I think that John McCain just handed over what was left of his chances of winning the White House to Barack Obama tonight!

He looked uncomfortable. He acted like a cranky old man. He kept repeating himself over and over. And, with all of his experience and his supposed ease at 'town hall' meetings, he looked out-classed and completely worn out.

I may not be as certain of victory right now as I was in 1976, when at 21 years old, I listened to Gerald Ford say that eastern Europe would be surprised to hear that they were under Soviet domination, when my wife ran in and asked what I was so happy about all of a sudden (I told her we had just won the election). But I think after tonight, at least within a week, the margins are going to be larger for Barack, and he has the wind to his back!

The independents are finally making their way away from the dark side, and as we have all known....the new voters are extremely heavy for Obama. And that doesn't even take into consideration what will certainly be a record turnout in 'minority' voting this year.

I still think all of that may play into a much better than expected Democratic election day in Texas! Maybe I am just wishfully dreaming, but Texas IS a minority majority state. No single minority is larger than the white population of Texas, but when you combine all minorities.....they easily outnumber whites in my beautiful state!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08!!!!

After reading just one too many letters in my local paper, literally pushing the Barack Obama's middle name, without saying why.....being one of those who KNOWS why, the following was my response to my local paper:


I keep noticing how some on the extreme fringe right make sure that we all know that Senator Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein. Is it supposed to scare people? I mean really, a name? They never, for instance, mention Sarah Palin's full name. Sarah Louise Heath Palin. I saw that and thought "Oh my gosh!! She's English!!". And with my roots being so dominantly Scottish and Irish I couldn't help but think...."Is she going to bring the wrath of the British Empire back down on us??" Of course, then I remembered.....her running mate's name is McCain.

Everytime in my adult life that I have heard the name Hussein, there is one really bad reference in my mind and now, two really good ones.

Of course, Saddam Hussein...you know the guy responsible for bringing down the towers and killing on 9/11 over 3000 people on American soil......oh wait, that guys real name is Osama....now that sounds somewhat scarier. But when I realize that the Republican Party forgot who Osama bin Laden was for so long......that can't be too scary to those who have voted for them over the past 8 years.

So what did Saddam do that should scare us? Nothing that I can think of. I mean he was a bad guy.....he killed many political prisoners and gassed his own people. But is that much worse than Fidel Castro? Wow, that's the same last name as Jason Castro, the talented boy from Rockwall, Texas (20 minutes from my house), who did so well this past season on American Idol! He doesn't seem all that scary.....but then again.......there's that name, so it must mean something!

Anyway, the other two references that come to mind when I hear the name Hussein are very, very positive to me.

The first, the late King Hussein of Jordan who was a longtime ally of the United States, and whose widow is an American.

The other is Senator Barack Hussein Obama, the next President of the United States of America. And what exactly is Sarah Palin and John McCain hiding by not using their middle names like some people think Senator Obama is doing.

I realize that some are frightened to death of Muslims. And that is understandable to an extent, those Muslims from Iraq....wait, Saudi Arabia, attacked us. But I am a lifelong Southern Baptist. I have been taught since childhood to also have problems with such anti-Christian religions as Mormons and Catholics!

And keep in mind, Senator Barack Hussein Obama is a member of the Church of Christ. And what's more, these people know it.

They are so afraid that their party can't win on the issues, since they were the ones that gave us the mess we are in right now. And they are so afraid that the Supreme Court probably won't get the opportunity to appoint Senator John McCain....that good ole celtic name just rolls off the tongue.

Now if you really want to be scared, think about this. Senator McCain, a personal hero of mine, is 72 years old and had two bouts with cancer. The person he is wanting you to allow him to bring within a heartbeat of being the most powerful person in the world, should his health falter from having the most pressure filled job in the history of the world, is a woman who was the mayor of a town smaller than Commerce, and who was elected, less than two years ago to be governor of a state that has less population than the city of Austin, Texas. Who everytime she opens her mouth, Senator Obama rises in the polls.

Now that is something that, along with 4 more years of Bush policies that have worked so well for the middle class, is really scary!!

I have watched with great interest, the news on the proposed bailout that failed. As a moderate Democrat, I wasn't too crazy about ANY of the proposals that have been made public up to now.

However, since my Daddy always told me that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, then why not just use a much easier idea, with the same amount of money?

Take the $700 billion and instead of buying out the 'bad debt'.....PAY IT OFF!! Pay off the mortgages that have been difficult-to-impossible for homeowners to pay, and then the lenders will have their money back. But not the interest...just the principle. Then, after 6 months or so of allowing the homeowners to take a breath, allow them 10-15 year notes to the government without any interest!

Trickling UP always works better than down. Why give it STRAIGHT to the banks, when you could do the same thing by giving it back to them in the name of thousands of middle-class mortgage holders, who have been screwed six-ways-to-Sunday the last 8 years?

Obviously I am only a lowly salesman....but THIS seems MUCH more realistic and do-able than what I have seen so far!!

I believe that the ultimate showing of how much the country's mood has changed, would be to place within the concerts at Barack's inaugural......The Dixie Chicks!

But, that's just me...........

It would seem to me that the Bush Administration would want to actually do something RIGHT before they actually are FINALLY put out to pasture. But here we go again...give big money MORE big money while at the same time, members of their own party are calling the American people...."whiners"!

If this bailout really is the only way out of this mess, I just believe that a couple of ground rules should be required. Starting with the help that the Democrats are trying to get for the actual homeowners. But I also think that some kind of repayment should be required from the CEO's and the boards of directors at these institutions that caused and profited from this mess.

First, the government should move, maybe under the RICO laws (I obviously am not a lawyer, but I have seen Law & Order), to take possession of all assets built up by these people during the time in question.....meaning the last 6 years or so.

Second, I believe that in addition to 'bailing them out', the government should move to take control of every one of these companies until, if ever, they reach the point of complete solvancy. And in doing so, fire the boards and all corporate officers.....the same ones they have just been required to make repayment by the claiming all of their assets.

This would probably bring most, if not everyone of them, into the midst of us in the MIDDLE CLASS!

And then maybe....just maybe.....they might see the evil of their ways, and start voting DEMOCRATIC when they realize that the only American political party that gives two hoots about them NOW....is the DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

Finally, the media, the American people in general and most American women specifically have finally figured out what most of us have known all along......the 'bounce' for the other ticket went up....and is now on its way down.

Most Americans have known all along that John McCain is such a bad idea and not just because of the 'new' positions he discovered right after George W. Bush pulled an early version of 'swiftboating' of him in 2000. They also are showing some concerns about his age and health. And what is making them start to have concerns about these issues? His ignorant, political choice of Sarah Palin as his VP running-mate.

They looked pretty good together, but then they started to be seen apart. She is a speaker....and he isn't. And it just MAGNIFIES HIS WEAKNESS in this area. She is fairly young.....and he isn't. And it just MAGNIFIES HIS WEAKNESS in THIS area, also.

And THEN, they realize just how empty-headed Palin is.....and how frail John McCain may really get after he takes the most pressure-filled job in the history of the world.....and how if he DIDN'T survive his first term, the most powerful person in the world would all of a sudden be....RUNNER-UP TO MISS ALASKA 1982!!!

Plus, the more we hear from her, the more she sounds like her biggest experience in life WAS her years as a beauty contest participant.

But I feel the best about this. Barack Obama has decided to handle her properly.....IGNOR HER!! Sarah Palin is a major LIGHTWEIGHT!! Why raise her up to YOUR level by acknowledging ANYTHING that she has to say?

And what is the result of this shift in campaign actions and thinking?

A TURN AROUND IN THE POLLS!! Granted, I STILL believe that the polls are fatally flawed this time due to the large number of new, young Obama voters being ignored because they have cell phones and not land lines....AND because their 'models' are flawed because they can't take into account the extremely high numbers of new DEMOCRATIC voters this year.

I always felt the American public, in general anyway, was not going to continue to fall behind McCain/Bush/Cheney/Palin...and would wake up and 'pay attention to the men (and woman) behind the curtain.


But then again....what the hell do I know?????

There you go. Now, those who have never voted before, as well as those who shifted to the right as independents the last two presidential elections, and Democrats who haven't been going to the polls because they live in a 'red' state, "so what's the use?".....now you can see the kind of results you allow when you decide not to get involved, or you believe that a president that you'd "like to have a beer with" is the best way to choose your government officials. We have had 8 years of deception, incompetence, bowing to the oil companies and a pretense that The Constitution of the United States of America is just one of those pieces of paper that means absolutely nothing....even if you swore on a Bible to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God".

Now we see the financial markets collapsing like most of us have never seen in our lives. And Republican Presidential nominee John McCain, is using the exact same words that Republican President Herbert Hoover used at the beginning of the Great Depression, "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." You want to talk about infamous last words?

We have watched the oil companies thrive with record profits, at the expense of the American consumer at all levels. Not just the gas pumps, but in food, produce, beef, school supplies, energy costs (such as electricity) and the overall cost of living. This while the real income of American families has dropped significantly since the beginning of the Republican takeover of the government back in 2001. And what has our Republican Congressman Ralph Hall been doing about it. Throwing rose pedals at the feet of big oil with quotes like, "I can't understand the pure venom felt against the oil and gas industry". This after voting against bills that allowed tax-credits for solar energy and a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for electricity production. And he was one of only 26 Republicans to vote against them. He also told the Dallas Morning News that he had to run against to protect the causes of the "fossil fuel industry?. Also, our Texas Republican Senators have been doing their part to prop up all of George W. Bush's special interests.

The Treasury Department reported earlier this month that the first 11 months of this budget year, that the defict was $483.4 billion, which was an increase of 76.2% over the same period a year ago. And remember, the Iraq War is 'off-budget', meaning it isn't even included in the deficit. And the Congressional Budget Office says, that depending on troop levels and the length of time we stay there, the overall cost, and remember it's 'off-budget', will be $1 trillion to $2 trillion in the long run. And with Republican accounting, this hocus pocus is supposed to just be invisible to the American public, in hopes that if you don't understand the truth, you won't bother to throw the bums out of office, as they so richly deserve.

And where do the 'hawkish' neo-con Republicans get all of this money? Communist China!!! Yep...Red China. The very people that the Republican Party wanted to make sure that we knew were so scary, that their hero Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy went on a witch hunt, in the 1950's to find them in the U.S.! And because the communists have the money we need, because we can't afford a war that we actually started, while ignoring the Afghanistan War which was supposed to be the way to completely irradicate The Taliban, Osama bin Laden and his band of merry men who actually attacked us on 9/11.

So, independents and past non-voters and anyone else who continued to trust the Republican government who made the Congress nearly irrelevant while attempting to scare the public into submission (a tactic that worked to the detriment of a country in Europe in the 1930's and 40's), if you really think that this is what America is supposed to be about, continue just as they hope you do.

Otherwise, why not join The Hunt County Democratic Party, as well as the Texas Democratic Party, and work on cleaning house of these self-absorbed, in the pocket of Big Oil, surrogates for Saudi Arabia and the other OPEC countries, who have proven over and over that they believe they can do anything they want, because the American people are too busy to really pay any attention.

Too busy, maybe, until recently.

I guess that the reason that I have always been a Democrat is that I have never made enough money to be able to afford to vote Republican. Plus, I don't even drink, so having a beer with George W. Bush never appealed to me.........

Check out www.democrats.org, or www.barackobama.com or www.txdemocrats.org and read our answers to the issues. Check out the voting records of our candidates, and see if they don't relate to your life situation, than the alternatives.

But more than anything, I want to urge everyone to get involved. Democrat, Republican, Independent, it doesn't matter. American's need to be involved and quit letting such small groups of people choose what your life is going to be like over the next 4 years. At the very least....vote!! A democracy only works correctly when the citizenry demands it work. And that starts at the voting booth. If more get involved, the government becomes more representative of those that are being represented. Otherwise, a very small minority controls the lives of the majority......and that is exactly what that small minority is always betting on.

Sincerely,
Cato Meador

Thanks for all of the prayers and messages of support for my family during and after Hurricane Ike. Friends on PB are always caring and concerned.....thanks.

Up here, we just got raked a little in North Texas......50 mi NE of Dallas.

My son escaped Corpus Christi.....which was missed.....and got to his in-laws in East Texas...only to have to deal with some flooding and power outages. He and his wife arrived safely back in Corpus early Sunday evening.

My big brother and his wife (from Galveston) and their two daughters and their families (from Port Arthur) seem to be stuck up here with my younger brother for an undetermined amount of time. His house, on Galveston Island, was checked by someone who stayed behind (and survived, obviously) and appears to be fine. Water got very close to his front door but not in. There is a chance, though, that some may have come in the back door, but no one thinks it will be too bad.

Not sure about my nieces places yet, and my friend in Houston made it through, about 40 mi north of the city, but still doesn't have power, and can't get back to her own house yet.

Thanks for caring, and now it's time to go kick some McCain/Palin BUTT!!!

Cato

Sometimes, things come along in life that make you really understand what is important. Watching the southern part of my native Texas getting ravaged by Hurricane Ike is one of those times.

My son lives in Corpus Christi....he made it up to East Texas where his inlaws are. My big brother lives on Galveston Island and he and his wife came up here to NE Texas to safety. And their two daughters who live in Port Arthur are also safely up here.

One of my dearest friends, her name is Karen, lives south of Houston and went north to her son's home, but they are STILL only 40 miles north of the city. For her, I am very concerned. We have passed a couple of emails, and so far she is fine (they bought a generator). But that hasn't eased my concerns very much. I am praying that God watches over her and keeps her safe, so that I can pick at her about her political leanings for years to come.

But, what will be left of my brother's 60 year old colonial style home after the water recedes? It IS just stuff...but it is 40 years of a life left behind.

On top of that, it is expected that by the time Ike reaches here, northeast of Dallas, it will STILL be at least a tropical storm. Talk about something we are not used to around HERE.......

Pray for all on the coast, especially for the 90,000 that chose, for whatever silly reason, to remain on Galveston Island, and cannot be rescued.....several calls have been coming into authorities to come and help them....but for now that is impossible.

By the way, check out my play site.... www.myspace.com/texian1

You might get a smile out of it......