VP Update

NBC News is now reporting that Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine have been informed that they will not be the Vice-Presidential choice of Barack Obama.  So, on that note, I suppose that you can disregard that previous announcement.  

So I guess that leaves us with Joe Biden or a surprise pick.  We'll just have to wait and see.  

Stephanie Tubbs Jones: A Tribute

Senator McCain Steps on His Own Tongue

Republican Presidential Candidate McCain once again stepped on his own tongue when he said, "Obama tried to legislate failure in Iraq and failed to admit the surge was working."  It was McCain who tried to legislate success in Iraq over WMD when they did not exist.

 

The reasons McCain said we went to war was bogus so there can be no victory when the reason given for going to war proved to be a lie.  McCain, elected republicans and conservatives who continue to support this war in Iraq and continue to lie about why the war has to continue are a disgrace to our men and women in uniform who are still paying the ultimate price. 

 

If McCain's military experience is used to justify our occupation and war in Iraq for the next 100 years and is a window to see how he would act if elected president, that should be very disturbing to the american people and the country.

 

We have many veterans in public office but McCain is one of a few who truly have no concept of the serious consequences of committing our nation and military to unnecessary wars.  McCain is also one of a few veterans who try to talk tough to cover up their arrogance and character flaw.  Cue, what has Bush's tough talk accomplished?

 

The country and our people deserve better from the next president.  McCain's actions show he lacks the fundamentals to be president.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones: 1949-2008

I would like to send my condolences to the family of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.  I think I speak for all of us when I say that I will for always remember her enthusiasm during this primary season.  She was a woman of great accomplishment who served Ohio proudly in the Congress and will be greatly missed.  

The Olympic Games: A Study In Diplomacy

The Olympic games --- a gathering of nations and its people in display of their collective spirit in sport competition.  This despite all the turmoil going on all over the world.  That should be a positive story about how nations and people can live and work together in peace and for the common good.

 

How can this mass of humanity in the games get along so well despite the various difference in background and etc?  They show genuine enjoyment about being together and sharing the same stage.  How come world leaders, including our president can't get along as well to work for the common good.  One gets the idea if it were left to the people to run the worlds countries we would not have the problems we have today. 

 

Why do our leaders commit these men and women to wars over ideology and other lame excuses to show how tough they are.  The bottom line is that our leaders are not problem solvers.  They take advantage of their positions and try to impose their own will on others.  World leaders don't withhold their people from the Olympic games because of their differences, on the contrary, they promote the games.  So why not promote the same Olympic relationships among our leaders?

 

Leaders of the world would do well to rethink their attitudes and always have the well being of their people in mind when approaching problems.  Leave your ego's at home and think about the people.

Now Comes The Reckoning

Five and half years ago President Bush ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Iraq was a sovereign nation and Mr. Bush decided to bypass the U.N. to address a bogus problem.  Most of our major allies opposed the invasion and sat on the sidelines.  There's no need to go over all the mistakes made during the Iraq War, but one consequence we are now realizing more clearly than ever is that Bush opened the door for other nations to take the same actions against another nation regardless of a threat that was real or a threat that was manufactured.

 

Now it is Russia's turn to act the story out in Georgia.  Mr. Bush says Georgia is a sovereign nation and Russia should end the war and pull all troops out.  The U.S. still has 140,000 troops in Iraq after 5-1/2 years, so the presidents words ring hollow. 

 

I have mentioned on several occasions in the past that two can play this reckless game and now its Russia's turn.  There will be more leaders who will take their turn if this ideology is not reversed.  The day of reckoning has arrived for our reckless decision concerning Iraq.  The most frightening part is that the people responsible for the war in Iraq have convinced the American people to forget about the real reason we went to war in the first place and instead we are debating the surge --- a surge over WMD that did not exist and Americans are still dying because of that reckless behavior. 

 

Part of the silent reason of Russia's action in Georgia is the push to have Georgia become a member of NATO which Mr. Bush supports and Mr. Putin opposes.  Also a missile defense system in that part of Europe close to Russia that Bush supports and Putin opposes.  Mr. Putin is sending a message to stay out of Russia's back yard.

 

There will be more days of reckoning ahead if our next president does not change this dangerous and reckless policy and change this copy cat notion that world leaders can do what ever they want.  If that effort is not made the men and women in the Olympics will be facing each other in war instead of sports competition.  Is that what leadership is all about?

The Georgian-Russian Conflict

I'm no foreign policy expert, but here is how I access the current situation: If South Ossetia wanted independence from Georgia, for whatever reason, Georgia should have looked more seriously into the request instead of just dismissing it.  Secondly, if the Russian rebels in South Ossetia were attacking the mainland of Georgia, Georgia did have a right to defend itself and it's people. Thirdly, Russia had no reason whatsoever to interject themselves in this essentially civil dispute.  Russia should not have sent troops into Georgian territory.  This aggressive act by Russia really needs to be a turning point in regards to the U.S. foreign policy towards Russia and Putin.  Too long has George Bush appeased Putin.  Putin has one goal in mind: returning Russia to it's Cold War power status.  

I have long held the opinion that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea are not the most dangerous countries to the U.S. and the western world.  Pakistan and Russia are.  Pakistan because it has nuclear weapons that could unfortunately fall in to the hands of terrorists and Russia for its complete disregard for basic human rights and it's authoritarian nature.  

Let me be clear: I do not advocate the U.S. getting involved in this dispute between Russia and Georgia. We should mind our own business.  What I do advocate, however, is the U.S. getting tougher with Russia in regards to diplomacy and our foreign policy.  Russia is not our enemy, but they sure as hell aren't our friends.  We need to have some "straight talk" with Russia and let them know, in the strongest terms, that the U.S. does not, in any way, condone it's policies, either domestically or internationally.  In many ways, Putin has been testing to see how far he can push the envelope with the U.S. and western Europe.  It is about time we push back.  

"He Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi"

Spread the word, this is a must watch for every American voter:

Television Journalists and Their Big Push

We all remember how, during the primary season, T.V. journalists piled on Senator Clinton everyday and promoted Senator Obama non-stop.  On the Republican side, they treated Senator McCain and his flip flops with kid gloves.

 

I mentioned during that period of time that if Obama received the Democratic nomination, in time,  journalists would turn on him and promote McCain in the general election.  Well, it is already starting to happen.  They are now promoting a so called rift between Senator Clinton, her husband, and Obama.  They are even saying that Senator Clinton wants her name to be placed in nomination at the convention, although that is pure speculation.  Mike Barnicle, while guest hosting MSNBC's Hardball on 8/7, devoted some time on the subject with 3 guests.  Their tone was that Senator Clinton was going to make demands and split or hurt the party.  What they all failed to report and/or mention is that Senator Clinton herself said that she would work for party unity at the convention and, in fact, campaigned for Senator Obama this week.

 

Journalists will continue to plant the seed that their pronouncements are fact in an effort to create and distract from the actual news on the subject.  They are showing their ass again in trying to manipulate the general election vote in McCain's favor.   Anything to hurt Sen. Obama or portray the Democratic Party weak in any way will be what journalists continue to portray until November.  Hopefully the American people wise up and do their own research in order to inform themselves since journalists can no longer be trusted to do so.