Vermonters For Obama

Keeping the promise of CHANGE !!!

National Strategist with Ariel hands — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:48:42 EST

Dear BLOG friends :

There is not a day when I don't think of change .

My little village could use more change . My neighbours should change .

Professors I have dealt with need to change . Sometimes

I am the one who should have done something differently and should have

stood for a better example of change .

But President Barack Obama has been about change consistently .

Ever since the campaign for change became a success he has accomplished as

much positive change for our nation as he possibly can !

There are more people doubting the accomplishments of change or even the

principle of change . Someone whose duty it was to help me once told me :

People don't change ! But change also starts with me and I

want change !! President Obama's approval rating has dropped

and some people abandoned the principles of change and focused on taking

care of one person again : themselves ! But let ME tell YOU :

President Barack Obama has worked hard for change without abandoning .

He will continue to work for change . This change is about fairness ,

it is about the people , it is for you and me and actually for everyone !!

Further : President Obama has done a great job in keeping his campaign

promises !!! Examples of this are :

Being an effective commander-in-chief .

Bringing us universal health care .

Making the economy a # 1 priority and

avoiding a depression .

Improving social services and benefits and

paying unemployment benefits when they are

needed the most .

Regulating the credit card industry with a new law .

Giving the Supreme Court a Justice that is

considered a minority .

Doing something helpful about education without

leaving the money behind .

ET CETERA .

Please continue to stand for CHANGE with me and

our special President !!!

K a i

Obamerica

National Strategist with Ariel hands — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:25:53 EST

Dear Americans :

Life in America is obamerican !!!

For the first time in the history of the United States of America there is a health care

initiative that will make the realization of universal health care coverage a possibility for

all Americans !!! This is the best achievement for American citizens since Social Security

and Medicare became a standard !!! We are going to be insured !!!

All of us !! Our neighbours !! The PEOPLE !!

So let's find that extra time to make calls to the Senate !!!

Let's work overtime in sending emails to our U.S. Senators to make this happen !!!

I am sure most of Obama Democrats would travel to Washington , D. C. just

to march infront of the doors of the Senate to make the health

care bill that our country needs become a reality !!! !!! !!!

So let's help President Obama make U . S . History !!!

Let's ROCK 'N' ROLL !!! !!!

Yours ,

Kai B .

We will WIN the fight for REAL HEALTH CARE !!!

National Strategist with Ariel hands — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:49:21 EDT

Dear O F A health care heros :

300,000 calls and more have been made to Congess !!

Making health care reform work is not entirely in the hands of Congress and

the Senate , it is also in the hands of us - the people of

the United States of America !!! There were phone booth parties , there

were blogs , there were letters and there were hundreds of

thousands of unpaid , passionate calls !!!

The people want President Obama s health care reform !!!

Government by the people , for the people , of the people !!

And not health insurance by the C E O s , for the

profit , and of a few insured !!!

We will win !!! Insurance for everyone will win !!!

A new America of better health will win !!!

May GOD bless real health care reform !!! !!!

Yours ,

Kai

Reform in the name of our forefathers!

Anita Sherman Hughes — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:59:31 EDT

The matter of a comprehensive national health care system for all has been debated for over 60 years. We can no longer financially sustain our current "national" health care system, created in the 70's. Not only do we pay 23.8% of every federal tax dollar toward our current national health care system, but not all Americans are insured. It's a system that has been built to sustain obscene profits for a few off the backs of the many - the taxpayers. As we continue to throw good money after bad, our Country has fallen into an economic decline that has us shackled by taxation without receiving the social services we pay for with those dollars.

In that context, WE have become SLAVES to our system. A system that requires us by law to pay for many non-social programs that are divisive in policy. A system that is built on profit for government subsidized corporate entities, paying huge bonuses to CEO's, while millions of Americans are struggling between paying for health care and feeding their children. A system that has consistently robbed from our social programs, like Medicare and SS, in the name of the "general fund" to support profit initiatives like the War in Iraq. A system where an average of 400 citizens die daily, because they could not get health care treatments to save their lives. Where is "We the People" in our public policy?

Further, what is the opposition really opposing? Nothing. They're asking us to continue these corrupt and corrosive systems - health care, energy, and defense for example, with convergent ideology that is focused on maintaining status quo, protecting profits for a few with our tax dollars, substituting democracy with popular sovereignty. The opposition is telling us we're Socialist, Communists, Obama-Nazi's, and societal deviants for supporting the President, and any effort to restore balance to our fractured systems. An opposition willing to destroy our property, disrupt free speech, and monopolize the airwaves with hate filled rage and politcal dogma, just to be heard above the voices of reason.

Recently, I've been hearing the "tea baggers", rightwing political pundits, and opposing legislators refer to Lincoln, as the cornerstone of their beliefs and principles. I believe Lincoln would have had much to say about the opposition to our reforms, and the general state of our country today. The roots of "tea baggers" didn't start with throwing tea into the Boston harbor, as many would like you to believe. Their roots started around the 1840's as a rage filled faction, demonstrating and obstructing the rights of 3 million immigrants, mostly Irish and Germans, from being part of "We the People". Strange as it may sound this faction group was also "anti-slavery". They disrupted town meetings, they used symbolic propaganda to perpetuate fiction from fact, they burned immigrant shop owners' stores, and used force to keep immigrants from exercising their right to citizenship and voting. As such, adehered to principle of "popular sovereignty", to discrupt the minority voice, and allowed to develop a strong platform within the legislative and judicial branches of government during that time. Sound familiar?

In Lincoln's day they were called "Know-Nothings", and - ironically part of a splinter group, which formed the National Republican Party. Lincoln had utter disdain for the "Know-Nothings", and their discriminatory beliefs. In a letter to friend Joshua Speed, he writes, "How can any one who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' WE now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty- to Russia, for instance". Lincoln's concerns couldn't be clearer today. It seems that this faction, the "Know-Nothings", have become the reigning voice in our current public policy, despite the numbers of citizens who do not believe their position is representative of our country's founding principles.

We've compromised our best legislation, trying to appease this group for decades, integrating their concerns within our process. Further, the "Know-Nothings" have risen to the foremost voice and driving force of who we are in the eyes of the world. Hypocrits in slanted ideologies. A country so loathsome we are hated around the world. This is NOT America. Fear and Hate, two prime emotions that feed our opposition's addictive dogma have no place in our progressive society. They've been allowed by virtue of free speech and "popular sovereignty" opportunity to bastardize our Democratic Republic, and confuse fear with sound public policy. Free speech is not the issue. It's the public policy written to give this group almost free reign within a media that supports infotainment and fiction, instead of information and facts.

Our Democratic Party with supporting Progressive Republicans/Independents represent the principles of our forefathers, and Abraham Lincoln. WE are the voice of diversity, and we need to be louder and clearer than our opposition. WE the People elected a President most representative of our nation's core principles with our democratic process. Yes we did, and WE know WE can reform this country.

Like many of you, I receive emails with glorious pictorials of our forefathers, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights from the opposition, annointing themselves the voice of "We the People" - revolutionaries with a purpose to dethrone President Obama, the new King George. Some may look at their feelings as sour grapes. Perhaps. However, I believe it goes much deeper, and essentially a litmus test for who we are as a nation. Our voices and strength in this country's principles must be stronger than the opposition.

The new "Know-nothings" will stand on the pulpit of "We the People", waving the American flag as proof of their commitment to protect it's ideals from change. If you can stand to listen, "We the People" is laced with exclusions. "We the People, except homosexuals, Latinos, blacks, immigrants of any color, non-Christians, atheists, agnostics, welfare Moms, union members, socialist programs (Medicare, SS, public educations), and liberals, etc., etc., etc." Exclusionary principles based on personal bias toward a group within the human race, believing these people/groups are the reason for our country's and world's problems. This is nothing less than bigotry, racism, and prejudiced biases that are not reflective of our nation's core values of inclusion. Values that have a history of dismantling the most powerful nations of the world by virtue of inclusive diversity.

Convergent ideology simply implodes upon itself, since it's purpose is to maintain "status quo" - stagnation. Our nation, and this world, are not stagnant. It is constantly changing. The human race is not stagnant, and change is part of the evolutionary process. Essentially, many fear "change". These modern day "Know-Nothings" believe that they are the revolutionaries in this "war against change"; rallying together in the name of our forefathers, and Lincoln, and their principles. They take up arms in the name of hate and fear, essentially fighting a principle that established our Country - change! It's political dogma and popular sovereignty they're really supporting - not our nation's principles, and certainly not representative of the Democratic Republic our forefathers established. Lincoln in his words and actions would have been adamantly opposed to our oppositions' dogmatic rhetoric, and concepts of "We the People". In time of change we need courage, not fear.

Who is served by this fear? Fear is essentially divisive, fragmenting "We the People". Fear compromises the natural process of change. Change is a constant many find difficult to embrace fostering deeper fears, and lack of control to stop it. Further, these fears are fed, financed, and promoted by those entities who profit from our current system. A system that has allowed profit driven government subsidized entities to write (the lobby), and legislate (sympathetic legislators on both sides of the aisle), and dictate the terms of "We the People" in our public policy, making trillions (our tax dollars) to keep "We the people" fighting among each other on political dogma, instead of debating and promoting progressive policy. When We the People are fragmented, we cannot mobilize against these special interests that dictate the terms of our public policy.

WE are at a critical time in history. It's not simply health care reform for all, it's changing the dynamic of how we define "We the People", and establish policy based on the principle that "All men (humans) are created equal". WE, all (yes, all - undocumented and/or otherwise) of us living in this great Country deserve what is essentially basic human rights, and the covenant with we have with our forefathers. Providing social programs that help all the people is not socialism, it's social responsibility. We pay taxes to pay for services that provide us with basic human services - health, clean water/air, education, good roads, all based on "non-profit" principles. Principles Lincoln, and many of our forefathers supported, as elementary necessities in a free society. Instead we confused the basic needs of all with the other need called profit. When 78% of our tax dollars are allocated to profit driven government subsidized entities, leaving financial scraps for our social programs, we as a people have lost sight our our responsibilities. Imagine the possibilities for All, if we were able to adjust the numbers? Imagine policy that is clear about our priorities as a nation, instead of being shackled by governments subsidized entities who dictate the terms of our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Lincoln phrased it beautifully, in response to the infamous Dred Scott case, castigating the Court's decision with their flaws of logic in deciding in favor of pro-slavery initiatives, "The Chief Justice insists at great length that negroes were not part of the people who make, or for whom was made, the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution. Yet at least five states, black voters acted on the ratification of the Constitution and were among the "We the People" by whom the Constitution was ordained and established. The founders, did not 'declare all men equal' in all respects. They did not mean to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social capacity. But they did declare all men "equal in certain inalienable rights, among them were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".....They meant simply to declare the right, so the enforcement of it might follow as fast as circumstances should permit". Clearly, the Constitution is an evolving document.

WE are entering a time of "Civil Reform". Health Care will be one in many battles to move our nation forward in progress. We have the opportunity to take back this Country and continue the promise of what was established over 200 years ago. Each one of you on this list is part of that promise that "All men (humans without exception) are created equal", and "We the People" (without exception) will govern, NOT the profit driven entities that have enslaved us. Health Care Reform is just the start!

WE are in a new Civil revolution. WE, the people of liberty and the children of our forefathers, are now enslaved by factions within this system, who believe WE does not mean ALL. It is not simply a matter of being compromised. We are compromised. Our economy is testament to the greed that has become common place. Our policies are not consistent with our inclusive principles. We are imbalanced economically, progressively, and morally. When legislators don't write policy, and lobbying interests do, WE the people are no longer represented. Lobbies for profit driven government subsidized corporations, and WE are taxed accordingly. Public policy that is not written to be inclusive, but public policy that is divisive at its core. Policy that robs our social programs, that serve us, to virtual collapse.

WE elected a President and legislators willing to change the direction of this country with reforms that represent opportunities for all. We cannot allow the voice of a divisive, fear, and hate inspired group to dismantle our efforts. We know the wolves in sheep's clothing to be the government subsidized entities receiving 78% of every federal tax dollar paid to support their profits and CEO bonuses, while 22% is disbursed among the social programs that help us.Let's make our voice strong, our efforts specific, and the courage to stay focused on what is wrong with our country. It is not the "Know-Nothings", it is those government subsidized entities we've allowed to write our policy. Let's minimize the "Know-Nothings" voice, by focusing on the entities that created them. When we talk about "We the People" let's be firm that "WE" is ALL with NO exceptions.

We must continue to push our legislators from both sides of the isle to support reforms that are inclusive for all. Let's not stop until WE, the people of liberty and inclusion become the reigning voice in public policy. I am proud to be in support of progressive reforms being addressed by our President and this Administration at this moment in history. Many opportunities to collectively restore balance and inclusion to our failing policies and regain economic stability and prosperity for all. The "Know-Nothings" and our legislators need to hear our voice to help them to reassess theirs. They need us, whether they realize it or not. The fact is, these government subsidized entities, these shackling forces that bind us like slaves, also have a habit of cannibalizing their own. Let's use our weapons - voice, fact, and knowledge in this battle, and act with resolve. After all we, means the opposition, as well. "We the People" will take back our Country. We have the power to change that which does not work! It is our civic responsibility.

Respectfully,

Anita Sherman Hughes

Obama's Hamburger Hamlet - Much Ado About Mustard

Mark Wiznitzer — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:19:44 EDT

To be, or not to be medium well, that is the question!
In the most high and palmy District of Washington.
A little ere 100 days the mightiest Republicans fell,
Were storefronts now tenantless, and swine flue fright doth rule,
Did gibber of Ray's Steaks and Hell Burgers in Arlington streets.

Where Geithner and Bernanke proclaimed that
Both a borrower and a lender be;
For loan oft gains both votes and friends,
And borrowing stimulates weary economy.

Find out the cause of this effect,
Because the Commander in Chief hungereth.
Or rather say, the cause of this detect,
For this effect defective comes by cause,
So with his VP escapeth his White Castle.

Not a computer mouse stirring.
And then it started like a guilty thing
Upon a fearful summons.
But, look, the noon, in hungered mantle clad,
Obama rides o'er the slew of yon high shills.
The memory be green of Arugula farmers,
With Biden that less than kin, yet more than kind.
That it should come to this!

"Season your admiration with a spicy mustard."
The President's baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth their ratings tables.

Words, words, words.
Give thy thoughts no tongue, except on talk radio.
Why, Rush, a robustious periwig-pated fellow,
Very like a whale,
Would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on.

Sean cried "Thrift, thrift, Horatio Alger!
All is not well; I suspect some French socialist Dijon foul play.
Something is rotten in the state of Virginia."

Alas, poor Yokels! We knew them, Ho-radio.
Tis as easy as lying.
What! Frighted with false ire?
The loonies doth protest too much, methinks.
They have a plentiful lack of wits.
More matter, with less condiments.
There is nothing either good nor bad, but thinking makes it so tasty.

"This above all: to thine own self be true,
Medium-well it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Brevity is the soul of wit:
"No ketchup" commandeth the Prince.

Lord! we know what we are, but know not what we may be.
For I am more a modern Lincoln than an FDR.
He was a man, take him for all in all,
We shall not look upon his like again.

A king of shreds and patches worthy of GQ.
Not just a rhapsody of words.
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
Report me and my cause aright
To the unemployed.
Come, my limo!
Good-night sides;
Good night, sweet relish;
Good night.

Recovery Meeting by Karen Emerson, February 7, 2009

Lois in VT, who's got hope~ — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:45:03 EST

Eight people gathered at our home in Brandon Vermont to discuss the current crisis and to tell our stories. We are diverse in backgrounds and experiences and yet united in our desire for positive change for the future of our country. Concerns expressed included care of the earth and sustainable small scale organic agriculture, renewable energy, the closure process and the stalling by our Vermont Governor in regards to an ailing nuclear power plant on the Connecticut River, desire for Obama to stand strong and stay positive in the midst of the crisis, hopeful that the 80% of the American people who need the economy to turn around will be able to have their voices heard, health care for all of us and not just the wealthy and employed. Feeling that it is difficult to have an impact because we are in such a blue state, and our representative Welch and Senators Sanders and Leahy are going to support the stimulus package, how can we be supportive in the larger process? We discussed ideas from some different books we have been reading, including micro loans such as are being done in Bangladesh, changing our footprints on the earth and walking in amore sustainable manner that doesn't take more than our share,and this would include our food choices, and the need for sustainable energy sources.We also discussed the need for higher standards for ethics in government, that corruption needs to be a thing of the past in the business and wall st institutions, so this doesn't happen again.That ceo's and members of congress and the senate are held to an much higher standard. Other thoughts included were that Vermont is a high quality place to live because it is small.The heart and soul of the economy is small businesses and family farms, and one person suggested that the stimulus help small businesses and farms out, by providing miniloans.We all agree that HOPE comes from the grassroots working with Obama to bring change and we intend to be a part of that! Included in our group were retired persons, former chef for an alternative school, educators, business people, and a contractor. Four of us are unemployed at the present.

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE

Mark Wiznitzer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:17:11 EST

Let’s be honest. We didn’t really expect Congress to come up with a "bold" stimulus plan, did we? But do we agree that NO action will only aggravate our current crisis?

The GOP surprised us when it failed to respond more constructively to the bipartisan overture from Barack Obama. I personally witnessed the precedent-setting bipartisan dinner for his defeated opponent (my photo of the President-elect at the dinner honoring McCain, January 19) and noted the subsequent meetings with Congressional Republicans. And what did we get in the way of proposals from the loyal opposition? More of the dogma-driven, supply-side ideology that contributed to our current mess: tax cuts!

On the other hand, GOP critics have a point: the bill that passed the House and was embraced by Obama essentially is an accumulation of favorite Democratic spending proposals.

What is missing is CHANGE. The CHANGE Obama advocated in his campaign for the Presidency. The CHANGE that won him a resounding mandate to govern for four years. The CHANGE from policies that have worked to benefit few and imperil many. Where are the first steps toward affordable health care, a sustainable green economy and alternative energy? And why are we not moving boldly to address the systemic failures that underlie the current crisis in credit markets?

Obama asked for ideas. And Paul Krugman and Robert Reich, among others, obliged. But what these brilliant men offer is predictable: rationales for orthodox Keynesian solutions and concern about labor market distortions, respectively. More is needed, not just in additional spending, but in fresh ideas that advance the President's policy agenda. So, if suggestions are still welcomed, here is my two-cents worth. And please do keep the CHANGE.

Health Care

Obama has promised the nation affordable health care similar to his own Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), to be available to all by the end of his first term. There is no need to back off this goal. Health care is one of the largest drags on our economy and the stimulus bill provides a real opportunity to begin managing its cost. In addition to the bill’s provisions to help state governments fund Medicare and work projects, I suggest that the federal government reimburse all state and local governments for their employer's share of health care for the rest of this year. In exchange, recipients may not fire government workers and must commit to integrating their health care plans with the existing FEHBP starting in 2010. That provides additional and immediate financial assistance to state and local governments, while paving the way for the establishment of a Public Employees Health Benefits Program. By January 2010, the federal government’s negotiated health care program would expand its base and economies of scale. The next step will be to apply the system to businesses, and subsequently to capture the un- and under-insured.

Energy Independence

Most honest leaders recognize that in due course government will have to produce the substantial additional revenue to pay for the stimulus. But good luck finding a politician willing to propose increasing taxes of any kind. So let me suggest instead a hefty tariff on imported oil to fund the “green economy.” A tariff of 50 percent or more on the landed cost of all imported energy (probably with some form of accommodation for our NAFTA partners) can be justified because of national security as well as the external costs to our environment inherent in the use of fossil fuels. And such a levy would promote conservation, subsidize domestic production, and help to fund and protect our investments in alternative energy. This is a measure that should be welcomed by Republicans who advocate "drill, baby, drill” as well as environmentalists interested in promoting clean energy. The windfall earned by American producers could be invested domestically or taxed as profits. And while there may be a marginal increase of fuel cost at the pump, it will pale in comparison with the amounts we forked over to foreign potentates rather than our own Treasury these past few years, when oil was effectively 200% greater than its current price.

Reestablish a ‘Risk-Free’ Investment Benchmark

Explanations for our current credit crisis and financial market meltdown abound, including the Washington Post's excellent series. But absent from all the expert analyses is any mention of the Treasury Department's October 2001 decision to discontinue issuing 30-year Bonds. That decision, on the heels of 9/11 and the cusp of Bush's costly war on terror, both lowered mortgage yields and prompted increased sales of bundled mortgages marketed as alternative 'risk-free' instruments, which in turn fueled the housing bubble and distorted both government and corporate credit point spreads. Treasury Bond auctions have resumed, but a clear provision to finance America’s recovery through borrowing would repair yield spreads – both between short and long term sovereign debt and in relation to all other debt instruments. Transparent budget financing will help re-establish more realistic risk pricing and global confidence in the US economy. But the 30-year Bond will not regain its position as a benchmark for 'risk-free' long-term investment if Fed meddling in the market, as it proposes to do with its planned purchase of Treasuries from troubled banks. In fact, this central-bankers-gone-wild approach will only create a greater Treasury bubble that will seriously aggravate our problems. Once markets are allowed to properly price the cost and risk of our recovery without Fed manipulation, global confidence in the US economy has a chance to be recover.

So Pay the Bill, and Keep the CHANGE

Barack Obama attended his last inaugural event, the Staff Ball, at the DC Armory on January 21. But he arrived after a performance by the opening act, Arcade Fire. So here are some insightful lysircs from their “Intervention”:

You say it's money that we need
As if we're only mouths to feed
I know no matter what you say
There are some debts you'll never pay

The message is relevant to the stimulus bill now before Congress.

We can act responsibly and cautiously if we:

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE.

KIDS INAUGURAL CONCERT

WEBMASTER — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:17:58 EST

Talent Lineup for Neighborhood Inaugural Ball and Kids' Inaugural Concert

Tuesday January 20
Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder to perform, Nick Cannon to DJ at Neighborhood Inaugural Ball Airing Exclusively on ABC

Monday, January 19
Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow to perform with Billy Ray Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Usher and Shaquille O'Neal scheduled to appear during Kids' Inaugural Concert Airing Exclusively on Disney Channe

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today the producers and initial talent lineup for "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration," which will air live on ABC (8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, Tuesday, January 20), and the "Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future," a concert honoring military families airing on Disney Channel (8:00 - 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, Monday, January 19).

Musical performers scheduled for the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder. Nick Cannon will DJ the event. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed.

Musical performances for the Kids' Inaugural event include the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow. Billy Ray Cyrus, Keke Palmer, and Usher Raymond IV are also scheduled to appear. 13-year-old Perry Rubin, daughter of entertainment reporter Sam Rubin, will be the special backstage correspondent. Additional performers and guests will be announced as they are confirmed.

Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment are Executive Producers of the Neighborhood Inaugural ball, with Glenn Weiss directing. White Cherry Entertainment is also executive producing the 2009 Super Bowl Halftime Show and the 2009 Tony Awards, with Weiss also serving as Director.

The Kids' Inaugural concert special is executive produced by Greg Sills. Sills previously produced The Concert for New York (post-9/11), the Kids Choice Awards, and the VH1 Rock Honors. Louis J. Horvitz is the director.

"We are honored and excited to have such top level talent performing and producing these events," said Emmett S. Beliveau, Executive Director of the PIC. "Working with ABC and Disney, we are bringing these exciting performances into the homes of millions of Americans to make this the most open and accessible inauguration celebration ever."

The PIC today also announced Ricky Kirshner is the Executive Producer for all PIC TV events and Lisa Geers is the Excecutive in charge of production for all PIC TV events.

In an effort to make this inaugural celebration open and accessible to all Americans, President-elect Barack Obama will host the first-ever "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball," the premier event of inauguration evening, on January 20th. To help bring this unique event to neighborhoods across the nation, ABC will broadcast "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration." The event will air live from the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.,TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET).

On MONDAY, JANUARY 19 (8:00 - 9:30 p.m. ET) Disney Channel will present "Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future," a concert celebration from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. honoring military families. This inaugural concert celebration will be hosted by Mrs. Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and their families. The event will be simulcast on Radio Disney, and will be streamed on Disney.com immediately following the culmination of the telecast on Disney Channel.

Beginning January 16, Disney.com guests are invited to join the celebration on the Kids Inaugural pagewww.Disney.com/USA which will feature polls, games and videos on the concert performers and a component which allows guests to chat with friends and send "shout outs" by texting USA, their first name and message to DISNEY (347639). Standard carrier fees apply and a parent's permission is required if users are under age 18.

source: http://kids.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFXf

INAUGURAL BLEACHER TICKETS

WEBMASTER — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:07:25 EST

Public Tickets Available for Inaugural Parade
5,000 Bleacher Seats Lining Parade Route to Go On Sale

Washington, D.C. -- The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that 5,000 tickets for the 56th Inaugural Parade will go on sale to the public at 1:00 PM EST today for $25 each. Tickets will allow spectators access to bleachers along the historic parade route from the Capitol to the White House. Tickets will be available for sale at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 202.397.7328, 410.547.7328 or 703.573.7328.

Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

"We are very pleased to make these tickets available to the public as part of our commitment to holding the most open and accessible Inauguration in history," said Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. "The Inaugural Parade is a celebration of America, and we are working to make sure that as many citizens as possible can take part in this historic tradition."

Thousands of spectators will line the 1.7 mile parade route as the new President and Vice President are escorted from the Capitol to the White House by over 13,000 parade participants. Over 90 music, cultural and community groups will join representatives from our Armed Forces in the historic parade, which concludes at the presidential reviewing stand, where the President and Vice President will watch the processional with their families.

Tickets are limited to four per person for purchase. Tickets are not required to view the parade, but the purchase of tickets will guarantee spectators a seated spot along the parade route. Ticket holders must be in their seats no later than 1:00 PM EST on January 20th. Standing room will be available along Pennsylvania Avenue on a first come, first serve basis.

Earlier this month the PIC announced that hundreds of free parade tickets were being made available to Washington, DC students and their families.

DC residents can visit www.pic2009.org/page/s/dcstudentessay for more information on how to obtain those tickets. For the latest information on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, please visit www.pic2009.org.

Food Tasters for Obama Logo Goes Viral

Mark Wiznitzer — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:15:37 EST

Check out the story behind the Obama logo as told by Sol Sender, who led its creative development. Sender recounts the story in two parts on the VSA Partners website. A graphic presentation of the other ideas that were considered in the development process leading up to the ultimate selection of the now ubiquitous design is at "Obama logo ideas that weren't chosen."

Both parts of Sol's interview are on YouTube. And if you advance to minute 2:18 on "Sol Sender - Logo Design Part 2 of 2" you will see our Food Tasters for Obama logo -- conceived by me and executed by my son Zach -- used as an example of the "viral expression" of the grassroots movement.

We will be back with more political analysis and satire soon. If you would like to be notified when a new article is posted join Food Tasters For Obama.

In Dreams I Wander Nameless Streets in Search of Faceless Voters

Mark Wiznitzer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:11:10 EST

Dear Friends:

To those of you who so kindly congratulated me for Tuesday’s election outcome, as if Barack Obama’s victory resulted from my personal and deeply committed efforts. I thank you for your generous comments.

To those who may have wondered how I fared in “radio silence” for six weeks on the Ohio battleground. Be assured that I survived.

To those who do not know me or are unfamiliar with my previous descriptions of the realities and ironies of the 2008 election. What follows is the final chapter of my life as a political activist, a missionary for democracy, an apostle of Change. Hopefully you will also understand how it is that for the first three nights after I returned home I woke up from the same dream in which I wander nameless streets in search of faceless voters.

The Buckeye State

On September 23 I joined the Ohio Campaign for Change as a member of its newly created Vote Corps. The invitation had warned of 14-hour days, seven days a week, right up through Election Day. I accepted because the Obama campaign considered this important enough to make it a paid position and because it was in the one state McCain had to win to become President.

I left home certain that my life experiences -- in retail sales, as diplomat and political officer, and Obama volunteer in seven states – would be useful in the Buckeye State. Stopping at Starbucks on the way out of Burlington that Sunday morning, I noticed the first trace of red on the outer edge of a leaf on a small maple tree in the parking lot. I realized that by the time I returned to Vermont the leaf peepers would have come and gone. Fortunately, it turned out to be a mild autumn in Ohio that showcased the Buckeye State’s own colorful foliage.

The Akron Vote Corps

A hundred of us reported to Columbus for Vote Corps training and by the first night we were already deployed across the state. I was assigned to the city of Akron, birthplace of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Pretenders’ singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde, who wrote about her birthplace in “My City Was Gone”. The Akron Campaign for Change Office was headed by Regional Field Director Max Lesko. In charge of Summit and Portage Counties, he proved himself a very capable and genial manager. My hosts, Cathy and David, and their daughter Nicky, lived in a northwest suburb. Their friendship and cozy accommodations would be my home for the next six weeks.

At first the Akron Vote Corps consisted of six whites, from metropolitan DC, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas and California. Like most of the Obama staff and volunteers I met during the primaries, they were young and well-educated. In fact, I was two-and-a-half times their average age. By the end of the second week we lost one and gained five new members. Our new team-mates were all African Americans, from California, Texas and Georgia. Their average age was early forties and many had worked on the Kerry campaign. One of my first initiatives was to buy half a dozen fingerless gloves for our new friends from the warm weather states. Our Vote Corps was rounded out by a “Lead,” a young lawyer from Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s Washington staff.

The Vote Corps’ mission was to register voters, identify supporters and get out the vote for Barack Obama. Our primary targets were “Sporadics,” first time voters and people who voted Democratic in the past, but did not always turn out. For a while we were also instructed to knock on every single door in a targeted neighborhood. I successfully resisted attempts to create competition within our group for most doors knocked, “Doors” being the campaign’s primary measure for the work accomplished by staff and volunteers. My feeling was that competition focused on this imperfect metric would distort our effort, demoralize some members of our group, and sacrifice quality for quantity. For in the end, the real measure of our success would be the vote count on Election Day. And to that end, it was our diligence after the “knock” that would help determione the outcome.

Registration

Our first task was registering new voters and re-registering people who had moved before the deadline of October 6. We knocked on doors and scoured bus stops and other public places to register as many people as possible. Most people were already registered, as they clearly understood the importance of this election. Those who had not yet done so enthusiastically signed up, particularly in the African-American community. My first Saturday in Akron, I missed my first grandchild’s first birthday party back in Virginia. But my reward on that day was registering many first-time voters, including former felons who had recently regained the rights of other free men and women.

Many of our Sporadics were transients who frequently moved from one run-down Akron neighborhood to another. This city was in decline for a long time, and the recent economic downturn just aggravated conditions. In older residential neighborhoods there are a growing number of abandoned homes or houses soon to be vacated due to lost jobs or foreclosure. Many porches are marked by hand-painted signs announcing “Copper Already Stolen” or littered with trash by people who have given up. It is in this environment that we spread our message of Hope and Change.

Starting on September 30, we entered “golden week” when voters could both register and vote early. Ohio’s new rules allowed “no fault” early voting by absentee ballot or in person. A single polling place was created for Summit County at the Job Center in northeast Akron. The Job Center is well-known, because job losses have been ongoing for many years. The building, also known by locals as “the old library,” is next to another landmark, the County’s Auto Title Office. For those without cars, bus number 12 took people there from downtown in 15 minutes.

Early Voting

Registration and early voting at the Job Center was very convenient. Open every day, including Saturday and Sunday, there were 50 polling booths and seating for voters waiting for their paper ballots. But many Ohioans, especially African Americans disenfranchised in previous elections were suspicious. They worried that ballots were going to “disappear,” as reportedly happened in 2004 in Cuyahoga County. Overcoming these legitimate concerns required some persuasion. Our most important argument was: “Barack Obama wants his supporters to vote early.” That usually did it. We helped to spread the word that this process would protect, not suppress voting rights. And by November 3, the daily early vote turnout had grown from hundreds to thousands, the wait from 15 minutes to three hours.

By my third week I had developed a routine for creating a multiplier effect in conversation with early voters. Once they had made an Early Vote Commit, I introduced community organizing techniques to build on the widespread desire to help Obama get elected. Within the family, a grandparent or parent, or maybe the principal driver would agree to take responsibility for getting the entire household to vote early. I also encouraged voters to take along a relative or friend, or a neighbor who needed a ride.

Finally, I would make the following pitch:

“I’m working for Obama and I want you to work for him too. So I’m going to deputize you. No badge, no pay, just the satisfaction of knowing you helped to elect Barack Obama."

That always earned a smile. Then I continued:

"Now I'm sure you know someone who wouldn’t vote unless you drag their lazy a-- to the Job Center to vote. Do you know anyone like that?”

I could tell when they were hooked. Eyes turned skyward. Faces revealed minds thinking of who they would get to early vote. A knowing smile indicated they knew exactly who they would take along. In closing I urged them to let everyone know how easy it was to vote at the Job Center and that Obama wanted them to do so. By the time I left their door, the early voter had been empowered and had taken ownership of the Obama campaign. Now it was their campaign too.

Get Out The Vote

During our last week in Ohio, the Vote Corps was dissolved. We were detailed to assist Field Organizers with their neighborhood teams of volunteers, which were part of the Ohio get out the vote (GOTV) strategy at the precinct level.

I was assigned to Barberton to work for Sol, an energetic field organizer from Texas. My main “turf” was the south Akron neighborhood of Kenmore. Unlike my earlier work with Sporadics in largely African American neighborhoods, I was instructed to “persuade” and “motivate” the remaining “Undecided” voters. But with Election Day closing in fast, there would only be minutes to talk to any single voter.

In Barberton and Kenmore, the Undecideds were predominantly white, working class Democrats. Most did not want to vote for McCain, but were not yet sure about Barack Obama. I understood their concern. Not only was Obama a relatively new and unknown political personality. Most of these voters had supported Hillary in the March primary. And like voters elsewhere, they were being bombarded with smear emails, Republican mailings about Ayers and NRA propaganda warning Obama would take away their guns.

With openly racist voters there was the curt “Thanks for your time.” But it was not difficult to pull the other undecided voters off the fence, especially with the credibility of being an older white man with a knowledge of history and 23 years of federal service under five US Presidents. These voters knew that Obama and Hillary shared a common policy agenda and that she was campaigning hard for the Democratic ticket. They also recognized Rove tactics and our argument that: “They can’t win with the truth, so they are attacking him with lies.” Second amendment concerns were easily neutralized with Biden’s quote: “No one’s taking away my Beretta.” But the simplest most effective argument was “Are you happy with the way things are going or do you want change?” And Change is what voters wanted more than anything this year.

Election Day

November 3rd and 4th were taken up with the final GOTV effort, primarily distributing door hangers and reminding voters of their polling places. From 3:30 pm on Election Day until it was too dark to read house numbers, I scoured for remaining undecided voters who had yet to cast their ballots. I actually found several and they agreed to go to their local poll station, which by then was no longer crowded.

I was at the Barberton volunteers’ party at Lake Anna Hall when MSNBC announced Ohio for Obama. Having already won Pennsylvania, I knew it was all over except for reaching 270 electoral votes. While happy, I was so physically and mentally exhausted that the victory did not seem real. I headed back to my host family home and watched the candidates’ speeches before turning in and resting for the long drive home. Now as my dreams of knocking on doors in Ohio recede, the enormity of our achievement and the challenges facing Barack Obama are coming into better focus. I have no idea what my next step will be, but I will continue to do what I can to get our country back on the right track.

Epilogue

After 40 days of walking the streets of Summit County, I had knocked on or distributed campaign literature at over 4000 doors.

More importantly, I had in-person conversations with more than 1500 voters and obtained about 1000 Early Vote Commits, which probably understates the number of people who were convinced to go to the Job Center. Along the way I also helped remove several hundred bad addresses from our “Turf,” easing the task of later attempts by volunteers to find our voters.

The Akron Vote Corps’ effort over five weeks contributed greatly to the early vote turnout, which by Election Day totaled 90,000, or fully one-third of the 272,000 ballots cast in Summit County. And while he won Ohio’s 20 electoral votes with 51% of the state’s popular vote, Barack Obama won Summit County with 57.45%.

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Submissions Requested for Obama Book

Adele Nicols — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:28:46 EST

I am writing a book on Obama volunteers’ experiences. This text will focus on meaningful and inspiring stories from your phonebanking, canvassing or other campaign journeys. If you have pictures or stories of volunteering that were significant to you and you think would have meaning for others, please send submissions to:

AdeleNicols@yahoo.com or
P.O.Box 494, Waitsfield, VT 05673

I have a particular interest in the "phonebankers". Making cold calls throughtout the United States was a unique opportunity to get to know the diverse pockets of individuals and communities that exist within our nation. I personally had some amazing discussions that I know must have been echoed by other volunteers. I am better off from the experience...and am eager to showcase your personal experiences.
Chosen submissions will be notified by January 10, 2008 and full acknowledgement will be given in the publication.

I am looking for stories that will exemplify the broad scope of voters that were either for or against Obama. My primary interest is to showcase the heart of the Obama campaign by revealing personal and transformational stories and images that were at the core of this successful campaign.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have.

Sincerely,
We did it!
Adele

BELIEVE THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON

WEBMASTER — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:45:52 EST

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, OF BARACK, of Samson, of Jephthah; and David also, Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had test of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, moreover of chains and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were cut in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered around in goatskins and sheepskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, having obtained a good report through faith, did not receive the promise:
God having provided something better for us, that without us they would not be made perfect.

Text is available in 35 GLOBAL LANGUAGES

UPDATE: 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and THE GOVERNMENT OF CHANGE

Important call tips

Eliz Vermont — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:10:51 EST

Don't forget to tell them to stay, don't leave.

I'm calling and telling people to bring snacks and something to read and to make sure their vote gets counted. Even if you get one voter out, you have made a difference.

If people say they have had other calls, don't be worried. I just put a smile in my voice and ask them to please chalk it up to our passion and the importance of this election!

Peace!

“Mustard seeds for everyone” Credit to Rick

“Going positive, staying positive” Credit to Kev

“Cookies for everyone!” Credit to Auntie B

“Keep calling!” Credit to me!

“Peace & Love to All” Credit to Desert Dove Dan

“I came back because Barack asked me to” Credit to Lulu my love

“You can feel in your gut that something is happening here.” Barack Obama 11/3/08

Proudest Vote of My Life...

Vermonter — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:14:59 EST

VOTE, BABY, VOTE!!

Hussein The Hope Monger — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:49:25 EST

Am I fired up?

You betcha!!

Let's keep working...

Eliz Vermont — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:13:02 EST

I am a 40+ white mother of three from Vermont. I work 12 hours a week in a hospital and a few hours a week for myself. I believe in Barack Obama. This is the first campaign I have ever volunteered for. In the last year this campaign has been such an important part of my life. But more importantly, it has shaped my three children's lives. They have learned the importance of acting on your beliefs and standing up for what you think is right. They have watched me call all over the country and travel to Rhode Island in the primaries and weekends in New Hampshire now. I'm proud of this campaign and proud of my local actions and their impacts on my children!

Let's All Give!!!! It can be: our time, our $, our hearts, our prayers, our phonecalls, our faith, our visits to states, our passion, our editorials... We all have something to give!!!

Peace! Fired up and ready to go and calling Virginia today!

“Mustard seeds for everyone” Credit to Rick

“Going positive, staying positive” Credit to Kev

“Cookies for everyone!” Credit to Auntie B

“Keep calling!” Credit to me!

“Peace & Love to All” Credit to Desert Dove Dan

McCain VS Obama

La Susa — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:31:49 EST

Im not in favor of McCain because he wants to cheat workers, and give more money to the extreamly rich that make 250,000.00 or more! Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que el quire enganiar a los trabajadores y dar mas dinero a los ricototes, la cual que hacen 250,000.00 y mas!

Im not in favor of McCain because he is too old, 72 years old, and placed Palin as VP. Poor Palin dosn't know much about the world, much less about how to run Our Nation. Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que ya esta muy viejo, 72 anos, y puso a la Palin de VP. La pobre Palin no sabe mucho del mundo, menos como correr nuestro Nacion!

Im not in favor of McCain because he says he knows how to do everything, but really what has he done in, practicly nothing in 20 years. Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que el dice que el sabe como hacer de todo, pero a la deveras no ha hecho casi nada en 20 anos.

Im not in favor of McCain because he lies too much! There are so many lies I cannot place them all here, it is an embarrasment! Yo no estoy en favor al McCain por que miente demaciado! Hay tantas mentiras que no los puedo ponerlos todos aqui, es una veruenza!

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to help those workers who pay way too much in taxes. He wants the rich that make 250,000.00 or more to pay taxes as it was during the years of President Clinton. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el qiere ayudar a aquellos que trabajan y pagan demacido taxes. El quiere que los ricos que hacen 250,000.00 y mas que ellos pagan taxes como era en los anos del Presidente Clinton.

I voted for Senator Obama because he realized when his mom was ill that the insurance companies didn't want to pay the bills because her illness before she died being cancer was considered 'pre-existing'. And she sadly died with the worries of the bills. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el se dio cuenta que cuando su mama estaba enferma las companias de seguranza no querian pagar los cuentos por que querian decir la cual que la enfermedad que cancer que tenia su mama antes de murir que era 'pre-existing'. Y la pobre murio con penas de los cuentos!

I voted for Senator Obama because he knows what it is like to live in poverty, for when he was a child he and his mom were on foodstamps. And his manerism is one of humility. Yo Vote por Senador Obama por que el sabe como es vivir pobre, cuando el era nino, su mama y el estaban es las estampas. Y tiene un modo de ser que es humide.

I voted for Senator Obama because he knows what it is like to live without a dad. His dad left when he was only two years old. And he knows that there are many mothers with children who are alone and suffering with mounting bills. Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el sabe como es vivir sin un papa. El papa de el se fue, cuando el no mas tenia dos anos de edad. Y sabe que hay muchas madres con ninos que estan solas y sufiendo con biles demasiados.

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to give many jobs to the people! Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere a dar muchos trabajos a la gente!

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants all students to have the opportunities to go to collage, not just the rich! Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere que todos estudiantes tengan la oportunidad a ir al colejio, no, no mas los ricos!

I voted for Obama because he knows we have to stop the war in Iraq, and look for that man Bin Ladden who killed nearly 4 thousand people here in the United States on September 11, 2001. Yo Vote al Obama por que el sabe que tenemos que parrar la guierra en Iraq y buscar al hombre ese Bin Ladden; que mato ha casi 4 mil personas aqui en Los Estados Unidos en Septiembre 11 del 2001.

I voted for Senator Obama because he dose not want American companies to leave to China, and he wants them to stay here in the Untited States. Yo Vote por el Senador Obama por que el no quiere que las companias Americanas se van para China, el quiere que se esten aqui en Los Estados Unidos.

I voted for Senator Obama because he wants to help companies make new inventions, so that we will not be dependant on other nations for oil. Yo Vote al Senador Obama por que el quiere ayudar a las companias hacer invenciones nuevas, para no estemos dependidas en otros Naciones para el aceite.

The tax calculator: El calculador de taxes:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Acuerdencen! Remember!

La Susa — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:23:38 EST

Acuerdencen al los ancianos y gente debiles a llevar sillas para que se descansan cuando voten en el dia 4 de Noviembre, por que se me hace que va a ver mucha gente!

Remember to remind the elderly and weak to bring chairs so that they can rest, when they go vote on November 4, because I belive that there will be a lot of people!

Fight the McCain Economics LIES!!!!

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:11:13 EDT

EconomyObama's Stance on the Economy Barack Obama's Tax Savings Calculator:http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Barack Obama has offered a detailed plan to get America’s economy back on track, by creating new jobs and easing the burden on hardworking Americans by offering middle-class tax cuts three times the size of McCain’s.

Plan to Strengthen the EconomyThe Problem

Wages are Stagnant as Prices Rise: While wages remain flat, the costs of basic necessities are increasing. The cost of in-state college tuition has grown 35 percent over the past five years. Health care costs have risen four times faster than wages over the past six years. And the personal savings rate is now the lowest it's been since the Great Depression.

Tax Cuts for Wealthy Instead of Middle Class: The Bush tax cuts give those who earn over $1 million dollars a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than that received by middle-income Americans. At the same time, this administration has refused to tackle health care, education and housing in a manner that benefits the middle class.

Learn More

McCain's Stance on the Economy

John McCain’s economic policy is the same as George Bush’s. It ignores middle class Americans, giving $200 billion in tax cuts to corporations, including $4 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil, while leaving over 100 million middle-class Americans with no relief. Economists say McCain’s plan will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt.

Fight the McCain Economics LIES

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:50:06 EDT

EconomyObama's Stance on the Economy Barack Obama's Tax Savings Calculator:http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Plan to Strengthen the EconomyThe Problem

Learn More

McCain's Stance on the Economy

McCain Lieing Again!!!!!

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:40:13 EDT

McCain says Obama wants to re-distribute the wealth!

Who has been burdened by taxes the last 8 years? The Middle Class, because the million and billionaires have enjoyed a tax break, that McCain wants to make permanent!!!!!!!

Obama wants to tax the million and billionaires, and belive me, those folks are not small businesses!!!!!!!!

McCain is using fearmongering to sway votes in his favor!

Who was with Bush on the 'Privatizing of Social Security'? McCain?

When Sen McCain claims to have been tested to be United States President; in 1962 when he sat in a plane cockpit, during the Cuban missle Crisis, why didn't McCain run for USA President way back then? It's only been 46 years ago.

McCain says he knows how to win wars, what wars has he won?

McCain says he knows how to fix corruption, what corruption has he fixed?

McCain says he knows how to fix Wallstreet, when has McCain ever fixed Wallstreet?

Yo, Arnold R-Gov of Calif.

La Susa — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:08:42 EDT

We can take your 'skinny legs' insults, but we cannot take four more years of McCin-Bush economics!!!!!! Was it not you Arnold R-Gov of Calif. that asked for a bail out for the State of Calif. a few days after the AIG bail out? So you want the hard working middle class to bail out Calif., because you don't know how to balance a budget? And allow the billion and millionaires to get richer and richer?

Do the math!!!!!! See Barack's Tax Calculator!

http://www.my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Get Educated! Use the Brain Muscle! Look it up in the dictionary!!!!!!!

The insults and fear mongering has gotten way out of hand! Just because Sen Barack Obama wants to make healthcare affordable for everyone, dose not mean a socialistic government! Way too many of our working families are going bankrupt because of the sky rocketing costs of healthcare! And those who don't have healthcare, are often treated when it is too late, driving up the costs of healthcare for all of us!!!!!!! Of all develped countries in the world, the USA is lagging far behind, with high infant mortality rates etc. etc.! The past 8 years the middle class has payed above and beyond their fare share, while the rich get richer! Now the middle class are loosing jobs left and right, they need a break! And I don't think it's too much to ask the million and billionaires to pitch in their fare share! Our economy depends on the middle class! they are the buying power of America! Small buisnesses fall under the catagory of middle class people because they earn far less than 250,000.00 dollars a year!!!!!!!!

Socialism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

Democracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy

Capitalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Capitalism is the economic system in which the means of production are distributed to openly competing profit-seeking [1] private persons and where ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

Marxism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Any political practice or theory that is based on ...
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist

Exxon Record Profits!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:51:49 EDT

Exxon Oct. 30, 08 third quarder record profits 14.8 billion! Bush-McCain economics!

Every Vote Counts!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:25:57 EDT

Vote Early, take friends and relatives with you!

Before and on Nov. 4, if one can help to bring people to the polls! If one has folding chairs, mark with your name and phone number and offer to help our seniors, and those with disbilities sit down while waiting in expected long lines!

Remind folks to sign their names on paper ballots!

In some areas one cannot wear political T-Shirts or pins!

If one has no car, is disabled and cannot be out and about, still vote early, call all of your friends and relatives and encourage them to vote!

We cannot afford to believe the polls! Every Vote Counts!!!!!!

Joe the Plumber.....

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:54:39 EDT

Joe the plumber said yesturday "I will vote for McCain the real American." 'The real American', wonder what he means by that? Or what is he implying by that statement? Unless one has Native American ancestry as dose Sen Barack Obama, I cannot see the connection to 'real American'. I personally find the comment offensive... Should Sen McCain win this election, what cabnet position will Joe the Plunger have, or did I hear wrong?

Poor Joe the Plumber, if he had studied small business (or at least googled it) he would know that overhead, payroll, utilities and a host of other expenses are deducted before talling up the total profit from business income on Schedule C of the Federal Tax Forms... It's sad to see gulable American people lied to, in such a decptive fashion! I wonder if Joe the Plumber is jumping for joy because EXON-MOBIL again anounce hudge profits! Will Joe the Plumber get any cash from EXON-MOBIL as McCain has implied that the rich will somehow benifit the poor and middles class?

McCain-Palin Small Business LIES, BUSH ECONOMICS, DECEPTIONS!!!!

La Susa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:42:45 EDT

McCain's Small-Business BunkJuly 14, 2008He claims 23 million small-business owners would pay higher tax rates under Obama. He's wrong. The vast majority would see no change, and many would get a cut.SummaryMcCain has repeatedly claimed that Obama would raise tax rates for 23 million small-business owners. It's a false and preposterously inflated figure.

We find that the overwhelming majority of those small-business owners would see no increase, because they earn too little to be affected. Obama's tax proposal would raise rates only on couples making more than $250,000 or singles earning more than $200,000.

McCain argues that Obama's proposed increase is a job-killer. He has a point. It's true that increasing taxes on those at the top would leave them less money for other purposes, including investment and hiring in the case of business owners. But the number of business owners who would see their rates go up would be only a small fraction of what McCain says. Many would see their taxes go down.
AnalysisSen. John McCain has been making this false claim over and over, starting with a July 7 speech announcing his "jobs for America" plan:

McCain, July 7: Senator Obama's tax increases will hurt the economy even more, and destroy jobs across this country. If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is going to raise your tax rates.

He repeated it in an address to the League of United Latin American Citizens the next day:

McCain, July 8: Keeping individual rates low isn't intended as a favor to wealthy Americans. 23 million small-business owners pay those rates, and taking more money from them deprives them of the capital they need to invest and grow and hire.

He said it again at a campaign event July 9:

McCain, July 9: If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is willing to raise your tax rates.

And he repeated it in the first of a planned series of radio addresses July 12:

McCain, July 12: If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners who files as an individual rate payer, watch out – because as your business grows, my opponent proposes to raise your taxes.

But repeating a falsehood doesn't make it true. McCain's 23 million claim is a bogus figure.

Outdated, Inflated, Inapplicable

To justify the 23 million figure, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers referred us to a press release by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which refers to "23 million small business owners" without citing a source. That is actually an outdated count of all the businesses in the United States, produced by the U.S. Census for 2002, when the Economic Census counted a total of 23,343,821 business firms of all sizes. Of those, 16,845 firms employed 500 persons or more, which still leaves just over 23.3 million classified as "small" by the widely accepted definition that we will use here.

That figure is six years out of date. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy estimates the total number of "small" firms with fewer than 500 workers reached 26.8 million in 2006. That's the most recent estimate. But it is also inflated. Since the total U.S. population was just under 300 million in 2006, it would mean that one in every 11 Americans – men, women and children – is a "small-business owner."

It turns out, SBA's estimate includes more than 20 million "nonemployer" firms, an unknown number of them sideline or hobby businesses run by persons who actually make their living some other way. Census and SBA count as a "small business" anyone who reported as little as $1,000 of business receipts. By that very broad definition, John McCain himself is a "small-business owner," because his tax return shows Schedule C income from book royalties. For that matter, Barack Obama would also be a small-business owner, by virtue of his book income. As would President Bush and Vice President Cheney, as we pointed out in 2004. Of the 26.8 million that SBA counts as "small businesses," fewer than 6 million are actually "employer firms" with any payroll.

From this, we must conclude that to arrive at his 23 million figure, McCain is counting mostly "business owners" with no workers, including those who simply report small amounts of income from sideline or freelance work. McCain is arguing that Obama's tax increase would "destroy jobs," but he's counting mostly firms that don't produce any.

That in itself is seriously misleading. If McCain wants to focus on the effects of Obama's plan on employment, he would do better to confine his count to employers – the just under 6 million firms that actually have workers. And even that figure wouldn't be applicable because Obama's tax increase wouldn't fall on all employers, only on those in the top two income tax brackets.

McCain Campaign's Statement

1. These small businesses are subject to Sen. Obama's pay or play health care plan: The tax will either be in the form of health insurance to
workers or cash to the government.

2. Further, even giving Obama the benefit of the doubt, if they make
over $250,000 and file as individuals or have capital gain or dividends, their taxes go up, as Obama has promised.

Note US Chamber cites 23 million figure: "The U.S. Chamber is proud to pay special tribute to some of its most valued constituents: America's
23 million small business owners"McCain's Non-explanation

McCain cannot justify his 23 million claim. We asked McCain spokesman Brian Rogers for substantiation and received the statement that we reprint here. We find it simply won't do.

Rogers starts by saying that Obama's health care proposal to provide coverage for uninsured workers would amount to a "tax," either in the form of higher costs for covering employees or "cash to the government." But McCain was talking about income tax rates, not higher business costs. That's not justifying McCain's claim; that's trying to change the subject.

Furthermore – as we've just seen – the vast majority of those that McCain is counting as small-business owners have no employees and wouldn't encounter any added costs for covering workers. Obama's plan wouldn't apply to every small employer, either. It says: "Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt." Also, after Rogers sent his message, Obama announced July 13 that he is proposing to grant $6 billion per year in tax credits for small businesses that provide health insurance plans, covering up to half the cost of premiums paid to cover employees.

As for actual income tax rates, which is what McCain keeps talking about, Rogers says "if they make over $250,000 and file as individuals ... their taxes go up." But this leaves out all but a very small fraction of those McCain counts as small-business owners. Rogers also says taxes will go up if small-business owners "have capital gains or dividends," but Obama's proposal would not increase rates on capital gains or dividends for couples making under $250,000, or singles making under about $200,000, regardless of whether they are classified as small-business owners or not.

How Many Would Actually Pay More?

McCain is right about one thing. Many small-business owners would indeed see their taxes go up if Obama is elected and raises the top income-tax rates. According to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, about eight out of 10 small-business owners responding to the poll report that they are organized legally in a way that would require them to pay taxes on their business income as individuals, rather than as a corporation. But since Obama's plan wouldn't affect those making less than $250,000 for couples, or about $200,000 for singles, we need to estimate how many would fall into those high-income categories.

Obama's plan, according to his economic policy director Jason Furman, would return the top two federal income-tax rates to what they were before Bush lowered them. In addition, Obama would adjust the income-tax brackets to ensure that no married couple making under $250,000 or single filer making under $200,000 would pay the top rates.

The actual number of business owners who would be affected turns out to be well under a million, and the number of employers would be even less. Based on the number of taxpayers who now report any sort of business income on their returns, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center projects that 663,608 taxpayers with business income, or business losses, will fall into the top two tax brackets in 2009, when any Obama tax changes would first take effect. Not all of those can properly be called "small-business owners," however. Some are farmers. Many are lawyers, accountants or other professionals who get some of their income in the form of partnership distributions. Others may be passive investors in real-estate partnerships or similar investment arrangements and not really persons who own and manage a business.

It is also not clear how many who report business income actually employ any workers. In 2004, the Tax Policy Center found that hundreds of thousands of individual taxpayers who had business income from partnerships or subchapter-S corporations (whose owners pay taxes as individuals) did not claim any tax deductions for employee expenses. For all these reasons we judge that the actual number of small-business employers who would face higher tax rates under Obama is probably far below 663,608, and certainly a far cry from McCain's ridiculously inflated 23 million figure.

Lower Taxes for Many

While Obama's plan would raise rates at the top, it also would grant what he calls a “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Since this credit would not begin to phase down for couples making less than $150,000, we judge it likely that many, if not most of the 23 million that McCain counts as "small-business owners" would likely get tax reductions.

An Echo of Bush

McCain's claim struck us as wildly improbable the first time we heard it because we debunked a much less expansive claim that President Bush made about John Kerry in 2004. Bush ran a TV ad saying that Kerry's proposal to raise taxes on persons making more than $200,000 a year would affect 900,000 small-business owners. We found Bush's number to be far too high. We noted that Bush was counting as a "small-business owner" anyone who reported even $1 of business or partnership income, regardless of how the taxpayer made their living. At that time, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimated that a total of 471,000 small-business employers could be affected.

– by Brooks Jackson

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccains_small-business_bunk.html

More McCain-Palin "Unethical?" LIES, MISLEADING, FALSE!

La Susa — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:21:00 EDT

'Unethical?'

October 27, 2008

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/unethical.html

A McCain-Palin/RNC ad claims Obama 'rewards his friends with your tax dollars.' It's off the mark.SummaryAn ad released jointly by the McCain-Palin campaign and the RNC claims Obama "rewards his friends with your tax dollars" and calls his actions "unethical." Some of what the ad says is false or misleading. Here are the facts:

The ad claims that Obama supporter and Chicago real estate developer Allison Davis received $20 million in taxpayer money. That's false. Davis didn't get this money. Instead, the federal grant went to the Chicago Housing Authority, replacing money it had already put forward for a mixed-income housing project on which Davis was a developer. The grant didn't go to Davis, nor did it help him pocket any additional funds.

The ad says Obama gave Tony Rezko $14 million of taxpayer money. That's misleading. It's true the housing project Rezko was working on cost $14 million in taxpayer cash. Rezko and his partner netted $855,000 in fees.
Obama worked to get Kenny Smith a $100,000 grant to build a park, which Smith later failed to complete. Smith has since caught the attention of the state attorney general. But, according to reports, Obama isn't under investigation for helping Smith get the grant.

The RNC and McCain may consider Obama's actions to be "unethical"; that's a matter of opinion. But the fact is, as far as these three incidents are concerned, Obama has not been officially accused of any wrongdoing, and there's been no report that his actions are the subject of any official investigation.
AnalysisThe joint ad from the McCain-Palin campaign and the Republican National Committee accuses Sen. Barack Obama of being "unethical," citing instances in which individuals connected to Obama received federal or state funds. Sen. John McCain's campaign and the RNC have spent $5.9 million so far airing the ad in 17 states, including Pennsylvania, where $1.2 million has been spent on the ad, and North Carolina, where it has aired a total of 1,629 times, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group of TNS Media Intelligence. The ad started airing on Oct. 14.

RNC/McCain-Palin Ad:
"Unethical"

Announcer: Obama rewards his friends with your tax dollars. Tony Rezko, fourteen million. Allison Davis, twenty million. Kenny Smith, one hundred thousand. That's unethical. Congressional liberals promise to raise your taxes to reward their friends with wasteful pork. Taxes for you. Pork for them. Who's gonna' stop 'em? Congressional liberals? Or him.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message. $20 Million? Try Zero

The ad claims that real estate developer Allison Davis received $20 million of taxpayer money thanks to Obama. But that's false. Davis didn't get any of this money. The ad cites a story from The Washington Times, but the article says that "city housing authorities confirmed" that the "grant money won't go to Mr. Davis or his company."

According to documentation provided by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), a letter was ghostwritten for Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and others by the CHA in support of a project called Stateway Gardens – an urban revitalization effort to transition crime-ridden high-rises into mixed-income housing. The letter was sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in an effort to acquire a fiscal year 2008 grant of $20 million to support the project, of which Davis, a supporter of Obama, was one of the developers.

We spoke with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokeswoman Donna White, who told us that the money was not awarded to Davis, but to the Chicago Housing Authority:

Donna White, spokeswoman for HUD: The Chicago Housing Authority competed for [the Hope VI] grant. The housing authority applies for the funding, they select a developer. ... It's common for congressional members to submit letters of support when they know that a housing authority in their jurisdiction is competing for a grant.

We also spoke with William Little, executive vice president of development for CHA, who reiterated that the HUD grant was not awarded to Davis, but to the CHA, and that the grant allowed the CHA to reallocate funds it had already directed to the Stateway project. Davis did not see a profit as a result of the HUD grant, according to Little, nor did the budget for the Stateway project increase. When we asked Little about the charge in the ad that Obama "reward[ed]" Davis with $20 million, he told us:

William Little, CHA: That's totally false. HUD awarded CHA $20 million in a Hope VI grant, which allows CHA to reallocate funds it had previously earmarked for that particular project to other projects. The overall budget for the project did not increase. Allison Davis gets none of it.

A portion of the Stateway development is devoted to market-priced housing, and Davis stood to profit from the sales of those homes. But he did not pocket any of the HUD grant, which went to construction of low-income units.

Tony Rezko (Again)

The ad also claims that Tony Rezko got "fourteen million," because of Obama. But he didn't.

A 2007 report from The Chicago Sun-Times is the source, but the article goes over territory we've addressed before: that Obama wrote letters to state officials supporting a low-income senior housing complex Rezko was trying to have built. Both men say Rezko did not solicit the letters. The Sun-Times quoted Obama spokesman Bill Burton as saying Obama didn't write the letters as a favor but "in the interests of the people in the community who have benefited from the project."

Regardless, the ad is wrong to imply Rezko pocketed millions. The project cost $14 million of taxpayer money. But, as we've reported, Rezko and his partner, who was Allison Davis, received $855,000 in fees. It's not peanuts, but it's not $14 million either.

Kenny Smith's $100,000 Garden

The ad then claims Kenny Smith received $100,000 in taxpayer money as a "reward" from Obama. This claim holds more water than the rest, but it's still a leaky vessel.

The ad cites a New York Post report that details how Obama, then a state senator in the midst of a race for a congressional seat, worked on Smith's behalf in 2000 in an effort to raise $1.1 million in state funding for the "Englewood Botanic Garden Project." Smith, head of the nonprofit Chicago Better Housing Association and a volunteer for Obama's congressional campaign, planned to rehabilitate a plot of land in a Chicago neighborhood. He was awarded a $100,000 state grant to do so, a far cry from the $1.1 million he had hoped to receive.

But Smith never built the park. And, according to a report from The Chicago Sun-Times, state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat who backs Obama, has started to look into whether or not taxpayer money was mishandled. While questions have been raised about how Smith spent the money, according to the Sun-Times, the paper notes that "neither Smith nor his wife are accused of any wrongdoing." The Post report cited by the ad said that "officials in Madigan's office said Obama's actions in giving out the member item aren't under investigation."

Democrats "Promise to Raise Your Taxes"

The ad swings away from the taxpayer hand-outs and claims: "Democrats promise to raise your taxes to reward their friends with wasteful pork." That linkage doesn't sound like a promise any sane politician would make.

The ad cites a Nov. 2007 article from The Washington Times, which chronicles a bill introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). The bill would have amended the tax code to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax and limit deductions that could be claimed by taxpayers making more than $250,000 a year, among other measures. But Rangel's bill, introduced a year ago, never cleared the Ways and Means Committee.

As for the "wasteful pork" claim, the fact is that securing earmarks is a popular practice among both Democrats and Republicans. Two oft-cited earmark recipients are longtime Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Both were listed in Porkbusters.org's "Hall of Shame" in 2006 and have been singled out as "Porker of The Month" more than once over the last eight years by the organization Citizens Against Government Waste – proof that, promise or not, Democrats and Republicans send money home for projects whether taxes go up or down.

– by Emi Kolawole

from www.factcheck.org a non-partisan watch dog group!!!!!!!!

"A License to Kill" Email and TV Adds LIES, FALSE!!!!!!

La Susa — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:18:33 EDT

A License to Kill

October 28, 2008

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/a_license_to_kill.html

A new anti-Obama group runs a bunk-filled ad implying he'd give a driver's license to Mohammed Atta. SummaryAn upstart group calling itself the "National Republican Trust PAC" mixes a pile of false claims and the image of 9/11 mastermind Mohammed Atta to create one of the sleaziest false TV ads of the campaign.

The spot falsely claims Obama has a "plan" to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. In fact, Obama has said quite specifically, "I am not proposing that that's what we do."
The ad implies such licenses would enable terrorist attacks. In fact, Atta wouldn't have needed one to carry out his attacks.

It claims that Obama's health care plan will apply to illegal immigrants. But Obama has stated quite clearly that his plan "does not" cover illegal immigrants.

The ad falsely claims that Obama's plan "gives illegals Social Security benefits," which is also flatly untrue.

AnalysisDespite its name, the National Republican Trust has no formal connection to the Republican Party. It is an independent group with ties to the conservative Web site Newsmax. It sprang into being barely a month ago and has reported spending more than $900,000 to attack Obama through e-mail messages and, now, TV ads.

Its TV spot first showed up on the air in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 26, and it has also received considerable circulation on the Web. It attempts to link Sen. Barack Obama to the 9/11 hijackers. The link? A spurious claim that Obama plans to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. NRT PAC, which is headed by a former writer for the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Insight magazine, says it plans to air the ad in other swing states.

Update, Oct. 29: Newsmax distributed a new NRT PAC fundraising e-mail today in which NRT boasts of having now raised "over $3 million." A postscript states that the group's ads are now running "in 5 battleground states."

National Republican Trust PAC Ad: "Social Security for Illegals"

Announcer: Millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. Barack Obama’s plan gives a driver’s license to any illegal who wants one.

But that’s not all.

Obama’s plan gives illegals Social Security benefits and raises taxes for his health care plan to cover them. Who pays? You do.

Driver’s licenses and government benefits for illegals. Higher taxes for us. That’s Obama’s plan. Obama. Too radical. Too risky.

The National Republican Trust PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement. Drive Like a Maniac

The ad begins with the ominous warning that "Barack Obama's plan gives a driver's license to any illegal who wants one." More alarmingly, the ad flashes a picture of a Florida driver's license featuring 9/11 mastermind Mohammed Atta. The ad then goes on to claim that Obama's "plan" provides illegal immigrants with Social Security and health care benefits and would raise taxes to pay for it.

Hardly a word in the ad is true.

Let's start with the incendiary implication that Obama's "plan" would somehow enable terrorists like Atta. That's ridiculous. It's true that Atta did use a Florida driver's license to board the plane he hijacked. It's also irrelevant. Atta entered the U.S. legally, using a tourist visa, so laws about licenses for illegal immigrants wouldn't have affected him anyway. What's more, Atta could just as easily have boarded the plane with his Egyptian passport. The Transportation Security Administration lists foreign government-issued passports as acceptable identification for boarding a U.S. flight. For that matter, The Cato Institute's Jim Harper, who advises the Department of Homeland Security on data privacy, describes NRT PAC's claim as "despicable" and says that it is "terror-pandering of the highest order."

Plan? What Plan?

Furthermore, NRT PAC's claim that Obama has a "plan" to give driver's licenses to "any illegal [immigrant] who wants one" is just false. Obama has no such plan. "Plan" implies a worked out, formal policy. But NRT rests its claim entirely on comments Obama made during two Democratic primary debates. All candidates were asked whether they supported then-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Obama hedged, but when pressed, admitted that he agreed with states granting licenses, and requiring insurance. Here's part of the exchange:

CNN's Wolf Blitzer (Nov. 15, 2007): Barring, avoiding, assuming there isn't going to be comprehensive immigration reform, do you support or oppose driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?
Obama: I am not proposing that that's what we do. ... I have already said I support the notion that we have to deal with public safety and that driver's licenses at the state level can make that happen. But what I also know, Wolf, is that if we keep on getting distracted by this problem, then we are not solving it.

We take no position on the wisdom of Spitzer's proposal. But it's false to puff up Obama's comments into a "plan" when he quite specifically said, "I am not proposing that that's what we do." That sounds to us to be the opposite of a plan. The group would have been correct had it said Obama supported Spitzer's plan, but only in the absence of a federal effort to fix the immigration mess.

Health Care and Taxes. Again.

It is simply untrue that Obama plans to provide health care for illegal immigrants. To the contrary, in an exchange with CNN's Joe Johns during a January debate in South Carolina, Obama explicitly ruled out coverage for illegal immigrants:

Johns (Jan. 21, 2008): Senator Obama, we all know what universal health care is, as Senator Clinton just said, sort of the idea that everybody deserves health care. And I have not been able to sort of zero in on your position on this one question: Does your plan cover the estimated 12 million or so illegal immigrants in the country?
Obama: It does not.
Johns: Why not?
Obama: Well, because I think we've got limited resources. And it is important for us that, when we've got millions of U.S. citizens that aren't yet covered, it's important for us to make sure that they are provided coverage.

That sounds pretty clear to us. Furthermore, as we've said more times than we care to count now, Obama's plan raises taxes only on people making more than $200,000 ($250,000 for a couple). That's true for income taxes, capital gains taxes and payroll taxes.

Social Security Bunk That Won't Die

Just for good measure, the ad recycles some two-year-old bunk, too. The claim that Obama "plans" to grant Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants is nowhere to be found on his Web site. NRT PAC bases this claim on Obama's vote on an amendment to a 2006 immigration bill. But that amendment would not have granted Social Security benefits to any illegal immigrants, not unless they became U.S. citizens or legal immigrants first. We debunked this attack back in 2006 when it was a Republican favorite. The passing years haven't made it any truer.

Under current law, an illegal immigrant who later gets legal status can claim credit for any Social Security taxes he or she paid while still illegal. The 2006 amendment would have ended that practice. The bill failed 50 - 49, with Obama joining the majority to vote against it. Many illegal immigrants pay Social Security taxes even while working illegally. In 2006, for example, the Social Security Administration collected about $7 billion in taxes that couldn't be credited to specific workers.

Again, we take no position on the merits of the amendment. But it's a serious distortion to say that it would have granted Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants.

End-Game Sleaze

The National Republican Trust PAC came into being Sept. 26, when it first registered with the Federal Election Commission. By Oct. 15 it had reported raising $463,000 for its anti-Obama campaign. (Update: In an e-mail to supporters on Oct. 29, the group said it had raised more than $3 million.) It has reported spending a total of $902,604 to attack Obama, according to the most recent report filed Oct. 26. It has reported spending substantial sums to the conservative Web site Newsmax and to other vendors for "email communication" opposing Obama's election, and to a Virginia company called Integram for "direct mail." It has also listed expenditures for "media production" and a "media buy."

Its Web site lists its executive director as Scott Wheeler, who also writes articles for Newsmax, which the NRT PAC pays to distribute anti-Obama e-mail messages, many of which are little more than fundraising pleas.

It's not uncommon for the final weeks of the presidential campaign to bring out some of the most deceptive ads of the cycle. We thought it would be tough to top the whoppers we've seen already, but it looks as if some of the third-party ads are out to prove us wrong. If this gem from the National Republican Trust PAC is any indication, we'd best brace for a blizzard of balderdash.

– by Joe Miller

from www.factcheck.org

A non-partisan watch dog group!

Marxism, Socialism and Spreading the Wealth?

La Susa — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:59:18 EDT

McCain and Palin can't seem to even understand "Marxism," " Socialism," nor the concept of "spreading the wealth!" Do they not understand that the Federal Income Tax payers of America have been the Middle Class for the last 8 years! And I guess somehow shifting the tax burden from the middle class to the wealthiest is what? Marxism? Socialism? Spreading the wealth? Oh yea I forgott, McCain and Palin want to make permanent Tax breaks for the most wealthy, what's that called?????

McCain and Palin are misleading the American public about small business income, implying that businesses that earn 250,000.00 will be liable to pay federal income taxes, not understanding that businesses have to subtract all of their expenses; payroll, insurance, cars, rents, etc. etc. before they can conclude their total earnings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See Link below and compare one's income tax savings it's amazing!!!!!!!http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGgFgH

Why I Voted For Sen Barack Obama

La Susa — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:08:08 EDT

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because I feel that I was misled about Weapons of Mass Destruction and our reason for going war in Iraq. And by going to war with Iraq, Bin Ladden was given a free pass to do as he pleases after killing nearly 4,000 civilians.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has an eye on the future of our Nation, and knows that unless our children excell in Math and Science we as a Nation will fall. For we have to be the inventors of the future, we have to have the opportunities to go to collage!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he knows we have to independant of fossil fuels that are contaminating our entire planet! And he will promote Solar and Wind power that we so desparately need! We cannot be held hostage in the oil markets anymore!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he knows what it is like to pay off a student loan, and knows first hand how difficult it is for the middle class to struggle with paying bills. And as a child he saw his mom struggle and survive on foodstamps, he knows what it is like to go without.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he stands in opposition to giving permanent tax breaks to oil comanies i.e. the 5 per-cent of the wealthiest Americans, and instead would give a tax break for working Americans, who can bearly make it, as it is. And he will extend the unemployeement benifits knowing that our nation is currently in a financial crisis.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has good ideas on how to create new jobs for Americans by giving tax incentives to those companies who stay in America, and also tax incentives to companies who take the time to invent new alternatives to fosil fuel!

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he recognises how important and influencial the United States is globally, and that we need to preserve and improve our image abroad.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because I know he knows where me and my family come from, and will be able to voice our concerns in US Government.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama because he has character, and dose not make rash decisions based on poll numbers. He thinks before making important decisions, and is able to maintain cool while being lied about and defend his position firmly.

I voted for Sen Barack Obama even though I don't agree with him on every issue, but I do know that he has the substance and moral character to make the nessasary changes we need in government like 'transperancy'. Furthermore as a former civil rights attorney he is well informed about my civil rights as an American citizen, and I know he will uphold The American Constitution!

McCain Lies About Obama and ACORN

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:12:21 EDT

ACORN AccusationsOctober 18, 2008McCain makes exaggerated claims of "voter fraud." Obama soft-pedals his connections.SummaryThe McCain-Palin campaign accuses ACORN, a community activist group that operates nationwide, of perpetrating "massive voter fraud." It says Obama has “long and deep” ties to the group. We find both claims to be exaggerated. But we also find Obama has understated the extent of his work with the group.

Neither ACORN nor its employees have been found guilty of, or even charged with, casting fraudulent votes. What a McCain-Palin Web ad calls "voter fraud" is actually voter registration fraud. Several ACORN canvassers have been found guilty of faking registration forms and others are being investigated. But the evidence that has surfaced so far shows they faked forms to get paid for work they didn’t do, not to stuff ballot boxes.
Obama’s path has intersected with ACORN on several occasions – more often than he allowed in the final debate.

AnalysisWe've received scores of e-mails asking us about Obama's connection to the community activist group Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, or ACORN. A McCain-Palin ad released on the Web accuses Obama of having ties to the organization, which it says engages in "intimidation tactics," "massive voter fraud" and "pressuring banks to issue risky loans."

Destroying Democracy?

The McCain ad accuses ACORN of "massive voter fraud." In the final presidential debate, John McCain added that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." Sounds scary, but is it true?

McCain-Palin Web Ad: "ACORN"

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

Announcer: Who is Barack Obama? A man with "a political baptism performed at warp speed." Vast ambition. After college, he moved to Chicago. Became a community organizer. There, Obama met Madeleine Talbot, part of the Chicago branch of ACORN. He was so impressive that he was asked to train the ACORN staff.

What did ACORN in Chicago engage in? Bullying banks. Intimidation tactics. Disruption of business. ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today.

No wonder Obama's campaign is trying to distance him from the group, saying, "Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN." But Obama's ties to ACORN run long and deep. He taught classes for ACORN. They even endorsed him for President.

But now ACORN is in trouble.

Reporter: There are at least 11 investigations across the country involving thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN forms.

Announcer: Massive voter fraud. And the Obama campaign paid more than $800,000 to an ACORN front for get out the vote efforts.

Pressuring banks to issue risky loans. Nationwide voter fraud. Barack Obama. Bad judgment. Blind ambition. Too risky for America. There's no evidence of any such democracy-destroying fraud. Here's what is true: In recent years, ACORN employees have been investigated multiple times for voter registration fraud. ACORN workers have been convicted of submitting false voter registration forms in Colorado Springs in 2005, Kansas City, Mo., in 2006 and King County, Wash., in 2007. ACORN's Las Vegas office was raided by a state criminal investigator on Oct. 7, 2008. ACORN workers are also the subjects of ongoing investigations in Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The Indiana investigation started in early October and may involve thousands of fraudulent registration forms.

On Oct. 16 The Associated Press quoted two "senior law enforcement" officials as saying that the FBI is investigating ACORN seeking "any evidence of a coordinated national scam." The following day the Obama campaign's lawyer, Robert Bauer, sent a seven-page letter to the attorney general claiming that federal law enforcement officials were being improperly used to help McCain by suppressing the vote through "unsupported, spurious allegations of vote fraud." He asked that the investigation be transferred to the special prosecutor investigating the U.S. attorney firing scandal. The McCain campaign issued a statement in which spokesman Ben Porritt called Bauer's letter "outrageous" and "absurd" and a "heavy handed tactic of attempting to criminalize political discourse."

But so far ACORN itself has not been officially charged with any fraud. Aside from the heated charges and counter-charges, no evidence has yet surfaced to show that the ACORN employees who submitted fraudulent registration forms intended to pave the way for illegal voting. Rather, they were trying to get paid by ACORN for doing no work. Dan Satterberg, the Republican prosecuting attorney in King County, Wash., where the largest ACORN case to date was prosecuted, said that the indicted ACORN employees were shirking responsibility, not plotting election fraud.

Satterberg: [A] joint federal and state investigation has determined that this
scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.

Instead, the defendants cheated their employer, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (or ACORN), to get paid for work they did not actually perform. ACORN's lax oversight of their own voter registration drive permitted this to happen. ... It was hardly a sophisticated plan: The defendants simply realized that making up names was easier than actually canvassing the streets looking for unregistered voters. ...

[It] appears that the employees of ACORN were not performing the work that they were being paid for, and to some extent, ACORN is a victim of employee theft.

The $8-an-hour employees were charged with providing false information on voter registration forms, and in one case with making a false statement to a public official. Five of the seven who were charged pleaded guilty. ACORN was fined for exercising insufficient oversight, but it was not charged with masterminding any kind of deliberate fraud.

ACORN pays canvassers by the hour, not by the form, but it does ask them to meet certain registration goals. In ACORN's Las Vegas office, one employee who admitted to submitting fraudulent registrations said that she did so because she found ACORN's requirement of 20 registrations per day to be too steep to meet, according to an affidavit by a Nevada state criminal investigator. Local news reports at the time also said that some of the ACORN offices under investigation paid bonuses for each registration, or a higher hourly rate to those who brought in more applications. ACORN's deputy political director, Kevin Whelan, denies that this is ACORN policy.

What ACORN Says

In its defense, ACORN says that only a few of its 13,000 paid canvassers turned in any faked forms. "[T]here are always some people who want to get paid without really doing the job, or who aim to defraud their employer," the group said in an Oct. 10 statement on its Web site. "Any large department store will have some workers who shoplift."

ACORN also says it cannot simply discard suspicious forms on its own, but is required by law in most states to submit to local election officials all the forms its canvassers bring in. ACORN's Whelan told us that its own legal counsel strongly advises that the group do the same in states that don't explicitly require it, because "only election officials are legally able to determine the validity of a voter registration application." But ACORN says that it first flags all suspicious registrations. Staffers call the phone numbers written on completed registration forms to make sure they're valid and also take note of incomplete or duplicate forms. The group says that it alerts election officials to forms that look fishy when it sends them in.

However, it's not clear whether or not those procedures were followed in Nevada prior to a highly publicized raid by state officials on Oct. 7. According to an affidavit by Colin Hayes, a criminal investigator for the secretary of state's office, a probe began July 2 after the county registrar reported receiving a number of suspicious registration forms from ACORN. Hayes did not state whether or not those suspicious forms had been flagged by ACORN before being turned in. Later, during a July 18 meeting, ACORN's lawyer told local and state officials that the group had identified a number of suspicious registrations and "would be willing to provide such information" for further investigation. On Aug. 7, at the request of the county registrar, ACORN supplied copies of documents related to 33 ACORN workers who had been fired for "suspicious" voter registration activities.

Investigator Hayes followed up, confirmed that many registrations were faked, and found a former ACORN worker who confessed to faking most of her forms. After obtaining a warrant based on the affidavit, state officials seized records and computers. Secretary of State Ross Miller was quoted as saying the faked forms included names from the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys.

While ACORN says that such raids are part of "a systematic partisan agenda of voter suppression," it is worth noting that in this case, Secretary of State Miller is a Democrat.

Whelan told us that ACORN's national management staff trains local directors and travels extensively to supervise offices, but the 2007 Washington state prosecution makes it clear that quality control is lacking in at least some outposts. Prosecutor Satterberg wrote: "We believe that ACORN’s internal quality control procedures were not just deficient but entirely non-existent when it came to the latter stages of their operation in Tacoma." He fined the group $25,000 for failing to exercise sufficient oversight.

How Common Is Fraud?

Election fraud does exist, but hasn't been shown to be widespread. The New York Times reported in 2007 that a five-year crackdown on such fraud by the Bush administration's Justice Department had produced 70 convictions at the federal level, including 40 campaign workers or government workers convicted of vote-buying, intimidation or ballot forgery, and 23 cases of multiple voting or voting by ineligible voters. But the Times described these as unconnected incidents and said the Justice Department had turned up no evidence of "any organized effort to skew federal elections."

Bush administration officials have pushed hard to find such evidence, too hard in one case, according to an investigation by the Department of Justice's internal watchdogs, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Their report into the firing of nine United States attorneys concluded that the "real reason" for the firing of New Mexico's U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was "complaints about Iglesias’s handling of voter fraud and public corruption matters." The complaints included gripes by state Republican Party officials who believed that widespread fraud by Democrats had prevented George Bush from winning the state in the 2000 presidential election. Iglesias launched a task force that worked with the FBI but found that "there was insufficient evidence in any of the cases the Task Force reviewed to support criminal prosecution by the [U.S. Attorney's Office] or state authorities," according to the report of the OIG and OPR. These included cases involving ACORN workers. Republicans charged that Iglesias was showing insufficient rigor in prosecuting the cases.

ACORN and the Housing Crisis

The McCain ad says that ACORN in Chicago engaged in "bullying banks. Intimidation tactics. Disruption of business" and "forced banks to issue risky home loans." In support of these statements, the McCain campaign cites conservative opinion pieces, including a column by Mona Charen posted by the National Review Online, titled "Guilty Party: ACORN, Obama and the Mortgage Mess."

It is true that ACORN has led demonstrations on a number of issues nationwide – predatory lending, immigration reform, neighborhood violence, utilities shut-offs, minimum wage increases. Sometimes the group's tactics are confrontational, veering into civil disobedience. For instance, in the late 1980s, ACORN activists in a number of cities, including Chicago, seized abandoned houses and encouraged "squatting" by homeless people, in an attempt to force local governments to salvage abandoned properties and convert them into low-income housing. The targets of ACORN's protests sometimes describe the activists as intractable or even aggressive. Other ACORN protests are less confrontational; Sen. McCain himself spoke at an ACORN rally on illegal immigration in 2006.

It stretches the facts, however, to say that ACORN "forced" banks to make risky loans, though it has certainly applied pressure on banks to make loans to minority and low-income borrowers. ACORN also has worked directly with banks in a joint effort to increase such lending. In Chicago these efforts date back at least to 1992, after a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston showed that minorities in that city were two to three times as likely to be denied mortgage loans as white applicants, and that high-income minorities were more likely to be turned down than low-income whites. Chicago ACORN then started a mortgage assistance program, in cooperation with five local banks, to help minority and low-income borrowers get mortgage loans.

The mortgages that ACORN worked out with the banks did have lower underwriting standards than were customary. They allowed a higher percentage of a family's income to go to debt repayment, and counted rent and utility payments, not just credit card payments, as evidence of ability to pay back a loan. The loans were also more forgiving of past credit problems, as long as the recipient was making a proven effort to address them. But ACORN provided loan deals only to people who went through counseling on budget and credit issues. In 1992, First Nationwide Bank Vice President Neal Halleran told the Chicago Tribune: "Transaction by transaction, [loans from the ACORN program] would appear to be performing no worse than our portfolio overall." According to the Tribune, First Nationwide had contacted ACORN to initiate the lending program.

Obama: Burying ACORNs

The ad says that "Obama's ties to ACORN run long and deep" – that he "taught classes" for the group, paid a "front" $800,000 for get-out-the-vote efforts, and was endorsed by ACORN for president. That last one's true – ACORN's political action committee did offer an Obama endorsement. It's also true that Obama has worked with the group in the past. In 1995, Obama helped represent ACORN in a successful lawsuit to require the state of Illinois to offer "motor voter" registration at DMV offices. Obama has said that this is his only association with ACORN, but that's not the case – he has had other, though less direct, interactions with the organization.

When Obama was on the board of directors of the Woods Fund, the foundation gave grants of $75,000 in 2001 and $70,000 in 2002 to ACORN's Chicago office. The McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee cite an additional grant of $45,000 in 2000. The Woods Fund has not responded to our calls about their 2000 grants.

The Obama campaign also paid Citizens Services Inc., a group affiliated with ACORN, more than $800,000 for get-out-the-vote (not voter registration) efforts during the primary election. The nature of CSI's services was initially misrepresented on the Obama campaign's disclosures to the Federal Election Commission, which the campaign describes as an oversight. The Obama campaign says it has not been involved with ACORN during the general election.

In addition, after law school, Obama may have had contact with ACORN when he directed a Chicago registration drive for Project Vote in 1992. According to Sanford Newman, who was the program’s national director at the time, ACORN may have been one of dozens of organizations that participated in registration drives that year with Project Vote personnel like Obama. But Project Vote didn’t begin contracting exclusively with ACORN until after Obama worked for the group in 1992. “Working for Project Vote at the time was by no means working for ACORN," Newman told us. ACORN had no influence on Project Vote policy and no representation on its board.

As for "teaching classes" for the group, the McCain campaign cites a March 2008 Newsday article, which says that ACORN organizer Madeleine Talbot "initially considered Obama a competitor" when both were working to get asbestos insulation removed from a Chicago housing project, but that "she became so impressed with his work that she invited him to help train her staff." Newsday does not say whether Obama accepted the invitation. An article by Chicago alderman Toni Foulkes says that "we [ACORN] have invited Obama to our leadership training sessions to run the session on power every year" between 1992 and 2004, when the article was written. The Obama campaign says that Obama participated in two, one-hour trainings in a volunteer capacity. Foulkes could not be reached for comment.

Neither ACORN's Chicago office nor CSI has been accused of voter registration irregularities.

–by Jess Henig, with Ronald Lampard

Update, Oct. 21: We originally said that Project Vote works closely with ACORN, implying that Obama would have had contact with the group when he directed a voter registration drive for Project Vote in 1992. We have since learned that Project Vote and ACORN may or may not have worked together in Chicago that year. The group didn’t contract with ACORN exclusively back then. We have corrected the story to reflect this.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/acorn_accusations.html

NRA Add-FALSE- factcheck.org

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:05:39 EDT

The Rifle Association's 'True Story'October 23, 2008A misleading NRA ad claims Obama voted "to deny citizens the right of self-protection." SummaryThe National Rifle Association's misleading attacks on Obama continue. A new ad shows a terrified woman grabbing a gun after an intruder smashes his way into her home. It accuses Obama of voting repeatedly for a measure that would "make you the criminal" in such cases, and voting to "deny citizens the right of self-protection."

The NRA says the incident depicted is "a true story." Not quite.

The actual 2003 burglary didn't involve a woman, and it didn't become violent until the male homeowner went downstairs and started firing before calling police.
The ad fails to mention that the issue was a local handgun ban that made the homeowner's gun illegal to keep in the house.
What Obama voted for was not any general repeal of the right of self-defense, but to uphold enforcement of the local gun ban, a "petty offense" that carried a maximum penalty of a $750 fine.

Im So Tired Of McCain-Palin Lies!!!!!

La Susa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:07:21 EDT

From FactCheck.org

McCain calls Obama's refundable tax credits "welfare," but calls his own "reform."

SummaryThe McCain campaign has taken to denigrating some of Obama's tax proposals as "welfare" rather than tax cuts. And it continues to mislead about who would see a tax increase.

A new McCain-Palin Web ad characterizes Obama's proposed refundable tax credits as "welfare." But McCain himself proposes refundable tax credits, too, as part of his health care plan, and calls them "reform."
The ad also says "hard-working families" and "seniors" would pay higher taxes. But – need we say this again? – that would be true only for the affluent few, not for the many.

AnalysisThe "welfare" argument appears, among other places, in the McCain-Palin campaign Web ad released Oct. 16.

McCain-Palin 2008 Web Ad: "Joe the Plumber"

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

Announcer: Americans are catching on ...

Joe Wurzelbacher: Your new tax plan is going to tax me more.

Obama: It's not that I want to punish your success. ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody.

Announcer: Everybody? Leading papers call Obama's taxes "welfare" ... "government handouts." Obama raises taxes on seniors, hard-working families to give "welfare" to those who pay none. Just as you suspected, Obama's not truthful on taxes. "Not Truthful?"

The ad says, "Leading papers call Obama's taxes 'welfare' ... 'government handouts'." It says he would "raise taxes on seniors" and "hard-working families" and "give 'welfare' to those who pay none." It concludes, "Obama's not truthful on taxes."

This ad, however, is short of truthful itself.

As we've said any number of times, what Obama proposes would not raise taxes on any "hard-working families" unless they make more than $250,000 a year, a very small fraction of families. Independent analysis has shown than 95 percent of families with children would see federal income taxes go down.

As for "seniors," most of them would not see any increase in their federal income taxes either. In fact, Obama proposes to reduce federal income taxes to zero for persons 65 and over who make less than $50,000 a year. No other seniors would see an increase in what they pay to the IRS unless their income is $250,000 for a couple, or $200,000 for a single filer. It's true, as the McCain campaign likes to point out, that seniors who make less would be adversely affected by Obama's proposal to close down billions of dollars in tax preferences for corporations, which independent analysts calculate would flow through to owners of stocks and bonds in the form of lower dividend payments and reduced profits from capital gains. But while experts at the Congressional Budget Office and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center tally this reduced income as "tax increases" for purposes of analyzing how proposed tax policies would affect different groups, it would not show up as an increased tax bill for any individual taxpayer, whatever their age."Welfare" or "Reform"?

The "welfare" claim rests on the argument, made in an Oct. 13 editorial in the Wall Street Journal, about refundable tax credits. Obama proposes to grant a number of refundable tax credits to low- and middle-income workers. For example, he would give a $500 tax credit ($1,000 for a couple) for workers, which would phase out for single workers making $75,000 or for couples making $150,000 per year. As the Journal editorial says: "You can receive these checks even if you have no income-tax liability." That's true enough. Whether or not that makes them "welfare" is a matter of interpretation, however. As the Journal editorial also says in its headline, "It depends on what the meaning of 'tax cut' is."

Fair enough. But McCain himself is proposing refundable tax credits of up to $2,500 a year for individuals, or $5,000 for families, as part of his health care plan. McCain doesn't call his credits a "tax cut" but he doesn't call them "welfare" either. He does call it tax "reform," right there on his own Web site:

McCain Web site: John McCain Will Reform The Tax Code . . . [E]very family will receive a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance.

McCain makes his tax credit refundable to make it worth just as much to low-income workers as to high-income workers. If it were not refundable, it would be worth $0 to anyone who makes too little to pay any federal income taxes. A non-refundable credit would be worth the full amount only to individuals who owe at least $2,500 in federal income taxes, or couples who owe at least $5,000. Obama makes his tax credits refundable for the same reason – so they will benefit workers who earn too little to pay federal income tax.

Who's a "Taxpayer"?

Furthermore, the Journal's editorial misstated a key fact in its "welfare" argument. It said that anyone who doesn't pay federal income taxes is not a "taxpayer," which is simply incorrect. Here's what the editorial said:

Wall Street Journal editorial, Oct. 13: [Refundable credits] are an income transfer – a federal check – from taxpayers to nontaxpayers. Once upon a time we called this "welfare." ... Mr. Obama's genius is to call it a tax cut.

The fact is, a worker can be a "taxpayer" whether or not they owe any income tax. Just about every worker is subject to federal Social Security and Medicare taxes totaling 7.65 percent on every dollar of earnings, up to $102,000 per year. (For earnings over $102,000, only the 1.45 percent Medicare tax applies.) Low-income workers, and retired and jobless persons as well, also pay federal excise taxes whenever they buy gasoline or pay a telephone bill, for example. Obama and other Democrats argue that for low-income workers, refundable tax credits are not “welfare” but, in effect, a reduction in their overall federal tax burden, counting payroll taxes.

Congressional Budget Office figures show that even those in the lowest-earning fifth of households pay an effective federal tax rate, on average, of 4.3 percent of their income, despite benefiting from existing federal refundable tax credits to a major degree. This group had average income of $15,900 in 2005, the most recent year for which CBO has done the calculations. But despite receiving "a federal check" through the income tax system that boosted income by an average of 6.5 percent (this shows up as a negative tax rate in the CBO tables), they still paid an average of $600 in federal taxes. That's true even after subtracting the effects of refundable tax credit "welfare."

"Leading Newspapers"

Finally, the McCain ad's reference to "leading newspapers" is worth examining. All three are known for their conservative editorial opinions, and two are under the same ownership. The ad cites two others besides the Wall Street Journal. One is an editorial in the New York Post, which does not make the "welfare" argument directly but refers briefly to the Journal editorial of the previous day. The other is the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which made similar arguments and used similar figures in an editorial that appeared the day after the Journal's ran.

The Journal and the Post both are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which last year purchased Dow Jones & Co., publisher of the Journal. And the Tribune-Review is owned by Richard Mellon Scaife, who has funded many conservative crusades over the years.

As for the star of this ad, Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. Joe the Plumber): He told ABC News, among other news organizations, that he makes much less than $250,000, in which case he'd get a tax cut under Obama's plan. But, he said, he hopes to make that kind of money one day.

For now, Joe would certainly qualify for a tax cut under Obama's plan. According to his hometown newspaper, the Toledo Blade, publicly available divorce court proceedings show that he made $40,000 in 2006. And according to the Tax Policy Center's analysis, 93.5 percent of those making between $40,000 and $50,000 a year would see a tax cut under Obama's plan, averaging $1,124 for the year in 2012.

Correction, Oct. 20: As originally posted, we said that Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes totaling 7.65 percent are paid on earnings up to $102,000 a year. That's true of the 6.2 percent Social Security tax, but the 1.45 percent Medicare tax also is paid on earnings over that amount. We have added a line noting that.

—by Brooks Jackson
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_welfare.html

Is Canada a Socialist country???

Unknown user — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:53:36 EDT

Hi, I'm Canadian and would like to know if anyone out there when they hear Canada mentioned think we are a socialist country? I have never in the past heard Canada as being socialist......we are one of the most democratic countries in the world yet over the past week or so we have been insulted by the McCain/Palin campaign for our healthcare and medi-care programs......as though we are socialists.....it is of extreme concern to us that a lot of U.S. citizens view us(a truely democratic country) in this fashion. It is fair for a government to provide healthcare and medi-care to each and every single citizen.....regardless of color, religion......regardless of income you make.......it's a right that everyone should have. Our banks are government owned and thus whatever money anyone has in the bank is protected. Anti-american sentiment is growing at an alarming pace here and the government you've had in place for the past 8 years is mostly to blame. The McCain/Palin campaign is the most disgusting, insulting campaign we've seen in recent memory. The country which calls itself the model of democracy is the model of hypocrites.......not only is the McCain/Palin ticket dividing the U.S.....it is with it's actions stirring up hatred, racism, division.........it is also dishing out lies at an alarming pace....it is not condeming threats of violence which have taken place at their rallies and today we here of a dead bear cub in North Carolina with Obama signs drapped over it........tell me.....is this the United States of America?......is this acceptable to you?.....do you want the world to view you in this way?.......do you expect democratic nations across the world to respect and embrace the United States of America?.........the country of racism and division?...the country which insults whatever is not american?......the country which treats other democracies as socialists just because we differ on the rights people should have as far as healthcare and medi-care is concerned? Does the Unites States of America expect Canada to continue sacrificing it's solders in Afganistan for the war on terrorism when we are insulted and ridiculed?......Is this the way your allies should be treated?.....Do you expect support across the world when all we see is the most evil of evils taking place within your country?....CNN is broadcasting to all corners of this world and what we are seeing makes us want to throw-up......after reading all this you should now know why Obama is my candidate for President.........actually out of 8 democratic countries which CNN polled concerning who they would vote for President, Obama won by a landslide in "ALL" eight countries!!!.......I sure hope you can pass this along...for your own sake and remind people of one thing when they enter that voting booth.....picture waking up one morning within the next 4 years and hearing that Sarah Palin is now your President?.....then picture waking up and hearing Joe Biden is now your President.......once these two scenarios are carefully taken into consideration cast your vote.

We love Obama!!!

God Bless you all.

Email to USA Today

Patrick Frank — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:51:37 EDT

The Republicans and some in the media drawing a negative inference from Biden's remark that Obama will be tested by a crisis in the first six months in office, like JFK, is another example of the distorted message being delivered by those on the right, along with the superficial analysis of far too many pundits and broadcast journalists.

I notice that the concluding point Biden made is ignored..."and it will be clear that Barack Obama has a spine of steel, as he responds to such crises." (paraphrasing)

Biden's prediction of an early crisis is probably accurate, and his assessment of Obama's readiness to respond--the strength of character he will bring to the Oval Office--is immensely reassuring, and accurate as well.

Patrick Frank
Grassroots Obama volunteer
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 372-8851
patrickgfrank@yahoo.com

Former Mayor Sarah Palin's Pro-Guns in; Schools, Bars, Hospitals Etc.

La Susa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:55:18 EDT

Mayor Sarah Palin and Chryson Pro-Guns Everywhere!

Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals

The following year, when Carney proposed a local gun-control measure, Palin organized with Chryson to smother the nascent plan in its cradle. Carney's proposed ordinance would have prohibited residents from carrying guns into schools, bars, hospitals, government offices and playgrounds. Infuriated by the proposal that Carney viewed as a common-sense public-safety measure, Chryson and seven allies stormed a July 1997 council meeting.

With the bill still in its formative stages, Carney was not even ready to present it to the council, let alone conduct public hearings on it. He and other council members objected to the ad-hoc hearing as "a waste of time." But Palin -- in plain violation of council rules and norms -- insisted that Chryson testify, stating, according to the minutes, that "she invites the public to speak on any issue at any time."

When Carney tried later in the meeting to have the ordinance discussed officially at the following regular council meeting, he couldn't even get a second. His proposal died that night, thanks to Palin and her extremist allies.

"A lot of it was the ultra-conservative far right that is against everything in government, including taxes," recalled Carney. "A lot of it was a personal attack on me as being anti-gun, and a personal attack on anybody who deigned to threaten their authority to carry a loaded firearm wherever they pleased. That was the tenor of it. And it was being choreographed by Steve Stoll and the mayor."

Asked if he thought it was Palin who had instigated the turnout, he replied: "I know it was."

Source:

By David Neiwert

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index2.html

Former Mayor Sarah Palin's Pro-Guns in; Schools, Bars, Hospitals Etc.

La Susa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:17:57 EDT

Mayor Sarah Palin and Chryson Pro-Guns Everywhere!

Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals

Asked if he thought it was Palin who had instigated the turnout, he replied: "I know it was."

Source:

By David Neiwert

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index2.html

Todd Palin's Ties With Iran????

La Susa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:07:38 EDT

Source:

The Huffington Post

Oct. 15, 2008

Todd Palin's Past Political Associations A Likely Security Clearance Disqualifier

By Frank Naif

Above all, honesty is the rule for anyone filling out an SF 86 -- do you think CIA or DoD will want to hire or retain someone who lied on a security form?

Which gets us back to Todd Palin. From the security officer's perspective, Todd Palin the hypothetical applicant should be truthful and disclose his former association with AIP on the SF 86 in Section 29, Association Record. And because AIP has been associated with the Revolutionary Government of Iran, he probably should also disclose his AIP membership on Section 20, Foreign Activities.

How would government security officials who administer the security clearance process view the facts of Todd Palin's association with AIP? The answer is not clear cut, but his involvement in a secessionist party with foreign and violent connections would inject serious doubts about his security suitability. At best, the AIP association would raise questions that might be resolved favorably with further investigative work. However, many security officials would likely view the AIP association negatively -- especially the Iranian connection -- and deny Todd Palin a clearance.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-naif/todd-palins-alaska-indepe_b_134793.html

Defeat Robo Calls from McPalin & the RNC

Mom on the Issues — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:45:50 EDT

Read this Huffington Post Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/16/massive-rnc-robocall-may_n_135348.html

This is disgraceful. Call their 800# (which they have to pay for) ans send a strong "shame on you" their way. Get all you friends to call, too!

(800) 431-2572

Meet Sarah Palin's Radical Right-Wing Pals!

La Susa — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:07:43 EDT

Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals

Extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll helped launch Palin's political career in Alaska, and in return had influence over policy. "Her door was open," says Chryson -- and still is.

Editor's note: Research support provided by the Nation Institute Investigative Fund. For Salon's complete coverage of Sarah Palin, click here.

By Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert

Pages 1 2 3

Video: Interview with former Alaskan Independence Party chairman Mark Chryson

Oct. 10, 2008 | PALMER, Alaska -- On the afternoon of Sept. 24 in downtown Palmer, Alaska, as the sun began to sink behind the snowcapped mountains that flank the picturesque Mat-Su Valley, 51-year-old Mark Chryson sat for an hour on a park bench, reveling in tales of his days as chairman of the Alaska Independence Party. The stocky, gray-haired computer technician waxed nostalgic about quixotic battles to eliminate taxes, support the "traditional family" and secede from the United States.

So long as Alaska remained under the boot of the federal government, said Chryson, the AIP had to stand on guard to stymie a New World Order. He invited a Salon reporter to see a few items inside his pickup truck that were intended for his personal protection. "This here is my attack dog," he said with a chuckle, handing the reporter an exuberant 8-pound papillon from his passenger seat. "Her name is Suzy." Then he pulled a 9-millimeter Makarov PM pistol -- once the standard-issue sidearm for Soviet cops -- out of his glove compartment. "I've got enough weaponry to raise a small army in my basement," he said, clutching the gun in his palm. "Then again, so do most Alaskans." But Chryson added a message of reassurance to residents of that faraway place some Alaskans call "the 48." "We want to go our separate ways," he said, "but we are not going to kill you."

Though Chryson belongs to a fringe political party, one that advocates the secession of Alaska from the Union, and that organizes with other like-minded secessionist movements from Canada to the Deep South, he is not without peculiar influence in state politics, especially the rise of Sarah Palin. An obscure figure outside of Alaska, Chryson has been a political fixture in the hometown of the Republican vice-presidential nominee for over a decade. During the 1990s, when Chryson directed the AIP, he and another radical right-winger, Steve Stoll, played a quiet but pivotal role in electing Palin as mayor of Wasilla and shaping her political agenda afterward. Both Stoll and Chryson not only contributed to Palin's campaign financially, they played major behind-the-scenes roles in the Palin camp before, during and after her victory.

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Palin backed Chryson as he successfully advanced a host of anti-tax, pro-gun initiatives, including one that altered the state Constitution's language to better facilitate the formation of anti-government militias. She joined in their vendetta against several local officials they disliked, and listened to their advice about hiring. She attempted to name Stoll, a John Birch Society activist known in the Mat-Su Valley as "Black Helicopter Steve," to an empty Wasilla City Council seat. "Every time I showed up her door was open," said Chryson. "And that policy continued when she became governor."

When Chryson first met Sarah Palin, however, he didn't really trust her politically. It was the early 1990s, when he was a member of a local libertarian pressure group called SAGE, or Standing Against Government Excess. (SAGE's founder, Tammy McGraw, was Palin's birth coach.) Palin was a leader in a pro-sales-tax citizens group called WOW, or Watch Over Wasilla, earning a political credential before her 1992 campaign for City Council. Though he was impressed by her interpersonal skills, Chryson greeted Palin's election warily, thinking she was too close to the Democrats on the council and too pro-tax.

But soon, Palin and Chryson discovered they could be useful to each other. Palin would be running for mayor, while Chryson was about to take over the chairmanship of the Alaska Independence Party, which at its peak in 1990 had managed to elect a governor.

The AIP was born of the vision of "Old Joe" Vogler, a hard-bitten former gold miner who hated the government of the United States almost as much as he hated wolves and environmentalists. His resentment peaked during the early 1970s when the federal government began installing Alaska's oil and gas pipeline. Fueled by raw rage -- "The United States has made a colony of Alaska," he told author John McPhee in 1977 -- Vogler declared a maverick candidacy for the governorship in 1982. Though he lost, Old Joe became a force to be reckoned with, as well as a constant source of amusement for Alaska's political class. During a gubernatorial debate in 1982, Vogler proposed using nuclear weapons to obliterate the glaciers blocking roadways to Juneau. "There's gold under there!" he exclaimed.

Vogler made another failed run for the governor's mansion in 1986. But the AIP's fortunes shifted suddenly four years later when Vogler convinced Richard Nixon's former interior secretary, Wally Hickel, to run for governor under his party's banner. Hickel coasted to victory, outflanking a moderate Republican and a centrist Democrat. An archconservative Republican running under the AIP candidate, Jack Coghill, was elected lieutenant governor.

Hickel's subsequent failure as governor to press for a vote on Alaskan independence rankled Old Joe. With sponsorship from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Vogler was scheduled to present his case for Alaskan secession before the United Nations General Assembly in the late spring of 1993. But before he could, Old Joe's long, strange political career ended tragically that May when he was murdered by a fellow secessionist.

Hickel rejoined the Republican Party the year after Vogler's death and didn't run for reelection. Lt. Gov. Coghill's campaign to succeed him as the AIP candidate for governor ended in disaster; he peeled away just enough votes from the Republican, Jim Campbell, to throw the gubernatorial election to Democrat Tony Knowles.

Despite the disaster, Coghill hung on as AIP chairman for three more years. When he was asked to resign in 1997, Mark Chryson replaced him. Chryson pursued a dual policy of cozying up to secessionist and right-wing groups in Alaska and elsewhere while also attempting to replicate the AIP's success with Hickel in infiltrating the mainstream.

Unlike some radical right-wingers, Chryson doesn't put forward his ideas freighted with anger or paranoia. And in a state where defense of gun and property rights often takes on a real religious fervor, Chryson was able to present himself as a typical Alaskan.

He rose through party ranks by reducing the AIP's platform to a single page that "90 percent of Alaskans could agree with." This meant scrubbing the old platform of what Chryson called "racist language" while accommodating the state's growing Christian right movement by emphasizing the AIP's commitment to the "traditional family."

"The AIP is very family-oriented," Chryson explained. "We're for the traditional family -- daddy, mommy, kids -- because we all know that it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. And we don't care if Heather has two mommies. That's not a traditional family."

Chryson further streamlined the AIP's platform by softening its secessionist language. Instead of calling for immediate separation from the United States, the platform now demands a vote on independence.

Yet Chryson maintains that his party remains committed to full independence. "The Alaskan Independence Party has got links to almost every independence-minded movement in the world," Chryson exclaimed. "And Alaska is not the only place that's about separation. There's at least 30 different states that are talking about some type of separation from the United States."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html

The Palin's Association With Radical Group AIP!

La Susa — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:07:08 EDT

Full Story http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/alaskan-independence-part_b_133261.html

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Posted October 9, 2008 | 11:28 AM (EST) Alaskan Independence Party: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel

AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."

Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.

Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention. In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight!

So when Palin accuses Barack of "not seeing the same America as you and me," maybe she is referring to an America without Alaska. In any case, isn't it time the media start giving equal time to Palin's buddy list of anti-American bombers and other radical associates?

Sarah Palin

In 2004, America's malleable mainstream media allowed itself to be manipulated by artful Republican operatives into devoting weeks of broadcast attention and drums of ink to unfairly desecrating John ... In 2004, America's malleable mainstream media allowed itself to be manipulated by artful Republican operatives into devoting weeks of broadcast attention and drums of ink to unfairly desecrating John ...

Full Story http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/alaskan-independence-part_b_133261.html

Blogger Comment--RICK SANCHEZ DOES INDEPTH INTERVIEW WITH SALON ON PALIN'S CONNECTION TO THE AIP. PLEASE FOLKS, LISTEN TO THIS IN FULL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MODT4y90k90

McCain Threatens Legal Action for CNN Report by Rick Sanchez Oct. 14, 08

La Susa — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:03:23 EDT

Oct. 14, 2008 Rick Sanchez reported on the Palin and AIP anti-American radical group connection. McCain threatens Legal Action!

A Must See Video You-Tube Rick Sanchez CNN Report

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/14/151519/61/145/630389

Why the Fisher-Price doll story is dangerous

Mark Hutchins — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:56:56 EDT

Late last week one of my Republican relatives sent a viral post, which follows below, about an alleged hate-spouting doll. She and I have already had a discussion about Barack "being a Muslim" that I'm sure many of you have experienced or read about. I sometimes think our own relatives can be the most difficult part of our campaign for change... Anyway, here is our exchange:

"On 10 Oct 2008 at 21:17, _______@aol.com wrote:
Okay so listen. I was at my job at Target working night. All of a
sudden we go into the doll section and there is a little mommy doll
that is made from Fisher Price. We just wanted to see what they
said, and they kept whining. So This guy thought oh, its weird. So we
all walked away. and he comes running to us saying.."u guys will not
believe this...." So he takes us back. This doll does not just whine.
It says after is cries..."Islam Is The Light." We were like no way!
So we did it again. And it said.."Islam Is The Light." So clearly. So
we tried em all, and only 2 said it. The others did not. So I looked
it up online, and found some things about it. Only some of those
dolls say "Islam Is The Light." and some actually say.."Satan Is The
King." I just cant believe what this world is coming too. And the
funny thing, this was made by Fisher Price and they actually trust in
other countries toys they buy.
heres a link....watch the video.
www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/10/outrage_fisher-.html"

There are several problems with this post:
1. It defies logic that Mattel (the parent of Fisher-Price) would
allow insertion of a religious message into a mass-market product.
(What makes more sense is to have multi-cultural dolls that are
clearly marked, and marketed, as such; our mixed-race/mixed-culture
household wishes more companies would do this. Try finding Asian
dolls at Walmart!) And according to Mattel, it simply isn't true, as
it notes the doll in question has only one scripted word ("mama"),
while the rest is "scripted" gibberish. Again, according to Mattel
the syllable that sounds like "light", could just as easily be
"night" or "right", which proves that it's all in the ear of the
beholder.
2. It is further nonsense to believe that "Satan is King" would be
enunciated by any baby, let alone by a Muslim child. And in the same
phrase with "Islam is the Light"?? And how can the latter be
considered "spouting hate" as alleged in the "news" stories?
3. "Spouting Hate" is a good way to begin another point, namely that
this story has been widely circulated by the Republican-supporting
Fox (which pretends to be a real news network). The Chair & CEO of
Fox is foreign-born Rupert Murdock, who became a U. S. citizen in
order to skirt FCC rules limiting foreign media ownership. If asked
to pay anything close to his share of taxes - taxes more in line with
the share you and I pay, which is something supported by Obama and
opposed by McCain - his tax bill would go way up. Don't you wish you
could hire people like O'Reilly and Hannity to promote financial
positions beneficial to you on national television?
4. Another problem is that this is also being fanned by Debbie
Schlussel, a Jewish American who devotes much of her life to anti-
Muslim hatred. Variously described as a "bigot, coward, idiot" and
"the K-Mart version of Ann Coulter" her venom is particularly
troubling in light of the McCain campaign effort to erroneously tie
Obama to terrorists. Have you followed their logic on this? Obama
has a very tenuous connection with a former member of the Weather
Underground (who did reprehensible deeds when Obama was 8), and
Obama's paternal grandfather was a Muslim (Schlussel and Fox would
have you believe all Muslims are terrorists and that the Christian
Barack Obama, Jr. is somehow a Muslim); therefore, Obama is a
terrorist on two counts and shouldn't all terrorists be stopped? So
we have the unsurprising McCain/Palin rally audience calls (which
McCain and Palin have both refused to denounce) to "Get him. He's bad
for our country" and, even more ominous, to "Kill him" and "Off with
his head". Perhaps Schlussel has forgotten, or never knew, that Nazi
anti-semitic rally cries during the Weimar Republic eventually led to
the Holocaust that her maternal grandparents survived. You know: get
the folks fired-up angry over the economy, find someone to blame and
start "roundin' 'em up". Eh, Sarah? Has Joseph Goebbels
(responsible for Kristallnacht in the opinion of many historians)
come back to life as John McCain's "Minister of Public
Enlightenment"?
In summary, I think this uproar over the Fisher-Price doll is
distracting nonsense at best, and a dangerous descent into religious
and ethnic hate at worst.
-Mark

A Must See-Rick Sanchez on CNN Tonight-Who is Todd Palin and the AIP?

La Susa — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:48:49 EDT

I could not belive what I was hearing when this aired! This Alaka Independent Party AIP is similar to other malitia's, except the founder has "hatred for the American government" to the point of taking up arms and attacking our Untited States of America's Government!

No wonder Sarah Palin lowered poroperty tax while mayor, and increaced sales tax, no wonder she is so pro gun... People may say what is the relavance? I say some Christian women do exactly what their husband tell them to do, because it is written in the Holy Bible "wives be submissive to your husbands", this is why I feel it is so important to know who Todd Palin is.

Sorry folks I can't find the transcript link, but hope it will be up soon!

ACORN Voter Fraud and County Clerks?

La Susa — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:20:57 EDT

Arn't County Clerks able to check for duplicate SS#'s voter registrations through their computer systems? As I doubt very much that ACORN is the only group out there involved in voter fraud! What's the scoop?

My email to the station manager of WCMH TV, Columbus

Patrick Frank — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:09:07 EDT

Some of the statements made by McCain-Palin camp have been extremely inflammatory. Palin, especially, has ginned up hatred and racist sentiment; threatening statements have been shouted out..."Kill him," Off with his head." Fortunately, in the past few days, McCain has made statements defending Obama, to the effect that Obama is a decent man, and folks need not be afraid of him.

Some of the McCain-Palin ads have been extremely inflammatory as well.

I am reminded of Liz Trotta's statement during the primary, to the effect that she wishes that Obama could be "bumped off." I was so disturbed by her statement (which I heard with my own ears) that I filed a complaint with the FCC..."Not in the public interest..."

The media needs to take seriously the possibility that when right-wing extremists are pandered to, the threat level for Obama is increased.

Do you want harm to Obama to be on your conscience?

Thanks for listening.

Patrick Frank
Grassroots Obama volunteer
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 372-8851
patrickgfrank@yahoo.com

McCain's Current TV Ads Lie About Bill Ayers

La Susa — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:40:54 EDT

From Factcheck.org "He Lied" About Bill Ayers?October 10, 2008McCain cranks out some false and misleading attacks on Obama's connection to a 1960s radical.AnalysisSen. John McCain has dialed up his attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's past association with former Weather Underground activist Bill Ayers. He released a 30-second TV spot Oct. 10 claiming Obama "lied" about Ayers. A day earlier he announced a 90-second Internet ad claiming that Obama and Ayers "ran a radical education foundation together" and suggesting Obama was being untruthful.

McCain-Palin Ad
"Ambition"

Announcer: Obama's blind ambition. When convenient, he worked with terrorist Bill Ayers. When discovered, he lied.

Obama. Blind ambition. Bad judgment.Congressional liberals fought for risky sub-prime loans.

Congressional liberals fought against more regulation. Then, the housing market collapsed costing you billions.

In crisis, we need leadership, not bad judgment.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Groundless, False, Dubious

We find McCain's accusation that Obama "lied" to be groundless. It is true that recently released records show half a dozen or so more meetings between the two men than were previously known, but Obama never denied working with Ayers.

Other claims are seriously misleading. The education project described in the Web ad, far from being "radical," had the support of the Republican governor and was run by a board that included prominent local leaders, including one Republican who has donated $1,500 to McCain's campaign this year. The project is described by Education Week as reflecting "mainstream thinking" about school reform.

Despite the newly released records, there's still no evidence of a deep or strong "friendship" with Ayers, a former radical anti-war protester whose actions in the 1960s and '70s Obama has called "detestable" and "despicable."

Even the description of Ayers as a "terrorist" is a matter of interpretation. Setting off bombs can fairly be described as terrorism even when they are intended to cause only property damage, which is what Ayers has admitted doing in his youth. But for nearly three decades since, Ayers has lived the relatively quiet life of an educator. It would be correct to call him a "former terrorist," and an "unapologetic" one at that. But if McCain means the word "terrorist" to invoke images of 9/11, he's being misleading; Ayers is no Osama bin Laden now, and never was.

McCain-Palin Web Ad
"Ayers"

Announcer: Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They've worked together for years.

But Obama tries to hide it. Why?
Obama launched his political career in Ayers' living room. Ayers and Obama ran a radical "education" foundation, together.

They wrote the foundation's by-laws, together. Obama was the foundation's first chairman. Reports say they "distributed more than $100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in education."

When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood."

That's it?

We know Bill Ayers ran the "violent left wing activist group" called Weather Underground. We know Ayers' wife was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. We know they bombed the Capitol. The Pentagon. A judge's home.

We know Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs. .... I feel we didn't do enough." But Obama's friendship with terrorist Ayers isn't the issue.

The issue is Barack Obama's judgment and candor. When Obama just says, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood." Americans say, "Where's the truth, Barack?"

Barack Obama. Too risky for America.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Who's Misleading?

McCain is not accurate when he says – as he does in the Web ad – "When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, 'This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood.' " McCain is using the same line in personal appearances, too. He said on Oct. 9 at a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wis.:

McCain: Look, we don't care about an old washed-up terrorist and his wife, who still, at least on Sept. 11, 2001, said he still wanted to bomb more. ... The point is, Senator Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood. We need to know that's not true.

Obama never said Ayers was "just" a guy in the neighborhood. The quote is from a Democratic primary debate on April 16 in Philadelphia, and Obama actually was more forthcoming than McCain lets on. Obama specifically acknowledged working together with Ayers on a charitable board, and didn't deny getting some early political support from him. Here's the exchange:

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, April 16: An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly. Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?

Obama: George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.

This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George.

Sen. Hillary Clinton then said, "I also believe that Senator Obama served on a board with Mr. Ayers for a period of time, the Woods Foundation," and predicted that "this is an issue that certainly Republicans will be raising."

Obama responded, "President Clinton pardoned or commuted the sentences of two members of the Weather Underground, which I think is a slightly more significant act than me ... serving on a board with somebody for actions that he did 40 years ago."

We wrote back then that Clinton had gone too far by suggesting that "people died" as a result of Ayers' actions. And nothing Obama said then has since been shown to be false. It is true that he did not bring up his work with Ayers on a second project, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, where Obama was board chairman and Ayers was an early organizer, and where the two were together for half a dozen or so meetings. But neither Clinton nor Stephanopoulos asked him about that project. McCain could fairly accuse Obama of not volunteering the information, but it is false to claim he "lied."

"Pal Around"

The first to begin using the new line of attack against Obama was McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, after a lengthy article appeared Oct. 3 in the New York Times about Obama and Ayers:

Palin, Oct. 5: Our opponents see America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who would bomb their own country.

She's repeated the charge again and again at different campaign stops since then, citing the Times. What the Times article actually says, however, is this: "[T]he two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers." The Times says its review of documents and interviews with key players "suggest" that Obama "has played down his contacts with Ayers," but describes their paths as having crossed "sporadically" since their first meeting in 1995.

And far from palling around with Ayers, the two haven't spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Obama came to the Senate in January 2005, according to an Obama spokesman. He said the two last saw each other more than a year ago, when they accidentally met on the street in their Hyde Park neighborhood.

Obama addressed Palin's claim on Oct. 8, when questioned by ABC News' Charlie Gibson:

Obama, Oct. 8: This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old. By the time I met him, 10 or 15 years ago, he was a college professor of education at the University of Illinois. ... And the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that ... I've 'palled around with a terrorist', all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points.

Stormy Weather, UndergroundBill Ayers' notoriety dates from the radical, anti-Vietnam War group he helped to start in 1969, splintering off from the activist Students for a Democratic Society. The members of the new group, the Weather Underground, favored shows of violence to further their cause. On March 6, 1970, though, three of them blew themselves up in a Greenwich Village townhouse during a bomb-making session gone badly awry. Ayers and his fellow Weathermen, as they were called, soon dropped out of sight.
Barack Obama, who was born Aug. 4, 1961, was 8 years old at the time.The Weather Underground continued setting off bombs, including one in a men's lavatory in the Capitol building in 1971 and another in a women's restroom in the Pentagon in 1972. Nobody was killed, due to evacuation warnings the Weathermen sent out in advance.

After the Vietnam War ended, the group's activities petered out. In 1980 Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, another member, surfaced and turned themselves in to police. Because of illegal federal wiretaps, pending charges against Ayers for allegedly inciting a riot and conspiring to bomb government sites had been dropped. Dohrn pleaded guilty to separate charges of aggravated battery and jumping bail; she was fined $1,500 and given three years' probation. Ayers and Dohrn, who had had two children together while in hiding, married in 1982.

Several other Weather Underground alums, including Kathy Boudin, along with some members of a group calling itself the Black Liberation Army, were involved in a bungled 1981 robbery of a Brinks truck in Nanuet, N.Y., in which a security guard and two policemen were killed. Ayers and Dohrn have never been publicly tied to the incident, which took place after they had turned themselves in. Dohrn was jailed for seven months for refusing to provide a handwriting sample to the grand jury investigating it.

Dohrn is now a clinical associate professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Locally, Ayers' radical past hasn't been much of an issue. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet wrote last spring that it "was no big deal, or any deal, to any local political reporters or to the editorial boards of the Sun-Times or [Chicago] Tribune." Ayers was named a Chicago citizen of the year in 1997 for his efforts in the field of education.

In Chicago, Ayers is seen less as a "terrorist" and more as a prodigal son of the local establishment. His father was a prominent corporate executive and civic leader. Thomas G. Ayers was president and chief executive of Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility that lights Chicago and northern Illinois. There is a residence hall named for him at Northwestern University, where he was a trustee for 30 years. Bill's brother John Ayers, according to Education Week, headed a school-reform group called the Leadership for Quality Education, which represented business leaders’ interest in schools. John is now a senior associate of the Chicago-based National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

Despite the fairly mainstream life he lives now, though, Bill Ayers' image took a hit with an article that appeared in the New York Times on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Ayers was quoted in the lead paragraph as saying, ''I don't regret setting bombs'' and "I feel we didn't do enough." The interview had been conducted earlier, in connection with the publication of Ayers' memoir of his years as a fugitive. But when the quotes appeared on the same day thousands died at the World Trade Center and elsewhere, they enraged his critics.

Ayers called the story a deliberate distortion of his views. In a response on his blog, Ayers wrote:

Ayers: My memoir is from start to finish a condemnation of terrorism, of the indiscriminate murder of human beings, whether driven by fanaticism or official policy. ...
I said I had a thousand regrets, but no regrets for opposing the war with every ounce of my strength.

That's hardly an apology, referring as it does to the U.S. role in the Vietnam War as "terrorism." Ayers has maintained a public silence since then, refusing all requests for interviews.

Even so, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had kind words for him recently:

Daley (New York Times, Oct. 3, 2008): He’s done a lot of good in this city and nationally. ... This is 2008. People make mistakes. You judge a person by his whole life.

FactCheck.org and the “Annenberg Challenge”

Contrary to suggestions we've seen in some conservative blogs, there is no connection between the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and FactCheck.org, save for the fact that both received funding from the Annenberg Foundation. The foundation supports a wide variety of charitable causes – a total of 5,200 grants during its first 15 years of operation. It was founded in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg, a newspaper and magazine publisher who died in 2002.

FactCheck.org is funded by, and is a project of, the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which was established by the Annenberg Foundation with a $20 million endowment in 1993. The Annenberg Foundation also made additional grants to support our work. We also receive funding from the Flora Family Foundation to help support our educational offshoot, FactCheckED.org. We receive no other outside funding.

FactCheck.org came into being in late 2003. Director Brooks Jackson states: "Our mission is to be as neutral and nonpartisan as humanly possible. Annenberg supports that, and nobody at the Annenberg Foundation has ever tried to influence anything we've written."

For the record, the Annenberg Foundation's president and chairman is Leonore Annenberg, the founder's widow. Public records show she's given $2,300 to the McCain campaign, which announced on Oct. 8, that she has endorsed him for president.
We Have Contact!

According to an Obama spokesman, the two men first met in 1995, when Obama was tapped to chair the board of the newly formed Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers had been instrumental in creating the organization, which was to dispense grants for projects that would improve Chicago's schools.
The Challenge was one of 18 projects supported by a $500 million grant announced at a White House ceremony Dec. 18, 1993, by the Annenberg Foundation, founded four years earlier by Philadelphia publisher Walter Annenberg. It was the largest single gift ever made to public education in America. The Chicago project received a $49.2 million grant in 1995, and officials administering the grant funds at Brown University announced at the time that the Chicago proposal was developed through discussions among “a broad-based coalition of local school council members, teachers, principals, school reform groups, union representatives and central office staff” convened by three educators – one of whom was Ayers. Mayor Richard M. Daley, a Democrat, and Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican, took part in a ceremony announcing the grant.

There are other connections between Obama and Ayers: The same year the two men met through the Annenberg Challenge, Ayers hosted a meet-and-greet coffee for Obama, who was running for state Senate and who lived three blocks away from him. Obama and Ayers also were on the board of an antipoverty charity, the Woods Fund of Chicago, where their service overlapped from 2000 to 2002. And Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's campaign for the Illinois state Senate on March 2, 2001.

In addition, Obama told the Chicago Tribune in 1997 that a book Ayers wrote about the juvenile court system was "a searing and timely account." This is sometimes billed by Obama's critics as a "book review." Actually, a reporter simply asked three Chicagoans for a sentence about whatever they were reading at the time.

The Annenberg Challenge connection has drawn the most attention recently, though, mainly because of articles written by Stanley Kurtz, a conservative contributor to the National Review, the publication founded by the late William F. Buckley. Kurtz first suggested on Aug. 18 that there was a "cover-up in the making" when he was unable to gain access to 132 boxes of project records housed at the University of Illinois. Records were released nine days later, along with all records held by the Annenberg Foundation itself.

The Chicago Tribune, after examining the records, said they showed Ayers and Obama "attended board meetings, retreats and at least one news conference together as the education program got under way." It also said Obama and Ayers "continued to attend meetings together during the 1995-2001 operation of the program." The story played on page 2. According to the New York Times, the documents show the two attended just six board meetings together, Obama as chairman and Ayers to inform the board on grantees and other issues. (In a press release, the McCain campaign puts the number of meetings at seven, five of them in 1995, one in 1996 and one in 1997.) Ayers was an "ex officio" member of the board for the first year of the project.

United Press International summed up the reaction to the contents of the group's archives with a story headlined "No 'smoking gun' in Obama relationship":

UPI, Aug. 27: Reporters reviewing records in Chicago have so far found nothing startling in documents linking Sen. Barack Obama to 1960s radical William Ayers.

Where news reporters found little of note, though, Kurtz – the conservative writer who initially suggested a "cover-up" – cast it differently. After combing through the Annenberg records, he published an article in the opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal saying he found that Obama and Ayers acted as "partners" and together "poured more than $100 million into the hands of community organizers and radical education activists." He said money went to groups that "focused more on political consciousness, Afrocentricity and bilingualism than traditional education." A "Radical" Foundation? Hardly.

What Kurtz – and McCain in his Web ad – considers "radical," other observers see differently, however. Veteran education reporter Dakarai I. Aarons, writing in Education Week, says the Chicago Annenberg Challenge actually "reflected mainstream thinking among education reformers" and had bipartisan support:

Education Week (Oct. 8): The context for the Chicago proposal to the Annenberg Foundation was the 1988 decentralization of the city’s public schools by the Republican-controlled Illinois legislature, a response to frustration over years of teachers’ strikes, low achievement, and bureaucratic failure. ... The proposal was backed by letters of support to the Annenberg Foundation from Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican, local education school deans, the superintendent of the Chicago public schools, and the heads of local foundations.

Among the mainstream Chicago luminaries on Obama's board was Arnold R. Weber, a former president of Northwestern University, who in 1971 was appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon as executive director of the Cost of Living Council and who later was tapped by Republican President Ronald Reagan to serve on an emergency labor board. More recently, Weber has given $1,500 to John McCain's presidential campaign this year.

Others on Obama's supposedly "radical" board included Stanley Ikenberry, a former president of the University of Illinois system; Ray Romero, a vice president of Ameritech; Susan Crown, a philanthropist; Handy Lindsey, the president of the Field Foundation of Illinois; and Wanda White, the executive director of the Community Workshop for Economic Development.

Kurtz originally claimed that Ayers somehow was responsible for installing Obama as head of the board, speculating in his "cover-up" article that Obama "almost certainly received the job at the behest of Bill Ayers." But after days of poring over the records, he failed to produce any evidence of that in his Wall Street Journal article. To the contrary, Ayers was not involved in the choice, according to Deborah Leff, then president of the Joyce Foundation. She told the Times, and confirmed to FactCheck.org, that she recommended Obama for the position to Patricia Graham of the Spencer Foundation. Graham told us that she asked Obama if he'd become chairman; he accepted, provided Graham would be vice-chair. The bipartisan board of directors, which did not include Ayers, elected Obama chairman, and he served in that capacity from 1995 to 1999, awarding grants for projects and raising matching funds. Ayers headed up a separate arm of the group, working with grant recipients. According to another board member, Ayers "was not significantly involved with the challenge after Obama was appointed." One possible reason had little to do with Obama himself, but instead was related to cautions about conflicts of interest; the group was funding some of Ayers' own alternative school projects.

In any case, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge failed to bring about improvement in students' test scores, classroom behavior or social competence. An independent consortium of educators concluded in 2003 that “Annenberg schools did not achieve an overall effect on student outcomes” compared with schools that received no support from the project. Education Week quoted some project supporters as saying it succeeded in raising interest in helping failing schools.

Conclusion

Voters may differ in how they see Ayers, or how they see Obama’s interactions with him. We’re making no judgment calls on those matters. What we object to are the McCain-Palin campaign’s attempts to sway voters – in ads and on the stump – with false and misleading statements about the relationship, which was never very close. Obama never “lied” about this, just as he never bragged about it. The foundation they both worked with was hardly “radical.” And Ayers is more than a former "terrorist," he’s also a well-known figure in the field of education.

– by Viveca Novak and Brooks Jackson

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/he_lied_about_bill_ayers.html

www.factcheck.org

Holding Ground

Mom on the Issues — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:23:27 EDT

Barack has done a great job this week of not getting himself roped into the reality TV show that McCain is trying to create. The only outcome in responding to rehashed attacks (that only FoxNews considers newsworthy) is an effective forfeiture of the message platform. Obama has successfully held his ground this week. However, we do have an opportunity to call McCain out. Just as we did (as rising poll numbers indicated) by calling out McCain on his dirty lipstick on a pig rant, we are well-positioned to expose him for his character denigration campaign and his divisive and hateful attacks. Most Americans are soured to this type of politics and will agree that if a candidate is willing to be this divisive during an election cycle, his presidency will surely carry a similar tone. After 8 years of feeling shut out by Bush, Americans have had enough. So, my suggestion is putting another rope-a-dope ad out on Monday that will be carried in the week long news cycle, calling McCain out for hiring the same people he denounced in 2000 and for running a dangerous, hateful and innuendo-filled campaign. At a time when people are watching their life savings dwindle to nothing and feeling like the current republican president is powerless to help, Obama should do what he does best: set himself apart by running real-person patriotic ads bringing people together.

Now that’s the change we need.

New oped on the McCain-Palin hate campaign

Patrick Frank — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:32:30 EDT

Write a letter or oped to your own newspaper.

Will the real John McCain Please Stand up (oped submission)

By Patrick Frank

(about 500 words)

I am a grassroots volunteer, teacher-counselor, and freelance writer who has spent hundreds of hours campaigning for Obama, in South Carolina, North Carolina, and phone banking to other parts of the nation.

I admire Obama because he has refused to engage in character assassination. Not so, the McCain-Palin campaign. They have been employing incredibly dirty tactics, adopting the end-justifies-the-means philosophy of running the campaign.

A recent distortion by McCain. He said in a recent speech. “Obama says Ayres is just a guy in the neighborhood.” McCain knows that Obama has been a lot more forthcoming than that, in describing the relationship. These questions were raised during the primary season, and Obama explained his relationship with Bill Ayres satisfactorily.

Sarah Palin said that Obama “pals around” with terrorists. This is a lie. As I understand the facts, Ayres, decades ago, was a founder of the Weather Underground, a left-wing extremist group, and he was involved in several bombings. Today, he is an educational reformer and responsible member of society, a professor at the University of Chicago.

Obama is not a “pal” of Ayres. They are neighbors, and I believe Robert Gibbs said they are on friendly terms, but they see each other infrequently. They served on a couple of boards together. Ayres held a house meeting for Obama back in 1995. He is not involved in the current Obama campaign. Obama has strongly condemned the past violent actions of Ayres and Ayres has apologized for them.

By the way, Obama was about eight years old when those events occurred.

Americans are tired of the old politics of "anything goes" on the campaign trail.

Enraged people at the Sarah Palin rallies shout out, “Kill him,” “Cut off his head,” “liar.” and the words Barack HUSSEIN Obama are repeated in a mocking, menacing tone.

Palin and others have, clearly, been ginning up hatred; let’s hope this does not result in a threat to Obama’s physical safety.

McCain has taken to repeating the question, in a sneering tone, “Who is the real Barack Obama?” I might ask the same question of McCain.” Is this the true maverick who condemned detainee abuse when many others on the right defended the practice? Is this the man who devoted a whole chapter in his book on courage to the work of the Reverend Martin Luther King? Is this the John McCain who reached across the aisle in a spirit of good will on many occasions on capitol hill? Is this the John McCain who visited Vietnam after the war, to heal emotional scars, bury the hatchet, and help “turn the page” on that devastating conflict?

Sadly, it appears that John McCain has capitulated to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party in launching a campaign of hatred and lies, directed at Senator Obama.

I am asking the John McCain I respected before this presidential season to please stand up, and put an end to character assassination by your campaign. Will the real John McCain please stand up.

Patrick Frank

Grassroots Obama volunteer

Box 1283

Kingstree, SC 29556

(843) 372-8851

patrickgfrank@yahoo.com

McCain Lies "Oversimplifying the Financial Crisis. Again."

La Susa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:17:06 EDT

Oversimplifying the Financial Crisis. Again.

The finger-pointing was fast and furious during the discussion of the fiscal crisis. McCain blamed lax regulation of the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation:

McCain: But you know, one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. [T]hey're the ones that, with the encouragement of Sen. Obama and his cronies and his friends in Washington, that went out and made all these risky loans, gave them to people that could never afford to pay back.

Obama blamed deregulation of the banking industry:

Obama: Now, I've got to correct a little bit of Sen. McCain's history, not surprisingly. Let's, first of all, understand that the biggest problem in this whole process was the deregulation of the financial system.

We’ve been here before. McCain has in fact been in favor of financial deregulation, but President Bill Clinton signed, and a lot of other Democrats supported, much of that same deregulation. And while Democrats really did fight McCain-cosponsored regulations of the FMs, McCain himself signed on to the bill just two months before the housing bubble popped.

In fact, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Experts have blamed everyone from home buyers to mortgage lenders to Alan Greenspan to both the Bush and Clinton administrations.

Furthermore, McCain misspoke when he said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "made all these risky loans, gave them to people that could never afford to pay back." Actually those organizations did not make "home loans directly with consumers." Rather, they "work[ed] with mortgage bankers, brokers, and other primary mortgage market partners" and supplied them with the funds to lend to home buyers at affordable rates, as described on their Web sites.

–by Brooks Jackson, Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Joe Miller, Jessica Henig and Justin Bank

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_debate_no_2.html

www.factcheck.org

What Debate?????

La Susa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:40:07 EDT

The definition of "DEBATE" IS to discuss opposing reasons; argue; to take part in a formal discussion ... To consider something; deliberate. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.

Each candidate was allowed 2 minets to answer complex questions; with NO EXTENSIVE REBUTTALS! "REBUTTAL" definition "An attempt to contradict or disprove an argument by offering a counter argument or ...

Perhaps the American lauguage has changed, where "DEBATE" now means "TWO MINET SOUND-BITES"! Im disgusted to say the least, this is the most important Election we have had in years, and yet it seems the media wants to treat it as though it were a circus, piling on as many as questions as possible, while McCain throws in his lieing out of context attacks on Obama! And Obama is cornered with no choice but to try to answer the questions and defend himself against McCain ALL IN 2 MINETS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Joe Biden

Patrick Frank — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:19:21 EDT

Thank you Joe Biden for standing up for Obama on the Today Show, and for pushing back against Palin...Patrick

2nd Presidential Debate

Jenny M — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:24:58 EDT

I'm just flabbergasted that there are acutally people out there willing to elect McCain for Presidet of the United States. How can you watch this man walk around the stage after watching the negative campaign ads he's been running and listening to the putrecense that spews from his mouth and not know that he's in no way capable of running our country??!!??

So Proud...

Mom on the Issues — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:13:54 EDT

Barack has done an awesome job in the past few weeks of holding the wheel steady and being on offense. His ads are poignant and direct -as they should be. He has introduced himself to the public, established a rapport and laid out his plan. He's offered hope and a new vision of rebuilt alliances and investment in the American people that the other side just can't match.

As the youngsters say: You go, Barack!

We know that McCain is out to hammer us tonight with character attacks and innuendo like we've never seen. If the campaign is listening -and sometimes I think they might be -be on offense, don't take the bait, and have a counter attack for every stinky fish that McCain tosses out. Fight smart and hard.

Be concise and forceful. Talk directly to the people and engage the audience. (See Bill Clinton's 1992 debate performance where he put 41 to shame.) Continue to be above they garbage but on the ground with the people. Give the press some nice alliterative and witty sound bites. Put McCain on defense. Talk to the people in Florida and Nevada whose property values and 401Ks are sinking. Talk to the people in the Midwest who need good skilled jobs that infrastructure investment can provide.

Mostly, just keep going Barack. Even those of us (like me) who aren't afraid to complain once in awhile are behind you. The American people are behind you. Show them what you are made of.

You go Barack -you make us proud!

Push back against character assassination by McCain-Palin

Patrick Frank — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:56:47 EDT

It is reported in the media that McCain will revert to character assassination and guilt by association, now that McCain's chance to win appears to be slipping away.

Right-wing Republicans are particularly without a conscience. While these tactics have not worked in the past, the Republican right is, in particular, without a conscience. The Obama campaign must be prepared to push back hard against these tactics, by doing the following:

*Answer, in clear terms, each charge that is levied. No one is perfect, but Obama has displayed considerable integrity and authenticity in his public and private life over the years.

*Point out that McCain promised to not engage in these tactics against Obama

*Point out that McCain, himself, has serious issues regarding slips in conduct, with regard to character.

*Point out that the American people are tired of dirty politics and these tactics have not worked against Obama in the past. There very well could be a backlash against McCain.

*Be strong, be open, speak directly to the American people. Trust in their basic instincts of fairness. Obama is good at this.

Thanks for listening.

Patrick Frank
Grassroots Obama volunteer
(843) 372-8851
patrickgfrank@yahoo.com
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556

Schedule of Second and Third Presidential Debates

Shawn O'Donnell — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:56:48 EDT

Schedule of Second and Third Presidential Debates

We need votes in the Wall Street Journal VP debate poll:

Unknown user — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:32:02 EDT

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/02/who-won-the-vice-presidential-debate/ Please forward to your groups and friends.

Go Biden Go!!!!!

Unknown user — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:01:30 EDT

Hell...what a man,,,,,,,,,he's doing an incredible job.........what an honorable man......god.............that Palin is scary........she's so stupid.......god.......all we're hearing is.......Alaska.......Alaska.....Alaska........and oh.......she mispronouced Taliban........it's now Talibaniiiii???????.............Everyone stand up and cheer Biden on..........what a human being......a great man to be our next V.P. for our next President.......Obama.....Obama.......by the way......Obama now has his own Dish Network station.......all Obama....all day long!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep this chain going.........start chanting.........YES WE CAN..............YES WE CAN.........OBAMA!!!!

Good response phone banking to NC, third day in a row!

Patrick Frank — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:46:11 EDT

Black and white for Obama! Except for one lady who said he does not believe in God!!! I had a good talk with her about him being a Christian, etc...Patrick from SC

A must see video from AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka (Video)

Unknown user — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:43:24 EDT

We are all brothers and sisters, no matter what color of skin we have or religion we preach, please share this video, America leads by example....it's time we stepped up to the plate and show the world just what we stand for and lead like I've stated by example.....God Bless you all..........http://thisweekwithbarackobama.blogspot.com/2008/10/must-see-video-from-afl-cios-richard.html

Dick Morris Reveals New Electoral Map

Unknown user — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:46:17 EDT

http://w3.newsmax.com/a/morrismap/?s=al&promo_code=6BE8-1

Great response phone banking from SC to NC!!!

Patrick Frank — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:22:59 EDT

All I spoke to, black and white, supporting Barack today!!!

Patrick

This is a sad example of the country we live in!!!!!!!

Unknown user — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:01:48 EDT

Hey folks,

I have purchased several OBAMA yard signs and they are all getting stolen. I live in a quiet little neighborhood in York, but can’t seem to display my choice of candidate. This is even when I place them close to the house and not near the street. Is anyone else having this problem? Is there anything that can be done? I am so frustrated! I just don’t understand how this can happen and I can’t keep paying for each of these signs. What should I do? Is there a resource where I can get signs, bumper stickers, etc. for cheaper than $8 each?

Thanks,

Sue Roush

York County Chairman

Democratic Party

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to 325 members of Nebraska for Obama
This email was sent from Roush, Sue smroush@york.edu
Listserv email address: NebraskaforObama@groups.barackobama.com

Palin had an affair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown user — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:51:15 EDT

YouTube Turks Discuss Alleged Affair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMX6RXJ7L1E&feature=user Article: http://gawker.com/5054219/sarah-palins-other-man-brad-hanson-the-plausible-details-at-last How do we know the timing of this isn't Republicans efforts to make Palin infeasible so they have a reason to replace her on the ticket? I mean her interviews have shown she is not the sharpest tool in the shed - maybe next to the dullest tool. So I figure they either need her to resign voluntarily or through scandal. What do you think?

CNN's Jack Cafferty Tells Us How He Really Feels About Sarah Palin's Performance

Unknown user — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:47:55 EDT

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8__aXxXPVc Just a complete meltdown. Do this in a job interview for McDonald's, you will not get the job. Yet Palin is campaigning for the second highest office in the land? We as Americans should be ashamed. I mean I'm curious if we could heard "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun' recited correctly. Jack C. got it right. Maybe deer the highlights phenomenon. I don't know. But a seasoned public leader - that's what Palin is - should have these skills. Otherwise, as McCain would say, "Not ready to lead."

Obama's September Financial Report

Asher Heimermann — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:36:36 EDT

John McCain can't win this election by running on his experience as a Washington insider who voted with President Bush 90% of the time. So now he's trying to claim he's the candidate of change. The fact is, while John McCain mouths the word "change," his record and his platform scream out for more of the same.

Americans need change now, and Senator Barack Obama and me need your help to get the word out about this movement. In the coming days, it's going to be up to you to organize locally and reach the voters that are going to decide this election.

Now's the time to make your voice heard. I've made my voice heard all across America in the last months by making calls and spreading Senator Obama's message of change. Please make a donation of $5 or more right now to support this campaign for change:

http://my.barackobama.com/asherheimermann

I know that in the past, I've asked for My.BarackObama.com users and fellow Barack Obama supporters to donate to my personal fundraising page but sadly, many of you have not even made a donation. I'm not asking for you to make huge donations, I'm just asking for $5 or more to help me reach my fundraising goal.

The September financial reporting deadline is on Tuesday at midnight, and we have an opportunity to show that a campaign funded by ordinary people can go toe-to-toe with the Washington lobbyists and special interests lined up behind John McCain and the Republican Party.

Most of you already know, but for those that don't, I'm a high school freshman in Wisconsin. I've donated so much time to Senator Obama, his campaign, and the Democratic National Committee. I can't vote for another four years but I'm counting on all of you to make the right choice on November 4.

Asher Heimermann is a teenager from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. You can learn more information about Heimermann by visiting his official website at www.AsherHeimermann.com.

REMINDER:
Go to store.barackobama.com, and shop normally, placing shirts, magnets, or any of our other merchandise in your cart. When you're finished, proceed to checkout. On your shopping cart page, enter this coupon code: GFC08 and then proceed to the next checkout page, and under Referral, enter Asher Heimermann as the GFC member who referred you.
The coupon code is only active until October 15th so you will have just a couple weeks to use it toward to get 15% off. Just make sure that you enter GFC08 as the code and enter Asher Heimermann as the Referer. This is my way of thanking all of those that have supported Senator Obama and myself the past few months.

Barack in the Virginia Rain

Unknown user — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:06:27 EDT

Such an inspirational speech by our man OBAMA!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ctgw9VyV_0

Will you help with a donation!!!!

Unknown user — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:58:34 EDT

Hi, I'm Canadian and support Obama 100%, got family in Ohio and North Carolina who are all Obama supporters and contributers to the Obama campaign, actually my sis in Hudson, Ohio is a volunter for her local obama campaign office!!......I have personally donated $350.00 out of my own pocket towards the Obama for President campaign. I reside in Montreal which is at most a one hour drive to both the New York and Vermont borders....so if I go according to Palin's theory of seeing Russia out of her window then I'm qualified to be V.P. also since I can see and smell New York and Vermont just looking out my window:)) BELOW IS A DONATION MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF MY SIS IN OHIO WHO IS CURRENTLY ON HOLIDAY OUT OF THE COUNTRY!!!

It is in our best interests to contribute
whatever we can
to elect
Senator Barack Obama, President,
of this United States of America.

We, as Americans, have emerged from each challenge more united. Senator Barack Obama has built a campaign on a broad base of support from ordinary Americans.
Barack is our hope for Change in the United States of America. He can unite people to make our Healthcare system what it should be, Health Care for All.
Barack is our trusted leader who will lead with diplomacy first to secure our people and rebuild our nation's trusted reputation around the world.
Barack will build his Cabinet as President
to direct the United States of America to lead our World
to environmentally protective developments in
Energy, Climate Change, and Resources.
This will create new Jobs and save our Economy, yet promote Trade and Goodwill with other countries so that the World benefits as well.
Barack will bring the necessary changes to Education
that will promote Service to our Country and will change Poverty wherever it exists to Hope and a sense of Security and Well Being. *Please donate to my brother's fundraising campaign, time and money is crucial now as we head into the final stretch of the campaign, we need to all come together and do all that we can to help elect Obama....my fundraising page link is just below, please help me reach my fundraising goal, or if you prefer donate directly to the Obama campaign, God bless you all!! Thank-you!! http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Nico59 OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Debate Tips for Barack

Brett Robinson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:52:34 EDT

Hey, everyone. It's been a whole since I posted a blog entry. I meant to post something after Obama clinched the nomination last June and after Obama accepted the nomination in August, but I have realized that action speaks louder than words, so I’ve been phonebanking and canvassing instead. But I do have something to write now.

My email to the Chicago Sun-Times

Patrick Frank — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:37:43 EDT

I am a grassroots volunteer for Obama from South Carolina. I was a VISTA Volunteer in Chicago and trained for my assignment in Chicago.

I want to thank the people of Chicago and Illinois for electing Barack Obama to the Senate, because he is an exceptional man and politician who will do a great job as president. He impressed me with his intelligence, creativity, and wisdom. Also, his humanity and empathy skills. He spoke in my small town in South Carolina during the primary, and did a tremendous job connecting with folks. We live in the poorest region of the state but the people here are good people struggling to stay afloat in this devastated economy. If you could see our shuttered business and the plethora of pay-day loan outfits, you would be disgusted.

Obama set forth his program to reform education and the economy. He also spoke directly to African-American parents, urging them to do everything possible to encourage their kids to study hard and stay in school. His message, "Turn off the computer, turn off the video games, turn off the TV was well received.

Thank you, again, for giving us Barack Obama.

P.S. I read the Sun-Times every chance I could get when I was living in Chicago.

My email to Walmart

Patrick Frank — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:43:27 EDT

I am a frequent Walmart customer from Kingstree, South Carolina. I shop at the Walmarts in lake City and Florence, among others. It has been reported to me that Walmart has engaged, or plans to engage, in an attempt to pressure employees or influence them to vote for McCain. I hope that this is not accurate. But if it is, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to cease and desist from such a practice.

I will never shop at Walmart again if this is confirmed, you engaging in such practices, between now and November 4th. I would also urge others to not shop Walmart if this is confirmed.

Thank you for listening.

Patrick Frank
Teacher-counselor, freelance writer
Grassroots volunteer for the Obama campaign
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 372-8851
patrickgfrank@yahoo.com

Question AIG?????

La Susa — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:50:40 EDT

Let me get this straight, because I am confused!!!! If we the tax payers give credit to AIG, so AIG can pay out insurnce claims etc. What do we the tax payers get in return?

My email to the President of NBC and NBC News

Patrick Frank — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:31:05 EDT

Dear Mr. Griffin and Mr. Capus:

I am a grassroots Obama volunteer from rural South Carolina. I have been an NBC News devotee for many years. Please make sure that the coverage of this campaign is fair and balanced.

*When hard questions are called for, Ask hard questions of BOTH SIDES.

*Give equal time to each side.

*Do not simply talk about groups of voters that favor one candidate. For example, in the Today report from Philadelphia today, all the talk was of such groups as "working class whites." What about young voter, better educated voters, African-Americans. These voting groups should also be mentioned.

*When you interview voters, try to keep the representation balanced.

*Avoid focusing on unfounded rumors, gossip, character assassination, tabloid-like stories. Focus on the issues, the candidates' basic perspectives and the positions they take or have taken in the past. temperment, intelligence, mental fitness are also relevant factors to discuss.

Thanks for listening.

Patrick Frank
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 372-8851

Signs--Free Downloads!!

La Susa — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:48:23 EDT

I ran across some people who have had signs stolen or cannot get any through the online store.

If one's local Obama office dosn't have any signs, or one's sign was stolen, go to the "MEDIA" link above and click on "DOWNLOADS" there one will find free downloads!

To weatherproof slide image inside a plastic sheet protector and glue to cardboard or wood, and then one can use wire to secure to fence or staple to posts.

Ive placed some of my downloads inside my windows of car and home.

!!!!!!GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!!!!

Obama’s Surge Strategy: a Page from Petraeus’ Book?

Mark Wiznitzer — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:32:36 EDT

I got the call last week and tomorrow I leave for the American heartland to join the Obama campaign officially. My “deployment” is not a total surprise, as I did my “basic training” in Chicago at Camp Obama in June 2007 and since then have volunteered in seven states. Independent of the campaign, I conducted “psy-ops” on the net as a blogger and worked with other supporters in “rapid response” to online critics and negative media. But now I am called to official duty and by this time next week I will be on the “front lines” in a crucial swing state.

Am I to be part of a Pre-electoral “Surge”, a sort of “counter-insurgency doctrine” applied to this election in the closing days of the Presidential campaign? That may be what Obama’s deputy national campaign director Steve Hildebrand has in mind to ensure Victory on November 4. He is the “four-star general” who won the first battle for the nomination when Obama took the Iowa caucus. Lately Hildebrand has been moving his troops around in what looks like an attempt to “clear, hold, and build” support in swing states. That is where organization, registration, and turnout could deliver the vote margin that spells the difference between “victory and defeat.”

Reports from Georgia confirm Hildebrand has “drawn down” his forces in Georgia and redeployed elsewhere. That does not imply Obama has abandoned Georgia, but does mean a greater reliance on remaining staff backed by an army of local volunteers who delivered a decisive primary win. At the same time, the redeployment reflects a need to strengthen Obama’s presence in states where he lost to Hillary Clinton and did not develop as much grass roots support. It looks and sounds like its erstwhile namesake in Iraq, but this surge too can only succeed if certain other conditions apply.

Perhaps the most important of those conditions is “political reconciliation.” The Denver convention speeches of Hillary and Bill Clinton marked a symbolic end to internal Democratic opposition to Obama’s nomination. Some small “rebel factions” of the party had intended to continue “resistance”. But John McCain’s subsequent nomination of Sarah Palin as his running mate sparked a “civil awakening” and the rebellion fell flat. Now former adversaries are working to elect Obama and avoid the frightening prospect of a “fundamentalist” religious right Republican Administration. What remains for the Obama forces is to reassure independent voters and moderate Republicans that Obama is a “safe” choice who will represent their interests.

The Obama campaign also benefits from improved intelligence on voting conditions in some key swing states where there were serious problems at the polls in 2000 and 2004. His base is alert to Republican tactics designed to intimidate and disenfranchise voters, and sabotaging elections. As they obtain “actionable intelligence” the campaign will be able to address problems promptly. And after replacing some local elected officials with Democrats, they can count on better cooperation to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

As I leave for the front I anticipate this will be my last posting for a while. But I expect that this surge too will succeed “beyond our wildest dreams.”

Interests Rates, Morgages and Jobs

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:07:10 EDT

I remember when after 9-11 many Americans lost their jobs, airlines were in trouble too, because of the fear of flying, it affected turism etc. etc. Then several years later Bush says that our economy is in great shape, that there are now more American's who own their own homes, because of him, his policies? Okay so great Bush pats himself on the back for lowering the interest rates so people could go in debt easier. Yea now more people than ever own their own homes, we hear that on the news for a few years. However still the interest rate keep going down, meanwhile millions of jobs are lost in American and also due to our-sourcing to China. Is it any wonder that folks couldn't pay their morgages, being unemployed and all? Is it any wonder that the banks can't make loans, even though they own millions of prime real estate acres?

#1. America Needs Jobs! No Not minimume current wage jobs, but industrial, blue collar, new companies etc. etc. On the current minumu wage one couldn't afford to live in one's new car, much less pay the high rents!!!! It's sad, and as Obama has said it has been like that for years!!!!!!

#2. The American people should be protected from loan companies that exploit their consumers with eccessive interest rates, and via flexible interest rates. Why, because it is Robbery!!!!!!!!! Banks Loan companies need to be held accountable for ROBBERY!!!! The same way each and every one of us is held accountable for our acctions. I know a young man who stole a caddy bar, and did 6 months!!!!!!!!!!! Corporate America has gotten away with Highway Robbery for Way Too Long!!!!!!!!

Sen. Barack Obama For President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Mexico Anti-Abortion Anti Obama Adds

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:32:14 EDT

We in New Mexico are being bombarded (like every hour on the hour) by a bunch of Anit-Abortion Anti-Obama Adds that I don't understand!!!!! And havn't seen any of the Obama adds in opposition to these yet. I don't know what they mean by Abortion and born alive?

All I do know is that when abortions were illegal women would either use coat hangers to try to abort it themselves, go to Mexico to have it done in an alley there, Clorox and a host of other very dangerous things, or bring the baby to term and throw the poor child away if they did not want anyone to even know about the pregnancy, or give their babies up for aboption.

Today having a baby at 15, 20, or 35 is an ordeal as we had not seen in the past. Now Fathers are required by law to pay child support, to the extent that if they don't their wages are garnished, Drivers Licences taken away, even incarceration. Many fathers cannot afford to legally work!!!!! When one cannot survive on minimume wage as it is, how can poor fathers be required to pay, when realistically they CAN'T!! As result this is forsing many to get into illegal buisness....... Then they get arrested, and we the tax payer pays for their incarceration time/couts/lawers etc. It's one way the rich keep poor folk down.......

Then there are the wacos male and female who instead of paying childsupport would rather murder the children!!!! Children are now but a comodity, not plain children any more. Tensions about Money and child support useto be unheard of, but whao now it's all parents can talk about. I feel children deserve better than that, for they are far more than money!

I complain, I rant, I donate, I vote...

Mom on the Issues — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:04:47 EDT

This year, our issues are the elephant in the room. We know that in this election, securing a Supreme Court that interprets the law fairly will determine the quality of life for GLBT people for years to come -probably for the duration of our lifetimes.

But we could just as easily lose every right we've gained over the past half century if we allow John McCain to realize his ambitions for the Whitehouse.

Today, I challenge you to donate to the Obama campaign in honor of the many GLBT Americans who have sacrificed for equality and our right to"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." I will match a portion of every donation.

Cick Here to donate---> www.my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/glbtvotes

Thank you!

Being that McCain is So Old......???????

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:38:38 EDT

Being that McCain is so old, what happens if he dies before the election???????

'Truth Serum'

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:29:37 EDT

Since these last 7 and 1/2 years of Bush who has led us to war under false pretense of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, and for some strange reason lacks military resorces in Afganistan. Went against the UN, went against the Geniva Convention, Now Allows Torture! I belive The House, Senate pre-elected officials including Presidencial and Vice Presidencial nominees should undergo intensive questions relating to National Security while under the influence of 'Truth Serum'!!!!!!!

Perhaps then the media frenzi won't be a ratings circus any more! And we the American People will be well informed about ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS!!!!!!

Our Nation is in jeopardy, and our National Security depends on the integraty and honesty of the next elected officals; be they Dems or Repb to tell the truth, OR we just might get owned by China!

Barack Obama For President!!!!!!!!

Interests Rates, Morgages, Jobs

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:41:11 EDT

Sen. Barack Obama For President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top Ten Reasons Why John McCain Will NOT Hire Food Tasters

Mark Wiznitzer — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:04:39 EDT

It was just four months ago that the call went out on these pages for supporters to join Food Tasters for Obama. Now some wise-guys (here, here and here) are suggesting that it’s John McCain who should hire a food taster. It is an idea even he has toyed with. We don’t believe that he needs to or will do so. But just for fun we’ve devised the following Letterman-like Top Ten Reasons Why John McCain Will NOT Hire Food Tasters.

10. He doesn't know how to post a job opening on Monster.com

9. Republicans would consider him an "elitist"

8. His high dosage of Metamucil already flushes all toxins from his body

7. Sarah Palin would fire them and replace them with Wasilla High School grads

6. He’s not sure where they would sit in the mess hall

5. The deaths of Socrates, Napoleon and Lenin were covered in courses he failed at Annapolis

4. He loves to gamble with dice, VP selections and, of course, with his health

3. You don't eat barracuda – it eats you

2. Lipstick (just had to mention that, because it seems to be on everyone’s lips lately)

And finally, the number one reason McCain will not hire food tasters:

1. He doesn’t need to because on November 4 Barack Obama will eat his lunch

Obama Live on cnn

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:50:02 EDT

Obama live on cnn

Ballot Bowel!

Lets hope they show his speach in it's entirety, and not just sound-bites!!!!

It might also appear at www.cnn.com/live

Still Waiting For Obama Live

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:33:52 EDT

Still Waiting Jacksonville Florida Obama should be Live on cnn soon.

For those who don't get cnn later today check out cnn.com/live

McCracken is Cracken!

La Susa — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:11:51 EDT

McCracken is really lieing Now!!!!!!!!!!!!

on CNN saying Obama used yestureday as an opportunity to make a stump speach, etc. etc.

When it was to the contrary Sen Obama said yesturday our Nation is in a crisis and that he and McCain should put their differances aside while this crisis on wall street is corrected.

McCain's Absentee Voter Fraud

La Susa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:49:52 EDT

This is from a post to the DoctorsforObama group...

The story is all over Progressive Talk Radio today about the McCain campaign sending absentee ballot applications to registered democrats or people that have donated to Obama's campaign. These ballots are deliberately misleading and have postage paid return addresses that are for an election clerk that is outside of your city or town. What this will end up doing is either having your vote not counted, or if you return one of these, they will cite you for election fraud, saying that you already voted absentee. These ballots are only being sent out in 'purple states' and this is a big deal.. This is called voter caging, and is a huge problem. The McCain campaign is stealing this election as we speak. Please get this information out to as many people as you can ,and tell anyone you know who has received one of these ballots that they need to contact their city election clerk or the supervisor of elections immediately. Also call the local media and let them know what is going on. The main stre am media is never going to cover this so we have to depend on our ground campaign to get the word out to our voters.

How the Bush Administration Just Deflated McCain's Tax Charge

Mark Wiznitzer — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:50:18 EDT

The McCain campaign has kept up the drumbeat for weeks now charging Barack Obama would raise your taxes, even though they leave out the fact that this only applies to those who make over $250,000. They also don't mention that those are the same people who were the only real beneficiaries of the Bush tax cuts.

Well Johnnie Mac's tax claims are effectively moot now that the Bush Administration has stepped in to salvage Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (no relation to the candidate, except that neither can keep track of how many houses they own). For overnight, the Treasury has levied a whopper of a tax, except instead of sending you a bill you have to pay from you checking account by April 15, they have just gone ahead and charged it to your credit card and left it to the next guy to work out payment terms.

Great rally in Kingstree, SC yesterday

Patrick Frank — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:56:04 EDT

I was happy with the rally and my performance of a song for the campaign yesterday. The only glitch, for me, was a train passed by—when I was starting my song! What’s with these trains in Kingstree. Seems like they pass through every few hours. We’re on the main route to somewhere, or nowhere!

The rally was great, maybe 50-60 people, a political ally of Barack’s, Inez, She ran for U.S. senate a while back.

Little Kingstree felt like the political nexus again, just like during the primary, when Barack came to speak in the high school gym. Even a couple of reporters were there. The atmosphere was energized. 90% of the crowd was black, but at least I wasn’t the only white person—for a change. I was joined by about 4-5 other whites. There were, of course, chants of “Yes, we can” and ‘fired up…” and a few speeches.

I spoke for a couple of minutes after my song—explained why I plan to vote for Barack.

It was great to see the smiles on everyone's faces!

Sen Obama's Speach--Economics --2007

La Susa — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:19:06 EDT

"We saw it during the Enron and WorldCom scandals when major public companies artificially pumped up their earnings, disguised their losses and otherwise engaged in accounting fraud to make their profits look better - a practice that ultimately led investors to question the balance sheets of all companies.

And we cannot help but see some reflections of these practices when we look at the subprime mortgage fiasco today.

Subprime lending started off as a good idea - helping Americans buy homes who couldn't previously afford to. Financial institutions created new financial instruments that could securitize these loans, slice them into finer and finer risk categories and spread them out among investors around the country and around the world.

In theory, this should have allowed mortgage lending to be less risky and more diversified. But as certain lenders and brokers began to see how much money could be made, they began to lower their standards. Some appraisers began inflating their estimates to get the deals done. Some borrowers started claiming income they didn't have just to qualify for the loans, and some were engaging in irresponsible speculation. But many borrowers were tricked into glossing over the fine print. And ratings agencies began rating bundles of different kinds of these loans as low-risk even though they were very high-risk.

Most everyone knew that some of these deals were just too good to be true, but all that money flowing in made it tempting to look the other way and ignore the unscrupulous practice of some bad actors

And yet, time and again we were warned this could happen. Ned Gramlich, the former Fed governor who sadly passed away two weeks ago, wrote an entire book predicting this very situation. Repeated calls for better disclosure and stronger oversight were met with millions in mortgage industry lobbying. Far too many continued to put their own short-term gain ahead of what they knew the long-term consequences would be when those rates exploded.

Those consequences are now clear: nearly 2.5 million homeowners could lose their homes. Millions more who had nothing to do with this could see the value of their own home decline - with some estimates projecting a cost of nearly $164 billion, primarily in lost home equity. The projected cost to investors is nearly $150 billion worldwide. And the impact on the housing market and wider economy has been so great that some economists are now predicting a possible recession - a prediction all of us hope does not come to pass.

There are a number of lessons that we must learn from this going forward. We know that much of this could have been avoided if the market operated with more honesty and accountability. We also know we would have been far better off if there were greater transparency and more information had been available to the American people.

To that extent, I believe there are a few steps we should take to prevent future crises of this kind and restore some measure of public trust in the market:

First, we need more disclosure and accountability in the housing market. To ensure that potential homeowners aren't tricked into purchasing loans they can't afford, I've proposed updating the current mortgage rules to establish a federal definition of mortgage fraud and enact tough penalties against lenders who knowingly act in bad faith. I've also proposed a Home Score system that would create a simplified, standardized metric for home mortgages, sort of like the APR. This would empower Americans to make smart decisions by allowing prospective buyers to easily compare various mortgage products so they can find out whether they can afford the payments. And I believe we should finally enact the meaningful mortgage disclosure laws that the mortgage industry has been lobbying against for far too long.

Second, I believe that if we hope to restore trust in the markets, we must be able to trust the judgment of our rating agencies. The failure of government to exercise adequate oversight over the rating agencies will cost investors and public pension funds billions of dollars - losses we have not yet fully recognized. We cannot let the public trust be lost by a conflict of interest between the rating agencies and the people they're rating. As Arthur Levitt recently reminded us, this happened when rating agencies continued to give a rosy outlook for Enron despite its impending bankruptcy. And of course we saw it this year when subprime mortgage loans continued to receive strong ratings despite repeated warnings of the instability of the mortgages and the impending slowdown of the housing market.

Here's the real danger - if the public comes to view this like the accounting analyses of Enron, the markets will be ravished by a crisis in confidence. We must take steps to avoid that at all costs, and that is why I believe there should be an immediate investigation of the relationship and business practices of rating agencies and their clients.

The third thing we need to do is look at other areas in the market where a lack of transparency could lead to similar problems. Many of the people who hold these subprime mortgages are now shifting their debt to credit cards, and if they do not understand the commitments they're taking on, or are subjected to predatory practices, this could fester into a second crisis down the road. That's why I'm proposing a five-star credit card rating system to inform consumers about the level of risk involved in every credit card they sign up for, including how easily the company can change the interest rate. If more Americans were armed with this kind of information before they purchased risky mortgage loans, the current crisis might not have happened. Now that so many are in debt, we shouldn't let the same lax standards create another.

Finally, while it's not my place to comment on the actions of the Fed, I have heard many of you say that you hope for a sizable rate cut tomorrow to soothe the market turmoil. "

Sen. Obama 2007

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/09/17/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_24.php

Bush's Steve Schmidt Takes Over Operational Leadership For McCain Campaign

Hussein The Hope Monger — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:01:55 EDT

"Drill, Baby, Drill" or "Lie, Baby, Lie"?

CHANGE WE NEED!

Fired UP!!

Calling all MOMS FOR OBAMA

Louise - A Mom for Obama — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:43:33 EDT

Will you help?We have been planning a Moms for Obama National Rally Day to be held the Saturday before the election. Rallies are being added daily and are currently scheduled in more than 30 states, This is going to be ground-breaking rally! We are going to show this nation that we are smart and community organizers and we're NOT going to have 4 more years of McSame. We will be standing for change in cities and towns across America and stand united for our children.Attendees will GOTV (canvass & phonebanking) before and/or after the rally. Moms, Fathers, brothers, sisters and friends are invited to show this country we stand for change November 1, 2008 at 3:00 pm EDT (12:00 pm PST).

Rally Organizer?Will you join in? Will you be a part of this moment in history? Will you stand up and speak out for your kids? We hope you will. Please email us at momsforobama@sbcglobal.net if you would like organize or co-organize. Include your name, city and state email (best to circulate for other local moms to contact you). We will email you the planning materials . Please contact us 1st before listing on mybo events to avoid two rallies in one city or town.

This rally is entirely grassroots, completely volunteer. Just a bunch of moms who still believe they can make a difference.

Please forward to as many people as possible.

Fired up and ready to go!http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/MomsforObama
http://www.myspace.com/momsforobama

The Presidencial Race is Not a Football Game!

La Susa — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:54:03 EDT

Beaware that there are McCain Posters here that use offensive language, because they without knowing it, do belive the lies that they have been told. I belive that it is our duty as Obama supporters not to engage in foul languare communications. We have to rise above the mud of slander!

This presidencial race is not a football game, though emotionally it can feel like it. The bottom line are the facts; Our Finnancial Future Depends on The Facts! Greenspan said McCains plan will pull us into more debt than Obama's. Obama's spending plan is to give the working families and students a leg up; to where we can get ahead of all of this debt in the long run; McCain's plan is win wars at our costs, our children's costs and their children. Big differances between the two!!!!!!

Furthermore the McCain's camp wants to mislead the American people into beliving that they are for government reform, which could not be more further from the truth. The truth is they could eliminate all earmarks; but not the lobbyiests, that with big money pay the house and senate members money to vote for they're advantage! That is why Obama is so against lobbyests controlling Washington!

Many Lobbyiests are hired by big buisness to promote our-soucing American jobs! They are interested in making money, when they can pay .50 cents an hour for work done overseas it is advantageous to them; plus they don't have to worry about paying unemployment; workmen's comp' or even observe EPA regulations in forgine countries. How else could we buy a blouse at Walmart for 7.00 Dollars? The more buisnesses that out-sourse jobs; the less jobs there will be for the American people, that's the bottom line......

Why have our boarders not been secured under the Bush Administration, very simple, big buisness profits from hiring illegals beacause here again they don't have to pay taxes, or even observe worker rights; I call it modern day slavery, dose anyone know the levels of poison the aveage immigrant worker is exposed to working in the fields? Dose the Avergae American know the levels of disease directly linked to the pestidices these poor workers are exposed too? It's not that poor Americans won't do the work, it's that a legal American would have the Right to Sue a company who deliberatly exposes them to Toxic Pesisices!!!!!

Make McCain Answer For Her - He Chose Her And Needs To Defend HIS Decision

Hussein The Hope Monger — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:50:28 EDT

He's old - 72 years and counting. He's sick - 4 bouts with cancer and counting.

He sold his soul to the right wing of his party. Voted >90% with George W Bush. Took their GOPAC-trained Palin as VP.

Surrounded himself with Washington lobbyists.

Protected his colleagues during Abramoff "investigation" by his Indian Affairs committee.

Out of touch - wealth that typical Americans will never see. No clue on housing crisis.

Used to chase skirts, now he hides behind them.

Opposed equal pay for equal work. Opposes tax cuts for middle class. Opposes improving benefits for Veterans. Opposed minimum wage increases.

Get 3-5 simple points and hammer away - over and over until November 4th.

Right Wing Extremist who wants to foist her views, policies on the entire nation.

Iraq war is a "task from God". Pentecostal ministry students should "pray for a $30 Billion pipeline".

Wants public libraries to be receptive to banning books.

Says she fired Governor's chef, yet chef continued to cook for her kids with different title. Says she was opposed to "bridge to nowhere" after she was in favor and kept money anyway. Says she sold Governor's plane on eBay for a profit when it was sold through a broker for a loss.

Plays patronage game with public employees. Wanted ex-brother-in-law fired. Promotes Alaska National Guard officer within 72 hours of his giving favorable press release.

As Mayor, required rape victims to pay for their own rape kits in a state with incidence of 2.5 - 3x the national average.

Charges state taxpayers a 'per diem' to sleep in her own bed. Questionnable travel reimbursement for family members.

Hammer away - 3 to 5 points - each and every day!

Fired UP!!

Vote for Sarah Palin (Best Impersonation, That Is)

Mark Wiznitzer — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:31:30 EDT

Okay. Before the campaign gets really serious again, here is your chance to vote for Sarah Palin -- that is for the best impersonation.

And there are two really great impersonators too. You may already have seen Saturday Night Live's "A Nonpartisan Message from Sarah Palin & Hillary Clinton". In case you missed it, click on the pic for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in their SNL opening skit:

But Tina's got competition! Here name is Lisa Vega (aka Lisa Donovan), who was once featured on MADtv, and she has done three Palin sketches already. The first had her corner Obama on a stairwell as he comes home, and she browbeats him till he turns into the "angry black man"; this may explain why the clip is no longer available. But her parental guidance skit called "Is McCain Palin's Bitch?" is already a YouTube classic, and showcases the other side of Sarah:

You can click on the photo. That's Dan Oster as John MCcain.

So here's your guilt-free chance to vote for Sarah Palin (impersonator, that is). Please cast your vote below on the comment section.

Obama Sound Bites: Dosing the Message for the Masses

Mark Wiznitzer — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:50:03 EDT

If it is true that the great majority of American voters can only be reached through sound bites. and then only by a limited number of such sound bites, well that's what we'll need to give them.

sound bite - noun, a brief, quotable remark, or excerpt from a speech, made as by a politician and suitable for use on TV or radio newscasts: often a dismissive term implying superficiality.
YourDictionary.com

Eistein utters the ultimate sound bite:

I'm sure you can come up with your own summary phrases to describe Barack Obama's plans for the country. Please add your ideas in the comment section below. But for starters, here are my seven. I hope you'll agree they are appropriately short, sufficiently limited in number and accurately descriptive.

Don't be surprised if you start seeing and hearing bites like these from Barack Obama in ads and the Presidential debates.

A Government that Respects the Constitution
Take the War to our Real Enemies
Restore Fiscal Discipline and Tax Fairness
A Growth Economy Fueled by Innovation and Energy Alternatives
Affordable Healthcare for All Americans
Learn to Value Education
Honor Service to Country and Community

wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat and fan of the late columnist Art Buchwald who writes serious analysis and political satire. If you would like to be notified whenever wizinit posts a new article join Food Tasters For Obama.

If McCain's Elected, and Dies............

La Susa — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:07:01 EDT

If McCain's Elected he will do as he is told by the Lobbiests that funded his election; if he dies, Gov. of Alaska, who has NO INSIDE POWER IN WASHINGTON, in my opionion will do as she is told, by McCain's Lobbyiests, and will be fully capable of reading a teleprompter written by those Lobbiests......... Since when do they care about Women's rights???? To them a woman, is but a secretary, a prop, to win votes under false pretenses.

Funny how we hear McCain talk about "Earmarks, but not "Speacial Interested Lobbyiests"!!!!!

We Lobbyiests want to line our pockets with your tax dollars. We do not care about the enviroment, when it comes to making money, in fact while your sons and daughters shed blood and die in war, for the name of freedome we are turning profits in our buisness dealings, we want cheap labor that's why we will not secure the American boarders, we profit from illegal cheap labor in the USA, we also profit from sending American jobs overseas because then we don't have to pay taxes, hey in China the wage is .50 cents, thats a given, we don't care about national healthcare insurance because we make money on the current system, we want pharmasutical companies to turn profits for our wallets, we don't care if the Untited States economy crumbles our investments are overseas...............

PLEASE DIGG THIS SO MORE NEWS STATIONS AIR IT!

darlene matthews — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:58:37 EDT

BE AFRAID!

HELP STOP AMERICA FROM BECOMING the SAME AS the other EXTREMIST TERRORISTS!

http://digg.com/politics/Palin_s_Pastor_Agrees_God_Punishes_Jews_Who_Don_t_Convert

McCain's-Lobbyiests-Who Do They Work For?

La Susa — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:02:25 EDT

Since the McCain camp is controlled by Lobbyiests who have the money to pay for their intesests above the intesests of the American people, these Lobbyiests firms or companies, that they work for should be exposed. Because in essance they are the one's who intend to run our country; McCain and Palin are just mear hired speaking puppets....

Follow the money!!!!!!!

P. S. I don't think the Averge American Knows The Levels Of The Power and Influence Lobbyiests In Washington have... I personally had never heard of an "earmark" before this election!!!!!!!

Email MSNBC and other media outlets

Patrick Frank — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:59:57 EDT

Please send an email to MSNBC regarding their misidentification of Sharpton as a community organizer. this is obvious propoganda, probably emenating from the McCain campaign--to link Obama to Sharpton. Flood MSNBC with email. Meredith on the Today show is so obviously biased toward McCain-Palin that it is disgusting. Chris Matthews is just a loose cannon. Sometimes he says things that are on target, sometimes he plays right into the hands of the extreme right. Go to the MSNBC website and find the correct links. Also, Tom Brokaw has been lazy in his research and has been tilting toward McCain...He keeps bringing up the Obama risky data without mentioning other data that is favorable to Obama; for example, the American people feel he is more tuned into to there problems.
Please fight back, don't just sit back and complain!!!Even if MSNBC is not listening, at least make the effort. Yes, Rachel and Keith are great, but other voices are right-wing or playing into the hands of the right wing.Note: Neoconservatives are neo-fascists in (poor) disguise.Patrick FrankGrassroots ObamaActive in NC and SCPhone banking to NH and NMv