Obama has now officially distanced himself from his former pastor and probably former friend, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He did it with a degree of emotion, humility, disappointment, and resolve to place a solid wall between himself and Wright. I thought that he did a good job. I thought that he took too way to long to do it but he finally got pushed over the edge by the ego-maniac, racist Wright.
Obama has lost ground in the national polls but honestly the national polls are completely meaningless at this moment. All that matters now are Indiana, North Carolina and the super-delegates. Only by losing both states can he lose the super-delegates. Losing the super-delegates is the only way for him to lose the nomination.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Disappointment
I am so disappointed that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright will not deliver a sermon or press conference or convention address every day between now and November 5.
For bringing clarity to Obama's convictions, the Reverend has no peer.
For bringing clarity to Obama's convictions, the Reverend has no peer.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Bill Clinton
This morning I heard Bill Clinton speak at Carmel High School. After an insider tip, I made my way over to the otherwise outstanding institution. Here's how I observed it. The juniors and seniors sat in the bleachers of the gym. The speaker's platform was set up at one baseline. A blue temporary curtain hung behind the platform and a huge American flag was draped on it behind the rostrum. On the basketball floor, the press camera stand and sound engineer was set up at just beyond half court. So, chairs for people from the Carmel community were set up on the floor, between the half court line and the platform on the baseline. That's all. They were not filled and the event organizers had to bring down selected students to fill in the seats. I was seated four rows back. Unlike another man in the crowd, I did not bring my Ron Paul bumper sticker to wave. Jet-lag probably.
Slick spoke for quite a while. I didn't time it but it was probably 45 minutes. Much longer than a typical stump speech. A secret service man looked at his watch. The crowd, mainly of teens obviously, initially sat in nearly total silence as the speech began. They got a little restless near the end but generally were very well behaved and attentive, as one would expect from a Carmel High crowd. I was interested in the places where students gave applause. It was generally a pretty 'dead' crowd because (a) it's expressiveness-challenged midwest and (b) the students probably didn't get the nuances of many of the political issues in the speech and (c) Willie didn't deliver a rousing speech. Still, it was interesting that the students applauded every time a 'solution' was suggested for 'global warming.' It was the main issue on which they seemed to have a spontaneous response.
Anyway, as it turned out, Bill endorsed Hillary.
After the speech, Bill worked the rope line - like the one when he hugged Monica. He didn't hug anyone. The students rushed the line and seemed to relish the idea of shaking his hand and especially of getting an up close cell phone photo of or with him. I'm not sure that the secret service guys were quite ready for the energy and squirmy flexibility of a high school students. Bill seemed to enjoy himself - even left and came back for more.
An elderly lady asked me if I was a Hillary supporter or 'just here to see a former President.' I told her the later. She was disappointed.
I thought, but how exciting it is that Bill is the former President.
Slick spoke for quite a while. I didn't time it but it was probably 45 minutes. Much longer than a typical stump speech. A secret service man looked at his watch. The crowd, mainly of teens obviously, initially sat in nearly total silence as the speech began. They got a little restless near the end but generally were very well behaved and attentive, as one would expect from a Carmel High crowd. I was interested in the places where students gave applause. It was generally a pretty 'dead' crowd because (a) it's expressiveness-challenged midwest and (b) the students probably didn't get the nuances of many of the political issues in the speech and (c) Willie didn't deliver a rousing speech. Still, it was interesting that the students applauded every time a 'solution' was suggested for 'global warming.' It was the main issue on which they seemed to have a spontaneous response.
Anyway, as it turned out, Bill endorsed Hillary.
After the speech, Bill worked the rope line - like the one when he hugged Monica. He didn't hug anyone. The students rushed the line and seemed to relish the idea of shaking his hand and especially of getting an up close cell phone photo of or with him. I'm not sure that the secret service guys were quite ready for the energy and squirmy flexibility of a high school students. Bill seemed to enjoy himself - even left and came back for more.
An elderly lady asked me if I was a Hillary supporter or 'just here to see a former President.' I told her the later. She was disappointed.
I thought, but how exciting it is that Bill is the former President.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Craziness Increases
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the way the government regulates the nation's financial services industry from banks and securities firms to mortgage brokers and insurance companies.
The plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve, according to a 22-page executive summary obtained by The Associated Press.
The Fed would be given broad authority to oversee financial market stability. That would include new powers to examine the books of any institution deemed to represent a potential threat to the proper functioning of the overall financial system.
The proposal, which will be outlined Monday in a speech by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, is certain to set off heated debates within different sectors of the financial services industry and in Congress, where some Democrats are likely to complain that the proposal does not go far enough to crack down on abuses.
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer - yahoo economic news, Sat March 29
The article above illustrates one more example of how George W Bush, more than any President I can recall, is determined to consolidate as much power as possible at the federal level. This example is crazy because it represents greatly expanding the powers of the Federal Reserve - an unelected, unaudited, secretive group. What's even more crazy is that article is probably right in saying that the Democrats will object that it doesn't go far enough!
So, the contrast grows clearer day by day -- G W Bush and the belt-way people seek to bolster 'the Fed' while Ron Paul campaigned to eliminate it altogether.
Unfortunately, there will be no last laugh on this one - because it's no laughing matter.
The plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve, according to a 22-page executive summary obtained by The Associated Press.
The Fed would be given broad authority to oversee financial market stability. That would include new powers to examine the books of any institution deemed to represent a potential threat to the proper functioning of the overall financial system.
The proposal, which will be outlined Monday in a speech by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, is certain to set off heated debates within different sectors of the financial services industry and in Congress, where some Democrats are likely to complain that the proposal does not go far enough to crack down on abuses.
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer - yahoo economic news, Sat March 29
The article above illustrates one more example of how George W Bush, more than any President I can recall, is determined to consolidate as much power as possible at the federal level. This example is crazy because it represents greatly expanding the powers of the Federal Reserve - an unelected, unaudited, secretive group. What's even more crazy is that article is probably right in saying that the Democrats will object that it doesn't go far enough!
So, the contrast grows clearer day by day -- G W Bush and the belt-way people seek to bolster 'the Fed' while Ron Paul campaigned to eliminate it altogether.
Unfortunately, there will be no last laugh on this one - because it's no laughing matter.
Friday, March 28, 2008
What You Sense
If you are a Hoosier, that unidentified sensation you have today is this: Hillary Clinton is campaigning in Indiana today.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
One Percent Giving
Tax returns released by the Barack Obama presidential campaign show that Obama and his wife Michelle gave less than 1 percent of their total $1.2 million income to charity from 2000 through 2004.
The Obamas reported that they gave $2,350 to charity in 2000 — 1 percent of their $240,505 adjusted gross income — $1,470 (.5 percent) in 2001, $1,050 (.4 percent) in 2002, $3,400 (1.4 percent) in 2003, and $2,500 (1.2 percent) in 2004.
The total for the four years was $10,770, “a lowball figure compared to other politicians,” the New York Post reported in a story headlined “Those Stingy Obamas.”
The Obamas increased their charitable contributions to $77,315 in 2005, when their adjusted gross income was $1.65 million — including $1.2 million from Barack Obama’s book royalties.
And in 2006, the Obamas contributed $60,307 — 6.1 percent of their $983,826 AGI — including $22,500 to controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ and $13,107 to the Congressional Black Caucus.
from Newsmax.com article
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A Revelation
Hillary scored with three big statements this week:
1. On the stump in Pennsylvania she said that she is "going the distance" - going to stay in the race through the convention - great news for the media and for Republicans everywhere.
2. “You don’t choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend.” Brilliant.
3. "I misspoke," about being fired at by a sniper in Bosnia. Completely understandable. Being fired at by a sniper is so common that's it's easy to mis-remember it! She went on to say, "I made a mistake and, you know, I had a different memory. And you know, my staff and others have, you know, all kind of come together trying to sort out. So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I am human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation."
1. On the stump in Pennsylvania she said that she is "going the distance" - going to stay in the race through the convention - great news for the media and for Republicans everywhere.
2. “You don’t choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend.” Brilliant.
3. "I misspoke," about being fired at by a sniper in Bosnia. Completely understandable. Being fired at by a sniper is so common that's it's easy to mis-remember it! She went on to say, "I made a mistake and, you know, I had a different memory. And you know, my staff and others have, you know, all kind of come together trying to sort out. So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I am human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation."
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