I think it is very scary when people say things like "burn these stripes and you'll see stars"- this is America. We were born rebels, and we fought for freedom of speech, among other things. What I find really sad is how un-familiar most people are with the proper handling of the flag- like how it should never touch the ground, or how the proper way to retire a flag is to burn it- usually while playing taps. No lie. I am am Eagle Scout, and I know these things.
Also, I think it is as offensive to yell "you lie" to a sitting President during a speech to both houses of congress as it is to burn a flag in protest.
Of course, it's real- and the reason nobody can find it is that it is also mystical- so it doesn't always reside in this plain of reality. Or maybe it can tunnel into mud, like a giant worm- I mean, just because we can't find it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Nobody has ever really seen a black hole, but nobody is saying they don't exist. And I prefer to live in a world with mystery, with magic, with Nessie.
How can you say you didn't like it if you didn't see it? How are we supposed to move forward as a society if we don't listen to each other? It seems crazy to comment on something you haven't witnessed.
No argument- speech rocked- what I didn't like was the rude behavior of congressman from South Carolina
Give me a break- I think the person who crossed the line was Mr. Palin, who tried to imply Letterman was saying something about the 14 year old daughter when obviously it was about the one who got pregnent and had a kid out of wed lock- was the joke in bad taste? That's subjective- but the Palin's are in the public eye, and they put their daughters up on stage for the world to see- and to make jokes about. I think all this publicity about a stupid joke just gives them more press- which is no doubt what the Palin family wants.
I think they're all great- I think the questions is a bit off- like there's some kind of contest or something. Should we take the final four candidates and have them slug it out? I think a better way of thinking about the subject would be to ask "who are some of you favorite civil rights leaders, and why?". A small distinction, perhaps.
It would more amazing if Earth was the only planet in the entire universe to support intelligent life forms. I mean, come on- what are the odds? Have UFO's visited us? Probably. Will we ever know for sure? Probably. Does their existence endanger our religious beliefs? NO. So why do people insist otherwise? Because they're morons.
I think that's a bad idea- I think that's something they do in totalitarian regimes, not in the U.S. of A.
No- if one of the people on one of the major tickets in the recent presidential election is so stupid that she doesn't even know that Africa is a continent, as opposed to a country, why should the people voting for or against her have to be smarter? I don't think the founders of our country were joking when they wrote that they believed that all people "are created equal".
The implication seems to be, are we going to have a bad attack because Obama is the President elect- and that's a bunch of baloney. No doubt, there are people plotting to attack us- as there have been before 9/11, and have been since. Should we act like there is a threat? Of course. Should we let that threat take away our American way of life? Take away our freedom? Of course not. I am going to hope that, if Obama gets a memo saying someone is determined to attack us with planes flying into buildings, that he will do something about it.
Tinklenberg needs to win if for no other reason than to get Bachmann out of office- she's a nut, a throw back to the anti-commie whackos of days gone by. No doubt, she's who Michael Stipe had in mind when he wrote the song "Exhuming McCarthy". For those who may have missed it, she put in a really disturbing appearance on Hardball on Friday, saying, among other things, that "I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out if they are pro-America or anti-America". That's just divisive and unhealthy. Have you no decency- at long last, Ms. Bachmann, have you no decency left?
My father lived in Alaska off and on from 1952 until his death in 2003. He was what they call a real sourdough. He knew everything there was to know about the state- he would go on tirades about James Michner because he described a certain area poorly in his novel Alaska. My father was also a red neck, a working man, and a history buff- and he never, ever had anything but contempt for Ted Stevens. He new plenty of people with connections in Alaskan politics, and he said they all agreed that Stevens was as crooked as the day is long- and in summer, Alaskan days last a mighty long time. Based solely on my dad's views, I say vote for Begich simply to vote against Stevens.
At this point in the game, everyone it's all about persona- how one comes off to the general public. The time of intricate explanations of policy are over- what people are looking for is the basic essence of the person. John McCain comes off as fake- I don't think anyone, other than those already far into the McCain camp, took the 'Joe the Plumber' storyline as anything other than that- a storyline; a bunch of baloney made up by one of McCain's advisers in a desperate attempt to connect with the average working man or woman. On top of that, McCain also came off, yet again, as grumpy. And he kept saying that America is angry- which doesn't play too well. On the other hand, Obama came off as magnanimous, steady, and thoughtful, even when McCain tried to insinuate that Acorn is some evil cabal and that Obama hasn't been forthright to the public regarding his relationship with that organization- both of which assertions are false. No contest- Obama wins third debate, making it 3-0.
When all the talk about Joe the Plumber started up, it brought to mind a similar incident where Bob Schaffer used an ordinary citizen for political gain, but unlike our pal Joe, the citizen Schaffer used was an unwilling participant. When Schaffer was a Representative for the House of Rep. from Fort Collins, he decided to make some hay out of naming Post Offices after ordinary citizens facing life's "extraordinary challenges". He pushed through a bill in congress naming the local post office after Barney Apodaca, who did not want that to happen, and asked for it to be taken back. You can read about it in the humorous book Bush-Whacked, Chronicles of Government Stupidity (available on amazon)- it's on page 67. Just another example of how out of touch the GOP really is with the common man.
Okay, investigated, not charged. A case of semantics, I grant you. But I believe the issue in general was unsavory associations- and Keating is not the only example, simply the most noted, and to many people, the most pertinent in light of our current economic situation. On top of Keating, there's Jerry Falwell, whom McCain was distanced himself from but then, in what seems to be a pattern, contradicted himself and embraced. Then there's that guy from Texas- I'm sure you know who I mean- who once said that rape is like bad weather. If you know it's going to happen, you might as well lay back and enjoy it. That's an actual quote told by a McCain supporter- a guy who raised money for him. Now, I forget- has McCain properly distanced himself from that guy? Gotten rid of any and all money raised for him by this reprobate? And in case you can't think of his name, it's Clayton Williams. You can read about him in a link below, or just google him- he was once the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Texas.
The point is this- if there is going to be finger pointing at candidates for knowing, associating, taking money, or whatever from people of questionable character, let's make sure and do it on both sides.
One more thing- if you were really embarrassed to use Wikipedia, why did you? Why didn't you find some other source, if it was so below you?
Let's see- there's McCain, who wants to tax existing Health Care plans as part of people's income, or Obama, who wants to cut taxes for people who make less than $250,000. McCain, the de-regulating buddy of Charles Keating, and Obama- community organizer. For the common man and woman, the economic plan that will help them the most is Obama's, no two ways about it.
Actually, he was charged in the Keating Five matter- as one of the five senators who improperly used their influence as members of the United States Senate to protect Charles Keating- who took advantage of deregulation in the S & L market, made some very questionable deals with other people's money, and as a result and lost a lot of citizens their life's savings. (sound familiar?). True, McCain was not convicted- but he was censured for his actions.
I'll make this as simple as I can- the only way we are going to get real change in this country- the only way we are going to be able to do something about the economic disaster, the wars without end, the environments continual debasement- is to get a democratic majority in both houses of congress. If you want health care reform, vote for Figures. If you want Wall Street reform, vote for Figures. If you want to leave the world safer, cleaner- in a word better- for your children, vote Figures. If there is any doubt about how important this election is, read the headlines from ten different papers for the past week. To put it into one issue- think about how the GOP gutted FEMA, and what happened all along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We can't afford another minute of a congress or White House controlled by the Republicans. Time for change. Time for Figures.
To paraphrase P.T. Barnum, there's a moron born every minute. And not just people who say they're voting for Obama. How many idiots out there still think Obama is a Muslim? How many people even know what the Keating 5 scandal was about? I do take issue with the one-sided-ness of the Stern piece, and agree with the writer who asked why he didn't go to the South and seek out McCain supporters and ask why they are voting Republican. I think in that respect that the piece actually adds to the ignorance of John and Jane Q. Public. But I digress- are most voters ignorant? I think, to a certain extent, yes. And this is not unique to the American experience- in our long, oh so slow evolution as a species, we've done a lot of stupid sh*&- let's all remember that Hitler was actually elected at first, Galileo got the crap kicked out of him for saying the Earth was not the center of the universe, and that carpenter from Galilee got crucified for teaching peace, love, and understanding. So, yes, there are, and have always been, a lot of stupid folks out there. But, as Anne Frank said, in spite of everything I still believe people are good inside.
Hedrick has the right approach to education, to the environment, and to the economy. As the son of a teacher, I can appreciate his background as and educator in the California school system- which is as Byzantine a hornet's nest as you'll ever find. If he can handle that, he can handle the House of Representatives. His approach to energy- finding alternative sources that are green- will create new jobs right here. As for his opponent, this is a relic of the old school of thinking that got our economy where it is today- and on top of that, he's a bit of a hypocrite. (see link below for amusing story)
It is more clear, with every passing day, that what the country needs is to do is rid itself of any remnant of the Republican platform of the last eight years- and I don't care what any member of the GOP says about themselves and how different they are from Bush, to me they are all the same, and have lost any and all credibility. Just look at what happened today, both here and abroad- as the end result of the "trickle down" effect, de-regulating, greed is good type of thinking, we are looking at the very real possibility of another Great Depression dead in the eye- Thanks Gipper! Seriously, Carl Levin is a seasoned, powerful Democrat, a senior senator who is chair of the armed services committee who has proven himself time and again as a servant of both Michigan and America. I am confidant he will demand justice and accountability from the corporate world in the days to come, and in the next session of congress.
You know, I don't think anyone is too happy about the bail out, which McNerney voted for- but I also believe that it had to be done, in one form or other, and I think it was actually brave of McNerney to support it in both incarnations. In fact, if the GOP hadn't acted like a bunch of horses behinds, grandstanding in front of the cameras after the first attempt to pass the bail out, there would be $140 billion less in pork included in the deal. Thanks a lot, Republican members of the house. McNerney is a realist, a pragmatic politician with experience and vision, as shown by his approach to new energy. (see his post on Huffington Post below). I grew up in that area, and people that I know and have trusted all my life agree with me the McNerney is the man to vote for come November.
Former Marine Bob Tuke is a moderate liberal populist who has been endorsed by Tennessee's favorite son Al Gore and Gen. Wesley Clark, and deserves to be the next senator from the 16th state. He is for health care reform along, energy independence, and endorses A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq. His opponent, Lamar Alexander, is an old time Washington insider who blindly supported Bush in virtually every major decision the current administration made. Some accuse him of being a scandal ridden phony- as you can see here:http://www.realchange.org/
In these times of economic, environmental, and international upheaval, we need members of the house who will be able to work with all parties to effect real change. Martin Heinrich is for an energy independence that doesn't give large tax breaks to the oil companies; health care reform that doesn't reward insurance companies who act on what seems to be pure avarice; and he wants to bring our troops home from Iraq with honor without de-stabilizing the region. No doubt that, and many other reasons, are why the Albuquerque Journal endorsed him, along with the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, and many, many others. Here's some of what the Journal has to say about Heinrich: "Martin Heinrich established a record of putting one foot in front of the other to build consensus on the often contentious Albuquerque City Council. His liberal leanings are clear, but so is the pragmatism and respect for other points of view that endow Heinrich with the ability to listen, accommodate and move difficult initiatives forward. That would be a welcome talent in Congress."
Tim Johnson, perhaps one of the most famous current members of the U.S Senate, is worthy of re-election. He is a solid supporter of veterans, farmers, and native Americans. In spite of his recent illness, he has worked very hard for his state and his country (see link below to list of some of those achievements). As a long serving senator, he also carries a lot of clout in the Senate, which translates to an ability to get things done for South Dakota on a federal level that his opponent just can't match.
Okay, there are all the so-called serious reasons to vote for Franken- and those are valid. He's smarter, wiser, and better looking than his opponent. But on top of that- he's funny, he's been on SNL, and he was in Trading Places. The country is heading for some bad times, I think- economy failing, environment gone bananas, wars unending- there is going to be a desperate need for someone who will know how and when to break things up, to crack a joke or tell a story about what it was like to work with Eddie Murphy.
LaRocco represents a responsible, progressive voice for Idaho- and he is endorsed by veterans, environmentalists, and working folk through out the state. It is time, on a local and national level, for us all to move in a new direction- away from the scandals, economic disasters, and endless wars that the GOP have brought us. LaRocco will fight for health care for everyone, a fair and intelligent solution to the current financial crisis, and better treatment for out veterans. He's even joining forces with T. Boone Pickens to find a solution to our energy problems. Integrity, innovation, and industry- that's what LaRocco brings to the Senate.
In these trying times, with so many urgent calamities facing our nation, it is vital that we remember what is happening to our planet. Global climate change is not an issue to debate only in times of economic stability- it's an urgent crisis that must and will be addressed by the next congress- and on that issue Udall is clearly the candidate of choice. Here's what Udall says about climate change on his web site: "People claim that we can't save our planet and still save our jobs. They think America can't have sustainability and prosperity; I know we can." We, as a nation, must act now- and I am confident that by electing politicians who understand the gravity of the situation, as well as doing what we can locally, we will weather the coming storm.
On top of all the economic and social issues covered in the above arguments, Markey is also the candidate to vote for in relation to the many, many environmental problems our state, and indeed the nation, is facing. Markey is willing to work with those on the right in finding a way to create domestic energy while maintaining and improving our environmental integrity. I live in Colorado, and it is a beautiful state- but we are losing more and more of that healthy beauty to unhealthy development, thanks to corporate interests. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen, in a press release endorsing Markey, has this to say about her opponent: "Marilyn Musgrave has spent her years in Congress serving the special interests and not the public interest. She has repeatedly voted with big oil and other polluters at the expense of the environment, a record which earned her a score of zero on our 2007 conservation report card".
Mike Thompson has been a solid member of the house for ten years, building relationships with fellow congressmen, local businessmen, and all those necessary to get things done for his district- a truly vast district that reaches from the north Bay Area all the way to the Oregon coast. His opponent is a wolf in sheeps clothing, espousing most of the same views as Mr. Thompson, but in a watered down, Republican-lite sort of way. Just go to both of their web sites and you'll see what I mean. Mike Thompson's site is http://mikethompson.house.gov/
and his opponents is http://www.zane2008.com/issues/
If you're choices are a democrat who has been if office for ten years on a proven record, or a republican who seems to want the same things as said democrat but hasn't had ten years to build the connections needed to get things done, the choice is clear: Thompson.
I believe that Barak Obama will be the next president for a myriad of reasons. First off, he's more charismatic than McCain, and that holds more weight in modern politics than anything else- he's better looking, a better speaker, and comes off as a nice guy who you wouldn't mind shooting some hoops with or going to the movies with or whatever activity floats your boat- in general, people do indeed vote for the candidate they'd like to have a beer with. On top of that, the economy is so deep in the tank that it's very survival is in question- and on this issue, in poll after poll after poll, Obama is trusted by more Americans than McCain as the person with the best chance to do something to fix it. Why? Because they remember the last time a president named Bush brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy, it was a democrat who pulled us out of it. Add to that the inevitable mentions of the Keating 5 scandal and McCain's role as one of those five senators in these fiscally trying times. And then add Palin's curiouser and curiouser displays of ignorance and arrogance on nationally televised interviews to the mix. And to top it all off, add the massive voter registration of democrats that the Obama organization has run, and there is no way, in the current political climate, for McCain to win. Of course, something could happen- some new calamity or scandal could surface that changes everything. But until that happens, we can look forward to seeing an Obama White House.
It's very simple. The Republican party got us to where we are today- disgraced abroad, displaced at home. The economy is in the tank, the environment is in peril, and federal support for education is a joke. I live in Colorado, and I am excited at the thought of having two senators with a little "d" by their name. And, from the amount of lawn signs in my area (Wash Park, Denver) I have many neighbors who feel the same.
Einstein once famously said "my sense of God is my sense of wonder at the universe". He then ordered a large plate of spaghetti with a spicy Bolognese sauce, proclaimed it wondrous, and said "Mama Mia, that's a spicy, Omnipotent meat ball!".
Vonnegut once said "music is to me proof of the existence of God", and then added " and so is the proper amount of Parmesan cheese on my pasta".
McAllister , in his play Muse of Fire, said "Forever and never and life and death are just illusions we make up to make it easier to understand things." And then he added "And the same goes for God.
And on the seventh day he rested.
Read the manual? What kind of commie-pinko bleeding heart insanity is that? No, I usually put it somewhere I'll forget, so that when something breaks down, whatever the product, I won't be able to fix it.
No question- legalize. All of these laws that try to regulate morality don't end the activities they are trying to prevent. Making prostitution illegal only sends it underground, creating a fertile ground for crime, abuse, and STDs- not to mention un-wanted pregnancies resulting in more abortions . People will cheat on each other- it is part of human nature, and nothing will ever stop that. There is a reason prostitution is called the oldest profession- human desire.
The answer to that question is the same as the answer to the following questions, which are related: Who has more money? Who has worked in Washington D.C. far longer? Who has more houses? Who has more cars? Whose family had more prestige, money, and power? Who was pals with millionaire crook Keating? I can't see how someone who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, as the GOP always encourages people to do, then took a job helping those less fortunate in the Chicago are when he could have gotten any number of high paying jobs from firms, can be considered high falutin', or elite.
Obama, no questions. He's cool, he can dance- as evidenced on the Ellen show, and he has a nice smile. McCain seems cranky, off center, and picked for his running mate someone who shoots wolves from planes. I just get this image of a little kid running down the street in one of those bursts of kid energy, and seeing McCain and Palin giving chase in a helicopter, shooting tranquilizer darts at the little guy. Yikes!
If by valiant- and I am assuming that there was a typo and you are talking about valiant the adjective and not the town in Oklahoma- you mean brave, courageous, and stout hearted, there is no question in my mind that the Democrats are the more valiant in there collective beliefs. Of course there are many variations within each party, and each party has had a varied past, with different beliefs prominent at different times, so let's assume that we are talking about the prevalent ideologies of the past forty years or so. JFK urged the nation to be bold and put a man on the moon within ten years. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, knowing full well it would cost the Democratic party their traditional majority in the South. Nixon opened trade with China- a communist country lead by a tyrant of epic proportions. Ford pardoned Nixon who has the distinction of being the only president (so far) to resign in disgrace. Carter brokered the Camp David Accords. Reagan covertly sold arms to Iran. Bush 41 invaded Panama. Clinton intervened in the Balkans. Bush 43- well, the list of non-valiant things he did is too long, but let's just say Katrina, Iraq, and Enron and leave it at that. Those are the valiant, or not so valiant, things that come to mind when I consider our most recent leaders.
