Westlakero62

Humanity 101

Westlaker062 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:54:23 EST

Three things:

First, for those of you who dislike Hillary, please consider this.

Her life has been privileged, but that does not mean she is not human. She has suffered. She is American. We all are. She is in uncharted territory, all that she has relied on doesn't seem to work anymore. Don't create negative energy.

Second, experience in the elected sector is in no way a guarantee of success in this job. The best qualifications for this job are those Barack Obama has. I don't mean his magnificent speaking ability. I mean his basic humanity. Call it jen, enlightment, spirituality, compassion or whatever. But recognize that is it is positive energy. He will act, he will lead. And he will lead based on his understanding of people and our Constitution. Support and movement has to come from the bottom up. It cannot be directed downward. He has that support and it will grow.

He is incredibly intelligent and hard working. I have heard him compared to King and Kennedy (JFK). He might transcend that. I think of aspects of Colin Powell, Gandhi, Jefferson (as Bill of Rights author) and more.

Help tranform and unite.

As Colin Powell knows: Optimism is a force multiplier.

Barama Movement and Spirituality

Westlaker062 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:31:20 EST

Folks you all have done so much in so many different ways. We need to keep our focus and stay the course. And, we all -- in our individual, unique and wonderful ways -- give the talents that we have. One caution, we do not need to respond to HRC attacks. I say this because I spent a couple hours watching MSNBC this morning. I am going to try and condense their facts/comments/analysis:

- Bill Clinton is self destructing. In a perverse 'apology', he said he could not make Hillary "younger, taller or male."
- HRC campaign staff is trying to tap big donors and are getting told that these major donors are tapped out. Bill allegedly said her campaign staff sought be fired.
- During an MSNBC spot with John Edwards he was softly prodded to criticize Barack. He declined and turned to Hillary.

If these comments on MSNBC are true, the Clinton machine is in chaos. Hillary has to be furious with him. Poor Bill, I guess being called a relic led him to a meltdown.

We do not need to direct any attention to Hillary. We need to keep on doing what we are doing, staying in the moment.

We can also celebrate the donations we got from so many who gave what they could. I believe that 99% of the people who support Barack do it without thought of material gain. Also, if we keep blossoming as we are, people who give what they can will continue, numbers will grow and money will be a thing that will not drive the campaign. Our donations will be given because when give we individually America generally are enriched.

The fact we give from the heart, give what we can (be it money talent, love or just support) is something the HRC people will never be able to grasp let alone counter.

Finally, (bear with me on this one) I hope you will. Altough we cannot let down, in some ways I feel like I am living in what someone once said trying to describe the major religions in India (some of which are nonthesitic). When I come here, I feel like I am living in the "Empire of the Spirit." That empire spawned Gandhi and Tagore. We can make America what America should be.

Young women and politics

Westlaker062 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:12:47 EST

Wrote this letter to the Cleveland PD today

Grew up in Ashtabula a long time ago. After 27 years commissioned service in the Air Force, I spent ten years teaching, the last seven of those at an all girls Catholic High School. I was privileged to be in a school which was ethnically diverse. As a white male; I was in the minority both with regard to gender and race, but that didn’t matter. So I had two great careers. I have a point to make about the young women I taught. They were virtually without exception apathetic about politics. I used Eleanor Roosevelt and the letters that she got from young people to spark their interest and they came to respect Eleanor and see her for the incredible woman she was. I forced my regular US History classes to read Martin Luther King’s “Loving your Enemies Sermon” to key interest in civil rights. They ‘hated’ me (as only young women will say ‘I hate you’ – even though they didn’t) on the day they walked in to find an eight page handout on each desk. Each had to read and individually answer eight questions in 55 minutes. I would give them five timed minutes to vent and then it would get quiet. I knew many could not finish, and at the end I ‘grudgingly’ allowed them to return at lunch or after school to finish. For the few that couldn’t finish, I let the handouts go home, but they had to come back before classes started the next day, hand written. (No computer cut and pastes.) To a woman, they saw the power of Martin Luther King’s words. The difficulty came later; I could not overcome the Bill Clinton improprieties. It was not the things he did with Monica that upset them. It was the fact that he did not tell the truth and showed no remorse. I used the opportunity to show the power of words and how Clinton parsed his words. We had a great time taking apart his infamous “the meaning of ‘is’ is. But that sad Clinton saga overshadowed the good he had done and reinforced their apathy toward politics. Now, for the first time in a long time, we have a Democratic presidential candidate who is inspiring people. Now for the first time in a long time we have a Democratic candidate who does not have major flaws of personality or an outsized ego. For the first time in a long time, we have a candidate who can inspire with words. For the first time in a long time, we have a candidate who unites and does not divide. For the first time in a long time, we have a candidate, who gives us hope that transcends generations. And finally, for the first time in a long time, we have a political campaign that is almost a movement. Thanks to Barack Obama we have hope.

Nuclear Power

Westlaker062 — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:40:22 EST

I believe Barack Obama truly stands for change. Today, I heard John Edwards’ wife on “Hardball” explains how Edwards differed from Obama. One the first points that she made was that Barack Obama is for nuclear power and John Edwards is not.

This is a very instructive point. Many nations in Europe and Asia use Nuclear power extensively. France lads the way with close to 80% of its power from nuclear reactors. Belgium and Sweden both have over 50% of their power coming from reactors. Japan and South Korea also make extensive use of nuclear power. These countries are also far ahead of us on mass transit. You can take the train from Paris to Avignon in a little over 2 hours or you can drive it in seven hours. It is quicker and much more comfortable as well as cheaper to take the train form London to Paris than to fly. The last three presidential administrations (Bush 1, Clinton and Bush 2) have made us increasingly dependent on oil while allowing our rail infrastructure to further deteriorate. Under their “stewardships,” air travel has deteriorated. Those of us who fly coach class can easily vouch for that. Much of the problem is that our overburdened air traffic system is laden down by all the private jets flown by corporate jets, as oil companies, rich corporate lawyers and media moguls acquire more and more expensive toys and comforts to the detriment of the general American public. Only Barack Obama represents a real prospect for change that is so separately needed.

Also, I need to get this off my chest. I cannot believe how Hillary disrespected the good people of Iowa. And this is a woman who claims she can get people to work together. Her true character is beginning to show.

Candidates aand Tactics

Westlaker062 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:46:05 EST

Okay, I know people are gonna say this is negative, but I am irritated. I am irritated because Hillry is reverting to true form. It stated when I check my Internet News this morning and found among the pickings and article form the Washington Post News Service noting Hillary and her army of ‘Hilligans’ were usinfg a thinly veiled race card. Specifically the Post article referred to “… comments from associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that could be construed as jabs at Sen. Barack Obama's race.These officials, including Clinton aides and prominent surrogates, have raised questions or dropped references about Obama's position on sentencing guidelines for crack versus powder cocaine offenses … the context was always Obama's "electability."

As if that was not enough another piece from Black Star News of New York made it even plainer. “So the Clinton campaign decided to use the race card. A senior campaign official, Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, warned voters that Obama might not be the suitable candidate because were he to win the Democratic nomination, those nasty Republicans could bring up the fact that Obama has admitted to using marijuana and cocaine in his youth. Might the Republicans not even ask whether Obama had also been a drug dealer? This was clearly playing to the deep seated stereotype that some white people harbor -- of blacks as natural born criminals and drug dealers." By the time I finished reading that, I was pretty much full on irritated.

In the meantime Hillary and the Hilligans continue to demonstrate their lack of integrity by claiming credit fo the work of others. I read an article on Syracuse.com which noted the following: “… Clinton did manage to ruffle a few feathers in Congress by taking credit for other earmarks, or special-interest spending destined for Central New York. Rep. James Walsh, R-Onondaga, was unhappy to see Clinton claiming credit for delivering $23.8 million to the Syracuse VA Medical Center for a new spinal cord injury center, and more than $5 million to Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, and several other projects in Onondaga County. Walsh's chief of staff, Dan Gage, said he called Clinton's office to complain, noting the congressman was the one who advocated for the projects from the beginning and worked hard to obtain the money. Even after Gage's call, Clinton and Schumer continued to take credit for the earmark funding, sending out new statements on Wednesday and Thursday. Asked about the issue, Clinton spokesman Eric Bederman had only this to say: "Senator Clinton was proud to join her colleagues in advocating for funding for critical priorities in Central New York."

Now I know Senator Obama would never stoop to Hillary’s level and I am proud of him for that. She knows she has Senator Obama in a bit of a catch-22. If he responds directly, she will accuse him of taking advantage of her and attacking her as a woman. If, he does not respond, she will smirk and keep up these tactics. Or she will imply or have her people imply that Senator Obama does not deny these things or that he is inexperienced. Sadly, I fear that there are people who will fall for these tactics being used by Hillary and her people. I can only hope that they backfire on her and her people. As far as earmarks, so much for Hillary and bi-partisanship. Hillary’s kind of experience and proven tactics are exactly what we do not want in the Presidency. Barack gives us hope, Hillary gives us more of the same.

Endorsements and insider politics

Westlaker062 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:39:47 EST

My internet news informed me this morning that 32 former ambassadors had endorsed Hillary Clinton. Intrigued I googled the article for more info and got the names of 32 individuals who has signed the “ambassadorial endorsement.’ Curious and waiting for stock to simmer on my stove, I searched the individuals mentioned. Since the Clinton Administration was known (like the Bush Administration) for putting more political supporters into Ambassadorial positions than career foreign service officers. I was not surprised to learn that very few of those who had endorsed Hillary were career diplomats.

I found that among those who had signed the letter there were at least 13 Lawyers (Babbitt, Bagley, Blanchard, Bondurant, Eizenstat, Ginsberg, Harrington, Jones, Lauredo, McDonald, McGowen, Manatt and Shumaker). There were also a variety of political appointees, career politicians and public relations people. Interestingly, there were only five who appeared to have legitimate career Foreign Service credentials (Brynn, Guerra-Mondragon, Holbrooke, Kornblum, Romero, Wilson). Of these five only Holbrooke and Kornblum were well known as effective diplomats. Wilson is well known but his career path was that of an administrative, general services officer rather than a career diplomat and of course his wife was the object of attention from Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby. I would venture to guess that Holbrooke would likely be a Secretary of State were Hillary to be elected.

Sadly, I concluded that this is more Washington insider politics and influence peddling at work. We don’t need more of the same. We need a President who will act independently and who is not afraid to think outside of the box. Barack Obama is the right person at the right time.