Natural Gas: The Push and the Propaganda

We have all heard T. Boone Pickens push for the use of natural gas as the future automobile fuel in his recent series of television ads.  Now, Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman and CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corp., is taking out full page ads in USA Today promoting natural gas as the future fuel for autos.  Lets examine some of the statements in the ad:

 

Statement:  Demanding this EPA certified alternative fuel is an act of patriotism in a time of economic crisis.

My reply:  It would be a lot more patriotic if the oil and gas companies were drilling and producing on the millions of acres they already own or lease and have been sitting on for many, many years, instead of asking the U.S. to open up new lands for them to drill on.  

Statement:  A new landmark study shows North American natural gas supply far exceeds industry forecasts.  Given 22 U.S. gas rich shale basins and 21st century technologies, long-term abundance is assured.

My reply:  Despite the long term abundance of natural gas and the fact that supply far exceeds industry forecasts, the price of natural gas has increased as much as the price of oil and gasoline.  Remember, it is the energy industry that tells us supply and demand controls the price, so why is the price of natural gas so high when there is abundance instead of shortages?  The answer is energy monopoly; the energy companies want to have the country addicted to natural gas as fuel for autos to continue their monopoly and rising prices.  The American people are now paying a fuel adjustment charge on their energy bills which is more than the charge for the energy used --- so much for abundance. 

 

The bottom line is T. Boone Pickens and Aubrey McClendon want to keep America addicted to oil and natural gas for their own financial gain.  The greening of America, when it comes to fuel for automobiles, has to be other than gasoline or natural gas if we truly want to break the status quo, and the energy industry has to be kept away from monopolizing any fuel.

The First Debate: Analysis and Fact Checking

The dust from the first debate has settled and several things have become clear.  First and foremost, as I touched on last night before the debate, almost clairvoyantly,  McCain's temperament was perhaps his biggest downfall last night.  At times, the Senator from Arizona would grunt and gesture awkwardly with his hands; his face often was shown on national television displaying disturbing expressions.  Moreover, McCain's dismissive attitude toward Obama, although surely making Republicans smile, might not play so well in this country with the undecided voters who will decide this election; indeed, several focus groups conducted during and after the debate showed that Obama won the debate by a significant margin among undecideds and that McCain's attacks labeling Obama as "naive" and "unprepared" were among the audience's least favorite moments of the entire hour and a half.

As far as who won the debate, it truly is in the eye of the beholder.  For my money, for whatever it's worth, Obama won by a landslide; he appeared Presidential; he had complete dominance over the economic portion of the debate; he demonstrated a great volume of knowledge on foreign affairs, and most importantly, he kept his cool.

Fact Check Time: As with any debate, one or both of the candidates end up lying on their or the other's records.  Last night was no different.  Here are some of those moments along with the fact checking.

Charge: One of the most memorable moments was the exchange between the two candidates on former Secretary of State and current McCain adviser, Henry Kissinger.  Obama claimed that Kissinger encouraged meetings with foreign leaders without preconditions; McCain said Kissinger would never suggest such a thing. 

Facts: At a forum last Saturday with former Secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger agreed with the other former Secretaries and said:

"I am in favor of negotiating with Iran....What is it going to do if we can't achieve what we're talking about? But I do not believe that we can make conditions for the opening of negotiations. We ought, however, to be very clear about the content of negotiations and work it out with other countries and with our own government."

Charge: Another moment of contention was when Obama charged that McCain's plan wold give $4 billion in tax breaks to oil companies.  McCain attempted to dodge the charge.  Here are the facts as reported by the Associated Press:

Facts:

"The $4 billion in tax breaks for the oil companies is simply part of McCain's overall corporate tax reduction plan and does not represent an additional tax benefit. In other words, the corporate tax reduction applies to all corporations, oil companies included."

Charge: McCain and Obama argued over whether or not Obama voted to cut off funding for U.S. troops.  Here are the facts, again as reported by the AP:

Facts:

"Despite opposing the war, Obama has, with one exception, voted for Iraq troop financing. In 2007, he voted against a troop funding bill because it did not contain language calling for a troop withdrawal. The Illinois senator backed another bill that had such language and money for the troops."

Charge: At one point in the debate, McCain claimed that Dwight Eisenhower wrote a resignation letter on the eve of D-Day to be sent if the invasion did not go well.  The AP has the facts:

Facts:

Eisenhower prepared to take responsibility in the note to be delivered in the event of D-Day disaster but did not offer to resign.

John McCain: Not Maverick; Erratic

"The fundamentals of our economy are strong."

Who said this?  When did they say it?  If one was watching the news as of late, the guess could be made that Bill Clinton said this during the 1990s when the economy was prosperous and both Wall Street and Main Street were satisfied. 

But it wasn't Bill Clinton who said this.  And the person who said this wasn't talking about the '90s.  John McCain said the above quote on Monday, September 15, when Lehman Brothers collapsed and the stock market had its worst day since 9/11.  The American economy, ever since that fateful Monday, has been in a steep dive with no end in sight, leading many to believe that a depression is on the way.

Yes, on Monday the "fundamentals of our economy" were "strong", but by Tuesday John McCain reinvented himself as a the modern day Teddy Roosevelt, rallying against the corruption of Wall Street Barons.  

John McCain continued that theme through last week and into this week when talk of a $700 billion bailout plan was proposed by the White House.  John McCain, sensing a political gold mine, decided to suspend his campaign, call off the debate, and fly to Washington to save the day.  

There was, of course, a few issues to be had with the above statement.  For one, is it really fair to say that your campaign is suspended when your television ads are still playing, your campaign personnel are going on cable news 24/7 to attack Barack Obama, and Sarah Palin, your Vice-Presidential pick, is holding campaign rallies across Pennsylvania?  Secondly, why call off the debate?  Isn't a crisis time like this a time when the American people most need to hear from their leaders, especially the two men who could inherit this economic crisis?  More on the calling off of the debate in a minute.  Finally, John McCain was not needed in Washington.  He is not on the Senate Banking committee, the Senate committee negotiating with the White House.  John McCain, putting it bluntly, went to Washington to look pretty.  He accomplished nothing, and, sadly, Congress is now further away from settling on a plan than they were before John McCain came to their rescue. Why are they further behind?  Well, according to several members of the House and Senate, John McCain did what he said he wouldn't: politicize the event and in turn make a bipartisan effort into an extremely partisan one.  

The debate, as we now know, is back on.  No solution has been reached, but John McCain is, as usual, going back on his word.  It's clear to me and should be obvious to all why McCain attempted to postpone the debate.  Just a few hours after making his "I'm not going to the debate" statement, McCain suggested that the Vice-Presidential debate next week should just be replaced by a Presidential one.  How convenient!  Sarah Palin, the least qualified and knowledgeable VP candidate in history, wouldn't have to face tough questions yet again. Thankfully, Barack Obama and Joe Biden stood firm; Friday's debate would go on, with or without John McCain, and the Vice-Presidential debate would be next week no matter the circumstances.  Left with the option of either going back on his word or leaving Obama with one and a half hours of free national exposure, McCain chose the latter.  

So the debate will go on and we'll finally see McCain and Obama face-to-face confronting each other on the crucial issues facing America, but the happenings of the past two weeks surely brings into question McCain's judgment and rationality.  Perhaps even more than the debate, these last two weeks have drawn a clear contrast between Obama and McCain:  Obama is cool under pressure, while McCain acts erratically. 

Hypocrisy Watch: David Vitter

It is not enough that U.S. Senator David Vitter fell off his moral mountain last summer, proving himself to be one of the biggest hypocrites in Washington, but Sen. Vitter is now trying to appease the right wing of his party by asking his conservative colleagues to sign on to his resolution that would put the Senate on record as disagreeing with the Supreme Court's ruling that rejected the death penalty for those convicted of raping a child, without murder.  

The fact is, however, that the Supreme Court has already asked attorneys educated on this issue to submit briefs on whether the high court should reconsider that ruling. So, in short, Vitter wants the Congress to get involved where it is not necessary nor warranted.  Surely, Congress has more important things to do.  The legal authorities involved will and can handle this issue very well as they have with similar situations in the past.  If Mr. Vitter really cared, he should introduce legislation to actually correct the situation as he sees fit, rather than introducing legislation that just says that he disagrees. One again, it's talk, not action, for Vitter and the Republican Party. 

Another Massive Failure On The Republican Watch

President Bush, as we all now know, has asked Congress to bail out the financial industry one again, this time to the tune of $700 billion.  And although swift action from Congress is necessary, Congress needs to review this plan with extra caution and care and make certain that it comes with strings attached (in other words, unlike the Iraq War resolution).  

 

What is happening with the financial industry is the consistent pattern of Republican ideology, a non-governing attitude of government.  Let's check the Republican Party's past and present record:

 

    -The great depression and stock market collapse of 1929.
 
   -The savings and loan collapse and subsequent bail out in the late '80s that cost the taxpayers over $125 billion.
    
   -The stock market collapse of 1987 know as "black Monday" and a loss of 22.5% of its value --- the largest
    one day loss in history.
 
   -The stock market and financial market scandals during the current President's term and the most recent
    bail out of private industries.

 

All of those "shocks" are related to economic conditions, and all were overseen by Republican Presidents.  When will conservatives get the idea: the status of the U.S. economy is related directly to the government's fiscal policies, set by the President. Outside and unforeseen circumstances also have a bearing on the economy, but that is why a sound fiscal policy is essential: to make sure the U.S. is ready for those circumstances.  

 

President Bush tells us the problem with the financial industry melt down started with unsound lending and borrowing practices.  Well, under Reagan-Bush 41 and Bush 43, which covers a period of 20 years, not one federal budget was balanced and deficit spending and borrowing occurred every year, along with record debt their administrations created.  

 

The bottom line: George Bush and the Republicans got "drunk" on their own policies and passed it on to Wall Street and the financial industry.  Worst of all, the American taxpayer is being asked to deal with the "hang-over".  

The Presidential Election and The Economy: Part I

Over 45 years ago, President Kennedy, in his State of the Union address of January 14, 1963, spoke about the economy and pushed for a reduction and revision in federal income taxes.  However, in conflict with Republicans say today, Kennedy had the wisdom to understand that tax reduction was not enough to sustain the economy and told the American people so.  His tax proposal did pass Congress, but was not tilted in favor of the wealthy or Corporate America, but rather the America middle class.

 

Here are some excerpts from President Kennedy's State of the Union address which outlines the broader picture for a stable economy:

 

"America has enjoyed twenty-two months of uninterrupted economic recovery.  But recovery is not enough.  If we are to prevail in the long run, we must expand the long-run strength of our economy.  We must move along the path to a higher rate of growth and full employment.(...)

 

I do not say that a measure for tax reduction and reform is the only way to achieve these goals.  No doubt a massive increase in federal spending could also create jobs and growth-- but in today's setting, private consumers, employers, and investors should be given a full opportunity first.

 

No doubt a reduction in either individual or corporation taxes alone would be of great help--but corporations need customers and job seekers need jobs.

 

Tax reduction, alone, however, is not enough to strengthen our society, to provide opportunities for the four million americans who are born each year, to improve the lives of thirty-two million americans who live on the outskirts of poverty.  The quality of American life must keep pace with the quantity of american goods.  This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.

 

First we need to strengthen our nation by investing in our youth.  The future of any country which is dependent upon the will and wisdom of its citizens is damaged and irreparably damaged, whenever any of its children is not educated to the full extent of his talent, from grade school through graduate school.  Today, an estimated four out of every ten students in fifth grade will not even finish high school-- and that is a waste we cannot afford.

 

In addition there is no reason why one million young Americans, out of school and out of work, should all remain unwanted and often untrained on our city streets when their energies can be put to good use.

 

We shall be judged more by what we do at home than by what we preach abroad.  Nothing we could do to help the developing countries would help them half as much as a booming U.S. economy.  And nothing our opponents could do to encourage their own ambitions would encourage them half as much as a chronic U.S. economy.  These domestic tasks do not divert energy from our security--they provide the very foundation for freedom's survival and success."

Both parties could learn a great deal from President Kennedy's economic policies.  

 

Next Up, Part II

Another Drunk On Wall Street

Lehman Brothers Holding, an investment Bank, just this week filed the largest bankruptcy in American history.  At the same time, Merrill Lynch, the world's largest recognized brokerage, avoided the same fate with a $50 billion transaction to become part of Bank of America Corp., which has the most deposits of any U.S. bank.  This deal will create a financial giant --- just what the people need: another monopoly in the financial markets.

 

The Dow Jones average responded to this news by dropping 504 points; approximately $700 billion evaporated from retirements plans, government pension funds, and other investment portfolios, reported business writers from the Associated Press.  This is the same industry Republicans want to shift Social Security money in the form of private accounts.  How would you like $700 billion to disappear from Social Security over night because of the reckless actions financial institutions take.

 

The worst part is that while this meltdown is taking place, the CEOs are still being given millions of dollars in bonuses, stock options, and other financial rewards.  Republicans have been in bed with corporate America from the beginning with policies that favor the wealthy and free them from any restraint or oversight. The sky is the limit.  Despite what T.Boone Pickens says, a record of wealth has been transferred from the average workers to the pockets of corporate America; CEO's make 400 times the average worker.  

 

So called economic and stock market experts on CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC end up aiding and abetting the Republicans and corporate American greed.  The only thing they are an expert at is giving out propaganda that follows the conservative Republican ideology. 

 

If the American people are really concerned about the future of their children, John McCain and the Republican party are not the answer in November.  They would only continue the policies of transferring more and more wealth from the average American to the wealthiest 1% --- that is the Republican policy. 

This Is a Start, But Dems Must Get Tougher

Oil's Corrupting Influence

Just when the American people think they have heard it all about oil company corruption, a new report just released by the Inspector General of the Interior Department documents a "culture of ethical failure" in the office of the Mineral Management Service, the federal agency in charge of offshore drilling.

 

Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties partied, had sex with and accepted golf and ski outings from employees of energy companies they were dealing with.  Chevron, Shell, Hess Corp, and Gary-Williams Energy Corp., were all named according to the report.  Secretary of the Interior Dick Kempthorne promised swift action to restore the public trust, and said he was outraged by the immoral behavior, illegal activities and appalling misconduct.

 

None of this would have happened if the energy companies involved would not have offered this illegal and unethical activity to the government employees.  Mr. Kempthorne should have equally harsh words for the oil companies also.  Energy companies who do this are worse than the people who accept their favors and should be branded as such.  There can be no corruption without those who corrupt.

 

Elected officials need to completely cut contact with representatives of the oil companies and treat them like they do the average taxpayer.  Those who corrupt care nothing about the people, only greed and unethical behavior.  Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) of the House Natural Resources plans to hold congressional hearings on the report.

 

Once again this is just another example (too many to number) of a given agency operating without any checks and balances or oversight that is so familiar to the Bush ideology of non regulation.  Secretary Kempthorne followed that script for his department.

 

The minerals management services royalty in kind program handles billions of dollars and the program was supposed to take a business model approach but officials donned a private-sector approach to everything they did, often flounting government ethics rules the report also said.

 

Oil companies, the same guys who are putting pressure on Congress to open up offshore drilling while at the same time refusing to drill on millions of acres they own or lease in the United States.  Congress should tell them to go take a hike.

The Presidential Election and The Economy

With the November election only 50 plus days away and the economy being a top issue with the American voters, I will write a series of articles dealing with the two candidates and their party's intention on the economy.  Both parties have a clear record to be judged on, so there should not be any excuse for voters not to know which party and candidate will perform the best.

 

The readers of Politidose know from previous articles I have written that, in my judgement, the Democratic party's performance is the best by far in creating an economy that is sustained with a balanced budget, surpluses, even job creation, low unemployment, rising wages, low inflation, low oil and gas prices, and reasonable increases in spending.  

In the series of articles I will go back some years and share with the readers thoughts of some economic leaders of the past and also past presidents.  In the end, I believe the reader will understand why past Democratic administrations were able to do better for the country and its people.

 

If the American people stop and realize that when President Bush leaves office in 4 months, that he will leave behind an administration that is the biggest deficit spending and debt creator of all time and never had an economic plan to pay for his reckless deficit spending, the American people should surely know how important this election will be.

 

Next up: Part I

Debunking the Lies

President Bush: a "C" For Protecting America

Seven years after the 9-11 attacks, the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastropic nuclear, biological, or chemical attack on U.S. soil and stemming the proliferation of WMD abroad, according to a report issued on 9/10/08 by 22 former U.S. officials.

 

The Bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America, a panel co-chaired by Lee Hamilton, gave the U.S. an overall grade "C".  Once again, Mr. Bush's tough talk about keeping America safe are contrary to the facts.  John McCain, if elected president, will continue the Republican tough talk and we will still be in Iraq fighting the wrong war under his leadership.  McCain is a military veteran, and we should be proud of that, but he lacks common sense when it comes to fighting the people who harmed us on 9-11 and instead fighting a war in Iraq for 100 years.

 

By the way, McCain publicly said he knew how to win wars.  Has any one heard him say what war he has won?  I am surely not aware of any wars he has won.  And if he knows how to win wars, maybe he should share this knowledge with the proper authorities so we can actually win the two wars we are fighting, instead of keeping this information secret and only releasing it if he is elected President.  When you think about it, McCain is almost blackmailing the American people to vote for him to win the war.  Once again, this just proves that the Republicans lack the basis values of truth, or any other value for that matter.  

Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac: Another Government Bailout

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson recently announced the take over of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the federal government.  The move was done, said Paulson, in a bid to help reverse a prolonged housing and credit crisis with the idea being to keep owners in their homes.

 

It has been estimated that the bailout will cost at least $250 billion, but Paulson said he could not say for sure.  Regardless, it is another bill the tax payers will be saddled with, and once again it happened on the Republican watch.  While speaking about the financial crisis a few weeks ago, President Bush who thought the mic were off said, "Wall Street got drunk."  What he failed to say was Wall Street got drunk because of his own policies --- no oversight and a lack of regulation by the regulators charged with that responsibility.

 

We have the Wall Street scandal of manipulating the market, the mortgage scandal, and the federal bail out of Bear Stearns along with the infamous Enron scandal --- all on Mr. Bush's watch.  I have mentioned in previous articles how Republican administrations seduce the public with tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and then get into the tax payers pockets a hundred different ways. If the voters took time and examined the fiscal and economic record of the last three Republican presidents, Reagan, Bush 41, and Bush 43, which covers a 20 year period, they would be shocked to find how badly they performed compared to the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton.

 

Bottom line: a vote for John McCain in November is a vote for the continuation of this Republican pattern with its reckless policies.

Rachel Maddow: The Smartest Voice on Cable

Take a look at two of her segments from tonight's show:

The Rachel Maddow Show airs weeknights on MSNBC following Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann. I would recommend everyone watches it.

Fair is Fair

Republicans have had and will in the future have no problem bringing up Rev. Wright in an effort to damage Obama's candidacy.  Now we find out that Sarah Palin's church and personal religious statements are less than conventional, to say the least.  For all that talk of the "liberal media" there sure hasn't been much talk on Palin's religious views even though that "liberal media" had no problem talking about Rev. Wright non-stop, so why is Palin's similar situation off limits?  It shouldn't be, and kudos to Rachel Maddow for bringing it up on her inaugural show tonight --- more shows and networks need to take notice.

It's not that religion should play any role in politics, because it should not, in any way.  The problem is that it appears Sarah Palin thinks religion does have a role, a huge role at that, to play in politics, and scarier still, in policy decisions.  The governor as recently as June of this year has stated that the Iraq War is God's will and that members of her congregation should pray for her oil pipeline proposal to succeed.  

Then, of course, there is the pastor who visited her church who claimed that the Jews being killed in Israel are being killed as a punishment from God since Jews do not believe Jesus is the Messiah.  And what about her church teaching that one can "pray away the gays".  Or how about the idea that the rapture is ever approaching, and that, get this, Alaska is the promised refuge during that supposed great time of peril.  

Please, give me a break.  This is not just religious right wacky (although Palin has that covered with her stances on abortion and creationism), this is frightening, radical thinking.  And the idea that one candidate can have their church's dirty laundry, a church which they didn't even attend consistently, aired for weeks straight and another candidate, who is, by the way, on record as being in church on days when that harsh rhetoric was spewed, can get the proverbial "get-out-of-jail-free card" throws out any claims of "objective journalism".  Fair is fair, or at least should be, but that is not how the media is acting.  Hopefully, they will pick up this story and make Sarah Palin answer those same tough questions that Barack Obama had to.  

Joe Biden Meets the Press

Senator Joe Biden, Vice Presidential nominee for the Democratic party, appeared on Meet the Press yesterday.  Moderator Tom Brokaw started the program off and showed his Republican colors immediately by talking about the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. 

 

Brokaw then questioned Senator Biden about the surge in Iraq and the full situation there and tried to get Senator Biden to admit the surge was working.  Biden proved to be an expert on foreign affairs and pointed out how Sen. Obama and his original position is turning out to have been the correct one concerning the Iraq War and the surge.  Senator Biden pointed out John McCain had no plan concerning Iraq on withdrawal or how to end the war there.  In short, Biden made Brokaw look like the ill informed reporter he has become.  As a matter of fact, Brokaw had a problem reading his own notes on the questions he wanted to ask --- Tim never had that problem. 

 

Mr. Brokaw then asked about the divisive issue Republicans turn to election after election: abortion.  Senator Biden was sharp as a tact on the issue.  He pointed out his belief and said religion is a private matter and would not try to influence other people belief's on the issue.  Biden also said he does not talk about his religion while campaigning.  The Senator from Delaware made the best response on the issue of abortion I have ever heard from a politician.  To people with common sense and those who wish to return to sanity, it should be the final word concerning abortion. 

 

This was a unfortunately a probable preview of what Tom Brokaw will be like when he moderates one of the Presidential debates.  He will more than likely show his Republican colors there, too.  Hopefully I'm wrong, but after being a journalist for many years, it's a sad fact that Brokaw can not bring himself to be objective.  

Hurricane Evacuation: A Personal Perspective

As a native of a state that sits on the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Gustav caused my family to evacuate 250 plus miles into eastern Alabama and the panhandle of Florida.  This was our third evacuation including Ivan, Katrina, and Gustav.

 

Leaving is a little strange for me since during my teen years and early adulthood we rode the storms out at home.  As a teen it was actually fun --- no school for a couple of days; after the storm passed we played in the water on the streets and actually swam in the ditches that were deep enough.  We did not worry much as teenagers, as we let the adults do the worrying and, for that matter, the work.  When we lost power we did everything inside by candle light, which at the time, was pretty exciting.  I hate to say it, but we actually had fun during those storms.

 

Since I am now a parent and grandparent I know now, mine must not have enjoyed all the work and the un knows.  I say that because now it is not as enjoyable to me --- board up the house windows; make all the preparations; leave town; come back after the storm; clean up, and that's if you even still have a house.  Once you come back, you have to deal with power shortages; not many stores open; phones not working, etc.  I think I definitely liked it more when I was a teenager.

 

Growing up, we had no TV to show the track of the storm and all the possibilities of where it would finally hit like we have today.  All we had was a radio report saying the storm will land tomorrow at such and such a time and location.  Also storms were not named so it was hard to keep track of what storm they were talking about when two were out there. 

 

The upside of being a parent and grandparent is that I am able to pass along my experiences to my children and grandchildren on how to prepare for the storms and the precautions that should be taken.  I hope I can make a difference for them because their safety and well being is the most important thing to me.  I would rather be overly cautious and safe than take a gamble with the unknown. 

The United States and Iraq Security Pact

Over the past several weeks there have been news reports concerning a drafting of a security pact between the U.S. and Iraq.  Most reports were confusing at best and talked about american troop withdrawal; both full withdrawal and partial; training and support forces to stay; full sovereignty and a time line wanted by Iraq but not the U.S. and etc.

 

Lets try to cut through what is happening here.  Bush and Iraqi prime minister al Maliki are using our men and women in uniform for their own political purpose.  Al Maliki would like to see the U.S. continue to pour billions of dollars into his country.  Bush wants to continue this war beyond his presidency to tie the hands of the next president.  Both have made safety the corner stone for American withdrawal. 

 

Lets examine that because it is a chess game to keep america occupied in Iraq.  We are 5 1/2 years into this war and Bush and his military advisers still can't tell the people when Iraq can take over the security of their country and we are the one's training them.  If we don't know how long it takes, who does?  Al Maliki and his people certainly should know.

 

The other point, al Maliki is reported to want a date certain of when all U.S. troops will leave.  Bush does not want a time table.  If al Maliki was serious all he has to do is demand  the U.S. leave and we would have to do so.  Bush and al Maliki are both playing this con game on america.  It is way past time our troops come home from this senseless war and occupation over WMD that did not exist.

 

Get this: the N.Y. Times reported "graffiti can be seen on the walls in Shiite districts of Baghdad saying: 'Iraq for sale, see Maliki'".  It seems the Iraqi people also see what is going on.  What a shame.

The Presidential Debate Moderators

The moderators for the three Presidential debates have been named and are Jim Lehrer of the Lehrer News Hour, Tom Brokaw, former NBC News anchor, and Bob Schieffer of CBS and moderator of Face the Nation.

 

All three have been around for a long time and John McCain is one of their fair head boys and has appeared many times with Schieffer and Brokaw.  In my judgement, all three leave a lot to be desired as debate moderators.

 

Jim Lehrer has appeared as a moderator in past presidential debates and really showed his bias as a moderator in the 2000 debates when he questioned Al Gore's character.  He soft balled questions to Bush and now after almost 8 years of Bush we know whose character he should have questioned.

 

Tom Brokaw is now doing Meet the Press on a temporary basis and his performance with his questions are silly at best.  He is a Republican supporter that comes through when he questions Democrats.  You can count on that showing up during the coming debates.

 

Bob Schieffer is a McCain supporter and his questions on Face the Nation are soft.  Several weeks ago Schieffer used the Republican talking point and asked the question: "Why can't Obama acknowledge the surge in Iraq is working?", as if the Iraqi government has accomplished all the things  the surge was supposed to have them accomplish.

 

The voters are faced with so much propaganda by the news media.  First, on all the regular news programs, journalists interview the same 10 or 12 members of Congress over and over and the people never get the opportunity to hear the thoughts of the other 400 plus members.

 

Then we have moderators for the debates whose questions will favor one candidate over the other, instead of neutral questions that will bring about answers that inform the American people of what the candidate would do if elected.  It is time for the people to stand up and be counted in this election.  The news media, journalists, and moderators offer no help.

Republican Hypocrisy

Sorry that I've been away for so long, but I evacuated this past friday for Hurricane Gustav and am still evacuated.  I have a lot to write and a lot to say on the happenings of the last week.  However, getting to an internet connection is no easy feat here (I am staying in a family member's house in Alabama).  I had to, however, get an internet connection to post this video.  Even though this is from Comedy Central, it should be the headline on every single news program in this country.  The pure hypocrisy of Republicans is clearly exposed in this 5 minute clip: