http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/13/call_scripts/33/call_sessions/new?source=20091020_vic
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2008 Massachusetts St. Gary Indiana
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Obama’s Correspondence team Responded to our policy idea’s August 26th, in the affirmative and November 1st a personalized letter from Obama with a message for our youth that will be read to the “Y” Generation at the next forum
August 25th Obama authorized his media correspondence to publish in the Wall Street Journal his renewed “Urban Economic Plan. This Newly Revised Urban Initiative addresses and speaks directly to the Line Items and the spirit of our Conesus. Yes, our Census addressed Urban and Regional Concerns deriving to a Socially Equitable platform that speaks to social Justice like never before heard of. NWI Indiana is being targeted with regionalization, which can result in Social and Economic disenfranchisements, and the Gentrification poor and low-income communities. (Losing your Homes and Revenues to your neighborhoods) The Northwest Indiana Planning Commission and the Regional Development Authority have been given questionable authorities in the most recent State legislation. We will be providing to you FACTS! NOT THE FICTIONAL VERSION!
What do you think? JOIN US!
We are speaking out again, this time speaking to the President of our beloved United States of America.
Get your voices heard! Sincerely,
Truth To Power
Darryl Harris – Administrator
RSVP- Call 219-713-3949
Politicians are not to participate in any Coordinating or Facilitating Capacity What So Ever.
Politicians may attend as an individual stakeholders representing him or her self as an American citizen ONLY
A friend forwarded this to me, and I think it should be shared with all of you. Gives us all a place to note for whom we dedicate our vote for our next President...Barack Obama
http://dedicatemyvote.blogspot.com/
MyFairElection.com A new site that will help ensure transparent elections, and highlight voting problems in real time election day. Consider signing up and reporting on your voting experience, and spread the word.
MyFairElection is an exciting project to help make the vote fair and accessible this November 4th. To participate, simply sign up (instructions below) to rate your experience of voting this year.Did you encounter specific problems such as long lines, confusing ballots, broken machines, or closed polling places? Or, was the process of voting quite pleasant and easy?As thousands of citizens rate their voting experiences, MyFairElection will produce a real-time "weather map" of voting conditions across the country. This map will allow viewers to see where it is easy to vote, and where people have encountered obstacles. Journalists, advocates, officials, and citizens can use this map to address obstacles to voting in real time.So, go to this link: < http://myfairelection.com > and sign up. You will be asked to rate your voting experience on election day. You can comment, describe particular problems, and even submit pictures.MyFairElection.com is a project of MyFairElection and ABC News. ABC News will feature the heat map as part of their election day coverage. Journalists will use the information that you submit to help identify and report on election day ballot problems.Here are more detailed instructions.Register [Do this before election day, November 4!]In order to submit your polling place observations, you must create an account on MyFairElection.com.Step 1: Use an Internet browser (such as Explorer, FireFox, or Safari) on your computer to go to this link: < http://myfairelection.com/ >Step 2: In the upper left hand corner, you will see a box to "Sign up Now." Enter your email address, your zip code, then click "submit."Step 3: You will receive an email message from MyFairElection.com. Keep this message! You will use the link in that message to submit your polling place ratings on election day.You will also receive an email message from myfairelection.com on election day reminding you to vote and to rate your voting experience.Rate a polling place on the web:Step 1: Go to the link provided in your registration email message. It will look something like this: http://myfairelection.com/rate/7ebe4eb . You don't have to type it in; just click on the link from your email program or copy the link and paste it into your browser window.If you've deleted the email message from MyFairElection.com or can't find it, just register again. You'll receive another message with the link.Step 2: After you clink on the link, your browser will take you to the ratings page.Use the ratings page to tell us about your polling experience: one star is terrible and five stars is excellent.You can also report specific problems, offer general comments, and even upload pictures of your voting experience on this page. After you've filled in the appropriate spaces, click "Submit."That's it! Use the map of the U.S. that will appear on myfairelection.com on November 4th to view ratings from people all over the country.Rate a polling place by email:If you're on the road on election day, you can also submit ratings by email, on a PDA such as a BlackBerry or iPhone. Note that we will accept email ratings only from registered users.Step 1: Create a new email message addressed to rate@myfairelection.comStep 2: In the body of that email message, enter (1) your zip-code (2) 1 to 5 asterisks ("***") for overall rating (3) any comments you might have [one line only!]And send the message! You will receive an email message that verifies receipt of your rating.Thank you for participating in MyFairElection!
<img src=”http://www.barackobama.com/images/email/08/oct/debatewatch3_e.jpg”>
The final presidential debate is this Wednesday, October 15th, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It's the last chance for undecided voters to see Barack and John McCain side-by-side and determine who will bring the change this country needs. You can make the most of this opportunity by bringing your friends, family, and fellow supporters together to watch. Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party. We'll make sure you have everything you need to make the event a success. If you've hosted an event before, you know how powerful they can be to help grow our movement. If you haven't, it's a terrific way to show your support, and we'll be with you every step of the way to help. We're having a special conference call for Debate Watch Party hosts next week. We'll give you ideas for how to get your guests involved in the rest of the campaign. In these final weeks, each of us needs to do whatever we can to keep growing our movement and encourage undecided voters to cast their vote for change. Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party now: http://my.barackobama.com/debate-watch-party Thanks, Jon Jon Carson National Field Director Obama for America
This video is from Barack and explains the Bill Ayers issue. It is clear that McCain, Palin and the RNC are planning to paint Ayers as a terrorist and try to link him tightly with Barack.These are the facts. Barack was 8 when Ayers was participating in some deplorable acts during the Vietnam Era which was a time when there were a lot of radical movements and things happening. I am not defending Bill Ayers but this happened during a terrible time in our history and it was 40 years ago.Barack served on a board with Ayers which was appointed by a Republican. There is nothing here but we know they are going to try and make this look bad.On the other hand, McCain voted twice against stopping DOMESTIC TERRORISM. Watch this terrible video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDlpWfLyYssI guess he feels it was okay to BOMB medical clinics and kill doctors and patients! TERRORISM is terrorism and if the McCain camp wants to go there then I think we should bring this up. Just because McCain does not approve of a Women's Right to Choose does not mean it is OKAY to BOMB clinics and KILL doctors and patients. So, does the McCain camp really want to go here? They will and they will get away with it unless We all say ENOUGH and let him know WE know about his votes to stop actual terrorism HERE in the US.Come on Obama supporters. Barack and Joe need our help and full support in these final days! Both of them have the integrity and intelligence to lead us through this Crisis facing all of us. We have the power to stop this nonsense and we have the TRUTH and the FACTS on our side. Let's use them! Thanks,LuAnn in Indiana
This video is from Barack and explains the Bill Ayers issue. It is clear that McCain, Palin and the RNC are planning to paint Ayers as a terrorist and try to link him tightly with Barack.These are the facts. Barack was 8 when Ayers was participating in some deplorable acts during the Vietnam Era which was a time when there were a lot of radical movements and things happening. I am not defending Bill Ayers but this happened during a terrible time in our history and it was 40 years ago.Barack served on a board with Ayers which was appointed by a Republican. There is nothing here but we know they are going to try and make this look bad.On the other hand, McCain voted twice against stopping DOMESTIC TERRORISM. Watch this terrible video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDlpWfLyYss
I guess he feels it was okay to BOMB medical clinics and kill doctors and patients! TERRORISM is terrorism and if the McCain camp wants to go there then I think we should bring this up.
Just because McCain does not approve of a Women's Right to Choose does not mean it is OKAY to BOMB clinics and KILL doctors and patients.
So, does the McCain camp really want to go here? They will and they will get away with it unless We all say ENOUGH and let him know WE know about his votes to stop actual terrorism HERE in the US.
Come on Obama supporters. Barack and Joe need our help and full support in these final days! Both of them have the integrity and intelligence to lead us through this Crisis facing all of us.
We have the power to stop this nonsense and we have the TRUTH and the FACTS on our side. Let's use them! Thanks,LuAnn in Indiana
Thanks,LuAnn in Indiana
Watch this and think if this man could talk to foreign leaders or make rational cool headed decisions. This is so scary. He could blow up and not work with anyone he did not like. OMG he even shoved a woman in the hallway and has called his wife the c word in public!
You have watched how hateful and condescending he has been towards Barack and even the media now. He is out and out lying and will do anything to win.We need this out there viral and let people see the REAL McCain.......not the kind of PRESIDENT we need in this time of crisis!
Watch the video and send it to friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyK-enrF1g
LuAnn
These are facts about McCain, his family, his life and all the mistruths that he likes to brag about. Please take the time to watch these and you may be shocked.People everywhere have the right to know these things about John McCain.He is no maverick. He would be a disaster as President. He is strictly out for John McCain and has proven he will say or do anything to get elected.Please help Barack and share these facts. McCain’s campaign is getting nastier.
Thanks, LuAnn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06zsn5BuL3Y
http://www.politicalbase.com/profile/jnail/blog/&blogId=4588
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/1
My good friend Tim just sent out an email that really breaks down the Obama tax plan versus the McCain tax plan:
I am not sure if you got to see Barack on the Letterman show last night but he was fantastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hf6qd8b65s
I just posted this video on the DIGG site and really would appreciate you going there and digging it.
I took a swipe at McCain and how his VP pick was strictly a political move and how Barack vetted Joe and made "HIS OWN DECISION".
If we can get enough Diggs on it it will possibly be in the top 10 of the day and everyone will see it.
It would be super exposure for Barack as he commented on the stupid "lipstick on a pig" controversy and made some other great comments on several things. He showed both Humor and also made some great POLITICAL points!
Please take a minute, watch the video and PLEASE go to DIGG.com and digg it. The Republicans have been burrying some of our good stories on the DIGG site so PLEASE help!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=955Y3NJTRIE
The Republicans are going to try and destroy Barack the next 60 days! WE can not let them do it!
PLEASE everyone HELP SHARE THIS AND PROMOTE BARACK!
Join STOP THR SMEARS on this BARACK site on the HOME page. It gives US things to COUNTER the attacks that are coming!
It gives us the TRUTH!
Please go there today and join!
It would be unfair to question whether John McCain is too old to be President...not politically correct. That would be the kind of personal smear we see Republicans use as counter to their lack of programs and policies. Not what we Democrats should do.
But as I have aged I notice that the first thing to go has been my short term memory. Sometimes I find myself trying to end a sentence I just began....or forget the name of that person to whom I was just introduced. The last few nights as I watched the Republcan Convention it struck me. It was not that they were trying to divorce themselves from the last 8 years of Bush-Cheney failures (Which JohnMcCain supported in lockstep) and only remembered his valiant years as a POW some 40 years ago. Its just that John McCain and the Republicans are getting a little long in the tooth and they really have lost their short term memories. They even forgot the names of the 41st and 43rd Presidents...Bush. They forgot about the lies that got us into the Iraq war, and have kept us from fighting the real War on Terror. They forgot we won the war when no WMD were found and Saddam was ousted. They forgot its the occupation we can't win -- even with the Anbar Awakening and a successful surge -- that continues to tie up our troops in Iraq instead of redeploying them to Afghanistan.
John and Sarah and Mitt and Lindsey, and Rudy...they all forgot. The Iraq War to nowhere they have been fighting has decimated the economy and our children's future--they forget the bankrupting of the American future with tax cuts that were paired with record unbridled spending and gargantuan deficits. They forget we are entering a recession of their making with record unemployment, gas prices, health care costs, a more threatening and dangerous world. They forgot the dangerous erosions of our constitutional rights, the spying on Americans...that they stood by while we tortured people held in offshore and out of country prisons.
The first President Bush used to ask, "Where's the beef?"...If you watched the last few nights that would be a good question to ask. Bush-McCain and their cronies all seem to want to remember the John McCain of 40 years ago...easier to remember, but someone should refresh their memories of the last 8 years before they get everyone else to forget them...As Pat Buchanan said last night 'John Bush' had turned around his campaign. With his lack of short term memory we might want to make sure we don't let him drive...It could be very dangerous to all of us. Four more years like the last eight...Don't forget it. Don't let McCain forget it.
http://mybarackobama.com/page/communityblog/luanninindiana
From: rauldominguez@msn.comReply-to: SouthDakotansforObama@groups.barackobama.comTo: SouthDakotansforObama@groups.barackobama.comSent: 9/4/2008 8:13:06 A.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: [SouthDakotansforObama] Re: ACTION: Joe Klein: "We will tell the truth about Palin, despite bullying by McCain."Thanks for sending this! I think the messages are getting through!!!His comments are now being shown on Real Clear Politics as well.Raul----- Original Message ----- From: Lisa Owen To: South Dakotans for Obama Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 11:43 PMSubject: [SouthDakotansforObama] ACTION: Joe Klein: "We will tell the truth about Palin, despite bullying by McCain."Please I am begging you to digg this! Joe Klein says that McCain camp has been “bullying the press” all year and don’t give in to him! Please read it too.JOE KLEIN: TIME MAGAZINE:“There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme.”http://digg.com/political_opinion/Angry_Amateurs_Swampland_TIME Spread the truth. TIME MAGAZINE:Angry AmateursPosted by Joe Klein | Comments (383) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This The story of the day out here in Minneapolis is the McCain campaign's war against the press. This has been building for some time. Those of us who have criticized the candidate--and especially those of us who enjoyed good relations with McCain in the past--have been subject to off-the-record browbeating and attempted bullying all year. But things have gotten much worse in recent days: there was McCain's rude, bizarre interview with Time Magazine last week. Yesterday, McCain refused to an interview with Larry King, for God's sake, because Campbell Brown had been caught in the commission of journalism on CNN the night before, asking McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds what decisions Sarah Palin had made as commander-in-chief of the Alaska national guard. (There was an answer that the unprepared Bounds didn't have: she had deployed them to fight fires.)So what's going on here? Two things. McCain is just plain angry at us. By the evidence presented in the utterly revealing Time interview, he's ballistic. This is a politician who needs to see himself as the man on the white horse, boldly traversing a muddy field...any intimations that he's gotten muddied in the process, or has decided to throw mud, are intolerable. The second thing is more insidious: Steve Schmidt has decided, for tactical reasons, to slime the press. He wants the public to believe that there is an unfair--sexist (you gotta love it)--personal assault going on against Palin and her family. This is a smokescreen, intended to divert attention from the very real and responsible vetting that is taking place in the media--about the substance of Palin's record as mayor and governor. Sure, there are a few outliers--and the tabloid press--who have fixed on baby stories. That was inevitable....the flip side of the personal stories that the McCain team thought would work to their advantage--Palin's moose-hunting and wolf-shooting, and her admirable decision to have a Down Syndrome baby. And yes, when we all fix on the same story, whether it's a hurricane or a little-known politician, a zoo ensues. But the media coverage of the Palin story has been well within the bounds of responsibility. Schmidt is trying to make it seem otherwise, a desperate tactic. There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme. http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/angry_amateurs.html
----- Original Message ----- From: Lisa Owen To: South Dakotans for Obama Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 11:43 PMSubject: [SouthDakotansforObama] ACTION: Joe Klein: "We will tell the truth about Palin, despite bullying by McCain."Please I am begging you to digg this! Joe Klein says that McCain camp has been “bullying the press” all year and don’t give in to him! Please read it too.JOE KLEIN: TIME MAGAZINE:“There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme.”http://digg.com/political_opinion/Angry_Amateurs_Swampland_TIME Spread the truth. TIME MAGAZINE:Angry AmateursPosted by Joe Klein | Comments (383) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This The story of the day out here in Minneapolis is the McCain campaign's war against the press. This has been building for some time. Those of us who have criticized the candidate--and especially those of us who enjoyed good relations with McCain in the past--have been subject to off-the-record browbeating and attempted bullying all year. But things have gotten much worse in recent days: there was McCain's rude, bizarre interview with Time Magazine last week. Yesterday, McCain refused to an interview with Larry King, for God's sake, because Campbell Brown had been caught in the commission of journalism on CNN the night before, asking McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds what decisions Sarah Palin had made as commander-in-chief of the Alaska national guard. (There was an answer that the unprepared Bounds didn't have: she had deployed them to fight fires.)So what's going on here? Two things. McCain is just plain angry at us. By the evidence presented in the utterly revealing Time interview, he's ballistic. This is a politician who needs to see himself as the man on the white horse, boldly traversing a muddy field...any intimations that he's gotten muddied in the process, or has decided to throw mud, are intolerable. The second thing is more insidious: Steve Schmidt has decided, for tactical reasons, to slime the press. He wants the public to believe that there is an unfair--sexist (you gotta love it)--personal assault going on against Palin and her family. This is a smokescreen, intended to divert attention from the very real and responsible vetting that is taking place in the media--about the substance of Palin's record as mayor and governor. Sure, there are a few outliers--and the tabloid press--who have fixed on baby stories. That was inevitable....the flip side of the personal stories that the McCain team thought would work to their advantage--Palin's moose-hunting and wolf-shooting, and her admirable decision to have a Down Syndrome baby. And yes, when we all fix on the same story, whether it's a hurricane or a little-known politician, a zoo ensues. But the media coverage of the Palin story has been well within the bounds of responsibility. Schmidt is trying to make it seem otherwise, a desperate tactic. There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme. http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/angry_amateurs.html
From: mail@bennyskyn.comTo: ArizonansforObama@groups.barackobama.comSent: 9/3/2008 9:03:59 A.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: [ArizonansforObama] Take It Back...Right Now!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMSsm_B8iaEorhttp://www.bennyskyn.com/songlist.htmlThis land belongs to youno not just a fewand you can take it backright nowVote responsibly, not traditionally.Benny Skyn-------------------------------------------------------------------------This email was sent to 484 members of Arizonans for ObamaListserv email address: ArizonansforObama@groups.barackobama.comYour reply will be sent to: mail@bennyskyn.comUnsubscribe or change your email settings: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ArizonansforObama/listserv-unsub
-------------------------------------------------------------------------This email was sent to 484 members of Arizonans for ObamaListserv email address: ArizonansforObama@groups.barackobama.comYour reply will be sent to: mail@bennyskyn.comUnsubscribe or change your email settings: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ArizonansforObama/listserv-unsub
Hey everyone! I just wanted to let all of you know that there is a new Obama office in downtown Chesterton. It is right next to Peggy Sue's Diner on the corner of Broadway and Calumet. It's brand new so we're still cleaning the place up and decorating. But you can come in to volunteer and make calls, go canvassing, and what not. We need volunteers and donations in money, food, art, office, and cleaning supplies! I'm one of the managers there and I'm there all the time, so if you have any questions feel free to ask. See you there. BARACK THE VOTE!
I Spent Years as a POW with John McCain, and His Finger Should Not Be Near the Red Button | Election 2008 | AlterNet
I sent this to several medias. Don't know if it will do anything. Please share. Barack is getting put down so wrongly!
Michele was great last night!
Please read this and use it in any way you legally can. I am so tired of hearing Barack being called a Muslim and Michelle being accused of hating this country.Now these NEW ads that McCain is running using his POW experience to win "hearts and minds" is too much.I fear all his negative campaigning is winning and the polls are showing that.
Is there anyone out there who can bring things like this article to daylight?Why does the media protect McCain from the terrible way he cheated on and dumped his first wife for Cindy?If it was Barack who had done that the world would know.I talk to people daily who had no idea of his infidelity, his wife's bringing drugs in for her personal use through her out of country programs and I hear and also receive daily emails saying that Barack is a Muslim and worse. Why do more people not hear about how low in his class McCain graduated? I would think intelligence is a priority in a President of our country.
I also feel as this fellow POW does that a man with a "hair trigger" temper should not have his finger on the "button".There is freedom of speech in our country. Sean Hannity , Rush Limbaugh,Ann Coulter and others spew lies about Barack constantly.Can the MAIN STREAM media such as MSNBC please say or do more?McCain is "swift boating" Barack and WE all know that was all not true. John Kerry should have been President.Bush stole the election from Gore. Please can someone with some power help out people like me in the true EVER DIMINISHING MIDDLE Class?
I know I live in one home.
I know what a gallon of gas costs and I now people on minimum wage are hurting badly. John McCain does not care, nor does he have any way of identifying with the TRUE middle class people.His family has always had money, he is John S. McCain III and he married an heiress. How can he possibly feel for people who make $6.00 an hour?He wants to privatize Social Security and could care less if we have health care. Is it true he collects his Social Security? I happen to have Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance through my X husband. Each year I am given the chance to choose which type of insurance I want. If I want to pay a lot less, I can even choose an HMO.
I believe that is the same insurance the Congressmen and Senators have and I also believe they do not have to pay for their's. If everyone in the country paid into this they should be able to get the same benefits.I pay $600.00 a month for myself but I have very good insurance. If I could not afford that I could choose a lesser plan each year.
Does John McCain’s Experience Matter?
A Political Blog
By
James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
I was asked by a young Obama neighborhood organizer to write an article about an argument he was running into as he went door to door in Lake County, Indiana. The problem: How do you respond to someone who is considering voting for John McCain based on his ‘experience?’
After all at age 45, Barack Obama is not the youngest presidential nominee or chief executive. William Jennings Bryant was a Democratic nominee at 36; John F. Kennedy was 43 when he was elected, Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he was sworn in. Nor is Barack the most inexperienced nominee or president ever. Wendell Willkie had never held any public office before he became the Republican nominee in 1940. Woodrow Wilson had been governor of New Jersey for only 2 years before ascending to the Presidency in 1912. George W. Bush was governor of Texas for only 6 years before becoming President. Lincoln had only served a brief time in the Illinois Legislature and only 2 years in the House before becoming President.
Time served is therefore not the issue. The real question is judgment. Who has the most active voting record? Who made the right decisions when it counted? Who has made more misjudgments? Who is the more unstable, more unpredictable? Who is smarter about the judgments they have made in the past on critical political issues?
What I would say to my young organizer friend is that you should first ask the prospective voter if they are happy with the way things are in our country today? If they are better off now than they were 8 years ago? Ask them if they realize that John McCain has voted 95% of the time with George Bush? Ask them if they are ready for 8 more years of the same failed policies? Tell them that it is time for a change. If they want details, show them this article.
There are 3 basic arguments: First, in a head to head comparison, Barack’s voting record and judgment are more consistent; Second, McCain’s opinion is flexible (he flip flops too much); and finally you have to consider the tremendous errors he has made just during the course of this campaign.
If we look at a head to head comparison, Obama has been in the Senate 3.5 years, McCain has been in the Senate 26 years. Obama’s name is on 606 bills to 128 for McCain. In other words, Barack is much more active. Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 570 bills in the 109th and 110th Congress. 15 of those have become law. He has introduced amendments to 50 bills, 16 of which were adopted by the Senate. From a blog in the Daily Kos by Heleann dated February 21st, 2008 entitled “I found the BEEF-Obama’s Senate Record” Here is what I found:
Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:
Two addressed foreign policy: Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125) Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).
Three addressed public health: Improve mine safety (2803) Increased breast cancer funding (597) Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).
Two addressed openness and accountability in government: Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488) Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)
Two addressed national security Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467) Amend the Patriot Act (2167)
One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).
Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:
25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115) Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133) Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768) Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151) Reduce green house gas emissions (1324) Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389) Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202) Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269) Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794) Alternative diesel standards (3554) Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623) Renewable diesel standards (1920) Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555) Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025) Alternative energy refueling system (2614) Climate change education (1389) Low income energy assistance (2405) Oil savings targets (339) Fuel economy reform (3694) Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617) Nuclear release notice (2348) Passenger rail investment (294) Energy relief for low income families (2405)
21 addressed Health Care Drug re-importation (334) Health information technology (1262, 1418) Discount drug prices (2347) Health care associated infections (2278) Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824) Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784) Emergency medical care and response (1873) Stem cell research (5) Medical Malpractice insurance (1525) Health centers renewal (901, 3771) Children’s health insurance (401) Home health care (2061) Medicare independent living (2103) Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823) Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569) Gynological cancers (1172) Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976) Paralysis research and care (1183)
20 addressed Public Health: Violence against women (1197) Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880) Viral influenza control (969) End homelessness (1518) Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790) Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625) Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024) Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066) Health impact assessments (1067, 2506) Healthy communities (1068) Combat methamphetamines (2071) Paid sick leave (910) Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818) Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132) Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)
14 address Consumer Protection/Labor Stop unfair labor practices (842) Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829) Internet freedom (2917) Credit card safety (2411) Media ownership (2332) Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484) Working family child assistance (218) Habeus Corpus Restoration (185) Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092) FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201) Working families flexibility (2419).
13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces: Improve Benefits (117) Suicide prevention (479) Needs of homeless veterans (1180) Homes for veterans (1084) GI Bill enhancement (43) Military job protection Dignity in care for wounded vets (713) Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084) Military children in public schools (2151) Military eye injury research and care (1999) Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271) Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885) Security of personal data of veterans (3592)
12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability Lobbying and ethics reform (230) Stop fraud (2280) Legislative transparency and accountability (525) Open government (2180, 2488) Restoring fiscal discipline (10) Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261) Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179) Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590) Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal contract (674) Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts (2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)
10 addressed Foreign Policy: Iraq war de-escalation (313) US policy for Iraq (433), Divestiture from Iran (1430) Sudan divestment authorization (831) Millennium Development Goals (2433) Multilateral debt relief (1320) Development bank reform (1129) Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).
9 address Voting/Elections Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453) Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737) Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975) Senate campaign disclosure parity (185) Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030) Election jamming prevention (4102) Campaign disclosure parity (223) Presidential funding (2412) Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)
11 addressed Education Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513) Establish teaching residency programs (1574) Increase early intervention services (2111) Middle school curriculum improvements (2227) Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428) Summer learning programs (116) TANF financial education promotion (924) Higher education (1642) Build capacity at community colleges (379) Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228) Support for teachers (2060).
6 addressed Hurrican Katrina Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319) Emergency relief (1637) Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647) Working family tax relief (2257) Fair wages for recovery workers (1749) Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)
5 addressed the Environment Drinking water security (218, 1426) Water resources development (728) Waste water treatment (1995) Combat illegal logging (1930) Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194) Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]
4 addressed Discrimination Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989) Domestic partnership benefits (2521) Unresolved civil rights crimes (535) Equality or two parent families (2286)
4 addressed Homeland Security Judicial review of FISA orders (2369) National emergency family locator (1630) Amend US Patriot Act (2167) Chemical security and safety (2486)
This would be an impressive record for anyone. It is a remarkable record for a junior Senator from Illinois. Senator McCain has said, “[T]his election is about trust and trusting people’s word…” Another blog from the Daily Kos, written by StuHunter titled, “DAMMIT…Tell me the Truth! UPDATED” traces McCain voting record, flip-flops and all:
Signing of the GI Bill: Now enthusiastically for it... after it passed. Previously attacked the Webb Bill. Didn't even bother to vote on it. http://bravenewfilms.org/...
Campaign reform: On political reform, McCain last January opposed a grassroots lobbying bill he once supported. In 2006, the "New York Sun" reported that his presidential ambitions led McCain to reverse his support of a campaign financial bill called McCain/Feingold. http://www.nysun.com/...
Alien Minors Act/Immigration: Last October he said he would vote against the development, relief and education for Alien Miners Act that he co-sponsored, and then said he would vote against an immigration bill that he introduced. http://www.youtube.com/...
Gay Marriage: In 2006, he said on "HARDBALL," quote, “I think that gay marriage should be allowed.” Then after the commercial break he added, “I do not believe that gay marriages should be legal.” http://www.youtube.com/...
Abortion: On abortion, 1999, publicly supporting Roe v. Wade, privately opposing it in a letter to the National Right to Life Committee. In the 2000 debates, he would change the GOP platform to permit exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother. May 2007, "flipped", ABCNews.com reported. http://abcnews.go.com/...
Nuclear Waste: No Storing Nuclear waste at Yucca mountain earlier. Now flipped http://www.lasvegassun.com/...
Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il: Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il not acceptable until President Bush did it last week. http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Negotiating with Cuba/Castro: With Fidel Castro acceptable in 2000, not 2008. http://vids.myspace.com/...
Negotiating with Hamas/Terrorists: ...with terrorists appropriate when Colin Powell went to Syria and in 2006 when McCain said sooner or later we‘ll talk to Hamas, but not appropriate now re: Obama's willingness to use diplomacy. http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Pakistan: Unilateral action against suspected terrorists in Pakistan; "Confused leadership" when Obama suggested it, not when Bush did it. http://www.crooksandliars.com/... Warrantless Wire-taps: Six months ago, presidents had to obey the law, not anymore. http://www.nytimes.com/...
Torture: Torture detainees, no way, except for the CIA. Hold them indefinitely, wrong in 2003, the right move in 2008. http://www.youtube.com/...
Iraq War: The Iraq war, the right course 2004, stay the course 2005. Today, McCain has always been a Rumsfeld critic. http://thinkprogress.org/...
Tax Cuts: In 2001, he could not in good conscious support them. Now he can. http://www.youtube.com/...
Estate Tax: 2006, "I agree with President Roosevelt who created it". In 2008, "most unfair". http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Privatizing Social Security: This month not for privatizing Social Security, never has been. In 2004, he "didn‘t see how benefits will last without it". http://www.youtube.com/...
Balanced Budget: In February, promised a balanced budget in four years by April, make that eight years. http://www.perrspectives.com/...
Windfall Profits Tax: In May, glad to look at the windfall profits tax. By June, that was Jimmy Carter's big idea. http://flipfloptracker.blogspot.com/...
Offshore Drilling: In 2000, no new off shore drilling. Last month, it would take years to develop. This month, very helpful in the short term. http://thinkprogress.org/...
Coyotes..Bush Big Time Fund Raisers: The Bush fund-raisers McCain called coyotes breaking the law in 2000. By 2006, they were co-chairing McCain fund-raisers. http://abcnews.go.com/...
"Agents of Intolerance": Buddy Jerry Falwell...an "agent of intolerance in 2000". Kissed Falwell's ass in 2007... The Reverend Hagee and Parsley in, then out this year alone. http://www.youtube.com/...
Martin Luther King Holiday: In 1983, opposed Martin Luther King Day. Today, all for it. http://www.boston.com/...
Confederate Flag: In 2000, defended South Carolina's confederate flag as a symbol of heritage. Two years later, McCain calling it, quote, an act of political cowardice not to say the flag should come down. Quote, "everybody said, look out. You can't win in South Carolina if you say that." http://www.youtube.com/...
Evolution in Public Schools: In 2005, McCain said alternatives to evolution should be taught in school. "Evolving" the opposite position he had taken in 2000. http://thinkprogress.org/...
Restoring the Everglades: On June 5, John McCain traveled to the Everglades to win over Floridians and environmentally-minded voters. There he proclaimed, "I am in favor of doing whatever’s necessary to save the Everglades." Sadly, as ThinkProgress documented, McCain not only opposed $2 billion in funding for the restoration of the Everglades national park, he backed President Bush’s veto of the legislation in 2007. "I believe," he said, "that we should be passing a bill that will authorize legitimate, needed projects without sacrificing fiscal responsibility." http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Swiftboating: McCain's sudden embrace of Swiftboating --- which today is synonymous with a concerted effort to lie about an opponent's history --- is all the more deplorable because he has hired retired Col. George "Bud" Day, a proud member of the group that Swiftboated Kerry --- and someone McCain once described as having "tunnel vision" --- to lead what McCain is calling his "Truth Squad." http://digg.com/...
GITMO/Habeus Corpus:Despite John McCain's outrage last week that the Supreme Court ordered Gitmo detainees know why they were being held, or released -- Political Base has stumbled upon a McCain appearance on Meet the Press in 2005 where he argued they deserved trials, going so far as to say "if it means releasing some of them, you'll have to release them." Shameless. http://www.politicalbase.com/...
Divestment from South Africa: During his June 2 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), John McCain called for the international community to target Iran for the kind of worldwide sanctions regime applied to apartheid-era South Africa. Unfortunately, McCain’s lobbyist-advisers Charlie Black and Rick Davis each represented firms doing business with Tehran. Even more unfortunate, John McCain was frequently not among those offering "moral clarity and conviction" in backing "a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid." http://thinkprogress.org/...
Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations: During a June 4th town hall meeting in Baton Rouge, John McCain answered a reporter’s question regarding Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the New Orleans levees by announcing:
"I’ve supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy. I’ve been here to New Orleans. I’ve met with people on the ground."
As it turns out, not so much. McCain’s revisionist history neglects to mention that in 2005 and 2006 he twice voted against a commission to study the government’s response to Katrina. He also opposed three separate emergency funding measures providing relief to Katrina victims, including the extension of five months of Medicaid benefits. And as ThinkProgress pointed out, "until traveling there one month ago, McCain had made just one public tour of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina touched down in August 2005." http://thinkprogress.org/...
McCain On His Economic Abilities: "I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not." "I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent."
-- Sen. John McCain, in an interview on ABC News, when asked why he "admitted that you're not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy."
However, NBC News compiles past McCain quotes in which he said "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should" or "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated." http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/...
On Criticizing Obama While "Overseas": Traveling in Colombia, he told reporters that he wouldn't criticize Obama while he was overseas, but on the plane, he blasted Obama’s opposition to the proposed Colombia free trade... http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
UPDATES from KOSsacks:
Temperament and Temper: "My temper has often been both a matter of public speculation and personal concern," he wrote in a 2002 memoir. "I have a temper, to state the obvious, which I have tried to control with varying degrees of success because it does not always serve my interest or the public's." Not true and not under control, according to many of those on the "W"rong side of McCain's famous temper. http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Drilling For Oil and Automobile Efficiency: "Last week, Senator McCain reversed himself and said we need to drill more. Today, he has reversed years of failing to support more efficient cars, new energy technologies and green jobs. http://www.speaker.gov/...
Offshore Drilling: Two weeks ago, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered "a bit of a capitulation to the oil companies" by announcing that he would end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Not only is McCain’s move a break with environmental activist, but it is also "a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign. http://thinkprogress.org/...
Payroll Taxes: "When he was asked in 2005 whether he could see himself lifting the cap on the payroll tax, (McCain) said, 'I could.' Two years later, during a May 13, 2007, appearance on "Meet the Press," Russert asked McCain if he was still open to lifting the Social Security tax cap as part of a compromise. "Am I opposed to tax increases?" said McCain. "Yes. But we've got to sit down together and figure out what our options are, and tough decisions have to be made, Republicans and Democrats. And I know how to do that." Asked about the 2005 remark, a McCain spokesman acknowledged the tension with his current position while arguing that the Arizona senator's criticism of his Democratic rival is still valid because McCain has spoken out against higher Social Security taxes as a 2008 White House hopeful. http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
Ethics Reform and Abramoff: On the stump, Sen. John McCain often cites his work tackling the excesses of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence of his sturdy ethical compass. A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/... http://digg.com/...
Obviously experience for McCain has not resulted in the acquired trait of common sense. My friend, Karen Young, put it this way: “If you met a parent with 6 children, all of them malnourished, you would call them "experienced" parents, but would you accept parenting tips from them? The point: not all "experience" is good for America.” You’re right Karen, and McCain judgment has been proven over and over again to be something less than we need in our President, particularly after 8 years of George W. Bush. Recently, Jack Cafferty on CNN put McCain’s candidacy in prospective, “It occurs to me that John McCain is as intellectually shallow as our current president. One after another, McCain's answers were shallow, simplistic, and trite. He showed the same intellectual curiosity that George Bush has -- virtually none. Where are John McCain's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time? Where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy, the welfare state, education, America's moral responsibility in the world, etc., etc., etc.?
John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.
He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly."
In the sole and only issue McCain relies on for his election, his military experience and judgment, his voting record is abysmal. Karen Young again pointed out the following to me:
** 2007 McCain only showed up for 4 of the past 14 senate votes on Iraq. Showed up for none this year ** April 2003 tabled a motion to provide over $1 billion of National Guard and Reserve equipment ** Oct 2003 he tabled an amendment to provide additional $322 million for safety equipment for US troops in Iraq ** March 2004 he voted against eliminating abusive tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion ** March 2006 he voted against closing corporate tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical services by $1.5 billion ** April 2006 he voted against providing an extra $430 million for veteran outpatient care ** May 2006 he voted against $20 million for veteran health care facilities ** March 2007 he didn't bother to vote on a resolution to start redeploying troops from Iraq by March 2008 ** September 2007 he voted against Senator Webb's amendment that would specify minimum rest periods for troops in between deployments ** May 2008 he first spoke out against Senator Web's GI Bill and then didn't bother to show up to vote on it. But none of that stopped him from accepting President Bush's praise when the Bill ultimately passed. McCain hopes that the fact that he is a veteran substitutes for the idea that he has done right by veterans as a politician Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America give the following grade for voting records John McCain D Barack Obama B+ Disabled American Veterans grades the two candidates Barack Obama 80% voting record John McCain 20% voting record
In the single most important vote in the 21st Century, the decision to invade Iraq, John McCain was on the wrong side again. Not only did he vote to invade Iraq, he incorrectly stated prior to the invasion that Iraq and Suddam Hussein were involved with the 9/11 attacks. He has said that we could be in Iraq for ‘100 years.’ Spending $10 million dollars a month in an open ended war is not something the American people can afford to support. Barack Obama opposed this war from the outset. A war that has cost us over $5 Trillion and 4,000 dead, and countless injured and maimed. On November 25th, 2002, Barack said, “I think that us rushing into a war unilaterally was a mistake and may still be a mistake. (If we have invaded Iraq) then what the debate will really be about is what is our long term commitment there? How much is it going to cost? What does it mean for us to rebuild Iraq? How do we stabilize and make sure this country doesn’t split into factions…” (Article “Does Obama Have Enough Experience to be President” contained in the embedded You Tube Video found at http://www.obamapedia.org/page/Does+Barack+Obama+have+enough+experience+to+be+president%3F )
So what was John McCain doing while Obama was accurately predicting the future? One month after the invasion, he said Iraq ‘needed to be invaded.’ He called the handling of the war ‘magnificent.’ He praised Donald Rumsfeld and said if he were President, Dick Cheney would be in his cabinet. On the floor of the Senate in May of 2003, McCain said, “We won a massive victory in a few weeks and we have done so with very limited loss of American and Allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimal loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghan and Iraqi citizens.” In effect as commentators have pointed out, McCain declared victory in Iraq 5 years and 3 months ago. If this were true, his singular issue of the surge would not have been necessary. But instead we get his military bluster, all of which continues the Bush policy of undermining our diplomatic stature abroad.
McCain himself has recently said, “Good judgment will be at a premium in the term of the next American president.” Comparing his statements to Senator Obama’s you cannot help but conclude that John McCain made the wrong decision, and evaluated the possible consequences of our actions in a totally incorrect way. Even with his single issue of ‘the surge’ he has evaluated that incorrectly, too. If the surge has in fact worked, our troops would be home or at least we’d have the same troop level as we had before the surge. His judgment continues to be at best questionable, while Senator Obama once again is right on target.
What do their peers say about their judgment? Barack Obama’s fellow legislators have assessed his judgment in a positive light. Krik Dillard, a Republican Senator said, "Sen. Obama was someone who I thought — and I was right — could tackle extremely complex things like ethics reform, the death penalty or racial profiling by law enforcement." Dillard called Barack, “a full partner” n drafting and passing the state's first major ethics law in 25 years, Dillard says. Obama also helped pass laws requiring that police interrogations and confessions in capital cases be videotaped and creating a state earned-income tax credit.
Donne Trotter called Obama, “a quick read, a quick study.” His tenure as a constitutional lawyer, “prepares him to learn the intricacies and nuances of what the federal government is all about." Trotter picked up right away his savvy in the areas of universal health care and was most impressed by his ability to educate his fellow senators and become the author and leader of legislation. Obama "is a reader, a learner of different approaches and philosophies," he says. "He has the brainpower to absorb the facts … and make good decisions." Mel Brook, Democratic Chairmen in Littleton, NH perhaps said it best, "No doubt 20 years' experience is better than 10," he says." For some individuals, it might well be a drawback, but it depends on the intellect, the knowledge and the ability of the candidate," he says. "For Obama, inexperience is not a big drawback."
What do his contemporaries say about John McCain? Senator John Kerry thinks McCain’s judgment is dangerous. "John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting," the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts said on CBS' Face The Nation. "This is a different John McCain. This is not the Senator John McCain; this is want-to-be president John McCain. "And the result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about! I mean, this is extraordinary what he's done: He's changed on taxes; he's now in favor of the Bush tax cut. If you like the Bush economy, if you like the Bush tax cut and what it's done to our economy, making wealthier people wealthier and the average middle class struggle harder, then John McCain is going to give you a third term of George Bush and Karl Rove. "If you like what has happened to oil prices, John McCain is going to continue that policy. If you like what you see about health care, John McCain has no health care plan. "I would have at least expected the John McCain that I knew back then to realize what almost every person in the Pentagon has admitted. There are very few who walk around and say, 'Going into Iraq was the right thing to do, and we should have done it, or do it again if I have the chance.' John McCain does. "I'm challenging Senator McCain's judgment," Kerry said, "that says, 'There's no violent history between Sunni and Shia.' That's wrong. His judgment that says, 'This is going to increase the stability of the Middle East.' It hasn't, it's made it less stable. The judgment that says, quote, 'This will be the best thing for America and the world in a long time. It's the worst thing that we've done in a long time. And he's turned his [focus] away from Afghanistan and al Qaeda and made America less safe. That's dangerous for our country." Kerry criticized McCain's continued support of the occupation, given the effect of a continuing presence of U.S. troops on the situation in Iraq and the region at large. He pointed to remarks by leaders in the Middle East who told him during a recent visit, "You, America, have served up to Iran Iraq on a platter." "They are outraged by the ineptitude of what has been done by those who decided it was smart to go into Iraq," said Kerry, who feels the Republican Party is now in turmoil over the "reality" of McCain's position, which is that "he has a plan for staying in Iraq and Barack Obama has a plan for getting out of Iraq."
Recently, a blog entitled “Obama’s Judgment is Right; the Conventional Wisdom is Wrong” by David Sanders may have summed it up best. The worst strategic blunder of U.S. History was invading Iraq. The Bush administration then advocated a policy of labeling opponents as “weak, inexperienced, and naïve.” Barack Obama defied conventional wisdom and opposed the Iraq invasion. He was told this would damage, maybe even doom his political future. Barack felt we were in the wrong place and we needed to be in Afghanistan where we could fight with the people who attacked us, Bin Laden and al Qaeda. He called it “a dumb war” that could result in an “occupation of undetermined length, and undetermined cost with undetermined consequences.” Barack was right; conventional wisdom was wrong. According to National Intelligence, Iraq is a mess; the threat to us is “persistent and evolving”, Al-Qaeda has a safe haven in Pakistan, Iran has grown stronger and ultimately Americans are less safe. Judgment: Obama.
Barack’s judgment has in fact already tilted the table from conventional wisdom in Washington on the issue of diplomacy. Washington through Bush and McCain have taken the position that we cannot talk to our advisories because that would reward them. The result? Iran has continued to build its nuclear weapons program, terrorize Iraq and support terrorists. Syria continues to ‘meddle’ in Lebanon and support terror. North Korea produced 6-8 nuclear bombs. McCain wants to use the conventional wisdom to continue this policy of blustery, loud brave talk at home, with no discussions abroad. Obama is right; tough skillful discussion with our enemies is the only way in the 21st Century to bring about a peaceful balance. Judgment: Obama
Supporting President Musharraf has only aided the terrorists. Nuclear attacks on terrorist targets via ratcheted up rhetoric based on McCain’s so called military experience goes against the conventional wisdom of Washington. Killing innocent Pakistanis’ and lower our prestige in the world is not good judgment. Judgment: Obama.
American foreign policy has been broken by supporting the Iraq War and failing to finish al Qaeda, and worse alienating the rest of the world with our arrogance. Conventional wisdom tells us that this is the stance we must take in ‘times of trouble.’ Barack Obama is clear that we must go another direction. We must end a war we never should have begun; get the real perpetrators of 9/11; we need to talk to our adversaries and end the blustery politics of loud talk with ‘no substance.’ “Barack Obama’s judgment is right. It is conventional wisdom that has to change.”
So what would I tell my young organizer? After they admit they are not happy with the way things are and they are not better off then they were 8 years ago, remind them that the best we can hope for with all of McCain’s so called experience is more of the same, and that it is time for a change. That when it comes to judgment, Obama is right on target and his record proves he’s the most viable candidate for a change.
