Free Republic

Joe Carmody, The Plumbing Doctor, of Wakefield, says he thinks McCain’s plan for taxes would benefit his business. The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires Meet Joe “the plumber” Carmody. He’s not from Ohio like that other Joe the plumber you may have heard about during Wednesday’s presidential debate. He’s from Wakefield and has been lugging wrenches and fixing leaks for 27 years. He’s a lot like Joe “the plumber” Mello, who’s not at all famous now like Ohio Joe. Joe Mello is from Newport, has owned his plumbing business since at least 1983 and like Joe Carmody of Wakefield, shares...

Joe Keller of Mableton turns a wrench for a living and says there’s no more American way to earn a paycheck. The former high school football player lives with his wife and three children, goes to a Baptist church on Sunday — and is suddenly enjoying a split-second of serendipitous fame. Well, enjoying might be too strong a word. PHOTO: Joe Keller (right) works on a water leak at the Decatur YMCA. “I thought it was pretty funny myself,” Keller said of the oft-repeated “Joe the Plumber” during Wednesday night’s presidential debate. “Everybody’s been calling me.” He employs a staff...

Move over, Joe the Plumber. Sam the Butcher confronted Barack Obama after the debate yesterday and asked him why Obama wants to raise taxes on HIS small business as well...

Federal prosecutors just asked a judge to strike Tony Rezko's Oct. 28, sentencing -- acknowledging for the first time they are undergoing discussions with the political fund-raiser. That could be good news for Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, since the previous sentencing was likely to bring unfavorable publicity about his former fund-raiser just days before the election. In a motion filed hours ago, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar asked a federal judge to set a status hearing in the case in December, saying it was something the government and Rezko agreed on. "The parties agree that the Oct. 28, 2008...

I work in an office in Melbourne, Australia. A coworker is playing the radio and every hour on the news they have another hit piece on McCain-Palin and another sound byte from Obama. The only thing keeping me sane is a parody of a commercial running through my head...

By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign. And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret. First, Palin's attack shows that her energetic debate with rival Joe Biden may be just the beginning, not the end, of a sharpened role in the battle to win the presidency. .... more at link

I ran across this picture of Sarah Palin taken moments before she took the podium at the debate in St. Louis. It's a very poignant photo.

She hates Sarah Palin and John McCain. Frankly, it's creating friction in our marriage. If she just disagreed on the issues I could manage to hold my tongue, but she is venomous towards them and that hurts my feelings. I am a veteran and I will always respect John McCain for his service to his country and Sarah Palin is just a warm, kind and lovely human being who does not deserve to be hated for her beliefs, no matter if you disagree with them. Sorry, I had to vent. I know what you're asking... obviously I didn't marry her...

Superb, lightning fast rebuttal by the McCain campaign to a vicious smear job masquerading as journalism in today's New York Times. A must read!

Can anyone help corroborate this? If there is direct linkage that can be proven, this is huge.

ABOARD OMNIBUS LA CUBANA — With buses making 10 trips in each direction every week, La Cubana’s passengers pay a minimum of $159 for a one-way fare for a 25-hour ride... An airplane ticket can often be had for less. But if La Cubana’s riders are any measure, the bus is a good deal for those who fear flying, cannot find affordable train fares or do not have the government identification to pass airport security — a problem for illegal immigrants and some legal ones.

Senator Barack Obama will intensify his assault against Senator John McCain, with new television advertisements and more forceful attacks by the candidate and surrogates beginning Friday morning, as he confronts an invigorated Republican presidential ticket and increasing nervousness in the Democratic ranks...

Reasonably good read that reinforces Palin's real Mom, real world credibility: Democratic PTA Mom begrudgingly gives Palin props for sending her kids to public school and once being in the PTA.

Surprisingly positive editorial in the Washington Post about how Gov. Palin stood up to Big Oil for the benefit of the people of Alaska. ### PEOPLE ARE still buzzing about Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. But while her style has been minutely analyzed, very little commentary has focused on one of the few substantive claims she made about her brief tenure as governor of Alaska: that she "fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history . . . a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence."...

Did anyone see this footage from Sarah Palin's stint as a sportscaster in March, 1988, shortly before she got married?