SoCal Jews for Obama

Nobel Peace For President Obama

Sanjaya Kannath — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:43:42 EDT

9th October 2009

President Obama has won Nobel Peace for 2009, for giving the world "hope for a better future", we give the President our best wishes and heartiest congratulations. President Barack Obama has been rated as the finest Statesman the world has seen, in the recent years by leading political analysts. His economic policies has seen, the US economy as well as the world economy cool down, from the free fall it has been witnessing. President Obama's climate change initiatives will be creating more job oppurtunity, than any industrial or green revolutions has created so far.

Lets also seek in earnest, pursual of Ethical Governance, i.e Ethics based policymaking and management that addreses performance issues, in business, government, politics, international relations, health care and beyond. The compromise in these, has seen financial woes in major institutions, nations being depraved and fleeced by corrupt practices. Lets seek active support and cooperation for Ethical Governance, locally and globally, to save the world from financial meltdowns, terrorism, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and gross misuse of power and government machinaries, by despotic rulers, to make this world a better place to live in. (http://ethicalgov.co.cc)

YES WE DID, YES WE MUST

Carla Mays — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:18:50 EST

YES WE DID! YES WE MUST:

Þ Protect him from harm both verbal & phyiscal

Þ Stay "FIRED UP" by staying active

Þ Work Bi-Partisan to bring "Change" together

Þ Don't just bitch, get active and stay engaged

Þ Start and join a local "Change" group

Þ Be philanthropic, serve your community, state and nation

Þ Stick by Obama, STOP smears on the Right & the Left!!!! Hold yourself responsible as you hold Barack!

Join the future of this movement!!

http://change.gov/joinus

http://www.communityorganize.com

http://www.ourpresidency.com

http://www.usaservice.org

http://www.whitehouse.gov

Barack's DNC 2004 Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWynt87PaJ0&feature=PlayList&p=B1939005B8A4D4ED&index=188

Barack's DNC 2008 Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ato7BtisXzE&feature=channel

Barack’s Election Acceptance Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wJ-2Zu_Iic&feature=channel

Barack’s Inauguration Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjnygQ02aW4

Please Vote Team Change in CDP Delegates Caucuses

Carla Mays — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:51:17 EST

What is Team Change?

Obama community activists, artists, farmers, organizers, educators, doctors, veterans and business leaders wanting to bring hope, change and action to the California Democratic Party, because change brings with us! We are continuing the advocacy of the Obama campaign with a strong and personal commitment to our communities and our issues. With Team Change, You get more than a votes, you get PROVEN & EFFECTIVE WORKER BEES FOR POSITIVE CHANGE!!!

What does Team Change stand for?

¨ Single payer/universal healthcare

¨ Federal & State Funded Stem Cell Research

¨ Fully funding education

¨ Protecting the environment and our natural resources

¨ Equality for all

¨ Taking care of our veterans and their families by honoring our commitments, providing highest level quality programs and services and capacity building to new veterans needs

¨ Greening of business, green energy and products through incentives and regulations

¨ Growing our economy through WPA like programs, small businesses and get Californians back to work with living wages and benefits

¨ Community and national service

¨ Affordable housing, increasing homeowership, government intervention to help individuals and families from foreclosures

¨ Bring more programs and services to our Region

Why come to the Caucuses and vote for Team Change?

To continue the advocacy of the Obama campaign with the leaders who made our movement so successful here locally and nationally. Team Change activists and organizers did not stop on November 4, they continue the fight for positive change everyday in their personal lives, careers, community and philanthropic endeavors. It is important to have these leaders lead the fight for change at the state-level. That’s why we respectfully ask for your vote! This vote is just as important as Nov. 4th, because President Obama will need strong leaders and worker bees for change inside the California Democratic Party to move our Platform foreward!

Where to vote for Team Change?

AD 73 – South Orange County & Oceanside – Saturday, January 10 at 10 am

San Clemente Community Center – Fireside Room

100 N. Calle Seville

San Clemente, 92672

AD 74 – North County San Diego – Sunday, January 11 at Noon

CWA Local 9511

1525 Simpson Way, Escondido, 92029

AD 75 – Central San Diego – Sunday, January 11 at 11 am

SpringHill Suites – Scripps Room

12032 Scripps Highlands Drive

San Diego, 92131 (Scripps Ranch)

AD 76 – Downtown San Diego & Beaches – Saturday, January 10 at 9 am

Belmont Park Community Room

3115 Mission Blvd

San Diego, 92109 (Mission Beach)

How to vote for Team Change?

Pre-register for the Caucus at www.cadems.org on the right side of the page. Come to the Caucus meet Team Change delegate candidates and they will hand you a slate card. Then proceed to the Registration Table to get your ballot.

Team Change Delegate Candidates

AD 73

Erin Gilligan-Morin

Raad Ghantous

Anna-Maria Mannino

AD 74

Benjamin Bates

Martha Sullivan

Rachel Rott

Carla Mays

Charles “Charlie” Imes

Fabio Marchi

Gabriel Mendez

Nanci Oeschle

Rebecca Leo

Rick Hall

AD 75

Michael "Mickey" & Holly Foster

Drs. Robert and Yvonne Frisby

Maurice and Roma Weaver

Gerold Firl

Gerry Senda

AD 76

Dr. Michael McQuarry

Gail Mackler

Mike Russell

Larry and Donna Dawson

Greg Bolian

Brian Polejes

Post Election Thoughts, Inauguration, Military and Veterans Outreach

Carla Mays — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:54:39 EST

My concerns are that the military families and veterans that have worked so hard, may not be able to participate in the inauguration that they made possible! It upsets me that I have NOT heard back from Brian Bilbray, Senator Feinstein or any other representatives that I have contacted regarding tickets. We have made various request for volunteer opportunities, discounted and free tickets to balls and events, and we are still in a wait and see pattern. It is very costly and bureaucratic, and I fear that the group may not be able to attended this most historic event, that again they made possible. As we wait for information, housing and airfare become more difficult and out of reach. But, I am hopeful that we will find sponsors to sponsor our local military families and veterans to the inauguration. We currently are in need of air miles and lodging sponsors. We currently have a proposal into the Earl Stafford Foundation for inaugural travel assistance for our 32 member OC (Orange County) and San Diego Military and Veterans for Obama, a local group of Blue Star Military Families and Veterans for Obama. Which I serve as lead organizer for, and founded this summer.
We are extremely excited about attending the Obama Inaugural after traveling to 37 states and Puerto Rico, hosting over 180 events and raising over $25,000 collectedly for the campaign and for philanthropic organizations. The group finished the campaign in Florida, where we worked with Obama organizers deliver all 27 electoral college votes for Obama!
I am also very upset that local party organizers are not making inaugural parties affordable to students, seniors, the disabled or military families and veterans! It is very sad to see that even theSan Diego County Democratic Inaugural Party is out of reach for most at $85/$100 per ticket! This is NOT the Obama way! We are a movement of inclusion, not exclusion based on socioeconomic status. I personally have helped get plane tickets and organized travel for over 850 students, veterans, military family members, unemployed folks and those who could not afford to be a part of this movement, but wanted to volunteer. It is the roll of us as organizers to be mindful of the current economic conditions and plan events accordingly. We have to work on getting underwriters and sponsors for underrepresented groups.

As a 33 year old recent graduate school graduate, I understand all to well about the struggles of trying to find a job in this economy and trying to make ends meat. And this campaign trail, has given me much to be thankful for and to work toward. As a young black woman, I often was brought to tears thinking of my mother (who died of pancreatic cancer in 2005) would be saying or the shear enjoy of my grandparents to see this day come to come to pass, when not color but charisma, brilliance, political savvy and philanthropy motivated the Nation to elect the 44th President of the United States of America! And I feel that same way in being elected delegate in my congressional district where blacks make up only about 2% of the population! That is was I felt an obligation to fundraise and take San Diego's Finest with me!
My proudest moment in this campaign was being elected the National Delegate from the 50th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention and taking a Military Families and Veterans Delegation of 26 with me! The best event of the whole week was working with the group to packing boxes for our troops at Camp Pendleton with Michelle Obama, her daughters, her mother and her brothers! I cried when we (Benjamin Bates, my fiance, managed the Delegation while I was on the floor of the Convention) were able to get all the families and their extended families into the Invesco Field for the ending ceremonies! This is what the Obama campaign and movement is all about philanthropy and service.
The group is focusing our attention on on the California Democratic Party's Assembly District Delegates races, where we are running our Blue Stars and Veterans in the their AD's to represent military families and veterans issues on the state level. We are working to establish military family members and veterans as a strong lobby with the CDP thru the Veterans Caucus and appointments to various committees with in the CDP. Our group has now found a home in the La Jolla Democratic Club. We are very excited to be joining forces with such an active and well established Democratic Club. The new president, Dr. Michael McQuarry has been a great advocate of our work and is helping us develop Democratic Military and Veterans outreach and assist us with our philanthropic work. Here in San Diego we are working with philanthropic organizations by volunteering, hosting events or raising money.
I am very interested in changing Democrats and Progressives feelings and views on the military and veterans. I believe we have much to do on the local level to constituency build among military families and veterans. San Diego County is a military county, and we must work with them, advocate for them and provide them a seat at the policy table. I see this is my new role in the movement. The military families and veterans are our pride and enjoy, and are what makes San Diego "America's Finest City." But thru out the nation it is NOT only our duty to work to end the war, but to support the military families and veterans that were innocently caught up in this conflict also!!! For to long Democrats have been sleeping at the wheel on outreaching to military families, troops and veterans. They overwhelming supported Obama this is our opportunity. It will not be easy because we have been MIA so long, and letting Republicans set the agenda. If you want a real rewarding challenge join us in helping and working with our troops, military families and veterans! Being Democrat, progressive or liberal does NOT mean anti-military, military families or veterans!!! Pro-Obama, Pro-Military!!!!!

Band Wagon Voters

Ali Seaton — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:54:32 EST

You know I am a real GOD fearing man and all but, I just am not down with the people who really didn't want to see Barack Win.

They all were not for him and hated on him.

I don't think band wagon voters are about change and then people want to go find anyone who is black to talk about how exited they are.

I was exited in April 2007 cause I know he was going to WIN because GOD showed me a sign.

People think they are really about change and they are not.

They still hate but, ok if you are really about change then roll up your sleaves and help Barack

cause Yes We Won but we won a very twisted world.

We still need to weed out those fake and hatred people.

I would had rather them vote for someone else then vote for a race they hate.

I love everyone but, lot's of people hate me because of my skin and for no other reason than that.

I hold my head High and ready to die for the truth, so tell it why don't you.

Just keep it real.

People look at me all different now like they are shocked.

I tell them be shocked at yourself and go to GOD for a pure heart he forgives, ya know?

GOD Bless You

Ali

FROM AN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER IN LONDON, ENGLAND

The Original NYC Free Advice Man — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:47:08 EST

Dear President-Elect Barack Obama,

My sincere condolences and deepest sympathy upon the passing of your beloved grandmother.

As The Original New York City Free Advice Man I would like to congratulate you, your wonderful family, friends and all our fellow supporters, true Democrats, real Republicans, sensible Independents and others, for getting you elected the next President of Our United States of America! I am exceedingly grateful to you and Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden, whom I consider a friend, for putting up with all the senseless garbage and difficulties that our opponents threw at us during this long, testing and tiring campaign. You can count on me to provide you, your administration and our government any and all Quality Free Advice, Objective Criticism, Critical Insight and Foresight needed to help insure that the coming four years or more will be successful, especially in restoring Our American image and reputation abroad and our Constitution at home.

Having been a specific target of those who have unscrupulously, severely damaged our country I hope to have the opportunity to meet you and/or my friend Joe Biden (who was my preference until you’re very promising Iowa Caucus victory) and briefly discuss my very unpleasant experiences these past seven plus years. I also hope my YouTube endorsement video (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejts46Ll1Nk ) helped a little bit, and that all my other efforts at home (Maryland/DC) and here in London contributed to our success. Should you ever need the views/ideas/opinions of someone who truly thinks way outside of ‘the box’, then remember that The Free Advice Man is fully at your service. Consider me one of your National Philosophical Advisors!

Respectfully yours, best, J

ean-Pierre Ady Fenyo

Philosopher-at-Large

The Original New York City Free Advice Man ( www.infinitysociety.org/FREEADVICEMAN )

November 3, 2008 Edgware, London, England, UK Europe

McCain VS Obama

La Susa — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:26:46 EST

Im not in favor of McCain because he wants to cheat workers, and give more money to the extreamly rich that make 250,000.00 or more! Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que el quire enganiar a los trabajadores y dar mas dinero a los ricototes, la cual que hacen 250,000.00 y mas!

Im not in favor of McCain because he is too old, 72 years old, and placed Palin as VP. Poor Palin dosn't know much about the world, much less about how to run Our Nation. Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que ya esta muy viejo, 72 anos, y puso a la Palin de VP. La pobre Palin no sabe mucho del mundo, menos como correr nuestro Nacion!

Im not in favor of McCain because he says he knows how to do everything, but really what has he done in, practicly nothing in 20 years. Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que el dice que el sabe como hacer de todo, pero a la deveras no ha hecho casi nada en 20 anos.

Im not in favor of McCain because he lies too much! There are so many lies I cannot place them all here, it is an embarrasment! Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que miente demaciado! Hay tantas mentiras que no los puedo ponerlos todos aqui, es una veruenza!

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to help those workers who pay way too much in taxes. He wants the rich that make 250,000.00 or more to pay taxes as it was during the years of President Clinton. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el qiere ayudar a aquellos que trabajan y pagan demacido taxes. El quiere que los ricos que hacen 250,000.00 y mas que ellos pagan taxes como era en los anos del Presidente Clinton.

I voted for Senator Obama because he realized when his mom was ill that the insurance companies didn't want to pay the bills because her illness before she died being cancer was considered 'pre-existing'. And she sadly died with the worries of the bills. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el se dio cuenta que cuando su mama estaba enferma las companias de seguranza no querian pagar los cuentos por que querian decir la cual que la enfermedad que cancer que tenia su mama antes de murir que era 'pre-existing'. Y la pobre murio con penas de los cuentos!

I voted for Senator Obama because he knows what it is like to live in poverty, for when he was a child he and his mom were on foodstamps. And his manerism is one of humility. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el sabe como es vivir pobre, cuando el era nino, su mama y el estaban es las estampas. Y tiene un modo de ser que es humide.

I voted for Senator Obama because he knows what it is like to live without a dad. His dad left when he was only two years old. And he knows that there are many mothers with children who are alone and suffering with mounting bills. Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el sabe como es vivir sin un papa. El papa de el se fue, cuando el no mas tenia dos anos de edad. Y sabe que hay muchas madres con ninos que estan solas y sufiendo con biles demasiados.

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to give many jobs to the people! Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere a dar muchos trabajos a la gente!

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants all students to have the opportunities to go to collage, not just the rich! Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere que todos estudiantes tengan la oportunidad a ir al colejio, no, no mas los ricos!

I voted for Obama because he knows we have to stop the war in Iraq, and look for that man Bin Ladden who killed nearly 4 thousand people here in the United States on September 11, 2001. Yo Vote al Obama por que el sabe que tenemos que parrar la guierra en Iraq y buscar al hombre ese Bin Ladden; que mato ha casi 4 mil personas aqui en Los Estados Unidos en Septiembre 11 del 2001.

I voted for Senator Obama because he dose not want American companies to leave to China, and he wants them to stay here in the Untited States. Yo Vote por el Senador Obama por que el no quiere que las companias Americanas se van para China, el quiere que se esten aqui en Los Estados Unidos.

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to help companies make new inventions, so that we will not be dependant on other nations for oil. Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere ayudar a las companias hacer invenciones nuevas, para no estemos dependidas en otros Naciones para el aceite.

The tax calculator: El calculador de taxes:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Acuerdencen! Remember!

La Susa — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:18:38 EST

Acuerdencen al los ancianos y gente debiles a llevar sillas para que se descansan cuando voten en el dia 4 de Noviembre, por que se me hace que va a ver mucha gente!

Remember to remind the elderly and weak to bring chairs so that they can rest, when they go vote on November 4, because I belive that there will be a lot of people!

McCain Lieing Again!!!!!

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:35:55 EDT

McCain says Obama wants to re-distribute the wealth!

Who has been burdened by taxes the last 8 years? The Middle Class, because the million and billionaires have enjoyed a tax break, that McCain wants to make permanent!!!!!!!

Obama wants to tax the million and billionaires, and belive me, those folks are not small businesses!!!!!!!!

McCain is using fearmongering to sway votes in his favor!

Who was with Bush on the 'Privatizing of Social Security'? McCain?

When Sen McCain claims to have been tested to be United States President; in 1962 when he sat in a plane cockpit, during the Cuban missle Crisis, why didn't McCain run for USA President way back then? It's only been 46 years ago.

McCain says he knows how to win wars, what wars has he won?

McCain says he knows how to fix corruption, what corruption has he fixed?

McCain says he knows how to fix Wallstreet, when has McCain ever fixed Wallstreet?

Yo, Arnold R-Gov of Calif.

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:05:08 EDT

We can take your 'skinny legs' insults, but we cannot take four more years of McCin-Bush economics!!!!!! Was it not you Arnold R-Gov of Calif. that asked for a bail out for the State of Calif. a few days after the AIG bail out? So you want the hard working middle class to bail out Calif., because you don't know how to balance a budget? And allow the billion and millionaires to get richer and richer?

Do the math!!!!!! See Barack's Tax Calculator!

http://www.my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Get Educated! Use the Brain Muscle! Look it up in the dictionary!!!!!!!

The insults and fear mongering has gotten way out of hand! Just because Sen Barack Obama wants to make healthcare affordable for everyone, dose not mean a socialistic government! Way too many of our working families are going bankrupt because of the sky rocketing costs of healthcare! And those who don't have healthcare, are often treated when it is too late, driving up the costs of healthcare for all of us!!!!!!! Of all develped countries in the world, the USA is lagging far behind, with high infant mortality rates etc. etc.! The past 8 years the middle class has payed above and beyond their fare share, while the rich get richer! Now the middle class are loosing jobs left and right, they need a break! And I don't think it's too much to ask the million and billionaires to pitch in their fare share! Our economy depends on the middle class! they are the buying power of America! Small buisnesses fall under the catagory of middle class people because they earn far less than 250,000.00 dollars a year!!!!!!!!

Socialism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

Democracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy

Capitalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Capitalism is the economic system in which the means of production are distributed to openly competing profit-seeking [1] private persons and where ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

Marxism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Any political practice or theory that is based on ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist

Exxon Record Profits!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:32:14 EDT

Exxon Oct. 30, 08 record profits 14.8 billion! Bush McCain economics!

Every Vote Counts!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:01:47 EDT

Vote Early, take friends and relatives with you!

Before and on Nov. 4, if one can help to bring people to the polls! If one has folding chairs, mark with your name and phone number and offer to help our seniors, and those with disbilities sit down while waiting in expected long lines!

Remind folks to sign their names on paper ballots!

In some areas one cannot wear political T-Shirts or pins!

If one has no car, is disabled and cannot be out and about, still vote early, call all of your friends and relatives and encourage them to vote!

We cannot afford to believe the polls! Every Vote Counts!!!!!!

Joe the Plumber.....

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:51:52 EDT

Joe the plumber said yesturday "I will vote for McCain the real American." 'The real American', wonder what he means by that? Or what is he implying by that statement? Unless one has Native American ancestry as dose Sen Barack Obama, I cannot see the connection to 'real American'. I personally find the comment offensive... Should Sen McCain win this election, what cabnet position will Joe the Plunger have, or did I hear wrong?

Poor Joe the Plumber, if he had studied small business (or at least googled it) he would know that overhead, payroll, utilities and a host of other expenses are deducted before talling up the total profit from business income on Schedule C of the Federal Tax Forms... It's sad to see gulable American people lied to, in such a decptive fashion! I wonder if Joe the Plumber is jumping for joy because EXON-MOBIL again anounce hudge profits! Will Joe the Plumber get any cash from EXON-MOBIL as McCain has implied that the rich will somehow benifit the poor and middles class?

McCain-Palin Small Business LIES, BUSH-ECONOMICS, DECEPTIONS!!!!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:36:51 EDT

McCain's Small-Business BunkJuly 14, 2008He claims 23 million small-business owners would pay higher tax rates under Obama. He's wrong. The vast majority would see no change, and many would get a cut.SummaryMcCain has repeatedly claimed that Obama would raise tax rates for 23 million small-business owners. It's a false and preposterously inflated figure.

We find that the overwhelming majority of those small-business owners would see no increase, because they earn too little to be affected. Obama's tax proposal would raise rates only on couples making more than $250,000 or singles earning more than $200,000.

McCain argues that Obama's proposed increase is a job-killer. He has a point. It's true that increasing taxes on those at the top would leave them less money for other purposes, including investment and hiring in the case of business owners. But the number of business owners who would see their rates go up would be only a small fraction of what McCain says. Many would see their taxes go down.
AnalysisSen. John McCain has been making this false claim over and over, starting with a July 7 speech announcing his "jobs for America" plan:

McCain, July 7: Senator Obama's tax increases will hurt the economy even more, and destroy jobs across this country. If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is going to raise your tax rates.

He repeated it in an address to the League of United Latin American Citizens the next day:

McCain, July 8: Keeping individual rates low isn't intended as a favor to wealthy Americans. 23 million small-business owners pay those rates, and taking more money from them deprives them of the capital they need to invest and grow and hire.

He said it again at a campaign event July 9:

McCain, July 9: If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is willing to raise your tax rates.

And he repeated it in the first of a planned series of radio addresses July 12:

McCain, July 12: If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners who files as an individual rate payer, watch out – because as your business grows, my opponent proposes to raise your taxes.

But repeating a falsehood doesn't make it true. McCain's 23 million claim is a bogus figure.

Outdated, Inflated, Inapplicable

To justify the 23 million figure, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers referred us to a press release by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which refers to "23 million small business owners" without citing a source. That is actually an outdated count of all the businesses in the United States, produced by the U.S. Census for 2002, when the Economic Census counted a total of 23,343,821 business firms of all sizes. Of those, 16,845 firms employed 500 persons or more, which still leaves just over 23.3 million classified as "small" by the widely accepted definition that we will use here.

That figure is six years out of date. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy estimates the total number of "small" firms with fewer than 500 workers reached 26.8 million in 2006. That's the most recent estimate. But it is also inflated. Since the total U.S. population was just under 300 million in 2006, it would mean that one in every 11 Americans – men, women and children – is a "small-business owner."

It turns out, SBA's estimate includes more than 20 million "nonemployer" firms, an unknown number of them sideline or hobby businesses run by persons who actually make their living some other way. Census and SBA count as a "small business" anyone who reported as little as $1,000 of business receipts. By that very broad definition, John McCain himself is a "small-business owner," because his tax return shows Schedule C income from book royalties. For that matter, Barack Obama would also be a small-business owner, by virtue of his book income. As would President Bush and Vice President Cheney, as we pointed out in 2004. Of the 26.8 million that SBA counts as "small businesses," fewer than 6 million are actually "employer firms" with any payroll.

From this, we must conclude that to arrive at his 23 million figure, McCain is counting mostly "business owners" with no workers, including those who simply report small amounts of income from sideline or freelance work. McCain is arguing that Obama's tax increase would "destroy jobs," but he's counting mostly firms that don't produce any.

That in itself is seriously misleading. If McCain wants to focus on the effects of Obama's plan on employment, he would do better to confine his count to employers – the just under 6 million firms that actually have workers. And even that figure wouldn't be applicable because Obama's tax increase wouldn't fall on all employers, only on those in the top two income tax brackets.

McCain Campaign's Statement

1. These small businesses are subject to Sen. Obama's pay or play health care plan: The tax will either be in the form of health insurance to
workers or cash to the government.

2. Further, even giving Obama the benefit of the doubt, if they make
over $250,000 and file as individuals or have capital gain or dividends, their taxes go up, as Obama has promised.

Note US Chamber cites 23 million figure: "The U.S. Chamber is proud to pay special tribute to some of its most valued constituents: America's
23 million small business owners"McCain's Non-explanation

McCain cannot justify his 23 million claim. We asked McCain spokesman Brian Rogers for substantiation and received the statement that we reprint here. We find it simply won't do.

Rogers starts by saying that Obama's health care proposal to provide coverage for uninsured workers would amount to a "tax," either in the form of higher costs for covering employees or "cash to the government." But McCain was talking about income tax rates, not higher business costs. That's not justifying McCain's claim; that's trying to change the subject.

Furthermore – as we've just seen – the vast majority of those that McCain is counting as small-business owners have no employees and wouldn't encounter any added costs for covering workers. Obama's plan wouldn't apply to every small employer, either. It says: "Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt." Also, after Rogers sent his message, Obama announced July 13 that he is proposing to grant $6 billion per year in tax credits for small businesses that provide health insurance plans, covering up to half the cost of premiums paid to cover employees.

As for actual income tax rates, which is what McCain keeps talking about, Rogers says "if they make over $250,000 and file as individuals ... their taxes go up." But this leaves out all but a very small fraction of those McCain counts as small-business owners. Rogers also says taxes will go up if small-business owners "have capital gains or dividends," but Obama's proposal would not increase rates on capital gains or dividends for couples making under $250,000, or singles making under about $200,000, regardless of whether they are classified as small-business owners or not.

How Many Would Actually Pay More?

McCain is right about one thing. Many small-business owners would indeed see their taxes go up if Obama is elected and raises the top income-tax rates. According to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, about eight out of 10 small-business owners responding to the poll report that they are organized legally in a way that would require them to pay taxes on their business income as individuals, rather than as a corporation. But since Obama's plan wouldn't affect those making less than $250,000 for couples, or about $200,000 for singles, we need to estimate how many would fall into those high-income categories.

Obama's plan, according to his economic policy director Jason Furman, would return the top two federal income-tax rates to what they were before Bush lowered them. In addition, Obama would adjust the income-tax brackets to ensure that no married couple making under $250,000 or single filer making under $200,000 would pay the top rates.

The actual number of business owners who would be affected turns out to be well under a million, and the number of employers would be even less. Based on the number of taxpayers who now report any sort of business income on their returns, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center projects that 663,608 taxpayers with business income, or business losses, will fall into the top two tax brackets in 2009, when any Obama tax changes would first take effect. Not all of those can properly be called "small-business owners," however. Some are farmers. Many are lawyers, accountants or other professionals who get some of their income in the form of partnership distributions. Others may be passive investors in real-estate partnerships or similar investment arrangements and not really persons who own and manage a business.

It is also not clear how many who report business income actually employ any workers. In 2004, the Tax Policy Center found that hundreds of thousands of individual taxpayers who had business income from partnerships or subchapter-S corporations (whose owners pay taxes as individuals) did not claim any tax deductions for employee expenses. For all these reasons we judge that the actual number of small-business employers who would face higher tax rates under Obama is probably far below 663,608, and certainly a far cry from McCain's ridiculously inflated 23 million figure.

Lower Taxes for Many

While Obama's plan would raise rates at the top, it also would grant what he calls a “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Since this credit would not begin to phase down for couples making less than $150,000, we judge it likely that many, if not most of the 23 million that McCain counts as "small-business owners" would likely get tax reductions.

An Echo of Bush

McCain's claim struck us as wildly improbable the first time we heard it because we debunked a much less expansive claim that President Bush made about John Kerry in 2004. Bush ran a TV ad saying that Kerry's proposal to raise taxes on persons making more than $200,000 a year would affect 900,000 small-business owners. We found Bush's number to be far too high. We noted that Bush was counting as a "small-business owner" anyone who reported even $1 of business or partnership income, regardless of how the taxpayer made their living. At that time, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimated that a total of 471,000 small-business employers could be affected.

– by Brooks Jacksonhttp://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccains_small-business_bunk.html

More McCain-Palin "Unethical" LIES, MISLEADING, FALSE!

La Susa — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:16:39 EDT

'Unethical?'

October 27, 2008

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/unethical.html

A McCain-Palin/RNC ad claims Obama 'rewards his friends with your tax dollars.' It's off the mark.SummaryAn ad released jointly by the McCain-Palin campaign and the RNC claims Obama "rewards his friends with your tax dollars" and calls his actions "unethical." Some of what the ad says is false or misleading. Here are the facts:

The ad claims that Obama supporter and Chicago real estate developer Allison Davis received $20 million in taxpayer money. That's false. Davis didn't get this money. Instead, the federal grant went to the Chicago Housing Authority, replacing money it had already put forward for a mixed-income housing project on which Davis was a developer. The grant didn't go to Davis, nor did it help him pocket any additional funds.

The ad says Obama gave Tony Rezko $14 million of taxpayer money. That's misleading. It's true the housing project Rezko was working on cost $14 million in taxpayer cash. Rezko and his partner netted $855,000 in fees.
Obama worked to get Kenny Smith a $100,000 grant to build a park, which Smith later failed to complete. Smith has since caught the attention of the state attorney general. But, according to reports, Obama isn't under investigation for helping Smith get the grant.

The RNC and McCain may consider Obama's actions to be "unethical"; that's a matter of opinion. But the fact is, as far as these three incidents are concerned, Obama has not been officially accused of any wrongdoing, and there's been no report that his actions are the subject of any official investigation.
AnalysisThe joint ad from the McCain-Palin campaign and the Republican National Committee accuses Sen. Barack Obama of being "unethical," citing instances in which individuals connected to Obama received federal or state funds. Sen. John McCain's campaign and the RNC have spent $5.9 million so far airing the ad in 17 states, including Pennsylvania, where $1.2 million has been spent on the ad, and North Carolina, where it has aired a total of 1,629 times, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group of TNS Media Intelligence. The ad started airing on Oct. 14.

RNC/McCain-Palin Ad:
"Unethical"

Announcer: Obama rewards his friends with your tax dollars. Tony Rezko, fourteen million. Allison Davis, twenty million. Kenny Smith, one hundred thousand. That's unethical. Congressional liberals promise to raise your taxes to reward their friends with wasteful pork. Taxes for you. Pork for them. Who's gonna' stop 'em? Congressional liberals? Or him.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message. $20 Million? Try Zero

The ad claims that real estate developer Allison Davis received $20 million of taxpayer money thanks to Obama. But that's false. Davis didn't get any of this money. The ad cites a story from The Washington Times, but the article says that "city housing authorities confirmed" that the "grant money won't go to Mr. Davis or his company."

According to documentation provided by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), a letter was ghostwritten for Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and others by the CHA in support of a project called Stateway Gardens – an urban revitalization effort to transition crime-ridden high-rises into mixed-income housing. The letter was sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in an effort to acquire a fiscal year 2008 grant of $20 million to support the project, of which Davis, a supporter of Obama, was one of the developers.

We spoke with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokeswoman Donna White, who told us that the money was not awarded to Davis, but to the Chicago Housing Authority:

Donna White, spokeswoman for HUD: The Chicago Housing Authority competed for [the Hope VI] grant. The housing authority applies for the funding, they select a developer. ... It's common for congressional members to submit letters of support when they know that a housing authority in their jurisdiction is competing for a grant.

We also spoke with William Little, executive vice president of development for CHA, who reiterated that the HUD grant was not awarded to Davis, but to the CHA, and that the grant allowed the CHA to reallocate funds it had already directed to the Stateway project. Davis did not see a profit as a result of the HUD grant, according to Little, nor did the budget for the Stateway project increase. When we asked Little about the charge in the ad that Obama "reward[ed]" Davis with $20 million, he told us:

William Little, CHA: That's totally false. HUD awarded CHA $20 million in a Hope VI grant, which allows CHA to reallocate funds it had previously earmarked for that particular project to other projects. The overall budget for the project did not increase. Allison Davis gets none of it.

A portion of the Stateway development is devoted to market-priced housing, and Davis stood to profit from the sales of those homes. But he did not pocket any of the HUD grant, which went to construction of low-income units.

Tony Rezko (Again)

The ad also claims that Tony Rezko got "fourteen million," because of Obama. But he didn't.

A 2007 report from The Chicago Sun-Times is the source, but the article goes over territory we've addressed before: that Obama wrote letters to state officials supporting a low-income senior housing complex Rezko was trying to have built. Both men say Rezko did not solicit the letters. The Sun-Times quoted Obama spokesman Bill Burton as saying Obama didn't write the letters as a favor but "in the interests of the people in the community who have benefited from the project."

Regardless, the ad is wrong to imply Rezko pocketed millions. The project cost $14 million of taxpayer money. But, as we've reported, Rezko and his partner, who was Allison Davis, received $855,000 in fees. It's not peanuts, but it's not $14 million either.

Kenny Smith's $100,000 Garden

The ad then claims Kenny Smith received $100,000 in taxpayer money as a "reward" from Obama. This claim holds more water than the rest, but it's still a leaky vessel.

The ad cites a New York Post report that details how Obama, then a state senator in the midst of a race for a congressional seat, worked on Smith's behalf in 2000 in an effort to raise $1.1 million in state funding for the "Englewood Botanic Garden Project." Smith, head of the nonprofit Chicago Better Housing Association and a volunteer for Obama's congressional campaign, planned to rehabilitate a plot of land in a Chicago neighborhood. He was awarded a $100,000 state grant to do so, a far cry from the $1.1 million he had hoped to receive.

But Smith never built the park. And, according to a report from The Chicago Sun-Times, state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat who backs Obama, has started to look into whether or not taxpayer money was mishandled. While questions have been raised about how Smith spent the money, according to the Sun-Times, the paper notes that "neither Smith nor his wife are accused of any wrongdoing." The Post report cited by the ad said that "officials in Madigan's office said Obama's actions in giving out the member item aren't under investigation."

Democrats "Promise to Raise Your Taxes"

The ad swings away from the taxpayer hand-outs and claims: "Democrats promise to raise your taxes to reward their friends with wasteful pork." That linkage doesn't sound like a promise any sane politician would make.

The ad cites a Nov. 2007 article from The Washington Times, which chronicles a bill introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). The bill would have amended the tax code to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax and limit deductions that could be claimed by taxpayers making more than $250,000 a year, among other measures. But Rangel's bill, introduced a year ago, never cleared the Ways and Means Committee.

As for the "wasteful pork" claim, the fact is that securing earmarks is a popular practice among both Democrats and Republicans. Two oft-cited earmark recipients are longtime Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Both were listed in Porkbusters.org's "Hall of Shame" in 2006 and have been singled out as "Porker of The Month" more than once over the last eight years by the organization Citizens Against Government Waste – proof that, promise or not, Democrats and Republicans send money home for projects whether taxes go up or down.

– by Emi Kolawole

from www.factcheck.org a non-partisan watch dog group!!!!!!!!

"A License to Kill" Email and TV Adds LIES, FALSE!!!!!!

La Susa — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:18:33 EDT

A License to Kill

October 28, 2008

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/a_license_to_kill.html

A new anti-Obama group runs a bunk-filled ad implying he'd give a driver's license to Mohammed Atta. SummaryAn upstart group calling itself the "National Republican Trust PAC" mixes a pile of false claims and the image of 9/11 mastermind Mohammed Atta to create one of the sleaziest false TV ads of the campaign.

The spot falsely claims Obama has a "plan" to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. In fact, Obama has said quite specifically, "I am not proposing that that's what we do."
The ad implies such licenses would enable terrorist attacks. In fact, Atta wouldn't have needed one to carry out his attacks.

It claims that Obama's health care plan will apply to illegal immigrants. But Obama has stated quite clearly that his plan "does not" cover illegal immigrants.

The ad falsely claims that Obama's plan "gives illegals Social Security benefits," which is also flatly untrue.

AnalysisDespite its name, the National Republican Trust has no formal connection to the Republican Party. It is an independent group with ties to the conservative Web site Newsmax. It sprang into being barely a month ago and has reported spending more than $900,000 to attack Obama through e-mail messages and, now, TV ads.

Its TV spot first showed up on the air in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 26, and it has also received considerable circulation on the Web. It attempts to link Sen. Barack Obama to the 9/11 hijackers. The link? A spurious claim that Obama plans to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. NRT PAC, which is headed by a former writer for the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Insight magazine, says it plans to air the ad in other swing states.

Update, Oct. 29: Newsmax distributed a new NRT PAC fundraising e-mail today in which NRT boasts of having now raised "over $3 million." A postscript states that the group's ads are now running "in 5 battleground states."

National Republican Trust PAC Ad: "Social Security for Illegals"

Announcer: Millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. Barack Obama’s plan gives a driver’s license to any illegal who wants one.

But that’s not all.

Obama’s plan gives illegals Social Security benefits and raises taxes for his health care plan to cover them. Who pays? You do.

Driver’s licenses and government benefits for illegals. Higher taxes for us. That’s Obama’s plan. Obama. Too radical. Too risky.

The National Republican Trust PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement. Drive Like a Maniac

The ad begins with the ominous warning that "Barack Obama's plan gives a driver's license to any illegal who wants one." More alarmingly, the ad flashes a picture of a Florida driver's license featuring 9/11 mastermind Mohammed Atta. The ad then goes on to claim that Obama's "plan" provides illegal immigrants with Social Security and health care benefits and would raise taxes to pay for it.

Hardly a word in the ad is true.

Let's start with the incendiary implication that Obama's "plan" would somehow enable terrorists like Atta. That's ridiculous. It's true that Atta did use a Florida driver's license to board the plane he hijacked. It's also irrelevant. Atta entered the U.S. legally, using a tourist visa, so laws about licenses for illegal immigrants wouldn't have affected him anyway. What's more, Atta could just as easily have boarded the plane with his Egyptian passport. The Transportation Security Administration lists foreign government-issued passports as acceptable identification for boarding a U.S. flight. For that matter, The Cato Institute's Jim Harper, who advises the Department of Homeland Security on data privacy, describes NRT PAC's claim as "despicable" and says that it is "terror-pandering of the highest order."

Plan? What Plan?

Furthermore, NRT PAC's claim that Obama has a "plan" to give driver's licenses to "any illegal [immigrant] who wants one" is just false. Obama has no such plan. "Plan" implies a worked out, formal policy. But NRT rests its claim entirely on comments Obama made during two Democratic primary debates. All candidates were asked whether they supported then-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Obama hedged, but when pressed, admitted that he agreed with states granting licenses, and requiring insurance. Here's part of the exchange:

CNN's Wolf Blitzer (Nov. 15, 2007): Barring, avoiding, assuming there isn't going to be comprehensive immigration reform, do you support or oppose driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?
Obama: I am not proposing that that's what we do. ... I have already said I support the notion that we have to deal with public safety and that driver's licenses at the state level can make that happen. But what I also know, Wolf, is that if we keep on getting distracted by this problem, then we are not solving it.

We take no position on the wisdom of Spitzer's proposal. But it's false to puff up Obama's comments into a "plan" when he quite specifically said, "I am not proposing that that's what we do." That sounds to us to be the opposite of a plan. The group would have been correct had it said Obama supported Spitzer's plan, but only in the absence of a federal effort to fix the immigration mess.

Health Care and Taxes. Again.

It is simply untrue that Obama plans to provide health care for illegal immigrants. To the contrary, in an exchange with CNN's Joe Johns during a January debate in South Carolina, Obama explicitly ruled out coverage for illegal immigrants:

Johns (Jan. 21, 2008): Senator Obama, we all know what universal health care is, as Senator Clinton just said, sort of the idea that everybody deserves health care. And I have not been able to sort of zero in on your position on this one question: Does your plan cover the estimated 12 million or so illegal immigrants in the country?
Obama: It does not.
Johns: Why not?
Obama: Well, because I think we've got limited resources. And it is important for us that, when we've got millions of U.S. citizens that aren't yet covered, it's important for us to make sure that they are provided coverage.

That sounds pretty clear to us. Furthermore, as we've said more times than we care to count now, Obama's plan raises taxes only on people making more than $200,000 ($250,000 for a couple). That's true for income taxes, capital gains taxes and payroll taxes.

Social Security Bunk That Won't Die

Just for good measure, the ad recycles some two-year-old bunk, too. The claim that Obama "plans" to grant Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants is nowhere to be found on his Web site. NRT PAC bases this claim on Obama's vote on an amendment to a 2006 immigration bill. But that amendment would not have granted Social Security benefits to any illegal immigrants, not unless they became U.S. citizens or legal immigrants first. We debunked this attack back in 2006 when it was a Republican favorite. The passing years haven't made it any truer.

Under current law, an illegal immigrant who later gets legal status can claim credit for any Social Security taxes he or she paid while still illegal. The 2006 amendment would have ended that practice. The bill failed 50 - 49, with Obama joining the majority to vote against it. Many illegal immigrants pay Social Security taxes even while working illegally. In 2006, for example, the Social Security Administration collected about $7 billion in taxes that couldn't be credited to specific workers.

Again, we take no position on the merits of the amendment. But it's a serious distortion to say that it would have granted Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants.

End-Game Sleaze

The National Republican Trust PAC came into being Sept. 26, when it first registered with the Federal Election Commission. By Oct. 15 it had reported raising $463,000 for its anti-Obama campaign. (Update: In an e-mail to supporters on Oct. 29, the group said it had raised more than $3 million.) It has reported spending a total of $902,604 to attack Obama, according to the most recent report filed Oct. 26. It has reported spending substantial sums to the conservative Web site Newsmax and to other vendors for "email communication" opposing Obama's election, and to a Virginia company called Integram for "direct mail." It has also listed expenditures for "media production" and a "media buy."

Its Web site lists its executive director as Scott Wheeler, who also writes articles for Newsmax, which the NRT PAC pays to distribute anti-Obama e-mail messages, many of which are little more than fundraising pleas.

It's not uncommon for the final weeks of the presidential campaign to bring out some of the most deceptive ads of the cycle. We thought it would be tough to top the whoppers we've seen already, but it looks as if some of the third-party ads are out to prove us wrong. If this gem from the National Republican Trust PAC is any indication, we'd best brace for a blizzard of balderdash.

– by Joe Miller

from www.factcheck.org

A non-partisan watch dog group!

Marxism, Socialism and Spreading the Wealth?

La Susa — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:46:57 EDT

McCain and Palin can't seem to even understand "Marxism," " Socialism," nor the concept of "spreading the wealth!" Do they not understand that the Federal Income Tax payers of America have been the Middle Class for the last 8 years! And I guess somehow shifting the tax burden from the middle class to the wealthiest is what? Marxism? Socialism? Spreading the wealth? Oh yea I forgott, McCain and Palin want to make permanent Tax breaks for the most wealthy, what's that called?????

McCain and Palin are misleading the American public about small business income, implying that businesses that earn 250,000.00 will be liable to pay federal income taxes, not understanding that businesses have to subtract all of their expenses; payroll, insurance, cars, rents, etc. etc. before they can conclude their total earnings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See Link below and compare one's income tax savings it's amazing!!!!!!!http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Why I Voted For Sen Barack Obama

La Susa — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:56:49 EDT

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because I feel that I was misled about Weapons of Mass Destruction and our reason for going war in Iraq. And by going to war with Iraq, Bin Ladden was given a free pass to do as he pleases after killing nearly 4,000 civilians.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has an eye on the future of our Nation, and knows that unless our children excell in Math and Science we as a Nation will fall. For we have to be the inventors of the future, we have to have the opportunities to go to collage!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he knows we have to independant of fossil fuels that are contaminating our entire planet! And he will promote Solar and Wind power that we so desparately need! We cannot be held hostage in the oil markets anymore!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he knows what it is like to pay off a student loan, and knows first hand how difficult it is for the middle class to struggle with paying bills. And as a child he saw his mom struggle and survive on foodstamps, he knows what it is like to go without.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he stands in opposition to giving permanent tax breaks to oil comanies i.e. the 5 per-cent of the wealthiest Americans, and instead would give a tax break for working Americans, who can bearly make it, as it is. And he will extend the unemployeement benifits knowing that our nation is currently in a financial crisis.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has good ideas on how to create new jobs for Americans by giving tax incentives to those companies who stay in America, and also tax incentives to companies who take the time to invent new alternatives to fosil fuel!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he recognises how important and influencial the United States is globally, and that we need to preserve and improve our image abroad.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because I know he knows where me and my family come from, and will be able to voice our concerns in US Government.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has character, and dose not make rash decisions based on poll numbers. He thinks before making important decisions, and is able to maintain cool while being lied about and defend his position firmly.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama even though I don't agree with him on every issue, but I do know that he has the substance and moral character to make the nessasary changes we need in government like 'transperancy'. Furthermore as a former civil rights attorney he is well informed about my civil rights as an American citizen, and I know he will uphold The American Constitution!

McCain Lies About Obama and ACORN

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:04:03 EDT

ACORN AccusationsOctober 18, 2008McCain makes exaggerated claims of "voter fraud." Obama soft-pedals his connections.SummaryThe McCain-Palin campaign accuses ACORN, a community activist group that operates nationwide, of perpetrating "massive voter fraud." It says Obama has “long and deep” ties to the group. We find both claims to be exaggerated. But we also find Obama has understated the extent of his work with the group.

Neither ACORN nor its employees have been found guilty of, or even charged with, casting fraudulent votes. What a McCain-Palin Web ad calls "voter fraud" is actually voter registration fraud. Several ACORN canvassers have been found guilty of faking registration forms and others are being investigated. But the evidence that has surfaced so far shows they faked forms to get paid for work they didn’t do, not to stuff ballot boxes.
Obama’s path has intersected with ACORN on several occasions – more often than he allowed in the final debate.

AnalysisWe've received scores of e-mails asking us about Obama's connection to the community activist group Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, or ACORN. A McCain-Palin ad released on the Web accuses Obama of having ties to the organization, which it says engages in "intimidation tactics," "massive voter fraud" and "pressuring banks to issue risky loans."

Destroying Democracy?

The McCain ad accuses ACORN of "massive voter fraud." In the final presidential debate, John McCain added that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." Sounds scary, but is it true?

McCain-Palin Web Ad: "ACORN"

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

Announcer: Who is Barack Obama? A man with "a political baptism performed at warp speed." Vast ambition. After college, he moved to Chicago. Became a community organizer. There, Obama met Madeleine Talbot, part of the Chicago branch of ACORN. He was so impressive that he was asked to train the ACORN staff.

What did ACORN in Chicago engage in? Bullying banks. Intimidation tactics. Disruption of business. ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today.

No wonder Obama's campaign is trying to distance him from the group, saying, "Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN." But Obama's ties to ACORN run long and deep. He taught classes for ACORN. They even endorsed him for President.

But now ACORN is in trouble.

Reporter: There are at least 11 investigations across the country involving thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN forms.

Announcer: Massive voter fraud. And the Obama campaign paid more than $800,000 to an ACORN front for get out the vote efforts.

Pressuring banks to issue risky loans. Nationwide voter fraud. Barack Obama. Bad judgment. Blind ambition. Too risky for America. There's no evidence of any such democracy-destroying fraud. Here's what is true: In recent years, ACORN employees have been investigated multiple times for voter registration fraud. ACORN workers have been convicted of submitting false voter registration forms in Colorado Springs in 2005, Kansas City, Mo., in 2006 and King County, Wash., in 2007. ACORN's Las Vegas office was raided by a state criminal investigator on Oct. 7, 2008. ACORN workers are also the subjects of ongoing investigations in Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The Indiana investigation started in early October and may involve thousands of fraudulent registration forms.

On Oct. 16 The Associated Press quoted two "senior law enforcement" officials as saying that the FBI is investigating ACORN seeking "any evidence of a coordinated national scam." The following day the Obama campaign's lawyer, Robert Bauer, sent a seven-page letter to the attorney general claiming that federal law enforcement officials were being improperly used to help McCain by suppressing the vote through "unsupported, spurious allegations of vote fraud." He asked that the investigation be transferred to the special prosecutor investigating the U.S. attorney firing scandal. The McCain campaign issued a statement in which spokesman Ben Porritt called Bauer's letter "outrageous" and "absurd" and a "heavy handed tactic of attempting to criminalize political discourse."

But so far ACORN itself has not been officially charged with any fraud. Aside from the heated charges and counter-charges, no evidence has yet surfaced to show that the ACORN employees who submitted fraudulent registration forms intended to pave the way for illegal voting. Rather, they were trying to get paid by ACORN for doing no work. Dan Satterberg, the Republican prosecuting attorney in King County, Wash., where the largest ACORN case to date was prosecuted, said that the indicted ACORN employees were shirking responsibility, not plotting election fraud.

Satterberg: [A] joint federal and state investigation has determined that this
scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.

Instead, the defendants cheated their employer, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (or ACORN), to get paid for work they did not actually perform. ACORN's lax oversight of their own voter registration drive permitted this to happen. ... It was hardly a sophisticated plan: The defendants simply realized that making up names was easier than actually canvassing the streets looking for unregistered voters. ...

[It] appears that the employees of ACORN were not performing the work that they were being paid for, and to some extent, ACORN is a victim of employee theft.

The $8-an-hour employees were charged with providing false information on voter registration forms, and in one case with making a false statement to a public official. Five of the seven who were charged pleaded guilty. ACORN was fined for exercising insufficient oversight, but it was not charged with masterminding any kind of deliberate fraud.

ACORN pays canvassers by the hour, not by the form, but it does ask them to meet certain registration goals. In ACORN's Las Vegas office, one employee who admitted to submitting fraudulent registrations said that she did so because she found ACORN's requirement of 20 registrations per day to be too steep to meet, according to an affidavit by a Nevada state criminal investigator. Local news reports at the time also said that some of the ACORN offices under investigation paid bonuses for each registration, or a higher hourly rate to those who brought in more applications. ACORN's deputy political director, Kevin Whelan, denies that this is ACORN policy.

What ACORN Says

In its defense, ACORN says that only a few of its 13,000 paid canvassers turned in any faked forms. "[T]here are always some people who want to get paid without really doing the job, or who aim to defraud their employer," the group said in an Oct. 10 statement on its Web site. "Any large department store will have some workers who shoplift."

ACORN also says it cannot simply discard suspicious forms on its own, but is required by law in most states to submit to local election officials all the forms its canvassers bring in. ACORN's Whelan told us that its own legal counsel strongly advises that the group do the same in states that don't explicitly require it, because "only election officials are legally able to determine the validity of a voter registration application." But ACORN says that it first flags all suspicious registrations. Staffers call the phone numbers written on completed registration forms to make sure they're valid and also take note of incomplete or duplicate forms. The group says that it alerts election officials to forms that look fishy when it sends them in.

However, it's not clear whether or not those procedures were followed in Nevada prior to a highly publicized raid by state officials on Oct. 7. According to an affidavit by Colin Hayes, a criminal investigator for the secretary of state's office, a probe began July 2 after the county registrar reported receiving a number of suspicious registration forms from ACORN. Hayes did not state whether or not those suspicious forms had been flagged by ACORN before being turned in. Later, during a July 18 meeting, ACORN's lawyer told local and state officials that the group had identified a number of suspicious registrations and "would be willing to provide such information" for further investigation. On Aug. 7, at the request of the county registrar, ACORN supplied copies of documents related to 33 ACORN workers who had been fired for "suspicious" voter registration activities.

Investigator Hayes followed up, confirmed that many registrations were faked, and found a former ACORN worker who confessed to faking most of her forms. After obtaining a warrant based on the affidavit, state officials seized records and computers. Secretary of State Ross Miller was quoted as saying the faked forms included names from the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys.

While ACORN says that such raids are part of "a systematic partisan agenda of voter suppression," it is worth noting that in this case, Secretary of State Miller is a Democrat.

Whelan told us that ACORN's national management staff trains local directors and travels extensively to supervise offices, but the 2007 Washington state prosecution makes it clear that quality control is lacking in at least some outposts. Prosecutor Satterberg wrote: "We believe that ACORN’s internal quality control procedures were not just deficient but entirely non-existent when it came to the latter stages of their operation in Tacoma." He fined the group $25,000 for failing to exercise sufficient oversight.

How Common Is Fraud?

Election fraud does exist, but hasn't been shown to be widespread. The New York Times reported in 2007 that a five-year crackdown on such fraud by the Bush administration's Justice Department had produced 70 convictions at the federal level, including 40 campaign workers or government workers convicted of vote-buying, intimidation or ballot forgery, and 23 cases of multiple voting or voting by ineligible voters. But the Times described these as unconnected incidents and said the Justice Department had turned up no evidence of "any organized effort to skew federal elections."

Bush administration officials have pushed hard to find such evidence, too hard in one case, according to an investigation by the Department of Justice's internal watchdogs, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Their report into the firing of nine United States attorneys concluded that the "real reason" for the firing of New Mexico's U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was "complaints about Iglesias’s handling of voter fraud and public corruption matters." The complaints included gripes by state Republican Party officials who believed that widespread fraud by Democrats had prevented George Bush from winning the state in the 2000 presidential election. Iglesias launched a task force that worked with the FBI but found that "there was insufficient evidence in any of the cases the Task Force reviewed to support criminal prosecution by the [U.S. Attorney's Office] or state authorities," according to the report of the OIG and OPR. These included cases involving ACORN workers. Republicans charged that Iglesias was showing insufficient rigor in prosecuting the cases.

ACORN and the Housing Crisis

The McCain ad says that ACORN in Chicago engaged in "bullying banks. Intimidation tactics. Disruption of business" and "forced banks to issue risky home loans." In support of these statements, the McCain campaign cites conservative opinion pieces, including a column by Mona Charen posted by the National Review Online, titled "Guilty Party: ACORN, Obama and the Mortgage Mess."

It is true that ACORN has led demonstrations on a number of issues nationwide – predatory lending, immigration reform, neighborhood violence, utilities shut-offs, minimum wage increases. Sometimes the group's tactics are confrontational, veering into civil disobedience. For instance, in the late 1980s, ACORN activists in a number of cities, including Chicago, seized abandoned houses and encouraged "squatting" by homeless people, in an attempt to force local governments to salvage abandoned properties and convert them into low-income housing. The targets of ACORN's protests sometimes describe the activists as intractable or even aggressive. Other ACORN protests are less confrontational; Sen. McCain himself spoke at an ACORN rally on illegal immigration in 2006.

It stretches the facts, however, to say that ACORN "forced" banks to make risky loans, though it has certainly applied pressure on banks to make loans to minority and low-income borrowers. ACORN also has worked directly with banks in a joint effort to increase such lending. In Chicago these efforts date back at least to 1992, after a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston showed that minorities in that city were two to three times as likely to be denied mortgage loans as white applicants, and that high-income minorities were more likely to be turned down than low-income whites. Chicago ACORN then started a mortgage assistance program, in cooperation with five local banks, to help minority and low-income borrowers get mortgage loans.

The mortgages that ACORN worked out with the banks did have lower underwriting standards than were customary. They allowed a higher percentage of a family's income to go to debt repayment, and counted rent and utility payments, not just credit card payments, as evidence of ability to pay back a loan. The loans were also more forgiving of past credit problems, as long as the recipient was making a proven effort to address them. But ACORN provided loan deals only to people who went through counseling on budget and credit issues. In 1992, First Nationwide Bank Vice President Neal Halleran told the Chicago Tribune: "Transaction by transaction, [loans from the ACORN program] would appear to be performing no worse than our portfolio overall." According to the Tribune, First Nationwide had contacted ACORN to initiate the lending program.

Obama: Burying ACORNs

The ad says that "Obama's ties to ACORN run long and deep" – that he "taught classes" for the group, paid a "front" $800,000 for get-out-the-vote efforts, and was endorsed by ACORN for president. That last one's true – ACORN's political action committee did offer an Obama endorsement. It's also true that Obama has worked with the group in the past. In 1995, Obama helped represent ACORN in a successful lawsuit to require the state of Illinois to offer "motor voter" registration at DMV offices. Obama has said that this is his only association with ACORN, but that's not the case – he has had other, though less direct, interactions with the organization.

When Obama was on the board of directors of the Woods Fund, the foundation gave grants of $75,000 in 2001 and $70,000 in 2002 to ACORN's Chicago office. The McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee cite an additional grant of $45,000 in 2000. The Woods Fund has not responded to our calls about their 2000 grants.

The Obama campaign also paid Citizens Services Inc., a group affiliated with ACORN, more than $800,000 for get-out-the-vote (not voter registration) efforts during the primary election. The nature of CSI's services was initially misrepresented on the Obama campaign's disclosures to the Federal Election Commission, which the campaign describes as an oversight. The Obama campaign says it has not been involved with ACORN during the general election.

In addition, after law school, Obama may have had contact with ACORN when he directed a Chicago registration drive for Project Vote in 1992. According to Sanford Newman, who was the program’s national director at the time, ACORN may have been one of dozens of organizations that participated in registration drives that year with Project Vote personnel like Obama. But Project Vote didn’t begin contracting exclusively with ACORN until after Obama worked for the group in 1992. “Working for Project Vote at the time was by no means working for ACORN," Newman told us. ACORN had no influence on Project Vote policy and no representation on its board.

As for "teaching classes" for the group, the McCain campaign cites a March 2008 Newsday article, which says that ACORN organizer Madeleine Talbot "initially considered Obama a competitor" when both were working to get asbestos insulation removed from a Chicago housing project, but that "she became so impressed with his work that she invited him to help train her staff." Newsday does not say whether Obama accepted the invitation. An article by Chicago alderman Toni Foulkes says that "we [ACORN] have invited Obama to our leadership training sessions to run the session on power every year" between 1992 and 2004, when the article was written. The Obama campaign says that Obama participated in two, one-hour trainings in a volunteer capacity. Foulkes could not be reached for comment.

Neither ACORN's Chicago office nor CSI has been accused of voter registration irregularities.

–by Jess Henig, with Ronald Lampard

Update, Oct. 21: We originally said that Project Vote works closely with ACORN, implying that Obama would have had contact with the group when he directed a voter registration drive for Project Vote in 1992. We have since learned that Project Vote and ACORN may or may not have worked together in Chicago that year. The group didn’t contract with ACORN exclusively back then. We have corrected the story to reflect this.http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/acorn_accusations.html

NRA TV Add -FALSE- from FactCheck.org

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:56:55 EDT

The Rifle Association's 'True Story'October 23, 2008A misleading NRA ad claims Obama voted "to deny citizens the right of self-protection." SummaryThe National Rifle Association's misleading attacks on Obama continue. A new ad shows a terrified woman grabbing a gun after an intruder smashes his way into her home. It accuses Obama of voting repeatedly for a measure that would "make you the criminal" in such cases, and voting to "deny citizens the right of self-protection."

The NRA says the incident depicted is "a true story." Not quite.

The actual 2003 burglary didn't involve a woman, and it didn't become violent until the male homeowner went downstairs and started firing before calling police.
The ad fails to mention that the issue was a local handgun ban that made the homeowner's gun illegal to keep in the house.
What Obama voted for was not any general repeal of the right of self-defense, but to uphold enforcement of the local gun ban, a "petty offense" that carried a maximum penalty of a $750 fine

Im so Tired of McCain-Palin Lies!!!!!!

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:03:49 EDT

From FactCheck.org

McCain calls Obama's refundable tax credits "welfare," but calls his own "reform."

SummaryThe McCain campaign has taken to denigrating some of Obama's tax proposals as "welfare" rather than tax cuts. And it continues to mislead about who would see a tax increase.

A new McCain-Palin Web ad characterizes Obama's proposed refundable tax credits as "welfare." But McCain himself proposes refundable tax credits, too, as part of his health care plan, and calls them "reform."
The ad also says "hard-working families" and "seniors" would pay higher taxes. But – need we say this again? – that would be true only for the affluent few, not for the many.

AnalysisThe "welfare" argument appears, among other places, in the McCain-Palin campaign Web ad released Oct. 16.

McCain-Palin 2008 Web Ad: "Joe the Plumber"

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

Announcer: Americans are catching on ...

Joe Wurzelbacher: Your new tax plan is going to tax me more.

Obama: It's not that I want to punish your success. ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody.

Announcer: Everybody? Leading papers call Obama's taxes "welfare" ... "government handouts." Obama raises taxes on seniors, hard-working families to give "welfare" to those who pay none. Just as you suspected, Obama's not truthful on taxes. "Not Truthful?"

The ad says, "Leading papers call Obama's taxes 'welfare' ... 'government handouts'." It says he would "raise taxes on seniors" and "hard-working families" and "give 'welfare' to those who pay none." It concludes, "Obama's not truthful on taxes."

This ad, however, is short of truthful itself.

As we've said any number of times, what Obama proposes would not raise taxes on any "hard-working families" unless they make more than $250,000 a year, a very small fraction of families. Independent analysis has shown than 95 percent of families with children would see federal income taxes go down.

As for "seniors," most of them would not see any increase in their federal income taxes either. In fact, Obama proposes to reduce federal income taxes to zero for persons 65 and over who make less than $50,000 a year. No other seniors would see an increase in what they pay to the IRS unless their income is $250,000 for a couple, or $200,000 for a single filer. It's true, as the McCain campaign likes to point out, that seniors who make less would be adversely affected by Obama's proposal to close down billions of dollars in tax preferences for corporations, which independent analysts calculate would flow through to owners of stocks and bonds in the form of lower dividend payments and reduced profits from capital gains. But while experts at the Congressional Budget Office and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center tally this reduced income as "tax increases" for purposes of analyzing how proposed tax policies would affect different groups, it would not show up as an increased tax bill for any individual taxpayer, whatever their age."Welfare" or "Reform"?

The "welfare" claim rests on the argument, made in an Oct. 13 editorial in the Wall Street Journal, about refundable tax credits. Obama proposes to grant a number of refundable tax credits to low- and middle-income workers. For example, he would give a $500 tax credit ($1,000 for a couple) for workers, which would phase out for single workers making $75,000 or for couples making $150,000 per year. As the Journal editorial says: "You can receive these checks even if you have no income-tax liability." That's true enough. Whether or not that makes them "welfare" is a matter of interpretation, however. As the Journal editorial also says in its headline, "It depends on what the meaning of 'tax cut' is."

Fair enough. But McCain himself is proposing refundable tax credits of up to $2,500 a year for individuals, or $5,000 for families, as part of his health care plan. McCain doesn't call his credits a "tax cut" but he doesn't call them "welfare" either. He does call it tax "reform," right there on his own Web site:

McCain Web site: John McCain Will Reform The Tax Code . . . [E]very family will receive a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance.

McCain makes his tax credit refundable to make it worth just as much to low-income workers as to high-income workers. If it were not refundable, it would be worth $0 to anyone who makes too little to pay any federal income taxes. A non-refundable credit would be worth the full amount only to individuals who owe at least $2,500 in federal income taxes, or couples who owe at least $5,000. Obama makes his tax credits refundable for the same reason – so they will benefit workers who earn too little to pay federal income tax.

Who's a "Taxpayer"?

Furthermore, the Journal's editorial misstated a key fact in its "welfare" argument. It said that anyone who doesn't pay federal income taxes is not a "taxpayer," which is simply incorrect. Here's what the editorial said:

Wall Street Journal editorial, Oct. 13: [Refundable credits] are an income transfer – a federal check – from taxpayers to nontaxpayers. Once upon a time we called this "welfare." ... Mr. Obama's genius is to call it a tax cut.

The fact is, a worker can be a "taxpayer" whether or not they owe any income tax. Just about every worker is subject to federal Social Security and Medicare taxes totaling 7.65 percent on every dollar of earnings, up to $102,000 per year. (For earnings over $102,000, only the 1.45 percent Medicare tax applies.) Low-income workers, and retired and jobless persons as well, also pay federal excise taxes whenever they buy gasoline or pay a telephone bill, for example. Obama and other Democrats argue that for low-income workers, refundable tax credits are not “welfare” but, in effect, a reduction in their overall federal tax burden, counting payroll taxes.

Congressional Budget Office figures show that even those in the lowest-earning fifth of households pay an effective federal tax rate, on average, of 4.3 percent of their income, despite benefiting from existing federal refundable tax credits to a major degree. This group had average income of $15,900 in 2005, the most recent year for which CBO has done the calculations. But despite receiving "a federal check" through the income tax system that boosted income by an average of 6.5 percent (this shows up as a negative tax rate in the CBO tables), they still paid an average of $600 in federal taxes. That's true even after subtracting the effects of refundable tax credit "welfare."

"Leading Newspapers"

Finally, the McCain ad's reference to "leading newspapers" is worth examining. All three are known for their conservative editorial opinions, and two are under the same ownership. The ad cites two others besides the Wall Street Journal. One is an editorial in the New York Post, which does not make the "welfare" argument directly but refers briefly to the Journal editorial of the previous day. The other is the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which made similar arguments and used similar figures in an editorial that appeared the day after the Journal's ran.

The Journal and the Post both are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which last year purchased Dow Jones & Co., publisher of the Journal. And the Tribune-Review is owned by Richard Mellon Scaife, who has funded many conservative crusades over the years.

As for the star of this ad, Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. Joe the Plumber): He told ABC News, among other news organizations, that he makes much less than $250,000, in which case he'd get a tax cut under Obama's plan. But, he said, he hopes to make that kind of money one day.

For now, Joe would certainly qualify for a tax cut under Obama's plan. According to his hometown newspaper, the Toledo Blade, publicly available divorce court proceedings show that he made $40,000 in 2006. And according to the Tax Policy Center's analysis, 93.5 percent of those making between $40,000 and $50,000 a year would see a tax cut under Obama's plan, averaging $1,124 for the year in 2012.

Correction, Oct. 20: As originally posted, we said that Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes totaling 7.65 percent are paid on earnings up to $102,000 a year. That's true of the 6.2 percent Social Security tax, but the 1.45 percent Medicare tax also is paid on earnings over that amount. We have added a line noting that.

—by Brooks Jackson
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_welfare.html

Former Mayor Sarah Palin's Pro-Guns in; Schools, Bars, Hospitals Etc.

La Susa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:02:53 EDT

Mayor Sarah Palin and Chryson Pro-Guns Everywhere!

Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals

The following year, when Carney proposed a local gun-control measure, Palin organized with Chryson to smother the nascent plan in its cradle. Carney's proposed ordinance would have prohibited residents from carrying guns into schools, bars, hospitals, government offices and playgrounds. Infuriated by the proposal that Carney viewed as a common-sense public-safety measure, Chryson and seven allies stormed a July 1997 council meeting.

With the bill still in its formative stages, Carney was not even ready to present it to the council, let alone conduct public hearings on it. He and other council members objected to the ad-hoc hearing as "a waste of time." But Palin -- in plain violation of council rules and norms -- insisted that Chryson testify, stating, according to the minutes, that "she invites the public to speak on any issue at any time."

When Carney tried later in the meeting to have the ordinance discussed officially at the following regular council meeting, he couldn't even get a second. His proposal died that night, thanks to Palin and her extremist allies.

"A lot of it was the ultra-conservative far right that is against everything in government, including taxes," recalled Carney. "A lot of it was a personal attack on me as being anti-gun, and a personal attack on anybody who deigned to threaten their authority to carry a loaded firearm wherever they pleased. That was the tenor of it. And it was being choreographed by Steve Stoll and the mayor."

Asked if he thought it was Palin who had instigated the turnout, he replied: "I know it was."

Source:

By David Neiwert

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index2.html

Todd Palin's Ties With Iran????

La Susa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:03:26 EDT

Source:

The Huffington Post

Oct. 15, 2008

Todd Palin's Past Political Associations A Likely Security Clearance Disqualifier

By Frank Naif

Above all, honesty is the rule for anyone filling out an SF 86 -- do you think CIA or DoD will want to hire or retain someone who lied on a security form?

Which gets us back to Todd Palin. From the security officer's perspective, Todd Palin the hypothetical applicant should be truthful and disclose his former association with AIP on the SF 86 in Section 29, Association Record. And because AIP has been associated with the Revolutionary Government of Iran, he probably should also disclose his AIP membership on Section 20, Foreign Activities.

How would government security officials who administer the security clearance process view the facts of Todd Palin's association with AIP? The answer is not clear cut, but his involvement in a secessionist party with foreign and violent connections would inject serious doubts about his security suitability. At best, the AIP association would raise questions that might be resolved favorably with further investigative work. However, many security officials would likely view the AIP association negatively -- especially the Iranian connection -- and deny Todd Palin a clearance.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-naif/todd-palins-alaska-indepe_b_134793.html

Meet Sarah Palin's Radical Right-Wing Pals!

La Susa — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:03:58 EDT

Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals

Extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll helped launch Palin's political career in Alaska, and in return had influence over policy. "Her door was open," says Chryson -- and still is.

Editor's note: Research support provided by the Nation Institute Investigative Fund. For Salon's complete coverage of Sarah Palin, click here.

By Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert

Pages 1 2 3

Video: Interview with former Alaskan Independence Party chairman Mark Chryson

Oct. 10, 2008 | PALMER, Alaska -- On the afternoon of Sept. 24 in downtown Palmer, Alaska, as the sun began to sink behind the snowcapped mountains that flank the picturesque Mat-Su Valley, 51-year-old Mark Chryson sat for an hour on a park bench, reveling in tales of his days as chairman of the Alaska Independence Party. The stocky, gray-haired computer technician waxed nostalgic about quixotic battles to eliminate taxes, support the "traditional family" and secede from the United States.

So long as Alaska remained under the boot of the federal government, said Chryson, the AIP had to stand on guard to stymie a New World Order. He invited a Salon reporter to see a few items inside his pickup truck that were intended for his personal protection. "This here is my attack dog," he said with a chuckle, handing the reporter an exuberant 8-pound papillon from his passenger seat. "Her name is Suzy." Then he pulled a 9-millimeter Makarov PM pistol -- once the standard-issue sidearm for Soviet cops -- out of his glove compartment. "I've got enough weaponry to raise a small army in my basement," he said, clutching the gun in his palm. "Then again, so do most Alaskans." But Chryson added a message of reassurance to residents of that faraway place some Alaskans call "the 48." "We want to go our separate ways," he said, "but we are not going to kill you."

Though Chryson belongs to a fringe political party, one that advocates the secession of Alaska from the Union, and that organizes with other like-minded secessionist movements from Canada to the Deep South, he is not without peculiar influence in state politics, especially the rise of Sarah Palin. An obscure figure outside of Alaska, Chryson has been a political fixture in the hometown of the Republican vice-presidential nominee for over a decade. During the 1990s, when Chryson directed the AIP, he and another radical right-winger, Steve Stoll, played a quiet but pivotal role in electing Palin as mayor of Wasilla and shaping her political agenda afterward. Both Stoll and Chryson not only contributed to Palin's campaign financially, they played major behind-the-scenes roles in the Palin camp before, during and after her victory.

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Palin backed Chryson as he successfully advanced a host of anti-tax, pro-gun initiatives, including one that altered the state Constitution's language to better facilitate the formation of anti-government militias. She joined in their vendetta against several local officials they disliked, and listened to their advice about hiring. She attempted to name Stoll, a John Birch Society activist known in the Mat-Su Valley as "Black Helicopter Steve," to an empty Wasilla City Council seat. "Every time I showed up her door was open," said Chryson. "And that policy continued when she became governor."

When Chryson first met Sarah Palin, however, he didn't really trust her politically. It was the early 1990s, when he was a member of a local libertarian pressure group called SAGE, or Standing Against Government Excess. (SAGE's founder, Tammy McGraw, was Palin's birth coach.) Palin was a leader in a pro-sales-tax citizens group called WOW, or Watch Over Wasilla, earning a political credential before her 1992 campaign for City Council. Though he was impressed by her interpersonal skills, Chryson greeted Palin's election warily, thinking she was too close to the Democrats on the council and too pro-tax.

But soon, Palin and Chryson discovered they could be useful to each other. Palin would be running for mayor, while Chryson was about to take over the chairmanship of the Alaska Independence Party, which at its peak in 1990 had managed to elect a governor.

The AIP was born of the vision of "Old Joe" Vogler, a hard-bitten former gold miner who hated the government of the United States almost as much as he hated wolves and environmentalists. His resentment peaked during the early 1970s when the federal government began installing Alaska's oil and gas pipeline. Fueled by raw rage -- "The United States has made a colony of Alaska," he told author John McPhee in 1977 -- Vogler declared a maverick candidacy for the governorship in 1982. Though he lost, Old Joe became a force to be reckoned with, as well as a constant source of amusement for Alaska's political class. During a gubernatorial debate in 1982, Vogler proposed using nuclear weapons to obliterate the glaciers blocking roadways to Juneau. "There's gold under there!" he exclaimed.

Vogler made another failed run for the governor's mansion in 1986. But the AIP's fortunes shifted suddenly four years later when Vogler convinced Richard Nixon's former interior secretary, Wally Hickel, to run for governor under his party's banner. Hickel coasted to victory, outflanking a moderate Republican and a centrist Democrat. An archconservative Republican running under the AIP candidate, Jack Coghill, was elected lieutenant governor.

Hickel's subsequent failure as governor to press for a vote on Alaskan independence rankled Old Joe. With sponsorship from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Vogler was scheduled to present his case for Alaskan secession before the United Nations General Assembly in the late spring of 1993. But before he could, Old Joe's long, strange political career ended tragically that May when he was murdered by a fellow secessionist.

Hickel rejoined the Republican Party the year after Vogler's death and didn't run for reelection. Lt. Gov. Coghill's campaign to succeed him as the AIP candidate for governor ended in disaster; he peeled away just enough votes from the Republican, Jim Campbell, to throw the gubernatorial election to Democrat Tony Knowles.

Despite the disaster, Coghill hung on as AIP chairman for three more years. When he was asked to resign in 1997, Mark Chryson replaced him. Chryson pursued a dual policy of cozying up to secessionist and right-wing groups in Alaska and elsewhere while also attempting to replicate the AIP's success with Hickel in infiltrating the mainstream.

Unlike some radical right-wingers, Chryson doesn't put forward his ideas freighted with anger or paranoia. And in a state where defense of gun and property rights often takes on a real religious fervor, Chryson was able to present himself as a typical Alaskan.

He rose through party ranks by reducing the AIP's platform to a single page that "90 percent of Alaskans could agree with." This meant scrubbing the old platform of what Chryson called "racist language" while accommodating the state's growing Christian right movement by emphasizing the AIP's commitment to the "traditional family."

"The AIP is very family-oriented," Chryson explained. "We're for the traditional family -- daddy, mommy, kids -- because we all know that it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. And we don't care if Heather has two mommies. That's not a traditional family."

Chryson further streamlined the AIP's platform by softening its secessionist language. Instead of calling for immediate separation from the United States, the platform now demands a vote on independence.

Yet Chryson maintains that his party remains committed to full independence. "The Alaskan Independence Party has got links to almost every independence-minded movement in the world," Chryson exclaimed. "And Alaska is not the only place that's about separation. There's at least 30 different states that are talking about some type of separation from the United States."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html

McCain Threatens Legal Action for CNN Repot by Rick Sanchez Oct. 14, 08

La Susa — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:55:11 EDT

Oct. 14, 2008 Rick Sanchez reported on the Palin and AIP anti-American radical group connection. McCain threatens Legal Action!

A Must See Video You-Tube Rick Sanchez CNN Report

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/14/151519/61/145/630389

Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention. In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight!

A Must See-Rick Sanchez on CNN Tonight-Who is Todd Palin and the AIP?

La Susa — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:44:48 EDT

I could not belive what I was hearing when this aired! This Alaka Independent Party AIP is similar to other malitia's, except the founder has "hatred for the American government" to the point of taking up arms and attacking Our Untited States Government!

No wonder Sarah Palin lowered poroperty tax while mayor, and increaced sales tax, no wonder she is so pro gun... People may say what is the relavance? I say some Christian women do exactly what their husband tell them to do, because it is written in the Holy Bible "wives be submissive to your husbands", this is why I feel it is so important to know who Todd Palin is.

Sorry folks I can't find the transcript link, but hope it will be up soon!

ACORN Voter Fraud and County Clerks?

La Susa — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:20:57 EDT

Arn't County Clerks able to check for duplicate SS#'s voter registrations through their computer systems? As I doubt very much that ACORN is the only group out there involved in voter fraud! What's the scoop?

McCain's Current Negative TV Ad's Lie About Bill Ayers

La Susa — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:37:19 EDT

From Factcheck.org "He Lied" About Bill Ayers?October 10, 2008McCain cranks out some false and misleading attacks on Obama's connection to a 1960s radical.AnalysisSen. John McCain has dialed up his attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's past association with former Weather Underground activist Bill Ayers. He released a 30-second TV spot Oct. 10 claiming Obama "lied" about Ayers. A day earlier he announced a 90-second Internet ad claiming that Obama and Ayers "ran a radical education foundation together" and suggesting Obama was being untruthful.

McCain-Palin Ad
"Ambition"

Announcer: Obama's blind ambition. When convenient, he worked with terrorist Bill Ayers. When discovered, he lied.

Obama. Blind ambition. Bad judgment.Congressional liberals fought for risky sub-prime loans.

Congressional liberals fought against more regulation. Then, the housing market collapsed costing you billions.

In crisis, we need leadership, not bad judgment.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Groundless, False, Dubious

We find McCain's accusation that Obama "lied" to be groundless. It is true that recently released records show half a dozen or so more meetings between the two men than were previously known, but Obama never denied working with Ayers.

Other claims are seriously misleading. The education project described in the Web ad, far from being "radical," had the support of the Republican governor and was run by a board that included prominent local leaders, including one Republican who has donated $1,500 to McCain's campaign this year. The project is described by Education Week as reflecting "mainstream thinking" about school reform.

Despite the newly released records, there's still no evidence of a deep or strong "friendship" with Ayers, a former radical anti-war protester whose actions in the 1960s and '70s Obama has called "detestable" and "despicable."

Even the description of Ayers as a "terrorist" is a matter of interpretation. Setting off bombs can fairly be described as terrorism even when they are intended to cause only property damage, which is what Ayers has admitted doing in his youth. But for nearly three decades since, Ayers has lived the relatively quiet life of an educator. It would be correct to call him a "former terrorist," and an "unapologetic" one at that. But if McCain means the word "terrorist" to invoke images of 9/11, he's being misleading; Ayers is no Osama bin Laden now, and never was.

McCain-Palin Web Ad
"Ayers"

Announcer: Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They've worked together for years.

But Obama tries to hide it. Why?
Obama launched his political career in Ayers' living room. Ayers and Obama ran a radical "education" foundation, together.

They wrote the foundation's by-laws, together. Obama was the foundation's first chairman. Reports say they "distributed more than $100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in education."

When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood."

That's it?

We know Bill Ayers ran the "violent left wing activist group" called Weather Underground. We know Ayers' wife was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. We know they bombed the Capitol. The Pentagon. A judge's home.

We know Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs. .... I feel we didn't do enough." But Obama's friendship with terrorist Ayers isn't the issue.

The issue is Barack Obama's judgment and candor. When Obama just says, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood." Americans say, "Where's the truth, Barack?"

Barack Obama. Too risky for America.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Who's Misleading?

McCain is not accurate when he says – as he does in the Web ad – "When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, 'This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood.' " McCain is using the same line in personal appearances, too. He said on Oct. 9 at a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wis.:

McCain: Look, we don't care about an old washed-up terrorist and his wife, who still, at least on Sept. 11, 2001, said he still wanted to bomb more. ... The point is, Senator Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood. We need to know that's not true.

Obama never said Ayers was "just" a guy in the neighborhood. The quote is from a Democratic primary debate on April 16 in Philadelphia, and Obama actually was more forthcoming than McCain lets on. Obama specifically acknowledged working together with Ayers on a charitable board, and didn't deny getting some early political support from him. Here's the exchange:

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, April 16: An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly. Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?

Obama: George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.

This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George.

Sen. Hillary Clinton then said, "I also believe that Senator Obama served on a board with Mr. Ayers for a period of time, the Woods Foundation," and predicted that "this is an issue that certainly Republicans will be raising."

Obama responded, "President Clinton pardoned or commuted the sentences of two members of the Weather Underground, which I think is a slightly more significant act than me ... serving on a board with somebody for actions that he did 40 years ago."

We wrote back then that Clinton had gone too far by suggesting that "people died" as a result of Ayers' actions. And nothing Obama said then has since been shown to be false. It is true that he did not bring up his work with Ayers on a second project, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, where Obama was board chairman and Ayers was an early organizer, and where the two were together for half a dozen or so meetings. But neither Clinton nor Stephanopoulos asked him about that project. McCain could fairly accuse Obama of not volunteering the information, but it is false to claim he "lied."

"Pal Around"

The first to begin using the new line of attack against Obama was McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, after a lengthy article appeared Oct. 3 in the New York Times about Obama and Ayers:

Palin, Oct. 5: Our opponents see America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who would bomb their own country.

She's repeated the charge again and again at different campaign stops since then, citing the Times. What the Times article actually says, however, is this: "[T]he two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers." The Times says its review of documents and interviews with key players "suggest" that Obama "has played down his contacts with Ayers," but describes their paths as having crossed "sporadically" since their first meeting in 1995.

And far from palling around with Ayers, the two haven't spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Obama came to the Senate in January 2005, according to an Obama spokesman. He said the two last saw each other more than a year ago, when they accidentally met on the street in their Hyde Park neighborhood.

Obama addressed Palin's claim on Oct. 8, when questioned by ABC News' Charlie Gibson:

Obama, Oct. 8: This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old. By the time I met him, 10 or 15 years ago, he was a college professor of education at the University of Illinois. ... And the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that ... I've 'palled around with a terrorist', all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points.

Stormy Weather, UndergroundBill Ayers' notoriety dates from the radical, anti-Vietnam War group he helped to start in 1969, splintering off from the activist Students for a Democratic Society. The members of the new group, the Weather Underground, favored shows of violence to further their cause. On March 6, 1970, though, three of them blew themselves up in a Greenwich Village townhouse during a bomb-making session gone badly awry. Ayers and his fellow Weathermen, as they were called, soon dropped out of sight.
Barack Obama, who was born Aug. 4, 1961, was 8 years old at the time.The Weather Underground continued setting off bombs, including one in a men's lavatory in the Capitol building in 1971 and another in a women's restroom in the Pentagon in 1972. Nobody was killed, due to evacuation warnings the Weathermen sent out in advance.

After the Vietnam War ended, the group's activities petered out. In 1980 Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, another member, surfaced and turned themselves in to police. Because of illegal federal wiretaps, pending charges against Ayers for allegedly inciting a riot and conspiring to bomb government sites had been dropped. Dohrn pleaded guilty to separate charges of aggravated battery and jumping bail; she was fined $1,500 and given three years' probation. Ayers and Dohrn, who had had two children together while in hiding, married in 1982.

Several other Weather Underground alums, including Kathy Boudin, along with some members of a group calling itself the Black Liberation Army, were involved in a bungled 1981 robbery of a Brinks truck in Nanuet, N.Y., in which a security guard and two policemen were killed. Ayers and Dohrn have never been publicly tied to the incident, which took place after they had turned themselves in. Dohrn was jailed for seven months for refusing to provide a handwriting sample to the grand jury investigating it.

Dohrn is now a clinical associate professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Locally, Ayers' radical past hasn't been much of an issue. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet wrote last spring that it "was no big deal, or any deal, to any local political reporters or to the editorial boards of the Sun-Times or [Chicago] Tribune." Ayers was named a Chicago citizen of the year in 1997 for his efforts in the field of education.

In Chicago, Ayers is seen less as a "terrorist" and more as a prodigal son of the local establishment. His father was a prominent corporate executive and civic leader. Thomas G. Ayers was president and chief executive of Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility that lights Chicago and northern Illinois. There is a residence hall named for him at Northwestern University, where he was a trustee for 30 years. Bill's brother John Ayers, according to Education Week, headed a school-reform group called the Leadership for Quality Education, which represented business leaders’ interest in schools. John is now a senior associate of the Chicago-based National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

Despite the fairly mainstream life he lives now, though, Bill Ayers' image took a hit with an article that appeared in the New York Times on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Ayers was quoted in the lead paragraph as saying, ''I don't regret setting bombs'' and "I feel we didn't do enough." The interview had been conducted earlier, in connection with the publication of Ayers' memoir of his years as a fugitive. But when the quotes appeared on the same day thousands died at the World Trade Center and elsewhere, they enraged his critics.

Ayers called the story a deliberate distortion of his views. In a response on his blog, Ayers wrote:

Ayers: My memoir is from start to finish a condemnation of terrorism, of the indiscriminate murder of human beings, whether driven by fanaticism or official policy. ...
I said I had a thousand regrets, but no regrets for opposing the war with every ounce of my strength.

That's hardly an apology, referring as it does to the U.S. role in the Vietnam War as "terrorism." Ayers has maintained a public silence since then, refusing all requests for interviews.

Even so, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had kind words for him recently:

Daley (New York Times, Oct. 3, 2008): He’s done a lot of good in this city and nationally. ... This is 2008. People make mistakes. You judge a person by his whole life.

FactCheck.org and the “Annenberg Challenge”

Contrary to suggestions we've seen in some conservative blogs, there is no connection between the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and FactCheck.org, save for the fact that both received funding from the Annenberg Foundation. The foundation supports a wide variety of charitable causes – a total of 5,200 grants during its first 15 years of operation. It was founded in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg, a newspaper and magazine publisher who died in 2002.

FactCheck.org is funded by, and is a project of, the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which was established by the Annenberg Foundation with a $20 million endowment in 1993. The Annenberg Foundation also made additional grants to support our work. We also receive funding from the Flora Family Foundation to help support our educational offshoot, FactCheckED.org. We receive no other outside funding.

FactCheck.org came into being in late 2003. Director Brooks Jackson states: "Our mission is to be as neutral and nonpartisan as humanly possible. Annenberg supports that, and nobody at the Annenberg Foundation has ever tried to influence anything we've written."

For the record, the Annenberg Foundation's president and chairman is Leonore Annenberg, the founder's widow. Public records show she's given $2,300 to the McCain campaign, which announced on Oct. 8, that she has endorsed him for president.
We Have Contact!

According to an Obama spokesman, the two men first met in 1995, when Obama was tapped to chair the board of the newly formed Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers had been instrumental in creating the organization, which was to dispense grants for projects that would improve Chicago's schools.
The Challenge was one of 18 projects supported by a $500 million grant announced at a White House ceremony Dec. 18, 1993, by the Annenberg Foundation, founded four years earlier by Philadelphia publisher Walter Annenberg. It was the largest single gift ever made to public education in America. The Chicago project received a $49.2 million grant in 1995, and officials administering the grant funds at Brown University announced at the time that the Chicago proposal was developed through discussions among “a broad-based coalition of local school council members, teachers, principals, school reform groups, union representatives and central office staff” convened by three educators – one of whom was Ayers. Mayor Richard M. Daley, a Democrat, and Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican, took part in a ceremony announcing the grant.

There are other connections between Obama and Ayers: The same year the two men met through the Annenberg Challenge, Ayers hosted a meet-and-greet coffee for Obama, who was running for state Senate and who lived three blocks away from him. Obama and Ayers also were on the board of an antipoverty charity, the Woods Fund of Chicago, where their service overlapped from 2000 to 2002. And Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's campaign for the Illinois state Senate on March 2, 2001.

In addition, Obama told the Chicago Tribune in 1997 that a book Ayers wrote about the juvenile court system was "a searing and timely account." This is sometimes billed by Obama's critics as a "book review." Actually, a reporter simply asked three Chicagoans for a sentence about whatever they were reading at the time.

The Annenberg Challenge connection has drawn the most attention recently, though, mainly because of articles written by Stanley Kurtz, a conservative contributor to the National Review, the publication founded by the late William F. Buckley. Kurtz first suggested on Aug. 18 that there was a "cover-up in the making" when he was unable to gain access to 132 boxes of project records housed at the University of Illinois. Records were released nine days later, along with all records held by the Annenberg Foundation itself.

The Chicago Tribune, after examining the records, said they showed Ayers and Obama "attended board meetings, retreats and at least one news conference together as the education program got under way." It also said Obama and Ayers "continued to attend meetings together during the 1995-2001 operation of the program." The story played on page 2. According to the New York Times, the documents show the two attended just six board meetings together, Obama as chairman and Ayers to inform the board on grantees and other issues. (In a press release, the McCain campaign puts the number of meetings at seven, five of them in 1995, one in 1996 and one in 1997.) Ayers was an "ex officio" member of the board for the first year of the project.

United Press International summed up the reaction to the contents of the group's archives with a story headlined "No 'smoking gun' in Obama relationship":

UPI, Aug. 27: Reporters reviewing records in Chicago have so far found nothing startling in documents linking Sen. Barack Obama to 1960s radical William Ayers.

Where news reporters found little of note, though, Kurtz – the conservative writer who initially suggested a "cover-up" – cast it differently. After combing through the Annenberg records, he published an article in the opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal saying he found that Obama and Ayers acted as "partners" and together "poured more than $100 million into the hands of community organizers and radical education activists." He said money went to groups that "focused more on political consciousness, Afrocentricity and bilingualism than traditional education." A "Radical" Foundation? Hardly.

What Kurtz – and McCain in his Web ad – considers "radical," other observers see differently, however. Veteran education reporter Dakarai I. Aarons, writing in Education Week, says the Chicago Annenberg Challenge actually "reflected mainstream thinking among education reformers" and had bipartisan support:

Education Week (Oct. 8): The context for the Chicago proposal to the Annenberg Foundation was the 1988 decentralization of the city’s public schools by the Republican-controlled Illinois legislature, a response to frustration over years of teachers’ strikes, low achievement, and bureaucratic failure. ... The proposal was backed by letters of support to the Annenberg Foundation from Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican, local education school deans, the superintendent of the Chicago public schools, and the heads of local foundations.

Among the mainstream Chicago luminaries on Obama's board was Arnold R. Weber, a former president of Northwestern University, who in 1971 was appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon as executive director of the Cost of Living Council and who later was tapped by Republican President Ronald Reagan to serve on an emergency labor board. More recently, Weber has given $1,500 to John McCain's presidential campaign this year.

Others on Obama's supposedly "radical" board included Stanley Ikenberry, a former president of the University of Illinois system; Ray Romero, a vice president of Ameritech; Susan Crown, a philanthropist; Handy Lindsey, the president of the Field Foundation of Illinois; and Wanda White, the executive director of the Community Workshop for Economic Development.

Kurtz originally claimed that Ayers somehow was responsible for installing Obama as head of the board, speculating in his "cover-up" article that Obama "almost certainly received the job at the behest of Bill Ayers." But after days of poring over the records, he failed to produce any evidence of that in his Wall Street Journal article. To the contrary, Ayers was not involved in the choice, according to Deborah Leff, then president of the Joyce Foundation. She told the Times, and confirmed to FactCheck.org, that she recommended Obama for the position to Patricia Graham of the Spencer Foundation. Graham told us that she asked Obama if he'd become chairman; he accepted, provided Graham would be vice-chair. The bipartisan board of directors, which did not include Ayers, elected Obama chairman, and he served in that capacity from 1995 to 1999, awarding grants for projects and raising matching funds. Ayers headed up a separate arm of the group, working with grant recipients. According to another board member, Ayers "was not significantly involved with the challenge after Obama was appointed." One possible reason had little to do with Obama himself, but instead was related to cautions about conflicts of interest; the group was funding some of Ayers' own alternative school projects.

In any case, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge failed to bring about improvement in students' test scores, classroom behavior or social competence. An independent consortium of educators concluded in 2003 that “Annenberg schools did not achieve an overall effect on student outcomes” compared with schools that received no support from the project. Education Week quoted some project supporters as saying it succeeded in raising interest in helping failing schools.

Conclusion

Voters may differ in how they see Ayers, or how they see Obama’s interactions with him. We’re making no judgment calls on those matters. What we object to are the McCain-Palin campaign’s attempts to sway voters – in ads and on the stump – with false and misleading statements about the relationship, which was never very close. Obama never “lied” about this, just as he never bragged about it. The foundation they both worked with was hardly “radical.” And Ayers is more than a former "terrorist," he’s also a well-known figure in the field of education.

– by Viveca Novak and Brooks Jackson

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/he_lied_about_bill_ayers.html

www.factcheck.org

McCain Lies "More Health Care Misleads"

La Susa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:09:17 EDT

More Health Care Misleads

McCain misstated his own health care plan and Obama’s in one sentence:

McCain: I am in favor of . . . giving every American a $5,000 refundable tax credit and go out and get the health insurance you want rather than mandates and fines for small businesses, as Sen. Obama's plan calls for.

McCain's plan does not call for giving a $5,000 tax credit for "every American." It calls for a tax credit of $2,500. The $5,000 figure would apply to couples or families. And Obama’s plan requires large businesses to provide coverage for their employees or pay into a national plan, not "small businesses," as McCain said. Obama's health care proposal, posted on his Web site, says: “Small businesses will be exempt from this requirement.” McCain previously used this charge in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, and he repeated the claim in the debate, saying, "If you're a small business person and you don't insure your employees, Sen. Obama will fine you. Will fine you." As we said, that's false. Obama countered that he had proposed a refundable tax credit for small businesses of up to 50 percent of the cost of premiums, which is indeed part of his plan. We've noted before that neither man defines what he means by "small business."

–by Brooks Jackson, Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Joe Miller, Jessica Henig and Justin Bank

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_debate_no_2.html

www.factcheck.org

What Debate?????

La Susa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:35:16 EDT

The definition of "DEBATE" IS to discuss opposing reasons; argue; to take part in a formal discussion ... To consider something; deliberate. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.

Each candidate was allowed 2 minets to answer complex questions; with NO EXTENSIVE REBUTTALS! "REBUTTAL" definition "An attempt to contradict or disprove an argument by offering a counter argument or ...

Perhaps the American lauguage has changed, where "DEBATE" now means "TWO MINET SOUND-BITES"! Im disgusted to say the least, this is the most important Election we have had in years, and yet it seems the media wants to treat it as though it were a circus, piling on as many as questions as possible, while McCain throws in his lieing out of context attacks on Obama! And Obama is cornered with no choice but to try to answer the questions and defend himself against McCain ALL IN 2 MINETS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Signs--Free Downloads!!

La Susa — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:45:38 EDT

I ran across some people who have had signs stolen or cannot get any through the online store.

If one's local Obama office dosn't have any signs, or one's sign was stolen, go to the "MEDIA" link above and click on "DOWNLOADS" there one will find free downloads!

To weatherproof slide image inside a plastic sheet protector and glue to cardboard or wood, and then one can use wire to secure to fence or staple to posts.

Ive placed some of my downloads inside my windows of car and home.

!!!!!!GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!!!!

New Mexico Anti-Abortion Anti Obama Adds

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:32:14 EDT

We in New Mexico are being bombarded (like every hour on the hour) by a bunch of Anit-Abortion Anti-Obama Adds that I don't understand!!!!! And havn't seen any of the Obama adds in opposition to these yet. I don't know what they mean by Abortion and born alive?

All I do know is that when abortions were illegal women would either use coat hangers to try to abort it themselves, go to Mexico to have it done in an alley there, Clorox and a host of other very dangerous things, or bring the baby to term and throw the poor child away if they did not want anyone to even know about the pregnancy, or give their babies up for aboption.

Today having a baby at 15, 20, or 35 is an ordeal as we had not seen in the past. Now Fathers are required by law to pay child support, to the extent that if they don't their wages are garnished, Drivers Licences taken away, even incarceration. Many fathers cannot afford to legally work!!!!! When one cannot survive on minimume wage as it is, how can poor fathers be required to pay, when realistically they CAN'T!! As result this is forsing many to get into illegal buisness....... Then they get arrested, and we the tax payer pays for their incarceration time/couts/lawers etc. It's one way the rich keep poor folk down.......

Then there are the wacos male and female who instead of paying childsupport would rather murder the children!!!! Children are now but a comodity, not plain children any more. Tensions about Money and child support useto be unheard of, but whao now it's all parents can talk about. I feel children deserve better than that, for they are far more than money!

McCain's Absentee Vote Fraud

La Susa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:45:25 EDT

This is from a post to the DoctorsforObama group...

The story is all over Progressive Talk Radio today about the McCain campaign sending absentee ballot applications to registered democrats or people that have donated to Obama's campaign. These ballots are deliberately misleading and have postage paid return addresses that are for an election clerk that is outside of your city or town. What this will end up doing is either having your vote not counted, or if you return one of these, they will cite you for election fraud, saying that you already voted absentee. These ballots are only being sent out in 'purple states' and this is a big deal.. This is called voter caging, and is a huge problem. The McCain campaign is stealing this election as we speak. Please get this information out to as many people as you can ,and tell anyone you know who has received one of these ballots that they need to contact their city election clerk or the supervisor of elections immediately. Also call the local media and let them know what is going on. The main stre am media is never going to cover this so we have to depend on our ground campaign to get the word out to our voters.

Palin-Global US Relations

La Susa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:30:14 EDT

I aplaude McCain for having served in the Armed Forses and for literly having layed his life down for mine. Likewise I aplaude Palin for geting a journalism degree and for being a fine T.V. sports caster. However the position of US President is not a beauty queen paget, we need someone who can in a calm firm state of mind attempt to clean-up our international relations, re-estabish bonds with the UN, re-instate our country with the Geniva Convention, stand in defense of Israel, Find Bin Laden, Help Iraq be an independant Nation, Understand each international community as differant, and treat them differantly in our negociations.

We are not living in the same world we were in 8 years ago. The lies and cover-ups of the Bush administration may be irreversable, locally, Nationally and Internationally. Today on cnn I heard Palin say the word Iran, and my gut swisted, it's like to her Iran is the opposing team in a hocky game... I don't mean to be disrespectful, but the issues surrounding Iran don't even come close to a hockey game!!!!! AS neither dose our relations with North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela etc. etc.

If McCain's Elected, and Dies............

La Susa — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:07:01 EDT

If McCain's Elected he will do as he is told by the Lobbiests that funded his election; if he dies, Gov. of Alaska, who has NO INSIDE POWER IN WASHINGTON, in my opionion will do as she is told, by McCain's Lobbyiests, and will be fully capable of reading a teleprompter written by those Lobbiests......... Since when do they care about Women's rights???? To them a woman, is but a secretary, a prop, to win votes under false pretenses.

Funny how we hear McCain talk about "Earmarks, but not "Speacial Interested Lobbyiests"!!!!!

We Lobbyiests want to line our pockets with your tax dollars. We do not care about the enviroment, when it comes to making money, in fact while your sons and daughters shed blood and die in war, for the name of freedome we are turning profits in our buisness dealings, we want cheap labor that's why we will not secure the American boarders, we profit from illegal cheap labor in the USA, we also profit from sending American jobs overseas because then we don't have to pay taxes, hey in China the wage is .50 cents, thats a given, we don't care about national healthcare insurance because we make money on the current system, we want pharmasutical companies to turn profits for our wallets, we don't care if the Untited States economy crumbles our investments are overseas...............

McCain-Lobbiests-Who Do They Represent?

La Susa — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:57:59 EDT

Since the McCain camp is controlled by Lobbyiests who have the money to pay for their intesests above the intesests of the American people, these Lobbyiests firms or companies, that they work for should be exposed. Because in essance they are the one's who intend to run our country; McCain and Palin are just mear hired speaking puppets....

Follow the money!!!!!!!

P. S. I don't think the Averge American Knows The Levels Of The Power and Influence Lobbyiests In Washington have... I personally had never heard of an "earmark" before this election!!!!!!!

The McCain Change

La Susa — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:10:14 EDT

If McCain dose become our next president, No I don't think it will be the same; more bank bail outs; more jobs out sourced; more national debts to "Win Wars" on all fronts; the rich will get richer; the middle class will shrink even more into poverty where there are no gender or racial divides.

If McCain dose win, will our economy even be recoverable in 4 more years of the highest debt this nation has ever seen??????

What about International relations? Will he loose his temper with forigne presidents? Will he call them liars? Will he accuse them of hanious lis as he has with Obama?

When we become so indebt to China; will China first take over our economy, then our freedome, then our government?

Obama to be on cnn Live Soon

La Susa — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:24:23 EDT

Obama to be on CNN live Soon, awaiting.

Change event 9/13 & ranting

Terri — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:53:30 EDT

Hi Friends,

Get ready for our Starlight Photography for Change event. We have several sign ups but can certainly accomodate more. I want to raise as much money as possible for our cause, as this thing is heating up. I can't understand why some folks are so unsure about this decision. This election is not about personality at all, it is about our future. It's way bigger than McCain, Palin, Biden or even Obama. It's about changing our course in America. We need so much work to be done on behalf of our infrastructure, early education, healthcare, environmental crisis and preparing our youth to deal with the future by offering them affordable college education and green jobs.

The privatization of banking systems, loan institutions, mental health facilities, school systems and natural resource allowcation, has left most of us reeling. We can all feel the shift of security, away from the majority of Americans to the wealthy few. The people who cry the loudest about not wanting change are the ones who have the most to lose. The rest of us should be praying and screaming for our leaders to step up and reclaim our country in the interest of all, not just a few powerful citizens. That's my rant for today. t

REPORT FROM THE FIELD

CPowersPhD, Deputy Field Organizer, CA CD 30 West — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:52:20 EDT

REPORT FROM THE FIELD!!
Category: Life

I attended Camp Obama and became a deputy field organizer. It was a great weekend! Got some great tips at Camp Obama on meeting challenges, and the best one was to remember previous huge challenges in life that I overcame. How did I do it before? I faced the challenge, struggled like a maniac, and learned. Thanks for reminding me, Camp Obama!

I'm deeply saddened by the thought that the only thing that will keep Obama from the White House is his color. It's so hard to believe in this day and age that prejudice is still so powerful. But, it is.

When you're out in the "field", you hear how many people won't vote for a "black man". It's stunning. Sometimes it seems we haven't come that far. Not far enough.

I hope to be able to report soon that many, many young people will turn the tide on the racial discrimination that is still so rooted in many, especially the elderly. And, I hope to be able to report that I got much better at asking people for help! Because we need help!

Have a great and musical day!

SoCal Obama supporters can help in Nevada - travel 8-22 to 8-24

DJ — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:59:38 EDT

Even though we may be ahead in the polls in California, we still need to be sure we register new voters and get them all to the polls November 4th.

In addition, we can reach out and help our brothers and sisters in Nevada. The polls say Nevada is close and some of us can travel there to help register voters and canvass.

The Nevada team would appreciate our help. We are coordinating with supporters in Nevada.

It's the Obama Wild West Weekend in Las Vegas!

Join our SoCal posse as we stampede into Clark County and round up all the unregistered voters for Obama!

It's August 22-24. We're organizing caravans and carpools to Las Vegas.
Limited supporter housing is available. Cheap hotel rooms are plentiful. Let's make Nevada Obama country.

Yippee!!!

Interested? Contact Dave Crocker, Out-of-State Travel Coordinator for Obamawood/North CD33, at DJCroc@yahoo.com.

Provide your name, email address and phone number. You'll be notified of all the details of when and where to meet.

(prior to Friday night 8-22-08). The event signup is also located at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpgkjr

PLEASE, forward this information to any people or groups who can help. Let's get well over 100 people to Vegas.

Thanks.

LET'S WIN THIS ELECTION!

Dave Crocker (DJcroc@yahoo.com)

Gotta Love Jon Stewart

LizT — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:41:49 EDT

In Larry King's interview with Jon Stewart, Larry brought up the subject of the primaries and asked him if America was ready for a woman or a black president.

Jon looked at him quizzically and said, "This is such a non-question.
Did anyone ask us in 2000 if Americans were ready for a moron?"

In Your Words -- Engaging With People of Different Faiths

Alyssa Martin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:57:01 EDT

Moushumi, a prominent Muslim lawyer and community activist, recently talked to me about her experience in connecting with people of different faith backgrounds:

I have always believed that to be Muslim is to engage with people of different faiths or no faith. I learned a great deal from these interactions – mostly that every faith reinforces the principle of do unto others as you would have them do unto you. My most important interfaith learning experience came from being the first Muslim Manager of my college’s Kosher-Hallal Kitchen. Mount Holyoke’s Kosher-Hallal Kitchen was unique in that it was the first of its kind to combine the dietary needs of both the Muslim and Jewish students, as it was jointly run by a Muslim and Jewish Manager. Every Wednesday, we had a dairy meal where we discussed topics like women in Islam and Judaism, and Islamic / Jewish spirituality. On Fridays, we had a Shabbat meal where I learned to love matzo ball soup and appreciate the deep Jewish heritage. This Kitchen opened in 1989 during the first Palestinian Intifada, so it was a formative experience in teaching me the importance and possibility of literally breaking bread despite our differences. I feel very fortunate to have had this positive experience so early on as it shaped my fundamental belief that no matter how intractable religious or political differences may seem, at the end of the day we are all human beings with the same basic needs and feelings.

If you are interested in reading more about what American Values Voters for Obama have to say, make sure to check out this week’s issue of the American Values Report. If you would like to sign up for the Report, please email the Religious Affairs dept. at Faith@BarackObama.com.

A cheerful thought for a Friday

LizT — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:22:17 EDT

Only 178 days until January 20 -- and Crawford, Texas gets back its village idiot.

Obama makes connection with Israeli family in Sderot, Israel by Batsheva Sobelman and Richard Bourdreaux

Prosy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:09:04 EDT

Obama makes connection with Israeli family in Sderot 'This terror is intolerable,' he says after touring their home, damaged by a Palestinian rocket. McCain visited them in March. By Batsheva Sobelman and Richard Boudreaux, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
July 24, 2008 SDEROT, ISRAEL -- Barack Obama stood amid the debris in Pinhas Amar's kitchen, an arm around his host. The Orthodox religious scribe recalled matter-of-factly how a rocket had crashed through the ceiling. Then Amar blessed the Democratic candidate, praying for his success.

"He smiled and said, if he did become president, I would be among his first guests in the White House," Amar said later, describing the scene. "I said, 'Don't forget me,' and indeed I believe he will not."

It was an unusual moment in a presidential campaign being waged in part beyond America's borders, a race the Amar household has witnessed more intimately than perhaps any family outside the U.S.

The Amars gave John McCain, the all-but-certain Republican nominee, the same tour of their damaged home in March. On Wednesday it was his rival's turn, as Obama visited Israel to show voters that he too cares about the security of the Jewish state.

Israel's defense minister had chosen the Moroccan Jewish couple and their children as a poster family for this battered desert town. He escorted each of the rival candidates to the Amars' yellow stone house on Sinai Street to emphasize the threat from Palestinian rockets from the nearby Gaza Strip.

Pinhas and Aliza Amar treated both senators like royalty and said they felt the Americans' empathy during the brief visits. Their discussions did not touch on politics or the choices Israel and the U.S. face in confronting Islamic militants in the Middle East.

But like Israelis debating anything important, they came to differing conclusions about the two men.

Pinhas, a thoughtful 48-year-old with graying hair, said he was taken by Obama, more a feeling than anything else.

"Obama has this personal charm, and it looks like it's going to get him elected," he said. "McCain too is a very impressive man, a man with a special story . . . and that gives him stature.

"But Obama seems to come across better," he said. "He has a charismatic presence. . . . McCain was a bit more distant."

Aliza Amar, 40, an energetic, round-faced woman in a pale pink head scarf and chic gold-framed eyeglasses, reserved her judgment. Since meeting McCain, she has followed his speeches. "He hasn't forgotten Israel," she said. "He always sounds quite determined and adamant in his opinion that [Israel] is an important issue."

As for Obama, "I know that he too supports Israel." The question for whoever gets elected, she concluded, is "whether their actions support their words."

Like other communities on the front line of Israel's conflict, Sderot is a bastion of conservative politics and hardened skeptics of the U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks Obama and McCain support.

Thousands of crude, wildly inaccurate Kassam rockets have struck in and around this town in the last eight years, killing more than a dozen people and damaging hundreds of homes. Until Israel reached a cease-fire a month ago with Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, Sderot often experienced several attacks a day, preceded by sirens that gave residents 15 seconds to seek cover.

Aliza Amar is partly disabled by a series of strokes. The impact of the rocket that crashed through her roof in December knocked her from her wheelchair, and her knee was pierced with shrapnel.

The family is renting a house down the street while the roof is being replaced, a task slowed by sluggish insurance procedures.

Moving about with a cane, Aliza worked two cellphones Wednesday as she presided over a platoon of relatives and neighbors preparing traditional Moroccan pastries and gifts for the Illinois senator and his delegation.

"I'm glad for the attention," she said. "It would be easy enough to forget about us during this so-called truce. The fear is constant. You never know when the rockets will start again."

Obama arrived in the late afternoon, escorted by Sderot's mayor and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. They were greeted by the couple and their three daughters.

The presidential hopeful "walked in as though he knew the place," Aliza said. "He was uninhibited and made us feel comfortable." He shook everyone's hands, and Aliza kissed him on the cheek. Pinhas took him in the kitchen, still littered with fragments of the roof, and recounted the attack.

Later, Obama mentioned the Amars as an example of "the resilience of the people of Sderot and the people of Israel." He said: "The family that had seen a rocket go through their house, they were rebuilding, not moving away.

"This terror is intolerable," he declared. And though he was hopeful about a lasting peace deal, he said, "America must always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself."

After the candidate left, the Amars' eldest daughter, Tamar, 22, said she felt Obama had connected with the town.

"It is true that he came for his own reasons and for a political end, but you could tell that he realized there was something beyond that," she said. "Many politicians have been through Sderot, and I have seen many. Today I saw someone who's also real."

richard.boudreaux@

latimes.com

Sobelman reported from Sderot and Boudreaux from Jerusalem.

Young Evangelical Christians Uniting Behind Obama

Alyssa Martin — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:59:09 EDT

Senator Obama is making confident waves among the evangelical community. Young evangelicals have been particularly receptive to his message, as they are increasingly concerned with issues like poverty, the Iraq War, climate change, genocide in Darfur, human trafficking, and religious freedom at home and abroad.

A recent Pew Forum poll of evangelical voters found McCain's lead among evangelicals smaller than Bush's in 2004, and this has many Republicans strategists worried. U.S. News and World Report recently quoted a “major McCain fundraiser” as saying, “The evangelical movement is changing … It's moving to a bigger place.”

I’m personally excited to announce that young evangelicals will be able to carve out a “bigger place” for themselves in the Obama campaign via a website project that boldly proclaims: “Young. Evangelical. For Obama.”

The site will allow young evangelicals to unite in their support for Obama and his broad moral agenda. In addition to showing their support, the group will engage in community service projects and American Values house parties geared toward youth.

For more information, see David Brody’s preview of Obama’s Young Evangelical Outreach.

Senator Obama called on youth to rise and overcome the challenges that still obstruct us:
The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side. So the question, I guess, that I have today is what's called of us in this Joshua generation? What do we do in order to fulfill that legacy; to fulfill the obligations and the debt that we owe to those who allowed us to be here today?"

McCain Scares Me

LizT — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:44:47 EDT

It sickens me when I hear people talk about how McCain is such a "maverick" or a different kind of Republican than George W. Bush

All you have to do is look at the man's voting record to see that he is just another right-wing Neanderthal.

Too often the American electorate falls for the image projected by a candidate and ignores the substance.

The stakes are too high this time. We can't allow this to happen.

The Whispering Campaign Insulting to ALL AMERICANS

David H. Stern, M.D. — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:54:48 EDT

There has been some progress on this front recently, as Senator Obama has taken a somewhat stronger tack in his response to this rumor. But in my opinion, it could be much stronger.

Here are the talking points I would like to see emphasized.

The "Obama is a Muslim" Rumor Campaign is Insulting to ALL AMERICANS:
It insults Obama by insinuating that he is lying about his background
It insults Muslim Americans by implying they are somehow less worthy as Citizens than others.
It insults non-Muslim voters by implying they are ignorant, bigoted, rubes who are easily fooled.
It insults the instigators, by revealing themselves to be unprincipled lying hacks who lack any respect for the voters they are trying to influence, and lack confidence in their ability to persuade with honest appeals. This is the politics we will change together this November, when you elect me President of the United States.

This is the type of response that changes the playing field. It would destroy the perception of Democrats as "soft" and unable to get down and dirty, while simultaneously elevating the level of discourse AND discrediting the opposition.

Can you get any better than that?

Great Contrast Between Candidates to Use Recruiting

David H. Stern, M.D. — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:03:19 EDT

I'm sure many here are still engaged in the arduous task of recruiting fence sitters and soft supporters of both candidates into being strong Obama supporters. The recent FISAsco has Obama "taking his lumps," (and rightfully so, I might add) and the MSM seem to be engaged in a coordinated campaign to minimize the actual differences between candidates.

Well, for Americans of nearly every stripe, Civil Rights is a major issue - particularly in the wake of the unprecedented assualt on Constitutional principles this nation has weathered over the past eight years.

For anyone doubting the significance of the differences between the two candidates in this area, take a look at this compilation of vote-rating for Barack Obama, and compare it to the same ratings for John McCain. These compliations come, courtesey of Project VoteSmart, and as you can see they have numerous tools for drawing comparisons on a wide variety of issues. So, if this is your first exposure to this tool, I hope you will find it useful in the coming weeks. Time is getting short!

In order to make use of this tool easier, I've prepared a one-page side-by-side two-year comparison sheet on Civil Rights Group Rankings for both candidates. Please feel free to copy, print, and distribute it as much as you like. (I prefer that you copy, rather than link to it, as my server's bandwith is limited. Thanks.)

Let's get out there, and get out the vote! (And make sure it is the right vote!)

A little ranting will do

Tovala — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:19:59 EDT

I have to admit that I am like most Americans, I rarely get riled up or offended, and if I am by chance offended, I normally let it slide until comments go overboard. I ignored the comments that Fox News made about Michelle Obama recently. Calling her "Obama's Baby's Mama," "Mrs. Grievance," and "A terrorist." I sat by and watched while they took her "for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country," statement out of context, just like they did with Rev. Wright. I even sat idly by and ignored when one of the anchors on Fox News called for the assassination of Barack Obama after he won the primary. But enough is enough, I have decided to give my two cents about a few things pertaining to politics and religion after reading this article on the Huffington Post. The article talks about how the Christian Defense Coalition compared supporting slavery to supporting abortion rights. Even including a depiction of an old slavery cartoon to make their point, that's when I said I have had enough. As a champion of history and theology, I have decided to debunk a few statements that the Republican party makes to get Christians to vote for them. Its quite distressing how these tactics work but I insist on clarifying some things. As one philosopher said, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." Knowledge is definitely power and most Americans lack the proper knowledge needed to make just, inform decisions. Falsehood #1 This country was founded on Christianity Truth: Truth be told the founding fathers were trying to avoid a country ran by religious zealots. The original Puritans left Europe because they were tired of a continent run by "religious" authority to come to the new found land to practice their brand of religion. As a matter of fact one of the key constitutional statements is for our government to abide in a place "that is free of religion." That there would not be a dominant religious power..period. Even Jesus believed in a separation of church and state, "give unto Caesar that which is Caesar and unto G-d that which is G-d." If you want to go a step farther, a nation founded on Christian principles would not have enslaved a people based on their skin color, oppressed women and it definitely would not have killed off 98% of its indigenous population. No indeed, this country was not founded on any religious belief, at all. Interjecting religion in politics lead to fanaticism. Take for instance, the Crusades, which was supposedly a holy war. Since when did killing people in the name of God, satisfied God? The Jews were commanded to cry over the lives lost in Egypt when they left seeking the promise land. Life is important to G-d. How about fanatic Islamists? Islam a religion of peace that teaches that one must respect all, has succumb to this very idea of using religion for political gain. It is shameless and godless. Falsehood#2: If you are a Christian, you should support Republicans because they are opposed to abortion and gay rights. Truth: Wow, really? When did Jesus ever mention these two things in any of his sermons? Ever? The basic tenants of Christianity--most religions in fact-- are feed and clothe the poor, heal the sick, and comfort those who mourn. And above all things, love thy neighbor as you love yourself. And love God. In saying this, the Republican party is juxtapose to these ideas. You can call a Democrat a Socialist, but the very person you worship was the first ever socialist. He believed in helping his fellow man when he fell down, go rescue him from the ditch, don't just past by and then pretend you are so righteous. Republicans want to cut welfare programs (feed/clothe the poor), republicans cut the amount of bereavement time to 3 days (comfort those who mourn), republicans want to nuke and control the world and push their brand of democracy down everyone's throat(love thy neighbor). To me, it seems the Christians are in the wrong party. But homosexuality is an abomination, well so is gossip, fornication, ejaculating outside a woman's womb (many men should be dropping dead, condoms are an abomination), talking back to your parents, and the list goes on and on. Interestingly enough, we like to only use what is convenient, so before you start pointing fingers, look within. But, we do not want our country destroyed by G-d because we condone homosexuality like in Sodom and Gomorrah. Hmm, now that you bring this up, let's recall the story. The funny thing that people forget about this story is that it wasn't the act of homosexuality that caused G-d to rain fire and brimstone on the population of Gomorrah, but the raping of children. But even after that, he told Abraham, if you find me ONE righteous person, I will spare the whole city. So what you are saying to me is that none of you are righteous enough to save this country? Take it from the Jew, your rationale is flawed. It is bigotry against someone that you do not understand and against a lifestyle for which you are afraid of, therefore you hand-pluck scripture to justify your hatred. We call Obama unpatriotic because he does not wear a lapel pin and because his wife stated she is proud for the first time in her adult life of her country and not because her husband is doing well but because hope is making a comeback. True patriotism, according to our founding fathers, is the ability to recognize when your government is taking a destructive path and to, if necessary, overthrow it when it is not functioning correctly for the people. Our government was created for the PEOPLE not the other way around. Our government has not catered to us in a very long time. Don't you think it is time that it does? I leave you with the words penned by one Thomas Jefferson from the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Greetings

Alyssa Martin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:01:39 EDT

Hello, all!

My name is Alyssa Martin, and I will be providing regular updates on the Faith-Action-Change blog as an intern with the Religious Affairs dept. of the Obama campaign. I am enthusiastic about this role because I believe we urgently need to foster an open dialogue among people of faith and conscience. This belief stems from my own multifaceted experience with religion. Raised Catholic, I've encountered Hinduism in my grandparents, and have formed close bonds with fellow Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant students at Stanford University. In addition, I have promoted dialogue among those with a purely academic interest in religion via a seminar entitled "Politically Incorrect: Let's Talk About Religion."

I encourage you to check out the Faith-Action-Change blog for news of faith in politics as it relates to the Obama campaign. I look forward to your responses!

Warmly,

Alyssa Martin
Religious Affairs Intern
Obama for America

A Mechaye - cover of this week's Rating magazine, the Israeli TV Guide

frgdr.com — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:47:36 EDT

The attached image is from this week's Israeli TV Guide called Rating.
The headline at the bottom (red/white letters with a blue/white star) reads: ROCKSTAR
and the text reads: Barack Obama, possibly your next president, is the biggest star in America. A non-political interview.

McCain Campaign Shakeup!

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:40:06 EDT

And this portends?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/02/mccain.shakeup/index.html

Receding Waters

swimmer — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:59:33 EDT

Well, the Mighty Mississippi is beginning to recede in the Northwestern section of the state of Illinois. Finally the curb near the building where I run my dog in agility can be seen. As I drive into the parking lot I can actually see some grass, covered in mud, but you can make out the fact that there is ground!

The Red Cross has said that they may use more money on the 2008 floods of the Midwest than they did for Katrina. The Red Cross is definitely hurting. I have decided that with the profits of my garage sale this weekend I will donate the money to the Flood Relief Effort. I am sure Barack would understand, after all, he is from Illinois and was back here to assist with sand bagging efforts over the weekend.

Next donation is to you my man!

Iraq War

Aaron Yampolski — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:11:12 EDT

I really am having fun adding to my Blog. This is my third post in two days. I’m on fire….

Anyways, the reason for this post is to tell everyone my views on Iraq. I’m one of those people who HONESTLY believed that Iraq was a threat. I believed Bush and his cronies. I couldn’t fathom that they would lie to me, especially after we we’re attacked on 9/11. I felt that we needed to take more of hard line stance towards these rogue nations to keep America safe. Boy was I a fool. After 8 years of lies, I just can’t take any more. Not once has the Bush administration apologized to people like me who bought into their outright lies and exaggerations about the threat of Saddam.

Now, after we have “defeated” our enemy Saddam, we’re stuck in Iraq. It’s obvious that Iraq is no better off now than it was before we attacked. Bush has now made Iran, once just a regional power, into a player on the global stage. The facts remain that Saddam’s Iraq kept Iran in check. They hate each other more than they hate us. Now Iran is spewing hate towards America and Israel, the two countries that mean the most to me.

Bush tried to have me believe that Saddam supported Al Quida. There is absolutely no proof in that lie. Also, where is the weapons of mass destruction? You know, the ones we gave Saddam?

I want our troops to come home NOW. Not 4 years from now. By staying in Iraq, we are only feeding the hatred that the Arab world has towards us. They don’t view us as liberators, instead we are an occupiers.

We need Obama in the oval office. He’s the only one who will bring this quagmire to an end.

Have a good weekend everyone!

In the Spirit of Unity: $20.08

LindaC — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:40:39 EDT

Last week we were Obama and Clinton supporters;Today, we're all Democrats.

Last week we were focused on raising money for our own candidate; Today, we're raising money for Democrats.

Yes we can win in 2008!

In the spirit of unity, please consider making a donation in the amount of $20.08 to help retire Hillary Clinton's debt. If you can afford it, please feel free to add another zero or two at the end! The sooner we put the primary campaign behind us, the better for all Democrats.

To make your donation, go to the official hillaryclinton.com website: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

PLEASE pass this idea along to all your friends and neighbors.

PLEASE post this idea in your own blog, and in your comments on other people's blogs.

PLEASE talk about this idea in your listservs, chat groups and emails.

PLEASE don't procrastinate. ;-)

Joy Cometh in the Morning, Delivered By the Paperboy

frgdr.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:09:51 EDT

Yesterday, in front of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Obama delivered an historic speech. Instead of the usual speech that every other politician gives, which basically show affection without backing it up with any specific commitments (’we stand with Israel… Israel is strong… I cried at Yad Vashem… Bla bla bla…‘) - instead of that, Obama made elaborate and unprecedented commitments including:
- keeping US aid at 30 billion dollars over the next decade
- unequivocal commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon
- rejection of the Palestinian right of return
- Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - undivided

Now that Baruch Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee, do yourself a favor and invest 35 minutes of your time to listen to one whole speech by the senator. Each day I watch in dismay how the TV channels summarize a speech to a 30 seconds sound bite, and while each day it is a different speech, the sound bites are almost the same: Change-change-change, Hope-hope-hope, Yes we can. People who say Obama has nothing but slogans to offer - this is for you:

[Click for full speech - text and audio →]

Many Florida Jews Express doubts on Obama

french support — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:52:25 EDT

Many Florida Jews Express Doubts on Obama Eric Thayer for The New York Times

Shirley Weitz, right, talking to Ruth Grossman in Boynton Beach, Fla. The Jews she knows will not vote for Senator Barack Obama, Ms. Weitz said, because of “his attitude toward Israel.”

By JODI KANTORPublished: May 22, 2008

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — At the Aberdeen Golf and Country Club on Sunday, the fountains were burbling, the man-made lakes were shining, and Shirley Weitz and Ruth Grossman were debating why Jews in this gated neighborhood of airy retirement homes feel so much trepidation about Senator Barack Obama.

Skip to next paragraph RelatedConfronting Questions, Obama Assures Jews of His Support (May 13, 2008) Obama Walks a Difficult Path as He Courts Jewish Voters (March 1, 2008) Times Topics: Barack Obama BlogThe Caucus

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Joyce Rozen of Pompano Beach said she believed that the Obama campaign was deliberately keeping Michelle Obama out of sight — one of many false rumors floating around Florida.

“The people here, liberal people, will not vote for Obama because of his attitude towards Israel,” Ms. Weitz, 83, said, lingering over brunch.

“They’re going to vote for McCain,” she said.

Ms. Grossman, 80, agreed with her friend’s conclusion, but not her reasoning.

“They’ll pick on the minister thing, they’ll pick on the wife, but the major issue is color,” she said, quietly fingering a coffee cup. Ms. Grossman said she was thinking of voting for Mr. Obama, who is leading in the delegate count for the nomination, as was Ms. Weitz.

But Ms. Grossman does not tell the neighbors. “I keep my mouth shut,” she said.

On Thursday, Mr. Obama will court Jewish voters with an appearance at a synagogue in Boca Raton, Fla. A longtime Democratic constituency with a consistently high turnout rate, Jews are important to his general election hopes, particularly in New York, which he expects to win; in California and New Jersey, which he must keep out of Republican hands; and, most crucially, here in Florida, where Jews make up around 5 percent of voters.

This is the most haunted state on the electoral college map for Democrats, the one they lost by hundreds of votes and a Supreme Court decision in 2000, and again in 2004.

“The fate of the world for the next four years,” mused Rabbi Ruvi New as his Sunday morning Kabbalah & Coffee class dispersed in East Boca Raton.

“It’s all going to boil down to a few old Jews in Century Village,” he added, referring to a nearby retirement community.

Jews, of course, are just one of the many constituencies Mr. Obama must persuade: Latinos, women, working-class whites and independents are vital as well. Thanks in part to enthusiasm from younger Jews, he won 45 percent of the Jewish vote in the primaries (not counting the disputed ones in Florida and Michigan), a respectable showing against a New York senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But in recent presidential elections, Jews have drifted somewhat to the right. Because Mr. Obama is relatively new on the national stage, his résumé of Senate votes in support of Israel is short, as is his list of high-profile visits to synagogues and delis. So far, his overtures to Jews have been limited; aside from a few speeches and interviews, he has left most of it to surrogates.

American Jews hold two competing views of Mr. Obama, said Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington. First, there is Obama the scholar, the social justice advocate, the defender of Israel with a close feel for Jewish concerns garnered through decades of intimate friendships. In this version, Mr. Obama’s race is an asset, Rabbi Saperstein said.

The second version is defined by the controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., worries about Mr. Obama’s past associations and questions about his support for Israel and his patriotism.

“It’s too early to know how they will play out,” Rabbi Saperstein said.

Alan M. Dershowitz, a professor at Harvard Law School, said he had been deluged with questions from Jews about the race, especially about what to think of Mr. Obama. “I have gotten hundreds of e-mails asking me, ‘Who should we vote for?’ ” he said. Mr. Dershowitz, who supports Mrs. Clinton, says he tells voters that Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton and Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, are all pro-Israel and to reject false personal attacks on Mr. Obama.

Because of a dispute over moving the date of the state’s primary, Mr. Obama and the other Democratic candidates did not campaign in Florida. In his absence, novel and exotic rumors about Mr. Obama have flourished. Among many older Jews, and some younger ones, as well, he has become a conduit for Jewish anxiety about Israel, Iran, anti-Semitism and race.

Mr. Obama is Arab, Jack Stern’s friends told him in Aventura. (He’s not.)

He is a part of Chicago’s large Palestinian community, suspects Mindy Chotiner of Delray. (Wrong again.)

Mr. Wright is the godfather of Mr. Obama’s children, asserted Violet Darling in Boca Raton. (No, he’s not.)

Al Qaeda is backing him, said Helena Lefkowicz of Fort Lauderdale (Incorrect.)

Michelle Obama has proven so hostile and argumentative that the campaign is keeping her silent, said Joyce Rozen of Pompano Beach. (Mrs. Obama campaigns frequently, drawing crowds in her own right.)

Mr. Obama might fill his administration with followers of Louis Farrakhan, worried Sherry Ziegler. (Extremely unlikely, given his denunciation of Mr. Farrakhan.)

South Florida is “the most concentrated area in the country in terms of misinformation” about Mr. Obama, said Representative Robert Wexler, Democrat of Florida, the co-chairman of the Obama campaign in the state. His surrogates can put these fears to rest, Mr. Wexler said, by simply repeating the facts about Mr. Obama — his correct biography, his support for Israel, his positions on other important issues.

But the resistance toward Mr. Obama appears to be rooted in something more than factual misperception; even those with an accurate understanding of Mr. Obama share the hesitations. In dozens of interviews, South Florida Jews questioned his commitment to Israel — even some who knew he earns high marks from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbies the United States government on behalf of Israel.

“You watch George Bush for a day, and you know where he stands,” said Rabbi Jonathan Berkun of the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center.

Many here suspect Mr. Obama of being too cozy with Palestinians, while others accuse him of having Muslim ties, even though they know that his father was born Muslim and became an atheist, and that Mr. Obama embraced Christianity as a young man. In Judaism, religion is a fixed identity across generations

Clinton Desperate to Count Votes, Compares Fla. Primary to Zimbabwe

french support — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:49:12 EDT

Clinton Desperate to Count Votes, Compares Fla. Primary to ZimbabwePosted by Fernando Suarez| 7

(CBS)From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

SUNRISE, FLA. -- Desperate to get attention for her cause to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, Hillary Clinton compared the plight of Zimbabweans in their recent fraudulent election to the uncounted votes of Michigan and Florida voters saying it is wrong when “people go through the motions of an election only to have them discarded and disregarded.”

“We’re seeing that right now in Zimbabwe," Clinton explained. "Tragically, an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people,” Clinton told the crowd of senior citizens at a retirement community in south Florida.

“So we can never take for granted our precious right to vote. It is the single most important, privilege and right any of us have, because in that ballot box we are all equal. You’re equal to a billionaire. You’re equal to the president, every single one of us.”

In just one day, Clinton has used a variety of arguments to convince her party to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, going as far as comparing the struggles of the voters in Florida and Michigan to those of abolitionists, suffragists, to the plight of Zimbabweans. Clinton even warned that if a resolution is not reached, Democrats in these two states would feel abandoned and likely jump ship to Republican John McCain.

“I think people across Florida and Michigan are thinking to themselves, ‘Well if the Democrats don’t want my vote, maybe John McCain and the Republicans do?’ We can’t let that happen,” she told the small crowd .

Clinton pointed out that unlike the Republicans, the Democrats have not been able to solve the Florida issue in a timely fashion saying, “We have allowed ours to go on.”

Mom forced to live in car with dogs..It's a part of America today!!

french support — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:49:40 EDT

May 20, 2008 -- Updated 2032 GMT (0432 HKT)

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Mom forced to live in car with dogs

Story Highlights
Mother of three grown children says, "This is my life in this car right now"
Santa Barbara, California, allows homeless to sleep in cars in 12 parking lots
Affluent city has seen a rise in homelessness during California's housing crisis
Advocate: "It's just amazing the people that are becoming homeless"
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By Thelma Gutierrez and Wayne Drash
CNN

SANTA BARBARA, California (CNN) -- Barbara Harvey climbs into the back of her small Honda sport utility vehicle and snuggles with her two golden retrievers, her head nestled on a pillow propped against the driver's seat.

Californian Barbara Harvey says she is forced to sleep in her car with her dogs after losing her job earlier this year.

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A former loan processor, the 67-year-old mother of three grown children said she never thought she'd spend her golden years sleeping in her car in a parking lot.

"This is my bed, my dogs," she said. "This is my life in this car right now."

Harvey was forced into homelessness this year after being laid off. She said that three-quarters of her income went to paying rent in Santa Barbara, where the median house in the scenic oceanfront city costs more than $1 million. She lost her condo two months ago and had little savings as backup.

"It went to hell in a handbasket," she said. "I didn't think this would happen to me. It's just something that I don't think that people think is going to happen to them, is what it amounts to. It happens very quickly, too."

Harvey now works part time for $8 an hour, and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet. But she still cannot afford an apartment, and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car, along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament. Watch women who live in their cars »

There are 12 parking lots across Santa Barbara that have been set up to accommodate the growing middle-class homelessness. These lots are believed to be part of the first program of its kind in the United States, according to organizers.

The lots open at 7 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. and are run by New Beginnings Counseling Center, a homeless outreach organization.

It is illegal for people in California to sleep in their cars on streets. New Beginnings worked with the city to allow the parking lots as a safe place for the homeless to sleep in their vehicles without being harassed by people on the streets or ticketed by police.

Harvey stays at the city's only parking lot for women. "This is very safe, and that's why I feel very comfortable," she said.

Nancy Kapp, the New Beginnings parking lot coordinator, said the group began seeing a need for the lots in recent months as California's foreclosure crisis hit the city hard. She said a growing number of senior citizens, women and lower- and middle-class families live on the streets. See how foreclosure filings are up 75 percent »

"You look around today, and there are so many," said Kapp, who was homeless with her young daughter two decades ago. "I see women sleeping on benches. It's heartbreaking."

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She added, "The way the economy is going, it's just amazing the people that are becoming homeless. It's hit the middle class."

She and others with New Beginnings walk the streets looking for people and families sleeping in their cars. The workers inform them about the parking lot program.

New Beginnings screens people to make sure they won't cause trouble. No alcohol or drugs are allowed in the parking lots.

"What we are trying to do is we pull bad apples out, and we put good apples in the parking lots and really help people out," said Shaw Tolley, another coordinator with New Beginnings.

Most of the time, the lots are transition points. New Beginnings works with each person to try to find a more permanent housing solution.

"It saddens me when they live in their vehicles," Tolley said. "It is not the most ideal situation for senior citizens and families, but it is reality."

He added, "We need to engage this problem. This is reality."

John Quigley, an economics professor at the University of California-Berkeley, said the California housing crisis has left many middle-class families temporarily homeless or forced them to go to food banks to feed their families.

"Part of the reason why it's so painful in Santa Barbara is, there's so little in the way of alternative housing," Quigley said. "If there were alternative low and moderate housing and rental accommodations that were reasonably close by, you can imagine it wouldn't have this desperate look to it as people living in their cars."

At the only lot for women in Santa Barbara, it's a tough existence. There are no showers or running water. On the night CNN visited, a half-dozen women were in the parking lot before nightfall.

Linn Labou, 54, lives in her car with four cats. She used to be in the National Guard and is on a waiting list for government housing, but the wait is a year long.

"I went looking for family, but I couldn't get them to help me," she said.

As for Harvey, she begins each day by walking her two dogs before going to her part-time job. She leaves the dogs in her car with its windows cracked while she works.

It's another chapter in her life that she's certain she'll get through. Her 19-year-old daughter moved in with friends to avoid being homeless. Her other children live overseas, and she didn't want to tell them about her living status.

Even if her children offered to help, she said, she wouldn't accept it. "They know me well enough to know that I will get through this."

"My daughter especially is very unhappy. Sometimes she'll cry, and she'll call and say, 'Mom, I just can't stand it that you are living in a car,' " Harvey said. "I'll say, 'You know what? This is OK for right now, because I'm safe, I'm healthy, the dogs are doing OK, and I have a job, and things will get better.' "

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CNN's Gregg Canes and Traci Tamura contributed to this report.

Top 10 Reasons Barack Obama Will Be the First Jewish President

Ron Birnbaum — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:12:21 EDT

Top Ten Reasons Barack Obama Will be the First Jewish President

10) Nice boy…Did all his homework. Made his mom proud by going to Columbia and Harvard – should I even continue?

9) He’s a lawyah and a professah!

8) He doesn’t agree with everything his Rabbi says

7) He supports Israel and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

6) He doesn’t go around talking about obliterating whole nations or peoples

5) He looks too skinny in his suits…Barack, bubbeleh, have another slice of brisket why don’t you!!

4) He walks the circumcision walk, which is to say he treats his wife well and appears to defer to her on pretty much everything…

3) He treats special interest money like it was treif with a thick bacon wrap

2) He went by Barry growing up (come on!) but when he grew up he stopped being embarrassed by his Hebrew name and just embraced it

1) Come on, admit it, he’s a Mensch!

Council on Foreign Affairs- do you know who they are?

Hopeful Tara — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:57:17 EDT

Below are two website links that belong to the Neo-Cons themselves… The CFA. It is a semi-secret organization created by oil magnates and Wall Street bankers to protect and advance their interests, which rarely, if ever, coincide with the interests of the American people; it is the true invisible government of the United States of America...it links to an article that is very telling of the mind set that is dictating the massive grab for Global power right now...it makes clear the reality that as of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the last of the glue which bonded together the polarization of power within the confines of respective national borders had dried up. There is no more nationalism among the powerful elite, only massive grabs for major global power and domination right now. The constitution, the bill of rights, even the Magna Carta, dried up with it… Our vast middle class and everything that American's have come to know as America is more fragile right now at this point in time than at any time the ever before.

By the way Clinton and McCain are both members of CFA, Obama is not…this is why the media is doing a hatchet job on him.

The CFA website attacks Obama as well…

We are at our last stand and we are asleep at the wheel!

CFA-

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20080501faessay87304/richard-n-haass/the-age-of-nonpolarity.html?mode=share&articletitle=The+Age+of+Nonpolarity

The second web site is to a letter written in 1997 it is the Neo-Conservative Manifesto From their own website…the last sentence of the first paragraph says it all…check it out!

Project for a New American Century:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

Make sure you scroll to the end and read all of the signatures…Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz…all Bushies and all CFA members!

This explains Cheney’s comment “so”

And Gonzales calls certain documents “quaint and antiquated”

Check Out this Video on YouTube!

Hopeful Tara — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:18:01 EDT

No Matter how many times that we have to listen to the Rev. Wright's out of context remark played in the media, why do you suppose it is that no part of this video will ever make it into the MSM??

Chck out this video on Youtube:
Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Praises Farrakhan and N.O.I.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXum_-8I1TA&feature=related

Obama Rocks!

La Susa — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:40:45 EDT

Personally I felt the debate went well, as Obama was able to make the reporters appear foolish in their 'off issue' petty line of questioning. And I admire that he did not take the opportunity to slam Hillary, as he could have when asked about her "sniper fire incedent". Instead he was polite, mature and courteous; a real rarity in today's polictics!!!!

No More MSM Debates for our Candidate!

Hopeful Tara — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:05:33 EDT

I would really like to suggest that Senator Obama refrain from participating in any more sham MSM debates...21is enough!

I think that perhaps allowing some select top students from a few awesome universities devise and ask the questions...let all media air it live...require questions which are relevant to actual important issues say like 25% of the questions should be directed at environmental issues...25% of the questions directed towars the Wars and Occupations, the contractors, the Backwater issues,....maybe 15% of the questions should be directed toward the 80 billion dollars we are spending on the war on drugs.....you get the point...NO QUESTIONS about irrelevant tabloid bullsh*t should even be allowed!
Senator Obama is the symbol of a new era of politics and should play his role in putting an end to the whole sham debate circus...it is disgusting that they can get away with asking no substantive questions on any of the real issues or problems facing all of us.

Vote for me as a delegate at this sunday's caucus!

Ali Seaton — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:23:57 EDT

. UC San Diego
Main Gym
9500 Gillman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093

Doors open at 2:00pm Sunday April 13th

Barack Obama - Congressional District 53 Showing 21-39 of 39 Records (2 pages), 10 20 30 50 75 100 Records per page. Prev 1 2 Next First Name Middle Initial Last Name Date Filed GailB.Mackler3/31/2008 Tony Maynard3/26/2008 Ardelia McClure4/2/2008 CarrieN.O'Connell2/21/2008 Will Peterman1/16/2008 RobertKPlice3/20/08 Brian Polejes2/13/2008 JulianEQuinonez2/7/2008 Richard Relinger1/16/2008 Edward "Anthony" Saavedra2/11/08 AlexWSachs2/4/2008 ErikaEmilySchinler1/16/2008 Ali Seaton3/20/08 CarlLSheeler3/20/08 JenniferLSokol3/7/2008 IanD.Tolentino1/22/2008 Alberto Velasquez4/2/2008 JamesL.Wade2/21/08 PatriciaA.Washington2/17/08

New Musician on the rise

Tovala — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:39:28 EDT

Hey friends. It has been a while but you know me, I am so good about informing everyone about new things that come out like really good music.

Over my birthday weekend--yes another, I discovered a new artist who is amazingly talented singer and songwriter. He is coming to Austin and San Antonio this week at a Borders near year.

He hails from Oxford, England and like all the great rock musicians from England before he carries a talented mantle.

If you like 80s rock like Depeche Mode, U2, Duran Duran, A-ha, Pet Shop Boys, R.E.M. and Keane--not been 80s but in that genre, then you will like this guy.

Get out there and support him for me. I promise you, you won't regret it. His shows are free and his double disc album is $10. His album has a thought provoking political message mixed in with love ballads and life stories.

Check out his music on his websites, especially songs like, "It's the Only Way," "Changing History," "Something in Your Eyes." Elipsus Elipsus Myspace and join him on Facebook: Elipsus Facebook If you are not in Texas, he will be coming to a town near year check his schedule of events: Events

Hillary's Pastor

Tovala — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:03:55 EDT

8:43am Today 26 Mar 2008 07:27 am "The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is an outstanding church leader whom I have heard speak a number of times. He has served for decades as a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society. He has been a vocal critic of the racism, sexism and homophobia which still tarnish the American dream. To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear. Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize. This is a critical time in America's history as we seek to repent of our racism. No matter which candidates prevail, let us use this time to listen again to one another and not to distort one another's truth," - Dean J. Snyder, Foundry United Methodist Church, March 19, 2008. Snyder is Hillary Clinton's pastor

A letter from Rabbi in Davenport Iowa PLEASE READ

Joe — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:59:07 EDT

My dear fellow Jews for Obama. I thought this had been posted on the blog for this group. evidently not everyone saw it or took time to read it. This is a leeter from my Rabbi in Davenport, Iowa. I have his permission to share his words about Barack Obama and the rumors that you are inquiring about. Please feel free to pass this on to other Jews who are in question. This was sent to Rabbi Karp's colleagues through his personal email, not our Temple email.I believe....do you?Roberta Kelinson (aka swimmer)Dear Colleagues,I am writing to you because I am increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a concerted campaign to discredit Barack Obama within the American Jewish community. Whether or not you choose to support Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, as rabbinic colleagues I feel a need to share with you what I have learned about the man - and it is quite different from the rumors that refuse to die in our Jewish community.When it comes to presidential politics, I am truly privileged to be a rabbi in Iowa. There is no question or doubt but that we Iowans enjoy extensive exposure to the presidential candidates with ample opportunity to delve deeply into their positions on many a subject. As an Iowan, and a Democrat, I truly struggled to arrive at my decision as to which of the Democratic candidates would earn my support. Indeed, throughout most of the Iowa caucus campaigning, I remained undecided, weighing the pros and cons of what I felt was an excellent field of choice candidates.In the end, I decided to support Barack Obama (though Joe Biden was a close second). There were several reasons why I arrived at this decision, many of them related to Jewish issues. Let me share with you my thought processes.For quite a while, I was one of those who had serious questions about Obama's lack of experience. It seemed but yesterday that he was an Illinois state legislator (with Illinois just across the Mississippi from Davenport). What chutzpah for someone who has spent less than one term in the US Senate to assume that he was capable of serving as President! Yet, my reservations were continually eroded as I experienced the superlative campaign organization which he had put together, and as I had the opportunity to listen to him speak publicly. In dealing with his campaign staff (and they were continually seeking me out), I found these people to be intelligent, well versed on the issues, and remarkably capable of getting their jobs done. If only our government could operate as effectively, efficiently, and intelligently as Obama's campaign organization. I soon came to the realization that if Obama could do this for his campaign, then, as President, he most certainly would have the insight to at least attempt to do this for our country. As far as the person himself, he is most definitely charismatic. To be in his presence is to fall under his spell. But he stands not on charisma alone. What he says makes a lot of sense, and it comes from the heart. He can truly be an engine for serious, positive change in our country, and God knows, we need it.One of his characteristics which captured me was his consistency. He does not play the politicians' game of saying one thing to one group and another to another. He fearlessly states what he believes, regardless of what opinions may be held by the group he is talking to at the moment. As a rabbi and as a Jew I found this to be an especially appealing quality in terms of his positions on the Arab-Israeli conflict and US-Israel relations. He is one of Israel's staunchest friends. During the 2006 Lebanon War, while other of his Democratic congressional colleagues were waffling (at best) on their support of Israel, and it seemed that the only true friends Israel had were the conservative Republicans, Barack Obama was outspoken in his support of Israel's actions and of Israel's fundamental right to take all measures necessary to protect her citizens. He has said time and again, to Muslim groups as well as Jewish groups, that he is unashamedly a supporter of Israel, for Israel is one of the US's surest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East. On "Meet the Press," when Tim Russert challenged his support of Israel, he reiterated that position without apology, for he feels that one need not apologize for supporting Israel. As he has consistently presented his message of support for Israel, he has equally consistently presented his strong belief that if the Palestinians are ever going to be able to establish a state of their own, they must first renounce the violence of terrorism and embrace the right of Israel to exist in safety and security.Along the same lines of consistency, I have to tell you how he has addressed one of my hot button issues - negative political campaigning. For several years, I have been involved in a local clergy effort to get political figures to renounce negative campaigning and the use of attack ads. Needless to say, we took advantage of the Iowa caucuses to try to corner the various candidates to commit to refrain from negative campaign tactics. By and large, each campaign cordially received our overtures and then ignored them. Only the Obama campaign committed to refuse to engage in negative campaigning. As has been evidenced by the campaign so far, Obama was as good as his word. Even while being the target of smear tactics, he has chosen not to respond in kind. He has chosen not to sink to the level of his detractors but to keep his focus on the positive; on what good things he has to offer the country rather than engage in the art of demonizing his opponents.As you are probably aware, on Martin Luther King Day, he made a major address at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In that address, he made a point of denouncing antisemitism, and particularly the antisemitism which has manifest itself in the African American community. This deeply impressed me. It was Martin Luther King Day, and he could have given quite a fine and well received speech without ever touching on the issue of antisemitism. By doing so, he placed the reception of his speech in question. Yet he did this, not to gain points with the crowd but because he believed that it was something that needed to be said. For my money, that is truly presidential.I know that there have been questions about his pastor's association with Louis Farrakhan. But I also know that Obama has, on more than one occasion, denounced the bigotry of Farrakhan. As far as his pastor is concerned, as rabbis we know what it is to have congregants who vehemently disagree with us on one issue or another, yet who feel a kinship to us for our having been there for them in their moments of joy and of sorrow. All these questions about the influence Obama's pastor would have over him in terms of his relationship with the Jewish community simply reminds me too much of all the barbs that were directed against John Kennedy concerning whether or not if he were elected President, how much influence the Pope would have on formulating US policies. Such thinking was wrong then and it is wrong now. Let the man stand on his own merits.Yet another aspect of the Obama campaign which impressed me was the people who are high up in the campaign. While there are those questioning Obama's feelings toward the Jews and his commitment to Israel, it is interesting to note that at the top of his campaign you will find such Jews as Chicago's David Axelrod and Congressman Robert Wexler (of Broward County, FL - with more Jewish voters than any other congressional district in the country). Their support alone speaks volumes concerning Obama and the Jews. I had the privilege of receiving a phone call from Congressman Wexler. We spoke at great length; a conversation which removed any shadow of doubt I might have possessed about Obama's sincerity concerning Israel and Jewish issues.One other point I wish to make in this quite lengthy letter. Of all the presidential campaigns which we experienced in Iowa this past year, only one made a concerted effort to reach out to my Jewish community (I cannot speak for my other Iowa colleagues) - the Obama campaign. Only the Obama campaign actively sought counsel on Jewish issues and demonstrated themselves eager to share the Senator's record on these issues. Think about it! In Iowa, they cared about the Jewish vote. Now if they cared about the Jews of Iowa, how much more so do you think they care about the Jews in places such as New York and California - where the Jewish vote really matters.Thank you for your patience in reading this tome. Note that I have sent it to you under my personal email address (and not from the Temple). In returning to my original statement, I have written this to you because, regardless of whatever candidate you support, as rabbis and as Jews, you need to know that contrary to the rumors that are spreading throughout the American Jewish community, Barack Obama is indeed a friend of the Jews, a friend of Israel, and a man of true integrity.Thank you & Shabbat Shalom,Henry J Karp Previous | Next | Back to Messages Save Message Text | Full Headers

Paul Dryden <paulfdryden@gmail.com> wrote:

I am a huge Obama supporter and so is my mother but she is trying to convince some of her fellow Jewish women to join the Obama team. One responded with this "If you want something negative to look into with regard to Obama, check out his association with his anti-white, anti-Israel, anti-semitic, Farrakhan-endorsing guru, Reverend Wright. That, at least, is real and troubling."

I've shared some of your great links but any further help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Paul Dryden

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Request for suggestions - local town hall

David — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:29:12 EDT

Dear Group members,

My friend Hank and I would like to create a small townhall style gathering at a local Los angeles establishment to openly and civily discuss the important issues of race raised by Barack's speech.

I know this is a broad question, but does anyone have any suggestions as to format/procedure/organization, etc? All suggestions are welcome.

Sincerely,

Blacks and Jews in America...

David — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:39:46 EDT

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fromswastikatojimcrow/relations.html

Jews made substantial financial contributions to many civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, the Urban League, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. About 50 percent of the civil rights attorneys in the South during the 1960s were Jews, as were over 50 percent of the Whites who went to Mississippi in 1964 to challenge Jim Crow Laws.

You can read the whole article on the link I provided. Its a shame the two groups grew apart (Thanks NOI and Mr. Wright). Here's to a renewal of good relationships between Jews and Blacks!

From Barack's speech

David — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:21:12 EDT

Our job is to never forget that the threat of violence is real. Our job is to renew the United States' effort to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors, while remaining vigilant against those who do not share that vision. Our job - Our job is to do more than lay out another roadmap. Our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region. That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That has been my starting point and that always will be my starting point. And when we see all the growing threats in the region, from Iran to Iraq to resurgents of al Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that loyalty and that friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the stones that will build the road that takes us from the current instability to lasting peace and security.

Open letter to Barack,

David — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:47:27 EDT

Dear Barack

I am supporting your candidacy for President of the United States of America, and will continue to do so as I believe in you. I am, however, very worried about the people who surround you, from Robert Malley, Samantha Powers, your former Pastor, etc.

You have strong support among Jews but we also have our sensitivities, not unlike African americans. They include veiled and open anti semitism which seems to be extremely prevalent, virulent, and growing world wide.

You have made strong statements supporting the State of Israel which is the sine qua non of my personal existence. I pray that those around you who might not share that support do not become prominent in your administration. I am therefore, making the "leap of faith" that you will maintain your support for Israel and bring real peace and security to Israel and Palestine.

After all, doesn't the Good Book says to speak out for Zion’s sake (Isaiah 62:1), to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6) and to bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3)? That coupled with the marked difference in the treatment of all religion, genders, races, and orientations in Israel vs. the treatment of those people in countries that hate Israel should make you feel comfortable continuing your support for Israel. It seems that "what you do unto the least of My brethren, you do onto Me" is not followed everywhere.

I thanks you in advance.

Sincerely,

David E. Treston

National Security

La Susa — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:50:07 EST

If the Clintons could NOT handle National Security in the 90's

Waco, Texas Massacre/Oklahoma City Bombing/1st Attack on World trade Center

Military disaster in Sudan/The hunt for Kadafy

what makes people even think they could handle International Security!!!!

We are at war!!!!!!!!!

It was during their administration where they cut military spending!

Bases closed, National Security was sure not a priority for them then!

The Cold War had ended, and there was a surplus of money!

We can never go back to that time of Peace again!

Barack Obama stands firm, he is patient yet firm, polite yet strong,

disagrees on issues and yet diplomatic, he is truthful and honest

by not accepting big money from Lobbiests who would otherwise

make a candidate their puppet!!!! Senator Barack Obama has my vote!

Not based on gender or race, but on INTEGRITY AND VALOR!!!!!!!!

We can all be Husseins!

Hopeful Tara — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:36:54 EST

I didn't come up with this inspiration but I love it....

For the rest of the election period right up to November all Obama supporters can just adopt the name Huessin! (and if you like it you can keep it even longer!) This will show the Opposition's slime machine just how much we fear the name Hussein:)

Is anyone out there starting to understand what Michelle meant when she said "for the first time..."?

'Cause I really do get that...for the first time America is begining to raise above all of the low road tactics of the past that used to work on most, we are comming together from all side of the many spectrums to say "we want the high road , not the low road, we want hope not fear, we want peace not war and we want Barack Obama for president of the United States of America!

man, are me and Michelle proud!

Holding the Beautiful Obama Family

Hopeful Tara — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:03:40 EST

Holding them in our prayers, holding them in our hearts, as I move through my day I continually hold the beautiful Obama Family in a space of protection, a space of love and I envoke all availble angels to guide them each day.

I can't wait to see those two incredible little girls living in the White House with their awesome parents, let's all hold the Beautiful Obama Family in that space.

The Last Round......Hilary was right

Hopeful Tara — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:15:51 EST

Through all of the darkness of the past seven years I have continnually comforted myself with my faith in the Universe and it's ability to continually send us amazing beings to lift us up.

None the less, as I watched last night's debate on MSNBC, I sat on the edge of my chair, much in the same manner as when watching my little girl in a play performance, clinging to every word, hoping that some unexpected screw up wouldn't detstroy, humiliate or worse...create a haunting memory that we would all keep replaying. reliving and regreting. When the show was over and the candidates gave their ending statements, I sighed a huge breathe of releif....whew!, we had made it through, I could relax... except that I couldn't relax. as I tried to fall asleep the various elements of the debate kept poping up and keeping me awake.

Racing in my mind were the tough questions about the shameful anti-semitic Obama supporter and the tough foriegn policy questions about the "what ifs" in Iraq as well as the replaying of Hilary's week of low road politics: the photo, the sarcasim, the angry outburst and accusations. It had been quite a night but I felt certian that Barack had stood the test.

He had answered to the anti-semetic supporter not only with denouncement but with reasons why blacks should love and re-embrace Jews, his calm manner was never shaken and he responded to Hilary's nasty old school politics with humor and grace. He had reinforced my confidence that his sense of judgement, intelligence and ability to unite far outway her "experience" when it comes to foriegn policy, domestic policy and even diplomacy. When all was said and done, 70% of the viewers who text messaged the network after the show felt that Obama had prevailed in the debate. I couldn't have agreed more and then it occurred to me...Hilary is right.... when Obama is present, the skys do open up a little and it seems that celestial chiors do start singing and that we all do just want to do the right things... the things sweet dreams are made of ...thank you Hilary and thank you Universe! Sleep well.

Transcript of Ohio Debate

La Susa — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:03:36 EST

Transcript of Ohio Debate Feb. 26, 2008

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/02/transcript.htm

!!!!!Good Job Obama!!!!!!!

This is what I've been doing for 32 years now

Ali Seaton — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:13:15 EST

Phone 619.804-4067 aliseaton@msn.comSan diego, caAli seaton Objective

To obtain a long-term position at a dynamic company or organization in which I can apply my communication, planning and project management skills.

Summary of qualifications

§ Specializing in organizing groups and events

§ Excellent client service/communication

§ Efficient problem solving

§ Trusted by the leaders and members of the community

Professional experience 2002-2007 Political Event Coordinator-Campaign Administrator San Diego, CA

Fundraising and campaigning for:

Shelia Jackson for Re-election San Diego School Board of Education 2007-2008

Donna Frye for City Council 2006

Francine Busby for Congress 2006

Juan Vargas for Congress 2006

Maxine Sherard for State Assembly 2006

Lorena Gonzalez for City Council 2006

Tony Young for City Council 2006

Donna Frye for Mayor 2005

Temp Security. for Barack Obama April 2007

§ Organized and coordinated political rallies, aligned membership workers, staffed phone banks, executed direct mail campaigns, provided consistent communication and maps, arranged transportation to and from rally sites

§ Political organizing, team leadership within campaign organizations

§ Face to face/direct and telephone fundraising

§ Canvassed door to door to educate community about election issues

§ Lobbied for living wage campaign in San Diego - law passed in 2005

1979-2004 United Domestic Workers –Organizer State of California

§ Recruited and organized more than 1,500 workers

§ Lead two counties in door to door union membership drives and phone drive

§ Contract negotiation and collective bargaining

§ Represented members in assessment hearings

ALI SEATON Resume (continued)

Phone 619.804.4067 aliseaton@msn.com San diego, ca

Other Affiliations

Cesar E. Chavez/UFW Volunteer Organizer San Diego/Northern, CA

Organized and coordinated rallies

Education

1993 Dental Assistant Certification

Concorde Career Institute of Medical and Dental Careers North Hollywood, CA

§ X-Ray- license

§ Dental Assistant-certificate

§ Chair-side assisting, x-rays, sterilization procedures

Perseverance Achievement Award

Student of the Month Award

1991 General Education Diploma

La Puente Adult School La Puente, CA References available upon request.

EVERYONE! THIS IS IMPORTANT! SHARE IT WITH OHIO VOTERS! PLEASE! THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU TOO!

The Original NYC Free Advice Man — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:05:11 EST

"Dear People of The Great State of Ohio,

Ohioans have a lot to be proud about their Great State! Most other Americans do not know that while North Carolina was the testing place for full flight of the first aeroplane, it was in Ohio that the Wright Brothers built the first aeroplane ever. Ohioans are a people who value wisdom, creativity and most importantly integrity and honest government.

Senator Barack Obama seeks to change America by, among many other things, changing the way things are done in Washington, DC. No more of the same old unethical and corrupt 'business as usual' practices. In his serious efforts to change things in Washington Senator Obama, during the 109th Congress, worked to have a Bill he co-sponsored with Senator Tom Coburn (D-OK), such as the "Coburn-Obama Transparency Act". This act provides the legal and fiscla means for the maintenance of a web site USAspending.gov, managed by the Office of Management and Budget (and based off of the more extensive fedspending.org, managed by OMB rival and partner OMB Watch) that lists all organizations receiving Federal funds from 2007 onward and provides breakdowns by the agency allocating the funds, the dollar amount given, and the purpose of the grant or contract. In the first month of the newly Democratic-controlled 110th Congress, Obama worked with Russ Feingold (D–WI) to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress and require disclosure of bundled campaign contributions under the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act", which was signed into law in September 2007. He joined Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in sponsoring S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, including fraudulent flyers and automated phone calls, as witnessed in the 2006 midterm elections.

Those are just a few of the many things Senator Barack Obama has done to show that he is much more than a great speaker, political campaign organizer and incredibly successfuk uniter. Senator Barack Obama is a man who delivers on his promises and brings with him real change at a time when our country needs both real change and greater unity.

Our world today is a very different world when compared to the one in which President Bill Clinton began his first term in office. In 1992 America had not yet experienced the kind of massive socio-economic disruptions and harm caused in great measure by the 9-11 terror attacks of 2001. In 1992 our country was not as divided along political lines as it became under the years of George W. Bush's illegitimate Presidency. After all, George Herbert Walker Bush was slightly wiser than his son, and knew better than to openly mix religious preferences with his politics, the Unconstitutional way this Bush has. In 1992 we did not have a major war fiasco like we do today in Iraq, where most Iraqis say that it is OK to kill our precious young men and women, our brave and honorable troops.

Senator Hillary Clinton acts like we Americans are so naive to believe that she can repeat the economic successes of her husbad's Presidency in a world so different from the pre-9-11 yeas!

There are many other differences between then and now, but these three; a divided country, a country that has had a major attack on its economic stability and civil liberties, and a country that is no longer respected and loved like it used to be; make it a country that needs a very different kind of President than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain would be!

Our country needs someone who can really unite us in a way no President has been able to in such a long time, our country needs a President who is best able at rallying Americans, to inspire and motivate, most importantly, our younger generations, who can be seen as proof that America is truly the diverse and yet united country it claims to be, a President who, though a Church-going Christian, can reach out to all other faiths and cultures in a way that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator McCain can ever do!

Only Senator Barack Obama has what it takes to meet the daunting challenges of our times and restore America's Constitution and insure that America's Law Enforcement is once more serving the very interests of The American People, their freedoms, liberties and democratic institutions, as required by The Constitution. Only Senator Barack Obama has the humility and wisdom to know that no one person in today's ever-complicated world can govern an entire nation as great, powerful and diverse as America, without the wisdom, which Obama has, to know which other people to seek advice, counsel and feedback from! Senator Barack Obama knows the value of asking for advice from great American patriots like Senators Joe Biden, Tom Daschle and Ted Kennedy! Only a man who knows that his experience alone will not carry the day and open the way to achieving the many things that our next President must! Only Senator Barack Obama has the kind of experience in uniting, motivating and inspiring people the way our country most urgently needs! Only Senator Barack Obama will have the public American unity and the image of a truly diverse America that will allow him to go and talk to the leaders of the world, both our friendly allies and our current enemies, and convince everyone that America is restored, knows the limits of its great power and influence and is open for business again!

Senator Hillary Clinton has failed over and over again to bring together the kind of broad support, broad and diverse coalition of Americans that America needs, not only to stop McCain from taking The White House and delivering more of the same old crap, but to bring a bright new day to America, to politics in Washington, to our lives and places of work, to the World!

No. We cannot afford to miss this unique opportunity to have a President in The White House who is most able to deliver what Senator Barack Obama can! Senator Barack Obama is going to be the President who can undo the damage done by Bush, restore our country, its Constitution and challenge our adversaries to work with us and not against us!

Also, Senator Barack Obama will be a powerful voice and presence in an America that suffered greatly from the kind of divisive politics that turned a seasonal Hurricane into what Katrina actually became, our own National Nightmare and Shame! What a beautiful irony it would be if America can have its first African American President in Mr. Barack Obama, whose very reality will inspire and motivate so many young Black men and women to seek opportunities to serve the public good and run for office! What a wonderful thing it will be to have an America that lives up to its promise as a Democracy of The People, By The People and For The People! What a grand new beginning, a bright new day, will it be when Senator Barack Obama stands at the steps of Our Nation's Capitol House and having sworn to defend and uphold Our Constitution becomes the first Black President in United States History!

But if we fail to do our civic duty and truly read up on the actual platform and list of ideas that Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has on his campaign web-site, if we fail to make a truly informed decision, and if we fail to heed the advice of some of the wisest and greatest Democratic politicians; then we might fail to elect the kind of person most able to unite our diverse nation, to restore Our Great Constitution, and to unite our allies around the world as no other candidate can! And if that were to happen, then what would become of all those young Black men and women who would have been inspired, motivated and empowered?? What will become of all those young Americans, educated college students and those still yearning to be educated, who could have been inspired, motivated and empowered to build a great new America! And what will become of all the Independents and Swing Voters who might have become so encouraged and optimistic about Our Democratic Party and its ability to be unifying and yet diverse??? And, last but not least, what will become of YOU? Will you be able to live with the knowledge that you helped STOP HOPE and CHANGE from HAPPENING IN AMERICA?!?

Find out why Michael Moore and MoveOn.org both support Senator Obama's candidacy?? ( http://www.michaelmoore.com http://www.moveon.org ) . Read what Senator Daschle, Kennedy and others have written about why you should seriously consider voting for Senator Barack Obama?

So, do yourself and Our Country a favor and make sure you know all that you really can about Obama and Clinton before you cast your vote!

Shame on Senator McCain for falsely claiming the our candidate is just eloquent and empty rhetoric!

Senator Barack Obama also has the support of many Senior Democrats and truly respects and appreciates the great, heroic and valiant efforts of generations of American servicemen and women, as he has stated many time in his speeches and for which Senator John Kerry and other top military veterans stand in support of Senator Barack Obama. So, do not buy any baloney about how Senator Obama cannot win against a Vietnam War Veteran like Senator McCain. Senator Obama has no problem praising the Senator from Arizona for his heroic and valiant service to our country, but Senator McCain in the past few years has somehow lost his integrity, and has changed and flip-flopped way too often, which sadly indicates that Senator McCain cannot be trusted to keep his word! This is really sad, but McCain's state of mind is probably very much the result of having been cooked in the same old Washington political 'business as usual' cooker! Another reason why it was actually very wise of Senator Barack Obama to run for office, before they would have had a chance to cook him and destroy his sense of hope, his vision for the future of America!

And, last but not least, WATCH MY OWN VIDEO ENDORSEMENT OF OUR NEXT GREAT AMERICAN PRESIDENT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejts46Ll1Nk

Best, Love, Peace & Prosperity for all honest, working folk in America & the World,

Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, Philosopher."

"Words are Cheap"

Feather Ives — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:31:21 EST

Are they really? What a rude statement.

The 10 Commandments, Bible. Declaration of Independence? Emancipation Proclamation.

Wow, what a way to pick up the campaign Hillaryous.

Why do McCain and McClinton keep shooting down great inspirational speeches? As far as I am concerned, I know a whole lot of people who get up on Saturday mornings for Shabbat Service and plenty of people who get up Sunday morning for church to listen to great sermons. They are moved by them. I just don't think this is smart for their campaigns. So they should keep it up.

Feather and the World for Obama

Public Financing Issue

Feather Ives — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:24:57 EST

While I think it should be the last thing on any candidates' mind, I love the fact Negative Camp Clinton is speaking as if Obama will be the nominee. It tickles me.

However, her people can't really speak on changing the plans. Someone say Michigan? Florida? They made and signed statements saying they would adhere to the Dem Schedule, and now they are trying to change the game plan.

Hmm!

Weight it Out

Tovala — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:02:12 EST

After Obama's national 7 state, 1 territory sweep this past week, the Clinton campaign is scrambling to catch up. In a way I find this situation quite amusing seeing the Hillary underestimated the "junior" Senator from Illinois--barely refraining herself from patting him on the head when he announced that he would be running for President this year. It is also quite amusing that she continues to campaign under the " I am more experienced" banner when it has become apparent that Obama is out-raising and out-campaigning her. So much for being Junior, eh? On Sunday while rallying in Virgina, one of the only states besides Maine, Senator Clinton stated, "Yes, Obama won Louisiana. It is because it has a strong, proud African American constituency." What she forgot to mention was that the other three states he won over the weekend have a negligible black constituency. Well, I guess we can no longer say that he is winning because of the black vote which has not been the case since the beginning. Oh and BTW if you have not received the memo, he won all states and territories this weekend. Furthermore, while campaigning in El Paso, TX which she flew to before even getting the results from the Potomac States caucuses and primaries, she made another derogatory statement, after finding out that Obama won all three states on Tuesday. She said, "Oh the states he won does not matter. They are just small states. I plan to win the big three, Texas, Ohio, and PA." I won't even mention the fact that she refused to campaign in the states she felt she would not win. For real, Hill? This says a lot to me about her character. I thought you were running for the President of the USA, Hill, not the President of the big states? We won't even discuss the fact that she stated at a rally that she needed the Latino vote and that is what matter because they make up a large constituency in those the big 3. Another peak into Hill's lack of courtesy and integrity, in this New York Times article, one of Hill's aides stated that Hillary is willing to take "incendiary steps" including suing the DNC to have the delegates of Florida and Michigan seated at the Convention. Incendiary steps--I guess her attitude is 'by any means necessary" which conveys to me that she is all about power and not the people. Despite these shameful acts, I still know people who wish to have this woman as their President. On to better things, today I read a blog by a Republican Mommy who endorsed Obama. She felt that he is the best candidate she has seen in years. So I guess she is an official Obamacan? Today, I met with the Obama staff and let me tell you, when the guy says he is all about youth, he isn't lying. 95% of his staff are young under 30-somethings who are excited and infectious about this candidacy. He has touched each and every one of them in some amazing way. I have never seen so much excitement. The momentum is building and once the ball begins to roll it never stops, it only picks up speed-- and this ball is the Obama campaign. What you see is what you get. I will pose a question to my readers, who do wish to have as President? Someone who may lack experience but has proven that they have excellent leadership skills and integrity? Or someone who has proven and continues to prove that they have no integrity at all and becoming President is all about power? Think long and hard--if you pay attention you will notice that one candidate's words and actions line up but the other does not. After saying all that--I employ you all to get out and vote. Baracking out!!

The Best Supporters in the World

Feather Ives — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:51:53 EST

I read the blog responses on these pages and I know I am a part of the most significant movement in my lifetime.

We should feel spoiled to have Vitamin O. Seriously. I must say after my experience as a California volutneer in Nevada, I was convinced caucuses were the worst thing to happen to politics. I feel quite differently this past week.

In my heart, Obama won Nevada. I know it. I saw the lying, cheating, fraud and stealing. And if it were fair, he would have one more state under his belt. Super February is vindication for that one day of chaos in Nevada.

I love America again. I love Americans. I love the MidWest. I love the South. I love the West. I love the East. And it's because of Obama!

I have never felt so part of America, and it feels soooooo good.

Feather

Here's Your Chance To Make A Change.

Ali Seaton — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:58:22 EST

What do you people want , more issues and uncertainty?

You know, I listen to Hillary the other day, as she was addressing

low income Voters and many others.

She is not saying anything I haven't heard for 37 years.

She thinks all the people wanted was - No.1 Money, No.2 Houses, No.3 Cars. and so

on and so on. Man that's sad, cause that won't change unless

we put GOD and our children first.

No on the same old ideas, and yes to new ideas.

Well I'm here to tell her and anyone out there, that that's not what we want.

What we want is CHANGE FOR THE MONEY, CHANGE FOR THE HOUSES, CHANGE OF HEART

CHANGE FOR HIRE, CHANGE FOR ALL AND CHANGE FOR GOD.

This is why you should vote OBAMA now and on Feb. 5th 2008 / Nov. 2008

GOD First.

Ali Seaton

OBAMA RADICAL MUSLIM please forward false report

" * A Paris pour soutenir le senateur Obama " — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:31:27 EST

Hello folks OUI CEST POSSIBLE BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENT

OBAMA isn't a "radical muslim" as billary fans said lol 

CNN debunks false report about Obama

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/22/obama.madrassa/

very good article please forward

Pierre MIROCHNIKOFF
Fired Up and Ready To Go!
Go Obama Yes we can - Oui c'est possible
La France soutient Barack OBAMA

OBAMA PARIS FRANCE Group

GO OBAMA Paris France Europe Supporters Group
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/LesParisiensavecleSenateurOBAMA

Thank you.
PARTICIPEZ VOUS AUSSI A LA CAMPAGNE
FAITES VOS DONS ICI EN LIGNE SUR LE SITE OFFICIEL SECURISE

Cliquez ici Donnez votre contribution pour agir Make your donation online

Pierre MIROCHNIKOFF
Président
http://www.aaaelitegroup.com
http://www.elitelimousines.com
Paris Milano London New York Beijing

height=26 width=132 alt="Google Groupes">

Abonnement au groupe Barack OBAMA President en 2008 OUI c est POSSIBLE

E-mail :

Visiter ce groupe

Positions on Israel and Speaking out against Anti Semitism

Elliott Hartstein — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:14:07 EST

For those of you that are not aware and for friends of yours who may ask about where Obama stands on Israel related issues his positions have been made clear in his AIPAC speech which is on the Obama main web page and now his positions on a group of Israel related issues is made clear on the main Web page : www. barackobama.com under Foreign Policy under Issues where "On Israel" is specifically listed as well as a link to more details on a series of related issues. Please pass this information on to friends who raise the question in the coming weeks leading up to the upcoming primaries. Barack's support for Israel as one of our strongest allies in the Middle East should be clear to anyone who raises such a question. Fact sheet is also below and attached so you can reproduce and distribute. Also below is a letter from Lester Crown and a copy of an editorial of interest. It is also noteworthy that in a speech to a Black Church in South Carolina Barack spoke out against anti semitism that has occasionlly manifested itself in the Black community.He spoke at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to mark Martin Luther King Day.

He noted that African Americans "have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man," then went on to say that the community "has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.

"We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them," Obama said. "The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity."

Elliott HartsteinBuffalo Grove, ILFact Sheet:BARACK OBAMA: A STRONG RECORD OF SUPPORTING THESECURITY, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY OF ISRAEL“Our job is to renew the United States' efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors whileremaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision. . . . That effort begins with a clear and strongcommitment to the security of Israel: our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy.That will always be my starting point. And when we see all of the growing threats in the region: fromIran to Iraq to the resurgence of al-Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that loyalty andthat friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the stones that will build the road that takes us from thecurrent instability to lasting peace and security.”[Speech at AIPAC Policy Forum in Chicago, 3/2/07]BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN TO STRENGTHEN THE U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIPBarack Obama has established a strong record as a true friend of Israel, a stalwart defender of Israel’s security,and an effective advocate of strengthening the steadfast U.S.-Israel relationship. He believes that Israel’s rightto exist as a Jewish state should never be challenged. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,Obama has consistently emphasized his commitment to our ally Israel, and has been an active supporter oflegislation helping to ensure the support and security of the Middle East’s only established democracy. Obamacontinually works with a number of his colleagues in the Senate to promote a closer relationship between theU.S. and Israel on a range of fronts – security, economic, political, and cultural.Ensure a Strong U.S.-Israel Partnership: Barack Obama strongly supports the U.S.-Israel relationship, amutually beneficial bond strengthened by common values, histories, and dedication to democracy. Obamabelieves that our first and incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel,America’s strongest ally in the Middle East. Expressing his support for this reality, Obama delivered themessage to Palestinian university students in Ramallah that the United States would never distance itself fromIsrael. Before the Palestinian elections, Obama asserted that the United States would never recognize Hamasunless it renounced its fundamental mission to eliminate Israel and he continues to insist that Hamas recognizeIsrael, abandon violence, and abide by previous agreements made between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.Support Israel’s Right to Self Defense: During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Barack Obama stood up stronglyfor Israel’s right to defend itself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks. Obama is an original cosponsor of theSenate resolution expressing support for Israel, condemning the attacks, and calling for strong action againstIran and Syria. Throughout the war, Barack Obama made clear that Israel should not be pressured into aceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles. In addition, Obama signed a letter to theEuropean Union pressing the EU to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons: Concerned about Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons andregional ambitions, Barack Obama has been a strong voice warning of the dangers to both the United States andIsrael if Iran successfully develops these weapons. Obama has been consistently outspoken about the growinginfluence of Iran in the region, especially Iraq, saying, “Make no mistake – if the Iranians and Syrians thinkthey can use Iraq as another Afghanistan or a staging area from which to attack Israel or other countries, theyPrinted in HousePaid for by Obama for Americaare badly mistaken” [Speech to Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 11/20/06] Obama has called for strongerinternational sanctions against Iran to persuade it to halt uranium enrichment. He is a cosponsor of the Durbin-Smith Senate Bill, the Iran Counter Proliferation Act, which calls for sanctions on Iran and other countries forassisting Iran in developing a nuclear program. Believing that Americans must do more to prevent Iran fromacquiring nuclear weapons, Obama authored and introduced as the primary sponsor, the Iran Sanctions EnablingAct in May, 2007. Obama’s Bill makes it easier for state and local governments to divest their pension funds ofcompanies that invest in Iran's energy sector, providing the revenue Iran uses to pursue nuclear weapons andsponsor terrorism. Divestment is a useful tool to bring additional economic pressure to bear on Iran. SenatorObama has conducted an active dialogue with a range of Israeli political leaders and security officials regardingIran and the threat it poses to the United States and Israel.Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Barack Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel.He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance toIsrael and has advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met.Additionally, he has called for sustaining the unique U.S.-Israel defense relationship by fully funding militaryassistance and continuing cooperative work on missile defense programs, such as the Arrow.Work towards Two States Living Side by Side in Peace and Security: Barack Obama believes in workingtowards a two-state solution, with both states living side by side in peace and security. Obama is a cosponsor ofthe Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006. Introduced in the wake of Hamas’ victory in the Palestinianelections, this act outlaws direct assistance to any entity of the Palestinian Authority controlled by Hamas untilit meets the conditions of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations to renounceviolence, recognize Israel, and agree to abide by all agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority. Obamasigned a letter urging President Bush to make it clear to Palestinian leaders that terrorist groups must eitherdisarm or be barred from the political process. Since the elections, Obama has stated that Israelis must have atrue Palestinian partner for peace. He has sought to encourage Palestinian moderates who seek peace and toisolate Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel’s destruction.Help Palestinian Families Get the Aid They Need Without Supporting Terrorism: Barack Obama supportsU.S. efforts to provide aid directly to the Palestinian people by bypassing any Hamas-led government thatrefuses to renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist. Obama believes that a better life forPalestinian families is good for both Israelis and Palestinians.Limit Hezbollah’s Influence in the Region: Barack Obama is concerned about the rapid re-arming ofHezbollah in Lebanon. He has called for the end of Syrian and Iranian support of Hezbollah via arms shipmentsand funding. Obama urged the enforcement of UN Resolution 1701, which demands the cessation of armsshipments to Hezbollah, a resolution that Syria and Iran continue to disregard. Long before the July 2006conflict, Barack Obama worked to limit Hezbollah’s influence in the region, signing a letter urging PresidentBush to place al-Manar, the official television station of Hezbollah, on the Treasury Department’s SpeciallyDesignated Global Terrorist Entity list and to aggressively target organizations that aid in its broadcast.Support U.S.-Israel Research and Development: As a strong supporter of broadening and deepening theU.S.-Israel relationship, Barack Obama cosponsored the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act. This bill wouldestablish a grant program to support joint U.S.-Israeli research and development efforts in the areas ofalternative and renewable energy sources – a key step toward energy independence, which is very much in thenational security interests of the U.S. and Israel.Achieve Energy Independence: Looking for innovative ways to enhance U.S. and Israeli security throughenergy independence, Obama has pushed a number of initiatives – from E-85 to CAFE reform to biofuels. Thepurpose of these initiatives is to reduce U.S. dependence on oil from the Middle East, limiting the influence ofoil-producing nations and increasing U.S. and Israeli national security.Lester Crown Letter:Dear Friends:While my involvement in politics is motivated by a variety of issues, there is one issue that is fundamental: my deep commitment to Israel and to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship that strengthens both Israel 's security and its efforts to seek peace. I am writing to share with you my confidence that Senator Barack Obama's stellar record on Israel gives me great comfort that, as President, he will be the friend to Israel that we all want to see in the White House – stalwart in his defense of Israel's security, and committed to helping Israel achieve peace with its neighbors. I have been honored to know Barack Obama for years, and I am proud to say that he is unyielding in defending Israel 's security. His conviction holds fast whether the threat comes from Gaza or Tehran . He has been a leader in calling for toughening sanctions against Iran as part of a comprehensive diplomatic effort to prevent the development and deployment of Iranian nuclear weapons. And he has stated clearly that, as President, he will make a personal commitment to help achieve a two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security—with the full understanding that Israel’s security can not be compromised. In this regard, he recently spoke out about his commitment to ensure that Israel 's status as a Jewish state is never called into question:"I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised. I also start with the premise that the status quo is unsustainable and that what would be good for Israeli security will be the kind of two-state solution that allows the Palestinians to live and prosper in their own state and allows Israel to maintain the security of its state…I think everyone knows what the basic outlines of an agreement would look like. It would mean that the Palestinians would have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state." --Senator Barack Obama, Des Moines Foreign Policy Forum, December 18, 2007 In addition, The New York Sun editorial board published an editorial this week on Barack Obama and Israel (see below). The editorial states that anyone who questions Barack Obama on Israel policy has not checked their facts, as Senator Obama has spoken frequently and clearly about his strong commitment to Israel . Few public figures inspire as much hope and optimism as Barack Obama. I have every confidence that, as you get to know Barack Obama's record on Israel, you will share my excitement about the possibility his candidacy represents and my comfort that he will advocate and support a solution in the Middle East that is consistent with values which we hold dear. Please pass on this message to all who are interested.B'Shalom,Lester CrownChicago , IL Obama and IsraelNew York Sun Staff Editorial
January 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/69154New York Republicans, according to an article in the New York Post yesterday, are preparing to attack Senator Obama for his supposed lack of support for Israel . "Obama's commitment to Israel is open to question, and that would help us with Jews," the Post quotes a "prominent New York Republican" as saying. We're no shills for Mr. Obama, but these Republicans haven't checked their facts. At least by our lights, Mr. Obama's commitment to Israel , as he has articulated it so far in his campaign, is quite moving and a tribute to the broad, bipartisan support that the Jewish state has in America . In remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Chicago in March, Mr. Obama spoke about his first visit to Israel , in January 2006. "I flew on an IDF helicopter to the border zone. The helicopter took us over the most troubled and dangerous areas and that narrow strip between the West Bank and the Mediterranean Sea . At that height, I could see the hills and the terrain that generations have walked across. I could truly see how close everything is and why peace through security is the only way for Israel," Mr. Obama said, sounding like a certain governor of Texas recounting the helicopter tour he got as a presidential candidate from a future prime minister named Ariel Sharon. Mr. Obama spoke of "a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel : our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy." Quoth he: "That will always be my starting point." Mr. Obama spoke of the threat of Iran . "President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust. He held a conference in his country, claiming it was a myth. But we know the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz . We have seen the pictures. We have walked the halls of the Holocaust museum in Washington and Yad Vashem. We have touched the tattoos on loved-ones arms. After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers," he said. Mr. Obama went further, stating: "In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that a member state of the United Nations would openly call for the elimination of another member state. But that is exactly what he has done. Neither Israel nor the United States has the luxury of dismissing these outrages as mere rhetoric." Mr. Obama added: "We must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza ." He took Israel 's side against those who would fault it for its actions in Lebanon in the Summer of 2006. "When Israel is attacked, we must stand up for Israel 's legitimate right to defend itself," Mr. Obama said. "Last summer, Hezbollah attacked Israel . By using Lebanon as an outpost for terrorism, and innocent people as shields, Hezbollah has also engulfed that entire nation in violence and conflict, and threatened the fledgling movement for democracy there." And Mr. Obama rejected the idea, put forth by Israel 's false friends, that America does Israel any favors by exerting pressure in the name of peace. "We should never seek to dictate what is best for the Israelis and their security interests. No Israeli Prime Minister should ever feel dragged to or blocked from the negotiating table by the United States ," Mr. Obama said. "When I am president, the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel ," Mr. Obama told the National Jewish Democratic Council in February of 2007. "Those who have worked with me in Chicago in the state Legislature and now in the United States Senate will testify that I have not just talked the talk, I have walked the walk when it comes to Israel 's security. I think it is fundamental. I think it is something that is in the interests of the United States because of our special relationship, because Israel has not only established a democracy in the region but has been a stalwart ally of ours," Mr. Obama said to the NJDC. "The United States government and an Obama Presidency cannot ask Israel to take risks with respect to its security." * * *Now the editors of these columns, whatever our faults, weren't born yesterday. We can remember, say, all the vows that a young governor of Arkansas , William Clinton, made, right here in New York , about how he was going to stand with Israel when he became president. And we remember how the liberal — and often Jewish — groups active on the Middle East front, promptly began confecting arguments in respect of how America should pressure the government in Jerusalem to be more forthcoming in its negotiations with the Palestinian Arabs. But Republicans plotting to attack Mr. Obama on Israel need to be careful lest the idea of the perfect becomes enemy of the good. Mr. Obama may not be the best candidate in the field in respect of Israel ; he has some stiff competition in both parties. He has failed to press the issue of Jerusalem . The American retreat he supports in Iraq would make the Middle East a more dangerous place for both Israel and America , not to mention, say, the free Lebanese and the Copts in Egypt . If Mr. Obama disappointed Israel once elected, he wouldn't be the first president to do so. But as a candidate, he has chosen to put himself on the record in terms that Israel 's friends in America , at least those not motivated by pure political partisanship, can warmly welcome. January 9, 2008 Edition

How The Commercial Mass Media Manipulate Voters

The Original NYC Free Advice Man — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:48:21 EST

It’s incredible! If you listen to the Sunday political pundits on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC,etc….:

they’re now saying that maybe ‘they themselves’, the ‘commercial mass media’ made a mistake, that maybe they were giving too much of a free ride to Barack Obama, that Obama has some kind of rock star appeal that even affects them, that maybe it was ‘their own’ unrealistic desire to see him win that blinded them, that stopped them from being critical enough towards Obama and his campaign, that they may have been too harsh on Senator Clinton, that they now say that maybe Bill Clinton has a point about saying that the press hasn’t really scrutinized Obama on Iraq and that this whole thing is a ‘Fairy Tale’, and ‘they’ (the press, commercial mass media) go on about how genuine and sincere Hillary Clinton’s expression of emotion and tears are and that maybe ‘they’ were too harsh and that that was probably what changed enough minds hours before the New Hampshire voters cast their votes, that women suddenly saw how human Senator Clinton really is!!! Strangely enough, Bill Crystol, definitely no friend of ours, saw the truth about her crocodile tears…. As far as I am concerned, Hillary was crying out of self pity and the fear that she might actually lose her chance at living in the White House and flying once more aboard Air Force One…the most comfortable place on and above Earth!!!

Please….

What is really going on is that the commercial mass media, the press, is actually deliberately playing a reverse psychology trick, a game meant to turn voters away from Senator Barack Obama!!! They know that many Americans, perhaps most, do not trust the mass media and do not like being manipulated by the mass media, and that by artificially pretending to promote Obama so much, beyond reason, they know that they can actually have the reverse effect on Obama and actually make him appear to be the corporate choice, part of the same old problem! They know that then some voters will think to themselves, ‘if the mass media is trying so hard to get me to like Obama then there must be something wrong with Obama…and so I’m voting against Obama’…. It’s the same old trick that the commercial mass media has been playing for ages on Americans and celebrities and public officials and politicians! Build them up to be almost super-heroes then pretend to be part of the public bandwagon that brings them tumbling down!

The real question is why does the commercial mass media want Obama to lose so bad???

Because they know that Senator Barack Obama is really the real CHANGE CANDIDATE and that he is what America really needs to unite the country and finally make Washington work for the people and not the corporate interests’ short-term profits-over-people agenda of continuously dividing, conquering and exploiting the people of America!!! They do not like Obama because he is the champion of ethical business practices and fair wages for working class Americans that Obama is for truly protecting the interests of middle class American families and restoring those families to the middle class who have suffered way too much under the massively failed policies of the Bush Administration. They, the commercial mass media, the press, do not like Obama because his wise and sensible foreign policies, based on diplomacy and a surgical removal of terrorists, will bring relative peace around the world and thus there will be less hype, less shock, less NEWS to report!!!

They did it to Senator Joe Biden, to Senator Christopher Dodd, to Mike Gravel, to Kucinich, to anyone who dares tell the truth like Senator Barack Obama does! And we, the citizens of America, who understand and realize how clever the commercial mass media is in their ability to manipulate voters sentiments, we must reach out to our fellow voters and let them know that this is what is really going on! That Senator Barack Obama is the Real Change candidate, and that YES, WE TOO CAN finally stop the commercial mass media monster from destroying our HOPES and DREAMS for a better, safer and freer America, a better world! Time to let everyone know these facts!

Hillary did not FIND her own voice...the commercial mass media GAVE it to her!

Obama or the SAMO!

Hanukkah Greetings from Barack

D. Paul Monteiro -Deputy Director of Religious Affairs — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:59:15 EST

On this final night of Hanukkah we bring you greetings from Barack and his family:

My warmest greetings to all who are celebrating Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is a fitting time to give thanks and hope for a more peaceful
and free year throughout the world. As Jews throughout America and
around the world come together to light the menorah and remember the
miracle of Hanukkah, we are thankful for the blessing of religious
freedom in America. We stand with all those who are oppressed around
the world for their religious beliefs.

The story of Hanukkah serves as an inspirational reminder that
perseverance and faith can sustain us against difficult odds.
Hanukkah's lessons inspire all to be hopeful for the future and to find
light in times of darkness. Michelle and I extend our best wishes for a
memorable Hanukkah observance and for peace, joy, and hope in the coming
year.

Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

D. Paul Monteiro -Deputy Director of Religious Affairs — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:57:04 EDT

Senator Barack Obama issued this statement on Rosh Hashanah today,
sending warm wishes to the Jewish Community for a Shana Tovah:

"As Jews around the world turn the page to a new year that begins on
Rosh Hashanah, I send greetings for a meaningful and joyful celebration.
With families gathering together to mark these high holy days, we
reflect on all the hope that the new year brings, and the responsibility
each one of us has to see it fulfilled. As the shofar sounds, may we
take inspiration from the strong values of Jewish tradition, and heed
the call to make the coming year a year of Tikkun Olam, of repairing the
world. Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I wish you and your family a happy,
healthy and sweet new year."

To view the New Years card from Barack Obama's family to yours, go to
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/shanatovah_la.pdf

Barack "On Faith"

Joshua DuBois - Director of Religious Affairs — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:00:06 EDT

The Washington Post / Newsweek "On Faith" website has a new post from Barack. Check it out here.

"On Faith" is a really unique site - religious leaders from across the globe having:

intelligent, informed, eclectic, respectful conversation-among specialists and generalists who devote a good part of their lives to understanding and delineating religion's influence on the life of the world. The point of our new online religion feature is to provide a forum for such sane and spirited talk, drawing on a remarkable panel of distinguished figures from the academy, the faith traditions, and journalism. Members of the group will weigh in on a question posed at least once a week, perhaps sometimes more often, depending on the flow of the news. We encourage readers to join the conversation by commenting on what our panelists have to say, offering their own opinions and suggesting topics for future discussions.
From About On Faith.

LA Walk for Change - June 9th!

Los Angeles (LA) Grassroots 4 Obama — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:54:16 EDT

LA Grassroots 4 Obama is looking to increase awareness for the efforts of our entire grassroots community. We are trying to run a story in the LA times describing the spontaneous emergence of obama support structures, despite the lack of any national involvement. We are looking for any anecdotes you may have about spotaneous expressions of obama support. If we can get this article run it will help us grow our community and our upcoming event on june 9th. www.LAWalkforChange.com.

Please send any information or questions to maryjane@lagrassroots4obama.com.

Thanks,

LA Grassroots 4 Obama

The Man Is Real

Ali Seaton — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:15:11 EDT

You gotta know that Obama is REAL.

Hello,
My name is Ali and I met Barack Obama yesterday in San Diego, CA
and trust me this man is for the people.
Turn The Page was what he said over and over, and I knew what he was talking about.People must get some new and just idea's to the people.
The bad idea's are over with now, it's time for a change.
We must back Obama with GOD and all that we have as a human to help
him not only WIN, but to show the people that we can bring a change
for a better life for all.
I am ready to go to work, somebody give me a phone and a list, cause I'm ready today.

RIGHT NOW I AM READY TO GET OSAMA VOTES, NOT UNION VOTES OR OTHER ORGANIZATION VOTES, BUT OSAMA VOTES, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

GOD FIRST,

Ali Seaton

www.jesusstreets.com

Romney just on C-SPAN, now Edwards....

jdshostak — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 19:37:25 EDT

I must say Romney is well-postured to be the Republican presidential candidate. Unless the Republicans are STRUCK with love of Giuliani, I think Romney will be the one. His wife, incidently, has MS. Now Edwards is on. An African-American woman was saying to him,"You don't speak to me, you don't speak to my enslaved ancestors, and you don't speak for the Latino community." Wow. His response was for her to go to his website and he would answer his question, because he really wanted to....Edwards is saying we should 'directly' engage in Iran.

Julie

Presidential Debates & Fox News/politico.com

jdshostak — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:01:40 EDT

The Democratic National Committee sought yesterday to quell the growing tempest over the scheduling of debates for the party's presidential contenders, announcing it would sanction a debate each month between July and December. But the "sanctioned" events won't include an event being aired by Fox News in September.

"I'm pleased the DNC can help play a role in facilitating such an important dialogue with our candidates," DNC Chairman Howard Dean said in a statement. "Given our strong, dynamic and diverse field of Democratic candidates and the great enthusiasm voters already have expressed, we can expect a lively, thoughtful discussion of the issues."

The DNC said specific cities and media sponsors still had to be worked out, but the sites of the four first caucuses and primaries -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada -- are likely locations to host debates.

Several leading candidates had expressed concern that the multitude of debate requests would affect their campaigning and fundraising, and had requested that party leaders intervene to control the number of forums.

Many Democrats are also alarmed by an agreement by the Congressional Black Caucus to hold a September debate in Detroit with the Fox News Channel, which is seen as having a conservative tilt. DNC officials said yesterday that the debate would not be among those sanctioned by the party. Fox officials said their event will go forward as planned.

Ross Neisuler's Blog on OBAMA Buttons...

jdshostak — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:30:24 EDT

So easy to get new volunteers
If I wear an Obama button, people come up to me, grateful to find someone who can help them get involved. Perfect strangers. "Where did you get that button?" "What can I do; I want to help."

Clinton criticizes Bush on possible Veto

jdshostak — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:02:25 EDT

YAHOO! NEWS had an article today with Hillary speaking out against the President's possible Veto of the Congress' Resolution on the Iraq War.

This was very SMART of her as she's the first to publicly say it. I urge all of you to read it.

Exciting Event at the Haas House in Sunnyvale, CA

jdshostak — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:08:31 EDT

A great time was had by all at the Haas House. Ric and Marilyn generously opened their home and hearts to other Obama supporters for a wonderful barbeque and viewing of Barack LIVE! There were about 35 of us.

It was so nice to see an American flag waving at a residence which endorses the new thinking of Barack Obama. I could do the same thing. Imagine, reviving the American flag that doesn't signify Bush, War, Secrecy, and Repression!

God bless you Ric and Marilyn!

Julie

Estimated 30,000 see Barack in Oakland

jdshostak — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:47:26 EDT

Yesterday there were upwards to 30,000 greeting Obama in Oakland. Last night at a Fundraiser at the Mark Hopkins in San Francisco, an approxmate of $ 1,000,000 was raised for OUR fearless candidate.

Go Obama '08!

jdshostak

Welcome to SoCal Jews for Obama!

Jonathan Matz, Team Coordinator, CA CD 31 — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:41:06 EST

When you join, please post a short introduction to the blog.

Zi Gizent,

Your friendly group administrator.