Washington has never been considered a battleground this year, but Barack Obama's margin is a good indication of his position in the blue field, and if the new Survey USA poll is correct, Republicans running in these states better be very afraid. He leads the state 56% to 40%.

Any other bloggers out there get the feeling that once a politician, campaign, journalist, or others find out that you're a blogger, they have a tendency to treat you as though you are a pariah and/or assume that you're troublemaker?  Throughout this campaign cycle, I have had a few experiences that support this feeling and another one took place earlier today.

On the one hand, I understand why people are wary of bloggers and why the word elicits negative connotations.  Unfortunately, the blogosphere can be a forum for absurd rumors and hateful vitriol.  On the other hand, the blogosphere is a necessary and extremely beneficial component of our political discourse.

I haven't really seen much discussion about this issue in particular, so if you have any thoughts or similar experiences, please share.

After a six point lead today it is back to a four point race for Wednesday?

This is the new mantra of the Republican ticket. It is the same old jaded talk of the liberal "tax and spend" bogey-man. I really do not know if this will work simply because that the conservative government for the past 8 years have shown that they follow the "spend and spend" dictum.

What a piece of work our buddy Sean is.  Besides trying to top Rudy's record for repeating one phrase ad nauseum  (Ayers- Obama-Terrorist instead of a noun and verb and 9/11) Sean should really be careful whom he accuses of guilt by association?

The ACORN voter registration controversy has now occupied the mainstream media for a cycle or two, largely, it seems, because they are still looking for any opportunity to keep the 'horse race' narrative going in the face of a McCain campaign which seems to be incoherent and tanking fast.  The McCain campaign is inaccurately depicting the submission of registrations of ineligible voters by ACORN as 'voter fraud' which is clearly incendiary and untrue:

ABC News noted that "Senator McCain today said that 'there has been voter fraud going on in the battleground states. ACORN is tampering with Americans' most precious right; there has to be a full and complete investigation.'

Jake Tapper, Andy Fies and Sunlen Miller - Obama on ACORN Controversy: "A Distraction... We Don't Need ACORN's Help" ABC 14 Oct 08

In a press availability outside his hotel, in Oregon, OH, not far from Toledo, Senator Obama delivers some timely, and reasonable, remarks on the subject:

"My understanding in terms of the voter fraud, because having run a voter registration drive, I know how problems arise, this is typically a situation where ACORN probably paid people to get registrations and these folks, not wanting to actually register people because that's actually hard work, just went into a phone book or made up names and submitted false registrations to get paid," Obama said. "So there's been fraud perpetrated probably on ACORN if they paid these individuals and they actually didn't do registrations."

"But this isn't a situation where there's actually people who are going to try to vote 'cause these are phony names," Obama said. "And, it's doubtful Tony Romo is gonna show up in Ohio to vote. So this is another one of these distractions that gets stirred up in the course of a campaign."

Jake Tapper, Andy Fies and Sunlen Miller - Obama on ACORN Controversy: "A Distraction... We Don't Need ACORN's Help" ABC 14 Oct 08

But the real issue, as we all know, is that this is being used as a smokescreen for claims of 'fraud' and false equivalences with traditional Republican voter suppression activities.  Our candidate lays it on the line:

"But what I want to make sure of, is that this is not used as an excuse for the kind of voter suppression strategies and tactics that we've seen in the past. Let's just make sure everybody is voting, everybody's registered.  Let's make sure that everybody's doing it in a lawful way."

Jake Tapper, Andy Fies and Sunlen Miller - Obama on ACORN Controversy: "A Distraction... We Don't Need ACORN's Help" ABC 14 Oct 08

The more insidious narrative surrounding ACORN, taking the 'fraud' argument at face value, is that it is yet another example of inappropriate relationships in Obama's past and that 'you need to disclose your full relationship with ACORN.'  Pretty unattractive stuff in spite of McCain's relationship with ACORN as recently as 2006, when it suited him.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the "90-day moratorium on foreclosures" included in Sen. Obamas's proposal to fix the sub prime problem. He shows flexibility and is prepared to accept an idea which he rejected before. Pragmatism is a very important quality for a good leader.  

For those who may not know what I am talking about here is some context: This is from LA times FEB 21 2008

Clinton's solution is a 90-day moratorium for foreclosures on sub-prime occupied homes, and a five-year rate freeze on sub-prime adjustable rate mortgages. The Bush administration has already responded with a 30-day cooling period on foreclosures; Clinton and her aides insist a longer freeze is essential for stabilizing a precarious situation for homeowners.

But according to some economists and officials grappling with the crisis, her proposal, which also offers a $30-billion foreclosure fund that is triple the size of Obama's, might only prolong the agony for homeowners.

"A 90-day freeze is fine for what it is, but what happens on the 91st day?" Rokakis asked. "Why not a year? Or longer?"

In San Antonio on Tuesday, Obama said that Clinton's foreclosure freeze was potentially "disastrous," rewarding "people who made this problem worse" by benefiting banks that profit from high mortgage rates.

A "blanket freeze," Obama added, might "drive rates through the roof for those trying to buy or refinance. Experts say the value of homes will fall even more, and even more families could face foreclosure."

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/21/ nation/na-foreclosures21

I was transferred to Germany last June and I still have 20 months left before I will be back home. In the meantime, my NC plate is proudly displayed in my rear window and my Obama sticker decorates the trunk of my car.

Moveon.org was kind enough to provide me with an Obama 08 sticker during the primaries. It has been proudly displayed on my car right above my German license plate ever since. (Still waiting for my Obama/Biden sticker but hey...). I never doubted for one minute that he would be our guy. He so inspired me at times I had tears in my eyes. And I am generally pretty pragmatic and not easily rattled.

I gladly stay up until 2 am to catch one of his rallies, have my DVR set to catch all the speeches and even put in for a vacation day on Nov. 5th.

I just know I won't want to miss a minute of the returns as they come in. Coffee and champagne are on standby!

My NC plate is propped up in my back window. I have a homemade Obama 08 flyer in my window, right next to old Glory.

and here

Everyone in this neighborhood knows where the American lives. Our windows were egged once (gang of crazed Turkish kids late at night) - but this was over a year ago. The Bush hating chants have stopped and everyone is respectful and sometimes downright gleeful!

We get free shots for desert at our local steakhouse, everyone wants to talk about Obama and I've had my share of drive-by honks and thumbs-up a plenty. People are excited about the change in the air and I am so glad to be part of it! I tired of having to state over and over again that no, I did not vote for Bush.

Damn proud to support Obama!

North Carolina, I miss you! I wish I were home to canvass with you, phonebank with you and go to rallies with you. Know that I am glued to every second of this fight. Know that I am at the edge of my seat watching those poll numbers out of NC going up and up and up. Do me proud and I'll be home for Christmas to celebrate with you!