Sorry guys I'm gonna make my 1st negative post here..I have been mostly happy with Baracks actions thus far (I am NOT happy however happy with taxes againt oil companies for his energy plan, however--this will slow economic recovery here and cost us jobs!! These companies, as distasteful as they are--will not hire here until oil hits $60+ a barrel--now its gonna be more like $70 or more--you think they arent gonna pass this down to you?? It COSTS $60/barrel to get oil out of the ground here--it aint like Jed Clampett shooting at the ground with a shotgun...It's kind of obscene to me to state a desire to bailout a bunch of overpaid fatasses in the auto industry and make employment of a bunch of non-union men who BUST THEIR ASS improbable at best..this countries demand for oil will peak again--do u wanna pay $6/gal for gas this time??)
Ciudad Juarez is now one of the most dangerous cities in the world...For those of you who dont know this is El Paso, Tx' sister city on the other side of the border...Americans going there to conduct business (I has 4 tooth extractions there abt 6 yrs ago) or just as tourists are being taken and held for ransom, and some are being killed if that ransom is not payed...It's painfully obvious that the Mexican govt no longer controls the city--the govt there is now the drug gangs and cartels...There were over 1100 murders in Juarez last year, far higher than any city in America (per capita) and I would wager higher than Baghdad or other war zones...Because that's what this city has truly become--a war zone...This is VERY serious due to the fact we have a large city in close proximity (across the Rio Grande ditch--thats all it is lately is a ditch) and also due to the fact these gangs are recruiting 13 and 15 yr olds on OUR side of the border to do their dirty work...Contrary to statements by the Mexican govt, this is NOT due to the legalized gun sales on our side of the border, though the drug demand on our side IS probably the biggest player in these scumbags success...It's just a matter of time before this scum crosses the border and basically takes El Paso as well...We're apparently getting a LOT of Mexican citizens (here apparently legally btw) crossing the border who would rather be in their country...It's just getting too dangerous for them to live there..This is NOT good...Those people will be needing help and they'll be needing jobs which we cant spare at the moment!! (And no in this case I'm NOT blaming people for fleeing from Juarez to El Paso..)
It's obvious the Mexican govt is TOTALLY impotent here...Our govt isnt looking much better--neither the Obama administration OR the Bush administration (and this was going on long before he left office) is/was addressing this issue...Just how long does this country and this govt plan on ignoring this crisis--yes CRISIS??!! This is a serious problem folks...Maybe I care just a bit more--I'm 4 hrs from El Paso and by extension Juarez!! The answer isnt less guns coming from the US...Its the Mexican govt grabbing around the area about its butt, grabbing, and pulling!! In other words the Mexican govt needs to pull its head out of its ass and stop looking to us as the source of its problems...If they wanna see the cause they can look in a mirror..grrrrrr. Also it's time for the feds to provide some money to us border states to help beef up security..Texas is probably spending at LEAST as much as the federal govt to enforce FEDERAL border laws!! We need more cops there and specialized legal units in each of our major border cities...(And as much as I hate to say it--we can send some military units and our best special unit cops to Mexico to train their cops so THEY can have special units trained to fight this as well..) We need this NOW, not later!! Everyday these scumbags--this useless waste of oxygen--grows stronger while we sit on our collective asses!! My prayers for the citizens in Juarez and I hope they know a day when gangs and drug dealers dont run their lives....But right now were needing OUR govt to pull ITS head out of its ass as well!!
Ok already made a post opposing an auto-bailout (mostly because the oil industry isnt getting any and they making a hell of a lot less for a hell of a lot more dangerous job..)
So now I want to comment on Michelle's attire...I think it's FANTASTIC and I think it really accentuates her beautifully sculpted arms..lol. For any ladies jealous of Mrs Obamas looks, I will just say get over it!!
Michelle--keep on doing what your doing...What a beautiful woman!! She looks simply radiant!! If Barack looks half as good to women as Michelle looks to men I finally understand the attraction women have to Barack's charisma..lol.
Seriously though this is a really great woman...She goes sleavless and looks totally awesome!! She has a degree in law and is by ANY standards one hell of a lady!! She could go in anything and look totally radiant...I laugh at those attacking her...Thanks Michelle for being Michelle...So far she's doing great in fulfilling the position of 1st lady!!
Ok..I couldve read the report wrong but apparently GM is wanting another 30 billion dollar bailout or theyll go belly up AND wants to layoff 43,000 workers worldwide...I gotta ask here--why should we bail anyone out who is just going to layoff workers anyway at this crucial time?? Maybe it's just time to let this poorly managed company that has been overrun by corperate AND union greed just die. I'm sorry to the employees there--at least those willing to take paycuts (as I have done) to keep their jobs. Someone else will hopefully fill the vacuum. Cars will still need to be built--a buyout by Toyota perhaps??
If my data is in error (and it might very well be--I didnt dissect the report too well) please someone correct me...
Please anyone let me know if anymore sites come up...I understand Barack is going to have more open minded sites during his presidency...So far I give Barack an A- starting off...He's doing GREAT!! That was really cool when he took the homeless lady's hand...I've been homeless before and can feel her pain...That really meant a LOT to her (and to me..I know Baracks never been there but was good to see him trying to see it through her eyes..)--and Barack is showing his true colors here...He might have not been where a lot of us have been, but he's at the very least gonna listen and TRY to understand...This truly is a good and unique man and I'm proud of the choice I made and many others here have...What we also need here though is immediate relief--it's not all handshakes...
We've got an imperfect stimulus package...When is ANYTHING gonna be perfect here??..lol. The problem is we have many republican politicians screaming for more tax cuts...Knowing our republican friends they are looking for tax cuts for the rich and corporations...I'm sorry but the "trickle down" theory is officially dead...And in spite of all I agree with this party on, if they keep following their old ideas (which helped get us here in the 1st place) their gonna be officially dead as well....We're already spending more money than this country can afford--if we're gonna be spending this much it needs to be going towards repairing our infrastructure and making jobs doing so...It doesnt need to be spent on bailing out failed companies who want to give bonuses to their failed CEO's...Also ANY company that gets government funds needs to be listening when we tell them to do something...Yeah I know it always sucks when your under someones thumb...I've been there and it's a BIG reason I'm working so hard not to be there again...But when you screw up and want to be BEGGING for help what the hell do you expect??
Anyways keep up the good work PRESIDENT OBAMA...YES WE CAN!!!!
Hey..I voted last tuesday--voted for 2 dems and 2 reps lest u think I'm not independent..lol. (And yes Barack/Joe was one of the dem votes..lol) Anyways I'm optimistic here, but not too much so..I've been watching this game for too long now and know how quickly it can go south. This whole thing will come down to voter turnout. It doesnt matter what the polls say--and this year I trust them less than 4 years ago..This year is the 1st year with a half-black candidate on the ballot. The pollsters base a LOT of their data on who they THINK will turn out. But they might fail to take racism into account. This is a variable we havent EVER dealt with before. Pollsters pride themselves on providing the most accurate data available. But here they have an unknown variable. What they assume is nothing more than a best guess. 4 years ago real-clear politics picked only one state (Wisconsin) wrong in their picks (and they only missed that by 1.4%) Right now they have Obama up by almost 200 electoral votes. I am unwilling to believe he has that many, but I still think we have it. I hope this guys everything he says he is. I REALLY want to be part of a good thing here. We're in deep and we need to grab a shovel and dig. Let's do it, and lets have a GOOD time doing it too...It's going to be HARD building new walls, but some of us don't mind hard work--some of us think its fun :). This isn't just about Barack--this is about ALL of us!! Let's get down to business and rebuild this country, and get it back to where it needs to be...
It's been a LOT of fun getting to know some of you guys. I'm from George W. Bush's hometown..I'm not used to talking to good open-minded people...When this is over we won't have this site anymore--what the hell am I gonna do next?..lol..Ah hell--I'll find something--maybe I'll grab a shovel. Good luck all and I'll see ya at the finish line..:)
I looked at Biden in 88 and I looked at him on 08. Both times I've liked what I've seen, and I like what I saw tonight!! This guy, for all of his menacing looks at times, is a decent fellow. (And actually the menacing looks in debates are appealing too..lol) When the modertator asked Biden about the "achilles heel" thingy saying he was not diciplined enough, I was saying under my breath "well isn't that what we need?" Biden gave the perfect answer saying he wasn't going to change and made no apologies for it...Lack of discipline is what drives some to greatness. In many its a weakness, but in a few, it's the cornerstone of their strenghth!
Damn good job tonight and I hope in an Obama presidency Biden can play a very prominent role. Such talent should not be wasted...
Sorry, I know I'm a bit late on this one, but I felt like it needed to be said.
Sarah Palin has stated to the effect that not even if her own daughter was raped would she support abortion. Whoa now!! You're saying that a woman who has already be victimized once must be victimized further by being FORCED to carry a rapists child to term??!! Of course it's easy to understand why she's popular with evangelists--this sort of belief is right up their alley..But most of them are at least smart enough to keep such evil to themselves!! (And she's also against stem cell research, but that's almost an afterthought here!)
At least McCain is opposed to the victimization of a rape victim by the state and supports research on eggs from fertility clinics which would just be destroyed anyway..But keep in mind we're just one skin sample away from a Palin presidency should McCain be elected...
I'm very mildly pro-choice but since I'm male, unmarried, and with no children it's not my primary issue...However victims of violent crime is one of my top issues! Also a top issue of mine is keeping the church out of the state!! I have absolutely NO desire to have a religion I am not a member of cram something down my throat with the assistence of the government! ESPECIALLY not the garbage spewed my Mrs Palin and some right wingnuts reguarding rape victims!!
I can't say how thrilled I am with our V-P pick. I loved Biden and his no nonsense attitude in the debates and I think he fulfills a valuable position in this campaign. That he will make a decent v-p should go without saying. But for the next 2 months I see him leading a more aggressive campaign against the republicans. I've been sitting here pretty upset watching things unravel for us the last month or so. We have been responding to negative attacks only in a damage control perspective. Hopefully the strategy of Barack's campaign not to go negative has changed. Biden will be an excellent person to spearhead this and gives folks like me and other posters someone to rally behind. I wish we could just simply state the issues in an intellegent manner and win this thing. I really think that's what Barack wants, and more power to him. But for many of us this election is too desparate to screw up and allow the republicans 4 more years to sell this country out, worker by worker!! The republican comments I've been seeing in the press seem to indicate that they feel THIS campaign is going to fight back this time--UH-OH!!....So for those of you decent people who want to stick with Obama's non-negative attitude, you can find places to help along those lines. I guess I'm a bit more aggressive here and I'll be wanting a spot on Biden's team should he plan on attacking the idiotic republican ideals!! We can play it from both sides here folks. Let's use BOTH Obama's niceness and Biden's potential fighter mentality to our advantage. If we do this right, THEN we can affect meaningful change in this country. We know the issues and we know where we stand--now let's go and help others to understand those issues, AND respond to republican negativity tit for tat....
Normally I feel this woman represents the very WORST of America--shes arrogant, egotistical, and looks down on people who were not BORN with as much money as she has!! In short, she was BORN with the "American dream" while most of us bust ass our whole lives and never get it...
Now I'll say something I never thought I'd say about her--TWO THUMBS UP PARIS!!. Thats right--her response to McCain comparing Barack to her is a must see!! I became a Paris Hilton fan today....
On a side note--McCain went through some chit neither me or most of us can understand in Vietnam. BUT most of us have been through some chit McCain cant seem to understand. To me, MOST of McCain's life has been closer to Paris Hilton's than my own. (Barack grew up with a single working mom--I can UNDERSTAND that--mostly because I went through it too..) And while I can respect McCain's sacrifices and respect them, I dont think he can respect (much less understand) MY sacrifices....Kind of like a "same planet different worlds" thingy.
Had to go to local events to find a back door...
Anyone else having a problem?
I'm just writing this post to explain the futility of trying to cater to them, and the possible (or PROBABLE) backlash of doing so.
I was a McCain fan in 2000, and was happy to hear he was running in 2008. (That didn't mean he was going to get my vote, and I'm a BIG Al Gore fan so I wouldn't have vote for him in 2000 either--I just wanted to say I think he's a GREAT candidate..) Then he tried to cater to the religious right, and I promptly e-mailed his site to give my 2 cents on why he shouldn't have done that...
These folk don't seem to know much about democracy..They seem to be opposed to everything GOOD that America stands for. But one thing they DO understand is THEIR issues and they know the candidates who have supported those issues in the past.. NEITHER candidate (I am happy to say) fits their bill. If you don't have these guys in your pocket now, you NEVER will. These are Huckabee people. Theyre NOT Romney people, because even though he was saying the same things as them, he was Mormon..That wasn't good enough for them...They needed someone LIKE them to represent them...They want, in no uncertain terms, to cram their views down the throats of Americans, whether they agree with these views or not!!
I am VERY upset that MY candidate seems to now be trying to cater to these folks. I'll tell Obama the same thing I told the last Bozo who tried this (McCain) the same thing. You WILL NOT get this vote, but youre doing a damn good job of alienating the voters you already DO have!!! Obama would like to have the vote of these...individuals--as would McCain. At the same time though--MANY people have been harmed by these folk in the past. WE view ANY attempt at trying to get the votes of these borderline TERRORISTS (from our viewpoint) to be a betrayal..That's what got McCain ex'd off my list. And it's what's brought Obama (the man I formerly called "Barack"..u know--1st name basis--a friend..) to the brink of me not voting for him either.
I grew up in Midland, Tx (Bush's hometown). I was a Wiccan, which I'm sure most of your are unfamiliar with, but lets be blunt..We cast spells (our way of praying) and our Rede (our one and only "commandment" says "Harm None") For this I received death threats and suggestions that I "leave town". (And that's just a fraction of the threats I received from those who are now claiming to be "social conservatives"--sounds like a bunch of un-American terrorists to me!!) Now I understand that Obama was raised by his grandma mostly and has spent a great deal of time in Hawaii and Illinois. He aint spent much time down here to see the HATRED directed at those of us who didnt belong!!
Forgive me Obama, but unity should NOT be with these scumbags!! I'm a white working class male (who did NOT support Hillary and who was grateful to have such a stellar candidate as Obama to vote for!!). I don't mind uniting with working class women and working class blacks. I feel we have so much in common that any suggestion we're not having an equal cause is an idiotic statement. These folk I'll fight side by side with any day or anywhere. Also I can feel the middle class. I wanna help them too. W/o the middle class, then where is the stepping stone for the an exceptional hard working worker to move up? But I draw the line at having empathy with people who have threatened to kill me in the past!! While I understand that not ALL of them have threatened this, I DO know that these folk don't seem to like democracy very much...They seem a LOT like Saudi Arabians, except they CLAIM to be Christian...I see little difference in the intimidation tactics used by them and the Saudis...
Anyways I implore Obama to lay the hell off these damn topics or risk losing supporters he already has in his pocket....(Namely me...) You keep going down this road, you can expect a LOT more problems. There can be no unity with these people. It's their way or the highway...
I read the news today (as I always do) and was shocked by senator Obamas vote of support for the faith-based initiative. So much for having a candidate I can be happy supporting...
As a member of a minority faith called Wicca, I am outraged Mr Obama chose to cater to Evangelicals who (at best) openly state their disdain of us, and (at worst) terrorize members of our faith!! This is the very reason I have spoken out so strongly against president Bush--the support of a "Faith-based initiative" that makes churches eligable for tax dollars to supplement their programs. Now I will state that MOST churches are on the up and up and I've read the programs that can be applied for by these churches and not one of them is objectionable to me. However there was (and still is) some question if Wicca will be included in these handouts. Also several legislators (Bob Barr and the late Strom Thurmond come to mind). Wicca is recognized in most parts of the country as having the same "tax exempt" status as every other religion, yet several members of congress seemed vehemently opposed to Wiccans (and Pagans) being eligable for tax payer funds for their programs. (Never mind we pay taxes just like the next American..)
Once more--why should ANY religious group receive govt funding for their charities. The idea of charity is just that...Some right wing Evangelicals are (ironically) in agreement with me here...It seems they don't want their tax dollars going to Wiccan run charities anymore than we want ours going to theirs...
In any case Obama would be FAR better off not broaching this subject again. The afforementioned Bob Barr is also running for president on the Libertarian ticket. I would vote for Bush for a 3rd term before I'd vote for that bastard! McCain is out of the question, unless HE stops trying to cater to those I see as trying to force their religious "values" on all of us, never mind that "live and let live" is a typical Wiccan "value"...
At this point I'm still voting Obama despite the ominous statements made today. Mostly because he's the EQUAL of McCain on this subject (meaning equally BAD) and I would like to have an economy left in the next 4 years. But sadly my very favorable view of Obama has diminished greatly. The people he is trying to cater too once issued death threats to me when I was growing up...They painted on my garage "Leave Town!!". They, to my knowledge, drove a young girl (and a member of our faith) to commit suicide..They have murdered our people in a couple of cases under the mistaken impression they were doing the work of God. I could type more on this subject than this site could handle. And, while I DO understand that the bulk of Evangelists are not quite this bad, the belief system seems to have hatred built in...
One more thing--the faith based initiative is unconstitutional. The 1st amendment says something to the effect that noone can be forced to contribute to any religion by the govt. That would mean taxes being given to such institutions....
Sorry (NOT) this is the harshest post I have made here on a site intended for unity...But then again this is my #1 concern as an American and a voter. The ability to live my religion in the comfort of my own home without being taxed (and FORCED) to contribute to anothers...
Just got back from Mr. Barr's site. In the past I've seen a Republican on the ballot I disagree with and only a Libertarian running against them, so I've voted for the Libertarian. THAT won't happen now. As Libertarians are currently targeting supporters from 3 camps (McCain, Paul, and Obama) I thought it might be prudent to point out the man's past and why I would vote for Bush for a THIRD term (and keep in mind I've already voted against Bush FOUR times now--twice a governor) if it were only him and Barr on the ballot...
1st of all I'm Wiccan and ex-military. In 1997 (or so) Ft Hood in Texas allowed Wiccans/Pagans to practice openly on base. The army went on to say that no military policies had been violated by the Wiccans/Pagans. Well (then) congressman Barr attempted to get Christians to boycott the military at that time and also stated that Wiccans/Pagan soldiers had NO right to worship while on base!! I'm confused by the Libertarians nominating such a candidate, when one of their stated goals is to the effect of people should be free to do what they want in America, as long as that action doesnt hurt anyone else..This sounds a bit familiar to me--the Wiccan Rede (thats the closest thing to the commandments we have) states "'An it harm none, do what thou wilt"..This is why I'm amazed that Barr is on their ticket. The only things I WANT from the govt are to be left alone..NO "faith-based initiatives" where certain religions are excluded and NO MORE war widows having to sue to have their husbands tombstone who was killed in action getting the proper religious symbol on it...(And the dept of Defense has stated there are 20,000+ Wiccans/Pagans in the military..--and BOTH of these problems have occured during the Bush administration)
This man (Barr) has less respect for the constitution than I have for a roach on the floor!! And I have more respect for a roach on the floor than I have for Bob Barr...(Yeah I know Barack doesnt like divisive politics..But I take that to mean divisivness against actual AMERICANS which I don't view Bob Barr as being..) I've said before that McCain is a great American, though I disagree with him on many points. Hillary is an American too, though I don't like her as a person, I respect her opinion as an American. Bush, for that matter is an American. But someone like Barr who seems to have NO respect for freedom has no business being here, much less being on the ticket of a party that supposedly puts freedom #1..
In anycase, while i don't expect (nor WANT) anything from Barack on this subject, I do trust him not to make such idiotic statements like Mr Barr has made in the past. While I really wouldn't expect any Barack supporters from this site to be taken by such nonsense w/o 1st researching a candidate, I just wanted to warn beware of strangers bearing false gifts!!
I came over to Obama's camp during the South Carolina primary campaigning. I never really cared for Hillary as a person, but I was resigned to her nomination, and after 8 years of ABUSE by a republican administration there is no real alternative to voting democrat for me. I am a pizza deliveryman and uninsured (health wise) and almost choked on my dinner when Hillary came out with her "mandated" health coverage plan, which sounds alot like the travesty in Massachusetts. sp(?)..lol. This is the biggest reason why the former governor of that state (Mitt Romney) got a big red "x" over his name early on from me. How shocked was I when she came out stating she wanted the same devastating laws AGAINST the working class as the republican Romney??!! To whit, in Mass, if you don't have health insurance after a certain date, the state govt will begin FINEING you for basically being too poor to afford health insurance!! Ill be damned if the rest of us are gonna have to go through that!!
THATS when I switched to Barack. He has a good, solid plan to provide health care, and while I'm skeptical if it will apply to me or not (I'm single with no children) I feel like it's a good, managable step in the right direction that won't harm those left out anymore than they already have been.
To the point--WHEN Barack get's the nomination, there is only one real vice presidential pick if we wanna win this thing in my opinion. That, unfortunately for alot of us, is Hillary Clinton. We MUST unite this party if we want to win this year..And we MUST win this year!! The economy is spiralling out of control, and McCain just wants to continue acting like nothings wrong with it, apparently. While I feel McCain is a good man and a great American, I feel he's just a tad bit out of touch with reality..lol. We MUST be united, however to have a chance against this elder statesman in november. Hillary, though I'm sure few of us want her as president, has many great attributes for the V-P position. And she's definately a team player. I'm sure if she's selected for the v-p nomination, she will perform with excellence there. (And hopefully she'll take quite a few of her rather taciturn supporters with her..lol) So let's brace ourselves for the inevitable--a Barack/Hillary ticket...and btw..I think it's really cool were on a 1st name basis now with both of em :)
Oh--my take on the gas tax "holiday" I spend about $800/month now on fuel. Every 10 cents added (or subtracted) from fuel adds (or subtracts) about $24/month to/from my pocket. While an extra $40 (or so) a month would be nice, I truly feel that if we tell the oil companies to "make up the difference" they will do so, probably by charging DOUBLE what the federal tax originally was..Even if they didn't and behaved like honorable Americans (FAT chance there) this is still sounds like a Bush solution. It's like putting a band-aid over a cancerous sore. It doesn't solve the problem, it just covers it up a little. What we need right now are REAL solutions!!
I'm writing these words in protest of Ferraro's poorly thought out words. While she deserves kudos for being the 1st woman selected to run for vice president in this country, that gives her no right to state that Barack was only in the position to run for president because he is black.
This just goes to show you that just because someone has been on the political scene FOREVER and has political experience doesn't necessarily mean they have any business running this country. Frankly, right now, experience as a politician is a bad thing to many Americans. myself included. Being an "experienced" politician just simply means youre more corrupt in most cases.
Geraldine appears here to have lost total touch with reality, just as so many of the "experienced" politicians in this country have. Even though this statement was rejected by Hillary's campaign, one can start to note just how often this has happened lately...Someone makes an incredibly stupid statement, then the Clinton campaign comes back and says they refute such outrageous claims. One might wonder if her campaign is enciting these statements in an effort to spread a bit of mud around.
Now let me spread some mud myself...I hold that the only reason why Hillary has such wide name recognition in this country is due to the fact she was married to a former president. Barack actually (in my opinion) has run on his OWN merit--not his spouses.
I am about as working class as it gets. I'm currently uninsured and I'm 37 and I have high blood pressure and I'm trying like hell to get insurance. I deliver pizza for a living. Maybe this doesnt sound glamorous to yall but it keeps the lights on and a roof over my head. And thats all alot of us working class people are looking to do...
Oh, by the way, I am also a white male!! And I see absolutely no problem with having a black president if that;s what it takes to get out of this rut were in. We've already seen what McCain and Hillary can do, and, looking at the state of affairs around me, I can say that their best isn't good enough. Let's try something new, shall we? Good job in Mississippi--let's keep it rolling!! And know that there will be more idiotic attacks from more washed up politicians like Geraldine in the future....
