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The View From ‘Nowhere'
Our town in Alaska sorely needed a bridge to its airport. Instead, we became a national punch line.
By Dave Kiffer | NEWSWEEK Published Oct 24, 2008 From the magazine issue dated Nov 3, 2008
Two years ago the small Alaska town of Ketchikan, where five generations of my family have lived, became the poster child for all that is wrong with the United States government. We wanted a bridge to connect us to our airport, which is on a different island from our town. The bridge had been promised to us 30 years ago when the government chose-over the objections of many in this community-to put our new airport across the narrows from Ketchikan. Unfortunately, when it finally arrived, the money for that bridge came in the form of a congressional earmark.
Earmarks were once considered a good way for elected representatives to meet the needs of their communities. The federal bureaucracy could not move fast enough or act specifically enough to meet those needs, whereas a targeted earmark could.
But since then earmarks have become synonymous with the worst excesses of federal spending, the pork-barrel projects that bloat our budget, compound our deficit and raise our taxes.
Earmarks actually make up less than 1 percent of the federal budget, but they are the political equivalent of a big, slow softball floating toward the plate. Politically, it's as pointless to be "for" earmarks as it is to be "against" moms and apple pie.
But the politics of earmarks didn't mean much to us up here in Alaska. We were too busy focusing on the need for a bridge to get to our airport. Then somehow our bridge became known as the "Bridge to Nowhere."
To us, the name seemed odd. Ketchikan was never "nowhere." It is 90 minutes north of Seattle by plane. The rest of Alaska, including Anchorage, with a population approaching 300,000, lies to the north-well beyond "nowhere." The media reports never seemed to mention that Ketchikan has a year-round population of 14,000-making it the fourth-largest community in the state. And they forgot to account for the more than 250,000 people who pass through our airport every year, and the nearly 1 million visitors who come here each summer, mostly on cruise ships.
What also went unstated was our town's need for development. Ketchikan is perched on the side of three mountains and is only a few blocks wide in spots. There is no place for it to grow. Gravina, the island with the airport, is one of the few spots in the region with flat, undeveloped land. We need that space for the houses and businesses we hope will replace the timber industry that once dominated the area. A bridge would provide more access to that land.
But this rarely got reported, and so we continued to take our lumps in the news. In a matter of weeks, the entire country began to equate my town with government waste. By the end of 2006, things finally quieted down a bit and we went back to being blissfully anonymous.
Then Sarah Palin became John McCain's vice presidential nominee, and there on national television was our governor bragging (not quite truthfully) about how she stopped the Bridge to Nowhere. Just like that, we were back on the front page, exhibit A in Palin's reformist résumé.
We settled in for a second round of public lashing. Sure, we had been unhappy last spring when the governor shelved our project by sending press releases to the media and not telling us to our face. But we were really disappointed when she called us "that community" on national television, in the same tone of voice that Bill Clinton had once used to describe "that woman."
But we will get over it. We will even make up with our governor, no matter what happens on Nov. 4. That's what Alaskans do. We pull together to make a go of it in a place where survival-physical or economic-is not necessarily a given.
Ketchikan does not claim to be representative of anything, least of all some long-lost fantasy of small-town America. We are a working-class community that is trying-like many others-to transform itself from a resource-based economy into a service economy. We are struggling to create new jobs and stanch the flow of residents to the big city. And we have problems that are unique to our geography: our frequently unpleasant weather and our island topography, which makes roads without bridges an impossibility. But we are a small part of this country's greater whole. We are not "nowhere." We are somewhere. In America.
Kiffer is the newly elected mayor of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
© 2008
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Well, and some more good news coming from the tax and spenders, our beloved democrats. I again saw the end of a conversation, but this time caught the breaking news headline. Dems mulling over ending 401K tax deductions. I'm sure we'll be hearing all about it. I guess I should turn on C-SPAN so I can get sick. This is only the beginning.
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By the time THIS administration gets done with its' term, there won't be many people WITH a 401K
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Thanks, Pam, for answering my question. We can all have our own personal opinion about the candidates and their beliefs. I have to tell you. I'd be scared to death to hang out with those dinosaurs. LOL We may be hanging out with Obama. I have to admit for ALL to see (<------------), I'm a bit worried about this election. All I can do is vote and whatever else happens, well it just happens.</p>
Shirley
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I just thought the article I posted was a great article. What's your opinion?
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Regarding the South side of Chicago - we have 'The United Center, White Sox Park, UIC and RUMC two of the top rated Hospitals in the United States. We have some beautiful Lake front property with amazing views and many parks. .
The West side of Chicago is probably one of the poorest areas in the City. No matter who you feel passionate about who should be president, please tell me you are not blaming Obama for this social crisis that has been going on for years and years.
LuAnn physically unsettling feeling regarding how you described Iraq.
Suz: No matter how one can explain it, Stevenson High School is one of the top rated High Schools in the nation. It's located in an affluent suburb. I could probably name the schools with the lower ratings. Like it or not. Stevenson gets computers, high tech stuff - and many Chicago schools have a hard time getting books. And yes - shame on Chicago and Illinois...but it's isn't this way because of Obama. JMO but one has nothing to do with the other.
Nicki
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blue16 wrote:
By the time THIS administration gets done with its' term, there won't be many people WITH a 401K.
I'm keeping that in mind, thanks to the majority of democrats in both Houses of Congress for the last two years. And Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, Chris Dodd, and a host of other recipients of the largess of Fannie Mae to their campaign funds, millions of Americans have lost trillions. Thanks all, you did such a great job.
No sense to begin another account without the tax savings that were attached to it. Thanks Dems. You keep on taking.
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Adding that I did not get involved in politics.
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Summer, I have not researched the Bridge to No Where. One think I do know is that Newsweek is waaaaayyyy, waaaaayyy far left and never report anyting good about the right. So, the Bridge is something I need more education on...my own research.
Thanks for the article.
Shirley
We are willing to read anything anyone wants to post here although over <------------------------- will not except anything negative. Sad day when people do not want to hear both sides, but would rather listen to someone who can SO eloquently speak. No negative vibes FOR PETE'S SAKE! IGNORE "her" (ME)..some say. Hey, I'm just a breast cancer survivor like the rest of you. And I've got the scars, one less boob, AI belly, numb armpit from radiation, some neuropathy in finger tips and toes, a brain that doesn't fully want to function (I'M SURE THEY'LL LIKE THAT ONE), fatigue that at times is relentless. None of these health issues has anything to do with politics. But it does say something about the way women treat women. Nuff said!
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And now a quote:
"Life is like a jar of Jalapeños. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow!"
IBC, I wasn't cussing. I just added this quote with the cuss word in it..or is ass a cuss word? Oops, I just used a cuss word! Or is...NAH, not gonna fall in that trap again.
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1976 Is Back
Obama as Carter.
By Mark MoyarA newcomer to national politics, he claimed to transcend partisan labels. He moved to the center during the campaign, at a time when the Democrats held large congressional majorities. In a troubled economy, he told voters he would keep taxes down for most Americans, limit spending, and balance the budget, all while implementing ambitious social programs. He planned to cut military spending to free money for other purposes, but assured moderates and conservatives that when it came to America's enemies, he would be tougher than the Republicans. The media, droves of moderates, and some conservatives believed him, having pegged him as a man of character.
His name was Jimmy Carter, the year was 1976, and he won. His presidency helps us predict the likely results of an Obama victory in 2008.
What did the majority of 1976 get in return for its votes? Carter's campaign vow to avoid increasing payroll taxes went out the window: He and Congress raised Social Security taxes through the roof. They also slapped large new taxes on oil and gas. Meanwhile, Carter canceled his plan for a tax refund to Americans earning under $30,000. Casting aside more campaign pledges, Carter and Congress increased annual federal spending from $403 billion to $579 billion and grew the national debt from $709 billion to $914 billion. Tens of billions of dollars went to new jobs programs, urban aid, and mushrooming entitlements, and Carter's promise to stop Democratic pork-barrel spending was abandoned.
Carter and the Democratic Congress generated 18 percent inflation and economic stagnation at the same time. Unemployment rose. Americans came to regret the votes they had cast - Carter's approval rating sank to 21 percent in 1980, the lowest in the history of polling.
Carter also threw out his professed hawkishness on foreign policy. Declaring America liberated from its "inordinate fear of Communism," he sought better relations with the Communists in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and Vietnam. He was much less nice to America's allies, withdrawing support from those who did not accept his self-righteous demands for human-rights reforms. Friendly regimes in Nicaragua and Iran fell to hostile tyrants.
If Obama abandons his promises the way Carter did, his presidency will be even more dangerous. Carter at least had longstanding tendencies toward fiscal restraint, and he, together with a large block of conservative Democrats in Congress, prevented the most left-wing elements of Congress from taxing and spending even more. Obama, on the other hand, has himself been part of the most left-wing element in the U.S. Senate, and conservatives do not have a significant presence on the Democratic side of the Reid-Pelosi Congress. Also, Obama has no history of breaking with his party before this year.
There are reasons to believe Obama will indeed break his promises. In March, he told the American public he would force Canada and Mexico to make concessions on NAFTA. Obama's senior economic adviser privately assured Canadian officials that Obama's public promises were "more reflective of political maneuvering than policy." In the ensuing months, Obama likewise sent contradictory messages to different audiences on such issues as taxes, Iraq, and crime.
In the second presidential debate, Obama made the most flagrant of his bogus promises yet, when he announced a "net spending cut." The National Taxpayers Union has estimated that Obama will actually produce a net spending increase of at least $292 billion per year. Although the press would have pilloried McCain for such a brazen falsehood, Obama took so little heat that he repeated it again at the third debate.
Also during the third debate, Obama distanced himself from ACORN, denying any involvement with this organization since 1995. But as Sen. McCain pointed out, the Obama campaign paid $832,000 to an ACORN subsidiary earlier this year. Most ominous for the future is Obama's statement to the Heartland Presidential Forum - which consists of ACORN and other leftist "community organizations" - that as soon as he wins the election, "we'll be calling all of you in to help us shape the agenda."
Perhaps most incriminating of all is Joe Biden's Seattle speech. In words that received less media attention than the "international testing" remarks, Biden asserted that an Obama administration would make unpopular decisions, because "if they're popular, they're probably not sound." As a consequence, "You all are going to be sitting here a year from now going, ‘Oh my God, why are they there in the polls, why is the polling so down?'" In other words, Obama's poll numbers will fall once Americans learn that his popular promises of 2008 have been supplanted in 2009 by actions that most Americans oppose.
Before casting a vote for Obama, Americans must consider the likelihood that he will follow the path of Jimmy Carter - that he will wreck the fragile economy by reneging on promises to cut taxes and spending, that he will be tough on America's allies and soft on its enemies. The odds of Obama staying true to his current rhetoric are so poor that not even the boldest gambler should bet on it.
- Mark Moyar is the author of Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965. -
Pam,
What good are debates when we're singing to the choir? I don't read over there so I really can't say I know if it's just a cheerleading group or do they actually discuss issues. Unknown, but if they keep throwing people out of there, why does anyone go back? ...Shirley?
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Rosemary, I recently went over <----------------------------------- to, well, defend our IBCspouse. Okay, and things escalated a bit from there. So many of them appear to be
(add an "s") of ur candidates. I'd say calling Palin a "Vagina" (pinned by Amy) is sexist, insulting, what else can I say other than I find it absolutely disgusting. I find their "speech" full of vitriol. I'm trying to understand why they HATE Sarah Palin. Okay, so you don't have to like her, thinks she's experienced, dislike her policies or that she believes in creationism. I personally think she's a smart woman and perhaps will go far. I think she's tough. I feel she's more experienced than Obama to be president of this country. I certainly could list a LOT of reasons why. They can't. I asked that question and someone wanted to know why I asked.When one goes over there their minds are closed. Not good. Do I agree with everything that McCain has done. Nope. I don't worship him that's for sure. However, I guess the reason I don't is because he's not an eloquent speaker. I respect the hell out of him..oops..cussed again, IBCspouse. And, everything is
if one speaks negative against THE ONE. I have found out that I'm not such a nice person. There will be a couple of peope for whom I will never respect again. I could name them, but I won't and I'm sure they couldn't care less. Cry me a river!
Rosemary, some people don't want to debate because they have NOTHING TO debate. How can one debate when their candidate is an empty suit.
Just hearing about a law student who graduated from Stanford said his friends didn't know that their friends didn't understand they had to live in Ohio for 30 days prior to registrating and also didn't know that they were supposed have planned to live there. More college students are withdrawing their votes because they did it illegally..not residents. Palestra.net has done a good job. The REAL media can't do their job. LOL Stay tuned..there's more coming!
Shirley
Oh, Sarah Palin shops at a consignment store...Ou to the Closet. There are high end named clothes there. Owner says she's really, really nice and really gorgeous. She takes her dds there and her baby. She's just another "Joe" (I said that). LOL
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Shirley,
You get a pass on cussing until the 4th
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Two great clips from a friend to all
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IBC, you are one brave Viet Nam vet. LOL I've seen those today.
Thanks for giving me a pass UNTIL THE FOURTH!? Okay, I better start now. I've gotta break that bad habit!
Shirley
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From the Washington Post:
"A Happiness Gap: Doomacrats and Republigrins"
The gist is, of course, that despite our awfulness, we are happier......
NOTE: to Spouse's Cam and to LuAnn's son~~~you are in my prayers nightly.
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One thing is for sure, elections come and go, but the bond that all the ladies on this site share can't and should never be broken. You belong to a Sisterhood that is too large and unfourtanatly declines two soon. But it is a Sisterhood formed by fear, and bravery, and pain and hope. I am proud to know you.
Daffodil, on Cam's behalf I thank you. Prayers from ones that have been there, are special prayers.
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Daffodil, thank you so much. I take any help in his safety that I can get and IBC you know i keep your wife in my prayers, we don't see eye to eye but we still all share a bond. The beauty of the human race is no one is alike, if we were all the same we would be boring as crap!
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Another crap day, in the emergency room, have not been able to head home from Houston yet due to nausea. Bp 83/47 . Don't normally ever put negative medical on this thread, but talk seems low today.
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Pam.
I agree that many are looking for change, for a visionary who will inspire from a bully pulpit. Most times that is the limited power of President due to checks and balances. This time might by dangerous. With the times and the ties to Global Economics, a filabuster proof Senate and full controll of house, may be the comming together of a perfect storm. I hope reason prevails, but have not seen much with Reed, Pelosi and Obama. That is a scary trio.
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IBC, Keeping Cam in my thoughts and prayers, - Hoping you will soon be able to post better news.
I was going to post this on the "other" thread but I can't bring myself to post there---Too much vitriol for me.............
As I've voiced before I don't like either candidates health plan..........but, I want to see health care seriously addressed........ I'm thinking after this election we have a chance............
From the Washington Times
Friday, October 24, 2008
Kennedy secretly crafts health care plan
Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
EXCLUSIVE:
From his sickbed, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has secretly been orchestrating meetings with lobbyists and lawmakers from both parties to craft legislation that would greet the new president with a plan to provide affordable medical coverage to all Americans, a measure he has called "the cause of my life."
Mr. Kennedy has been sidelined for months with a dangerous form of brain cancer. But despite his disheartening medical prognosis - or maybe because of it - aides and activists say, the Massachusetts Democrat's decades-long quest for health care reform may now be closer to success than ever.
"There is a serious process moving forward and that augurs well," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a nonprofit health care advocacy group. "There really is a sea change that should not be underestimated in terms of attitude."
Among those who are receptive to a bipartisan plan and who have participated in the initial talks is Sen. Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, the ranking Republican on the Senate health committee, which Mr. Kennedy leads.
The meetings "are a testament to how people feel about him," Enzi spokesman Michael Mahaffey said. "Senator Enzi is looking forward to working with Senator Kennedy on this issue."
Mr. Kennedy's goal, his aides say, is to introduce a universal health care bill as soon as the new Congress convenes next year and to push quickly for its passage - a much-accelerated timetable compared with the last time that a health care overhaul was on the agenda, at the start of the Clinton administration.
"Senator Kennedy has spent the last several weeks laying the groundwork for reform so that we can be ready to go in 2009," said his spokesman Anthony Coley. "This is and has been the cause of Senator Kennedy's life."
He also hopes the bill's fortunes will be helped by the extensive private consultations between his staff and major players in the health care system. His aides have met with representatives of business groups, labor unions, consumer organizations, insurers, physicians, drug companies and hospitals.
President Clinton's health care initiative faltered 15 years ago largely because he was unable to gain the support of many of these key factions after constructing a plan that kept many Congress members in the dark for months.
Mr. Kennedy is also moving with the knowledge of the presidential candidate who's now leading in the polls, Sen. Barack Obama, and appears determined not to repeat the Clinton-era mistakes.
While Mr. Kennedy is shooting for universal coverage, the two men running for president - John McCain and Mr. Obama - have their own plans that many analysts say fall short of that goal. An Obama Senate aide sat in on many of the early Kennedy meetings; no McCain aide did.
The wide-ranging talks have taken place behind closed doors on Capitol Hill and have been monitored by Mr. Kennedy through daily telephone updates from his staff, said his aides and several participants.
The discussions, which started in June, included 14 roundtable meetings in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. These were attended not only by Kennedy aides but also by staffers, both Republicans and Democrats, from the Senate committees with jurisdiction over health care. Those include the Budget Committee, the Finance Committee and the committee that Mr. Kennedy leads, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Also attending was the entire panoply of interest groups with stakes in the cost and availability of health coverage. These included the AFL-CIO, the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Retail Federation, the Federation of American Hospitals, the American Medical Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, Families USA, AARP and the Consumers Union.
Mr. Kennedy's staff has started to meet regularly with a small group of people representing each facet of industry as well as consumers. Kennedy aides said they have not drafted legislation but probably will do so soon.
The conversations are extraordinary for several reasons. First, they have been bipartisan - a rarity in the increasingly polarized capital these days.
The talks also have managed to put in the same room interests that rarely meet - let alone agree with one another. No one is under the illusion that finding a compromise will be easy. Indeed, it remains unclear that a long-elusive consensus can be found. Participants agree, however, that Mr. Kennedy's active role - particularly during his convalescence - have increased the likelihood of a breakthrough.
"He sets aside several hours each day. He's calling senators. He's working tirelessly," Mr. Pollack said. "He's making things happen."
"Kennedy is really seizing the moment," said Adrienne Hahn of Consumers Union. "He's a real bridge-builder. He can bring strange bedfellows together."
Mr. Kennedy's close relationship with Mr. Obama could prove a boon to those prospects as well.
Kennedy aides say that although they were not working with the Obama campaign on their plan, they also are not considering proposals to which a President Obama would object.
"Were Obama to win, [Mr. Kennedy] will have significant influence on an Obama administration?" Mr. Pollack predicted.
The senator from Massachusetts was an early backer of Mr. Obama's presidential run, and his speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, which focused on health care reform, was one of the event's highlights.
"I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate," Mr. Kennedy told the cheering crowd in Denver. "This is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American - north, south, east, west, young, old - will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege."
But Mr. Kennedy will not be the only lawmaker to offer a health care package next year. Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, also might introduce a proposal, though a Baucus aide said the Montana Democrat plans to work closely with Mr. Kennedy.
The 76-year-old senator received a diagnosis in May of a malignant brain tumor and, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, has been recuperating at his family's compound in Hyannis Port. Insiders say he devotes several hours a day to his health care project.
"Here's a guy who has made a serious effort on health reform several times in the past and failed," said John Rother, a top executive at AARP, the senior citizens lobby. "There will be a very strong impulse in the Congress to do things for him, especially things he really cares about, and health care would be at the top of that list."
"There is this real feeling," Mr. Rother added: " 'Let's do it for Ted.' " -
ibcspouse wrote
"I agree that many are looking for change, for a visionary who will inspire from a bully pulpit. Most times that is the limited power of President due to checks and balances. This time might by dangerous. With the times and the ties to Global Economics, a filabuster proof Senate and full controll of house, may be the comming together of a perfect storm. I hope reason prevails, but have not seen much with Reed, Pelosi and Obama. That is a scary trio."
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You don't get much more telling than this letter Bill Clinton sent to the Hillary supportors....................
Dear ________,
I don't have to tell you how important this election is to our country. But I do want to tell you one thing that will make a tremendous difference for Barack Obama and Joe Biden as we go forward: A filibuster-proof Democratic Senate majority working by their side.
Now, reaching the filibuster-proof 60 votes isn't going to be easy. There are a lot of races that are just about as close as they come. Let me tell you about three must-win races where you can help put Democrats over the top.
In Minnesota, Al Franken has faced some of the worst negative attack ads we've seen this cycle, but he's got a great shot of picking up this seat for Democrats.
In Kentucky, Bruce Lunsford has the chance to kick the Republican's Senate leader out of office - and you'd better believe the GOP is putting everything they've got into this one.
And, Jim Martin is running a race in Georgia that everyone thought was a long shot, but recent polls show the race neck and neck. If you help him keep his momentum going, we can add this one to the Democratic column too.
These races are all dead heats, and all in Republican territory that we can capture. And you better believe that Republicans are shifting their resources to deliver their most offensive, over-the-top attacks into these states. It's up to us to make sure Al, Bruce, and Jim have the resources they need to fight back and win.
Help give Barack Obama a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate by contributing to Al, Bruce, and Jim's campaigns today.
I don't think it will surprise you that Hillary and I talk about the Senate races all the time. After all, she'll be working every day with the winners next year.
I know that these three races are critically important to her -- and they should be to you, too. It isn't just because they're so vital to our chances of getting 60 votes in the Senate. It's also because you can make such a difference in all of them and we know that when Democrats work together - we win.
The decision you make right now might be the factor that puts one or even all three of these great Democrats over the top on Election Day. Trust me, I've been in politics long enough to know what a difference your support can make.
With your help, we're going to have a great day on November 4. So let's keep working for these next 11 days, and then let's win together!
Thank you for everything,
Bill Clinton -
I question any effort on health care until I can read what is in the bill.
IBC, so sorry you're still not home. Keep your chin up (yeah, easy for me to say). I know you and Cam want to just get back to some kind of normalcy. You remain in my thoughts and prayers.
I had a nightmare this morning while drinking coffee!.
You wonder how I can dream while I'm awake. I have no idea. Anyway, I was thinking what if Obama gets elected. What if something happens to Obama AND Biden. PEOLSI would be our president! Oh, my gosh! Shoot, that can happen if McCain gets elected and something happens to him and Palin. 
We'll be in a mell of a hess! (didn't cuss). -
Susie, did you HAVE to post that from Clinton? Al Franken? Give me a freaking break. Who's gonna vote for him? Oh, my gosh...
Shirley
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Just heard this morning will watching Neil Cavuto that Joe the Plumber's personal life was found via Government computers? WT hell! So, there, I cussed! Joe had just learned about it. Talk about invading privacy! Just because a citizen asks a legitimate, hardball question someone gets on a computer from the government and tries to pull up all the dirt they can find on him? Wow! Unbelievable! Let's see if the MSM reports this. I'm going to do some checking.
Shirley
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Shirley---You can imagine how I felt when it showed up in my e-mail!
I'm a firm believer in checks and balances.............
Here ya go Shirley
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/24/joe.html?sid=101
Question of the day
"Why do so many conservatives think that an Obama-elect might be prove a centrist, and so why do they use phrases like “I pray” or “I hope” that Obama might turn out, well, not to be Obama?"
http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-campaign-takes-a-strange-turn/
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Shirley
You keep asking the question that can't be answered. If you ask about the twenty years of making a difference in Southside, the 100's on millions of dollars he had direction over in grants, state programs, regular legislation money and earmarks from Senate with conditions getting worst, you get the great answer of intercity schools and neighberhoods are problems and one man can't make a difference. Isn't that the only reason people support him,for one man to make a difference. Logic is not part of any post I have read over there. He breaks the color barrier, he speaks well and has a cute dance. I accept those qualifications, I vote for Jay Lo, or better yet a home town celebrity of mine, Morgan Freeman
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You can tell it's been a long day in ER, Cam is sleeping, so TV is off, did not bring a book,, so I am reading everything on site.
Amy points out we ask questions of Obama's qualifications, but why does McCain get a pass because he was a POW. That does not make him more qualified to be Commander in Chief. Does he have his war plans ready on day one of office, does he plan 9/11's for other countries.
Since we want questions, I will answer. It is not just the POW status that makes McCain qualified, but it does show his character, it gives basis for his love of country. It is the decisions he has made that show his ability. As a freshman congressman, he deflied his mentor and his party by advocating against sending Marines to Lebanon. He said a small peace keeping/observer force would not accomplish anything and would only make targets of them. Yesterday we observed the 25th anniversury of just how correct Sen. McCain was. He knew that 1500 families wanted closure on the MIA problem in Vietnam. He teamed with John Kerry, to meet with the vietmanese with pre-conditions of turn over all MIA remains and documentation in exchange for normalizing relations with our countries. This angered conservatives, and veterans, but he accomplished this, he got what he sought, and help stablize the region and conflicts between Viet Nam and it's nabors. They are now strong trading partners with us. John McCain looked Rumsfeld in the eye and told him he should quit or be fired. This at a time whem Rumsfeld and his media briefings were very popular. He told him and Bush, your stratagy in Iraq is wrong. You need a surge, two years before it happened. When Russia invaded a US ally, he was first to comdem the aggression. He was first to see who Putin was.
As to warplans and 9/11. The last person to send men to die for politics is a man that has held in his arms, men that has died because of politics.
I know Amy does not come over here to read, and tries to stay "positive" I welcome her questions and will give my view of an answer.
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WARNING: PEOPLE FROM OVER <------------------------------------ MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS POST OR CLICK ON THE LINKS I PROVIDED. Why? Because you have blind folds one and ear plugs in and you won't question your candidate. You want to make friends with the world. You think McCain can't do this, but Obama is the only one..the savior. You don't want another eight years of Bush...well, Bush isn't running this time. You want to end the war...HAHAHAHA...Obama won't do it. Some want gay marriage...Obama said marriage is between a man and a woman..that the beginning of life was "above his pay grade." What else is above his pay grade when it comes to questions and solutions. You don't want to hear that he flip flops, changes his answers constantly, has bonehead ideas that he shouldn't have done, and hasn't achieved anything that is of importance in his days as a politician except to win the game of voting "present" over 130 times and also won the prize from FANNIE AND FREDDIE for being the second highest recepient of their money. Oh, no negativity for Pete's sake! And NEVER question is relationships..no, never..only question Palin's whole entire life..like being a beauty queen that will get her picture on Penthouse or Playboy and also she has a Vagina. I hope you from over <------------------------------------------ haven't read what I've written so far because the other part is worse and you certainly do not want to know truths,
Susie, I logged back on to post about the government computer that looked into Joe the Plumber's background. How very, very sad that someone would do this. How very, very sad that Joe the Plumber has had media camped outside his house. How said the media has to bring up $150,000 that the RNC used to buy Sarah who is not a rich woman some clothes. She said she does not own those clothes. They will be auctioned off or given to charity. But, if you read on the other thread what they say about her giving her clothes to charity it's sickening. Why the hate toward this woman?
What's really sad is reading the article you posted from Pajamas Media. All of those questions should have been asked. I asked the very same question about Colin Powell's endorsement...why wait until now? My question is did he think it unwise to endorse Obama in case something "came down?" I don't think he endorsed Obama because of his race.
I found some videos on YouTube where Ayers and Dohran (wife) made speeches at some reunion. They talk about how capitalism is a failure...they'd like to see it overthrown. I've listened to the hate speech from Wright and Michael Pfleger (sp), Ayers and Dohran, and knowing that Rezco's a slum lord who Obama channeled money to,,,,even Hillary brought up Ayers and Rezco during their debates....but that seems to be off limits now... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdyMfj3bDgs&feature=related (at the end of this video Jackson, Jr., questions Hillary's tears).
And now how about Dr. Khalid al-Mansour, he hates us. Percy Sutton was Malcom X's atto rney. See what Sutton says, but don't question any relationship that Obama had with Dr. Khalid al-Mansour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTx5fZmgwIk&feature=related Put in Dr. Khalid al-Mansour on YouTube and see his hate filled speeches against us. Here, I've done one. The first part you will have heard if you watched the above video. This one when it gets about half way through you'll hear something horrible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpnaZj6Bx1c&feature=related
With all the relationships that Obama had, how can people NOT see some connection to his philosophy? I AM NOT BEING A RACIST FOR ANY OF YOU WHO ARE PEEKING OVER HERE! How can you "hang around" with these people for years and not let their beliefs rub off on you? It's just human nature. And, Dr. Khalid al-Mansour was raising money for Obama to go to Harvard? I've seen this weeks ago, but I thought I should not bring it up because I'd be accused of racism, race baiting, or accusing Obama of being a Muslim.
I'm really worried about our country. I'm worried that Obama thinks he can raise taxes on ONLY the top 5% of Americans and give checks out to the 40% who do not pay taxes. Heck, I could use a handout, but that's not what this country was founded on. I have no problem with people who need help. But I do think they should be taught to try even if the government may need to supplement their income.
I sit here almost in tears when I think of how many people are falling for someone who has no experience to run this country. Think about what Joe Biden said. That's scares the heck out of me. Or, perhaps Joe Biden was having a horrible senior moment, or he was trying to tell us to vote for McCain....the experienced on who he would have been proud to serve along side of...one that didn't need on the job training....and Hillary...McCain would be ready to be president...and Obama gave a speech.
McCain has not come down hard on Obama. He's let Obama look him in the face and laugh at him. Obama thinks it's cute. Obama has no answers. Someone needs to ask about his relationship between he and Dr. Khalid al-Mansour. Was that one of Obama's "boneheaded" relationships?
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