CNN's major story today: The Night That Changed McCain's Life

September 1967:

Larson recalls being stunned at what he heard.

"You know Chuck, I might have to get out of the Navy," McCain told him. "And I said, 'Why is that John?' and he said, 'Well I want to be a serious naval officer. And when I go places now, people tend to not take me seriously. They hear all the stories, they look at the early days and if they can't take me seriously, I don't know how I can perform.' And I said, 'John, you're going back.' "

So he wanted to quit the Navy because "they look at the early days" and can't take him seriously. The early days of sucking at the Academy, you mean? Like Cafferty brings up in another article on CNN's front page?

Really.

CNN Political Ticker
A female volunteer in New Hampshire advised him to get new paid staff, because the ones he has apparently don't work:

"You've got two people sitting right here next to me...They have done more work for you volunteering than a lot of your paid staff have. All your signs that are up outside today, they were put up by us, not by your staff people."

CNN's take was that she figured the question/statement would put her on McCains' sh*t list. But his response is what should have gotten the emphasis (glanced over as usual)....

It can't get much simpler than that, people.

Barack Obama, John McCain, George W. Bush

Note, also, the use of commas rather than colons or semicolons.

Coincidentally enough, the tagging tips are right there on the New Diary Entry page...

Have you seen "Sunday Talk - Southern Showdown Edition" this morning? Well? Have you?

Seen it? Read it? Rec'd it? Front Paged it?

Hello? Anyone?

Must I continue abusing the question mark? Must I?! <exclamation mark thrown in for fun>

[Update] DemfromCT has this story on the Front Page and has followed it closely from the beginning. H/T Meteor Blades in the comments.

The Tripoli 6 - medics who were accused of deliberately infecting children with HIV - have been pardoned, freed, and returned home after the EU successfully worked out a deal with the Libyan government.

Previous diaries about this from latest to oldest:

The Sinistral's diary - can still be Rec'd as of 12:45pm

Turkana's diary - Time expired for Rec'ing (July 18th)

TigerMom's diary - Time expired for Rec'ing (July 17th)

I just received an email from Governor Sebelius (D-KS) about the new Democratic Governors Association site. It looks pretty snazzy and appears to be a great way to keep track of who's accomplishing what where, as well as keeping track of upcoming gubernatorial races.

The main part of the email:

Our new site is designed to be a hub where Americans can learn about the innovative policies Democratic governors are pursuing. It's also an election resource for staying up-to-date with the three gubernatorial races this year and the 11 next year.

continued below the fold:

Well, yeah...you do have to try. Really hard, as a matter of fact. And, as with other addictions, if you don't really want to quit, then you're probably not going to succeed in kicking the habit regardless of the method you use in the attempt.

So your first decision is "Do I want to quit?" If the answer is "yes", then go see your doctor/nurse practitioner and ask them for a prescription for Chantix. Why Chantix? Because the stuff works!

Note: I do not work for Chantix, Pfizer, nor any other company that might make some sort of profit from the medication. I simply want to let people know that quitting smoking can be done. Without wanting to kill someone even!

Follow me to the Smoke Free Zone.....

Yet again the Live Bloggers (volunteers all) did an outstanding job of keeping up with the Gonzales Hearing, and continued the tradition of previous live blogging with grace and speed.

My thanks to all of you for really outstanding work. And my thanks to the commentors who participated, and to the recommenders who kept the Rec List from being clogged with too many live blogging threads.

List of Live Bloggers (up to Part 16) below the fold:

As discussed in this recommended diary by JLowe, Google had stirred up suspicions and not a few tin foil hats when they replaced post-Katrina images of New Orleans with pre-Katrina images on Google Maps.

Well. They've changed them back again. People-power? Youbetcha.

Of course, the AP is taking the credit:

An Associated Press article on Thursday highlighted the changes, leading a U.S. House subcommittee to accuse Google of "airbrushing history" for depicting a New Orleans and Mississippi Gulf Coast without hurricane damage.

More below the fold:

For some odd reason, I receive newsletters from Mel Martinez (Senator, R-FL). Usually I just glance through them, then delete. Sometimes with a sneer of disgust, sometimes with a "whatever", but this time...this time, my fine kossack brothers and sisters, I read it, followed the link, and had yet another jaw dropping moment.

Think - "Mind-boggling".

Got it?

Follow me for the press release:

This truly boggles the mind and puts paid to any sort of "why, of course we're meeting our enlistment goals" nonsense.

A very short article on CNN Online:

The Army said Friday it would apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.

The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action.

And in seasons past.

There are thousands upon thousands who have lost loved ones or whose loved ones are suffering through difficult times in their lives. For those people, the holidays bear a heavy weight; that odd dichotomy where one knows there should be joy and laughter, yet tears and sadness prevail. There are hundreds of thousands to whom Christmas and holidays are merely words - ones perhaps known in some distant time or never known at all. To all of you who find tears closer than laughter, sadness closer than joy, know that you're not alone. Know that there are others who feel your pain and loss. Others whom you may never know, but are holding you in their thoughts.

Here is wishing you strength, love, and hope that the future holds a brighter light for you and yours.

Who knew it could be that simple? Well, okay. So it took a few more sentences than that. Along the lines of "These Republicans aren't made of the same cloth of the Republicans you remember," and "those Abu Ghraib pictures you hate so much - Republicans were responsible for that."

Mom equates the decay of the Republican Party with the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. That's when it started, she thinks. Is it true? I don't know. I'm sure someone with a bit more knowledge about political history could pinpoint the start of it. Maybe someone can jot me a note in the comment section so I can pass it on to her. It's enough right now that she knows the Republican Party doesn't suit her anymore.

Let's mosey a bit south here for more ramblings....

As many of you are aware, there was much controversy surrounding the Fl-13 congressional district, involving massive undervoting. Sarasota County had 18,000 undervotes and thus carries the heaviest burden regarding how the recounts and the audits will be conducted. Besides the irregularities, only 373 votes separates Buchanan and Jennings - with Buchanan in the lead - which triggered an automatic recount.

Both Jennings and Buchanan are in Washington D.C. to begin their orientation as new members of Congress. It's interesting to note that the author of the article, Paul Quinlan, titled the piece "Jennings departs for orientation in D.C.".

His opening paragraphs and more recount fun below the fold....

Election food is the main course in the majority of the restaurants in Daily Kos, USA. So here's a place to snack on little tidbits that might not be getting the accolades they deserve.

And for dessert, just click here and perhaps discover something new about our favorite poll option: Pie.

The governing board of Gallaudet University today revoked the appointment of the school's incoming president, bowing to the demands of students, faculty, staff and alumni whose protests have kept the nation's premier school for the deaf in turmoil for the last month.

Joseph Rainmound has a series of diaries about the protests that have been ongoing at Gallaudet University, and the lengths to which the school's administration went to try to stop those protestors.

More below

Four firefighters have already lost their lives, trapped when the winds shifted suddenly.

Firefighter Greg Keefer said the fire spread quickly through a grove of eucalyptus trees which contain an explosive oil.

"[The fire] got behind them, from what I understand," Keefer said. "That's a fireman's worst nightmare."

More to follow

Here's a link to the Daily Kos FAQ. Read it, learn it, use it.

Here's a link to the section in question: Writing Diaries

#24 is the pertinent part:

Do not use ALL CAPS or exclamation marks !!! in diary titles.

More ranting below the fold....