Obama’s campaign adviser is not a crook??

Blogger June 29, 2008

A Lobbyist by any other name is still a lobbyist

Obama’s campaign adviser David Axelrod, says he’s not like McCain – he’s not. He used a false grassroots organization (CORE) to intimidate the IL citizens into compliance with a huge rate hike for the electric utility, Commonwealth Edison. He defrauded the IL people with corporate money and that makes him “better” than John McCain who has hired lobbyists.

New York, however, says different and lists David Axelrod’s company ASK Strategies as a lobbyist, but IL doesn’t like to have too many disclosure laws as most people can understand. New York isn’t under the same constraint.

From Newsweek

In 2004, Cablevision hired ASK to set up a group similar to CORE to block a new stadium for the New York Jets in Manhattan. Unlike Illinois, New York disclosure laws do cover such work, and ASK’s $1.1 million fee was listed as the “largest lobbying contract” of the year in the annual report of the state’s lobbying commission. ASK last year proposed a similar “political campaign style approach” to help Illinois hospitals block a state proposal that would have forced them to provide more medical care to the indigent. One part of its plan: create a “grassroots” group of medical experts “capable of contacting policymakers to advocate for our position,” http://www.newsweek.com/id/138519

So if I have it straight, defrauding the public is a noble gesture and Axelrod’s reward was to become one of Obama’s most trusted campaign advisers. Defrauding the public who now pay upwards of 100 percent more in electric rates doesn’t require an apology to the IL citizens, because Axelrod was just doing his job.

Good show, Obama! Reminds me of the slumlord Rezko – except no one has made a stink about Axelrod.

“Neither Axelrod nor his partners at ASK ever registered as lobbyists for Commonwealth Edison—and under Illinois’s loose disclosure laws, they were not required to.”

Rezko submitted misleading letter on “pressure” from prosecutors

Monday, June 16, 2008 Chicago Sun-Times:
verbatim

In a letter to a judge publicized last week, political fund-raiser Tony Rezko said “overzealous” prosecutors pressured him to tell them “the wrong things” about presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

But that letter appears to be misleading, given that Rezko never submitted to an interview with federal prosecutors or any federal investigators, sources said.

Rezko’s lawyer, Joseph Duffy, said Rezko never sat down for an interview and was never pressured directly, or indirectly, through Duffy, to talk about Obama, Gov. Blagojevich — or anyone else. http://www.suntimes.com/news/blogentries/index.html?bbPostId=B4jhSTW4PgUEBBhg3Bli3T1tB6j1aNUS8s72BEqUVRi7WrIh&bbParentWidgetId=B8k88rWwXopuz5STgLeVwBLu

Grim proving ground for Obama’s housing policy

The candidate endorsed subsidies for private entrepreneurs to build low-income units. But, while he garnered support from developers, many projects in his former district have fallen into disrepair.

Obama is for gun control – wait he’s not

Obama’s voting record shows he supported gun legislation to “ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns.” His campaign told the press that Obama believed the DC handgun law to be constitutional last year. Asked again early in 2008, Obama agreed that he supported the DC handgun ban.

A little later, the hedging began with Obama – was he for it or against it? In April he wouldn’t give a clear answer.

When SCOTUS issued its ruling striking down the DC law, Obama said, “ I’ve always believed that the second amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms.”

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/06/29/a_silver_bullet_for_obama/?page=full

Change you can believe in…means changing your rhetoric when it benefits you.

…and Obama plays the race card

Bloggr June 27, 2008

Recent comments by Barack Obama

“They’re going to try to make you afraid of me,” the presumptive Democratic nominee said. ‘”He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?” Barack Obama

I’m not afraid of his blackness. I’m very concerned about his socialist ties. His social reform statements resemble radical friend Bill Ayer’s statements. You can find them on Bill Ayers blog.

I’m concerned about his “social reform” affiliation with the socialist party, NP and his former ties with ACORN a radical party whose activities in voter registration in the 2006 election brought federal indictments.

Another concern is his relationships with pro-Palestinian Rashid Khalidi and Ali Abunimah. Oh, and did I mention his friend Tony “The Fixer” Rezko was just convicted?

I’m concerned that he presents himself as Mr. Clean while he takes money from lobbyists’ employees and spouses. There’s a term for that – slick lawyer.

I’m concerned that his campaign strategist, David Axelrod, hoodwinked IL citizens on the Commonwealth Edison rate hikes. I’m concerned that IL citizens will vote for him anyway.

“Most New Party members hailed from the Democratic Socialists of America and the militant organization ACORN. The party’s Chicago chapter also included a large contingent from the Committees of Correspondence, a Marxist coalition of former Maoists, Trotskyists, and Communist Party USA members.”

New Party was a Marxist political coalition whose objective was to endorse and elect leftist public officials — most often Democrats. The New Party’s short-term objective was to move the Democratic Party

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupprofile.asp?grpid=7434

—-

I’m not a “typical white person” as Obama described his grandmother. I’m not a gun toting bitter person. I do hold on to my faith knowing it will serve me better than a Chicago politician, however.

I suggest that Obama plays the race card for a couple of reasons.

1. It’s a smokescreen so you won’t be too interested in his Chicago organizer days and long term radical friends, former weatherman Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Rashid Khalidi, Ali Abunimah, Jeremiah Wright, his socialist party membership and his ties to ACORN, and his special friendship with convicted Tony Rezko.

2. The white guilt trip – if you disagree with him, you’re automatically labeled a racist. Since I don’t have white guilt, I don’t buy into that nonsense.

Gun control - He was against it before he was for it. Mainstream media gave him a pass as usual.

FISA – he changed his mind.

Public Money – He wrote a letter to the FEC urging all candidates to take public money, but if he followed his own proposal, he couldn’t spend the $$$$$ donor money. Like the true politician he is, he blamed the Republicans for his reneging on his word.

Factcheck.org says he was wrong for saying Republicans knew how to gain the system. They have the stats.

No money from Lobbyists??? “Transformed lobbyist money” – he takes lots of money from spouses and employees of lobbyists. It goes through a transformation when it touches the wallet or checkbook of a spouse or employee of the lobbyist and becomes “clean” non-lobbyist money.

ACORN radical group

John Edwards didn’t have to push Obama to ACORN –when he spoke at their convention recently. Obama did some legal work for them early in his career. John Edwards, says that “It is a moral outrage that kids go to bed hungry. We can end the shame of 37 million people living in poverty.”

It’s true, children shouldn’t have to go to bed hungry, but ACORN voter fraud is not the way to bring the “righteous” change Obama claims he is all about.

Maybe Obama could stop supporting ethanol or buy it from a country that already produces it instead of promoting use of US corn crops while children go hungry and the UN says we’re facing a global food shortage.

Who is ACORN?
from Discoverthenetworks.org

Who is ACORN? (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)

Quoted from http://TheAmericanThinker.com

• Largest radical group in America, with 175,000 dues-paying member families, and more than 850 chapters in 70 US cities
  
  
• Implicated in numerous reports of fraudulent voter registration, vote-rigging, voter intimidation, and vote-for-pay scams during the 2004 election
  
  
• Maintains close ties to organized labor

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is a grassroots political organization that grew out of George Wiley’s National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), whose members in the late 1960s and early 70s invaded welfare offices across the U.S. — often violently — bullying social workers and loudly demanding every penny to which the law “entitled” them. In the late 1960s, ACORN founder Wade Rathke was a NWRO organizer and a protegé of Wiley. Rathke also organized draft resistance for the militant group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) during the same period.

In 1970, Rathke formed a new organization called Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The name was later changed to Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, but the acronym ACORN remained. Instead of focusing only on welfare recipients, ACORN’s mandate included all issues touching low-income and working-class people.

Today ACORN claims 175,000 dues-paying member families, and more than 850 chapters in 70 U.S. cities in 38 states. (The organization is also active in Canada and Mexico). It owns two radio stations, a housing corporation, and a law office, and maintains affiliate relationships with a host of trade-union locals. ACORN also runs schools where children are trained in class consciousness; a network of “boot camps” for training street activists; and operations that extort contributions from banks and other businesses under threat of racial violence and trumped-up civil rights charges.

Read all of the post –there is much more to know about ACORN.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6968

[more]

Acorn involved in election fraud

Updated 03/09/2007 ET

One of Big Labor’s chief allies in promoting last November’s several state ballot initiatives to hike minimum wage rates was the far-left activist group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The group claims that it “helped more … than 540,000 low-income and minority people register to vote in 2006.” The minimum-wage initiatives were part of an ACORN strategy to bring out the Democrats’ base by rallying support around the issue.

But some ACORN activists may have committed election fraud. In Missouri, ACORN and its union allies credit the minimum-wage issue with helping put Democrat Claire McCaskill over the top in her challenge to Republican incumbent Sen. Jim Talent. ACORN’s actions have raised eyebrows—and produced federal indictments.

[more]

On November 2, a federal grand jury in Kansas City indicted four ACORN employees for “knowingly and willingly” submitting false information to election authorities. The four allegedly submitted 15,000 fraudulent voter registration forms—including ones with fake names, signatures or addresses. The charge has maximum penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

ACORN workers have been convicted of election-related offenses in Wisconsin and Colorado, and investigations have been launched in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

JWR Insight
Jewish World Review July 30, 2007 / 15 Menachem-Av, 5767

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/fund073007.php3

But the most interesting news came out of Seattle, where on Thursday local prosecutors indicted seven workers for Acorn, a union-backed activist group that last year registered more than 540,000 low-income and minority voters nationwide and deployed more than 4,000 get-out-the-vote workers. The Acorn defendants stand accused of submitting phony forms in what Secretary of State Sam Reed says is the “worst case of voter-registration fraud in the history” of the state.

The list of “voters” registered in Washington state included former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, New York Times columnists Frank Rich and Tom Friedman, actress Katie Holmes and nonexistent people with nonsensical names such as Stormi Bays and Fruto Boy. The addresses used for the fake names were local homeless shelters. Given that the state doesn’t require the showing of any identification before voting, it is entirely possible people could have illegally voted using those names.

ACORN website says

ACORN helped more than 1.68 million citizens to register to vote in voter registration drives leading up to the 2004 and 2006 elections.

For the 2008 election, ACORN intends to help 1.2 million people register to vote in 26 states across the country. We have already reached 435,000 registrations in 2007 and 2008 in what will be the largest, non-partisan voter registration effort in U.S. history.

Who will challenge these voters? Will the Dems cry voter fraud if McCain wins? If they do, I suggest ACORN be investigated based on their past history. That might be dangerous for the Dems though.

The seal of Obama

Bloggr pecanpii June 23, 2008

Obama pulls the seal - Dems are saying it was made only for one occasion but the gossip says that some Dems didn’t like it and lots of conservatives didn’t like it!

The Latin words on the seal –roughly translated mean yes we can.

I get these emails from Vote Note, telling me how my congress representatives voted. I see a lot of not voting records for Obama.

Recent Senate Votes

Cloture Motion; Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 – Vote Rejected (52-44, 4 Not Voting) The Senate again failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to proceed to debate on this bill that extends a series of tax provisions. Sen. Richard Durbin voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Barack Obama voted Not Voting……send e-mail or see bio Overriding the Veto of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 – Vote Passed (80-14, 6 Not Voting) The Senate again voted to override the President’s veto of the farm bill, as a second veto was necessary because of a print error in the first version of the bill sent to the President. Sen. Richard Durbin voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Barack Obama voted Not Voting……send e-mail or see bio

NYT columnist says Bush got it right
David Brooks, New York Times

It’s true, the war in Iraq is winding down, and Bush went against congress and his generals to support the surge –John McCain’s idea by the way. If we had left Iraq when congress wanted us to, the world might be less safe today. The terrorists who’ve largely abandoned the fight in Iraq will show up somewhere else. A tape believed to be from Osama bin Ladin says Palestine is his priority.

“During that period in 2006 and 2007, Bush stiffed the brass and sided with a band of dissidents: military officers like David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno, senators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and outside strategists like Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and Jack Keane, a retired general.”

Barack Obama called for a U.S. withdrawal starting in the spring of 2007, while Senator Reid offered legislation calling for a complete U.S. pullback by March 2008.

If war breaks out around Israel with Hamas, Hezbollah and alQaeda, I don’t think we can count on more than lip service from Obama despite the fact that he promised Jews at the AIPAC meeting that he would protect Israel.

People who believe the United States can take an isolationist stance should understand that Iran is building a presence in the Middle East – buying influence with social programs such as clinics for Lebanon. Hezbollah have gained seats in the parliament and are in Syria.

Obama shows gross disrespect for David Petraeus by not meeting with him. In fact, he seems to be very cavalier about the men whose lives are on the line for our country. Truthfully, I cannot imagine Obama as commander-in-chief.

Fact checking the obamessiah

Blogger pecanpii June 22, 2008

From Factcheck.org June 20, 008

Obama’s Lame Claim About McCain’s Money

June 20, 2008

Obama says McCain is “fueled” by money from lobbyists and PACs, but those sources account for less than 1.7 percent of McCain’s money.

Summary

Obama announced he would become the first presidential candidate since 1972 to rely totally on private donations for his general election campaign, opting out of the system of public financing and spending limits that was put in place after the Watergate scandal.

One reason, he said, is that “John McCain’s campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.”

We find that to be a large exaggeration and a lame excuse. In fact, donations from PACs and lobbyists make up less than 1.7 percent of McCain’s total receipts, and they account for only about 1.1 percent of the RNC’s receipts.

Note: This is a summary only. The full article with analysis, images and citations may be viewed on our Web site: Factcheck.org

Obama Polishes His Resume

June 20, 2008

His first ad of the post-primary season puffs up his legislative accomplishments.

Summary

Obama has released his first post-primary ad, a 60-second spot that’s airing in 18 battleground states. In effect, “Country I Love” is Obama’s first ad of the general election campaign, and as such it invites scrutiny. (FactCheck will address McCain’s first general election ads in a separate article.) We don’t find this ad egregiously misleading, but it paints a picture of Obama’s accomplishments that could leave viewers with a misimpression or two.

His description of his upbringing and work history are accurate. He describes the “strong values” he says he learned from his mother and her parents. But when Obama discusses his legislative accomplishments, he leaves out some important context.

The ad talks about laws that Obama “passed,” but in fact, he sponsored only one of the three bills mentioned and cosponsored another. The third included provisions from some bills he’d sponsored earlier, but his name wasn’t attached to the one that passed. And two of the three laws were accomplishments of the Illinois Legislature, not the U.S. Senate. Factcheck.org

SHOW ME THE MONEY???

Clinton’s money donors of interest to Obama now

This is the man who said Republicans know how to game the system. He has his eye on Clinton’s money donors now in an effort to feed his Internet cash cow. With Clinton’s money donors on one side and George Soros and David Brock on the other side – looks like a win-win for Obama. (And you thought it was the Republicans gaming the system)

The established Democrats and the DNC turned their backs on Hillary Clinton in March. If she’s playing ball with Obama, you can believe there’s something in it for her! It’s true- politics really do make strange bedfellows.

OBAMA’s campaign ad – but he didn’t vote for Public Law 110-181

In the ad he says, “That’s why I…extended health care for wounded troops who had been neglected.” To back that up Public Law 110-181 is cited. With a little research at Thomas.gov you find P.L. 110-181 is the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. Obama wasn’t present for that vote. Getting a bill through the Senate is a tedious process with many different votes, but Obama has to offer some evidence he actually did something to do what he takes credit for doing. His campaign forgot many eyes are watching and digging.

Taking a different angle, James Joyner has a minor problem with Obama playing the poverty
card.

Obama doesn’t vote on a lot of bills… nothing new but gives you a clue to when he’s not truth telling.

Obama say Republicans will use race to stoke fear – socialism is not a race.

Obama compares himself to Abraham Lincoln – when did Abe Lincoln become a socialist?

Obama compares himself to JFK –was JFK a socialist?

Obama’s followers call him “a messiah” - Jesus wasn’t a socialist.

The poor you will always have with you.

Which of you recall Jesus ever going to the Roman officials who occupied Israel at that time and telling them it was their job to feed the poor?

It was to his followers he shared the message of giving and compassion. He didn’t try to redistribute wealth. He gave the job to his church -those who love and follow him.

I’m not rich, so I’m not afraid of losing a piece of my almost non-existent pie, but embracing the government with a spirit of entitlement is not my philosophy.

What are those Latin word on the seal?

Is there anything about unity here?

Drill Now!! Message to Congress!

Blogger pecanpii June 21

DRILL NOW!! Showdown with Congress!

“Drill Now!”
Members of Congress were swamped by telephone calls and e-mail messages Thursday demanding, “Drill now!” in response to a Republican call for increased American oil production to fight runaway gasoline prices.

Lawmakers got little response to previous proposals intended to lower the cost of oil: alternative energy sources, a federal gasoline tax holiday, an excess profits tax on U.S. oil producers and pressure on foreign oil producers. In contrast, the demand to “drill now” (first urged this year by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich) has taken hold.

This news article is from Realclearpolitics by Robert Novak (Sun Times Chicago)

Obama’s Lobbyists
As he gives up public funding for his campaign, Sen. Barack Obama is reaching out to new sources, including Washington insiders whose influence he has vowed to end.

Obama is now using lists of contributors to Democratic congressional chairmen, primarily lobbyists of both parties. One recipient of a letter signed by Obama is a Republican lobbyist who has contributed to senior Democratic Reps. John Dingell of Michigan and Charlie Rangel of New York, not out of ideological affinity but to keep their doors open.

“Together, we change the way business is done in Washington,” said the Obama letter. “We can end the undue influence of special interests.”

Ousted Vetter
Democratic power broker James Johnson did not abruptly resign from vetting Democratic vice presidential prospects but was forced out by Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/how_to_hit_obama.html

As I said before, when you have George Soros on your side you don’t need public money. We all know how fair minded he is…and we can be sure that Obama is in his camp. Some say Soros will use Obama if elected. Obama prides himself on his intellect, so we’ll see who the user and usee becomes if Obama is elected president.

World News

It was hard to argue with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week when he declared his Islamofascist regime won in its nuclear standoff with the world’s major powers. Referring to Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S., he gloated that “the bullying” nations “have used up all their capabilities but could not break the will of the Iranian nation.”

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=298857308660152

Then Israel stepped up to the plate and responded.

Israelis ‘rehearse Iran attack’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7465170.stm

Israel has carried out an exercise that appears to have been a rehearsal for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, US officials have told the New York Times.

More than 100 Israeli fighter jets took part in manoeuvres over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece in the first week of June, US officials said.

Iran insists its programme is peaceful, but Israel sees Iran’s development of the technology as a serious threat.

Iran alleges assassination plot

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said there was a plot to kill him during a trip he took to Iraq in March, Iranian state radio reports.

Mr Ahmadinejad implied that the United States and its allies were behind the alleged plot to kidnap and kill him.

The president made the comment during a meeting with clerics in the Iranian city of Qom.

He said his country’s “enemies” had their plan foiled by last minute changes that were made to his schedule.

Obama hiding from the press?

Obama afraid of the Press?

A man running for President doesn’t project a good image when he isolates himself from the press and refuses to meet his opponent in town hall meetings. But Liberal backers can spin anything as we’ve seen in the past few days.

When Obama reneged on his own proposal of using public money for the election campaign, he blamed Republicans and a broken system – two things dispute that statement. One, the Democrats have out raised and outspent the Republicans on the campaign and the PACs are still backing Obama. Two Obama has out raised and out spent McCain by millions of dollars. Obama still takes bundled money-money from the wives, employees, and associates of lobbyists.

Most of all, Obama is aware, that David Brock and company are putting together a $40 million smear campaign against John McCain. Brock didn’t keep it a secret – and Obama has the audacity to say that the system is broken and blame that on Republicans? George Soros spent millions to defeat GW Bush –and failed. But it’s the Republicans who are to blame – I though Obama was smarter than that, but he’s counting on his loyal fans to be mindless and not see through the rhetoric.

Observations from a few people who worked with Obama portray him as arrogant and aloof. This is the man who promises to bring “change you can believe in.” Really?

He is shaping up as an isolated man who believes in one thing – himself.

This might turn out to be a good thing – the MSM has protected him from his socialist friends, socialist religious back ground and socialist political party affiliations – maybe they’ll have to dig for information and find out some things. That could be a good thing!

Who is David Brock?
http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/david-brock-to-lead-progressive-anti.html

Sunday, April 13, 2008

David Brock to Lead Progressive Anti-GOP Smear Campaign

This post is a follow-up to my earlier entry, “Obama’s Nebulous Campaign Funding Operation.”

In that essay I noted that Barack Obama’s fundraising operation – despite claims to be based in the mom-and-pop grassroots – is “merging mainstream big-money bundling operations with hardline antiwar factions who’re notorious political tools for the Democratic Party establishment.”

Well, it turns out that Progressive Media USA – the far-left 501(c)(4) organization backed by the far-left George Soros network – will be headed by David Brock, a muckracking former conservative known for his no-holds-barred ad hominem attack campaigns.

Here’s a little background on Brock:

According to Politico.com, Media Matters president David Brock is collaborating with mega-donor George Soros and longtime Democrat operative Paul Begala to launch a four-month, $40 million media campaign whose aim will be to discredit Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Brock, who will lead the campaign, last month assumed the chairmanship of an organization called Progressive Media USA, which will likely be the main vehicle for the Democratic attacks on McCain. Brock complains that because “the press is in love with John McCain,” the Republican senator “is allowed to say [things] without being challenged by facts that will show him to have said something different in the past.” “Progressive Media USA will be a permanent part of progressive media infrastructure,” adds Brock.

The NYT reports IMAGE CONTROL FOR OBAMA

Strategists for Mr. Obama, the country’s first black nominee, have made it clear that they believe they need to take extra steps to control his image and protect against attack. But such efforts at times appear to conflict with the candidate’s stated desire to be unusually transparent and open, and they have already occasionally put him at loggerheads with news organizations pushing for greater access to him now that he is the presumptive nominee.

In spirited discussions with reporters barred from Monday’s meeting with African-American civic leaders, aides said that no cameras were allowed because the participants wanted the meeting to be private, even though it was announced on the daily hotel roster of events. Later, other aides said the lighting was not properly set up for television quality.

Obama has his work cut out for him if he intends to bring hope, unity and change – as you recall Jim (Countrywide) Johnson was on his team to vet the Veeps.

So far, all we’ve seen are people being thrown under the bus as a way to unity. Forget about the unity and bipartisan thing – he’s going into hiding so he can bring “Change” to the Democrats. If his change affected them only, I wouldn’t mind him being President, but it will affect all the people who want freedom over entitlement and handouts.

Congress and the Countrywide Scandal – WSJ

By DICK ARMEY
June 18, 2008;

Countrywide Financial Corp.’s “friends of Angelo” program provided sweetheart loans to key banking players in Washington, D.C. They included former Fannie Mae chief executive Jim Johnson, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.).

The growing scandal surrounding the “friends of Angelo” loans (so-called by company employees, referring to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo) should serve as a political wake-up call. Yet the Senate appears intent on pushing forward legislation, co-authored by Sen. Dodd, that would bail out the worst actors in the subprime mortgage banking industry.

Campaigning in Lancaster, Pa., on March 31, Sen. Barack Obama blamed Countrywide’s CEO for “infecting the economy and helping to create a home foreclosure crisis.” Yet Rep. Barney Frank (D., Mass.) and Mr. Dodd have crafted a bill to provide $300 billion in new taxpayer loan guarantees to Countrywide and others. The bill will allow troubled financial institutions to foist the riskiest mortgages in their portfolios onto the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) — ultimately putting the American taxpayer on the hook for their bad bets.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375337067183049.html?mod=fpa_mostpop

The Obama way of dealing with terrorists

Obama advocated an approach to combating terrorism that is supposedly more attuned to legal issues than the Bush administration’s:

It is my firm belief that we can track terrorists, we can crack down on threats against the United States. But we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution. Let’s take the example of Guantanamo. What we know is that in previous terrorist attacks, for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated.

Andrew McCarthy (the lead prosecutor of the perpetrators of the 1993 WTC attack) comments:

This is a remarkably ignorant account of the American experience with jihadism. In point of fact, while the government managed to prosecute many people responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing, many also escaped prosecution because of the limits on civilian criminal prosecution. Some who contributed to the attack, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, continued to operate freely because they were beyond the system’s capacity to apprehend. Abdul Rahman Yasin was released prematurely because there was not sufficient evidence to hold him — he fled to Iraq, where he was harbored for a decade (and has never been apprehended).

_______________________________________________________________________________

Changes you can hardly believe

Obama has his work cut out for him if he is serious about changing the way Washington does business – as you recall Jim Johnson was on his team to vet the Veeps. So far, all most of us have seen are people being thrown under the bus as a way to unity.

GOP don’t look for unity from Obama – he says he’s bringing a gun to the fight.

Congress and the Countrywide Scandal – WSJ

By DICK ARMEY

June 18, 2008;

Countrywide Financial Corp.’s “friends of Angelo” program provided sweetheart loans to key banking players in Washington, D.C. They included former Fannie Mae chief executive Jim Johnson, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.).

The growing scandal surrounding the “friends of Angelo” loans (so-called by company employees, referring to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo) should serve as a political wake-up call. Yet the Senate appears intent on pushing forward legislation, co-authored by Sen. Dodd, that would bail out the worst actors in the subprime mortgage banking industry.

Campaigning in Lancaster, Pa., on March 31, Sen. Barack Obama blamed Countrywide’s CEO for “infecting the economy and helping to create a home foreclosure crisis.” Yet Rep. Barney Frank (D., Mass.) and Mr. Dodd have crafted a bill to provide $300 billion in new taxpayer loan guarantees to Countrywide and others. The bill will allow troubled financial institutions to foist the riskiest mortgages in their portfolios onto the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) — ultimately putting the American taxpayer on the hook for their bad bets.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375337067183049.html?mod=fpa_mostpop

The Obama way of dealing with terrorists

It is my firm belief that we can track terrorists, we can crack down on threats against the United States. But we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution. Let’s take the example of Guantanamo. What we know is that in previous terrorist attacks, for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated.

Andrew McCarthy (the lead prosecutor of the perpetrators of the 1993 WTC attack) comments:

This is a remarkably ignorant account of the American experience with jihadism. In point of fact, while the government managed to prosecute many people responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing, many also escaped prosecution because of the limits on civilian criminal prosecution. Some who contributed to the attack, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, continued to operate freely because they were beyond the system’s capacity to apprehend. Abdul Rahman Yasin was released prematurely because there was not sufficient evidence to hold him — he fled to Iraq, where he was harbored for a decade (and has never been apprehended). from http://powerlineblog.com

Dear Congress – Time to drill for oil

Pelosi Premium got you down?? Here in IL gasoline is very close to $5 per gallon, utilities are up over 100 percent – food prices are climbing at a steady pace – and Congress thinks the answer is to sue OPEC. Everyone complains about GW Bush’s approval rating. Did you know that Congress’ rating is lower and has been lower than Bush’s rating for a long time now? I’ve been watching since January.

President Bush Job Approval
29.8 Approval
65.8 Disapproval

Congressional Job Approval
17.0 Approval
74.0 Disapproval

Nancy Pelosi in 2006 : “With skyrocketing gas prices, it is clear that the American people can no longer afford the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress.” She followed that with a commitment, “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging.”

Muslim women rejected by Obama campaign

http://news.aol.com/elections/story/_a/muslim-women-rejected-at-obama-rally/20080618155909990001?icid=200100125×1204369139x1200183577

Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see the Democratic presidential hopeful on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign volunteers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the volunteers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren’t included in the invitation and couldn’t sit behind the podium.

Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, said a member of her group was told by a volunteer that she could not invite Aref because of “a sensitive political climate.”

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement saying such actions are “not the policy of the campaign.”

Won’t Martyr Osama Bin Ladin – Obama

Sen. Barack Obama indicated today that he did not think that Osama bin Laden should be executed if the terrorist leader were captured during an Obama Administration. Asked about how he would handle bin Laden if he was president at a news conference after Obama met with his national security working group, Obama said that he would deal with him, “in a way that allows the entire world to understand the murderous acts that he’s engaged in and not to make him into a martyr.” Presumably that would rule out the death penalty.

NAFTA IS ON AGAIN – Obama

Obama and his interview in Fortune Magazine.

“Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified,” he conceded, after I reminded him that he had called NAFTA “devastating” and “a big mistake,” despite nonpartisan studies concluding that the trade zone has had a mild, positive effect on the U.S. economy.

Does that mean his rhetoric was overheated and amplified? “Politicians are always guilty of that, and I don’t exempt myself,” he answered.”

I guess it’s up to the voter to determine how much of his talk about change is rhetoric and how much is not. Hey – it’s Change!

Obama’s interview with Fortune magazine — headlined “Obama: NAFTA Not So Bad After All” – is the best news the McCain camp has received since Mike Huckabee folded his run for the Republican nomination.

Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election

Another change you can believe in! He blames it on the GOP

Obama wrote: “In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.”

McCain campaign communications director Jill Hazelbaker emails: “Today, Barack Obama has revealed himself to be just another typical politician who will do and say whatever is most expedient for Barack Obama. The true test of a candidate for President is whether he will stand on principle and keep his word to the American people.

Obama did not pursue this with the McCain campaign as he says – he started changing his tone very early in the campaign – McCain even called him out on his letter back in March. When Obama found he could raise tons of money on the Internet is when his “change of mind” took place. It’s more of that heated rhetoric to try to make the Liberal messiah look good.

Some of us may remember that Obama wrote that letter in 2007 –urging other candidates to sign an agreement to take public money. He mad a big deal of it – but guess what? It was only rhetoric! George Soros must be smiling as he tries to find ways to defeat John McCain. One wonders why George Soros sinks so much money into defeating Republican Candidates? He only spent about 10 to 20 million to defeat Bush – any guess how much he’ll spend to defeat McCain?? Maybe 40 million?

Dick Morris on Drilling for Oil

“Suddenly, everything is on the table. Offshore drilling, Alaska drilling, nuclear power, wind, solar, flex-fuel cars,
plug-in cars are all increasingly attractive options and John McCain seems alive to the need to go there while Obama
is strangely passive. During the Democratic primary, he opposed a gas tax holiday and continues to be against offshore
 and Alaska drilling and squishy on nuclear power. That leaves turning down your thermostat and walking to work as
the Democratic policies.”

Even Chuck Norris has his say

CONGRESS GET OFF YOUR GAS AND START DRILLING!

“As oil and gas prices skyrocket, Congress continues to play the blame game. In April 2006, with the Democrats poised to take over Congress with Nancy Pelosi at the helm, she released a statement saying, “With skyrocketing gas prices, it is clear that the American people can no longer afford the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress.” She followed that with a commitment, “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging.” Chuck Norris on IBD

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1502&status=article&id=298674736712247

Editorial by pecanpii

With gas prices very near the $5 dollar mark here in my home state of IL – I heartily agree with Chuck Norris, although I don’t go to celebrities for my political analysis.

We should remember that the Democrat Congress is responsible for the Pelosi Premium that may go above $5 a gallon. Maxine Waters (Dem, CA) solution is to nationalize the Oil Industry – but given Congress’ approval record – I’d say that would be a wrong turn.

When the democrats took over congress in 2006 – Pelosi promised “CHANGE” - sound familiar? CHANGE came – Gasoline cost about $2.50 a gallon when the Democrats took office!

When Russia fell – it was because she was forced to her economic knees. With the Democrats in congress pushing their social agenda – it’s looking pretty shaky for the USA to survive an economic menu of more spending, $846 dollars of foreign aid to combat global poverty. Most of us understand that bureaucrats have a way of siphoning off the $$ in aid, but if we built industries there – there would be less poverty – teaching them to fish instead of supplying the proverbial fish –and some return on our investment.

If we continue down the socialist path we’ve treading now, we’ll be the poor country without sympathy or help from the UN who is charged with ending global poverty.

If we continue funding ethanol for gasoline – we’ll be going without adequate food and spending most of our income on energy particularly electricity, heating, and gasoline – we’ll be brought to our economic knees.

Obama would be a Carter second term

In a recent statement Obama said the press has given John McCain a pass – that is laughable and ludicrous. David Brock and co, which rumor says includes George Soros – is spending $40 million dollars on a smear campaign against McCain. They didn’t try to hide it – the announcement was loud and clear.

So far the mainstream media refuses to report on the REAL background of Barack Obama.

Obama’s long term leftist and Marxist friends (20 years or about) the late Edward Said, Ali Abunimah, Bill Ayers, Rashid Khalidi, Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger and the infamous Tony Rezko. Rezko was recently convicted of 16 of 24 counts of fraud.

Religious affiliation : 20 years with a church advocating social change – with James H. Cone philosophy of black theology rooted in Marxism.

Political Party – Socialist party NP (New Party) – they didn’t recruit him, he had to be “approved” to get into the party.

Socialism is old stuff – its not change I can believe in! Just take a look at the G8 countries who’ve exchanged their religion and guns for the government and you’ll see their level of inflation and happiness quotient. (Yes I borrowed the thought from Mark Steyn)

Here’s a thought from Michelle Obama speaking on behalf of her husband on the campaign trail: “Some will have to give up a piece of their pie, so others will have more.”

Pecanpii, June 19, 2008

Who’s under the bus now

Obama doesn’t need you Ohio and Florida – he might be counting on those extra states to help him win – you know those 57 states he spoke of a few weeks ago???

18 of June

It seems Obama can’t help but spin the conversation to support his own views, but the Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari calls him on it.

Obama and Iraqi Foreign Minister Have Different Memories of their Conversation -Jake Tapper, ABC News June 18, 2008 8:09 AM-

On Monday, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, talked on the phone with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari.

At a press availability in Michigan, I asked Obama if Zebari had expressed any concern to him that his plans to withdrawal U.S. troops as president would undo any security advances.

“No, he did not express that,” Obama said. “He did emphasize his belief that we’ve made real progress and I think was eager to see political accommodations between the factions follow up in the wake of this progress.

But today comes this report that Zebari told the Washington Post “that he had some frank talk for the candidate: ‘The foreign minister said ‘my message’ to Mr. Obama ‘was very clear…Really, we are making progress. I hope any actions you will take will not endanger this progress.’”

From the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702034.html

Mr. Zebari, who has served as foreign minister in every Iraqi government since 2003, finds Mr. Obama’s proposal worrying. In a meeting with Post editors and reporters Tuesday, he said that after all the pain and sacrifices of the past five years, “we are just turning the corner in Iraq.” A precipitous withdrawal, he said, “would create a huge vacuum and undo all the gains and achievements. And the others” — enemies of the United States — “would celebrate.”

Florida and Ohio get thrown under the bus!!

Obama must know something we don’t know – so far he doesn’t need W. VA, Ohio, or Florida to win the presidency -could it be those extra states (57 states as he told Oregon) that will put him over the top?

Obama camp sees possible win without Ohio, Fla.
By NEDRA PICKLER and PHILIP ELLIOTT – 2 days ago AP

FLINT, Mich. (AP) – Barack Obama’s campaign envisions a path to the presidency that could include Virginia, Georgia and several Rocky Mountain states, but not necessarily the pair of battlegrounds that decided the last two elections – Florida and Ohio.

Blogr pecanpii June 17, 2008

Barack Obama aide: Why Winnie the Pooh should shape US foreign policy

By Tim Shipman in Washington Last Updated: 2:04AM BST 17/06/2008

Winnie the Pooh, Luke Skywalker and British football hooligans could shape the foreign policy of Barack Obama if he becomes US President, according to a key adviser.

The UK Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2139573/Barack-Obama-aide-Why-Winnie-the-Pooh-should-shape-US-foreign-policy.html

Richard Danzig, who served as Navy Secretary under President Clinton and is tipped to become National Security Adviser in an Obama White House, told a major foreign policy conference in Washington that the future of US strategy in the war on terrorism should follow a lesson from the pages of Winnie the Pooh, which can be shortened to: if it is causing you too much pain, try something else.

Pecanpii: This sounds like the right man for Obama! Fantasy land!

….but wait there’s more:

Mr Danzig told the Centre for New American Security: “Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security.”

He spelt out how American troops, spies and anti-terrorist officials could learn key lessons by understanding the desire of terrorists to emulate superheroes like Luke Skywalker, and the lust for violence of violent football fans.

*******

When Will Barack Obama Match His Rhetoric To His Record?

OBAMA’S CONTRADICTORY POSITION ON ENERGY

Obama Criticizes The Energy Policy That He Voted For:

Last Night, Obama Criticized How Special Interests Drive Energy Policy.

Obama: “When Bush assigned Cheney to create energy policy, he met with the environmental groups once, the renewable energy groups once, he met with the oil and gas companies 40 times. Washington has become so dominated by the powerful, by the well-connected, that the voices of the American people are no longer heard.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Detroit, MI, 6/16/08)

But wait —Obama voted for the bill. He votes so seldom, it shouldn’t be too difficult to remember..

Obama “Changing” position on Free Trade?

Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, Obama pandered in the Democratic Party primaries to labor unions and others in the party base who blame low-wage foreign countries for stealing American jobs. He vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and he whined about China’s currency. On Monday in Michigan, he tried to have it both ways.

In a Flint speech, he did not vow to ram changes in NAFTA down the throats of our Canadian and Mexican neighbors. …

“I believe in free trade. It can save money for our consumers, generate business for U.S. exporters and expand global wealth,” Obama said in Flint Monday morning.