Well,I kinda stick to the TV SHOW like 3 way system, I come up with snazzy title,imput my thoughts,and post original article.
Well,now I wanna hear from YOU the reader of this blog,so please leave a comment for me or RJ to answer your question,or email me at aaaabraves@yahoo.com look forward to your imput folks
Friday, February 29, 2008
Prince Harry's cover blown.
Ok,I have tons of respect for the Drudgereport & Matt Drudge,but reporting that Prince Harry third in line for the throne in England is currently in the front lines fighting in Afghanistan,is just idiotic.
Harry wants to be respected and have a career in the military,and wanted to fight in the front lines,even the BRUTAL English press could keep this quiet for 10 weeks! But Drudge,shame on you! As you win this weeks :
JACKASS of the week award.
Story from AP ;
Harry wants to be respected and have a career in the military,and wanted to fight in the front lines,even the BRUTAL English press could keep this quiet for 10 weeks! But Drudge,shame on you! As you win this weeks :
JACKASS of the week award.
Story from AP ;
Prince Harry wanted to be "one of the lads," an ordinary soldier sharing risk and hardship with his men. For 10 weeks, he got his wish _ and that may be enough to advance his career in the military.
British defense chiefs announced Friday they were withdrawing him immediately from the combat zone in Afghanistan after his deployment, once a closely guarded secret, became public.
Still, Harry's hopes of a long-term military career should still be boosted by his time at war _ and by the assessment of his commander, Brig. Andrew Mackey, that the prince "acquitted himself with distinction."
Harry, third in line to the throne, has spoken of his desire to be an ordinary soldier. Unlike his older brother, William, who is also in the army but whose future military role will be largely ceremonial, Harry, 23, sees the military as a career.
In a 2006 interview, he said he would not have gone through the rigors of officer training at Sandhurst military academy only to "sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country."
Although Harry's deployment ended prematurely, military analysts said it would nonetheless help his army career by allowing him to hold his head high among his comrades.
"It will set him apart from the people who haven't been on active service," said Charles Heyman, author of guidebooks to the British military. "That's the most important thing for a soldier."
The prince's deployment had gone undisclosed under an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and major news organizations designed to protect Harry and his fellow soldiers.
An Australian women's magazine reported on Harry's deployment last month, but that report received little attention. When the news was posted on the Drudge Report Web site on Thursday, the dam burst.
The Ministry of Defense said Friday that worldwide media coverage of Harry's posting could have risked his and his colleagues' safety had the prince been allowed to stay in Afghanistan. It said Harry had been due to return "in a matter of weeks" before the news broke.
Media outlets were granted a series of interviews and allowed to take photos and video images of the prince, all to be distributed on a pool basis and used on his return. That material was released after the story leaked out.
Society of Editors director Bob Satchwell, who helped broker the media deal, said the arrangement should not be looked at as precedent-setting.
"But on the other hand, you should never say never," he said. "It worked for a significant time, and it allowed Prince Harry to be deployed."
Harry's work in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province involved calling in airstrikes on Taliban positions, as well as foot patrols. He spent part of his deployment at a base 500 yards from Taliban positions.
Conditions were primitive and dangerous, but Harry said the posting offered him a rare sort of freedom.
"I think this is about as normal as I'm ever going to get," Harry said while serving at a dusty outpost called Forward Operating Base Delhi.
"It's bizarre," he reflected. "I'm out here now, haven't really had a shower for four days, haven't washed my clothes for a week and everything seems completely normal. It's nice just to be here with all the guys and just mucking in as one of the lads."
Harry joked in Afghanistan that he was a "bullet magnet," a prized target for insurgents. A plan to send him to Iraq last year was canceled after British intelligence learned of threats by militants to kill him. The head of the army, Gen. Richard Dannatt, said at the time that intense media coverage of the planned deployment had made the situation worse.
He is expected back in Britain in the coming days.
Many of Harry's royal forebears have also seen combat _ most recently his uncle, Prince Andrew, who flew Royal Navy helicopters during the 1982 Falklands War. Harry's grandfather Prince Philip served on Royal Navy battleships during World War II.
In those days, a combination of press deference, military censorship and slower-moving technology helped keep details of military operations under wraps. Times have changed _ as Harry himself knows well.
Back home in Britain, the prince is stalked by the press. His frequent boozy trips to London nightclubs and his occasional gaffes _ like wearing an armband with a a Nazi emblem to a costume party _ are captured by paparazzi and beamed around the world.
Analysts say the combination of Harry's celebrity status, an insatiable media and an age of instant communication makes it unlikely the prince _ or anyone else with a similar profile _ will serve on the front lines again.
"We live in a crazed celebrity-reporting world," said Adam Holloway, a Conservative Party lawmaker who sits on the British parliament's defense committee. "It's pretty miraculous that he managed 10 weeks."
Dropping the age limit on booze?
My thoughts :
You got a bunch of dumb,stupid,college or high school students,their at the max of the puberty/idioctic stage,there gonna drink anyway - so why not lower the drinking age,back in sixtys you could drive drunk,you could drive without seatbelts,an underage minor could drive - and no-one got hurt most of the time,alcohol is not the con in people - its that people have become less trustworth,and intelligent,and with all of these hippies who are looking for ANY thing to protest..young people suffer the most. I salute Vermont for what their doing,they can probably save a few drunks & allow people to be somehwhat happy before they hit 21.
BTW : You can fight in w ar,smoke a cigar,and be allowed in strip clubs,but you can't drink before 21?
AP :
You got a bunch of dumb,stupid,college or high school students,their at the max of the puberty/idioctic stage,there gonna drink anyway - so why not lower the drinking age,back in sixtys you could drive drunk,you could drive without seatbelts,an underage minor could drive - and no-one got hurt most of the time,alcohol is not the con in people - its that people have become less trustworth,and intelligent,and with all of these hippies who are looking for ANY thing to protest..young people suffer the most. I salute Vermont for what their doing,they can probably save a few drunks & allow people to be somehwhat happy before they hit 21.
BTW : You can fight in w ar,smoke a cigar,and be allowed in strip clubs,but you can't drink before 21?
AP :
More than two decades after the country established a uniform drinking age of 21, a nascent movement is afoot to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to legally buy alcohol under some circumstances.
Proponents say the higher age hasn't kept young people from consuming alcohol and has instead driven underage consumption underground, particularly on college campuses.
"Our laws aren't working. They're not preventing underage drinking. What they're doing is putting it outside the public eye," Vermont state Sen. Hinda Miller said. "So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can't call because they know it's illegal."
On Thursday, a committee of the Vermont Senate approved Miller's bill to have a task force weigh the pros and cons of rolling back the drinking age and make a recommendation to the Legislature early next year.
Organizations and lawmakers in other states are toying with similar ideas.
In South Dakota, Flandreau lawyer N. Bob Pesall has drafted an initiative petition to allow 19- and 20-year-olds to legally buy beer no stronger than 3.2 percent alcohol.
In Missouri, a group is using the Internet social networking sites Facebook and Meetup to try to collect more than 100,000 signatures to get a measure on the ballot to lower the drinking age to 18.
In South Carolina and Wisconsin, lawmakers have proposed allowing active duty military personnel younger than 21 to buy alcohol. A similar proposal was rejected last year in New Hampshire.
And last year, former Middlebury College president John McCardell started Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit that favors allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to legally buy booze once they've completed an alcohol education program.
"We don't simply advocate the lower age, but believe mandatory alcohol education and licensing with very strict enforcement for violations of the state's alcohol laws might work," McCardell said.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others call this folly to even consider, saying the higher age limit has saved thousands of lives since the 1984 enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The act required states to raise the age to 21 or lose federal transportation money. South Dakota was the last state to comply, in 1988.
Vermont voted to raise the age in 1985, and in the ensuing 20 years, alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped by 40 percent, according to Vermont State Police.
"Is there any significant support in the U.S. Congress for changing the law? We don't see that," said Chuck Hurley, CEO of MADD.
Typically, when states flirt with the idea, they quickly abandon it for fear of losing the highway funding, he said.
Vermont stands to lose about $17 million a year if it were to flout the federal government and lower the drinking age.
McCardell said an effort is under way to persuade Congress to grant waivers exempting states from financial penalty if they lower the age.
"If Congress would grant a waiver, the states would be willing to try something, and at least then we could get some evidence and see whether things are better or worse," he said Thursday.
Politically, it's a hard sell, in part because there are other public health hazards associated with excessive alcohol consumption, not just highway fatalities.
But proponents of a younger drinking age say alcohol-related highway fatalities were dropping before the legal drinking age was lowered, and argue underground drinking presents its own risks.
In 2006, 28.3 percent of youngsters aged 12 to 20 said they'd had a drink in the past month and 19 percent were defined as binge drinkers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey defined a binge drinker as someone who, in the past month, had drunk five or more alcoholic beverages within several hours.
Miller, a Democrat, says she isn't sure that lowering the drinking age is the answer, but calls the idea worth exploring.
Her bill, which calls for a report to the Legislature by Jan. 15, does not propose a specific drinking age, only sets up a five-member task force to study the implications of lowering the age from 21. The bill now goes to the full Senate.
State Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, chairman of the committee that approved the bill, said he would vote against lowering the age if he had to decide now.
But he said it's nonetheless worth looking into.
"I sense the Senate will buy into our rationale, that a law on the books for 20 years should have a look-see, to see if it's having its intended effect or should be modified," said Illuzzi, a Republican.
But critics are leery.
"I think it is irresponsible legislation, to be quite honest," said William Goggins, director of education and enforcement for the state Liquor Control Board.
"The facts speak for themselves," he said. "Once the drinking age was raised, the number of alcohol-related fatalities decreased. To me, saving lives is the grandest argument of them all."
___
On the Net:
Choose Responsibility: http://www.chooseresponsibility.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org
Missouri 18 to Drink 2008: http://missouri18todrink.org
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Bush honors Redsox
Jokes,laughter,and a lot of Liberals,oh and baseball - A perfect day for any President,and this brings up the qustion : What does President Bush and a Japan pitcher have in common :
AP -
AP -
They have guys nicknamed Big Papi and Dice-K and Bones. They have a star pitcher who famously danced in his underwear and a left fielder who is such a sublime hitter that he gets away with being loopy.
So when the Boston Red Sox, World Series champions, showed up at the White House on Wednesday, President Bush had a blast.
"I love the fact that you've got some of the game's biggest stars," Bush said, honoring the team on a chilly day on the South Lawn. "I mean, Big Papi. The guy lights up the screen."
That would be David Ortiz, the lumbering left-handed slugger and team leader who proudly held the World Series trophy.
Then, in a line that even surprised the players, Bush sent a zinger toward absent left fielder Manny Ramirez.
"I guess his grandmother died again," Bush said to prolonged laughter. "Just kidding."
Ramirez says his various antics are just a matter of "Manny being Manny." He also missed the Red Sox 2005 World Series ceremony at the White House. Visiting a sick grandmother, he said.
Bush said he did not mean to poke fun at Ramirez, then did so again.
"I do want to quote him," Bush said. "He said, `When you don't feel good, and you still get hits, that's when you know you're a bad man.' I don't know what that means. But if bad man means good hitter, he's a really bad man, because he was clutch in the World Series."
With their second World Series title in four years, the Red Sox looked comfortable as returning guests on the South Lawn. Boston had not won the title for 86 years until the 2004 squad swept the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bush noted the pitching of Japanese player Daisuke Matsuzaka, known as Dice-K. His presence drew a huge number of Japanese reporters.
"His press corps is bigger than mine," Bush said. "And we both have trouble answering questions in English."
Then there was Jonathan Papelbon, the relief pitcher who danced in the Fenway Park infield in his underwear when the Red Sox when the pennant.
"Thanks for wearing pants," Bush told him.
More than a thousand people came out to see the champs, from the White House chief of staff to the policy wonks to the press aides.
These Red Sox were on the brink of getting bounced from the playoffs one round before the World Series before rallying against the Cleveland Indians. Then they swept the Colorado Rockies in four games.
As spring training begins, the Red Sox are considered a favorite again.
Pastor Hagee endorses John McCain
I'm kinda shocked Pastor Hagee did not endorse fellow Baptist Mike Huckabee,but regardless this is a good nomination for McCain,as he needs all of the Baptist/Evengelical vote he can get :
Reuters :
SAN ANTONIO -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain won the endorsement of Texas evangelical leader John Hagee on Wednesday, which could boost his standing among religious conservatives who have been reluctant to embrace the likely nominee.
Hagee, who heads a 19,000-member church in San Antonio, is best known for his outspoken support of Israel and writings on the Middle East, where he envisions a blood-soaked clash between East and West leading to the return of Jesus Christ.
"I'm very honored by Pastor John Hagee's endorsement today," McCain said at a news conference. "He has been the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement in many areas, but especially, most especially, his close ties and advocacy for the freedom and independence of the state of Israel."
Hagee, standing beside the candidate, said he admired McCain's pro-Israel stance, commitment to nominate conservative judges and opposition to abortion.
"Victory is within our grasp because John McCain knows it's never wrong to do the right thing," Hagee said.
Christian conservatives are an important part of the Republican base, but many have so far been reluctant to support the Arizona senator.
Coast-to-coast primary victories on February 5 made McCain the all-but-certain Republican nominee, but many evangelicals continue to support rival Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and former Arkansas governor. Several conservative Christian leaders have said they will not vote for McCain in November if he is the nominee.
McCain's support for the Iraq war and fierce criticism of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won praise from Hagee, who has brought thousands of evangelical Christians to Washington to lobby on Israel's behalf.
Hagee has written that events in the Middle East point to an imminent apocalypse Christians should welcome.
In his book "Jerusalem Countdown: A Warning to the World," Hagee predicts Russian and Arab armies will invade Israel and be destroyed by God. Israel will then be the site of a battle between China and the West, which will be led by the anti-Christ in his role as head of the European Union. Jesus Christ will return to Earth in the final battle, he writes.
The book also claims Adolph Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church joined in a conspiracy to destroy the Jews.
"Our support of Israel has absolutely nothing to do with an end times prophetic scenario," Hagee told reporters. "They are a democracy in the Middle East that deserves the support of America and the Christian people of America."
McCain said on his campaign plane that he was not familiar with Hagee's writings. "I think he's a fine leader and I appreciate his commitment to Israel," McCain said.
Rush Limbaugh might be going nuts
Either Rush is a genius and deserves a Nobel Peace Prize,or the Clintons are starting to grow on him,personally I feel hes a genius,because if Barack Obama wins the Democratic Nomination - the Republicans are screwed,as is the Country..and all of our hard work in Iraq :
Newsmax -
Newsmax -
Clinton wants to help the poor,and drain 5-6 billion out of us
Hillary,Hillary,Hillary, your life Barney Fife - you try to do good with one group of people,but you piss off another group.
Ok with this Poverty thing,your gonna make it so people have to pay taxes they haven't before - That vilolates the Declaration of Independence, your going to increase Foodstamps - YAY the Government has more control over America, seh wants to begin headstart earlier for youngsters - YAY more time to be brainwashed with Liberal politics.
I gotta give her some credit,she admitted that the largest group in America that is in Poverty is the whites....out of all poverty 35% of them are whites,more than blacks or hispanics....but you can make the case that there are more white people here..and its just bound to happen.
Heres the article,and the future taxes you'll have to spend :
AP) 06:23:16 AM (ET), Thursday, February 28, 2008 (HANGING ROCK, Ohio)
Ok with this Poverty thing,your gonna make it so people have to pay taxes they haven't before - That vilolates the Declaration of Independence, your going to increase Foodstamps - YAY the Government has more control over America, seh wants to begin headstart earlier for youngsters - YAY more time to be brainwashed with Liberal politics.
I gotta give her some credit,she admitted that the largest group in America that is in Poverty is the whites....out of all poverty 35% of them are whites,more than blacks or hispanics....but you can make the case that there are more white people here..and its just bound to happen.
Heres the article,and the future taxes you'll have to spend :
AP) 06:23:16 AM (ET), Thursday, February 28, 2008 (HANGING ROCK, Ohio)
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton is offering a plan to improve childhood nutrition and setting a goal to reduce by half the 12 million youngsters living in poverty over the next dozen years.
A package of proposals, to be unveiled Thursday, includes a "comprehensive" early education initiative that starts with nurse's visits for pregnant women, lets children begin the Head Start program earlier and calls for universal pre-kindergarten programs.
The New York senator also says she would deal with childhood hunger by putting in place a food safety net, and give children "greater access to healthy, fresh food."
She was to spell out her proposals in a speech at the child care development center on Ohio University's southern campus.
Clinton aides said the new programs would carry and annual pricetag of $5 billion to $6 billion. A significant portion of her plan comes by expanding existing programs. She would cover the cost by toughening enforcement to collect taxes currently owed but not paid.
Clinton said she would direct her agriculture secretary to develop a plan to end childhood hunger. The nutrition effort would come largely through signing up more people for the food stamp program and expanding its benefits.
School breakfast programs would be universal in low-income neighborhoods under her proposal. She also would double the size of a summer nutrition program aimed at feeding low-income children when they aren't in school.
Clinton also says she would launch an effort to get junk food out of schools. She would require schools that get federal funding through the school lunch or breakfast programs to offer only food that meets or surpasses USDA standards.
Background documents outlining her proposal were provided to The Associated Press and include some proposals that Clinton has offered in the past such as calling for an increase in the minimum wage to aid the working poor, as well as expanding the earned income tax credit, a move that helps the same group.
In addition, Clinton was calling for stronger programs aimed at cutting teen pregnancy as well as toughening child support enforcement programs to "support responsible fatherhood."
Clinton argues that roughly 12.9 million children live in poverty, with about 5 million living in extreme poverty. That means their families have incomes of less than half the federal poverty level.
The effort would bolster minority children, Clinton says, with roughly one-third of black children living in poverty and 28 percent of Hispanic youngsters living in poor households. That compares with the roughly 10 percent of white children in poverty, she says. Despite that, 35 percent of all children living in poverty are white, making them the largest group of youngsters in poverty.
"While we celebrate America as a place where an individual's circumstances at birth should not determine his or her life chances, the fact is that economic mobility is now in decline in America," Clinton's background documents say. "Children born in poverty are likely to live in poverty their whole lives."
The effort to provide nursing care for pregnant women builds on a program she shaped as first lady of Arkansas, a program she said has been a dramatic success.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Finally some good news
Today in the NY Times,Independent and NY city mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he will not run for President of the United States,about time we get some good news. Leaving Ralph Nader as the main Independent running for office as of now,Bloomberg says he will only support someone who takes an Independent non partisan view.
But this offers relief,as in a race with over 10 partys sending candidates,and over a hundred people campaigning to be President of this great country,finally someone says no...
But this offers relief,as in a race with over 10 partys sending candidates,and over a hundred people campaigning to be President of this great country,finally someone says no...
Obama - Clinton fight hits new low
Me,all of my bros are republicans,and most of my sister in laws are as well,but this is just nuts. I can see a heated argument but stabbing and choking one another? OVER OBAMA AND CLINTON? THATS JUST WRONG :
Montgomery County authorities say a man stabbed his brother-in-law during an argument over who should get the Democratic nomination for president. What's more, Jose Ortiz, 28, who's charged with felony assault, is a registered Republican.
District Attorney Risa Ferman said Ortiz supports Hillary Clinton and Sean Shurelds supports Barack Obama. She told reporters Monday that the two got into an argument in a Collegeville home Thursday night and Shurelds tried to choke Ortiz. She says Ortiz then stabbed Shurelds in the abdomen.
Shurelds was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but is expected to recover.
CDC Panel Recommends all kids get Flu shots
Don't know about you,but I don't want the Government or some doctor group telling me to get a shot,what I feel this will do is just make more money for all of the flu shots...its just another worthless way to get money at the expense of a good lie :
All children - not just those under 5 - should get vaccinated against the flu, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday. The panel voted to expand annual flu shots to virtually all children except infants younger than 6 months and those with serious egg allergies.
That means about 30 million more children could be getting vaccinated. If heeded, it would be one of the largest expansions in flu vaccination coverage in U.S. history. The flu vaccine has been available since the 1940s.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said all children should start getting vaccinated as soon as possible, acknowledging that many doctors have already ordered their vaccine for the 2008-2009 season and may not be able to give the shots until 2009-2010. The flu season generally starts in the fall and continues through spring.
The panel's advice is routinely adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which issues vaccination guidelines to doctors and hospitals.
Flu shots were already recommended for those considered to be at highest risk of death or serious illness from the flu, including children ages 6 months to 5 years, adults 50 and older, and people with weakened immune systems
The panel said that should be expanded to include children up to age 18.
Children ages 5 to 18 get flu at higher rates than other age groups, but they don't tend to get as sick. Of the 36,000 estimated annual deaths attributed to the flu, only 25 to 50 occur in children in that age bracket, CDC officials said.
But children who stay home sick from school cause parents to stay home, so reducing the illness in this group should cut down days of lost work, some experts said.
Experts believe giving flu shots to more children may also prevent the illness from spreading to adults and the elderly, although studies haven't clearly established that will happen.
Shots are not the only option. A nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, is approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49.
Panel members waffled a bit on whether to make the recommendations kick in immediately. Some public health professionals pushed them to make the clearest endorsement possible of the flu vaccine, concerned that the public is losing faith in flu shots because this year's vaccine was not well matched to circulating viruses.
Indeed, a few argued that the committee should recommend flu shots for every healthy person, rather than adding another set of children now and maybe young adults in a few years.
"Creeping incrementalism, I believe, continues to foster confusion" about who should get the shot and how important it is, said Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert.
The head of the panel, Dr. Dale Morse, asked for a report on universal vaccination of adults.
Meanwhile, vaccine makers said they expect to be able to produce enough doses next season to accommodate an extra 30 million children, but panel members had concerns about how the doses would be given to so many.
There's no other vaccine that's given to nearly all kids every year. Most schools aren't set up to do it, and physicians groups said they weren't sure if doctors were ready to handle a flood of children seeking vaccinations every year.
"This is the only vaccination that pediatricians in my community don't want to have to give," said Dr. Carol Baker, a Baylor College of Medicine professor who sits on the panel.
Baker said she still felt the recommendation should go into effect for the next flu season. But groups representing pediatricians and family physicians said they wanted more time to plan for a possible crush.
Maybe they shouldn't worry. Some experts noted that only a fraction of people recommended to get flu vaccinations actually go through with it.
"We probably will need to have low expectations for coverage in the first few years of implementation" of the ages 5-through-18 recommendation, said Dr. Tomy Fiore, a CDC epidemiologist.
Before the vote, the panel heard a presentation of a study that found the vaccine was 75 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations from the flu in children 6 months to 23 months.
"We haven't had data showing prevention of severe outcomes like that in that age group before," Fiore said.
___
On the Net:
McCain mocks Obama
AHAHAHA,McCain might be wrong on a lot of things,but he knows how to talk to a crowd and how to talk about Iraq :
Obama,are you an American? do you know whats going on my black friend?
AP :
Obama,are you an American? do you know whats going on my black friend?
AP :
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday for saying he would take action as president "if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq."
"When you examine that statement, it's pretty remarkable," McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas.
"I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It's called `al-Qaida in Iraq,'" McCain said, drawing laughter at Obama's expense.
McCain said he had not watched the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night but was told of Obama's response when asked if as president he would reserve the right to send U.S. troops back into Iraq to quell an insurrection or civil war.
Obama did not say whether he'd send troops but responded: "As commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad."
Throughout the primary season, McCain has repeatedly attacked Obama and Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for saying they would withdraw troops from Iraq.
"And my friends, if we left, they (al-Qaida) wouldn't be establishing a base," McCain said Wednesday. "They'd be taking a country, and I'm not going to allow that to happen, my friends. I will not surrender. I will not surrender to al-Qaida."
He said that withdrawing troops would be "waving the white flag."
In the debate, Clinton did not answer the question about re-invasion of Iraq on grounds it contained "lots of different hypothetical assessments."
For years, McCain has urged sending more troops into Iraq, even before President Bush adopted such a strategy about a year ago.
"I knew enough from talking to the men and women who are serving that this new strategy was what we needed, and I'm telling you, it is succeeding," McCain said. "So what needs to happen, we need to continue this strategy. It should be General Petraeus' recommendation, not that of a politician running for higher office, as to when and how we withdraw."
He was referring to Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq.
In the debate, Clinton did not answer the question about whether, as president, she would order a re-invasion of Iraq. "You're making lots of different hypothetical assessments," Clinton said.
As he began a swing through President Bush's home state, which holds a presidential primary election on Tuesday, McCain made sure to play up a line he always uses: "I also think it might be nice for President Bush to get a little credit that there's not been another attack on the United States of America," he said to applause.
Mayor or Oregon town that possed in Underwear,stripped of mayor position
The lighter side of politics from Localnets offbeat news section,got love little towns..trust me I know!
AP ;
AP ;
The mayor of an Oregon town who once stripped to her underwear and posed on a fire truck has been stripped of her office.
Voters in this town of about 500 voted narrowly Monday to recall Carmen Kontur-Gronquist. The tally was 142-139. City officials said the recall is effective Tuesday.
Kontur-Gronquist said the pictures of her in black bra and panties were taken for use in a contest about fitness, but a relative posted them on MySpace in hopes it would improve the social life of the single mother.
They predated her election, but she said she saw no reason to take them off the popular Web site once elected three years ago. Later, she closed access to them.
Opponents said it wasn't fitting for the mayor to be so depicted. They said they also disagreed with her on issues about water and the local golf course.
In my towns election,we have so few voters they started the sheep ballot..if they went left 1 vote for the democrat,if they went right a vote for the republican..lol
Mitt Romney back in the race?!
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please God no,let the Republicans be settled so we don't have Romney back in the mix,we can't afford to end up like the Democrats in a battle of doomsday,we need to be settled fast.
NEWSMAX :
Please God no,let the Republicans be settled so we don't have Romney back in the mix,we can't afford to end up like the Democrats in a battle of doomsday,we need to be settled fast.
NEWSMAX :
Mitt Romney is down, but he might not be out.
Romney suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday, and has endorsed John McCain for the GOP nod.
But Romney’s son Josh says it’s “possible” his father might rejoin the race as a candidate for vice president or for president if McCain’s campaign stalls.
Romney hasn’t commented publicly about a recent New York Times article that implied McCain had an improper relationship with a female lobbyist.
McCain and the lobbyist have firmly denied the allegation, but subsequent reports have contradicted some of McCain’s denials, and further disclosures could raise questions about the viability of McCain’s campaign, Andrew Malcolm reports in the Los Angeles Times.
Because he suspended his campaign rather than terminating it, Romney still controls nearly 300 delegates he won in early primaries and caucuses.
Josh Romney, who campaigned actively for his father, told the Deseret Morning News that he is considering running for the House of Representatives from Utah’s 2nd Congressional District.
Asked if Mitt Romney might rejoin the race, Josh said it is “unlikely, but possible.”
Malcolm notes: “Such a move could provide a possible rallying point for conservatives.”
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Senate advances Bill to cut funding for Iraqi war
Ok one question :
Were winning the war against Terrorists and Iraqi militints,we have caught and they have hung Saddam,Iraq is getting freedom,were there because of 9/11 do they know how important Iraq is?
AP :
Were winning the war against Terrorists and Iraqi militints,we have caught and they have hung Saddam,Iraq is getting freedom,were there because of 9/11 do they know how important Iraq is?
AP :
In an about-face, Senate Republicans on Tuesday agreed with Democrats to advance an anti-war bill because they said the debate would give them time to hail progress in Iraq.
The change of heart came after months of blocking similar measures. But unlike most of last year, security conditions in Iraq have improved, and Republicans say they now feel they have the upper hand on the debate.
"We welcome a discussion about Iraq," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared.
The measure, by Democratic Sens. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, would cut off money for combat after 120 days. It had been expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle and move ahead.
But after Republicans agreed in a private meeting that the debate could help make their case, the Senate voted 70-24 to begin debating it in earnest.
Aides said a final vote could come later this week, but may be pushed into next week.
The White House said the president would veto such a measure.
"This legislation would substitute the political judgment of legislators for the considered professional military judgment of our military commanders," the administration said in a statement.
Democrats said they welcomed the debate, although they accused Republicans of stalling on plans to debate other issues, namely the nation's housing crisis.
Reid said "a civil war rages" in Iraq and shouldn't be the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers.
"Americans need to start taking care of Americans," he said. "We cannot spend a half billion dollars every day in Iraq."
In recent months, violence in Iraq has subsided significantly and the Baghdad government has made small steps toward political reconciliation, including plans to hold provincial elections on Oct. 1.
While Democratic voters remain largely against the war, polls have shown, the security improvement has helped to cool anxiety among Republicans and turned voters' focus to economic problems at home.
Still, Republicans say they have more convincing to do if they are to control the White House next year.
Sen. John McCain, the GOP's likely presidential nominee, said this week that to win the White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq in succeeding.
If he can't, "then I lose. I lose," the Arizona Republican said. He quickly backed off the remark.
McCain was not expected to return to Washington for the debate. But he said he opposes the bill.
"If ever there was a case for precipitous withdrawal from Iraq _ and I believe there never was _ now is the last time anyone should consider such a step," he said in a statement.
Tuesday's Senate vote came as the Army's top general said he wants to reduce combat tours for soldiers in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months this summer.
Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would not embrace going back to the longer tours even if Bush decided to suspend troop reductions for the second half of the year. The Army is under serious strain from years of war-fighting, he testified, and must reduce the length of combat tours as soon as possible.
"The cumulative effects of the last six-plus years at war have left our Army out of balance, consumed by the current fight and unable to do the things we know we need to do to properly sustain our all-volunteer force and restore our flexibility for an uncertain future," Casey said.
Casey, who was the top U.S. commander in Iraq before taking the chief of staff job last spring, told the committee that cutting the time soldiers spend in combat is an integral part of reducing the stress on the force.
He said he anticipates the service can cut combat tours back to 12 months this summer as long as the president reduces the number of active-duty Army brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan to 15 units by July, as planned.
The committee chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., pressed Casey on whether he could keep tour lengths at 12 months if Bush decides to suspend the troop reductions after reaching 15 brigades in July.
"We believe it will still be possible, even with the pause," Casey replied. When asked by Levin if that would hold true "regardless of the length of the pause," Casey, replied, "Yes."
However, the number of soldiers retained under the service's "stop loss" policy _ which forces some soldiers to stay on beyond their retirement or re-enlistment dates _ is unlikely to be reduced substantially.
"We are consuming readiness now as quickly as we're building it," said Army Secretary Pete Geren, who also testified.
Geren urged Congress to pass a $100 billion war spending bill this spring, contending that the Army will run out of money by July.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the Army could probably last until August or September by transferring money from less urgent accounts. Army officials counter that this approach is inefficient and can cause major program disruptions.
___
On the Net:
Senate Armed Services Committee: http://armed-services.senate.gov
Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil
Chris Dodd endorses Barack Obama
Well,its about time a former candidate nominate someone,those Democrats seem to be afraid to endorse the wrong guy.
AP :
AP :
Sen. Christopher Dodd endorsed one-time presidential rival Barack Obama on Tuesday and said it is time for Democrats to join forces to defeat the Republicans in the fall campaign.
"I don't want a campaign that is divisive here, and there's a danger in that," Dodd said, although he denied he was nudging Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to end her candidacy.
Dodd said Obama was "ready to be president and I am ready to support him in this campaign."
The two men appeared together at a news conference. Dodd is the first of the Democratic campaign dropouts to endorse another candidate.
He said Obama "has been poked and prodded, analyzed and criticized, called too green, too trusting and for all of that has already won" more than half the states and millions of votes.
"It's now the hour to come together. ... This is the moment for Democrats and independents and others to come together, to get behind this candidacy," he said.
Dodd said he spoke with Clinton on Monday evening to tell her of his decision.
Dodd said he wasn't worried that the candidates would go too far in their pursuit of victory, but that their aides and supporters might.
"We've witnessed a little bit of that" in recent days, he said.
That was an apparent reference to a photograph that shows Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe that was presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya.
The gossip and news Web site The Drudge Report posted the photograph Monday and said it was being circulated by "Clinton staffers" and quoted an e-mail from an unidentified campaign aide. Drudge did not include proof of the e-mail in the report.
The Clinton campaign has said it did not sanction circulation of the photo.
Obama told reporters, "I don't think that photograph was circulated to enhance my candidacy, I think that's fair to say.
"... Do I think that is reflective of Senator Clinton's approach to the campaign, probably not."
____
Associated Press Write Andy Miga in Washington contributed to this report
Mike Huckabees email message to Texans and Huckabee supporters
Tomorrow we will begin television advertising statewide in Texas.
Right now, I need you to make an immediate contribution of $25 or more to our campaign. We need your support to help increase our television advertising and pay for a new wave of get out the vote calls.
I have a full schedule of events in Texas starting on Wednesday and will campaign through the weekend. We have a great opportunity to win Texas but that will not happen without your immediate financial support. We are just over 50% of the way to our goal of $1.5 million by March 4. We need to close the gap immediately.
Will you help us reach this goal by making an immediate contribution?
We are counting on your renewed support. Now is the time to make a difference for our campaign. After you make a contribution please call through your lists of friends and family and convince them to make a contribution as well. No contribution amount is too small.
Big issues are at stake this election. Republicans need a champion who will fight for real border security, the Human Life Amendment, the Marriage Amendment, conservative judges, massive tax reform and cutting federal spending. These are issues worth fighting for.
If you want to see a Republican nominee who will fight for these issues everyday on the campaign trail, then I am your candidate. Tell your neighbors. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Remind them this race isn't over.
Our Party needs a strong champion capable of taking on Senator Obama or Senator Clinton. I am that candidate. I have been a Governor for 10 and 1/2 years. I have fought for these issues and I have the experience to get things done. I know real change doesn't start in Washington, it starts in our hearts and when it does, anything is possible. My hopes are high and you and your family remain first and foremost in my thoughts. I have been fighting for you since Day 1 and I continue to do so.
Please make an immediate contribution of $25 or more today. We have come so far together. Lets continue onward.
Texas for Huckabee!
With deep gratitude, Mike Huckabee
I see Huckabee,really doing good in Texas , may be winning because of the christian/baptist base down there
Anti war Democrats trying to attack Republicans,and acting like hypocrites at the same time
Ok before you read this article,keep this in mind the "DEMOCRATIC" congress has wasted about 150 million dollars on worthless pork barrell spending,and if any of the Democrat candidates get in we will be spending 200 billion a year..just saying
ap :
Democrats facing rejection of a proposal to cut off money for the Iraq war are deliberating their next step in trying to rebuild anti-war momentum.
In recent months, violence in Iraq has declined and the Baghdad government has made small steps toward political reconciliation, including plans to hold provincial elections on Oct. 1. While Democratic voters remain largely against the war, the security improvement has helped to cool anxiety among Republicans and stave off legislation demanding that troops start coming home.
The Senate was expected to vote Tuesday on a proposal to order troop withdrawals to begin within 120 days. With that legislation's failure almost assured and lacking a veto-proof majority in Congress even if such a proposal passed, Democrats are talking about whether to shift their strategy. Instead of repeating losing votes on legislation tying money to troop withdrawals, many party members want to focus more on the policy issues surrounding Iraq, including the preparedness of U.S. troops and reining in private contractors.
Top Army officials are expected to testify Tuesday before the Senate on the health of the ground force.
Another desire by many Democrats is to tie the ailing economy to the war. A coalition of anti-war groups said this week that it plans to spend more than $20 million this year to convince voters that the Republican party's support for the war is bad for their wallets.
Still, other Democrats, including Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., say they want to pursue more votes to end funding for the war. Feingold sponsored Tuesday's measure.
According to aides, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who co-sponsored Feingold's proposal, agreed to stage Tuesday's vote in exchange for Feingold's earlier support of a defense policy bill. The measure is expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to pass.
The effort comes as anti-war sentiments among voters has taken a back seat to the economy.
Anti-war activists say they believe Americans are increasingly aware of the economic burden that the Iraq war has caused. This election season, they say, voters will blame Republicans for supporting the war at a time of rising health care and college costs and in the midst of a mortgage foreclosure crisis.
"Leaders who do not recognize this connection will be at a disadvantage come election day," said Jeff Blum, director of USAction, which plans to spend $10 million this year on organizing a grass-roots effort against Republican candidates.
Blum said the group intends to dispatch hundreds of thousands of volunteers to go door to door to convince voters that the GOP's war effort is hurting the economy.
MoveOn.org, another anti-war group, says it will spend at least $5 million targeting congressional seats, including Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Brad Woodhouse, head of Americans United for Change, estimates his group will spend about $8.5 million, focusing primarily on political advertisements.
Jon Soltz, an Army reservist who heads of VoteVets.org, said his group will be running an ad in the Washington, D.C., area that will feature a female Iraq veteran urging Sen. John McCain, the expected GOP nominee for president, to abandon his commitment to Iraq.
"The Iraq war is basically a retreat policy against al-Qaida and (terrorist leader Osama) bin Laden," Soltz said.
A retreat policy? were starting to kill mass amounts of al - Qaida and they call it a retreat?
BTW :
They have wasted 23.5 million dollars on ads against Republicans,they could have given that to a charity,or to poor families,or invest it in solar power. Nope,their going after Republicans who have been in office a long time,that any sain person knows will keep his or her jobs.
A look at the senators :
Republican Susan Collins - She is very democrat,and most Republicans label her : "Republican in Name Only," she has a very moderate voting record,but she supports the war in Iraq,and in early voting in Maine shes defeating the Democrat running by nearly 20 points.
Republican John Sununu - He is called by the Boston Globe as one of the most conservative people in the house of representatives (about 8 years ago) and has supported Bush and his party on several issues,such as for the war,death penalty,school vouches,and against abortion and Bill Clinton.
As of now,New Hampshire holds a negative view of Sununu,and is losing in the polls to his Democrat counterpart.
Republican Norm Coleman - From Minneosta,this seems to make no sense,as Coleman was a Democrat in his youth,opposses the war for the most part,and is one of the most bi=partism senators out there. But he disapproves of abortion,gay marriage,wants to drill up in the Artic which pissed off many,as of now Coleman is winning Minnesota by 11 points.
Republican Mitch McConnell - This guy is a republicans dream,as he is mostly a conservative with a few bi-partism votes,he supports freedom of speech,opposses the Fairness Doctrine,is one of the biggest supporters for the War in Iraq,and doesn't like Bill Clinton. And you wonder why they wan't him out of office,lol.
McConnell has a very high approval rating in Kentucky,and leads the early polls by a sizeable margin.
Not a shock that the Democrats want to get rid of all these Republicans,but why waste so much money against the when your complaining about Democrats and Republicans alike in Iraq,your nothing but hypocrites.
goodluck to all 4 of these senators.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Barack Obama was wearing what!
You won't believe this story!
AP ;
AP ;
A photograph circulating on the Internet of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama dressed in traditional local garments during a visit to Kenya in 2006 is causing a dustup in the presidential campaign over what constitutes a smear.
The Associated Press photograph portrays Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya. Obama's estranged late father was Kenyan and Obama visited the country in 2006, attracting thousands of well-wishers.
The gossip and news Web site The Drudge Report posted the photograph Monday and said it was being circulated by "Clinton staffers" and quoted an e-mail from an unidentified campaign aide. Drudge did not include proof of the e-mail in the report.
"I just want to make it very clear that we were not aware of it, the campaign didn't sanction it and don't know anything about it," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a teleconference with reporters. "None of us have seen the e-mail in question. If anybody has independent reporting that they've done on it I would welcome it."
Obama, in an interview with WOAI radio in San Antonio, Texas, said voters are "saddened when they see these kind of politics."
"Everybody knows that whether it's me or Senator Clinton or Bill Clinton that when you travel to other countries they ask you to try on traditional garb that you have been given as a gift," he said. "The notion that the Clinton campaign would be trying to circulate this as a negative on the same day that Senator Clinton was giving a speech about how we repair our relationships around the world is sad."
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused Clinton's campaign of "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election."
Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams said the Obama campaign's reaction was inflaming passions and distracting voters.
"Enough," Williams said in a statement. "If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.
"This is nothing more than an obvious and transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country today and to attempt to create the very divisions they claim to decry."
In a teleconference with reporters, retired Air Force Gen. Scott Gration, an Obama adviser who accompanied the Illinois senator to Kenya two years ago, said the senator was there to learn how tribes were organizing themselves.
"And in the course of this, Senator Obama was given an outfit and as the guest that he was, the great guest, he took this outfit and they encouraged him to try some of it on," Gration said. "It was a thing that we all do."
In December, two Clinton Iowa volunteers resigned after forwarding a hoax e-mail that falsely said Obama is a Muslim possibly intent on destroying the United States. Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ and says he has never been a Muslim, but false rumors about Islamic ties are circulating on the Internet.
Clinton mocks Obama,awesome Michelle Obama pic
This is from Cnn.com , i'm kinda glad someone is not afraid of Barack Hussein Obama,and made fun of him :
A day after Hillary Clinton angrily called on Barack Obama to stop mailing campaign literature she said misrepresented her positions, the New York senator adopted a more sarcastic tone toward her rival on a campaign swing through Rhode Island Sunday.
A day after Hillary Clinton angrily called on Barack Obama to stop mailing campaign literature she said misrepresented her positions, the New York senator adopted a more sarcastic tone toward her rival on a campaign swing through Rhode Island Sunday.
Speaking to a crowd at Rhode Island College, Clinton said, "None of the problems we face will be easily solved," and then went on to mock Obama's message of unity.
“Now, I could stand up here and say, ‘Let’s just get everybody together. Let’s get unified,'" Clinton said to laughter of the crowd.
"The skies will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect,” she said dryly as the crowd erupted.
“Maybe I’ve just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be," Clinton continued. "You are not going to wave a magic wand to make special interests disappear."
Clinton spent much of Sunday in Rhode Island, a state that has long supported both Clintons and votes on March 4, along with Texas, Ohio, and Vermont. With polls showing tight races in Ohio and Texas, and an overwhelming lead for Obama in Vermont, Clinton is hoping for a big win there.
“This little state has a big voice on March 4 to help choose the next president,” she added.
I found this on Glennbeck.com this will make all you country western fans and Obama haters smile and feel proud that your an American.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/6366/
Top sites, a worse sites fora republican to visit
Top 3 sites to visit if your a republican :
3.Fox News
2.Newsmax
1.Politico
Top 3 sites NOT to visit if your a republican :
3.CNN
2.Any major media website,heavily favored towards the left.
1.Moveon.org
3.Fox News
2.Newsmax
1.Politico
Top 3 sites NOT to visit if your a republican :
3.CNN
2.Any major media website,heavily favored towards the left.
1.Moveon.org
Super Delegates,the Republicans last hope
It's a proven fact,is the wacky Democrat voters have their way the possible destroyer of our some what free nation will be gone,Barack Obama will be president - and John McCain will be sueing the NY Times.
But there is a little light at the end of this grim tunnel,if Hillary Clinton can win enough delegates and force a brokerd convention - the Super Delegates could do America a favor and vote for Clinton,which would lead to people crying foul..the Democrat party killing each other and the Republicans just quietly winning the President election,that sounds all nice - but I doubt that will happen because Democrats especially young Democrats are under a spell by Obama,they faint when he speaks..and cry when he walks on the stage,and friggin applaud when he sneezes! Many website are saying Obama is the Anti-Christ for the reason of the control and deceptive ways he has over people,I don't believe he is - but this is a preview I feel,and if we have a Democrat congres..AMERICA WERE SCREWED
But there is a little light at the end of this grim tunnel,if Hillary Clinton can win enough delegates and force a brokerd convention - the Super Delegates could do America a favor and vote for Clinton,which would lead to people crying foul..the Democrat party killing each other and the Republicans just quietly winning the President election,that sounds all nice - but I doubt that will happen because Democrats especially young Democrats are under a spell by Obama,they faint when he speaks..and cry when he walks on the stage,and friggin applaud when he sneezes! Many website are saying Obama is the Anti-Christ for the reason of the control and deceptive ways he has over people,I don't believe he is - but this is a preview I feel,and if we have a Democrat congres..AMERICA WERE SCREWED
Sunday, February 24, 2008
McCain wins Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico does not vote in the general election,but they help decide the Republican nominee,makes no sense to me,anyway John McCain won 90% of the vote today in the island territory,Mike Huckabee recieved 4.80% of the vote,and Ron Paul followed right behind with 4.32% of the vote.
McCain won 20 of the delegates at stake in Puerto Rico,increaseing his total is possibly over 1,000...meaning on March 4th in Ohio and Texas he could win the GOP nomination officially
McCain won 20 of the delegates at stake in Puerto Rico,increaseing his total is possibly over 1,000...meaning on March 4th in Ohio and Texas he could win the GOP nomination officially
Democrats going after John McCain
Well,I feel this will waste a lot of time.
AP :
AP :
The national Democratic party wants campaign finance regulators to investigate whether Sen. John McCain would violate money-in-politics laws by withdrawing from the primary election's public finance system.
McCain, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the primary, has decided to bypass the system so he can avoid spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.
Federal Election Commission Chairman David Mason notified McCain last week that he can only withdraw from public financing if he answers questions about a campaign loan and obtains approval from four members of the six-member commission. Such approval is doubtful in the short term because the commission has four vacancies and cannot convene a quorum.
"John McCain poses as a reformer but seems to think reforms apply to everyone but him," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Sunday.
he DNC said it plans to formally seek an FEC investigation Monday.
Part of the issue centers on a loan McCain obtained late last year. The loan was not directly secured by McCain's potential access to public funds. But his agreement with the bank required him to reapply for public funds if he lost early primary contests and to use that money as collateral.
McCain's lawyer, former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter, has said McCain did not encumber any money that he would have received from the federal treasury.
McCain and Potter have said he was entitled to withdraw without FEC approval and have cited as examples Dean and Democrat Dick Gephardt, both of whom withdrew from public financing during the 2004 presidential primary.
"Howard Dean's hypocrisy is breathtaking, given that in 2003 he withdrew from the matching funds system in exactly the same way John McCain is doing today," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said Sunday.
DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton said Dean, unlike McCain, took out no loan that raised questions about his use of potential public funds.
If McCain were prohibited from withdrawing from public financing, he would be severely limited in his campaign spending for the next six months. Under campaign finance rules, he would be allowed to spend only $54 million; as of the end of January, his campaign had already spent nearly $50 million.
Ralph Nader Jumps in the Race !!
This is great news for any Republicans out there. as Ralph will send some of the democratics votes his way, come November.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ralph Nader said Sunday he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will “shift the power from the few to the many.”
Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged Iraq war and a shaky economy. The consumer advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class people in debt.
“You take that framework of people feeling locked out, shut out, marginalized and disrespected,” he said. “You go from Iraq, to Palestine to Israel, from Enron to Wall Street, from Katrina to the bumbling of the Bush administration, to the complicity of the Democrats in not stopping him on the war, stopping him on the tax cuts.”
“In that context, I have decided to run for president,” Nader told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Nader also criticized Republican candidate John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for failing to support full Medicare for all or cracking down on Pentagon waste and a “bloated military budget. He blamed that on corporate lobbyists and special interests, which he said dominate Washington, D.C., and pledged in his third-party campaign to accept donations only from individuals.
“The issue is do they have the moral courage, do they have the fortitude to stand up to corporate powers and get things done for the American people,” Nader said. “We have to shift the power from the few to the many.”
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, speaking shortly before Nader’s announcement, said Nader’s past runs have shown that he usually pulls votes from the Democratic nominee. “So naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race,” the former Arkansas governor said on CNN.
Nader also ran as a third-party candidate in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. He is still loathed by many Democrats who call him a spoiler and claim his candidacy in 2000 cost the party the election by siphoning votes away from Al Gore in a razor-thin contest in Florida. Nader vociferously disputes the spoiler claim, saying only Democrats are to blame for losing the race to George W. Bush.
Though he won 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate in 2000, his percentage dropped to just 0.3 percent as an independent in 2004, when he appeared on the ballot in only 34 states.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ralph Nader said Sunday he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will “shift the power from the few to the many.”
Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged Iraq war and a shaky economy. The consumer advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class people in debt.
“You take that framework of people feeling locked out, shut out, marginalized and disrespected,” he said. “You go from Iraq, to Palestine to Israel, from Enron to Wall Street, from Katrina to the bumbling of the Bush administration, to the complicity of the Democrats in not stopping him on the war, stopping him on the tax cuts.”
“In that context, I have decided to run for president,” Nader told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Nader also criticized Republican candidate John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for failing to support full Medicare for all or cracking down on Pentagon waste and a “bloated military budget. He blamed that on corporate lobbyists and special interests, which he said dominate Washington, D.C., and pledged in his third-party campaign to accept donations only from individuals.
“The issue is do they have the moral courage, do they have the fortitude to stand up to corporate powers and get things done for the American people,” Nader said. “We have to shift the power from the few to the many.”
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, speaking shortly before Nader’s announcement, said Nader’s past runs have shown that he usually pulls votes from the Democratic nominee. “So naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race,” the former Arkansas governor said on CNN.
Nader also ran as a third-party candidate in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. He is still loathed by many Democrats who call him a spoiler and claim his candidacy in 2000 cost the party the election by siphoning votes away from Al Gore in a razor-thin contest in Florida. Nader vociferously disputes the spoiler claim, saying only Democrats are to blame for losing the race to George W. Bush.
Though he won 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate in 2000, his percentage dropped to just 0.3 percent as an independent in 2004, when he appeared on the ballot in only 34 states.
McCain sweeps
Yesterday Mr.McCain won the territories of American Samoa & Northern Mariana Islands,giving him 12 more delegates and moving him closer to the 1,191 needed to secure the GOP nomination,Puerto Rico votes today,McCain is expected to win there as well
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Hillary bashes Obama,Republicans,Conservatives,and Bush at the same time
But she still has a point! About Barack Obama only,she was discussing his letters he sent to most voters in Ohio and falsely protraying Hillary Clintons healthcare plan & trade views (which do suck BTW),but is this very Christian of Obama...to be so nice to the people,but be a cut-throat at the same time,not very christian at all (BTW i'm a Christian)
AP story :
AP story :
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that a pair of mailings sent to voters by rival Barack Obama's campaign criticizing her health care plan and trade views are false, misleading and a betrayal of his pledge to practice a new style of politics.
"Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public _ that's what I expect from you," Clinton said angrily, waving the mailings in the air.
"Meet me in Ohio, and let's have a debate about your tactics," she added.
The two presidential candidates will meet in a televised debate in Cleveland Tuesday.
Obama responded that the mailers are accurate and said he's puzzled why Clinton was raising them now since they have been around for several days at least.
"It makes me think there is something tactical about her getting so exercised this morning," Obama said at a media conference in Columbus, Ohio.
Clinton spoke to reporters after an early morning rally at Cincinnati Technical College, one of several events she has held across Ohio this week. After losing eleven straight contests to Obama since Super Tuesday, the former first lady is banking on a strong showing in primaries in Ohio and Texas on March 4 to save her fading candidacy.
With so much on the line and the clock ticking, Clinton ripped into Obama much more directly and forcefully than she has in the past.
She compared Obama to President Bush during the rally, suggesting the country had already taken a gamble on an inexperienced candidate who promised change.
"People talk a lot about change. We have lived through some of the worst change that anyone could imagine the last seven years," she said to loud applause. "People thought we were getting a compassionate conservative, didn't they? It turned out he was neither. We have lived with the consequences of those mistakes."
But the New York senator saved her toughest words for Obama's mailings, saying she refused to see the campaign "polluted" by such tactics.
"Enough about the speeches, and the big rallies, and then using tactics right out of (former Bush political adviser) Karl Rove's playbook. This is wrong and every Democrat should be outraged," Clinton said.
Clinton's advisers have repeatedly criticized the Obama campaign's health care mailing, which says her plan for universal coverage would "force" everyone to purchase insurance even if they can't afford it. Her plan requires everyone to be covered, but it offers tax credits and other subsidies to make insurance more affordable.
Obama's plan does not include the so-called "individual mandate" for adults, and he has argued that people cannot be required to buy coverage if they can't afford it. He has said his first priority is bringing down costs.
The Illinois senator's plan does include a mandate requiring parents to buy health insurance to cover children.
The second mailing, on the North American Free Trade Agreement, quotes a 2006 Newsday article suggesting Clinton believed the agreement had been a "boon" to the economy. NAFTA and other trade agreements are extremely unpopular in Ohio, which has suffered an exodus of blue-collar jobs to other countries in part due to such agreements.
It's a particularly sensitive matter for Clinton, whose husband championed and pushed for passage of the agreement as president. She is counting on the support of white, working class voters in the state.
"I am fighting to change NAFTA," she insisted. "Neither of us were in the Senate when NAFTA passed. Neither voted one way or the other."
Clinton said Newsday had corrected the record about her views on the agreement. Indeed, the paper published a blog item earlier this month saying Obama's use of the word "boon" was unfair.
"Obama's use of the citation in this way does strike us as misleading. The quote marks make it look as if Hillary said "boon," not us. It's an example of the kind of slim reeds campaigns use to try to win an office."
Earlier, Newsday published an item saying the word "boon" had been their "characterization of how we best understood her position on NAFTA, based on a review of past stories and her public statements."
As evidence of their concern about the issue, the Clinton campaign released two new ads in Ohio, including one featuring John Glenn _ a former astronaut and U.S. senator from Ohio for 24 years _ saying Clinton would fix trade agreements like NAFTA.
Bill Burton, Obama's campaign spokesman, responded, "We look forward to having a debate this Tuesday on the facts, and the facts are that Senator Clinton was a supporter of NAFTA and the China permanent trade treaties until this campaign began. And she herself has said that under the Clinton health care plan, she would consider 'going after the wages' of Americans."
Clinton said she felt good about her prospects in Ohio and Texas but refused to say whether she needed to win both states to stay in the race.
"Let's let the people of Ohio vote. Let's actually have an election and then we can look at the results," she said.
Obama not a patriot at all,will lead to McCain
Even dumb Democrats can realize this,in America you better be damn proud of your country...and Barack Obama isin't.
AP :
AP :
Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.
Now Obama's wife, Michelle, has drawn their ire, too, for saying recently that she's really proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.
Conservative consultants say that combined, the cases could be an issue for Obama in the general election if he wins the nomination, especially as he runs against Vietnam war hero Sen. John McCain.
"The reason it hasn't been an issue so far is that we're still in the microcosm of the Democratic primary," said Republican consultant Roger Stone. "Many Americans will find the three things offensive. Barack Obama is out of the McGovern wing of the party, and he is part of the blame America first crowd."
Opponents of Sen. John Kerry proved in the 2004 election that voters are sensitive to suggestions that a candidate is not sufficiently patriotic. The Democratic presidential nominee's campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, even though he won multiple military honors and was lauded by his superiors.
The Swift Boat campaign started as a relatively small television ad buy that exploded into an issue that dogged Kerry for months. The Massachusetts senator has conceded since losing to President Bush that the campaign and his lackluster response to unsubstantiated allegations he considered unworthy of a reaction likely cost him the election. And the term even became part of the campaign lexicon _ swift boating.
Obama already is the subject of a shadowy smear campaign based on the Internet that falsely suggests he's a Muslim intent on destroying the United States. Obama is a Christian and has been fighting the e-mail hoax, which also claims he doesn't put his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and he's been trying to correct the misinformation.
"Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America," Obama frequently tells voters.
"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," he adds.
Retired Major General Scott Gration, an Obama military adviser, said he expects the attacks will only increase if Obama wins the Democratic nomination.
"People are projecting things and taking things out of context," Gration said. "There's absolutely no question in my mind that Michelle and Barack are extremely patriotic, appreciate our freedoms and our values and everything else that the flag represents."
Officials with the McCain campaign and the Republican Party say they won't be suggesting Obama is less than patriotic, and instead plan to focus their criticisms on his record and inexperience if he wins the nomination. Well-funded outside groups, however, consider anything fair game.
Conservative Republican consultant Keith Appell, who worked with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, said Obama's opposition to the war will create a "striking contrast between McCain the war hero and Obama the poster child for the anti-war movement."
"If you are McCain, you want to play up the decorated war hero, loves his country, served his country," Appell said. "You want to play those themes up as much as possible, especially in comparison to Obama and his role in the anti-war movement."
On Monday, Michelle Obama told an audience in Milwaukee, "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change."
Cindy McCain, McCain's wife, days later responded by saying, "I have, and always will be, proud of my country." Barack Obama has expressed frustration that his wife's remarks had been taken out of context and turned into political fodder _ both the Obamas say she was talking about politics in the United States, not the country itself.
Last summer, Obama was photographed by Time magazine at an event in Iowa standing with his hands folded during the national anthem. His primary rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson appear beside him, with their hands on their hearts.
It has been repeatedly reported that the moment came during the Pledge of Allegiance, but that's not the case.
In October, Obama told Iowa television station KCRG that he decided to stop wearing a U.S. flag lapel pin during the run-up to the Iraq war because it had become "a substitute for, I think, true patriotism."
"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great and, hopefully, that will be a testimony to my patriotism," Obama said.
Obama's comments led conservatives and media commentators to question his patriotism.
"First he kicked his American flag pin to the curb. Now Barack Obama has a new round of patriotism problems. Wait until you hear what the White House hopeful didn't do during the singing of the national anthem," said Steve Doocy, co-host of "Fox and Friends" on the Fox News Channel.
"He felt it OK to come out of the closet as the domestic insurgent he is," former radio host Mark Williams said on Fox.
Gration said he had a copy of the national anthem photo e-mailed to him by a friend who didn't know the facts and questioned how a military man could support someone who doesn't honor the Pledge of Allegiance.
"I go to baseball games and football games and there's just a minority of us who put our hands over our heart. It's not an indication of patriotism," Gration said. Gration said he personally wears a flag pin, but "if I meet someone who doesn't have a lapel pin, it doesn't mean they are more or less patriotic than I am."
And, he added, "I don't think you can find Barack again not putting his hand over his heart at the national anthem."
Friday, February 22, 2008
Look at Serbia
Kosovo has been apart of the Serbians homeland for nearly 1,300 years, in the 1800's when there were a lot of Ottoman wars going on many Albanian's took refuge in Kosovo,but this led to them over - populating the Serbs. that lived there and forceing a majority of them into Serbia.
After Yugoslavia broke up into about 2 dozen seperate nations,Kosovo declared independance against the Serbs,as you can imagine this in-furiated the Serbian people and government - as they led and attack to force the Albanian Muslims from taking over their long beloved land,which led to many Albanian deaths - and NATO bombing Serbia and blowing up bridges and buildings.
Serbia stopped their attack on Kosovo,but they remained an territory.
This past week,Kosovo declared independence again - annoying all of the Serbians,and all of the Serbs still living in Kosovo (about 180,000 people),many have said that this could lead to a full blown war in Europe.
Heres my point :
Albanian Muslims came in from Turkey to take refuge in Kosovo and this led to have nearly out-numbering all of the Serbs in Kosovo,and has led to the Serbs losing apart of their land! Now with Muslims migrating to England and America,and having all sorts of accomdations being made for them,will this happen to us? I mean really they wanna establish SHARIA law in England for the Muslims,its like their planning to take over every country one by one?
And if we elect Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton,who are the biggest Political Correct mongers - we will end up just like Kosovo one day,except we will fight the UN...and we will fight who ever allows this.
We need to save America and England from these threats,and to give less power to the United Nations - before we are a 1 world government allowing tresspassers to take over peoples land.
After Yugoslavia broke up into about 2 dozen seperate nations,Kosovo declared independance against the Serbs,as you can imagine this in-furiated the Serbian people and government - as they led and attack to force the Albanian Muslims from taking over their long beloved land,which led to many Albanian deaths - and NATO bombing Serbia and blowing up bridges and buildings.
Serbia stopped their attack on Kosovo,but they remained an territory.
This past week,Kosovo declared independence again - annoying all of the Serbians,and all of the Serbs still living in Kosovo (about 180,000 people),many have said that this could lead to a full blown war in Europe.
Heres my point :
Albanian Muslims came in from Turkey to take refuge in Kosovo and this led to have nearly out-numbering all of the Serbs in Kosovo,and has led to the Serbs losing apart of their land! Now with Muslims migrating to England and America,and having all sorts of accomdations being made for them,will this happen to us? I mean really they wanna establish SHARIA law in England for the Muslims,its like their planning to take over every country one by one?
And if we elect Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton,who are the biggest Political Correct mongers - we will end up just like Kosovo one day,except we will fight the UN...and we will fight who ever allows this.
We need to save America and England from these threats,and to give less power to the United Nations - before we are a 1 world government allowing tresspassers to take over peoples land.
McCain focusing on election
I can see why hes getting an early start on the general election,but you never whats gonna happen with politics Mr. McCain
via AP :
via AP :
His nomination assured, John McCain got an early jump on the general election this week with a swing through Midwestern states likely to be pivotal in the fall and a fresh line of criticism against Barack Obama.
"I will compete very strongly here in the heartland of America," the Republican nominee-in-waiting said in Ohio, underscoring the importance of the state and the region as he embarks on an eight-month effort to cobble together the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.
It was fitting, then, that McCain chose this setting _ a state that gave President Bush the 2004 election in a swing-voting region _ to step up his rhetoric against the man he considers his most likely opponent this fall.
"I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change," McCain said after winning the Wisconsin primary. It was a thinly veiled suggestion that the Illinois Democrat, who has now won 11 straight primary and caucus contests over Hillary Rodham Clinton, lacks the experience, judgment and character a president needs.
Well into the week, however, a character controversy of his own overshadowed McCain's message.
At a news conference in Toledo on Thursday, McCain was forced to respond to published reports that alleged he showed favoritism to clients of a female telecommunications lobbyist. A New York Times report said top McCain aides became "convinced the relationship had become romantic."
With his wife, Cindy, beside him, he denied any romance or impropriety.
"It's not true," McCain said. "At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust."
"We will move forward," he declared and continued his Midwest trek.
With Obama and Clinton still fighting for the Democratic nomination, the GOP's likely standard-bearer is laying groundwork now for the fall by visiting key states and trying to define his opponents, particularly Obama.
Thus, McCain took his sharper criticism of Obama to five middle America states this week.
He began in Wisconsin, at a county GOP dinner and a get-out-the-vote rally. By Tuesday, he was in Ohio celebrating a Wisconsin victory that inched him closer to the 1,191 convention delegates he needs to clinch the nomination.
McCain also stopped in Illinois on Wednesday and toured a Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in Michigan on Thursday. He rounds out the week Friday in Indiana with a town-hall style meeting.
The Arizona senator was also raising cash in each state. He kept a busy fundraising schedule for someone who doesn't like the chore. "We've got a lot of work to do," McCain acknowledged.
His attention to this region is no surprise.
The Midwest has been hotly contested in recent presidential elections. Both Republicans and Democrats plan to focus on it again this fall.
Some states here have a long history of solidly backing one party or the other. Indiana, for one, is a strong Republican state, where George W. Bush won big in both campaigns. Illinois, conversely, has been a predominantly Democratic state, won comfortably by John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.
But most others are considered swing states.
No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio. Bush saw very narrow victories here twice.
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan all sided with Kerry and Gore _ but by margins of less than 5 percentage points.
One Midwestern state, Iowa, split in the last two elections. In 2004, Bush won by 1 percentage point four years after losing to Gore by the same margin.
Since 1900, Missouri has backed every presidential winner but one _ it went with Adlai Stevenson from neighboring Illinois in 1956. Bush had one narrow and one comfortable win there.
Economic issues dominate campaigns here. Once laden with industry and rich with agriculture, the region is struggling; job losses and recession fears weigh heavily on voters' minds.
McCain focused on that this week.
"We're in an information technology revolution, and it has changed the world. It has changed America. But we can't leave people behind," he said in Columbus. "We have to help them through this transition."
Earlier, in Middlefield, Wis., McCain explained how he might win in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states. "I can appeal not only to our Republican base but to independent voters," he said.
For all the general election maneuvering, McCain remains mindful that Mike Huckabee is still technically competing for the GOP nomination.
So McCain continues to campaign in states with upcoming primaries even as he looks ahead.
In Yellow Springs, Ohio, on Wednesday, he declared, "I intend to win the state of Ohio, both a week from Tuesday and in the general election in November!"
The midwest states are mostly rural,so I feel McCain will win them with general ease.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Republican endorsements from former candidates
Kinda interesting where some of the former GOP candidates have endorsed their GOP Presidential bid to :
Jim Gilmore - Has endorsed no-one in public.
Tommy Thompson - He endorsed Rudy Giuliani.
Sam Brownback - He endorsed John McCain.
John Cox - Has endorsed no-oe in public.
Tom Tancredo - He endorsed Mitt Romney.
Duncan Hunter - He endorsed Mike Huckabee.
Fred Thompson,Rudy Giuliani,and Mitt Romney all endorsed John McCain.
Now if we total this up :
4 - John McCain
2 - Un - Committed
1 - each for Huckabee,Romney,and Giuliani.
Interesting pattern,while it was an open race 4 different people got endorsed by 6 former candidares ( 2 - un - committed),after McCain started to look like the Front runner he got all the endorsements.
Jim Gilmore - Has endorsed no-one in public.
Tommy Thompson - He endorsed Rudy Giuliani.
Sam Brownback - He endorsed John McCain.
John Cox - Has endorsed no-oe in public.
Tom Tancredo - He endorsed Mitt Romney.
Duncan Hunter - He endorsed Mike Huckabee.
Fred Thompson,Rudy Giuliani,and Mitt Romney all endorsed John McCain.
Now if we total this up :
4 - John McCain
2 - Un - Committed
1 - each for Huckabee,Romney,and Giuliani.
Interesting pattern,while it was an open race 4 different people got endorsed by 6 former candidares ( 2 - un - committed),after McCain started to look like the Front runner he got all the endorsements.
Thank you NY TIMES
You have re-united a part of the Republican party,as everyone hates the fact your smearing an honorable man by nature and everyone is sick and tired of the Republicans being treaed horrible by newspapers that claim "to be of the truth" well if smearing someone is the truth,then i'm the President.
This could be what the GOP has been waiting for the unite Republicans & Conservatives alike.
This could be what the GOP has been waiting for the unite Republicans & Conservatives alike.
McCain more like Bill Clinton?
LOL,gotta hate the NY POST
AP :
AP :
John McCain emphatically denied a romantic relationship with a female telecommunications lobbyist on Thursday and said a report by The New York Times suggesting favoritism for her clients is "not true."
"I'm very disappointed in the article. It's not true," the likely Republican presidential nominee said as his wife, Cindy, stood beside him during a news conference called to address the matter.
"I've served this nation honorably for more than half a century," said McCain, a four-term Arizona senator and former Navy pilot. "At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust."
"I intend to move on," he added.
McCain described the woman in question, lobbyist Vicki Iseman, as a friend.
The newspaper quoted anonymous aides as saying they had urged McCain and Iseman to stay away from each other prior to his failed presidential campaign in 2000. In its own follow-up story, The Washington Post quoted longtime aide John Weaver, who split with McCain last year, as saying he met with lobbyist Iseman and urged her to steer clear of McCain.
Weaver told the Times he arranged the meeting before the 2000 campaign after "a discussion among the campaign leadership" about Iseman.
But McCain said he was unaware of any such conversation, and denied that his aides ever tried to talk to him about his interactions with Iseman.
"I never discussed it with John Weaver. As far as I know, there was no necessity for it," McCain said. "I don't know anything about it," he added. "John Weaver is a friend of mine. He remains a friend of mine. But I certainly didn't know anything of that nature."
His wife also said she was disappointed with the newspaper.
"More importantly, my children and I not only trust my husband, but know that he would never do anything to not only disappoint our family, but disappoint the people of America. He's a man of great character," Cindy McCain said.
The couple smiled throughout the questioning at a Toledo hotel.
By Thursday afternoon, the McCain campaign had launched a fundraising appeal based on the Times' story.
"The New York Times ... has shown once again that it cannot exercise good journalistic judgment when it comes to dealing with a conservative Republican," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "We need your help to counteract the liberal establishment and fight back against The New York Times by making an immediate contribution today.
"We think the story speaks for itself," Times executive editor Bill Keller said in a written statement Thursday. "On the timing, our policy is we publish stories when they are ready."
McCain's remaining rival for the Republican nomination, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, called McCain "a good decent honorable man" and said he accepted McCain's response.
"I've campaigned now on the same stage or platform with John McCain for 14 months. I only know him to be a man of integrity," Huckabee said in Houston. "Today he denied any of that was true. I take him at his word. For me to get into it is completely immaterial."
The published reports said McCain and Iseman each denied having a romantic relationship. Neither story asserted that there was a romantic relationship and offered no evidence that there was, reporting only that aides worried about the appearance of McCain having close ties to a lobbyist with business before the Senate Commerce Committee on which McCain served.
The stories also allege that McCain wrote letters and pushed legislation involving television station ownership that would have benefited Iseman's clients.
In late 1999, McCain twice wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of Florida-based Paxson Communications _ which had paid Iseman as its lobbyist _ urging quick consideration of a proposal to buy a television station license in Pittsburgh. At the time, Paxson's chief executive, Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson, also was a major contributor to McCain's 2000 presidential campaign.
McCain did not urge the FCC commissioners to approve the proposal, but he asked for speedy consideration of the deal, which was pending from two years earlier. In an unusual response, then-FCC Chairman William Kennard complained that McCain's request "comes at a sensitive time in the deliberative process" and "could have procedural and substantive impacts on the commission's deliberations and, thus, on the due process rights of the parties."
McCain wrote the letters after he received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists. Paxson also lent McCain his company's jet at least four times during 1999 for campaign travel.
"Riding on the airplane was an accepted practice," McCain said Thursday, adding that he supported a change in rules since then. As for the letters, he said: "I said I'm not telling you how to make a decision; I'm just telling you that you should move forward and make a decision on this issue. I believe that was appropriate."
Since The New York Times story was published Wednesday night, the McCain campaign has sought to discredit it, distributing lengthy statements and deploying senior advisers to appear on news shows. The campaign calls the story a smear campaign to destroy the Republican nominee-in-waiting.
Keller, the Times editor, explained that the paper's judgment that the story was ready to print "means the facts have been nailed down to our satisfaction, the subjects have all been given a full and fair chance to respond, and the reporting has been written up with all the proper context and caveats. This story was no exception. It was a long time in the works. It reached my desk late Tuesday afternoon. After a final edit and a routine check by our lawyers, we published it."
Robert Bennett, a Washington attorney representing McCain, told NBC's "Today" show that McCain's staff provided the Times with "approximately 12 instances where Senator McCain took positions adverse to this lobbyist's clients and her public relations firm's clients," but none of the examples were included in the paper's story.
"There is no evidence that John McCain ever breached the public trust and that is the issue and the only issue," said Bennett, who once represented former President Clinton, on Thursday.
McCain said he won't allow the reports to distract him from his presidential campaign.
"I will focus my attention in this campaign on the big issues and on the challenges that face this country," he said.
He defended his integrity last December, after he was questioned about reports that the Times was investigating allegations of legislative favoritism by the Arizona Republican and that his aides had been trying to dissuade the newspaper from publishing a story.
"I've never done any favors for anybody _ lobbyist or special-interest group. That's a clear, 24-year record," he told reporters.
McCain and four other senators were accused two decades ago of trying to influence banking regulators on behalf of Charles Keating, a savings and loan financier later convicted of securities fraud. The Senate Ethics Committee ultimately decided that McCain had used "poor judgment" but that his actions "were not improper" and warranted no penalty.
McCain has said that episode helped spur his drive to change campaign finance laws in an attempt to reduce the influence of money in politics.
Obama wins Democrats global primary by large percent
Via AP :
Barack Obama won the Democrats Abroad global primary in results announced Thursday, giving him 11 straight victories in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Illinois senator won the primary in which Democrats living in other countries voted by Internet, mail and in person, according to results released by the Democrats Abroad, an organization sanctioned by the national party.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has not won a nominating contest since Super Tuesday, more than two weeks ago.
More than 20,000 U.S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Obama won about 65 percent of the vote, according to the results released Thursday.
Voters living in 164 countries cast votes online, while expatriates voted in person in more than 30 countries, at hotels in Australia and Costa Rica, at a pub in Ireland and at a Starbucks in Thailand. The results took about a week to tabulate as local committees around the globe gathered ballots.
"This really gives Americans an opportunity to participate," said Christine Schon Marques, the international chair of Democrats Abroad.
There is no comparable primary among Republicans, though the GOP has several contests this weekend in U.S. territories, including party caucuses in Puerto Rico Sunday.
The Democrats Abroad controls seven pledged delegates at the party's national convention this summer. However, the group's system of dividing the delegates is unique, and could create an anomaly in which Obama and Clinton end up with fractions of delegates.
The party will send 14 pledged delegates to the convention, each with a half vote. The primary was used to determine nine people, or the equivalent of 4.5 delegates. Obama won 2.5 and Clinton won two, according to Schon Marques.
The Democrats Abroad will hold a global convention in Vancouver, Canada, in April to select the other five people who will attend the convention. They will represent the remaining 2.5 votes.
The system creates the possibility that Obama and Clinton could each end up with an extra half vote at the convention, Schon Marques said.
Democratic parties in U.S. territories use similar systems, in which they send twice the number of delegates, giving them each a half vote. But their systems are designed to ensure that that candidates do not end up with fractions of delegates.
Heading into the Democrats Abroad primary, Obama led with 1,351 delegates, and Clinton had 1,262.
Things are not looking good for Clinton,is Mr.nice guy attitude is swaying everyone
Michael Savage endorses McCain,Huckabee message
The third most tuned in Radio program is Michael Savage's radio program,and last night he officialy endorsed Republican front runner John McCain,and called Barack Obama a "fairytale" and that Clinton will win the Democratic Nomination,I agree Obama's campaign does seem like a "dream" come true,but if the voters realize that Obama is WORSE than Clinton,they may just switch over to Billary.
Mike Huckabee had this to say in his email to supporters :
Mike Huckabee had this to say in his email to supporters :
My candidacy is, and always has been, about convictions – and the issues and core values that are critical to our country’s future, such protecting traditional marriage, the sanctity of life, individual empowerment and a revamping of our federal tax code to encourage productivity. It’s about lifting Americans up, from hope to higher ground, with a positive vision for America’s future that is grounded in a belief in our nation’s basic goodness, and defined by a ‘can—do’ spirit that knows how to gets things done. My goal is to offer Republican voters, a voice and a choice in this election.
The last four out of five U.S. Presidents have been governors, and there is a reason for this: the challenges facing our nation require steady, experienced, executive management. As governor of Arkansas for 10 ½ years, I delivered on my promises to cut taxes 94 times, reduce welfare by half, reform health care for children and our education system, and transform our transportation infrastructure. My record of results, achieved with a Democrat legislature, gives a meaningful viability to my candidacy.
There are millions of Republicans from across this country who have yet to be heard from. Clearly we were disappointed by the results in Wisconsin, but I look forward to campaigning hard in Texas and Ohio this week – and taking my case before the good people of those states.
I encourage you to leave a comment on our campaign blog today and share with me your thoughts.
Emailing you from the road in Texas and with deep gratitude, Mike Huckabee
Huckabee might be the "right" choice,but McCain is the one with all of the momentum,Huckabee can win Texas - with the grace of God only.
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