If the Republicans are gonna spring an October Surprise....

[WCGreen]

They better do it quick cause probably 10-15% of the people have already voted what with absentee and early voting....

[Monkeyman]

1. We got one coming on Hastert Monday CNN

[virgdem]

2. Care to elaborate?

n/t

[Suich]

5. What? What?

:hi:

[babylonsister]

10. Here:

BREAKING: Hastert Office Blocked Corruption Probe
By Justin Rood - October 27, 2006, 7:37 PM
Congressional Quarterly reporting:

Two former House committee investigators who were examining Capitol Hill security upgrades said a senior aide to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert hindered their efforts before they were abruptly ordered to stop their probe last year.

The former Appropriations Committee investigators said Ted Van Der Meid, Hastert’s chief counsel, resisted from the start the inquiry, which began with concerns about mismanagement of a secret security office and later probed allegations of bid-rigging and kickbacks from contractors to a Defense Department employee.

Ronald Garant and a second Appropriations Committee investigator who asked not to be identified said Van Der Meid engaged in “screaming matches” with investigators and told at least one aide not to talk to them. Van Der Meid also prohibited investigators from visiting certain sites to check up on the effectiveness of the work, the investigators said.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001896.php
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001896.php

[Suich]

13. Wow! Thanks!

:hi:

[babylonsister]

15. You're welcome! But it remains to be seen if we'll hear a peep

about this from the media whores, and I have my doubts. I hope I'm wrong...
:hi:

[elocs]

3. Voters may be getting wise to an October surprise. n/t

[C_U_L8R]

4. Defeatocrats takes on a whole new meaning

after we thoroughly trounce the republiCants.

[NanceGreggs]

6. The October Surprise(s) have already happened ...

Foley-gate hits the MSM - SURPRISE!

Weldon being investigated - SUPRISE!

GOP seats thought safe now in play - SURPRISE!

Voters didn't 'buy' temporary lowering of gas prices - SURPRISE!

Rush Limbaugh LOSES support for anti-stem cell Republicans - SURPRISE!

Maccacowitz didn't make full disclosure on income - SURPRISE!

Despite extra money and effort into GOP campaigns, Dems still pulling ahead - SURPRISE!

New scandals involving Republican candidates surfacing on an almost daily basis - SURPRISE!

Right now the GOP are PRAYING there are no more October surprises still out there ...

[WCGreen]

7. Clever turn of the word...

I LIKE it....

[NanceGreggs]

17. Right now, I'll bet the Republicans are wishing ...

... they'd NEVER heard of the concept of an "October Surprise"!

A classic case of being careful what you wish for ...

[ContraCommando]

8. I think that there might be a November surprise, instead.

If I’m not mistaken, Media Matters had a segment that listed how the administration had postponed the Sadaam trial verdict until 2 days before the election (guilty). Expect much mention of how progress is being made in Iraq, they’ve done it before; "we saved Iraq from an evil dictator, would you prefer that Sadaam still be in power, the media isn't reporting the good news," etc - maybe that is why Karl Rove was so upbeat about the election, like he knows something we don't.

[babylonsister]

9. I don't know why the verdict would make much of an impact.

By now, I think the US has done much worse than Saddam ever did. We are in the process of literally destroying that country, and for what?

[ContraCommando]

11. Even a very small impact before an election might matter.

Faux News will use it to temporarily blunt criticism of Iraq - so will the rest of the Murdoch press (NY post, Faux, weekly standard, UK SUN, over one hundred newspapers worldwide, etc). Plus, the story will be global - which would add more pressure on US stations and 24 hr cable outlets to carry the story incessantly.

[babylonsister]

14. I think the people who are going to vote have already made up

their minds one way or the other. But I agree that the 'good' news of Saddam's verdict will blunt the reality of what's going on over there, as if the nasty politickin' going on now isn't already doing that.

[NanceGreggs]

16. Wow, Saddam found guilty!

What a SURPRISE!!! I bet nobody sees THAT coming! This is the "something Rove knows that we don't"?

Announcing Saddam's verdict is not going to un-do the violence, chaos, mounting casualties, et cetera, and isn't going to put what's going on there in a better light.

The ONLY way the end of his trial MIGHT possibly help the GOP is if they declare him not guilty, hand the country back over to him, and pull our troops out pronto!

[truthisfreedom]

12. well, there is the saddam announcement scheduled for just before the

erection. and of course the WMDs will be discovered, en masse, in Iraq, hiding right beneath our noses.

[Sherman A1]

18. And there is that little issue of the calendar running out on them

so off to November and elections to steal.....