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
The Ordeal of Lucia Morett
Writing a Thesis in Blood
By JOHN ROSS @ counterpunch.com
At first Lucia Morett couldn't make out where she was and what had woken her up in the pitch-black jungle dark. Then the Mexican graduate student remembered. She reached for her schoolmate Veronica Velazquez's hand but Vero was not there. She would never be there again.
Vero and Lucia plus three boys from the National Autonomous University (UNAM) and the Polytechnic Institute, one her boyfriend Juan Gonzalez, had arrived in the camp of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) only six hours earlier, Lucia Morett told La Jornada reporter Blanche Petrich during a flight home to Mexico December 3rd.
Lucia called out to Juan who was sleeping just meters away in another "caleta", a hut assembled from rough planks. Again there was no answer. Lucia felt a sharp jab of fear in her gut. Then the bombs began to explode on the camp, ten 500-pound Paveway bombs, the same kind the United States military had dropped during the first Gulf War on Iraq. A sudden wind gusted through the caletas. She heard screams. A tree erupted into flames right in front of her. Her sleeping bag felt wet. Lucia saw that it was drenched in blood..............
ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.counterpunch.org/ross12122008.html
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Aberdeen * Alcester * Alexandria * Arlington * Armour * Ashton * Avon * Baltic * Belle Fourche * Beresford * Big Stone City * Blunt * Bonesteel * Bowdle * Box Elder * Brandon * Bridgewater * Bristol * Britton * Brookings * Bruce * Bryant * Burke * Canistota * Canton * Carthage * Castlewood * Centerville * Central City * Chamberlain * Clark * Clear Lake * Colman * Colome * Colton * Columbia * Conde * Corsica * Crooks * Custer * Deadwood * Dell Rapids * Delmont * De Smet * Doland * Dupree * Eagle Butte * Edgemont * Egan * Elk Point * Elkton * Emery * Estelline * Eureka * Faith * Faulkton * Flandreau * Fort Pierre * Frankfort * Freeman * Garretson * Gary * Geddes * Gettysburg * Gregory * Groton * Harrisburg * Hartford * Hecla * Herreid * Highmore * Hill City * Hitchcock * Hosmer * Hot Springs * Howard * Hurley * Huron * Ipswich * Irene * Iroquois * Jefferson * Kadoka * Kimball * Kosmos * Lake Andes * Lake Norden * Lake Preston * Lead * Lemmon * Lennox * Leola * McIntosh * McLaughlin * Madison * Marion * Martin * Mellette * Menno * Milbank * Miller * Mission * Mitchell * Mobridge * Montrose * Mount Vernon * Murdo * Newell * New Underwood * North Sioux City * Oldham * Onida * Parker * Parkston * Philip * Pierre * Plankinton * Platte * Presho * Rapid City * Redfield * Roscoe * Salem * Scotland * Selby * Sioux Falls * Sisseton * Spearfish * Spencer * Springfield * Sturgis * Tea * Timber Lake * Tripp * Tyndall * Valley Springs * Veblen * Vermillion * Viborg * Volga * Wagner * Watertown * Waubay * Webster * Wessington * Wessington Springs * White * White Lake * White River * Whitewood * Willow Lake * Wilmot
Abbeville * Aberdeen * Ackerman * Algoma * Alligator * Amory * Anguilla * Arcola * Arkabutla * Artesia * Ashland * Avalon * Avon * Bailey * Baldwyn * Banner * Bassfield * Batesville * Bay Saint Louis * Bay Springs * Beaumont * Becker * Belden * Belen * Bellefontaine * Belmont * Belzoni * Benoit * Benton * Bentonia * Beulah * Big Creek * Biloxi * Blue-Mountain * Blue Springs * Bogue Chitto * Bolton * Booneville * Boyle * Brandon * Braxton * Brookhaven * Brooklyn * Brooksville * Bruce * Buckatunna * Bude * Burnsville * Byhalia * Caledonia * Calhoun City * Camden * Canton * Carriere * Carrollton * Carson * Carthage * Cary * Cascilla * Cedarbluff * Centreville * Charleston * Chatawa * Chatham * Chunky * Clara * Clarksdale * Cleveland * Clinton * Coahoma * Coffeeville * Coila * Coldwater * Collins * Collinsville * Columbia * Columbus * Como * Conehatta * Corinth * Courtland * Crawford * Crenshaw * Crosby * Crowder * Cruger * Crystal Springs * D-Iberville * D-Lo * Daleville * Darling * De-Kalb * Decatur * Delta City * Dennis * Derma * Diamondhead * Doddsville * Drew * Dublin * Duck-Hill * Dumas * Duncan * Dundee * Durant * Eastabuchie * Ecru * Edwards * Elliott * Ellisville * Enid * Enterprise * Escatawpa * Ethel * Etta * Eupora * Falcon * Falkner * Farrell * Fayette * Fernwood * Flora * Florence * Forest * Foxworth * French Camp * Friars Point * Fulton * Gallman * Gattman * Gautier * Georgetown * Glen * Glen Allan * Glendora * Gloster * Golden * Goodman * Gore Springs * Grace * Greenville * Greenwood * Greenwood Springs * Grenada * Gulfport * Gunnison * Guntown * Hamilton * Harperville * Harriston * Harrisville * Hattiesburg * Hazlehurst * Heidelberg * Hermanville * Hernando * Hickory * Hickory Flat * Hillsboro * Holcomb * Hollandale * Holly Bluff * Holly Ridge
Aberdeen * Adairville * Adolphus * Ages Brookside * Albany * Alexandria * Allegre * Allen * Allensville * Almo * Alpha * Alvaton * Anchorage * Annville * Argillite * Arjay * Arlington * Artemus * Ary * Ashcamp * Asher * Ashland * Athol * Auburn * Audobon Park * Augusta * Aurora * Austin * Auxier * Avawam * Bagdad * Bakerton * Bandana * Banner * Barbourville * Bardstown * Bardwell * Barlow * Baskett * Battletown * Baxter * Bays * Bear Branch * Beattyville * Beaumont * Beauty * Beaver * Beaver Dam * Bedford * Bee Spring * Beech Creek * Beech Grove * Beechmont * Belcher * Belfry * Bellefonte * Bellevue * Belton * Benham * Benton * Berea * Berry * Bethany * Bethelridge * Bethlehem * Betsy Layne * Beverly * Bevinsville * Big Clifty * Big Creek * Big Laurel * Big Sandy * Big Spring * Bighill * Bimble * Blackey * Blackford * Blaine * Bledsoe * Bloomfield * Blue River * Boaz * Bonnieville * Bonnyman * Booneville * Boons Camp * Boston * Bowen * Bowling Green * Bradfordsville * Brandenburg * Breeding * Bremen * Brodhead * Bromley * Bronston * Brooklyn * Brooks * Brooksville * Browder * Brownsville * Bruin * Bryants Store * Bryantsville * Buckhorn * Buckner * Buechel * Buffalo * Bulan * Burdine * Burgin * Burkesville * Burlington * Burna * Burnside * Bush * Busy * Butler * Bypro * Cadiz * Calhoun * California * Calvert City * Calvin * Camp Dix * Camp Springs * Campbellsburg * Campbellsville * Campton * Canada * Cane Valley * Caneyville * Canmer * Cannel City * Cannon * Carlisle * Carrie * Carrollton * Carter * Catlettsburg * Cave City * Cave Run Lake * Cawood * Cecilia * Center * Centertown * Central City * Cerulean * Chaplin * Chappell * Chavies * Cisco * Clarkson * Clay * Clay City * Clayhole * Clearfield * Cleaton * Clermont * Clifty * Clinton * Closplint * Cloverport
Addison * Algonquin * Alsip * Alton * Antioch * Arlington Heights * Aurora * Barrington * Bartlett * Bartonville * Batavia * Beach Park * Belleville * Bellwood * Belvidere * Bensenville * Benton * Berwyn * Bethalto * Bloomingdale * Bloomington * Blue Island * Bolingbrook * Boulder Hill * Bourbonnais * Bradley * Bridgeview * Broadview * Brookfield * Buffalo Grove * Burbank * Burr Ridge * Cahokia * Calumet City * Calumet Park * Canton * Carbondale * Carol Stream * Carpentersville * Cary * Centralia * Champaign * Channahon * Charleston * Chatham * Chicago * Chicago Heights * Chicago Ridge * Cicero * Clarendon Hills * Clinton * Collinsville * Columbia * Country Club Hills * Crest Hill * Crestwood * Crete * Crystal Lake * Danville * Darien * DeKalb * Decatur * Deerfield * Des Plaines * Dixon * Dolton * Downers Grove * Du Quoin * East Alton * East Moline * East Peoria * East St Louis * Edwardsville * Effingham * Elgin * Elk Grove Village * Elmhurst * Elmwood Park * Evanston * Evergreen Park * Fairview Heights * Flossmoor * Forest Park * Fox Lake * Frankfort * Frankfort Square * Franklin Park * Freeport * Gages Lake * Galesburg * Geneseo * Geneva * Glen Carbon * Glen Ellyn * Glencoe * Glendale Heights * Glenview * Glenwood * Godfrey * Goodings Grove * Granite City * Grayslake * Greenville * Gurnee * Hanover Park * Harrisburg * Harvard * Harvey * Harwood Heights * Hawthorn Woods * Hazel Crest * Herrin * Hickory Hills * Highland * Highland Park * Hillside * Hinsdale * Hoffman Estates * Homewood * Inverness * Island Lake * Itasca * Jacksonville * Jerseyville * Joliet * Justice * Kankakee * Kewanee * La Grange * La Grange Park * La Salle * Lake Bluff * Lake Forest * Lake Zurich * Lake in the Hills * Lansing * Lemont * Libertyville * Lincoln * Lincolnshire * Lincolnwood * Lindenhurst
Adams * Adamsville * Alexandria * Algood * Arlington * Ashland * Athens * Baneberry * Bartlett * Baxter * Bean Station * Bell Buckle * Bolivar * Brentwood * Brighton * Bristol * Brownsville * Charlston * Chattanooga * City of Crossville * City of Parsons * Clarksville * Cleveland * Clifton * Clinton * Collegedale * Collierville * Collinwood * Columbia * Cookeville * Coopertown * Covington * Cowan * Crossville * Dayton * Decaturville * Decherd * Dickson * Dover * Dresden * Dunlap * Dyer * Dyersburg * Eagleville * East Ridge * Elizabethton * Erin * Etowah * Fairview * Farragut * Farragut City * Fayetteville * Flag Pond * Franklin * Gallatin * Gatlinburg * Germantown * Gleason * Goodlettsville * Grand Junction * Greeneville * Greenfield * Harriman * Harrogate * Hartsville * Henderson * Hendersonville * Humboldt * Huntingdon * Huntland * Jackson * Jamestown * Jasper * Jefferson City * Jellico * Johnson City * Kimball * Kingston * Kingston Springs * Knoxville * Lafayette * LaGrange * Lake City * Lakeland * Lavergne * Lawrenceburg * Lebanon * Lenoir City * Lewisburg * Lexington * Livingston * Lookout Mountain * Loretto * Lynchburg * Lynnville * Manchester * Martin * Maryville * McEwen * McKenzie * McMinnville * Medon * Memphis * Milan * Millersville * Millington * Monteagle * Monterey * Morristown * Mount Carmel * Mt Juliet * Mt Pleasant * Munford * Murfreesboro * Nashville * New Johnsonville * Newport * Nolensville * Oak Hill * Oak Ridge * Oakland * Old Hickory * Oliver Springs * Paris * Pegram * Pigeon Forge * Pleasant View * Portland * Pulaski * Red Bank * Red Boiling Springs * Roan Mountain * Rockwood * Savannah * Scotts Hill * Selmer * Sevierville * Seymour * Shelbyville * Signal Mountain * Smithville * Smyrna * Soddy Daisy * Somerville * South Fulton * South Pittsburg * Sparta * Spring Hill
By Jeff Stein @ "Spy Talk"
“Mad about The One. The US media have been captivated by Obama, at the expense of their curiosity and scepticism.”
This is the title of an article by Harold Evans in The Guardian on November 1, 2008. He resorts to the bias he decries in his one-sided column. I have reproduced it below in its entirety, along with my annotations {…} . Phrases that I comment upon are in boldface.
It's fitting that the cynicism "vote early and vote often" is commonly attributed to Chicago's Democratic boss, mayor Richard Daley, who famously voted the graveyards in 1960 to help put John Kennedy in the White House. In this 2008 race, it's the American media that have voted very early and often. They long ago elected the star graduate of Chicago's Democratic machine, Barack Obama. {Obama is a hardly a “graduate“ of the machine. What about Harvard Law, Columbia, etc.?}
I am not talking of editorials in newspapers, though Obama has the preponderance of the endorsements over John McCain. Obama certainly deserves the credit for recruiting impressive advisers and running a more efficient campaign machine than any one in the US's political history.
What's troubling to anyone old-fashioned enough to care about standards in journalism is the news coverage in mainstream media. Forget the old notions of objectivity, fairness, thoroughness, and so on. The nastiest rumours on both sides haven't been published, but the coverage has been slavishly on the side of "the one". {“Slavish”? Evans’s description.}
There's still time to win Missouri's Editorial Pages: Please use this list at usnpl.com; OpEdNews Compendium of Major Endorsements Thus Far
taken from this "LIVE URL": http://www.usnpl.com/monews.php
Newspapers Click ( A ) for Newspaper address Click ( C ) for County summary Ashland Boone County Journal (A) (C) Bethany Republican-Clipper (A) (C) Bolivar Bolivar Herald-Free Press (A) (C) Boonville Daily News (A) (C) Bowling Green Bowling Green Times (A) (C) Branson Branson Courier (A) (C) Branson The Branson News (A) (C) Brookfield Linn County Leader (A) (C) Buffalo Buffalo Reflex (A) (C) California California Democrat (A) (C) Camdenton Lake Sun Leader (A) (C) Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian (A) (C) Carthage The Carthage Press (A) (C) Caruthersville Democrat Argus (A) (C) Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (A) (C) Columbia Columbia Daily Tribune (A) (C) Columbia Columbia Missourian (A) (C) Cuba Cuba Free Press (A) (C) Dexter The Daily Statesman (A) (C) El Dorado Springs El Dorado Springs Sun (A) (C) Eldon Eldon Advertiser (A) (C) Eldon Vernon Publishing Newspapers (A) (C) Ellisville WestNews Magazine (A) (C) Elsberry Elsberry Democrat (A) (C) Eminence Shannon County Current Wave (A) (C) Fulton Fulton Sun (A) (C) Gainesville Ozark County Times (A) (C) Gallatin Gallatin North Missourian (A) (C) Gladstone Dispatch Tribune (A) (C) Hamilton Caldwell County News (A) (C) Hannibal Hannibal Courier-Post (A) (C) Harrisonville Democrat-Missourian (A) (C) Hermann Hermann Advertiser Courier (A) (C) Houston Houston Herald (A) (C) Independence The Examiner (A) (C) Jackson Cash-Book Journal (A) (C) Jamesport Tri-County Weekly (A) (C) Jefferson City Jefferson City News Tribune (A) (C) Joplin Joplin Business Journal (A) (C) Joplin Joplin Globe (A) (C) Joplin Joplin Independent (A) (C) Kansas City Business Journal (A) (C) Kansas City Kansas City Star (A) (C) Kansas City PitchWeekly (A) (C) Kennett Daily Dunklin Democrat (A) (C) Kirksville Daily Express (A) (C) Lamar Lamar Democrat (A) (C) Laurie Highway Five Beacon (A) (C) Lebanon Lebanon Daily Record (A) (C) Lees Summit Lee's Summit Journal (A) (C) Louisiana Louisiana Press Journal (A) (C) Macon Chronicle-Herald (A) (C) Marshall The Marshall Democrat-News (A) (C) Marshfield Marshfield Mail (A) (C) Maryville Nodaway News Leader (A) (C) Memphis Memphis Democrat (A) (C) Mexico The Mexico Ledger (A) (C) Moberly Monitor-Index/Evening Democrat (A) (C) Monett The Monett Times (A) (C) Monroe City The Lake Gazette (A) (C) Mound City Mound City News (A) (C) Neosho Neosho Daily News (A) (C) Nevada Nevada Daily Mail (A) (C) New Haven New Haven Leader (A) (C) Nixa Nixa News-Enterprise (A) (C) Ozark Christian County Headliner (A) (C) Paris The Monroe County Appeal (A) (C) Park Hills The Daily Journal (A) (C) Perryville Republic-Monitor (A) (C) Piedmont Wayne County Journal-Banner (A) (C) Pineville McDonald County Press (A) (C) Platte City Platte County Citizen (A) (C) Platte City The Landmark Newspaper (A) (C) Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic (A) (C) Richland Richland Mirror (A) (C) Richmond Richmond Daily News (A) (C) Rock Port Atchison County Mail (A) (C) Rolla Rolla Daily News (A) (C) Saint Joseph St. Joseph News-Press (A) (C) Saint Louis Chinese American News (A) (C) Saint Louis St. Louis American Newspaper (A) (C) Saint Louis St. Louis Business Journal (A) (C) Saint Louis St. Louis Post-Dispatch (A) (C) Saint Louis The Riverfront Times (A) (C) Saint Louis The Suburban Journals (A) (C) Saint Louis The Vital VOICE (A) (C) Saint Robert Pulaski County Democrat (A) (C) Sainte Genevieve The Herald (A) (C) Sedalia Sedalia Democrat (A) (C) Sedalia Sedalia News-Journal (A) (C) Sikeston Standard Democrat (A) (C) Springfield Community Free Press (A) (C) Springfield News-Leader (A) (C) Springfield Springfield Business Journal (A) (C) Steelville Star - Mirror (A) (C) Stover Morgan County Press (A) (C) Sullivan Sullivan News (A) (C) Sullivan The Sullivan Journal (A) (C) Tipton Tipton Times (A) (C) Troy Lincoln County Journal (A) (C) Tuscumbia Miller County Autogram-Sentinel (A) (C) Vandalia Vandalia Leader (A) (C) Versailles Versailles Leader-Statesman (A) (C) Warrensburg digitalBURG.com (A) (C) Washington Washington Missourian (A) (C) Washington WashMo.com (A) (C) Waynesville The Daily Guide (A) (C) Webster Groves Times Newspapers (A) (C) West Plains Daily Quill (A) (C) College Newspapers Drury University The Drury Mirror Missouri Southern St. Univ The Chart Missouri St. Univ The Standard Missouri Western Griffon News Missouri-Rolla Miner Northwest Missouri NW Missourian Daily Southwest Baptist Omnibus Online St. Louis Univ University News SW Missouri State Southwest Standard Truman State New Media Index Univ of Missouri The Current Univ of Missouri The Greek Chronicle Univ of Missouri The Maneater Univ of Missouri University News Washington Univ Student Life Online Webster Univ The Webster Journal
Editorial Page Victories clarify: Obama will win 2-1 in Electoral College! 4 part compendium---Endorsements at OpEdNews: Washington Post, Houston, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Salt Lake, Philadelphia, Portland, Bangor, Sacramento, Kansas City (4 former Red States)
OpEdNews has been the site of choice to post the growing list of major and minor newspaper endorsements for Obama. The Editorials are quoted generally in full, with interspliced commentaries from major editors and commentators, explaining what is behind the Editorials.
Part I Obama's Editorial Endorsements: including Washington Post, Fidel Castro, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, & more!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-s-Endorsements-The-by-Stephen-Fox-081016-633.html
*******
Part II Editorial Page Endorsements of Obama Denver Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francsico Chronicle, Los Angeles Times
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Editorial-Page-Endorsement-by-Stephen-Fox-081017-544.html
********
Part III New Endorsements: Salt Lake City Tribune, Bangor and Brunswick, Maine, Philadelphia, Miami, Portland, Kansas City
http://www.opednews.com/articles/EndorspLements-Salt-Lake-Ci-by-Stephen-Fox-081018-476.html
More Obama Endorsements IV: Sacramento, Katie Couric, Malaysia, Houston Chronicle, Detroit, Waco Tx (sort of)
http://www.opednews.com/articles/More-Obama-Endorsements-IV-by-Stephen-Fox-081019-492.html
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS, which become a vital part of a larger on-going dialogue.
Thank you,
Stephen FoxFounder, New Millennium Fine ArtContributing Editor New Millennium Fine ArtSanta Fe, NM
Senator Obama studied at Columbia University. It is his alma mater; he also claimed home advantage there during his interview on September 11, 2008.
When the Columbia University was attacked for not allowing the Military to recruit on campus and for allowing President Ahmedi Nijad of Iran to speak at the university; he took the opportunity to make his position clear on ROTC, which is to allow the military to recruit on the campus, but he did not say a word in defense of Columbia University.
We all including Senator Obama, he also studied at Harvard University, work hard to get into these universities and even try to get our children into these universities but when time comes to stand by the values promoted by these very institutions we are increasingly choosing to look the other way. When negative emotions against our country was at an all time high around the world and when emotions at home were also that of belligerence Columbia took the enormous risk of showing civility and establishing our value of free speech by inviting the President of Iran to speak at the University. It was just providing him an opportunity to speak; there was no danger of the President of Iran converting the students of Columbia into Shiite militants. The President of Columbia went to great length to pacify the hawks of our country by berating the President of Iran even before he spoke.
In my view it was a courageous effort by Columbia. It is the stuff civil societies are made of.
Our nominee Senator Obama failed on these counts:
1. We are supposed to defend our school; we go to great lengths to root for our schools at games etc. Senator Obama didn’t have a single word for Columbia. When you defend your school it has a parallel to defending the country or the institution or the people you have associations with. It shows your loyalty. A word or two for Columbia would have been appreciated even by the Republicans because you would be defending your home ground.
2. Columbia did not do anything outrageous by either of the two acts. It does not allow RTOC because of its opposition to “Don’t ask don’t tell policy.” It was not as if they were taking sides, DADT was signed into law by a Democratic President. Even though I personally disagree with the proportionality of the response by Columbia and others to “Don’t ask don’t tell” I appreciate the courage and the underlying effort to fix a wrong in favor of a minority of Americans. As to inviting the President of Iran I have already discussed the matter above.
Senator Obama is already branded as a liberal. But still people keep asking as to who is “Nominee Obama,” with some justification. If Senator Obama had said a word or two in defense of Columbia that night it would somewhat answer that question. People tend to define you with the associations you keep. Senator Obama has to establish some solid associations. Columbia could be one of those.
It is not a good strategy to fight off associations other people throw at you but to make one yourself. A good offense is the best defense.
If people don’t associate you with Columbia somebody else will have them associate you with Pastors you disassociate. Somebody is associating himself to the military and the Vietnam War some to Caribou hunting, gas pipelines and Alaska. You have to associate yourself to some piece of America that we are all familiar with. South Side of Chicago is not as well known as Columbia. Your association with South side of Chicago may not be as relevant to becoming the President as your association with Columbia and Harvard.
Well today Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden is coming through my hometown of Columbia, MO, for a town-hall style meeting at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) which is to begin this morning at 9:30am. Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a ticket as I came back late this Sunday from St. Louis and when I went into the Columbia Campaign for Change HQ Monday just after 11:30AM they informed me there were people lined up around the building on Sunday evening to get tickets and I would have to go on the waiting list. This was a big disappointment as I was really looking forward to seeing Joe Biden in person and get to cheer on the person I hope is the next Vice President of these great United States. This was made even more disappointing as I work at Shelter Insurance directly across from the ARC.
Despite my disappointment I am happy that someone from the Obama campaign is stumping in Missouri and Columbia in particular. The McCain team had considered visiting Columbia for their event held yesterday, but decided to host it in Lee's Summit (which, oddly enough, is home to my father's side of the family). Of course, Sarah Palin was in tow, following a weekend when John McCain, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama went on national press shows to discuss the campaign and their policies. They have also seen a bump during this time and my feeling is that there are a lot of people now energized about a woman whom they know very little about, which is exactly how the McCain campaign have decided to use her so far instead using commercials to distort their true record. Well, I unfortunately have to get back to work instead of visiting the ARC, but I will do my best to stay up to date on any Joe Biden news this morning (he's also stopping in at Mehlville High School in St. Louis this afternoon) and Barack Obama's visit to Ohio.
Future posts to come with more details about my vision of America and policy opinions.
Here is what I want to know: Why is the Obama Campaign not emphasizing the Lugar-Obama Non-Proliferation Bill and Obama's education at Columbia University?
On the first point, as a former high school debate coach who has had countless discussions with students about the earlier Nunn-Lugar legislation, I think I have a fair grasp of the importance of Lugar-Obama to national security and international relations. Quite simply, Lugar-Obama is one of the most important pieces of legislation to come out of the US Congress in the last decade. It seems to me McCain's nomination of a candidate with virtually no experience in foreign policy (let alone substantive education in IR) provides a perfect opportunity for the campaign to talk about Lugar-Obama (again), thus underscoring his IR credentials.
Second, Barack has a BA from Columbia University in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations. Governor Palin, by contrast, has a BS degree in communications-journalism and a minor in political science from the University of Iowa. Sigh.... I listend as long as I could last night (maybe 15 minutes) as callers to the Sean Hannity show complained about Obama's "elitist" education. Look, I'm not denigrating Sarah Palin for studying journalism, or having faith or attending a state university. I am a Christian with beliefs many would find conservative, and I'm currently finishing a PhD in communication at a state university. But since when are degrees from presitgious universities with extraordinarily high standards a liability?
I am concerned about these two issues because a quick serach of Lexis-Nexis this morning turned up NOTHING about Lugar-Obama. Meanwhile the McCain campaign is shouting long and loud about Palin's executive credentials.
Please, please... I hope the campaign reads this entry and decides to talk about these things.
Did I mention that Palin is a global warming skeptic? Heaven help us! Really. The world is a very big place and Wasilla, Alaska is a verrrry small town.
Greg Hambrick reports in the Charleston City Paper:
Senator Barack Obama’s Campaign announced today that Trav Robertson will be the state director for the campaign in South Carolina. Robertson, a veteran organizer with experience at the national, state, and local levels, will oversee field, political and communications staff throughout the state. In addition, the Obama campaign announced today that Clay Middleton will serve as political director in South Carolina.“I’m ready to get to work building a great team in South Carolina to put Barack Obama in the White House,” Robertson said. “Obama supporters in South Carolina are ready to roll up their sleeves and begin the sprint to November because they know America cannot afford another four years of George Bush’s failed economic policies that John McCain is offering. With the right organization we will be ready for the tough fight ahead so we can elect Barack Obama and bring the change South Carolina’s families deserve.”“Trav and Clay bring the expertise of state and national campaigns, in addition to years of organizing experience,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said. “They will bring an unprecedented general election campaign organization to all corners of South Carolina that will involve volunteers and supporters to be a part of changing the way Washington works. We are inviting South Carolinians to join Trav and Clay in the effort to work for every vote in the Palmetto State between now and November.”Trav Robertson is a South Carolina native who resides in Columbia. Before joining Obama for America, Robertson served as Iowa Regional Field Director and South Carolina Field Coordinator for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign. Robertson has served as a campaign advisor and director for a number of local, state and congressional campaigns in South Carolina. He has a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.Clay N. Middleton is a Charleston native. In 2008, he ran for the SC House of Representative narrowly losing in the runoff. He is a graduate of The Citadel and an Iraq War Veteran. During his tour of duty Clay earned the Bronze Star Medal. Middleton has also worked as a Regional Field Organizer for the SC Democratic Party in a partnership with the DNC. Before joining Obama for America, he was the Lowcountry Coordinator for Congressman James E. Clyburn House Majority Whip and he remains a Captain in the SC Army National Guard.
Senator Barack Obama’s Campaign announced today that Trav Robertson will be the state director for the campaign in South Carolina. Robertson, a veteran organizer with experience at the national, state, and local levels, will oversee field, political and communications staff throughout the state. In addition, the Obama campaign announced today that Clay Middleton will serve as political director in South Carolina.
“I’m ready to get to work building a great team in South Carolina to put Barack Obama in the White House,” Robertson said. “Obama supporters in South Carolina are ready to roll up their sleeves and begin the sprint to November because they know America cannot afford another four years of George Bush’s failed economic policies that John McCain is offering. With the right organization we will be ready for the tough fight ahead so we can elect Barack Obama and bring the change South Carolina’s families deserve.”
“Trav and Clay bring the expertise of state and national campaigns, in addition to years of organizing experience,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said. “They will bring an unprecedented general election campaign organization to all corners of South Carolina that will involve volunteers and supporters to be a part of changing the way Washington works. We are inviting South Carolinians to join Trav and Clay in the effort to work for every vote in the Palmetto State between now and November.”
Trav Robertson is a South Carolina native who resides in Columbia. Before joining Obama for America, Robertson served as Iowa Regional Field Director and South Carolina Field Coordinator for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign. Robertson has served as a campaign advisor and director for a number of local, state and congressional campaigns in South Carolina. He has a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
Clay N. Middleton is a Charleston native. In 2008, he ran for the SC House of Representative narrowly losing in the runoff. He is a graduate of The Citadel and an Iraq War Veteran. During his tour of duty Clay earned the Bronze Star Medal. Middleton has also worked as a Regional Field Organizer for the SC Democratic Party in a partnership with the DNC. Before joining Obama for America, he was the Lowcountry Coordinator for Congressman James E. Clyburn House Majority Whip and he remains a Captain in the SC Army National Guard.
By Greg Hambrick | Posted in News, News (Election '08), The Back Channel, Uncategorized
Source link: http://news.ccpblogs.com/2008/08/14/local-clay-middleton-an-obama-sc-campaign-leader/
The "Sing-out for change, rock for Barack" fundraiser is coming up soon on July 22 at 7:30 P.M. at the Oakland Mills Meeting House. Hope you can be there!!
Please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/obamat-shirt/ to see the latest event pics!
Are the FARC guerrillas are about to “implode?”
That question, raised in a Washington Post front-page story on Saturday, may seem fanciful but is actually worth asking. But it is even more worth asking, “What would happen next?”
What would happen if the FARC as we know it ceased to exist - no more Marulanda, no more Secretariat, no more hierarchical arrangement of blocs, fronts and columns?
This possibility can’t be dismissed. It could be that, within the next few years, Colombia’s largest guerrilla group might lose coherence, taking on a new form or splintering into a messy series of successor groups. If so, this would owe to:
If FARC implodes or fragments, champagne corks will pop in Bogotá and Washington. But will violence and narcotrafficking in Colombia be much different than the status quo? Perhaps, but probably not.
The FARC, or successor groups, will be on the scene for some time to come. Many FARC units (the powerful Eastern Bloc commanded by “Mono Jojoy” comes to mind) remain quite wealthy and militarily strong. Even if the FARC should splinter someday, some of its remnants could be bigger, and better armed, than most insurgencies Latin America has witnessed.
“Implosion” is not synonymous with peace. Even if the FARC shrinks or fragments, military victory remains far off, and negotiations seem unlikely in the near term. If even the ELN guerrillas, who are a small fraction of the FARC’s size, continue to be active while peace talks have made no progress, how many years would it take to force the FARC or its successors to surrender on the battlefield?
No FARC wouldn’t mean no violence in rural Colombia. If the FARC disappeared, would Colombia’s government be able to fill the vacuum and govern its territory? What would happen to the country’s vast “ungoverned spaces” - the zones where armed groups rule, coca is grown, cocaine is trafficked, and military force alone has proved insufficient as a nation-building strategy?
In the absence of a politically supported, strategically coherent, well-financed program of state presence without impunity in ungoverned territories, how long would it be until new drug-money-fueled armed groups - whether new guerrilla insurgencies or the rapidly growing “emerging” paramilitary organizations - take the FARC’s place?
A defeat of the FARC is highly unlikely anytime soon, and a guerrilla “implosion” - if it happens - could make the security situation even more complicated than it is now.
To contribute to the evaluation of drug policies from a conflict prevention perspective, the International Crisis Group today released reports on cocaine production and trafficking and the ineffective U.S., European and Latin American responses.
The first, Latin American Drugs I: Losing the Fight,* analyses negative developments in the Andean region, where coca cultivation and cocaine production are increasing, and the criminals who drive trafficking are expanding their reach across the Americas and Europe. The second, Latin American Drugs II: Improving Policy and Reducing Harm,* provides an overview of failing counter-drug policies on both sides of the Atlantic. It also examines the serious impact of expanding transnational trafficking organisations and anti-narcotics policies on democratic governance and institutions, civil conflicts, development and international cooperation in Latin America.
“The threat posed by drug trafficking and organised crime and the failure of counter-drug policies are two sides of the same coin”, says Mauricio Angel, Crisis Group Colombia/Andes Senior Analyst. “It is taking a heavy toll on democratic institutions, political systems and societies at large in several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico”.
The Bush administration’s last Latin America aid request Feb 5, 2008 The State Department has sent Congress its foreign aid request for 2009, along with updated 2007 and 2008 numbers. We have added all of this new data to the ever-growing aid database located at http://www.justf.org. Several links below point to pages on that site. The State/Foreign Operations budget appropriation request provides about 75 percent of the military and police aid - and 85 percent of the total aid - that goes to Latin America and the Caribbean. The rest either goes through small programs that can give aid “on the fly” (Excess Defense Articles, “Food for Peace” and others) or, for some types of military aid, through the Defense budget. The 2009 request calls for a sharp jump in aid to Latin America and the Caribbean. The hemisphere received a total of $1.75 billion from Foreign Operations budget programs in 2007; the request foresees that rising to $2.30 billion by 2009.
Combining this with estimates of aid from other sources, we calculate that total U.S. aid to Latin America and the Caribbean would rise from $2.12 billion in 2007 to $2.67 billion in 2009. Total military and police aid would rise from $943 million in 2007 (44.5%) to $1.226 billion in 2009 (45.9%). Here is what that looks like graphically, since 1996. (The economic-aid spike in 1999 was Hurricane Mitch aid. The military-aid spike in 2000 was Plan Colombia.) Why would aid levels bump upward in 2008 and 2009? This chart makes it pretty clear: See that big purple bulge in the middle in 2008 and 2009? That’s Mexico. Along with the countries of Central America, Mexico would see a huge increase in aid - most of it military and police aid - under the proposed “Mérida Plan” aid package. If the Bush administration were to get what it asked for - both as a “supplemental” addition to the 2008 budget, and as part of the 2009 budget - aid to Mexico and Central America would more than double. Here is a breakdown of aid to Mexico and Central America, first by country and then by type of aid. Look at that increase. To explain what you’re looking at here: while U.S. aid to Latin America would rise dramatically in the Bush administration’s 2009 request, nearly all of the increase owes to raises foreseen for Mexico and Central America. And the majority of that is military and police assistance. While this would be a dramatic change, we still don’t know when (or even whether) it will actually happen. In this busy election year, there is little sense of when Congress might be disposed to approve a supplemental aid package for Mexico and Central America in 2008. A supplemental attached to Iraq war funding would be bogged down for months, while a supplemental exclusively for Mexico and Central America seems unlikely to find its way onto the crowded legislative calendar. Meanwhile, despite the big foreseen Mesoamerican increase, the aid request would keep Colombia in first place as the region’s largest aid recipient. However, the Bush administration would not seek to give Colombia a raise. Under the administration’s plan, total aid to Colombia would remain about where the U.S. Congress left it after dealing a modest cut in 2008 - we estimate a total of $683 million in 2009, compared to $757 million in 2007 and $681 million in 2008. (Counting only aid in the Foreign Operations budget bill gives $619 million in 2007, $543 million in 2008, and $545 million in 2009.) If the Bush administration got its way, however, it would completely reverse the changes that the new Democratic-majority Congress made to Colombia aid last year. By cutting military aid and increasing economic aid, Congress managed to reduce the military-aid proportion in the Colombia aid package from 81 percent in 2007 to 65 percent in 2008. The administration’s request would bring that proportion back up to 79 percent in 2009 by dramatically increasing military aid and cutting economic-aid programs. (Considering only Foreign Operations programs, the military-aid percentage would go from 78% in 2007, to 57% in 2008, back up to 74% in 2009.) The Congress is extremely unlikely to honor the administration’s Colombia request. The very same people who began demilitarizing the 2008 aid package are still chairing the committees that fund foreign aid. They are not going to reverse direction just because the State Department is suggesting a move back to a mostly military approach. Finally, though, this post has a bit of a punchline: there’s very little chance that the 2009 foreign aid bill will become law in the next 12 months. Think about it - if you were a Democratic congressional leader, which would you rather do:
(1) Instead of spending time campaigning or fundraising, rush to finish a foreign-aid funding bill before the new fiscal year starts on October 1. This bill will not go as far as most Democrats would like, because it has to avoid being vetoed by President Bush. (2) Pass a “continuing resolution” maintaining current funding levels until early 2009. Bet on the Congress remaining under Democratic control and on a Democratic candidate winning the presidency (the odds currently favor both). Next year, write a much different, Democrat-friendly bill and send it to the new Democratic president for signature.
