Pinocchio Politics in the News

Shout-outs for Pinocchio Politics from:

Democrats.com
AmericaBLOG
Group News Blog
on dailyKOS (one)
PrideDEPOT
Daily Gotham

More on McCain & Palin as Pinocchio:

Insider
Huffington Post
McCain fails the "Pinocchio test" at The Washington Post (one, two, three, four)
DailyKos
Talking Points Memo
Palin Gets Pinocchio'd in Alaska - Washington Post
Kathryn Cramer

More Lies

30 in one shot - John K. Wilson

Andrew Sullivan - in the Atlantic

Keith Olbermann



Post more in the comments!

Long List of Lies

LIE : Obama Will Raise Your Taxes

LIE : Alaska Produces 20% of US Energy
LIE : Palin Eliminated Earmarks to AK
LIE : "Thanks, but no thanks"
LIE : "Thanks, but no thanks" 34 more times
LIE : Palin sold the Govnr's jet on EBay
LIE : Obama Killed Immigration reform
LIE : "23,000 People at our rallies"
LIE : FactCheck.org Agrees with Us
LIE : Obama Supports Kindergarten Sex Ed
LIE : Obama voted against Troop Funding
LIE : Obama will Tax Electricity
LIE : Palin visited troops in Iraq
LIE : The Surge alone reduced violence in Iraq
LIE : McCain refuses special interest money
LIE : McCain never asks for pork
LIE : Obama Called Palin a Pig
LIE : McCain Tried to Reform Freddie and Frannie
LIE : Obama wants to increase government size by 23%
LIE : Obama opposes the electric car
LIE : Obama wants to bomb Pakistan
LIE : Obama opposes all free trade
LIE : Obama asked for a million $ a day in pork -
LIE : Palin Always Supported Troopergate investigation
LIE : Gov Palin Vetoed 500 million in Spending
LIE : Palin has more experience than Obama
LIE : Obama thinks Obama isn't a serious threat
LIE : "McCain invented the Blackberry"
LIE : Obama is the most liberal Senator
LIE : Obama gave big oil millions in subsidies
LIE : Palin took on big oil
LIE : Palin commanded the National Guard

Lies, Lies, and More Lies

 

It's tough to keep up with the "blizzard of lies" coming from the McCain campaign, but here are a few sites that can help :

"Unraveling the myth of the Straight Talk Express"-- an Obama campaign memo, posted on the TIME Magazine site, lays out Myth & Fact in detail

McCain-i-pedia's "Count the Lies"

Politi-fact's "Truth-O-Meter"

LieCount - More GOP Whoppers

"Lies to Nowhere" -- Think Progress tracks all the lies about the Bridge to Nowhere.

And Pinocchio Poltics is doing some tracking of its own :

No Earkmarks for Alaska—Not!

Last week, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, hadn't sought earmarks or special-interest spending from Congress, presenting her as a fiscal conservative. But state records show Gov. Palin has asked U.S. taxpayers to fund $453 million in specific Alaska projects over the past two years.
source: The Wall Street Journal
Pinnichio Rating: Flat out lie - 5 Pinocchios

Energy Exaggeration (20 is, um, not 3.5)

McCain and Palin both say Alaska supplies 20 percent of U.S. energy. Not true. Not even close...Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 3.5 percent, according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And if by "supply" Palin meant all the energy consumed in the U.S., and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 2.4 percent.
source: Factcheck.org
Pinnichio Rating: Major exaggeration - 3 Pinocchios

Excitement Exaggeration

In recent days, journalists attending McCain/Palin rallies have been disputing the crowd estimates claimed by the campaign. In a story on Sept. 11 about Palin's attraction to Virginia women voters, Washington Post reporter Marc Fisher estimated the crowd to be 8,000, not the 23,000 cited by the campaign.
source: Bloomberg
Pinnichio Rating: Major exaggeration - 2 Pinocchios

With All These Lies, Even Fox News (?!?) Is Pushing Back.


source: Fox News
Pinnichio Rating: Flat out lie - 5 Pinocchios

Costume Info

You can buy Pinocchio noses at any of these three on-line retailers :

buycostumes.com
anytimecostumes.com
eddiestrickshop.com

Most ship same day, if you order before 2pm.

More info & instructions & a full (downloadable, fold-here, cut-here) kit to help you make your noses is coming soon...

Contact

email us

McCain and Palin's Schedule

Timely information about the whereabouts of the candidates is hard to come by.  Often you only know a few days in advance, and then even that can change at the last minute.  

But here are three sites that are tracking McCain & Palin's schedule of campaign stops, fundraisers, debates, and other events :

JohnMcCain.com
Washinton Post
Code Pink

And here's the latest schedule we have for both Presidential candidates as of Thursday, September 18 :

Campaign Schedule:
Senator John McCain Senator Barack Obama

All times are EST unless otherwise noted

schedule subject to change, usually solidifies within 48 hours of Event

UPDATE!
Both Major Party Candidates are launching bus tours through battleground states and key cities in this final push of the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Many events while candidates are on the Campaign Trail are only announced to those on email or volunteer lists with the campaigns or events are finalized at the last minute. Grassroots activists and local news sources in battleground states and communities are vital to getting the word out about chances for Peace Voters to ask both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, and their surrogates, the tough questions about Peace and Justice.

Participate in Bird-dogging the Candidates by helping UFPJ track them. If the buzz on Main Street of your hometown or city is that a candidate will be making a stop, attending a fund-raiser, giving a speech or otherwise campaigning in your community, let us know. Post campaign events, bird-dogging or other voter engagement experiences in your area on the UFPJ Blog at http://grassroots.unitedforpeace.org/taxonomy/term/2 .


Thursday, September 18, 2008

McCain and Palin in MI, WI
CANCELED Palin in VA
Biden in OH
Obama in NM
Michelle Obama in NC

8:00 AM McCain and Palin to hold Campaign Rally, Eastern Iowa International Airport,
3411 Wright Brothers Blvd W, Cedar Rapids, IA. Doors open at 8:00 AM.

9:30 AM Biden on two day bus tour campaigning in Northern OH, including appearance at Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Dr. NW., Canton, OH. Doors open at 8am. Tickets available online.

10:30 AM Obama attends campaign rally, Plaza de Española, Espanola, NM.

12:45 PM Biden makes campaign appearance, Laborers' Int'l Union of North America - Local 894, Akron, OH.

3:00 PM Michelle Obama participates in “Economic Roundtable with Working Women”, McGlohon Theater , Charlotte, NC

4:00 PM Biden attends campaign rally, 20 Federal Place, Youngstown, OH.

4:00 PM McCain and Palin attend campaign rally, Resch Center, Green Bay, WI.

Time Unannounced Michelle Obama attends “Women for Obama” rally, Carolina Theatre, Greensboro, NC

(CANCELED) Time/Location TBA Palin to hold campaign event in Virginia Beach, VA.


Friday, September 19, 2008


Obama in FL
Biden in VA
McCain and Palin in MN

9:30 AM Obama attends campaign rally, BankUnited Center, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.

10:30 AM Biden attends campaign rally, Claude Moore Park, Sterling VA

12:00 Noon McCain and Palin to hold Campaign Rally, Key Air Hangar at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, 10188 Radisson Rd NE, Blaine, MN. Tickets available online.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Obama in FL

2:30 PM Obama attends campaign rally, Metropolitan Park, 1410 Gator Bowl Blvd. near Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, FL. Gates open at 12:30 PM.


Monday, September 22, 2008

Biden in MD

Palin in NY

11:45 AM Palin to speak at anti-Iran “Stop Iran Now” rally, United Nations, New York, NY.

Time unannounced Biden to hold Campaign event, deliver speech (part two of two), on foreign policy, Baltimore MD.


Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Canceled(9-18-08) Palin in CA

Canceled (9-18-08)Times, Locations TBA Palin to attend fund raiser, Pebble Beach, CA.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Canceled (9-18-08)Palin in CA

Canceled (9-18-08)Palin to attend luncheon fund raising event at the Woodside, CA home of Siebel Systems founder, Tom Siebel.

Canceled (9-18-08)Times, Locations TBA Palin to attend a number of fund raising events in CA. No public events are scheduled.

Friday, September 26, 2008

McCain and Obama in MS

Debate

McCain and Obama to appear for first 2008 Presidential Debate (focus on domestic policy) televised from the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS. Moderator: Jim Lehrer.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

President George W. Bush to attend Big dollar GOP Fundraiser, at the Ada Township, MI home of Dick DeVos.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Biden and Palin in MO

Debate

Vice Presidential Debate to be held at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Moderator: Gwen Ifill.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Biden in Washington, DC

Time/Location TBA Biden to speak at Annual Human Rights Campaign Awards Dinner, Washington, DC.



Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Obama and McCain in TN

Debate

Obama and McCain to appear for second 2008 Presidential Debate (to be held in a Town Hall format)televised from Belmont University, Nashville, TN. Moderator: Tom Brokaw.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

McCain and Obama in NY

Debate

McCain and Obama to appear for third 2008 Presidential Debate (focus on foreign policy) televised from Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY. Moderator: Bob Schieffer.


Tuesday, November 4, 2008
General News Events
ELECTION
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY

Take Action

Pinocchio Protests -- How to Bird-dog McCain/Palin

As a bird-dogger, your job is to show up at McCain/Palin events, and be a constant reminder that they have been systematically lying, and cannot be trusted. Your job is to brand them with the label "Pinocchio Politics." Get this message out to attendees, passersby, and above all, the media. 

There are many tools on this site (or soon to be on this site) to help you do this : talking points, sample press release, chant sheet, scripts, downloadable flyers & signs, a how-to kit for making your own Pinocchio noses & McCain masks, or where to buy them on-line, and how it all comes together in the street theater & action ideas below. In addition, you can always contact us for advice and more information.

At a McCain/Palin event, you can take action inside and/or outside.

Going Inside

Enter the event looking like normal attendees. Don't try to bring in any big signs, and keep your Pinocchio noses hidden in your pocket.

Once inside, there's a few ways you can challenge the speaker:

1. Sit together in one or two rows. Wait for McCain or Palin to tell one of their oft-repeated lies. A designated team leader will then give a signal for everyone to put on their noses. In unison, stand up and shout whatever slogan or chant -- say, "lies, lies, lies" -- you think works best. (Or if you want to be more subtle (and you can sneak your slide-whistles into the event), play them instead of chanting. Working in a team makes it easier for people to hold their ground when approached by security/GOP personnel. Perhaps you could make it an all-family outing.

2. Same as #1 above, but the posse works in pairs, sitting in different parts of the stands, making a series of staggered disruptions. One team might get escorted out. Another team pipes up 5 mintues later.

3. The silent option. Arrive early. Position yourselves in the front row aisle, close to the stage, or somewhere else very visible. At a signal from the team leader, put on your pinocchio-nose and stand up -- in profile to the audience/cameras. Say nothing. Just stand there. The goal is to place a subversive image in the eyes of viewers, and silently question the veracity of McCain's talking points.

Outside.

The goal here is to interact with attendees as they enter & leave the event, and to create a visually compelling tableau for the news media.

Everyone wearing Pinocchio noses, especially when all lined up in a row, can make quite an image. The more people the better, but 5, or even as few as 3, can make for a strong image. It immediately evokes the number of lies McCain tells, and the number of people upset with him for doing so.

You can also conduct a "Lie In" -- a call and response between a McCain stand-in and the rest of the team. "McCain" says a lie, and everyone else laughs (in a very visible way) after each one, maybe calling out "who are you kidding," etc. Or use the slide-whistles.

Things can get more interesting using props, as follows:

Buy or make a McCain mask and cut out a nose-hole. (Or do the same with a flat cardboard image of McCain.) Cover a long (whte or clear) balloon in "flesh-colored" panty-hose, and stick it through the hole. As each lie is spoken, inflate a little bit more. Accompany with a chant every time it inflates : "John McCain's Pinocchio -- With every lie his nose will grow!" At the end of the action, cap it off - "John McCain's Pinocchio -- Now his lies are going to blow!" And pop the balloon.