Why do gun-rights advocates trust the GOP?

That was one of the big deals during the campaign, and it continues to echo through the Teabaggers sites, and on the signs at Tea Party rallies. You'd think the Democrats had "abolish the 2nd amendment" as a platform to hear the NRA and their lobbyists talk.

It's true, the President has some concerns he's been up-front with relating to assault weapons - the sort of rifle that has no place in the sport of hunting.

But when was the last time the government actually took away people's weapons in any sort of mass sweep of the citizenry, such as Obama's opponents seem to fear he'll do?

Oh, right, it was back in 2005. September of 2005, according to ABC news; it was under a Republican administration, of course, so it didn't provoke the outcry it might have.

"Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job!"
After all, former President George Bush is nominally a Texan, and if a Texan says you should give up your guns, that's different - right?

I mean, after all, Bush's Vice President was even a hunter - right?

It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

As president, What Would Obama Do?

Most voters distrust political advertising and avoid official campaign web sites. Most news reports describe controversies, poll results, and fund raising – they’re more interested in ratings and advertising revenues than in what they “report” on. Many of the most popular programs and sources display an obvious bias, including this one (no offense, Zennie, I think they know we're early voters for Obama.) Where is the information?

Most voters distrust political advertising and avoid official campaign web sites. Worse, most news reports describe controversies, poll results, and fund raising – they're more interested in ratings and advertising revenues than in what they "report" on. Many of the most popular programs and sources display an obvious bias (as does this site.)

In these difficult times any new president requires the support and trust of the electorate, including particularly those who voted for the other party. The changes we need on everything from the burden of taxes to education of health care reform will require making many people more aware of what he would do if and when elected.

I often point you to information on the candidate's web sites if what you find here isn't answering your questions, though obviously the level of detail and transparency is different comparing Obama and McCain's officially published information (presumably because that's controlled by their campaign advisors who are fanatical about persuasion.) Searches will turn up some of the less-official answers to questions about deregulation, etc., inspiring anecdotes of personal dedication, and it's fairly easy to find actual voting information online, but AskObamaNow.com has lots of the answers collected in one place about the most likely man to be our next President.

AskObamaNow.com answers the question, "What would Obama do if elected?" It’s a voter-friendly web site featuring short videos of Barack Obama simply giving direct answers to common questions. I'm still looking for an AskMcCainNow site to appear. Thus far I can only find his record; no luck on what he'd do.

read more | digg story

McCain wants my vote

...and in Hershey, PA, he said the reason is that his opponents "have faith in government." HUH? Is he kidding? Should we elect a president who thinks government is bad? Look, McCain, taxes and government are here to stay. There's work to be done, there are obviously things to fix, but if you don't trust government what motivates your candidacy?

The fact is, taxes and government are here to stay. Much of our political process urgently needs reform, but Senator McCain evidently can’t articulate any positive value government can provide to the voters and citizens of the USA.

Senator, you’ve got it bass-ackwards.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

I’m voting for Obama for a variety of reasons. But, even if I didn’t see important differences between the two on deregulation, foreign policy, taxes, foresight with regard to the economy, health care reform, etc., I’d still be picking the guy who has faith that the organization he wants to lead can effectively matter to those it governs.

read more | digg story

Can you explain McCain’s goals and priorities?

McCain’s a fine man; his record shows he’d be an adequate President for those who are so wealthy that taxes are just a nuisance handled by an accountant - a number that never impacts their daily spending decisions.

The rest of us, the folks on Main Street still waiting for Bush’s economic policies to trickle down some personal prosperity or create jobs, need Obama~Biden. We don't understand why McCain wants the government to administer 11 million mortgages but says health care should be as deregulated as Wall Street has been - we think bureaucrats already impede our access to health care, and we haven't lost faith in the power of the Government to be a positive force.

In some ways, if you don't try to get inside McCain's head or worry about which of Bush's fiscalor tax policies are to blame for the sub-prime mortgage crisis, it's really a pretty simple choice.

You can choose between:
1) a guy who wants government to do less because he doesn't trust the competence of anybody and everybody below him - except evidently in areas it's politically expedient to say government must intervene like the mortgage mess - or
2) the guy who wants to make health care universally affordable and available while extricating us from Iraq, fixing some inequities in the tax policies Bush has established, and bringing a unified vision to our energy and environmental policies that he sees dovetailing with national security.

One of these guys is going to run the country, taking over the government in the midst of profound economic turmoil. If you're rich, and have no kids, you may pick the former if you so desire. After watching the final 2008 Presidential debate, I prefer the vision of the latter, and I'm voting for "that one."

read more | digg story

When does a figther pilot run from an encounter?

Does John McCain really think Americans buy that he can help develop a Wall Street solution when he's not only stood for deregulation for decades but also admitted recently he doesn't get the economy? A fighter pilot only turns tail when he's lost hope.

But even this stunt about "suspending his campaign" can be used to distract from the issues. So now when November comes around, if and when the savvy Senator comes up short he's built an excuse in advance, right? This isn't merely political maneuvering: Finally we're seeing some real strategic planning from the former Navy Pilot "Country Club First" McCain; shame it's resulted in a transparent tactic that's not helping others.

So let's talk about why his support of deregulation (and the deregulation itself) was such a fiasco, shall we? Let's not forget issues matter, let's not be drawn into wondering how old a guy has to be to be called "the original" maverick, and let's not fall for a ploy to reduce the amount of time the media devotes to issues by canceling a debate that everybody but Senator McCain seems to be looking forward to.

When they own the information they can bend it how they want

"Me and all my friends," says John Mayer, "We’re all misunderstood.They say we stand for nothing and there’s no way we ever could." That sort of cynicism needs debunking, as Mayer knows. There's nothing false about hope, and what the future brings us depends largely on what we dare to believe - and do - in the present.

Barack Obama inspires that hope.

Here's a new video tribute, set to Mayer's music.

read more | digg story

Extremism

We've heard a lot about extremism recently: A nastier, harsher atmosphere everywhere - more abuse and "bother-boy" behavior, less friendliness and tolerance and respect for opponents.

Obama's shown remarkable restraint, although he's attacked ads and statements misrepresenting his policies and beliefs.

McCain? Well, you already know he's gone full metal Rove... and the talking heads and producers of commercial media mostly seem content to echo whatever a campaign spokesperson or ad producer has said.

All kidding aside, though, whatever happened to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and similar rules? Is it too much to ask of GOP operatives and candidates to conduct themselves with dignity, and integrity? Isn't that what we expect people to do if they win?

Naomi Wolf: "We need more drastic action than e-mails to Congress."

History shows that when an army of citizens, supported by even a vestige of civil society, believes in liberty -- in the psychological space that is "America" -- no power on earth can ultimately suppress them.

We are not to wait for others to lead. You and I are meant to take back the founders' mandate, and you and I are meant to lead. You and I must protest, you and I must confront our representatives, you and I must run for office, you and I must write the opeds, you and I must take over the battle.

The founders -- the unknown as well as the well-known Americans who "conceived" the nation in liberty -- did not intend for us to delegate worrying about the Constitution to a cadre of constitutional scholars, or to leave debate to a class of professional pundits, or to leave the job of fighting for liberty to a caste of politicians. They meant for us to defend the Constitution, for us to debate the issues of the day, and for us to rise up against tyranny: the American who delivers the mail; the American who teaches our children; ordinary people.... We have to rise up in self-defense and legitimate rebellion.

No more lies.
No Palin.
No McCain.
No way.

read more | digg story

"We Are Out Here" - Republicans Speak Truth to McCain's Lies

We are out here - the Republicans or ex-Republicans who will no longer tolerate the racist, despicable slime machine that the right wing and the John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign has become.

One such Republican penned an article at Daily KOS - a place I seldom send people to read, because it has been so staunchly partisan. Yet this story merits the visit:

I know, for I am one of them. I am not your typical progressive, being an ex-Air Force officer (9 years), evangelical Christian, card carrying conservative...

Is this election going to be about lies, and distortions, or issues?

It's Obama's tax plan that favors over 90% of this country's families and voters, whereas McCain's tends to give money to the wealthiest.

It's Obama who wants to fix Health Care, whereas McCain says changes Obama proposes will reduce our choices and put bureaucrats in charge of our medical decisions. Has McCain never dealt with insurance company bureaucrats who control our health care already, making decisions based on profit not medical advice?

If McCain's all about choices in health care, why does he want to remove choice when it comes to women's reproductive health, and return us to the dangerous day of back-alley abortions?

Obama and Biden want to keep the government out of religious matters, whereas McCain's selected a rookie governor who wants to be able to ban books, and as a Mayor charged victims for rape kits if they reported the crime. That's not the kind of maverick outlook the Alaska State legislature condoned - in response they passed a law insuring victims weren't charged.

If John McCain really wants to campaign with dignity, what's up with all those ads? Is that conduct becoming of a senior Senator, let alone a candidate for the White House? Let's ask him:

Whatever became of "Do unto others," Senator McCain? Either you're outright lying about your intent, totally out of touch as James Carville suggested, or simply unable to control teh GOP and your lobbyists & campaign staff. Meanwhile Senator, your campaign seeks to divert us and the media from all these issues by manufacturing outrage over lines you've used yourself?

America, our moment is now. It's time to get past Red and Blue states, it's time to reclaim our former greatness, to reform DC, and start coping with the mess Bush has made of our economy, our housing markets, and our international reputation.

Obama for America.

read more | digg story

Obama & McCain on taxes and the economy.

Will Obama or McCain's proposal tax home sales more? What about capital gains? With “both John McCain and Barack Obama offering tax cuts,” according to the Christian Science Monitor, “the 2008 election promises a boost for the typical family budget” regardless. But the myths require debunking - smears circulate in email misrepresenting the differences - sometimes deliberately. Facts help...

"New Tax" Falsehoods: One e-mail in particular contains a string of made-up taxes that it falsely claims Obama has proposed. He has not proposed a tax on new homes with more than 2,400 square feet, or a new gasoline tax or a tax on retirement accounts. The most laughably false claim is that Obama would tax "water." But it's out there, and in covering it the media echoes it... Want more facts?

• Capital Gains Rate: It's untrue that Obama is proposing a 28 percent capital gains tax rate. He said in an interview on CNBC that he favors raising the top rate on capital gains from its present 15 percent to 20 percent or more, but no higher than 28 percent. And as for a 28 percent rate, he added, "my guess would be it would be significantly lower than that."
• Tax on Dividends: Another false claim is that Obama proposes to raise the tax rate on dividends to 39.6 percent. Dividends currently are taxed at a top rate of 15 percent, and Obama would raise that to the same rate as he would tax capital gains, somewhere between 20 percent and 28 percent but likely "significantly" lower than 28 percent. This higher tax also would fall only on couples making $250,000 or more or singles making more than $200,000.
• Taxing IRAs and 529s: Contrary to email rumors, raising tax rates on capital gains or dividends would not result in higher taxes on any investments held in Individual Retirement Accounts or in popular, tax-deferred "college funds" under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. The whole point of such tax-deferred plans is that dividends and capital gains are allowed to accumulate and compound tax-free, and neither Obama nor McCain proposes to change that. And as previously mentioned, any capital gains or dividend income from stocks, bonds or mutual funds owned outside of tax-deferred accounts would continue to be taxed at current rates except for couples making over $250,000, or singles making more than $200,000
• Doubled Taxes? The claim that "Under Obama your taxes will more than double!" is also false. Do you really need to ask? The comparative rate tables one e-mail smear provides for McCain and Obama are entirely wrong, as explained in a March 13 article about another false e-mail (from which the tables are copied.) It is supposedly a comparison of tax rates before and after the Bush tax cuts, but it grossly overstates the effect of the Bush cuts. Obama actually proposes to retain the Bush cuts for every single income level shown in the bogus table.
• Estate Tax. The claim that Obama proposes to "restore the inheritance tax" is also false, as are the claims that McCain would impose zero tax and that Bush "repealed" it. McCain and Obama both would retain a reduced version of the estate tax, as it is correctly called, though McCain would reduce it by more.
  
  The tax now falls only on estates valued at more than $2 million (effectively $4 million for couples able to set up the required legal and financial arrangements). It reaches a maximum rate of 45 percent on amounts more than that. It was not repealed, but it is set to expire temporarily in 2010, then return in 2011, when it would apply to estates valued at more than $1 million ($2 million for couples), with the maximum rate rising to 55 percent.
  
  Obama has proposed to apply the tax only to estates valued at more than $3.5 million ($7 million for couples), holding the maximum rate at 45 percent. McCain would apply it to estates worth more than $5 million ($10 million for couples), with a maximum rate of 15 percent. I wonder how that difference relates to the assessed value, or anticipated selling price, of the best of the McCain homes...

Why all the misinformation?

Some of it's based on simple confusion. After all, Obama's not prone to cute sound-bites such as "Read my lips: No new taxes." Some of the emails circulating, however, are so consistently mis-representing the facts - facts that are easy to verify - that one can only conclude a deliberately malicious intent to strike fear in the wallets of middle class voters is behind the lies.

In an ideal setting voters would all have access to reliable, current, accurate information sources. They'd also take the time to examine that information, no matter if it was Obama's stand on taxes, McCain's statements about taxes or his speeches on why health care doesn't need the fixes Obama's proposed, or rookie Governor Palin's changing stand on the pork barrel "Bridge to Nowhere." In practice, time is short, and rumors often get as much (if not more) coverage as facts on the evening TV news or in newspapers. Futhermore it's often hard to tell which part of a story is the truth. The media producers have motives that must be examined, particularly those who profit from selling commercials since they obviously desire to make a profit. When in doubt, follow the money.

Who profits from the election of McCain or Obama -- or your mayor?

Who profits from voters feeling disenfranchised and tuning out?

The airwaves are as full of misinformation - willfully employed - as the email is. Are you ready to step up and be an Agent of change, to contribute to help spread the truth?

read more: Capital gains and taxing home sales | digg story

Maverick my ass

Once I learned just how much pork Sarah Palin got via earmarks I could barely believe the commerical media were glossing over it. But for McCain to try to reclaim the maverick personna after how he toadied up to Bush since 2000, and trying to paint his ticket as conservatives that can bring change? That's the epitome of unbelievable Rovian tactics.

We may not know much about Palin yet, but we do know votes for John McCain are votes for more of the same.

Obama fans and delegates enjoyed the afternoon at Invesco Field in Denver

On the 28th of August, 2008, the Democratic party nominated U.S. Senator Barack Hussein Obama to be their endorsed candidate for President of the United States of America. The 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream..." speech on the mall in Washington D.C. now marks Denver, Colorado as another key site in the long march for racial equality in the U.S. - Senator Obama is bi-racial: his mother was a caucasian woman from Kansas, and his father an African from Kenya

It was a bright, warm, sunny afternoon in Denver. The line for admission streched for miles as excited attendees including the 6,000 conference delegates made their way into Invesco Field, the home of the Denver Broncos, to watch the last day of the Democratic Nominating Convention, culminating in Obama's acceptance speech.

First, some volunteers:

And no story about August 28th would be complete without comments from delegates. Two Minnesota Delegates took the time to comment on the goings-on, Mira Vats-Fournier of Faribault...

...and Minneapolis Mayor Raymond "R.T." Rybak, an early advocate of the draft-Obama movement, and the first big-city Mayor to announce his endorsement for Barack Obama's improbable candidacy.

Read more | Digg this story !

Denver Mall, following Biden & Bill Clinton

Following the speeches on August 27th, 2008, at the Democratic Nominating Convention in Denver, the 16th Street Mall was buzzing. Here are three snapshot.

First, a quick clip of some vendors who knew their product was best viewed after dark:

Next, a teenage activist from Philly in to take part in counter-protests expresses concerns about the police presence and behavior. (Dark; think of it as an audio segment...)

She told me her parents are worried, but that she calls her mother every day.

Lastly, a conversation with a Denver resident as we rode the free mall shuttle. He's delighted with the fact the convention is "here" and thinks the political process benefits from being done right out in front of people. He also has some observations about Senator Joe Biden in the wake of Biden's acceptance speech.

Digg this story!

Kennedy & Kennedy: bringing down the house

Caroline Kennedy took the stage at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on the evening of 25 August 2008 to remind those assembled for the Democratic Nominating Convention that the same values that define the Kennedy family resonate in Barack Obama's family, too: Justice, fairness, service and sacrifice, faith, and family. She stressed that we are all in this together, that we all have something to give.

She repeated what some have heard her say before in the context of the campaign, "I've never had someone inspire me the way people tell me my father inspired them. But," she went on in a clear recognition of the pending nomination, "I do now!"

Ms. Kennedy was understated as she tugged at the heart-strings of the crowd, alluding to Ted Kenndedy's "early, courageous stand against the war in Iraq." Her uncle values family, she told them, and, "never missed a first communion, a graduation, or a chance to walk a niece down the aisle." She mentioned, briefly, how his response to the recent surgery had served as a lesson in "dignity, courage, and the power of love."

The crowd was warm, and appreciative, then listened attentively to a video tribute that served segue rattling ovation ted took the Senator Kennedy spoke new season of hope in he renewed his call to that nation we healthcare as fundamental not a privilege."

Kennedy is confident that, when elected as the next President of the U.S., Barack Obama will "close the door on the old politics of race, gender... and straight against gay." He reminded us that as a result of his brother's leadership when he set the moon as a goal for the nation in the early 60s. "We have scaled the heights. I know it. I've seen it. I've lived it. And we can do it again."

This November, Kennedy said, "the torch will be passed to a new generation." He told the delegates, and honored guests of the convention, that, "the work begins anew. The hope rises again, and the dream lives on."

Barack's sister had roused the crowd. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., had fired them up, Caroline gathered them with calm confidence into the palm of her hand, and Ted Kennedy brought them to a fevered pitch, daring to dream, to hope, to believe in the vision that Barack Obama has for uniting America.

debunking anti-Obama smears and propoganda

Here's a list of responses to e-smears (loosely indexed) mainly from snopes, the most
respected name in bunk control. Courtesy of Michael Martinson.

Partial Index:
Religion, Patriotism, Patriotic symbols (eg flag) - 1, 6, 7, 8 12, 14, 16, 19;
Citizenship - 2, 33;
Family background: 3,13, 16;
Plane 14;
Military 8;
Writings racist? 4
Foreign funding & campaign donations, 10, 20, 35;
Massive liar? 16;
Taxes 26, 34

Stand up for a new kind of Politics:

1. snopes.com: Who Is Barack Obama?
E-mail describes Illinois senator Barack Obama as a 'radical Muslim' who 'will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.'
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

2. snopes.com: Is Barack Obama a natural-born citizen of the U.S.?
Is Barack Obama a natural-born citizen of the U.S.?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/citizen.asp

3. snopes.com: Barack Obama and Kenya Connection
E-mail from missionary describes Barack Obama's connection to political events in Kenya.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/kenya.asp

4. snopes.com: Barack Obama's Mother
Biography of Barack Obama's mother?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/mother.asp

5. snopes.com: Barack Obama in His Own Words
E-mail lists racist passages taken from Barack Obama's books.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/ownwords.asp

6. snopes.com: Barack Obama and the National Anthem
Barack Obama does not place his hand over his heart when the U.S. national anthem is played?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

7. snopes.com: Barack Obama - Trinity United Church of Christ
E-mail describes Illinois senator Barack Obama's church as having a racist, ;non-negotiable commitment to Africa.'
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/church.asp

8. snopes.com: Barack Obama in Afghanistan
Barack Obama 'blew off' U.S. soldiers during a July 2008 trip to Afghanistan?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/afghanistan.asp

9. snopes.com: Barack Obama Endorsed by the KKK
Illinois senator Barack Obama has been endorsed for President of the U.S. by the Ku Klux Klan?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/kkk.asp

10. snopes.com: Barack Obama Funded by Hugo Chavez?
Is Barack Obama's presidential campaign being funded by Hugo Ch?vez?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/chavez.asp

11. snopes.com: Barack Obama with Upside-Down Telephone
Photograph shows Barack Obama holding a telephone upside down?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/phone.asp

12. snopes.com: Is Barack Obama the Anti-Christ?
Does the Book of Revelation describe the anti-Christ as someone with characteristics matching those of Barack Obama?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp

13. snopes.com: Barack Obama Family Photo
Photograph shows Barack Obama with various family members?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/familyphoto.asp

14. snopes.com: Barack Obama's Campaign Plane
During an overhaul of the Obama campaign jet, was an American flag image was removed from the plane's tail?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/airplane.asp

15. snopes.com: Say What, Barack?
Editorial criticizes anachronisms in Barack Obama's 2007 Selma speech.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/saywhat.asp

16. snopes.com: Obama's 50 Lies
E-mail lists fifty lies told by Barack Obama.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/50lies.asp

17. snopes.com: Obama Explains National Anthem Stance
E-mail reproduces Barack Obama's comments on the U.S. national anthem?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/stance.asp

18. snopes.com: Obama Heals Hundreds
Hundreds of people with physical ailments have reported being healed by a touch from Barack Obama?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obamaheals.asp

19. snopes.com: Michelle Obama's Thesis
Has access to Michelle Obama's senior thesis been restricted until after the 2008 presidential election?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/thesis.asp

20. snopes.com: Obama's Troubling Internet Fund-Raising ???
Do the bulk of donations to the Obama campaign come from a handful of wealthy foreign
financiers?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/donations.asp

21. snopes.com: Wake Up, America! - Ken Blackwell
Editorial criticizes Barack Obama's political stances.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/blackwell.asp

22. snopes.com: Equitable Distribution
Did Barack Obama say 'a strong government hand is needed to assure that wealth is distributed more equitably'?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/distribute.asp

23. snopes.com: Greatest Nation
Did Barack Obama urge his supporters to join him in changing 'the greatest nation in the
history of the world'?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/change.asp

24. snopes.com: Chicken Votes for Colonel Sanders
Insurance broker posts 'A taxpayer voting for Barack Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders' sign?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/budgregg.asp

25. snopes.com: Pat Buchanan on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright
E-mail reproduces Pat Buchanan's criticism of Barack Obama's remarks on racial discrimination in the U.S..
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/buchanan-wright.asp

26. snopes.com: Proposed Tax Changes
E-mail compares proposed changes in taxes after the 2008 presidential election.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp

Also here's a great response to McCain, who has become an Urban Legend creator on this issue himself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGIqGaWZOo0

27. snopes.com: Thomas Sowell
Various Internet-circulated political items written by Thomas Sowell.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/sowell.asp

28. snopes.com: Robert F. Kennedy's 40-Year Prediction
Robert F. Kennedy said he believed a black man could become President of the United
States within forty years.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/kennedy.asp

29. snopes.com: A Canadian's View of U.S. Elections
E-mail reproduces an editorial from a Canadian newspaper about U.S. presidential candidates.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/canadianview.asp

30. snopes.com: Martha Raddatz/ABC News Interview ???
Did an ABC News report deliberately slant the presidential candidate preferences expressed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/raddatz.asp

31. snopes.com: Big Oil
E-mail criticizes U.S. environmental regulations on the oil industry.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/bigoil.asp

32. snopes.com: Beware Charismatic Men Who Preach 'Change' ??
Letter to the editor warns Americans to be wary of 'a young leader who promises change.'
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/castro.asp

From some other sites:

33. Email rumor claims that Barack Obama is ineligible to become president because according to the laws in effect at the time of his birth he is not a U.S. citizen...

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blxatoz.htm

34. Email flier compares tax changes purportedly advocated by 2008 presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/government/a/tax_changes.htm

35. Phony op-ed column attributed to New York Times writer Maureen Dowd claims Barack Obama has accepted campaign donations from foreign countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/barackobama/a/obama_funds.htm

Know the facts!

Dave Stewart's American Prayer: You know they're yearning to breathe free

Give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses…

"If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?
If you get to the top of the mountain, remember me."

From Minneapolis in the upper midwest to New Orleans where the mighty Mississippi empties into the gulf, from Portland in the north west to Greenville, South Carolina, Hope is alive and well in America, and Obama's candidacy has tapped into it. Now Dave Stewart's chronicled our hope.

read more | digg story

History favors McCain: Saddleback retrospective

McCain did talking points at the Saddleback forum, and he's been a known name since before becoming a household word during the Keating 5 scandal. Talking points worked for the Bush-Cheney campaign, so perhaps McCain did "win" the contest at Saddleback, as some pundits are espousing. And McCain has decades of name recognition going for him, clearly.

Obama relied on candid answers during his Saddleback appearance, which may impress people more now that we've seen the result of 8 years with a talking point president that put the economy in a tailspin (not just for today but for whoever ends up paying for Bush's war,) but obviously many find it easier to be comfortable with the talking points style of politics.

When Bush ran against Kerry, the talking point approach was reinforced by unabashed attack politics, albeit largely handled by surrogates. It worked. The term "swiftboated" as a way to describe the effect of the lies on Kerry's outcome on election day is as recognizable in the lexicon as the overuse of a "-gate" suffix for something that brings down a major figure.

So the question becomes:

Will those who prefer talking point prepared and vetted by a politician's handlers turn out to vote in larger numbers in November, or will those who prefer a President they can believe, and trust?

People knew, back when Bill Clinton ran, that they couldn't actually trust what he said, based on "didn't inhale." They understood it to be a socially acceptable answer, but not the unvarnished truth. In fact, we expect our leaders to conceal certain things from us in the name of national security, so it was curiously reassuring. That "didn't inhale" response may have been the pivotal point in electing a man with only state-level experience to the Oval Office. Then, late in his term, President Clinton began quibbling over what terms such as "sexual relations" and "is" meant... and we got George W. Bush as the country reacted to Clinton's disingenuous, political responses when the subject was personal.

So, will celebrity, attack politics and talking points win? Despite my own preferences, and hopes, it will take a lot of people showing up on election day and expressing their true desire for a candid, honest form of politics to make that happen - and like it or not, history favors McCain. Still, I'll advocate on behalf of the outsider, Obama, and vote for him in November.

I don't blame all Republicans for the state of the economy and the debt we're facing. I might've been suckered by the doctored intelligence reports, myself, when it came time to vote on various Iraq issues, and I surely believed Colin Powell, who soldiered on dutifully for his Commander In Chief in front of the United Nations and the world. We goofed, frankly -- yet this remains the one place I want to live and raise my family.

I just think under the leadership we've had since 2000 that we've gone down bad paths, and I'm ready for a pragmatic, candid, visionary leader to take the U.S.A. in a new direction.

That, my friends, is the audacity of hope.

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Pushing back on the "celebrity" label

If Obama had suggested Cindy McCain should compete in a topless Miss Buffalo Chip contest while her husband campaigned in Sturgis the outrage would probably end his bid for the White House - he's not a big enough celebrity to weather that backlash - but John McCain gets a chuckle from the Harley riders and a pass in the press. Why? Because he's a powerful, influential celebrity in DC. But you've got to wonder: Why does he want us to think Obama is, too?

Let’s face it, the best defense is a good offense, and sex sells. A money scandal pales compared to a juicy, salacious story involving a celebrity, after all - just ask Senator Larry Craig - and McCain's campaign needed to distract from that gaffe so we wouldn't all stay focused on Cindy McCain's bosom. So let's grab attention with names like Paris Hilton and try to connect Barack to sexy young celebrities.

The organizations that provide us “news” are driven by their need to pay for their staff and buildings just like any other business. They benefit from increasingly timely, now near-instantaneous feedback about what people who use their “service” want to learn about. Higher ratings translate rapidly into higher advertising revenues, and so they cater to the whims of whoever drives their audience share up, so despite the conflict of interest, commercial media organizations are well-served by echoing even mis-information about the campaign.

John McCain said he’s proud of his ads comparing Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. He wants you to think you’re just caught up by a “celebrity” and don’t really want change in this country. If that’s the sort of leadership you want for the U.S.A., if giving a consummate D.C. insider even more power - and celebrity - matches your view of where this country should go for the next four years, you should vote for him in November.

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Media pundits echo McCain misinformation. Is it deliberate?

John McCain and Karl Rove’s experience suggests lies are effective campaign tools. It’s no wonder they and the pundits say Obama lacks experience. They think telling the truth is the modern political equivalent of Don Quixote tilting at windmills...

This week John McCain's campaign hit new lows with their attacks and distortions. McCain and his party attacked Senator Obama by, among other things, ridiculing the idea that keeping your car tires inflated is an effective way to insure fuel efficiency... Over the road truck drivers know this basic truth. In fact, everyone from AAA to NASCAR agreed with Obama. McCain has, of course, reversed his position. But not until the broadcast pundits had a good laugh repeating McCain's misinformation and influencing voters, while taking the GOP money for ads, of course.

Too often the theoretically objective "referees" in the commercial media are spending a lot of time repeating his false attacks and very little time holding him accountable. Of course, they're glad McCain's found a way to raise money so they can sell ads to his campaign, and so it's something of a conflict of interest for them -- do they tell the truth, or do they help keep it looking like a close contest to boost their ratings and ad revenues?

Here's more from McCain disinformation machine, echoed uncritically in the commercial media:

• Earlier this week, the McCain campaign put out an ad saying that Washington is broken. It's gotten a lot of press so far, but it didn't mention that John McCain spent the last 26 years in Washington --
  failing to fix this broken system. He portrays himself as a so-called "maverick" but doesn't want people to know that he has vo ted 95% of the time in support of George Bush's policies.


• Another ad uses scare tactics to claim Barack's tax policy will hurt middle class Americans. Press coverage of the ad repeated McCain's smears, but omitted the fact that Barack's economic plan will cut taxes for 95% of American families. Not to mention that McCain's upper class tax cut plan leaves out more than 100 million middle class families.

The commercial media may not be informing the public very well, but you don't have to sit back and wait for them to start telling the truth about John McCain. This is the era when Snopes and PolitiFact are checking the stories, and Google can steer you to sources other than the broadcast pundits with their vested interest in keeping you watching because they sell ads to the GOP.

John McCain and Karl Rove's experience suggests lies are effective campaign tools. It's no wonder they and the pundits say Obama lacks experience. They think his truth- and reality-based campaign is the modern political equivalent of Don Quixote tilting his lance at windmills.

Watch the video of Barack responding and join thousands of fellow supporters via BarackObama.com to counter the influence of John McCain's deceptive, old-school mud-slinging campaign.

The Obama campaign's new "Action Wire" and the long-standing "Obama Rapid Response" teams are among the grassroots tools for hope-mongers dedicated to pushing back against yellow journalism and other disinformation. They serve as clearinghouses for volunteers who fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action.

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Is John McCain too experienced to win in 2008?

In politics, old hands use mud-slinging & smear-mongering knowing an apology later doesn't erase the first impression about taxes, or whatever... Is Senator McCain's low-information, "talking points, not details" campaign style evidence that he's been in DC too long - fighting the prior war?

By avoiding details there's only so much anybody can say about his plans with regard to taxes. He's avoiding talking about Social Security, for instance, because politicizing it with details is bad for campaigning. McCain's answers are from the classic Rove textbook that got George Bush elected - when asked a question, repeat the closest talking point you have. That way there are only a handful of things to quote you on, but nobody can say you didn't reply even if the reply seems as though you may have missed the question.

Senator McCain's not too old to serve; he proved he's not to old to amuse bikers in Sturgis by suggesting his wife enter a topless pageant, either. But is he too experienced to win a campaign in the era when pundits no longer dominate access to information?

Is "experience" actually McCain's achilles heel?

Obama's been so up front with his answers that it's shocked people. Pundits assert he's too nuanced, and there's no question that his opposition can grab sound-bites out of context and run with them. But this is the era of Snopes, and Google, whether McCain knows it or not. Facts may be hard to come by, but they're out there - and so if voters want the information, it's there to be found.

It's an election cycle full of irony - Many of the charges the McCain camp has leveled at Obama turn out to be indicative of areas they fear they'll be attacked. Have Snopes & Google given the U.S. voters facts to debunk spin?

So the 3 questions are:

• Is this the year that voters fight back against old-school political tactics?
• Is John McCain's campaign style evidence that he's been in DC too long?
• Is the infornation superhighway sufficiently integrated into the lives of U.S. voters that we finally face an election where facts matter more than spin and perception?

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