TOP 10 OBAMA FLIP-FLOPS ON FUNDAMENTAL POLICY ISSUES

By Blogonaut

We have been hearing a lot of criticism from John McCain calling Obama a flip-flopper. So we wondered, on how many important policy issues has Obama changed his position in an attempt to make himself a more appealing presidential candidate?

We counted 10 such flip-flops. Here they are in no particular order:

1. SPECIAL INTERESTS. In January, the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as "special interest" money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of "working people" and says he is "thrilled" by their support.

2. THE CUBA EMBARGO. In January 2004, Obama said it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow Castro." Speaking to a Cuban American audience in Miami in August 2007, he said he would not "take off the embargo" as president because it is "an important inducement for change."

3. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. In a March 2004 questionnaire, Obama was asked if the government should "crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants." He replied "Oppose." In a Jan. 31, 2008, televised debate, he said that "we do have to crack down on those employers that are taking advantage of the situation."

4. DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. While running for the U.S. Senate in January 2004, Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use. In the Oct. 30, 2007, presidential debate, he joined other Democratic candidates in opposing the decriminalization of marijuana.

5. NAFTA. During the primary season, Obama hammered Hillary Clinton for her support of NAFTA as First Lady, calling the free trade agreement "devastating" and "a big mistake." Now, in an interview with Fortune to be featured in the magazine's upcoming issue, the presumptive Democratic nominee said that NAFTA has indeed been positive for the US in some ways, and that his earlier criticism - while trying to convince white blue collar voters in some states to vote for him - was 'overheated and amplified.'

6. THE DEATH PENALTY. 10 years ago, when Obama was running for statewide office in an ultra-liberal Chicago district, he opposed the death penalty. As Obama announced this week, he now supports the ultimate penalty.

7. HANDGUN BAN. For 8 years—before becoming a US Senator—Obama sat on the board of a non-profit which contributed $2.7 million to efforts advocating for a complete ban on handguns. (Before that, Obama filled out a questionnaire in 1996 stating that he supported a ban on the manufacture, sale AND POSSESSION of handguns.) But starting with his primary campaign in the gun popular Midwest, Obama now opposes such legislation, and claims to support gun owner’s rights.

8. PROPOSED FISA LAW IMMUNITY FOR TELECOMS. In October, 2007, Obama pledged that if the FISA bill contained an immunity provision for telecoms, he would not only oppose the bill, he would help block it through a filibuster. This week, he voted for the bill, telecom immunity provisions and all.

9. PUBLIC FINANCING FOR OBAMA’S GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN. In November, 2007, Obama issued a written pledge to opt into the public campaign finance system for the general presidential election, if the Republican nominee also did so. John McCain immediately accepted the pledge, which acceptance Obama acknowledged in writing in November 2007. After he became the Republican nominee, McCain opted into the public finance system (as he pledged to do), but Obama broke his pledge and opted out.

10. THE WAR IN IRAQ. In 2004—when Obama was running for the United States Senate-- Barack Obama not only said that he was open to a U.S. troop increase in Iraq, but warned against a premature troop withdrawal as a "slap in the face to the troops fighting there" which could make Iraq "an extraordinary hotbed of terrorist activity." Fast forward to Obama’s presidential campaign premised in large part on an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

These 10 examples evince 180 degree changes by the Senator from Chicago on fundamental issues going to the core of Obama as a candidate, and provide important indications of whether the “change” candidate will do what he promises to do in the campaign to court our votes.

Legitimate questions are also raised as to whether Obama is accurately portraying himself during the election process, or is he simply feinting to the middle like the good basketball player he is?

How many more Obama flip-flops can we expect before November, 2008, and to what extent can the “change” candidate continue to portray himself a different kind of politician who rejects “politics as usual”?

Quote of the Day

Michelle Obama:

“I mean, ‘whitey’? That’s something that George Jefferson would say. Anyone who says that doesn’t know me. They don’t know the life I’ve lived. They don’t know anything about me.”

Conservatives Are Full Of It.

Former UN ambassador John Bolton claims Iranian missile could possibly ‘hit some military installations’ in the U.S.

The current range of Iran’s Shahab missiles is said to be 1,200 miles, but the United States and Iran are much more than 1,200 miles apart. The approximate distance between Tehran and Washington, D.C. is actually 6,340 miles.

Republican hack Mary Matalin repeats lie about China drilling off the coast of Cuba.

Conservative pundit Mary Matalin insisted on opening more U.S. land, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil drilling, claiming that the U.S. is “the only nation” impeding efforts at more drilling. She repeated the conservatives’ current favorite lie: that China is drilling near Cuba, just off the coast of Florida — even though the lie has been thoroughly debunked and Vice President Cheney himself has admitted the story was false.

Barack Obama's Speech on Father's Day

Everything Is Not About You or The Clintons

Seriously.

Hiring Patti Solis Doyle, which one can argue is a bad managerial move, is not an insult or a slap in the face to Hillary Clinton. People like Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left and the Clinton dead enders are going to have a melt down when Obama does not pick Hillary Clinton as his Vice Presidential running mate.

John Cole:

So hiring former Clinton staffers is a slap in the face, thinking about nominating a woman other than Clinton as VP is a slap-in-the-face, and, well, pretty much everything is a slap-in-the-face. THE QUEEN BEE DOES NOT HAVE THE NOMINATION, AND EVERYTHING IS A SLAP IN THE FACE.

John McCain: Swimmers Needed 'To Get Bin Laden'

Apparently the only thing stopping us from getting Bin Laden is the lack of human spies who can swim in between the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, once again giving the American people the straight talk.

“I will look you in the eye and promise you that I will get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice,” McCain said in response to a direct question from one of the 2,000 people in attendance at the college’s Pemberton campus gym.

McCain said the key to ending the long search for bin Landen was to increase the number of human spies abroad.

“We need better human intelligence. We need people who can swim in the water,” McCain said.

As the map above notes, there is no mass of water in between the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. So, what the hell is the very serious John McCain talking about?

JUDGE KOZINSKI GETS BAD RAP WITH “PORN’ ACCUSATION

By Stephen Gianelli
June 13, 2008

By now most of the world has read about the Los Angeles judge presiding over a porn trial (involving fetish material) who was allegedly “caught” with fetish porn himself. Except that, the truth is a little different. Let me explain.

First, the “judge” is Justice Alex Kozinski, who not only has a brilliant legal mind and an impeccable and distinguished reputation as a federal appellate judge, he just took over as the chief Judge of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. He was randomly assigned to preside over a pornography trial scheduled to begin a few days ago in Los Angeles—something federal appellate judges sometimes do.

As the trial was just getting under way, someone hacked into a web archive maintained by Justice Kozinski’s family (including his adult son, Yale), downloaded material without permission, then leaked to the LA Times the accusation that Kozinski had a personal fetish porn stash of his own.

My first take was that if the Kozinski material was similar to the “porn” in the trial he is presiding over (it reportedly included “fetish” and “bestiality” themes), given that Kozinski had publicly commented to the The Times that he did not think the material on his home server was “obscene”, a reasonable person might doubt his impartiality to sit on such a case.

However, I have since looked at the material myself, and in doing so have concluded there is no legal or moral issue involved.

There is nothing there that is "obscene", and most of the material is not even pornographic.

For example, the so called “bestiality” themed material is simply a humorous (in a juvenile way) You Tube style video of a visibly aroused donkey chasing a laughing fat guy around a field. It is not intended to arouse.

The other talked about item in reality consisted of two gorgeous fashion models whose naked bodies are painted to look like cow hide. They are not doing anything sexual, and are smiling. Hardly controversial stuff. I have seen racier photos in Vogue and Esquire--let alone Playboy and Penthouse.

The so called “striptease” “slideshow” is simply one of those PowerPoint joke email attachments that invite the reader to “spot the real woman” as opposed to the sprinkled in transsexuals. Except for the naked “reveals” I saw the same thing on a Maury Povich TV episode. I used to get stuff like this all the time from some of my real estate clients.

Second, the material was maintained on a family server that stored family photos, videos, and the like. An archive where the Kozinski family stored digital files of all sorts.

While the site was not password protected, one would have to know the web directory extension name to access it, since none of the material was indexed or registered with any search engine. This was a private web archived file that a persistent disgruntled former litigant prowled around and essentially hacked in to find and then download without permission in order to hurt Kozinski. The fact that Kozinski was temporarily in Los Angeles presiding over a pornography trial, and that the material was leaked to a Los Angels newspaper as that trial was just getting underway speaks volumes about the motives of the hacker/leaker.

Unfortunately, the story line “judge presiding over porn trial gets caught with porn” is just too “dog bites man” for the media to look beneath the surface of the that rather appealing sound bite—so the story has rocketed around the world—just at the malicious hacker intended.

Judge Kozinski treats his clerks well (by all accounts, very well), has a brilliant legal mind, has a reputation for intellectual honesty, does not take himself too seriously, is an all around nice guy, a good husband and father, and he has been badly embarrassed by what has turned out to be a tempest in a teapot.

Quote of the Day

DNC Chairman Howard Dean:

“Once again John McCain’s campaign is trying to mislead the American people. Senator McCain should understand that after seven years of a President who has divided Americans and pursued a scorched earth policy full of misleading propaganda campaigns, we need a leader who understands he is the President for all Americans not just his supporters. If Senator McCain likes to brag so much about running a transparent campaign, why is he copying the Bush campaign model by stacking this event with his prescreened supporters? If that is John McCain’s idea of straight talk, the American people are in for a long and disappointing campaign season.”

John McCain on Privatizing Social Security

Who are you going to believe the John McCain of 2008 or the John McCain or 2004?

John McCain & this Allies of Hate

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, the Republican National Committee and people who are spreading anti-Obama rumors have a common cause to defeat Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. The straight talking John McCain who claims to be a man of principle will not reject or denounce these efforts to slime Obama as a terrorist, muslin, marxist, communist and anti-American. It is the only way McCain can win the Presidency. Fear and Karl Rove tactics will be guidelines John MCain will base this campaign on.

The Obama Campaign has set up Fight the Smears website to debunk the rumors.

Barack Obama is a Black Man and he has a Black Family

Which is totally unacceptably to Fox News, the Conservative Movement, the Republican Party, unhinged Clinton supporters, hate talk radio and their allies. Sometime between now and November, somebody is just going to go out and say that a N***** can not be President.

In till then, they are going to use code words and dog whistle to make Barack Obama unacceptable.

This will keep happening. Fox News will keep finding ways to remind its viewers that the Obamas are black (and possibly Muslim), Michelle Malkin will continue to make excuses for Fox News’ dog-whistling racism that expose the fact that she’s about as familiar with logical thinking as a rainbow trout is with knitting, and eventually some portion of the Fox News audience will get to the ballot box in November convinced that they’re not really racists, they just know that there’s something about that Obama boy they just don’t like. This is how it will go. Let’s not pretend it’s not part of equation, this election year.

McCain of 2008 vs McCain of 2005

Who are you going to believe the John McCain of 2005 or the McCain of 2008?

John McCain’s Tax Plan would benefit Wealthy American

I know, it's shocking.

A detailed analysis of the candidates' tax plans confirms one of Barack Obama's top arguments against John McCain: the Arizona senator's proposals would offer substantial benefits to wealthy Americans.

An analysis of both campaigns proposals by the Washington-based, nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found that for people with incomes between $66,354 and $111,645, Obama's proposals would cut their taxes by more than $1000, compared to around $300 under McCain's plan. But for Americans with incomes above $603,402, Obama would raise their taxes dramatically, by more than $115,000 a year, while McCain would cut them by $45,000.

"The Obama tax plan would make the tax system significantly more progressive by providing large tax breaks to those at the bottom of the income scale and raising taxes significantly on upper-income earners," the group concludes. "The McCain tax plan would make the tax system more regressive.... It would do so by providing relatively little tax relief to those at the bottom of the income scale while providing huge tax cuts to households at the very top of the income distribution."

On a related note:

The McCains' marriage has mixed business and politics from the beginning, according to an expansive review by The Associated Press of thousands of pages of campaign, personal finance, real estate and property records nationwide. The paperwork chronicles the McCains' ascent from Arizona newlyweds to political power couple on the national stage.

As heiress to her father's stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix, Cindy McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings have afforded the GOP presidential nominee a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him launch his political career - even if the millions remain in her name alone.

Photo of the Day

(Photo Via Five Thirty Eight)

That is a picture of the signage at an extremely popular (and very good) taqueria in my neighborhood in Chicago. They have a conspicuously large sign which is visible from a major intersection and is probably worth a couple thousand bucks a month in advertising impressions, and have decided to devote roughly the bottom third of it to a homemade testament to Barack Obama.

John McCain is Computer Illiterate

When asked whether he is a Mac or PC person, John McCain answered:

Neither, I'm an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance I can get.

Fresh off of comparing Senator Obama to William Jennings Bryan and then to President Jimmy Carter, Republican John McCain proves he is a man of the 19th century.

Is Bill O’Reilly a Racist?

Yes.

Bill O’Reilly:

While discussing ninth-grade students at a school in New Jersey who were suspended for distributing topless photographs of their classmates, Bill O'Reilly stated, "But it's an amazing amount of kids involved with this -- 20 -- in an affluent school district. This isn't, you know, the inner city; you would think that these kids would have some kind of a values system."

Quote of the Day

John McCain:

On the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush. -- June. 19, 2005

Clueless on Iraq: John McCain

The Carpetbagger Report:

Whether he’s 72 or 22 is irrelevant — he’s been consistently wrong about Iraq, demonstrating time and again that he just doesn’t understand the basics.

* McCain has been confused about how many U.S. troops are in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about whether the U.S. can maintain a long-term presence in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about the source of violence in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about Iran’s relationship with al Qaeda.

* McCain has been confused about the difference between Sunni and Shi’ia.

* McCain has been confused about Gen. Petraeus’ responsibilities in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about what transpired during the Maliki government’s recent offensive in Basra.

* McCain has been confused about Gen. Petraeus’ ability to travel around Baghdad “in a non-armed Humvee.”

* McCain has been so confused about Iraq, in November 2006, he couldn’t even do a live interview about the war without reading prepared notes on national television.

John McCain: Not Too Important

The DNC slams Republican John McCain over this "not too important" comment.

Do you want a neo-empire in the Middle East?

If your answer is yes, then Republican John McCain is your candidate.

Andrew Sullivan:

That's the critical question in this campaign: do Americans want a neo-empire in the Middle East? Do they want US troops permanently stationed in Iraq with up to 60 permanent bases? That's what the Bush administration wants to foist onto Iraq; and that's what McCain believes in. The viral video now buzzing on the Internets is not a gaffe, it's the truth. McCain would love to see US troops stationed peacefully in Iraq for the foreseeable future. To him it does not matter when they come home. What matters is that the casualty rate get low enough to persuade Americans they shouldn't care about another expansion of American empire. In fact, the entire debate about bringing them home is puzzling and frustrating to McCain. After all, why should we bring them home when being there for ever is the point?

John McCain on Bring the Troops Home: Not Too Important

On NBC's "Today" show, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain was asked whether he could estimate when U.S. troops could leave post-surge Iraq.

"No, but that's not too important," McCain said. "What's important is casualties in Iraq.

Harry Reid, Senate majority leader:

McCain’s statement today that withdrawing troops doesn’t matter is a crystal-clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course -– Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war."

Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:

"I think many of our brave soldiers and their families would disagree that it's 'not too important' when they come home. Knowing when our troops can come home from Iraq is vitally important, because the costs of staying with 140,000 or more troops are getting steeper every day. ... It is long past time to refocus our foreign policy on the many challenges we face, not just Iraq. Like President Bush, Sen. McCain cannot tell the American people when, or even if, Iraqis will come together politically -- which was [the] purpose of the surge in the first place. He can't tell us when, or even if, we will draw down below pre-surge levels. He can't tell us when, or even if, Iraq will be able to stand on its own two feet. He can't tell us when, or even if, this war will end."

Rahm Emanuel, House Democratic Caucus chair:

"Once again, John McCain has displayed a fundamental misunderstanding about the situation in Iraq, our strained military, and American troops and their families. ... With each passing day, the more John McCain talks about Iraq, the more the American people are reminded of how much we need change in Washington -- not more of the same from Sen. McCain."

Senator John Kerry:

Speaking of military families, Kerry said: "To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home."

Kerry also cast the comments as proof that McCain is befuddled about the situation our military finds itself in. "Our generals have made it crystal clear that we cannot sustain our forces in Iraq at this level," he said.

"Senator McCain, it is important when they come home," Kerry concluded. "It is important when we can revitalize our military."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

"Senator McCain’s statement that it is ‘not too important’ when U.S. troops are redeployed from Iraq is yet another indication how out of touch he is with the effect the war in Iraq is having on the readiness of our military. Addressing the national security implications of the military readiness crisis ought to be considered as extremely important by someone who aspires to be commander in chief.

"The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said again yesterday that our military commitment in Iraq is hindering our ability to meet threats to our national security in places such as Afghanistan. Military leaders agree that the demands of frequent deployments to Iraq are stretching our Army to the breaking point, and that unacceptable strain is being placed on our troops, their families, and their equipment.

"For our military readiness, for the families of our brave men and women in uniform, and for our national security, America needs a New Direction in Iraq -- not the continuation of the Bush-McCain plan for an endless war in Iraq.”

Only a Fool: John McCain

You Tube is going to piss off John McCain this whole election season.

Quote of the Day

Obama's Communications Director:

Responding to a McCain attack on taxes on Fox, details whose taxes will go up:

"He's going to raise taxes on those wealthy lobbyists that work for the McCain campaign," he says.

HOW MCCAIN CAN LAND 18 MILLION CLINTON SUPPORTERS

For some reason we are on the RNC mailing list, and yesterday received a written PUSH “poll” asking us to express our sentiments on—bottom line—whether the “Republican” agenda should extol far right “values”.

As one Republican presidential candidate famously said: “Read my lips”:

In view of the dismal shape President Bush has left us in—budget surplus GONE, economic growth GONE, world image of America IN TATTERS, economy IN RECESSION—the RNC needs to move to the center to capture the White House, and to assure that yet another inexperienced presidential candidate (Barack Obama) does not do even more untold damage to our country.

Both President Bush and Senator Obama had and have the best of intentions—but therein lays the road to hell.

Moreover, the RNC needs to realize that in this election, at this time, the only Republican candidate with a chance of preventing the potential debacle (in a series of presidential debacles) presented by an Obama administration is for John McCain to affirm the reasons for his appeal, and not to pander to the far right of the Republican party.

Both Obama and McCain purport to be maverick, change the system candidates, who claim to eschew partisan politics in favor of the common good.

Only one candidate, John McCain, has any significant track record of doing just that.

To be sure, Obama has other—more superficial but nevertheless highly effective--advantages over McCain, including his ability to move a crowd, give a speech, and to appeal to something inside most Americans that makes us feel good about the idea of electing a black president, but John McCain is the only nominee to have lived his principles, and politics be damned.

Obama is too far to the left to credibly move to the center, but John McCain is already a moderate Republican, who could easily capture the center of American politics (and the 50% of the Democratic electorate who supports Senator Clinton) with just a few assurances. If McCain made it clear that, despite his personal views, he would take no action as president (including but not limited to the appointment of Supreme Court Judges) undermining a woman’s right to chose, he would have this election sewn up. McCain already has 50% of Americans on his side, announcing his pledge to not interfere with a woman's right to chose would bring into his fold Hillary Clinton's core constituency: Woman over 30.

The most important issues affecting Americans in a real way are our quality of life, as reflected in the condition of the economy and our environment, and our national security.

The least impactful issues relate to social conservatism: Fussing about how OTHERS conduct themselves in terms of their lifestyle choices.

The RNC has to decide, at least this year, what is more important: Electing John McCain president, eliminating the death tax, not increasing the 28% capital gains tax, keeping other taxes low and reducing spending (in aid of a balanced budget)—or making a philosophical point about telling other people how to live their lives.

Too much is at stake in this election for the Republicans—and John McCain—to do anything but capture the political center of this country. Make no mistake, Obama could very well win this election unless the RNC gets pragmatic this presidential season, and allows its cantidate to move to the center on lifesytle issues--including abortion.

Quote of the Day

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

“Over the past 16 months, tens of millions of Americans from all walks of life have been inspired to support Barack Obama's historic campaign for President, and with good reason: he is a once-in-a-generation leader who connects with the hopes and dreams of the American people and will deliver the long-overdue change that our country desperately needs”

John McCain Vs. Women’s Rights

When it comes to women’s health, John McCain is just plain out of touch.

John McCain is one of only a few Senators to earn a Zero percent lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund, and he only scored that high because the organization doesn’t have a lower rating…. Let’s look at his record:

He voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control (3/22/03).

He voted against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education (7/25/06).

He voted against international family planning funding (3/14/96).

He voted against funding to prevent teen and unintended pregnancies (3/17/05).

He voted against public education for emergency contraception (3/17/05).

And he voted against restoring Medicaid funding that could be used for family planning for low-income women (3/17/05).

NPR reported (2/2/08) that, “Many Republican voters seem to believe, incorrectly, that the current Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John McCain, supports abortion rights.”

John McCain wants us to believe that he’s a moderate who supports improving the health of women in the United States, but in fact he’s among the most extreme members of Congress who voted against common sense measures on family planning, sex education and access to basic healthcare.

Barack Obama:

"From the first moment a woman dared to speak that hope - dared to believe that the American Dream was meant for her too - ordinary women have taken on extraordinary odds to give their daughters the chance for something else; for a life more equal, more free, and filled with more opportunity than they ever had. In so many ways we have succeeded, but in so many areas we have much work left to do.”

John McCain Supporter: "How Do We Beat the Bitch"

Photo of the Day

Barack Obama:

"If you're in a fight, and we are going to be in a fight, you want Jim Webb to have your back."

John McCain Defends Bush's Iraq Strategy

John McCain will continue Iraq policies of President Bush as President.

John McCain: "I do not support Roe versus Wade"

John McCain will overturn the law that legalized the women right to choose.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, looking to improve his standing with the party's conservative voters, said the law that legalized abortion should be overturned.

John McCain Opposes Expanded GI Bill, Passes Senate

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain:

By a vote of 75-22, the Senate approved an expanded version of the GI bill today. Proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., it's the biggest expansion of the bill in the past quarter-century, according to the New York Times. But it has also been opposed by, among others, President Bush and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain:

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, told CNN Wednesday he agrees with President Bush's veto of legislation expanding a children's health insurance program, saying the bill provided a "phony smoke and mirrors way of paying for it."

McCain: Would Be "Fine" To Keep Troops in Iraq for "A Hundred Years"

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain:

The United States military could stay in Iraq for "maybe a hundred years" and that "would be fine with me," John McCain told two hundred or so people at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, on Thursday evening.

John McCain Supports Privatizing Social Security

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain will continue to push President Bush policy of privatizing Social Security as President.

John McCain Economic Policy Shaped By Lobbyist

Swiss bank paid Phil Gramm, McCain national campaign co-chair, to push agenda on U.S. mortgage crisis.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s national campaign general co-chair was being paid by a Swiss bank to lobby Congress about the U.S. mortgage crisis at the same time he was advising McCain about his economic policy, federal records show.

John McCain Votes to Filibuster Minimum Wage Hike

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain:

Senator John McCain joined his fellow Republicans to vote to maintain a filibuster on the minimum wage hike. This is clearly a vote to win him financial backing and support from the elites, but it is one that should come back to haunt him in his Presidential bid.

A hike in the minimum wage is supported by at least 75% of Americans -- that number includes a large percentage of Republicans. And it's an issue you can use to win -- as Sherrod Brown learned in Ohio, a state where I'm guessing McCain will want to perform well.

2008 will likely be the year when the rightwing economic vision and electoral reality collide into eachother. This vote is a clear example of how that will happen.

REPUBLICANS LAUNCH NEW ANTI-OBAMA AD UPON REZKO CONVICTION

Within 24 hours of the 16 count conviction of Tony Rezko, the RNC has launched a new ad highlighting the links between Barack Obama and his real-estate partner and fundraiser. Titled “Obama’s Money Man—link above.

WHY DID OBAMA PAY A CRIMINAL $64k FOR A TINY STRIP OF LAND?

[NRO]

Barack Obama’s friend and fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko was found guilty today of mail fraud, wire fraud, soliciting bribes, and money laundering in connection to a federal investigation into political corruption in the state of Illinois. Rezko now faces sentencing on 16 of 24 counts, some of which carry punishments of up to 20 years in prison.

Steven Spruiell thinks that Barack Obama is guilty “of maintaining a close relationship with Rezko long after it had become clear that Rezko’s primary business was buying and selling political influence for personal gain.” Spruiell writes:

“The following fact pattern was out in the open long before Obama severed his
ties to Rezko (sometime in late 2006): In 1983, Rezko started raising a lot of
money for Chicago politicians. In 1989, he and his partner Daniel Mahru started
vacuuming up deals with the city to develop low-income housing, despite having
virtually zero experience in the field. They proceeded to obtain over $100
million in city, state, and federal grants and bank loans to develop 30 run-down
properties into affordable-housing projects, earning $6.9 million for
themselves. By 2007, the city had sued them numerous times for failing to heat
these properties; over half of the properties had fallen into foreclosure, and
six of them were boarded up.”Obama helped put one of these deals together during
his time as a junior associate at Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland. Other
lawyers at Davis Miner helped Rezko acquire half of the properties that fell
into disrepair. And many of these properties were located in the district Obama
represented as an Illinois state senator. Nonetheless, Obama told the Chicago
Sun-Times that he was unaware of Rezko’s growing reputation as a slumlord until
he read Sun-Times reporter Tim Novak’s two-part
series on the subject. So we are to believe (yet again) that Obama was the last
person to know what one of his longtime friends was up to.

“Even if Obama can claim plausible deniability about the deteriorating shape of Rezko’s slums, he faces a more difficult challenge in explaining why he entered into a
real-estate deal with Rezko after the Chicago papers had run over 100 stories
about the clouds gathering over Rezko’s head. When the Obamas were looking for a
new house in the summer of 2005, Rezko helped them buy their dream home by purchasing an adjoining lot they could not afford, then selling them a strip of the land on which they wanted to build a fence.”

“Obama may have thought all of his interactions with Rezko were above-board, but they weren’t. One of the counts against Rezko detailed how he funneled the proceeds of an illegal kickback scheme into Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign. Rezko’s co-conspirator, a former trustee of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) named Stuart Levine, told the jury that he directed the TRS to invest $50 million with a firm called Glencoe Capital. In exchange, Levine arranged for himself and Rezko to be paid a fraudulent $500,000 “finder’s fee.” Levine routed Rezko’s half to an associate named Joseph Aramanda in March of 2004. That month, Aramanda wrote a $10,000 check to Barack Obama’s campaign.”

It will be interesting to see, now that Rezko is facing 16 years in prison, whether the Chicago financier and convicted swindler will try to roll on his old friend Barack Obama in exchange for a reduction in his sentence. If that happens, this could be an interesting presidential election season indeed.

ANDERSON COOPER TELLS DONNA BRAZILE “I WANT TO BE YOUR BOO”

[WSJ Blog Buzzwatch]

To deem a person “my boo” is to effectively designate that person as one’s sweetheart.

Buzzwatch reports that last night, the phrase surfaced unexpectedly in CNN’s political coverage in an exchange between program host Anderson Cooper and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.

Fending off Mr. Cooper’s attempt to get her to reveal details of a conversation with Barack Obama, Ms. Brazile said, “Anderson, you’re not my boo.” Mr. Cooper replied, “I want to be your boo,” prompting laughter among the assembled guests. “I’m not even sure what that means, exactly,” Mr. Cooper added.

The You Tube clip of the Cooper-Brazile exchange is linked above.

BTW, Trans World News reported in a related post that Anderson Cooper “is openly gay”. Now that is news to us.

OHIO MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO AL-QAIDA TERROR PLOT

[AP]

A Columbus, Ohio man has essentially admitted in federal court to being an al-Qaida sleeper agent by pleading guilty to charges that he planned terrorist attacks on behalf of the terror organization.

According to the AP story:

Christopher Paul, 44, pleaded guilty to a count that carries a maximum life prison sentence, but entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors that calls for a 20-year term.

U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frost accepted the plea but said he would not give final approval to the deal until he sees the government's pre-sentence report, which is not expected for several months.

No sentencing date was set.

Paul pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction — specifically bombs — in terrorist attacks. Prosecutors agreed to drop charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to provide support to terrorists.

Paul, a U.S. citizen born and raised in Ohio, didn't make a statement; his attorneys left the court without commenting and did not immediately return messages. Paul was indicted in April 2007 and had been set to go to trial early next year.

The plea doesn't specify where Paul planned to use bombs. But the charge corresponds with a statement prosecutors presented in court Tuesday that Paul plotted with a German terror group to bomb Americans at home and abroad. Paul agreed in court to the accuracy of the statement.

The statement, read by FBI agent Tisha Hartsough, said Paul traveled to Germany in 1999 and trained members of an alleged terrorist cell knowing the group planned to make bombs and car bombs to use against Americans vacationing at overseas tourist resorts.

The statement said the German group also planned to use bombs against Americans in the United States and against overseas U.S. facilities such as embassies, military bases and consular premises. The government didn't say if any attacks were carried out.

Barack Obama, Democratic nominee for President

Obama Clinches Nomination:

Senator Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday evening, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington.

WHERE DO CLINTON SUPPORTERS GO FROM HERE? VOTE MCCAIN OF COURSE!

According to Howard Finemen’s Newsweek story of tonight, Obama may offer Clinton the veep spot, but only if she promises through intermediaries to turn it down. Fineman also quotes sources very close to Mrs. Clinton who report that Clinton does not want the job.

We have previously said that if Clinton was on the ticket, we would feel honor bound to vote for Obama.

So it is with some relief that we read Fineman’s report, which if true leaves us free to support and vote for John McCain.

Our reasons?

We pulled our hair out when the US Supreme Court took the election away from Al Gore and elected George Bush.

Our main concern at the time (aside from out feeling that Al Gore won the election) was George W’s inexperience.

We listened to those that said, not to worry, he has “good people” behind him. And we thought after the Bush inauguration, maybe it will be OK, how much damage can a president do?

Well, it turns out, quite a lot. In fact, we are all very lucky that George W (and the “good people” behind him) did not cause WWIII. Not to mention the budget surplus which is now a huge deficit.

Now, the nation is poised to consider the candidacy of yet another potential president who has zero experience on the world stage, and little experience in life.

We have no doubt that Obama has good intentions, as did George W. Bush. But that his hardly the point.

We for one are not willing to go down that road again, with an inexperienced president—however well intentioned. The world is a far too dangerous place right now to go down that road again.

We are voting for McCain, and we are urging Hillary Clinton’s other supporters to do the same.