Rogue Slayer Law Student Lawyer with Snark Movie Fan

Wow, John McCain really has a grudge against astronomy. He brought up that planetarium funding foolishness again during last night's debate - twice! He tried to make it sound even sillier by referring to it as three million dollars for an "overhead projector" at a planetarium. I guess he thought we'd think this was another two million dollar toilet seat or something, like, "Hey - you can get one of these at Staples for $450!"

That funding wasn't for a little piece of equipment so the planetarium staff could bore each other with their latest PowerPoints. It was for a planetarium projector (and other related equipment) that is used to display the constellations, galaxies and other celestial sights onto the dome of the auditorium so the staff can teach the visitors about, you know, stars 'n stuff. The forty-year-old equipment was broken and replacement parts were no longer available, so the star shows had ceased.

So, McCain - good strategy. Ridicule your opponent for trying to return an important educational opportunity to Chicago.

Other notes on last night's debate:

• McCain started making notes as soon as he got to his little barstool. What on earth was he jotting down? "Say something about expensive overhead projectors. Call the audience 'my friends.' Use all your jokes - crowds just love 'em!"
• McCain sounds like he's talking to a bunch of nursery school kids at story time. And it's kind of creepy when he gets into the personal space of the audience members.
• Obama - specific, specific, detail, detail, detail.
• McCain - vague, campaign slogan, my friends, that one, heh heh, I was just joking about bombing Iran - you know, I'm a funny guy!

McCain really annoyed me with his repeated condescending assurances that "I know how" to do this and that. Apparently he knows exactly how to fix social security and it's really easy but he didn't do it during his last 26 years in office and he'll only reward us with his genius if we elect him to the highest office. But fixing Medicaid is more tricky - that's going to take A COMMISSION to sit around doing nothing for a couple of years and then he'll force their recommendations down the throat of Congress because Congress doesn't know how to do anything. And he should know, given his length of time in the legislature.

Did you see how quickly John and Cindy booked it out of the simulated town hall? Oh, and apparently it was simulating a really tiny town. Anyway, Barack and Michelle hung out for quite some time with the audience members who had suffered through an hour and a half of McCain's hooey and rewarded them with handshakes, photo ops and autographs. They outlasted me - they were still doing the meet and greet when I turned off the tv and went to bed.
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