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Independent Voters for Barack Obama

Independent (Nonpartisan) Voters for Barack Obama

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By Slocs - Feb 10th, 2009 at 5:52 am EST

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This is a long and detailed analysis going point by point with the criticisms from the Republicans - sometime I agree but mostly I disagree. Read More »

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Obama Victory Speech - Nov. 4th, 2008

By PGaudreau - Nov 5th, 2008 at 12:32 pm EST

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PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

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My Letter to Senator Obama

By PGaudreau - Oct 31st, 2008 at 2:37 pm EDT

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Dear Senator Obama,During the past eight years I have been ashamed with the actions of my country and I even lost my trust in our politicians. I almost started to believe our country would never come out of this embarrassment. Until you came along and started talking about hope, responsibility, and service. Things I have never heard before from a politician. I was inspired by your words and I saw that our country would come out of this cloud, we will see the sun again, and for the first time in eight years I had hope. The reckless policies of the past eight years were never so clear to me until you brought them out in to the open. I began to research historical data and I saw so clearly the failures of the last administration. I took what I learned and I showed others what fiscal responsibility really is and why it is so important. I have always heard people and politicians talk about serving their country and by this they meant serving in the military. Well I love my country but was not able to serve in the military, so I thought I could never serve my country. You have educated me and shown me that to serve my country does not have to include military service. I know now that I can serve my country by serving its people as you have done.Senator Obama you have inspired greatness in me and you have given me a strong desire to serve my country, a sense of understanding and responsibility, and hope that we will be great again. In return I have spent every night after work and all of my weekends working for you and fighting for your place in the Whitehouse. I have spent hours making calls and canvassing door to door. I have also written many letters to the editor, hosted parties in your name, sent many inspirational emails, and even formed a group of volunteers. I feel like I cannot do enough. In return for the inspiration you have given me I have inspired others. I may never be able to thank you enough for what you have done for me, but I will spend the rest of my days serving the American people in hopes that someday I will have the same impact on someone as you have had on me.Thank you forever,Paul Gaudreau

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Still Undecided?

By Beverly - Oct 30th, 2008 at 10:24 am EDT

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I cannot believe there are still people who are undecided. Last night the person sitting next to me in class said he was undecided. He liked Obama and did not like Palin but he was afraid that Obama would just raise taxes.

Ugh - that means the (IMHO) lame ads being run by McShame are working. He is telling everyone that Obama will raise taxes for everyone. I noticed that last night Obama changed the ceiling from $250,000 to $200,000 in his 30 minute Infomercial. The other day Biden said $150,000. Are these a slip of the tongue, is Obama reneging, or is McCain correct?

I tried to convince my classmate that the McShame assertions were not correct but I do not think he is convinced. People really do get scared when politicians play the scare card – after all that is how Bush got elected twice.

Obama at this point needs to address this with clarity or lose these undecided voters who are scared.

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Taking It Back With Barack: We're Almost There!

By Dr. Barbara Palmer - Oct 28th, 2008 at 7:52 pm EDT

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Taking It Back With Barack

Watch and enjoy…

http://www.devradowrite.com/

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For anyone in MA regarding Question 1

By PGaudreau - Oct 22nd, 2008 at 11:07 pm EDT

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Recently I saw a poll on the Sun Chronicle website about Question 1. It seemed to be very close and actually was in favor of Question 1. I am very concerned about the support of Question 1, and I believe voting this through will be reckless and irresponsible.
Question 1, if passed, will eliminate our state income tax. This sounds like a wonderful idea, and even I would like to have a few extra dollars in my paycheck each week, but at what cost? The effects on our state will be large and will substantially affect all of our local communities. Public services, police, fire, and education will have large budget cuts. Causing policeman, fireman, and teachers to lose their jobs. Emergency calls will have longer wait times and classroom sizes will grow. Also the quality of our roads will deteriorate and with no money in the budget town and city employees could lose their jobs.
If you do not believe these effects of Question 1 please take a moment and think about this; Question 1 will take 40% out of the state budget. If your employer took 40% out of your pay how would you manage? Yes at first you would find some fat to trim from your budget but what about the rest. Would you sell your car and get a bicycle? Turn of your heat and electricity? Question 1 will have drastic effects and we might not know the full extent, but the fact is 40% of the state's budget will disappear and that will not be easy to swallow.
It will not be a smart decision to lower our state's income by 40% and put peoples jobs at risk during this national economic crisis. Times are tuff right now in many ways and all though this referendum looks like it will help, it is nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing.
On November 4th we need to stand up and be responsible citizens and say NO to Question 1.
Paul Gaudreau

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Colin Powell endorsed Obama/Biden!!

By James - Oct 19th, 2008 at 9:22 am EDT

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Another Obamican!!

Yes We Can!!!!

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Editorial Response

By PGaudreau - Oct 11th, 2008 at 8:27 am EDT

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In my local paper someone sent in an editorial condeming a negative cartoon about Palin in the editorial section and called the newspaper unfairly biased to Obama. They also praised McCain for his military service and denounced Obama for his lack of military service. Here is my editorial response:

To the Editor:

I response to Hawksley of Foxboro's editorial on Oct. 9th.

First let me say in defense of The Sun Chronicle, who may or may not be in the Obama camp. The job of a newspaper is to report the news as it comes, and to let the local people express their views. I believe the cartoon your speaking of was in the editorial section which directly represents the opinions of the people. They did publish you letter. Keeping that in mind you would have to agree that the lack of pro-McCain ramblings in the Sun Chronicle would be due to the peoples lack of support for the Republican Ticket.

Secondly as far as the attacks against Palin, which are pale in comparison to the fraudulent attacks on Obama. Her speeches lack substance and resemble pep rallies not presidential addresses, and that is causing the attacks. Yes she has been a good Governor of Alaska, but she has not been extraordinary. Not to discredit Palin's experience but Alaska has about the same population as the City of Boston. Would you be just as supportive for Mayor Menino as VP?

Now I do respect McCain for his honorable service to our country, but it is not an entitlement to the presidency. My disgust lies with the lack of respect for Obama's humble beginnings, and the view of him as an elitist. He was son to a poor single mother on food stamps, and somehow graduated from Harvard. Instead of choosing a high paying job on Wall Street he choose to serve his community. You said Obama has not fought for his country, I disagree. He has most certainly fought for his country by fighting for its people and their livelihood. America would be nothing without its work force. Who do you think supports the troops overseas? Is this not honorable? Obama's personal story is proof that the American Dream is still alive and it displays the possibilities available to all American citizens.

You are right Palin does deserve respect and so does Obama. A man who rose from nothing and is spending his life giving back.

Paul Gaudreau
Seekonk, MA

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Please Play Fair

By Beverly - Oct 10th, 2008 at 11:51 pm EDT

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I would like to encourage any and all, especially avid Democrats, to not play dirty. Do not tell lies. Do not exaggerate the truth. Do not help publish documents that say Palin abused her power but at the same time did not break the law. I am not a Palin fan but all this did was just make the Democrats look bad.

We want Obama to win, but getting dirty does not help him, it only makes him look just as bad as McCain already looks for all his lies, exaggerations, and misleading statements. McCain is clearly desperate. Let him hang himself. Getting dirty in a campaign will only hurt Obama not help.

I encourage you not to "fight fire with fire" to create a dirty campaign to match McCain's dirt. I know this is counter intuitive. People want to hear good news at a time when everything they hold dear is going into the proverbial "toilet". People need hope.

Waging a dirty campaign is what killed Hillary and it is what is now killing McCain. Obama can win by using his stand on the issues, especially his stand on the economy. He is giving people hope, which is what he has done from the beginning. This is how he will win and not with dirty politics.

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Patriotism?

By PGaudreau - Oct 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am EDT

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What is Patriotism? What does it mean to be Patriotic? I love this country and I would like to consider myself a Patriot, but I have one problem, I'm a Democrat. I am very confused by this notion that only Republicans can be Patriots. Is it true that Republicans are the only ones to put "Country First". If so what are Democrats putting first?

Maybe Democrats are putting "Economy First" by sponsoring government regulation on big corporations to keep them from taking advantage of Americans. Deregulation has lead to the biggest housing crises our country has seen since the great depression.

Actually Democrats are probably putting "Security First" because they disagreed with the Iraq War and wanted to spend all of our efforts going after Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden. Spending everything in Iraq, and neglecting the War in Afghanistan, allowed Al-Qaida to grow in strength.

No I know what it is, Democrats are putting "People First" by sponsoring government aid to actual struggling Americans rather than big corporations. Democrats will raise taxes on those who can afford it and lower taxes on those who need it. if you make $40,000 a year could you use an extra $1000? An if you make $3,000,000 a year could you afford to pay $700,000 in taxes to help your fellow Americans?

Greek philosopher Socrates said "patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be."

Patriotism is supporting your fellow Americans who are having trouble. Patriotism is defending your fellow Americans from invading enemies. Patriotism is protecting your fellow Americans from greedy corporations. I believe Patriotism is a love for your country and a passion for it to be the best it can be.

On November 4th, 2008 I am going to prove my Patriotism and I will be putting my "Country First" by voting for a Democrat named Barack Obama.

Paul Gaudreau

Seekonk, MA

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Fact Checks of Obama and McCain Assertions

By Beverly - Oct 8th, 2008 at 4:50 pm EDT

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Found in interesting page on the CNN web site. It meticulously goes through various "facts" noted by both Obama and McCain. They researched the facts and gave a verdict of True, False, or Misleading.

I did not do an exact count but it looks like CNN believes Obama’s statements are mostly true and McCain’s assertions toward Obama are mostly false.

Check it out at:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/fact-check/

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Presidential Debate II Results IMHO My Friends!

By Beverly - Oct 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pm EDT

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Well the second debate is over. Obama is 3 for 3 if you count the VP debate. There was no contest. I got so disgusted with the "my friend(s)" put down and the "that one" to Obama that I could not even listen to McCain’s entire dribble. I had to keep walking away.

What is wrong with the Republicans? Do they really think the rest of us Americans are low life idiots that do not recognize condescension? Do they think we are drawn to people who treat us like we are stupid?

I was so disgusted that I went out and voted. It is done. No lines. If you can vote ahead of time, do it now so you do not have to wait on Election Day. Go Obama.

For more information on the "my friends" issues read this article in the LA Times:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/10/john-mccain-and.html

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Palin Shows Her True Colors

By Beverly - Oct 6th, 2008 at 11:18 am EDT

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Palin's ability to outright lie and to say things that will deliberately distort the truth are her true colors - and they are NOT red, white and blue.

Her latest attacks are yet another shining example of why she is not only a Terrible choice for VP but would make the US the laughing stock of the world if, God Forbid, she ever became president.

The US already has a credibility problem with the world. McCain and Palin would only serve to continue to diminish the US to the rest of the world. As a “pair” they would be an embarrassment to this country even greater than George W Bush.

It is obvious that this ticket combination is incapable of coming up with economic solutions that have even the slightest chance or working. The only trick left in their collective "handbag" is to outright lie.

McCain and Palin have forgotten that they are not innocent themselves. McCain has a long history of admitted bad judgment and inappropriate associations. Palin is under investigation for abuse of power.

It is beyond my comprehension how anyone can support two people with such low character and moral values for the highest office in this country.

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Are McCain & Palin Fit for the White House?

By Beverly - Oct 5th, 2008 at 10:22 am EDT

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The other day I say McCain on TV and thought to myself that he did not look healthy - he looked exhausted and pale (paler than usual). Then I heard he was at his ranch resting. Now I believe he may be completely worn out. I do not believe he has the stamina needed to be president.

So since he is losing and worn out he sends out an unpolished, no morals, "pit bull" named Palin to make up blasphemes and outright lies about Obama. It seems all they have left in their bag of tricks are the most despicable campaign tactics I have ever seen used.

Do we want someone in the White House who would lie to us at an extreme level to get the public to do their bidding? We have had 8 years of that. At least Clinton’s lies were about sex and not anything important, at least not to me.

In my opinion neither Palin nor McCain are fit for the White House. I now question their moral compass that allows them to outright lie and avoid presenting solutions. I think they know they cannot win so they just want to bash Obama and Democrats because they have nothing else to say that anyone with any intelligence would want to listen to.

I have spoken with a number of people who cannot just sit and listen to Palin without walking out of the room. She is so green in politics that she may not realize that everything politicians do & say is remembered forever by the press. My sense is that she thinks she is running for president - she probably knows more about McCain’s bad health than the rest of us have been made aware of.

If you really want an inept, unpolished, unsophisticated, ignorant President then Palin is your choice - if not - vote early and for Obama.

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Swift Boat DVD Goes Out In Swing States: McCain's Obsession

By Gretchen - Sep 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pm EDT

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If you do not live in a swing state then you probably have not received a copy of the DVD, Obsession in the local newspaper. I must admit that I threw it in the trash. I knew what it contained without even breaking open the cover. Scare tactics that breed fear, at least enough to get some of the people, 71,500 in this state, to vote for more war. The reviews on the internet gave me enough of a drift of what was going on. The same message that is being drilled into our heads from the McCain Camp. Apparently some were listening to my editorials, emails, and choice words about this low blow. I got a call from the editor Mike Cotton at the Union Leader.

He tried to defend his company's action by saying that he saw the video, and ran it by their lawyers. I asked him what kind of message was he trying to give to New Hampshire? I told him that this was not going to work this time and that he was hurting New Hampshire by allowing this propaganda. While I had him on the phone he happened to mention that 50 million dollars was spent nationwide to pass around this kind of nonsense.

I asked him if there was a DVD that promoted a message of hope, would he also include it in next Sunday's circular? "I would love to see someone come out with a positive video." So there you have it. For $3,500 they will do it. 71,500 subscribers will be allowed to hear the truth. Michael Moore? Slacker Uprising? What does this campaign want to see happen? If you are interested in contacting him he gave me his email. Mike Cotton: mcotton@unionleader.com

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Who Won the Debate?

By Beverly - Sep 28th, 2008 at 1:21 pm EDT

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It has taken me a while to consider my take on the debate. Rather than just jump in with a gut reaction, I felt it prudent to let things settle first before commenting.

I want to be objective and am having difficulty with this. There were times during the debate when John McCain spoke that I had to leave the room. As an Arizonan I have supported him in the past but am now profoundly disappointed. He started his camapign with photo ops of himself and Bush and trying to please the Republican party by looking like he was a real conservative in all ways, which he is not.

Now he is selling himself as a change agent, since it is working for Obama, and in his ads he is showing Obama agreeing with him. Does he think we are dumb? Obama says we need change and we do not need the same old Bush that we would get with McBush and so McCain transforms himself into McObama and claims that Obama has agreed with him when it is McCain that changed his stance.

From my perspective the biggest fundimental differences between the two candidates are as follows:

1 -McCain is pro war for solving problems, and wants to spend as much money as possible on defense
1 - Obama wants to end wars and solve problems with deplomancy. To spend some money on defense but also support major issues facing Americans today (i.e. education, healthcare, Medicare, etc.)

2 - McCain is a maverick, not afraid to move quickly
2 - Obama is a thinker, prefering to look before he leaps

Since I believe in self defense but prefer diplomancy first I do not agree with McCain to keep on fighting any wars in the Middle East. They have been fighting with each other since before recorded history and it will never end. If we get rid of our dependence on their oil we will no longer pay them to attack us. This should be our strategy and not more war.

Our infrastructure is falling apart. health care needs to be thrown out and a new model created from scratch. Our children are so poorly educated that companies are foced to export jobs as there are not enough qualified young people to fill the jobs, a point that never seems to get mentioned.

We need to spend a billion dollars at home fixing our country and not throwing it away in the Middle East on wars that in the end will not help us.

I do not know who won the debate. I do know who has integrity, vision, and constant energy. I do know who wants change that will help strugling Americans, who will improve education, healthcare, etc. That is the kind of person I want for my president. Not a maverick that might put his finger on an atomic bomb just because someone "P....." him off.

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How war hero John McCain betrayed the Vietnamese peasant who saved his life

By John From Cape Cod. Ma - Sep 27th, 2008 at 6:28 pm EDT

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LINK:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-542277/How-war-hero-John-McCain-betrayed-Vietnamese-peasant-saved-life.html

hero John McCain betrayed the Vietnamese peasant who saved his life

Last updated at 01:10 23 March 2008

In all the tales of wartime courage peppering John McCain's presidential campaign trail, perhaps the most outstanding example of selfless heroism involves not the candidate but a humble Vietnamese peasant.

On October 26, 1967, Mai Van On ran from the safety of a bomb shelter at the height of an air raid and swam out into the lake where Lieutenant Commander McCain was drowning, tangled in his parachute cord after ejecting when his Skyhawk bomber was hit by a missile.

In an extraordinary act of compassion at a time when Vietnamese citizens were being killed by US aerial bombardments, he pulled a barely conscious McCain to the lake surface and, with the help of a neighbour, dragged him towards the shore.

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Reunited: Senator McCain and his Vietnamese rescuer Mai Van On in Hanoi in 1996

And when a furious mob at the water's edge began to beat and stab the captured pilot, Mr On drove them back.

Nearly three decades later, a Vietnamese government commission confirmed he was indeed the rescuer and, in a 1996 meeting in Hanoi, McCain embraced and thanked Mr On and presented him with a Senate memento.

From that brief encounter to his death at the age of 88 two years ago, Mr On never heard from the senator again, and three years after their meeting, McCain published an autobiography that makes no mention of his apparent debt to Mr On.

It is a snub Mr On took to his death.

His widow, Bui Thi Lien, 71, said: ?In his last years, my husband was very sad sometimes.

He would say, 'Mr McCain has forgotten me.'

?Mr McCain would be dead if it weren't for my husband. He would never have returned to his family and he wouldn't be in the presidential race today.?

Last week on a visit to Britain to meet Gordon Brown, McCain paid tribute to the role played by British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan - comments that carried extra weight in the light of McCain's own wartime exploits.

In his 1999 autobiography, Faith Of My Fathers, which laid the ground for his first, unsuccessful run for president in 2000, McCain wrote a Boy's Own-style narrative of his rescue: ?When I came to, I was being hauled ashore on two bamboo poles.

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To the rescue: John McCain, lying on his back across a bamboo log, is saved by villagers - including Mai Van On - after his jet was shot down in 1967

?A crowd of several hundred Vietnamese gathered around me as I lay dazed before them, shouting wildly at me, stripping my clothes off, spitting on me, kicking and striking me repeatedly.?

What followed, according to McCain, was five-and-a-half years of torture and brutal beatings as a prisoner of war - an account that has given a steely edge to his candidacy by establishing him as a true American war hero.

But the story is at odds with the version uncovered by Vietnam veteran Chuck Searcy, who lives in Hanoi and is in charge of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund.

?In 1995, Mr On gave me a letter he wanted me to deliver to McCain,? said Searcy.

?'It said, 'I am the guy who pulled you out of the lake and I have followed your progress over the years. I wish the best for you and your family and I hope some day you will be president of the United States.'

?I thought it was endearing. I sent the letter to McCain's office and I got back a sniffy response from some assistant saying, 'Mr McCain isn't interested in these fanciful stories.'?

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Republican candidate John McCain met French President Nicholas Sarkozy this week

Indeed, claiming to have saved McCain had by then become something of a cottage industry in Hanoi.

Searcy, 63, recalled: ?There had been a lot of preposterous claims, but I asked the neighbours around the lake if it was true and they said that was exactly how it happened.?

The story was also confirmed by the Vietnamese government.

Later in 1995, Searcy met McCain at a veterans' reunion in Washington.

He said: ?I mentioned the story of Mr On to him, and told him it was true. He said, 'Hell, I would like to meet this guy - I'll set it up.'?

McCain, then a senator closely involved in rebuilding US-Vietnam relations, visited Hanoi in 1996, and a meeting was arranged with Searcy and Mr On.

Searcy said: ?Mr On was a wiry little guy. He looked as if he had only ever shaved once or twice and he had his old uniform on.

?He raced up to McCain and kept repeating his name as he embraced him.?

Then, through an interpreter, Mr On recounted the events of that day as McCain listened.

?He launched into a very emotional description,? said Searcy.

?Suddenly they saw this parachute coming down into their small lake.

?Everybody was afraid because they knew it was an American pilot and they didn't know what to do.

?He said he just instinctively grabbed this big bamboo log and threw it into the water and jumped in after it.

?One of his neighbours joined him and the two of them swam out to the parachute.

?Apparently McCain had broken both arms and one leg, and had sunk to the bottom, but they pulled him out of the lake.

?When they got to the bank, a couple of men attacked McCain, breaking his shoulder with a rifle butt and stabbing his leg, before Mr On stopped them.

?That day, he saved McCain from drowning and then from maybe being killed by the mob.

?McCain listened but there was no dramatic response. He just nodded, said, 'Thank you very much,' and gave Mr On a little Senate seal.

?It was the kind of thing you buy in the souvenir shop in the Senate basement.

?But Mr On, to the day he died, treated it as if it were a Congressional Medal of Honour.?

But although McCain appeared to believe the story, it was one he would later seem to ignore in his autobiography and there was no more contact between the two men.

When Mr On died in 2006, an email was apparently sent to McCain's office requesting a message of condolence for the family. There was no response.

Whether or not McCain believed Mr On is unclear.

But his refusal to acknowledge his heroism is likely to fuel other, more damaging allegations that McCain exaggerated elements of his PoW ordeal in Hoa Lo prison.

Phung Van Chung, 70, who was a Communist Party official at the time, claims McCain was quickly singled out for softer treatment, adding: ?I found out he was the son of an American admiral, so the top people wanted to keep him as a live witness so they could use him for negotiations.?

Mr On's son-in-law, Nguyen Ngoc Toan, said: ?Before he died, he told us not to sell the medal McCain gave him.

He said, 'If any of the grandchildren ever go to America, having it might help them.'?

In 2000, McCain, by then a presidential candidate, visited the lake that almost claimed his life.

?His entourage was outside our house but Mr McCain just passed by,? said Mr On's widow, who insists she bears no grudge.

Behind her calm words, however, lies an anxiety to right the injustice she feels her husband suffered.

As we prepared to leave she clutched my hand and said: ?Please help us to remind Mr McCain what my husband did.

?Just a few words will be enough to let the family know that he is grateful.?

Additional reporting: William Lowther, in Washington

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The debate

By Slocs - Sep 27th, 2008 at 4:23 am EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

I felt McCain held his own and it was probably the best I had ever seen McCain look. Obama was well-Obama - good an nuanced. Obama beat expectations and McCain didn't knock him out. However for the person not paying attention and just tuning in, the debate was relatively detailed and my guess is they'll remember the following:

- neither said anything reassuring or insightful about the economy during the first 40 minutes and neither wanted to admit a $700 Billion to $1 trillion financial bailout could basically make it difficult for further tax cuts or continued spending.

- McCain has been to all these places and met many of these people and has a military background

- Obama seemed to have a good grasp of things and didn't seem initmidated or un-Presidential

- McCain constantly said Obama didn't understand even when Obama said he essentially agreed with McCain or when both answers sounded the same - I don't think that tactic resonates too much with swing-voters because Obama didn't sound like he didn't get it.

- If they watched fox afteward - they would hear McCain won, if they watched MSNBC (few do) then Obama won, if they watched CNN or the Networks after then it was pretty much a tie.

Overall, not a game-changer and no major slip-ups. McCain got the new Pakastani leader wrong and stumbled on that psycho in Iran's name but no ordinary American worries too much about this. So I think Obama supporters were happy, McCain supporters were happy and undecudeds were more confused, they probably lean toward McCain related to foreign policy but the story is the economy.

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Palin's Couric Interview

By Slocs - Sep 27th, 2008 at 3:40 am EDT

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Oh my F-ing God, she is a complete idiot. I mean way worse than even my cynical side could imagine. She really has no grasp of what is happening. I look at some idiots in the past like Dukakis or that goofball Ross Perot picked as his VP-nominee in 1992 and then this Palin character. Look I'm not going to get on her about her alleged infideluty or parenting skills. Really what politician truly doesn't have issues like thiso (ex. Bush's "party til you drop" daughters or Gore's "I only drank a case, I'm ready to drive my car" son). So I'm willing to give her Oxy-addicted white trash kids a pass.

However, watch these interviews with Palin and tell me that she is ready to take over if something happens to McCain. She is a complete idiot, totally unprepared to be the #2 person on a Presidential ticket. McCain needs to dump her and pick one of the rumored guys to join his campaign or she'll bring him down. so take a look:

Palin-Couric - Part 1

Palin-Couric - Part 2

Picking Palin as a running mate was a mistake by McCain and I hope he does the right thing and replace her fast. Because this country is still pretty evenly divided and McCain still has a good shot at winning.

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DRAFT

By John From Cape Cod. Ma - Sep 25th, 2008 at 11:54 am EDT

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LINK: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deanie-mills/from-a-marine-mom-the-one_b_128959.html

Deanie MillsPosted September 24, 2008 | 02:13 PM (EST) BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index From A Marine Mom: The One Question They Never Ask The War-MongersMccain Military Draft, Off The Bus News

During the foreign policy debate coming up this Friday night, there will be one group of constituents who will be eagerly awaiting the one question I never see asked of the war-mongers.

I'm talking about Blue Star Families for Obama, an energetic group of active-duty military families who, although they respect the military service and sacrifice of John McCain, nonetheless believe passionately that Barack Obama is a far better choice for commander-in-chief.

The decision to support Obama for president by many military families is not an emotional one. It is based on careful study of his long history of supporting legislation that provides the best care and opportunities for our nation's veterans and those still in service. A comparison of Obama's senate voting record with John McCain's by major veteran's groups is not even close. He has voted in favor of veteran's benefits and attention to the troops something like 80% of the time in comparison to McCain's 20%. A case in point, as we all know by now, is the recently passed updated version of the G.I. Bill.

I would also like to point out here, for those who may not know, that Michelle Obama has adopted the needs of military families as one of her central causes. She has visited numerous military bases -- not to stick soldiers or their families up on stage as photo-op props -- but to sit down at roundtables with them and discuss, one-on-one, their biggest concerns. She says she takes all those concerns to her husband, and in her convention speech, she made a point of acknowledging their sacrifices and the strains they face daily.

I'll be liveblogging with the Blue Star Families during the upcoming debate, and will put together a blog of their impressions later for OffTheBus.

But as a Marine mom who has sent a son to Iraq to fight twice, and three nephews four other times, I know the question I would like to see asked of John McCain, because I never see anybody else ask it of him.

But then, why should they?

Less than one-half of one percent of our nation's population has been asked to fight two wars over the past seven years. And they've been asked to fight it over and over again.

They've been dragged out of physical rehab from war wounds and sent to fight it again. They've been pulled away from suicide-watch and shipped off to fight again. They've been sent to fight it, spent a year or more there risking their lives daily, and then, while in line to catch the plane for glorious home at last--been pulled away and told to remain in-country another month or two, during which time, more than a few of those who'd been ready to catch the plane home wind up doing so in a flag-draped casket.

This army has been abused in ways I've never seen in my lifetime, and their families have paid a crippling price. Divorce, spousal abuse, child abuse, suicide, cases of PTSD--every single measure of extremely high levels of stress available shows dangerously high levels of it in the military. Junior officers and non-commissioned officers, those lieutenants and sergeants who tend to be combat platoon and squad leaders and absorb some of the worst horrors of war when they not only risk their own lives, but feel responsible for the lives of everyone under them--are fleeing the service in such large numbers that a serious shortage has resulted.

Even the Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed grave worries of the strains on our nation's military to their commander-in-chief.

Not that he cares or has listened.

And now, we've got a new election under way. I've been following the candidates closely for well over a year now, and I keep waiting for this question to be asked of the war-mongerers.

John McCain loves stories of heroism in battle. He is widely known as a war-hero in his own right, and often chokes up when mentioning the bravery of our troops.

And yet, again and again, when faced with questions about how to handle aggressive regimes overseas, he falls back on a war-like tone, in which he repeatedly offers the use of force as a solution to those problems. He seems to like the idea of himself--as valiant war-president--facing off against world leaders like Vladimir Putin. In that case, after the conflict between Russia and Georgia (in which complex analysis reveals that both countries were aggressive and share responsibility for the bloodshed), he mouthed off that the G-8 ought to kick Russia out and that, furthermore, Georgia ought to be made a member of NATO, which would guarantee this country's responsibility to possibly defend it militarily.

His hapless choice for vice-president, Sarah Palin, told Charlie Gibson that "perhaps" it would be necessary to go to war with Russia.

McCain has stated that he thinks we should remain in force in Iraq indefinitely (140,000 troops)--or at least until the next election (he said, "2013" when pressed), and that we should send an additional 12,000 troops to Afghanistan.

(Obama has promised to end the war in Iraq and has said he would then send 3500 more troops to Afghanistan.)

Also, both McCain and Palin seem to feel that military options against Iran should be the first line of defense against that country's nuclear ambitions.

McCain himself has stated repeatedly that "more wars will be necessary."

So:

Here's my question.

I hope very much that Jim Lehrer asks this question Friday night. If he does, it will be a first that anybody has ever framed it in this context:

If it is true that "more wars will be necessary," maybe even in a possible upcoming McCain/Palin administration, with a lengthening of the Iraq war and an escalation of the Afghanistan war for certain, with possibly some sort of military action against at least Iran...then...

This military mom wants to know:

WHERE YA GONNA GET THE TROOPS?

There just aren't enough troops in the current armed forces to fight all these wars, even if we're just talking about Iraq and Afghanistan. The troop escalation ordered by Bush last year damn near broke the military, with National Guard and Reserve troops being called into action--leaving our nation undefended if another major crises were to have erupted worldwide--and those troops already deployed having their deployments extended, and those scheduled to ship out being sent early, before their training was complete.

Our troops were shipping back out to war, sometimes twice in the course of one year. (My son returned from Iraq the first time in May 2005, and re-deployed to the war on January 1 of 2006, just months later.) In the army, other troops spend 15 months in Iraq, come home for maybe nine months, then get re-deployed for at least another year.

We--meaning the military overall--can't keep this up indefinitely. We're barely holding on by our fingernails now. Troops sent for multiple deployments are returning with increasingly serious physical and emotional problems with each return to war--provided they come home at all. Alive, anyway.

The idea that we can just yank troops out of Iraq and ship 'em straight to Afghanistan reveals a great ignorance about the two different wars. One is urban combat in a desert environment. Another is guerilla warfare in a rugged, mountainous, remote geographical area.

Folks, you gotta train for that stuff.

Many troops, returning from Iraq in one deployment, have been shipped off to Afghanistan before receiving that crucial mountain-guerilla training they need, and this is one of many reasons casualties have been so bloody high there.

WHERE ARE YA GONNA GET THE TROOPS FOR ALL YOUR WARS?

Nobody ever mentions the "D" word.

But I'm telling you. The army is having a tough enough time now, recruiting an all-volunteer force. They're letting in people with criminal records, those who score very low on IQ tests, those who are high-school drop-outs. They keep lowering standards because it's getting so hard to find anybody who will step up to volunteer for this madness.

Lately, they've been offering huge signing bonuses and putting pressure on these kids to sign before losing it.

It's not a mercenary force, but it is bribery, paid to those to whom a few thousand dollars is a fortune. Recruiters often lie, and promise them that they will not be sent to war.

Please don't get me wrong here. Many fine young men and women sign up to volunteer to serve their country because, like my son, they love their country.

As Dustin said when he enlisted, shortly after receiving his college degree:

"I don't feel comfortable being one of the ones who needs protecting. I'd feel better, being one of the protectors."

They sign up to fight terrorists. They sign up because they come from proud military families and want to make their own marks.

All the same, that number of volunteers is dwindling, because the strains are just so hard right now, maintaining two wars.

That only leaves one remaining way to fill up the forces:

DRAFT.

So, I just want all those pundits and pontificators and opinionists and bloggers and op-eders and editorializers who keep talking about "strong national defense" and about the need to confront aggression with equally strong aggression, to realize that

OUR TROOPS ARE NOT CHESS PAWNS ON A BOARD.

You can't just sit down in your book-lined study and move them around like some sort of intellectual game.

These are living, breathing, bleeding human beings, with families and friends and hearts and souls.

And there aren't enough of them to go around.

ANSWER THAT.

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