Thursday, July 29, 2004
RIDING THE DONKEY
Watching Jonathan Edwards speak last night filled me with hope. I feel we can win this for all the right reasons. Up til then, I only needed one. G.W.
I do, however, have a bone to pick with the official platform detailed for the first time last night. When we ask for a health care plan, we mean a health care system, not a 1,000 dollar tax break. I mean what's that? The people in this country who live without health care do so because they can't afford it in the first place. Telling me I can have a house in the Hamptons and that you'll shoot me some cash for it later doesn't help me front the cost of the house. I can't afford 300 dollars a month now, in real time. Do something about that.
I loved Al Sharpton, my girl and I would like to see a Clinton/Sharpton tour, and Mellencamp...what was that line in "Smalltown"? "My wife was thirteen when I wrote this song.." Classic. The original line being about his ex-wife, he changed it, refreshingly honest self examination John. That's one great thing about being Democrat, you don't have to be ashamed of your sexuality, and we owe that to Jack and Bill. Bring on the dancing girls......
Bottom line, a vote for Kerry is a vote for somebody who in real life didn't leave anyone behind. I'm now leaning away from my previous lesser of two evils stance into believing that this guy might actually be a good choice.
Watching Jonathan Edwards speak last night filled me with hope. I feel we can win this for all the right reasons. Up til then, I only needed one. G.W.
I do, however, have a bone to pick with the official platform detailed for the first time last night. When we ask for a health care plan, we mean a health care system, not a 1,000 dollar tax break. I mean what's that? The people in this country who live without health care do so because they can't afford it in the first place. Telling me I can have a house in the Hamptons and that you'll shoot me some cash for it later doesn't help me front the cost of the house. I can't afford 300 dollars a month now, in real time. Do something about that.
I loved Al Sharpton, my girl and I would like to see a Clinton/Sharpton tour, and Mellencamp...what was that line in "Smalltown"? "My wife was thirteen when I wrote this song.." Classic. The original line being about his ex-wife, he changed it, refreshingly honest self examination John. That's one great thing about being Democrat, you don't have to be ashamed of your sexuality, and we owe that to Jack and Bill. Bring on the dancing girls......
Bottom line, a vote for Kerry is a vote for somebody who in real life didn't leave anyone behind. I'm now leaning away from my previous lesser of two evils stance into believing that this guy might actually be a good choice.
Comments:
Since the conventions, both Rep & Dem, are really big commercials I'm not going to watch either, but I am glad the real election process is underway. More because I want to get it over with as quickly as possible and get back to governing vs. polling. I say this no matter who prevails in Nov.
Rightbackatya's quote of Bill Clinton bears some truth. Fareed Zakaria shared the same thought in his 9/11 report analysis in Newsweek this week. We have executed all the military operations we can in the war on terrorism. The remaining battles will center on combined American and internationally efforts. This means adopting a common plan, incorporating and sharing intelligence, agreement on international law that is truly applicable and at the same time tough, etc...
Despite all the public press about how angry everybody might be at the U.S., our relationships with the friendly's out there is not anywhere close to being on the rocks. It's no different than brothers and sisters fighting with each other. Epic soap operas are played out, and it all fades back to normalcy at some point. Because of the secular nature of many European gov't's, and assuming Kerry usurps Bush, the U.S. will no longer be the only one to hate in the eyes of the terrorists. If Kerry is victorious, Al Queda will assume that they had something to do with it. They will certainly get back to the business of equal opportunity terrorizing. Islam is a fast growing faith that has more penetration in Europe second only to Africa. Unfortunately, with this influx the extremists will come along with the moderates (funny how this works since most migrate to Europe and elsewhere to escape the extremism in their home countries, especially female Muslims). When, not if, this happens Europe will need the U.S. as much as we need them in the war on terror. We need to be there and not get bogged down in the BS of today�s current blame game.
Whomever wins in Nov., solidifying our diplomatic position will need to be priority one. If Bush does get re-elected, the country will need to support him in the effort. The cold shoulder we're getting now will remain until the Nov. decision. Europe wants to know whom they will be dealing with before they come back to mother America�s arms, their longtime friend. They will come back that is for certain even if it's W who ekes out victory in the fall. They just want to flex this last muscle and make their point. It's the new global pecking order and it�s healthy.
Can't agree with you more on the health care thing. Tax breaks are felt more by people who own property and have families. Real improvement will only be felt when single marginal wage earners can go visit a doctor and not have to rack up bills that they can't pay on the spot, not in April. It will be successful only when an individual sees a reduction in his monthly premium bill. Enough with the tax break stuff. Since most who need the relief aren't paying much tax anyway, how are they going to benefit form this approach? It's a smoke screen.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rev. Al on SNL a few weeks back, but I have a hard time forgiving him and Vernon Mason for what they did to Steven Pagonas during the Tawana Brawley thing. It was front-page news in the Middletown Times-Herald Record for months, and it proved to be a sham. Brawley should have been charged for faking the whole thing and wasn't. Many people who were doing nothing but telling the truth and defending the salacious allegations these guys were tossing out had their lives ruined as a result. It was tan demount to falsely accusing someone of child molestation and what happens to the accused in the wake. I'm glad to see that Al is being better behaved an gaining respect within his party, but he needs to apologize to the public before he will be elected to anything meaningful.
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Rightbackatya's quote of Bill Clinton bears some truth. Fareed Zakaria shared the same thought in his 9/11 report analysis in Newsweek this week. We have executed all the military operations we can in the war on terrorism. The remaining battles will center on combined American and internationally efforts. This means adopting a common plan, incorporating and sharing intelligence, agreement on international law that is truly applicable and at the same time tough, etc...
Despite all the public press about how angry everybody might be at the U.S., our relationships with the friendly's out there is not anywhere close to being on the rocks. It's no different than brothers and sisters fighting with each other. Epic soap operas are played out, and it all fades back to normalcy at some point. Because of the secular nature of many European gov't's, and assuming Kerry usurps Bush, the U.S. will no longer be the only one to hate in the eyes of the terrorists. If Kerry is victorious, Al Queda will assume that they had something to do with it. They will certainly get back to the business of equal opportunity terrorizing. Islam is a fast growing faith that has more penetration in Europe second only to Africa. Unfortunately, with this influx the extremists will come along with the moderates (funny how this works since most migrate to Europe and elsewhere to escape the extremism in their home countries, especially female Muslims). When, not if, this happens Europe will need the U.S. as much as we need them in the war on terror. We need to be there and not get bogged down in the BS of today�s current blame game.
Whomever wins in Nov., solidifying our diplomatic position will need to be priority one. If Bush does get re-elected, the country will need to support him in the effort. The cold shoulder we're getting now will remain until the Nov. decision. Europe wants to know whom they will be dealing with before they come back to mother America�s arms, their longtime friend. They will come back that is for certain even if it's W who ekes out victory in the fall. They just want to flex this last muscle and make their point. It's the new global pecking order and it�s healthy.
Can't agree with you more on the health care thing. Tax breaks are felt more by people who own property and have families. Real improvement will only be felt when single marginal wage earners can go visit a doctor and not have to rack up bills that they can't pay on the spot, not in April. It will be successful only when an individual sees a reduction in his monthly premium bill. Enough with the tax break stuff. Since most who need the relief aren't paying much tax anyway, how are they going to benefit form this approach? It's a smoke screen.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rev. Al on SNL a few weeks back, but I have a hard time forgiving him and Vernon Mason for what they did to Steven Pagonas during the Tawana Brawley thing. It was front-page news in the Middletown Times-Herald Record for months, and it proved to be a sham. Brawley should have been charged for faking the whole thing and wasn't. Many people who were doing nothing but telling the truth and defending the salacious allegations these guys were tossing out had their lives ruined as a result. It was tan demount to falsely accusing someone of child molestation and what happens to the accused in the wake. I'm glad to see that Al is being better behaved an gaining respect within his party, but he needs to apologize to the public before he will be elected to anything meaningful.
