Are you worried that McCain's smears may be gaining traction in your state or district? I've been worried about Ohio, so I wrote a series of replies to fight back. Please feel free to use one of my letters as a model and send your own letter-to-the-editor of a local paper. Time is running short: many papers have cut-off dates for election-related letters, so do it TODAY! Small town papers are a better bet for getting printed than big-city dailies that receive tons of letters. Also, those "pro-American" towns might need some balance about now. Find lists of newspapers here: http://www.50states.com/news/ and here: http://www.usnpl.com/It's always wise to check in advance if your paper has a length limit. They often don't tell you this on the website, so a quick phone call can save wasted time. Most will accept letters by email, so ask for the editor's (or relevant person's) direct address, too. Please leave a comment below to let others know where you've sent a letter. Of course, you can also revise any of these letters in your own words. THANKs and FIGHT THOSE SMEARS! YES WE CAN!
160 words:
Dear Editor:
Governor Palin warned Ohio voters today that electing Obama to the Presidency will "invite a dangerous international crisis." Aside from the fact that she takes Joe Biden's words entirely out of context, wasn't it our Republican President who invited terrorists in Iraq to "bring it on," even though thousands of US troops lacked body armor and protective vehicles?Wasn't it John McCain who thinks it's funny to sing about bombing Iran and joke about killing Middle Eastern civilians with cigarettes? He boasts that our enemies "know me" and that he has "already been tested." But it is precisely this cowboy attitude that dares the opposition to attack and invites challenge with threats of overwhelming force. McCain's famous temper and saber-rattling do not offer the security we need today. I would rather have cool-hand Obama in charge in a crisis. And what enemy of America could resist testing Sarah Palin—Heaven help us--if she wound up in the Oval Office?
Are you worried that McCain's smears may be gaining traction in your state or district? I've been worried about Ohio, so I wrote a series of replies to fight back. Please feel free to use one of my letters as a model and send your own letter-to-the-editor of a local paper. Time is running short: many papers have cut-off dates for election-related letters, so do it TODAY!Small town papers are a better bet for getting printed than big-city dailies that receive tons of letters. Also, those "pro-American" towns might need some balance about now. Find lists of newspapers here: http://www.50states.com/news/ and here: http://www.usnpl.com/It's always wise to check in advance if your paper has a length limit. They often don't tell you this on the website, so a quick phone call can save wasted time. Most will accept letters by email, so ask for the editor's (or relevant person's) direct address, too. Always include your address and phone number. They will not print these, but may call to verify that you are the sender.Please leave a comment to let others know where you've sent a letter. Of course, you can also revise any of these letters in your own words.
242 Words:Dear Editor:What is Joe thinking? How does he expect to buy a business that nets over $250,000 a year, on the average plumber's wage of $47,000? He's better off taking his Obama tax cut—3 times what McCain would give his income bracket—and starting a business of his own. For the next 2 years, Obama proposes a big credit for employers who add jobs on American soil, and he will help provide health care for those workers. How will McCain help small business with a budget freeze across the board on non-military spending? How will Americans afford to patronize those start-up businesses with a freeze on student loans, Pell grants, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and everything else?If Joe the plumber--or Josephine the waitress, dental hygienist, teacher, nurse, and etc.—really believes trickle-down economics will save his pension or standard of living, he needs to consider getting his head examined. Have those policies worked so well over the past 8 years? A financial system geared to make the rich richer landed us in the current recession with a tanking stock market and jobs disappearing left and right. John McCain proposes more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans—exactly what led to baroque investments, a housing bubble, and inevitable collapse the last time around.Joe, take your head out of the sand! Don't drink that same old Kool-Aid. Whatever the smear-machine is telling you, Obama is the one who's on your side.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
By MARY KATE MALONE Staff Writer In her 96 years, Wilma Borkosky had never once voted for president. That changed Monday night, when the longtime Arlington resident, cane in hand, voted for Sen. Barack Obama at the Hancock County Board of Elections. She was one of 57 people who registered and voted during one visit to the elections board. Borkosky was urged to vote by her grandson-in-law, Scott Grenerth, who accompanied her Monday. Monday also was the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election. The elections board had a line out the door as Borkosky was leaving. Many parents came to register in work clothes, children in tow. Crystal Bejarano was nudged to the polls by the Obama campaign, she said, which called three times, urging her to vote early. "That was my motivation," she said while standing in line at the elections board. Bejarano moved to Findlay with her husband and two young sons last August from Texas. She said she had not voted in at least 10 years. The Obama campaign has been pushing Democratic-leaning groups such as college students and low-income voters to the polls, according to the Associated Press. At the University of Findlay, Obama volunteers were providing rides to the elections board. By 7:45 p.m., they had shuttled about 30 students to the polls, they said. Obama campaign members stopped by four times to drop off piles of voter registration applications, O'Brien said. http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2008/Oct/07/ar_news_100708_story1.asp?d=100708_story1,2008,Oct,07&c=n
PLEASE USE THIS SAMPLE LETTER, COPY AND EDIT, TO CREATE YOUR OWN--SEND TO NEWSPAPERS IN YOUR LOCALE OR REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS UNDER 200 WORDS LONG. MANY PAPERS ENFORCE A STRICT WORD LIMIT, SO CHECK ON THIS BEFORE YOU SEND. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME, SIGNATURE (if sending by snail mail), ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT MAY CALL TO VERIFY THAT YOU INTENDED TO SEND THE LETTER.
Even before the current financial crisis, economists at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center endorsed Obama 66% to 28%. Their reasons include inaccuracies in John McCain's proposal to slash earmarks: his own advisers admit that only a fraction of the amount first claimed could be saved without damaging defense priorities, such as aid to Israel. Others cite exploding deficits resulting from more tax cuts for the super-rich and the elimination of domestic spending. Former Fed Chairman Paul Volker affirms that Obama's tax proposals give more relief to more Americans—95% of working families. Under McCain's plan, 100 million Americans receive no tax cut. To address the current crisis, Obama demands safeguards for taxpayers: Oversight and accountability No "golden parachutes." Our investment must buy equity, not worthless paper. Help for families facing foreclosure. By contrast, McCain's trickle-down philosophy was never designed to protect common wage-earners. In 26 years in Washington, McCain's fight for deregulation led to the risky deals that are collapsing around us today. We need real leadership through these difficult times. Vote Obama for economic security.
The lyrics below, with apologies to both Depeche Mode and the Y2K version of the Blues Brothers, come from Blind Willie Johnson's version of "John the Revelator". They have been changed to fit the current times
[call] Well who's that a-wailin'? [response] John the De-Regelator / Who's that a-wailin'? John the De-Regelator / Who's that a-wailin'? John the De-Regelator / Wailin' bout the Wall Street Woes // Tell me what's John a-claimin'? / Ask the De-Regelator / What's John a-sayin'? Ask the De-Regelator / What's John a-tellin'? Ask the De-Regelator / Says now he sees a need for regulation Now who art worthy, thousands cried holy / Bound for some, Son of Bush / Daughter of Wasilla, Sarah's not ready / He decieveth us, and gonna cost blood / Well what's John a-writin'? Ask the De-Regulator / What's John a-writin'? Ask the De-Regulator / What's John a-writin'? Ask the De-Regulator / A book about the Keating Five / John the De-Regulator, great advocator / Listens to all the lobbyists / And the fundamentals, Lord, the fundamentals / of the economy are strong
You all get the idea... Surely some blues band out there can record a take on this and get it up and running on You Tube before the weekend's over, right??If it wasn't all so tragic, it would be funny.Get fired up, get ready to go. We can't afford any more Republican deregulation.
How can McCain/Palin run their ads twisting words and down right lying about their own past positions and then in the same breath- call themselves mavericks and play on McCain's heroism and service to our country???!!!
Palin did not stop the bridge to nowhere, but she happily kept the money that was ear marked for it. How can she say she was quoting Lincoln when saying that we are fighting God's war- didn't Barack take a lot of guff for using other people's words in his speeches? She also said the the pipeline was God's will- I don't recall Lincoln ever giving a speech about a pipeline! I don't trust her, and I definately don't believe her.
John McCain is an American Hero, and he has my utmost respect for his past service. That said, I may have been swayed to his side before he started playing the same ol' politics that we always see during an election. If he stands for change, then why is he playing the same old games? If they want to talk about his honorable service to our country, and paint him as the same individual that he was over 30 years ago-then he should walk the walk. I am ashamed at his ad campaigns, his word twisting toward Obama, and the general side stepping of questions with political talk. I think he was an honorable soldier, but not an honorable politician.
Thank you Obama for staying on task- keep going after them on the issues. Hopefully American's will see through their propoganda and vote for the change we need!!
Is experience really the key indicator in choosing a President? I am not so sure.
Let us ask the question: What qualities do we seek in an effective leader?
What qualities, characteristics, skills do we want to see day after day after day as our President sits in office, speaks to us, speaks to Congress, meets with world leaders, makes decisions? Think about it. How do we get from here to where we want to be without an effective leader? A President doesn't create change alone or because he is a good man or she is a good woman. An effective leader confronts serious challenges by challenging us. This leader calls on us to own our citizenship, to use our talents, to find common ground and to work together.
Collaboration is an essential survival skill in any society. That reality show that I never watched has got it wrong. Competition does not lead to ultimate survival--unless you want to live alone on an island. So my leader needs to awaken the best in us, to remind us that we have duties and responsibilities as citizens, that we need to talk to each other and work with each other.
I look for gravitas, a serious, dignified presence. I look for strength and courage. I want to see evidence that this leader examines complex issues and serious problems with a clear eye. I want to see evidence of thoughtful reflection.
When my President speaks, I want to hear honesty, intelligence, reasoning, and passion that inspires. I want to hear good rhetoric--yes that is important! I want to hear a clear position, a clear plan. I want to be convinced. I will not get off my couch unless I am convinced.
Yes I want to hear good rhetoric. I do not want to hear platitudes, broad generalizations, and empty, glittering phrases. Those words evaporate quickly and lead us nowhere. I don't trust those words. And if I don't trust the words, I will not get off my couch.
How do we recognize these qualities of leadership? I believe we listen, we watch, and we look closely at the candidate's life record. We ask hard questions. We look at decisions and actions. Experience in elected office or military service might demonstrate some of these qualities, but these are not the only indicators and indeed just the idea of experience might mislead us. One can have years of experience at being ineffective or at making questionable decisions.
So let us talk about leadership. How will we define those qualities we seek?
We're going to be gathering at Spengler's in downtown Napoleon tonight to watch Barack Obama's historic speech accepting the Democratic nomination for President. Join us at this fun event for some good food, good fellowship and what promises to be an inspirational speech from Barack.
The event starts at 7PM. Spengler's is located at 713 N Perry St. in Napoleon.
If you need more information call me at 419-266-0357 or Kevin at 419-371-8481.
If one is running for office popularity would seem to be a plus. In yet further desperate attempts to discredit Obama, opponents are using the faulty reasoning that because he is popular he lacks substance or "we really don't know anything about him."
The only people who don't know anything about Barack Obama just haven't been paying attention. He has written two full length books about who he is and what he believes in. This website has been online since February 11, 2007. Anyone who wishes to learn about his bio, beliefs, background, and policies merely has to read something! Magazines and newspapers have written about him extensively. He has appeared on multiple news broadcasts as well as popular entertainment venues from Oprah to Stephen Colbert. Turn on the television or log in to the internet--the man is there and he is real.
Hello All,
If you are in the Toledo area, please consider attending this fundraiser, if you can. If you cannot make it, please consider making a donation (however small it may seem) to David and Gabrielle, who have worked so hard to ensure Barack's victory.
www.therealmccain.com
why would anyone support this guy?
Check out Allen County Ohio Democratic Party's website www.allencountydemocrats.com. We are in support of the Democratic Nominee. Senator Obama and Senator Clinton supporters are working together to make sure that our Democratic Nominee becomes President.
http://www.allencountydemocrats.com
