wesinohio

Smiling and waving. Exactly. posted 07/06/2008 at 02:10:31

They are there for a paycheck. They know we're not making the world safer. They are fighting and dieing for Bush's ego, Big Oil's profits and global hedgemony. posted 07/04/2008 at 21:08:16

"Lib radio like NPR requires taxpayers to subsidize it. Pathetic."
In my opinion, a perfectly free market is no different than anarchy. Humanity and liberty and wisdom and healthcare are not commodities to be traded back and forth, but rather virtues of civilization. Civilization is always on a learning curve; it's not perfect, but the best government, or system of cooperation, is that government which can continually transform itself into a better vehicle for human happiness and cooperation. Liberty can't exist in a society of humans without good government; liberty relies upon good laws to protect it from destruction by tyrants. Yet a good regime of law relies upon patriots to maintain it and improve it. posted 07/03/2008 at 21:29:50

When the Democratic Party secures a Republican filibuster-proof majority, then you can start talking about who "controls" congress. posted 07/08/2008 at 16:23:39

So a person can't be a "cook", eh? How about an "engineer"? Language is very flexible. posted 07/03/2008 at 00:28:21

I think you mean that the Aryan language of India belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, and so is related to Greek, Latin, Persian and German, Spanish, English, French, Czech etc., indicating a shared cultural origin. On the other hand, the Dravidians and other ethnic groups in India, to my knowledge, do not belong to that linguistic family. posted 06/28/2008 at 21:35:32

You must know that Barack never even knew his half-brothers and sisters or his father when he was growing up. Certainly he inspires most people because, as an disadvantaged person raised by a single parent, he has excelled nonetheless. He is honest, warm and has great experience and great accomplishments - greater than Lincoln when he became president and greater than Hillary. His former minister's words are not his words either. Listen to what Obama says. He is a true leader. Win Obama 08! posted 06/28/2008 at 13:04:57

Come on. That name calling doesn't get us anywhere we want to go. posted 06/27/2008 at 16:30:08

Wow. What a meaningful point to make (not). Har-de-har. posted 06/27/2008 at 15:50:19

True, but as you should know, we have some first rate people too. No nation is immune from problems. The election of Barack Obama will do a world of good. posted 06/27/2008 at 11:58:04

You have a 103 word long sentence there. Notwithstanding, I understand your comment and tentatively agree. posted 06/27/2008 at 11:21:03

That's complete speculation at this point. But as long as we're speculating, I predict that Obama will win a landslide victory among the states. posted 06/26/2008 at 13:50:31

It is clear that your opinion lacks documentation and good construction. Why do you hold it? And by the way, if you think that any presidential candidate from one of the major U.S. political parties is a Marxist, you obviously don't know what you're talking about. posted 06/25/2008 at 15:07:50

I am not a legal scholar, but I really don't think that signing statements carry any legal weight in terms of striking down or rewriting legislation that has been passed by congress.

As the branch that administers the law, the executive branch can indicate how laws will be enforced, but ignoring whole parts of laws and rewriting laws appears to be unconstitutional in my opinion. posted 06/23/2008 at 01:00:55

I agree that this was a small victory but not a complete one. It will get better from here on. posted 06/20/2008 at 19:46:59

I remember hearing about "rapid response teams" from Kerry's campaign in the last presidential election, but I kept waiting for those responses and didn't hear any. It was just as frustrating as waiting for Dukakis to respond to Bush I, and just seeing him stand there with a stupid look on his face shaking his head and saying nothing. This year, whenever I read something spun against Barack, I read his great response. Obama is continuing to conduct a great campaign. posted 06/20/2008 at 19:56:18

Regarding prosecution, it might be best to wait until after the Democrats are in solid control of both houses of congress, then appoint a special prosecutor, unless a filibuster-proof majority could do that now by reinstating the special prosecutor law. It wouldn't even have to be a distraction from the election. We would get our investigation. It would be very destructive to our constitution to let this president and his administration get away with what they have done.
The Special Prosecutor law was abused by the Republicans, but they got their man through the offices of the Special Prosecutor. Whenever the radical, hyperpartisan Republicans requested a special prosecutor when Clinton was president, one was appointed by the Clinton administration because it's my understanding that whenever asked, he was compelled by the law to appoint one. But an Independent Special Prosecutor law does not have to be abused and I think it should be revised and tried again. We need an independent special prosecutor in this case. If that person were to build the case for impeachment and for the prosecution of other figures in Bush's presidency, then when the case was made in clear terms, the congress and other prosecutors could do what they needed to do in terms of impeachment and other prosecution.
That law was good enought to get President Clinton, and the Right Wing is glad about that. Ken Star was glad about that. How could they oppose it now? It worked very well for them. posted 06/20/2008 at 13:39:52

I am so happy that the right of an accused person to be able to question the grounds of his/her alleged guilt has been upheld in the United States of America, yet fearful of the four "justices" who thought that just because the president says so, that he can authorize the detention of people without any evidence. And just a week or so ago the managing editor, I believe, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper wrote an article about how terrible it was for the court to uphold habeus corpus rights. This man actually has a responsible postion at that newspaper, in this country. Why? posted 06/20/2008 at 11:56:09

We should all chill out on this one. Somebody made a mistake. The mistake has been corrected. Everybody learned something. Everything is fine. posted 06/20/2008 at 11:47:10

Obama's financing is grass roots. It doesn't need big brother (allusion to Orwell, of course - and to HIllary) to dole out cash from the top down from the fund set up through the income tax. Obama's financing is true public financing - like we've never seen it before - and it's scaring the corporatists. A true parity of campaign finances is an ideal to work on in the long run, but right now American patriots are at war with the Republican war machine itself - all the centrally-owned old style media and the insider war merchants and the corporatists and the associated 527's - that whole coalition of the sick, dead and worn and weary can't win now. All they have is howls and screams and torture and violence and fear. Thank goodness their world is almost dead now and the new one is coming alive - for a new time - and I hope this lasts a good long time. posted 06/19/2008 at 11:50:47

Just relax, mammal. Take a deep breath. We're at the beginning of a new beginning. posted 06/19/2008 at 11:33:11

They will all be prosecuted. Now I've got to go to work. posted 06/18/2008 at 06:35:41

As tempting as it is, I tend to agree that we should not Swiftboat McCain. The Swiftboaters embellished and revised Kerry's official records with their own personal stories of hate and envy. We progressives shouldn't be like that but there's nothing wrong or inappropriate about wanting to see complete and official records of McCain's service. Let's let those records speak simply for themselves without any revisions or embellishments. posted 06/17/2008 at 11:21:17

Information about John McCain's service is just part of reality. Let's look into it. I fear that he is not a stable personality or a competent person, which is not hatred. McCain is not presidential material, but most people, including most republicans, already knew that. posted 06/17/2008 at 10:49:11

Evidence? Who needs evidence? posted 06/14/2008 at 09:32:47

There is no declared war in Iraq, only permission to use "necessary force". This exercise was promoted by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Hadley/Pearl and Iran's agents and justified initially solely by invoking the elimination of the threat of WMD's (remember?). That threat was made more credible by tapping into the fear created by the 911 tragedy, conflating a WMD threat based on old evidence of WMD's that the U.S. itself sold to Iraq, and associating Saddam Hussein with 911when there was no evidenced of his involvement. Then no WMD's were found and Saddam was killed and the mission to keep us there consequently morphed and creeped into a costumed masquerade of democratic nation-building - all that the U.S. war salespeople needed, apparently, as justification for a permanent occupation of Iraq with 54 permanent military bases.
Is Iraq so important because of its oil, or is the oil irrelevent? Obviously oil is the reason for our presence there, not the promotion of democracy. How can our government be committed to democracy and the rule of law when it subverts democracy at home in order to conduct its war for democracy abroad? How can it support the rule of law abroad when it breaks the law at home? How can people cheer the forfeiture of civil rights as something that is necessary to protect our civil rights? How can people eagerly tear down democratic institutions as a way to preserve democratic institutions? posted 06/14/2008 at 00:26:16

I hope Obama promptly stops them. posted 06/11/2008 at 11:03:46

Try to understand this. Taxes belong to the government, not the taxpayer. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:44:35

The choice to not collect money that is owed is an opportunity cost, it is an expense. Write-offs and losses are recorded as expenses by good accountants. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:41:09

Of course you benefit from the government institutions of the US. Think of your taxes as your United States Country Club dues. Render unto Cesar what is Cesar's. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:32:38

Try to grasp this, please. Taxes do not belong to the taxpayer - they belong to the government. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:30:28

So you'd rather spend public money on killing people instead of building health, education and well-being? You're a typical dead-ender. With people like you in charge, we'd self-destruct. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:27:49

Taxes belong to the government, not the taxpayer. posted 06/11/2008 at 12:25:37

This is outrageous. Calling Hillary a monster had consequences, this too should have consequences. Dan Rather was shouted down but his assertions were never proven to be wrong - Fox News just shouts down opposing opinions - it's time to shout them Fox News down. I hope Obama sues their asses. posted 06/10/2008 at 16:57:59

Yes Obama's model is genuine people power public financing. posted 06/10/2008 at 02:43:03

Hitler was not above the law and neither are the Bushies. Prosecution and punishment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney and Rice and Hadley and Rumsfeld and others will be a part of the healing process here in the United States of America. posted 06/09/2008 at 16:03:07

Statement: Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair.
Wes's response: I think you meant "misdemeanor" affair. That is a good thing. We have a huge proportion of our population incarcerated as is it is, and emphasizing increased punishment for direct community improvement and increased economic opportunity for citizens is just a plainly bad idea.

Statement: Admitted marijuana and cocaine use in high school and in college.
Wes's response: So? Bush said he couldn't remember. We need an honest person and we have one with Barak Obama.

Statement: His religious convictions are very murky.
Wes's response: This statement is code for implying that Barak is a Muslim. His beliefs are h is own. Listen to him speak. Listen to what HE says he believes in and you'll find that his religious convictions are not murky at all. posted 06/09/2008 at 00:03:19

Statement: In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing.
Wes's response: Indeed, questioning authority is not a bad thing. Furthermore, the drug laws have created a profitable industry in drug trade that would not even exist if drugs were made legal, but assuming that they are kept illegal, harsh penalties create huge new classes of criminals and huge law enforcement needs and expenses and opportunites for corruption, and illegal supply channels cast users as criminals and exposse them to the whole range of illegal drugs, coloring all the drugs as illegal, so implying that some in the illegal group might be okay since the harm caused by other drugs is exaggerated, even as the most dangerous drug, which causes more addiction, more broken families, more murders and more suicides - alcohol, remains legal. The government gets to take away their own bag of silver in taxes on alcohol. I propose helping to combat drugs by making them legal and taxing them. This would eliminate the extra police, the drug cartels, bring in revenue to the government and also reduce government intrusion into our lives. posted 06/09/2008 at 00:03:13

Statement: He voted against banning partial birth abortion.

Wes's response: Abortion is an individual choice. To decrease abortion the structure of the family must first be strengthened by strengthening economic opportunity for more people and strengthening communities. Not by emptily praising the family while destroying the middle class and economic opportunities and political liberties.

Statement: He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.

Wes's response: Barak Obama was a member of a congress controlled by Republicans for the first two years he was a member. Critical bills are often used as a means to trap the opposition party into voting for measures that they would otherwise oppose, because to vote against that measure would cause critical harm elsewhere. Do you really think Obama wants to promote abortion? Of course not. Almost all people think it's abhorrent. But just how much government do you want in your life? And do you want to let yourself be misled by people who take statements and votes out of context for some, and ignore the crimes against humanity and the US constitution that Bush and his gang have committed?

Statement: Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government.

Wes's response: Some affirmative action to uplift historically oppressed minorities is a Christian-like policy, but affirmative action to assist poor and disadvantaged white people is also a good idea. You will find that Obama promotes helping all people, not hurting them. Don't let people who specialize in hate mislead you. posted 06/09/2008 at 00:01:29

Here is part of an email that was sent to me by a person who is leaning towards McCain, and some of my responses (which can be improved)

Terry,

Don't let yourself be fooled by those who oppose Barak. Those are the same people who have sanctioned the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis, remained complacent in the face of official lies by the Bush administration to promote war and war profits, and who brazenly dismantle constitutional protections.

Bush does not value life. Cheney does not. McCain wants to continue the $1 Billion per week fiasco in Iraq that has no purpose but to destabilize that region enough to keep oil prices high, while maintaining U.S. control over those resource. posted 06/08/2008 at 23:54:14

I hope that Obama gets all of the electoral votes this time. posted 06/05/2008 at 15:32:45

Absolutely. This doesn't stop being important news after a few days. We need a drumbeat for impeachment as loud as that persistent drumbeat we kept hearing to go to war. posted 06/05/2008 at 12:08:34

Reprehensible. Hmm. Let me find a better word.... < thesaurus.reference.com>

Synonym Collection v1.1
Main Entry: reprehensible
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: base, blamable, condemnable, criminal, culpable, foul, heinous, inexcusable, shameful, sinful

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus
Main Entry: blameworthy
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: Deserving blame.
Synonyms: blamable, blameful, censurable, culpable, guilty
Idioms: at fault posted 06/05/2008 at 11:53:25

Every virtuous and patriotic congressman should vote for articles of impeachment and put Bush and Cheney and their civil officers on trial for committing perjury and other criminal counts. They should begin the process this coming Monday. Let's get the whole truth out in a criminal trial in the U.S. Senate. This is certainly an approriate action under the circumstances.

Wikipedia: The Constitution defines impeachment at the federal level and limits impeachment to "The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States " who may only be impeached and removed for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. "[2]. posted 06/05/2008 at 11:46:04

My first revulsion from Hillary came upon hearing her yell, "Shame on you you Barack Obama!". It identified her to me. Up until then, I just preferred Obama's candor, calmness and lucidity and had no antipathy towards her at all, but that yell and her subsequent ongoing behaviors made her appear to be destructive, unstable and unlikeable. If there were a campaign against Hillary it could play all or part of her yell, or shriek might be a better word, on a continuous loop and have a great impact - like Howard Dean's Scream.
Hillary's campaign has not sought to unite and to enlighten, but to divide and to disparage. She tries to steal the stars from people's eyes and make prospects appear darker because of her efforts. Nice going Hillary. People aren't supposed to be inspired by great leaders? People are supposed to sneer at the prospect of hope when they are in need?
Hillary, our best hope is in building people up - not in tearing people down. I hope you regain your footing and run a constructive campaign from now on. posted 03/31/2008 at 22:49:10

I have been thinking the same thing. posted 03/27/2008 at 15:37:07

Of course Barack deserves some relaxation time with his family. He is much more attendant than Bush. It's funny how the depraved Barack-bashers here, paid or not, take issue with a few days off. Of course that is nonsense. posted 03/26/2008 at 12:07:49

I hope that Hillary would be a stateswoman and endorse Barack Obama if he were the nominee. If she were nominated I feel confident that Barack would endorse her. posted 03/26/2008 at 13:44:46

Listen to Obama's words. His minister's words are not his words; many churches often seek to challenge people in provocative ways. Barack's broad background has let all the weather all around him get inside his house, and he stayed in that nasty weather of reality and he found a way to grow strong. So sure, he's weathered storms and he's been in the rain and mud, but he's played in the rain and gazed at rainbows too. Out of all of that he seeks to bring us all into fairer weather. He is an honest person who has made himself to be, out of his many parts, a whole statesman who will be an historic and inspirational leader. posted 03/25/2008 at 15:21:51

Bush, Cheney and Hillary have a lot of experience making huge mistakes. posted 03/25/2008 at 09:21:23

He always looks like he has "Hail to the Chief" playing in his head. In his own mind he is the resolute warrior, but who never went to war, and the defender of the liberty, but who disregards the rule of law. The strain of the contradictions is written all over his face. posted 03/25/2008 at 08:50:00

Yes. And Rev. Wright's comments, even though they were taken out of context, were "just words". posted 03/24/2008 at 16:43:01

How about Hillary's shrieks and her dismal record, and how about McCain's "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" song on continuous loop?

Obama has more than enough money to get the truth out. Remember that In spite of the relentless attacks of the swiftboaters in 2004, Kerry won 49% of the vote. People are sick of the US the way it is. People are NOT entirely proud of the United States the way it has been. People are inspired by someone who wants to CHANGE the US into something to BE proud of. Obama '08. I'm looking forward to his presidency. posted 03/24/2008 at 12:55:06

Remember the non-stop swiftboating of John Kerry in 2004? Bush won 51% of the vote and carried 31 states in that election, but a remarkable thing about this is that in spite of such intense and unanswered assaults on Kerry, that the vote was even so close. That means that almost half of the public saw through the lies and mischaracterizatons and character assassinations - even without Kerry doing much to defend himself. Since then, there are more liberals than before and more conservative people who have become disgusted with the Bush conservatives, and Obama will bring in large numbers of new voters, and bring more voters to the polls. Obama has the money advantage too, and I will contribute money to help maintain that advantage, and I hope and think that it might be a landslide victory for Obama in November against the Bush Republicans represented by McCain.
Granted, most Hillary supporters I have spoken with have said that they WILL NOT vote for Obama under any circumstances, while I tell them that even though I'm an Obama supporter, that I feel it's my duty to support Hillary if she is the party's nominee.
What needs to happen is for Hillary or Obama, as the case may be, to endorse the other person who ends up with the nomination. That would cause many, yet likely not all of the other candidate's supporters, to vote for the party's nominee for president. From what I see, however, while a defeated Obama would almost certainly endorse Hillary, a defeated Hillary appears more likely to endorse McCain.
I think Obama will win in spite of the tempest we're seeing now. Obama's words and actions have been and continue to be calming and healing and sincere. With an Obama victory, we're looking at a sea change in American politics and a nice change in the weather too. posted 03/23/2008 at 13:54:51

Obama will win. The side show of equating a person with his reverend will leave most people continuing to support Obama, since the context of that minister's words is obvious and ministers are understood to often be provocative in exaggerated ways, and since the UCC and the Congregational Churches traditionally cultivate individuals' independent thinking to form responsible opinions, not top-down orthodoxy.

Clinching the victory for Obama will be the Bush Republicans' terrible economy, their repeated disrespect for the constitution, and making sure that everyone sees McCain singing "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." posted 03/23/2008 at 14:29:43