At least we're not all Georgians, like the McCain campaign attempted to shout; that fell quite flat on its face. The episode with Georgia reminded me of the great Peter Seller's film, The Mouse That Roared. I note that the U.S. Government gave Georgia a cool billion dollars for 'reconstruction.' It's of course all about oil, Dick Cheney and the lobbyist for Georgia Randy Scheunemann, working for the McCain campaign.
The American citizens weren't fooled by the clever ruse which gives me hope that perhaps, just perhaps, they have grown a bit more wise in the past 4 years. I note the recent OpEd by Thomas Friedman, Georgia on my Mind. He writes:
But where are our priorities? How many wars can we fight at once without finishing even one? Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and now Georgia. Which is the priority? Americans are struggling to meet their mortgages, and we’re sending $1 billion to a country whose president behaved irresponsibly, just to poke Vladimir Putin in the eye. Couldn’t we poke Putin with $100 million? And shouldn’t we be fostering a dialogue with Georgia and with Putin? Otherwise, where is this going? A new cold war? Over what?
Indeed, where are our priorities. That foolish Iraq War of which John McCain squawks incessantly has cost the American taxpayer billions- money that could have been spent on the state of Georgia or Ohio or 48 others.
Do the American voters really get it? Will they fall for the slick commercials once again? Will they be more interested in Sarah Palin's funky glasses or John McCain's foolish mantra, "Drill, drill drill!" The jury is still out on that question.
By the way, actually we are all Kazakhstanis [another oil rich nation] not because of a lobbyist or the oil or for political gain, but through genetics. Anthropologist Spencer Wells, working through the National Geographic Genographic Project found a common ancestor- out of Africa- in Kazakhstan.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sarah Palin's Church- The Preemption Army of God
Oh, those nutty Fundamentalists have one of their own on a national political ticket. Praise God!
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin’s church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.‘‘You’ll be encouraged by the power of God’s love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality,’’ according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.
Red meat for the Evangelical Christians hiding in the right-wing of the GOP. And this, too, for those loony fundies who hope to be swept upwards in Armageddon:
CNN reports: A video produced by the church proclaims with apocalyptic imagery that "God has a destiny for the state of Alaska!" and in another clip someone from the church affirms, "I believe that Alaska's one of the refuge states."Yellin acknowledged that "whether Palin shares these beliefs is unclear"
As those of us who pay attention already know, that Armageddon scenario must, according to the Bible, take place in Israel and Israel must be void of 'infidels' living there. Is that why Joe Lieberman, staunch ally of everything-Israel, was given a speaking spot at the GOP Convention?
CNN also reports that "during her June visit, she described the Iraq War and a natural gas pipeline she is trying to build as part of God's plan."
So, the GOP is really God's Own Party! God planned the preemptive invasion of Iraq using his second-begotten son, George. God loves Republicans; he surely does.
Palin renounced her Catholic faith at the age of 12 and was baptized into The Assemblies of God. Those churches are involved with major organizations and leaders of a movement which is referred to as The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit or the New Apostolic Reformation. The movement is training a young "Joel's Army" to take dominion over the United States and the world.
Seems to me that this fits in very nicely with the neocons who organized and launched the attack on Iraq. What a cozy relationship could develop: a Christian Army of the United States launching preemptive invasions of Muslin nations all across the world.
This configuration of seemingly unrelated facts sounds quite bizarre unless one looks at what candidate Bush was saying back in 2000. You know: no nation building and stuff like that.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin’s church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.‘‘You’ll be encouraged by the power of God’s love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality,’’ according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.
Red meat for the Evangelical Christians hiding in the right-wing of the GOP. And this, too, for those loony fundies who hope to be swept upwards in Armageddon:
CNN reports: A video produced by the church proclaims with apocalyptic imagery that "God has a destiny for the state of Alaska!" and in another clip someone from the church affirms, "I believe that Alaska's one of the refuge states."Yellin acknowledged that "whether Palin shares these beliefs is unclear"
As those of us who pay attention already know, that Armageddon scenario must, according to the Bible, take place in Israel and Israel must be void of 'infidels' living there. Is that why Joe Lieberman, staunch ally of everything-Israel, was given a speaking spot at the GOP Convention?
CNN also reports that "during her June visit, she described the Iraq War and a natural gas pipeline she is trying to build as part of God's plan."
So, the GOP is really God's Own Party! God planned the preemptive invasion of Iraq using his second-begotten son, George. God loves Republicans; he surely does.
Palin renounced her Catholic faith at the age of 12 and was baptized into The Assemblies of God. Those churches are involved with major organizations and leaders of a movement which is referred to as The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit or the New Apostolic Reformation. The movement is training a young "Joel's Army" to take dominion over the United States and the world.
Seems to me that this fits in very nicely with the neocons who organized and launched the attack on Iraq. What a cozy relationship could develop: a Christian Army of the United States launching preemptive invasions of Muslin nations all across the world.
This configuration of seemingly unrelated facts sounds quite bizarre unless one looks at what candidate Bush was saying back in 2000. You know: no nation building and stuff like that.
NBC Cans Olbermann-Matthews
NBC announced today that Matthews and Olbermann
have been replaced as election night chief
reporters. David Greogory is the new person in
charge. NBC wanted more objective repoorters and
less of the strident opposition to the Republicans.
Matthews and Olbermann blew it, according to reports,
at the Republican Convention as being over critical
toward Republicans. It's about time these two are
reigned in. After all, MSNBC is not a mouthpiece for
Democratic Party Leftists. Matthews justs shouts and
prevents his guest from completing their thoughts, and
Olbermann presents very biting opinions that probably
don't belong on a major media outlet, like NBC.
have been replaced as election night chief
reporters. David Greogory is the new person in
charge. NBC wanted more objective repoorters and
less of the strident opposition to the Republicans.
Matthews and Olbermann blew it, according to reports,
at the Republican Convention as being over critical
toward Republicans. It's about time these two are
reigned in. After all, MSNBC is not a mouthpiece for
Democratic Party Leftists. Matthews justs shouts and
prevents his guest from completing their thoughts, and
Olbermann presents very biting opinions that probably
don't belong on a major media outlet, like NBC.
OHIO COLLEGE VOTERS
Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6 Ohio will open a
registration window where a person in Ohio
colleges and universities can register and
immediately vote. Ohio has 400,000 college
students which fall under this window and is
the purpose of this Ohio electoral reform law.
This is the potential huge voting block for
Obama. Must be organized to obtain that desired
result.
registration window where a person in Ohio
colleges and universities can register and
immediately vote. Ohio has 400,000 college
students which fall under this window and is
the purpose of this Ohio electoral reform law.
This is the potential huge voting block for
Obama. Must be organized to obtain that desired
result.
OHIO ELECTORAL CAGING
On Sept.5, Ohio sent out a mass mailing to all
registered voters. Did you get yours? Anyway,
if the mail is undeliverable and returned to
sender, this could disenfranchise hundreds of
thousands of voters. In March a similar mailing
had a return of 600,000 registered voters in just
five Ohio counties! The law says that one has to
vote where one is registered, if not, the person
cannot vote. A voter can return and cast a
provisional ballot, but in 2004 33% of 1.6 million
provisional ballots were thrown out. How many of
those were Kerry voters?
Moreover, the National Voter Registration Act forbids
any state from purging names from the voting records
within 90 days of an election. Ohio has sent this
mailing out with only 60 days remaining.
Find out more....Go on the ATTACK....
registered voters. Did you get yours? Anyway,
if the mail is undeliverable and returned to
sender, this could disenfranchise hundreds of
thousands of voters. In March a similar mailing
had a return of 600,000 registered voters in just
five Ohio counties! The law says that one has to
vote where one is registered, if not, the person
cannot vote. A voter can return and cast a
provisional ballot, but in 2004 33% of 1.6 million
provisional ballots were thrown out. How many of
those were Kerry voters?
Moreover, the National Voter Registration Act forbids
any state from purging names from the voting records
within 90 days of an election. Ohio has sent this
mailing out with only 60 days remaining.
Find out more....Go on the ATTACK....
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Working the Mall Kiosk for Obama
My wife and I put in a 2-hour shift at the Obama Kiosk at the Westfield Mall in Toledo this afternoon. The kiosk is a trial balloon, one of three nationally, to see if this idea has merit. From my short experience I'd say Let it Roll! During that time we had 50 or more people inquire about voting, registration to vote, shirts, buttons, volunteering and Obama issues.
Most were young, but I was especially impressed with a 74-year-old black woman with whom i had a wonderful conversation. Cecilia was the first black woman to graduate from Notre Dame High School here in Toledo. She told me that she was not permitted to go on her senior trip because the hotels where they were going to stay were white-only. Interesting information, to be sure. The principal said to her and her mother, sorry, but Cecilia cannot go along. Period. End of conversation.
It is hard for me to imagine that scenario, but surely there are thousands more stories of segregation and discrimination yet to be told. Someone ought to document them before the people pass on. She also told of her cousin who cooked for the Toledo Club, but was, of course, not able to become a member. Toledo had its own 'Negro' church, St. Benedict, but the I-75 expressway rolled right through it- the only church to be taken for the highway.
She is looking for the opportunity on November 5 and again on January 20, to celebrate the final barrier of racial discrimination to be eliminated. Hopefully for her and for the rest of this nation, she will witness that event.
Most were young, but I was especially impressed with a 74-year-old black woman with whom i had a wonderful conversation. Cecilia was the first black woman to graduate from Notre Dame High School here in Toledo. She told me that she was not permitted to go on her senior trip because the hotels where they were going to stay were white-only. Interesting information, to be sure. The principal said to her and her mother, sorry, but Cecilia cannot go along. Period. End of conversation.
It is hard for me to imagine that scenario, but surely there are thousands more stories of segregation and discrimination yet to be told. Someone ought to document them before the people pass on. She also told of her cousin who cooked for the Toledo Club, but was, of course, not able to become a member. Toledo had its own 'Negro' church, St. Benedict, but the I-75 expressway rolled right through it- the only church to be taken for the highway.
She is looking for the opportunity on November 5 and again on January 20, to celebrate the final barrier of racial discrimination to be eliminated. Hopefully for her and for the rest of this nation, she will witness that event.
American Catholics Insulted by "Community Organizer" Bashing
This from Catholics for Obama: "Catholics across the country continue to be outraged by Republican politician Sarah Palin who repeated her smear against Catholic Action by mocking Barack Obama’s service as director of a community group sponsored by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (an arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) and led by eight Catholic parishes on the South Side of Chicago. "
Further, the article says, "Senator Obama worked in several Catholic parishes, supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, helping to address severe joblessness and housing needs in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of Chicago."
American Catholics ought to know this fact and ought to be outraged when McCain, Palin and Guiliani mock this service to Catholics. The dumbed-down candidate for Vice President mockingly said, “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.”
The National Catholic Reporter wrote, “It is shocking that a vice presidential candidate would disparage an essential component of the Catholic social tradition with her condescending attack on urban community organizing,” said Dr. Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats, an association of state-based groups advancing understanding of Catholic social teaching."
Of course, Sarah Palin wouldn't know too much nor care too very much about charity for the poor and disadvantaged as she is from the right-wing of the GOP. Folks there only care about dismantling the Federal Government and lowering their taxes.
Further, the article says, "Senator Obama worked in several Catholic parishes, supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, helping to address severe joblessness and housing needs in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of Chicago."
American Catholics ought to know this fact and ought to be outraged when McCain, Palin and Guiliani mock this service to Catholics. The dumbed-down candidate for Vice President mockingly said, “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.”
The National Catholic Reporter wrote, “It is shocking that a vice presidential candidate would disparage an essential component of the Catholic social tradition with her condescending attack on urban community organizing,” said Dr. Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats, an association of state-based groups advancing understanding of Catholic social teaching."
Of course, Sarah Palin wouldn't know too much nor care too very much about charity for the poor and disadvantaged as she is from the right-wing of the GOP. Folks there only care about dismantling the Federal Government and lowering their taxes.
Citizens Paying for the Many Bush-Cheney Mistakes [As Usual]
They are incredibly immature and like to blame others for their own mistakes. No, not the early-teen years, although this clearly describes that awful time of life. No, I'm talking those faux-leaders that the citizens voted into office in 2000. Those two men whom the citizens thought would "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
They had no intention of preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States. None whatsoever. They were on a secret mission known only to an inner circle. The mission was to dismantle the government as we knew it and use their offices to fill the pockets of their special interests. And George Bush and Dick Cheney accomplished that mission.
Today we hear of a news conference to 'save' Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which will cost the tax payers of this nation $3 trillion dollars. The current National Debt is $9.7 trillion, up from $5.6 trillion when these two took office. Yet they hype their 'cutting taxes' mantra.
Who could have imagined that Bush and Cheney would have presided over more than doubling the National Debt? Fiscally responsible Republicans? Surely the American voters were fooled. Microdot, a French contributor to this blog, said, "This is exactly what the conservatives rail about, the euro-socialistic nationalization of corporations." Of course, Europeans know what this action is all about, but the dumbed-down American voter doesn't have a clue that this is happening here in American under the tutelage of two Republicans.
If we consider the botched War on Iraq as well as the Katrina disaster, added to the current financial disaster of this nation, we clearly see that these two men have presided over three of the greatest blunders ever to be recorded in our history. The competence of Bush and Cheney will surely and sadly rank at the bottom of the list.
It is we, the tax payers, who of course pay for the mistakes of these men. This is exactly the same as the parents of the young-teen who gets into financial and/or criminal problems: the adult has to bail out the adolescent. We 300 million citizens will be paying for the incompetence [and planned overt criminal actions] of these two men for decades.
Do the citizens know this? Do they understand it all? Do they care?
They had no intention of preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States. None whatsoever. They were on a secret mission known only to an inner circle. The mission was to dismantle the government as we knew it and use their offices to fill the pockets of their special interests. And George Bush and Dick Cheney accomplished that mission.
Today we hear of a news conference to 'save' Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which will cost the tax payers of this nation $3 trillion dollars. The current National Debt is $9.7 trillion, up from $5.6 trillion when these two took office. Yet they hype their 'cutting taxes' mantra.
Who could have imagined that Bush and Cheney would have presided over more than doubling the National Debt? Fiscally responsible Republicans? Surely the American voters were fooled. Microdot, a French contributor to this blog, said, "This is exactly what the conservatives rail about, the euro-socialistic nationalization of corporations." Of course, Europeans know what this action is all about, but the dumbed-down American voter doesn't have a clue that this is happening here in American under the tutelage of two Republicans.
If we consider the botched War on Iraq as well as the Katrina disaster, added to the current financial disaster of this nation, we clearly see that these two men have presided over three of the greatest blunders ever to be recorded in our history. The competence of Bush and Cheney will surely and sadly rank at the bottom of the list.
It is we, the tax payers, who of course pay for the mistakes of these men. This is exactly the same as the parents of the young-teen who gets into financial and/or criminal problems: the adult has to bail out the adolescent. We 300 million citizens will be paying for the incompetence [and planned overt criminal actions] of these two men for decades.
Do the citizens know this? Do they understand it all? Do they care?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The McCain Plan for America
CNN listed both McCain's and Obama's plans for America. Here is a look at the proposals that John McCain gave:
Sen. John McCain's Proposals
Taxes
McCain said he would:
• Keep taxes low and cut them where he could.
• Double the child tax exemption from $3,500 to $7,000.
• Cut the business tax rate to help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas.
Foreign trade
McCain said he would:
• Open new markets to American goods and services.
• Prepare workers to compete in the world economy.
Unemployment assistance
McCain said he would:
• Help workers who've lost a job that won't come back and find a new one that won't go away.
• Use community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities.
• Retrain workers in industries that have been hard hit and cover the pay difference during retraining.
Economy
McCain said he would:
• Create millions of new jobs, "jobs that will be there when your children enter the work force."
Energy
McCain said he would have the United States:
• Produce more energy at home.
• Drill new wells offshore.
• Build more nuclear power plants.
• Develop clean coal technology.
• Increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas.
• Encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.
Education
McCain said he would:
• Make schools answer to parents and students.
Health care
McCain said he would:
• Make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance.
Federal spending
McCain said he would:
• Reduce government spending and get rid of failed programs to "let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit."
Foreign relations
McCain said:
• A serious blow has been dealt to al Qaeda, but the terror network has not been defeated and will strike again if able.
Dick Cheney in Secret Oil Talks [again]
The man has to be the greatest traitor in American history. Dick Cheney puts business interests ahead of the citizens he swore to protect. Those early 2001 closed-door meetings he conducted with the top executives of the oil, gas and coal industries opened his 8-year fascist movement and now, in the waning days of his administration, he, once again, puts business ahead of the citizens.
The headline: Cheney in Azerbaijan for talks on Georgia, energy.
The story line:
BAKU, Azerbaijan (CNN) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku Wednesday , the first stop of an overseas trip that will also take him to three former Soviet republics -- less than a month after the conflict between Georgia and Russia began.
That crisis will be a top issue on Cheney's agenda in Azerbaijan and further stops in Georgia and Ukraine. Cheney also plans to travel to Italy as part of the trip.
Azerbaijan, which borders Georgia and Iran and sits along the Caspian Sea, is an oil and gas-rich nation and a key U.S. ally in the region.
The man has no shame. He should have been impeached long ago. The fact that Congress did not move forward on Articles of Impeachment will haunt the governance of this nation for decades to come. It sets a clear precedent that the Executive Branch stands alone, above the other two, and cannot be impeded from moving forward with any plan they wish to drop on the citizens.
Never in our history has such a situation been allowed to proceed. It may be the death knell of our American democracy.
The headline: Cheney in Azerbaijan for talks on Georgia, energy.
The story line:
BAKU, Azerbaijan (CNN) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku Wednesday , the first stop of an overseas trip that will also take him to three former Soviet republics -- less than a month after the conflict between Georgia and Russia began.
That crisis will be a top issue on Cheney's agenda in Azerbaijan and further stops in Georgia and Ukraine. Cheney also plans to travel to Italy as part of the trip.
Azerbaijan, which borders Georgia and Iran and sits along the Caspian Sea, is an oil and gas-rich nation and a key U.S. ally in the region.
The man has no shame. He should have been impeached long ago. The fact that Congress did not move forward on Articles of Impeachment will haunt the governance of this nation for decades to come. It sets a clear precedent that the Executive Branch stands alone, above the other two, and cannot be impeded from moving forward with any plan they wish to drop on the citizens.
Never in our history has such a situation been allowed to proceed. It may be the death knell of our American democracy.
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