“If Obama can show himself to be a person of faith, it also helps him combat the idea that he’s an elitist, that he’s not a mainstream American.”
  – Steve Waldman, founder and
  editor-in-chief of Beliefnet

• “The reactor is about to blow! Send me the most typical people you’ve got!”
• The Tamest Generation
• The Few. The Proud. The Shunned.
• “I’m knave of the world!”
• Profiles in Average
• My Child Keeps His Head Down at Middleton Middle School
• Lives of the Ain’ts
• “Some are born mediocre, some achieve mediocrity, and some have mediocrity thrust upon them.”
• Guinness Book of World Medians
• “Just because he can walk on water doesn’t make him special.”

Evangelicals Up For Grabs? Candidates Court Voters [NPR]

A man who wore press credentials and took photographs from a platform interrupted Barack Obama’s town-hall meeting Tuesday by shouting complaints that the Democratic presidential candidate had not called for the audience to say the Pledge of Allegiance. (AP)

I was returning home with my family from a ski trip when suddenly the brakes gave out on the steep mountain road. After narrowly missing two oncoming cars, I lost control and we plunged over a cliff, rolling six or seven times before landing in a fiery explosion. I’ll never forget to say the Pledge again.
— Joe R., Medford, Ore.

The one day I forgot to say the Pledge was the day my house collapsed under a falling jet engine. Learned my lesson!
— Beverly D., Indianapolis, Ind.

Just for kicks, I tried saying “Underwear” instead of “Under God”. Three prostate surgeries and a bankruptcy later, I’m now eating leftovers from the Dumpster behind the Olive Garden.
— Richard H., Biloxi, Miss.

Despite my best effort to suppress it, midway through I let out this honker of a sneeze. I’m still dealing with the whiplash lawsuits from everyone spinning their heads to glare at me.
— Susan M., Casper, Wy.

It’s only words? You wouldn’t say that if you had been abducted by aliens, subjected to anal probes, your organs harvested for the Feast of Interstellar Conquest, implanted with the seed of Gzymidranopoz, and given birth to the Xyzznothan Lord of Darkness, all in twenty-seven minutes.
— William J., Sparks, Nev.

Honest to gosh I try, but whenever I say “with liberty and justice for all,” Dick slaps me upside the head.
— George B., Washington, D.C.

Man heckles Obama about Pledge of Allegiance [AP]

McCain started his week with a visit to the National Label Co. in Lafayette Hill, Pa. The 97-year-old, family owned business makes labels for an array of products, from medicines such as Tylenol to shampoos in the Suave family. (AP)

Try New GEEZEX!

WARNING: GEEZEX (fuckus republicanus) is intended for the relief of fear due to change. GEEZEX is not for everyone. Clinical studies have shown GEEZEX to be ineffective against outbreaks of Paultardia and Huckapox. Do not take GEEZEX when driving or operating heavy machinery, as loss of consciousness may occur when exposed to prolonged dosages. Do not take GEEZEX in combination with conscience inhibitors, as Rovian Dysentery may result. Side effects may include shortness of temper, electoral dysfunction, explosive diarrhea, and dark nights of the soul. Ask your pastor whether GEEZEX is right for you.

• June 4, addressing AIPAC:
  “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”
• June 26, on DC v. Heller:
  “I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view.”
• July 1, on expanding “faith-based” programs:
  “Make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don’t believe this partnership will endanger that idea.”
• July 10, on FISA:
  “Senator Obama has said before that the compromise bill is not perfect,” his campaign said in a statement. “Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, Senator Obama chose to support the FISA compromise.”
• August 1, on offshore drilling:
  “If we can come up with a genuine, bipartisan compromise in which I have to accept some things I don’t like, or the Democrats have to accept some things that they don’t like, in exchange for moving us in the direction of energy independence, than that’s something I’m open to.”

Damn those nuanced positions. They’re really starting to mess with our head.

Obama’s Shift on Drilling [WaPo]

Oh, and the Democratic Convention. That too. As we recall, the Chicago protests had something to do with Vietnam, the Democratic administrations that promulgated it, and the Democratic presidential candidate who attended state funerals while LBJ pulled his dog’s ears and showed his scars. Good times.

So, if you’d like to recreate the rebellious spirit of that year in time for the conventions, the place to fight the power is — Denver?

Let us be clear: the name is not “Recreate Chicago 68” or “Recreate the DNC 68.” The idea that “Recreate 68” refers specifically to the events of late August 1968 in Chicago has been put out by those who wish to discredit an organization planning peaceful, nonviolent protests by associating it with what they would have us believe was a violent protest 40 years ago.

Fair enough. As the organizers remind us, Chicago was a “police riot”, and nobody wants to recreate that.

Then why 1968? Why not revive the spirit of the Freedom Riders (1961), the March on Washington (1963), or the Voting Rights Act (1965) — historic events driven by “mass movements of people who demanded that America live up to its own democratic rhetoric”, as the organizers self-righteously proclaim? Why “recreate” the year we as a nation plunged into darkness?

Really, if you want go all Abbie Hoffman on us, send 50,000 people to levitate the Pentagon. Oh, but that was 1967.

Judge to Rule on Limits at Denver Convention [NYT]

Recreate 68

Update, 9/10/2013:

Hi,

I am Ashlee Acevedo, webmaster of recreate68.com. We have recently decided to move our site recreate68.com permanently to our new site address humanrights.laws.com. I kindly request you to update the recreate68.com link in your website to point to the page on our new home humanrights.laws.com.

Now that you remind us, Occupy Wall Street had better luck.

Formerly Recreate 68

As Jon Stewart has observed, McCain’s “attack ads” suck. While the latest version has been ridiculed for fleeting cameos by Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, what’s really notable are the gorgeous crowd shots from Unicorn’s Berlin speech. What Republican can resist 200,000 people waving American flags? And why is the Geezer going out of his way to remind them? It’s as if his new Rovian advisers really are driving the bus into a ditch.

You don’t make your point with puny text and voiceovers — you make it with strong visuals. Which is why we offer the McCain campaign this modest proposal.

McCain “Celeb” Ad [YouTube]

Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage respond to the murders carried out in their names:

Uh, guess not. But we’re sure they’ll get around to it.