Al Franken has been the target of some of the ugliest political ads of 2008, courtesy of the Republican National Senatorial Committee. This one really takes the cake. The voiceover claims that Franken “humiliates minorities”, “demeans women”, “writes pornography”, and “laughs at the disabled,” amongst other defects.

Life imitates art, I guess. Here’s a transcript of a Saturday Night Live sketch from the 1990s featuring Al Franken as a political analyst discussing negative ads on the fake news broadcast “Weekend Update with Norm MacDonald”:

Elaine Lafferty, formerly the editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine, now a McCain campaign consultant, asserts that Sarah Palin is super-smart:

Investigative reporter Jane Mayer tells Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! how the McCain campaign picked Sarah Palin. It’s a fascinating story that involves Joe Lieberman, Lindsay Graham, the Republican base, the National Review, cruises to Alaska, halibut cheeks, a home schooled Christian conservative blogger, and much more.

The Hill reports Joe Lieberman’s days as chair of the powerful Homeland Security Committee may be numbered as senate Democrats plan a massive reshuffle in the event of an Obama victory and significant Democratic senate pick ups. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii would probably take over from Lieberman as chair of the Homeland Security Committee.

Al Franken has been the target of some of the ugliest political ads of 2008, courtesy of the Republican National Senatorial Committee. This one really takes the cake. The voiceover claims that Franken "humiliates minorities", "demeans women", "writes pornography", and "laughs at the disabled," amongst other defects.   Life imitates

ABC’s Jake Tapper has a pompous little post about how the photo editors at GQ were biased when they juxtaposed shots of Cindy and John McCain looking geriatric with images of Michelle and Barack Obama looking youthful and radiant in a photo essay about the 2008 presidential race, Who It Takes.

Rejoice, friends. Harry Reid is finally signaling that former KKK member and notorious pork barrel politician Robert Byrd will soon be put out to pasture.

Halibut shooters for everyone!!!

Alaskan warlord Republican Senator Ted Stevens is found guilty on all charges.

Professor Deana Pollard Sacks snapped this picture with her cellphone at at the corner of Fries Road and Inverness Park Way in Houston, TX.

The McCain/Palin sign features a fetus waving an American flag overtop of the word LIFE. It doesn’t look like official McMerch, but it’s no joke.

Americans have the right to petition their leaders for the redress of their grievances. Two campaign volunteers for Julie Feder felt aggrieved by Rep. Frank Wolf’s (R-Va) support for McCain’s crazy health care tax credit plan and by Wolf’s refusal to answer questions about his support for a plan that would end employer-based health insurance as we know it without instituting any alternative. Even more egregious, Wolf called Feder a “liar” for saying that the McCain plan would have to be paid for by the biggest middle class tax hike in US history.