PRESIDENT:
You have heard it ad naseum for almost a year and a half that this election is important. Well, damnit, it is the most important election of our lifetime. We live in a tumultuous time, but our nation is still the greatest on earth. We have the strongest economy, strongest military and most innovative and creative citizens. We are a compassionate and practical people. We have our faults, but I am proud to be an American. Regardless of who wins or loses I will support them as President but on the flipside of that token I also retain my right to either man if I feel they are wrong on an issue. Dissent is a sacred right that we should all be more willing to exercise.
Now getting down to business, we have two very different candidates with very contrasting styles and views on how the country should be governed. When voting for President I consider three leadership qualities- intelligence, temperament and political philosophy. Barack Obama is superior in all three areas from my point of view. He is one of the most intelligent candidates we have ever had for President. Obama not only excels at understanding the issues that face the country but he understands what needs to be done in order to put our country back on track. McCain has failed to lay out his vision in this election and instead chose to make his campaign about being anti Obama.
Also, Obama is an intellectual. He is, in many respects, a post modern thinker. He understands that the world is not divided in terms of black and white or good and evil but that we live in many shades of gray. This realization allows him to consider multiple options as opposed to the simplistic nature of someone like President Bush, who appears to make decisions based on an absolutist philosophy that it is either my way or the highway. Bush prematurely follows one course in his mind and sticks to that decision regardless of whether or not it is working out. I think Obama will reflect on his decisions and if something appears to not be working out as previously planned, he will adjust accordingly.
McCain, on the other hand, is unlike either Bush or Obama. Where Obama is reflective and Bush is simplistic, McCain is a reactionary and extremely erratic. His enemies in the GOP have criticized him for this behavior for years. McCain is unpredictable and his positions do not always coincide intellectually with his other positions. In fact, McCain often makes illogical decisions out of anger. For example, McCain came out against the first Bush tax cuts because he said, and correctly so, that they moved the country’s tax burden from the upper class to the middle class. Sounds right, except McCain has always stated he believed in the fundamentals of trickle-down economics, which these Bush tax cuts were implementing. Basically, McCain was still pissed after his loss to Bush in the 2000 primary so he made a decision not based on what he thought but out of vengeance. McCain now supports Bush economic policies that he supported before he was pissed off and didn’t support. Basically, he was wrong before he was right but now he is wrong again.
In terms of temperament, Obama is far the better choice to lead our great nation. Obama has discipline, focus and is steady under pressure. This has been strikingly clear in the campaign. Whereas the McCain campaign has jumped from one theme to another, Obama has consistently delivered his policy positions and contrasted himself with McCain by showing that McCain will only continue Bush policies. You may not agree with either, but you have to admit it that Obama rarely strayed off message.
McCain first made his campaign about his biography. When he realized that he was becoming Bob Dole of 1996 he changed his theme to that of experience. Then he chose an inexperienced running mate so he had to make his campaign about change (the maverick’s mavericky maverick). Once it was obvious that the change mantle couldn’t be wrestled from Obama, McCain made his campaign about attacking Obama’s character. Once the voters responded negatively to that, he made his campaign about Democratic policies, which he calls socialism. McCain’s lack of discipline was only outpaced by his anger. As I mentioned above, McCain lurches from position to position when he is pissed and he gets pissed a lot. All of this makes for a bad leader and a poorly managed campaign.
Contrasted with McCain’s hot temper has been Obama’s calm demeanor. As nasty as the attacks against him have been in this campaign, Obama has been able to remain focused on the task at hand and had the uncanny ability to emotionally brush off the most egregious of attacks. That does not mean Obama does not respond to attacks, he has been as good as Bill Clinton in terms of counter punching, but he has done so with a grace that makes him appear above the political fray. Obama does not lurch from one position to the other like John McCain- Obama thoughtfully approaches each task and carefully constructs the appropriate response- kind of like you would want a President to do.
Finally, I support Obama because he shares my political philosophies. Obama feels that the middle class is the driving force that makes our country great and wants to make sure middle class Americans pay LESS TAXES, have health care and are protected from foreign threats. Obama also recognizes the importance of making college affordable so that our nation can remain economically and intellectually competitive. In addition, Obama will address our nation’s dependence on outdated modes of energy. Fossil fuels are a way of the past and if our country is going to remain self sufficient then we must invest in renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydro and geothermal. Obama realizes that we cannot achieve this over night so his plan also has a contingency to bridge us to this clean and energy efficient future- he will permit environmentally safe domestic drilling, force oil and gas companies to use their millions of acres of federally leased land and common sense exploration of nuclear power options.
PRESIDENTIAL PREDICTION
This has been one hell of a long election but I do not think election night will be long. I predict Obama will blow John McCain out next Tuesday and he will do so early. Obama will get 338 electoral votes with wins in states like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Mexico and Iowa. We will all know that the results in the West are irrelevant after we get the results from Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida. I think McCain will get 200 electoral votes with close wins in North Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to name just a few.
Even if McCain were able to close the gap and win in Ohio, Florida, and Virginia he would still not have 270. If McCain somehow pulled those early upsets, he would still need to come from behind in both Nevada and New Mexico or Colorado and one of those two. If McCain did manage to close the gap in the polls in the last few days he would still be up shits creek because he has been getting trounced by Obama’s far superior ground game in early voting states. McCain also lacks the election day get out the vote grassroots to get lukewarm supporters to the polls. McCain is simply too far behind. I will not go to bed Tuesday night until I know Obama has won this election but I have a feeling that I will be well rested come Wednesday morning.
If you want to play with the electoral map and see for yourself then I recommend you go to Politico’s electoral polling map to get a read on where states currently stand and then go to a really interesting interactive map I found on the net.
Politico- http://www.politico.com/convention/swingstate.html
Interactive Map- http://www.270towin.com/
The smoking gloves in Charleston Friday weren't that of Joe Frazier but Barack Obama's formidable running mate, Joe Biden. In the campaign's first major appearance in West Virginia since the primary, Senator Biden spoke to a crowd of around 2,000 enthusiastic supporters.
I took some annual leave from work to volunteer for the campaign, and I am glad I did. It was a great event. I showed up at around 6 am and was put to work immediately. I didn't have the most glamorous tasks- picking up food for Senator Biden out at Famous Daves; collecting volunteer sheets from the crowd and directing them through the Secret Service metal detectors; and folding up chairs, tables and crowd barriers at the end. I did, however, have a really good time. I was able to witness the organized chaos that is a major campaign event. I left around 4 pm after a long day's work.
In terms of the event itself, it was excellent. The speakers did a great job warming up the crowd. The best moment of the day took place when Senator Byrd spoke to the crowd and told everyone that Biden was an honorary West Virginian via his upbringing in the coal and steel town of Scranton, PA. Byrd also lauded the skills of Senator Obama. Byrd's support of Obama brings his career full circle and represents, in my mind, the passing of the torch from the old Democratic Party to the new Democratic Party, which respects the ways of the past while moving the country into a progressive future.
Senator Biden's speech was the type of firebrand stump that is one of his best attributes. Biden is the type of guy that people can relate to. Biden's background is similar to many West Virginians and he is one of the Senate's only non millionaires. This comes through when he is talking as he seems genuine in what he says. There were a lot of union folks in the crowd and Biden's was the type of speech that really fires up the unions. Biden's oratory skills are a mix of union leader, statesman and factory worker. Biden can get emotional when he talks about the issues facing average folks and he can build toward peaks in his speeches in a way that gets the blood boiling. He did a great job and I am more than happy that Senator Obama chose him as his running mate.
OBAMA HAS NOT WON YET
*Breaking news! Senator Obama has not been elected yet! I realize Obama's lead in the polls look insurmountable but Obama supporters cannot get complacent in the final days of this long journey. If this election is close it gives Republican operatives an opportunity to steal it and they will. If you don't believe me just look at Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 2004 and the shenanigans in Florida in 2000. Let's finish strong and take our country back!
THE HOAX THAT BROKE THE ELEPHANT'S BACK
*Many conservative news organizations reported earlier this week that a lady in Pittsburgh had been attacked by a large BLACK man for having a McCain sticker on her bumper. Photos of the woman showed a large backward B carved into her face, which was supposed to signify Barack Obama. Police have now declared the attack a hoax and the woman that portrayed it is likely to be charged with giving false statements to authorities.
It is shameful the way that conservative news outlets like Drudge and Fox News picked up the story as they emphasized the man's race and called it political mutilation. The underlining current on this story was that a white woman was attacked by a black man supporting Obama, which many feel would have slight political implications for southwester PA. For everyone's sake, thankfully this was all made up. It is embarrassing though as a Fox News VP stated that this hoax might have just sealed the deal for a McCain loss in PA. Even if some lunatic had committed this crime why would it in any way be used politically against Obama? We all know why and it is a four letter word that many desperate conservatives are willing to use against Obama to win this election- RACE. There is simply no place for that kind of politicking in the United States. Here is a link about the story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/24/rick-sanchez-calls-out-me_n_137679.html.
THE PALIN WAR WITHIN
The McCain campaign is beginning to fold under the pressure of recent polls that have them down nationally by huge margins. One camp within the campaign places most of the blame for their current predicament on the choice of Sarah Palin as VP. They cite her inexperience, naivety and poor performances in national interviews and the debate as major factors that have driven folks to Obama.
The other camp represents strong Palin supporters who feel the VP candidate is becoming the scapegoat of a poorly organized campaign. This contingent also feels that Palin was horribly managed by her handlers and that her image nationally has suffered greatly because of it.
Alas, there is a third camp and this one probably represents the few realists at McCain HQ. These folks think that Palin was highly unqualified and ill prepared for the national stage and that her weaknesses were emphasized by her handlers. Here is a link with more about the infighting:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14929.html
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 2012
The question remains whether or not Sarah Palin has a political future in the GOP if the McCain-Palin ticket is molly whopped on election day. It is my prediction that many in the GOP base will blame McCain for holding down Palin and not vice versa. Remember, most of these folks are only lukewarm on McCain anyway so throwing him under the bus will not be a problem. That being said, I think Palin is the favorite for the 2012 Republican nomination. Her two main competitors will be the almost as folksy but slightly more substantive Huckabee and the always well financed Romney. I also imagine some foreign policy figure will rise to the occasion to vie for the military and neo-con vote. It will be another interesting primary season and hopefully divisive as hell for the GOP.
Waiting for November 4th
I can't take much more of this. Two weeks to go, and I'm at the end of my rope. I can't work. I can eat, but mostly standing up. I'm anxious all the time and taking it out on my ex-wife, which, ironically, I'm finding enjoyable. This is like waiting for the results of a biopsy. Actually, it's worse. Biopsies only take a few days, maybe a week at the most, and if the biopsy comes back positive, there's still a potential cure. With this, there's no cure. The result is final. Like death.
Five times a day I'll still say to someone, "I don't know what I'm going to do if McCain wins." Of course, the reality is I'm probably not going to do anything. What can I do? I'm not going to kill myself. If I didn't kill myself when I became impotent for two months in 1979, I'm certainly not going to do it if McCain and Palin are elected, even if it's by nefarious means. If Obama loses, it would be easier to live with it if it's due to racism rather than if it's stolen. If it's racism, I can say, "Okay, we lost, but at least it's a democracy. Sure, it's a democracy inhabited by a majority of disgusting, reprehensible turds, but at least it's a democracy." If he loses because it's stolen, that will be much worse. Call me crazy, but I'd rather live in a democratic racist country than a non-democratic non-racist one. (It's not exactly a Hobson's choice, but it's close, and I think Hobson would compliment me on how close I've actually come to giving him no choice. He'd love that!)
The one concession I've made to maintain some form of sanity is that I've taken to censoring my news, just like the old Soviet Union. The citizenry (me) only gets to read and listen to what I deem appropriate for its health and well-being. Sure, there are times when the system breaks down. Michele Bachmann got through my radar this week, right before bedtime. That's not supposed to happen. That was a lapse in security, and I've had to make some adjustments. The debates were particularly challenging for me to monitor. First I tried running in and out of the room so I would only hear my guy. This worked until I knocked over a tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Sit down or get out!" my host demanded. "Okay," I said, and took a seat, but I was more fidgety than a ten-year-old at temple. I just couldn't watch without saying anything, and my running commentary, which mostly consisted of "Shut up, you prick!" or "You're a fucking liar!!!" or "Go to hell, you cocksucker!" was way too distracting for the attendees, and finally I was asked to leave.
Assuming November 4th ever comes, my big decision won't be where I'll be watching the returns, but if I'll be watching. I believe I have big jinx potential and may have actually cost the Dems the last two elections. I know I've jinxed sporting events. When my teams are losing and I want them to make a comeback, all I have to do is leave the room. Works every time. So if I do watch, I'll do it alone. I can't subject other people to me in my current condition. I just don't like what I've turned into -- and frankly I wasn't that crazy about me even before the turn. This election is having the same effect on me as marijuana. All of my worst qualities have been exacerbated. I'm paranoid, obsessive, nervous, and totally mental. It's one long, intense, bad trip. I need to come down. Soon.
I know what many of you are going to say, “Obama doesn’t have a chance to win West Virginia.” You bet your sweet ass he can, but we have a lot of work to do to make it happen. Let’s not kid ourselves though. If anything I’d say the campaign in West Virginia is more or less even, which is an amazing testament to the hard work of the Campaign for Change given Obama’s poor showing here in the Democratic Primary. McCain is helping Obama tremendously by making his campaign about fear instead of focusing on the important issues of our time, most notably the economic crisis. If we work hard enough I know that we can turn West Virginia blue- all we need is for people to vote and to get their friends and family to vote.
Here’s some important information (I got this from Rod Snyder, WV Young Dems President) about voter registration, early voting, and absentee voting that may help you get as many people out to the polls as possible.
SEVENTEEN IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT VOTING IN WEST VIRGINIA:
1. WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE?
You must be registered by October 14, 2008.
2. CAN I REGISTER TO VOTE IN WEST VIRGINIA IF I GO TO SCHOOL THERE?
You may be eligible to vote in West Virginia if you are in school there and consider it your home now.
3. HOW DO I OBTAIN A VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION?
You may register by mail by printing out an online application and mailing it to the county clerk's office or Sectary of state's office or may register in person at the following
locations: the county clerk's office, driver license office, public assistance agencies, agencies which serve people with disabilities, marriage license offices, and military recruiting offices. For more information visit: http://www.wvvotes.com/voters/ register-to-vote.php
4. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY APPLICATION HAS BEEN PROCESSED?
Voters can verify their registration at their county clerk's office. For your local county clerk's office contact information visit:
http://www.wvsos.com/service/ rosters/countyclerks.htm
5. DO I NEED TO PRESENT ID WHEN REGISTERING TO VOTE?
If you register in person, you must bring proof of physical address. Examples include a driver's license, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or other government document. If you are registering by mail, fill out the application and remember to submit a copy of a current and valid ID or bring proof of identification with you to the polls.
6. DO I NEED TO BRING ID TO THE POLLING PLACE?
If you registered by mail, remember to take your driver's license or other ID that shows proof of residency and age to the polls the first time you vote. Acceptable IDs include a copy of a current & valid photo ID with current residence address or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document that shows your name and current residence address.
7. WHAT HOURS ARE THE POLLS OPEN?
6:30am to 7:30pm
8. HOW DO I FIND MY POLLING PLACE?
To find your polling place contact your county clerk's office: http://www.wvsos.com/service/rosters/countyclerks.htm
9. CAN I VOTE EARLY IN-PERSON?
Any registered voter may vote in person in the County Clerk's office or at any designated courthouse between Oct. 15 and Nov. 1.
10. HOW DO I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Voters may request an absentee ballot application from the county clerk by telephone, fax, email, or download the form from the following site http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/absenteemethods.htm
11. WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MY ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION?
Application to vote absentee by mail must be received by October 29, 2008.
12. WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MY ABSENTEE BALLOT?
In general, absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk's office by November 5th, 2008. However, several extensions apply. See West Virginia’s Secretary of State website for further information: http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/calendarabsentee.htm
13. CAN ANYONE VOTE ABSENTEE?
No excuse is needed to vote absentee in West Virginia.
14. IF I FORGET TO BRING ID OR IF MY NAME IS NOT ON THE ROLLS, CAN I STILL VOTE?
If there is a question about your eligibility to vote in an election, you will be required to vote a provisional ballot. The canvassing board will review the information associated with the ballot at the canvass and will determine whether or not your vote can be counted. You may learn how your provisional ballot was handled by contacting your county official or by contacting the Secretary of State at: www.wvsos.com or
1-866-SOS-VOTE.
15. WHAT KIND OF VOTING MACHINES WILL BE USED?
West Virginia uses optical can machines, DRE machines and paper ballots.
16. WHAT PROVISIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES?
You may only receive assistance in voting by reason of blindness, disability, advanced age or inability to read or write that renders you unable to vote without assistance. If you qualify for assistance you may choose who helps you as long as that person is not your present or former employer, your agent of your present or former employer, your agent of a labor union of which you are a past or present member, a candidate on the ballot or an official write-in candidate. If your precinct is not accessible, you may transfer your registration to the nearest polling place in the county which is accessible. Be sure to make your request with your county clerk no later than thirty days before the election. If you are disabled and it is available at your precinct, you may vote from an automobile outside the polling place in the presence of an election commissioner from each political party.
17. WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?
Secretary of State Betty Ireland
State Capital Building
1900 Kanawha Blvd
East Charleston, WV 25305
304-558-6000
elections@wvsos.com
http://www.wvsos.com/elections/
It ain’t over til it’s over! I have heard some pundits and Obama supporters talk about how this election has broken in Obama’s favor. Well curb your enthusiasm folks because Obama has not won anything yet. This presidential election, which is the most important election of our time, is less than a month away and is still far too close to call. Yes, Obama has edged ahead in popular vote and Electoral College polls but if we truly want change then we have to seal the deal with a strong finish. That means all of you out there who feel the country is on the wrong track need to go volunteer for the Obama campaign, emphasize to your family and friends how important this election is and why they should vote for Obama and above all VOTE.
SIX REASONS WHY MCCAIN CAN WIN
McCain is wrong about foreign policy, he is wrong about energy and he is wrong about the ECONOMY. So why should we all be worried about McCain’s chances of winning this election? Here are six reasons:
*Lies, Damn Lies And Republican Politics- The Republican Party lies to the American people. I do not know how to be any more straightforward than that. I know the cynics out there are saying that all politicians lie- many of them do- but the Republican National Committee and their surrogates are so blatantly dishonest it shakes the foundations of our democracy. How can you conduct an election when one side is more than willing to mislead the electorate? All of the other strategies that the GOP employs are possible because of their willingness to use deception and deceit. If we ever hope to get our country back on the right course then we must demand better and hold those accountable that are willing to be so cavalier with the truth.
Here are just two quick examples of the McCain lie machine: 1) McCain ad claims Obama voted to allow kindergarteners to be taught sex education, insinuating Obama wants kids reading the Karma Sutra or some crazy smut mag. The reality is that Obama voted for legislation that would teach kindergarteners about sexual predators, which basically amounts to telling kids to stay away from strangers. 2) Just this past weekend Palin the Putz was claiming on the campaign trail that Obama associated with a terrorist. She didn’t specify she was talking about 60s radical William Ayers and that Obama never really associated with him but merely lived in the same neighborhood and served on the same charity boards. Obama has decried Ayers actions multiple times and the McCain camp knows it. However, when Palin says Obama has associated with terrorists Palin knows that some voters will connect the dots with Obama’s foreign sounding name and the Islamic radicals that we are fighting all over the world. It is a shameful statement by a shameless person.
*Scare Tactics, BOO!- John McCain and the GOP machine will pull out all of the stops to win this election. A common GOP tactic that Obama may be especially vulnerable to is fear mongering. McCain’s camp will say the United States is at risk from foreign threats and that Obama is not ready to deal with these threats. Obama did a great job of undercutting this McCain attack with his strong performance against McCain in the foreign policy debate. However, the GOP has successfully used fear as part of its campaigns for the past few decades and this campaign will be no different coming down the stretch. Point out to your family and friends that Obama has chosen a foreign policy expert as his VP and will return us to the day when the Joint Chiefs of Staff had a role in advising the President so that mistakes like Iraq never happen again.
*My Flag Pin Is Bigger Than Your Flag Pin- Republicans always use patriotism as a stick in their campaigns. It is dishonest as it is effective but that is GOP politics. McCain has not pounded this theme as much as many Republicans have wanted him too but as he gets desperate and election day gets closer look for this tactic to be utilized more and more.
An example of this happened during the VP debate when Palin mentioned that Obama did not support funding for the troops. Obama voted to not give George Bush unchecked authority in Iraq. This was an obvious misrepresentation (LIE!) of reality and hypocritical to boot since McCain voted “against funding for the troops” on a bill that would have placed a timeline on troop withdrawal from Iraq. Be wary of these swift-boat style attacks and emphasize to your family and friends their dishonesty.
The McCain campaign will also use statements made by Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, despite McCain’s earlier pledge not to- desperate people often resort to desperate measures. The Wright comments are old news but Governor Palin raised the issue again in an interview with NYT conservative columnist Bill Kristol. Even though Obama has denounced the statements made by Wright it may have some traction with people looking for a reason to vote against Obama. On the other hand, Palin must be careful considering the fact that her husband was once a member of an organization hellbent on having Alaska succeed from the United States. Palin’s hypocrisy is almost as amazing as the media’s reluctance to call her out on it but so it goes. When confronted with this argument calmly tell people about Obama’s love of the country and then just point out the facts with a few follow up jabs against McCain and that double talking VP of his.
*God, Guns and Gays- Republicans count on their ability to mislead culturally conservative voters about Democratic values. Groups supporting the GOP will say that Obama the Muslim is out to get Christians by taking your guns away and making your sons and daughters homosexuals. Some lies are so absurd they are almost funny but some people are persuaded by this filth. Republicans use people’s core values against them. It is dishonest and despicable but it works so well that it gave George W Bush eight years in the White House. It gets old repeating this but with some people you cannot repeat it enough.
-Obama is a devout Christian. He was married in a Christian church and his kids were baptized as Christians. None of that matters to my heathen ass but the truth is the truth. I would think that people who try to mislead others about another’s Christian faith should look in the mirror and ask WWJD.
-Obama will not take your guns. The Obama website states how Obama is committed to upholding the Second Amendment. This issue is especially important to me because I do not think a society can be free if it is unarmed. I am a staunch advocate of gun rights and I know Obama will not take my or your guns away.
-Obama does not promote changing the definition of marriage. Obama believes that all people should be respected however and that whether you are gay or straight you should have the freedom to live without discrimination. Gay couples should be allowed to visit one another in the hospital just as married couples can. Gay couples should be allowed to jointly own property just as married couples can. Americans are free and we should not have laws that infringe on that freedom, regardless of whether or not you are gay or straight.
*You Dirty Liberal- Republicans have perfected the manipulation of language. The word ‘liberal’ now has such a negative connotation in American politics that even those that are politically liberal steer clear of the designation. Since McCain is getting blasted on the economy he is going to try to stick Obama as a free spending liberal. McCain is going to claim (mostly by lying about the facts) that we cannot have a Congress and White House controlled by liberal Democrats during these tough economic times. Considering the control that Republicans have had in Washington in recent years and the fact that the last budget surpluses came under Democratic leadership this will be a hard sell. Look for McCain to try to make this connection in the upcoming debate. Unfortunately for McCain, it is hard to sell a lie out in the open when everyone is watching but that is just what he will try to do.
*”I’m not a racist but…”- The final factor that could swing this election to McCain is race. The United States has come a long way in race relations since the days of Jim Crowe but tensions still linger beneath the surface of American society. Many older white Americans, even Democrats, are just uncomfortable with people that do not look like them. It is even difficult for some people to admit to themselves how uncomfortable they are about Obama’s race so instead of focusing on that they attach themselves to claims Obama is Muslim. Religion has become subterfuge to hide racism. I hate that this is true but I am afraid it is. For the longest time I wanted to deny that race had a greater impact on politics in West Virginia than other states but that does appear to be the case. Obama will most likely lose West Virginia as a result. Obama also runs the risk of losing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida for the same reason. Elections are often decided on the margins and when people who have every economic reason in the world to vote for a Democrat vote instead for a Republican because of the race of the candidates that is something hard to combat.
Obama might win regardless of the race issue but he would do himself a great amount of good by visiting places where his race might play a factor. Obama should go to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and West Virginia where people are suffering from economic tough times but might be wary of his name and his color. If he can show people that he has their best interests at heart then he might persuade them to vote in the face of their fears. Either way, racial dynamics makes this election a lot closer than it would otherwise be.
John McCain has made damnation of pork one of the main themes of his campaign despite the fact that most earmarks greatly benefit local communities throughout the country by helping pay for hospitals and much needed infrastructure. Despite McCain not differentiating between good and bad earmarks, everyone agrees that some of these projects are outrageously wasteful. McCain has often pointed to the “bridge to nowhere” project in Alaska as one of these wasteful projects. The “bridge to nowhere” was a $400 million project designed to replace a ferry from Ketchikan, Alaska to the Ketchikan Airport, which only serves 200,000 passengers a year- the island itself only has 50 inhabitants. The bridge was to be as long as the Golden Gate Bridge but by comparison the Golden Gate has over 48 million passengers a year.
The obvious waste of money presented by this bridge was apparent to everyone. However, the corrupt and money hungry Alaskan Republican Party, which has made Alaska the nation’s leader in federal earmarks per capita, refused to back off until it was obvious the bridge was a damaging political issue. Governor Palin was an avid early supporter of the project. In October 2006 Palin was asked whether she continued to support the bridge to which she replied, "Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now - while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." That differs a bit from Palin’s recent speeches like the one at the GOP convention where she said, “I told the Congress thanks, but no thanks, for that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves.”
We all know that many politicians lie but do they have to be so arrogant about it. There are actually pictures of Palin wearing a t-shirt in support of the bridge to nowhere and once the bridge project was scrapped she still spent that $400 million on other pork projects in Alaska. It was only a matter of time before these lies came to the public’s attention and shame on McCain and Palin for thinking Americans were stupid enough to not investigate Palin’s bogus claims.
I wish the lies stopped there but they do not. Palin’s support of wasteful pork goes so much deeper and the more we find out about her record the more we realize McCain’s decision to choose her as his running mate was driven by political ambition and not the desire to find someone best fit to be second in command of the greatest country on earth.
While Palin was mayor of Wasilla she got $27 million in pork for her town of less than ten thousand people. The question that must be asked is whether or not this money was spent on useful public projects or wasteful political pandering. Who should we ask? Let’s ask the self-anointed pork buster himself? This according to CNN, “In a 2001 statement opposing a transportation spending bill McCain singled out for criticism about $3 million worth of those projects (for Wasilla). McCain's list of objectionable spending included a $2.5 million road project for the town that then had a population of 5,500, as well as a $450,000 appropriation for an agricultural processing plant.” Ouch. McCain’s folks probably should have checked the record before rushing to make their politically pandering pick.
Alaskan reporter and former Palin aide, Larry Persily, has recently stated Palin is not telling the whole truth about earmarks. He said of Palin, "She was hungry for funding from the federal government…" Also according to a recent CNN report, “Palin not only sought money from Alaska's congressional delegation, but she hired the former chief of staff to veteran Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens -- now under indictment in a wide-ranging corruption probe -- for help. The result was that Wasilla won $600,000 for a new bus facility, $1.75 million to upgrade its dispatch center and $2.4 million to improve water and sewer facilities.”
The transition from mayor to governor did little to satisfy Palin’s hunger for pork. In her brief two years in the Alaska Governor’s Office, Palin has asked for $450 million dollars for a state with a population of just over 680,000 people. How this person has the nerve to go out and sell herself as a change agent is beyond me. Palin is the female version of Bush. She is a just another politician that says one thing and does another and neither her nor John McCain can be trusted to lead this great country out of the corrupt mess we have suffered through for the past eight Republican-led years. Let’s change things on November 4th by returning our country to the people with a vote cast for Democrat Barack Obama.
WHY PALIN?
So why did McCain pick Palin? It was a decision driven by desperate necessity. McCain couldn’t pick who he really wanted and he needed a wildcard to take people’s minds off of the problems facing the country created by HIS Republican Party. Media accounts have it that McCain wanted to tap Joe Lieberman as his VP but that his aides told him the already uneasy ultra conservative Republican base would revolt on the convention floor (Lieberman is a socially liberal war hawk) if the Connecticut Senator got the nod. McCain was now left with a group of flawed GOP primary opponents or a wildcard. Many thought that wildcard would be experienced Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson or eBay CEO Meg Whitman. These two women would bring a lot to the table in terms of experience and would help McCain pander to pissed off conservative Hillary supporters. The often reckless McCain decided to go with a little known and little vetted Alaskan governor in what he rightfully hoped would be a game changing decision.
STRATEGIC IMPACT
McCain’s folks realized that the 42 year old Palin was one of the only people in the country that could both sure up the conservative base while at the same time giving McCain a shot at bringing over some of the more conservative Hillary primary voters, those elusive but crucial Reagan Democrats. Palin’s appeal to undecided voters has less to do with her being a woman than it does her rural and average person appeal. Everything about Palin screams identifiability- be it true or not. Republicans are much better at the perception game than Democrats and although that leads to poor government it often results in victorious GOP elections. Most Americans in the center of the country’s electorate view Palin as a good looking, middle aged soccer mom who shoots straight both verbally and figuratively. Middle America can relate to Palin’s portrayed image much better than they can McCain, who is from military royalty and is a multimillionaire or Barack Obama who is racially mixed and has an unusual name. Joe Biden has the appeal but his experience in Washington leaves little zest to catch people’s attention.
WHAT DEMOCRATS WANT TO HAPPEN
It seems every time I prognosticate I get myself in trouble but here are some scenarios that I hope play out. McCain’s choice of Palin is a paper tiger. Palin appears now to be a slam dunk but it has undercut some core aspects of McCain’s message, namely experience. Palin is not experienced and quite unproven on national and international issues. In fact, Palin has been quoted to have said she knows little about foreign policy or the American economy. Age having already been an issue for the 72 year old McCain brings Palin’s ability to step in and lead the country that much more into the spotlight. Once Palin starts fielding questions we will see if she can hold her own under the pressure of media scrutiny. Any mistake that Palin makes will be that much more magnified and it may be viewed that Palin’s lack of experience shows poor decision making skills on the part of McCain. The Democrats have to be careful as hell with Palin. Any perceived sexism or improper aggression on their part would also be magnified by the media given the Hillary dynamic that played out in the primary. Reality means nothing and perception everything in the 24 hour news cycle and if Palin forgets the name of the Iraqi President or if Biden would call Palin a bitch then the ramifications could turn the election.
McCain’s second worry must be Palin’s ideology and record and the problem is twofold. The first pitfall of Palin’s political ideology is its roots in ultra conservatism. There is a reason why Palin solidifies the right wing of the GOP- she has some fairly out of touch stances on a number of issues. Palin is as anti choice on abortion as any major American politician. Abortion is such a difficult moral issue but many policymakers agree that in cases of rape or incest the mother should be given all due consideration in deciding whether or not to take the baby to term. Not Palin. Even if a woman was raped by her father and becomes pregnant Palin believes that mother should not be allowed to terminate the pregnancy before it comes to term- not after a trimester, not after a month, not after a week. I just do not think that radical and unyielding a position can survive nationally and if it can then I am worried about more than just this election.
Palin’s radical political views also have her coming out against evolution. Yes, evolution. Palin is a creationist and would continue the radical right’s attempts to dumb down America to the point where we do not stand a chance against other nations in the fields of science. The Bush Administration has been repeatedly criticized for its war on science over the past eight years and with people like Palin at his side John McCain will kowtow to the radicals in his party so that the war against knowledge continues. People have the right to be as ill-informed as they please but when we elect leaders we should hold them to a higher standard. Otherwise they will set policy that will continue the retardification of our great nation.
McCain must also be worried about Palin’s record. McCain failed to fully vet the Governor despite what his campaign says. We are finding more and more out about her policy positions each week. Her limited experience as mayor of a town with 8k people as well as her two years as Governor of 670,000 people and 1 million caribou has left only traces of a governing philosophy but what we find when we look at her decisions is not good. When mayor, Palin increased government spending by 33% and city taxes by 38%- including an increase of the regressive food tax. Palin spent $15 on a sports complex for her small city but failed to build a needed sewage treatment plant. Instead of using tax surpluses to repair the weather weary city roads, Palin took the town further into debt with a $5 million levy. Palin inherited a city with zero debt and when she left the mayor’s office Wassila’s debt was $22 million. Palin was also one of the most pork friendly mayors of Alaska- often calling on corrupt Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens for fist fulls of money. Hypocrisy is a cold Alaskan dish and Palin eats it with a spoon.
Finally, McCain’s last and most serious worry has to be that once the Palin bounce subsides he is left with his weak argument for change. McCain has perhaps given up his high ground position in this political war to earn himself an early and ultimately meaningless, unless sustained, skirmish. I mean how in the hell can the Republicans sell themselves as change agents when they have been the one’s causing all this mess in the first place. It reminds me of a line from the movie O’ Brother Where Art Thou. The sitting governor is trying to figure out how in the hell he will beat his opponent given his poor standing in the polls. Junio says, “Well, people like that reform. Maybe we should get some?” to which Governor Pappy replies, “I’ll reform you, you softheaded sonofabitch. How we gonna run reform when we’re the damn incumbent!” Well, I don’t see it selling and it could prove a big mistake later for McCain. Palin may be popular but even if she doesn’t screw up when answering questions from the media she will still lose some of her wow factor after a few weeks. If and when that happens the McCain campaign will have no discernable message and no real claim for why the Republicans should be given another four years to drive our beloved country into the ground.
CONCLUSION
The Palin strategy has worked so far. McCain has caught up with, if not passed, Obama in the polls and will probably stay there until the first presidential debate. Once the debates begin Palin will become an afterthought, unless she makes a great gaffe, until the VP debate. The Palin strategy is very risky but it might have been McCain’s best political move. She certainly wasn’t the most qualified candidate McCain had to choose from but that means little to a savvy politician like John McCain.
Only a few Democrats are in a position to attack Palin with Hillary Clinton being one of them. Palin has radical views and little experience and is no friend to the average Jane or Joe. She is more like George W Bush than McCain could ever be and that is both bad and good for Dems. Likability, not leadership ability, wins most presidential elections and the GOP knows that.
Time will tell if the GOP has undercut itself with the Palin strategy but Democrats should be worried. If you thought Obama was going to have himself a cakewalk into the White House then you were just wrong. This campaign is as close as they come and if you want the country to change direction and move out of doldrums of the Bush years then you better be working to get Obama elected because with 58 days until the election he is losing.
*The stagecraft of the last day of the Democratic Convention was a throwback to JFK’s speech before the Coliseum in Los Angeles where Kennedy famously referenced the New Frontier. The 84,000 people at Invesco Field were certainly witness to history but was it history repeating itself? It doesn’t take a savvy person to see that the Obama campaign is likening itself to the aura and romanticism of John F. Kennedy. Let us hope that the results are not as close because JFK only beat the unbearable Nixon by less than 200,000 votes nationally. Obama’s camp did a masterful job of pulling off the event- much better than Kennedy’s campaign did in LA but let us hope it is not used to hammer Obama as more of a celebrity demagogue than a statesman and a policymaker.
*Al Gore came to kick ass with his speech on the last night. Gore is often parodied as a sore loser after having the 2000 election stolen from him in Florida and this speech let him release some of that long held frustration. He hit Bush, Cheney and McCain harder than any other major speaker at the convention. His best line, “I believe in recycling but McCain recycling Bush policy is ridiculous.” Gore also addressed McCain’s attack on Obama’s experience by pointing out that another Illinois Senator was once said to have too little in way of experience. This man was Abraham Lincoln. In addition to this comparison, Gore emphasized with great emphasis, the importance of this election on the future of the Supreme Court and the environment- topics made all the more relevant by McCain’s turn toward the Right in recent weeks.
One can only think how much better a position the United States would be in if Al Gore had won the 2000 election. You can’t live in the past but Gore’s presence reminded everyone of how a few votes can change the course of history and hopefully this will put another burr in the saddle of those working the ground for the Obama campaign. Thankfully Gore left out any references to ManBearPig.
*It is becoming old hat to use words like historical and memorable when describing Barack Obama’s push toward the White House. Regardless of whether or not you support the Illinois Senator, he has broken the mold for a traditional presidential candidate and the traditional presidential campaign. Obama’s nomination acceptance speech was set up to be historic regardless of how well it was delivered. Thankfully, Obama’s willingness to draw distinctions between himself and his Republican counterpart assured that this speech would not just be an historical footnote. Obama’s speech put meat on the bone of his candidacy and should work to convince the American people that the Obama campaign is not about Barack Obama the individual but about how his policies will successfully impact the lives of the American people.
In analyzing Obama’s speech, it is clear that he attempted to address every issue facing his campaign and he started with the Clintons. In Obama’s opening statements he was sure to acknowledge the Clintons in what sealed the unity theme of the entire convention. Obama needs the Clintons’ political savvy and popularity to win in places like Ohio, West Virginia and Florida and this convention assured that he would have Bill and Hillary at his side.
Obama’s next objective was to remind the American people of the struggles we have faced under the Bush White House over the past eight years and how the policy shortcomings of the Republican Party have created the hardships that Americans are now facing. Obama remarked, “Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet.” He went on, “These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.” Obama then emphasized, “We are better than these last eight years.”
After laying the groundwork, Obama’s next goal was to remind the American people that at almost every turn John McCain supported the failed Republican policies of the Bush and Cheney Administration. Obama stated, “Next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight.”
In what has become an almost mandatory political preface, Obama then acknowledged and applauded McCain’s service to the country. Obama is very savvy to make sure his attacks on McCain are tough but not disrespectful. The GOP can be as nasty as it wants and apparently get away with it but the double standard applied to Democrats on negative campaigning is always a pitfall that campaigns must be cognoscente to avoid.
After giving all due respect to McCain, Obama did what John Kerry was so reluctant to do against George W. Bush- he attacked him on his misguided support of failed policies and on being out of touch with the average American’s struggle. Obama landed blows like, “John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time… I don’t know about you but I am not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.”
Obama took McCain to task on issues where McCain is weak like health care and the economy. Obama landed a particularly effective blow when he brought up the architect of John McCain’s economic plan who said those complaining over the economy were whiners and that we were in a mental recession. I guess if I try hard enough I can make my energy bills go down- I guess that takes psychic prowess that us Americans lack.
Obama hit McCain again for being out of touch and advocating the failed theory of trickledown economics. Obama said, “It’s not that John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.” How true and how effective. McCain has stated the middle class is anyone making under $5 million. Is McCain that out of touch? Maybe he should ask the maids or gardeners at one of his 7 estates how many millions they pull in a year. The Obama campaign needs to say something about this every single day until the election. The relentless message sticks so use it.
Obama also addressed pathetic but effective attacks always used by the GOP against the patriotism of Democrats. Obama said he would not stand for someone questioning his love of this country, which has given him every opportunity in his life. Obama called on the Republican Party to make this election about issues and not about lies and innuendo. Although the Republicans will continue to use their dirty tactics and lies, it was important that Obama take this issue head on so that as those attacks come down the pike people will be more likely to question their validity.
The rest of Obama’s speech outlined his various policies covering such issues like taxes (he will cut taxes on everyone making under $250,000 and eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses), foreign policy (he will end the war in Iraq and move troops to finish off Bin Laden in Afghanistan and Pakistan) and health care (equitable and affordable health care for all Americans). Obama did a great job of contrasting his positions with McCain’s without being too wonkish. In recent years, Democrats have had the tendency to outline very detailed policies only to be beaten by simple catch phrases and dirty attacks by the Republican Party. Obama has detailed policies that outline how he will pay for every proposal he makes but he will not make the same mistake of overwhelming the viewing audience with such details- if people really want to find out about this information they can simple go to Obama’s website or call a local Obama campaign office to get more detailed information.
Obama ended his speech by outlining the importance of not wavering from this crossroads in history. Without directly mentioning Dr. King, Obama referenced the message that King delivered exactly forty years to the day before. It was a touching tribute and proves that Dr. King’s sacrifice and the sacrifices of countless others have made America what it is today.
The Democratic convention was a striking success as evidenced in recent polls but we cannot become complacent. We all must do our part to take our country back from those that would sell out our interests to the highest bidder. We must march ahead without wavering. We are the greatest nation on earth but we cannot shrink from American greatness. Through the hard work and wisdom of our forefathers the American dream was realized. To continue as the greatest nation on earth we must pick up that mantle and march forward so that we can pass the burning torch to the next generation. Can we do it? Yes, we can.
*The third day of the convention witnessed a remarkable moment. The roll call vote took place on the convention floor as each state boasted its unique qualities and pledged its delegates to a specific candidate. When the New York delegation was called upon Senator Hillary Clinton herself took the microphone and called for unity behind Barack Obama. She asked that the decision to back Obama be made unanimous and she once again threw her support behind the Democratic nominee.
This was a great moment in American history regardless of if you agree with Barack Obama or not. As Americans we should be proud that the American Dream is not just hyperbole but a reality that gives us all an opportunity to succeed.
*President Bill Clinton fired up the crowd as he always does as he strongly endorsed Barack Obama. Right off the top he said, “I am here first to support Barack Obama.” The President said he was going to do everything he could in support of Barack Obama and for us West Virginians that could mean a few visits from the Clintons over the next two months.
Bill Clinton remarked that Obama was on the right person for the time in which we live and that the long hard primary had tested and strengthened him. In probably his finest statement, Clinton remarked that Republicans once said he was too young and too inexperienced to be commander and chief (Clinton was actually younger when he was elected President than Barack Obama is right now). They were wrong then and they are wrong now. We had great prosperity with a Democratic President in the 90’s and we will have great prosperity under the next President, Barack Obama.
*John Kerry, who knows more about unfair and untrue Republican attacks than anyone, gave a speech that hit McCain hard for the same Rovian tactics that were once used against McCain in the 2000 Republican Primary. Kerry also kept with the night’s foreign policy focus by pointing out that President Bush and John McCain have moved to Obama’s positions on timetabled withdrawal from Iraq, greater focus on Afghanistan and diplomacy in Iran. I thought Kerry’s speech was great and if he would have hit as hard in his own bid for President as he did in this speech then we might have been spared the last four years of Bushdom.
*There was a touching tribute to the US military aired at the convention. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Tom Hanks. The GOP is always the first to want to send American troops into harm’s way but the last to want to increase their pay or properly care for them once they return from their heroic duty.
*The night belonged to Joe Biden. I am a huge Biden fan. He is a friend of the common man because is he a common man. He comes from humble beginnings and like Barack Obama had to work his ass off to get where he is today. Biden is one of the only Senators that is not a millionaire. He fights for the cops, for the firefighters and for the troops. One of Joe Biden’s sons is actually leaving for Iraq for a year deployment in the near future. Biden is one of us and he lives like we do. As Paul Begalla stated, “Whereas Obama is a mix of professor and preacher, Biden is a mix of steelworker and statesman.”
Biden was officially nominated as Vice President tonight and was tasked with giving a hard-hitting speech on foreign policy but he did much more. Luckily Joe Biden is the Senate Chairman of Foreign Relations and knows foreign policy issues as well as any living American. Biden hit McCain on being wrong about Afghanistan and pledged that he and Barack would make sure that the Taliban would not continue its resurgence under Obama-Biden as it has under Bush and McCain.
*At the end of the night, Barack Obama walked onto the stage and thanked the Clintons, Biden and his wife for delivering great speeches. It was some masterful stagecraft and left the crowd, in the convention and those watching on television, wanting more. We will get it tomorrow night.
*Dennis Kucinich, the man who looks like a midget martian, delivered one hell of a speech early in the evening. He was an early contributor to the stream of criticisms against John McCain’s lack of understanding of the American economy.
*Kansas Governor Katherine Sebelius hammered John McCain for having so many homes he lost track (talk about out of touch). She said, “I’m sure you remember a girl from Kansas who said there’s no place like home. Well, in John McCain’s version, there’s no place like home. And a home. And home. And home." One of the lines of the night.
*Senator Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania gave an important speech reiterating his strong support of Barack Obama. Given his rather socially conservative views (he is pro choice and very catholic), Casey speaks the language that hits directly at swing voters. Not the strongest of orators, Casey nonetheless did an excellent job.
*Governor Joe Manchin spoke to the convention and tried to convey the message of bipartisanship. It is kind of funny that Manchin would tout reaching across the aisle in WV since one, he doesn’t, and two, the WV GOP isn’t worth the trouble. Anytime a WV boy is outside the state he gets my support so two thumbs up for the Governor.
*Former Governor and future Virginia Senator Mark Warner delivered the keynote speech. His radical centrist style still allowed him to pound on McCain’s politics of the past. I might have chosen another keynote speaker- one with a little more fire and brimstone- but Warner is a good guy and did a fine job, especially on the economy.
*Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, yes there are more Democrats in Montana than you would think has a good line on McCain about energy. He said, “You could drill for oil in all of John McCain’s backyards, even the one’s he doesn’t know he owns, and you still wouldn’t be able to drill our way out of our energy problem.” He had another good line about Petro dictators not being able to own American sunshine and wind energy. This guy got me and the crowd in Denver pretty damn fired up. He prepared me for the true showstopper of the night- Hillary Clinton.
*The night belonged to Hillary Clinton. Before Hillary came on stage her daughter Chelsea narrated a video about Hillary’s life. It emphasized the long struggle of women in America and was honestly one of the best political biographical pieces that I have ever seen. It made me proud to know that with people like Hillary Clinton blazing the trail maybe one day even a daughter of mine could rise to become President of the United States of American. Those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling are already falling.
*Senator Clinton’s speech will be one of the most analyzed and dissected in political history. It is not hyperbole when I say that her unprecedented campaign, in what has become an unprecedented and a historic election, has forever changed the United States. Clinton not only had to show she supported Barack Obama but she had to convince the millions of Americans watching at home that they should as well. She dropped in multiple references of people left behind by the Bush Administration and said if we want to move the country forward then we must fight to make Senator Obama president.
Clinton’s populist message and her attacks on McCain were a slam dunk and should quiet the qualms of those saying that Democrats are not unified. Those folks out there that think Obama cannot win without Hillary may be right- the thing is Obama will win and he will do it with Hillary Clinton.
*The first female Speaker of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, outlined why Senator John McCain is wrong for the United States of America. She pointed out McCain’s poor decisions on issues like Iraq and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. I would have hit Bush and McCain a lot more but we have three more nights to outline the failed policies of George W Bush and John McCain.
*There was a tribute to President Jimmy Carter who has contributed as much intellectually and through his humanitarian efforts as any former President in American history.
*The Clinton and Obama camps came together on the convention floor as they passed around petitions to get the candidates nominated. Clinton will be nominated to mark her historic campaign and then she will signal her delegates to vote for Senator Obama.
*Michelle Obama had her biography aired at the convention as her brother, Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson, spoke on her behalf. Michelle then gave a biographical history of Barack Obama- discussing at some length his hard work on the streets of Chicago as a community organizer for laid off steel workers. In all, the first night of the convention appeared to be dedicated to reintroducing the Obamas, as a family, to the American people and I think it worked. The little Obama girls could have been anyone’s kids telling their dad that they loved him via teleconference.
It is important that Obama connect himself to average Americans and contrast himself to the out of touch John McCain. It shouldn’t be hard considering that in a time when America faces a housing crisis McCain does not even know how many houses he owns- it is like 7 or 8 but who is counting.
*The best moment of the night had to be that of the iconic Ted Kennedy. A planned tribute to the ailing Democratic stalwart turned on its head as Senator Kennedy walked out and gave one hell of a speech. The news media and the GOP may want people to think Democrats are divided- trust me, they play up this farce to no end in an attempt to distract us from those sapping our country of its greatness- but at the end of this convention the Democratic Party will be united and ready to fight for our country’s future. Ted Kennedy’s appearance proved that even when our odds are long we must do what is required for our future and the future of the United States of America.
The Pickens Plan is an attempt to ease the United States’ addiction to foreign oil. In 1970, the US imported 24% of its oil from abroad. Today we import approximately 70% of our oil needs- costing us approximately $700 billion a year. Currently, America consumes 25% of world daily oil production even though the United States’ population represents only 4% of the world population. Our thirst for oil puts our economic vitality at risk and requires our perpetual involvement in some of the most politically unstable regions on the planet. Beyond the economic and geopolitical threats we face because of our crude craving, Americans are also the worst polluters in world history. The average American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually from transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce all of the products and services we consume. We are a major contributor to global warming and our lifestyle seems to depend on it. With growing demand for oil from China, India and other developing regions of the world, and the ramifications of this growing demand, it is obvious that we can no longer sustain our lust for crude.
To wean ourselves from our black addiction in a relative short amount of time T Boone Pickens recommends that the United States employ two of its greatest natural resources- the wind and natural gas. The Great Plains of the United States is one of the windiest places on earth and Pickens claims the United States can harness this mostly untapped resource with huge wind farms- one already exists in Sweetwater, Texas that produces 2000 megawatts of energy (equivalent to 2 coal burning power plants). Pickens feels that wind farms from North Dakota to North Texas could provide at least 20% of the United States’ domestic energy needs at a cost of $1.2 trillion (most of which would be an upfront investment in wind energy infrastructure).
The 20% of energy provided by wind turbines would allow the US to then divert the energy being created by natural gas toward transportation. Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are already available with 7 million NGVs worldwide (there are only around 120k currently on the roads in the United States). By using natural gas for transportation the United States would be able to ease its demand for foreign oil while also reducing carbon emissions. According to the California Energy Commission, critical greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline. According to natural gas vehicle lobbyists, NGV powered vehicles operate at approximately one-third of the cost of gas powered vehicles. Unfortunately, there are only 1,100 NGV fueling stations in the United States with only around half of those open to the public.
So how does T Boone’s plan measure up? It does appear to realistically address many of the nation’s burning energy issues and in a relatively short period of time. However, there are still a lot of details to be worked out. For instance, the taxpayer’s investment is probably well beyond the $1.2 trillion as outlined in the Pickens Plan- I do not see where this proposal pays for the infrastructure to be built for the natural gas fueling stations. Also, many environmentalists will argue against the Pickens Plan because of its reliance on natural gas, which produces carbon emissions although at a lesser rate. In addition, I would question the potential of natural gas as a meaningful substitute for gasoline to power our transportation needs in the United States. What if after spending the billions to convert our energy infrastructure to natural gas we start to run into natural gas shortages making us dependent on large producers of natural gas abroad- primarily the Russians. Talk about having your balls in a vice!
All criticism aside, there are aspects of the Pickens Plan that everyone but the coal and oil industry should adamantly support and that is the focus on renewables. The progress achieved in wind turbine technology in recent years has been tremendous. Using the winds of the Midwest and the Appalachian high lands will put us well on our way toward perpetual energy independence. The future appears even brighter as promising solar panel technologies appear to be heading toward mass production. As we move toward renewable energy sources for our electricity needs transportation will follow suit. Electric cars already exist but once vehicles can also tap into renewable energy sources to charge battery cells then yet another domino in our costly fossil fuel dependence will have fallen. One can only hope that the next generation of Americans will raise their children in a country completely independent of foreign sources of energy and dirty fossil fuels.
If the path toward energy independence is blazed by a profit hungry confederate ass like T Boone Pickens then so be it. I mean Pickens is the same son of a bitch that funded the Swift Boat lies that played a major role in defeating John Kerry in 2004. No, T Boone Pickens is no friend of mine but his wind energy plan appears to be the only feasible option out there, especially in the short term. I guess I will just hold my nose and keep my eyes peeled as I reluctantly support the efforts of this Yosemite Sam parody.
These recent changes of course in US foreign policy are more than welcomed because it is the right thing to do. However, it politically kills John McCain because he has slammed Barack Obama for proposing these exact measures on all three issues.
TO APPEASE OR NOT TO APPEASE…UMM, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?
McCain has repeatedly slammed Obama for his willingness to open up diplomatic channels with antagonistic regimes. McCain was assisted by Bush in May when the President spoke before the Israeli Congress (Knesset). Bush stated:
“Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."
The fact that President Bush misunderstands what appeasement means is no real surprise- he is, in fact, a complete dipshit. The reality is that negotiations and diplomacy are not appeasement as insinuated by Bush. To appease you must give something away, ie the Sudetenland to those naughty Germans. Diplomacy on the other hand is the employment of tact to gain strategic advantage. It allows civilizations to avoid open conflict and serves as the framework by which all nations can negotiate with one another. Following the two great world wars it became apparent that if international diplomacy was not the guiding force in international relations then another world conflict could not be avoided. The utilization of diplomatic channels since the Second World War has served as the core element in what has been the most peaceful era in world history amongst major world powers.
McCain probably spilled his prune juice when he heard Bush was sending a high level US diplomat to sit down with the Iranians, something Obama has been espousing all along. In fact, this is the second time the Bush Administration has used negotiations to deal with one of the Axis of Evil- the North Koreans demolished their nuclear facility this year after negotiations with the United States. The Bush Administration deserves credit for these two moves, however late in the game they may be, and I hope we can finally bury the hawkish attitude that diplomacy is bad policy.
IRAQ
Barack Obama has stated for years that we should have never went into Iraq and has repeatedly commented that once President he will find a way to dislodge us from that expensive exercise in nation building. Obama has also repeatedly stated that our withdrawal from Iraq must be orderly and responsible and that we would reserve the right to defend ourselves with military might if evidence appeared that terrorists were plotting against the United States from within Mesopotamia. In 2007 Obama proposed a plan to withdrawal one to two brigades a month once he was in office. Both George Bush and John McCain have repeatedly attacked Obama for this position. McCain stated, “We must…reject the calls for a reckless and irresponsible withdrawal of our forces just at the moment they are succeeding.”
McCain’s zealous commitment to this failed Iraq policy might leave in the desert for one hundred years but Bush has already started to draw down troops due to pressure from Congress, the Pentagon and Afghanistan. In fact, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Pentagon’s top military officer said this past Wednesday that he is likely to recommend further troop reductions in Iraq this fall. So will McCain now come out and bash the leading military man at the Pentagon for wanting to recklessly and irresponsibly withdrawal our forces? Nah, McCain will just change positions on yet another issue and hope no one is paying attention- unfortunately for him we are!
AFGHANISTAN: LET’S FINISH THE JOB
As far back as August 2007 Barack Obama has been calling for more troops in Afghanistan. Obama then stated in a speech before the Wilson Center, “As President, I would deploy at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan to re-enforce our counter-terrorism operations . . ." Obama reiterated that point this June when he said, “If we're going to catch bin Laden or most importantly break down al Qaeda, which have reconstituted itself as stronger now than anytime since 2001, we've got to have the capacity to put more troops in Afghanistan." Obama’s assessment of Afghanistan has been absolutely right over the past few years while the likes of George W Bush and John McCain have only paid lip service to our accomplishments there.
This is where the terror plots to strike the Pentagon and the World Trade Center were organized and this is where Osama Bin Laden set up base camp for his terrorist network. Obama has been right to criticize Bush for allowing the Iraqi distraction to take our eyes off the true threat to the United States and you would think the supposed foreign policy expert, John McCain, would have seen the writing on the wall. McCain was wrong yet again but never fail, there is always the opportunity to flip-flop, which McCain has yet again exercised. Two years after Obama stated that we need more US troops in Afghanistan, McCain has now called for the same policy. Check out this ABC News link for more on the McCain flop: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/mccain-shifts-p.html
What kind of world do we live in where the Bush Administration is starting to incorporate the policy proposals outlined by Barack Obama? I’ll tell you what world- one where John McCain’s last thread of credibility is snapped and Barack Obama becomes the next President of the United States.
Given the dire reality of America’s sick system of health care and the ramifications of that system on an already penny pinched middle class it is absolutely necessary to delve deeper into the candidates plans than I have previously. This blog will cover the health care plan of Senator Barack Obama.
OBAMA HEALTH PLAN OPTIONS
Barack Obama’s health care plan is based on the principle of providing health care coverage to all Americans. However, this is not your traditional single payer system. Individuals will have the option of buying into Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). This is the same plan that members of Congress have access to and it covers all essential medical services- even preventive, maternity and mental health care services that many private plans currently do not offer.
If you currently have insurance and you do not want to buy into the FEHBP then you will have the option to remain in your existing plan or you may choose to buy into a different private plan. To assist people in purchasing private insurance Obama will create a National Health Insurance Exchange (NHIE). The NHIE will work as a watchdog group/ government regulatory agency with the power to create rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. All private insurance plans must offer at least what is available in the federal plan. This is somewhat similar to what Belgium and France (widely recognized as having two of the best health care systems in the world) do with their health care- provide basic government health coverage and give people the option of buying additional coverage.
Obama will also offer government subsidies to the working poor and middle class so that they can purchase one of the above stated plans. Basically, if you work then you will receive at least the same health coverage that you would receive if you were a member of Congress.
BUSINESS OWNERS
Health care might be the 800 pound gorilla in your home but it is the 10,000 pound elephant in the boss’ office. Major American industries have felt the crunch from health care costs and this has lead to plant closures, outsourcing and a failing American economy. In all labor negotiations health care is generally the most contentious issue whether you are a steel worker, pilot or auto worker. In fact, Detroit has been hit so hard by the health care crisis that one could surmise that health care costs are the main reason for the decline in the US auto industry. Obama addresses this by creating a reinsurance pool for large industries where if their health care costs go over a negotiated dollar amount they will be reimbursed by government subsidies. This will allow for employers to continue covering their employees despite the possibility that one or two employees have a catastrophic illness and outrageously high medical bills.
Small businesses will not only have access to the reinsurance pool but also to the National Health Insurance Exchange, which will allow them to purchase the new public plan or a private plan for their employees. Employees will also be eligible for subsidies if they qualify. Businesses that choose not to cover their employees will have to pay a percentage of their payroll taxes into the national health care system. Some very small businesses and businesses just starting out will be exempted from paying into the national health care system as long as they meet certain prequalified criteria.
COST REDUCTION
Another pillar of Obama’s plan is to reduce health care costs by reducing costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers; ensuring patients receive care management; promoting electronic health records; reforming medical malpractice; and opening up competition in the insurance and drug industries. Most of these ideas have been discussed for years but no politician has had either the will or the political capital to get such reforms accomplished.
These no nonsense measures are coupled with the fact that by making sure that everyone has insurance means that uncompensated care costs will be eliminated. This cuts at the bone of one of the major factors in skyrocketing hospital costs and insurance premiums.
COSTS OF OBAMA’S PLAN
In 1999, John McCain screamed from his soapbox that offshore drilling was the brainchild of “special interests in Washington” and was not sound public policy. So why the flip flop John? It is plain and simple pandering. Days before McCain’s recent offshore drilling speech in Houston a poll was released by Ramussen Reports indicating that a majority of Americans are now in favor of offshore drilling to lower gas prices. Seems simple enough for McCain’s opportunist logic especially when you throw in the fact that in 1999 McCain was running against an oil man in George W. Bush and now McCain needs oil industry money.
Unfortunately for McCain, his poor preparation on the issues has hit him again. Obama was quick to point out the reality that offshore drilling will do nothing to lower gas prices for at least five years and that even if we had more oil we would still have a lack of oil refineries in the US to produce the gasoline- one of the major reasons oil execs claim gas supply cannot be increased. At any rate, if the oil companies needed more land to drill then they should start on the 68 million acres they currently have leased from the federal government on which they are doing nothing. According to legislation by West Virginia’s own Congressman Rahall, 4.8 billion barrels of oil could be produced daily if this land was utilized. These oil companies just want to wait until they can make optimal profits and since they already have the land in their grasp and the price of oil keeps skyrocketing there is no reason for them to rush.
In addition, more oil is not the solution to our long term energy needs- greater efficiency and renewable energies are. This is something McCain has tried to seem moderate about in the hopes of picking off some swing voters but in his attempt to appease a frantic public and Houston oil executives he whiffed on yet another pitch.
Beyond flipflopping on the issues and being wrong on the facts, McCain has also opened himself up to huge criticism in states that are absolutely essential to any chance that he might have if he wants to win the general election. Offshore drilling threatens the tourism economies of coastal states including North Carolina and Florida and is vastly unpopular in Oregon. The Ramussen poll, as pointed out by Politico, does not reflect the potential backlash to offshore drilling in these states. McCain’s main allies in Florida, Senator Martinez and Governor Crist, are already feeling the pressure from McCain’s speech and are struggling to backpedal their way into a safe political position.
The NRA should take away McCain’s bullets because he keeps shooting himself in the foot. McCain’s most recent offshore drilling position not only puts him in lockstep with George W Bush with whom he is trying his damndest to get political distance from but he also hurt himself in key coastal swing states and opened himself up to even more criticism about being a pandering flip flopping Washington politician. A spade is a spade I guess and unfortunately for McCain he just keeps digging himself deeper and deeper.
If you do not think John McCain will continue us down the Bush-whacked path then simply look at his voting record over the past few years. According to a report released by Congressional Quarterly, McSame has voted with Bush 100 percent of the time in 2008, 95% of the time in 2007 and 89% of the time in 2006. Perhaps McCain was just using his vote to cozy up to the wealthy supporters that have backed Bush or maybe McCain actually agrees with the Bush agenda. Either way, John McCain’s vote in the United States Senate has tied him to the awful mess the George W Bush has created- an economy in recession, a dollar that has devalued to the point that I have started asking for my pay in pesos, a perpetual war that is bleeding us of troops and treasure in Iraq and a health care system that is so expensive it is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States. I could name more Bush-whacked policies that have hurt the country but who wants to get that depressed on a Friday.
To the point, McCain may try to appeal to centrist minded voters but he is not fooling anyone. John McCain is wrong about the war, wrong about the economy, wrong about health care and wrong for the United States. McCain cast his lot with George W Bush and now must reap what Dubya sewed. People want true change and Barack Obama is the candidate that can bring it about.
EVENT STAGING
One must tip their cap to the Obama’s political team for staging such a wonderful event. Not only did Obama win the nomination with the vote totals from Montana and South Dakota but he did so in front of an ecstatic crowd in the same place that the Republican’s will sluggishly anoint John McCain in just a few months.
John McCain spoke in a small stuffy room in a small stuffy way. He gave his speech from the disaster ridden New Orleans area where his fellow Republicans bungled the Katrina response and recovery in such a way that caused tremendous hardship and even death for a large number of Americans.
CROWD ATMOSPHERE
To juxtapose McCain’s crowd against Obama’s crowd is also telling. The McCain folks numbered at around 200 and their applause seemed forced and awkward. The smell of sweat, discomfort and agitation spewed through the television making the entire speech difficult to even watch. On the other hand, the Obama speech was given in an atmosphere of hope, jubilation and accomplishment. Obama’s crowd numbered over 20,000 and cheered and screamed as if they were watching the Beatles play at Shea Stadium. It was quite the scene and made you want to be there.
SPEAKING STYLE
It is almost unfair to compare the speaking styles of Senator Obama and Senator McCain. Obama is perhaps the greatest orator of our time. He has the ability to build speeches to peaks of emphasis conveying both sincerity and command. John McCain generally struggles to convey any type of energy in his speeches at all and when he does muster any type of emotion it is usually anger. McCain also has a tendency, which came through horribly last night, to force inflection and emphasis of words or phrases. Honestly, how could you not laugh at McCain’s attempt to be coy when he awkwardly repeated half a million times, “That’s not change we can believe in.” Pitiful.
SPEECH CONTENT
The content of the speeches were interesting on both sides. Obama’s speech was gracious toward Senator Clinton while at the same time it clearly stated that today marks a new day for politics in America. Obama emphasized that this election is about the American people and not wedge issues created by character assassins. He said, "What you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon…” Obama also lashed out at Senator McCain by directly challenging his understanding of what type of change the American people want. Obama challenged McCain to go to areas of the country that have suffered as a result of the Bush era policies that McCain has supported. Generally, Obama’s message to McCain is that he will fight McCain on every issue and win because what McCain represents is out of touch with what the American people want.
John McCain’s speech was developed to contrast himself with President Bush and with Obama. McCain realizes he has a difficult task in shaking himself free of the President’s unpopular dead weight. In this political climate McCain also realizes that he must not undercut the change theme but rebrand it in his own image. Yet another difficult task but McCain was the only Republican candidate that could do it. McCain also made the risky move of reaching out to Hillary supporters by praising her profusely. Obviously McCain is shooting for those that feel disaffected by Hillary’s defeat, however, if Hillary does what is right and fights tooth and nail for Obama then McCain may have hindered his ability to write her attacks off as non-consequential. In fact, if I were Obama I would ask Hillary to focus solely on attacking and undermining John McCain- a role that Hillary could certainly excel at.
Barack Obama is the candidate of change during a time when 80 percent of Americans feel the country is going in the wrong direction. Conversely, John McCain shares the same party as the President who most of the country believes is one of the worst in US history and not only that but John McCain has voted with that same joke of a President 95% of the time in the last four years.
In this political climate it is quite possible that Barack Obama will not only win the presidential election but will win by such a large margin that he will have a mandate to accomplish a great deal in his first six months in office. If these speeches are any indication then this is exactly what will transpire.
HILLARY CLINTON- The debate over whether Hillary should be chosen as Obama’s running mate started months ago. Initially, people were all for this dream ticket scenario but as the mud started to fly and feelings started to be rubbed raw by the adversarial nature of political campaigning many Obama supporters have become turned off to the idea.
The two main arguments that I hear against Hillary are that she represents the Washington politics Obama is trying to change and that her presence on the ticket will undermine his leadership abilities. To my fellow Obama supporters I would say suck it up and hold your nose. Hillary may represent a rough and tumble style of old politics that Obama is trying to change but he needs someone willing to throw bare-knuckled haymakers on his behalf. I imagine that there will be more misinformation and unheralded attacks used by the GOP in this campaign than any we have ever seen and Obama needs someone like Hillary to fight on that level. Also, Obama seems to be the type of person that is above power insecurity (an excellent trait) and I think he could benefit from her positives while not suffering much from her potential negatives.
Above all, the Barack-Hillary ticket almost guarantees victory in November. The combination of the constituencies of these two candidates would be unstoppable and would perhaps change the landscape of the electoral map in a way that would usher in a new era of Democratic progressive-populist rule. This ticket is obviously my preferred choice.
JIM WEBB- The recently elected Senator from Virginia could help Obama pry the now purple commonwealth from GOP control- a prize Republicans can ill afford to lose. Webb would also help Obama neutralize McCain’s perceived advantage on military and foreign policy credibility. Webb was a military hero in Vietnam and former Secretary of the Navy. Webb also appears to have the ability to throw a political punch which I feel is absolutely essential for a VP candidate. One of Webb’s largest negatives is his lack of name recognition nationally. In addition, it may be a bit overzealous to count Virginia as a swing state just yet. Although recent Democratic victories in old Virginia prove promising the GOP will not let go of the former Confederate capitol without a hell of a fight. Webb is my second choice for VP only after Hillary.
BILL RICHARDSON- The New Mexico Governor brings three very distinct assets to the VP position. He has foreign policy and energy policy experience (former UN ambassador and Energy Secretary), he is from the swing state of New Mexico and he is Hispanic. This latter point must be emphasized because Obama appears to have some issues winning with Hispanic voters. The reason this is so important is due to the changing demographics of the country. If Democrats want start seriously contending in the Mountain West and Southwestern states then Dems need to solidify support in the Hispanic community. This presidential election presents another dynamic to this in that John McCain is from the heavily Hispanic state of Arizona and may have some headway with Hispanic voters as a result. At any rate, Richardson has a few problems too. He is not the greatest person on the stump and his ability to throw a hard punch remains to be seen. All in all, Richardson would be my third choice for VP.
JOHN EDWARDS- Edwards has positioned himself as the poor man’s candidate and his populist messages and southern accent may carry a lot of sway in some southern bordering swing states. However, Edwards has not proven to be a great national candidate and he lacks the attack dog mentality of a good VP. Edwards also does not bring much to the table in terms of regional attractiveness. He was born in South Carolina and served as a Senator for North Carolina but if Barack seriously contends in those two states then we are in store for a major Democratic victory. I do not rule this out but it is better to be cautious about such things. I also question Edwards ability to truly invigorate voters in the southern swing states like West Virginia and Virginia. If he had that ability it surely did not come through in 2004. I think Edwards would best serve the Obama campaign, but more importantly the country, as either the Attorney General or the Labor Secretary. In regards to the latter, his national prestige could help reverse the trends of labor unions being shit on in the United States and with their returned prominence we would surely see a greater voice for the working class in our country.
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS- The Governor of Kansas is a possible dark horse in the VP contest. She is a rising star in the Democratic Party and she might help Obama with women voters who may still be angry over the hotly contested primary with Hillary. Sebelius is relatively young and has a centrist style which could help bring along independent voters. However, the benefits that Sebelius brings to the table are limited. She is relatively unknown nationally, the Democrats are not going to win her home state of Kansas regardless of her presence on the ticket, she has little to no foreign policy credentials and there is no guarantee that she would mollify angry Hillary supporters. If the Governor continues her rise within the party it is possible she would be a good future national candidate but not yet.
OTHER SHORT LISTERS
PHIL BREDESEN– Unknown economic moderate Governor of TN; doubtful that he can carry his own state in general TIM KAINE – Early Obama supporter; relatively unknown Governor of Virginia; helps in Virginia but where else?
JOE BIDEN- One of my favorite Senators; attack dog; solid foreign policy; brings little electoral help
WESLEY CLARK- Clinton supporter may serve as compromise; military and FP credentials to match McCain; little electoral appeal
TED STRICKLAND- Ohio Governor may help swing state back to Dems; Relatively little experience; no national name
ED RENDELL- Solidifies somewhat shaky support amongst Jewish voters; Clinton supporter serves as compromise; great attack dog; if we are truly worried about holding PA then we are in trouble
No doubt that these are strong words but there is simply no other way to qualify McCain’s corrupt past, especially his involvement in the Keating Five Scandal. The Keating Five were a group of United States Senators in the late 1980s and early 1990s who were investigated and officially criticized for their participation in a savings and loan scandal involving financer and investor Charles Keating. According to media reports at the time, McCain’s Senate campaign received $112,000 through 1987 from Keating and Keating's associates, which was more than any of the other Senator involved.
Sources from the New York Times and The Arizona Republic indicate that in addition to the campaign contributions, McCain's second wife (beer heiress Cindy Hensley) and her father had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. The AZ Republic also reported that the McCains had made several trips (at least 9) at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard Keating’s company jet. These trips violated Senate Ethics rules. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's Bahamas retreat. McCain also did not pay Keating for some of the trips until years after they were taken and only once he learned that Keating was in trouble over his shady financial dealings.
In return for Keating’s expensive friendship and political backing, Senator McCain wrote several letters on behalf of Keating to stall regulators and even proposed legislation that would have directly benefited Keating’s corrupt scheme of investments. Once it was clear that Keating’s shady investments were about to implode, Senator McCain took the next step with four other Senators and tried to again stall banking regulators at two privately held meetings.
However the collapse was imminent and Keating’s Lincoln Savings and Loan bankruptcy cost taxpayers approximately $3.4 billion. The aftermath resulted in Charles Keating being sent to prison and the Senators involved were officially criticized to varying degrees after an investigation of their involvement. In fact, many felt that McCain should have received a much harsher punishment. According to one of the ethics investigators, “Mrs. McCain’s investment with Mr. Keating created an obvious conflict of interest for her husband. (Mr. McCain had said a prenuptial agreement divided the couple’s assets.) He should not be able to put this behind him. It sullied his integrity.”
There have been other stories suggesting that Senator McCain showed favoritism to certain Washington lobbyists. In one instance he is alleged to have been romantically involved with a lobbyist to which he provided extreme political influence. These stories hold more weight when we view them through the prism of McCain’s history with corruption and illicit dealings with financial backers. So when we hear John McCain preach from the pulpit about his rigorous fight for campaign finance reform we need to recognize it for what it is- a politician taking a calculated political move to improve his public image in an area where he is obviously derelict.
