Cheese and Crackers in the Real Virginia

I'm sitting here listening to football and eating cheese and crackers in the real Virginia. I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "Obama." there are two signs in my yard: one for Obama and one for Mark Warner's Senate run. Not everyone here is for Obama, but my hope is that he'll carry our county...

The Associated Press carried a story today about McCain's hopes in Virginia.

A top aide to John McCain said Saturday the Republican presidential nominee still has a strong chance of winning the state because of his support in "Real Virginia," the downstate areas far removed in distance and political philosophy from the more liberal northern part of the state.

Daily Kos showed the new US map that the McCain camp is evidently using. (I hope they don't sue me for using it.)



They also had a YouTube video of McCain spokesperson Nancy Pfotenhauer saying stupid things on MSNBC...



We're more "Southern" out here, according to Pfotenhauer. And somehow that's good for McCain? Not sure if that's racist, or what. I don't think she has a particularly profound grasp of the state's geography.

In the meantime, LSU and South Carolina are tide, Texas is putting a whippin' on Missouri, the Hokies are trying to catch up with Boston College, and I need more crackers...

Joe the (Jackass) Plumber...

Joe the Plumber became a celebrity, a public figure of sorts, Wednesday night during the presidential debate when GOP candidate John McCain referred to him twenty times or more. NBC declared Joe the plumber to be the winner of the debate.

Some background is in order...

Barack Obama and Joe Wurzelbacher (his name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher) talked on at an event in Ohio a few days ago. Watch the Youtube video for the conversation.



So, here's what I've seen on Joe today...

• Joe the Plumber: Unregistered Voter, and More...
  
• McCain’s “Joe the Plumber” Myth Continues to Unravel
  
• 'Joe the Plumber' Says He Has No Plumbing License
  
• Say It Isn’t So, Joe! Wurzelbacher Not A Real $250K Plumber?
  
• Joe the Plumber: Jackass or Ordinary American
  
• Is “Joe the Plumber’s” story starting to unravel?
  
• Joe the Plumber- Completely Fake
  
• Enraged Leftwing Blogosphere Hurls Attacks Against Joe the Plumber
  
• Who Is "Joe the Plumber"?
  
• The dirt on Joe The Plumber
  
• NY Times Blog 'Spotlights' Joe the Plumber with Left-Wing Attacks
  

You're welcome to wade through it yourself, but...

Joe owes back taxes in Ohio - about $1,200. Joe used to live in Alaska and has relatives who know Sarah Palin's husband, Todd. Joe is also related to one of the convicted felons from the Keating five savings and loans scandal that McCain was connected to. Joe's family contributes mightily to the GOP in Ohio. Joe's last name is misspelled on Ohio's vote registration roll and that would be enough to disqualify him from voting in some states; but he is registered to vote. Joe doesn't make anywhere near $250,000 a year (his 2006 divorce settlement say he makes $40K) and can't possibly afford to come up with the million or so dollars it would take to buy the company he talked to Obama about in the video.

Joe the Plumber is making stuff up in the video. McCain is either stupid for using him in the debate or doesn't know he was planted by his own campaign at that Ohio event just to make a good YouTube video...

ACLU Membership

My membership card for the ACLU came today. I guess that makes me an official liberal...