Yes Barack | No Iraq

“to end the mindset that got us into war.”

Fire Is Born — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:02:34 EST

Iraq War Foes Get Short Shrift

By Robert Parry
November 24, 2008

Arguably, Barack Obama’s most promising promise of the presidential campaign was his vow to not just end the war in Iraq but “to end the mindset that got us into war.”

Like much campaign rhetoric, this pledge was open to interpretation. Did he just mean that he would avoid the belligerent arrogance of George W. Bush, or was he suggesting a more fundamental challenge to Washington’s stale foreign policy elite?

Would Obama pick up on the prescient warning of Dwight Eisenhower about the deforming power of the “military-industrial complex” or on John F. Kennedy’s vision of peace that was “not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war”?

In the three weeks since his Nov. 4 election victory, the answer seems to be that Barack Obama is viewing his pledge in the most minimal sense. The emerging shape of his incoming administration suggests that Americans who opposed the Iraq War early will continue to be treated as misfits and outsiders, even though Obama was one of them.

In the mainstream press, too, there survives the same old pro-war frame of debate. On Sunday, the New York Times published seven opinion articles about the open-ended conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, all by writers with histories of favoring Bush’s arguments for the wars, albeit with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

There were no articles from prominent opponents of the Iraq invasion, like Sen. Russ Feingold or Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni or arms inspector Scott Ritter. It seems that having the foresight and the courage to oppose Bush’s reckless invasion still disqualifies you from the respectable debate of the New York-Washington power centers.(...)"

January 20, 2009 - Flag Day

Roy from NH — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:31:20 EST

"I would like to see January 20, 2009 be the day when the largest number of American flags are flown in the history of the planet."

Now this will probably happen anyway, without any boost by the official or unofficial Obama community. But maybe we should do something. The flag is such an important symbol to me that part of "taking back our country" is also "taking back our flag." After 9/11 and the Iraq War, the flag has been corrupted into a synonym for arrogant U.S. military aggression, and I'm so looking forward to having it back for us to illustrate good old love of country and all of us working together for a common purpose.

Hillary! this CHANGE we don’t believe.

Leader of the FUTURE — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:52:13 EST

As I support Obama for the change, the way I don’t support Hillary for Barack Obama administration. He must not walk in SHADOW. Clearly, strongly we protest this thinking (hope it’s not a decision). Mr. Obama don’t think Hillary behind this success, people of hope believes in change are the pillar or your success, success of change. So stay tune in change. CHANGE in Iraq, CHANGE in Afghanistan.

M K Rubel

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Inspire yourself, let involve everyone you know. Change You believe, and you did.

Eyes Wide Shut

Gregg — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:03:24 EST

Because of record profits based on greed, oil companies have held this nation hostage. Like a prisoner, we are now showing signs of the ties that have been biding us. Like prisoners, we are arguing how did this happen and how can we escape. It is not the shape, size or price of the vehicles that brought us here. The whip that has thrashed our backs with $4+ gas, now has let off the whip a bit because their hands were starting to hurt. Are we gonna sacrifice our future childrens lives for the power of the oil companies?? Rebellion should be at hand!! But we say...HOW?? The new F word is called bailout. Lets hear the oil companies say that F word, when they are the ones that are bailing out the auto industry. After all, they have to keep these prisoners barely alive so they can keep having fun time.

The Story and Bush

Leader of the FUTURE — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:16:48 EST

There was a Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was lonely for him, so he devised a plan to get a little company. He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to meet him. This pleased the boy so much that a few days after he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help. Shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest. The boy cried out "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again lying, and nobody came to his aid. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock.

Shepherd Bush said “Nuclear threat, nuclear threat from Iraq” but in real no threat from Iraq. Many dream, many lives lost in this so called battlefield. It’s one man WAR against the world, against America. Children’s, old peoples, disabilities, women’s, students, the men who don’t believe War died in this unnecessary WAR. The modern Hitler Bush, the shepherd Bush is a WAR criminal. Don’t you think his past years must be justified?

The polarization of the power will deflagrate wars?

Ton007 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:49:15 EST

The National Intelligence Council (NIC), entity that co-ordinates the work of all the agencies of intelligence of the United States of America, divulges in report that the economic force, to militate and politics of the country in the world must decay in next the two decades, beyond affirming that the current financial crisis is the start of a great change in the global economy, with transference of income of the Ocidente for the East and weakness of the dollar. Brazil, China and India - " Next the 20 years to transistion for a new system are full of risks" , it says the Global report Trends 2025. The document foresees that up to 2025.The world can become a more dangerous place, with little access of the populations to the food and water. The National Intelligence Council believes that in the future the United States will continue being the country most powerful of the world, although to lose part of its influence for countries as China, India, Brazil and Irã. The National Intelligence Council (NIC) says that a world with more polar regions of being able potentially will have more conflicts of what a world with one or two superpowers.Source: Departament State U.S. and http://mixideias.blogspot.com

History of US President's

Leader of the FUTURE — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:53:24 EST

Dear Readers here is some info of US presidents with their title. Try to know the titles, and lets look forward what title gets our desire Barack Obama. Here we start.................

1. In a fit of rage, 6th President of the United States John Quincy Adams once killed a grizzly bear with his bare hands. He then devoured the heart and made a necklace out of the fangs and claws that he wore while developing the Monroe Doctrine.

2. 9th U.S. President William Henry Harrison did not die one month into his Presidential term as the history books report. He went undercover on special assignment in England and became the deadliest gentleman spy in U.S. history. He was the inspiration for James Bond.

3. John Tyler, 10th U.S. President, had brilliant and detailed visions in his dreams about the future, including the use of laser weapons. He died penniless and insane attempting to build lasers with steam engines to take over the world.

4. 11th President of the U.S. James Polk once scored four touchdowns in a single football game.

5. 15th U.S. President James Buchanan was fully able to breathe underwater, inadvertently causing the Civil War.

6. Often depicted wearing a tall black stovepipe hat, 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln had all of his hats custom-made to measure the exact length as his fully-engorged member.

7. 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson had intense peladophobia, or the fear of bald people. Apparently, whenever he saw a bald person, he would freeze up, lose control of his bodily functions and scream gibberish.

8. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, is alive and well and living in Miami. His secret—10 strawberry milkshakes a day.

9. 20th President of the United States James Garfield slept in a box, was notoriously lazy, voraciously ate lasagna, and abhorred his wife’s dog.

10. Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President of the United States, only served one term as president. The second, nonconsecutive term was served by his evil twin brother, Sir Beauregard Augustus Cleveland.

11. 26th U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt strictly adhered to a daily diet of blood from U.S. Army generals. Once, after a double-dose of general blood, Roosevelt administered a spine-snapping pile driver to a Bengal Tiger.

12. William Taft, 27th President of the United States, unsuccessfully attempted to appoint an all-chimpanzee cabinet. His dream was to dress them in suits and stage hilarious cabinet meetings that he would name “poo-fling powwows.”

13. Warren Harding, 29th U.S. President, played a round of Russian Roulette every day he held office.

14. Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States, invented the robot. To clarify, President Coolidge invented both metallic semi-sentient beings and the popular dance.

15. 31st U.S. President Herbert Hoover, save for his public addresses and documents, chose to speak and write entirely in Pig Latin.

16. 32nd President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt was quite the practical joker, often sending the entire White House into a heightened state of paranoia with fake documents swearing allegiance to the Fuhrer and false immediate attack alerts.

17. 33rd President, Harry S. Truman, kept a detailed journal throughout his entire life of every instance he used the phrase “that sounds good to me,” including circumstances, dates, times, weather conditions and Earth’s position in relation to the sun.

18. Military leader and 34th President of the U.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower was known for his dignity and eloquence. But what very few people know is that he set aside one day during each year of his presidency to dance naked throughout the White House and defecate into various potted plants.

19. 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan was addicted to hardcore tranny porno.

20. George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, is a werewolf.

21. Barack Hussein Obama, and we are looking forward

Be United for World Peace

M K Rubel

World Peace Pray with Obama, activity

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Wakeup Obama, wakeup

Leader of the FUTURE — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:42:25 EST

Wakeup Obama, dream is over. Now its time to work with new speed, with the hope and change we did. Don’t flow any shadow. Your win is a history, by your next years works make another good/bright history. Don’t mess up the victory, don’t think its end. Its just beginning.

M K Rubel

World Peace Pray with Obama

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President Barack Obama Inauguration Day 2009 - Washington, DC Group!!! 10

Carol Maric — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:51:18 EST

An open invitation to join : President Barack Obama Inauguration Day 2009 - Washington, DC Group!!!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/InaugurationDay2009

Make plans to be in DC on this historical day!

Make plans to be tuned in with TV and/or the Internet.

Be out in public with friends and fellow citizens.

A Grand and Wonderful Celebration!

Trust Obama!

Dawn in Arizona — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:28:40 EST

After all this time, all our efforts to get Senator Obama elected to the highest job in the land...can't we trust him for a bit longer? Yes, I still have some rather hard feeling about HRC but he will do what needs to be done. Let us, at the very least, wait until he puts his cabinet together to start grumbling..Come On! the reps will do enough of this to undermine him - our job is to support!

President-Elect Obama: Hillary Clinton A Contender For Secretary Of State

EsquireUK — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:33:48 EST

www.barackobama.com

Friday, 14th November 2008

Chicago, Illinois

www.barackobama.comObama Met With Clinton to Discuss Possible Role By JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama met late Thursday in Chicago with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss what role she might play in his administration, advisers to both Democrats said on Friday.

Neither side disclosed details of the conversation, and it was unclear how seriously Mr. Obama was considering bringing Mrs. Clinton, his onetime rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, into his cabinet.

Speculation in recent days has focused on the possibility that Mr. Obama would ask Mrs. Clinton, a second term senator from New York, to be his secretary of state. Others mentioned for that post include Senator John Kerry, Democrat from Massachusetts and the party’s presidential nominee in 2004, and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

Appearing at a public transit conference in Albany on Friday, Mrs. Clinton said she would not address reports about whether she would be offered a position in the Obama administration.

“I have to start by saying I’m very happy there is so much press attention and interest in transit,” she joked during her appearance at a conference hosted by the New York Public Transit Association, before a crowd of roughly 200 people and a couple dozen reporters and photographers.

“I’m not going to speculate or address anything about the president elect’s incoming administration,” she said. “I’m going to respect his process,” she said, adding that any questions “should be directed to his transition team.”

She left without taking questions from reporters.

Two of Mrs. Clinton’s friends said they believe she would take the secretary of state job if offered. “I think she’d do it,” said one of them.

www.barackobama.com

But the Clinton friends and other Democrats close to both the Clinton and Obama camps cautioned that Mr. Obama might simply be sounding out Mrs. Clinton about what, if anything, she would be interested in. The options, Democrats say, could include Mrs. Clinton’s staying in the Senate and taking a lead there in helping Mr. Obama enact a program for universal health care, the issue that both senators emphasized — with some differences — in their respective campaigns.

The Obama transition team has clamped down on information and leaks about Mr. Obama’s personnel efforts, with some success. The Clinton rumors flared late on Thursday, first after reports that she had been spotted boarding a flight for Chicago, and then when a small motorcade of black SUVs emerged from the garage of the downtown Chicago building where Mr. Obama has his transition office minutes before Mr. Obama’s own motorcade left it at 6:45 p.m. Central time. Mrs. Clinton, as a former first lady, still has Secret Service protection and travels in a government SUV.

Despite rampant speculation when Mr. Obama clinched the nomination to end their long battle more than five months ago, he never seriously considered Mrs. Clinton as his vice-presidential running mate. That enraged some of her most ardent female supporters, opening a breach that Mr. Obama’s Republican rival, Senator John McCain, sought to exploit in part by choosing Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate.

But Mrs. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned for Mr. Obama in the fall, and election exit polls indicated that Mr. Obama drew support from most of her former voters.

www.barackobama.com

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aSVQLlHAlZyg&refer=politics

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/us/politics/15clinton.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

The Change You believe, and You did.

Leader of the FUTURE — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:16:14 EST

*******************************************************

You believe, and You did.

****************************

Let the world know, you are not alone

Be friend; be friend

Help or pray raise your hands, raise your hands,

Don’t be an alien to the mankind

Search your heart and you will find.

One world, one life, one chance, one change.

Let the world know, you are not alone

Don’t slap on their face, don’t burn their home

Let the world know, you are not alone.

****************************

-----M K Rubel

*******************************************************

World Peace Pray with Obama activity ---http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldPeacePraywithObama

Who is Paying for the Iraqi National Intelligence Service?

Fire Is Born — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:12:15 EST

Chalabi's Inquiry and the Mysterious $150 Million

Who is Paying for the Iraqi National Intelligence Service?

By PATRICK COCKBURN

"If it ever comes to court it should be one of the more interesting libel cases of the decade. The Iraqi National Intelligence Service is threatening to sue Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi politician, for asking who pays for it.

"It is somewhat curious," says Mr Chalabi, "that the intelligence service of a country which is sovereign – that no one really knows who is funding it."

In fact there are very few Iraqis who do not believe they have a very clear idea of who funds Iraq's secret police. Its director is General Mohammed Abdullah Shahwani, who once led a failed coup against Saddam Hussein, and was handpicked by the CIA to run the new security organisation soon after the invasion of 2003. He is believed to have been answering to them ever since.

The history of the Iraqi intelligence service is important because it shows the real distribution of power in Iraq rather than the spurious picture presented by President Bush. It explains why so many Iraqis are suspicious of the security accord, or Status of Forces Agreement, that the White House has been pushing the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Malki to sign. It reveals the real political landscape where President-elect Barack Obama will soon have to find his bearings.

For all Mr Bush's pious declarations about respecting Iraqi sovereignty, General Shahwani is reported to work primarily for American intelligence. The intelligence service is "not working for the Iraqi government – it's working for the CIA," Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful Shia lawmaker, was quoted as saying three years ago. "I prefer to call it the American Intelligence of Iraq, not the Iraqi Intelligence Service."

It seems that not much has changed since then. The intelligence service does now appear in the Iraqi budget as being in receipt of $150 million, though this seems somewhat measly given the extent of its operations, which includes running paramilitary units. One of its main missions is to spy on Iranians on behalf of the US, employing much the same cadre of intelligence officers who carried out this task for Saddam Hussein.(...)"

Read the entire aricle here (Get a quick link inthe comments)

http://www.counterpunch.org/patrick11132008.html

"Looking back now, I don't think we had any business [in Iraq]," said Buzzell, who wants to see President-elect Barack Obama end the war. "Hopefully, he gets us out of Iraq in a way that's not a disaster or that gets a lot of soldiers killed."

Fire Is Born — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:30:02 EST

(This said by an Iraq war veteran and a soldier blogger and now a writer. FIB)

Soldier finds his voice blogging from Iraq

Story Highlights
Army machine gunner Colby Buzzell began blogging from Iraq in 2004
His blog gained media attention for its refreshing, unvarnished candor
The Army encourages active-duty soldiers to blog as a way to educate the public
But soldiers are prohibited from posting details that could compromise troops' safety
Next Article in Technology »

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/13/soldier.blogger/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

World |)eace |)ray with ()bama [CHANGE of MIND]

Leader of the FUTURE — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:56:51 EST

Two men were sitting down under a tree. One believes in GOD his name is “X” and another one is “Y” he does not believes in GOD, he thinks heaven and hell does not exist. Mr. “X” spends some time for GOD, for good work, for humanity, he is happy with his limited. Mr. “Y” has no time for GOD, but often he spends time for humanity. He is not happy what he has, he want more and more. Mr. “Y” was laughing.

Mr. “X” asked; why you laughing?

Mr. “Y” answered; I am laughing at you.

Mr. “X” asked; why?

Mr. “Y” answered; I am laughing because you are spending your valuable time for GOD, for heaven, which will give you nothing.

Mr. “Y” thought something very deeply and asked to Mr. “X”

Mr. “Y” asked; tell me one thing Mr. “X” after death if you see there is no GOD, no heaven then what you will do hahahaha?????

Mr. “X” answered; after your death if you see there is GOD and hell!!!!!!

I got 75 emails (Nov 11th 2008)from all over the World about “World Peace Pray with Obama”. Thank you all for kind mails. 73 people agree with this event want to attend, some of them wrote nice word to me. I am great full to them. 1 mailer not sure about GOD and Pray, another one sure here is no GOD everything happens by work. Obama the President of United States America, new Leader of this world elected by vote, pray helped nothing it’s another mailers writing. I wrote this story for them. What do you say friends!!! This World Peace Pray will not cost a BIG. Its just a pray for peace to let know the World we do think about peace, we want to live in peace. World Peace Pray with Obama

M K RubelWorld Peace Pray with Obama, activity

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http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/mahmudulkarim

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gsxysf

[Respect them who loves you, love them who hates you]

Ah....Nostalgia!!!!

Angela — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:06:22 EST

I watched Obama's 2004 speech, again, and I don't know why but I should have known that even then this man was destined for greatness. I did see the speech in 2004 but I really didn't listen to him. I am really enthused about the years to come because I know that Obama is going to make us all proud. I just hope that Obama will run again and he will take another victory.

Question about YBNI's future from YBNI admin, 17

17 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:46:01 EST

Dear YBNI readers, I'm in a quandry about what to do going forward with this blog and listserv.

Until now I have taken care to only post submissions that are relevant to the group's raison d'etre, i.e., the Iraq War issue (this has relieved you from reading the bulk of submissions, respected author's IP rights and helped sharpen the editorial focus). I think I've been pretty good about upholding the focus of the group, overall (apologies to all you posters whose posts weren't seen because I, for better or worse, deemed them off topic).

As you know, the overall issue now has become less prominent as the campaign has reached its conclusion (the economy coming to take center stage).

Going forward, since Obama has been elected, I am less motivated to edit the blog and listserv. Hence, the question: Should YBNI loosen its editorial control and to what extent? Should I completely deactivate the "Editor's function" on both and let everything flow straight on to you? Both blog and listserv, just listserv, just blog? Or just make YBNI fade away?

To help me tabulate your collective opinion, respond using the subject line, "FREE UP BOTH" if you agree that's the way to go. Use "FREE UP LISTSERV ONLY" if you think I should deregulate just the listserv (emails). (Or, "FREE UP BLOG ONLY.) Just say, "FADE AWAY YBNI," or words to that effect in the subject line if you just want YBNI, its listserv and its blog to go away now.

Thanks for your input over the past 21 months!

Sure hope to see ya' 'round the next bend,

17, YBNI admin

P.S. Feel free to include text in the body of your reply message if you wish but make your subject line communicate fast and succinctly. —17

Post Election Wrap Up

Terry G — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:34:38 EST

We drove out to Manassas for the final Obama rally late the night before the election. It was very emotional to be there with 90,000 supporters standing in a field near the first battlefield of Bull Run in the Civil War. The sea of people said it all.

The only real low point for us was to see our fellow Alaskans decide to put Sen. Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young back in office in Washington to represent them. Sadly for all our friends in Alaska the wave of change in our country failed to hit the shores of Alaska (just like 2006).

Today all of us in the Health Care Reform Movement are scrambling to get movin!

I hope President Obama and his team will keep this campaign site, team and organization together working for further change in our country. There will certainly be moments soon when the voice of the voters will be needed to weigh in with Congress to push change on energy, health care, education and the economy thru when special interests bog things down in Congress.

Lets all stay connected!

Mentoring Change Agents- tips from the trenches

Josh and Kade — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:26:03 EST

Posted by Ben BradleySeptember 30, 2008

Change is inevitable. It is part of the evolutionary process that every company must endure. Yet change can be disruptive, difficult and dearly-won.

Change agents are those natural individuals who thrive on making change happen. Selected from within various levels of the organization, based on their individual skills and capabilities, the onus of guiding the organization forward rests on the shoulders of these individuals.

Considering the critical nature of this role, the careful selection and mentoring of change agents is vital to the success or failure of the change process. This article will focus on some practical tips for mentoring change — contributed by managers that have seen all sides of the change process.

1. Selecting a change agent

Should the change agent be someone with considerable managerial experience i.e. from the top management or should individuals from the lower rungs be trained and equipped to induce change?

Staci H. Zake, program director in Northwestern University’s Master of Science in Communication (MSC) program (www.msc.northwestern.edu), an interdisciplinary one-year professional master’s program designed to address organizational and technological factors shaping managerial decision-making, understands the importance of bottom-up innovation where there is often greater ownership related to the success of the initiative.

“Only managers living with the organization change can truly understand how well innovation is working and where further adjustments need to be made. Forcing change from the top can have negative consequences when senior management doesn’t fully understand the nuances of change or the human impact,” Zake says.

Coley Perry, sales and marketing manager with Naperville, IL-based Solution Partners, a technology staff augmentation firm, and a student in the MSC program, points out leadership characteristics to watch for when evaluating the potential for good change leaders.

“If you are looking for a change agent or how to mentor them you need to look for the following: climbers within the organization, politically savvy individuals within your organization, charismatic individuals, and people who understand and embrace evolutionary (not revolutionary) change,” says Perry.

Change agents from within the organization are likely to posses a deeper understanding of internal issues, politics and challenges. This knowledge places them in a better position to garner support from across the ranks.

JR Samples, president of Accountability Partners, an executive coaching firm located in Aurora, IL urges organizations to identify “undercover” change agents. “Find the grass root change agents. These are people on your staff working in a full-time role who are savvy enough to find a market opportunity or a method of improving a process to increase productivity and customer satisfaction,” Samples says.

2. Educate them on the need for change

It is up to the organization to identify potential change agents, understand their capabilities and mentor them to achieve their full potential. Change agents have to influence organizational behavior. They have to challenge existing practices including the accepted culture and introduce changes in the process followed by the organization.

To ensure this, the manager/mentor needs to first provide them with a broad understanding of the need for change. The change agent has to understand the goal of the change process, and its short term and long term impact. The mentor should focus on aligning the change agent with the overall organizational goal before authorizing them to effect change in others.

Dana Sacks, Vice President of Human Resources for PepsiAmericas, emphasizes the importance of defining the desired change rationally. According to Sacks, this helps put reasonable goals in place and ensures the change agent has the right tools to make the change happen.

“One of the most important things that change agents need to do up front is make sure that the nature and scope of the project is very clear so that expectations can be set,” said Sacks. “Some of the areas to focus on are whether the project involves strategy and design or just assistance with implementation. Also, determining whether behavioral changes will be important - as changing behavior is very complicated.”

Lyn Bulman, EVP Global Human Resources at Fellowes, agrees with Sacks. She feels it is necessary to understand the critical success factors in order to effectively cultivate a change agent.

“Enthusiasm and support are easy to provide. The challenge is to ensure that the change is effective, by ensuring that the change-agent knows how their work fits with the overall direction of the company. It’s important to start with a vision of what success will look like and how it can be measured. That way, everyone can identify the benefits,” adds Bulman.

3. Encourage a learning culture

To gain the necessary skills the change agent or the mentee should have a learning attitude. Change is a learning process and no one ever knows it all right from the start. In change, nothing ever goes exactly according to plan so change agents must be able to identify issues as they arise, learn new ways to cope and effectively implement new plans.

The most successful change agents will not only be open to new ideas but they will actively pursue them – within and outside of the organization.

David Chun, CEO of Equilar, (www.equilar.com), an executive compensation benchmarking organization, believes the mentor should tap the mentees’ inherent desire to learn and succeed. Chun points out that analyzing success factors is not always complicated. It can be as simple as noting whether or not someone is built to be a change agent. According to Chun, in general, people will fall into one of two camps — ones that thrive on change and ones that don’t. He feels there is no sense investing time and resources in the latter group. “Before you even begin to mentor someone, make sure change is wired in their DNA,” said Chun

4. Patiently walk in your target’s shoes

Patience and empathy are essential for implementing a change strategy, and especially important to setting expectations and project scope.

Kelly Manthey, practice leader for Solstice Consulting’s (www.solstice-consulting.com) change management practice says “mentors shouldn’t expect to inspire a change with one conversation. It can be a slow process and each individual absorbs things at different rates. Patience and looking for teachable moments are key success factors.”

Managers, continues Manthey should embrace being a change agent. A manager needs to understand what makes his or her people “tick”. It’s the manager’s responsibility to understand what drives his people so he can speak to them in a way that influences behavior. By understanding where the target is coming from and what the target is bringing to the table a change agent is able to speak them in a way that can influence behavior. Influence over the behavior of others is ultimately what being a change agent is all about.

5. Embrace resistance

It is a given that resistance to change will happen. The mentor needs to gauge whether this resistance is the initial psychological reaction to question the need for change or whether there are other underlying issues. Human nature is selfish and it’s no different in change management. People will resist change when the benefits are not immediately visible. The mentor should overcome the initial resistance by outlining the likely benefits and the expected positive outcome.

Resistance is not an indication of the mentees failure to cooperate. Neither is it a reflection of a poor change strategy. On the contrary, resistance is an indication of the fact that the mentor is making progress.

John Aiello, CEO of The SAVO Group, says resistance should be embraced and viewed as a learning opportunity. “When trying to be a catalyst for change, remember that it is human nature for people to hear about change and first ask ‘what is in it for me? Rather than take that as a push-back or obstacle, embrace that feeling and let it help you refine not only the ideas but how you communicate them and motivate toward them,” says Aiello.

6. Have a great communication plan

PepsiAmerica’s Sacks emphasizes strong communication for keeping things and people on task. A well thought out communication plan is critical to the success of the change initiative. Any change initiative is fraught with myriad risks. A communication plan defines the roles and responsibilities of the mentor and the mentee, and provides a plan of action in the event of an emergency.

Regular communication is necessary to ensure the mentor and the mentee continue to remain on the same page. The message of change has to be constantly reiterated till it’s embedded in the DNA of the organization. “There’s nothing worse than pushing a boulder uphill,” says Sacks. “As with everything else, a great communication plan that addresses the different audiences with the right media and message is critical. It makes things go as smoothly as possible.”

7. Encourage risk, reward results

The mentor should provide the mentee with a risk free environment to make mistakes. Psychological safety is an important factor in successful change management. It encourages the mentee to explore ideas and be creative and innovative. This approach encourages the mentee to look for opportunities for improvement and reward their results.

Accountability Partner’s J.R. Samples says “A simple way to implement suggestions is to make it a point to let your staff know operational recommendations are expected. Your role is to highlight the people bringing ideas to the front. Make it a point to ask every week, ask different people and to publish the ideas prominently: Survey your people for broken processes - you will likely get a lot of suggestions. Compile it into a list and ask the staff to force rank them. Take the top 3 and tell your staff over the next 10 days to note anything that supports this reason for this being a broken process. This will actually ferret out the emotional “I just don’t like abc” processes from real ones that need attention. In the second 10 days, ask for recommendations on improving the process. At the end of this process ask your staff to force rank the suggestions. Take the top idea and over the next 10 days implement on a pilot basis.”

8. Build a support structure

The organization should set up a strong support structure in order to transform the mentees into an effective body of change agents. Even though you’ve carefully designed your communications and training, it’s implausible to expect everyone to understand your message right away. Having the expectation that everyone will get it the first time around is setting up, not only for failure, but for resistance. Playing the blame game compounds an already murky situation.

Instead, Gerry Mann, Web Development Manager at Unitrin Business Insurance, encourages building a support structure within the change agent team.

Mann feels it requires a tremendous amount of emotional energy to effect change in an organization. “To sustain your elite cadre of change agents, there needs to be a structure for change agent peers to support each other, inside and outside of the organization. In my view, it is important to keep in touch with others doing the same work to share successes, issues and jointly look for answers to difficult problems,” Mann says.

9. Induce trust

According Sandee Kastrul, founder of I.C.Stars, (www.icstars.org) a Chicago-based non-profit organization that uses full immersion teaching to help future leaders develop skills in business and technology, trust and follow-through go hand in hand when mentoring change leaders.

“The beauty of mentoring a change agent is that you are walking through change together,” said Kastrul. “If you are mentoring someone to be a change agent and you yourself are not a change agent, they won’t trust your ability to drive change. Trust and follow-through are based in reciprocity – the mentor and the mentee are teaching and learning together. The mentor can only be trusted when he or she shares failure as well as success. The process of sharing and following-through is how trust is established.”

http://benbradley.net/2008/09/30/mentoring-change-agents-tips-from-the-trenches/

The change - Obama Acceptance Speech - Change is come to America (9)

! Steffen from European Union, Dr. - Together We Can! Yes. We. Can. — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:30:53 EST

next post in my main blog about "Change for better world" - here i collected some movies from this day and shortly before.

(And i saved it to hard disc too. If some original will not be longer responsible in YouTube i will bring it new.)

Please, ckick this link to see the movies:

The change - Obama Acceptance Speech - Change is come to America

[But of course - it's just beginning with the change, there is a lot to do. Please stay in touch, however we do that, through these groups or some other way. ]

I never thought I'd live to see this miracle!

Lifelong Liberal & Journalist — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:53:06 EST

Dear President-Elect Obama:

First, let me convey my joy at your amazing victory last night. I was one of the students involved in the Civil Rights movement in the early 60's. I could never understand bigotry -- to me it semed to be the ultimate sign of ignorance.

But now, you've done the impossible, creating a coalition of hope and peace, bringing generations together from young, enthusiastic first-time voters to elderly people who have lived a lifetime hoping against hope that this kind of victory would happen one day. I am blessed to have survived through several cancer battles -- I believe I was spared to see this day.

I am truly sorry that your grandmother did not live to see your incredible victory, but I believe she is watching your family's (and the nation's) joy from heaven.

May God keep you and your beautiful family safe and sound and far from harm's way. You are the hope of America's and the world's future.

Like Energy Attracts Like Energy ~ And so the journey begins......

Victoria DePaul, Author — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:16:31 EST

If you have been a regular visitor to this blog over the last months then you know that in the spring I began a dialogue on 'gratefulness' and how it applies to our new president. Today, I offer this summary. When you reach the end, take a minute to add your thoughts and send them back to me.

I am grateful for a leader who possesses all three aspects of LIFE; love, intelligence and will-power. And who inspires people to do the same.

I am grateful for a leader that understands the difference between power and force. Power is the energy that creates peace. Force is the energy that fuels war.

I am grateful for a leader that is able to focus on the future while understanding the present reality.

I am grateful that Obama has shown me that leadership and integrity are not exclusive, but in fact, true leadership is dependent upon integrity.

I am grateful for a leader that inspires me to be more than even I knew that I was capable of.

I am grateful for a leader that not only wants my participation but expects it.

I am grateful for a leader who can focus on priorities, regardless of distractions and hurdles. I am grateful to be an active part of this movement for positive change.

I am grateful for a leader that understands that there is nothing more important than the human spirit.

I am grateful for a leader who understands that We Are One. If one of is in lack, we all are in lack.

I am grateful for a leader that teaches us that success is not the result of individual effort but the end result of the collective consciousness.

I am grateful for the opportunity to express Who I Really Am. My inner spirit of hope and peace rests amongst like-minded persons. I am grateful for a leader that can teach me to hold fast to my ideals and principles, even in the face of adversity.

I am grateful for a leader who understands that diversity is not to be feared but to be celebrated. While our common purposes far outnumber our differences, it is through those differences that we can expand our consciousness and celebrate our common humanity.

I am grateful for a leader who knows that acknowledgement of vulnerability is indeed, a strength. I am grateful for a leader who asks me to look in the mirror and say: "I AM THE ONE that I have been waiting for.

I am grateful for a leader who understands that the basic unit of power of any human energy system (whether it be a family, a business, a team, a community or a nation) is the individual.

I am grateful for a leader who knows the number of times you fall down is unimportant. The only thing that really counts is how many times you get up.

I am grateful for a leader who teaches us that our visions are powered by our internal energies. Those energies are either positive or negative. Our results in life, negative or positive, evolve from our dominant energy.

I am grateful for a leader that knows that the primary cause of interpersonal conflicts is the amount of negative energy that exists within the organization (human energy system). Giving people the opportunity to express their natural creativity and ingenuity significantly reduces this negative energy.

I am grateful for a Leader who understands that sometimes you will take a hit. Tough decisions have to be made that will bring out both the positive and negative energies of people. Superior leaders understand how to deal with both.

I am grateful for a Leader that understands the current 'environment' and can act accordingly (with deliberation and immediacy) in response to the new situation. Often that change in direction will result in an apparent contradiction of a prior course of action.

I am grateful for a leader who understands the difference between inspiration and motivation. Inspiration awakens people. Motivation moves people to respond. This is what moves people from complacency to positive action.

I am grateful for a leader who can react with restraint and logic as opposed to emotional reactivity.

I am grateful for a leader who understands that ‘failure’ is a definition of ‘opportunity’.

I am grateful for a leader that understands that in every situation in life you are either at Cause or Effect. Your level of personal response-ability is what determines whether you are a victim of your circumstances.

I am grateful for a leader who can bridge the greatness of JFK, MLK, Bobby, and Ted- weaving all into the fabric of the here and now.

Today, November 5th, 2008 I am grateful for………………….

Victoria C. DePaul, www.ebookobama.com Obama ~ Leadership for the 21st Century Available for free download.

Yes for Obama, Yes for You

Leader of the FUTURE — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:09:18 EST

Please visit my creation----> http://www.YesForObama.tk

Holding my Breath

Dawn in Arizona — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:47:51 EST

Last night I was glued, as I'm sure many were, to all the returns.....and then came the announcement and the tears.

Wow! We did it!

My little doggie I just rescued set on my lap(when I could hold still)- he is so nervous but when I did my happy dance he wagged his tail for the first time!

America may still in some parts be in the dark but we helped the best man for the job get elected.

I see a future now for all of us. As millions did wonder if the Reps could steal another elction I walked around on tip toes, praying, hoping....

President Obama inherits a horribly broken government but he can get it done.

Now let us keep him in office for two terms!

A trillion actions big and small

Jess Meltzer — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:05:22 EST

Hi! We made history. When Barack Obama was elected President today it was because of a trillion small acts from millions of Americans ovet the past 2 years that has brought us to this moment.

Every little thing we do has an impact be it big or small. Every little
thing can matter a great deal. A little push is all it takes to set off a chain
of dominos.

Each of you has contributed to this moment in history. We've each given what we could.
Please take a moment to reflect and write down some of the things you did that
mattered most to you, or write down everything you did. It doesn't matter. Then,
pass this on to everyone you know who contributed time, energy, and/or money to
this effort so they can be included.

Please cc meltzer7@charter.net . We'd like to see how the list grows.

Jess in MA: Phonebanking, postcard writing/organizing, event hosting, and lots of other stuff.
Jonathan Meltzer (Berlin MA) Standing in the rain with 700 other volunteers listening to Barack speak before heading out to door knock on the first day of canvassing in NH April 2007.... Convincing a woman in Nashua at 5:30 PM primary day who was not going to vote to go to the polls and vote for Barack.... organizing a massive student outreach in MA, VT, NH, NY and RI to get college students from NH to register and vote absentee in NH....

Emma RUddock (mass HQ) - pulling an all nighter at the Mass Headquarters with some amazing people and entering data, my amazing college dems leaders who's enthusiasm is so incredible and inspiring, realizing after the NH primaries that this was not going to be easy but that we were going to do it anyway, succeeding in convincing my parents to let me take the year off from college to work fulltime on the campaign, meeting some of the most incredible people that I have ever gotten to know, voting in my first presidential election

Happy Historic Day!

Kathleen — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:36:49 EST

We WON! Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States. I'm SO happy. When I learned that Obama had won the election, I cried tears of joy. I'm hoarse from joyful yelling. Happy, Happy Historic Day!

Kathleen

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama!

17 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:50:39 EST

They said it couldn't be done. But you did it. We did it. Well done good and faithful servant! Much remains to be done, but for today, just know we love you and our hopes and prayers are with you and your family on this historic day for America. God Bless Us Everyone!!!!!!!!

Why I Support Barack Obama

Gentry Glenn — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:11:24 EST

I was a full time student and I just found out my husband was going on his third deployment. Once again I am force to be a single mother and also have to suffer the burdens of household’s responsibility by myself as well as aim to finish my education. That day I just wanted to give up. Then I heard him speak. After his loss in the New Hampshire Primary. I heard his speech which inspired me …he said…“That the change we want will not come easy, that it is not okay to say whatever we want to win to win…we are also struggling against our own doubts, our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it. There are those who will continue to tell us we cannot do this. That we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes. Yes we can change. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can seize our future that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and fear and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple words: Yes. We Can.” Those words and many other words that he spoke have changed my life. Why do you support Barack Obama? Someone asked. No one ever asked me that before. I feel that people assume because I am black that I automatically side with the black candidate. That is not the case for me I thought. I rarely have a conversation with African American where they feel we need a black president, like most American we want a good president. I felt the issues this year are much too important to let race or gender get in they way. I want to make changes to our healthcare system. I want an economy that benefits all of us. I want an honest President that will not lie to me and not put our men and women in harms way unless it is absolutely necessary. I want to feel inspired by my government. Him being black had nothing to do with it I told myself, he’s honest, smart and worthy to be president. But then my brother called me and said, “Gentry me and my homeboys got together to go vote. I thought to myself, my little brother voted in Texas during a primary. He told me how there were 8 machines and only 3 of them worked and how they stood in that Texas heat waiting to vote. I thought about how it took me 3 minutes to vote in Orange County where I live.. Later my mom called and she told me how she went to caucus and it was standing room only. The official said to her that they had never seen anything like this. Most years they might have 30 or less people come to caucus. My mother had also never caucused before. What changed me was that later on my little brother called me again. He said “I got off work late and I knew I had to get to the caucus site before 8 o’clock. He said he, I got there at 7:55 and I know because I looked at my watch he said the doors were already locked. So my little brother proceeded to beat on the door until someone sees him. He was yelling “Let me in so that I can vote.” They did. I support Obama because he in inspired my brother to beat on a door so that his voice could be heard. Because of Barack, my brother and his friend have a new perception of themselves that they can be famous and loved in this country without having to be an be an athlete or entertainer. I support Obama because he opposed the War in Iraq. I support Obama for all of the people on welfare because they couldn’t afford to pay their medical bills. I support Obama for every Mexican immigrant who left a culture and a language he knew, to come to a sometimes unwelcoming land in the hopes that his children can have a better way of life. I support Obama for not pandering on a gas tax that would give relief to no one, except maybe the oil industry. I support Obama because when he speaks I hear truth. I support Obama for what he did for my community, brother and other young black men. I support Obama because when I wanted to give in he helped me realized that we can achieve our goals if we are willing to work for them. Yes We Can is not slogan but a declaration of extraordinary things to come. Thank You Obama…I truly understand. I have pour everything I have into this campaign and I am better because of it.

Police Officers Enforce Laws Already Written, They Are Not Judges, or Mental Health Doctors!

Josh and Kade — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:33:27 EST

---------what is up with police forcing citizens into mental health ward against their will? Police are not mental health doctors let alone judges, so why are they embarking on areas they have no experience in? Allowing police to do this is in itself abuse of authority. I say that because obviously police are not medically college educated to assess citizens who 'may have' a mental illness.

What happens if a bobbie {cop} wants a little pay back and deliberatley diagnoses a citizen with a mental illness that doesn't have one? What if this person who is purposly wronged, fraudulently diagnosed, is forced against his will into 72 hour lock down? It's the point...in the matter. ,

[(I have witnessed this type of behavior before by bobbies looking to discredit accused whistleblower in order to clear themselfes of any wrong doing. Label a change agent as schitzophrenic, as to imply the individual is a threat to himself or the public. Accuse change agent of threatening the Chief of police with a gun (when he did not threaten anyone, when what he was really doing was telling Human rights advocate that his life was threatened; police officer threatened to kill him if he didn't shut his mouth) So in sayng if you do the right thing; serve your country by protecting subordinates lives, expect the superiors to punish you for it

Pushing for change in order to protect officers lives while they are in the field....isn't really whistleblowing, it is in fact advocating on the behalf of officers lives. If the training is in question then the right thing to do would be to challange that training by pushing to correct what is wrong! If saving officers lives is classified as a mental illness, then what does that say about superiors mind set? Doesn't say they support and defend their subordinates now does it? No it doesn't!! it says superiors would much rather place their subordinates into harms way in order to benefit their own political agenda...whatever that may be. Probably a new job elsewhere perhaps higher rank?

Never the less it is cruel and selfish to place subordinates into harms way; expect officers to disregard procedure in favor of carrying out an illegal order. All in favor of what securing superiors political agenda? really? Why, why is it superiors are more important then the subordinates? HU? because i don't see the importance, not one damn bit. Superiors are in the position of SERVANT not master. This master/slave shit has got to go. It is my opinion for a superior to implement policy that endanders subordinates lives is an automatic dis service to country and anyone who provides a dis service to country, should be denied his/her citizenship. Who cares who you are, or who you think you are, your a dishonorable piece of *%#@ TRAITOR!

Am I passionate about advocating on the behalf of subordinates? Your damn right I am. I will do whatever it takes to secure their right.]

Back to the subject at hand:

Again police are not educated enough, or experienced enough to know the difference between "if" the citizen has a mental illness or not.. Because a person is upset and flies off the handle does not automatically means he/she is mentally disturbed. It means the person is under a great deal of stress and does not know how to contain it/control self properly.

I have witness some hot headed cops in my days, does this conclude they are mentally ill? NOPE!! Well may be. But who am I to decide "if' they are mentally ill? I am no doctor. Diagnosing should be left up to doctors who are college educated and medically experienced to assess these kinds of things.....

Police are human too, just as citizen they deal with are human. Being emotional because something went wrong does not conclude your mentally ill PEOPLE! This mental illness diagnosing is getting way out of hand....it is when police who have no doctor degree and or law degree are allowed to force citizen into 72 hour lock up. Label you with a disorder they know nothing about (but what they have heard thru their peers/ 31D)

Anyway, I dont believe police are in the position to forcibly comit anyone, just as we citizens are not in the position to deprive police officer of his job because we feel he didn't take due care when he arrested little old lady.

In order for proper dianoses and to prevent depriving citizen of his/her civil rights, is for the Police department to hire a qualified mental health doctor to assess incoming citizens who 'may have' a mental health issue. It's common sense.-------Kade

County's Mental Health Officer Gives Sheriff's Office More Flexibility

Anniston Star via YellowBrix

November 03, 2008

For Uriah McElderry’s family, the stress of having a family member in and out of jail is well understood.

He was most recently arrested for threatening to shoot himself and everyone in the city courtroom Aug. 13.

Although his family disputes the threat to kill any one but himself, they agree he has a mental illness, and has been in and out of treatment and jail.

In fact, they asked for him to be sent to the Mental Health Center, where he could receive treatment.

Sgt. John Garlick, the deputy trained to deal with mental health issues, said McElderry’s case is a difficult one. Garlick’s introduction as the county’s first mental health officer in 2007 gives law enforcement much more flexibility to deal with the mentally ill, Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson said.

Garlick’s position allows him to commit people to medical treatment without their consent. Formerly, this power was limited to probate judges, he said.

He can commit people to a crisis bed for up to 72 hours. This is important if the person is suicidal and may not survive his or her time in prison, he said.

McElderry’s case is fairly straightforward in the eyes of the law. He committed a felony and has to serve time in jail. Anniston police Chief John Dryden said it is not always the case.

The response from law enforcement has to vary widely, he said. Sometimes the person is not a threat, and the best thing to do is to take them home or to the hospital. Other times, they are a threat to themselves or others. In that case, officers can send them to jail.

But Garlick cannot be everywhere at once. So officers often have to rely on their judgment and training, Dryden said.

All local law enforcement organizations give their officers some training in dealing with mental health issues.

Deputy David Becker found the training useful Tuesday, when he removed a woman from a bar west of Anniston on Alabama 202.

She threatened to kill herself, and Becker had to respond immediately, calming her down and ensuring she would be safe.

He said it might have been easier to take her to jail, but the intervention of her friends made that unnecessary.

Because Garlick is the only local law enforcement officer who can order someone into a mental health facility, he deals with mental health problems county-wide, including suicide threats, problem criminals and committing people to mental health treatment programs.

Garlick said people with mental health issues can be effectively treated and rehabilitated if they have committed a crime, but “mental illness is no excuse for bad behavior.”

An example, he said, is bipolar disorder, in which a person has extreme emotional and physical highs and lows. This can be treated effectively through group therapy and medication. A patient who has the disorder and plans for it can live a fairly normal life, he said.

It’s similar to diabetes, he said. In both cases, the person needs to visit a doctor, take medication and change his or her lifestyle.

But there are side effects to some medication, he said. In the case of bipolar disorder, patients on medication sometimes refer to life as being neutral, with little to no joy or color. Some men also experience impotence. Such symptoms can cause people to go off their medication, and their problems return, he said.

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Honoring Madelyn Dunham

Economan — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:18:40 EST

It is a sad day today, as we must mourn the passing of a truely great woman. Much as we must mourn her passing, it is a stark reminder of how important tomorrow should be to all of us. We are now reminded that we are not just voting for ourselves, but we are voting to honor Madelyn Dunham, who has waited 47 years for this day to come. We are voting for those who dared to hope, and those who have given their lives, and bled so that we may have this day. Let us honor these great people this Tuesday, November 4, 2008, and fulfill the dreams of a woman who could not see this day and so many who are no longer with us.

My brothers and sisters, we are now reminded that a 6 hour wait is not too long, for there are those who have waited a lifetime for this moment... for this opportunity to cast this historic vote. Stand together tomorrow, no matter the weather, no matter how long, for tomorrow, we are one and we are on the side of history.

This vote is historic not because Barack Obama will be the first African-American President of the USA. This vote is historic because we are voting for a new America... where life and death is not decided by the health insurance companies... where we believe again that we are "One Nation, Under God" and we are all equal...

Many of us live out our lives without the opportunity to have a significant moment. This one moment, that will be shared by a nation... One moment, where we forget about the color of our skin. One moment, where we all come together... with hope... that tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Remember this day... Remember the day we changed the world.

McCain and the Draft!

Dawn in Arizona — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:28:48 EST

Here is a good article about McSame and the Draft! Most of you are to young to know about how the government can just send a letter and Take your son/daughter and send them into battle!

In Vietnam we lost 58,000 young lives! and stayed there 12 years. McCain says 100 years in Iraq. But our military is short of warm bodies - how would he do that??? The Draft! and if you have ever served our country - he could then force you back! Forget your job/family/plans - he does not care.

http://www.juancole.com/2008/11/coming-mccain-military-draft.html

Now,

Vote!

Fired Up! Ready to go!

Tricia — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:24:31 EST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83lum1XcOug

Here is a video that will get you ALL Fired Up!

So What's Next?

L. Glory — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:42:33 EST

The Day Before, should we call it Super Monday or how about "The Last Day of Forever". Whatever it is, it's going to be great to see what comes next.

My hat goes off to everyone that helped this campaign in every conceivable way. Now as long as we all go vote, it should be a FANTASTIC Tuesday!

Here's a little something to start Monday off right.

http://www.theobamaexperiment.com/Videos.html

Here's looking to a Bright BLUE Tuesday Voting Day!

:Lilly

To talk or not to talk: a strategy for peace in Iraq (3rd edition)

Shodja Ziaian — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:20:47 EST

A crucial choice in this election is on world leadership. And the choice is between an inspiring President leading the world in a strategy for peace, and a President who would continue misleading us with a strategy for war.

The world is watching...

Maryan B. — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:12:10 EST

Hard to believe the things hapening in the American Presidential Campain!

Such a POLITICAL TERRORISM from the Replubican Party..

Desperated they are going soooo LOW!

Racist behaviors, actions, comments etc.. Stupid GOSSIPS and matters...

It's hard to believe this is happening in the U.S.A!

Many people think that this can only happen in small, poor, ignorant countries...

And the worst is that many ignorant people are falling in thsi dirty game!

The world is watching you and *HOPING* that Barack Obama wins.

We mostly believe that he CAN make the USA and the world be better!

Shame on you REPUBLICANS!

Desperate Republicans

Brian from RI — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:20:51 EDT

It certainly appears that the Rupublicans are getting desperate, and it is hurting them. While they resort to scare tactics (Rev. Wright, Bill Ayres, PLO, etc.) instead of focusing on the issues that Americans are concerned about, they are losing the principled people who should be their base. Last week, Christopher Buckley, son of the founder of the Conservative movement (William F Buckley) came out in support of Barack Obama, and felt so strongly about this support that he resigned from the magazine his father started. Now, Ron Reagan, son of the first conservative President, has followed Mr. Buckley in support of Sen. Obama.

I believe that history will show this election as a turning point in American politics, a shift toward progressive and positive campaigns.

McCain Forgot Arizona

Dawn in Arizona — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:01:45 EDT

well, really this is not news..come on! He does not work for his "home" state - he has for decades ignored veterans in Arizona and all of us!

It is rather funny - makes me laugh that he thought yet again that he could just go about his rich business and Arizona would fall into voting for him. He is so out of touch!

We have been rather ignored although Senator Obama ran adds here - I can see why the Obama camp did not think they could take Arizona..BUT..my husband might get his wish and this state go for Senator Obama.

Vote!

Obama means: Responding to Priorities and not to Pressures

jean pierres101% OBAMA — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:59:32 EDT

Obama is in the pilot’s seat ready to take off. By so doing, republican messenger-boy McCain and Co must accept that they’re now passengers in the economic class, conforming definitely only to people, events and circumstances. More so, they know but fail to admit frustration is squeezing them into their own hand made mould. If we choose to see the republicans from another stand point, it’s certain they’re no more in the pilot’s seat that’s why their frustration levels is higher everyday than their contentment levels all time low. Republicans; ascend our plane of change there is hope or miss it!!! It’s so sad to note that we’ll share such a beautiful nation (USA) and a nice man on top with unsociable, ungrateful, and undermining recalcitrants named republicans. It’s time; the republicans should wipe their wild waterfowl tears of evil off their faces and stop crying. Democrats, Obama/Biden and all the happy people across the globe are feeling so sorry for their misfortunes. November 04, 2008 is sure and Obama is President of USA. Compliments from, jean pierres. President, Obamania Fans' Club Cote d'Ivoire

Abdul Haq and the Fall of the Taliban

Hunter Sloan Smith — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:26:49 EDT

I recently wrote about Said Hyder Akbar's book "Come Back to Afghanistan," in rereading this nineteen year old's life at the center of the events that led to the re-emergence of Al Queda in Afghanistan, it makes our Middle Eastern foreign policy of the last eight years look like a poorly played game of Risk. You know, when you play with someone with no strategy whatsoever. Mind you, this is a current Yale undergraduate writing from the ground with access to the top "good guys," who would eventually be on Karzai's team, including his father. Akbar recounts precisely ow the US turned to Pakistan and for protection and distribution of funds and military supplies. We used the corrupt ISI under Musharaff to aid visionaries who wanted to rebuild Afghanistan and return Kabul to its cosmopolitan lifestyle. After Sept. 11, 2001, all of the refugees who had been major policy makers, writers and thinkers were hopeful that the United States was ready to help rebuild what the Soviets and then the warlords had destroyed.

My first week canvassing in Keene New Hampshire back in january, I had he privilege of going door to door with Susan Rice and her handsome son. Our boys were about the same age and we thought it would help them from getting too bored. Ms. Rice is one of Obama's top foreign policy experts. I got to hear, first hand her explanation to volunteers that Obama had believed a venture into Iraq was misguided when the culprits of 9/11 were in Afghanistan. We needed to focus on preventing the increasing power vacume that Afghanistan was experiencing. Said Akbar recounts from the Afghani perspective precisely how that is wat occurred. A high school graduate from suburban California had a more valid grasp on world events than our President and the advisors he chose to implement. We can never make up to the Aghan people our aquiescence to Pakistan's corrupt military to distribute aide to their country, but we can begin to listen to the best and the brightest minds in foreign policy, as well as eager Afghan allies who have always been willing to share the events of their coutry with the US government.

The situation is desperate. It has been for years but better late than never.

One in a Million

Tricia — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:39:10 EDT

I, who never donated to a campaigh in my life, am one of the first million who supported Obama. Over the last 20 months I have contributed $25.00 at key moments.

I am the mother of a Marine Corps Sergeant. I first came to this campaign because of his stance on war during my son's deployment to the Al-Anbar Province in Iraq. My son is now fine, on inactive duty but still has a contract till 2010. With all my research and investment I can say without hesitation that I would be proud to have this man as my son's Commander-in-Chief .

We, the People are finally being asked to step up and circumvent the old politics that have dominated our collective lives for too long. We, the People funded his campaign in by giving our own little mites and have seen this man take our trust and not break it once.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lHTwUvOje04

This Person Simply Cannot Vote for Obama

Carol — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:09:55 EDT

(with permission from the author to post)

First, let's get this straight. I can't vote. I am not a convicted felon and there is no mismatch between my ID's and my registration. I can't vote because I am a legal resident but not a citizen. So there is nothing wrong with me, my status or the voting system when it comes to why I can't vote.

Now, I have been living in the US for a bit more than 5 years -always legally-, I am married to an US citizen and as anyone else living here I am concerned about where this country is going. I don't vote and I do understand the reasons why I
can't.

But if I could, this is how I would vote...

Click Here For Remainder of Article>

Rahm Emanuel vs. Lindsey Graham

Robert Lynch — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:51:57 EDT

On today's morning news shows there was a debate between Rahm Emanuel and Lindsey Graham. Rahm delivered a very nice defense of Barack, and Sen. Graham issued the usual talking points attacking Barack. What disgusted me was when Graham uttered the false nonsense about Barack never once "admitting how great a success the surge has been".

First of all, this is a complete lie. Barack has many times said the surge has had some success in cutting down on the number of our troops getting killed. But then Graham said it is an outrage that Barack will not admit he was wrong about the surge. No one in their right mind is outraged that Barack did or did not support the surge. The American people are outraged that the Iraq War was started in the first place.

People like Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and their masters W Bush and Cheney started this nightmarish war, that is what outrages the American people. Watching the death toll of our troops rise above 4500 is what outrages the American people. Seeing tens of thousands of our troops come home with no arms, legs, blinded, or paralyzed is what outrages the American people. Seeing tens of thousands of our troops with PTSD causing them to suffer mental torment and flashbacks because they have witnessed their fellow soldiers getting killed or ripped to shreds by IED's is what outrages the American people. Not the fact that Barack will not fall over himself singing the praises of the surge.

I suggest that any of these fools, including any Republican, whether Graham, McCain or Palin, if they really want to show what a success the surge is, go to Iraq and walk the streets without a military escort or bodyguards and demonstrate for the world to see how great a success the surge has been. Put their own lives on the line, instead of demanding our troops continue to put their own health and safety at risk in order to insure McCain's promise of a glorious "Victory". From what we see reported in the International press, within moments they would be picked up by any number of different kidnappers, Sunni, Shia, Iraqi Mafia, Al Queda wanna-bes, etc, and then they could see and feel for themselves the success of the surge and what ordinary Iraqis are facing every day.

Only 9 days left until we can start doing something about this madness, once and for all.

Robert Lynch

Iraq Veterans Against the War - Benefit Concert and Book Release Party

*Richard Zack* — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:06:23 EDT

PRESS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2008

IRAQ WAR VETERANS RELEASE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF MIDEAST OCCUPATIONS
WINTER SOLDIER BENEFIT CONCERT AND BOOK DEBUT, OCT. 30, 2008

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has teamed up with the NYC management company The Wink Winks to craft an evening of rock and reflection to celebrate the release of Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations from Haymarket Books. On Thursday, October 30, 2008, veterans, musicians, and the general public will converge at Sullivan Hall to raise awareness with readings from the book by Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans, and to raise money for continued advocacy with performances by great bands from NYC and around the country.

In the spring of 2008, inspired by the Vietnam-era Winter Soldier Investigation, IVAW gathered outside Washington, D.C., and testified to atrocities they personally witnessed or participated in while deployed in the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. The book presents their powerful words, photographs, and documents from this historic event, with a Foreword from Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead.

Along with readings from Winter Solder: Iraq and Afghanistan, there will be performances by musicians from around the country who support the continued work of IVAW, including the Brooklyn based bands System Noise, The Volunteers, Wounded Buffalo Theory, Lachi, Trevor Earth, the Connecticut band doublethink, and a special solo performance by Milwaukee's Otto Ohlsson from Into Arcadia. Special guests and additional artists TBA.

Sullivan Hall is located at 214 Sullivan St. in New York's Greenwich Village. Tickets are available for presale through TicketWeb (www.sullivanhalltix.com) for a discounted $15, or $20 at the door. Proceeds will go to the New York City Chapter and the Winter Soldier Committee of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Doors will open at 7:30PM with readings and performances to begin shortly thereafter. Come add your voices to ours to show that together we can change the path of this country and end this war and occupation.

ABOUT IVAW: IVAW was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 at the annual convention of Veterans for Peace in Boston, to give a voice to active duty service people and veterans who are against the war. Today, IVAW has over 1,200 members in 48 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, and on military bases overseas.

ABOUT THE WINK WINKS: The Wink Winks was founded in 2004 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio by Richard Zack and Dave Smith, to produce, manage, and promote talented artists with a focus of making a positive impact on society. Today, The Wink Winks is based in Queens, NY and manages several Rock artists and producers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Iraq Veterans Against the War: http://www.ivaw.org
The Wink Winks: http://www.thewinkwinks.com
System Noise: http://myspace.com/systemnoise
The Volunteers: http://myspace.com/thevolunteers
doublethink: http://myspace.com/doublethinkrocks
Into Arcadia: http://myspace.com/intoarcadia
Wounded Buffalo Theory: http://myspace.com/wbt
Lachi: http://myspace.com/lachimusic
Trevor Earth: http://myspace.com/trevorearth

Put a Democrat in Congress in Alabama

Curtis ByThePeopleForThePeopleOfThePeople — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:05:55 EDT

If you like accents this blog is for you. If not, beat it. Our Democratic Red to Blue candidate from Alabama is like Barack Obama twenty years ago. He's a great speaker, thinker but he's REAL. The accent proves it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikNnrndFGI

Friends, I've got a story for you. It's about a candidate running for national elected office. He's known as a, "very effective organizer," as well as, "one of the greatest conversationalists that anyone will ever meet." He was an organizer at his Ivy league university. Once he graduated he came home and worked at civil defense law firm. He helped with the campaigns of Mark Warner and Diane Feinstein. One of his greatest concerns are the losses of jobs from the textile factories that have shut down in his state. His opponent says he's "too liberal," "pro-abortion," and supported by Hollywood. Yet these ads are being called out by the press for being grossly misleading and dangerous. His opponent has claimed that the, Barack Obama? Nope. It's Rogers's opponent Democrat Joshua Segall running for Congress in the 3rd district of Alabama.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2961293930_3a98c5e327_m.jpg

Mike Rogers calls us liberal extremists and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74tw060W4zM&feature=related because he is scared of us.

I'm scared for the lessons that millions of children are learning around this country. That there's something to be scared of in our nation, and it's "liberals." It's a joke to these conservatives to play the fear card. It's a successful strategy to them. But it's real to us. Fear is real. Fear is terror. When your friends are in Iraq right now because some underqualified guy is President because he played the fear card. That's real. Do not get me started with JFK, MLK, Vietnam.. that's real. A Senator that talks about lapel pins and preachers while men die in the field should be shamed into withdrawing from the race. A campaign that plants "plumbers" in the crowd with phony stories to create gotcha moments and narratives, while seniors have to choose between buying food and buying medicine... should be shamed.

We've raised money for Dem Josh Segall, so I know you're pissed off too $993 we've raised through my page at ActBlue for Segall from 29 different donators! Thank you. And it's paying off in the polls, http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002975892&parm1=5&cpage=1 has upgraded Segall's chances. The DCCC has upgraded them as well, http://www.segall2008.com/blog/?p=37 sending Majority Leader Steny Hoyer down to Alabama to campaign for Josh this Thursday. Rogers could barely hold back his neoMcCarthyist venom in their debate on Oct 8th. http://www.leftinalabama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2745 watch this debate tougher questions than presidential debates, and our boy dominates!!)
"You can hire this very young zealous advocate, who wants to do a good job, but has very little experience," Rogers said, referring to Segall, a 29-year-old Montgomery lawyer making his first run for political office.Josh calmly fired back
"When you look at experience, you have to ask yourself what has experience gotten you," Segall said. He said Rogers has not done enough to create jobs in the east Alabama district...Segall said he is dedicated to finding high-paying jobs to replace the textile mill positions."We need someone who is going to wake up every day thinking how are we going to create jobs today," Segall said.
Believe it or not, but Mike Rogers mentioned the word "experienced" many times in that debate.

Rogers claims that Segall is funded by Hollywood friends. Segall rebutted with a personal letter from his "Hollywood" friends.
My husband and I currently live in California, and we made a modest contribution to Josh Segall’s campaign. We don’t think of ourselves as Hollywood types. We still introduce ourselves as “from Alabama.”
Last week, I told my book club that my favorite supper is a bowl of grits and a Miller Lite. Like Josh, I have deep roots in Alabama, and I never knew I’d end up here, but as one of our vice presidential candidates recently said, “Life happens.”
Much more information at my previous diary http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/20/0310/7777/961/635675 it's packed with videos, pictures and links to more pertinent information.

Let's send Mike Rogers a pinkslip so we can get his constituents some jobs, and get some adequate healthcare for both the civilian and military of South Eastern Alabama. Please donate, no amount is too small.. $1 will send a message. There are certain times to fight back and certain times to ignore. In this case, he's the incumbent, he's punching down. We want to fight this fight, just like the Bachmann ep. More importantly than donating is that we spread the word about this Rogers race and the great young hope that is Joshua Segall. The lesson of the Bachmann incident should be that we set the narrative. The money did it, but we can set the narrative in other ways. Spread the word, fight this hate, and maybe we'll get a progressive Democratic congressman from Alabama! But not if we let the DCCC do the fundraising, The DCCC has only raised $80 for Josh since naming him a R2B candidate.
http://www.actblue.com/page/joshsegalldailykos

What Part of Advocating On Behalf of Law Enforcement Officers [subordinates] Is A Sign Of Mental Illness?

Josh and Kade — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:20:39 EDT

Question: "How is it a police department, that once had "questionable" pratices, can get away with continually classifying a change agent (dishonorable cops call change agents Whistleblowers) as mentally unstable?"

Pushing for change against 'questionable police training' is in no way shape or form, a form of mental instability! How so? 'you do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do' makes you mentally unstable? Really by who standards, the corrupt? Apparently so.

It is my opinion that men and women who push for change on questionable police practices should be held as hero, not outcasted and treated like the less desirable. Because fact of the matter is, if it was not for honorable police, the profession wouldn't be worth a damn. It would be just another way for the mob to control the public with an iron fist. It be worth a bunch of criminals wearing police uniforms. Talk about a threat to national security! If police acted like mobsters, our country wouldn't have any security whatsoever! Well, sorry that kind of "radicalism" is not going to happen, that only happens in 3rd world countries. We are not a totalitarian state and we never will be. So those of you who "think" we will be, get over it because it will never happen! America will never be a police state, being that it has already become a socialist one. Our intelligence agencies have already merged, this means we are officially a social driven community. Socialist do not do business with want to be police state supporters.

Hail to the change agents who have the courage to 'protect and serve' the rest of us....and for those who have no courage at all? Your already damned.

I, and the rest of society, have no respect for law enforcement officers who outcast the honorable in favor of those who have no honor at all.

Supporting and defending those who disregard the meaning behind; "why they were hired in the first place" does a dis service to those who value their careers in public service.

I salute the change agent. Thank you for keeping the profession of law enforcement honorable. And thank you, to all the honorable police officers who dispise other officers who ruined it for the rest of them.

Josh and Kade

Choice is between war and peace, the old world and a new one

Shodja Ziaian — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:11:30 EDT

Obama has already changed the political and spiritual landscape in the United States and in the world, for the better. As a candidate, he is subject to the fantastic smear attacks of his warlike opponents. As a President, he will be able to restore ethics and moral values in the United States of America and beyond.

Time Magazine article on what could end the Iraq War

17 — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:29:05 EDT

A YBNI group member shared this link to an article in Time on how current events could conspire to end the Iraq War.

Dear Mom and Dad McCain voters

Amanda — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:46:31 EDT

This letter is an actual letter being written by a friend of mine with a few changes on some cuts.

The person who has a real letter did not want her real name. She is disabled with 5 children

and not receiving child support and has a degree. Rather than her brother, this was

something she was relaying about her son who was going into the Air Force. Overall the letter

had many more cuts involved but I took the letter down to the actual concerns and what is facing

the American people voting McCain and they may be clueless about this spending freeze and cuts.

Dear Mom and Dad,   Thought I would drop you a line and let you know that if you vote
McCain/Palin ticket and they win, please know the kids and me will
Be moving in with you folks. I heard Sen. McCain say that he is freezing
All federal programs, so this is what we are looking at. You know since I have been out of work
And the unemployment is soon to run out, I have depended on that
200.00 extra food stamp money.   That will be eliminated.
I also hope that you have plenty of brown
Paper bags so I can prepare the kids a bologna sandwich for lunch. There will no longer be any lunch programs, reduced fee or otherwise.
I will be job hunting again this week but with my credit shot with all
Of those student loans not getting paid back on time, it is really hard.  My landlord just had this house foreclosed, so, my rent just went down the toilet.  I don’t have health insurance and the kids won’t have any Medicaid
I guess, since this is a state program funded by the Children’s Healthcare
By the government. Billy has not paid any child support for 6 months and I filed for TANF.
They just approved it and I know 150.00 a month isn’t much but it helps,
So the baby won’t run out of diapers but, that will be gone as well.I know you and Dad wanted better for me and I do have a degree but there
Are no jobs anywhere. The kids have to come first. I won’t be able to hope
For free daycare and McCain does not support nor The Head start program. I hope you and Dad have a really good running car because it looks like all
The infrastructure programs will be cut and it only takes one pot hole to kill
Your car. I hope you and Dad are not going to get sick and have kept up al
Of your insurance premiums when you retired or have any pre existing conditions because I will help you guys when I can help myself. If McCain goes in, I don’t see much help for me and the kids for years.I got a letter from Kerry yesterday who said he would be coming home for
Christmas to spend with us all before his next deployment to Iraq but he was
Having a lot of problems with thoughts and images. Chris has always been
Your favorite (ha ha). I don’t know what he is going to do Mom and Dad, as I know Sen. Obama will take care of these Iraq and Afghan vets but your youngest son, and my baby brother needs to be able to get into
The VA. He is concerned over all of the cutbacks. I guess he will
Be staying with you guys as well. Mom, I know he has lots of problems
Dealing with the trauma of this war so we will all have to learn to
Adjust if and when he comes home. I pray he leaves that war zone soon.I didn’t want this letter to be a downer but I wanted you to be prepared for
All the new life changing events that are about to hit you and Dad square on
Because you have always voted Republican. I hope we can all adjust.
I am sure you will rethink about voting for McCain/Palin if you know all of
This in advance. I think you should ask McCain just how that spending freeze and cutting programs are going to affect you.  As I see it, it will
Definitely affect you.  All I can say is, McCain is just more of the same and you thought you were right when you voted Bush.Do you still think that?

"Three reasons success in Iraq is vital" --visitng IU prof

17 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:12:43 EDT

IU professor and former Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nation, Feisal Istrabadi, calls for mature discussion of the issues we confront in Iraq. His nuanced position seems to be that our two candidates are currently too polarized now for such an even, "mature," and necesssary discussion. The issues seem all quite academic; nevertheless Prof. Istrabadi clearly has a great deal at stake in the outcome.

17, Admin, YBNI

Send John McCain a MESSAGE on Election Day – Compare the 60’s with today…

wt — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:50:28 EDT

I remember coming of age in the late 1960s. I served my country during that era, and was convinced that our leaders have done us wrong. I remember American people taking to the streets to stop the war in SE Asia.

Now many years older, I have seen the American people in the streets protesting our war in the Middle East today. In both eras, Americans have answered the call to serve their country. Many of our young people, both then and now, have suffered to defend our country’s interests. The big gainers in both eras were the military-defense establishment that wasted so much of America’s budget.

The anti-Vietnam-era anti-war militancy wasn’t only the radical Weathermen; it was composed of American men and women from every segment of our society, and in its closing days included many veterans of that war. Lies, secrecy, and half-truths characterized Peace with Honor was an often-heard cry as America disengaged. But I know American veterans from that era who are still suffering the results of what they faced in SE Asia.

While I was studying abroad in Sweden in 1976-77, I met quite a number of Americans who had disserted from the military, mostly while on leave, and somehow ended up in Sweden. I was happy when an amnesty was granted that finally allowed them to return to their homes and families.

These days, I am meeting young American veterans who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan, and paid dearly for listening to the call of their leaders who brought them into war without really understanding what we were doing.

The McCain campaign appears to have confused differing definitions of the word ‘radical’. Many of us were radicals during the Vietnam era because we wanted a departure from what was going on there. We wanted change to end the war. Most of us did not advocate extreme measures to end the war.

I know America just can’t take 4 more years of the same stupidity that surrounds our foreign wars today. Urge everyone to go to the polls and elect Obama.

Never again in my lifetime. No way!!!!

Angela — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:29:21 EDT

When I look at most of the disturbing and down right ridiculous images of war TODAY I have to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Americans as a people should be LIVID that anyone wants to vote for a McCain administration. Clearly, these people have taken leave of their senses. I have never known anger and hurt until I saw a military veteran cry; that is absolutely insane!! We have the right, not the option or responsibility to live in peace and harmony just as sure as you are born into this world. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! obam/biden '08

Presidential Ignorance - second edition

Shodja Ziaian — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:21:15 EDT

Presidential Ignorance

It is frightening though to see the presidential candidate McCain in a tour in Israel arguing against Iran on the basis that Iran is helping Al Qaida! You might notice that the media have rarely or ever mentioned that Iran and Al Qaida are fiercest enemies, and that the Bush administration never tried to establish a foreign policy based on this major factor.

McCain is a military who continues to live in the mindset of the Vietnam War. He sees the world in black and white, from the eyes of an aviator whose job it was to bomb Vietnam and the Vietnamese and who was happy to do it (see his own account of it). He is still not totally free of this addiction (see his happily singing “bomb, bomb, Iran” and calling it a “joke”, during a “presidential” campaign, how reassuring!).

McCain is not a leader, but a soldier. He is more eager to listen to and obey his commander – now general Petraeus, than to make decision on war and peace, for the sake of peace. He wants to be a good soldier and is obsessed with the goodness and usefulness of a military “surge”.

We need a President capable of having a clear and correct vision of the present world; a president that could elaborate a strategy for world peace and to implement it through dialogue and diplomacy. War is something to fight against, not to fight for.

Presidential Ignorance

Shodja Ziaian — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:48:50 EDT

Presidential Ignorance

Many know that the cost of the “war in Iraq” is around a trillion dollars in the Budget, but how many have calculated the real cost in terms of missing opportunities for prosperity due to the shift from the civil to the military, and in terms of social peace because of the divisiveness of the war and its negative effects on our civilities?

McCain's years of experience in the Senate are years of repeating the same, mostly nonsense, assertions about the region, chewing the same repeated words, supporting the same wrong superficial ideas that created today’s mess.

McCain is a military who continues to live in the mindset of the Vietnam War. He sees the world in black and white, from the eyes of an aviator whose job it was to bomb Vietnam and the Vietnamese and who is not free from this bombing addiction (see his happily singing “bomb, bomb, Iran” and calling it a “joke”, during a “presidential” campaign, how reassuring!).

Because of his age and his intelligence, because of his openness and his multiple backgrounds, racially and culturally, because of his character, his spiritual search for unity, integrity and inclusiveness, for the hope he projects, and for his belief in the goodness inside each of us, Obama seems to be the unique chance America has found, not only to lead and transform America but the world for the best of its humanity.

Fear and Loathing with John McCain

Economan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:20:17 EDT

The recent clip of the woman accusing Barack Obama is frightening. John Lewis made a great statement, not in comparing McCain to George Wallace, but the hatred that is generated against Obama that is based purely on race. Even McCain's "defense" of Obama was even more shocking. After a woman calls Obama an Arab, McCain "defended" him by saying that he is not Arab and is a good American. What?? Suddenly, it has become a crime to be an Arab... I am surprised that the response wasn't "what's wrong with being an Arab?" This shows McCain's clear inability to deal with sensitive issues that he is not comfortable with. We harken back to the situation where another crazy lady asked McCain "How we defeat the B****? when referring to Hillary."

This is the way in which the Iraq war is justified. Branding the "Arabs" as a subhuman species, where they are the enemy and their body count is something to be cheered for. It is a sad day when we can see in America that there are some amongst us that do not recognize the value of human life. The men, women, and children in Iraq bleed just like we do... they cry just like we do... They too can be patriotic, just like we are... This is why the actions of the McCain campaign are so dangerous, the dehumanization of another individual purely based on race or ethnicity is exactly what happened during slavery and Jim Crow.

Here's the excuse that you all may hear from the right... Bush had it worse for the last 8 years. He has more hateful things shouted at him.

2 counters for that:

1. Bush received the hatred because of his actions as president, not because of his race. It is a very different situation where you cannot change the color of your skin, but you can change your actions.

2. The linking between terrorism and Obama is clearly a racially motivated action. No one constantly reminds the public that Ayers is white. When the low information voters hear terrorist, they think Black Panthers and Al Qaeda. Both were not white groups.

I understand that McCain cannot control who comes to his rallies. However, it clearly shows that McCain only brings out the worst in this country. This is why John McCain is why we can't afford John McCain. I hope that Arab Americans all across the country take a strong stand against McCain.

Veterans pick Barack Obama over John McCain

Blue Ayez — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:23:33 EDT

Senator McCain has served honorably. But the affection he espouses toward veterans doesn't extend to showing up to actually vote for Veterans' issues.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of Amercia issued a roll call and assigned grades to each Senator and Reprsentative on the basis of how they voted. The record stands for itself.

On page 24 of the report we see that Senator Mc Cain was absent for 6 of the 10 votes and voted against a post 9/11 GI Bill Cosponsor which passed by a wide margin. This bill increased the spending on veteran's healthcare by 3.6 Billion dollars. Senator Mc Cain recieved a D for his efforts.

Senator Obama was absent 4 times. He voted in favor of veterans 6 times.

FOR: Veteran's healthcare in 2007 expanding expenditures by 3.7 billion dollars

FOR: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles to replace the Humvees

FOR: 4 major revisions of the GI Bill correcting flaws and loopholes that allowed Vets to recieve inferior services.

Senator Obama was rated a B for his efforts.

We also see that Joe Biden was absent 3 times. He voted in favor of the veterans 7 times!

For his efforts Joe was rated a B as well.

So I guess in order to do the job you say you'll do it helps if you show up.

AMAZING...

Trisha — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:13:16 EDT

Thank you for the emails that you send. I appreciate being kept up to date on all the latest news. This is a story I just came across. I would like to get it out, but thought you may be able to help with that. General Petraeus, has said that sitting down with Taliban members and leaders may help reduce violence. So in essence, directly contradicting McCain's veiws on sitting down with leaders we do not agree with. Also, seems the same message that Barack is puting out there. Could you please look at this article and if you feel compelled, help me get this out there.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081008/ts_nm/us_afghan_usa_petraeus

Thank you

Trisha

October 13 New Yorker article, "The Choice"

17 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:34:43 EDT

Very timely analysis from the smart editors of the New Yorker about our looming "Choice," as it relates to iraq and other important issues pressing us on toward Nov 4.

NEXT DEBATE - 4 Keys

Viktor X. Patino — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:32:49 EDT

1. Continue to hammer 90% vote record of McCain with Bush.

2. "Surge' in Irag- Obama's Commander in Chief judgement was that Iraq was not responsible for 9/11, and that our focus always should have been on Bin Ladin. Tie the Iraq invasion mistake (not proven to be the 9/11 attackers) with our economic hardships (cost per month of the invasion).

I noticed that McCain cringed when Obama did this during his first debate. Wise attack against the "surge" issue.

3. The word "MAVERICKS" dominates. Redefine it (like they are trying to redifine change) and turn it against them. Bush and McCain are reckless mavericks. (so many reasons I need not explain).

4. Patriotic propaganda-

They are going to say that Obama is "UnAmerican". As if a organizer for the working folk is unAmerican. Well, tell the truth about the Palin family. Reports state that Mr.Todd Palin was registered as a member of the: Alaskan Independence Party

. THey wanted to split from the grand U.S.A.

#2 goal of Mr.Todd Palin's Alaskan Independence Party is to:

2) Become a separate and Independent Nation. GO USA! - actualy, these guys want to dump our great nation!

Eight Miserable Years (video)

Curtis ByThePeopleForThePeopleOfThePeople — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:10:17 EDT

It's always common to hear people say.. time flies. Well, in the last eight years, time has had a broken wing, or two, or three, I'm not really sure the about the anatomy of time. Let's move on..

I can't describe the sickness I feel, when I think of what has taken place. I really don't even recognize this country from where we were eight years ago. Rep's want to blame 9/11, but if we had just tightened our security, sent the CIA after Bin Laden.. Well, that's tuesday morning quarterbacking. I've made a film. Yes a film.. not a video. This film documents in 7 minutes the 4 largest mistakes of Republican leadership; Iraq, Torture, Katrina response, and Scandals (not named Iraq, Torture, FEMA) Please follow me after the fold for a riveting diary and film. And if you're lucky a poll.

I have put up diaries about this -video- film before. So I promise you, right here and now. This is the last one EVER, about this video. Thanks so much for your patience and your patronage. I won't presume to lecture you about what's happened the last eight years. But I will show you that lecture in video form, and will also encourage you to share this video film to any and all who would like to use/link it. God Bless and Thank you...

I'm working on a new video about the CRA and to try and combat this viral meme that Republicans are trying to push about how Clinton and the democrats created this financial crisis. Any and all links would be helpful for that, I have quite a few of the dkos top journals on that subject, and am trying to condense them into video form. Poll is about this new topic..

Prepare for third paragraph nonsequitar- I'll be in St. Louis Thursday night for the debate, if anyone knows of anything cool going on afterward, send me a message.
Peace in the Middle East - Yes We Can
Curtis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2p2hvQzIPY

Low Quality version here---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9euD2_Zz4
Low Quality part2 here---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDQKnXerW2E&feature=related

Next-Gen Vets for Barack Obama video

17 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:59:52 EDT

Hey,

I just watched this video of Next-Generation Veterans who support Barack Obama. It really shows that Barack Obama is the only candidate who's consistently put our veterans of the Iraq, Afghanistan and all the other wars, first.

Watch it here and share it with your friends today.

17, Admin, YBNI

Believing in America Again

Economan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:41:28 EDT

The pervasive fear over the bailout is actually starting to reveal some other underlying problems in America. Before 2000, I doubt anyone would question whether this plan would return a profit, as Americans would immediately feel confident in their ability to rebound and get our economy up and running in 5 years, tops.

What is evident here is that the self-belief that once defined our nation is gone. We are now at the point where "Drill, Baby, Drill" is actually a strategy that is not laughed out of the room. We have to stop being afraid of believing in ourselves and go back to the days of Kennedy where we went to the moon in 10 years.

Fear has run our lives for the last 8 years. American has cried enough tears over 9/11, Katrina, Rita, and Ike. We have bled enough blood and sweated enough to stain every inch of this great nation and colored the sands of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our time to rise again is now. It is time to cast away the shackles of fear and to embrace the true soul of America once more. It is time to realize that we only cannot achieve what we choose not to do. It is time to believe, not just in ourselves, but in each other, and it is time we got off our knees and defeat the terrorists. Not through bombs or soldiers, but through a clear, resounding demonstration that the American spirit is unbreakable. This great nation's strength lies in its ability to come together, 1st generation, 2nd, 3rd, Native American, and immigrant alike, when we are all called to a cause greater than our own.

Change is not what we need. Believe again, America... Believe...

Do not rush this process....like you did the war!

Destiny's Quest — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:26:57 EDT

Congress Adjournment and Artificial Deadlines

Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT

This guest post is from: Constantine von Hoffman, a veteran business journalist and writes the blog CollateralDamage.biz.

Every news story about the bailout makes it sound as if Friday is some sort of do-or-die deadline. It’s not. It is just the day Congress wanted to adjourn so they could get home and do some campaigning. Given the magnitude of the crisis and the size of the pig in this particular poke, it’s time for Congress to get its priorities in order. If ever there was a piece of legislation that needed to be carefully considered, this is it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said that one of the reasons for adjourning is that “no one knows what to do” at the moment. Senator, that means this is exactly the time when you need to stay at your job and figure it out.

Personally, I have deep doubts about the Paulson/Bernanke plan. It seems like a case of throwing more money at a problem that has already not responded to the amazing amount of money thrown at it. Whether or not this is the case, it certainly is a hasty and desperate move and deserves a thoughtful consideration. It obviously needs more oversight. Just the idea of whether the government should buy these assets at a premium or discounted price needs some very close examination.

These issues and many more make it essential that Congress not adjourn now. We, the people, need our representatives to be fully informed before making a decision like this. This is the one duty Congress has, the one reason we vote for them in the first place. This duty easily trumps the mere career issue of whether or not they get some extra time in the home district.

If these reasons weren’t enough, let’s put to rest the notion that most members of Congress even need to campaign. Unless we take a notable deviation from history, something like 90+% of them are going to get re-elected. As the historian Thomas Patterson has noted: “Only about three dozen of the 435 House seats were actually in play in 2002. In nearly twice that many districts, there was literally no competition: the weaker major party did not bother even to nominate a candidate. And in several hundred other districts, the competition was so one-sided that the result was known even before the campaign began. As was the case in 2000, the victors in House races won by an average margin of more than two to one.” The percentages are even worse in the senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has defended the adjournment by saying that lawmakers can always be recalled to Washington “if there is a need to do so.” Mrs. Pelosi, the need is already here. The time is now and your duty is clear. If Congress adjourns now it will be the most irresponsible action by a politician since Nero fiddled through the burning of Rome.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(This is the time when as democrates we need to show our good judgement and not rush to a decision that may take a few more days or longer ... to thoughtful, practically and ethically put together a package that does not reward those who created this economic crisis. We need to resolve this crisis in a way that supports the majority of this country...the lower and middle class... whose sweat and tears and hard work bring this country the hard work and labor which creates its economic wealth.

Please do not rush to a decision and regret it like we did the Iraq War! Stop responding to the fear being used to manipulated a quick decision! What is being covered up in these quick decisions will come to haunt us just like the Iraq war! Don't buy into this again! We are not that stupid!

We need to uncover, face and resolve the facts....and create a practical and ethical solution for this country. We cannot afford to reward unethical and corrupt behavior. This uncontrolled greed and corruption that has been driving our economy will be our Country's undoing if we don't stop it in its tracks once and for all!) Best, Diana

John McCain not ready

Marvin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:21:01 EDT

John McCain Not ready to debate, not ready to lead.

This is a critical juncture for our nation and it is fair to expect those individuals who intend to hold the office of the president be ready to discuss their position with the American people. I suspect and do believe that the president should be expected to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. If Senator John McCain, is not ready to debate this debacle with Senator Barack Obama then he is not ready to lead. This is an opportunity for John McCain to prove that he is ready to lead this nation, that mean showing up to address the American people on critical issues.

You can't just shut down something so critically important to America because a major crisis has occurred. Look for the McBush camp to start to slander Barack as “Wanting to win more then wanting to solve the economic crisis”. McCain is just using this issue as an excuse to avoid being held Accountable for the Misfeasance and Malfeasance of the Republican Party. It seems to me that the Republicans want to capitalize on our pain by pruchasing our properities for pennies on the dollars without helping home owner and I am saying hell no. Sorry, I am just so angry that it is making me sick.

I would like to call for all of us, especially the evangelical Christians to pray for our nation, and Senator Barack Obama. I know he is a Christian and an honest man. I am sorry but I don't believe Bush, they lied to go to war, and I think they are lying right now.

Iraq and the Next Debate

Economan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:40:16 EDT

Lately, there's been a lot of talk in the media about how Obama needs to show his foreign policy credentials. I actually think he really needs to do one thing, he has to make McCain state unequivocally that the Iraq war was a good idea and that it was worth the lives and money. Just like "the fundamentals of the economy are strong," when backed into a corner, he must take a stand one way or another on the issue of Iraq.

McCain will constantly raise the issue of the surge, which would not have been an issue had we not gone to war anyway. But, really, looking at it, without the war, we would have at least an extra trillion dollars to spend. Trouble is, the cost really should not have been as high, if we had not used ultra-expensive contractors that were making some people very rich. Worst of all, we had a tax cut on the rich and out of control spending in the government.

What this election is about

Robert Lynch — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:20:11 EDT

This election is really about whether or not change is possible under our present government. All of the corruption and fraud that came before W Bush crippled our system. When W took over, democracy went into a coma that has lasted 8 years. The changes he made to the executive branch with no checks and balances on his power, and all of this criminality sanctioned by his lackeys on the Supreme Court, will either be reversed, permanently, by Barack Obama, or the executive branch will have been usurped by the worst criminals in our country.

McCain has been talking of seeking to have Dick Cheney serve in some capacity in his administration. Cheney is the true architect of the "Unitary Executive", the presidency with no morality, no rule of law, no brake on its capacity to bankrupt the treasury and ship its citizens off to die in senseless wars.

I believe more and more that we are in an existential conflict. Our democracy which has been ours for centuries is failing, the global financial system is on the brink of collapse, but even worse, the entire planet is falling apart. By the most conservative estimates, 60% of the rainforests, the lungs of creation, are gone. An amount of ice the size of the United States one mile thick has shattered and melted away. From a third to maybe half of all species of animal and plant have become extinct. To rational humans, the time to act is upon us, but still we hear the putrid voices of those who call climate change a hoax, and mentally impotent drunks like W who preach that we must study the problem for many more decades before we act.

Barack Obama means much more than any single thing he is, or represents. We have never before been in this much chaos and crisis. To vote for McCain is truly the equivalent of placing a gun against your temple and pulling the trigger.

Killing and Dying for Oil. Meanwhile,

Sheldon from Doylestown — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:46:00 EDT

Killing and Dying For Oil

When Refusing to Kill Has a Higher Sentence Than Murder

9-20-08

by Ann Wright

Ann Wright is a retired US Army Reserves colonel with 29 years of military service. She also was a US diplomat who served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. She was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in December 2001. She resigned from the US diplomatic corps in March 2003 in opposition to the Bush administration's decision to invade and occupy Iraq. She is the co-author of "Dissent: Voices of Conscience," profiles of government insiders who have spoken and acted on their concerns of their governments' policies.

http://www.truthout.org/article/when-refusing-kill-has-a-higher-sentence-than-murder

Meanwhile:

From Daily Iowan, NY Grannies, Texan, and New Mexican Praise U of Iowa McCain/Palin Rally Interrupters

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:10:11 EDT

Commendations from grannies

Wonderful news. We grandmothers in the peace movement wondered when the youth of America would wake up and start protesting the war in Iraq, as we have been doing for five years. We are thrilled to read about the admirable students at the UI who protested not only John McCain's war mind set but Palin's anti-women beliefs and policies. Keep it up, kids. We grannies aren't getting any younger, and we earnestly hope you'll continue our struggle for peace and justice after we're gone.

Joan Wile
founder-director, Grandmothers Against the War
New York City

Protesters lauded

During a McCain/Palin speech, UI students Megan Felt, Hannah Rounds, Laura Kacere, Marni Steadham, Robin Berman, Dan Rathjen, David Goodner, Justin Feinstein, Brooke Bachelder, Lara Elborno, Naomi Prager, and Anthony Carter used their constitutional right of free speech to bring attention to the fact that this pair does not speak for many Americans. The students deserve our respect for their courage.

In recent days, I have felt frightened for our nation and worried that young people might not be paying attention (despite Barack Obama's great gains in getting them to become interested in politics). These students make me proud. I believe that Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi taught this very tactic - nonviolently opposing oppression. As we said in the old days, "Right on."

Tomi Phillips
The Woodlands, Texas

And again

These University of Iowa students (Megan Felt, Hannah Rounds, Laura Kacere, Marni Steadham, Robin Berman, Dan Rathjen, David Goodner, Justin Feinstein, Brooke Bachelder, Lara Elborno, Naomi Prager, and Anthony Carter) deserve our commendation for their Gandhian intelligence and courage in doing what they did in interrupting the McCain/Palin rally with key questions, as reported on CNN. They are telling Americans that young people will not accept four more years of more Bush/Cheney/Halliburton/Blackwater policies and no more killing of innocent people, bystanders, and children in either Iraq or Afghanistan, which is becoming an international scourge for the USA. They remind me of the best of the Vietnam War protesters, as well as the heroic actions of M.K. Gandhi himself, whose work I have studied for 30 years.

Stephen Fox

Santa Fe, N.M.

Bailout "the right thing to do"? Wait a minute.

Blue Ayez — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:53:25 EDT

Iraq was the "right thing to do" after the Saudi's attacked the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. How do we know this isn't a red herring as well?

Congress was goaded into making a hasty decision with little or no oversight and look where it got us-- a trillion dollars more in debt, lost liberties, a false declaration of victory when Iraq isn't stable and other countries are being attacked daily and finger pointing at the MOC who voted for or against the war and its' funding.

Now the White House is asking for a 700B dollar bailout of businesses who were enabled in their deceptive lending practices by deregulation. They want this without oversight, without transparency, a bail out for foreign banks and without one thing being done for the majority of homeowners who lost their homes to foreclosure.

As far as I'm concerned the foreign investors knew what they were getting into. The stockmarket is a gamble. Investing is a gamble. Why should only hardworking Americans be the ones to pay back the ultra rich of the world?

And instead of making this an executive order, the White House has chosen again to lay it in the lap of a congress with a Democratic majority. Why? So in the future elections the Republicans can point to Democrats and say "They did it"?

I don't agree with his politics but even Ron Paul says this bailout is the wrong thing to do. I think he's right on target thsi time.

Wait a minute. Think before you demand action.

$700 Billion Bailout - WRONG!

Kathleen — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:18:24 EDT

I object to the $700 billion bailout of the morgage industry. It's simply REWARDING crooked, lousy managers, who have enormous salaries far higher than average Americans. This is TAXPAYERS money.

The Bush Administration continues to bleed billions each week on the illegal Iraq war, to which I also object. Republicans have driven TAXPAYERS debt to trillions of dollars. Our grandchildren will pay for it.

At this rate, the United State of America will be owned by the Chinese government.

$700 Billion Bailout

Brian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:19:53 EDT

Imagine that you receive one of those annoying credit card offers in the mail. Today, instead of throwing it directly in the trash, you open it to see just what is being offered. Only you find that it is not an offer, but a notice that an account has been opened in your name and already has a balance of $2303.96. Not only are you told that you can't turn this offer down, but advised that everyone in your household has been saddled with the same account. Every man, woman and child. The more people in the house, the more money you owe, and it's an offer that you can't refuse.

Sounds absurd, doesn't it. Yet, that is just what the Republicans have handed us today. The current Republican administration has pushed though a bailout plan for Wall Street to the tune of $700 Billion. Given the July US Population estimate of 303,824,640, that adds up to $2303.96 for every single person in the country. That's not money coming from the Treasury. It needs to be borrowed, and the only ones who have that kind of money to lend are China and the folks controlling the oil. So, we're not only dependent upon them for energy resources now, were also deeper in debt to the tune of $2303.96 each.

The reason that we need this kind of bailout? I think that everyone is aware that mismanagement by the current Republicans in power are at the root. We have been hearing about deregulation and the contribution that has made all week. What isn't being talked about, though, is that our reliance on foreign oil and our misguided war supporting terror are equal parts of the Hydra we face. The polls keep telling us that the focus of the country shifts between the economy, energy independence and the war, which is a gross misrepresentation. These issues are so intertwined that there is no way to separate them, and we all know who we have to thank for all three.

Anyone questioning whether we still need a change?

Brian

Foreword to WAR: OBAMA'S DILEMMA

Morocco Tod — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:09:12 EDT

Barack Obama didn’t yet exist several years back. True, he did live as a family man and a church goer. Yet he wasn’t a political entity much more than most of us who calibrate our own views about what’s going on. That is, during the early days of the New American Century, he looked on bewildered and groping for answers as to just where America’s leaders were taking us in this newly designated war on terror. He, too, struggled over whether he might make a difference. And Obama was a member of the U.S. Senate.

In those days, Obama wrote about his ideas, most prominently how Americans might yet return to civility following the polarizing affect of George Bush’s ultimatum, “You are either with us or the terrorists.” How could anyone very well insert their voice, their views into an open debate on the Senate floor where there was little debate? For this reason, before I come to Obama’s Dilemma, it is important to know what many of us, including Barack Obama, were actually faced with.

Catholics should oppose the party that starts war!

Mary from Richmond, VA — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:39:40 EDT

I am seething after reading an NYT article about how some bishop in Pennsylvania is refusing communion to Biden because he is pro-choice. They pulled the same stunt with Kerry. When we invaded Iraq for the current war, Pope John Paul II opposed it, said it was not justified by Just War Criteria and called it a defeat for mankind! Maybe the Catholics should boycott the Republican Party who supported two presidents who entered into wars that were not considered just. When they pulled that with Kerry, I started wearing my Kerry button to Mass, a move I generally consider rather inappropriate. I haven't worn my Obama button. But now I will.

1 single statement to correct people about Obama

Suhail from Alpharetta, GA — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:29:27 EDT

There's a popular theme going around that Barack Obama never stood up against the Democratic party. This is wrong, on the most important issue of our generation, men such as Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinch, and Barack Obama stood up against EVERYONE who supported the invasion of Iraq. When nearly everyone was wrong, we have people who had the judgement on what was right. Make sure to counter all those rediculus claims that Barack never stood up against Democrats on anything important... nothing could be more important then standing up against the Iraq war. John McCain voted for the Iraq War. He voted for the Iraq war, but he was against the "way it was handled". Sorry big mac, you should have put more thought into that vote... I refuse to vote for an impulsive and emotional person like John McCain.

Economy Tanking, War On Two Fronts, No Time For A Maverick

Chuck — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:53:51 EDT

This is my latest Huffington Post article. I think it's my best. I believe we should accept the McCain/Palin "maverick" claim, and campaign against mavericks. This is my attempt to do so:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker/economy-tanking-war-on-tw_b_126981.html

Please Digg: http://digg.com/political_opinion/Economy_Tanking_No_Time_For_a_Maverick

Outstanding piece in UofC Magazine's Sept-Oct issue on Obama (and his 'hood)

17 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:10:12 EDT

Titled, "How U of C is Barack Obama?" this wonderful article by Lydialyle Gibson is a real gem. It may be read by just a few, but don't be one to miss it. Especially entertaining and informative is the lengthy sidebar-video of David Brooks (of the NYT; AB, UoC, '83) talking in June '08, in a very relaxed venue, about the two candidates (enjoy Brooks' dry wit? There's plenty here to laugh at).

About two-thirds of the way through Brooks makes a prediction on Iraq...if Obama wins...

The cost of investing in Solar energy vs. Iraq war

Yes We Did!...OBAMA/BIDEN '08 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:37:32 EDT

McCain is no hero

Dean H. — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:29:59 EDT

I want to preface what follows by making it clear that I'm speaking for myself. i know that the Obama campaign would never raise what follows. But the truth needs to be told. Public discourse gets hijacked and the stage is set for crimes to be repeated when we allow the myths of history to be spun from a fabric of lies.

In the wake of the aniversary of September 11, I've been wondering: What would I think of someone from a far away country who repeatedly bombed densely populated urban areas in the United States in a manner that clearly violated international law, killing hundreds if not thousands of civilian noncombatants? Initially, I would be enraged. I would think that person had committed a monstrous crime. I would hope that person would be stopped, and if I was in a position to try to stop him or her myself, I would. I would support international efforts to hold that person and the policymakers who sent him or her to account. I would not think that person should be tortured by the enraged victims of his bombing (okay, it's a he), I would try to stop that from happening if I could, and I would have compassion and empathy for him if he was. But I certainly would not consider him a hero, and would consider it insanity to support that person for a position with great authority to make decisions which impact the lives and deaths of milions of others around the world.

Would I think differently if the people that person bombed were in Vietnam? Why? Because the noncombatant victims were Asians? Because they didn't' speak English? Because they happened to live in an area controlled by Communists? All of those justifications for that kind of moral double standard are baseless, cetainly for anyone who professes to espouse the Judeo-Christian ethic of love for the stranger, or even simply acknowledges the reality of our intrinsic interconnectedness. Put morality aside if you wish. The Vietnam War gravely violated international law. The Vietnamese posed no threat to this country. The U.S. intervened in a colonial power struggle on the wrong side of history. Under the UN Charter (a binding treaty which the U.S. not only signed, it led the way in enacting after the devastation of WWII), armed intervention is legal under only two circumstances: when a country is under attack from an adversary, and when the UN Security Council has specifically authorized it. In the case of Vietnam (like Iraq), neither condition was present.

Of course, the soldiers who were deployed to Vietnam and Iraq went for a complex of reasons; some as a way out of desparate economic circumstances, others out of a misdirected sense of adventure or patriotism, some (in Vietnam) were drafted, and a host of other reasons. Few of those had anything to do with killing innocents or violating international law. But when they got there, they often found themselves in horrific circumstances they had probably never imagined. Those of us who have never lived through war should be slow to to judge the actions of those who have. But many soldiers returned from Vietnam and Iraq chastened by their experience of the horror of war. They spoke out against the crimes they witnessed and in some cases participated. They worked to end those wars, and to hold the policymakers who started and pursued them to account.

John McCain has never publicly acknowledged these realities. His campaign for President is premised on a reflexive (and unreflective) pride in two wars that together have cost over two million lives and over a trillion in treasure. One of the functions of the Geneva Conventions, the laws of war which were used to prosecute the perpetrators of the Holocaust after WWII (laws the Bush Administration refers to as "quaint"), is to make it clear that "I was just following orders" is not a defense to war crimes. Every human being has an obligation to try to honor the most basic, universally accepted precepts of human morality, even in war. Certainly it is extremely difficult to do so under conditions of war. But do we really want to put someone in charge of the most deadly military machine the world has ever known who, after all these years, refuses to acknowledge or reflect honestly on his role or the role of this country in the crime of the Vietnam War?

I don't think participating in a war in and of itself either qualifies or disqualifies a person from being President. Certainly if the President is going to be somebody who has participated in a war (think of John McCain and John Kerry), I do not want it to be somebody who seems to see every country headed by a political adversary as a country with which we should be at war. At various times, McCain has threatened war against Russia, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. And that's on top of the wars we're fighting now! If the President is going to be somebody who has not participated in a war (compare George W. Bush and Barack Obama), I want it to be somebody who is deeply reflective, has traveled widely and is interested in other cultures, knows both law and history, consults others, and is forthcoming about his own limitations.

In short, I don't judge John McCain. I certainly have empathy for him and everyone else who had to experience the trauma of being a prisoner of war. But his actions in Vietnam do not make him a hero, and his response to that experience, among many other factors, convinces me that he does not have the character to be President.

9/11 Speech, Iraq Invasion, the Surge, Reckless Mavericks

Viktor X. Patino — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:37:11 EDT

Obama needs to have a punch line using the "Maverick" word against McCain:

It's quite simple: We had a "Reckless Maverick" for the last 8 years and look where we are now.

We cant afford to gamble with another "Reckless Maverick".

Obama was right from the start about 9/11 and the need to punish Bin Ladin, not Iraq.

He needs to harness this during the next weeks. Any talk about the "surge" can be countered by the

fundamental issue of Obama being right from the start about 9/11, capturing Bin Ladin, and the reckless Iraq invasion. NOW THAT WILL WIN THIS ELECTION!

Reckless Maverick

Viktor X. Patino — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:08:45 EDT

How about this as a link between Bush and McCain:

Call Bush a reckless maverick for his really, really expensive mistake: Invading Iraq and using 9/11 as the reason (you all know the rest of the story).

Can America afford to gamble with another reckless maverick as our Commander-in-Chief?

An untold history of the Iraq War.

de Marothy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:15 EDT

The memory of the American public and media is very short. The current election climate underlines it well, as the man who was calling himself a "true conservative" and boasting of his support of Bush only months ago is now getting away with portraying himself as a 'maverick reformer'. - But that's not what I was going to soapbox about today. Rather, I was thinking about the quagmire in Iraq, and how we got there in the first place. Here's how I see it.

Things we think but never say

Curtis ByThePeopleForThePeopleOfThePeople — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:34:56 EDT

This is my list of topics that are not getting enough attention.

#1 - Walmart votes. Wal-Mart basically told their employees that if Obama is president they will have to cut jobs.

Why ? Because Barack Obama cares about the middle class and small businesses. Small business are bad business for Wal-Mart (but especially vice-versa). Wal-Mart and others like them, have destroyed small business in America.

#2 - Halliburton, Blackwater, KBR. Who thinks corporations should be able to profit off the suffering and death of war? Their employees were told to destroy weaponry and transport so that they could order more. With cost-plus systems, the more your order the more you profit. We need an investigation and a way to recoup lost money. One report has it that there was a transfer of cash in Iraq of 360Million dollars and no more information about it recorded except a signature.

#3 - Inflation: the price of everything has gone up! (OR HAS IT?) Really, the value of the dollar has gone down. By doubling the money supply the value has gone down by about 1/2. The Federal Reserve, the Treasury and George bush are all responsible for destroying the value of the dollar. So much so, that they decided to stop printing the value of the M3. That tells us how much money there is printed. When Bush took over the number was around 5T, at last report in early 2006 it was up to 10T.

#4 - NeoConservatism- People don't know what a neoCon is. From wikipedia, They are a radical group that believes

"Aggressive support for democracies and nation building is additionally justified by a belief that, over the long term, it will reduce the extremism that is a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism. Neoconservatives, along with many other political theorists, have argued that democratic regimes are less likely to instigate a war than a country with an authoritarian form of government. Further, they argue that the lack of freedoms, lack of economic opportunities, and the lack of secular general education in authoritarian regimes promotes radicalism and extremism. Consequently, neoconservatives advocate the spread of democracy to regions of the world where it currently does not prevail, notably the Arab nations of the Middle East, communist China and North Korea, and Iran."

#5 - The plan to invade Iraq and change the regime was written up in 1988 by Scooter Libby and Paul Wolfowitz. From John W. Dean's Conservatives without Conscience; "Libby was relatively unknown, a "behind the throne" man with unique influence within the Bush/Cheney White House. Libby worked with Cheney when he was Secretary of defense under Bush I, and what at the defense department he assisted his former Yale professor Paul Wolfowitz in drafting a defense policy guidance paper calling for unilaterally preemptive wars and the invasion of Iraq--a decade before the 9/11 terror attacks. (When this highly controversial document was leaked to the press, Bush I had the policy withdrawn, assuring the world that this was not the way Americans were thinking.) Later Libby would help draft a report for the neoconservative Project for the New American Century entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses--Strategy, Forces, and Resources for a New Century." which was merely a restatement of the early policy paper, but under Bush II it became the blueprint for the administration's defense policy. Libby has been extremely aggressive in promoting the aims of neoconservatism. Reportedly:

it was Libby--along with Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith, and a handful of other top aides at the Pentagon and White Housee-- who convinced the president that the U.S. should go to war in Iraq. It was Libby who pushed Cheney to publicly argue that Saddam Hussein had ties to al Qaeda and 9/11. It was also Libby who prodded former Secretary of State Colin Powell to include specious reports about an alleged meeting between 9/11 terrorist Mohammed Atta and an Iraqi intelligence official in Powell's February 2003 speech to the United Nations."

#6 Taxes! Barack Obama is noble enough to tell the American people that he will spend money by taxing them. The alternative (Which is never spoken) is that you spend money and pay for it by borrowing and by turning on the printing press. Is that what the American people really want? Forget about new spending, there's 10T in debt to pay for. That's as many dollars as were printed in feb 2006. We don't have the money to pay the debt on that, and pay for anything else. It's time for the American people to understand that politicians can't cut your taxes and pay the debt. They can't cut your taxes and pay social security entitlements into the future. Regardless of what we have planned, there's a HUGE BILL that needs to be paid for, or we will be paying for it in premium every month. When you talk about taxes you have to be honest, the last 8 years we've spent by borrowing, because we knew If you asked Americans to pay for the war in Iraq, IT WOULD NOT BE AS POPULAR. John McCain wants to sell American assets to foreigners to pay for foreign wars we don't need. And the value of the dollar goes with it. This is the adult conversation we need to have, not the elementary school debate of MORE TAXES VS LESS.

Were you speaking directly to me John McCain?

Amanda — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:54:27 EDT

We are all Georgians now?

I was just a bit amazed that a big old Senator would be comparing that a little state that

sits between Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida would get so

much admiration that the whole United States would be considered Georgians. Aaaaaah, that

Georgia? Excuse me for all of that pride in the State of Georgia thinking he was conceding his

nomination and

was fearful that it representied change this year in the formof voting for Barack Obama in the fall.

You can only imagine how strange I felt

to know he was including me as part of a country that was once a part of the former Soviet Union.

Now my head is really spinning because afterall, I am a Georgian. Just not that Georgian.

I was also having to worry a bit about all of my relatives who either live in Oregon, or Florida and

even the conservative ones here in this Georgia who cringed recently over the Westmoreland

remark. He too is a

Georgian and in our district. No. Lynn, you are a congressman of this Georgia. If we have

all become too uppity, it is possible that you may very well lose that seat come November. Then

you may consider going to the other Georgia.

Then Senator McCain, you spoke of adoption matters. My My, I have three adopted children

and I literally have to sit down and teach plain old Geography because the teachers are so

busy teaching to the test, they have little time for actually doing what I am sure they are capable

of doing...Teaching. The rest of the time in between studying for the NCLB tests, an unfunded

mandate, they are trying to calm down rowdy kids who really just need some moral leadership

from which they may get more of, if Mom and Dad or just Mom or just Dad was not working three

jobs to make ends meet until the next day.

The rowdy kids problem then bring me to the Community Organizer shot that Governor Palin took

at Senator Obama. Without Community organizers, some of the Urban children and even rural

children would have absolutely nowhere to turn for those hours spent in sports, or music, except

the streets selling drugs while Mom, Dad or Grandma is out there trying to put bread on the table

or gas in the car with a paycheck that is substandard by the cost of living and you have voted

against the increase of the minimum wage time and time again. Were you Governor Palin talking

to me about my advocacy for veterans and saying my work requires no responsibility. Because

when you took that shot at Senator Obama, you threw down on all of us who try to work in

our communties to build a better life. You shot down Mission workers, Homeless shelter workers,

soup kitchen workers, veterans advocates, CASA workers, Drug Awareness programs, Youth center

volunteers, 12 Step Programs, mentoring prgram volunteers, Voter registratrors, Outreach

programs. Too many really to mention. Governor Palin, the fruits of your faith seemed

contrary in that statement. Matthew 25 comes to mind.

This brings me to Veterans Issues. You are going to take care of Veterans? Really?

My husband is a 100 percent disabled combat Vietnam Vet who fought in the jungles of Vietnam

but he lost the best doctor he had due to cutbacks in the VA under this administration of which

you have agreed and voted with over 90 percent of George W Bush especially on these issues.

Not to

mention the Veterans bill you just did not show up to vote on but said you were against. Don't

worry though, George had your back and even thanked you after he signed the bill that was

overode by his veto pen. How about those POW's that you have refused to continue to search for?

How about torture that you agree with? Where is the compassion on these issues or the difference

from Bush. You tell me.

Now let us talk about Governor Palin who believes she is chosen to do God's will. True enough

she is a Pentacostal and again, were you guys talking to me? I too am a pentacostal, I just do not

share Palin's type of beliefs. Her belief is OK for her, as long as she recognizes that there are

over

200 other religions in this country that are supposed to have freedom of religion as well.

GWb said he could see into the soul of Putin. Good parlor trick there George. Didn't work very well

but hey... She says she wants to make decisions regarding

millions of women based on what SHE believes in the Will of God. This Will of God that only

she seems to think annointed by, also includes our fighting men and women in Iraq. A war that

should never have been fought because they were not the country that attacked us Sept. 11th.

How could occupation of a soverign nation possibly be the will of God? I too am pentacostal but

have had no such revelation as she. I wouldn't dare to speak as if I were the all knowing choice

pick of God to know his will for others. This again is not lining up with the scriptures she claims

to embrace. The bible instructs us to be good stewards of the earth. If Global warming is God

made and not man made, why would he instruct humans to take care of the planet. I just

don't have a clue how she is interpreting the Bible. You people are talking in circles and with

hypocracy galore. The lies and smears alone would worry me if I claimed to be a Christian

and was worried about Hell. The Scriptures clearly say All liars will find their place in the Lake

of Fire. Which is it? Only your party can be patriotic and forget all the Generals and Admirals who

have lined up with Senator Obama, , and I am hesitant to even equate you with being republicans.

I really do not know what party you and Governor Palin are in. You seem to answer to people

like the likes of the NRA and NEA which one wants everyone to learn to shoot Bears from an

airplane and the other wants us to march into war for A Godly causes of which I have yet to figure

out. We have the right to bear arms. We agree there. We do not agree on cruelty to animals for

sport from a plane. Don't just kill for the fun of it. Eat your prey or defend your family but killing

to just watch something die is cruel, Hunting is fine, if that if your sport, but get real, this is not

traditional sportmanship.

You do not seem to be conservative with money considering all of the lobbyists and

special interest you have surrounded yourselves around. The plan you have for saving me

money is the same old useless talk about making me poorer while the top 10 percent still

thrive. Energy? If we drilled in every backyard of every home, we still would have no immediate

relief at the pump. You do not seem to have a plan.

It boils down to this. I am a Georgian and Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin..YOU DO NOT speak

for me. Everything is not about war. You are not a maverick. You are a man , an old man,

with old ideas and you are not the man for the 21st century.

If you were talking to me, talk to the hand, the head and heart ain't listening to you and Bush

and Chney like Palin.

Again With the Surge?

Michael B — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:04:31 EDT

Gov. Palin has repeatedly said over the last two days that “the surge has succeeded”. That’s interesting, because as of 9/5/08, there are still 146,000 American troops in Iraq, thousands more then before the surge. Military leaders in Iraq are asking to hold off on troop reductions. The U.S. still spends $10 billion a month in Iraq. The Iraqi government still has not taken responsibility, not only to govern their country, but to use a significant amount of their $80 billion surplus towards rebuilding Iraq. So this is success? If it is success, why aren’t we already reducing troop levels, at least down to the pre-surge level? Sen. Obama has said, many times, that the surge has helped to reduced violence, but has not changed the political or economic issues in Iraq that the surge was supposed to support. The fact we still can’t reduce levels is not a sign of success. It has however prevented us from refocusing on Afghanistan, where we left the real war on terror, and where we are now seeing the highest levels of American casualties, a number that has been rising every month. Now U.S. military leaders in Afghanistan are asking for more support, and we don’t have troops available, because we sent them into a country that they should never have been fighting in. So this is success?

Change, Its more than a WORD

Trisha — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:29:20 EDT

So as I watched what little I could handle of the RNC this week, I came to a conclusion that no one in the media is talking about....Not even the media that backs Barack...Change is more than a word. The Republicans have been throwing it around at every stop. They say they are able to make change because of McCains war experience, and because of palin has some experience, albeit very little, with reform, BUT...how can they change the way this country is seen when they are the appitimy of politics today.

Here is my thoughts...Lets start with Mrs. Palin...She said she is not a washington insider, so she should be believed when she says she is an agent for change BUT...what did she do in her first speech to the country, same old republican smear campaign...instead of talking about what we wanted to hear, how change would happen, what she would do about the economy crisis, or the environment, or any other of the plethura of issues facing you and I today, what did she do...went out and smeared Obama and everything he has done for Il and this country. And as for what she said...I think everyone knows that was pure and classic washington politics.

Now on to the other Canidate for President. He says he is the agent for change...a few thoughts on that, other than the initial yea right thoughts. He says he wants change, but runs on his service in a war of pure Washington Politics. I do honor his service, my fiance is a Veteran of another sensless war, Iraq, and I know what they veterans go through, my thoughts here are completely separate from his service in the military...these are comments about his service in politics...So to go on...the next issue is his complete cover up mentality...again classic politics...his new poster child has lots of skeletons in her closet including an affair, but no mention of that. That is not change, that is more of the same. I also have a problem with the fact that he says the economy is fundamentally sound...actually I have two problems with that one...the first issue is how can we expect him to be an agent for change, when he doesnt think it needs to be changed. The second issue I have with that is the fact that the statement itself was used by another politician in another point in history when the country was in trouble...In a speech just 3 days before the stock market crash of 1929, President Herbert Hoover continued to insist that the economy was "Fundementally Sound" those are the exact words he used. So how can he be an agent for change when he is using exact quotes from politicians of old?

If you read this and would like to repost please do...I want as many people as possible to be reminded of the similarities between McCain and typical Washington Politics...If you would like read a copy of his Speech you can go to www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/poldocs/uspressu/SUaddressHHoover.pdf

John McCain's speech

Obama supporter — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:32:54 EDT

John Mccain speech last night just shows you he will bring more of the same. Everybody donate for obama so we do not let someone who voted against women getting equal pay, and vote for somebody with judgment and has the right ideas and has a record of getting things done. Barack has voted to stop spending on the war to put preasure on George Bush to end the war in Iraq. Which Bush must of felt because he agreed to take the troops out of Iraq by 2012.

I donated $20 everybody make a small donation and help Barack get eleted

Obama 08

Jukebox John keeps changing his tune

Yes We Did!...OBAMA/BIDEN '08 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:36:06 EDT

It’s obvious that the McCain campaign and the RNC have decided to go after Barack Obama as a flip-flopper. What’s equally obvious, though, that Republicans couldn’t have chosen a worse narrative.

McCain & Co. seemed to stumble on this line of attack almost by accident. They’d experimented with a variety of memes in recent months, none of which had any real salience. The right settled on “flip-flopper,” in large part because it’s the closest available, already-written Republican narrative, and in part because McCain staffers haven’t been able to think of anything else.

The irony, of course, is that the McCain campaign couldn’t have picked a more hypocritical line of attack. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of reversals from the Republican nominee, numbered and organized by category for easier reference.

Remember, McCain recently said, “This election is about trust and trusting people’s word.” Just a few days prior, the McCain campaign admonished Obama for trying to “have it both ways” on issues.

I should note that there’s nothing offensive about a political figure changing his or her mind once in a while. Policy makers come to one conclusion, they gain more information, and then they reach a different conclusion. That is, to be sure, a good thing — it reflects a politician with an open mind and a healthy intellectual curiosity. Better to have a leader who changes his or her mind based on new information than one who stubbornly sticks to outmoded policy positions, regardless of facts or circumstances.

So why do McCain’s flip-flops matter? Because all available evidence suggests his reversals aren’t sincere, they’re cynically calculated for political gain. This isn’t indicative of an open mind; it’s actually indicative of a character flaw. And given the premise of McCain’s presidential campaign, it’s an area in desperate need of scrutiny.

The perception people have of McCain is outdated, reflective of a man who no longer has any use for his previous persona. What’s wrong with a politician who changes his or her views? Nothing in particular, but when a politician changes his views so much that he has an entirely different worldview, is it unreasonable to wonder whether it’s entirely sincere? Especially when there’s no other apparent explanation for six dozen significant reversals?

McCain has been in Congress for more than a quarter-century; he’s bound to shift now and then on various controversies. But therein lies the point — McCain was consistent on most of these issues, right up until he started running for president, at which point he conveniently abandoned literally dozens of positions he used to hold. The problem isn’t just the incessant flip-flops — though that’s part of it — it’s more about the shameless pandering and hollow convictions behind the incessant flip-flops. That the media still perceives McCain as some kind of “straight talker” who refuses to sway with the political winds makes this all the more glaring.

Here’s the list.

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”

4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.

8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.

16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.

17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”

Domestic Policy

21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”

23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.

24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.

30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.

31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.

32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.

35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”

36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.

37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.

38. McCain said the Colorado River compact will “obviously” need to be “renegotiated.” Six days later, McCain said, “Let me be clear that I do not advocate renegotiation of the compact.”

Economic Policy

39. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

40. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.

41. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

42. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

43. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

44. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”

45. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

46. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

47. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.

48. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

49. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.

50. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

51. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.

52. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.

Immigration Policy

53. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.

54. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

55. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

56. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.

57. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

58. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

59. In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.

60. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

61. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.

62. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

63. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

64. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.

Politics and Associations

65. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)

66. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.

67. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.

68. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

69. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.

70. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

71. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

72. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

73. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.

74. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.

75. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.

If and when you learn of a reversal that has not yet made the list, I hope you’ll let me know.

This Issue is vision not experience

Marvin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:22:33 EDT

The issue is not one of experience it is an issue of VISION!! The bible says without vision the people perish. The Vision of the Republican party is WAR! None of the President or vice presidential candidates have experience as CEO and commander and Cheif of America. All we can go by the their political consultant, advisors and their vision. Barack Obama has vision and the qualifications to save this nation.

The McCain camp is playing the same old scrip just using a different cast of characters. McCian has let America down, Palin was not properly vetted and is not qualified to be President and Camander and Cheif of the USA. They know she was not properly vetted and MaCain has lied to the American people say that she was. This is their strategy to belittle a tremendous presidential candidate like Barack Obama. Well, I hope we fire back. Is this the best ticket the Republican can produce? An old man with no vision and a young hockey mom who is not qualified. Can they acctually get enough votes to allow this mess to continue another four years? The selection of Palin is an open demonstration of McCain's lack of judgement.

Barack Obama has impecable crediential, he has been a statsman operating in the highest level of government for more that 12 years. DOSENT BEING A STATE AND UNITED STATES SENATOR COUNT FOR SOMETHING? WHAT ABOUT BEING A LAW PROFESSOR or Editor of Harvard Law review.

I feel cheated and I feel sorry for America if McCain become the next president. I hope all of those McCain/Palin receive the consequences of their vote. Republicans are saying they protected the American people but if I am not mistaken 9-11-2001 happend on their watch. What about those four thousand plus America soliders that have died. Were they protected from the lie that got them killed. What about those thousand of katrina victims.

Barack Obama tried to keep those soliders alive because he had the judgement to oppose the war. How many more American must die and give their lives for this WMD LIE? When will America wake up?

McCain & Palin Are Embodiment of Failed Policies

Art Smart — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:24:04 EDT

It finally dawned on my just today exactly what's been bothering me about the McCain/Palin ticket. Both members are the embodiment of failed policies:

McCain is the embodiment of the failed Vietnam War. Yes, he's a national hero for having survived 5+ years of imprisonment and torture in the "Hanoi Hilton." But bad as that was, such service to our great nation can't hold a candle to any of the 58,217 who gave the last full measure of their devotion to protect us from the Miss Universe Pageant host country.
McCain is the embodiment of the failed Iraq War. He stubbornly clings to the idea that we belong there, to the tune of $10 billion a month and more lives than bin Laden took. Haven't we had enough stubbornness with Bush? Is McCain unashamed to be Bush III?
Sarah Palin is the embodiment of a campaign that has utterly lost its bearings. Can anyone trust McCain's judgment and wise decision-making ability, considering the most important decision he has made since clinching the nomination? How many other shoes will drop?
Bristol Palin is the embodiment of failed Abstinence-Only Education. You can expect a People Magazine or National Enquirer expose on Bristol and her statutory-raping boyfriend sooner or later. Now, John, who has the most in common with irresponsible celebrities?

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. We have failed policies galore in the McCain/Palin ticket.
--- Art

Update Biden - Let's fight for new, green energies and not for oil!

! Steffen from European Union, Dr. - Together We Can! Yes. We. Can. — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:11:57 EDT

Let's fight for new, green energies and not for oil!

Don't fall into trap of oil lobby! Energy and jobs at home - no war! Digg it

Feel free to join MYBO group YES Green Energies | No stupid wars.

What are reasons for all the stupid wars? By finding ways to prevent these wars we can save huge numbers of lives, huge amounts of money and huge amounts of damage to the natural world ...

Look to F. William Engdahl to get some background about last risks for war with Russia, war in "Strategical ellipse" again:

Top Geopolitical Author: U.S. Risks Nuclear War With Russia

propagandamatrix.com — Political economist and best-selling geopolitical author F. William Engdahl wrote for example:

«There are more than 1,000 US military special forces in Georgia doing exercising, training Georgian troops, before Georgia launched the attack on Ossetia on 8 August. There are 1,000 Israeli troops at least, private security firms and military advisors, including advisors who are upgrading the Georgian air force in an installation near Tbilisi. ... «

Paul Craig Roberts, "Father of Reaganomics", wrote in New Print Edition of CounterPunch:

The Mindlessness is Total - Are You Ready for Nuclear War?

Pervez Musharraf, the puppet installed by the US to rule Pakistan in the interest of US hegemony, resigned August 18 to avoid impeachment. Karl Rove and the Diebold electronic voting machines were unable to control the result of the last election in Pakistan, the result of which gave Pakistanis a bigger voice in their government than America’s. ... ... ...

When the Bush Regime began its wars in the Middle East, I predicted, correctly, that Musharraf would be one victim. The American puppets in Egypt and Jordan may be the next to go. ... ... ..

----------------

Eisenhower exit speech on Jan.17,1961. The tragedy of 9/11 gave Bush and the neo-cons the opportunity to implement a policy serving the oil-military industrial complex scheme of war for profit. McCain would have a more hackish policy than Bush. Eisenhower was a hero:
Eisenhower warns us of the military industrial complex.
Video to look or download Video!

What's now with the values of the Republics today? Is there something to trust? Robert DeKoven, professor at California Western School of Law, wrote conc. McCain: "A bigamist for president? - The big deal is that there are men and women who have made the same mistake John McCain did and are convicted felons because of it. McCain’s behavior is also a reminder that the Republican Party, despite its supposed family values, really has no values: Sen. David Vitter sits in the Senate, despite his admission that he visited prostitutes (adultery), and Sen. Larry Craig stands convicted of a sex offense that would in every state disbar licensed professionals, such as teachers and realtors."

Why McCain can only be the same or more wrong: "McCain On Reinstituting A Military Draft: ‘I Don’t Disagree’" "... Considering McCain’s vow that “there’s gonna be other wars” and that we could stay in Iraq for 100 years, a draft might seem reasonable to him."

Stop it, stand up and are ready to go! Yes we can!

Call of Duty

MI 2020 -T Man — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:04:17 EDT

Iraq, appear to have gotten their wish of U.S. troop withdrawal by next summer. A well needed break for the armed men and women who have performed more than one or two tours for a questionable call of duty to be in Iraq in the first place. Troops of Russia were asked to impede the aggression of Georgia to South Ossetia and though there is a cease fire, the Russian Army remains in Georgia. Strategic positioning in Poland with U.S. nuclear defense systems and a watchful eye on Iran makes an ever increasing possibility for more conflict to occur.... which will increase the chance of asking the U.S. troops for extended time for hostile encounters. The arms and weapons dealers must be ecstatic.......

"Question For the American Voter" - Jay Bookman

Regina from IL(changed from just "Regina" to avoid any confusion) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:41:22 EDT

There are many reasons that I am voting for Barack Obama and also a number of reasons that I would never vote for John McCain. The issue of war and diplomacy is the one on my mind today.

This opinion piece by Jay Bookman today in the AJC, examines McCains tendencies regarding war and diplomacy:

McCain, warrior no matter what the situation

Sen. John McCain has seized on the Russian invasion of Georgia as a chance to demonstrate to the American people what kind of president he would be on foreign policy matters.

For better or worse, I think he’s succeeded. McCain has clearly been more confrontational and aggressive than the Bush White House, going so far as to announce that in the wake of the invasion, “We are all Georgians,” a statement that implies a degree of commitment that the United States is not in a position to honor.

Even more startling was McCain’s decision, as a mere candidate for president, to send personal envoys to confer with Georgia’s leadership. Such a step is the prerogative only of a president, and is an act of dangerous presumption at an extremely delicate time.

To some Americans, McCain’s rhetoric has nonetheless communicated an image of authority that they find reassuring in a president. It also confirms him as an instinctive type of leader, someone whose response to a crisis is driven more by his own character than by the specifics of a challenge.

Read rest of article here:

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/stories/2008/08/18/bookmaned_0818.html

I, as an American citizen, have had enough of war just for war's sake. I have had my fill of an unjustified war. I do not want a President who sees military action as the first and only answer to every foreign crisis question (real or imagined). We must not continue to engage in "dumb" wars.

In today's world, I want a President with the judgement and skills to lead our nation and keep us safe without resorting to destruction and war at every opportunity in lieu of diplomacy and reason.

The question for the American voter is: what do you want???

Iraq

joe ruwe — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:06:01 EDT

Do not forget about Iraq. Though it is becoming difficult to find any stories anymore about the two wars we are still mired in, it's on my mind every day. The Olympics have distracted us. The Presidential race has distracted us. The Russian war in Georgia has distracted us. The anthrax hoax has distracted us. The economy has distracted us.

Do not be distracted.

This country should be demanding an end to this war at the top of their lungs. It has proven to be based on lies, document forgeries and other sinister foundations. We are not "winning", whatever that means, and the "surge" did not work. In fact, now that troops are slowly leaving, combat deaths and attacks are going back up. Well, DUH!!!??!!

What did we think was going to happen? Iraqi politics is a corrupt mess. Our mission there is murky and questionable. Iraq still has nothing to do with the hoax called the "war on terror." We still have not found Osama bin Laden or brought anyone to justice in connection to the crimes of 9/11. There is growing consensus among experts around the globe that bin Laden is probably dead and most likely was NOT behind the 9/11 attacks.

Yet we slog along in Iraq, losing more good people every day. All for nothing. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars being flushed down the toilet. Innocent people being killed, families destroyed, and chaos raining down all over the country. Still no proper water and electricity in Iraq. I know, unbelievable. All I can do is shake my head.

I wish the war was still on everyones mind like it is mine. If the war was on the front pages, if the names of those killed were on the nightly news each night, if pictures of flag-draped coffins rolling home were everywhere, perhaps there would be a much greater public outcry. And McCain and the GOP would lose in a landslide in November.

I say again, do not be distracted. We were fools to invade and occupy that country. We will eventually be held accountable, in one way or another. We have helped make the world considerably less safe. We have created a generation of new enemies who hate us more than ever. And we have saddled our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with a debt that they might not be able to ever repay.

Stay focused. Stay angry. Keep pushing. Do not let the war mongers off the hook.

Not this time.

No "good guys" in the Caucasus, whatever McCain says

paullenart — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:02:23 EDT

Georgia's savage attack on Ossetia hardly got a mention in the corporate news. There was only the "inexplicable" Russian "aggression" against Georgia "on slight provocation." THE NATION's Katherine Vanden Heuvel gives some background on events in the Caucasus below. No one is wearing white hats in this shoot'em up.

"The past week's events in South Ossetia are bound to shock and pain anyone.... Nothing can justify this loss of life and destruction. It is a warning to all."
--Mikhail Gorbachev, Washington Post, August 12

"Former Soviet President Gorbachev's condemnation of Georgia's assault on Tskhinvali on the night of August 7, which precipitated the larger Russia-Georgia conflict, reminds us that if we had heeded his vision of a truly post-cold war world, we might not today be confronting such dangerous geopolitical gamesmanship. It should also remind us, as a wobbly cease-fire is put in place, that the conflict has been flagrantly misreported in this country.

I am heartsick at the violence and brutalities on all sides. Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian friends have all suffered. Yet commentary in the US media, almost without exception, has turned a longstanding, complex separatist conflict into a casus belli for a new cold war with Russia, ignoring not only the historical and political reasons for South Ossetia's drive for independence from Georgia but also the responsibility of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for the current crisis. So eager have commentators been to indict Vladimir Putin's Russia that they have overlooked Washington's contribution to the rising tensions.

Certainly Russia should be condemned for escalating the fighting beyond what was necessary to defend South Ossetians and Russian peacekeepers. But the US media have failed to provide the full backdrop. For one, the role of Saakashvili--who has sought to provoke Moscow over a range of issues in recent years--has been whitewashed. Georgia's president has often seemed more intent on currying favor with the Bush Administration, which has strongly supported Georgia's bid for NATO membership, than on looking after the interests of his people. The United States has also sent hundreds of military advisers to Georgia and welcomed Georgian troops in its "coalition of the willing" in Iraq. The irony is that the Bush Administration, which violated Iraq's sovereignty, now feigns outrage over Russia's actions. And for all the flowery talk of promoting Georgia's democracy, the Bush Administration has in the past year downplayed Saakashvili's violent crackdown on Georgian protesters, as well as his rigged election, declaration of martial law, attacks on opposition media and jailing of opponents.

In intervening militarily to protect South Ossetians and Russian peacekeepers, Moscow suggested it was following the precedent of Washington's 1999 war against Serbia. And just as Washington widened that war beyond the Kosovo theater to attack Serbia's infrastructure, Russia expanded its war, hitting targets in Georgia proper, thereby challenging the UN Charter. By doing so, Moscow is warning that NATO expansion on Russia's borders will not be tolerated.

There are also unasked questions about the conflict's eruption. Was Saakashvili's military strike designed to force NATO's hand after its hesitant endorsement of future membership for Georgia? Did the Bush Administration's public support of Saakashvili's belligerent stance toward Russia convince the Georgian president that he would have US backing if he attacked?

Such questions have been virtually ignored amid the relentlessly one-sided commentary, with critics like William Kristol and Robert Kagan drawing hysterical parallels with Munich in 1938, and Clinton Administration diplomat Richard Holbrooke issuing a truculent demand in the Washington Post that Russia pay a price. Yet calls for sanctions or boycotts are hollow. Even if the United States were not already stretched to the breaking point in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush Administration policies have left us with no credibility in Moscow and, therefore, little diplomatic leverage. That is why it was left to the European Union, despite its internal divisions, to arrange a cease-fire and advance a framework for resolving the conflict.

Yet crises like these also present opportunities--and new dangers. As I write, there is ambiguity to the current French-brokered ceasefire agreement---with the Russians interpreting it as permitting them to establish new security measures beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia until international monitoring mechanisms can be worked out. Thus, Russia has positioned forces outside of Gori and have taken control of the port area of Poti. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration's response of sending humanitarian aid--delivered by the US military--poses dangers because it could cause an inadvertent hot war if US military forces engage Russian forces. Bush Administration and Pentagon officials have made it clear that US forces would not be "protecting the Georgian airport or seaport, but we we'll certainly protect our assets if we need to." Instead of hollow threats at this stage, we should seek restraint on all sides, and make every effort to move these issues into an international forum were cooler heads could prevail.

Above all, as Mikhail Gorbachev said Thursday night on CNN's Larry King Live, this crisis--and the opportunity it provides--should create the space for a different US-Russian relationship. A new approach must begin with recognition of Georgia's sovereignty but also recognize that Russia has legitimate interests along its borders and in areas that have been its traditional zones of security, from Central Asia to the Caucasus to Ukraine. And having established a precedent in supporting Kosovo's independence, Washington should work with Russia to set up a process, monitored by the UN, that could likewise lead to South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's eventual independence. This could establish the basis for a more cooperative US-Russia relationship that would also be in the interests of the Georgian people. As Mark Ames points out in a companion article at thenation.com, this conflict exposes a clash between two fundamental principles of international relations: the right of nations to control territory within their borders versus the right of peoples to self-determination. The West cannot simply claim the precedence of one principle (self-determination in Kosovo, for example) and then assert that of the other (national sovereignty in Georgia) without exposing its own hypocrisy and motivations based on power politics.

A key element in a new security paradigm must include a US commitment to end eastward expansion of NATO, especially to Georgia and Ukraine. In return, Washington and Moscow should jointly guarantee the sovereignty of those two countries. NATO expansion has furthered no one's security--in fact, it has increased regional tensions, aroused Russian insecurity and hostility, and discouraged countries from pursuing independent relations with Moscow, leading them instead to adopt provocative policies and act, at times, like virtual US colonies.

Worryingly, neither US presidential candidate has given a hint of being willing to rethink policy toward the region. While Obama argues for UN mediation and the importance of finding a settlement, both he and McCain support NATO membership for Georgia. (McCain is, of course, far more bellicose, tied as he is to ultra-neocons who demand that Georgia's--and Ukraine's--NATO membership be expedited and that Russia be excluded from the G-8.) Does either candidate even bother to consider that if Georgia had been a member of NATO when it launched its incursion into South Ossetia, the United States would now be at war with Russia? Isn't it finally time to dissolve a cold war military alliance and build a new geopolitical security structure for this century? "

Pat Buchanan: Anti-War Surrogate

Lydia from Durham, NC — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:04:30 EDT

Is Pat Buchanan the best anti-war surrogate for left against McCain? Take a look:

Pat Buchanan on the John McCain Platform

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Dd-yg2A4E

Republicans and military men on John McCain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w

Action: Spread The Word

skidog — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:57:02 EDT

Time for Iraq to Pay the Bill
The oil market has produced a bonanza for Iraq. Now it is time for the country to spend its own money on reconstruction.

Patty: Thank You and Thoughts on The New MYBO Activity Tracker

Herschel.Corpus.Christi — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:57:30 EDT

A Response to a letter Patty emailed to the Diversity Group informing the group the New MYBO Activity Tracker still has issues to solve regarding the implementation of the new IT system.

Patty,

This is a SHOUT OUT!!! "THANK YOU" for all you do keeping us informed. It is NICE to know the campaign staff is working on the problem.

Of all the people on the old MYBO system, you had the most to loose. With your 200,000 points, you were the NUMBER ONE by tens of thousands of points. Of course it took you being on the phone for 10 hours a day since January to accumulate all those points. It is nice to see you keeping us informed as to the implementation of this new direction to help Senator Obama.

It's funny; I am working with CHANGE for America. Senator Obama is leading the charge. Yet on a personal level, change comes hard. I miss the old MYBO system. For sometime indicators have shown an adjustment was needed. How many times have you had a friend's request; you click on it; it takes forever to load up; when it does, the "Friend" has 2,000 other "Friends" and 10,000 MYBO points? As far as helping elect Senator Obama, these were a waste of my time and the senator’s server space. To make things worse, we "accept," because we don't want to offend.

The Activity guide is a way for the campaign to let us know how to help. What is important? The one thing I am SURE about is the campaign has been GREAT in the allocation of resources. During the primaries, the campaign chose which battles to fight. Some states were full charge ahead. In other states only limited resources were used. We, The Army of Obama, really are the greatest resource the campaign has to use. We, the Obama volunteers, are more important than ALL the money collected. This change is a way for the staff to redirect our efforts.

At this stage "doors knocked," may just be more important than "events attended." One area of importance has always been, “calls made.” There are head quarter groups devoted to mobilizing phone callers. For many that volunteer in states that are not “in-play,” making phone calls is the ONE area where we can be productive. At the present, everyone’s total for calls made is zero. I have yet to find one of my friends that have been given credit ANY of their calls. Surely, that will be corrected. Also, we don’t know how, when or where to “knock doors.” This new MYBO Activity Tracker will HOPEFULLY both correct lingering deficiencies from the change over and elucidate how we can best serve this phase of the campaign.

Patty, Once again; "THANK YOU."

Thanks for letting us know the MYBO Activity Tracker is not perfected installed AND the change in criteria will be explained. That’s a lot of THANKS coming your way.

McLame's True Support For The Troops

skidog — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:07:46 EDT

Please forward this to others in the media and ask them why they aren’t covering this story.

==================================================================================

I am sending this on because we are seeing the 2008 swiftboating begin. This idea that Obama ignored the vets on his trip is being pounded in all the media. It has got to be addressed by all of our supporters.
This is how the GOP plans to take this election...by destroying Obama's character and questioning his patriotism.
The irony is that McCain's lack of support for vets is getting a free pass from much of the media.
PLEASE pass this info on to all of your contacts and be sure to watch this video.
We have to speak up....all of us.

This video got me to look at the McCain Vet Support Record. It is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGvxK660oFo

PS. There is an effort on the internet to say that Hudson is a fake, a poser. He is not. He is a long time advocate for disabled vets recognized by numerous associations. His service record has been verified. McCain could not find the time in his schedule to meet with Hudson even though he promised he would at the townhall.

I then looked up McCain's ratings:..
The Iraq/Afghan Vets Association gives him a D (and Obama a B+)
Disabled Am Vets gives him a 20% support rating (and Obama a 80%)
53 Senators Sponsored the New GI Bill. McCain was not one of them.
When 75 voted for it in the final version, McCain did not.
McCain claims a perfect rating with the VFW but the VFW does not give ratings.
In 2007 McCain missed 11 of 15 votes on Veteran issues. He has missed 11 so far this year. It looks to me (after studying the pattern laid out below), that McCain generally either votes against measures that raise benefits or he does not vote at all. Once he began his run for the presidency, he stopped voting on veteran measures.

More Specifically- Veterans Issues (from www.ProjectVoteSmart.org):

2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.

2006 Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.

From the Congressional Record:

* McCain Voted Against A $20 Million Increase In Healthcare For Veterans. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment that would add $20 million for veterans' health care facilities. It would offset the additional spending by striking $20 million in the underlying bill for AmeriCorps. Amendment failed 39-59. [HR 4939, Vote #111, 5/4/06]

* McCain Was One of 13 Senators To Vote Against Increase In Veterans' Healthcare. In 2006, McCain was one of 13 senators to vote against an amendment to add $430 million for outpatient and inpatient health care and treatment for veterans. Amendment passed 84-16. [HR 4939, Vote #98, 4/26/06]

* McCain Voted To Cut Funding For Veterans' Healthcare. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment to strike a provision in the 2007 Budget that will hold farm programs, veterans, Social Security, and Medicaid hostage to rising health care costs by creating automatic cuts once an arbitrary level of spending is reached in the Medicare program. The amendment failed 50-50. [SCR 83, Vote #70, 3/16/06]

* McCain Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Funding By $10 Billion. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment to eliminate a tripling of fees for veterans in the TRICARE health care program by raising the discretionary spending limit by approximately $10 billion. The provisions would have been fully offset by eliminating certain corporate tax breaks. The amendment failed 46-53. [SCR 83, Vote #67, 3/16/06]

* McCain Voted Against Veteran's Healthcare Program. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment to make veterans' health benefits a mandatory program, spending $104 billion over five years. The funding would have been offset by closing corporate tax loopholes and rolling back the Bush tax cuts for millionaires. Amendment rejected 46-54. [SCR 83, Vote #63, 3/16/06]

* McCain Voted Against A $1.5 Billion Increase In Healthcare For Veterans. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment that increased the discretionary spending limit by $1.5 billion to $874.5 billion to provide an increase in funding for veterans' medical services. It would be offset by ending certain corporate tax breaks. Amendment rejected 46-54. [SCR 83, Vote #41, 3/14/06]

* McCain Failed To Vote To Support Healthcare For Veterans In Lieu of Tax Breaks For Millionaires. In 2006, McCain failed to vote on a motion to instruct conferees to insist that the tax reconciliation conference report includes funding to support health needs of veterans and military personnel in lieu of an extension of capital gains or dividends tax breaks for individuals with incomes of more than $1 million. Motion failed 40-53. [HR 4297, Vote #15, 2/13/06]

* McCain Voted Against $19 billion For Military And Veterans' Hospitals. In 2006, McCain voted against an amendment that provided $19 billion for military and veterans' hospitals, offset by limiting the dividend and capital-gains tax rates to individuals earning less than $1 million. Amendment failed 44-53. [HR 4297, Vote #7, 2/2/06]

* McCain Voted Against Mental Healthcare For Veterans. In 2005, McCain Voted against an amendment that provided an additional $500 million per year for the next five years for mental health services for veterans. The funding would be offset by deferring tax cuts for those making $1 million per year. Amendment rejected 43-55. [S 2020, Vote #343, 11/17/05]

* McCain Voted Against Considering Inflation In Veterans Funding Formula. In 2005, McCain voted against an amendment that would establish a future funding formula for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Amendment failed 48-51. [HR 2863, Vote #251, 10/5/05]

* McCain Voted Against A $10 Million Increase In Readjustment Counseling for Veterans. In 2005, McCain voted against an amendment that would provide an additional $10 million for the Readjustment Counseling Service, offset with a $10 million reduction in the HealthVet account. The amendment failed 48-50. [HR 2528, Vote #242, 9/22/05]

* McCain Failed To Vote For A $1.5 Billion Increase In Veterans' Healthcare. In 2005, McCain failed to vote for an amendment that would add $1.5 billion of funding to the Department of Veterans' Affairs for medical services provided by the Veterans Health Administration. Amendment passed 96-0. [HR 2361, Vote # 165, 6/29/05; HR 2361, Vote # 166, 6/29/05; HR 2361, Vote # 168, 6/29/05]

* McCain Voted Against $1.9 Billion In Emergency Funding For Veterans' Hospitals. In 2005, McCain voted against an amendment that designated $1.9 billion in emergency funding for veterans' hospitals. The $1.9 billion provided for the VA by the underlying amendment will help the VA to cover the costs of caring for these new veterans, and ensure that the VA is able to provide them with the care they deserve. The amendment failed 46-54. [HR 1268, Vote #90, 4/12/05]

* McCain Voted Against A $2 Billion Increase In Veterans' Funding. In 2005, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase funding for the Veterans Affairs Department by $1.98 billion and designate it as emergency spending. It would stipulate that $840 million be used for veterans' regional health networks; $610 million be used to address the needs of service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan; and $525 million be used to provide mental health care and treatment. Amendment failed 46-54. [HR 1268, Vote #89, 4/12/05]

* McCain Voted Against Creating A Reserve Fund For Veterans' Health Care. In 2004, McCain voted against an amendment that would create a reserve fund to allow for an increase in veterans medical care by $1.8 billion, the amount determined by Veterans' Affairs Committee to meet existing needs; and is fully offset by closing tax loopholes. Amendment rejected 46-51. [SCR95,Vote #40,3/10/04]

* McCain Voted Against A $1.3 billion Increase In Veterans' Health Benefits. In 2003, McCain voted to table an amendment that included a $1. Billion increase in funding for health benefits. The amendment would reduce the amount provided for Iraqi reconstruction by $5.03 billion, and redirect that funding for domestic programs, including $1.8 billion for veterans' health benefits, $1 billion for school reconstruction, renovation and repair and class size reduction, and $1.5 billion for capital improvements for federal highways. It also would express the sense of the Senate that Congress should consider an additional $5.03 billion in funding for Iraqi reconstruction during the fiscal 2005 budget and appropriations process. The motion to table passed 59-35. [S 1689, Vote #379, 10/14/03]

* McCain Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Health Care Program. In 2003, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase spending on the TRICARE program by $20.3 billion over 10 years to give members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families greater access to the health care program. The increase would be offset by a reduction in tax cuts. Amendment rejected 46-51. [SCR23,Vote #81,3/25/03]

* McCain Failed To Vote For A $1.3 Billion Increase In Funding For Veterans' Healthcare. In 1999, McCain failed to vote for an amendment that increased the funding provided to Veterans' Health Administration by $1.3 billion. The amendment failed 36-63. [HR 2684, Vote #285, 9/22/99]

* McCain Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Health Administration By $1 Billion. In 1998, McCain voted against an amendment that would add $1 billion for Veterans' Health Administration Medical Care. The funding would budget neutral and would come from the termination of the space station program. The amendment failed 33-66. [S 2168, Vote #185, 7/7/98]

* McCain Voted Against $400 Million In Veterans' Funding. In 1997, McCain voted to table an amendment that would permit $400 million in DOD funds to be transferred to Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide health benefits under laws administered by Secretary. Motion to table agreed to 58-41. [S936,Vote #168,7/10/97]

* McCain Voted Against Covering Spina Bifida For The Children of Veterans. In 1996, McCain voted against the germaneness of an amendment that would extend veterans health care and related benefits to the children of Vietnam Veterans suffering from spina bifida, a spinal cord birth defect that causes neurological damage. The amendment was judged germane 62-35. [HR 3666, Vote #276, 9/5/96]

* McCain Voted Against Preventing Cuts In Veterans' Healthcare Funding. In 1996, McCain voted to table an amendment that would prohibit the Department of Veterans' Affairs from reducing funds to any state for health care facilities in fiscal 1997 below the fiscal 1996 funding level. Motion to table passed. [HR 3666, Vote # 275, 9/5/96]

* McCain Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Healthcare Funding By $511 Million. In 1995, McCain voted against an amendment which would increase the funding for veterans' medical care by $511 million; and offsets the cost of this amendment by limiting any tax cut to families with incomes of less than $100,000. Amendment failed 51-49. [HR 2099, Vote #466, 9/27/95]

* McCain Voted To Restrict Funding For Veterans' Care Facilities. In 1994, McCain voted against tabling an amendment that the amendment would prohibit the construction of three inpatient facilities, located in Hawaii, California, and Tennessee. The projects in Hawaii and California will provide access to acute care for large numbers of veterans in the areas to be served, without which they would not have access to VA inpatient services. The project in Tennessee involves the correction of serious seismic deficiencies in the Memphis VA facility, which is located in a dangerous earthquake area. Motion to table passed 62-36. [HR 4624, Vote #256, 8/4/94]

* McCain Voted To Cut $25 Million From Veterans' Health Programs. In 1993, McCain not to table an amendment that transferred $25 million of veterans' health funding to programs for the Veterans Department to occupation conversion and employment training programs for veterans. Motion to table passed 57-43. [HR 1335, Vote #97, 4/1/93]

* McCain Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Healthcare & Research Funding By $431 Million. In 1991, McCain voted against an amendment to increase veterans' program funding by $378 million for medical care and $53 million for medical and prosthetic research. Amendment failed 35-64. [HR 2519, Vote #132, 7/17/91]

* McCain Voted Against $200 Million For Veterans' Healthcare. In 1990, McCain voted to table an amendment that transferred $200 million to the Department of Veterans' Affairs medical account. The money would be transferred from the Strategic Defense Initiative. Motion to table passed 54-43. [S 2884, Vote #226, 8/4/90]

McCain Has Voted To Cut, Eliminate, or Gut Veterans Health Care Funding At Least 29 Times. [HR 4939, Vote #111, 5/4/06][HR 4939, Vote #98, 4/26/06][SCR 83, Vote #70, 3/16/06][SCR 83, Vote #67, 3/16/06][SCR 83, Vote #63, 3/16/06][SCR 83, Vote #41, 3/14/06][HR 4297, Vote #15, 2/13/06][HR 4297, Vote #7, 2/2/06][S 2020, Vote #343, 11/17/05][HR 2863, Vote #251, 10/5/05][HR 2528, Vote #242, 9/22/05][HR 2361, Vote # 165, 6/29/05; HR 2361, Vote # 166, 6/29/05; HR 2361, Vote # 168, 6/29/05][HR 1268, Vote #90, 4/12/05][HR 1268, Vote #89, 4/12/05][SCR 95, Vote #40, 3/10/04][S 1689, Vote #379, 10/14/03][SCR 23, Vote #81, 3/25/03][S 2168, Vote #185, 7/7/98][S 936, Vote #168, 7/10/97][HR 3666, Vote #276, 9/5/96][HR 3666, Vote # 275, 9/5/96][HR 2099, Vote #466, 9/27/95[HR 4624, Vote #256, 8/4/94][HR 1335, Vote #97, 4/1/93][S 2884, Vote #226, 8/4/90][HR 2519, Vote #132, 7/17/91]

Vets, We Need Your Help Again!!

skidog — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:58:22 EDT

Team:

My name's Phil Carter; I'm an Iraq vet now serving as the Obama campaign's veterans director. We are recruiting a group of Iraq / Afghanistan veterans to advise the campaign and participate in events around the country. You all have already expressed your support for Barack Obama by joining this listserv, and many of you are already engaged around the country as field staff, volunteers and leaders within your community. If you'd like to join this national group, please send me your resume and a short email about the issues that matter most to you, at pcarter@barackobama. We're putting this together in the next 7-10 days, so please respond quickly.

Thanks -- and stay fired up!!!

-Phil

Phillip Carter
Veterans Director
Obama for America

pcarter@barackobama.com

Please Help Stop War Profiteering

skidog — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:52:57 EDT

Dear Mike,

Thousands killed, billions wasted, and countless opportunities lost.

You've seen this story play out before. We pay the costs and the war profiteers get rich at our expense. Just look at Blackwater's attempt to build a massive base on California's border with Mexico (see the end of this message to read what CEO Erik Prince said about your grassroots activism to block Blackwater).

Now, we've got a new battle on our hands. KBR -- Halliburton's former subsidiary -- is the largest contractor in Iraq. And, what have they done? No bid contracts, offshore tax havens, massive fraud, and even claims of rape.

Despite the mounting evidence against KBR, CalPERS -- California's largest pension and retirement fund -- continues to invest millions in this corporation.

That's why, as part of their Iraq Accountability Project, our friends at True Majority are demanding that CalPERS divest all holdings from KBR.

Investing public pension funds in a corporation accused of massive fraud and war profiteering isn't good economics. It's not good for America. And it's not good for California. Please click here now to tell CalPERS to divest from KBR:

http://www.TrueMajority.org/Divest

Here's the complete petition text:

As a California resident I urge you to divest all holdings from KBR. As the largest contractor in Iraq, KBR has failed to pay hundreds of millions in taxes through off shore tax havens, and past employees have testified of massive fraud which is costing the American people billions of dollars. War profiteering is un-American and it is time you divest all shares of KBR.

From ending apartheid in South Africa to convincing college campuses to carry non-sweatshop made clothing, divestment campaigns like this have a long history of successfully changing behavior. A public retirement fund can't claim to have the best interest of workers at heart while investing in a company profiteering off the war in Iraq.

Please sign True Majority's petition for divestment today:

http://www.TrueMajority.org/Divest

As you may know, the Courage Campaign has worked with grassroots activists in San Diego County to block another war profiteer -- Blackwater -- from attempting to establish a massive base on the California border with Mexico. After grassroots leaders in the small town of Potrero shut down Blackwater's plans to build a 824-acre mercenary operation in their small town, Blackwater was forced to open a much smaller training facility in San Diego.

As Blackwater CEO Erik Prince acknowledged in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Potrero uprising was a significant blow to Blackwater's attempt to get a "bigger footprint" in California. Prince has all but given up on California, "because it's hard to do business here" due to the "politics, the nonsense of it all."

We're thrilled to hear it, quite frankly. We don't need Blackwater's business in California. And we certainly don't need KBR's business either.

Thanks for taking action with True Majority and the Courage Campaign today to make 2008 a new era for progressive politics in California.

Eden James
Managing Director
Courage Campaign

..............

The Courage Campaign is an online organizing network empowering nearly 100,000 grassroots and netroots activists to make 2008 a new era for progressive politics in California.

Please consider making a contribution to the Courage Campaign:

Iraqis: Deal close on plan for US troops to leave

Bridget — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:43:03 EDT

While this is good news I want more details. I'm also concerned about any agreement crafted by the current Bush administration. As far as I'm concerned Barack Obama's stance on this issue was impetus for this happening.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_bases