Politics

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put down your coffee cup...

So, Sarah Palin's advisors decide that it is time for her to meet a bunch of serious world leaders. They head to Europe, where, first up, she has an appointment with the Pope. The Pope and some of his Cardinals invite her for a boat ride on the Tiber. As they are sitting in the gondola talking, a wind starts up and blows the Pope's hat into the water. Palin looks around and realizes that no one is going to do anything about it, so she calmy rises, takes off her her high heels, and steps off the side of the boat. Instead of diving into the water, however, she walks across it, to the hat, picks it up and walks back across the water to the boat. She climbs in, hands the Pope his hat and continues discussing whatever it was they had been talking about. The Cardinals are open mouthed in astonishment at what they have just seen. The news media, in nearby boats are busy discussing among themselves how to report it. Headlines the next day at the New York Times, The Washington Post and the networks all blare: New Revelation: Sarah Palin Can't Swim.

HT:  No Fighting, No Biting

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What happens when the people paying most of the taxes are not paying enough to cover the direct tax credits that are promised to the people who even now are paying little or nothing?

What will happen when the 40% of the people who pay 95% of income taxes can no longer pay for the checks that the feds (under Obama) will be sending those of the 40% of the people who currently pay ZERO taxes, who will be getting the direct tax credits (not deductions) under Obama's plan?

What will happen when the 5% who pay 60% of the taxes cannot cover Obama's new spending?

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I've only really read about Obama/Wright(or Ayers) and McCain/Keating.

The Obama case is about what Obama believes.  Wright and Ayers are both radical leftists in their politics.  If sharing a belief in radical leftist political figures is an indication of one's own political leanings, it is very relevant.   If the experience with Wright helped shape Obama's political ideology, why would we not take that into account?

On the other hand, McCain/Keating is also very relevant - it is about what McCain has done.  The question I ask is "What did you learn and how have you changed?"  In the case of McCain, it was his dealings with Keating that was the trigger for his strong political beliefs and actions on campaign finance reform and governmental deregulation.  He (in an article I read not too long ago) said that he did nothing wrong(illegal), but that brush with Keating was a "light bulb moment" (my term).  In that moment, his ideology was formed.  If the experience with Keating helped to shape McCain's political ideology, why would we not take that into account?

The difference between Obama and McCain?  Obama says, "that's not the guy I knew" (as if he could sit in the guy's church for 20 years and not know...AND write about the political beliefs of Wright and not know about them).

McCain says, "it looked wrong, I should not have done it and because of my experience I'm going to work toward fixing the system.

It's not about "GBA".  It's about what formed the political ideologies, how close are the ideologies of the student to the ideologies of the mentor (which is how Obama has described Wright).

It is about "what have you learned and how have you changed?"

McCain has told us and shown us.  If Obama sat in Wright's church for 20 years and cannot tell us what he has learned and how it has changed him...that says volumes about Obama.

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Yes.  I believe that Barack Obama's connection with William Ayers matters.  It matters a lot.

Yes, William Ayers was a member of a radical domestic terrorist group who bombed a number of buildings.  Yes, he is unrepentant.  Yes, Obama had to have known about Ayer's history.

But...is it really the connection between terrorism and Obama that is important (or even real?)  Not really.

Obama's connections to radical leftists of all sorts of flavors is the concern, whether or not they were "terrorists".

Barack Obama's list of radical, liberal associates is varied:

  • Jerehiah (God damn America) Wright
  • William Ayers
  • the "New Party"
  • ACORN

When one choose to have associations with radical left-wing people or groups, it is generally because one has idealogical commanalities.  The more you have in common with leftist idealogies, the more associations you have.

Ultimately, as with most elections, I think that the election will fall - not necessarily to Obama or McCain - but to the party that is liberal or conservative.

We tend to look beyond the problems with  "our" candidate - if we are relatively sure that the candidate will stick to the party line.

When looking at McCain, we ask, "what party line will McCain stick most closely to?

When looking at Obama, we can also ask, "what party line will Obama stick most closely to?" This is where his radical associations are most important, because they give the best clue into his idealogy.

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I know the campaign protestations.

I know that Barack Obama says that he has always supported health care for infants.

This is "inaccurate".

2001:  SB 1095

(...) Amends the Statute on Statutes. Defines "born-alive infant" to

   include  every  infant  member of the species homo sapiens who is born
   alive at any stage of development.  Defines "born alive" to  mean  the
   complete  expulsion or extraction from the mother of an infant, at any
   stage of development, who after that expulsion or extraction  breathes
   or  has  a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite
   movement of voluntary muscles, regardless  of  whether  the  umbilical
   cord  has  been  cut  and  regardless  of  whether  the  expulsion  or
   extraction  occurs  as  a result of natural or induced labor, cesarean
   section, or induced abortion....

Obama voted "no" on even letting the bill pass out of committee, so that it could be voted on by the Senate

Obama's comments are on pages 84 on.

2002 - Next verse, same as the first...SB 1662.

and 2003...SB 1082...

And Obama said...

"They have not been telling the truth," Mr. Obama said. "And I hate to say that people are lying, but here's a situation where folks are lying."

He added that it was "ridiculous" to suggest he had ever supported withholding lifesaving treatment for an infant. "It defies common sense and it defies imagination, and for people to keep on pushing this is offensive," he said in the CBN interview.

Here's the problem...the Illinois Senate keeps minutes.

Obama lies, calls his opposition liars and his followers say..."ok".