Week of 10/11/2008 - 16:00 to 10/18/2008 - 15:59

After plans were drawn up that would extend the U.S. military presence in Iraq until 2011 while slowly withdrawing its forces, Iraqis (mostly Shias) staged a mass anti-US rally. "Hey," commented John McCain, "at least Moqtada Sadr's followers marched peacefully and nothing blew up." He didn't really say that, but given his rosy view of Iraq, he might have said that.

Under the agreement US troops would withdraw by 2011, and Iraq would have the right to prosecute Americans who commit crimes while off-duty.

Crimes committed while on-duty, of course, would still be referred to U.S. civilian courts, which have a tendency to acquit (because no fellow U.S. military personnel would willingly testify against his or her comrades).

I thought I'd post these up in addition to Camilla's Obama world music roundup.
Click on the album art to download.

Green Lantern + Russell Simmons - Yes We Can
1. Intro
2. David Banner,Busta Rhymes,Talib Kweli “Black President” Rmx pt1 *
3. Barack Obama “Stand Up”*
4. Nas Speaks on Politics
5. Styles P and Cassidy “Make It Out”*
6. Jay-z Speaks “The American Dream”
7. Barack Obama “One Mic, One People”
8. Russell Simmons Speaks on Obama
9. Joe Budden, Twista, John Mayer “Waiting on the World to Change 2008″
10. Angie Martinez “Yes We Need A Mixtape!!”
11. Kanye West, Malik Yusef “Promised land
12. Wale, Rhymefest, Christina K, Royce 5′9 “Black President” RMX Pt2*
13. Barack Obama “My Life”*
14. Jay-z “Lick a Shot”*
15. Russell Simmons on Change
16. Wyclef “Obama for President”
17. Charles Hamilton “The Moment”
18. Find ur Dreams (interlude) *
19. George Bush’s Highlight Reel
20. Mikkey Halsted “King George” *
21. Obama on Hip-Hop
22. Joel Ortiz feat Dante Hawkins “Letter To Obama” *
23. Akon , U.M. “Aint No Sunshine” *
24. Qadir, Dwayne (Invasion) “Its My Time
25. Johnny Polygon (Invasion),Amanda Diva “Colorblind” *
26. Mavado “We Need Barack” *
27. Jay-Z / Gabe Real “What We Need” (Speech)
28. Qadir “Yes We Can” Outro"

King Most - The Obamix
1. Intro/Smoked Sugar: I’m A Winner
2. Roy Davis Jr.: People Get Ready
3. Jackson 5: We’re Almost There (DJ Spinna Remix)
4. Erykah Badu: Soldier (Sasaac Remix)
5. Masta Ace: Beautifull
6. Black Spade: We Need A Revolution
7. Skull Snaps: It’s A New Day
8. Marvin Gaye & The Mizzel Brothers: Where Are We Going?
9. James Brown: Mind Power
10. Antibalas: Si, Se Puede
11. Grandmaster Flash: The Message (Next Message Blend Version)
12. DJ Day: A Place To Go
13. Double Exposure: Everyman For Himself
14. Donald Byrd: Change Makes Ya Wanna Hustle
15. Stevie Wonder: Blackman (Kay Sputnik Re-Edit)
16. L.T.D.: Love To The World
17. Cymande: Bra
18. Pitbull: American War
19. The Dynamics: Move On Up

Z-Trip's Obama mix
No tracklist available for this one (that I could find)

Mick Boogie and Terry Urban - Can I Kick It?
1. Mick Boogie/Terry Urban: Intro
2. Daytona: Can I Kick It? (produced by Garbs Infinite)
3. Mekka Don: Dear Obama (produced by Skinny Vee)
4. Malik Yusef f/ Kanye West: Promised Land
5. Ra The Mc: Ready Or Not (produced by Judah)
6. Jus Mic: Politics As Usual
7. Jin: Open Letter To Obama
8. 6th Sense: Ignite The People (produced by 6th Sense)
9. Doxx: Smile Sarah (produced by Remot)

Ahhhh. What will we all do when this campaign season ends? I only wish that Obama would sprinkle some unicorn dust on the campaign of Mayor Piercy, who should by rights be leaving that other candidate in the dust.

Sigh.

Anyway, here's Teh Funny Barack (I hear McCain was funny as well, but I just can't stand the thought of watching him [there's way too much of him in this video already!]):

From a press release today:

Due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict the New Kids on the Block concert, originally scheduled for Rose Garden on Sunday, November 23, 2008 has been cancelled.

It's so funny. And yet funny in that all Tina Fey has to do is repeat the bizarre things Sarah Palin says to be funny way.

If you haven't already checked out PalinasPresident.com and clicked on all the little details (Maverick!) then do so now, laugh, then feel little frisson of horror when you realize how damn close to the truth it is.

Y'all know same-sex marriage is legal in Cali right now, yes?

Well, there's an ass-backward proposition to amend the California constitution (kind of like the way stupid asshole homophobic fuckheads in Oregon amended the Oregon one with Measure 36) and make it illegal. (In other words, there's a move afoot to take away people's rights. Good plan, Yes on 8 people. Very American, very Christian, taking away rights! Yeah! Geniuses.)

Lots of ads flying this way and that, and no surprise, proponents of the prop have been lying out their asses about TEH CHILDREN THINK OF TEH CHILDREN and TEH CHURCHES THINK OF TEH CHURCHES!

Here's one of many viral ads against Prop 8 (this one parallels the Mac/PC ads, and yeah, it's not brilliant, but it has some funny to it):

Donate to help the No on 8 folks, working hard to fundraise and put actual commercials on the air to counter the right wing's lies, here.

(And you know what? I don't care about marriage ... FOR ME. But if other couples want to get married, why the hell would anyone stand in their way?)

It's only been wrong twice in 40 years and this year the Scholastic Poll predicts the next President of the United States will be Barack Obama.

Scholastic attributes the accuracy of their vote, which surveys kids in grade school through high school, to mirroring what they are hearing their parents talk about.

The two elections the kids vote got wrong were Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy in 1960 (the kids cast their vote before the first debate, which was a turning point in that election) and Thomas Dewey versus Harry Truman in 1948, a race so close that the Chicago Tribune printed the paper with the erroneous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman." The kids even correctly predicted George W. Bush's win in 2000 (mirroring the electoral college, but not the popular vote).

Scholastic says that Obama beat McCain in the kids' poll with 57 percent of the vote to McCain's 39. Four percent of the votes were write-ins (the most ever in the history of this poll) for people like Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton, according to Scholastic.

It looks like The Great Schlep is working in Florida. The kids have Obama over McCain 55 to 41 percent.

Smith can try to hide behind the Dems, but something tells me it's not gonna work.

I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time the New York Times has noted Republican Senator Gordon Smith's cozying up to the Dems for votes, with Smith stopping just short of endorsing his own Democratic rival, Jeff Merkley, but what's interesting is the timing of the piece, and its placement on the front page (!) of the NYT website. Also, the article points out something I didn't know: "David Brownlow of the conservative Constitution Party, has registered in the high single digits in some recent polls ... [which is] likely to hurt Mr. Smith the most." Go Brownlow!!!

If you're sick of Smith's charade, donate here.

(click on above image to go to our Twitter site and become a follower)

A sampling...

Molly: Still deciding whether 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist,' the movie, is really that much better than the book.

Chuck: PSA headline of the week: "River Park District to Sponsor Computer"

Molly: A.O. Scott on 'Body of Lies': "If terrorism has become boring, does that mean the terrorists have won?" I snorted with laughter.

Suzi: Connecticut Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage: http://tinyurl.com/3ktahm

Molly is delighted to find a former member of Silver Scooter coming through town: www.myspace.com/superxxman