Friday, September 26, 2008
McCain Hates America - Fails To Wear Flag Pin In Debate!
OK, crazy town with that headline, but it's the same crap they pulled on Obama when he didn't wear a flag pin. Here in the debate McCain's lapel was bare! Isn't he patriotic anymore?
Conservative Columnist Parker Says Palin Should Go
Kathleen Parker, a conservative columnist writing in the National Review, says after the embarrassing interview on Katie Couric's newscast, Palin should pack her bags.
"Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.
Do it for your country."
Is Wachovia Next?
Wachovia has entered into talks with Citi to discuss a merger. Apparently, they want a head start should the bailout package fall through. Wachovia’s stock fell about 38 percent by Friday afternoon on fears that its acquisition of Golden West Financial would drag the company down as it faced mounting foreclosure rates.
This comes on the heels of the WaMu failure last night. Glad I don't own any bank stocks.
This comes on the heels of the WaMu failure last night. Glad I don't own any bank stocks.
The TV Ad The Republicans Don't Want You To See
MSNBC pulled this ad at the insistence of viewers prompted by Bill O'Reilly. MSNBC's decision comes after Bill O'Reilly unleashed an on-air tirade over the ad last night, saying the ad was put out by "two despicable human beings," a reference to Dean and Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films.
Giuliani, "America's Mayor" Set To Cash In On Wall Street Mess
Rudy Giuliani's newly created law firm was set up specifically to help firms cash in on the coming bailout. In an article in the New York Daily News the firm was said to be designed “to help corporate clients get a piece of the action — or keep federal wolves from the door." Sound crass and commercial? You betcha!
Now Giuliani is flying with McCain to Mississippi for the debates. You can bet he is lobbying McCain already for a piece of the bailout pie!
Now Giuliani is flying with McCain to Mississippi for the debates. You can bet he is lobbying McCain already for a piece of the bailout pie!
McCain Declaring He Won The Debate - 8 Hours Before It Starts!
If you needed any clear indicator that McCain's campaign is in disarray take this. An online edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an ad declaring McCain the winner of the debate. That would be the one that hasn't happened yet!
There must be lots of blood on the floor at McCain headquarters!
There must be lots of blood on the floor at McCain headquarters!
Join The Great Schlep! Join Jews And Go To Florida!
That headline got your attention I'll bet. Sarah Silverman, the off the wall Jewish-American princess has a really great idea. IF Jewish grandchildren and children from across the country would go to Florida and convince their grandparents and parents to vote for Obama it would swing the election!
Check out the video on the site. Funny yes, but it actually could work! Now if I only had any living relatives in Florida!
Check out the video on the site. Funny yes, but it actually could work! Now if I only had any living relatives in Florida!
"This Is Not The John McCain That I've Known" Ambassador Holdbrooke
Former UN Ambassador Richard Holdbrooke was interviewed on MSNBC about the current shenanigans of John McCain and he stated that "this is not the John McCain that I have known for 20 years." He sees the McCain campaign in a "meltdown" as do most of the press and the American public.
McCain's erratic behavior and constant flip-flopping on issues and positions leaves most in the media breathless. It's impossible to figure out just what is going on within the campaign other than chaos. This clip was posted by AmericaBlog.com earlier today.
McCain's erratic behavior and constant flip-flopping on issues and positions leaves most in the media breathless. It's impossible to figure out just what is going on within the campaign other than chaos. This clip was posted by AmericaBlog.com earlier today.
McCain's Gamble Fails, He Is Debating After All
Well McCain's latest gamble didn't reap the rewards he expected and so he has decided to debate after all. The whole episode was political theater and the public knows it. McCain's gambling is starting to become very troubling. What the hell kind of leader would he be on the world stage with the kind of brinkmanship stunts he is pulling during the campaign?
He flew back to Washington, at a leisurely pace, arriving just in tome to be at a photo-op and make a few vague remarks. The problem is he met with House Republicans and gave a nod to derailing the plan after a week of negotiation. Things looked like there might be a bipartisan agreement and, boom! He arrives and the whole Presidential Politics thing takes center stage.
What kind of wacko wild card play will he make at tonight's debate? You can be sure he will pull some sort of stunt, that is all he knows.
He flew back to Washington, at a leisurely pace, arriving just in tome to be at a photo-op and make a few vague remarks. The problem is he met with House Republicans and gave a nod to derailing the plan after a week of negotiation. Things looked like there might be a bipartisan agreement and, boom! He arrives and the whole Presidential Politics thing takes center stage.
What kind of wacko wild card play will he make at tonight's debate? You can be sure he will pull some sort of stunt, that is all he knows.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
McCain Blows The Deal! Plays Politics And Screws Wall Street & Main Street
The headline says it all. McCain returns to Washington and the deal, the BIPARTISAN deal that was worked out with the Bush Administration is now OFF!
He is playing high stakes politics with America's future and he must be stopped. This is all an attempt to "shake things up" and to delay the debates to keep his fake VP pick Sarah Palin out of her debate. After her appearance on Katie Couric it became obvious that she can't answer even softball questions coherently much less debate.
This has to stop. Obama needs to emphasize how reckless a gambler McCain is and how he is willing to stake the economy of the country to win the election.
Oh yea, and while he was screwing everyone, he continued to campaign and even had the balls to say the real problem was because of "earmarks".
During an interview with CBS’s Katie Couric yesterday, McCain said that the current financial crisis “is of the utmost seriousness and a crisis of enormous proportions.” But sticking to his mantra, McCain strangely cited earmarks as “one of the major reasons why we’re having difficulties”:
He is playing high stakes politics with America's future and he must be stopped. This is all an attempt to "shake things up" and to delay the debates to keep his fake VP pick Sarah Palin out of her debate. After her appearance on Katie Couric it became obvious that she can't answer even softball questions coherently much less debate.
This has to stop. Obama needs to emphasize how reckless a gambler McCain is and how he is willing to stake the economy of the country to win the election.
Oh yea, and while he was screwing everyone, he continued to campaign and even had the balls to say the real problem was because of "earmarks".
During an interview with CBS’s Katie Couric yesterday, McCain said that the current financial crisis “is of the utmost seriousness and a crisis of enormous proportions.” But sticking to his mantra, McCain strangely cited earmarks as “one of the major reasons why we’re having difficulties”:
McCAIN: [W]e’ve got to take tough decisions and one of them is government spending by the way. One of the major reasons why we’re having difficulties is we let spending get completely out of control — earmark and pork-barrel projects. Senator Obama asked for over $900 million in earmarks pork-barrel projects, that’s not part of the answer thats part of the problem.Meanwhile, Washington Mutual just failed. If there was any question if the crisis is real big banks going under is a pretty good sign. WaMu was seized by the government and sold to JP Morgan tonight. I do not think the crisis is fake, but I do think McCain's response to it is.
McCain Tries To Derail Economic Rescue Package
John McCain hates America. He would rather put his political career ahead of the economy of the nation. What else would you call it?
After 7 days of intense bi-partisan work, McCain breezes into town and cuts a deal with John Boehner and poof! No Deal.
Here is an analysis from CBS News:
It's a frigging GOP proposal for Christ's sake. He is 86ing it just to pose as a vital part of the plan.
I really can't say anymore without throwing up. When we slid into the next Great Depression, remember John McCain gave it to us!
On top of that McCain is gambling with America's economic future. Want proof? Watch this comment with Bryan Williams about the debate.
After 7 days of intense bi-partisan work, McCain breezes into town and cuts a deal with John Boehner and poof! No Deal.
Here is an analysis from CBS News:
KATIE COURIC: And, Bob, I understand that John McCain actually floated an alternative plan. What can you tell us about that?
BOB ORR: We're told at the White House Senator McCain offered an alternative plan that would include fewer regulations and more corporate tax breaks for businesses, kind of a private solution. But we're also told those ideas angered and surprised Democrats like banking chairman Chris Dodd who now says he thinks the White House summit was more of a political stunt for McCain.
It's a frigging GOP proposal for Christ's sake. He is 86ing it just to pose as a vital part of the plan.
I really can't say anymore without throwing up. When we slid into the next Great Depression, remember John McCain gave it to us!
On top of that McCain is gambling with America's economic future. Want proof? Watch this comment with Bryan Williams about the debate.
McCain Hires $5000 Makeup Artist - Is She Covering Up Something On His Face?
Why is Jon McCain suddenly using a high dollar makeup artist before every appearance? High dollar to the tune of $5000! Other bloggers woner what is up with his left eye. That is on the same side of his face where he had an operation to remove a malignant growth.
Could the makeup artist be hiding another recurrence of the melanoma? You decide. Considering how much sport he made of Obama's alleged elitism this excess seems out of character.
Could the makeup artist be hiding another recurrence of the melanoma? You decide. Considering how much sport he made of Obama's alleged elitism this excess seems out of character.
Assassination Of Gay Leader In Iraq!
The head of the Iraqi LGBT in Baghdad has been assassinated. Likely murderers are one of the two religious militia. Don't expect to see this story in the mainstream press.
Peter Tatchell of Outrage! issued the following statement at lunchtime:
This morning, I received news from Iraq that the coordinator of Iraqi LGBT in Baghdad, Bashar, aged 27, a university student, has been assassinated in a barber shop.
Militias burst in and sprayed his body with bullets at point blank range.
He was the organiser of the safe houses for gays and lesbians in Baghdad. His efforts saved the lives of dozens of people.
Bashar was a kind, generous and extremely brave young man – a true hero who put his life on the line to save the lives of others.
My thoughts go out to his loved ones and to the other members of Iraqi LGBT.
Their courage is an inspiration to all people everywhere fighting against injustice.
McCain's Big Stunt - Photo-Op Not Policy
John McCain is like a kid who when losing a game of chess, knocks the board in to the air and then wants to start over. He seems to be a gambler and his campaign reflects it.
The first upset was Sarah Palin. He picks an unknown Governor with almost no experience as a running mate. Everyone knew it was a gimmick and for a short time it paid off. The press was caught off guard by the stunt and spent a couple of weeks exploring who Sarah Palin really was. That turned the spotlight off Obama and back onto the McCain campaign. Problem is, her star is fading and McCain is still an unexciting speaker who loses crowds when Palin finishes talking.
Now the financial crisis seems grave, Wall Street is in a panic and McCain's numbers are falling. He gambles again. This time he makes a grand pronouncement that he is suspending his campaign and skipping the debate to return to Washington to resolve the financial crisis. In actuality he continues campaigning, appearing on Katie Couric and speaking at the Global Initiative while Sarah Palin continues to campaign.
In reality, McCain is not even on the committee that is reviewing the Treasury Department proposal, but in McCain world truth doesn't matter.
Next, he gets Bush to make a "scary" pronouncement that the world will end if the plan isn't passed and he proposes a meeting with the congressional folks really working on the proposal. However, he adds McCain and Obama to the mix, just to make it look like McCain was key to getting resolution. No matter that an agreement is already pending.
It's an obvious photo-op and the press knows it. America knows it, too. Overnight polls showed Americans wanted the debate to continue.
What this does is expose McCain for the hot-headed gambler he is. Tales of his real gambling go back quite a while. The question is, does America want a reactionary hot-head as president or a consistent calm intelligent person in the White House? The answer is obvious. Obama makes more sense and feels better than McCain.
The first upset was Sarah Palin. He picks an unknown Governor with almost no experience as a running mate. Everyone knew it was a gimmick and for a short time it paid off. The press was caught off guard by the stunt and spent a couple of weeks exploring who Sarah Palin really was. That turned the spotlight off Obama and back onto the McCain campaign. Problem is, her star is fading and McCain is still an unexciting speaker who loses crowds when Palin finishes talking.
Now the financial crisis seems grave, Wall Street is in a panic and McCain's numbers are falling. He gambles again. This time he makes a grand pronouncement that he is suspending his campaign and skipping the debate to return to Washington to resolve the financial crisis. In actuality he continues campaigning, appearing on Katie Couric and speaking at the Global Initiative while Sarah Palin continues to campaign.
In reality, McCain is not even on the committee that is reviewing the Treasury Department proposal, but in McCain world truth doesn't matter.
Next, he gets Bush to make a "scary" pronouncement that the world will end if the plan isn't passed and he proposes a meeting with the congressional folks really working on the proposal. However, he adds McCain and Obama to the mix, just to make it look like McCain was key to getting resolution. No matter that an agreement is already pending.
It's an obvious photo-op and the press knows it. America knows it, too. Overnight polls showed Americans wanted the debate to continue.
What this does is expose McCain for the hot-headed gambler he is. Tales of his real gambling go back quite a while. The question is, does America want a reactionary hot-head as president or a consistent calm intelligent person in the White House? The answer is obvious. Obama makes more sense and feels better than McCain.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sarah Palin's Pastor Casting Out Witches From Palin
Sarah Palin's spiritual adviser and pastor casts out witchcraft and lays on hands on Sarah. Spooky.
Letterman Blasts McCain's Big Lie About Suspending Campaign
AmericaBlog.com managed to get this video from tonight's David Letterman show. Letterman got a call during the taping that McCain was pulling out to return to Washington, but instead he showed up at Katie Couric's show and Letterman even shows the feed.
This has all the appearances of a cheap trick, kinda like Sarah Palin.
This has all the appearances of a cheap trick, kinda like Sarah Palin.
McCain's Latest Trick - Cancel The Debate
After reading the press release about McCain's call for the canceling of the debate this Friday, I find lots of holes in his logic. Here are the first few lines of the notice:
Here is my problem with it.
The comment about McCain wanting to create a “political free zone” is a bald faced lie. This is a political trick and it is intended to try to change the narrative that has taken root right now. The press and public see McCain as part of the problem. This is intended to show him as “working for a solution”.
In fact his presence in Washington will have little or no effect on the discussions going on, it will only serve to give him a soap box to stand on to further his presidential ambitions.
Luckily early reports show that the public isn't buying it either. Just 10% of American's say the debate should be postponed. That is pretty obvious that people see this issue as important, but the election as more important.
So far the Treasury Secretary and President Bush have made a very poor case to the American people that this bailout proposal of theirs is the right move. After all this is the president who lied about WMDs, lied about Iraq's involvement in 9/11, lied about not torturing prisoners....
Bush has cried "wolf" once too often for people to take him seriously on this, even though I believe some sort of financial rescue effort is needed. I think Congress will work out a solution. Already Secretary Paulson has agreed that some sort of oversight is needed. More comprimises will undoubtedly ensue.
Meanwhile, what is McCain trying to hide? He can debate Obama and still get to Washington to vote for the bailout.
Update:
Statement from Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton:
In a statement, McCain said he will stop campaigning after addressing former President Clinton's Global Initiative session on Thursday and return to Washington to focus on the nation's financial problems.
The Republican presidential hopeful called Obama before he made the statement and told him he was going to suspend his campaign, according to a McCain senior adviser.
According to the source, McCain wants to create a "political free zone" until a deal is reached on legislation for a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry.
Here is my problem with it.
The comment about McCain wanting to create a “political free zone” is a bald faced lie. This is a political trick and it is intended to try to change the narrative that has taken root right now. The press and public see McCain as part of the problem. This is intended to show him as “working for a solution”.
In fact his presence in Washington will have little or no effect on the discussions going on, it will only serve to give him a soap box to stand on to further his presidential ambitions.
Luckily early reports show that the public isn't buying it either. Just 10% of American's say the debate should be postponed. That is pretty obvious that people see this issue as important, but the election as more important.
So far the Treasury Secretary and President Bush have made a very poor case to the American people that this bailout proposal of theirs is the right move. After all this is the president who lied about WMDs, lied about Iraq's involvement in 9/11, lied about not torturing prisoners....
Bush has cried "wolf" once too often for people to take him seriously on this, even though I believe some sort of financial rescue effort is needed. I think Congress will work out a solution. Already Secretary Paulson has agreed that some sort of oversight is needed. More comprimises will undoubtedly ensue.
Meanwhile, what is McCain trying to hide? He can debate Obama and still get to Washington to vote for the bailout.
Update:
Statement from Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton:
At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal. At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama’s call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details.
Louisiana Republican Offers $1000 Each To Sterilize Poor Women
Back in the 1920's and 30's there was a movement to consider human beings much like breeding stock for cattle. The idea of breeding perfect humans was wildly popular and families who exhibited the most desirable traits were awarded ribbons for being "fitter families". The movement was called Eugenics and it is no surprise that Adolph Hitler really warmed to it.
That was then... this is now, and believe it or not a lawmaker from Louisiana has started promoting a new Eugenics through his idea to pay poor women $1000 to have their fallopian tubes tied.
Rep. John LaBruzzo, a Republican (no surprise there) has actually proposed this idea as his strategy to eradicate poverty. No surprise either that he comes from the same district that sent white supremacist and former leader of the KKK David Duke to the state legislature in 1989.
That was then... this is now, and believe it or not a lawmaker from Louisiana has started promoting a new Eugenics through his idea to pay poor women $1000 to have their fallopian tubes tied.
Rep. John LaBruzzo, a Republican (no surprise there) has actually proposed this idea as his strategy to eradicate poverty. No surprise either that he comes from the same district that sent white supremacist and former leader of the KKK David Duke to the state legislature in 1989.
Joe Biden Delivers Fiery Speech In Baltimore
Some people just give speeches and others bring the house down. Joe Biden's speech to the Baltimore National Guard Association was one such speech. I believe it would be called a barn-burner! Read the full text f it here if you missed it on TV.
_______________
Thank you, General Umbarger. It's also good to see my friends General Frank Vavala, and General Hugh Broomall.
I come here today with a profound respect for the Guard.
I'm here as a citizen, who knows that our nation depends on the service of those who are civilians in peace, soldiers in war – not only to defend us abroad, but aid us when disaster strikes here at home.
I'm here as a Senator, who has traveled to conflict zones all around the world – Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq -- and disaster areas across America and seen the heroic work our young men and women in arms do to protect our citizens, protect our interests and to demonstrate not only the example of our force… but also the force of our example.
I'm here today as the father of a Guardsman. My son Beau is proud to wear the uniform, and proud to answer the call to serve.
And I'm here as the Democratic candidate for Vice President, knowing that you have served with great distinction time and again.
You have never let us down… but too often, your government has not given you all you've needed.
Issues affecting the Guard sit at the core of our two great national challenges – national security and economic security. Barack and I know that we need to strengthen both. That means supporting your missions at home and abroad, and making sure you return to strong secure jobs and a sound economy.
Yesterday, you heard John McCain claim that behind the positions Barack Obama takes "lies the ambition to be president."
Let me just say this: after the last eight years, the last thing we need is more of the politics of division.
No one party has a monopoly on virtue or good ideas.
We can question each other's judgments. That's what elections are all about.
But we have to stop questioning each other's motives and each other's patriotism.
Whether we're Democrats, Republicans or Independents, we all share a profound desire to do right by America.
We all put country first.
When John and I send our sons to war, they don't wear a Republican flag or a Democratic flag. They wear an American flag.
Our only differences are on how best to protect our national interests, and serve our military.
And we do have differences.
Let's begin where we are right now, right this minute.
More than half – 52% -- of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans are Guard or Reserve.
That has never happened before.
You have new and increased responsibility, but in my view – we haven't given you the command and equipment in support of those new responsibilities.
But you never complain. You always step up.
It's time for a change.
Change begins with giving the Guard a seat at the table. That table in the Pentagon where the Joint Chiefs sit.
General McKinley, I not only want to see your fourth star – I want to see you sitting there with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen.
Your men and women are serving and dying. Your voice needs to be heard.
When it comes to equipment -- to train on, to deploy with, and to have available at home for war or natural disasters – we have not provided what you need. And that's wrong.
Ninety percent of units have serious equipment shortages.
Collectively, over $100 billion worth of equipment has been left in Iraq.
And we've seen the consequences of that.
Simply put, the states have been left with the tab to make up for this equipment shortage.
Since September 11th, 2001, more than half a million reservists have been mobilized and deployed for homeland security missions and combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Every National Guard combat brigade has deployed at least once. Specialty units like military police, special forces, and medical units have deployed multiple times.
In Iraq and Afghanistan 870 members of the guard and reserve have given their lives. 6,785 have been wounded.
Of all serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have some 900 returning amputees, many of them Guardsmen.
And many who come home bear less visible – but nonetheless deep -- scars.
Roughly 320,000 -- nearly 20% -- may have experienced traumatic brain injury.
About 300,000 – nearly 19% -- meet the criteria for either PTSD or depression.
In 2006, the most recently recorded year, we saw 113 Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans lost to the enemy of suicide.
That's a record number, and more than twice the suicide rate for civilians of the same age.
And multiple deployments have added to the financial and marital tension for many of your Guardsmen.
Reports show 11,000 guardsmen and women lost their jobs upon returning home – a clear violation of the law. That must stop.
Barack and I are going to set this straight.
And we have very different ideas on how do it than John McCain and Sarah Palin.
It starts with a guarantee that every returning veteran has the best health care available. We're been fighting for this as Senators, and we'll guarantee it as President and Vice President.
Shift the burden to the government: no more requiring a soldier to prove that their traumatic brain injuries are combat related.
Spend the money and hire the personnel to eliminate waiting time for the VA to decide on a disability claim.
Guarantee that any returning veteran needing a prosthesis will have the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art, for the his or her life. And zero tolerance for veteran homelessness.
You know Barack is on the Veterans Affairs committee in the Senate. I watched him work with Republicans to pass a major law – with short term fixes and long term solutions – to end the shameful care we were giving our veterans at Walter Reed.
He strengthened programs to help homeless veterans… he fought for fair treatment of veterans' claims and forced the VA to fix disparities… he helped ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injuries… and he demanded a major national research effort into the readjustment needs of returning veterans.
He will see to it that all veterans – all veterans – have access to the VA system.
Military families need help coping with deployments.
We'll expand, Family Medical Leave to include reserve families facing mobilization.
We'll add resources to help military families during deployments, such as more staff for Family Readiness Groups.
Because when soldiers go to war, their families go too.
John McCain says we're a nation at war. He's wrong, we're a military at war.
The only ones making the real sacrifice are those deployed, and their families back home.
Second, we're going to restore your readiness.
That starts with increasing the end strength of the active military.
We're going to increase our end strength by 65,000 for the Army, and 27,000 for the Marines.
Increasing the size of the active force means they can carry a heavier burden, allowing our Guard to have fewer deployments and more predictable deployments, with more time between them.
To cut down on equipment shortages, Barack Obama and I will end the trend of cannibalizing soldiers and machines from units back home for missions abroad.
We'll consult with governors of the 50 states, so we know what the needs of their Guard units are – both for their combat missions overseas, and their domestic missions at home.
Remember in 2006, when it was reported that the Department of Defense was making plans to cut National Guard force structure and strength?
Barack Obama and I were two of the 75 Senators to send a letter to the Secretary of Defense strongly opposing those plans.
John McCain didn't sign.
We believe we shouldn't be cutting back on the Guard at the very time we're asking you to do more.
Third, we're going to make sure that you have opportunity when you come home.
We'll start by putting the federal government on your side.
The Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of Justice – they have an obligation, each of them, to guarantee that laws designed to protect returning veterans are enforced.
A recent survey found that 44% of employers would not hire a reservist – even though that's illegal discrimination –for fear that that employee might be called up.
The Department of Defense currently has no plan to ensure that businesses comply with re-employment laws for our Guard and Reserves. And the Labor Department and Justice Department have failed to vigorously enforce the laws which protect you, the men and women who have volunteered to protect us. Seventy percent of Guardsmen work for small businesses, and DOD has no outreach program to small business.
You shouldn't have to sacrifice your job in order to serve your country.
But your country owes you more than putting you back in the place you were before you left.
It owes you greater opportunity, because of lost opportunity. And it all starts with education.
That is why Barack and I were supporters from the start of Jim Webb's GI Bill – which allows National Guard and Reserve members to earn educational benefits based on their total cumulative active duty… instead of their single longest tour, the way they do in existing Title 10 programs.
Because we think that a Guardsman who serves three tours of 6 months should be credited for a year and a half of service, and not half a year.
John McCain is a friend, a patriot, and a hero.
But John and I have some fundamental disagreements as it relates to the Guard, and the interests of veterans.
John McCain voted against billions of dollars in additional funding for veterans' health care – against $2 million
for TBI research… against $500 million for mental health issues… against $400 million for inpatient and outpatient care.
John wants to ration veterans' health care to those with combat injuries, which would mean that millions fewer veterans would have access to VA medical care.
And while Barack and I supported Senator Jim Webb's bipartisan bill to update the GI Bill from the get-go, John initially opposed it because he thought it was too generous.
John's version treated the Guard as second class citizens when it came to educational benefits.
Those are the facts. But don't take it from me. Ask Disabled American Veterans, which represents millions of vets.
They keep track of these things… John voted with DAV 20 percent of the time.
Barack Obama – 80 percent of the time.
Or ask the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. They keep track, too. They give letter grades, and they gave John McCain a "D". Barack got at B+.
So as much as I admire John, I disagree with him. Being a veteran isn't the same as being there for veterans. We need more than a great soldier, we need a wise leader.
Yesterday, John talked to you about the judgment required to be Commander in Chief.
He's right: nothing is more important than judgment.
And time and again, on the most critical national security issues of our time. John McCain's judgment was wrong, and Barack Obama's was right.
Right after 9-11, John was wrong to look beyond Afghanistan to war with Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
Barack was right that we should finish the war in Afghanistan -- and that Iraq was a huge diversion from defeating the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9-11.
In the run up to the Iraq war, like the Bush administration, John insisted that Saddam was in league with Al Qaeda and complicit in 9-11…, that we would be greeted as liberators…, that we didn't need a lot of troops…, that victory was imminent…, that Sunnis and Shiites would get along because "there's not a history of clashes that are violent between" them.
He lauded the administration's conduct of the war, singling out for praise Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney.
On all of those counts, John's judgment was wrong.
Then, John said there's nothing to talk about with Iran.
Barack said hard headed diplomacy is the best way to focus Iran on what it stands to gain if its stops it nuclear program -- and what it will lose if it does not.
Now, even the Bush administration sent our most senior diplomat for direct talks with Tehran. John wrong, Barack was right.
Just three years ago, John said we were succeeding in Afghanistan.
More than a year ago, Barack said we were not -- and we needed at least two more combat brigades.
Now, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs says we are not winning -- and we need more troops. John was wrong, Barack was right.
John rejects a timeline for redeploying our combat forces from Iraq.
Barack says shift the responsibility to the Iraqis and set a timeline to bring our combat forces home.
Now, President Bush and the Maliki government are negotiating an agreement to do just that. John was wrong, Barack was right.
Maybe most fundamentally of all, John McCain continues to insist, against all the evidence and all the facts, that Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism.
Barack Obama says that central front is where it has always been since 9-11 – the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On this, John is more than wrong -- he is dangerously wrong -- and Barack Obama is right.
On a question so basic, so fundamental, so critical to our nation's security, we can't afford a Commander-in Chief so divorced from reality and from America's most basic national interests.
And on the most important question for returning members of the guard – the strength of our economy – Barack has it right.
Barack has the plans – which he's introducing today – to stabilize the US and world economic markets.
In the short term, it will keep this financial crisis from getting worse. It will help keep people in their homes, and protect their life savings.
In the long term, it will provide the protections necessary to make sure this never happens again.
We'll create millions of new jobs with investments in infrastructure and new energy technology – many of the same fields in which our guardsmen and reservists have developed skills.
And, by the way, when we produce more of our energy at home, we'll be less reliant on protecting unstable supplies from unfriendly regimes.
We'll make sure that your bravery abroad is matched with opportunity upon your return, by investing in programs like the new GI Bill.
I want to close by sharing something I experienced several weeks ago in Florida.
A retired Marine stood up at an event where I was speaking.
He looked like he had something to get off his chest as he took the microphone from me. "Senator," he said. "I'd be proud to salute Barack Obama as my Commander-in-Chief."
He also told me that he'd be proud to salute me as his Vice President. I told him that nobody salutes the vice president.
Folks, I couldn't say it better myself. I will be proud to salute Barack Obama as my Commander-in-Chief. And I think you will be, too.
Thank you, General Umbarger. It's also good to see my friends General Frank Vavala, and General Hugh Broomall.
I come here today with a profound respect for the Guard.
I'm here as a citizen, who knows that our nation depends on the service of those who are civilians in peace, soldiers in war – not only to defend us abroad, but aid us when disaster strikes here at home.
I'm here as a Senator, who has traveled to conflict zones all around the world – Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq -- and disaster areas across America and seen the heroic work our young men and women in arms do to protect our citizens, protect our interests and to demonstrate not only the example of our force… but also the force of our example.
I'm here today as the father of a Guardsman. My son Beau is proud to wear the uniform, and proud to answer the call to serve.
And I'm here as the Democratic candidate for Vice President, knowing that you have served with great distinction time and again.
You have never let us down… but too often, your government has not given you all you've needed.
Issues affecting the Guard sit at the core of our two great national challenges – national security and economic security. Barack and I know that we need to strengthen both. That means supporting your missions at home and abroad, and making sure you return to strong secure jobs and a sound economy.
Yesterday, you heard John McCain claim that behind the positions Barack Obama takes "lies the ambition to be president."
Let me just say this: after the last eight years, the last thing we need is more of the politics of division.
No one party has a monopoly on virtue or good ideas.
We can question each other's judgments. That's what elections are all about.
But we have to stop questioning each other's motives and each other's patriotism.
Whether we're Democrats, Republicans or Independents, we all share a profound desire to do right by America.
We all put country first.
When John and I send our sons to war, they don't wear a Republican flag or a Democratic flag. They wear an American flag.
Our only differences are on how best to protect our national interests, and serve our military.
And we do have differences.
Let's begin where we are right now, right this minute.
More than half – 52% -- of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans are Guard or Reserve.
That has never happened before.
You have new and increased responsibility, but in my view – we haven't given you the command and equipment in support of those new responsibilities.
But you never complain. You always step up.
It's time for a change.
Change begins with giving the Guard a seat at the table. That table in the Pentagon where the Joint Chiefs sit.
General McKinley, I not only want to see your fourth star – I want to see you sitting there with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen.
Your men and women are serving and dying. Your voice needs to be heard.
When it comes to equipment -- to train on, to deploy with, and to have available at home for war or natural disasters – we have not provided what you need. And that's wrong.
Ninety percent of units have serious equipment shortages.
Collectively, over $100 billion worth of equipment has been left in Iraq.
And we've seen the consequences of that.
Simply put, the states have been left with the tab to make up for this equipment shortage.
Since September 11th, 2001, more than half a million reservists have been mobilized and deployed for homeland security missions and combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Every National Guard combat brigade has deployed at least once. Specialty units like military police, special forces, and medical units have deployed multiple times.
In Iraq and Afghanistan 870 members of the guard and reserve have given their lives. 6,785 have been wounded.
Of all serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have some 900 returning amputees, many of them Guardsmen.
And many who come home bear less visible – but nonetheless deep -- scars.
Roughly 320,000 -- nearly 20% -- may have experienced traumatic brain injury.
About 300,000 – nearly 19% -- meet the criteria for either PTSD or depression.
In 2006, the most recently recorded year, we saw 113 Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans lost to the enemy of suicide.
That's a record number, and more than twice the suicide rate for civilians of the same age.
And multiple deployments have added to the financial and marital tension for many of your Guardsmen.
Reports show 11,000 guardsmen and women lost their jobs upon returning home – a clear violation of the law. That must stop.
Barack and I are going to set this straight.
And we have very different ideas on how do it than John McCain and Sarah Palin.
It starts with a guarantee that every returning veteran has the best health care available. We're been fighting for this as Senators, and we'll guarantee it as President and Vice President.
Shift the burden to the government: no more requiring a soldier to prove that their traumatic brain injuries are combat related.
Spend the money and hire the personnel to eliminate waiting time for the VA to decide on a disability claim.
Guarantee that any returning veteran needing a prosthesis will have the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art, for the his or her life. And zero tolerance for veteran homelessness.
You know Barack is on the Veterans Affairs committee in the Senate. I watched him work with Republicans to pass a major law – with short term fixes and long term solutions – to end the shameful care we were giving our veterans at Walter Reed.
He strengthened programs to help homeless veterans… he fought for fair treatment of veterans' claims and forced the VA to fix disparities… he helped ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injuries… and he demanded a major national research effort into the readjustment needs of returning veterans.
He will see to it that all veterans – all veterans – have access to the VA system.
Military families need help coping with deployments.
We'll expand, Family Medical Leave to include reserve families facing mobilization.
We'll add resources to help military families during deployments, such as more staff for Family Readiness Groups.
Because when soldiers go to war, their families go too.
John McCain says we're a nation at war. He's wrong, we're a military at war.
The only ones making the real sacrifice are those deployed, and their families back home.
Second, we're going to restore your readiness.
That starts with increasing the end strength of the active military.
We're going to increase our end strength by 65,000 for the Army, and 27,000 for the Marines.
Increasing the size of the active force means they can carry a heavier burden, allowing our Guard to have fewer deployments and more predictable deployments, with more time between them.
To cut down on equipment shortages, Barack Obama and I will end the trend of cannibalizing soldiers and machines from units back home for missions abroad.
We'll consult with governors of the 50 states, so we know what the needs of their Guard units are – both for their combat missions overseas, and their domestic missions at home.
Remember in 2006, when it was reported that the Department of Defense was making plans to cut National Guard force structure and strength?
Barack Obama and I were two of the 75 Senators to send a letter to the Secretary of Defense strongly opposing those plans.
John McCain didn't sign.
We believe we shouldn't be cutting back on the Guard at the very time we're asking you to do more.
Third, we're going to make sure that you have opportunity when you come home.
We'll start by putting the federal government on your side.
The Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of Justice – they have an obligation, each of them, to guarantee that laws designed to protect returning veterans are enforced.
A recent survey found that 44% of employers would not hire a reservist – even though that's illegal discrimination –for fear that that employee might be called up.
The Department of Defense currently has no plan to ensure that businesses comply with re-employment laws for our Guard and Reserves. And the Labor Department and Justice Department have failed to vigorously enforce the laws which protect you, the men and women who have volunteered to protect us. Seventy percent of Guardsmen work for small businesses, and DOD has no outreach program to small business.
You shouldn't have to sacrifice your job in order to serve your country.
But your country owes you more than putting you back in the place you were before you left.
It owes you greater opportunity, because of lost opportunity. And it all starts with education.
That is why Barack and I were supporters from the start of Jim Webb's GI Bill – which allows National Guard and Reserve members to earn educational benefits based on their total cumulative active duty… instead of their single longest tour, the way they do in existing Title 10 programs.
Because we think that a Guardsman who serves three tours of 6 months should be credited for a year and a half of service, and not half a year.
John McCain is a friend, a patriot, and a hero.
But John and I have some fundamental disagreements as it relates to the Guard, and the interests of veterans.
John McCain voted against billions of dollars in additional funding for veterans' health care – against $2 million
for TBI research… against $500 million for mental health issues… against $400 million for inpatient and outpatient care.
John wants to ration veterans' health care to those with combat injuries, which would mean that millions fewer veterans would have access to VA medical care.
And while Barack and I supported Senator Jim Webb's bipartisan bill to update the GI Bill from the get-go, John initially opposed it because he thought it was too generous.
John's version treated the Guard as second class citizens when it came to educational benefits.
Those are the facts. But don't take it from me. Ask Disabled American Veterans, which represents millions of vets.
They keep track of these things… John voted with DAV 20 percent of the time.
Barack Obama – 80 percent of the time.
Or ask the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. They keep track, too. They give letter grades, and they gave John McCain a "D". Barack got at B+.
So as much as I admire John, I disagree with him. Being a veteran isn't the same as being there for veterans. We need more than a great soldier, we need a wise leader.
Yesterday, John talked to you about the judgment required to be Commander in Chief.
He's right: nothing is more important than judgment.
And time and again, on the most critical national security issues of our time. John McCain's judgment was wrong, and Barack Obama's was right.
Right after 9-11, John was wrong to look beyond Afghanistan to war with Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
Barack was right that we should finish the war in Afghanistan -- and that Iraq was a huge diversion from defeating the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9-11.
In the run up to the Iraq war, like the Bush administration, John insisted that Saddam was in league with Al Qaeda and complicit in 9-11…, that we would be greeted as liberators…, that we didn't need a lot of troops…, that victory was imminent…, that Sunnis and Shiites would get along because "there's not a history of clashes that are violent between" them.
He lauded the administration's conduct of the war, singling out for praise Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney.
On all of those counts, John's judgment was wrong.
Then, John said there's nothing to talk about with Iran.
Barack said hard headed diplomacy is the best way to focus Iran on what it stands to gain if its stops it nuclear program -- and what it will lose if it does not.
Now, even the Bush administration sent our most senior diplomat for direct talks with Tehran. John wrong, Barack was right.
Just three years ago, John said we were succeeding in Afghanistan.
More than a year ago, Barack said we were not -- and we needed at least two more combat brigades.
Now, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs says we are not winning -- and we need more troops. John was wrong, Barack was right.
John rejects a timeline for redeploying our combat forces from Iraq.
Barack says shift the responsibility to the Iraqis and set a timeline to bring our combat forces home.
Now, President Bush and the Maliki government are negotiating an agreement to do just that. John was wrong, Barack was right.
Maybe most fundamentally of all, John McCain continues to insist, against all the evidence and all the facts, that Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism.
Barack Obama says that central front is where it has always been since 9-11 – the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On this, John is more than wrong -- he is dangerously wrong -- and Barack Obama is right.
On a question so basic, so fundamental, so critical to our nation's security, we can't afford a Commander-in Chief so divorced from reality and from America's most basic national interests.
And on the most important question for returning members of the guard – the strength of our economy – Barack has it right.
Barack has the plans – which he's introducing today – to stabilize the US and world economic markets.
In the short term, it will keep this financial crisis from getting worse. It will help keep people in their homes, and protect their life savings.
In the long term, it will provide the protections necessary to make sure this never happens again.
We'll create millions of new jobs with investments in infrastructure and new energy technology – many of the same fields in which our guardsmen and reservists have developed skills.
And, by the way, when we produce more of our energy at home, we'll be less reliant on protecting unstable supplies from unfriendly regimes.
We'll make sure that your bravery abroad is matched with opportunity upon your return, by investing in programs like the new GI Bill.
I want to close by sharing something I experienced several weeks ago in Florida.
A retired Marine stood up at an event where I was speaking.
He looked like he had something to get off his chest as he took the microphone from me. "Senator," he said. "I'd be proud to salute Barack Obama as my Commander-in-Chief."
He also told me that he'd be proud to salute me as his Vice President. I told him that nobody salutes the vice president.
Folks, I couldn't say it better myself. I will be proud to salute Barack Obama as my Commander-in-Chief. And I think you will be, too.
Palin Inside "Cone Of Silence" - Why Is McCain Hiding Her?
Rachall Maddow really nails this issue along with Andrea Mitchell of NBC. Sarah Palin is being shielded from the press more like she is the leader of North Korea rather than a candidate for Vice President
Clay Aiken And His New "Gaybie"
Call me out of touch, but I have heard the name Clay Aiken numerous times but I could never point to his picture in a lineup and identify him. I guess I am not up on pop culture?
What I did find interesting was the cover of People magazine and his assertion that he is gay. To add to the message, he is holding his new "gaybie", Parker. I am happy he came out, and I am happy his son (conceived through in vitro fertilization) will have a father who is honest about his sexual orientation. My worry is that like so many things in pop culture, Parker is a fad.
I am seeing "gaybies" everywhere. Though I have no problem with gay and lesbian couples having children, the sudden explosion of them has all the earmarks of a passing fad. Much like the glut of Shar Pei puppies a few years ago or the even stranger pot bellied pig phenomenon, I fear that once the excitement of being a parent wears off, lots of kids will be neglected or become the burden that leads to dysfunctional childhoods.
Of course this may be no different than what happened during my generation, when the baby boom saw an army of strollers on every corner as returning servicemen and women made pregnancy a national pastime. Lots of kids from my generation grew up in families that found raising children was more work than they bargained for.
Perhaps the new "gaybie" boom may be different. After all for a gay or lesbian couple to have a baby there is a lot more work going into that decision than for a straight couple to conceive. Maybe gay and lesbian parents will have considered all the responsibilities and problems raising a child can bring. If so, they will make fine parents.
My worry is the whole celebrity thing, and if Aiken's child is just a fad, what will he do with the new life he has now become responsible for? My hope is he will grow in his maturity enough to make a good parent and find in himself the strength to make the right decisions in raising his son.
Babies are not just pets that can be dropped off at the local shelter when you are tired of them. I guess that is a lesson everyone needs to learn.
What I did find interesting was the cover of People magazine and his assertion that he is gay. To add to the message, he is holding his new "gaybie", Parker. I am happy he came out, and I am happy his son (conceived through in vitro fertilization) will have a father who is honest about his sexual orientation. My worry is that like so many things in pop culture, Parker is a fad.
I am seeing "gaybies" everywhere. Though I have no problem with gay and lesbian couples having children, the sudden explosion of them has all the earmarks of a passing fad. Much like the glut of Shar Pei puppies a few years ago or the even stranger pot bellied pig phenomenon, I fear that once the excitement of being a parent wears off, lots of kids will be neglected or become the burden that leads to dysfunctional childhoods.
Of course this may be no different than what happened during my generation, when the baby boom saw an army of strollers on every corner as returning servicemen and women made pregnancy a national pastime. Lots of kids from my generation grew up in families that found raising children was more work than they bargained for.
Perhaps the new "gaybie" boom may be different. After all for a gay or lesbian couple to have a baby there is a lot more work going into that decision than for a straight couple to conceive. Maybe gay and lesbian parents will have considered all the responsibilities and problems raising a child can bring. If so, they will make fine parents.
My worry is the whole celebrity thing, and if Aiken's child is just a fad, what will he do with the new life he has now become responsible for? My hope is he will grow in his maturity enough to make a good parent and find in himself the strength to make the right decisions in raising his son.
Babies are not just pets that can be dropped off at the local shelter when you are tired of them. I guess that is a lesson everyone needs to learn.
Wall Street Bailout
As I watched Warren Buffet drop a cool $5 billion on Goldman-Sachs I remembered Baron Rothschild's expression "the time to buy is when there is blood in the streets". Well there is blood on Wall Street, so I guess that will suffice. Buffet also knows that Goldman has pulled in it's horns and change its status to bank holding company. That is a much safer investment.
I am not a financier by any means, but this is a good sign to me. It signals that things are bottoming out and buyers are coming in for deals. Now if the government can agree on a fair and regulated infusion of cash to prevent more failures things might be saved from the brink. Once it settles, it will be time to start chopping off the heads of these greedy investment firms and send them packing without their golden parachutes.
I am not a financier by any means, but this is a good sign to me. It signals that things are bottoming out and buyers are coming in for deals. Now if the government can agree on a fair and regulated infusion of cash to prevent more failures things might be saved from the brink. Once it settles, it will be time to start chopping off the heads of these greedy investment firms and send them packing without their golden parachutes.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Obama On Bailout - “This plan cannot be a welfare program for Wall St. executives”
Obama on MSNBC during a press conference today. He lays out his expectations for the Wall Street bailout and what he expects of the banking executives who will receive help. Great stuff!
What A Community Organizer Does - Video
Want to know what a community organizer does? Watch this Reuters video that details Obama's history.
David Blaine Hangs Upside Down - Yawn!.
When David Blaine first popped onto the pop-culture scene a few years ago as a street magician, he was entertaining if not always honest in his illusions. Of course as a magician, that dishonesty is part of the package, since magicians really cant do magic, but the ruse is take with a good nature by audiences who enjoy the fun of being fooled.
From street magician, Blaine went on to do feats that cross the line between ascetic mysticism and daredevil. His sitting in a glass box in London without food or water is a case in point. After the novelty of it wore off, most Londoners shrugged their shoulders and declared, "so what?".
Now Blaine is at it again, this time hanging upside down for 60 hours in Central Park. Not exactly a riveting feat, but one that carries lots of risks. My question is why?
Blaine is a good magician. He could have taken the path of Chris Angel and become a regular on TV and in concert, but instead he persists in doing quirky stunts that leave most observers cold.
I hope he survives with his eyesight and faculties intact. I would love to meet him one day and ask him...why?
From street magician, Blaine went on to do feats that cross the line between ascetic mysticism and daredevil. His sitting in a glass box in London without food or water is a case in point. After the novelty of it wore off, most Londoners shrugged their shoulders and declared, "so what?".
Now Blaine is at it again, this time hanging upside down for 60 hours in Central Park. Not exactly a riveting feat, but one that carries lots of risks. My question is why?
Blaine is a good magician. He could have taken the path of Chris Angel and become a regular on TV and in concert, but instead he persists in doing quirky stunts that leave most observers cold.
I hope he survives with his eyesight and faculties intact. I would love to meet him one day and ask him...why?
McCain's War On Press Freedom
The former Straight Talk Express has been renamed the "No Talk Express" by one reporter. McCain and his campaign have been virtually inaccessible to the press over the past few weeks and that has been no more evident than in the "cone of silence" surrounding McCains running mate, Sarah Palin. She is now in the "seen but not heard" category when it comes to the media.
The McCain campaign is happy to let the press shoot pictures of Palin, but ask her a question? Not so fast! That stonewalling cause the press to revolt and refuse to cover her photo-op forray into the UN.
Now McCain has begin attaching the press. His campaign spokesperson Steven Schmidt had harsh words for the New York Times.
“Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization,” Mr. Schmidt said. He added, “This is an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate, which is their prerogative to be.”
Not the kind of attack you want to make without proof and especially against a newspaper with so many readers.
Tonight McCain plans a 15 minute press conference. Seems awful short, and I suspect that is the reason, to limit coverage again. What is he hiding? Have McCain/Palin become the new Bush/Cheney, holed up in their fortress of solitude? Watch as he ignores reporters completely.
The McCain campaign is happy to let the press shoot pictures of Palin, but ask her a question? Not so fast! That stonewalling cause the press to revolt and refuse to cover her photo-op forray into the UN.
Now McCain has begin attaching the press. His campaign spokesperson Steven Schmidt had harsh words for the New York Times.
“Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization,” Mr. Schmidt said. He added, “This is an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate, which is their prerogative to be.”
Not the kind of attack you want to make without proof and especially against a newspaper with so many readers.
Tonight McCain plans a 15 minute press conference. Seems awful short, and I suspect that is the reason, to limit coverage again. What is he hiding? Have McCain/Palin become the new Bush/Cheney, holed up in their fortress of solitude? Watch as he ignores reporters completely.
Palin - Mean & Viscious In Mayoral Campaign
The more you see Sarah Palin, the more she looks like a mean spirited bitch. There I said it! Sorry to all my female friends, but it's time someone told the truth about her.
Here is a case in point. When she ran for Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska she proudly pronounce she would be "Wasilla's first Christian mayor." This in spite of the fact that her opponent John Stein was a protestant. The unspoken implication and one that was intimated often by her and her supporters was that Stein was Jewish. Want more proof?
An article in Salon.com has more:
Now, let's talk about what to call her...
Here is a case in point. When she ran for Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska she proudly pronounce she would be "Wasilla's first Christian mayor." This in spite of the fact that her opponent John Stein was a protestant. The unspoken implication and one that was intimated often by her and her supporters was that Stein was Jewish. Want more proof?
An article in Salon.com has more:
The Palin campaign also started another vicious whisper campaign, spreading the word that Stein and his wife -- who had chosen to keep her own last name when they were married -- were not legally wed. Again, Palin knew the truth, Stein said, but chose to muddy the waters. "We actually had to produce our marriage certificate," recalled Stein, whose wife died of breast cancer in 2005 without ever reconciling with Palin.Prior to her candidacy, the mayoral campaign was non-partisan, but Palin introduced the whole, "God, guns and abortion into the race" things that had nothing to do with being mayor of a small town.
Now, let's talk about what to call her...
Palin Coverage Banned From Networks - Lack Of Editorial Access Is The Reason
If you are wondering where the interviews and press conferences with Sarah Palin are, you are not alone. The major networks have pressed for access to the "hockey mom" turned VP candidate for weeks and have been stonewalled by McCain's folks. Now Sarah is visiting the UN and the McCain campaign wants lots of pictures of Palin with world leaders.
Surprise! The press says "no interviews, no photo-ops". CNN and others have banned coverage of Palin at the UN. They insist if they have no editorial presence there it is strictly campaign promotion and that is against policy.
According to CBS:
Surprise! The press says "no interviews, no photo-ops". CNN and others have banned coverage of Palin at the UN. They insist if they have no editorial presence there it is strictly campaign promotion and that is against policy.
According to CBS:
Television networks, including CBS News maintain a policy that if they are prevented from having an editorial presence at an event, they will not allow cameras to shoot it.The McCain/Palin campaign's effort to stifle editorial coverage of the candidate's meetings with world leaders comes a week after CBS News asked Palin an impromptu question about the AIG bailout, while Palin made an off-the-record stop at a Cleveland diner.
After the Cleveland event, a Palin staffer told CBS News that questions "weren't allowed."
In Orlando on Sunday, Palin had another off-the-record stop at an ice cream shop, but the pool producer who was assigned to be in Palin's motorcade was not notified when the candidate departed to get ice cream, and so there was no editorial presence at the event.
New SIte - BuyMyS#@tpile.com
OK, so the treasury is bailing out Wall Street and buying all their shit. Some clever folks came up with a web site to goon this whole bailout thing. Its a site where you can encourage the government to buy your worthless stuff just like they are on Wall Street!
McCain Campaign Keeps "Porn" Money
The owner of Manhunt, a web site dedicated to gay hookups and containing more than a little in the way of erotic photography gave the McCain campaign $2,300. There was much outrage and gnashing of teeth about the contribution from both the conservative camp and gay publications who saw the money as hypocritical. Supposedly McCain was returning the cash, but turns out no such thing happened.
Once the storm blew over, the cash remained in McCain's coffers. Jonathan Crutchley, the sites publisher said he would give the money to Obama if it was returned, but that apparently isn't happening. Read more at Michelangelo Signorile's blog.
Once the storm blew over, the cash remained in McCain's coffers. Jonathan Crutchley, the sites publisher said he would give the money to Obama if it was returned, but that apparently isn't happening. Read more at Michelangelo Signorile's blog.
D Magazine - "Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history"
It's becoming a trend, GOP loyalists defecting to Obama. In a recent edition of D Magazine, the long time stalwart of Dallas culture and entertainment, Editor Wick Allison hands in his elephant for a donkey. The column gives details how the GOP has walked away from it's roots and become a party of the far right.
Allison gets right to the issue.
Allison gets right to the issue.
Today it is conservatives, not liberals, who talk with alarming bellicosity about making the world “safe for democracy.” It is John McCain who says America’s job is to “defeat evil,” a theological expansion of the nation’s mission that would make George Washington cough out his wooden teeth.Worth a read and worth passing on to your GOP friends.This kind of conservatism, which is not conservative at all, has produced financial mismanagement, the waste of human lives, the loss of moral authority, and the wreckage of our economy that McCain now threatens to make worse.
McCain Loses His Head
When you are a candidate and you get scathing criticism from George Will, you could chalk it up to Will's conservative beliefs, but when you are the Republican candidate getting this criticism you need to do some soul searching! George Will rakes John McCain and his entire campaign over the coals in the latest issue of the Washington Post.
Comparing McCain's leadership qualities to that of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Will notes McCain's call for firing the SEC chief as an "off with his head" moment. Saying Chris Cox (head of the SEC) "betrayed the public trust", is pretty outrageous considering it was the GOP who gutted most of the regulations governing Wall Street and investment banking. Cox was just following the rules he was given.
Firing Cox follows the Bush model almost word for word. Typical behavior in the Bush administration is to fire a foot soldier when the problem is the corruption from the top down. Look at Abu Ghraib. The lowest ranking soldiers were charges and court marshaled, while the generals and cabinet officials who encourages the behavior go scott free.
Read Will's column, it is an eye opener.
Comparing McCain's leadership qualities to that of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Will notes McCain's call for firing the SEC chief as an "off with his head" moment. Saying Chris Cox (head of the SEC) "betrayed the public trust", is pretty outrageous considering it was the GOP who gutted most of the regulations governing Wall Street and investment banking. Cox was just following the rules he was given.
Firing Cox follows the Bush model almost word for word. Typical behavior in the Bush administration is to fire a foot soldier when the problem is the corruption from the top down. Look at Abu Ghraib. The lowest ranking soldiers were charges and court marshaled, while the generals and cabinet officials who encourages the behavior go scott free.
Read Will's column, it is an eye opener.
Monday, September 22, 2008
McCain's Campaign Lying Yet Again! Press Catches Them At It
The McCain camp just can't stop lying. They held a coference call today to complain about being called "liars" in the press and then they compounded it by repeatedly lying during the Q&A session with the press. Luckily the press was doing their job and caught the falsehoods. The effect was that the call reinforced the image of McCain as unable to campaign on the facts.
Here's what Ben Smith of Politico.com had to say:
Here's what Ben Smith of Politico.com had to say:
Senator John McCain’s top aides convened a conference call today to complain of being called “liars.” They pressed the media to scrutinize specific elements of Senator Barack Obama’s record.
But the call was so rife with simple, often inexplicable misstatements of fact that it may have had the opposite effect: Deepening the perception, dangerous to McCain, that he and his aides have little regard for factual accuracy.
McCain Chief Of Staff - Closeted Gay Man!
It's not a joke. The folks over at BlogActive have just let the cat out of the bag. Seems Mr. Mark Buse who manages McCain's staff has been leading a double life. Additionally, his working for a Senator who actively opposes gay rights makes him "fair game" for any attack like this.Here is a little of the damning story from BlogActive.com:
Mark Buse is not just a Chief of Staff for a homophobic United States Senator, but he is helping that Senator get elected to the White House.
Does Mark Buse fit the Barney Frank rule? Without a doubt. While McCain voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, he supports amending state constitutions defining marriage as between a man and a woman. McCain knows our country needs everyone who wants to serve in the military and he knows that DADT is wrong, yet he swings to the right on repealing it.
Worst of all, and a demonstration of his inability to act rationally and with the country's best interests at heart, he picked someone who, if she becomes president (very likely), will be the most homophobic in American history.
The Photo is from JoeMyGod.
Bush Tries To Sneak "Dictatorial" Powers INto Bailout Bill
Bush wants the bail out NOW. He wants it quick and there is a hidden reason. Buried down in section 8 of the bill is this little gem:
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.That is tantamout to a dictatorships power over the economy. Bush has made every effort he can to strengthen the Executive Branch far beyond anything ever imagined by our Founding Fathers. This clause being sneacked into a critical bill is another example and it must be removed!
McCain Promotes Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants
John McCain, speaking in front of one of his hand picked "town hall" audiences endorsed the concept of amnesty for illegal immigrants. He couched it in terms of "path to citizenship" but any time this has been discussed by the Democrats that path has been labeled amnesty and condemned by the GOP. McCain wants it both ways.
Here is a clip from McCain's speech:
Here is a clip from McCain's speech:
There are 50,000 Irish men and women who are in this country illegally at this time, who are hard-working people, who want to become citizens. And I want to assure you that we will enact comprehensive immigration reform, after they do certain things, obviously, give them a path to citizenship in this country as part of an overall immigration reform package.
McCain Top Adviser Got $2 Million From Fannie & Freddie!
John McCain's TOP ADVISER, (I emphasize that for a reason which will become evident later) was paid more than $30,000 per month by Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations. Now understand the reason for the emphasis?
McCain thinks the American public are a bunch of idiots. First he picks a ditzy incompetent back woods politician as his running mate, and now he expects us to believe that he, a man advised by the same Fat Fats he rails against, can fix the financial crisis! Enough.
McCain's judgment is called in to question in light of these facts, and his pathological lying of late makes me believe he is not only a doddering old curmudgeon, but unfit to lead our country both morally and physically.
His campaign keeps saying the words "maverick" and "reformer" over and over expecting us to blindly follow along. The truth is he is a liar and and extremist whose staff is made up of Bush era conservatives. Keep repeating this to counteract the propaganda, "McCain - 4 More Years of Bush","McCain - 4 More Years of Bush". Now go out there and get that Obama sticker on your car!
McCain thinks the American public are a bunch of idiots. First he picks a ditzy incompetent back woods politician as his running mate, and now he expects us to believe that he, a man advised by the same Fat Fats he rails against, can fix the financial crisis! Enough.
McCain's judgment is called in to question in light of these facts, and his pathological lying of late makes me believe he is not only a doddering old curmudgeon, but unfit to lead our country both morally and physically.
His campaign keeps saying the words "maverick" and "reformer" over and over expecting us to blindly follow along. The truth is he is a liar and and extremist whose staff is made up of Bush era conservatives. Keep repeating this to counteract the propaganda, "McCain - 4 More Years of Bush","McCain - 4 More Years of Bush". Now go out there and get that Obama sticker on your car!
McCaine Dazed & Confused Again - Defends Fiorina's $40 Million Golden Parachute
John McCain on an MSNBC interview looked again like a frail old man who was not only confused, but when faced with the facts, just couldn't make any sense.
McCain Out Of Touch On Health Care - Video
In the latest ad from Obama they expose McCain's biggest gaff yet, his out of touch position on health care!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
McCain Says He's Glad He Helped Deregulate Wall Street!
So here's a funny story. John McCain gets interviewed and it play s on CBS today. In it he is asked if he regrets deregulating Wall Street in 1999. And he says he was proud of it! Real knee slapper, huh? Watch it and just try to laugh.
Thousands Line Streets For Gay Pride Parade In Dallas
The 25th Annual Alan Ross Freedom Parade was today in Dallas. As usual I rode with the local chapter of NLA, The National Leather Association. As such, we wore leather or at least as much of it as was practical for a day when the temperature reached 90.
The parade was a big hit with everyone along the route. There were about 40,000 people lining Cedar Springs Road in the Oak Lawn sector of Dallas. The crowds were 10 to 20 people deep in some places and our contingent got really enthusiastic cheers.
Seems nothing excites a crowd quite like a bunch of men and women wearing leather vests, chaps and boots! Of course the candy, beads and other goodies that we tossed helped as well.
All in all it was a sweaty but very entertaining parade with only a handful of protesters and we managed to avoid engaging them. Next year is our 20th anniversary, so we will have a real honest to goodness float!
The parade was a big hit with everyone along the route. There were about 40,000 people lining Cedar Springs Road in the Oak Lawn sector of Dallas. The crowds were 10 to 20 people deep in some places and our contingent got really enthusiastic cheers.
Seems nothing excites a crowd quite like a bunch of men and women wearing leather vests, chaps and boots! Of course the candy, beads and other goodies that we tossed helped as well.
All in all it was a sweaty but very entertaining parade with only a handful of protesters and we managed to avoid engaging them. Next year is our 20th anniversary, so we will have a real honest to goodness float!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
