** STICK UP KIDZ FOOTAGE *** http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhlBAr2x4FBC1jLOZ2
I'm glad these dudes are advertising their conquests. Maybe now people can begin to comprehend the level of ignorance (those of us who understand how "palpable" the threat is) can be on the "streets".
Maybe now people can understand what led Plaxico to do something so terribly stupid last Fri. I make NO excuses for his stupidity, but like I said in my previous blogs, I only fault him for NOT obtaining a concealed weapons permit, NOT registering his firearm(s) {in every state he frequents}, and NOT learning how to properly handle/secure a firearm, and putting innocent lives in jeopardy, PERIOD!!!!!
Granted, many high profile celebrities, private citizens, etc, floss a little too hard, but that is OPINION. We're all individuals, and we ALL have an inherent right to defend our life+property, as stated by the Constitution of the United States of America.
ALTHOUGH YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION, YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO CAUSE SOMEONE BODILY HARM UNLESS IT' IS SELF DEFENSE, AND YOU DAMN SURE HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE SOMEONE'S PROPERTY, PERIOD!!!!!!!
Again, your OPINION is discretionary, but the law is the law, and if someone earned their money, it's their PREROGATIVE to spend it any way they please, and/or, purchase any material item they can afford and/or desire. Make no mistake, when you are a successful, especially minorities, YOU ARE A TARGET. Especially in today's economy.
Which leads some of us to say, "hey, they shouldn't have those chains, rings, drive those cars, go to those clubs/bars, carry that much cash, need a gun, buy those clothes/shoes, be out late", etc, etc, etc. Notice a trend here???
Last I checked this was AMERICA, and although the way a victim carries himself/herself may be a prominent factor in MANY cases, it still does not justify the crime, and it shouldn't be a factor when we opine whether or not, that individual should carry a firearm to protect themselves.
This type of mentality is comparable to a woman who dresses provocatively. Although you may find her style of dress extremely distasteful, again, THAT IS YOUR OPINION! Sure it may bring her unwanted attention, especially from immature, ignorant, sexually challenged members of our society, but it does not give them the right to verbally accost her, touch her, especially, assault her sexually or otherwise.
Let me reiterate.... Plaxico was an idiot because he did not obtain a license, and he was ignorant as to how to properly transport/discharge a firearm. But I understand the reasoning, TOTALLY. For those of you who know me well, if I ever reach a significant level of financial success, whether or not I'm famous, NEWS FLASH, I'll be packing heat, on a regular basis.
I would have a valid concealed weapons license/permit. My firearm(s) would be registered in every single state I resided in. I would have all the proper accessories (clips, holster, etc). I would target practice, regularly, and have membership in a gun club. And, I would ensure I know how to properly handle/fire my firearm(s), intricately.
God forbid, some naive, career criminal, wannabe thug, underestimating fool would try me. True, he/she may get me first, but if they slipped, and I was POSITIVE they were trying to get at me, I'M SHOOTING TO KILL!!! I will purposely try to put as many rounds in their cranium, and center mass, as possible.
In the event I didn't have, or couldn't get my license, I would have no shame in hiring professional security. They too would all be required to be fully trained/licensed to carry/discharge a firearm, and I would encourage them to "shoot to kill" any (CONFIRMED) potential perpetrators, as well.
One thing is for sure, that/those perpetrators would never have the opportunity to hurt anyone else. Obviously, this subject has touched a nerve, and for those of you accustomed to my rants, as usual, topics I am passionate about cause me to bloviate/debate excessively. I apologize for that aspect of this column, but I make no apologies for the content.
I absolutely loathe people (terrorists, rapists, murderers, stick up artists, etc) who choose to prey on the innocent, or, someone that has earned their wealth. I have nothing but the highest level of contempt for them. God forgive me for saying it, BUT I HATE THEM, IMMENSELY!!!
If you pay attention to the headlines, the criminals always have guns, because they don't give a $%#! about the LAW. Last year, many athletes were reminded of the perils of fame when Sean Taylor (a personal friend of Plaxico) was murdered in his own home. Last week, Steve Smith (Plaxico's teammate) was robbed outside his home.
I have attached a laundry list of additional incidents below. Some of these attacks were completely unprovoked, there was NO so called flossing, or strip club/night club fraternization.
It’s a shame Plaxico had to jeopardize his career, and his freedom, in order to bring this issue to the forefront.
You may not agree, or even find my opinion offensive. It is fully within your right to do so, as it is within my right to express myself. But one thing is fact, if I'm ever in that position, I will be FULLY LEGAL, & I will attempt, with all my power/resources, to put anyone who treads on my life, property, or family SIX FEET DEEP, without a shred of remorse.
Stick up kidz, be very happy I'm not rich!
Happy Holidays Everyone, LOL................
Sincerely, Blaq Ops
**** JACKSONVILLE Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier is paralysed below the waist and has had his left leg amputated after being shot earlier this month.
The NFL player and former teammate Kenneth Pettway were waiting for two women outside an apartment complex in Jacksonville on September 2 when a gunman fired into their car.
Collier was hit 14 times but Pettway was not injured and police believe Collier was the target. He was the third NFL player shot in the past 18 months.
NBA foward Antoine Walker was duct tapes and held at gunpoint during a robbery at his home July 9, 2007 in Chicago's River North neighborhood.
NBA center Eddy Curry and his family were robbed at gunpoint in his suburban Chicago home. They two were bound with duct tape and robbed of cash and jewelry by masked gunmen.
NFL cornerback Dunta Robinson was robbed at gunpoint in his home at night when two men entered Robinson's Fort Bend County home shortly before 8 p.m., bound him with duct tape and then made off with several pieces of jewelry.
University of Miami football player and NFL prospect Bryan Pata, who was shot to death Tuesday at his apartment complex in Kendall, Fla. Pata, 22, was licensed in Florida to carry a concealed weapon.
Five Duquesne basketball players who were shot in September on the Pittsburgh campus. All survived.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle, who was shot in the abdomen and robbed of a $20,000 watch last year while he sat in his Mercedes in Miami. McDougle survived.
Vanderbilt running back Kwane Doster, an NFL prospect, who was shot and killed in 2004 in the parking lot of a nightclub in Tampa .
Former Red Sox minor leaguer Dernell Stenson, who was shot to death in 2003 after he was kidnapped in his SUV by two men outside a nightclub in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, who was fatally shot by a teammate, Carlton Dotson, in 2003 in Waco, Texas.
Chris Childs, then a guard for the New Jersey Nets, who was robbed at gunpoint outside New York nightclub Justin's in 2002 of $30,000 worth of jewelry and cash.
Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia and his cousin, who were robbed at gunpoint of $44,000 worth of jewelry and cash in 2002 at a Cleveland hotel.
Tim Carter, a New York Giants receiver, who was carjacked outside a New Jersey movie complex in 2002 and robbed of his BMW and $10,000 worth of jewelry and cash.
Telfair's cousin, Stephon Marbury, then a guard for the New Jersey Nets, who was robbed in 2000 of a $150,000 diamond necklace as he waited in his Bentley for a light to change in Manhattan.
Antoine Walker, then a Celtics forward, who was among six people robbed at gunpoint in 2000 outside a nightclub in Chicago. The robbers made off with $100,000 worth of jewelry, including Walker's $55,000 Rolex, and $3,000 in cash.
On November 26, 2007, at 1:45 a.m., NFL safety Sean Taylor was shot in the upper leg by an armed intruder at his Palmetto Bay, Florida home, critically wounding him by severing his femoral artery. The next day, Taylor died in the hospital.www.blaqops.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
STAR BURIED
I withheld my criticism long enough. The organization has made some bold moves recently; however, they have completely bungled the Marbury saga.
I wanted to give D'Antoni the benefit of the doubt, but despite the organizations relative resurgence, it is evident D'Antoni was petrified of Marbury becoming "successful" in his system.
I seriously thought D'Antoni was developing the younger guys and testing the malcontent's temperament, but apparently, that was the furthest thing from his mind.
I watched every single game, summer league, pre season, and regular season. No disrespect to Duhon, and I commend him on his franchise record setting assist total. That being said, I truly believe Marbury had the potential to be even better.
Marbury very nearly averaged an assist for every minute he was on the floor. But that is a moot point because I'll never get to justify my point of view unless he does it for another team.
If they were so hell bent on getting rid of him, why wouldn't you showcase his talent in order to have another team bite on the $22 million? The organization was hoping he would have had a meltdown, or relented to their wishes of a buyout, but they obviously don't know "Starbury" very well.
In any event, I am still an avid Knick fan, and despite all the King James talk, I still think we can win now. I still have a shred of hope cooler heads will prevail and Marbury will don the uniform, and play out the last season, but I won't hold my breath.
The only issue now is Curry. He has been banished to relative obscurity; they don't even talk about him anymore. I hope the organization gives him an ultimatum to shape up, because if he's not on that path, he definitely deserves the parting shot Marbury got. I don't think anyone will have a grievance with that.
I wanted to give D'Antoni the benefit of the doubt, but despite the organizations relative resurgence, it is evident D'Antoni was petrified of Marbury becoming "successful" in his system.
I seriously thought D'Antoni was developing the younger guys and testing the malcontent's temperament, but apparently, that was the furthest thing from his mind.
I watched every single game, summer league, pre season, and regular season. No disrespect to Duhon, and I commend him on his franchise record setting assist total. That being said, I truly believe Marbury had the potential to be even better.
Marbury very nearly averaged an assist for every minute he was on the floor. But that is a moot point because I'll never get to justify my point of view unless he does it for another team.
If they were so hell bent on getting rid of him, why wouldn't you showcase his talent in order to have another team bite on the $22 million? The organization was hoping he would have had a meltdown, or relented to their wishes of a buyout, but they obviously don't know "Starbury" very well.
In any event, I am still an avid Knick fan, and despite all the King James talk, I still think we can win now. I still have a shred of hope cooler heads will prevail and Marbury will don the uniform, and play out the last season, but I won't hold my breath.
The only issue now is Curry. He has been banished to relative obscurity; they don't even talk about him anymore. I hope the organization gives him an ultimatum to shape up, because if he's not on that path, he definitely deserves the parting shot Marbury got. I don't think anyone will have a grievance with that.
PLAXI - BLAST
Plaxico Burress finally has done what his critics have, without good reason, predicted since he started acting up. His indecision has affected the TEAM, adversely.
Common sense should have sunk in, the writing was on the wall, and his fear of being a "TARGET" had merit, but unfortunately, he was lulled into a false sense of invincibiliity, and willfully BLASTED his way into the abyss, which is LAW ENFORCEMENT, who have no qualms about voicing their dislike of "Hip Hop", "Thug", or "Urban" culture. Especially when it is exemplified/glorified by multi millionaires.
The LEADER of our exhaulted defense is now caught in the snare. I can sympathize with Pierce because I too have found myself in the precarious position of putting my freedom in jeapordy, in order to protect a "friend".
I have no regrets because I did what I did out of instinct/love for an otherwise good person, but most importantly, it was a "victimless" incident.
Make no mistake, I was LUCKY to escape unscathed, and if I got caught, I would have had to accept the consequences, because I knew what I was getting myself into, and I am my own man at the end of the day.
That being said, if Antonio winds up getting into serious trouble, I blame Plax, and only Plax. Pierce may have done something wrong, but he tore into Plax before trying to help him and the organization avoid unecessary scrutiny. Especially at a time when the TEAM is seriously making another run at the ultimate TEAM goal, which is a championship.
Plax gets NO sympathy. He had the money to get licences that would have allowed him to legitimately carry his weapon(s), but he was complacent, now that may seriously interrupted an otherwise brilliant TEAM effort, and his family suffers as well.
I'm so grateful no one else got shot. I hope this serves as a lesson to us all. Promoting that bullshit gets US NOWHERE!!!! Especially the "Hip Hop"/ "Urban" community.
I AM representative of the urban/AA Gen Next culture. I was raised listening to Hip Hop. I had to decide for myself what was right and wrong. I hate to see us continue to kill ourselves/careers, and lose our wealth/freedom, especially when so many pray for our downfall.
You have a right to protect yourself, but especially if you got cake, you have a primal responsibility to legitimize your shit, in order to ensure the very people you love or care about are not affected, or, implicated by your bullshit.
WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!!!!
Common sense should have sunk in, the writing was on the wall, and his fear of being a "TARGET" had merit, but unfortunately, he was lulled into a false sense of invincibiliity, and willfully BLASTED his way into the abyss, which is LAW ENFORCEMENT, who have no qualms about voicing their dislike of "Hip Hop", "Thug", or "Urban" culture. Especially when it is exemplified/glorified by multi millionaires.
The LEADER of our exhaulted defense is now caught in the snare. I can sympathize with Pierce because I too have found myself in the precarious position of putting my freedom in jeapordy, in order to protect a "friend".
I have no regrets because I did what I did out of instinct/love for an otherwise good person, but most importantly, it was a "victimless" incident.
Make no mistake, I was LUCKY to escape unscathed, and if I got caught, I would have had to accept the consequences, because I knew what I was getting myself into, and I am my own man at the end of the day.
That being said, if Antonio winds up getting into serious trouble, I blame Plax, and only Plax. Pierce may have done something wrong, but he tore into Plax before trying to help him and the organization avoid unecessary scrutiny. Especially at a time when the TEAM is seriously making another run at the ultimate TEAM goal, which is a championship.
Plax gets NO sympathy. He had the money to get licences that would have allowed him to legitimately carry his weapon(s), but he was complacent, now that may seriously interrupted an otherwise brilliant TEAM effort, and his family suffers as well.
I'm so grateful no one else got shot. I hope this serves as a lesson to us all. Promoting that bullshit gets US NOWHERE!!!! Especially the "Hip Hop"/ "Urban" community.
I AM representative of the urban/AA Gen Next culture. I was raised listening to Hip Hop. I had to decide for myself what was right and wrong. I hate to see us continue to kill ourselves/careers, and lose our wealth/freedom, especially when so many pray for our downfall.
You have a right to protect yourself, but especially if you got cake, you have a primal responsibility to legitimize your shit, in order to ensure the very people you love or care about are not affected, or, implicated by your bullshit.
WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!!!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
PLAUSIBLE INDIFFERENCE
The level of ignorance and outright stupidity within the “Hip-Hop/Sports/Hood” culture has been a problem for years, but in the spirit of being true to OURSELVES, and taking responsibility for OUR own well being, the time has come to air out those members of our society that continually choose to self destruct whether or not we have a vested interest in their personal success, or success of their team/organization.
I am an avid Giants/Knicks/ Yankees fan, but what Plexico did this weekend has brought the outrage to a crescendo. The man played his tail off last season, finally was part of a Super Bowl winning TEAM, and recently signed a $35Mil contract, after bugging out this pre season.
Let us put this into perspective, the world has just witnessed a historic election, the economy is in tatters, and we need to take responsibility for OUR behavior, if we are going to begin to change the conditions and injustices in OUR country. Now when we have high profile/highly paid athletes, politicians, entertainers, or businessmen caught up in INCREDIBLY stupid situations, we must collectively renounce those actions because it is what it is, RIDICULOUSLY IGNORANT!!!!!!!!
The Plexico incident is a by product of the dumb ass “street cred”, “thug life”, and “stop snitching” mentality gifted and blessed members of our society willingly promote, and continually fall victim to, time and time again, which only gives credence to widely held prejudices and misconceptions about US, which results in less opportunities for success across the board.
Listen, if you’re worth millions in today’s economy, your background and your vernacular may characterize you as hood, but in reality, like it or not, you are a symbol of hope for countless members of your FORMER community that will NEVER get the opportunity to sit at the table. You have a RESPONSIBILITY to REPRESENT in a mature fashion. And last but not least, YOU ARE A TARGET.
I get it, believe me, especially the target part, but after 400 years of injustice, and given the opportunities many of US have been afforded, WE must be smarter now!!! We can no longer use the past as a crutch, we are in the drivers seat, now act like you know how to drive or get off the road.
You know the stick up kids got their eyes on you, you know almost EVERYTIME the law gets involved in an altercation/incident WE LOSE, you know they routinely set up Task Forces to watch high profile members of our community, waiting for us to FUCK UP. I cannot for the life of me figure out just WHO ARE WE TRYING TO IMPRESS when we do that DUMB $#!+!!!!!!!!
Believe me, when you fall, only those who truly cared about you will be by your side. Most of the time those are the ones we took for granted, or didn’t listen to when they were advising us we were treading down the wrong path, will be the only ones there for you in your hour of need, or an unintentional victim caught up in your $#!+.
The hood is not going to give a f*&% about you when you fall, matter of fact; they will probably make up some witty slang terminology, based on your name, to describe someone who f*&^%$ up REALLY badly, or fell off COMPLETELY. WHO ARE WE CARRYING THIS TORCH FOR???
If you’re worth millions, there is no shame in hiring professional security when you attend social events. I hear people get on Fifty all the time about this, but Fifty is now worth about $500 MILLION. What’s worse, Fifty is probably getting criticized by a bunch of broke ass dudes, who have no life, no career, and some, probably in and out of jail, while Fifty is counting his money??
Or, Fifty getting caught up representing, then losing his freedom, and a big chunk of his fortune to lawyers and the State? I would say “Do the math” but if you still need to calculate on this one, YOU’RE THE F@&%#! PROBLEM!!!!
Plexico has to know his days are numbered, and if he doesn’t, he’s more ignorant than I could have ever imagined. I know he is a competitor, and I won’t pretend to know what he had to go through to get to this point in his life. I know he must have overcome countless hurdles, rightfully so.
I was with him all the way up to this incident, although in hind sight, I shouldn’t have been. Plexico has to know that he can be replaced, if the past several weeks have been any indication. Guys put their bodies on the line week in and week out, but many of them are not good enough, or lucky enough, to finally get that PHAT contract, especially in the NFL.
He did so many things wrong I don’t know where to begin. You know the rules…. First of all, you shouldn’t have to tote a gun, but IF YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO DO SO, at the very least you should have a concealed weapons permit, along with a licensed gun.
Second, you should have the proper accessories to secure/conceal your weapon. The fact that he shot himself because his gun was falling down his leg, is laughable at best, and possibly the coup de grace of his fall from greatness.
I know there’s an investigation going on, and the facts will come out eventually, but if Antonio winds up being disciplined for his actions (trying to help his teammate/best friend on team), and/or, if the Giants season takes a turn for the worse, it should forever remind us that representing FAILED DOCTRINES are a direct result of the true SELL OUT mentality.
We cannot continue to blame outside forces when we keep destroying ourselves with self inflicted wounds. DIVIDE AND CONQUER is the oldest trick in the book, and a lot of you are unwitting soldiers in cause. Be a real soldier, get money, support your family, take care of the ones that truly love and support you by playing your position (((consistently))), and leave all that posturing to the actors.
I am an avid Giants/Knicks/ Yankees fan, but what Plexico did this weekend has brought the outrage to a crescendo. The man played his tail off last season, finally was part of a Super Bowl winning TEAM, and recently signed a $35Mil contract, after bugging out this pre season.
Let us put this into perspective, the world has just witnessed a historic election, the economy is in tatters, and we need to take responsibility for OUR behavior, if we are going to begin to change the conditions and injustices in OUR country. Now when we have high profile/highly paid athletes, politicians, entertainers, or businessmen caught up in INCREDIBLY stupid situations, we must collectively renounce those actions because it is what it is, RIDICULOUSLY IGNORANT!!!!!!!!
The Plexico incident is a by product of the dumb ass “street cred”, “thug life”, and “stop snitching” mentality gifted and blessed members of our society willingly promote, and continually fall victim to, time and time again, which only gives credence to widely held prejudices and misconceptions about US, which results in less opportunities for success across the board.
Listen, if you’re worth millions in today’s economy, your background and your vernacular may characterize you as hood, but in reality, like it or not, you are a symbol of hope for countless members of your FORMER community that will NEVER get the opportunity to sit at the table. You have a RESPONSIBILITY to REPRESENT in a mature fashion. And last but not least, YOU ARE A TARGET.
I get it, believe me, especially the target part, but after 400 years of injustice, and given the opportunities many of US have been afforded, WE must be smarter now!!! We can no longer use the past as a crutch, we are in the drivers seat, now act like you know how to drive or get off the road.
You know the stick up kids got their eyes on you, you know almost EVERYTIME the law gets involved in an altercation/incident WE LOSE, you know they routinely set up Task Forces to watch high profile members of our community, waiting for us to FUCK UP. I cannot for the life of me figure out just WHO ARE WE TRYING TO IMPRESS when we do that DUMB $#!+!!!!!!!!
Believe me, when you fall, only those who truly cared about you will be by your side. Most of the time those are the ones we took for granted, or didn’t listen to when they were advising us we were treading down the wrong path, will be the only ones there for you in your hour of need, or an unintentional victim caught up in your $#!+.
The hood is not going to give a f*&% about you when you fall, matter of fact; they will probably make up some witty slang terminology, based on your name, to describe someone who f*&^%$ up REALLY badly, or fell off COMPLETELY. WHO ARE WE CARRYING THIS TORCH FOR???
If you’re worth millions, there is no shame in hiring professional security when you attend social events. I hear people get on Fifty all the time about this, but Fifty is now worth about $500 MILLION. What’s worse, Fifty is probably getting criticized by a bunch of broke ass dudes, who have no life, no career, and some, probably in and out of jail, while Fifty is counting his money??
Or, Fifty getting caught up representing, then losing his freedom, and a big chunk of his fortune to lawyers and the State? I would say “Do the math” but if you still need to calculate on this one, YOU’RE THE F@&%#! PROBLEM!!!!
Plexico has to know his days are numbered, and if he doesn’t, he’s more ignorant than I could have ever imagined. I know he is a competitor, and I won’t pretend to know what he had to go through to get to this point in his life. I know he must have overcome countless hurdles, rightfully so.
I was with him all the way up to this incident, although in hind sight, I shouldn’t have been. Plexico has to know that he can be replaced, if the past several weeks have been any indication. Guys put their bodies on the line week in and week out, but many of them are not good enough, or lucky enough, to finally get that PHAT contract, especially in the NFL.
He did so many things wrong I don’t know where to begin. You know the rules…. First of all, you shouldn’t have to tote a gun, but IF YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO DO SO, at the very least you should have a concealed weapons permit, along with a licensed gun.
Second, you should have the proper accessories to secure/conceal your weapon. The fact that he shot himself because his gun was falling down his leg, is laughable at best, and possibly the coup de grace of his fall from greatness.
I know there’s an investigation going on, and the facts will come out eventually, but if Antonio winds up being disciplined for his actions (trying to help his teammate/best friend on team), and/or, if the Giants season takes a turn for the worse, it should forever remind us that representing FAILED DOCTRINES are a direct result of the true SELL OUT mentality.
We cannot continue to blame outside forces when we keep destroying ourselves with self inflicted wounds. DIVIDE AND CONQUER is the oldest trick in the book, and a lot of you are unwitting soldiers in cause. Be a real soldier, get money, support your family, take care of the ones that truly love and support you by playing your position (((consistently))), and leave all that posturing to the actors.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
THE WEALTH SPREADER MISCONCEPTION.......
Conservatives, routinely, claim Obama’s liberal agenda (Spread the Wealth) is to “unfairly” tax the rich, and profligately GIVE those funds to the poor classes, that pay no taxes AT ALL. Which is an outright manipulation of the truth.
Check out the attached NY Post article (very bottom). This is how it works when Washington’s policies are structured to benefit the top 1% of Americans. Trickle down economics at its best, however, the only thing that trickles down is the burden of higher cost of living (taxes, fees, products, fines, etc) expenses.
Mass transit ridership is at an all time high, yet, we are facing yet another fare hike in the not so distant future. However, there is renewable technology out there right now, that can drastically eliminate the rising costs of operation. The sun comes up every day, let’s harness that energy NOW!!! (See my next blog on solar power)
Dog litter fines went from $100 to $250. Property taxes are going up soon. Cable fees are going up. A barrel of oil now costs about $60, but the price at the pump has not receded as quickly as it rose when Oil futures were ARTIFICIALLY inflated repeatedly, a few months ago.
More transit cops are being assigned to raise revenue by giving out parking tickets (projected $64million – see Post article). All of the sudden I notice more cops on the highways of NYC too. I guess best way to offset budget deficits it to hit constituents in the pocket, on the local level.
The rules are the rules, but do you know what the worst part of all this is? Big inner cities like NYC, which pay Fed, State, and City taxes send more money to Albany, and Washington than we get in return for essential services.
When Sarah wants an earmark for a bridge to nowhere, guess where the Feds get that money from? That’s right, from tax revenue surpluses they collect from all the SOCIALISTIC & UNAMERICAN big inner cities.
When they disproportionately give Midwest states more Anti-terror funding (per capita) than NYC, Miami, DC, and Washington, why don’t they classify this as “Spreading the Wealth”???? Because……. Their true intentions are not to serve the greater American people. It’s to serve their own financial, professional, and/or political agendas.
At the very least, a huge metropolis like NYC needs the tax capital WE generate returned in order to run our cities, responsibly. We shouldn’t be spreading wealth to any other municipalities, especially when we have increasing budget deficits of our own!!!!
To make an analogy, it’ like the luxury tax in sports. Big market teams like the Yankees must “share the wealth “ with smaller market teams when they go above the cap. But those teams rarely spend those funds on talent.
They usually look for a way they can increase their revenues further, and line their pockets with the proceeds. I don’t blame the Steinbrenner’s for complaining. If you’re not using the money to improve your team, give US our money back and we’ll spread the wealth ourselves.
The misinformed keep eating up the crap, pundits from both sides of the aisle, keep dishing out. Politics are not without its flaws, but I must reiterate, TRUE progress is usually a painfully slow, and tedious process. It takes longer to undo injustices than it takes to commit them, without a doubt, but again, IF YOU’RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, in one way or the other, YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Don’t sit on the sidelines and repeat the crap you hear people say on campaign trails without understanding, or researching for yourself, how the process works. The only way this country will ever begin to reverse the ills of the financial meltdown is by PUTTING AMERICANS back to work, which will stabilize American companies for the long haul (instead of continually bailing them out), generating enough tax revenue to pay down the National Debt, and the essential entitlement programs (Medicare/ Social Security/ All Services), which were created to serve US ALL.
Don’t tell me this isn’t possible when the average CEO pay has gone from over 100X, to over 400X the average Americans salary, in a few decades. They deserve to be highly compensated when their firms perform well, but not at the expense of their institutions, their shareholders, or their employees, particularly in a time of widespread crisis, GLOBALLY…….
When Obama says he wants to give a tax break to 95% of the population, which is a MAJORITY of the American working class, the 1st graph below is WHO he is talking about.
If you increase the disposable income of this group, you would automatically increase receipts. I’ve prepared tax returns for people making less than $15K, and believe me, if they have a child, they already receive Earned Income Credits that cause their returns to soar anywhere from $3-$5K annually, under current tax policy.
For someone (i.e. Joe the Plumber) to say “Obama will spread the wealth around to those who pay NO taxes at all” is disingenuous, to say the least… The statistics below are from 2005. The income disparity has only GROWN exponentially, since then.
The sheer inequity between the haves and the have nots is exactly why our markets are nearing collapse. Sure it looked like a good idea from the outset, only problem is, the wealth is not trickling down, which causes businesses to go in the red, which in turn, causes a ripple affect that hurts the MAJORITY.
Now all these ignorant bums are complaining about Obama taking money they don’t have, and probably, will never live to see. Get a grip STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile the top 1% leave their financial institutions+stocks, our retirement portfolios, and our tax coffers in shambles. Then the privileged ride off into the sunset laughing all the way to the bank, and they tell the uninformed to watch out for TAX AND SPEND DEMONCRATS. BULL$#!+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I compare this financial ideology to a sophisticated pyramid scheme. But the RICH WILL NEVER LOSE…
MY ONL QUESTION IS….. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO $#^%@*&& GREEDY??????? AND THE ANSWER IS, BECAUSE ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY. ALWAYS HAS, ALWAYS WILL.
2005 US Income DistributionMore Census data! This time it is the U.S. income distribution for 2005 showing the number of households up to $250,000. (I have since added more graphs that include incomes above $250,000: 2005 US Income Distribution Part 2 and 2005 US Income Distribution Part 3)
CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW DISTRIBUTION GRAPH:
http://www.visualizingeconomics.com/2006/11/05/2005-us-income-distribution/
Carving up our economic pieBy Holly SklarDistributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services, November 22, 2005
Pie season is here. Pumpkin, apple, cherry, whatever you like. We can use edible pie charts -- and some chocolate -- to see how our national economic pie is being carved up more unfairly.
Let's look first at income distribution.
Take two pies -- one for 1979, the other for 2003 (using the latest IRS data).
Divide the 1979 pie into 10 equal slices. If the slices were eaten according to the distribution of income in 1979:
· The richest 1 percent of taxpayers would get one slice.
· The rest of the top 20 percent would get four slices.
· The other 80 percent of taxpayers would split five slices.
Now, divide the 2003 pie into 10 slices.
· The richest 1 percent would get nearly two slices.
· The rest of the top 20 percent would get a little over four slices.
· The other 80 percent would split four slices.
In 1979, the top 20 percent of taxpayers had about as much income as the other 80 percent combined. In 2003, the top 20 percent had 60 percent of the income, leaving just 40 percent for the rest. The richest 1 percent nearly doubled their share.
Let's look more closely at the upward shift in income.
In 1979, the bottom 40 percent of taxpayers had about 15 percent more combined income than the richest 1 percent.
In 2003, the richest 1 percent had twice the income share of the bottom 40 percent.
The richest 1 percent share of reported income jumped from 9.6 percent in 1979 to 17.5 percent in 2003. The bottom 40 percent share fell from 11.3 percent to 8.8 percent.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston puts the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else in stark perspective. He examined the income reported on tax returns of the top 0.01 percent -- about 14,000 households with at least $5.5 million in income.
From 1950 to 1970, for every additional dollar earned by those in the bottom 90 percent, those in the top 0.01 percent earned an additional $162.
From 1990 to 2002, for every additional dollar earned in the bottom 90 percent, those at the top brought in an extra $18,000.
**** HELLO!!!!!!!!!!! NOTICE A TREND HERE???***
If you are feeling financially down this holiday season, there's a good reason. Average workers have been earning less after inflation, not more. Average hourly earnings dropped 5 percent, adjusting for inflation, between 1979 and 2004 -- while domestic corporate profits rose 63 percent.
The share of national income going to wages and salaries is at the lowest level since 1929 -- the year that kicked off the Great Depression. The share going to after-tax corporate profits, which heavily benefit wealthy Americans through increased dividends and capital gains, is at the highest level since 1929.
Income gaps in the workplace have become increasingly outrageous, as seen in the growing gap between worker pay and CEO pay. We can demonstrate it with a pile of chocolate.
Give 1 piece of chocolate to your worker stand-in and 44 pieces to your CEO stand-in. That was the 1980 ratio of average full-time worker pay to average pay among CEOs in Business Week's survey of major corporations.
For the equivalent 2004 ratio, give 1 piece of chocolate to the worker and 362 to the CEO.
As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, federal policy is contributing "to a further widening of income disparities between the most affluent households and other Americans." Households with incomes over $1 million will receive an average tax cut of $103,000 this year -- an increase of 5.4 percent in their after-tax income.
The congressional majority is done crying crocodile tears over Katrina and the shameful inequality it exposed.
They're working overtime to stiff the have-nots with more budget cuts so they can keep stuffing the pockets of the haves with more tax cuts. The budget knife is dropping on Medicaid, education, child care, food assistance and more-- even public health, despite loud warnings we are unprepared for bird flu and other threats.
Tell your senators and members of Congress what you think about their priorities, and make your voice count when you vote next November.
Holly Sklar is co-author of "Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies That Work for All Of Us." She can be reached at hsklar@aol.com. Copyright (c) 2005 Holly Sklar
I’m all for a free market society, and I don’t think anyone should be penalized for creating wealth, but the inequity is disturbing, and herein lies the fundamental problem with our economy.
I’m just saying, be informed, and hold your elected officials accountable, whether it’s the 42nd, 43rd, 44th President, your Congressman, Senator, Councilman, Mayor, etc. Otherwise, don’t say $#!+, when it hits the fan……..
More@: www.blaqopsblogspot.com
www.myspace.com/reciprok8
$PREADING THE PAIN
IT'S DOOM & BLOOM ON BUDGET
By DAVID SEIFMAN, City Hall Bureau Chief5:21 amNovember 6, 2008 Posted: 4:52 amNovember 6, 2008
Mayor Bloomberg dropped a budget bombshell yesterday by warning he might have to increase income and sales taxes by $900 million next year - on top of a 7 percent property tax hike he plans to enact before month's end.
If that weren't enough to send taxpayers running for cover, Bloomberg also announced that the city could no longer afford the annual $400 rebate to small homeowners, and intends to end it immediately to save $256 million a year.
That's in addition to draconian measures already on the table after Bloomberg ordered agencies to come up with $1.5 billion in savings to close budget gaps that have grown from $2.3 billion to $4 billion over 18 months.
Among them are:
* The Sanitation Department hoped to pull in $16 million through a 5-cent fee on plastic bags.
* The NYPD was looking for a $60 million haul from summonses that would be handed out by 234 new traffic agents assigned to ticket "block the box" violations.
* Public-library service would be reduced from six days a week to 51/2.
* The Department of Transportation planned to raise selected parking-meter fees from $1 to $2 an hour south of 60th Street to collect $7 million more a year.
Other plans ranged from some 500 to 600 layoffs at the Department of Education and the Housing Authority and the elimination of a 1,100-recruit Police Academy class to save $137 million.
"Each path is unpleasant and painful," the mayor declared at a gloomy, mid-year budget presentation at City Hall.
"Back in June nobody really thought Wall Street was going to fall apart. All this happened in five months," he said.
But the entire range of agency actions still left a $1.3 billion deficit in the $61 billion budget for fiscal 2010, an outgrowth of an anticipated plunge in economically sensitive taxes from $24.7 billion to $19.9 billion in two years and a spike in contributions required to fund declining municipal pension funds.
To cope, the mayor offered some extraordinary options: $400 million in further agency reductions plus a combination of a higher general sales tax, restoration of the sales tax on clothing and an increase in the personal income tax of 7.5 percent or 15 percent.
At the 7.5 percent level, the mayor noted, residents with a taxable income of $50,000 to $75,000 would pay an extra $116 a year.
"It's $116 of taxpayers' money and it's $116 most people don't have, or don't want to spend, but it does put it into perspective what it might take to help us close the $1.3 billion deficit," he said.
Reaction to the proposed and possible tax hikes - all of which require legislative approval - was less than enthusiastic in the City Council. "We're kind of shocked that was on the table to revoke a [$400 check] that should have been mailed out already," said council Finance Chairman David Weprin (D-Queens).
Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), a longtime Bloomberg ally, said he couldn't fathom the council going along with "any sort of real-estate tax increase on homeowners."
Bloomberg at several points mentioned that the state faces even bigger problems, an indication the city might try to piggyback on any tax hikes coming out of Albany.
david.seifman@nypost.com
Check out the attached NY Post article (very bottom). This is how it works when Washington’s policies are structured to benefit the top 1% of Americans. Trickle down economics at its best, however, the only thing that trickles down is the burden of higher cost of living (taxes, fees, products, fines, etc) expenses.
Mass transit ridership is at an all time high, yet, we are facing yet another fare hike in the not so distant future. However, there is renewable technology out there right now, that can drastically eliminate the rising costs of operation. The sun comes up every day, let’s harness that energy NOW!!! (See my next blog on solar power)
Dog litter fines went from $100 to $250. Property taxes are going up soon. Cable fees are going up. A barrel of oil now costs about $60, but the price at the pump has not receded as quickly as it rose when Oil futures were ARTIFICIALLY inflated repeatedly, a few months ago.
More transit cops are being assigned to raise revenue by giving out parking tickets (projected $64million – see Post article). All of the sudden I notice more cops on the highways of NYC too. I guess best way to offset budget deficits it to hit constituents in the pocket, on the local level.
The rules are the rules, but do you know what the worst part of all this is? Big inner cities like NYC, which pay Fed, State, and City taxes send more money to Albany, and Washington than we get in return for essential services.
When Sarah wants an earmark for a bridge to nowhere, guess where the Feds get that money from? That’s right, from tax revenue surpluses they collect from all the SOCIALISTIC & UNAMERICAN big inner cities.
When they disproportionately give Midwest states more Anti-terror funding (per capita) than NYC, Miami, DC, and Washington, why don’t they classify this as “Spreading the Wealth”???? Because……. Their true intentions are not to serve the greater American people. It’s to serve their own financial, professional, and/or political agendas.
At the very least, a huge metropolis like NYC needs the tax capital WE generate returned in order to run our cities, responsibly. We shouldn’t be spreading wealth to any other municipalities, especially when we have increasing budget deficits of our own!!!!
To make an analogy, it’ like the luxury tax in sports. Big market teams like the Yankees must “share the wealth “ with smaller market teams when they go above the cap. But those teams rarely spend those funds on talent.
They usually look for a way they can increase their revenues further, and line their pockets with the proceeds. I don’t blame the Steinbrenner’s for complaining. If you’re not using the money to improve your team, give US our money back and we’ll spread the wealth ourselves.
The misinformed keep eating up the crap, pundits from both sides of the aisle, keep dishing out. Politics are not without its flaws, but I must reiterate, TRUE progress is usually a painfully slow, and tedious process. It takes longer to undo injustices than it takes to commit them, without a doubt, but again, IF YOU’RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, in one way or the other, YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Don’t sit on the sidelines and repeat the crap you hear people say on campaign trails without understanding, or researching for yourself, how the process works. The only way this country will ever begin to reverse the ills of the financial meltdown is by PUTTING AMERICANS back to work, which will stabilize American companies for the long haul (instead of continually bailing them out), generating enough tax revenue to pay down the National Debt, and the essential entitlement programs (Medicare/ Social Security/ All Services), which were created to serve US ALL.
Don’t tell me this isn’t possible when the average CEO pay has gone from over 100X, to over 400X the average Americans salary, in a few decades. They deserve to be highly compensated when their firms perform well, but not at the expense of their institutions, their shareholders, or their employees, particularly in a time of widespread crisis, GLOBALLY…….
When Obama says he wants to give a tax break to 95% of the population, which is a MAJORITY of the American working class, the 1st graph below is WHO he is talking about.
If you increase the disposable income of this group, you would automatically increase receipts. I’ve prepared tax returns for people making less than $15K, and believe me, if they have a child, they already receive Earned Income Credits that cause their returns to soar anywhere from $3-$5K annually, under current tax policy.
For someone (i.e. Joe the Plumber) to say “Obama will spread the wealth around to those who pay NO taxes at all” is disingenuous, to say the least… The statistics below are from 2005. The income disparity has only GROWN exponentially, since then.
The sheer inequity between the haves and the have nots is exactly why our markets are nearing collapse. Sure it looked like a good idea from the outset, only problem is, the wealth is not trickling down, which causes businesses to go in the red, which in turn, causes a ripple affect that hurts the MAJORITY.
Now all these ignorant bums are complaining about Obama taking money they don’t have, and probably, will never live to see. Get a grip STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile the top 1% leave their financial institutions+stocks, our retirement portfolios, and our tax coffers in shambles. Then the privileged ride off into the sunset laughing all the way to the bank, and they tell the uninformed to watch out for TAX AND SPEND DEMONCRATS. BULL$#!+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I compare this financial ideology to a sophisticated pyramid scheme. But the RICH WILL NEVER LOSE…
MY ONL QUESTION IS….. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO $#^%@*&& GREEDY??????? AND THE ANSWER IS, BECAUSE ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY. ALWAYS HAS, ALWAYS WILL.
2005 US Income DistributionMore Census data! This time it is the U.S. income distribution for 2005 showing the number of households up to $250,000. (I have since added more graphs that include incomes above $250,000: 2005 US Income Distribution Part 2 and 2005 US Income Distribution Part 3)
CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW DISTRIBUTION GRAPH:
http://www.visualizingeconomics.com/2006/11/05/2005-us-income-distribution/
Carving up our economic pieBy Holly SklarDistributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services, November 22, 2005
Pie season is here. Pumpkin, apple, cherry, whatever you like. We can use edible pie charts -- and some chocolate -- to see how our national economic pie is being carved up more unfairly.
Let's look first at income distribution.
Take two pies -- one for 1979, the other for 2003 (using the latest IRS data).
Divide the 1979 pie into 10 equal slices. If the slices were eaten according to the distribution of income in 1979:
· The richest 1 percent of taxpayers would get one slice.
· The rest of the top 20 percent would get four slices.
· The other 80 percent of taxpayers would split five slices.
Now, divide the 2003 pie into 10 slices.
· The richest 1 percent would get nearly two slices.
· The rest of the top 20 percent would get a little over four slices.
· The other 80 percent would split four slices.
In 1979, the top 20 percent of taxpayers had about as much income as the other 80 percent combined. In 2003, the top 20 percent had 60 percent of the income, leaving just 40 percent for the rest. The richest 1 percent nearly doubled their share.
Let's look more closely at the upward shift in income.
In 1979, the bottom 40 percent of taxpayers had about 15 percent more combined income than the richest 1 percent.
In 2003, the richest 1 percent had twice the income share of the bottom 40 percent.
The richest 1 percent share of reported income jumped from 9.6 percent in 1979 to 17.5 percent in 2003. The bottom 40 percent share fell from 11.3 percent to 8.8 percent.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston puts the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else in stark perspective. He examined the income reported on tax returns of the top 0.01 percent -- about 14,000 households with at least $5.5 million in income.
From 1950 to 1970, for every additional dollar earned by those in the bottom 90 percent, those in the top 0.01 percent earned an additional $162.
From 1990 to 2002, for every additional dollar earned in the bottom 90 percent, those at the top brought in an extra $18,000.
**** HELLO!!!!!!!!!!! NOTICE A TREND HERE???***
If you are feeling financially down this holiday season, there's a good reason. Average workers have been earning less after inflation, not more. Average hourly earnings dropped 5 percent, adjusting for inflation, between 1979 and 2004 -- while domestic corporate profits rose 63 percent.
The share of national income going to wages and salaries is at the lowest level since 1929 -- the year that kicked off the Great Depression. The share going to after-tax corporate profits, which heavily benefit wealthy Americans through increased dividends and capital gains, is at the highest level since 1929.
Income gaps in the workplace have become increasingly outrageous, as seen in the growing gap between worker pay and CEO pay. We can demonstrate it with a pile of chocolate.
Give 1 piece of chocolate to your worker stand-in and 44 pieces to your CEO stand-in. That was the 1980 ratio of average full-time worker pay to average pay among CEOs in Business Week's survey of major corporations.
For the equivalent 2004 ratio, give 1 piece of chocolate to the worker and 362 to the CEO.
As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, federal policy is contributing "to a further widening of income disparities between the most affluent households and other Americans." Households with incomes over $1 million will receive an average tax cut of $103,000 this year -- an increase of 5.4 percent in their after-tax income.
The congressional majority is done crying crocodile tears over Katrina and the shameful inequality it exposed.
They're working overtime to stiff the have-nots with more budget cuts so they can keep stuffing the pockets of the haves with more tax cuts. The budget knife is dropping on Medicaid, education, child care, food assistance and more-- even public health, despite loud warnings we are unprepared for bird flu and other threats.
Tell your senators and members of Congress what you think about their priorities, and make your voice count when you vote next November.
Holly Sklar is co-author of "Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies That Work for All Of Us." She can be reached at hsklar@aol.com. Copyright (c) 2005 Holly Sklar
I’m all for a free market society, and I don’t think anyone should be penalized for creating wealth, but the inequity is disturbing, and herein lies the fundamental problem with our economy.
I’m just saying, be informed, and hold your elected officials accountable, whether it’s the 42nd, 43rd, 44th President, your Congressman, Senator, Councilman, Mayor, etc. Otherwise, don’t say $#!+, when it hits the fan……..
More@: www.blaqopsblogspot.com
www.myspace.com/reciprok8
$PREADING THE PAIN
IT'S DOOM & BLOOM ON BUDGET
By DAVID SEIFMAN, City Hall Bureau Chief5:21 amNovember 6, 2008 Posted: 4:52 amNovember 6, 2008
Mayor Bloomberg dropped a budget bombshell yesterday by warning he might have to increase income and sales taxes by $900 million next year - on top of a 7 percent property tax hike he plans to enact before month's end.
If that weren't enough to send taxpayers running for cover, Bloomberg also announced that the city could no longer afford the annual $400 rebate to small homeowners, and intends to end it immediately to save $256 million a year.
That's in addition to draconian measures already on the table after Bloomberg ordered agencies to come up with $1.5 billion in savings to close budget gaps that have grown from $2.3 billion to $4 billion over 18 months.
Among them are:
* The Sanitation Department hoped to pull in $16 million through a 5-cent fee on plastic bags.
* The NYPD was looking for a $60 million haul from summonses that would be handed out by 234 new traffic agents assigned to ticket "block the box" violations.
* Public-library service would be reduced from six days a week to 51/2.
* The Department of Transportation planned to raise selected parking-meter fees from $1 to $2 an hour south of 60th Street to collect $7 million more a year.
Other plans ranged from some 500 to 600 layoffs at the Department of Education and the Housing Authority and the elimination of a 1,100-recruit Police Academy class to save $137 million.
"Each path is unpleasant and painful," the mayor declared at a gloomy, mid-year budget presentation at City Hall.
"Back in June nobody really thought Wall Street was going to fall apart. All this happened in five months," he said.
But the entire range of agency actions still left a $1.3 billion deficit in the $61 billion budget for fiscal 2010, an outgrowth of an anticipated plunge in economically sensitive taxes from $24.7 billion to $19.9 billion in two years and a spike in contributions required to fund declining municipal pension funds.
To cope, the mayor offered some extraordinary options: $400 million in further agency reductions plus a combination of a higher general sales tax, restoration of the sales tax on clothing and an increase in the personal income tax of 7.5 percent or 15 percent.
At the 7.5 percent level, the mayor noted, residents with a taxable income of $50,000 to $75,000 would pay an extra $116 a year.
"It's $116 of taxpayers' money and it's $116 most people don't have, or don't want to spend, but it does put it into perspective what it might take to help us close the $1.3 billion deficit," he said.
Reaction to the proposed and possible tax hikes - all of which require legislative approval - was less than enthusiastic in the City Council. "We're kind of shocked that was on the table to revoke a [$400 check] that should have been mailed out already," said council Finance Chairman David Weprin (D-Queens).
Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), a longtime Bloomberg ally, said he couldn't fathom the council going along with "any sort of real-estate tax increase on homeowners."
Bloomberg at several points mentioned that the state faces even bigger problems, an indication the city might try to piggyback on any tax hikes coming out of Albany.
david.seifman@nypost.com
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
TEMPERED ENTHUSIASM... THE REAL WORK STARTS NOW!!!
I voted for Obama because I was convinced this man is supremely qualified, he has the stature, temperament, and intellectual capacity necessary to move this country forward, and change the perception of America abroad.
Although I am deeply touched by this historic moment, make no mistake, the enormity of the task at hand is monumental.
The HATERS will be chomping at the bit to criticize/derail every move he makes, and ridicule him when he has a set back, or any perceived error in judgement.
Sen. McCain finally reemerged the "Maverick", we all knew him to be before he started this campaign. His stand up guy, congratulatory, and "America First" concession speech was awe inspiring. I applaud his efforts, as it was truly an honorable gesture.
It's a shame he had to depart from his Maverick qualities in order to shore up his base, but this course of action, coupled with the selection of Palin as a running mate and the collapse of the financial markets, was another factor in getting the right man into office, so in that respect, I'm estatic.
We need to come together as a nation and begin the healing process. This is a victory for all Americans, because we selected the "best" candidate for the job. We disregarded the lies, the rhetoric, the fear mongering, and most refreshing of all, the color of his skin.
America has once again served as a beacon of hope to the world. Demonstrating democracy at it best, while collectively, we were in the worse condition we have been in a long time. Out of every tragedy there is a ray of hope. That hope is Obama.
I wish he and his family nothing but the best, and God speed. I am confident he will do the best he can to govern righteously. He has surrounded himself with a competent, and highly intellectual cast of advisors.
We need to put Americans back to work asap. Alternative energy, incentive based tax cuts for companies that "actually" create jobs for Americans, and education must be at the forefront. We cannot continue to fall behind developed Nations. The children are OUR future, and they have spoken.
The money we are spending on foreign oil, is "the greatest transfer of wealth" in history, but "DRILL BABY DRILL" cannot be the focul point of getting us out of this mess. We need to leave our children a better world than the one we inherited. It will take a majority of US to bring that dream to fruition.
I LOVE the fact everyone refers to him as the first BLACK President, but in actuality, he is the son of a Western White woman, and an African Black man. He is the epitome of what it means to be American, and his ethnicity is representative of the ENTIRE WORLD. I fully expect him to govern accordingly.
America has awakened, the work begins NOW. CHANGE HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!!
Although I am deeply touched by this historic moment, make no mistake, the enormity of the task at hand is monumental.
The HATERS will be chomping at the bit to criticize/derail every move he makes, and ridicule him when he has a set back, or any perceived error in judgement.
Sen. McCain finally reemerged the "Maverick", we all knew him to be before he started this campaign. His stand up guy, congratulatory, and "America First" concession speech was awe inspiring. I applaud his efforts, as it was truly an honorable gesture.
It's a shame he had to depart from his Maverick qualities in order to shore up his base, but this course of action, coupled with the selection of Palin as a running mate and the collapse of the financial markets, was another factor in getting the right man into office, so in that respect, I'm estatic.
We need to come together as a nation and begin the healing process. This is a victory for all Americans, because we selected the "best" candidate for the job. We disregarded the lies, the rhetoric, the fear mongering, and most refreshing of all, the color of his skin.
America has once again served as a beacon of hope to the world. Demonstrating democracy at it best, while collectively, we were in the worse condition we have been in a long time. Out of every tragedy there is a ray of hope. That hope is Obama.
I wish he and his family nothing but the best, and God speed. I am confident he will do the best he can to govern righteously. He has surrounded himself with a competent, and highly intellectual cast of advisors.
We need to put Americans back to work asap. Alternative energy, incentive based tax cuts for companies that "actually" create jobs for Americans, and education must be at the forefront. We cannot continue to fall behind developed Nations. The children are OUR future, and they have spoken.
The money we are spending on foreign oil, is "the greatest transfer of wealth" in history, but "DRILL BABY DRILL" cannot be the focul point of getting us out of this mess. We need to leave our children a better world than the one we inherited. It will take a majority of US to bring that dream to fruition.
I LOVE the fact everyone refers to him as the first BLACK President, but in actuality, he is the son of a Western White woman, and an African Black man. He is the epitome of what it means to be American, and his ethnicity is representative of the ENTIRE WORLD. I fully expect him to govern accordingly.
America has awakened, the work begins NOW. CHANGE HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
HOLD THE IRE OUT OF RESPECT... FOR NOW......
First of all, Curry’s benching is TOTALLY WARRANTED. Fact is, I have always maintained that Curry’s potential has no limitations except for the ones he has placed on himself, mainly his work ethic, in which case he has been negligent, to say the least.
I have been watching this kid since High School. Arguably, he has the best touch, moves, and natural ability around the basket, than any other Big Man in the league.
7’ guys of his caliber are a dying breed, take a look around. That being said, I have been railing for years saying that his conditioning, or lack thereof, has prohibited him from taking his game to the next level.
He was on the cusp of becoming an All-Star. When he was passed up, his beef did have merit, however, instead of going hard during the off season, coming into camp ala Bynum, and proving the pundits wrong, he comes to camp in relatively the same shape, or worse…
He did have the burglary incident to deal with that summer, but overcoming adversity is the Hallmark of Champions, and the mainstream eats it up like forbidden comfort food. It would have legitimized his argument, and made him one of the most marketable players in NBA history. He is a good guy off the court after all.
The Knicks organization should have had elite Nutritionists, and Physical trainers, like the Suns/Nuggets and many other teams, make up training regimens specific to each individual players most pressing area of need. Crawford’s strength, Curry’s stamina/conditioning, etc. But ultimately, Curry is solely responsible for his body, his benching status, and his fall from grace as the cornerstone of the franchise.
Meanwhile, the player for whom he was snubbed (Dwight Howard), came into camp looking, freakishly, in better condition than he was the previous season, and had Patrick Ewing to help him hone his game. Adding insult to injury, this guy was already built like an NBA Adonis.
The Knicks definitely should have hired Patrick Sr. to work with Eddy long time ago, and retain the rights to Patrick Jr. now, by any means necessary. $400K is a drop in the bucket, compared to potential future dividends this kid could bring.
Curry not elevating his game, was the true albatross, single handedly weighing down the teams ability to improve far more than Marbury’s bad attitude. His lack of conditioning, and Marbury’s mutiny, coupled with the Anucha Browne suit, created a cancerous atmosphere, and inevitably, lead to ultimate failure.
We know how N.Y. is, if they came out like world beaters, the stories still would have been sports page fodder, but the mainstream would have reduced them to a small footnote. By no means am I attempting to absolve Thomas, the facts are the facts, and he was judged by a jury of his peers. I’m just pointing out how fickle we ALL can be when our beloved team is a WINNER.
As for Marbury, does he have a reputation of being a malcontent? Asolutely!
Is D'Antoni being purposely vindictive with the benching, truly giving players likely to be on the team in the future “prime time evaluations” (they were playing the Heat after all), or, was he testing Marbury's temperament to confirm whether or not the troublesome guard has truly made an about face?..... That, I do not know, and I don’t think any of us do. But I sure do hope the latter is the case.
If Marbury can remain stoic, observe what the coach wants him to do, stays ready to execute the coaches will, and EXECUTES the game plan with efficiency, when he is finally called upon, he may finally have the opportunity he has professed to have since he donned the Knick uniform, which is, WIN IN N.Y.
If he has truly bought into the concept of TEAM before me, effectively runs the offense, which I believe he is supremely equipped to do, it will display a tremendous amount of discipline, composure, but most of all maturity. And that’s what the Knicks need the most right now, a true “LEADER” on the floor, and team defense.
This could resurrect his career, whether or not the Knicks retain his services next year, albeit, winning would make it virtually impossible to part ways with him. After all, Lebron could always use an All-Star caliber point guard, right?
No matter how much we may disagree with his methods, D’Antoni has won consistently in Phoenix, he was Asst. coach on the Gold medal Olympic team this summer, and he has been constantly evaluating this team all summer. We must give him an opportunity to implement his strategy, and voice our criticisms in a respectful manner.
NO ONE can pretend to know the make up this team better than D’Antoni and his staff, with the exception of Thomas. Although it’s early, he has already demonstrated the ability to make better use of their skills using a completely different philosophy.
With all my reservations, I must give him the benefit of the doubt, and HOLD THE IRE, at least for now. But hey, if you don’t have thick skin, don’t get on the stage in N.Y., right? Just ask Joe Torre……..
More@: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
I have been watching this kid since High School. Arguably, he has the best touch, moves, and natural ability around the basket, than any other Big Man in the league.
7’ guys of his caliber are a dying breed, take a look around. That being said, I have been railing for years saying that his conditioning, or lack thereof, has prohibited him from taking his game to the next level.
He was on the cusp of becoming an All-Star. When he was passed up, his beef did have merit, however, instead of going hard during the off season, coming into camp ala Bynum, and proving the pundits wrong, he comes to camp in relatively the same shape, or worse…
He did have the burglary incident to deal with that summer, but overcoming adversity is the Hallmark of Champions, and the mainstream eats it up like forbidden comfort food. It would have legitimized his argument, and made him one of the most marketable players in NBA history. He is a good guy off the court after all.
The Knicks organization should have had elite Nutritionists, and Physical trainers, like the Suns/Nuggets and many other teams, make up training regimens specific to each individual players most pressing area of need. Crawford’s strength, Curry’s stamina/conditioning, etc. But ultimately, Curry is solely responsible for his body, his benching status, and his fall from grace as the cornerstone of the franchise.
Meanwhile, the player for whom he was snubbed (Dwight Howard), came into camp looking, freakishly, in better condition than he was the previous season, and had Patrick Ewing to help him hone his game. Adding insult to injury, this guy was already built like an NBA Adonis.
The Knicks definitely should have hired Patrick Sr. to work with Eddy long time ago, and retain the rights to Patrick Jr. now, by any means necessary. $400K is a drop in the bucket, compared to potential future dividends this kid could bring.
Curry not elevating his game, was the true albatross, single handedly weighing down the teams ability to improve far more than Marbury’s bad attitude. His lack of conditioning, and Marbury’s mutiny, coupled with the Anucha Browne suit, created a cancerous atmosphere, and inevitably, lead to ultimate failure.
We know how N.Y. is, if they came out like world beaters, the stories still would have been sports page fodder, but the mainstream would have reduced them to a small footnote. By no means am I attempting to absolve Thomas, the facts are the facts, and he was judged by a jury of his peers. I’m just pointing out how fickle we ALL can be when our beloved team is a WINNER.
As for Marbury, does he have a reputation of being a malcontent? Asolutely!
Is D'Antoni being purposely vindictive with the benching, truly giving players likely to be on the team in the future “prime time evaluations” (they were playing the Heat after all), or, was he testing Marbury's temperament to confirm whether or not the troublesome guard has truly made an about face?..... That, I do not know, and I don’t think any of us do. But I sure do hope the latter is the case.
If Marbury can remain stoic, observe what the coach wants him to do, stays ready to execute the coaches will, and EXECUTES the game plan with efficiency, when he is finally called upon, he may finally have the opportunity he has professed to have since he donned the Knick uniform, which is, WIN IN N.Y.
If he has truly bought into the concept of TEAM before me, effectively runs the offense, which I believe he is supremely equipped to do, it will display a tremendous amount of discipline, composure, but most of all maturity. And that’s what the Knicks need the most right now, a true “LEADER” on the floor, and team defense.
This could resurrect his career, whether or not the Knicks retain his services next year, albeit, winning would make it virtually impossible to part ways with him. After all, Lebron could always use an All-Star caliber point guard, right?
No matter how much we may disagree with his methods, D’Antoni has won consistently in Phoenix, he was Asst. coach on the Gold medal Olympic team this summer, and he has been constantly evaluating this team all summer. We must give him an opportunity to implement his strategy, and voice our criticisms in a respectful manner.
NO ONE can pretend to know the make up this team better than D’Antoni and his staff, with the exception of Thomas. Although it’s early, he has already demonstrated the ability to make better use of their skills using a completely different philosophy.
With all my reservations, I must give him the benefit of the doubt, and HOLD THE IRE, at least for now. But hey, if you don’t have thick skin, don’t get on the stage in N.Y., right? Just ask Joe Torre……..
More@: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 30, 2008
PARDON (PART II)
Check out the demands the Iraqi Gov't, which we liberated, is making on U.S. now!!!! Good thing we are spending $10Billion a month securing their freedom, huh?
I'm sure an agreement will be reached soon, but the demands, alone, are ludicrous considering how much GI blood, and Tax payer loot that has been SACRIFICED.
IRAQ SEEKS PACT LIMITS
BAGHDAD - Iraq wants a security agreement with the United States to include a clear ban on American troops using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors, a government spokesman said yesterday, three days after a dramatic US raid on Syria.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the proposed amendment was among several forwarded to Washington, where President Bush said negotiators were analyzing them. "We obviously want to be helpful and constructive without undermining basic principles," Bush said.
Al-Dabbagh said the Iraqis want the right to declare the agreement null and void if the United States unilaterally attacks one of Iraq's neighbors.
US troops launched a daring daylight attack Sunday a few miles into Syrian territory, killing senior al Qaeda figure Abu Ghadiyah.
Al-Dabbagh said other amendments sought by the Iraqis include a clear definition of "duty" when cases arise involving crimes committed by American troops off base.
These GIs would be tried under Iraqi jurisdiction. The Iraqis also want to inspect all US military shipments entering or leaving Iraq. The agreement must be approved by the end of the year, or the US military would have to suspend all operations in Iraq.
The GALL, however we never should have been there in the first place. It's obvious they are quite capable of securing their own land.
I'm sure an agreement will be reached soon, but the demands, alone, are ludicrous considering how much GI blood, and Tax payer loot that has been SACRIFICED.
IRAQ SEEKS PACT LIMITS
BAGHDAD - Iraq wants a security agreement with the United States to include a clear ban on American troops using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors, a government spokesman said yesterday, three days after a dramatic US raid on Syria.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the proposed amendment was among several forwarded to Washington, where President Bush said negotiators were analyzing them. "We obviously want to be helpful and constructive without undermining basic principles," Bush said.
Al-Dabbagh said the Iraqis want the right to declare the agreement null and void if the United States unilaterally attacks one of Iraq's neighbors.
US troops launched a daring daylight attack Sunday a few miles into Syrian territory, killing senior al Qaeda figure Abu Ghadiyah.
Al-Dabbagh said other amendments sought by the Iraqis include a clear definition of "duty" when cases arise involving crimes committed by American troops off base.
These GIs would be tried under Iraqi jurisdiction. The Iraqis also want to inspect all US military shipments entering or leaving Iraq. The agreement must be approved by the end of the year, or the US military would have to suspend all operations in Iraq.
The GALL, however we never should have been there in the first place. It's obvious they are quite capable of securing their own land.
PARDON
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The preemptive doctrine lives on........
They rail about a whole host of irrelevant crap, but stuff like this go under the radar. He's attempting to skirt accountability, BEFORE THE FACT!
This is unprecedented... I'm not even going to write anything else. Just watch the video and judge for yourself..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RwoFcLgxA0
They rail about a whole host of irrelevant crap, but stuff like this go under the radar. He's attempting to skirt accountability, BEFORE THE FACT!
This is unprecedented... I'm not even going to write anything else. Just watch the video and judge for yourself..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RwoFcLgxA0
CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM........
I am cautiously optimistic about this season, but I must reiterate, the Ewing Jr. decision was a terrible call, they must retain the rights to sign him in the future.
Secondly, the decision not to play Marbury last night was a horrendous call. Granted he has been a disruptive presence in the past, but this off season he busted his tail to get in the best shape he has been in, in years. He said all the right things publicly, put TEAM first, and sparkled in the preseason distributing the ball. With respect to Duhon, Marbury's assists (per minutes played) were off the charts.
To unveil the unproven Gallinari who only played 1 Summer League game, and call on Collins, resulting in Marbury getting the second DNP of his career, displayed extremely bad judgement, in my opinion.
Who knows, perhaps the call was a mandate handed down directly from Walsh, perhaps D'Antoni is testing Marbury to see if he will revert back to sulking in a demonstrative fashion, and immaturely voicing his grievances with the club publicly. If that is the case, it may be a good way to evaluate whether or not Marbury's new attitude is for real, but if you truly want to part ways with him, the best thing you could do is showcase his talent (for a few minutes at the least) in order to peak interest from other ball clubs.
Time will tell...... D'Antoni deserves the opportunity to implement his directive, without being second guessed by every pundit/fan with an opinion, but to me, I would never bench, arguably, the best weapon in my arsenal unless he gives me a good reason to take such action.
Secondly, the decision not to play Marbury last night was a horrendous call. Granted he has been a disruptive presence in the past, but this off season he busted his tail to get in the best shape he has been in, in years. He said all the right things publicly, put TEAM first, and sparkled in the preseason distributing the ball. With respect to Duhon, Marbury's assists (per minutes played) were off the charts.
To unveil the unproven Gallinari who only played 1 Summer League game, and call on Collins, resulting in Marbury getting the second DNP of his career, displayed extremely bad judgement, in my opinion.
Who knows, perhaps the call was a mandate handed down directly from Walsh, perhaps D'Antoni is testing Marbury to see if he will revert back to sulking in a demonstrative fashion, and immaturely voicing his grievances with the club publicly. If that is the case, it may be a good way to evaluate whether or not Marbury's new attitude is for real, but if you truly want to part ways with him, the best thing you could do is showcase his talent (for a few minutes at the least) in order to peak interest from other ball clubs.
Time will tell...... D'Antoni deserves the opportunity to implement his directive, without being second guessed by every pundit/fan with an opinion, but to me, I would never bench, arguably, the best weapon in my arsenal unless he gives me a good reason to take such action.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A SOBERING PERSPECTIVE.......
With exactly a week left in the most important national election, in a long time (my lifetime at least), if I see the media focus on one more misguided, aloof, bigoted, racist, narrow minded, dumbed down voter who says, “I’m voting for the Obama because, I hope he will be the Nations first Black President”, I am going to lose my mind!!!!!!!
To be brutally honest, I have just as much contempt for those idiots, as the Nazi @$$#*!$ who were arrested yesterday. They were obviously reckless, and stupid, but I am more concerned with those who may have more sophisticated and clandestine plots on their agenda, in an effort to derail progress. I pray to GOD it NEVER happens….
Although I’m concerned, I am not afraid for Obama’s safety, nor should he be. There will be no progress without sacrifice. Any time you try to do something good, HATERS, without a doubt, will always try to cut you down. That reality, unfortunately, comes with the territory, but you should NEVER let it deter you from completing/pursuing the task at hand.….
To vote for someone on the premise of race, to me, is an overt admission of IGNORANCE. Early in the primary campaign, I was torn between Sen. Clinton, and Sen. Obama.
To be brutally honest, I have just as much contempt for those idiots, as the Nazi @$$#*!$ who were arrested yesterday. They were obviously reckless, and stupid, but I am more concerned with those who may have more sophisticated and clandestine plots on their agenda, in an effort to derail progress. I pray to GOD it NEVER happens….
Although I’m concerned, I am not afraid for Obama’s safety, nor should he be. There will be no progress without sacrifice. Any time you try to do something good, HATERS, without a doubt, will always try to cut you down. That reality, unfortunately, comes with the territory, but you should NEVER let it deter you from completing/pursuing the task at hand.….
To vote for someone on the premise of race, to me, is an overt admission of IGNORANCE. Early in the primary campaign, I was torn between Sen. Clinton, and Sen. Obama.
Although their policy stances mirror each other greatly, as the race progressed, I gravitated towards Sen. Obama based on his debating skills, his ability to remain above the fray, and stay on message, no matter how ugly or contentious the competition got.
No disrespect to Sen. Clinton, but I also felt Sen. Obama was the least polarizing candidate, he represented the best opportunity to break from the “old” Washington politics as usual ideology, and invoke REAL change, NOW!!!
Sen. Obama is intelligent, articulate, an excellent communicator, he has surrounded himself with competent advisors, he is cool calm&collective, and I am convinced, he has a firm grasp on the “Issues” that need to be addressed, in order to move the Nation forward.
No disrespect to Sen. Clinton, but I also felt Sen. Obama was the least polarizing candidate, he represented the best opportunity to break from the “old” Washington politics as usual ideology, and invoke REAL change, NOW!!!
Sen. Obama is intelligent, articulate, an excellent communicator, he has surrounded himself with competent advisors, he is cool calm&collective, and I am convinced, he has a firm grasp on the “Issues” that need to be addressed, in order to move the Nation forward.
The fact that he is the first Black candidate in our Nations history is a proud moment for all intelligent/forward thinking people, not to mention people of color, and icing on the cake as far as I’m concerned, but that’s NOT the reason I am, or, WE should, vote for him.
I do believe we are on the cusp of a great moment in history. Dr. King dreamed of the day we could judge ALL PEOPLE “not based on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character.” I truly hope Nov 4th is an indicator that dream is finally coming to fruition.
In my estimation, anyone who votes on the premise of race is no better than the racist idiots spewing rhetoric (Pro-Black Militant/ Socialist/ Communist), the baseless character assassinations against his background (middle name Hussein/ Muslim/ Elitist), or those who try to mislead the public into believing we will be in “eminent danger”, should he be victorious. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and in my opinion, those types of voters are IGNORANT COWARDS, who should have their voting privileges REVOKED, permanently!!! (Good thing we live in a Democracy, right? LOL)
I am a pessimist by experience, but deep down inside, I am an eternal optimist. Although this world will never be Utopian, “Life” naturally, will always present adverse and challenging situations to us all. Rising to meet those challenges however, in an intellectual, measured, and responsible manner, is HUMANITY at its best. I yearn for the day when “civilization”, for the most part, epitomizes the definition of the word, and we can move forward in unison, as the “HUMAN RACE.
Memo to the idiots: Get informed, and make an educated choice Nov 4th, based primarily, on your “best” interests, and the interests of your family, your community, this Nation as a whole, and the WORLD in general……. We all share this planet, like it or not.
I am a firm believer that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but in this instance, a filibuster proof Washington is almost necessary in order to right the wrongs of the past 8 years. Believe me, if the Democrats are successful, and if Obama and/or Congress abuses this power, I will be just as vocally critical of their performance as I have been of the current administration.
As I am an Independent, first and foremost, I am optimistic that in future elections the RNC will realize the error in their ways, and select representatives based on their intellectual capacity, experience, and the interests of ALL Americans, in order to restore the checks and balances that we need to keep misguided representatives who may get inebriated by power over the next 4 years, from going astray and running amok with the political process, after order has been restored.
Once the race is over, the new President will have to focus and work much harder than recent predecessors. Both the DNC&RNC will need to focus on grooming future candidates in all branches of Government, whether they are White, Black, Latino, Asian, male, or female.
If Obama succeeds in implementing the CHANGE he has based his platform on, I believe the Nation will benefit from a multitude of opportunities/wealth, and if it comes to fruition, a great responsibility will accompany that progress. We will be ill served if we squander those opportunities, or go backwards, again. By no means can we let that happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That being said, I will try to refrain from sending you guys anything else political in nature up through Nov 4th, but something tells me I won’t be able to keep my promise, LOL. If you agree please forward this blog to your less enlightened friends, family, and associates. Hope all is well everyone….
Barack the vote Nov 4th!!!!!
That being said, I will try to refrain from sending you guys anything else political in nature up through Nov 4th, but something tells me I won’t be able to keep my promise, LOL. If you agree please forward this blog to your less enlightened friends, family, and associates. Hope all is well everyone….
Barack the vote Nov 4th!!!!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
FOUND HIM!!! - Bush "You guys may be back next year, but not me"
It's unfathomable that this guy still has the gall to think statements like this are funny, or even appropriate, in the midst of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression, and, 2 WARS, that he PREEMPTIVELY STARTED, the next President will inherit, and have to clean up. UNBELIEVABLE!!
We didn't need to engage in 2 WARS... As I said, at the time, all we NEEDED to do was send in our Special Forces to find those responsible for the atrocities of 9/11, and KILL them all, as we are currently doing now with "surprise attacks/care packages/drones" being sent to kill suspected Al Queda operatives.
This course of action would have saved the American public billions, not to mention the thousands of lives (American, Iraqi, Afghan, etc), that would have been salvaged as well.
Just in case there was any doubt left that this is, unequivocally, the WORST, now LAME DUCK, President EVER, cut and paste the link below to see for yourself.....
"You guys may be back next year, but not me (HEHEHEHEHE)". THANK GOD!!!!!!!!
Albeit, this was said in jest, at the Stanley Cup White House ceremony, but the sad part is, the joke is on all of U.S.
********** http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/#scroll_video ********************* (takes a little work, go to "where's Bush" video link once you get to the site)
*******PLUS*********
I must admit, the article below is a surprising, yet refreshing admonition from a Post columnist. The McCain campaign has abandoned all of his Maverick qualities, in his desperation for VICTORY. Socialism is NOT the answer, but that's NOT what Obama is proposing.
Funny thing is, the McCain campaign has effectively disillusioned the uninformed into believing Obama will truncate "the American Dream" by taxing them, in order to promote his "Social Agenda" and give away hard earned "Regular Joe's" tax dollars to those who pay No taxes at all... Which is an absolute farce, to say the least?
Increased disposable income for middle class Americans will boost the economy, businesses, and ultimately, the tax coffers, tremendously. Maybe then, we could start paying down the National Debt, which the sitting President was implicit in bloating with his preemptive War policies (Bush Doctrine), unbalanced budgets, and the recent Wall Street bailout. Not to mention the Nation's infrastructure is desperately in need of repair, we're falling behind the rest of the world in education/production/economy, and the cost of living continues to spiral out of control... Who do we think is going to pay for all of this, our great great grandchildren??????
God forbid a "Regular Joe" making $250++ would have to pay a little more, in order to secure his own, and the Nation's as a whole, well being. Go figure.........
MCCAIN'S 'SOCIALIST' FALLACY
Comments: 37Read Comments Leave a Comment
Last updated: 4:54 amOctober 24, 2008
Posted: 4:29 amOctober 24, 2008
ONCE the McCain campaign said Barack Obama was a terrorist sympathizer, we should've have known "socialist" was next.
Ever since Obama told "Joe the Plumber" that we should "spread the wealth," John McCain and Sarah Palin have taken to blasting Obama's tax plan as a socialist plot. Socialism involves collective ownership of the means of economic production and similar institutional "sharing of the wealth." Nothing Obama has proposed comes close to that. (Instead, the Bush administration is virtually nationalizing the banks.)
What McCain calls socialism is actually just old-fashioned progressive taxation - taxing the wealthy at higher rates than the poor. It underlies most of US tax policy - so mainstream that one of its biggest defendershas been . . . John McCain. Debating in Michigan during the 2000 primaries, McCain warned: "There's a growing gap between the haves and have-nots in America, and that gap is growing, and it's unfortunately divided up along ethnic lines."
That same year, McCain said on "Meet the Press": "Many studies have indicated that . . . the people who need . . . the relief most are working middle-income Americans and that's what I want to give to them." In an ad, he promised: "There's one big difference between me and the others - I won't take every last dime of the surplus and spend it on tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy."Socialist!
In fact, McCain is such a socialist that he voted against the 2001 Bush tax cuts, complaining that they unfairly favored the rich "at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief." The McCain campaign has also bizarrely begun calling Obama's tax credits "welfare."
For example, Obama's refundable tax credit for mortgage payments originally went to everyone, even if they didn't work. Responding to the "welfare" charge, Obama has added a work requirement - so now retirees won't benefit from the tax credit. Thanks, Sen. McCain.
It also looks like McCain is pushing a little "welfare" of his own: The centerpiece of his health care plan is a $5,000 tax credit to families. This goes to people regardless of their employment status. Socialist! Sure, the credit just replaces today's break for employer-provided insurance - but it does potentially go to people who don't pay income tax. Why isn't that socialism?
Conservatives are also calling Obama's health-care plan "socialized medicine." Yet Henry Aaron, a top health-policy expert at nonpartisan Brookings Institution, laughed at this characterization. He calls Obama's plan "exceedingly moderate," noting that it builds incrementally on existing insurance programs. It won't tell private insurers what benefits they must cover beyond a basic package.
In fact, liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman attacked Obama's plan as overly modest (compared to Hillary Clinton's) several times during the primaries. Unlike places like Britian, which doeshave socialized medicine, Obama wouldn't put doctors to work for the government.
If you like your current policy, you could keep it. If Obama's plan is "socialist" because it means a bit more government involvement in health care, than America already has socialized medicine for the elderly (Medicare) and the poor (Medicaid). Maybe all this is why the "socialist" attack doesn't seem to be working.
In the most recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, Obama led on "better on taxes" 48-34. A month earlier, McCain was ahead 41-37. Could the taunt of "communist" be far behind?
kirstenpowers@aol.com
We didn't need to engage in 2 WARS... As I said, at the time, all we NEEDED to do was send in our Special Forces to find those responsible for the atrocities of 9/11, and KILL them all, as we are currently doing now with "surprise attacks/care packages/drones" being sent to kill suspected Al Queda operatives.
This course of action would have saved the American public billions, not to mention the thousands of lives (American, Iraqi, Afghan, etc), that would have been salvaged as well.
Just in case there was any doubt left that this is, unequivocally, the WORST, now LAME DUCK, President EVER, cut and paste the link below to see for yourself.....
"You guys may be back next year, but not me (HEHEHEHEHE)". THANK GOD!!!!!!!!
Albeit, this was said in jest, at the Stanley Cup White House ceremony, but the sad part is, the joke is on all of U.S.
********** http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/#scroll_video ********************* (takes a little work, go to "where's Bush" video link once you get to the site)
*******PLUS*********
I must admit, the article below is a surprising, yet refreshing admonition from a Post columnist. The McCain campaign has abandoned all of his Maverick qualities, in his desperation for VICTORY. Socialism is NOT the answer, but that's NOT what Obama is proposing.
Funny thing is, the McCain campaign has effectively disillusioned the uninformed into believing Obama will truncate "the American Dream" by taxing them, in order to promote his "Social Agenda" and give away hard earned "Regular Joe's" tax dollars to those who pay No taxes at all... Which is an absolute farce, to say the least?
Increased disposable income for middle class Americans will boost the economy, businesses, and ultimately, the tax coffers, tremendously. Maybe then, we could start paying down the National Debt, which the sitting President was implicit in bloating with his preemptive War policies (Bush Doctrine), unbalanced budgets, and the recent Wall Street bailout. Not to mention the Nation's infrastructure is desperately in need of repair, we're falling behind the rest of the world in education/production/economy, and the cost of living continues to spiral out of control... Who do we think is going to pay for all of this, our great great grandchildren??????
God forbid a "Regular Joe" making $250++ would have to pay a little more, in order to secure his own, and the Nation's as a whole, well being. Go figure.........
MCCAIN'S 'SOCIALIST' FALLACY
Comments: 37Read Comments Leave a Comment
Last updated: 4:54 amOctober 24, 2008
Posted: 4:29 amOctober 24, 2008
ONCE the McCain campaign said Barack Obama was a terrorist sympathizer, we should've have known "socialist" was next.
Ever since Obama told "Joe the Plumber" that we should "spread the wealth," John McCain and Sarah Palin have taken to blasting Obama's tax plan as a socialist plot. Socialism involves collective ownership of the means of economic production and similar institutional "sharing of the wealth." Nothing Obama has proposed comes close to that. (Instead, the Bush administration is virtually nationalizing the banks.)
What McCain calls socialism is actually just old-fashioned progressive taxation - taxing the wealthy at higher rates than the poor. It underlies most of US tax policy - so mainstream that one of its biggest defendershas been . . . John McCain. Debating in Michigan during the 2000 primaries, McCain warned: "There's a growing gap between the haves and have-nots in America, and that gap is growing, and it's unfortunately divided up along ethnic lines."
That same year, McCain said on "Meet the Press": "Many studies have indicated that . . . the people who need . . . the relief most are working middle-income Americans and that's what I want to give to them." In an ad, he promised: "There's one big difference between me and the others - I won't take every last dime of the surplus and spend it on tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy."Socialist!
In fact, McCain is such a socialist that he voted against the 2001 Bush tax cuts, complaining that they unfairly favored the rich "at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief." The McCain campaign has also bizarrely begun calling Obama's tax credits "welfare."
For example, Obama's refundable tax credit for mortgage payments originally went to everyone, even if they didn't work. Responding to the "welfare" charge, Obama has added a work requirement - so now retirees won't benefit from the tax credit. Thanks, Sen. McCain.
It also looks like McCain is pushing a little "welfare" of his own: The centerpiece of his health care plan is a $5,000 tax credit to families. This goes to people regardless of their employment status. Socialist! Sure, the credit just replaces today's break for employer-provided insurance - but it does potentially go to people who don't pay income tax. Why isn't that socialism?
Conservatives are also calling Obama's health-care plan "socialized medicine." Yet Henry Aaron, a top health-policy expert at nonpartisan Brookings Institution, laughed at this characterization. He calls Obama's plan "exceedingly moderate," noting that it builds incrementally on existing insurance programs. It won't tell private insurers what benefits they must cover beyond a basic package.
In fact, liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman attacked Obama's plan as overly modest (compared to Hillary Clinton's) several times during the primaries. Unlike places like Britian, which doeshave socialized medicine, Obama wouldn't put doctors to work for the government.
If you like your current policy, you could keep it. If Obama's plan is "socialist" because it means a bit more government involvement in health care, than America already has socialized medicine for the elderly (Medicare) and the poor (Medicaid). Maybe all this is why the "socialist" attack doesn't seem to be working.
In the most recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, Obama led on "better on taxes" 48-34. A month earlier, McCain was ahead 41-37. Could the taunt of "communist" be far behind?
kirstenpowers@aol.com
Thursday, October 23, 2008
ABSOLUTELY DESPICABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This ad is slanderous, and irresponsible. By no means is the following a characterization of EVERYONE voting for McCain, but I believe, the blatant, racist, and fear mongering tactics resonates with the most biased and narrow minded members of the American electorate, and reflects the tone of the McCain campaign, in a NUTSHELL……….
This is it!!!!!!! I have had it with the McCain campaign. Out of sheer desperation for victory, his campaign is resorting to even more despicable tactics than his predecessor, whom he is desperately trying to distance himself from NOW, in light of W's tremendous unpopularity (lowest approval rating for a sitting President EVER). Has anyone even seen him lately????? I was in the building on 9/11, and by the grace of God, I escaped unscathed. To insinuate that an Obama victory would put the Nation in DANGER, and circulating the ad below, with the picture of an aircraft at an airport (see RNC mailer below), is offensive to me personally, and, a crass attempt to regain/hold on to the lead in crucial swing states, and is truly reprehensible, to say the least. This only shows how desperate they want to WIN, and his campaign has successfully outdone the Bush campaign in the area of CLASS, or, lack thereof (re: Bush campaign attacks on Sen. McCain's bi-racial daughter out of wedlock false + being brainwashed by the Vietcong, also false) from the previous election. It is a cowardly act. Although the Senator's service to his country is NOT debatable, his state of desperation has disintegrated any remaining respect I had for him, and, destroys his claim of being "above partisan politics".
The mere insinuation that we will be “weaker” because Obama is open to dialogue, instead of continuing the preemptive “Bush Doctrine” policy, is just more right wing FEAR MONGERING.
As FDR was quoted, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or, that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American Public”.
Abraham Lincoln protested that “The Mexican-American war, as an unnecessary and unconstitutional war of conquest, designed to add more slave states to the union”. He was right, of course. It was a direct precursor to our Civil War.
True times have changed, but intelligent and forward thinking has no expiration date, and is NEVER, a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it demonstrates the highest levels of character, courage, bravery, and integrity.
The GOP’s stubbornness, and isolation of power ideology, has bankrupted their political stock, and has virtually bankrupted the Nation financially, as well.
If Sen. Obama is not elected the 44th President of the United States, it will be because they have succeeded in pandering to the ideologies that further DIVIDE ALL AMERICANS. That would, potentially, set back progress another decade, and it would truly be a travesty, of monumental proportions.
Even his own campaign advisors suggested that if “McCain keeps talking about the Economy, he will lose”. What does that tell you? To me, it suggests that he has NOTHING else to talk about, PERIOD!!!! And, his position on issues that matter to Americans the most, is lacking, baseless, misleading, and, NOT in the interests of most of U.S.
This ad is slanderous, and irresponsible. By no means is the following a characterization of EVERYONE voting for McCain, but I believe, the blatant, racist, and fear mongering tactics resonates with the most biased and narrow minded members of the American electorate, and reflects the tone of the McCain campaign, in a NUTSHELL………. BARACK THE VOTE NOV 4TH!!!!!!
More @: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
The mere insinuation that we will be “weaker” because Obama is open to dialogue, instead of continuing the preemptive “Bush Doctrine” policy, is just more right wing FEAR MONGERING.
As FDR was quoted, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or, that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American Public”.
Abraham Lincoln protested that “The Mexican-American war, as an unnecessary and unconstitutional war of conquest, designed to add more slave states to the union”. He was right, of course. It was a direct precursor to our Civil War.
True times have changed, but intelligent and forward thinking has no expiration date, and is NEVER, a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it demonstrates the highest levels of character, courage, bravery, and integrity.
The GOP’s stubbornness, and isolation of power ideology, has bankrupted their political stock, and has virtually bankrupted the Nation financially, as well.
If Sen. Obama is not elected the 44th President of the United States, it will be because they have succeeded in pandering to the ideologies that further DIVIDE ALL AMERICANS. That would, potentially, set back progress another decade, and it would truly be a travesty, of monumental proportions.
Even his own campaign advisors suggested that if “McCain keeps talking about the Economy, he will lose”. What does that tell you? To me, it suggests that he has NOTHING else to talk about, PERIOD!!!! And, his position on issues that matter to Americans the most, is lacking, baseless, misleading, and, NOT in the interests of most of U.S.
This ad is slanderous, and irresponsible. By no means is the following a characterization of EVERYONE voting for McCain, but I believe, the blatant, racist, and fear mongering tactics resonates with the most biased and narrow minded members of the American electorate, and reflects the tone of the McCain campaign, in a NUTSHELL………. BARACK THE VOTE NOV 4TH!!!!!!
More @: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.... PUN INTENDED
They say the media is having a love fest with Obama, but this Palin revelation is not getting as much traction as Ayers, or Rev. Wright. This is fair game, especially after she made the claim Sen. Obama has been "pallin" around with terrorists (plural!!!!), but again, O let's the liberal media, and voters do the fact checking, as he continues to take the high road. That's just one reason he is my choice for the next President of the U.S.A.
Another thing.... I guess what they say is true. If you have an ounce of Negro in you, you're a still a N!&&@!. Because the Sen represents both extremes in terms of race (White Western Woman + Black African Man, from Africa) , he was raised by his maternal (white) grandparents, but routinely he is classified only as the AA candidate..... It's okay, we'll take him.
Why can't he be like Tiger Woods, Calabasian (or whatever), NO, because they want to slander him, and blacken him up as much as possible. All that is missing from the McCain campaign thus far is tar and feathers, but the Socialist label has been getting major traction, so I guess the tar is on hold for now.
If he wins the Presidency, and does a good job, I'm sure the revisionists will take tha t opportunity to write about his lineage to famous Caucasians, and his mixed heritage, then they'll probably recreate his image as well, as Christ's image was revised several times throughout history, to the point where he now resembles a caucasian European.
I don't know if he'll be successful, but I know, instinctively, this man is head above shoulders more intelligent than his opponents, and not just because he is an Ivy League graduate, that graduated at the top of his class. I know, based on his policy, that his goal is to create a better quality of life for Americans, but specifically, the Middle Class (majority of US).
He represents the entire Human race, race wise. A comparison to Sarah Palin is slanderous, intellectually, she isn't even in the same stratosphere. Funny thing is, the conservatives have many believing Obama will take away the American dream... Hello!!!!! Your dreams are currently being outsourced to Latin America, India, China, and any other country that offers cheap labor, while big business continues to receive BILLIONS in tax breaks to "create jobs/wealth". Not to mention the bankers squandering over 2 trillion of "OUR" retirement portfolios down the drain. But, check to see how many jobs were lost this year alone in the U.S.
While the foreign economies are on the rise, our economy is flailing. Now were actually borrowing money from "s ocialist" China to pay our debt, and, pay for Middle Eastern "Terrorists" oil, while our deficit soars. WOW!!!!
VideoOlbermann: It's Palin doing the pallin' - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com
Transcript excerpts: And of course, Governor, those same dopes, and we media morons, we are not smart enough to ask about that pesky Alaskan Independence Party, and why you recorded a speech for its convention last March, and why your husband remained a registered member of it until 2002, even though it was founded by a man named Joe Vogler who wanted Alaska to secede from the United States. The way the South seceded, precipitating the Civil War.
The same Joe Vogler who once said:
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government, and I won't be bur ied under their damn flag.”
And who also said:
"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions.”
Your opponent's guy Ayers wound up on a volunteer anti-poverty committee in Chicago. But your guy Vogler wound up founding a group that wanted to rip one of the stars off the American flag! But I'm assuming you've been "palling around” with your husband. But, gee willikers, Governor, you know what's best.
You're not one of these Washington insiders who would notice that though that's a straight line connecting you, your husband, and this Alaskan secessionist, you're*standing under a banner with the campaign slogan "Country First” and if somebody out there puts two and two together they might just ask, "which Country dja mean? The Country of Alaska?”
Another thing.... I guess what they say is true. If you have an ounce of Negro in you, you're a still a N!&&@!. Because the Sen represents both extremes in terms of race (White Western Woman + Black African Man, from Africa) , he was raised by his maternal (white) grandparents, but routinely he is classified only as the AA candidate..... It's okay, we'll take him.
Why can't he be like Tiger Woods, Calabasian (or whatever), NO, because they want to slander him, and blacken him up as much as possible. All that is missing from the McCain campaign thus far is tar and feathers, but the Socialist label has been getting major traction, so I guess the tar is on hold for now.
If he wins the Presidency, and does a good job, I'm sure the revisionists will take tha t opportunity to write about his lineage to famous Caucasians, and his mixed heritage, then they'll probably recreate his image as well, as Christ's image was revised several times throughout history, to the point where he now resembles a caucasian European.
I don't know if he'll be successful, but I know, instinctively, this man is head above shoulders more intelligent than his opponents, and not just because he is an Ivy League graduate, that graduated at the top of his class. I know, based on his policy, that his goal is to create a better quality of life for Americans, but specifically, the Middle Class (majority of US).
He represents the entire Human race, race wise. A comparison to Sarah Palin is slanderous, intellectually, she isn't even in the same stratosphere. Funny thing is, the conservatives have many believing Obama will take away the American dream... Hello!!!!! Your dreams are currently being outsourced to Latin America, India, China, and any other country that offers cheap labor, while big business continues to receive BILLIONS in tax breaks to "create jobs/wealth". Not to mention the bankers squandering over 2 trillion of "OUR" retirement portfolios down the drain. But, check to see how many jobs were lost this year alone in the U.S.
While the foreign economies are on the rise, our economy is flailing. Now were actually borrowing money from "s ocialist" China to pay our debt, and, pay for Middle Eastern "Terrorists" oil, while our deficit soars. WOW!!!!
VideoOlbermann: It's Palin doing the pallin' - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com
Transcript excerpts: And of course, Governor, those same dopes, and we media morons, we are not smart enough to ask about that pesky Alaskan Independence Party, and why you recorded a speech for its convention last March, and why your husband remained a registered member of it until 2002, even though it was founded by a man named Joe Vogler who wanted Alaska to secede from the United States. The way the South seceded, precipitating the Civil War.
The same Joe Vogler who once said:
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government, and I won't be bur ied under their damn flag.”
And who also said:
"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions.”
Your opponent's guy Ayers wound up on a volunteer anti-poverty committee in Chicago. But your guy Vogler wound up founding a group that wanted to rip one of the stars off the American flag! But I'm assuming you've been "palling around” with your husband. But, gee willikers, Governor, you know what's best.
You're not one of these Washington insiders who would notice that though that's a straight line connecting you, your husband, and this Alaskan secessionist, you're*standing under a banner with the campaign slogan "Country First” and if somebody out there puts two and two together they might just ask, "which Country dja mean? The Country of Alaska?”
Thursday, October 16, 2008
JOE THE PLUMBER? R U KIDDING ME!!!!!!!
I finally have a grievance with Sen. Barack Obama. Although, I applaud his performance, and commend him for remaining unflappable during the entire campaign, I believe he has not thoroughly defended himself personally, or his policies, when McCain goes on the offensive. I’m not saying he needs to go “Nuclear”, but retort a little more forcefully, and lay out the differences in policy, more CLEARLY.
I know Sen. Obama is attempting to be “graceful”, since he is currently leading in the polls, but with Election Day less than a month away, and, since it was the FINAL debate, I feel as though it was a missed opportunity to deliver the proverbial, KNOCK OUT PUNCH, to the opposition, particularly with the “Redistribution of Wealth” accusation.
When Sen. McCain referenced “Joe the Plumber” as his example on how he is going to fight for the Middle Class, my blood began to boil, and I almost lost it. Why didn’t Sen. Obama use this as an opportunity to clarify more effectively, how OUT OF TOUCH Sen. McCain is with the plight of the Middle Class, which consists of a MAJORITY OF AMERICANS?
Sen. Obama reiterated that McCain has voted in line with the Bush administration in regards to the economy, over 90% of the time, but he should have used the “Joe the Plumber” example to blow McCain’s theory/policy completely out of the water.
First of all, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know too many Middle Class “Joe ANYTHINGS” earning 250K+ annually. If Sally the secretary, Ben the bus driver, Chris the cop, Tim the teacher, and Craig the carpenter, don’t have enough disposable income to consume goods and services, after barely being able to take care of their primary cost of living expenses, even if Joe the plumber benefits in the short term from a tax freeze, his business (many businesses for that matter) will continue to fail in the long term.
Wall Street is a glaring example of that fact, and the Bush administration’s failed “Trickle Down” economic policies are directly implicit, in the demise of our markets.
Our economy sustained growth throughout the Bush years, but with jobs being outsourced at a break neck pace, the cost of living (gas/housing/food/etc) spiraling out of control, the Trillion$+ war, the nearly Trillion$ Wall Street bail out, although a small minority may have profited enormously during this period, a majority of Americans have been inundated by the financial squeeze, finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a moderate quality of life.
The current economic catastrophe is indicative of this troubling trend.
Jobs were NOT CREATED during this period, a staggering number of jobs were actually LOST. As a result, our institutions are FAILING, retail sales are DECLINING, COSTS continue to $$$RISE out of control. and investment portfolios have been DECIMATED, which will result in further JOB LOSSES, PROFITS/REVENUE will continue to DECLINE, decreased TAX REVENUES, ENTITLEMENT cut backs, further INFRASTRUCTURE NEGLECT, and an ever increasing NATIONAL DEBT$$$$, for U.S. ALL, without end, if responsible action is not taken NOW!!!!
WASTEFUL spending should be cut across the board, and we need to preserve the American way of life, but not at the expense of vital services, quality of life, education, and our collective futures. We don’t need BIG GOV’T, but we do need ACCOUNTABILITY, OVERSIGHT, & TRANSPARENCY. Socialism is not the answer, but we’re all inherently responsible for the well being of our Nation, similar to when we call up our young men and women to sacrifice their lives in combat, but the difference here is, this is only money, which is material, and can always be replaced.
We should take heed from the history of past civilizations. Greed begets more GREED, and absolute power CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTELY, EVERY TIME!!!!!! Big business does NOT deserve, and should NOT continue to receive Billions in tax breaks, if they are not creating jobs/wealth for the ENTIRE American constituency, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike.
If we don’t make a significant reinvestment in America, by putting an emphasis Education/Healthcare/Entitlement programs, Border Security, and, initiating dialogue with “rogue” Nations, this deficiency in leadership is far more detrimental to our National Security than misleading quotes about “palling around with terrorists (Ayers a 60’s radical)” or Rev. Wright (insignificant)!!!!
Ensuring a majority of Americans remain gainfully employed, and able to consume goods and services without flinching with every $$dollar$$ spent, is a good thing. By keeping the Middle Class strong, businesses are ensuring their own viability, and ability to generate revenue over the LONG TERM.
So what if they pay a slight increase in taxes now. As a single middle class American, I get absolutely no tax relief year after year, why are the rich complaining about an increase? If the end result enables businesses to remain profitable for the foreseeable future, what exactly is the drawback??? Besides, how are we going to BEGIN to put a dent in the National Debt, if people can’t consume and profits are disappearing?
Sen. Obama, I implore you. Make the case to the American public, in a clear concise manner, utilizing “layman” terms, since a great many of your critics accuse you of being “professorial” (intelligent), “slick” (smooth/calm) and too “charismatic” (likeable), as if those traits have ever been characterized as deficiencies in the past. But we don’t have to go there.
Lay out the differences in black and white, and emphasize why our entire economy needs a correction NOW, and how a progressive tax policy will benefit ALL AMERICANS in the long run, THEN……. let the chips fall where they may.
BLOG SITES: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/reciprok8
www.thisis50.com/profile/BLAQOPS23
Yours truly,
Blaq Ops
I know Sen. Obama is attempting to be “graceful”, since he is currently leading in the polls, but with Election Day less than a month away, and, since it was the FINAL debate, I feel as though it was a missed opportunity to deliver the proverbial, KNOCK OUT PUNCH, to the opposition, particularly with the “Redistribution of Wealth” accusation.
When Sen. McCain referenced “Joe the Plumber” as his example on how he is going to fight for the Middle Class, my blood began to boil, and I almost lost it. Why didn’t Sen. Obama use this as an opportunity to clarify more effectively, how OUT OF TOUCH Sen. McCain is with the plight of the Middle Class, which consists of a MAJORITY OF AMERICANS?
Sen. Obama reiterated that McCain has voted in line with the Bush administration in regards to the economy, over 90% of the time, but he should have used the “Joe the Plumber” example to blow McCain’s theory/policy completely out of the water.
First of all, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know too many Middle Class “Joe ANYTHINGS” earning 250K+ annually. If Sally the secretary, Ben the bus driver, Chris the cop, Tim the teacher, and Craig the carpenter, don’t have enough disposable income to consume goods and services, after barely being able to take care of their primary cost of living expenses, even if Joe the plumber benefits in the short term from a tax freeze, his business (many businesses for that matter) will continue to fail in the long term.
Wall Street is a glaring example of that fact, and the Bush administration’s failed “Trickle Down” economic policies are directly implicit, in the demise of our markets.
Our economy sustained growth throughout the Bush years, but with jobs being outsourced at a break neck pace, the cost of living (gas/housing/food/etc) spiraling out of control, the Trillion$+ war, the nearly Trillion$ Wall Street bail out, although a small minority may have profited enormously during this period, a majority of Americans have been inundated by the financial squeeze, finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a moderate quality of life.
The current economic catastrophe is indicative of this troubling trend.
Jobs were NOT CREATED during this period, a staggering number of jobs were actually LOST. As a result, our institutions are FAILING, retail sales are DECLINING, COSTS continue to $$$RISE out of control. and investment portfolios have been DECIMATED, which will result in further JOB LOSSES, PROFITS/REVENUE will continue to DECLINE, decreased TAX REVENUES, ENTITLEMENT cut backs, further INFRASTRUCTURE NEGLECT, and an ever increasing NATIONAL DEBT$$$$, for U.S. ALL, without end, if responsible action is not taken NOW!!!!
WASTEFUL spending should be cut across the board, and we need to preserve the American way of life, but not at the expense of vital services, quality of life, education, and our collective futures. We don’t need BIG GOV’T, but we do need ACCOUNTABILITY, OVERSIGHT, & TRANSPARENCY. Socialism is not the answer, but we’re all inherently responsible for the well being of our Nation, similar to when we call up our young men and women to sacrifice their lives in combat, but the difference here is, this is only money, which is material, and can always be replaced.
We should take heed from the history of past civilizations. Greed begets more GREED, and absolute power CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTELY, EVERY TIME!!!!!! Big business does NOT deserve, and should NOT continue to receive Billions in tax breaks, if they are not creating jobs/wealth for the ENTIRE American constituency, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike.
If we don’t make a significant reinvestment in America, by putting an emphasis Education/Healthcare/Entitlement programs, Border Security, and, initiating dialogue with “rogue” Nations, this deficiency in leadership is far more detrimental to our National Security than misleading quotes about “palling around with terrorists (Ayers a 60’s radical)” or Rev. Wright (insignificant)!!!!
Ensuring a majority of Americans remain gainfully employed, and able to consume goods and services without flinching with every $$dollar$$ spent, is a good thing. By keeping the Middle Class strong, businesses are ensuring their own viability, and ability to generate revenue over the LONG TERM.
So what if they pay a slight increase in taxes now. As a single middle class American, I get absolutely no tax relief year after year, why are the rich complaining about an increase? If the end result enables businesses to remain profitable for the foreseeable future, what exactly is the drawback??? Besides, how are we going to BEGIN to put a dent in the National Debt, if people can’t consume and profits are disappearing?
Sen. Obama, I implore you. Make the case to the American public, in a clear concise manner, utilizing “layman” terms, since a great many of your critics accuse you of being “professorial” (intelligent), “slick” (smooth/calm) and too “charismatic” (likeable), as if those traits have ever been characterized as deficiencies in the past. But we don’t have to go there.
Lay out the differences in black and white, and emphasize why our entire economy needs a correction NOW, and how a progressive tax policy will benefit ALL AMERICANS in the long run, THEN……. let the chips fall where they may.
BLOG SITES: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/reciprok8
www.thisis50.com/profile/BLAQOPS23
Yours truly,
Blaq Ops
Friday, October 10, 2008
SEEDS OF DOUBT
** From today's NY Post.
The three articles in question are:
1. SkinColor "Advantage"
2. ACORN
3. The POWER of RUMORS
1. Who knew Obama's skin color would wind up being an advantage with 3 weeks left in the campaign?
Democratic voters of ANY RACE, better not drink the Kool Aid, and start getting overconfident, or, complacent. We are going to need every single vote come Nov. 4th, believe that!!!!!
With all the other stuff going on right now, the GOP base is working itself into a frenzy, and they will be coming out in droves Nov 4th. Exercise your Constitutional right, and cast your vote Nov. 4th, REGARDLESS of what the polls are "projecting".
SKIN COLOR NETS O MORE VOTES: POLL
By CARL CAMPANILE
Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
Barack Obama's race may help his bid for the presidency more than it will hurt, a survey released yesterday suggests.
The Gallup Poll found that 9 percent of voters said they're more likely to cast a ballot for Obama, the first black major-party nominee for president, because of his race, while only 6 percent said they're less likely.
"These data, taken at face value, show that, if anything, his race could be a net plus," said Gallup's Frank Newport.
Surveying voter attitudes on race is tricky because some white respondents may not want to admit racial bias, known as the "Bradley Effect."
It refers to Tom Bradley, the popular black Los Angeles mayor who in 1982 ran for California governor. He lost to George Deukmejian even though all pre-election polls had him comfortably ahead.
2. Apparently, ACORN employees have registered voters multiple times, but unless they are re-registering voters in multiple districts, with different information, the duplicate registrations are more of a nuisance to the election board officials who have to verify the forms, than a potential for FRAUD.
This seed of doubt was planted strategically, in order to question the validity of an Obama victory, whether the race is close, or a landslide. Besides, why would anyone directly affiliated with the Obama campaign, who truly hopes to give him an honest chance of winning, especially given the recent history of voter fraud in past elections, be stupid enough to submit multiple applications with the same penmanship?
I have no proof, but common sense tells me, this particular gaffe was committed by a saboteur,or an extremely ignorant/$greedy INDIVIDUAL. Either way, the seed of doubt has been planted, and sometimes, insinuation is more powerful/damaging than the truth
3. If my previous statement seemed like pro Obama rhetoric, just take a look at how a recent poll characterized the power of rumors. Through personal experience, or by example, we're all familiar with the devastating effects rumors can have.
Now imagine those rumors being repeated over and over again. Especially to a base that already resents the target of those rumors personally, the subjects party affiliation, and/or, readily inclined to accept baseless rhetoric from their party leaders/pundits/special interests/media/etc, as FACT, without a shred of evidence.
Be vigilant ppl!!! In these troubling times, you must continue to pay attention because they want to DISTRACT you from the real issues. I'm certain the revisionist are preparing to recreate/rewrite history, as we speak. Don't SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 VOTER, 72 REGISTRATIONS
'ACORN PAID ME IN CASH & CIGS'
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By JEANE MacINTOSH Post Correspondent
"PAWNS IN 'FRAUD':
Freddie Johnson, yesterday in Cleveland, and Lateala Goins told of filling out voter registrations multiple times in the ACORN scandal revealed by The Post yesterday
PAWNS IN 'FRAUD': Freddie Johnson, yesterday in Cleveland, and Lateala Goins told of filling out voter registrations multiple times in the ACORN scandal revealed by The Post yesterday.
Last updated: 9:10 amOctober 10, 2008 Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
CLEVELAND - A man at the center of a voter-registration scandal told The Post yesterday he was given cash and cigarettes by aggressive ACORN activists in exchange for registering an astonishing 72 times, in apparent violation of Ohio laws.
"Sometimes, they come up and bribe me with a cigarette, or they'll give me a dollar to sign up," said Freddie Johnson, 19, who filled out 72 separate voter-registration cards over an 18-month period at the behest of the left-leaning Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
"The ACORN people are everywhere, looking to sign people up. I tell them I am already registered. The girl said, 'You are?' I say, 'Yup,' and then they say, 'Can you just sign up again?' " he said.
Johnson used the same information on all of his registration cards, and officials say they usually catch and toss out duplicate registrations. But the practice sparks fear that some multiple registrants could provide different information and vote more than once by absentee ballot.
ACORN is under investigation in Ohio and at least eight other states - including Missouri, where the FBI said it's planning to look into potential voter fraud - for over-the-top efforts to get as many names as possible on the voter rolls regardless of whether a person is registered or eligible.
It's even under investigation in Bridgeport, Conn., for allegedly registering a 7-year-old girl to vote, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Meanwhile, a federal judge yesterday ordered Ohio's Secretary of State to verify the identity of newly registered voters by matching them with other government documents. The order was in response to a Republican lawsuit unrelated to the ACORN probe in Cuyahoga County, in which at least three people, including Johnson, have been subpoenaed.
Bribing citizens with gifts, property or anything of value is a fourth-degree felony in Ohio, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. And it's a fifth-degree felony - punishable by 12 months in jail - for a person to pay "compensation on a fee-per-registration" system when signing up someone to vote.
Johnson, who works at a cellphone kiosk in downtown Cleveland, said he was a sitting duck for the signature hunters, but was always happy to help them out in exchange for a smoke or a little scratch. He'd collected 10 to 20 cigarettes and anywhere from $10 to $15, he said.
The Cleveland voting probe, first reported by The Post yesterday, also focused on Lateala Goins, who said she put her name on multiple voter registrations. She guessed ACORN canvassers then put fake addresses on them. "You can tell them you're registered as many times as you want - they do not care," she said.
ACORN spokesman Kris Harsh said the group does not tolerate its workers paying people to sign the voter-registration cards.
ACORN's political wing has endorsed Barack Obama for president, but Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign in Ohio, said ACORN has no role in its get-out-the-vote drive.
During the primary season, however, the Obama camp paid another group, Citizen Service Inc., $832,598 for various political services, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. That group and ACORN share the same board of directors.
In Wisconsin yesterday, John McCain blasted ACORN.
"No one should be corrupting the most precious right we have, that is the right to vote," he said.
It's a right Johnson will exercise. "Yeah, I've registered enough - I might as well vote."
jeane.macintosh@nypost.com
RUMOR HAS IT FOLKS BELIEVE RUMORS
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By CHARLES HURT
Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
Barack Obama, a Muslim who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, is the antichrist, just in time for the Apocalypse.
John McCain, senile from having been brainwashed while a prisoner of war in Vietnam, fathered a black love child.
A new poll found that many voters have heard those and other false rumors - and think a lot of their fellow Americans actually believe them.
More than a third have heard McCain was brainwashed. And 46 percent of those say it's "somewhat likely" some believe it.
Nearly 90 percent have heard that Obama's a closet Muslim, 57 percent that he doesn't recite the pledge, and 24 percent that he's the antichrist.
The Scripps Howard News Service/Ohio University poll phoned 1,015 adults last month.
More @: http://www.myspace.com/reciprok8
The three articles in question are:
1. SkinColor "Advantage"
2. ACORN
3. The POWER of RUMORS
1. Who knew Obama's skin color would wind up being an advantage with 3 weeks left in the campaign?
Democratic voters of ANY RACE, better not drink the Kool Aid, and start getting overconfident, or, complacent. We are going to need every single vote come Nov. 4th, believe that!!!!!
With all the other stuff going on right now, the GOP base is working itself into a frenzy, and they will be coming out in droves Nov 4th. Exercise your Constitutional right, and cast your vote Nov. 4th, REGARDLESS of what the polls are "projecting".
SKIN COLOR NETS O MORE VOTES: POLL
By CARL CAMPANILE
Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
Barack Obama's race may help his bid for the presidency more than it will hurt, a survey released yesterday suggests.
The Gallup Poll found that 9 percent of voters said they're more likely to cast a ballot for Obama, the first black major-party nominee for president, because of his race, while only 6 percent said they're less likely.
"These data, taken at face value, show that, if anything, his race could be a net plus," said Gallup's Frank Newport.
Surveying voter attitudes on race is tricky because some white respondents may not want to admit racial bias, known as the "Bradley Effect."
It refers to Tom Bradley, the popular black Los Angeles mayor who in 1982 ran for California governor. He lost to George Deukmejian even though all pre-election polls had him comfortably ahead.
2. Apparently, ACORN employees have registered voters multiple times, but unless they are re-registering voters in multiple districts, with different information, the duplicate registrations are more of a nuisance to the election board officials who have to verify the forms, than a potential for FRAUD.
This seed of doubt was planted strategically, in order to question the validity of an Obama victory, whether the race is close, or a landslide. Besides, why would anyone directly affiliated with the Obama campaign, who truly hopes to give him an honest chance of winning, especially given the recent history of voter fraud in past elections, be stupid enough to submit multiple applications with the same penmanship?
I have no proof, but common sense tells me, this particular gaffe was committed by a saboteur,or an extremely ignorant/$greedy INDIVIDUAL. Either way, the seed of doubt has been planted, and sometimes, insinuation is more powerful/damaging than the truth
3. If my previous statement seemed like pro Obama rhetoric, just take a look at how a recent poll characterized the power of rumors. Through personal experience, or by example, we're all familiar with the devastating effects rumors can have.
Now imagine those rumors being repeated over and over again. Especially to a base that already resents the target of those rumors personally, the subjects party affiliation, and/or, readily inclined to accept baseless rhetoric from their party leaders/pundits/special interests/media/etc, as FACT, without a shred of evidence.
Be vigilant ppl!!! In these troubling times, you must continue to pay attention because they want to DISTRACT you from the real issues. I'm certain the revisionist are preparing to recreate/rewrite history, as we speak. Don't SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 VOTER, 72 REGISTRATIONS
'ACORN PAID ME IN CASH & CIGS'
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By JEANE MacINTOSH Post Correspondent
"PAWNS IN 'FRAUD':
Freddie Johnson, yesterday in Cleveland, and Lateala Goins told of filling out voter registrations multiple times in the ACORN scandal revealed by The Post yesterday
PAWNS IN 'FRAUD': Freddie Johnson, yesterday in Cleveland, and Lateala Goins told of filling out voter registrations multiple times in the ACORN scandal revealed by The Post yesterday.
Last updated: 9:10 amOctober 10, 2008 Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
CLEVELAND - A man at the center of a voter-registration scandal told The Post yesterday he was given cash and cigarettes by aggressive ACORN activists in exchange for registering an astonishing 72 times, in apparent violation of Ohio laws.
"Sometimes, they come up and bribe me with a cigarette, or they'll give me a dollar to sign up," said Freddie Johnson, 19, who filled out 72 separate voter-registration cards over an 18-month period at the behest of the left-leaning Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
"The ACORN people are everywhere, looking to sign people up. I tell them I am already registered. The girl said, 'You are?' I say, 'Yup,' and then they say, 'Can you just sign up again?' " he said.
Johnson used the same information on all of his registration cards, and officials say they usually catch and toss out duplicate registrations. But the practice sparks fear that some multiple registrants could provide different information and vote more than once by absentee ballot.
ACORN is under investigation in Ohio and at least eight other states - including Missouri, where the FBI said it's planning to look into potential voter fraud - for over-the-top efforts to get as many names as possible on the voter rolls regardless of whether a person is registered or eligible.
It's even under investigation in Bridgeport, Conn., for allegedly registering a 7-year-old girl to vote, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Meanwhile, a federal judge yesterday ordered Ohio's Secretary of State to verify the identity of newly registered voters by matching them with other government documents. The order was in response to a Republican lawsuit unrelated to the ACORN probe in Cuyahoga County, in which at least three people, including Johnson, have been subpoenaed.
Bribing citizens with gifts, property or anything of value is a fourth-degree felony in Ohio, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. And it's a fifth-degree felony - punishable by 12 months in jail - for a person to pay "compensation on a fee-per-registration" system when signing up someone to vote.
Johnson, who works at a cellphone kiosk in downtown Cleveland, said he was a sitting duck for the signature hunters, but was always happy to help them out in exchange for a smoke or a little scratch. He'd collected 10 to 20 cigarettes and anywhere from $10 to $15, he said.
The Cleveland voting probe, first reported by The Post yesterday, also focused on Lateala Goins, who said she put her name on multiple voter registrations. She guessed ACORN canvassers then put fake addresses on them. "You can tell them you're registered as many times as you want - they do not care," she said.
ACORN spokesman Kris Harsh said the group does not tolerate its workers paying people to sign the voter-registration cards.
ACORN's political wing has endorsed Barack Obama for president, but Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign in Ohio, said ACORN has no role in its get-out-the-vote drive.
During the primary season, however, the Obama camp paid another group, Citizen Service Inc., $832,598 for various political services, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. That group and ACORN share the same board of directors.
In Wisconsin yesterday, John McCain blasted ACORN.
"No one should be corrupting the most precious right we have, that is the right to vote," he said.
It's a right Johnson will exercise. "Yeah, I've registered enough - I might as well vote."
jeane.macintosh@nypost.com
RUMOR HAS IT FOLKS BELIEVE RUMORS
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By CHARLES HURT
Posted: 4:00 amOctober 10, 2008
Barack Obama, a Muslim who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, is the antichrist, just in time for the Apocalypse.
John McCain, senile from having been brainwashed while a prisoner of war in Vietnam, fathered a black love child.
A new poll found that many voters have heard those and other false rumors - and think a lot of their fellow Americans actually believe them.
More than a third have heard McCain was brainwashed. And 46 percent of those say it's "somewhat likely" some believe it.
Nearly 90 percent have heard that Obama's a closet Muslim, 57 percent that he doesn't recite the pledge, and 24 percent that he's the antichrist.
The Scripps Howard News Service/Ohio University poll phoned 1,015 adults last month.
More @: http://www.myspace.com/reciprok8
Thursday, October 9, 2008
DESPERATION
Desperate times call for desperate (Racist) measures. Faced with the adversity of sagging poll numbers due to the Economic meltdown, it appears the "High Road" has given way to the "heels on, gloves off approach". Meaning: The Palin/McCain ticket will say anything to get the Party's GOONS riled up, in an effort to WIN.
They have maintained their criticism of Obama was not based on race, but apparently that trump card was held close to the vest, until NOW.
When members of the crowd shout "off with his head", "terrorist", or "Kill him", not one rebuttal, or call for cooler heads to prevail, is offered from the podium. Matter of fact, I believe they revel in the rhetoric, and hope the wave spreads across America like a cancer in the final weeks leading up to the campaign.
If you need any more evidence the past two (Bush now McCain) GOP Presidential campaigns are substance over style, and more of the same, you're obviously set in your ways and there is nothing Obama can say or do to change your mind.
McCain should know better, the Bush campaign effectively used the same "SWIFT BOAT" tactics to desecrate his record, and annihilate him in the last election. Just ask yourself, what place does this type of racially charged/misleading rhetoric have in a political campaign, and most importantly, HOW THE HELL IS IT GOING TO BENEFIT "U.S."????
Check out the link below to watch footage of how some of their supporters think, and what their dislike of Obama is based on.
Virtually NONE of their grievances are based on the ISSUES. Isn't that what this election IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT?? Not according to their supporters... It's about keeping a Liberal Extremist, Black Nationalist, Terror befriending, unknown commodity, with the middle name Hussein, from getting into the highest elected office in the world, and jeopardizing America's safety/freedom/ and way of life (WHATEVER), BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!!!!!
The "Elitist" tag was derived based on the audacity of a highly educated Black man, aspiring/believing that he can actually become President of the United States.
We all knew the racists secretly harbored these prejudices, but now that Obama has a slim lead, I am afraid we're only seeing the beginning of what has subliminally existed in our society for years.
If nothing else, at least this event has finally brought this discussion to the forefront. Now we should have an honest discussion about it, as well. (Don't hold your breath).
Fact is, if we don't stop exporting jobs, participating in unjust wars, selling off our assets/institutions to foreign investors for the sake of bottom line profits, and letting the Rich continue to loot the Nation of it's wealth, no amount of saber rattling, racist rants, or empty rhetoric, will ever bring U.S. back to prominence, or keep us SAFE! Our financial markets will continue to falter, and we'll be right back where we are now, in the not so distant future.
MORE @: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
“And more from yesterday's McCain rally in Pennsylvania. No, these are not isolated incidents:”
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/09/taunting-prospects/?icid=100214839x1210881252x1200694500
Taunting Prospects
By David Knowles
Oct 9th 2008 8:24AM
Filed Under:eRepublicans, Barack Obama, John McCain, Featured Stories, Sarah Palin
As Tommy Christopher has been chronicling this week, a trend has emerged on the campaign trail. Specifically, it has been in evidence most frequently--but not exclusively-- at the rallies of Sarah Palin and John McCain. The pattern springs forth in the form of a taunt, usually shouted and received with cheers or a sly wink. In the past week alone, McCain/Palin supporters have released their pent-up anger at Barack Obama with cries of "terrorist!" "treason!" "kill him!" and "off with his head!" -- among others.
Truly, the basest of instincts seems to have been unleashed (like a pack of pit bulls) at these events. The question before us is whether McCain himself bears any responsibility for the uptick in the impassioned outbursts. If he does not, as some will argue, then they can be put down to the excitement of the pep rally. Words are not deeds, after all. And, let's face it, we can all get a little carried away when it comes to politics.
On the other hand, some might counter that the timing of this sudden flurry of verbal assaults is no coincidence. Indeed, it comes at the very moment when the McCain's campaign itself promised more negativity. This=2 0view holds that McCain and Palin are playing more of a call-and-response game with their audience.
Whatever the cause, this issue is now front and center in the campaign. There's no doubt that hotter rhetoric excites the partisan base. In fact, the hotter it is, the more excited they get. Such taunts infuriate and worry the opposition, and they positively disgust independent voters. Still, the controversy remains. Do we have a simple case of lax crowd control? Or is the pattern reflective of a mob following marching orders?
ABC News weighs in today with, "Is Negative Rhetoric a Li cense to Taunt?":
As the rhetoric at Palin rallies has ratcheted up, so too has the language of supporters in the crowds coming to see her.
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank described a recent Palin rally in Florida:
Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving their thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a cameraa crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him to "Sit down, boy."
The LA Times contemplates which anger came first, the crowd's or McCain's, in with "McCain campaign ratchets up t he rhetoric":
Egged on by a surly crowd, John McCain and Sarah Palin delivered a stark condemnation of Barack Obama's policies and character Wednesday, casting him as an unreliable choice for president.
The edgy tone of the rally here [in Bethlehem, PA.] was set before the duo arrived onstage, when local Republican official William Platt warmed up the audience by twice referring to the Democratic nominee as "Barack Hussein Obama."
On "The Early Show" yesterday, Joe Biden called the McCain campaign's repeated invocation of William Ayers, "mildly dangerous."
Some see a direct correlation between flagging poll numbers and the surge of negativity, such as Salon's Alex Koppleman:
As it's be come increasingly clear that the McCain campaign is in serious trouble, they've been shifting from the issues and trying to stoke voters' fears and prejudices about Barack Obama. This turn toward the negative has been ugly, but the invective the attacks are whipping up among the faithful at Republican rallies is far uglier.
Patrick Ruffini, on the other hand, thinks that McCain's only real mistake in all of this was not going this negative earlier:
The Ayers stuff will be useful in solid ifying the base and getting Obama's unfavorables to 40. But it's not a game changer. A casualty of McCain's months-long delay in going on offense is that he's had to debut his harshest material in October rather than road-testing it over the summer. In this sense, throwing the kitchen sink now looks desperate and reactive, even thought it was probably inevitable. Still, it would have been far better had McCain given his campaign license to launch these attacks at a time and place of its choosing, rather than having events force his hand.
Cindy McCain has also gotten into the act of warming up the crowd, and recently called Obama's effort, "the dirtiest campaign in American history."
So, we'd like to hear what you think. Clearly, no politician can control what his or her supporters blurt out during a campaign rally. But should John McCain stop and acknowledge these instances in an attempt to restore civility? Or is he, in part, the main instigator in their proliferation this month?
They have maintained their criticism of Obama was not based on race, but apparently that trump card was held close to the vest, until NOW.
When members of the crowd shout "off with his head", "terrorist", or "Kill him", not one rebuttal, or call for cooler heads to prevail, is offered from the podium. Matter of fact, I believe they revel in the rhetoric, and hope the wave spreads across America like a cancer in the final weeks leading up to the campaign.
If you need any more evidence the past two (Bush now McCain) GOP Presidential campaigns are substance over style, and more of the same, you're obviously set in your ways and there is nothing Obama can say or do to change your mind.
McCain should know better, the Bush campaign effectively used the same "SWIFT BOAT" tactics to desecrate his record, and annihilate him in the last election. Just ask yourself, what place does this type of racially charged/misleading rhetoric have in a political campaign, and most importantly, HOW THE HELL IS IT GOING TO BENEFIT "U.S."????
Check out the link below to watch footage of how some of their supporters think, and what their dislike of Obama is based on.
Virtually NONE of their grievances are based on the ISSUES. Isn't that what this election IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT?? Not according to their supporters... It's about keeping a Liberal Extremist, Black Nationalist, Terror befriending, unknown commodity, with the middle name Hussein, from getting into the highest elected office in the world, and jeopardizing America's safety/freedom/ and way of life (WHATEVER), BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!!!!!
The "Elitist" tag was derived based on the audacity of a highly educated Black man, aspiring/believing that he can actually become President of the United States.
We all knew the racists secretly harbored these prejudices, but now that Obama has a slim lead, I am afraid we're only seeing the beginning of what has subliminally existed in our society for years.
If nothing else, at least this event has finally brought this discussion to the forefront. Now we should have an honest discussion about it, as well. (Don't hold your breath).
Fact is, if we don't stop exporting jobs, participating in unjust wars, selling off our assets/institutions to foreign investors for the sake of bottom line profits, and letting the Rich continue to loot the Nation of it's wealth, no amount of saber rattling, racist rants, or empty rhetoric, will ever bring U.S. back to prominence, or keep us SAFE! Our financial markets will continue to falter, and we'll be right back where we are now, in the not so distant future.
MORE @: http://blaqops.blogspot.com/
“And more from yesterday's McCain rally in Pennsylvania. No, these are not isolated incidents:”
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/09/taunting-prospects/?icid=100214839x1210881252x1200694500
Taunting Prospects
By David Knowles
Oct 9th 2008 8:24AM
Filed Under:eRepublicans, Barack Obama, John McCain, Featured Stories, Sarah Palin
As Tommy Christopher has been chronicling this week, a trend has emerged on the campaign trail. Specifically, it has been in evidence most frequently--but not exclusively-- at the rallies of Sarah Palin and John McCain. The pattern springs forth in the form of a taunt, usually shouted and received with cheers or a sly wink. In the past week alone, McCain/Palin supporters have released their pent-up anger at Barack Obama with cries of "terrorist!" "treason!" "kill him!" and "off with his head!" -- among others.
Truly, the basest of instincts seems to have been unleashed (like a pack of pit bulls) at these events. The question before us is whether McCain himself bears any responsibility for the uptick in the impassioned outbursts. If he does not, as some will argue, then they can be put down to the excitement of the pep rally. Words are not deeds, after all. And, let's face it, we can all get a little carried away when it comes to politics.
On the other hand, some might counter that the timing of this sudden flurry of verbal assaults is no coincidence. Indeed, it comes at the very moment when the McCain's campaign itself promised more negativity. This=2 0view holds that McCain and Palin are playing more of a call-and-response game with their audience.
Whatever the cause, this issue is now front and center in the campaign. There's no doubt that hotter rhetoric excites the partisan base. In fact, the hotter it is, the more excited they get. Such taunts infuriate and worry the opposition, and they positively disgust independent voters. Still, the controversy remains. Do we have a simple case of lax crowd control? Or is the pattern reflective of a mob following marching orders?
ABC News weighs in today with, "Is Negative Rhetoric a Li cense to Taunt?":
As the rhetoric at Palin rallies has ratcheted up, so too has the language of supporters in the crowds coming to see her.
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank described a recent Palin rally in Florida:
Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving their thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a cameraa crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him to "Sit down, boy."
The LA Times contemplates which anger came first, the crowd's or McCain's, in with "McCain campaign ratchets up t he rhetoric":
Egged on by a surly crowd, John McCain and Sarah Palin delivered a stark condemnation of Barack Obama's policies and character Wednesday, casting him as an unreliable choice for president.
The edgy tone of the rally here [in Bethlehem, PA.] was set before the duo arrived onstage, when local Republican official William Platt warmed up the audience by twice referring to the Democratic nominee as "Barack Hussein Obama."
On "The Early Show" yesterday, Joe Biden called the McCain campaign's repeated invocation of William Ayers, "mildly dangerous."
Some see a direct correlation between flagging poll numbers and the surge of negativity, such as Salon's Alex Koppleman:
As it's be come increasingly clear that the McCain campaign is in serious trouble, they've been shifting from the issues and trying to stoke voters' fears and prejudices about Barack Obama. This turn toward the negative has been ugly, but the invective the attacks are whipping up among the faithful at Republican rallies is far uglier.
Patrick Ruffini, on the other hand, thinks that McCain's only real mistake in all of this was not going this negative earlier:
The Ayers stuff will be useful in solid ifying the base and getting Obama's unfavorables to 40. But it's not a game changer. A casualty of McCain's months-long delay in going on offense is that he's had to debut his harshest material in October rather than road-testing it over the summer. In this sense, throwing the kitchen sink now looks desperate and reactive, even thought it was probably inevitable. Still, it would have been far better had McCain given his campaign license to launch these attacks at a time and place of its choosing, rather than having events force his hand.
Cindy McCain has also gotten into the act of warming up the crowd, and recently called Obama's effort, "the dirtiest campaign in American history."
So, we'd like to hear what you think. Clearly, no politician can control what his or her supporters blurt out during a campaign rally. But should John McCain stop and acknowledge these instances in an attempt to restore civility? Or is he, in part, the main instigator in their proliferation this month?
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