John Kerry's campaign on Bush's use of the Osama tape as an occasion to make a mean spirited, partisan political attack on John Kerry (by email):

This is a serious issue, and it’s disturbing that the White House seems intent on making it a political issue. The president was briefed on the tape before he delivered one of his most negative and divisive attacks of this campaign.

“America deserves a national security debate on the merits rather, than a president who desperately resorts to distortions, falsehoods and untruths on a regular basis.

“John Kerry was very clear tonight that we will stop at nothing to hunt down and kill the terrorists and that all Americans - Republicans and Democrats - are united in the war on terror. George Bush wasted no time in dividing us again.”

Bush was briefed hours on the contents of the tape hours before its release. Kerry's first statement was made before his briefing. After being advised of what was on the tape, Kerry made this statement:

"In response to this tape from Osama bin Laden, let me make it clear, crystal clear. As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. They are barbarians. And I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes. Period.”

Heads Up: Here's an e-mail just in regarding voting problems in Jacksonville Florida and St. John's County, predominantly a Republican area:

This is an alert that the Official Sample Ballot for St. John's County, Florida, has a mis-printed telephone number for the Julington Creek Annex, 725 Flora Branch Blvd., Jacksonville, FL It is printed as 904-320-0107 and SHOULD BE 904-2 3 0-0107. The 2 and 3 are reversed. I kept getting a "wrong number" and was transferred to an Operator who also verified that it was a wrong number. She then placed me through to Bellsouth to which there was no answer except a menu system. I finally realized while waiting for a human voice that the numbers were transposed.

I initially had called my local office in St. Augustine, Florida, prior to placing this call but no one had answered the phone there despite several rings on three sequential calls; thus I called the Julington Creek Branch Annex Office to ask a question on how a voter can vote if they have moved to a different county.

Via Daily Kos, Pandagon and Oliver Willis.

If Republican Arlen Spector gets reelected, he's next in line to be Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Joe Hoeffel, his opponent, says that will be a disaster.

Hoeffel has attacked Specter as voting for "every right-wing and, in many cases, unqualified appointment to the federal bench" that Bush has made. "In many cases, women-hating, civil rights-denying, labor-bashing, environment-trashing, unqualified people," Hoeffel said in a recent WHYY radio interview.

Hoeffel ridiculed Specter's vow to appoint "centrist" judges, and accused Specter of being "inconsistent" on abortion rights by confirming nominees who did not support Roe v. Wade.

Santorum validates that claim.

And if the race is a tie? The Guardian says we will have "stark chaos" for a month.

Daily Kos is running an election prediction contest. Get your entry in before noon on Saturday.

by TChris

Memo to nonprofit organizations: don't criticize President Bush, lest you incur the wrath of the I.R.S.

In a letter dated Oct. 8 and released Thursday, the I.R.S. told the [N.A.A.C.P.] it had received information that [its chairman, Julian] Bond conveyed "statements in opposition of George W. Bush for the office of presidency" and specifically that he had "condemned the administration policies of George W. Bush in education, the economy and the war in Iraq."

The President has a contentious relationship with the NAACP, as evidenced by his refusal to address the group at its last four annual conventions. Julian Bond contends that his criticisms of the administration were directed to policy and did not cross the line by soliciting support for a particular candidate.

"This is an attempt to silence the N.A.A.C.P. on the very eve of a presidential election," [Bond] said. "We are best known for registering and turning out large numbers of African-American voters. Clearly, someone in the I.R.S. doesn't want that to happen."

No word on whether the IRS is chasing after all the nonprofit churches that have given visible support to the President's reelection efforts.

Wrinkled shirt? Poorly sewn jacket backseam? Or a listening device? Salon has the answer and newly enhanced photos. Dr. Robert M. Nelson, a physicist and senior research scientist for NASA and for Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an international authority on image analysis, enhanced and examined the photos and says Bush wore a listening device.

A professional physicist and photo analyst for more than 30 years, he speaks earnestly and thoughtfully about his subject. "I am willing to stake my scientific reputation to the statement that Bush was wearing something under his jacket during the debate," he says. "This is not about a bad suit. And there's no way the bulge can be described as a wrinkled shirt."

The more I think about that first debate and Bush's wierd demeanor and hesitant, broken often inapt responses, it seems the only explanation is that he was trying to listen and speak at the same time.

[link via Americablog]

Catholics for Political Responsibility (CPR) has launched radio ads on 45 stations in Ohio,Wisconsin, Colorado, West Virginia and New Hampshire, condemning President Bush for his "failure of moral leadership." The ads cite "mounting casualties in Iraq, the torture and rendition of detainees, the growing number of families in poverty and rising abortion rates."

"I voted for Bush in 2000 because of my pro-life values but I am heartily sorry now. On war, health care, poverty and abortion, he has failed to promote the culture of life when it counts," said Sidney Callahan, award-winning Catholic writer and CPR Co- chair.

....This group of prominent theologians, clergy, and laypeople bares witness to the moral failures of the Bush administration, the Catholic values of service and stewardship lived by John Kerry, and the obligation of Faithful Citizenship to have an informed conscience on all Catholic teaching.

Here is the text of two of the ads:

At least two electoral vote projectors have Kerry now ahead of Bush:

2004 Poll Watcher
Electoral-Vote.Com

The Bush campaign admitted doctoring an ad depicting Bush surrounded by soldiers. Daily Kos shows you how they did it. The Kerry camp responds.

Where your BlogPAC dollars go. This ad will be running in Ohio through election day. More available here.

Received by e-mail, author unknown:

MISSING EXPLOSIVES: There were two “must see” news reports on Wednesday night that pretty much clear up the mystery of the missing explosives. The first was on ABC and featured video taken after the fall of Baghdad showing explosives at the Al Qaqaa facility. Let’s go to the videotape.

David Kay was also on television on Wednesday night and summed up the Bush administration’s blunders in Iraq like this: “I think it's important, this loss of 360 tons, but Iraq is awash with tens of thousands of tons of explosives right now in the hands of insurgents because we did not provide the security when we took over the country. Let’s go to the videotape.

What’s Bush going to say on Friday about these revelations? Rudy redux?

ALL HALLIBURTON’S EVE: As the campaign winds down and comes to a close, it seems fitting that Halliburton is back in the news. The fact of the matter is that the Vice-President’s former company has bilked billions from the taxpayers, and driving up costs. It’s fitting that this issue, which has haunted the vice president all year, should return from the grave for one last appearance before the election. Look to see what Edwards does on this on Friday.