Biden Strikes Again…

We all know and love Joe Biden for being the kind of guy you could sit and watch a great game of football with or have a summer barbeque with, but these great types of people also have an unusual trait of often saying things that they just shouldn’t. Usually this happens after they’ve had a few drinks, but with Biden, it seems like he might not even have to get sauced to spill the beans.

At the Gridiron media event this past weekend, Biden attended to fill in for Obama. This seemed like a great idea, Biden being the social guy that he is. But things turned a little weird when he disclosed the location of a secret bunker under his home, the former US Naval Observatory, to his dinnermates. Speculators are guessing that this is precisely where Cheney hid after the 9/11 attacks and where Biden will never again be able to hide since now it is public, rather than classified, information. Ugh.

You Wanna Talk Cajones? Google Kyrgyzstan…

This country is slightly smaller than South Dakota.

This country’s claim to fame is that it has the world’s largest natural-growth walnut forest.

Yet, this country had the cajones today to tell the U.S. it has 6 months to get the hell off their base at Manas. Manas is a major supply line for the effort in Afghanistan. Sec. of State Clinton has said that talks are still underway to try to negotiate with Kyrgyzstan to renew the “lease” on the base, but who knows how productive that will be? I dunno if Russian cash was involved – I’ve heard rumors of $2 billion in aid promised to K-Stan by Moscow, but of course, no one will actually come out and say that the money and the decision are linked. They are just “coincidences” I guess.

So what now for the U.S.? This comes at a rather interesting time for the Afghanistan effort, seeming that Obama just ordered another 17,000 troops to make their way over there.

Is this a real issue or is this just Russia testing Hillary’s Sec. of State muscle?

Guantanamo Guard Speaks Out Against Torture

Army Private Brandon Neely served as a prison guard at Guantánamo in the first years the facility was in operation. With the Bush Administration, and thus the threat of retaliation against him, now gone, Neely decided to step forward and tell his story. “The stuff I did and the stuff I saw was just wrong,” he told the Associated Press. Neely describes the arrival of detainees in full sensory-deprivation garb, he details their sexual abuse by medical personnel, torture by other medical personnel, brutal beatings out of frustration, fear, and retribution, the first hunger strike and its causes, torturous shackling, positional torture, interference with religious practices and beliefs, verbal abuse, restriction of recreation, the behavior of mentally ill detainees, an isolation regime that was put in place for child-detainees, and his conversations with prisoners David Hicks and Rhuhel Ahmed. It makes for fascinating reading.

Neely’s comprehensive account runs to roughly 15,000 words. It was compiled by law students at the University of California at Davis and can be accessed here.

US-Iraq Withdrawal Plan Reached…Mirrors Obama’s Plan…Now Who is the LEADER?!

From The Independent…

Iraq and the United States have finally agreed on a security pact which would mean that US forces would withdraw from Iraq by 2011, American and Iraqi officials said yesterday.

The accord became a major test of strength between the Iraqi government and Washington since negotiations began in March with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, pictured below, demanding US concessions on the date of the troop withdrawal and immunity for US troops. The pact replaces the UN Security Council resolution enacted after the American invasion of 2003.

US troops are to withdraw from Iraqi towns and villages by the middle of next year and from Iraq entirely by the middle of 2011 said the government’s spokesman, Ali Dabbagh.

He said: “The withdrawal is to be achieved in three years. In 2011, the government at that time will determine whether it needs a new pact or not, and what type of pact will depend on the challenges it faces.”

The US administration will present the pact as a sign of its success in Iraq but in fact the accord is very different from originally envisaged by Washington which would largely have continued the occupation as before.

President Bush was opposed to timelines or dates for an American withdrawal and the US is still stressing that this is conditional on improved security in Iraq. But it is unlikely that the Shia majority will want to share power with the US.

Iraqi politicians have always assumed that Washington’s insistence on signing a new accord before the presidential election was motivated by the White House’s hope that the accord would be seen as a sign that its Iraq policy had at last produced a success. The Republican contender, Senator John McCain, started off his campaign by saying that US troops might stay for 100 years and there should be no date for their withdrawal. The Democratic candidate, Senator Barack Obama, wants combat troops home by the middle of 2010, which was also the date originally proposed by Mr Maliki.

Iraq has faded as an issue in the presidential election as the financial crisis worsened. However, claims that the Republicans had won a victory in Iraq looked increasingly unreal as it became clear that a withdrawal date would be determined by Mr Maliki, and not by the US.

The US has given ground on crucial issues. On the legal immunity of American troops Mr Dabbagh said: “Inside their bases, they will be under American law. Iraqi judicial law will be implemented in case these forces commit a serious and deliberate felony outside their military bases and when off duty.” Contractors, who have more men in Iraq than the US army, will no longer have immunity.

Cindy McCain’s Attack On Obama’s Record Offends Military Spouses

Diane Tucker writes…

At a rally in Bethlehem, Pa. last week, Cindy McCain spoke about having two sons serving on active duty: “I’m proud of my sons, but let me tell you, the day that Senator Obama cast a vote not to fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body. I would suggest that Senator Obama change shoes with me for just one day, and see what it means.”

Never mind how many drinks are needed to erase the mental image of Barack Obama wearing Cindy McCain’s stiletto heels. The fact is — many military spouses support Obama-Biden, and they were deeply offended by Mrs. McCain’s outburst.

Let’s fact-check her remark, shall we?

Cindy McCain was referring to a single 2007 Senate vote: Obama voted for a war-spending bill that included language calling for withdrawing troops from Iraq; but later he voted against a version of the same bill because it no longer included the withdrawal language. “We must fund our troops, but we owe them something more,” Obama said at the time. “We owe them a clear, prudent plan to relieve them of the burden of policing someone else’s civil war.”

In other words, Sen. Obama wanted to fund the troops, he just didn’t support the flawed military strategy this particular bill would enable. (Previously, Obama had voted YES on at least 10 other war funding bills. For a lengthy list of John McCain’s NO votes on military funding, click here.)

“It ruffles our feathers when someone claims that Barack Obama doesn’t support the troops, because the Obamas have gone out of their way to understand the military, its families, and its veterans,” Stephanie Himel-Nelson, deputy director of outreach for Blue Star Families for Obama, told OffTheBus. “In fact, Michelle Obama has adopted military families as one of her causes.”

Would Cindy McCain “Change Shoes” With These Military Wives?

“When millionaires such as Cindy McCain act as if they understand our lives, and the lives of everyday military families and veterans, we get upset,” said Himel-Nelson.

Today the number of service men and women forced to deploy over and over again is unprecedented. Loneliness is leading to frayed marriages. Toddlers are just getting to know their parents when — poof! — mommy and daddy disappear to serve overseas again. Career paths are falling off track. Household budgets are in disarray.

Imagine what parenting must be like when one spouse keeps bouncing in and out of the picture. “It’s a delicate dance,” Heidi Goeman, Beaufort, SC told OffTheBus. “Kids change, rules change, and perspectives change while my husband is away. When he returns home, the lay of the land isn’t the same.” Goeman and her husband have endured four deployments together.

Many children are too young to articulate their response to repeated separations. “Our seven-year-old thought he was at fault for his dad’s going away, despite our best efforts to prepare him,” said Goeman.

Deployments Are Lasting Longer, Coming Closer Together

Casey Spurr’s husband has been deployed three times. “Mostly I find myself saying ‘I wish your daddy was here’ when I really, really need to take a break, or when our son lets out a big belly laugh — he has the best laugh,” said the Virginia Beach, Va. resident. Spurr told OffTheBus, “Obama proposes a Military Family Advisory Board, which I think is long overdue.”

The number of Navy and Air Force vets re-deployed to fill gaps in Army units on a one-off basis — with just a few weeks of combat training — continues to grow. “The Navy is providing manpower because the Army doesn’t have enough troop strength for our front lines,” said Vivian Walker, a Navy veteran and military spouse who is using her GI Bill benefits to earn a Ph.D. in public administration and urban policy.

Walker confesses she forgot her wedding anniversary amid the chaos of managing work and family by herself. “A big paper was due, I was trying to find a Halloween costume for our four-year old, my mother was visiting…the list goes on, but I’m not complaining. The only time I get upset is when I feel I have to defend my patriotism if I vote for Obama. I live this war daily. My support for the troops is all-consuming.”

Maria Arwitz’s husband is a Navy dentist who was onboard the USS Comstock when it delivered a marine corps unit to Afghanistan in 2002. Three years later he was sent to Iceland for 11 months, something that “probably would not have happened if Navy Medicine wasn’t stretched so thin,” Arwitz told OffTheBus. “He deployed right after one of our 10-month-old twins underwent heart surgery. It taught me a lot about how strong a military mom has to be with no family around.”

Arwitz likes that Obama believes all Americans are entitled to quality health care. “The conditions at Walter Reed Hospital really infuriate me. I feel connected to these troops when they return home — I shop with their wives at the commissary, my kids play with their kids on the playground. You wouldn’t believe what some families are going through,” said the Beaufort, SC resident.

The Rub: A Lack Of Honesty From The Bush Administration

Obviously there is a need for some level of military secrecy. But to what degree should families allow themselves to be kept in the dark?

“We want to know that the sacrifices we make are for a reason. That when our family members are in harm’s way, they are protected as much as possible. That the leaders who deploy them will bring them home as soon as possible,” said Bella Harris, Chesapeake, Va. She is married to a nuclear power officer on board the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier based in Japan. Harris told OffTheBus she admires McCain, but is voting for Obama because “he has a better plan for health care reform, and a more experienced running mate.”

Kathy Roth-Douquet, Beaufort, S.C. has lived in six places on three continents since she married a marine corps officer 11 years ago. “Our fourth-grader has attended six schools because of all the moves, but it’s a source of pride that we were asked to do something difficult and found the resources to do it,” she told OffTheBus. Roth-Douquet is the author of AWOL, a book about the unexcused absence of America’s upper classes from military service and how it hurts the country. Recently she co-produced a video featuring military wives for Obama, after co-founding (with Laura Dempsey) a grassroots organization of military families called Blue Star Families for Obama.

All of these women respect McCain for his Vietnam-era service, but they believe Obama has the temperament to safely lead the United States out of the quagmire in the Middle East. “One doesn’t have to join the military to serve their country — nor does serving in the military necessarily qualify one to be president,” said Walker. They trust Obama to use diplomacy, not just military might.

For The Record, Mrs. McCain…

The non-partisan group Disabled American Veterans gives John McCain a 20 percent rating for his voting record on veterans’ issues. (It gives Barack Obama an 80 percent rating.)

The non-partisan group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gives McCain a “D” grade for his voting record on issues such as additional funding for combat body armor, and additional funding for post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical treatment. (Obama earned a B +.)

Joe Was AMAZING!

The consensus from the debate seems to be that while Sarah Palin exceeded the exceedingly low expectations set for her, Joe Biden won the night. The word comes from former members of the Bush administration and even John McCain’s former press secretary.

Torie Clarke, who worked with McCain back in Arizona and with the Bush Administration’s Department of Defense, had the following remarks on ABC:

“I’m so surprised at what we are talking about before and after the debate. Before the debate the speculation was all on Sarah Palin, how well can she do, can she answer the tough questions? Nobody was paying attention to Joe Biden. I think Joe Biden had his best night tonight. He came with one mission, and that was to go after John McCain, and he did it, backed up by facts. I think he did a better job tonight of tying McCain to the Bush administration than Obama did last week.

Matthew Dowd, who worked for George Bush’s communications team while in the White House, followed Clarke and he too agreed that the Delaware Democrat took the evening.

“I think, you know, I agree with her on this. I think Sarah Palin did reasonably well. The death spiral she has been on for the last week, she survived. She’s lived another day. She did well. But I think, when the polls come out in the next two, three days, Joe Biden won this debate.”

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1.02.05

Sarah Palin Thinks Henry Kissinger is Naive

Just a side note before I give you the scoop on this….why the HELL does Sarah Palin keep using the term “SHORING UP” to refer to ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING?! She is dumb as DOORNAILS.

In her interview with Katie Couric Sarah Palin essentially called Henry Kissinger naive and also proved that she just hasn’t done her homework.

Couric: You met yesterday with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who is for direct diplomacy with both Iran and Syria. Do you believe the U.S. should negotiate with leaders like President Assad and Ahmadinejad?

Palin: I think, with Ahmadinejad, personally, he is not one to negotiate with. You can’t just sit down with him with no preconditions being met. Barack Obama is so off-base in his proclamation that he would meet with some of these leaders around our world who would seek to destroy America and that, and without preconditions being met. That’s beyond naïve. And it’s beyond bad judgment.

Couric: Are you saying Henry Kissinger …

Palin: It’s dangerous.

Couric: … is naïve for supporting that?

Palin: I’ve never heard Henry Kissinger say, “Yeah, I’ll meet with these leaders without preconditions being met.” Diplomacy is about doing a lot of background work first and shoring up allies and positions and figuring out what sanctions perhaps could be implemented if things weren’t gonna go right. That’s part of diplomacy.

Actually.  That’s exactly Henry Kissinger’s position.  And Couric even went ahead and confirmed it with Kissinger after the interview.  Here is what Kissinger said just last week at a forum of five secretaries of state.

“I’m in favor of negotiating with Iran.  And one — (unintelligible) — of negotiation is to put before Iran our vision of a Middle East — of a stable Middle East and our notion of nuclear proliferation at a high enough level so that they have to study it.”

It’s not only Kissinger’s position.  It is James Baker and Colin Powell’s position as well.   Here is what Powell said at the event.

Powell: “we should start to talk to them. Don’t wait for a letter coming from them. Start discussion. We’ve been talking to them up through 2003.” Asked whether we should “take the initiative?” Powell responded, “Yeah. We shouldn’t we? What are we afraid of? We did.”

But who cares what Kissinger, Powell and Baker think.  Sarah Palin is running the country now…

We Have a secret…

Be sure to tune in on Monday, the 29th. We have a huge announcement!!!!!

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

McCain Flip-Flops Yet Again…on Experience and National Security

From The Huffington Post…

When does being a governor or mayor for a short period of time not disqualify your credentials on national security? When you are John McCain and your task is to defend your vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

When does being a governor or mayor for a short period of time ABSOLUTELY disqualify your credentials on national security? When you are John McCain and your task is to defeat primary opponents Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.

Back in October 2007, when McCain’s candidacy still appeared dead and buried, the Senator berated the two Republican front runners for lacking the necessary political experience to handle commander in chief responsibilities.

“I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I’ve been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced since Beirut, I understand the issues, I understand and appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face from radical Islamic extremism,” the Senator declared. “I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn’t a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn’t a governor for a short period of time.”

Fast-forward nearly a year, and the argument McCain made back then is being used against his vice presidential pick today. Only Sarah Palin held the post of mayor of Wasilla for less time than Rudy Giuliani headed New York City. And her gubernatorial stint in Alaska is shorter than that of Mitt Romney’s in Massachusetts.

McCain, not surprisingly, has changed his tune. His campaign has suggested that as head of Alaska’s national guard, Palin had more national security experience than Obama. The Senator himself went on Fox News and declared:

“I’m so proud that she has displayed the kind of judgment and she has the experience and judgment as an executive… She’s been commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard … she’s had judgment on these issues. She’s had 12 years of elected office experience, including traveling to Kuwait, including being involved in these issues. I’m so proud she has the experience and judgment as an executive.”

And yet, for critics, Palin’s interview with ABC on Thursday evening was an apt demonstration of the criticisms McCain raised about mayors and governors back in October. In her first interview since being tapped as McCain’s vice president, Palin showed, in some respects, the limitations of her foreign policy capacity. Time’s Joe Klein wrote, “A joke… This woman clearly has no idea what she’s talking about. What an embarrassment.” Unable to define the Bush Doctrine and contradicting McCain on Pakistan, she acknowledged that she had only visited a handful of countries and never met with another world leader. Then, it was her turn to ridicule the lengthy Washington resume that defines McCain.

“Charlie, again, we’ve got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time,” she said to the ABC host. “It is for no more politics as usual and somebody’s big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they’ve had opportunities to meet heads of state.”

John McCain – wow, you picked a winner loser!

Sarah Palin’s Painful Interview

I’m really sorry, but if ANYONE thinks that this woman is prepared to lead our country, whether in the #1 or #2 spot….I seriously don’t even know what to say. But I do have to give some props where they are due. I thought Charlie Gibson was going to lob softballs at Palin and let her hide her ineptitude (which is difficult). But he didn’t. He really went after her and demanded that she answer some pressing questions – which she miserably failed to do. I mean, seriously, each answer was a debacle in and of itself. Here’s the interview for your own personal painful viewing.

And again, if you think that THIS is someone who is ready to lead our nation, if you think THIS is someone who is going to talk straight to the American public, if you think THIS is the type of person who will take us into a new age of progress and reform and strength, then you can get everything you deserve. Because this will NOT happen with my vote. And I hope to God you won’t let it happen with yours. Register today at Rock the Vote’s website and make sure to stand up against this madness on November 4.

To Honor 9-11…Do Something!

The best way that we can honor those victims of the 9-11 attacks on the Twin Towers, the best way that we can show our support for our country, the best way that we can adopt a patriotic character is to (1) educate ourselves about how our country operates and about the issues that are most pressing for our nation and (2) do something – register to vote, volunteer for a campaign, write a letter to the editor, call your Congressional representatives and tell them your opinions, support our troops by supplying them with care packages…

There is so much that we can do to really grab hold of our democracy and make it functional again. There is no power greater than that of a collective effort of motivated, knowledgeable people to fight for a common cause – and what better cause than the restoration of the ideals that were adopted by our Founding Fathers.

Today, you have a choice – you have a choice to either be a passive citizen of our country or an active one. If you are passive, if you don’t take the brief time to learn about our government, to read about the real issues and not just the gossip columns, to understand how our country operates, then you are allowing our country to draw painfully close to losing its democratic roots. But if you decide to take a few moments out of your day to read, to talk about, to understand, and to care about the direction our country is taking, you will be a true patriot, you will be living the true American legacy, and you will be a proud participant in the restoration of this great nation.

On 9-11, take a moment of silence to remember the victims and our fallen heroes. But do more than that. Do something to make yourself a better citizen. Do something to make this country better, stronger, and flourishing.

100 More Years in Iraq…Not With MY Vote

…McCain has no problem with it. I do. Here’s one more reason why:

The rate of suicides among-active duty soldiers is on pace to surpass both last year’s numbers and the rate of suicide in the general U.S. population for the first time since the Vietnam war, according to U.S. Army officials.

The rise can be attributed to the increased pace of combat operations, the number of deployments and financial and family troubles connected with deployments, Army officials said.

“Army leaders are fully aware that repeated deployments have led to increased distress and anxiety for both soldiers and their families,” Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said. “This stress on the force is validated by recent studies of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression.”

We The People…Don’t Deserve Answers from McCain/Palin

An AMERICAblog reader was having lunch in Albuquerque, New Mexico today, when who should drop in for a substance-less photo opp? John McCain and Sarah Palin. And you’ll be surprised to know that when both of them were asked polite but substantive questions by the reader, they refused to answer. He’s such a maverick, that John McCain. And she has so much substance, it’s scary, that Sarah Palin. Here’s the reader’s first hand report from the afternoon that they made Sarah Palin confront a real question from a real human being:

Our family today had an interesting encounter that I wanted to share with you. We were eating at El Pinto restaurant in Albuquerque. It is the most popular New Mexican restaurant in town, a large sprawling compound with a number of dinning rooms and patio spaces.

We were eating outside in the patio closest to the main road and had just finishing lunch when I saw the McCain bus drive by! It was followed closely by a number of police motorcycles, secret service SUVS, and press vans. It was obvious they were coming to El Pinto!

We figured we’d head out and see if we could get a closer look. I decided this might be my one chance, to ask one question of each candidate. I carried Caterina (16 months) along with me to meet the candidates.

I worked my way through a number of other dinners and secret service and finally got to the patio on the other side of the restaurant. I could see John McCain ahead of me shaking hands with folks. Sorry the picture is so blurry. I had a baby in one arm and an iPhone in the other!

McCain worked his way up to me and Cat and as I shook his hand, I asked, “Sir, I respect your service but, why were you against the GI bill?” Senator McCain, paused, he looked a bit surprised at the question and then he said, “Nice to meet you.” I repeated the question and he repeated his non-answer. He quickly worked his way down the line. So much for straight-talk!

I have been genuinely curious as to why he wouldn’t support a bill so important to veterans (McCain opposed this bill from the beginning and then skipped the vote). Also, I was surprised at myself as I as I almost involuntarily prefaced my question with, “Sir, I respect your service but…” No wonder he’s gotten a free ride by the press, I think this reaction is not unique and the press must feel the same pressure that I felt. Perhaps that explains why his poor support for veteran issues isn’t well known.

Sarah Palin was next! I couldn’t resist trying for a better photo. It is still blurry, but talk about a close encounter.

Sarah first looked at Caterina said hello, and I shook her hand. I asked, “Are supporting Ted Stevens this year?” She replied, “He’s under indictment you know…his trial is in September.” I replied, “But are you voting for him?” She walked away without answering.

I don’t think this question will be answered until after Senator Stevens’ trial in September and perhaps never. After all, Ted Stevens is still running for the Senate this year and a Republican vote, corrupt or not, is still a Republican vote. I was amazed that she offered up, “He’s under indictment you know.” She’s going to need some serious handling before they let her into the wild!

I followed Governor Palin out and they stopped to purchase some salsa. This whole stop was just a photo-op and my questions, any questions were obviously not part of the script. No townhall meeting here.

After less than 15 minutes at the Restaurant the Straight-NoTalk Express headed out.

My wife Angela was at the entrance with my son Andrea holding up a home made Obama sign and shouting at McCain, Palin and the press. It made me very proud. A memorable lunch at El Pinto.

Jim, Angela, Andrea and Caterina
Corrales, New Mexico

Getting to Know…Sarah Palin

Another Alaskan for Obama tellin’ it like it is re: Sarah Palin. Thanks to John Nail for the info..

1. She is presently under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power
2. She strongly supports big oil (her husband even works for an oil company)
3. She stands for everything that Hillary Clinton stood against
4. She is adamantly opposed to reproductive rights for women
5. She has no federal or international experience & has only been mayor of a small town and a beauty pageant winner.
6. She believes global warming is a farce
7. She believes creationism should be taught in public schools
8. She supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and anywhere else big oil wants
9. She supports Pebble Mine which will destroy the richest salmon run in the world
10. She supports aerial shooting of bears and wolves in Alaska and is a lifetime member of the NRA
11. She is pro-war

We Cannot Turn Back with so Much Work to be Done

Tonight, 28 August 2008, history was made and history was honored. On the 45th anniversary of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech presented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tonight marked the first time in this nation’s history that a man with African roots has been nominated by one of the two major parties to be its candidate for President of the United States. We are well on our way to making Dr. King’s dream a reality.

But, as Barack Obama so eloquently stated tonight, we cannot turn back now…not when there is so much work to be done. While Dr. King’s dream, that the future generations would judge each other not by the color of their skin but on the strength of their character, is tonight one step closer to being realized, we still face racial, ethnic, religious, economic, and social barriers that threaten the very foundations of our American democracy.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has no consideration or respect for the Constitution of the United States that our forefathers gave their blood, sweat and tears to frame and bring to life.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that is more concerned with lining their pockets and the pockets of their corporate friends than helping bolster the middle class, the stabilizing force of our economy.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has completely rejected the assertions of our first great President, George Washington, and the words agreed to by all civilized nations and memorialized in the Geneva Convention with their inhumane treatment and blatant torture of prisoners of war and enemy combatants.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has lied to each and every one of our citizens when we asked for justification for making the grave decision to invade a sovereign nation, Iraq, that knowingly used faulty and insufficient intelligence to persuade you and your political representatives that this war was necessary, and that has willingly allowed our men and women of our honorable armed services to die, to be irreparably injured, and to be forever emotionally scarred and traumatized for absolutely no legitimate reason.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that put a Senator’s birthday party celebration as a priority over leading our nation’s federal disaster relief agencies to assist in the evacuation and protection of an entire region battered by one of the strongest and most fierce hurricanes to ever reach the Gulf Coast.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has squandered the budget surplus left by Bill Clinton’s administration and has successfully tied the noose of staggering national debt around our necks and the necks of generations to come.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has laughed in the face of our civil liberties and fundamental rights, spying on us, wiretapping our phone conversations, taking our citizens into custody without charge for indefinite periods of time, putting fear into our hearts and hardship into our lives. The freedom to assemble, the freedom to speak our mind, the freedom to worship, the right to vote, these have all been jeopardized by this administration one way or another.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has placed no value on education and self-improvement. When we listen to our President speak, we should all be moved, inspired, awe-struck. Admiration for our President’s personal, professional, and academic achievements should flow easily. We should not all be able to relate to our President, for our President should be, after all, the President of the United States because of his unique abilities, not because of his commonalities with every man and woman in the country. When we listen to our President, we should feel that we need to constantly improve ourselves, our work ethic, our skills, our understanding of the world, the way we express ourselves. The President should instill a sense of wonderment in the hearts and minds of the people. But we have suffered eight years under an administration that made it simple for us, that dumbed it down for us, that treated us like children, that did not ask us to improve or to transcend, but rather just asked us to go shopping.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that shown us nothing but failure after failure after failure. John McCain has supported this administration’s failure after failure after failure. John McCain is just more of the same. We need change….drastic change. Barack Obama offers a rebuttal and a fresh change to each and every error that we have suffered under the Bush administration.

Tonight, Barack Obama took the stage to accept the nomination for his candidacy for President of the United States for the Democratic party. He did so after a week-long masterpiece of a convention with amazing branding, the newest and best technologies, and some of the most well-respected and well-spoken people in our country giving speeches supporting his candidacy. Who would ever dare to follow the likes of Caroline Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Dick Durban, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and President Bill Clinton himself? Who? Barack Obama. That’s who.

Strength. Poise. Character. Sincerity. Deep understanding and respect for the Constitution. Patriotism. Intelligence. Eloquence. Presence. Depth. Morality. Humility. Compassion. Fearlessness. Courage. Determination. Loyalty. Devotion. Patience. Charisma.

They are words that have been used in the past to describe our greatest Presidents, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy. They are words that have been used to describe historical legends, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois. They are words that we should all aspire to adopt as part of our repertoire of character traits. They are words that should describe every President this country elects. Sadly, our current President cannot claim any of these traits. John McCain can claim few of them. But these are all words that describe Barack Obama.

If there is a sign that change is needed, I believe you can find it among the youth. And the youth have spoken loudly and clearly. I pray that they use their vote as their loudest and most clairvoyant statement come November 4. All those high school and college students, all those young professionals that, as Joe Biden so truthfully told us tonight, eat cold pizza and sleep on the floor, have come together to form a movement for change and a collaborative effort to elect Barack Obama as their President to lead them into the future.

These students and young people are the future of this country. We have the most at stake because we will be living far into this country’s future, far past the administrations of George Bush, far past the administrations of Barack Obama. We have the most to gain. And we have the most to lose. All those Baby Boomers out there, all those retirees out there, the youth of America is asking you to stand with them on November 4 and vote for their future. Eight years is enough. We cannot turn back when there is so much work to be done.

Barack Obama’s candidacy has been one for the history books. The convention this whole week looked like America – men, women, children, teens, every race, every religion, every end of every political, social, and economic spectrum came to watch, to listen and to support Barack Obama for President. As the CNN cameras panned over the audience, I saw at one point two Sikh men waving American flags and moving to the sounds of Bruce Springstein’s “Born in the USA.” I saw a disabled US Army veteran and amputee in a wheelchair holding up a Barack Obama poster with the words “Change We Can Believe In” emblazoned on it. I saw young students and elderly. I saw women and men of every walk of life. This Convention was a microcosm of our beautiful and diverse nation.

In support of this diversity, the delegates chosen to represent the 50 states at the Convention were similarly representative of the nation’s population. Of the delegates, 5% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 12% were Latino, 6% were LGBT, 24% were African American, 4% suffered with disabilities, and about 51% were women. This Convention, from beginning to end, was a display of the movement that Barack Obama’s candidacy has produced among the masses of our nation.

Barack Obama’s speech tonight was presidential. As he tackled each contentious issue, took on each attack that had be levied against him, and explained clearly his policy objectives, I could not help but be reminded of the great Muhammad Ali and his famous quote, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” This is exactly what Barack Obama did tonight. He did not rebut John McCain’s attacks with in-kind negativity. He did not barrage the audience with accusations or defensive mechanisms to deflect criticism. Instead he used the ancient art taught by martial arts masters of absorbing the attacker’s energy force from his blows and using it against him. Never could anyone suggest that Barack Obama’s speech tonight was defensive or negative. On the contrary, he was able to maintain his theme of hope while at the same time challenging effectively and efficiently each criticism that the McCain campaign has attempted to stick to Barack Obama.

Tonight, Barack Obama did not deliver merely a speech. He composed a symphony and conducted it tonight with mastery. At times becoming impassioned and quickening his delivery to rally excitement among the listeners and at other times slowing and allowing his voice to decrescendo to a low and soulful tone to allow the audience to grasp the strength and depth of his words, Barack Obama delivered the performance of a lifetime tonight. He was formidable yet uplifting, brazen yet honorable, deliberate yet dignified, brilliant yet accessible. Tonight, Barack Obama showed that he has what it takes to be presidential.

Tonight, Barack Obama renewed his commitment to the people of the United States of America. Tonight, I renewed my commitment to support Barack Obama.

The “Straight Talk Express” has Derailed

McCain’s biggest strength…

McCain is trying to convince the American public that he is the best candidate for President because of his unique strength on issues of national defense. Wellllllllllll, that might be a bit hard to sell after the American public sees this video. Check it out…