My writer's training grounds

Barack Obama the Socialist

Sine in KS — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:35:21 EST

To those afraid of Barack Obama The Socialist, I’d like to offer a little perspective. I was born and raised in a country with higher taxes, stringent pro-labor laws, and universal healthcare. Not many will call this country – Germany – socialist. Yet if you plopped Senator Obama into the German parliament, you would see him sitting at a lonely outpost on the far right.

Obama is no more a socialist than Clinton, Bush Senior, or Reagan. All he proposes is to restore the tax code to what it was during the Clinton years. Were we socialist then? If so, then I for one am longing for those socialist days of old, when our economy was still sound. The fact is, even John McCain called the Bush tax cuts irresponsible at the time.

So please, educate yourself about the candidates and their proposals and vote accordingly. But don’t vote based on some silly label one politician sticks on another.

View this letter as published by the Kansas City Star on 10-30-08: http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2008/10/views-on-the-pr.html

A 6-year old on the AIG bailout

Sine in KS — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:42:26 EDT

My 6-year old daughter was looking at pictures in the NY Times. A suitcase full of money, along with an article about AIG and how it has used billions in Fed money but failed to disclose for what, caught her eye (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/business/30aig.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&em&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1225426931-X0UkKF4IS5YDV9iIokTjUQ). After sounding out the title, “Where did the cash go?” she thought for a minute, then said: “I guess somebody was robbed of all their money.”

Mr. Paulson, she speaks the truth: You let yourself be robbed of the money we entrusted you with! How much more incompetent can this administration get?

"Republicans and the low-tax Fairytale" on Op-Ed news

Sine in KS — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:10:50 EDT

I recently had this published on Op-Ed News:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Republican-low-tax-fai-by-Sine-Thieme-081002-186.html

Moment of truth: Real Americans vs. mud-bloods

Sine in KS — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:17:51 EDT

In a rare moment of truth for Republicans, the presidential election has come down to a simple choice: the “real” America versus the “other” America. Clashing world views about patriotism after 9/11, economic fairness, and social values finally have been distilled to an essence anybody can comprehend.

Maybe we needed a self-proclaimed Washington outsider, such as Sarah Palin, to tell us in simple terms. And if that weren’t enough, Michele Bachman (R-Minn) felt the need to call for an investigation of all members of Congress to determine who is pro-American and who is not, with the chilling implication that something needs to be done with the latter. A burning at the stake, perhaps?

All this is eerily reminiscent of the “pure-bloods” and “mud-bloods” in a bestselling series of books. Pure fiction, to be sure, but a powerful read. The denizens of what’s left of the Republican Party might want to read up on what happens to those who sew such legendary seeds of division. Then again, maybe this is why some “real” Americans have sought to have these particular books banned.

Flavor of the week: Socialism

Sine in KS — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:12:31 EDT

So now John McCain is calling Barack Obama a socialist. Perhaps this charge would stick better if he had employed it from the beginning of his campaign, not with two weeks to go and the panic amongst his advisors visible to everyone.

In a long line of such flavor-of-the-week attacks, it does not resonate with voters now. We were already told that Senator Obama was too elitist, too inexperienced, too famous, too risky, too fit, too eloquent, too unknown, too skinny, and too presumptuous. Too socialist? Add that to the list.

McCain may have finally succeeded in showing the American people just how meaningless such labels are. More and more Republicans and conservatives are flocking to Obama’s side. If they associate with a “socialist” or even a “liberal,” so can we. And perhaps McCain’s fake outrage over “spreading the wealth” would be more convincing if he himself had not announced a $300 billion taxpayer-financed bailout for homeowners just last week.

My letter to John McCain (in response to his letter asking for money)

Sine in KS — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:37:09 EDT

Dear Senator McCain:

Just like you, I am not one to mince words, so let me get straight to the point.

I am pleased to hear that the prospect of the Democrats gaining total control of the federal government concerns you. And I agree that my help is needed right now.

That’s why I have dedicated myself to volunteering for the Obama campaign to ensure that for once our country can change course from the disastrous last eight years. I once thought that you might be different than the other Republicans, that you would actually think before following the party line, but in the last few weeks I have come to see that you are exactly the same.

It's Time to Help the Middle Class

Sine in KS — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:24:38 EDT

Both Barack Obama and John McCain propose tax plans that will lower taxes, much to the surprise of many voters who still believe that only Republicans are capable of that.

However, a comparison of both plans conducted by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center shows a vast difference: While the bulk of McCain’s tax cuts are designed to benefit the wealthiest 1% of tax payers, based on a continued belief in trickle-down economics, Obama proposes to lower taxes for 95% of Americans in an effort to shore up the middle class.

For eight years we were told that helping the rich would help everybody by growing the overall economy. Since that clearly hasn’t worked, why not try the other approach?

The End Never Justifies the Means

Sine in KS — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:39 EDT

Senator McCain, in light of your continued insistence that America should not be obsessed with the economy but rather with the idea that one presidential candidate is really a terrorist, one can only assume two motives:

Either you do NOT put country first, as you are so fond of saying, and will do anything it takes to become president. Or you truly DO believe it is in the best interest of our country to use any means necessary to keep Barack Obama from becoming president.

Well, Sen. McCain, let me tell you something: The end never, ever justifies the means. It did not when witches were burned at the stake, it did not during the crusades, it did not when torturing prisoners in Vietnam, and it did not when torturing prisoners in Guantanamo.

No one blames you for wanting to be president, but stop using despicable means to achieve your end. It is neither honorable nor patriotic.

McCain's Last Trump: The Fear Card

Sine in KS — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:17:29 EDT

The new McCain/Palin campaign slogan of “Who is the real Barack Obama?” is absolutely despicable. Poll numbers for Obama are rising steadily, no doubt a reflection of American’s growing confidence he will deal best with the economic crisis. John McCain’s campaign planners are trying one last trump to reverse this trend. They are playing the fear card. It has worked well for Republicans in the past.

After nearly two years of campaigning and public vetting, they are pretending there is much about Senator Obama we don’t know. And what do they think that is? The worst dirt they could trump up was that Obama once served on the same board as William Ayers, who was a Weather Underground bomber four decades ago. If they could find more dirt, I’m sure we’d hear about it. But because there isn’t anything, McCain and Palin think stoking the fires at their rallies and getting angry mobs shouting “terrorist” will scare enough voters away from Obama.

We may not know everything about John McCain either, but there is one thing about his character that is becoming increasingly clear: He will stoop to unbelievably low levels just to become president.

Take John McCain's Promises with a Grain of Salt

Sine in KS — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:27:22 EDT

Long after the pundits were finished discussing who was more forceful and who scored the most points in the 2nd presidential debate, two statements by John McCain continued to ring in my mind: “I know how to find bin Laden” and “I know how to fix the economy.”

It has now been seven years since 9/11 and to my knowledge we have not yet found Osama bin Laden. Since it is unfathomable that John McCain would be so unpatriotic as to withhold such crucial information from our current leaders, I can only assume that he has no clue.

So when he makes the same bold promises about fixing our economy, I will take that with a substantial grain of salt.

A Risky Choice for President

Sine in KS — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:10:31 EDT

The McCain campaign claims they are now “turning a page on this financial crisis” by focusing on Senator Obama as “too risky for Americans.”

Too risky? Never mind that most Americans don’t have the luxury to turn the page on their own economic woes, and that passage of the bailout package hasn’t solved their immediate problems—if we are going to discuss risky choices, let’s take a closer look at Senator McCain’s past.

In the 1980s, after he was lobbied heavily by Charles Keating, the chairman of Lincoln Savings and Loan who later went to jail, McCain was instrumental in calling off federal regulators pushing for an investigation of Lincoln. This was the first time he sided with deregulation. The ensuing Savings and Loan collapse cost U.S. taxpayers $124 billion. At the time, McCain got away with a warning from the Senate Ethics Committee, but others involved in the scandal were not so lucky.

Not only does McCain’s involvement with Charles Keating show a serious lack of judgment and integrity, he also seems to have learned nothing from it. He has continued to vote for more deregulation over the years, leading us once again to a collapse in the financial sector. The only difference: in 2008 it is costing taxpayers $700 billion.

Why should we wait around to find out if McCain has learned the lesson this time? What will it cost us if he hasn’t? A risky choice indeed!

Are You Voting Against Your Pocketbook?

Sine in KS — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:15:22 EDT

Looking at the state of our economy, most people now realize that the philosophy of deregulation, so favored by the Republicans, did not deliver the promised results. On the contrary, we are facing the biggest financial crisis in 70 years and will all pay the price for the current administration’s limited foresight and failed policies for years to come.

However, many of us are still eager to believe another promise peddled by the Republicans: “We will lower your taxes, while the tax-and-spend liberal Democrats will take all your money away.” When John McCain and Sarah Palin announce Barack Obama voted 94 times to raise our taxes, we readily accept such a claim. We think, “That’s what liberal Democrats do.” It comes as a surprise, then, if we apply the same bogus counting method to McCain’s record and discover he voted to raise our taxes 477 times.

In truth, both candidates promise lower taxes. Here is the main difference: McCain offers the biggest break to the top 1% of wealthiest Americans, in hopes that will trickle down to the rest of us in a strong economy created by such tax cuts. On the other hand, Obama will cut taxes for 95% of Americans in order to strengthen the middle class. You judge whether you want to believe Republican promises of a strong resurgent economy, or whether you’d rather see those Obama tax cuts in your own paycheck.

Newspaper links for letters to the editor

Sine in KS — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:18:13 EDT

Colorado:

http://www.nunnglow.com/reference/tips-for-writing-a-letter-to-the-editor.html

Florida:

http://dpffl.org/newscontact.htm

Indiana:

http://advocates.ppin.org/lte.aspx

Kansas:

http://www.ksdp.org/node/952

Michigan:

http://www.michigancivilrights.org/writealetter.html

http://onemom.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/huckabee-supporters-write-letters-to-newspapers/

Minnesota:

http://northstar.sierraclub.org/involved/letters/editorAddresses.html

North Carolina:

http://www.ncdp.org/lettertotheeditor

Ohio:

http://www.ohiodems.org/site/c.mhLRKZPCLmF/b.3632423/k.E48D/Write_a_Letter_to_the_Editor.htm

Oregon:

http://www.oregonhousedemocrats.com/cgi-bin/lte.cgi?id=1000 (similar to SpeakOut but also has direct contact links)

http://www.onethousandfriendsoforegon.org/issues/M37/LTE-guide.html

http://www.injuredworker.org/newspapers.htm

Virginia:

http://www.familyfoundation.org/editor.html

John McCain's neglect of our veterans

Sine in KS — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:12:00 EDT

Actions speak louder than words. John McCain, who has fashioned experience versus just words into a major theme of his campaign, should know this. So, when he promised at the end of the first presidential debate that he would “take care of our veterans,” he must have known that some voters might go looking for his record.

They didn’t even have to dig deep. Just this spring, Senator McCain opposed the biggest expansion of the GI bill in a quarter century, a bill that enjoyed widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. McCain found it too generous to veterans returning from Iraq, a place he seems determined to keep them indefinitely, and was afraid it would entice them to leave the military early. He opposed the bill and did not even attend the vote. Fortunately, others did, including Senator Obama, and the GI Bill of 2008 has been signed into law.

Sen. McCain’s actions do not support taking care of veterans. It’s time for voters to peel back his “support our troops” label and look underneath. There is not much there.

“You were wrong, John!”

Sine in KS — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:19:11 EDT

The closer we get to November 4th, the more evident it is that John McCain’s much-touted experience has become a burden for him. His ideology and poor judgment have brought about too many disastrous developments for voters to have much confidence in his leadership.

Although he tried for much of the first presidential debate to portray Barack Obama as naïve and inexperienced, with his arrogant repetition “my opponent does not seem to understand,” the most memorable and compelling words were Senator Obama’s “You were wrong, John!” Obama’s performance showed the American people that he understands the issues very well, and McCain cannot escape the fact that he was wrong too many times. He was wrong to authorize the Iraq war. He was wrong to brush away the risks of the ensuing Iraq invasion. He was wrong to vote against renewable energy more than 20 times. He was wrong to side with the S&L industry against federal regulators in the 1980s, and he was wrong to champion deregulation since then.

We are now engaged in two wars, we are more dependent on foreign oil than ever, and we are facing the most catastrophic economic collapse in recent history. John McCain’s experience and his adherence to a philosophy of laissez-faire, of neglecting the middle class, and of picking fights with our enemies helped get us here. His is not the kind of experience we need in our foremost leader.

This letter was also published in the Chapel Hill News in North Carolina: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/19871.html

SHORT VERSION: "Why True Conservatives need to Vote for the Liberal Democrat"

Sine in KS — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:45:39 EDT

This letter is a 350 word version of the longer article with the same title further down on my blog. It might be better suited for submission as letter to the editor.

“I am a conservative. I could never vote for the most liberal Democrat in Congress.” I’ve heard this said over and again. Let me show you why it is precisely the liberal Democrat you need to vote for if you truly espouse conservative principles.

Let’s take the idea of small government and free markets, a truly conservative value. Free markets consistently outperform centrally planned economies, and everybody ends up better off. The problem is that the “conservatives” running Washington for the last 8 years mistook “little intervention” for “no intervention” and successfully pushed for deregulation and less government oversight of our financial markets. Where has that gotten us? To a world in which the federal government now essentially owns four of our largest financial institutions.

The thing is, with prudent foresight and well-managed regulation, the current crisis could have been avoided. But what has the “conservative” candidate, who is now pledging to “clean up Wall Street,” done in the last 26 years? He has consistently sided with his party in pushing for deregulation.

If years ago we had listened to “liberal” calls for caution, we would now live in a world where the markets were regulated AND working. If you are in favor of free markets and little government intervention, you need to wake up to the fact that “liberal” and “conservative” are misleading labels created as smokescreens by the political parties. Nowadays “conservatives” are not pro-market. They are pro-business and have allowed special interests to lobby them for measures that imperil the very foundation of our free markets.

Why put a person in the White House just because he calls himself a “conservative”? If you’re voting for free markets, you need to vote for the man who has plans for their survival, no matter what label anyone tries to stick on him.

The Face of Hope

Sine in KS — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:35:54 EDT

I recently tried to combine my artistic wanderings with my work for the Obama campaign and designed a line of t-shirts, mugs, and stickers. My main design, the Face of Hope, is an artistic drawing of Barack Obama, rendered in different shades. Please visit my online store at http://www.cafepress.com/faceofhope.

When I'm out registering new voters, I always get asked where to get Obama merchandise, and there is always disappointment that our local headquarters is constantly sold out. So, if you need to buy any gear and want it fast, consider my shop. It's also a good way to help out the campaign, as I donate all proceeds.

I am also offering my services as an artist to draw a custom portrait for you, based on any original photograph you email me. The drawing would be similar in style to this: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Sine

If you are interested or would like to see additional samples, please leave a comment.

Republicans' poor record on energy independence

Sine in KS — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:55:55 EDT

In a recent effort to bolster running mate Sarah Palin's credentials on national security beyond the fact that she can "see Russia from Alaska," John McCain pointed out that she "understands energy." She herself emphasized in her ABC interview that "energy is a foundation of national security."

Really? Has she told this to her own party, the Republicans, the ones who have been running this country for the last decade? This is the party that, for the last 20 years, has vehemently opposed raising fuel efficiency standards, a measure that could have reduced domestic oil consumption by millions of barrels a day. And how can John McCain make this claim for the Republican ticket? He himself voted against renewable energy 25 times in the Senate. He missed all three critical clean energy votes in 2007, while at the same time accepting huge contributions from the oil industry. He voted against a plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil in 2005. And now he claims to be the champion of a new energy policy?

Yes, energy is a foundation of our national security, as Barack Obama laid out so well in his National Security address of July 15th. We absolutely have to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But for the Republicans to write this on their banners when they did absolutely nothing while they had the chance is merely a cheap ploy for votes. I hope the American public is not buying.

Wasting no time to change Washington

Sine in KS — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:32:12 EDT

In light of the financial market breakdown, John McCain promised us that he is “not going to waste a moment in changing the way Washington does business” and further called for reforms to expose and end the “reckless conduct, corruption and greed” on Wall Street.

He is right to blame Wall Street companies for taking excessive risks at taxpayers’ expense and for building up a bubble that had no foundation in reality. But who was the champion of deregulating our financial institutions, of reducing already scant government responsibility for oversight, of believing the markets were best at policing themselves? If you have any doubts, please check Senator McCain’s record. He even promoted a moratorium on federal regulations of all kinds in 1995.

Yes, we should not waste a moment to change Washington, but we also should not waste our vote on November 4th by throwing it away on the candidate who has wasted 25-years worth of opportunities to make true change happen in Washington.

Why True Conservatives need to Vote for the Liberal Democrat

Sine in KS — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:26:32 EDT

Let’s take the idea of small government, with little interference in and self-regulation of markets. We can all agree this is a truly conservative value. Free markets consistently outperform centrally planned economies, and everybody ends up better off. The problem is that the “conservatives” running Washington for the last 8 years mistook “little intervention” for “no intervention.” So they successfully pushed for deregulation and less government oversight of our financial markets, leaving the markets to their own free-wheeling and increasingly non-transparent devices. Where has that gotten us? To a world in which the federal government now essentially owns four of our largest financial institutions.

Should the federal government be in the business of running Wall Street? Is that a conservative value? The answer is no. Overnight, we dramatically jumped from no regulation to government control. We now have the very government intervention that would have Milton Friedman turn in his grave. And what is free about a market in which companies and their executives reap enormous profits when times are good and get bailed out when times are bad? Does that teach prudent investment and good decision making, also conservative values?

The thing is, with prudent foresight and well-managed regulation, the current crisis could have been avoided. With a little well-placed oversight, our markets would have run pretty smoothly, largely unassisted, and with the public’s trust. Easy to say now, but we needed that a year ago.

So let’s take a look at what happened over the last few years. In February 2006, the so-called liberal candidate introduced the STOP FRAUD act in the Senate to address “deteriorating mortgage lending practices and rising foreclosures.” In March 2008, the same “liberal” candidate outlined 6 detailed principles to “correct failures in financial market oversight and move forwards to restore accountability, transparency, and trust,” warning of precisely the kind of problems we now face. Meanwhile, the so-called conservative candidate, who throughout his career consistently embraced his party’s mantra of deregulation, repeatedly failed to recognize the growing housing crisis as a problem and continued to call for less regulation in March, May, and July of 2008. And the economic adviser of this “conservative” candidate authored the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 to “protect financial institution from overregulation,” paving the way for the explosion of complex financial instruments that are at the root of our current credit crisis.

I dare say, if years ago we had listened to those “liberal” proposals instead of enacting the “conservative” ones, we would now live in a world where the markets were regulated AND working. If you are in favor of free markets and little government intervention, you need to wake up to the fact that “liberal” and “conservative” are misleading labels created as smokescreens by the political parties. Nowadays “conservatives” are not pro-market. They are pro-business and have allowed special interests to lobby them for measures that imperil the very foundation of our free markets. Look at what the candidates stand for, and whether it is smart policy or simply blind repetition of party dogma. If the liberal candidate’s plan states, “Free markets are the engine of American progress; but the government’s role as umpire and steward is critical to the function of the free market,” you should give that plan a serious look.

Too bad it had to come this far. No matter who ends up in the White House, he will have to deal with this financial mess for a long time. But why put a person there just because he calls himself a “conservative”? Because that happens to be what you think you are? If you’re voting for free markets, you need to vote for the man who has plans for their survival, no matter what label anyone tries to stick on him.

Sending ghost-written letters to newspapers

Sine in KS — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:38:15 EDT

Welcome to the Ghost Writer Guild and thank you for helping with the submission of our ghost-written articles. In addition to using the “Speak Out” tool on MYBO, we are trying to reach even further by contacting a wider range of newspapers and also the online blog community.

To get started:

Please contact me at sthieme@kc.rr.com and I will send you a spreadsheet showing what articles have already been submitted and where. This way we can avoid duplication.
Create an email to a local newspaper using this list: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/sine/gGxVhF. (If your state is not on the list, use http://www.50states.com/... to select a paper and look for a contact to "letters to the editor" on the opinion page.)
Type “Letter to the Editor" into the subject line.
Cut and paste an article from our blog into the body of your email message: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/group/TheGhostWriterGuild/. Modify our letter as you see fit. I.e. you might start with "I'm a small business owner, and the current economic crisis..."; or you might scan the headlines of that paper to see if your letter can somehow be linked to one of their articles in an introduction, such as “Wall Street is in a serious mess (Fed to bail out AIG for $85 billion, Sept 17, Page 1) but John McCain…” This is not strictly necessary, but it does increase the chance for publication.
Finish your letter with: Sincerely, [your OWN name], and make sure to add the date and your OWN address and telephone number for verification.
Congratulations, you have now created a letter to the editor! But please don’t stop here. Resend it to several more local papers, and maybe a more regional one. Be sure to send it to one paper at a time, otherwise it will be seen as a mass mailing and probably ignored.
We are concentrating on the battleground states CO, FL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NC, NV, OH, OR, PA, VA. You can submit letters in these states. And please forward this info to your contacts in these states, and get them involved as well!
If you are an active blogger OUTSIDE of MYBO, please help us post our letters there as well. Especially more conservative sites, and the MSM blogs. We are often preaching to the choir and not the people who most need to hear us.
Finally, please contact me at sthieme@kc.rr.com after submitting your letters so that I can keep our spreadsheet updated.

With your help, we can influence public opinion in these last crucial weeks.

YES WE CAN!

Cleaning up Wall Street

Sine in KS — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:13:52 EDT

Well, it's official now. Wall Street is in a BIG mess.

By agreeing to the bailout of A.I.G., the Federal Reserve is staging the most radical intervention in private business in its entire history. The fact that this unprecedented action was deemed necessary should convince the most ardent optimists that our economy is in serious trouble. Even John McCain, who just days ago was still calling the economy “fundamentally sound,” has now realized the foolishness of such remarks. His campaign is frantically backpedalling by launching myriad press releases that decry the financial crisis and blame “the greed and corruption of Wall Street.”

Where, I ask, is the leadership in such behavior from the man who consistently gets high leadership marks from voters? Senator McCain seems to think that calling himself a maverick and an agent of change will gloss over his poor record. But the fact is that this crisis was caused by a severe lack of government oversight of financial institutions. And for years, in keeping with the Republican majority, Senator McCain has called for less regulation, not more, and even promoted a moratorium on federal regulations of all kinds in 1995.

The tumble of the Wall Street house of cards is proof that a whole new approach toward regulating financial markets is in order. Why trust the candidate whose economic policies helped create the bubble in the first place, allowing these companies to take excessive risks at taxpayers’ expense? Why should we put our trust in John McCain to “clean up Wall Street” when he did absolutely nothing when he had the chance?

Battling the myth that Obama will raise our taxes

Sine in KS — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:05:34 EDT

Amidst all the outrage over lipstick—and which animal it is politically correct to put it on—we seem to have forgotten something important. We have forgotten that one of the most blatant misrepresentations put forth during this campaign is still readily believed by a majority of Americans. I am talking about the claim that, as President, Barack Obama will raise our taxes. This is completely false. In reality, four out of five American households will see reduced taxes under the Obama tax plan. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center reports that anyone earning under $120K (the vast majority of Americans) will see substantially lower taxes under his proposal, compared with that of John McCain. And even people with incomes up to $600K will see their tax burden essentially stay the same under the Obama plan.

Both candidates have to answer for how they will finance their proposals. But if everyone votes purely based on his or her pocketbook, Barack Obama should receive 80% of the vote.

Letter to Washington Post - Obama tax plan LOWERS taxes

Sine in KS — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:48:21 EDT

Letter to the Washington Post on September 12, 2008:

Thank you for pointing out the wide gulf between the issues facing our country and the discourse of the presidential campaign (What’s the Pig Deal, Sept 11, Page 16). It is often the media who gets blamed for focusing on silly non-issues, but I dare say it might be that people are not concerned about facts because they think they already know them, and therefore prefer to watch the soap opera unfold.

Take the issue of taxes: A majority of Americans believe that Barack Obama will raise our taxes. Most people don’t even question that claim. But it is simply NOT TRUE. In fact, four out of five American households will see REDUCED taxes under the Obama tax plan. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center reports that, according to this plan, your taxes will essentially stay the same for incomes up to $600K. Anyone earning under $120K (the vast majority of Americans) will see substantially LOWER taxes under this proposal vs. that of John McCain.

Know the facts before you vote!

Letter to NY Times - Barack Obama will LOWER taxes

Sine in KS — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:38:49 EDT

Letter to the New York Times on September 12, 2008:

Thank you for disclosing the distortions and lies of the McCain campaign in "A Message from McCain" (Opinion, Sept. 11).

Another persistent distortion that has taken hold in voters' minds is that Barack Obama will raise their taxes. A majority of Americans believes this to be true, when in fact it is completely false. Four out of five American households will see reduced taxes under the Obama tax plan. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center reports that anyone earning under $120K (the vast majority of Americans) will see substantially LOWER taxes under this proposal vs. that of John McCain. And even for incomes up to $600K, your tax burden willl essentially stay the same under the Obama plan.

If everyone voted purely based on their pocket book, Barack Obama should receive 80% of the vote.

True Leadership

Sine in KS — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:24:39 EDT

It’s funny how Republicans insist that Barack Obama cannot be trusted with the tough decisions facing our country. Yet they seem happy to follow in his footsteps time and again after they are done attacking his proposals.

It was Barack Obama who favored high-level talks with our enemies. Now Robert Gates is holding those talks with Iran.

It was Barack Obama who, from the start of his campaign, advised shifting more troops into Afghanistan. Plans to do just that are now underway.

It was Barack Obama who first brought attention to the mortgage crisis when George W. Bush and John McCain insisted there was no problem.

It was Barack Obama who has always insisted we need change in Washington. At the Republican convention, changing a broken Washington was the major theme.

It was Barack Obama who, since 2006, has called for on overhaul of financial market regulation to address alarming mortgage lending practices and failures in government oversight. Only after the crisis erupted and the full extent of the recklessness of financial institutions had become evident did John McCain vow to battle corruption and greed on Wall Street.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather hitch my wagon to a true leader than to his followers.

Biggest Fairytale of this election

Sine in KS — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:46:28 EDT

One of the most stubborn holdovers from the glory days of the Republican Party is that it stands for low taxes, small government, and fiscal responsibility. Voters continue to be lured with the promise that they’ll get to keep more of their hard-earned money and that the government will use the money they do pay responsibly. These are the values that swept Ronald Reagan to power so overwhelmingly and they continue to pervade the world view of many Americans. It’s a compelling story: Vote for us, or the “tax-and-spend liberal Democrats” will take all your money away.

But when will people ever understand that there is no free lunch? That continually failing to match government expenditures with enough tax revenues to produce a balanced budget creates grave problems for this country and by extension to all of us?

I used to be a fan of Ronald Reagan, but he almost tripled our national debt from $900 billion to $2.6 trillion, which means he accumulated more debt in 8 years than all the presidents combined before him. George W. Bush started office with a balanced budget which, incidentally, he inherited from a “tax-and-spend liberal Democrat,” but by the time he leaves office, our national debt is estimated to be close to $10 trillion. What’s more, he squandered the one opportunity we had after 9/11 to tell people that yes, taxes are needed to finance government programs, especially wars, and told us to go shopping.

This Republican administration will leave behind the biggest budget deficit we’ve ever seen. But why should we care, you might ask? If I get to keep more of my money, what does it matter to me if the government doesn’t seem able to do the same with theirs?

There are two reasons we should all care very much: Inflation and China. Mounting debt devalues a currency and creates inflationary pressure. As of July 2007, the rate of inflation in the U.S. has risen to 5.6%, the highest since 1991. Go ask your bank, but at my average money market savings rate of 2%, my money is worth less every year. Put differently, your money does not buy as much as it used to, as anyone lately visiting a grocery store or gas station can attest. And because our government has long run out of people in our country to borrow from, an ever bigger share of our national debt is financed by foreign creditors in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and China. Everyone can see the situation our dependence on foreign oil has gotten us into, but our dependence on foreign money is just as alarming.

The Republican Party has long ago abandoned its conservative values of small government and fiscal responsibility. Yet it continues to tell voters to be wary of the “spend-happy Democrats.” We continue to be told that our money is safe in the hands of the party that failed to manage our nation’s budget for the last eight years. So when John McCain tells us that he will lower taxes and somehow produce a balanced budget by 2013, remember that there is no free lunch. Why bet our future on a candidate who says there is?

The Republicans and Taxes

Sine in KS — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:26:25 EDT

I just submitted this to my local newspaper. I strongly feel this is an important point to make. Many of my friends are Republicans, and the issue of low taxes is their main reason for it. But they are also mostly very educated people, and hammering this point may at least sow some doubts among them:

Here we go again. George Will is accusing Barack Obama of making “fairytale promises” (Opinion 8/30/08), trying once more to stick the tax-and-spend liberal label on a Democrat. It’s a very compelling story: Vote for us, or you will have less money.

When will people ever understand that there is no free lunch? George Bush started office with a balanced budget and has since then amassed a record budget deficit, plunging us ever deeper into national debt. The only way out of this mountain of debt will be to ultimately raise taxes anyway, or to print more money. Inflation is already at a record 5.6%, diluting the value of everybody’s hard-earned money.

The Republican Party has long ago abandoned its conservative values of small government, privacy rights, and fiscal responsibility. The biggest fairytale in this election is that we continue to be told that our money is safe in the hands of the party that failed to manage our nation’s budget for the last eight years.

Observations on "Media Bias"

Sine in KS — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:53:46 EDT

Much has been said lately about Barack Obama being the "darling of the media", receiving too much coverage and a free pass to boot. He can do no wrong, people say. Really? Where have they been? If anything, it is entirely the other way around. John McCain is the one who never seems to get in trouble for his numerous major gaffes, and who gets away with telling blatant lies about his opponent.

Either way, the accusation of media bias in a presidential election has always struck me as a misguided “shoot-the-messenger” reaction. The media, like everybody else, is in it to make money, and the money is where the viewers and readers are. So it would be foolish not to report events that people are interested in. Blame the people, if you must. I know I am to blame. As a newly minted political junkie this election season, nothing draws my attention as quickly as the promise of a “major gaffe”, a heated discussion by the pundits, or a major policy development. Quite honestly, when faced with the choice of “Obama speaks to 200,000 in Berlin” and “McCain has bratwurst in Ohio eatery” in my July 25 issue of the Kansas City Star, I was leaning towards the former. By the way, the Star went out of its way to ensure fairness by burying both articles towards the back of the paper, companionably side by side. I was curious how it was handled elsewhere and googled (or, in the words of John McCain, did 'the google' on) “Obama Berlin” and McCain Ohio Bratwurst”, receiving roughly 7.5 million and 11,000 hits, respectively. That’s media bias, right? Although, I suspect, if I took the time to plow through all of the entries, I’d find a considerably higher percentage of negative Obama reports, which I’d then have to somehow factor into a “fairness equation”.

Same old Republican scare tactics

Sine in KS — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:39:35 EDT

Kansas City Star, 8/4/04:

Kathleen Parker calls Barack Obama a “Sun God”, a “deus ex machina” who is “too good to be true” (Something missing in the Sun God’s Glare, Opinion 8/4/08, http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/732362.html). We don’t know where this “pied piper” might lead us, she goes on to say.

This is just another example of scare tactics replacing an honest debate of real issues. One only needs to listen to Sen. Obama’s recent speech in Michigan, revealing his “New Energy for America” plan, to get a pretty clear idea where he is leading us – away from our dependence on foreign oil, which has had such disastruous effects on the economy, the environment, and our national security. It is a comprehensive strategy, without empty promises, not vague or mysterious in any way. Yet there are people like Kathleen Parker who prefer to cast Sen. Obama as the risky choice, the unknown, or – running out of other reasons – too good for us.

By the way, “deus ex machina” is a plot device first used by the ancient Greek to “resolve a hopeless situation”. Maybe Ms. Parker stumbled upon a great definition of what Barack Obama embodies for many Americans?

Link to my letter in the Kansas City Star: http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2008/08/obama-is-no-mer.html

Letter in Washington Post, 6/14/08

Sine in KS — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:04:14 EDT

For the first time I can remember, I find myself agreeing with Charles Krauthammer (At $4, everybody gets rational, 6/6/08). He is absolutely right in saying what no politician will ever dare utter: Gasoline in this country has always been too cheap and should have been taxed much more prohibitively. It would have helped us change our behavior and made our dependence on foreign oil less pronounced. Read the rest of this entry at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303430.html.

Read the original Charles Krauthammer column here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503434.html

My other letter on this topic in the Kansas City Star:

I just about fell off my chair reading the Star’s Opinion page on 6/10. I found myself agreeing with Charles Krauthammer for the first time ever. Who would have thought that he believes in the power of taxes to alter undesirable behavior where free markets fail to work sufficiently? Read the rest of this entry at: http://www.kansascity.com/309/story/665215.html

Political instincts

Sine in KS — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:09:51 EDT

"How did he do it [overcome division among/with his opponents to achieve victory]? Part of the answer lay in [his] steadfastness of purpose, which inspired subordinates to overcome their petty rivalries. Part of it lay in his superb sense of timing and his sensitivity to the pulse of public opinion as he moved to bring along a divided people to the support of "a new birth of freedom." And part of it lay in [his] ability to rise above personal slights, his talent for getting along with men of clashing ideologies and personalities who could not get along with each other."

No, this is not a description of Barack Obama. It is an excerpt from a 2005 New York Times review of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, a book about none other than Abraham Lincoln. But the similarities in leadership style are uncanny, aren't they? I encourage you to read the review. There are many more parallels to this year's Democratic primary race and our newly minted nominee.

More on this at: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/4/9452/78181/384/526416

Moving on to John McCain

Sine in KS — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:27:58 EDT

If Hillary Clinton wants to keep campaigning and spend more of her money on a lost cause, fine. I, for my part, will move on to the argument with John McCain. The time is now to start working on the general election.

Argument #1:

The most imortant argument we have to make is that Barack Obama is no less a patriot than John McCain. Just because he served in the military and was a prisoner of war, McCain gets a freebie here. It is just a given that he is a patriot. Just like people automatically assume that a “support our troops” sticker on a car means the owner is a patriot (or at least that’s what the owner wants them to think). Well, wouldn’t it be even more patriotic then to do something truly extraordinary for our troops, something that would really help them once they get back from their tour of duty? Like paying for their college tuition, another GI Bill, so to speak? It just so happens that such a bill was introduced to Congress, by none other than another Vietnam war veteran, Jim Webb. His proposal has earned widespread bipartisan support and praise. It is co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Hagel and John Warner. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton support it, as do Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. But guess who is opposed to it? George Bush and John McCain. I guess they find it too expensive, just like caring for our veterans once they return from war.

For a great analyis of this topic, read Bob Herbert’s column in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/opinion/06herbert.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.

Please post your comments to add your own "arguments with John McCain".

Letter in NY Times, May 6th, 2008

Sine in KS — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:23:50 EDT

Forgive me if I'm celebrating that the NY Times finally printed one of my letters today, May 6th, 2008:

"I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Friedman. Much larger issues are at stake in this election than what a candidate’s former pastor believes or who might more aptly answer a 3 a.m. phone call..."

Cont.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/opinion/l06dems.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sine+thieme&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Thomas Friedman's column in the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04friedman.html?em&ex=1210219200&en=8840ccd86e5a2549&ei=5087%0A

Cleaning up the Earth - YES WE CAN!

Sine in KS — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:51:40 EDT

Last weekend I joined a group of fellow Obama supporters to clean up trash as part of the Nation for Change effort in cities throughout the United States on April 19th. I brought along three of my kids under loud protests of “Yuck, I don’t wan to touch trash” and “Why can’t I just stay home and play on the Wii”. Our group of some 20 supporters gathered at a local park, sipped our elitist coffees, tore into the donuts so generously provided by our organizers, and set to work.

At first we didn’t see very much trash as we sauntered along Nall Ave. But soon we hit the jackpot along a tree-lined creek, where all sorts of stuff was tangled in the branches and stuck in the mud, the retrieval of which required some acrobatic ability. The kids became experts at spotting coveted plastic bottles and cans for the recycling bags they were in charge of. From little stuff like candy wrappers and cigarette butts, long PVC pipes heavy with mud, to oddities like the ancient contents of a (probably stolen) purse, we collected it all. We even found an American flag. In less than 2 hours, we had picked up more than 20 bags full of trash, were covered from head to toe in mud, and all agreed that this had been great fun. I practically had to drag the kids back to the car, again under protest, but this time to the tune of “Wait, I see more there!” and “Just one more, mom, please!”

It felt great to do something good, get some fresh air and exercise, and see the children learn the valuable lesson that everybody has to do their part to keep the environment clean. We now have to keep plastic bags in our car because our 5-year old has developed a habit of picking up trash wherever we are.

A big thank you to our organizers KO Strohbehn and Anne Faubel!

Click here for some action pics:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=eurdzme.c7sah11y&x=0&y=u3q394&localeid=en_US

Join me for our favorite game

Sine in KS — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:56:22 EDT

You know you're an Obama supporter when...

...It's 10:00 at night and the kids are still up because you've been blogging nonstop since dinner

...You're wondering how many calls you can squeeze in between folding laundry and making dinner

...You actually have no laundry to fold since you haven't done any laundry for two weeks

...You've worn the same baseball cap for a week because washing your hair takes too long

...You wish there was a "work" button on your computer that you could hit when your husand comes in the door

...Your 5-year old daughter, when asked if she knows who our president is, answers "Barack Obama!"

...You wonder how you can bring up Obama in a discussion at your house without your husband saying that you have become Obama-obsessed

Got more? Please post! Tired of silly games? Head over to my donation page to help me reach my goal of 1000 calls:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Sine

Letter to Kansas City Star 4-9-08

Sine in KS — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:38:04 EDT

Staying in the race to serve democracy?

Despite mounting pressure from within the Democratic Party, Senator Clinton insists on staying in the nominating contest in order to give all voters a chance to be heard. She is absolutely right. This is democracy at its best. And, as others have pointed out, it would be truly ironic to punish states for voting early and then turn around and punish the states that kept their primaries at a later date.

However, democracy is also at its best when the majority of votes actually determine the outcome. If, by June 3rd, when the last primary vote is counted, Senator Obama continues to lead in the delegate count, Hillary Clinton should step aside. Using the remaining voters as an excuse to stay in the race to later have superdelegates somehow overturn their will at the convention would be a slap in the face of the very voters whose rights Mrs. Clinton so valiantly now defends.

Link to this letter in the Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/309/story/567300-p2.html.

There are Rules for Hillary and then there are the other rules

Sine in KS — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:29:54 EDT

In her increasingly desperate quest for moving more goal posts, Hillary Clinton has now discovered that she is a fan of sticking to the rules. Unless this is another incidence of “misspeak”, she is telling the media that pledged delegates have no obligation to vote for the candidate they are pledged to, and she backs this up with: “Those are the rules of the Democratic Party… And they are there for a purpose”.

Now couldn’t we have saved ourselves from much unnecessary debate and anger if she had always applied those same words to the Democratic Party rules banning Michigan and Florida from voting early? Never mind that wooing just one delegate into her camp would invalidate tens of thousands of votes cast? I thought invalidating honest votes was the very reason for her outcry over Michigan and Florida. But I must be fixated on the wrong goal posts. Again.

Letter to Raleigh News and Observer

Sine in KS — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:22:12 EDT

Accusing someone of lying seems to have become a bigger offense in today’s political landscape than the lying itself. Therefore we are treated to a myriad of synonyms, such as “disingenious”, “not truthful”, and “factually wrong”. “Misspoke” is the latest addition to this collection. Senator Clinton repeatedly talked about being under sniper fire in Bosnia until the surfacing of actual video footage of the event forced her to concede that she “misspoke”. So many words come out of her mouth each day, we are reassured, that it is only natural for some of them to be wrong. No big deal. Just ignore them. But with this line of reasoning, we can almost be certain that more “untruths” will be said as Mrs. Clinton continues to talk on the campaign trail. She will have to be very careful, or the voters might not be listening when she actually speaks the truth.

Three Cups of Tea

Sine in KS — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:38:49 EDT

If you find yourself rereading “The Audacity of Hope” for the third time these days because nothing else seems meaningful enough, consider trying “Three Cups of Tea”. It is a deeply moving account of an American mountain climber turned humanitarian who has dedicated his life to building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg Mortenson’s hard work, courage, and self-sacrifice to a cause utterly devoid of any personal gain make him a true hero in my eyes. What he built from scratch, without any government backing or big-name sponsors, only armed with an unquenchable desire to help some of the world’s poorest children and their families, is nothing short of miraculous. It exemplifies the kind of public service Barack Obama inspires us to pursue. Most of us might never come close to what Greg Mortenson has achieved, but his story teaches us how one person can make a difference. It also shows that the only way we will ever overcome fundamentalist terrorism is through education. Greg, though an infidel, is revered throughout Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan for the hope he has brought to so many people in this desolate region. He is completely devoid of the arrogance that has been so pervasive in American foreign policy over the last decade. Instead, he respects and even emulates the customs of the people he’s working with and succeeds in forming the most unlikely friendships. “Three Cups of Tea” should be required reading in the State Department.

Greg Mortenson’s extraordinary journey started when he returned from a failed attempt at climbing K2 and got lost on his way back, stumbling into the village of Korphe in Northern Pakistan, one of the poorest and most desolate habitations on earth. He was welcomed with open arms and nursed back to health by the villagers, during which time he observed that the local children met on a patch of ice to do their studies. This is when the fierce wish to somehow help these children was born in him, and when he left he promised to return and build a school. How he accomplished this is a wonderfully warm and sometimes hilarious story. But he did not stop after fulfilling his pomise. In the decade since, he has built almost sixty additional schools and completed a host of other community projects through the organization he co-founded, Central Asia Institute. He has given numerous presentations to raise money and awareness and has spoken out against the diversion of much-needed funds, earmarked for rebuilding Afghanistan, towards the war effort in Iraq.

I promise you will not be disappointed by “Three Cups of Tea”. To find out more, visit www.threecupsoftea.com. Any books purchased from Amazon through this website will automatically generate a 7% contribution to a girls’ scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Thank you!

Ferraro incident shows double standard

Sine in KS — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:37:09 EDT

Regrettable?

From the campaign that only last week demanded that Samantha Powers be fired from the Obama campaign for her monster comment, we get “regrettable” in response to Geraldine Ferraro’s comments about Barack Obama? From the person who insisted that Senator Obama “reject and denounce” the potential support of Louis Farrakhan, we now get neither “reject” nor “denounce”?

Once again, Senator Clinton shows that she prefers to apply a different standard to herself. Senator Obama’s speeches are “just words”, hers are important. Senator Obama’s 11 years in elected office offer no relevant experience, her 7 years do. Senator Obama is directly responsible for missteps in his campaign, she is not. Senator Obama has to win all 50 states to secure the nomination, especially the ones where his name was not on the ballot, Senator Clinton has to win 5 large ones.

What is regrettable is that we continue to accept this double standard as truth.

More Clinton Hypocrisy

Sine in KS — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:45:58 EDT

Senator Clinton likes to paint herself as the candidate of experience, “ready on day one”. But whenever these “35 years of experience” reveal any flaws, such as the health care debacle or her failure to deliver 5 million jobs to New York as promised, her campaign is ready with an excuse. The latest of such excuses is that mismanaging her campaign cannot be attributed to Senator Clinton. “It’s hard to draw conclusions about her management style, because she is, in fact, not the manager of this campaign”, says Harold Ickes, her senior advisor.

This is meant to be reassuring? How comforting to know that if she becomes President, we might be told that “she is, in fact, not running this office”. We will all be very happy that other people, whoever they might be, are steering the fate of this great nation.

Karl Rove's star pupil: Hillary Clinton

Sine in KS — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:38:45 EDT

Hillary Clinton is a master of political spin. For all her ravings against the “Republican attack machine” she has been a most attentive student of Rovean tactics. Stooping to increasingly negative attacks, she has been able to cast doubt on her opponent’s readiness as commander in chief by citing his lack of experience, when her biggest claim to any distinguishing track record comes from her eight years as First Lady. To paint this as valuable experience is simply ridiculous. She knows it too, which is probably why she refuses to release her White House records.

The Clinton campaign’s latest hints of a joint ticket are nothing more than a new ploy to woo black Mississippi voters away from Senator Obama by suggesting they settle on the first African American vice president. Mrs. Clinton must forget that Mr. Obama leads the race by 135 pledged delegates, a margin de facto impossible for her to close before the Democratic convention. Or maybe she simply assumes that the voters in a state she has implied to be backwards cannot do the math.

I am confident the voters in Mississippi will see through these cheap tactics and support the only candidate with the judgment to do the right thing, even in times when it is unpopular, the integrity to refuse campaign contributions from lobbyists, and the ability to energize the people in this country to change the way our government is run. That candidate is Barack Obama.

A fighter throwing kitchen sinks in the White House? No Thanks!

Sine in KS — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:18:27 EST

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Clinton campaign ratchet up the intensity of attacks against Senator Obama in an effort to slow his ever-increasing momentum. Throughout the course of this race, Hillary Clinton has shown a willingness to throw the kitchen sink (as phrased by her own campaign) at everything and anybody who stands in the way of the nomination she felt entitled to from the start. And her ire is not only directed at Mr. Obama. She has lashed out against her own staff, the media, and – get this – even the voters (for being too activist in the caucus states she lost).

After all her efforts to change her “voice” and campaign strategy depending on who she wants to appeal to, she finally seems to have settled on the image of a fighter who will not give up. But she needs to be careful with this new persona: The voters will know the difference between someone who will fight for the American people and someone who is grasping at straws for her own political survival.

In Response to Charles Krauthammer, "The Audacity of Selling Hope"

Sine in KS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:56:11 EST

My response to Charles Krauthammer’s opinion piece, “The Audacity of Selling Hope” in the Washington Post on February 15th, 2008, P. 21 (reprinted in the KC Star 2/19/08):

A Tale of Hope

Charles Krauthammer accuses Senator Obama of giving empty promises for the future. Why is this line of attack not being used on all candidates? After all, that’s exactly what campaigning is. You spread a message of ideas, hoping the voters like yours better than the other guy’s. As a voter, you have no choice but trust your candidate in being able to deliver. At this point, they all merely talk. Senator Obama just does it so much better than the others.

So empty talk is not the issue. The issue is what Mr. Obama chose as his message. He has the spunk – the audacity – to spread a message of hope. Hope that this country can do better than the last decade, hope that there is a brighter future for all Americans. This is where he parts way with his rivals. John McCain perpetuates the Republican message of fear, and Hillary Clinton has changed her message so many times that no one knows what it is anymore. Both can read the polls, however. Hence this new line of attacks.

I’d rather bet my future on Barack Obama. I dare say the Founding Fathers used a message of hope to rally their fellow Americans around them. Hope of a better future in a better country.

Read letter as it appeared in the Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/309/story/498520-p3.html

Obama Fans, This One's For You

Sine in KS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:20:50 EST

Obama fans, this one’s for you,

For all and everything you do

To help America elect

A leader we’ll once more respect.

A leader, more importantly,

Who has respect for you and me,

Who hears our voices, loud and clear:

The time for change is now, this year!

It’s been so long we have forgotten

That not all government is rotten,

That we, the people, have a say

In running things a better way;

That “honest”, “smart”, “integrity”

Can go with “White House” and “D.C.”;

That it is right to hope and dream

Just like the Founding Fathers team.

Barack Obama is OUR fan;

He taught us all that yes, we can!

We CAN go polling door-to-door

(something we’ve never done before),

We CAN call people East and West,

We CAN all give our very best.

Barack is our inspiration

That working hard will change our nation.

Obama fans, you’re doing great!

If you are new, it’s not too late

To make some calls, participate,

Get out the voters, state by state;

Join our movement, do what’s right,

Watch CNN till late at night.

Because our dreams won’t be deferred

And our voices will be heard.

If you like my poem, please consider a small donation on my fundraising page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Sine.

My story of how I came to support Barack Obama

Sine in KS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:30 EST

My husband and I arrived in the United States almost twenty years ago with a suitcase and two bicycles. We came here because we wanted to build a future together in what we thought was the greatest country in the world. Becoming an American citizen was our biggest dream. We went to graduate school, worked, and started a family, all while struggling to keep our visas renewed so that we’d be allowed to stay. We finally received our Green Cards in the spring of 2003. But after having waited so long, our desire for citizenship felt like a faded dream. We were disappointed in the leadership of this country, how decisions were made, how valid doubts were brushed aside, how resources were wasted, how we rushed to war. We still felt the U.S. was our home, but somehow the urgency for becoming citizens had left us.

Only now, having followed the presidential campaign of Senator Obama, have I found this hope again, this feeling of how great this country can be, this passion to help bring change, to contribute in a small way to a better future for this country and its people. I am inspired when I hear him speak, not just by the clarity of the issues he raises but by his vision, honesty, and compassion. I’m proud to say that the same day I signed up as a volunteer for the Obama campaign, I also started filling out our citizenship applications. There may be too much red tape and too little time, but we would be honored to cast our first vote for Barack Obama in November.

A call for action to my friends

Sine in KS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:44:55 EST

Dear friends,

Most of you will know that I’ve never been actively involved in politics. Not for lack of exposure – my mother served many years on our home town’s city council and was actively involved in reforming Germany’s health care system – but because I didn’t have the passion and didn’t like the either-or, us-against-them attitude prevalent in the political landscape.

But this year, for the first time, I feel the passion, which is why I have joined the campaign of Barack Obama. Like so many others, I am inspired when I hear him speak, not just by the clarity of the issues he raises but by his vision, honesty, and compassion. Last summer, when travelling through Europe, I was saddened by the number of people who were incredulous that we chose to live in the United States, a country they could feel no love for anymore. Barack Obama has already shown that he can inspire the people of this country like no other, and his leadership will help us restore the respect of the world.

If you share my belief that our children deserve a better America, please visit my personal web page to join the Obama campaign at http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Sine. There are many ways you can help, whether it is with a donation or by participating in a voter registration drive.

If you do not share my enthusiasm, I urge you to read “The Audacity of Hope”. You will feel compelled to roll up your sleeves and in some way contribute to public life in this wonderful country, no matter what your political persuasion is.

Klaus and I have lived in the U.S. for over 15 years and just now became eligible to apply for citizenship. There may be too much red tape and too little time, but we would be honored to cast our first vote for Barack Obama in November.

Thanks,

Sine Thieme