Member Posts

Don't just check what I say, check what I do as well...

Sunny Liao — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:19:56 EDT

My opinion is backed by my actions, not whoever's say! Don't just check what I say, check what I do as well...Belidoodoo, belidoodoo, belidoodoo...

Two Way Communication

LaVern from Monroe, WI — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:19:07 EDT

I'm trying to contact Senator Obama under his issues page under the Economy and on that page under, "Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief" and I find that I cannot voice my opinion on that web page. I definitely don't think this is two way communication. If I am wrong, could you please explain to me--what is two way communication? If I write a letter and leave my email address, someone can write me back. I'm not saying who is right on the issue but at least you are starting a conversation. A lot of my friends tell me that if Senator Obama can deliver on his promise that any senior citizen with an income under $50,000 would not have to pay any federal income tax. In fact that they would not even have to make out a long form. With all the medical expenses one can have when they are a senior citizen, it is very appealing to me as well as a lot of my friends and a lot of them are Republicans. I was told that he was going to get the fund for this by TAXING THE HEDGE FUND DEALERS but I don't hear any conversation in the media on this issue or from the candidate. If anyone is listening, do they hear the same thing that I'm hearing?

Yours truly, Looking for answers, LaVern Isely

On the Ground: "Pay attention to Obama's voter registration drive"

State News — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:17:18 EDT

The Vote for Change voter registration drive launched almost three months ago, before the primary had even ended. As the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder said back in May, "Pay attention to Obama's voter registration drive..." This program is part of the foundation of our general election strategy, and voter registration events have been taking place non-stop ever since. Xavier Lopez-Ayala is on the ground in Minnesota. . .

Last Monday, the Campaign for Change gave Barack Obama a very special birthday present: thousands of newly registered Minnesotans.

The field organizers in the 4th Congressional District were able to collect 215 voter registration cards in just 24 hours, exceeding their goal of 188. This was in large part because of the hard work and dedication of Joe and Bonnie (who collected 18), Peter (36), David (who stayed out from 9AM to 6PM), and Harris (a 12 year old Barackstar who collected six).

The organizers wrapped the voter registration cards and delivered them to the Minnesota Secretary of State's office on Wednesday. They also sent in these pictures:

I also heard the story of Andy, a field organizer in Minneapolis, who managed to collect 44 voter registrations by the time he left a Birthday House Party for Barack. He was still shy of his goal of 47 for the day, and not wanting to give Barack anything but his best, Andy hit the pavement and scoured Minneapolis for unregistered voters. He phoned in just before 11pm to inform everyone that he had registered 50 new voters for Barack's birthday!

Andy emailed over this picture...

Voter registration are taking place all summer long, all across the country. No matter where you are, you can find an event near you.

shae

Shana from Rock Valley, IA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:17:11 EDT

I just want to know what you people are thinking, he is the last person anybody would want for president for America. He would be a better president for a different country. I cant believe he does not say the Pledge, the Star Spangled banner, he takes the American flag off his plane, he totally does not respect what america stands for. He says he is a Christian but everybody knows he's not, anybody that votes for him should be ashamed of themselves for not being a true American!

Under the bus...and his wife has cancer, john edwards endorses Obama....

Lucy from Auburn, WA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:16:21 EDT

Another slime ball who backed Obama, he really needs to stop associations with these kinds of losers......oh but he wants to be president, so thats ok.....maybe he'll say "this isn't the John Edwards I knew".......

From Anchorage Daily News

Emily Bokar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:15:30 EDT

By SEAN COCKERHAM
August 7th, 2008 12:02 AM

Presidential candidate Barack Obama is touting the Alaska natural gas pipeline.

Obama included the project in the energy plan he announced this week, calling for working "with the Canadian government to finally build the Alaska natural gas pipeline, delivering clean natural gas and creating good jobs in the process."

That brought the Democrat kudos from Gov. Sarah Palin, who some pundits are pushing as a possible vice presidential running mate for Republican John McCain.

Two of Obama's top advisers repeated the theme in a teleconference with Alaska reporters Wednesday. They said Obama would encourage a federal partnership with Alaska to further the project and try to prevent Exxon Mobil from having a "disproportionate influence over the timetable over the construction of this pipeline,"

They were vague about how the partnership would work and how Exxon's influence might be blunted, saying that would have to be worked out with the governor.

"The federal government could play a bigger role in trying to get all parties together to get this thing moving and try to find consensus in how to get it moving," said Obama adviser Pete Rouse, a former Alaskan.

Rouse said Obama spoke about the gasline with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and former Gov. Tony Knowles. McCain, he noted, opposed the federal loan guarantees and other incentives Congress passed for the Alaska gas pipeline project in 2004.

The Republican National Committee countered that McCain is for increasing the nation's supplies of energy while politics is driving Obama's energy plan.

"Obama reversed his position on the strategic petroleum reserve, downplayed his position against offshore drilling, and inflated his position on tires," said RNC spokesman Bill Riggs. "With an energy policy so out of touch with the America people, it's not surprising that Obama is doing everything he can to move closer to John McCain's "all of the above" energy solution."

Both Obama and McCain are against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Palin said she's not giving up hope that McCain will change his mind on ANWR.

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/486170.html

OBAMA BIDEN 08!

Wendy Berry — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:13:59 EDT

Well, that is my dream ticket at least.

He doesn' t even back your opinions...

Lucy from Auburn, WA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:12:53 EDT

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.

TIME FOR IRAQ TO PAY THE BILL - - - NY TIMES

Patty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:12:36 EDT

It has been five years since Paul Wolfowitz, the former deputy defense secretary, offered his infamous assurance that Iraq would be able to finance its own reconstruction “relatively soon.” Now, finally, part of that prediction has come true. Iraq is awash in oil money. But it is still not spending it on reconstruction.

Federal analysts reported Tuesday that the oil market has produced a bonanza for Iraq, which has the third-largest reserves in the world. The report, by the Government Accountability Office, said that from 2005 to the end of this year, Iraq is expected to have earned at least $156 billion in oil revenues and amassed a budget surplus that could go as high as $79 billion. Roughly $29 billion of that surplus is piling up in Iraqi banks as well as in a fund at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that was supposed to be used for Iraqi development.

In truth, Iraqis have had little incentive to spend their own money given the willingness of the United States Congress to keep writing blank checks for President Bush’s disastrous adventure there. Congress has appropriated $48 billion for rebuilding in Iraq since 2003 and committed all but $6 billion of that amount, mostly for oil, electricity, water and security projects.

By contrast, between 2005 and and 2007, when all that oil revenue was piling up, only $3.9 billion of Iraq’s budget went to reconstruction. An even tinier amount went to maintaining United States and Iraqi-financed projects like roads, bridges, buildings, water and electrical installations. That raises serious questions about the wisdom of making those capital investments in the first place if they are not going to be properly tended.

One of the Bush administration’s most damaging postinvasion decisions is at the heart of this problem. In its ill-considered dismissal of everybody who had any connection to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party, American overseers depleted the ranks of Iraqi bureaucrats who had the skills and experience to run an oil-producing country of about 27 million people.

As the Congressional investigators found, Iraq now lacks the trained professionals to prepare and execute budgets and to solicit, award and oversee capital projects. The United States must redouble its efforts to help Iraq build this capacity, including bringing back skilled Iraqis who have fled the country.

Congress is finally losing patience with the indefensible image of Americans paying historic high gasoline prices while Iraq pockets huge profits and Americans underwrite Iraq’s rebuilding. Like Democrat Carl Levin and Republican John Warner, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, we question the Pentagon’s decision to spend $33 million from an emergency fund on an economic zone at Baghdad International Airport. Iraq has committed $44.8 million to the project but should pay for the whole thing.

It is good — for Iraq and for the world economy — that Iraq is getting back into the oil business. But it still has a long way to go before it fully assumes responsibility for itself and its future. That must include spending its own money for its own enormous and unfulfilled reconstruction needs.

John Edwards admits affair, denies fathering child

Lisa -TX Precinct Captain #3361 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:12:09 EDT

In respect to John Edwards admission of his extra marital affair....I donated money and time. He should of removed himself from the marriage.

But let's be honest...he is "hot".

ELECTION BREAKING NEWS: Edward's Had Affair

President2032 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:11:13 EDT

John Edward's had a sexual affair with a woman. That woman gave birth to a child.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5441195&page=1

Friday Gems

Obama grandmama — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:09:57 EDT

Wake up!
Missing Votes Spark Lawsuit

Obama Watch:
Surf’s Up: Obama Family Heads for Hawaii
"Hands"

McCain related:
After shake-up, McCain ground game revs up
Why McCain would be a mediocre president
McCain: the presidential candidate some Arizonans know — and loathe
DHL deal haunts McCain in Ohio
"Stand Up" ~ Ohio Dems respond to DHL deal

McC Attacks:
Painful
An Antichrist Obama in McCain Ad?
Did McCain ad intend to link Obama to Antichrist?

The Traditional Race to the White House:
McCain, Obama claims stretch the truth
All Eyes on Florida, Again

Bush 'n Company:
Rove Knew of Problems with Anthrax Vaccine

Heads Up:
Bush classifies cybersecurity program, redacts question . . .
Senate Stall to Let Next President Tip Court Balance

DNC Troubles:
Bruised Clintonites show loyalty at DNC

RNC Troubles:
Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donor
PUMA founded by Republicans

On the Lighter Side:
Dazed and Confused

ABC: John Edwards Had An Affair With A Woman

President2032 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:09:52 EDT

John Edward's had a sexual affair with a woman.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5441195&page=1

Ryan White Funding

Wade from Knox, IN — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:08:03 EDT

I wonder if Barack Obama is going to really push for increased funding for Ryan White funds. There are still States within the US that have waiting lists for HIV+/AIDS individuals to receive HIV medications. Without these medications, viral loads increase, damaging the immune system, and could eventually lead to the death of these individuals waiting.

It is of paramount importance to push for increased funding; as the past few years Ryan White has been flat-funded, yet there are increases in new infections in the US which Ryan White is not funded to handle.

Obama's father's economic critique

John Navarra — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:05:49 EDT

I just finished reading Barack Obama Sr's critique of Jomo Kenyatta's ecomomic plan of 1965. Obama warned of economic disparity, underused land, lack of good jobs for native Kenyans and poor investments. If Kenya had followed Obama who was Kenyatta's senior economist at the time Kenya may not have had a riot over land redistribution after the December 2007 election. Obama's crtique may have been written by his son today because it urged how everyone in Kenya could help improve the country. Obama did not advise Kenyatta that foreigners would ruin the country but that native black Kenyans needed to have a share of running their country and producing goods. Obama senior had a plan for his country similar to a John F. Knnedy or Barack Obama Jr. If only Kenyatta had listened to his senior economic advisor. The feeling of inequality now in Kenya probably wouldn't exist.

John Navarra

Our foreign policy is to knock off somebody else...

Sunny Liao — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:05:48 EDT

Our foriegn policy is that we never hold our enemy to apology and charge their responsibilies. That will make us look like a victim. Instead of going out to knock off Osama, we externally knock off Saddam Hussein, and then we gonna internally knock off Barack Obama. See. By the way, Yes to Political Olympics, and No to Politics in Olympics. So what could it be in the 1936 Olympics. Hm...

Oh, did we ask those responsible parties to apologize or sorta something? Yes and No, but cannot be too much you know because that will make them accuse us back as inverse racism. Some sorta racism you know. Peace in Jesus. My clan~

WSJ : ARE PA , IOWA AND NEVADA REALLY BATTLEGROUND STATES ?

Patty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:05:31 EDT

Pennsylvania, Iowa, Nevada: Are They Really Battlegrounds?

Rhodes Cook is a veteran Washington political analyst who tracks national elections and voting trends and publishes a bimonthly political newsletter. Click here for Cook’s full bio.

Democrats may not be that comfortable talking about the troop surge in Iraq, but they have no trouble embracing a surge of a different sort — one that describes the party’s recent voter-registration gains.

Since President George W. Bush’s re-election in November 2004, the Democrats have added more than 800,000 voters to the rolls, while the number of registered Republicans has declined by about the same amount, according to a compilation of recent registration data. Meanwhile, the number of voters not affiliated with either party — the prime “growth stock” among registered voters in the past decade or two — has dropped by nearly 200,000.

These changes reflect recent registration totals from the 29 states and the District of Columbia where voters register by party. To be sure, the number doesn’t include some large electoral vote prizes such as Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, which are among the 21 states where voters don’t register by party. Still, there is no mistaking the clear Democratic trend of late in all parts of the country, which conspicuously includes many of the major battleground states.

Since 2004, for example, the Democrats have lengthened their registration advantage in Florida, Oregon and Pennsylvania, with the Democratic advantage in the latter swelling from less than 600,000 four years ago to nearly 1.1 million registered voters now. The Democrats have also trimmed their registration deficits in Arizona, Colorado and New Hampshire. And two of the most closely contested battlegrounds of late — Iowa and Nevada — have flipped in the past four years. Each had more registered Republicans than Democrats in 2004 but now have more Democrats than Republicans, in each state by a margin of more than 60,000 voters.

The critical question, though, is whether this will mean much in terms of voting in November.

In 2004, it did. At least that was the case outside the South, where the five states with party registration all voted for Republican Bush in spite of a lingering Democratic registration advantage.

Elsewhere, though, there was a strong correlation between a state’s party registration totals and the general-election outcome. Republicans out-registered Democrats in 10 of the 12 non-Southern party registration states carried by Bush (with New Mexico and West Virginia the two exceptions). There were more registered Democrats than Republicans in 11 of the 12 party registration states won by Democrat John Kerry (with New Hampshire the lone exception).

Altogether, that means that nearly 90% of the non-Southern party registration states (21 of 24) cast their electoral votes in 2004 for the party that had more registered voters than the other.

It is unclear whether that trend will be replicated this year.

The 2004 election was essentially a referendum on Bush and his controversial presidency. And as such, it turned into a battle of the bases. Registered Republicans voted almost unanimously for Bush. Registered Democrats were nearly as universal in their support for Kerry, while independents split almost evenly between the two candidates. As a result, the outcome strongly reflected party registration totals in the states that had them.

This election, though, the dynamic is quite different. It is an open-seat race with no incumbent. Questions and concerns swirl around the presumptive nominees of each party. More persuasion will be required by each campaign this time than in 2004, both in wooing independent voters and protecting their own party base from poaching by the other side.

In addition, the loyalty of many of the new Democratic voters is open to question. Those brought in by distaste with the Bush administration and Republican governance are likely supporters of Barack Obama in November. But those who joined the Democrats in order to participate in the high-voltage primary contest between Obama and Hillary Clinton may be more problematic in their support for the party ticket this fall, particularly if they became Democrats to back Clinton.

In short, the party registration totals may not be as prescient this year as they were four years ago. Still, there is no doubt that the current registration trend is another potential advantage for the Democrats in 2008, as well as another headache for the Republicans

Crazy supporters ignorant responses....

Lucy from Auburn, WA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:05:14 EDT

FunnyBy Lucy Gucio - Aug 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pm EDT Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content Obama: “America is no longer what it once was”; Update: Rush reactsposted at 11:25 am on August 7, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Send to a Friend | printer-friendly

When presidential candidates answer questions from children about why they want the job, most will give an answer that uplifts the child and the candidate. Not Barack Obama. At a campaign stop in Elkhart, Indiana, a seven-year-old girl asked the Democrat why he wants to be President — and he told her that America has gone downhill:

“America is …, uh, is no longer, uh … what it could be, what it once was. And I say to myself, I don’t want that future for my children.”

Sound familiar? Michelle Obama sounded similar themes earlier in the campaign:

“Sometimes it’s easier to hold onto your own stereotypes and misconceptions. It makes you feel justified in your ignorance. That’s America.”

“Let me tell you something. For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback.”

Everyone feels that we can improve ourselves, but we don’t usually cast it in terms of the country no longer being what it once was. Coming from the Obamas, that doesn’t even make sense. They have talked about how difficult it was to break through barriers, not without some justification, to reach this point in their lives and American history.

Doesn’t that speak to the point that we continue to grow and to learn? And if not, which “good old days” did Obama mean? The 1980s? I doubt it, and if he means the Clinton era, then why did he run against Hillary in the first place?

Once again, Obama got off the teleprompter and put his foot directly in his mouth. He’s not selling Hope, he’s selling Despair, and himself as the snake oil that will cure us of all our ills.

Update: Maybe that seven-year-old was just another John McCain proxy.

Update II: Rush says it all in this clip:

LIMBAUGH: Alright, now here’s he’s brought it home. He had trashed his country in Germany, he has seen the result of that in his plummeting poll numbers. And now he does it again in Elkhart, IN. A 7 year old little girl. You’re running for President Sen. Obama, a little girl asks you a question, “Why did you start running for President?”
It’s a 7 year old Senator. Ya tell her because you love the country. You tell her because this is the greatest place on Earth. That we’ve got challenges, but you want to help the country through it. You don’t tell a 7 year old that her country isn’t what it once was. You do not lie to 7 year olds and tell them that your country sucks. You just don’t do it Senator.
America’s no longer what it could be? What it once was? How the Hell would you know Sir? Your experience has only been in one part of America. Elite, leftist academia.

Reader Comments

  another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By Shianne 39 minutes ago (Updated 39 minutes ago)
Delete Comment Yet another crying repugnant posting. Like you are going to persuade Obama supporters. Like we give a rats *#& what you think! Rush -- Mr. Addict himself. Oh what an American icon Rush is -- yeah right. My dog has more character!

Stop your hating and deal with the fact that Barack Obama is going to lead this country in a new direction. One that we can be proud of. Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By Lucy from Auburn, WA 34 minutes ago (Updated 34 minutes ago)
Delete Comment Hating? Stop your whining little girl, when Obama can't even encourage a little girl to love her country, remind her she can run for president some day too, that there is good in the world, that he can't even say why he wanted to be president in simple terms like "because America is the greatest country in the world" when he can't say "because of America, I now live in a 1.6 million dollar home, my kids attend private schools, my wife wears Prada, and the american dream is alive and kicking" then he shouldn't be running for a country he doesn't like....so cry somewhere else woman!!! Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By W.C. 29 minutes ago (Updated 29 minutes ago)
Delete Comment SHOVE IT 'LUCY TROLL' - WHAT, TOO MUCH RAIN-FALL IN WASHINGTON!! Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By Lucy from Auburn, WA 25 minutes ago (Updated 25 minutes ago)
Delete Comment another idiot referencing rain and washington in the same sentence Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By Chris from St. Helens, OR 19 minutes ago (Updated 19 minutes ago)
Delete Comment She's right. That's redundant. Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By Shianne 28 minutes ago (Updated 28 minutes ago)
Delete Comment Keep posting you show your ignorance. Please keep posting so others can see who you really are.

I'll explain it to you again, Barack is going to be the next President of the United States so all that crying and pouting like a baby is not going to change that ok boo boo. Now go suck on your binky and take a nap.

Your a hater but it's ok. It will not work this time and you know it don't you? Yes you do.

You have a great day and change that pamper. Maybe that's why you are so cranky and out of touch with reality. Re: another baby posting | Report to Admin Reply By W.C. 33 minutes ago (Updated 33 minutes ago)
Delete Comment AAH, YOU GOT HERE FIRST 'S' !! SHE DID GIVE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE TO HER POST THOUGH, 'FUNNY'; BECAUSE SHE IS HILARIOUS IN A SORT OF DELUSIONAL PSYCHOTIC WAY. SHE'S A 1 WEEK TROLL, WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SAY- YOU CAN ALWAYS RECOGNIZE A 'DITTO HEAD', A 'FIX' VIEWER- THEY ARE KNOW, BY THEIR STUPIDITY. 1 WEEK TROLL - BEGONE!!   Really? | Report to Admin Reply By Chris from St. Helens, OR 33 minutes ago (Updated 33 minutes ago)
Delete Comment I don't even want to hear what that fat nazi pig has to say even from the most dedicated Obama supporter. Not in the least funny. Re: Really? | Report to Admin Reply By W.C. 31 minutes ago (Updated 31 minutes ago)
Delete Comment SHE'S A 1 WEEK TROLL -NOW CHRIS, YOU KNOW OBAMA SUPPORTERS ARE MORE INTELLIGENT THAN THIS TROLL!! Re: Really? | Report to Admin Reply By Chris from St. Helens, OR 24 minutes ago (Updated 24 minutes ago)
Delete Comment You're right. I just read her other rants. Disgusting little parrot. Not a independant thought in her head, just the ravings of the greasy pig she idolizes. What a waste of oxygen.   Hater | Report to Admin Reply By Mickiboop 19 minutes ago (Updated 19 minutes ago)
Delete Comment I watched Barack speaking to that child and what he said was truth and dead on. The reason you trolls hate Barack is because he tells the truth and brings hope. You are sick at heart and in the mind and the pure truth of this statement is that you listen to Limbaugh! Go sell your negative crap on the sites that love your stuff - Be Gone Troll...   This is Ignorant | Report to Admin Reply By Policy-Techno 5 minutes ago (Updated 5 minutes ago)
Delete Comment I think Americans are used to lies that when someone comes with an honest answer, especially with this mindset that African Americans should say Holy Mary for getting what they have now white America say uh!!. Soon things will become clear... maybe in 10 years, I hope!

I think folks, especially white America forgets that African Americans deserve just as much rights as European Whites. And maybe they deserve more given the exploitation and killing and lynching.

Yes Americans deserve more than what we have now if there is justice and fair play and people respecting rule of law...just equal justice would go a long ways. When children are going to bed hungry, do you paint it as roses? Then there is a conflict why the parent is not working, why the gas price is too high. And why there is no food. You may have food to eat but many are going to bed hungry. Each moment is critical and you must understand!

If you lie to children, you are committing a sin. I think those who continue to reference Michelle are ignorant and maybe have no idea of what some African Americans go through to be successful.

And ignoring that fact is evil and stupidity.

Open minded or ignorant

Lucy from Auburn, WA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:03:38 EDT

So many of you are upset because Obama didn't say to the little girl "I want to be president because I love my country, and I am hoping to make a better America so that you too can one day own a 1.6million dollar home, send your kids to private school, and wear designer clothes" you much rather he say "Because I got hit in a head with a rock" someone commented that he was dead on....He got hit in the head with a rock? WOW blind faith....So what I'm gathering here is that if you don't like ALL of what Barack Hussein Obama says your a troll? I'm thinking many supporters would rather bully people into voting for Obama instead of conversing as to why you should vote for Obama......I've never met and thank god so many bitter americans, are you the ones Michelle says are ignorant? I dislike Michelle telling anyone they are ignorant...Or is it that if you vote for Obama, then your not? That too is ignorant, which means "lack of knowledge and intelligence".....You supporters who skip the message and focus on the parts that aren't favorable to Obama are ignorant, you would rather there be only praise for him, ignore his racist pastor, ignore his lack of experience, ignore his ability to say "huh" over and over again.....wow....and many of you say i'm ranting and crying, how funny, i'm getting a kick getting your panties in an uproar, because you read the blog, learn something new, have to reject it because your followers and not leaders, like little rats following the pied piper!!!

NY TIMES - - - - - KNOW NOTHING POLITICS

Patty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:01:39 EDT

So the G.O.P. has found its issue for the 2008 election. For the next three months the party plans to keep chanting: “Drill here! Drill now! Drill here! Drill now! Four legs good, two legs bad!” O.K., I added that last part.

And the debate on energy policy has helped me find the words for something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Republicans, once hailed as the “party of ideas,” have become the party of stupid.

Now, I don’t mean that G.O.P. politicians are, on average, any dumber than their Democratic counterparts. And I certainly don’t mean to question the often frightening smarts of Republican political operatives.

What I mean, instead, is that know-nothingism — the insistence that there are simple, brute-force, instant-gratification answers to every problem, and that there’s something effeminate and weak about anyone who suggests otherwise — has become the core of Republican policy and political strategy. The party’s de facto slogan has become: “Real men don’t think things through.”

In the case of oil, this takes the form of pretending that more drilling would produce fast relief at the gas pump. In fact, earlier this week Republicans in Congress actually claimed credit for the recent fall in oil prices: “The market is responding to the fact that we are here talking,” said Representative John Shadegg.

What about the experts at the Department of Energy who say that it would take years before offshore drilling would yield any oil at all, and that even then the effect on prices at the pump would be “insignificant”? Presumably they’re just a bunch of wimps, probably Democrats. And the Democrats, as Representative Michele Bachmann assures us, “want Americans to move to the urban core, live in tenements, take light rail to their government jobs.”

Is this political pitch too dumb to succeed? Don’t count on it.

Remember how the Iraq war was sold. The stuff about aluminum tubes and mushroom clouds was just window dressing. The main political argument was, “They attacked us, and we’re going to strike back” — and anyone who tried to point out that Saddam and Osama weren’t the same person was an effete snob who hated America, and probably looked French.

Let’s also not forget that for years President Bush was the center of a cult of personality that lionized him as a real-world Forrest Gump, a simple man who prevails through his gut instincts and moral superiority. “Mr. Bush is the triumph of the seemingly average American man,” declared Peggy Noonan, writing in The Wall Street Journal in 2004. “He’s not an intellectual. Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world.”

It wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina — when the heckuva job done by the man of whom Ms. Noonan said, “if there’s a fire on the block, he’ll run out and help” revealed the true costs of obliviousness — that the cult began to fade.

What’s more, the politics of stupidity didn’t just appeal to the poorly informed. Bear in mind that members of the political and media elites were more pro-war than the public at large in the fall of 2002, even though the flimsiness of the case for invading Iraq should have been even more obvious to those paying close attention to the issue than it was to the average voter.

Why were the elite so hawkish? Well, I heard a number of people express privately the argument that some influential commentators made publicly — that the war was a good idea, not because Iraq posed a real threat, but because beating up someone in the Middle East, never mind who, would show Muslims that we mean business. In other words, even alleged wise men bought into the idea of macho posturing as policy.

All this is in the past. But the state of the energy debate shows that Republicans, despite Mr. Bush’s plunge into record unpopularity and their defeat in 2006, still think that know-nothing politics works. And they may be right.

Sad to say, the current drill-and-burn campaign is getting some political traction. According to one recent poll, 69 percent of Americans now favor expanded offshore drilling — and 51 percent of them believe that removing restrictions on drilling would reduce gas prices within a year.

The headway Republicans are making on this issue won’t prevent Democrats from expanding their majority in Congress, but it might limit their gains — and could conceivably swing the presidential election, where the polls show a much closer race.

In any case, remember this the next time someone calls for an end to partisanship, for working together to solve the country’s problems. It’s not going to happen — not as long as one of America’s two great parties believes that when it comes to politics, stupidity is the best policy.

Excited? Heck yeah!

Andrew Longsworth — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:59:39 EDT

I've been calling local volunteers for Obama to let them know about my house party on Sunday and the response has been awesome! I've talked a lot of very fired up people who are ready to make a difference on the ground in this campaign. I don't think the Republican party knows what is about to crash into them! I'm talking about an electoral wave of EPIC proportions! GO OBAMA! GO DEMOCRATS!

Considering the Future of the Country

Reagan Republican — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:59:23 EDT

Andrew Whyman - North Lake Tahoe Bonanza - August 6, 2008

It’s a shame that more of you don’t know Walt. Walt is really quite an interesting person, much like so many other citizens of this community on the lake.

Walt is more than half a century wise, Caucasian, accomplished, articulate, an excellent conversationalist and a long-term believer in the Incline community and its values.

More to the point of this piece, Walt is a life-long Republican of stout Midwestern virtue. His father, also a life-long Republican, was the CEO of a major corporation in his time.

Walt has owned several successful businesses. He has traveled widely and lived in Saudi Arabia and Europe. He considers himself a “business person” who measures “assets and liabilities” before making decisions. Having “run companies” he values the skill of “maximizing profitability.”

In 2000, Walt voted for George W. Bush though his preferred candidate was John McCain.

In 2004, he again voted for George W. Bush, but on this occasion not without misgivings. He recalls for me what made him hesitate then; seated in an Amsterdam café with European friends and talking politics he realized that “we have a global obligation.” His friends, it seemed, were deeply offended by U.S. government policies in the world, most particularly in Iraq, but not only in Iraq.

By 2004, there were other misgivings. After the World Trade Center attack in 2001, the world coalesced behind America and was solidly supportive of the U.S. initiative in Afghanistan. So was Walt. Indeed, he was, like many Republicans not only fiscally conservative, but “hawkish” until the Bush foreign policy of “pre-emptive wars” and the folly of Iraq.

Now Walt is committed to something he never thought possible. Having studied the candidates for president and the issues he plans to vote for Barack Obama.

Walt believes that Obama is, “One of the greatest potential leaders in our lifetime.” Obama, he says, has the “intellectual horsepower” to understand an increasingly complex world and the emotional serenity to make tough and wise decisions. For example, having studied Obama’s fiscal policy he believes they are both moderate and responsible. He knows that Republican efforts to portray the candidate as a “tax and spend” liberal who will “steal from the rich and give to the poor” are misleadingly inaccurate.

As for John McCain he says, “McCain’s time came and went.” How, he asks wryly and reflectively, does a man who claims he doesn’t understand economics all that well, doesn’t use the Internet or e-mail, lead the most powerful country in the history of the world?

Walt believes that healthy debate and constructive dialogue are essential to informed opinion. He rues the divisive political tactics of both major parties in what he sees as an absolutely critical period in the history of America. Says Walt passionately, “Things are much worse than they were in 1980, and most Americans don’t see it.”

Walt remains a Republican. He wants other “Republicans and undecided Independents to question if Mr. McCain is the right person and look at the abilities of Obama.”

To that end Walt started, “Red, White and Blue United for Change,” a series of meetings to explore the issues and consider the positions of both parties presidential candidates. To date there have been four meetings, including sessions devoted to the fiscal policies of both candidates and their positions on welfare and poverty.

Walt envisions weekly meetings between now and the election to discuss the issues. I can’t think of anything more democratic.

For meeting times, e-mail Walt Borland at UnitedForChange@ltnv.net.

It’s the least, thoughtful citizens of any political persuasion can do if they care deeply about their country and its future.

Andrew Whyman is a nearly-retired physician who lives in Incline Village. To contact Whyman, email adwhyman@aol.com.

CURRENT STATUS OF FL AND MICHIGAN VOTES(DELEGATE)

Sammie l from Lansdowne, PA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:56:05 EDT

Question What is the current status of the delegate votes for Florida and Michigan.1/2 or full vote? IF it is full votes can't they be used to make trouble for us in a role call vote @ the convention.the Clinton's actions of late have me suspicious. REMEMBER HOW FLORIDA WAS USED TO GET G DUB BACK IN THE HOUSE

Quick thoughts after 625 calls to Ohio

Ben Campopiano — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:54:58 EDT

Calling 125 Ohioans each week for the last 5 weeks has been tough. Most folks don't answer the phone - so most of the time I'm leaving messages - and when people do answer, they want to get the call over with as quick as possible.

I do think the calls are worthwhile though, because whether I leave a message or talk to someone, they are at least hearing Obama's name from another human instead of an advertisement or media outlet. So I have to assume this gets them thinking about him and the campaign, and that's about all I can do via phone. If they are thinking about Obama and considering his campaign then I am happy and consider it a success.

Until next time... GO O!

Are PA, IA and NV Really Swing States?

Chris R. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:54:33 EDT

Interesting WSJ Blog post:

http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/2008/08/07/pennsylvania-iowa-nevada-are-they-really-battlegrounds/?mod=homeblogmod_politicalperceptions

Especially the paragraph towards the end that ponders the various expanations for the increase in Democratic registrations this election.

Sen. Obama's mini-speech on: His name and roots

Cecilia — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:53:15 EDT

It is difficult, in the face of such political pandemonium, to find that true, quiet voice of reason; that integral sense of self that enables you to weather harsh personal and political attacks, as well as discern the difference between the benevolent desire to be of service, instead of an egocentric lust for power and fame.

And, given my unusual name, exotic childhood, and limited time on the national stage, I am, in part, an unknown entity that could, if one wished to, be sardonically viewed with scoff and suspicion.

Luckily, for me, I have an incredible wife who keeps me on track and reminds me, daily if needed, of who I am. And, after yet an another attack on my name and political beliefs... I turn to her.

Michelle tenderly holds my face in both of her hands. looks me straight in the eye, and says: "You are Barack Hussein Obama. Barack, a derivation of the Semitic word 'barouk', which means 'to blessed or blessed'... which you are. Hussein, the first name of your paternal Kenyan grandfather, which is a derivation of another Semitic word, 'huysan', which means 'good' or 'handsome'... and you are both. With the surname of Obama; the last name of your Kenyan father, who came halfway around the world and crossed an ocean to come to a land based on freedom and opportunity; a land that would give him a chance for a good education, economic security, and love. You do not run from who you are, nor do you apologize for it."

This is not the first time I've had a strong woman guide me in my life.

For as long as i can remember, my beautiful mother Ann Durham, the first strong woman to bless my life, challenged me to put myself in another person's shoes.

Time and again, my mother would ask me the same two questions. The first: "How does that make you feel?"; and the second was: "How would you feel if that were you in his or her place?" Those two questions developed a deep, emphatetic core within me, which serves me still to this day.

Obama in Berlin pics and vid wanted

Randy — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:53:14 EDT

For a project that I am working on, I need good quality high res pics and video from that day. I am looking mostly for crowd and people shots portraying harmony, unity and coming together. Other shots sought include up close photos of Obama speaking, shaking hands and excited faces on the front rows. Contact me if you can help me out. You will be glad you did.

Thanks in advance, Randy

I am embarrassed by ranking system

MIchaele — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:50:52 EDT

Hi folks,

I woke up to a nightmare. I found that my volunteer work on this campaign had been appraised and my performance ranked. My ranking is now published on my profile for my children to find. It's like getting a bad report card or a job appraisal and having it made public.

I am too old for this kind of competitive stuff! I guess I should retire from this volunteer job before I am humiliated even further.

The clear differences--Barack Obama & Cynthia McKinney

Cynthia McKinney — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:50:18 EDT

Cynthia supports IMPEACHMENT, Obama does not!
Cynthia will end the war and Obama will not!
Cynthia wants to end the War on Drugs, Obama will not.

Cynthia does not pander to the Christian right, Obama does.

Cynthia is not a supporter of faith based initiatives, Obama is.

Cynthia is not aligned with the big lobbies such as AIPAC, Obama is!
Cynthia supports the environment, Obama does not.

Cynthia does not support domestic spying on American citizens, Obama does!
Cynthia is open to foreign policy issues, Obama has employed the same old cronies.

Cynthia supports the rebuilding of New Orleans and bring the original residents back home, Obama has been silent on this issue.

Cynthia will support single payer, not for profit health care and Obama will not.

Cynthia is pro-choice, Obama is not.

Cynthia will sign the Kyoto Treaty, Obama has been silent.

Cynthia wants to bring the troops home, Obama wants to send more!
Cynthia wants to subsidize higher education, Obama does not.

Cynthia takes no corporate funding and contributions, Obama does.

Cynthia wants to take the private corporations out of the criminal justice system and prisons, Obama does not.

Cynthia wants to cut the Pentagon budget and Obama wants to increase it.

Cynthia would repeal the Bush tax cuts, Obama will not.

Cynthia wants to cancel funding for the F-22 Fighter and Weapons in Space, Obama does not.

(***If we did that we would have 1.4 billion dollars to spend on basic needs and infrastructure here at home.

)

Compiled from web sources by Karen Weill, Larry Hildes, Anita Stewart
Volunteers for Cynthia McKinney

Anita Stewart
New Media Powerwriting
http://www. myspace. com/anitaitconsultant
813-715-1696 (home)
813-312-2292 (cell)
Yahoo IM "Anita Stewart"

5 weeks and 625 calls in the bag...

Ben Campopiano — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:49:01 EDT

Okay, here's the breakdown for this week's 125 calls to Ohio:

57 messages left
11 wrong numbers
20 call back laters
3 not interesteds
23 no answers
6 undecideds
1 mccain supporter
4 obama supporters

After 625 total calls to Ohio on behalf of Barack, here is my total call breakdown:

293 messages left
106 wrong numbers
76 call back laters
17 not interesteds
78 no answers
27 undecideds
10 mccain supporters
18 obama supporters

From Hillary Supporter to Obama Team Leader

Michael in Ohio — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:51 EDT

Ever since June, dedicated volunteers have been hitting the doors and the phones on behalf of Barack in the general election. Through events like Unite for Change parties, and Women to Women meetings, former Hillary supporters have smoothly transitioned to become an integral part of our effort, and they bring a drive and dedication to changing this country that is truly admirable.

Some have even stepped up to become leaders. An organizer describes one such amazing woman, Robin, in Toledo:

Robin was a huge supporter of Senator Clinton in the primaries, travelling to four states, working, in her words, "thousands of hours," to make the change we need in this country. After the primaries ended, Robin was disappointed, but knew that she needed to help Barack...
Over the last several weeks, Robin has held a Unite for Change House Meeting where Hillary supporters got a chance to clear the air and move forward. She has made hundreds of calls to Hillary supporters from the primary, and my friends, I have never seen so many [undecideds] turn into [supporters] in my life. Robin is essentially single-handedly unifying [her area] of Toledo. Several days ago Robin got 5 Hillary supporters from the primary to come to the office, she trained them on Unity calls (as she calls them), and had a three hour Unite for Change phone bank.

Robin...has been an inspiration to me, by helping ensure that Democrats will be united to make history in November. And the thank goodness the primaries are over, so I get to work with the wonderful Hillary supporters like Robin.

Have you had a unifying experience with a Hillary supporter? Let us know in the comments section below!

And to join our movement in Ohio, click HERE.

hi team obama;family

the power of 'one' — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:30 EDT

how is everyone today? when this is over and barack wins the office of the president and the democratic party is in bloom and justice rolls down like a flood, we will all have a drink and smoke a cigar. joke- i don't drink or smoke but we will exhale.

the bottom line is mccain is a liar from the liars club. he is still attached to bush and chaney and everyone best remember that mccain will send your kids off to a trumped up war just like iraq i don't care what he promises you in this election season. he just wants to get elected. if you catch him in one lie you will catch him in many---with a sly smile. remember how he entered this race in the primaries, see how he fumbles after the primaries to find what works. he finally settles on a platform close to that of barack obama and then state that obama has no platform. but how many people have cable and who is watching the news? don't forget the evidence of these 8 years. a lot of continual criminal activity and those in authority like in the republican party getting away with murder. mccain is a zero--obama is my hero! vote obama.

IS THERE SINISTER SUBTEXT IN MCCAIN ADS ? --- POLITICO

Patty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:45:18 EDT

Is there sinister subtext in McCain ads?By MICHAEL MOYNIHAN | 8/6/08 1:21 PM EST Text Size:

There was never any chance that it would be a placid affair, a presidential race free of mud-slinging and shabby attack ads. It will surprise only the political naif that Sen. John McCain’s promised campaign of high-mindedness is entirely dependent on favorable polling data, or that Sen. Barack Obama’s platitudinous calls for “hope” and “change,” his admonition that we must knock down “walls” and erect “bridges,” are tactfully short on specifics.

But it is with a certain amount of puzzlement that many observers have watched the issue of race injected into the campaign. Last week, after the McCain team released two seemingly innocuous, though pointed, advertisements — one accusing their opponent of vapidity, the other of messianism — a steady stream of mainstream, Obama-friendly commentators and bloggers cried foul. In a video titled “Celeb,” McCain juxtaposed Obama with famous paparazzi quarry Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. To most, the message was clear, if a little ham-handed: Like Hilton and Spears, Obama is famous for being famous; he's more flash than substance.

But was there a deeper message? In the past week and a half, the liberal blogosphere has become a virtual Bletchley Park of racial cryptographers teasing out the sinister motives and subtexts of McCain’s campaign advertising.

In a web-only column, The New York Times editorial page charged that the ad was a “racially tinged attack” like the one that “ran against Harold Ford, a black candidate for Senate in Tennessee in 2006. That assault, too, began with videos juxtaposing Mr. Ford with young, white women." The American Prospect’s Ezra Klein huffed that the McCain campaign is “running crypto-racist ads.” Bill Press, former co-host of CNN's Crossfire, proclaimed that the “Celeb” spot was "deliberately and deceptively racist." Polk Award-winning blogger Josh Marshall wrote that “the McCain campaign is now pushing the caricature of Obama as a uppity young black man whose presumptuousness is displayed not only in taking on airs above his station but also in a taste for young white women."

The online hyperventilation quickly passed through to the Sunday chat show circuit. If this wasn’t dog-whistle politics, said Democratic strategist Donna Brazile on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," then “why not use Denzel Washington or Bono?” (Brazile is a frequent decoder of subterranean racism, having previously accused former President Bill Clinton of being racially insensitive for calling Obama’s view of the Iraq war a "fairy tale.") MSNBC’s perpetually outraged host Keith Olbermann inveighed against the “almost subliminal racism, a black man with two women.” When the video briefly flashed Berlin’s Victory Column on the screen — where Obama addressed 200,000 adoring fans — New York Times columnist Bob Herbert saw a “phallic symbol.”

But it wasn’t just the Britney-Paris ad that channeled voters’ inner Orval Faubus. McCain’s follow-up video joked that the star-struck press corps had anointed him “The One,” a man that could not only “do no wrong” but could also probably, with powers bestowed by the media, part the Red Sea. Cue the clip of Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments.

Here, too, was the specter of racism. “When you see this Charlton Heston ad, ‘The One,’ that’s code for, ‘He’s uppity; he ought to stay in his place,'” political consultant David Gergen told his mystified co-panelists on “This Week.” “It’s the subtext of this campaign. Everybody knows that.” To no one’s surprise, Brazile agreed.

And if that wasn’t enough subliminal race-baiting for one week, Slate’s Tim Noah wondered if a playful Wall Street Journal article on Obama’s eating habits was — you guessed it — larded in racial code words. “My point is that any discussion of Obama’s ‘skinniness’ and its impact on the typical American voter,” Noah wrote, “can’t avoid being interpreted as a coded discussion of race.”

McCain hasn’t run a clean campaign, but neither has he run a back-handedly racist one. As Stephanopoulos remarked on “This Week,” the senator has been “scrupulous about not raising race in any way” and has gone out of his way to denounce anti-Obama ads run by local Republicans.

But for those who believe America to be irredeemably racist, those who believe, contrary to all available evidence (such as the astounding success of the Obama campaign), that racial prejudice in America hasn’t diminished but has simply shape-shifted and “gone underground,” it must be profoundly disappointing that McCain hasn’t submitted an updated “Southern strategy.” It is, therefore, vital that he is at least accused of doing so.

It would be wise for the Obama campaign to either discourage or leave these schizophrenic, and often scurrilous, accusations to his legion of online and media supporters. And so far, it has done just that, responding that while the “Celeb” video displayed a deep cynicism, it didn’t suggest racist intent.

Indeed, the Obama campaign has deliberately minimized discussion of divisive racial issues. Once an unambiguous supporter of affirmative action, he now argues that his support for the policy is nuanced, and he recently said that he doesn’t believe his children should benefit from racial preferences. At a campaign stop last week, he squashed the idea that, as president, he would support financial reparations for the decedents of slaves.

So let us dispense with a few important caveats: Racism remains a persistent, though much diminished, force in American life. There exist voters, motivated by irrational racial animus, who will pull the lever for McCain, and there will doubtless be those who accept the fantastical misinformation of anti-Obama chain e-mails claiming a relationship between the senator and Islamic radicalism.

And it can be convincingly argued that, regardless of who played the race card first, this election is inextricably linked to the issue of race in America. It is no small achievement that merely a half-century after the legal dismantling of Jim Crow, an African-American is a half-step from the Oval Office.

But readers of racial tea leaves should tread carefully. If McCain’s ad blitz is responsible for narrowing Obama’s lead, those vacillating voters won’t take kindly to suggestions that they have been swayed by their own subconscious racism.

LAST REMINDER: HILLARY CLINTON TO CAMPAIGN FOR OBAMA AT 3:15 PM EDT

President2032 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:44:44 EDT

LAST REMINDER: Hillary Clinton will be campaigning in Henderson, Nevada, at 3;15 PM EDT.

Morbid, Creepy, and Secret Service Should Send Courtesy Notice: Fox News Wishes Obama Dead

Leon "Hussein" Spencer — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:44:16 EDT

I just came across this video clip on YouTube of a Fox News guest laughing and wishing both Obama ans Osama would be 'knocked off.' Unbelieveable. And these folks still have a job? Maybe the Secret Service should send that guest a courtesy notice explaining it is not a good thing to threaten or encourage threats against a presidential candidate.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjYpkvcmog0

And these folks continue to reproduce. I worry about the character & manners their children pickup.

Because of all the idiot supporters of Obama, you get to comment again, idiots

Lucy from Auburn, WA — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:40:50 EDT

“America is …, uh, is no longer, uh … what it could be, what it once was. And I say to myself, I don’t want that future for my children.”

Sound familiar? Michelle Obama sounded similar themes earlier in the campaign:

“Sometimes it’s easier to hold onto your own stereotypes and misconceptions. It makes you feel justified in your ignorance. That’s America.”

“Let me tell you something. For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback.”

Once again, Obama got off the teleprompter and put his foot directly in his mouth. He’s not selling Hope, he’s selling Despair, and himself as the snake oil that will cure us of all our ills.

Update: Maybe that seven-year-old was just another John McCain proxy.

Update II: Rush says it all in this clip:

LIMBAUGH: Alright, now here’s he’s brought it home. He had trashed his country in Germany, he has seen the result of that in his plummeting poll numbers. And now he does it again in Elkhart, IN. A 7 year old little girl. You’re running for President Sen. Obama, a little girl asks you a question, “Why did you start running for President?”
It’s a 7 year old Senator. Ya tell her because you love the country. You tell her because this is the greatest place on Earth. That we’ve got challenges, but you want to help the country through it. You don’t tell a 7 year old that her country isn’t what it once was. You do not lie to 7 year olds and tell them that your country sucks. You just don’t do it Senator.
America’s no longer what it could be? What it once was? How the Hell would you know Sir? Your experience has only been in one part of America. Elite, leftist academia.

Reader Comments

Write a Comment on this

It might be all about energy

Jerry Charboneau — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:40:28 EDT

The country's mood is gloom right now, and the majority of the public seems, according to polls, willing to embrace just about anything, bad ideas or not, to address it.

McCain with his flip on offshore drilling and embrace of nuclear power apprars to be grabbing up some support that might otherwise go to Obama on energy policies alone. They're less interested in who's campaign is receiving contributions from oil companies than which candidate is more willing to allow drilling for more oil, anywhere, as long as it's here and not in the middle east. McCain doesn't even need to answer where he plans on dumping nuclear wastes as long as we have more nuclear power plants. Like an addict seeking only their next fix, few care where the extra cheap energy comes from, or the consequences, as long as they can get their next fix.

Somehow Barack Obama is going to have to seek a way to reach out to these voters and not grant McCain a free ride on the energy express. The 1000.00 rebate checks funded by oil companies won't answer voter concerns about the price of gas at the pumps. Many will assume the oil companies will offset these costs by increasing the price at the pump and wash out any gain the consumer feels.

It needs a bold idea. Some turf unfamiliar to McCain, something that sounds good to voters, and not a gimick. The 1000 dollar rebate is gimicky. If nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas, oil drilling, were all expressly on the table with what Obama has termed a "Manhattan style project" and put it front and center, the McCain camp will be more busy trying to pick it apart than offering any of their own. It could shift the focus from McCain to Obama as the candidate with the bold energy proposals.

If Obama could team up with T. Boone Pickens or something would really stir the pot.

I want to win this fall. Can you tell?

The Study and Pursuit of Technology

Megabyte Concepts, Owner - Stanley L. Fidge — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:40:13 EDT

The study and pursuit of Technology has made my life in America a viable reality! The Democratic party and its members need to lead the way in the pursuit to create, harness, and efficiently utilize technology to improve the lives of every American and to reach out to the rest of the world to once again lead the way forward and share the positive light of the transformative power of technology to world! Please visit www.megabyteconcepts.com for more technological related information and please, Get Fired UP!!! For Barack Obama 2008!

Upcoming -

William from Dundalk, MD — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:36:51 EDT

Well, now we have the attention of the world again, but this time its in a good way! Now, its time for planning the way we tackle things here - the Economy !st and foremost, then Energy(with Ecology and renewable as the major forethoughts), then everything else should fall into place, even though some will be slower than others. The Uncalled for war has to redirected, then we can work on things like Healthcare and the Elderly(Social Security has to be overhauled). Then we do have to remember ILLEGAL ALIENS! I'm not talking about those that plan to live here, learn to speak our language(English), and contribute to their new home. I'm talking about those that want to come here to add to our population, while speaking Spanish only and sending their money home to Mexico! Review, and prioritize, remembering that this is your home too for the rest of you and your families' lives. With all the repect of a very strong supporter for the best that this country has seen in too long a time - thank god for you and yours. Now lets all pull together and get it done right,Right? Right!.