1. The NY Times reports the Pentagon expects cuts in military spending.

   After years of unfettered growth in military budgets, Defense Department planners, top commanders and weapons manufacturers now say they are almost certain that the financial meltdown will have a serious impact on future Pentagon spending.

   Across the military services, deep apprehension has led to closed-door meetings and detailed calculations in anticipation of potential cuts. Civilian and military budget planners concede that they are already analyzing worst-case contingency spending plans that would freeze or slash their overall budgets.

   The obvious targets for savings would be expensive new arms programs, which have racked up cost overruns of at least $300 billion for the top 75 weapons systems, according to the Government Accountability Office.

   The $500 billion annual base budget for the Pentagon is at the highest level since World War II. In addition, the Pentagon gets $100 billion each year to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

   Some critics, citing the increase in military spending since Sept. 11, 2001, say it would be much easier to cut military spending than programs like Social Security and Medicare at a time when most people’s retirement savings are dwindling because of the financial crisis. Representative Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has raised the idea of reducing military spending by one-quarter.

Four at Four continues with Bush still “hopeful” for a McCain victory, the global water crisis, and Mayan kites.

Here is just one example of some of the stuff that’s gone on and there’s plenty more.

Obama Attorney Says Voters Don’t Want to Hear About Election Fraud

Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2008-11-03 02:03. Elections

Sadly, this is not a joke:

Democrats Continue to Defend Their Indefensible Election Protection Efforts; Still in Denial, Obama’s Attorney Describes Serious Concerns About Voting Machines and More as ‘Hyperbole’

Never mind this:

And, of course, BradBlog has more on the voting issues!

So, just on the offhand chance . . . . . . ! I can’t even say it!

Please go to AfrerDowningStreet  — if you are not registered, please register (there’s no wait, as I recall), Log In, then go to DO NOT CONCEDE

To add your name, register, log in, and sign the petition.

An Open Letter to Senator Obama and the Democratic Leadership:

On Election Night, DO NOT CONCEDE!

“Eight years is too much” is how Barack Obama explained why we must win the coming election and begin to restore America. But, even if we receive the most votes, will we win the election?

DO NOT CONCEDE!

Both of the last two elections were conceded by the Democratic presidential candidate. The 2004 election was handed to George Bush while votes were still being counted in closely-fought Ohio. While the 2000 election was contested to the Supreme Court, it too was ultimately conceded to Bush “for the good of the country.”

Some good.

Numerous politicians, investigators and authors, including Robert Kennedy, Jr., agree the 2004 election was stolen, not only in Ohio but in several other battleground states. Tactics included purging of legitimate voters and the use of nefarious voting software–but when even these actions did not yield the required numbers, Republican election officials simply changed the vote tallies in several states, all without a peep from the Democratic Party. . . .

A good idea, too, would be to send these links to everyone you know.  Get this populated!  

Good bye George. My only regret as to your leaving is that the American People didn’t get to kick you out “in person,” but have to use McSame as proxy

Not just the Worst President Ever. But the the worst of everything about America. Swaggering, arrogant, and PROUD of being dumb. Greedy and cruel, a President for less (as we are about to find out) than half of America. Uniter my chapped ass. You were President of the worst half of America, representing only their interests and their world view, which explicitly explains (along with the dumb thing) why you were….and hopefully always will be….the Worst President Ever.

Your crimes (actual and symbolic) are too numerous to list, but we will be trying after tomorrow, as we push to Impeach!!! you one more time to prevent you from pardoning Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales and the rest of the crooks and liars and thugs and cronies you surrounded yourself with in your apparent quest to destroy all that IS good about America. Just like you pardoned (effectively) Scooter Libby for covering up the Plame Treason. Remember that one George? Where yer boyz outted an entire CIA anti-nuke counter terrorism network….while you were attempting to terrify us using the threat of nukulur terrurists?

Ah, the good old days!

Oddly enough, researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a simple means of increasing voter participation.  I encourage anyone and everyone who has not yet voted to perform this simple technique…call it the scientific version of knocking on wood.

Visual Imagery Technique Boosts Voting, Study Finds

Registered voters who used a simple visual imagery technique the evening before the 2004 election were significantly more likely to vote the next day, a new study found.

Science Daily

Reservists’ Rocky Return To Job Market

60 Minutes Report Also Examines Costs Borne By Employers Of Deployed Citizen Soldiers

Coming Home

Citizen soldiers returning from active military duty are entitled by law to get back their old jobs or at least the same salaries, but many are still having trouble. Leslie Stahl reports.