."

Apparently I'm not a real American. And if you're not voting for John McCain, why...neither are you.

Apparently the question has been asked and answered: No sense of decency at all.

PAD

A Cowboy Pete Kudo to Fox

I've been a strident critic of Fox and their pull the plug mentality on anything SF-related. So in the interests of fairness, I have to give props to Fox for giving a full season commitment to "Terminator." Let's hope that those who are reluctant to tune in figuring they don't want to get too attached to yet another doomed Fox SF show will take that as incentive to come aboard.

Granted, the show's been uneven, but there's so much good stuff there that I'm hoping it finds its footing, and it's nice that Fox is giving it the opportunity to do so.

PAD

I wish I'd said that

On today's edition of "Meet the Press," during which time Colin Powell dealt a body blow to the McCain campaign by endorsing Barack Obama, Powell made a brilliant observation that, frankly, I wish had occurred to me.

He commented on how people in the GOP party (he wasn't talking about McCain per se, but the party in general) kept accusing Obama of being a Muslim. And he said the first and obvious answer is that Obama is a Christian and always has been. But the better and more appropriate answer should be--so what if he were? Why should some seven year old American kid who aspires to be president and happens to be Muslim be receiving the message that, because of his religion, he can forget about it? And Powell went on to describe a photograph he saw of a military grave with a mourning mother, and there wasn't a cross or a star of David on the soldier's tombstone, but instead the crescent of the Muslim. What does it say about this country, Powell wondered, that that kind of message is being sent out? That young Muslims can fight and die for this country but never be involved in running it.

It's even more striking when one considers that back in 1960, JFK being Catholic was a HUGE deal because people contended that a Catholic shouldn't be president because he'd be taking marching orders from the Vatican. One only hopes that forty years from now we'll look back on the notion that a Muslim can never be president with the same "isn't that a silly idea" attitude that we now look back on the thought that a Catholic--or for that matter, a black man--couldn't ever be President.

PAD

Eerily Prophetic, Volume 2

And this classic rant from "Network" could be recited word for word today as well. I find myself wondering, if someone went on the air and actually did this, whether we'd hear shouting throughout the country:

I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job, the dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter, punks are running wild in the streets, and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it.

We know the air's unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit and watch our tee-vees while some local newscaster tells us today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We all know things are bad. Worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything's going crazy. So we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we live in gets smaller, and all we ask is please, at least leave us alone in our own living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my tee-vee and my hair-dryer and my steel-belted radials, and I won't say anything, just leave us alone. Well, I'm not going to leave you alone. I want you to get mad --I don't want you to riot. I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to write your congressmen. Because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the defense budget and the Russians and crime in the street. All I know is first you got to get mad. You've got to say: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more. I'm a human being, goddammit. My life has value." So I want you to get up now. I want you to get out of your chairs and go to the window. Right now. I want you to go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell. I want you to yell: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!" Get up from your chairs. Go to the window. Open it. Stick your head out and yell and keep yelling. First, you have to get mad. When you're mad enough we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. Things have got to change. But you can't change them unless you're mad. You have to get mad. Go to the window. Stick your head out and yell. I want you to yell: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!"

Eerily Prophetic, volume I

Kevin Brown brought this to my attention: The Onion article from the date of Bush's first inauguration that is, in retrospect, so dead on that it's frightening.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784

PAD

McCain voices his worst idea ever

Last night John McCain intimated on Dave Letterman's show that he and Obama should both show up and debate on Letterman.

That was before Letterman nailed him to the wall with pointing out that McCain is pals with Gordon Liddy. I haven't seen them cut to commercial so fast since Crispin Glover nearly kicked Dave in the face.

If Obama and McCain debated on Letterman, it would be an absolute fiasco for McCain. I don't know that Obama would necessarily fare MUCH better, but his famed unflappability would probably serve him in much better stead. Letterman would say all the stuff that wiseguys like me snark about on my blog.

I'll grant you, McCain obliquely likening his appearance on Dave to being interrogated by the Vietcong was the best use of his time as a POW he's ever made, and perhaps even the most appropriate. But he really, really would NOT want an extended debate appearance on Letterman. It would not go well.

PAD

PS--And major props to Keith Olberman who was willing to let himself be nothing more than a prop for Letterman's jokes, standing in the wings, scowling, arms folded, ready to go on should McCain cancel again, like a human fire extinguisher inside glass that is supposed to be shattered in case of emergency. That gives me more respect for Olberman than any five over-the-top rants.

And somewhere at this very moment...

...a Mafia wiseguy called "Joe the Plumber" is saying, "I'm gonna have t'get a new f*ckin'" nickname..."

PAD

Presidential Debate Mark III

Hi all I am here. This is Kathleen typing since Peter is bowling this evening.

9:00 It's a table debate. Makes it feel more down home don' t it?

9:01 Domestic it is.

9:02 Aww they greeted each other nicely. Economy is the first issue up.

9:03 Thanks and Nancy Regan is in the hospital? What does this have to do with the economy?

9:04 John Q Public: We're as mad as hell and we aren't going to take it any more

9:05 McCain makes some really good points of where the money needs to go for homeowners not speculators.

9:06 Rescue for the Middle Class. Good use of Buzz Words. Point for Obama.

9:07 Obama brings up that there is the long term and the short term.

9:07 McCain seems to be on the attack....and there goes the sound bite.

9:08 Nice one Obama (You are watching your own ads aren't you?) I heard the audience laugh on that one.

9:10 Nice rebuttal by Obama but I think McCain is setting up that he will be on the attack all evening.

9:11 Can we stop talking about Joe the Plumber? How many times has McCain said Joe the Plumber? (Yes folks it is the new My Friends)

9:12 Obama needs to rein McCain in.

9:13 Moving onto the Deficit which is a 800 pound Gorilla in the room after hand out all this money.

9:14 Obama admits we have been living beyond our means (being America) Pay as you go is not a bad way to go but I don't think it is plausible.

9:16 McCain is talking about the past again. Bob brings him back.

9;17 who has "countries that don't like us very much" in the pool of phrases we have heard before

9:18 And WHO increased the government? Would that be Bush and the Republicans?
How did we get onto Energy from the Deficit?

9:19 He got the Planetarium in again. That projector is a great over simplification of what that object was.

9:20 Obama points out who was in the office and where we were. Smart move on his part.

9:20 Bob is trying to get it back to the Deficit and McCain is off and running again.

9:22 McCain is trying to say he is a Maverick without saying Maverick

9:22 Obama is sounding a little defensive but is trying to steer away from sounding so
Fox News! Good one Obabma. Again there is laughter in the audience

(:24 Please OH Please DON"T show us those scars!

9:25 OH this should be interesting. The High Road and the lack of walking on it

9:25 Yeah it has been tough all over. Town Hall meetings? Did you see how you did on the last one Mr. McCain?

9:26 McCain is really reaching here. And he has NOT repudiated many of those sorts of remarks no matter what he says. Oh boy he can prove it.

9:28 Obama better get a handle on this quick and there he goes. McCain doesn't sound happy about what he is saying either. Just don't say that you started it.

9:30 McCain watches football. Wonder what sport Obama watches? I'm betting basketball.

9:31 there is Joe again

9:31 Obama is going to step into the one with both feet. And there is the rebuttal on that sound bite.

9:32 Obama is trying to take the high road and McCain keeps butting in. Not quite cricket

9:34 Again I hear the audience giggle

9:35 Nice "disagree without being disagreeable"

9:36 There is the hit and the punch. Now can Obama sort this out without giving more fodder? Nice start now let see where he is going with it. He is doing an OK job of explaining what happened. Putting names that he does talk to is a good touch.

9:39 This is not making McCain looked good at all. Now he is trying to get on point again.

9:40 People to bring into the Government. VP choices

9:42 Ok he is using Biden to get some talking points across

9:42 Role model? To whom?

9:43 Palin is up to her ass in the good ol' boy network in Alaska. Just look at the indictment.

9:44 Nice side step Obama.

9:45 McCain has been couched to death on this question.

9:46 McCain is on the attack again. Obama not given the oppertunity to respond.

9:46 Now we are into Energy policy and a real number is asked for. Not going to get it but he asked real nice

9:48 McCain is very comfortable with this question and gave his rote answer. Let's see how Obama does.

9:49 Obama is playing the camera more than McCain. He is look at Bob or Obama.

9:50 Can't drill our way out is a good phrase to use

9:51 McCain is in for the attack again. Trying for the downhome touch again. He didn't say Elite but he came d*mn close

9:52 Point for McCain for pointing out that Obama has never been to South America. Has Bush?

9:53 Pulling it back to Energy and the American auto industry. Not a bad way to go.

9:55 I figured that McCain was going to bring up Chavez. Restrict trade and raise taxes. he is really trying to get those sound bites in.

9:56 Health Care. Boy this is a sticky subject

9:57 Make sure you keep it simple Obama and push it onto the Insurance companies. That Fed pool won't work for the general public. It is suplimented up the ying yang by the government. At least he admits that it will cost to start but how it might be better later

9:58 How about NOT CUTTING PE AND RECESS OUT OF THE SCHOOL DAY TO TEACH TO THE TEST

Oh for the love of mother mary, Joe the plumber again?

5,000 will NOT pay for healthcare in the New York industry. And Obama has answered these charges before (like the last two debates)

10:00 Obama reminds McCain that he has answered these questions before. Now Obama is talking to Joe. I want to see a picture of this magic plumber.

10:02 Obama is right about cherry picking clients. He gave a number! 12,000 is about right for a family policy.

10:03 McCain needs to get off the Joe jag. Obama just rebutted this just 90 seconds ago. And McCain had drank the Kool Aid about his health plan.

10:04 We have heard this all in the last debate, There is nothing new here. Why don't we move along?

10:06 Roe vs. Wade and the Supreme Court. Good question

10:06 McCain is doing well on this one in terms of the Supreme Court not the state rights issue

10:07 Qualified judicial nominees would be nice to see some get nominated finally rather than the croneism that has been going on.

10:08 OK they agree on this one. Then I think we should move on.

10:09 Obama is taking the bull by the horns here and telling us what he believes. Might be a dangerous thing to do but refreshing to here.

10:10 Lilly Leadbetter is a good example for him to use for this question.

10:12 And McCain is on the attack again trying to make Obama the villain of the piece.

10:13 Obama is again trying to set the facts straight

10:14 Point for Obama for talking about other options and sex ed

10:15 And on the attack is McCain. He is trying to make it sound like Obama is playing word games with the American people

10:16 And we end with Education a good topic indeed

10:17 Nice tie in with other problems Obama and getting the words national security out there before McCain

10:18 Not bad and he does bring up the responcibility of the parents for their children

10:19 Choice and competition? The New York experiment with for profit public schools failed spectaculary.

10:20 Not certify teachers just because they are ex-military? What?

10:21 Nice play on "No Child left behind" which has been a disaster for most school districts. School vouchers don't work. Point for Obama

10:23 McCain is defending NCLB? It has been the biggest problem for the schools who have gotten rid of creative programs to teach to the bloody test.

10:25 And he is bring in Autism again for what purpose?

10;26 thank you Mr. Obama for saying that vouchers don't work.

Mydebates.org

10:27 McCain blinking like crazy. Maybe he suffers from dry eye. Does his speech sound a bit more slurred than usual? He is just going through his talking points.

10:29 Obama is going through his talking points now.

McCain came in on the attack more this go around. Obama managed to defend.

I don't think McCain got that big hit he was looking for. He seemed petulant at points.

Pretty even match over all. I hope Joe the Plumber was watching.

The Rise of McCainism

"Who is Barack Obama?" John McCain is asking us. This should prompt an obvious response: "Who is John McCain?" But we need not ask, because we have seen John McCain, or at least his type, half a century ago. His type had a different name, and trafficked in a different sort of guilt-by-association, but it was a senator whose tactics were the same. The insinuations were the same. Whether the result will be the same remains to be seen.

That long-ago senator embraced the politics of fear as no one had before. He exploited the fears of a paranoid populace. He acquired notoriety and masterminded a brand of smear tactics that became synonymous with his surname, and it was dubbed "McCarthyism."

McCarthyism effectively came to an end on June 9, 1954, when one courageous attorney named Joseph Welch stood up to the junior senator from Wisconsin and, declaring that McCarthy had done enough in his campaign of guilt-by-association, demanded, "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Recently a new term arose to describe the politics of personal destruction: "Swiftboating." But now we're seeing a new level of such tactics, and it is particularly vicious, and it is monumentally unforgivable. It is being displayed by John McCain, and by Sarah Palin, and by their various stalking horses and representatives, and if you're not calling it "McCaining" or "McCainism" then you're just not paying attention.

Not since McCarthy have we seen such attempts at guilt-by-association as the endeavors to link Obama with terrorism, a naked appeal to the deepest anxieties that Americans continue to feel in an uncertain world. "Who is Barack Obama?" asks this woman whose name was unknown to the population of forty nine states a mere two months ago, and who continues to be screened from the press whenever possible. "Who is Barack Obama?" demands this man who was alive during the Red Scare of the 1950s, who saw first-hand how lives were ruined. Who saw how insinuation and fear mongering created a period of history that we, as Americans, should revile and despise.

And yet there are McCain and Palin et al, creating links between Obama and a home- grown political terrorist group that was active when Obama was eight years old. McCain, who was part of the Keating Five, apparently believes that no one should ever be able to be deemed a worthy acquaintance because they did regrettable things years ago. Somewhere Joseph McCarthy is smiling down (or, if you will, up) while John McCain and Sarah Palin hone the craft of McCaining as engineered by the same smear artists who brought down McCain's bid in 2000. Terrorism is the new Communism, and there are McCain and Palin, stoking crowds to such over-the-top fury with their attempts to draw tortured connections between Obama and terrorism that you can actually hear people screaming, "Kill him!" when Obama's name is mentioned. McCain's belated attempts to suddenly defuse the crowd's hostility, to describe Obama as a decent family man pales in comparison to the endless Obama=terrorism sentiments that he and his associates have endlessly stoked.

It's so easy to draw nonsensical comparisons. McCain supporters mention repeatedly that Barack Obama's middle name is the same as that of a terrorist and pretend it means something. Okay. Let's point out that John McCain shares the initials and the first two letters of a first name and the first three letters of a surname as Joe McCarthy. Coincidence? We certainly have more evidence for parallel tactics in the McCain/McCarthy connection.

Why is McCain dropping in the polls? You can blame the economy, sure. But perhaps one small reason is that, quite simply, Americans aren't nearly as stupid as the McCaininites think they are. Because back in 1954, the relatively new medium of television put McCarthy right into peoples' living rooms and they saw up close the face of fear mongering, and they were repulsed by what they were seeing. It may well be we're witnessing that again as McCain's tactics are on view for all to see and people resent his thinking that they're dumb enough to be suckered. Which isn't to say that some people aren't dumb enough. But in this day and age, deliberately trying to link someone to terrorism simply because you're trying to become president is nothing short of vomitous. It is despicable. It is dishonorable.

Who is John McCain? He is a man who, with his current tactics, has proven that there is no line he will not cross, no slander he will not voice, if he thinks it offers a wisp of hope that he'll win. Which moves me to ask:

Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?

PAD

The Debate tomorrow

I've got a bowling league tomorrow night so I won't be home during the debate. But Kathleen will be blogging live here in my stead. Come on and support her.

PAD

Totally random thought

I think they should do an episode of "Boston Legal" where Burt Reynolds guest stars as Denny Crane's older, no good brother, Danny Crane.

PAD

OUT RECENTLY: SHE-HULK #33, X-FACTOR #35, FALLEN ANGEL #30, MASCOT TO THE RESCUE

The aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" crossovers, Darwin in more trouble, and my latest YA novel. Whad'ja think?

UPDATED: I didn't realize "Fallen Angel" was out this week, so I've added it to the list.

PAD

Presidential Debate Mark II

Thus far the blogging of the VP debate drew comments faster and more furiously than the Presidential debate. Let's see what happens this time around. As always, I'm watching the broadcast on PBS. Comments below the cut line.

9:02: " I have selected a long list of excellent questions that will not be answered..."

9:03: McCain in a red tie, Obama in a blue tie. Perfect.

9:03: Obama goes for the attack early.

9:05: I'm being reminded of the Underpants gnomes from "South Park." "Step One, Bailout. Step two...(deafening silence). Step three: Profit!"

9:06: Huh? Energy independence? Uhm...okay.

9:07: I'm waiting for McCain to sit down on the step next to the guy. Maybe ask him to sit in his lap.

9:08: And McCain goes for a joke! It's a missed bunt.

9:09: Here's the problem: McCain is talking about wall Street cronyism, yet he has plenty of Wall Street lobbyists on his staff.

9:10: Obama continues on the attack. He's trying to bait McCain into blowing his temper, get scolding, etc. It's a gambit; if it doesn't work, if McCain doesn't respond to the attacks, Obama going to look as if he's endlessly carping.

9:12: The questioner is looking for specifics. Let's see if he gets them. And now McCain fires back at Obama, referring to "cronies." Obama is going to have to spend time defending himself rather than getting specific.

9:14: Smart. Obama speaks to the question first rather than responding to McCain's charges.

9:15: And yet politicians ARE pointing fingers.

9:18: How do we trust you? Good question.

9:19: This could wind up being a major question because Obama tends to be a history and facts wonk while McCain does better in connecting with people on an emotional level, and trust is an emotional question.

9:20: This would have been the question for Obama to talk about hardscrabble roots or some such, the notion that "I've known hard times, I'm on your side."

9:21: No, he has NOT been a consistent reformer. He has been consistently self serving. Read the Rolling Stones article.

9:22: They're both blowing this opportunity. This is the kind of question that Bill Clinton would have knocked out of the park. Say what you will about Clinton, but he has tremendous personal charisma and you would have seen it on display for this question.

9:24: he could work on all three at once? NOW he can multi task? He couldn't even campaign and work on the economy at the same time.

9:25: Every time he says, "My friends" I keep flashing back to "The Music Man" doing "Trouble."

9:26: Yeah, but JFK had to die to give us the impetus to get to the moon.

9:27: Brokaw is trying his best to rein them in for time.

9:29: That air force tanker was actually a pork barrel project that he managed to push past through Carter's objections. And there was a lawsuit involved as well because of European involvement that made its construction unfair competition for Americans.

9:30: OBAMA mentioned 9/11 first? Cripes.

9:31: Still, the comment about going out and shopping "not being the kind of call to service we were looking for" is kind of funny.

9:32: Clean coal technology is a myth. Unless there's a new scientific breakthrough, it's never going to happen.

9:33 If Bush says Wall Street got drunk, I'd take his word for it. With his history, he'd know.

9:34 I wonder if either of them will talk about putting Wall street on a 12 step program.

9:35: Obama should say, "I know Senator Obama worked with Herbert Hoover and knew Herbert Hoover, but I assure you I'm no Herbert Hoover."

9:37: I keep waiting for them to follow the "West Wing" format and basically say, "Screw the rules, we're just going to talk back and forth."

9:38: Social security is the third rail of politics. If they talk about reforming it, they're in trouble. "The straight talk express lost a wheel." Nice. I'm sure he was waiting for the opportunity to use it.

9:40: Obama is steering the question away from what Brokaw said.

9:41: I'LL answer the question. Oh, snap.

9:41: Oh God, another frakking commission.

9:42: Look at the record? Keating 5.

9:43: McCain tries to distance himself from the Bush administration. Smart. Let's see if Obama tries to tie him right back to it. Meantime he follows the West Wing scenario, advocating nuclear fuel just as Vinick did. Again, let's hope a nuclear meltdown doesn't happen to keep the scenario going.

9:45: Is EVERYTHING one of the biggest challenges of our time?

9:46: YES! Obama finally hits the nail in talking about the fact that McCain has been there for so long and hasn't accomplished any of the things he talks about.

9:47: God, I just wish that Brokaw would just say, "Look, do you guys just want to toss the rules? Because if you do, let's take the gloves off and go and I will go 'Meet the Press' on both of you."

9:51: No. the health care in the congress is one of the most generous policies ever. They have all the stuff that we have slowly lost over the years due to the insurance companies.

9:52: Notice that Obama is no longer (a) stuttering at the start of questions and (b) saying "Senator McCain is absolutely right" about anything.

9:53: Why does no one point out that $5000 won't get you health insurance?

9:54: cross-state insurance won't work. NY people can't go flocking to Ohio for health insurance, because in many states the state governments supplement the medical programs (the HIP program, for instance, is supplemented by state taxpayer money.) If the state governments see people flooding in from other states whose taxes aren't going into the pot, how likely are they to continue supplementing the programs?

9:56: Oooo. Obama finally brings the personal aspect in.

9:57: Hah! He brought up McCain voting against children's healthcare. I was wondering if he would.

9:58: Obama just stepped in something and he knows it. Biden's from Delaware.

9:59: Obama can use this question as a major opportunity to link McCain to Bush when it comes to damaging our ability to act as peacemakers.

10:01: Obama was wrong about the surge. And McCain was wrong about every aspect of the war.

10:02: Not really answering the question, but he's jabbing back at McCain at least.

10:03: 79 comments on this thread thus far. As of this time during the VP debate we had over 200.

10:05: I agree with McCain: It requires a cool hand at the tiller. Unfortunately his is anything BUT a cool hand. That's the problem.

10:07: "Your young men and women are my first priority right after our nation's security." Which would make them your...second priority.

10:09: Except the problem is that more troops in Afghanistan will likely not lead to much except more deaths of civilians which is going to piss off the people there and further inflame hostility toward us.

10:11: Actually it's "speak softly and carry a big stick," which is a West African saying that Roosevelt quoted.

10:13: YES! YES! And notice he said "speaking softly, " the correct quote.

10:15; And we're back to McCain's secret plan to get bin Laden. He keep saying that. He has a secret plan. Has he shared this plan with anyone?

10:16: Brokaw is going to give Saturday night Live a field day.

10:18: Oh my God, McCain said that Obama was correct about something. Is that a first?

10:19: McCain's right, I doubt we'll have another cold war with Russia.

10:20: We've been SHOWING moral support for Georgia. It didn't mean jack.

10:21: Yes. Obama jumps on the moral support opening. The question is, where do we get the money to provide financial support. And Obama already said the first thing he would cut would be money designed for foreign support.

10:22: As opposed to anticipating something AFTER it happens?

10;23: Gee, I would have thought McCain says Yes.

10:25: Ooooooo. the Jewish vote is listening carefully.

10:26: Aw, c'mon, are we back to the preconditions thing?

10:27: So Obama is basically saying that we want to take steps to make sure Israel isn't attacked by Iran. Which is fine. But WHAT IF IT IS? That's the question. If the steps fail, what then?

10:29: He never answered the question.

10:30: Obama deflects the zen question with humor and switches to his stump speech.

10:31: I could see McCain saying, "I don't know how we will survive if Obama is elected, and I intend to never have to learn it."

10:34: Except the great honor of his life was to put himself first. Again, read the RS articles.

CONCLUSION: I think both of them got good shots in. To my mind, Obama gave the better performance, albeit narrowly, but I've no idea if anyone who is undecided would have been swayed one way or the other.

Tonight's Debate

Yes, I'll be blogging on it tonight. The town hall format should prove interesting since that is typically McCain's strength.

PAD

The Palin wink

There seems to be much discussion about the significance of the Sarah Palin wink, i.e., her tendency to wink into camera repeatedly.

I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, the only reason someone has for winking directly into camera is that Lois Lane has just made a snide comment about how they're never around at the same time as Superman.

PAD

ATTENTION FALLEN ANGEL FANS: HUGE ART OFFER

"Fallen Angel" artist J.K. Woodward is selling the artwork from entire issues of "Fallen Angel," starting with #23 and going up, for $1000 a shot. That is to say, $1000 buys you an entire issue, all twenty-two pages. An astounding bargain, as far as I'm concerned.

You can either write directly to him at jkwoodward@hotmail.com or visit his website at jkwoodward.com.

PAD

THE "COMMANDER IN CHIEF" SCENARIO

Much has been made (in fact, I was one of the first to do so) of the eerie parallels between the current presidential race and the last season of "West Wing."

Has anyone drawn comparisons to Sarah Palin and the short-lived series "Commander In Chief?"

Here we had a series wherein Geena Davis portrayed Vice-President and later President Allen (Allen/Palin. Pretty close), a tall and attractive woman with great personal charm who was put on the ticket largely to appeal to female voters and help the candidate get elected. She, as Palin did, started out with hugely high and positive ratings (Nielsen ratings as opposed to public opinion polls), which dropped like a stone the more people got to know her.

Coincidence? Hmmmm...

Speaking of "West Wing," here's the one thing they didn't account for: Endorsements. My fear continues to be that Osama bin Laden will come forward and loudly endorse Barack Obama. Why? Because bin Laden would unquestionably want John McCain in the White House. A belligerent warhawk who doesn't believe in diplomacy or talking with those in opposition to him? That's bin Laden's ideal. He can get far more mileage out of a McCain presidency than an Obama presidency. And knowing that Americans will do the opposite of what he says, he will naturally push Obama, fueling the fires of those idiots who still believe Obama is Muslim. "See! See! The terrorists want him in office because he's one of them! Quick! Let's all vote for McCain right this second so the terrorists don't win!"

PAD

This is the thread where I'll be blogging tonight

And just to make it interesting, you're all invited to make use of the Palin bingo card that Kathleen just forwarded to me.

http://www.palinbingo.com/

If you get "Bingo" just shout out.

We go live at 8:59 PM.

8:58: Okay, I'm ready to go. Comments below the cut line.

PAD

8:59: Kath and Ariel each have two Palin Bingo cards. We are watching it, as before, on PBS.

9:01: Personally I can't wait for the SNL parody. I'd wager the entire writing staff of SNL is watching it in one room, getting ready to toss around jokes and comments.

9:02: can there be "toward" outbursts?

9:03: Biden brushes aside the question phrasing and goes straight for a canned answer. And he goes with the A plan: Push Obama. That's what he needs to do. Because ultimately Biden is selling Obama while Palin is selling herself, because there's a greater concern that she will wind up in the presidency than there is that Biden will.

9:05: Palin immediately goes to her strong suit: Go for the street-level concerns. Soccer moms.

9:07: Thank God she noticed neither of them answered the question. Palin is handling herself (of course) better than expected. How could she not?

9:10: She's been coached well. The "hecks" and "darn its" are starting to get to me.

9:11: So far it's playing out as expected: Palin uses the personable, down-home, "aw shucks" approach that makes it easy for her to connect to the rank and file. Biden comes across like the college professor that made you want to slit your wrists. This could wind up being painful for Obama's camp.

9:14: Biden's getting tougher on her now. He has to.

9:14: "I may not answer questions the way you and the moderator want to, but I'll be talking straight." Yeah, that was written for her by McCain's people; a nice all purpose dodge.

9:15: Biden's starting to find his stride. "Where I come from, we call it fairness." Good line.

9:17: She's going for the Biden taxes patriotic line. Let's see if he has a comeback for it.

9:18: Five grand doesn't buy health care. It just doesn't.

9:19: Biden's staying focused, which he doesn't always do. He's remaining concise. And he's doing a nice job of demolishing the McCain plan. "The Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere." Excellent.

9:21: Smart. What are we going to have to cut? Foreign aid. It's a substantive cut that no one in the US will give a damn about. Let's see if Palin has something substantive as well.

9:23: Boy, she's REALLY off topic. I mean, I know that they don't always answer the questions directly, but this is just so off the rails it's laughable.

9:24: No specifics. But hey, she's got an excuse: She's only been on this five weeks. How nice.

9:25: Ah! Biden co-opts her Alaska moves. Clever.

9:26: Some of the air seems to be seeping from Palin. Her posture is changing; her shoulders are a bit more slumped, her smile isn't quite as ready. And her voice is becoming a bit more brittle.

9:28: The thing is, it's easier to remain a policy wonk for ninety minutes than it is to be an aw shucks soccer mom outsider for ninety minutes.

9:29: Back to energy? WTF?

9:30: Well, she reversed the sentence structure. And you HAVE to study the causes! What the hell? Biden can shred her on this; she's starting to sound like Tina Fey.

9:32: Yes! Yes! Thank God Biden's going after it squarely. I just wish he'd looked at her and said, "Governor, with all respect, you were all over the place."

9:34: Ariel's closer with Bingo, but Kath has a lot of foreign policy stuff on her boards.

9:36: But they're stopping short of asking about same sex marriage.

9:37: Well, gee, I'm thrilled that she's tolerant, except she doesn't want gays to be able to be married.

9:38: Well, that's a damned shame that they don't support that. Makes him no better than Palin.

9:39: Ah! We have a plan! Let's hear it, Governor. Wow us.

9:40: Still waiting to hear the plan.

9:41: And the plan would be?

9:41: Thank God Biden pointed out that she never presented a plan. And Obama already addressed the voting question, which Biden is now reiterating. Didn't Palin see the previous debate.

9:42: Okay. Palin says Biden's plan is a white flag. AND HER PLAN WOULD BE?

9:43: WHAT'S HER DAMNED PLAN?

9:44: Ariel has the first Bingo. "Tax Relief," "Job Creation," "National Guard" and Drill" with the center space free.

9:45: Biden just seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

9:47: Crap. She can't say "nuclear." She can, however, say Akmijinidad (however you spell it)

9:50: He's making a valid point about the concept of speaking with people who we don't like.

9:51: As the Jewish vote perks up...

9:52: God, I wish he wouldn't refer to himself in the third person.

9:53: Biden is meticulously shredding the Bush Israel policy. Now he has to connect McCain to it.

9:54: Palin tries to short circuit criticism of the Bush administration, which she has to do if she hopes to salvage this.

9:55: And there's the connection. Now let's see if Palin can counter it.

9:58: Could we at least have a VP who knows the correct use of "Be all, end all?"

9:59: But we don't have troops available to put INTO Afghanistan. That's the problem.

9:59: I want him to say, "Joe Biden has to say this again."

10:00: Biden started to sigh in exasperation and then I think he caught himself doing so.

10:03: Biden now starts talking about where he's been, using the McCain tactic.

10:03: But he DID tell why he voted for it.

10:04; No one's said "respect" for a while. "Respect" was fast becoming the new "John is absolutely correct."

10:06: She's trying to bring it back to Biden and she's not doing a particularly good job.

10:07: John McCain knows how to win a war. Which war has he won, exactly?

10:08: This is a puffball question that allows them to hit all the major policy points of their respective platforms. Biden's doing great with it. Palin should be able to nail this too.

10:09: Except she's speaking in generalities.

10:10: GODDAMMIT, PALIN, SAY SOMETHING SPECIFIC!

10:11: An hour after my 9:11 observation and I couldn't have been more wrong.

10:12: Nice try with the aw-shucks routine, but she laid it on too thick. Reagan got away with "There you go again," but she piled on with gosh darn it and "say it ain't so, Joe." Too much. And now she's once again desperately off track.

10:13: Palin makes a nice connect trying to brush off the "what does a vice president even do?" comment from weeks ago.

10:14: Kath finally got a Palin bingo. "Alaska," "Special needs," "Hockey mom," "Terrorist" and the free square.

10:15: Thank God Biden seems to have mastered personal pronouns.

10:16: For God's sake, just say No, of course not, that the vice presidency is under the exec branch! Jeez!

10:17: Thank you, Senator.

10:18: Except the mod asked about weaknesses. Palin's answer isn't remotely on track. Or maybe that's displaying the weakness right there: She's a FREAKING MORON

10:19: Ariel has another Bingo. "Maverick," "Obama," "National Guard," "Bailout," "heartland"

10:21: I know he didn't do it manipulatively, but his choking up just now is going to floor people. That was perfect. Very emotional and he managed to rein himself in just in time so that he will come across as strong.

10:22: Did I hear that right? "He's the man we need to leave, I mean lead."

10:23: Biden's pounding McCain into the ground with his own maverick label. Outstanding.

10:24: He's killing her. Biden's freaking killing her.

10:25: Oooo. He started a little dull with this answer, but he's laid a trap for Palin with roe v. Wade. Let's see if she steps in.

10:26: Nope. She didn't.

10:27: Could we put a moratorium on "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" for the rest of the debates? Please?

10:28: Holy crap. We have 204 comments on this thread. That's more than twice as much on the presidential debate.

10:30: sarah Palin wants to be able to speak without the filter of the media. Or the filter of intelligence.

10:31: Interesting. Now Biden is swinging back to that semi-somnabulant tone from the beginning of the debate.

10:32: But he perked up at the end.

Absolutely no question: Biden. He started off slow, she started off fast, but she couldn't sustain it and he just kept pounding away.

Biden made all sorts of valid policy points, but I bet the big talking point becomes how Biden got choked up.

Yes, I'll be blogging tonight

For the VP debate.

I'd say at this point Palin has the advantage; the same one that Bush had from his first debate with Gore. Expectations for her performance are so lowered that all she has to do is defuse her ineptitude with a smile and laugh and viewers will come away charmed by her and say, "Well, she didn't do so badly."

PAD

Buy Fallen Angel so that criminals don't get their hands on it!

The above is an actual letter received by IDW from a prison that we are mercifully keeping anonymous. Apparently the first two issues of "Fallen Angel" were just too intense for those serving their debt to society.

We are SO using this as a pull quote on the next trade paperback.

PAD