The Respectfully Republican Conversation

I have enjoyed reading everyone's opinions.  The first time I was about to vote was 1968.  I was a student at the Univ. of Pittsburgh.  It was a year not to forget.  Dr. King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was killed. I was locked in the dorms because of the rioting on the street because of the killings and the vietnam war.  I did not vote that year.  I am an independent, I have not made my mind up.  Wish the Obama and McCain could stand on what they believe instead of how they can make the other look bad.  I am waiting to see who McCain will pick for VP.  Afraid that something will happen to Obama.  Would hate to see a skinhead or someone thinks it is not time for a person of color be number 1.  I only want what is best for our country.  Someone that will help our ppl here.  My son is a Marine, I a very proud of him.  I want him home.  I'm not sure, are either of them ready to take over and cleanup what Bush will leave?  I will watch Obama tonight and looking forward to hear what McCain has to say.  I am not impressed, I have a few more months.  Hopefully, one of them will stand out.

Speaking of Obama's experience.  Dukakis was on Fox the other day and got into an argument with the interviewer--right wing guy so I don't know name, but Dukakis looked like a fool when he was asked what Obama had done when in Illinois.  He kept throwing out words like integirty and honesty but couldn't name a bill that Obama had helped pass.  Now, I know  Obama had to have had some input on bills that were passed, although not that many, and if someone is going to go on TV to defend his candidate he had better know his stuff and not risk losing votes for the candidate.

Shirley, for some reason you got on the Hillary thread and talked to Linda about women's wages, and I objected to what you wrote, which was, with all due respect, wrong.  So I was annoyed, not Linda. I gather that Linda sees this issue as I do, or pretty close anyway. 

I just have to laugh ----With the slurs about Fox from the "Respectful" you know who thread------

Regarding that wonderfully "fair and balanced station"  MSNBC from Newsbusters:

-------------------------------------------------

Is Keith Olbermann Trying to Banish Tom Brokaw From MSNBC?
By P.J. Gladnick (Bio | Archive)
August 27, 2008 - 13:40 ET

It appears that Keith Olbermann might be vying for the title of Most Obnoxious Anchor On Television. First we had Olbermann dissing Joe Scarborough during a live broadcast on Monday from the Democrat convention. Then a day later, Olbermann managed to enrage Chris Matthews during another broadcast. And now it looks like Olbermann is going for broke in the insult department by pushing to have Tom Brokaw banned from appearing on MSNBC as reported in Page Six of today's New York Post:

    At a forum on Sunday, when Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell called MSNBC "the official network of the Obama campaign," Brokaw said, "I think Keith has gone too far. I think Chris has gone too far."

    Insiders say Olbermann is pushing to have Brokaw banned from the network and is also refusing to have centrist Time magazine columnist Mike Murphy on his show.

This could be payback by Olbermann not only for what Tom Brokaw said at a forum on Sunday but also for Brokaw's criticism of him back in June. Here is a partial transcript of the June 3 MSNBC Democrat primary interchange between Brokaw and Olbermann (emphasis mine):

    TOM BROKAW: So all those experiences have formed him, and he does come from what I think is a kind of post-60s family background. His father came from Africa. His mother came from the Great Plains. He lived around the world. And as we get ready for the 21st century, those are very strong credentials. On the John McCain side, 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton, from a long, distinguished military family. His life has been about service to his country. He was a wild child, by his own admission, as well, and then got into the United States Senate, married Cindy, and six months ago, we were saying he had no shot at this nomination, and won, too. So we have two remarkable stories taking shape here tonight, it seems to me.

    KEITH OLBERMANN: And a third one trying to shoe-horn her way into those, the coverage of the first two.

    BROKAW: Well, I think that's unfair, Keith. I don't think she shoe-horned her way in. When you look at the states that she won and the popular vote that she piled up, and the number of delegates that she has on her side, she's got real bargaining power in all of this. You'll remember it was on that New Hampshire primary night when people were saying she can't survive the next 24 hours after just Iowa, and here we are at the end of the calendar. And she looks very strong in one of these states tonight, and will have some real bargaining power, and has people, which I think we ought not to overlook, there are a lot of poeple who voted for her who might have been denied that if she'd dropped out -- blue-collar workers and especially women, and it's a delicate time for Barack Obama as he now deals with her because he does not want to disenfranchise them come the fall.

What's amazing here is how many prominent people Olbermann thinks he can get away with insulting at NBC. Does Keith have some blackmail material on someone high up in the NBC organization that gives him the confidence that he won't be fired for his hyperactive hubris?

—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.

Yes, Anneshirley, I just read Linda's post and saw my mistake.    I also changed the names on the other thread.  I don't know why I get you and Linda confused.  Like I said..chemo brain....or perhaps missing brain cells. 

Annehirley, I certainly do not want you to think that I do not want women to get payed for doing the same job as a man.  I absolutely believe in equal pay for women.  And, yes I realize there are still prejudices out there.  I do believe it's getting MUCH better.  Also, I'm sorry that I annoyed you.

Shirley

Susie, Olberman is a nut!

Some excerpts, Susie.  From what I saw it was quite a spectacle. 

washingtonpost.com Convention Update

Post LiveWire

Wednesday, August 28, 2008 - 7:21 p.m. ET

Advance Excerpts: Obama's Speech

The Obama campaign has released advance excerpts of his remarks, "The Promise of America," set for delivery later tonight. He is expected to say:

"Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

"It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

"It is why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

"We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

"Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach.

"These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush.

"America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this."

***

"This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

"Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

"But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change."

***

"You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

"We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put away a little extra money at the end of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

"We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.

"The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight."

***

"That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

"Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

"Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

"I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

"I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

"And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

"Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

"Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

"As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."

***

"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are to restore that legacy.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

"I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future."

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Wow!!!!!! Pawlenty out.........Plane landed from Anchorage!!!!!! Drill Here drill now Sarah Palin?????????  Conservative as they come....!!!

 Definite reformer!!!!!  Could it be?????

Who can keep a secret!!!  You go McCain!!!!!!

Romney now eliminated-----Palin likely!!!!!!!!

They're already saying she has more experience then the Democratic hopeful.  This is going to be so good.

Linda,

The best point came from George Will at the last paragraph of his column.  I can't say I know the answer to this because I fell asleep during "the speech".  Did Obama say anything about Russia specifically last night?  I was trying to listen for it and off I went. 

This is becoming a major problem for us.  They're now declaring they will invade Poland if we set up our missiles there.  This threat can't be ignored, and I don't expect our presidential hopeful to just take a pass on it like it doesn't exist.  If he didn't mention it, like Will said, it will be very telling.  Obama is just not up for a crisis and they seem to come at every turn lately.

Didn't Obama say he wanted to strengthen No kid left behind?  I thought that wasn't working?  And they wanted to shelve it for something better. 

If it isn't the McCain people better knock it down quick or it will be a tremendous let down.............

I hope it is---she is a wonderful speaker----this is from june

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/06/26/palin.on.vp.cnn

This is one women who is a real strong on government waste --real reformer.....  I think she will win them over...........I can't wait to see a Palin/Biden debate!!!!

second plane from Anchorage arriving in Dayton-----from Ambinder

Anchorage to Dayton VIA ... Flagstaff, AZ.

The plane is owned by a McCain donor, Lacy Clay.