With Obama still with good approval numbers after an incredible speech to the Muslim world, yet another right wing lunatic decides to cash in on all the lunatic fringe comments from the lunatic wing of the right wing party by shooting a security guard in the name of white supremacy.
You also have the Right in a CANNOT WIN battle against Obama's new Chief Justice nominee, Sonia Sotomayer. Calling her a racist, while simultaneously inferring that she was only picked because she's Hispanic (a subtle racist comment in itself).
Either way, there is a lot for Progressives to be happy about. With a new health care plan being debated, the rightwing being led by Rush Limbaugh, Fox News being led by Glenn Beck (interesting fact: Glenn Beck converted TO Mormonism...a religion that, let's face it, is full of good intentions, but base their entire stance on an absolute false prophet - Joseph Smith) and Obama getting high marks in all areas of the country, we all have a reason to smile and be glad to be Progressive. Okay enough with the run-on sentences...down to business.
How I Would Save America:
I think 2 things can easily and quickly save this countries economy. I know many of you will cry socialism or that this is unfair economic practices, but let's be clear...these dire times require a dire solution.
#1 Thing: 3.9% APR Home Mortgage rate backed by the federal government. The government needs to offer a low percentage rate to all Americans with decent credit. This will not only allow most families to re-finance their homes...but will allow families who may be on the brink of foreclosure make their monthly payments lower. This is not a system to reward bad decisions. This rate will only apply to those with good enough credit and those who have been in their homes and paying on time for years. This one change can save the entire mortgage industry and bring back construction of new homes at a record pace. This rate would NOT apply to a second home or investment property.
#2 Thing: 3.9% APR Auto Loan rate for all American cars that get over 30mpg, once again, backed by the federal government. Allowing a guaranteed low percentage rate to those with decent credit is not only smart, it will get the auto industry booming again and all of them making cars/trucks that get over 30mpg. This can not only help save the environment...but also to save working families on a budget with gas prices.
Now I'm not pretending to know the ins and outs of the mortgage industry or the auto industry. But I do know simple math. I also know my current situation. My home mortgage is at 5.9% and my auto loan is at 4.99%. In both instances this would help me.
I thought about a "#3 Thing" being a government backed credit card at 3.9% interest but then realized that's what got us into this mess to begin with. Instead we need a credit class in all of the high schools across the country.
Anyway...that's my tirade for the day...back to work!
I grow weary of hearing about how Barack Obama is breaking his campaign promises.
I hear about how he isn't ending the income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 a year. I hear about how Mr. Obama promised a five day "public comment" time period before signing a bill into law. I hear about Mr. Obama already breaking his promise on Lobbyists. I even hear about President Obama breaking his promise on the $3,000 tax credit for companies that create jobs.
You know what I have to say about all of these supposed "broken promises" that Obama has been a part of? I say BAH. Forget the fact that Obama has done more to keep his promises in his first 100 days than many other presidents do in their entire terms, but we've barely given him enough time to keep promises, much less break them! Throw in the fact that some of these promises have to be approved by Congress and you're left with him TRYING to fulfill promises but getting blocked by Congress.
OBAMA NEVER CAMPAIGNED THAT ALL OF HIS PROMISES WOULD BE COMPLETE IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS.
The latest round of "promises broken" propaganda is coming from the ACLU regarding "PictureGate" (releasing pictures that depict deplorable acts by the U.S. military towards middle east POWs). First of all, last time we released pictures (AbuGhraib) there was a 200% surge in violence in Iraq. Now this was under the Bush Administration and the pictures were LEAKED not willingly put forth. However, this should be irrelevant since when it comes to the troops we should ALWAYS err on the side of caution.
NEVER FORGET and LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES: 99.9% of ALL Americans think the picture on the left is HORRIFIC and DID NOT APPROVE of the circumstances. However, now is not the time to, once again, lower our status with the middle east, not to mention the entire world. Wait till our troops get out of Iraq & Afghanistan...do not release damaging pictures until that is complete. Let's hope it's soon.
Does anyone agree with me on this or am I barking up yet another oil-slicked tree?
For all the anger you are hearing from the Republicans, it sure isn't affecting Obama'sPoll numbers.
I had to take my Obama sticker off my car a couple months ago, as I actually lost a couple of PC sales with my new business because of it. One even stated, "I would rather pay $100 more for this PC than buy from a socialist." I found it odd he used the term "socialist" where I expected to hear "liberal." I suppose "liberal" doesn't have the punch that it used to and they needed another word to help instill anger and ignorance into the base.
For the record...I AM a socialist...and quite proud of it.
Why are the Republicans so angry? The venomous vitriol spilled on a daily basis is quite remarkable. Comparisons to Hitler & Stalin continue. Cries of "fascist" still ring loudly from the extreme ignorant 7-10% of the Conservative base. There are even some that say Obama'ssocialism will lead to fascism! hah!
I've never seen such sore losers in my life. As much as I disliked Bush & his policies...I never got this angry over it. I was still able to have civil debates with my fellow conservatives. I didn't raise my voice, curse them or not do business with them because of their party affiliation. I'd say the blood pressure for Republicans in 2009 is High to Heart Attack Immanent.
When asked why they are so angry all you get are diatribes about how he [Obama] is ruining the country or that the U.S. is heading to socialism...and in the most ignorant cases, how we are heading towards fascism (the opposite of socialism) or Civil War.
While this all seemed cute and pathetic at first, I do think it could have some lasting effects on just how Americans treat each other on a day to day basis. We all remember what happened when a fiery Hutu radio host in Rwanda was allowed to spew his hate speech against the Tutsi. It led to civil unrest and then eventually genocide.
Can't we all just get along civily? I remember a time when Congress would have their debates and then go have lunch together. Now they can barely speak to each other without partisan retribution leading their emotions.
The problem with Republicans is that they don't play fair ball. It's like a basketball team that's currently winning a never-ending game. A foul is called by the Left side but the Right side says their opinion doesn't matter, even if they are currently leading [in charge]. Well I'm sorry to all you nasty, angry, bile spewing Republicans out there...but our opinion DOES matter...and we're in the lead so DEAL WITH IT. Instead of smashing everything OUR President says...try learning to get along. Try learning to debate in a civil manner. Try learning that you're NOT ALWAYS RIGHT. And most of all......
After working hard and experiencing what is likely to be my greatest political victory in my lifetime, I have been tired. Add a beautiful wife who has begun gaining weight for all the right reasons (Madison Elizabeth is due March 20th, 2009!!!), and things get even tougher. A large work project that has kept me working late for weeks is also worth a mention. Then, I am finally taking a risk and attempting to start my own business in the near future. Sometimes life sure can keep you churning lemonade. However, you won't find me frowning.
My Thanks to You: I have read what Grey Fedora and SueBee have posted with great appreciation. When my life begun handing me lemons...they stepped up and continued to keep this blog active and a good place to check in on now and then. I thank both of you from the bottom of my heart and am glad to have you as authors. (I am still accepting applications if anyone is interested)
"Hope & Change" - Dead Ideas?
Of course not. But to hear a conservative talk show or a quick glance at FOXNews Channel and you'd think Barack Obama is already a complete and utter failure. He's not, of course. However, he's also not perfect. And get this... he actually admits it now and then!
Yes, a long glance or a quick listen to all things conservative shows them so riled up that I continue looking for a stained blue dress from an Obama intern. What are they so amped up about? The republicans in Congress are upset that the policies and ideas they've been shouting from the rooftops for the last 8 years aren't being included in the "Stimulus Package." Their solution is, quite literally, to use the same exact strategies they have been using the last 8 years that clearly do not work.
Tax Cuts
Yes, tax cuts need to be a part of any passed stimulus (Jobs) package. Guess what...they are? In fact, 42% of the package go to tax cuts, while the other 58% goes towards new Government spending. I think he was very generous.
State of the Union....sorta...
Obama has addressed Congress in I can safely call a well delivered ball of caution wrapped in hope. He spoke of cutting the deficit in half, saving or creating 3.5 million jobs, our kids having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, double our renewable energy supply and lastly (and certainly least) moving our medical records into the 21st Century. Add finding a cure for cancer and you can begin to see why some ignorant people would begin viewing him as the Anti-Christ or Hitler.
Wow, really? So because our new President is an incredible speaker, an leader and we're going through a recession that we can compare him to a psychopathic sociopath? I don't think so. I won't go into the Anti-Christ accusation as there is no comparison to actually make. The ridiculous comparison is beyond any condescending words I could come up with.
Either way, Obama gave a great, mostly factual speech that worked well and sat well with the American people.
"Good evening and happy Mardi Gras"
So as I sat there beaming in the glory of the distinguished gentleman I helped get elected there was mention of a "Republican response." While this is normal practice for an official State of the Union address I didn't realize it would be happening. At the mention of Piyush "Bobby" Jindal I began to worry that some of Barack's thunder would be stolen. I had heard his name and seen him speak before when all the Governer's met with Obama in the preceding days. After suffering through the open mic of Chris Matthews' "Oh, God..." cry, Mr. Jindal began to speak (here is some "FOX News" analysis).
I was immediately relieved.
I felt like I was being lectured by Mr. Rogers without a changing of the shoes. I believe Jindal may have ruined his chances with that one blip in time he had to do well in front of a widespread audience. In fact, most people turned him off before he finished. That says it all...
When the old policies don't work...suggest the old polices anyway:
I have heard much criticism of the stimulus package over the last few weeks and if I wasn't such a political nut I would have tuned out long ago. My biggest problem with 99% of the critics is that the only ideas that are offered meant to "one up" the ideas of President Obama are nothing but the SAME EXACT IDEAS that got us into the recession that former President Bill Clinton pulled us out of and the SAME EXACT IDEAS throughout the awful years of the G. W. Bush administration. Trickle down economics. If we give money to the rich, they give money back to the poor and middle class. It didn't work for Reagan and Bush Sr. and it won't work now.
Wealth can be earned quite easily even if the Capital Gains tax rate goes up to 40%. Wealth can be earned easily even if the largest corporations see their taxes go back to the way they were in the 90's. It was earned at an incredible rate then and it can still do it now.
What can we do to help?
Honestly, I think taxes should go up for anyone making over $100,000 a year. I don't make even close to that, but would pay more taxes for a few years if it meant solving the economic crisis we're in. Since that will likely not happen, as I'm too "middle class," I will now make larger donations to the local food bank, the Salvation Army and Red Cross.
Anyone who can afford to chip in, should. If it's not through helping or volunteering for a government entity, then send it to your favorite local charity. Scrapped for cash? Don't get that box of cookies or bag of chips the next few times you're at the grocery store and put it towards a charity you like. Skip going out to eat for a few weeks and give that money to a favorite charity. Do as my wife and I do...have a competition for the most "luxury or unnecessary spending" skipped.
Even if you don't like who is in office, you can still help out those less fortunate who have lost their jobs and are less fortunate that those of us who still have one. I will not be that person who tells you to "Go out and shop" as others have in the past. Charity and contributions to society through volunteer work and helping your neighbor can go a long way into turning this great country of ours around.
I apologize for my long absense...but the fight for peace and prosperity still hold true.
This map from the New York Times is a great indication of the swing of the country from when Kerry ran in 2004. This illustrates how effective the Democrats' strategy ended up being.
Barack Obama owes his Presidency to three major things:
First, the economy. The economy reached a point of failure on the very day McCain announced, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." This shifted the middle in Obama's favor and the daily tracking polls never looked back. Unfortunately, neither has the economy. Mr. Obama has a large plate of problems to digest in his first few months. It will be a true test of his ideas.
Second, the ground game/fundraising effort from the Obama campaign. This election is historic in many ways. One of these was the enormous amount of money raised by small donors by Obama. Obama ended up with THREE MILLION individual donors bringing in a whopping $650 MILLION dollars. It is very difficult to win an election running against those types of numbers. Revisions to campaign finance reform will likely result, due to this.
Third, Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. The person not getting credit where credit is due? Howard Dean. Howard Dean implemented his 50 state strategy in February of 2005 when he became the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. When he first announced his strategy he was met with harsh criticism from many in the Democratic party. However, once the 2006 rout of the Republican Party became evident, many began to support the idea. It was this borrowed GOP post-Watergate idea that sealed the deal for President-Elect Barack Obama. Man I love saying that...
I will leave out what I believe is the fourth reason, Sarah Palin, out of respect. I am endorsing Sarah Palin in 2012 for the Republican Presidential nomination so I cannot, in good conscience, list her as a reason.
Onward to January 20th, 2009 - The End of an Error:
For many, "still President" George W. Bush is a lamest of lame ducks. Nonetheless, Mr. Bush has announced that he will make the next 70+ days of his Presidency about transition. I admire his stance on this and he should be praised for his dedication to the seating of a new First Family. Unfortunately, his transition rhetoric is not without flaw. "Still President" Bush could not leave office without attempting to scare the pants off the American People. Bush warning that terrorists “would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change" is another Rovian attempt to scare the American People in a time of triumph and euphoria. Perhaps he is not wrong in doing so. We should never be complacent again.
Senator Barack Obama has now, in my opinion, clinched the presidency of the United States with a win in Ohio. Our world has now changed for the better.
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Let's be clear, though. This is not a victory for me. This is not a victory for the Democratic Party. This is not a victory for a liberal or progressive ideology. This is a victory for America. This is a victory for the middle class. This is a victory for every man, woman and child who ever saw a rough spot in life. A victory for those who have been less fortunate that most. A victory for all Americans who have trouble getting proper health care. A victory for the entire planet. A new world order can now begin.
The people of the world will wake up tomorrow smiling, proud of what America has accomplished. The people of the world will know that the horrific history of slavery that has eaten away at the hearts of the American people for many, many years may now finally be put to rest. This does not mean racism is gone...but it certainly means the path of healing may now finally begin.
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With this victory I begin to cry
With this victory I am able to sing
With this victory I start to laugh
With this victory LET FREEDOM RING!
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Congratulations, President Elect Barack Obama! The world is proud of you, proud of America and proud of you and me.
I live in King, NC. I had an experience while on vacation in Tennessee that was full of racism, hatred and obvious disdain for the 1st amendment. This experience changed me forever. I still remember pulling back into King and being happy. I was happy that I had made it home. I was happy that my little redneck town did not act like the racist bigots in Tennessee. I was happy to be home and happy to be living in King, NC.
I am not happy anymore.
My Mother's Experience:
In her own words.
Last night Joe (my dad) and I went out to eat and stopped at a stoplight in King. There was a pickup truck behind us. I have a small (about 4" by 4" Obama sticker on my car that has a picture of Obama with "Vote November 4th" superimposed over it. It was dark and the sticker would be hard to see BUT the folks in the pick-up saw it and decided to react badly. They started shouting at us in unison - there were three guys in the truck - "F##K YOU" and "NoBama" - fortunately we weren't stopped at the light too long and pulled away from them before they decided to get out of the truck and do something worse. This is why I'm sure we won't win in North Carolina.
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Here I was, thinking I lived in a place of tolerance. I thought I lived in a place that believed in the freedom of expression. I thought I lived in a place that may have been a little "redneck," but accepted the views of others without allowing emotion to show true colors. Everything I have thought about my hometown has been shattered. The "silent hatred" I endured as a King resident has now been vocalized. I fear for my country.
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I know there are many good people in King, NC. I know there are many good republicans and conservatives in King, NC. However, if we are to free our country of the polarization, the hatred and the bigoted racism, then we must teach our children not to fear change. Do not fear what you do not understand. Do not be angry with someone else's beliefs. Instead, embrace the ideology that we can all believe whatever we wish, without retribution. If we cannot do this, we cannot survive as a country.
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I must now work, but I have hope that "hope and change" will shine through today.
Well folks, here we go! It's one day before the election and all final polling data has been released. I have eliminated all states with a 5% or less margin for Obama and below are the results.
Dare I be smiling at this point? I don't know...but I do know that everyone needs to be getting out the vote tomorrow. USE YOUR PHONES. Call everyone in your address book. Have everyone you call to call everyone in their address books. We are oh so close, so let's win one for the middle class and the future of our children.
The history of fake outrage by the Republican campaign has been ridiculous. We've all seen the outrage over mini happenstance. The latest was the outrage over the girl with a B carved in her face. Of course, once it was found out to be true where was the outrage towards her? It was non existant.
Morning Joe:
I'm an avid watcher of Morning Joe and have been a fan since they started. It's part of my morning routine and I enjoy the dose of right wing banter that it gives me. I've always liked Joe, despite his possible murder of an aide in his office, Lori Klausutis. His spirit is in the right place even though his politics are in the wrong direction.
This morning Joe Scarborough's sidekick Willie Geist headed out to a neighborhood in Manhattan wearing a McCain/Palin T-shirt. He had an obvious video crew and was attempting to give out McCain/Palin T-Shirts. Nobody wanted one.
He got answers ranging from "Is this your Halloween outfit?" to "I don't like McCain, he stands for everything I'm against."
The video was light hearted and fun to watch if you're an Obama supporter. Willie did manage to get 2 McCain supporters to stop after hours of waiting. Unfortunately for him, they were the only two. It wasn't the video that got my blood boiling...it was the response from Joe Scarborough and Mike Barnacle.
After the video finished Joe Scarborough was outraged saying, "Aren't liberals supposed to be open minded?!?!" Mike Barnacle got his own jab by saying that we are "humorless" and to "LIGHTEN UP!" He's kidding right? They send Willie Geist to the most liberal part of New York City and expect people, 5 days before an election, to laugh and joke about something as serious as a possible McCain/Palin administration? Yeah, right.
Fake Outrage:
I grow weary of the fake outrage from the right wing talking heads. I grow weary of them constantly trashing Obama and then being "outraged" at every little thing they can. There is one simple word to describe it. PETTY.
Pettiness may lose them this election. I, for one, hope it does.
According to an article by Janet Porter on WorldNetDaily, anyone voting for Barack Obama next week is going to hell. It is apparent from the article that anyone voting for Barack Obama is not a Christian.
Here is a great quote from the article.
To all those who name the name of Christ who plan to willfully disobey Him by voting for Obama, take warning. Not only is our nation in grave danger, according to the Word of God, so are you ... [T]his election is not about race. It's not about the economy. It's about obeying God. And more...
Be forewarned: If you willfully disobey God on life and marriage because of race or false hope for the economy, you will usher in the kind of change that brought the Soviet Union to collapse. But the warning goes far beyond that. To those who think that God's grace gives them license to willfully disobey Him without consequences – think again:
Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23)
It seems Christians only have one choice this year. Vote for John McCain or you can kiss your Christianity goodbye!
"To those who call themselves by the name of Christ who ignore what God says about life and marriage, who and are clinging to a fantasy of economic gain, think again ... Then obey Him in the voting booth and out of it. If not, do us all a favor and quit calling yourself a Christian. "
Is this woman insane? Why would anyone feel that the person they voted for affected their religious stance anyway? I'm pretty sure that anyone could quote scripture till they were blue in the face and could not find ANY valid interpretation that would lead them to believe that a vote for Obama is a vote that will send you straight to hell.
Let's skip the fact that Janet Porter has a mental problem. Let's assume, for the moment, that she is a sane individual with a normal thought process. If, by some other standard of insanity, that is true, then why would any normal Christian say such a thing? Isn't Christianity the religion of tolerance? Isn't it the religion of peace? Isn't it the religion of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?" If that's the case, then Janet Porter, not Barack Obama voters, could be on the fast track to "Hell."
Please...someone...anyone tell me in what world would the Right Wing let us get away with saying anything REMOTELY close to what Ms. Porter is saying? The double standards MUST STOP. This MUST be widely reported. I have faith that the American people can smell a bullsh*tter when they have to. WorldNetDaily should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that article to be posted. Then again, when's the last time you saw a Conservative be ashamed of anything they do?
Saying anyone who votes for Barack Obama is not Christian is wrong, immoral and totally against what Christianity is actually trying to teach. Someone PLEASE tell her this!!!
John McCain's military service record has led many to believe that he is a hero. Personally, in many ways, I believe he is. However, so is John Kerry and that didn't stop the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth from slandering him with lies, half-truths and propaganda. Most of the information herein can be found here. I have summarized some of the relevant points but there are many more in the article. After reading this, make up your own mind on Barack Obama's character. He could have easily let the far left run ads on what I'm about to summarize for you. Obama takes the high road. He doesn't allow such character attacks on McCain's military career, no matter how horrific some of the details are.
Former General Wesley Clark made an attempt to set the record straight about John McCain's military service, but was met with harsh criticism from the conservatively biased media. Apparently, John Kerry's military record is up for scrutiny but John McCain's isn't.
The facts remain that none of the people imprisoned with John McCain are out on the trail campaigning for him. Has anyone ever asked themselves why? Have you ever wondered why none of his crew mates from the USS Forrestal are campaigning with him? Well I did, and what I found will surprise you and perhaps even cause you to question his record yourself.
McCain - Man of Honor?
In the spring of 1974, Navy commander John McCain has returned home from his horrific experience in Hanoi. While on the grounds of the Fort McNair military base, McCain runs into John Dramesi, an Air Force lieutenant colonel who was also imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam.
However, there is a difference between these two men even though they shared a similar experience in North Vietnam. Some call it an "honor gap." Understandably, John McCain cracked under the torturous conditions as many before him had. He offered a "confession" to his North Vietnamese captors. Mr. Dramesi, on the other hand, not only attempted two daring escapes but he never uttered a single solitary disloyal word. Dramesi was tortured daily for over a month with sessions that nearly killed him. In fact, for his heroism, Dramesi received two Air Force Crosses, on of the branch's highest distinctions. Even McCain calls him "one of the toughest guys I've ever met." This, in my opinion, proves Dramesi's an honorable man who, when given a chance, will tell it like it is.
That's unfortunate for McCain, as Dramesi recalls a conversation he had with McCain while discussing a trip abroad that each of their college's sponsored. Here is the conversation:
"I'm going to the Middle East," Dramesi says. "Turkey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iran."
"Why are you going to the Middle East?" McCain asks, dismissively.
"It's a place we're probably going to have some problems," Dramesi says.
"Why? Where are you go.ing to, John?"
"Oh, I'm going to Rio," said McCain
"What the hell are you going to Rio for?"
McCain, a married father of three, shrugs and says, "I got a better chance of getting laid."
You'd think that Dramesi would have been shocked by his chauvinistic banter, but he wasn't. Dramesi had this to say about the comment made by McCain.
"McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man," Dramesi said recently. "But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."
So, as we can see, an adulterous nature has been established by a fellow servicemen. Could he be lying? Sure he could...but unlike the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth attacks (SBVT) on John Kerry, Dramesi was actually where he claimed to be. Many in the ads by the SBVT were not even in the area of John Kerry while claiming the moronic stories they did. Once one piece of their ads or the book Unfit for Command come out, it is difficult to trust anything else that is said by the same source. Unfortunately for Kerry, the American people just heard the headlines...not the evidence of outright falsehoods that came after.
Educating John McCain:
John McCain III was the son and grandson of high level military. His grandfather, John Sidney "Slew" McCain was a 4 star Admiral and commanded a U.S. carrier force in World War II. His father, "Junior" McCain was also a 4 star Admiral. It is perhaps in this revelation, that McCain's anger and frustration took root. Always feeling the pressure of his father and grandfather's accomplishments, but not quite having the brainpower to match them. McCain was a lousy student, barely passing classes, at times.
His sophomore year was his first recorded temper tantrum. When McCain tried picking up a pair of women while cruising with a friend, he was laughed at by the ladies, obviously not interested. McCain yelled and cursed them so fouly that he found himself in court on a profanity charge. Throughout his educational career he would drink until hammered and treat girls as poorly as any drunk you've met in your lifetime. Had McCain's parents not intervened he would have been expelled from Annapolis for excessive demerits.
McCain's First Airplane Crash:
Let's all not forget that Mr. McCain was a pilot. He wasn't a commercial airline pilot, either. He was a bonafied "Maverick" from Top Gun. At least according to him. Unfortunately, he's the only one who thinks so highly of his flight career.
An excerpt from his book is a good way to begin:
"I enjoyed the off-duty life of a Navy flier more than I enjoyed the actual flying," McCain writes. "I drove a Corvette, dated a lot, spent all my free hours at bars and beach parties." McCain chased a lot of tail. He hit the dog track. Developed a taste for poker and dice. He picked up models when he could, screwed a stripper when he couldn't."
I'm pretty sure that, at the time, he wasn't thinking about running for President. Back to his flight issues, according to those he flew with, McCain had issues with stalling his plane mid flight. It was at a training camp in Corpus Christi Bay that his first "crash" occurred. During a routine practice landing the plane stalled, and McCain was knocked out on impact. Thankfully, he came to, as he had landed underwater. He swam to the surface and was rescued. After the experience, instead of taking it easy and learning from his mistakes, McCain decided to still go out for the evening after a taking some painkillers.
"Crash" Number Two:
McCain's second "crash" came about due to his youthful addiction to gambling. Many of those that served with McCain would relish in their stories of Mr. McCain's gambling addiction, including himself. He was a craps player and used the term "addictive" to describe it.
One day, while flying over Spain, John McCain deviated from his designated flight path, apparently viewing the casinos from a lower perspective. According to the report, John McCain flew too low to the ground and he ended up slicing through a power line, bringing darkness to much of the surrounding area. Apparently, the military has a stricter code on what they consider a "crash." It could also have to do with his self described, "daredevil clowning" that led to the designation.
Most pilots would have lost their wings after the first crash, and almost all of them after a second crash. But thanks to the ole "family pull" he remained a pilot. Had he not been, he would never have endured the torture of a Vietnamese prison camp.
Crash Number Three:
The third crash from Mr. McCain came while flying back from Philadelphia. He was there on a date with his former model girlfriend, and soon to be wife, Carol Shepp. He was landing his plane at a refueling stop in Norfolk, Virginia when his plane stalled...again. This time, however, he managed to bail out at around 1000 feet and survived with no injury. The same could not be said for the plane, however.
This pretty much sealed the deal on his flying privileges. They were now, apparently, irrevocable.
Vietnam:
First, I cannot begin to understand the pain and suffering the John McCain suffered for our country. He did so with honor and I commend him for his decision to stay at the camp until the other prisoners were allowed to go with him. However, his decision to throw the military Code of Conduct that governed POWs was clear; "give no information. . . which might be harmful to my comrades." Under the code, POWs are bound to give only their name, rank, service number and date of birth. They are to give no statements that are disloyal to their country.
After McCain's fourth crash in Hanoi, he was captured. After what was probably a horrific period of pain and discomfort he proclaimed to his captors, "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital." McCain now insists that he was "bluffing" the Vietnamese in order to get hospital treatment. However, according to Dramesi, who as we recall from earlier, did not give up any information, said McCain tried justifying his behavior while they were still prisoners. "I had to tell them," McCain insisted to Dramesi, "or I would have died in bed."
It is understandable that he was to give up the information, but lying to the American public about it, is not. I will end with this:
"Dramesi says he has no desire to dishonor McCain's service, but he believes that celebrating the downed pilot's behavior as heroic — "he wasn't exceptional one way or the other" — has a corrosive effect on military discipline. "This business of my country before my life?" Dramesi says. "Well, he had that opportunity and failed miserably. If it really were country first, John McCain would probably be walking around without one or two arms or legs — or he'd be dead.""
Conclusion:
Now I don't know if everything I have summarized is true. But I do believe some of it is. I believe John McCain has cheated on his wife, wasn't a very good pilot, and was not as honorable in his actions as he claims.
Any of you who have not read this article must read it now. I have only covered HALF of the article to keep this post from being too long. Please take the time, think about it objectively, and make your own decision before you cast a vote for John McCain.
We learned from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that a man's military record is not off limits. We found out it was okay to question a man's bravery, a man's purple heart and a man's entire military service. We found out it was okay to outright LIE to the American people by using veterans who were not even stationed anywhere near John Kerry. What we found out thanks to the SBVT was shameful and completely below the belt.
What we have found out about Obama is that he refuses to allow an attack based on military service. He refuses to let the 527 groups run attacks against McCain's military record. I believe that if every voting American were to read the article I referenced, McCain would not even have a chance in this election.
If this sounds like a 12-step program introduction, there is a reason for it. But for now, Redwing has graciously invited me to post to this blog and I am glad to do so.
I read the entry entitled “What made you a liberal or conservative?” and it made me think. Not many things really do that these days: I either get fed Anti-Obama news from Fox News or a Pro-Obama diet from CNN. You can read my response to the column under that entry.
McCain has been out of this race since Hillary conceded the Democratic nomination: he’s not really a factor. For the most part, you are either voting for Obama, or you are voting against him. And as much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I have concluded that I am among that group. Which means I don’t really give a damn about John McCain. Substitute in Donald Duck, and I’d vote for him. Because like millions of progressives, I’m voting against Barack Obama, not for John McCain.
Why? Because it comes down to a simple concept: character. I don’t think Senator Obama has it. I don’t think he can define it, and he may not even be able to spell it. Does he have the intelligence and vision to lead the country? Probably. But without character, it doesn’t matter. I don’t trust him, don’t believe what he says, and I believe that he’s a charismatic opportunist that has bamboozled an otherwise smart and well-read electorate. I can overlook an outlier, but Obama has too many of them: his associations with the likes of Ayers and Wright indicate a man willing to align himself with whoever can give him credibility. Ayers fit the bill for the ultra-liberal crowd, and Wright gave him that same credibility with the Black community. And now that he’s being called on it, he’s retreating like a coward from both of them. He’s less than truthful, and he’s gullible and malleable. And that, with his lack of character, makes him unfit to lead this great country.
So like I did in 2000 and 2004, I’ll hold my nose and pull the Republican lever. And in my heart, I know that the Democrats deserve to lose this election. While I am supporting John McCain for President and am proud that conservatives have finally nominated a moderate, I am not as excited about his candidacy as I am fearful of Obama’s. Another pompous, out of touch ultra-liberal that is less than truthful but full of empty bravado. It failed twice before, and is likely to fail again. And when it does, all of the crying and moaning about the “stolen” election won’t change the fact that they will have once again nominated the wrong man.
Another man lacking in substance. But most of all, lacking in character.
It appears some of the old cast of Happy Days has decided to get together and make an important statement. This is well worth 3 minutes of your time. If you have any trouble viewing this, click here.
In a true reversal of fortunes it appears that the Republican smear machine won't be using al-Qaeda against Barack Obama like was done to John Kerry in 2004.
2004:
In 2004, John Kerry was bashed by Fox News that Osama bin Laden had endorsed him. They derived this ridiculous attack from a video he released just days before the election. Dick Morris, a Faux News contributor, said "I think that Al Qaeda is voting with its silence for John Kerry." Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said terrorists "are going to throw everything they can between now and the election to try and elect Kerry."
This is the purest example of Fox News' (and other Conservative media outlets) attempts to brainwash America. They repeatedly make accusations through innuendo and I find it disgusting. I used to be a Fox News junkie. I watched it for hours upon hours during the run up to the 2004 election and the 2006 election. It finally reached a tipping point and I could no longer bare the sadness and disappointment in the "Fair and Balanced" news source.
2006:
We all know that the Bush administration isn't concerned with al-Qaeda. However, I still am and would love to know that there was a team totally dedicated to finding him. It just seems crazy that Bush would say he isn't concerned with him anymore. Osama bin Laden obviously is the reason 9/11 happened. Why would Bush shut down the team trying to find him? This was barely reported on Fox News, as I was still a junkie. I began having to go to other news sources to find factual information. The attacks on the democratic party were monumental. Thankfully, they all came to realize they were going to lose. It's why the election night coverage was so boring. What we've learned is that when Fox News knows its team has lost, they are silent. It was around this time I began watching MSNBC and CNN more.
2008:
Now it appears that John McCain has been endorsed by al-Qaeda supporters. Where is Faux News bashing McCain for the endorsement? Where are the "Fair and Balanced" smears that were put on John Kerry in 2004 that should now be towards McCain in 2008? There is no backlash at all from Fox. Does anyone find this strange? I doubt it. I can't believe they haven't been sued for false advertisement for their slogan, "Fair and Balanced" after watching their Tim Russert and Colin Powell coverage.
Now election time is near and Fox News has continued to grow their conservative base. Gone is the balance and objective reporting they had years ago. I believe they've lost many supporters who enjoyed another viewpoint on the news. However, they have replaced those people with more and more conservative nutjobs who will believe anything they say.
Fox News is like a horrific car crash, you can't help but watch from afar, even though you know it's wrong.
Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama on Meet the Press this weekend. I watched for a bit and decided to watch Fox News for a couple hours when I got home from my grandmother's house. From the time I turned False News on they proceeded to find every African-American conservative pundit they could to come on and refute Powell's decision. It was both ridiculous and hilarious at the same time. I counted 1 African American who favored Obama to 13 that did not. Kinda funny since I've seen polls that 86% to 95% of African-American voters are voting for Obama. But this is atypical of Fox and friends' brainwashing techniques and I'm not here to talk about them.
Colin Powell:
Mr. Powell, former G.W. Bush Secretary of State, endorsed George W. Bush in 2000. Then again, so did Iran. The key is that Bush won, and I feel partly due to Powell's (not Iran's) endorsement. Unfortunately, Bush decided to not play nice with Mr. Powell after his attempt to keep Bush in check caused Bush's Chief of Staff, Andrew Card to ask for his resignation. While this was a significant blow to Powell's ego, he stood firm as a conservative moderate Republican through the 2006 Democrat romping in the House & Senate.
Enter John McCain & Barack Obama:
Colin Powell supported John McCain at the start of the race. He even contributed the maximum to the McCain campaign. He has known Mr. McCain for 25 years and has expressed similar views on homeland security and foreign policy. All of this pointed to Powell endorsing John McCain for president as long as things laid out correctly in Powell's mind. Faux News was already not so sure. In fact, Bill Kristol stated that Powell would endorse Obama and give a speech at the Democratic National Convention. That didn't happen. Afterwards, Powell told CNN News in February 2008 that "I will vote for the candidate I think can do the best job in America—whether that candidate is a Republican or Democrat or an Independent."
In February 2008, I truly believe Powell was leaning towards his Republican roots and was voting McCain. However, Powell is a decisively tactical man. He knew that in order to make an educated decision he would need to see things from both perspectives. This meant he would need to meet with Barack Obama and John McCain to discuss their ideology and how it meshed with Powell's own ideas. Around the end of June, 2008 he did. At the time of these meetings in June of 2008, Colin Powell was still undecided. I believe Powell when he said this was a very tough decision. I believe Powell when he says race had nothing to do with his decision.
Cynics like antisocialism (a favorite conservative commenter of mine) will see this as a man who stuck with the color of his skin. Conservative professional liar & drug user, Rush Limbaugh has also made his feelings known. However, I think Colin Powell said it best when Tom Brokaw asked, "there will be some that say this is an African-American, distinguished American, supporting another African-American because of race." Powell responded, "If I had only that in mind, I could have done this six, eight, 10 months ago. I really have been going back and forth between somebody I have the highest respect for, John McCain and somebody I was getting to know, Barack Obama. And it was only within the last couple of months that I settled on this."
Colin Powell is still a Republican. This endorsement doesn't change that fact. Unlike most Republicans he can cross party lines to support the belief that Obama's qualifications as a inspirational leader, his picking of a good VP candidate who will help in foreign affairs (unlike Sarah "My IQ is 83" Palin -- no, this still hasn't been refuted) and his ability to motivate people in ways that not many other presidents have been able to (i.e. John F. Kennedy).
Some people will say (to borrow from Faux News' brainwashing technique) that Powell was saving this for an "October Surprise." I think that is a bogus claim and here's why. Most political announcements that seek real airtime in the 24hr news cycle time slots we have today will do so on Monday or Tuesday. This allows the news media to hammer hard and spread the story at a much quicker pace. However, Powell did this on the 2nd worse possible news day (1st being Saturday and 3rd being Friday), which is Sunday. Had he been timing this as a political stunt, he would have done so on Mon-Thur news cycles. He didn't. Powell also stated that he will not be campaigning for either candidate. Had this been a political stunt, Powell would have announced it on a Monday and campaigned for Obama afterwards. This is not happening.
Why this Endorsement Matters:
This endorsement matters because of one very simple fact. Colin Powell's endorsement was incredibly well spoken. It showed a gut wrenching decision by a man who was forced, through no fault of his own, to cross party lines to vote. Had Obama been white and McCain still run the same nasty campaign, Powell would have still voted for "white Obama". He sees past color of skin. It is one of the many things that makes him a great man.
Negativity has finally lost, everyone. I am proud of the majority in America waking up to the idea that hatred and negativity are not the way of the future. We need a new world order, and the first step is to bring America together. It's time to look past the time I had in Tennessee and look forward to a future without bigotry and claiming white privilege or the "Bradley Effect." It's time to forget color of skin when picking a presidential candidate.
Please take the time to watch the below video if you haven't seen it. It's well worth spending 12 minutes of your life seeing.
First, I want to state that I do not think McCain won this debate more than I think Obama did not do what I had hoped in places he could have clearly won. He left false claims unanswered and did not fight back as hard as I wanted him to. McCain still came off as angry, cynical and instead of offering solutions, he attacked Obama on his policy and even his character. However, because of the lack of umph Obama fought back with, I am giving this debate to McCain.
Now, let's get the lies, half truths and misconceptions out of the way from FactCheck.
"McCain claimed the liberal group ACORN “is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history ... maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” In fact, a Republican prosecutor said of the first and biggest ACORN fraud case: “[T]his scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.” He said $8-an-hour workers turned in made-up voter registration forms rather than doing what ACORN paid them to do. McCain said “Joe the plumber” faced “much higher taxes” under Obama’s tax plan and would pay a fine under Obama’s health care plan if he failed to provide coverage for his workers. But Ohio plumber Joe Wurzelbacher would pay higher taxes only if the business he says he wants to buy puts his income over $200,000 a year, and his small business would be exempt from Obama’s requirement to provide coverage for workers.
Obama repeated a dubious claim that his health care plan will cut the average family’s premiums by $2,500 a year. Experts have found that figure to be overly optimistic.
McCain claimed that Obama’s real “object” is a government-run, single-payer health insurance system like those in Canada or England. The McCain campaign points to a quote from five years ago, when Obama told a labor gathering that he was “a proponent of a single-payer health care program.” But Obama has since qualified his enthusiasm for Canadian-style health care, and his current proposal is nothing like that.
Obama incorrectly claimed all of McCain’s ads had been “negative.” That was true for one recent week, but not over the entire campaign. And at times Obama has run a higher percentage of attack ads than McCain. McCain described Colombia as the "largest agricultural importer of our products." Actually, Canada imports the most U.S. farm products, and Colombia is far down the list.
Obama strained to portray himself as willing to break ranks with fellow Democrats. His prime example was his vote for a bill that was supported by 18 Democrats and opposed by 26. Congressional Quarterly rates him as voting with his party 97 percent of the time since becoming a U.S. senator.
In the "lie" department it is a tie. Lies were not the issue in this debate...defending the truth was.
Round 1: The Economy
In the opening round of the debate McCain was clearly getting his rear handed to him. He started out calling the 2 mortgage giants that are linked to the crisis we are now in, "Fannie & Freddie Mae." As often as they have come up, you would think he'd remember something so important correctly. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is not that hard to remember. I'll chalk it up to him being tired and worn out from all the campaigning he's doing. He also had his eyes wide and bugged out for much of the debate. I do not believe this is because he was "crazy eyed" as some people do. I believe this was also attributed to lack of sleep and his need to show America he can keep going and that age doesn't affect his ability to stay awake.
Unfortunately, McCain's first topic was the Economic Crisis we are clearly in. The DOW had dropped another 700+ points the day of the debate and there was no way possible for McCain to win the economic debate, considering he voted for many of the policies put into place that caused the crisis. He tried to spin it in his favor, he came out swinging, but I feel he did nothing but hit Obama's gloves in the first round. Obama wins Round 1.
Round 2 - Joe the plumber:
Joe Wurzelbacher is a plumber in Ohio. Joe had an encounter with Barack Obama on buying a business that earned $250-$280,000 a year. McCain came out on top in this particular discussion because one thing was wasn't brought up; Joe doesn't make $250,000 a year. The business he buys will likely not pay him a salary of $250k/yr so Obama's plan truly is better for him starting off. However, when the business does begin earning enough to pay Joe $250,000 a year, the scale begins to grow wider between what he currently saves and what he would pay. Had Obama focused on that he would have won the exchange. As it stood, he did not.
The thing I didn't like categorized was that future Joe was a "normal, middle class" earner. If you're making $250,000 a year when the medium income in Ohio is $44,000, you are NOT an "average" middle class earner. That part was also lost in the discussion and lended to McCain winning the exchange.
It was after this that McCain said, "Yes. Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." The only problem I have with that is that he's voted for Bush's policies 90% of the time. So perhaps McCain isn't Bush...but you know what McCain is? He's 90% Bush and 90% Bush is too much Bush for me. Despite that, McCain wins Round 2.
Round 3 Negative Ad Campaigning:
The negative ads are another example of a great opportunity squandered by Mr. Obama. He could have won this debate quite easily with the proper defense. I think one thing everyone needs to realize is there is a difference between negative ads attacking someones policy and negative ads attacking someones character. John McCain clearly takes the low road on attacking Barack Obama's character instead of focusing on policy. Had Mr. Obama pointed out that 100% of his ads are attacking John McCain's POLICY instead of his CHARACTER, he would have easily won this exchange.
There was also an interesting moment where John McCain kept pushing for Obama to refute comments made by John Lewis. Mr. McCain lied when he stated that he refuted anything negative towards Obama every time it came up. Really? If that were the case, 83 IQ Sarah Palin, would have been refuted for her "Palling around with terrorists" comments that clearly had no merit. He never did any such thing...so there's a lie that wasn't included on factcheck. I think Obama could have easily won with this response, but he didn't make it so, in my mind, he lost this exchange as well. Thankfully, the polls are showing the American people don't take kindly to the negativity and anger of John McCain. McCain wins Round 3.
Round 4 - Education:
Finally the debate rolls around to something I care deeply about; education. I am an extreme proponent of education reform. We need to reform the programs we are currently spending money on and spend even more money on making sure every single American that wants to go to college gets to and money not be an issue. Education is the key to America being great again. We need to educate our children with diligence and the extreme prudence. However, we also need to educated PARENTS. We need programs at each school that forces parents to get more involved in the lives of their children. We need programs that encourage all students to WANT to go to college. Bottom line: Education, Education, Education.
I do not agree with vouchers as John McCain does. However, the way with which both senators brought forth their arguments warrants a tie in this department. They both laid out their plans for education and it's just a matter of the American people choosing which one they like. I, of course, like Obama's plan more. I want to reform what we have AND spend more money on education. If that means cutting the military, trimming the fat in pork barrel projects and going without some things for a little while, so be it. Round 4 was a tie.
Round 5 - Energy:
Unfortunately for my eyelids, Energy was no different than Education. Both candidates laid out their plans and did so in a decent fashion. While I was more impressed with Obama's 10 year plan, neither of them did anything to further enhance their stance to be better than the other's. I think both candidates will do well on Energy. However, Obama will do so with less environmental impact (i.e. less Drilling) and McCain could care less about the environmental impact of oil (i.e. Drill Baby, Drill). Even when it's obvious the oil companies could care less either, McCain still wants to suck our planet dry. But alas, my view is my view and for the sake of debating, Round 5 was a tie.
Round 6 - Supreme Court Justices:
As with the round on Education and Energy, I feel both candidates did well to bring their plan on Supreme Court nominations to light. I differ strongly with McCain on who he would choose and totally agree with Obama voting against John Roberts. I believe turning over Roe v. Wade would be the biggest mistake in American history. John McCain wants the government out of our lives but he wants Government to run our women's reproductive systems. You can't have it both ways John. Either way, this Round is yet another tie because both of them conveyed their ideas in a good fashion. It will just come down to what direction America is wanting to go. Round 6 was a tie.
Conclusion:
This debate was a bit better than the others. I enjoyed the format, I enjoyed the moderator and I enjoyed the extended time each was given to make their points or show their anger. I think Obama, once again, came off as distinguished, calm, cool, collected and McCain was, once again, angry, frustrated, haughty and overall a grumpy old man. Unfortunately, Obama did not attack back where he should and did not defend his positions with the urgency that was needed. Obama lost the debate more than McCain won it. McCain, in my opinion, seems very erratic and I'm not sure I'd want someone with anger management issues to run our economy, our military or our education system.
Stats: Obama won one round, McCain won 2 rounds and they tied 3 rounds. According to the score and comparatively in boxing, McCain eeked out a win with a split decision. Neither fighter was hurt but they both know they were in a battle.
Despite my opinion, the American people have decided who won the debate. While I think McCain won, it's apparent the American people disagree with me. In an interesting International development, it is also apparent that those who bet on Obama to win the election can now claim their winnings after this last debate.
I'm not counting my chickens. I have now moved any state with a 5% or less Obama lead to be McCain's state. Unless something major happens, McCain will win this election easily. I can only hope the swing heads in the left direction this time around.
I don't have time to do a complete debate roundup from last night until this evening. I do feel McCain won the debate, but not by enough to matter in the polls. According to polls it seems Obama won his 3rd debate in a row. I don't believe in polls.
Anyway I will have more later, for now let's talk taxes.
Feel free to comment on the debate now, or wait for the write-up later.
Since I was receiving some whining from the Right about how nothing is ever posted here about ACORN or Ayers, I decided to do an entry dedicated to the FACTS about William Ayers and ACORN. As always, I will inject opinion as I see fit, but with sources that you can either choose to ignore or read and educate yourself on the situation.
Let's start with William Ayers, a 1960's former anti-war terrorist. He is well known for his radical past as well as his current work in education reform. What do we know about William Ayers? We know plenty. So let's start with a quick synopsis of his early life that led him to the terrorist acts he planned and went through with. This sums it up from Wikipedia.
Ayers became involved in the New Left and the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).[7] He rose to national prominence as an SDS leader in 1968 and 1969. As head of an SDS regional group, the "Jesse James Gang", Ayers made decisive contributions to the Weatherman orientation toward militancy.[5]The group Ayers headed in Detroit, Michigan became one of the earliest gatherings of what became the Weatherman. Between the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the June 1969 SDS convention, Ayers became a prominent leader of the group, which arose as a result of a schism in SDS.[5]"During that time his infatuation with street fighting grew and he developed a language of confrontational militancy that became more and more pronounced over the year [1969]", disaffected former Weatherman member Cathy Wilkerson wrote in 2001. Ayers had previously become a roommate of Terry Robbins, a fellow militant, Wilkerson wrote. Robbins would later be killed while making a bomb.[8]
In June 1969, the Weatherman took control of the SDS at its national convention, where Ayers was elected Education Secretary.[5] Later in 1969, Ayers participated in planting a bomb at a statue dedicated to riot police casualties in the 1886 Haymarket Riot confrontation between labor supporters and the police.[9] The blast broke almost 100 windows and blew pieces of the statue onto the nearby Kennedy Expressway.[10] (The statue was rebuilt and unveiled on May 4, 1970, and blown up again by other Weathermen on October 6, 1970.[11][10] Rebuilding it yet again, the city posted a 24-hour police guard to prevent another blast.[10]) Ayers participated in the Days of Rage riot in Chicago in October 1969, and in December was at the "War Council" meeting in Flint, Michigan. Larry Grathwohl, an FBI informant in the Weatherman group from the fall of 1969 to the spring of 1970, thought that "Ayers, along with Bernardine Dohrn, probably had the most authority within the Weatherman".[12]
I will be the first to admit that what Ayers participated in was not only wrong, but terribly and horrifically wrong. He has even stated that if he had it to do all over again he would likely oppose the Vietnam war in similar ways. However, he's 60 years old now and realizes the hypothetical would never come to pass. Here's a quote by him I found interesting:
"I've thought about this a lot. Being almost 60, it's impossible to not have lots and lots of regrets about lots and lots of things, but the question of did we do something that was horrendous, awful? ... I don't think so. I think what we did was to respond to a situation that was unconscionable."
Obama's "ties" to William Ayers:
There is nothing that can sum this up better than Wikipedia. They've cited sources for all of the events and happenings between Obama and Ayers. I believe, if you chose to read the below and actually follow the sources, you would see that John McCain(and Anti-Socialism)'s attempt to link Obama to a former Terrorist is quite laughable. Read the below, if you dare to have your mind changed.
Bill Ayers and Barack Obama at one time lived in the same neighborhood in the city of Chicago, and both had worked on education reform in the state of Illinois. The two met "at a luncheon meeting about school reform."[41] Obama was named to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge Project Board of Directors to oversee the distribution of grants in Chicago. Later in 1995, Ayers hosted "a coffee" for "Mr. Obama's first run for office."[42] The two served on the board of a community anti-poverty group, the Woods Fund of Chicago, between 2000 and 2002, during which time the board met twelve times.[42] In April 2001, Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate.[41] Since 2002, there has been little linking Obama and Ayers.[42] The senator said in September 2008 that he hadn't "seen him in a year-and-a-half."[43] In February 2008, Obama spokesman Bill Burton released a statement from the senator about the relationship between the two: "Senator Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence. But he was an eight-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost forty years ago is ridiculous."[41]CNN's review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the non-profit projects in which the two men were involved.[44] Internal reviews by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The New Yorker and The New Republic "have said that their reporting doesn't support the idea that Obama and Ayers had a close relationship".[45]
I suppose the conservatives of the world will claim "media bias" on all of the internal reviews so that they can continue to slander Obama's name by using the term "terrorist" and "Obama" in the same sentence. Once again, in my opinion, the Republican party shows that they have to lie to get ahead in a campaign. I find it disgusting and shameful, to quote Larry's new favorite term. Obama did not have a "close relationship" with Ayers so there is no need to compare the two ever again. That being said, let's move on to the next "scandal" involving Barack Obama.
As I did before, let's go over what ACORN is and then we'll see how Obama ties into the latest voter fraud "scandal."
ACORN stands for the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now. It is a community-based organization that advocates for low and moderate income families by working on neighborhood safety, health care and other social issues. ACORN was founded in 1970 by Wade Rathke and Gary Delgado. Maud Hurde is now the president and has been since 1990.
ACORN says that it is non-partisan but I'm pretty sure they have been aligned with the policies of the Democrats for quite some time. I suppose having a view on policy and being non-partisan CAN go hand in hand...but generally "the poor" are democrats so it is likely ACORN, being advocates for the poor are a progressive organization despite the "non-partisan" claim.
ACORN's primary issues they fund raise for are actions against predatory lending, helping the poor establish affordable housing, raising the minimum wage, education reform and gun control. They have had many successful and unsuccessful campaigns within each category.
House of Representatives Republican leader John Boehner (pronounced Bainer) called for ACORN to be barred from receiving federal monies, and for a ban on ACORN contracting with candidates for federal office. He said, "ACORN spent decades promoting the housing policies that brought America's economy to the brink, and similarly over the years has committed fraud on our system of elections"
In contrast, John Atlas writes an editorial that ACORN has "accumulated many enemies" and has been "subjected to vicious attacks from business lobbyists, conservative politicians, and right-wing media." This same source says that the Bush administration has harassed ACORN with accusations of voter fraud. In a report released on October 2008, the United States Department of Justice Inspector General found that former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was wrongfully fired by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalas after Iglesias declined to indict over alleged voter fraud at an ACORN affiliate in New Mexico, citing insufficient evidence.
I'm not a big fan of a non-partisan group being partisan. But ACORN is an excellent organization and the good they have done far outshines any bad. In fact, I could not find any evidence of ACORN being indicted for voter fraud or any other misgivings.
John McCain and ACORN:
Yes, even John McCain has his own ties to ACORN. We might as well get those out of the way first. In October 2008, the McCain campaign released a web-based ad suggesting ACORN was partly responsible for the 2008 economic crisis. ACORN pushed back on this accusation via its website, calling the spot "a smear ad". On October 13, ACORN released a picture of Senator McCain attending an ACORN immigration forum to Politico. Wow, let's string McCain up for having ties to ACORN why don't we?
Let's get some truths about Obama's ties to ACORN out of the way first.
"Discredited Republican voter-suppression guru Ken Blackwell is attacking Barack Obama with naked lies about his supposed connection to ACORN.
• Fact: Barack was never an ACORN community organizer. • Fact: ACORN never hired Obama as a trainer, organizer, or any type of employee. • Fact: ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack ran in 1992.
In his capacity as an attorney, Barack represented ACORN in a successful lawsuit alongside the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of Illinois to force state compliance with a federal voting access law. For his work helping enforce the law, called “Motor Voter,” Barack received the IVI-IPO Legal Eagle Award in 1995.
Ken Blackwell is best known today for disenfranchising Democratic voters in his dual role as Ohio Secretary of State and chair of George Bush’s Ohio campaign in 2004. To see him shed crocodile tears for the integrity of the vote while making accusations about Barack and ACORN with absolutely no basis in fact is disturbing. Blackwell’s attacks against ACORN and community organizers continue a vile Republican pattern of mockery and viciousness against this noble profession. Community organizers are the very individuals Republicans should be celebrating for helping people to help themselves rather than depending on the government.
In an October 14 article, the Associated Press reported that "Obama and two other lawyers represented ACORN [the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now] in 1995 in a lawsuit against the state of Illinois to make voter registration easier." Similarly, during the October 14 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, investigative correspondent Drew Griffin stated that "[a]s an attorney, [Obama] represented the ACORN group in a motor voter case in the state of Illinois, a case that he won." But neither the AP nor Griffin pointed out that the Department of Justice, the League of Women Voters of Illinois, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) joined with ACORN as plaintiffs in the suit."
I find this important because every report we seem to be seeing does not list the actual facts of this case. Instead they make it appear that Obama is a champion for ACORN, when in fact he was representing other organizations as well...including our own Department of Justice! Media Bias? Perhaps... The bottom line is, his ties to ACORN are over exaggerated, overplayed and Fox News is desperate to tie Obama to anything that will bring him down. Thankfully, most Americans feel the smear campaign is one reason NOT to vote for John McCain. Most Americans may not be as stupid as I once thought.
Here's some quotes from Reagan Democrats I think you will all enjoy.
A focus group showing a hard-hitting, no-holds barred anti-Obama attack ad from a 527 that has yet to air, to a group of midwestern Reagan Democrats. The results:
"Reagan Dems and Independents. Call them blue-collar plus. Slightly more Target than Walmart. Yes, the spot worked. Yes, they believed the charges against Obama. Yes, they actually think he's too liberal, consorts with bad people and WON'T BE A GOOD PRESIDENT...but they STILL don't give a f***. They said right out, "He won't do anything better than McCain" but they're STILL voting for Obama.
The two most unreal moments of my professional life of watching focus groups:
54 year-old white male, voted Kerry '04, Bush '00, Dole '96, hunter, Nascar fan...hard for Obama said: "I'm gonna hate him the minute I vote for him. He's gonna be a bad president. But I won't ever vote for another god-damn Republican. I want the government to take over all of Wall Street and bankers and the car companies and Wal-Mart run this county like we used to when Reagan was President."
The next was a woman, late 50s, Democrat but strongly pro-life. Loved B. and H. Clinton, loved Bush in 2000. "Well, I don't know much about this terrorist group Barack used to be in with that Weather guy but I'm sick of paying for health insurance at work and that's why I'm supporting Barack."
I felt like I was taking crazy pills. I sat on the other side of the glass and realized...this really is the Apocalypse. The Seventh Seal is broken and its time for eight years of pure, delicious crazy...."
Conclusion:
Well, as we approach the end of this entry I've come the conclusion that my conservative friends have forced me to make a very wise decision. That wise decision involved actual research (not blog research or Fox News research) and brain power to come to the conclusion that Obama's ties with William Ayers and ACORN are nothing more than innocent encounters for Obama and should not, and do not, represent his world view or policy decisions. Bring on the critics....these "scandals" are DEAD.
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