Click here: POLITICO MAFIOSO: All 110 Pages of the 'Proposed' $700 Billion Bailout "Boondoggle" Bill
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Text of $700 Billion Bailout Plan
Click here: POLITICO MAFIOSO: All 110 Pages of the 'Proposed' $700 Billion Bailout "Boondoggle" Bill
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Obama, McCain, and Banks Oh My!
By Tony Vega
I wasn't going to write about this crisis, because I found it too serious to politicize and quite frankly I was too angry to put anything together other than a rant. After listening to the spiel of the candidates along the trail, I knew it was too serious not to.
As I listen to Barack Obama stump it out, I picture Millions of Obamabots across this great nation squeaking in delight, Obama’s words serving as oil for the bots. I envision this with a heavy heart, because I had much more faith in my fellow Americans.
I will acknowledge that both Parties let us down and both parties including the candidates received big bucks from fat cats. A focus on the presidential candidates will reveal that Barack Obama has a record of failed policies, whereas John McCain has a record of reform and leadership. Facts are stubborn things.
I will map those out for you, but first we need to go back a bit, not too far, we'll forgive the Clinton administration and start in 2003. Take a walk with me folks, don't worry I'll have you back before dinnertime.
On September 11, 2003, the New York Times reported that President Bush introduced the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry. Specifically, Bush introduced to Congress a plan for a new agency to supervise Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac (FM & FM).
It was clear that FM & FM manipulated its accounting to mislead investors. It was also acknowledged, by the Bush administration, that these irregularities have been going on for years.
The response of Congressional Democrats:
"These two entities, FM & FM, are NOT facing any kind of financial crisis."- Barney Frank (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. [emphasis my own]
''I don't see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing.''- Melvin L. Watt (D-NC).
Full story: New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae - New York Times
In 2005, CEO of Fannie Mae addressed Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) as "family & friends." The CEO appealed to the CBC for help, help for the company and help for him personally.
Compelling video:
In May 2006, John McCain had this to say on the Senate floor:
"[Fannie Mae's] quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were illusions deliberately and systematically created by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal."
"If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole." McCain went on to urge his colleagues to support swift action on reform legislation.
Proof not empty rhetoric: John McCain's Senate Record
Barack Obama knew of the pending turmoil and did nothing. Well, that is not entirely accurate. Barack Obama did plenty. He averted his eyes and lined his pockets.
Barack Obama with 143 working days to his credit has the dubious distinction of holding the number two spot, beating out politicians that spent decades in Washington, in receiving big bucks from FM & FM. The list: Obama is the second top recipient for FM & FM money.
Barack Obama’s judgment has also been criticized for including disgraced Fannie Mae executives Jim Johnson and Frank Raines in his campaign. Those connections have been the subject of two John McCain campaign ads. View videos:
Jim Johnson
Advice
More on the Raines connection can be found on Hot Air.
Obama also helped dole out millions in order for his cronies, now in jail, to establish low-income housing in Chicago. That endeavor was corrupt and abandoned. The government stepped in, many units were demolished, and many residents lost their homes. Sound familiar? Barack Obama has a clear record of failed policies.
Text and video: The many housing units that Barack Obama secured subsidies for
The choice is clear.
I wasn't going to write about this crisis, because I found it too serious to politicize and quite frankly I was too angry to put anything together other than a rant. After listening to the spiel of the candidates along the trail, I knew it was too serious not to.
As I listen to Barack Obama stump it out, I picture Millions of Obamabots across this great nation squeaking in delight, Obama’s words serving as oil for the bots. I envision this with a heavy heart, because I had much more faith in my fellow Americans.
I will acknowledge that both Parties let us down and both parties including the candidates received big bucks from fat cats. A focus on the presidential candidates will reveal that Barack Obama has a record of failed policies, whereas John McCain has a record of reform and leadership. Facts are stubborn things.
I will map those out for you, but first we need to go back a bit, not too far, we'll forgive the Clinton administration and start in 2003. Take a walk with me folks, don't worry I'll have you back before dinnertime.
On September 11, 2003, the New York Times reported that President Bush introduced the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry. Specifically, Bush introduced to Congress a plan for a new agency to supervise Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac (FM & FM).
It was clear that FM & FM manipulated its accounting to mislead investors. It was also acknowledged, by the Bush administration, that these irregularities have been going on for years.
The response of Congressional Democrats:
"These two entities, FM & FM, are NOT facing any kind of financial crisis."- Barney Frank (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. [emphasis my own]
''I don't see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing.''- Melvin L. Watt (D-NC).
Full story: New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae - New York Times
In 2005, CEO of Fannie Mae addressed Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) as "family & friends." The CEO appealed to the CBC for help, help for the company and help for him personally.
Compelling video:
In May 2006, John McCain had this to say on the Senate floor:
"[Fannie Mae's] quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were illusions deliberately and systematically created by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal."
"If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole." McCain went on to urge his colleagues to support swift action on reform legislation.
Proof not empty rhetoric: John McCain's Senate Record
Barack Obama knew of the pending turmoil and did nothing. Well, that is not entirely accurate. Barack Obama did plenty. He averted his eyes and lined his pockets.
Barack Obama with 143 working days to his credit has the dubious distinction of holding the number two spot, beating out politicians that spent decades in Washington, in receiving big bucks from FM & FM. The list: Obama is the second top recipient for FM & FM money.
Barack Obama’s judgment has also been criticized for including disgraced Fannie Mae executives Jim Johnson and Frank Raines in his campaign. Those connections have been the subject of two John McCain campaign ads. View videos:
Jim Johnson
Advice
More on the Raines connection can be found on Hot Air.
Obama also helped dole out millions in order for his cronies, now in jail, to establish low-income housing in Chicago. That endeavor was corrupt and abandoned. The government stepped in, many units were demolished, and many residents lost their homes. Sound familiar? Barack Obama has a clear record of failed policies.
Text and video: The many housing units that Barack Obama secured subsidies for
The choice is clear.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Right Response to Left Field Slogan
By Tony Vega
OK folks here's the skinny; The vile site Daily Kos credits a reader with a "pithy" retort to Palin's "community organizer" jab. The comment is "Jesus was a Community Organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor" It spread like a virus. T-shirts are now circulating bearing that slogan (h/t Louisa364) Pithy indeed.
I trust you see the irony in it, if not the humor. Here we have a pack of radical Secular Progressives evoking the name of JC with feigned reverence to hit the Palinator. We all know what the Party to the left would do to JC if He was here today.
So in response to left field humor here is a double dose of the right response.
It has also been said that Hitler is a community organizer.....
Check out both videos, GREAT stuff!
Democratic Party War Room (by Copious Dissent)
Don't forget this one, a must see:
The Lying King Parody
OK folks here's the skinny; The vile site Daily Kos credits a reader with a "pithy" retort to Palin's "community organizer" jab. The comment is "Jesus was a Community Organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor" It spread like a virus. T-shirts are now circulating bearing that slogan (h/t Louisa364) Pithy indeed.
I trust you see the irony in it, if not the humor. Here we have a pack of radical Secular Progressives evoking the name of JC with feigned reverence to hit the Palinator. We all know what the Party to the left would do to JC if He was here today.
So in response to left field humor here is a double dose of the right response.
It has also been said that Hitler is a community organizer.....
Check out both videos, GREAT stuff!
Democratic Party War Room (by Copious Dissent)
Don't forget this one, a must see:
The Lying King Parody
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Have You Forgotten?
By Tony Vega
Seven years ago today, on September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists hijacked four passenger jetliners and murdered nearly three-thousand Americans, including visitors, on American soil.
The al-Qaeda terrorists illegally entered and remained in the United States after obtaining phony documents. These jihadists remained within American borders unchallenged and relatively undetected, until they accomplished their evil designs.
What they did not accomplish was destroying the American spirit.
In an act of war, terrorists in two separate jetliners intentionally slammed into the World Trade Center, another group of jihadists crashed a plane into the Pentagon. A fourth jetliner hijacked and on a deadly course to the White House or U.S. Capitol did not make the intended target. Heroic passengers began to seize control of that plane disallowing the terrorists of their evil desires. That flight ended in a field in Pennsylvania.
Prior to this act of war, America was slumbering and not paying attention to the grave criminality that was afoot. Well, the sleeping giant woke up and so did I. Millions of American’s became Patriots that day and rallied behind a sacred cause, the dogged pursuit of justice and the maintenance of Freedom.
As I responded to Ground Zero in my capacity as sergeant of police in the NYPD, I witnessed a side of humanity that makes my vow easy to keep, never to fall asleep again. It was a couple of days after the towers fell that I was on the rescue detail and bucket brigade. Shortly after that, the mission changed and we became the recovery detail. Today, twenty-four people remain missing.
We removed rubble and searched under precarious heaps of concrete and twisted steel, naturally formed by unnatural means. Conversation about the goal of our mission was limited, hope of recovery remained. I dare say even weeks into the mission hope of rescue remained. Hope, no matter how suppressed remained until the last responder ended his or her tour of duty.
From recovering bodies and undefined remains, from following swarms of flies to uncover their desired landing post before they did, to sipping from the bitter cloud that stained your throat and hurt your lungs, the reality of the task was banished to an after thought.
Reality exploded in snatches from otherwise innocuous discoveries. The tip of your boot bumping something soft in the rubble and a look down revealed a woman’s purse with the gloss of her families pictures glinting in the struggling sunlight, or spotting an officer sprinting to the make-shift morgue with hair from a recovered brush, in order to provide a DNA sample for closure.
I close my eyes and rewind those images with instant clarity and detect the acrid cloud that turned day into night. I open my eyes and still see those same images, for it is stenciled in the retina. The bone tainted soot will remain in my passages.
You see, my friends, I cannot forget nor do I want to. There are millions of Americans like me, regardless of where they were when those cowardly acts were perpetrated against our resolve. There are others however due to cynicism or blind ideology that will turn a blind eye to evil. Closing your eyes will not make the dark go away, trust me.
The casualty list created on 9/11/2001 did not end on 9/11. There are many of your neighbors still suffering and dying from that toxic cloud. Please, keep them in your prayers and memories.
Today is designated Patriot Day and Americans are implored to find those stored away flags and display them once again. Do you remember how proudly we hailed after that fateful day?
There are many holidays or days of recognition such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, just to name a few that inspires a common refrain; “we should give thanks everyday,” “we should honor and remember daily,” and more. Patriot Day should inspire the same cheer.
Patriotism is not a fleeting sentiment when the going is good or tough; it is a constant unwavering conviction. Patriotism and love of country will encourage and embolden the support and defense of our nation and way of life.
Honor our symbols of Freedom and Honor our Defenders of Freedom.
Never Forget.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Happy Birthday "Uncle Sam"
Flagg's 1917 poster
By Tony Vega
On September 7, 1813, the United States adopted the nickname, Uncle Sam. It all began when Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from New York sent barrels of beef to U.S. soldiers during the War of 1812.
Samuel Wilson stamped all of the barrels "U.S." for the United States. Our time tested clever soldiers began referring to the arrival of Wilson's barrels of beef as "Uncle Sam's." A newspaper reported the story and soon thereafter Uncle Sam gained notoriety and acceptance, the rest is history.
Samuel Wilson died in 1854 at age 88 and buried in Troy, New York. The town calls itself "The home of Uncle Sam."
In 1860
Political cartoonist, Thomas Nast began to popularize the image of Uncle Sam. Nast gave Uncle Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit (as seen in left image) Thomas Nast is also credited with developing the image
of Santa Claus, the donkey for the Democratic Party(image to the right), and the elephant symbol(below) for the Republican Party. Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is considered the "Father of the American Cartoon."(Nast, 1874 Harper's Weekly)
The most popular image of Uncle Sam was created by James Montgomery Flagg. In 1917, Flagg created the recruitment poster for the United States Army during World War I. The poster was inspired by a 1914 British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in a similar pose.
In between the caption "Britons: Lord Kitchener Wants You. Join Your Country's Army! God save the King" was the image of Lord Kitchener. Kitchener was given the title Secretary of War and was responsible for recruiting a large army to fight the Germans. Over three million men joined the army.
The 1914 British recruitment poster inspired the creation of many
other posters featuring the subject pointing a finger at the viewer. A popular United States poster of Smokey Bear using the famous gesture made an appearance in 1985 with the caption "ONLY YOU." The "Only You" refers to his famous quotation, "Only You Can Prevent
Forest Fires."
Smokey Bear and his message debuted in 1944. The first poster did not have Smokey pointing his finger at the viewer.
In James Montgomery Flagg's 1917 poster, Uncle Sam is pointing at the viewer above the caption "I Want YOU for U. S. Army." Four million of those posters were circulated during WWI and made the rounds again for WWII.
James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) used his own likeness to create Uncle Sam, adding age and the white goatee. He stated he simply wanted to avoid the trouble of arranging for a model. James Montgomery Flagg was born in Pelham Manor, New York and died at age 89 in New York City.
In 1961, the United States Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as “the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.”
Sources:
1. history.com
2. wikipedia.com
3. associatedcontent.com
Saturday, September 6, 2008
John McCain's Acceptance Speech
posted by Tony GOPrano
By John McCain
September 5, 2008
"Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans -- the privilege of accepting our party's nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence. In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn't any different. That's a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They're leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won't forget.
I'm grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private.
And I'm grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.
As always, I'm indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children.
The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation's business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can't imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she's more my inspiration than I am hers.
Her concern for those less blessed than we are -- victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects -- shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady. When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn't be here tonight but for the strength of her character."
As a longtime supporter and friend of JOHN MCCAIN, I couldn't have been prouder of him than I was last night. JOHN MCCAIN showed America why he should be the next President of the United States of America! The people watching the speech along with me agreed. JOHN MCCAIN has the courage and experience to lead us in these trying times. GOD BLESS JOHN MCCAIN!!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Patriotism -- Loving America
By Andrew G. Benjamin
John McCain's son is in Iraq serving our nation so we can throw diatribes and curses at John McCain and call him an old fool.
Sarah Palin's son is leaving for Iraq next week to serve our nation so that we can throw insults and diatribes at Sarah Pelin and call her daughter a whore.
Baraq O'Bama's son is going to...wait, he has no son. He has no American Flag Lapel Pin either... it's too heavy and spoils the streamlined look of his empty suit.
Baraq O'Bama throws diatribes at McCain and Palin whose sons are in the line of fire and ready to die for you and he. And he speaks to us about patriotism. They tell us that we are "In the Wrong War; at the Wrong Time; in The Wrong Place.
Except that we are not.
The American people have been lied to. Obama and Biden have failed to acknowledge that 550 metric tons of Saddam-era yellowcake (the subject of Bush's Lies) was shipped to Canada in July. Enough to make over 150 nuclear bombs. Both have failed to inform Americans in their stump speeches that we are winning in Iraq; winning a war that they are ready to surrender after having spent over 4000 lives of our youth. In their world full of hate, they call it Patriotism.
Wrong war? I say, wrong O'Bama assumptions taken logically to wrong O'Bama conclusions from which O'Bama would make life and death decisions affecting every American. It is a matter of record.
How about plain unadulterated bull and pathetically poor judgment?
Nothing wrong recognizing that fact if one were just a little bit honest. O'Bama honest? Do YOU know anything about this man?
John McCain's son is in Iraq serving our nation so we can throw diatribes and curses at John McCain and call him an old fool.
Sarah Palin's son is leaving for Iraq next week to serve our nation so that we can throw insults and diatribes at Sarah Pelin and call her daughter a whore.
Baraq O'Bama's son is going to...wait, he has no son. He has no American Flag Lapel Pin either... it's too heavy and spoils the streamlined look of his empty suit.
Baraq O'Bama throws diatribes at McCain and Palin whose sons are in the line of fire and ready to die for you and he. And he speaks to us about patriotism. They tell us that we are "In the Wrong War; at the Wrong Time; in The Wrong Place.
Except that we are not.
The American people have been lied to. Obama and Biden have failed to acknowledge that 550 metric tons of Saddam-era yellowcake (the subject of Bush's Lies) was shipped to Canada in July. Enough to make over 150 nuclear bombs. Both have failed to inform Americans in their stump speeches that we are winning in Iraq; winning a war that they are ready to surrender after having spent over 4000 lives of our youth. In their world full of hate, they call it Patriotism.
Wrong war? I say, wrong O'Bama assumptions taken logically to wrong O'Bama conclusions from which O'Bama would make life and death decisions affecting every American. It is a matter of record.
How about plain unadulterated bull and pathetically poor judgment?
Nothing wrong recognizing that fact if one were just a little bit honest. O'Bama honest? Do YOU know anything about this man?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Transcript of Sarah Palin's RNC Speech
This post contains a written transcript of Sarah Palin's RNC speech and a 5 part YouTube video of the same. Prior to the commencement of this speech, the RNC was scheduled to show a video biography of Governor Sarah Palin. Visit that must see video bio here
Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for vice president of the United States.
I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.
I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election against confident opponents at a crucial hour for our country.
And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges and knows how tough fights are won — the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.
With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost — there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.
They overlooked the caliber of the man himself — the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Sen. John McCain. The voters knew better.
And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.
Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.
He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.
And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.
Our son Track is 19.
And one week from tomorrow — Sept. 11 — he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.
My nephew Kasey also enlisted and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.
My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.
In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between — my strong and kind-hearted daughters, Bristol, Willow and Piper.
And in April, my husband, Todd, and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
That's how it is with us.
Our family has the same ups and downs as any other — the same challenges and the same joys.
Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
And children with special needs inspire a special love.
To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.
He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers Union ... and world champion snow machine racer.
Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.
We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My mom and dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.
And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.
My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and haberdasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America who grow our food, run our factories and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
I was just your average hockey mom and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
When I ran for City Council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.
The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
No one expects us to agree on everything.
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.
I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.
Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.
But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.
And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.
I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
I also drive myself to work.
And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef — although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending — by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
Sen. McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest — and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
Our state budget is under control.
We have a surplus.
And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
I suspended the state fuel tax and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged — directly to the people of Alaska.
And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.
As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly 40 billion-dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: We've got lots of both.
Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems — as if we all didn't know that already.
But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources.
We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.
Maybe you have, too.
We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.
And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state Senate.
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot — what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business — like millions of others who run small businesses.
How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.
In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.
Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Sen. McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency — from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.
Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.
He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.
A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the majority leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.
He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the majority leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
And though both Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.
There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a 6-by-4 cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
But if Sen. McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man — the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
To the most powerful office on Earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pinhole in his cell door as Lt. Cmdr. John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" — as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.
For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.
If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.
Thank you all, and may God bless America."
Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for vice president of the United States.
I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.
I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election against confident opponents at a crucial hour for our country.
And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges and knows how tough fights are won — the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.
With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost — there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.
They overlooked the caliber of the man himself — the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Sen. John McCain. The voters knew better.
And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.
Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.
He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.
And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.
Our son Track is 19.
And one week from tomorrow — Sept. 11 — he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.
My nephew Kasey also enlisted and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.
My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.
In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between — my strong and kind-hearted daughters, Bristol, Willow and Piper.
And in April, my husband, Todd, and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
That's how it is with us.
Our family has the same ups and downs as any other — the same challenges and the same joys.
Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
And children with special needs inspire a special love.
To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.
He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers Union ... and world champion snow machine racer.
Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.
We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My mom and dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.
And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.
My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and haberdasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America who grow our food, run our factories and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
I was just your average hockey mom and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
When I ran for City Council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.
The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
No one expects us to agree on everything.
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.
I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.
Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.
But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.
And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.
I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
I also drive myself to work.
And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef — although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending — by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
Sen. McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest — and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
Our state budget is under control.
We have a surplus.
And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
I suspended the state fuel tax and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged — directly to the people of Alaska.
And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.
As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly 40 billion-dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: We've got lots of both.
Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems — as if we all didn't know that already.
But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources.
We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.
Maybe you have, too.
We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.
And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state Senate.
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot — what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business — like millions of others who run small businesses.
How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.
In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.
Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Sen. McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency — from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.
Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.
He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.
A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the majority leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.
He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the majority leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
And though both Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.
There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a 6-by-4 cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
But if Sen. McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man — the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
To the most powerful office on Earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pinhole in his cell door as Lt. Cmdr. John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" — as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.
For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.
If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.
Thank you all, and may God bless America."
RNC Releases Video Bio of Governor Sarah Palin
This is the video originally scheduled to be shown prior to Sarah Palin's RNC Speech. Due to time constraints the video did not air last night. Today the RNC released this video biography of Governor Sarah Palin;
H/t to April Lorier, thanks April.
To read more on Sarah Palin, visit HERE and HERE
H/t to April Lorier, thanks April.
To read more on Sarah Palin, visit HERE and HERE
Sarah Palin Arrives at the Republican National Convention
photo credit David Rogowski, AOL
By Tony Vega
"I am honored to be considered for the nomination for vice president of the United States.”-Sarah Palin, RNC 2008
Sarah Palin delivered her speech at the Republican National Convention and hit on all key points. She spoke about challenging the establishment. The beauty of Sarah Palin is she not only talked about it, she brought with her a record of accomplishments that proved her successes. Platitudes not necessary.
"A small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer except you have actual responsibilities"- Sarah Palin, RNC 2008
Man, she didn't even have to play her governor card. Folks will challenge her on experience, but Sarah Palin brings to the table executive experience, legislative experience, and more substance than the TOP of the democratic ticket.
"Facts are stubborn things"-John Adams
A stark difference between Palin's acceptance speech and Biden's speech is that Palin was able to reflect on John McCain's record of accomplishments with proof and conviction. Biden spoke of hope and change. When the top of Biden's ticket was called on to lead and make a "yes" or "no" decision, he answered "present." This nation needs a leader not a dancer that is good with a microphone.
Sarah Palin reminded the audience that her son will be deployed to the battlefield on September 11, 2008. McCain has a son that served in Iraq as a Marine. McCain has another son in the Naval Academy and upon graduation will be scheduled for deployment to the battlefield. The McCain-Palin ticket understands the importance of victory. Pandering not necessary.
Governor Palin not only defeated the establishment and incumbents of her own party she actually did something when entering office. She has a record of change and realistic hope. When the old Republican guard acquired a flashy jet, Sarah Palin put it on eBay. Sarah Palin has a record of attacking wasteful spending. Empty rhetoric not necessary.
Sarah Palin spoke of going against big oil and lobbyists. Sarah Palin delivered hope to the Alaskan motorists. As governor, she acted against big oil, championed the creation of a natural gas line against the interests of big oil. She took bold steps to place money back into the pockets of Alaskan motorists via $1,200 rebates. The cure to the energy crisis? No, but it is relief while we combat years of malfeasance and foreign oil addiction.
Sarah Palin eloquently spoke of Barack Obama and reminded the audience that Obama's economic plan will add to the burden of small business and Middle America. How? "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
Palin also reminded us that "it's easy to forget that this is a man [Obama] who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform not even in the state Senate." "This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign."
When a person with a proven track record, when a person that has demonstrated the ability to reform, when a person that made decisions placing country first tells you "I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country" that person is Governor Sarah Palin. It will be difficult to find a worthy challenger in the current arena.
Monday, September 1, 2008
RNC 2008: Hurricane Gustav Relief Effort
By Tony Vega
Monday, September 01, 2008, opening day at the Republican National Convention was significantly scaled down in deference to the plight of millions of Americans affected by 
Hurricane Gustav. John McCain, Sarah Palin, and President Bush canceled their appearances at the convention. First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain graced the stage at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota and spoke of hurricane relief efforts,
Hurricane Gustav. John McCain, Sarah Palin, and President Bush canceled their appearances at the convention. First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain graced the stage at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota and spoke of hurricane relief efforts, which can
be found here:
Help deliver aid to those in need who are affected in the gulf coast.
ALABAMA
Governor's Emergency Relief Fund
(877) 273 - 5018
FLORIDA
Florida Disaster Fund
(850) 410-0696
LOUISIANA
Hurricane Gustav Relief and Recovery Fund
(877) 387-6126
Aidmatrix Foundation
(866) 881-8882
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund
TEXAS
Texas Responds
(512) 473-2140
To donate by phone:
To donate by phone:
The Aidmatrix Foundation at (866) 881-8882
"Take off our republican hats and put on our American hats"-John McCain
As Gustav pounds the gulf coast, political speeches and rhetoric are silenced. Republican leaders, namely John McCain did not think it prudent to engage in political festivities while approximately two million Americans and visitors are severely affected. Country First. Time will tell if the McCain campaign will be negatively impacted by the curtailed convention schedule, but at the moment, such thoughts will take second stage.
For now, the political hate speech will be relegated to the popular maker of commiedramas, Michael Moore. Moore exploited the plight of the gulf coast to hurl hateful remarks at the GOP, which included a crass letter addressed to God. That classless act speaks for itself.
As of 2000 hours, it has been reported that there are seven storm related deaths, in addition to the evacuation deaths of three critically ill patients, 6.10 millions dollars in damage, and 1 million homes with out power. The storm is not over folks, some of the levees are being over-washed and one reported levee is seriously compromised from underneath.
Emergency workers and volunteers, in New Orleans are feverishly working to shore that levee up.
During times of national crisis, judgment and character is important. May the true spirit of America continue to be a guiding light in a time of darkness.
To those of you in the region, my family will keep you and yours in our prayers.
John McCain and Sarah Palin Make Beautiful History Together
By Tony Vega
Was it a gimmick? Was Obama's selection a gimmick? Can we realistically ascribe sincerity to political wrangling? That last question is easier to answer.
To forgo political speculation, let us analyze Governor Sarah Palin on the merits. She is certainly a righteous choice by Senator John McCain. Admittedly, it was not pleasing to the sensibilities at the sound of the news, but that is more of a testament to John McCain's maverick style than my insight.
Sarah Palin just added another crack to that ceiling and I must admit that on an emotional level it is pleasing to the sensibilities. Senator McCain just guaranteed that history would be made. He ensured another chapter in a textbook for future generations to study. I hope I am around when my grandchildren bring home paper detailing the events of 2008.
Do you remember the smell of the rexo-sheets with the purple ink from middle school? It is in the air now, a wisp of nostalgia.
Now, back on the ground the facts are here to be discerned and disseminated to advance the cause.
Governor Sarah Palin has demonstrated the ability to make tough decisions, to buck the status quo and do what is right for the nation. She fought corruption in her own party and took the reigns as a young Governor in the state of Alaska. Sarah Palin is a maverick in her own right.
Sarah Palin entered public life in 1992 on the platform of cutting wasteful spending and corruption. In office, she put her money where her mouth was by voluntarily cutting her own salary and reducing property taxes by 60%
As governor she acted against big oil, championed the creation of a natural gas line against the interests of big oil. She took bold steps to place money back into the pockets of Alaskan motorists via $1,200 rebates. The cure to the energy crisis? No, but it is relief while we combat years of malfeasance and foreign oil addiction.
Like any successful rehab endeavor, it takes years to kick the old destructive habits. What is your respective governor doing in the mean time, are they looking out for you? I know what my governor is doing. Nothing.
Both Parties failed us miserably regarding energy. Barack Obama calls for a 10-year project for renewable energy in order to give us some relief (I'm all for that.) McCain, recently saw the light that Sarah Palin was calling for all along, the necessity for off shore drilling along with exploring all sources of energy (I'm all for that as well.)
During this 10-year exploration, Obama ridiculed the idea of tax relief at the pump. While his “energy plan” is realized, long after he is out of an office he is not yet in, we continue to be greased at the pump.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, and Sarah Palin have all demonstrated the courage and the ability to cut into the profits of big oil in order to provide some relief for motorists. Their ideas protected highway departments and construction projects dependent on gas taxes. That's right no one is losing their jobs because of energy rebates or relief.
Those three politicians, two of them women, demonstrated the leadership skills to force big oil to participate in providing relief for their best customers (you & I) while exploring alternate energy sources. The aforementioned politicians were able to do this with out demonizing an entire industry that provides and manages an energy source Americans heavily rely on. Big oil earned the right to a profit, but must share the responsibility to the environment and the nation it serves.
Who is actually in the pocket of Big Oil? Could it be a politician that is determined not to challenge big oil? Certainly not Hillary or John, or Sarah who actually has a proven track record of handling big oil against her own interests. Did I use the term maverick yet?
Sarah Palin is not without her controversy. She admits having experimented with marijuana when it was legal to possess small amounts of it in Alaska albeit remaining illegal on a federal level. She states she does not support legalizing marijuana, worried about the message it would send to her children.
The governor from Alaska also has her own version of Trooper Gate. A controversial suit leveled against her by a dismissed high-level employee is sure to provide fodder for the other side.
John McCain is receiving criticism over this selection. Many strategists give kudos to the selection and some are saying the transparency of going after the disenfranchised Hillary supporters flies in the face of credibility. I touched on those questions in the introduction.
In response to the McCain-Palin ticket, Bill Burton a spokesperson for Barack Obama released this following statement, "- John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency."
Mr. Burton has a point. One of the first questions that should serve as a litmus test for a person to qualify as VP is if that person can take the reigns of the presidency.
I'll answer that by offering this: Sarah Palin, by virtue of showing up and getting things done since 1992, as a member of the council, mayor of a small town, and currently as a rookie governor and commander-in-chief of the National Guard has more executive, legislative, and military experience (by virtue of commanding the National Guard) than the TOP of the Democratic ticket.
Barack Obama followed up his gracious commentary regarding Palin's selection by saying "it is more of the same." How so Mr. Obama?
When is the American voter going to challenge the rhetoric and catch phrases emanating from the Democratic nominee? Do we realize that the McCain ticket by record and deed, not by rhetoric or hyperbole, has a proven record of accomplishment to further Hope & Change?
American voters, I implore you to challenge the machine. History is not always good history.
We do not have to accept marginality or empty rhetoric for the sake of change. Let us embrace real (positive) change for the sake of our nation not our own individual desires to promote history for the sake of promoting history.
"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy, 1961
Source; Wikipedia
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