I am often asked WHY “I SUPPORT OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT.” This is usually followed by the comment that he doesn’t give a plan and I probably only support him because of his pretty rhetoric. So, I would like to address one of several areas that Sen. Obama has a plan for that is better than Sen. McCain’s plan: ENERGY. This is not the only reason I support his candidacy, but it is a major reason for that support.
The latest Obama news story to sweep the internet is one that comes from that bastion of excellence in journalism, THE NEW YORK POST. Amir Taheri wrote that in July, Sen. Obama spoke with members of the Iraqi government and urged them to delay any agreement with the US to begin troop withdrawals.
Dear Senator McCain:
You have constantly told the American people that the reason we need to vote for you is because you (unlike Sen. Obama) put America First....Always.
Now with Hurricane Gustav making landfall (and Hurricane Hannah right behind) you have the opportunity to show us that you mean what you say. The safety and needs of the people living on the Gulf Coast override the needs of either campaign.
I applauded your decision to alter your convention schedule to "take care of necessary business" only. That is a wise move. I love the idea of turning the Republican Convention into a "telethon for Hurricane Victims". That is a wonderful idea that helps people.
My only question about your handling this is your insistence upon traveling to the area. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU AND YOUR ENTOURAGE ARE NEEDED IN THE GULF AREA?
Saturday Night’s Political Forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren was one of the most interesting campaign events this year. It was nice to hear someone from the right argue that it is essential that Americans (both conservative & liberal) learn to argue their viewpoints WITHOUT demonizing the other side. In coming to terms with the idea that we are all Americans (even when we disagree) we build upon the idea that we are greater as a nation together than we are as the sum of our separate ideologies.
This year’s biggest summer blockbuster may never be seen in the theatre. This year the prize for most hyped movie of the summer goes to campaign attack ads or….ATTACK OF MCCAIN: AD WARS 08! Featuring an all-star cast that includes Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Charlton Heston and of course this summer’s biggest celeb…THE CHOSEN ONE! OBAMA!!!!!
Following in the footsteps of Oliver Stone, Director (and campaign manager) Rick Davis has woven fact & fantasy into a carefully crafted tale of an ideological, young politician who spouts beautiful rhetoric while attempting to wrest the prize of the presidency from political legend John McCain. While on his quest, Young Obama is seduced by the DARK SIDE of politics. He begins a great struggle to keep the people under the control of the EVIL EMPIRE OF FOREIGN OIL. Thirty year political veteran John McCain is pulled from retirement to stop Obama’s evil mission and save the free world from itself. After an intense confrontation involving charges of racism and light sabres (think George Lucas meets HEAT OF THE NIGHT) we realize that Obama has a messiah complex that brings back the ghost of Charlton Heston (a special treat for NRA viewers) to end the onslaught of evil that follows Young Obama where ever he goes. Shot as a series of vignettes against the backdrop of Europe, the Mid East and an Ohio German Sausage Shop this is one movie you won’t be able to miss this summer….no matter how hard you try! (McCain is spending $140,000.00 per DAY to run the Britney/Paris ad alone.)
In the long run though, ATTACK OF MCCAIN seems a bit unfulfilling. Historically it is a little too inaccurate. In the first vignette we learn that Obama only visits troops if he can bring along cameras. But subsequent reports showed this to be a false statement. The film also doesn’t follow the established story line well. Young Obama complains that “they’ll try to scare you by saying I don’t look like the president on the dollar bill” and McCain immediately calls it racism. A great scene but it seems to forget about the previous McCain short, SEAL A lovely June 08 release that features a dollar bill with Obama’s head super-imposed over the president’s head. Ooops! I know it’s only a movie but you like it to follow it’s own history. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTJDv4hevU&feature=related)
The biggest issue is that the audience finds out a great deal about how bad Obama is; but learns little if anything about what McCain stands FOR. It leaves you yearning for a return to the themes of his 2000 masterpiece, THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS. But unfortunately, stars do age and it may be that today’s McCain is just not up to the same level of performance that he used to be. (Hey, even Sean Connery doesn’t do action films anymore.)
The reviews have been mixed. Veteran star, McCain says it’s “humorous” and claims he’s “proud” of his work this summer. Life-long character actor & perpetual movie sidekick Joe Lieberman says rising young star Obama is a “gifted and eloquent young man not ready to lead”.
But others have not been as kind.
Oh, well, I didn't see it -- I think it's kinda stupid," she says. "I'm just too old-hat for it. In fact, the other two, I didn't even know who they were.
Roberta McCain, mother of star John McCain
“There has been a very intentional effort to paint him as somebody outside the mainstream…he’s not one of us….I think the McCain campaign has been scrupulous about not directly saying it, but it's the subtext of this campaign. Everybody knows that. There are certain kinds of signals. As a native of the south, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, 'The One,' that's code for, 'he's uppity, he ought to stay in his place.' Everybody gets that who is from a southern background. We all understand that. When McCain comes out and starts talking about affirmative action, 'I'm against quotas,' we get what that's about."
Republican David Gergen, Advisor to both Republican & Democratic Presidents
"I think we should be in a post-racial environment…I think Sen. [Barack] Obama has done an admirable job of that. I don't think he has race-baited. I think he has been very good about that."
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., a supporter of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz
I found this McCain campaign ad "The One" to be one of the most offensive ads we have seen in American politics to date.
At best, this ad implies that those who plan to support Senator Obama are looking for a new savior or a replacement Messiah.
But many are reading it even more darkly as an attempt to portray Obama as an anti-Christ figure. A vote for Senator Obama is a vote for the man we think will make the best President, not for a new Messiah. As Christians, we have one Lord And Savior. Jesus Christ. It is blasphemous to suggest otherwise.
And it is beyond offensive to suggest that Senator Obama is a false Messiah or the anti-Christ himself. How low can we go? It shows the McCain campaign is willing to make a mockery of our faith to feed people's fears. Christians need to reject this out of hand.
Mara Vanderslice, founder and director of the pro-Obama religious group Matthew 25 Network.
And I think Kathy Hilton summed it up perfectly:
I've been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.
Kathy Hilton, Mother of Paris Hilton and financial contributor to McCain’s Campaign.
(Who would have thought that Paris’s Mom would be so smart?)
reprinted with permission from www.nemokc.blogspot.com
FREE SPEECH!!! There is no concept in America held more dear than our right to express ourselves without censorship. We have the right to say what we want, when we want…but there are some limitations. If you exercise your right of free speech and lie to a newspaper; the paper may be sued for libel. If you go on TV and lie about someone; you may be sued for slander. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theater without suffering criminal consequences. You have the right to tell your co-worker that you saw his wife with another man…but is it the right thing to do? We have the right to free speech but we also have a responsibility not to misuse that right. And there has been no greater test of our belief in free speech than e-mail and the rise of the internet blogger. Anyone can create a website that says ANYTHING! Anyone can create a screen name and find the freedom to spew whatever lies they like under the pseudonym of that anonymous name. New technology grants us a greater audience to hear our voice while at the same time it helps to hide the speaker and consequently it relieves that same speaker of the responsibility for his or her speech. The result is an intricate web of deceit spread virally through the internet that creates a modern myth with little if any basis in reality. These myths then become “news” that is shown and re-shown on cable news 24/7. Senator Barack Obama has become the poster child for such attacks. There are now huge numbers of Americans convinced that he is Muslim, was sworn in on a Koran, is the anti-Christ, has a wife that hates America, will raise everyone’s taxes, hates “whitey”….need I go on? As Senator Obama himself has said, “If you see this Barack Obama, let me know. He sounds really scary”This atmosphere of constant attack tends to make one a bit “jumpy” and I personally thought the Obama campaign overreacted to the recent cover of THE NEW YORKER. (You know the cartoon drawing; showing Obama in Muslim garb fist-bumping Michelle dressed as a machine gun toting, afro wearing, Black Panther, both warming themselves by an American flag burning in the fireplace.) It was a distraction that didn’t need a comment by the campaign…or so I thought. I read the explanation of the cartoon by the editor of the NEW YORKER. David Remnick wrote that it “ satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign…. Satire is what we do, and it is meant to bring things out in the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful and the absurd. And that’s the spirt of this cover… [It] "combines a number of images that have been propagated . . . by some on the right, about Obama’s supposed ‘lack of patriotism’ or his being ‘soft on terrorism’ That somehow all this is going to come to the Oval Office."It made sense to me!Then I read a recent posting on a Fox Website regarding the same magazine cover. The blogger expressed the opinion that, “It seems to me anyone that chooses to run for president should take a good long look at the fact they will be scrutinized, made fun of, even humiliated (in some cases) because of their background or because of a stupid statement that they make.” She then closed by poising the question, “Are we to give up our "freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press" because of all the sensitivity or that it's "politically incorrect"? Come on, this is America! I say, if you choose this road, be prepared, keep a sense of humor and if you can't laugh at yourself, "pull up your big boy/girl pants" and move it or lose it.”In general, I agree with her comments, but it was other comments she made that helped me to understand why the Obama campaign came out so strongly against the NEW YORKER’s cover. She also commented that “Frankly, I don't know if Michelle is a terrorist or not. I don't know that Barrack is a Muslim or not. I do know that as a child he was schooled in Indonesia, and that is the world's largest Islamic Country, with a 90% Muslim population. Coincidence, whatever!” And here lies the problem with the lack of personal responsibility for statements made on internet blogs. By repeating a large lie over & over, it takes on a life of its own. Many people will decide after constant bombardment of a big lie that even if the big lie is not completely true, there must be some basis of truth to the rumor. That is how one goes from “he was schooled in a Muslim country so he must be Muslim”. (Does that mean that a Muslim who goes to a Catholic school must become a Catholic?)Perhaps most telling of all was the comment, “Frankly, I don't know if Michelle is a terrorist or not.” The blogger who already believed that Obama is a Muslim because of e-mails is now ready to believe his wife is a terrorist because of a cartoon drawing appearing on a magazine cover. (For the record, Michelle Obama is currently on leave from her position as the vice president of community affairs at the University Of Chicago Medical Center. Please explain to me how the right of Free Speech allows you the freedom to make that leap of logic!)As a nation, we have reached the point where we must defend ourselves from the ridiculous…because there are way too many of us who seem oblivious to irony. And an election is too important to lose due to a lie made true by repetition. Freedom of Speech must not be constrained in any way, but until we learn as a nation to use make use of it responsibly on the internet we must not condemn the victims for protesting the lies spread about them.
www.nemokc.blogspot.com
Dear Ms. Obama:
My granddaughter asked me to take her to see you today at the Women's Forum in Kansas City! She's a 12 year old, bi-racial, child of a single FATHER. (Sometimes unfortunately, it's not the father's that are missing in thier children's life.) We didn't have a ticket to get in. It didn't matter to her. She just wanted the chance to see you in person. So we went.
When I asked a campaign worker where we should stand to get a glimpse of you as you entered the building, we were told to follow him. He took us inside and seated us on the front row. I will never forget how her eyes glittered when you entered. She pointed out that you were taller in person & had a great dress on. Then you began to speak.....and she began to listen.
She listened to you and she listened to the other women on the panel & in the audience. She heard women from all social levels and all walks of life talk about the problems that women face. I think it made it easier to understand why her father so often says, "we don't have the money for that". She also realized that you don't have to sit back and do nothing but accept your life as it is. She has questions for me about the event, but she want's to think about them for a while. I hope I can answer them.
I think it was an important event for her. She saw professional women who believe they can make a difference....and I think that may have made a difference in my granddaughters life. Thank you for that! Win or lose in November....today you made a difference in one person's life.
nemokc.blogspot.com
As a nation, we currently face one of the most important national elections in our nation’s history. It will be an election discussed in the history books for generations to come. And it is an election that both sides realize the importance of.
Little wonder that it is also showing signs of being one of the most embarrassing elections ever. Because each side believes so strongly that it is important; there are supporters on either side willing to say ANYTHING about the other candidate.For this reason, I am coming to you to ask your help.
Since Senator Obama has announced his candidacy numerous false e-mails are being circulated throughout the web. The first round of false rumors stated that Sen. Obama is a Muslim. This is simply not true. Senator Obama speaks eloquently of discovering that the most effective means of community organizing in Chicago is through the local churches. He eventually found salvation in one of those churches and has proclaimed Jesus as his personal savior ever since. You may not agree with him regarding spiritual matters but at least give honest voice to the fact that he is NOT Muslim.
The second round was even more offensive. Lately e-mails have circulated that list “coincidences” that point to the end of the world. It then raises the question of Senator Obama being the antichrist! THIS IS SIMPLY WRONG! Throughout the history of the world people have tried to identify the antichrist. Napoleon, Hitler, Idi Amin have all shared the title. And apparently none of them were the antichrist…they were VERY bad people, but not that bad.
There is no single human more reviled by Christians than the image of this evil world leader who begins the times of tribulation. Naming this person before he is truly revealed is a very slippery slope. The Bible teaches that no one, not even the angels know the time and place of Christ’s return. So technically, no one can really know who this person is. And history teaches us that we can be wrong. By raising the specter that Obama is the antichrist, you have asked an unanswerable question and placed a lingering doubt in the minds of many believers. This does not strike me as something a church would start. I can see others with a more urgent desire to see Senator Obama lose raise this question. They realize that every church has a member or two that would be willing to pass an e-mail along raising doubts in the mind of thousands. In other words, the Church is being duped for political purposes.
The way people just pass the lies along by e-mail, taking no responsibility for their actions, is the saddest part of all. (Because I don’t think many people truly believe this, otherwise they would be preparing to move to an out-of-the-way third world nation if Senator Obama is elected.) This is merely the 21st Century equivalent of the rumor mill, untrue gossip that we enjoy because it’s so “exciting”. By itself, it means little, but the problem is that it leaves a lingering doubt about the “character” of the candidate. “He’s probably not the antichrist, but if everyone thinks he’s that bad….there must be something to it”.
Jesus said in Matthew 12: 36-37; “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
If we are judged by & condemned by the words we speak idly, are we also judged & condemned by our e-mails?
I am not necessarily asking that you support Senator Obama for President. I do hope that everyone will take time to examine the issues to make an informed decision, you may find that he is a candidate you can support.
I do however ask that America’s Churches take it upon themselves to speak out strongly against these e-mails and others like them. They are nothing but malicious gossip being used to smear a good man. And even if his political beliefs are not yours, it does not change the fact that he IS a good man with a family that can be hurt by your actions.
Please use next Sunday to speak publicly on this matter. And please feel free to copy this post or e-mail it to any and all sources. This is not an issue of policy but an issue of right & wrong. IT IS WRONG TO SPREAD MALICIOUS GOSSIP BY E-MAIL AND IT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE BELIEFS OF THOSE WHO SPREAD IT.
Dear Sasha & Malia:
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PARENTS WITH US!!!
I know that it must seem very unfair that so much of thier time is spent away from you. And in truth, it is not fair. But it is NECESSARY.
You see your Daddy is a very special man who can do things that other Dad's can't do. And the things your Daddy can do will help children just like you all over the country. The ability to do great things is an awesome responsiblity and now we as Americans have to ask you to also do a great thing....continue to share your Daddy with us.
Many people will say mean things about your parents and when you hear those things, remember that there are many more of us who think your Daddy is a great man. Thank you again for sharing him with us.
From all of us in America.
This has been an unsettling time for many of the most “progressive” followers of Senator Obama. They have listened to the right condemn him for his refusal to join in public campaign finance, they have been horrified by his support of the FISA bill, he ruffled the feathers of the Congressional Black Caucus and reportedly told a former Clinton supporter that other Clinton supporter’s need to “get over it”. Now they wonder if he’s “really who they thought he was” or “he’s just a typical politician”.
If you had envisioned him as some sort of left-wing Messiah come to drive Cheny, Rove & Co. into the seven rings of Dante’s hell at the point of a fiery sword….you’re probably not nearly as disappointed now as you are going to be. If you have always seen him as a practical politician with a realistic vision of where our country needs to go and how we can realistically get there…you may be gaining some real HOPE!
Senator Obama shows a real understanding that he is running for an office that represents more than any single branch of the Democratic Party. A mayor represents his city, the Congressman his district, the Senator his state…but the President represents our country in all its multi-cultural beauty. The variety of interests inherent in the U.S. means that compromise is essential to our survival as a nation.
His change of view on the FISA bill is a great example. Which is more important? Punishing the companies who followed the government’s request after the attacks of 9/11 or ensuring that the Presidency CANNOT wiretap without over-site in the future? Which is more important? Do we want the ability to continue to protect our country from attacks in the future or is our desire to financially punish the corporate entities who failed our trust more important? (Keep in mind that if you have a 401K, you probably have stock in those same companies & it’s your retirement that is going to be hurt by a multi-billion dollar class action suit.) We should also remember that the same bill every progressive is upset about DOES NOT grant criminal liability. (Which means that the corporate executives, who decided on their own to violate our rights are still CRIMINALLY LIABLE)
Where do we turn for guidance to what is really important? Perhaps we should look to the Preamble to the Constitution…Fifty two words that sum up the whole of our political system. It is the introduction to and an outline of one of the most remarkable political documents the world has ever seen. And yet its importance is often overlooked. But not, I think; by the Junior Senator from Illinois, a former Constitutional Law Professor.
It has been said that “Politics is the art of the POSSIBLE”. Or as Senator Obama has said, “I know you want to go to the moon, but we only have enough gas to go “this” far”. You will never agree completely with a candidate and if you do….he or she is probably not going to be the best candidate for the country as a whole. We as a people need to remember the importance of compromise. Those who refuse to compromise hold a higher moral ground but seldom political office.
One out of four female Clinton supporters insist that they will vote for John McCain. Why? Even if you agree that she should be the nominee and the prize was stolen by the media and gender bias….will you (and our country) be better off in four years under a McCain presidency? How will you explain to your granddaughters that you voted for the man who appointed Supreme Court Judges who will roll back every advancement women have made in the last 50 years?
Remember, in 2000 three percent of Democrats voted for Nader BECAUSE AL GORE WASN’T GREEN ENOUGH!!!! Duuuuh.
With all due respect to your beliefs, feelings and political goals….now is the time to “get over it” and to get behind Sen. Obama...because the stakes are even higher than they were in 2000.
