If you've procrastinated about volunteering for a presidential campaign this season, few precious hours remain to get your fill of phonebanking. Bwog Daily Editor Mariela Quintana has compiled the following Procrastinator's Guide to Phonebanking.

McCain:

Bwog could not find any information about phonebanking for McCain, but the candidate's website offers a comparable alternative. (You must sign up as a volunteer in order to gain access to site.) Instead of going to a community headquarters, volunteers sign-up to phone bank online and then the site provides them with a script and person and telephone number to contact in Virginia. Once the volunteer calls and asks the appropriate questions on the script, he has to record the outcome on form that the website also provides.

Obama:

Obama phonebanking requires actually going to a community location. Although the initiative started in New York on Saturday, it will be running through Tuesday.
The Obama website lists tons of public/community centers in Manhattan and the other boroughs that are hosting phonebanking sessions. Unlike the McCain site, the Obama site is really easy to use. After you key in your zip code (for 10027, here's the link), the site links you up to phonebanking centers in your area. The only requirements are a charged cell phone and a cell phone battery. Usually shifts run for about two hours or so.

-- MEQ

A fair number of you politically inclined tipsters have sent us the CNN story about Palin's mention of Rashid Khalidi's relationship with Obama. (Good to know you aren't harboring a grudge against CNN!)

Anyway, Palin characterized MEALAC Professor Khalidi -- whom she noted was a "political ally" of Obama's -- as a "former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization" -- a claim refuted by both Barack Obama and Khalidi himself.

Palin denies that this is negative campaigning, claiming that it "is not negative campaigning to call someone out on their record."

McCain and Co. have also recently demanded that the Los Angeles Times release a videotape of Khalidi's going-away party at the University of Chicago, a party Obama attended and allegedly featured a woman reading a poem that was critical of the Israel-US relationship.

As the fundraising for the presidential campaign wraps up, the Chronicle of Higher Education has compiled a total of all donations from "professors, college administrators, and other educators," and has found that Columbia actually ranks higher among institutions donating to McCain than ones donating to Obama.

In fairness, this is only a shocking stat before one compares the actual amounts given: $267,000 to Obama (5th behind University of California, Harvard, Stanford, and UChicago) compared with only $35,000 to McCain (behind only Cal and Harvard). To the surprise of no one, as the Chronicle puts it in their headline, "Donors From Academe Favor Obama by a Wide Margin." Of all institutions in New York, Columbia accounts for just over 1/3rd of McCain donations, and just above 20% of Obama donations.

Want to do your own finance sleuthing? Go to OpenSecrets.org.

Over the past few days, the presidential campaign has become even more negative. Now, hot on the heels of the Senator Barack Obama campaign's announcement that they would play up Senator John McCain's part in the Keating Five, Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic reports that McCain's campaign has a new target: Columbia professor Rashid Khalidi.

For several years, Khalidi has been a controversial figure both at Columbia and in New York City for his views on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Before coming to Columbia in 2004, Khalidi knew Obama during the latter's years in local Chicago government, which overlapped with Khalidi's time the University of Chicago. Khalidi and his wife held a fundraiser for Obama in 2000, and Obama spoke at a goodbye party for Khalidi in 2003. The relationship has already drawn enough questions on the internet to merit several citations in Khalidi's Wikipedia article, but this is the first time that the McCain campaign plans to mention it.

As for the substance of the attack, Ambinder writes that the McCain campaign will try to paint Khalidi as a former Palestine Liberation Organization spokesperson, a charge that has been made several times before, with little evidence to back it up. Khalidi denies ever having been a spokesperson, though he was an advisor at the Madrid Conference of 1991.

An eerie calm descended on the usually bustling Low Plaza early this afternoon when a group of Bhutanese monks performed a demon subjugation dance ritual known as Tum Ngan.

Intended to eliminate evil spirits in the surrounding area, the ritual comforted many still shaken by the presence of a Jumbo McCain while frustrating Ghostbusters enthusiasts for "totally stealing their glory." More details after the jump.

The school year has started again, and so Bwog's "White House Bureau Chief" Jim Downie resumes his dispatches.

Gather 'round, Terrible 12s, and I'll tell you a story. See, way back in your senior year of high school, Bwog decided to ask me to write a weekly column about the election. I've been told the selection process involved "a dartboard." This was back when we were still waiting for Super Tuesday, Clinton was still the favorite, John McCain was only just completing his comeback in the Republican primary, and the New York Giants had just saved the world from the only thing that could ever make Boston sports fans more annoying. I was young and innocent, and I was dazzled by the possibility of my name up in lights.

Actually, that's a lie: I was bored, and it seemed like a fun thing to do at the time. I agreed, in exchange for a promise that I would be the first to know when somebody figures out what's tasty about Tasti-D-Lite (I'm still waiting).

So what's the idea behind Political Weekly? As I wrote in my column, "The idea: "it's not for political junkies. It's for normal people.' Sometimes serious, sometimes witty, sometimes nutty, and sometimes not even political (or linked)." It's a combination of keeping you informed and helping you procrastinate. And now, the news (ten imaginary bucks to the first Anglophile who gets that reference):

Our new friends at this J-School blog have spotted a TV schedule for tonight's forum on one of the trailers on Broadway. Industrious aspiring journalists that they are, they have summarized the preliminary order of events. What you need to know:

• The candidates will not speak until 8 p.m. (McCain) and 9 p.m. (Obama) respectively. Each has about an hour for their speeches.
  
• The preceding hour will be mostly taken up by introductions of various kinds, including New York Governor David Patterson (who apparently plans to introduce a new service initiative) and Tobey Maguire (best known for playing fictional Columbia student Peter Parker).
  
• PrezBo's intro will be at 7:30.

Obama wasn't a huge fan of Columbia!

Columbia wasn't a huge fan of McCain!

The neighbors are apathetic!

Athletes aren't dumb!

Volunteering is great!

Really!

Students think so too!

In the midst all this heart-breaking excitement about John McCain, we were reminded to check in (as we do from time to time) with his daughter Meghan, CC '07. Today Meghan answered 11 questions for MSNBC, in which she revealed her love for HamDel and her father's love for Tom's. Tom's.

"Q: Your dad is coming to Columbia this week to appear with Barack Obama for a Service Nation event. Since you went to Columbia, where are you looking forward to taking your dad around your old stomping ground?
A: The Hamilton Deli, it's where I used to eat every meal. I also really love Tom's. That was my dad's favorite thing about Columbia -- that it was by Tom's Restaurant. He used to tell everyone, 'Meghan and I ate at the Seinfeld restaurant!' He could have taken me to Nobu, but we went to the Seinfeld restaurant (laughs)."

Oh and then she makes some joke about wanting to drink with Obama at the Heights, but Obama not wanting to. In conclusion, none of this will make you feel any better about being denied entrance to The Non-Partisan Service Spectacular of 2008.

As the joint Obama-McCain forum rolls closer, more and more details are beginning to emerge. Last night, Bwog told you about the councils' and groups' plan for Thursday. Now, more details are emerging about the event itself.

The first issue is seating. Many of you are no doubt wondering when those emails granting you entrance will show up. It turns out that they will not arrive in your inboxes until tomorrow morning. The lottery was conducted early Monday afternoon, but Secret Service checks and other delays will keep the final list from being sent out until Tuesday.

Sadly, chances of getting a ticket are not exactly high. Sources told Bwog that over 15,000 people registered for the lottery. 300 people were selected, but only the first 100 names on that list are guaranteed entrance. The other 200 names will be put on a waitlist, with no more than half of them getting in. The final student count depends on how many seats there are, but suffice it to say that, even if you managed to brave the internet traffic jam to enter the lottery, your chances of actually sitting inside are only about 1%.

More details about event, including who else will be sitting in Roone, and what to do if you're not able to get in, after the jump.

• Plans for Obamacain: Rest assured: there will be a jumbotron. In addition, the thousands of you who won't get lucky in The Lottery (to be overseen by two student representatives to ensure fairness) can still see what CCSC hopes will be an all-star speaker lineup: the council has requested one or two from a list including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angelina Jolie, Usher, and Kenneth Cole. The service fair, detailed below, is very much like the activities fair. It will also include a photo montage, augmented by inspirational music to rally the student population, as well as an open mic for students to "speak about their own personal experiences with community service as part of the Columbia community." The whole shebang starts around 6pm.
  (Read more...)

Don't fret, readers: you now have a chance to get tickets for the McCain - Obama forum! In an email sent just before noon, President Bollinger officially announced the details for the event and ticket process behind it. All one has to do is register online here between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. tomorrow (Friday). Winners will be notified on Monday.

As for the odds, it appears that almost every Columbia student is eligibile, and preliminary reports indicate that, this time, all the schools have actually recieved the email before tickets disappear. Furthermore, a senior administration official tells Bwog that not all the remaining tickets will go towards students. In other words, the percent chances are almost certainly in the single digits.

For those of you who don't get a ticket, "alternative viewing options for those unable to attend are being arranged." Full email is below the jump.

Well, they moved quickly this time. As we wrote about before, the announcement of a joint appearance by Obama and McCain on campus next Thursday took student government and group leaders completely by surprise.

Just before midnight, though, the presidents of the student councils, club governing boards, and Panhellenic councils have sent an email to President Lee Bollinger, as well as fellow administrators interim Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger, Executive Vice President for Student Services Jeffrey Scott, and Housing & Dining Vice President Scott Wright.

The email asks for two accomodations: "a fair share of the tickets made available are apportioned to undergraduates" and "arrangements, similar to those made for the Ahmadinejad visit, should be made for all students, including but not limited to the installation of a large screen on South Lawn." In other words, "make sure everyone gets an equal chance at tickets, and give us another jumbotron." The full letter will be printed in Thursday's Spectator, but you can save yourself from waiting outside a residence hall until noon and just read it below the fold.

Holy shit.

Spec is reporting that the candidates will speak on behalf of ServiceNation, an organization that aims to increase public service participation.

We're trying to figure out whether the event is open to students, and will be updating as we do.

According to the NonProfit Times, 500 seats have already been filled: "500 supporters are expected at the event in New York City. On September 12, leaders representing many sectors of American life will convene to ratify a Declaration of Service and to draw national attention to the platform of ServiceNation." Roone's seating capacity is 1,500.

UPDATE 8:17 PM: Infuriatingly vague news about ticketing in PrezBo's mass email: "Given our limited space, we will ensure that all seating available goes to students in our University community. Students will receive a follow-up email tomorrow with details regarding how to register for the ticket lottery." (full e-mail after the jump).

UPDATE 9:45 PM: The major political campus groups seem to have been completely blindsided by the announcement as well--the College Democrats were just beginning their freshman open house when they got the news, and the packed Broadway room gasped in unison when President Chris Daniels dropped the bomb at the end of his speech. The Dems may ask for a Jumbotron screen on one of the lawns, a la Ahmadinejad last year. Outside the Broadway room, Bwog hailed a rushing CCSC President George Krebs, who said he just heard about it and would be meeting with administration to discuss particulars tomorrow.

Columbia Political Union head Nick Shea said he also found out like everyone else, and that the group will likely plan "one or more events around the same time as the McCain/Obama event." The College Republicans' Executive Director Lauren Salz have not yet responded to inquiries says that the CUGOP "did not hear about Obama and McCain coming until the Spectator asked me for a comment. I think it's amazing that both candidates are going to share the stage at Columbia. We don't have any events planned right now, but if we do plan events, they are not going to be partisan in nature. It's September 11th, and the theme of the event is public service and non partisanship, so we will not be holding any sort of rally in support of McCain."