Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Amazingly Deceitful Jeb Bradley
By Susan Bruce
By far and away, the most amazing deceit in yesterday’s AARP debate (And Jeb gave us plenty to choose from) was his "stance" on Social Security. First, he told us that he opposed Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. Then in a follow-up question, asked very clearly to learn if he was sincere, he was asked if he supported “carve out” measures. Carve out means diverting some Social Security funds to private accounts. To that, Jeb said that all options had to be on the table, and we needed a bipartisan get together to figure it out. So - within a ten-minute span, he was against privatizing...and then it was an option on the table. I was stunned - and I've heard Jeb Bradley speak more times than I can remember.
During the debate, Jeb said numerous times that Carol had cast the deciding vote on taking the August vacation. Carol pointed out early on that those ads were run in the district of every freshman Congressman - so in other states, a different person cast the deciding vote. Carol finally asked him if he knew that those ads were run in other states with other names, and he weaseled out of it by saying "well you voted for it, so you were part of the deciding."
It was clear from the beginning of the debate that Carol had voted twice against the bailout bill, yet Jeb continued to claim all the way to the end that Carol voted with her party 100% of the time. She listed votes (including FISA) when she went against the leadership, but he continued repeating it. The Republicans sitting in front of me were snickering at his obvious lies toward the end of the debate.
On Medicare Part D, Jeb said he is proud that he voted for it, and spoke about what a great thing it was for seniors. He failed to mention the donut hole, and how great that is. Carol said that seniors certainly needed a prescription drug benefit, but she didn't favor giving the drug companies a bigger benefit than seniors. She pointed out that the bill specifically forbid negotiating for lower prices, the way the VA is able to, which has led to huge increases in some drug prices.
Carol emphasized that the 2006 Congress was stuck trying to clean up the mess Jeb and the previous Congresses left behind. Jeb tried to blame rising unemployment, energy costs, the financial problems etc. on Carol and the last 2 years. I don't think that people bought that. Folks are smart enough to know that we didn't get here in less than 2 years.
Jeb continued to try to blame Carol for nebulous tax increases that he seemed to be inventing as he spoke. For all of Jeb's talk about the need to work together in a bi-partisan way, he certainly wasn't leading by example.
Jeb closed by saying that supporting the middle class doesn't mean supporting a government run health care system. He also said, "I'm glad we could have a friendly debate. You all know me, and you know what I've done - like keeping the Shipyard open." At that point, a group in the back of the room laughed at him.
Jeb has learned nothing in 2 years. He didn't even have a handful of people doing visibility when I got there. He got stuck in talking points, just like 2006, where people in the audience snickered at him. The only difference between 2006 and 2008 is that Jeb has adopted the kind of meanness that John McCain has brought to the Republican Party. He was snide, he told obvious lies, and he was visibly mean spirited. It wasn't pretty. I'm embarrassed for Jeb, who at least came across as a decent guy in 2006. Carol has it right; he said he'd do anything to win. Sadly he's begun to prove it.
By far and away, the most amazing deceit in yesterday’s AARP debate (And Jeb gave us plenty to choose from) was his "stance" on Social Security. First, he told us that he opposed Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. Then in a follow-up question, asked very clearly to learn if he was sincere, he was asked if he supported “carve out” measures. Carve out means diverting some Social Security funds to private accounts. To that, Jeb said that all options had to be on the table, and we needed a bipartisan get together to figure it out. So - within a ten-minute span, he was against privatizing...and then it was an option on the table. I was stunned - and I've heard Jeb Bradley speak more times than I can remember.
During the debate, Jeb said numerous times that Carol had cast the deciding vote on taking the August vacation. Carol pointed out early on that those ads were run in the district of every freshman Congressman - so in other states, a different person cast the deciding vote. Carol finally asked him if he knew that those ads were run in other states with other names, and he weaseled out of it by saying "well you voted for it, so you were part of the deciding."
It was clear from the beginning of the debate that Carol had voted twice against the bailout bill, yet Jeb continued to claim all the way to the end that Carol voted with her party 100% of the time. She listed votes (including FISA) when she went against the leadership, but he continued repeating it. The Republicans sitting in front of me were snickering at his obvious lies toward the end of the debate.
On Medicare Part D, Jeb said he is proud that he voted for it, and spoke about what a great thing it was for seniors. He failed to mention the donut hole, and how great that is. Carol said that seniors certainly needed a prescription drug benefit, but she didn't favor giving the drug companies a bigger benefit than seniors. She pointed out that the bill specifically forbid negotiating for lower prices, the way the VA is able to, which has led to huge increases in some drug prices.
Carol emphasized that the 2006 Congress was stuck trying to clean up the mess Jeb and the previous Congresses left behind. Jeb tried to blame rising unemployment, energy costs, the financial problems etc. on Carol and the last 2 years. I don't think that people bought that. Folks are smart enough to know that we didn't get here in less than 2 years.
Jeb continued to try to blame Carol for nebulous tax increases that he seemed to be inventing as he spoke. For all of Jeb's talk about the need to work together in a bi-partisan way, he certainly wasn't leading by example.
Jeb closed by saying that supporting the middle class doesn't mean supporting a government run health care system. He also said, "I'm glad we could have a friendly debate. You all know me, and you know what I've done - like keeping the Shipyard open." At that point, a group in the back of the room laughed at him.
Jeb has learned nothing in 2 years. He didn't even have a handful of people doing visibility when I got there. He got stuck in talking points, just like 2006, where people in the audience snickered at him. The only difference between 2006 and 2008 is that Jeb has adopted the kind of meanness that John McCain has brought to the Republican Party. He was snide, he told obvious lies, and he was visibly mean spirited. It wasn't pretty. I'm embarrassed for Jeb, who at least came across as a decent guy in 2006. Carol has it right; he said he'd do anything to win. Sadly he's begun to prove it.
Friday, October 10, 2008
McCain's supporters reveal the dark underside of humanity
Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin are dangerous. They've moved beyond being mere liars and crooks to stoking violence and fascism.
In viewing this video I was immediately reminded of film clips I've seen of Hitler's Brown Shirts. McCain is intentionally appealing to peoples' most base fears and prejudices, inciting hatred and creating an incendiary atmosphere that borders on treasonous.
One can only hope that wiser heads in the Republican Party exert pressure on McCain to halt his destructive campaign before it erupts into tragedy. Otherwise, all Republicans will be held responsible for the acts and behavior of these frightened people fueled by the inflammatory rhetoric of the leaders of their party.
Send a link to this to your family, friends and neighbors, whether they be Democrats, Republicans or Independents. We must stop McCain's and Palin's assault on civility and the rule of law and encouragement of a mob mentality.
In viewing this video I was immediately reminded of film clips I've seen of Hitler's Brown Shirts. McCain is intentionally appealing to peoples' most base fears and prejudices, inciting hatred and creating an incendiary atmosphere that borders on treasonous.
One can only hope that wiser heads in the Republican Party exert pressure on McCain to halt his destructive campaign before it erupts into tragedy. Otherwise, all Republicans will be held responsible for the acts and behavior of these frightened people fueled by the inflammatory rhetoric of the leaders of their party.
Send a link to this to your family, friends and neighbors, whether they be Democrats, Republicans or Independents. We must stop McCain's and Palin's assault on civility and the rule of law and encouragement of a mob mentality.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The American Insult
By Lynn Lagasse
While the focus of attention, debate and criticism continues to center primarily around Sarah Palin, the real issue remains obscure and less tangible to many voters, that being John McCain’s selection of a Vice-Presidential running mate. His motivations stridently defended are a thinly veiled disguise for political grandstanding intended to bolster up a floundering campaign.
Palin’s nomination while pandering to the base, targeted disaffected Hillary supporters yearning for a woman on the ticket and a means to defuse the groundswell of criticism and suspicions of elitism over the discovery of McCain’s eleven or so houses. (Really, after the first five or six does it really matter how many he has?) In this ill advised, unprepared and inappropriate choice, John McCain has dealt the American electorate the ultimate insult and in doing so has revealed his true colors. Motivated whole-heartedly by self-promotion and personal aspirations, John McCain chose marketing over substance, selling out his party, his constituents, his supporters and the American people, not to mention Sarah Palin herself, who is in way over her head but too afraid to blink.
As a campaign strategy, Sarah Palin’s obvious appeal is her astounding success story juxstaposed on a backdrop of “everyman” credentials complete with small town upbringing, beauty queen good looks, working-class lifestyle and family values. When this well woven storyline began unraveling over a daughter’s teen pregnancy and a quarter million dollar annual income the campaign managed to diffuse attention from these facts, by shifting greater focus to Ms. Palin’s maverick credentials, feisty attitude and tomboyish appeal as an avid hunter and outdoors enthusiast. While her well documented hunting exploits are especially appealing to sportsmen, I do not personally know a single hunter whose experience includes hunting from an airplane, helicopter or any other aerial device short of a tree stand, which most real hunters find far too exotic and elitist.
Sarah Palin’s role is more spokes-model for the McCain campaign, providing the perfect vehicle for connecting with average folks by delivering up a brand of plain speak and homespun zingers that John McCain could not possibly pull off. As a matter of fact, Sarah Palin barely gets away with it but she seems to combine all the right qualities of base appeal, gutsy feminism and “uncut gem in the rough” to turn out crowds of so-called supporters but I wonder how many are really supporters or just curiosity seekers.
Hell, I’d be tempted to attend a rally if she came to town just for the sheer novelty of seeing her in person. Chances are I probably wouldn’t find the marketing of Sarah Palin as deeply offending if there were a substantive, informed, prepared Vice-Presidential nominee behind the façade or if she were not so “in your face” with the sassy, girl-next-door, plain speak which I am positive has been coached to grating perfection on the Straight Talk Express.
The last time I heard the expression “Golly-gee,” was on a rerun of the Andy Griffith Show or Gomer Pyle and I can honestly say, I’ve never heard those words used in real life until they came out of Sarah Palin’s mouth. The gosh darnit, geewiz, down-home, back-slappin’, “gettin’ folksy with ya’ll” routine was already wearing thin on me when the final blow was delivered.
An apparent attempt to connect with us common folk down here on Main street, at the kitchen table or wherever else we ordinary people are storied to be found, the McCain campaign has come up with catchy nicknames for the American electorate which Sarah Palin used in addressing us during last week’s debate when she said, “for all you Hockey-Moms and Joe Six-Packs”. My blood immediately began to boil not because of the words used per-se, but because their meaning disclosed the darkest of truths about the McCain campaign. In those words a revelation of how John McCain and the Republican Party view the average American citizen became crystal clear.
These one-dimensional, unsophisticated, over-simplified characterizations describe who the McCain campaign thinks they are speaking to when they ask for your vote. To anyone who remains undecided I say, John McCain does not deserve your respect for his politics, your consideration for his candidacy and least of all your vote for our country’s highest office.
As a registered Independent for 30 years, I voted for John McCain in the 2000 primaries, considering him a man of principles, representing higher ideals in government and non-partisan politics. Admittedly a liberal leaning voter, I enthusiastically became a registered Democrat two years ago and now have absolutely no regrets, remorse or second thoughts about not supporting John McCain. How could anyone support a candidate who would trade our future, our security and our country’s best interests for personal gain, ego and self-promotion? John McCain is an insult to the intelligence of a nation and the dignity of its people.
My support and my vote goes to the candidate that respects the American voter and respects us enough to be honest, clear and straight forward about our circumstances and the difficult choices and sacrifices we will all have to make in the days ahead. The “Dumbing Down” of America encouraged and exploited by the current administration tells us that “The world is a scary place, we should fear evil doers and terrorists who would harm us - but not to worry, go about our business, live our normal lives, don’t be concerned with the war, the economy – they’ll take care of everything”.
Great leaders instead are straight with people, inspire people, ask people to participate in the solution, enabling everyone to be part of the process. I believe that Barack Obama is one of those great leaders who possess the qualities that inspire, unite and build up. In that, there is only one choice for us to make at a time where change in leadership is so desperately needed and only one candidate that can deliver on that tall order – our Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama.
While the focus of attention, debate and criticism continues to center primarily around Sarah Palin, the real issue remains obscure and less tangible to many voters, that being John McCain’s selection of a Vice-Presidential running mate. His motivations stridently defended are a thinly veiled disguise for political grandstanding intended to bolster up a floundering campaign.
Palin’s nomination while pandering to the base, targeted disaffected Hillary supporters yearning for a woman on the ticket and a means to defuse the groundswell of criticism and suspicions of elitism over the discovery of McCain’s eleven or so houses. (Really, after the first five or six does it really matter how many he has?) In this ill advised, unprepared and inappropriate choice, John McCain has dealt the American electorate the ultimate insult and in doing so has revealed his true colors. Motivated whole-heartedly by self-promotion and personal aspirations, John McCain chose marketing over substance, selling out his party, his constituents, his supporters and the American people, not to mention Sarah Palin herself, who is in way over her head but too afraid to blink.
As a campaign strategy, Sarah Palin’s obvious appeal is her astounding success story juxstaposed on a backdrop of “everyman” credentials complete with small town upbringing, beauty queen good looks, working-class lifestyle and family values. When this well woven storyline began unraveling over a daughter’s teen pregnancy and a quarter million dollar annual income the campaign managed to diffuse attention from these facts, by shifting greater focus to Ms. Palin’s maverick credentials, feisty attitude and tomboyish appeal as an avid hunter and outdoors enthusiast. While her well documented hunting exploits are especially appealing to sportsmen, I do not personally know a single hunter whose experience includes hunting from an airplane, helicopter or any other aerial device short of a tree stand, which most real hunters find far too exotic and elitist.
Sarah Palin’s role is more spokes-model for the McCain campaign, providing the perfect vehicle for connecting with average folks by delivering up a brand of plain speak and homespun zingers that John McCain could not possibly pull off. As a matter of fact, Sarah Palin barely gets away with it but she seems to combine all the right qualities of base appeal, gutsy feminism and “uncut gem in the rough” to turn out crowds of so-called supporters but I wonder how many are really supporters or just curiosity seekers.
Hell, I’d be tempted to attend a rally if she came to town just for the sheer novelty of seeing her in person. Chances are I probably wouldn’t find the marketing of Sarah Palin as deeply offending if there were a substantive, informed, prepared Vice-Presidential nominee behind the façade or if she were not so “in your face” with the sassy, girl-next-door, plain speak which I am positive has been coached to grating perfection on the Straight Talk Express.
The last time I heard the expression “Golly-gee,” was on a rerun of the Andy Griffith Show or Gomer Pyle and I can honestly say, I’ve never heard those words used in real life until they came out of Sarah Palin’s mouth. The gosh darnit, geewiz, down-home, back-slappin’, “gettin’ folksy with ya’ll” routine was already wearing thin on me when the final blow was delivered.
An apparent attempt to connect with us common folk down here on Main street, at the kitchen table or wherever else we ordinary people are storied to be found, the McCain campaign has come up with catchy nicknames for the American electorate which Sarah Palin used in addressing us during last week’s debate when she said, “for all you Hockey-Moms and Joe Six-Packs”. My blood immediately began to boil not because of the words used per-se, but because their meaning disclosed the darkest of truths about the McCain campaign. In those words a revelation of how John McCain and the Republican Party view the average American citizen became crystal clear.
These one-dimensional, unsophisticated, over-simplified characterizations describe who the McCain campaign thinks they are speaking to when they ask for your vote. To anyone who remains undecided I say, John McCain does not deserve your respect for his politics, your consideration for his candidacy and least of all your vote for our country’s highest office.
As a registered Independent for 30 years, I voted for John McCain in the 2000 primaries, considering him a man of principles, representing higher ideals in government and non-partisan politics. Admittedly a liberal leaning voter, I enthusiastically became a registered Democrat two years ago and now have absolutely no regrets, remorse or second thoughts about not supporting John McCain. How could anyone support a candidate who would trade our future, our security and our country’s best interests for personal gain, ego and self-promotion? John McCain is an insult to the intelligence of a nation and the dignity of its people.
My support and my vote goes to the candidate that respects the American voter and respects us enough to be honest, clear and straight forward about our circumstances and the difficult choices and sacrifices we will all have to make in the days ahead. The “Dumbing Down” of America encouraged and exploited by the current administration tells us that “The world is a scary place, we should fear evil doers and terrorists who would harm us - but not to worry, go about our business, live our normal lives, don’t be concerned with the war, the economy – they’ll take care of everything”.
Great leaders instead are straight with people, inspire people, ask people to participate in the solution, enabling everyone to be part of the process. I believe that Barack Obama is one of those great leaders who possess the qualities that inspire, unite and build up. In that, there is only one choice for us to make at a time where change in leadership is so desperately needed and only one candidate that can deliver on that tall order – our Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Making A Choice
I’ve heard from many people commenting on how nasty and negative the Shaheen-Sununu race has become, and I concur that it's really despicable. You'd think both of these candidates are evil incarnate. Allow me to offer my opinion.
John Sununu is a decent man who simply is on the wrong side of the issues. He favors big business, has a long record of opposing corporate and financial regulation, and has consistently voted against legislation that would benefit working families, from an increase in minimum wage to an expansion of health care coverage. He's been unwavering in his support of George Bush, including Bush's horrific foreign policy and his devastating fiscal irresponsibility that has buried us in an oppressive $10 trillion debt. John simply does not reflect New Hampshire's values.
Jeanne Shaheen performed admirably as governor for three terms, working with Democrats and Republicans alike. She's a moderate voice in a nation and a state where too often the extremists are most vocal. I disagree with Jeanne on capital punishment, and I believe she missed an opportunity to change New Hampshire's unfair system of taxation that places an extreme burden on working families. But I also know that she embraces New Hampshire's values, from protecting the environment to expanding access to affordable healthcare, and from improving our children's educational opportunities to strengthening the Granite State's economy. She brings an incredible amount of common sense to the table, and offers a breadth of experience that will prove invaluable to New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that all of our major candidates are decent people and do not deserve the abuse being heaped upon them. This even includes John McCain, for whom I’ve lost nearly all respect since he launched his campaign of lies and distortions, and abandoned all principles of integrity. While today he is but a hollow shell of the John McCain who earned the admiration of millions, one cannot discount his past contributions to his country, nor question his patriotism no matter how misguided he may be today.
I truly hope that voters will not be swayed by the extreme messages with which they’re incessantly being bombarded and will instead choose a candidate based upon his or her positions on the issues.
We are today confronted by serious challenges, from a crumbling financial system and a plunging economy, to global terrorism and two mismanaged wars. We’re being held hostage by our reliance upon foreign oil, and we’re despoiling our environment by neglecting the need for serious investment in alternative sources of energy.
Our infrastructure is crumbling, our health care system is in crisis, and our system of public education is in peril. Gratefully, New Hampshire and the nation are equipped to confront these challenges, possessing the resiliency and the creativity needed as we move forward.
What is clear is that we cannot afford to continue along the course we’ve been following for the past eight years. We cannot endure another decade of war and neglect or of allowing unbridled greed to sap the underlying strength of our economy and put at risk our savings, investments, pensions, and even the value of our homes.
Our state and our nation are at a precipice. How we vote this year will determine whether we plunge into an abyss of despair or leap to new heights of achievement. A vote for Republicans is a vote to “stay the course” - to continue on the path we’ve been following.
By contrast, a vote for Democrats will ensure a change of course. That doesn’t mean it will be an easy ride, nor that every trail embarked upon will lead to success. But what it does mean is that we’ll be free to explore new avenues, to navigate the future with confidence in our potential rather than retreating into the paralysis of fear.
When choosing a candidate this year the first question you should ask yourself is that posed by Ronald Reagan in 1980 - “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” The second question you should ask is “Is the country better off than it was eight years ago?”
If you can answer yes to both of those questions, you should vote Republican. Otherwise, the decision is clear.
John Sununu is a decent man who simply is on the wrong side of the issues. He favors big business, has a long record of opposing corporate and financial regulation, and has consistently voted against legislation that would benefit working families, from an increase in minimum wage to an expansion of health care coverage. He's been unwavering in his support of George Bush, including Bush's horrific foreign policy and his devastating fiscal irresponsibility that has buried us in an oppressive $10 trillion debt. John simply does not reflect New Hampshire's values.
Jeanne Shaheen performed admirably as governor for three terms, working with Democrats and Republicans alike. She's a moderate voice in a nation and a state where too often the extremists are most vocal. I disagree with Jeanne on capital punishment, and I believe she missed an opportunity to change New Hampshire's unfair system of taxation that places an extreme burden on working families. But I also know that she embraces New Hampshire's values, from protecting the environment to expanding access to affordable healthcare, and from improving our children's educational opportunities to strengthening the Granite State's economy. She brings an incredible amount of common sense to the table, and offers a breadth of experience that will prove invaluable to New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that all of our major candidates are decent people and do not deserve the abuse being heaped upon them. This even includes John McCain, for whom I’ve lost nearly all respect since he launched his campaign of lies and distortions, and abandoned all principles of integrity. While today he is but a hollow shell of the John McCain who earned the admiration of millions, one cannot discount his past contributions to his country, nor question his patriotism no matter how misguided he may be today.
I truly hope that voters will not be swayed by the extreme messages with which they’re incessantly being bombarded and will instead choose a candidate based upon his or her positions on the issues.
We are today confronted by serious challenges, from a crumbling financial system and a plunging economy, to global terrorism and two mismanaged wars. We’re being held hostage by our reliance upon foreign oil, and we’re despoiling our environment by neglecting the need for serious investment in alternative sources of energy.
Our infrastructure is crumbling, our health care system is in crisis, and our system of public education is in peril. Gratefully, New Hampshire and the nation are equipped to confront these challenges, possessing the resiliency and the creativity needed as we move forward.
What is clear is that we cannot afford to continue along the course we’ve been following for the past eight years. We cannot endure another decade of war and neglect or of allowing unbridled greed to sap the underlying strength of our economy and put at risk our savings, investments, pensions, and even the value of our homes.
Our state and our nation are at a precipice. How we vote this year will determine whether we plunge into an abyss of despair or leap to new heights of achievement. A vote for Republicans is a vote to “stay the course” - to continue on the path we’ve been following.
By contrast, a vote for Democrats will ensure a change of course. That doesn’t mean it will be an easy ride, nor that every trail embarked upon will lead to success. But what it does mean is that we’ll be free to explore new avenues, to navigate the future with confidence in our potential rather than retreating into the paralysis of fear.
When choosing a candidate this year the first question you should ask yourself is that posed by Ronald Reagan in 1980 - “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” The second question you should ask is “Is the country better off than it was eight years ago?”
If you can answer yes to both of those questions, you should vote Republican. Otherwise, the decision is clear.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Media Announces Bailout Of McCain Campaign
WASHINGTON, DC -- Acting to avert a possible crisis in the U.S. presidential election, the media today announced a bailout of Sen John McCain's (R-AZ) campaign. Cable news commentators scrambled to prop up the Senator's sagging poll numbers Friday as the fast-disappearing dream of a nail-biting horse-race threatened to bring down America's entire punditry system.
A senior CNN political analyst speaking on condition of anonymity said that the collapse of McCain's campaign could prove disastrous to the pundit industry. "A horse-race is vital to our bottom line," he said. "Without neck-and-neck poll numbers we can't maintain an air of suspense right up to election day, and our ratings will suffer. I could be out of a job by this time next week."
....continue reading
A senior CNN political analyst speaking on condition of anonymity said that the collapse of McCain's campaign could prove disastrous to the pundit industry. "A horse-race is vital to our bottom line," he said. "Without neck-and-neck poll numbers we can't maintain an air of suspense right up to election day, and our ratings will suffer. I could be out of a job by this time next week."
....continue reading
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Do We Want An Actual, Ordinary American In The White House?
By Joanne Rosenfeld
Last Friday, Senator McCain picked Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in the presidential election. Though I like to avoid voicing political or even moderately serious thoughts of mine, I simply can't help but react to this latest McCain blunder. About a month ago, Palin said she wasn't ready to discuss being VP because she didn't know what the VP did; moreover, she wanted to stay in her more "busy" and "active" job as Governor of Alaska. It's certainly saying something that she thinks being second in line to become Commander in Chief is a smaller, less-productive role than being governor of less than 700,000 constituents.
Governor Sarah Palin's resume includes two terms on City Council and two terms as Mayor of Wasilla, a town with a population of 8,500. This means that anyone who's been president of a mid-sized university for that length of time has as much experience as she does. She's currently only two years into her first term as Governor of Alaska, which by the way has a population of 670,000, or just over half the population of that sprawling land mass, Rhode Island. But thanks to the erudite leadership of John McCain, a person who's never been voted for by more than 120,000 people and has never worked in national politics, is now a potential leader of the free world.
Governor Palin is married to her high school sweetheart, who happens to be a competitive snowmobiler. I don't know what that is, but apparently it is in line with the activities of "ordinary" Americans. She has five children, the youngest of which is named Trig, like trigger, as in gun (!!). Sarah is applauded for having had Trig even though she and her husband were well aware he had Down Syndrome a few months into the pregnancy. That is not only a sacred and personal decision, it is one that takes both courage and resilience as a parent, and I do applaud her conviction in her beliefs. You see, when you have the freedom to choose, you get to display conviction to your own beliefs, not just the ones McCain/Palin would like to legislate.
A small part of me rejoices in this, the latest in a series of misguided campaign decisions, because now, I am certain, McCain will not be elected. No one can say in seriousness that Sarah Palin is ready to lead a nation (some are saying it out of a habit of making hypocritical statements, but that's a whole 'nother issue). Despite a strengthened belief in an Obama/Biden victory this November, however, I am still plagued by the worry of what-if.
What if McCain wins? Sure the idea of a woman in the White House is exciting on face value alone, but this particular woman will likely prove to be an incapable vice president for a number of reasons, chief among which is her startling lack of experience. When she does so, which she will, she risks hurting the cause of so many other aspiring female candidates in the years to come. If Kennedy hadn't been such a salient and capable president, no one would point to him as a shining example of religious difference in the Oval Office, thus encouraging the political careers of the many well-qualified Catholic, Jewish, etc. men and women who followed his groundbreaking presidency. And if Sarah Palin flops as she surely will do, she will become an all-too-visible and simply unrepresentative example of the kind of bumbling misdirection a woman will bring to the White House. I can just hear it now: "Don't bring any more in. Remember that Sarah Palin chick? What a mistake that was."
Considering the average life expectancy of an American male is 77 years old, it would simply be imprudent to ignore the possibility that 72-year-old will not make it thorough 4 years in the White House. What then? One would think McCain would make an extra effort to assuage such fears and concerns related to his age and health with his VP pick. I certainly assumed he would choose a person with a resume that rivals his own; someone whose years of experience on the national and even international level could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he/she was ready to lead the second "VP" turned to "P". Instead, he picked Sarah Palin. We want a president who is in touch with ordinary Americans, sure, but do we really want an actual, ordinary American in the White House? We seriously, seriously do not.
The greatest problem that I have with McCain's VP pick is that, once again, his decision has proven how misguided and illogical he is as a leader. Every move he has made in this campaign has been motivated by a follower's mentality: What do the voters want to hear? How do I get them to like me? What will make them like me more? A true leader works to change minds, inspire others, and move forward with an agenda he or she believes in and remains loyal to. Instead, McCain has become almost cartoonishly desperate for approval and support, lowering his standards, which should be presidential to the level of TMZ and perezhilton.com. This time, instead of carefully selecting a viable vice presidential candidate, he jumped a bandwagon that wasn't wound up with a soccer mom.
No one doubts this was a political decision; this is, after all, politics. But if McCain is after the women's vote, or more particularly, the vote of hardheaded Clinton supporters, he would have done better to align himself with someone who is not her ideological opposite. Women are not going to go after anything with boobs that moves like a drunk in a dive bar, and it is frankly both disturbing and insulting that McCain thinks otherwise.
Last Friday, Senator McCain picked Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in the presidential election. Though I like to avoid voicing political or even moderately serious thoughts of mine, I simply can't help but react to this latest McCain blunder. About a month ago, Palin said she wasn't ready to discuss being VP because she didn't know what the VP did; moreover, she wanted to stay in her more "busy" and "active" job as Governor of Alaska. It's certainly saying something that she thinks being second in line to become Commander in Chief is a smaller, less-productive role than being governor of less than 700,000 constituents.
Governor Sarah Palin's resume includes two terms on City Council and two terms as Mayor of Wasilla, a town with a population of 8,500. This means that anyone who's been president of a mid-sized university for that length of time has as much experience as she does. She's currently only two years into her first term as Governor of Alaska, which by the way has a population of 670,000, or just over half the population of that sprawling land mass, Rhode Island. But thanks to the erudite leadership of John McCain, a person who's never been voted for by more than 120,000 people and has never worked in national politics, is now a potential leader of the free world.
Governor Palin is married to her high school sweetheart, who happens to be a competitive snowmobiler. I don't know what that is, but apparently it is in line with the activities of "ordinary" Americans. She has five children, the youngest of which is named Trig, like trigger, as in gun (!!). Sarah is applauded for having had Trig even though she and her husband were well aware he had Down Syndrome a few months into the pregnancy. That is not only a sacred and personal decision, it is one that takes both courage and resilience as a parent, and I do applaud her conviction in her beliefs. You see, when you have the freedom to choose, you get to display conviction to your own beliefs, not just the ones McCain/Palin would like to legislate.
A small part of me rejoices in this, the latest in a series of misguided campaign decisions, because now, I am certain, McCain will not be elected. No one can say in seriousness that Sarah Palin is ready to lead a nation (some are saying it out of a habit of making hypocritical statements, but that's a whole 'nother issue). Despite a strengthened belief in an Obama/Biden victory this November, however, I am still plagued by the worry of what-if.
What if McCain wins? Sure the idea of a woman in the White House is exciting on face value alone, but this particular woman will likely prove to be an incapable vice president for a number of reasons, chief among which is her startling lack of experience. When she does so, which she will, she risks hurting the cause of so many other aspiring female candidates in the years to come. If Kennedy hadn't been such a salient and capable president, no one would point to him as a shining example of religious difference in the Oval Office, thus encouraging the political careers of the many well-qualified Catholic, Jewish, etc. men and women who followed his groundbreaking presidency. And if Sarah Palin flops as she surely will do, she will become an all-too-visible and simply unrepresentative example of the kind of bumbling misdirection a woman will bring to the White House. I can just hear it now: "Don't bring any more in. Remember that Sarah Palin chick? What a mistake that was."
Considering the average life expectancy of an American male is 77 years old, it would simply be imprudent to ignore the possibility that 72-year-old will not make it thorough 4 years in the White House. What then? One would think McCain would make an extra effort to assuage such fears and concerns related to his age and health with his VP pick. I certainly assumed he would choose a person with a resume that rivals his own; someone whose years of experience on the national and even international level could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he/she was ready to lead the second "VP" turned to "P". Instead, he picked Sarah Palin. We want a president who is in touch with ordinary Americans, sure, but do we really want an actual, ordinary American in the White House? We seriously, seriously do not.
The greatest problem that I have with McCain's VP pick is that, once again, his decision has proven how misguided and illogical he is as a leader. Every move he has made in this campaign has been motivated by a follower's mentality: What do the voters want to hear? How do I get them to like me? What will make them like me more? A true leader works to change minds, inspire others, and move forward with an agenda he or she believes in and remains loyal to. Instead, McCain has become almost cartoonishly desperate for approval and support, lowering his standards, which should be presidential to the level of TMZ and perezhilton.com. This time, instead of carefully selecting a viable vice presidential candidate, he jumped a bandwagon that wasn't wound up with a soccer mom.
No one doubts this was a political decision; this is, after all, politics. But if McCain is after the women's vote, or more particularly, the vote of hardheaded Clinton supporters, he would have done better to align himself with someone who is not her ideological opposite. Women are not going to go after anything with boobs that moves like a drunk in a dive bar, and it is frankly both disturbing and insulting that McCain thinks otherwise.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
We Deserve A George W. Bush Holiday
By Steven Borne
I propose creating a George W. Bush Day — a national holiday, the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend to be the new national election day, instead of the first Tuesday in November.
This day will become a day of remembrance — a chance to avoid repeating the historic national mistakes of the past eight years. Our past generations have enabled our great nation to be divided, the balance of governmental power distorted, our national identity betrayed and our economy crushed by debt and irrational economic policies. We are now obligated to right our nation and help make America, America again.
The economy can certainly absorb the influx of holiday shopping and more people will be home to vote or know sufficiently in advance to request absentee ballots. Holiday-focused shows, events, classroom content, sales promotions, etc., can all help drive educated participation and motivate the population to be more informed of the candidates and positions. We can build a national message that leverages our past mistakes (from both parties) to enforce the importance of education, participation and the role of the populace to mandate responsible, effective government.
This new holiday will encourage our schools and media to educate and emphasize the responsibilities of the electorate to maintain the health of our democracy. With all due respect to exceptional educators, the national evidence of the past eight years proves that our educational and media system has failed our democracy. There is no better learning example of what can go wrong than the George W. Bush administration and how we failed to prevent its actions. As we re-educate our nation, imagine the potential quiz questions.
n Of these six acts by the Bush administration, which one is actually permissible under the Constitution?
n True or false, Vice President Dick Cheney controlled and determined more executive and policy decisions than President Bush?
n What is the estimated level of global competitiveness America forfeited that is directly attributed to the No Child Left Behind program?
n Extra credit essay: Defend either statement using at least five reference points — "In presenting the justification for invading Iraq, the Bush administration was a) incompetent or b) intentionally lied to the nation?
We face a long, hard uphill climb. Only by acknowledging our collective failure and recognizing how national apathy enables single-minded individuals to manipulate a nation, can we begin to heal our nation and to rebuild our economic and national strength. George W. Bush Day, will stress the patriotic duty of every American to fight through the propaganda, misinformation, irrational logic, bias news sources and then to question everything by participating in the debate and discussion required for a healthy and evolving democracy.
Communism taught in school shows how intelligent and educated people accepted the misguided logic and rational of a communist government and how most chose to follow, rather than question or fight back. We learned how the mass majority in these countries were driven into a rut by the ruling powers and were incapable of climbing out. We had always assumed that America was immune to this type of behavior. Well, America has proven that we too, can be led into a national rut. America needs to acknowledge and constantly remind ourselves what happened during the George W. Bush administration. The many manipulative acts of this administration must never be forgotten. We can never ignore how the conservative faction took a large lever labeled "faith" and drove it deep into the nation where it touched enough of the populace so too many of us aligned behind the calculated power grab. Then the national outrage from the 9/11 attacks was leveraged to accelerate our democratic demise as more citizens were driven into a deeper national rut, executive power expanded, and the conservative agenda enacted.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sarah Palin's Leadership Promise
Not enough attention has been paid to John McCain's rationale behind the choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate. Clearly he envisions an important leadership role for the athletic young frontierswoman whose vivacious energy adds spark and vigor to his lethargic leadership.
Friday, August 29, 2008
American Democracy Is In Danger
To the Editor:
This is a response to a letter written by Mr. Jack Stephenson of Gilford on 8/18/08.
Mr. Stephenson, your use of the word "negro" denotes that you still see color when you look into the heart of a man. We differ. In Barack Obama, I see light, hope, and inspiration. I see a man who has devoted his life to working for the middle class, a bright Constitutional attorney, a fellow American determined to remedy the sorry condition of our country. I admire him. The future of our country as a peaceful, respected, and prosperous nation rests with him, as does the job, health, financial and old-age security of the vast majority of Americans.
You make reference to a desire for a fair election. I welcome fair elections. I suspect all Americans demand fair elections, because, as we all know, legitimate, open, honest elections go to the heart of democracy, and democracy is the gateway to everything else.
But America has a disgusting history of unfair elections ... rigged elections in 2000 and 2004, which changed the course of world history. Election fraud '08 is already in progress. Yes, the shameful scheming used in Florida in 2000 to purge legitimate voters, mostly blacks, and mostly Democrats, has now spread to the swing states: Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and, once again ... Florida. 19.4 percent of Colorado voters have been purged; 600,000 voters in Ohio purged.
Voters in thirty (30) states this November will vote on electronic voting machines bearing no paper receipt or ballot; thus, no recount is possible. Including New Hampshire's optical-scan machines, more than 85 percent of the total votes cast in November will be cast on electronic voting machines, all of which are programmed in complete secret by corporate vendors. No one is allowed to know how these machines are programmed - not you, not me, not the Secretary of State, and this secrecy is protected by state and federal law. Would it alarm you to know that our privatized elections system could soon be controlled by Allied Technologies, the 7th largest military defense contractor? If you share my concerns for fair elections, here's where you need to start: www.gregpalast.com
It's never been more important for all Americans to unite, to think independently of 30-second attack ads, to reject the hate and fear mongering which has so divided our nation, and to demand from our elected officials meaningful election reform. The great experiment in representative democracy is squarely in harm's way.
Bob Perry, State Representative, Dist. 3
Committee of Election Law
Vice-Chair, Electronic Voting Machine Subcommittee
This is a response to a letter written by Mr. Jack Stephenson of Gilford on 8/18/08.
Mr. Stephenson, your use of the word "negro" denotes that you still see color when you look into the heart of a man. We differ. In Barack Obama, I see light, hope, and inspiration. I see a man who has devoted his life to working for the middle class, a bright Constitutional attorney, a fellow American determined to remedy the sorry condition of our country. I admire him. The future of our country as a peaceful, respected, and prosperous nation rests with him, as does the job, health, financial and old-age security of the vast majority of Americans.
You make reference to a desire for a fair election. I welcome fair elections. I suspect all Americans demand fair elections, because, as we all know, legitimate, open, honest elections go to the heart of democracy, and democracy is the gateway to everything else.
But America has a disgusting history of unfair elections ... rigged elections in 2000 and 2004, which changed the course of world history. Election fraud '08 is already in progress. Yes, the shameful scheming used in Florida in 2000 to purge legitimate voters, mostly blacks, and mostly Democrats, has now spread to the swing states: Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and, once again ... Florida. 19.4 percent of Colorado voters have been purged; 600,000 voters in Ohio purged.
Voters in thirty (30) states this November will vote on electronic voting machines bearing no paper receipt or ballot; thus, no recount is possible. Including New Hampshire's optical-scan machines, more than 85 percent of the total votes cast in November will be cast on electronic voting machines, all of which are programmed in complete secret by corporate vendors. No one is allowed to know how these machines are programmed - not you, not me, not the Secretary of State, and this secrecy is protected by state and federal law. Would it alarm you to know that our privatized elections system could soon be controlled by Allied Technologies, the 7th largest military defense contractor? If you share my concerns for fair elections, here's where you need to start: www.gregpalast.com
It's never been more important for all Americans to unite, to think independently of 30-second attack ads, to reject the hate and fear mongering which has so divided our nation, and to demand from our elected officials meaningful election reform. The great experiment in representative democracy is squarely in harm's way.
Bob Perry, State Representative, Dist. 3
Committee of Election Law
Vice-Chair, Electronic Voting Machine Subcommittee
Monday, August 25, 2008
Don't Know Much
This is another great ad from the Obama campaign set to the music of the legendary Sam Cooke. What I find especially powerful is the use for a full five seconds of the photo of McCain hugging Bush. It's awesome!
Watch, Digg it, make it viral!
Watch, Digg it, make it viral!
For A Vet, McCain's Record Sorely Lacking
By Seth Lovell
On July 7, at a town hall meeting in Denver, a Vietnam veteran confronted John McCain about his support of veterans' issues.
"I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans service organizations," responded McCain.
Although this sounds good, it is inaccurate and misleading. The VFW and American Legion do not compile congressional voting records, and other veterans' organizations that do compile records aren't favorable.
Disabled American Veterans is an organization that was founded following World War I, and today has 1.4 million members.
It not only tracks this legislation, but tracks how politicians vote. John McCain is documented as having voted with DAV-supported legislation 34 percent of the time. Barack Obama has voted with the DAV 89 percent of the time.
Another organization that tracks legislation important to veterans is Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the first and largest organization dedicated to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
IAVA is only concerned with bettering the lives of returning veterans, and advocating for their rights. Its records show McCain voting with IAVA 58 percent of the time, and receiving a "D" rating. Obama voted with IAVA 89 percent of the time, receiving a "B-plus" rating.
If the overall records do not speak for themselves the specific examples will. In April 2003 McCain urged Senate members to table a vote that would appropriate more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve Equipment in Iraq. In October of 2003 once again McCain voted to table a bill that called for an additional $322 million for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq.
On issues relating to veterans' health care McCain's record is even worse. Since 2004 McCain has voted twice against closing corporate tax loopholes to help fund healthcare for veterans. In March 2004 Senator McCain voted against an amendment that would have created a $1.8 billion reserve fund to increase Veteran's medical care.
Again in March 2006 McCain voted against an amendment to close corporate tax loopholes in order to increase veterans' medical services funding by $1.5 billion. In April 2006 McCain joined only 13 other senators in voting against an amendment to increase funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs for outpatient care and treatment of veterans. This amendment provided a paltry $430 million compared to the billions of dollars being spent each week in Iraq, yet McCain opted to vote against it.
His neglect of veterans goes on and on. Most recently in May of 2008 McCain spoke out against the updated GI Bill being sponsored by Virginia Sen. Jim Webb.
On the day of the vote McCain was not present, a convenient way to avoid criticism over his promised oppositional vote. The biggest injustice to those who worked so hard to make this bill a reality came when President Bush praised McCain for his work on this legislation.
Every American should appreciate and honor the service that Sen. McCain gave to our country during Vietnam. There is no doubt John McCain supports the war in Iraq.
It doesn't mean he supports the veterans who served.
Seth Lovell is a veteran of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is pursuing his master at James Madison University. E-mail him at stlovell@comcast.net.
(Note: This column was first published on August 24, 2008 by The News Leader of Staunton, Virginia)
On July 7, at a town hall meeting in Denver, a Vietnam veteran confronted John McCain about his support of veterans' issues.
"I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans service organizations," responded McCain.
Although this sounds good, it is inaccurate and misleading. The VFW and American Legion do not compile congressional voting records, and other veterans' organizations that do compile records aren't favorable.
Disabled American Veterans is an organization that was founded following World War I, and today has 1.4 million members.
It not only tracks this legislation, but tracks how politicians vote. John McCain is documented as having voted with DAV-supported legislation 34 percent of the time. Barack Obama has voted with the DAV 89 percent of the time.
Another organization that tracks legislation important to veterans is Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the first and largest organization dedicated to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
IAVA is only concerned with bettering the lives of returning veterans, and advocating for their rights. Its records show McCain voting with IAVA 58 percent of the time, and receiving a "D" rating. Obama voted with IAVA 89 percent of the time, receiving a "B-plus" rating.
If the overall records do not speak for themselves the specific examples will. In April 2003 McCain urged Senate members to table a vote that would appropriate more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve Equipment in Iraq. In October of 2003 once again McCain voted to table a bill that called for an additional $322 million for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq.
On issues relating to veterans' health care McCain's record is even worse. Since 2004 McCain has voted twice against closing corporate tax loopholes to help fund healthcare for veterans. In March 2004 Senator McCain voted against an amendment that would have created a $1.8 billion reserve fund to increase Veteran's medical care.
Again in March 2006 McCain voted against an amendment to close corporate tax loopholes in order to increase veterans' medical services funding by $1.5 billion. In April 2006 McCain joined only 13 other senators in voting against an amendment to increase funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs for outpatient care and treatment of veterans. This amendment provided a paltry $430 million compared to the billions of dollars being spent each week in Iraq, yet McCain opted to vote against it.
His neglect of veterans goes on and on. Most recently in May of 2008 McCain spoke out against the updated GI Bill being sponsored by Virginia Sen. Jim Webb.
On the day of the vote McCain was not present, a convenient way to avoid criticism over his promised oppositional vote. The biggest injustice to those who worked so hard to make this bill a reality came when President Bush praised McCain for his work on this legislation.
Every American should appreciate and honor the service that Sen. McCain gave to our country during Vietnam. There is no doubt John McCain supports the war in Iraq.
It doesn't mean he supports the veterans who served.
Seth Lovell is a veteran of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is pursuing his master at James Madison University. E-mail him at stlovell@comcast.net.
(Note: This column was first published on August 24, 2008 by The News Leader of Staunton, Virginia)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
He May Be Skinny, But He's Tough!
For weeks many Democrats have been lamenting the fact that Obama has not been forceful enough in attacking McCain - that his commitment to running on issues rather than stooping to personal attacks was going to cost him the election.
Those critics might want to rethink their position.
Today he launched a new ad that goes to the heart of why McCain is out of touch with the needs and desires of average Americans. View it below:
Throughout the campaign I've heard Barack say "I might be skinny, but I'm tough." Anyone who doubts it is in for a shock. This latest ad is but one of many produced by the campaign over the past week that slam McCain for his positions on issues.
Another of my favorites points to McCain's history of being associated with some of the most corrupt political operatives in Washington.
As we head toward the Convention and beyond, I feel confident that Barack Obama will successfully control the message and turn attention to the real needs of America's workers and families.
Those critics might want to rethink their position.
Today he launched a new ad that goes to the heart of why McCain is out of touch with the needs and desires of average Americans. View it below:
Throughout the campaign I've heard Barack say "I might be skinny, but I'm tough." Anyone who doubts it is in for a shock. This latest ad is but one of many produced by the campaign over the past week that slam McCain for his positions on issues.
Another of my favorites points to McCain's history of being associated with some of the most corrupt political operatives in Washington.
As we head toward the Convention and beyond, I feel confident that Barack Obama will successfully control the message and turn attention to the real needs of America's workers and families.
Try Harder Next Time Jack, You Don't Write Like A Democrat
To the Editor,
I read Jack Stephenson's recent letter with great interest, but I confess, I'm having a hard time understanding why he's pretending to be a Democrat.
If he really were a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton, he'd be supporting Senator Obama, since that's what she asked her supporters to do.
It seems far more likely that Mr. Stephenson is trying, not too cleverly, to create division and dissent within the ranks of Democrats.
Mr. Stephenson, I think you're confused about some of the issues you mentioned. I've seen Senator Obama speak in public, with nary a "cue card" in sight. He wasn't using the 21st century version of the cue card, the Teleprompter, either. It's actually Senator McCain who relies on notes and Teleprompters.
When McCain spoke in front of the great wall of cheese last month, he needed to look at his notes in order to find out the price of a gallon of milk! I guess we can't expect a guy who has a private jet, 8 homes, $100 million, and wears $500 loafers to remember silly things like the cost of milk. After all, it's not as if he ever has to shop, like the rest of us do.
As for energy, Senator Obama is, regrettably, in favor of nuclear power. Fox News keeps saying he is anti-nuke, which is probably why you're so woefully uninformed. Nuclear power is NOT a cheap, or a clean energy source, which explains why no nuclear plants are being built. Uranium (a finite resource) mining requires huge outputs of energy and water. The radioactive tailings left behind are quite dangerous, and seldom cleaned up. Most uranium mining in the US takes place on Indian reservations, where mining companies destroy the land and water, and leave the mess behind.
Given your rather racist commentary about "negros", I'm suspecting you don't care too much about the polluting of Indian lands. I'm not sure who the "successful USA negros" you mention are, but one thing is certain, I bet they'd appreciate it if you at least spelled the plural term for negro correctly. It's Negroes, Mr. Stephenson, a term that hasn't seen popular usage since 1962. You need to update your vocabulary.
I am shocked to hear that you're concerned about having a "Hollywood style" president, since I'd bet my life's savings that you voted for Ronald Reagan.
Try harder next time, Jack. You don't write like a Democrat.
Susan Bruce
Jackson
I read Jack Stephenson's recent letter with great interest, but I confess, I'm having a hard time understanding why he's pretending to be a Democrat.
If he really were a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton, he'd be supporting Senator Obama, since that's what she asked her supporters to do.
It seems far more likely that Mr. Stephenson is trying, not too cleverly, to create division and dissent within the ranks of Democrats.
Mr. Stephenson, I think you're confused about some of the issues you mentioned. I've seen Senator Obama speak in public, with nary a "cue card" in sight. He wasn't using the 21st century version of the cue card, the Teleprompter, either. It's actually Senator McCain who relies on notes and Teleprompters.
When McCain spoke in front of the great wall of cheese last month, he needed to look at his notes in order to find out the price of a gallon of milk! I guess we can't expect a guy who has a private jet, 8 homes, $100 million, and wears $500 loafers to remember silly things like the cost of milk. After all, it's not as if he ever has to shop, like the rest of us do.
As for energy, Senator Obama is, regrettably, in favor of nuclear power. Fox News keeps saying he is anti-nuke, which is probably why you're so woefully uninformed. Nuclear power is NOT a cheap, or a clean energy source, which explains why no nuclear plants are being built. Uranium (a finite resource) mining requires huge outputs of energy and water. The radioactive tailings left behind are quite dangerous, and seldom cleaned up. Most uranium mining in the US takes place on Indian reservations, where mining companies destroy the land and water, and leave the mess behind.
Given your rather racist commentary about "negros", I'm suspecting you don't care too much about the polluting of Indian lands. I'm not sure who the "successful USA negros" you mention are, but one thing is certain, I bet they'd appreciate it if you at least spelled the plural term for negro correctly. It's Negroes, Mr. Stephenson, a term that hasn't seen popular usage since 1962. You need to update your vocabulary.
I am shocked to hear that you're concerned about having a "Hollywood style" president, since I'd bet my life's savings that you voted for Ronald Reagan.
Try harder next time, Jack. You don't write like a Democrat.
Susan Bruce
Jackson
People With Common Sense Will See Stephenson's Letter For What It Is
To the editor,
This is in response to a recent letter concerning Barack Obama, that states "some of us thought that he was the same as most USA negros,"
1. Do you realize computers have spell check and the word "negros" is misspelled. The proper spelling is Negroes. This is a term long in disuse, by the way, and that statement also shows how bigoted you are. To state that "anyone" is the same as "all" black people, white people, Asian people, is denying that anyone can be an individual or different than all in their ethnic group. You cannot clump everyone into one group.
2. You also misrepresent his position on the issues we are all concerned with. Do you believe all the ads you see on TV against him?
3. You insinuate that Obama has stolen the title of "world's best liar" from Clinton. I assume you mean Bill Clinton for you go on to say everyone should try to elect Hillary Clinton in order to have a fair election.
I firmly believe that people who read the letters to the editor and read the newspapers have enough knowledge and common sense to see that letter for what it was/is.
Elaine Seibel
Hill
This is in response to a recent letter concerning Barack Obama, that states "some of us thought that he was the same as most USA negros,"
1. Do you realize computers have spell check and the word "negros" is misspelled. The proper spelling is Negroes. This is a term long in disuse, by the way, and that statement also shows how bigoted you are. To state that "anyone" is the same as "all" black people, white people, Asian people, is denying that anyone can be an individual or different than all in their ethnic group. You cannot clump everyone into one group.
2. You also misrepresent his position on the issues we are all concerned with. Do you believe all the ads you see on TV against him?
3. You insinuate that Obama has stolen the title of "world's best liar" from Clinton. I assume you mean Bill Clinton for you go on to say everyone should try to elect Hillary Clinton in order to have a fair election.
I firmly believe that people who read the letters to the editor and read the newspapers have enough knowledge and common sense to see that letter for what it was/is.
Elaine Seibel
Hill
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Living Under A Rock
To the editor,
Clearly, Mr Stephenson has been living under a rock for years. I suggest he crawl back under it and keep his racist, small minded, uninformed views to himself. He is spreading hate and he is spreading lies.
Betsey Phillips
Franconia
Clearly, Mr Stephenson has been living under a rock for years. I suggest he crawl back under it and keep his racist, small minded, uninformed views to himself. He is spreading hate and he is spreading lies.
Betsey Phillips
Franconia
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Stop Playing at Being Outraged
To the editor,
I am responding to a letter-to-the-editor by Mr. Jack Stephenson (below).I am not sure where Mr. Stephenson is getting his information about Barack Obama and his position on various issues. The Obama Energy plan, for example, includes:
1. more renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) research and use
2. crackdown on oil speculation
3. energy rebate to American families
4. increase automobile fuel economy standards
5. use-or-loose it for existing oil & gas exploration leases
6. develop & deploy clean coal technology
7. create millions of clean & green jobs
8. reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an industry-wide cap-and-trade program
A full summary of the Obama plan can be found at Barack Obama.com.
Senator Obama has been consistently against the illegal, immoral, and unnecessary war in Iraq throughout his public career. He has not vacillated on this issue. He, as well as, Mr. McCain have adjusted their stance on many issues, as facts change. After all, it was not long ago that McCain was categorically against off-shore oil drilling. I could go on refuting each of Mr. Stepehnson's fallacious assertions about Barack Obama, but we there would not be enough room to print them.
What might the real reason be for Mr. Stephenson's tirade against Senator Obama? I believe Mr. Stephenson is really a conservative McCain supporter playing at being an outraged Hillary fan. We all see through your shannigans, Mr. Stephenson. We know Barack Obama is an educated 'African-American' and the best candidate running. He will be our next President.
Ray Iannuzzelli
Amherst
I am responding to a letter-to-the-editor by Mr. Jack Stephenson (below).I am not sure where Mr. Stephenson is getting his information about Barack Obama and his position on various issues. The Obama Energy plan, for example, includes:
1. more renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) research and use
2. crackdown on oil speculation
3. energy rebate to American families
4. increase automobile fuel economy standards
5. use-or-loose it for existing oil & gas exploration leases
6. develop & deploy clean coal technology
7. create millions of clean & green jobs
8. reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an industry-wide cap-and-trade program
A full summary of the Obama plan can be found at Barack Obama.com.
Senator Obama has been consistently against the illegal, immoral, and unnecessary war in Iraq throughout his public career. He has not vacillated on this issue. He, as well as, Mr. McCain have adjusted their stance on many issues, as facts change. After all, it was not long ago that McCain was categorically against off-shore oil drilling. I could go on refuting each of Mr. Stepehnson's fallacious assertions about Barack Obama, but we there would not be enough room to print them.
What might the real reason be for Mr. Stephenson's tirade against Senator Obama? I believe Mr. Stephenson is really a conservative McCain supporter playing at being an outraged Hillary fan. We all see through your shannigans, Mr. Stephenson. We know Barack Obama is an educated 'African-American' and the best candidate running. He will be our next President.
Ray Iannuzzelli
Amherst
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