In this atmosphere of spin and anti-spin, Obama's activities will be regarded as "measuring the White House draperies". But, staggeringly, I agree with you, Charles. The concept of having (relatively) honest, and extremely competent and intelligent executive staff and cabinet members is enough to vote for Obama (which I've already done).

The last N Rebumblekin administrations have been populated by knuckle-dragging hoods, thugs, and goons. When the accidental competent person somehow stumbled into the room, vengeful neocon antibodies would engulf the sorry soul and expel him quickly.

Let's not forget for one second that the man in charge of McCain's transition team was paid by Saddam Hussein to further the former Iraqi economic and un-diplomatic mission in the United States.

How can McCain criticize Obama for not being ready on day one AND for preparing for day one?

you can hope, pray, and stay up nights - but - there is no way to understand the current R party and their approach to the day to day management of the govt.

look at the past 8 years, could it have been any worse? criminal and incompetent are often repeated and those scathing words are accurate.

Obama may not be perfect but at a practical level, I believe he will save America from utter ruin...

Yes, he is the FDR like persona of our era ... and if he runs the govt. as well as he has run his campaign, we can all breath a bitter better.

Utterly brilliant two year campaign on every front... including $$$$$$, amazing to out spend the fattest of cats.

The only real post-election plan the McCain campaign seems to have is to donate Palin's new wardrobe to charity. That in itself seems to be an admission of defeat. If they won, wouldn't she need those clothes?

McCain’s lack of proper preparation means that, if elected, he will not be able to quickly manage America’s most pressing problems.

If McCain is elected, "America's most pressing problems" will include managing a majority of the population that does not consider him to be a legitimately elected president and is disinclined to cooperate with his rule.

That was my thought as well.

I know they know they're not going to win, and that's why they aren't seriously preparing. But I still wish that they would. What happens if Obama gets assassinated between now and election day? I'd hope we'd still elect a Democrat, but I'm not willing to assume that. People might well get scared and vote for McCain. In which case, the old fool had better be prepared. :sigh:

And if McCain did invest a bunch of time planning it out now, he'd just get a wild hair up his ass a the last minute and do one-eighty. One of the advantages of being erratic.

@6: We already have the perceived illegitimacy situation right now with the sitting president. Somehow I doubt it will be as much of a problem as some are predicting.

Being prepared isn't Mavericky.

McCain wouldn't actually need a transition. His party is already in power. He just needs to go in, sit down, and keep on doing a heckuva good job.

Obama would need a whole new staff.

It is stunning how amazed we seem at expensive clothes, such a trival issue.

Womder where some of you have been? Professional women making good money spend small fortunes on their wardrobes. So do the men is the same roles.

Almost funny and lacking in politcal perspective to be hung up on that - did you think the hightly paid really to to Goodwill and wear it to the office?

Neiman is a chain, highly regarded and, yes expensive. So what?

By the way, they are scheduled to open in Bellevue.

Down town guys do not blink at 500.00 shoes and 3,000. suits and 80.00 ties --- so what is the rub?

Remins be of those who are fixated on her daughters pregnancy, like Dan, for example. Is it envy? Millions of 18 year old women get pregnat every year, worldwide, tens of millions.In this era, menstruation comes much earlier that just decades ago. Big factor. Called biology, Miss Palin is VERY normal.

HER MOM HAS HORRID POLITICS - DAUGHTER IS JUST FERTILE AND COMELY. And maybe miss palin enjoys sex ... geez, how modern.

You're surprised that people are shocked she spent 5x the average yearly income of the people she's pandering to on clothes?

@ 12, that's because the Republicans couldn't let go of the 400 dollar hair cut. I heard about that damn hair cut just months ago. Republicans make issue of what people make and spend, and it comes back and bites them on the ass.

But...Palin does not portray herself as some power suit wearing female CEO. She Josephine Plumber, Jane Sixpack, average state college educated, just like all those real americans. That is why it's a big deal.

@12:

I keep hearing people make this "point", that male public figures buy expensive shit too. Dude. She spent $150,000 on wardrobe! Sure, a guy might spend 4k on a suit, shoes, tie, etc. And he might buy several of these outfits. Shit, maybe a dozen. But. . . 37,000 of them? Because that's how many fancy man-fits they could have bought with Palin's pretty money.

@12 or whatever:

It's not the fact of spending $150,000 on clothes -- if she wants to spend her own $150,000 on clothes, fucking go right ahead, knock yourself out (you betcha as the kids say).

The issue at stake is that it was the RNC's $150,000, money it gets from donors. And the fact that the RNC buying her clothes is, if not simply illegal, a violation of the spirit of the laws/rules surrounding campaign finance.

If John McCain wants to spend $150,000 of Cindy McBeerDistro's unearned money to buy 37,000 suits, he can feel free to go to town on that -- it would not be a legit news item.

Plus, what's with your incoherence?