Can you help?

The Holy Family Soup Kitchen in Columbus, Ohio, needs your help. Someone destroyed the refrigeration unit overnight, while stripping the unit of metal. The soup kitchen serves over 700 meals each day, Monday-Friday, to men, women, and children. Because of the vandalism, meals are unable to be served. If you can help, please contact them asap:

Holy Family Mailing Address:
Holy Family Church
584 W. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43215

Phone Numbers:
Rectory - (614) 221-4323
Office Fax - (614) 221-9818
Soup Kitchen - (614) 461-9444

Email addresses:
Soup Kitchen - hfsoupkitchen@sbcglobal.net
Church - hchurch1@columbus.rr.com

If your office can take up a collection or you personally would like to help them, call one of the numbers listed above.
Update: Apparently, $14,000 worth of metal and refrigeration equipment was stolen from the Holy Family Soup Kitchen. They also lost several thousand dollars worth of food that was stored. Please help if you can.

Wednesday...

> Another Ohioan has died in Iraq. Army Spc. Phillip Norris of Belle Valley, Ohio, was killed in Iraq. This brings a total of 169 Ohioans (ICasualties ) killed in Iraq.

> There is another article in the Dispatch about the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation scandal. However, not one mention of the fact that this massive scandal was under a Republican administration. The word "Republican" does not even appear in the article. How convenient! Leave it to the Dispatch to cover up the Republican scandals.

> It appears that the more Republican John McCain tries to explain why he did not support the New G.I. Bill, the more he appears out of touch with the challenges facing today's veterans. McCain's lack of support just seems plain cold.

> AOL News has a collection of polls that show that Republicans are in big, big trouble in November.

> It is embarrassing to have Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican, represent Ohio. Voinovich voted against the New G.I. Bill and is against any legislation to protect the environment. Shame.

> I've been told about a young man who was to end his time in the military next May. However, he has been notified that he is to prepare for a one year deployment in Iraq starting next April. Is this the way to run the military? Apparently, the Bush administration has pushed this "back door draft" scheme over and over again.

Super Secret Fundraiser

What if you gave a party and no one came? That was the exact problem that the Republicans had. President Bush was to appear at a public venue for McCain. However, the McCain campaign could not sell enough tickets to use a large public venue. The event will be moved to a private home with only special "invited" guests. President Bush will appear with McCain, but the press will not be there to take photos. McCain seems to want it both ways. He needs Bush to raise money from the party faithful, but he doesn't want average Americans to see them together.

McCain has nothing new to offer the American people except a continuation of the the Iraq War and the same worn out policies of the Bush administration. Obama is our only chance to end the war in Iraq and bring new ideas to solving our problems.

A Tribute to Lima Company

The Ohio Statehouse, located in downtown Columbus, now has a special memorial to Lima Company. Channel 10, WBNS-TV, has the paintings in a slideshow, the story about the memorial, and a video report. Here is an excerpt from 10TV's web page:

As 10 members of the Marine Reserve unit Lima Company prepare to return to Iraq, the company's fallen Marines and Navy corpsman are being honored through art.

Columbus-based Lima Company made national headlines three years ago after 23 of its members -- 17 of whom were from Ohio -- died during a tour in Iraq, 10TV's Lindsey Seavert reported.....

....With that in mind, Westerville artist Anita Miller took her vision to canvas and honored the fallen men.

Miller said it was a dream that inspired to her to paint life-sized portraits of the fallen members of Lima Company....

Below the portraits of the men are their boots.

This Memorial Day, let us remember all of those who have given their lives in service to our country.

For additional information about the Lima Company portraits, see the following links:
The Marine Corps Times
The Zanesville Times Recorder
The Columbus Dispatch
The Lima Company Memorial

According to The Ohio State House site, the portraits can be viewed Memorial Day through Veterans Day, weekdays 7am-6pm, and weekends 11am-5pm. (Note to teachers: There are lesson plans located in PDF form at the bottom of the Ohio State House webpage.)

Veterans and Members of the Military: Take Note

Today the U.S. Senate passed the New G.I. Bill. Sen. Jim Webb, a former Secretary of the Navy, championed this bill. Unfortunately, Sen. John McCain, who has voiced opposition for this bill, did not vote because he was raising money in California. I guess he was too, too busy to really support the troops.

There were only 75 Senators who voted for the New G.I. Bill. Which Senators voted against the bill? I'm so glad you asked! Here are the names of those Senators who, when it comes down to it, did not vote to support the troops (U.S. Senate):

NAYs ---22
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Cochran (R-MS)	Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH)	Hatch (R-UT) Kyl (R-AZ) Lugar (R-IN) McConnell (R-KY) Sessions (R-AL) Voinovich (R-OH)

I can see Ohio's George Voinovich among the bunch. Did you notice that they are all Republicans and that they have all been big supporters of Bush's endless war? Shame on all of them.

A Barrel of Oil

A story in this morning's Columbus Dispatch states that oil has gone to $135 per barrel. That is incredible. However, the thing that I find even more amazing is that people continue to drive the massive SUV's. This is America and people have the right to pay $100 or more to fill up their gas tanks. I personally do not care how much money you wish to put into your gas tank. If you decided to buy a gas guzzler, do not whine about $4/gal. for gas.

There are many "experts" that are predicting that gasoline could go as high as $6/gal. Oil companies and their executives are enjoying their record profits. The rest of us are left trying to cope with the increases in food and other goods.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a timely article about how hybrid cars are becoming more attractive to buyers. Meanwhile, I'll see you on the freeway. I'm the one in the Honda Civic Hybrid getting 53mpg.

Send An E-Mail Today

* Our thoughts and prayers are with Senator Ted Kennedy and his family. You may send your get well wishes to:

http://www.tedkennedy.com

* The payday lending legislation passed the Ohio House of Representatives. Known as HB 545, this bill has already met approval with the Ohio Senate. It now goes to Gov. Strickland for his signature. Here are the names of the members of the Ohio House of Representatives who voted against a 28% interest rate for payday lenders (I guess they wanted to keep the interest rate at over 300%.):
Adams - R
Aslanides - R
Brinkman - R
Chandler - D
Coley - D
Combs - R
Core - R
Daniels - R
Domenick
Fessler - R
Gibbs - R
Goodwin - R
Hagan J. - R
Hite - R
Huffman - R
McGregor R - R
Mecklenborg - R
Miller - R
Reinhard - R
Setzer - R
Strahorn - D
Uecker - R
Wachtmann - R
White - R
Yuko - D
Zehringer - R

[Note: The source for the names comes from a group against these changes in payday lending, Citizens for Responsible Government in Ohio.]

To contact these member of the Ohio House, visit http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp to search for his/her e-mail address and telephone numbers.

More Flip-Flops

Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, is doing more flip flops. The good people at Brave New Films are keeping track of McCain's flip flops with great accuracy. The new film is called The Real McCain 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c):

Exactly!

The presidential campaigns are heating up. In one corner, we have a bright, young U.S. Senator from Illinois. In the other corner, we have an old, U.S. Senator with anger management problems, and old ideas given to him by his BFF (best friend forever), George W. Bush.

Bloomberg.com has some news about today's campaigning:

...Campaigning in Oregon today and South Dakota yesterday, Obama linked McCain, 71, to President George W. Bush's record on everything from gasoline prices and the war in Iraq to tax cuts for the wealthy ``that never trickle down to you.''
....During a town hall forum in Roseburg, Oregon, today, Obama defended his position that he would be willing to meet unconditionally with the leaders of hostile nations such as Iran during his first year in office.

``If George Bush and John McCain have a problem with direct diplomacy led by the United States then they can explain why they have a problem with John F. Kennedy because that's what he did with Khrushchev,'' said Obama, referring to the former Soviet leader....

I guess the Republicans have forgotten that JFK met with Khrushchev, Nixon met with Mao in '72, Reagan met with Gorbachev in 1985. Were they talking or appeasing? Is it just that the Republicans and McCain have run out of ideas? The Republicans are pathetic.

Out of Touch

Republican Rep. Tom Davis (VA-11th) is in big trouble. The Huffington Post has it:

In a 20-page memo on GOP electoral woes, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) repeatedly misspells Barack Obama's name - it's one R, congressman, not two -- and then manages to use the racially charged term "tar baby" in a paragraph about Obama and immigration.

"Remember," Davis writes, "Hispanic voters are a swing group in this election and future elections. John McCain, being from a border state, may be out of sync with many Republicans but he has standing among Hispanics. Barrack Obama has not made the sale to Hispanic voters. Thus, this issue is a tar baby for anyone who touches it, with land mines everywhere."

Davis, who can be contacted at Phone: (202) 225-1492 Fax: (202) 225-3071, should be ashamed of himself. Davis is blaming Sen. Obama and the Democrats for the failings of the Republican Party. Republicans can't even raise enough money to support their candidates. The Republican Party is out of ideas and concerned only with the millionaires and their tax breaks and continuing the mess of the Bush administration. The American public has recognized the Republican Party for what is really is---- out of touch with real Americans.

>>Yesterday, Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, talked about global warming as if he just discovered it. McCain's proposal about global warming does not go far enough. As a matter of fact, it might be fair to say that McCain's plans to reduce global warming are simplistic and insufficient.

Meanwhile, McCain's multi-millionaire wife, Cindy McCain, has sold off some investment in war-torn Sudan, according to the Washington Post and Huffington Post. By the way, she still hasn't released her tax returns. (Remember the demands the Republicans made of Theresa Heinz Kerry in 2004? How come they are not making the same calls for Cindy's tax returns????)

* If you see lots of old white people downtown Columbus this morning, be warned: McCain is scheduled to speak in Columbus at 10AM at the convention center. I wonder if he flew on his wife's private plane again.

What is the matter with Joe Lieberman?

Recent news stories concerning quotes from Sen. Joe Lieberman have really been strange. What is the matter with Lieberman? He seems to have abandoned any connection he once had with the Democratic Party so that he can serve his master, John McCain. Lieberman accompanied McCain on a tour to Iraq where he famously wore a helmet and bulletproof vest. Lieberman corrected McCain when he confused Sunnis and Shiites. Now Lieberman has been attacking Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, with lies and innuendo. I think it is time to remove Lieberman from any leadership positions that he holds in the U.S. Senate. He has sold his soul to McCain and the Republican Party.

Bush and McCain

>> Confirmed! A McCain presidency would indeed be a third Bush term!!!!!! Crooks and Liars has the interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Republican Minority Whip Roy Blunt. Here is a small piece of the interview:

BLITZER: So it would be in effect a third Bush term when it came to pro-growth tax policies?

BLUNT: It would be. I think it would be. And I think that’s a good thing....

There you have it----- A vote for McCain is a vote to continue the policies of George W. Bush (and we know how well that's gone!!!!!) Check Crooks and Liars for the video.

* The New York Times has an article about Missouri Republicans' latest proposal---- voters must prove citizenship:

....Sponsors of the amendment — which requires the approval of voters to go into effect, possibly in an August referendum — say it is part of an effort to prevent illegal immigrants from affecting the political process. Critics say the measure could lead to the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship.

Voting experts say the Missouri amendment represents the next logical step for those who have supported stronger voter ID requirements and the next battleground in how elections are conducted. Similar measures requiring proof of citizenship are being considered in at least 19 state legislatures. Bills in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina have strong support. But only in Missouri does the requirement have a chance of taking effect before the presidential election.....

....The Missouri secretary of state, Robin Carnahan, a Democrat who opposes the measure, estimated that it could disenfranchise up to 240,000 registered voters who would be unable to prove their citizenship.....

I bet you have already guessed that the Republican Party of Missouri is behind this measure. In my opinion, it is their way to cut off Democrats at the voting booth.

--- McCain is trying to attract young voters. That should be a difficult task.

AP: He's a Republican, for starters. He describes himself as "older than dirt." And he makes no apology for an Iraq war that is especially unpopular on college campuses.

Doesn't sound like a recipe for winning the hearts of young voters. And yet John McCain has vowed to make a serious play for the 18- to 29-year-old crowd that's often identified with "Obama-mania."

Many young people believe that McCain is part of the past. Obama represents the future.

Take a Closer Look

>> John McCain's endorsements from extreme right wing ministers scares me. Rev. Rod Parsley of central Ohio, routinely invites extremists like Ann Coulter and Oliver North to speak at his church. Parsley's sermons attacking Muslims and gays just makes me sick. I thought that ministers were to preach about God's love. Rev. Hagee, who insults Catholics with his sermons, is not someone who I'd look to for spiritual guidance. However, McCain looks to these crazy guys for advice???? Would a President McCain allow either of these reverends in the White House even though they attack various Americans like Muslims, Catholics, gays, and others? I think that McCain's ties to these lunatic ministers should make us question his ability to be an inclusive President. Check out this video about McCain.



>> Looks like someone has been working hard to fill his own pockets. Here is another amazing story about a greedy Republican. U.S. News:

Shelby's Ties To Mortgage Industry Noted On its front page, the New York Times reports in a front page story that GOP Sen. Richard C. Shelby "has made millions as a title insurance executive, landlord and real estate developer." Now, with "the mortgage mess fueling a national economic slowdown," he "has more say over the revamping of housing finance laws than almost anyone else in Congress." But "over the years, his critics say, Mr. Shelby's ties to the mortgage industry and the Alabama real estate market, and the generous campaign donations he receives from financial services companies, have distorted his perspective and led him to delay critical legislative remedies."

Shelby is making bundles of money while people in Alabama and the rest of the country lose their homes. I guess some people might describe his behavior and legislative actions as pure greed. Shame on Shelby!

Indiana & Stuff

>>>> Update on the vote count in Indiana:
With one more precinct to go, WISH-TV8 has the new voting totals: Clinton leads Obama by 14,413 votes.

> According to what I've seen at WISH-TV8 in Indianapolis, Sen. Hillary Clinton won the presidential primary by only 18,439 votes AND all of the votes have not been counted. With 5224 of 5230 precincts reporting, the count appears to be still going on in Indiana.

> The other day, Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, suggested that the world community needs a "League of Nations." Hmmmm. Has McCain been talking to the ghost of President Woodrow Wilson? Americablog has the video. Is this McCain really know what he is talking about?

> Voters should be aware that the election is really a referendum on the war. If you want to keep the Bush Iraq war going for 4, 8, and possibly 100 years, vote for McCain. If you are ready for an end to the war and want to bring the military home, vote for the Democratic presidential candidate.

Ohio Politics

You may know that there is a push to put a casino in Ohio. Previous attempts at bringing casino gambling to Ohio have failed in the past, but this time the backers are pushing hard and are in tight with the Ohio GOP. The casino developers have already picked out a location for a future casino, and it is in the home district of a very powerful Ohio Republican. Also, IF the casino gambling referendum passes, it might be worth seeing exactly which construction company gets the job to build the casino. Will it be the friend and major campaign contributor to a powerful Republican?

Right now, the Ohio Attorney General, Marc Dann, is under a lot of pressure to resign because of scandals in his office. Of course, Kevin Dewine, the Republican slime machine, is promising to smear Dann and every Democrat in the universe. It is good to know that Kevin Dewine and the Ohio Republicans cannot solve school funding or bring jobs to Ohio, but they certainly can put in extra efforts to smear people.

What Makes A Nation

Sen. Obama gave a speech today and here are some excerpts as reported at First Read MSNBC:

....The senator closed his speech by invoking another politician, who gained fame in his youth, to whom he has been compared, Robert Kennedy. Kennedy said 40 years ago in his Indiana campaign and Obama repeated, “Income and education and homes do not make a nation. Nor do land and borders. Shared ideals and principles, joined purposes and hopes -- these make a nation. And that is our great task....”

"That’s why the only way a black man named Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii, and started his career on the streets of Chicago, is standing before you today,” Obama said, “and that’s the only way I can win this race -- if you decide that you’ve had enough of the way things are; if you decide if you decide that this election is bigger than flag pins or sniper fire or the comments of a former pastor -- bigger than the differences between what we look like or where we come from or what party we belong to.....”

“In the face of all cynicism, all doubt, all fear, I ask you to remember what makes a nation -- and to believe that we can once again make this nation the land of limitless possibility and unyielding hope; the place where you can still make it if you try,” he said to rousing applause.

Indiana Voters

Indiana Democratic voters will have a tough choice to make on their primary election day. Here is some help for Hoosier voters (YouTube) <----Click here.

I also found another video on Youtube called "The Empire Strikes Barack." It is very well done and funny. Click on the link above to watch it. ^^^^^^^^

Jonathan Alter of Newsweek again said on MSNBC that Clinton's gas tax holiday idea would cost us 300,000 construction jobs just for the summer. He also said that if such a law passed, all road construction would "...come to a screeching halt...." Ouch. At this point, Clinton's critics outnumber her supporters for this idea and she has no support in the U.S. Senate for it.

It appears that Obama is getting huge crowds in Indiana and North Carolina. I hope that they all show up on election day to show their support for Sen. Obama and send a message that it is time for Clinton to drop out.

Reading First and Gas Tax Holidays

Word has it that the Reading First program that is part of the No Child Left Behind Act is another miserable failure. Here is an article in USA Today about the latest Bush failure:

A $1 billion-a-year reading program that has been a pillar of the Bush administration's education plan doesn't have much impact on the reading skills of the young students it's supposed to help, a long-awaited federal study shows.
The results, issued Thursday, could serve as a knockout punch for the 6-year-old Reading First program — Congress has already slashed funding 60%. Reading First last year was the subject of a congressional investigation into whether top advisers improperly benefited from contracts for textbooks and testing materials they designed, and whether the advisers kept some textbook publishers from qualifying for funding.....
.....the new study by the U.S. Education Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) shows that children in schools receiving Reading First funding had virtually no better reading skills than those in schools that didn't get the funding....

Although Secretary of Education Spellings and President Bush won't admit it, the entire No Child Left Behind Act has been a complete waste of money and energy. I hope that the next President throws out the entire Bush administration's education plan and starts from scratch.

>>> Jonathan Alter appeared on the Ed Schultz radio show where he discussed his article, in Newsweek, Political Pandering. Alter said that both Hillary Clinton and John McCain are just pandering for votes with their suggestion of a gas tax holiday. Here are a few of the highlights from the article (I suggest you read the entire article to see the real ramifications of their proposed gas tax holiday):

...It's a direct transfer of money from motorists to oil companies, which are getting ready this week to again report record obscene profits....

...It offers taxpayers only peanuts.....

...It will cost 300,000 construction jobs, according to the Department of Transportation......

Can we afford to lose another 300,000 construction jobs?