The sound of one hand clapping.....

First hand knowledge..........sm [2008-11-17]
My pastor received one of these letters just prior to the election. Theory proven. End of research.

politics and religion go hand in hand... [2008-11-17]
Whether or not we like it, many of our laws are governed by religion. Without some sort of religion, who is to say that murder is wrong, thus making it a religious argument, not a political one (by your methodology) and, yet, we still have a law against it.

Oh sweetheart, I feel sorry for you. You sound very [2008-11-16]
unhappy and bitter with your life, so much so that you must degrade others and their beliefs. What a sad way to go through life.

One would imagine so he can get bipartisan 1st-hand info [2008-11-12]
It is appropriate that he continues exactly on the course he is following for the moment...cabinet building, prioritizing and preparing initiatives for day one so as to hit the gound running.

I don't blame her for her opinion....didn't sound like a bash to me....sm [2008-11-11]
You, on the other hand, have turned into the biggest basher on the board lately. You must be proud.

my apologies to you - I probably did sound rude - nm [2008-11-11]
x

Do you know how mentally sick you are? You sound like a wild woman to me. [2008-11-06]
.

I think I might move to another country - how does Australia sound? nm [2008-11-05]
x

That last sentence just didn't EVEN sound right! sm [2008-11-03]
And I think the missing sheep brains is the main thing in this picture.

Then fairness should go on the other hand [2008-11-03]
Just skip over the posts you don't like.

You don't sound educated because [2008-11-02]
of some of your posts below.

well, you make it sound like Obama is doing something wrong by being paid - [2008-10-31]
x

You sound a lot more clear and level headed than most on this board... [2008-10-30]
even in your drug-induced state! Feel better soon!

I have seen some bullying get out of hand first hand [2008-10-29]
during the same grocery strikes that I referred to in the very small town where I grew up. Scabs were beat up and such. I am not saying it's the norm, but there can be tremendous pressure to vote one way or another--as can be seen right here.

You sound like Obama. Have a problem with [2008-10-24]
nm

Good post....truth doesn't always sound good [2008-10-23]
@

I love this sound bite [2008-10-22]
My husband had me listen to it. It's a riot. (It's political that's why it's here). http://www.rense.com/general83/hs_sal_in_harlem_100108.mp3

You sure do hand her credit for ... [2008-10-22]
having a lot of power. I like Palin, but I donalmost single handedly divide the country. Perhaps she is a better leader than I thought...

then she should sue for $1, another lib with hand out....nm [2008-10-20]
//

Of course you are, dear. Mohamar Ghadaffi on the other hand [2008-10-19]
x

It does not sound like someone who is working therir butt off to me. nm [2008-10-18]
.

Wow, you sound pretty miserable. I am not arguing about anything... [2008-10-18]
simply stating my opinion. It seems like many here on this board have some bug up their behinds, are bitter and angry (most tend to be O supporters, go figure) and can't have adult conversation without resorting to name calling.

Just how stupid can you sound? [2008-10-17]
Who the h@ll cares if this guy is license or not? He's not the running for president....I believe that is Obama, the person that is supposed to have questions asked of him. You afraid to have Obama answers questions that haven't be scripted beforehand? I'm sure you are, now that he was actually heard saying spread the wealth. He actually lost votes after that. His true colors are not out there for everyone to see. Not sure why you feel so bitter that you name call a guy who was just standing in the crowd asking a question. I find it rather humerous that O lovers suddenly start attacking a citizen for asking a simple question of the very policies O is spewing out there. Man, ya'll must be desperate!

I have not been posting. Hand in splint with fingers... [2008-10-16]
immobilized. Hoping to get splint off next week, at which time I will be able to post again. Thanks for asking.

You want to know about |AIG first hand? I live in...sm [2008-10-15]
Stowe Vermont. The Stowe ski resort was built as a pet project many years ago by AIG. It was very low key for many, many years for many reasons, zoning etc. So lovely and pristine, no high rise condos, a quaint small town Vermont experience. A few years ago, after years of wrangling, permits were obtained for a huge VERY luxury hotel, ski base lodge, million plus dollar condos, high end shopping in a ski village etc. Fast forward a few years, the hotel is completed and the base lodge almost done, condos halfway complete, no village yet. I guess that technically we Americans now own 80% of this resort. Maybe I can get a subsidized ski pass? I haven't heard of any slow down with the development, but I could be wrong. I wonder if we will be sold off but I doubt it. Very interesting. No one has any idea of the excesses of corporate America over the last 50 years.

Repeat - Factcheck is not a reliable source, Repeat - no reliable [2008-11-29]
You keep citing Factcheck and we keep having to tell you Factcheck is not reliable. Why is it not reliable? Because it is funded by the Annenberg Foundation in which Obama is part of. AND because Obama was Chairman of the Board. It really is like talking to a wall. So let me repeat and read this nice and slow. Factcheck...not a reliable source. Cheese-o-Pete...you might as well just say you asked Michelle Obama and she said it's real. Additionally....the b/c they put up there was found to be a forgery. So...once again...factcheck not reliable...b/c submitted was a forgery. So are you a fortune teller? You don't know if he will be elected or disqualified and neither do I. If the SC comes back and says he is legite I will drop the subject. If they find anything out of the ordinary then I will most likely say I told you so. If they say he's not legite but we'll change the constitution just for him, then I will be madder than a hornet and you'll hear from me. But all in all I will be satisfied with what the SC says. We won't know what their decision is until they make it. If it comes back that he is ineligible and he lied, he better do some explaining to this country about why and he better calm his worshippers down. I think overall the country will be okay. For as many supporters that he has there are an equal number of people who don't support him and view him to be ineligibile. There are even people who support him, but are saying...wait a minute here, things are not adding up. Just show us the certificate and be done with it. In fact more so now since all this info came out and many people upset about it that they didn't know ahead of time. As for what I think will happen. I really don't know. I do believe that quite possibly Hillary will step in and become President because she is the one that he wronged by campaigning when he knew he did not meet qualifications. So I believe probably she will become the next President and Biden will remain VP, or Biden will step in as President and she becomes VP. I highly doubt the SC will just elect McCain because the republican party did not win and now that we have a congress/senate that's all democrat (or mostly democrat) they would prevent that somehow. As for McCain? Heck no I didn't want him in there. I wanted one of the following - Chuck Baldwin from the constitutional party (but he had no chance whatsoever). I was also interested in Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich. I really like Dennis Kucinich. I agreed with a lot of his ideas (especially impeachment of Bush) and I have agreed with a lot of what he has voted on in the past. So maybe what I would really like to see happen is if the O is disqualified to have another mini campaign. All the candidates can run again and then the public decides after one or two months of campaigning. So, instead of having a President inaugerated in January they could be inaugerated in February or March. It would be different, but nothing like this has ever happened before. I'll just say this on the whole b/c issues and this is why I say this and I hope you can understand where I'm coming from. 1. Let me first say I voted for Obama in the primaries. So in no way do I hate him or a racist or whatever else people want to throw out. I voted for him because he has some ideas I thought were good (thought is the key word). 2. After he was elected I read about the stolen election from Hillary (even though I was way so not supportive of her). I started learning about his lies to the people. His dealings with Ayers, ACORN, Wright, Farrakhan etc, etc. 3. He funds different groups who create websites to detract from the issues. 4. The media treated him like a prince while trashing McCain/Palin. I was no fan of theirs by all means but what happened to them was uncalled for. 5. The b/c he put up on the factcheck site was found to be a forgery. 6. We find out he's born in Kenya and legally goes and has the records sealed, along with his school records. He is hiding something and that is not very reassuring for over half the country here. 7. His grandmother was in the room when he was born along with his sister and brother. 8. His sister mentions multiple hospitals he was born at, while Obama mentions something totally different. Those are only a few of the issues that are my concerns about his legitimacy. On the other hand you have the issues/policies of his that I don't agree with and am finding out more and more how unsafe our country is going to be. The incident in India has the you know what scared out of me and the thought of that happening here in our country is a real issue for me. I was in the US Army. I spent 8 years in the service defending the country. It just makes me a bit upset to hear that people don't care if the Constition is not upheld, just so Obama gets in no matter what. All I want is the Constituion protected. That's all I'm asking for. Our founding fathers created it for a reason and we need to abide by it and not change it. I saw where Barney Franks tried to change it so that a foreign born could become president as long as they had been a citizen for 20 years (it was quite odd timing because not too much longer after that Obama decides to run and then we find there is a forged b/c. Timing of all this is just way too suspicious. All I say is let the supreme courts decide. That is what they are there for. I have read articles that say The Supreme Courts job is to protect the constitution and even if it means that a decision they make is not going to be popular, they are bound by their duty to defend the Constitution and they will. So, once more I want to repeat that Factcheck is not reliable source because Obama/Annenberg Foundation and Factcheck are one in the same.

There are also other far more credible sites...sm [2008-11-29]
which give valid information as to why it is not real. The whole point to this, GP, is not JUST the birth certificate. This plays into a much larger picture in which Obama appears to be unqualified in terms of foreign policy and experienced in so many other areas. It has to do with past associations and shady current assoociations, who is backing him, how he rose through the ranks so quickly, some if not all of his campaign platform and plans for this country, some of the statements he has made that sound positively socialist if not marxist and the way the American people have been so capitivated by him. It's not even about McCain being POTUS because I can tell you that, even though I voted for him, I have some doubts about him just as you do about Obama. It is about the safety of our nation, laws being upheld on EVERY level (yeah, I know all about Bush, this isn't about him) and the future of our nation. The BC is just the tip of the iceberg.

anti-obama question [2008-11-29]
Can I ask you anti-obama folks, why don't you like him? Is it something personal? May sound simple, but I don't get it. Do you feel he is not qualified? Too young? Not born in US? Wrong color? I am serious about this. What's your gripe?

YES we should be discussing this [2008-11-28]
We should discuss it until it is resolved. It has not been resolved yet as you can see. This is one of the major headlines in the U.S. Has the possible next President met the qualifications. There are lots of headlines going on around the world (India being the biggest right now), but here in this country American's are still waiting for answers. Yes we should be discussing and questioning until an answer has been given. Not by left-wing agencies like factcheck, MSNBC, CNN, etc but by the Supreme Court. Next, if you donleft-wing. Additionally I donpost your sources is getting way out of hand. In the past conservatives and independents have posted their opinions before and were told to give their sources. Tell me that makes sense?????? Do your own research. And second, if I did post sources, you have shown by your statement you are already going to say they are not credible. Anything that doesn't favor and drools over the O you and other dems will say it's not credible, so no need to site them. Look them up yourself. Might do some good to get a different opinion than the left-wing sites. If you think I made up these headlines, pulleese. If I could only write so well I'd be rich. And what I donleft-wing blog is the starry-eyed O followers cutting down every single thing out there. We on this page do not make this stuff up. This is coming from thousands and thousands of Americans all across the country (at least 100,000 for sure). The facts are that the supreme court will be deciding if he meets the qualifications. We will wait til then. So until then I don't find the lovefest for Obama amusing. And if you don't want to read people's differences of opinions I would suggest not coming here. The people who are not interested in the truth are the ones who are afraid of the truth. The left-wing dems who try to cut down those with different opinions and call them all these names. Never once questioning anything. Just following the pack (I believe they are referred to as Sheople). You said you addressed this issue during the campaign.. My answer to that is So what! Does that mean because you have addressed that is the end to it and no longer to be talked about. This is one of the most important issues of our time right now (yes along with the other crisis' going on), but we're talking about a person who might possibly be the next president. If it was a republican getting ready to take office you'd be on this board every day wanting to discuss it. I think finding out whether this guy is qualified and if not, how in the world did he ever get this far (who covered up what) will be one of the biggest issues of time. And for someone who doesn't want to waste their time you sure wrote a long post. This is not gossip. The supreme court does not involve themselves with cases of gossip. There is validity to what is being brought forth to them. Otherwise they would not waste their time. They don't have time to hear every single case that is brought before them, but they know the importance of upholding the Constitution, and so do the electorals who will be voting. If he doesn't meet the qualifications he and the DNC have got some explaining to do. Your comments about right-wing rag sources so-called headlines ignorance in the fringe right Focks news. Goes to show how little you know about what is happening. And your statement that you read and listen to numerous national and international sources on a daily basis is laughable. Your comments show you clearly do not. Your dose of reality is that this is bigger than you know, the Supreme Court will be hearing the case. There are at least 12 or more lawsuits going on. The O refuses to show the information and prove his eligibility (not sure how long he thinks he can get away with it - what's he going to do, defy the Supreme Court?). The cases are being presented by lawyers, judges, politicians, democrats, independents, republicans, whites, indians, chinese, and blacks. The people voting in December want the issue cleared up because if any of them have any doubt about this, they will not vote for him. That's the reality and that's what the dems (especially on this board) fear, and that is why the left-wing rags, TV stations, and radio stations won't talk about it. As for the rest of your post I will not address because it is so long I didn't read the rest of it. The first two paragraphs and the first sentence of the third paragraph was enough for me to realize you clearly do not know what you are talking about. Maybe you should get a grip and read and listen to other stuff besides what the left wingers keep dishing out.

Well since the bc he posted was found to be a forgery [2008-11-28]
That is why they are questioning it and one of the reasons they are taking it to the Supreme Court. The bc he posted clearly had his sisters name and information about her birth underneath. They have some experts looking at it right now comparing it to other certificates from that time and there are way too many discrepancies. Also you have to take into consideration the people who are backing the O. People like Zbigniew Brzezinski, George Soros, and the numerous wall street bankers (Goldman Sachs, Lehman brothers, Merrill Lynch, etc). So take that with Obama passing this forged certificate and then having a left-wing group tell the DNC they viewed it and it is authentic. Proper channels were not gone through. Hillary tried to touch on it, but Obama was too powerful and just totally trashed her during the primaries. She never stood a chance. She may be rich, but not rich enough to go against Obama and his backers. As a side note, a background check was completed on Obama. They found that he did not qualify to receive a simple clearance. However, with the money behind Obama the investigating party was told to drop it. So welaunch button - yeah, that makes me real comforted. What a lot of lefties donhate as they so claim it to be. If all else fails with their arguments they say the poster is hateful or a racist. This has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with keeping our country safe. Heresit down with our enemies and negotiate. Does that include people like these terrorists that are in India right now killing and mowing down anything that moves. It is way bigger than just that hotel we see on the news (that is when they show it on the news). DH showed me about 8 or 9 different places in India these terrorist went to killing so many innocents. So are these the same people that Obama will walk into and pull up a chair and say lets talk and negotiate? The times we live in are so so scary. I said to DH last night, what is stopping that from happening here in the US? Then to think we have an inexperienced person who knows nothing about foreign policy thinking hehate or racism. This is fear of not being safe against our enemies. That is why this is so vitally important to the future of America. Here are a couple articles I found interesting. http://politicallydrunk.blogspot.com/2008/09/obamas-sub-prime-buddies-lehman.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/07/barack-obama-campaign-donors http://www.larouchepac.com/node/10779

Ok, read my posts again and researched some more [2008-11-26]
You are correct, my first post did say this is a transition period. It also said there is no such thing as an Office of President Elect, and technically he is not yet the president elect. That doesnofficial. This is all to feed his ego. Of course I understand that when people are elected they need to start choosing people for their cabinet, etc. Every president has done that, but that is not what is raising everyoneOffice of President-Elect was something that was created by the O. Bush did not have an Office of President Elect in 2000. Upon further research I found that Obama created this and it is a new branch of government. Makes me wonder how someone who is not even president-elect yet can create a new branch of government. It states in the article, the site has a .gov top-level domain (change.gov). That is reserved for qualified government organizations and programs. The incoming administration technically has no status as a government organization or program until January 20. Here is the link for that. http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/president_elect_obama_has_already_created_a_new_branch_of_government/ Here are some other people's comments about this... Obama�s arrogance is exceeded only by his inexperience and naivete. With the economy falling faster than a meteor from space, I can�t wait until he falls flat on his face. Would serve him right. On the 4th-we were all given a feces sandwich-open your big mouths wide and take a big bite like everyone else will have to (assuming you�re even from this country). Maybe by the time you learn what made this country great you�ll make better choices on future election days. It wasn�t socialism and hand outs from the federal government that made this the country that people literally die trying to get into. The egomaniacs are the ones for whom BHO�s election was the highlight of your lives. How sad is that? Most of us won�t fall apart just because the candidate of our choice lost. But this guy is really weird, these aren�t easy times and McCain would have had the best interests of America at heart, not socialist ideology that never has worked anywhere without capitalism to prop it up Here's another interesting article. It states If the Constitution is flawed (Obama's words), then how could Obama take office and defend it. And also how could the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court offer the oath to a president elect Obama, knowing his view of the constitution. http://theamericansentinel.com/2008/10/28/if-constitution-flawed-then-how-can-obama-take-office-and-defend-it/ And yet another commenter said... Perhaps the media needs to create a new acronym for President elect Obama. My suggestion is: PeOTUS! His signage should read: From the Office of His Oneness President elect Obama.

socialist ideology [2008-11-26]
Other folks have got the Obama transition covered here, so I won't talk about that. What I will say is how stupid it is for people to get in a lather about ''socialism.'' You quote that line, ''It wasn�t socialism and hand outs from the federal government that made this the country that people literally die trying to get into,'' and that's actually exactly the opposite of the truth. Our recovery from the Depression and our postwar boom succeeded pretty much exactly in proportion to how much money the government handed out. Obama is not a socialist, but his policies will only succeed insofar as they take money out of the hands of the rich and powerful, and put it back into the hands of the folks that work for a living. There is simply no other way to sustain an economy without going through these ridiculous periods of speculation and depression. The mess we're in now is what happens when capitalism tries to ''prop things up.'' It always fails, and we always bail it out, and then we always wonder how this could possibly have happened again.

Either way [2008-11-26]
it would be the family Apparently many gays are estranged from their families due to their sexual orientation but I don The gal I mentioned in my previous post, everyone was hurt. The guy raised her kids from a previous marriage and they loved him. It must of hurt them deeply not to be able to give the fellow his rightful place but they did acknowledge him as best they could. I know the family so I know how they anguished over this. I think it may have something to do with Social Security with seniors but I Well, I don't exactly know anyone in this situation but have heard it locally and nationally on the news.

sm... [2008-11-26]
Obama is not a socialist, but his policies will only succeed insofar as they take money out of the hands of the rich and powerful, and put it back into the hands of the folks that work for a living. How do you know this? Unless you know the man personally, you do not KNOW whether he is socialist or not. You can think what you want but that does not make fact. And why do you think it is okay to take anything away from one person to give it to someone else? It is NOT okay to do that. What if they wanted to take your money and give it to someone else? would you be okay with that? I am not. And I don't think I know anyone who would be. I know people I would consider rich, or at least very well off, and they are people who worked their butts off to get to where there are. Why should they now not benefit from that and have to hand it over to someone else? Once again, let's just shove personal responsibility aside and hope someone else takes care of us.

It has been release, viewed by the courts [2008-11-26]
Sme people just want to live inside the lies they create...and often are not able to distinguish reality from fiction. Most children outgrow this but, on the other hand, some never do.

I don't think you need to depend on the media [2008-11-26]
If you lose your job (or don if you can On the other hand if you start seeing all those things going the other way, you can safely conclude that he is succeeding. At some point here common sense has to take over.

layoffs [2008-11-25]
Wow...is this Fox story the quality of antiunion propaganda that we're going to be seeing now? Because, while it's certainly effective as propaganda, with its visions of angry shiftless unemployed men doing nothing all day, it's also full of the sort of little lies that let you know there's an ulterior motive to the story. For instance, *who* exactly is making 72 bucks an hour, as described towards the end of the story? No one, that's who. They're combining wages, insurance benefits, and retirement benefits to come up with a number that looks astonishingly high, so we'll all think badly of those rich pampered assembly-line guys. This is the standard--the *absolute* standard--in reporting autoworker pay, and it is misleading (or maybe just lying, depending on your point of view). Makes me wonder if anyone is actually making $31 an hour to play checkers, or if it's actually something closer to 10, and they're just being allowed to keep their benefits. For every statement that makes the program sound like it's now being reasonably run (''Most of the workers in the program accepted buyouts to leave it, and new work was found for the rest'') there are a few extra images of checkers-playing or Price-is-Right-viewing, just to reinforce the notion that anything you do to help workers is wasteful. Look, you have to do something for laid-off workers. Maybe this program wasn't well-run. That's fine, but if you have only one huge employer in a region, and the company suddenly leaves, you have to deal with the thousands of jobs lost. The economy hasn't exactly been cranking out the new jobs. What are people supposed to do? Starve? The propaganda is only going to get stronger, as companies struggle to free themselves from *any* obligation to their workers. Unions are already being painted as temples of laziness, rather than what they actually are--the only method workers have for demanding a stake in how the companies they work for are run. What else is there? If there were another method for guaranteeing workers some sort of power, I'd be glad to hear it, but for now, unions are what we've got. The alternative, no protection at all...well, we MTs have already seen what happens then.

A letter to Newt Gingrich from his sister [2008-11-24]
Dear Newt, I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill OThere you go, again.However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked. The truth is that you're living in a world that no longer exists. I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as -- and we embrace what it can be. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past. Welcome to the 21st century, big bro. I can understand why you're so afraid of the energy that has been unleashed after gay and lesbian couples had their rights stripped away from them by a hateful campaign. I can see why you're sounding the alarm against the activists who use all the latest tech tools to build these rallies from the ground up in cities across the country. This unstoppable progress has at its core a group we at HRC call Generation Equality. They are the most supportive of full LGBT equality than any American generation ever -- and when it comes to the politics of division, well, they don't roll that way. 18-24 year olds voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 and overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. And the numbers of young progressive voters will only continue to grow. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, about 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Nov. 4, 2008 -- the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election. That's an increase of 3 million more voters compared to 2004. These are the same people who helped elect Barack Obama and sent a decisive message to your party. These young people are the future and their energy will continue to drive our country forward. Even older Americans are turning their backs on the politics of fear and demagoguery that you and your cronies have perfected over the years. This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress -- and your words on FOX News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes. Then again, wefascists when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of traditional marriage. And, of course, youhistoric Christianity you claim to champion. Again, nothing new here. This is just more of the blatant hypocrisy we're used to hearing. What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions. That's really so ྖs, Newt. In this day and age, it's embarrassing to watch you talk like that. You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it. In other words, stop being a hater, big bro.

50 Things about Obama [2008-11-23]
and I only new a couple, enjoy From the UK Telegraph: � He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics � He was known as O at high school for his skill at basketball � His name means one who is blessed in Swahili � His favourite meal is wife MichelleRenegade by his Secret Service handlers � He was nicknamed Bar by his late grandmother � He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds � His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso � His speciality as a cook is chilli � He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were street urchins � He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life � His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government

Question for republicans....(sm) [2008-11-22]
Why is it that there are no (that I know of) republican political comedy shows? To the left we have Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Chocolate News, etc. There aren I think the latest attempt was the one about Michael Moore starring Bill O On the other hand, *W* is out, which seems to be a huge hit.

republican comedy [2008-11-22]
They these are not particularly funny positions, unless you're satirizing them. Of course, the problem is that the liberal shows are owned by big corporations who are not interested in changing the system, and so they too have to hew a safe party line, a sort of mild centery-leftishness. Shows are terrified of offending sponsors or viewers; that is, offending them on any issue that actually *matters*, rather than just showing distasteful things and giggling like teenagers at them. Boy, how did I make a post about comedy sound so boring?

What do you all think of this? [2008-11-22]
Barack Obama has been accused of selling out his promises of change in US foreign policy by putting national security policy in the hands of establishment figures who supported the Iraq war. Mr Obama has moved quickly in the last 48 hours to get his cabinet team in place, unveiling a raft of heavyweight appointments, in addition to Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. But his preference for General James Jones, a former Nato commander who backed John McCain, as his National Security Adviser and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, a supporter of the war, to run the Homeland Security department has dismayed many of his earliest supporters. The likelihood that Mr Obama will retain George W Bush's Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, has reinforced the notion that he will not aggressively pursue the radical withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq over the next 16 months and engagement with rogue states that he has pledged. Chris Bowers of the influential OpenLeft.com blog complained: That is, over all, a centre-right foreign policy team. I feel incredibly frustrated. Progressives are being entirely left out of Obama Markos Moulitsas, founder of the Daily Kos site, the in-house talking shop for the anti-war Left, warned that Democrats risk sounding tone deaf to the views of the American electorate that voted in overwhelming numbers for change from the discredited Bush policies. A spokesman for the President-elect was forced to confirm that Mr Obama holds to his previous views. His position on Iraq has not changed and will not change. But the growing disillusionment underlines the fine line Mr Obama must walk between appearing to reach out to former opponents and keeping his grassroot supporters happy. Mr Obama seems conscious of the need to move fast, to reassure a watching world that he will be ready to hit the ground running on foreign and economic policy. He will wait until Friday before formally announcing his national security team, but he will on Monday formally unveil his economic team, with New York Federal Reserve bank chairman Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary and the New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, in the Commerce portfolio. On Friday night, Mr Obama and his wife Michelle revealed that they will send their two daughters Malia and Sasha to the private Sidwell Friends school in Washington, once attended by Chelsea Clinton. That announcement ended two weeks of speculation in the capital, where excitement is growing over the arrival of the Obama family in time for the inauguration on Jan 20. City officials now expect four million people to turn out to see history made. Hotels are sold out, house rental prices for the week are rising into five figures and others are buying space for their tents on people's lawns. If every visitor descended simultaneously on the National Mall, each would have just one square foot of space. But the huge enthusiasm of Obama supporters might dissipate if they believe he is crafting a government more likely to pursue politics as usual, rather than his often-promised change we need. There is growing concern among a new generation of anti-war foreign policy analysts in Washington, many of whom stuck their necks out to support Mr Obama early in the White House race, that they will be frozen out of his administration. Mrs Clinton is expected to appoint her own top team at the State Department, drawn from more conservative thinkers. A Democratic foreign policy expert told one Washington website: They were the ones courageous enough to stand up early against Iraq, which is why many supported Obama in the first place. Their fear, he added, is that they will not now secure the mid-level posts which will enable them to reach the top of the Washington career ladder in future. Suspicion of Mr Obama's moves has been compounded, for some liberals, by the revelation that Mr Obama has for several months been taking advice from Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser to the first President Bush. His return to prominence in Washington represents a resurgence of the old school conservative realists, who were largely eclipsed during this Bush administration by the neoconservatives. They place US national interests above the quest to defend human rights or to spread democracy. Progressives and liberals see Mr Scowcroft's hand in the move to retain Mr Gates, an old friend, at the Pentagon and also in the expected elevation of Gen. Jones. Others are troubled by an announcement on Friday night that Mr Obama will retain the White House political office, an institution recently associated with George Bush's adviser Karl Rove, who has been blamed for running government as a permanent and highly partisan election campaign. During the campaign, Mr Obama pledged to end politics as usual and the perpetual campaign. But a spokesman for the Transition team said: An Obama White House will be focused on meeting the next challenge, not winning the next election.

We're doomed - seriously!!!! [2008-11-21]
Clinton's back in the WH! C'mon you can't tell me there was nobody else qualified to do the job. Even then I question her qualifications. She certainly wasn't qualified to be president, now she's going to be running around the world as though she is head honcho. And what's Billy-boy going to be doing????? You know if he has his way his hand will be in the cookie jar somehow. Oh please, I can't wait to hear the outcome of the bc issue. Somebody's got to put a stop to the incompetence hiring! If this is a preview as to how the next 4 years is going to be this country is going to go down the tubes and real quick. But then at least I can say don't come crying to us - you voted for him. I'd like to add in a few choice words at this point but know my post would be deleated if I did.

Little Johnny and Obama [2008-11-21]
Presidential candidate Barack Obama was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the presidential candidate if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy'. So our illustrious democrat presidential candidate asked the class for an example of a 'tragedy'. One little boy stood up and offered: 'If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him that would be a tragedy. 'No,' said Obama, 'that would be an accident.A little girl raised her hand: 'If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy. 'I'm afraid not,' explained Obama. 'That's what we would call a great loss.'The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Obama searched the room. 'Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?'Finally at the back of the room, Little Johnny raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: 'If the plane carrying you and Mrs. Obama was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.'Fantastic!' exclaimed Obama. 'That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?''Well,' says the boy, 'It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss... and it probably wouldn't be a freaking accident either!!!

Not exactly what he promises [2008-11-20]
There is a lot of debate on his whole tax plan. It doesn't exactly pan out like he promises. On the other hand, the president is not all-powerful, so for much of what any of them promise during their campaign, their hands are tied. Here's a link. http://www.american.com/archive/2008/august-08-08/the-folly-of-obama2019s-tax-plan

I haven't, but my husband did to protect us both [2008-11-19]
We were younger and had went out to a party. A guy was drinking and mixing it with pills. He was totally out of it. He tried to pick a fight with my husband, saying he was big and bad enough to whip the biggest guy there. My husband was 6 foot 6 inches and about 225. Anyway, my husbandwasnleft and came home. We live in a rural area. About 1/2 hour later the guy is standing out in front of our house, near the road, screaming for my husband to come out and fight or he The next sound we hear is a shotgun racking and then he fires a shotgun blast off into the air. OMG!! I was terrified. My husband shoved me off the couch and into the floor. Then he crawled across the floor and pulled the cord on the lamp and turned off the TV, so it was dark in the house. I had no idea what else he was doing.I was lying on the living room flooor and had dialed 911 and was screaming for help. Next thing I know, the guy out front fires another shot and it hits the picture window and the window shatters! What I didn He shot back, shooting into the air at a pear tree that guy was standing under. It was late August and when he hit that pear tree, it rained down pears on the guy outside! He fired one more over the guythe gun towards the guy. The guy decided my husband was serious and ran to his truck and took off. Luckily the police caught him about 2 miles down the road. I had given them a description of his pickup andhe passed them as they were on their way to our house. They came to the house and talked to us. They saw the shattered window and the shots were heard on the 911 tape along with my frantic call for help. They told my husband they didn The guy was convicted and went to jail. What the guy at the party didn He picked the wrong guy to try to scare with a gun! But it was scarey.I was scared to death. It was the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn I don't wish anything like that on anybody!

A message from Abraham Lincoln-1863 [2008-11-19]
Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation (1863) window.google_render_ad(); The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth. By The President: Abraham Lincoln William H. Seward, Secretary of State

George Washington Thanksgiving Proclamation 1789 [2008-11-19]
George Washington and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789. G. Washington

I struggle with this actually because [2008-11-18]
on one hand....I Yet on the other hand, my dad worked for GM for 35 years. He worked as much OT as he possibly could to support my mom and us three kids. My mother was a housewife. My mother developed MS and her medicine is not cheap at all, but her medicine slows down the progress of her MS. My dad retired from GM because he could no longer physically work and in 2007 he passed away. My father busted his butt for 35 years to make sure that my mother would be taken care of by his pension and health care benefits and now my mother could very likely lose that. She also was recently diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea and has to use a cpap machine which is not cheap at all. If my mother loses her health care benefits, not only does she lose her MS medicine but she will lose her cpap. My mother lives by herself and is in her mid 60s. The idea of her losing all of that and rapidly deteriorating......I just can I just lost my dad and I'm not ready to lose my mom. It thoroughly ticks me off that our government has screwed up our economy so much that the automakers have bombed with sales and has caused this. I blame the government. If my mother loses her health care benefits and I lose her, I will be storming Washington DC with my pitch fork and torch and I will be calling out the pricks who caused this.

Observation....(sm) [2008-11-18]
I would agree that Obama is a pop culture thing. However, if you sit back and look at it you will see why. The younger generation typically getsit All of these are slanted to the left. The Obama campaing used the internet very successfully as well to reach the younger generation. The republican party has done nothing like this to reach the younger voter. Why? If I were a young person I would look at it like, well, I guess the republican party doesn This is also mirrored in the not-so-young group. Obama was everywhere including, again, the internet, predominantly black churches, labor unions...the list goes on. His campaign was inclusive of many. He also had the benefit of more money which allowed for more visibility through commercials. The McCain camp on the other hand went for predominantly white churches, less commercials, and very little internet. I'm sure there are more than this, but I personally did not see any, and I live in TN (if you can believe that)...LOL I think if you look at both sides you will see people just spewing out what they Not everyone watches cable news like most of us do. The funny thing to me is that America voted in an African-American citizen with one parent from Africa, who admittedly not only smoked marijuana but also inhaled because *that was the point.* ROFL. I think it They may not know what that change is, but they do know that what is happening now is not working.