Friday, October 17, 2008

The Truth About Barack Obama and William Ayers

Smear groups and now a desperate McCain campaign are trying to connect Barack to William Ayers using age-old guilt by association techniques. Here’s the truth: the smear associating Barack to Ayers is “phony,” “tenuous,” – even “exaggerated at best if not outright false.”

William Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with whom Barack served on the board of an education-reform organization in the mid-1990’s. According to the Associated Press, they are not close: “No evidence shows they were “pals” or even close when they worked on community boards years ago …”

Smear groups and the McCain campaign are trying to connect Obama to acts Ayers committed 40 years ago – when Barack was just eight years old. Here’s what the New York Times reported on the connection:

But the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called “somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.”
Barack has publicly denounced Ayers’ radical actions from the 1960’s:
Senator Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence. But he was an eight-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost forty years ago is ridiculous.
Fight back with the truth: make sure anyone who has seen this smear also sees this page.

� Surveillance Gone Amok


The Bush Cabal continues their abuse of powers--largely unreported-- while the media obsesses over the McCain/Palin campaign's never-ending, ever more outrageous, distorted character attacks on Senator Barack Obama.

Wake up, people.

ACLU Blog:
In pushing for ever-expanding and unaccountable surveillance authority, the Bush Administration has assured the public that it aims its spying capabilities at serious security threats. But as two government whistleblowers recently revealed to ABC News, surveillance programs touted as critical to protect national security have in fact been used to monitor the private communications of innocent Americans abroad, including humanitarian workers and U.S. service-members. While disturbing, ABC’s report confirms a core contention of the ACLU’s lawsuit challenging Congress’s recent expansion of governmental spying powers: unchecked surveillance authority invades the privacy of innocent Americans, and in doing so, fundamentally undermines the efforts of human rights workers, journalists, and attorneys doing important work around the globe.

Two former military intercept operators — the people who actually intercept, monitor, and collect international telephone and email communications — told ABC News that "hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home." The operators worked for the National Security Agency ("NSA"), the spy agency chiefly responsible for international surveillance. They report that NSA routinely listened in on the innocent, and sometimes intimate, conversations of Americans abroad. There were apparently no effective procedures in place to filter out these kinds of communications.

The NSA program went beyond invading the personal privacy of Americans abroad (and their friends and family on the other end of the line). NSA also directed its surveillance powers at well-established humanitarian organizations, like the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. As one whistleblower told ABC News: "We knew they were working for these aid organizations. . . . And yet, instead of blocking these phone numbers we continued to collect on them."...
Illustration credit: seattlepi.nwsource.com/.../Cartoon20060214.gif

Let’s Get Fiscal

Paul Krugman | NYTimes.com:
"It’s now clear that rescuing the banks is just the beginning: the nonfinancial economy is also in desperate need of help.

And to provide that help, we’re going to have to put some prejudices aside. It’s politically fashionable to rant against government spending and demand fiscal responsibility. But right now, increased government spending is just what the doctor ordered, and concerns about the budget deficit should be put on hold...." Continue Reading.

The Terrorist Barack Hussein Obama

Frank Rich | NYTimes.com:
"IF you think way back to the start of this marathon campaign, back when it seemed preposterous that any black man could be a serious presidential contender, then you remember the biggest fear about Barack Obama: a crazy person might take a shot at him.

Some voters told reporters that they didn’t want Obama to run, let alone win, should his very presence unleash the demons who have stalked America from Lincoln to King. After consultation with Congress, Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history — in May 2007, some eight months before the first Democratic primaries.

“I’ve got the best protection in the world, so stop worrying,” Obama reassured his supporters. Eventually the country got conditioned to his appearing in large arenas without incident (though I confess that the first loud burst of fireworks at the end of his convention stadium speech gave me a start). In America, nothing does succeed like success. The fear receded.

Until now. At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms. Doing nothing is not an option...." Continue reading.
Photo Credit: http://politigal1.blogspot.com

More Obama Endorsements


Photo Credit: Barack Obama. (obamarama.org)

McCain: Not Presidential Material

    NEW: Leonard Pitts, Jr. (Detroit Free Press) writes:
    "My 401(k) is down $21,000 since the end of September. And John McCain thinks I should be worried about William Ayers.

    Not to put too fine a point on it, but these are strange days. And it's difficult not to empathize with the Arizona senator, who has spent these last weeks flailing like a man trying to hit a fastball in the dark. His campaign has lurched about looking for ways to connect; the attempt to tie Barack Obama to Ayers, a onetime '60s radical, is among the most desperate and disappointing.

    It is worth remembering there were once two compelling arguments for a McCain presidency. The first, he was a man of long experience, and experience matters. The second, he was a man of honor, of such fierce moral courage that he would never put that which was political above that which was right.

    McCain took the first argument off the table when he chose as his running mate the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a woman of such meager substance that even conservatives have been lining up to denounce her. He is now in the process of taking a sledgehammer to the second argument. It's not a pretty sight...."
  • Bob Shrum: Time to Ask McCain: "Have You No Sense of Decency Left?":
    "The McCain campaign crossed the line today from negative character attacks to the kind of character assassination that plays to the basest impulses and incites the most dangerous reaction."
  • McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort
    "William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

    The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government...."
  • McCain's Dirty Domestic Terrorism Associations | Election 2008 | AlterNet
    MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has a very interesting report on McCain's own 'character' and 'judgment.'
  • t r u t h o u t | Politics of Attack:
    "�It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember."
  • A List of McCain's Nastiest Moments | Election 2008 | AlterNet
    "Think there's no way that John's actually that bad? You haven't seen this list...."
  • McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail
    "After weeks of hammering Barack Obama for having an association with a former Weather Undergound member, John McCain was asked Thursday afternoon about his own connections to a past felon: G. Gordon Liddy...."
  • McCain/Palin supporters let their racist roots show | Crooks and Liars (VIDEO)
    "It was kind of strange, dintcha think, that John McCain came to the defense of his supporters last night after Barack Obama pointed out that people at McCain/Palin rallies were shouting out "terrorist" and "kill him!" in reference to Obama.

    Now an Al Jazeera camera crew caught the honest sentiments of McCain/Palin supporters at an Ohio rally..."
  • Chuck Lasker: No Excuse For Dirty Politics
    "I am tired of hearing that the McCain campaign must go negative, that they "have no choice." The assumption is that a campaign MUST do whatever it takes, no matter how dirty and nasty, to win. They're wrong. There is another choice.

    The latest dirty, baseless accusations that Obama "pals around" with a terrorist are the worst yet. It has incited violent threats, and implies that a good patriot would do anything to keep Obama from becoming president. Shouts of "kill him" and "terrorist" are examples of how far the rhetoric has come, and John McCain seems to be fine with this kind of hate...."
  • RNC Mailer: What Does Obama Want From Islamic Terrorists?
    More vicious, dishonest fear tactics directed at Barack Obama from the self-proclaimed American Hero McCain....
  • MUST READ: ACORN Fires Back, Claims McCain Ignored Impending Crisis
    ...[I]n last night's debate, McCain accused ACORN of "maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."

    Today, the group fired back by releasing a report, 'ACORN vs. McCain: The Real Story of the Financial Crisis 1999 to 2008,' attacking McCain for his lack of warnings about the impending subprime mortgage crisis last year.

    Austin King, the director of the ACORN Financial Justice Center, writes..."
  • ACORN: McCain And GOP Used To Be Supporters

  • Wave Of McCain Robocalls Reported, Some May Violate State Law

  • Diane Tucker: Cindy McCain's Attack On Obama's Record Offends Military Spouses

  • Amy Zalman: Improving America's Reputation -- McCain Would Lecture, Obama Would Listen:
    "Since 2003, international polls have consistently revealed worldwide distaste for American foreign policy in the Middle East; the Bush Administration's 'war on terror'; the Iraq war; and the American disregard for international conventions regarding detainee treatment. In combination with recent concern among foreign publics that the United States adversely affects their own national economies, these views amount to the collapse of America's reputation around the world...."
  • Times Exposes Anti-Semitic Obama Slanderer, Finally
    "...By any measure, it would appear that Barack Obama has had the worst of it this election season, but John McCain is no stranger to those sorts of attacks, either. Nor is he a stranger to those sorts of attackers, having hired them to work on his campaign...."

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Palin: Hypocrisy in Heels




As the "Pit Bull in Lipstick" continues to hawk her lies, smears, and self-adulation across the the country, the mainstream media continues to give short shrift to Ms. Palin's remarkably ethically-challenged history:




Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Olbermann "Special Comment" On Violent Rhetoric At McCain-Palin Rallies

Once again, Keith Olbermann takes the thoughts out of my head and crafts them into words with impact:

(For transcript: Click Here.)

Frank Schaeffer: An Open Letter to John McCain

Frank Schaeffer: An Open Letter to John McCain:
"Senator John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as 'not one of us,' I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence...." Continue Reading
This post first ran in the Baltimore Sun as an op-ed on Oct 10, 2008. Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back. Now in paperback.

Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: "Steal Back Your Vote!"

t r u t h o u t | Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:
Investigative journalist Greg Palast and voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have partnered up to create the "Steal Back Your Vote!" guide. In an interview with Truthout, Palast describes the ways votes are being stolen ahead of the 2008 election and gives suggestions on how Americans can ensure that their vote gets counted.


For full story, see this page.

Christopher Buckley Resigns From National Review After Obama Endorsement

Jason Linkins (Huffington Post):
"Within hours of my endorsement appearing in The Daily Beast it became clear that National Review had a serious problem on its hands. So the next morning, I thought the only decent thing to do would be to offer to resign my column there. This offer was accepted--rather briskly!--by Rich Lowry, NR's editor, and its publisher, the superb and able and fine Jack Fowler. I retain the fondest feelings for the magazine that my father founded, but I will admit to a certain sadness that an act of publishing a reasoned argument for the opposition should result in acrimony and disavowal...." Continue Reading.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Christopher Hitchens Endorses Obama

Vote Obama. McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace.

By Christopher Hitchens
Slate Magazine
:
"MCCAIN LACKS THE CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT TO BE PRESIDENT. AND PALIN IS SIMPLY A DISGRACE.

...Last week's so-called town-hall event showed Sen. John McCain to be someone suffering from an increasingly obvious and embarrassing deficit, both cognitive and physical. And the only public events that have so far featured his absurd choice of running mate have shown her to be a deceiving and unscrupulous woman utterly unversed in any of the needful political discourses but easily trained to utter preposterous lies and to appeal to the basest element of her audience. McCain occasionally remembers to stress matters like honor and to disown innuendoes and slanders, but this only makes him look both more senile and more cynical, since it cannot (can it?) be other than his wish and design that he has engaged a deputy who does the innuendoes and slanders for him.

I suppose it could be said, as Michael Gerson has alleged, that the Obama campaign's choice of the word erratic to describe McCain is also an insinuation. But really, it's only a euphemism. Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear had to feel sorry for the old lion on his last outing and wish that he could be taken somewhere soothing and restful before the night was out. The train-wreck sentences, the whistlings in the pipes, the alarming and bewildered handhold phrases—"My friends"—to get him through the next 10 seconds. I haven't felt such pity for anyone since the late Adm. James Stockdale humiliated himself as Ross Perot's running mate. And I am sorry to have to say it, but Stockdale had also distinguished himself in America's most disastrous and shameful war, and it didn't qualify him then and it doesn't qualify McCain now.

The most insulting thing that a politician can do is to compel you to ask yourself: "What does he take me for?" Precisely this question is provoked by the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin. I wrote not long ago that it was not right to condescend to her just because of her provincial roots or her piety, let alone her slight flirtatiousness, but really her conduct since then has been a national disgrace. It turns out that none of her early claims to political courage was founded in fact, and it further turns out that some of the untested rumors about her—her vindictiveness in local quarrels, her bizarre religious and political affiliations—were very well-founded, indeed. Moreover, given the nasty and lowly task of stirring up the whack-job fringe of the party's right wing and of recycling patent falsehoods about Obama's position on Afghanistan, she has drawn upon the only talent that she apparently possesses...."
Photo Credit: Barack Obama. (Slate)

Republicans on McCain:

  • Noonan, York, Toobin And Others Take Aim At McCain

  • Lashing Out: McCain Flack Turns On Bill Kristol:
    "The state of the McCain campaign is drawing fire from its own ostensible allies. At the head of the line of Republicans looking to be the first to flick dirt on McCain's grave is Bill Kristol, who says in today's New York Times, that if 'the race continues over the next three weeks to be a conventional one, McCain is doomed.' Since that's coming from a guy who, through his own bad advice, has contributed mightily to the grave McCain is measuring, it makes sense that he be given the first shovel of dirt."

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Martial Law Imminent: U.S. Army is Deployed in the U.S. to "Keep the Peace"

MUST SEE

Warning: Bush Coup

Bush Declares Military Rule and Can Overthrow U.S. Government
"George W. Bush has the power to suspend the elections and declare nationwide martial law once this economic crisis worsens. Research the federal reserve and the real reasons behind this economic collapse. Research PDD51 and George Bush's new dictatorial powers...."


Part 1 of 2



Part 2 of 2


Links to Martial Law docs:

Early Warnings:

Also See:

Zeitgeist The Movie : Addendum -- NOW RELEASED: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Who is the More Green Candidate? Compare.

Know the facts before you vote. Compare the Candidates Policy Proposals:

Click on the Chart for Larger View.

For more information see: See at a glance where the presidential candidates stand on climate and energy issues | Grist

GOP Strategy: If You Can't Win It, Steal It

Friday, October 10, 2008

Truth Fights Back!

Stop the Smears

"This site empowers you to fight against the rightwing smear machine. That machine is bigger than any one campaign and doesn't end after any one election. So get involved and fight back with the truth."

Who Is Barack Obama?

John McCain and Sarah Palin keep asking: "Who is Barack Obama?"

Here's a behind-the-scenes look:



Music by Greg Kuehn for Peligro Music and Sound Design.

Who is the REAL Sarah Palin?

Someone You Can't Trust

Panel Finds Palin Abused Authority in Firing State Official | NYTimes.com:
"A legislative committee investigating Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican vice presidential candidate, issued a report Friday night that found she unlawfully abused her authority by firing the state’s public safety commissioner...."



Also See:

Who Is Cindy McCain?

Someone lacking ethics and honesty.

Cindy McCain Kept Keating Partnership After Scandal:
"Sen. John McCain's wife and father-in-law continued a lucrative business partnership with disgraced financier Charles H. Keating Jr. for 11 years after the GOP presidential nominee said he ended his close friendship with Keating in March 1987.

Cindy McCain's business partnership with Keating in a real-estate development between 1986 and 1998 netted her a tidy profit, in addition to years of significant tax benefits. Her father, who died in 2000, earned similar returns...."
Every day, it becomes more apparent that John McCain is part of the problem, not the solution to our current economic crisis. Every day, he continues to try to bring down Barack Obama with lies and distortions directed at both his policies and his character. Every day it becomes apparent that John McCain's attempts to divide us in a time of crisis is the exact opposite of what this country needs.

Photo credit: Cindy McCain. (Huffington Post)

Who is John McCain?

An angry, bitter hypocrite who lies, incites hatred, divides the country, and offers no positive vision for America



  • Who You Callin’ a Maverick? | NYTimes.com

  • Campbell Brown Blasts McCain Campaign For "Race Baiting"

  • Obama Called "Traitor" Again At McCain Rally

  • GOP Former Gov: "He Is Not The McCain I Endorsed"

  • Former McCain Strategist Warns Against "Angry Mob"

  • McCain Defends His Rabid Crowds

  • "Keep The N*gger Out Of Office" | TheSmokingGun.com
  • "OCTOBER 8--Angered by a delay in the receipt of his voter registration card, a Louisiana man today threatened election officials, claiming that he urgently needed to cast a ballot to "keep the nigger out of office," according to police. Wade Williams, 75, was arrested this morning on a felony terrorizing charge...."
  • Report: McCain Exploded With Rage During Gambling Outing

  • Is the McCain Campaign Behind the Hate Speech at Rallies? | AlterNet: "
    'It is obviously with tacit approval; and quite probably on the campaign's specific instructions.'"
  • McCain's Last Stand : Rolling Stone:
    "When it comes to Iraq, the Arizona senator remains a prisoner of Vietnam, bravely taking a bullet for a commander in chief who betrayed him"
  • The GOP Peddles Economic Snake Oil | WSJ.com:
    "OK, let me get this straight: The central axiom of conservative Republicanism is that government is inherently corrupt and can't do anything right.

    Over many years of ascendancy, conservative Republicans have filled government agencies with conservative Republicans and proceeded to enact the conservative Republican policy wish list -- tax cuts, deregulation, privatization, outsourcing federal work, and so on.

    And as a consequence of these policies our conservative Republican government has bungled most of the big tasks that have fallen to it. The rescue and recovery of the Gulf Coast was a disaster. The reconstruction of Iraq was a disaster. The regulatory agencies became so dumb they didn't even see the disasters they were set up to prevent. And each disaster was attributable to the conservative philosophy of government.

    Yet now we are supposed to vote for more conservative Republicans because we learned from the last bunch of conservative Republicans that government just doesn't work...."
  • It's Judgment Day for McCain - WSJ.com:
    "Last week, Republican presidential candidate John McCain called for a commission to 'find out what went wrong' on Wall Street. It was an excellent suggestion: Public inquiries into Wall Street practices served the country well in the 1930s.

    And Mr. McCain has a special advantage to bring to any such investigation -- many of the relevant witnesses are friends or colleagues of his. In fact, he can probably get to the bottom of the whole mess just by cross-examining the people riding on his campaign bus...."
  • How Scary the Economy Would Be in McCain's Hands | Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace | AlterNet:
    "McCain's economic plan contradicts his recently held fundamental views and is far out of touch with the needs of the country."
  • McCain's Dirty Domestic Terrorism Associations | AlterNet:
    "MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has a very interesting report on McCain's own 'character' and 'judgment.'"
  • John McCain's Pastors are Worse Than Obama's - News Bloggers
    "While Senator Obama's pastor has been ripped to shreds in the media, John McCain's have gotten a complete free ride...."
  • McCain Backer Hagee Said Hitler Was Fulfilling God's Will (AUDIO)

  • McCain's Pastor Problem: The Video:
    "In a taped sermon, the preacher McCain calls a 'spiritual guide' calls on America to see the 'false religion' of Islam 'destroyed.' Still, the candidate won't reject Rod Parsley's endorsement."
  • YouTube - McCain's Spiritual Guide

  • YouTube - McCain EMBRACES wacko NEOCON PASTOR Hagee

  • Think Progress | McCain ‘Very Honored’ By Support Of Pastor Preaching ‘End-Time Confrontation With Iran’

  • The Young Turks: Different Standards for Black and White Preachers:
    "Rudy Giuliani's priest has been accused in grand jury proceedings of molesting several children and covering up the molestation of others. Giuliani would not disavow him on the campaign trail and still works with him.
    Mitt Romney was part of a church that did not view black Americans as equals and actively discriminated against them. He stayed with that church all the way into his early thirties, until they were finally forced to change their policies to come into compliance with civil rights legislation. Romney never disavowed his church back then or now. He said he was proud of the faith of his fathers.

    Jerry Falwell said America had 9/11 coming because we tolerated gays, feminists and liberals. It was our fault. Our chickens had come home to roost, if you will. John McCain proudly received his support and even spoke at his university's commencement.

    Reverend John Hagee has called the Catholic Church the "Great Whore." He has said that the Anti-Christ will rise out of the European Union (of course, the Anti-Christ will also be Jewish). He has said all Muslims are trained to kill and will be part of the devil's army when Armageddon comes (which he hopes is soon). John McCain continues to say he is proud of Reverend Hagee's endorsement.
    Reverend Rod Parsley believes America was founded to destroy Islam. Since this is such an outlandish claim, I have to add for the record, that he is not kidding. Reverend Parsley says Islam is an "anti-Christ religion" brought down from a "demon spirit." Of course, we are in a war against all Muslims, including presumably Muslim-Americans. Buts since Parsley believes this is a Christian nation and that it should be run as a theocracy, he is not very concerned what Muslim-Americans think.

    John McCain says Reverend Rod Parsley is his "spiritual guide."

    What separates all of these outrageous preachers from Barack Obama's? You guessed it. They're white and Reverend Jeremiah Wright is not. If it's not racism that's causing the disparity in media treatment of these preachers, then what is it? [...]"

McCain-Palin: Pure Hutzpah

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe:
"ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing...."
Photo credit: A protester holds a sign outside of a fundraiser for Republican vice presidential Nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in Dallas, Texas October 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) Yahoo! News Photos

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Sarah Palin: Palling Around With Secessionists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Alaskan Independence Party: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel:
...[I]f McCarthy-era guilt-by-association is once again a valid political consideration, Palin, it would seem, has more to lose than Obama. Palin, it could be argued, following her own logic, thinks so little of America's perfection that she continues to "pal around" with a man--her husband, actually--who only recently terminated his seven-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party. Putting plunder above patriotism, the members of this treasonous cabal aim to break our country into pieces and walk away with Alaska's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base--an area three-fourths the size of the Civil War Confederacy.

AIP's charter commits the party "to the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States which it refers to as "the colonial bureaucracy in Washington." It proclaims Alaska's 1959 induction as a state "as illegal and in violation of the United Nations charter and international law."

AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."

Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.

Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention. In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight!

So when Palin accuses Barack of "not seeing the same America as you and me," maybe she is referring to an America without Alaska. In any case, isn't it time the media start giving equal time to Palin's buddy list of anti-American bombers and other radical associates?


Trouble viewing this video? Click here.

Palin's secession flirtation | Rosa Brooks | Los Angeles Times:
"That John McCain -- he's such a maverick!

Just when you thought you had him figured out, McCain threw another curveball -- picking rookie Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whom he barely knows, as his running mate.

As ex-Democrat Joe Lieberman told the Republican convention Tuesday night, everyone recognizes McCain's "record of independence. ... God only made one John McCain, and he's his own man."

Uh-huh. Some might call it reckless for a 72-year-old to offer the vice presidency of the United States to someone with as little national experience as Palin. The McCain campaign calls it showing independence.

Still, don't be too hard on Palin. Like McCain, she's independence-minded -- very, very independence-minded. And, it turns out, there's much more to her than you might at first have thought...." Continue reading.


Trouble viewing this video? Click here.

Also see:

  • YouTube - Palin addresses AIP convention
    "Former member of AIP, Sarah Palin, addresses Alaskan Independent Party convention.

    Watch this other clip here of Dexter Clark, vice chairman of the Alaska Independence party confirming that Sarah Palin was once a member of the AIP. The clips are long, you can skip to 6:00 in to hear the reference to Palin.
    'Our current governor, we mentioned at the last conference, the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected. There's a joke, she's a pretty good looking gal, there's a joke goes around we're the coldest state with the hottest governor. And there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town -- that was a non-partisan job. But you get along to go along -- she eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won't go into that. She also had about an 80% approval rating, and is pretty well sympathetic to her former membership.'
    Clark goes on to talk about the need for AIP members to 'infiltrate the major political parties'.

    Very important to watch these clips also to get the full context."

Also See:

A Conservative for Obama

By Wick Allison, EDITOR IN CHIEF, D Magazine:
"My party has slipped its moorings. It’s time for a true pragmatist to lead the country

THE MORE I LISTEN TO AND READ ABOUT “the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate,” the more I like him. Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan. To explain why, I need to explain why I am a conservative and what it means to me...."

Out of Touch Weekly: Meet John McCain!

From vanityfair.com:
"...John McCain’s first foray into tabloid superstardom. VF.com presents a preview of what’s sure to be the talk of supermarket aisles across this fair land...."

Why After 75 Years, Esquire Endorsed a Pres. Candidate

Esquire:
Two years ago, in our issue that hit newsstands a month before the midterm elections, we decided to make a statement about how important the '06 elections were (and how important it was for our readers to participate) that we endorsed a candidate in every federal election in the country, and for good measure, in gubernatorial races as well...
read more | digg story

What if things were switched around?

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was divorced?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.

And, think of this: the candidates' educational backgrounds:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization innternational Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

(Thanks to rdny P. hedgehogg who passed this email to me.)

Hey Sarah Palin

MC Howie goes political with Julie K in this oh-my-god-how-hilarious song, to the tune of "Hey There Delilah".



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Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Biden: McCain campaign appealing to fear

Joe Biden and Barack Obama are one class act. They both understand that true leadership and ideas trump slime politics, especially at a time when we are each -- and ALL -- facing some of the toughest problems in our history, problems that demand the kind of pragmatic, actionable solutions offered by Obama-Biden and NOT the lies, distortions, and hate-mongering propagated by McCain-Palin.

Watch a portion of Biden's speech from this morning:



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John McCain's Rage

From BraveNewPac.org:
During last night's debate, John McCain said we need "a cool hand at the tiller," but McCain has proven to be a loose cannon. He has accosted his Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle on everything from the federal budget to diplomatic relations. He is known for hurling profanities rather than settling disagreements calmly. His belligerence is legendary. Even conservative Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi has said, "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

When someone earns the nickname "Senator Hothead," the public ought to call his character into question. McCain's propensity to explode undermines his abilities as a rational decision maker, particularly on national security issues -- which could prove disastrous considering our country is already involved in two wars.

McCain's temper is critical to his decision-making abilities, and his character must be discussed. As Drew Westen writes, "The political brain is an emotional brain. It is not a dispassionate calculating machine, objectively searching for the right facts, figures and policies to make a reasoned decision." That why it's so crucial people know the real Senator Hothead.


For more information, click here.

Job Loss: The Price of More of the Same

Watch the Video
John McCain doesn't have answers to the economic crisis, so instead of offering solutions he plans to focus on deceiving voters and smearing Barack's record and his character.

The American economy had its 9th straight month of job loss in 2008. Can we afford 4 more years of failed Bush economic policies?


ohn McCain's extreme record on the issues is full of alarming facts. Learn more at JohnMcCainRecord.com

Monday, October 06, 2008

NAOMI WOLF: BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID

This is required viewing, folks:

Interview with Naomi Wolf author of "Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries" given October 4, 2008 on Mind Over Matters, KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle.

Wolf warns Americans that a Bush coup has taken place signaling the end of our democracy. We must take action NOW. Start by watching the video:



Trouble viewing this video? Click Here.

Additional Reading:

BAILOUT: America’s Financial Ruin

Patrick Wood of the August Review has been a critic of our trade and monetary policies for years. This is his compelling take on a "near-dictatorial power over this newly formed socialist financial empire."

read more | digg story

Sunday, October 05, 2008

John McCain's Record

THREE THINGS EVERY VOTER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JOHN McCAIN -- CLICK HERE.

And Don't Miss This:

JOHN McCAIN'S AND SARAH PALIN'S RECORD ON JEWS AND ANTI-SEMITISM



























Keating Economics

John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis:

FULL DOCUMENTARY AVAILABLE MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, AT 12 PM EASTERN

The current economic crisis demands that we understand John McCain's attitudes about economic oversight and corporate influence in federal regulation. Nothing illustrates the danger of his approach more clearly than his central role in the savings and loan scandal of the late '80s and early '90s.

John McCain was accused of improperly aiding his political patron, Charles Keating, chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. The bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee launched investigations and formally reprimanded Senator McCain for his role in the scandal -- the first such Senator to receive a major party nomination for president.

At the heart of the scandal was Keating's Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which took advantage of deregulation in the 1980s to make risky investments with its depositors' money. McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating with federal regulators tasked with preventing banking fraud, and championed legislation to delay regulation of the savings and loan industry -- actions that allowed Keating to continue his fraud at an incredible cost to taxpayers.

When the savings and loan industry collapsed, Keating's failed company put taxpayers on the hook for $3.4 billion and more than 20,000 Americans lost their savings. John McCain was reprimanded by the bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee, but the ultimate cost of the crisis to American taxpayers reached more than $120 billion.

The Keating scandal is eerily similar to today's credit crisis, where a lack of regulation and cozy relationships between the financial industry and Congress has allowed banks to make risky loans and profit by bending the rules. And in both cases, John McCain's judgment and values have placed him on the wrong side of history.

Also See:

Examining The Candidates | The Economist

Examining America's presidential candidates | Examining the candidates | The Economist:
"In our special report on the election we analyse the two candidates’ economic plans. Here, we ask professional economists to give us their views

AS THE financial crisis pushes the economy back to the top of voters’ concerns, Barack Obama is starting to open up a clear lead over John McCain in the opinion polls. But among those who study economics for a living, Mr Obama’s lead is much more commanding. A survey of academic economists by The Economist finds the majority—at times by overwhelming margins—believe Mr Obama has the superior economic plan, a firmer grasp of economics and will appoint better economic advisers...."

The Boss Backs Obama

Bruce Springsteen: From the Stage at the Vote For Change Rally in Philadelphia



Transcript:
Hello Philly,

I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real: opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities, the distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

McCain: The More Wars President

In the midst of our economic debacle, let us not forget the most important reason to vote this November: