The first presidential debate got under way on Friday, in Mississippi. Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama had a frank and spirited discussion on the major issues of the day, including the economy, Iraq, Iran and Russia. The debate was billed as a foreign policy debate, however, the first 45-minutes was spent on the US fiscal crisis.
McCain the republican candidate came out fighting, accusing Obama of supporting $820 million dollars in pork barrel spending. In the beginning, Obama was forced onto his heels, and spent a precious time fending off McCain’s accusations, but gained his footing when he had a chance for rebuttal. For his part, Obama tied McCain to the administrations failed tax policy, accusing him of offering no new tax proposals. When asked what spending cuts the candidates would make to pay for the $700 billion dollar bail out, McCain appeared more decisive, offering a freeze on spending, while Obama struggled on specifics.
“Walking the walk and talking the talk. Look at records, who fought against ear mark spending,” McCain said. Obama said, “95% of all Americans would get a tax cut,” while accusing McCain of wanting to tax health care benefits.
On Iran, McCain scored points off Obama, accusing him of wanting to sit down with high-ranking Iranian leaders without pre-conditions. In turn, Obama attempted to tie McCain with the administrations failed diplomatic policies not just with Iran, but also on North Korea. Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State, played a pivotal role in the Iranian debate. Obama said Kissinger, a McCain advisor, supported diplomatic talks with Iran. McCain denied Kissinger approved Iranian talks. For the record, Kissinger agrees with diplomatic talks with Iran.
John McCain stressed his judgment and experience, while Obama stressed change from the status quo.
On Iraq, Obama pointed out that McCain supported the war in Iraq, emphasizing his bad judgment..
“John, you said the war was going to be over quickly. You were wrong. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong,” Obama said.
For his part, McCain accused Obama of failing to support the troops by voting against financing the troops.
The two candidates did not hold back in an open debate on the issues. We learned the differences between the candidates for president. I thought Obama held his own against McCain whose specialty is foreign policy. I call the debate even.
The debate took place at the University of Mississippi or Old Miss. as it is called - made famous 50-years ago when two students died protesting the enrollment of the first black student in the college’s history. By hosting the debate, Old Miss. wanted to dispel its Southern racist past. It was not that long ago that Old Miss. allowed the flying of the Confederate flag at its football games. It still allows the playing of ‘Dixie’ at the games.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
It's the Economy Stupid
It is astonishing how quickly John McCain’s prodigy, the reverend Sarah Palin, has fallen out of the media spotlight. It might be the post-republican convention bump has faded into the distance, or could it be that the US faces a real crisis, an economic crisis, that could herald the fall of capitalism, similar to the fall of communism not that long ago.
The rightwing are nursing their hangovers after drinking from the Palin cup; and now face the realities of a new dawn. The US financial markets and consequently their 401K plans are in trouble. Their ubiquitous 401’s or retirement funds, that were pushed on the US folk as a means for them to control their own financial destiny, (“How’s that working for ye?” as Dr. Phil says.) could crumble before their own eye’s, like yesterdays news headlines about hockey moms and lipstick.
Now it appears that the good ol US of A is in a crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Suddenly, Palin’s shortcoming as a possible vice president (God forbid President) flood into the light. She has no real economic experience – except running Wasilla’s town budget for two terms as Mayor – leaving it in debt. We know John McCain has no economic clue. We only have to look at his economic advisers to figure that out. Phil Graham, the former Senator from Texas and one of McCain’s top economic advisor’s called the fiscal crisis a ‘mental recession.’
So, after all of Palin’s talk about guns, hockey moms and keeping us safe from the Russia seems pointless – like running an air conditioner in winter, when faced with real challenges. The shallowness of McCain’s choice becomes apparent. You wonder if he now wishes he had chosen a different ‘maverick’, maybe one with more experience, like Mitt Romney.
The rightwing are nursing their hangovers after drinking from the Palin cup; and now face the realities of a new dawn. The US financial markets and consequently their 401K plans are in trouble. Their ubiquitous 401’s or retirement funds, that were pushed on the US folk as a means for them to control their own financial destiny, (“How’s that working for ye?” as Dr. Phil says.) could crumble before their own eye’s, like yesterdays news headlines about hockey moms and lipstick.
Now it appears that the good ol US of A is in a crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Suddenly, Palin’s shortcoming as a possible vice president (God forbid President) flood into the light. She has no real economic experience – except running Wasilla’s town budget for two terms as Mayor – leaving it in debt. We know John McCain has no economic clue. We only have to look at his economic advisers to figure that out. Phil Graham, the former Senator from Texas and one of McCain’s top economic advisor’s called the fiscal crisis a ‘mental recession.’
So, after all of Palin’s talk about guns, hockey moms and keeping us safe from the Russia seems pointless – like running an air conditioner in winter, when faced with real challenges. The shallowness of McCain’s choice becomes apparent. You wonder if he now wishes he had chosen a different ‘maverick’, maybe one with more experience, like Mitt Romney.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Palin the Pied Piper of the Far Right
Stop the presses – scratch that – don’t stop the press, they are the only ones vetting the (possible) next vice president of the United States, and possible leader of the free world. Let us have a look at what we have found out so far.
Palin said, “Not thanks to the bridge to nowhere.” Well, not exactly - she said yes and then said no – to the bridge when she knew it was not going anywhere. However, she did accept the earmarked money.
She has commanded troops. As Governor of Alaska, she has command of the Alaskan National Guard but she did not actually issue any orders.
Speaking of the Alaskan National Guard, she visited her troops in Iraq during her two-year tenure as Governor. Well again, not exactly – she was at the border crossing between Kuwait and Iraq Kuwait when she saw her troops - not really in Iraq.
Her foreign policy experience amounts to two trips abroad - the first to Kuwait/Iraq and the second to Ireland. Her plane stopped off in Ireland for re-fueling, not exactly a state visit. On those grounds, Boris Yeltsin, the old Soviet leader, paid a state visit in 1994 when he failed to exit his plane at Shannon Airport to meet with Ireland’s leaders, leaving them waiting on the tarmac. According to official Russian reports, he was too tired to walk down the planes steps. Un-officially, he was too drunk.
Sarah Palin, who might someday be a heartbeat away from the presidency and who just got a passport only two years ago, is ready to lead the most powerful country in the world against all enemies. I believe you have to understand your enemies and friends before you can take up the mantle of leadership, and that requires visiting friend and foe, where they live. You cannot look them up in the local Wasilla library. Besides, look what happens when you do assume to know people without actually seeing how or where they live. You get the US in 2008 under George Bush, another world traveler before he became president of the Untied States.
Palin said, “Not thanks to the bridge to nowhere.” Well, not exactly - she said yes and then said no – to the bridge when she knew it was not going anywhere. However, she did accept the earmarked money.
She has commanded troops. As Governor of Alaska, she has command of the Alaskan National Guard but she did not actually issue any orders.
Speaking of the Alaskan National Guard, she visited her troops in Iraq during her two-year tenure as Governor. Well again, not exactly – she was at the border crossing between Kuwait and Iraq Kuwait when she saw her troops - not really in Iraq.
Her foreign policy experience amounts to two trips abroad - the first to Kuwait/Iraq and the second to Ireland. Her plane stopped off in Ireland for re-fueling, not exactly a state visit. On those grounds, Boris Yeltsin, the old Soviet leader, paid a state visit in 1994 when he failed to exit his plane at Shannon Airport to meet with Ireland’s leaders, leaving them waiting on the tarmac. According to official Russian reports, he was too tired to walk down the planes steps. Un-officially, he was too drunk.
Sarah Palin, who might someday be a heartbeat away from the presidency and who just got a passport only two years ago, is ready to lead the most powerful country in the world against all enemies. I believe you have to understand your enemies and friends before you can take up the mantle of leadership, and that requires visiting friend and foe, where they live. You cannot look them up in the local Wasilla library. Besides, look what happens when you do assume to know people without actually seeing how or where they live. You get the US in 2008 under George Bush, another world traveler before he became president of the Untied States.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Unimaginable Pain of Lives Interrupted
Unimaginable Pain
I Miss You
A Sign
Commerce and the City
Message in a Bottle
A Tribute in Light (R/W/B Candles)
Paying Respects
Lovers
Solemn Tribute
Strangers Meet
Someone I Knew
Construction Continues Day After 7th Anniv.
Flowers on Fence at Ground ZeroThe Seventh Anniversary of 9/11
Admiral Michael Mullen Visits Ground Zero 
Admiral Michael Mullen Visits Ground Zero The day after the seventh anniversary of September 11, 2001, Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, visited the World Trade Center site. On Wednesday, September 10, Admiral Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee, that the U.S. was “running out of time” when it came to winning the war in Afghanistan. He continued by saying, he thought the war in Afghanistan could be won, but it would require more nation building than bombs.
Mullen stressed the link between Afghanistan and Pakistan since that is where the Taliban and al-Qaeda find safe haven and plan new attacks.
"In my view, these two nations are inextricably linked in a common insurgency that crosses the border between them," he said, adding that he plans "to commission a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region, one that covers both sides of the border.
On Tuesday, Bush announced that 8,000 troops would withdraw from Iraq before the end of the year. Some troops will go to Afghanistan. According the New York Times, President Bush signed an executive order in July, giving American Special Forces permission to attack the enemy within Pakistan’s border. Much to Pakistan’s annoyance, US forces have already invaded their territory in pursuit of the enemy.
I find it very unsettling that on one hand, President Bush has in effect given US troops permission to invade Pakistan in pursuit of the enemy, and on the other hand, Bush condemned the Russians for invading Georgia after the Georgian President initiated attacks in South Ossetia.
On Thursday September 11, the Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain put away their swords and paid their respects at Ground Zero, after a solemn service for the victims 9/11.
Admiral Michael Mullen Visits Ground Zero
Admiral Michael Mullen Visits Ground ZeroFriday, September 5, 2008
McCain the Change Candidate
Senator John McCain accepted the republican nomination for president last night in St. Paul. In a halting and confusing acceptance speech, McCain painted himself as the candidate for change.
Do I have this right; Senator John McCain is now the change candidate! McCain the 25-year Washington veteran now wants to bring change to Washington. McCain, a senior ranking member of the same Republican Party that has been in power for the last eight years, now wants us to believe that he was not part of the problem but he will be part of the solution.
Awash in cowboy hats and shirts made to look like the American flag or is it the American flag made to look like a shirt, Johnny Mc spoke about the bread and butter issues that keep our patriotic American’s fired up. He addressed taxes, war and government spending. The Mc man wants to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, because he believes that those self same tax cuts we have endured over the last eight-years have worked. Mc believes, the Bush’s tax cuts, have left a robust economy that continues to create new jobs.
On Iraq, McCain told the lobbyists that America is victorious in Iraq. He said, if the Iraq problem was left up to Obama, America would return home defeated. No, Johnny Mc, under Obama, America would not have been in the debacle in the first place.
John McCain was sympathetic with workers who lost their jobs in this economic environment. The man, who has to have “one of his people get back to us,” because he does not know how many houses he owns, said he would create jobs that will not go away. I assume these jobs will be in the oil industry and nuclear power industry, the industries that will save America from its energy crisis.
I to this day still do not have any idea what John McCain’s policies are on the economy, ending the war on Iraq and government spending. George Bush and Dick Cheney the pervious Republican Party leaders were distinctly absent in person and rhetoric. I wonder why?
On Wednesday night, Sarah Palin wowed the crowd with her vim, vigor and hypocrisy. This pit bull in lipstick, spoke about her executive experience as a small town mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. She described her job as “sort of like a community organizer except with responsibilities,” as she took a swipe at Obama’s public service. Dressed in gunmetal grey, Palin offered more oil drilling, victory in Iraq and the same family values she pursues in her own household.
Purporting the ‘politics of fear’, Palin harped on about America’s future, which involved taking on Iran and Russia, for their expansionist ambitions. Obviously, Palin believes that Iraq is a just war.
It was hilarious to see Rudy Giuliani, the twice-divorced former Mayor of New York, defend Palin on her small town religious values.
Do I have this right; Senator John McCain is now the change candidate! McCain the 25-year Washington veteran now wants to bring change to Washington. McCain, a senior ranking member of the same Republican Party that has been in power for the last eight years, now wants us to believe that he was not part of the problem but he will be part of the solution.
Awash in cowboy hats and shirts made to look like the American flag or is it the American flag made to look like a shirt, Johnny Mc spoke about the bread and butter issues that keep our patriotic American’s fired up. He addressed taxes, war and government spending. The Mc man wants to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, because he believes that those self same tax cuts we have endured over the last eight-years have worked. Mc believes, the Bush’s tax cuts, have left a robust economy that continues to create new jobs.
On Iraq, McCain told the lobbyists that America is victorious in Iraq. He said, if the Iraq problem was left up to Obama, America would return home defeated. No, Johnny Mc, under Obama, America would not have been in the debacle in the first place.
John McCain was sympathetic with workers who lost their jobs in this economic environment. The man, who has to have “one of his people get back to us,” because he does not know how many houses he owns, said he would create jobs that will not go away. I assume these jobs will be in the oil industry and nuclear power industry, the industries that will save America from its energy crisis.
I to this day still do not have any idea what John McCain’s policies are on the economy, ending the war on Iraq and government spending. George Bush and Dick Cheney the pervious Republican Party leaders were distinctly absent in person and rhetoric. I wonder why?
On Wednesday night, Sarah Palin wowed the crowd with her vim, vigor and hypocrisy. This pit bull in lipstick, spoke about her executive experience as a small town mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. She described her job as “sort of like a community organizer except with responsibilities,” as she took a swipe at Obama’s public service. Dressed in gunmetal grey, Palin offered more oil drilling, victory in Iraq and the same family values she pursues in her own household.
Purporting the ‘politics of fear’, Palin harped on about America’s future, which involved taking on Iran and Russia, for their expansionist ambitions. Obviously, Palin believes that Iraq is a just war.
It was hilarious to see Rudy Giuliani, the twice-divorced former Mayor of New York, defend Palin on her small town religious values.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Throw Palin to the Lions
I get tee-ed off when I hear democrats say that the pregnancy of Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol (named after a ship or something) is off limits. To hell it is. Bristol’s pregnancy goes to the heart of Palin ‘s - a right wing Christian, family first, head of the PTA, gun toting Republican - values and beliefs. Everybody should be paying attention. Obviously, Palin did not have time to sit down at the dinner table with her five kids and take the time to listen to what was going on in their lives, to figure out Bristol was heading in the wrong direction. Maybe she was too busy republicanzing the town of Wasilla to pay attention. Everything including a politician’s family is fair game in politics. Ever since the ‘Swift-boat’ incident, there is absolutely nothing off limits when it comes to bashing politicians. If you can outright lie like in the ‘Swift-boat’ incident, then the ‘values’ issue that republican’s gloat on is also an issue. What sort of values did Sarah Palin teach her own daughter? Should we trust her values should she become vice president?
Sarah Palin is a hypocrite and the values she exposes, the values she believes everybody else should live by, are not the values she communicated at home. Values like abstinence and respect.
It should be interesting to see Palin speak at the republican convention tonight. Today, everybody is talking about Freddie Thompson’s speech last night at the republican convention. The senator, turned actor - someone who could not convince himself he wanted to be president never mind anybody else – pumped up the crowd with his explaination for why John McCain was ready to be president. According to Thompson, McCain’s years spent in jail as a prisoner of war 40 years ago, is reason enough to elect him the next president of the United States. I think its reason enough for John McCain to take it easy at 72-years old. He should not take on the stress of putting humpty-humpty back together again.
In a rousing speech last night, Bush, in a vain attempt to separate himself from his republican protégé, told the crowd that McCain was his ‘own man’. An independent republican as it were. I assume Bush meant that McCain was an independent republican like Joe Lieberman is an independent democrat.
Bush gave his reasons for a McCain presidency, returning to the old martra - America is under attack – the national security issue that worked so well for Bush in 2004. According to Bush, John McCain is the man to baton-down the hatches and keep us all safe from further harm. If the British, in their war with the IRA, had adopted the same philosophy as the Bush/McCain presidency then there would be bombs going off in London even today.
Sarah Palin is a hypocrite and the values she exposes, the values she believes everybody else should live by, are not the values she communicated at home. Values like abstinence and respect.
It should be interesting to see Palin speak at the republican convention tonight. Today, everybody is talking about Freddie Thompson’s speech last night at the republican convention. The senator, turned actor - someone who could not convince himself he wanted to be president never mind anybody else – pumped up the crowd with his explaination for why John McCain was ready to be president. According to Thompson, McCain’s years spent in jail as a prisoner of war 40 years ago, is reason enough to elect him the next president of the United States. I think its reason enough for John McCain to take it easy at 72-years old. He should not take on the stress of putting humpty-humpty back together again.
In a rousing speech last night, Bush, in a vain attempt to separate himself from his republican protégé, told the crowd that McCain was his ‘own man’. An independent republican as it were. I assume Bush meant that McCain was an independent republican like Joe Lieberman is an independent democrat.
Bush gave his reasons for a McCain presidency, returning to the old martra - America is under attack – the national security issue that worked so well for Bush in 2004. According to Bush, John McCain is the man to baton-down the hatches and keep us all safe from further harm. If the British, in their war with the IRA, had adopted the same philosophy as the Bush/McCain presidency then there would be bombs going off in London even today.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Christian’s thrown to the Lion’s, by Palin
It is not so cozy on the far right now or so it would appear for the evangelical supporters of John McCain and his vice presidential choice Sarah Palin. Palin is finding out exactly what it means to be in the national spotlight.
On Monday, Palin, a conservative protestant and member of Families for Life, outed her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol. Apparently, Bristol got caught up in the bright lights of Wasilla and became pregnant. I am not ruling out that this could be another immaculate conception, but why would God choose Wasilla for anther one of his miracles.
On top of the admittedly difficult circumstances, Palin’s daughter, Bristol, has left her in, there is the revelation that the republican’s vice presidential nominee’s husband Todd was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 1986. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Palin is under investigation for ethics violations in Alaska, over the firing of a state trooper, who was married to her sister. Oh, by the way, it is rumored that Palin was part of an Alaskan secessionist movement in Alaska.
John McCain described choosing a vice presidential running mate as a “long process, which you have to get right,” - obviously did not take long enough when he choose Sarah Palin as his running mate.
On Monday, Palin, a conservative protestant and member of Families for Life, outed her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol. Apparently, Bristol got caught up in the bright lights of Wasilla and became pregnant. I am not ruling out that this could be another immaculate conception, but why would God choose Wasilla for anther one of his miracles.
On top of the admittedly difficult circumstances, Palin’s daughter, Bristol, has left her in, there is the revelation that the republican’s vice presidential nominee’s husband Todd was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 1986. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Palin is under investigation for ethics violations in Alaska, over the firing of a state trooper, who was married to her sister. Oh, by the way, it is rumored that Palin was part of an Alaskan secessionist movement in Alaska.
John McCain described choosing a vice presidential running mate as a “long process, which you have to get right,” - obviously did not take long enough when he choose Sarah Palin as his running mate.
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