A new guest writer. Meet J
September 9th, 2008 | 
Author: September 6, 2008 – Saturday – 2:03 PM
Shockingly Bad, UPDATED II Let them Eat Cake, and go to the ER
“I found it shockingly bad” -Jeff Toobin CNN
But after the two conventions, it looks as if Obama and Biden are going to do their best to focus voters’ attention on issues — the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, energy, and the environment. And it looks as if McCain and Palin have decided to run on a platform of personal history. -Eugene Robinson
After the RNC song and dance, or as it became, “The Sarah Palin Show”, I was left with one question. Is the Republican Party running against the record of the Republican Party? They introduced no new POLICY, nothing to help home owners losing their homes to foreclosure, nothing at all for the middle class or the poor, just more of the same, the same as in the current Republican administration. Is that change?
Well, we did get to see another really sad 911 tribute. I must ask, is the Republican Party any more than a Noun, a Verb, and 911? I can see Rove behind the curtain yelling “Play the fear card!”
As an aside, a Republican Congressman let the cat out of the bag:
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a conservative Republican from Georgia, let slip today what critics have been saying is the subtext of many of the attacks on Barack Obama: He’s “uppity.”
According to The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, Westmoreland was discussing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech outside the House chamber today when he veered into his thoughts on Michelle and Barack Obama.
“Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mister Obama, Senator Obama, they’re a member of an elitist class individual that thinks that they’re uppity,” Westmoreland said.
Given the chance to take it back, or clarify, he didn’t.
Westmoreland briefly gained some national attention when he sponsored legislation to post the Ten Commandments in the House and Senate chambers. Asked by Stephen Colbert in 2006 to name all ten, Westmoreland stumbled. “Um, don’t murder, don’t lie, don’t steal,” he offered, before confessing, “I can’t name them.”
So, as the RNC held their convention, in front of a 99.9% white audience, we get to see what a Real Republican looks like. Seeking to be given privacy in the CHOICE Palin’s daughter made to keep her baby, the Republicans would ensure that no American has the same CHOICE. Since when did less government mean more government in your lives?
The Republicans decided to run against the current administration, Republicans running against Republicans. That should win it for them!
ENOUGH!
J
UPDATE:
Lindsey Graham in his speech last night said: “American combat brigades, who made up the surge, have returned home in victory.”
This just in, Gen. David Petraeus has recommended against any significant reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq before the end of the year. What troops was Graham talking about?
UPDATE II:
Let them eat cake — and go to the emergency room
There’s been a lot of buzz today over the statement by John Goodman, the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis — which is, despite its anodyne name, a hard-right think tank — that nobody is uninsured in America, because you can go to the emergency room. Goodman has described himself, as recently as July 30 in the Wall Street Journal, as a McCain adviser. But now that there’s a stink, the campaign says that he hasn’t been advising them since “earlier this summer.” (How much earlier?) And the campaign says that it doesn’t agree with his views.
But what Goodman says is what a lot of Republicans, from W to Tom Delay, say.
Truly, these people have no idea how the other 99.9 percent lives.
Paul Krugman
This from another excellent writer who’s agreed to let me repost: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.Confirm&friendID=38827954
Posted in
J rocks, I told him last year that I drop by for a lesson in the finer points of US politics. A bit like yourself.
Thanks Max. He’s consistently on the mark.
Maslow’s “Take” on the Election
By Bob Mann, Golf Professional
9/9/2008
Abraham Maslow said “To distract people from higher needs, threaten their lower needs.”
The Republican strategy of giving their convention a war and patriotism theme was quite brilliant. It changed the focus from such issues as health care, education, global warming and long term alternate energy development, and even to large measure, the economy; to the more fundamental human need to feel safe.
As Bob Woodward noted in his recent interview with Larry King, the President is not the Commander in Chief of the economy or global warming. The President is the Commander in Chief of the military.
The polls have shown that Senator McCain is perceived by the American public as more suited to be responsible for national security than Senator Obama. The Republicans are openly selling “inexperience” vs. Obama, but less openly they are selling “fear”. Ultimately, the peoples greatest fear, for themselves, and their families, is annihilation.
Unfortunately many people see bravado talk and aggressive action as the “answers” to fear related national security issues. (This, coupled with Senator McCain’s military service and family heritage gives many people a greater sense of false security.) However, the reverse is true; reserve, caution, negotiation, and having a strong military in reserve enhance national security. As President Clinton said, “..we lead by the power of our example, not by the example of our power.”
In spite of the evidence that we are militarily weaker as a result of the ill-founded invasion of Iraq, proposed by Senator McCain long before it actually occurred; a majority of Americans see Senator McCain’s approach to national security as being better then Senator Obama’s. Iraq has our military so over extended that we are not well prepared to face other situations that may arise, and are more likely to arise, because others recognize that we are over extended, which weakens our negotiating position.
Senator McCain continues to make hawkish noise; including implied threats that, as well as being inflammatory to other countries who might pose a threat, also distances us from our European allies.
In October 1st, 2003 on ABC nightline Senator McCain was asked how much more money the war would cost. He replied, “Estimates I hear as much as 50 to $55 billion more.” When asked, “Over a course of how many years?” McCain answered, “..four or five years.” Five years have passed with no end in sight, and Senator McCain’s estimate of maximum cost has been surpassed by approximately 10 to 1.
Senator McCain brags about his support of the Surge and its effectiveness. This claim is subject to serious question as many experts believe that the turn around in Iraq was more attributable to putting the enemies on our payroll. Moreover, Senator McCain’s bragging about the Surge can be compared to the person who makes a bad judgment about maintaining their car, but brags about repairing it at a cost many multiples of the original neglected service.
Senator McCain’s selection of Governor Palin to be a heartbeat away from a position of invoking nuclear holocaust on the world raises additional questions about his judgment, decision making process, and his motives.
Senator Obama’s campaign needs to make it clear that Senator McCain’s aggressiveness, has in the past, and will in the future, if left unbridled, weaken us militarily by depleting resources. It is not enough to merely point out Senator McCain’s bad judgment, the other shoe must drop, and Senator McCain’s bad judgment and hasty reactions must be clearly defined as weakening national security if permitted to affect our future. Senator Obama’s approach, using military force only as a last resort, and only following negotiation, strengthens us in two ways:
A) Enables negotiations to be conducted from a position of un-dissipated strength
B) Holds military might in reserve to use when and if genuinely required.
Senator Obama’s plan for better treatment of returning veterans coupled with his educational and occupational proposals for military personnel enhances recruiting and thus is superior for strengthening us militarily as compared to Senator McCain’s approach.
The Importance of rebuilding our alliances around the world should be more emphatically communicated as well, so Americans understand that we are stronger and more secure having Senator Obama as our next President, (who our European allies prefer over McCain by a 9 to 1 margin).
When Americans come to understand the superiority of Senator Obama’s temperament and approach to national security, compared to Senator McCain’s, they will recognize that Senator Obama is far more qualified to serve as Commander in Chief.
I gotta tell ya, this is the most thoughtful, reasoned and sensible comment any one has ever left on this blog. Many thanks for your effort and insight. A modicum of jealousy as it is in reply to a guest writer. Oh well. Would you be interested in contributing to this blog?