If you sit back and reflect on the last few years, it's amazing how the Bush tax cuts have defined politics and budget negotiations. Every single thing centers on them. Every one.

David Gregory is his usual mealy-mouthed self, not really asking the hard questions about this supercommittee failure that's about to happen. It should happen. It was designed to happen. It was designed to happen because Democrats and President Obama understood that Republicans would not ever give up the Bush tax cuts. This is why they could actually offer cuts to the social safety nets confidently. As long as they knew Republicans would never budge on the Bush tax cuts, they could offer them the moon and know it would be rejected.

Senator Kerry confirms this on Meet The Press this morning:

There's only one--let me repeat this. I want America to understand this. There's one thing standing between us and avoiding a sequester and doing $1.2 trillion, and that one thing is the Republican unwillingness to not push for the Bush tax cuts to be extended now. We've even talked to them about guaranteeing them a fast track for tax reform. We'll do tax reform before next December. We'll do tax reform for business. We could lower the corporate tax rate. We could wind up with a major initiative that will create jobs and do our country well, avoid the sequester, show that America works...

MR. GREGORY: OK.

SEN. KERRY: ...if they will just back off insisting that the Bush tax cuts be extended now.

But they will never back off of that, and that's why the supercommittee will fail and the safety nets will remain intact. The only tax increase which will take effect will be the expiry of the payroll tax holiday put into effect at the end of 2010, and that will hit workers, not the 1%.

Supercommittee failure is a good thing. It should fail. It was designed to fail. The sequestration will not happen either, because as time goes by, Republicans will feel a great deal of pressure not to take an ax to defense spending. They'll either put together a budget that works for everyone, figure out a tax reform package that works, or the Bush tax cuts will expire at the end of 2012, sequestration will take effect, and the deficit will be reduced with an axe rather than a scalpel.

There will be plenty of posturing this week about how Democrats refused to negotiate. The truth is what Kerry said it was: Republicans will not give up the Bush tax cuts. Period. They've sworn an oath to Grover that supercedes their oath to the country and constitution. They should pay for that in 2012.

• 10:58 p.m. ET

Points Scoring: The Scorer's Table unenthusiastically reports this bout as going to Senator John Kerry by 12 rounds to 4, with 5 rounds even. On individual points, Senator Kerry is awarded a net total of 19 points, and President Bush a net of 2, having undermined his own effort with no less than eight points subtracted, three of them in a disastrous 12th Round in which the President had to be told time was up, answered a question with, in essence, 'all of the above,' and stumbled by inadvertently criticizing himself by claiming the borders of Texas were tighter than they'd been when he was Governor there. He also lost points for having twice invoked the 2000 election, and for once having given back at least a minute of time when the question hadn't really been answered.

Republican’s are freaking out about the voter turnout in Florida. They are trying to close the vote down at 7:00PM. Sharp. No matter if you are on line or not. The unofficial word on the street is that out of the approximate 18% who have voted already, the edge is going to Kerry 2-1. We are manning the phones reassuring democrats that they will be able to vote if they get on line before 7:00PM, no matter how long it takes to actually vote. We will also be bringing food and drinks to all voters waiting on line throughout the day and night.

6:18PM EST:

Latest news out of the Kerry camp in Florida is that Kerry leads by one point at this time. Still hitting the phones and getting ready to hand out food on the polling lines.Be back in 20 minutes with latest update!

It's over. Now 7 pm in the East. Day started at 7am at the IAFF - AFL/CIO Headquarters of the Firefighters down here in Palm Beach. Phone banks set up in their exec offices allowed a rag tag rainbow coalition of campaign workers to ring up lists of registered democrats.The names were in descending order of age. I swear. It started off with a dozen or more people listed at 105 and went down to 104, 103, 102, 101, etc. I called one 93 year old who was being wheeled in his wheel chair to vote for Kerry as we spoke. Another 94 year old "didn't remember if she voted, but if she did, she voted for Kerry. Our "War Room" was staffed with a half dozen people - mostly from the holistic healing world. One guy was an acupuncturist, another was a "upper body therapist", there was even a new age nurse.

More later.....

So I head over to the Kerry tent - friendly turf. I am told by a campaign worker I do not need a #2 pencil. I don't believe him. I demand proof. I don't, can't fuck this up. He looks deep into my eyes and assures me this is the truth. I believe. I head back to the tank. Out comes the ballot - you have to connect a broken arrow to the candidate of your choice – creative. I connect the arrow for Kerry/Edwards, then vote straight dem line. Ballot props? Oh fuck me - I have to read them all. I do and m:ake the best decision I can. Sheriffs? Well, one guy looks like a fascist. He's out. Later I find out I did the right thing. I vote all the judges - fuck em.
They're gone (By the way, for those of you wondering - I did not vote in California). I finish every thing and sign the ballot, then some secret card, but it says I must enclose ID? What, a copy? Or do I put in my actual voter card. It is clearly ambiguous. I read it over and over again as the rain slams onto the roof of the death mobile.

I head out in the rain again. Giant ballot shoved deep into my pants - a battery of lawyers surround me as I explain my predicament. I am lead by two to the front door. Another woman poll worker follows close behind yelling, "This is illegal. You shouldn't have to show proof." The pig circus is in full bloom. I am marched into the office. It's filled with cops, poll workers, international observers, and old folks in walkers and people behind the counter. I am greeted by the cop. "I just need information," I mutter defensively, like I have somehow penetrated behind enemy lines too early in the conflict. He points to the woman behind the desk. She happens to be a three and half foot black dwarf with arms about 12 inches long. I don't have the heart to take her picture, so you'll have to take my word for this. She says in a high voice, "You need a photo id." I ask if I have to photo copy my passport.
She says in a southern twang - "Naw honey, I'll do it fer ya." I am pleased. It seems first time voters who receive an absentee ballot must show proof of identity - You would never be able to tell this from the ballot. I emerge with an answer- all the lawyers surround me - this is clearly big news. I AM A VOTING CELEBRITY!

Okay so where was I, yeah, I hung out on line to get the vibe - even though I donned the button: "I voted Early for John Kerry" - As I walked back to the Kerry tent a battle erupted. A kerchiefed hippie kid held an 8-foot long plywood board in the air in front of the Bush tent. It read, "1200 Americans Killed in Iraq. 10,000 wounded..." The Bush people went nuts. They wrestled with the guy. Swat team went into high gear. The kid was with the Kerry group, which of course was strategically placed four feet to their left.

The sign being eight feet long well, you get the idea. Meanwhile the chanting from the Military Trail drifted into the parking lot. A soaking wet sexy socialite in high heels approached the front door. "I don't have to vote. I just have to use the ladies room. Cops obliged. Doors opened. Line didn’t move. A five-year-old black girl stared in bewilderment at the whole nutty scene. It was in the words of the Sorkin's, a middle-age Jewish couple, "A real happening."

Kerry's Kids First Act Needs Your Support

via Yellow Dog Blog

John Kerry isn't a man who forgets about the issues he said were important while running for president.

The Senator is the author of the Kids First Act (S.114/H.R. 1668), which will ensure that the 11 million uninsured children in America have health coverage and a healthy childhood – and he needs our help.

Check out the television ad that Kerry's organization is running in key Republican states and districts. While no Republican ever got kicked out of their party for being heartless, it is Senator Kerry's hope that running a public relations campaign targeted at the constituents of Bill Frist and Tom DeLay will put pressure on them to at least feign compassion for children. (Though it is interesting to note that, of the legislation's eight cosponsors, none has an 'R' next to their name.)

Please take a look at the ad, give whatever money you can to help run it and sign Senator Kerry's web site to be a cosponsor of the act yourself.

As a parent fortunate enough to be able to provide care for my son, I can't imagine the heartbreak of having to watch a young child be sick and be unable to get them help.

This is important legislation. Please support it. It'll make you feel good.

Keith Olbermann Voter Irregularities Video Part V

"Kerry/Edwards Campaign Joins Ohio Recount."

"As Senator Kerry stated in his concession speech in Boston, we do not necessarily expect the results of the election to change, however, we believe it necessary to make sure everyone's vote is counted fairly and accurately." White called for witnesses, volunteers, and donations.

Video

What Gives?

Time and Newsweek both registered massive bounces for Bush during the Republican National Convention. Rasmussen says he would be showing Bush with a five point bounce (and, therefore, a four point lead) except his Saturday sample was terrible for Bush, giving him a slight 1.2 percent lead in the three day moving average. Now Gallup is showing a two point bounce based on a weekend poll that's moved Bush from one point behind to one point ahead (and now we're in the territory where sampling error matters, so it's not entirely clear than anything changed at all). Obviously, something a bit nutty is going on with polls taken on, say, Friday showing dramatically different results from polls taken over the weekend. Is this "faster public opinion" where people love Bush after seeing his speak and then forget all about it after 36 hours of hurricane coverage? As I recall something similarly screwy happened with Kerry -- he got a big bounce on Friday and then by the following Monday it was gone.

It's hard for me to understand the psychology of folks who would let their votes be swung by a speech -- we've had four years to watch Bush and his performance in office seems like an infinitely better guide to what you should do than is a speech -- so from my point of view there's really no telling.