Political Punch

"Well, John worked well with us. I mean there were so many occasions when we would work on legislation together. He would look for a prominent Democrat to work with on a number of things, whether it was campaign reform or, now its climate change.

But over the years, it was it was commonly understood that if you wanted a Republican partner, John was one of the people you could often times talk to. We all had a good friendship with him, so it transcended politics. It, he is truly somebody who could work both sides of the aisle and has great friends and relationships with people on both sides. So the personal relationships, I think, created the environment where you could actually talk about doing something professionally or politically. Then add to that the frustration that he had especially towards Bush and that first year following the presidential election and he had the right mix for at least the possibility of serious negotiations."

-Tom Daschle D-SD
Former Senate Majority Leader

Everyone needs to take a deep breath with regards to William Ayers. The committee that Ayers sits on with Obama is for Chicago Education. It was started by, and is attended by many republicans and democrats. Let's stop with the petty hate mongering. If you don't like Obama's policies/positions, then exercise your right as an American and vote for McCain.

Based upon this theory, I'm scared to death to see Obama as President:

I believe, since Barack Obama's graduation from Harvard, he has been using coat tails to get where he wants to go. For instance, what other purpose would Obama have for sustaining a relationship with a radical, Bill Ayers, unless he had an agenda? And why would a freshman Senator be challenged to run for Presidential office unless his "friend" had an agenda? How many Americans go to bed wondering if Obama does win the election, how many times Bill Ayers will be visiting the White House? How many committees he may serve on? How much Ayers phylosophy will nurture Obama's decision-making process as President. My thoughts are this: the reason Obama doesn't want military action, in any country, is because of his same association with Ayers. His views are that Americans should suffer and be bombed and people killed before we stand upon our beliefs and values/morals as a nation and go inside another country with military action. I'm scared to death. I believe if Obama is elected, we'll then see the Real Obama!

IF YOU CAN NAME ONE THING THAT BARACK OBAMA HAS DONE THAT QUALIFIES HIM TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THEN YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR HIM.

SILENCE

So you mean to tell me, since the news media isn't saying what the republicans want them to say, then its ok to get your supporters so hyped to where they result to language such as "kill the man"? and what proof do anyone have that "B-a-r-a-c-k Obama" is tied into terrorisum? in the know.

I have a question, was John McCain in office "IN" Arizona with Governor Mecum in 1985ish through 1989ish? Curious to know.

For me this campaign creates a first. Never before have I heard a candidate tacitly encourage the killing of a rival. That's unchartered waters right there. And in today's debate McCain was silent about it AND the Ayers claims, which says as much as you need to know about their integrity.

That aside, one might ask, if one is going to ask about domestic terrorism, what about Palin's own Pastor Muthee, who, after all, boasts of running a woman out of town for being a witch and is credited by Palin with her becoming governor. What about Mccain's connection with a convicted Cuban terrorist whose organisation "Omega 7" actually did set off bombs on US soil (Jersey and NY) and murdered a Chilean diplomat (Orlando Letelier) on US soil, and the efforts of Lieberman on his behalf? McCain actually embraced this man at a rally and used his endorsement in a pitch for the support of Cuban emigres. Then there is McCain's connection with the group providing the front for Reagan's Iran Contra funding that actually carried out the mining of Managua Harbour in 1984.

Once you open this can of worms, it's interesting what comes out.

Palin and McCain are clearly encouraging this sort of rhetoric, the cries of "Terrorist" and "Kill him" while avoiding crossing the line themselves. This gives them deniability when their rabid fans go nuts. But it's still shameful. By analogy, it's like inciting to riot, or "fighting words", where you are legally culpable for encouraging violence even if you don't commit the violence yourself.

Bad news for Sheriff Michael Joseph Scott. Federal authorities have opened an investigation of him for his participation in the Palin rally yesterday.

The American people are not as stupid as the people of the ilk of Sarah Louise Palin and John McBush think they are. Instead od tyring to pull all Americans together at this time of crisis is not very Christian like. We all know the code words of racial discrimination are and Sarah we are not going for it. Why don't you want to talk about the issues facing our country and offer up some resolutions to the problems? It appears that your small mind is not up to or capable of the task at hand and neither is your VP, John Mc Bush.

A Year ago I told my friends thet "If the Republicans nominate McCain, I'll vote for McCain -- because of all the politicians in congress he probably has a higher code of honor." Now, a year later, I am disappointed to say it mildly and politely, he and his campaign staff are not showing much honorable conduct or class. His sleezy commercials and slandering enuendo's has sent me firmly into Obama's camp with his Staff of apparently more professional advisors. An old comment I heard once upon a time -- To do the things it takes to win the White House pretty much proves you don't deserve to win the White House. Senator McCain, win or lose, you have shamed yourself.

McCain 2000: "Uh, I, I just have to rely on the good judgment of the voters not to buy into these negative attack ads. Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it." [The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 2/21/2000]

This quote seems pretty appropriate right now…

They are going to provoke their avid followers into doing something horrible to Obama.
McCain/Palin are the ones using terrorist tactics to win this election.

Palin saying "i'm scared", "i'm afraid" when refering to barack. inferring that he likes people who wish harm on our country, filing for investigation into his donations.

The terrorist do the same. Make their followers fearful, convince them that we will do harm to their homeland, claiming their targets have friendship and funding from the west.

It seems as though McCain/Palin are trying to incite violence, hatred, and terror to fire up their base.

Who are the real terrorists?
They lost my vote now that they have decided to ignore the issues facing us and focus on smear campaigns.

Paige,
please. I'm guessing you're a page in the McCain campain, right? Listen young one, don't trust them grups you're hanging with. Read a real book written by real investigators and seekers of the truth. Give your mind a chance to grow before it withers on the vine. Don't be xenophobe; there's no future in it.

McCain 2000: "Uh, I, I just have to rely on the good judgment of the voters not to buy into these negative attack ads. Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it." [The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 2/21/2000]

This quote seems pretty appropriate right now…

They are going to provoke their avid followers into doing something horrible to Obama.
McCain/Palin are the ones using terrorist tactics to win this election.

Palin saying "i'm scared", "i'm afraid" when refering to barack. inferring that he likes people who wish harm on our country, filing for investigation into his donations.

The terrorist do the same. Make their followers fearful, convince them that we will do harm to their homeland, claiming their targets have friendship and funding from the west.

It seems as though McCain/Palin are trying to incite violence, hatred, and terror to fire up their base.

Who are the real terrorists?
They lost my vote now that they have decided to ignore the issues facing us and focus on smear campaigns.

Paige,
please. I'm guessing you're a page in the McCain campain, right? Listen young one, don't trust them grups you're hanging with. Read a real book written by real investigators and seekers of the truth. Give your mind a chance to grow before it withers on the vine. Don't be xenophobe; there's no future in it.

At the VP debate when Palin asked Biden, "Can I call you Joe?", he should have responded, Sure, but can I call you by your middle name, Weezee?" That would have been a riot!!

I don't want a "War Hero". I want a President.

Obama/Biden 2008

Who is the 'real' Barrack Obama?

Who, for that matter, is the 'real' John McCain?

Please, people... these guys have been running for President for the past two years. Their every sneeze has been examined.

The negative campaigning was bound to happen. It's been happening throughout the primaries and the entire process. You want to bring up guilt by 'association' and think that's totally relevant? Who patriotic? Who's not? OK, but clearly your concerns aren't what's right in front of your face. The Dow has lost almost 20% in the past few weeks. We've lost 750,000 jobs.

I don't care if McCain tried to influence things to help some guy who ripped people off 20 years ago. I don't care if Obama was on some board with some dude who did stupid destructive crap 40 years ago. It's ancient history. What I care about is tomorrow.

Can we please just change the subject and ask the candidates to provide us with their 'plans' for steering the economy back to some semblance of normalacy so people can work and afford homes and that kind of thing?

If this is the story about him being called by his rightful name its hogwash
So what?Thats his name His view is almost communist ,his views are not right for us,or the way we need America to go! period!

I am simply not surprised anymore with what the McCain campaign is going to come up with. Throughout this campaign, they have managed to stoke fears that Obama is muslim (like simply being one is a dangerous thing), link him to all sorts of associations with crooks, sometimes simply on the basis of Obama being in the same room with a person, lie about his tax plan for the middle class, continue to charge that the media is biased (to innoculate their lies). Now they claim Barack Obama is associated with the Weathermen (he was 8 when they were active). Yes, indeed Obama has gone into attack mode as well, but his attacks are based on far more relevant associations like McCain's deep links with Lobbyists (the McCain campaign is both financially supported and staffed by lobbies), McCain's dangerous healthcare plan, his proposal to open up social security for investment decisions (good idea, but also adding considerable risk to people's security net), and McCain's behavior (claiming that the fundamentals of our economy is strong, and then messing up the bailout talks for political gain, his impulsive my-way-or-the-highway approach to problems, his irresponsible selection of Palin), his tactics of dividing the electorate on choices that do not matter to the challenges we are facing today (guns, abortion, gay marriage etc), and his unethical attempts at voter caging across swing states to disqualify democrat votes. So while both campaigns have gone negative, we need to take things into perspective, and understand the difference between mud slinging versus relevant criticism, they are very different things. I have given up trying to convince the hard-core right wingers, and racially prejudiced people, because these are a group that have been completely swayed by their own preconceived notions about a candidate they have not even tried to read up about. This group has been hugely affected John McCain's systemetic strike at the media establishment (so they can say anything they want), to believe only what John McCain is saying, and have been programmed to allow their prejudice to claim that Obama is not experienced enough. Truth is, you can hire experience and you can buy knowledge, but you can never change someone's judgment and the moral compass that guides it. I am hoping that the Independent voters and undecided voters, who tend to be more deliberate, and inquisitive in their considerations would be able to make these distinctions.