Blog Title: The Mersman Political Blog

Fox News Misspells "Attacks"

Screen shot of Fox News misspelling of "attack". Photo by Brandon Mersman.

Obama Names Gibbs and Moran to Communications Staff

President-elect Barack Obama has continued selecting his White House staff by naming his top communications staffers this weekend. The face of the White House to the press corps will be Robert Gibbs.

Robert Gibbs served as Obama's senate and campaign spokesman and has been with him since his senate campaign. Robert Gibbs is a strong protector of Obama's image both in public and behind the scenes.

Gibbs has a close relationship with Obama and according to the Associated Press, has no problem telling Obama what needs to be improved. Gibbs will likely have a much closer relationship to the incoming president than any other press secretary in recent memory.

Gibbs famously took it to Sean Hannity on his own show by asking him if he was anti-Semitic. Hannity's show featured attacks on Obama by an outspoken anti-Semitic named Andy Martin. Gibbs turned the Bill Ayers attacks launched by Hannity around by asking Hannity why he had Andy Martin on his show.

Obama picked someone from outside of his inner circle to serve as his communications director in the White House. The head of the Washington based Emily's List, Ellen Moran will serve as communications director.

Moran actively supported Senator Clinton's bid for president and will head an inner circle of Obama loyalists in the White House. Emily's List supports female candidates that support abortion rights, Clinton was the obvious choice for Moran to make during the primary.

Dan Pfeiffer, will be the deputy communications director under Moran. Pfeiffer was communications director overseeing the press operations during the presidential campaign.

Here is an example of Robert Gibb's work. Gibbs schools Hannity on his own show.

Obama Treasury Pick Instills Confidence on Wall Street

On Monday Barack Obama will publicly announce his pick for Treasury Secretary. Sources close to the decision have said that Obama will name the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Timothy F. Geithner to be his Treasury Secretary.

In a week where the stock market dipped to a 16 year low, Obama began moving quickly to form an economic team to calm fears.

Obama had hoped to focus first on forming a national security team during the transition process but it became even more clear that an economic team was more prevalent.

Once word reached Wall Street that Obama had all but decided on the 47 year old Geithner, the Dow Jones industrial average soared nearly 500 points before closing bell.

Wall Street was aching for some sign of life in Washington as President Bush waits for time to run out. Many see Bush's lame duck tenure as a "power vacuum" in which there is a lack of leadership and action.

Obama's move in forming an economic team early will show Wall Street that at least someone is looking to the future and not just counting down until they get to move back to their ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Geithner has worked in the Treasury Department under several different presidents and was a Republican in the 1980's during Reagan and Bush Sr. Geithner is now considered an Independent.

Geithner also worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) until 2003. For a considerably young man of 47, Geithner brings a lot of experience with him. Geithner has served many different administrations, has international experience, and has been deeply involved in trying to keep the current economic situation from getting worse.

Treasury secretary is an even more important and prestigious cabinet position considering the $700 billion dollar bailout package the Treasury secretary will be in charge of administering.

The pick of Geithner to this critical cabinet post is a bi-partisan and seemingly smart choice. Geithner and President-elect Obama will be under enormous pressure to rescue the failing economy as soon as they take office.

I would not be surprised to see Obama and his economic team working in any way they can before January 20, 2009 to assure a smooth transition of power when it comes to the economy as well as national security.

Photo of Timothy F. Geithner, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President. Photo by: http://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/bios/banks/pres02.htm

Senator Clinton Accepting Secretary of State Position

The New York Times is reporting that Senator Clinton will give up her senate seat to serve as Barack Obama's Secretary of State. Clinton will serve as America's Representative to the world for the Obama administration.

After discussing the position with President Elect Obama in more detail, Senator Clinton is on board sources told the New York Times. Obama's office has reported that the Clinton nomination is "on track".

Former President Bill Clinton has agreed to all of the Obama camp's demands as far as having his paid speeches vetted by the administration. President Clinton also turned over a list of 208,000 donors that donated to the Clinton foundation.

Another Clinton source told the New York Times that the nomination is a "done deal".

Clinton campaigned hard for Obama after loosing a hard fought Democratic campaign to Obama. Obama and Clinton will again be working toward the same goals in the Obama administration.

Clinton will make an excellent Secretary of State because she will fight hard to protect our nation's image.

Clinton will have no problem staring down leaders of countries who threaten peace around the world. Clinton could be the best Secretary of State this country has ever had and could make her place in history in this position.

Obama Taps Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano in Iraq ("Photo is courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.")

According to CNN, Arizona Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano has been selected by Barack Obama to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security.

The Department of Homeland Security which was created after September 11, 2001, is an extremely important element in organizing our nation’s defense against terrorism .

This decision still depends on her ability to pass the all invasive vetting process. We are not talking about being vetted to be John McCain’s running mate. Napolitano will need to be vetted intensely if she is going to be confirmed by the Senate in short order.

Napolitano was Arizona’s first female attorney general which is where she gathers her law enforcement experience from. Napolitano is currently serving her second term as the state’s governor.

Napolitano campaigned regularly for Obama and has been rumored to be a candidate for more than one cabinet post.

In 2005, Time magazine named Napolitano one of the five best governors in the country. Napolitano was re-elected in 2006 with more than 62 percent of the vote.

Napolitano is an extremely popular female governor with great potential in the Democratic Party.

Obama Administration: Experience or Change?

After each cabinet announcement Republicans and political pundits wait to pounce on Barack Obama's promise of change. Obama has informally announced two cabinet posts at this point and appointed a handful of White House staff positions.

With each appointment and nomination Barack Obama has shown that he is looking for experience in his up coming administration.

Wednesday, former Senator Tom Daschle informally accepted the job of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Senator Daschle has recent lobbying experience that may contradict Obama's strict ethics rules on lobbying.

The Obama administration promised during the campaign that, “no political appointees in an Obama administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years.”

According to the New York Times, Daschle served on the board of the Mayo Clinic and was a "highly paid adviser to health care clients at the law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird." Daschle left the senate four years ago and has lobbied in the health care field in the past two years.

Daschle's previous lobbying experience may put him at odds with the Obama administration's conflict of interest pledge. Daschle maybe asked to recuse himself of health care issues involving the Mayo Clinic or any clients represented by Alston & Bird.

On Tuesday, the Obama campaign signaled that they had selected Eric H. Holder to be the new Attorney General. Holder was a senior official at the Justice Department during the Clinton administration.

Obama is also looking to hire Jacob Lew to head up the National Economic Council. Lew served in the Clinton administration as budget director.

Gregory B. Craig will be Obama's White House counsel. Craig served in the State Department under President Clinton and also served as Clinton's impeachment lawyer.

Rahm Emanuel who will serve as Obama's chief of staff also served in the Clinton administration. Emanuel was an Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and was later the Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy.

Obama is clearly looking for experience to surround him in what will certainly be a challenging four years in the White House. Nearly ever aide and every cabinet member rumored to be coming from the Obama transition team has a history with the Clinton White House.

This will not be seen as change in the eyes of many critics and skeptics watching his every move.

The question becomes, will Obama demand change from his team of experience? Or will he bring in some fresh faces with fresh perspectives as well?

I expect Obama will govern the way he ran his impeccable campaign. No leaks, no infighting, and sticking to the message at hand. Obama will not tolerate anyone who goes against the goals of his administration. Obama will set the agenda of change and his team will fall in line.

John Edwards Get Back in Your Cave

Three months after John Edwards finally admitted to an affair that caused him to disappear from the public eye, he has crawled back out from his hole.

Edwards is trying to slowly make a come back to the political world by championing the issue that he is passionate about, poverty.

John Edwards' commitment to poverty and social justice issues is the reason I was so torn during the Democratic primary between Barack Obama and John Edwards. I ended up endorsing Edwards because of his universal health care plan and his commitment to social justice.

I also stood up for Edwards when people pointed out the contradictions his wealth and lifestyle had with his desire to help those living in poverty. I gave Edwards the benefit of the doubt. I stood up for Edwards because I believed he was giving voice to the voiceless.

Three months ago Edwards admitted to having an affair with a woman he "hired" to work for his campaign after initially lying about it. Thinking he could beat the tabloid story, Edwards lied to the American people about the affair.

"I think it would behoove Senator Edwards to continue staying out of the
limelight for a longer period of time and let the country move on,"
a former campaign aide said.

After putting his wife through two failed presidential campaigns and now a very public extramarital affair, it is time that Edwards stay out of the limelight and focus on his family. Elizabeth Edwards who has terminal cancer, does not deserve to be reminded of the past by having her husband nudge his way back into the public square.

There are plenty of decent Americans out there that can champion the cause of poverty without disgracing it in the way Edwards did.

Our country is better off with Edwards in hiding. With Edwards gone people who believed in him can finally move on and start to focus on ideas rather than individuals and their personal problems.

As a former supporter, I feel it is entirely appropriate to say, Edwards stay out of our lives. At least for a little while longer.

Barack Obama's First Post Election Interview

Barack Obama gave his first post election interview on Sunday night to CBS's 60 minutes. President Elect Obama gave an exclusive interview to 60 minutes which generated the highest ratings for the program since 1999.

According Nielsen Media Research's preliminary estimates, 24.5 million Americans tuned in to watch the newly elected president and his wife Michelle. Steve Kroft interviewed Obama about his plans for the economy, his administration's transition, and his family's transition to the White House.

Kroft asked Obama if he would be putting a Republican in his cabinet. Obama replied "yes." Kroft asked if there would be more than one Republican in his cabinet. Obama said, "you're not getting anymore out of me."

Barack Obama takes seriously the idea Lincoln had of surrounding himself with people with different opinions. Lincoln famously assembled what many call a "team of rivals" to his cabinet.

Lincoln did not appoint people who were his friends or close political allies. Lincoln appointed people he knew were the best for the job and those that would offer conflicting ideas to his own to challenge him.

Barack Obama will similarly try to assemble the best and brightest people to his cabinet no matter what party they are from. I would not be surprised to see Obama consider Senator John McCain for a position in his cabinet.

In the same way that Senator Clinton was previously a political rival he is considering her for one of the biggest prizes in the cabinet, Secretary of State.

In the coming days and weeks I believe we will see one of the most bi-partisan and diverse White House cabinets we have seen in a long time.

60 Minutes Interview with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama
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Part 2:



Part 3:


Part 4:

Joe Biden Skit on SNL

"You don't think I can give a train-wreck interview with Katie Couric? Just name the time and the place and Joe Biden will bring the train!" the Biden character claims.

Biden is certainly known for his blunders and gaffes. Biden is known for saying things that are either politically incorrect or that are damaging to himself.

"In Delaware we have a joke, what's the difference between a bit pull and Joe Biden? You can teach a pit pull to keep his mouth shut."

Biden was able to keep his blunders to a minimum while campaigning with Senator Obama during this election. However, it does help when the person you are running against is Sara Palin.

Lieberman's Fate and Obama's Temperament

President Elect Barack Obama faces an interesting challenge with members of his own party in the senate as they try to decide the fate of Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met with Lieberman after the election to discuss his future with the Democratic caucus.

Lieberman is the chairman of the important Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee of which he helped create after September 11, 2001.

As a punishment for Lieberman's campaigning for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and campaigning against Barack Obama, Harry Reid discussed stripping him of his committee chair position.

Senator Lieberman told Harry Reid that loosing his chair position on this important committee was unacceptable. Lieberman would likely leave the party and caucus with the Republican Party if Reid were to take this punitive action against Lieberman.

On Tuesday, a Barack Obama spokesperson told Talking Points Memo that Obama does not "hold any grudges" against Senator Lieberman for campaigning against him during the election. However, Obama will not be taking any position on the matter as to what should be Lieberman's fate with the Democratic Caucus.

Stripping Lieberman of his chairmanship over the Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee essentially means that he will not be caucusing with Democrats in the future.

Harry Reid has decided to push the matter to a full vote before the Democratic caucus on November 18. 53 Democratic Senators will be given the chance to vote on Lieberman's fate. Open Left has put together a rough vote tally that puts them short of a majority allowing Lieberman to keep his chairmanship.

Charles Schumer (D-New York), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), and Harry Reid (D-Nevada) are all hoping Lieberman is tossed from the party. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) has voiced his support for Lieberman.

Lieberman will likely keep his seat, however, Lieberman has been showing signs of making his own move from the party for quite sometime. Lieberman has never agreed with the party's position on the Iraq war and this potential vote concerning his fate might be enough to force him from the party.

This situation has also given us another look at Obama's temperament. Obama has every right to feel betrayed and angry with Lieberman for what he did to him and the party.

Obama came to Lieberman's aid during his tough reelection battle in 2006. In 2008, Lieberman repays Obama by campaigning against him with John McCain. Despite this, Obama does not seek revenge against Lieberman, instead Obama holds no grudges.

This is the kind of cool headed personality we need to lead our country in an uncertain time. In a time were nations are too swift to draw arms, Obama may be a leader with the wisdom to use them only when necessary.

Barack Obama Roasts Rahm Emanuel (2005)

In September of 2005, Senator Barack Obama roasted Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois) at a charity dinner. C-Span re-aired the broadcast after the recent selection of Emanuel as Obama's White House Chief of Staff.

Immediately following the announcement of Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff, Republicans were outraged at the selection of such a partisan and polarizing figure.

Emanuel who is the fourth highest ranking Democrat in the House, is known for his abrasiveness and his ability to win. Emanuel previously chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in which the Democrats won back a majority in the House in 2006.

Obama roasted Emanuel for his style of in your face and "mob style" tactics. Emanuel appeared on the Sunday talk shows to discuss the incoming Obama-Biden administration.

Emanuel has reached out to Republicans in his short time as Obama's White House Chief of Staff and has signaled that he will work in a bipartisan manner to get things done.

Watch Obama's hilarious roast of who will now be his right hand man:

President Elect Obama Gives Press Conference

Signaling that the incoming Obama administration plans on being more transparent than President Bush, Obama gave his first press conference as president elect.

After a two hour long meeting with a group of economic advisers Obama gave a statement on the economy and took questions from reporters.

Obama assembled a group of advisers from the corporate world, economic sector, and political leaders with specific knowledge of the problems at hand. Prominent leaders included Warren Buffet who was a supporter of Obama's campaign, Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, William Donaldson who is a former chairman of the S.E.C., Robert Reich former Labor Secretary, and other influential economic leaders.

"I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead. It is not going to be quick, it is not going tobe easy for us to dig ourselves out of the hole we are in. But America is a strong and resilient country, and I know we will succeed if we put aside partisanship and politics and work together as one nation. That is what I intend to do," Obama said.

Obama is focusing first and foremost on the economic problems that America is facing. The economic downfall in October created the distance between him and McCain in the polls that never evaporated. The economy was by far the most important issue on the minds of voters with exit polls showing as many as 69 percent of Americans saying it was the most important issue to them.

Friday morning new economic numbers for the United States showed that 240,000 jobs were lost in the month of October and the unemployment rate increased to 6.5 percent. The unemployment rate is now at a 14 year high.

Obama faces extremely large challenges with an electorate that will have high expectations. Obama has promised changed and he hopes to bring that change with his first priority, the economy. Obama mentioned creating another stimulus package and asked that politics be set aside now that the long election period is over.

Obama believes a stimulus package is needed to aid the struggling middle class who are now facing even more job losses. Look for a stimulus package to include a tax cut and increased spending my the federal government.

Normal economic controls by the government have not worked to correct this economic downturn. Interest rates are approaching zero as rate cuts have little impact on reversing the turn ward trend.

Obama may have to look to spend a lot of federal funds to get Americans back to work. This could look like a New Deal type of policy in which road projects and other building projects could help get spending back in order. Until January 20, 2009 President Bush is still the "decider". We will have to wait to hear more from Obama to really know what he plans to do with the economy.

Watch the press conference here:

Barack Obama's Victory Speech Video

Barack Obama's Tuesday night victory speech in Chicago's Grant Park drew a crowd of over 100,000 people. Obama won in what could be considered a landslide yet reached out to those whom did not vote for him. There were no ballons or no confetti but thousands of extremely excited supporters.

Obama seemed to approach it as a victory yet realizing the huge problems his administration will have to face.

Watch Obama's speech here:

President Elect Obama

The Associated Press along with many other sources have announced that Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States. Barack Obama currently has 324 electoral voter according to the USA Today.

Barack Obama has been elected the first African American president in a landslide election. Obama will give his victory speech in Grant Park tonight or tomorrow morning in front of thousands.

Thousands of people are waiting in Chicago to hear from Senator Obama on what will be a night of celebration.

MPB Prediction: Obama Wins 2008 Election

Obama is currently at 200 electoral votes according to MSNBC. California is certainly going to go into the Obama column giving him 255. Washington state has 11 more and will also likely go for Obama. That gives Obama 266.

Obama will certainly get to 270. Obama will do this with a combination of Orgeon, Florida, Nevada, Colorado, or Iowa. Obama only needs to win one of those to put him over the threshold.

The Mersman Political Blog is projecting that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States defeating Senator John McCain.

Obama Wins New Mexico's 5 Electoral Votes

Obama flips another 2004 Republican Bush state to blue. New Mexico is only worth 5 electoral votes however it makes McCain's path to victory even harder.

Obama Wins Ohio: McCain's Chances Are Now Slim And None

NBC and CBS have called Ohio, McCain's chances are basically zero at this point. McCain's chances of getting to 270 have pretty much evaporated after loosing Pennsylvania and now Ohio.

175-76 Obama Not Picking Up 2004 Republican States Yet

Latest Calls (based on MSNBC projections):

Obama:
Wisconsin 10
Michigan 17
Minnesota 10

McCain:
Arkansas 6
Alabama 9
Kansas 6
Wyoming 3
North Dakota 3
Georgia 15

Georgia is a state where Obama had hoped to get an upset and did not. Alabama and Arkansas were slow to be called for McCain which just shows the struggles that McCain has tonight.

103-34 Obama Wins Pennyslvania

Obama:
Pennsylvania 21
Maryland 10
Delaware 3
New Hampshire 3
District of Columbia 3
Illinois 21
New Jersey 15
Massachusetts 12
Maine 4
Connecticut 7

McCain:
Oklahoma 7
Tennessee 11
South Carolina 8

After McCain did not win Pennsylvania, his chances are basically zero. McCain needs to win every swing state after Pennsylvania now to get to 270.

Earliest Projections

McCain Wins Kentucky, 8 electoral votes
Obama Wins Vermont, 3 electoral votes

No surprises so far...

Long Lines and Record Turn Out

One-hundred million voters are expected in one of the most historic elections we have ever seen. One of the only problems voters have experienced while voting today is waiting in the long lines all over America.

In what will be a historic turn out exit polls show that voters were most concerned about the economy. The first polls will close in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Certain parts of Indiana and Kentucky will close earlier than others. Virginia and Florida will close at 7:00 P.M. EST.

Stay tuned to The Mersman Political Blog for updates as returns are made tonight.

Know Your Voting Rights

As you head to the polls on election day it is important that you know what your rights are as a voter. A great website that gives you information about what your rights are is 866ourvote.org.

866ourvote.org has set up a website and hot line for voters to contact lawyers, paralegals, or law students for voting help. People who experience difficulty at their polling places and are denied a ballot for some reason are given a simple number to call on Tuesday, 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Here is a quick list of suggestions that Moveon.org put together if you do have problems voting on Tuesday:

• Not on the voter list? Make sure you're at the right polling place, then demand a provisional ballot.
• If you're voting on an electronic machine with a paper record, verify that the record is accurate.
• Need legal help? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
• If you encounter a problem, try to videotape the situation and submit it to VideoTheVote.org

Historic Election Is Upon Us

After only two short years of campaigning we have finally reached the main event. Tuesday Americans will go to the polls in what will be a historic election no matter the outcome.

Barack Obama the first African American candidate to be the nominee from a major party goes into election day with all of the momentum and most of the bets placed on him to win.

Obama has made significant strides for African Americans win or loose on election day. On Monday, Repubican political pundit and former Bush staffer predicted an Obama landslide.

Karl Rove's math predicted a 338-200 electorial victory for Obama over McCain.

McCain's only hope is that the polling data is deeply flawed and just plain wrong. Obama is leading the vast majority of swing states which gives him a large electoral lead at this point in trying to predict this election.

McCain would need to swing enough of these swing states back into his favor and win every single toss up state in order to win. A pretty tall order for a candidate that does not even seem to inspire his own party.

Here is the Huffington Post's take on the election which is based on 538 and Karl Rove: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/03/rove-nate-silver-maps-pre_n_140752.html

John Oliver Investigates Community Organizing: "Where's the Crack?"

Sara Palin and Rudy Giuliani's comments about community organizing during the Republican National Convention has caused a lot of controversy in this election. Barack Obama's past experience in community organizing was mocked by Palin and Giuliani to the insult of Americans across the country who work in this capacity.

John Oliver of The Daily Show interviewed a community organizer from ACORN and a representative from Capital Research Center to find out more about community organizers in America.

Oliver interviewed Bertha Lewis, who is a chief organizer for ACORN. Bertha's main responsibilities include protecting low-income citizens from corrupt landlords, making sure kids have safe schools and neighborhoods, making sure people have heat in their homes, lobbying for a living wage, and helping people find affordable health care.

Matthew Vadum also gets his chance with John Oliver. Vadum is from the Capital Research Center and has a much different idea of what community organizing is given Obama's career in community organizing. Vadum believes that community organizing can lead to a lucrative career as a used car sales man, trial lawyer, or as a rebel leader in a civil war. Vadum also said, "Bin Laden is a community organizer."

Vadum went on to say, "Community organizing can also lead to a very rewarding career in crack cocaine trafficking...Oh yes, it is a straight line from community organizing to crack cocaine dealer. Community organizers use crack cocaine in exchange for votes," Vadum said.

I wish I was making this stuff up.

After hearing that dozy of a truthful, fact-based, insinuation of votes being traded for crack, Oliver took it straight to ACORN organizer Bertha Lewis by asking, "where is the crack?"

As thousands of decent Americans work for very small salaries to improve the lives of others in their communities there are some who take the political opportunity to belittle the great work that they do. While politicians ignore low-income people in these communities some politicians go so far as to insult the very people that come to the aid of low-income individuals.

Oliver's piece shows just how ridiculous Sara Palin and Rudy Giuliani's comments were and how a cheap one-liner can have disastrous effects.

Here is John Oliver's Piece On Community Organizing

Obama Appears on Daily Show

Barack Obama appeared live on satellite during the taping of The Daily Show Wednesday night. After Obama's 30 minutes of air time on 7 networks Obama also made it onto The Daily Show. Obama's 30 mintues informercial may of cost him $3 million dollars The Daily Show appearance was no charge.

With just 5 days to go before the election it will difficult to avoid both candidates and their ads. After "4 years of campaigning" (give or take) this election will be getting even more air time before we get back to normal.

Here is Obama on The Daily Show: