Forum tag:poliwatch.org,2008-08-15:/forum//20 2009-03-18T18:09:45Z The Place for up and coming Political Bloggers. Movable Type Commercial 4.25 Arlen Specter and the tranparency gap tag:poliwatch.org,2009:/forum//20.14705 2009-03-18T18:08:59Z 2009-03-18T18:09:45Z I recently made a phone call to all of my federal elected officials to voice my disdain for all that is A.I.G. and like companies that thumb their nose at the American people. I felt it was my civic duty... john trevisani http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=22 I recently made a phone call to all of my federal elected officials to voice my disdain for all that is A.I.G. and like companies that thumb their nose at the American people. I felt it was my civic duty to voice my opinion to the elected officials of my state; what I didn't realize is that some elected officials still feel they aren't working for the American people.

]]> I called three offices: Senator Arlen Spector, Senator Bob Casey and Representative Joe Sestak.

Both Casey and Sestak's office handled my call, pretty much immediately and answered all my questions, including my inquiry of the current running tally to those calling into the office about this very subject.

Sestak's office gave me the tally in percentage (99% of all persons calling said that A.I.G. and like companies should be forced to give up their bonuses.).

Casey's gave me the current running totals, which was almost 100%).

Specter's office refused.

Yes. Specter's office refused to give me a tally.

It went 'something' like this:

"May I have the current tally of votes?"

"I'm sorry; we can't give that information to you."

"Say again?"

"We can't give that information out. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Why can't you give me the tally?"

"We aren't allowed."

"Geez. I thought that Arlen Specter worked for me. As one of his constituents, as one of the people that vote in his state and as a taxpayer that pays for his lifestyle and that office and even the phone that you're speaking through. One would think that the tally information is actually public record."

"Sir, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Are you currently keeping a tally of the results?

"Yes."

"Can you give me the tally of the votes. I did pay for it after all."

"Sir, I can take your name and contact information and someone from the Senator's office might contact me about this issue."

"So they will give me the current tally later on?"

'I can't say."

"Why is that?"

"It's not our policy to give out results."

"Ah... Not your policy! I see. I vote. I pay your salary. And you censor what information I may see from my elected officials; so much for transparency."

"Sir, Is there anything else I may do for you today?"

"You've done quite enough."

I wonder if I were the CEO of A.I.G. and I asked the same question; would I have gotten the tally results?

]]> Mulligans and the Northern Trust Bank tag:poliwatch.org,2009:/forum//20.14701 2009-02-27T12:39:42Z 2009-02-27T12:41:01Z Northern Trust Bank received $1.6 Billion from the government as one of the many, many companies to receive TARP money. The money, as the government put it, was to jump start the economy by getting the money to flow again.... john trevisani http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=22 Northern Trust Bank received $1.6 Billion from the government as one of the many, many companies to receive TARP money. The money, as the government put it, was to jump start the economy by getting the money to flow again. Last week, the money started flowing, except this time to professional golfers.

]]>
Last weekend Northern Trust Bank hosted the PGA tour's "Northern Trust Open". That fact isn't all that new since Northern Trust bank has hosted the tournament for quite a few years. But it's not about what the bank, the 4th largest bank in the country, and what they did during the good times; it's about what the bank does during the bad times.

According to pgatour.com, Phil Mickelson eventually won the PGA tournament, The Northern Trust Open, where the sponsor's purse was $6.3 million and the winner's share was $1.1 million. Northern Trust said no TARP money was used for the tournament either to pay for purses or for the lavish entertainment (Sheryl Crow was one of the artists that appeared). It doesn't really matter if the money was used or not; a perception is out there. The perception is of a bank taking bailout money from hand and paying millions of dollars in tournament purses with the other hand. No wonder people are crying afoul (link).

According the Northern Trust's CEO Fredereck Waddell: "We came to the conclusion that no public purpose would be served by canceling the Northern Trust Open and related events".

Really? No public purpose? How about the impression or message it sends to the public? How about the message that the government gives you a bailout because, if you didn't receive the money, you'd fail like your other competitors. Or how about ethics; don't they count anymore in the new way of doing business?

i don't begrudge a company hosting tournaments to improve their image, market their services and raise money for charity (PGA tour event raise millions of money each year for local and national charities). But at time like this to even give the hint of doing business as usual is just irresponsible.

Golf is the only sport where you police yourself; where you call penalties on yourself and there's something called golfer's etiquette. A true golfer doesn't take mulligans but i guess Northern Trust Bank didn't understand that golf is grounded in ethics. What a shame.


]]> Time to stop the "Bailouts" tag:poliwatch.org,2009:/forum//20.14699 2009-02-22T09:14:00Z 2009-07-01T21:12:31Z There is definitely no reason to bailout GM further if they are going to lay off 47,000 workers. I read an interesting article by a former autoworker. I forgot what site it was on but he states..." why would we... BobHenry http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=48 There is definitely no reason to bailout GM further if they are going to lay off 47,000 workers. I read an interesting article by a former autoworker. I forgot what site it was on but he states..." why would we bailout companies, that have for a couple of decades, been closing factories in the US, laying off auto workers and building the cars in other countries.

]]> They have been in cahoots with big oil, building gas guzzlers and have done nothing to help our country free itself from the grip of foreign oil. Why would we bailout companies who have forsaken the principles of Henry Ford to build a car that every average American can afford, and pay them a wage so they can afford it. When I was a kid you could buy a corvette at the average price of any automobile. Now the only thing a kid can do nowadays is look at the picture of one and drool. They are twice the price of the highest priced Cadillac.

The other thing is that these automakers may find it impossible to overcome their history. Why would an American who has bought one of their lemons, all of a sudden go back and buy another one. They have also lost their most faithful customers their employees. Why would we bailout these companies, it just doesn't make sense" some of this is paraphrased, but this guy offers some very different perspective on the issue, that I felt hit home on a personal level.

In my view it is time to stop the train, let the GM and Chrysler file bankruptcy, reorganization. Put Citigroup and bank of America into receivership and stop this taxpayer bailout baloney. It has gotten way out of hand.

]]> Senate Leadership: A Lack Thereof tag:poliwatch.org,2009:/forum//20.14695 2009-01-08T10:20:07Z 2009-09-20T06:43:17Z The 110th Congress was perhaps the most polarized, do nothing Congress in recent history. Unfortunately for America, the same line-up of leadership is present in the 111th Congress. In my view, there is a more apparent lack of leadership in... BobHenry http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=48 The 110th Congress was perhaps the most polarized, do nothing Congress in recent history. Unfortunately for America, the same line-up of leadership is present in the 111th Congress. In my view, there is a more apparent lack of leadership in the Senate, than the House of representatives.

]]> First, you have to look at the length of time these Senators serve. Byrd has reached the half century mark, Kennedy is three years behind, and many more have been in office for decades. There is an old saying that " a fish stinks from the head down. The next opportunity to vote out incumbents is 2010. The mentality of "the Congress is broken, but it's not my representative or senator" somehow has got to be changed. The message that, your own representative and senator are a part of the problem and should be voted out, needs to be sounded throughout the country. Our country has reached a watershed moment in history and depending on the actions taken by our representatives may well define our future or a lack of a future at all.

In many cases legislation that passes the House gets lost in the Senate. Any Senator can place a "secret hold" on legislation. This is not democracy when a single Senator can hold the entire country hostage because his or her beliefs are not aligned with the interests of the American people, but rather some special or self interest.

It is also my view that Senators, on a regular basis, do not meet their constitutional obligations which they are sworn to uphold. In to many serious issues they have passed the baton to the executive branch, commerce, war powers, the very definition of defense, the secrecy surrounding their interactions with the intelligence community. The concept of checks and balances has gone out the window.

Another obvious truth is that Senators begin their next campaign, right after re-election. this necessitates hooking up with special interests for money. You give to me & I give to you. The "people" seldom cross their minds, unless they are back home touting the bacon/pork they have brought. Where to start to correct this situation, again in my view, is with the leadership in the Seanate, or lack thereof. Senator Harry Reid does not have much of a view beyond his homestate of Nevada. He is one of the most lackluster leaders, I have ever seen. He weilds no power and the Republican minority seem to easily bulldoze over him and get billions for their pet projects in return for their votes. The Democrats need to take a stand now. Remove Harry Reid as Majority leader and perhaps replace him with someone like a Senator Testor or A Senator Webb or anyone with some kind of guts and allegiance to the constitution and American people.

The Republican leader Senator McConnell also should go. He is more interested in playing partisan politics. Again, I question his motives. He did not get sent back to the Senate with resounding support of the people of Kentucky. He just squeaked by a loss. Yet he returns as if he has some kind of mandate, somehow annointed. What is clear, he would be much better suited to be the chair of the rnc, than a Senator. How do you replace the leadership at this point. Pressure the democratic and republican caucuses, use an email campaign, get the word out to various groups and get momentum going. It is worth a shot and I will be interested in reading comments on this article, to get a sense of how many others agree with this, as well as possible variations on the theme.

Bob Henry/Maine

]]> Healthcare, Medicare, & the symptoms of a problem tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14692 2008-12-28T11:58:01Z 2009-01-03T06:29:56Z When The Medicare Part D prescription drug bill was formulated, it was the big drug companies who essentially handed the Congress all of the elements of the legislation. Who then, is the beneficiary of this little piece of artwork? Certainly... BobHenry http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=48 When The Medicare Part D prescription drug bill was formulated, it was
the big drug companies who essentially handed the Congress all of the
elements of the legislation. Who then, is the beneficiary of this little piece
of artwork? Certainly not us.

]]> This week a report that the federal budget now stands at 17% of our GNP, entitlements included. The report stated that 4.5% is social security, 4.5% is Medicare/Medicaid, and 4.5% is spent on Defense, the balance (not much runs everything else). The place to start is to rebuild the healthcare system. It is my belief that our health care system has morphed into a version of Wall Street, where the almighty dollar takes precedence over the actual health of Americans.
Healthcare premiums are killing our businesses and our budgets.

My wife recently had to go to the emergency room after a fall. We received bills from the Ambulance company, the laboratory, the x-ray outfit, the doctor who treated her...and finally a $3200 bill from a collection agency for the hospital. Who apparently lost our insurance info, never sent us a bill. When they realized it was over 90 days...went right to collection. I could
not figure out what the $3200 was for ...using their billing for an hour?

We got billed by all the people who did the work. It is simply put, another form of pillaging the people. President Elect Obama has made health care one of his priorities. Medicare and medicaid should be placed into a new health care system and placed under the Department of Health and Human services. I just don't see it as an effective stand alone agency.

If healthcare is to be legislated then lets get rid of part D and this time write it for the
people and not the drug companies. Use the buying power of the program to get deep discounts on prescription drugs. The people currently receiving Medicare/Medicaid can be placed under a new system where based on a sliding scale & reasonable premiums can be collected from those who are able to pay.

Another example of pillaging our government are all these little sweeteners that allow state governments to use Medicare to pay for resident placement and services for certain groups. It takes the burden off of the state. An example is the "Medicare based waiver" that pays for housing and staff to care for persons eligible to be placed in institutions, they have to be considered untreatable. As a result, you have a mini institution in a neighborhood near you
and you have no idea it is there ...but you are paying for it.

States need to step back up to the plate and stop relying on Federal funds to solve these problems. Get rid of the pork, I guess you would call it. States need to learn how to run
lean, mean government (so do the Feds), use cuts and not tax increases. A new health care system, needs to reign in separate billing by hospitals. Just like the grocery store you don't pay the butcher and the deli separate. You go to the register. So we have one bill, not 5 because they each have to pay for their Porsche that month.

Electronic records...as a veteran I can go to any Veterans facility in the country and my records are there. Create efficiencies in the system. As in the emrgency room...there appears to be 2 people treating patients and 40 people sitting at computers waiting to pounce on your insurance company. In many of our cities huge Medical facilities are taking over the skyline, gobbling
up block after block. It is a signature of the problem. If you analyzed the amount of space actually used to treat people. I would say is less than 25%. I would presume that most of the balance is for administration.

The cost of delivery is tied to the mortgages these facilities have. In the city of Portland Maine, which is nearby, the Medical facility is the most prominent landmark. It towers above and sprawls along the skyline. Gone are the shipbuilders, the fisherman, the foundries, the locomotive factory, the chandlers and all of the businesses that once marked a thriving vibrant city.

My great grandfather started a foundry in 1898. It went out of business in the 1980's. We could not compete with cheap foreign products. We had an efficient foundry. All our products were quality...not cheap. As we have gone over to a "service" economy health care has become
one of the largest economic sectors. The problem is ...it is not an industry...it is a symptom of our problem.


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]]> Apathy is no longer an option tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14634 2008-09-24T19:54:09Z 2009-03-20T15:19:33Z About this author: Rich, born in Denmark, is US Resident "Alien" since 1984 who has been living temporarily in Europe for the past 5 years. When he becomes eligible again, he will apply to be a US citizen. My wife... R E Pedersen http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=42 About this author: Rich, born in Denmark, is US Resident "Alien" since 1984 who has been living temporarily in Europe for the past 5 years. When he becomes eligible again, he will apply to be a US citizen.

My wife and I have been living outside the US for 5 years now. It has been interesting to view America from the outside. You don't realize it when you're living there, but the media that you're exposed to is very US-centric. It really is like being inside a bubble. Americans don't really get exposed much to how the rest of the world sees the US. America used to be the guiding light, the inspiration for other nations, the country where everyone wanted to emigrate to and start a new life. Well, that reputation has taken a hell of a beating over the last 8 years and especially the past 4-5 years -- mostly because of the Bush administration and the Republican party. The foreign policy. The war in Iraq. The environmental policy. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And Bush acting like a complete idiot everywhere he goes. That's to name just a few.

But you know what? You can't solely blame Bush and his cronies. And let me tell you, they aren't the only ones being targeted for criticism by the world outside the bubble. The comment we hear the most often over here is "How could you guys elect that idiot twice?" They have a point. We dropped the ball. We let the whole world down. And now we just look like a bunch of jerks with egg on our faces.

The common retort to hearing about what the rest of the world thinks about us is: "Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?! This is America. This is an American election." This to me is such an ignorant, short-sighted response. One thing many Americans don't seem to understand is that the US is a PART OF THE WORLD. It is not secluded inside a bubble. Our actions have a GLOBAL effect.

That is why this election is SO important. We need to prove to the world that we're not a bunch of apathetic assholes squandering the whole idea behind democracy. We need to prove that we can take RESPONSIBILITY for how we live and how that affects the entire world. To bring the US back to its roots as an inspiration and as a good example, we need a president that is intelligent, articulate, open-minded, aware, and inspiring.

I can't vote because I'm not a citizen (yet), so I really want to encourage every eligible person to vote. By now, it is obvious how I would vote if I was able to, but of course, I am not going to be so crass as to try bullying you to vote the same way. I just really would like to ask that you vote, period. (Hopefully, most of you will vote for Obama, though!) My wife and I are moving back to the US on November 19th. A McCain/Palin win is almost enough to make me change my mind about coming back at all and I really want to come back, so please help!

A lot of people hold onto the belief/custom that one should not talk about politics with friends, family, or coworkers. That your political stance is a private matter. To a certain point, I can agree with that. BUT NOT IN THIS ELECTION. Please do everything you can to get out there and make your opinions known. Bother your friends and family. Take the risk!

A note to anyone who doesn't believe in voting: Apathy is not an option anymore. Did you know that there are statistically more Democrats in the US than Republicans? There are 72 million registered Democrats, 55 million Republicans, and 42 million Independents (though this data is from 2004, the numbers couldn't have changed enough to make a noticeable difference). If all 72 million voted, the win would be by a healthy margin. So please make plans to vote. Set aside the time now. Plan ahead. And please encourage everyone you know to do the same.

If you haven't registered, you need to get on the ball because the deadlines are right around the corner. You can find out what your state's deadline here:

http://www.rockthevote.com/voting-is-easy/important-dates/

And if you are overseas, your deadline is October 3rd. More info here:

https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm

]]> Identity Politics tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14627 2008-09-21T23:44:54Z 2008-10-01T15:36:04Z How does he do it? How does John McCain keep a straight face while accusing Barack Obama of planning a huge tax increase and of being at the core of a corrupt system run by lobbyists? (See McCain speech of... Cindy Murrell http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=38 How does he do it? How does John McCain keep a straight face while accusing Barack Obama of planning a huge tax increase and of being at the core of a corrupt system run by lobbyists? (See McCain speech of Sept. 19.) A minute's glance at Obama's tax plan shows that he's planning a tax cut, and everyone knows Obama was a prime mover behind new restrictions on lobbyists passed by Congress last year. Meanwhile, McCain continues to base his campaign on advice from associates who have built their careers, fortunes, values and connections as lobbyists for major corporations.

Does NO ONE remember that McCain was one of "the Keating Five"?!! We have heard many details about McCain's behavior as a prisoner of war 35 years ago, but not a whisper about his behavior as a U. S. Senator when he was over 50 years old. He and four other Senators pressured the Federal Home Loan Bank Board to keep open the insolvent Lincoln Savings and Loan on behalf of McCain campaign contributor and personal friend Charles Keating (who also had business ties to Cindy McCain). Over 20,000 people, many of them retirees who had been persuaded to shift their money to uninsured accounts, lost all their savings. When asked if he believed his contributions had bought him influence with his representatives, Keating famously replied, "I want to say in the most forceful way I can: I certainly hope so." McCain agreed with the conclusion of the Senate Ethics Committee investigation, that he had shown "poor judgment."

Much more recently, McCain's first choice for economic advisor was former Senator Phil Gramm, a fierce fighter for deregulation, whose wife Wendy had a direct hand in facilitating the Enron disaster! At the end of her term as chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Wendy Gramm passed a rule change deregulating trading in derivatives by energy companies. A few weeks afterward, she joined Enron's Board of Directors, where for eight years she and other well-paid directors blithely approved every conflict-ridden scheme brought before them. For over 20 years, John McCain has breathed the air and the worldview of many people like Charles Keating and the Gramms.

So how can John McCain keep a straight face when accusing Barack Obama of being at the core of the corrupt system McCain was in bed with all the time Obama was in college and later driving the streets of Chicago, helping impoverished people develop their own leadership skills to take on city hall to improve their lives? Either McCain is out of touch with reality (scary), or he is deliberately using lies as a campaign tactic (scarier?).

Perhaps McCain figures if he claims the opposite of anything Obama says, uninformed voters will logically conclude that one of them is lying. And who will they think is lying? The young Harvard-schooled lawyer with an unfamiliar name? Or the experienced, grandfatherly war veteran--who also happens to be comfortingly White?

McCain has thrown away his politics of "character" and opted for a politics of identity. Will this strategy work? You get to decide.

]]> I am tired of hearing about stuff that doesn't matter!! Are you? tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14625 2008-09-21T00:54:54Z 2009-02-20T03:29:41Z I am tired of hearing about the stuff that doesn't matter. It's like shiny thing swinging in front of babies. WHY ISN'T AMERICA GETTING PISSED OFF?! Who really cares about lipstick choices, hairstyles, salad green preference, hair plugs, personal injuries... AmericanComment http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=40 I am tired of hearing about the stuff that doesn't matter. It's like shiny thing swinging in front of babies. WHY ISN'T AMERICA GETTING PISSED OFF?!

Who really cares about lipstick choices, hairstyles, salad green preference, hair plugs, personal injuries or injustices.

I am even sick of hearing about pregnant daughters, shooting moose, emails with stars, the tails of airplanes and the costs of a wife's dress.

Aren't we all tired of the lies and comments about religious beliefs, flag pins, "crazy" pastors and age?

As Americans, true patriotic, red-blooded stewards of the greatest political experiment (gone right) in history we need to be talking about three things.

SURVIVAL. SUCCESS. DOMINANCE

Survival -
Of course we need to protect our people from terrorists and eminent threat. Let's force politicians to provide a better definition of these terms. Let's also force them to provide a better explanation of what they will do in the future to protect us from them.

Success -
Are we all going to just wait around to lose our jobs and start drifting around the country like poor American's in the 1920's and 1930's? The excess of the first couple of decades in the 1900s provided both good and bad. There were great philanthropists, but greedy people were the majority of the rich. The results was a crash of the markets, followed by something we call The Great Depression (with all of those important capital letters). The result of this was the rise of the Democrats, Social Security, industry regulation and many of the other protections that have eroded, under both parties, for the past 30 years. Yes these things slowed our growth and created a burden for the government (especially Social Security). But, they also ensured that we had protection against those within, or outside, who care about their own success at the expense of everyone else. Let's force our politicians to provide real answers to our economic situation. Let's be prepared not to like all of them (recovery may not come easy). Let's insist that they prove they have the support from Congressmen (and women) and Senators to force these idea to become laws. NO MORE EMPTY PROMISES FROM EITHER SIDE. NO MORE CANDY-COATED STORIES ABOUT HOW OUR "FUNDAMENTALLY-STRONG" ECONOMY WILL RECOVER WITHOUT EACH AND EVERY AMERICANS HELP!

Dominance -
The single most impressive thing about America has always been US, the American people. We dominated thought around the world not because we had the biggest army, or we had the most money. We dominated not because we spoke the loudest, were the most pugnacious or won the most medals in games. WE DOMINATED BECAUSE OUR STRUCTURE ALLOWED FOR PERSONAL FREEDOMS THAT WERE UNHEARD OF IN MOST PLACES OF THE WORLD. We were willing to accept a bit less from the government in return for allowing a little more for ourselves. Now we have candidates who actively (with support) announce the freedoms that they want to withhold or rescind. I TELL YOU WHAT, GIVE ME A STRONG ECONOMY FIRST. ENSURE MY SURVIVAL FIRST. Let us once again dominate by the simple fact of being AMERICANS rather than because we have more money or more guns.

If you have made it this far I am impressed. Many of our fellow citizens stopped reading long ago. They deserve whatever failed policies we have and what ever empty promises they get. SADLY 300 Million cannot steer a ship. It takes a small command unit to accomplish that. If you want to be part of the command unit, but like me, are not a big corporation or industry with an endless supply of cash and lobbyists, then please do two things:

1. Make a list of the fundamental or core issues you truly feel it will take to fix this country. *(this list should not contain anything issue that is specific to "you". It should be something that is applicable to ALL AMERICANS)

2. Contact Barack Obama's campaign and tell them that you will vote for him, but only if Mr. Obama can prove, not just talk about, the facts of how he will enact solutions. He must be able to show support from those who have the power to stalemate him (Congress and Senate).

The reason I have not put this same challenge to John McCain is because he has already made it clear, through words and action, that he believes the current process is at east 90% correct. I think it is much too far of a leap to expect him to change course (some might say again) at this late date.

Thank you from a frustrated fellow AMERICAN.

]]> John McCain in the Land of Oz tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14619 2008-09-16T15:36:05Z 2008-09-21T18:21:37Z The cyclone of Republican campaign spin is carrying the house of political discourse to the Land of Oz, a land richly entertaining because it is nothing at all like our humdrum Kansas reality. The original straight-talking McCain told people the... Cindy Murrell http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=38 The cyclone of Republican campaign spin is carrying the house of political discourse to the Land of Oz, a land richly entertaining because it is nothing at all like our humdrum Kansas reality.

The original straight-talking McCain told people the environmental damage of offshore drilling wouldn't be worth the amount of oil extracted.

But he learned people won't make you Wizard if you don't promise easy answers. So now he lets them yell, "Drill, baby, drill!" even though he knows that any offshore drilling started today would not reduce gas prices until AFTER a baby born today finishes college--and then only by a nickel or so.

As L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz complained, "How can I help being a humbug . . . when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can't be done?" John McCain is a good man--but a bad wizard.

McCain the man knows Governor Sarah Palin never returned the money for the "Bridge to Nowhere" and that she only stopped building it because it might hurt Alaska's ability to get future federal appropriations. McCain the Wizard repeats just enough of the story to create the false illusion that Palin has rejected earmarks in the past.

McCain the man knows Barack Obama voted for age-appropriate sex education to help protect children from sexual predators. McCain the Wizard knows running an ad accusing Obama of promoting "comprehensive sex education" for kindergarteners will scare some people into voting against Obama.

McCain the man knows that Obama had nothing to do with the chain emails and internet postings about Palin that FactCheck.org assesses as "false" and "misleading." McCain the Wizard knows that if he places FactCheck.org's words on top of Obama's photo in an ad, many people will wrongly blame Obama for the rumors.

McCain the man knows that Obama's tax plan cuts taxes overall almost as much as McCain's plan. He knows Obama's plan cuts taxes eight times as much as his own plan for Americans making less than $38,000 (40% of us) and three times as much for the middle 20%. He knows that only those who earn more than $200,000 a year will pay more taxes under Obama's plan. McCain the Wizard can't spin this, so he just denies it and claims the opposite, trusting that people will not search out the facts.

McCain the man knows Obama was not even thinking of Sarah Palin when Obama called McCain's proposals "putting lipstick on a pig." McCain the Wizard demands an apology, even as ABC Nightline airs video of McCain calling Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan "putting lipstick on a pig." Did McCain intend to call Clinton a pig? Did he apologize? PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

McCain does not have to create all the illusions himself. The Emerald City in Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is beautiful and unique mostly because everyone entering the city must lock green eyeglasses onto their heads. Most conservatives and liberals today eagerly lock on their red or blue eyeglasses.

If you wear the red eyeglasses:
You are unable to perceive any of the detailed proposals behind the mantras of "Hope," "Change," and "Yes, we can!"--but the red eyeglasses also block even the desire for specific definition of the slogans "Country First" and "Service."

Obama's ability to thoughtfully assess our nation's problems and craft a motivating speech is trivial; Palin's punchy delivery of a speech written by others before she was selected shows leadership.

Obama's pastor cursing the U. S. for its racism is unforgiveable; Palin's pastor saying the U. S. will not escape God's punishment is understandable.

Obama's not wearing a flag pin all the time proves his lack of true patriotism; Sarah Palin's speaking to the convention of the Alaskan Independence Party (whose primary goal is to lobby for a vote on secession from the U. S.) of which her husband was a seven-year member shows her open-mindedness.

McCain's original refusal to fall in line with right-wing orthodoxy on issues like permanent tax cuts for the rich, torture, immigration reform and offshore drilling is deeply disturbing, but when he concedes to pressure and GIVES UP these independent positions, you hail him as "OUR (tamed) maverick."

If you wear the red eyeglasses, Cindy McCain is a generous crusader for the good, but Teresa Heinz Kerry is an elitist heiress. If you wear blue eyeglasses, reverse that.

Voters will have to decide if they are going to demand impossible things of their leaders, if they enjoy being told diverting and comforting election-time stories, or if they want to come home to Kansas. In Baum's book, Dorothy decides she "was glad she had not gone up in a balloon;" it would have been a mistake to leave the ground with an untrustworthy guide. Dorothy learned to use her own power to solve her problems. If we want to be free and powerful, we will unlock our red and our blue eyeglasses, pull back the curtain, and see what's really there.

]]> Drill, Drill, Drill the American People tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14615 2008-09-14T16:42:06Z 2008-12-29T04:57:22Z Its pretty obvious the recent run up of gasoline prices had less to do with supply shortages and more to do with driving up the cost of oil. So why do we hear from the oil companies that they need... j2t2 http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=33 Its pretty obvious the recent run up of gasoline prices had less to do with supply shortages and more to do with driving up the cost of oil. So why do we hear from the oil companies that they need to drill immediately in ANWR and the continental shelf to ensure the shortages that don't exist won't continue. Why do we hear the republicans demanding that we drill now when it's common knowledge that it will take several years before any drilling can actually take place in areas currently not leased by the drilling companies? Why do we see the Democrats capitulating on the issue when the cornerstone of the Democrats energy plan is to wean ourselves from fossil fuels?

]]> The answer to these questions is Greed and Ignorance, greed on the part of the oil companies and their lapdogs in the federal government and ignorance on the part of the American people. Now I can understand the oil companies' actions and their sense of urgency but I don't understand the American people and their insistence upon shooting themselves in the foot. I feel the pain of $4.25 gas and the corresponding inflation in the prices of most goods and services as much as most Americans. But there has to come a time where we as citizens must toughen up and make the necessary changes to cope with the nations energy problems, not complain and whine as if we can't stand the pain. We must pull together as a country and do the right thing for ourselves for a change. We must demand a fair shake from the oil companies for the natural resources that belong to the American people.

We must make substantial changes to current laws before we give up the rights to natural resources such as oil and natural gas on lands leased to drilling companies. We need to change existing law to allow the federal government to collect the appropriate amount of royalties in lieu of being under paid by the oil companies. In light of record profits we need to take away the corporate welfare known as incentives as well as tax breaks for oil companies drilling on federal land. We need to increase the fees for oil and natural gas that is harvested from the leases. We need to put some teeth into enforcement and oversight of the leases if the recent sex and corruption scandal in is any indication. It is time to hold the CEO's of these oil companies not just financially responsible but morally and ethically responsible for the conduct of the companies they lead as well as holding our public officials and employees to a much higher standard. We need to ensure that the companies that drill on public lands are held to high environmental standards while drilling and harvesting oil and natural gas on public lands. We must insist that these companies be financially responsible for environmental problems caused by their operations on these lands and in the oceans.

"Yet there is another compelling reason to oppose the plan: the federal system of offshore leasing has been characterized by gross mismanagement that has allowed big oil companies to avoid paying billions of dollars in royalties. There is no reason to doubt that an expansion of drilling leases would bring more of the same."

After all it's our natural resources the oil companies want to put on the world market, and then charge US consumers $4 a gallon (while raking in record profits), not theirs and we as owners of these natural resources should expect more return on our natural resources.

When these conditions are meant then we need to lift the moratorium on ANWR and the continental shelf. Then and only then should we allow our government to lease any additional areas for drilling by the oil companies.


To hear what the has to say on the subject.

Submitted by j2j2
J2t2@q.com

]]> Some of Ray's Brief Dictionary of Political Buzz Words tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14610 2008-09-09T03:59:58Z 2008-09-09T03:59:59Z Bush (Bŭsh΄) Adjective. Democratic meanings: See Failure. 1.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as incompetent. 2.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as dishonest. 3.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as Nazi. 4.) Filthy four letter word, loosely... Ray Guest http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=36 Bush (Bŭsh΄) Adjective. Democratic meanings: See Failure. 1.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as incompetent. 2.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as dishonest. 3.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as Nazi. 4.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as President. 5.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as stupid. 6.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as chicken hawk. 7.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as idiot, dry drunk, gun slingin, no account, failure. 8.) Filthy four letter word, loosely translated as King George the Incompetent. 9.) Filthy four letter word... period. Republican meanings: 1.) Simple, revered, bold, courageous - misunderstood, innocent, slandered, moral - wise, flawless, patriotic, straight forward, common sensical underdog. The Republicans are a naïve lot.

Estate Tax (Ĕstāt΄ Tăx) noun. 1.) The fair tax levied against the rich for the explicit purpose of leveling the playing field from one generation to the next and preventing the establishment of virtual Royalty in the United States of America. As in: America is the land of opportunity and someone who has the privilege of becoming rich should pay an estate tax, thereby donating much of their riches back to the public good when they die, and allow their children to become rich the old fashioned way - by working for it.

Ethics (Ĕth-ēēks΄) Adjective. 1.) An archaic term describing something that has not existed in the Whitehouse for over fifty years. 2.) A class that President George Bush the Second has ordered taught, in order to restore honor and dignity to the Royal Court... er... um... Whitehouse... 3.) Core traditional Republican values. 4.) Core traditional Democratic values. 5.) Doing "not just what is legal" but "doing what is right". 6.) The types of political processes used by President George Bush to advance the administration's agenda. As in: We got values - you see. 7.) The opposite of Karl Rove. 8.) The opposite of Dick Cheney. 9.) The opposite of... Oh... you get the point.

Extremist (Ĕx-trēm΄-ǐstss) noun. 1.) The other guy. 2.) Republican. 3.) Democrat. 4.) Pat Robertson. 5.) Dick Cheney. 6.) Donald Rumsfeld. 7.)Osama bin Laden 8.) Me.

Fag (Făg) See Karl Rove Adjective. 1.) A derogatory term used by homo-phobes (see Republican) to describe Godless hordes of homosexual men (see Democrat) that threaten to overwhelm the American way of life (see missionary position).

Faith (Fāth) noun. 1.) Belief in things unseen, but known in one's deepest core. As in: I have faith that the Bush Regime is lying to the American people. 2.) The idea that George Bush will not abuse the awesome power of warrantless wiretaps and the Unitary Executive to subvert The Constitution of the United States of America. 3.) The idea that some future President will not abuse the awesome power of warrantless wiretaps and the Unitary Executive to subvert The Constitution of the United States of America, if George the Second gets away with consolidating that much illegal, unbalanced, unchecked, unconstitutional power in the office of the Presidency. 4.) The belief by neo-cons that George the Incompetent is above the law. 5.) The blind belief that Dick Cheney will not shoot you, if you go hunting pet birds with him, after he has been drinking. 6.) The cute, naive, innocent quaint, and blind belief by neo-cons that creating a democracy in a country full of people that hate us will produce a country that loves us. 7.) A comforting belief to have when your life is passing before your eyes after Dick Cheney has shot you in the face and heart. 8.) The idea that electronic voting machines with no paper trails are actually posting your vote in the same way that you cast it. 9.) A comforting, uplifting, meaningful belief in God. 10.) A religion that turns its rigid fundamentalist dogma into a craven image of God. See Pat Robertson. See Osama bin Laden. 11.) The neo-con idea that you can force somebody to be free.

Faith Based (Fāth Bās-dŭ) noun. 1.) A belief that does not make any sense and therefore must be taken on faith. 2.) The antonym of fact based. 3.) The Republican agenda. 4.) A belief, program, or initiative based on religion.5.) Attempting to base one's life on one's understanding of God's will.

Fatwa (Făt΄-wă) noun. 1.) Osama's ravings. 2.) The opinion of an Islamic leader. 3.) A rational for killing innocent people. 4.) An order for warrantless wiretaps. 5.) An excuse to subvert The Constitition of the United States of America 6.) Republican, for the ravings of Godless hordes of non-Christians. 7.) Pat Robertson calling for the assassination of a democratically elected foreign leader while he has a mass murdering dictator as a business partner.

]]> Polls tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14606 2008-09-07T08:53:19Z 2008-09-07T09:06:25Z The most accurate polls available take into account the draw of votes by the other two candidates for President, Bob Barr, and Ralph Nader. Here are the latest results from differing organizations since Mid-August to 9/03/08: Average 08/15 - 09/03... David R. Remer http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=3 The most accurate polls available take into account the draw of votes by the other two candidates for President, Bob Barr, and Ralph Nader. Here are the latest results from differing organizations since Mid-August to 9/03/08:

Average 08/15 - 09/03 Obama by 3.8%

Democracy Corps (D) 09/01 - 09/03 Obama by 5%

CNN 08/29 - 08/31 Obama by 2%

ABC News/Wash Post 08/19 - 08/22 Obama by 6%

NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 08/15 - 08/18 Obama by 5%

LA Times/Bloomberg 08/15 - 08/18 Obama by 1%

]]> Sarah Palin National Debut tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14603 2008-09-04T21:37:44Z 2008-09-06T02:17:09Z I was very moved and impressed with Gov. Palin's speech at the Convention this evening. WoW! A mom of five, and wife to a hard working man she still refers to as "her guy". It was moving for the thousands... LA Hanna http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=30 I was very moved and impressed with Gov. Palin's speech at the Convention this evening. WoW! A mom of five, and wife to a hard working man she still refers to as "her guy". It was moving for the thousands in the Convention hall. She spent a good deal of her speech talking about her family being just a regular American family with its ups and downs. It was brilliant because it disarmed the mud being slung at her over her daughter's pregnancy and seeking office with a special needs child.

]]> I did not hear a lot of plans or issues discussed, but, then it will be President McCain who will be setting that agenda, not her. So, that was appropriate. She did deliver what was expected in the way of using the Obama/Biden weaknesses in her address, demonstrating she can play hard ball with the best of them. Very impressive.

And her statement about rural towns like the one she was mayor of, and guns and religion brought the house down. She knows how to reach out to Republicans, and that she did. I am now convinced that Palin adds a great deal to Sen. McCain's bid for the presidency. She will reach American women and moms in a way that Giuiliani, Lieberman, and Romney could not.

I'd read that Obama's poll numbers had gone up since his speech. I think Gov. Palin will do the same for McCain's numbers this next week. I hope so. America needs regular folks with families to govern with American families in mind. Gov. Palin said she would be an advocate for families with special needs when she is in the White House. I don't think anyone can argue with that. She was impressive.

]]> Young Republican Bloggers tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14594 2008-08-30T16:45:12Z 2008-08-31T22:49:28Z I would like to invite any other young (16 to 30 year old) voters to get involved in blogging. I am new to blogging, and I a not that great a writer. But, my Mom got me a word processor... LA Hanna http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=30 I would like to invite any other young (16 to 30 year old) voters to get involved in blogging. I am new to blogging, and I a not that great a writer. But, my Mom got me a word processor and it corrects my spelling and grammar mistakes, so I can concentrate on saying what I want to say.

When I am done writing, I just copy and paste what I wrote on to a blog like this one at Poliwatch.

We Republicans have to get our voices out there. But, more importantly, we young Republicans have a real stake in the future of our country as we are going to live here for another 6 to 8 decades. We need to make our voices heard. Our voices are somewhat different than older Republicans who vote and forget about it.

We have a real stake in demanding a halt to deficit spending by Republicans and Democrats. We have a real stake in electing young Republicans who won't commit the errors of the Republicans who lost the elections in 2006 due to acting more like Democrats than even Democrats on some things like government spending and deficits and debt.

We young Republicans are going to be paying off those debts our of our own paychecks. We have to insure that Republicans who stand for fiscal responsibility and limited budgets and limited government intrusion into our personal lives, retake those principles for our Party and make them credible again. It is up to us. No one else is going to do this for us.

Become a young political blogger. You can sign up here and learn the tips and tricks right here. This is what attracted me to PoliWatch. Not only does PoliWatch offer side by side comparisons of different political views, but the managers here will help you and me learn the ropes and become effective bloggers. I have yet to find another blog on the internet that provides us young people this opportunity.

I hope you will take this opportunity as I have and promote a credible Republican Party for our future. The people here at Poliwatch will help anyone with a good head on their shoulders regardless of what party they belong to. Take advantage, its free. Take control, it is our country too and our future.

]]> What is a Voter to do? tag:poliwatch.org,2008:/forum//20.14557 2008-08-21T03:20:06Z 2008-08-27T22:20:31Z Voters in America by landslide majorities disapprove of how their government is being run. What is such a voter to do? Well there are three options, but, only one makes any logical sense if the goal is to improve how... David R. Remer http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=20&id=3 Voters in America by landslide majorities disapprove of how their government is being run. What is such a voter to do? Well there are three options, but, only one makes any logical sense if the goal is to improve how government is run.

The first is option is to kick the dirt in disgust and stay home on election day.

The second option is to go vote for the same politician you did last time and the time before that. You know, that same politician who, along with his/her fellow politicians, are responsible for this government being run the way it is.

The third option, and the only one that makes any logical sense, is to vote, and this time vote for the challenger, even if you have to hold your nose to do it. Why does this make sense? Because if the average reelection rate for U.S. Congress drops from around 92% to 60%, the majority of politicians will develop a new found respect for the voters who just might kick their butt out next time around.

Politicians won't improve government unless we voters improve our sense of responsibility for electing and UNelecting them.

David R. Remer
Vote Out Incumbents Democracy

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