President Bill Clinton and Senator Hilary Clinton will being in Scranton Pennsylvania Sunday morning. Putting their differences aside for the good of the party, the Clintons start their launch of campaigning for Barack Obama during these last few weeks of the campaign.
(AP)The New York senator and the former president will appear with Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, at a rally Sunday in Scranton, a working class town that has assumed something of an outsize role in the presidential race.
Biden was born in Scranton and lived there for several years as a child, while Hillary Clinton's father grew up in the town and is buried there. Both Biden and Clinton have emphasized their Scranton roots to illustrate their connection to blue collar voters.
After the rally, the Clintons will follow separate itineraries through presidential battleground states. They will also campaign on behalf of Democratic House and Senate candidates across the country.
Bill Clinton, who worked tirelessly for his wife during the primaries, seemed to take her loss more personally. Nonetheless, he gave Obama his full-throated endorsement at the Democratic convention in August. But he began stumping for the Illinois senator only recently, appearing at fundraisers and headlining two major events in Florida earlier this month.
After the Scranton rally, the former president was headed to Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia. He also planned events in the next few days in Ohio and Nevada, battleground states he won in 1992 and again in 1996.
Hillary Clinton was scheduled to hold a fundraiser for Obama on Sunday night in Philadelphia and planned a rally for him Monday in Montgomery County, a Philadelphia suburb rich in swing voters.
Clinton trounced Obama by 10 points in last spring's Pennsylvania primary, largely due to her strength among white working class voters. Sensing opportunity, Republican John McCain has campaigned actively in Pennsylvania but recent polls show Obama opening up a comfortable lead.
Hillary Clinton also planned return visits to Ohio and Florida in the next few days and has scheduled trips to Iowa and Minnesota.
She traveled Friday to Arkansas, her husband's home state and where she served 12 years as first lady, in hopes of making it more competitive for the Democratic ticket. A swing through Western battleground states is in the works as well.
Clinton did radio interviews this week in North Carolina, a reliably Republican state that has become a battleground in this presidential election. She also spoke to a Hispanic station in Florida and launched a women's canvass in Wisconsin Saturday by phone.
During and at the beginning of the campaign, John Mccain has repeatedly said that spouses should be off limits for attacks. Well I have to take away another honorable point away from Mccain once again. His camp has now included Michelle Obama into their attempts to connect the family to Bill Ayers.
The connection they are trying to make is that Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers' wife and fellow former Weatherman, went to work in 1984 for the major Chicago-based national law firm of Sidley & Austin, and three years later, Michelle joined the mega-firm as well. Okay, that's pretty much it, they worked at the same firm.
The Mccain camp phone conference call with reporters early this week brought forth allegations about Michelle Obama with the help of John Murtagh. He has been hitting Obama over the Weather Underground's attack on his family's home back in 1970. Yes that's right 1970. Murtagh made note that Bernardine Dohrn and Michelle Obama had both worked at the firm starting in the late 1980s.
He is alleging that Michelle knew Dohrn while she worked there. He has absolutely no proof of this claim I must note.
"If it is true" that the two women knew each other, Murtagh said, "the relationship is almost a decade older than Senator Obama has acknowledged. And that can very easily be resolved by Senator Obama, by Mrs. Obama, by Mr. Ayers and by Ms. Dohrn."
"And incidentally, I would emphasize that we've all been focusing on Senator Obama," said Murtagh. "I think we need to speak to his wife."
The thing about this whole thing is that I would not have a problem with this if Mr. Murtagh was doing this on his own. This was an organized conference call by the Mccain camp. He read a prepared statements written by Mccain aides. But as always it is the liberals who are dirty and dishonest.
Quoted Statement from Mccain in June of 2008: John McCain said last week that every candidate's wife "should be treated with respect, and if there's any disrespectful conduct on the part of anyone, those people should be rejected."
"I have the greatest respect for both Sen. [Barack] and Michelle Obama. ... I've never met her, Mrs. Obama; she's a talented and a very effective person. And I admire both of them," he said.
JOHANNESBURG,South Africa- Imagine because of an economic crisis you have to cut back on a few things. Well right now you don't have to, but for people in Zimbabwe cutting back means a lot more. Most have had to resort to one meal a day. Most times it is only wild fruit for that one meal, The U.N. food aid agency said Thursday. Never before seen inflation rates in Zimbabwe have not helped the food situation either. The current inflation rate is at 231,000,000%. New bank notes of 100 billion dollars are worth around 14 U.S. dollars.
The World Food Program has asked for charitable donations to help combat the food crisis in Zimbabwe. Along with the economic collapse, Aids, years of food scarcity, dry weather has put Zimbabwe in a position rival to other parts of the region. "Zimbabwe is the only one that is facing a national crisis," agency spokesman Richard Lee said.
Aids itself has effected the farm working community, also some areas have had too much rain while others have had severe droughts.
Aid agencies had been blocked for months from doing their work by President Robert Mugabe's government. The ban was lifted in August, but it took weeks for agencies to start work again. In one of the first distributions since the ban was lifted, aid workers over the weekend handed out dried corn, vegetable oil and other aid.
In a video Lee shot of the aid distribution, villagers were shown painstakingly picking kernels off the ground after a handful of grain spilled. They were shown shaking off the dust and placing the food carefully in bags before hauling it home on their backs, in wheelbarrows, or on burros.
No matter how tough it gets here in America, let us please not forget those who struggles make ours look pale in comparison. Whatever you can please take five minutes of you time and donate to the World Food Program.
William F. Buckley Jr. greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal post-World War II America. He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Barry Goldwater in 1964 and saw his dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the Bushes captured the Oval Office.
Now his son Christopher Buckley has thrown his support to the democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. On the web site the daily beast, Buckley's title of his story is "Sorry dad but I'm voting for Obama".
Buckley, who praised McCain in a New York Times Op-Ed earlier this year and defended the Arizona senator's conservative credentials against wary talk-radio hosts, said McCain is no longer the “real” and “unconventional” man he once admired.
"This campaign has changed John McCain," Buckley wrote. "It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget 'by the end of my first term.' Who, really, believes that?
"Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis," Buckley added. "His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"
But Buckley made clear he's not just voting against McCain, praising Obama for his "first-class temperament and first-class intellect.
"Obama has in him—I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy 'We are the people we have been waiting for' silly rhetoric—the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for," Buckley wrote.
Well there you have it conservative. We have brought one more over to the light.
Yes Folks the report from Alaska as of 7:29pm central has found that Sarah Palin did indeed abuse her power as Governor of Alaska. The details or what the conseqences will be are not yet detailed. This comes a day after Sarah Palin released a report exonerating herself. This certainly will become a bigger part of the presidential race for sure.
The Alaska legislature voted to release the several hundred page report on the "Troopergate" scandal, a state kerfuffle which has come to haunt Gov. Sarah Palin's vice presidential bid. The scandal centered around her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Monegan and others believed Palin fired him because he refused to take action against Mike Wooten, a state trooper under him who had been involved in a messy divorce with Palin's sister, Molly.
The investigator, Stephen Branchflower, found that Monegan's refusal to fire Wooten "was not the sole reason" but was "likely a contributing factor" to his firing.
At a townhall meeting today John Mccain tried to calm some of the anger that has been coming out of his rallies. It looks like the man himself sees the trouble that is brewing from the negative campaigning that has being coming out of his camp.
He went on to say to the crowd that he wanted to run a respectful campaign (now), and that they should think of Barack Obama as a decent person. Instantly he was booed by the crowd. Yes John Mccain booed by his own supporters.
A supporter told Mccain he was concerned about bringing up his child in America with a President who cohorts with a domestic terrorist like Bill Ayers. Mccain did not comment on the man's statement but rather tried to inject calm among supporters. One woman told mccain she does not trust Obama because he is a Arab. Mccain shook his head no.
He is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared about as President of the United States," he said, before adding: "If I didn't think I would be one heck of a better president I wouldn't be running." As he was saying that, groaning was heard throughout the crowd.
I think Mccain and his people are seeing a dangerous course if they continue to fllow this path. I don't beleive he stop his attacks, but rather try to give Obama respect in one hand and stab him with the other.
TROY,N.Y., I'm not one to make a big deal over things like this, really. I saw this on the news and thought no biggy just an error. It can happen I've sent out posts with errors on it before.
The elections office faxed a statement in which the two commissioners, Democrat Edward McDonough and Republican Larry Bugbee, said they regret the error but never acknowledge what the error was.
"It's human error, it's very unfortunate, it's an embarrassment to our office, obviously," McDonough said in a later phone interview. "We wish we could turn back the clock, but we can't."
Democrats let's not make a big deal out of this, we are better than that. We are bigger than crying over the little things.
John Mccain climbed into Charlie Gibson's bus yesterday afternoon to chat and course bash Barack Obama. He states he has always been the underdog. The spoiled brat has been the underdog, yeah right. He also responds to Obama pulling his card yesterday about being a man and saying what his has to say to his face. Watch Mccain's reaction when Gibson asked him about what Barack said. It reminded me when I was a kid in high school. The kid who was always scared always laughed first and looked around before saying he wasn't scared. Then the big fight when the last bell rung! I love it.
All the tough talk lately that started after the VP debates has been comical. The right-wing side wanted to wait and see if the VP debates helped them in the polls before they went negative. When the word was that Palin did well by not saying anything stupid, but also did nothing to change the polls, they had to get desperate. The Maverick, the war hero, the outsider, the hockey mom and the reformer act was no longer good enough.
Since the day of the launch of the negativity, their fan base has become increasingly more mob-like and less like supporters. As I watched them the past couple of days it became shocking. The racial words, the shouts of treason and terrorists are things they have no problem saying in public. I wonder what's going on behind close doors.
I do not think that the majority of Mccain's supporters are like the display of ignorance we have seen recently. The question I have for Mccain is why haven't you said these things to Obama directly? Why run on Hannity or into the bosom of your rallies to shoot out hateful accusations? Right before the last presidential debates supporters called on him to take it to Obama, he shouted "I will, I will", of course he did not.
In the beginning of the campaign he said that he would run an honorable campaign with no negativity. I guess losing brings out the fear in some people. Why not when you had the chance to be a maverick and not sign the bailout did you do it? Because fear of it backfiring like when you suspended your campaign took over. Why not stick it to Obama this past week when you had him in front of the American people? Maybe you did not want to turn off the independent voters, maybe. Why not tell your supporters not to shout hateful things out about your opponent, but rather just show support for the party? Instead fear of looking like a quitter took over.
Now once again he is vowing to take it to Obama again next week. Why not, especially after getting those words of encouragement from the African American republican who challenged him to take it to Obama.
Mccain sits at a huge dilemma, if he doesn't confront Obama in this next debate he will look like a coward. On the other hand if he does confront and it amounts to nothing in the eyes of the American people he will look like a fool for chasing it. It might even bring his own skeletons out of the closet. I guess we will have to wait and see which coward Mccain brings to the debate.
This video shows an Obama speech in July predicting the exact things that McDesperate has been attacking him on recently. Using voters inner bigotry to sway votes.
Moeun Rim and his wife, Nhanh, who have been married nearly 40 years, split the building last week following an argument, local officials said.
Mr Rim has removed his share of the property and the couple have also divided their land into four parts; two for their children, and two for them.
Divorce cases in Cambodia can be costly and may take a long time to settle.
The house - or one half of the house - is located in Prey Veng province, about 90km (56 miles) from the capital, Phnom Penh.
In sickness and health
The couple fell out after Mr Rim accused his wife of neglecting him whilst he was ill.
"We tried to persuade them to think clearly before they did this because they had been married for nearly 40 years," local chief Vorng Morn told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.
"But they did not listen," he said.
A local lawyer told the newspaper that dividing a property was legal if both parties had agreed to it - but that it did not mean the pair were legally divorced.
"If in the future they have any disagreements, the provincial chief will not be responsible, as there had not been a judgment from the court," Prak Phin said.
John Mccain once again went on the easiest interview around, Sean Hannity. The presidential candidate went on to call for Barack Obama to retract his statement about troops bombing civilians. Imagine me doing the wiggly hand thing going back in time to Mccain making a statement almost identical. This was during his run for the White House.
MCCAIN: In the most obscene chapter in recent American history is the conduct of the Kosovo conflict when the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations, refused to have air power used effectively because he wanted them flying — he had them flying at 15,000 feet where they killed innocent civilians because they were dropping bombs from such — in high altitude.
For whatever reason disrespect (I won't use racism yet) continues to come from Mccain supports. Former Oklahoma Governor & co-chairman on the campaign for the Republican nominee for President was on the Dennis Miller show today talking about Barack Obama's past.
Keating stated that the Democratic nominee was covering up his "very extreme" record, and urged Obama to be more honest with Americans. "He ought to admit," Keating said, "'You know, I've got to be honest with you. I was a guy of the street. I was way to the left. I used cocaine. I voted liberally, but I'm back at the center.'"
I really want to see how or if John Mccain will respond since he is so honorable and vowed to run an honorable campaign. I am also assuming this idiot has not read Obama memoirs where he talks about his experiments with drugs as a youth.
HUFFINGTON POST PROVIDES THE TRANSCRIPTS:
MILLER: It's the most liberal, let's just say that. We're talking to Frank Keating, former Oklahoma Governor, John McCain supporter. Frank, let's just say, it's the most liberal. The thing that bothers me the most about all this with Barack Obama is not the -- I know he's the most liberal guy. You know, I know he's gotten this close to the White House and I know most people don't realize he's probably the most liberal senator we have. The thing that bothers me the most is I recognize the obfuscation and the smoke and mirrors as Clinton-esque. When I hear him reduce Ayers to "this is a guy who lives in my neighborhood" or Rev. Wright, "I was there 500 times and never saw him." The acts themselves don't bother me as he's starting to treat me like an idiot too when he's blowing this smoke my way. He ought to just come clean and say, "listen, I came up through Chicago, you make some errors there." I'd almost be able to absolve it more easily then.
KEATING: Well, and that's what concerns me, Dennis, because when I was in the State Senate and statehouse of my state, if someone had voted against the entire state budget because it had too much money for corrections, all of us would have, you know, strained our necks to find out who is this because that would have been a very extreme position, basically saying to a law enforcement officer as I was or my son was a state trooper, "you know, you make an arrest, you risk your life, for nothing" because we're going to make sure that person doesn't go to prison even though the laws of the state require it. So, that puzzles me. Just he ought to admit, "you know, I've got to be honest with you. I was a guy of the street. I was way to the left. I used cocaine. I voted liberally, but I'm back at the center." I mean, I understand the big picture of America. But he hasn't done that...
MILLER: He's copped to that...
KEATING: Jeremiah Wright is...
MILLER: Wait, I've got to jump in Frank. He has copped to the blow use, right? I mean, he did so in his own book he said he did blow.
KEATING: Oh yes, he did.
MILLER: Well, I'm just saying that doesn't enter this to me.
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Growing up I only knew of my friends as my friends, nothing else. I grew up in a predominately Black neighborhood and lived there for twenty-five years. I know what it is like to be Black. I don't know what is like to be White or Indian or Asian or any other race. I am multi-racial and have a south Caribbean and Scottish background, along with African American and Native American. Being a rainbow of ethnicity has made me who I am today and proud of it.
Whenever I ventured outside of the neighborhood, like times in the summer when I would visit my Grandparents in Michigan were always something to look forward to. It was a different world for me. My cousins were half Black and Chinese. Their mother was very much a traditional Chinese woman who was always kind to me. I never thought of her a strange but as unique and someone I wanted to know more about. The same could be said of other people in this small town called Vandalia Michigan.
I played with children who were white, black and Hispanic and never looked at their skin color but rather the uniqueness that each of us had culturally. They were just kids who learned things that I did not.
My parents never spoke of Black or White in the home growing up only "Mark the guy at work," "or Sherry who I went to school with." I of course took that same approach growing up. We are all shaped by our upbringing, that is an undeniable thing. We learn our speech our temperaments our gestures and beliefs manly from the home we are raised in.
For whatever the reason hate exists has been debated for a long time now. For whatever compels a parent to instill in their children the same hate they were taught continues to trouble me. My Father was not the best parent, but as he was my hero as a child he became an example of what not to do as a man to me later as an adult. For that one thing I thank him.
As the presidential race winds down, more topics of race have risen. News organizations are saying that race will play a factor for people voting and I still don't get it. With the economy in a state of emergency and the world in a turmoil the only thing on my mind from the beginning was one thing. Whomever made the best argument for leadership would win my support. If I let race be a factor for my decision I am only hurting myself.
Imagine two candidates standing side by side by a cliff. You ask them to point in the direction of where they are going to lead you. One points to the direction that leads over the cliff and the other who points towards an oasis, would base your decision on the person's color?I would hope for your sake that you would not.
Don't teach your children hate or differences, let them learn on their own. Do not allow a desire of consuming deep despise for a person based on the melanin in their skin or the clothes they wear, or how their hair is, or the music they like.
When you head to the polls on Nov.4th I can care less who you vote whether it's Mccain or Obama, as long as you are voting on character and leadership and not color and bigotry.For the sake of this nation and our future let it go.
Conservatives always complain about mainstream media and their focusing on the little things and complaining about the Republican party. Now that Mccain's numbers have fallen the tables quickly turn with the right focusing on small unrelated to the issues topics. Such as the recent Newsweek cover that has Sarah Palin up close showing her mustache.
CBS reporter Dean Reynolds wasted readers time by writing a column on the two candidates planes and how he has been treated by the media aides of both camps. As you read his article in the beginning he talks about the differences in Obama's and Mccain's style in the town hall forum and how Mccain is not the master but is good at it. He says Obama is good also but does not always connect with people like normal politicians do. Then he goes behind the scenes to see the real story, yeah right:
He goes on to complain to say Obama's plane smells bad and is cramped. Mccain's however is neat and spacious and smells like fresh grapefruit in meadow under an apple tree, well he didn't say the stuff about the grapefruit. He also goes on about how Obama's people are mean to him and Mccain's staff is so nice.
M.Green- Flavor Country By Spencer Ackerman- The Washington Independent
If you want to know where military leaders stand on the war and their preferred strategy is to listen to them. Don't listen to Mccain or Obama listen to them directly. If you do that then you begin to here a different tone than what John Mccain has been touting.
John Mccain has said the same strategy that worked in Iraq needs to implemented in Afghanistan. He has also said that sitting down with countries like Iran and groups like the Taliban only gives terrorism a platform. He also in the two debates has said that Barack Obama does not understand what it takes to win in the middle east.
Recent reports have contradicted what John Mccain has been saying on the campaign trail. McCain has argued that the Afghanistan war is ripe for a direct replication of Petraeus’ Iraq strategy of population-centric counterinsurgency. “Sen. Obama calls for more troops,” McCain said in the Sept. 26 debate, “but what he doesn’t understand, it’s got to be a new strategy, the same strategy that he condemned in Iraq. It’s going to have to be employed in Afghanistan.”
McCain qualified that statement in Tuesday’s debate, but clung to it while discussing Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Gen. Petraeus had a strategy,” McCain said, “the same strategy — very, very different, because of the conditions and the situation — but the same fundamental strategy that succeeded in Iraq. And that is to get the support of the people.”
“Some of the concepts used in Iraq are transplantable [to Afghanistan] while others perhaps are not,” he said. “Every situation is unique.”
Petraeus pointed to efforts by Hamid Karzai’s government to negotiate a deal with the Taliban that would potentially bring some Taliban members back to power, saying that if they are “willing to reconcile,” it would be “a positive step.”
In saying that, Petraeus implicitly allied with U.S. Army Gen. David McKiernan, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Last week, McKiernan rejected the idea of replicating the blend of counterinsurgency strategy employed in Iraq. “The word that I don’t use in Afghanistan is the word ’surge,’” McKiernan said, opting against recruiting Pashtun tribal fighters to supplement Afghan security forces against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. “There are countless other differences between Iraq and Afghanistan,” he added.
Huffington Post Jan McGirk Posted October 7, 2008 | 03:49 PM (EST)
JERUSALEM -- Ardent grassroots Obama-supporters from Israel are out to convince Jewish voters in the United States that the Democratic candidate would be a welcome change in the troubled Middle East.
Israelis across the political spectrum, from leftwing actors to retired spy chiefs and generals, are challenging the conventional wisdom that a Republican hawk in the White House would be in their best interests. Their weapon of choice? Online video.
Sarah Silverman's Great Schlep schtick gets the most hits and even prompted video-kvetching by comedian Jackie Mason, but several Israeli-made pro-Obama clips are making a big impact on YouTube and political websites. They are raising eyebrows and attracting attention. One video, sponsored by The Jewish Council for Education & Research (JCER), a non-profit organization that supports Obama's presidential run, features seven senior defense officials from Israel who now are crying foul.
After this spot was first aired this weekend, the military men reportedly complained that they were misled by video producers who had given them the impression that they were filming a sober documentary, rather than endorsing the Democratic candidate. Meddling in an ally's politics is not part of the generals' usual modus operandi and some say they felt duped. The JCER also funds JewsVote.org, a website which has commissioned a video to counter GOP smears and includes a clip showing Jewish-American leaders who back Barack.
That's a lot of effort, considering that Jewish voters comprise less than 5 percent of American voters, and even inside Israel, during the 2004 presidential elections, only a small fraction of the quarter million dual citizens eligible to vote bothered to cast absentee ballots from the so-called 51st state. An estimated 35,000 did, and most were religious Jews who overwhelmingly voted Republican. Evangelicals, Christian Zionists, and Millenial Jews visit Israel in droves and often make huge donations to settlers' groups. Rocket-riddled Sderot, located on the edge of the Gaza Strip and a target of Hamas militants, is now on the pilgrimage route for American religious tourists from Non-denominational Mega-Churches.
Samson Altman-Schevitz, who co-founded the cyber-group Israelis for Obama this summer with activist Tony Jassen, reckons that Jewish voters could make a numerical difference in a swing state such as Florida or Ohio. And , because of the potential nuclear threat of Iran, the AIPAC lobby is more influential than ever. He wants to counter the fear factor and is convinced that Israeli endorsement could help Obama triumph in November. "We are on the ground, we know what it's like to face terror. And the Bush approach is undermining security in the region. The US is overstretched militarily and economically and even conservatives would admit that Israel needs an ally whose army is potentially active, " says Altman-Schevitz , age 30. Michele Obama was his mentor at the University of Chicago in 1996, and he recalls a "brilliant, approachable and down-to-earth advisor who would greet me with a big hug". His volunteer group in Israel has no links to to the official Obama campaign, and consists of seven cyber-savvy activists.
The most compelling pro-Obama video clip from Israel is in the same upbeat mode as the "Yes We Can!" spot, which Bob Dylan's son, Jesse Dylan, famously directed. This one-- also called "Israelis for Obama"-- is the brainchild of a Tel Aviv tv whiz named Alma Har'el, who directs music videos for Foo Fighters, among other bands. She and her American husband, Boaz Yakin, took just a week and a half in Israel to complete the spot, with no advance preparation and no production company. They were encouraged by a colleague, Lawrence Bender, an Oscar nominee who produced An inconvenient Truth and Pulp Fiction. Towards the end of the project, the couple joined forces with Jews For Change, who helped finish the editing and with distribution
"There's a real sense of urgency in this election and, living in Israel most of my life, I know how much America effects the world and what it stands for," Alma Har'el told the Huffington Post. "It's a private grass-roots effort to fight the lies the Republicans have been spreading and will spread this coming month to scare the Jewish voters in the US. The reason I made this video is that as an Israeli living in the US I felt the media here rarely shows the Israel that I know and love ... only an Israel filled with McCain supporters who are afraid of Obama's middle name and don't know the value of diplomacy. This video is meant to show that real diversity actually exists in Israel.There are young, old, left wing and yes... even a number of right wing Israelis who support Obama. The fact that he wants to try diplomacy before war, doesn't make him an enemy, it makes him a smart leader.We want to inspire Jewish voters to check their facts and realize that Obama is very committed to Israel's security!"
"It's important to understand that we're not trying to say all of Israel is for Obama, but these ones are and their voices deserve to be heard as well," said Amnon Lipkin Shachak, a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Member of the Knesset and cabinet minister who went on camera to boost Barack.
This clip moved Rabbi Brad Hirschfield to post a comment online. "It shows the Israel to which Obama is committed i.e. pluralist, sophisticated, multi-lingual, racially/ethnically diverse, artistically accomplished, militarily powerful, and committed to peace," he wrote. "It tells us that Obama will work with people like those in the video to make sure that neither Israel nor the world gets destroyed if Iran goes nuclear. I know that is not as sexy as scaring people into WW III, but it strikes me as far smarter."
The Weekly Standard recently dispatched Willy Stern to Israel. The intrepid reporter has boasted that he can easily disguise himself as a 'liberal Jew' and catch leftists off-guard. In mid-September, prior to McCain's choice of the addled Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, who has since become a favorite pistol-packing pinup of his neo-conservative editor, William Kristol, Stern grilled Israelis and Palestinians about their impressions of the US Presidential candidates. The aim of his commission presumably is to goose liberal-leaning American Jews to consider the existential threat to Israel if they won't vote for the GOP, like Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman does.
But if these video clips are any indication of the political climate inside Israel, Stern may have had to dig deeper than he planned during a five-day blitz in the Ramallah and Jerusalem. His scare tactics were anticipated by independent Israeli videographers like Alma Har'el.
"We're concerned about Jewish voters who are so wrapped in fear that they can't see beyond the lies and distortions," she told the Huffington Post. "We're also extremely concerned about Sarah Palin; it's in Israel's interest to have intelligent support from people who know the region and its many complexities, not just bellicose lip service paid by those who know nothing about it at all."
Obama on ABC News tonight after Gibson asked him about McCain’s new attack line on William Ayers. He basically challenges McCain’s manhood.
“I am surprised that, you know, we’ve been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days, that he wasn’t willing to say it to my face. But I guess we’ve got one last debate. So presumably, if he ends up feeling that he needs to, he will raise it during the debate.”
Behind the scenes look at the VP debate from the republican viewing arena. Watch as they laugh when Biden chokes up when he talks about the death of his family.
The Icelandic government, fighting hard to prevent a collapse of its financial system, took control of the country's second biggest bank, Landsbanki, on Tuesday and has had to run to Russia for cash to support its currency.
Moscow has confirmed it is assessing Iceland's application and views the request "positively."
"Iceland is well known as a country with tough budgetary discipline and a high rating of reliability," Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin said, the Financial Times reports.
So this is what is comes to now, filling out applications for credit with other countries.
"Keep that nigger out of office" was the hatred that was spewed out of Wade Willis age 75 mouth. he threatened to kill election officials because his voter registration card had not come. Willis also threatened to bring his shotgun up to the election office if his card did not arrive soon. Willis was arrested this morning on a felony terrorizing charge. En route to the jail, he "continued his 'tirade' about "niggers" and also stated that he had a shotgun, but had it hidden at his residence," reported Lt. Michael Judd.
True test of a leader is always under pressure. Remember when Palin first came on the scene in late August? Ten days later he lost his lead in the polls. The media panicked for Obama as he stayed cool. Did not change his campaign at all. No erratic behavior. No grumpy attitude. Think back and look at Mccain the past two and a half weeks.
Quote:
A tyrant is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.
WASHINGTON- The U.S. military today reported that 33 civilians were killed in an air raid back on Aug. 22. This is a different account from the first time this was reported to the public. The original total was five to seven civilians. Even though the military admitted regret about the deaths, most of the blame was hurled at the Taliban because they hid in an civilian area.
U.S. Central Command spokesman Rear Adm. Greg Smith said the matter is considered closed and no disciplinary action is contemplated against anyone involved, in light of the investigation's conclusion that due diligence was exercised and there was no violation of the laws of war.
The problem I have with this is instead of admitting blame and saying air raids are killing more civilians than they are insurgents. Yet we continue to wonder why they hate us and want us dead. Imagine if you were sleeping and you were awakened by an explosion, only to find you son or daughter lying dead in their bed, and the only thing the government could tell you is sorry but it's the other guy's fault.
GREENVILLE,N.C., For the first time ever since joining the campaign, Sarah Palin ventured to the back of the campaign's plane to answer questions from the media. With less than a month before election day she now has been cleared to speak without a script.
Now you would think that with her new found freedom she would speak her mind and let the public know who the real Sarah Palin is. Unfortunately we were able to spot her script under her arm as she went on about the need to know the Bill Ayers and Barack Obama connection. She must not realize that no one care about that. Even Sean Hannity attempt at reporting the story over the weekend has not made an effect on voters who are more concerned about the economy.
"It's relevant to connect that association he has with Ayers, not so much he as a person Ayers, but the whole situation and the truthfulness and the judgment there that you must question if again he's not being forthright in all of his answers, "Palin said. "It makes you wonder about the forthrightness, the truthfulness of the plans he's telling Americans with regards to the economic recovery."
Well the ship is starting to take on water for Mccain, and it appears there are no lifeboats on board. A debate where I feel no man won handily, but each scored there own victories. Trading punches with Obama resulting in a tie for Mccain actually results in a loss for him in the eyes of the voters. All the tough talk over the last four days about attacking Obama's character are but an afterthought when Mccain has a chance to use it. If the character issue is so important as he and Palin claim, why not bring it up when you have a full audience and not just your own rowdy supporters.
Mccain seems to truly be struggling when it comes to attacking or debating his opponent when it counts. All the strong talk and insults don't exist when Mccain's 5'9 frame stands next to Barack.
I could say the same about Barack. He doesn't attack after all the tough talk. The things is at this point, he doesn't have to. Obama has the lead. He has climbed back after the Palin entrance initially helped Mccain in the polls, but then she opened her mouth and things went back to the way they were before.
I do feel sorry for the man. This was his one chance to hold a position hire than his father. To prove that he was a better man and could be commander in chief. At 72 years old the dream will wither away and those dreams of making his father proud will retire like he man himself will do soon enough.
Everything about the Mccain/Palin ticket all seems scripted now and the look of desperation is as apparent as the undeniable look of a crack addict who needs a fix.
Instead of baseless attacks that the Republican party has spewed out over the last few days, we actually have video and documented proof of their affiliation. You wanna play......let's play.
John Mccain's attempts to shift the country's focus to Barack Obama's past will backfire on him if it hasn't all ready. He has no choice but to talk about the economic situation. The audience will not allow him to focus on Obama if he does he will be in trouble. Hey John I still have my econ 101 book somewhere around if you need it tonight. I would e-mail it to you but I know you have trouble with that.
WASHINGTON POST
The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 5 percent, or more than 500 points. The technology-heavy Nasdaq and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index were each down more than 5 percent.
Investors had cheered Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke's comments today that another interest rate cut might be coming and that the agency would buy the short-term debt of large companies, helping fund their day-to-operations. But concerns remained that the $700 billion financial industry bailout would not be enough to avoid a global recession and that the crisis has spread to Europe, which is struggling to stabilize its banking system.
Bernanke's comments today that the Fed would consider an interest rate cut painted a grim economic picture that unnerved some investors. "At least a part of the market sell-off is in response to the Fed commentary today that the economy has weakened, which in our view is a confirming statement given the economic data over the last few weeks," said Christopher Versace, portfolio manager for Agile Capital Management, a Virginia hedge fund.
HEY CONSERVATIVES!! STILL NO MOVE IN THE POLLS....ACTUALLY GAIN 2 POINTS ON YOU!!! THANKS A LOT. KEEP THE HATE GOING!! WE LOVE PERSONAL ATTACKS WITH NO PROOF!! THANKS AGAIN. IT'S LIKE OBAMA HAS TWO CAMPAIGNS NOW. APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
For a man who stood in front of the national media early on in this campaign and vowed to run an honorable campaign and not attack his opponent, but only focus on the issues now has gone back on his word and has for the umpteenth time been proven a liar. The straight talker is now as crooked as dog's hind leg.
Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."
Palin's ugly attacks, her non-stop lying, and her glaring buffoonery and incompetence are all the media's fault! It is pretty outrageous, this liberal media conspiracy to report accurately on what Palin says and does as she asks us to put her a heartbeat away from being steward of our troubled economy and controlling the most powerful military in human history.
John Mccain wants to take off the gloves and his depends. Well I hope he ready for that retirement home in Del Boca Vista because he just keeps on pushing and pushing in desperation now all his 72 year old wrinkled skeleton will be comin out. Read this article which several news organizations will be running tomorrow about Mccain's ties to this right-wing radical organization, whose members were out right racists and extremist. It is sad he wanted to go there with the smear campaign, we tried to play nice with the old man.
When it comes to spreading lies and causing fear in America there is no one better at it than the Republican party. Whether it's weapons of mass destruction or the release of a fresh new tape from al-qadea, they always know what and when to bring out the fear in some Americans. It's worked since this country was founded and will always work on some.
Patriotism and trust will never allow us to become nothing more than what we are, one track minded distrustful of everything not American culture.
That word patriotism, what does it mean? Love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it. I live by that yes, but love of this country is not all that I know. Only 17% of Americans have a passport. What does that say about our reality of the rest of the world. What shapes our impression of the world. The television and the government is what puts impressions in our head of other cultures.
I first traveled overseas in my late twenties six years ago. I can tell you it wasn't what I expected. Europe really opened my eyes to a whole new world which I found weird at first because it was new. Why was everything so small in the U.k.? Little fridges, small flats (apartments) and mini cars. People treated me like a superstar because of my accent. Everyone wanted to know what was going on in America. They asked if I knew Michael Jordan or if I have ever met J.lo. One person actually believed there were shootouts on every corner in America. I had to explain that is not the case.
I've also traveled to Jordan. I found a world which was nothing like I was led to believe. Before my travels, friends and family discouraged me from traveling to the middle east because they said there would not be safety anywhere. The adventurer in me had to see for myself. My grandmother on the day I left cried, because she feared something would happen to me.
Once I landed in Jordan and got settled I was amazed. The only way I was able to tell I was in another country was the skin color. The streets the cars everything looked like home. My friend who is from there, took me to a nightclub where I saw some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. I could go on and on about my travels, but it would take forever.
The point I'm trying to make is that America has no real clue why terrorists want to bomb and kill us. They don't know the real reason that makes them look at someone who is of middle eastern descent at the airport and why they become fearful. They don't know why a black person sometimes is not scared to speak out against racism, but rather views him as a radical. But I can tell where those views were shaped, our government.
Sarah Palin has been saying that Obama does not see America how "we" see America. She claims to be a patriot. What is a patriot again?
Is being a patriot owning slaves and then being hailed a hero in American history as many of our past presidents have? Is being a patriot lynching over 5,000 people because you no longer want them in country you forcefully brought them to? Is being a patriot electing five presidents who were members of the KKK and then glorifying them as great leaders? Is being a patriot electing a man like Strom Thurman who wanted to keep segregation in South Carolina forever and to keep voting for him till he too old to run anymore? Is being a patriot belonging to an organization in Alaska who wants to secede from the United States and become it's own sovereign land? Is it patriotism to befriend G. Gordon Liddy a convicted felon who orchestrated Watergate? Is it patriotism for CEOs to make hundreds of millions of dollars while defrauding the American people and send the world into an economic recession?
I am not always willing to accept what a politician or the government tells me is fact. I make up my own mind. I questioned my government and John Mccain when they said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and we needed to invade. I do not let the government form my opinion of other cultures to where I have fear or distrust of them. I want to know why you hate me, rather than just drop bombs on you and then you crash planes into my buildings. If there is no more land to conquer, why are we still fighting wars? We don't unless our government tells us.
This is why I look at John Mccain as not someone who wants to inform the American people about a shady Barak Obama, but a man with only 28 days left before election day getting desperate. Instead of us becoming fear mongers who fall for more government propaganda let's make the decision based on the issues that if ignored will lead us into a economic climate like those countries who we "fear" the most.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic. -- Unknown.
Washington- (AP) The Bush administration has shelved plans to set up a diplomatic outpost in Iran, in part over fears it could affect the U.S. presidential race or be interpreted as political meddling, The Associated Press has learned.
The proposal to send U.S. diplomats to Tehran for the first time in three decades attracted great attention when it was floated over the summer, but has now been placed on indefinite hold as November's election nears and Iran continues to defy demands to halt suspect nuclear activities, officials told the AP.
Two administration officials familiar with the matter spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations on the sensitive subject.
The officials said a decision had been made to leave the decision to the next U.S. president because it could be seen as a reward for Iran's nuclear intransigence, especially when Iran policy has become a key part of the heated campaign between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.
Obama has called for unconditional direct talks with the leaders of adversaries such as Iran and North Korea, assuming that groundwork by lower-level officials indicated that the top-level talks would be fruitful.
McCain has ridiculed the suggestion as naive.
Thus, opening an interest section, or de facto embassy, in Tehran could be interpreted as a Republican president helping a Republican nominee by neutralizing a distinction that might make the Democrat appealing. Or, it could be seen as hurting McCain by leaving him to defend a more hard-line position than the current Republican president's.
Either way, the administration concluded that now was not the time.
The GOP puts a campaign ahead of the intrests of this country and the world. Great Leadership.
Taliban leaders are now holding talks with the Afghan government to end the fighting and bloody conflict in that land. With that, are severing their ties with al Qaeda in the name of peace. The talks are being brokered with the help of the Saudi government.
The move marks a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies.
Wow, sitting down with your enemies to bring about peace, what a profound idea.
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty. Best article on John Mccain I ever read.
Once again John Mccain has gone in reverse in his promise to run an honorable campaign, now brings up the past of Obama again. I also see some of our right wing blogs are more than happy to do the same. I thought in fairness I would give you a few of John's current and former pals to, since Barack is to much of a gentleman to do that.
Charles Keating- At the center of the savings and loan scandal (which Mccain was involved in) was criminally charged with having duped Lincoln's customers into buying worthless junk bonds of American Continental Corporation; he was convicted in state court in 1992 of fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy and received a 10 year prison sentence. In January 1993, a federal conviction followed, with a 12 and a half year sentence. The result of the collapse of Lincoln Savings and Loan was that 21,000 mostly elderly investors lost their life savings
John Hagee- John Mccain personally sought Hagee's support early on during his campaign. Hagee has called the Catholic church the "Great Whore" and a "Cult". Believes that God sent the hurricane Katrina to New Orleans for their sins. "I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that." Those old black people and children are horrible. Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a 'slave sale' to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, 'The Cluster.' "The item was introduced with the sentence 'Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." [San Antonio Express-News 3/7/96]
G.Gordon Libby-Liddy masterminded the first break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building in 1972. The subsequent cover-up of the Watergate scandal led to Nixon's resignation in 1974; Liddy served four and a half years in prison for his role in the burglary.
On ABC this week with George Stehanopoulos Republican Senator from Florida Mel Martinez said once the people of Florida get past it (the economy) and McCain will win the state. Then he also made the argument we need to know about Obama's background right now. He along with the Mccain camp believe that not focusing on the biggest economic crisis in our generation and focusing on who Obama knows is more important. The "Desperation Express Continues" to roll down the hill.
CHICAGO,il.- I wake up this morning, cut on the TV for the pregame talk before the Bears come on and I start my Internet searching. Tired of the constant political wars, I looked for something different that could give me a break from the circus that has become the 2008 presidential campaign.
I found an associated press article featuring a Black California businessman that has taken on a fight to end affirmative action. He known among many civil rights activist as a puppet for the Gop and a race traitor.
Let start by saying I am not a fan of Ward Connerly at all. He says a lot of stupid things, and about 99.9% of what he says I do not agree with. He is not liked among Black civil rights leaders because he is a Republican and his views tend to agree with the GOP. In this one aspect I hate to say but I agree with him . It's sort of like agreeing with Sean Hannity, ouch.
Ward Connerly's proposed constitutional amendments prohibit state and local governments from giving preferential treatment to people on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity or national origin.
Ward Connerly started his crusade after a couple came to him when he was a regent at the University of California to talk about their white son's failure to get into the system's medical schools. They showed him evidence that the schools were picking less qualified minority students, and Connerly became convinced the university was treating applicants unfairly.
Mr. Connerly's argument is that affirmative action is an antiquated system that, rather than helping minorities, reinforces the perception they are second-class citizens who need help to succeed.
I totally agree with that argument. When does it end? Will affirmative action always be in place? Will true equality ever come to the surface as a reality in our lifetime? The answer to last question is a resounding no. We will not see racial equality in our lifetime, even though we have made great strides over the last fifty or so years. We now sit on the verge of having an African American be the president, which is remarkable but as long as their are people in power with hate in their hearts it will never be equal.
If that is the case why get rid of affirmative action you say. Well just like a Black man does not want his life altered just because he is Black, a White man should not have his life altered because he is White. Life is not fair in the aspect and drawing the line somewhere in the middle is a very difficult problem.
I am a African American who came from humble surroundings, who fought temptations of drugs an gangs to become an upstanding citizen in this great country. I know how hard it is to be a minority and to instantly be judged as soon as someone sees your face. I know what it is like to be pulled over for no reason other than your skin color. I know what it is like to be called a nigger to your face by a police officer and no matter how much you want to, you hold back the rage that is inside. I know what it is like to see a world that is focused on whites and very little attention given to minorities other than BET or a Telemundo.
With all that being said I look as Affirmative Action as a handout, and I am one who has always had a hard time accepting help from anyone. I have never accepted that because I know in my heart someone turned me down for employment because of my race that another won't. I continue to fight and refuse to be satisfied with mediocre.
I believe like Connerly does that affirmative action keeps minorities in a mind set that they are second class citizens and remain in an endless cycle of believing we are owed something. It will never happen, there won't be a day when we all get forty acres and a mule. No reparations, none of that. If we are to be successful it must be done by our own determination.
Many Black Americans have been successful throughout history well before and after the civil rights era. They dared not ask for help or rights during there day. Life was truly unfair for them. If they were alive in this day and age, I believe that would yell at us and say "what the hell are you crying about."
If anyone will be responsible for my failure, it will be me.
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A registered democrat who has no loyalty to a party but to his country. I will criticize both whenever I don't agree. I debate with liberals and conservatives. Voted for Obama, before him Kerry and before him Bush.
Tired of of the partisan crap I just want the country to work.
Overall I lean more to the left, but like I said.....
President Bill Clinton and Senator Hilary Clinton will being in Scranton Pennsylvania Sunday morning. Putting their differences aside for the good of the party, the Clintons start their launch of campaigning for Barack Obama during these last few weeks of the campaign. 
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