For what its worth- google just spat out this:

 http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002979503

The RNC clearly has more money, some of which they can allocate to supporting McCain, but at the cost of supporting repubs in congressional races.  I'd guess the GOP is really hitting states like Ohio and PA, maybe Florida.  Obama has raised a lot of money this year, but his primaries were a lot longer too (although he got to save some money by not campainging in MI and FL).

 Figures from the link above:

Democratic National Committee

• Total receipts, Oct. 1-15, 2008: $14.5 million

• Total receipts, campaign cycle to date: $206.1 million

• Total expenditures, Oct. 1-15, 2008: $26.4 million

• Total expenditures, campaign cycle to date: $198.8 million

• Campaign cash-on-hand, Oct. 15: $11 million

• Debts, Oct. 15: $0

Republican National Committee

• Total receipts, Oct. 1-15, 2008: $26.9 million

• Total receipts, campaign cycle to date: $336.7 million

• Total expenditures, Oct. 1-15, 2008: $45.2 million

• Total expenditures, campaign cycle to date: $280.6 million

• Campaign cash-on-hand, Oct. 15: $59.2 million

• Debts, Oct. 15: $0

Jordan .

Jordan .

 Nope!  :)  Sounds like it is about nation building and diplomacy rather than blowing stuff up, but i haven't heard much about it.  The chance of it being "just as well funded" as the military I would assume means something other than the right-wing bloggers are screaming.  One obviously can not equate military hardware costs with office supplies and infrastructure, nor would I expect veterans benefits for carpal tunnel syndrome...  I think you could just as easily interpret that comment as "funded well enough to do their job" (whatever that may be).

 Has Obama said something about this recently (i.e. pre- wall-street collapse)?

I'll be voting in California on Tuesday- taking my young neighbor sidekick to the polls- her first prez election. Funny back in January we had discussed the prez candidates and I was leaning towards Obama-at least to be the Dem nom and she liked my explanation why. O's One America theme in his masterful speeches verses Edward's two Americas bit. Then last month I explained my change of heart after further examination of Sen O. She was surprised by my evolved choice- so we may cancel out each others pres votes : ) But that is kinda cool and civilized and a nice commentary on the peaceful small d democratic system we have. I hope she still gives me her great cornbread.

 Man, so many propositions in Cali !! Now, it is probably cool to have all these props voted on directly, but my work is cut out for me to study them all. Sheesh.

Don't worry- neither of your votes for president will matter too much if you live in CA! :) (nor will mine)

While the direct democracy may sound like a good idea, it really is kind of broken here.  Even casting aside the prop 8 bullsh*t, some of these things just should not be on a state ballot.  Bonds for high-speed rail- yes, micromanaging animal husbandry practices, no.  (btw- prop 2 may sound good, but I work at UC Davis and some of the professors are unofficially pointing out why its bad- basically outlaws the one type of poultry cage that actually is better for health and wellfare...  Unfortunately they can' t say anything publicly, the humane society sued one of them alleging she was taking money from the poultry industry). Anyway, the fact that a 50% popular vote can approve large expenditures, but we need 60% of the legislature to aggree on a budget creates a lot of problems for our state.

Ha. Yes bio it will not really matter here in Cali.

Have you checked out all the props? A lot to wade threw no? I think my default vote would be no on them all ;) At least it would tend to curtail expenditures here.

 I'm going NO on everything except:

1A: YES-= I know its a lot of money, but it is over 10 years at least (I think), so the sticker shock isn't quite as bad.  it will definitely make jobs, and its never a "good" time to start something like that.  I should mention that I take amtrak almost every day to work, so I'm probably more pro-train than most people...

5- YES- i'm torn on this one, but the upsides of having fewer people in prisons seem worth it.

11- YES- also torn- not sure it will really be any better than current system, but can't be worse, and cost is relatively low...

12- YES- because I'm pretty freakin' greatful for the people who have served our country- wish it extended to police and fire as well... Low cost.

For the NO's- 4 and 8 are no-brainers, 2, 7,10 sound good and have good intensions but really will do much more harm than good in the long run,  3 would be fine if economy were better (why do I pick trains and vets over children's hospitals?  just my point of view right now I guess- plus its not like we'd have NO children's hospitals without the bond)... that leaves 6, which I don't really understand and see no compelling reason to vote.

Thanks bio

Interesting, Veterans groups and a childrens' hospital are my two yearly donations.

bio - Drudge had a link to his Obama speech back in July. So that got me looking around for a defintion of it, and everything i found was right leaning blogs. Looks like no one has seriously asked the question of Obama of what it really means...

Here's something new - Obama admitted earlier this year that he would be willing to let a coal power plant go bankrupt (or the industry itself - depending on what you read) in an effort to help the environment. Looks like the audio was kept hush-hush until now.

Jordan .

Bio, sounds like you live pretty close by! I'm over in Vacaville. :D

We have an assload of props every election year and it really does get old and tiring. We love our props here, yes we do...

I'm not going to get specific with what I'm voting on the props because I can read you a laundry list of my opinions on each one, except two that really pissed me off. Prop 8 - definitely a NO. For obvious reasons. In fact, if anyone's in the Vacaville area in the next two days, look for me at the intersection of Alamo and Merchant. I'll be with the massive group of folks waving our NO ON PROP 8 signs. Come by and honk!

Prop 1A...they need to pump some money into their local transport systems before they go about installing a high-speed rail from SF to LA. I like the idea, but they need to look at alleviating LOCAL traffic issues first before making it oh-so-convenient to get from NorCal to SoCal quickly. We're really good at missing the big picture sometimes, and this would be one of those times. I sit in commute traffic every day, five days a week, because we've failed to provide a proper infrastructure to outlying areas. And yet I'm supposed to get jazzed over the fact that I could get to LA in the blink of an eye? Sorry. Not buying it.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Hadn't heard that either- wow- they are throwing the kitchen sink at Obama now!  funny how these 'hidden' things  all of a sudden get released days before the election.  I'm not sure I see what's so bad- he's saying we may need to change the cost of doing business for the coal industry- if they can't reduce pollution they have to pay.  Sounds free-market to me- if he said the government should help them pay that would be nationalizing the industry, which is socialism, so not sure how he could win that one.  For the record-  I don't really like the idea of coal power and can't wait until we don't rely on it.  Even if you could make burning it "clean", you still have to remove a mountain to get it out, and fill rivers with silt and chemicals to process it.

These "hidden" things always come up the weekend before. Nothing too big this year it seems. Just ensures that WV will stay red. Might help push PA to McCain though.... 

But it's technically not free-market when the govt is charging you fees.

Now I agree with you on the usage of coal - not the best. However, until we get to the point where solar and whatever else works better I'm not sure of the alternative, besides nuclear which is the cleanest (besides wind, solar, water) -- as long as it doesn't explode. :-)

Jordan .

 Yup- I'm in the east bay- commute up to Davis...  I rarely stop in Vacaville if I happen to drive.  Is there anything worth seeing there?  Any good mexican restaurants close to I-80?

I agree that getting mass transit that people can use everyday is important.  I feel lucky being in the bay area because they've already invested in BART, and the bus system is decent too.  Of course, getting ot San Jose, Santa Cruz, Marin, etc is not quite as easy, and there have been attempts to get better connections going there. 

Just curious- where do you commute to?

I commute to San Ramon, which isn't so bad on some days, but often times it's hair-raising. BART ends up being completely useless to me because the closest station is Concord, and even that would only get me to Walnut Creek. An Amtrak doesn't go where I need it to (which is a shame because I love taking Amtrak in to the Bay Area!). I more or less live in a dead space for commuting. I'd move, but I have super-cheap rent right now and I like the area (grew up in Dixon). Oh well.

If you want good Mexican food in Vacaville, I highly recommend Pelayo's. It's just over the hill on Monte Vista Ave (on the left-hand side past McD's and that lot). Their chicken enchiladas are fantastic, their shredded beef chimichangas are wonderful, and their flan is TO DIE FOR. :D Highly recommend.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

And there goes Kelly's stomach grumbling.

too bad I can't eat mexican anymore :(

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Tell me about it. I used to LOVE mexican food, but with my past stomach issues, I just can't tolerate it anymore.

So, if you have a craving, eat a couple of bites in my honor, please. :D

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

You don't need to tell me twice.  Their beans and rice alone are worth a stop on my way home today.

It's amusing how we've sort of hijacked this thread. I say we pretend politics don't exist for the next 24-48 hours and instead talk about Mexican food. Sweeeeet.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

there was a couple of op-ed's that suggested it would happen if McCain wins.

Jordan .

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

That's OK, because I'll be enjoying MEXICAN FOOD while the world crumbles.

Seriously though, at this point I'm ready for whatever may come. If it makes all the robotic phone calls, TV ads, radio spots, and junk mail flyers stop, I'm OK with it. I voted, made my voice heard, and now it's up to everyone else to do the same.

Except Prop 8. If that passes, I will personally start the riot myself.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Wow, GOP classy to the end.  3 hrs before Obama's grandmother passes away (RIP Nana Dunham, so sorry youwon't get to see your grandson win the nomination!) they call out the use of his campaign jet to fly to HI.

Oh, and some voter fraud piling up.  Some of these are more legit/serious than others, but its hard to imagine we really still live in the day when people get told "go ahead and vote on Nov 5th- we'll keep the polls open for you"