Our Special Guest Columnist for Stinque Post #5,000 is The President of The United States.

No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter or win. Contributing will not improve chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by midnight on 9/30/11. You may enter by contributing to Sponsor at https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner-with-Barack-Sept or click here, http://my.barackobama.com/Dinner-with-Barack-Alt-Sept, to enter without contributing. Four winners will each receive the following prize package: one round-trip ticket from within the fifty U.S. States, DC, or Puerto Rico to a destination to be determined by the Sponsor; hotel accommodations for one; and dinner with President Obama on a date to be determined by the Sponsor (approximate combined retail value $1,050). Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Promotion open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of 50 United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules, http://my.barackobama.com/Dinner-Rules-Sept, and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: Obama for America, 130 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601.

Can we meet for dinner? [Obama campaign email]

The American Prospect’s Jaime Fuller — yes, we’re that bored with the news — proposes a simple comparison to place the Republican primary race in context:

The reason Obama beat Clinton in 2008 is because independent and moderate voters — the bread and butter of general elections — are mostly irrelevant in primary elections where passionate partisans drive decision-making. Obama looked like the best candidate to liberal Democrats in 2008 — in part because of his long-standing opposition to the Iraq War — and those are the voters who matter most in the primaries for both parties.

In case Jaime Fuller missed the news: Barack Obama also won the 2008 general election.

You know, the one independents and moderates vote in.

Not only that, Obama was leading in electoral-college poll-tracking all summer. The reason anybody even knows about Sarah Palin is that John McCain was desperate after his “Celebrity” ads fell flat. And even then, Palin’s value to his ticket lasted only until a nice lady asked about her reading habits.

So why did Unicorn beat Swampsow that spring?

Read more »

Playing off one of the most delightful lines from Monday night’s debate — “If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended” — WaPo digs in:

Perry’s gubernatorial campaign, for example, received nearly $30,000 from the drugmaker since 2000, most of it prior to his decision in 2007 to order young girls to obtain Merck’s vaccine against the human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Merck has also given more than $355,000 in donations to the Republican Governors Association since 2006, which was the year that Perry began to play a prominent role in the Washington-based group, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Perry served as chairman of the RGA in 2008 and again this year until he decided to run for president. The group also ranks among Perry’s biggest donors, giving the Texas governor’s campaign at least $4 million over the past five years, according to Texans for Public Justice.

So now we know the nature of Perry’s offense: He’s not a whore — he’s an escort.

Perry has deep financial ties to maker of HPV vaccine [WaPo, via Political Wire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKg-LPOXIMs

What They Say:

Renault, the first car manufacturer to offer a range of four electric vehicles accessible to everybody, reconfirms its commitment by launching an advertising campaign combining humour and education.

What We See:

A perfect demonstration of electricity generated by coal-fired plants.

[via Daring Fireball]

“Someone on the plane had reported that the three of us in row 12 were conducting suspicious activity. What is the likelihood that two Indian men who didn’t know each other and a dark-skinned woman of Arab/Jewish heritage would be on the same flight from Denver to Detroit?” [Stories from the Heartland, via Boing Boing]

If, after watching a Republican debate, you feel a compelling need to get the fuck off the planet, might we suggest Saturn? The rings are lovely when it eclipses the Sun, and in case you have second thoughts, you can still see Earth and remember why it was so important to put 979 million miles between you and the rest of godforsaken humanity.

In the Shadow of Saturn [NASA, via Kottke]

After Rick Perry famously declared Social Security a Fonzie Scheme, we couldn’t help but agree — Social Security is a broken jukebox that we’ve been kicking for years, but for the younger kids coming into the malt shop, sooner or later, it’s not gonna work.

Hold on. Richie Cunningham is elbowing us in the ribs.

Ponzi Scheme? Oh. Right.

Well, since our premise has completely collapsed, there’s nothing left but to cut to commercial welcome you to Yet Another GOP Debate Open Thread/Shark Jump. Be nice, or we’ll disappear you faster than Richie’s older brother.