Organizing for America | Micah Bergdale's Blog

Micah Bergdale's Blog

I am writing about the issues I care most about.

By Micah - Sep 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm EDT

Let's see what we know so far. With only four days following her selection, it will be interesting to see what else we find out this week.

Sarah Palin was on the radio laughing about a fellow female Republican lawmaker who was struggling with cancer being called a bitch.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-72120

Her husband has actually been involved in multiple firings of personnel he did not like.
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor

She has now lawyered up in Troopergate.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/palin-retains-l.html

Her 17 year old daughter is now going to be a teenage bride and an international media spectacle because her mother decided to run for national office during what is one of the most difficult periods a 17 year old could possibly go through. John Warner of Virginia, a Democrat, decided against running for President for the very reason he did not want his teenage daughters to be put under the media spotlight.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02PALINDAY.html?hp

The pork barrel money that was earmarked for the Bridge to Nowhere was used for other pork barrel projects in Alaska.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-earmarks1-2008sep01,0,6108885.story

A frontage road next to the Bridge to Nowhere is being built right now with federal taxpayer dollars as those dollars would have been lost.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1116208&srvc=2008campaign&position=12

She has publicly stood with Republican Senator Ted Stephens, who is under federal corruption prosecution from the U.S. Attorney General, as recently as July.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html

Multiple Republicans in Alaska including her former campaign manager have come out today against her candidacy calling her unqualified.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJgm2T3qgeZU&refer=home

Sarah Palin's own mother-in-law is considering voting for Obama.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/republican_race/2008/08/30/2008-08-30_sarah_palins_motherinlaw_uncertain_about.html

Sarah Palin had never been outside the United States until last year, and for that one trip she saw her National Guard unit in Kuwait and saw wounded troops in Germany.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30veep.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

She was a C average student at the University of Idaho getting her Bachelors in Journalism. She floated between three universities before finally receiving her degree from the University of Idaho. She was not involved in any extracurricular activities at the University of Idaho, and no one really remembers her including sitting U.S. Senators who attended during the same period.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/488077.html

She was part of a party during the 90s that aligns itself with Alaska's secession from the United States and just this year recorded a video talking about her support of the AIP.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/members-of-frin.html

Palin was raised in the Assemblies of God church, which theologically feels we are in the end of days and that the only way to save America is turn the country into a Christian religious state. They also condemn dancing and contemporary dating.
http://breaktheterror.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/oh-speaking-of-whacked-out-fundamentalists-have-you-heard-about-sarah-palins-dominionist-connections/

This is in response to a 2006 questionnaire when Sarah Palin was running for Governor of Alaska.

Q: Are you offended by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

PALIN: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). This was more than a century after the founding of the United States.

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Open AZ Office

By Micah - Aug 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm EDT

The Obama campaign needs to open a campaign office in at least Phoenix and possibly in Tucson and Flagstaff. Obama has a real chance at winning Arizona if he plays there.

ARIZONA (Rocky Mountain Poll): McCain - 43%, Obama - 38%, Nader - 3%

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Message to Management

By Micah - Aug 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

I think one of my biggest concerns about what I have seen over the past couple weeks is that Obama promised us in the primary that he would not get swiftboated. And we are watching before our eyes as the Republican spin machine is redefining who Obama is for the general public. I wish the campaign would get out there with some more comprehensive policy proposals that really differentiate Obama not just from McCain but from other politicians. Americans do not necessarily want a Democratic president. They want a president who is substantively different than anything we have had in recent history. The GOP has changed Obama from being the unique individual he is to being another stereotypical politician. Mayor Bloomberg had a great editorial in the New York Daily News that took Congress to task for the failings of the last 8 years. I hope Obama is up to the challenges we are facing.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/mccain_obama_poll;_ylt=AuHXU75wKd53ei3i8g14ov.s0NUE
I also get the sense that the Obama campaign management is making the very mistake that sunk Clinton's campaign. They are trying to box Obama into this scripted shell, where there is little one on one communication with the average American voter. They have allowed him to be put on a pedestal that can easily be knocked over instead of connecting his personal story with American voters. Obama's story is inspirational. If voters see him as an average American who is leading a movement instead of this messianic character that has been created, we win. If this media hysteria that has made Obama more of a pop star than a leader continues we run the risk of allowing the GOP to win an election that we should be winning hands down.

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Something

By Micah - Feb 4th, 2008 at 2:02 pm EST

Also listed in: 5 groups

There is something happening America today. Something is afoot. I cannot explain it. Something is happening in me. Something is happening in millions of Americans. Something is going to change tomorrow. It is as if everything I knew about politics has been thrown out the window. Nothing can compare to what I am seeing.

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Why Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards? Why?

By Micah - Jan 24th, 2008 at 7:37 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

I am posting this question in hopes that it is raised to the media and that the Obama campaign takes the opportunity to discuss it. I find it very relevant and am surprised it has not been raised in the campaign.

On January 6, 2001 the joint session of Congress approved the results of the Electoral College and declared George W. Bush as president. Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards, neither of you stood with any of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose the certification of George W Bush as the president. Why and don't you think it is hypocritical to say how horrible Bush and his policies have been for our country, when you did not stand against President Bush when it could have mattered?

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Tax Policy

By Micah - Sep 19th, 2007 at 10:10 am EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

Obama announced his tax policy yesterday in much greater detail. While Obama is not a supporter of the Fair Tax Act, there were a number of key elements in his tax policy speech that I was happy to hear. The goal of the Fair Tax is to ultimately create a simple, transparent system for tax collection. While I think consumption taxes are better than income because consumption actually has less deviation on an annual basis vs. income, ultimately I want a tax system that is not targeted to special interests and is instead there to help low income and middle income tax payers. I am also a small business owner and the amount of time and money that is consumed by me and my business regarding payroll and income taxes is a bit overwhelming. I spend more time on taxes than just about any other administrative task. We need a major overhaul of our system that truly helps every day working Americans. That is what Obama is trying to do, and for that I can only commend him. Obama is one of the few Democrats who is truly pushing for tax policy that is more fair.

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Fair Tax

By Micah - Apr 21st, 2007 at 12:35 pm EDT

Also listed in: Fair Tax Supporters for Obama

Why I support the Fair Tax and hope other Dems will join with me:
Consumption is a more stable source of revenue than income. A recent study by American Farm Bureau economist Ross Korves shows the FairTax base is less variable than the income tax base. Why? Because during difficult times due to loss of a job or an inability to work, people may not have as much income, or may have no income at all. They borrow funds or use savings. They may not have earnings, but they still continue to consume. The attached image shows the yearly changes in the tax base, adjusted gross income (AGI) under the current tax system for 1974-2004 and changes in personal consumption expenditures (PCE) of the same time period.

Link

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