I Voted Obama in 2008

Top US Military Officer Says More Troops Likely Needed in Afghanistan

2009-09-15T17:44:00.001-04:00

By Meredith Buel
Washington
15 September 2009

U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that the United States probably will need to send more troops to Afghanistan to win the war against Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents.

U.S. military officials say they are in a race against time and mounting opposition from the American public to reverse the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where violence has reached its highest level since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001.

Mullen discussed the troop levels in testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. "A properly resourced counter-insurgency probably means more forces and without question, more time and more commitment to the protection of the Afghan people and to the development of good governance," he said.

Mullen did not say how many more soldiers would be needed, but he said he expects a request for additional troops in the next two weeks from U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

The United States now has about 62,000 troops in Afghanistan, nearly double the number from last year. The number of American forces in Afghanistan is slated to reach 68,000 by year's end.

Despite President Barack Obama's earlier decision to send an additional 17,000 combat troops and 4,000 trainers for Afghan forces, U.S. officials say the security in areas infiltrated by the Taliban continues to worsen.

Admiral Mullen says that if the Taliban retake control of Afghanistan, the country will again be a safe haven for terrorist groups like al-Qaida. "It is the epicenter of terrorism right now. It is very clear that in fact al-Qaida is diminished while it is living in Pakistan, and this is a Pakistan-Afghanistan issue. They are by no means dead. It is a very serious threat," he said.

Mullen called for patience with U.S. and NATO efforts in Afghanistan as the American public and some members of Congress are becoming increasingly uneasy about the conflict.

A recent CNN survey shows that 58 percent of Americans oppose the war, while 39 percent support it.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Democrat Carl Levin says the Pentagon should not send any additional troops to Afghanistan until the United States takes more aggressive action to expand Afghanistan's armed forces. "Providing the resources needed for the Afghan Army and Afghan police to become self-sufficient would demonstrate our commitment to the success of a mission that is in our national security interest, while avoiding the risks associated with a larger U.S. footprint," he said.

Some members of Congress are urging the Obama administration to learn from the Iraq War, where a surge in U.S. forces helped to quell violence.

"Every day we delay in implementing this strategy and increasing the number of troops there - which we all know is vitally needed - puts more and more young Americans who are already there, their lives in danger," said

Republican Senator John McCain, who says more troops should be deployed quickly.
Admiral Mullen says the situation in Afghanistan will continue to deteriorate without a renewed U.S. commitment.

He says General McChrystal found conditions worse than he expected when he took command a few months ago.

This year has been the deadliest for foreign forces in Afghanistan since the conflict began nearly eight years ago.

Source: VOA News

Obama: 'Learn lessons of Lehman'

2009-09-14T21:04:00.001-04:00

In speech on Wall Street, president says bailouts are working and economy is stabilizing, but regulatory reform is needed to prevent future collapses.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The bailouts have largely stabilized the financial system, but regulatory reform is needed to prevent a similar crisis from happening again, said President Obama in a speech delivered Monday on Wall Street.

Marking the anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse, which set off a series of events that led to last fall's financial crisis, Obama cautioned Wall Street to step lightly as the economy and financial sector recover.

"Normalcy cannot lead to complacency," Obama said. "Unfortunately, there are some in the financial industry who are misreading this moment. Instead of learning the lessons of Lehman and the crisis from which we are still recovering, they are choosing to ignore them."

"They do so not just at their own peril, but at our nation's," the president added.

Step up regulation. Economists said the president offered no new proposals, but instead used the bully pulpit to get Congress and regulators on board.

Lawmakers and some regulators have been resistant to some of the changes the administration has proposed. For instance, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has opposed a new consumer regulator, arguing that it's the Fed's job to protect consumers.

"The president needs to create enough of a groundswell to get this done," said Dan Seiver, professor of finance at San Diego State University. "Right now he's encountering resistance from regulators like the Fed .. but they were the ones asleep at the switch."

Obama said much more work is left to be done. The president called for more stringent rules to prevent the domino-effect if one large firm collapses. He said an overhaul of regulation must be done in a way that does not smother innovation, but "the old ways that led to this crisis cannot stand."

"We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses," he said. "Those on Wall Street cannot resume taking risks without regard for consequences, and expect that next time, American taxpayers will be there to break their fall."

Obama reiterated a number of proposals that the administration has previously made, including a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, closing loopholes and gaps in the regulatory system, and putting an end to "too big to fail" by creating resolution authority for non-bank financial institutions. Obama also called on foreign economies to join the United States in its regulatory effort for a coordinated response to the financial crisis.

"Restoring a willingness to take responsibility -- even when it is hard -- is at the heart of what we must do," said Obama. "Here on Wall Street, you have a responsibility. The reforms I've laid out will pass and these changes will become law. But one of the most important ways to rebuild the system stronger than before is to rebuild trust stronger than before -- and you do not have to wait for a new law to do that."

Bailout era not over. "Although I will never be satisfied while people are out of work and our financial system is weakened, we can be confident that the storms of the past two years are beginning to break," said Obama. "In fact, while there continues to be a need for government involvement to stabilize the financial system, that necessity is waning."

Taxpayers have lent hundreds of billions of dollars to systemically significant financial institutions and trillions more in lending programs aimed at easing the tight grip on lending. Obama said bailout money is flowing back to taxpayers, but "that doesn't mean taxpayers will escape the worst financial crisis in decades unscathed," he said.

First Published: September 14, 2009: 12:16 PM ET

Source: money.cnn.com

Remembering Sept. 11th, 2001

2009-09-11T18:28:00.003-04:00

NEW YORK -- Vowing to never falter in the pursuit of al Qaeda and its allies, President Barack Obama placed a wreath under rainy skies at the Pentagon in memory of the victims of 9/11 on the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

"Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still," Mr. Obama said. "In defense of our nation, we will never waver."

Mr. Obama said the strongest rebuke against the terrorist attackers is the nation's renewal of a common purpose. Following the ceremony, the president and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, greeted families of the victims of the Pentagon, where 184 people died.

The Obamas attended the ceremony after observing a White House moment of silence at precisely 8:46 a.m. EDT, the moment the first jetliner struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. About 150 White House staffers stood in silence around the Obamas.

Skies were also gray in New York City, and at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in a Shanksville, Pa., field, where now-familiar ceremonies honored the nearly 3,000 people who were lost in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Friday was also the first time the anniversary was observed as a national day of service, following an order signed this year by Mr. Obama.

"From this day forward, we will safeguard the memories of those who died by rekindling the spirit of service that lit our city with hope and helped keep us strong," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a ceremony in lower Manhattan.

At a plaza adjacent to Ground Zero in New York City, families gathered in the rain, with their umbrellas whipping inside out, while the names of the Trade Center victims were read, pausing for moments of silence at the minutes the jetliners crashed into the towers.

People involved in volunteer work across the nation joined relatives of victims to read the names of those lost in the twin towers. One reader represented a group called New York Says Thank You, which sends volunteers from New York City each year on the attacks anniversary to help rebuild communities around the country affected by disasters as a way to send thanks for the help that came to New York City after Sept. 11.

Other readers were from local soup kitchens, advocacy groups and well-known service organizations including the American Red Cross and the United Way.

As has become tradition, relatives who read names called out greetings and messages of love to the lost. "We miss you; life will never be the same without you. This is not the rain," said Vladimir Boyarsky, whose son, Gennady Boyarsky, was killed. "This is the tears."

In New York City, Vice President Joe Biden spoke during a pause in the reading of the names, telling the several hundred victims' relatives gathered that "there's a special fraternity for those of us who've lost spouses and children." Mr. Biden's daughter and first wife died in a 1972 automobile accident.

Before he spoke, Mr. Biden joined families who were laying flowers in a reflecting pool on the site where the towers once stood.

Relatives and friends of victims were allowed Friday to visit the plaza for the Sept. 11 memorial that is under construction. It is expected to be partially complete and open for the 10th anniversary.

Former President George W. Bush had no public appearances planned Friday, and a spokesman said he would be working in his office during the morning. In a brief statement, he said he and his wife, Laura, were thinking of the victims and their families.

"We honor those who volunteer to keep us safe and extend the reach of freedom -- including members of the armed forces, law enforcement officers, and intelligence and homeland security professionals," the statement said. "Their courage, service, and sacrifice is a fitting tribute to all those who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. On this day, let us renew our determination to prevent evil from returning to our shores."

Across the country, a fund-raiser to repair storm damage at Central Park, beach cleanups and repairs of homeless shelters were among the efforts organized to give back.

A Cleveland service organization planned to paint pies cooling, flower vases and sleeping cats resting on windowsills on boarded-up, abandoned properties in a Slavic neighborhood.

A Boston group founded by victims' family members -- two of the four planes left from Boston -- planned to write letters to U.S. soldiers overseas and pack care packages. Over 100 volunteers in San Jose, Calif., planned to plant fruit and vegetable gardens for low-income families.

This year, one new name will be read -- a victim added to New York's death toll in January. The medical examiner's office ruled that Leon Heyward, who died last year of lymphoma and lung disease, was a homicide victim because he was caught in the toxic dust cloud just after the towers collapsed. It's the second time the city has added to the victims' list someone who died long after Sept. 11, ruling that exposure to toxic dust caused lung disease.

American troops in Afghanistan donned shorts and sneakers Friday to run in memory of the attacks, as they fight a war that was born of that day but now faces waning public support.

About 1,000 service members ran 5.5 miles at the main U.S. base, both to commemorate the anniversary and remember troops who have died in nearly eight years of fighting.

The U.S. and its allies first invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust the Taliban regime for sheltering al Qaeda leaders who planned the attacks.

Organizers of Friday's race, which also was held at two other bases, called it an act of defiance against insurgents who have killed more American troops this year than in any other since the beginning of the conflict. August was the deadliest month for U.S. troops so far, with 51 killed.

"Our soldiers are running in the heart of Taliban territory, where the attacks on America were planned," a military statement said.

Copyright © 2009 Associated Press

Source: Wall Street Journal/Associated Press

Remebering Septmeber 11, 2001

2009-09-11T17:53:00.001-04:00

More on the healthcare issue

2009-09-11T17:10:00.000-04:00

Obama and the Democrats Will Pay Later if They Don’t Hit Reset on Healthcare Now
By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

In his speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday President Barack Obama doubled down in his support for nationalized healthcare. Hardly a game changer, as Democrats have claimed, Obama reiterated his support for the so-called public option while proposing little that would actually improve the quality of healthcare in the United States.

It's not likely it is going to make much of a difference. CNBC's Larry Kudlow, in an op-ed that appeared Friday, remarked that Wall Street is now betting heavily against the president.

In a strong stock market on Thursday ... health-insurer shares advanced significantly. Cigna increased 5 percent; Health Net almost 5 percent; Humana 3.5 percent; and UnitedHealth Group 1.5 percent. Hospital shares like Community Health Systems and Tenet Healthcare also rallied smartly, climbing about 5 percent each. Drug company Pfizer rose more than 1 percent.

These healthcare stocks would not have rallied the day after the speech if investors believed Obama would get his way on public option. Moreover, any of the plans being presented by the Democrats, even conceptually, will add to the deficit, increase taxes and force many Americans to give up the private insurance they currently have.

Obama's reliance on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the existing Medicare program to find the money is little more than a talking point in the same class as the "magic asterisk" invented by Reagan-era OMB Director David Stockman. It's not where the money is. As Kudlow puts it, "There are taxes galore for this $900 billion baby. It includes a 35 percent excise tax on high-end insurance policies, plus billions more in taxes on insurers, drug companies and medical-device makers. Government boards will determine value, quality and quantity for doctors, hospitals and clinical laboratories. Folks who opt out could face a $3,800 tax (based on a family of four)."

It's time to hit the reset button. Congressional Democrats ignore this reality at their own peril.

Source: USnews.com

Obama to try and keep hope alive for health bill

2009-09-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

By JENNIFER LOVEN (AP)

WASHINGTON — Harsh realities are testing President Barack Obama's "yes we can" ethic like never before as he appeals to Congress and the nation to keep alive his hopes for creating affordable health care for all.

Just hours before Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, a leading lawmaker all but abandoned months of effort to bring both parties together in a historic compromise aimed at extending coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured.

That development quickly followed another dispiriting turn of events for advocates of a radical fix for the health care system. The idea of forming a government-run insurance plan to compete in the marketplace, once at the core of Obama's approach, was close to being written off in Congress, judging by the sentiments of moderate Democrats whose votes are crucial to any reform.

Obama's speech was the opening salvo in an autumn campaign to salvage his top domestic priority. Next up: a rally Saturday in the Midwest.

"We do intend to get something done this year," Obama said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

On Capitol Hill, the top Senate negotiator, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said he would move ahead with legislation the week of Sept. 21 whether he has Republican backing or not.

Acting without substantial Republican support means a tougher road for Democrats and prospects for a national debate even more divisive than was seen in a summer of contentious, sometimes raw, town hall meetings.

Even as the president continued polishing his speech of about 35 minutes, Republicans pressed their case that Obama's sweeping approach won't wash.

"The status quo is unacceptable," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky acknowledged in prepared remarks. "But if August showed us anything, it's that so are the alternatives that the administration and Democrats in Congress have proposed.

"That means sensible, step-by-step reforms, not more trillion-dollar grand schemes."

Obama will make a case for why he still believes a public insurance plan is the best way to introduce greater competition into the system, a senior administration official said.

But the official, who discussed the speech on grounds of anonymity because preparations remain under way, also said Obama would not insist that such an option be included in any final package.

"I'm open to new ideas," the president told ABC. "We're not being rigid and ideological about this thing."

A new poll found Obama has much work to do. Public disapproval of Obama's handling of health care has jumped to 52 percent, from 43 percent in July, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.

Sitting in first lady Michelle Obama's box in the House gallery will be Americans who have suffered from high costs and insurance practices, and Obama will mention some specifically in his remarks.

Obama's stance on the public option is viewed as too timid by the liberal base of his party, which is increasingly fighting for the creation of a government insurance plan. Liberal lawmakers say they won't vote for legislation without it.

But with Republicans and many moderate Democrats saying they won't vote for one with it, the issue has become Obama's main quandary.

Baucus said after a meeting with Democrats on the panel: "I think frankly with increasing conviction that a public option cannot pass the Senate."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Obama told her and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during a White House meeting on Tuesday that his message to critics of such an option would essentially be: "If you have a better idea, put it on the table."

Baucus has been circulating a proposal that would cost $900 billion over 10 years and guarantee coverage for nearly all Americans, regardless of medical problems. Fees on insurers, drug companies and others in the health care industry would finance tax credits to help expand coverage. Baucus' panel is the only one of the five involved in health care not to complete a bill yet, and the only one still searching for a bipartisan compromise.

One provision would fine families up to $3,800 for failing to buy health insurance, essentially requiring that everyone have medical coverage, much like the case with car insurance. Obama rejected a mandate, and fines, during his presidential campaign.

The plan does not include a government-run insurance option.

Baucus asked his "Gang of Six" bipartisan negotiators to report back with suggestions by Wednesday, hoping for an agreement before the president's address.

Few appeared ready to move that fast. "That's the cart before the horse, as they say in Maine," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican being courted by the White House.

There was little sign by midday that an agreement was in the offing. One of the negotiators, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said talks were ongoing and included "some things that are very central."

On the House side, Democrats met to plot strategy and set another similar meeting for Thursday morning. "Clearly failure is not an option here," said Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., a member of the Democratic leadership.

Obama scheduled his address for a day after lawmakers returned from an August recess marked by contentious public forums and much misinformation and confusion about what a health care overhaul may look like.

White House officials said the president will "answer all the major questions" — including the sticky issue of how to pay for getting coverage for those who lack it.

A senior administration official said Obama has ceased worrying about whether he gets any Republican participation.

But that is no longer Obama's biggest difficulty, a fact underscored by the conflicting advice he was getting from within his own party.

"I hope he will call for a pragmatic, bipartisan approach," said Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., head of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition. "I support necessary change, but not radical change."

But liberal Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., said Obama must say he is prepared to fight for a public option. "That's how bills get passed," Weiner said. "It's that or a retreat."

Gibbs appeared on NBC's "Today" show and CBS's "The Early Show."

Associated Press writers Ben Feller, Erica Werner, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Ben Evans contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: Associated Press

Damned if he does, Damned if he doesn't

2009-09-08T21:26:00.002-04:00

Now that Obama has given his speech, the lunacy of the accusations is apparent. But why didn't we see it before?

By Lynne K. Varner
Seattle Times editorial columnist

President Obama zoomed past the end-of-honeymoon point all presidents eventually hit and landed straight in damned if he does, damned if he doesn't territory.

How else to explain how conservatives, who pushed Obama to have frank conversations on social challenges such as absentee fathers, could turn a speech to the nation's school children into a plot to foist socialist ideology upon tiny minds.

I'll reserve the bulk of my ire for the smallest minds, those inside the skulls of parents who threatened to keep their children home so they didn't hear the president's message.

The effect on Obama was unmistakable. The result was an encouraging but tepid pep-talk at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. Obama spoke of longing for a father and of grueling school days that began at 4:30 a.m. My favorite lines were: "You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it."

Lunatics on the far right accuse the president of being a socialist every time he strays from laments to actual policy. That forced Obama Tuesday to leave unsaid how government can better help students facing challenges from learning disabilities to poverty to homelessness. There was nothing about the ongoing efforts in Congress and on local school boards to reform public schools into places where hope is more than a word.

"That would be an adult speech," a colleague told me.

Um, high-school students are a few short years from becoming adults. Rather than giving them a crash civics course the night before the first election in which they can vote, how about trusting young people to be informed now about the issues facing our country.

Besides, where was all of this fear when President Ronald Reagan gave a similar speech to school children in 1988 or when President George H.W. Bush in 1991 urged students to work harder, learn more.

Of course those presidents hadn't been cast as Villain No. 1 in an ugly political cartoon.

Right wingers ought to consider the lesson kids learn as they watch adults spew hatred about Obama and cast the government as an inept outpost. Their children can't help but see the hypocrisy as their families drive on federally funded roads, seek services from federal institutions such as Veterans Affairs or Medicaid and Medicare and enjoy other fruits of government's labors.

Now that Obama has given his speech, the lunacy of the accusations is apparent. But why didn't we see it before?

Why did school districts begin stepping gingerly as though a book ban were in the offing? A reader alerted me to the Bellevue School District which initially said the president's speech would be available "to any teacher who wants to use it in a balanced discussion, so long as it fits within the education objectives of the class."

Why all the qualifiers? What part of work hard and stay in school needs balance? Introduce me to the teacher who wishes to inform students of the other side: Don't work hard and don't stay in school? In a statement, Bellevue said its caution was not meant to censure the president.

The White House also deserves a drubbing for backing at least partially down in the face of a mob. They deleted from Obama's speech a suggestion that school children write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. I would loved to have seen the thoughtful and informed suggestions.

I suspect Rush Limbaugh and his ilk were worried students would write different letters.

"Dear President Obama: I steamed open my parents' election ballot envelopes and changed all the choices to Democrats. I'll do it again in two years. Best, Bobby."

The right looks ridiculous shielding their children from the president. Smarter minds and parents ought to print the president's speech and read it to our kids at the start of every school year. Conservatives can muzzle the messenger but that doesn't mean the message shouldn't be delivered.

Lynne K. Varner's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is lvarner@seattletimes.com

Source: Seattle Times

Income Redistribution

2009-09-07T02:24:00.004-04:00

I don't think income redistribution will ever pass in America. If the people who work hard for their money have to give it up to worthless non-working people we all would loose the motivation to do any work at all. Without incentive to work hard and be successful, America would become a non productive country. I am hoping this is just a hot news topic and none of it is true, but if it is, Canada here I come. Being able to advance in your career and reap the benefits of success is part of the american dream. I think it is just a media thing, anyone with half a brain could realize it would never work. And I would like to believe that President Obama is educated enough to know better. I'm not so sure about congress though.

What If Obama Just Wanted To Inspire Kids?

2009-09-04T18:12:00.000-04:00

To hear the roar of feigned outrage about the president's back-to-school speech, you'd think he'd just come out in favor of puppy sandwiches! How polarized is the political debate this beautiful holiday weekend? So polarized that some Barack Obama critics are even bashing his back-to-school address.

Source: www.topix.com

Obama Education Speach

2009-09-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

On September 8, in what the Department of Education is touting as a "historic" speech, President Obama will be talking directly to students across the U.S., live on the White House website. But some parents and conservatives are blasting the president, calling the speech an excuse to brainwash American children.

Last month, in an interview with 11-year-old student reporter Damon Weaver, the president announced his big back-to-school plan:

"I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the nation's principals, inviting schools to watch the speech and included suggested classroom activities. But Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, came out swinging against the planned speech. An excerpt from his statement:

"The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President's agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates."

NBC spoke with Katie Gordon, a spokeswoman for the Florida Republican Party, who said the party's "beef" is with the accompanying lesson plans. The guide for pre-K through grade 6 suggests questions students think about during the speech, such as "What is the President trying to tell me? What is the President asking me to do?"

The plan for grades 7-12 includes a "guided discussion," with suggested topics: "What resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What is President Obama inspiring you to do?"

The Cato Institute, a public-policy research foundation, issued a press release entitled "Hey Obama, Leave Those Kids Alone," criticizing the "troubling buzzwords" in the lesson plans:

"It's one thing for a president to encourage all kids to work hard and stay in school – that's a reasonable use of the bully pulpit. It's another thing entirely, however, to have the U.S. Department of Education send detailed instructions to public schools nationwide on how to glorify the president and the presidency, and push them to drive social change."

Across the blogosphere, comments covered the spectrum, from critical to supportive, and from one student, a little anger:

"I sent my children to school to be educated NOT indoctrinated." — justamom

"The fact that people want to keep their kids from hearing the President of the United States encourage them to do well in school shows a true level of ignorance." — Firefey

"As an [sic] 9th grade student, I'd like to say that 1. I'm not sure why everyone is so scared that we'll all be brainwashed by the President ... 2. My school is one that is not allowing us to watch the speech, and quite frankly, I'm pissed." — Willbw

Both Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan both gave speeches aimed specifically at students that were nationally televised. In 1989, Bush delivered a televised anti-drug speech, and Reagan's 1986 commencement speech and Q&A session was "beamed over public television into 171 school districts," according to the L.A. Times.

It's worth noting that schools are, encouraged, not required, to air the speech. The Houston Chronicle reports that one Dallas school district is leaving the decision to individual teachers. Susan Dacus, spokeswoman for the Wylie school district, says parents who don't want their children to see it can opt out.

In an ironic twist, one Missouri school won't be airing the speech because of a lack of funding. Michelle Baumstark, spokeswoman for Columbia public schools, told the Columbia Daily Tribune, "We don’t have the funding or the equipment to support that type of broadcasting.”

— Lili Ladaga

Source: Yahoo News

Growing Anger Could Jeopardize Obama's Standing

2009-09-03T20:18:00.002-04:00

Rising opposition to President Obama's healthcare proposals may be morphing into something broader and deeper: an anti-Obama movement that could jeopardize the president's political standing, damage the Democratic Party, and give the Republicans new life.

The concerns about "Obamacare" have triggered angry protests and emotional shout-downs at Democratic legislators' town hall meetings this August. And whether or not these eruptions have been orchestrated by right-wing groups, as Obama strategists contend, opposition to his healthcare overhaul has struck a nerve.

In fact, the healthcare furor has inflamed political passions and raised doubts that seem to be spreading to other areas, such as Obama's expansion of government power, corporate bailouts, and vast increases in the federal debt. The president's burgeoning and costly agenda got another jolt last week from a government projection that deficits will increase from $7.1 trillion to $9 trillion over the next decade.

The most important political development of the summer may be a shift in the passion factor that has led to the generation of more emotion on the anti-Obama right than on the pro-Obama left. "The opposition is very energized right now—much more motivated than Obama's supporters," says Ken Duberstein, the former White House chief of staff for Ronald Reagan who endorsed Obama last year. This is a big change from the campaign, when it was Obama who ignited the fires and drew millions of new voters to the polls with his charisma and promises of change.

Now, GOP strategists say that relentless attacks on Obama, even without positive alternatives, have been enough to give conservatives some traction and pull down the president's job-approval ratings.

Signs of the right's resurgence abound. The blogosphere and the Internet are alive with anti-Obama screeds. Fundraising is going well at the Republican National Committee. Morale among GOP legislators is brightening. In the battle of ideas, the latest New York Times list of nonfiction best sellers contains three anti-Obama books among its top five: Culture of Corruption by Michelle Malkin at No. 1, Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann at No. 4, and Liberty and Tyran ny by Mark R. Levin at No. 5.

What the public wants are results, and they have been hard to come by, especially in ending the recession, reducing unemployment, and muting partisan warfare in Washington. This is particularly disconcerting for independent voters, who tend to decide elections. While Obama's job approval is still above 50 percent in most polls, that's because of overwhelming backing from Democrats. Republicans are united against him, and independents are increasingly displeased with his policies. The latest Washington Post/ABC News Poll found that only 49 percent of Americans are confident that Obama will make the right decisions for the country, down from 60 percent in April.

Fifty-five percent say the country is on the wrong track, up from 48 percent in April. The same poll found that only 46 percent of Americans now support Obama's handling of healthcare, the president's signature initiative, down from 49 percent in mid-July, while disapproval has increased to 50 percent from 44 percent.

Obama could turn the dynamic around if he wins some victories on Capitol Hill this fall or if the economy rebounds significantly. And White House officials say that the stories that seem so important during the slow news month of August, such as raucous healthcare protests, often fizzle out and amount to nothing in September.

But the Democrats are worried, and Obama's allies last week started trying to create a competing narrative to the GOP's negative story line. The Democratic National Committee and other liberal groups are organizing 2,000 pro-healthcare-reform events between now and September 8, when Congress returns from its August recess—amounting to what a Democratic spokesman said will be a "national grass-roots push" for healthcare overhaul. The events will focus on rallies, phone banks, and a bus tour in which prominent Democrats will try to marshal support in 11 cities, including Phoenix, Denver, and Indianapolis.

Yet even Democratic strategists concede that the message from many Americans to Obama is: Slow down. So far, he shows no sign of hitting the brakes

Source: usnews.com

Obama to Address Congress About Health Care

2009-09-02T19:53:00.001-04:00

President Obama will address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday about the nation's health-care system, Democratic officials said Wednesday.

Under pressure to seize the initiative on the biggest legislative proposal of his young administration, Obama is expected to add more detail to his vision for health-care reform when he speaks to lawmakers upon their return from an August recess.

It is less likely that Obama will release his own detailed proposal, but he will comment more specifically on ideas that have already been offered by others, one administration policy expert said.

"He's drawing on what's already out there," said the official, who was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Congressional sources said President Obama called Democratic leaders Wednesday morning, before he left the White House for Camp David.

Aides to lawmakers said that it was still unclear what Obama plans to say next week.

"Senator Reid looks forward to hearing the president set the course for efforts in the fall to pass health-care reform," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

Obama is also scheduled to travel Monday to Cincinnati for an annual Labor Day picnic sponsored by the AFL-CIO, bringing the health-care debate to his political base at a critical moment.

Although three House committees have passed versions of health-care reform, such legislation has been effectively stalled in the Senate, where a bipartisan group of legislators is struggling to reach a compromise. The so-called "Group of Six" senators is scheduled to confer again Friday, and faces a self-imposed deadline of Sept. 15 to reach an agreement.

Obama's top aides have long believed that there are only three ways for the president to command time on all of the major television networks in prime time: an East Wing press conference, a speech from the Oval Office, and an address to a joint session of Congress.

All three options were discussed Wednesday in an Oval Office meeting. Obama gathered his top advisers, including health policy aide Nancy-Ann DeParle and budget director Peter Orszag, for what one top aide described as a "discussion about the options" for health care as Congress returns to Washington.

Source: Washingtonpost.com
Staff writers Michael D. Shear and Ceci Connolly contributed to this report.

Flight 93 Memorial

2009-09-01T00:31:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania landowners around the September 11, 2001, crash site of Flight 93 have reached an agreement with the federal government allowing construction of a permanent memorial there, the government announced Monday.

source: Google News

Democrats invoke Kennedy in health care push

2009-08-31T20:57:00.001-04:00

The late Sen. Ted Kennedy was as strong a supporter of universal health care as there was in Congress. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Kennedy implicitly made known his dying wish was to pass health reform. He asked the governor to appoint someone temporarily in his place to take part in the voting for Obama's health bill.

Democratic groups, politicians and activists have been using rallies, email, social networking sites and everything else available to get this message across -- to honor Kennedy by passing health reform.

Kennedy's niece, Maria Shriver says her uncle's death may provide the impetus needed to push health reform through Congress. Expect Kennedy's name to be invoked quite often when Congress resumes session in September.

source: obama blog: by Paul Kekai Manansala

Obama's approval numbers declining

2009-08-28T22:05:00.002-04:00

Obama's numbers continue to decline

Several polls out have come to the same conclusion, Obama and the Democrats numbers are in a decline.

Gallup has him at 50 on their daily tracking poll, while Research 2000 at 55.

President Obama's favorabilities dropped the most substantially this week, propelled by another three-point drop in support from Democrats (down to 80%, the lowest of his presidency), as well as a big shift among Independents (from 66% last week to 62% this week).

Much of this is due to the left's anger at a confusing position taken by the White House and Democrats with talk of removing the public option from the health care bill. The independents also, due to non-clarity from the White House and Democrats on health care reform.

Again, we all knew that the GOP operatives would be out in full force against any health care reform, yet the Democrats have been on the slow turtle road in response and rebuke. When you let misinformation just sit out there with no response, people who do not know all the issues, will start to believe it. The Democrats have done a very poor job here, especially when the Republican Party has offered nothing in any form of health care reform, but has pounded so hard that all this negativity has not done much for them in the polling numbers either. The Republicans can bring down the Obama and Democrats numbers, but in the end they must offer something to the public as policy, thus far they are vacant on that front.

Lastly, Nate Sliver over at 538.com wrote a piece that most Americans don't know or understand what the public option is. At this stage, bad.

A new survey by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates for the AARP reveals widespread uncertainty about the nature of the "public option" -- a government-run health insurance policy that would be offered along with private policies in the newly-created health insurance exchanges. Just 37 percent of the poll's respondents correctly identified the public option from a list of three choices provided to them:

While there is all this anger that many Democrats are receiving due totally to misinformation at these town hall meetings, to have just 37% recognize what the public option is, totally lies at the feet of the Democrats and their poor messaging.

I do believe that once a bill is passed, with the public option and the Democrats can explain it, properly, the numbers will reverse. It is all this miscommunication from the White House and Democratic Leadership that sees us where we are at.

This is definitely an education for Obama White House to not have a Chief of Staff totally dis your supporters, to not stand by like "deer in headlights" hoping all the criticism of your plan will go away, and to have a counter attack ready in the future because if the Republicans are successful, this will happen again.

Source: This Week With Barack Obama

Clearly this is a far left article on President Obama. But I do find it interesting that his numbers are declining.

So I Ended up Voting for Obama

2009-08-27T23:42:00.002-04:00

Through a lot of tough decision making, I decided McCain would be much worse than Obama. I am happy with my decision, I believe President Obama has done well with the economy, given what he came into. I think the cash for clunkers program was a success, considering all the tax revenue it brought in from the sales of new vehicles. He hasn't really pissed of any countries over seas, other than spending unbelievable amounts of money, he has been doing very well.

McCain in 2013

2008-05-16T21:40:00.002-04:00

My Friends,

We are all aware that next January, the political leadership of the United States will change significantly when a new president is sworn into our nation's highest elected office. It is important that the candidates who seek to lead our country after President Bush define their objectives and what they plan to achieve not with vague language but with clarity.

What I want to do is take a little time to describe what I hope to have achieved at the end of my first term as president. I cannot guarantee I will have achieved these things, but I am presumptuous enough to think I would be a good president.

By January 2013, at the end of my first term as president, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won and Iraq is a functioning democracy. The threat from a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan has been greatly reduced but not eliminated and there has not been a major terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001.

The United States has experienced several years of robust economic growth and Americans again have confidence in their economic future. Congress has lowered taxes and passed fundamental tax reform offering a choice in how taxes are filed. Americans, who through no fault of their own, lost jobs in the global economy they once believed were theirs for life, are assisted by reformed unemployment insurance and worker retraining programs.

Public education in the United States is much improved and test scores and graduation rates are rising everywhere in the country. Health care has become more accessible to more Americans than at any other time in history.

The United States is well on the way to independence from foreign sources of oil; progress that has not only begun to alleviate the environmental threat posed from climate change, but has greatly improved our security as well.

Scores of judges have been confirmed to the federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, who understand that they were not sent there to write our laws but to enforce them.

Voluntary national service has grown in popularity in part because of the educational benefits used as incentives, as well as frequent appeals from the bully pulpit of the White House, but mostly because the young Americans understand that true happiness is much greater than the pursuit of pleasure, and can only be found by serving causes greater than self-interest.

This is the progress I want us to achieve during my presidency. These are the changes I am running for president to make. I want to leave office knowing that America is safer, freer and wealthier than when I was elected.

There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences, but it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands. Each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause and respectful of the goodness in each other. That is how most Americans treat each other. And it is how they want the people they elect to office to treat each other.

We cannot again leave our problems for another unluckier generation of Americans to fix after they have become even harder to solve. I'm not interested in partisanship that serves no other purpose than to gain a temporary advantage over our opponents. We are all compatriots. We are fellow Americans. I intend to prove myself worthy of the office, of our country and of your respect. I won't judge myself by how many elections I've won. I won't spend one hour of my presidency worrying more about my re-election than keeping my promises to the American people.

Source: john@johnmccain.com

McCain or Obama in 2013

2008-05-15T19:51:00.003-04:00

Check Out The New Web Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB3BNgdfEkI

This morning, John McCain's campaign released a new ad focusing on what John McCain envisions achieving during his first term in the White House.

For the sake of comparison, what would America's economy and national security look like after four years of an Obama presidency?

Middle East
Obama's premature withdrawal of troops from Iraq would lead to "devastating consequences," according to our commanders in Iraq. As a result we could be re-entering a more chaotic situation in 2013 after an Obama Administration.

Gen. David Petraeus Testified Before The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Of Which Obama Is A Member, That A Premature Withdrawal From Iraq Would Have "Devastating Consequences." Gen. Petraeus: "In describing the recommendations I have made...I believe Iraq's problems will require a long-term effort. ... Our assessments underscore, in fact, the importance of recognizing that a premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences. ... Lieutenant General Odierno and I share this assessment...." (Gen. David Petraeus, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 9/11/07)
Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen: "I do worry about a rapid withdrawal... in a situation that wouldn't call for that in terms of the conditions on the ground, which would then... basically turn around the gains we have... struggled to achieve and turn them around overnight." (Jim Garamone, "Mullen Says Rapid Withdrawal From Iraq Would Negate Security Gains," American Forces Press Service, 2/28/08)

Nuclear Terror
Obama's pledge to unconditionally meet with Ahmadinejad would strengthen a regime pursuing nuclear weapons and threatening our allies.

Obama's Foreign Policy Pledge Would Strengthen Ahmadinejad. "Middle East experts said Obama's strategy holds potential pitfalls. In Iran, they said, Sen. Obama could strengthen Mr. Ahmadinejad if as U.S. president he moves too quickly to hold direct talks with Tehran's leader. They note Mr. Ahmadinejad is facing presidential elections in 2009 and could use a summit with Sen. Obama as proof of his enhanced stature. They said Mr. Ahmadinejad also could seek to sell to his people that talks with Washington were a direct result of his hard-line stance. ‘If Obama comes into office in January 2009, I wouldn't advise him' to hold talks with Mr. Ahmadinejad quickly, said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at Washington's Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who said he is generally supportive of Sen. Obama's agenda. ‘Only two things can rehabilitate Ahmadinejad politically: bombing Iran or major efforts to engage' him ahead of the vote." (Jay Solomon, "Obama's Foreign-Policy Pledge Sparks Criticism from Rivals," Wall Street Journal, 3/26/08)

Energy Independence
Obama's windfall profits tax would reduce domestic oil production and increase U.S. dependence on foreign oil, just as it did under Jimmy Carter.

The Non-Partisan Congressional Research Service Found That The Windfall Profits Tax Reduced Domestic Oil Production And Increased Our Dependence On Foreign Oil By As Much As 13 Percent. "From 1980 to 1988, the WPT may have reduced domestic oil production anywhere from 1.2% to 8.0% (320 to 1,269 million barrels). Dependence on imported oil grew from between 3% and 13%." (Salvatore Lazzari, "The Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax Of The 1980s: Implications for Current Energy Policy," Congressional Research Service, 3/9/06)
The Wall Street Journal: The Windfall Profits Tax Reduced Domestic Oil Production, Increased U.S. Dependence On Foreign Oil, And Increased Prices At The Pump. "The last time Congress imposed a form of the windfall tax was the final gloomy days of Jimmy Carter, and the result was: a substantial reduction in domestic oil production (about 5%), thus raising the price of gas at the pump; and a 10% increase in U.S. reliance on foreign oil. A windfall profits tax is the ultimate act of economic masochism because it taxes only domestic production, while imports and foreign oil subsidiaries bear almost none of the cost." (Editorial, "Windfall Accounting Tax," The Wall Street Journal, 11/30/05)

Wasteful Spending
Budgets are bloated, wasteful spending continues, as Obama continues his poor Senate record on pork.

Citizens Against Government Waste Gave Sen. Obama A Lifetime Rating Of 22 Out Of 100. (Citizens Against Government Waste, "CCAGW Challenges Presidential Candidates On Earmarks," Press Release, 12/27/07)
The Club For Growth Gave Obama A Score Of 33 Percent For His Votes Against Anti-Pork Amendments. "[T]he Club for Growth released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, compiling a scorecard of all senators' votes on fifteen anti-pork amendments throughout 2007. ... Obama (D-IL) Score: 33% Ratio: 2/6." (Club For Growth, "The Club's 2007 Senate RePORK Card," www.clubforgrowth.org, 11/5/07)

Economic confidence
Consumers struggle as Obama's increases on income taxes, Social Security taxes, investment taxes, and corporate taxes, and his "massive new domestic spending," undermine economic confidence.
"Obama's transformation, if you go by his campaign so far, would mean higher income taxes, higher Social Security taxes, higher investment taxes, higher corporate taxes, massive new domestic spending, and a healthcare plan that perhaps could be the next step to a full-scale, single-payer system. Is that what most Americans want, someone who will fulfill a Democratic policy wish list?" (James Pethokoukis, "Barack Hussein Reagan? Ronald Wilson Obama?," U.S. News & World Report's "Capital Commerce" Blog, www.usnews.com, 2/12/08)

Source: McCainnow.com - Mad Irish Man

Hillary McCain's VP in 2008?

2008-05-07T20:41:00.004-04:00

I was listening to Mike Gallagher today, and he had received an email suggesting the possibility of a McCain/Hillary ticket. I can't see Hillary taking the VP spot to McCain or Obama, I think she will wait it out and run again next election. If McCain and Hillary do run together, it would mean a deffinate win for Obama. From the callers into the Gallagher show today, noone would vote McCain if he selected Hillary for VP. The only reason I could see her accepting VP, is to be the first woman with that high of a political ranking. I'm still hoping for a Mitt, or less likely Mike Huckabee, choice for VP. That would bring a little more conservatism to the republican ticket, which would make a lot of republicans happy.

Will McCain's VP be Bobby Jindal from Louisiana?

2008-05-05T18:28:00.002-04:00

Here is part of a very interesting article by William Kristol that appears in the New York Times today. In it, Kristol reveals that no less than four McCain staffers in the last week mentioned Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana as a possible McCain Vice-Presidential running mate. Kristol is often spot on in what he is hearing and sensing, as when he correctly predicted Mitt Romney would end his presidential bid and endorse John McCain on Thursday, March 6, after the Tuesday, March 4, Super Tuesday primaries.

I fundamentally disagree with why they seem to think Jindal may need to be the choice, but I do believe he would be an excellent pick. Both Kristol and the McCain staffers appear to fear that Obama will be such a strong nominee that McCain must pick someone "outside the box" to be able to compete with him. I do not think Obama will be strong, but I do think Jindal would be an exciting choice:

Still, Obama is the likely Democratic nominee. Some conservatives are giddy at the thought — kidding themselves that the general election will therefore be easy, that Obama will be another Dukakis. I was struck, though, in several conversations this week with McCain campaign staffers and advisers that they’re pretty sober about the task ahead. About the Dukakis analogy, for example, one McCain aide said: If in 1988 Ronald Reagan had had a 30 percent job approval rating, and 80 percent of the voters had thought we were on the wrong track, Dukakis would have won.

And the McCain campaign knows the environment for Republicans remains toxic. They noticed that on Saturday night Republicans lost their second House seat in a special election in two months — this one in a district they had held since 1974 and that Bush had carried by almost 20 points in 2004.

Another McCain staffer called my attention to this finding in the latest Fox News poll: McCain led Obama in the straight match-up, 46 to 43. Voters were then asked to choose between two tickets, McCain-Romney vs. Obama-Clinton. Obama-Clinton won 47 to 41.
That reversal of a three-point McCain lead to a six-point deficit for the McCain ticket suggests what might happen (a) when the Democrats unite, and (b) if McCain were to choose a conventional running mate, who, as it were, reinforced the Republican brand for the ticket. As the McCain aide put it, this is what will happen if we run a traditional campaign; our numbers will gradually regress toward the (losing) generic Republican number.
Maybe that’s why, in separate conversations last week, no fewer than four McCain staffers and advisers mentioned as a possible vice-presidential pick the 36-year-old Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal. They’re tempted by the idea of picking someone so young, with real accomplishments and a strong reformist streak.

It might also be a way to confront the issue of McCain’s age (71), which private polls and focus groups suggest could be a real problem. A Jindal pick would implicitly acknowledge the questions and raise the ante. The message would be: “You want generational change? You can get it with McCain-Jindal — without risking a liberal and inexperienced Obama as commander in chief.” I would add that it was after McCain spent considerable time with Jindal in New Orleans recently, and reportedly found him, as he has before, personally engaging and intellectually impressive, that the campaign’s informal name-dropping of Jindal began.

Of course, we shouldn’t assume that the Democratic nominee will be Obama. Maybe Clinton will win both Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday. If she does, she’ll have a chance — an outside chance, but a chance — to win the nomination. And if that happens, the reason will have been that Obama allowed his own running mate in the primaries to become Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Source: Mccainnow.com - brianinmo

McCain stats

2008-05-05T17:44:00.003-04:00

These are some facts about McCain that I thought were interesting.

TOTAL as of 03/20/2008

Raised:
$64,718,147

Spent:
$57,194,006

Cash-on-Hand:
$7,996,595

McCain on the Issues

AbortionOpposes abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.

ImmigrationCo-sponsored Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, which would have increased funding and improved border security technology, improved enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. Voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

IraqVoted for use of military force in Iraq. Supported Bush veto of war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Was an early proponent of sending additional American troops to Iraq.

Same-sex marriageSupports definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but opposes a constitutional amendment banning same sex-marriage. Says individual states should decide the issue. Says a federal marriage ban might be appropriate if courts overturned state marriage laws. Supports legal benefits for same-sex partners.

Social SecuritySupports Bush plan to allow workers to divert some Social Security payroll taxes to private retirement accounts.

TaxesVoted against 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cut laws, but later voted in favor of extending tax cuts through 2010.

Candidate status: Announced Filed statement of candidacy November 16, 2006

Current job: U.S. senator from Arizona

Birth date: August 29, 1936, Panama Canal Zone

Family: Married Cindy Hensley (May 17, 1980 - present); Carol Shepp (1965-1980, divorced); Children: Bridget, 1991 (adopted from Bangladesh, 1992); Jimmy, 1988; Jack, 1986; Meghan, 1984; Sidney, 1966; Adopted sons from Carol's previous marriage: Andy, 1962, and Doug, 1959.

Religion: Episcopalian

Education: U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., 1958; National War College, 1974

Campaign Web site: www.johnmccain.com

Career:

1967-1973: McCain held prisoner by the North Vietnamese after his plane shot down.
1977-1981: Director at the Navy Senate Liaison Office.
1981-1982: Vice president of Hensley & Company, the Phoenix-area Anheuser-Busch distributor owned by his father-in-law.
1983-1987: U.S. representative from Arizona's 1st District.
1986: Won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Barry Goldwater.
1990s: Worked with Democrats, including John Kerry, on normalizing relations and increasing trade with Vietnam. They also looked into allegations that U.S. soldiers are still MIA in Vietnam; the allegations were later found false.
March 9, 2000: Dropped out of the presidential race after Super Tuesday losses, and endorsed George W. Bush.
2002: Co-sponsored a campaign finance bill called the McCain-Feingold bill. It is passed in November 2002, affecting future campaign fundraising.
2004: The New York Times reported that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry asked McCain to be his vice-presidential running mate, and that McCain refused.

Delegates:

Needed to Win 1,191

Delegate Total 1,331

Currently in: 1ST PLACE IN TOTAL DELEGATES

States won: PA MS RI TX OH VT WA WI MD DC VA WA CA AZ NY CT DE IL MO NJ OK FL SC NH

Awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross after his release as a POW in Vietnam.

McCain's father and grandfather were both U.S. Navy admirals. They were the first father and son to achieve that rank.

He is often described as a "maverick" for his independent and sometimes divisive stances on issues.

In 2002, he became the first sitting U.S. senator to host "Saturday Night Live." He is author of "Faith of My Fathers" (1999); "Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir" (2002); "Why Courage Matters" (2004); and "Character Is Destiny" (2005).

Source: CNN.com

Gas Tax Holiday Update

2008-05-03T20:58:00.002-04:00

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain Thursday admitted his idea of a gas tax "holiday" would not solve the problem of rising oil prices but said it would give low-income Americans "just a little break this summer."

Sen. John McCain appears at a town hall meeting in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Wednesday.

"That's all this is about," the presumptive GOP nominee told CNN. "This is not the end of western civilization. This does not solve our dependence on foreign oil. It gives low-income Americans -- who drive further with older automobiles and are bearing the brunt of this -- a little bit of a break for the summer."

McCain, as well as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, has called for a hiatus in the 18.4 cent-a-gallon federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day -- a period when vacationing Americans spend the most time on the road.

However, critics of the idea -- including Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama -- argue that a gas tax holiday would have limited impact on drivers' pocketbooks. Assuming the average gas tank holds 13 gallons, removing the gas tax would save drivers about $2.35 every time they filled their tanks, or, as Obama estimates, about $30 over the summer. Watch McCain push for a tax holiday »

A summer suspension of the gas tax would leave a funding gap of about $10 billion in the fund used to pay for federal highway construction, critics note.
But McCain argues the holiday would mean that drivers would "have a little money left over, maybe to buy a better meal, maybe to buy something for their kids."
"Maybe that is what this is all about," he said. Watch the candidates clash over gas prices »

Don't Miss
Tax credits at heart of McCain's health care plan
CNN/Money: U.S. gas: So cheap it hurts
Candidates clash over gas tax holiday
McCain rejects 'big government' takeover of health care

In an interview with CNN, McCain also defended his proposal to offer families $5,000 in tax credits to help buy health insurance, saying it would not undermine the current system of employee-based health insurance, as Clinton has charged.

"I want to give the people a choice as to who they want to keep: their employer plan or go out with their $5,000 tax credit and go across state lines and around this country and get the insurance policy of their choice," McCain said. "Which ever they want to, it is based on choice." Watch McCain decry a government takeover of health care »

Experts have questioned whether the tax credit would help the roughly 47 million who are currently uninsured because the $5,000 is unlikely to cover the entire costs of a policy. The Kaiser Family Foundation says averages about $12,000 a year for a family of four.
But McCain said allowing more individuals to buy their own insurance would increase competition and lower costs and the tax credit is better than what is currently available.

"The $5,000 tax credit you are talking about will go to families right now who don't have any [insurance]," McCain said.

Source: CNN - Scott J. Anderson

Obama's "spiritual adviser"

2008-05-02T19:43:00.003-04:00

Reading the transcript of Obama’s press conference in response to Reverend Wright’s most recent controversial and mocking statements has prompted me to say a big

WTF

In this article, the Obama camp released the statement that Wright had left Obama’s SPIRITUAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

But Obama, in his most recent press conference regarding Wright states:
“I know that one thing that he said was true, was that he wasn’t — you know, he was never my, quote-unquote, “spiritual adviser.”
He was never my “spiritual mentor.” He was — he was my pastor. And so to some extent, how, you know, the — the press characterized in the past that relationship, I think, wasn’t accurate.”

WTF But I guess that’s what you get from a guy who claims he never new about the comment Wright said about the white government inventing AIDS as a conspiracy against the black community. That quote was played over and over and over and over and over and over the news. Is he really THAT out of touch with the news and the concerns of the American people?

What I got out of that transcript was that Obama dragged his feet then gave that obligated press conference because he had to. That he only did it because he HAD to and by then, IMO, it was about 18 years too late and the tone a little too crybaby, a little too ‘I’m the victim’. Obama might have had a chance to demonstrate that he really is a new kind of Democrat but well, he isn’t. No change, change, change.

Source: JC - redwhitebrue.com

Getting to know McCain

2008-05-02T19:04:00.003-04:00

By: Karl Rove, Arpil 30, 2008

Getting to Know John McCain
It came to me while I was having dinner with Doris Day. No, not that Doris Day. The Doris Day who is married to Col. Bud Day, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and roommate of John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton.

As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run for president in history.

Col. (Ret.) Bud Day with John McCain at a campaign stop in Pensacola, Fla., in January. When it comes to choosing a president, the American people want to know more about a candidate than policy positions. They want to know about character, the values ingrained in his heart. For Mr. McCain, that means they will want to know more about him personally than he has been willing to reveal.

Mr. Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, "I told you I would make you a cripple."

The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at "a goofy angle," as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again.

But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place.

Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complimented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again.

Another story I heard over dinner with the Days involved Mr. McCain serving as one of the three chaplains for his fellow prisoners. At one point, after being shuttled among different prisons, Mr. Day had found himself as the most senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton. So he tapped Mr. McCain to help administer religious services to the other prisoners.

Today, Mr. Day, a very active 83, still vividly recalls Mr. McCain's sermons. "He remembered the Episcopal liturgy," Mr. Day says, "and sounded like a bona fide preacher." One of Mr. McCain's first sermons took as its text Luke 20:25 and Matthew 22:21, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." Mr. McCain said he and his fellow prisoners shouldn't ask God to free them, but to help them become the best people they could be while serving as POWs. It was Caesar who put them in prison and Caesar who would get them out. Their task was to act with honor.

Another McCain story, somewhat better known, is about the Vietnamese practice of torturing him by tying his head between his ankles with his arms behind him, and then leaving him for hours. The torture so badly busted up his shoulders that to this day Mr. McCain can't raise his arms over his head.

One night, a Vietnamese guard loosened his bonds, returning at the end of his watch to tighten them again so no one would notice. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, the same guard stood beside Mr. McCain in the prison yard and drew a cross in the sand before erasing it. Mr. McCain later said that when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war, the only person he really wanted to meet was that guard.

Mr. Day recalls with pride Mr. McCain stubbornly refusing to accept special treatment or curry favor to be released early, even when gravely ill. Mr. McCain knew the Vietnamese wanted the propaganda victory of the son and grandson of Navy admirals accepting special treatment. "He wasn't corruptible then," Mr. Day says, "and he's not corruptible today."

The stories told to me by the Days involve more than wartime valor.

For example, in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about.

Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. "I hope she can stay with us," she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed. Today that child is their teenage daughter Bridget.

I was aware of this story. What I did not know, and what I learned from Doris, is that there was a second infant Mrs. McCain brought back. She ended up being adopted by a young McCain aide and his wife.

"We were called at midnight by Cindy," Wes Gullett remembers, and "five days later we met our new daughter Nicki at the L.A. airport wearing the only clothing Cindy could find on the trip back, a 7-Up T-shirt she bought in the Bangkok airport." Today, Nicki is a high school sophomore. Mr. Gullett told me, "I never saw a hospital bill" for her care.

A few, but not many, of the stories told to me by the Days have been written about, such as in Robert Timberg's 1996 book "A Nightingale's Song." But Mr. McCain rarely refers to them on the campaign trail. There is something admirable in his reticence, but he needs to overcome it.

Private people like Mr. McCain are rare in politics for a reason. Candidates who are uncomfortable sharing their interior lives limit their appeal. But if Mr. McCain is to win the election this fall, he has to open up.

Americans need to know about his vision for the nation's future, especially his policy positions and domestic reforms. They also need to learn about the moments in his life that shaped him. Mr. McCain cannot make this a biography-only campaign - but he can't afford to make it a biography-free campaign either. Unless he opens up more, many voters will never know the experiences of his life that show his character, integrity and essential decency.

These qualities mattered in America's first president and will matter as Americans decide on their 44th president.

Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

Source: Wall Street Journal (McCainnow.com)

Obama and Hillary in South Bend this week

2008-05-01T20:55:00.003-04:00

I live about 45 min. from South Bend, IN, and for the past two days, there has been a lot of big names visiting the area. Bill and Hillary have been speaking at high schools around the area, and I heard Bill O'reilly was interviewing Hillary in town yesterday. Obama is leaving South Bend today, making his rounds and trying to get that last minute support before the primary on May 6th. I also heard talk show host Mike Gallagher is in town today, but unfortunately I won't be able to go meet him in person. This is the first election that I can remember, that Indiana has been such a major factor in the primary election. The most recent polls I have heard say Obama is still in the lead in Indiana, but not by much. I was hoping to see McCain in the area, even though he has no real reason to campaign here right now, it would be great to hear him speak in person.

There has been some contraversy on the Rev. Wright issue lately. I even heard Bill O'reilly say he felt sorry for Sen. Obama for the remarks Wright is making. Obama says Wright is his "former" pastor, but I think a lot of people are wondering if it is all a game between Wright and Obama. Maybe this was all a plan to make the public feel sorry for Obama, and maybe Rev. Wright and Obama are just two old friends that have grown apart. Many of Obama and Hillary policies are similar, National health care, issues on the war in Iraq, and their stance on illegal immigration. Obama has a more likable personality, but Hillary has more experience. Obama seems to be a little more left wing than Hillary, but they both seem extremely liberal. I think I am staying with my original decision to vote Hillary in the primary, then McCain in the general election.

McCain Healthcare Plan

2008-04-30T11:14:00.002-04:00

Today, there are 47 million uninsured individuals in the U.S., and nearly a quarter of them are children. High costs and limited access are the underlying, fundamental problems in our healthcare system.
As you know, both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are touting outrageously expensive and unrealistic universal health care plans - a government monopoly over health care.
Unlike my opponents, I do not believe that all of our nation's problems can be solved by turning control over to our government, with all the tax increases, new mandates and government regulation that come with that idea.
Today, our campaign began running a television ad focused on health care - that you can view by following this link - to ensure all Americans hear the truth about how I plan to tackle the challenges facing our nation's health care system. To ensure this important ad is aired in as many markets as possible, I'm asking for your immediate financial assistance.
I believe the key to real reform is to restore control over our health care system to the patients themselves. Americans need new choices beyond those offered in employment-based coverage.
That's why, as president, I will seek to encourage and expand the benefits of Health Savings Accounts, tax-preferred accounts that are used to pay insurance premiums and other health costs. These accounts put the family in charge of what they pay for.
In addition, I will reform the tax code to provide every family the option of receiving a direct, refundable tax deposit - effectively $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 cash for families to offset the cost of insurance.
The reality is that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, in their haste to garner support for their so-called "solutions," are promising more than they can deliver. And, once again, they are simply out-of-touch with the real problems facing our health care system and how to solve them.
Here are the facts: Under the Democrats' plan, we will have all the problems, and more, of the current health care system - rigid rules, long waits and lack of choices - and we risk degrading the system's great strengths and advantages, including the innovation and life-saving technology that make American medicine the most advanced in the world.

Source: John@JohnMcCain.com

Race Vote

2008-04-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

Plouffe: McCain has the racist vote anyway

David Plouffe tells Linda Douglass that real racists are probably voting Republican in any case:
"[T]he vast, vast majority of voters who would not vote for Barack Obama in November based on race are probably firmly in John McCain's camp already," he says.
Plouffe also made a four-pronged case for Obama's electability. One, primary-focused, is that Clinton has big problems too.

He also pointed out that Obama's actually been winning white men and younger white voters.
And looking ahead, he pointed to the issues: "They won't agree with John McCain on issues like the economy and health care. And so I think that we are going to get the vast, vast majority of Democratic voters," he said.

Finally, the Obama campaign is counting on its ability to change the electorate -- a powerful argument, if one with real limits.

"If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, I think turnout amongst African-Americans, turnout amongst all voters under 40, and our ability to register new voters is going to be a very important piece of the puzzle," he said.

Source: Ben Smith's Blog - Politico.com

Gas Tax Break

2008-04-27T20:30:00.003-04:00

"Obama Will Hold A Press Conference On Gas Prices In Indianapolis Friday Morning." ("Obama To Take Questions," Time's "The Page" Blog, 4/25/08)

NOTE: As Of April 25, 2008, The Average Price Of Regular Gasoline In Indiana Was Over $3.63 Per Gallon. (AAA Website, www.fuelgaugereport.com, Accessed 4/24/08)

QUESTION: What Are Obama's Short-Term Solutions To Help American Families With Rising Energy Costs?

Obama: "I would be dishonest if I said we've got a lot of short-term answers to bringing down gas prices. I don't think we do." (Suzanne Malveaux, "Clinton, Obama Take On Big Oil," CNN.com, 4/1/08)

NOTE: Under Sen. John McCain's Gas Tax Suspension Plan, Families Would Save 18.4 Cents On Every Gallon Of Gas. "Hard-working American families are suffering from higher gasoline prices. John McCain calls on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day." (John McCain For President Website, www.johnmccain.com, Accessed 4/22/08)

"A USA TODAY Analysis Showed That McCain's Gas-Tax Proposal Could Save Motorists $6.8 Billion In Taxes During The Summer." (Kathy Kiely, "Gas-Tax Holiday Among McCain's Plans For Economy," USA Today, 4/16/08)

QUESTION: Why Does Obama Not Support Immediate Gas Tax Relief For Hardworking Americans Now, When He Supported It As A State Senator?

Obama Now Opposes A Gas Tax Holiday. "In a new policy split in the presidential campaign, Barack Obama opposed a federal gas-tax holiday supported by John McCain, the likely Republican nominee." (Nick Timiraos, "Obama, Clinton Split Over McCain Plan For Gas-Tax Holiday," The Wall Street Journal, 4/24/08)

Obama Called The Gas Tax Holiday A "Bad Idea." "Earlier Monday at a community college in the Philadelphia suburbs, Obama rejected a tax holiday as bad economic policy. 'I've said I think John McCain's proposal for a three-month tax holiday is a bad idea,' Obama said, warning consumers that any price cut would be short lived before costs spike back." (Nick Timiraos, "Clinton Joins McCain On Gas-Tax Holiday," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, blogs.wsj.com, 4/21/08)

But In 2000, Obama Voted To Suspend The State Sales Tax On Gasoline. (S.B. 1310: Senate Third Floor Reading, Passed, 50-0-6, 3/8/00, Obama Voted Yea)

The State Of Illinois Suspended Its Five Percent Sales Tax On Gasoline. "After a whirlwind legislative session, Gov. Ryan signed legislation ... that suspends the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline. If that is passed on to consumers, fuel prices would drop by about a dime per gallon." (Dave McKinney and Fran Spielman, "Ryan Signs Suspension Of Gas Tax," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/30/00)

QUESTION: Why Did Obama Say The State Tax Suspension Didn't Help With Gas Prices, When Experts Said It Did?

Obama Campaign Claims That The Gas Tax Holiday Did Not Help Consumers. "Subsequent studies showed the tax did little to save money for consumers. Sen. Obama's campaign has pointed to that failure in rejecting the McCain proposal, which Sen. Obama says doesn't guarantee a benefit for consumers." (Nick Timiraos, "Obama, Clinton Split Over McCain Plan For Gas-Tax Holiday," The Wall Street Journal, 4/24/08)

But In 2000, Gas Prices Suddenly Dropped Between 8 And 10 Cents A Gallon Overnight When The Tax Suspension Went Into Effect. "When the tax suspension went into effect July 1, the change in price was obvious, as prices suddenly dropped between 8 and 10 cents a gallon overnight." (Karen Mellen and Ray Long, "As Gasoline Prices Drop, Tax Debate Continues," Chicago Tribune, 7/20/00)

AAA Attributed Part Of The Decline In Gas Prices To Illinois' Temporary Suspension Of Its Gas Tax. "The price of gasoline in Illinois dropped 40 cents since its peak this summer, according to the latest survey Wednesday, a record decrease for one month. ... The AAA credited both states [Illinois and Indiana] for temporarily suspending their five percent sales tax on gasoline, and on an increased supply of cleaner-burning reformulated gas." (Robert McCoppin, "State Gas Prices Set Record One-Month Decline," Chicago Daily Herald, 7/19/00)

AAA Chicago Motor Club's Steve Nolan: "The Temporary Repeal Of The State Gas Tax Has Helped [With Gas Price Drop]..." (Robert Manor, "Illinois Finds Dramatic Relief At Gas Pump," Chicago Tribune, 8/17/00)

The Decline In Gas Prices Was "Aided By The Suspension July 1 [2000] Of The State's
5 Percent Sales Tax on Gasoline." "State legislators had called for the hearings as pump prices soared well above $2 a gallon. The recent decline--aided by the suspension July 1 of the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline--took some of the political expediency out of the hearings." (Courtney Challos, "Legislators Now Irked Over Falling Gas Prices," Chicago Tribune, 7/13/00)

QUESTION: Why Has Obama Opposed Immediate Gas Tax Relief AND Proposed Increasing Taxes On Two Other Sources Of Energy - Coal And Natural Gas?

Obama Told A Texas Newspaper: "What We Ought To Tax Is Dirty Energy, Like Coal And, To A Lesser Extent, Natural Gas." ("Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama," San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)

Source: McCainVictory08

Hillary gaining on Obama

2008-04-25T21:07:00.003-04:00

Although Obama can mobilize young voters and the occasional Republican, he is failing to win traditional Democratic constituencies. This bodes quite well for McCain. As I've mentioned, we have a decent opportunity to pick up right-leaning Democrats. Up here in Maine, there are plenty of people who aren't aware of how truly weak Obama is. Once they realize how really radical he is, watch his number sunk faster than the Titanic.
Source: The Liberal Republican

It looks like Obama is really losing traction, and Hillary is looking more and more like she has a chance at getting the D spot. I would rather see McCain run against Hillary in the election, so I will be voting for Hillary in the Indiana primary on May 6th. I guess if McCain would lose, which right now it doesn't look like he is going to, I would prefer Hillary over Obama. The Rev. Wright deal has been a much bigger issue than I thought it would be. It is suprising the press didn't down play the story. I was expecting it to be a one or two day story, but I am glad to see everyone is taking it seriously.

Obama's decision on Hamas

2008-04-17T17:38:00.003-04:00

A Hamas problem for Obama?
by Mosheh Oinounou

While Sen. Barack Obama sought to improve his relationship with the Jewish community today by meeting with leaders in Philadelphia, comments by a Hamas political adviser this weekend could potentially hurt the Democratic presidential candidate.

During an interview on WABC radio Sunday, top Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef said the terrorist group supports Obama’s foreign policy vision.

“We don’t mind–actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will (win) the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with domination and arrogance,” Yousef said in response to a question about the group’s willingness to meet with either of the Democratic presidential candidates.
(Full interview)

For his part, Obama criticized former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to meet with Hamas, telling Jewish leaders Wednesday that “Hamas is not a state, Hamas is a terrorist organization.”
“We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel’s destruction,” Obama said. “We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist, and abide by past agreements.”

While the IL Democrat has condemned Hamas, an endorsement from a top leader in the group is probably the last thing Obama needs right now.

Source: Fox News / Camron's Corner

From Reuters

“That’s why I have a fundamental difference with President Carter and disagree with his decision to meet with Hamas,” Obama said. “We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel’s destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist and abide by past agreements.”
“Hamas is not a state. Hamas is a terrorist organization,” he said.
I’ve covered this before. This is one of the precious few things Barack Obama is actually right about. American Presidents, past, present or future, should not justify Hamas by appearing with them.

However, Senator Obama cannot even stay consistent on the reasons why he won’t talk to Hamas. He claims its because they are terrorists bent on Israel’s destruction.
But he’ll have tea with Mahmoud Admadinejad.

Senator Obama doesn’t offer any clear reason as to why its okay to chit-chat with a man who wants to ‘wipe Israel off the map,’ but Allah at Hot Air has the best answer I’ve seen. Iran is a country. which magically makes you legitimate and not a terrorist sponsor.

This is the same incoherent litmus test he mentioned a few days ago, transparently designed to let him to talk to Iran — a sovereign state, after all, but otherwise guilty of the same sins he lists vis-a-vis Hamas — while ignoring Hamas lest it put him on the wrong side of pro-Israel voters. Let’s pretend to take him seriously. What if Hamas declared a jihadist state tomorrow in Gaza? What magical power would derive in his view from the mantle of statehood that would suddenly render them non-terrorist?

Barack Obama is dangerously naive.

Source: Blogs 4 McCain

Small town insult

2008-04-13T00:36:00.002-04:00

Dear Mr. Obama:
I listened very carefully this morning to your response to all the flack you have been receiving regarding ’bitter small town Pennsylvanians.’ Nice try. But man, you’re wearing me out! How encouraging for Pennsylvania residents that you expanded your remarks to all small towns across America. I must say, however, that the nation’s small towns will not receive your remarks any less provocatively.
You mentioned that the remark could have been made more eloquently the first time. But your second attempt didn’t cut the mustard at eloquence either. What we seem to have here is a strong misinterpretation on your part of why small town Pennsylvanians [and the rest of the nation's small towns] stand behind religion, guns, and illegal immigration.
So let me enlighten you. Let’s start with Pennsylvania since this is where your infamous and callous remark was directed. Small town residents stood behind their faith and guns long before they were severely hit with hard economic times and massive job loss. They were not bitter then, and when they attend religious services today, bitterness is not a part of their church service.
I am at a loss as to where and how you arrived at this belief. I have been in many small town churches in Pennsylvania and I didn’t see bitterness. I saw these residents revering, praying and worshipping a God they believe is good. You haven’t been in small town Pennsylvanian churches to conclude this. But you did spend twenty (20) years in a church with bitterness and hate with Mr. Wright which you simply assume includes small town Pennsylvaians. And might I add that many small town Pennsylvanians would not last half a service in a church where bitterness and hate prevail.
Hillary may take Pennsylvania from you, but that does NOT give you the right to attack good Christians or any other faith in this state because you do not have the support there that fuels your followers.
Same thing with guns. Many in Pennsylvania and in small towns across the nation clung to their second amendment rights when economic times were good. Bitterness played absolutely no part then in their beliefs, nor does it now.
Yes, illegal immigration and the in-sourcing and outsourcing of cheap labor has hit a once industrial Pennsylvania hard, as it has the rest of the nation. And yes, its not rocket science that one’s loss of a job and the ability to put food on the table would cause extreme anxiety and frustration.
Your remarks were nothing but a cheap shot at Pennsylvanians, and now expanded small town residents across the nation.
And DO NOT think that this one will be swept under the rug as some of the more questionable aspects of your life and thought processes. Little by little, the puzzle pieces are coming together. Little by little, the true Barack Obama is sneaking through.

Source: Blogs for McCain

Oprah and Obama

2008-04-10T19:27:00.002-04:00

Most of the attention on the O2 effect -- Obama and Oprah -- has been focused on how much the daytime TV cult leader helped her home state senator by endorsing him and appearing at all those rallies in Iowa and South Carolina with Barack and Michelle.

The 54-year-old Chicago TV hostess certainly helped raise a hefty chunk of change by loaning out her estate for that Obama fundraiser last summer.

Oprah Winfrey has long enjoyed an immense popularity tied to her long-running daytime TV show, which started in 1986, and helped give her favorable ratings around 78% by 1996. So well known is she that one name will suffice, as in our headline.

In one 1999 survey of the most admired and respected 20th-century women, Oprah (26%) came in only second to Mother Teresa (33%), who didn't have her own TV show. And in 2003 a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll found that 60% thought Oprah was a more powerful woman than someone named Hillary Clinton, a former first lady and senator, who drew only 28%.
Fourteen months ago, a Gallup/USA Today poll found 74% of Americans had a favorable view of the TV personality.

Then on May 1 last year, Oprah announced during....
the Larry King show that she was, for the first time, going to throw her considerable weight behind a political candidate -- Obama. King's suspenders nearly snapped.
“I think," she told old Lar, "that my value to him, my support of him, is probably worth more than any check.” Although, to be honest, her estimated $2.5 billion in wealth could buy an awful lot of TV ads in Indiana. It might even be able to purchase the Hoosier State.
But little attention has been paid to the effect of Obama on Oprah. Now along comes Costas Panagopoulos, an assistant professor of political science at New York's Fordham University, to ask and answer just that question.

Writing at Politico.com, he suggests the aging empress of TV has paid a price for getting into the dirty business of politics with and for her man Barack. By August last year, a CBS poll found her favorable rating had plunged from 74% to 61%, still twice as good as the president but nearly a 20% drop.

Around Thanksgiving she announced that not only was she supporting Obama, but she would campaign with him and we'd see if her political recommendation carried as much weight as her book recommendations. Oprah's political travels produced a media feeding frenzy and a publicity bonanza with women routinely fainting in the front row. The campaign said her rallies produced 10,000 new volunteers.

Winfrey campaigned for Obama in Iowa, which he won, in South Carolina, where he won, and in New Hampshire, where he lost. We haven't heard much about Winfrey since the voting started. Did she realize something we're just getting? We heard only that she left the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ several years ago, reportedly over some of his more militant sermons that Obama says he never heard.

But 10 days after the campaign media explosion her favorable rating had dropped further to 55% and her unfavorable ratings for the first time climbed to 1 in 3.

A December ABC/Washington Post poll of Democrats found 8% were persuaded by her Obama endorsement, 82% said it wouldn't matter either way and 10% said her recommendation had turned them off Obama.

Now, Panagopoulos has discovered an AOL TV popularity survey of 1.35 million Americans that found 46% said the daytime TV host who "made their day" was Ellen DeGeneres while only 19% chose Winfrey. Forty-seven percent said they'd like to have dinner with Ellen, while only 14% chose Oprah.

Apparently, neither Ellen nor Oprah were asked who they'd like to dine with.
Panagopoulos draws the conclusion that in these days of pervasive media, in reality, celebrity endorsements run the real risk of costing the celebrity more than they benefit the endorsee. So celebs may want to think twice before hitting the stump.

Source: Andrew Malcolm

Soros $40 million against McCain

2008-04-10T18:10:00.002-04:00

George Soros the "liberal megadonor" is at it again. He and his group of billionaire left-wing Democrats have pledged $40 million dollars of soft money to smear John McCain in a national television ad campaign.

In an article published in Politico, it was reported that Paul Begala and David Brock met with a gang of Manhattan liberals at the home of George Soros to outline their plans for a $40 million dollar ad campaign against Senator McCain. Brock is quoted as saying the group could do the work of the press corps that has "fallen down on the job" when it comes to McCain!

Billionaire George Soros has shown time after time that he is willing to fund baseless left-wing smear campaigns. Soros and his liberal friends need to know that they cannot buy this election with their billions.

Source: Rick Davis McCain Campaign Manager

George Soros, MoveOn.org, and other far left organizations will probably be launching smear ads as the election nears. McCain has about as clean of a background as one could possibly have. So it will be interesting to see what kind of false allegations they come up with. It is a shame the character asassins, such as Move On, would go after someone with the honor, integrity, and service to his country that McCain has shown.

Rockefeller's Attack on McCain

2008-04-09T20:33:00.003-04:00

ARLINGTON, VA -- Lt. Col. Orson Swindle, USMC (Ret.), today issued the following statement demanding that Barack Obama denounce Senator Jay Rockefeller's smear against John McCain and the men and women of our military: "Senator Rockefeller's statement is an insult to all the men and women who are serving or have served in America's military. Had Senator Rockefeller served himself, he would appreciate and understand that most who have been to war emerge with a much deeper concern for humanity than they otherwise might. If he knew what he was talking about, he would know that John McCain wasn't dropping laser-guided missiles at 35,000 feet in 1967.
"Barack Obama has a responsibility to denounce Senator Rockefeller's smear against John McCain's character and military record. The question remains: Does Senator Obama have the courage to stand up and hold himself to the principles of 'new politics' he outlined in his book, The Audacity of Hope?"
Background On Senator Rockefeller's Attack:
Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Today: "McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues." (Paul J. Nyden, "Jay Defends Endorsement Of Sen. Obama," The Charleston Gazette, 4/8/08)

ARLINGTON, VA -- McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds today issued the following statement on Senator Barack Obama's refusal to personally condemn Senator Rockefeller's smear on John McCain's character and military record: "Why does Senator Obama refuse to personally condemn this type of despicable attack? Senator Obama has run for president on the basis that he represents a new kind of politics, yet every day there is another smear that Obama refuses to repudiate."

Sen. Lindsey Graham Calls On Barack Obama To Condemn Rockefeller Attack

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)Interview On Fox News' "America's Pulse"April 8, 2008

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: "I hope Senator Obama will comment on this. I hope he will step up to the plate and say, 'You know whatever differences I have with Senator McCain, this is out of bounds. I don't question his humanity.' You know, John McCain was a fighter pilot assigned his missions by the United States Navy and I can't think of a more noble thing to do for your country than to fight for freedom and to serve in uniform. So John will move on, but I hope Obama will comment on this."

Source: newsbull

What did Obama say?

2008-04-08T17:05:00.005-04:00

I was recenly reading some blogs on John McCain and the upcoming election, and found a very interesting entry at Mad Irish Man's Conservative Consortium.

Another big “oops” for Sen. Barack Obama.
This morning on the “Today” Show, Barack Obama continued his dishonest attacks by actually claiming he never leveled the dishonest attack that John McCain supports a 100-year war in Iraq. He actually said “we can pull up the quotes on Youtube.” Well, we did pull those quotes up, and in his own words, they clearly show Barack Obama’s dishonest attacks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts3U939CD3g
In his book The Audacity of Hope, Obama writes that voters are “tired of distortion, name-calling, and sound bite solutions to complicated problems.” This is exactly the opposite of what Obama offered this morning.
Note that yesterday morning, Obama chief strategist David Axelrod falsely argued that Obama had never charged that McCain supported 100-year war in Iraq: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-cXV4Z2Hrg
I guess all that “new kind of politics” stuff was just a slogan.

Source: The Mad Irish Man's Conservative Consortium

Is it really suprising to anyone that Obama is so deep in the bull**** he's spitting out, that he can't remember what he said?

Secretary Rice VP

2008-04-07T22:16:00.001-04:00

In the long list of potential candidates for the Vice-Presidency, Condoleezza Rice's name keeps popping up. We here at Conservative for Change have made a couple of posts on the race for VP. There are many great candidates and the reason that we did not mention Secretary Rice was mostly because we did not think she would do it. Until now!
Dan Senor, a Republican strategist, had this to say about a potential Rice candidacy, "Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this." Her office is denying these rumors, but the talk around Washington is singing a different tone.
What seems to be happening around the blogsphere on the Internet is liberals trying to place Secretary Rice as a Bush puppet. They believe she would be an extension of the Bush Presidency and not have any credibility when it comes to the electorate. From Coloradopols.com somebody had this to say about the Secretary, "If the single most responsible person for being asleep at the wheel leading up to 9-11 wants to throw her hat into the ring, then welcome."
It is funny how the left portrays this fine women as the sole person responsible for the attacks on our country. The Clinton Administration didn't do anything for 8 years to thwart an attack against the homeland and these people try to blame somebody else for their mistakes.
The reality is Condi would make a great Vice-President. She is the most powerful women in Washington at the current moment, holding the prestigious post of Secretary of State. (Many years ago, that position was the stepping stone to the Presidency)
She holds a PhD in political science from the University of Denver. She was a professor of polisci at Stanford University. She is an expert on Soviet relations, which will become handy in the next couple of years as Russia ushers in a new President.
Condi then went on to serve as National Security Advisor for President Bush and eventually Secretary of State, where she currently serves now. She knows the insides and outs of the Washington establishment and brings with her a great deal of credibility and change.
Secretary Rice would make an outstanding choice for Vice-President. She is a dynamic figure that would counter a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton candidacy. This country would be electing the first female and African American to the post just one step away from the Presidency.
Whether or not John McCain would consider Condi for this honor is unknown. We do know that Senator McCain has called her recently, but did not indicate that he asked her about the post. He has said that he didn't see any signs of her wanting the job. But, he didn't rule out the possibility of putting her on the ticket. If he did, there would be a flood of support for his candidacy. She is a great American!

Source: Conservative for Change

NY Times on McCain

2008-04-05T23:27:00.003-04:00

MISSOULA, Mont. — On the air, Ed Schultz, a liberal talk show host based in Fargo, N.D., is well-known for his blunt criticisms of the Bush Administration and the Republican Party. But Mr. Schultz, a fervent supporter of Senator Barack Obama, may have gone too far late Friday when he called Senator John McCain “a warmonger.”

Mr. Schultz, whose program is syndicated nationally, made the remarks while revving up a group of Obama supporters at a $100-a-head fund raiser at the North Dakota Democratic Party’s convention in Grand Forks. As soon as the Republican National Committee got word of the attack, it issued a statement lambasting Mr. Schultz and calling on Mr. Obama to repudiate the characterization of the presumptive Republican nominee for President.

“Enough is enough,” said Robert M. Duncan, the chairman of the Republican National Committee. “Senator Obama has an obligation to speak out and publicly reject and denounce — not applaud — the shameful and contemptible remarks made by his surrogates.”
Mr. Obama did not refer to the incident during a speech Saturday morning to 8,000 people who had gathered at the University of Montana basketball arena. But a spokesman, Jen Psaki, issued a statement that distanced him from Mr. Schultz. “John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such,” she said. “He’s a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged.”

This is, of course, not the first time that an overenthusiastic radio host has created a controversy in remarks that were meant to support his candidate. At a rally in Cincinnati in February, the conservative talk show host Bill Cunningham repeatedly used Mr. Obama’s Muslim middle name, Hussein, made disparaging references to him, and urged the national press, which he said was soft on Mr. Obama, to “peel back the bark” on the Democratic candidate.

Mr. McCain immediately repudiated the remarks. “Whatever suggestion that was made that was any way disparaging to the integrity, character, honesty of either Senator Obama or Senator Clinton was wrong,” he said. “I condemn it, and if I have any responsibility, I will take the responsibility and I apologize for it.”

As his position as the Democratic front-runner solidifies, Mr. Obama has stepped up his attacks on Mr. McCain’s views and policies. But he frequently prefaces and tempers those criticisms, as he did Friday in Indiana and North Dakota and Saturday in Montana, by calling Mr. McCain “a genuine war hero who deserves our respect” and making clear that the differences between the two men are political, not personal.

The Republican primary was “nothing more than a contest to see who was best qualified to run for George Bush’s third term,” Mr. Obama said in a speech to the North Dakota Democrats on Friday evening. “John McCain won that contest, and now he’s offering four more years of the very same policies that failed us for the last eight.”

“We can’t afford to give John McCain the chance to carry on George Bush’s can’t-do, won’t-do, won’t-even-try style of politics,” he also said. “We are a better country than that.”

“We deserve more than tolerance from one another, we deserve each other’s respect, whether we think each other right or wrong in our views,” Mr. McCain said in a speech delivered in Prescott, Ariz. He added: “Let us remember, we are not enemies. We are compatriots defending ourselves from a real enemy. We have nothing to fear from each other.”

As an example of the tolerance he admires, Mr. McCain cited Barry Goldwater and Mo Udall, who were the deans of Arizona politics when he began his public life in the state over a quarter of a century ago. Mr. Udall was a liberal Democrat and Mr. Goldwater, of course, the father of modern Republican conservatism, but the two men were nonetheless good friends.

“Their example showed us how to be better Americans, better people,” he said. “I intend to wage this campaign and govern this country in a way that they would be proud of me as I have always been proud of them.”

After the speech, Mr. McCain, speaking to reporters, said that “Mr. Schultz is entitled to his views'’ but ” I would hope that in keeping with his commitment that Senator Obama would condemn such language, since it was part of his campaign.'’ Mr. McCain. who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, added that he has been clear about how he feels about war “and my experiences with it.'’

Source: NYTimes politics blog

Veterans Support McCain

2008-04-05T00:25:00.001-04:00

Veterans support Senator John McCain because he is the most qualified candidate for President and Commander in Chief. Senator John McCain has a remarkable record of leadership and experience that embodies his unwavering lifetime commitment to service. Military Veterans know that as the son and grandson of distinguished Navy admirals, Senator McCain deeply values duty, honor and service of country. Veterans also know that Senator John McCain will not settle for anything less than VICTORY in the Global War on Terror, and the Iraq battlefield. Veterans will support John McCain on November 4.

After two members of the anti-war group Code Pink interrupted McCain's speech to the National Rifle Association, the Arizona Republican (McCain) said, "Well, my friends, we beat you yesterday. We beat you the day before. We'll beat you today and we'll beat you tomorrow. We won't choose to lose. We won't choose to lose this conflict."

Source: vets4mccain

Some Democrats May Vote McCain

2008-04-05T00:14:00.002-04:00

ARRA News Service - Frank Newport, Gallup Poll: A sizable proportion of Democrats would vote for John McCain next November if he is matched against the candidate they do not support for the Democratic nomination. This is particularly true for Hillary Clinton supporters, more than a quarter of whom currently say they would vote for McCain if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee.
Clinton supporters who would vote for McCain over Obama = 28%
Obama supporters who would vote for McCain over Clinton = 19%The data suggest that the continuing and sometimes fractious Democratic nomination fight could have a negative impact for the Democratic Party in next November's election. A not insignificant percentage of both Obama and Clinton supporters currently say they would vote for McCain if he ends up running against the candidate they do not support.

Nancy Reagan Endorses John McCain

Bloomberg.com: Former first lady Nancy Reagan endorsed Arizona Senator John McCain's presidential campaign in a move McCain said would encourage conservative Republicans to rally around his bid. Reagan called McCain a "good friend for over 30 years'' who is well prepared to become commander in chief. McCain, 71, was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over five years after his aircraft was shot down over Hanoi in 1967."My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal,'' Reagan said today in a statement released by the campaign and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation. I believe John's record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president."

Source: America's Best Choice

Illegal Immigration

2008-04-03T20:10:00.002-04:00

Talk show pundits have bludgeoned us with the list of McCain’s sins against conservative orthodoxy, beginning with his immigration bill.But consider this – even in dealing with illegal immigration, Sen. McCain’s concern for national security and his recognition of political reality will cause him to do much more to secure the borders than any Democrat. If that’s the only issue you care about, Sen. McCain is still your best hope for progress – the Democrats can’t even give a straight answer about whether they would give drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens.I first met McCain in 1984, when he came to my office for an interview while I was the editor of ASU’s daily student newspaper. Later, in a debate at ASU, he criticized federal efforts to stop illegal immigration. Consistent with his position today, he expressed concern about rounding up and deporting people who have been here for years. But then he said, “We need to tighten up our border control.”That’s right – all the way back in 1984, when many of us who are concerned now about illegal immigration were not even aware of the issue – John McCain was on record calling for more border security.

Economic Conservatism
Economic conservatives should appreciate Sen. McCain’s lifelong quest to reduce the size and scope of government and to end pork barrel spending. He has never voted for a tax increase and is committed to making the Bush tax cuts permanent. He believes in free market solutions to health care, not the government take-over promoted by Democrats.

Source: Len Munsil

"Ready"

2008-04-02T21:57:00.004-04:00

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW AD: "READY"
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new ad, entitled "Ready," responding to Senator Clinton's attack ad out today.
Script For "Ready" (:30)
ANNCR: It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep.
But there's a phone ringing in the White House and this time the crisis is economic. Home foreclosures mounting, markets teetering.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama just said they'd solve the problem by raising your taxes. More money out of your pocket.
John McCain has a better plan. Grow jobs, grow our economy not grow Washington.
It's 3 a.m., time for a president who is ready.

Oops! Hey, the phone is upside down Mr. Obama.

U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq: "Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated. Tough fighting remains ahead, especially in places like Mosul. Important political gains have also been made, but far more must be done in coming months to cement the gains made in huge cost in American blood and treasure."

Source: Mike - Blog4President

Picture: About.com:urban legends

Obama's Church

2008-04-02T20:50:00.003-04:00

Barack Obama, who apparently hasn’t gone to church in the last twenty years, had this to say.
I’ve, I think, talked thoroughly about, you know, the issue with Rev. Wright. And, you know, everybody, I think, who examines the church that I attend knows that it is a very traditional, conventional church.
Source: Matt DiBari Blogs for McCain
Clearly this guy has some issues telling the truth about his faith. He attends a church for twenty years, but doesn't agree with any of the statements or speaches from Rev. Wright. He can't have it both ways, either he is an anti-american racist, or he is completely unfaithful to his church. How is Obama still in the running for President with this kind of background. If this was a white person attending KKK meetings, he wouldn't have a chance for Presidency(Nor should he).

True Conservative

2008-04-01T20:15:00.003-04:00

Although Sen. John McCain has locked up the Republican nomination for president, some conservative leaders continue to snipe at him. Although I agree with elements of the most conservative critiques of McCain, I could not possibly disagree more with their conclusions - especially if they cause conservatives to sit this election out.McCain is not the lesser of two evils. In fact, he is worthy of the enthusiastic support of every thinking conservative. I join many citizens in gratitude that a genuine American hero with core conservative beliefs, who has already given so much for our nation, is willing to spend his eighth decade on Earth serving a cause greater than himself.If you are an across-the-board conservative, like I am - a fiscal, social and foreign-policy conservative - it is in your interest and the national interest to elect McCain. It's not just because either of the Democratic alternatives would jeopardize our security, our economy and our values, though they would. It is because the election of McCain will substantially advance the conservative principles and values we've been fighting for.

Source: Len Munsil

Operation Chaos

2008-04-01T17:26:00.003-04:00

I am not a big fan of Rush Limbaugh, I am more of an O'reilly fan, but I have to say Limbaugh's idea of "Operation Chaos" is very interesting. It might just work.

"For weeks now Limbaugh has been imploring Republicans to re-register as Democrats and vote for Hillary Clinton in an attempt to extend the nominating contest thereby (theoretically) weakening the eventual nominee. Code named "Operation Chaos," Limbaugh took credit for pushing Clinton over the top in the popular vote in Texas and giving her a larger than expected margin of victory in Ohio. Limbaugh has been pushing just as hard in Pennsylvania and the other remaining contests, so you have to believe a portion of those newly minted Democrats in the Keystone state are really Republican foot soldiers executing "Operation Chaos."
Source: The Liberal Republican

Liberal Republican

2008-03-31T17:31:00.002-04:00

I recently read some articles on a blog called the Liberal Republican. The author was a pro-choice, pro-evironmental, secular republican (much like myself). He made an excellent point about some of the anti-Bush crowd supporting Obama. I can't understand why someone would vote for such an unexperienced person for our President. There are so many unanswered questions about his past. The twenty years he attended a chuch with a racist pastor, his past connections with the muslim faith and his ability to recite muslim prayer, and him not willing to wear a flag lapel pin when everyone in the US senate has one. How could someone like this be so appealing to so many people. I can see why people are upset with Bush, but how could you overlook the facts of Obama's past, just to vote against the republicans.

Voting McCain in 08?

2008-03-29T12:24:00.004-04:00

Recently, former president Bill Clinton and sen. Hillary Clinton have made campaign stops in my area, and I am leaning more towards McCain now than before the Clinton visits. It seems unmistakable to me, that Hillary will come up with which ever empty promise that fits the group of people she is talking to best. Obama does about the same, just not quite as bad. At least some of Obama's plans have some possibility. That is why I fully intend to support John McCain this year, and I hope you will as well. We need someone with a strong background, and experience both military and political. I think John McCain is that person.