My New Hero

[ednbarby]

This is a must-see for everyone.  I mean *everyone*.  This man has some serious cajones.  And I seriously fear for his life.  I guess the Bush Administration can't just kill him - that would be too obvious even for them.  Still, I worry for him.  And love him dearly.

"Bush Owes Troops an Apology, Not Kerry" by Keith Olbermann.  Don't miss this.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15519404/

[Brokeback_Dev]

This is a must-see for everyone.  I mean *everyone*.  This man has some serious cajones.  And I seriously fear for his life.  I guess the Bush Administration can't just kill him - that would be too obvious even for them.  Still, I worry for him.  And love him dearly.

"Bush Owes Troops an Apology, Not Kerry" by Keith Olbermann.  Don't miss this.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15519404/

Brooksville is the county seat where I reside in Florida.  Brooksville is named after Senator Preston Brooks,  the one they are talking about with the cane in this story.   My husband is a history buff and told me the story some time ago.  I haven't heard about it since until now..  Brooksville is a very old southern town.   To this day, there stands a statue of a confederate soldier in front of the courthouse and there is a huge Civil War mural painted on the side of one of the buildings.  Plus, there is a Civil War re-enactment every year of a battle that happened here.  The North wins the battle... *Cheers from the crowd!!!!* 

[delalluvia]

Great article.  Thanks for posting.  He is SOOOOOOOOO right.

But unfortunately for us, Kerry did say something stupid.

He opened his mouth and said something that could easily easily easily be turned around and used to the advantage of his opposing party.

This is politics.  It is a contact sport, it is muckraking at its worst.  Dubya and company have been spinning things from day one.  This is their modus operandi. For Kerry to forget this is headshaking.

I used to have a Washington Post article - I think I have it on my computer at work - that was printed during the election year that quoted Kerry, then gave Bush's spin on what he said.

It was never the same.

Kerry never protested this then, which infuriated me and he never protested this newest spin either, simply because he realized much too late that he hurt a lot of people who are sadly either truly not intelligent enough to follow Kerry's line of thought or are very ready to be offended.

Kerry needs to be very direct when he speaks - 'or like our President, end up in Iraq' and forget about subtleties.  The American newspapers are designed to be read by a person with a 6th grade education.  Many people watch television because reading and have to read between the lines is either too difficult or something they were never taught.

Subtleties are lost on most of America.

[ednbarby]

I'm starting to see it as a blessing in disguise, honestly.  I don't believe it hurt the Democratic Party enough to make a real dent in the election Tuesday.  In fact it did a good thing - it showed the Democratic Party that Kerry is *not* the answer, nor is Gore, and that to allow *either* of them to run again in 2008 and lose *again* would be a mistake of Biblical proportions.

Barb <--- thinks the answer is Obama Barack and wishes everyone else did, too

[delalluvia]

I haven't read that either Kerry or Gore are even being considered.  The gods forbid.  What a disaster all the way around that would be for so many reasons.

[ednbarby]

Doin' The Bump.

Check out the video if you can - well worth the five-minute length.  Particularly nausea-inducing is the actual videotape footage of Rush Limbaugh making fun of Michael J. Fox.  But it's most worth watching just to enjoy how really, sincerely angry Keith Olbermann is, God bless him.

[Ellemeno]

How does he stay on mainstream TV?  "God (et al) bless him" is right.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Barb <--- thinks the answer is Obama Barack and wishes everyone else did, too

Um, it's Barack Obama--and he could well be our first Black president. At the risk of sounding both offensive and more cynical than I am, I think he's ideal for that role, and one reason being that while his father was Black, his father was also an immigrant to the U.S. from Africa--which means that while Obama is Black, he is not personally--as in his own family background--burdened with the history of slavery, so that issue cannot be used against him.

And I have another new hero, too, at the moment--Mike Jones, the hustler who blew the whistle on that hypocritical Pharisee Ted Haggard.

[Ellemeno]

Um, it's Barack Obama--and he could well be our first Black president. At the risk of sounding both offensive and more cynical than I am, I think he's ideal for that role, and one reason being that while his father was Black, his father was also an immigrant to the U.S. from Africa--which means that while Obama is Black, he is not personally--as in his own family background--burdened with the history of slavery, so that issue cannot be used against him.

And I have another new hero, too, at the moment--Mike Jones, the hustler who blew the whistle on that hypocritical Pharisee Ted Haggard.

Good point about his father's immigration, thanks Jeff, I hadn't thought of that.  And I agree about Mike Jones.  And Neil Patrick Harris, who simply normalizes his life. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

Good point about his father's immigration, thanks Jeff, I hadn't thought of that.  And I agree about Mike Jones.  And Neil Patrick Harris, who simply normalizes his life. 

Thanks, Clarissa.

I'm not sure I phrased what I was trying to get at with regard to slavery and Barrack Obama's father's immigration particularly well, but I guess it came through. It won't be possible to accuse him of having a personal agenda with regard to slavery because his ancestors were not slaves in the U.S.

[Daniel]

What issues is Barack Obama running on? I haven't been very much involved in politics since the Natural Law Party dropped out of the national running, and I would certainly love to find a candidate with a forward-looking platform instead of one trying to content the masses.

[mvansand76]

Oh God, I love Keith Olbermann from the bottom of my heart, I always watch his special comments on the internet, because we don't have MSNBC on TV here in Holland. His clear way of speaking is brilliant and he reminds me of 50's anchormen... Is he one of the only anchormen in the US who really speaks his mind?

[ednbarby]

Um, it's Barack Obama--and he could well be our first Black president. At the risk of sounding both offensive and more cynical than I am, I think he's ideal for that role, and one reason being that while his father was Black, his father was also an immigrant to the U.S. from Africa--which means that while Obama is Black, he is not personally--as in his own family background--burdened with the history of slavery, so that issue cannot be used against him.

And I have another new hero, too, at the moment--Mike Jones, the hustler who blew the whistle on that hypocritical Pharisee Ted Haggard.

Uh... I was doing the last name first thing?

It's official:  I'm retarded.  Shows what I know.  Thanks for straightening me out on that one, Jeff.

And I agree with you - I'm a big fan of Mike Jones, too.  And not because he happened to out a particularly hypocritical Republican that I loathe passionately anyway - but because it took a lot of cajones to do what he did knowing that he'd be incriminating himself for hustling and for possibly trafficking meth.  I don't know how the law works on that (hell, I don't know my favorite politicians' names!) - maybe you can't be prosecuted for things of that nature when you're no longer hustling/selling.  Still, it took a lot of guts.  I've seen an interview of him, and he doesn't at all strike me as someone who's looking to get his fifteen minutes of infamy.  It seems like he's sincerely just trying to point out the hypocrisy in terms of the coming election.

And as I always say and has been said in other ways here, show me a homophobe, and I'll show you a closeted homosexual.  It's tragic how he's propogated his self-loathing to so many impressionable young minds.  If nothing else, that Mike Jones brought that to an end is reason enough to find him heroic.

[ednbarby]

What issues is Barack Obama running on? I haven't been very much involved in politics since the Natural Law Party dropped out of the national running, and I would certainly love to find a candidate with a forward-looking platform instead of one trying to content the masses.

Here is some very good news about Mr. Obama:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-11-06-obama-president_x.htm

And from his "official website," here's how he stands on the issues:

http://obama.senate.gov/issues/

Defense

With the nation facing unprecedented threats, our military needs to remain the world's best. We must adapt the Pentagon to face 21st century threats such as global terrorists and loose nuclear weapons in the former Soviet states. Senator Obama is working to ensure that the nation's defense capabilities are strong, agile, and prepared and that our troops are provided with the equipment they need.

Seniors

As we transition to an increasingly global economy, many Americans are at risk of being left behind through no fault of their own. Among those most affected by these changes are senior citizens, many of whom are on fixed incomes. We need to modernize our social safety net to help senior citizens meet these new challenges, but we also must preserve those elements, such as Social Security and Medicare, that have enabled us to fulfill our moral commitments to our parents and grandparents.

Crime

Senator Obama is a strong proponent of tougher measures to fight crime, in particular the growing problem of methamphetamines, which has ravaged many communities in Illinois. He has also advocated providing more resources to local law enforcement officers.

Environment

As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Obama has worked to ensure our nation's environmental laws and policies balance America's needs for a healthy, sustainable environment with economic growth.

Homeland Security

Senator Obama believes that greater attention needs to be paid to the nation’s homeland security. To that end, he has supported efforts to distribute more funds to cities like Chicago most at risk of a terrorist attack. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness.

Immigration

Senator Obama shares the growing public concern about illegal immigration in the United States. The challenge facing President Bush and Congress is how to effectively stop the flow of illegal immigrants across our borders, better manage immigration flows going forward, and deal with illegal aliens who are already living and working in this country.

Education

Senator Obama is committed to providing every American with the opportunity to receive a quality education, from pre-kindergarten to college or vocational school to job retraining programs.

Health Care

Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care was a priority for Barack Obama in the Illinois State Senate and is a priority for him in the United States Senate. He believes firmly that health care should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the few.

Veterans

As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past.

Ethics and Lobbying Reform

Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. During his first year as an Illinois State Senator, he helped lead the fight to pass Illinois' first ethics reform bill in 25 years. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal.

__________________________________

Nothing revolutionary, here, except maybe the health care issue.  Otherwise, pretty moderate.  But that's why I think he's the answer.  I don't think you're going to get the majority of electoral votes by being too extreme either way anymore.  I know quite a few Republicans like my father who think Bush is out of control and who are very much against the role religion seems to be starting to take in politics.  They're not adverse to voting for a Democrat if he's considered truly moderate.  Kerry really wasn't.  And too many people seem to dislike the idea that Gore felt he was somehow entitled to be President (and yet these same nimrods have no problem with the Bush Family running this country - go figure).  Still that's an image Gore can't shake.  I'm hoping his mumblings about possibly running again will be one of those ideas that doesn't come to pass.

________________________________________


Here's a little more from his website - a bit more in-depth stuff on what he's been working on and his background:

About Barack Obama
United States Senator for Illinois


Senator Barack Obama

Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his recent election to the United States Senate.

Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Senator Obama is focused on promoting economic growth and bringing good paying jobs to Illinois. Obama serves on the important Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees legislation and funding for the environment and public works projects throughout the country, including the national transportation bill. He also serves on the Veterans ’ Affairs Committee where he is focused on investigating the disability pay discrepancies that have left thousands of Illinois veterans without the benefits they earned. Senator Obama also serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

During his seven years in the Illinois state Senate, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. Obama also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama enlisted the support of law enforcement officials to draft legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

Obama is especially proud of being a husband and father of two daughters, Malia, 8 and Sasha, 4. Obama and his wife, Michelle, married in 1992 and live on Chicago ’s South Side where they attend Trinity United Church of Christ.

Barack Obama was born on August 4th, 1961, in Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Obama graduated from Columbia University in 1983, and moved to Chicago in 1985 to work for a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

[ednbarby]

Oh God, I love Keith Olbermann from the bottom of my heart, I always watch his special comments on the internet, because we don't have MSNBC on TV here in Holland. His clear way of speaking is brilliant and he reminds me of 50's anchormen... Is he one of the only anchormen in the US who really speaks his mind?

I agree - he reminds me very much of Edward R. Murrow.  And not the cold, soulless one as he was depicted in George Clooney's - I'm sorry, but - awful "Good Night and Good Luck," but the real one you can see in documentary footage.

And if there is another TV journalist (who isn't a comedian pretending to be a journalist, with all due respect to Jon Stewart)who speaks really his mind against the Bush Administration, I've sure not seen one.  God knows there are enough of them who regularly sing their praises.  Liberal media, my arse.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Uh... I was doing the last name first thing?

It's official:  I'm retarded.  Shows what I know.  Thanks for straightening me out on that one, Jeff.

And I agree with you - I'm a big fan of Mike Jones, too.  And not because he happened to out a particularly hypocritical Republican that I loathe passionately anyway - but because it took a lot of cajones to do what he did knowing that he'd be incriminating himself for hustling and for possibly trafficking meth.  I don't know how the law works on that (hell, I don't know my favorite politicians' names!) - maybe you can't be prosecuted for things of that nature when you're no longer hustling/selling.  Still, it took a lot of guts.  I've seen an interview of him, and he doesn't at all strike me as someone who's looking to get his fifteen minutes of infamy.  It seems like he's sincerely just trying to point out the hypocrisy in terms of the coming election.

And as I always say and has been said in other ways here, show me a homophobe, and I'll show you a closeted homosexual.  It's tragic how he's propogated his self-loathing to so many impressionable young minds.  If nothing else, that Mike Jones brought that to an end is reason enough to find him heroic.

No, you're not. Retarded. I completely missed it.

Like: "Obama. Barrack Obama." 

And thanks for your observations on Mike Jones, too. What he did took more intestinal fortitude than I possess, and I know it. I was a little troubled that he was said to have flunked the lie detector questions that had to do with having sex with Haggard, but I guess that's a moot point since Haggard has confessed.

I cannot begin to say how much I am physically revolted by people like Ted Haggard. I'm not looking to preach a sermon here, or to offend the atheists, but, as a believer myself, I meant exactly what I said when I called him a Pharisee. If people like him don't like gays, that's their right in a free nation, but people like him who try to use religion--specifically Christianity--to cloak their reactionary social opinions/agenda while they cozy up to the ruling authorities are just like the sort of people--the Pharisees--whom Jesus of Nazareth excoriated in first-century Palestine. And they're just as blind, since they cannot see themselves in the Bible they profess to revere so much.

OK, sorry folks--out of my pulpit/off my soap box. ...

[ednbarby]

And thanks for your observations on Mike Jones, too. What he did took more intestinal fortitude than I possess, and I know it. I was a little troubled that he was said to have flunked the lie detector questions that had to do with having sex with Haggard, but I guess that's a moot point since Haggard has confessed.

I cannot begin to say how much I am physically revolted by people like Ted Haggard. I'm not looking to preach a sermon here, or to offend the atheists, but, as a believer myself, I meant exactly what I said when I called him a Pharisee. If people like him don't like gays, that's their right in a free nation, but people like him who try to use religion--specifically Christianity--to cloak their reactionary social opinions/agenda while they cozy up to the ruling authorities are just like the sort of people--the Pharisees--whom Jesus of Nazareth excoriated in first-century Palestine. And they're just as blind, since they cannot see themselves in the Bible they profess to revere so much.

I will hand it to Haggard in that he at least has confessed, only insomuch as it takes the burden of proof off of Mike Jones.  I can totally understand where he would have an emotional reaction to that question that would make the lie detector needle jump.  I'm with all the folks, really, who think it's a lousy way to prove someone guilty or innocent - they don't use it in court generally for the reason that it is so unreliable.  I think the fact that he volunteered to do it in the first place says way more than a little blip on the machine.

I despise hypocrisy in any form.  But when someone uses it to influence large numbers of people, many of them young, it absolutely infuriates me.  Is there room up there on that soapbox for me, too? 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I despise hypocrisy in any form.  But when someone uses it to influence large numbers of people, many of them young, it absolutely infuriates me.  Is there room up there on that soapbox for me, too? 

The more the merrier, Little Darlin'! Yeehaw!