Dear Andy Card: Get A Life.

While the flames of the Bush Recession continue to rage ever higher, Andrew Card is on a rant about how President Obama should be wearing coats and ties more often. Here's an excerpt from an interview Card did with Inside Edition.  You'll love it.

There should be a dress code of respect," Card tells INSIDE EDITION. "I wish that he would wear a suit coat and tie."

Card is the first member of the Bush administration to bash Obama personally, and he's going after him for forgoing a coat and tie.

"The Oval Office symbolizes...the Constitution, the hopes and dreams, and I'm going to say democracy. And when you have a dress code in the Supreme Court and a dress code on the floor of the Senate, floor of the House, I think it's appropriate to have an expectation that there will be a dress code that respects the office of the President."

Card continued, "I don't criticize Obama for his appearance, I do expect him to send the message that people who are going to be in the Oval Office should treat the office with the respect that it has earned over history."

Respect for the office?  Symbolizes the Constitution?  These Bush guys are still clueless about respect. Maybe it's because they gained so little respect from the American public while they served the country. 

Respect?

Pointing these dandies out will never convince Bushies (all eight or nine of them), but here was the example of respect they showed over the last eight years.  Do we even have to mention the shape of the nation's economy?  How about DOJ chief and Bush hack, Gonzalez, covering up the politically motivated firing of US attorneys?  No respect there.  Preemptive war on Iraq (for the wrong reasons)?  War On Terror?  Osama's Bin Hidin' since Bush left Afghanistan. The fourth amendment? Shredded.  Guantanamo Bay?  American citizens arrested...never detained, never brought to court.  Habeus Corpus?  Warrantless wiretapping?  Zero respect.

As Moody quickly pointed out, "If I were Andy Card, I would find a line of work other than fashion advisor to the Obama administration.  George W. Bush's presidency is the most spectacular failure in American history.  It's sole beneficiaries are the descendants of James Buchannan whom Bush has lifted from dead last amongst the worst Presidents ever."

I agree. 

Get a life Card. 

H/T:  Taegan Goddard

Debate Bounce: Undecided Voters Breaking for Obama

Taegan Goddard of Political Wire cites a new Ipsos/McClatchy poll showing that, since Tuesday night's second Presidential debate in Nashville, undecided voters are breaking for Democrat Barack Obama.  Prior to the debate, undecideds were leaning to Republican John McCain by 55% to 45% over Obama.  Now, however, voters identifying themselves as still not fully decided are leaning Obama 57% to McCain's 43%.

In a related item, Goddard also reports that two polls released today confirm what the flash polls indicated immediately following Tuesday night's encounter: Obama won.

USA Today:  Obama 56%, McCain 23%

Rasmussen: Obama 45%, McCain 28%

Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart

This from Aden Nak.



h/t Taegan Goddard

What's With Republicans & Their Memories Lately?

In less than a three weeks, we've witnessed John McCain forget how many homes he owns.  This week, it's Liddy Dole forgetting the name of her own business.  And now, Sarah Palin can't remember her own opinion on global warming.  

From Taegan Goddard this morning.

"Show me where I've ever said that there's absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any effect or no effect on climate change."
-- Governor Sarah Palin, September 11, 2008, ABC News Interview

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

--Governor Sarah Palin, August 29, 2008, Newsmax Interview

First Reactions To McCain's Speech

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire highlights some first reactions to McCain's acceptance speech last night.

Walter Shapiro: "His acceptance speech Thursday night was a mirror of McCain the contradictory political figure -- sometimes unorthodox and daring, sometimes plodding and pedestrian; rich in character, light in policy substance, much stronger in its sincere tone than in its rhetorical gloss."

Joe Klein: "More a valedictory than an acceptance speech -- more the end of a career than the beginning of a presidency."

Andrew Sullivan: "Quite a deflation after the drama of last night with the sportscaster-governor. It made me realize how much I am still fond of this guy. And also clearer about why this is not his moment. The specifics were very vague, and the entire presentation based on biography, nostalgia and a kind of strained, exhausted mildness. His performance at Saddleback was much, much better. He seemed very tired to me."

Jonathan Martin: "McCain hit all his message targets, eschewing partisan red meat to cast himself as a man who will work across party lines to reform a broken capital. But his delivery, especially in the first portion when he was discussing policy issues, was uninspired and did little to captivate the audience."

Michael Crowley: "...this is a very underwhelming speech. Familiar points explained in pedestrian terms. No overarching themes--right now it's sounding like a State of the Union laundry list. Even the crowd in the hall isn't jazzed. This is the sort of reception Tom Ridge got."

David Corn: "He offered an unexciting mix of GOP orthodoxy and declarations of personal maverickness--which was capped by yet one more long and detailed recounting of his POW days of forty years ago. Enough already."

Mark Halperin: "All in all, he came across as calm, honorable, and dedicated rather than fired up and ready to go."