Unity & Shared Responsibility…Awesome Message

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1.02.21

1.02.05

McCain Talks to Spanish Radio Station….DISASTER

Here’s the transcript…you decide for yourself. I think it’s PRETTY self-explanatory that McCain is either losing his marbles RAPIDLY or he is way more bellicose than we even thought.

QUESTION: Senator, finally, let’s talk about Spain. If you’re elected president, would you be willing to invite President Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?

MCCAIN: I would be willing meet, uh, with those leaders who our friends [sic] and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion, and by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels. I’m glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan. I intend to move forward with relations, and invite as many of them as I can, those leaders, to the White House. (Why the HELL did he bring up Mexico when the dude asked him about Spain?! This was my first WTF moment…out of many.)

QUESTION: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the president itself?

MCCAIN: I don’t, you know, honestly I have to look at relations and the situations and the priorities (so let me get this straight…McCain doesn’t know if Spain is our ally? If they are OK enough to be invited to the White House? I know they have a history of harboring Muslims during the great Moorish era, but c’mon Johnny, let bygones be bygones. Is this FOR REAL?!), but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

QUESTION: So you have to wait and see if he’s willing to meet with you, or you’ll be able to do it in the White House?

MCCAIN: Well again I don’t, all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere (in the HEMISPHERE?! What hemisphere is he referring to?! The NORTHERN hemisphere?! I seriously think he is confused.) that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

QUESTION: Okay… what about Europe I’m talking about the President of Spain?

MCCAIN: What about me what? (WTF?)

QUESTION: Okay… are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

MCCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not (Ohhhhh, I see, so let me get this straight….you’ll only meet with people who agree with us and all those kissy kissy meetings with egregious human rights, democracy, and freedom violating countries like, I dunno, Saudi Arabia….those don’t count. WTF!!!???)

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1.02.21

1.02.05

Palin is Ego-Trippin’

Alright people, it’s all getting a bit creepy, dontcha think?

• After nominating Palin as his running mate, McCain basically stops talking to the press reporters, which have been since bread and butter since day 1.
• Not only does he really pull back with the press, but he even gets testy with them, a phenomenon that has shocked many on the campaign trail with him
• McCain’s campaign doesn’t spend any time at all vetting their VP pick; McCain himself had never even met her
• Palin comes on board and causes a media circus because everyone is so shocked
• Then for 3 weeks, Palin is in the VP Protection Program or something and is hidden from the press
• When she actually does come out and talk, she reveals that she knows basically….nothing about anything
• The whole family values thing is kind of shot to hell with all the crap coming out about her own personal life.
• Where are the kids? Ok, so when Obama is on the campaign trail, I know that Michelle is taking care of them. When Michelle is at an event with Barack, I know that Grandma is watching the kids. It’s all been publicly documented. And none of the Obama kids are preggers. But where are these kids while Sarah and the “First Dude” are touring the nation? Who is taking care of Bristol and her probable morning sickness? For all those Republicans that think that parents should be more present for their children, how do you support what is going on here? I’m all for women working, but isn’t this a little extreme? Five kids, one with special needs, and one pregnant as a result of statutory rape? Um, seems to me these kids might need a little one-on-one time with mommy and daddy.
• Sarah Palin’s head seems to be getting bigger and bigger the more she campaigns…new designer suits every day, signing autographs “like a celebrity”, and usurping the prime spot on the ticket, referring to it as the “Palin-McCain Administration.”
• And most importantly, the lies, the lies, the lies that these two are weaving and trying to pull off on the American people. As a patriotic, proud American, I am insulted and appalled. These two people, their families, and the people that they have working for their campaign, they are scum, they are scum, they are liars, they are opportunists, they are cheaters, they are thieves, they are rotten, and we are all their victims – you and me, and I will not allow, with my vote, my country to be destroyed by these bastards, I will not allow them to jeopardize everything you and I have worked for and I will not allow them to jeopardize the future for my children and theirs. Enough is enough. I want my country back. McCain/Palin – go to hell.

Peeps, this is getting to be too much for me.

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1.02.21

1.02.05

Who are you voting for? (I got this in an email)

This is a little out dated but oh so true!!!!

Remember Lee Lacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it’s death throes? He is now 82 years old and has a new book. Here are some excerpts:

Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course.’

Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned ‘Titanic.’ I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’

You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I hav e. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ‘America’ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?

I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis ! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C’s of leadership – crisis being the first.)

Leadership is forged in times of crisis. Leaders are made – not born. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve ne ver seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.

A Hell of a Mess So here’s where we stand.

We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.

We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.

Our schools are in trouble!

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you’ve got to ask, ‘ Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are thepeople of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.

Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again.

Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time. Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more importantly, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress:
We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.

What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?

Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope; I believe in America. In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America ‘s greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the ‘Great Depression’, ‘World War II’, the ‘Korean War,’ the ‘Kennedy Assassination,’ the ‘Vietnam War,’ the 1970′s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I’ve learned one thing it’s this:
You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book.

It’s a call to ‘Action’ for people who, like me, believe in America. It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had ‘enough.

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It’s our country, folks and it’s our future

OUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE!

I’ve held this in for too long but… Republicans are DUMB AS FUCK

From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli
AKRON, Ohio — Fired up in a room full of union members, Joe Biden angrily defended both his ticket’s tax plan and his own claim that tax hikes for the rich are patriotic, while urging fellow Democrats to stand their ground on what he said was a values debate.

Biden, speaking to members of the Laborers International Union of North America, began by saying that there is “no disagreement” between John McCain and Barack Obama on the need for tax cuts. The real issue, he said, is who gets them.

“Catholic social doctrine as I was taught it is, you take care of people who need the help the most,” he said. “Now it’d be different if you could make the case to me that by giving this tax cut to the very wealthy, everybody else was going to be better off. We saw what happened the last eight years when we gave that tax cut.”

He then explained his statement, first made at a rally in Sarasota, FL, two weeks ago, that asking the wealthiest Americans to accept tax hikes would be patriotic. And he added that the tax rates would still be lower than they were under the Reagan administration.

“I tell you, Democrats,” Biden said, gritting his teeth. “Don’t you step down from anybody telling you that we don’t value, we don’t have American values. … I want this debate about values! I want this debate about American values.”

Biden was speaking before a very friendly audience, but urged them to spread the word, acknowledging that even some Democrats remain wary of Obama.

“Say you’re right, last eight years worked pretty well, didn’t they?” he said. “How do you feel, small businessman, about the last eight years? How do you feel, white-collar worker, about the last eight years? … This is not about Democrat or Republican. It’s about the facts.”

Biden, who has been doing regular interviews with both local and national press, deviated during his remarks to challenge both members of the GOP ticket to do the same.

“It’s not just Sarah Palin,” he said. “When’s the last time John’s had a press conference? I’m serious! … When an elected officials stops holding press conferences, it ain’t because he’s found a new way to communicate, it’s because he doesn’t want to communicate.”

Though Biden has done his share of interviews – by one count over 80 – he has not himself held more than two solo press conferences, and none in nearly two weeks. His first solo press conference was in Pittsburgh on Sept. 1, and was very brief, as he explained his decision to cancel an appearance in the city’s Labor Day parade. He did speak with reporters aboard his campaign plane on Sept. 7 for over a half hour.

Source

Lobbyists for McCain…177 To Be Exact

83 of them who work for the Financial Sector that McCain now is attacking. Hmmm, interesting.

Phil Anderson: American Council of Life Insurers, Aetna, AIG, New York Life, MassMutual, VISA
Rebecca Anderson: Aegon, American Council of Life Insurers, Cigna, Barclays, Credit Suisse First Boston, HSBC
Stanton Anderson: The Debt Exchange

David Beightol: Allstate, Amerigroup, Charles Schwab, HSBC

Rhonda Bentz: VISA

Wayne Berman: American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Americhoice, Shinsei Bank, Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Broidy Capital Management, Credit Suisse Securities, Highstar Capital, VISA, Ameriquest Mortgage, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fitch Ratings

Charlie Black: JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, National Association of Mortgage Brokers

Judy Black: Colorado Credit Union League, Genworth Financial, Bay Harbour Management, Merrill Lynch

Kirk Blalock: Credit Union National Association, Financial Executives International, American Insurance Association, Mutual of Omaha, Zurich Financial Service Group, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

Carlos Bonilla: Financial Services Roundtable, Freddie Mac

Christine Burgeson: Citigroup

Mark Buse: Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Nicholas Calio: Citigroup, Managed Fund Association, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, The Investment Company Institute, TIAA-CRE, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

Ben Nighthorse Campbell: Amscot Financial Corporation, Community Financial Services Association, Fidelity National Financial

Andrew Cantor: American Insurance Association, Merrill Lynch

Alberto Cardenas: Fannie Mae

James Courter: Goldman Sachs, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Investment Company Institute, Merrill Lynch

David Crane: Financial Services Roundtable, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Bank of America, Association of Corporate Credit Unions, Freddie Mac

Dan Crippen: Merrill Lynch, National Multi-Housing Council

Arthur Culvahouse: Fannie Mae

Bryan Cunningham: Arch Capital Group

Alfonse D’Amato: AIG, Freddie Mac

Doug Davenport: Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Goldman Sachs, VISA

Ashley Davis: Prudential Financial, American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters, Great American Insurance Company

Mimi Dawson: MassMutual

Melissa Edwards: Freddie Mac, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Access to Capital Coalition

Chris Fidler: American Bankers Association, Milcom Venture Partners, National Association Real Estate Investment Trusts

Samuel Geduldig: American Bankers Association, American Institute of CPAs, America Gains, Berkshire Hathaway, Consumer Bankers Association, Ernst & Young, Financial Services Roundtable, Investment Company Institute, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Prudential Financial, Sovereign Investment Council, Fidelity Investments, FMR Corp.

Benjamin Ginsberg: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, AIG Technical Services

David Girard-Dicarlo: American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters

Juleanna Glover Weiss: RJI Capital, American Institute of CPAs, BNP Paribas, Ernst & Young, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Slade Gorton: Allstate Insurance, Hannan Armstrong Capital

Phil Gramm: UBS Americas

John Green: Laredo National Bank, Alternative Investment Management Association, AIG, Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group, Fannie Mae, Icahn Associates, FMR Corp., AFLAC, VISA

Janet Grissom: American Institute of CPAs, NYSE, Merrill Lynch

Kristen Gullott: San Diego Credit Union

Kent Hance: Stanford Financial Group, Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.

Vicki Hart: American Financial Services Association, Citigroup, Investment Company Institute, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, New York Stock Exchange, VISA, Carlyle Group, Credit Suisse, Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Goldman Sachs, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, Stanford Group, Lloyd’s of London, National City Corp.

Richard Hohlt: Capmark Financial Group, Fannie Mae, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Student Loan Marketing Association, Washington Mutual, Guaranty Bank & Trust, Peachtree Settlement Funding, Dime Savings Bank of New York

Gaylord Hughey: Heartland Security Insurance Group

Kate Hull: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Zurich Financial Services, American Insurance Association, Financial Executives International

James Hyland: American Insurance Association, Seattle Home Loan Bank, Self Help Credit Union, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Merrill Lynch, Mortgage Investors Corp., Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Freddie Mac, New York Stock Exchange, Citigroup, VISA

Aleix Jarvis: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Financial Executives International, Mutual of Omaha, American Insurance Association, Zurich Financial Services

Greg Jenner: American Council of Life Insurers, JG Wentworth, UBS, VISA, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Frank Keating: American Council of Life Insurers

Steven Kuykendall: California Bankers Association

William Lesher: Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Commerce Ventures, Rabobank International

Thomas Loeffler: Citigroup, Fannie Mae, Investment Company Institute, World Savings and Loan Association, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

Kelly Lugar: RJI Capital Strategies

Peter Madigan: Arthur Andersen, Bank of New York, Broadridge Securities Processing, Charles Schwab, Deloitte and Touche, Goldman Sachs, International Employee Stock Option Coalition, Mastercard, NYSE, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, PNC Bank

Mary Mann: MassMutual

Paul Martino: Morgan Stanley, Baker Tilly

Jana McKeag: Venture Catalyst

Alison McSlarrow: Fannie Mae, Hartford

Mike Meece: Georgetown Partners

David Metzner: Ernst & Young, Harbinger Capital Investments, Prudential, Public Financial Management, Western Union

Susan Molinari: Freddie Mac, American Land Title Association, Association of Consumer Credit Unions, Beacon Capital Partners, College Loan Corp, Coventry First, E-Trade, Financial Services Roundtable, Rent-A-Center

John Moran: Cerberus Capital Management, American Council of Life Insurers, Accenture

John Napier: Freddie Mac

Susan Nelson: AIG, San Antonio Credit Union

Paul Otellini: Ernst & Young, Financial Services Forum

Steve Perry: Charles Schwab, Hoover Partners, HSBC, National Stock Exchange

Nancy Pfotenhauer: American Land Title Association, Mortgage Bankers Association

Elise Pickering-Finley: Credit Suisse, DE Shaw, Hartford Financial Services, Research In Motion, Retail Industry Lenders Association, URL Mutual

James Pitts: Advanced Association for Life Underwriting, AETNA, American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Debt Advisory International, Financial Services Coordinating Council, GE Financial Assurance, Hartford Life, Jefferson Pilot Financial, Kenwood Investments, MassMutual, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life, UNUM Provident, VISA, PMI Group

Tim Powers: AP Capital, Genworth Financial, Retail Industry Lenders Association, E-LOAN, General Electric Mortgage Insurance

Walter Price: Wachovia

Sloan Rappoport: Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. (FBR), Trafelet Delta Funds

Hans Rickhoff: Capital One, Investment Company Institute, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

Kathleen Shanahan: New York Stock Exchange

Andrew Shore: Accenture, Retail Industry Lenders Association, Barclays, Bond Market Association, Credit Suisse, TPG Capital

Katie Stahl: Alliance for Investment Transparency, Ares Management, Fairfax Financial Holdings, Uhlmann Financial Group

Milly Stanges: TIAA-CREF

Aquiles Suarez: Fannie Mae

Don Sundquist: Freddie Mac, The Hartford

Peter Terpeluk: JP Morgan Chase, Ernst & Young, Prudential

Fred Thompson: Equitas

Jeri Thompson: American Insurance Association

John Timmons: National Association of Federal Credit Unions

William Timmons Sr.: American Council of Life Insurers, Citigroup, Dun & Bradstreet, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group

Vin Weber: Agstar Financial Services, AKT Investment Corp., American Institute of CPAs, Ernst & Young, Freddie Mac, Louis Dreyfus Corp, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Jeffery Weiss: JP Morgan

Tony Williams: Russell Investment Group, American Life Inc., Northwestern Mutual

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1.02.21

1.02.05

Wow! Chris Matthews Lights UP Republican Representative Eric Cantor on Hardball – Simply AWESOME!

The entire segment is worth watching, but if you can’t take the whole 15 minutes, just watch the second 10 minute segment. It’s UNBELIEVABLE! Best interview I’ve EVER seen Chris Matthews do! Major props for being strong enough to ask the tough questions and call it like it is. AWESOME!

As an aside, I hope every resident of the great states of Florida and Virginia were watching this or will watch it because you two states are swing states and you can clearly see the writing on the wall with how these two Congressmen responded to Matthew’s questions. I think the party with integrity, honesty, and a plan for the middle class should prevail this November.

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1.02.21

1.02.05