Posts with the tag experience

Please Help Me, Help You !

Richard Owl Mirror — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:13:35 EST

The People of the State of Michigan enact: the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

With the recent passage of Michigan's LEGISLATION, the relative state department must Promulgate Rules by which to function effectively. While there is now hope where there was none, these rules will either assist or be a hindrance to the patient.

While this Law allows the patient or a "primary caregiver" to grow and provide the Marijuana for the patient, this dictates the patient or caregiver have the necessary skills, equipment, space, finances and time to dedicate to this task full time.

Under Michigan Law, a designated caregiver can assist up to 5 patients. This would serve to pool the resources together more efficiently, providing one space, shared equipment cost and presumably a designated "primary caregiver" who is a professional grower.

Today in California, of which the Michigan legislation was designed has had a set back handed down by their State Supreme Court which may affect the Promulgation of our Rules moving forward.

California Supreme Court Ruling Limits Medical Marijuana Distribution

November 24th, 2008
In an important legal case decided today that cannabis reform advocates have been waiting on for nearly two years, the California Supreme Court ruled that criminal defendants are not entitled to a defense as Proposition 215 (Prop 215) caregivers if their primary role is only to supply marijuana to patients.

"The Mentch decision highlights the inadequacy of California's current medical marijuana supply system," California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer told the Indy Bay News . "The law needs to allow for professional licensed growers, as with other medicinal herbs."

Full text of the People vs. Mentch is found here

~@~

The problem with this decision as well as the system set up to provide a "primary caregiver" status is that now the California Supreme Court is mandating these caregivers be relatives, personal friends and attendants, nurses. There are two problems with this finding, first those designated are not qualified to grow Marijuana and the second issue is that of the allowance for a "primary caregiver" to assist up to 5 patients. How many of your relatives and personal friends know 5 people who are legally allowed by state law to use marijuana for medical purposes ? Now expand that criteria throughout the entire state and apply it to the individual families of patients.

Wanted: Full Time professional licensed growers

While I am confident that I shall be approved under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, as it is currently being developed I am afraid it will be of no use to me.
My individual circumstance is such that I live alone, in a one bedroom apartment on a fixed income which is under the level of poverty. Therefore I am unable to afford the cost of the equipment needed to grow marijuana indoors. I am unable to afford the cost of the energy needed to run a lighting system 24/7 for 90 days straight.
I have one friend who has served as a primary caregiver for me when I needed assistance yet, he knows absolutely nothing about growing marijuana. Plus, he barely has time due to his working two jobs just to support himself.
As this law stands today, passed by the people of Michigan, while I qualify for coverage under the law I am unable to take advantage of this program due to the stringent requirements related to growing the plants.
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act rules have not been written as yet.
I wish to ask everyone to assist me by writing The Bureau of Health Professions (BHP) within the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and lend your voice on this issue with my concerns in mind.

http://www.michigan.gov/mdch

I believe the best way forward, under the conditions spelled out in this legislation is for patients to organize under cooperatives and collectives with Full Time professional licensed growers.
My preference would be to grow my marijuana in the soil, under the sun. That option is not allowed under this law because it calls for the marijuana to be grown in a locked, enclosed room.

Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.

. . . Here's My Concern . . .

Harold from Stafford, VA — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:25:24 EST

It may seem like a small thing, well a couple of things. You mentioned using your gut feelings. President Bush said something similar. That bothers me because I know that few people know Cognitive Therapy. That says that all feeling have a thought behind them. We have to bring the thought into mind and test it to see if it's true. Feelings have a thought or thoughts behind them and they can be true or false. Everything, then is subject to logic. If we have a gut reaction, it's often true. It shouldn't be dismissed easily at all, but you have to ask yourself, what does it mean. Why do I feel that way and since they are so important, even after understanding them it's good to keep looking for more information. The free world is hanging on those decisions. Scripture might say to test them to see if they are from God, that is to say, workable, reasonable, true and fit with everything else you know and believe. Sometimes it takes a lot of asking yourself questions, not making judgments, just asking for explanations. Those rules are consistent scripturally and scientifically, from the results of extensive study and confirmation. That's my first concern. If you need help, be humble, ask.
.......................................................
Secondly, the thought you expressed of working 16 hours a day, or some such. No way. If you follow the rules of how to think, ask if you don't know. Bush deligated, but didn't follow up on what they where doing. The government needs an administrator or many such, but it needs an inspired person overseeing. A good adminstrator is worth their weight in gold, but they still come a dime a dozen. Not many people are as inspired as your going to need to be. None were quit good enough except one. You also need to be listening to solutions from the people, 100 million strong. You have incredible geniuses out here. Why do all the work yourself? And intuition. Let the brain do the work and access it with intuition, better than a gut reaction. The rule is the same test it rigorously also, but only after you find out what sense it's trying to make and why the intuition came. It has a reason to be, so take it seriously. Why you had that intuition comes with the intuition. so look deaply into it. Don't listen to me. Test it yourself and listen to Einstein when he said, the only real thing is intuition, the only valuable thing is intuition. I believe that that saying is more important than his other theories, which he said he intuited also. Oprah said she followed her intuition. You can hardly find anyone famous who didn't. That's inspiration. Do that and you can get home to your family sometime and set a good example for all of us. You can do some work at home, but keep humble like me.

Advisors

Wes — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:19:35 EST

Look for intelligence first.

Careful of those associated to groups, look for independents or moderates.

To build a good staff of advisors, pick 3...2 subordinates, one liberal, one conservative and a moderate open mind above the two.

Investigate backgrounds.

Do not surround yourself with too many of any one group. This leads to "group think" and leaves the voice of reason unheard.

Consider UNations opinions, for they represent the world, and as such what is best or the world, is best for everyone.

Careful not to look to liberal. You want a second term in office. If you take decisive action, with good delivery of "why". Then you present your case to the American people clearly and can easily get public support.

Remember that groups that support growth, also support expansionism. Last I checked there was no new places to go, and in the end someone will suffer.

As for special positions like military buiness etc...experience is key. Do not take on people who are appointees, or place holders. Look for people who worked from the ground up and understand the entire process. Education is important but not as important as experience. Education does not replace experience, it is only additional experience.

Take your time. No job done well is done in a rush. You can rush after you have learned to do the job.

Experience

Henry M — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:09:18 EDT

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
- Franklin P. Jones

Experience vs Accomplishment vs Maverick

John from Miami, FL — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:49:00 EDT

Why is "demonstrated accomplishment" NOT considered above "experience"? Barack Obama's accomplishments are just amazing. Sometimes experience doesn't really mean much. Hoover was very experienced, but a really lousy president.

Barack Obama's "lack of experience" is used as a key issue in the election. Yet few have really addressed all the things he has accomplished. I am just putting this together off the top of my head. Where are real experts on this?

In a little over 20 months Obama has, at the very least, changed and probably revolutionized the election process. He put together a team that has raised more money, without being totally beholden to "big money", than anyone in history. His contributions actually represent the "people". He did this with the baggage of African genes, a Muslin name (which he didn't change) and little backing. I call that damn good political and economic experience, quite an accomplishment, great courage and honor to his family and country.

He defeated experienced political opponents with major money backing but still managed to keep the "self-destructive" democrates together. That is great leadership experience, probably on the par of herding cats or being a Democrate 'whisperer'. I believe that he has fundamentally changed the Democratic party. It is about time that happened and something no one has been able to accomplish. After dismissing him he came back pulled them up by the scruff of their neck and said "Now you will listen to reason." He may keep them from "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory". Call it experience call it accomplishment, but it is all Barack Obama.

(more in extended post text)

How To Early Vote Successfully In Ohio!

Kofi from Kent, OH — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:24:16 EDT

The end of this election season is coming to an abrupt close. There are 12 days left to cast your vote. Will you wait until the last moment and then rush to cast your vote in a furious flurry, or will you cast a vote early and free up a space in line for someone who cannot get enough time off from work to go to the polls? Now’s the time to make your decision and take action. It’s such a simple thing that has been complicated by the need to automate every aspect of society.

Voting machine technology, which was supposed to simplify the whole process has come up short of the hype. What was supposed to streamline the process, improve accuracy and reliability is now causing interminably long lines at the polls and in the end is not necessarily accurate. We now know that our “state of the art” electronic voting equipment is unreliable at best (see EVEREST report), prone to tampering at worst. So, here are a few tips to help you successfully cast your ballot in a timely manner.

Request a paper ballot instead of using a machine, at least that way you’ve begun to leave a paper trail that you can see has the correct boxes checked. The paper ballots are also easier to correct if you make an error.

By voting early you can avoid having to show I.D. and meet the exact match requirements you would be required to meet when voting on election day. Since you’re using an absentee ballot all you’ll need is the last 4 digits on your Social Security card. So, if you’re able to get to your Board of Elections office and cast a ballot before 11/4/08 please do so, it may help you avoid a lot of frustration on voting day, as well as long lines.

Make sure to pick up a voting recommendation card for guidance on who to vote for and how to vote on the issues and judges, from your local party branch. You’re allowed to have one of these cards in the voting booth with you as you make your choices. This is especially helpful in selecting judges, since their party affiliations are not listed like the other candidates.

If you anticipate you will be unable to make it to the polls for any reason, or you just want to avoid the hassle, you can request an absentee ballot through the mail. Your ballot will be sent to you, so you can fill it out at your leisure and even ask questions or use the internet to research an issue or judge, etc. before casting the ballot. When you’ve completed it you can send it in the mail or deliver it to the polls on or before election day.

Another thing to consider is that each county produces the ballots for their county. Therefore, the ballots in each county may have a different appearance. In fact, some voters have been having problems already with their ballots, because of the format used to lay out the ballot. So, having the time to go over it carefully, where you’re not in a hurry to finish it and turn it in is advantageous for this reason also. Here’s an example of a sample ballot used in one of Ohio’s 88 counties that has caused some confusion because of the 2 columns with presidential nominees.

This link will give you all the information you need on Early Voting Locations in Ohio, while also acting as a gateway into the Secretary of State’s website, which has all the current information on successfully casting your ballot in Ohio, as well as information on ballot issues, judges, etc.

Ohio has one of the most informative and interactive websites for voters, instituted by the Secretary of State’s office, so make sure to put it to good use. After you have cast your ballot you can go to the site and tell your voting day story, be it good or bad. I’m sure they won’t mind hearing some of the good, as well as the bad and the ugly. You can use the link to The Voting Rights Institute

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has been working diligently to correct the transgressions of her predecessor, the infamous former Secretary of State Blackwell. I have to give her an “A” grade. So far, so good. The system seems to be working. She’s had to fight off a number of lawsuits initiated by the Republicans that were initiated even before this years’ primaries. Some of them, like the latest attempt to disenfranchise approximately 200,000 new registrants have gone all the way to the US Supreme Court, who decided in favor of the Secretary of State.

Ohio has had more than its share of problems with the voting process. But, this year that big yellow sun on the Seal of the Great State of Ohio is shining brightly over a new day in politics for the citizens of Ohio.

Tried, Tested and True

Khaidji — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:38:14 EDT

Have you ever considered running for Presidency of the USA. Do you realize how much investigating will be carried out? Your family too will be scrutinized. But the tickler of it all is your associates, no matter how close or distant the bonds are between you and them. The truth of it all is that we all have something in our past that may look questionable under such careful scrutiny. When we look at the two Candidates this closely, test results are very clear to me. Barack Obama’s although he has some bumps along the way had always made decision that showed his integrity. He was never hot off the cuff and running to out fires not yet started.

Tried Tested And True

There is much ado about who can

Really be the peoples’ best man

Intelligent and with diverse prowess

Experienced to facilitate certain success

Deliberately choosing to be fully tested

Tossing privacy aside for your life to be vetted

Encouraging the public to see who you are

Showing them you microscopically and not from afar

There is no Presidential Candidate in history

Equaled to Obama under such scrutiny

Dear friends the darkest sides of his past

Are associations with men whose affiliations didn’t last

None of them influenced Obama to be less than he became

Didn’t cause him to live a life of shame

There has been grilling, mud slinging and the a broken economy

Reactions have remained Presidential and cool with integrity

Unmatched by others, so there is one thing left to do

Elect Barack Obama, the Candidate Tried, Tested and True

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

Executive experience?

Roberto — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:28:05 EDT

So I see the recent McCain propoganda Ad that talks about Barack not having executive experience and how the next President needs to have that experience to deal with the first crisis they will face, the economy.

It occurs to me that our current President was governor of Texas for 8 years and has been President for nearly 8 years. That is 15-16 years of executive experience and he is clearly unable to handle this crisis (and many others). This leads me to assert that perhaps simply having executive experience has no bearing on how well someone can handle a crisis.

IF we want to ignore that and actually make the HUGE assumption that it makes a difference, how much executive experience does McCain have? The only thing I've been able to find online that MIGHT be construed as executive is that he was the leader of his flight wing.

This is a tired argument with no real merit. Let's talk about real issues and not red herrings.

Experience is Meaningless without Judgment

John — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:38:37 EDT

When people deride Obama for having a lack of experience, they conveniently forget three things:

Experience is only useful if it is the right experience
Experience is only useful if one learns from it
Experience is useless unless it is accompanied by proper judgment

McCain has the wrong experience. His entire Navy career he was coddled by his admiral father. McCain should have flunked out of Annapolis. McCain should have washed out of flight school (after stalling and crashing a training aircraft). McCain should have never received a flying assignment or should have been grounded after crashing two more aircraft. Once McCain returned home from Vietnam, he was given cushy Navy posts. What other experience does McCain have? It's all politics from there. McCain has no executive experience. McCain is so ingrained in the Washington political elite old boys club (he invented the old boys club), that he cannot cause any sort of change.

McCain has not learned from his experience. He should have learned from Gulf War I (Desert Storm) that you go into battle only with overwhelming force, and you don't leave a power vacuum.Yet, McCain was a staunch supporter and cheerleader for invading Iraq a second time. Additionally, during the 2000 Republican primaries, George W. Bush and Karl Rove launched a heavily negative, mean, and anti-family values attack on McCain. They said that McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock (in actuality, he adopted a girl from Bangladesh). The immediate effect was to allow Bush to beat McCain in South Carolina (why the South Carolinians fell for it and based their decision on it is a topic for another discussion). However, after the election when the dust settled, that very negative, racist, unacceptable bahavior put a stain on the Bush presidency (one of many, many stains). McCain then flip-flopped and became Bush's poster child. McCain is now using robocalls and other negative Rovian tactics to attack Obama. My prediction is that they will backfire on McCain.

Finally, McCain has shown extremely poor judgment. The list is long, but three outstandingly poor decisions he has made are:

To go into Iraq with guns blazing in 2003 -- WMD, evil dictator, greeted as liberators... how did that turn out?
The economic crisis has shown us that McCain has no idea what he is doing, reacts in a knee-jerk fashion, and has no ideas
Sarah Palin.

Barack Obama surrounds himself with brilliant people. He has run his campaign like a precision machine, but with heart. He says he will have a place in his administration for Colin Powell. Obama has shown superior judgment and intellect -- far superior to McCain.

We cannot afford a failed McCain presidency.

Obama will return respect and excellence to the office of the President.

Powell and Adelman Endorse Obama

John — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:28:53 EDT

On Sunday, Republican Colin Powell, retired Army 4-star general, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and former Secretary of State endorsed Barack Obama.

"I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities -- and we have to take that into account -- as well as his substance -- he has both style and substance -- he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world -- onto the world stage, onto the American stage -- and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

Powell's experience and intellect

Ken Adelman, a lifelong conservative Republican who worked for Goldwater, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan, just endorsed Barack Obama. "Temperament" and "judgment" were his main reason for favoring Obama:

When the economic crisis broke, I found John McCain bouncing all over the place. In those first few crisis days, he was impetuous, inconsistent, and imprudent; ending up just plain weird. Having worked with Ronald Reagan for seven years, and been with him in his critical three summits with Gorbachev, I've concluded that that's no way a president can act under pressure.

Second is judgment. The most important decision John McCain made in his long campaign was deciding on a running mate.

That decision showed appalling lack of judgment. Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office -- I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency. But that selection contradicted McCain's main two, and best two, themes for his campaign -- Country First, and experience counts. Neither can he credibly claim, post-Palin pick.

These sure are weird times when I find myself agreeing with two prominent Republicans. Maybe that shows that Obama can work across the aisle -- and not just in Congress, but across the nation -- more effectively than McCain.

First part of Review of some McCain-Palin supporter comments and criticisms of Obama

Martin Dudziak — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:55:46 EDT

This is the text of what you can find as PDF and WORD in http://forteplan.com/obama/documents and then click on the folder entitled, what-mccain-palin-supporters-are-saying. Here it is, in-line, based on the first two such pieces.

What is this document?It is a running list, blog-like, of responses received by me personally, generally via email, in regard to my public written statements and essays in support of the Obama+Biden ticket and presidency. I have taken it upon myself as part of my active support of the candidacy, and my solid support for across-the-board Change in American socio-economic thinking, politics and action, to communicate my views and other supportive evidence to people who include likely or known supporters of McCain+Palin. In some cases I have been surprised by the vehemence, anger, and hatred expressed in response. In other cases the tone is more civil, but the message is clear. Extreme views, unchangeable views, undercurrents of racism and xenophobia, and a bit more.

So here we go. My comments are always in red italics (unless I made a mistake, which is always possible!)

We The People must be More active than ever and not count (rely) upon anything, including especially pre-election polls, and we must be more vigilant than ever about election fraud and cheating, including especially accuracy in electronic vote reporting!

It is far too easy for the current (Bush) administration to effect a change than turns an Obama real electoral victory into a loss by direct hacking of the electronic votes, and Virginia is one that is particularly vulnerable. There is plenty being said about this danger by others including people with greater expertise than myself in fraud generation and prevention.

You may share and distribute this document and portions thereof, but please make very certain that you don’t misquote me or, for that matter, others who are mentioned here. For the most part the sources from the McCain-Palin writers are anonymous because none of them in advance said that I could divulge their memos and authorship – to do so would be unethical.

===== Things written by McCain-Palin supporters, and my comments in brackets and italics (originally in red font also) ======

(1) Sunday, 19.Oct.2008
[White Male from West Coast, financial field]
Why would I want to support a candidate like Barack Obama who sanctions the killing of innocent babies? That's analogous to voting for Hitler in the 1930's. Just as pro-death (aka "pro-choice") advocates callously consider fetuses to be sub-humans, Hitler and the Nazis considered Jews, gypsies, and the handicapped to be sub-humans and thus worthy of extermination. Obama's support for abortion is particularly ironic given that African-American babies are being aborted proportionally much higher in the U.S. than white babies. It's doubly ironic given that blacks in the U.S. were once deemed not human by the U.S. Supreme Court (Dred Scott, 1857). What's next -- mandatory euthanasia for the elderly or other defenseless members of society who are deemed to be unproductive?
[Comment by MD – Besides the obvious gross errors here, I want you to pay attention to the helter-skelter “mismash” of comparisons and analogies made by the writer. Everything that could sound terrible is being thrown together into a goulash of emotion. Then what comes out? A conclusion is building in his mind that Obama will probably mandate and enforce euthanasia for the elderly, for instance. A powerful and awful image. A strong image. And thus, all the more reason to fight against letting such a person into the Presidency. But where did that stuff about euthanasia originate? Certainly not from any topic, any debate, any discussion by or with Obama, and not even from McCain who is too intelligent to come up with such nonsense.]

(2) Sunday, 19.Oct.2008
[White Male from East Coast, software field]
[MD This is long, and it has my comments embedded throughout. I decided that it is time to address the "pretend to be not a racist" psychology that I see in so many people in America (and replace "racist" with "ethnic" and "national-origin" and "religion" terms because it comes down to the same phenomenon)].

I am going to say what will follow with the preface that there is no incivility or racism in my heart. Most I will not engage with on this topic, but there is a lot going around that nobody will ask because they fear being taken out of context. But I am going to state my case.
[MD - What I read through this is: "I am going to express something that makes judgment on the basis of skin color and ethnic/genetic origins, but I don't want to be classed in the same category as Yerkes-Goddard-Terman or Arthur Jensen or William Schockley." By the way, if the reader is not familiar with the last set of names, you should get familiar. Their eugenics thinking is popular among the far-right-wingers, the fascists and neo-cons. Be forewarned of what can be coming to a society around you.]

My reaction to your points about Colin Powell. I don't understand his decision. Yes he is well educated and yes he has a perspective that I must respect. I can only rationalize his perspective from my life experiences.

[MD – I sense here that “conflict” which so many people in conservative and Republican-type circles have about someone like Colin Powell. Experienced, smart, loyal, honorable, patriotic, not a “politician” but a great general and and experienced statesman. And a Republican! And a fellow who served in the Cabinet of Bush! And so, how to explain that he stands for and supports Obama and Obama’s platform, and says such clear, direct things about Obama’s character? Well, it must be because he is a “black guy,” you know? One of “them” – another “That One” type of guy. Am I being too harsh, or too much hitting the nail right on the head? Give me an MRI machine, please, and I think I will find you the “N” word in some brains when the question is posed about why Colin Powell supports Barack Obama… ]

I have learned that I must filter this type of input. Because individuals have bias. Let me tell you a story about a good friend of mine that I worked with in 1999. He and I were in France on a business trip and the Managing Director of the division took us out to Dinner. And during dinner conversation he inquired why we Americans were racking Mr. Clinton over the coals for an extra marital affair, because in France the trappings of power are seen as acceptable of this activity, Their former President fathered a child with his mistress and they did not do to him what we were then doing to Mr. Clinton.

I gave my opinion. I had no specific issue with the Monica Lewinsky acts. He demonstrated some principles that under that type of pressure he could draw a line. But what I had a problem with was that both Clintons boldly lied on many issue's from travel gate to white water to name just 2 cases and the only lie we could actually catch them on was his feeling of superiority that he was above the law and could lie because nobody had a right to ask those questions. This is so anti American, but that is history. You see what I want in my leader is someone that will tell the truth and instill faith in me that he has values and cares about the same things I do.

Well, my friend and business associate had a different perspective. You see he is African American. And he is a die hard Democrat, As he stated he could never vote for a Republican regardless of the person, because the Democratic party always fought for the rights of the Black People. And Bill Clinton gets a pass because he fights for the rights of the Black People.

[MD - Above and beyond the other mistakes in logic expressed here by this writer, now here is where there is a real "turn" and "shift" of significance. Look, he is claiming that Clinton's poor performance in personal ethics (which in my opinion cannot be denied) was "OK" on the basis of "he was a cool guy for African-Americans". Well, this just does not hold, does not follow. So what about the Frenchman, or myself, holding pretty much the same view as that French fellow - but I am not black, nor French, nor a Clinton-liker.]

So the individual and his character traits are filtered by this bias? This did not make sense to me, especially since Mr. Lincoln was a republican, but he was a friend and I felt I must accept him for his perspective, so I decided to be quiet and resigned myself to disagree with him but not in public and let the conversation change to other topics.

[MD - OK, let's be accurate, too about history. Lincoln was originally NOT in favor of freeing the slaves, at all, until sufficiently pressured and shown that it was necessary for political and military reasons. Yes, he was not a blatant racist, and he had grave and serious personal and philosophical differences and misgivings about slavery, but he was not about to the "rock the boat" and did not take a strong stand against slavery early in his presidency, nor during the first years of the Civil War, for fear (mainly) of alienating too many people and states from the Union Cause. (So, this is a gnarly historical-dynamics problem, and I do not mean to be critical of Lincoln so much as simple Accurate about parties and politics.) Robert E. Lee was clearly, and always, more Against Slavery than many of the Union (North) politicians and people! This is a well-documented fact. And furthermore, the "Republicans" of 1860 were NOT the Republican Party of the 20th century and especially not that of 2000-2008 !]

And I am given occasion to think about this as you make the points below. I would love to inquire as to Mr. Powell's reasoning, but I can not, so I can only filter it with my perspective from my life experiences. The general population is split in the middle in opinions. Yet the African American community is not? I am just a little bit suspicious of Mr. Powell's perspective when in some states Mr. Obama has taken 90+% of the African American vote? This can only be rationalized as a cultural bias, yet I can only conjecture that Mr. Powell like my friend might have such a bias.

[MD - Well, there you have it. I don't think I need to comment further in this. It is here for those of us with eyes to see, to understand the challenges ahead.]

Race is a very delicate subject, I have learned in dealing internationally that we all have cultural bias. In Britain we use the same words, but their priorities always seem to be second to a spot of tea.

[MD – Tea? Talk of tea? Are we trying to cover up the previous paragraph? Britain, by the way, got rid of slavery long before the USA. In fact, Russia, for all its inequalities and severities under the hands of despots, got rid of slavery before the USA]

But let me state, I have no Problem voting for a women for President. I would vote for Sara Palin in a heartbeat.

[MD - This is the scary part. I'd rather have NO president than Palin. I was married to a right-wing fundamentalist. She destroyed a lot in our family for me and my sons, and lying to get to some “end” that supports the pre-made conclusion, the “Biblically correct” conclusion – this is no problem for Sarah Palin, either. We may have Armaggedon just like in the movies, if she is ever in the White House.]

A Record Breaking Experience

Joseph from Pasadena, CA — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:57:06 EDT

There are a number of reasons trusting John McCain with our highest office is difficult for me despite his very honorable record up until he decided to make a serious play at the presidency (roughly 2004-2006). To be fair, I am somewhat concerned that Obama has had only 2 years of government experience on the national level. I think Obama supporters who are honest can admit that experience does matter. We can argue, as many democrats have, that no new president enters the oval office with presidential experience. However, I think in our heart of hearts we all know that experience in the field prior to entering the oval office will certainly have an effect on how a candidate acts as president, in the same way that our professional experiences usually add to our ability to work at higher levels within a field of work. But here’s the catch: the value of a person’s experience depends on what he has learned from that experience and his application of that knowledge in the present. Experience is not in and of itself a good thing, but a neutral thing. It has great potential to reinforce a person’s capacity for being effective in any line of work, but does not automatically equate to that effectiveness. In my field of education, for example, there are many teachers who have decades of experience that add little or no value to the quality of their instruction. In many cases their effectiveness actually diminishes with experience. So how do we judge what a person has learned from his experience? By examining how his experience influences his present judgment. In short, John McCain’s present judgment reveals to me that he is tired of being a true maverick and being punished politically for it by his opponents as well as his own party and has in turn made startling compromises to align himself with his party. As a result, he has become a low-rent parody of himself. Despite his long and noble record in the senate, he has strayed so far from it in this election that many of us are not asking “Who is Barack Obama?” but “Who is John McCain?” In my opinion, we are watching the unraveling of a great patriot, made even more tragic by the fact that he is likely near the end of his career. I want Obama to win, but at the same time, I do not want McCain to lose and have this misguided chapter of his career be the one that Americans remember.

A Republican friend of mine says that McCain will be a better president than his campaign suggests as his record is what should be considered, not his rhetoric (he also says this same standard should be applied to Obama). David Brooks supports this idea in a McCain-supporting article:

“It’s not that he has changed his political personality that bothers me. I’ve come to accept that in this media-circus environment, you simply cannot run for president as a candid, normal person.”

And yet Obama has run for president as a candid, normal person, and he has faired well so far with that approach. The tragedy for McCain is that Americans might have taken well to an uncompromised version of him. His base would not have been as excited, but would they have instead flocked to Barack Obama, an African-American liberal? I think not.

Another Republican friend of mine recently said to me that McCain was the best man for the job and if Republicans have to play a little dirty (including tactics of fear and pandering to ignorance and bigotry) to get the best man in office, than so be it. I must assume, to give McCain the benefit of the doubt as a decent man, that this is the rationale behind his recent campaign choices. (If I do not, than I would have to assume much worse things about him which I do not believe to be true.) However, I view this line of thinking as fundamentally opposed to the ideals of democracy. Furthermore, a campaign that elicits the kind of terrifying responses we have seen at McCain/Palin rallies cannot possibly be justified by a win for his campaign. As an idealist living in the real world, I am open to the idea that sometimes the ends justifies the means, but in this case, the cost to the character of our country is simply too high. Even if he wins, America loses. For me, no amount of experience can justify the judgment behind having his VP say to supporters that Obama “palled around with terrorists” and run an ad focused on the same theme. McCain is not an ignorant man. He must have understood the dangers of what he was about to do. He must have understood that there are some in his base that fear Obama simply because of his skin color and his name (as seen in this video). And if for some reason he was shocked by people’s reactions, than perhaps he truly is out of touch.

And now I must address his greatest error of judgment during his campaign which cannot be stricken from his record as it could potentially have a greater impact on the American people than arguably all of his work in the senate combined: picking Sarah Palin as his VP. A Republican friend of mine makes the argument that he would rather have the inexperienced candidate at the bottom of the ticket than at the top. But I say that Obama and Palin cannot honestly be compared as equals in any area of competence. In addition, the problem I have with Sarah Palin is not with her, but with John McCain. As Matthew Dowd, a chief strategist from George W. Bush’s reelection campaign, states in this article: “[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that." This is an error in moral judgment that cannot possibly be swept under the rug as part of a campaign the educated are supposed to ignore in favor of McCain’s experience.

I came into this election season as a left-leaning independent voter, but even staunchly conservative Republicans who are generally regarded as “thinking/intellectual conservatives” have criticized John McCain’s judgment:

• Kathleen Parker writing for the National Review, a conservative publication founded by William F. Buckley Jr., the figurehead of American conservatism: “Palin Problem: She’s Out Of Her League”

• Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley Jr., and now a former writer for the National Review (he was let go after writing this article) on TheDailyBeast: “Sorry, Dad, I’m voting for Obama”

• Charles Krauthammer for the Washington Post: Palin’s Problem

• David Frum for the National Post: Palin the irresponsible choice?

• George F. Will for the Washington Post: McCain Loses His Head

• Peggy Noonan from the Washington Post: The Trial

• Wick Allison for D Magazine: A Conservative For Obama

Sara's inexperience argument

Daphanie — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:37:29 EDT

R the Reps delusional?? It is simply not the same thing! First of all When John Mccain's health gives out and Sara becomes president that's it, she is an airhead at best with poor judgement, Now if (God forbid) something happened to our new President Barack, we have a strong VP to fall back on and lead. did i miss something??

Knock, Knock Joke

HeinousJ — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:50:45 EDT

- "Knock, knock."

- "Who's there?"

- "Sarah Palin"

(horrifyingly, that's the punchline)

Four Key Reasons Why Barack Obama Will Be The Next United States President (One Year On)

Ms CYPRAH — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:45:54 EDT

I joined msnbc's Newsvine in the first week of July of 2007 and immediately got embroiled in heated debates about whether Barack Obama stood any kind of chance to be President of the USA. My belief in his eventual success was unshakeable, and stood confidently firm, even in the face of all the arguments. In fact it was a rather lonely time then, trying to defend my corner as a seemingly 'naive' newcomer in the face of so much scepticism and so many learned Americans telling me otherwise, especially when a few repeatedly pointed out that it was their country and they knew far more about the form than I did. But that cemented my belief even further. Often outsiders can see what we cannot because, being outside of the situation and untainted by its partisan nature, they can see the bigger picture.

Views of economists

Guy from Chicago — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:13:03 EDT

The Economist magazine (Oct. 2, 2008) " e-mailed a questionnaire to 683 research associates... of the National Bureau of Economic Research, America’s premier association of applied academic economists, though the NBER itself played no role in the survey. A total of 142 responded, of whom 46% identified themselves as Democrats, 10% as Republicans and 44% as neither."

"Eighty per cent of respondents and no fewer than 71% of those who do not cleave to either main party say Mr Obama has a better grasp of economics. Even among Republicans Mr Obama has the edge: 46% versus 23% say Mr Obama has the better grasp of the subject."

EVOLVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Global Symbolic Votes — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:38:27 EDT

It is no longer about getting Barack Obama into the White House. Baring the outbreak of WW III or some other kind of unforeseen disaster, he is already there. During one of his recent rallies, Senator Obama invoked these words: “CHANGE the country” and “CHANGE the world.”

Getting Senator Obama into the White House is not the end of a process; it’s the beginning of a process. Keeping him in the White House will be the hard part. Prudence dictates that we should never underestimate the will of the forces which are arrayed against him/us.

In the beginning, Senator Obama talked a lot about “Old Politics” or “Old Thought” – which is essentially the same thing. Our messages have been about “New Thought” and saving the Planet. Obama has often said that he can’t do it alone and neither can we. We need your help.

This is a sampling of what some of you had to say about our messages:

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:43:29 -0400, [ HarvardLawforObama@groups.barackobama.com ] “This is a very astute comment, Jan Derek. Please take 3 minutes and post it on my posting of Barack's speech posted at...” and this is an open invitation to all members of HarvardLawforObama…”
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:22:22 -0400, “I hope you do not mind but I liked this E-mail so much that I have published it in my Blogs giving you credit. Keep up the great work.”
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:48:04 -0400, “Well said, thank you!”
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 14:43:24 -0700, “Right on, Jan!!! …would you forward this to MD?”
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 21:51:51 +0200, “How well said Jan, how wise and eloquent, and how true... Can we forward this? Thank you so much…”
Date: Saturday, August 02, 2008 3:24 PM, Hi Jan: “…I'd like to keep in touch!.… p.s. "I love your musical references! :-)”
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:34:57 -0400, [From Obama for America] Jan. “Your passion and energy are crucial to electing Barack Obama president and moving this country in a fundamentally different direction.”

Why do we impart/promulgate our “New Thought” messages? Actually, I like Michelle Obama’s answer. She said, “It’s my job.” Some people are genuine truth seekers, not a lot but some. Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “If you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”

And here we have our quandary, what to do now? It is time to evolve to the next level. We are dedicated to keeping the “Obama Movement” alive for 100 years, if necessary, and we need your input. If you would like to know the rest of the story, sign up at. http://www.global-symbolic-votes.org/first.html

New thought is our only chance,
The GSV Team
-------------------------------------------------------
"We can either fear that human culture is falling apart or we can hold the vision that we are awakening. Either way, each of us must consciously choose between these two futures.” (James Redfield)
-------------------------------------------------------
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/GLOBALSYMBOLICVOTESFOROBAMA
http://www.global-symbolic-votes.org

It's the Hypocrisy of the Right that Generates Distrust

Chuck — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:15:43 EDT

John McCain does not wear a flag pin, but there are no outcries as there were about Obama, who wears one now. It doesn't matter to me -- flag pin wearing is a silly issue. But this shows the hypocrisy of the right wing. Flag pins mattered when it was Obama, not when it's McCain. Having a rich heiress wife who hasn't released tax returns mattered when it was Kerry, not when it is McCain. Questionable military history is okay to attack when it's Kerry, not when it's McCain. Bill Clinton's marital indiscretions mattered, but McCain's affair does not. Being a strong Christian mattered for Bush over Kerry, but Obama's stronger Christianity than McCain's doesn't matter now. Experience matters when it's Obama, but not when it's Palin. See the pattern? This is why America does not trust the Republican Party anymore.

The Experience Myth

John DesMarteau, MD — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:48:55 EDT

The McCain campaign continually promotes the idea that Sen. Obama lacks the experience and judgment to be president. On tonight’s Real Time With Bill Maher, Wall Street Journal writer Steve Moore negatively compared Obama’s experience with that of Sarah Palin.

Hmm, let’s see. Sen. Obama manages a campaign that has raised the most amount of money in any presidential election such that he has not had to take public money. Not taking public money for the first time in a presidential election is by itself an accomplishment that has not received the notice it's due. But Sen. McCain took public money - couldn't that be called an earmark that he is so fond of speaking about? It certainly is taxpayer's money taken without regard to how taxpayer's regard Sen. McCain.

In any event, Sen. Obama has competed successfully on a national level for almost two years to win the Democratic Party nomination. And he has built a countrywide political organization that is the most impressive in history. Seems to me he has proven himself way beyond anything that the governor of a state with a total population of 670,000 and that gets a huge windfall from oil and gas. Oh and let’s not forget that Alaska gets more money from the federal government than any other state. Can’t be that difficult a place to run as proven by the fact that Gov. Palin couldn’t name anything she reads for information, or a Supreme Court ruling beyond Roe v. Wade.

Canvassing Lessons Learned

Brian — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:18:55 EDT

I’ve been canvassing door-to-door for 4 weeks now (evenings and weekends) and I thought I would share some of the techniques that I think have worked.

Judgment trumps experience, arrogance, and cynicism

Gwen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:49:01 EDT

This was in response to an email you can find at the bottom.

I've been thinking about it, and I'd sacrifice judgment for experience. I have not found that age correlates well with maturity. I have found close-minded stupid people can be any age. In Obama we have an intelligent, thoughtful person who looks at the ramifications of every policy decision on the poor and the middle class. We have someone who inspires. We have someone who is calm even in the middle of a crisis, who keeps his cool even when he is being attacked with some of the most vicious and dirty attacks that Swift Boat creators can develop. A message of "Yes We Can" will lead America to a much better place, financially, morally, in education, and in health, than "No You Can't."

Four more years of putting corporations and greed first will bankrupt thousands more. Losing health care will bankrupt and kill still more. And a president who won't even sit with America's friends is not going to improve our foreign policy. A US president who is mentally unstable is a danger to the world, as is his nitwit sidekick who needs a minister to save her from witchcraft.

Obama IS the very best that America can put forth. His life story illustrates the power of our citizens to rise through the classes with access to education. His experience leaving corporate America and high paying jobs for community service illustrates our most compassionate, loving impulses at work. His international background illustrate the diversity that make this such a fascinating country. After eight years of a president who only listened to those who agreed with him and put big Halliburton and Exxon above the country, a presidential candidate who picks someone, not for political gain, but because that someone can help him to govern wisely, is a breath of fresh clean air. He picked that person despite his reputation for long windedness, because of his foreign policy wisdom. Obama had the judgment to recognize where he could use help and he got it. I will also pick judgment over arrogance and cynicism any day.

email I responded to:
In Israel, with its famously combative and unrestrained media, it is the American system that is under the microscope as much as its representatives. Here, the U.S. presidential race is seen as the bitter old guy and the dimwit versus the untried young guy and the windbag. Is this really the best America can come up with?

FEAR IS HERE BUT CHANGE IS COMING

Global Symbolic Votes — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:46:38 EDT

In the best selling book CONVERSATONS WITH GOD, God said to the author, Neale Donald Walsch, something like this: “The world is full of sleep-walkers….to get people to wake up you sometimes have to shake them.” Been there; done that.

Obama has said that he can’t do it alone. He said, “I need your help.” We are all trying to help. But, far too often, my words tend to frighten the sleep-walkers who refuse to wake up. They obviously love the pain, the drama and the not knowing. The truth is hard to swallow.

I support Senator Obama 100%. The only difference between others and me is that I know this and they do not. When faced with new ideas, some engage the issues and others elect to run and hide. To keep FEAR out of the equation it is best to engage issues.

Most people tend to participate in politics unconsciously. They do this because it is easier to let others decide for them -- the experts, the pundits, the negative TV ads and things of this nature. When it comes to politics, most of us don’t even know what we are doing.

Addressing all humans, God said to Neale, “Go ahead. Act on all that you know. But notice that you have been doing this since time began and look at what shape the world is in. Clearly you’ve missed something.” Those who love their pain have not missed a thing.

Most of us have no idea of what we are going to have to deal with after the election is over. What is the famous quote? “Know thine enemy.” (Shakespeare, I think) Even Barack Obama has no idea. He is but a man and therefore subject to the laws of the universe.

Barack Obama has said many, many times, “It’s not about me; it’s about you. This is the other thing that most of us simply will not hear. It’s not about the man; it’s about what the man/movement represents. It’s about the message not the messenger.

I predict that Senator Obama has already won the election. Getting Obama into the White House will be the easy part. However, keeping him there, now that will be the hard part. We should never underestimate the will of the forces which are arrayed against him/us.

DUPED AGAIN

Global Symbolic Votes — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:54:19 EDT

Senator Obama should not respond directly to the attacks levied by John McCain’s attack dog/walking reality show Sarah Palin. That would be undignified, a big mistake. Mohandas K. Gandhi said that they cannot take away my dignity unless I give it to them. Let Joe Biden, the Obama Team members and the surrogates respond to her attacks. The other side is desperate and their three dimensional thinkers can still hurt the campaign and possibly even turn things around -- especially if we follow their game plan. To thwart their attack initiatives, we will have to change the rules of the game and we are running out of time.

MCCAIN’S TWO MANTRAS

Global Symbolic Votes — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:12:12 EDT

John McCain and Sarah Palin seem to be stuck on two themes: “The Surge” and “Change is Coming.” It is clear that John McCain hi-jacked the “Change” concept from Barack Obama. In my blog MCCAIN’S MISTAKES, I touched upon the inherent fallacies pertaining to the so called "Surge." Apparently, John McCain actually believes that he can support Bush’s lies, tricks and games and continue duping voters with impunity. Some have asked how is this even possible. I do not know. Nonetheless, he’s a viable Presidential Candidate. The question is what’s wrong with this picture?

A Question of Experience

Tim Schram — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:26:56 EDT

The Question is, Who cares. All voters have experienced the last 18 years or more. Are you using that experience to improve your decision making? That is the question that the media and the voters should be asking.

Noone disputes McCain is experienced. He has a long history in government and the military. So what? It is his policies and philosophy that are important. He has alot of experience in backing a bankrupt economic philosophy that is the fudamental cause of the current financial crisis. He has experience in supporting a failed and dangerous foreign policy philosophy that isolates America from its allies and threatens our and the worlds security. He backed Bush's childish policy of not talking to people he doesn't like. He supported Bush'spolicy of shoot first, shoot second, shoot somemore, and, if anybody is still alive, ask questions.

In all his vast experience, he has refused to learn anything from it. Experience is meaningless if you refuse to learn from it and stubbornly stick to your original beliefs even when they are demonstrated to be wrong or ineffctive. Who was it the said essentially, one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome? McCain may be olde, but in my opinion he demonstrates a immature stubborness to policies and philosophies that repeatedly fail.

His energy policy is another example. His "experience" is a few large corporations control the supply of energy from oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear. So his solution emphasizes increased drilling, nuclear, and coal. Paying lip service to alternate, renewable energy as some far off minor contributor at best because they are haeder for "big energy" to control. Is that the experience we want deciding our future energy policies?

I, for one, couldn't care less how much experience McCain or Palin have. Or Obama for that matter. What is important to me is that Obama has looked at our past actions and learned which have not worked. He has concluded, it is time to try new approaches. Are all his ideas going to be successful. No. But, he has demonstrated an ability to assess and adapt. He has demonstrated a willingness to learn and grow with his experience. That is the exxence of a mature, sane, and effective leader. The significance of experience is what you do with it, not that you survived it.

THE AUDACITY OF THINKING

Global Symbolic Votes — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:33:45 EDT

I am told that Plato said: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Almost right. I believe that Plato is telling us that this is the penalty that one pays for participating in an Aristotelian based political thought system -- better known as Democracy.”

During the debate, Senator Obama implied that Russia and China are not true Democracies. If not, the question becomes what are they? I do not know. Perhaps we should take a closer look at Premier Wen Jiabao’s China -- with a population of 1.3 billion people. Apparently, Premier Jiabao has elected to take his country in a different direction.

In doing so, he will inevitably change the course of history and there is nothing that we Americans can do about it. If we can’t change the ultimate outcome, what can we do in the interim? We can help Senator Obama win the election. Then we might have a chance to get it right. As JFK said, “We all breathe the same air and we all cherish our children’s future.”

The political thought system that we call Democracy was born in Greece around 500 B.C. It is based on Aristotle’s political philosophy as outlined in his book POLITICS. Incidentally, in Aristotle’s POLITICS he ranked women one notch above slaves. Hence, women can thank Aristotle for creating the equal work/equal pay issue.

The 21st Century has given rise to a different kind of political thought system, a Chinese version of Democracy. It parallels Plato’s political philosophy as outlined in his book THE REPUBLIC. What is the penalty for participating in a non-Aristotelian based political thought system, the kind that Plato talks about in his book? Plato suggests that it’s being governed by a superior mind.

Am I saying that this is a good thing or a bad thing? Neither. I am making no value judgments at all. Good and bad are relative terms, subjective terms. I am simply stating facts and telling it like it is. However, I will say this: Since it is clear that we Americans seems to enjoy being governed by our inferiors, all that we have to do now is vote for more of the same -- John McCain.

MCCAIN’S MISTAKES

Global Symbolic Votes — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:46:39 EDT

Let’s assume for a moment that “The Surge” did work. This gives rise to the next logical question, but at what initial cost? If a person spills milk on the floor and then wipes it up, that person corrected a mistake. The problem here is that we are not talking about spilled milk. We are talking about spilled American blood and lost American lives and treasure.

Should the erratic McCain hit the "Panic Button" intentionally or un-intentionally we are all just as dead. (1) How do we bring back over 4,000 lives or make the injuries of the 30,000 plus soldiers disappear? (2) How do we get back the 10 billion plus missing tax dollars that disappeared in Iraq? (3) How do we recover the 600-700 billion dollars that we have already spent in Iraq?

We make mistakes because this is what human beings do best. Am I saying that all human beings are by nature flawed? No. I am saying that most human minds are by nature flawed. So what do we do now, get a lobotomy? No. We learn how to think correctly. Most of us probably think that we already know how to think correctly. No problem.

Then we should go ahead and act on all that we know. But notice that we have been doing this since time began and look at what shape the world is in. Clearly, we’ve missed something.

Biden's Debate - is Obama "experienced enough?"

Meghan from New York, NY — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:11:01 EDT

When Senator Biden is asked at the debate about his statement that Obama wasn't ready and the presidency isn't meant for "on-the-job-training" here's my recommended response:

"The American people disagreed with me and the American people were right. The Republican administration includes some of the most experienced politicians in Washington, and between Iraq, Enron, Katrina and Wall Street, we've seen what a disaster so-called 'experience' can produce. What we need now is good judgement - and that is something Barack Obama and I have in abundance."

McCain Experience Ad

Rick — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:41:27 EDT

The Republicans are always so good at taking a Democratic candidate's strengths and framing it as a liability (so what is so wrong with being popular? And even being liberal and concerned with the well being of the country and even in favor of helping the most needy could be considered virtues in some circles). Anyway, my idea for a new ad from the Dems would be to highlight McCain's experience: John McCain was a prisoner of war in 1970, her has served in Washington for 26+ years, he was a central figure in the Savings and Loan Crisis in 1980, he has been a big supporter of the expansion of casino gambling in the 1990's.... John McCain's experience with the world of the past century is noteworthy. But is her ready for the complex problems of the 21st century? The world we face today is vastly different from past--a globalized economy, the transnational threats of terrorism, rising economic power in China and India, the possibilities and problems raised by the internet...Only one candidate is ready to lead the country with a vision for the 21st century. Vote for Barack Obama. (Overlay this with some good old footage of McCain, some newspaper headlines from the Keating scandal, a quote of his about not using email or googling...A bit biting, yes, but this is the kind of framing the Reps are so good at to undermine Dems).

This can follow up on the Palin celebrity ad: She is the second biggest celebrity in the world. But does she have the experience to lead? She has been to less foreign countries than Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. Or Koby Gordon, age 10, or Alice Strong, age 8, Joey Casey, age 4, Sarah Smith, age 3, Billy Kyle, age 7....(do this with cute pix of little American kids who have traveled at least twice overseas and you have a good laugh about foreign policy experience).

Experience of U.S. Presidents

Louie from Greencastle, IN — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:58:49 EDT

The March 10th issue of Time magazine had a nice article on the local, state, and national governmental experience of U.S. presidents prior to their first election to the presidency. Barack Obama has as much or more experience than 17 of the 41 Presidents (41%), including such notables as Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, both Rosevelts, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and, of course, George W. Bush.

E-Verify program @ the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security and it's effects on immigrants and refugees

Richard Owl Mirror — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:35:09 EDT

~@~ National Security Debate ~@~

There are many facets which make up National Security and Immigration, I would like to focus on the E-Verify program @ the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security and it's effects on immigrants and refugees.

E-Verify (formerly the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program) is an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Participating employers can check the work status of new hires online by comparing information from an employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases. More than 69,000 employers are enrolled in the program, with over 4 million queries run so far in fiscal year 2008.

E-Verify is free and voluntary, and is the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.

~@~

Employment Eligibility Verification and Antidiscrimination Protections

NILC Advocacy and Services
Since 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) has been dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of low income immigrants and their family members. In the past 20 years, NILC has earned a national reputation as a leading expert on immigration, public benefits, and employment laws affecting immigrants and refugees. Our extensive knowledge of the complex interplay between immigrants' legal status and their rights under U.S. laws is an essential resource for legal aid programs, community groups, and social service agencies across the country.

WHAT WE DO
Policy Analysis & Advocacy.
Impact Litigation.
Building Coalitions & Capacity.
Technical Assistance.
Trainings and Conferences.
Publications.

NILC's Website.
Our website contains NILC memos and analyses, articles from our newsletters indexed by topic, community education materials, and links to key organizational and government web sites.

http://www.nilc.org/immsemplymnt/ircaempverif/

~@~

http://www.cato.org/videohighlights/index.php?highlight_id=84

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10X7BO6uvPo
Fact-checking Glenn Beck

~@~

Immigration of individual human-beings across imaginary borders has occurred throughout mankind's existence. Hunters and Gatherers crosses into competitors fields and farms. Industrious human-beings create commerce opportunities, which in turn demands the employ of a workforce. I believe my description is an example of a basic human right.

This function within any society should not be impeded yet, it must be managed due to National Security concerns. It is obvious that the one requirement necessary to manage such a function is the ability to identify all individuals who are within our National borders. With the advent of technology, this task has become easier. The core problem with implementing such a program so it functions efficiently is cooperation by all parties.

I do not believe the millions of people who cross over our border, under extremely dangerous conditions are all criminals. It's simply the method of least resistance due to the rules for application of entry to our country is impossible for most to comply.

I have advocated that using technology such as an Identification card which can be produced as easily as we obtain our drivers licenses, preferably one-day service which would be valid for a 6-month employment stay could relieve this problem.

This identification card could also be used as the holders Employment ID card at their place of employment. As easily as an ATM card, the user slides it when they are clocking in and again when clocking out at the end of the day. This way, the government can verify constant employment and be alerted if the individual is not complying with the agreement for obtaining the entry card.

Most immigrants come to America to work as seasonal workers, therefore I believe a 6 month time-frame would be an agreement those seeking entry would voluntarily comply with. Cooperation is the key to success.

I believe granting honest, hard-working people the opportunity to purchase this entry card for $183 plus a background check, would relieve much of the problem of illegal immigration. Employers would be more able to be in 100% compliance with the Immigration laws because they need only opt-in to using the Immigration Time Clock system. Naturally there would be penalties for non-compliance yet, I believe companies would welcome such a solution as a safeguard against improperly being accused for hiring illegal workers. Perhaps we could also collect $1.00 for every hour worked by a migrant worker rather than them paying into Social Security. This money could be designated towards a specified program or budgetary need.

~@~

What have the candidates said about resolving the National Security implications of Immigration ?

http://www.barackobama.com/ vs. http://www.johnmccain.com

Let's be clear: John McCain is offering nothing of substance

Richard Owl Mirror — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:16:15 EDT

Senator Obama will strive to provide tax cuts for the middle class, affordable health care, and a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs. He will seek to end the war in Iraq responsibly, focus on defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban, and restore America's standing in the world.

Senator John McCain offered no solutions for the challenges Americans are facing in their daily lives. Nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies at home and abroad that he has supported more than 90% of the time in the Senate.

An example of how failed a Leadership role John McCain would bring to the Presidency is Obama's assertion that McCain "said the other day that he would not meet potentially with the prime minister of Spain, because he -- you know, he wasn't sure whether they were aligned with us," a reference to McCain's repeated refusal -- during an interview with Radio Caracol WSUA 1260 AM in Miami -- to say that as president, he would refuse to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. As evidence of the truth for this claim, McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann reportedly wrote that "there is no doubt Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred" and that McCain in fact "refused to commit to a White House meeting with President Zapatero in this interview." Indeed, during the debate, McCain did not assert that he "misspoke" during the Radio Caracol interview, but rather responded to Obama by saying, "I'm not going to set the White House visitors schedule before I'm president of the United States."

Questions exist, whether McCain forgot which country Zapatero leads, got confused about Spain's geographic relationship to Latin America, or confused Zapatero with the Zapatista rebels from Mexico. In either instance, this incident reveals a danger of possible confrontation could explode due to his complete lack of understanding World Leaders and events.

During the debate Obama said, "Senator McCain mentioned Henry Kissinger, who's one of his advisers, who, along with five recent secretaries of state, just said that we should meet with Iran -- guess what -- without precondition. This is one of your own advisers," and, "When we talk about preconditions -- and Henry Kissinger did say we should have contacts without preconditions -- the idea is that we do not expect to solve every problem before we initiate talks." During the debate, McCain repeatedly purported to correct Obama by saying Kissinger would not support presidential-level talks with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Each time, Obama made clear that was not his contention -- that, instead, he was accurately saying Kissenger supported talks between the United States and Iran at levels below the president.

Was John McCain simply confused or was he attempting to provide a misdirection because Senator Obama clearly showed how Senator McCain doesn't even understand what his own Advisors are advising ?

Obama's comments during the debate accurately reflected Kissinger's comments during a September 15 forum. Kissinger said, "Well, I am in favor of negotiating with Iran. And one utility of negotiation is to put before Iran our vision of a Middle East, of a stable Middle East, and our notion on nuclear proliferation at a high enough level so that they have to study it. And, therefore, I actually preferred doing it at the secretary of state level so that we -- we know we're dealing with authentic -- with authentic proposals." Asked by CNN's Frank Sesno, "To put at a very high level right out of the box?" Kissinger responded:

Initially, yes. And I always believed that the best way to begin a negotiation is to tell the other side exactly what you have in mind and what you are -- what the outcome is that you're trying to achieve so that they have something that they can react to.
Now, the permanent members of the Security Council, plus Japan and Germany, have all said nuclear weapons in Iran are unacceptable. They've never explained what they mean by this. So if we go into a negotiation, we ought to have a clear understanding of what is it we're trying to prevent. What is it going to do if we can't achieve what we're talking about?
But I do not believe that we can make conditions for the opening of negotiations. We ought, however, to be very clear about the content of negotiations and work it out with other countries and with our own government.

One final observation I have regarding John McCain

McCain Suspends Campaign to Work on Wall St Plan

The Arizona senator announced he would suspend his campaign, pull television advertising, halt fundraising and return to Washington on Thursday to try to help negotiations over a stalled $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street.

"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved," McCain said, urging Obama to join him.

~@~

I believe Senator John McCain made a strategic blunder in his forcefully and public move in going to Washington DC for discussions on the Financial crisis. John McCain used Bluster to place his actions into the limelight and boxed himself in to a retraction. I believe if he had true concerns as a servant of the people, he could have silently traveled of his own accord to Washington DC and offer his assistance toward solving a problem, then not having acheived his objective, simply call and cancel his participation in the debate at the last moment.

This shows me a lack of thoughtful planning and leads me to view his actions as reckless. It's akin to someone going out publically and making sure their neighbors see them praying to God or announcing they have performed good works, all the while seeking the approval of those witnesses alone.

A senior McCain adviser made clear McCain would not attend a Friday debate unless a congressional rescue deal was sealed.

"If the package is reached and the country is saved, there will be a debate," the aide said. "But if there's no deal, how can you get on a plane . . . for a debate?"

Is this the type of Leadership America wants or deserves ? I think not !

Let's be clear: John McCain is offering nothing of substance in his political rhetoric, same as his running to Washington even though he had nothing of substance to add in resolving the crisis.

He is what my Grandfather would call a Flim-Flam Man

LEHRER: Afghanistan, Senator McCain?

MCCAIN: First of all, I won't repeat the mistake that I regret enormously, and that is, after we were able to help the Afghan freedom fighters and drive the Russians out of Afghanistan, we basically washed our hands of the region.

And the result over time was the Taliban, al Qaeda, and a lot of the difficulties we are facing today. So we can't ignore those lessons of history.

The Geneva accords of 1988, which ultimately led to the withdrawal of the Soviet forces in early 1989, left the Afghan government in ruins.

Senator John McCain said he would not repeat the mistake made by Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush ? I thought both of these Leaders were his Hero's and mentors ?

Have you folks heard the latest news out of Alaska ?

September 26, 2008
Palin should step down, conservative commentator says

(CNN) – Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is "out of her league" and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.

The criticism in Parker's Friday column is the latest in a recent string of negative assessments toward the McCain-Palin candidacy from prominent conservatives.

It was fun while it lasted," Parker writes. "Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who is clearly out of her league."

~@~

McCains claim of taking out Bin Ladin

**Senator McCain said it most concisely in June.***

"Look," he said. "I know the area. I've been there. I know wars. I know how to win wars. And I know how to improve our capabilities so that we will capture Osama bin Laden. Or put it this way, bring him to justice. We will do it. I know how to do it." Sen. McCain seems to be quite serious, that he and he alone, not the CIA, nor the U.S. Military, nor the current President can capture bin Laden. Thus we must take him at his word that this is no mere ludicrous campaign boast. We must assume Sen. McCain truly believes he is capable of doing this, and has been capable of doing this, since last January. "We will capture Osama bin Laden. We will do it. I know how to do it."

If John McCain knows how to accomplish this task, why hasn't he told anyone how to implement his plan of action NOW rather than waiting until he is elected Commander in Chief ?
Does he simply want all the Glory and Praise for himself ?

STOP SAYING THAT!

Carolyn — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:05:30 EDT

From tonight's debate: "Well, I think Senator McCain's absolutely right . . . ."
And while you continue by pointing out where he is oh so wrong, what registers with people is how often you 'agree' with McCrock! (I live in Arizona, I live in his district, I can call him endless names based on an over-familiarity with his ever constant dishonesty.)

McPain, Obama Debate

Nanci — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:33:27 EDT

Well, I know Barack has high ideals, and wants to reach across party lines. He showed that he walks the talk, as he said, and even when McPain tried to diminish him, he responded as a diplomat, without anger or rancor and never lost his cool composure.

McPain was obviously coached to use the "doesn't understand" and "naive" offensive. It was very transparent. Obama did not bite the hook however, which would have been the worst thing he could have done. It seemed to me that on most issues McPain was close to Obama's ideas, except in the area of the middle class. That is the area that attracts me to the Democratic Party and to Obama in particular. McPain doesn't think $250,000 per year is rich. That is telling. Tell that, John, to the workers at WalMart who are sleeping in their cars because they can't make enough to save for a deposit on an apartment. Tell that to college graduates paying off a student loan. Tell that to the nurses I work along side of who have 5 years of education and have never seen six figures unless they work in upper administration (few do).

Health Care was pretty much swept under the rug by McPain, although Obama tried to include it. If McPain has been working to take care of Veterans for the last 22 years, it is a shame that Walter Reed was in the shape it is in, and that Veterans' facililites and access to benefits is an absolute shame for the nation.

It was clear that the lens through which the candidates see the country is different even though they are close on some issues. It is also clear that although McPain has worked within and for the Republican Party for more than 20 years, he prefers not to be identified with what has happened in Washington the past eight years, not to mention Reagonomics (his hero, did he say?) And Kissinger, wasn't he run out of office along with the Nixon scandal?

I will say that after the debate I feel less inclined to leave the country if Obama does not win, which I really do not think will happen. However, prepare yourself for the Palin/Biden debate. ..have a tape player for the laugh tracks if you can stand to watch her being sliced & diced. How many times --let us count--will she be able to repeat the same rehearsed and memorized phrases without answering the question? And how often will she talk about her children and her husband and try to play the soccer Mom; just a hint, sweety, we're not looking for soccer Mommies--we need a Vice President who can interact on an adult level.

Be prepared for McPain's next shock & awe, mirrors and flash, and attention grabbing gyrations.Today, on Fox news no less, the National Review (a conservative rag) was quoted as saying perhaps Palin should withdraw from the campaign for the good of the campaign & the party. When do you think he'll pull that rabbit out of the bag? I say a week before the election, within two weeks anyway. People might vote for McPain, but Palin as VP with a President that old?? I'd have to think twice even if I were a Republican. (Did I just say that?--I won't watch a debate with Republicans at the Kennewick library, I'll be damned if I'd be caught in that kind of association. leave the high road to Barack Obama.)

Less than 6 weeks to go. Keep on working--we need Obama for change!

Why Palin Was a Bad Pick

Irish Musician for Progressive Solutions — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:36:50 EDT

From the Political Insider:

When McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate -- a person just two years removed from being mayor of a town with fewer people than the Fenway Park bleachers -- he essentially gave up experience as a campaign issue. It's hard to argue that Obama is inexperienced when McCain's choice to be just a heartbeat away from the presidency has even less experience.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalinsider/2008/09/why-palin-was-a-bad-pick.html

Even John McCain doesn't trust Sarah Palin with responsibility

Disillusioned former member — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:57:28 EDT

If you haven’t seen the Letterman show from November 24, find it and watch it. It was awesome.

There were two important events.

McCain got caught lying to Letterman. Just a simple, flat-out lie. He canceled his appearance on Letterman saying he urgently had to get back to Washington, then used the time he was supposed to spend on Letterman to do an interview with Katie Couric.

Letterman ridiculed McCain / Palin in the most compelling way that I have seen. McCain announced that he is suspending his campaign so that he can work on the financial crisis full-time. Letterman said this is a great idea, but normally, candidates for President don’t suspend their campaigns in times of crisis. Instead, the candidate for President goes back to work and the running mate takes over the campaign. But here, John McCain isn’t relying on Sarah Palin to run his campaign. He’s suspending it instead. Even John McCain doesn’t trust Sarah Palin to take on responsibility. If he won’t trust her with his campaign, how could he possibly trust her with the Vice-Presidency?

This is a simple point that gets across the question of fitness without going into any of the personal details, some of which (I think) have no place in a campaign. It's not about her religion, her family, etc. It's about the fact that even her own running mate has no confidence in her competence. Neither should we.

DEMOCRACY & BROKEN MINDS

Global Symbolic Votes — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:01:41 EDT

Shortly, about 10% of the American electorate will decide who will become the next U.S. President. These people will play a major role in deciding the fate and destiny of the entire Planet. America assumes that it is the world’s undisputed military super-power, the world’s leading economic power and that it has the best type of government period -- Democracy.

Now let’s separate fact from fiction and the de jure from the de facto. Is America really the only military super-power in the world? I do not know. The Russians still have enough nuclear warheads on their Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to make this a moot point. Secondly, the Chinese are destined to become the leading economic power in the World. It’s inevitable.

But let’s get to the heart of the matter, Democracy. So who are these people, the 10% of the American electorate? What kind of minds do they have? I do not know. Let’s not ask them about the Bush Doctrine. We could ask them a simple question like where is Alaska situated. To the best of my knowledge, we are not necessarily talking about America’s intellectually elite.

We are talking about the so called undecided voters. If I understand the demographic parameters correctly, this 10% represents the least educated white working classes, blue collar men and women -- and probably predominantly white women. Would these people be inclined to vote for a black Harvard educated law school professor with a funny name?

The Planet is in Peril and America is in demise. It is no longer about America. Ethnocentrism died with the introduction of the Information Super Highway and Globalization. Today, it is about the Planet, of which roughly 75% of the world’s population is for Obama -- 10% verses 75%. What am I missing? Logic suggests that there is something wrong with this picture?

There is a saying: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” What do we do if it is broken? We fix it. How do we fix a broken Democracy? That’s easy. We don’t tear down the whole house. We replace one brick (one legislator) at a time. So once we fix the broken government and get rid of the liars, what do we do next? We fix the broken minds that put the liars in office.

New thought is our only chance.
The GSV Team
-------------------------------------------------------
"We can either fear that human culture is falling apart or we can hold the vision that we are awakening. Either way, each of us must consciously choose between these two futures.” (James Redfield)
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http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/GLOBALSYMBOLICVOTESFOROBAMA
http://www.global-symbolic-votes.org

MELTDOWN: OBAMA’S CONGENITAL DEFECT

Global Symbolic Votes — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:23:32 EDT

Give Obama a break. Senator Obama has delayed responding to the so called Wall Street Meltdown and/or the Economic Crisis, probably because it is only prudent and proper to get the facts straight prior to jumping to false conclusions. As always, Barack Obama seeks to get it right the first time. He does this because he suffers from a congenital disorder that causes him think before he acts. This psychological affliction -- that could also be in the genes -- causes him to engage his brain before engaging his mouth.

John F. Kennedy also suffered from this kind of malady. During the Cuban Missile Crisis virtually all of his generals urged him to take swift, strong and decisive military action. At the end of the meeting that could have started WW III, the generals left the room and they all immediately looked at each other in absolute astonishment. One of them said, “What in the hell happened in there?” To their amazement, JFK did not make a decision. Instead, he remained focused on the objective. His objective was to save the country and the world. Does this sound familiar; does it resonate?

Now let’s examine John McCain’s intellect, or lack thereof. Responding to the Meltdown Crisis, at first he said that we should not bail out the banking institutions. He then flip-flopped on this issue and on many other issues. He obviously subscribes to the: “Act first and think later philosophy.” You know, the kind of thinking that could get us all killed. When it comes to the nuclear “Hot Button” one does not get a second chance to correct mistakes or set up a commission to study why we are all dead.

What about Sarah Palin? The Planet is in peril and she believes that Global Warming is a fantasy and that we should continue raping the environment. With respect to the position that she has already taken on these issues, clearly she is not opposed to killing people slowly. If she enjoys killing wolves, bears and God knows what other forms of wild life from helicopters, just think about what she could do with a B-2 Bomber. Who said that Americans are not suicidal? Are we talking about all Americans or roughly half of them? I don’t know. Has Obama killed any innocent life forms for fun lately?

So what do we do now? We tell the American people, specifically those who claim to be undecided, that now, it is all in their hands. To increase humanity’s chances of surviving the insanity that Bush has created, it would be in our interest if the next American President possessed a superior mind. God knows that he will need one in order to successfully navigate through the treacherous, muddy waters (the cesspool) that he will inherit from the Bush Administration. In short, just hold your nose and vote for the smart black guy from Harvard. You might live longer.

PLANET IN PERIL – FUTURE IN JEOPARDY

Global Symbolic Votes — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:21:06 EDT

Now that we have the law makers where we want them, all that we have to do now is order them to do exactly what we tell them to do, or else. We should tell them to return all of the bribes that they have taken from special interests groups. We should tell them that from this point on, they work for us, as the authors of the United States Constitution intended. If they fail to follow our orders, we simply kick the bums out.

Do we replace them with another Republican or Democrat? No. We replace them with a humanist. A humanist is a decent, moral human being who may or may not be affiliated with a political party. What guidelines should we use? Definitely not religious guidelines. He or she should be, in nature, as much like M.K. Gandhi as possible. Words like Republicans or Democrats are just that, words/labels that have no real meaning. On the other hand, Republicans and Democrats are the creators of the reality that we are now experiencing -- A Planet that is in Peril and a future that is in jeopardy.

They are the guilty ones. To be fair we are all guilty, or slightly masochistic, because we helped them abuse us. So what do we do now? We point put our index finger between our eyes and accept responsibility for being less than smart. Think of it as going to confession. Everyone runs around crying and complaining and going through the motions and nothing changes. Nothing will change until we stop the lies, tricks and games. We can stop this now.

Obama is the man. He tells us that he wants to change things. We are just going to have to trust him because, at the moment, there is no other viable alternative. Some people have told me that they are willing to give their lives for this man. Not me. However, I am willing to give my life for what I believe that this man represents. He tells us that he wants to change things. Me too. I want to save a Planet that is in Peril and a future that is in jeopardy -- and humankind while I am at it.

The truth is the most valuable virtue that we have but "TRUTH" is dead. “Oh what a deadly web we weave when we practice to deceive.” (Shakespeare, I think?) Some people have told me that I am not going to win any friends talking like this. Demented minds are destroying our country, our world and our children’s future. With friends like these, who needs enemies? That’s just my opinion. Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “If you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”

NON-COOPERATION WITH EVIL IS A MORAL DUTY

Global Symbolic Votes — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:57 EDT

Long after getting the leaders of their sleeper cell (Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld) into the White House, the Republicans are continuing with their feeding frenzy. Using fear as a weapon, they have been able to exploit the weaknesses in the minds of many Americans -- call it the supreme mind f - - k, if you will. The undeniable fact is that George W. Bush and his followers, like John McCain, are directly responsible for the senseless loss of tens of thousands of lives in Iraq.

Using fear as a weapon, they have so far been successful convincing those of us with weak minds, or no brains, that Global Warming is an illusion and that it would be in our mutual interest to drill offshore and further exploit the environment. They have been busy murdering our soldiers, destroying our minds and raping the environment. Now they want economic Carte Blanche to exploit our pocket books and finish destroying America. To date, they are on the verge of doing just that -- accomplishing their mission.

So what do you call a political philosophy that gives rise to such insanity? Would it be unfair to call it pure, unadulterated Evil? Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “Non-cooperation with evil is a moral duty.” Since moving into the White House, George W. Bush and company have been killing, raping, exploiting and plundering with impunity. John McCain cooperated with, and voted with, George W. Bush nearly 95% of the time. This is not guilt by association. This is guilt by deed; it’s manifesting evil.

Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King preached a philosophy of non-cooperation with Evil. So, do we reach out to the other side of the aisle, to the Republicans and cooperate with them? No. Barack Obama and the other politicians have to play this game but we do not. What do we do? It’s simple. We replace the extremist legislators with humanistic legislators. It is more efficient. This way we do not have to reach across the aisle.

How do we accomplish this? First, we start educating the so called “undecided” voters, in the trenches of the "Battle Ground" states. They are not undecided they are just confused. Our job is to un-confuse them. We have six weeks.

To a Republican friend who was concerned about Obama's experience

Harley — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:09:52 EDT

This will be my one and only appeal... after which, I will never mention politics unsolicited again.

If experience is the issue that moves you, consider this...

If you look at the intelligence, vastness, efficiency and over all organizational quality of Obama's campaign in comparison not just to McCain, (who has led a unusually disorganized campaign thus far)... but also in comparison to political light weights, like the Clintons... I think it is an undeniable testament to his ability to lead. His organization is not "rhetorically good" or "sounds good" it is good. It's quite possibly the best run campaign in my lifetime... well... Reagan did a pretty good job... but I think you get the idea.

In addition, regardless of your general political views (mine not being terribly liberal to be perfectly honest) I feel that the last 8 years have been not only an embarrassment to our nation, but I believe, permanently scarring on almost every level. Russia is slipping back into the darkness, our international image is the worst it's been in my lifetime, Enemy states, for the first time have nuclear weapons (at lest N. Korea soon Iran) the war in Iraq has fueled terrorism instead of quelling it, and I don't need to tell you how our economy is doing under the guidance of the current administration.

All of this was not the result of just the failed polices of one man... G.W. I think it’s the Republican Party that has lost its way... and after such abysmal leadership they should not be given the reward of another presidency under any circumstances. As someone who has voted republican in the past, I can tell you that I would vote for my dog over ANY republican candidate in this election, because I think that the only way to make the party realize that it is accountable for it's mistakes and if we want a better republican party, its' not going to come from the people who are rallying to Sarah Palin... It is going to come from a chasten Republican Party that has to go back to it's roots and remember what it represents.

As for Obama, I think he has 2 things going for him that make him an exceptional candidate. One is that he represents, symbolically, to us and to the rest of the world, what is best about America. The idea that in America we are not bigoted and small... that we make horrible mistakes but correct them... we had a segregated country where blacks were relegated to the backs of busses, and less then 50 years later we could have a black president lead our nation. Only in this country is that possible, and that alone will go a long way to repairing our image in the world and reaffirm to our nation, that anything is possible.

The second thing is that he is young and good-looking. You think I am kidding, but I am dead serious. Think back to Kennedy. Why is he considered to be such a "great" president? In a lot of ways he wasn't... But he understood his generation and was able to push the nation forward during challenging times. An old president would have never desegregated the south, or gotten a man to the moon... done the things we needed to do, to move our nation into the modern world. Kennedy was young in a well-educated and worldly way, similar to Obama, not young in the Sarah Palin, well spoken but, arrogant, ill informed and overconfident, country, folksy kind of way.
And the good looking thing... think about it... What put the first real nail in the coffin of Communism? I don't think it was JFK's great policies. Honestly, I think it had more to with, the image he represented when he would travel around the world and everyone, in every gray, Communist country, saw what America's president looked like with his beautiful young wife. In comparison to short, fat, grim, Khrushchev and his babushka wife, it was clear that the American way was the way to go. You didn't need to understand Kennedy's policy's or even speak his language... he looked like everything you wanted the leader of the free world to look like... and people who were taught to hate America, secretly loved America, because they idolized him, they wanted to go t the place where people look like JFK and Jackie O.
Today have a new and equally dangerous ideological threat, the threat of terrorism... and a young, good looking, black American president, is the face that our nation needs to project, in order to win hearts and minds and keep us safe.

To end this novella I seem to have written, I will go back on your original issue, the risk of Obama's perceived inexperience. In comparison to the risk of 4 or 8 more years of the same policies that have gotten us into this mess, or 4 to 8 years of the unimaginable Palin (but statistically frighteningly likely) presidency, Obama is the clear choice for me.

That's it... I will never mention any of this again.

Obama: Save the Economy, Save the World.

A. Moses — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:32:37 EDT

We are facing the biggest challenge and perhaps the greatest opportunity to-date. And there is not much time to act on this.

The Republicans would like us to throw 700 Billion to 1 Trillion dollars at Wall Street to buy enough time to win the election, without solving the actual problems that got us here. We can't let them do that, but we can't let our markets fail.

BUT, Obama could show remarkable leadership and begin to iconify himself as a leader among leaders (the kind that may be seen in once a generation) by rallying the democratic side under his banner to modify the proposal to begin to fix the actual problems.

Now this proposal should obviously be constructed by economic advisors who understand the intricacies of the economy, but here are some basic suggestions:

1. Fix the cause of the problem
   The cause was housing prices falling and causing all this debt to become bad debt. We can fix a lot of the problem by increasing home values (a tall order, I know). This certainly wouldn't be easy but it might be possible if something totally new and unprecedented was attempted to limit what can happen to foreclosures.

   Adding new rules or a program to stop/limit foreclosures would also solve the problem from directly on Main Street. If Wall Street can feel confident that a house will be "insured" under a new program that helps the holding company prevent total loss and the homeowner loss of their home, you could end up solving the source of the entire economy problem!

   I'm a novice, but I like this method because it looks like it bypasses rewarding Wall Street with a Trillion dollars of tax money and it affects peoples lives directly and is clearly a solution to the average joe. (All they would hear is that, "Don’t worry about loosing your house, you just file for this program and you get on a government payment plan." or something like that).

   Again. I'm a novice, but I always thought that all that trumped up interest was just hooey anyway.

2. Restore Market Confidence
   This means finding a way to help the market feel better about the way things are going. This is a complicated thing. Republican side focused on just this where they come up with the justification for the 700 Billion. Instead of just throwing money at the problem my suggestion is to restore strict regulations. Maybe we can support some conditional bailouts to shore up the damage from the "lost interest" of a plan like I suggested in #1.
   But, and this is important, we can't let them "fix" the problem with the kind of suggested "Don't read - Just sign" plan. We could be in danger of letting another misguided "Patriot Act" type bill get through and screw us up further. We've got a limited control and they NEED us.

Mostly we need to just take charge of this situation. We need to own-it, get it fixed, and then finally attack McCain for being a major cause of all this. Even the Republicans are having a hard time supporting McCain's history on this disaster.

If Obama can Save the Economy and Save the World from a world-wide depression, he will instantly earn his wings as the experienced leader with expert judgment dispite what McCain has been trying to mock.

Finally, we can hit McCain with an offensive. Drive home that the "deregulation at all costs" is a bad approach and that McCain isn't really aware of what's going on (maybe go with the "old and confused" theme).

Then maybe we'll see not only the Presidency, but also a filibuster proof majority.

Obama is a Jock, a Doubly Marvelous, Mulatto Jock

moth — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:47:53 EDT

TIMING

Do not get me wrong. I never spent much time watching late night television. And I would be the first to resist the idea that late night TV, well, any TV, would be a place to develop the skill of Second Level Opinion.

But, I would be the first to suggest that cruising all sources for analytic fodder is favorable to chasing one’s own tale.

I fondly remember Johnny Carson, part time magician, flipping that pencil while admonishing, in his own inimitable manner of not admonishing, that it IS all in the timing.

Leadership and Experience: What History Tells Us

Adrian — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:40:12 EDT

It has become a topic of contention in this election that to become the President of the United States in these troubled times one must have experience. That a leader cannot lead unless he has had time to learn what is required of him. That a person with knowledge and skills of how to run our government is a more qualified then an individual who has not accumulated an arbitrarily chosen great amount of time serving our nation in Washington D.C.

If this is so, then the candidate we elect as our next president should be such a person.

Senior Senator Stephen A. Douglas and Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, two candidates in two separate and equally important elections, with experience and knowledge, working many years for our nation, were individuals such as these.

And yet, instead, we elected Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy respectfully.

They lacked experience and had only served in the Senate for a short time before they were nominate by their parties.

A lot can be said about experience, knowledge, and years of service, but sometimes that is not enough to hold a country together. Without a clear vision, a moral purpose, and a strong conscious and will to lead all that experience and knowledge is meaningless.

Note: What does this say about Sarah Palin? What about her lack of experience? We are not electing her as president, she is the running mate for her party’s choice. Does anyone remember Georgian Governor Herschel Vespasian Johnson, or Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (grandson of the Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr.)?

They were the running mates of the candidates who lost those elections mentioned above.

Of further note: For those who cringe at the idea of comparing Senator Obama with Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy, neither one was elected by a significant majority, nor were they very popular in their times. It was history, and the men who filled that office, that shaped our memories of these great presidencies.

One more note: Coincidentally, Lincoln, with his Emancipation Proclamation, and Kennedy initiating what became the Civil Rights Acts, made the nomination by the Democratic Party of Senator Barack Obama for the office president possible.

OBAMA AND WORLD OPINION

Global Symbolic Votes — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:36:40 EDT

In the eyes of the World Barack Obama has already won the election -- hands down. Actually, this statement is axiomatic in nature. It is not necessarily a truism. I have heard that roughly 70% to 80% of the global population would like to see Obama win the election. If this statement is deemed to be reasonably true, then why isn’t Obama further ahead in the polls?

Is racism playing a role here? Are we Americans inflicted with some type of unknown psychological genetic disorder? Are we inherently less intelligent than the global population in general? Are we masochistic and delusional in nature? Bill Clinton and the Democrats gave us prosperity and a balanced budget -- including a surplus. Do we want more of the same? No.

We Americans love our pain. We love the drama. We love the not knowing. That’s why we are here, doing exactly the same thing that we did when both Al Gore and John Kerry ran for President. Since it is clear that we love and need our pain, does this mean that we are stupid? No. It simply means that 70% to 80% of the global population for Obama is not masochistic.

An email that I received from a friend

Jill Michelle — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:52 EDT

I AM CONFUSED!

Once again, just providing info...

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack, you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well-grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 2 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* I f you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your broken and disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

* If your husband is nicknamed "First D ude", with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

One more argument that's full of holes

Shawna4Obama — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:32:47 EDT

If I hear one more person say that Sarah Palin has as much or more experience than Barack Obama, I’ll scream (again). It’s a completely ridiculous and false assertion.

You may be interested to see the factual, objective information I pulled on Obama’s and Palin’s experience. It completely blows away the false notion that they are equal in experience, or that Palin comes anywhere near.

See for yourself:

Resources for Debating

signsSansSignifieds — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:37:31 EDT

Courtesy of Daily Kos, here's a handy catalog of debating points for use in trying to convince people to vote for Obama.

NEW ISSUE: TRUST

Global Symbolic Votes — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:00:48 EDT

John McCain has been trying to hijack Barack Obama’s Change concept and he may have succeeded. In addition, he has stolen, and is now using, Obama’s phrase “Enough is enough.” Logic suggests that he is having difficulty formulating an independent thought or concept. Who knows, if we give him enough rope he may just hang himself.

Perhaps it is time to throw the Republicans a curved ball. It is slowing becoming common knowledge that they use lies, tricks and games to win elections. If true, the thinking mind begs to know what does one do with a public servant/government official who violates the public trust; i.e., who lies? Do we reward him or her and put them in higher office? Yes, twice.

It is time to introduce a new issue into the mix -- TRUST. It would be wise to do this now because John McCain needs more rope. TRUST is the most important issue of all and no one even talks about it. In such a volatile political climate -- one in which incorrect thinking dominates -- TRUST is not only an issue, it is perhaps THE issue.

Local Commentators Lying for McCain

C Jean — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:22:37 EDT

Today listening to my local news, I listened to these two political commentators take jabs at Barack Obama. It made me sick. Somehow they came up with a number to say that Barack Obama doesn't have enough experience to be President. They said he worked only 143 hours in the Senate and said that was less time than a kindergartner had to spend in school. Then they waved their hands around and said Barack Obama talked about Palin's inexperience, but that Palin had much more experience than Barack Obama because she was a mayor of Wasilla, and then governor of Alaska which gave her the administrative experience that Barack doesn't have.

Well what is an administrator. An administrator is an executive in charge of a project. He is a manager and an organizer. Barack Obama has organized a grassroots campaign that has swept the nation with many other grassroots organizers. And to say that Barack Obama doesn't have the experience is just a nasty way to put him down, because he has more experience than many presidents before him and certainly has better experience than McCain and Palin.

And experience isn't always the answer if you want to coin the word experience. How did experience get all these banks in trouble? President Bush had experience but where did that land us?

Maybe we should coin a new word like ability. Or what about wisdom, education, and knowledge. Certainly Barack Obama has more of all of these than McCain and Palin.

I am wondering how to get the local TV station to hire non-biased commentators. These two guys have been on there a long time. I've watched them for years. They often seem very knowledgeable, but now they seem to have lost their minds.

The one guy actually hung his head without looking at the camera, when he repeated the lies in some of McCain's vicious ads.

I believe they usually only speak a few minutes, but their comments against Barack Obama have become increasingly vicious. They sound like they are making fun of Barack and the Democrats.

UNBRIDLED GREED

Global Symbolic Votes — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:13:53 EDT

Today John McCain said, “We’re gonna put a stop to it.” It’s not about unbridled greed. It’s about unbridled insanity. Albert E. Einstein put it magnificently when he said that there are two things that are endless, human stupidity and the Universe. Whereby, I am not so sure about the latter. Now, McCain wants to put a stop to precisely that which he helped create. In other words, he wants to fix the barn door after the horses have already left.

But let’s get to the heart of the matter. Is it about greed or insanity? I do not know. What I do know is that, for all practical purposes, Einstein implied that humans are inherently stupid. Voting for John McCain and his “Reality Show” running mate would be like voting for Jim Jones -- nothing less than suicidal. The lies, tricks and games must end here, now. After the elections are over, we will know if American voters qualify as an exception to Einstein's rule.

How Much Does Gubernatorial Experience Really Matter? Lincoln & Washington Didn't Have it Either

Brian M Ross — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:35:06 EDT

The Obama Campaign likes to stick to substance, but if you really want to get the point across to a middle-aged population brainwashed on television sound bites that is not big on using the Internet to inform itself, they prefer the stick-to-your-brain snippet. Here is one:

Pull your Republican friends (Yes, you have some...) spouting the "Experience!" take when they mention McCain or Palin, or they ding Obama, and lay this on them:

Being a governor or a fomer warrior means a sum total of jack squat. History proves it.

Neither George Washington nor Abraham Lincoln Had Gubernatorial Experience.

Both were men who could think on their feet, just as Barack Obama has shown time and time again that he can do.

Qualifications Versus Experience

Tough Democrat — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:56:13 EDT

We've heard alot about experience during this presidential campaign. This candidate has x many years experience doing this and that one has y many years doing that. So let me ask a very fundamental question. What person on the face of the planet has the most relevant experience to carry out the duties of a President? One answer bubbles to the top of the list quite quickly for me and that is a Vice-President that is running for the office after the President they served with runs into a term-limit. Most recently, this would have been Al Gore. Which truly amazes me that Gore's campaign didn't focus on this more. I believe he was a bit too catious to reference President Clinton during his campaign for fear a certain White House Intern''s name would be brought up. But this is another topic for another day.

Then you end up with several other jobs that all sound like pretty good 2nds to me. You get the Governors who have executive experience but not much foreign policy experience. You get senators that have foreign policy experience but maybe not so much executive experience. And you get military leaders like Ike and General Wesley Clark that make great Commanders in Chief and leaders etc but are not so fluent in the political machine and media relations.

I think experience is one qualification for President but it is by no means the only one. When a President is sworn in during their inauguration they are asked to "...execute the office of president of the United States and to the best their abillity (paraphrasing) protect and defend the Constitution..."

Senator Obama has a Doctorate Degree in Law and taught Constitutional law at one of the most pristeigeous Law Schools in our country for a decade. How is this not an amazingly important qualification? Why do we let the experience discussions dominate our dialogue about relevant qualifications?

I encourage all voters to at a minimum, read the wikipedia entries for both Senators McCain and Obama and decide for themselves what things they have done in their past that give them qualifications to lead our country. I bet many voters would be suprised to learn that Senator Obama has been involved in Politics, Constitutioanl Law, and Legislative Government of various levels for 20 years.

Experience IS Judgment

Ken in Squirrel Hill — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:58:05 EDT

It really is the judgment, stupid.

Entrenched Washington politicians campaign for office by invoking their "experience and judgment" as critical qualifications for their candidacy. Until he hijacked Barack Obama’s theme of "Change," John McCain frequently insisted that he had the experience and judgment to be a better president than Obama. Notice that he and most other politicians seem to refer to "experience" and "judgment" as two separate, if related, qualifications. Experience can be seen as the sum of one’s contact with life events, while judgment is being able to make good decisions on important issues, which does seem different.

Yet, if you take a step back and consider what experience actually does for a politician (or anyone, for that matter), you will find yourself focusing on judgment. Think about it. Aside from creating fond or not so fond memories, what benefit comes from past experience, other than to improve one’s judgment when subsequently making decisions? Experience by itself is of no use unless it improves judgment. In other words, judgment is the conduit through which experience affects our actions.

But, having lots of experience does not mean one has better judgment. There is the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Working effectively with others to find common ground in developing solutions to problems can promote good judgment. On the other hand, searing tests of physical hardship at the hands of an enemy can distort one’s perception about how to react to subsequent enemies, leading to bad judgment.

Moreover, there are other influences on judgment, such as personality and intelligence. For example, impulsivity and a lack of intellectual curiosity can lead to a careless decision-making style that no amount of positive experience can fully overcome, resulting in poor judgment on important matters. (Obvious example: George W. Bush). Conversely, being even-tempered, curious, analytical, and socially skilled can enhance judgment despite limited experience (Example: Abraham Lincoln). Thus, knowing a politician’s lifetime experience does not fully inform the voter as to the source of the politician’s judgment; one has to take all the politician’s qualities into consideration. And, of course, the best gauge of judgment is the politician’s past record of decision-making when faced with important issues, like going to war.

So, from the standpoint of voters, whose lives are impacted by the actions of a politician, what else matters but that politician’s judgment—whether or not he or she makes good decisions on important issues? And why should the voter care if that politician’s judgment comes mostly from experience or mostly from other qualities? Soldiers killed in a stupid war endorsed by a politician with lots of experience are still dead.

As the late Randy Pausch, professor at Carnegie-Mellon University, said in his "Last Lecture", "Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want." [http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/. ] I am counting on John McCain getting lots of that kind of experience this fall.

The Double Standard Express

Dave R — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:39:44 EDT

Does the phrase 'I was for it before I was against it' sound familiar? It was used by the Republican's on Democratic candidate John Kerry in a previous election. That phrase alone was key to the demise of John Kerry. When Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was asked about the bridge to nowhere, ABC news September 15, 2008 stated 'she was for it before she was against it'. In another interview, Palin was asked about the Bush doctorine. Anyone in politics should know what the doctorine means even if we do not. It was so obvious that Sarah Palin did not know the facts, that NBC Saturday Night Live on September 13, 2008 used Palin's ignorance of the facts to open the show. The Republican's would go ballistic if Joe Biden made such a mistake. Barack Obama accurately uses change as a foundation for his message and now John McCain is using it as well. The words 'experience and judgement' were used against Barack Obama. Sarah Palin now makes 'experience and judgement' an acceptable talking point because she is a 'reformer'. Sounds like a double standard to me. John McCain said in September 2008 that 'The economy is fundamentally sound'. He abruptly reversed his position on the economy when he was informed of the seven hundred billion dollar economic bailout plan. If you are an undecided voter, please look at the facts and make an informed descision by voting for Barack Obama.

THE CULTURE WAR

Global Symbolic Votes — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:51:38 EDT

The Pundits keep talking about a Culture War. What we are talking about here is indeed a war. However, it is not a Culture War. It is the war that won’t go away -- the struggle between good and evil. It is the war that Mohandas K. Gandhi fought so magnificently and won. He came to this planet to teach us how to fight and win such wars but we will not listen. “The greatest blindness is the blindness of one who will not see. (Elizabeth Haich)

The Culture War is an illusion. The agents of evil keep duping us. They keep tricking us into fighting each other. As long as we do this we can’t focus on them -- the real enemy. This is Kinder logic. Who is the real enemy? I’ll tell you this. It is not McCain or Palin or even Bush.

Am I saying that McCain, Palin, Bush and their cronies are all inherently evil? No. I am saying that they are confused victims/pawns. We do not have to hate our extremist brothers, sisters and friends to defeat them. Gandhi said that, in the end, the British will simply pack their bags and leave India. And when they go, we want them to leave as friends.

So what do we do now? First we get back on message, stay focused on the real issues and avoid participating in, or contributing to, the Sarah Palin Reality Show. Secondly, we have to expose the lies, tricks and games perpetrated by the Republican Attack Machine. Thirdly, we have to identify and discredit the evil entities who manipulate the pawns.

In my blog dated September 10th, I wrote about Sarah Palin being a movie of the week phenomenon. Yesterday on CNN, Donna Brazile (Al Gore’s former campaign mgr.) referred to her as a “flavor of the month or week.” What a coincidence. It seems that at least someone in the hierarchy of the Democratic Party is listening. That’s a good sign.

A message for your Republican Friends: Pass it on...

Miguel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:23:38 EDT

Kathleen Reardon Posted September 12, 2008 | 03:04 PM (EST) Is It Sexist To Want The Person Flying The Plane To Be A Pilot?

With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification.

Women's progress at work and in government is critically important. We are not, after all, living in the Dark Ages. But, and this is a VERY IMPORTANT BUT, consider the following scenario.

You're about to board a plane and a flight attendant says, "Today as part of our responsiveness to customers program you may choose Mr. Jones here as co-pilot. He will fly the airplane should something go wrong with the pilot, who isn't at his best today. Mr. Jones has been a pilot for twenty years and has an impeccable record. He is, however, a man. Because you support the advancement of women in the workplace, we also have a woman here who is willing to fly your plane. She is not a pilot but she didn't blink when asked to do this and for the past week a team of experts has been talking to her a lot about how to fly."

Who would you choose? If you chose Pilot Jones, would that be sexist? Or would you simply not be a complete idiot?

Apply this to Sarah Palin. She has not spent time in Washington as a senator or a congresswoman. She has spent most of her life in Alaska. From her interview with Charlie Gibson, it is clear that she is proud of not blinking about making decisions that affect millions of lives. And she is uninformed about the workings of the U.S. government.

Personally I'd have nothing against Sarah running for a seat in the House or Senate. It's a reasonable next step. And were she blocked from this path because of her gender, disparaged and demeaned in the press, I'd be miffed for sure. That would be sexist.

But just because I'd like to go to NASA and tell them that by November I want to be an astronaut, doesn't mean they should hand over the space shuttle.

There is far too much at stake to put someone completely inexperienced in the ways of Washington and the world so close to the presidency. There's no excuse for it, really. John McCain should know that. That's not sexist; it's simply common sense.

Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.

Sarah Palin

With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification. Women's progress at work and in governme... With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification. Women's progress at work and in governme...

I Think I'm a Marine Biologist!

KG in Milwaukee, WI — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:09:57 EDT

I've always lived near Lake Michigan. In fact, I currently live within walking distance to America's largest body of freshwater. I guess that makes me qualified to be a marine biologist.

If you disagree with my absurd logic, just ask the Republicans about McCain's sidekick's foreign policy credentials...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/cindy-mccain-on-abc-today_b_122759.html

McCain derides Sarah Palin's experience

Rob — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:46:17 EDT

"I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time."

From Craig Newmark: http://www.cnewmark.com/2008/09/john-mccain-att.html

How can you be undecided??!!

Tanya0510 — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:43:50 EDT

I overheard someone at work speaking VERY loudly about McCain and Obama yesterday. He might of seen the Obama 08 shirt I was wearing, however; I couldn't make out what he was saying exactly because I was pretty far away, but I caught a few sentences. He said, "I don't have a problem with his skin color, but he doesn't have enough experience." What are people thinking?! How can anyone these days vote republican? The party is ancient... in the ideals the party members promote as well as their age. People once believed the earth was flat and even when it was proven to be round, there were those that still believed it was flat. That is a typical republican! How can anyone be undecided for this upcoming election?? Isn't it clear? The republican party does not support the American people, it supports corporations.

In regards to Obama and McCain, it is not about experience, it is about what KIND of experience! I don't think it is a problem that Palin has little experience. I think it is a problem that she wants to set back the women's movement and does not approach the world as it is today but as if she were living a hundred years ago. McCain has a lot of expereince, yes, but NOT the right kind of experience! A person's perspective and creativity in handling situations is not subject to age or amount of experience. You either have it or you don't, no matter if you just begun or have been doing it for 30 years. Obama HAS it! McCain just wants to preside over America with outdated views and beliefs.

If America is going to have two primary parties competing nationally, then they should be the democrats versus the greens. That seems more fitting for our world today. The democrats are more conservative and the greens are more progressive. The republicans are just backwards. It's time to phase them out! It's time for a REVOLUTION... a peaceful one!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." Ghandi

Outrageous Hypocrisy: Celebrity Sarah's Experience

Katie Loud — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:49:37 EDT

Has anyone else noticed that, with the addition of Sarah Palin to their ticket, the McCain campaign has now effectively endorsed the very things he castigated Barack Obama for not so long ago?

Take experience, for example. John McCain stated at a California rally, “For a young man with very little experience, he's done very well. For his very, very great lack of experience and knowledge of the issues, he's been very successful.”

After graduating from Columbia University, Obama worked as a community organizer before attending Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He worked as a civil rights attorney and a law school lecturer on the subject of constitutional law before being elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997. His keynote speech at the 2004 DNC catapulted Obama into the national spotlight, introducing him to the country as a unifier before becoming a United States Senator in 2005.

This little overview of Obama’s life shows someone willing to work hard to accomplish his dreams. His resume spans metaphoric miles—author, lawyer, business newsletter writer—in the way of most Americans. He has grown and changed over the years, willing to change positions when careful consideration convinces him that his way was not the best.

This is a stark contrast to Palin, whose “pro-life even in cases of rape or incest” stance is almost militant. Palin sees things as she sees them … and that’s that. No, being accused of “flip-flopping” will not be a serious problem for Palin. But maybe that’s the most frightening thing about her, beyond her lack of experience.

Sarah Palin’s experience begins with her third-place finish in the Miss Alaska pageant, a venture which more than likely prepared her for the cutthroat nature of politics if not knowledge that might prepare her for national office. Palin bounced around to four different colleges, eventually earning a degree in communications/journalism from the University of Idaho. She worked briefly as a sports reporter then for her husband’s fishing company before joining the city council then serving as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996 until 2002. Subsequent work included chairing the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission and co-directing a group championing Republican women in Alaska. Palin was elected Governor of Alaska in 2006.

Palin’s spotty employment record featuring virtually no substantive experience prior to her gubernatorial victory less than two years ago would mean little—she’s the veep candidate, after all, not running for president—if John McCain was a few years younger. And, of course, if the Republican party hadn’t based much of their criticism of Obama on his supposed lack of experience.

Then there’s the whole celebrity thing. According to Fox News, which of course has no reason to lie on this one, over 300,000 items featuring Ms. Palin have been put into circulation by internet t-shirt vendor Café Press as of yesterday. That’s just one company, too.

And it’s not just t-shirts. The Palin Parapharnalia has extended to bumper stickers, action figures, and—my personal favorite—thongs. Yes, I’m serious. The media is salivating over Palin, right-wingers and disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters are writing blogs extolling her virtues, and her trademark glasses have led to a Kawasaki 704 frenzy (incidentally, this alleged “Mom-next-door” pays $700 a pair for those babies).

And I’m left wondering how the McCain campaign has gotten away with the blatant hypocrisy of praising to the sky Sarah Palin, who epitomizes the very things of which they criticized Barack Obama.

Three random questions for Sarah Palin

Ken in Squirrel Hill — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:20:20 EDT

Three random questions for Palin:

1. Your ridicule of Obama's years as a community organizer, from 1985 to 1988, when he was in his mid-20s, makes as much sense as focusing on your time as a sportscaster at a two-bit TV station in the late 1980s, when you were also in your mid-20s. So, which of you was serving “a cause greater than yourself”, as McCain exhorted the country to do?

2. For 6 months, McCain has said that Obama was nothing more than a celebrity who knows how to give a good speech. After the whirlwind of the last two weeks, how does that same description not apply to you, in spades?

3. You claim an important qualification is that you have more "executive" experience than Obama or Biden, because you have been governor for 20 months of a state with a population smaller than the south side of Chicago. By that definition, you also have more executive experience than John McCain and John Kennedy. You also have more than LBJ, Ford, Nixon, and Bush Sr before they became VP. Does that mean you are more qualified than they were?

Obama v. Palin -- One Clear Winner on the Issue of Experience

Michelle — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:14:30 EDT

Lately, there's a lot of talk on whether or not Sarah Palin has the experience to be the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. Throughout the primaries and now in this presidential campaign, we have heard Obama attacked on whether he has the experience needed to run this country. Last night, in her speech, Palin mocked Obama's experience level and represented herself not only as being as experienced as Obama, but shockingly enough, more experienced than Obama. I thought it worthwhile to take a look at Palin's experience level as it compares to Obama so that you can decide for yourself. After all, the facts show the clear winner on the issue -- Obama.

Now, before we get into the facts and figures, some of you may be thinking -- it matters if Obama has the experience; he is running for President, leader of our country. Well, to those of you, I say that the Vice President is just as important of a post as that of President. Eight Vice Presidents, throughout our nation's history, have taken office after the death of the sitting President. If inaugurated, McCain would be the oldest President to serve our nation. With age come health problems -- he's already had 4 malignant melanomas, 4 kidney stones, takes medicine for high blood pressure, high lipids (cholesterol), prevention of blood clots, allergies and insomnia. Oh -- he was also a two-pack a day smoker for 25 years. (CNN, May 23, 2008) So yes, all in all, McCain is no sprightly youth with a clean bill of health; a vote for McCain is a vote for Palin as stand-in president. Same for Obama, of course. A vote for Obama is also a vote for Biden as stand-in president. Luckily, Biden has 36 years in the Senate, earning chairmanships of the Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees. This means when Biden entered the Senate Sarah Palin was a child of 8 years of age.

Palin's "Experience"

Palin's "Experience" in National Office:

Palin has no experience in national office. Before becoming governor in December 2006, she served as a council member and mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, which had a population of slightly more than 5,000 during her time in office. Obama, on the other hand, served nearly four years in the U.S. Senate after eight in the Illinois state Senate. Alaska is a much smaller state than Illinois -- Alaska has a population of 670,053 while Illinois has a population of 12,831,970. This means there are 19 times as many people living in Illinois as there are in Alaska -- the numbers speak for themselves.
<big><Strong> Palin as a Supposed "Community Organizer:"</big></strong>

In her speech last night, Palin mocked Obama for the time he spent as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago over two decades ago. Throughout our history, ordinary people have made good on America's promise by organizing for change from the bottom up. Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. Rather than mock the idea of community organizing, Sarah Palin should be thanking the women's suffrage movement and the community organizers that brought that change about -- without women being granted the right to vote, she would never be where she was last night, accepting her VP nomination.

More importantly, Palin attempted to elevate herself above Obama stating, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities." What Palin didn't say is that as a small town mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she may have been a community organizer to a little under 5,000 people -- there are high schools in Chicago with more people than Wasilla, Alaska but you don't see their principles being nominated for Vice President. Obama, on the other hand, has led Illinois in the state Senate and now in our nation's Senate for twelve years. He had been a community organizer in Chicago prior to that where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed. What Palin didn't say last night is that whereas she was a community organizer for under 5,000 people, Obama was a major community organizer in Chicago, the third most populous city in America with about 9.7 million people in the Chicago Metropolitan Area and one of the 25 largest cities in the world; he was also a community organizer over two decades ago, establishing a solid track record for 12 years since then in the State Senate and our U.S. Senate. I can see why she failed to mention this last part -- hard to elevate herself above Obama if she makes a true comparison, isn't it?

Palin - Least Experienced Ever:

If elected vice president, Palin would have the least amount of experience in federal office or as a governor since John W. Kern, Democrat William Jennings Bryan’s 1908 running mate, who had served for four years in the Indiana state Senate and then four more as city solicitor of Indianapolis. (Politico, August 30, 2008) Palin, by comparison is only a half-term governor of Alaska; she has only served 2 years as governor of our least populous state, a state that because of it's small population never has to deal with the issues that face our more populous states and, consequently, our nation.

Palin and Ethics

Despite her short stint as governor of Alaska, Palin has managed to already become the focus of a major state ethics investigation as part of the "Troopergate" scandal, a large controversy involving the firing of a state police chief and his reluctance to fire an Alaska state trooper, Palin's former brother-in-law who has been involved in a vicious custody fight with her sister. (Black Star News) Palin did acknowledge that her staff had contacted Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan about two dozen times about Wooten. (CNNPolitics, September 3, 2008)Interestingly enough, Monegan himself was fired "out of the blue" on July 11th, later stating that he was pressured by Palin's family and staff to get rid of Wooten, a trooper stationed in Palmer, Alaska. (MSNBC, August 29, 2008) There have been calls for Palin's impeachment as a consequence of her ethical violations as governor. Given that she has been able to do this much damage to her reputation in just under two years as governor of Alaska, can you imagine the ethical violations she could rack up if she were elected to serve as Vice President for four, or even worse, eight years? If by experience she means experience in violating the ethical rules set to safeguard our nation's citizens from more powerful political entities like herself, then yes, she is right, she has a lot of experience in that realm.

McCain has said "she's got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today." (Washington Post, August 29, 2008)Maybe McCain thinks we need someone with the "integrity" to be investigated for ethical violations by the state she's served as governor for a mere half term, but I think most Americans agree that "what we need in Washington today" is clearly not the "integrity" that Sarah Palin has shown to have.

And now for a comparison...

Obama's Experience (Facts and Figured Found Here)

Illinois State Senate:

In the Illinois State Senate, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans for eight years (4 times the amount of time Palin has served as governor) to help working families get ahead by formulating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided more than $100 million in tax cuts to families throughout Illinois. He also expanded early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases. Aid to families, reducing taxes, bettering education, protecting civil rights -- this is the experience that can lead our country in a positive direction in the future.

US Senate:

In the U.S. Senate, Obama passed his first law, across party lines, with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where each and every dime of their tax dollars are being spent. He has also been the leading voice in championing ethics reform that would eliminate Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress. Ethics reform, not ethics violations and ethics state investigations which seem to be Palin's affiliation with the word "ethics."

Foreign Relations:

Graduating from Columbia University with a degree in political science with a concentration in international relations, Obama has the education that sets the base for his experience.

In the U.S. Senate, Obama is unique among all Senators in serving on three of the four Senate Committees focused on foreign policy issues including the Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Veterans' Affairs committees and he serves as the Chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Relations which is responsible fore U.S. relations with European countries, the European Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO). When comparing Obama's foreign policy experience with other candidates for President, including John McCain and Hillary Clinton, there is no Senator except for Obama who serves on three of the four foreign policy-related committees

In addition to serving as Chair of the Subcommittee on European Relations, Obama also serves on the Subcommittees on African Affairs, East Asia and Pacific Affairs, and International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection. Because of this varied subcommittee experience, Obama, unlike John McCain or Sarah Palin, has clear and concrete knowledge about Asian, African and European issues.

Moreover, Obama has traveled extensively in his capacity as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and has visited Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan in Asia; Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, and the Palestinian Territories in the Middle East; and Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa in Africa. As a result of his travels, Obama has co-sponsored the "Lugar-Obama Act" with Republican Senator Richard Lugar, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations at the time, an bi-partisan effort to increase U.S. security by working to eliminate conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

Obama sponsored legislation such as the "Democratic Republic of Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," which President Bush signed into law on December 22, 2006. Obama also co-sponsored bills related to imimigration as part of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, including the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. His vast foreign policy experience exceeds that of McCain and Palin as does his level of travel abroad in the performance of his official duties as a member of committees focused on foreign relation matters.

Ethics:

Because we know what we think about when we hear "Palin" and "ethics" in the same sentence (think: "Troopergate"), I thought it wise to examine Barack Obama's link to "ethics." Obama co-sponsored a bill which was signed in September creating a federal spending database allowing users on the Internet to track all grants, loans and awards exceeding $25,000. Obama also pushed to limit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) authority to award open-ended, no-bid contracts in the aftermath of major disasters, a direct reaction to abuses occuring after Katrina. Ethics reform was also one of Obama's main focuses in the Illinois State Senate. Beyond the Gift Ban Act, he helped push Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich's 2003 ethics reforms. The Gift Ban Act was the first broad ethics reform in Illinois since the Watergate era, and it prohibited politicians from using campaign funds for personal use, outlawed fundraising on state property, created ethics commissions, restricted fundraisers in Springfield during legislative sessions and demanded online reporting of campaign finances. When we hear a presidential candidate's name along with the word "ethics" this is what we want to hear -- "ethics reform."

Conclusion

If these facts and figures on Obama's experience had ever made it into Sarah Palin's speech last night, she would have looked like a child comparing herself to an elder statesman. It's clear that her experience is paltry in comparison, her foreign policy and national security background virtually nonexistant and her belief in her ability to lead this country, unfounded and overconfident at the expense of the American people. As such, I remind you that in 60 days, you should cast your vote for not only the voice of change, because we are not voting on rhetoric alone, but the man with the twelve years of experience leading a state with a popluation 19 times the size of Alaska and with 19 times the number of pressing issues as Alaska, backed by a Vice presidential candidate with 36 years of Senate experience (remember, when Biden took his seat in the Senate, Palin was eight years old!). Enough said.

The "Experience" Nonsense

Rachel from Columbus, GA — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:38:06 EDT

Let's cut down this "experience" nonsense once and for all. All the major candidates were senators, and with good reason. A careful reading of the Constitution will show you that our Founders intended the Senate to be the more studious, mature branch of Congress. Senators deal with the highest level of national policy, debating things that affect everyone in the United States, like defending us from attack, federal tax and benefit programs, and maybe someday universal free healthcare like other civilized nations have.

The office of President is a federal office, meaning that it deals with national issues that affect everyone, no matter what state you live in. It is not the duty or responsibility of state officials to seriously study and debate these national issues -- they are elected to focus on the people of one state only. The state experience Sarah Palin has is worthless on a national stage, no matter how valuable it may have been to the state citizens who received her oil revenue bonus checks.

Why would John McCain pass over so many Republican women with Senatorial or other National experience, such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, the most senior female Senate Republican, or Condoleeza Rice, who at least has met many foreign leaders and is familiar with the basics of world events? Quite frankly, I think it was sexism. I believe John McCain chose Sarah Palin because she looks good on TV. Tina Fey! Sexy Librarian! Short skirt!

Well, shame on you, McCain. I don't suppose the Senate is going to be a very comfortable place for YOU come November. If I were one of the Senate Republican women, I'd never speak to you again. They put in their time fighting for your party all these years, and in the end you reveal to them that really, you still only value women for their looks. How exactly do you plan to soothe the "old battle axes" when you get off the campaign trail and back to work at the Senate? Another oafish comment using the C-word or "trollop"? Bah!

Barack Obama took just the right tone yesterday in his speech in Virginia. Enough is enough! No, being a state governor is not nearly the same level of experience as being a senator, one of the 100 most powerful people in the world. State governors speak for their state. Senators speak for us all, the United States of America. Simply preparing to become a senator is far more challenging than anything Sarah Palin has ever done in her life, including her "heroic" flight from Texas to Alaska to give birth in her home state. Could there be any clearer proof that Governor Palin is all about Alaska, not America? I don't think so.

The Question of Experience

JP in GloVA — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:12:51 EDT

Barack Obama’s experience has been challenged since the earliest days of his campaign. Now, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, is facing the same attacks. They are being constantly compared by the press and pundits on the issue of experience. To be honest I don’t understand the logic of the attack in either case. Both of these candidates have the experience of their 40+ years on earth.

What experience is necessary to hold the office of President of the United States? It’s a unique position. Time spent in Washington is going to expose a candidate to some of the subtle mechanics of the office. But the winner of the election is going to be able to build a cabinet in which he can bring that kind of experience. What matters to me when I vote for a president is the type of decision that person will make when faced with the critical questions of the day. You don’t need half a lifetime in Washington to have left a pretty clear record of your decisions, positions and opinions. When I look at the life experiences of all the candidates, I am left with no question as to who I feel is capable of making the right decisions and leading the free world in the right direction, of strengthening our economy, our security, and still preserving our rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Barack Obama’s experience is a lifetime of making the ethical decision rather than the profitable decision. He had the clear potential to amass great wealth, but he chose a life of public service instead. And the public he served was not the wealthiest five percent of the public. He served the least advantaged, the most in need. His life experience is the reason his words seem so genuine. His amazing oratory would be hollow were it not backed up by an entire life working towards those same goals he now holds for himself as President.

The Republican Party is currently running on the merits of their vice-presidential candidate rather than their actual candidate. Sarah Palin leaves a clear record as well. Her life experience tells me much about her. Her positions have been at the most extreme right of the Republican Party throughout her career. She believes in no abortion under any circumstances, yet cut funding for a home for unwed mothers. She belongs to a church that practices “praying straight,” in which they send their gay children to brainwashing camps, and supports a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. She hired lobbyists to bring pork barrel money to her state as governor, yet boasts of being against pork barrel spending. She endorses the maximum exploitation of the natural resources over which she has stewardship. She boasts of fighting corruption in government, while she in under investigation for taking out family vendettas against state employees, and apparently pays herself for staying at her own home while she is away from the capital. While mayor, a separatist group seeking to remove Alaska from the United States held a convention in her town, and she made the decision to attend their meeting to welcome them rather than to decry their organization publicly (and this is her version of the story). And she claims that Iraq is a holy war, in which we are fulfilling God’s plan for Iraq and the Middle East.

Both of these candidates have plenty of experience in my eyes. Barack Obama’s experience convinces me he will make the ethical decisions, for the good of the majority of Americans. And Sarah Palin, who is apparently now his opponent, has experience that assures me that she will make all the same, right wing decisions that have been the pattern of the Bush administration, and almost exclusively for the good of the wealthiest five percent. More of the same!

Palin Essay

Mel — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:24:05 EDT

The essay below was forwarded to me yesterday. The author, Anne Kilkenny, has been interviewed and quoted in the New York Times and other papers.

Who is going to answer the phone at 3:00 in the morning McCain or Palin?

LaSharon from Irving, TX — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:44:15 EDT

The McCain campaign was running ads that stated that Barack Obama is not experienced enough to answer the red phone at 3:00 in the morning. Well, the way their campaign has allowed Sarah Palin to take center stage as though she is the top of the ticket, will she have a rollaway bed placed in McCain's bedroom so she can answer the red phone at 3:00 in the morning? John McCain clearly picked this woman, with little or questionable experience, to get media attention and try to pitifully win over former Hillary Clinton supporters. I think that this was a desperate and petty move on his part. I don't believe that Hillary Clinton supporters are going to fall for this obvious farce. She has nothing even close to Hillary Clinton when it comes to experience or strength. How dare she get up there and let the George W. Bush speech writing team write her into a corner by making fun of Barack Obama's experience and record as a community organizer. How does she think grass roots began? This never done before grass roots success that his campaign has become is a result of his experience as a community organizer. Her remarks at the RNC were offensive, sarcastic, and totally useless in letting people know where their party stands on issues. How convenient because she had no new ideas to speak of. Women, Republicans, and undecided voters are supposed to be impressed because she can play the dozens, because she can hurl insults that she read from a teleprompter? The surrogates who are defending her can only point to the fact that she is a soccer mom, that she put a plane up for auction on Ebay, and that she was mayor of a small town. Oh, and lets not forget one of the most popular governor's in the United States. Big surprise, since most of the state is comprised of men looking at an ex-beauty queen. If I were these ladies, I would be very embarrassed to only have these attributes to speak of on national media outlets such as CNN. They talk as if they know her personally. I hope they don't end up eating crow for breakfast after Palin actually starts talking to the media and more information comes out on her. Remember, she is still under investigation. After awhile, McCain may start to wonder how much of a Maverick he truly was in picking her. He better hope that his party does not come up with new rules and make him the Vice Presidential nominee instead of the Presidential nominee! Now wouldn't that be something for the history books or in her case the she-story books!

McCain's Dangerous Choice

SoFlaDiva — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:41:27 EDT

If elected, McCain would be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.
Huh?
Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:

She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.1
Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.2
She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3
Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.4
She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.5
She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.6
How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.7

This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.
We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:

She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK

She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK

As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK

Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK

She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK

I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK

So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.
In picking Sara h Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.
In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.
Thanks for all you do.
–Ilyse, Noah, Justin, Karin and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
2. "McCai n Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=1
3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=2
4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=3
5. "Palin buys clima te denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=4
6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=5
"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=6
"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=7
7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-9643304-.IYjjnx&t=8

10 Reasons I'm Supporting Obama

Elana Fertig — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:11:27 EDT

1. Obama was a lecturer in constitutional law at one of the most respected law schools in the country, University of Chicago and was the president of the Harvard Law Review. Both of these positions require high grades and achievements while in law school and take a top level intellect. He has backed these positions up with 10 productive years in both local and national politics, with state and federal service.

2. Obama recognizes the important of federal ethics and public accountability. His first task as a new senator was to bring an ethics reform bill to the senate and in 1998 passed the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. He also reached across the aisle and with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) passed a law to create a Google-like search engine to allow the public to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and loans online. Having previously worked for a government contractor, I recognize the necessity of having both public and government oversight to avoid million dollar hammers.

3. Obama is surrounding himself with experts with diverse opinions to get a broad view on all the issues. He expects and inspires a healthy and productive dialog among people with differing opinions that produces cogent, well thought out, and productive actions and policies. Moreover, his superb communication skills enable him to explain these complex ideas to the general public and inspire action in otherwise apathetic groups of people. This has been exemplified in how much he has inspired the youth of this country. Also, though a religious man , Obama recognizes the sanctity of the separation of church and state and refuses to change his principles to appeal to the religious right in his attempts to court their votes. Moreover, he refuses to let religion play a role in education, promising science-based education and more realistic sex education.

4. Even Americans like myself with insurance covered by employers are feeling the effects of rising medical costs. Obama has a carefully constructed a health care plan that would oversee insurance companies to reduce costs and provide health care for those who cannot afford it (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/) In 2003, Barack Obama sponsored and passed legislation that expanded health care coverage to 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In the U.S. Senate, Obama cosponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage. He also understands the need for women's health care, and in Illinois and Washington and has created a task force on cervical cancer, provided greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helped improve prenatal and premature birth services.

5. Obama has first hand experience devising solutions for the less fortunate that empower them to build themselves up through work opportunities, not merely accept a check from the government. He is back ing this commitment up with ideas to support parents through reasonable health care and day care plans that would enable parents to better balance work and family. On a state level, Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.

6. Obama recognizes the importance of strong public education to put future generations of Americans at the same level as their international counterparts and to have opportunities in a society with increasingly fewer "blue collar" jobs. He has promised to fund all levels of education, from zero to five early education to supporting more student loans and need based assistance at the university level. He has promised to back this up by recruiting more teachers, and paying them the salaries they deserve for all the hard work that they put in. This area is one of Obama's greatest strengths politically. In the Illinois State Senate, Obama was a leader on early childhood education, helping create the state's Early Learning Council. In the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leader in working to make college more affordable. His very first bill sought to increase the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,100. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, Obama helped pass legislation to achieve that goal in the recent improvements to the Higher Education Act. Obama20has also introduced legislation to create Teacher Residency Programs and to increase federal support for summer learning opportunities.

7. Obama listens to scientists in his policies, including support for stem cell research and science based education, not biblical public education. He is also pushing for more funding for science research and education, which have historically been responsible for many of America's accomplishments and status internationally.

8. Obama has strong environmental policies, and is pushing for additional jobs and national security through funding of real alternative energy policies. His policies are based on the scientific necessities outlined in the Nobel Prize winning International Panel on Climate Change document. Though this document is controversial in the media, speaking as a PhD scientist in Numerical Weather Prediction, I can verify that this document is well accepted within the meteorology, environmental science, and broader scientific community. Because of the importance of these environmental issues, Obama has not succumbed to short-term and short-sighted bandaids like a gas tax holiday or off shore drilling.

9. In spite of the rumors to the contrary, Obama has been consistently strong on Israel, introducing the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007, co-sponsoring the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, and publicly supporting Israel in its war against Hezbollah. Though he has been outspoken against the war in Iraq, Obama recognizes the=2 0need for force in the fight against terrorism, and is calling for our forces to be redeployed in Afghanistan, where the Taliban and Al Quada are alive and well. Moreover, he's also willing to negotiate with our enemies with much needed dialog and has no intentions of acting as a unilateral force.

10. It seems very likely that the next president will have the opportunity to appoint two supreme court judges in his next term. Obama has pledged to appoint scholars of the constitution and people not swayed by political hot issues like abortion. While I have tried to keep this positive for Obama, I must mention here that in an appeal to the religious right, McCain has pledged to appoint judges who will overturn Roe vs Wade, even in cases of rape and incest. Any moderate should think carefully about this before voting McCain and remember this is a life time appointment that has far longer lasting consequences than any actions of an individual president.

community organizer is the experience we NEED

Mary from Glen Ellyn, IL — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:41:21 EDT

Being a community organizer is fantastic preparation for being President. Being in the military is much less appropriate. Here's why:

A military commander can order subordinates what to do and they do it. A community organizer can't tell people what to do, he/she has to inspire them and persuade them to work voluntarily for change. Our country faces, in the long term, many grave dangers and problems. Only a person who can inspire people--from different backgrounds--to work together and MAKE SACRIFICES can help us overcome the troubles that we will face in this century.

The work of the President to LEAD the country is best undertaken by someone who has been a community organizer.

Republicans' definition of "readiness and experience"

Andreaus from Petaluma, CA — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:03:06 EDT

As many of you who might be reading this article know that John McCain and his fellow Republicans have been repeatedly attacking Obama for "lack of experience and readiness", and they continue to do so after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the Republican National Convention (RNC). I suppose you might say that they are vastly overwhelmed by Obama's impressive speech, and that their only reaction would be thusly. However, I believe the GOP has their own vocabulary: "to be ready and experienced means you need to endorse President George Bush's failed policies for 4 more years and not discuss the plans for the future". If you look in a dictionary, it defines "ready" and "experienced" on behalf of everyone including Barack Obama. Clearly, based on his eloquent speeches I have watched, he can plan ahead for the future of our economy, and surprisingly, from what I read in The Audacity of Hope, Obama has been in the White House before. McCain also has been in the White House, but for those 26 years of serving as a senator, he simply cannot formulate plans that would work in favor of all of us. I assume that McCain's voting with George Bush more than 90-95% of the time serves as his training ticket to be the "best" president.

Palin Interview: Letter senders needed. Please Help

BJ from Tallahassee, FL — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:23:44 EDT

We need to stand up and make our voices heard. I need for you to reach within your gut, and sent a message to the media that we respectfully ask for due diligence of Sarah Palin. Some of us have gotten together and have already send out the first round, but it is going to take a lot more of us to make a statement. We have to bombard the media with Facts. We have voter registrations across the country being cast aside by various states, particurlary with Republican run governors.

Are we going to sit silently and moan and not challenge reporters to fair and equitable coverage?

Are we defeatests or are we victors?

I believe, as well as Senators Obama and Biden, we are victors.

Please stand up with me and do the following:

1. You may sign letter enclosed below in its entiretly and send to the media individually, or you may call upon every supportive person you know to sign the email collectively by including them in the CC: address line when sending the letter

2. Copy the enclosed letter in it's entirety and draft a new email and replace my name with your own.

3. Add the following to the TO: address line:
nightline@abcnews.com, 2020@abc.com, netaudr@abc.com, thisweek@abc.com, abcboard@abc.virginia.gov, wnn@abcnews.com, support@abcnews.go.com; tblake@thepolitico.com, letters@newsweek.com, national@washpost.com, hardball@msnbc.com, thisweek@abc.com, scams@cbsnews.com, letters@msnbc.com, letters@time.com, 60M@cbsnews.com, newseditor@MAIL.CNN.COM, managing-editor@nytimes.com, missioncalendar@oprah.com, charlierose@pbs.org, public@nytimes.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, larry.king.live@cnn.com, NBC_MeetThePress_NewsMail@MSNBC.COM, Dateline@NBCUNI.com, joe@msnbc.com, crossfire@cnn.com, evening@cbsnews.com, steve.capus@nbc.com, thedailyshow@comedycentral.com, mailings@mail.cnn.com, FNS@foxnews.com, me@glennbeck.com, loudobbs@mail.cnn.com, 2020@abc.com, phil.griffin@nbc.com, situationroom@mail.cnn.com, letters@usnews.com, dsaunders@sfchronicle.com, readers.rep@latimes.com, wnt@abcnews.com, weekends@cbsnews.com, abcboard@abc.virginia.gov, HeraldEd@miamiherald.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, netaudr@abc.com, executive-editor@nytimes.com, larryking@mail.cnn.com, KAC@cbsnews.com, colmes@foxnews.com, ombudsman@washpost.com, Comments@foxnews.com, casey.wian@turner.com, nightline@abcnews.com, dabrooks@nytimes.com

4. Keep circulating this and ask supporting friendss to do the same.

PLEASE HURRY and SREAD THE NEWS ANYWHERE YOU CAN

THANKS!

BJ ALAN

______________________________________________________________________________________

RE: DUE DILIGENCE OF GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN, ALASKA

Dear ABC, Charlie Gibson, et al:

Since learning that Governor Sarah Palin has granted ABC's Charlie Gibson her first television interview since her VP nomination, we request, in good faith, that your constituents adhere to an objective, a fair and factual interview of Governor Palin.

For example, in ABC's April 16, 2008 coverage of the Clinton-Obama debate, Charlie Gibson defended his scrutiny of Senator Barack Obama's patriotism by stating: ""It comes up again and again when we talk to voters. And, as you may know, it is all over the Internet."

We commend ABC for listening to the voters on April 16, 2008, and now we ask that ABC listens to the voters today, September 8, 2008, and adequately ask Governor Palin---upon interview---precise, unadulterated questions while requiring that the Governor gives unambiguous, un-watered down, and non-deceptive answers to voters' concerns that come "up again and again" and that are "all over the internet".

Case in point: During Governor Palin's acceptance speech, she asserted:

"...I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress -- I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said we'd build it ourselves."

It is not the earmarks that upset voters the most; it is the deception, the disingenuousness, the documented lies about Palin's stance on earmarks as well as other issues, that infuriates us more, and it brings ethics and judgment to the forefront. Thus, we are counting on your wisdom and professional journalistic due diligence in this interview to keep voters informed.

We also enclosed a list of grave voter concerns as detailed on Think Progress' website for your review, and we ask that these issues are thoroughly addressed during this interview, and all others with the McCain campaign.

Thank you for your attention as we await what should be a fair and objective Palin interview on the matters mentioned below, without bias or partisan favor.

Respectfully,

BJ Alan,
Serving as Proxy to all emails included in the CC address, excluding media and politicians

CC: Media: tblake@thepolitico.com, situationroom@mail.cnn.com, missioncalendar@oprah.com, larryking@mail.cnn.com, thedailyshow@comedycentral.com, thisweek@abc.com, wnt@abcnews.com, larry.king.live@cnn.com, casey.wian@turner.com, loudobbs@mail.cnn.com, 60M@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, crossfire@cnn.com, letters@newsweek.com, letters@usnews.com, charlierose@pbs.org, colmes@foxnews.com, FNS@foxnews.com, letters@msnbc.com, abcboard@abc.virginia.gov, Dateline@NBCUNI.com, dabrooks@nytimes.com, phil.griffin@nbc.com, managing-editor@nytimes.com, executive-editor@nytimes.com, steve.capus@nbc.com, hardball@msnbc.com, readers.rep@latimes.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, Comments@foxnews.com,

CC: Politicians: barack_obama@obama.senate.gov, joseph_biden@biden.senate.gov

Enclosures:

As per http://thinkprogress.org/

ON FOREIGN POLICY

Palin Hasn’t Given The War In Iraq Much Thought. Palin told the Alaska Business Monthly, “I’ve been so focused on state government, I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place.” [Alaska Business Monthly, 3/1/07] Palin Has Never Been To Iraq. In her only trip overseas, Palin visited Al aska National Guard troops stationed in Kuwait and Germany in July 2007. [AP, 7/25/07] Palin Believes That The Iraq War Is A Task ‘From God.’ Speaking at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June, Palin said that “our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.” [Huffington Post, 9/2/08] Palin Believes The Iraq War Was Fought Over Oil. “We are a nation at war and in many [ways] the reasons for war are fights over energy sources,” Palin told BusinessWeek in an interview. [BusinessWeek, 8/29/08] Palin Didn’t Have A Passport Until 2007. Palin first obtained a passport in July 2007 for her trip to Kuwait and Germany to visit Alaska National Guard troops. Her only other trip outside of the United States was to Canada. A Palin spokeswoman had previously said that Palin had also been to Ireland, although it was actually just a “refueling stop” on her Germany/Kuwait trip. [New York Times, 8/29/08; Politico, 9/2/08] ON EARMARKS Palin Supported The Bridge To Nowhere. During her unveiling as McCain’s running mate, Palin claimed that she said, “Thanks, but no thanks” to federal funding for the Bridge to Nowhere. But in her 2006 campaign for governor, Palin repeatedly expressed support for the bridge project, saying Alaska should take advantage of earmarks “while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.” [Anchorage Daily News, 10/22/06; Ketchikan Daily News, 8/9/06, 11/21/06] Palin Obtained $27 Million In Earmarks As Mayor Of Wasilla. As mayor of Wasilla, AK, Palin “hired a private lobbyist to help the tiny town secure earmarks from [S en. Ted] Stevens.” “The town obtained 14 earmarks, totaling $27 million between 2000-2003.” [Associated Press, 9/3/08] ON THE ENVIRONMENT Palin Denies Man-Made Global Warming. When asked for her “take on global warming,” Palin replied, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 08/29/08] Challenging ‘Uncertain Climate Models,’ Palin Is Suing To Lift Protected Status For Polar Bears. After a multi-year court battle, the Bush administration recognized in 2008 that polar bears are threatened with extinction by global warming. Announcing Alaska’s suit to block the listing, Palin said, “We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models.” [Reuters, 5/22/08] Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as an added incentive to increase their kills,” soon overturned by the Alaska State Court. [Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Anchorage Daily News, 3/31/07] ON ENERGY Palin Is A Top Arctic Wildlife Refuge Drilling Advocate. Palin said she thinks McCain is “going to evolve into, eventually, supporting ANWR opening also” and “I’d like the opportunity to get to change his mind about ANWR.” [Kudlow & Co., 6/25/08] Palin Opposes Lieberman’s Bill To Prevent Arctic Refuge Drilling. In a letter to Congress opposing the Arctic Wilderness Act (S. 2316), Palin wrote that “as a citizen of the United States” she believes “development [of the Refuge] should be authorized.” [Letter to Sen. Akaka, 11/9/07] Palin Dismisses Alternative Energy. Palin said that “Congress needs to lift the ban on drilling” because “alternative-energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop.” [Charleston Post and Courier, 8/16/08] Palin Believes It Is ‘God’s Will’ To Build A Natural Gas Pipeline. Speaking to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June, Palin said, “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,” referring to a $30 billion national gas pipeline project. [Huffington Post, 9/2/08] ON BIG OIL Palin’s First Statewide Campaign Was Fueled By Veco. “While mayor of Wasilla, Palin ran for lieutenant governor in 2002. She gathered $5,000 — or about 10 percent of her campaign fund — from Veco officials or their wives along the way.” [Anchorage Daily News, 9/6/06] Palin’s Inauguration Was Sponsored By BP. Beyond Petroleum Exploration Inc. is listed by the Alaska Inaugural Committee as a sponsor of Palin’s 2007 Governor’s Balls. [Alaska Inaugural Committee] ON SCIENCE Palin Supports Teaching Creationism In Public Schools. In a 2006 gubernatorial debate,=2 0Palin “said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state’s public classrooms.” [Anchorage Daily News, 10/27/06] ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS Palin Is A Member Of Anti-Abortion Group Feminists For Life. Palin is a member of an “anti-abortion group called Feminists for Life.” When running for governor in 2002, she “sent an e-mail to the anti-abortion Alaska Right to Life Board saying she was as ‘pro-life as any candidate can be’ and has ‘adamantly supported our cause since I first understood, as a child, the atrocity of abortion.’” [Anchorage Daily News, 8/6/08] Palin Opposes Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape Or Incest. In 2006, Palin said that even if her daughter were raped, “I would choose life.” She said that she would support abortion only if the mother’s life were in danger. [Anchorage Daily News, 11/3/06] Palin Slashed Funding To Help Teenage Mothers. Earlier this year, Palin used a line-item veto “to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers i n need of a place to live.” Funding for Covenant House Alaska, which provides transitional housing for teen mothers, was cut by 20 percent — from $5 million to $3.9 million. [Washington Post, 9/3/08] Palin Supports Abstinence-Only Policies. In 2006, the Eagle Forum Alaska asked Palin whether she would “support funding for abstinence-until-marriage education.” Palin replied, “Yes, the explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support.” [Politico, 9/1/08] Palin Supports Parental Consent Laws For Minors Seeking Abortions. According to the Anchorage Daily News, Palin was “disappointed lawmakers let a bill die requiring girls under 17 to get parental consent for an abortion. ‘My belief is parents have the right to know about the health and welfare of their children,’ she said.” [Anchorage Daily News, 8/14/08] ON ETHICS Palin’s Lobbyist Had ‘Close Ties’ To Don Young, Ted Stevens. “As mayor of Wasilla, however, Palin oversaw the hiring of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh, an Anchorage-based law firm with close ties to Alaska’s mos t senior Republicans: Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on charges of accepting illegal gifts.” [9/2/08] Palin’s Lobbyist Was Part Of ‘Team Abramoff.’ Steven Silver, the lobbyist Palin hired as Wasilla Mayor, also listed Jack Abramoff’s lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig, as a client. Silver lobbied on issues similar to those headed up by Abramoff, including “Indian/Native American policy” and “legislation relating to gaming issues.” [TPMmuckracker, 9/2/08; Washington Post, 9/2/08] Palin Served As Director Of ‘Ted Stevens Excellence In Public Service’ 527. Palin’s name was listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the “Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.,” a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. She also “served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.” [Washington Post, 9/1/08] State Employee Charged Palin With Ethics Violation. A state employee filed an ethics complaint alleging Palin tried to secure a job for one of her supporters. The complaint accused Palin and her top staffers of “breaking executive ethics branch and hiring rules. It centers on the hiring of surveyor Tom Lamal, who once co-hosted a Palin fundraiser, for a state right-of-way agent job in Fairbanks.” [Anchorage Daily News, 9/7/08] Palin Forced Top Wasilla Employees To Resign As Loyalty Test. As Mayor of Wasilla in 1998, “asked all of the city’s top managers to resign in order to test their loyalty to her administration.”[Daily Sitka Sentenial, 10/28/06] Palin Fired Police Chief For Not Fully Supporting Her. After becoming Mayor of Wasilla, Palin fired the city’s police chief, Irl Stambaugh, writing, “I do not feel I have your full support in my efforts to govern the city of Wasilla. Therefore I intend to terminate your employment.” Stambaugh charged that Palin fired him “because he stepped on the toes of Palin’s campaign contributors, including bar owners and the National Rifle Association.” [Anchorage Daily News, 2/1/97; ABC News, 9/3/08] 0A Palin Used Mayoral Office Resources For Campaigning. During her 2002 campaign for lieutenant governor, Palin ordered campaign materials from City Hall, had them delivered there, and used city employees on city-aid time to arrange campaign events. According to the Anchorage Daily News, there was “no indication she repaid the city for the incidental expenses the city incurred.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/21/06] ON TROOPERGATE Ousted Former State Official Accused Palin Of Pressuring Him To Fire Trooper. Palin allegedly “tried to get a state trooper fired and she then fired the trooper’s boss because he wouldn’t act on her request.” Palin’s sister was involved in a “bitter child custody battle” with the trooper. [Anchorage Daily News, 7/18/08] Palin’s Intial Denials Of Interference In Firing Were Proven False. Palin “previously said her administration didn’t exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten,” but “an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister.” The McCain campaign now says Palin’s husband and members of her staff had made inquiries “about the appropriate Dep artment of Public Safety procedures for dealing with someone they considered a dangerous person and rogue trooper.” [Anchorage Daily News, 8/14/08, 9/02/08] Palin’s Lawyer In Investigation Is Also Her Personal Attorney. Thomas V. Van Flein, the lawyer Palin hired to defend her in the trooper investigation, is “representing Palin both personally and in her official capacity as governor.” The AP noted, “Depending on where the investigation leads, that could put him in a difficult situation if Palin’s interests and the interests of the public office diverge.” [AP, 9/02/08] Palin Has Refused To Release E-mails, Citing ‘Executive Privilege.’ Palin has refused to release e-mails requested by the state’s trooper union, citing executive privilege. Questions have been raised, however, as to whether these documents are actually related to official business, since her husband was copied on some of them. [KTUU, 8/6/08; TPMmuckraker, 9/1/08] ON THE RADICAL RIGHT Palin Cheered On the A laskan Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin “told members of the Alaskan Independence Party” — who advocate for a vote on secession from the union — to “keep up the good work” and “wished the party luck on what she called its ‘inspiring convention.’” Palin and her husband attended the party’s convention in 2000, and “for all but two months from 1995 to 2002, the governor’s husband was registered as an Alaskan Independence Party member.” George Clark, the vice chair of the party, claims that Palin was a member of the party “before she got the job as a mayor of a small town.” The McCain campaign denies the charge. [LA Times, 9/3/2008; ABC News, 9/1/2008] Palin Welcomed The Hard-Right Candidacy Of Pat Buchanan. Palin reportedly supported Pat Buchanan’s 1999 presidential bid. When Buchanan visited Alaska in 1999, “[a]mong those sporting Buchanan buttons were Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and state Sen. Jerry Ward, R-Anchorage.” Buchanan said Palin “was a brigader in 1996 as was her husband, Chris, they were at a fundraiser for me.” The McCain campaign says Palin “never worked for any effort to elect” Buchanan. [The Nation, 8/29/08; ABC News, 8/30/08] Palin Characterized Ron Paul As ‘Cool.’ During an interview with MTV in February, Palin called Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who ran against McCain in the primaries, “cool.” “He’s a good guy,” she added. “He’s so independent. He’s independent of the party machine. I’m like, ‘Right on, so am I.’ ” [MTV News, 8/29/2008] Palin Believes The Founding Fathers Wrote The Pledge Of Allegiance. In 2006, when asked by the Eagle Forum Alaska if she found the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance offensive, Palin replied, “Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me.” But the words “Under God” didn’t appear in the Pledge until 1954. The Pledge itself wasn’t written until 1892. [Huffington Post, 9/1/08; Slate, 6/28/02] ON CIVIL RIGHTS Palin Supports Denying Benefits To Same-Sex Couples. In 2006, Palin vetoed legislation denying benefits to same-sex couples, “based on a legal opinion from her new attorney general that the legislation was unconstitutional.” However, she said that she would support a constitutional amendment to deny same-sex couples the benefits. [Gay Republic Daily, 9/20/06; Anchorage Daily News, 12/21/06] Palin Opposed Expanding Hate Crime Laws. A 2006 Eagle Forum Alaska questionnaire asked, “Will you support an effort to expand hate crime laws?” Palin replied, “No, as I believe all heinous crime is based on hate.” [Washington Blade, 9/2/08] ON HEALTH CARE Palin Advocated Consumer-Driven Health Care. While running for governor, Palin attributed rising health care costs to “a lack of competition” and called for “flexibility in government regulation that allow competition in health care.” [On The Issues] Palin Introduced Health Care Transparency Act. Palin’s Alaska Health Care Transparency Act established “an Alaska health care information officeD to help consumers “make better-informed decisions about health care in the state.” The act also called for the repeal of Certificate of Need Laws, programs “aimed at restraining health care facility costs and allowing coordinated planning of new services and construction.” [Gov Tech, 1/28/2008; National Conference of State Legislatures, 8/21/2008] Palin Did Not Take A Position On Expanding SCHIP Funding. Palin did not advocate for greater federal funding of SCHIP. [Blagojevich Press Release, 2/23/07] Palin Signed Watered-Down SCHIP Bill. Palin signed legislation updating eligibility for Alaska’s SCHIP program, Denali KidCare, to maintain the eligibility level–which had dropped to an effective rate of almost 150 percent of the poverty line due to inflation. However, by limiting eligibility to families living below 175 percent of the poverty line, Alaska’s eligibility criteria are still among the lowest in the nation. Palin did not support legislation to expand eligibility to higher levels. [National Conference of State Legislatures, 6/2008; Kaiser Network, 5/22/2007; Anchorage Daily News,=2 04/15/2008] Palin Failed To Support A Bill To Cover All Alaskans. While governor, Palin “did not get behind the most significant piece of health legislation offered — a proposal to ensure that all residents have health insurance, without disrupting the coverage that many Alaskans already have.” [Anchorage Daily News, 5/17/2008] ON THE ECONOMY Palin Left Wasilla $20 Million In Debt. As mayor of Wasilla, Palin cut taxes while simultaneously expanding the town’s operating budget by almost $2 million. She ended her term in 2002 with Wasilla $20 million in debt. [Anchorage Daily News 10/23/06; the Politico, 8/29] Palin Instituted A Windfall Profits Tax On Oil Companies. In 2007, Palin raised taxes on oil company profits by $1.5 billion a year, enabling Alaska to double its oil revenue. However, in 2008 she said, “Windfall profits taxes alone prevent additional investment in domestic production.” [Bloomberg, 3/8; Seattle Times, 8/10; Go vernor’s Office Press Release] Palin Supported Flat Tax Advocate. Palin appeared in campaign commercials in support of Republican Senate candidate Mike Miller, who was advocating the Flat Tax. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 4/24/04]

The fallacy of "Experience" as an issue

Jerri from New York, NY — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:20:51 EDT

I think the issue of "experience" is a dead end discussion and does not really deal with the reality of the issues we are all currently facing...around the planet. Seeking to decide about a leader and looking to the past to see if someone can make decisions about events that will confront all of us in the future is a misrepresentation of the skills needed to run a government. The Founding Fathers had no "experience" in writing the Constitution, no experience in deciding how to structure the government, and no experience in fostering a new nation. They had vision, wisdom and the capacity to listen and discuss the issues. They had the capacity to analyze and work together. The skills to know how to see new ways of solving deep social issues. They had the courage to construct a new world based on their ability to THINK. If we continually seek to use experience, which is really a way of looking for the "historical patterns of action", then we are in deep trouble. The old answers do not work. The old models of governance do not work. The old scientific paradigms do not work. If I were a sailor and still thought the world was flat people would think I am crazy. To think that the world is the same as it "has always been" and that the experience of the past will help us find new solutions is abjectly absurd. What Obama has is the capacity to see the world in a manner that allows new ideas to be heard, for evidence to be seriously considered and not ignored or devalued, and for a set of values that supports the ideals that I, as an American believe in. Perhaps it is time to honestly say we do NOT need the experience that has led us to where the country is now. We need the WISDOM to understand that there are other options and we need the capacity to develop NEW solutions.

Putting Executive Experience into Perspective

Angie — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:26:29 EDT

"It's not rocket science. It's $6 million and 53 employees."

Those are Sarah Palin's words to her hometown newspaper, the Wasilla Frontiersman, about the office of mayor. I agree with her. It's not rocket science.

As a Captain in the Air Force, my husband had exactly that kind of responsibility. He managed 59 employees and a budget of $12 million. And, he did it without a city administrator. He would agree, "It's not rocket science."

Let's make sure that we keep Sarah Palin's executive experience in perspective.

Angie

Qualifications Matter

Mark — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:49:53 EDT

Disclaimer:

First, since this is my first blog post here and also considering the fact that this blog exist within the Obama campaign's website I first want to start with a disclaimer. My words are my own, the Obama campaign has no control over what I write here nor should they be required to monitor what I write.

Also, they may throw me under the bus anytime they wish. I speak only for myself, good or bad, right or wrong.

------

Qualifications matter. I am a partisan and I am a progressive but I write these comments as simply a citizen of this country and as a citizen I am truly and deathly scared for my country. McCain picked Palin not for qualifications but for purely sexist, political reasons, it also doesn't hurt that she shares the extremist views of the fringe of the conservative party. Let me be as clear as I can when I say that Sarah Palin is NOT qualified to be Vice President of the United States, the most important qualifications of which are the same as the qualifications to be President. You could easily find any number of people, perhaps living right next door that are every bit as qualified as Sarah Palin. That's right, she is no more qualified than your neighbor. Comparing her qualifications to Obama's is absurd on its face and does not deserve the dignity of any further explanation.

The mainstream media has shirked their journalistic integrity and their duty by once again allowing themselves to be brow-beaten by the same tired old accusations of "librul" and "elite." The duty of the fourth estate is not to its shareholders, or its detractors, but to the people of this country. John McCain has shown contempt for the citizens of this country by choosing Palin. McCain's choice is a purely political pick that shows that he will do anything to win, including, possibly handing this country over to a inexperienced neophyte, let the consequences be damned. What does that say about his judgment? What does that say about his honor? John McCain supposedly loves his country but I have to ask if someone who loves his country would even allow for the possibility that someone so inexperienced could end up in charge of her? Qualifications matter, and McCain has tipped his hand as to his own qualifications to be president. Anyone who could choose Sarah Palin for vice president, by extension could not be qualified to be president themselves.

The Experience of Sarah Palin?

Richard from Methuen, MA — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:07:46 EDT

Wasn't George Bush also a governor at the time he ran for President? How well did that "executive experience" serve us? And he had the "help" of his fathers previous administration to boot.

In my opinion, the problem with Palin is that, under a more peaceful administration that doesn't hit first and rationalize later, she might be a viable option to broaden her party's appeal and to make an inroads to equality for women among other things.

The fact is that the current incarnation of the Republican party is the most war-mongering party I have seen in my time. John McCain is a 72 year old cancer survivor. Sarah Palin has no connections in DC except the connections the Republicans tell her are good. She's a perfect candidate to be indoctrinated if she isn't already.

Now, at 72 and being a cancer survivor, it is not too far fetched to imagine the return of the cancer or some other malady based on McCain's age that could render him ineffective in office and thus mean that he has to turn more and more of his presidential duties over to Palin. If that happens, who is Palin, the "outsider" going to rely upon? The same Republican party that gave us 8 years of war and a recessed economy, 8 years of unmitigated contribution to Global Warming and 8 years of making the US look like the biggest, most inept bunch of bullies in recent times.

God forbid if McCain should suffer any office ending maladies after he's picked a war with Iran or Russia.

I am very interested in how or if the Obama/Biden campaign will articulate this concern of the electorate.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

One Simple Question. On the Experience of a Community Organizer.

Erik — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:05:33 EDT

We have a precedent that needs to be made clear to all. Our second President was a community organizer.

I was reading this ProSense post at DU and followed the link to the comments on Jim Wallis' blog. Now I've been trying to scream this (electronically) to anyone who would listen, but I guess my voice just got lost in the roar.

Barack Obama would not be the first community organizer to ascend to the Presidency. And to denigrate such experience, is an affront to the very foundation of our nation.

Let my comment explain what I think should be our "One Simple Question".

Experience v. Preparation

Daniel from Staten Island, NY — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:16:04 EDT

We've heard lots of talk about Palin's experience.

Its a mistake to accept the snarky comparison of mayor v. community organizer.

Comparing elected office to elected office Obama's office has been at the State and federal level, representing more people than her local and state offices.

Is Palin -prepared- to be president?

6 months ago she was literally asking what a VP actually does? Has she in this one week since being selected, by McCain, become prepared to lead the USA?

Evidence suggests that she is now spending time preparing to learn to deliver her 2nd and 3rd speech. We can surmise she's working on sounding like she can speak for herself and articulate and explain her positions on important national and international issues.

Clearly Palin is just now beginning to think about what Obama has prepared for, for much of his adult life - community service - elective office - constitutional law ... and authoring solutions for America's problems, and plans to achieve results.

Reject the apples and oranges comparisons of experience, and ask instead

"Who is prepared to lead America?"

EXPERIENCE

Berti — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:15:11 EDT

I had planned to host a house party but took a bad fall in July and suffered a rotator cuff injury and have been dealing with that and sending my youngest off to college for his Freshman year.

If the weather holds out I will be helping to register voters at the Suffern Street Fair tomorrow (9/7) & at the meeting at Paneros. I hope to see some of you in Suffern and/or at the meeting.

I don't think that Sarah Palin will pose much a threat considering her backgound and who we have on our ticket. As far as experience goes I wish that Senators Obama and Biden would point out that Bush, Cheny & Rumsfeld had a ton of experience when they took office and look at the miserable job they did. Additionally, McCain does not have any executive experience himself! Senator Obama's wisdom, temperament, common sense and coolness under fire will serve this country better that all of McCain's so called experience.

More to say tomorrow. Good night and peace. Berti

Palin Choice Pushing Conservatives to Obama?

signsSansSignifieds — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:54:08 EDT

If they have brains, it is.

I certainly don't agree with Andrew Sullivan on many issues, much less David Frum (who he quotes), but I certainly agree with Sullivan in this post.

What I Learned from the republican National Convention

Clint — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:38:24 EDT

Teenage pregnancy is not an issue. I had always thought teenage pregnancy was a serious issue in the US. Apparently it isn't. Of course there is a catch. As long as unmarried teenage girls choose to keep the baby it's not an issue. So teenagers take your abstinence only education and go have sex. Don't worry about using a condom (you probably don't know what that word means anyway) and don't worry about getting pregnant...it's not an issue.

Double Standard?

Wallace — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:47:00 EDT

The Repuplicans claim that Sarah Palin has been measured with a "double standard" and that she has been unfairly treated by the media and by Democrat pundits. I agree with Barack Obama that family members should be "off limits" in discussions about qualifications for office, but I'm not sure if they are completely off limits in discussions about character. Because our families and our relationships are a major part of our true character.

Even so, I'm not going to talk about Palin's qualities as a mother or even as a female. I believe very strongly in equality and that is a non-issue for me. In fact this blog is not about Palin's own double-standards, such as saying one thing and doing another, or making promises that she cannot keep, or making judgments that she is not qualified to make (such as questioning or measuring another person's experience or qualifications).

No, this is about the double standards of all the people who are suddenly, feverishly, major supporters of Sarah Palin. Case in point: for the same length of time that Palin has been serving as governor of Alaska, GOPers and conservatives across the country have been attacking Senator Obama's experience in public service, questioning his faith, and claiming things about him that simply are not true. Many of the people we have seen in the past 5 days on the Palin bandwagon had never even heard of her before last week, and now are lock-step behind her because she's "Christian", "Conservative", and "one of us". Without question they have claimed her and say that she represents their values even though they don't know about her faith--except for what she has claimed on the campaign for governor and because Dr. Dobson stamped her with his approval, so it must be right and true... More disturbing is what these followers think makes her "one of us" when they know very little about her and don't know her personally (is that a hockey mom "one of us" or something more along racial lines, or just about the one-value "pro life"/war/gun value voters?) For months and months, people have hammered at and lied about Obama's faith (is he a Muslim?), questioned his Christianity (is he "Christian enough"? and by whose judgment?), and questioned his patriotism (again, by whose measuring stick?) But those same people are up in arms because Palin is getting questioned at all about anything.... talk about a double standard.

If we were measuring her political experience, about the only strength I noticed was her ability to smile energetically while lying through her teeth: Palin's most famous quote so far has been "...and as for Washington and that bridge to nowhere, I told them thanks but no thanks, if we wanted a bridge we'd build it ourselves..." which implies that her administration turned down pork barrel money when the truth is that they kept the federal funds that the corrupt Ted Stevens had helped appropriate for that famous bridge to nowhere, and all Palin really did was redirect the $25 million or so (of all of our tax dollars) for other pet Alaska projects. Pretty smooth political scheming and then misleading of the public. Palin should be further measured on her political savvy--she has a high approval rating in Alaska, and you would too, if you took refunds from big oil and put the dollars in the hands of local citizens instead of using those funds for statewide infrastructure (why pay for infrastructure when you can get that paid for by taxpayers from the lower 48 states?) That is kind of like giving "tax breaks" and "stimulus checks" in attempts to appease the public when the government is borrowing from countries like China to pay oil debts to countries in the Middle East... Palin's experience could also be measured regarding her 20 month old administration already under investigation for illegal attempts to fire a state trooper because he was divorcing Palin's sister, and a history of firing anyone who crossed her or got in her way from her time in "city" government up to her current administration.

In her very short tenure as governor, there is plenty to question about her motives, character, values, and whether she truly serves "the people" or is simply serving her own recently skyrocketing career goals. But what I really question, double standard or not, is her ability to represent "all of us" and the best interests of this country and the world as VP, a heartbeat away from the Presidency, the most powerful position in the world. This is one person who believes that the self described "pit bull with lipstick" is NOT the right person for the job.

'Executive experience' does not a leader make | MarketWatch

Curtis — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:57:30 EDT

Commentary: What we really need in a president

By Darrell Delamaide

Sept. 5, 2008

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- There's been a lot of talk during the two political conventions about the experience of the presidential and vice presidential nominees, and particularly about their "executive" experience.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, we are told, has "more experience" than Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined -- meaning more "executive" experience -- because she has actually run a state government for 20-some months.

Of course, by that measure, she has more experience than Sen. John McCain not to mention the Democratic ticket, and perhaps she should be on the top of the Republican ticket rather than the running mate.

The conventional wisdom -- no pun intended -- seems to be that governors make better presidential candidates than lawmakers because they do have this fabled executive experience -- balancing a budget, managing a bureaucracy, working with a legislature, and so on.

During the convention coverage, one of the cable networks kept scrawling as news that only two sitting legislators -- Warren Harding and John Kennedy -- were elected president in the past century. This year, of course, will see a third, since both candidates are U.S. senators.

But this factoid is misleading, because a number of our presidents became so via the vice presidency after a largely legislative career -- Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford. Being vice president doesn't add any appreciable "executive" experience.

What we look for in a president, in fact, is not necessarily executive experience, but leadership. Successful business executives generally will also be great leaders as well as good managers -- think of Jack Welch, the longtime CEO of General Electric.

But there are many roles for great leaders other than just managing a business, or a state government or a small town. Think Rev. Martin Luther King or Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Management expertise isn't the decisive quality we look for in a president. Among the 2008 field, Mitt Romney clearly had the most management experience, but that didn't win him many GOP primaries or earn him a place on the ticket. George W. Bush, remember, was going to be our MBA president.

The leadership test

We've had many governors run for president. Some have won, some have lost. Those who won have been good or not so good.

What set apart the distinguished ones such as Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan was not their executive experience as governors, but their terrific leadership qualities. Leadership means the ability to inspire, to motivate, to articulate the hopes and aspirations of a community or a nation.

John Kennedy took the world by storm because of his leadership abilities, even though he was just a rich kid with an indifferent record as a legislator in the House and Senate. Historians can't properly assess his success as a president because his term was tragically cut short.

Obama has been hailed as a new John Kennedy, by Teddy Kennedy and by others, because of this same charisma. It is a much rarer quality, and a much more important quality for a president, than the executive experience of getting a hockey rink built in an Alaskan suburb.

Palin may have leadership qualities that would make her a successful vice president or even president; it's too early to tell.

What is clear is that after his long career in the Senate and his hard-fought victory in this year's primaries McCain does have those qualities and deserves his place at the top of the ticket, even though he has less "executive" experience than his running mate.

There are, of course, many other former prisoners of war, community organizers and small-town mayors who haven't risen to national prominence as political leaders. It's not the experience that makes the successful leader, it's how that leader is able to transform his or her formative experiences into an ability to inspire and motivate others.

It's often said that the presidential campaign itself is the best test to determine who will make a good president: The grueling contest requires the stamina, judgment, and strength of character that the office itself requires. Obama has stood that test well, managing a brilliant, multimillion-dollar national campaign that rolled over his primary opponents.

But in the end, we're not going to elect someone president because they ran a great campaign.

Sen. Hillary Clinton would have made a strong candidate for president even though mismanagement of her campaign may have cost her the nomination. Similarly, McCain battled his way through to the nomination in spite of his ineptness at running a campaign.

We're going to elect one of these two senators -- Obama or McCain -- because of their stands on the issues and their leadership qualities. The rest, to quote McCain's dismissal of protesters during his acceptance speech Thursday, is just ground noise and static.

Link to column: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/executive-experience-does-not-leader/story.aspx?guid=%7bB2647B02-10E4-4661-B8EE-5C2BD6F4E9ED%7d&print=true&dist=printMidSection

On Experience and Readiness

Gene L — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:02:21 EDT

Unfortunately, I have already observed a number of instances in which pundits have lazily accepted the notion that Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience is comparable to that of Barack Obama's experience. This is simply not true.

There's a huge difference between some experience and zero experience. Barack Obama has spent four years on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, where he worked on arguably the most potentially dire national security issue facing the world, working with Richard Lugar to pass the Lugar-Obama nonproliferation initiative to secure loose nuclear weapons.

In contrast, not only does Sarah Palin have practically no foreign policy experience, she recently admitted that she had not been focused on the issues concerning the war in Iraq.

Part of being qualified for office is not mere political experience but the time spent planning and thinking about issues, combined with vision and intellect. People like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan lacked official experience in one way or another -- but they had time to plan and think about what kind of presidency they wanted to have. Likewise, Barack Obama has spent a long time thinking about the issues facing the nation, and what he plans to accomplish in the presidency. He has also served eight years in the State Senate of Illinois, a large state facing a diverse set of issues, and four years in the U.S. Senate, including on the Foreign Relations Committee. He is ready.

Meanwhile Sarah Palin most likely genuinely didn't have any expectation to be selected vice president. I seriously question whether she has spent a serious amount of time thinking about the many complex issues facing America. The fact she has admitted that she hasn't spent much time thinking seriously about the war in Iraq is troubling. Furthermore, the issues facing Alaska (population: 670,000) are very distinct and relatively narrow, and not generally translatable to the nation as a whole.

Community Organizers

Richard H. Schwartz — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:01:48 EDT

Governor Palin's one-liner last night was effective. It demands an equally effective one-line response.

She said "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

My response: "A community organizer does things for the people that the mayor, the city council, and other politicians and public officials can't or won't do. "

I think this is a good response to anyone we call on the phone-banks who questions the relevance of Senator Obama's early experience. Follow it up with the observation that it's a lot harder to actually get things done when you're working from the outside of the system and don't have the authority to 'just do it', but Barack did get things done.

Mr. Straight Talk Is Anything But.

BestAmyEver — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:05:12 EDT

I'm watching CNN right now and there's talk from several pundits about how McCain did not go after Obama and was so focused on reaching out to others, etc. etc. This would be perhaps impressive to me if I suffered from short-term memory loss. However, I do not find McCain noble because of his "tone" in this prepared speech; I find it offensive that his campaign strategy hinges on the idea that voters have no memory and are blinded by flashy gimmicks and blatant mistruths.

I guess this is why I abhored politics for so long and was so resistant to "get involved." It's gross.

I'm also sick of him "milking" --- as Jimmy Carter put so well : http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-28-carter-denver_N.htm --- his POW experience. That's incredibly offensive to me. I would have respect for him if he wasn't exploiting that experience to "prove" that he's more qualified, or more patriotic, or possesive of more character because of his POW history.

In my mind, his character is degraded every time he uses that experience in an attempt to gain respect and admiration for all that has happened since he returned from Vietnam. I have long felt, that there are certain deal breakers when it comes to whether or not I respect someone. His POW experience cannot outweigh nor eclipse his lies, his mistakes, or his, at best— misguided actions since.

The sum of one's character is not built like a salad from a salad bar. You can't pick and choose whatever moments or memories you like. It's a wholistic equation. Isn't that obvious?

Makes me nuts when there are so many who don't see him for who he is.

He is not the right man for the Presidency.

McCain Has No Executive Experience

Jim — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:06:02 EDT

McCain has been employed by the Government in on way or another most of his life. He has never held an executive position of any sort. So he has less experience then his VP Candidate.

Barack Obama's experience as a Community Organizer put him to positions where he led groups of people. Obama's campaign is a successful organized entity whereas McCain's campaign is totally disorganized and has had a number of problems.

Obama has demonstrated leadership ability at every turn. McCain has not.

This isn't about motherhood, cheerleading, basketball, and beauty pageants

Beth from ColoradObama — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:14:34 EDT

Conservatives are singing the praises of Sarah Palin for the wrong reasons.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/03/rosen.palin/index.html

Welcome to Wasilla, AK

John Heckman Wright — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:40:36 EDT

Not since Dan Quayle has either of the two major political parties put forth a candidate so easily dismissed as Sarah Palin. Her speech at the RNC last night was vitriolic, condescending, and cynical. Her appeal as an "every gal" may gain some traction with the far right wing, evangelical, redneck base of the current Republican Party, but the claim that she is somehow more qualified than Barack Obama to run my country because she has "executive experience" is absurd.

Wasilla, AK is a town of roughly 9,000 people according to 2007 Census estimates. Palin was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, before running for, and winning, the Governor's office in 2006.

Over and over the Republicans have heralded Palin as "the leader of the largest nation in the union." Fair enough. From a geographical perspective, Alaska is the largest state in the union even though the majority of that landmass is composed of National Parks and Glaciers (and if Ms. Palin has her ways all of that land will soon be on the chopping block for the relatively small amounts of oil contained underneath it. So much for dealing with our environmental crisis!).

Alaska is geographical the nation's largest state. By population, however, Alaska ranks 47th in terms of population. That's right, among the states that are more populated than Alaska: Rhode Island, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, and 41 other states of union, as well as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In fact, there are 16 US Cities more populated than Alaska and 85 counties with a greater population.

Presidential Nominee Barack Obama has served as a community organizer on Chicago's southside (Chicago, Population 2,836,658), he was a state Senator in the State of Illinois from 1997-2004 (while Palin was the mayor of Wasilla), and he has served as an IL State Senator from 2004-2008 (Illinois, Population 12,852,548).

So, Ms. Palin, you can attack Barack for his views but when it comes to experience it would be in your best interest to let that sleeping dog lie.

NOTE: There is a more complete version of this blog post, including sources and video, on my personal website here.

SOCCER MOM vs. MIRACLE MAN

Global Symbolic Votes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:39:58 EDT

It is not about who has the most executive experience. It is about who can think correctly and who can accomplish miracles. Because I believe in miracles, I am left with no choice but to believe in Barack Obama, the Miracle Man. Sarah Palin might have done a good job in Alaska, but to the best of my knowledge, she has not accomplished any miracles.

On the other hand, Senator Obama has accomplished miracles. For example, he took on the mighty Clinton machine and prevailed. Secondly, Barack Obama came out of nowhere and garnished enough votes to become the democratic nominee for President. It’s 03:00 am in the morning. The telephone rings. Who do you want answering that call, soccer mom or miracle man?

Trying to comparing Sarah Palin (a presumed competent civil servant) to Barack Obama (an accomplished miracle worker) is an exercise in futility. Once again, the Republicans have been able to dupe the Democrats and the experts/pundits into dwelling on the wrong argument. We can talk about substantive issues or we can talk about lies. Hitler always said that the bigger the lie the more people will believe it -- and talk about it.

Words Are Not Enough - Sara Palin is Not Simply a down home, small town hockey mom

jerder — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:39:09 EDT

A new celebrity herself, Palin cast Obama as a little more than a fancy speaker with a compelling biography. "Our family," she said, "has the same ups and downs as any other"

I wonder if Governor Palin has ever done without hot water or heat because her gas was turned off like I have? Until this morning, I heated pans of water on the stove to do dishes and took cold showers or hot sponge washes by heating water and putting it in the bathroom sink for six months due to high winter fuel costs As tens of thousands of other Americans did/ or have when Gas companies across the United States shut them off because the current administration has refused to hold big oil companies accountable for their record profits.

I wonder if Governor Palin has gone hungry, or if her children have gone hungry due to high skyrocketing food costs connected to shipping fees from high gasoline costs, or if she has had to settle for substandard child care because she has to choose between rent, utility bills, or keeping her job to stay off public assistance?

I wonder if Governor Palin's children have had to walk to substandard schools in high crime and gang infested neighborhoods and had pray that her children made safely to and from school?

According to Ms. Palin, Her family's mother lacked the soaring oratory skills of Obama — a man she attacked as a tax-raising, terrorist-coddling, self-indulgent liberal. "Victory in Iraq is finally in sight; he wants to forfeit," she said of Obama. "Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America; he's worried that someone won't read them their rights."

Even the Bush administration has begun talking about the possibility of a timeline for withdrawing from Iraq and the Iraqi government is pleading with the United States to consider some kind of a potential timeline because Iraqi citizens fear a never ending American occupation of their homeland. And as far as the piece of her statement about Obamas being worried that someone won't read "alleged (not proven)" terrorists their rights, even John McCain was concerned about the possible torture of prisoners in order to extract information. We want our fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, sisters, moms, and daughters serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to be treated fairly and according to the right afforded to them by our constitution and our founding fathers. Does Governor Palin really think that our troops will be treated fairly, with dignity and respect if we do not afford "alleged" terrorists their rights? And as far as calling Obama tax raising liberal, the only taxes I have heard Senator Obama talk about raising is for the very wealthiest Americans and the oil companies. And Ms. Palin herself raised taxes on oil revenue and oil companies in Alaska. Republicans and many Americans seem to have forgotten tax revenue provides funding to run this country and see to the needs of America, whether that money is used to rebuild our infrastructure or for programs like affordable child care so that families can provide a decent standard of living for their children.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," Palin said, referencing Obama's stint as a community organizer.

If it wasn't for 'community organizing', women still might not have the right to vote, the civil rights movement would have gotten nowhere, and community's across American would not be rallying to try and find solutions to high crime, drugs, and gangs, in their neighborhoods, regions, etc. And if wasn't for grassroots community organizing no political party in the United States would have any cohesion, etc. "If Ms. Palin thinks community organizing does not take any responsibility then she should give it a try because she'd soon find out it takes a lot of time and responsibility."

Some more rhetoric from Governor Palin in her VP acceptance speech stating that John McCain is, " a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party" in another jab at Obama. Yes, at one time John McCain was there to serve his country and I admired and respected his willingness to take on Democrats and Republicans alike. I had even hoped Senator McCain would have captured the Republican nomination for president in 2000. But that was before he abandon his own principles and values recently to become a right wing conservative who obviously picked Ms. Palin for VP partly due to her lifetime membership in the NRA and her very restrictive right to life views which includes not supporting contraception to help teens and young adults avoid pregnancy, and who only recently began rallying against pork barrell spending. Except for his stance on abortion, John McCain was against pork barrell spending and special interest money long before it became popular with either party.

From Rudy Giuliani talking about Obama, "He's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business, never run a military unit. He's never had to lead people in crisis,"

Prospective VP Palin and Mr. Giuliani both forgot to mention that a governor only runs their states national guard troops when they are inactive, and then the troops are usually only being sent to help with natural disasters, potential violent situations like a riot, etc. Once national guard units are called to activite duty and sent to hot spots like Iraq or Afghanistan, they are under the command of the Department of Defense, not the state governor. So much for Ms. Palin's presumptive national security experience.

And in what way does being only half way into her first term as governor and a past mayorship quantify Ms. Palin as being "more experienced thatn Barrack Obama???"

Governor Palin and the John McCain camp, along with fellow republicans are defining her as a fiscal conservative who took on the political establishment in Alaska over pork barrell spending.

"Oops, I forgot. That was in the past, Ms. Palin has changed. The change couldn't have taken place too far in the past when she has only been governor for 22 months. I guess only Republicans change or have the right to their own opinions or political philosophies. Seems a little hypocritical to me. Not long ago Ms. Palin defended earmarking as a vital part of the legislative system.

"The federal budget, in its various manifestations, is incredibly important to us, and congressional earmarks are one aspect of this relationship," she wrote in a newspaper column. Then there was a $500,000 earmark that was approved without the normal budget scrutiny for a public transportation project in Wasilla, AK, Sarah Palin's hometown, and $1 million in a 2002 spending bill for an emergency communications center in Wasilla that that local law enforcement has said is redundant and creates confusion.

Experience Has Nothing To Do With It

Hank Hawkins — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:31:46 EDT

I'm getting tired of hearing about who has more experience than who when after eight years of Bozo the Clown who managed to stay in office. It's proof than even a PTA member can get elected to the nations white house.

If Barack would have chosen a women for VP there is no way that the Republicans would have picked Palin, it is a pure political move that appeals to narrow minded Americans who are high on military power and party patriotism. They use religion as a gimmick to gather votes and some would sooner see a mid east war in hopes to bring on Armegeddon. Not a good move to try and play into the hand of God.

The sign of a Christian is someone with a loving and understanding heart not a greedy war monger who wants to make slaves of it's citizens. They claim to have God on their side but to me that is a warning sign. God's people are known by their actions not their bravado.

An Alaskan WOMAN with first hand experience with Palin.

Colorado "Hussein" Mamma for Obama — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:02:12 EDT

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/9/2/12284/85430

Please take the time to read this rather lengthy letter written. The author took a lot of time, and is putting her neck out to risk herself to reveal the Gov. and Mayor Palin. It gives a view that I think is a lot more accurate than some people on the right would like to think.

Please take a few minutes, read it, forward it, and shed some light on the reality of Mrs. Palin.

She is only a heartbeat away from Presidency, nominating at least 3 people to the Supreme Court.

Leadership or Experience? Some Important Differences

The Cranes — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:40:15 EDT

Recently, a friend of ours responded to a question about the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican candidate for Vice President. The question basically asked whether our friend was comfortable with the candidate – particularly with the prospect of being “a heart beat away”. The question noted the small population of Alaska, Palin’s limited time in the governor’s chair, and the small size of the city where she previously served as mayor. It also noted that Palin appeared to be a lovely, smart and likeable woman.

Our friend's response: “Sorry – I think she truly has more experience than Obama – I am quite happy with the choice”.

That response troubled me in several ways, and led to the thoughts below. My follow-up to our friend went like this:

Experience...Or Just Another Bad Experience?

Muther Bear — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:13:05 EDT

These days, “experience” tells me you were there when the mess was being made, and you:

a) helped make it, or;

b) were not very effective at stopping it. (Senator Biden, I’m giving you a pass on this one because you do come highly recommended :-)

I will take the thoughtful intelligence, proven leadership capabilities, unbelievably gifted communications skills, and above all else, open-mindedness of this young, “inexperienced” Senator over the “experienced” Senator McCain any day of the week.

Experience? POW!

Henry M — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:32:11 EDT

Here's a non-partisan (it isn't kind to Kerry) video on McCain's POW credentials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXjWguoFbpI&feature=related. Show it to your friends who are buying into the McCampaign's ads that imply that McCain's veteran/POW status is a qualification for presidency. And if they need any more convincing, show them these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjsEs46C70 and http://tinyurl.com/mccainnotahero .

Yes, this election is about experience and values, and Obama and Biden win on both counts! Other than being a former congressional (Keating Five) "maverick," McCain's only "experience" is his bottom of his West Point class/POW military experience! Since his military experience that ended 27 years ago when he divorced his crippled wife and married wealth, younger Cindy, whose money he used to finance his political ambitions. Palin's only experience has been as a mother of five (still is! does she have time to be both mother and VP? values?), mayor of a town that's smaller than most people's high school graduating class, and then as a governor ready to turn over her sparsely populated state's natural resources to the large oil companies.

With experience like those, they're going to have a hard time justifying their attacks on Obama's experience. Senator Obama was a constitutional scholar and professor, and worked in Chicago, the largest city by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest, a dominant center of finance, industry and culture in the region, and the third-most populous city in the United States. Unlike McCain, Neither Biden or Obama have ever been credibly associated with any scandalous behavior, public or private. It's that simple!

Personality is also a factor; it's amazing that the McCampaign has their followers believing that Obama's likeability is a bad thing and excusing and even applauding McCain's crotchety-old-man volatilty and weak memory!

Get the word out, and please contribute and get out the vote for Obama. Help America help itself before it's too late: four more years of McSame would irreperably damage our country!

Henry M

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama

We're Going to Be Better Off with Adults in Charge

Sally Craft — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:07:17 EDT

The confusion surrounding John McCain's vice presidential selection is only the latest--and most alarming--of his campaign gaffes. And it contrasts starkly with the responsible and statesmanlike way that Barack Obama made decisions about his VP and managed his campaign--from the first Democratic party caucuses and primaries right through the national convention. If Obama leads our government with the same competency and discipline I've seen from him so far, then we can't help but grow stronger as a nation--both at home and abroad.

Debate on Experience

Diane from Cape Coral, FL — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:30:43 EDT

Preparation for the presidency, and thus the vice presidency, is multi-faceted and cannot be reduced to simplistic statements about experience and judgment. Certainly governors and mayors of major cities possess valuable executive experience. However, experience in foreign relations is a different matter.

In all matters of governance, presidential candidates need to have extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues and the complexities of the issues. This is especially true in foreign relations. And, it is especially true in times of war and international crises. Historically, governors and mayors, like senators and congressmen, who enter presidential races have studied the issues extensively and have experience in dealing with heads of state.

As we evaluate the experience and knowledge of candidates, we do well to consider their depth of understanding and their judgment on the issues. I will add, that given the gravity of decisions that must be made regarding war and terrorism, we really must consider the temperament and negotiation skills of all members of the presidential team.

Why are we not including knowledge and understanding in rebuttal to the ludicrous contentions that Governor Palin is more experienced and qualified for the presidency?

Experience and Ms Moose Palin

Jim — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:13:15 EDT

I'm really tired of hearing Republicans say that Palin has more experience then Obama. The Repubicans are using this to demean the Democratic ticket.

First Obama has years of experience in the Illinois State Government and probably represented almost as many people as there are in Alaska. He has also served as a Senator. His experience however, goes beyond elected office unlike Palin who's other experience is in the PTA. The PTA does not equal Community Organizing in a major city and Obama's other achievments.

One of Palin's "Executive" experience issues is abuse of power which is under investigation at the moment. The bottom line is that "experience," is a relative thing. We can't afford to have a VP who knows nothing about the real world and a President who could drop dead at any time.

The Obama/Biden ticket brings experience and intellect to the ballot. After 8 years of Bush we need a team with "Smarts" and Experience. Who does this country trust for VP Biden or Ms Moose?

It is really funny to hear the Republicans spin this person in to someone who she is not. Her experience in Alaska is not equivalent to being a governor in any major state. She has a record that has not come under any real scrutiny. Now that bits and pieces are coming out she may not even make the end of the convention. I'm looking forward to hearing the Republicans get out of supporting McCain's stupid pick.

Explaining Experience

dd — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:24:11 EDT

There was an interesting letter to the editor published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch yesterday: Explaining Experience (scroll down or search for the title). How long can the double standard go on?