'The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB).
After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly but were criticized for having exercised "poor judgment".
One of the San Francisco bank regulators felt that McCain had gotten off too lightly, saying that Keating's business involvement with Cindy McCain was an obvious conflict of interest'
09/09/2008Brown backs Obama
Gordon Brown has broken with British convention and made clear that he favours Barack Obama as the next US President.
In a departure from the usual self-denying ordinance of Prime Ministers past, Brown has written an article for The Monitor magazine in which he praises Obama's plans to get the US out of the housing slump.
Referring to the anxieties facing voters across the globe during the economic slowdown, he says: "Around the world, it is progressive politicians who are grappling with these challenges....In the electrifying US Presidential campaign, it is the Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times. To help prevent people from losing their home, Barack Obama has proposed a Foreclosure Prevention Fund to increase emergency pre-foreclosure counselling, and help families facing repossession."
There is not a single mention of McCain or his own plans to help tackle the impact of the slowdown. As this is an article written by the PM himself, no one can claim he is being quoted out of context or misrepresented.
Paul WaughEvening Standard Politics
John McCain on a recent television interview said of himself 'To think that a man who graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy is this close to becoming the president of the United States tells you what a great country this is.'
Is this the kind of country that passes over highly intelligent, gifted, and qualified men or women and looks for underachievers to put in the Oval Office by manipulating the media and public opinion, simply because it can get away with so often? Like with electing Bush twice and now maybe McCain. (God Forbid.)
I wonder what would happen if you kept posing the question this way to the American electorate.
Who would you rather have for president? A person who graduated at the top of his class or someone who graduated at the bottom?
Faith Is The Assurance ( Heb 11:1 amplified.)
Why does Faith in a Black man look like arrogance to some people? They use to call it being uppity. Now they're calling it being "presumptuous", even when you're the "presumptive" nominee! Walking with Dignity as a Black man has often been wrongly mistaken for walking in pride. Oh and watch out! A confident Black man might be misperceived and mistaken for being arrogant. Notice, it's not the Black Church or the Black community making such allegations. "Now Faith is the Assurance of things hoped for" Heb 11:1 the Amplified.
Those complaints that he was acting like a president on his trip abroad for making speeches. What is he supposed to act like? But, the leader he is. And an inspirational one at that.
Here's a clue, if anyone is good at anything he or she knows it. He or she can recognize the same gifts in someone else. He or she can even recognize when another is better or not as good as he or she. It is true in sports, in business, in entertainment, and in statesmanship.
That's why President Sarkozy correctly predicted that Obama would be the nominee back during the primaries. It takes one to know one.That why foreign leaders lined up to make themselves available to meet with Barack Obama.They recognize a winner when they see one.
Far from prideful or arrogant, he has shown patience and humility and integrity and discernment together with other virtues of genuine Christian character. Barack Obama has a Christians' right to walk with blessed assurance.
Barack Obama and his campaign, and we. his supporters know, that it is not, nor has it ever been about Senator Obama. It is about Change. The right kind of Change for our country. Who and how best to usher in that Change
You've heard of the commander-in-chief test.What about the tree and fruit test?
Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. Matthew 7:17
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33
For a good tree does not bring not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Luke 6:43
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35
Doesn't this explains the last 7 years of bad things? That why this election is so crucial.
When it comes to Barack Obama all I see is good fruit. When it comes to John McCain all I see now is bad fruit.
If we don't want another 4 years of evil things happening, we'd better choose the tree with the good fruit.
http://i29.tinypic.com/34djw44.jpg
This morning on Fox and Friends anchor Steve Doocy actually said. " I wondered what would make 200,000 (german) people, who don't speak english, want to see Barack Obama. It turns there were two bands playing. They weren't there to hear him. They came out for the music."
That has to be a new low, even for Fox News. They should change there motto from 'fairly unbalanced' to "low and pathetic".
I suppose all the applause and all the waving of American flags was for the music. too
Apparently, now anyone can defame, slander, libel, insult, offend, malign, slur and , just simply, cry "satire, satire" whle hiding under the supposed wit of an otherwise non-existent "sophisticated dry humour". You sure know how to make neo-conservatives sit up and take notice. To the New Yorker I'd like to ask, "whatever happened to principled, responsible journalism"?
I am/was a staunch Obama supporter. However, even I was taken aback by the Obama campaign's knee jerk disavowal of General Wesley Clark's cogent observations. If Senator Obama cannot or will not support a loyal advocate when that person is just telling the truth, that gives me pause. Nothing since his campaign began except this, has made question my support for the senator.
"greenguy This is true. But I'm getting a disturbing sense that the Obama camp really isn't into fighting. If one of their surrogates really says something indefensible, then they shouldn't defend it. But why reject Gen. Clark's comments. Does Obama think being a war hero by itself qualifies an American to be president? Why not just fight back and point out that Clark said nothing inaccurate, that McCain has no real executive experience, and that McCain, while a legitimate war hero, should be questioned about his views like any other candidate? Because from my perspective, constantly flinching away from controversy and backing down from a fight will lead to his portrayal as being weak. If Obama keeps backtracking and apologizing, they will start to see him as fundamentally lacking in conviction, even if they see his actual ideas as attractive. So yes, "strength and leadership" is important. But shrinking away from every fight isn't the way to display those qualities."
Thanks Greenguy, for your posts. You've articulated my very sentiment so eloquently.
