LAT: Chavez and Morales favor McCain

That's what the LAT argued in an editorial this morning. Latinos in South America like Obama better than McCain, the LAT says, which is why Chavez and Morales favor McCain -- South Americans will hate America more if McCain is elected, the LAT argues, and that helps Chavez and Morales. How the LAT divined this isn't clear.

Claire McCaskill speaks

On yesterday's This Week, Senator Claire McCaskill, speaking for the Obama campaign, said John McCain "wants to put women in jail who have an abortion after being raped." The McCain/Palin campaign opposes equal pay for equal work, McCaskill said. And, the McCain campaign opposes early childhood education, according to McCaskill. All these are dishonest but McCaskill was under presssure from Carly Fiorina, who represented the McCain campaign.

Was Obama's "pig" remark intentional?

The MSM say he misspoke. How do they know?

LAT reporter Cathleen Decker wrote yesterday about that and other recent campaign assertions and takes the Obama side. CBS did the same on Saturday's CBS Evening News, judging that McCain was lying in some recent commercials.

It's hard to get an even break. No one can say with certainty whether Obama's "pig" remark was intentional, other than Obama himself and perhaps his family and some high-level staff. It's just as reasonable to assume he intended to make the remark as it is to assume the opposite.

LAT: Budget deal in works

The LAT reports this morning that a possible budget deal is in the works that does not involve new taxes for California. The deal is being proposed by Senate Leader Don Peralta, a Democrat. Let's hope it works. Of course, a deal could have been put together long ago if Dems had not insisted on raising taxes.

ABC indicts Palin

ABC's lead-in to last night's 20/20, in which it aired more of Gibson's interviews of Sarah Palin, was like an indictment. Palin was found guilty before the trial. And they claim the MSM isn't biased.

Lexington has a few good words for Palin

Very few. Lexington of The Economist says Palin deserves to be treated as a pioneer, not dismissed as a crackpot. But Lexington also claims that McCain picked Palin after meeting with her for a mere 15 minutes and argues that was spectacularly reckless. Apparently that was all McCain needed to make a spectacularly successful choice. Incidentally, who said Palin is a crackpot?

Evangelicals a curse to John McCain

According to The Economist this week, the selection of Sarah Palin for VP may cause evangelicals to be too enthusiastic and that could lead to a backlash among non-evangelicals. "The big problems (sic) now facing Mr. McCain may not be too little enthusiasm among evangelicals, but too much." This passes for thoughtful at The Economist.