Hillary plays Fear and Gender Cards

In Hillary Clinton’s latest smear ad called “children” she uses the Republican fear technique of showing sleeping children while the phone rings at 3am. The ad implies something is happening in the world, with the message: who do you want answering the phone to keep your children safe. The ad of course shows a Mother coming into the children’s room and then Hillary answering the phone. This commercial is clearly playing the fear card and the gender card overtly, implying that Obama is not prepared to take care of your Children.

As usual Barack Obama answered this attack with calm and wisdom by pointing out Hillary already had a “red phone moment” when she voted for the war.

This tactic will fail as miserably as every other attack ad she has run. Everyone knows she is a woman and frankly having a woman as a viable candidate for President is absolutely wonderful. It is about time. But, I didn’t vote for Jesse Jackson for President even though it was terrific to finally have a black candidate. He wasn’t the right person for the job. Despite the fact she is a woman, Hillary isn’t the right person either.

Hillary reminds me of the kid in school that always was accusing everyone else of being a liar when in fact they were the one that told untruths all the time. Hillary keeps accusing Obama of attacking her when the reality it is Hillary that runs the smear campaigns. No one with a brain is falling for this desperate nonsense

Clinton Campaign to Sue Texas?

According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Guy Cecil Clinton’s Political Director, in a phone call with the Texas Democratic party, forcibly raised the possibility of a Courtroom battle over the delegate selection process in Texas. This along with the Clinton campaign’s attempt to change the rules concerning Michigan and Florida after the fact reminds me of losers in sporting events blaming the referees.

This is another sad attempt by a desperate campaign to blame everyone else but themselves for their continuing losses. The fact is the voters are choosing Barack Obama, not because the rules are against you, not because the media is against you, and certainly not because any one is being fooled.

Its time for the Clintonites to stop whining and accept the facts. You’re losing this election period. Time to suck it up and keep padding those resumes for next time.

Beware the smear machine

I learned this lesson the hard way in my first real involvement in a campaign as leader in Students for Carter Mondale in 1980. As I knocked on doors I would be continually amazed at the false and untrue facts people believed about President Carter. I thought that significant numbers of people could not be fooled so easily. I was wrong. I watched in shock as perhaps the most moral and yes Christian President our country has had in my lifetime was forced out of office by the Christian right and specifically the moral majority.

Then I have watched what is going on this week. Obama is about the win the nomination next Tuesday. So the smear mongers both from the Clinton camp and the Republican camp are out in full force. The Clintonites know this Tuesday it will be over without a miracle. The Republicans want two things, to run against Hillary and to keep this fight on the democratic side going as long as possible.

This time I will not make the mistake and assume brains will over rule outrageous smears, so I will address some now.

His full name is Barack Hussein Obama. Yes that is his middle name. People throwing that out are purposely trying to provoke fear among the ignorant. It was Barack’s Grandfathers name, a very common name in Kenya and on the African continent. The ignorance people have about ethnic names is why so many American’s today do not have the original name of their heritage, because their ancestors “Americanized” the name to avoid discrimination. Can you imagine a Lebanese man named Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob ever being a star in the 50’s and 60’s or even today? Of course not that’s why he changed his name to first Amos Jacobs and later Danny Thomas. Hasn’t our country grown beyond having to “americanize” names?

Oh my a picture of Obama in a turban. The Clinton staffer that sent this to Drudge wasn’t trying so show Obama’s foreign policy experience. It was an attempt to strike fear. It was the dress of a tribal leader, it was an honor for Obama to be invited to wear it. It showed that they see him as a leader.

Is Obama a seceret Muslim who attended a madrasah? Totally and utterly false. He lived in indonesia for a few years as a child. He went to public school. A school with children of all faiths. The majority of indonesians practice Islam as their faith thus many of the students were indeed muslim. The suburb of Bexley Ohio has a fairly significant jewish population, does that make students in the Bexley city schools jewish? Before I leave this point, the real question on this smear is: why does it matter!. We have had Presidents of all kinds of different religions. Has it ever really been a significant factor on how they did their job.

Regardless, the fact is Barack Obama is a very open practicing and devout christian. He has not only showed up for services once a week like most, he has given his life to helping the poor and being his brothers keeper. His entire career before elected office was working with church leaders to help the community.

He has ties to Lewis Farrakhan? Obama is a leader in Chicago, Farrakhan also is in Chicago, that’s about the only thing in common they have and there is no other tie between these two men period. Then Obama’s pastor is brought up. Let me ask anyone who has ever attended a church or synagogue regularly. Did you never disagree with a position your pastor or rabbi took on an issue? I personally can remember walking out of mass a couple times I was so incensed at what a priest was saying from the pulpit. Obama has made it very clear he does not agree with his former pastor on Farrakhan.

Obama is not patriotic? The definition of the word is “feeling, expressing, or inspired by love for his country.” Barack Obama has given his entire adult life to working to make his country better. His entire legislative career was about working hard to improve things for the citizens of his country. Did the patriots stand around waving flags or did they take on the British? Did Abraham Lincoln just wave his flag at the confederacy or did he take them on and per serve the union and in the process end slavery.

Wearing a flag pin is not patriotism. Lying to the country into war is not patriotism. Not supporting our troops with the medical care and needs they have upon their return is not patriotism. What is patriotism is doing something to make things better and that is what Barack Obama has done his entire life.

Oh the by way, the picture was during the national anthem NOT the pledge of allegiance, do you always put your hand on your heart and make sure you placed not a few inches too high or to left or right every time you put your hand up there?
I saw a United States Congressman on MSNBC actually trying to make this charge, though he forgot to put on his flag pin before going to the studio. Traitor!

Today’s smear that Obama contacted Canada to warn them he was going to speak against NAFTA but to have no worries he doesn’t mean it. I cannot believe Canadian broadcasting even gave this a second look. Hey folks he is a graduate of Harvard Law, he is not stupid. I knew at the first hint of this story it was crap, but oh there it was all over the blogs. Of course not only has the Obama campaign come out stating the falseness of this story but so has the government of Canada.

The final smear. Obama is too young and inexperienced. Wrong again. He is 47, two years older then Bill Clinton when he took office and 4 years older then John F. Kennedy. He has 11 years of experience as an elected legislator and 20 years of experience not only working for but gaining improvements in jobs, health care, and wages. Bill Clinton was in national office for a total of zero years before becoming President. But the Clintonites want you to forget that.

These are the big smears I have heard as of late. There are probably more I haven’t heard and there will be many more before November. Do not let these go unanswered where you hear them, whether its at the local pub, the office, barber shop, beauty shop or even among your friends and family. Nothing is too silly or too stupid to be believed by some, so we must continue to repeat the truth whenever we can.

Zanesville Mayor Zwelling Welcomes Michelle Obama

Today in Zanesville, Ohio the Mayor Howard "Butch" Zwelling was at the Zanesville Day Nursery to Welcome Michele Obama. The Mayor was also at Hillary Clintons invitation only "Economic Summit" yesterday after being receiving a call at 11pm inviting him the night before.

Michele held a round-table with a few women at the Nursery today as 50 or so supporters looked on. She spoke about the issues facing mothers in Ohio. Issues such as childcare, college affordability and health care were discussed.

Though the visit was only approximatly an hour those in attendence expressed their pleasure and excitement in meeting her.

Are your phones being tapped?

Bush again this morning pushed for the House of Representatives to pass his unconstitutional FISA bill. He wants us to believe that the terrorists are going to get us because they have to get warrants to wire tap Americans as the Supreme court has upheld many times.

In addition he wants to prevent citizens the due process of law to be able to file law suits should they be a victim of unreasonable invasions of their privacy. Giving the telecom companies more rights than any other citizen or corporation has.

He has used fear mongering to pass this bill along with his cronies that run the television ads. The fact is they can within the law that still exists, the one that is actually constitutional, they can wire tap suspected terrorists they just have to obtain a warrant after the fact within a reasonable amount of time.

There is only one reason they don’t want a court to review their wiretapping. It has nothing to do with speed, or with protecting the country. It is to spy on anyone they choose.

If you believe this being some wacko conspiracy theory think again. According to the ACLU there are currently 900,000 people on the terrorist watch list. It is expected to be a million by July. I got to tell you if there are a million terrorists that need to be watched, the game is over folks. People on this watch list include men named Robert Johnson, 20 of which have been detained at the airport every time they attempt to fly. Evo Morales the President of Bolivia, Senator Ted Kennedy, Congressmen John Lewis of Georgia are other notable names that have been on this watch list.

For once the Democrats have been showing some backbone to fight Bush’s shredding of the Constitution. Call, write or email your Congressmen to support them in this effort.

Source: http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/watchlistcounter.html

Stephanie Miller Coming to Columbus

I'll be there to support Progressive Radio on Saturday Night, hope to meet many of you there.




WVKO 1580 AM Democratic “Party”
Join us for a Democratic “Party” with
Stephanie Miller as we welcome Progressive Talk Radio back to the Central Ohio airwaves!

Her fresh and funny show is on dozens of radio stations across the country, including in Los Angeles where she is now the #2 rated talk program in her time period. The Stephanie Miller Show is on the air in Miami, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. and now Columbus, Ohio!

March 1, 2008
The Emerald Room at the Makoy Center in Hilliard
5:00 – 10:00 PM.
Tickets - $25 Individual
$40 Couple
Get tickets online at www.wvko1580.com through 2/29/08,
and picked up at will-call.
Tickets also for sale at the door for $30.
Complimentary pizza, cash bar, raffle, WVKO promotional items and more!

This event will feature a “pizza challenge” with local pizzerias competing for the best pizza as determined by the event attendees! Come and enjoy a fun time with like-minded individuals as we enjoy Stephanie’s comic spin on the world of U.s. politics. Let’s discuss the Progressive Movement and its importance this election year. Pass the word to your Progressive Friends. A good time will be had by all!

For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.wvko1580.com

Obama in Columbus: “I’ve got news for John McCain"

I attended the Obama Rally at St. John Arena in Columbus this morning. Despite the cold, the morning time and distant parking an enthusiastic crowd of 6-7000 were in attendance.

After Miss Ohio 2007 sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, The crowd was warmed up with a speech by State Treasurer Richard Cordray and music by the Pickerington Central Marching Band. The crowd waited patiently a good hour past the scheduled time of 10am for Obama to arrive. In typical Ohio State Fashion cheers of OH-IO were frequent as well as the wave moving around the arena a number of times to kill the time.

Then to the podium to the delight of the Columbus faithful,came Hiesman Trophy Winner Eddie George who shared a story of struggles as a football player and his mother telling him, “Yes you can.” Then tied it to our country after 7 years of frustration wanting change and saying under the leadership of Barack Obama, “Yes we Can.”

Then Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman welcomed all to the city and did the introduction of the “next President of the United States, Barack Obama.” Barack arrived in the arena to a deafening roar of cheers comparable to any Ohio State athletic event. Knowing Columbus well his first words at the podium were, “O..H” which of course got the enthusiastic response “I..O”

Much of his speech was similar to past events, talking about the end of the Bush era, health care, the economy, and the war in Iraq. Throughout the approximate 45 minute long speech he only mentioned Senator Clinton twice that I recall, but made numerous mentions of John McCain.

Perhaps the highlight of the speech is when Barack Obama mentioned a statement McCain made this morning, “I’m got news for Barack Obama, Al Qaeda is in Iraq.”
Barack responded with “I’ve got news for John McCain, there was no such thing as Al Queda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq.” This once again brought the crowd to their feet in a roar of approval.

The thing that stuck me most about this event was the crowd. Men, women, black, white, hispanic, old, young, $500 suits as well as sweatshirts and jeans. I saw a number of children from babies to elementary to high school age, some brought by parents wanting their child to see history in the making and some high schoolers in varsity jackets that came on their own.

The feel of the event was summed up with the words of an Ohio State Student on the way out of the building when she said, “He was even more awesome in person!”

It’s about results.

For decades this country has been deadlocked on many of the issues important to American’s, health care, the loss of manufacturing jobs, unfair tax code, low wages, unemployment, immigration just to name a few. The reality is and has been for some time that neither party is ever likely to have a significant majority in congress.

American’s are sick and tired of the partisan bickering on every single issue. The simplest confirmations and bills result in finger pointing, credit taking, fear of letting the other party look good and worse. Since the days of Reagan and Newt Gingrich our government has been more about taking credit and placing blame then on actually serving its citizens. What candidate for President has the ability to change this?

Unless you never have seen Fox News or even spoken to a Republican, you know Hillary Clinton is a polarizing force. Fair or not she is down right despised by many on the Right. They will fight and win almost every battle against her. Public opinion often will be on their side. Even if some miracle happens and she does get the nomination, polls show a very close and difficult battle for her to win the general election. In the nightmare scenario where super delegates and rule changing concerning Michigan and Florida give her the nomination over the will of the voters, the dissatisfaction among democrats and independents will be huge.

What does Hillary have to say about this in her campaign rhetoric? That she is battle tested. That she will fight. That she has been hit before and hit again and survived. So in short the same us vs. them mentality that has caused our government to get bogged down and get nothing accomplished. Just like Hillary’s first attempt at health care reform.

Then there is Barack Obama. I man who against all odds succeeded in helping those of south Chicago as a community organizer, who drew together religious leaders and elected officials and business leaders to improve things for the community. A man as a State Senator sponsored and got bills passed working with fellow democrats and republicans. Improving education, health care and the flawed death penalty system in his state. As a United States Senator he hasn’t sat around waiting for the “elders” to do something. He has been there working on legislation helping our veterans returning from Iraq, increasing the minimum wage and health care for children. He has a proven record not just of having ideas and giving speeches, but has a record of getting the job done.

There is a wave of excitement rolling over this country around Barack Obama. His support is wide spread among men, women, old, young, blacks, whites, Hispanics, academics, factory workers, teachers, and health care professionals, democrats, independents and yes republicans. He has given people hope. People who have been unengaged in the political process have been awakened. This man can and will carry a true mandate when he is elected President. He will have the popular support that will give the Congress, no matter who controls it, a clear message that Americans will have change. He will give hope to the leaders of the world that there is a new man in charge. He is a man that has the strength of not only the military but the voices of the American people behind him.

Face it; Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s positions on just about every issue are very similar. One of these candidates will have the ability to actually get results and that is Barack Obama.

It's about trust.

This country has gone through 7 years with a President that has misled, lied, used fear as a political tool, and that the vast majority of the citizens of this country and the world do not trust. This has severely damaged our standing and respect around the world, sunk our economy into a recession and has left many with a cynicism and lack of hope for the future that has rarely been seen in history.

Here in Ohio we had elected officials pleading guilty to crimes, investigations galore, millions of dollars stolen and misused. This lead to a state with a crumbling infrastructure, and economy among the worst of any state in the nation, public schools rated in the bottom 5 in the country and a higher education system that became less and less accessible to many.

Two years ago the voters of Ohio took action and they threw out the ones we could not trust. There is hope for change in Ohio because we have leaders once again we can trust.

Now comes the Presidential election and once again the issue of trust is in the forefront of many Americans minds. “Trust” is the reason I support Barack Obama.

If you take the time to research the biography and careers of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a clear difference is evident. Barack is consistent in his beliefs, his actions, his career moves, and in public life how he has voted and spoken out on every issue. His entire career has been about working to make things better for ordinary Americans. He was not only a promising Harvard Law Graduate but also lead the Harvard Law Review. He had a free ticket to the best legal jobs in the country. Yet he returned to Illinois to work as a community organizer. He worked to help people get better education and training, to get jobs, and health care. As a state senator in Illinois he worked to pass bills on all these same issues. He worked with republicans to actually get these bills made into law. As a United States Senator he continued on that same path.

Barack Obama’s policies have remained consistent. He spoke out against the Iraq war in 2002 when everyone else was jumping on the “fear of weapons of mass destruction” boat. He has spoken out against NAFTA from the beginning. His commitment to the working class has been there throughout his entire career. I cannot find a single policy he has spoken one way on one day and flip flopped, as so many others have done.

Then there is Hillary. She was for single payer health care now she is not. She supported NAFTA and said. “Everyone is in favor of fair trade and NAFTA has proven its worth.” Now that she needs Ohio she is opposed to NAFTA. She voted to authorize the war and now she is against it. She claims to have 35 years of experience in public service when the reality is other then first lady the vast majority of her career was as a corporate lawyer in the Rose Law Firm. She talks about higher minimum wage and how employers should pay a living wage, when she sat on the board of Wal-Mart.

Just look at how she has run her campaign. One day she is proud of being on the stage with Barack Obama then other days, she gives contrived speeches of false rage saying “shame on you, Barack Obama” for having mailers that show truthfully the differences in their policies. Her campaign leaks out a photograph of Obama in native clothing on a recent trip to Africa, to fan fears and help prolong outrageous racist untrue rumors. She sarcastically implies Obama’s supporters are delusional or cult like. She actually tries to make the fact that Obama is a talented and inspirational speaker a weakness on his part. Her conduct alone in the last two weeks is enough to lose any trust most Americans have for this woman.

The choice is clear. Real consistent truth and actions or contrived statements trying to remake who she is and where she stands based on the wind direction. There is one candidate who has earned our trust in this campaign and that is Barack Obama.

Obama Rally at The Ohio State University

Barack Obama will hold another "Keeping America's Promise" rally wednesday February 27th, 10 am at St. John Arena on Woody Hayes Drive. Doors will open at 8:30 am.

Seating is limited and will be on a first come first serve basis. This is the former basketball arena so should hold a significant crowd.

This rally will be the morning after the Cleveland debate and should be full of great emotion and excitment as Barack Obama turns the final corner and heads for the finish line of the democratic race.

For more information: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/columbus

Hillary draws boos during debate.

The Clinton Campaign has been hanging any desperate hope they have left on the debates for a chance for her to hit a disabling punch to slow down the momentum of the Obama campaign. Instead each and every attack and smear tactic she has used not only in the debate but over the last few weeks came right back at her.

Barack Obama addressed each and every attack in a professional, calm and effective way. Her claims of no substance were clearly met with intelligent and clear facts on each and every issue. Her constant half-truths were shown to be just that on issues like health care.

When directly asked if her claims that she would be ready to be commander in chief on day one and Obama wouldn’t she did not answer the question. Barack Obama showed that his decision making on the War as opposed to her initial support for it, showed who was indeed ready.

Then she tried to go on her ridiculous “plagiarism” accusation that Obama hit back with a strong response. Then in her desperation she countered with “Lifting whole passages from speeches is not change you can believe in its change you can Xerox.” The resulting boos from the crowd created an awkward moment in which she clearly knew she had blown it.

To end the debate she said, “No matter what happens we will be fine.” Then she went on to say her real concern was for the American people. A very nice, seemingly genuine line to close the debate, was almost as genuine as when John Edwards said it the first time in a previous debate. Who is accusing who of plagiarism?

It was clear in last night’s debate that Barack Obama is a real, substantive, ready and effective leader. Hillary is a desperate candidate trying anything to keep her ambitions to be crowned President from fading away.

Endorsement: Ohio's 7th

I live in the clearly gerrymandered republican safe 7th district. Which swings from the Miami Valley through Springfield down under Columbus to pick me up somehow on the southern edge of Reynoldsburg. For 18 years this district has indeed been safe for Dennis Hobson who thankfully is retiring at the end of this term.

It has been frustrating for democrats in this district every 2 years to find no viable democratic candidate opposing Hobson. This year I’m pleased to see a number of democrats running for the seat and even more pleased to find one with the background and beliefs of Sharen Neuhadt.

Sharen will be another fresh voice that is so much needed not only in congress but also in the Democratic Party. Sharen not being a carpetbagger grew up in the Miami valley in Dayton. She is the daughter of a Police officer and the grand daughter of a Fireman. She is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and a successful and accomplished attorney.

She has experience working with community and business leaders and will be willing and able to work not only with her fellow democrats in congress but also to cross the aisle to actually get something done.

Her positions on the war and health care and the economy are very much in line with mine.

Sharen has the experience, background and ability not only to win this district but also to serve it well in Congress.

Read more about Sharen: http://www.neuhardtforcongress.com

Obama’s “substance:” The War

As Hillary in her desperation to win at any cost begins using a “swift boat” style 527 advertising campaign to trash Obama for being an eloquent speaker, I continue with my 3rd in a series of issues articles that show that Hillary’s whining about speeches and no substance is another of her falsifications.

Both Candidates now say they want to end the war. Obama’s plan is very detailed and laid out on his web site on exactly how many troops will be brought out of Iraq and when. Hillary’s says, will have a meeting about it. Which who knows perhaps after the meeting she will change her mind on the war again.

Barack Obama has never swayed on his opposition to this war from the beginning. Obama was speaking out against this war in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 he called for a phased withdrawal, in 2006 he called for a timetable to remove our troops and in 2007he introduced legislation to have our combat troops removed by March 2008.

Where was Hillary? She is partly responsible for authorizing this war as she voted to do so. She stood by that until the polls showed clearly she would not get elected if she were to continue that course.

Once again the person with the “substance” is Barack Obama.

Read more about Barrack Obama’s plan for ending the war at:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/

22 More have died

While the attention has been on the primary elections 22 more American servicemen have died this month in Iraq. 22 men with families, 22 young lives lost in a war that should never have happened.

They died as the Bush, McCain and the republicans talk about how much success we are having in Iraq. They were killed as the republicans justify a war by rewriting history. They continue to chant their mantras about stopping terrorism and protecting America, that we must defeat Al Qaeda. When Iraq never attacked us, Al Qaeda did not exist in Iraq until we started this war.

What is worse is that 22 more families weep while citizens and congress have given a President a pass for lying us into this war, perhaps the worst crime any President could do as commander in chief.

Then follows John McCain who spouts the same exact rhetoric perpetuating the lies and the fear mongering. Demanding some “victory” that no one can define. Saying we may need to have a presence in Iraq a 100 years.

John McCain says the length of time we remain in Iraq is not important. I assure you Senator it is important to the families of the 22 men killed this month and to the hundreds what will die because of men like you prolonging this disaster.

To all the candidates be it known that though other issues seem to get most of the attention these days to these 22 families it is the war that is THE issue.

The voters are speaking loud and clear

Last night after a 17 % margin of victory in Wisconsin a landslide win in Hawaii, Barack Obama has won 10 states in a row, 22 total. Hillary has won only 11 and not a single one since Super Tuesday. Not only is Obama winning he is winning by huge numbers and in every demographic group under 60.

It is clear who the democratic voters have chosen to lead our party to victory in November. The only people who seem to be blind to that fact are the Clintons and the so-called Party leaders. It is a travesty that though the voters are speaking in a clear majority the super delegates support Hillary by a significant margin. This proves to me the party elite once again are not in touch with the voters of the party as a whole.

The message to these party elders must be that its time to listen to the rank and file, it is time to join with us or get out of the way. There is a new energy among democrats it will not be stifled by cronyism and paying back favors and back room deals. Committee members and state chair persons can and will be replaced. Elected officials can be challenged in primaries.

The voters are speaking, they will be listened to.

Obama's "Substance:" Poverty

As a supporter of John Edwards who has championed the issues of poverty not only in his campaign but also in his entire adult life, This is an issue of importance to me as it should be to all those who supported John.

So how do the candidates compare?

Looking at Hillary’s website she doesn’t even list poverty as an issue. So looking deeper I have found where in debates and speeches she cites her experience as Director of the Children’s Defense fund as proof of her commitment to fight poverty.

How surprising it is then what Marian Wright Edelman, the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund had to say about Hillary in a 2007 interview with Amy Goodman of Democracynow.com:

“Well, you know, Hillary Clinton is an old friend, but they are not friends in politics. We have to build a constituency, and you don’t—and we profoundly disagreed with the forms of the welfare reform bill, and we said so. We were for welfare reform, I am for welfare reform, but we need good jobs, we need adequate work incentives, we need minimum wage to be decent wage and livable wage, we need health care, we need transportation, we need to invest preventively in all of our children to prevent them ever having to be on welfare.
And yet, you know, many years after that, when many people are pronouncing welfare reform a great success, you know, we’ve got growing child poverty, we have more children in poverty and in extreme poverty over the last six years than we had earlier in the year. When an economy is down, and the real test of welfare reform is what happens to the poor when the economy is not booming. Well, the poor are suffering, the gap between rich and poor widening. We have what I consider one of—a growing national catastrophe of what we call the cradle-to-prison pipeline.”


Looking at Obama’s website you will find that has not only a specific issue section dedicated to Poverty he lays out a number of very specific proposals. Including:

· Spending on proven programs to help low income Americans succeed in the work force.
· Create a Green Job Corps.
· Expand the Income Tax Credit
· Improve minimum wage
· Low income tax credits
· Promote responsible fatherhood
· Create an affordable Housing trust fund
· Increase Community based investment in urban areas
· Invest in rural small business

In the area of experience Barack Obama created the Illinois earned income tax credit and sponsored legislation to make it permanent in 2003.

He also worked on several pieces of legislation to help provide affordable housing.

Which candidate has “substance” on this issue? It is clearly Barack Obama.

Sources: democracynow.com, barrackobama.com

Obama's "Substance:" Health Care

Hillary’s current desperate attack on Barack Obama is to criticize the fact he is an inspirational speaker who can articulate his visions in a way we haven’t seen in decades. She implies in these attacks that since he has such ability he therefore must have no substance behind his words. To use such logic is to discount leaders such as Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

She is counting on the fact that voters are too lazy to actually look to see that Obama has carefully detailed plans on all the issues he speaks about. Though I will have to admit due to sign up pages and donation pages his web site is sometimes hard to navigate.

Therefore I’ll provide a link below to get directly to the issue pages as well as discuss particular issues in depth right here on this blog.

Since Hillary’s favorite falsehood lately is on the huge differences between their Health Care plans, using words that Ted Kennedy calls “fear mongering on health care”, I will start there.

Both Hillary’s and Obama’s health care plans are very similar. Both use the Congressional Health Care plan as a model. Neither are single payer systems both use reducing costs in various ways as a central proposal. There are two differences in the plans that I see.

One is Hillary uses Romney’s republican assumption that people don’t have health care because they are irresponsible. Therefore her plan mandates coverage. How she would enforce this she avoids to answer but most likely would involve some form of garnishment or holding back tax refunds. The 15 million people she claims would not be covered under Obama’s plan would be adults who choose not to be covered. No one would be unable to obtain coverage under her or Obama’s plan.

Secondly she requires insurance premiums to be based on income. So that those that make say $30,000 a year would pay less then someone that makes $100,000 a year for the same exact coverage. So in a way this is another tax on some to pay for others. Yet she proposes doing this through private insurance companies. Trust me I have no love for many of the methods and tactics of the health insurance companies, but I also recognize that they are indeed businesses who’s reason for existence is to make a profit. Their rates must be based on costs not based on how much someone can pay. No business could survive that way.

The biggest problem with this is, to get any health care plan implemented it has to be passed by congress. I can already hear the cries of socialism if this income based premium structure of Hillary’s is proposed.

The health care reforms this country needs will not be easy to implement. Hillary’s will be impossible to get in place. Obama’s are realistic, workable and solves many of the problems we face in health care. As one radio commentator said, who’s identity I don’t recall, “there is so much hate for Hillary among republicans she will have trouble getting a postmaster general nomination confirmed let alone a health plan.”


Read the full health care plan of Barack Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

For information on other issues:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Words are cheap?

Those were the words Hillary spoke today in Warren Ohio, (though she thought she was in Youngstown) and for once I agree with her.

Hillary didn't even show up to vote against immunity for the giant corporate telecom companies, yet with her mouth she is opposed to the stealing of our constitutional rights by Bush.

After 20 some debates she claims Obama is afraid to debate her in her negative attack ads.

She sat on the board of Walmart yet with her words she says she is for livable wages by employers.

She claims that only her health care plan covers everyone when the truth is the primary difference between the health plans is, Hillary plans to garnish wages to pay for it.

She is against earmarks and chronisim yet she is one of the leaders in the Senate with $340,000 million in earmarks.

She claims she has more experience when her opponent has won more elections and served in elected office much more then she has.

She was all for NAFTA when her husband signed it and now because she needs votes in Ohio, she is opposed to it.

Hillary voted to authorize the war now her words are against it

Yes Hillary, your words are cheap.

Vote my way or die!

This was the message George W. Bush gave to the Congress today once again using terror as a scare tactic to justify the blatant removal of more of our constitutional rights.

George W. Bush began his speech with a threat of a terror attack that would make 9/11 “pale by comparison” if the House of Representatives doesn’t vote with the Senate to renew the unconstitutional FISA act and to give telecom companies immunity from law suits brought against them by those whose civil rights have been violated.

The story behind the story is it is these very lawsuits that would force the courts to look at the legality and constitutionality of Bush’s wire tapping crimes.

The Senate has passed the bill, the criminal in chief has called for, but the House of Representatives has yet to do so.

The good news is Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown did vote against the FISA bill. George Voinivich as usual walked in lock step with Bush Crime Family and voted for the act.

The original FISA act dealt with the issue of speed in getting wiretaps for national security by allowing the intelligence agencies to obtain warrants after the fact. But the Bush administration wanted no court review of their wiretapping even afterwards. Why? Only one reason I know, because they are wiretapping people for reasons having nothing to do with national security.

Contact your Congressman now to urge them not to cave to the Bush’s scare tactics.

Who should choose our nominee?

For decades now the primary process has been frustrating for Ohio Democrats. Most years the nominee has been decided in other states before we ever got the chance to go to the polls. This year it appears to be different. Or is it?

A long-term active republican told me the other day he did something he thought he would never do. He donated to Hillary’s campaign. Why? Because he said, “We can’t beat Obama” I have already previously written about many high profile republicans donating to her campaign such as Rupert Murdock and Kenneth Star's law firm. Republican leaning newspapers such as the Columbus Dispatch are clearly promoting Hillary for the same reason. Do we want the republican’s manipulating who our nominee is?

Then there is the “super delegate” issue. That despite what the popular vote is, despite how many delegates are chosen by the people. The party bosses still try to maintain control with Super Delegates. They may be in fact who truly chooses our nominee. Do you trust the party bosses to make this decision for us? Have you forgotten what happened the last time we had a new exciting inspirational candidate come on the scene, Paul Hackett? These are the same bosses that forced him out of the race.

The damage that will be caused to the party should they not go by the will of the voters will be catastrophic. All the new energized voters that have such hope and such motivation that have been inspired by Barak Obama will throw up their hands in frustration. There will be no chance of winning the White House without these voters. Once again the Democratic Party will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

I urge you to contact each and every super delegate in Ohio. The list follows. I also urge you to vote to make the popular vote numbers so overwhelming that it will be even more difficult for the party bosses to ignore us.

It is time the voting democrats of Ohio choose who our nominee is, not republicans or the big wigs paying back favors behind closed doors.

Super Delegates in Ohio

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown; Gov. Ted Strickland; U.S. Representatives Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Dennis Kucinich, Tim Ryan, Zack Space, Betty Sutton and Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern; Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin; ex-president of the Ohio AFL-CIO Bill Burga; ex-Darke County party chair Enid Goubeaux, Ohio Teamsters Sonny Nardi; Ron Malone, ex-Ohio Director of AFSCME United; Pat Moss, ex-president of AFSCME Council 8; Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory; and state representatives Charlie Wilson and Joyce Beatty.

note: I find it interesting that long term Mayor of Columbus, Michael Coleman is missing from this list.

Payroll Advance Agencies a bad thing?

Once again some state legislators have decided to protect us from ourselves. Rep. Bill Batchelder, R-Medina Rep. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown are cosponsoring a bill that will put the numerous payroll lending agencies in the State of Ohio out of business.

Now on the surface some look at payroll advance industry with a critical eye. They spout facts like the annualized interest rate charged. The fact is these loans are for two weeks the rate charged does not compare to interest rates charged by banks and credit cards for long-term borrowing.

Its simple math, someone with no credit check without a long application process that has no other options to get cash in an emergency can do so at these businesses usually in a matter of minutes. Besides the cost of funds that banks and other lenders have, these businesses not surprisingly have huge default rates and collections costs. It could cost these businesses on the average of $13,85 per 100 dollars they lend. The current law only allows them to charge $15 in interest. $1.15 isn’t exactly exorbitant profit.

These agencies are meant for and needed by people to get short-term cash. Not as a way of ongoing financial survival. Do people misuse these agencies and put them selves in deeper debt? Yes some do. But eating fast food every day can make one obese and have medical issues too, should we outlaw McDonalds?

No one that gets a cash advance at any of these businesses are mislead in any way. The rate charged is clearly displayed not only on several signs throughout the place but on contracts and on the check they write in order to get the loan. In fact the complaints to the state agency that regulates such companies are practically nil. So where exactly is the problem? We are attempting to protect people who are not asking for protection once again.

These companies thrive for one reason. There is a need. Those of us with credit and with savings, have no clue how difficult it is to survive in this economy without them. By eliminating these companies we aren’t protecting anyone, we are instead making it harder for many to survive financially in the case of a short-term cash emergency. You want to solve this problem how about reducing the need for these agencies. Find ways to help people get credit, fight poverty, and educate people in personal finance.

Once again as with many “protection” laws, this will restrict severely if not put out of business a lawful industry to be no doubt replaced by an unlawful ones. Criminals with the tendency to break legs as a collection tactic will love to lend these people money.

Would you vote for this person?

Consider the following candidate. For now lets call him John Ambitious.

John grew up in a very wealthy suburb of a major midwestern city. Like most around him to be popular and to get ahead he of course joined and was active in a republican youth group that had as its icon Barry Goldwater.

Mr. Ambitious of course then attended a privileged college in the northeast where acting and speaking out as a liberal was the way to get ahead so, Goldwater youth was now vocal progressive.

John met and married his wife an up and coming young woman from the south, who eventually became Governor of her state. Midwestern boy John now learned to play the good ole southern boy role to keep his popularity there.

Meanwhile as his wife pursued her career, John was a successful corporate attorney, representing clients on questionable real estate deals and even got to sit on the board of a fortune 500 company that had a history of involvement with overseas sweat shops, low wages at home and giving its employees little benefits. But Mr. Ambitious managed to keep his liberal credentials by putting his name and attending a meeting or two of a few charitable organizations along the way.

Then much to everyone’s surprise John’s wife became President of the United States. So of John went at his spouse’s side to Washington. John championed some causes with books and speeches but failed to be successful at getting anything implemented.

Once his wife’s political career was over, Mr. Ambitious realized the chance for his own ambitions had come. So he looked for and found a soon to be vacated Senate seat, rushed to buy a home in that state and claim, "Hey I’m no longer a Midwest boy or a good ole southern boy, I’m a New Yorker, elect me". Amazingly it worked!

So this gave Mr. Ambitious what he needed, a place to pad his resume. Vote one way if popular opinion was that way; vote the opposite when the polls showed support had changed and on and on. John was even successful in making sure his name was put on as cosponsor to as many popular bills as possible to help pad that resume even more. John didn't actually lead any fights against a war, or for health care, and in fact voted sometimes the opposite way, but somehow he managed to keep his popularity.

Now John Ambitious is showing us this carefully crafted resume claiming 35 years of experience and wants us to vote for him to be President.

Seriously would you vote for this man?

Now lets say he isn’t a man but a woman, does that make any difference?

So then why would anyone vote for Hillary Clinton, because this was her story.

After the 8 years of smoke and mirrors, half truths and exaggerated claims by the Bush white house, this country needs someone that is upfront, honest, not only tries to appear to be something but actually is the real deal.

Barack Obama is the real deal.