LAKE CITY, Ga. -- More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005. Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis. After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.
Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.
After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.
MOVE. THAT. BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
Sen Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has been indicted on corruption charges, CBS News has learned. The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting it was reported late last year, according to people close to the investigation. The secret recordings suggest the Justice Department was eyeing Stevens long before June 2007, when the Republican senator first publicly acknowledged he was under scrutiny. At that time, it appeared Stevens was a new focus in a case that had already ensnared several state lawmakers. The recorded calls between Stevens and businessman Bill Allen were confirmed by two people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. They declined to say how many calls were recorded or what was said.
The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting it was reported late last year, according to people close to the investigation.
The secret recordings suggest the Justice Department was eyeing Stevens long before June 2007, when the Republican senator first publicly acknowledged he was under scrutiny. At that time, it appeared Stevens was a new focus in a case that had already ensnared several state lawmakers.
The recorded calls between Stevens and businessman Bill Allen were confirmed by two people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. They declined to say how many calls were recorded or what was said.
Bye, Ted. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
How about flipping Alaska? That'd be one for the books.
Meanwhile, polling (from FiveThirtyEight has Obama inching ahead of McCain with 303 EV to 235 for the Mc-in-Fritter.
Of the western states, I think Montana and the Dakotas may be the potential surprises. Last poll I saw out of North Dakota had it dead even. McCain was either +2 or +4 in SD, and Obama was +5 in Montana.
North Carolina still looks tight, although I won't believe we have a real shot until Obama at least pulls even in one poll, and really only if he takes a lead in one. Both are in the mid- to low-40s there, so plenty of room to grow, and Obama could pull out those extra few points with a huge black turnout.
Michigan and Pennsylvania seem to have come home to the Dems. My sense is that Ohio's pretty tight, perhaps a slight McCain lead prior to O's Mid-East/Yurp trip, but it's all about economics there.
All of the polling aggregators have Obama currently holding about 300 EVs, give or take a bit. I'd love the big 375+ landslide, but I'll damned sure take 300 -- or 270, for that matter (a win is a win, after all). Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
I use polls this far out to see whose developing a baseline of support.
(Dinner Time! Yeah! I'm starving.)
Of the western states, I think Montana and the Dakotas may be the potential surprises.
Note that "surprises" is the operative word there. Obviously New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada are going to be higher up on the swing state list.
Which is why I think Peyote Bill is the Veep. Note that he never appears on the lists that are "leaked," despite the fact that we all know he's on the shortlist. Throw the press off the trail and all that with Guv'nuh Timmeh. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
Should he really be so desperate so early? Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
Obama is creating his own field organization parallel to, but slightly different from, the Democratic organization. These people are registering new voters in massive numbers and while so doing are creating a database they will be able to use to get those people to vote. With vote-by-mail they will be able to 'bank' their hard support, work on the softies up through election day.
So he'll have his own largely voluntary (no bucks cost) organization, the regular Democratic Party organization, and the unions.
The GOP can't match this. The GOP depends on either paid staff (expensive) or fundies (morons) to do this work.
So McCain is heading into an election facing an insurgent candidate with mucho organizational support, much bucks, and a wildly enthusiastic electorate. Meanwhile, his campaign is sucking wind, he's losing the free media war, he's got money problems, and the fundie base -- without which the GOP is toast -- is lukewarm to hostile.
Plus he's shit as a campaigner.
If nothing else, we're certainly going to inherit a hell of an infrastructure from his campaign. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
He's the sitcom candidate, the presidential wannabe who needs a laugh track to make him look credible.
Bets on early retirement for health reasons, and a quick swap in for Mitt 'Light Fingers' Romney, or Mike 'Batshit' Huckabee?
I doubt they'd want to run Romney. For all of his flaws, Romney at least has a drop of talent as a politician, even if he's a total fraud and dumber than catshit. Why waste him?
Huckabee is a possibility. Gingrich, too. A war in St Paul wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility either. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
From Alas, a blog
The Tax Policy Center prepared an interesting report this week, noting the key differences between the economic policies articulated by John McCain and the economic policies presented by John McCain's presidential campaign. There's a bit of a gap -- to the tune of $2.8 trillion (that's "trillion," with a "t"). [...] How does the McCain campaign respond to this? As it turns out, hilariously. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's chief economic adviser, told Slate, "[McCain] has certainly I'm sure said things in town halls" that don't jibe perfectly with his written plan. But that doesn't mean it's official." Got that? If we want to better understand John McCain's economic policies, we should overlook what John McCain says about his economic policies. McCain's "official" positions don't come from McCain.
[...]
How does the McCain campaign respond to this? As it turns out, hilariously.
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's chief economic adviser, told Slate, "[McCain] has certainly I'm sure said things in town halls" that don't jibe perfectly with his written plan. But that doesn't mean it's official."
Got that? If we want to better understand John McCain's economic policies, we should overlook what John McCain says about his economic policies. McCain's "official" positions don't come from McCain.
