TOO BIG FOR HIS BRITCHES

My grandmother was full of sage wisdom. She was always ready to identify any human folly with an old-fashioned saying that usually "hit the nail on the head". I often think of her when I read or hear of the latest rant from GOP Party Spokesman Rush Limbaugh. "Ignore the stupid" I can hear her say whenever I am tempted to express an opinon on some insane comment from Rush. For a long time, I have kept that advice. But finally, Rush has gone a little too far. His recent comments on torture and John McCain were wrong and deserve comment.

On April 17th, Rush was ranting about the release of torture memos from the Bush Administration. He was defending torture as necessary because Rush thinks torture works. To prove his point he took a former Vietnam POW's statements out of context.

Said Limbaugh, "The idea that torture doesn’t work– that’s been put out from John McCain on down– You know, for the longest time McCain said torture doesn’t work then he admitted in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last summer that he was broken by North Vietnamese. So what are we to think here?"

Now insisting that torture works is pretty twisted. But it takes a really sick mind to try proving your point by taking a war hero's words out of context. Because John McCain does NOT think torture works. Sen. McCain has written about his experiences with torture in his book, "FAITH OF MY FATHERS". Yes, he "broke" and gave them information. It was information that they already had, was outdated or that he made up.

"Eventually, I gave them my ship’s name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant. Pressed for more useful information, I gave the names of the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line, and said they were members of my squadron. When asked to identify future targets, I simply recited the names of a number of North Vietnamese cities that had already been bombed."

I am sure that the Vietnamese found this information extremely usefull! Probably as useful as all of the lies given to interrogators on Guantanamo.

Now we can argue whether torture works or not. We can discuss whether the President should have released the memos or not. What we should not do is to disrespect the service of a veteran and former POW by using his words out of context to "prove" a point the Senator disagrees with. What happened to respect for service?

As I recall, Rush and every other conservative was horrified by the disrespect showed Sen. McCain when it was suggested that being shot down did not necessarily qualify you to be president. That was a MAJOR issue at the time! Now, I may not believe that military service makes you Presidential but I do think it earns you a certain amount of respect for that service. And using the personal story of a POW who disagrees with you is certainly not showing proper respect. So how does Rush justify this? And why does no one on the Right call him out for it?

My grandmother had the perfect explanation. Rush is having so much fun being the "leader" of the party that he's gotten too big for his britches! And someone from his side of the aisle needs to call him on it.

NEW ENDORSEMENT FOR McCAIN

Sen. John McCain's presidential bid received a new endorsement today. Several bloggers on a web site called al-Hesba have endorsed Sen. McCain as the best choice for an American President to promote their agenda. Normally, the McCain campaign would be thrilled at a new endorsement....but this web site is a password protected site sponsored by Al-Qaeda!

They feel that a President McCain will continue to occupy American military resources in Iraq and that his "impetuous" character will lead him to make decisions that will increase the Anti-American sentiment that feeds Al Qaeda funding and recruitment.

It's very easy to make light of this "endorsement". Many on the left are having a field day with it. Look to see it as the "joke of the week" on any number of late night shows. But it alludes to an extremely serious issue that many would like to ignore. We still live in dangerous times! One of the many pro-McCain quotes also suggests that an attack before the election could swing the vote enough to allow McCain to win.

"If al-Qaida carries out a big operation against American interests," the message said, "this act will be support of McCain because it will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaida. Al-Qaida then will succeed in exhausting America till its last year in it."

As a liberal, I am often accused of being blind to the dangers of the world we live in. That is simply not correct. Al-Qaida IS still a danger. But it is important to consider how the next President will react in a moment of crisis. Conventional wisdom suggests that the ex-military pilot would have a better grasp of what is necessary to combat the enemy. Unfortunately, all we have seen from Sen. McCain are knee-jerk reactions to events as opposed to a clear, concise response to a situation. (Look at the economic crisis.) When you examine the irratic manner in which he has managed his own campaign, it calls into question his judgment in managing a military operation. We should also keep in mind that our actions in Iraq have been one of the best recruitment tools Al-Qaeda has ever had.

You see, it is not enough for a President to only understand the military aspects of a conflict. He must be equally versed in the political ramifications of his actions. If you blow up a building to kill a terrorist, you will probably also kill civilians. That action may strengthen the resolve of the people to support the terrorists you are trying to defeat. The importance of the target may outweigh the political risk of killing civilians. That is a matter to be judged each time by the President. I have no doubt that McCain can blow up the building. I am no longer sure that he has the wisdom to see the end result of his actions or the political impact they will have on the situation. (Remember, McCain is one of those who insisted that we would be greeted as liberators by the Iraqi people.)

While it has been suggested that an Obama Presidency would be "tested" to see how he would react early in his term, it could also be suggested that the predictability of McCain's temperment is equally dangerous. The first rule of war is to understand your adversary's strengths & weaknesses in order to exploit them. McCain's predictability is very easily exploited.

There is danger in the world today. An "impetuous" president will NOT help us navigate the dangerous waters of the world we find ourselves living in! A new direction is needed!

RATS AND THE GOOD SHIP "GOP"

Each day more and more CONSERVATIVES are speaking out about their doubts concerning the McCain campaign. The liberal media has termed them "rats deserting the ship" and these are their comments!




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"[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."

Matthew Dowd, Chief Strategist for George W. Bush's Re-Election Campaign


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I voted for Bush, father and son, but this time I'll vote for Obama...."I pray God, Barack Obama is elected,"

Dennis Hopper, Movie Star & Long Time Republican currently starring in AN AMERICAN CAROL. (I don't know which is scarier...Dennis Hopper voting Democratic or Dennis Hopper praying?)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear had to feel sorry for the old lion on his last outing and wish that he could be taken somewhere soothing and restful before the night was out. The train-wreck sentences, the whistlings in the pipes, the alarming and bewildered handhold phrases—"My friends"—to get him through the next 10 seconds. I haven't felt such pity for anyone since the late Adm. James Stockdale humiliated himself as Ross Perot's running mate. And I am sorry to have to say it, but Stockdale had also distinguished himself in America's most disastrous and shameful war, and it didn't qualify him then and it doesn't qualify McCain now.

Obama is greatly overrated in my opinion, but the Obama-Biden ticket is not a capitulationist one, even if it does accept the support of the surrender faction, and it does show some signs of being able and willing to profit from experience. With McCain, the "experience" is subject to sharply diminishing returns, as is the rest of him, and with Palin the very word itself is a sick joke."

Christopher Hitchens, Conservative writer & Iraq War Supporter


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's time for John McCain to fire his campaign. He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama’s. The Obama team is well organized, flush with resources, and the candidate and the campaign are in sync. The McCain campaign, once merely problematic, is now close to being out-and-out dysfunctional. Its combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic.

William Kristol, Fox News Commentator


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Obama-Terry Voter, anyone?" I’ll admit it: I’m voting for Obama and Lee Terry. Why? Because I want our officials to work hard, to be honest, exhibit strong ethics and be accessible. That’s Lee Terry. Ever talked with Lee? I have. You ask him questions, you get straight answers. I like that. Please join me in voting for Lee Terry. Paid for by Lee Terry for Congress"

Campaign Ad paid for by Lee Terry, incumbent REPUBLICAN running for re-election to Congress in Nebraska's second congressional district.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest -- even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. If nothing else, I am confident this is the first of several votes I will cast for him in years to come."

Joshua Trevino, RedState co-founder


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sorry Dad, I'm voting for Obama"

Christopher Buckley, Son of William Buckley


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions require her promotion.

Palin didn't make a mess cracking the glass ceiling. She simply glided through it.

It was fun while it lasted.

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.

Kathleen Parker, Conservative columnist for the Washington Post


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

George Will, Fox Commentator & Washington Post columnist


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Perhaps it is important as we laugh at them for being "rats" that we keep in mind why rats desert a sinking ship. Because it is SINKING! It's called survival. And many of the best minds of the Conservative movement are beginning to suspect that the election of their own candidate, Sen. John McCain could seriously endanger our chances as a nation for survival!

It only makes sense. When your boat is sinking....SWITCH BOATS!

YOUR PAL, "AL"

There have been many stories commenting on the crowd reaction at the latest rallies of VP candidate, Governor Sarah Palin. She has gone on the offensive against Sen. Obama in an extremely personal way. The attacks have been very inspiring to the crowds. There have been numerous reports of people yelling "terrorist" and at least one man has screamed "kill him" at yesterday's rally.


The anger of the crowd has also been directed towards the media. At least one African-American technician was called a "racial ephitaph" and then was told by another crowd member to "Sit down, BOY!".

Most people just see personal attacks as a sign that the McCain campaign is desperate and would rather talk about anything than the economy. And that is probably true! But to work a crowd up to the point where there are cries to KILL the opposing candidate takes this election into a very scary place. This is not the type of discourse that our founding fathers had in mind when they dreamed up this exotic scheme called "Democracy".

Because of Sen. Obama's unusual background he is very open to character attacks. His father is foreign born. Less than 8 years after the attacks of 9/11, his years in Muslim Indonesia give us even more to fear because we don't "know him" that well. His college teachings make him seem elitist and not "one of us". Many on the left would have you believe that these fears of Americans are nothing but blatant racism. But they are wrong. It is more than that and it is less than that. More because there are a great many Americans with legitimate objections to Sen. Obama's policies. Less because it is not just "rascism" like we think of during the Civil Rights Movement. There are no dogs & fire hoses or burning crosses. It's a kinder, gentler form of bias. But it is still a bias against that which we are not familiar with.

I think it is the combination of all of these things that make some of us wonder about Sen. Obama. He's not like other candidates we grew up with. But it is too simple to pin the problem on any one thing like racism. And lucky for John McCain because it gives him plenty of ammunition to attack with.

I think our fears have more to do with our buddy, Al! Who is Al, you ask? I don't know him...you do. We all know an Al in our life. "Al" is the person we see to be the exception to the stereotype.

We may not like immigrants because they are lazy and steal jobs and don't pay taxes...they're not like my pal Al, who I work with. He's ok. (Cause you know him.)

We like working for Al, he's not like most white people who try to keep a "brother" down. He's always got your back!

"AL" plays on my school's baseball team, his family eats funny food but he's a great pitcher!

"AL" just moved here from New York City, but he's pretty smart for a "city slicker"

I go to church with Al's wife and she's so sweet, not angry like a lot of "those" women!

You know Al. Maybe he's the gay man who's not like the "rest". Maybe he's the Hindu who waits on you at your favorite restaurant. But Al is the great hero in the battle against racism & predjudice in this country. He's the ONE you KNOW that helps you realize that all ethnic & cultural groups are composed of people. Some good and some bad. All you had to do to realize this is to get to know AL. He's basicly like you and me. Loves his wife and kids, wants to provide for them, wants to see his children grow up in the greatest nation on earth. It's hard to continue believing something about a culture, race, gender or whatever when you actually KNOW someone who is a part of that group. The "idealized" group becomes a little less real than the PERSON you know.

As Sen. Obama has become better known to more and more of the electorate, his favorability ratings have also increased. He's not so strange and foreign anymore to a larger portion of the electorate. He's becoming a political "AL".

This is natural. What is not natural is to try to stir up hatred and fear for a fellow American. It's wrong. Debate the issues. Discuss the failings of Obama's policies, but remember that he is still one of us. He may be wrong in his judgment but he is NOT a terrorist infiltrator. That's just silliness that gets promoted when someone gets behind in the polls.

So in the hopes of reminding everyone that Sen. Obama is an American, a father & a husband: here are some photos from his past. They look a lot like photos all of us have. They are part of America's Story. They should not influence you to vote for or against him because there is nothing special about them. They are a part of "Al's Story" and not the photos of a terrorist or traitor.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/03/the-obama
s-anniversary-al_n_131721.html?page=12&show_comment_id=

16417017#comment_16417017

We must focus not on the personal for this election but on the issues. We must vote for who we think will promise the best future for our children & grandchildren.

POTS, KETTLES, AYERS & FRIENDS

A long time ago, like last year, John McCain spoke a great deal about the importance of running a civil campaign that focused on the issues important to the American people. Now sources within the McCain campaign have been saying for several days that McCain would go REALLY NEGATIVE because changing the discussion off the economy is his only way of winning. McCain's own campaign believes that when the focus is on issues: OBAMA WINS!

It also seems that the sources were right. Shortly after this news was posted, Gov. Palin began quoting a New York Times article discussing Sen. Obama's association with 60's radical William Ayers. "Palling around with terrorists" is how the Governor characterizes the issue. The facts are clear.

1) William Ayers was a member of the WEATHERMEN UNDERGROUND in the 60's.

2) He was on the run for years because of the bombings done by the group.

3) He has never been convicted of a crime...his trial was thrown out for "prosecutorial misconduct".

4) He is currently a Professor of Education at the University of Illinois.

5) He has authored or edited over 15 books and is a nationally recognized authority on school reform.

6) He is consulted by the city of Chicago on school reform.

7) He did work with Sen. Obama on projects in Chicago.

8) He did host a fundraiser for Obama early in his career. They both live in the same neighborhood.

9) Sen. Obama has condemned his past activities publicly on several occasions.

The same news article that Palin quotes also definitely states that while Sen. Obama has "underplayed" their relationship there is NO "close connection" between the two.

The reality is simple. The whole idea of politics is to meet as many people as possible and to convince them to support you. (It doesn't necessarily mean that you support them back!) POLITICS MAKES STRANGE BED FELLOWS. And "guilt by association" is a dangerous tact to take in a political campaign because few politicians have spotless records and all fall victim to S.B.S.

"Strange Bed-Fellows Syndrome (S.B.S.) is all about the people the candidate meets along the way. It means Sen. McCain goes on G. Gordon Liddy's radio show proclaiming Liddy to be "an old friend". G. Gordon Liddy has contributed frequently to John McCain's campaigns including his current one. G. Gordon Liddy is a convicted burglar. He has also confessed to the following:

1) plotting to kill the journalist Jack Anderson

2) plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institute

3) developed a plan for the Nixon Administration to kidnap "leftist guerillas" (read that protestors) to keep them away from the 1972 Republican National Convention

4) acknowledged his willingness to kill anyone who tried to stop him from his second break-in of a psychiatrist's office

5) has on numerous occasions instructed his radio audience on how to shoot federal A.T.F. agents

Not exactly the kind of friend your Mom wanted you to hang out with when you grow up! The difference between Obama/Ayers & McCain/Liddy is that Obama will discuss the issue and the McCain campaign ignores all requests for comment on G. Gordon Liddy and his relationship with the Senator. Senator Obama condemns the past activities of Ayers while McCain pretends it didn't happen.

STRANGE BED-FELLOWS SYNDROME (S.B.S.) could also require asking about Sen. McCain's connection with his father-in-law whose money helped fund his first Senate campaign and who has been linked to underworld figures out west.

S.B.S. could also re-look into Sen. McCain's associations with Charles Keating and the KEATING 5! It was a long time ago and he was only reprimanded by the Senate but hey it's still out there. And as Sen. McCain once said, "if Americans want to talk about a subject...we should"

Governor Palin is also susceptible to S.B.S. Her current minister is from Africa and got his start there with "witch hunts". And we're talking real witches. He drove a woman from his village who was casting spells on people to cause car wrecks! Became quite famous for that episode in Africa. Rev. Thomas Muthee has recently had a guest speaker in his church that made questionable statements on Jews from the pulpit with Palin present in the audience. Rev. Muthee has blessed Palin's bid for Governor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwkb9_zB2Pg (Notice the references to witches about 1:45 into the clip)

You could also ask why Gov. Palin was willing to address the annual convention of an Alaskan Indepencence Party whose goal is succession for Alaska from the United States of America. (How does this work with "Country First"?) Maybe she addressed them because her husband was once a member. And while it's never been PROVED that Palin was a member, several members of the group seemed to think she was!

Do ANY of these associations mean you SHOULDN'T vote for McCain/Palin? Probably not. The issues McCain/Palin represent as a ticket are much more important to me than the people they have met along the way to becoming a ticket. But it's only fair to look at them if you look at everyone that Obama has had contact with.

The truth of the matter: The McCain campaign wants to turn your focus from policy comparisons to a referendum on the character of Sen. Obama. And Sen. Obama is no "dirtier" than the McCain/Palin ticket. If there was real "dirt" on Sen. Obama the Clinton Campaign would have found it and used it!!! McCain can't argue that he's more "presidential" than Obama because the world saw how he handled the bailout crisis. All that's left are personal attacks. Perhaps McCain/Palin should heed the words of Christ and "let he who is without sin cast the first stone!"

As Americans it is important that we ignore the "silly" in this election cycle and instead look to the future. When you hear the upcoming attacks & smears, when you read the chain e-mails proclaiming "Obama is a muslim, the anti-christ or even Donald Duck" the question to ask is: Who's policies will best help our country? Who will leave a more stable and stronger country for our children and our grandchildren? But if you are listening to McCain/Palin question the associates of Sen. Obama, it's nothing more than "the pot calling the kettle black".

OBAMA AND THE BAILOUT

On Sunday, Sen. McCain attacked Sen. Obama for not having offered a plan to solve the latest financial crisis to hit Wall Street. He accused Sen. Obama of once again playing politician and not offering the leadership the country needed from a president. This would have a certain level of humor if the subject was not so serious. McCain is a man whose first reaction was to threaten to fire the head of the SEC. (Which is not something the President can do.) Even George Will called McCain's behavior "unpresidential" But in one respect Sen. McCain was correct, Sen. Obama did not offer presidential leadership! This may have had something to do with the fact that Sen. Obama is not currently the President of the United States and this is a crisis.

Sen. Obama's response was to stay calm and wait for the designated leader of the country to make the decisions that are his to make. Obama made frequent calls to many legislators on both sides of the aisle to discuss the problem. Then on Sunday after the President had offered his plan, Sen. Obama spoke on 7 principals that he felt the plan must meet to be approved by Congress. He did not say he would not support a bailout. He stressed the importance of this legislation passing Congress quickly, but he refused to write the President a blank check. He spoke as a Senator entrusted to be the legislative branch of the government. He also showed us what would be important to a President Obama if he were faced with a similar situation as President Bush is currently. (It should also be noted that several of these principals are things he has spoken on in the past on the campaign trail as early as last year. Unlike Sen. McCain, Sen. Obama seems to have seen some form of this problem coming.) So here are those principals taken directly from a transcript of Sunday's speech.

No blank check. If we grant the Treasury broad authority to address the immediate crisis, we must insist on independent accountability and oversight. Given the breach of trust we have seen and the magnitude of the taxpayer money involved, there can be no blank check.
Rescue requires mutual responsibility. As taxpayers are asked to take extraordinary steps to protect our financial system, it is only appropriate to expect those institutions that benefit to help protect American homeowners and the American economy. We cannot underwrite continued irresponsibility, where CEOs cash in and our regulators look the other way. We cannot abet and reward the unconscionable practices that triggered this crisis. We have to end them.
Taxpayers should be protected. This should not be a handout to Wall Street. It should be structured in a way that maximizes the ability of taxpayers to recoup their investment. Going forward, we need to make sure that the institutions that benefit from financial insurance also bear the cost of that insurance.
Help homeowners stay in their homes. This crisis started with homeowners and they bear the brunt of the nearly unprecedented collapse in housing prices. We cannot have a plan for Wall Street banks that does not help homeowners stay in their homes and help distressed communities.
A global response. As I said on Friday, this is a global financial crisis and it requires a global solution. The United States must lead, but we must also insist that other nations, who have a huge stake in the outcome, join us in helping to secure the financial markets.
Main Street, not just Wall Street. The American people need to know that we feel as great a sense of urgency about the emergency on Main Street as we do the emergency on Wall Street. That is why I call on Senator McCain, President Bush, Republicans and Democrats to join me in supporting an emergency economic plan for working families – a plan that would help folks cope with rising gas and food prices, save one million jobs through rebuilding our schools and roads, help states and cities avoid painful budget cuts and tax increases, help homeowners stay in their homes, and provide retooling assistance to help ensure that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built in America.
Build a regulatory structure for the 21st Century. While there is not time in a week to remake our regulatory structure to prevent abuses in the future, we should commit ourselves to the kind of reforms I have been advocating for several years. We need new rules of the road for the 21st Century economy, together with the means and willingness to enforce them.

As a Senator, these points clearly show a legislator who understands his role in the process. The executive branch has proposed a solution, the legislative branch discusses the idea focusing on how the plan solves the problem and makes recommendations and changes before making it a law for the executive branch to enforce. Sen. Obama played his part in the process during a crisis. Sen. McCain campaigned.

WHY I SUPPORT OBAMA: ENERGY

I am often asked WHY “I SUPPORT OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT.” This is usually followed by the comment that he doesn’t give a plan and I probably only support him because of his pretty rhetoric. So, I would like to address one of several areas that Sen. Obama has a plan for that is better than Sen. McCain’s plan: ENERGY. This is not the only reason I support his candidacy, but it is a major reason for that support.

Both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain have fairly similar plans for a comprehensive national energy policy. Both want to improve auto mileage standards (although the Obama plan is more aggressive), both want to make better use of alternative energy sources that include bio-fuels, wind and solar. Both see alternative energy as the “space race” of the new millennium, a way to increase American technology and to create jobs for a struggling economy. Leading Americans forward to develop new resources is a goal of both men. The differences are mainly found in their stance on drilling and their view on nuclear energy.

So why is this one of the MOST important reasons I support Sen. Obama? Because it is so important and we are so short of time to make progress. The issues we discuss today are issues that we knew were issues in the 70’s….we just did nothing about them. And that is one of my fears of McCain. He has been in Washington as a Senator for 28 years and has done nothing to develop alternative sources. In fact, Sen. McCain has voted AGAINST bills that would have promoted their development on at least nine separate occasions. Drilling, nuclear energy, new sources will all take time to bring on line. We don’t have much time. The longer that we wait for the RIGHT solution, the harder it will be to break our dependence on foreign oil. The Middle East is extremely unstable and unfortunately our livelihood as a nation is tied directly to our need for foreign oil. Due to the Iraq War, we have lost what little diplomatic influence we had. The Iraq War has proved the difficulty of using military force to stabilize one country much less the entire region.

It will be essential for the next president to lead us into a new way of thinking about our energy usage. That requires both vision and the ability to inspire Americans to support the changes needed. I think Sen. Obama is the one best suited to inspire us to change. I also think that his younger age gives him the ability to think outside the box more than Sen. McCain. I feel he is more in touch with the younger generation who will ultimately have to change their lifestyle to adjust to the new technology.

One of the greatest critiques of alternative energy is that the technology has not been available. But now it really may be. Over the past two years there have been two massive developments concerning alternative energy. The first is the development of a flexible solar panel. It is made of a flexible film that converts ALL wavelengths of light from ALL angles. It can be bent to fit any shape and placed anywhere. It currently has limited availability but will be widely available in three years. The second is the plan proposed by T. Boone Pickens to turn large areas of the Midwest into wind farms. These wind farms are located in remote areas and have the added advantage of bringing a viable industry to rural America. Having a major business figure behind a company designed to seriously promote alternative energy is a major asset that has been missing from the equation for too long. Both McCain & Obama have expressed interest in his plan.

But if the plans are so similar, why do I support Obama on his energy policy? Because of the differences! Sen. McCain is too intent on drilling to solve our problems. While more drilling is going to be necessary in the future, it is not the answer to our problems. For one thing we don’t have enough oil to make a significant difference. America uses 25% of the world’s petroleum, but we only control at best estimate 10% of the world’s oil. No matter how much we drill, we will need to come up with other sources of energy. Not only would it take years to drill, we do not currently have the refining capacity to make the oil useful. There is also a backlog in the industry of new well installation as it is. (Just because you authorize more drilling doesn’t mean that the drill platforms will get set up any quicker.) Also, the oil will be placed on the world market for bid, not kept solely for U.S. consumption. So drilling would be advantageous for oil companies, but Americans get no such promises.

There are those who insist that we have more oil than the experts think. “How do we know how much oil we have until we drill”, they ask. The problem with that philosophy is that we don’t know. This philosophy is a little like going “all in” on a poker hand without knowing for sure what your hole cards are. It’s a suckers play.

Sen. McCain also favors nuclear power. The problem with that is three fold. One, if an accident happens the consequences are unbelievable for anyone nearby. While I realize that we have gone for many years without an accident at a nuclear facility…it only needs to happen once. Two, we have to store the used uranium somewhere safe. That becomes a real issue as the French are discovering. (They supply most of their energy needs through nuclear power, but are discovering that they are running out of space to store the waste. Never confuse the term “LOTS” with infinite. Eventually you have more waste than safe places to store the waste.) Three, the cost and time to build ONE new reactor is huge. Sen. McCain’s energy plan calls for 45 new reactors at a total cost of 315 Billion dollars! There are other avenues that will show results sooner and cheaper than we can bring new reactors on-line. Those are the options we should focus on.

Senator McCain has also seen a tendency to pander to us with silly energy ideas. He offers a huge reward for the first American to build a better battery for auto use. The reason this is silly is simple. Anyone who invents such a battery will make a fortune off of the patent rights! People are already researching hard to achieve this goal without the “reward” because the idea is worth so much on its’ own. His battery reward is a trick of smoke & mirrors to make you forget that Sen. McCain has been in the Senate for 28 years without working on this issue before.

He also advocates a “gas tax Holiday”. But those gas taxes are what we use to maintain and build new infrastructure for our highways. So while I am able to save about $100 a summer (I drive a lot for my job) it won’t save me money if I bust an axel on a road that hasn’t been properly maintained. Sen. Obama has been honest with us about why he sees it as a bad idea and that is refreshing in this election.

It seems that most of America falls within two camps now, those who feel that drilling will save us because we have more oil than we realize and those of us who think it is essential that we move away from an oil based energy policy. At this stage, nobody really knows who’s right or who’s wrong. The difference is that if I’m wrong and we build this great infrastructure that emphasizes alternative energy...we have the alternative sources and more oil. That means the price of oil goes down. If I’m right and we run out of oil (or are cut off by embargo or the wells are damaged in a hurricane) then your children will spend some future winter night sitting in a very cold and very dark house telling stories to your grandchildren about the “good old days”.

THE EXPERIENCE OF JOHN McCAIN

We are often told in this election that only a fool would vote for an untested politician like Sen. Obama. In these times of crisis the man with the most experience is the one who must be President. But experience is useless without the virtue of learning from your experiences. And here I think John McCain comes up short.

One of the original Reagan foot soldiers, John McCain has held a life long belief in the private sector being unfettered by government regulation. In the late 1980's that lack of regulation led to the collapse of the savings & loan industry. (It also earned the young Senator from Arizona a reprimand from the Senate Ethics Committee, but that's another story.)

Now some 20 years later, following six years of a Republican Congress and Republican President, we have had the opportunity to again test the principal that ALL government regulation is bad. And in the last few weeks we have seen the results. The bailouts being proposed now make the Savings & Loan Bailout look like small change.

But up until 48 hours ago, Sen. McCain continued to insist that we MUST DEREGULATE! Which of course is the teachings of his top economic advisor Phil Gramm who engineered the original deregulation of the banking industry some 10 years ago.

Sen. McCain has even proposed putting Social Security into privatized hands (which of course meant your retirement was in your hands, same as your mortgage and your mutal fund.). Looking at the ups & downs of the market this last week make that a bit scarier today than it was six months ago.

But the best is this quote that will be appearing in an upcoming magazine article written by the EXPERIENCED John McCain. The title of the article is BETTER HEALTH CARE AT LOWER COST FOR EVERY AMERICAN from the Sept/Oct 08 issue of Contingecies.

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

I don't know about you but that quote makes me feel a little ill. (Note: He also plans on making your health care contribution taxable as opposed to both the present system & Sen. Obama's health care.)

So what we have is an article that was written so recently that it is yet to be published that describes a health care system with all the safe guards of the banking industry. It trumpets the wisdom of deregulating the banking industry. Current events seem to call into question his judgement, since for the last 48 hours he's been "Mr. We-Need-To-Regulate-This-Problem McCain". We know he promises to fix it "so it never happens again", but wouldn't it had been nice if he had learned his lesson during the 80's?

And we know he also wants to do the same thing to Social Security. DOES THIS SEEM WISE TO YOU? Experience without wisdom is nothing to brag about.

MORE LIBERAL MEDIA BIAS?

Many in the media have recently begun to question some of the claims of Sen. McCain. Some have dared to call him a flip-flopper or even liar. And the response from the conservative right has been predictable. It's not Sen. McCain's fault, it's the liberal media's bias that is really behind these accusations. It has nothing to do with lies and false statements on the part of Sen. McCain...and besides Obama's worse!

But apparently it's not only the liberal media that is starting to call him out. Recently, Sen. McCain spoke in Lee's Summitt, MO. This resulted in McCain being written up as a flip flopper and fibber by THE ARMY TIMES?

At the rally he attacked Obama for trying to "slow our development of Future Combat Systems" McCain excalaimed, "This is not a time to slow our development of Future Combat Systems."

Now Future Combat Systems (FCS) is an Army program that is exactly what it sounds like, research into new weapons. The program is constantly behind schedule and overbudget. Nobody denies that fact. But to hear Sen. McCain tell it, Obama has already cancelled the program and given our soldiers socker boppers to defend themselves with.

The truth is that Sen. Obama wants to “cut tens of billions of dollars in wasteful spending....I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems. I will not weaponize space. I will slow our development of Future Combat Systems.”

The Army Times then went to an Obama military advisor for followup questioning. “Obama had said that he wanted to review FCS and he thought that he might want to slow the fielding,” former Sec. of Air Force F. Whitten Peters (and Obama advisor) said. “His feeling is there really needs to be an overall strategic review of larger weapon programs to decide which ones are sufficiently important to keep going and which ones may need to be scaled back.”

So McCain lied about Obama's stand on the issue. But even worse is that as recently as July of this year, McCain was telling the Washington Post that he wanted to cut FCS entirely from the Pentagon budget. No review, no tweaking the program....JUST CUT IT!

The Army Times then quoted Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute (a conserative think tank) who compared the two Senators views on the military budget.

“Future Combat Systems is the centerpiece of Army modernization. However, McCain has been more critical of it than anyone else in the chamber. Obama has been much more detailed and thoughtful in his comments about future military investment than McCain’s very superficial statements.”

So we end with a news outlet associated with the military quoting a conservative think tank spokesman who says Obama is detailed & thoughtful while McCain is superficial. It must be media bias! That's what made the Army Times run a headline reading "Flip Flop or Fib"!

And to no one's surprise, the McCain campaign declined to comment to the Army Times regarding the article.

In this next election Americans must decide between a leader who looks to "detailed and thoughtful" analysis versus the "grill buddy" who's "superficial" views decide the direction of our country. But hey, that's probably just more liberal media bias.

VOTE YOUR POCKETBOOK

Those tax & spend Democrats are at it again. Recently, the Tax Policy Center did a review of the tax differences between Obama and McCain. We’ve all seen the ads that tell us that Obama will raise your taxes and Sen. McCain will lower your taxes. Obviously, it is in your best interest to vote for McCain because it will save YOU money! In fairness, Sen. McCain is not lying! He will lower the tax rate for every American!

The catch (because there’s always a catch in politics) is HOW MUCH your taxes are lowered depends upon how much you make. For instance if you make $50,000.00; your taxes will go down by $319.00 or 0.6%. But if I make $600,000.00 my taxes will decrease by $45,361.00 or 7.6%. Huh? Pardon my cynical nature, but why does the man who is making TWELVE times more than you GET A TAX CUT THAT IS 7% MORE THAN YOURS? (Guess I must have worked harder for my $600,000 than you did for your paltry $50,000.)

Now under the Obama plan, the taxes on my $600,000.00 WILL go up. I will spend an extra $115,974 in taxes. So McCain didn’t lie! Sen. Obama will raise taxes ON EVERY AMERICAN MAKING OVER $600,000.00. How dare he? And how much will Obama raise taxes on your $50,000.00? NOT AT ALL. In fact, if you make $50,000.00, under the Obama tax plan you will pay $1,042.00 less than you do now. (That’s a 2.1% decrease in your taxes as opposed to Sen. McCain’s 0.6% decrease.) And how does Senator Obama plan to make up the difference? By cutting the tax breaks given to the rich by President Bush!

If you want to see where you will fall under each plan go to the following link:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidat
es_taxproposals_tpc/?postversion=2008061113

Another difference between the two plans: If you are retired and making less than $50,000 per year, under the Obama tax plan you won’t pay taxes on that $50,000.

And another: Currently if you receive employer-based health insurance it is not taxed. Under the McCain health care plan you WILL pay taxes on the money paid towards your health care. (This doesn’t get much mention in his stump speech but it is in his Health Care Plan.)

Several years ago, multi-billionaire Warren Buffet made an offer to donate $1,000,000.00 to the charity of choice of any Fortune 500 CEO who paid the same percentage tax rate as the CEO’s secretary. The money remains unclaimed to this day. Senator Obama may cost Warren Buffet a million dollars by leveling the tax rate in America.

Some people will try to tell you that it is not fair for the rich to have to pay more than anyone else. But the reality is that during the Bush Administration we have been fighting a war in Iraq on credit. Borrowing as much money as we have has caused the dollar to plummet. This means different things to different classes. I recently listened to a woman in a grocery store with two small children try to decide between milk or meat because she couldn’t afford both. That’s what a weak dollar means to the poor. Today, I stood behind a woman at the bank who was forced to cancel her vacation to Europe. So instead, she’s going to Latin America for vacation because the dollar is so much stronger there. That’s what a weak dollar means to the wealthy.
Bottom line, regardless of what the Republicans try to tell you…Sen. Obama is much friendlier to the middle class than the McCain Campaign ever dreamed of!



VOTE YOUR POCKETBOOK!

GUSTAV & PUTTING AMERICA FIRST

Dear Senator McCain:



You have constantly told the American people that the reason we need to vote for you is because you (unlike Sen. Obama) put America First....Always.



Now with Hurricane Gustav making landfall (and Hurricane Hannah right behind) you have the opportunity to show us that you mean what you say. The safety and needs of the people living on the Gulf Coast override the needs of either campaign.

I applauded your decision to alter your convention schedule to "take care of necessary business" only. That is a wise move. I love the idea of turning the Republican Convention into a "telethon for Hurricane Victims". That is a wonderful idea that helps people.

My only question about your handling this is your insistence upon traveling to the area. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU AND YOUR ENTOURAGE ARE NEEDED IN THE GULF AREA?

Seriously, I was horrified to see that less than 24 hours before a major storm hits, you & your VP are touring the disaster relief coordination center. Did it ever occur to you that the line of people standing around to shake your hand might have something more important to be doing during the 24 hour countdown to landfall? Did some poor nurse in a local hospital start muttering obscenities when she was told that she not only had to prepare for possible hurricane refugees that she must also meet the protocols that are required of hospitals when a president or candidate are in the area? Was there a cop who had to pull an extra 5 hours of duty to make sure you were safe when he had no idea if his own family was taken care of?

I realize as a candidate you have to be aware of what is going on. But for the love of God, country and every individual that had to make time during their preparation for the storm....send a trusted advisor with a cell phone! It's a great device. It gives you instant communication with a trusted set of eyes to report back to you. If there is a problem, you can respond....without the interruption of Emergency Service Personnel. All of whom, have thier hands full right now. Call a governor on the phone. If Bobby Jindal was good enough to be on your short list for VP, surely he can give an accurate report of the facts on the ground.

On Thursday, BE IN ST. PAUL for your speech, not the Gulf. They need to clean up. They need to get Americans back in their homes. They need to get electricity back to those homes. THEY DON'T NEED TO BE CARING FOR YOU! Seventy two hours after a hurricane, the personnel needed to watch you are needed for other things...and if not, there is always SLEEP. (Which no disaster relief worker ever gets enough of)

Remember how insulting it was that during Bush's great speech from the center of New Orleans that he was the only person for miles that had access to electricity? Wouldn't he have been thought better of if he had put the crews that set up his speech to providing generators for those that lived there & had no electricity?

There is nothing you can say from the Gulf that can't be said from the Convention Stage. (Put a damn picture of the damage behind you on a screen & say you're there for all I care. But stay away! Leave the workers in peace to do thier job.)

The only real advantage for you in being in the Gulf is that of the Photo Op! Photo Ops do not show you putting America First! Maybe you are concerned about photo ops this time around. Remember the photo op you had with Bush during Katrina? That great picture of you & W. eating Birthday cake as Katrina roared ashore?

I have news for you. That photo is no reflection upon you. You were at the time the Senator from Arizona. You are responsible for disasters in Arizona...not the Gulf. George Bush should be ashamed of it, but it's no reflection on you. You are still only the Senator from Arizona, so stop trying so hard and think about the people in the path of the Hurricane. Stay out of the way of the rescue effort and spend time in St. Paul raising money to help.

HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING...

“I looked the man [Russian Prime Minister Putin] in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul.”
George Bush on Russian Prime Minister Putin

“When I looked at Putin’s eyes I saw 3 letters: KGB”
Sen. John McCain

“I’ve expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn the bombing outside of South Ossetia”
George Bush interviewed on NBC Sports

“With our allies, we now must stand in united purpose to persuade the Russian government to end violence permanently and withdraw its troops from Georgia. WE ARE ALL GEORGIANS!”
Sen. John McCain

“Yesterday, I heard Sen. McCain say, ‘We are all Georgians now, Well, very nice, you know, very cheering for us to hear that, but OK, it’s time to pass from this. From words to deeds.”
Georgian President Saakashvili

“The United States spent 45 years working very hard to avoid a military confrontation with Russia. I see no reason to change that approach today.”
US Sec. of Defense Robert Gates

“The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia, [and] insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.”
President George Bush


“One can forget about any talk about Georgia’s territorial integrity”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

“In the 21st Century nations DON’T invade other nations”
Sen. John McCain

“The Americans can take Baghdad…we can take Tbilisi [capital of Georgia].”
Russian Soldier in Georgia speaking with NPR.

“The current demand for our forces exceeds the sustainable supply. We are consumed with meeting the demands of the current fight [in Iraq] and are unable to provide ready forces as rapidly as necessary for other potential contingencies”
Army Chief of Staff, Gen. George Casey during a congressional hearing

“Well boys, I reckon this is it-nuclear combat toe to toe with the Roosskies. Now look, boys, I ain’t much of a hand at makin’ speeches, but I got a pretty fair idea that something doggone important is goin’ on back there. And I got a fair idea the kinda personal emotions that some of you fellas may be thinkin’. Heck, I recKon you wouldn’t even be human bein’s if you didn’t have some pretty strong personal feelin’s about nuclear combat. I want you to remember one thing, the folks back home is a-countin’ on you and by golly, we ain’t about to let ‘em down. I tell you something else, if this thing turns out to be half as important as I figure it just might be, I’d say that you’re all in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing’s over with. That goes for ever’ last one of you regardless of your race, color or your creed. Now let’s get this thing on the hump-we got some flyin’ to do!”
Major T. J. “King” Kong in the film DR. STRANGELOVE

The country of Russia is estimated to have over 6,000 nuclear weapons in it’s arsenal. It also has more natural gas and oil reserves than even the Middle East. One fourth of ALL European natural gas is supplied by Russia. In recent years it has shown no hesitation in using those supplies for political gain, often by cutting off heating supplies in the middle of winter. Russia is also one of the few countries with ANY influence over Iran.
Perhaps America needs to reconsider how important it is to think and to talk before threatening action that cannot be sustained in a realistic manner. “Cowboy Diplomacy” makes for great movies…but the consequences in the real world can be deadly.

“A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?”
The computer Joshua from the movie WAR GAMES

GOT SLEEP?

The New York Times did a story on Sen. McCain that seemed ripe for late night jokes...until I realized that the subject matter really wasn't funny.

According to the Tmes, Senator McCain was asked about whether he was going to take any vacation time during the Olympics. He responded that he might take a day or two off but "they" always filled those days up with briefings, meetings, etc and it wasn't really any time off.

“What makes the difference, ..., is getting enough rest. ‘If I can sleep in until about 7:30 or 8, then it really helps me,’ Senator McCain said. ‘I think when I get up real early, like 5:30 or 6, and don’t go to bed until 10, 10:30 or 11, it seems to help me [to] get up a little later in the morning. If I put in three or four 18-hour, 20-hour days in a row, then I’m not sharp,’ he said. ‘It’s just a fact.’”

I don't know about you, but 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM is a pretty normal day for me (maybe even a short one on average) AND I'M NOT A PRESIDENT. What happens when that proverbial "3 AM phone call" comes? Because 3:00 AM is obviously not a good time for John McCain. Do we want a cranky, "not sharp" president handling an unexpected situation without enough sleep? I mean we have all seen the number of "gaffes" he has made on the campaign trail already. Did lack of sleep figure into those mistakes?

I realize that consecutive 18-20 hour days are not the norm for most people, but sometimes the world doesn't take American convenience into thier crisis scheduling.

These comments really scared me! Anyone remember how much fun the last six months of Reagan in office was? The stories that kept creeping out about him sleeping through Cabinet meetings. Remember how after his Alzheimer's was announced, we all began to wonder how advanced was his condition during his last few months in office?

Got Sleep John McCain? GOD I HOPE SO....for all of our sakes!

THE REST OF THE STORY

Recently, news has surfaced that foreign-born and non-citizen muslims are contributing money to try to influence America's next election. Florida businessman Harry Sargeant III, chief executive for I.O.T.C. has "bundled" at least $50,000.00 for the election from a variety of foreign-born sources. These sources include: Ibrahim Marabeh (a store manager for RITE-AID) and his wife; Nadia and Shawn Abdalla (owners of Twilight Hookah Lounge famous for it SEX ON THE BEACH tobacco blend) who are not even registered voters and Sargeant has also received contributions for his candidate from a California Taco Bell shift supervisor among many others. All of them with muslim backgrounds and many from relatively low wage jobs. All who claim that a mysterious & forgotten "friend" asked them to contribute the money.

How does he get donations from such esteemed sources?

"I have a lot of Arab business partners. I do a lot of business in the Middle East. I've got a lot of friends," Sargeant told the [Washington] Post. "I ask my friends to support candidates that I think are worthy of supporting. They usually come through for me." These friends include his business partner, a citizen of Jordan and brother-in-law to the King of Jordan. And this is where it really gets interesting.

IOTC stands for INTERNATIONAL OIL TRADING COMPANY and it has over a billion dollars in contracts with the US Defense Department to supply fuel to Iraq. The website ProPublica reports:

"The company, which had not done any government work before it first won that contract in 2004, signed a two-year extension worth $913 million in 2007. But there have been difficulties. The contract requires that the fuel be brought through Jordan to Iraq -- meaning only the company with a "letter of authorization" from the Jordanian government could have stood a chance. ..., IOTC managed that feat by striking a deal with the king of Jordan's brother-in-law. Even though other companies bid on the contract, and IOTC was not the lowest bidder, IOTC was the only one with authorization and so won the contract. (The brother-in-law is suing IOTC, claiming he was cut out of the spoils. He wants $13 million for his trouble.)"

Congress has opened up an investigation into the activities of IOTC to see if there was issues with the setup for the contract and if the government is being overcharged for the fuel. Sargeant insists that the contract is "in the best interest of the military and the U.S. taxpayers." That remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that many of the political contributions he "bundled" are illegal under US laws that prevent foreigners from contributing to campaigns. In fact over $50,000 have been returned from the campaign to charity.

So my question is: where is the outcry agains these muslims who are breaking the law? Is the reason that there is so little media attention on this because we have decided that we love muslims or is it because the candidate who received the money was SEN. JOHN MCCAIN? ( I can just imagine the blogs if Sen. Obama had received money from any illegal sources, much less Muslims.)

Now in fairness, we should point out that it is impossible for any candidate to keep track of all of his donations and sources. It should also be stated again that McCain did return the money. Normally, I would say that this should be the end of it. But there is still one little bit of info that people should know: Harry Sargeant III, CEO of IOTC (currently under investigation) is also the Finance Chair for the Florida State Republican Party and Co-Chair of the McCain Victory Campaign. This wasn't just any Joe Shmoe from off the street bundling money....it was a trusted member of TEAM MCCAIN. And now you know the rest of the story.

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER REVIEW

This year’s biggest summer blockbuster may never be seen in the theatre. This year the prize for most hyped movie of the summer goes to campaign attack ads or….ATTACK OF MCCAIN: AD WARS 08! Featuring an all-star cast that includes Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Charlton Heston and of course this summer’s biggest celeb…THE CHOSEN ONE! OBAMA!!!!!

Following in the footsteps of Oliver Stone, Director (and campaign manager) Rick Davis has woven fact & fantasy into a carefully crafted tale of an ideological, young politician who spouts beautiful rhetoric while attempting to wrest the prize of the presidency from political legend John McCain. While on his quest, Young Obama is seduced by the DARK SIDE of politics. He begins a great struggle to keep the people under the control of the EVIL EMPIRE OF FOREIGN OIL. Thirty year political veteran John McCain is pulled from retirement to stop Obama’s evil mission and save the free world from itself. After an intense confrontation involving charges of racism and light sabres (think George Lucas meets BLAZING SADDLES) we realize that Obama has a messiah complex that brings back the ghost of Charlton Heston (a special treat for NRA viewers) to end the onslaught of evil that follows Young Obama where ever he goes.

Shot as a series of vignettes against the backdrop of Europe, the Mid East and an Ohio German Sausage Shop this is one movie you won’t be able to miss this summer….no matter how hard you try! (McCain is spending $140,000.00 per DAY to run the Britney/Paris ad alone.)

In the long run though, ATTACK OF MCCAIN seems a bit unfulfilling. Historically it is a little too inaccurate. In the first vignette we learn that Obama only visits troops if he can bring along cameras. And following the lead of Oliver Stone, facts are not allowed to interfere with the story line. Subsequent reports showed that Obama never intended to take press but that does nothing for advancing the McCain: America's Hero storyline.

The film also doesn’t follow the established time line well. Young Obama complains that “they’ll try to scare you by saying I don’t look like the president on the dollar bill” and McCain immediately calls it racism. A great scene but it seems to forget about the previous McCain short, SEAL A lovely June 08 straight-to-internet prequel that features a dollar bill with Obama’s head super-imposed over the president’s head. Ooops! I know it’s only a movie but you like it to follow it’s own history.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTJDv4hevU&feature=related)

The biggest issue is that the audience finds out a great deal about how bad Obama is; but learns little if anything about what McCain stands FOR. It leaves you yearning for a return to the themes of his 2000 masterpiece, THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS. But unfortunately, stars do age and it may be that today’s McCain is just not up to the same level of performance that he used to be. (Hey, even Sean Connery doesn’t do action films anymore.)

The reviews have been mixed. Veteran star, McCain says it’s “humorous” and claims he’s “proud” of his work this summer. Life-long character actor & perpetual movie sidekick Joe Lieberman says rising young star Obama is a “gifted and eloquent young man not ready to lead”.

But others have not been as kind.

Oh, well, I didn't see it -- I think it's kinda stupid," she says. "I'm just too old-hat for it. In fact, the other two, I didn't even know who they were.

Roberta McCain, mother of star John McCain
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There has been a very intentional effort to paint him as somebody outside the mainstream…he’s not one of us….I think the McCain campaign has been scrupulous about not directly saying it, but it's the subtext of this campaign. Everybody knows that. There are certain kinds of signals. As a native of the south, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, 'The One,' that's code for, 'he's uppity, he ought to stay in his place.' Everybody gets that who is from a southern background. We all understand that. When McCain comes out and starts talking about affirmative action, 'I'm against quotas,' we get what that's about."

Republican David Gergen, Advisor to both Republican & Democratic Presidents

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think we should be in a post-racial environment…I think Sen. [Barack] Obama has done an admirable job of that. I don't think he has race-baited. I think he has been very good about that."

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., a supporter of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found this McCain campaign ad "The One" to be one of the most offensive ads we have seen in American politics to date.

At best, this ad implies that those who plan to support Senator Obama are looking for a new savior or a replacement Messiah. But many are reading it even more darkly as an attempt to portray Obama as an anti-Christ figure.

A vote for Senator Obama is a vote for the man we think will make the best President, not for a new Messiah. As Christians, we have one Lord And Savior. Jesus Christ. It is blasphemous to suggest otherwise.

And it is beyond offensive to suggest that Senator Obama is a false Messiah or the anti-Christ himself. How low can we go? It shows the McCain campaign is willing to make a mockery of our faith to feed people's fears. Christians need to reject this out of hand.

Mara Vanderslice, founder and director of the pro-Obama religious group Matthew 25 Network
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


And I think Kathy Hilton summed it up perfectly:

I've been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

Kathy Hilton, Mother of Paris Hilton and financial contributor to McCain’s Campaign.

Who would have thought that Paris’s Mom would be so smart? Because the real tragedy to this “summer blockbuster” is that elections shouldn’t be “Hollywood” and Ms. Hilton is correct….frivolous is the last thing this country needs right now. John McCain is doing America a great disservice by focusing this election on the “plot lines” he wants instead of the real issues facing us all.

OILS WELLS THAT ENDS WELLS

As more and more Americans feel the pinch at the pumps, our presidential candidates have turned their focus onto a new Energy Policy for the U.S. Sen. John McCain has offered us several quick solutions. He wants a gas tax holiday and he wants to open up off-shore drilling. (Which he has opposed in Washington for the last 30 years. We’ll leave the flip-flopper argument to another time.)

But what REALLY causes such high prices? It isn’t any one thing but a combination of factors that increase oil prices. Supply & Demand is an important part of this. More and more nations are using more and more oil which means we have to out bid other countries to purchase oil. The dollars we use to purchase oil with are worth less today than they were a year ago and that drives up the price. And finally, oil speculators have artificially inflated the price due to a lack of regulation on their practices.

Today, Sen. McCain was scheduled to go to New Orleans to visit an off-shore rig for a great photo op showing how off-shore drilling will solve our high gas prices. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to weather. After all, a hurricane went through the Gulf yesterday. Nobody can expect to fly over the gulf today. Except, the weather in New Orleans today was hot and clear. Four mile per hour winds with a ten mile visibility limit. Seems like today’s weather shouldn’t be a problem for helicopters.

Maybe it wasn’t the weather, maybe he cancelled because at 1:30 AM yesterday the AP reports:

“ NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard closed 29 miles of the Mississippi River at New Orleans after a 600-foot tanker and a barge loaded with fuel oil collided Wednesday, breaking the barge in half.

Nobody was injured, but more than 419,000 gallons of heavy, almost tar-like fuel oil spilled from the barge, forming a slick 12 miles long, said Lt. Cdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.” (Note: That slick is now 100 miles long and growing.)

When you are trying to convince people that drilling is safe, you don’t want them to know that 419, 000 gallons can form a twelve mile slick and then have MSM remind you that during Hurricane Katrina 6.5 MILLION gallons of oil were spilled in the Gulf.

You don’t want people to be reminded that while the US consumes 25% of the world’s oil, even with off-shore drilling we only own 10% of the world’s oil. That’s a sizable gap to overcome. Even if we increase domestic production of oil, there is no promise that it will only be sold for domestic consumption. So we have to question how much of an impact that “extra” oil will have on the world market. Will it be enough to significantly reduce oil prices? And since it will be 5 to 10 years before that oil actually gets out of the ground…it is not a quick fix. So rather obviously, as T. Boone Pickens states, “This is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of.”

Think of it this way: I have a pot of soup of soup that will feed 100 people. I have to feed 150 people. If I add one cup of soup to the pot, I can now feed 101 people. I HAVE INCREASED SUPPLY. But, if everyone knows that 49 hungry people are not going to get soup the price of that soup goes up and the addition of one cup will do little to keep the price down. I can also expect to have 10 more people show up in line for soup while I add my one cup of soup, so now 59 people will not get soup today…unless they out bid everyone else for soup. The price of soup is going to go up!!!

This is not to say that off-shore drilling should not be examined. Whether Ecologists like it or not, we may need to drill in new areas; if not today then probably someday. Safety measures have increased over the past several decades. We do need all the oil we can get. But we have to realize that drilling is not a complete solution. It should be a possibility under discussion, not a knee-jerk reaction to filling your SUV. And the dangers inherent in off-shore drilling need to be taken into account. How do we get the oil we need without endangering the coast line. (Take away the Florida beaches and see how many tourists visit and what THAT does to the Florida economy.)

So what can be done to lower prices immediately? Unfortunately, very little. One suggestion has been that we re-instate the regulations that guided the actions of oil speculators. This was an industry that was de-regulated by Phil “The American People are Whiners” Gramm. Recently one of the largest speculators overextended and came up without enough collateral to cover its futures purchases. So SemGroup, an Oklahoma private oil marketing fund declared bankruptcy and sold its oil futures for a loss. Since that time, oil prices have fallen 14% in the last 10 days. If Congress can set new rules that require a larger “down payment” it will help to keep oil prices down. Will it solve all of our issues with high fuel costs? NO!!!!! But as we have seen, it can have a significant impact and in a short period of time. (Note: John McCain insists that the decline in price is because George Bush said he wants off-shore drilling and that was all it took. The Wall Street Journal says it was the demise of SemGroup. The question is…who do you trust? George Bush or the Wall Street Journal?)

The important thing for America is to develop the political will to decide that we HAVE to change how we think about energy. Where we get it from, how we use it and where we intend to get it from in the next year, in the next decade and beyond. That’s the real answer. We as Americans have to realize that the age of unlimited oil is gone and we must move forward to find new ways to power our country.

KNEE JERK DRILLING AND A SUMMER GAS TAX HOLIDAY ISN’T GOING TO CUT IT!

OBAMA RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGH GAS PRICES?

Today, I saw an ad from the McCain campaign that states that high gas prices are because of Sen. Barack Obama. John McCain is ready to drill for oil and solve our dependency on foreign oil! Sen. Barack Obama is against off-shore drilling and THAT IS WHY GAS PRICES ARE HIGH!

I thought I remember John McCain saying that Obama's inexperience and lack of time in the Senate is why I should vote for John McCain. But now he tells me that in the short time Obama has been in the Senate he has single handed stopped all off shore drilling and driven the price up.

HUH????

I seem to remember that in 2003, Senator John McCain voted AGAINST off shore drilling. That was a full year before Senator Obama ever held the office of junior Senator from Illinois. In fact, John McCain has opposed off shore drilling for his entire 30 years in Washington. So how does he justify blaming this on Sen. Obama?

This is even more incredible when you realize that even if we authorized off shore drilling today, it would be 5 to 10 years before we saw any of that oil. And when that oil finally is pumped, it will be put on the world market instead of being kept to "reduce America's dependence on foreign oil." (Which is also an idea that Sen. John McCain has publicly supported..) The dirty little secret that conservatives would like you to forget is that all American oil is put on the world market. So even today at a time that we scream about the amount of foreign oil we import, we don't like to remember that we also export US oil to other countries. (It's called a Global Economy...for good or bad.) So when oil companies do get this oil, we will still be bidding for it on an open market against China & India.


A discussion on off shore drilling is legitimate. I don't think it will do nearly as much to reduce oil imports as people say, but it is a discussion that should be had. It is not legitimate to blame Senator Obama for the problem as the McCain ad does.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS?

THIS BUD'S NOT FOR YOU

Recently Missourians have found one issue that seems to bind us all together....liberal & conservative, Republican & Democrat. They have come from both sides of the aisle to voice an objection to the sale of Anheuser-Busch to the European-owned InBev. Unfortunately, the uninhibited sale of a US company to the highest bidder is part of our system of Free Enterprise. So they all gave lip-service against the sale but could do nothing to stop it. It was a decision of the shareholders (as it should be). But even Sen. Obama spoke out against the sale & hoped that shareholders would remember to keep Bud an American Beer.

One political figure was silent on the sale. Now we know why. John McCain's wife may like driving around town in her sportscar with the vanity plates "MS. BUD" (when she's not flying her private plane. But you never heard her voice an objection to the sale. Nor did you hear her husband; who frequently explains how he is looking out for the American Worker, ask shareholders to sacrifice profit for the good of the Americans who hold jobs with Budweiser.

One of the concerns of an InBev buyout is that InBev has a history of buying a brewery and then cutting jobs to raise their profit margin. I hope that all the Anheuser-Busch employees (who now must worry about what changes are in store for them) remember in November who made an estimated 1 - 2 million dollars on the sale. (Insult to injury is that she will be paying capital gains tax at a rate of 15%, a Bush tax cut that McCain opposed until he ran for President. Now he supports it....wonder why?)

So why didn't either of the McCains comment on the sale in advance? How did Cindy McCain vote her estimated 40,000 - 80,0000 shares?

The next time you raise a bottle of Bud....remember: John & Cindy McCain raised not a bottle, but a finger...to all of us!

THANKS A LOT!

VIVA VIAGRA

The July 9th edition of the Wall Street Journal reported the following exchange between Sen. McCain & a news reporter.

"A female Los Angeles Times reporter inquired today about comments made earlier this week by McCain campaign adviser Carly Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett Packard.

At a breakfast with reporters, Fiorina suggested that individuals–and women in particular–be given more flexibility to determine what their health insurance plans should cover. “There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won’t cover birth-control medication. Those women would like a choice,” she observed.

When McCain was asked for his position on the issue, he said—with a nervous laugh–“I certainly do not want to discuss that issue.”

The reporter pressed. “But apparently you’ve voted against—“

“I don’t know what I voted,” McCain said.

The reporter explained that McCain voted against a bill in 2003 that would have required health insurance companies to cover prescription birth control. “Is that still your position?” she persisted.

During the awkward exchange, with several lengthy pauses, McCain said he had no immediate knowledge of the vote. “I’ve cast thousands of votes in the Senate,” McCain said, then continued: “I will respond to—it’s a, it’s a…”

“Delicate issue,” the reporter offered, to a relieved laugh from McCain.

“I don’t usually duck an issue, but I’m—I’ll try to get back to you,” he explained. "

It's been a few days and I haven't heard a response from the McCain Camp! Aside from the obvious jokes, it still leaves the original question unanswered, Is it acceptable for insurance companies to cover viagra but not doctor prescribed birth control? If so, why? If not, then why did Sen. McCain vote against it in 2003?

VICES SAY SOMETHING ABOUT CHARACTER

A recent article in TIME magazine reported on the gambling vices of our presidential candidates. Senator Obama likes $1 ante poker. John McCain prefers $1,000 dice games.



"We poker players don't call poker gambling. It is a game of skill. Craps is an absurd game of luck. You may have thrilling short term wins but only madmen play craps."

Anthony Holden, the well-known British poker-player and writer

NUFF SAID?