TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST

Joe Biden made a comment the other day in reference to a possible crisis after “President Obama” takes office. The words Joe used have led to a furor over his choice of using the word “tested.” Huh? The right-wingers and commentators immediately jumped on the terminology to say “Wow, lookie, even Obama’s running mate doesn’t think he is ready for a crisis.”

Here is Biden’s statement:

“Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. . . . Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. . . . We’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

The Republican response borders on idiocy. The definition of “test” is:

1. the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.

2. the trial of the quality of something: to put to the test.

Okay, and are the right-wingers saying that if McCain is put into office, this won’t be a test for him either? Come on, no president ever faces these kinds of tests until he is in office. No matter what political office a president holds before he is elected, it does not involve international crises.

When it comes to foreign affairs that involve international matters, the President is charged with working solo with the advice of others on how to manage international affairs. Governors don’t enter into treaties or take action against foreign entities. Senators and Representatives don’t directly deal with foreign governments during a crisis.

No amount of experience on McCain’s part makes him any more equipped to handle a “test” than Obama’s experience. When it comes to a foreign crisis, they are on equal footing. After all, McCain has never handled a foreigh crisis – that task is left up to the President and that role is established in the Constitution.

The hysterical Republicans are grasping at anything that moves.

McCAIN AND ATTACK ADS – HE SURE GETS IT – HE JUST DOESN’T PRACTICE IT

Here is a short video of McCain addressing the issue of attack ads from his 2000 campaign. I guess he has forgotten how he felt about them then. Hat tip to my brother.

Wow, sooner or later the public figures out you don’t have much of a vision for the future or you aren’t ready to articulate it.

You Betcha!

REPUBLICANS CRY “CHICKEN LITTLE” OVER CHECKS AND BALANCES IN GOVERNMENT

I have listened with fascination and outright astonishment over the past few weeks to Republican naysayers – right, middle, and left – scream about the evils of concentrating power by electing sufficient numbers to give one party – the Democrats – control of the two bodies of Congress and the presidency as well.

As the election gets closer, and it becomes more obvious that Obama has taken a commanding lead, the desperate shrieks, moans, and cries of McCain, Palin, and company have grown even louder. Republican candidates who are now in trouble have turned to commercials alleging the dangers of “one-party” control.

Elizabeth Dole, now in danger of losing her once-thought-to-be-secure senate seat, has released a commercial arguing that electing Kay Hagan will bring the Democrats ever closer to that bogeyman of checks and balances – the one-party control. Yep, they have now decided that one-party control is “evil.”

But what they conveniently forget to mention is that for several years, from 2002 through 2006, the Republicans controlled all three entities. Funny now that the shoe may slip to the other foot, the Republicans are playing Chicken Little, whipping their constituencies into a frenzy about the dire consequences of one-party control of the House, Senate, and the Presidency.

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Year – Congress – President – Senate (R) – House (R)

2005 — 109th —- Bush —-R-55—–R-232

2003 — 108th —- Bush —-R-51—–R-229

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The above numbers show Republican control of the Senate and House from the November elections of 2002 through the elections of 2006.

A more extensive table can be found at this site.

True to form, McCain and Palin – without any plans for the economy – are now exhorting their crowds to take up the cry of the “one-party” control mantra in attempts to instill overriding fear in the American voter.

So, now that the tables are close to being turned, the hypocritical Republicans shriek about the evils of one-party control. Is there any topic that McPalin won’t exploit? Especially since neither Republican candidate has anything of worth to say?

Their backs against the wall, the Republicans are now trashing the one-party control bogeyman that they so handsomely exploited for years.

Photo credit: Google images

WAYNE TOWNSHIP HEALTHY CITIES HEALTH FAIR AND VETERANS STAND DOWN

Today was the 18th annual Healthy Cities Health Fair and Veterans Stand Down at the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office. I had to stop at my work before I went to the Trustee’s Office, so I drove by the Trustee’s Office on my way to see how many people were already in line. I expected that there would already be quite a few.

At 9:10 a.m., the line already stretched into the parking lot – the rain was cold and drizzling down. Many were standing in line without umbrellas or hats. Children accompanied the adults. I immediately felt a pang of sadness to see so many who were in need of care.

I arrived at about 9:30 a.m., and I spent several hours assisting and directing veterans and others to find the proper rooms for the medical care they needed. The medical care is always located in the Trustee’s Office with the clothing and the food located out in a huge tent put up for the event. The clothing is divided into two sections with one section for non-veterans and the other section for veterans.

Many of those in need were Burmese. Fort Wayne has the largest concentration of pro-democracy Burmese dissidents in the United States. The Burmese population numbers about 3,000. Aided by Catholic Charities and other refugee-assistance groups, they began moving to Fort Wayne in large numbers after a pro-democracy uprising in Burma was put down in 1988 by the ruling military junta.

Photo Credit: Burmaissues.org

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We had only a few translators to help the Burmese, and I would imagine that there aren’t too many in the City who have bi-lingual skills when it comes to speaking Burmese.

THE VETERANS STAND DOWN

A stand down is a suspension and relaxation from an alert state or a state of readiness. In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s estimated 200,000 homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets.

The hand up, not a handout philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of thousands of volunteers and numerous organizations throughout the nation. The first Stand Down was organized in 1988 by a group of Vietnam veterans in San Diego. Since then, Stand Downs have been used as an effective tool in reaching out to homeless veterans, reaching more than 200,000 veterans and their family members between 1994-2000.

The fact that the Stand Down began in San Diego doesn’t surprise me because I have been to San Diego a couple of times when my second youngest son was in the Navy. I had flown out the first time with my youngest son to attend the graduation of my son who was completing his “boot camp.” His girlfriend at the time also joined us. As we toured some of the streets, a veteran with a backpack came up to us. He began to talk to us, and he continued to talk to me, in particular, as we walked across the street.

He was a Vietnam veteran, and he was homeless. When we reached the other side, he gave me a hug and thanked me for talking to him. I think it unnerved my sons. Maybe they thought he was going to hurt me or something, but I wasn’t afraid. It sounds silly, but I feel a real connection to veterans, in general, and to those who served in Vietnam, in particular – my generation.

Photo credit: Dept. of Veterans Affairs – Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Every year I have worked at the event, I come home with such an appreciation for all I have. And, I come home angry – angry at a system that has the means to provide health care for all but is too greed driven to provide it.

Almost 47 million Americans were without health care in 2005. Health care costs are far higher in the United States than in any other advanced nation, whether measured in total dollars spent, as a percentage of the economy, or on a per capita basis. And health costs here have been rising significantly faster than the overall economy or personal incomes for more than 40 years.

But health care isn’t the only issue addressed at the Fair and Stand Down. The participants also are provided a hot meal of a number of selections. Something so simple, most of us never think about the importance of food. Yet, we live in a society that throws away tons of food a day. According to the USDA, just over a quarter of the country’s food – about 25.9 million tons – gets thrown in the garbage can every year. There is no justification for this much waste. It is inexcusable and unacceptable.

So, another year down, and another year of wondering how on earth we can justify the lack of health care for those in need and the homeless who still roam our streets and sleep under bridges. I will go back again next year, and I will again be reminded just how much I have for which I am thankful.

THE INVASION OF THE “GOD” PLATES

As usual, I waited until the last minute to get my license plate. I had called the license branch at Pine Valley to see if – just by some stoke of luck – I didn’t need the whole thing. But as luck would have it – or no luck in this case – I was told I had to get the plate and not just the sticker.

I have really gotten used to the ease of using one of the kiosks to get my sticker, so I was really dreading traipsing out to the Pine Valley license branch, waiting for heaven knows how long, and then getting my plate. But I didn’t want an expired plate ticket, so I took my lunch break and started on my way.

I had to wait about 15 minutes in line. The kicker here is that when the Guv brags about how fast customers are serviced, it doesn’t count the wait in line; the “we can service you better” kicks in when you get to the nice person who politely asks you what you need. Then you take a seat and wait. And the clock starts ticking on how long it will take to call your name and provide what you need.

Fortunately, I remembered what the couple who was in front of me looked like, so I kept an eye on them. I knew when they got called, I would more than likely be next. That worked out well, and my name was called after about a 20-minute wait.

I provided my registration information and my insurance information. But just to digress here a moment – when customers are asked if they still have the same insurance all you have to do is answer “yes.” I acutally had my insurance card out to provide as evidence but wasn’t even asked for it. How do they know you aren’t lying?

Anyways, the process was pretty much complete except for getting my plate. The woman pulled out a plain, white truck plate with black lettering. Pretty nondescript and boring. I was hoping for the new Indiana plate which had the following design. But I didn’t get it. Instead I got the truck plate.

But the worker wasn’t quite done. She then pulled out the “God” plate. She told me I could have that one instead. I already knew I was going to reject it, so I politely told her I didn’t want it. But look at how nicely colored the State has made this plate – at taxpayer expense. The “God” plate is a freebie – it is not considered a specialty plate requiring payment of a fee.

Now, I don’t care if you want the red, white, and blue God plate. Just don’t make me use my tax dollars to supply it. It is a specialty plate, and people who want it should have to pay the fee. The court case is still in the system, but I will almost bet you that the justices will be too afraid of a lightening bolt to rule against the plate.

And here is another perk of the God plate. It can be put on trucks, cars, and recreational vehicles. Not so the pretty blue Indiana plate – it can only be put on passenger cars. So not only can you get a God plate at taxpayer expense, you can put it on almost any vehicle you own. Quite an edge. So, I picked up my plain white truck plate with the classic black lettering and left.

On my way back to work, I started noticing just how many God plates are out there. And why not? The higher ups must be afraid that Indiana will fall out of favor with God. Yep, “In God We Trust” is now residing on the tail ends of vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds and are capable of wreaking havoc. What better place to hope that you can, indeed, trust in God.

PRIMPING PALIN – RNC GOES INTO CLOTHING BUSINESS

The Republican National Committee has launched into a new business – that of clothing Sarah Palin. McCain’s surprise pick apparently didn’t have the panache required to be seen on the campaign trail and left the powers-that-be wondering how to snazz up the Wasilla hockey mom.

In several high-powered and high-priced shopping sprees, the RNC whipped out over $150,000 to doll up the former Alaska beauty queen with dashing duds including a whopping $75,062 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, one for $49,425 from Saks Fifth Avenue, $4,902 at Atelier, a stylish men’s store, and even a $92 romper and matching hat with ears for baby Trig at Pacifier, a Minneapolis baby store.

Of course, the RNC justifies the expenditures by alleging that Palin has to look vice presidential and that look requires shedding the hockey mom, Joe six-pack image and replacing it with the suave, polished image of a politician.

Didn’t take the hockey mom long to morph into the haute couture mom. Of course the other candidates spend tons of money on their appearance, but Palin has made it a crusade to project that down-home, folksy, just-your-average, hockey “mom” image.  Yep, nothing like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue to shout main street USA.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? DESPERATE REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO BLAME OBAMA FOR HIS NAME

I used to really hate my name. I was named after a friend of my mom and dad’s in South Whitley, and I just couldn’t understand why I was given an old, fuddy-duddy name. Growing up I answered to the likes of “Charles”, “Charlie”, Chuck”, “Chuckles”, and, in law school, I became “Char.” Probably about the only ones who called me “Charlotte” with any regularity were my parents and our grocery store customers.

But the one thing I did know was that I sure didn’t have anything to do with picking my name. So I find it interesting that the desperate Republican muckraking machine still tries to slam Obama for his name – and not his first name or his last name but that one squeezed in between – his middle name. Yes, that’s right – his middle name.

The tactic is classic Republican dirty politics. Distract the public with red herring issues – like a name – so as not to draw attention to the fact that the McPalin ticket is inept, uniformed, incompetent, uninspiring, and losing its luster – if it had any in the first place.

So let me ask you readers out there – how many of you helped your mommy and daddy pick your name? Any of you? None of you? So while Obama and Biden are campaigning to talk about real issues, the Republican dirty trick machine is still hard at work spewing hatred and fear – all based on a middle name that Obama was not asked to approve from the depths of the womb.

Photo Credit: Election Center 2008

REPUBLICANS “SPREAD THE WEALTH” TO THE RICH

Thursday night’s debate triggered an incessant nattering about Obama’s use of the phrase “spread the wealth.” I find it interesting how Republicans distort the phrase and how conveniently they overlook the fact that when tax breaks are given to the wealthiest in this country by Republicans, they are, themselves, spreading the wealth.

The problem is that the spreading on the part of the Republicans is to the top of the food chain – to the 10% who already own 71% of the wealth in this country. On the other hand, the bottom 40% own less than 1% of the nation’s wealth. A Congressional Budget Office report found families earning more than $1 million a year saw their federal tax rates drop more sharply than any group in the country as a result of President Bush’s tax cuts.

Home of Paul Allen – Co-founder of Microsoft

Photo Credit: Forbes

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The study, by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, also shows that tax rates for middle-income earners edged up in 2004, the most recent year for which data was available, while rates for people at the very top continued to decline.

Based on an exhaustive analysis of tax records and census data, the study reinforced the sense that, while Mr. Bush’s tax cuts reduced rates for people at every income level, they offered the biggest benefits by far to people at the very top — especially the top 1 percent of income earners.

Economists and tax analysts have long known that the biggest dollar value of Mr. Bush’s tax cuts goes to people at the very top income levels. One reason is that two of his signature measures, tax cuts on investment income and a steady reduction of estate taxes, overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest households.

The Tax Policy Center reports that the long-term effect of the 2001-2006 tax cuts on the distribution of income – note that the Center calls the tax cuts “distribution” – will depend on how they are paid for, but their immediate effect has been skewed in favor of those with high incomes.

In 2006, for example, the tax cuts were equivalent to 2.5 percent of after-tax income for the middle quintile of the income distribution compared with 4.1 percent of income for those in the top quintile. Households in the bottom quintile received a benefit of 0.3 percent of income.

For taxpayers in the top one percent, the benefits are scheduled to increase even more as additional cuts — primarily to the estate tax — phase in between now and 2010. Compared to pre-EGTRRA law, taxpayers in the top one percent will enjoy a 5.4 percent increase in after-tax income in 2006 and a 6.7 percent increase in 2010.

So, let’s get this straight – Republicans spread the wealth. The only difference is the hypocrisy of what Republicans call the spread of wealth. When Republicans spread the wealth through tax cuts and other measures that benefit the top 5% of the wealthy, they cleverly call it capitalism; when Democrats do the same thing to benefit the middle and lower classes, Republicans jump on their soap boxes and call it socialism.

Now let’s take a guess at which word will strike more fear into the heart of Americans? Nowhere to run – nowhere to hide. Republicans continue to use fear tactics.

Remember this clip where George Bush comments about his “elite” base?

Too bad many Americans are so afraid of the word socialism that they are ready to believe the lies told by John McCain and his crowd. Socialism spreads wealth, and so does capitalism. And, frankly, I am tired of the middle class getting the end of the knife that is doing the spreading.

ACORN TO McCAIN – YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING

McCain has recently dissed Obama for ties to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – better known as ACORN – that infamous group that is now being scapegoated for all the ills in the United States. Mortgage failures? ACORN. Investment firm failures? ACORN. Voter registration fraud? ACORN? Global warming? ACORN. Collapsing bridges? ACORN. You get the idea.

But what a surprise to learn that McCain – the nut basher – just two years ago was the key-note speaker at an ACORN sponsored event. He stood in front of a crowd containing dozens of red-shirted ACORN members and told them, “What makes America special is what’s in this room tonight.”

Me thinks he must have changed his mind. The convenience of waving the fear flag of voter fraud and scapegoating ACORN proved too much. McCain has turned on ACORN because of simple political expediency. Where did that loving feeling go?

STUPID IS AS STUPID SAYS – BOB GRANT AND THE OBAMA FLAG

Well, now I have heard everything in the way of trying to trash Barack Obama. The following is a comment from a poster at Townhall.com, a right-wing blog.

Not to be outdone, the right-wing radio host, Bob Grant, was offended – and adamant – that Barack Obama was standing in front of a red, white, and blue flag with an “O” in the middle. Grant used his air time to spout the drivel that Obama had created his own flag.

Can these right-wingers get any crazier in their attempts at discrediting Obama? Obama was standing in front of the flag of the great state of Ohio – our sister state to the east. As Michelle Malkin, the conservative blogmistress, said, “Relax folks, That’s not an “Obama flag.” It’s the state flag of Ohio.”

Ouch – I bet that hurt. Malkin would have loved to have jumped on that bandwagon. Unfortunately, the bandwagon didn’t have any wheels.

Servicemen in Iraq with Obama Ohio flag