Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Zekariah Smith in Mexico for Much-Needed Vacation
Dear ones who read and mull over these thoughts I have been writing for several years now -- I am going on a much needed vacation to visit some friends in Mexico. Keep praying for Obama and Biden. I will try to check in from time to time with a comment, perhaps once a week. But the regular column will not be back until the new year. Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Obama is a Believer and a Person of Prayer
It is Veteran's Day. Let us be thankful for the service of our men and women in the Armed Forces, and all those who have served over the years, especially those who died for their country. Our freedom was won by their blood, sweat and tears!
And the faith of millions of Americans who have gone before us and paved the way with their prayers.
President-elect Obama is a man of prayer, and we need to surround him and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden with our prayers. They and our country dearly need our prayers!
"I am a Christian," the President-elect told the Chicago Sun-Times a few years ago. "So, I have a deep faith," Obama continues. "I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. That there are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there's an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived."
When he was 6 years old, after his parents divorced, Obama moved with his mother and her new husband -- a non-practicing Muslim -- to Indonesia, where he lived until he was 10 and attended a Roman Catholic school.
"I went to a Catholic school in a Muslim country, so I was studying the Bible and catechisms by day, and, at night, you'd hear the Muslim prayer call," Obama recalls. "My mother was a deeply spiritual person and would spend a lot of time talking about values and give me books about the world's religions and talk to me about them.
"Her view always was that underlying these religions was a common set of beliefs about how you treat other people and how you aspire to act, not just for yourself, but also for the greater good."
Obama is unapologetic in saying he has a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Obama says he reads the Bible, though not as regularly as he'd like, now that he's on the campaign trail. But he does find time to pray.
"It's not formal, me getting on my knees," he says. "I think I have an ongoing conversation with God.... I'm constantly asking myself questions about what I'm doing, why I am doing it.
"The biggest challenge, I think, is always maintaining your moral compass."
Illinois state Sen. James Meeks, who is also the pastor of Chicago's Salem Baptist Church. Obama has stopped by Salem for Wednesday-night Bible study.
"I know that he's a person of prayer," Meeks says. "He came by for prayer."
Still, when you read Obama's books, you see his faith is a growing thing, just like with all of us. Let us pray that God will teach him many things in the next four years.
And the faith of millions of Americans who have gone before us and paved the way with their prayers.
President-elect Obama is a man of prayer, and we need to surround him and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden with our prayers. They and our country dearly need our prayers!
"I am a Christian," the President-elect told the Chicago Sun-Times a few years ago. "So, I have a deep faith," Obama continues. "I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. That there are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there's an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived."
When he was 6 years old, after his parents divorced, Obama moved with his mother and her new husband -- a non-practicing Muslim -- to Indonesia, where he lived until he was 10 and attended a Roman Catholic school.
"I went to a Catholic school in a Muslim country, so I was studying the Bible and catechisms by day, and, at night, you'd hear the Muslim prayer call," Obama recalls. "My mother was a deeply spiritual person and would spend a lot of time talking about values and give me books about the world's religions and talk to me about them.
"Her view always was that underlying these religions was a common set of beliefs about how you treat other people and how you aspire to act, not just for yourself, but also for the greater good."
Obama is unapologetic in saying he has a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Obama says he reads the Bible, though not as regularly as he'd like, now that he's on the campaign trail. But he does find time to pray.
"It's not formal, me getting on my knees," he says. "I think I have an ongoing conversation with God.... I'm constantly asking myself questions about what I'm doing, why I am doing it.
"The biggest challenge, I think, is always maintaining your moral compass."
Illinois state Sen. James Meeks, who is also the pastor of Chicago's Salem Baptist Church. Obama has stopped by Salem for Wednesday-night Bible study.
"I know that he's a person of prayer," Meeks says. "He came by for prayer."
Still, when you read Obama's books, you see his faith is a growing thing, just like with all of us. Let us pray that God will teach him many things in the next four years.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama Needs Our Prayers!
President-elect Barack Obama needs our prayers. The job he has won will take all the brilliance and patience and compassion he can muster, and then some. It is a daunting task, taking over this country after the failures of the last eight years.
Mr. Obama said it will be hard, but it can be done, in his historic victory speech in Chicago: “There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.”
President-elect Obama said he needs our help, all Americans together: “What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people," Obama said.
Please do what you can to help Obama and Biden renew America. Pray. Do. Be positive about this country and its future.
Mr. Obama said it will be hard, but it can be done, in his historic victory speech in Chicago: “There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.”
President-elect Obama said he needs our help, all Americans together: “What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people," Obama said.
Please do what you can to help Obama and Biden renew America. Pray. Do. Be positive about this country and its future.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Obama Picks Emmanuel, Who Gets Things Done!
So President-elect Obama makes his first and most important pick -- Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff. Emanuel, 48, has been leader in Congress committed to addressing the challenges facing families across the nation. Since taking the oath of office in 2003, he has been a strong, effective voice for Chicago in Congress. A Jewish politician whose father was Benjamin was born in Jerusalem. He is known as a fighter and Obama said he chosen Rahm because he knows how to "get things done."
Very good! We need someone like that! Emmanuel will be the quarterback for Coach Obama in the White House.
Let us hope that the Obama team can build some bridges with the other side. Vice-President-elect Joe Biden is working on it. On Tuesday night, in his a stirring victory speech, President –elect Barack Obama said of Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin: “I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.” Oh, that we might have such a time of reconciliation.
He also hailed his partner in this amazing race, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden: “I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.”
He also made a statement of faith concerning his beloved grandmother: “And while she is no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.”
.Then he talked about the millions of supporters, stating the fact that this was a team election; “But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
“It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory."
It is a victory for all who gave and went door to door and did the small things to win this campaign. But now the battle for change begins. Keep praying! Keep hope alive!
Very good! We need someone like that! Emmanuel will be the quarterback for Coach Obama in the White House.
Let us hope that the Obama team can build some bridges with the other side. Vice-President-elect Joe Biden is working on it. On Tuesday night, in his a stirring victory speech, President –elect Barack Obama said of Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin: “I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.” Oh, that we might have such a time of reconciliation.
He also hailed his partner in this amazing race, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden: “I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.”
He also made a statement of faith concerning his beloved grandmother: “And while she is no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.”
.Then he talked about the millions of supporters, stating the fact that this was a team election; “But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
“It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory."
It is a victory for all who gave and went door to door and did the small things to win this campaign. But now the battle for change begins. Keep praying! Keep hope alive!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The World Has Changed. America Has Re-Booted Itself! Change Has Come! A New Day Dawns!
The world has changed. The American dream has been re-booted. Please pray for America as we embark on a new great adventure!
With his decisive triumph over Senator John McCain, Senate Barack Obama made obvious history: he is the first man of color to win the presidency. But the meaning of his victory extends far beyond that significance. Obama, a former community organizer and law professor, represents a seismic shift in America.
Mounting one of the best run presidential bids in decades, Obama tied his support for progressive positions (taxing the wealthy to pay for tax cuts for working Americans, addressing global warming, expanding affordable health insurance, withdrawing troops from Iraq) to calls for cleaning up Washington and for crafting a new type of politics. He has come to symbolize both hope and change for a country regaining its greatness.
After eight years of George Bush's presidency, Obama represents a serious course correction for America -- one that is being received in a positive manner in many parts of the world.
I am still in awe of the words spoken by PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA at his victory speech on Tuesday night in Grant Park, before a quarter of a million people and, 78 million more on television, and millions more on computer. They are words to be remembered and cherished and acted upon.
He lauded the people who stood in “lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.”
He saluted the American voters: “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”
He proclaimed for the world to hear that the American people had shown that they could “put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
Praise the Lord for the change He has granted us. Pray for the Obamas and Bidens. Pray for America!
With his decisive triumph over Senator John McCain, Senate Barack Obama made obvious history: he is the first man of color to win the presidency. But the meaning of his victory extends far beyond that significance. Obama, a former community organizer and law professor, represents a seismic shift in America.
Mounting one of the best run presidential bids in decades, Obama tied his support for progressive positions (taxing the wealthy to pay for tax cuts for working Americans, addressing global warming, expanding affordable health insurance, withdrawing troops from Iraq) to calls for cleaning up Washington and for crafting a new type of politics. He has come to symbolize both hope and change for a country regaining its greatness.
After eight years of George Bush's presidency, Obama represents a serious course correction for America -- one that is being received in a positive manner in many parts of the world.
I am still in awe of the words spoken by PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA at his victory speech on Tuesday night in Grant Park, before a quarter of a million people and, 78 million more on television, and millions more on computer. They are words to be remembered and cherished and acted upon.
He lauded the people who stood in “lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.”
He saluted the American voters: “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”
He proclaimed for the world to hear that the American people had shown that they could “put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
Praise the Lord for the change He has granted us. Pray for the Obamas and Bidens. Pray for America!
Can America Inspire the World? Yes, We Can!
Well. America, you did it! You stood in lines and you voted. Praise the Lord for His many blessings. Now we must pray for Obama and Biden and we must pray for our country. As Rev. Bishop T.D. Jakes said on national television last night, "we must gird President-elect Obama with our prayers."
And we must do all we can to make the promises of this election and American reality. This was a team election and it will be a team presidency. We are all a part of this team. Our job is to pray and keep participating in American democracy.
The words of President-elect Obama said it best:" "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where anything is possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," said Obama. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, on this election, in this defining moment, change is coming to America."
In his first speech as president-elect, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century."
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."
He offered gracious words to his vanquished opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. He's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves," Obama said. "We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader."
Indeed, Senator John McCain had an eloquent, remarkable concession speech, sounding like the McCain of old. If he returns to being his own man, not controlled by Bush-Rove policos, to being the old maverick we admired, John McCain may be the key to some of Obama's successes, supporting the number of things that they actually agree upon.
There would be setbacks and false starts, Obama said. "I will always be honest about the challenges…I will listen, especially when we disagree”.
The task would be done as it always had in America, “block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand”.
Obama was clear that the work for strengthening America now begins. “This victory alone is not the change we seek,”he said, calling for a new spirit of sacrifice and a new spirit of service.
In a message to those “beyond our shores” Obama said that a new dawn of American leadership was at hand. He reaffirmed the values of freedom and justice and said that his message to those who wanted to tear down the world was “we will defeat you”.
Can we make good on this promise of change, America? YES WE CAN!
And we must do all we can to make the promises of this election and American reality. This was a team election and it will be a team presidency. We are all a part of this team. Our job is to pray and keep participating in American democracy.
The words of President-elect Obama said it best:" "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where anything is possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," said Obama. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, on this election, in this defining moment, change is coming to America."
In his first speech as president-elect, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century."
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."
He offered gracious words to his vanquished opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. He's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves," Obama said. "We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader."
Indeed, Senator John McCain had an eloquent, remarkable concession speech, sounding like the McCain of old. If he returns to being his own man, not controlled by Bush-Rove policos, to being the old maverick we admired, John McCain may be the key to some of Obama's successes, supporting the number of things that they actually agree upon.
There would be setbacks and false starts, Obama said. "I will always be honest about the challenges…I will listen, especially when we disagree”.
The task would be done as it always had in America, “block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand”.
Obama was clear that the work for strengthening America now begins. “This victory alone is not the change we seek,”he said, calling for a new spirit of sacrifice and a new spirit of service.
In a message to those “beyond our shores” Obama said that a new dawn of American leadership was at hand. He reaffirmed the values of freedom and justice and said that his message to those who wanted to tear down the world was “we will defeat you”.
Can we make good on this promise of change, America? YES WE CAN!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Be Prepared for a Line -- Take a Chair, A Book, an MP3 Player -- But Stay in Line and Vote Obama!
There appears to be a large, more than normal turnout in much of the country on this election day. Even in the small town I vote in, there was a line to vote. "The first time we had a line to vote in over 28 years said a veteran poll worker."
The message from the Obama-Biden people is a simple one -- Go to the polls and vote! PLEASE STAY IN LINE! Take a fold-up chair, a water bottle, a book to read, and MP3 player. Go to your polls prepared to stay awhile in order to get your mission accomplished.
But STAY IN LINE and VOTE for OBAMA-BIDEN. EVERY VOTER MUST VOTE and we must make sure that EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED.
STAND in LINE, STAY in LINE for your country. IT IS A PATRIOTIC THING TO DO. Do it for the future genrations of America. Heck, do it for YOURSELF. Do it for me and you and all those folks that had their votes stolen in 2000 and 2008! Help us take our country back. Make Democracy in the United States work again!
The message from the Obama-Biden people is a simple one -- Go to the polls and vote! PLEASE STAY IN LINE! Take a fold-up chair, a water bottle, a book to read, and MP3 player. Go to your polls prepared to stay awhile in order to get your mission accomplished.
But STAY IN LINE and VOTE for OBAMA-BIDEN. EVERY VOTER MUST VOTE and we must make sure that EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED.
STAND in LINE, STAY in LINE for your country. IT IS A PATRIOTIC THING TO DO. Do it for the future genrations of America. Heck, do it for YOURSELF. Do it for me and you and all those folks that had their votes stolen in 2000 and 2008! Help us take our country back. Make Democracy in the United States work again!
Now is the Time! Vote for the Change We Need -- Help Elect Obama and Biden to Lead America!
This is it, thinking Americans. Today is the day! This is your chance to help take back your country, to stand up for true democracy. Get out and vote for Obama and Biden.
Voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, first voters in America,favored Barack Obama over his Republican rival, John McCain, 15 to 6, in the first ballots cast in the 2008 Presidential election early today. It is the first time in forty years that a Democrat has won in Dixville Notch.
Now it is the rest of America's turn to vote. Please vote for Obama-Biden and urge others to do so. Take some folks to the polls! If someone is still undecided remind them why we have decided to vote for Obama. Here is the case for Obama:
The U.S. faces serious challenges that have not been addressed by the Republican Party that has been in control of the White House for the pat 8 years and the Congress for 6 0f the last 9 years, and still has enough senators to block all progressive legislation. In the meantime, the problems we face as a nation grow as they are passed on to future generations.
We need a leader who can lay the foundations of another American Century—someone who will truly attempt to get past our partisan and ideological divisions, as we strengthen our standing in the world and tackle the challenges we face at home. We need a leader who understands our differences, but who also knows the importance of finding common ground. A close analysis finds Senator Barack Obama is the one candidate who can unite the American majority that wants to move forward and improve the long-term economic well-being, security and independence of our nation. We need a return to common sense, to faith and hope, and a move away from the Republican politics of fear and division.
We need real work on real issues, not demagoguery and ideology for ideology’s sake.
National Debt
The federal debt matters. We cannot saddle future taxpayers with having to service the debt we create with our irresponsible fiscal policies. Cutting the deficit will additionally decrease interest rates and increase private investment. The Democrats know how to do this – see the Clinton years.
Trade Deficit
Every year, the difference between what the United States imports from other countries and what it exports grows, and is likely to reach $1 trillion a year by 2010. The U.S.’s trade imbalance with China alone grew from just $10 billion annually in 1990 to well over $200 billion a year by 2006. Despite this increasing and extreme deficit, recent American administrations have been unable or unwilling to force China to revalue its currency and take other measures to strengthen our exports overseas.
Energy Independence
Even without tapping into Alaska’s oil reserves or drilling offshore, we can dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil—we have not even begun to realize the possibilities of Iowa corn, South Dakota wind or Montana coal. Even a growing number of environmentalists support increased nuclear power production. Obama is open to all these ways, as well as drilling of already approved spots.
Global Warming
Even those who still believe that global warming is a natural occurrence should agree that rising sea levels and other geological changes will be expensive to adapt to and probably impossible to undo. If we are able to reverse this dangerous trend, we must. No other nation has the economic and political power to take the lead on this issue.
Healthcare Reform
Our healthcare system is reaching a crisis. Rising healthcare costs are crippling business and putting millions of Americans, especially children and the elderly, at great risk. American families risk having a lifetime of savings wiped out from a single hospitalization or illness. Drug companies are reaping record profits as they promote new uses of old drugs. Small hospitals and doctors are closing their doors as malpractice insurance costs increase. We must reform healthcare to make it accessible and affordable for all Americans, while maintaining the competitiveness and innovation that has made our system the envy of the world. McCain’s plan is a farce that would destroy employer funded insurance.
Foreign Policy
As we continue to adapt our military to meet 21st century challenges, we should also work to increase our diplomatic power throughout the world. We cannot continue to utilize only our military strength. We cannot continue to wast over 410 Billion a month in Iraq, killing and maiming more of our young American soldiers in another country's civil war. Our foreign policy should put an emphasis on coalition building and in working with international institutions when it serves the national interest. Obama and Biden will do this effectively.
For these reasons and many more, Senator Obama needs your vote and support. Our country’s future depends on it. We cannot afford to keep the failure-prone Republicans in charge. We do not need four more years of the last eight years. We do not need the diva pitbull, Sarah Palin, a heartbeat away from the erratic, aging McCain as President. We do not need a warmed over Bush presidency: the sequel. We need a change for the better. Please vote for Obama-Biden. And then pray that God will bless America and revive our sense of hope, truth, and justice for all.
Voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, first voters in America,favored Barack Obama over his Republican rival, John McCain, 15 to 6, in the first ballots cast in the 2008 Presidential election early today. It is the first time in forty years that a Democrat has won in Dixville Notch.
Now it is the rest of America's turn to vote. Please vote for Obama-Biden and urge others to do so. Take some folks to the polls! If someone is still undecided remind them why we have decided to vote for Obama. Here is the case for Obama:
The U.S. faces serious challenges that have not been addressed by the Republican Party that has been in control of the White House for the pat 8 years and the Congress for 6 0f the last 9 years, and still has enough senators to block all progressive legislation. In the meantime, the problems we face as a nation grow as they are passed on to future generations.
We need a leader who can lay the foundations of another American Century—someone who will truly attempt to get past our partisan and ideological divisions, as we strengthen our standing in the world and tackle the challenges we face at home. We need a leader who understands our differences, but who also knows the importance of finding common ground. A close analysis finds Senator Barack Obama is the one candidate who can unite the American majority that wants to move forward and improve the long-term economic well-being, security and independence of our nation. We need a return to common sense, to faith and hope, and a move away from the Republican politics of fear and division.
We need real work on real issues, not demagoguery and ideology for ideology’s sake.
National Debt
The federal debt matters. We cannot saddle future taxpayers with having to service the debt we create with our irresponsible fiscal policies. Cutting the deficit will additionally decrease interest rates and increase private investment. The Democrats know how to do this – see the Clinton years.
Trade Deficit
Every year, the difference between what the United States imports from other countries and what it exports grows, and is likely to reach $1 trillion a year by 2010. The U.S.’s trade imbalance with China alone grew from just $10 billion annually in 1990 to well over $200 billion a year by 2006. Despite this increasing and extreme deficit, recent American administrations have been unable or unwilling to force China to revalue its currency and take other measures to strengthen our exports overseas.
Energy Independence
Even without tapping into Alaska’s oil reserves or drilling offshore, we can dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil—we have not even begun to realize the possibilities of Iowa corn, South Dakota wind or Montana coal. Even a growing number of environmentalists support increased nuclear power production. Obama is open to all these ways, as well as drilling of already approved spots.
Global Warming
Even those who still believe that global warming is a natural occurrence should agree that rising sea levels and other geological changes will be expensive to adapt to and probably impossible to undo. If we are able to reverse this dangerous trend, we must. No other nation has the economic and political power to take the lead on this issue.
Healthcare Reform
Our healthcare system is reaching a crisis. Rising healthcare costs are crippling business and putting millions of Americans, especially children and the elderly, at great risk. American families risk having a lifetime of savings wiped out from a single hospitalization or illness. Drug companies are reaping record profits as they promote new uses of old drugs. Small hospitals and doctors are closing their doors as malpractice insurance costs increase. We must reform healthcare to make it accessible and affordable for all Americans, while maintaining the competitiveness and innovation that has made our system the envy of the world. McCain’s plan is a farce that would destroy employer funded insurance.
Foreign Policy
As we continue to adapt our military to meet 21st century challenges, we should also work to increase our diplomatic power throughout the world. We cannot continue to utilize only our military strength. We cannot continue to wast over 410 Billion a month in Iraq, killing and maiming more of our young American soldiers in another country's civil war. Our foreign policy should put an emphasis on coalition building and in working with international institutions when it serves the national interest. Obama and Biden will do this effectively.
For these reasons and many more, Senator Obama needs your vote and support. Our country’s future depends on it. We cannot afford to keep the failure-prone Republicans in charge. We do not need four more years of the last eight years. We do not need the diva pitbull, Sarah Palin, a heartbeat away from the erratic, aging McCain as President. We do not need a warmed over Bush presidency: the sequel. We need a change for the better. Please vote for Obama-Biden. And then pray that God will bless America and revive our sense of hope, truth, and justice for all.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Hillary's Message for the Election: "NO WAY, NO HOW, NO MCCAIN, NO PALIN -- ENOUGH!!!"
Leave it to the great campaigner Senator Hillary Clinton to sum it all up for Election Day. Giving a majestic speech and building a compelling case for Senator Obama and Senator Biden on C-Span today (in a speech from Virginia) Clinton said she approved this message -- "No Way, No How, No McCain, No Palin!" She also said the proper mantra for this election, unlike the Republican big oil refrain, "Drill, baby, drill!", Democrats cheer "Jobs,baby, jobs!"
Clinton said voters must not vote for four more years of Republicans in charge of the White House. "It is time to foreclose on their stay, on their tired ideology and policies for the rich!" Clinton pointed out the wisdom in the old saying her mother told her:"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!" Clinton said we have already seen the terrible realities of four more years once, in 2004. Now we must all say "enough!"
Compare her wisdom with the caller on CNN who said that "blue collar people are with McCain because McCain supports Joe the Plumber!" Ah, yes, the Dumb Ass Brigade rides again. We have to out-vote the McPalie zombies in order to win our country back.
Clinton said voters must not vote for four more years of Republicans in charge of the White House. "It is time to foreclose on their stay, on their tired ideology and policies for the rich!" Clinton pointed out the wisdom in the old saying her mother told her:"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!" Clinton said we have already seen the terrible realities of four more years once, in 2004. Now we must all say "enough!"
Compare her wisdom with the caller on CNN who said that "blue collar people are with McCain because McCain supports Joe the Plumber!" Ah, yes, the Dumb Ass Brigade rides again. We have to out-vote the McPalie zombies in order to win our country back.
Republican Dirty Tricks Seek to Block the Vote!
In the hours before Election Day, according to the Associated Press, comes an onslaught of dirty Republican tricks — confusing e-mails, disturbing phone calls and insinuating fliers left on doorsteps during the night. The intent is to keep folks from voting or to confuse them, usually through intimidation or misinformation. RFK Jr. predicted this in BLOCK THE VOTE.
But in this presidential race, in which a black man leads most polls, some of the deceit has a decidedly racist bent. Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions.
Over the weekend in Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections — one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats.
In New Mexico, two Hispanic women filed a lawsuit last week claiming they were harassed by a private investigator working for a Republican lawyer who came to their homes and threatened to call immigration authorities, even though they are U.S. citizens.
In Pennsylvania, e-mails appeared linking Democrat Barack Obama to the Holocaust. "Jewish Americans cannot afford to make the wrong decision on Tuesday, Nov. 4," said the electronic message, paid for by an entity calling itself the Republican Federal Committee. "Many of our ancestors ignored the warning signs in the 1930s and 1940s and made a tragic mistake."
So it goes around the country. Republican dirty tricks and outright lies meant to suppress the vote are being done with malice toward all.
Laughlin McDonald, who leads the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said he has never seen "an election where there was more interest and more voter turnout, and more efforts to suppress registration and turnout. And that has a real impact on minorities."
The stealing of the election of 2008 has begun. Only you and your vote for Obama-Biden can turn American back into a real democracy, where the majority actually has a say in how this nation is run. Fight for your electoral freedom. Help others to vote. Stand up and be counted for the right to vote for all Americans!
But in this presidential race, in which a black man leads most polls, some of the deceit has a decidedly racist bent. Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions.
Over the weekend in Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections — one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats.
In New Mexico, two Hispanic women filed a lawsuit last week claiming they were harassed by a private investigator working for a Republican lawyer who came to their homes and threatened to call immigration authorities, even though they are U.S. citizens.
In Pennsylvania, e-mails appeared linking Democrat Barack Obama to the Holocaust. "Jewish Americans cannot afford to make the wrong decision on Tuesday, Nov. 4," said the electronic message, paid for by an entity calling itself the Republican Federal Committee. "Many of our ancestors ignored the warning signs in the 1930s and 1940s and made a tragic mistake."
So it goes around the country. Republican dirty tricks and outright lies meant to suppress the vote are being done with malice toward all.
Laughlin McDonald, who leads the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said he has never seen "an election where there was more interest and more voter turnout, and more efforts to suppress registration and turnout. And that has a real impact on minorities."
The stealing of the election of 2008 has begun. Only you and your vote for Obama-Biden can turn American back into a real democracy, where the majority actually has a say in how this nation is run. Fight for your electoral freedom. Help others to vote. Stand up and be counted for the right to vote for all Americans!
Obama Favored By A Majority, But That May Not Be Enough in Bush-McCain America!
Barack Obama has run a fine campaign. He has the brilliance and the judgment to be a fine president. He has solid plans to help make the country great again. There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of voters favor him for president. But he may not win.
The Republicans have stolen the last two elections, so why not this one? If we allow it to be close, they will probably win. Don’t take my word for it. Read for yourself how they stole the election in 2000 and how they stole the election in 2004. What is one more stolen election for thieves of democracy?
The current Republican campaign is the sleaziest campaign in history. Hateful, despicable robo-calls in swing states that even GOP heavyweights decry as beyond the pale of respectable politics…and yet they continue. They seem to be moving the polls. Materials portraying Obama on food stamps., or as a terrorist! The N-word being tossed about Palin rallies.. Muslim. Arab. Socialist. Communist. Anti-American. Dangerous. The blacks will take over. This is a Christian nation, and Obama and the Democrats are godless non-Christians. The Republican lies and dirty tricks abound!
And the Republicans downplay it, dismiss it…even suggest it isn’t happening and, in any case, they aren’t responsible for the words of a few disturbed cranks. Yet the robo-calls continue. Ayers. ACORN. Dangerous. They feed the fires of fear with carefully crafted words and ads. And they have an ace up their sleeve. They know how to steal elections. They have recent experience at it. Suppress the vote with lies and whispers, amp up the fear factor to turn out your rabid base, tamper, obstruct, and use the law against the people to suppress the vote even more.
According to a well-documented investigative report in Rolling Stone magazine, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast, after a year-long investigation, reveal a systematic program of "GOP vote tampering" on a massive scale. Example- Republican Secretaries of State of swing-state Colorado have quietly purged one in six names from their voter rolls. Over several months, the GOP politicos in Colorado stonewalled every attempt by Rolling Stone to get an answer to the massive purge - ten times the average state's rate of removal. Read the full story in Rolling Stone online at BLOCK THE VOTE. Also read about Stolen Election 2000 and Stolen Election 2004.
While Obama dreams of riding to the White House on a wave of new voters, more then 2.7 million have had their registrations REJECTED under new procedures signed into law by George Bush. Kennedy, a voting rights lawyer, charges this is a resurgence of 'Jim Crow' tactics to wrongly block Black and Hispanic voters.
A fired US prosecutor levels new charges - accusing leaders of his own party, Republicans, with criminal acts in an attempt to block legal voters as "fraudulent."
Digging through government records, the Kennedy-Palast team discovered that, in 2004, a GOP scheme called "caging” ultimately took away the rights of 1.1 million voters. The Rolling Stone duo predicts that, this November 4, it will be far worse. Since the last presidential race, "States used dubious 'list management' rules to scrub at least 10 million voters from their rolls." There is more to the story. Read BLOCK THE VOTE and be informed as to what has really happened and is happening to our democracy at GOP dirty, crooked hands.
That is why it is so crucial that you call your friends and family and get them to the polls. Make the case for Obama-Biden. Give people a ride. Give people babysitting services if needed. Just get them to the polls to vote. Take the time. Stay in line. We are fighting for the very fabric of our democracy here.
We need a big turnout to defeat the deplorable Republican ways of stealing the close ones. And after you do all that you possibly can do to get out the vote for Obama-Biden, please pray for our country like you have never prayed before!
The Republicans have stolen the last two elections, so why not this one? If we allow it to be close, they will probably win. Don’t take my word for it. Read for yourself how they stole the election in 2000 and how they stole the election in 2004. What is one more stolen election for thieves of democracy?
The current Republican campaign is the sleaziest campaign in history. Hateful, despicable robo-calls in swing states that even GOP heavyweights decry as beyond the pale of respectable politics…and yet they continue. They seem to be moving the polls. Materials portraying Obama on food stamps., or as a terrorist! The N-word being tossed about Palin rallies.. Muslim. Arab. Socialist. Communist. Anti-American. Dangerous. The blacks will take over. This is a Christian nation, and Obama and the Democrats are godless non-Christians. The Republican lies and dirty tricks abound!
And the Republicans downplay it, dismiss it…even suggest it isn’t happening and, in any case, they aren’t responsible for the words of a few disturbed cranks. Yet the robo-calls continue. Ayers. ACORN. Dangerous. They feed the fires of fear with carefully crafted words and ads. And they have an ace up their sleeve. They know how to steal elections. They have recent experience at it. Suppress the vote with lies and whispers, amp up the fear factor to turn out your rabid base, tamper, obstruct, and use the law against the people to suppress the vote even more.
According to a well-documented investigative report in Rolling Stone magazine, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast, after a year-long investigation, reveal a systematic program of "GOP vote tampering" on a massive scale. Example- Republican Secretaries of State of swing-state Colorado have quietly purged one in six names from their voter rolls. Over several months, the GOP politicos in Colorado stonewalled every attempt by Rolling Stone to get an answer to the massive purge - ten times the average state's rate of removal. Read the full story in Rolling Stone online at BLOCK THE VOTE. Also read about Stolen Election 2000 and Stolen Election 2004.
While Obama dreams of riding to the White House on a wave of new voters, more then 2.7 million have had their registrations REJECTED under new procedures signed into law by George Bush. Kennedy, a voting rights lawyer, charges this is a resurgence of 'Jim Crow' tactics to wrongly block Black and Hispanic voters.
A fired US prosecutor levels new charges - accusing leaders of his own party, Republicans, with criminal acts in an attempt to block legal voters as "fraudulent."
Digging through government records, the Kennedy-Palast team discovered that, in 2004, a GOP scheme called "caging” ultimately took away the rights of 1.1 million voters. The Rolling Stone duo predicts that, this November 4, it will be far worse. Since the last presidential race, "States used dubious 'list management' rules to scrub at least 10 million voters from their rolls." There is more to the story. Read BLOCK THE VOTE and be informed as to what has really happened and is happening to our democracy at GOP dirty, crooked hands.
That is why it is so crucial that you call your friends and family and get them to the polls. Make the case for Obama-Biden. Give people a ride. Give people babysitting services if needed. Just get them to the polls to vote. Take the time. Stay in line. We are fighting for the very fabric of our democracy here.
We need a big turnout to defeat the deplorable Republican ways of stealing the close ones. And after you do all that you possibly can do to get out the vote for Obama-Biden, please pray for our country like you have never prayed before!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Please Vote , and Help Others Get to the Polls -- Call Your Friends -- AND STAY IN LINE!
Have you ever noticed how the Republicans trot out black talking points "strategists" to speak for them on the cable news shows? Every black in the Republican party must be being used as "experts" to spout Republiganda on these shows. There are not that many black folk in the almost all-white party, and they all seem to be on cable tv! These duplicitous spokespeople must be paid well to be saying the trash they are saying with a straight face.
The message to anyone who might be voting for Obama and Biden on Tuesday is to make it a clear and unmistakable goal to vote and have your vote counted. Let nothing stop you from voting -- from staying in line and getting your precious vote counted. This is a monumental struggle and you must STAY IN LINE and not be deterred from your responsibility to bring about important change in America. The line may be long, but you cannot falter in gutting it out in order to vote. Your country, its future, all the young people, are depending on you getting to the polls and staying in line until your vote is recorded. To see where your proper polling place is, visit www.barackobama.com
The message to anyone who might be voting for Obama and Biden on Tuesday is to make it a clear and unmistakable goal to vote and have your vote counted. Let nothing stop you from voting -- from staying in line and getting your precious vote counted. This is a monumental struggle and you must STAY IN LINE and not be deterred from your responsibility to bring about important change in America. The line may be long, but you cannot falter in gutting it out in order to vote. Your country, its future, all the young people, are depending on you getting to the polls and staying in line until your vote is recorded. To see where your proper polling place is, visit www.barackobama.com
The Republican Spin Masters Whirl More Lies, Even As They Work to Steal Another Election!
The Republicans are masters of spin and distortion and love to paint guilt by association, not matter how minimal it might be. In another attempt to paint groups and people with whom Obama has some connection in as unsavory a light as possible,
McCain has gone after the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now., even though he spoke at their banquet a few years ago. His ad lies, accusing the group of "massive voter fraud" and Johnny McBoy himself claimed in the final presidential debate that ACORN is "now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." What a lie from the man who approves so many other lies.
That is so far from the truth it should be funny. But, then, so many in the legions of dumb ox McPalies, right wing lemmings that they are, believe it with all their idiotic hearts – and they will all vote on Tuesday, every last stupid one of them.
Both Republican claims are breathtakingly inaccurate, according to factcheck.org,. there's a huge difference between voter fraud and voter registration fraud. And while ACORN, which hires part-time, $8-an-hour canvassers to go door-to-door and register people to vote, has had some problems with phony registrations invented by employees who don't want to work, the problem has never been that it sent people to the polls using bogus identities or to vote in any other fraudulent manner. Even the Republican prosecutor of the largest ACORN case to date said the shenanigans of ACORN workers were "not intended to permit illegal voting."
However, it is mainly a smokescreen to hide the nefarious things the Republicans machine is doing themselves. Read about how they stole the election in 2000, and how they stole the election in 2004. Now, according to highly regarded voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., they are working hard to steal the election of 2008. Read BLOCK THE VOTE, a thoroughly researched expose’ by Kennedy that details the voter suppression strategies they are using this year. We must fight to see that every voter gets to vote and that every vote is counted. It is a supreme social justice issue. Please read BLOCK THE VOTE! And stand up for people’s voting civil rights!
Another smokescreen is a McCain ad that says that Obama’s health care plan would cost 50 million people their health coverage. NOT TRUE! In reality, two prominent studies found that Obama's plan would produce a net increase in the number of employees with health coverage through their jobs. Under McCain, according to the same studies, there would be a net decrease.
On the other hand, McCain would, for the first time, require workers to pay federal income tax on the value of their employer-provided health insurance. He claims it would be offset by the tax credits he'd provide of up to $2,500 per individual and $5,000 per couple or family – but for most people that would not come close to paying for the difference. So, in essence, it will be a big tax increase designed to destroy employer paid insurance, which is a Republican business goal. Anything to stiff the unions.
And the lies and distortions and campaign jolts keep on coming from the sly Republigandists. Now we get the revelation that Obama’s half-aunt from Kenya is living in the United States illegally. Don’t you know Senator Obama would have helped fix her problems if he had known about them? Someone at immigration had been sitting on this until the last minute.
Could it be that John McCain’s party is still in charge? Well, sure. And that explains it. She should be sent home, for sure. But how efficient is the Bush Republican immigration authority when she has been here for ten years and in public housing for five years? I think the greater embarrassment is the Republican lack of governance, that has been glaringly apparent for eight years, and it will not start to change with McCain. He helped it all to fester with his blind support of Bush-Cheney. He is surrounded by Bush people!
I am so very tired of the Republican lie machine. In two days it might actually be quiet for awhile, but if McCain and Palin are elected, it will play loudly for four more very long years. I pray that is not the case, for the children and grandchildren’s sake.
McCain has gone after the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now., even though he spoke at their banquet a few years ago. His ad lies, accusing the group of "massive voter fraud" and Johnny McBoy himself claimed in the final presidential debate that ACORN is "now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." What a lie from the man who approves so many other lies.
That is so far from the truth it should be funny. But, then, so many in the legions of dumb ox McPalies, right wing lemmings that they are, believe it with all their idiotic hearts – and they will all vote on Tuesday, every last stupid one of them.
Both Republican claims are breathtakingly inaccurate, according to factcheck.org,. there's a huge difference between voter fraud and voter registration fraud. And while ACORN, which hires part-time, $8-an-hour canvassers to go door-to-door and register people to vote, has had some problems with phony registrations invented by employees who don't want to work, the problem has never been that it sent people to the polls using bogus identities or to vote in any other fraudulent manner. Even the Republican prosecutor of the largest ACORN case to date said the shenanigans of ACORN workers were "not intended to permit illegal voting."
However, it is mainly a smokescreen to hide the nefarious things the Republicans machine is doing themselves. Read about how they stole the election in 2000, and how they stole the election in 2004. Now, according to highly regarded voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., they are working hard to steal the election of 2008. Read BLOCK THE VOTE, a thoroughly researched expose’ by Kennedy that details the voter suppression strategies they are using this year. We must fight to see that every voter gets to vote and that every vote is counted. It is a supreme social justice issue. Please read BLOCK THE VOTE! And stand up for people’s voting civil rights!
Another smokescreen is a McCain ad that says that Obama’s health care plan would cost 50 million people their health coverage. NOT TRUE! In reality, two prominent studies found that Obama's plan would produce a net increase in the number of employees with health coverage through their jobs. Under McCain, according to the same studies, there would be a net decrease.
On the other hand, McCain would, for the first time, require workers to pay federal income tax on the value of their employer-provided health insurance. He claims it would be offset by the tax credits he'd provide of up to $2,500 per individual and $5,000 per couple or family – but for most people that would not come close to paying for the difference. So, in essence, it will be a big tax increase designed to destroy employer paid insurance, which is a Republican business goal. Anything to stiff the unions.
And the lies and distortions and campaign jolts keep on coming from the sly Republigandists. Now we get the revelation that Obama’s half-aunt from Kenya is living in the United States illegally. Don’t you know Senator Obama would have helped fix her problems if he had known about them? Someone at immigration had been sitting on this until the last minute.
Could it be that John McCain’s party is still in charge? Well, sure. And that explains it. She should be sent home, for sure. But how efficient is the Bush Republican immigration authority when she has been here for ten years and in public housing for five years? I think the greater embarrassment is the Republican lack of governance, that has been glaringly apparent for eight years, and it will not start to change with McCain. He helped it all to fester with his blind support of Bush-Cheney. He is surrounded by Bush people!
I am so very tired of the Republican lie machine. In two days it might actually be quiet for awhile, but if McCain and Palin are elected, it will play loudly for four more very long years. I pray that is not the case, for the children and grandchildren’s sake.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Mr. Smith Goes to McDonald's and Loses Debate to Dumb Ass Brigade, McCain 's Republican Base
On Friday I gave a guest lecture to a community college class of a professor friend of mine who teaches in a neighboring town. I left home with plenty of time to spare, so when I saw the Golden arches in that town, I had a hankering for an Egg Mcmuffin and stopped in to soak up the red and yellow décor It was there, in the back seating area that I encountered the regular early morning coffee group that I will forever know as The Dumb Ass Brigade.
As I sipped my coffee and ate my hash brown, I overheard their mindless chatter.
“I love that Joe the Plumber!” said a plump, fifty-something woman, who I will call Susie the Stupid, “I wish he were running for President. He is so handsome, sort of like Mr. Clean.”
I’ve heard of lots of fantasies over the years, but never about a cartoon cleanser spokesman, but Susie was neck deep in suds and plungers. It did not matter that Joe the fake plumber is unlicensed and much of his story is a lie.
“That Joe tells it like it is," Susie said, with a moony expresssion. "He said Israel was dead if Obama and his Muslim friends get into power.”
“Yeah, and then all the blacks will take over and paint the White House black,” said Harvey the Hillbilly, munching an undetermined form of pastry, “And he is going to make that Bill Ayers guy Secretary of State. Not only is he a terrorist, but he is not qualified – he has only been a weatherman, and what does some TV guy know about foreign policy?”
“Well, that Sarah Palin, she’s standing up for us Joe-Six Packs. And she is really good-looking, too! I just love to watch her speak! ” said another older man, who I call Larry the Lecher, “And Sarah Palin said he was a socialist, he wants to redistribute the wealth like a Commie.”
“He’s not going to lay any hands on my wealth,” said a flannel shirted grandpa type who I call Roger the Rube, whose net worth appeared to be pretty minimal. “And Obama will not get my guns either. Hank Williams Jr. said McCain will protect our guns. Obama wants to give ‘em to the Mexicans and the terrorists!”
Well, I had held my tongue long enough, so I ventured an intelligent statement that went over like the proverbial lead balloon. “Obama is not a socialist. He is talking about a tax cut for 95 percent of the American people. He is just trying to help the poor and the middle class in these tough economic times. He is as American as you and me. His mother and the grandparents who raised him were white. He has a basic, strong middle class upbringing and he loves this country. ANd he supports the second ammendment!”
No one said a word. Ten pairs of eyes stared blankly at me. Then another man, Leo the Lemming, said in a fevered tone, “You got a beard, Mister. You sound like an anti-American. Are you a fellow traveler with Obama?”
I could not help but laugh. I had not heard that fellow traveler stuff for a long, long time.
I laughed. But no one else did.
So I decided to get out of the Mickey D’s before The Dumb Ass Brigade whipped me with their sausage burritos and scalded me with their very hot coffee. I was not going to win any debates with them. They represent the great ill-informed masses of fear-stoked Americans that have supported the Republican Party for years. The not so silent, easily manipulated near majority that makes elections close enough to steal.
So I grabbed what was left of my egg sandwich and backed out of the restaurant. The only consolation I had was that The Dumb Ass Brigade is so dumb maybe they will forget where the polling places are on next Tuesday.
If only America could be so lucky.
As I sipped my coffee and ate my hash brown, I overheard their mindless chatter.
“I love that Joe the Plumber!” said a plump, fifty-something woman, who I will call Susie the Stupid, “I wish he were running for President. He is so handsome, sort of like Mr. Clean.”
I’ve heard of lots of fantasies over the years, but never about a cartoon cleanser spokesman, but Susie was neck deep in suds and plungers. It did not matter that Joe the fake plumber is unlicensed and much of his story is a lie.
“That Joe tells it like it is," Susie said, with a moony expresssion. "He said Israel was dead if Obama and his Muslim friends get into power.”
“Yeah, and then all the blacks will take over and paint the White House black,” said Harvey the Hillbilly, munching an undetermined form of pastry, “And he is going to make that Bill Ayers guy Secretary of State. Not only is he a terrorist, but he is not qualified – he has only been a weatherman, and what does some TV guy know about foreign policy?”
“Well, that Sarah Palin, she’s standing up for us Joe-Six Packs. And she is really good-looking, too! I just love to watch her speak! ” said another older man, who I call Larry the Lecher, “And Sarah Palin said he was a socialist, he wants to redistribute the wealth like a Commie.”
“He’s not going to lay any hands on my wealth,” said a flannel shirted grandpa type who I call Roger the Rube, whose net worth appeared to be pretty minimal. “And Obama will not get my guns either. Hank Williams Jr. said McCain will protect our guns. Obama wants to give ‘em to the Mexicans and the terrorists!”
Well, I had held my tongue long enough, so I ventured an intelligent statement that went over like the proverbial lead balloon. “Obama is not a socialist. He is talking about a tax cut for 95 percent of the American people. He is just trying to help the poor and the middle class in these tough economic times. He is as American as you and me. His mother and the grandparents who raised him were white. He has a basic, strong middle class upbringing and he loves this country. ANd he supports the second ammendment!”
No one said a word. Ten pairs of eyes stared blankly at me. Then another man, Leo the Lemming, said in a fevered tone, “You got a beard, Mister. You sound like an anti-American. Are you a fellow traveler with Obama?”
I could not help but laugh. I had not heard that fellow traveler stuff for a long, long time.
I laughed. But no one else did.
So I decided to get out of the Mickey D’s before The Dumb Ass Brigade whipped me with their sausage burritos and scalded me with their very hot coffee. I was not going to win any debates with them. They represent the great ill-informed masses of fear-stoked Americans that have supported the Republican Party for years. The not so silent, easily manipulated near majority that makes elections close enough to steal.
So I grabbed what was left of my egg sandwich and backed out of the restaurant. The only consolation I had was that The Dumb Ass Brigade is so dumb maybe they will forget where the polling places are on next Tuesday.
If only America could be so lucky.
Republican Sleaze Knows No Bounds -- From Coast to Coast, Dirty Gutter Tactics Abound!
I used to admire Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina. But now, like John McCain, she has sold out to Republican gutter tactics, the Rove-Atwater doctrine. Dole is trailing in her re-election fight in North Carolina against Democrat Kay Hagan, and so she has resorted to outright lies to attack Hagan, a long time state senator, with character assassination. Sound familiar? She has taken Christianity as her cloak in attacking a Christian Sunday School teacher.
Dole's latest advertisement, according to Washington Monthly, suggests her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan, is a godless heathen. "A leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser for Kay Hagan," the 30-second spot says, showing footage of the group's members talking about their atheist beliefs on cable news. "Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took godless money," the ad concludes. "What did Kay Hagan promise in return?"
At the very end of the ad, a voice sounding like Hagan's says: "There is no God." Seriously, Dole used a Hagan impersonator to make voters think Hagan is an atheist. It's hard to know where to start with an ad this deplorable. First, Hagan is actually a Sunday school teacher and an elder in her church. Second, the fundraiser in question was co-hosted by 40 people, one of whom is on the board of an atheist political action committee. Third, there's nothing scandalous about non-believers.
I am a Christian. I pray for them. But they are Americans, too, and should be treated with respect, not hate and derision. Jesus came to proclaim love, not hate. Read your Bible, Libby!
Another question: what is "godless money"? Since all money has In God We Trust on it, how is it “godless”?
Hagan held a press conference this week with her family and pastor to denounce the ad, and announced that if Dole didn't pull the ad, she would seek a cease-and-desist order. But this is just another example of the sleazy, deplorable Republican attacks all over the country. It is time to throw the rascals out! Reject the lies, America!
It all reminds me of the excellent John Grisham novel, The Appeal, which details how dirty right wing political campaigns are a cancer on democracy, circumventing real debate with fear mongering and distortion of facts. Grisham uses his fiction to lambaste the amorality and greed of corporate America and the consequences suffered by its unwitting victims, mainly the defenseless poor.
The Appeal is an exposé of how highly organized special-interest groups, loaded with cash, can manipulate public opinion in elections. These are right wing tactics perfected by the current Republican Party, which is not the party of Lincoln, or Ford, or Eisenhower. It is the party of Rove and Atwater and Schmidt.
Now we hear that the Republicans, according to MSNBC's Chuck Todd, after complaining about Obama raising so much money from small donors, have thrown $325 million with the RNC (from large donors mostly) toward their get out the vote campaign during the last 72 hours! McCain's campaign manager, Rick "Fannie Mae PR Man" Davis is quoted crowing about it! No way Obama and the DNC can match that. So the right zealots will be voting in great numbers. That is what all the lies and smears are about -- to fire up that legendary angry right wing base. Even as they continue to suppress Democrat votes.
And in the past the Republicans have always had the money advantage. This is how it has been with the Republican Party until this year, when Obama swore off PAC’s and lobbyists and went straight to the people via the Internet, and 2 million small donors gave the little people a voice in an election. The fact that the Democrats have been competitive until this point makes the Republicans so mad. “We don’t know who these donors are!” cries John McCain.
Well, Mr. Pinocchio McCain, I am one of those small donors,, and I am proud of it. I just wish I had more money to give to the cause of saving the country that I love. America. May God bless America!
And if anyone would like to be a donor in the last days, to be a part of in the fight for your country's soul, donate to Obama by Sunday at midnight. Click www.barackobama.com
Then make sure you vote on Tuesday and call as many people as you can to vote for Obama-Biden. The future of America depends upon it!
Dole's latest advertisement, according to Washington Monthly, suggests her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan, is a godless heathen. "A leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser for Kay Hagan," the 30-second spot says, showing footage of the group's members talking about their atheist beliefs on cable news. "Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took godless money," the ad concludes. "What did Kay Hagan promise in return?"
At the very end of the ad, a voice sounding like Hagan's says: "There is no God." Seriously, Dole used a Hagan impersonator to make voters think Hagan is an atheist. It's hard to know where to start with an ad this deplorable. First, Hagan is actually a Sunday school teacher and an elder in her church. Second, the fundraiser in question was co-hosted by 40 people, one of whom is on the board of an atheist political action committee. Third, there's nothing scandalous about non-believers.
I am a Christian. I pray for them. But they are Americans, too, and should be treated with respect, not hate and derision. Jesus came to proclaim love, not hate. Read your Bible, Libby!
Another question: what is "godless money"? Since all money has In God We Trust on it, how is it “godless”?
Hagan held a press conference this week with her family and pastor to denounce the ad, and announced that if Dole didn't pull the ad, she would seek a cease-and-desist order. But this is just another example of the sleazy, deplorable Republican attacks all over the country. It is time to throw the rascals out! Reject the lies, America!
It all reminds me of the excellent John Grisham novel, The Appeal, which details how dirty right wing political campaigns are a cancer on democracy, circumventing real debate with fear mongering and distortion of facts. Grisham uses his fiction to lambaste the amorality and greed of corporate America and the consequences suffered by its unwitting victims, mainly the defenseless poor.
The Appeal is an exposé of how highly organized special-interest groups, loaded with cash, can manipulate public opinion in elections. These are right wing tactics perfected by the current Republican Party, which is not the party of Lincoln, or Ford, or Eisenhower. It is the party of Rove and Atwater and Schmidt.
Now we hear that the Republicans, according to MSNBC's Chuck Todd, after complaining about Obama raising so much money from small donors, have thrown $325 million with the RNC (from large donors mostly) toward their get out the vote campaign during the last 72 hours! McCain's campaign manager, Rick "Fannie Mae PR Man" Davis is quoted crowing about it! No way Obama and the DNC can match that. So the right zealots will be voting in great numbers. That is what all the lies and smears are about -- to fire up that legendary angry right wing base. Even as they continue to suppress Democrat votes.
And in the past the Republicans have always had the money advantage. This is how it has been with the Republican Party until this year, when Obama swore off PAC’s and lobbyists and went straight to the people via the Internet, and 2 million small donors gave the little people a voice in an election. The fact that the Democrats have been competitive until this point makes the Republicans so mad. “We don’t know who these donors are!” cries John McCain.
Well, Mr. Pinocchio McCain, I am one of those small donors,, and I am proud of it. I just wish I had more money to give to the cause of saving the country that I love. America. May God bless America!
And if anyone would like to be a donor in the last days, to be a part of in the fight for your country's soul, donate to Obama by Sunday at midnight. Click www.barackobama.com
Then make sure you vote on Tuesday and call as many people as you can to vote for Obama-Biden. The future of America depends upon it!
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