Is this how the Bush adminstration honors our troops?

I just watched this video that was taken by the father of a soldier from the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg. These soldiers had spent 15 months in war, only to return to these horrible, mold covered barracks. Shame on the Army. Shame on the Bush administration. Shame on the Pentagon. While the Bush administration has given billions and billions of dollars to the Iraqi government, our men and women in uniform have had to deal with filthy barracks on their return home. Is this how this administration supports the troops?

Video from Youtube: (<-----CLICK HERE)

Are they sabotaging Obama?

I was hoping that Whoopi Goldberg would pop Elizabeth "Bushlover/McCainlover" Hasselback as I was watching The View. Hasselback, who yesterday was giving goo-goo eyes to Newt Gingrich, kept saying that Obama was ruined. Joy Behar said she thought that the right wing and Republicans were purposely sabotaging Obama because he was the first African American to run for President. Think about it. McCain, the GOP, and even some Dems, won't stop talking about Rev. Wright because it is their way to attack Obama without being called a racist.

I think that every American who receives one of Bush's economic rebate checks should take a few moments and really kick the Bush administration in the pants. How? Take a portion of your check, even if it is only $10, and donate it to the Barack Obama campaign.

If Newt Gingrich, Rush Limpbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and even Elizabeth Hasselback are promoting Hillary Clinton, you know that they fear Barack Obama. All the righties have is old man McCain who won't offer you real health care.

The Economy

~ Last night on the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert quoted the Washington Times story about John McCain's superstitions, including "....He carries a lucky feather, a lucky compass and a lucky penny — not to mention a lucky nickel and a lucky quarter....."

Colbert then unveiled his new banner which read, "McCain 2008, The Luck Stops Here!"

Do you think that McCain plans to fix things with his "lucky feather"?

McCainsource.com has information about the Fabulous Life of John McCain:





* Senator Barack Obama is meeting with friendly groups in Indiana. At a recent campaign stop in Anderson, Indiana, Obama talked about the sagging economy and the job losses many have experienced.
(Herald Bulletin):

...Obama said McCain’s plans for handling the war in Iraq and other American issues mirrored those of the current president. “We can’t afford four more years of failed foreign policy.”

Referring to McCain’s comment that the economy was making great progress, Obama said, “He must not be talking to the people in Anderson....

“I know they don’t want four more years of Bush’s economic policy,” Obama said, sending the crowd into applause.....

We certainly don't need more of the same from McCain.

> President Bush's news conference yesterday proved once again that he is out of touch with American life. He refused to take responsibility for high gas prices, and instead put the blame on Congress. The American people know who is to blame for high gas prices, a failed foreign policy, a war without end in Iraq, and another Bush recession. It is George W. Bush. The reason that gas prices are so high is that former oil man, Bush, won't do anything to penalize his friends.

USA Today had Sen. Chuck Schumer's response to Bush's news conference:

"All of a sudden, he's realizing the problems," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "The president and the White House have repeatedly ignored repeated shots across the bow of our economy. Rising foreclosures, falling home prices, withering consumer confidence and record oil company profits — none of them are being addressed."

I think at this point, Bush won't do anything except refuse to take responsibility.

Can we afford to have a President McCain?

While a committee in the U.S. Senate works on oversight of the Iraq War and the contractors employed there, John McCain talks about a minister's statements. Which is more of threat?

Muckraked has some very interesting information about how some contractors have behaved while they were in Iraq. Here are some excerpts from the Senate hearings as published by Muckraked:

....A contractor died when a DynCorp manager used an employee’s armored car to transport prostitutes, according to Barry Halley, a Worldwide Network Services employee working under a DynCorp subcontract.

Kellogg Brown & Root contractors used to destroy countless quantities of still-usable equipment that was difficult to transport in “massive burn pits” that were “burning 24 hours a day.”

KBR’s ice foreman “was cheating the troops out of ice at the same time that he was trading the ice for DVDs, CDs, food and other items at the Iraqi shops across the street.”

While our young men and women are in harm's way, the contractors who have been protected by the Bush administration, misuse our tax money and create dangerous situations for all. Now you see why the Bush administration and the former Republican majority in the House and the Senate did not want to have oversight on the Iraq War. The Republicans and Bush did not want the American public to see the truth. While friends of Bush and Cheney make money as contractors in Iraq, our troops and our tax money have not been protected.

Meanwhile, John McCain
>doesn't want to discuss why he feels the need to keep our armed forces in Iraq for 100 years.
>has been described as possibly creating an economic "gridlock" if he were elected, according to economist, Jared Bernstein (see Huffington Post).
>would rather talk about a minister's sermon.

Can we really afford to have our armed services, state dept. employees, and tax money remain in Iraq for 100 years as supported by John McCain?

Updates!!!!

>>> Looks like John McCain still likes flying on those private jets. The Boston Globe has the story. Here is an excerpt:
....The New York Times reported today that over a seven-month period beginning last summer, McCain's cash-short campaign used a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.....

* The New York Times is reporting that the Senate will look into whether John McCain is really a citizen of the U.S. (McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone.)

> According to POPSEOUL, Rain, will appear on The Colbert Report this week for a "dance off." Rain is in the country to promote his role in the movie, Speed Racer.

Just The Facts About McCain

John McCain has been using his wife's private jet to fly around the country. How nice. I've never been on a private jet. Have you? Isn't that elitist?

John McCain voted against
1. the health program for poor children (8/2/07: HR 976). (Project Vote Smart)
2. naturalized citizen amendment (9/14/95: HR4). (PVS)

* Although McCain claims he cares about veterans, he has voted against them repeatedly: Veteransforcommonsense.org:

.......September 2007: McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments. At the time, nearly 65% of people polled in a CNN poll indicted that "things are going either moderately badly or very badly in Iraq.....

........May 2006: McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.....

........April 2006: McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans......

.......March 2006: McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.....

......April 2003: McCain urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.......

* McCain voted against creating a Dr. Martin Luther King Day holiday (H/T: Oliver Willis: Vote 289, HR 3706, 8/2/83).

* On March 7, 1997, McCain gave a speech to the Annual Conservative Political Action Conference. This is the opening paragraph: (Source: Project Vote Smart)
The topic about which I have been asked to speak is a simple question: Should the United States be the world's policeman? Let me start by giving a simple answer: No, we should not....

Did he flip flop on this? Today, McCain thinks we should remain in Iraq even if it means another 100 years!

> Here is an example of McCain's temper:

NC GOP

The head of the NC GOP, Linda Daves, is using an attack ad to try to smear Democrats and Sen. Barack Obama. Mrs. Daves called Sen. Obama and elitist. I've checked over at OpenSecrets.org, and Mrs. Daves has contributed nearly $9,000 to the NC Republican Committee. Isn't THAT elitist? Who has $9000 to spare so that you can contribute to a political party? I have contributed money to campaigns, but my lifetime contributions are a tiny fraction of her political contributions.

If you really want to read about the dirt in the NC GOP, check out the blog at NCPolitico for the list of pervs and misbehavior of NC Republicans. With all that naughty and illegal behavior within the NC Republican Party under Daves' supervision, isn't she acting rather arrogant?

It might be a good idea for some young Dems to break out their video cams to record some of the Republican dirty tricks that are going on in NC. We'd love to see them on YouTube.

More on McCain

John McCain said today that he would have handled the Katrina disaster differently if he had been president. Really? We know how he spent part of the time while the people on the Gulf Coast were waiting for help. He was celebrating someone's birthday.





(1st pic: http://www.rubyan.com/politics/ad%20birthday.jpg & 2nd pic---http://casadelogo.typepad.com)

While people died, and lost their homes, McCain and Bush had a celebration.

_______

Here are some interesting votes by McCain:

Vote 254, July 19, 2007 (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/1/votes/254/): McCain voted against the Murkowski Amendment No. 2329---To increase the amount appropriated for the college access partnership grant program.

Vote 246, September 13, 2006: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/page6/
McCain voted against Menendez Amendment No. 4999—To improve the security of cargo containers destined for the U.S.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/page10/
9/22/05 Vote 242, HR 2528: McCain voted against Akaka Amendment No. 1852 which would have provided an additional $10,000,000 for the Readjustment Counseling Service, with a corresponding offset from the HealtheVet account.

McCain is against a woman’s right to make decisions about her body. http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=2&go.x=13&go.y=5

McCain has a dismal voting record on veterans’ issues. http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=66&go.x=10&go.y=12

McCain received a 0% rating for his votes/support for drug issues.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3644

*** By the way, visit http://www.barackobama.com/ and contribute to the Obama campaign. Sen. Obama is our best hope for change.

Old and New--Updated

OLD IDEAS
* John McCain is against equal pay for women.
AP:
Republican Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits....

Wow. This seems to indicate that McCain's ideas are draconian. I wonder if he has other ideas that will set women back decades. I guess it is okay for his wife to have $100 million dollars that she inherited and that he enjoys with their eight houses. However, he doesn't want the average woman to get equal pay and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. McCain's opinions are old-fashioned and elitist. (McCain's elitist, chauvinistic ideas might explain why we never hear Mrs. McCain speak. He probably only "allows" her to smile and nod.)

Capital Hill Blue has more:

McCain Votes Against Equal Pay: Women Need "Education And Training"
Once again John McCain shows he is out of touch with the needs of regular people.
So ask yourself if this REALLY is the guy you want appointing members of the Supreme Court for a lifetime?
No matter what the alternative, I say HELL NO!......

Here is where McCain wants women to be:

(pic courtesy-- http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk)




Most women would say that McCain sounds like a crotchety old man!!! Wake up, McCain. This is not the 1950's. A majority of women today work outside the home to support their families. American women are educated, ambitious, and hard-working. We are not ready to turn back the hands of time to house dresses, pearls, and waiting for hubby to decide if we need a new clothes dryer.

OMG! Can you imagine hot-headed, anti-Asian, foul-mouthed, male chauvinist McCain in the White House???? Heaven forbid!!! Please, Democrats, make nice now.


NEW IDEAS
* I am wondering if Stephen Colbert will have Rain on his show soon. Last night Colbert ran a clip of Rain and challenged him to a "dance off." It is possible that Rain might attend the premiere of Speed Racer and then pop into The Colbert Report. I think that the producers of The Colbert Report should be encouraged to make that happen.

Still Loving My Civic Hybrid!!!

Today the local BP station had unleaded gasoline at $3.53/gal. Of course, that was around lunch time. It probably has changed since since then.

This past weekend, I had to drive to Cleveland. While driving my Honda Civic Hybrid, I was able to get 53mpg on the ride. I didn't need the air conditioning on and I used my cruise control most of the way. I think that is pretty amazing.

If you are still driving one of those large SUV's because you think it is a status symbol, you are wrong. You just look plain silly driving a car in which you must spend $80 or more to fill up the tank! Putting all that money into your gas tank doesn't make you smarter or sexier. If you really want to save money, check out a hybrid car before gasoline goes to $4/gal.

Did you know that McCain is against overtime pay?

Listen to the Ohio Democratic Party's radio ad here to get the story: OHIODEMS AD

McCain is no friend to working families. He voted against an increase in the minimum wage and overtime pay protection (#1). He plans to privatize Social Security.

While McCain is able to shop at Barney's in Beverly Hills and spend $2,546.56, you are going through your penny jar to get $3.50 together to buy a gallon of gas for your car or give your kids lunch money. (Image courtesy MSNBC)


McCain is not concerned about the real working people in this country. With his many opulent homes and hideaways, McCain is trying to portray himself as a regular guy. The truth is, he and his wife are worth over $100 million and they don't go to the penny jar to help them make it through the day.

_______________

Toe enthusiast, and Fox News big macher, Dick Morris, is in Big, Big, trouble. USA Today:
Dick Morris —The former political adviser to Bill Clinton is a Fox News analyst. The IRS filed a $1.5 million tax lien against him in 2003. The state of Connecticut reports Morris owes $452,367 in back taxes and penalties....

Ouch!

Obama

Here is a little something from The Morning Call:
...The Morning Call recommends that Sen. Barack Obama be nominated, and we offer three reasons.
The first is the quality of his campaign. It has surprised the experts by moving him close to the finish line against bigger, more established political machines and it has communicated his basic ideas well.
The second is his message of hope and change. It conveys a vision of the nation's future that is in tune with the tenor and consensus of most Americans.
And third, and most important for the Democratic Party at this moment in history, there is Sen. Obama's ability to inspire....

To read the rest, visit The Morning Call link.

Hillary Clinton is just a few years older than me. Old man McCain is a decade and a half older than me. John Kennedy said it best, "....the torch has been passed to a new generation...."

It is time for new, energetic, and creative individuals to come forward and fix this country. The same old routine hasn't worked in a long time. We, as individuals, need to chip in and help to rebuild. The only person who can inspire all of us to participate in that kind of activity is Barack Obama.

Time to Change

The Ohio Democratic Party blog has a terrific graphic of John McCain the flip flopper:
(Check out NoJohn.com for other information.)

* I watched This Week with George Stephanopoulos this morning. Here are my observations:
1.) What was the problem with the editing?
2.) I predict that McCain will not get any endorsements from dentists.
3.) McCain still clings to his endorsement from the anti-Catholic Rev. Hagee.
4.) McCain's so called "health" program doesn't cover anyone with pre-existing conditions. Do you have heart problems? diabetes? arthritis? high blood pressure? high cholesterol? Tough luck with McCain.
5.) Has George Will left the bubble of Washington, DC recently? Has he spoken with real people not just members of his country club?
6.) McCain still wants to have endless war with more sacrifices for our military, their families, and our country. The only chance we have to leave Iraq is with a Democrat in the White House.
7.) John McCain has reached across the aisle to work with Democrats exactly three times.
8.) McCain still wants to privatize Social Security, but he gets to collect his first.
9.) If you believe that John McCain has no anger management problems, I know of some swampland you should buy.......
10.) If John McCain supports the troops so much, why does he refuse to support the new G.I. Bill??????? Why won't he support bringing them home? (By the way..... despite what McCain says, the surge didn't work.)

In conclusion, we honor McCain's military service but....
>he is an old 71 years old.
>he flips, he flops and we don't know where he'll land next time.
>he wants to continue the Bush policies here at home and around the world. Haven't we had enough????


It is time to hand the reins of this country to younger people with vitality, intelligence, and the capacity to make change. The only person who can do this is Barack Obama.

To my friends and relatives in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Ambridge, Harleysville, Quakertown, New Brighton, New Stanton, Harrisburg, Media, Drexel Hill, Bryn Mawr, Erie, Somerset, Allentown, Perkasie, Lancaster, York, Sharon, etc.), get out there and vote for Obama.

My Two Cents

- Why didn't Sean Hannity leave his church after all the scandals?

- Stephanie Miller of the Stephanie Miller Show calls John McCain "Grandpa McSame." It is a great name.

-Did you get a load of the partial release of John McCain income tax return? He left out his wife's income, most of his financial holdings, and other information. Talk about misleading the country!!!!!! He and his wife are worth over $40 million dollars and he released data that only comes to $400,000+. HA!

-McCain has been able to collect his social security but he wants to privatize it before I can collect it. How nice.

Lots of Questions

I read somewhere that John McCain owns 8 houses, two of which are on the California coast.
How many houses do you have, including those on the California coast?

John McCain has frequently traveled on corporate owned jets.
I've never flown on a corporate jet. How many times have you flown on a corporate jet?

Republican John McCain just seems to be in love with war, war, war. How in the world can we continue to send our dollars over to another country while we continue to have our infrastructure fall apart?

McCain wants to continue the war in Iraq. Where does he propose to get the military personnel and the money? Does he want a draft? Would the 12 month deployments mean that the military will serve 3 12 month deployments instead of two 15 month deployments? Duh!

McCain talks about more tax cuts. How will he pay for this? Our deficit will be tremendous. Why does McCain just want to dump future financial disasters on our children and grandchildren?

McCain frequently drinks/dines with members of the press. Is this why the press continues to hide the truth about McCain and instead paints him as a maverick?

McCain continues to support the Bush policies. Would a McCain presidency be just like a third term for George W. Bush?

I found some additional questions that should be asked of McCain. These questions come from "Truth Teller" who posted on the NY Times article about last night's debate. The questions are worth asking McCain----

Do you repudiate your wife for her thievery of medications in 1989?

Explain your role in the Keating Five.

Discuss your decision to leave your first wife after having an affair with your current wife.

How do you respond to your fellow GOP colleagues who say your temperament is unfit to be Commander in Chief?

What type of psychological scars has your experience with torture left on you?

How often do you attend church and why did you switch religions as an adult?

***Wouldn't it be great if we actually got answers? Don't count on it!

The Debate on ABC

I don't know if you caught any of the Democratic debate on ABC this evening. If you missed it, consider yourself lucky. The moderators, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, were about as interesting as dirt. I think they had Bill O'Reilly write the questions. (Charlie Gibson looked like Benjamin Franklin. He also looked like he was ready to fall asleep.) It was pathetic. They asked the same old questions. I think that middle school students could have written better questions! I know I could have written better questions!

I would like to suggest that we move past these silly questions that have been asked again and again and again. If these so called 'professional journalists' can't think of fresh questions, they should encourage the public to e-mail questions for the debates.

I agree with Americablog in saying to call or e-mail ABC and let them know that you thought that the debate, the questions, and the moderators were pathetic. Americablog provided this information: ABC tel#212-456-7777 and e-mail http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=ABC%20News%20Specials

It is important that we start to have important discussions about
-how to get out of Iraq
-how to get people back to work
-ways to get the economy working again
-proposals to lower gasoline prices
-how to rebuild our bridges, roads, and schools
etc., etc., etc.

Keystone State Race Yet To Be Determined

With Pennsylvania's presidential primary just around the corner, some residents have yet to make up their mind. However, there are a few points to ponder about why Sen. Obama would be a better candidate and a better President.

Now you are probably asking yourself why I feel that I have the right to speak about the PA primary. I was born in Pennsylvania and spent the first 14 years of my life living there. Currently, I have many relatives who continue to live in the Keystone State.

I read that since the year 2000, Pennsylvania has lost 200,000. Manufacturing plants and businesses have closed and moved out of the state. People have seen their entire way of life changed because of job losses. Small cities and towns have lost their tax bases and stores and office buildings are empty. Facing the loss of population, school districts have had to join together with neighboring districts to consolidate their schools and services. It isn't right that so many men and women have lost their sense of security that they once had about their future.

Pennsylvania, like Ohio, needs help and, above all, hope. There is only one candidate that can bring us both, and that is Sen. Barack Obama. We can no longer continue on this downward spiral for our country and our children. We need to make change and it has to happen dramatically. Sen. Obama is bright, intelligent, and a real motivator. His encouragement can bring back the hopes and dreams of all Americans as well as solutions to the problems that we all face. We cannot continue to have the same old, same old people and politics. We need change and Sen. Obama will be that instrument of change.

To my family, friends, and all Pennsylvanians, on your primary day, please support Sen. Obama for President.
Thank you.

Wounded Vet Denied Medical Benefits Due to "Pre-Existing Personality Disorders"

This is absolutely outrageous, but it has actually happened. Some of our men and women in uniform who have suffered both physical and mental injuries, especially PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), have been denied medical benefits and disability payments because some physicians in the Veterans' Administration said they had "pre-existing personality disorders."

Joshua Kors was on Air America this afternoon discussing his research on this matter. Here are some excerpts from the article that appeared in The Nation:

On April 9, (2007) Spc. Jon Town was featured on the cover of The Nation, in an article that told how he was wounded in Iraq, won a Purple Heart and was then denied all disability and medical benefits. Town's doctor had concluded that his headaches and hearing loss were not caused by the 107-millimeter rocket that knocked him unconscious but by a psychological condition, "personality disorder," a pre-existing illness for which one cannot collect disability pay or receive medical care.

Soon Town became a national figure, the human face of the 22,500 soldiers discharged with personality disorder in the past six years. His story was picked up by the Army Times, Washington Post Radio and ABC News's Bob Woodruff. It was dramatized in a May episode of NBC's Law & Order. And rock star Dave Matthews began discussing Town's plight at every stop in his spring concert series....

The person who was in charge of review disability claims at Fort Carson was Col. Steven Knorr.

......Knorr's memo, which he posted on his office's bulletin board, warns his doctors not to take soldiers' descriptions of their ailments at face value. "We're not naïve, and shouldn't automatically believe everything Soldiers tell us," the colonel writes. Knorr also urges his doctors to discharge troubled soldiers quickly--as he puts it, "Get rid of dead wood."...

Is this how the Bush administration and all the flag-wearing Republicans support the troops? Do yourself a favor and read the entire article.

According to the Library of Congress, Sen. Barack Obama sponsored an amendment to fix and review these cases:

S.AMDT.4330 to S.CON.RES.70 To provide an additional $5 million to the military departments' respective Boards for Correction of Military Records to expedite review of cases in which service members with combat-related psychological injuries (such as PTSD) or closed head injuries (such as TBIs) were administered discharges for personality disorders or other discharges resulting in a loss of benefits or care and seek a correction of records or upgraded discharge.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 3/13/2008) Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 3/13/2008 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 4330 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Those people who are undecided on which candidate to support in the Pennsylvania Presidential Primary should take a good look at this article. Sen. Obama's support of this amendment proves that he really does care for our men and women in uniform.

We Don't Need Another Republican in the White House

It is time to bring the Democrats into the White House because....

.....the Republicans and this administration have taken money to promote a war that didn't need
to happen. They continue to push for more money for Iraq while our children experience cuts
in education and medical programs.

.....newspaper, radio, and television journalists forgot about their basic duties to the American
public. Instead of asking questions and doing real investigative reporting, they just repeat the
"buzzwords" for the day. It is the responsibility of the media to ask meaningful questions about
policy, views, and issues. For example:
Why is McCain against a woman's right to choose?
Why is McCain against the New G.I. Bill?
Why does McCain continue to have lobbyists employed in his campaign?
Does McCain know how much it costs for a gallon of gas?
Does McCain still hate Asians?
Why does John McCain think it is okay to torture people, as long they are not Americans?

....people can't find jobs because the Bush administration has sent money to develop jobs in Iraq.

......our young men and women in uniform have died and suffered unspeakable injuries to further
the right wing philosophy of Neo-cons like Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney, and others. As of
this minute, 4,036 Americans have been killed in Iraq.

.....Republican Rep. Geoff Davis (KY-4th) called Sen. Barack Obama "boy." Has the press reported this incident? (see Raw Story)

Here is the topper----President Bush approved torture. Washington Post:

President Bush says he was aware that his top aides met in the White House basement to
micromanage the application of waterboarding and other widely-condemned interrogation
techniques. And he says it was no big deal.

"I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved," Bush told ABC
News' Martha Raddatz on Friday. "I don't know what's new about that; I'm not so sure
what's so startling about that."

It's true that it has been widely assumed and occasionally reported that the CIA's use of
brutal interrogation techniques could be traced back to the White House on a general
level. But it was most definitely new last week when ABC News reported that a group
of Bush's top aides, including Vice President Cheney, took part in meetings where they
explicitly discussed and approved -- literally blow by blow -- tactics such as waterboarding.
And while Bush has previously defended these tactics -- vaguely, and insisting against all
evidence that they did not amount to torture -- he had not, until now, acknowledged that
he personally OK'd them beforehand.....

McCain owns 8 houses??? Does that qualify him as an elitist?

According to the Huffington Post, Sen. John McCain and his wife own 8 houses. Holy cow! That is pretty elitist! No wonder he has no sympathy for regular Moms and Dads who are losing their homes! He just can't understand what it is like to not be able to make house payments and feed the kids.

After checking through OpenSecrets.org, it appears that Sen. McCain was worth between $27,000,000 and $45,000,000 in 2006 and was the 8th richest U.S. Senator. (See Open Secrets: Personal Financial Disclosure Reports of 2006.) Has McCain released his tax returns yet? McCain and his wife are very wealthy and own a lot of property and investments. I think that makes him an elitist.

Tiberi

Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi continues to support President Bush's war in Iraq. Tiberi continues to be a puppet for the current administration's failed policy in Iraq. Here are a few things from the Dispatch:

...Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, complained that "Iraq is running a budget surplus while our economy is suffering. We're spending $339 million a day in Iraq and the government in Iraq isn't even helping itself."

...Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, said "if we begin a precipitous withdrawal of troops now, all of our gains made in Iraq could be reversed. I believe we must listen to our troops on the ground and the testimony of Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker as we plan our next steps in Iraq."

But Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, said he had been "hoping to hear the same thing that most Americans want to hear -- a game plan for bringing our troops home and turning over responsibility for Iraq to the Iraqis."

Which representative do you think is an obstacle to bringing our troops home? Tiberi

Which representative continues to support an undefined military presence in Iraq? Tiberi

Which representative wants the U.S. to continue to spend billions of dollars in Iraq while our roads, bridges, and schools crumble? Tiberi

In all these committee hearings before members of the House and the Senate, I heard nothing about any active diplomatic measures being taken by Sec. of State Rice or her counterparts to bring an end to the Iraq war. It is just sad because more American members of the military have died for Bush's Iraq war.

More on Iraq....

> If you've been to the gas station lately, you already know that gas prices are going up. According to Bloomberg, oil prices were reported at $110.87 per barrel. The only people who are happy about this are Bush and Cheney's oil friends.

If you drive one of those big SUVs you'll get no sympathy from me. No matter how high gas climbs, my hybrid will be getting 40mpg/city and up to 53mpg/highway.

> Do you know that if you are an Iraqi who wants to open a business in Iraq, the U.S. government will give you $2500 cash to get it started? Have you tried to open up a business here? Have you gotten any handouts from the Bush administration in this country?

> After watching the hearings in the House and Senate I've come to the conclusion that the Iraq war is clearly belongs to Bush and the Republican Party. They wanted it, they love talking about how wonderful it is, and they've continued to support it. While our tax money builds new roads and schools in Iraq, our bridges and schools are substandard. It is time to take the training wheels off the bike and tell the Iraqi people, " See ya!"

> Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry is in a heap of trouble..
Americablog has the story:

McHenry literally endangered the lives of soldiers serving in Iraq by airing video of the Green Zone. VoteVets first called McHenry out on this. The Pentagon had to get involved. It's astonishing what these Republicans will do. McHenry must be held accountable for the breach of security:

If Patrick McHenry wants to tell war stories so badly, he should resign his Congressional seat and go enlist. He's only 32. That way, he could get some training--so that next time he's in a combat zone trying to be a tough guy, he won't be such a bumbling, self-promotional fool about it.

At this point, Patrick McHenry should be censured by his peers in Congress and he should apologize to the troops and their families....

If McCain supports the troops, why won't he support the New G.I. Bill?

Update: Sen. John McCain had another bit of confusion today. At the Senate hearings today, McCain called Al-Qaida a Shia organization. (It is in fact Sunni.) McCain has made this mistake at least 3 other times. Is this an example of his foreign policy experience and knowledge?


Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, says he is for the troops and will fight the war in Iraq for 100 years, if necessary. However, McCain will not support or vote for the New G.I. Bill. Why not? Is this his way of showing his thanks? The RealMcCain and VoteVets have this video which provides details:



Which John McCain should we believe--- the one against tax cuts or the one for tax cuts?

McSame Advocates 100 Years of War=Warmonger

I love listening to Ed Schultz on the radio. Big Ed is a real straight-talking man who will let you know the truth and exactly what he thinks about important issues. As part of a speech given before Obama supporters in North Dakota, Big Ed used the word "warmonger" to describe Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. That got the McCain campaign in a tizzy, according to the New York Times.

I agree with the use of the term "warmonger" to describe McCain. McCain's comments about keeping the Iraq war going for another one hundred years, makes me think that he is, according to the Free Online Dictionary---

One who advocates or attempts to stir up war.

Free Dictionary Thesaurus: warmonger- a person who advocates war or warlike policies

militarist
war hawk, hawk

McCain's support of a continuous war in Iraq makes me believe he is a 'warmonger.' McCain is supporting Bush's Iraq war and wants to keep it going to continue the Bush policies. He supports the war and doesn't seem to care about the human sacrifices that go along with that war.

Just look at the article in the New York Times about the problems are military men and women are having because of multiple deployments. NY Times:

Army leaders are expressing increased alarm about the mental health of soldiers who would be sent back to the front again and again under plans that call for troop numbers to be sustained at high levels in Iraq for this year and beyond.
Among combat troops sent to Iraq for the third or fourth time, more than one in four show signs of anxiety, depression or acute stress, according to an official Army survey of soldiers’ mental health.....

Check out the NY Times graphic about the deployments and you'll agree that our men and women in uniform have already sacrificed enough.

I think the term "warmonger" aptly defines McCain.

Plenty of Questions

> Did Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10th District) call a U.S. soldier a "two-bit security guard"? Watch the video at Think Progress. I wonder how that soldier's family feels upon hearing that their loved one was called a "two-bit security guard" by McHenry.

> Did John McCain refuse to meet with workers to discuss healthcare so that he could go to a $2,300/plate fundraiser dinner?

> What ethics violation happened in Republican Rep. Steve Chabot's office? Read The News Record to find out.

> Why is John McCain still refusing to release his medical records? What is he hiding?

> Which former member of the Bush cabinet was booed when he substituted "Osama" for "Obama"?

Trouble Ahead?

*** Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is in big trouble because of his remarks about 9/11's victims.
NY Daily News:
The California congressman who called the Sept. 11 attacks "simply" a plane crash ran for cover Wednesday under a barrage of ridicule from fellow Republicans, first responders and victims' families.

San Diego GOP Rep. Darrell Issa was under siege for suggesting the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with "a fire" that "simply was an aircraft" hitting the World Trade Center....

*** Did you see John McCain's latest comments?
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday he has begun a list of potential vice presidential running mates -- a decision he quipped was especially big "given my age."

....McCain joked to radio talk show host Don Imus that his pick of a potential presidential backup carried extra interest. "I'm aware of the enhanced importance of this issue given my age," he quipped.

The Arizona senator would be the oldest first-term U.S. president if elected....

Does the senator mean that he might be considered too old to be president? Is there something about McCain's health that we should know about?

**** The New York Times has an interesting poll result----
Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s, according to the latest poll.

In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said they believed “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2002....

This is not a good sign for the Republicans, since John McCain plans to carry on the programs and policies of President George W. Bush.

Why Haven't Romney's Kids Joined the Military Yet????

If the Republicans had their way, there would be a TV game show called, I'm More American Than You!
According to Raw Story, Mitt Romney accuses Democrats, specifically Sen. Barack Obama, of not honoring the flag. What a bunch of crap! If Mitt Romney was so patriotic, why aren't any of his 5 sons in the military? They seem to look quite healthy to me! Does Romney think it is okay for other mothers and fathers to send their sons/daughters to war, but his sons are so special they can't go to the military.

(Note: I attend many, many public events. When the National Anthem is played, less the 30% of the people actually put their hands on their hearts. Does that mean that we are less patriotic, less of an American than Mitt Romney and John McCain? No. Placing one's hand on one's heart is optional.)

I'm soooooooooo tired of these stupid, insulting Republican attacks. Let us get down to basics by asking these Republicans these questions:

1. Which administration is responsible for 2 recessions?
2. Which administration is spying on law-abiding citizens?
3. How many hours did the FBI spend watching/listening/following Elliot Spitzer instead of stopping terrorists?
4. How do the Republicans intend to end the war and bring our 140,000+ men and women in uniform home?
5. How do the Republicans and their candidates plan on lowering gas prices for regular Americans?
6. What has happened to the Republican Abramoff scandals? Are these good American values?
7. Which Republican president stayed in a classroom while our nation was under attack?
8. Ask John McCain about his plans for a national health care plan. (Hint: He doesn't have one.)
9. Why does Karl Rove call Sen. Obama "arrogant"? Is it because Obama is educated and Rove is not? Is Rove jealous of Obama's academic success? Does Rove hate minorities? People from Chicago?

The Republican Party is a bankrupt political party that is more interested in their personal wealth than helping families get health care. They don't care about normal, hard-working Americans who are struggling to feed their families. The Republicans just want to make sure they get their tee time at the country club.

Don't believe the Republican propaganda.

Wednesday's Talking Points

> Public pressure and just bad publicity forced the Wal-Mart to stop seeking money from a former employee who is disabled due to an accident. Apparently, Wal-Mart looked like greedy, heartless jerks to most of America. Mrs. Deborah Shank, who is totally disabled and a Gold Star Mother, will not have to give back money that was to pay for her care in a nursing home. Here is an excerpt from the Southeast Missourian:

The Wal-Mart health insurance plan has dropped its effort to recover the money it spent to care for Debbie Shank of Jackson as intense national publicity created a serious public relations problem for the retail giant.

After Jim Shank, Debbie's former husband, failed to win a U.S. Supreme Court review of the case, he had resigned himself to turning over the remaining $200,000-plus trust fund set up to care for Debbie Shank, who was brain-damaged in a auto wreck in 2000.....

I'm glad for Mrs. Shank.

> Did you ever hear of a group called Physicians for a National Health Program? John McCain is against any national healthcare program. Only the Democrats are for a national plan.

> I watched a little of the congressional hearings on the price of oil. The big shot execs of the oil companies were trying to justify their billions of dollars of profits. I think I saw their noses growing longer the more that they spoke.

> More Americans have been killed in Iraq. ICasualties is reporting that 4012 Americans have died in Iraq. John McCain wants 100 more years of this. Can we honestly say that we can endure the loss of more American lives? Not only are these young men and women dealing with war and physical injuries, many have nightmares and psychological problems when they return home.

> Did you know that John McCain is against the new G.I. Bill? Is that his way of supporting the troops?
Sen. Jim Webb is doing his part to support the bill. Military.com:

...Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said he adamantly believes the government has a greater obligation to help veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001. Webb, along with Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. and Chuck Hagel R-Neb., authored the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S 22), which aims to modernize the GI Bill.

"In keeping with the spirit of the original World War II GI Bill, this improved legislation will give this new generation of veterans an educational benefit similar to what the original 'greatest generation' received," Webb said....

What do we have?

>> In case you've missed it, 8 more Americans were killed in Iraq. According to ICasualties, 4011 Americans have died in Bush's war in Iraq. If McCain wins the presidency in November, we'll be in Iraq for at least another four years and there will continue to be Americans killed in Iraq. Is this what you want?

>> According to The Independent, the United States is in a depression. Check out the front page of The Independent---



>>>>> The G.A.O. reports that the Pentagon is spending billions and billions of dollars in overruns.
NY Times:

Inefficient Pentagon management led to cost increases for key weapons programs that often fell short of production goals last year, government auditors said Monday.

In its sixth annual report on selected weapons purchases, the auditors, with the Government Accountability Office, found that procurement costs came in 26 percent above original estimates for 72 major weapons programs in 2007. The office also found that many programs had been delayed or produced fewer weapons than initially planned.

The report attributed the problems to inefficient Pentagon practices, including changes in requirements after weapons development had started, turnover in program management and the use of contractors....

Looks like the defense contractors are running the Pentagon!!!

**** Have you visited the supermarket recently??? Check out the prices of milk, eggs, and fruits/vegetables. Even ice cream has gone up in price. Who should we thank for this mess?