The Respectfully Republican Conversation

.

Shirley

May I suggest a response or two to some of post you are answering

I would try first  duh

if that doesn't work how about...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Your are trying to use facts to prove a case against ....ok I can't even come up with a word for what is posted. 

"Having hear her on many more interviews since, I would believe her."

What other interviews has Sarah given?

.

She has had interviews with Greta, Hannity, Limbaugh, a documenary on Worlds most powerful women, done before she was a VP candidate, a CNN interview before she was VP candidate.  All showed a strong woman well up on facts and events. 

But if you want to discuss the effects of an Obama as your President, look at South Chicago.  Twenty years ago he came to the Southside to make a difference.  He worked as a Community Organizer to help the people.  He got millions in grants for the area, he diverted millions from the woods foundation to the area, He was elected state senator for the district and sent millions of dollars for redevelopement and programs, including 14 million for low income sub standard housing to Renzo, He was elected US Senator and earmarked over 900 million dollars for pork for the district,  The results, one of the highest rates of murder and gang related deaths in the world for young people.  To the point that the police are asking for automatic weapons, and the Govenor is talking about sending in State Troopers or National Guard.  Obama made a difference...the murder rate of school kids just going to and from school went up 1000 percent.. It is safer to stand buck naked in downtown Bagdad than go to school in Obama's home district.  That's change you can believe in. 

.

Chicago is a big city and most large cities are having alarmingly high murder and crime rates.  In case you haven't noticed between crystal meth and crack the drug problem is very bad.  Gangs are real and hard to control.  It is not just chicago that has these problems.  So I suppose you can blame one man for the drugs and crime in the big city but look at other cities and you will find the same problems.  Even when you try to put decent housing in a drug infested area you now have nice houses for the drug dealers and gangs to continue to meet.  If it were up to you Obama would be the reason for every bad thing that has happened in the world.

Do you try to go into these crime ridden areas to clean them up?  If you do then you know how hard it is.  You have to work to help people almost one at a time getting them up and out of where they are to move onto something better.  If you have never done that than I suggest you do before you throw stones at someone who does try to help.

I have worked with numerous non profits in the inner cities.  It was so bad my kids were calling me a bullet dodger.  I continued to go into these neighborhoods because I knew there was hope for some.  I can personally find a dozen people I have help to get a job, get more education and better housing out of crime ridden neighborhoods to raise their children.  It is a very difficult and thankless job.  I don't know how much the grants where and exactly where the money went to but what you are suggesting costs an awful lot of money.

LuAnnH wrote:

Shirley if the surged worked why are they still battling so hard in Iraq, yes troops may have pulled out of Fallujah but what about the hot spots that are still battling hard daily. 

I think we need to take a minute to celebrate WHAT the TROOPS have accomplished.  Let's not take this away from them.  This was a tough, tough battle.

Last One Turn Out the Lights: Marines Quietly Begin Leaving Bases in Iraqi Cities

Friday , October 17, 2008

By Jennifer Griffin

WASHINGTON - 

When Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly deployed to Iraq in February, the violence had fallen so low in Anbar province that he began figuring out how to start closing bases and prepare to go home.

In the last 10 months the Marines in Fallujah have done what was unthinkable before the surge began - they have quietly transferred out of one of Anbar province's largest cities. FOX News has learned in an exclusive interview with Kelly from Fallujah that 80 percent of the move is complete. In February there were 8,000 Marines living at Fallujah base. Now there are about 3,000 left. By Nov. 14 there will be none.

Click here to read about violence in the City of Mosques.

"We will shut down the command function here and I will move; my staff has already started to move," Kelly, the commander of Multinational Force-West, told FOX News in an exclusive interview via satellite. "We will turn the lights off here."

They will hand the Fallujah base over to their Iraqi counterparts on Nov. 14, having relocated themselves and thousands of combat vehicles to the desert base of Al Asad to the west. Marines will no longer be seen in city centers such as Fallujah - a major step toward leaving Iraq, and one step closer to Iraq's goal of having U.S. troops out of its population centers by mid-2009 - one of the key points enshrined in the Status of Forces Agreement being reviewed on Capitol Hill today.

On Wednesday, to little fanfare, the Marines quietly closed down Al Qaim base near the Syrian border. Now it is run by Iraqis.

In Fallujah, where the U.S. Marines once had three large mess halls to feed troops, they are now down to one. The Marines have quietly disassembled the entire infrastructure of the base.

"We probably had several thousand of those large metal containers - tractor-trailer containers," Kelly said. "I bet we don't have 200 of them here now."

Of the thousands of vehicles once parked at the base, now there are only 300 left. Their transfer occurred at night, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., over the past 10 months so as not to disturb Iraqi drivers and clog the roads.

They dubbed it "Operation Rudy Giuliani" because they were cleaning the streets up and returning Fallujah to normalcy - taking down barbed wire and tearing down checkpoints and Jersey walls that made Anbar look like a war zone.

"There is almost no barbed wire left anywhere in Fallujah," Kelly said. An Iraqi no longer sees barbed wire when traveling in and around the city.

Between 300 and 400 concrete barriers that divided the city were removed by Navy Seabees.

One of the big changes Kelly made when he took command in Anbar was to remove fixed checkpoints, and Iraqi vehicles no longer had to pull off to the side when a military convoy was on the road. His troops risked car bombs, but the gamble paid off in what had once been Iraq's most dangerous province. The new road rules instantly lowered the tension between military and locals. Soon he transitioned to moving military convoys only at night, so they would not encounter locals. This also stymied many of the insurgents laying IEDs or roadside bombs, which they often had done at night.

Another change for the better since Kelly arrived in February: He pushed the central government to provide more fuel to the people of Anbar, so the mostly Sunni population is now happier. In February, Anbaris were receiving only 8 percent of their allocation of fuel from the central government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Now it's 90 percent - eliminating one of their main gripes.

But perhaps the biggest sign that the situation has changed for the better for Sunnis living in Anbar: With the help of the Marines and the Iraqi police, nearly 100 percent of the eligible voting population were registered a month ago to vote in upcoming provincial elections.

"They seem to add another political party every day," Kelly said. "We didn't have a single security violation of any kind. They're at least going to give the electoral process a shot ... at least going to give democracy a chance."

The Sunnis, who fueled a large part of Iraq's insurgency, boycotted the last election for Parliament with only 3 percent of Sunnis participating. Now they feel they have a stake in the government.

"This is an amazing indicator as to where this province is," Kelly said.

He and the Marines no longer use violence as an indicator of how much progress they have made. Two years ago they had 400 attacks - roadside bombs or shootings - at U.S. forces every week. In February it was down to 30 attacks per week. Now it is down to under 12 attacks per week. There hasn't been a Marine death in a few months.

Troop numbers have dropped, as well - down by 40 percent since February. About 26,000 Marines still serve in Anbar.

"In Anbar there is no longer an insurgency," Kelly said. "Unless someone does something stupid (for instance, if the Coalition were to accidentally kill a large number of civilians), this place will not go back to the way it was."

In football terms, Kelly says, the Marines are "in the last 10 yards of this fight."

"Could it go back? I don't think so," he said firmly. "We are winning this thing."

And a video:

PACKING UP  

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3154920&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl= http://www.foxnews.com/

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,439612,00.html

Last One Turn Out the Lights: Marines Quietly Begin Leaving Bases in Iraqi Cities

Friday , October 17, 2008

By Jennifer Griffin

WASHINGTON - 

When Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly deployed to Iraq in February, the violence had fallen so low in Anbar province that he began figuring out how to start closing bases and prepare to go home.

In the last 10 months the Marines in Fallujah have done what was unthinkable before the surge began - they have quietly transferred out of one of Anbar province's largest cities. FOX News has learned in an exclusive interview with Kelly from Fallujah that 80 percent of the move is complete. In February there were 8,000 Marines living at Fallujah base. Now there are about 3,000 left. By Nov. 14 there will be none.

Click here to read about violence in the City of Mosques.

"We will shut down the command function here and I will move; my staff has already started to move," Kelly, the commander of Multinational Force-West, told FOX News in an exclusive interview via satellite. "We will turn the lights off here."

They will hand the Fallujah base over to their Iraqi counterparts on Nov. 14, having relocated themselves and thousands of combat vehicles to the desert base of Al Asad to the west. Marines will no longer be seen in city centers such as Fallujah - a major step toward leaving Iraq, and one step closer to Iraq's goal of having U.S. troops out of its population centers by mid-2009 - one of the key points enshrined in the Status of Forces Agreement being reviewed on Capitol Hill today.

On Wednesday, to little fanfare, the Marines quietly closed down Al Qaim base near the Syrian border. Now it is run by Iraqis.

In Fallujah, where the U.S. Marines once had three large mess halls to feed troops, they are now down to one. The Marines have quietly disassembled the entire infrastructure of the base.

"We probably had several thousand of those large metal containers - tractor-trailer containers," Kelly said. "I bet we don't have 200 of them here now."

Of the thousands of vehicles once parked at the base, now there are only 300 left. Their transfer occurred at night, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., over the past 10 months so as not to disturb Iraqi drivers and clog the roads.

They dubbed it "Operation Rudy Giuliani" because they were cleaning the streets up and returning Fallujah to normalcy - taking down barbed wire and tearing down checkpoints and Jersey walls that made Anbar look like a war zone.

"There is almost no barbed wire left anywhere in Fallujah," Kelly said. An Iraqi no longer sees barbed wire when traveling in and around the city.

Between 300 and 400 concrete barriers that divided the city were removed by Navy Seabees.

One of the big changes Kelly made when he took command in Anbar was to remove fixed checkpoints, and Iraqi vehicles no longer had to pull off to the side when a military convoy was on the road. His troops risked car bombs, but the gamble paid off in what had once been Iraq's most dangerous province. The new road rules instantly lowered the tension between military and locals. Soon he transitioned to moving military convoys only at night, so they would not encounter locals. This also stymied many of the insurgents laying IEDs or roadside bombs, which they often had done at night.

Another change for the better since Kelly arrived in February: He pushed the central government to provide more fuel to the people of Anbar, so the mostly Sunni population is now happier. In February, Anbaris were receiving only 8 percent of their allocation of fuel from the central government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Now it's 90 percent - eliminating one of their main gripes.

But perhaps the biggest sign that the situation has changed for the better for Sunnis living in Anbar: With the help of the Marines and the Iraqi police, nearly 100 percent of the eligible voting population were registered a month ago to vote in upcoming provincial elections.

"They seem to add another political party every day," Kelly said. "We didn't have a single security violation of any kind. They're at least going to give the electoral process a shot ... at least going to give democracy a chance."

The Sunnis, who fueled a large part of Iraq's insurgency, boycotted the last election for Parliament with only 3 percent of Sunnis participating. Now they feel they have a stake in the government.

"This is an amazing indicator as to where this province is," Kelly said.

He and the Marines no longer use violence as an indicator of how much progress they have made. Two years ago they had 400 attacks - roadside bombs or shootings - at U.S. forces every week. In February it was down to 30 attacks per week. Now it is down to under 12 attacks per week. There hasn't been a Marine death in a few months.

Troop numbers have dropped, as well - down by 40 percent since February. About 26,000 Marines still serve in Anbar.

"In Anbar there is no longer an insurgency," Kelly said. "Unless someone does something stupid (for instance, if the Coalition were to accidentally kill a large number of civilians), this place will not go back to the way it was."

In football terms, Kelly says, the Marines are "in the last 10 yards of this fight."

"Could it go back? I don't think so," he said firmly. "We are winning this thing."

.

Let's level playing field, lift women out of poverty

Updated: 10/17/08 6:48 AM

Today, World Poverty Day, is an opportune time for us to reflect on the nature of poverty in our community and potential solutions. Twenty-nine percent of families in Buffalo live in poverty, making us the third-poorest large city in the country. Poverty rates increase during economic downturns.

Poverty is a women's issue. Nearly two out of three families living in poverty in our community have a woman as a head of household. One of the causes of poverty is the wage gap that occurs at every level of education. For instance, women with a bachelor's degree in Western New York earn on average $33,000 - 40 percent less than men. Even working full time in the same occupation as men, women earn less on average. Early data around the economic turmoil in our country again shows that women are adversely affected. Thirty-two percent of women borrowers hold subprime mortgages versus 24 percent of men.

Women need to have a voice in defining the solutions. They must have a seat at the table at the local, state and federal levels for all economic-justice solutions. We also need to increase our philanthropic investments in women. Nationally less than 7 percent of funding goes to programs targeting women and girls, according to the Council on Foundations. By creating and funding programs that deal with specific issues and barriers facing women, the community will accelerate its fight against poverty.

Brigid Doherty

Executive Director WNY Women's Fund

IBC, it's hard as hell for people to accept facts if facts are not what they're looking for.  We can show them anything and everything, but once they believe in what they think there's no changing their minds.  Of course I'm not changing mine either.

IBC, hold on.  I'm going to show you something on video.  Don't laugh though, ok?

This site is slow for me.  Am I the only person having this problem?

Be back.

I know the "troopergate" comments were several pages back, but wanted to add:

The "child" this trooper (Sarah's sister's husband) was his STEPSON....that's right--Sarah's NEPHEW was tasered by this sick SOB and Sarah's sister was going through an awful divorce with the guy. Now, ask yourself this:  if your sister and nephew were suffering this kind of abuse and you found yourself in a position to urge your ex-brother-in-law's boss to reprimand/discipline him for what is clearly an abuse of power and position if not an outright violation of the law, would you just sit back and hope the situation got taken care of? I know I wouldn't. If one of my friends or family members was in that sort of situation and I was in a position to influence another person to do the RIGHT THING, you can damn well bet that I would. This was not about sour grapes and Sarah interjecting herself into her sister's divorce proceedings. It was about a man who obviously has anger issues and himself ADMITTED to the ABUSE. Tasers have been shown to cause permanent damage and even death when used in a law-enforcement setting on ADULTS. What the trooper did to his stepson, in my opinion, amounts to ATTEMPTED MURDER. Dirty cops do not deserve another chance after they've proven their disregard for the law and have abused their power and position.

As for Ayers....this man IS a murderer--and seems very proud to be one. What if Ayer's crime was PEDOPHILIA? Would Obamanites be out there singing his praises and talking about how his molestation crimes happened so long ago...that he's "rehabilitated", so why don't people just forget about it? I doubt it. 

As for Ohio voting regulation, I listened to NPR the other day and Ohio's elected official in charge of voting oversight (can't remember her exact title) was talking about all the corruption that was being uncovered and how her office had been working to try to correct it. She mentioned a significant number of precincts had serious issues. During the program, an early voter called to complain that she had cast a ballot and proceeded to submit the envelope to officials. She handed over the envelope and one of the workers tossed it into a pile of miscellanous papers and trash on a table. The voter did not have confidence that her vote would count. There was also a sheriff in a small town who called to report voting irregularities. I listened to the program for less than an hour and more and more worrisome issues came up. The voting official explained that the students registering and voting in their home states as well as Ohio (or other states, for that matter) was very troubling as there is currently no system like we have with the DMV to ensure that one voter=one vote. Also, I believe it is Indiana that recently passed a law PROHIBITING the requirement that voters produce ID in order to vote--citing that it was somehow discriminatory against minorities and low-income persons if they were required to produce ID. Bullsh!t! How many adults can get by in this country without photo ID? I had to produce photo ID, a piece of mail addressed to me, and my checking account information TO GET A LIBRARY CARD. I seriously believe there will be a large percentage of votes counted at this election that are not legal and valid. It seems as though those people who are willing to commit voter fraud are uncovering more and more flaws in the system to exploit. It's like computer hackers' mentality--it's not so much they want to harm the system...it's more like a challenge to see what they can get away with and to prove they (the hackers) are smarter than their targets.

Palin's interview with Katie Couric was heavily edited--at many points, salient phrases and comments were edited out leaving comments/answers that seemed disjointed or ill-informed. I know the link to the UNEDITED version of the interview was posted here on this thread. 

One last thing that has bothered me in Obama's and McCain's interactions. I notice that Obama is frequently laughing, shaking his head, and interrupting when McCain is speaking. I'm only 41, but my mama taught me better than that. It is extremely rude and disrespectful and turns my stomach when I see that this man who very well could be our next president is acting like a disrespectful teenager. Put someone like that into negotiations with the head of another country that has a more strict social structure and Obama will lose all credibility as the first snicker escapes him.

I guess my biggest problem with the democratic party is that they claim to be for the "underdog" and that every person has the right to be considered equal.........except, of course, someone like me: a stay at home mom. I have been insulted and treated like a non-entity because we made the decision that I would stay home to raise our children until the youngest became a teenager. It is a decision that we do not regret, but we certainly gave up a lot in the way of creature comforts (and sometimes necessities) in order to do so.

I don't understand the split personality of a party that claims to champion women and the autonomy of women to choose their own course and then vilifies a woman like Palin who is a SUCCESS STORY of the infinite degree--she is where she is today because of liberals who worked hard to break down barriers.  They jump on Palin's "folksy" nature and use the term "hockey mom" as an insult............but the Clintons used "soccer mom" quite effectively in his first campaign.Why is it ok for Obama to say "gonna", "hafta", and "goin" when he's wearing his everyman face, but when Palin speaks just like everyone else she's a moron? It freaks me out that Obamanites watched the same debate that I did the other night and characterized McCain's appearance as angry and combative when all I saw was a soft-spoken but firm delivery whilst his opponent snickered, giggled, and interrupted like a teenaged boy in need of a whoopin.  

Holy crap--Nancy Pelosi herself said on PBS last night that even SHE doesn't think it's a good idea for the dems to hold both the executive and legislative branch.

I know this post is all over the place...I apologize. I don't think that we, as a nation, are going to do well no matter who gets put into office. Things have been spiraling out of control for much to long and the problems are so big now. We have lawmakers running around sticking their fingers into the holes in the dike that keep springing up. Pretty soon the wall is going to completely crumble and the flood is coming.

He gets people excited?  Inspired?  WTH!!? Obama campaign rep STUMPED on legislative accomplishments.  

Barack Obama - List His Accomplishments, Part II  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU08cYX-7y4&feature=related

Dukakis said that Obama didn't say he'd meet without preconditions.  LOL..Proof from Rosemary site that she posted earlier.

http://www.johnmccain.com/RhetoricvsRecord/  

Barack Obama Has Repeatedly Affirmed His Position Of Unconditionally Meeting With The Leaders Of State Sponsors Of Terror Like Ahmadinejad

At A July 2007 Debate, Barack Obama Said He Would Meet With The Leaders Of State Sponsors Of Terror "Without Precondition." QUESTION: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?"... OBAMA: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous."
(CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

Watch the Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/qXuLqhZXsrM

In September 2007, Barack Obama Confirmed That He Would Meet With Iranian President Ahmadinejad. QUESTION: "Senator, you've said before that you'd meet with President Ahmadinejad..." OBAMA: "Uh huh." QUESTION: "Would you still meet with him today?" OBAMA: "Yeah, nothing's changed with respect to my belief that strong countries and strong presidents talk to their enemies and talk to their adversaries.
(Barack Obama, Press Conference, New York City, 9/24/07)

Watch the Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/KQ2yJqWguCU

In An October 2007 CBS Interview, When Asked About Meeting With "Hugo Chavez And Etc. Etc.," Barack Obama Said "Exactly, And Without Preconditions." CBS' Harry Smith: "You said, 'I will talk to so and so and Hugo Chavez and etc., etc.'" Obama: "Exactly, and without preconditions."
(CBS' "The Early Show," 10/15/07)

In February 2008, Barack Obama Said He Has Been "Absolutely Clear" On His Position: "I Will Meet Without Preconditions" With Leaders Of Iran And Other Hostile Regimes. OBAMA: "There has been no confusion. I have been absolutely clear on this. I will meet not just with our friends but with our enemies. I will meet without preconditions."
(CNN's "The Situation Room," 2/4/08)

According To Barack Obama's Website, "Obama Is The Only Major Candidate Who Supports Tough, Direct Presidential Diplomacy With Iran Without Preconditions." "Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions."
(Obama For America Website, http://www.barackobama.com, Accessed 5/12/08)

Joe Biden And Other Democrats Have Criticized Barack Obama's "Without Precondition" Statements

Joe Biden Said "Absolutely Positively No" To Unconditional Meetings With Leaders Of Rogue States. BIDEN: "Would I make a blanket commitment to meet unconditionally with the leaders of each of those countries within the first year I was elected president? Absolutely positively no."
(Joe Biden, Remarks At The National Press Club, Washington, DC, 8/1/07)

Sen. Clinton Said Barack Obama's Position Was "Irresponsible And, Frankly, Naive." CLINTON: "I thought that was irresponsible and, frankly, naive to say that you would commit to meeting with, you know, Chavez and Castro and others within the first year."
(ABC News,' "Good Morning America," 7/25/07)

America's European Allies Are Concerned About Barack Obama's Pledge To Meet With President Ahmadinejad Without Precondition

The Washington Post: Europeans "Increasingly Concerned That Sen. Barack Obama's Campaign Pledge To Begin Direct Talks ... Could Potentially Rupture U.S. Relations With Key European Allies." "European officials are increasingly concerned that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign pledge to begin direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program without preconditions could potentially rupture U.S. relations with key European allies early in a potential Obama administration."
(Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

And one more GOODY!

He gets people excited?  Inspired?  WTH!!?

Obama campaign rep STUMPED on legislative accomplishments.  

Barack Obama - List His Accomplishments, Part II  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU08cYX-7y4&feature=related