On Election day twelve Obama voters were interviewed extensively right after they voted to learn how the news media impacted their knowledge of what occurred during the campaign. The rather shocking video below seeks to provide some insight into which information broke through the news media clutter and which did not.

read more | digg story

Sarah Palin’s spokeswoman denies the wave of anonymous post-election criticism coming from some members of John McCain’s campaign team.

Sarah Palin’s allies are pushing back against a stream of accusations leaking out of John McCain’s campaign that the Alaska governor was incompetent during the run-up to the election. One Palin aide called the charges “sickening.”

Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton on Friday denied reports that have surfaced since Election Day that there was tension between the vice presidential candidate and McCain’s staff.

They range from claims that Palin went on extensive spending sprees to accounts that campaign officials had serious doubts about her preparedness to to be vice president.

Sources told FOX News, for instance, that Palin did not realize that Africa was a continent and not a country, and that she could not name the nations that had signed the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Palin herself brushed off the finger-pointing Wednesday, saying she wouldn’t engage “any of the negativity” or “pettiness” from anonymous sources.

Stapleton released a written statement Friday calling the charges “unfortunate and, quite honestly, sickening.”

“The accusations we are hearing and reading are not true and since we deny all these anonymous allegations, there is nothing specific to which we will respond,” she wrote. “We have the highest regards for Senator John McCain. Governor Palin was honored to be chosen as McCain’s running mate.”

Newsweek also reported that Palin may have spent “tens of thousands” of dollars more on wardrobe expenses than the $150,000 that was reported in the days before Election Day. The money allegedly went toward clothes for her and her family from high-end stores, even though she was originally told to buy just three suits and hire a stylist for the Republican National Convention.

One aide called the spree “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,” according to the magazine. Palin also reportedly asked to speak at McCain’s concession speech Tuesday, and was denied.

McCain adviser Nicole Wallace defended Palin on NBC’s “Today Show” Friday morning, saying the Alaska governor “did nothing wrong.”

“She is, perhaps, the most un-diva politician I’ve ever seen,” she said. “The only thing I’ve ever seen her ask for is a diet soda.”

Palin said right after the election that she’s sorry if she cost McCain even “one vote.”

But some are tired of what they say looks like scapegoating.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum told FOX News that McCain himself needs to come out and put a stop to the Palin criticism.

“She’s the one that energized the base, she’s the one that got the crowds out. … She’s the one that comes out of this without any scars and now they’re trying to give her some,” Santorum said. “John McCain should come out and say, ‘This is ridiculous,’ and set the record straight.”

Actor Tim Robbins was not happy when told he would have to vote by provisional ballot in New York on Tuesday, TMZ.com is reporting.

The actor and well-known liberal activist became enraged when officials at his usual polling location in New York informed him that his name was not on the register, the Web site reports. When poll workers asked him to fill out a provisional ballot, he reportedly refused, and an altercation ensued, resulting in cops coming to the scene.

Determined to vote, Robbins went all the way to the City Board of Elections to obtain proof that he was a registered voter, TMZ.com says.

TMZ.com later caught up with the “Shawshank Redemption” star, who told them that he was “not the only one [who had a problem voting.]”

“While I was waiting, according to poll workers, 30 people in the first five hours of voting have been taken off the rolls, so you do the math on that. Six per hour, per district across America…”

Before disappearing to finalize his Election Day business, Robbins told TMZ.com to “go vote!”

Click here see the video and read more from TMZ.com.

A 38-year-old Montana man has come under fire after parking a trailer load of manure across the street from a Democratic campaign office to protest Barack Obama.

BUTTE, Mont.–
Democrats are criticizing a 38-year-old man who parked a trailer load of manure across the street from Whitehall’s Democratic campaign office to protest presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Terry Reed, who owns a construction and excavation company in Whitehall, parked the trailer near the office on Saturday. He also posted a sign in the manure mocking Obama’s “change we can believe in” slogan as “a load of crap.”

“I think Obama’s plan is just one big old poop sandwich and we’re all going to have to take a bite,” he said.

Suzanne Molyneaux, the Obama campaign’s election team leader in Whitehall, said traffic came to a near standstill as people stopped to take pictures of the trailer.

“People in Whitehall were upset, they were outraged,” she said. “I don’t think Whitehall should be represented as this podunk, ignorant community. There are lots of good people here.”

Reed said he doesn’t plan to move the trailer until after Election Day.

“My only regret is that I didn’t do something sooner,” he said.

Three “medium sized” newspapers finally endorsed McCain…and subsequently, those paper’s ‘Obama coverage’ reporters were kicked off the Obama plane yesterday.  These 3 reporters have been flying with Obama since 2007, but yesterday – as the campaign draws nearer to election day, the reporters were let go without parachutes.  The only logical conclusion is that they were kicked off because they were McCain supporters and it could be dangerous to allow them to hang around Obama so close to election time.  *Sounds familiar to the excommunication memo sent by the Obama campaign to a local Florida news channel after a lead reporter asked Biden some “tougher” than usual questions.  Apparently, the Obama ticket is not used to answering questions other than “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Tom Cruise”? (I.E. the view).

Now, let’s be fair, the McCain campaign has not allowed two reporters (one from Time magazine and one from the NY times) to travel with them because of their blatant liberal articles – but these people have not been allowed this entire campaign.

Here’s The Deal…if you actually ask Biden a tough question – your news station will not be granted any future access.  If you call Obama on his tax policies in the middle of a crowd – you’ll be publicly mocked the next day (Joe the plumber), and if your views are differenthan Obama’s campaign – you’ll be thrown off the plane??   I guess if you’ll stand with him, if you’ll fight with him, if you’ll knock on some doors for him; he’ll be your friend, but if you disagree with him, if you contradict him, if you’ll stand up to him…then he’ll shut you out in Florida coverage and he’ll shut you out of the general election coverage…