Simple Math

In what appears to be a glaring lack of understanding of simple arithmetic, John McCain has lashed out at both Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress for today's defeat of the bailout bill.

The vote against the measure was 228 to 205, with 133 Republicans joining 95 Democrats in opposition. The bill was backed by 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans. That means that the majority of dissenters to the largely Democrat-backed bill were Republicans. And yet, according to McCain, it's the Dems who are to blame for the bill's demise. In fact, today he told voters that his rival isn't being honest about his tax votes and is "always cheering for higher taxes," this, according to CNN.com.

In contrast, Barack Obama told at a campaign event in Denver, Colorado, that it's important to "stay calm, because things are never smooth in Congress."

On a day in which the Dow Jones had it's largest numerical drop in history – nearly 778 points – soothing assurances and measured responses are what's needed from a potential president, not partisan rhetoric and pointed attacks.

VOTE!

I just moved, and so I needed to register to vote in my new district. A Google search proved annoyingly futile as I searched for a simple site where I could get myself up-to-date in time for November 4th.

Then came an email with an invaluable link, from the Obama campaign. It's as straightforward a way to find whether or not you're registered to vote and where, and if you're not how you can be.

So without further explanation, the link: http://www.voteforchange.com/

Keeping It Real...

While I am clear in my preference for Barack Obama over John McCain in the upcoming presidential election, I have not put blinders on to missteps by my candidate. My first three posts concern John McCain misrepresenting the truth. My fourth aims a critical eye at Barack Obama.

Today's NY Times – the newspaper McCain said was "150% in the tank" for Barack Obama – features an article that calls out Mr. Obama for several conflations and fabrications in recent TV and radio ads.

For example, they cite a radio advertisement running in Wisconsin and other contested states that misleadingly reports McCain as having “stood in the way of” federal financing for stem cell research." They then explain that while he once opposed it, he has supported it since 2001.

One could argue that with the slanderous attacks the McCain campaign has made against Obama, the Illinois Senator is in his right to fire back with skewed metrics. But Barack promised to take the high road, and this strategy is not. I, for one, hope Obama will continue to hit hard, but fairly. No low blows, just clean body shots.

I suspect that my candidates true colors will shine through live, during the debate, whether Mr. McCain is there or not.

>READ THE NY TIMES STORY HERE<

Don't Dis' Dave!

In yet another major faux pas (they're coming several a day now from Camp McCain), John McCain bailed out of an appearance on this evening's "Late Night With David Letterman" show – part of his emergency "drop everything" act in the face of a national crisis.

Commentary on the very unpresidential act of dropping out of an historic campaign to handle an historic economic downturn is already feeling passe´. If McCain can't multitask no, or employ his Veep to act as his proxy on one or the other, then he's not made of the stuff required to run the most powerful nation the world has ever seen, no?

However, what could turn into an even bigger gaffe, at least in terms of media exposure, was blowing off Dave tonight, although it's not so much blowing him off as how he did it – with yet another lie.

Let Dave himself explain...

And now... This

Let me preface this particular "outing" of the truth on behalf of a man who seems to be having increasingly difficulty in doing so himself – John McCain – by explaining some ground rules for this site.

While I realize that "What About Carly?" is by its nature a negative kind of blog, it's also about getting to the truth which is an especially significant thing in politics. Moreover, I have chosen not to commit first strikes (the kind our Commander -in- Chief authorized in Iraq). Rather, I will counterstrike. When John McCain attacks his presidential opponent I'll lob one back.

Sure, Barack is big enough to handle his own battles. He doesn't need little ol' me to help him battle a 72-year-old man with questionable health. However, this opponent often doesn't fight fair, inserting horseshoes in the shape of big, fat lies into his gloves (awkward metaphor, no?) Plus, Obama is my peeps. I always stand up for my peeps.

So, with that caveat out of the way, let me get to the gist of this post. As just reported in the NY Times, Freddie Mac gave $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, from the end of 2005 through last month . That's FREDDIE MAC.

According to the Times report, two insiders "said Mr. Davis’s firm, Davis Manafort, had been kept on the payroll because of his close ties to Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, who by 2006 was widely expected to run again for the White House."

That's CLOSE TIES.

To read the article in its entirety go to McCain Aide's FirmWas Paid by Freddie Mac

This, on the same day McCain launched a vicious attack ad in Illinois in which, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, he "accuses Sen. Barack Obama of being a product of the Chicago political machine."

Mayor Daley was none too pleased with McCain's latest bit of vitriole and warned the formerly respectable senator that he, too, can play rough, reminding in a press conference of McCain's membership in the Keating Five.

He who throws stones at glass houses, Mr. McCain... and right about now your seven/nine/umpteen homes are looking pretty damn fragile.

So, what about her?

So, who is Carly Fiorina and why would anyone start a blog asking about her? Glad you asked.

I started this site out of a combination of outrage, frustration, and ultimately a desire to channel unproductive feelings into a productive form of communication.

While listening to Thom Hartmann's excellent morning broadcast here on L.A.'s KTLA 1150AM I heard Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders comment how our current fiscal crisis could end up being the "October surprise" we've come to expect from the Karl Rove machine each election cycle. The scenario he laid out should be frightening to anyone who desires change and a degree of sanity restored to the executive branch of our government.

The scenario is this: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid cave in to pressure from the White House (wouldn't be the first time) and stand arm-in-arm with Bush (if only figuratively) as they announce the $700 million (or more) bailout of the corrupt financial institutions run by the fat cats who profited off the middle class' misery. In other words, the Democratic party signs off on a policy plan urged by the least respected president in U.S. history.

John McCain, the self-professed "maverick" (despite having voted with Bush more than 90% of the time the past eight years and having been one of the "Keating Five") can then stand apart from both the Republican proxy (Bush) and all the Democrats, as represented by the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader. Of course, by default, Barack Obama would be lumped in with the dirty lot.

If the Repubs haven't proved themselves to be so adept at "gotcha" politics and had the Rovian strategy of telling lies often enough until the masses believe them, the hairs on the back of my neck wouldn't have stood on end. But this was the perfect ploy, just waiting to be played out. This may well be Halloween come early for Barack Obama.

So, after feeling my blood pressure rise a few millimeters I asked myself what I could do to help, or at least feel as though I'm not merely sitting back fuming, or at best calling a like minded friend with whom to vent. Hence, WhatAboutCarly.com.

For those not in the know, Carly Fiorina is John McCain's chief financial surrogate and was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard... until she was fired after presiding over a 50% drop in shareholders' value and the loss of twenty thousand jobs. So, after nearly sinking the boat and drowning half its passengers what did Ms. Fiorina get? A kick in the pants? A dagger up the step? No, she received a $42 million buyout. For real. No joke. Can anyone say "GOLDEN PARACHUTE?"

Now, in spite of all this – in spite of what should be called a platinum parachute and her being McCain's financial strategist, here's an excerpt from McCain from a speech he made yesterday in Scranton, PA:

"We cannot have taxpayers footing the bill for bloated golden parachutes like we see in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, where the top executives are asking for $2.5 billion in bonuses after they ran the company into the ground. The senior executives of any firm that is bailed out by treasury should not be making more than the highest paid government official."

Incredible, no? Yes! The, this past weekend, McCain defended her severance package from Hewlett Packard:

"I think she did a good job as CEO in many respects," McCain told "The Today Show's" Meredith Vieira when she pressed him on the matter.

"I know that she was a very successful businesswoman. Started out as a part-time secretary and made her way to the top of the corporate ladder as one of the biggest CEOs in the United States of America."

McCain admitted, however, that he was not familiar with the details of Fiorina's payout:

McCAIN: I don't think so. ... Because I think she did a good job as CEO in many respects. I don't know the details of her compensation package. But she's one of many advisers that I have.

VIERA: But she did get a $45 million dollar golden parachute after being fired while 20,000 of her employees were laid off.

McCAIN: I have many of the people, but I do not know the details of what happened.

After which he went back on the stump and once again tried to blame Barack Obama for the faltering economy.

So, the guy has one of the very people who is at the root of our current economic woes as his economic advisor, claims she did a good job (at getting 20,000 people laid off) and doesn't know the details of her firing before hiring her. And then, it was back on the stump for him, blaming Obama for our economic downturn yet again.

And now he's trying to sweep Carly Fiorina under the carpet, as if the economic adviser to the man who has admitted publicly more than 20 times that economics aren't his strong point.

And that's why I had to start this blog. It won't only be about Carly Fiorina, but it will most certainly work to expose lies and reveal truths as they pertain to this presidential campaign. As you guessed, I'm a strong Obama supporter, and have decided that I will do all that I can, this blog being one means, to help set records straight and get this country back on the straight and narrow in the process.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

-Shawn Perine
9/23/08