It is getting rather repetetive writing that this liberal and that progressive, this blog and that news outlet, have lost it, as their journey down Unhinged Lane has ended and they are now traveling down Interstate 5150. Once again, here we go!

Naomi Wolf: The Battle Plan II: Sarah “Evita” Palin, the Muse of the Coming Police State

Please understand what you are looking at when you look at Sarah “Evita” Palin. You are looking at the designated muse of the coming American police state.

You have to understand how things work in a closing society in order to understand “Palin Power.” A gang or cabal seizes power, usually with an affable, weak figurehead at the fore. Then they will hold elections — but they will make sure that the election will be corrupted and that the next affable, weak figurehead is entirely in their control. Remember, Russia has Presidents; Russia holds elections. Dictators and gangs of thugs all over the world hold elections. It means nothing. When a cabal has seized power you can have elections and even presidents, but you have freedom.

I realized early on with horror what I was seeing in Governor Palin: the continuation of the Rove-Cheney cabal, but this time without restraints. I heard her echo Bush 2000 soundbites (”the heart of America is on display”) and realized Bush’s speechwriters were writing her — not McCain’s — speeches. I heard her tell George Bush’s lies — not McCain’s — to the American people, linking 9/11 to Iraq. I heard her make fun of Barack Obama for wanting to prevent the torture of prisoners — this is Rove-Cheney’s enthusiastic S and M, not McCain’s, who, though he shamefully colluded in the 2006 Military Tribunals Act, is also a former prisoner of war and wrote an eloquent Newsweek piece in 2005 opposing torture. I saw that she was even styled by the same skillful stylist (neutral lipstick, matte makeup, dark colors) who turned Katharine Harris from a mall rat into a stateswoman and who styles all the women in the Bush orbit -but who does not bother to style Cindy McCain.

Not too long in the past, people would be put in a straight jacket and given a medical hold for going around the bend like this. Now, they get writing gigs at the Huffington Post.

The Surrender Monkey is simply thrilled by news that came out Thursday, and demanded that he be allowed to cover it

The Democratic-controlled Congress, acknowledging that it isn’t equipped to lead the way to a solution for the financial crisis and can’t agree on a path to follow, is likely to just get out of the way.

Lawmakers say they are unlikely to take action before, or to delay, their planned adjournments — Sept. 26 for the House of Representatives, a week later for the Senate. While they haven’t ruled out returning after the Nov. 4 elections, they would rather wait until next year unless Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, who are leading efforts to contain the crisis, call for help.

One reason, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday, is that “no one knows what to do” at the moment.

So, we have major financial turmoil in the markets, problems with housing, particularly Freddie and Fannie, and what does, the Democrat controlled congress do? Punt. On first down. To President Bush. The guy they have been maligning for days over the latest financial problems (not to mention since 1/21/2001.)

Queen Nancy and Dingy Harry say “Save us, Dubya, save us!” Glad to know we are getting value for the money Congress appropriates to itself.

Captain Ed

First Pelosi adjourns the House in the middle of an energy supply crisis that hammered the working class with sharp hikes in fuel and food costs. Now both Pelosi and Reid want to adjourn both chambers of Congress rather than deal with the credit crisis that Washington created with its heavy-handed mandates to issue credit to marginally qualified borrowers and lack of oversight over government-guaranteed entities. Given their ineptitude, we probably should be grateful — as Bloomberg notes. But considering their rhetoric over the last few days, their retreat may be one of the most cowardly acts in domestic policy seen in a very long time.

He dubs the Congress the Brave Sir Robin Congress. That character is Surrendie’s favorite from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Is it just me or does Michelle Obama appear to have lost some of her confidence? Don’t vote for McCain because Palin is cute?

The desperation of the Obama campaign has gotten downright pathetic.

Quick and dirty update on State polls. You can check out the full data at Electoral Vote. Some of the important highlights to a massive amount of new polls

• Va is back to slightly McCain
• Pa. still a dead heat
• New Mexico is back to Barry
• Mac takes over Colorado
• Barry is losing ground in Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan
• Mac lost some ground in Florida, West Virginia, Louisiana, and NC (though NC is still solidly GOP)
• NY is back to Barry by 12
• The Welfare State of Washington DC is massively Barry
• Barry lost a bit in Idaho Iowa, though still solidly Barry (woops, brain and fingers did not co-operate)

A big concern, and not just symbolically, is Illinois, Barack’s home state, of course. The margin has been slowly creeping closer, and, with the latest poll, Barry only leads by 6. This is a state that Kerry won by 10, Gore won by 12, Clinton won by 17 in ‘96 and 15 in ‘92. WIll Obama lose it? Probably not. But, if he pulls a Gore and loses his home state, very bad, since Illinois accounts for 21 electoral votes.

For the most part, I am ignoring most solidly blue or red states, especially if there is little change.

There has been a constant bleat from the Obama campaign and many compliant and complicit media outlets to announce to the American people that Barack Obama would decrease taxes for 95% of the American people. Beyond the fact that that would be impossible, this begs the question, since the Barry camp wants to deal with non-distractions, what rates does Barry propose?

Web CPA, which is concerned, rightly, about job and income loss for CPA’s, has this to say

Obama also is pushing to repeal the Bush administration’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts - at least the part of those laws that gave relief to upper-income taxpayers. But in order to “protect tax cuts for poor and middle-class families,” he has proposed limiting the rollback to taxpayers with incomes of $250,000 or more, as well as permanently extending marriage penalty relief and simplifying the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Obama has been against making the Bush tax cuts permanent for years. And, as John Feehery points out

History: When it comes to cutting taxes, Barack Obama is a virgin. He has never voted for a tax cut in his legislative life. He has had 94 opportunities to vote for a tax cut in his Senate career, and he has voted no each and every time. When you have a long history of voting to raise taxes, you can’t convince voters that you are a born-again tax-cutter. Sorry. Nice try.

Now, Barack has all sorts of refunds ($500 for singles and $1,000 for families) and stuff going on in his plan, but, consider: here are the tax rates for 2000

And for 2008

Let’s consider what this means. The average American income in 2007 was $50,233. So, in 2000 you would have paid $14,065 in federal taxes. In 2008 you will pay $12,558 (and people say tax discussions are boring?) A difference of $1,506. Of course, we are not considering any deductions and other tax wonkiness, just straight numbers.

So, Barry let’s the Bush tax cuts lapse. What does he replace it with? Will he actually keep the rates for those who are making less then $250k as families and $200k as individuals in place? Will he go back to Clinton era tax rates? Those are the questions. Because giving a rebate is not a tax cut, it is just giving you your own money back. And people rarely pay attention to the actual tax rates

And that does not even get in to the capital gains taxes Barry wants to double, nor shifting the tax burden to the middle class as “the rich” start spending less and sheltering their money, nor the raise in Social Security taxes.

He has already joined the ranks of the Media Who Have Lost It, so, now he goes a little farther with his “OMG, Barry could actually lose!” whining

Can Barack Obama actually blow this thing? Can he actually lose in November?

Yes. Check the poll