Posts with the tag politics

Moving in Right Direction

Gabriel Felix — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:21:52 EST

Let's put aside political differences for one moment, and forget the historical significance of race in the election results. What we have collectively accomplished as a country is beyond comparison to any political move in the history of this country. Seems a little drastic right? Nevertheless, how else can you explain bring ing in youth and intelligence into the highest office in the nation for the first time since the 1960's? Even then we were still taking baby steps towards change and hoping that we would make ripples in the water, not tidal waves. That is precisely what we have accomplished with the election of Barack Obama. Positive change that will ripple through the social establishment and bring forth the dawning of a new era of political representation in this great nation. Power no longer rests in the hands of the "old guard" who has for too long ruled this nation with great disconnect and disregard for the common people. President Obama is just the beginning, the face of the revolution. The great changes are still yet to come, in development, and on its way. We are finally on our way to establishing rule OF the people. The right direction is not somewhere you turn, but the direction you follow a great leader in; that leader is Barack Obama.

SARAH PALIN'S FINGER WILL BE A HEARTBEAT FROM THE BUTTON...

Democrat in Albany, NY — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:46:20 EDT

If the Conservatives Steal the Election,

Her moves are just what her boss, John McCain, needs, her long practiced-in-the-mirror smile the perfect accessory for this inanely dumb broad who would start a nuclear war with America and God's enemies with as much restraining consideration as she gives to her hilarious misunderstanding of the duties of the day job she is waggling her tongue and butt vivaciously to be elected to. She is our Caribou Barbie robo-doll with the brain function removed. There is a reason that the RNC, as directed from Crawford, Texas by the fellow with the real power to steal the election, insisted she speak to NBC's Brian Williams only with uncle John sitting beside her to run interference, for on a bad day, which she seems to have a lot of, semi-sweet Sarah is not able to tell a moose call from a duck quack. So better that we not be complacent about the efforts the power mad conservatives will make to steal this election and bleed, if we have to, to get out the vote for Obama and protect, with as large an army of poll watchers as we can muster, against every form of deceptive ballot disqualification the sneaky rat conservatives will employ.

And be very aware, all you voters holding stocks, of Palin's distraction from the monstrous and disgusting ploy that seems to be about to take place on Wall Street. The Great Depression II may very well be put on hold for a couple of weeks through a surprising, if temporary, stock market recovery, just in time for Election Day. Unbeknownst to most, the market is not innocent and can be jiggered through big player collusion. All that's necessary is lots of money to boost it up, money readily available to the Republican CEO'd stock trading investment banks and mutual funds from the bailout with this grand fiasco further fostered by the deceptive encouragements and stimulus promises coming from the White House stooges, Paulson and Bernanke. These stratagems to steal the election have been in the planning since the beginning of the Republican campaign along with various forms of bogus ballot disqualifications, well polished from their successful use by the conservatives in Florida and Ohio in the last two elections. Election stolen, not that farfetched, plus McCain dying, not that farfetched, equals evangelist nuclear Armageddon accidently triggered to fulfill the will of God, not that farfetched. Let's nip it in the bud by making sure that Part I doesn't happen on Election Day.

Mrs, Ruth Calabria
http://www.matrix-evolutions.com

Sense of Urgency

Tighe Jaffe — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:08:19 EDT

What do we expect in life? This is an important question that, hopefully, most of us ask ourselves. How many of us think about this? How many of us actually do something about it? Not as many as one might think. When speaking with friends and family I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this sentence: "I just don't have an interest in politics." My first thought in response to this is "You don't want to have a say in what is going on around you?" Many people do not understand politics and what is involved. Politics, and governing for that matter, is who gets what, when, where, why, and how. That's the bottom line. So why wouldn't someone be interested? A sense of urgency is why. Many of us take for granted that others will take care of everything for us and do so with our best interests in mind. Some of us have become complacent in our lives and do not want to earn what should be worked for. It strikes me as ironic that we have no shortage of complaints, but a rather surprising lack of action of the part of the general public. Maybe I am totally off base here, but I do not think I am. How many people do you personally know that are involved in your community and trying to make at least a small difference? Why aren't you? Where is your sense of urgency?

Stop the Political Posturing!

Davidual — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:30:45 EDT

I new article posted to cnn.com entitled, "Bailout talks implode, economy's fate in peril", is suggestive of the talks imploding. However, it is conceivable to me that it is not the talks that are imploding, but rather the Republican Party that is imploding before our very eyes.

They can see that everything they have run on since President Reagan, less government; de-regulation; supply-side economics; and last but not least the trickle down theory, is the root cause of our current economic mess. The question for them is not how they save our economy, but how do they save their Party?

Popular opinion is solidly behind the Democratic Congress with demanding that the bail-out of our financial market meet the conditions of regulation and oversight; mortgage assistance for people whose mortgages are in trouble; scrutiny over the amount of the bail-out; and language to stop any "golden parachute" payments going to the CEO's of the organizations involved within the bail-out.

Now what has made the news is that the ranking Republican member of the House Banking Committee, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), has conceded that he does not have authorization to speak for his colleagues. This is a very troubling assertion, but it also shines a bright light into the vast darkness that is the current Republican Party.

It appears that committee appointments mean nothing to the House Republican Leadership, and that every issue must be approved by leadership, albeit minority leadership, in order to be recognized by all Republicans in the House. This is the House Republican modus operandi that equals their Senate counterpart's use of the filibuster.

What happens now? It is really quite obvious. We've seen it before. After the media gets hold of this and projects a picture of a static Democratic Congress, then, the House Republicans will reach consensus. We then will be told, lead by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), how they stood together for the American people and solved this economic crisis.

This cheap political grandstanding by the Republican Party is hope only of stopping the implosion of their political affiliation. Call your Congress person, call the media, tell them that this political nonsense must end. It is time to put all Americans first, and end politics as usual.

My Blog

Red and blue DNA; Politics not logical but biological

Mike W, Tulsa+ — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:33:58 EDT

Red and blue DNA
Study: Politics not logical but biological
Posted on Mon, Sep. 22, 2008
http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/29231989.html

Forget about a candidate's issues and character. You may be biologically driven to lean toward John McCain or Barack Obama, a new study says, depending on your involuntary response to threat.

From a random sample of 1,310 residents of Lincoln, Neb., researchers selected 46 with strong political opinions that diverged on the intensity with which they sought to protect the long-term survival of the group. Views on the Iraq War, gun control, gay marriage and illegal immigration were among 18 variables separating the pro- and anti-status quo.

Two months later, the volunteers were shown 33 photos - including a few shockers, such as a large spider on a frightened face - while equipment monitored their skin conductivity, a measure of physiological response to threat. They were also startled by loud noises while machines tracked involuntary eye-blink responses to fear.

The results, published in the current issue of Science, showed that people with the greatest physiological responses took political positions most protective of the existing social structure, and vice versa. Age, income and other demographic factors that often influence political leanings made no difference. (Military service was not considered.)

Although they did not investigate reasons for varying physiological response, the researchers speculated that it may be inherited. And while the scientists emphasized there was no right or wrong, how we perceive threats may explain why neither liberals nor conservatives can fathom the other.

"People experience the world differently," says lead author John R. Hibbing, a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, "and this probably affects their political beliefs."

Barack Obama, Joe Biden 2008!

Barack Obama Fan — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:12:35 EDT

I haven't written in a while, but after the collapse of several of the largest financial keystones in the country I feel like it's important to get a few words out. The NY times and a few other news agencies have mentioned how Barack Obama is now changing his focus from previous topics over to the economy. I think that's great. There are enough Barack Obama supporters to understand where he's going and coming from to realize it's not just a publicity stunt. The thing that the NY Times and other organizations don't realize is that there is a huge fear in the back of many Americans minds as to what will happen now that banks and other huge companies are collapsing. It's NOT a publicity move. Obama didn't make this happen and he's not benefiting from giving his opinions about the situation. I for one would love to know how he will react to such a newsworthy even such as lehman going down the tubes. This is respectable. I hope the media don't twist it any more than they already have.

OBSESSION: A JIHAD-HAPPY DVD DELIVERED TO A NEWSPAPER NEAR YOU

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:51:04 EDT

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel blog, 9/16/08
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/2008/09/obsession-a-dvd.html

The movie Obsession: Radical Islam's War With the West, whose trailer is below, was delivered with your Orlando Sentinel newspaper this AM. And, it is my understanding, the DVD was delivered to households receiving other newspapers around the country today as well. True?
Apparently, Parade Magazine isn't conservative enough for some folks. But hey, they paid to package it with our paper, so glad to be of service! Did the check clear?

Anyhoo, didya watch it? Check out the trailer if you have any questions about what it's about, and those who endorse it. Lots of Fox and Limbaugh plugs for it in that trailer. They're in lock step over its virtues. It's two-to-three years old, and the reason it's being shipped out to newspaper readers across America? Scaring the scareable before an election, apparently. Michael Moore's giving away his latest film on the Internet to do the same thing, but Obsession at least helps a paper's bottom line. More power to'em.

HATE MAIL, COURTESY OF YOUR DAILY NEWSPAPER

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:40:29 EDT

Wayne Garcia, Creative Loafing, 9/15/08
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2008/09/15/hate-mail-courtesy-of-your-daily-newspaper/

Readers of the St. Petersburg Times on Sunday found a little rancid bonus in their newspapers this weekend: a DVD called Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West, which is a hate film ostensibly about Islamic terror. It’s really a thinly veiled attempt to influence the presidential election by flooding anti-Muslim sentiment ahead of the Obama-McCain balloting in November.

Nothing like infusing the voters’ minds with fresh images of terror, especially little children as jihadists, only 50 days away from the day we decide whether to put a man named Barack Hussein Obama into office

ONE NEWSPAPER REFUSES TO DISTRIBUTE 'ISLAM TERROR' DVD

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:34:58 EDT

Greg Mitchell, Editor & Publisher, 9/15/08
http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=676&&ArticleID=25477&&name=n&&currPage=1

As explored here this past weekend, the Clarion Fund has paid dozens of newspapers across the country -- almost solely in "swing" election states -- and The New York Times to distribute the "Islam terror" DVD "Obsession" with their home delivery packages. Among the larger cities where this has taken place: Miami, Philadelphia, Denver and Pittsburgh.

An estimated 28 million copies have been distributed so far, also through the mails and other magazines. An article at the group's site, www.radicalislam.org, all but endorsed John McCain this past week, then was pulled down.

But at least one newspaper turned away the money and refused to distribute it, calling it "divisive."

It's the Greensboro News & Record in North Carolina.. The longtime editor, John Robinson, explained his reasoning in a column yesterday.

'RADICAL ISLAM' VIDEO ANGERS SOUTH FLORIDA MUSLIMS

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:20:48 EDT

A DVD about “radical Islam's war against the west,” included with the Sunday Miami Herald and dozens of other newspapers, has caused a stir among the region's Muslims.
Jaweed Kaleem, Miami Herald, 9/16/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/687954.html

A controversial DVD distributed to millions of Americans during the past week through direct mail and newspapers, including The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, has angered many Muslims in South Florida.

Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the Westwas packaged as an advertising insert in 70 newspapers, including The Sun Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post. The Clarion Fund, a nonprofit organization that promotes ''national security through education,'' sent the hourlong preview of the documentary to 28 million households, many in election swing states such as Florida, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Readers of The St. Petersburg Times, The Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville and The News-Press of Fort Myers also received the DVDs.

The DVD includes montages of terrorist training camps and suicide bombers paired with narration by commentators such as Daniel Pipes, founder of the conservative Middle East Forum think tank. Many of the film's pundits are known for controversial views on Islam. In one part of the DVD, clips of Muslim children being recruited as suicide bombers are interspersed with images of Nazis.

“My cellphone has been ringing off the hook . . . We feel that it's going to incite more hate and bigotry against our community,” said Altaf Ali, Florida chapter director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The DVD does not do enough to differentiate between terrorists and mainstream Muslims, he said.

CONTROVERSIAL DVD ABOUT RADICAL ISLAM INCLUDED IN ORLANDO SENTINEL

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:12:21 EDT

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=674&&ArticleID=25475&&name=n&&currPage=1
WFTV, 9/15/08

Just weeks before the election, there are questions about a controversial insert published in The Orlando Sentinel. The insert on radical Islam included a 60-minute DVD.

Over 300,000 copies of "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against The West" went out to Orlando residents as an insert in Sunday's Sentinel. Twenty-eight million copies will go out in swing states nationwide by the end of the week.

The Clarion Fund paid millions of dollars to get the DVD out. It's a non-profit organization that claims to focus on national security. Eyewitness News asked the New York-based group and they would not say exactly how many millions they receive or who their donors are.

PRO-MCCAIN GROUP DUMPING 28 MILLION TERROR SCARE DVDS IN SWING STATES

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:35:23 EDT

Erik Ose, Huffington Post, 9/12/08

(UPDATE 9/13 - 70 newspapers in swing states have been paid to distribute Obsession this weekend and next, which means not all of the DVDs have been delivered yet. Check the list at the end of this post to see if your newspaper is one of them, and let them know how you feel about their participation in this shameless propaganda campaign.)

This week, 28 million copies of a right-wing, terror propaganda DVD are being mailed and bundled in newspaper deliveries to voters in swing states. The 60-minute DVDs, titled Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, are landing on doorsteps in a campaign coinciding with the 7th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Funding is coming from a New York-based group called the Clarion Fund, a shadowy outfit whose financial backers are unclear.

ANTI-MUSLIM FILM PRODUCED BY PRO-ISRAEL PARTISAN BOOSTS MCCAIN

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:59 EDT

Richard Silverstein, Israel eNews, 9/15/08

You do the hanky-panky and you smear the other guy
That’s what it’s all about.

Yes, the right-wing pro-Israel crowd is up to its usual shenanigans I’m afraid…and going about it in their typically sly, surreptitious way. Greg Mitchell reports that the Clarion Fund, founded by Israeli-Canadian Raphael Shore, is distributing 28-million copies of the anti-Muslim propaganda film, Obsession, to voters in election swing states.

MUSLIMS RAP DVD AD IN OBSERVER

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:25:53 EDT

Tim Funk and Peter St. Onge, Charlotte Observer, 9/13/08

A decision by The Charlotte Observer and other newspapers to distribute as paid advertising a DVD about Islamic fundamentalism brought objections Friday from Muslims, who condemned the documentary as “hate speech.”

The DVD called “Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West” was inserted in about 200,000 copies of today's Observer.

More than 70 other U.S. newspapers, including two other McClatchy newspapers, The (Raleigh) News & Observer and Miami Herald, also are including the DVD in their deliveries.

CONTROVERSIAL FILM ON ISLAM DELIVERED NATIONWIDE

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:20:11 EDT

Yonat Shimron, News & Observer, 9/13/08

Bundled in home-delivered editions of The News & Observer today is a paid insert featuring a controversial DVD on Islam that has stirred anger nationwide.

The documentary, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," features scenes of Muslim children being encouraged to become suicide bombers, interspersed with those of Nazi rallies. The two-year-old film was produced by Raphael Shore, a Canadian who lives in Israel, and was directed by Wayne Kopping of South Africa.

NEWSPAPERS DELIVER MILLIONS OF 'TERROR' DVDS TO SUBSCRIBERS -- IN 'SWING STATES'

funkfresh01 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:13:54 EDT

Greg Mitchell and Joe Strupp, Editor & Publisher, 9/13/08

The arrival of tens of millions of DVDs of a controversial film on doorsteps around the nation -- but almost exclusively in election "swing states" -- via newspaper home delivery continues this weekend, with explanatory articles and subscriber feedback appearing on some of the papers' Web sites.

The DVDs of the 60-minute film, made in 2005, and titled "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," arrived Saturday with, among other papers, the Charlotte Observer and the News & Observer in Raleigh, with delivery with the Miami Herald and other papers set for Sunday.

Other Florida papers to distribute it on Sunday included the major dailies in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Fort Myers and Orlando.

Despite some protests from Muslim and liberal activists, the newspapers -- all hard hit by drops in ad revenue in recent months -- have explained that the DVD does not violate their usual standards; see our exchange with The New York Times below. A spokesperson there said the Times last Sunday inserted 145,000 DVDs in its papers delivered in the following markets: Denver, Miami/Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Detroit, Kansas City, St Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee/Madison. Note: These are all in swing states.

IS MRS. SARAH PALIN'S SPEECH CONSIDER MANIFEST DESTINY

funkfresh01 — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:46:57 EDT

IS MRS. SARAH PALIN'S SPEECH CONSIDER MANIFEST DESTINY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a--9ZEf42rE

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-77413

What is your opinion??

I'm so happy to join this community

The Beck — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:08:23 EDT

For my first blog, I just want to say how much I love and admire my country. Yet, I am all for change and reform in the areas where we may fall short of our highest ideals. I am so glad to see that the current campaigns are making the genuine attempts to rise above the partisanship that has been detrimental to our politicians and legislative bodies. Here's to the future!!
The Beck

Religion and Politics...

From The Hip — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:51:22 EDT

As the old saying goes... "Everyone has an opinion....

Mine is... Keep your religion out of my government PLEASE!!!!

No more faith based this and that, no more government involvement in faith based anything, period. Government needs to be responsible for the people and let the church do it's own thing for the people who want church. There are people who need rehab who are willing to work and run rehab who do not want to work and run faith based operations. And that's just one small instance of many. Government needs to be government. Church needs to be Church.

Separation of Church and State please, thanks.

I didn't think anything could turn me off of Jesus, but I was wrong. After 8 years, the right wing, bible beaters, judgmental do gooders, have almost done the trick. And I know it's not just myself it's happened to. Sadly, it's happened to many people. I think Jesus would be very disappointed in how many judgments have been handed down these past 8 years by these so called right wing "Christians"...I don't know what Bible some people read, but the one I read and the Jesus I read about taught love, tolerance and understanding....speaking of which...

For All Who Doubt

Rob-33704 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:03:50 EDT

This is for all of you doubters out there.

Robert J. Samuelson in his August 27th, Washington Post article entitled, "The Rise of Fantasy Politics" says: "By all rights, we should be having a fierce debate over the role of government. What should it do, for whom and why? What can we afford? Who should pay? These questions would suggest a campaign that seriously engages the future. Instead, we have a bidding war between candidates to see who can promise the most appealing package of new spending programs and tax cuts."

A bidding war? Between, "candidates to see who can promise the most appealing package of new spending programs and tax cuts?????"

In a democracy isn't that the definition of a, "....debate over the role of government" involving questions conerning, "who should pay?"

The real problem - for them - is that the lib-cons do not like the answers they are getting in this election cycle. It threatens their tax free trust funds as much as it does those of the republicans.

There is a difference between not having a serious debate and simply not liking the solutions which are being offered.