Now that I have your attention, I am really just going to post about lies and videotape…

this is a family-friendly blog!

I wonder where the *real* Republicans are: as Senator Barack Obama said on the Rachel Maddow Show last night, it seems as if the *real* Republican party has been kidnapped by extremists! [BTW: did you know that Rachel Maddow is a Rhodes Scholar and has a Ph.D. from Oxford University?]

Let’s see…

*  John McCain and Sarah Palin have been consistently stretched the truth about Barack Obama’s life story, friends and associates, professional accomplishments, and policies for the future. While conveniently forgetting about incidents in their own pasts (adultery and Keating Five, illegal family trips and abuse of power in Alaska just to start…) they spend 90% of their campaign time telling why people should be against Barack Obama and Joe Biden instead of for them! If you visit the RNC website, there aren’t even pictures or bios of Senator McCain or Governor Palin, just more attacks on the opposition!

*  Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) has put out a video accusing her Democratic opponent North Carolina State Senator Kay Hagen of being “godless” because she attended an event of the Godless Americans Politcal Action Committee, an atheist group. The video even tries to insinuate that Kay Hagen is saying some akin to “…there is no God…” even though the voice on the tape isn’t hers.  Two items to remember: 1) The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion” or that prohibit the free exercise of religion…that means that atheists are also Americans with all of the rights as other Americans; and 2) part of the reason why Elezabeth Dole is losing her seat is because in recent years Senator Dole has spend almost no time in the state she claims to represent.

* George W. Bush is scrambling, in the last days of his presidency to roll back many regulations that protect consumers and the environment; which shows how the Republican Party feels about the protection of both the American people and the environment.  What about defective Chinese products? What about the endangered polar bears and global warming? (Sarah Palin doesn’t really believe in global warming, and despite wearinig her little polar bear pin, does not believe polar bears should be put on the endangered species list.)

* One of the five former Republican Secretaries of State that John McCain tried to remember were supporting him has come out on video to say that Sarah Palin is not ready to be Vice-President.

*  John McCain has insisted that the Los Angeles Times release a videotape of Barack Obama at a party of a Columbia University professor who happens to be a Palestinian-American; Sarah Palin mangles his name to illicit “boos” at campaign events.John McCain forgets to mention that an organization he headed funded this professor’s organization with $448,000 just ten years ago.

As decisions are made in these last days of the presidential camapaign, the choice is clear: hope and vision for the future of all Americans whether views and beliefs differ or not, or fear and character assassination and erratic behavior and working with only those people who agree with Republicans and who live in only “pro-American” parts of the country.

To see a variety of up-to-date videos of current events, click over to The Jed Report…

An American Citizen Born in Hawai’i-our 50th State…

 My plan for today’s post was to dispel (AGAIN) all of the smears, lies, distortions, etc. that the Republicans continue to plant about Senator Obama in lieu of a real message of their own.

But after last night’s O-formercial, I’m just in too good of a mood to descend into the negativity that is the totality of the McCain-Palin Campaign.

So, I just want to straighten out two very wrong “facts” that McCain keeps harping on…

1) Barack Obama did NOT “back out of a promise to accept public financing”.  He was one of only 3 candidates in November 2007 to answer a questionnaire about public financing (McCain didn’t bother to answer the questionnaire.). He stated in his written answer that he would “consider” using public financing.  He did just that; he considered using public financing and decided against it. John McCain is just angry and jealous that neither he nor the Republicans could raise that kind of money from regular, real Americans at an average of $86.00/person. Senator Obama actually saved the taxpayers’ money by opting out. McCain was also angry that Obama didn’t participate in his town hall meetings like McCain demanded that he do; McCain actually blamed the fact that Obama didn’t do what McCain said to justify McCain’s negative campaigning!  McCain got snippy last night and said that he wouldn’t have delayed the start of the World Series Game–although the game start was not delayed; just the pre-game show was deleted, according to Faux News! McCain conveniently forgot that his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention in September delayed the start of the National Football League Season!

2) As we have come to expect, McPalin is conducting another new guilt-by-association smear campaign; trying to link Senator Obama with Professor Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian-American who supports a Palestinian state (as does George W. Bush). Professor Khalidi used to teach at the University of Illinois-Chicago, as did Senator Obama and Professor William Ayers. When Professor Khalidi was leaving UI-C to take a similar position at Columbia University, the school threw him a good-bye party.This is “the party that shows Obama toasted a PLO terrorist” that McCain is screaming about. In actuality, Professor Khalidi has a Palestinian research foundation that in the 1990s was funded to the tune of half a million dollars by, get this: the International Republican Institute (IRI), chaired by Senator John Sidney McCain III!

By the way, did you hear that Barack Obama bought a record by Chaka Khan when he was 12?!?!?!

He MUST be a Muslim!

All of McPalin’s smears and lies are not working…this is from Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight…

  Now get out there and VOTE!

Today is my birthday, so I can write whatever I want! Actually, I always write whatever I want…

But today, I want to write about uniting America rather than dividing America; and who will be at the helm guiding the American ship for the next four to eight years.

Senator Barack Obama has been totally consistent, even before his seminal 2004 Democratic National Convention Speech, in calling for a united America and working with others to come to a common understanding, even with so-called “wedge issues”.  It is nothing short of amazing that throughout this 22-month Presidential Campaign, Senator Obama has also been consistent in his views, his policies, and his statements.  Of course some things may have been “tweaked”, but everything has stayed fundamentally the same.

Barack Obama, in my opinion, is like a “quiet storm”: he stays calm and collected no matter what, yet he gets his point across and lets you know where he stands. He does not engage in name-calling, personal attacks, gutter-politics, or lies and innuendos. He doesn’t put out ads that contain false information about his opponents or their policies. He doesn’t even put out ads that contain attack points, but true, information about his opponents. There are many “kitchen sink” items that Senator Obama could have thrown at his opponents, but except for a quick reminder about the Keating Five, he has not done so with either Hillary Clinton nor John McCain.

Barack Obama has developed and carried out an almost flawless campaign; exhibiting strategic superiority while maintaining his integrity. He has reached out to the best minds in the country, no matter what their political leanings, and has surrounded himself with an excellent campaign staff and paid them accordingly but not outrageously. As he promised from the beginning, there has been “No Drama with Obama”. The way Senator Barack Obama has run his huge and hugely successful campaign reveals how he will run the country as President. Talk about”executive experience”!

John McCain, on the other hand, has completely changed from the person he showed people in the 2000 campaig, and seemingly sold his soul to become President. He has called, or allowed his surrogates to call, Barack Obama every name he can think of; even if those names are completely false and unfounded. He has twisted the words and policies of Senator Obama to his own advantage; even if Senator McCain’s new way of stating what Senator Obama has done or said is completely untrue.

John McCain has shown himself to erratic, hot-headed, insecure, angry, lacking in judgment as well as any kind of a consistent message. The great majority of his speeches consist only of attacking Senator Obama. Senator McCain does say he can fix the economy. How? We don’t know. Senator McCain has said he knows how to win wars. Which wars has he won? Senator McCain has said that he knows how to catch bin Laden. Well, what’s holding McCain back from capturing bin Laden right now? There are only parts of America that are the real America; there are only some people in America who are really patriotic.

John McCain’s campaign has been a train wreck from the beginning; including the squandering of several months of preparation he could have used between the time he came the presumptive Republican nominee in March of 2008 and the end of the Democratic Primaries in June 2008. One day it’s the “surge”; then it’s “celebrity”; then it’s Ayers; then it’s socialism, communism, marxism. Every week, there is a new theme; every week there isa new attack; every week McCain’s numbers plunge further.

In choosing a President, there are many things to look for and keep in mind. However, if a decision is based only on temperment,judgment, and overriding theme, it is obvious that the choice should be Obama-Biden. Every President is “tested” soon after taking office. I would rather have someone who is Ready on Day One to unite America and work with all of America to make America the best it can be at home and around the world; and handle more than one crisis at a time!

More pathetic gimmicks from the McCain-Palin Campaign and the Republican National Convention…”Joe the Plumber”, “Vicky the Voter”, “Wendy the Waitress”, “Tito the Builder”…why do I feel like I’m watching a little kid’s TV show?  Where are the real plans for America? Where are the reasons why someone should vote FOR the Republican ticket instead of AGAINST the Democratic ticket? Socialist, Marxist, terrorist, Muslim…again like little kids name-calling on the playground!

The McCain campaign jumped on the “story” of a supporter who tried to pull a racially-motivated stunt about being mugged by a black Obama supporter; then they jumped on a false story that Obama had already written his inauguration speech; they said he’s “measuring the drapes” in the White House…and on and on and on.

People are really getting tired of the constant negative and often down-right false attacks. The more McCain-Palin pile it on, the further down they go in the polls. One would think they would get the message…

On Monday, Senator Barack Obama gave his so-called “closing speech”; it contained ideas for unifying the country, even reviving “…there is no Red America, there is no Blue America, there is the UNITED STATES of America…”.  Barack Obama spoke of how America can be great again because of all of the people, not just some people in part of America. The Senator reminded us that this election is not about him, it is about us–all of us, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

On Tuesday, it was raining in Pennsylvania, and the Phillies canceled a World Series Game for the first time ever, and John McCain canceled his event. But Senator Obama didn’t let rain stop him, and neither did rain stop the 9,000 people who came out to support Barack Obama anyway.

Tomorrow (October 29) is my birthday; the best present I will receive will be the 30-minute O-fomercial tomorrow night!

Former Governor Dr. Howard Dean of Vermont assumed the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee in February 2005. Dr. Dean was the early front-runner in the 2004 Democratic Presidential Primaries, denouncing the 2003 invasion of Iraq and pioneering internet fund raising and running a strong volunteer-based “ground game” for his campaign.

However, after coming in 3rd in the Iowa Caucuses, when Dr. Dean tried to “rally the troops” for the upcoming New Hampshire Primary, his “cheer leading call” was caught on tape and chided as the “Dean Scream”. Continuous looping of those few seconds by the media was chiefly responsible for the downfall of his promising campaign.

Well, who’s screaming now?

After the 2004 loss by John Kerry to George W. Bush because of alleged voting irregularities in the battleground state of Ohio, Dr. Dean took it upon himself to re-shape the Democratic Party and, just as importantly, the Electoral College map for the 2006 and 2008 elections.

The 50-State Strategy, begun in 2005, had a goal of building a Democratic Party organization in every state in the Union, including those considered “red” and those Democrats had previously all but ignored. The superior “ground game” and state Democratic Party organizations have caused the Republican Party to “fight” in states they previously thought were “safe”, thus stretching their time and resources. The first validation of this strategy was realized in the 2006 Congressional Elections, and will soon show the most desired outcome: the election of Senator Barack Obama with unlikely victories in states such as Missouri, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Indiana! Because of the vision, strategy, and plain hard work, Barack Obama will be able to win the Electoral College even without Ohio and Florida (although he will probably win those states, too!).

It has now been reported that Governor Sarah Palin is a bigger “drag” on the campaign of Senator John McCain than is George Bush!  The Republicans are of course blaming Barack Obama and the “liberal media”, but Sarah Palin brings these things on herself.

1) Sarah has no idea what the Constitutional role of the Vice-President is.  She gave a wrong answer to 3rd graders, although the Republicans felt that “OK” because she was talking to kids. It is not OK to not know what the Vice-President does; and even worse to not teach kids the right answer.

2) Sarah Palin has been found to be charging the State of Alaska for her children’s airfare and hotel fees for travel; even to see their father in a snowmobile race. That is illegal.

3) Sarah Palin thinks only some parts of America are “pro-America”.

4) While most Americans are struggling with the economic downturn, and the Republicans are chiding Barack Obama for “spreading the wealth”, the McCain-Palin ticket is spreading the wealth with over $150,000 in one month for clothes and makeup for Sarah Palin.  (BTW: the average cost of a dress for Michelle Obama is $150.00…)

What could the average working family in America do with $150,000? How about “Joe the Plumber”? A soldier in Iraq?

This great post from Black Universe makes some great points…

10 Things Palin’s $150K Outfits Could Buy

By Drew Ricketts October 22, 2008 8:11 am

Recently, it was revealed that Governor Sarah Palin has benefited from campaign funds in the most personal way. Politico reports that the Republican National Committee, who has provided a fundraising buffer for John McCain in the home stretch, also footed the bill for about $150,000 on wardrobe improvements for Gov. Sarah Palin.

John McCain and Barack Obama have both come under scrutiny for their campaign financing methods, using loopholes to get $30,000 donations and higher.

Gov. Palin has also used her Washington outsider and reformer image to connect to voters who seek a new face to break up the corruption on Capitol Hill. In this case, however, the McCain-Palin ticket will have to answer for their “spending freeze” rhetoric in the face of such extravagant costs on the trail. It seems the elitist argument, promoted tirelessly by the RNC against Barack Obama and the media, is going up in flames.

Here are ten things the Governor’s wardrobe upgrades could buy:

1. 6 suits of military body armor for soldiers abroad - Costs have increased, with many soldiers having to pay out of their salaries to purchase their outfits. Perhaps the Governor could help son Track’s infantry with a loan from her campaign. They might even be able to afford a down payment on a Humvee without armor, listed at $225K.

2. One suburban school’s sex education program at roughly $150 per child. Studies show that countries with a commitment to adolescent sexual health and responsibility, as opposed to abstinence-only programs, have a lower teen birth rate and lower public costs related to teen parenthood.

3. 125 rape kits for victims of the violent sexual act. Gov. Palin advocated that victims pay the bill for their own rape examinations, rather than leave it to “irresponsible government.” The kits cost up to $1200 in some cases.

4. Three Anchorage plumber salaries. For all of their talk about how Joe the Plumber will suffer under Obama’s tax policy, they fail to advocate for the average plumber, whose salary falls somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000. The RNC and Palin might be able to directly improve an Alaskan plumber’s quality of life by investing that money in his/her business.

5. 25 Public Four-Year College Tuitions. The cost of a public four-year college degree is just about $6,000. Mark it up to $30,000 for a private university’s stamp of approval. Rather than having more students take on impossible loans, Gov. Palin could devote her shopping money to a scholarship fund.

6. Three hybrid cars. Palin has been pegged as an expert on energy when the only real solution she has advocated is tapping oil reserves. Hybrid cars cost more than gas vehicles, but save the consumer more money as the price of gas rises. Maybe Sarah Palin could make a provision for an out-of-pocket tax credit to citizens who bought those vehicles. She might even autograph the money for you!

7. 3 Starting Teacher Salaries. The average public school teachers make more than they did three years ago, but there are still many resources lacking in public education. The more money we can pay our teachers, the better. Sarah Palin could have her own team of teachers if she cut back on her cosmetic indulgence.

8. One year of medical care for an autistic child. Mrs. Palin’s young son has Down’s syndrome, which will be a unique challenge for their family. They are helped by the Governor’s quality of life and state-sponsored health care. The average cost of care for an autistic person in a lifetime is $3.2 million dollars. Families with middle incomes cannot easily pay for these costs, or come out of the debt that goes with raising a special needs child. Too bad the Governor cut special needs budgets in her home state by 60+% over three years.

9. 2 Wall Street donations to the McCain Campaign. Although both candidates have accepted unusually large donations from individuals and corporations, John McCain in particular has taken $70,000+ donations from about a dozen individuals in private industry. One wonders if the founder of td Ameritrade would be pleased to know that his hard-earned cash goes into Palin’s walk-in closet.

10. 37 Seconds of the Iraq War. The war chest has been plundered to no end. It currently costs the country $10.3 billion dollars a month to occupy and secure Iraq. Palin could sponsor her own moment of silence for the dedicated soldiers who have lost their lives, but it wouldn’t be a very long moment.

Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin, behind in the polls and having no cohesive message to run on, have resorted to a divisive, hate-filled, smear campaign against Senator Barack Obama and the Democratic Party as a whole. As a result, in the last few weeks, several very dangerous incidents have increased against Obama campaign offices and people who just happen to support Obama for President.

It is natural for political opponents to compete, but the Republican ticket has descended into the gutter with tactics and statements that actually put people in danger. Ironically, continuing their “blame the other guy” meme, they want Obama to “repudiate” what Congressman John Lewis said about them…although the results of their statements are becoming the same as in the civil rights fights of the 60s…

Call Obama a liberal. Say his policies don’t make sense. Call him skinny. Tease him because he likes arugula and green tea. Mock his bowling score. But by calling him a terrorist and/or a socialist; saying he is a Muslim yet has a crazy Christian pastor; tieing him to ACORN which they then say is “tearing the fabric of democracy” because some voter registration cards say “Mickey Mouse” (although it is a Republican who has actually been arrested for tricking people into signing Republican cards in California); calling him “un-American” and “not quite like us”; by saying only the towns they like are “pro-America” and Democratic-leaning areas are “communist”; by doing these things,, they are stirring up hatred and fear…just to win an election. They are bringing out the worst in people instead of working with everyone to make America better. They feel that the only way they can “win” this election is through slander, fear, and fraud…yet they say that they are the “real Americans”…

A car is vandalized in Texas because it has an Obama bumper sticker.

A baby bear is shot in the head and left on a college campus with Obama signs taped to it.

Obama campaign offices have been vandalized, have had an envelope with white powder mailed to it, and have received bomb threats.

Tires have been slashed at Obama rallies.

Obama is hung in effigy in Ohio and elsewhere.

ACORN workers receive death threats .

People yell “Kill him” and “terrorist” at rallies and into the cameras of foreign news outlets.

Maybe this is the kind of America the Republicans want…only a white, Christian, erratic military man with a far-right radical unqualified running mate should be in charge. Everyone who disagrees with them should be maimed, threatened, killed, or at the very least labeled “un-American”.

Fourteen more days.  Fourteen more days to prove to America and the world that the United States is better than this. We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can work with both our friends and our enemies without starting WWIII. We can honor and value our diversity and see that we do have more in common than our differences. We can have class and style and speak fluent English and value education and show real “family values” by obviously loving our wives and children and caring for those less fortunate instead of denigrating them.

Fourteen more days until Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States of America and we can start healing this nation instead trying to divide it even more with hate and fear.

Fourteen more days. We are ALL Americans…

That’s Change We Can Believe In…

If you were blessed to have a great Dad, this story will move you.
If you weren’t blessed to have a great Dad, this story will move you.
If you were blessed to have a great Dad, and you want to be as great a Dad as yours was, this story will move you.
If you weren’t blessed to have a great Dad, but you are determined to be a great Dad anyway, this story will move you.

Click this link to read this beautifully written story…

Barack Hussein Obama wasn’t blessed to have his Dad around. After his Dad left when little Barry was two years old, Barack saw his Dad just once more when he was ten years old. Barry did have his loving grandmother and his strong grandfather as a surrogate Dad.

Pray for Barack’s beloved Grandmother who is gravely ill at this writing…

Click this link to read this beautifully written story…

But Barack is determined to be the best Dad he can be for his own children. Even though he’s a “little busy” these days, this “socialist, terrorist, Muslim, anti-American” Dad still finds time to walk his daughter to her first day in 5th grade and help her learn how to use her combination lock (remember those?). This “not exactly like us” Dad finds time to get back home for his older daughter’s soccer game and make his younger feel like she was the most important person in the world, even though she wasn’t playing a game. This “scary Black man” Dad was even able to come on the soccer field surrounded by Secret Service and most people didn’t even notice.

Click this link to read this beautifully written story…

This All-American Dad will be our 44th President and show America and the world what real “family values” are.

Click this link to read this beautifully written story…

Four-star General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under George W. Bush, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Geroge H.W. Bush, former National Security Adviser under Ronald Reagan, and 25-year friend of Senator John McCain, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Secretary Powell, on Meet the Press, this morning, and at a news conference immediately following, stated the reasons for his decision (and emphasized it was not because of “race”):
1)  the Republicans’ narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks, especially “Muslim” and “Bill Ayers” and “ACORN” instead of a serious approach to today’s challenges;
2) the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as the vice-presidential pick;
3) questions about John McCain’s judgment;
4) the style and substance and temperament of Barack Obama;
5) Barack Obama will restore America’s standing in the world and diplomatic choices in dealing with the world.

Watch the Meet the Press interview; it is very enlightening and informative.

He’s READY to lead American and the world…

One of the things not mentioned enough about the importance of the Presidential elections in the United States of America is how important the perception of America is around the world.

Right after 9/11, “everybody was an American”, and America had its highest level of worldwide support in decades. However, the present occupant of the White House soon devastated all of that goodwill; especially with his “us against them” and “Avis of Evil” mentality.

Thankfully, the era of the “Cowboy President” is almost over. People are realizing that in order for the United States to “lead” in the world, other counties and peoples have to want to follow.

In reality, of course, we don’t really want or need non-U.S. citizens actually voting in our elections; but there is an interesting website where people around the world can “vote”–actually express their opinion and preferences.  The result of this election is important to the rest of the world; especially as we realize how inter-connected we are economically.

Go to “If the World Could Vote ” and see for yourself; it’s a fun site. Need I say that Barack Obama is winning in virtually all countries around the world? The world sees Barack Obama as their best choice for the 44th President of the United States; it is up to us to make that happen on November 4th.