The American Poverty Problem - Blog Action Day 2008

This is my contribution to Blog Action Day. The subject is poverty. My call is for us to spend what we need to solve our economic and poverty problem. I also ask that we stop asking what it costs when we don't do so when spending for war is in quesion.

Sarah Palin's I.Q. Record Rejected By Nick Denton At Gawker

Thanks to my friend Oreo at DemConWatchBlog for bringing this to my attention.  Nick Denton over at Gawker conducted at analysis of the alledged  Palin "academic records" that have been buzzing around the blogsphere at a rapid pace,  and in this blog, and determined they were false.  

He based his decision on a careful look at the way the documents were assembled.  Great work.  But it calls into question what can be trusted.  For example, this information was placed on a giant listserv and sent out to thousands of people. Now, it's left to me to send out a corrective, but the damage is done.

In a way I'm glad because it means I don't have to take any heat for asserting in my video that Palin is clever enough to fashion an exit strategy beyond the campaign.  I still believe she's positioning herself for a run at the Alaska Senate seat currently held by Lisa Murtowski, but when I presented why many commented that Palin could not be "bright enough" to do that.  

I disagee. 

Sarah Palin's I.Q At 83 - Palin Academic Records Rounding The Blogsphere

At first I thought the blogger at the Silenced Majority Portal was kidding when he or she wrote  that Alaska Governor and GOP VP hopeful Sarah Palin's I.Q. was at 83.  I mean wow.  I'm not into I.Q.s, -- mine was rsnked at 156 when I was 7 years old -- but a score's a score.  


I thought it was a joke, but then I saw a pretty authentic-looking document that's also making the rounds on the blogsphere.   It's a compilation of her academic record and photos that someone (??) assembled and posted for view.  The link is here:


http://clapboard.org/temp/SarahPalinReport.pdf



In just looking through it, we find that her then-latest high school grades went like this:  she scored a B in English, a D in Foreign Language, and didn't get an A in anything.  Her SAT scores were 425 verbal and 416 for math.  


The report also has a LOT of media clippings, all negative, about Palin.  But what got my attention was the information about Bristol Palin's soon-to-be husband Levi Johnston.  It claims that his MySpace has race-hate words...

Bristol Palin's boyfriend, the father of her unborn child, refers to himself as proud to be a "fuckin' redneck" on his MySpace page (before his profile was removed). He also said if anyone “messes” with him, he would "kick their fuckin' ass." He uses the N-word freely, and under hobbies, says “I like to shoot shit" for fun.

Ah...OK!

The document also has her education and resume:

Education:

1978-1982: Wasilla High School, diploma, 2.2 GPA

1982: Hawaii Pacific College (dropped out)

1983: North Idaho Community College (dropped out)

1984-1985: University of Idaho (dropped out)

1985: Matanuska-Susitna Community College, AK (dropped out)

1986-1987: University of Idaho, BA Communications

Career (1978-1997):

1987-1989: Sports Reporter

KTUU-TV, KTVA-TV (Anchorage), and Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

1988-present: Co-owner, husbands fishing operation

1992-1996: Wasilla AK city council

1994-1997: Co-owner, snow machine dealership (failed)

Wow. Palin attended, let's see, five colleges in five years!  WTF?  What was up with that?  Think about it. You would have to sign up for a new college midway into the time you were at the existing college.

She's got some explaining to do there.  I've never seen a VP candidate with a resume like that.  I wonder if it has to do with that "83"....

Hmm....

I wonder who Sarah pissed off so badly they posted all of this information?  It's clear someone in Alaska's got it in for her.

CNN on Sarah Palin's Association w/ Alaska Independence Party

CNN takes a look at Sarah Palin's association with a political party that embraces white supremacists and pro-Confederate groups.

read more | digg story

John McCain was for ACORN before he was against them.

Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer of The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) said, “It has deeply saddened us to see Senator McCain abandon his historic support for ACORN and our efforts to support the goals of low-income Americans. Maybe it is out of desperation that Senator McCain has forgotten that he was for ACORN before he was against ACORN." Seriously, McCain was the keynote speaker at a 2006 ACORN rally. Evidently McCain was for Immigration reform before he was against it? It does make one wonder why he and his campaign are so exercised over their allegations that Senator Obama has also got ACORN connections.

Perhaps McCain's actions, and those of surrogate organizations such as the Buckeye Institute, are more than the typical election-year stunts we've seen in recent election cycles. Perhaps this time they aim to take some focus off Wall Street's bailout after years of deregulation and the resulting chaos in U.S. and world economies? But in 2006 McCain was pleased to be photographed at the rally, seated beside Florida Democratic Representative Kendrick Meek.

The rally, co-sponsored by ACORN in partnership with the New American Opportunity campaign (NAOC), Catholic League Services – Archdiocese of Miami, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Miami Dade College, People for the American Way/Mi Familia/Vota en Accion, the Service Employees International Union [SEIU], and UNITE/HERE, was intended to call attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Senator McCain spoke at the rally attended by hundreds of ACORN members, most of whom were dressed in the red shirts typical of its members. Senator McCain's speech focused on the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive reform bill, which McCain sponsored with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

See The Actual Links Between John McCain and ACORN for Yourself!

If you're a GOP supporter, or just a McCain enthusiast, please get your facts straight about McCain's association with ACORN. Remember Attorney General Alberto Gonzales arranging the firing of Republican U.S. Attorneys because they refused to prosecute voter assistance groups, including ACORN? Remember how it ended up with Gonzales resigning in disgrace? That was the same year Senator McCain partnered with ACORN.

It's no wonder McCain is trying to take over the "change" theme; his record is littered with sudden reversals in positions that leave him open to charges he's been both for and against virtually anything that Congress has voted on depending on what seemed politically expedient, and his initiatives on health care and taxes don't favor the middle class when examined impartially.

Ms. Lewis' recent remarks about McCain included a scathing assessment of his potential leadership, "...he was a maverick before he became erratic. We were thrilled to partner with him to help reform the outdated immigration laws in this country, and were pleased to work closely with him on this issue."Lewis continued, "We expected Senator McCain to support our efforts to give voice to millions of Americans who have never participated in an election before. We are surprised at his efforts to vilify an organization that, until recently, he saw as an ally. Maybe this surprise attack and change of heart is indicative of his state of mind, and the way he would govern."

Maverick, or political opportunist?

Ms. Lewis went on to say that, "We are sure that the extremists he is trying to get into a froth will be even more excited to learn that John McCain stood shoulder to shoulder with ACORN, at an ACORN co-sponsored event, to promote immigration reform."

Senator McCain was joined at that 2006 rally by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), leaders from both political parties, immigrant communities, and members of labor, business, and religious organizations.

When a department store calls the police to report a shoplifting employee, no one says the department store is guilty of consumer fraud. But for some reason, when ACORN turns voter registration workers over to the authorities for filling out bogus forms, it gets accused of “voter fraud.” This is a classic case of blaming the victim; indeed, these charges are outrageous, libelous, and often politically motivated. The commercial media may be content to echo McCain's talking points, and tacitly approve them by not contradicting "misstatements" during so-called debates, but the era when divisive political attacks and partisan smoke-screens are accepted as just "business as usual" is ending. We demand more now, and we deserve better from commercial news organizations and candidates alike.

The conduct of Schieffer, Obama, and McCain during tonight's debate at Hofstra University will be scrutinized closely by millions. I suggest one simple ground rule: "No more lies."

Digg this story!

What can we expect from the next Presidential debate?

So far we've learned about leadership style more than plans, policies, and specific substance of any initiatives because the moderators of the Presidential debates thus far haven't used their position(s) either to employ follow-up questions effectively -- or to correct misinformation before a participant has to waste their own alloted response time to correct an opponent while they SHOULD be addressing the original topic/question.

Can Schieffer out-perform Brokaw, or Ifill, and rise to at least the level of Katie Couric's follow-ups with Palin? All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

Will they give Obama long enough to actually go into detail, or will everybody have to go check his website if they want substance?

Would we learn just as much - or more - watching them play Scrabble or Syzygy and listening to real conversation, or will we get beyond talking points to hear them actually discuss why deregulation which McCain favored for Wall Street is just as dangerous for health care?

Will McCain show leadership, or be peevish, pouty, and petty?

read more | digg story

Obama gaining among rural voters in Ohio

Barack Obama is gaining support in the rural, conservative town of McArthur, Ohio, reflecting nationwide trends in which the Illinois senator has been consolidating support among independents and in some traditional Republican strongholds.

read more | digg story

An Phillipines Man Looks At The Election And Makes This iReport

I don't agree with his view on the troops, or outsourcing entirely, but I like the way he expresses his ideas.  Still, he does have a point about labor cost but that's where government subsidies in key industries can help.    

Is Sarah Palin Stabbing John McCain In The Back?

After much study, I've come to the conclusion, which I present in this video:





..that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is stabbing Senator John McCain in the back. Often, Palin has approved of views that were taken by Senator Barack Obama, causing McCain to rein her in with a press statement that makes the campaign look like a keystone cops routine. 


 Consider how Palin has went against McCain in these following examples.  


1) Pakistan - Palin favored the Obama-Biden assertion of going into that country to "get" a known terrorist even if that government would not cooperate. 


2) Bankruptcy - Palin favors the Obama-Biden approach of allowing the homeowner to be protected against losing their dwelling after filing for Bankruptcy.  


3) Korea - Palin agrees with the current action of the U.S. dropping Korea from the state terrorist list, even as McCain opposes this.  Obama also backs the Bush Administration action.


4) Palin Administration - Governor Palin has referred to the McCain - Palin ticket as the Palin - McCain Administration.    


The evidence for my assertion rests in Palin's past.  In the way she treated Alaska GOP boss Randy Ruedrich when both were on the powerful Alaska Oil and Gas Commission.  While both Palin and Ruedrich received campaign assistance and in Palin's case had ties with Evergreen Resources, which was seeking a drilling contract and needed the commission's approval, Palin implicated Ruedrich, causing him to resign from the commission.  But the act elevated her status and some contend that it powered her successful run for Alaska Governor.   

Rezko Letter To Court Clears Obama - P.U.M.A Up To It's Old Lies

I happened upon a blog post by some member of "Party Unity My Ass" (P.U.M.A), the small group of sickos who couldn't get over Senator Barack Obama beating Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary.  For some of these folks it's like someone forgot to tell the Vietnam P.O.W. that the war was over.  


Now, this P.U.M.A guy is way out on left field trying, hoping, begging to make a connection between Obama and Real Estate Developer Tony Rezko that's not there.  In fact, he goes so far as to make a link asserting a connection because of a letter that it's apparent the author thinks people aren't going to read!  


I read the letter itself and the it's obvious that the P.U.M.A writer was fashioning a lie... 

It reads "Your honor the prosecutors have been overzealous in pursuing a crime that never happened.  They are pressuring me to tell them the "wrong" things that I supposedly know about Governor Blagojevich and Senator Obama.  I will never fabricate lies about anyone else for selfish purposes..."

For prosecutors to take on such an activity in itself is criminal and if it's not -- I think it may be -- it should be.  That's using an investigation with the taxpayers money to take on a political agenda, in effect having taxpayers pay for a set of lies established to achieve a political objective.  In this case, blaming Senator Obama for something that did not happen.  


Watch these PUMA nutcases -- that's what I think they are.  That's why I put this out, to head off P.U.M.A action.  

Wall Street Journal Doesn't Get Redistributing Wealth Which Is The Problem

The Wall Street Journal's opinion section is at times not the best place for intelligent pondering.  I know that's a terrible remark, but I write that for a reason: the lack of circular, systemic thinking.   The WSJ writes that having a non-refundable tax credit, which is something that can't be taken back -- it's a grant of sorts (I prefer an outright subsidy check) -- is bad thing.

Here's what the rest of us are thinking.

We just have AIG Insurance $120 billion (not million) to save it's corporate hide and several of its execs go out on a retreat at a luxury resort valued at over $400,000!   What's that?  It came from our government!

That opinion "work" is a piece of work, and shows why the rest of America is so angry with Wall Street.  The WSJ is not helping the political needs of the Street and should just back off on the rhetoric, at least untill we're way out of this mess.

Rachel Maddow Makes David Frum Look..Not Smart

You've got to see this, because it's a great example of basically running intellectual rings around a person.  In this case, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow had former GOP Speechwriter David Frum on her show today.


 David Frum came on with the idea of bashing Maddow on her way of reporting the news on politics and Maddow essentially forced him into a trap:  he says she's being nasty, but he's basically being nasty in saying she's nasty, but if he agrees with her, it obliterates his argument. 


Brilliant.  


The problem, again, is that the person who's idologically biased runs the risk of falling into such traps again and again -- Frum could have gotten out of this by just agreeing with her and not insulting, ie: "If you took it seriously" or "If it were important" , otherwise Frum came off looking just like the party he claims he's at odds with.


Frum could have then said "I think you're totally right Rachel."  then proceeded to focus on whatever Democratic example that was not the host but equally as bad as calling someone a terrorist he could find.  For example, he could point to my blog for examples of how Dems accuse McCain of being racist and sexist, but he didn't do that. Indeed, he'd have a hard time looking for it at Obama rallies.  Not the same kind of folks.  


Instead, consumed by a weird combination of conservativism, ego, and anger, he started throwing haymakers, and missed.  


Geez.  


Nice work Rachel!