BlackLiberalBoomer

“Here I come, to save the day…” From the 1940s through the early 1980s, the cartoon character Mighty Mouse was a staple of children’s programming. Whenever and wherever there was a crisis, Mighty Mouse flew in and solved the problem and was the hero, singing his trademark slogan along with his punches.

In the last month or so, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has tried to emulate Mighty Mouse by “swooping down” to save event after event. First, he chose a totally unqualified one-term governor of a sparsely-populated state to be his running mate and save his flagging campaign. No matter how many times Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) tries to convince America that Alaska is the “biggest state” in America (well, it is in area…), she still governs a constituency that is smaller than all of the large cities in the “Lower 48″. There are even rumblings in conservative circles that she should step down from the ticket. Not only did this “swoop” not save his campaign, having Governor Palin on the ticket has brought down the poll numbers for the McCain campaign.

Next, John McMighty Mouse, decided that Hurricane Gustav was going to be so horrific that he needed to delay the start of the Republican Convention and run down to Houston to help pack boxes of needed toiletries. After that photo op, it turned out that Hurricane Gustav wasn’t so bad, so the Republican Convention continued (although the Monday night parties never were “delayed”…) Hurricane Gustav was such a non-issue as hurricanes go, that it turned out to be completely unnecessary for the Convention to be delayed and for Senator McCain to pack boxes. (Hurricane Ike, which struck just a week or so later, was much worse, but John McCain saw no need to rush in; no political capital this time.)

During the 2nd week of September, John McCain was suddenly extolling the virtues of more regulation for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, although he has repeatedly called for little or no regulations. Two weeks ago on September 15, as the financial crisis worsened, John McCain famously stated that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong”, apparently thinking that if he just “said so”, it would be true. By later that same day, he had to change his tune; and by the end of the week, he decided that there really was a financial crisis, but it was Barack Obama’s fault.

As the Congress met almost non-stop to hammer out some kind of deal for a “Wall Street Bailout”, Senator McCain decided that only he could broker a deal and decided to “suspend” his campaign and go to Washington to save the American economy. It took him over 22 hours to make a one-hour flight from New York City to Washington D.C., but after he swooped in and turned the whole process into a political event, he instead broke up the very fragile deal that had been announced just a couple of hours later.

On Saturday, September 27, after the debate that he said he wouldn’t attend unless there was a “done deal “, he spent time on the phone still trying to get Republicans to vote for the bailout bill that he himself did not commit to voting for. But in the end, by Monday afternoon, there were not enough Republican votes to pass the bill. (The Republicans blamed Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.)

So after a month of attempting to thwart or save crisis after crisis, things have only gotten worse for John McCain and his campaign. Exactly thirty days after John McCain tried to derail the momentum Barack Obama by picking his vice-presidential running mate the very day after the end of the Democratic Convention, polls show that Senator Obama “won” the 1st debate and has risen to several points above Senator McCain in the Presidential Election Daily Tracking Poll.

Great save, Senator McCain!

This afternoon, the first Congressional vote for the “Bailout Plan” failed to pass in the House of Representatives. It seems as if each side, Democrat and Republican, is blaming the other. Who’s fault is it?

George W. Bush asked for a “bi-partisan solution”, which should mean that neither side is “responsible” for passing the entire bill. The Republicans “promised” to deliver 77 votes; but they only delivered 65. The Democrats “promised” to deliver 140 votes; 140 Democrats voted for the bill. The Republicans, led my House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) because they deemed her speech before the vote as “partisan”; therefore, 12 Republicans changed their vote at the last minute. The Democrats said that it was incongruous for Republicans to change their vote because “their feelings were hurt”. Even though George W. Bush is a Republican, his “leadership” was not enough to deliver enough Republican votes; neither was the “leadership” of John McCain or Dick Cheney.

Whoever is “to blame”, the fact remains that the crisis remains. The Dow Jones closed down over 700 points, and the credit markets are still in paralysis. People are having trouble getting loans for cars as well as homes; and small businesses cannot get credit for day-by-day operations. Because of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana which begins at sundown today, the earliest day another vote can take place in next Thursday.

So what can be done? Not much. The foreign markets watch what goes on in the American markets, and what happens on Wall Street affects “Main Street” and the “streets” around the world. We are in a global economy, and it seems as if a domino effect is taking place.All we can do is watch and wait; AND contact our Congressional Representatives and let them know how we feel. Do you know who YOUR Representatives are?

John McCain continuously tried to undermine and diminish Barack Obama with his condescending “…don’t understand…” statements. What was shown was that John McCain doesn’t understand…

You, John, don’t understand that you can’t live in the 21st century with a 20th century mindset.

You, John, don’t understand that you can’t move forward into the future by constantly living in the past.

You, John, don’t understand that attack, attack, attack sounds just like “bomb, bomb, bomb”.

You, John, don’t understand that acknowledging that you may be “right” at times is a sign of strength, not weakness.

You, John, don’t understand that the tactic of “the surge” did not accomplish its strategic objective, which was to lead Iraq to independence. The level of our troops in Iraq is at or above the level before the surge.

You, John, don’t understand that being patronizing to your opponent is not the way to “win” a debate; it shows desperation.

You, John, don’t understand that your “maverick partner” (Governor Palin) is turning out to be an albatross for you–she has shown that your judgment is flawed; seriously flawed.

You, John, don’t understand that your body language “gave away” your temperament; the United States of America wants a President who is gracious, cool, non-plussed, and can work with others.

You, John, don’t understand that you have lost this election because you just don’t understand.

Barack Obama has run an almost flawless campaign for over nineteen months. He doesn’t change his message every few weeks based on what other people are doing; he doesn’t get flustered or out-of-control; he doesn’t hurl personal attacks against his opponent(s); he stays on message–and his message has been the same ever since he wrote them in his books and speeches over the past several years; he has not had to make changes in his campaign staff because he made the correct choices the first time.

John McCain, on the other hand, cannot make up his mind what he’s for or against; it depends on what he thinks is politically expedient at the moment. He “suspended” his campaign to “work on the bailout”, but his campaign offices never stopped nor did his TV ads nor did his political appearances. Senator McCain went to Washington after a “deal in principle” had been announced. After he got to Washington, the “deal” fell apart.

One of the great political blogs this election season is The Jed Report (TJR). One of the frequent commenters on this blog, “Shasta”, has written an excellent comparison of the campaigns of Senator Obama and Senator McCain. After you read this, you decide who is “Ready On Day One” to be President and Commander-in-Chief. Here’s a hint: the best person for the job has not been a POW.

President Bush looks feckless and McCain looks desperate and confused.

Can anyone imagine a McCain/Palin administration being run the way they run their campaign?. I am dizzy from the McCain/Palin drama, lying and gimmicks. I have a serious case of McCain/Palin fatigue. And I think it’s catching.

Qualifications for the President of the United States

1) Must be a natural born citizen
2) Must be at least 35 years old
3) Must have been a resident of the United States for the past 14 years
4) Must be able to do more than one thing at a time
5) Must be able to handle a crisis without suspending all other activities

Senator John McCain looked at the situation around him and decided to “suspend” his campaign and run back to Washington to work on the first piece of legislation he’s even looked at since last April.  On Tuesday, he couldn’t even decide if his vote was important.  The situation he really saw was: his sinking poll numbers and an upcoming debate for which he was not prepared.

Our next President of the United States, Barack Obama, was calm, cool, and collected as usual and reminded the American people that as important as dealing with the financial crisis is, Presidents must be ready at all times to be able to handle more than one activity at a time. Period. The Obama campaign will continue; both Senators will be in Washington on Thursday after being called there by George W. Bush; and Senator Barack Obama will still be ready for the Debates on Friday night. Period. That’s what presidents do.

Voter registration for the November 4th Election ends soon in almost all states.  Voters must be registered in most cases about 30 days or 4 weeks before the election. If you are not duly registered, you cannot vote.  (There are a few states that allow same-day on-site registration, but to be sure, contact your local Board of Elections.)

Many states deny ex-convicts the right to vote, either temporarily or permanently; several states restore voting rights to ex-convicts under certain circumstances. If you have any questions about a particular situation in a particular state, it is imperative that you contact your Elections Board right away.

Permanent Denial of voting rights (8 states):

                   Kentucky: All felons

                   Virginia: All felons

                   Nevada: All felons, except upon first-time non-violent offense

                   Arizona: Second felony offense

                   Alabama: Certain offenses

                   Florida: Certain violent offenses

                   Mississippi: Certain offenses

                   Tennessee: Certain offenses

Temporary Denials continuing after completion of all prison, probation, and parole (3 states):

                   Wyoming: 5 years

                   Delaware: 5 years

                   Nebraska: 2 years

Denial of voting rights to inmates only (13 states + D.C.):

                   District of Columbia

                   Hawaii

                   Illinois

                   Indiana

                   Massachusetts

                       Michigan

                   Montana

                   New Hampshire

                   North Dakota

                   Ohio

                   Oregon

                   Pennsylvania

                   Rhode Island

                   Utah

The remaining 24 states deny voting rights to probationers and/or parolees in addition to prisoners

 The Republicans are once again trying to remove an African-American Congressman from New York City who is Chairman of a powerful House Committee by making a mountain out of a molehill.  Representative Charles B. Rangel of the 15th Congressional District of New York, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, owed $10,000 in back taxes on rental property he owns in the Dominican Republic. The Republicans are also trying to find fault with Congressman Rangel over other rental properties he owns in New York City and his alleged use of official stationary for fundraising purposes.  Mr. Rangel has paid the back taxes; the House Ethics Committee has twice failed to remove him from his leadership position.

 Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was the first Black Congressman ever elected from a northern state (except for Illinois) representing the 15th Congressional District from 1945 through 1971.  He became chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, and helped pass several pieces of legislation against school segregation and for social reforms. In 1967, the House Democratic Caucus accused Congressman Powell of corruption and misappropriation of funds and stripped Representative Powell of his chairmanship and the full House refused to seat him until he sued; the United States Supreme Court ruled that he was unduly excluded. After a three-year battle to regain both his Congressional Seat and his leadership Chair, Rev. Powell was defeated in a primary election by Charles Rangel, who has held the 15th Congressional Seat ever since.

With less than two months left until the November 2008 elections, in which the Republicans are expected to lose several seats through retirements and election losses, the Republicans are hoping that a scandal in the Democratic Party will obscure the many scandals that have plagued them with their legislators, such as Ted Stevens of Alaska, Tom DeLay of Mississippi, and Larry Craig of Idaho.

Hurricane Ike hit hard in the coastal cities of Houston and Galveston Texas, and FEMA is doing its regular “heckofajob”; the “community organizations” are of course stepping in to take up the slack. But while we here in the USA are dealing with Ike, as bad as it has been for Texas, it has been multiple times worse for Haiti.

The Republic of Haiti, the 2nd-oldest independent country in the Western Hemisphere after the United States, is often given the “short shrift” by America, unless there is some kind of gain that can by made for the American government in power at the time. Haitians seeking asylum in the US are most often turned back, while Cubans have “special” immigrant status.

While Hurricane Gustav was practically a “non-storm” here in the US, Haiti has been ravaged by four tropical storms and hurricanes in one month. Over 310 people have been killed since mid-August: Tropical Storm Fay killed nine people, Hurricane Gustav 76, Storm Hanna 67 and Hurricane Ike 58. Over a million Haitian people are homeless. As is usual for countries “not as important” to the US, it is up to community organizations and private citizens to coordinate aid.

The United States government has pledged $10M in aid; and Venezuela has also sent aid. Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean has been coordinating assistance through his foundation, Yele.

Actor Matt Damon, second right, Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean, center, and New Brunswick, Canada Premier Frank McKenna, right, distribute food to flood victims after four tropical storms hit the area in Gonaives, Haiti,
Sunday, Sept .14, 2008. They arrived Saturday in Gonaives as part of Jean’s foundation’s Yele Haiti aid activities.
(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa).

As we here in the US deal with our own economic crises, please don’t forget the Haitians, who are much worse off. This is excerpted from Catholic Relief Services:

Around 850,000 people have been affected – 423 are dead, another 50 missing. We estimate anywhere from 100,000-200,000 people have had their homes damaged or destroyed. Water distribution systems have been washed away. A hospital in Gonaives destroyed. Schools are opening later this year and there will be fewer students because parents won’t be able afford to send their children.

Haiti was already facing huge obstacles prior to Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. The rising cost of food caused people to take to the streets in protest. The government was ousted. People were getting desperate.

Two-thirds of Haitians make less than a dollar a day. That comes out to an annual income of $300. Back in April we saw the price of food increase to horrific levels. Even in the U.S. you saw companies rationing sales of rice. But in Haiti, where 55 percent of the basic food staples are imported, the numbers were staggering.

Flag of the Republic of Haiti

Which is more comfortable for voters: an “older” president, or an African-American president? A Republican polling company asked that question. The responses might surprise you; and they bode well for Barack Obama…

First set of poll questions (emphasis mine):

Putting aside your own personal feelings for a moment, how comfortable do you think that your friends or neighbors would be voting for a Presidential candidate who is 72 years old?

Extremely comfortable 9%

Very comfortable 18%

Somewhat comfortable 39%

Not at all comfortable 25%

Second set of poll questions (emphasis mine):

Putting aside your own personal feelings for a moment, how comfortable do you think that your friends or neighbors would be voting for a Presidential candidate who is African American?

Extremely comfortable 20%

Very comfortable 32%

Somewhat comfortable 31%

Not at all comfortable 6%

Combined Results of “very comfortable” + “somewhat comfortable”:
for an “old” president–57%
for an African-American president–63%
According to Chuck Todd of MSNBC, a 6-point nationwide lead is essentially a landslide! But because there are still 6 weeks to go until November 4, anything can happen…our job is just to continually work as if we were 20 points behind!

These questions are from pages 11 and 12 of the questionnaire:

http://www.tarrance.com/results.cfm

Click on “09/16/08 Presentation Graphics”

Michigan is being called a “Swing State” in this election, teetering between traditional “blue” and shocking “red”. In this battleground state, the Michigan Republican Party tried to conduct voter suppression at the polls in November in predominantly Republican Macomb County : they obtained the public foreclosure lists and threatened to call out voters in line and make them verify their addresses. It didn’t matter to the Michigan Republican Party that a foreclosure notice is just that; a notice–the homeowner could be still living in the home and working out a solution. It didn’t matter that a homeowner who has been foreclosed upon has enough to worry about. It didn’t matter that just the idea smacked of sleazy. Nothing mattered except giving voters (hopefully Democratic voters) grief on Election Day.

However, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP), and the Barack Obama Campaign (Obama for America) are on the case, and are suing for voter suppression. After the story about the continuing tactics of the Michigan Republican Party broke in a independent Michigan progressive newspaper, the Michigan Messenger , and then went viral, the Michigan Repubs tried to deny and backtrack, even going so far as threatening to file a libel suit against Senator Barack Obama (D-IL).

The Michigan Republican Party achieved an objective, albeit not the one they had hoped: the country, the voters, Democrats, and Obama supporters are more attuned to, and vigilant about voter suppression attempts and have said “Enough”!

This year, voter suppression at the polls is: Not. Gonna. Happen.