One thing that always bothers me in blogging is the number of people who are willing to call me Un-American because I tend to be more liberal than they would like. Somehow being anything other than Super Conservative gets you labeled as unpatriotic. People constantly throw Republican's out as the ones who support both troops and America as if the rest of us do not.
This especially makes me mad when no one questions John McCain's support of the troops. I know he was a POW (he's told us many times). But that does not necessarily make him overly supportive of the troops. In fact, it seems to make him even harder on them, expecting more & more from them because after all they have it easier than he had it.
A recent example is that he did not support the Veteran's Benefit package that recently passed Congress. Some would have you believe that it was because it was laden with pork....but according to Sen. McCain it was because the education benefits would be so good that people would leave the service to go to school rather than enlist for another term of service. The military's own analyists claimed that the number of troops who left the service would be offset by the number of new enlistees who wanted to earn the benefits. But that didn't matter to McCain. (Maybe someone who ranked 894 out of 899 in the Naval Academy doesn't see an advantage in education.) The really sad part is that all the bill did was improve today's benefits to equal what was given to our WWII vets. (Come to think of it, it was also the same thing offered to John McCain for his service.)
But on Sunday, McClatchy News ran a story that really questioned McCain's concern for our troops and their families. Apparently in the late 90's he was approached outside his office by a group representing Vietnam MIA families. They were trying to find out information about thier missing family members. During this period they were very vocal and very much underfoot in the Capital. Still, I think the sacrifice made by thier children earned the parents better treatment than how six separate people claimed John McCain treated them on this day.
"Six people present have written statements describing what they saw. According to the accounts, McCain waved his hand to shoo away Jeannette Jenkins, whose cousin was last seen in South Vietnam in 1970, causing her to hit a wall.
As McCain continued walking, Jane Duke Gaylor, the mother of another missing serviceman, approached the senator. Gaylor, in a wheelchair equipped with portable oxygen, stretched her arms toward McCain.
"McCain stopped, glared at her, raised his left arm ready to strike her, composed himself and pushed the wheelchair away from him," according to Eleanor Apodaca, the sister of an Air Force captain missing since 1967.
McCain's staff wouldn't respond to requests for comment about specific incidents."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/51660.html>
IF YOU ARE SUPPORTING ACTIONS LIKE THIS, HOW DO YOU QUESTION THE PATRIOTISM OF THE LEFT?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION:
Dear Attendees of the Democratic National Convention:
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
Remember that phrase from childhood? Maybe you read it on a calendar or on the card attached to a floral bouqet. It's become such a catch phrase that we don't think about it anymore.
But what an incredibly liberating statement it becomes when you stop to consider it. "Today" is what matters for action, "tomorrow" is endless possibilities. "Yesterday" is simply done.
Nothing we do can change the past.
EVERYTHING we do can change the future...for good or ill! And that is an incredible responsibility placed upon us both individually and collectively by whatever higher power you may believe in.
Today the eyes of the nation are on you and the convention. We have been fed this image of hysteria and venom filled riots on the convention floor and throughout the streets of Denver by the media. We wait for the chaos with all the eagerness of a NASCAR fan seated on his couch awaiting a wreck. DENY US THIS PERVERSE PLEASURE!
Take a moment before the start of this historic event and ask yourself, "What do I want my Grandchildren to be taught happened here?" And then begin the first day of the Democratic Convention and the rest of your life.
You see, I feel that this is THE election! The nation has seen just how bad it can get and we the people are the only ones who can stop the destruction of our country. (And I'm not talking about Democrats only. We the people include Independents and even some Republicans who are scared by where Bush has taken us.)
Over the past eight years, we have seen the Constitution compromised, an energy policy developed in secret by a Vice-President & the Energy Companies, we have watched 4,000 of our children and countless Iraqi children die because of non-existant weapons, we have learned to spy on our selves without warrants, we have "outed" our own spies, we have deregulated our financial institutions to the point of collapse, we have spent ourselves into record deficits.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT JOHN MCCAIN AGREED TO THIS NIGHTMARE 95% OF THE TIME!!!! That's our real enemy. Everything else is secondary. And while you are having your "carthartic moments", the Republicans are laughing at you. Because they know that nobody is better than Democrats for holding to high ideals with little thought to pragmatic solutions. Democrats don't believe in compromise. That why Independents vote for Republicans more often than not.
You see, Republicans will make a deal with the Devil to keep power (and often have I am told). Democrats will vote for Ralph Nade because Al Gore isn't green enough!
Now is the time for the Democratic Party to come together and stand up in one voice. Not because you agree with everything your party stands for...but because millions of Independent voters are watching you. Waiting for the car wreck.
Now is the time to move forward and show the undecided Independent voter that Democrats offer something different than the last eight years. You can make your actions in Denver something that promotes the greater good or gives the McCain Campaign a good laugh. And that's why today is so important for you and me and all our children.
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
Remember that phrase from childhood? Maybe you read it on a calendar or on the card attached to a floral bouqet. It's become such a catch phrase that we don't think about it anymore.
But what an incredibly liberating statement it becomes when you stop to consider it. "Today" is what matters for action, "tomorrow" is endless possibilities. "Yesterday" is simply done.
Nothing we do can change the past.
EVERYTHING we do can change the future...for good or ill! And that is an incredible responsibility placed upon us both individually and collectively by whatever higher power you may believe in.
Today the eyes of the nation are on you and the convention. We have been fed this image of hysteria and venom filled riots on the convention floor and throughout the streets of Denver by the media. We wait for the chaos with all the eagerness of a NASCAR fan seated on his couch awaiting a wreck. DENY US THIS PERVERSE PLEASURE!
Take a moment before the start of this historic event and ask yourself, "What do I want my Grandchildren to be taught happened here?" And then begin the first day of the Democratic Convention and the rest of your life.
You see, I feel that this is THE election! The nation has seen just how bad it can get and we the people are the only ones who can stop the destruction of our country. (And I'm not talking about Democrats only. We the people include Independents and even some Republicans who are scared by where Bush has taken us.)
Over the past eight years, we have seen the Constitution compromised, an energy policy developed in secret by a Vice-President & the Energy Companies, we have watched 4,000 of our children and countless Iraqi children die because of non-existant weapons, we have learned to spy on our selves without warrants, we have "outed" our own spies, we have deregulated our financial institutions to the point of collapse, we have spent ourselves into record deficits.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT JOHN MCCAIN AGREED TO THIS NIGHTMARE 95% OF THE TIME!!!! That's our real enemy. Everything else is secondary. And while you are having your "carthartic moments", the Republicans are laughing at you. Because they know that nobody is better than Democrats for holding to high ideals with little thought to pragmatic solutions. Democrats don't believe in compromise. That why Independents vote for Republicans more often than not.
You see, Republicans will make a deal with the Devil to keep power (and often have I am told). Democrats will vote for Ralph Nade because Al Gore isn't green enough!
Now is the time for the Democratic Party to come together and stand up in one voice. Not because you agree with everything your party stands for...but because millions of Independent voters are watching you. Waiting for the car wreck.
Now is the time to move forward and show the undecided Independent voter that Democrats offer something different than the last eight years. You can make your actions in Denver something that promotes the greater good or gives the McCain Campaign a good laugh. And that's why today is so important for you and me and all our children.
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
Monday, August 18, 2008
SADDLEBACK FEEDBACK
Saturday Night’s Political Forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren was one of the most interesting campaign events this year. It was nice to hear someone from the right argue that it is essential that Americans (both conservative & liberal) learn to argue their viewpoints WITHOUT demonizing the other side. In coming to terms with the idea that we are all Americans (even when we disagree) we build upon the idea that we are greater as a nation together than we are as the sum of our separate ideologies.
I was impressed with how quickly Sen. McCain answered. He was direct and to the point. “On Message” as they say. When others suspected that he knew the answers in advance, I doubted it. I simply saw it as someone who has practiced turning every question to a preset campaign talking point. It’s an old debate trick and Sen. McCain seems very good at it. (Case in point: when asked by a reporter on the campaign trail to defend his love of the musical group ABBA, Sen. McCain explained that his musical development was interrupted by his five years in a POW camp.) Any and all questions leads back to either:
1) The Surge Worked
2) Drill now and drill everywhere
3) I was a POW
4) Life begins at conception
Senator Obama gave very nuanced answers. He frequently fumbled for the right way to express himself. This was seen by many as a sign of his inexperience and unsuitability for the job and I am not sure that it is an accurate assessment. Keep in mind that this was not particularly friendly territory for him and ANY misstatement would have been instantly jumped on by the McCain campaign, news anchors and the evangelicals. One could hardly blame him for weighing every word.
There are two kinds of people in the world, those who see everything in terms of black & white and those who see the world as more complicated and filled with shades of gray. Sen. McCain sees clear cut answers to all problems. Senator Obama does not. The question of “when does life begin” is an excellent example of the differences. Senator McCain responded, “Life begins at conception”. That’s an answer short and sweet enough to appear on a bumper sticker. Many people (and most of the audience) agree with this viewpoint. Obama didn’t answer the question directly. He replied that if you are pro-life, you won’t agree with any definition but the one that McCain would eventually offer to the crowd. Sen. Obam realizes that an equal number of people disagree with that definition as agree with it. So Senator Obama’s discussion centered on finding a center ground that both sides could come to terms with….work together to reduce the number of abortions.
Who’s right & who’s wrong? Let’s look at a couple of hypothetical examples:
“Jane” is a 17 year old high school senior who discovers she is 6 weeks pregnant seven months before her senior prom….she decides to have an abortion. It’s her second one. It’s her choice but most pro-choice people I know would be disgusted with her actions.
“Jill” is a 30 year old stay at home mother of two who discovers she is six weeks pregnant three weeks after her husband is killed in an accident. He had no insurance and she has no job. She is told her unborn child will be born with a chronic illness that will require extensive care for the life of the child. She is also told that in giving birth she stands a good risk of not surviving the pregnancy herself. Does she risk her life (as the single mother of two other children) to bear a child she cannot afford to raise and will never be adopted because of the chronic health problems? Under pro-life beliefs, she has no choice.
This is the reason why I don’t like “bumper sticker” issues. Most things in life are too complex to boil down to simple answers. And Senator Obama seems to recognize that. I don’t mind that his most profound ideas come from pre-written speeches. I like the fact that he thinks about all aspects of a problem before speaking out. If he isn’t as good with an off the cuff comment…I can live with that if he comes to the right conclusions.
Senator McCain showed a strong willingness on Saturday night to confront evil! But what does that really mean? Tienamen Square in China in the 80’s was EVIL! How should we have confronted it? Invade Bejing?
In 2001, McCain told CNN within a month of 9/11 that we should attack Iraq because of 9/11! (We see how that is working out. Even the Bush administration now admits that Al Quida was not in Iraq (pre-9/11) and that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But John McCain wanted to “hit back”.) I would hope that America has seen the problems with “cowboy diplomacy”.
All the media talking heads looked at who won and who lost. And in doing so they missed the whole point. I appreciated the opportunity to see both candidates answering the same questions. We did get the opportunity to compare “apples to apples”. And it served to remind me, that the presidency is not a game of “gotcha”, with the person scoring the lowest gotcha number winning the prize. An election, should be about examining how the candidate comes to a conclusion on what is the best course for our nation to take. It’s not necessarily how you say it…it’s what you’re saying that counts.
I was impressed with how quickly Sen. McCain answered. He was direct and to the point. “On Message” as they say. When others suspected that he knew the answers in advance, I doubted it. I simply saw it as someone who has practiced turning every question to a preset campaign talking point. It’s an old debate trick and Sen. McCain seems very good at it. (Case in point: when asked by a reporter on the campaign trail to defend his love of the musical group ABBA, Sen. McCain explained that his musical development was interrupted by his five years in a POW camp.) Any and all questions leads back to either:
1) The Surge Worked
2) Drill now and drill everywhere
3) I was a POW
4) Life begins at conception
Senator Obama gave very nuanced answers. He frequently fumbled for the right way to express himself. This was seen by many as a sign of his inexperience and unsuitability for the job and I am not sure that it is an accurate assessment. Keep in mind that this was not particularly friendly territory for him and ANY misstatement would have been instantly jumped on by the McCain campaign, news anchors and the evangelicals. One could hardly blame him for weighing every word.
There are two kinds of people in the world, those who see everything in terms of black & white and those who see the world as more complicated and filled with shades of gray. Sen. McCain sees clear cut answers to all problems. Senator Obama does not. The question of “when does life begin” is an excellent example of the differences. Senator McCain responded, “Life begins at conception”. That’s an answer short and sweet enough to appear on a bumper sticker. Many people (and most of the audience) agree with this viewpoint. Obama didn’t answer the question directly. He replied that if you are pro-life, you won’t agree with any definition but the one that McCain would eventually offer to the crowd. Sen. Obam realizes that an equal number of people disagree with that definition as agree with it. So Senator Obama’s discussion centered on finding a center ground that both sides could come to terms with….work together to reduce the number of abortions.
Who’s right & who’s wrong? Let’s look at a couple of hypothetical examples:
“Jane” is a 17 year old high school senior who discovers she is 6 weeks pregnant seven months before her senior prom….she decides to have an abortion. It’s her second one. It’s her choice but most pro-choice people I know would be disgusted with her actions.
“Jill” is a 30 year old stay at home mother of two who discovers she is six weeks pregnant three weeks after her husband is killed in an accident. He had no insurance and she has no job. She is told her unborn child will be born with a chronic illness that will require extensive care for the life of the child. She is also told that in giving birth she stands a good risk of not surviving the pregnancy herself. Does she risk her life (as the single mother of two other children) to bear a child she cannot afford to raise and will never be adopted because of the chronic health problems? Under pro-life beliefs, she has no choice.
This is the reason why I don’t like “bumper sticker” issues. Most things in life are too complex to boil down to simple answers. And Senator Obama seems to recognize that. I don’t mind that his most profound ideas come from pre-written speeches. I like the fact that he thinks about all aspects of a problem before speaking out. If he isn’t as good with an off the cuff comment…I can live with that if he comes to the right conclusions.
Senator McCain showed a strong willingness on Saturday night to confront evil! But what does that really mean? Tienamen Square in China in the 80’s was EVIL! How should we have confronted it? Invade Bejing?
In 2001, McCain told CNN within a month of 9/11 that we should attack Iraq because of 9/11! (We see how that is working out. Even the Bush administration now admits that Al Quida was not in Iraq (pre-9/11) and that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But John McCain wanted to “hit back”.) I would hope that America has seen the problems with “cowboy diplomacy”.
All the media talking heads looked at who won and who lost. And in doing so they missed the whole point. I appreciated the opportunity to see both candidates answering the same questions. We did get the opportunity to compare “apples to apples”. And it served to remind me, that the presidency is not a game of “gotcha”, with the person scoring the lowest gotcha number winning the prize. An election, should be about examining how the candidate comes to a conclusion on what is the best course for our nation to take. It’s not necessarily how you say it…it’s what you’re saying that counts.
Friday, August 15, 2008
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
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
Monday, August 11, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
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:
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.
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.
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