We’re still waiting for our middle class cut Mr. President. Huh??? We’ve already gotten our tax cut but most people don’t know that because the White House hasn’t hammered the message home. President Obama has delivered a tax cut for 95% of working Americans but Republicans are still drowning us in noisy claims that the president is raising taxes.
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"Sometimes" by Sheenagh Pugh
Sometimes things don't go, after all,from bad to worse. Some years, muscadelfaces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes will step back from war;elect an honest man; decide they care enough,that they can't leave some stranger poor.Some men become what they were born for.
Sometimes our best efforts do not go amiss;sometimes we do as we meant to.The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrowthat seemed hard frozen: may it happen to you.
Make "Sometime" this time. Vote for Barack Obama. Mske history and change the world for the better of all.
Change. Following are some of my thoughts for Change intended to benefit both our Country as well as our Planet: I'd like to see some real change - why not have a "team" of four rather than a President and a Vice President. Who made those rules? I imagine they could be updated for the betterment of our country. "Four minds are better than one," was said for a reason. I think that the four of you, (Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin,) would make a solid, strong, well-rounded team with all of your different strengths and areas of expertise you could bring to the table. So the democrats want one thing and the republicans want another - why not do away with the democrat and the republican parties and have one United Leaders party - with a team of two representing each political philosophy. That way the best democratic ideas and the best republican ideas are more likely to be implemented and accepted. You all have several similar beliefs and visions for our country and those areas where there is disagreement - what better way is there than to come up with the best solutions for our Country through working as a team - aiming to come up with the best solutions possible - and for all parties concerned. This would be Change. The time is right - especially if truly, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
Just think - all the campaign money funding the debates between the democrat and republican parties could go towards some very important needs. For instance:
1. Education: A teaching position should be one of the top jobs in our country with continual updating of their credentials and no ten year.
2. Alternative clean energy development and incentives; providing US jobs, protecting our planet, diluting our foreign oil dependance and by decreasing the pollution, limiting the over-taxing of the health care system with pollution-caused illness and disease.
3. Better healthcare for Americans with a closer eye kept on the drugs being administered so often so carelessly and more focus on alternative healthcare solutions.
4. Assisting those whose livelihood depends on the production of plastic bags in finding an alternative occupation or in transitioning into producing a non-disposable replacement. The plastic bags are accumulating into islands of plastic rubbage in our oceans and killing the sea life. Somebody with the authority to do so needs to take a stand and just say STOP. I don't think messing so much with our oceans is such a great idea - with their strong tides and partnership with the moon. Those two reasons alone is reason enough to treat them with much more gratitude and respect. There is a reason the farmers used to, (and I'm sure some still do,) go by the moon's cycles for optimizing their crop yields. We are harming our Mother Earth and leaving her damaged for our children. Shame on us, but even more so if we don't listen to her now!
I am certainly hoping for some positive change in what people value most. The current economic downtown is a blessing in disguise - people have become too unattached from mother earth and the more unattached we as a whole become, the harder her lessons will necessarily be. Nature always prevails - it's people and animals who die. Quality of life depends on quality of our values - not on how much we can buy and how much we have.
Hope someone hears this! If so, thank you for listening!
Turns out that Gov Palin's $150,000 outfit bill, ran up in less than two months, is not the only make-over expense that is draining McCain's campaign coffers. Now we learn that the highest paid staffer on the McCain payroll is Palin's hair stylist @ an annual salary of $557,000 per year!!!
With Obama having leads in numerous battle ground states (PA, VA, CO, FL, NH, etc) and Bush strongholds up for grabs (FL, MO, IN, NV, NC) and Obama out spending and out staffing McCain 3-to-1 in these states, one must question McCain's judgment for not only picking Palin in the first instance, who's dearth of experience is glaring, but also for his decision to make a proverbial runway model caricature out of the governor of Alaska.
From the NY Times:
Chief Make-up Advisor and "Communications Consultant" to McCain's Campaign: Amy Strozzi
"Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?”, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi’s payment as “Personnel Svc/Equipment.”
Chief Hair Stlyist Advisor, Get-Out-the-Vote Consultant, and Cindy McCain BFF: Angela Lew
Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif. W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain.
Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif.
W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain.
We need no additional proof that McCain's judgment is critically flawed, his twisted priorities are wrong for the nation, and he values are terribly out of touch with suffering American middle class.
Millions of people of faith have found hope and promise in Barack's candidacy. Mandy, of Chillicothe, is just one of those people. She wrote this letter to the editor in the Chillicothe Gazette, which clearly and beautifully articulates why she as a person of faith supports Barack:
OBAMA CAN PROVIDE WHAT WE PRAY FOR As a Christian and a member of this community, I would like to publicly show my support for Barack Obama.My answer to why Obama is the clear choice if very simple. God does many works through man, I'm sure most of you will agree. We pray daily for the poor, the homeless, and the ones who go without health care and who have lost their jobs. We pray for their suffering to end and for God to lead them from their troubles into a time of prosperity.God answers prayers, but it's not always the answer we were expecting.Obama has a means to an end for so many of the things that we pray for. Many times there are mountains that we must climb before we can achieve what God has prepared for us. I truly believe that this campaign is just one of those mountains.It is refreshing to see a Democrat like Barack Obama embrace his Christian faith and talk about how it inspires his commitment to public service. Like Gov. Ted Strickland, he understands we are all our brother's keeper. We cannot be a great nation if we do not look out for the least fortunate among us.But he also recognizes that we must demand that all Americans take responsibility for themselves and their families. It's nice to hear a politician talking about turning off the TV and reading to our children.I think Obama has it right, and he's earned my support.
OBAMA CAN PROVIDE WHAT WE PRAY FOR
As a Christian and a member of this community, I would like to publicly show my support for Barack Obama.
My answer to why Obama is the clear choice if very simple. God does many works through man, I'm sure most of you will agree. We pray daily for the poor, the homeless, and the ones who go without health care and who have lost their jobs. We pray for their suffering to end and for God to lead them from their troubles into a time of prosperity.
God answers prayers, but it's not always the answer we were expecting.
Obama has a means to an end for so many of the things that we pray for. Many times there are mountains that we must climb before we can achieve what God has prepared for us. I truly believe that this campaign is just one of those mountains.
It is refreshing to see a Democrat like Barack Obama embrace his Christian faith and talk about how it inspires his commitment to public service. Like Gov. Ted Strickland, he understands we are all our brother's keeper. We cannot be a great nation if we do not look out for the least fortunate among us.
But he also recognizes that we must demand that all Americans take responsibility for themselves and their families. It's nice to hear a politician talking about turning off the TV and reading to our children.
I think Obama has it right, and he's earned my support.
Is faith important to you? Does your belief system play a role in your support for Barack? Whether it does or it doesn't, people of faith in Ohio and across the country play a huge role in Barack's campaign. You can take your support to the next level.
Click HERE join Ohio People of Faith for Obama today.
At the sign up page, you have resources at your fingertips, including this video of Barack in Zanesville, in which he outlines his support for faith-based groups:
On the page you can also:
Join Ohio People of Faith for Obama right now.
Are you an Ohio person of faith for Obama? Let us know in the comments section below.
I woke up this morning committed to writing this blog about the next two weeks. I woke up feeling the electricity and energy of a new day dawning. I felt change in the air.
The thought of waking up on November 5 to Barack Obama as president of the United States of America is an amazing and awesome one. I'm young enough to have hoped to see the first African American president in my lifetime but I hadn't given much thought to the probability until I was in the airport last night watching the faces of people listening to commentary about Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama. On some faces were grimaces and maybe some looks of hostility and disbelief. On other faces I saw joy and the hope I felt in my soul.
For the past twenty years or so, I've voted almost consistently Republican in presidential elections. I voted what I thought was my conscious based on moral beliefs. But it wasn't until Iraq that I began to see something I probably saw all along but didn't want to face or acknowledge -- I saw hypocrisy and no respect for my race within those circles. And race matters.
I also saw no regard for people in Republican politics, at least not a regard for the quality of life of people who struggle everyday to make ends meet. That's troubling and so not in line with my moral values. I believe we should care for the least of these.
At the same airport, I had to thank a young serviceman for his duty to this country and for his duty to me. He said, "That's okay, ma'am." And I said no it's not, you have no business over there.
I don't mind him being in the military. I come from a family where the men served in every branch of the service. I remember clearly hearing my great-grandmother say that her sons had to serve if called to serve or get out of her house. And guess what? Grandma James was a Democrat; a liberal to her core but she had a patriotism this country doesn't seem to get or understand.
It was in that same house where I learned that if I wanted to criticize the country or government, I had to register to vote and vote. I did and still do.
You know, I wonder how Grandma and my grandparents would feel about the days to come. About Barack Obama. About the first black president.
They'd probably feel like me: a little scared and hesitant and yet extremely proud.
First thought of the two weeks: I'm not voting Democrat, I'm voting Barack Obama.
~ Robin
You know, Barack Obama is the first candidate that has ever motivated me to vote. Granted, being 27 years old, I've only been able to vote for the 2 elections prior to this one, and after squandering my first two opportunities I've grown older, and wiser..and just care more.
We just moved to Florida about 2 months ago, and since my husband works an hour away and we only have one vehicle, I was worried about being able to cast my ballot. I asked my mother in law to borrow her car and I went today! My two smallest children in their stroller babbling away, I got in the long line at the library to vote..
I was saddened to see a bunch of people sporting "I support McCain/Palin" buttons. I tried talking to one of them before we went in, asking him why he supports the Republican ticket and he said "I've always been a Republican, they're the only party that supports my values." I asked him if his values involved higher tax cuts for large corporations. Cutting funding for people in need, such as people who need college grants, or state aid for families who don't make enough money working several jobs to support themselves. I told him that this is the first election I've ever cared about because we can't afford more of the exact same policies that we've had the last 8 years, and that if nothing else, I was voting for the Obama/Biden ticket for the future..my future, my children's future. That I want to be able to retire when I was his age and not work until I am 90. That I want my children to be able to do the same. That I want to see this country self sufficient, not in this ever increasing hole of national debt we are digging ourselves into..
When did the word “Liberal” become a dirty word? I read articles in Letters to the Editor, and some people seem to think that merely labeling Obama as a “Liberal” ( insert shudder and gasps) is enough to make people not vote for him.
Well, I am a Liberal, I lean further toward things Liberals stand for: the common man, the American worker, labor unions’ right to exist, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, voting rights, and civil rights. The right of every person to be shown respect as a human being regardless of race, sexual orientation or religion. I believe in the individual’s right to decide how to live their life and what to do with their own body in their own privacy, and the right to access to medical and health care benefits, as do Liberals. I, as a Liberal, believe after working for 30 or 40 years and paying into a pension or 401K you have the right to collect a retirement. Liberals believe in fair taxes and expect fair taxes on the wealthy as well as the poor. We believe people don’t mind tax increases as long as they benefit all citizens and not just the top 10% of the wealthiest individuals and corporations. We believe tax cuts should be used judiciously and not just to win an election, but consider the current state of the country’s economy.
Liberals, myself included, believe in the right to voice an opinion, without fear of reprisal. We anticipate the hope to live in peace and not fear. We support policies that do not weigh our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren with our irresponsible fiscal policies and lack of oversight, putting them deeper and deeper into debt. We value the opportunity to make a living wage, and being able to walk down the street without the fear of being shot.
Liberals espouse recognition of the value of education in our country and backing up that recognition by funding education for every child in America, as well as recognition of the value of our elderly and our obligations to our elders. Liberals talk about being willing to stop the discarding of the elderly into homes unfit for any human being, or relegate them to poverty and illness at the end of productive lives based on the mighty dollar. Liberals believe in the right to health care that does not force a choice between bankruptcy and medical care. The examples are legion, but if you want to know, talk to your neighbor.
The values Liberals hold I hold: love your neighbor as yourself, choose peace over war whenever possible, hold life (every life) in the highest esteem, empathy, understanding, trust, individual rights, and the respect for the opinions of others. None of us are less, for we are all intertwined and rooted in the same tree. That tree is the Tree of America, and it stands on the Planet Earth. Therefore, we Liberals think globally, trying to work with, rather than against our neighbors. Last of all, Liberals think for themselves and do not believe everything said to them from the pulpit or the soapbox. Instead they look for truth. As individuals we are not perfect, but we are not ashamed of our label either. I am proud to call myself a Liberal.
For Barack Obama's beliefs and stands on the issues see http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.
VOTE FOR CHANGE!! VOTE FOR A NEW AMERICA!! VOTE FOR AMERICAN VALUES! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!
by Julie Redstone
The system that we are basing our economic strength on is not working. It is floating in time, waiting for a misstep from which it cannot recover. Therefore, it is not the bail-out that is going to save this economy. It is only a change in values.
The current bail-out of the American credit system and of mortgage lenders within the proliferation of banks, lending institutions, and mortgage companies in this country has not addressed the primary problem contributing to the existing crisis, namely, the system itself which is outmoded and filled with personal aggrandizement and mismanagement at all levels.
The availability of opportunity for mismanagement of funds and also of using these funds for personal gain has been widespread within corporate America, and the system itself promotes this as it promotes the maintenance of a pyramidal economic structure that contains a very few at the top, and many at the bottom struggling to get by.
We need, in America, to experience a renewal of our basic values – a renewal of our desire for equality, freedom, justice, and a way of life that embraces all, making it possible for all to live and prosper, not just the wealthy few. These words are given lip service, today, by both political figures and CEOs, but the generosity of spirit and caring for future generations that lay at the heart of the Founders of this great nation, has, over time, diminished into a kind of self-seeking and self-promotion based on a sense of entitlement to vast incomes, opportunities, and other business perks for the few, while the rest go unnoticed. This is not just the philosophy of the wealthiest in this country, but of those who seek to become wealthy and to follow in their footsteps.
We once cared more about the land, about the natural beauty of this country, about what we would leave to future generations. We once felt ennobled by a noble task – the task of creating a new Republic and of making that Republic into something to be proud of. This nobility of purpose is still at the foundation of America’s spirit, but has become covered over and at times obliterated by the kind of self-seeking and self-aggrandizement that has caused consumers at all levels to overspend, overreach, overinvest, and to ignore or underestimate the consequences of doing so. And it is not just consumers who have held such an attitude. It is the government itself which has placed this nation in debt to the amount of trillions of dollars, with millions of dollars in interest being added to that each day.
America is the largest debtor nation in the world. Foreign governments, especially China, support the national economy and enable it to function. We are trillions of dollars in debt and the debt only grows, it does not diminish. If those who hold our debt were to call it in, this country would not be able to continue functioning, for we have no other collateral to fall back on. We have become an economic system built on sand rather than on substance, and the money that we use as venue is not backed up by true financial resources that would guarantee its stability. We, as an economic system, are riding on credit, not just the mortgage industry, not just the consumers, not just the corporate executives.
Today, we witness a credit system that has stopped working because its underlying premise does not work, namely, that we can go on borrowing and borrowing for whatever we wish to purchase, and we will not have to pay the price for this indulgence. Because we have lived with this illusion for so long, we now begin to find ourselves no longer having a solid foundation on which to stand. This is what leads to the current call for a ‘bail-out’.
We need to renew our vows to ourselves and to those who come after us, to the world that watches what we do, and to those who listen to the speeches that are made and wait to hear something true, and honest, and real.
This system that we are basing our economic strength on is not working. It is floating in time, waiting for a misstep from which it cannot recover. Therefore, it is not the bail-out that is going to save this economy. It is only a change in values which will allow America to once more exist on the solid footing of its own ideals.
* * *
by Julie Redstone From the Light Omega newsletter
Open Letter to Republicans and Independents:
I'm a former independent voter a fiscal conservative, a veteran and a concerned citizen. I recognized nearly Eight years ago that our country was heading down a really bad path. I want to urge all Republicans and Independent voters to come out in support of Barack Obama. I know conservative Democrats whose ethics and values are more conservative than most Republicans. I have Republican friends that are more liberal than some Democrats. Even independent centrists who lean both Right or Left. In many instances party affiliations have become meaningless.
I'm an American Citizen First ... and your country needs you ?
What really matters is that America is the sum of its people ... Left, Right and Center. We need to learn from our mistakes ... rather than repeat them. We as Americans will rise or fall together.
The politics of division has brought us all to this historic moment ... our countries very survival as a bastion of free democracy is threatened. Our military resources are stretched on a war of undetermined length with no defined and achievable goal. We are facing a financial meltdown that is global in scope which threatens whats left of our prosperity and no clear consensus on how to resolve it.
We need to think .... long and hard about what "Trickle Down" and this so called "Free Market Economy" has done to our nation. The recession that Bush wants to avert .... came to Main Street long before it came to Wall Street. Just ask the Steel Workers and the line assembly workers and farmers who have lost their jobs to the lowest bidders overseas. Our priorities are all wrong. Allowing American businesses to escape paying any taxes at all ... by allowing them to setup their headquarters offshore. Allowing predatory lending practices to exploit those without verifiable incomes .... many of who lost their good paying jobs long ago in exchange for low wage jobs making it impossible to afford a home.
We allowed for profit Health Care to eat into the profits of businesses and average citizens alike at costs that are not sustainable. We have treated "the defenders of our democracy" ... our Veterans shabbily with insufficient funding for their needs. Elders on fixed incomes many of whom fought in WWII .... being charged for overpriced medications. Its just not right !
Our common bonds .... We are all proud Americans that want a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. We all want an America to prosper again. We can squabble over how that can be achieved but we do know what has worked in the past. To get started we need a return to real traditional values ... not rhetoric. Rather than coddle our children we need to teach our children the importance of discipline, education, hard work and how to manage money. We need to respect and reward the value of hard work, honesty and philanthropy rather than promote easy money, golden parachutes and unrestrained greed.
We need to find ways to lift all of our people up .... rather than tearing our people down by outsourcing their jobs.
We need to solve our domestic energy needs with a commitment to Energy Independence within a decade. No excuses .... lets just do it !
We need to reward innovation in Science and Technology again while respecting those of all religious faiths.
We need to educate all our citizens with the understanding that its an investment in our future .... if we hope to compete in global markets.
We need to teach civic responsibility in our schools and by rewarding those who give their time to the betterment of our nation and its communities.
We need leaders that are looking out for all Americans ... not just for power, money and influence.
None of this will be easy .... We must resolve to hold our government accountable and transparent ... both Democrats and Republicans alike.
Its time to Wake Up America !
American citizenship comes with an obligation to participate and safeguard our freedom and democracy.
American citizenship must come first .... Party Affiliation must comes Second.
Barack is the only candidate funded by the people .... not special interests.
Make Your Vote Count. Our nation is counting on you.
For Hope and a New Direction.
Vote for Obama / Biden '08
Vince ;-}
PLEASE JOIN AND PROMOTE THIS NEW GROUP:Top10Goals
This group will focus on defining the -Top 10 Goals- for our next president to commit to achieving in 2009. This could serve as the bases for creating a very specific, bottom-up originated, agreement between "we the people" and Barack Obama.
IMAGINE...
