On the day that I decide I've had all I can take of McCain's nasty campaign tactics and must turn off the TV to preserve my sanity (and get acquainted with my new vacuum cleaner), the McCain campaign runs off the rails, alienates both camps of supporters - the grand old party guys and their white trash cousins, the rabid agents of intolerance. To top it off, the Alaskan legislative investigation committee concludes that Palin did abuse the power of the governor's office by firing Walt Monegan. How could I possibly have missed all the drama? Thankfully, I got caught up on it listening to one of my new favorite talk show hosts Rachel Maddow. What a day!

One of the most powerful statements of denouncement appeared in the Baltimore Sun from Frank Schaeffer:

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John McCain, in 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain.

You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate.

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He goes on to enumerate all the disappointments he's experienced as a former McCain supporter. Frank Schaeffer is the author of "Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back." I saw him on C-Span one night and immediately wished that all my fundamentalist friends could hear what he has to say or read his book. He exposes all the un-Christian aspects of their politics.

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I had fun with the new vacuum cleaner today. (I don't think I've ever made that statement in my life.) It's a shiny red Eureka which was left behind by a former renter. It had a broken belt so she junked it. My neighbor replaced the belt for $2.32 and it runs great. I've collected enough dog and cat hair to stuff a large pillow. My old vacuum no longer worked on the attachments setting, so you can imagine how desperately certain areas of my house needed cleaning.