We are finally getting to know Sen. Obama

[tazman9r]

Many of you have seen the pro-Obama threads in this portion of the website. In the media we have heard everything from, "he makes me feel good" to "he's got a town in Japan that has his name."

I have repeatedly spoken about my frustration regarding not knowing anything about him. Thanks to minimal time spent searching though Google, I think I am getting to know him

From The Barack Obama Myth, By Michael P. Tremoglie, FrontPageMagazine.com, August 6, 2004

The Barack Obama Myth Obama is very liberal. Among his campaign contributors are George Soros, People for the American Way, pro-abortion groups and teacher’s unions. Soros got his money’s worth from Obama, who turned out redmeat antiwar quota

His voting record certainly displays the ideology characteristic of an indulgent liberal. (Sorry, “Progressive.”) Obama favors abortion, socialized medicine, and Affirmative Action. Obama sponsored a bill in the Illinois legislature requiring local police departments in Illinois to record the race of anyone stopped for questioning so that the data can be used to track the occurrence of racial profiling. He opposes a $2,000 tax credit for retirement and has voted against private gun ownership, mandatory sentencing and the death penalty. During his tenure as a legislator, he abstained from voting about an abortion parental notification bill and on legislation that would keep pornographic video stores and strip clubs from within 1,000 feet of schools and churches. He has also voted against laws requiring students to complete suspensions before being transferred to other school districts. He abstained from legislation requiring adult prosecution for students who fire guns on school grounds. He opposed legislation making it a criminal offense for accused gang members to associate with known gang members.

From Meet Barack Obama, The Democrats' New Liberal Star,
By ERIC RUDER, August 3, 2004

http://www.counterpunch.org/ruder08032004.html

...his performance ... confirmed that even the party's new liberal star would fail to oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq in any meaningful way.

Like Kerry, he only quibbled over the hows. The day before his speech, Obama told reporters, "On Iraq, on paper, there's not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago." He added, "There's not that much difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage. The difference, in my mind, is who's in a position to execute."

... In other words, Obama, the great liberal hope, thinks that Bush should have sent more troops--and that the Democrats are more capable of seeing the war on Iraq through to victory.

So basically, Sen. Obama, if elected President and were to act in a way consistant with his voting record, would raise taxes, attempt to repeal or redefine the second amendment, increase regulation and government intrusion, and stifle individual effort for success. Although all of this list is not represented in the examples I listed above, you can find them with a simple search.

I even heard today that Sen. Obama's advisor on Iraq, Colin Kahl, has written a report that he would recommend only withdrawing about 1/2 of the troops, leaving 60,000 to 80,000 in Iraq.

Obama Adviser Suggests Up to 80,000 Troops Remain in Iraq By 2010 - America’s Election HQ

Certainly Sen. Obama has many advisors, and claims that this one is "one of hundreds of outside advisers to the campaign".

He's getting more interesting with everything I learn. And looking way more like a regular politician.

[brandnewman]

Life is all about Business so whether he is good or bad doesn't quite change the fact that behind every politician there is something. Personally, it's great you have gone to such length but how much are you getting paid for all this work? If nothing, that is time well wasted my friend.

[tazman9r]

I took about 10 minutes to research and put together the opening post. Like I said, minimal time spent searching, and the results were on the first page.

I understand both opinions about politics, and really wish I could just turn off any interest with the belief that if I ignore it, it will go away. But wishing it to go away is, I think, why politics is such a sticky messy business. If we as a populace were more directly involved at an election level, and really paid attention to the people we sent to Washington, we might not have the current debacle known as Washington Bureaucracy.

[brandnewman]

DuValEnterprises Its Brand Newman

tazman9r If thats the case you'd probably do well generating thoughtful articles and sell them to sites.

[tazman9r]

Brand Newman, you propose an interesting idea. I do enjoy writing, and have poked around looking for ways to be reimbursed for writing articles. This doesn't change my concern that I feel that a Pres. Obama would be bad for entrepreneurs.

[DPayne]

The democratic party tends to use the strategy of "buying" votes and Obama is no exception. What I mean by this is they buy the votes by promising the people things that are way too expensive to undertake. They promise the poorer people health care, welfare, and other incentives that take the money out of hardworking Americans. Sure, it sounds great for all this money to be tossed around and given out, but what you have to realize is there is truly no such thing as a free lunch. It may be free to you, but someone is paying the price. So to increase healthcare by 200M means 200M is taken from somewhere else (assuming budgeted income is the same), but we all know thats not the case, 200M will just be increased in taxes. Who pays a majority of the taxes? The top 10% of Americans pay 90% of the taxes.

The steal from the rich and give to the poor mentality just doesn't fly in my book. Anyone who lives by the Robin Hood mentality needs to have their head examined.

I'm putting my flame suit on now because I know some poor people lovers are about to start flaming my post. If you want to survive in this world, you need to learn to do something worthwhile, don't expect handouts. /rant.

[thedudeabides]

it really doesn't matter what we individually decide. what's gonna happen is gonna happen......inevitably! That's why my personal philosophy is to do brief investigations as opposed to in depth research. I really don't matter much in the big picture, neither do you. The least you can do is vote, considering how many people died for that right, but in reality we have NO SAY!

btw. just my opinion. obama's just another in a long line of potential dirtbags.

[HarveyJ]

I still don't understand why so many Americans are against socialized medicine... Wouldn't it be great if EVERYONE got healthcare? It's really not that expensive an under taking in an economy as large as the US', but so much money gets frittered away on useless things.

$200M from the military budget would be a drop in that particular ocean. I mean, even before the Iraq war, the US armed forces (all branches) were pulling something like $1.3T out of the economy...

As for Obama, sure he's a bad choice, but are there really any better choices? And at least he says he wants to put Al Gore in the cabinet. Gore could have been the best thing to ever happen to American politics, but we won't know at this rate as the chance will have been stuffed up twice.

Do you REALLY want Clinton in there? She can't even lie well...

McCain's likely to keel over and die the moment an intern DOES give him a hummer (you know it's gonna happen!). But seriously, do you want someone that old running a country? It's not just an age thing, it's a health and mindset thing. Elections are expensive, and if you need to run another one so soon, it's sort of pointless. He may not be able to make the hard decisions, due to stress, and instead becomes even more of a mouth piece for people pulling strings from the wings. The mindset thing is a problem as well. Can someone that remembers the great Depression actually understand today's world properly?

And Ron Paul.... Well, come on, it's Ron Paul...

[shmoeusn]

Unfortunately it's always going to be a "lesser of two evils" scenario.
So what you need to do is vote for Mickey Mouse and we can all live in a castle filled with cartoon characters

[DPayne]

HarveyJ, socialized medicine would be good if our government could improve things over their private counterparts. Just think FedEx, UPS, or DHL compared to the United States Postal Service. When things are managed by people who do not have a profit incentive work gets shabby, quality of service goes down, and you will be waiting in like for 12 hours to get care because grandma in front of you has the sniffles.

[BusinessAdviser]

McCain's likely to keel over and die the moment an intern DOES give him a hummer (you know it's gonna happen!). But seriously, do you want someone that old running a country? It's not just an age thing, it's a health and mindset thing. Elections are expensive, and if you need to run another one so soon, it's sort of pointless. He may not be able to make the hard decisions, due to stress, and instead becomes even more of a mouth piece for people pulling strings from the wings. The mindset thing is a problem as well. Can someone that remembers the great Depression actually understand today's world properly?

Not able to make hard decisions due to stress? That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life. If you want a President able to endure stress, stay positive, and remain calm when making those hard decisions, someone who loves and has proudly served and suffered for his country rather than sitting by silently to "God Damn, America," then McCain is clearly your candidate. Maybe you should find out a little about a candidate before you start commenting on his abilities.

John McCain's capture and imprisonment began on October 26, 1967. He was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam, when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms and a leg, and then nearly drowned when he parachuted into Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi. After he regained consciousness, a mob attacked him, crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt, and bayoneted him; he was then transported to Hanoi's main Hoa Loa Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".

Although McCain was badly wounded, his captors refused medical care, instead beating and interrogating him to get information. Only when the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a top admiral did they give him medical care and announced his capture. His status as a POW made the front pages of The New York Times and The Washington Post.

McCain spent six weeks in the Hoa Loa hospital, receiving marginal care. Now having lost 50 pounds (23 kg), in a chest cast, and with his hair turned white, McCain was sent to a different camp on the outskirts of Hanoi in December 1967, into a cell with two other Americans who did not expect him to live a week. In March 1968, McCain was put into solitary confinement, where he would remain for two years.

In July 1968, McCain's father was named commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater. McCain was immediately offered early release. The North Vietnamese wanted a worldwide propaganda coup by appearing merciful, and also wanted to show other POWs that elites like McCain were willing to be treated preferentially. McCain turned down the offer of repatriation; he would only accept the offer if every man taken in before him was released as well.

In August of 1968, a program of severe torture began on McCain, at the same time as he was suffering from dysentery, and McCain made an anti-American propaganda "confession". He has always felt that his statement was dishonorable, but as he would later write, "I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine." His injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. He subsequently received two to three beatings per week because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements.

McCain refused to meet with various anti-war groups seeking peace in Hanoi, not wanting to give either them or the North Vietnamese a propaganda victory. From late 1969 on, treatment of McCain and some of the other POWs became more tolerable. McCain and other prisoners cheered the B-52-led U.S. "Christmas Bombing" campaign of December 1972 as a forceful measure to force North Vietnam to terms.

Altogether, McCain was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. He was finally released from captivity on March 14, 1973. McCain's return to the United States reunited him with his wife and family. His wife Carol had suffered her own crippling ordeal during his captivity, due to an automobile accident in December 1969.

After his return home McCain underwent treatment for his injuries, including months of grueling physical therapy, and attended the National War College in Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. during 1973–1974. By late 1974 McCain had his flight status reinstated, and he became Commanding Officer of a training squadron stationed in Florida. He turned around a mediocre unit and won the squadron its first Meritorious Unit Commendation.