The McCain campaign excluded several names this morning sending the pundits speculative minds in a tizzy.  Alaskan governor Sarah Palin is a staunch conservative.  It appears as if the McCain decided to roll the dice on this pick. Sarah Palin is a 44 year old first term governor from Alaska and a rookie on the national stage.   She is pro-life and catholic.  The question is can this woman be president of the United States.   Sen. McCain is 72 years old today. 

Today is the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.  On this historic day Senator Barack Obama will officially accept the Democratic Party nomination to be the party representative in the general election to become the President of the United States.  And ProgressPolitics will be there.  This marks the first time that an African-American has ever achieved this high honor and this writer predicts that there will not be a dry eye in the house.  As an African-American that will be sitting in the audience during this once in a lifetime experience, it is impossible to explain the range of emotions that are going through me right now.  Pride, Excitement, Optimism, and Joy are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind.  There are many people who have worked tirelessly for Sen Barack Obama because of his vision, his character, and his plan to return America to its former greatness.  All we can say is that this is the first step for many of us.  For many African-Americans who have never seen a person that looked like us in such a position, I would say that the predominate emotion is pride.  Sen. Obama has reached this great milestone not by changing who he is but because of who he is.  As a African-American male raised by a single mother, this is an all to common way that many African-Americans start out.   Witnessing someone who came from such humble beginnings achieve this great thing sends a message to every African-American child that anything and everything is possible regardless of how you start out.  The pundits may decide to try and spin this, by pundits I mean the Right (Fox, Limbaugh, Hannity), because of the size of the stadium and the aestetics of the venue but the truth is that Sen. Barack Obama is a candidate of the people.  It is the blood, sweat, and tears of millions that will have put Sen. Obama on the Invesco Field stage tonight.  The idea that it is a mistake to allow them to partake in this historic occasion is absolutely ludicrous.  There are thousands upon thousands of people who want to witness this historic event and to limit it to only a few people would be an injustice to all the volunteers and voters who are responsible for Sen. Obama being there.  For the first time in history we have an African-American of a major party as an official contender for President of the United States.   We are in the beginnings of a “dream” realized.

Ladies and Gentleman we give you Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!        

Progress.

The natives were restless in Denver today in anticipation of what the former President Bill Clinton. Fear no more because Bill Clinton HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK!!!!   The audience went wild during several point sin his speech.  Congressman Meeks introduced President Bill Clinton. The former president expressed his honor to be appearing at the convention.  He then said that he is here first to support Barack Obama and second to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden.  President Clinton then said that he will do everything he can to elect Barack Obama for president.  The former president reiterated that the nation is in trouble and that our position in the world has been weakened.  President Clinton then said that the job of the next president is to rebuild the American dream and restore our leadership in the world Clinton then stated with conviction that Barack Obama is the man for this job.  The former  President said that Barack Obama is ready to lead and honor the oath to preserve, honor, and defend the Constitution of the United States.  The President received a standing ovation several times during his speech.  And the coupe de gras, Clinton stated indisputably that “Barack Obama is ready to be the President of the United States.”  President Clinton emphasized the importance of diplomacy first in this new world.  It was a great performance by President Clinton.  The torch has been passed. 

There was quite a bit of anticipation for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s speech last night amongst the chattering class.  Punditville was falling all over themselves hoping for something, something unexpected to happen so that they would be able to chatter about it for a few weeks.  We can tell you that the mood on the floor of the convention was not as a buzz as the chattering class is reporting.  As a matter of fact there is really no drama at all.  The mood on the streets and in the Convention hall is excitment and gratitude that the democratic party has such a great candidate.  There have been a few protests but they are usually par for the course at any party convention.  Anyway, back to Sen. Clinton’s speech.  Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother, and Sen Clinton came out to thundering applause.  The speech was well received by the delegates and all the other attendees lucky enough to secure credentials.  We stood just behind Governor of Virgina Tim Kaine and Virginia Congressman Jim Moran.  Both of whom seemed pleased by the speech.  We also interviewed a few Clinton delegates afterwards to get their opinion.  Most of whom said that they are democrats first and will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama in the fall.  One said that she will be voting for Sen. Obama but needs a little more time to come to terms with the idea that her 92 year old mother might not see the first female president.  This particular delegate also said that she would not be able to vote for John McCain given his position on several key issues that are deal breakers for her.  We also spoke with Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York who said that the speech was great.  He also said that he thought that Clinton’s speech hit just the right note because it gave people reasons to be for Sen. Obama rather than to simply vote for Sen. Obama.  Sen. Schumer went on to say that the speech had substance and stressed the importance of helping the middle class.  He said that the speech was “well done, well thought out, and given with real conviction.”  Finally the Senator of New York concluded that “it wasn’t easy to do.” We also spoke briefly with Gov. Bll Richardson of New Mexico who said that the speech was “well done.” 

There were a few celebrities in attendance including Richard Dreyfuss and Jane Seymour.

Yesterday was the 88th anniversary of women’s right to vote and the platform for the Democratic Party Convention was all about women. The day started out with a women’s caucus featuring Mame Reilly of Virginia moderating. The caucus focused on all the accomplishes in the United States since women received the right to vote. It also emphasized the stakes of this election. It was repeated that John McCain voted against women on the equal pay for equal work bill before the Senate. Also, the importance actress Fran Dresher emphasized how important it is for the government not to legislate women’s bodies by taking away the right to choose. Ms. Dresher told her personal story of how she hates that her right to choose was taken because of a radical histerectomy and how women in general will also hate if their right to choose is taken by electing McCain. Dresher said that women should not allow the goverment to take their right to choose by electing John McCain as president. Ann Richards daughter, Cecile Richards electrified the caucus when she spoke about her mother and the many reasons for choosing Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain. Richards also empasized the record of Sen. Barack Obama on women’s issues. Obama voted for birth control, comprehensive women’s health education, and a women’s right to chose. Richards told how Sen. McCain has voted against women’s healthcare 125 times. She also reiterated that McCain wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, the quote of the day from Richards was when she said “a woman voting for John McCain is like a chicken voting for Cornel Sanders.” Other speakers were United States Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. There was also a tribute to United States Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio.

As a brown-skinned woman, Michelle Obama made me very proud last night. The prospective first lady alighted the stage with grace and dignity. She began telling her story about growing up in the south side of Chicago and all the sacrifices that her parents made so that her and her brother would accomplish great things. She talked about the challenges of her father who was struck with MS at 30 years old. She talked about her passion for public service and how she left the big law firm because she wanted to give back. She emphasized how much she loves this country and how nowhere else in thie world would her story be possible. She also empasized her family as her top priority. Mrs. Obama did it with a gracefulness that was illuminating. Being on the floor with all the energy was absolutely amazing. Witnessing Mrs. Obama hit every point that she needed to hit made it the most memorable speech given by a prospective first lady that I have ever heard. She handled herself with grace, style, and dignity. When Mrs. Obama hit the stage the crowd went absolutely wild. Mrs. Obama had the crowd with her and everyone in the convention hall, from what this writer observed, exuded excitement. Mrs. Obama told her personal story in a direct and deeply personal way. She reminded us all why we are so inspired and excited by her husband. Then to top it off her two little girls, Malia and Sasha, hit the stage and gave a real peek into the lives of the Obama family. It was absolutely AMAZING!!

The Democratic Party of Virginia welcomed it’s Virginia delegation like no other. Virginia kicked off the convention with a bar-b-que and concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Red Rocks is Denver’s natural, and geologically formed, iconic outdoor concert theatre. Green Sunday at Red Rocks featured Laurie David and performances by artists Cheryl Crow, Sugarland, and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds. Pictures to follow

It’s official.  ObamaBiden 2008.  After ABC news reported that the Secret Service had been dispatched to Sen. Biden last night, it was confirmed by sources connected to the Obama campaign that the Delaware senator is the pick. The official text was sent out at 3:05am.  Obama has told sources that he made his choice while on vacation in Hawaii.  Sen. Biden is a roman catholic born in Scranton, Pennsylvania who rides the Amtrak to work everyday from Delaware.  Biden is reported to be the “poorest” senator on capitol hill earning about $300, 000 annually.  The Delaware senator will be an asset to Obama in reaching out to the working class voters.   By senate standards, Biden is working class.  Biden serves as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and served as a Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the past. Biden clearly has the foreign relations gravitas that compliments the ticket well.  Sen. Biden will appear with Sen. Obama on Saturday in Springfield, Illinois.  The next question will be if Sen. Biden will run for his Delaware senate seat while running as VP.  My guess is yes.

The United States Secret Service has dispatched a protective detail to assume the immediate protection of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a source tells ABC News, indicating in all likelihood that Biden has been officially notified that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has selected him to be his running mate.

Sources also tell ABC News that two others said to be finalists for the position of Obama’s running mate — Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Virginia Gov Tim Kaine — have been told they have not been selected to be Obama’s running mate.

A couple of unnamed sources close to Sen. John McCain say that he has settled for Mitt Romney as his VP according to Mark Halperin at Time.  

My guess is that the McCain campaign is releasing this information now because it is trying to change the subject from the fact that the Arizona senator is out of touch.   So out of touch that he can’t keep track of the number of houses that he owns and so out of touch that a $3 million dollar income equals middle class. McCains world…party time…Excellent!

Sen. John McCain is living in a dream world where the the rest of us live in the real one.  McCain lives in the world of eight million dollar homes, $125 million fortune, $580 Ferragamo shoes, a $3 million dollar income equals middle class, the “fundamentals of our economy are strong”, America is filled with a “nation of whiners”, there is no Abramoff scandle, he was not having cake with Bush on an Arizona tarmac when Katrina hit, there was no McCain pro-Iraq war vote/support before the Surge, every response to conflict is a military one……….Party On!  This is the person who purports to feel the pain of the average American yet he cannot be bothered to keep up with the number of homes that he owns.  How can the Arizona senator identify with the struggles of the average person?  From all the comments that McCain and his surrogates have given with respect to the economy, veterans, etc., McCain appears to be a person who could not be less in touch with the challenges of Joe and Sue Public.  If you can’t identify with the average person how do you shape policy affecting him or her.  We have had eight years of Bush policies favoring his and McCain’s peers, the 100 million dollar men, its time to draft and implement policies that benefit the majority of the American people.  McCain has been deemed a “maverick” by the media because he has bucked his party on a few occasions in the past.  But the issues McCain purportedly bucked his party on have little to do with the fact that we have a record deficit resulting from the spending policies, agreed to by Sen. McCain, and implemented by a republican controlled Congress and White House.  Bush and McCain are one and the same when it comes to fiscal and foreign policy.  Though Bush-McCain project a facade of being the guy you can have a beer with and the guy who will fight for the average American, nothing can be further from the truth.  Both are out of touch with most Americans and are missing the empathy gene when it comes to the pain of the typical American during this economic downturn. 

After eight years of Bush, we are not deserving………we’re not deserving!…….we’re not deserving………of Sen. John McCain.  It’s time for the Bush policies that are being  lovingly embraced by Sen. McCain to fade-out (insert arms waving in front of face).

Former National Security Council counter-terrorism adviser and Obama supporter, Richard Clarke, spoke yesterday about the judgment of John McCain.  Clark monikers the Arizona senator “quick draw McCain” due to his eagerness to go to war with Iraq after 9/11.  Apparently, McCain was pushing for war with Iraq while the Bush administration was merely thinking about the possibility.  Clarke went on to say that McCain and other neocons are one of the reasons that Bush went to war with Iraq in the first place.  This is why McCain has the reputation as a war monger.  And there is a strong possibility that McCain plans to staff these wars of his……….by reinstating the draft.  When asked about the draft yesterday, McCain indicated that he would be open to the idea.  Last September when asked about the draft, McCain said “I might consider it, I don’t think it’s necessary, but I might consider it if you could design a draft where everybody equally could serve.”  I guess you would have to consider it if war is your first line of defense in dealing with conflict.  One wonders how many wars American can be involved in at one time.  Lets see, we’re in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Russia may be possibilities (depending on who wins the White House)……..after all when McCain looks in Putin’s eyes he “sees a K…a G..and a B,” nice way to approach the negotiation table.  It is statements like the former that are telling when it comes to the judgement McCain would provide in the White House.  It appears that if McCain had his way he would take us back to the Cold War.  The Arizona senator has also promised that “there will be more wars.”  Personally the idea of another President who uses military might as a first line of defense is very scary given our current national security situation and the state of our economy.  The military does not like wars and there is a reason why the majority of such military support Sen. Obama for president.  We already have China paying for the wars that we are currently fighting.  Our military is already overstretched.  This is a new global environment that is constantly changing, we need a leader who is capable of adapting.  Does anyone see McCain as an adaptable kind of guy?  I didn’t think so.  We also must use other ways to get along with the world community.  We are all for a strong defense but our defense and our nation is weakened if we continue to engage in useless wars.  We found out with the Bush administration that a President can enter us into a war under false pretences, so we must make sure that we have a person with a global perspective holding that position.  Sen. McCain has demonstrated that he has a penchant for war.  We have just had seven and a half years of cowboy diplomacy………and………….this past year, Sen. John McCain has voted with Pres. Bush 100% of the time……..100%!  By McCain’s own admission, he has voted with Bush 95% of the time throughout Bush’s tenure in office. Do we really want someone in the White House that voted with George Bush 95% of the time?  How is that not a continuation of the policies of the Bush administration?  In what universe does that represent change?  We have to ask if the person has the intellectual capacity and temperament to be the leader of the free world?  We need to rebuild our moral standing through our willingness to engage and work with leaders, adversaries and friends, of other nations.  We cannot do that with a hair-trigger finger on the war gun.

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio died this evening.  The Congresswoman was rushed to the hospital this afternoon after suffering from an massive aneurysm and brain hemorrhage.  The doctors reported later in the afternoon that there was no brain activity and that she was being kept alive by life support and a ventilator.  It was just reported that the Congresswoman died this evening.  Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the first African-American to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and to represent the state of Ohio in Congress.  Congresswoman Tubbs Jones also was the Chairwoman of the House Ethics committee.  Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was just 58 years old.  Our deepest sympathies to her family.  The following statement was released by the Tubbs Jones family:

Tubbs Jones Family, Huron Hospital and Cleveland Clinic

August 20, 2008 – 6:40 p.m.

“Throughout the course of the day and into this evening, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones’ medical condition declined. Medical doctors and neurosurgeons from Huron Hospital and Cleveland Clinic sadly report that at 6:12 p.m. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones died.

She dedicated her life in public service to helping others and will continue to do so through organ donations.

Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”

Most of us have heard the the rampant speculation about the possibility of John McCain picking a pro-life vice presidential candidate.  The two most popular names being put out there by the McCain campaign are Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge.  However, McCain believes that such a choice would be a suicide move for his candidacy and has no intention if picking Lieberman or Ridge.  Not to mention the fact that the Republican convention would be a disaster with conservatives picketing or not showing up at all.  The McCain campaign knows this.  This is a complete fake-out, bait and switch operation by the McCain campaign.  The murmur within the republican party is that McCain is simply floating Lieberman and Ridge out there so that conservatives will not give him grief for picking Mitt Romney.  The McCain campaign, with the help of some very loud conservative talk radio host, has decided to get conservatives in a feverish tizzy over the possibility of him picking a pro-choice running mate so that Romney as the veep choice will be a huge relief.  Conservatives have issues with Romney because of his flip flop on the abortion issue.  The former governor ran for Massachussetts governor on a pro-choice platform but then changed his mind and became pro-life once he decided to run for President.  So at this point who knows what he believes.  This way McCain has the best of both worlds, a candidate who takes both sides of the abortion issue as well as most other issues. 

Sen.  Barack Obama is pro-choice.  Sen. John McCain is pro-life.  Sen. McCain would like to abolish Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose.  Sen. Obama would like to uphold Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose.  This is important because whomever walks into the White House in January 2009 will most likely be responsible for choosing two new Supreme Court Justices who will decide whether to uphold or overturn Roe v. Wade.

The right-wing pundits are going on and on about a vote Sen. Obama made as a state senator.  Lets revisit the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act shall we.  It is a piece of legislation that was introduced by an Illinois GOP state senator in 2003 when Sen. Obama was a state senator.  The legislation required hospitals to provide a fetus that survived an unsuccessful abortion with medical care.  Sen. Obama voted against the bill.  Sen. Obama and other democrats and opponents believed the bill to be a thinly veiled attempt by Illinois senate Republicans to undermine Roe v. Wade by interfering with a woman’s right to choose. Legally speaking, if a woman chooses to have an abortion as authorized by Roe v. Wade and a hospital is then required to provide medical care to the non-viable fetus if the abortion is not completely successful, doesn’t that defeat the woman’s choice to have an abortion in the first place?  Illinois abortion opponents tried repeatedly to pass laws that define a fetus (viable or non-viable) surviving an abortion as a person with full rights thereby requiring a second doctor to be present to provide medical care and creating a right to sue on behalf of the infant.  There are real and complicated legal questions that such a bill would pose to Roe v. Wade.  At the time there was already an existing Illinois law that insured life-saving treatment would be given to infants.  However, sponsors of the BAIPA said that the law did not go far enough.  This is a ploy used by Illinois abortion opponents to implement their ultimate agenda of overturning Roe v. Wade.  In 2002, a similar federal Born Alive bill was passed and signed into law by Pres. Bush.  Sen. Obama said that he would have supported the federal bill. Why?  Because the federal bill did not encroach on the rights granted by Roe v. Wade as there is no federal abortion law. Therefore, the state concerns regarding a woman’s right to choose do not exist at the federal level.  In 2005, a Born Alive bill was signed into law by the Illinois Senate but the bill specifically provides that it does not affect any existing federal or state laws regarding abortion. That means that it does not encroach upon any of the rights granted under Roe v. Wade. Obama said he would have supported the 2005 version of the Illinois Born Alive bill. This is a nuanced argument that only lawyers have the time to appreciate. But it is a legitimate legal point and the fact that the bill only passed after the Roe v. Wade exclusion was added lends substantial credibility to Obama’s argument. These are the facts, regardless of how a certain nurse who writes a weekly column for a right wing website describes her experience testifying in front of a state senator Obama.

If anyone watched the two candidates, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, on Saturday with Pastor Rick Warren the average listener came away with some definite impressions.  Just as bit of background on Pastor Warren and his audience.  Pastor Warren is a conservative, pro-life, republican.  Thus, the questions were framed with a conservative bent. The audience consisted of all evangelicals and tailor made for McCain or any GOP candidate for that matter.  Also, 75% of of his audience voted for Pres. Bush in 2004.  It was actually a brave move for Sen. Obama to participate.  One other quick point:  Only McCain, a man worth $125 million would define rich as someone making $5 million a year.  It’s all relatively elitist I guess.  There are many folks out there who are making $500,000 a year who consider themselves rich.  Okay back to the point of this post.  Having viewed the interviews on CSPAN and listened to the reaction from listeners before I heard any pundit analysis.  My overall impression differs significantly from that of the pundit class.  Many of the listeners who called in said that Sen. McCain’s answers seemed rehearsed and canned and Sen. Obama was more engaged in a thoughtful conversation.   I also noticed several times that Sen. McCain seemed to answer the questions before Pastor Warren could actually get out the question.  This indicates to me that McCain heard the questions beforehand and was not in a “cone of silence.” Come to find out that Sen. McCain was not in the building when Pastor Warren said that he was in the “cone of silence” but had just left his hotel at the time that the statement was made.  Pastor Warren did say that he gave each of the candidates, one question, that is one question, not two questions (as reported by National Review Online)but one question beforehand.  Warren also said that he did give Sen. Obama a second question that he did not get to Sen. McCain, because McCain showed up late, regarding giving the pastor a commitment to an “emergency plan for orphans” similar to the one that Bush initiated for AIDS.  Giving Sen. Obama a single extra question is a different story then receiving a complete preview of the questions and the opposing candidates answers beforehand.  Does anyone believe, with the stakes at risk in this campaign, that the McCain campaign did not at least listen to CSPAN radio on the way to the event and therefore had a heads up with respect to the questions and Obama’s answers before he arrived.  Yea…I didn’t think so.  McCain’s interview also now makes much more sense. The Arizona senator had a ready anecdote for almost every single answer.  I might also mention that those anecdotes are ones that even for the average person who have been only slightly paying attention to this race thus far have heard at least twice.  As someone who has paid a great deal of attention to this race, I have heard each of his stories and McCainisms ad nauseum, including the “cross in the sand” story.  What I have not heard is a real explanation about his moral failing. McCain skipped over this question by saying that his “failure of [his] first marriage” was his greatest moral failure and quickly moved on without giving an explanation as to why.  Sen. Obama answered the question thoughtfully and provided detail.  McCain did however manage to insert “Americans failed to serve a purpose greater than there own self interest” and ”following Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell” when needed.  We have heard McCain say these and other McCainisms sprinkled throughout his interview at town hall meetings, in speeches, in interviews, etc……the exact same phrases.  While I agree with the sentiment, he needs some new material.  We need a president who has the ability to think through the difficult problems and grasp the intricacies of what the repercussions of a bad decision will mean, not someone who constantly repeats the talking points that he has been using since 2000 and has a well documented volatile and hair-trigger history of speaking without thought.  We have had eight years of cowboy diplomacy.

Here’s is a camparison of answers given by Obama and McCain respectively that proves my point that McCain had a heads-up.

Warren and Obama:

Q. OKAY LET’S GO TO EDUCATION. AMERICA RIGHT NOW 23 RANKS 19TH IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. WE’RE FIRST IN INCARCERATIONS.

A. NOT GOOD.

Q. NOT GOOD. 80 PERCENT OF AMERICANS RECENT POLE SAID THEY BELIEVE IN MERIT PAY FOR TEACHERS.

1. I’M NOT ASKING DO YOU THINK ALL TEACHERS SHOULD GET A RAISE.

2. DO YOU THINK BETTER TEACHERS SHOULD BE PAID BETTER?

3. THEY SHOULD BE MAKING MORE THAN POOR TEACHERS?

Now Warren and McCain:

Q ALL RIGHT. LET’S TALK ABOUT EDUCATION. AMERICA 18 RANKS 19TH IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS, BUT WE’RE FIRST IN 19 INCARCERATION. EVERYBODY SAYS THEY WANT MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IN SCHOOLS?

A  UH-HUH.

Q  ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF AMERICA SAYS THEY SUPPORT MERIT PAY FOR THE BEST TEACHERS. NOW, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR STUMP SPEECH ON EDUCATION?

A  YES. YES. AND FIND BAD TEACHERS ANOTHER LINE OF WORK.

Q  YOU KNOW –

A  CAN I –

Q  YOU ARE ANSWERING SO QUICKLY.

A  CAN I –

Q YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME OF POKER?

As for the pundits, so I hear the listeners reactions on CSPAN and I have the same reaction as the CSPAN listeners, but I then turn to MSNBC to hear the pundit analysis thinking that they would be echoing what seemed to be obvious with respect to the rehearsed or canned nature of McCain’s answers…and what do I hear?  The pundit class going on and on about how great McCain was tonight.  How McCain was at the top of his game and gave great, quick, and decisive answers (that happens when you know the questions in advance and have answered such questions the same exact way in various other forums).   The same thing was being said on CNN.  Give me a break.  McCain was not being interviewed, he was acting out a play where he received the the script and rehearsal time prior to the performance.  The listeners of CSPAN saw and heard it……why would the pundit class miss such an obvious fake out.  Why…to create more of a horse race people.  Trust your own instincts.

Is Bush/Cheney about to be impeached?  Congressman John Conyers may be ready to do just that. The Bush presidency is just bad precedent for future presidents.  Imagine if all presidents entered the White House thinking that could get away with what this administration has attempted to get away with.  Accountability is essential to any democracy.  

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has taken the highly unusual step of calling his committee back from summer recess in order to investigate allegations by Ron Suskind that the Bush administration forged a letter to buttress the links made between Saddam and 9/11, and Saddam and WMD. The congressional Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq, the “”War Resolution” which, as far short as it fell of a congressional declaration of war, gave the invasion its constitutional legal cover, and gave Bush the authorization to invade only after he had certified to congress the existence of these two critical links. If Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, and if he did not possess WMD, the war was off.

Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will be speaking at a rally on Saturday at 12noon in the parking lot of Sun Trust bank.  The address:

2809 Mt. Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22301

There will be canvassing and phone banking afterwards for those who would like to volunteer.

Governor Tim Kaine will be conducting Town hall meetings all across Virginia to explain why he is supportng Sen. Barack Obama for president.  He’ll be appearing at events in Winchester, Leesburg, Manassas, Warrenton, Williamsburg, and Richmond. RSVP here if you would like to attend. RSVP

The Obama campaign wishes that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit Michigan will pass on the Democratic Convention.  The Mayor is currently facing felony charges in Michigan stemming from an infidelity scandal.  A spokesman from the Obama campaign said that Kilpatrick would serve as a distraction and take away from the Unity message of the Convention.  Further, one would think that the mayor would want to stay out of the spotlight given his current legal woes.  Unfortunately, the Detroit mayor is a superdelegate and the judge has given him permission to attend.  Michigan will be a tight race and the fact that Kilpatrick has all this negative baggage and is refusing to resign is not helpful and can detract from Obama’s efforts to win the state in November. 

Brent Colburn, a Michigan-based spokesman for the Obama campaign  said in an e-mail “the focus of our convention to people back in Michigan should be on Barack Obama and how the party intends to get America back on track, not (on) a distraction involving the troubles of one individual.” 

Not to mention that he will probably have to wear his tracking device to the Convention.  Just stay home Mayor.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said in today’s Pentagon briefing that the military is focused on humanitarian efforts only with respect to the Georgia-Russia conflict.  Secretary Gates also said that he sees “no prospect of using ” [United States] “military force” in the conflict.  Gates, later qualified his statement by saying that the statement was given in the context of the “current” situation.  He emphasized that the U.S. has spent thirty-five years avoiding a military confrontation with Russia and does not see a reason to change that approach today. 

Secretary Gates also said that the Russians “saw an opportunity and they seized it.”  Georgia responded to Russian provocations and now Russia is using the situation to expand their territory and influence.  The Secretary then said ”there must be some consequences for Russia’s action taken against a sovereign state.”  When asked why he thought that Russia has engaged in this way, Gates said that Russia is ”attempting to re-assert its national status in a negative way.” 

Saying that Russia is already facing some consequences as a result of its ”punitive mission,”  Secretary Gates, was certain in his position.  He elaborated further that “all nations are looking at Russia through a different lense.”  Gates opined that U.S.-Russia relations will suffer tremendously for years to come as a result of Russia’s actions.

GOP members are acting out an alleged protest in the House during this Congressional recess.  The GOP and Sen. John McCain are insisting that House leader Nancy Pelosi call Congress back from recess to vote on its “drill now” bill proposing off-shore drilling.  The GOP or McCain fails to mention that the leader of their party, Pres. George W. Bush, also has the power to call Congress back from recess to vote on the GOP proposed bill.  The grand old party consistently and conveniently forgets to mention that GOP House members asked Pres. George Bush to call Congress back from recess and the president refused.  So, ask yourself…..why would they expect a member of the opposing party to do what the leader of their own party has refused to do?  Also, why is the GOP not protesting against Pres. Bush, he has more power than Pelosi?  Why…..because it is a political stunt, nothing more, nothing less.

Further, for those tourist who are venturing down to the nation’s capitol to witness the GOP spectacle…..ask questions to those GOP members claiming that the domestic oil drilling will help make us energy independent.  One good question would be…..ask them if they will guarantee that such domestically produced oil will remain in the United States and not be sold to the world market?  Ask them if they can mandate that all the oil drilled domestically by the oil companies will remain here at home.  I bet you that they will either attempt to dodge the question or brush you off.  And by brushing you off I mean, they will say “that is a great idea, I agree with you.”  Then they hope that voters will forget that they asked the question.  Further, the GOP will not incorporate such restrictions because such restrictions would be against the interest of the oil companies and they do not want to lose out on all those oil company campaign contributions.  Second, they will not restrict the oil leases in such a way because oil companies are not going to allow the government to dictate to them where they can sell their product, even though said oil leases are granted by the United States government.  Such a requirement would probably reduce their profit margin significantly.  Oil companies sell to the country that logistically reaps them the most profit.  Republican members of the House are hoping that this little glitch will go unnoticed by American voters.  The GOP is well aware that drilling domestically will do very little to reduce energy dependence, but it will provide oil companies with significantly more profit potential.  Finally, ask those GOP House members whether increasing domestic production will cause OPEC members to decrease their production thereby eliminating any gains domestically except to oil companies?  They are attempting distraction to detract from real solutions that will help the majority of the American people instead of greasing the palms of a few oil companies……call them on it.

This is the latest e-mail sent to SUPERDELEGATES (remember those) by PUMA.  Originally the acronym meant  Party Unity My Ass, but it recently changed its name to People United Means Action.  These folks are the die-hard Hillary supporters who are refusing to accept her lost and are aggressively pushing for a roll-call vote at the convention.  Apparently, Clinton’s little speech in California regarding “catharsis” got them all riled up again.  First, let me say that the total group is nowhere near a representative sample of Clinton’s former supporters.  Last I heard there were about 100 of them with very big mouths.  They are widely believed to be Republican operatives acting under the auspice of Clinton supporters.  The group makes exaggerated claims about the number of  members so as to get as much press time as possible.  Second, they are still actively campaigning to change the mind of super delegates in a last ditch, desperate attempt, to give Clinton the nomination.  Yea Sen. Clinton, a “catharsis” will be very constructive (snark).  To think, this writer actually considered giving Sen. Clinton a few dollars to help toward retiring her debt.  It is stunts like these that remind all of us of all the emotions stirred up during the primary.  Further, last I checked the vast majority of Clinton supporters are now voting for Obama.  I’m very happy to hear that former governor Mark Warner of Virginia will also be speaking on Tuesday night, the same night as Clinton.  Thus Tuesday night will not be Clinton night afterall, hers will be just one of many speeches given that night.  Again, there is no need for a roll call vote.  Everyone else has moved on except the die-hard, unable to accept, legitimate defeat, PUMA people.  Below is the letter sent out to superdelegates by PUMA representatives.

From:

Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 1:19 PM
To:
Subject: Hillary in Nomination

August 11, 2008

Puma PAC

Reply TO:XXXX@pumapac.org

Dear Super Delegate,

I am a Democratic voter and member of Puma PAC, People United Means Action  We represent the more than 18 million American voters who supported Senator Clinton and who reject the selection of Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee.

Barack Obama is simply the weaker of the two final candidates for nomination. He is losing ground to Senator McCain every day.  Millions of Democrats vow not to vote for him in November because of his inexperience and unreadiness to lead.

Only Senator Clinton can win back the White House for our Party in November.

PLEASE do your job and support Senator Clinton for nomination in Denver.

The Democratic VOTERS want you to support a real winner and leader. The American PEOPLE want you to. Common Sense wants you to. A commitment to DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES wants you to.

PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. AMERICAN DEMOCRATS AND VOTERS WILL SUPPORT YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE AND WILLINGNESS TO STAND UP TO PARTY INSIDERS BY REPRESENTING THE VOICE OF THE VOTERS.

Sincerely,

W. Kronert, San Diego, Ca.

Puma PAC democrat

Your candidate lost…..GET OVER IT!

Our own former governor Mark Warner will be the keynote speaker for the Democratic National Convention.  Gov. Warner is also the democratic senate candidate in Virginia. Because this speaking slot is usually the springboard to the national stage for most local politicians (Obama 2004), this is a huge honor and tribute to Gov. Warner and the state of Virginia.  The following statement was released by David Plouffe:

“Like Barack Obama, Mark Warner is not afraid to challenge the status quo to bring people together and get things moving,” campaign manager David Plouffe said in a statement. “Its that kind of spirit and innovation that resulted in his selection as keynote speaker on a night when we will be discussing how to renew Americas promise.”

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday that he has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia.

The announcement came minutes before French President Nicolas Sarkozy was to land in Moscow to meet with Medvedev to negotiate terms for a possible cease-fire.

“I have reached a decision to halt the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace,” Medvedev said. “The aggressor has been punished and has incurred very significant losses. Its armed forces are disorganized.”

“The statement on the halt of the military action by Russia is the news we had expected. It’s good news,” Sarkozy said, according to an Interfax report.

The decision ends five days of fighting that began in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia and spread well into Georgia. Read story

UPDATE:  AP is reporting that Georgian officials are reporting that Russia has not halted its military operations.  “Georgian officials insist that Russia has continued the bombings despite the pledge, but Russia denied that.”

UPDATE:  Russia and Georgia have agreed to the terms of a peace agreement negotiated through French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy.  Still need signatures….keep your fingers crossed.

Gen. Wesley Clark is the name being chatted about by a few members of the chattering class as Obama’s veep choice.  Apparently, the theme for Wednesday, Aug. 27, the night the vice presidential choice will speak, is being promoted as “Securing America’s Future.”  The coincidence is that it also happens to be the name of Gen. Wesley Clark’s political action committee.  Though the website for Clark’s PAC is www.securingamerica.com, the FEC filing list the the full name which just happens to be the exact same name as Wednesday night’s theme.  Hmmm…curiouser and curiouser

When asked about the coinkydink, a Clark campaign official started laughing hysterically saying that “it’s just because his PAC was named so well!”  Hmmm….a bit of an overreaction considering. Perhaps politicians should leave all the over acting to the waiters and waitresses in Hollywood.

FYI:  The theme for Thursday night, Aug. 28th, and the night that Sen. Obama is speaking is “Change You Can Believe In.”  Hmmm

UPDATE:  Looks like Gen. Clark has decided to raise his media profile a bit more all of a sudden.  See this letter posted today on his SecureAmerica website.

Not Going Away 

A little over a month ago, following my appearance on Face the Nation, the right wing freak machine took me out of context, attacked me, and just wanted me to “hit the road.”

Well, I’m here to tell you: I’m not going away.

We simply have too much to do in these final three months. We have to elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States. And we have to give him a working majority in Congress. So let’s give the right wing what they asked for. I’m ready to “hit the road” and help Democrats across the country!

Contribute to WesPAC’s “Hit The Road Fund!” Help us raise $25,000 by this Friday.

http://securingamerica.com/HitTheRoad

I’m committed to doing everything I can to help Democrats win this November. I’ve opened up my schedule and am ready to hit the campaign trail across the country. That’s why I’m traveling across the country over the coming weeks.

I can only do this if WesPAC has the financial resources to keep me on the road these final three months. That’s why we started the “Hit The Road Fund.” I need your help to make sure I can stay on the campaign trail to help folks like Charlie Brown (CA-4), Eric Massa (NY-29), and Bob Tuke (TN-Sen).

I’ve set a goal of raising $25,000 by this Friday. Make a contribution to our “Hit The Road Fund” today!

http://securingamerica.com/HitTheRoad

When people hit you, you have to hit back. I won’t back away from a fight, and over the years we’ve gotten to know each other, I know you won’t either. Please contribute to our “Hit The Road Fund” today!

http://securingamerica.com/HitTheRoad

Electing the right people this November will be critical to securing America’s future. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

Observation:  The perfect person to call McCain on his “I know how to win wars” bull crap, and who has the military gravitas and background to pull it off.  Not to mention that he was an avid Clinton supporter and Pres. Clinton just happens to be speaking on the same night as the vice presidential candidate (perhaps introducing Gen. Clark). Further, why would you have a veteran theme on the vice president’s night, if the veep choice is not a veteran? If he isn’t a veteran, wouldn’t he/she lack credibility?  Because John Kerry and Republican Chuck Hagel are the only other veterans in contention and they are both out of the question (for obvious reasons), the only realistic and obvious choice would be Clark.

Again……hmmm…and…hmmm