Results tagged “Election 2008” from Bill's Words
Cokie Roberts and Steve Inskeep review how Obama is really not going to be able to do all that much all that quickly.
Online audio here.
In the style and manner of LOLcats:
(Yes, I made this one up all by myself. There’s more good stuff that I made up at Bill’s Words.)
It took the boys and me ten minutes once we got parked.
I decided we’d get in there early, and since polls opened at 6am, we were there at about 6:45 after I’d gotten showered and dressed. Our polling place was the Tolland Senior Center instead of the Town Hall this year because of goofy school situations on the south side of the interstate which required that move. Other than being a bit crowded inside, it wasn’t too bad.
It took a few minutes to get to the “who are you” table, a few seconds to find a chair/”booth” to vote (fill in the bubble), and a few minutes in line to wait to insert the ballot into the counting machine.
It was incredibly efficient as the process was divided up into three tasks which could run at independent speeds. There were three lines for the three “your street starts with what letter” tables, which funneled into one table to get a ballot, and about 30 chairs to vote. The line for the machine was the longest, strangely, which means it was taking people a little longer to stick the paper into the machine than it was for the three table people to figure out who was voting.
We got out to the parking lot, drove out of there nicely because the cop at the exit was doing a good job.
The funniest part about it was that the herd mentality was present. Instead of driving to the closest parking lot to park, people assumed that it was full because there were cars parked all over the place and parked in the far-out places, too.
I drove into the closest lot and parked in one of the many available spaces.
Connecticut has its act together. Other than not having “vote for one in this column” directions, which would have been a good idea, we have a nice system. It has a paper trail (the ballots are sucked into the machine and kept), the system is relatively smart because it is so simple (e.g., there is no user interaction hence fewer opportunities for bugs), and the only improvement to the machine that I can think of is a big green light that says “I got it.” (I presume that the machine checks validity, as there was some mention of sticking around long enough to make sure the machine didn’t spit it back out, but I didn’t see that happen.) But a bigger “It’s OK” announcement would be good.
Yeah, I know my vote was lost in the noise here in Connecticut, but the noise is louder in Tolland than I expected, given the results of the kids’ classes voting. The ratio was about 2:1::Obama:McCain, but it’s not the blowout I thought it would be. Perhaps it’s the Tolland crowd and Obama’s promise to redistribute the wealth… I dunno’.
Hadn’t read this E-mail until just now. Even if only half the stuff this guy says is true, then voting for Obama is, well, despicable.
Anyway, here it is:
To Barack Hussein Obama,
The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008, that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008, that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with Tony Rezko than what you previously admitted. In the interview, you said that you only saw Mr. Rezko a couple of times a year. The FBI files showed that you saw him weekly. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
Your speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008, about “race” contradicted your statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when you said that you never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America .. While your attendance at Trinity Church for 20 years is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on March 14.
In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without “preparations” at lower levels… Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin… while the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered “I would” to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without “any” preconditions. While your judgement about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.
On July 14, 2008, you said that you always knew that the surge would work while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you stated that the surge would not work. While your judgement about military strategy as a potential commander-in-chief is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on July 14.
You now claim that your reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal, while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you voted against additional funding because you wanted our troops to be removed immediately… not in 16 months after the 2008 election as you now claim. While your judgement about removing our troops unilaterally in 2007 is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about your previous position.
You claim to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that you sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar… and it failed. The record shows that you vote 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that you have the most liberal voting record in the Senate. You joined Republicans only 13% of the time in your votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party. While it is of concern that you fail to include conservatives in your actions and that you are such a liberal, the greater concern is that you distorted the truth.
In the primary debates of last February, 2008, you claimed to have talked with a “Captain” of a platoon in Afghanistan “the other day” when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan .. You lied in that debate.
In your debates last spring, you claimed to have been a “professor of Constitutional law” when in fact you have never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, you were careful to say that you “taught a law class” and never mentioned being a “professor of Constitutional law.” You lied last spring.
You and Joe Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn… and he was right… corn is too expensive at producing ethanol, and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted like both of you for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as you and Joe Biden. You lied to America …
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when you know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural. You are one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the president because you have been missing from the Senate since the day you got elected. While your absence from your job in the Senate is of concern, the greater concern is that you spin the facts.
You did not take an active role in the rescue plan. You claimed that the Senate did not need you while the real reason that you abstained was because of your close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn… who all helped cause the financial problems of today… and they all made major contributions to your campaign. While your relationship with these executives and your protection of them for your brief 3 years in the Senate (along with Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and Chris Dodd) is of concern, the greater concern is that you are being deceitful.
You forgot to mention that you personally represented Tony Rezko and Acorn. Tony Rezko, an Arab and close friend to you, was convicted of fraud in Chicago real estate transactions that bilked millions of tax dollars from the Illinois government for renovation projects that you sponsored as a state senator… and Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. Tony Rezko has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to your political campaigns. You personally used your political positions to steer money to both Tony Rezko and Acorn and you used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats and you. While your relationships with Rezko and Acorn are of concern, the greater concern is that you omitted important facts about your relationships with them to America …
During your campaign, you said: “typical white person.” “They cling to their guns and religion.” “They will say that I am black.” You played the race card. You tried to label any criticism about you as racist. You divide America ..
You claim that you will reduce taxes for 95% of America , but you forgot to tell America that those reductions are after you remove the Bush tax reductions. You have requested close to $1 billion in earmarks and several million for Acorn. Your social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year and you claim that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq ) can pay for it. While your economic plan of adding 30% to the size of our federal government is of concern, the greater concern is that you are deceiving America ..
The drain to America ‘s economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 billion (less than 1% of GDP). You voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today, you say that you have always been for more oil and more nuclear. You are lying to America …
Mr. Obama, you claimed that you “changed” your mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004. The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org). You are lying to America …
Mr. Obama, you have done nothing to stop the actions of the teachers union and college professors in the USA .. They eliminated religion from our history. They teach pro gay agendas and discuss sex with students as young as first grade. They bring their personal politics into the classrooms. They disparage conservatives. They brainwash our children. They are in it for themselves… not America. Are you reluctant to condemn their actions because teachers/professors and the NEA contribute 25% of all money donated to Democrats and none to Republicans? You are deceiving America.
Oh, Mr. Obama, Teddy Roosevelt said about a hundred years ago that we Americans should first look at the character of our leaders before anything else.
Your character looks horrible. While you make good speeches, motivating speeches, your character does not match your rhetoric. You talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.
You lied to America. You lied many times. You distorted facts. You parsed your answers like a lawyer.
You distorted the record of John McCain in your words and in your advertisements.
You had associations with some very bad people for your personal political gains and then lied about those associations.
You divide America about race and about class.
Now let me compare your record of lies, distortions, race baiting, and associations to John McCain: War hero. Annapolis graduate with “Country first.” Operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy officer for 22 years. 26 years in the Senate. Straight talk. Maverick. 54% of the time participated on bills with Democrats. Never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.
Mr. Obama, at Harvard Law School, you learned that the end does not justify the means. You learned that perjury, false witness, dishonesty, distortion of truth are never tolerated. Yet, your dishonesty is overwhelming. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty that caused the impeachment and disbarment of Bill Clinton. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty of Scooter Libby. You should be ashamed.
Mr. Obama, it is time for us Americans to put aside our differences on political issues and vote against you because of your dishonest character. It is time for all of us Americans to put aside our political issues and vote for America first. It is time for America to vote for honesty.
Any people who vote for you after understanding that you are dishonest should be ashamed of themselves for making their personal political issues more important than character. Would these same people vote for the anti-Christ if the anti-Christ promised them riches? Would they make a golden calf while Moses was up the mountain? Would they hire someone for a job if that someone lied in an interview? Of course not. So why do some of these people justify their votes for you even though they know you are dishonest? Why do they excuse your dishonesty? Because some of these people are frightened about the future, the economy, and their financial security… and you are preying on their fears with empty promises… and because some (especially our young people) are consumed by your wonderful style and promises for “change” like the Germans who voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932. The greed/envy by Germans in 1932 kept them from recognizing Hitler for who he was. They loved his style. Greed and envy are keeping many Americans from recognizing you… your style has camouflaged your dishonesty… but many of us see you for who you really are… and we will not stop exposing who you are every day, forever if it is necessary.
Mr. Obama, you are dishonest. Anyone who votes for you is enabling dishonesty.
Mr. Obama, America cannot trust that you will put America first in your decisions about the future.
Mr. Obama, you are not the “change” that America deserves. We cannot trust you.
Mr. Obama, you are not ready and not fit to be commander-in-chief.
Mr. Obama, John McCain does not have as much money as your campaign to refute all of your false statements. And for whatever reasons, the mainstream media will not give adequate coverage or research about your lies, distortions, word parsing, bad associations, race baiting, lack of operational leadership experience, and generally dishonest character. The media is diverting our attention from your relationships and ignoring the fact that you lied about those relationships. The fact that you lied is much more important than the relationships themselves… just like with Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon… Monica Lewinski and Watergate were not nearly as bad as the fact that those men lied about the events… false witness… perjury… your relationships and bad judgements are bad on their own… but your lies are even worse.
Therefore, by copy of this memo, all who read this memo are asked to send it to everyone else in America before it is too late. We need to do the job that the media will not do. We need to expose your dishonesty so that every person in America understands who you really are before election day.
Mr. Obama, in a democracy, we get what we deserve. And God help America if we deserve you.
Michael Master McLean, Virginia
If only people realized that there was nothing good about the Clinton administration (credit the liberal mainstream media for that coverup), that Bush got handed a bucket of crap as a result, that “hope” and “change” are not policies, that throwing the baby out with the bathwater (as opposed to taking a more, ahem, conservative and incremental approach) is usually a bad idea, and that experience doing something other than taking handouts for pretend jobs is important, the apocolypse wouldn’t be happening tomorrow.
But sheep will be sheep.
Wonder how many hills there are in Hawaii?
(That one may take you a while to figure out.)
Clear and succinct, and though I’ve said some of these points before (here, for example), here they are again, just in case you’re one of the seven.
I went looking and had a hard time finding any kind of table that compares candidates’ positions on the issues. This is the closest I got.
Now, recognizing that “hope” and “change” (Obamacrats) as well as “I am not George W. Bush” (McCainicans) are not policies, what do you know about your favorite candidate’s policies?
Are you as dumb as these people? Or do you know what your candidate stands for?
Talk amongst yourselves.
Article here.
Now there’s a shock.
The weird thing is that the article says, and I quote:
The stunning decline of oil prices in recent weeks has left oil-exporting countries fearful that they will have to cut government budgets, including the popular social programs that cement many leaders’ hold on power.
So what social programs did these dictators put into place in the course of less than two years? In the United States, the only social program we managed to put into place in the course of less than two years (which was the last time prices were this low) was to hand out cash.
Hmmm… Is that what they’re doing with our money?
Or is it this?
Or is it both?
Drill, baby, drill!, indeed!
Article here.
My wife and I will likely fall into the “Obama’s Wealth Redistribution” category when he is elected. (Sorry, Senator McCain, but you keep shooting yourself in the foot and unless you pull off a miracle—and I’m praying for one—on November 4th, B. Hussein Obama will win the election.) Even though our income will be greater than Obamessiah’s magic (and arbitrary) number of $250,000, we’re paid not much more per hour than some telemarketers, drafters, RN’s, and other not-usually-considered-rich people.
I’m the less-hard-working of the two of us. I work 40-hour weeks. A lot of those “less rich” people mentioned above work harder than I do. So perhaps I deserve to be taxed a little more than most.
But my wife is another story entirely. She works 70+ hours per week to earn that money, and she works harder than many of those people who aren’t considered “rich” by Obamessiah. And yet she still earns less per hour than those folks I mentioned above. Talk about your disincentives!
So, is $250,000 a fair number? It doesn’t matter: it’s the method used to determine who’s rich and who’s not. It doesn’t take into account how hard someone works for that money, and it certainly doesn’t take into account how that person’s take-home pay is used. Is it being saved? Is it being invested? (These are two activities that we in the US punish, not reward, and I’m betting that Hussein will continue that trend by increasing capital gains taxes.)
So tax the rich more, but for goodness’ sake, tax those who don’t work for their money (lucky gamblers and lottery winners come to mind). Tax the people who are significantly overpaid. (What attorney is worth $1000 per hour? What CEO is worth $20,000 per hour? What entertainer is worth $73,000 per hour?).+
Bottom line, Barry: Don’t assume that earning money makes us rich. Working for a fair wage and being paid a fair wage should not be the handicap you would have it be.
+ I took the numbers I found at the referenced sites and divided them by 80 hours per week, 52 weeks a year. That’s being ridiculously conservative and makes their hourly rates appear to be smaller than they really are. In reality, how many hours per week do these guys work? And how many of them work 52 weeks per year, i.e., with no vacation? Again, taking that into account would only serve to increase their hourly rate.
For example, if Howard Stern works only, say, sixty hours per week and 50 weeks per year, his hourly rate goes from $73,000 to $101,000. Can you say “absurd,” boys and girls?
Good. I knew you could.
How come I’ve never seen these two stickers on the same car?
And how come there isn’t a “Christians for Obama” sticker available on Obama’s website?
There’s one for Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, First Americans (?!), women, gays, lesbians, Catholics, Hebrews, Veterans and even Republicans…
Sarah Palin will face a pretty tough opponent in tomorrow’s Veep Debate. Biden is pretty good with the rhetoric, thinks fast on his feet, and will run over her if she’s not careful.
So how should she approach this monumentally-difficult task?
First, and foremost, she should deflate his sails however possible. Right up front, she should admit to her inexperience in international affairs and do her best to show that she, though a tough “hockey mom,” is also a fallible human being, that she’s not perfect. Biden won’t be able to use those points against her then.
Second, she’ll have to do a great job of differentiating herself from the old white guys (OWGs) in Washington without alienating the people who are relying on the fact that McCain is indeed an OWG.
Third, she’ll have to defend herself against the one-heartbeat-away argument by emphasizing that she is a leader, not a follower as many in government are (and which Obama aspires to be).
Finally, obviously, she can’t promote herself as anything similar to Obama; portraying herself with “young is better than old” would only serve to promote Obama’s position. And she should stick to her guns. If indeed she adheres to creationist doctrine, she shouldn’t waffle if questioned. If she thought the “bridge to nowhere” was a good idea at one point until she changed her mind, she should emphasize that she isn’t so dogmatic in views that she can’t be swayed by logic and reason. The McCain-Palin camp would be wise to have worked each of these attacks into Republican-winning, undecided-swaying rhetoric which—and this is important—she really believes.
It’s going to be tough, but, hey, if Obama can make it on looks and youth, his primary strengths, then Palin should be able to kick his butt, even though she’s playing second fiddle to McCain.
‘Nuff said.
Article here
“I mean, he’s never run a city, he’s never run a state, he’s never run a business, he’s never administered a payroll, he’s never led people in crisis,” Giuliani said.
And yet somehow he feels qualified to lead a country. Oh, wait. Never mind. He’ll most likely follow a country.
And I’m glad for it, too. I want someone who will stand up for what he believes in.
Article here.
A direct quote of Joe Biden’s acceptance speech:
“[McCain] voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage+. For people who are struggling just to get to the next day, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.”
What Biden is saying is that John McCain stuck to his beliefs and that’s bad. Instead of sticking up for what they believe in, it’s clear that Joe and Barack will govern according to popular opinion, consequences be damned. That is called following. If you want followers, vote for Obama and Biden. But I, for one, want a leader and do not want someone in the White House whose decisions change with the tide, latest health-food craze, or who’s most popular on “American Idol.”
Change? If it’s change for the good, then, change is good. But change for the sake of change is the kind of policy that will accelerate the demise of our nation.
+Yes, McCain voted against bills which included, among other things which also may have been objectionable to him and his constituency, raising minimum wage. But he also voted for raising the minimum wage on at least one occasion. See this article. Funny how people tend to take a vote against a multi-faceted bill as a vote against each item in isolation when it suits their purposes.
For that matter, Biden voted against minimum wage increases on at least one occasion, too. And to think they’re selling change to the American people when it’s just more of the same after all. Sigh.
If I were John McCain, right about now I’d be thinking along these lines:
How much is it worth to me to have a Republican National Convention?
The Democrats are going to blow a lot of money on their convention, but they have to have a final showdown, apparently.
On the other hand, I’m the frontrunner… nah, I may as well go ahead and say it… I’m the Republican nominee for President. Why do I need a convention?
What if I said, Aw, screw it, let’s give the money to a worthwhile cause, like housing, homelessness, education… education! There’s a good one!
Now how much is that worth in good publicity? Can I have a “virtual convention” somehow? Use the Intertubes to save the party—and the country—some significant bucks?
Or maybe that’s not what I’d be thinking if I were John McCain. But you never know.
Article here.
Another take:
Scandal rolls off the Clintons’ backs as easily as Whitewater rolls off a duck’s back.
Article here.
Another take:
Clinton's ethics summarized: Conflict of interest, resign. Lie Misspeak, keep on runnin'.
Article here.
Another take: Don’t miss the investors list of the Burkle Firm, especially the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Fear not, though, Billary supporters! Somebody on staff will certainly come up with a question about a definition, a blatant lie, or something misspoken to explain it.
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