1 - With all the talk about nuclear energy, where do you intend to store the waste?
2 - Would you be willing to build nuclear power plants in Arizona?
3 - With nuclear power plants costing around $5 to $7 billion each to build, how do you intend to pay for them, since banks consider loans for nuclear too risky?
4 - How can you be a maverick and a conservative at the same time?
5 - If off shore oil drilling is so important, why didn't the president remove the ban during the first 6 years of his administration when the republicans had the house and senate?
6 - What legislation have you proposed in your time in senate to get us off foreign oil?
7 - Why were you so wrong about the beginning of the Iraq war (greeted as liberators, it will be easy, the oil will pay for it)?
8 - In the CNN debate you said the country is better off than it was 4 years ago. Do you still feel that way?
9 - You accused Obama of wanting to lose a war to win an election. Are you prepared to lose in Afghanistan to win in Iraq?
10 - Also, why did we allow Afghanistan to get so out of control?
11 - You frequently state that Iraq is the central front on the war on terror because bin Laden said so. Do you really believe that bin Laden should dictate our counter terrorism strategy? Have you ever considered that bin Laden said this to distract the American troops?
12 - You opposed the Bush tax cuts because they did not include spending cuts. Why do you endorse them now? What changed? What cuts were made?
13 - Further, what programs would you cut?
14 - How would you fix social security? Would you condsider privitization? Why or why not?
15 - Would you go on record to declare "No new taxes" under any circumstances?
The history between the Columbian government and the Clintons is pretty extensive. I am simply trying to develop a timeline of this relationship with regards to the Columbia Free Trade Agreement and figure out where Hillary really stands.
1990's - As president, Bill Clinton pushes in "Plan Columbia" in conjuction with the Columbian government. This is complicated and possibly controversial but I am not going to explain it.
More recently:
June 2005 - Bill Clinton speaks in favor of the Columbia Free Trade Agreement.
February 2007 - Columbian President Alvaro Uribe travels to meet with Bill Clinton at his home in New York.
March 2007 - The Columbian Embassy hires Mark Penn's firm to represent their interest in getting the Columbia Free Trade Agreement passed. (Probably referred by their mutual friend Mr. Clinton)
April 2007 - Al Gore snubs the Columbian government due to human rights questions. Mark Penn then advises the Columbian government to lobby Bill Clinton and Clinton allies to get their influence with Senate Democrats to push the trade deal through.
June 2007 - President Uribe honors Bill Clinton with an award and a gala in NYC.
September 2007 - Bill Clinton invites President Uribe to take part in an event for the Clinton Global Inititive.
March 2008 - Hillary Clinton offers public support of Columbia in a stand-off with Venezuela.
March 2008 - Mark Penn travels to Columbia to meet with the government.
April 2008 - President Uribe criticizes Obama's position on the Free Trade Agreement in Columbian newspapers (but curiosly not Hillary Clinton's)
April 2008 - The itshay hits the fan for the Clinton campaign and Mark Penn.
The real story about Reverend Wright. This is a story that the campaign needs to push in the media.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0404wrightapr03,0,92000.story
In my opinion this hubub over Rev. Wright is something that needs to play itself out. Senator Obama should have seen this coming and gotten out of front of this issue. Much like the Rezko non-sense, Senator Obama has allowed the issue to fester and he has gotten caught up in an unecessary firestorm. But fair is fair. Reverend Calvin Butts of New York City was quoted saying "Go to hell, white man" to then mayor Rudy Guliani. Reverend Butts is a Clinton supporter.
So what is the message here? Maybe it is that we need to stop listening to ministers, especially with regards to their political opinions. Maybe we are too handicapped by religion in our social discourse in general, but that is a point for another blog at another time.
For the record, I grew up in a Black church (until I was old enough to decide not to go on my own volition). Not all black churches are like the one Senator Obama attends - so much fire and brimstone, so much ceremony and pagentry. From what I remember, you go, you sit, you sing some songs, you put money in a brass plate, you sing some more, you put more money in another brass plate, you listen to the minister, and then you put some money in a brass plate.
So hopefully, the post online and the television appearances scheduled for tonite will help douse the raging fire with soothing waters. Hopefully, Senator Obama can get back into his element - talking about hope and inspiration and tax-breaks and college tuition credits. And hopefully, they have learned their lessons. Let's not allow these issues to sneak up on us anymore. Let's head these things off quickly, decisively and willingly.
Lastly, I cannot let this issue die without a small shot to the Rush Hannity / Sean Limbaugh crowd. As much as I disagree with Reverend Wright, I cannot marginalize the fact that he served as a Marine in the US Armed Forces. For those conservative fools who love their country so much more than the average citizen, I have to ask: Why are you not risking your lives on the front lines? Why aren't your children putting it on the line? In fact, what have you ever done to the benefit of this country?
