The untruths that were told by the some of the Republican candidates during the Florida debate was astounding to me. McCain might have been the worst offender, but I'd like to know where the heck Tim Russert was? Oh, that's right---it was a Republican debate. Never mind, He can't be bothered with follow ups. He's only confrontational in Democratic debates.

Download | play Download | play (h/t Heather)

McCain: “I know of no military leader, including General Petraeus, who says we can’t sustain our effort in Iraq.”

Larry Johnson:

Well, maybe Senator McCain was taking a nap last month, but Army Chief of Staff, General Casey disagrees. The Christian Science Monitor’s Gordon Lubold reported the following last Christmas Eve:

“We’re deploying at unsustainable rates,” General Casey said three weeks ago during remarks to an audience at the Brookings Institution in Washington. The Army agreed to a buildup of troops a year ago with the understanding that it was temporary, he said. “We can’t sustain that. We have to come off of that, and we’re working that very hard.

CBS:

During the debate, moderator Tim Russert quoted McCain claiming not to be an expert on the economy and McCain responded, “I don’t know where you got that quote from.” Today, McCain explained that he was actually speaking in general terms.

And we believe you Sen. McCain. Keith Olberman and our pal, Sam Seder try to dissect some of this...Here's a transcript of the debate...

C&Ler Nonny Mouse heard on the BBC that Bush was going to replace both Casey and Abizaid. Seems like they're getting the boot for not agreeing with the McCain Doctrine. (Here's the BBC story)

Update: I just found this in my inbox:

ABC News' Martha Raddatz Reports: ABC News has learned that the president intends to nominate Admiral William J. Fallon to replace General John Abizaid at Central Command. The announcement is expected next week, before the president gives his Iraq strategy speech, according to US officials.

Officials also tell ABC that the replacement as MNF-I commander in Iraq (replacing Gen. George Casey) will be LTG David Petraeus. Though Casey was originally staying in position till June, he is expected to leave earlier than expected probably in the next few months.

“The president wants a clean sweep” an official told ABC News.

It does look like "man on dog" Santorum is going down.

Democrat Bob Casey appears to have doubled his lead over Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania's Senate race, according to a poll released today.

Mr. Casey had a 14-point lead in the Quinnipiac University Poll, with 54 percent of likely voters saying they planned to vote for him compared to 40 percent for Santorum. One percent said they wouldn't vote and 6 percent said they didn't know. Casey had a seven-point lead among likely voters in a match up between the two in the same poll on Aug. 15.

I guess waving supposedly classified documents and yelling that you found the missing WMD's with your pal Hannity hasn't helped much after all. He's still making stuff up about Iraq too....

Our Liberal Media taking charge:

On the dominant issue of our time, the president is in denial.

You might think that the enormous gulf between Bush's perceptions and reality on such a life-and-death topic would be, well, newsworthy. But if members of the Washington press corps consider it news at all, apparently it's old news. They report Bush's assertions about Iraq without noting that his fundamental assessment of the situation is dramatically contradicted by the reporting from their own colleagues on the ground.

And in the rare circumstances when they directly confront the president with observations that conflict with his own, they let it drop too quickly.

BUSH: You know, it's interesting you quoted Kofi. I'd rather quote the people on the ground who are very close to the situation, and who live it day by day, our ambassador [Zalmay Khalizad] or General [George] Casey [the top U.S. military official in Iraq]. I ask this question all the time, tell me what it's like there, and this notion that we're in civil war is just not true according to them. These are the people that live the issue. . . .

"The Iraqi government and the Iraqi military is committed to keeping this country together. And so therefore, I reject the notion that this country is in civil war based upon experts, not based upon people who are speculating. . . .

"That's how I learn it. I can't learn it -- I can't -- frankly, can't learn it from your newscasts. What I have got to learn it from is people who are there on the ground."

Blitzer let the issue drop....read on

Attytood

GOP Pa. Sen. Rick Santorum's flagging re-election campaign has launched a new TV attack ad that can only be described as absurdist theatre, if not out-and-out absurd--Indeed, one of the past Casey donors -- portrayed by an actor -- died 22 months ago, while the Democrat had not yet even been considering his race for the Senate. And while he was alive, Philly power broker Ron White also forged a link to Santorum through their charities

Poynter:

Why did Washington Times Foundation give $1M to Houston

"One Rev. Sun Myung Moon-watcher's theory: The donation was made to the Greater Houston Community Foundation to help persuade President Bush to grant Moon a pardon for a 1982 felony tax evasion conviction that had put him in prison for 13 months."

Fish Bowl DC:

"That's one theory thrown out there by the Houston Chroni(what?)cle's Rick Casey and it's worth a read to see Casey's construction of a potential back channel donation of nearly a million dollars from The Washington Times Foundation to the George Bush Presidential Library. Was it an attempt to persuade Bush 43 to grant Moon a pardon for his 1982 felony tax conviction (that one that had him behind bars for 13 months)?

Georgia10 reminds me:

MSNBC:

"You may not have heard of him, but Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., is one of the most powerful members of Congress, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, which controls hundreds of billions of dollars."

Lisa Myers: You were allowed to write language for an appropriations bill yourself?

Casey: Yes, I did. That was Congressman Lewis' suggestion.

Casey says Lewis repeatedly urged him to hire a lobbyist, former U.S. Rep. Bill Lowery, Lewis' close friend, and when that didn't happen, pressed for another favor.

Casey: Congressman Lewis asked me to set up stock options for Bill Lowery in our company.

Today, the Washington Post reports on more possible corruption.

I'm surprised it took so long. I heard about this a while ago, but an emailer just reminded me. Some of you may not remember, but Mark was one of those C-list right wing talk show hosts that spewed hatred as often as he could. I highlighted his behaviour and then he sent out an email saying I was inciting threats against his dog. Pretty pathetic.
I first posted about him when he attacked Cindy Sheehan on Hardball. (video)

O'Donnell: "Mark, if you don't mind, you're making the case that Cindy Sheehan is hurting the morale of our troops?"

Williams: "She is aiding and abetting the enemies of this country and the people who killed her son. And right now Casey Sheehan is spinning in his grave!"

He later attacked NOLA victims by saying: (video)

Williams: ..they didn't have the necessary brains and common sense to get out of the way of a Cat 5 Hurricane and then when it hit them- stood on the side of the convention Center expiring while reporters were coming and going..

Morris:...that's just sickening---that is atrocious what you are saying...

It's not like they aren't there, but Rick flaunts his associations with them at a time when reform is supposed to be a top priority.

Download | play -WMP

Santorum: "I meet with lobbyists almost every day-Washington, DC..."

Bob Casey thinks Rick has some explaining to do.

Click here for results so far.

Hackett 45.2% (44.2)
DeWine 35.3% (35.9)

As a bonus, Santorum trails Casey by almost ten points. (Hat tip from the blogger formerly known as Greatscat until her site got hijacked)