Leading up to the election, foreign newspapers were filled with expressions of hope that Obama would be elected as President of the United States and put forth a "New Face for America".
There are several reasons Clinton would be a disasterous selection Secretary of State: 1. Clinton represents the same old face of America, albeit not as much as Bush the Lesser does.
2. During the primaries, Clinton expressed herself time and time again as antipodal to Obama's foreign policy positions.
3. Clinton is a limelight seeker and would detract from the importance of both Obama and Biden on foreign affairs issues.
4. Over half the Democrats and all of the Republicans have expressed that they don't trust her judgment on foreign affairs issues.
5. Clinton can do more in the Senate working for Universal Heath Care.
6. Clinton has a history of mistaking little girls with gifts of flowers as machine gun fire and the need to duck into airplane hangers. (If she lied about that, ...)
Joe Vogler (I don't know if Joe was a plumber) was murdered during a sale of illegal explosives. Did Joe wear a Stars and Stripes lapel pin? No way, Joe said, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Who was Joe? Joe was the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party. It's stated goal is " the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States. They are modern day secessionists.Surely a woman like Palin, who has lambasted Obama for marginal associations with a man who shared a community board, has denounced her secessionist husband for his membership in the AIP. Oops, She was the keynote speaker for their 2006 convention. Hard to say she didn't know what they were about, she attended their 2000 convention with her Dude. She recorded the greeting for this year's 2008 convention. Say it ain't so Sarah! What, no renounciation of the Dude who wants to steal those oil reserves from US Citizens? No renounciation of the Dude or his organization that wants to rip the largest state from the Union? I presume that since Palin has read "All of them" newspapers, that she should have some understanding of what happened during the last Civil War. No renuciation, but it's okay for her to engender hatred against a man attempting to do something constructive for his community that involved sitting on a board with someone who did something horrid when Obama was only eight. Oh, Sarah, beware of the log in your own eye before you condemn the splinter in Obama's.
The proposed "Oversight" is actually a hindsight review without any teeth to nullify gross misapplications. All the Oversight Board will be able to do is say, "Oops, you wasted the public's money." Where is the review BEFORE the money is spent? Where is the protocol for nullifying an action and recalling the money? Where is the mandate for criminal prosecution for conferring favoritism or fraud or gross negligence or abuse of discretion?
Speaking for McCain, Michael Goldfarb berated Obama's sentiment inscribe in the visitors' log at the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem. The McCaine spokesperson said, "Today he says 'never again.' A year ago stopping genocide wasn't a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces in Iraq. Doesn't that strike you as inconsistent?" McCain has fail to renounce Goldfarb's comment made on his behalf.
A year ago, Obama indicated that United States cannot use its military to solve the world's humanitarian problems. If McCain believes that it IS the United States' duty to use our military to stop humanitarian genocides, then why hasn't McCain pushed for military intervention elsewhere. Iraq reportedly was responsible for the genocide of almost 25,000 Kurds in 1986-88. A horrible number, but not as great as elsewhere in countries where McCain failed to support US intervention.
Indonesia killed over 100,000 Papuans, but McCain never suggested US military intervention in West New Guinea for humanitarian reasons. Mengistu killed over half a million in Ethiopia, but McCain never suggested US military intervention for humanitarian reasons. Since we have been in Iraq, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus report by Rep. Tom Lantos and Rep. Frank Wolf reported on some of North Korea' genocides, "Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have crossed the border into the Peoples Republic of China....China's policy has been to repatriate defectors back to North Korea where they face imprisonment, torture, and execution for the "crime" of leaving their homeland.". This is only of of North Korea's genocides. US Congressmen attended the North Korean Genocide Exhibition in 2004. The US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, issued a report in 2003. He reported "extreme phenomena of repression ... unique to North Korea." Korea practices "ethnic infanticide", forced abortions and murder of inter-racial babies ( North Korean and Chinese) to create babies with the pure blood of the "master race", North Korean. In neither case has McCain called for US military intervention for humanitarian purposes. The lists goes on and on where McCain has not called for US military intervention to stop genocides, Darfur, Tibet, Chad, and Zimbabwe.
Perhaps McCain doesn't understand Jesus' teaching in Matt 7:5, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck of sawdust from your brother's eye."
Trent Lott made a comment on Hardball today that was instulting to the majority of Americans. Stating why he supports McCain over Obama, Lott said, "wisdom only comes with age." Trent Lott apparently believes that America's Doctors, Surgeons, Lawyers, Judges, Mayors, College Professors, Classroom Teachers, Ministers, and over half of all Americans who are under Obama's age of 47 don't have wisdom. Does he mean that Edmund Rutledge didn't have wisdom when he signed the Declaration of Independence at age 26 or Jesus when he spoke in the temple at age 12? Perhaps Mr. Lott has forgotten this American folk wisdom, "There is no fool like an old fool."
Does Faux News not hire people with an ounce of training? I thought that Wes Clark's comment had taken a back burner in light of Rev. Jackson's comment. Apparently, McCan't supporters are still seething that anyone would look beyond McCan'ts war record to see if he has qualifications for a job.
Upon reflection, this may explain Faux News hiring practices. I can envision the scene now ... (Flashback image) The prospective Faux News employee is being interviewed for a vacant political analyst position.
"Do you have a degree in Political Science?" "Uh, no."
"How many years of experience do you have in political analysis?" "Uh, none."
"How many of your articles have been published in political journals?" "Un, none."
"What qualifications do you have?" "I was a carrier pilot during the Viet Nam war."
"You're our man. Welcome to Faux News."
Would you want your state to license people as doctors and surgeons simply because they may have been carrier pilots, without testing their medical competency?
Would you want your school district to hire French teachers because they had been carrier pilots, without checking to see if they spoke French?
Of course not! Any job applicant is examined for competency and experience that relates to the job discription. Certainly, the training that goes into becoming a Naval officer and Naval pilot shows many skills. But, the bottom line is that an evaluation based solely on a person having been a carrier pilot, without more, does not qualify that person to be a French teacher or Neuro-surgeion or trial attorney or architect or President.
From “The Nation” June 20, 2008
Surveillance Bill: The Worst of All Worlds
(As to future surveillance programs):
“the bill then installs judicial review of such collection efforts--but the courts will not examine the actual surveillance programs, let alone individual cases of surveillance. Again, the bill interposes a certification requirement between the court and the facts.”
The news this afternoon examined the dire possibility that the levees around St. Louis might give way to flooding. The reporter was explaining how the understaffed and underfunded the Army Corps of Engineers is doing the best it can. The Corps was indicating that as many as thirty (30) levees are in danger of failing.
I checked on line and found that Missouri's tax share for our war against Iraq is $8,000,000,000.00; that's eight billion dollars. I can't help but wonder, what the Army Corps of Engineers could have done to Missouri's levees with their eight billion dollars?
How much civil defense and emergency preparedness could have been established with their eight billion dollars? It's probably enough to have provided health care for every needy child in the Missouri and fixed the levees.
California is having a budget crisis and will have to cut public services. Their tax share of the war against Iraq ... Sixty-seven Billion Dollars.
I've just returned from Washington, D.C. to my home in California. I have a travel suggestion for Senators Obama and McCan't. I know that Sen. McCavil wants Sen. Obama to accompany him on a fact finding (photo op) "visit" of Iraq. Instead, I believe Barack should offer to take McCaper on a tour of our National Archives. It would be even better if they could get Bush the Lesser and Cheney to go with them.
On display in our National Archives are the Magna Carta (of habeas corpus fame), our Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and hundreds of original documents from the founding of our great nation, our government, and our legal system. I'm sure you are familiar with these documents, they enumerate the rights that Bush the Lesser and Cheney have been insidiously stealing from us under the Emperor's cloak of being "Patriotic". These same rights are the ones that McCavity says are a hinderance to the protection of our way of life; thereby, ignoring the fact that these rights ARE our way of life. That they ARE the foundational principles upon which all of our other rights exists.
Between the choices of visiting Iraq or visiting our National Archives, Barack should offer to visit the Archives. Reading these documents together might go far toward jogging Sen. McCarrion's memory of what life was like prior to Bush the Lesser, and what actions are necessary for our nation's future.
Several email responses complained that we can't accomplish any of them because our Nation is going broke and our Dollar isn't worth the paper it's printed on. I believe there are some solutions available to both restoring our position of respect in the world, reducing the number of our enemies being formed each month, boosting our economy, and improving the value of our dollars.
Let’s place restrictions on non-essential imports and expand our domestic manufacturing base with a combination of tax incentives and tax penalties for corporations assessed on whether their products are constructed and assembled in America by US workers or not. The trade restrictions can be eased for any nation that encourages favorable marketing of American products in their country. For a brief period, we may need to give up unnecessary purchases. But ,we are a nation of people that are accustom to setting aside immediate gratification for long term goals. It's one of the reasons we go to college. When we plant an apple seed, we don't expect a fruit bearing tree to immediately sprout from the ground. With time, the value of our American dollar will grow and our national debt will recede. Our nation was strong and growing when our economy was based on domestic manufacturing instead of being based on the retail of foreign goods produced by foreign workers.
Don't lower taxes, but mandate that our budget must be balanced and that ten percent of our taxes be applied toward reducing the Federal debt. That will bring up the global value of the dollar.
I recently read where our passports are being printed and produced by a foreign firm. The inks and toners used by Federal, State, and local governments in copiers is manufactured beyond our borders. Even some of the US flags used by government agencies are made overseas.
It seems to me that there are thousands of small and medium sized businesses in everyone of our fifty states that could step up and supply the needs of our government agencies. Our tax dollars should be supporting the small and medium flag manufactures in Alabama, New Jersey, Illinois, and California instead of some other nation.
It scares me to think that some agency will probably plan a "Buy American" campaign with signs printed elsewhere and shipped to us on foreign vessels.
It troubles me when I read how many other nations rate above the United States in categories of infant survival, hours of schooling each year, immunization programs, doctor-patient ratios, literacy, mass transit availability, and disaster preparation. I believe these same things trouble the McSame supporters. It’s time for both parties to focus on shared goals and less on how to emphasize our differences.
Shelby Clark wrote:
After McCain mocked Obama's approach of meeting with our enemies as unoriginal, McCain then proposed the idea to divest from Iran - an idea that Obama sponsored in a bill last year. McCain's idea is definitely NOT original since Obama introduced the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act S.1430, legislation that would increase economic pressure on the Iranian regime by establishing a federal list of entities that invest in Iran and allowing for divestment.
Unfortunately, Obama's bill is being blocked by Republicans.
Fired Up! Ready to Go! Keith Olbermann's comment was that Barack's speech in Mitchell, SD this morning was one of the Great Stump Speeches. I hope you heard it. It truly was Greaaaaaaaaat!
If you have a Doxie, Dachshund Owner for Obama has a modest fundraiser at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Dachshunds
Please visit and donate for Obama. Maggie, that's her picture on the donation page, she's my longhair black and tan doxie, and I thank you.
I'm not sure where this myth came from that criminals cannot profit from their criminal activity.
First, there are are the speculative profitting by criminals. The two most prominent examples are Bush the Lesser and his VP. If Bush the Lesser has even the pre-Oz brains of the Scarecrow, two days before his term is up, he will grant Cheney a full pardon for all crimes. Then he will resign and let Cheney take office as President for one day and grant Bush a full pardon for all crimes. It still won't stop them from being prosecuted for international war crimes. As long as they don't kill anyone while quail hunting, golfing, or fishing, they should be safe from prosecution.
As to McClellan, he wasn't under oath when standing in the White House Press Room. Lying isn't perjury. As pointed out by a recent President, it's okay to lie if Hillary asks him if her pantsuit makes her hips look too big.
I have received numerous emails today and a comment to my blog about MoveOn.org and their effort to pressure Scott McClellan to give away his earnings. Four writers have indicated that they are removing their names from the rolls of MoveOn.org. I'm not sure I concur with their actions. My membership in a church or organization has always been a matter of balancing the positives and the negatives. I haven't agreed 100% with all the actions or goals of any church or organization to which I have been a member. Numerous times, I have supported change from within. On one occasion. I did resigned an office and disassociated myself from membership. Hopefully, MoveOn.org will re-evaluate their position on Mr. McClellan. I hate saying wordls like "ought" and "should". However, MoveOn.org should and ought to be encouraging more people to shine the light of revealation into the dark recesses of Cheney's and Bush the Lesser's minds and machinations.
One of the responses added points that I had not mentioned that are worthy of my passing on to others. The reply stated that the Bible says a workman is worthy of his wages. "I would not presume to be qualified to tell him to give away his earnings for three years of writing the lengthy expose on the Bush administration. ... I think a whistleblower needs money to live on, as he probably has blown all future employment in his field, whether an engineer from NASA, or press secretary to the "men who rule the world",Bush&Cheney. Remember, some whistleblowers have literally lost everything for revealing the Truth,i.e., their job, savings, family, and even health. Intimidation from MOVEON to give away his book earnings "for penance" could discourage future whistle blowers faced with no prospect of career."
For months I have emailed and blogged about inane and stupid positions espoused by Hellery and her minion Terry McAullife. Thanks to the latest blunder by MoveOn.org, the feeble-minded idiocy of Hellery and her camp has been surpassed.
MoveOn.org wants Scott McClellan to donate his total proceeds from his whistleblowing book to vets. Here is a man who, because of his moral principles, has alienated himself from all his life long friends. Scott McClellan, prior to his book and appearance on Keith Olbermann, was NOT on my list people to applaud. That has changed. He isn't in the class as our heros in uniform, but he deserves to be applauded for coming forward. I know there has been criticism for his not publishing earlier, however, I accept his statement on television that the past two years have been spent refining and re-drafting the book. My most recent book is in my nineteenth re-write, so I sympathize with Mr. McClellan. A book from conception to actual publication can easily consume several years.
MoveOn.org's position is penal. If they prevail, it will discourage present and former members of "Bush the Lesser's" administration from coming forward.
Shame on you MoveOn.org. Kudos to Scott McClellan.
On the radio this morning, there was another assertion that Obama's "Camp" had reinserted the issue of sexism into the campaign. Let's think for a moment. It was Hillary and her "Camp" that raised these issues:
"I'm wearing pantsuits because I can wear the pants"
Testicular Fortitude
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"
"There are no whiners in the White House"
"The Nutcracker"
Make Rocky Balboa "look like a pansy"
To follow McCan'ts distorted reasoning, Obama can't really oppose Arson, unless he visits arson set fires.
Is McCan't proposing that he will not render aid to any country that has suffered a natural disaster unless he goes and visits the country, viz, no aid to Turkey or China until after he visits the earthquake torn areas?
Apparently there will be no exploration to Mars if McCan't is elected, because he won't be able to visit the red planet to assess if exploration to the planet is warranted.
Perhaps if McCan't had spent less time using taxpayers' dollars to visit Iraq and campaigning from his family's private jet plane, he could have visit closed American factories and laid off American workers. If he wants to visit somewhere with Obama, start with trucking firms that have laid off workers or closed because they can't afford to purchase fuel with the devalued dollars caused in major part by Bush the Lesser's war.
Jim Lehrer: Finally for the record, you have not lost your desire to be President of the United States have you?
John McCain: Certainly it's been put in deep cold storage. haha..
Jim Lehrer: You haven't lost it?
John McCain: Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there.
Interview August 1, 2000. Yes folks, that was almost eight years ago.
