Thanks : )

Do you still have that article? I'd like to check it out, feel free to post what you come across... : )

No worries here. : ) My birthday was on the 10th and hanging out/doing whatnot with friends kind of spilled over into tonight, so lots of catching up to do and more links to post tomorrow when I regain consciousness... ; )

We seem to have gone dead here on the political front. I know it can get boring but it's important. Personally I watched the entire Republican convention because I believed that would be the only way that I could have an objective view. I am not closed minded. I am obviously a Democrat. I would love to have viewpoints from the right and left and I believe we should respect those views and have an honest discussion. I look at my two children and realize that it's about their future. What do you think? To get the discussion going here's an article. Please don't be swayed by my own political disposition, the future is too important. Let us all know your thoughts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/opinion/12krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=sl...

Ha! That was a great analogy, Carolyn.

The problem with this (and really, any) election is that people don't vote with their minds. Isn't it interesting that in the age of the Internet and 24-hour news channels, a lot of people don't bother to educate themselves? You wouldn't believe the number of people in Oklahoma who still insist Barack Obama is a secret Muslim. One of my sister-in-law's students told her that her (the student's) dad says Obama is the anti-Christ.

It's like a bad dream, isn't it?

Ani

I'm sure the "straight talk express" will get lower but:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccain-palin_distorts_our_findin...

I would fact check that one if I were you Kent. The difference between the two videos is that one is in the candidate's own words, the other is an opinion piece/spin. Personally I feel there's no debunking videotaped outright lying, an opinion piece is subjective (I'm sure the "facts" have been hotly disputed).

Pretty interesting stuff on You Tube about McCain and Palin.I stumbled across this one on Obama , check it out. yahoo search :The Video That Barack Obama DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE ! Search Yahoo video's and if it is true the proof is in the pudding !

and three minutes of fun (I promise I'm done now)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c&eurl

and before we get to the "Obama wants to teach sex education to kindergartners" post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/mccain-ad-cites-articles_n_1252...

...wow. WOW. Way to take a stand, McCain. You might want to get rid of the guy partially responsible for the crisis before going off about it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/09/mccain-lobby-fannie-freddie/

Yes he did, but read it in context. Also note that McCain has said the same thing - http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/obama_did_not_call_...) - ISSUES, ISSUES, ISSUES!!! Please read Senator Sander's speech below. There are serious issues facing this country, if it's about spin and finger pointing instead of substantive conversations then there's only one loser - the American people.

My wife Rachel just came home and she is very upset because on the conservative radio show they reported Obama made a statement today "If you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig" .Is this true or just another smear by the parties to sway votes ? If it is true the backfire on Obama will be huge with women.Rachel tells me McCain is now up 15% with independants.I read Curts link and it does show the Democrats to be fiscally more conservative than Republicans historically which surprised me.I'll keep reviewing the facts the next two months.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has a new fan. : ) I'm having a hard time reading that and seeing anyone besides Obama taking those issues on and addressing them the way they *need* to be addressed. I'm hoping we can see are return to the actual policy positions and real issues involving the candidates and the election itself. I don't think I can handle one more "news" blog or website wasting space on an article talking about Palin's choice of earrings.

A sane voice amidst the madness. Thank you Sen. Bernie Sanders:

The corporate media would have us believe, based on their coverage, that the most important issues in this presidential campaign are political tactics and the "character" of the four candidates. But what is at stake right now is not primarily the life stories of Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin. An election is not a soap opera which deals with the trials and tribulations of the candidates and their family members. Election coverage must not descend into becoming a pre-game football show, one which deals only with "who's going to win" polling data and never-ending tactical discussions of "what the candidate must do" to win this or that state.

In a democracy, elections are not beauty pageants or reality shows, or soap operas for political junkies. Elections are the real business of democracy, and they should be about real things.

Without sounding too corny, what this election is about is the well-being of hundreds of millions of Americans and about what kind of country we will be leaving to our kids and grandchildren. And, at a time of global warming and severe environmental problems, this campaign is also about whether our planet survives in a condition that can sustain human life in the decades and centuries to come.

Given all that is at stake, as American citizens we must demand that the media not continue to trivialize our democratic process, dumb down coverage and, in the process, deflect attention away from the most important issues impacting our lives. This election must, first and foremost, be about the needs of the American people. As Vermont's senator and the longest-serving Independent in American congressional history, let me lay out what I believe some of those issues are:

In the United States today, the middle-class is shrinking, poverty is increasing and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider. There are many economists who believe that, if we do not reverse course, for the first time in modern history our children will have a lower standard of living than their parents. Our country also has the dubious distinctions of having both the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world and more people in jail than any other country. Question: What specific ideas do the candidates have as to how we can grow the middle class and create good paying jobs, while protecting our children and the most vulnerable members of our society?

In the United States today, 46 million Americans have no health insurance, even more are underinsured, and we are the only major country on earth without universal coverage. Health care costs are soaring despite the fact that we already spend twice as much per person as any other country. Many employers, large and small, are now cutting back on the coverage they provide their employees making a tough economy even tougher for millions of workers. Question: Do the candidates believe that all Americans are entitled to health care as a right of citizenship? What are their plans for assuring that quality health care is delivered in a cost-effective manner?

Most of the leading scientists in the world believe that global warming, if not reversed, will lead to severe weather disturbances, flooding, drought, hunger, and mass human migration. These scientists also believe that global warming is a more threatening problem than previously perceived, and that bold action is needed to reverse greenhouse gas emissions. Question: Do the candidates believe that global warming is real and a man-made phenomenon? If so, what specific actions are they proposing to reverse global warming? On a related energy issue, what ideas do they have to make our country energy independent?

The United States is now in the sixth year of the war in Iraq, the Taliban is gaining military strength in Afghanistan, the political situation in Pakistan is becoming more unstable, Russia and Georgia have just completed a bloody war, and little progress has been made in easing tensions between Israel and her neighbors. Question: What are the principles that will guide the candidates' foreign policy? What specific steps will they take to combat international terrorism? How will they restore America's position in the international community and help create a more peaceful world?

These are just a few of the major issues facing our nation. I realize there are many more. It seems to me that no matter what our political views are, or what we may consider the most important issues to be, as a democratic society we must demand of the media and the candidates that this campaign focus on the great challenges facing our country and the world. Gossip, melodrama and political tactics just won't do.

Today many media outlets are reporting John McCain ahead in the polls by a slim margin and what is surprising even more to me is on economic issues before the convention Obama on average was polling 19% better than McCain and is now polling only 3% higher.If McCain didn't have to deal with the Bush-Cheney Republican administration being so unpopular he would I feel be up by a much greater margin , unfortunately he has them attached to his party. Palin is now going to be touring with McCain because of her large crowds she is bringing in similar to Obama.Kent