Posts with the tag movie
About the Author
Who (besides me) is really excited to see the new W movie. I just watched the trailer and it looks like Stone and Brolin pull this movie off in style. I think it will be interesting to see a movie about the man that is responsible for so much pain and suffering in this world. I mean how does a person get to a point that it is part of their daily life to destroy the spirit of the American people? Hopefully we will be able to discover that in Stone’s 2 hour movie.
Check out the trailer here:
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/w/trailer-b
Free movie download of "Slacker Uprising" by Michael Moore
[Available: September 23rd - October 13th]
Friends,
This is it. The time has arrived! At midnight tonight [9-22-08], you can be one of the first people ever to legally download, for FREE, a brand new, feature-length film. It's my new movie, "Slacker Uprising," and I'm giving it to you as a gift of thanks for coming to my films over the 20 years I've been a filmmaker.
It's also one of my contributions to help get out the vote November 4th. That's why I'm giving you my blanket permission to not only download it, but also to email it, burn it, and share it with anyone and everyone (in the U.S. and Canada only). I want you to use "Slacker Uprising" in any way you see fit to help with the election or to do the work that you do in your community. You can show my film in your local theater, your high school classroom, your college auditorium, your church, union hall or community center. You can have your friends and neighbors over to the house for a viewing. You can broadcast it on TV, on cable access, on regular channels or on the web. It's completely free -- I don't want to see a dime from this. And if you want, you can charge admission or ask for a donation if it's to raise money for a candidate, a voter drive, or for any non-profit or educational purpose. In other words -- it's yours!
Why You Should Vote for Barack Obama?
Because He Has Already ‘Tilted the Table’
By James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
A few months back I did an interview with Mr. Jonah Goldberg, The author of a book called Liberal Fascism. He used a term that has stuck with me, I believe that I have ‘tilted the table’ in the way history will view this topic from now on, is a rough paraphrase of what he said. Tilting the table means that you have changed the way people view a particular topic. The way historians will record the topic in the history books. It means that you have exerted such insight, that others have come to rely on your judgment. It much your thoughts were fresh, original, and without any question, now considered to be correct. Much like tilting a pin ball machine, you have changed the direction that the ball will travel.
The George W. Bush administration has been, to say the least, inflexible. They take strong positions and right or wrong (and as we have seen they are wrong more often than not) they stick with these positions, to the point of an uncaring arrogance. Convincing Bush to change his position is kind of like commanding pigs to fly; it just isn’t going to happen. Rigid to the point of infamy is more what you can expect from this group.
Recently there have been some changes in position by the Bush Administration; surprising changes. Even more surprising is the source from where these shifts in policy originate. A source of original thought. A voice alone in its objections to the Bush policies. A leader that who thinking, just by his espousing a position has ‘tilted the table,’ even with ‘W’s’ rigid tough guys. A history changer. None other than Barack Obama. Not the presumptive Republican nominee, but their opposition’s leader, Obama. The junior Senator from Illinois. And oddly enough, the area of foreign policy seems to be the area of the biggest shift in direction; the biggest tilt.
What policies have been affected?
• The covert political action in Pakistan he suggested that the Bush Administration put into action;
• The 12,000 additional troops Barack called for in Afghanistan, which the Bush Administration approved yesterday, August 20, 2008;
• Yesterday, Secretary of State Rice reported from Bagdad that there is an agreement between the US and Iraq to set a timetable for withdrawal of our troops from that country by the 30th of next June, something Mr Obama has repeatedly stated during his campaign for President;
• Recently, Bush has shown more of an acceptance to speak to those who are our opposition, then to ignore them as he had in the past. Clearly this is the Obama position.
Notice that the tilt has occurred in the area of expertise that is supposed to be McCain’s strength, foreign policy. But yet, despite stubborn resistance to most opposition by Bush and his cronies, almost to the point of ignorance, they have drifted towards Obama’s positions over McCain. They have adapted the Democrats position, in an effort to effect a pre-emptive strike.
Why is this important? He is a man; a black man, so called inexperienced man; a member of the hated and dreaded other party; a liberal; yet he has in his own persuasive manner, given them such cause to pause, that they are willing to change 8 years of harsh, stoic resistance to a more moderate approach, to attempt to avoid loosing an election. Based on conduct alone, you can only conclude that Barack Obama has tilted the table. He has already made a difference before he is elected to the Presidency. He is what we call in sports a difference maker, a gamer, the go-to guy. The playmaker. Why should you vote for Barack Obama? Because he has the judgment to change history. If he can persuade the Neo-Cons by his advocacy, just think about what he could do as President in dealing with our international problems. This is a lot more effective then the hot headed; let’s go to war, ‘I know how to win wars’ John McCain. This is not advocacy that comes at the end of a barrel of a gun. Barack can change minds. He can advocate. He is a history maker. In the world’s eyes, he is that table tilter that can make a difference.
Because He Has Already ‘Tilted the Table’
By James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
A few months back I did an interview with Mr. Jonah Goldberg, The author of a book called Liberal Fascism. He used a term that has stuck with me, I believe that I have ‘tilted the table’ in the way history will view this topic from now on, is a rough paraphrase of what he said. Tilting the table means that you have changed the way people view a particular topic. The way historians will record the topic in the history books. It means that you have exerted such insight, that others have come to rely on your judgment. It much your thoughts were fresh, original, and without any question, now considered to be correct. Much like tilting a pin ball machine, you have changed the direction that the ball will travel.
The George W. Bush administration has been, to say the least, inflexible. They take strong positions and right or wrong (and as we have seen they are wrong more often than not) they stick with these positions, to the point of an uncaring arrogance. Convincing Bush to change his position is kind of like commanding pigs to fly; it just isn’t going to happen. Rigid to the point of infamy is more what you can expect from this group.
Recently there have been some changes in position by the Bush Administration; surprising changes. Even more surprising is the source from where these shifts in policy originate. A source of original thought. A voice alone in its objections to the Bush policies. A leader that who thinking, just by his espousing a position has ‘tilted the table,’ even with ‘W’s’ rigid tough guys. A history changer. None other than Barack Obama. Not the presumptive Republican nominee, but their opposition’s leader, Obama. The junior Senator from Illinois. And oddly enough, the area of foreign policy seems to be the area of the biggest shift in direction; the biggest tilt.
What policies have been affected?
• The covert political action in Pakistan he suggested that the Bush Administration put into action;
• The 12,000 additional troops Barack called for in Afghanistan, which the Bush Administration approved yesterday, August 20, 2008;
• Yesterday, Secretary of State Rice reported from Bagdad that there is an agreement between the US and Iraq to set a timetable for withdrawal of our troops from that country by the 30th of next June, something Mr Obama has repeatedly stated during his campaign for President;
• Recently, Bush has shown more of an acceptance to speak to those who are our opposition, then to ignore them as he had in the past. Clearly this is the Obama position.
Notice that the tilt has occurred in the area of expertise that is supposed to be McCain’s strength, foreign policy. But yet, despite stubborn resistance to most opposition by Bush and his cronies, almost to the point of ignorance, they have drifted towards Obama’s positions over McCain. They have adapted the Democrats position, in an effort to effect a pre-emptive strike.
Why is this important? He is a man; a black man, so called inexperienced man; a member of the hated and dreaded other party; a liberal; yet he has in his own persuasive manner, given them such cause to pause, that they are willing to change 8 years of harsh, stoic resistance to a more moderate approach, to attempt to avoid loosing an election. Based on conduct alone, you can only conclude that Barack Obama has tilted the table. He has already made a difference before he is elected to the Presidency. He is what we call in sports a difference maker, a gamer, the go-to guy. The playmaker. Why should you vote for Barack Obama? Because he has the judgment to change history. If he can persuade the Neo-Cons by his advocacy, just think about what he could do as President in dealing with our international problems. This is a lot more effective then the hot headed; let’s go to war, ‘I know how to win wars’ John McCain. This is not advocacy that comes at the end of a barrel of a gun. Barack can change minds. He can advocate. He is a history maker. In the world’s eyes, he is that table tilter that can make a difference.
Does John McCain’s Experience Matter?
A Political Blog
By
James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
I was asked by a young Obama neighborhood organizer to write an article about an argument he was running into as he went door to door in Lake County, Indiana. The problem: How do you respond to someone who is considering voting for John McCain based on his ‘experience?’
After all at age 45, Barack Obama is not the youngest presidential nominee or chief executive. William Jennings Bryant was a Democratic nominee at 36; John F. Kennedy was 43 when he was elected, Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he was sworn in. Nor is Barack the most inexperienced nominee or president ever. Wendell Willkie had never held any public office before he became the Republican nominee in 1940. Woodrow Wilson had been governor of New Jersey for only 2 years before ascending to the Presidency in 1912. George W. Bush was governor of Texas for only 6 years before becoming President. Lincoln had only served a brief time in the Illinois Legislature and only 2 years in the House before becoming President.
Time served is therefore not the issue. The real question is judgment. Who has the most active voting record? Who made the right decisions when it counted? Who has made more misjudgments? Who is the more unstable, more unpredictable? Who is smarter about the judgments they have made in the past on critical political issues?
What I would say to my young organizer friend is that you should first ask the prospective voter if they are happy with the way things are in our country today? If they are better off now than they were 8 years ago? Ask them if they realize that John McCain has voted 95% of the time with George Bush? Ask them if they are ready for 8 more years of the same failed policies? Tell them that it is time for a change. If they want details, show them this article.
There are 3 basic arguments: First, in a head to head comparison, Barack’s voting record and judgment are more consistent; Second, McCain’s opinion is flexible (he flip flops too much); and finally you have to consider the tremendous errors he has made just during the course of this campaign.
If we look at a head to head comparison, Obama has been in the Senate 3.5 years, McCain has been in the Senate 26 years. Obama’s name is on 606 bills to 128 for McCain. In other words, Barack is much more active. Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 570 bills in the 109th and 110th Congress. 15 of those have become law. He has introduced amendments to 50 bills, 16 of which were adopted by the Senate. From a blog in the Daily Kos by Heleann dated February 21st, 2008 entitled “I found the BEEF-Obama’s Senate Record” Here is what I found:
Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:
Two addressed foreign policy:
Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125)
Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).
Three addressed public health:
Improve mine safety (2803)
Increased breast cancer funding (597)
Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).
Two addressed openness and accountability in government:
Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488)
Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)
Two addressed national security
Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467)
Amend the Patriot Act (2167)
One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces
Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).
Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:
25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115)
Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133)
Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768)
Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151)
Reduce green house gas emissions (1324)
Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389)
Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202)
Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269)
Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794)
Alternative diesel standards (3554)
Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623)
Renewable diesel standards (1920)
Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555)
Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025)
Alternative energy refueling system (2614)
Climate change education (1389)
Low income energy assistance (2405)
Oil savings targets (339)
Fuel economy reform (3694)
Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617)
Nuclear release notice (2348)
Passenger rail investment (294)
Energy relief for low income families (2405)
21 addressed Health Care
Drug re-importation (334)
Health information technology (1262, 1418)
Discount drug prices (2347)
Health care associated infections (2278)
Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824)
Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784)
Emergency medical care and response (1873)
Stem cell research (5)
Medical Malpractice insurance (1525)
Health centers renewal (901, 3771)
Children’s health insurance (401)
Home health care (2061)
Medicare independent living (2103)
Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823)
Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569)
Gynological cancers (1172)
Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976)
Paralysis research and care (1183)
20 addressed Public Health:
Violence against women (1197)
Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880)
Viral influenza control (969)
End homelessness (1518)
Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790)
Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625)
Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024)
Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066)
Health impact assessments (1067, 2506)
Healthy communities (1068)
Combat methamphetamines (2071)
Paid sick leave (910)
Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818)
Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132)
Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)
14 address Consumer Protection/Labor
Stop unfair labor practices (842)
Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829)
Internet freedom (2917)
Credit card safety (2411)
Media ownership (2332)
Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484)
Working family child assistance (218)
Habeus Corpus Restoration (185)
Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092)
FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201)
Working families flexibility (2419).
13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces:
Improve Benefits (117)
Suicide prevention (479)
Needs of homeless veterans (1180)
Homes for veterans (1084)
GI Bill enhancement (43)
Military job protection
Dignity in care for wounded vets (713)
Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084)
Military children in public schools (2151)
Military eye injury research and care (1999)
Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271)
Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885)
Security of personal data of veterans (3592)
12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability
Lobbying and ethics reform (230)
Stop fraud (2280)
Legislative transparency and accountability (525)
Open government (2180, 2488)
Restoring fiscal discipline (10)
Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261)
Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179)
Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590)
Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal
contract (674)
Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts
(2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)
10 addressed Foreign Policy:
Iraq war de-escalation (313)
US policy for Iraq (433),
Divestiture from Iran (1430)
Sudan divestment authorization (831)
Millennium Development Goals (2433)
Multilateral debt relief (1320)
Development bank reform (1129)
Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).
9 address Voting/Elections
Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453)
Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737)
Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975)
Senate campaign disclosure parity (185)
Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030)
Election jamming prevention (4102)
Campaign disclosure parity (223)
Presidential funding (2412)
Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)
11 addressed Education
Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513)
Establish teaching residency programs (1574)
Increase early intervention services (2111)
Middle school curriculum improvements (2227)
Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428)
Summer learning programs (116)
TANF financial education promotion (924)
Higher education (1642)
Build capacity at community colleges (379)
Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228)
Support for teachers (2060).
6 addressed Hurrican Katrina
Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319)
Emergency relief (1637)
Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647)
Working family tax relief (2257)
Fair wages for recovery workers (1749)
Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)
5 addressed the Environment
Drinking water security (218, 1426)
Water resources development (728)
Waste water treatment (1995)
Combat illegal logging (1930)
Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194)
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]
4 addressed Discrimination
Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989)
Domestic partnership benefits (2521)
Unresolved civil rights crimes (535)
Equality or two parent families (2286)
4 addressed Homeland Security
Judicial review of FISA orders (2369)
National emergency family locator (1630)
Amend US Patriot Act (2167)
Chemical security and safety (2486)
This would be an impressive record for anyone. It is a remarkable record for a junior Senator from Illinois. Senator McCain has said, “[T]his election is about trust and trusting people’s word…” Another blog from the Daily Kos, written by StuHunter titled, “DAMMIT…Tell me the Truth! UPDATED” traces McCain voting record, flip-flops and all:
Signing of the GI Bill: Now enthusiastically for it... after it passed. Previously attacked the Webb Bill. Didn't even bother to vote on it.
http://bravenewfilms.org/...
Campaign reform: On political reform, McCain last January opposed a grassroots lobbying bill he once supported. In 2006, the "New York Sun" reported that his presidential ambitions led McCain to reverse his support of a campaign financial bill called McCain/Feingold.
http://www.nysun.com/...
Alien Minors Act/Immigration: Last October he said he would vote against the development, relief and education for Alien Miners Act that he co-sponsored, and then said he would vote against an immigration bill that he introduced.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Gay Marriage: In 2006, he said on "HARDBALL," quote, “I think that gay marriage should be allowed.” Then after the commercial break he added, “I do not believe that gay marriages should be legal.”
http://www.youtube.com/...
Abortion: On abortion, 1999, publicly supporting Roe v. Wade, privately opposing it in a letter to the National Right to Life Committee. In the 2000 debates, he would change the GOP platform to permit exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother. May 2007, "flipped", ABCNews.com reported.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
Nuclear Waste: No Storing Nuclear waste at Yucca mountain earlier. Now flipped
http://www.lasvegassun.com/...
Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il: Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il not acceptable until President Bush did it last week.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Negotiating with Cuba/Castro: With Fidel Castro acceptable in 2000, not 2008.
http://vids.myspace.com/...
Negotiating with Hamas/Terrorists: ...with terrorists appropriate when Colin Powell went to Syria and in 2006 when McCain said sooner or later we‘ll talk to Hamas, but not appropriate now re: Obama's willingness to use diplomacy.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Pakistan: Unilateral action against suspected terrorists in Pakistan; "Confused leadership" when Obama suggested it, not when Bush did it.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Warrantless Wire-taps: Six months ago, presidents had to obey the law, not anymore.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Torture: Torture detainees, no way, except for the CIA. Hold them indefinitely, wrong in 2003, the right move in 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Iraq War: The Iraq war, the right course 2004, stay the course 2005. Today, McCain has always been a Rumsfeld critic.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Tax Cuts: In 2001, he could not in good conscious support them. Now he can.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Estate Tax: 2006, "I agree with President Roosevelt who created it". In 2008, "most unfair".
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Privatizing Social Security: This month not for privatizing Social Security, never has been. In 2004, he "didn‘t see how benefits will last without it".
http://www.youtube.com/...
Balanced Budget: In February, promised a balanced budget in four years by April, make that eight years.
http://www.perrspectives.com/...
Windfall Profits Tax: In May, glad to look at the windfall profits tax. By June, that was Jimmy Carter's big idea.
http://flipfloptracker.blogspot.com/...
Offshore Drilling: In 2000, no new off shore drilling. Last month, it would take years to develop. This month, very helpful in the short term.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Coyotes..Bush Big Time Fund Raisers: The Bush fund-raisers McCain called coyotes breaking the law in 2000. By 2006, they were co-chairing McCain fund-raisers.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
"Agents of Intolerance": Buddy Jerry Falwell...an "agent of intolerance in 2000". Kissed Falwell's ass in 2007... The Reverend Hagee and Parsley in, then out this year alone.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Martin Luther King Holiday: In 1983, opposed Martin Luther King Day. Today, all for it.
http://www.boston.com/...
Confederate Flag: In 2000, defended South Carolina's confederate flag as a symbol of heritage. Two years later, McCain calling it, quote, an act of political cowardice not to say the flag should come down. Quote, "everybody said, look out. You can't win in South Carolina if you say that."
http://www.youtube.com/...
Evolution in Public Schools: In 2005, McCain said alternatives to evolution should be taught in school. "Evolving" the opposite position he had taken in 2000.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Restoring the Everglades: On June 5, John McCain traveled to the Everglades to win over Floridians and environmentally-minded voters. There he proclaimed, "I am in favor of doing whatever’s necessary to save the Everglades." Sadly, as ThinkProgress documented, McCain not only opposed $2 billion in funding for the restoration of the Everglades national park, he backed President Bush’s veto of the legislation in 2007. "I believe," he said, "that we should be passing a bill that will authorize legitimate, needed projects without sacrificing fiscal responsibility."
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Swiftboating: McCain's sudden embrace of Swiftboating --- which today is synonymous with a concerted effort to lie about an opponent's history --- is all the more deplorable because he has hired retired Col. George "Bud" Day, a proud member of the group that Swiftboated Kerry --- and someone McCain once described as having "tunnel vision" --- to lead what McCain is calling his "Truth Squad."
http://digg.com/...
GITMO/Habeus Corpus:Despite John McCain's outrage last week that the Supreme Court ordered Gitmo detainees know why they were being held, or released -- Political Base has stumbled upon a McCain appearance on Meet the Press in 2005 where he argued they deserved trials, going so far as to say "if it means releasing some of them, you'll have to release them." Shameless.
http://www.politicalbase.com/...
Divestment from South Africa: During his June 2 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), John McCain called for the international community to target Iran for the kind of worldwide sanctions regime applied to apartheid-era South Africa. Unfortunately, McCain’s lobbyist-advisers Charlie Black and Rick Davis each represented firms doing business with Tehran. Even more unfortunate, John McCain was frequently not among those offering "moral clarity and conviction" in backing "a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid."
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations: During a June 4th town hall meeting in Baton Rouge, John McCain answered a reporter’s question regarding Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the New Orleans levees by announcing:
"I’ve supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy. I’ve been here to New Orleans. I’ve met with people on the ground."
As it turns out, not so much. McCain’s revisionist history neglects to mention that in 2005 and 2006 he twice voted against a commission to study the government’s response to Katrina. He also opposed three separate emergency funding measures providing relief to Katrina victims, including the extension of five months of Medicaid benefits. And as ThinkProgress pointed out, "until traveling there one month ago, McCain had made just one public tour of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina touched down in August 2005."
http://thinkprogress.org/...
McCain On His Economic Abilities: "I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not." "I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent."
-- Sen. John McCain, in an interview on ABC News, when asked why he "admitted that you're not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy."
However, NBC News compiles past McCain quotes in which he said "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should" or "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/...
On Criticizing Obama While "Overseas": Traveling in Colombia, he told reporters that he wouldn't criticize Obama while he was overseas, but on the plane, he blasted Obama’s opposition to the proposed Colombia free trade...
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
UPDATES from KOSsacks:
Temperament and Temper: "My temper has often been both a matter of public speculation and personal concern," he wrote in a 2002 memoir. "I have a temper, to state the obvious, which I have tried to control with varying degrees of success because it does not always serve my interest or the public's." Not true and not under control, according to many of those on the "W"rong side of McCain's famous temper.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Drilling For Oil and Automobile Efficiency: "Last week, Senator McCain reversed himself and said we need to drill more. Today, he has reversed years of failing to support more efficient cars, new energy technologies and green jobs.
http://www.speaker.gov/...
Offshore Drilling: Two weeks ago, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered "a bit of a capitulation to the oil companies" by announcing that he would end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Not only is McCain’s move a break with environmental activist, but it is also "a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Payroll Taxes: "When he was asked in 2005 whether he could see himself lifting the cap on the payroll tax, (McCain) said, 'I could.' Two years later, during a May 13, 2007, appearance on "Meet the Press," Russert asked McCain if he was still open to lifting the Social Security tax cap as part of a compromise. "Am I opposed to tax increases?" said McCain. "Yes. But we've got to sit down together and figure out what our options are, and tough decisions have to be made, Republicans and Democrats. And I know how to do that." Asked about the 2005 remark, a McCain spokesman acknowledged the tension with his current position while arguing that the Arizona senator's criticism of his Democratic rival is still valid because McCain has spoken out against higher Social Security taxes as a 2008 White House hopeful.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
Ethics Reform and Abramoff: On the stump, Sen. John McCain often cites his work tackling the excesses of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence of his sturdy ethical compass. A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
http://digg.com/...
Obviously experience for McCain has not resulted in the acquired trait of common sense. My friend, Karen Young, put it this way: “If you met a parent with 6 children, all of them malnourished, you would call them "experienced" parents, but would you accept parenting tips from them? The point: not all "experience" is good for America.” You’re right Karen, and McCain judgment has been proven over and over again to be something less than we need in our President, particularly after 8 years of George W. Bush. Recently, Jack Cafferty on CNN put McCain’s candidacy in prospective, “It occurs to me that John McCain is as intellectually shallow as our current president. One after another, McCain's answers were shallow, simplistic, and trite. He showed the same intellectual curiosity that George Bush has -- virtually none. Where are John McCain's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time? Where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy, the welfare state, education, America's moral responsibility in the world, etc., etc., etc.?
John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.
He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly."
In the sole and only issue McCain relies on for his election, his military experience and judgment, his voting record is abysmal. Karen Young again pointed out the following to me:
** 2007 McCain only showed up for 4 of the past 14 senate votes on Iraq. Showed up for none this year
** April 2003 tabled a motion to provide over $1 billion of National Guard and Reserve equipment
** Oct 2003 he tabled an amendment to provide additional $322 million for safety equipment for US troops in Iraq
** March 2004 he voted against eliminating abusive tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion
** March 2006 he voted against closing corporate tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical services by $1.5 billion
** April 2006 he voted against providing an extra $430 million for veteran outpatient care
** May 2006 he voted against $20 million for veteran health care facilities
** March 2007 he didn't bother to vote on a resolution to start redeploying troops from Iraq by March 2008
** September 2007 he voted against Senator Webb's amendment that would specify minimum rest periods for troops in between deployments
** May 2008 he first spoke out against Senator Web's GI Bill and then didn't bother to show up to vote on it. But none of that stopped him from accepting President Bush's praise when the Bill ultimately passed.
McCain hopes that the fact that he is a veteran substitutes for the idea that he has done right by veterans as a politician
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America give the following grade for voting records
John McCain D
Barack Obama B+
Disabled American Veterans grades the two candidates
Barack Obama 80% voting record
John McCain 20% voting record
In the single most important vote in the 21st Century, the decision to invade Iraq, John McCain was on the wrong side again. Not only did he vote to invade Iraq, he incorrectly stated prior to the invasion that Iraq and Suddam Hussein were involved with the 9/11 attacks. He has said that we could be in Iraq for ‘100 years.’ Spending $10 million dollars a month in an open ended war is not something the American people can afford to support. Barack Obama opposed this war from the outset. A war that has cost us over $5 Trillion and 4,000 dead, and countless injured and maimed. On November 25th, 2002, Barack said, “I think that us rushing into a war unilaterally was a mistake and may still be a mistake. (If we have invaded Iraq) then what the debate will really be about is what is our long term commitment there? How much is it going to cost? What does it mean for us to rebuild Iraq? How do we stabilize and make sure this country doesn’t split into factions…” (Article “Does Obama Have Enough Experience to be President” contained in the embedded You Tube Video found at http://www.obamapedia.org/page/Does+Barack+Obama+have+enough+experience+to+be+president%3F )
So what was John McCain doing while Obama was accurately predicting the future? One month after the invasion, he said Iraq ‘needed to be invaded.’ He called the handling of the war ‘magnificent.’ He praised Donald Rumsfeld and said if he were President, Dick Cheney would be in his cabinet. On the floor of the Senate in May of 2003, McCain said, “We won a massive victory in a few weeks and we have done so with very limited loss of American and Allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimal loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghan and Iraqi citizens.” In effect as commentators have pointed out, McCain declared victory in Iraq 5 years and 3 months ago. If this were true, his singular issue of the surge would not have been necessary. But instead we get his military bluster, all of which continues the Bush policy of undermining our diplomatic stature abroad.
McCain himself has recently said, “Good judgment will be at a premium in the term of the next American president.” Comparing his statements to Senator Obama’s you cannot help but conclude that John McCain made the wrong decision, and evaluated the possible consequences of our actions in a totally incorrect way. Even with his single issue of ‘the surge’ he has evaluated that incorrectly, too. If the surge has in fact worked, our troops would be home or at least we’d have the same troop level as we had before the surge. His judgment continues to be at best questionable, while Senator Obama once again is right on target.
What do their peers say about their judgment? Barack Obama’s fellow legislators have assessed his judgment in a positive light. Krik Dillard, a Republican Senator said, "Sen. Obama was someone who I thought " and I was right " could tackle extremely complex things like ethics reform, the death penalty or racial profiling by law enforcement." Dillard called Barack, “a full partner” n drafting and passing the state's first major ethics law in 25 years, Dillard says. Obama also helped pass laws requiring that police interrogations and confessions in capital cases be videotaped and creating a state earned-income tax credit.
Donne Trotter called Obama, “a quick read, a quick study.” His tenure as a constitutional lawyer, “prepares him to learn the intricacies and nuances of what the federal government is all about." Trotter picked up right away his savvy in the areas of universal health care and was most impressed by his ability to educate his fellow senators and become the author and leader of legislation. Obama "is a reader, a learner of different approaches and philosophies," he says. "He has the brainpower to absorb the facts … and make good decisions." Mel Brook, Democratic Chairmen in Littleton, NH perhaps said it best, "No doubt 20 years' experience is better than 10," he says." For some individuals, it might well be a drawback, but it depends on the intellect, the knowledge and the ability of the candidate," he says. "For Obama, inexperience is not a big drawback."
What do his contemporaries say about John McCain? Senator John Kerry thinks McCain’s judgment is dangerous. "John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting," the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts said on CBS' Face The Nation.
"This is a different John McCain. This is not the Senator John McCain; this is want-to-be president John McCain.
"And the result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about! I mean, this is extraordinary what he's done: He's changed on taxes; he's now in favor of the Bush tax cut. If you like the Bush economy, if you like the Bush tax cut and what it's done to our economy, making wealthier people wealthier and the average middle class struggle harder, then John McCain is going to give you a third term of George Bush and Karl Rove.
"If you like what has happened to oil prices, John McCain is going to continue that policy. If you like what you see about health care, John McCain has no health care plan.
"I would have at least expected the John McCain that I knew back then to realize what almost every person in the Pentagon has admitted. There are very few who walk around and say, 'Going into Iraq was the right thing to do, and we should have done it, or do it again if I have the chance.' John McCain does.
"I'm challenging Senator McCain's judgment," Kerry said, "that says, 'There's no violent history between Sunni and Shia.' That's wrong. His judgment that says, 'This is going to increase the stability of the Middle East.' It hasn't, it's made it less stable. The judgment that says, quote, 'This will be the best thing for America and the world in a long time. It's the worst thing that we've done in a long time. And he's turned his [focus] away from Afghanistan and al Qaeda and made America less safe. That's dangerous for our country."
Kerry criticized McCain's continued support of the occupation, given the effect of a continuing presence of U.S. troops on the situation in Iraq and the region at large. He pointed to remarks by leaders in the Middle East who told him during a recent visit, "You, America, have served up to Iran Iraq on a platter."
"They are outraged by the ineptitude of what has been done by those who decided it was smart to go into Iraq," said Kerry, who feels the Republican Party is now in turmoil over the "reality" of McCain's position, which is that "he has a plan for staying in Iraq and Barack Obama has a plan for getting out of Iraq."
Recently, a blog entitled “Obama’s Judgment is Right; the Conventional Wisdom is Wrong” by David Sanders may have summed it up best. The worst strategic blunder of U.S. History was invading Iraq. The Bush administration then advocated a policy of labeling opponents as “weak, inexperienced, and naïve.” Barack Obama defied conventional wisdom and opposed the Iraq invasion. He was told this would damage, maybe even doom his political future. Barack felt we were in the wrong place and we needed to be in Afghanistan where we could fight with the people who attacked us, Bin Laden and al Qaeda. He called it “a dumb war” that could result in an “occupation of undetermined length, and undetermined cost with undetermined consequences.” Barack was right; conventional wisdom was wrong. According to National Intelligence, Iraq is a mess; the threat to us is “persistent and evolving”, Al-Qaeda has a safe haven in Pakistan, Iran has grown stronger and ultimately Americans are less safe. Judgment: Obama.
Barack’s judgment has in fact already tilted the table from conventional wisdom in Washington on the issue of diplomacy. Washington through Bush and McCain have taken the position that we cannot talk to our advisories because that would reward them. The result? Iran has continued to build its nuclear weapons program, terrorize Iraq and support terrorists. Syria continues to ‘meddle’ in Lebanon and support terror. North Korea produced 6-8 nuclear bombs. McCain wants to use the conventional wisdom to continue this policy of blustery, loud brave talk at home, with no discussions abroad. Obama is right; tough skillful discussion with our enemies is the only way in the 21st Century to bring about a peaceful balance. Judgment: Obama
Supporting President Musharraf has only aided the terrorists. Nuclear attacks on terrorist targets via ratcheted up rhetoric based on McCain’s so called military experience goes against the conventional wisdom of Washington. Killing innocent Pakistanis’ and lower our prestige in the world is not good judgment. Judgment: Obama.
American foreign policy has been broken by supporting the Iraq War and failing to finish al Qaeda, and worse alienating the rest of the world with our arrogance. Conventional wisdom tells us that this is the stance we must take in ‘times of trouble.’ Barack Obama is clear that we must go another direction. We must end a war we never should have begun; get the real perpetrators of 9/11; we need to talk to our adversaries and end the blustery politics of loud talk with ‘no substance.’ “Barack Obama’s judgment is right. It is conventional wisdom that has to change.”
So what would I tell my young organizer? After they admit they are not happy with the way things are and they are not better off then they were 8 years ago, remind them that the best we can hope for with all of McCain’s so called experience is more of the same, and that it is time for a change. That when it comes to judgment, Obama is right on target and his record proves he’s the most viable candidate for a change.
A Political Blog
By
James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
I was asked by a young Obama neighborhood organizer to write an article about an argument he was running into as he went door to door in Lake County, Indiana. The problem: How do you respond to someone who is considering voting for John McCain based on his ‘experience?’
After all at age 45, Barack Obama is not the youngest presidential nominee or chief executive. William Jennings Bryant was a Democratic nominee at 36; John F. Kennedy was 43 when he was elected, Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he was sworn in. Nor is Barack the most inexperienced nominee or president ever. Wendell Willkie had never held any public office before he became the Republican nominee in 1940. Woodrow Wilson had been governor of New Jersey for only 2 years before ascending to the Presidency in 1912. George W. Bush was governor of Texas for only 6 years before becoming President. Lincoln had only served a brief time in the Illinois Legislature and only 2 years in the House before becoming President.
Time served is therefore not the issue. The real question is judgment. Who has the most active voting record? Who made the right decisions when it counted? Who has made more misjudgments? Who is the more unstable, more unpredictable? Who is smarter about the judgments they have made in the past on critical political issues?
What I would say to my young organizer friend is that you should first ask the prospective voter if they are happy with the way things are in our country today? If they are better off now than they were 8 years ago? Ask them if they realize that John McCain has voted 95% of the time with George Bush? Ask them if they are ready for 8 more years of the same failed policies? Tell them that it is time for a change. If they want details, show them this article.
There are 3 basic arguments: First, in a head to head comparison, Barack’s voting record and judgment are more consistent; Second, McCain’s opinion is flexible (he flip flops too much); and finally you have to consider the tremendous errors he has made just during the course of this campaign.
If we look at a head to head comparison, Obama has been in the Senate 3.5 years, McCain has been in the Senate 26 years. Obama’s name is on 606 bills to 128 for McCain. In other words, Barack is much more active. Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 570 bills in the 109th and 110th Congress. 15 of those have become law. He has introduced amendments to 50 bills, 16 of which were adopted by the Senate. From a blog in the Daily Kos by Heleann dated February 21st, 2008 entitled “I found the BEEF-Obama’s Senate Record” Here is what I found:
Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:
Two addressed foreign policy:
Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125)
Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).
Three addressed public health:
Improve mine safety (2803)
Increased breast cancer funding (597)
Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).
Two addressed openness and accountability in government:
Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488)
Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)
Two addressed national security
Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467)
Amend the Patriot Act (2167)
One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces
Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).
Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:
25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115)
Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133)
Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768)
Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151)
Reduce green house gas emissions (1324)
Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389)
Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202)
Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269)
Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794)
Alternative diesel standards (3554)
Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623)
Renewable diesel standards (1920)
Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555)
Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025)
Alternative energy refueling system (2614)
Climate change education (1389)
Low income energy assistance (2405)
Oil savings targets (339)
Fuel economy reform (3694)
Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617)
Nuclear release notice (2348)
Passenger rail investment (294)
Energy relief for low income families (2405)
21 addressed Health Care
Drug re-importation (334)
Health information technology (1262, 1418)
Discount drug prices (2347)
Health care associated infections (2278)
Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824)
Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784)
Emergency medical care and response (1873)
Stem cell research (5)
Medical Malpractice insurance (1525)
Health centers renewal (901, 3771)
Children’s health insurance (401)
Home health care (2061)
Medicare independent living (2103)
Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823)
Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569)
Gynological cancers (1172)
Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976)
Paralysis research and care (1183)
20 addressed Public Health:
Violence against women (1197)
Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880)
Viral influenza control (969)
End homelessness (1518)
Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790)
Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625)
Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024)
Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066)
Health impact assessments (1067, 2506)
Healthy communities (1068)
Combat methamphetamines (2071)
Paid sick leave (910)
Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818)
Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132)
Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)
14 address Consumer Protection/Labor
Stop unfair labor practices (842)
Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829)
Internet freedom (2917)
Credit card safety (2411)
Media ownership (2332)
Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484)
Working family child assistance (218)
Habeus Corpus Restoration (185)
Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092)
FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201)
Working families flexibility (2419).
13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces:
Improve Benefits (117)
Suicide prevention (479)
Needs of homeless veterans (1180)
Homes for veterans (1084)
GI Bill enhancement (43)
Military job protection
Dignity in care for wounded vets (713)
Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084)
Military children in public schools (2151)
Military eye injury research and care (1999)
Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271)
Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885)
Security of personal data of veterans (3592)
12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability
Lobbying and ethics reform (230)
Stop fraud (2280)
Legislative transparency and accountability (525)
Open government (2180, 2488)
Restoring fiscal discipline (10)
Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261)
Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179)
Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590)
Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal
contract (674)
Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts
(2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)
10 addressed Foreign Policy:
Iraq war de-escalation (313)
US policy for Iraq (433),
Divestiture from Iran (1430)
Sudan divestment authorization (831)
Millennium Development Goals (2433)
Multilateral debt relief (1320)
Development bank reform (1129)
Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).
9 address Voting/Elections
Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453)
Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737)
Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975)
Senate campaign disclosure parity (185)
Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030)
Election jamming prevention (4102)
Campaign disclosure parity (223)
Presidential funding (2412)
Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)
11 addressed Education
Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513)
Establish teaching residency programs (1574)
Increase early intervention services (2111)
Middle school curriculum improvements (2227)
Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428)
Summer learning programs (116)
TANF financial education promotion (924)
Higher education (1642)
Build capacity at community colleges (379)
Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228)
Support for teachers (2060).
6 addressed Hurrican Katrina
Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319)
Emergency relief (1637)
Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647)
Working family tax relief (2257)
Fair wages for recovery workers (1749)
Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)
5 addressed the Environment
Drinking water security (218, 1426)
Water resources development (728)
Waste water treatment (1995)
Combat illegal logging (1930)
Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194)
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]
4 addressed Discrimination
Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989)
Domestic partnership benefits (2521)
Unresolved civil rights crimes (535)
Equality or two parent families (2286)
4 addressed Homeland Security
Judicial review of FISA orders (2369)
National emergency family locator (1630)
Amend US Patriot Act (2167)
Chemical security and safety (2486)
This would be an impressive record for anyone. It is a remarkable record for a junior Senator from Illinois. Senator McCain has said, “[T]his election is about trust and trusting people’s word…” Another blog from the Daily Kos, written by StuHunter titled, “DAMMIT…Tell me the Truth! UPDATED” traces McCain voting record, flip-flops and all:
Signing of the GI Bill: Now enthusiastically for it... after it passed. Previously attacked the Webb Bill. Didn't even bother to vote on it.
http://bravenewfilms.org/...
Campaign reform: On political reform, McCain last January opposed a grassroots lobbying bill he once supported. In 2006, the "New York Sun" reported that his presidential ambitions led McCain to reverse his support of a campaign financial bill called McCain/Feingold.
http://www.nysun.com/...
Alien Minors Act/Immigration: Last October he said he would vote against the development, relief and education for Alien Miners Act that he co-sponsored, and then said he would vote against an immigration bill that he introduced.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Gay Marriage: In 2006, he said on "HARDBALL," quote, “I think that gay marriage should be allowed.” Then after the commercial break he added, “I do not believe that gay marriages should be legal.”
http://www.youtube.com/...
Abortion: On abortion, 1999, publicly supporting Roe v. Wade, privately opposing it in a letter to the National Right to Life Committee. In the 2000 debates, he would change the GOP platform to permit exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother. May 2007, "flipped", ABCNews.com reported.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
Nuclear Waste: No Storing Nuclear waste at Yucca mountain earlier. Now flipped
http://www.lasvegassun.com/...
Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il: Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il not acceptable until President Bush did it last week.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Negotiating with Cuba/Castro: With Fidel Castro acceptable in 2000, not 2008.
http://vids.myspace.com/...
Negotiating with Hamas/Terrorists: ...with terrorists appropriate when Colin Powell went to Syria and in 2006 when McCain said sooner or later we‘ll talk to Hamas, but not appropriate now re: Obama's willingness to use diplomacy.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
Pakistan: Unilateral action against suspected terrorists in Pakistan; "Confused leadership" when Obama suggested it, not when Bush did it.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Warrantless Wire-taps: Six months ago, presidents had to obey the law, not anymore.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Torture: Torture detainees, no way, except for the CIA. Hold them indefinitely, wrong in 2003, the right move in 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Iraq War: The Iraq war, the right course 2004, stay the course 2005. Today, McCain has always been a Rumsfeld critic.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Tax Cuts: In 2001, he could not in good conscious support them. Now he can.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Estate Tax: 2006, "I agree with President Roosevelt who created it". In 2008, "most unfair".
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Privatizing Social Security: This month not for privatizing Social Security, never has been. In 2004, he "didn‘t see how benefits will last without it".
http://www.youtube.com/...
Balanced Budget: In February, promised a balanced budget in four years by April, make that eight years.
http://www.perrspectives.com/...
Windfall Profits Tax: In May, glad to look at the windfall profits tax. By June, that was Jimmy Carter's big idea.
http://flipfloptracker.blogspot.com/...
Offshore Drilling: In 2000, no new off shore drilling. Last month, it would take years to develop. This month, very helpful in the short term.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Coyotes..Bush Big Time Fund Raisers: The Bush fund-raisers McCain called coyotes breaking the law in 2000. By 2006, they were co-chairing McCain fund-raisers.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
"Agents of Intolerance": Buddy Jerry Falwell...an "agent of intolerance in 2000". Kissed Falwell's ass in 2007... The Reverend Hagee and Parsley in, then out this year alone.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Martin Luther King Holiday: In 1983, opposed Martin Luther King Day. Today, all for it.
http://www.boston.com/...
Confederate Flag: In 2000, defended South Carolina's confederate flag as a symbol of heritage. Two years later, McCain calling it, quote, an act of political cowardice not to say the flag should come down. Quote, "everybody said, look out. You can't win in South Carolina if you say that."
http://www.youtube.com/...
Evolution in Public Schools: In 2005, McCain said alternatives to evolution should be taught in school. "Evolving" the opposite position he had taken in 2000.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Restoring the Everglades: On June 5, John McCain traveled to the Everglades to win over Floridians and environmentally-minded voters. There he proclaimed, "I am in favor of doing whatever’s necessary to save the Everglades." Sadly, as ThinkProgress documented, McCain not only opposed $2 billion in funding for the restoration of the Everglades national park, he backed President Bush’s veto of the legislation in 2007. "I believe," he said, "that we should be passing a bill that will authorize legitimate, needed projects without sacrificing fiscal responsibility."
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
Swiftboating: McCain's sudden embrace of Swiftboating --- which today is synonymous with a concerted effort to lie about an opponent's history --- is all the more deplorable because he has hired retired Col. George "Bud" Day, a proud member of the group that Swiftboated Kerry --- and someone McCain once described as having "tunnel vision" --- to lead what McCain is calling his "Truth Squad."
http://digg.com/...
GITMO/Habeus Corpus:Despite John McCain's outrage last week that the Supreme Court ordered Gitmo detainees know why they were being held, or released -- Political Base has stumbled upon a McCain appearance on Meet the Press in 2005 where he argued they deserved trials, going so far as to say "if it means releasing some of them, you'll have to release them." Shameless.
http://www.politicalbase.com/...
Divestment from South Africa: During his June 2 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), John McCain called for the international community to target Iran for the kind of worldwide sanctions regime applied to apartheid-era South Africa. Unfortunately, McCain’s lobbyist-advisers Charlie Black and Rick Davis each represented firms doing business with Tehran. Even more unfortunate, John McCain was frequently not among those offering "moral clarity and conviction" in backing "a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid."
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations: During a June 4th town hall meeting in Baton Rouge, John McCain answered a reporter’s question regarding Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the New Orleans levees by announcing:
"I’ve supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy. I’ve been here to New Orleans. I’ve met with people on the ground."
As it turns out, not so much. McCain’s revisionist history neglects to mention that in 2005 and 2006 he twice voted against a commission to study the government’s response to Katrina. He also opposed three separate emergency funding measures providing relief to Katrina victims, including the extension of five months of Medicaid benefits. And as ThinkProgress pointed out, "until traveling there one month ago, McCain had made just one public tour of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina touched down in August 2005."
http://thinkprogress.org/...
McCain On His Economic Abilities: "I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not." "I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent."
-- Sen. John McCain, in an interview on ABC News, when asked why he "admitted that you're not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy."
However, NBC News compiles past McCain quotes in which he said "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should" or "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/...
On Criticizing Obama While "Overseas": Traveling in Colombia, he told reporters that he wouldn't criticize Obama while he was overseas, but on the plane, he blasted Obama’s opposition to the proposed Colombia free trade...
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
UPDATES from KOSsacks:
Temperament and Temper: "My temper has often been both a matter of public speculation and personal concern," he wrote in a 2002 memoir. "I have a temper, to state the obvious, which I have tried to control with varying degrees of success because it does not always serve my interest or the public's." Not true and not under control, according to many of those on the "W"rong side of McCain's famous temper.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Drilling For Oil and Automobile Efficiency: "Last week, Senator McCain reversed himself and said we need to drill more. Today, he has reversed years of failing to support more efficient cars, new energy technologies and green jobs.
http://www.speaker.gov/...
Offshore Drilling: Two weeks ago, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered "a bit of a capitulation to the oil companies" by announcing that he would end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Not only is McCain’s move a break with environmental activist, but it is also "a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Payroll Taxes: "When he was asked in 2005 whether he could see himself lifting the cap on the payroll tax, (McCain) said, 'I could.' Two years later, during a May 13, 2007, appearance on "Meet the Press," Russert asked McCain if he was still open to lifting the Social Security tax cap as part of a compromise. "Am I opposed to tax increases?" said McCain. "Yes. But we've got to sit down together and figure out what our options are, and tough decisions have to be made, Republicans and Democrats. And I know how to do that." Asked about the 2005 remark, a McCain spokesman acknowledged the tension with his current position while arguing that the Arizona senator's criticism of his Democratic rival is still valid because McCain has spoken out against higher Social Security taxes as a 2008 White House hopeful.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...
Ethics Reform and Abramoff: On the stump, Sen. John McCain often cites his work tackling the excesses of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence of his sturdy ethical compass. A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
http://digg.com/...
Obviously experience for McCain has not resulted in the acquired trait of common sense. My friend, Karen Young, put it this way: “If you met a parent with 6 children, all of them malnourished, you would call them "experienced" parents, but would you accept parenting tips from them? The point: not all "experience" is good for America.” You’re right Karen, and McCain judgment has been proven over and over again to be something less than we need in our President, particularly after 8 years of George W. Bush. Recently, Jack Cafferty on CNN put McCain’s candidacy in prospective, “It occurs to me that John McCain is as intellectually shallow as our current president. One after another, McCain's answers were shallow, simplistic, and trite. He showed the same intellectual curiosity that George Bush has -- virtually none. Where are John McCain's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time? Where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy, the welfare state, education, America's moral responsibility in the world, etc., etc., etc.?
John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.
He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly."
In the sole and only issue McCain relies on for his election, his military experience and judgment, his voting record is abysmal. Karen Young again pointed out the following to me:
** 2007 McCain only showed up for 4 of the past 14 senate votes on Iraq. Showed up for none this year
** April 2003 tabled a motion to provide over $1 billion of National Guard and Reserve equipment
** Oct 2003 he tabled an amendment to provide additional $322 million for safety equipment for US troops in Iraq
** March 2004 he voted against eliminating abusive tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion
** March 2006 he voted against closing corporate tax loopholes that would have increased veterans' medical services by $1.5 billion
** April 2006 he voted against providing an extra $430 million for veteran outpatient care
** May 2006 he voted against $20 million for veteran health care facilities
** March 2007 he didn't bother to vote on a resolution to start redeploying troops from Iraq by March 2008
** September 2007 he voted against Senator Webb's amendment that would specify minimum rest periods for troops in between deployments
** May 2008 he first spoke out against Senator Web's GI Bill and then didn't bother to show up to vote on it. But none of that stopped him from accepting President Bush's praise when the Bill ultimately passed.
McCain hopes that the fact that he is a veteran substitutes for the idea that he has done right by veterans as a politician
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America give the following grade for voting records
John McCain D
Barack Obama B+
Disabled American Veterans grades the two candidates
Barack Obama 80% voting record
John McCain 20% voting record
In the single most important vote in the 21st Century, the decision to invade Iraq, John McCain was on the wrong side again. Not only did he vote to invade Iraq, he incorrectly stated prior to the invasion that Iraq and Suddam Hussein were involved with the 9/11 attacks. He has said that we could be in Iraq for ‘100 years.’ Spending $10 million dollars a month in an open ended war is not something the American people can afford to support. Barack Obama opposed this war from the outset. A war that has cost us over $5 Trillion and 4,000 dead, and countless injured and maimed. On November 25th, 2002, Barack said, “I think that us rushing into a war unilaterally was a mistake and may still be a mistake. (If we have invaded Iraq) then what the debate will really be about is what is our long term commitment there? How much is it going to cost? What does it mean for us to rebuild Iraq? How do we stabilize and make sure this country doesn’t split into factions…” (Article “Does Obama Have Enough Experience to be President” contained in the embedded You Tube Video found at http://www.obamapedia.org/page/Does+Barack+Obama+have+enough+experience+to+be+president%3F )
So what was John McCain doing while Obama was accurately predicting the future? One month after the invasion, he said Iraq ‘needed to be invaded.’ He called the handling of the war ‘magnificent.’ He praised Donald Rumsfeld and said if he were President, Dick Cheney would be in his cabinet. On the floor of the Senate in May of 2003, McCain said, “We won a massive victory in a few weeks and we have done so with very limited loss of American and Allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimal loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghan and Iraqi citizens.” In effect as commentators have pointed out, McCain declared victory in Iraq 5 years and 3 months ago. If this were true, his singular issue of the surge would not have been necessary. But instead we get his military bluster, all of which continues the Bush policy of undermining our diplomatic stature abroad.
McCain himself has recently said, “Good judgment will be at a premium in the term of the next American president.” Comparing his statements to Senator Obama’s you cannot help but conclude that John McCain made the wrong decision, and evaluated the possible consequences of our actions in a totally incorrect way. Even with his single issue of ‘the surge’ he has evaluated that incorrectly, too. If the surge has in fact worked, our troops would be home or at least we’d have the same troop level as we had before the surge. His judgment continues to be at best questionable, while Senator Obama once again is right on target.
What do their peers say about their judgment? Barack Obama’s fellow legislators have assessed his judgment in a positive light. Krik Dillard, a Republican Senator said, "Sen. Obama was someone who I thought " and I was right " could tackle extremely complex things like ethics reform, the death penalty or racial profiling by law enforcement." Dillard called Barack, “a full partner” n drafting and passing the state's first major ethics law in 25 years, Dillard says. Obama also helped pass laws requiring that police interrogations and confessions in capital cases be videotaped and creating a state earned-income tax credit.
Donne Trotter called Obama, “a quick read, a quick study.” His tenure as a constitutional lawyer, “prepares him to learn the intricacies and nuances of what the federal government is all about." Trotter picked up right away his savvy in the areas of universal health care and was most impressed by his ability to educate his fellow senators and become the author and leader of legislation. Obama "is a reader, a learner of different approaches and philosophies," he says. "He has the brainpower to absorb the facts … and make good decisions." Mel Brook, Democratic Chairmen in Littleton, NH perhaps said it best, "No doubt 20 years' experience is better than 10," he says." For some individuals, it might well be a drawback, but it depends on the intellect, the knowledge and the ability of the candidate," he says. "For Obama, inexperience is not a big drawback."
What do his contemporaries say about John McCain? Senator John Kerry thinks McCain’s judgment is dangerous. "John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting," the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts said on CBS' Face The Nation.
"This is a different John McCain. This is not the Senator John McCain; this is want-to-be president John McCain.
"And the result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about! I mean, this is extraordinary what he's done: He's changed on taxes; he's now in favor of the Bush tax cut. If you like the Bush economy, if you like the Bush tax cut and what it's done to our economy, making wealthier people wealthier and the average middle class struggle harder, then John McCain is going to give you a third term of George Bush and Karl Rove.
"If you like what has happened to oil prices, John McCain is going to continue that policy. If you like what you see about health care, John McCain has no health care plan.
"I would have at least expected the John McCain that I knew back then to realize what almost every person in the Pentagon has admitted. There are very few who walk around and say, 'Going into Iraq was the right thing to do, and we should have done it, or do it again if I have the chance.' John McCain does.
"I'm challenging Senator McCain's judgment," Kerry said, "that says, 'There's no violent history between Sunni and Shia.' That's wrong. His judgment that says, 'This is going to increase the stability of the Middle East.' It hasn't, it's made it less stable. The judgment that says, quote, 'This will be the best thing for America and the world in a long time. It's the worst thing that we've done in a long time. And he's turned his [focus] away from Afghanistan and al Qaeda and made America less safe. That's dangerous for our country."
Kerry criticized McCain's continued support of the occupation, given the effect of a continuing presence of U.S. troops on the situation in Iraq and the region at large. He pointed to remarks by leaders in the Middle East who told him during a recent visit, "You, America, have served up to Iran Iraq on a platter."
"They are outraged by the ineptitude of what has been done by those who decided it was smart to go into Iraq," said Kerry, who feels the Republican Party is now in turmoil over the "reality" of McCain's position, which is that "he has a plan for staying in Iraq and Barack Obama has a plan for getting out of Iraq."
Recently, a blog entitled “Obama’s Judgment is Right; the Conventional Wisdom is Wrong” by David Sanders may have summed it up best. The worst strategic blunder of U.S. History was invading Iraq. The Bush administration then advocated a policy of labeling opponents as “weak, inexperienced, and naïve.” Barack Obama defied conventional wisdom and opposed the Iraq invasion. He was told this would damage, maybe even doom his political future. Barack felt we were in the wrong place and we needed to be in Afghanistan where we could fight with the people who attacked us, Bin Laden and al Qaeda. He called it “a dumb war” that could result in an “occupation of undetermined length, and undetermined cost with undetermined consequences.” Barack was right; conventional wisdom was wrong. According to National Intelligence, Iraq is a mess; the threat to us is “persistent and evolving”, Al-Qaeda has a safe haven in Pakistan, Iran has grown stronger and ultimately Americans are less safe. Judgment: Obama.
Barack’s judgment has in fact already tilted the table from conventional wisdom in Washington on the issue of diplomacy. Washington through Bush and McCain have taken the position that we cannot talk to our advisories because that would reward them. The result? Iran has continued to build its nuclear weapons program, terrorize Iraq and support terrorists. Syria continues to ‘meddle’ in Lebanon and support terror. North Korea produced 6-8 nuclear bombs. McCain wants to use the conventional wisdom to continue this policy of blustery, loud brave talk at home, with no discussions abroad. Obama is right; tough skillful discussion with our enemies is the only way in the 21st Century to bring about a peaceful balance. Judgment: Obama
Supporting President Musharraf has only aided the terrorists. Nuclear attacks on terrorist targets via ratcheted up rhetoric based on McCain’s so called military experience goes against the conventional wisdom of Washington. Killing innocent Pakistanis’ and lower our prestige in the world is not good judgment. Judgment: Obama.
American foreign policy has been broken by supporting the Iraq War and failing to finish al Qaeda, and worse alienating the rest of the world with our arrogance. Conventional wisdom tells us that this is the stance we must take in ‘times of trouble.’ Barack Obama is clear that we must go another direction. We must end a war we never should have begun; get the real perpetrators of 9/11; we need to talk to our adversaries and end the blustery politics of loud talk with ‘no substance.’ “Barack Obama’s judgment is right. It is conventional wisdom that has to change.”
So what would I tell my young organizer? After they admit they are not happy with the way things are and they are not better off then they were 8 years ago, remind them that the best we can hope for with all of McCain’s so called experience is more of the same, and that it is time for a change. That when it comes to judgment, Obama is right on target and his record proves he’s the most viable candidate for a change.
August 24, 2008
Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JEFF ZELENY
WASHINGTON " Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running-mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, people told of the decision said.
Mr. Obama’s selection ended a two-month search that was conducted almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by Mr. Obama: To go with a running-mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his resume, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Mr. Obama’s message of change.
Mr. Biden is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is familiar with foreign leaders and diplomats around the world. Although he initially voted to authorize the war in Iraq " Mr. Obama opposed it from the start " Mr. Biden became a persistent critic of President Bush’s policies in Iraq.
The selection was disclosed as Mr. Obama moves into a critical part of his campaign, preparing for the party’s four-day convention in Denver starting on Monday. Mr. Obama’s aides viewed the introduction of his vice presidential choice" including an afternoon rally Saturday at the old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., the same place where Mr. Obama announced his candidacy on a freezing winter morning almost two years ago, and a tour of swing states " as the beginning of a week-long stretch in which Mr. Obama hopes to dominate the stage and position himself for the fall campaign.
Word of Mr. Obama’s decision leaked out hours before his campaign was scheduled to inform supporters via text and e-mail messages, and hours after informing two other top contenders for the vice presidential nomination " Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia " that they had not been chosen.
As the selection process moved to an end, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who Mr. Obama had defeated in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, had slipped out of contention -- to the degree that Mr. Obama had ever seriously considered her.
Mr. Biden is Roman Catholic, giving him appeal to that important voting bloc, though he favors abortion rights. He was born in a working class family in Scranton, Pa., a swing state where he remains well-known. Mr. Biden is up for re-election to the Senate this year and he would presumably run simultaneously for both seats.
Mr. Biden is known for being both talkative and prone to making the kind of statements that get him in trouble. In 2007, when he was competing for Mr. Obama for the presidential nomination, he declared that Mr. Obama was “not yet ready” for the presidency, a line certain to show up in Republican attack ads.
Although Mr. Biden is not exactly a household name, he is probably the best known of all the Democrats who were in contention for the spot, given his political and personal history (not to mention his regular appearances on the Sunday morning television news shows.) He first ran for the Senate from Delaware when he was just 29 years old.
Mr. Biden has run twice for the presidency himself, once in 1988 and again in 2008, dropping out early in both cases. He was also the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during two of the most contentious Supreme Court nomination battles of the past 50 years: the confirmation proceedings for Robert H. Bork, who was defeated, and Clarence Thomas, who was confirmed after an explosive hearing in which Anita Hill accused Mr. Thomas of sexual harassment. Mr. Biden led the opposition to both nominations, though he came under criticism from some feminists for not immediately disclosing what were at first Ms. Hill’s closed-door accusations against Mr. Thomas.
Mr. Obama’s choice of Mr. Biden suggested some of the weaknesses the Obama campaign is trying to address at a time when at a time when national polls suggest that his race with Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is tightening. Chief among Mr. Biden’s strengths is his familiarity with foreign policy and national security issues, highlighted just this past weekend with the invitation he received from the embattled president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to visit Georgia in the midst of its tense faceoff with Russia. From the moment he dropped out of the presidential race, he had been mentioned as a potential Secretary of State should either Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton win the election.
He is also something of a fixture in Washington, and would bring to the campaign " and the White House " a familiarity with the way the city and Congress works that Mr. Obama can not match after his relatively short stint in Washington.
At 65 years old, he adds a few years and gray hair to a ticket that otherwise might seem a bit young (Mr. Obama is 47). He is, as Mr. Obama’s advisers were quick to argue, someone who appears by every measure prepared to take over as president, setting a standard that appears intended to at least somewhat hamstring Mr. McCain should he be tempted to go for a more adventurous choice for No. 2. He has a long history of making statements that get him in trouble. He was forced to apologize to Mr. Obama almost the moment he entered the race for president after he was quoted as describing Mr. Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” a remark that drew criticism for being racially insensitive. While campaigning in New Hampshire, Mr. Biden said that ”you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”
Mr. Biden quit the presidential race this year after a barely making a mark; he came in fifth place in Iowa. He was forced to quit the 1988 presidential race in the face of accusations that he had plagiarized part of a speech from a Neil Kinnock, the British Labor Party leader. Shortly afterward, he was found to have suffered two aneurysms.
He is also, at least arguably, a Washington insider, having worked there for so long, though he still commutes home to Wilmington every night by train.
The choice by Mr. Obama in some ways mirrors the choice by Mr. Bush of Dick Cheney as his running mate in 2000; at 65, it appears unlikely that Mr. Biden would be in a position to run for president, should Mr. Obama win and serve two terms. Shorn of any remaining ambition to run for president on his own, he could find himself in a less complex political relationship with Mr. Obama than most vice president have with their presidents.
Mr. Biden was born in Scranton, , grew up in the suburbs of Wilmington, Del., and went to Syracuse Law School. He also was, as a young man, in the center of a gripping family drama: barely a month after he was elected to the Senate, his wife and their three children were in a car accident with a drunken driver resulted in the death of his wife and daughter. His two sons survived and Mr. Biden remarried five years later.
Carl Hulse and Jim Rutenberg contributed reporting.
Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JEFF ZELENY
WASHINGTON " Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running-mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, people told of the decision said.
Mr. Obama’s selection ended a two-month search that was conducted almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by Mr. Obama: To go with a running-mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his resume, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Mr. Obama’s message of change.
Mr. Biden is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is familiar with foreign leaders and diplomats around the world. Although he initially voted to authorize the war in Iraq " Mr. Obama opposed it from the start " Mr. Biden became a persistent critic of President Bush’s policies in Iraq.
The selection was disclosed as Mr. Obama moves into a critical part of his campaign, preparing for the party’s four-day convention in Denver starting on Monday. Mr. Obama’s aides viewed the introduction of his vice presidential choice" including an afternoon rally Saturday at the old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., the same place where Mr. Obama announced his candidacy on a freezing winter morning almost two years ago, and a tour of swing states " as the beginning of a week-long stretch in which Mr. Obama hopes to dominate the stage and position himself for the fall campaign.
Word of Mr. Obama’s decision leaked out hours before his campaign was scheduled to inform supporters via text and e-mail messages, and hours after informing two other top contenders for the vice presidential nomination " Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia " that they had not been chosen.
As the selection process moved to an end, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who Mr. Obama had defeated in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, had slipped out of contention -- to the degree that Mr. Obama had ever seriously considered her.
Mr. Biden is Roman Catholic, giving him appeal to that important voting bloc, though he favors abortion rights. He was born in a working class family in Scranton, Pa., a swing state where he remains well-known. Mr. Biden is up for re-election to the Senate this year and he would presumably run simultaneously for both seats.
Mr. Biden is known for being both talkative and prone to making the kind of statements that get him in trouble. In 2007, when he was competing for Mr. Obama for the presidential nomination, he declared that Mr. Obama was “not yet ready” for the presidency, a line certain to show up in Republican attack ads.
Although Mr. Biden is not exactly a household name, he is probably the best known of all the Democrats who were in contention for the spot, given his political and personal history (not to mention his regular appearances on the Sunday morning television news shows.) He first ran for the Senate from Delaware when he was just 29 years old.
Mr. Biden has run twice for the presidency himself, once in 1988 and again in 2008, dropping out early in both cases. He was also the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during two of the most contentious Supreme Court nomination battles of the past 50 years: the confirmation proceedings for Robert H. Bork, who was defeated, and Clarence Thomas, who was confirmed after an explosive hearing in which Anita Hill accused Mr. Thomas of sexual harassment. Mr. Biden led the opposition to both nominations, though he came under criticism from some feminists for not immediately disclosing what were at first Ms. Hill’s closed-door accusations against Mr. Thomas.
Mr. Obama’s choice of Mr. Biden suggested some of the weaknesses the Obama campaign is trying to address at a time when at a time when national polls suggest that his race with Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is tightening. Chief among Mr. Biden’s strengths is his familiarity with foreign policy and national security issues, highlighted just this past weekend with the invitation he received from the embattled president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to visit Georgia in the midst of its tense faceoff with Russia. From the moment he dropped out of the presidential race, he had been mentioned as a potential Secretary of State should either Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton win the election.
He is also something of a fixture in Washington, and would bring to the campaign " and the White House " a familiarity with the way the city and Congress works that Mr. Obama can not match after his relatively short stint in Washington.
At 65 years old, he adds a few years and gray hair to a ticket that otherwise might seem a bit young (Mr. Obama is 47). He is, as Mr. Obama’s advisers were quick to argue, someone who appears by every measure prepared to take over as president, setting a standard that appears intended to at least somewhat hamstring Mr. McCain should he be tempted to go for a more adventurous choice for No. 2. He has a long history of making statements that get him in trouble. He was forced to apologize to Mr. Obama almost the moment he entered the race for president after he was quoted as describing Mr. Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” a remark that drew criticism for being racially insensitive. While campaigning in New Hampshire, Mr. Biden said that ”you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”
Mr. Biden quit the presidential race this year after a barely making a mark; he came in fifth place in Iowa. He was forced to quit the 1988 presidential race in the face of accusations that he had plagiarized part of a speech from a Neil Kinnock, the British Labor Party leader. Shortly afterward, he was found to have suffered two aneurysms.
He is also, at least arguably, a Washington insider, having worked there for so long, though he still commutes home to Wilmington every night by train.
The choice by Mr. Obama in some ways mirrors the choice by Mr. Bush of Dick Cheney as his running mate in 2000; at 65, it appears unlikely that Mr. Biden would be in a position to run for president, should Mr. Obama win and serve two terms. Shorn of any remaining ambition to run for president on his own, he could find himself in a less complex political relationship with Mr. Obama than most vice president have with their presidents.
Mr. Biden was born in Scranton, , grew up in the suburbs of Wilmington, Del., and went to Syracuse Law School. He also was, as a young man, in the center of a gripping family drama: barely a month after he was elected to the Senate, his wife and their three children were in a car accident with a drunken driver resulted in the death of his wife and daughter. His two sons survived and Mr. Biden remarried five years later.
Carl Hulse and Jim Rutenberg contributed reporting.
I wrote this blog today in response to some comments that I read about people who are upset with the FISA vote and will not give money to the Obama campaign, but will vote for him in November:
Like all of you I wish the Democratic Congress would behave as if they were Democrats. I am not a fan of arming the populous nor am I a fan of permitting unreasonable government intrusion into my personal communications under the false guise of protecting me for my own good from terrorists. What I know is this, plain and simple: I am unhappy with the way things are now. I do not like an American that tortures it's political prisoners, wastes it's natural resources, pollutes our air and runs a government based on scaring us opposed to representing our genuine interests. I'm tired of hearing men that shape our politics and our economics call us 'whiners' and tell us that our problems with the economy are all in our heads. These men represented by Bush and McCain want to preserve their way of life; which seems to include the eradication of the middle class at our expense. This trickle down economics, "the rich get rich and the poor get children" doesn't work and for the last 8 years has failed. And failed miserably. We are involved in wars that most Americans don't want, we have a mortgage crisis that effects us all, we have an energy crisis that threatens the planet, we have an economic crisis that threatens our existence. They line their pockets at our expense and they just do not care about the average person. There is really only one question that you have to ask yourself: Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? Are you happy with the way things are? Is the future that McCain-Bush offers one that you want for your children, your grandchildren, your loved ones? Do they speak to you in way that gives you any positive hope for our collective futures or do you get a business as usual feeling.
Barack Obama has presented us with a unique opportunity to change that vision of the future. He has presented us with a vision of hope. A couple of debatable missteps do not change that.
He deserves our support. Understand exactly where we are at in this moment in history: This is a fight, we are backed into a corner; we are fighting a bully; there is not way out; we must fight our way out of this corner. We cannot just rely on others this time and hope it comes out ok. We have to be involved. We have to contribute. It will take all of our effort to win this fight. It is not a fight we have chosen; it is a desperate fight. A fight we cannot afford to lose. Our champion has chosen to run our fight on public funding. Part of the reason he has been hit on all sides is they are afraid of him; afraid of you; and afraid of me. If we don't contribute to his campaign, give generously, give our time and effort, get involved in this fight, then we will deserve what we get. Envision a Democratic Congress with a Democratic President and all they could accomplish for the people of our country. Then envision 8 more years of same old fill your pockets/self-interest politics we have now. Image expanding our war into Iran. Image being homeless. Image gas at $20/gal. Image an ever increasing class of poor people. Image the continued disrespect from other foreign countries. Image any war that last 100 years. Is there any part of what is going on now that can foreseeable occur in the future that you want to be a part of? It's time for a change. Fight back now while we still have a 1st Amendment. Give your money, your time, your support to our candidate of hope. He's not God. He's not Jesus. He's imperfect. But he is offering us a sincere and reasonable opportunity to change. A true 'pursuit of happiness.' Let's not lose this opportunity. Please contribute to Sen Obama's campaign. Please give your time. Please talk and write about your feelings. Persuade others to examine their views. Engage in dialog. The Audacity of Hope is a powerful thing. If we don't contribute now, we leave him open to the 528s; the Republican attack machine; the Swift Boaters. Give generously now. Fight back. Knock that bully on his ass. Ask yourself: Are you better off today then you were 8 years ago? Obama '08
Like all of you I wish the Democratic Congress would behave as if they were Democrats. I am not a fan of arming the populous nor am I a fan of permitting unreasonable government intrusion into my personal communications under the false guise of protecting me for my own good from terrorists. What I know is this, plain and simple: I am unhappy with the way things are now. I do not like an American that tortures it's political prisoners, wastes it's natural resources, pollutes our air and runs a government based on scaring us opposed to representing our genuine interests. I'm tired of hearing men that shape our politics and our economics call us 'whiners' and tell us that our problems with the economy are all in our heads. These men represented by Bush and McCain want to preserve their way of life; which seems to include the eradication of the middle class at our expense. This trickle down economics, "the rich get rich and the poor get children" doesn't work and for the last 8 years has failed. And failed miserably. We are involved in wars that most Americans don't want, we have a mortgage crisis that effects us all, we have an energy crisis that threatens the planet, we have an economic crisis that threatens our existence. They line their pockets at our expense and they just do not care about the average person. There is really only one question that you have to ask yourself: Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? Are you happy with the way things are? Is the future that McCain-Bush offers one that you want for your children, your grandchildren, your loved ones? Do they speak to you in way that gives you any positive hope for our collective futures or do you get a business as usual feeling.
Barack Obama has presented us with a unique opportunity to change that vision of the future. He has presented us with a vision of hope. A couple of debatable missteps do not change that.
He deserves our support. Understand exactly where we are at in this moment in history: This is a fight, we are backed into a corner; we are fighting a bully; there is not way out; we must fight our way out of this corner. We cannot just rely on others this time and hope it comes out ok. We have to be involved. We have to contribute. It will take all of our effort to win this fight. It is not a fight we have chosen; it is a desperate fight. A fight we cannot afford to lose. Our champion has chosen to run our fight on public funding. Part of the reason he has been hit on all sides is they are afraid of him; afraid of you; and afraid of me. If we don't contribute to his campaign, give generously, give our time and effort, get involved in this fight, then we will deserve what we get. Envision a Democratic Congress with a Democratic President and all they could accomplish for the people of our country. Then envision 8 more years of same old fill your pockets/self-interest politics we have now. Image expanding our war into Iran. Image being homeless. Image gas at $20/gal. Image an ever increasing class of poor people. Image the continued disrespect from other foreign countries. Image any war that last 100 years. Is there any part of what is going on now that can foreseeable occur in the future that you want to be a part of? It's time for a change. Fight back now while we still have a 1st Amendment. Give your money, your time, your support to our candidate of hope. He's not God. He's not Jesus. He's imperfect. But he is offering us a sincere and reasonable opportunity to change. A true 'pursuit of happiness.' Let's not lose this opportunity. Please contribute to Sen Obama's campaign. Please give your time. Please talk and write about your feelings. Persuade others to examine their views. Engage in dialog. The Audacity of Hope is a powerful thing. If we don't contribute now, we leave him open to the 528s; the Republican attack machine; the Swift Boaters. Give generously now. Fight back. Knock that bully on his ass. Ask yourself: Are you better off today then you were 8 years ago? Obama '08
On Friday, July 11, 2008, I'm throwing a house party for Sen Obama's campaign at my house located at 2519 136th Court, Crown Point, IN 46307 from 5-6pm. If you are interested please come. My phone # 219-765-2522. Oranizers from the campaign will be present. Here is a copy of thier notice:
Hello Indiana!
Millions of voters made their voices heard over the past few months and we now know that Barack Obama will be our Democratic nominee. One of the benefits of the long primary season is that we had an opportunity to campaign in every part of the country. And in all 50 states you helped build an unprecedented grassroots organization that continues to grow to this day.
Even as we speak, people of all ages and backgrounds are registering voters, they're making phone calls, they're knocking on doors. They're putting more passion in the political process than we've seen in a long, long time.
But let's be clear. All this enthusiasm isn't just for Barack Obama. It's about something bigger than any one candidate. It's about our shared desire to change the way Washington does business. We are ready to move beyond the failed policies of George W. Bush and come together around the common values that will lead us to a better future for all Americans.
That's why our campaign is organizing Unite for Change. All across the county folks like you, from seasoned veterans to first time volunteers, will be opening up their homes and inviting friends and neighbors to join them for Unite for Change house meetings. Our goal is to bring together people who supported all of the Democratic candidates as well as those who are just turning into the process now. We also want to reach out to independents, and even Republicans, who are ready to support change.
You don't need any kind of political experience to take part and our staff and your fellow volunteers are ready to help you every step of the way. We're facing a tough fight against John McCain and those who want to continue the Bush agenda, but we can win this election if folks like you continue to build this movement in the weeks and months ahead. Our country is counting on us to bring about real change.
So attend the Unite for Change party at
2519 W 136th Court, Crown Point, IN 46307 Starting at 5pm on Friday, July 11th, 2008. And bring friends who supported either Sens. Clinton or Obama or even Republican friends looking for change.
Blake Farnsworth
Campaign for Change
(603) 369-9173
James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
219-765-2522
Hello Indiana!
Millions of voters made their voices heard over the past few months and we now know that Barack Obama will be our Democratic nominee. One of the benefits of the long primary season is that we had an opportunity to campaign in every part of the country. And in all 50 states you helped build an unprecedented grassroots organization that continues to grow to this day.
Even as we speak, people of all ages and backgrounds are registering voters, they're making phone calls, they're knocking on doors. They're putting more passion in the political process than we've seen in a long, long time.
But let's be clear. All this enthusiasm isn't just for Barack Obama. It's about something bigger than any one candidate. It's about our shared desire to change the way Washington does business. We are ready to move beyond the failed policies of George W. Bush and come together around the common values that will lead us to a better future for all Americans.
That's why our campaign is organizing Unite for Change. All across the county folks like you, from seasoned veterans to first time volunteers, will be opening up their homes and inviting friends and neighbors to join them for Unite for Change house meetings. Our goal is to bring together people who supported all of the Democratic candidates as well as those who are just turning into the process now. We also want to reach out to independents, and even Republicans, who are ready to support change.
You don't need any kind of political experience to take part and our staff and your fellow volunteers are ready to help you every step of the way. We're facing a tough fight against John McCain and those who want to continue the Bush agenda, but we can win this election if folks like you continue to build this movement in the weeks and months ahead. Our country is counting on us to bring about real change.
So attend the Unite for Change party at
2519 W 136th Court, Crown Point, IN 46307 Starting at 5pm on Friday, July 11th, 2008. And bring friends who supported either Sens. Clinton or Obama or even Republican friends looking for change.
Blake Farnsworth
Campaign for Change
(603) 369-9173
James Myers
The Entertainment Critic
219-765-2522
AN OPEN TO LETTER TO HILLARY CLINTON, HER SUPPORTERS, AND MY FRIENDS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES WHO SUPPORT BARACK OBAMA I’M FIRED UP, READY TO GO HOW ABOUT YOU? Senator Clinton, Her Supporters, and My Friends in Obama: Thank you for such a beautiful moving speech, and the endorsement of Barack Obama. I can only hope that we bring our party and our country together now with this speech as a springboard. I will do my best to help to get Barack elected. I hope that you, your daughter, Pres. Clinton, and your supporters will be inspired to unite with us and work to make the hopes and dreams of the American people a reality. I hope to see you and yours working as hard for Barack as you did for yourself. Please accept my extended hand in friendship. Welcome to our fight. A fight none of us can afford to lose. There are two different kinds of fights. There is the kind of fight where you are angry; you have been wronged and you choose to fight. A line has been drawn in your mind and you will back up no further, it is a matter of choice. Then there is the other kind of fight. The type of fight we are engaged in now. The type of fight we must wage against John McCain, George Bush and the out of touch, inhumane Republican Party. This is the other kind of fight. The other kind of fight is a fight you must fight. As my Dad used to say, “When you are backed into a corner†and you have no choice, where there is no way out and you opponent has made it impossible to negotiate or talk. This is a fight that has been forced upon you. It is the other kind of fight. It is the fight that you have to fight; where you must fight, where every fiber in your being tells you that there is no real choice any more; you must come out swinging. Not only must you make a showing, you must win. You can’t just show up to prove a point. You can’t mail it in. You cannot make an appearance, and raise your hand in some moral victory. No, this is a fight you must win to survive. For you to maintain your way of life, for you to effect change, for you to have the opportunity to even begin to resolve issues, you must be victorious. Make no mistake about it, this is a must fight, not a want to fight situation. This is an ‘I have to fight’ situation. The fight against John McCain is a ‘must win fight.’ Let’s not kid ourselves about this. 7 years of Republican, George W. Bush politics is more than enough already; it has been too much. It is the threat to our American Way of Life that we should be the most concerned about. It has to go. Change must take place. We cannot afford another 4-8 yrs of the same old, same old any more. As Barack says, our time is now, we cannot afford to wait another 7 years, the time for a change is now. We cannot afford the politics of the first war in American history, that the President of the United States has sent our men and boys into harms way by fabricating tales of weapons of mass destruction and the existence of evil al-Qaeda Forces in Iraq, and committing us to a war that he knew if we knew the truth, we would have never supported or consented to; We cannot afford the continued policies of staying the course in this war that John McSame proposes even if it lasts 100 years while he is singing bomb Iran to an old Beach Boys tune; We cannot afford the loss of even one more life to based on such a grossly negligent and criminal misrepresentation of a lie to the American People, where we have lost over 4,000 of our sons and daughters; We cannot afford the cost of a war that we were told would last 6 weeks and has dragged on for over 5 years at a cost in excess of 3 Billion dollars and rising, when we could use those same monies to educate and support those same children here at home; We cannot afford John McCain’s apparent program of more war and less jobs; We cannot afford the loss of recognition as leaders of the free world, and we must return to the true examples of justice and freedom our allies and foes alike abroad, the politics of democracy forced upon other at the end of a gun must stop; We can no longer base our communications with foreign leaders on the basis of avoiding some policy of ‘appeasement’; We should never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear to negotiate. It’s very simple isn’t it? How can you cling to a failed diplomatic approach and expect better results? It is a policy that has failed to make us safer. It is a policy that has motivated our Iraq to continue its nuclear policy. It has made the left wing insurrectionists in Iraq stronger. Our continued presence there threatens not only our safety, but Israel’s as well. This is McCain’s policy despite the fact that polls show the majority of Americans want talks with foreign leaders of countries we are isolating, like the type Barack Obama has expressed We cannot afford to have the divisions that have been created in our country, that have been subliminally forced upon us by the practice of fear politics that have been used to divide us by race, sex, age, experience and education, we cannot afford the McCain-Bush practices of manipulation of one American against the other; We cannot afford an uncaring, inhumane, unfeeling administration who has completely and totally failed to respond to the needs, concerns and agonized screams of it populous, as if they were a monarchy based on bloodline and not the elected servants of the people who are endowed with certain inalienable rights, the include the 1st Amendment right to free speech to engage in the free marketplace of ideas without fear of reprisal from our government; John McCain’s skin is so thin he is rumored to have his people already removing You Tube videos that make him look bad, including his recent come to Jesus speech in New Orleans, the site of the worst natural disaster in recent American history, where the Bush Administration deplorably neglected to respond, and McCain himself is said to have voted several times against aid to the people of that city, and against aid to help the needy and injured clean up their town far less restore their dignity; McCain voted twice against the creation of a commission to investigate the levy failures in New Orleans, and he voted against the Katrina response, investigations to find out what happened as a result of Katrina, to avoid a reoccurrence, in September of 2005 and again in February of 2006; or his vote against aid for the Katrina victims in 2005; his vote against extending for 5 months of Medicaid payments to Katrina victims or his vote against the $28 billion dollar emergency funding bill for Katrina victims. The government is there to serve the people and to act for the people, where the people cannot act for themselves. The government is there is to serve it people and to help where help is called for. Government that fails to answer the call the of its people is worse than no government at all. We don’t need another deaf government. We can no longer afford the economic practices of trickle down economics where the rich get rich and the poor die young, and the middle class ceases to exist, all in the names of irresponsible corporations, banks, and mortgage companies that give their failing executives huge golden parachutes while they take over your small business, deny you the help you need and foreclose on your home; John McCain like Bush will argue that the tax breaks to big business will help us all, but in the past 7 years our economic growth is at an all time low, our monetary crisis is acute, and our mortgage crisis is a national disgrace; all this is supported by Teflon John, who states he doesn’t know much about the economy. John, you’re right, you don’t know anything about the economy, except to parrot the failed philosophy of an uncaring, immoral, criminal administration that has done nothing except to line its own pockets and their lobbyist friends at our expense; We can’t afford lobbyists like John McCain’s Phil Gramm who is the poster child for the mortgage crisis where McBush wants to take care of the banks and lenders and leave the homeowner who is being pushed out his/her home on the basis of an unconscionable mortgage contract with no bailout in sight; Gramm by the way as a lobbyist has made life easier for terrorists and our enemies; not something you heard enough about. He allegedly has provided tax shelters in foreign banks that support terrorists for rich people in the U.S. McCain call him a great American. (Here is a question John: If your guy has helped our enemies and the enemies of Israel, how can you with a straight face, take a tough stance on the enemies of Israel? By continuing to support Gramm, aren’t you indirectly supporting the enemy?) This hard line stance against terror backed by the global pursuits of profits at all costs, including against the best interests of the American People seems inconsistent to me. On by the way, another one of your guys, lobbyist Charlie Black has been busy lobbying for a Chinese energy company that has interests in Iran, kinda like Dick Cheney’s Halliburton. Hypocritical to the end when justifying the McBush foreign policy. Oh, yeah and the one place the Bush Administration has diplomatic activity in North Korea, John wants to stop that. John stopping the conversation, even with the crazies is not working. We can’t afford the continued practice of warrantless wiretaps on the phones, computers, and e-mails of ordinary American citizens, that break the law by claiming executive privilege under Article II of the Constitution, and using the politics of fear to justify these action as necessary against the war of terrorism, when in fact you are acting as Big Brother with these continued immoral, illegal, unjustifiable actions, that in effect violate 200 years of Constitutionally protected rights under the Bill of Rights, right that came into existence to protect the ordinary citizen against the exact kind of tyranny that President Bush practices and recently John McCain has embraced; “There are some areas where the statues don’t apply such as surveillance of overseas communications.†We can no longer afford the practices of water boarding, or torture, or other inhuman practices with those we choose to detain and question as potential terrorist criminals; we cannot deny we engage in these practice if we do we have to own up to it and we cannot cavalierly dismiss them as fraternity boy pranks; We can no longer afford the McBush policies of: • The endless commitment to the war in Iraq; • The endless commitment to occupation in Afghanistan; • The endless commitment to the occupation of Pakistan; • A policy against the expanding health care coverage to kids or uninsured adults; • Tax cuts to the rich and multinational corporations and none for the middle and lower class; • International fear of diplomacy with Americas enemies; • Allowing the unfettered gasoline companies to dictate policy to the detriment of the American People; • Allowing the unconscionable action of banks to dictate policy to the detriment of the American People; • The opposition of a new GI bill because it might encourage soldiers to leave the service sooner, and ignoring that it may attract to the service sooner; • The opposition of Roe v Wade and the right to an abortion and women’s rights in general; • The appointment of Supreme Court Justices who also oppose Roe v Wade, and the guarantee of a anti-populist approach for years to come • John McCain has a 95% voting record of going along with George W. Bush We have a terrific juxtaposition of policies and we are at a definite crossroads in the history of our country. We need you help to overcome the policies of McBush. We need to ‘restore our image as the last best hope on earth’ not just for the United States, but for the whole world. Do we want more of the same? Do we need a change? Make no mistake, we as democrats must unite, set aside our differences. We must fight. This is a must fight, fight. This is a fight against more of the same failed policies and anti-American philosophies that have failed us for nearly a decade. We must assure that the old neutral bad news guy does not win, for what is fresh, new and visionary. And more importantly, for what has become a mandatory imperative. Barack has said it better than I can, but nonetheless, he is right. There is no White America. There is no Black America; There is no Asian America; There is no Native America; There is no Male America; There is no Female America; There is no Educated America; There is no Uneducated America; There is no White Collar America; There is no Blue Collar America; There are no Hillary people; There are no Barack people; There is just us. United. Together. Fired Up and Ready to Go. The Democratic party of Roosevelt and Kennedy. The United Democratic Party of 2008 There is only one America, The United States of America. We are the party of the United States of America. We will no longer practice the politics of division in our country or in our party. Welcome. We need your help against a powerful, dividing, all encompassing enemy. Welcome to our ‘must fight, must win election.’ We are Fired Up and Ready to Go. Yes We Can! Welcome! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_mXyGu2vlQ# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p__7rm_4N8
A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS www.theentertainmentcritic.com www.theentertainmentcritic.net www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com A WOLF AT THE TABLE: A MEMOIR OF MY FATHER By Augusten Burroughs Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: April 2008 ISBN-13: 9780312342029 Sales Rank: 193 256pp Four Star Rating **** Born Christopher Robison (he changed his name when he turned 18), Burroughs is the son of an alcoholic father who abandoned his family and a manic-depressive mother who fancied herself a poet in the style of Anne Sexton. At age 12, he was farmed out to his mother's psychiatrist, a deeply disturbed -- and disturbing -- man whose medical license was ultimately revoked for gross misconduct. In Running with Scissors, Burroughs recounts his life with the pseudonymous Finch family as an experience tantamount to being raised by wolves. The characters he describes are unforgettable: children of assorted ages running wild through a filthy, dilapidated Victorian house, totally unfettered by rules or inhibitions; a variety of deranged patients who take up residence with the Finches seemingly at will; and a 33-year-old pedophile who lives in the backyard shed and initiates an intense, openly homosexual relationship with the 13-year-old Burroughs right under the doctor's nose. That he is able to wring humor and insight out of this shocking scenario is testimony to Burroughs's writing skill. Upon its publication in 2002, Scissors was hailed as "mordantly funny" (Los Angeles Times), "hilarious" (San Francisco Chronicle), and "sociologically suggestive and psychologically astute" (The New York Times). The book became a #1 bestseller and was turned into a 2006 movie starring Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, and Joseph Fienes. [Although the doctor who "raised" Burroughs was never named in the memoir, six members of the real-life family sued the author and his publisher for defamation, claiming that whole portions of the book were fabricated. Burroughs insisted that the book was entirely accurate but agreed in the 2007 settlement to change the wording of the author's note and acknowledgement in future editions of the book. He was never required to change a single word of the memoir itself.] Since Running with Scissors, Burroughs has mined snippets of his life for more bestsellers, including further installments of his memoir (Dry, A Wolf at the Table) and several well-received collections of razor-sharp essays. His writing continues to appear in newspapers and magazines around the world, and he is a regular contributor to National Public Radio's Morning Edition. ““Kill him,†I whispered. His eyes met mine and held the glaze. His eyes met mine and held the glaze. “Kill him,†I said once more. Nobody breathed. Nobody moved. The astronauts closed their eyes. The moment was balanced on the head of a pin. Then my brother’s head rocked back a little in astonishment and he blinked. He quickly took the gun and I could see, yes, I’d done the right thing. I hadn’t known I needed my father dead until that moment. There was only a single action: get the gun. But now I knew my father had to die. My brother had the heel of the rifle packed tight against his right shoulder, his head cocked sideways as he looked down the barrel of the gun, which was now pointed at our father… I screamed with excitement rather than fear. “Kill him, kill him, kill him.†My throat vibrated as I screamed the words, the loudest sounds I have ever made. I felt heat rise in my face as my lungs emptied and my vision began to darken.†Controversial author, Augusten Burroughs, has written a disturbing new book, A Wolf At The Table, A Memoir of My Father. This is the type of probing self-examination that serious writers do, and Augusten Burroughs is a serious writer. This open, jarring examination of his childhood and his relationship with his alcoholic father who engaged in psychological abuse, cruelty and abandonment is a searing expose of what it is like from the point of view of a precocious child to be raised by a distant, drunken father. Augusten’s earliest recollections demonstrate what an obtuse and uncaring man his father really was. When the former philosophy professor at Amherst College would arrive home for the evening, he seemed to be more concerned about his drink than his son. Handing him art projects or simply trying to make conversation of any type was met with cold disregard, disgust and chilling brutality. As a boy Augusten longed to hug his father so badly that he would take his father’s clothes, stuff them with towels and snuggle with this “acceptable substitute.†Trying to balance life with his concerned but weak mother, an unpredictable, rebel older brother, and violent father, young Augusten constantly seems to be walking on egg shells trying to win his father’s affection. Two episodes in this book stand out. The episode described above, where the old brother is having a confrontation with the father, and young Augusten fetches a gun, which the brother points at the father and informs him that he keeps it loaded all of the time. Augusten is screaming through the entire confrontation at the older brother to kill him. The second episode is after Augusten is older and the father drunk calls him and threatens to come over and kill him. After Augusten call the police, the father, suddenly sober, tells the police officers, that he made no such call and this must be a false report on his son’s part. Equally disturbing is that fact that young Augusten pronounces the word ‘Dad’ by using the word ‘Dead.’ Pets left under ‘Dead’s’ care consistently ended up dead. Even as an adult, the attempts described by Burroughs to win his father’s approval with his success fall on deaf ears. This book seems strikingly authentic to me. It was written by someone who has been there. The memoir concludes with examples in Burroughs’ adult life where the father has had an effect and even after the father’s death, Augusten’s hatred for him continues. This one is the most disturbing dysfunctional relationship I’ve ever read. Burroughs’ prose is exceptional; this man can turn a phrase, and he is a first class writer. He is a true artist with words. This book is a serious writer, purging his soul. An incredibly honest and open book, the irony of this book will keep you on edge for hours. A searing, haunting, unflinching journey into the truth; this is a great book for the ages. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66DBhQAxLa0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ygOXkuz7tk&feature=user
This is Liz Trotter on Fox News talking about Hillary's RFK Assassination statement and making a joke about killing Senator Obama. Please contact Fox and call for her resignation at foxnewsonline@foxnews.com or 1-888-369-4762
This is Liz Trotter on Fox News talking about Hillary's RFK Assassination statement and making a joke about killing Senator Obama. Please contact Fox and call for her resignation at foxnewsonline@foxnews.com or 1-888-369-4762
My documentary on the Crawford Uprising coming soon to a film festival near you MASHED POTATOES Running Time 41 min. Film by Annie Spell Music by Brian Stoltz Film Synopsis: MASHED POTATOES documents the occupation of the Texas bar ditches by antiwar activists outside of Crawford near the Presidential Ranch in August 2005.
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