Five single-payer protestors arrested. And so it begins. MSNBC’s Ken Strickland reported the arrest of five protesters at a Senate hearing on healthcare reform. Why am I not surprised? It seems the Senate Finance Committee had a roundtable discussion with “experts” but declined to invite physicians or nurses. So, they invited themselves.
25 nurses stood up wearing red shirts with signs taped on their backs that read “Nurses say patients first. Pass single payer.” They stood for five minutes, turned their backs and walked out silently. Message received. However, shortly thereafter, the physicians had another agenda. Someone shouted, “We want guaranteed healthcare. We’re tired of private insurance” leading to their arrests. The chaos reminded me of the refrain from the 1976 movie, Network: “I’m mad as hell; and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Something has to give.
I implore all Americans to beg the following questions: Why does an IUD in Egypt cost $20.00 but the American version $400.00? Retin A cost $10.00 in a Mexican drugstore but $95.00 in a U.S. pharmacy. God bless Wal-Mart for the $4.00 generic drugs. And thank you Publix for your free drugs as well but it’s still not enough although every little bit DOES help.
I’m presently in the midst of a pitched battle with a local hospital who “sold” my bill to a New York City commercial bank with an interest rate of ten percent. I’m determined to pay it in full. They will NOT profit from my pain and suffering.
I encourage all of my colleagues to be relentless and ride this train to the end of the line. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? It’s time for us to take back our profession.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch.htm
lhttp://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch2.html
What Obama and this country’s financial leaders of this country don’t seem to understand is that simply bailing it out doesn’t fix the hole. How does giving a few people temporary jobs help solve the problem? By temporary I mean that hopefully it will not require 30 years to fix and build all of the infrastructure we need.
But let us say that some how, I don’t know where, the government comes up with money to pay for all of these projects. The money is sent to the state. The states allot the required amounts to the contractors. This goes into the payroll of the various businesses. The question they have to ask is, “then where does it go?” A good guess would be to look at who make up the top retailers in the country. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, CVS, Kroger, Costco, Target, Walgreen, Sears/ K-mart, Lowe’s, and Super Value make up the top 10. Next quantify what percentage of their gross income ends up being sent outside of the economy. How much of that local income is spent on paying low wages to people that are forced to shop at these chains and deliver even more money outside of the economy. What you see is that in very few turns of the original capital, almost all of the invested money is no longer circulating through the US economy. That leads us right back to where we are today.
How are any of these suggestions going to stop capital from going outside the economy. We are drowning in debt. That is a fact that is true from the individual family, through all branches of business and government, and ends on the capital steps. Is there anybody in Washington that really understands how we ended up here?
Stephen Views the News 12/26/08
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
If I were Santa Claus I would have delivered the following stocking stuffers:
* A brain for Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. While appearing on Face the Nation he said of the economic meltdown: "Unfortunately, it was allowed to be portrayed that this was a result of deregulation, when in fact it was a result of overregulation."
* A jar of jalapeño Vaseline for the SEC employees who watched porn rather than "protecting investors and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets," as is their mission. * A rasher of humility for Stephen Views the News to embrace reader comments such as, “You sir are masterfully demonstrating your own ignorance.”
* An imported deluxe kerosene heater for Wal-Mart’s heart. On Tuesday the company said it would pay between $352 million and $640 million to settle lawsuits across the country claiming that it forced employees to work off the clock.
* The 2009 Sarah Palin Calendar for John McCain, even though he is setting land speed records running from his former running mate.
* A shiny house-arrest ankle bracelet for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for auctioning the senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
* A bar of mouth soap and truck driver’s license for Mrs. Blagojevich for her picante comments recorded during a federal wiretap investigation of her husband the governor.
* A yuletide apology to truck drivers for associating them with the First Lady of Illinois.
* A basket of experience for Caroline Kennedy seeking to inherit Hillary Clinton’s senate seat in New York.
* A ride on Santa’s sleigh for the auto executives embarrassed into abandoning their private jets.
* A sleigh full of Pepcid for president-elect Barack Obama as he embarks on the journey of leading a country beset with a multitude of serious challenges.
* A duly elected Senator for the citizens of Minnesota and preferably not the candidate under federal investigation.
* A time-out for the Obama administration before deciding to commit tens of thousands of U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The complexity of that country’s politics and the corruption of its leadership demand extreme caution.
* Harvey the imaginary rabbit for Malia and Sasha Obama as they seek solitude from the harsh world of celebrity they will encounter over at least the next four years.
* Fifty billion days of homelessness on the streets of New York City for Bernard “Bernie” Madoff. He is one of the all-time goniffs (crooks) of the investment world. His soulless greed wreaked economic havoc and, in some cases destruction, on schools, charities, pension funds and so much more.
* A punch bowl of common sense for Madoff’s Ponzied investors who believed that Madoff was Santa Claus.
* A wake up call for the inhabitants of planet Earth to not be misled by low gasoline prices. Santa cannot reverse limited oil reserves or a debilitated environment that is ignored.
* A revised mission statement for the IRS whose audits of large companies declined for the third year in a row. Santa’s trust of business and government also declined for the third year in a row.
* A slightly used and toxic post-Katrina mobile home to transport departing Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff to a lucrative book signing deal. In America incompetence has its rewards.
* A mega-warehouse for the U.S. Department of the Navy to store $7.5 billion in UNNEEDED parts. One of the factors contributing to the unnecessary purchases was “inefficiency in the Navy's inventory management.” No surprise to Santa who understands “overstocked” with a North Pole laden with unsafe toys outsourced from Asia.
* Light-blocking window drapes for American banks accepting billions of dollars of bailout money sans accountability. Santa does not blame the banks – at least on this account. He does have queries for the little elves on Ritalin running the Bush administration and running around the halls of Congress.
* A cruise on the Titanic for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). This conservative “think” tank spawned much of the neocon nonsense and “free” market malarkey that dominated Bush administration strategy.
* A set of barbells to put more muscle into credit card reform regulations scheduled to go into effect in 2010.
* A chapel for the gay citizens that Pastor Rick Warren suddenly “loves” but is not likely to welcome to his church.
* Public financing of elections legislation to improve an electoral process that has become the antithesis of democratic principles.
* A frontal lobotomy for Rush Limbaugh for positing his conspiracy theory that the economic crisis was created by Democrats to generate a financial panic and ensure the election of Obama.
* Thorazine prescriptions for Bill O’Reilly and Karl Rove. They have suggested the conspiracy theory that journalists deliberately manufactured the financial crisis so that Obama would be elected.
* A lump of coal for the energy interests spending millions of dollars to convince the American public that there is such a thing as “clean coal.” Perhaps they can donate some of this money to residents in Tennessee to recover from the flood of sludge that broke through a dike at TVA's Kingston coal-fired plant Monday. This could prove to be an environmental disaster of very significant proportions. Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection and the “Reality” coalition have a new ad about the myth of “clean coal.”
* For those that can, websites to help those in need:
~ Feeding America is a network of over 200 food banks covering all 50 states.
~ Operation USO Care Package provides care packages of needed and requested items for our troops overseas
These websites are noted in Michelle Obama’s Holiday Greetings.
* Peace, goodwill and wisdom for a world on multiple brinks.
* 2009 hugs and best wishes for the New Year to readers of Stephen Views the News.
* “I don't make jokes... I just watch the government and report the facts.”
Will Rogers (1879 – 1935) Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor.
The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
Stephen Views the News 11/22/08
* The Stench of Torture ~ will not dissipate with Bush’s exit – Barack Obama has stated emphatically that he will end any use of torture by the USA. Human rights groups, constitutional scholars and citizens have called for the next administration to prosecute those who authorized or used harsh interrogation techniques. “But two Obama advisers said there's little — if any — chance that the incoming president's Justice Department will go after anyone involved in authorizing or carrying out interrogations that provoked worldwide outrage.” Having closely followed the actions by the Bush administration and the use of torture, actions contrary to national and international law, I would like to see those who authorized and then lied about it come under scrutiny. Many believe that the US should not look back as Obama changes policy. What about after Obama? If Bush could authorize the use of torture so could a future president. It is obvious that safeguards are not in place to prevent the use of torture. It should not be an option for ANY administration. At the least, America should enact laws that unequivocally prevent any president or U.S. agency from utilizing a policy of torture. That being said, regardless of how the Obama administration decides to deal with abuses by George W. Bush or, should Bush grant broad immunity to perpetrators of abuse before he leaves office, the international community still could address the subject.
It remains to be seen whether there will be an effort to bring war crimes charges against Americans responsible for and involved in torture in Iraq, Guantanamo and secret prisons the U.S. government sanctioned around the world. There is a just-released report by the Human Rights Center/Center for Constitutional Rights report titled “Guantanamo and Its Aftermath.” Former DC Appellate Judge Patricia Wald, a judge at the international trial for Serbians accused of committing war crimes against Bosnian Muslims, compared the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody to the treatment Bosnians received at the hands of their Serbian captors. And from the web site ThinkProgress.org: “Last June, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (ret.), the Army general who led the investigation into prisoner abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, also accused the Bush administration of committing “war crimes” and called for those responsible to be held to account.”
The report noted above is 136 pages in length. Even if one only reads the Forward and Executive Summary one will find a chilling condemnation of the policies invoked by the Bush administration to deal with the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. It is a vision that no sentient American in my lifetime could have envisioned. I was especially struck with the innocent lives destroyed. I would hope that Americans are struck with a sense of the loss of innocence. The Forward concludes, “We, as a nation, must not only remember our past but strive not to repeat it. This report makes an invaluable start in that direction.”
* In Case of Emergency 1 ~ a simple yet very intelligent idea – A reader sent me notice of an idea conceived by a paramedic that is growing in popularity. Most of us have cell phones. If we were to be injured in an accident or unexpectedly taken ill, emergency personnel would want to alert someone to our situation. To avoid the need to search through a large number of entries in the phone’s address book there is an alternative. Add to the address file “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) and the telephone number of the person you want to be contacted. If there is more than one person or phone number, enter ICE 1, ICE 2, and so on. This is an idea you may want to share with friends and family.
* In Case of Emergency 2 – If you just accidentally swallowed poison and need to regurgitate, watch this video of the members of the U.S. Senate giving a standing ovation to Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens is not returning to the Senate because he lost his re-election bid. Even if Stevens had won the election he very probably would have been expelled from the Senate because he recently was convicted in a federal court on 7 felony counts. This is the man who porked huge amounts of federal money for Alaska and he was the legislative architect for the Bridge to Nowhere, while using his legislative power for financial gain for himself, members of his family and friends and associates. And our illustrious Senators gave him a standing ovation, which happens to be against their own Senate rules. Applauding a low-life power abuser and convicted felon is not the message that I want to hear from legislators. It does not bode well for ethics reform or the responsible leadership that the American people crave. Republican losses over the last two election cycles have made this very clear. The Good Ol’ Boy Club has gotten very old. More need to be replaced, including a covey of Democrats.
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ say hello to Newt Gingrich – Appearing on FOX News (of course) Gingrich was criticizing those individuals protesting the loss of the right of gay couples in California to marry. Gingrich said, "I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion." I find Gingrich’s comments disingenuous, hypocritical and misleading.
Recall that it was Gingrich and his Republican Party that consummated a marriage with religious-right fundamentalists attempting to tell Americans how to conduct their lives. I see no evidence of people with a gay lifestyle either attempting to or, by example, influencing anyone to be gay. The gay community does not proselytize. It is seeking its own civil rights, in opposition to the likes of Mike Huckabee who pronounce that gay rights and civil rights are totally different. What is Fascist are Gingrich and his tight-assed brown shirts spewing untruthful propaganda and misinformation. Has anyone seen evidence of gay violence or harassment? More than half of the American people are aware of Gingrich and company’s dangerous band of blowhards. Once a few million more Americans wake up to the uncivil attacks on and the denial of civil rights to the gay community, people like Gingrich will find limited access to mainstream media and be relegated to the increasingly irrelevant Pat Robertson’s Holier than Thou TV infomercials.
* Knowing your limitations – “Congratulations” to Fred Thompson. Following the failure of his somnambulant presidential bid he has decided to again leave politics and return to acting. I suggest that his best chance to earn an Oscar or Emmy would be playing the role of Rip Van Winkle.
* Goodbye and good riddance – Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott is retiring in February. Under his management the largest retailer in this country honed the business model for low wages and low benefits, resulting in many Wal-Mart employees requiring public assistance. Wal-Mart is one of the models for sourcing goods and services overseas that has contributed to the weakness of our economy. Recall that Wal-Mart opposed more diligent inspection of containers as they enter our borders. A container destined for Wal-Mart enters the U.S. every 45 seconds. U.S. national security does not stand in the way of the Wal Mart bottom line. The bottom line is that under Mr. Scott, Wal Mart was a winner on Wall Street but quite damaging to Main Street.
* Is the Bush administration getting in touch with the needs of Americans? ~ Nah! – In an exceptional move the administration has agreed to support the extension of unemployment benefits as unemployment claims reach a 16-year high and unemployment reaches a 25-year high. Otherwise, it is nasty business as usual. The Bush presidency continues to undermine environmental safety, broaden the destruction of public lands and national parks, and further endanger endangered species as it pimps for business interests that are not in the interest of the American people. President George W. and co-conspirators in his administration are making every effort to reduce regulation and constrictions on oil, gas, mining, fishing, timber and financial industries while promoting the development of shale oil, the dirtiest fuel on the planet. America does not need enemies from afar. Our hands are full with the enemies from within.
The situation was best summed up by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee when he told the Wall Street Journal, “This administration will stop at nothing to jam through as many reckless proposals as they can before the clock runs out.” A glimmer of hope for the health of planet Earth is Barack Obama’s promise to make a decisive break with George Bush on the environment … promising a "new chapter in America's leadership on climate change.” These developments bring to mind a question I have often asked over the last seven years. “Why does George W. Bush hate America? I do not accept the conventional wisdom alibi that he is well-intentioned but ill-advised. The damage he has rendered is too widespread, too deep and well beyond the pale of mere incompetence.
* What have we learned in two millennia? A reader asked this question, accompanied by the following quote:
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
Cicero, 55 BC
* Terrorists or the marriage of elected officials to lobbyists ~ which is the more dangerous threat to Americans? In a NY Times book review of Thomas Frank’s “The Wrecking Crew” we learn, “The increasing supply of lobbyists, Frank observes, “should have driven the price of lobbying down, not up. … The most credible explanation … is that clients grew more and more confident that their lobbyists could deliver something of value in exchange for their fees. … The reason companies started buying, in other words, was that Congress began selling. Special-interest earmarks in legislation by members of Congress have exploded in number, while careers in elected or appointed office are apprenticeships for lobbying jobs.” Since congress sets the rules for lobbyists and their interaction with elected officials the public is virtually defenseless against their self-aggrandizement. In the last decade ethics oversight of congressman has been virtually non-existent.
Given the existing circumstances foreseeable change is not likely because the inmates are running the prison. Where is the public outcry? It is distracted by nonsensical issues promulgated by Republican spinmeisters, buoyed by the myopic pleas of the religious right and too often reinforced by corporate media magpies. Nor should Democratic congressmen be held blameless. There is some merit to their argument that their bare majority in Congress is insufficient to bring about meaningful change but one wonders if this is not also a cover for their complicity in the lobbyist culture. And, we the people are not blameless. Every poll demonstrates that the American people are completely fed up with Congress but when polled about their own elected officials they would return them to office. If this is a result of being comfortable with the devil that you know, welcome to hell.
~ Bovine excreta of the week - In an interview on Wednesday McCain said about lobbyists, “Whenever there’s a corrupt system, then you’re going to have these birds of prey descend on it to get their share of the spoils. … Lobbyists don’t come to my office. Because they know they’re not going to be an earmark. They know they’re not going to get a pork-barrel project… I think there are too many lobbyists in Washington.” For the record, McCain has at least 159 lobbyists – on leaves of absence - running his campaign, fundraising, and shaping his policies. ProgressiveAccountability.org lists the names, firms and issues.
* Another wedding you don’t want to attend ~ John McCain and corporate America – From ThinkProgress.org “The Hill reports that the CEOs of the 100 biggest Fortune 500 corporations have given approximately 10 times as much to John McCain as they have to Barack Obama. One explanation for this “generosity,” as outlined by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, is that McCain’s proposed corporate tax cuts would result in a $45 billion tax giveaway to the 200 largest corporations in America and a total of $175 billion in corporate tax breaks. Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips would each receive over $1 billion in tax breaks. It is obvious that their campaign contributions are a most prudent “investment.” Given the current federal debt, the fragility of the American economy and the deteriorating financial condition of most Americans this country cannot afford the corporate tax reductions that McCain proposes. If McCain and corporate America consummate their marriage close to 300,000,000 Americans get screwed without the benefit of an orchestra or a honeymoon.
* Like Vana White, just flipping letters ~ Wal-Mart / Mal-Mart – The leading retailer in America once again demonstrated its disdain for integrity, employee rights and probably federal law. The Wall Street Journal reports, “Prominent labor groups are seeking an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. violated federal election laws by telling employees that electing Democrats would lead to passage of legislation making it easier to unionize companies.” The article outlines a number of misleading claims aimed at intimidating employees of the Arkansas-based retailer. To learn more about this egregious icon of 21st Century corporate culture I suggest a visit to WakeUpWalMart.com and The Real Wal-Mart Facts. Their track record of being an irresponsible employer is only the tip of the iceberg.
*Where did I put that house? – Most of us have at one time or another misplaced the keys to our house. It is especially rare to misplace a house. Meet John McCain. On Wednesday McCain said he was unsure how many houses he and his wife Cindy owned but his staff would get back to the reporter who made the inquiry (USA Today reports that the McCains own 12 luxurious homes valued at over $10 million). The damn biased media have to stop asking the Senator from Arizona such nuanced questions. Before you know it they will begin asking him meaningful questions about the U.S. economy, where it is likely he will trip over his lip.
* McCain says he has strong national security credentials – The Jed Report provides a video of John McCain appearing on Larry King Live in 2001 saying, “if he'd been president, he'd have picked Donald Rumsfeld to be his Secretary of Defense and Dick Cheney to be his VP.” We unfortunately know how that scenario worked out! Is there any doubt that Cheney would have manipulated McCain the same way he pulled the strings of George Pinocchio Bush?
* I could use some friends in high places ~ versus friends who use to get high – This week I wrote a check to pay my county real estate tax. On that same day I read an article about the Governor of Nevada. It seems that the “honorable” Jim Gibbons (he is facing ethics and criminal investigations on unrelated matters) will face the state Ethics Commission for his role in securing a $5,000 tax break on his property near Lamoille, Nevada. The tax break allowed Gibbons to pay only $40 in state taxes for 40 acres of land. One dollar per acre! My annual property tax calculates to five dollars per square foot! Talk about inspiration to run for public office!
* Were you heartened when so many of our national leaders spoke out about Russia invading Georgia? Typical of the responses was the comment by Mitt Romney who said, “Russians have shown their willingness to act militarily against a sovereign nation.” His outrage and hand wringing was matched by the likes of Bush, Rice, McCain, Lieberman, Graham and every neocon this side of the military-industrial complex – all of whom strongly and complicity supported the U.S. invading the sovereign nation of Iraq.
* It has been leaked to the media that Joe Lieberman has been vetted as a potential Republican VP selection. As much as Lieberman has kissed-up to the Christian religious-right and embraced McCain/Bush policies it could be argued that the possibility is credible. I believe that this Jewish Senator from Connecticut has a much chance of being John (America is a Christian nation) McCain’s running mate as George Bush has of his profile being chiseled into Mount Rushmore.
* Corruption: the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain – the web site Obsidian Wings did a Google search for “Bush administration + corruption.” The result was 2,640,000 web links. The article was pointing out the corruption this country has been subjected to over the last 7 plus years as a prelude to its comments about Medicare fraud. Misleading comments by Medicare officials in 2006 led Congress to believe that its efforts to reduce fraudulent and improper claims were successful. “But according to a confidential draft of a federal inspector general’s report, those claims of success… were misleading… Medicare officials told outside auditors to ignore government policies that would have accurately measured fraud, according to the report. For example, auditors were told not to compare invoices from salespeople against doctors’ records, as required by law, to make sure that medical equipment went to actual patients.” I say let’s not be too critical of these Medicare officials. They were wearing their American Flag pin on their lapels during testimony thereby providing them immunity from perjury.
* George Bush’s Peepness Envy ~ England’s spying program on its citizens may be bigger than his – An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph found, “In one week, the average person living in Britain has 3,254 pieces of personal information stored about him or her, most of which is kept in databases for years and in some cases indefinitely… The data include details about shopping habits, mobile phone use, emails, locations during the day, journeys and internet searches.” A recommendation for college students: if you read this article it will not be necessary to read George Orwell’s “1984” next semester. “The book has major significance for its vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive and constant surveillance of the populace, insidious and blatant propaganda, and brutal control over its citizens.”
The Washington Post this week published an article about the amount of data the U.S. government is collecting on its own citizens when crossing the borders with Canada and Mexico. Like the terrorist watch list so much information is being collected, ostensibly to protect us, it is doubtful that anyone is actually protected as the system drowns in data.
* “People say that President Nixon had phlebitis. That is simply not true. You don’t screw over 200 million people and get phlebitis. You get syphilis!”My recollection from a Jackie Mason performance about 20 years ago.
Just getting to hear From Tom's McMahan's Corner:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html
When a company like Wal-Mart begins doing things like this, you hurt them in their pocket-book, and let them and the media know you're doing it.
Chattanooga TN station does nothing to counter bigotry By Tom - Aug 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 am EDT
http://wdef.com/video/is_obama_a_muslim/08/2008#comment-119999If you want, please let this TV station know that its not acceptable to simply report on people's prejudiced viewpoints without at least making an attempt to show why they are wrong. If you want to provide links to help refute this nonsense:http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/christianThis leads me to believe that the reporter and station either went into this story with the idea of making fun of these poor people or promoting a prejudicial view of the candidate. I'm sure the fact that Barack Obama doesn't have an Anglo-Saxon name is newsworthy! I'm also sure that's not a requirement to be President of the United States either!
Nathan "No" Deal's No votes By Tom - Aug 1st, 2008 at 9:26 am EDT
Especially vulnerable to numbers 8 (big time), 10, 11, 30, and 34 here in north GA IMHO. Thanks Michelle! (Tom)
Nathan "NO" Deal - No Votes
8/1/07-8/1/08
1. Farm, Nutrition & Bio-energy Act (Farm Bill) HR 6124 & HR 2419
2. Natural Resources Act S2739
3. Back up Paper Ballots HR 5803
4. Alternative Minimum Tax Bill HR 6275
5. Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act HR 5749
6. Amtrak Re-authorization Act HR 6003
7. Alternative Energy Tax Incentives HR 6049
8. G I Bill Expansion HR 2642
9. Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes HR 5818
10. Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs HR 3221
11. Student Loan Provision Changes HR 5715
12. Federal Funding for Voting System Changes HR 5036
13. Amending Tax Code Provisions & IRS Practices HR 5719
14.Funding to combat AIDS, Malaria & Tuberculosis HR 5501
15. Intelligence Authorization Act HR 2082
16. Energy Bill HR 5351
17. Higher Education Act Amendments & Extensions HR 4137
18. Economic Stimulus Plan HR 5140
19. Children’s Health Insurance Program Re-authorization Act (CHIP) HR 3963
20. Homeowner’s Catastrophic Insurance Act HR 3355
21. National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act HR 2895
22. Tax Collection Responsibility Act HR 3056
23. Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act HR 3648
24. Expanding American Home Ownership Act HR 1852
25. Student Loan Subsidy Cuts & Student Grants HR 2669
26. Renewable Energy & Energy Conservation Tax Act HR 2776
27. Requiring OSHA to Establish Combustible Dust Safety Standards HR 5522
28. Mental Health Coverage Bill HR 1424
29. Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension & Modification HR 4299
30. Mortgage Reform & Anti-Sub prime Lending Act HR 3915
31. Sexual Orientation Employment Non-discrimination Act HR 3685
32. Hard Rock Mining & Reclamation Act HR 2262
33. Electronic Communications Preservation Act HR 5811
34. Energy Act HR 6
Please check out the slate.com article regarding politics at Wal-Mart entitled "Always Dumb Politics. Always Wal-Mart". Oh my, we have to keep an eye on our underhanded discount retailer. Not only do they treat their workers like crap, but they also want to tell their workers how to cast their presidential ballots.
Here's the link: http://www.slate.com/id/2196774/
Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
Tonnia
The Wall Street Journal asks if the nation's largest employer, Wal-Mart, is working against the Democratic candidate.
I made an angry retort to Mickiboop. I misplaced my response to her post by not reading the entire series of Walmart-related posts from different people carefully enough. This blog does not make it easy to follow a series on one topic.
The Walmart fallacy is that Walmart-haters support working people. In fact, they happily shop at stores that are easily more oppressive than WalMart and pay higher prices for similar imported goods. They also ignore the big shopping centers that cause similar land-development problems just because they identify themselves with the better-off shoppers at those other stores. Wal-mart haters are using WalMart as a cover for hating low-income wage laborers in general.
We have so much assault going on against working class people in my city that it has made my fuse very very short. I apologize for offending anyone who is an Obama supporter, but I make no aplogy at all for offending any Clinton supporters. I am not one of the ostriches with their heads in the sand about the fact that Hitlery Clinton did not actually concede anything to Obama's victory. I beleive many Clintonites have come into the Obama campaign with the intention of taking it over at the convention. We cannot afford to ignore their true intentions.
I was actually mobbed and shoved out of a community group because I used Walmart plastic bags and I thought that was just an odd personal thing until I noticed that the people running around this city with "stop Walmart" petitions are using them as trigger points for targetting people to drive out of the city for other reasons, mostly Clinton-style class hatred of menial laborers. They have been attacking people using all the Clinton tactics of gathering personal information and then feeding it into their activist network to take over "affinity" groups and grab real-estate through their control of "neigborhood" groups.
The Clintonites have identified a certain set of characteristics as being "the enemy" and shopping at WalMart is one of them. Being under $25,000 a year is another, and they are actually waging a war in this city against the affordable apartment complexes that have been getting city help to serve that population. The Clintonites for the most part are so disconnected from reality that they do not know that $25,000 a year is well above what anyone in any regular minimum-wage type job earns full-time and they characterize such people as "poor" instead of as "working class" and they characterize all "poor" as criminal noncitizen undesirables who are to be driven out of the city so that California yuppies can move in. They are not content to buy a house and move in, they are focused on driving everyone else out.
In fact you can live quite well here for about $12-15,000 a year (single w/o kids) and until recently you also were respected if you worked. Lots of artists and musicians have lived here for that reason but now the Clinton activists are mobbing us all out of our clubs and jobs and shutting down our studios unless we co-operate with their crazy fringe radical politics and give them control of our funding and hand them our neighborhoods.
I watched this whole WalMart fight over the years and the more I learned about actual urban growth patterns and planning and retail marketing, the more I could see the fallacy in the entire set-up. Watching them mob people based on class perceptions of body type, clothing, and stylishness (the "new" racism!) has confirmed the true nature of the anti-Walmart crazies.
I don't like to boycott something unless the issue really gets in my craw. Well, my craw is screaming now. My hat's off to Keith Olbermann!
Must Read: From Today's Women's Wear Daily: http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/123890?page=1
TAKEDOWN IN AISLE 5: MSNBC "Countdown"'s Keith Olbermann has waged a battle against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for suing one of its former employees, Debbie Shank, 52, for $470,000 in medical expenses paid for her care after a car accident left her brain damaged. Olbermann has named the mass retailer to his Worst Person in the World list for four nights in a row, and says his fight with Wal-Mart will continue so long as its pursuit of money from Shank continues. "If they continue to do the morally indefensible to this woman, no matter what their legal rights may be, we will keep reminding people that's what they're supporting when they go to Wal-Mart. And we'll do it nightly, and indefinitely," said Olbermann via e-mail.In 2001, Shank was left with severe brain damage (her short-term memory is virtually nonexistent) after being hit by a semitruck. Her medical expenses were paid for by Wal-Mart, and Shank won close to $1 million in a settlement from the trucking company and, after paying out legal fees, was left with $417,000. But a clause in the retailer's benefits agreement says the store can recoup medical fees paid if an injured employee receives damages from a lawsuit. Wal-Mart, which earned more than $11 billion in profits last year, sued Shank for $470,000, and won. Shank appealed the ruling in the summer, but lost again. Six days later, her 18-year-old son was killed in Iraq. "Wal-Mart, may your stores melt in the hot sun," Olbermann declared.Daphne Moore, Wal-Mart's corporate communications director, responded in a statement: "This is a very sad case and we understand that people will naturally have an emotional and sympathetic reaction. While the Shank case involves a tragic situation, the reality is that the health plan is required to protect its assets so that it can pay the future claims of other associates and their family members. These plans are funded by associate premiums and company contributions. Any money recovered is returned to the health plan, not to the business. This is done out of fairness to everyone who contributes to and benefits from the plan. The Supreme Court recently declined to hear an appeal of the case, which concludes all litigation. While Wal-Mart's benefit plan was entitled to more than the amount that remained in the Shank trust, the plan only recovered the funds remaining in that trust," which according to reports amounted to about $277,000. The spokeswoman did not respond specifically to Olbermann's TV battle. — Stephanie D. Smith
I urge you, as Obama supporters, to both denounce and reject Wal-Mart! Here is a woman who has suffered enough, and Wal-Mart hasn't got the decency to know right from wrong. I'll take my business elsewhere. And so should you. The low savings is not worth this price.
Obviously not at Wal-mart! A woman, now permanently disabled from a truck striking her minivan on the driver's side, was a former employee at Wal-mart and received benefits under the medical insurance plan for her care (>$400,000). Her husband sued the trucking company and won, setting up a trust fund for his wife's care. Well, the multi-million $$$ company, Wal-mart, has sued the MO couple and won because of a clause in their benefit plan; which, states they can collect or be reimbursed any monies paid on behalf of the individual if the individual recovers any money resulting from the incident (ie the lawsuit against the trucking company). Wal-mart has the option to not act on this clause, but they will begin collecting the money this week. Now they have released a statement saying they are only going to collect half of the money that they are technically owed, but they are obligated to collect this money out of "fairness to everyone who contributes to the plan". (you can get all the info by Googling "Wal-mart sues MO woman")
It was reported on the local news this morning that her husband has sufferred from Cancer, they have lost one son to the War in Iraq and her husband had to divorce her in order to get state assistance for her care and he is working two jobs. Because of the extent of her brain injury, she doesn't remember the accident; which is a blessing, but she also doesn't remember the death of her son. So every time she asks about him and is told he died in Iraq, it's like hearing it for the first time. As a mother of 3 sons in different branches of the military who has gone through the daily gut-wrenching pain and anguish for the entire time of their deployments, I can't even fathom having to endure this!
I'm an avid Wal-mart shopper for many staples, etc., but this disturbs me greatly. Wal-mart is supposed to pride itself as being a "family" store. Well, I for one can no longer support Wal-mart. I will not shop there. I hope others will join me. Let's show Wal-mart that people do matter!! If you're with me, please pass this on and thank you.
...and why we need Universal Health Coverage
I was watching Anderson Cooper 360 tonight and saw the sad and horrifying tale of Debbie Shanks, a Missouri Wal-Mart employee who was struck in her minivan by a tractor-trailer and rendered brain-damaged for life and in need of nursing home care. She was covered by Wal-Mart health insurance but there was one little bit of fine print that Wal-Mart would use to make things even worse.
You can read the whole story here.
Enraged, I wrote the following email to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott:
I encourage others to learn more and become similarly vocal - His email is lee.scott@wal-mart.com
--------------
Subject: Giving the Shanks the Shaft
Dear Mr. Scott, Wal-Mart CEO, Don't do it. Don't execute the collection of Mrs. Shanks' $270,000 trust fund that keeps her brain-damaged self alive and cared for in a nursing home. She was a covered employee when she suffered her tragic brain injury in that car accident. Now your lawyers say they're days away from seizing all her money. Don't, I repeat, DON'T do it. As a matter of fact, you'd better round up a big pile of money from all your cronies now because y'all in deep PR Doo Doo. Wal-Mart's name is worse than MUD. You know it. Anderson Cooper's done you in, and you deserve every bit of it. Gotta teach you idiots that there are some lines you just don't cross. The math doesn't work out. Woulda just been cheaper to skip going after the money. Really now. It's gonna be much more expensive now. How does that help keep your prices low? Maybe they should just fire you, Mr. CEO, and get somebody else. 'Cause the way I see it, if your company's health plan has a case before the Supreme Court of the USA and you're the head man and you don't know about it, you're done. On the other hand, if you did know about this case and you didn't stop it in its tracks, you're an idiot and should be done. Your company's reputation is SOOO important that you can't be a very good manager if you've let this fiasco slip out of control. Either way, you should probably do the Board a favor and submit your resignation soon. Unless somehow you can make turd smell like a rose by quickly and publicly apologizing and offering the Shanks a substantial settlement for their ordeal of fighting you all in court while caring for their brain-damaged mother/wife and dealing with the death of their brother/son in Iraq. The sickest part is, she no longer has any short term memory, so every time she asks for her son and has to be told that he died in Iraq, it's like hearing it for the first time. What part of that not being a good idea to further brutalize do you not understand? I don't understand how you can think you're doing your job allowing this to fester. You had $90 BILLION in sales LAST QUARTER. What part of this poor lady's $270,000 do you really need? Honestly. Your move. Good luck, you'll need it now. David Caputo Holyoke, MA
In six years as a member of the Wal-Mart board of directors, between 1986 and 1992, Hillary Clinton remained silent as the world's largest retailer waged a major campaign against labor unions seeking to represent store workers.
Clinton has been endorsed for president by more than a dozen unions, according to her campaign Web site, which omits any reference to her role at Wal-Mart in its detailed biography of her.
Wal-Mart's anti-union efforts were headed by one of Clinton's fellow board members, John Tate, a Wal-Mart executive vice president who also served on the board with Clinton for four of her six years.
Tate was fond of repeating, as he did at a managers meeting in 2004 after his retirement, what he said was his favorite phrase, "Labor unions are nothing but blood-sucking parasites living off the productive labor of people who work for a living."
Read Entire ABC NEWS story
Hillary Clinton is really experienced and, as she claims, she is going to be ready from day one if elected. She has had a remarkable career since her graduation from Yale. Her early political development was shaped most strongly by her energizing high school history teacher, who got her to read Goldwater's classic ‘The Conscience of a Conservative’ . The book covers such topics as education, labor unions and policies, civil rights, agricultural policy and farm subsidies, social welfare programs, and income taxation. The book is considered to be a significant statement of politically and economically ‘American concservative’ ideas which were to gain influence during the following decades.She later volunteered for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the U.S. presidential election of 1964.
After graduating from Yale Law School in 1973 she became a lawyer and married Bill Clinton in 1975. She served Briefly as a congressional legal counsel and in 1979 was named the first female partner at ‘Rose Law Firm’ known for representing corporations including; Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart, large brokerage Stephens, Inc., Worthen Bank, and the Arkansas Democrat and other Hussman Family media holdings. Because of her partnership with such a pristigious law firm and her corporate connections etc. She was listed as one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America in 1988 and 1991. During this period from (1985-1992) she served on the Board of Directors for Wal-Mart which is known to be anti union and to import more than 70% of their goods from China. She served as one of the fifteen governing members of Wal-Marts board while serving on several other corporate boards. She wisely gave up her positons on the boards just prior to her husband’s 1992 presidential election. She and Bill took Webster Hubbell and Vince Foster who were partners of Hillary’s in the ‘Rose Law Firm” to the white house with them as Attorney Gerneral and deputy White House counsel respectively. These two men came under great scrutiny during investigations of the Whitewater contorvery as investigations were under way to attempt to determine how much work Hillary had done for the firm while representing Bill and Hillary Clinton’s finacial partner Jim McDougal who operated Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan (a target of the Whitewater wrong doings). Togeather Jim McDougal, his wife and Bill and Hillary formed a corporation called whitewater Development Corporation in 1979. Money was appropriated, some say illegally, to develop 230 acres on land along the White River near flippin Arkansas. The corparation failed in the 1980s.
click her for the senate's public record of this voting recordwhat is her "experience"following her heart? fighting and standing by convictions?orsupporting the popular vote? political gain, first and foremost?ABOUT THE CLUSTER BOMB VOTE IN CIVILIAN AREA USE "[Cluster bombs are] the single greatest risk civilians face with regard to a current weapon that is in use." -Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch _ _ _ _ _ _ _in July 2003, UNICEF's Representative in Iraq, Carel de Rooy, explained why children are drawn to these unexploded bomblets: “Cluster bombs come in interesting shapes that are attractive to children,” said de Rooy. “Many children are injured or killed because they see a shiny metal object, sometimes in the shape of a ball, and they have to go and pick it up and play with it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _in the autumn of 2006:Senate Amendment No. 4882, an amendment to a Pentagon appropriations bill that would have banned the use of cluster bombs in CIVILIAN AREAS.Senator Obama of Illinois voted IN FAVOR of the ban.Senator Clinton of New York voted AGAINST the ban.Analysts say Clinton did not want to risk appearing "soft on terror," as it would have harmed her electibility. This was also speculated to be her motive in being so publicly in support of President Bush's Iraq Policy that lead to war... that is until the war in Iraq was no longer polling popular._ _ _ _ _ _ _clinton's vote against amendment no. 4882 should be fair game in assessing her record since her platform is based on her "experience."it's not surprising the obama campaign hasn't talked about this vote due to the media's lack of interest in tarnishing clinton's record... whether the press unofficially leans in favor of obama or not as of late. when obama speaks in a tone that discredits clinton's "experience" many voters see it as an attack or low blow so it does as much harm as good.but, just as with senator clinton's vote to authorize war in iraq, her involvement in whitewater, her years serving wal-mart and anti-union efforts, discriminatory LGBT compromises she supported and her husband signed...clinton = political calculation to meet the popular opinionobama = moral calculation to meet the consistent greater good"Senator Clinton has said she is ready to lead from day one. But it's important on day one to get it right, whether you're talking about war or you're talking about economic proposals."- Senator Barack Obama in the CNN debate_ _ _ _ _ _ _Just to be perfectly clear, Senator Clinton voted against banning the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas. Her vote was not against banning the use of cluster bombs altogether. Think about that: Should our military be permitted to use cluster bombs in civilian areas, with each exploding bomb covering the range of a football field? Yes or no? Senator Clinton said yes. Senator Obama said no. Here is the exact text, straight from Senate Amendment No. 4882: Sec. 8109. No funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act my [sic] be obligated or expended to acquire, utilize, sell, or transfer any cluster munition unless the rules of engagement applicable to the cluster munition ensure that the cluster munition will not be used in or near any concentrated population of civilians, whether permanent or temporary, including inhabited parts of cities or villages, camps or columns of refugees or evacuees, or camps or groups of nomads.
full disclosure: i'm a registered independent. i support a multi-party system and believe so deeply to that end that i voted for the green party candidate in the year bush stole the election from gore. gore fairly won the popular vote, and i have admired gore since reading his book as a highschool senior. yet, i supported my greater desire to see a third party win 5% of the popular vote in order to receive federal funding like democrats and republicans. i voted against the establishment to usher forward change. afterall, i am a registered independent. that means i vote based on the candidate. i vote with my conscious.
i believe that when two parties are financed by the same special interests/lobbyists, which is largely corporate america, then the nuances between the two parties are not as drastic as the american people are led to believe. why? ultimately, the donors are owed favors and even when they donate more to one party or candidate than the other... ultimately, they donate to both and demand the same type of result from both parties.
this year is different. my candidate, barack obama, is a proven leader at every level of government and in community service. he has refused special interest contributions and will act in favor of the american people, not just corporate america. unlike any candidate in my lifetime, he inspires me to believe that the time for change is now. i am not alone. he breaks records in every state that casts votes. in south carolina, history was made when a "republican state" experienced more voters in the democratic primary than in the republican primary. had it been a general election, barack obama would have won a state that has long voted for republican presidents.
i have been asked whether i prefer obama or simply oppose clinton. for the love of god, i prefer obama! i will vote for the leader who will make the states united and make my country a place to be proud of again. i will vote with my conscious. obama is the best qualified leader for the job. however, because i educated myself on both candidates, i have ample reasons not to vote for hillary clinton or the clinton dynasty. in fact, i'll vote for republican before i'll vote clinton.
my preferred candidate list should they have run in 2008:
as it turns out, hillary clinton does not make the top five. while she has reason to ask obama to be her running mate on the sad chance she wins the nomination, analysts and i agree that obama does not need clinton to win a general election. the vast majority of clinton supporters will vote for barack obama when he wins the nomination. unlike clinton, barack obama is poised to beat the republican candidate. obama supporters, some of whom have never been inspired enough to participate in the voting process or whom are independent, may not support hillary clinton. these inspired supporters of obama may choose to sit out again or vote mccain... should hillary clinton win the nomination. for years, the youth promised they would "rock the vote" and yet, until this year, they never showed up.
who is she kidding? hillary clinton is a political mastermind, but she also has a long track record of political calculation to appeal to popular opinion. a track record even a mastermind can not erase. today, she speaks passionate about unions and the working class. yet, before becoming first lady, hillary clinton supported Wal-Mart's position against unions. in addition, abc news reported clinton allegedly aided the launch of misleading social campaigns of the early 90's at wal-mart like women in management, green commerce, and made in the USA. tisk tisk.
there is also her investments in companies that were in direct contradiction to what she claims to be her current convictions as a presidential candidate. yes, just when hillary and bill were gearing up for this race for the white house, they unloaded several investments from their portfolio in companies that would have invited criticism. but, what would have been wiser as a presidential hopeful who had been prepped and groomed since bush stole the election from gore was to never have invested in companies contradicting her political platform... you know... since these are her honest social convictions dear to her heart, she says.
my favorite may be the notion that she is an equal agent for change in spite of her inability to unite or inspire like my candidate, barack obama. the truth is that she accepts tremendous sums of special interest/lobbyist contributions (twice as much as mccain and romeny combined) and barack does not. which candidate do you think owes a few favors. in fact, despite health care reform being so important to hillary, that industry is among her top contributors to both of her senate races and her current presidential nod. i wonder how affordable she will make health care costs for us since the health care industry has been so generous to her? i wonder if these contributions have anything to do with her sudden silence after coming to the white house in 1992 promising to do the things she is still promising. money makes people do the darnest things. that is why i am proud of my candidate's stance against washington lobbyists and special interest contributions.
someone indicated that he did not believe that hillary clinton accepted huge contributions from the health care and pharmaceutical industries dating back to her first campaign for the senate. what is there not to believe? it's a matter of public record. as first lady, hillary clinton was extremely outspoken, and her largest pet project was to chair the reform of the united states health care system. after at least a year of no progress, hillary clinton shut up. our health care system was not fixed or improved... not after eight years of opportunity. yet, those same special interests she spoke against and said she wanted to regulate have since written her two senate and presidential campaigns extraordinary checks. that's why you will hear comments about capitol hill serving special interests. it's why americans are cynical about politics in general. no one can debate with me whether hillary has accepted the funds. again, its public record. and, unless you are delusional, you can't argue the contributions do not influence her or lead to compromised decisions in, at least partial, favor of the companies entangled in the health care we pretend to want to reform... positively change.
people attempt to argue that obama does not support universal healtcare. i heard clinton and edwards debate the definition of universal. it stands to reason that the proposed "univeral healthcare" from the clinton dynasty is nothing more than mandated healthcare with only the very poor earning subsidies to offset the high costs. others will be fined like in new hampshire or have their wages garnished. hillary clinton is misusing the ideology behind universal healthcare which is successfully practiced much differently throughout europe, canada, and cuba! watch the movie sicko. it is a entertaining way to discover what real universal healthcare offers. barack obama's plan is truer to the ideology behind universal healthcare by assuring low-cost policies so affordable that no one would rather pay a fine. obama has been the only candidate to offer a reasonable health care plan that drives down costs, provides relief for anyone under 25 who may have education costs, and mandates coverage only for children.
let us not forget that in the recent cnn debate between only obama and clinton... obama remained consistent and true to his original decision to oppose the vote allowing bush to invade iraq. on the other hand, hillary never once admitted she made a mistake or used bad judgment. she claims that she never expected bush to misuse his power to go to war. yet, the language in the "permission slip" that congressed passed was clear. but to be fair, who reads all of a document before we sign it, right? apparently she did. in her speech regarding the vote to support war, she admits that it "was one of the toughest decisions" she had to make since it may lead to war. but wait, didn't she try to mislead the american people into thinking that bush abused his power and she never intended for the vote to lead to war?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
like barack said. it's important to be right on day one. the momentum. the movement. the change. the time is now.
likewise, obama is spot on. obama will get the job done. obama will really meet our needs.
don't discount barack obama and his judgment nor his impressive experience and proven leadership at EVERY level of government. his efforts in just more than 12 months have matched more than a decade of grooming and preparation by the forces in support of the clinton dynasty. DON'T SUCCUMB TO BRANDING... a familiar name. i usually would not speak against branding, but, as a marketer, i see pass it. don't buy into the hype that she is "experienced" when her record is often reeks of shiiite.
we may find different things important, but for me, i have never seen a candidate that has been consistent and outspoken on all of the political and social issues important to me. there's a 64 page "blueprint for change" and highlights of his overall stance on the major issues at www.barackobama.com simply click on the issues tab on the top menu. if you think that hillary is the only candidate with a plan, you are mistaken. you might have heard that after a debate in relation to an answer to a specific question or you may have heard such a claim from the clinton campaign. but, i'd ask for you to research for yourself. with the internet, identifiying reputable resources is at our fingertips.
i listened to dozens upon dozens of speeches and read the candidates platforms (available online). barack obama and i agree on iraq, lgbt rights, health care and the environment. either candidate will stimulate the economy... it won't be difficult thanks to bush 2, just like it wasn't difficult for bill after bush 1. so therefore, which candidate has fought for and will motivate the american people to rally for change? the difference between the states and europe is that in a country like france, the people rally for change and the governement is always reminded that they work for the people. our government thinks they control us because we are not smart enough or care enough. obama is the only candidate in my lifetime that rallies people and motivates them to participate. with the people behind him, we can make a positive change now. we will remind the congress and the senate who they work for and what we want! obama will not fight alone. and you can trust him because the worst thing anyone in clinton's camp can leak about him is that he experimented with drugs or has a non-christian father. wasn't bill clinton the one who didn;t inhale? ok, right. meanwhile, hillary clinton has been accused of numerous crimes in the last two decades which always seem to fade away.
obama began his career as a community organizer. his campaign in just under a year has rose up and proved a awesome force to be reckoned with. in contrast, hillary clinton has been groomed for the 2008 presidential race for more than a decade. she began with the unofficial blessing of the press and democratic party. no one could have predicted or expected barack obama to organize and inspire grassroots campaign activity unlike most of us has seen in our lifetimes. no one would have wagered a bet that enough people would unite to make him a front-runner in the 2008 presidential race in under a year. but... he has. it's that same energy and brilliant leadership that we lack in the united states. former democratic presidential nominee and united states senator, john kerry endorsed obama's candidacy because he is uniquely situated to inspire millions of Americans to join together and come together in a movement to demand real change in washington. don't tell me you don't think obama can do the job. unions, notable politicians, educators, celebrities, and i say YES WE CAN.
be smart. vote smart. usher forward change. support barack obama.
who knows when someone will be willing to stand against the establishment and motivate real change and progression into the 21st century again. believe... and yes we can.
~ j
