I don't have to support anything I don't believe in...

and I believe we got shanghied into another Vietnam. Sadam Hussein was a vicious dictator, but he kept the lid on that boiling pot. Who supplied him with arms and training in the first place? I have family who served in desert storm and were recycled through this cluster and I still don't support it. Army suicides are at an all-time high, why? Because they believe in what they are doing? It's a crushing shame how our troops have been treated. And that's all I have to say about that.

• Republicans Insult the American People - sm
  • I hold government as a whole - sm
  • Oh c'mon. Newsvine? - Backwards typist
  • About Fox "News" - Truthseeker
  • Many Republicans were against the ... - Kendra
    • Many Americans were against the war..... - sm
      • And clearly, neither did mine... - Kendra
        • Military Funeral Protesters - Truthseeker
          • So does that, in your mind, Truthseeker, - Kendra
        • Stating our servicemen died for nothing..... - sm
          • Sometimes it is necessary to fight, whether we want to or not... - Kendra
            • You're Wrong, Kendra - Truthseeker
              • And I think you are wrong, Truthseeker.. - Kendra
                • The proof is in the pudding - and there is no proof......no WMDs....nm - sm
                  • I could site sources that say there were... - Kendra
                    • If so, then why did they "out" Valerie Plame? nm - sm
            • I don't have to support anything I don't believe in... - sm
              • and at the same time, I am told... - Kendra
                • You don't have to support anything you don't believe in.... - sm
                  • My house has been broken into, as well... - Kendra
                  • AND BECAUSE OUR MILITARY IS BROKEN..... - sm
                    • I did not say that "everyone else is a coward" - Kendra
    • The Goal of the Republicans - Truthseeker
      • You blissfully ignore that this post is aimed at........ - sm
        • Wrong. It may have started that way... - MQQA
          • Namecalling? I suggest you read it again....... - sm
      • You are RIGHT ON, Truthseeker - MQQA
      • I am a Republican. You have NO idea my goal - I want the COUNTRY to succeed.nm
        • Talking to them is talking to a brick wall. - Ignorance is bliss for the left...for now.nm
      • That's why they call you the Truthseeker! - Running on MT
        • HAHAHAHAHAHAHA - sbMT
          • Very Mature! - Wow!! nm
      • Well said.............nm - sm
  • You know they will have lots to say. sm - endlessly disgusted
    • Speaking of terrorists...ahem....I mean pubs....(sm) - Just the big bad
      • I wonder if his first name is really Peter...... - sm
    • You've got my vote - and I want your emoticon! LOL! nm - sm

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coming from this administration.   Do I think Bush is a good president, yes!   Do I think he's great?  No, because, personally, he's not been conservative enough for me. To me, Ronald Reagan was great.  He was tough, but he still made people like him.   Bush not been tough enough on some issues.....however, that's never here or there.  I have always freely said that I don't agree with everything coming from the Republican party.  I'm a conservative first, Republican second, but as the days go on I am becoming more and more a Libertarian.  I will still vote Republican, because I think that's where my vote has the most value, but if the Libertarian movement becomes more of a contender, believe me, I'm going to catch that wave.  

I said all that to say this.....I never generalized when it came to Democrats when it came to Clinton in office, because, being from the South where there are still a lot of old Southern Democrats (and, gasp, I was one for several years believe it or not...) I knew all Democrats did not stand behind some of the Clinton policies.  There were some Clinton policies I did like, although as a presidential role model he drug the office of president through the mud.....

To me it seems that liberals are all or nothing in hating Bush, but if there are some liberals out that who like Bush speak up and prove that generalization wrong 

The European Union and Canada have signed.  There are northeastern states that have created an initiative which would cap emissions and put pressure on the federal govt to support Kyoto.  New York is one of them, Maine is another.  There are also cities and other states that support Kyoto.  Los Angeles is one of them, so is Utah, Texas, Seattle.  I think altogether there is about 160 cities and states supporting the Kyoto protocol.

But after watching him take the bunch of rotten lemons he was tossed and seeing him transform them into delicious, healthy lemonade, he even surprised me! 

A friend sent this to me........ but like she said, please don't do this!  It's just all in good fun....

Show Your Support 

I'm for Obama in my words and deeds.  I'm 58 years old and this is the first time that I've actively participated in a campaign.  I always vote in presidential elections, but in the past it has been for the most part a perfunctory action.  This campaign though, I feel that I'm an important cog in the wheel that can turn our nation in a better, more fair, more uplifting direction.   This is the first time I have ever donated my hard earned money to a campaign.  I have been sending $25 a month to the Obama campaign since January.  It's not much, but I find it empowering to know that by combining my little bit with thousands of other like-minded individuals' "little bits" to support a candidate who cares about those of us who are not rich and priviledged, we might be able to get our concerns addressed in the halls of power.

Yes, I know that the president does not run this country by himself, but I am hopeful that an intelligent man of integrity such as Senator Obama will be able to figure out how to persuade those in power to work with him in our interest.

I have read both of Senator Obama's books and I am convinced of his honesty, integrity and intelligence.  I have read the information available on his website http://www.barackobama.com.  I am especially impressed with his common sense ideas about simplifying and making our income tax system more equitable.

Also, his ideas for making insurance coverage affordable for all Americans makes a lot of sense to me.

I am convinced that the only voters who do not support Obama must be the ones who have not taken the time to get to know this amazing man. 

a group or say they do and then turn around and crap on that group or break promises they made to that group.  I think that kind of goes hand in hand with politics.  LOL! 

Honestly, do you really think Barrack Obama is crapping on the homosexual community because he asked Rick Warren to do this?  It isn't changing any laws.  To me it looks like a liberal reaching his hand across the aisle to a conservative.  To me this shows that even though they may not have the exact same opinions, they can still do something together.  Isn't that what we are all about.  Reaching across the aisle to show that even though we don't agree, we can still work together.  Yet all people can see is this being a bashing session against gay people.

I don't agree with homosexuality.  However, if they want some kind of legal union.....whatever.  That is about as equal rights as I am going to lean for the gay community.  I have gay friends who have no problem leaving the definition of marriage between a man and woman.....as long as they can be joined together legally...that is all that matters to them.   I just feel that the ones who are trying to redefine marriage is dead wrong.  Leave marriage between a man and woman and give homosexuals some sort of legal union. 

This changing every tradition to accommodate every single minority group is what, in my opinion, is hurting our country.  All these minority groups want equal rights but in doing that.....they take away from the majority.  How much more should the majority have to sacrifice?

believes anyone making over $250K is rich and he is trying to hurt the very people who make this country work.

I'm not bashing him, but I think he is totally wrong in what he is doing. Trickle down does work in a way, but trickle up will never work.  Those that have spend more than those that don't.

What he should focus on is those companies that moved oversears to save their  profits but then, again, you have the problem of NAFTA and tax loopholes , not the American companies who are trying to survive in a global economy while staying in the U.S.

Obama is focusing on the poor, not the people who make this country work. That is the reason he won the election and those who are on the bottom of the ladder (the poor, welfare recpients, etc.) could not and do not, understand how the country works or what government is all about, and voted for him because he was going to cure all their problems.

Hey, I need a car, but do I rely on government to give me that car? No. I try to figure out how to get one myself. Why can't the rest of the country do that? BECAUSE they think the government should solve our problems. That's not the way it should work. We have to do it ourselves and only rely on the government when necessary, which includes losing our job for a few months, but bouy us for those few months until we find another one, etc. Understand what I'm saying?

A professor on the Oprah show posed this question:

"Do you believe that the child of a gas station attendant and the child of an investment banker deserve the same healthcare?"

I hope all Americans believe that they do deserve the same access to healthcare and that we are willing to do what it takes to get affordable healthcare to our most helpless citizens.  Many middle-class families struggle to pay health insurance premiums (sometimes over $1000 per month), and if the President doesn't veto this bill, it will be a beautiful day in American history!!!  I'll be prayin & crossin my fingers!

Since everyone is at least a bit familiar with John McCain’s record when it comes to strolling through a market in Baghdad with hundreds of his closest guards, or how he wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years (except when he flip flops on that).

But not that many really, truly know just how horrific his voting record is when it comes to the troops.  And it is pretty consistent – whether it is for armor and equipment, for veteran’s health care, for adequate troop rest or anything that actually, you know, supports our troops.

This is chock full of links to the roll call votes, and the roll call votes have links to the actual underlying bills and amendments.  I present this so that there is support and things that can be rattled off when saying that McCain is not a friend of the military.  Feel free to use it as you want, but this can be tied into the "Double Talk Express".  But here is a very quick statement - John McCain skipped close to a dozen votes on Iraq, and on at least another 10 occasions, he voted against arming and equipping the troops, providing adequate rest for the troops between deployments and for health care or other benefits for veterans.

In mid 2007, Senator Reid noted that McCain missed 10 of the past 14 votes on Iraq.  However, here is a summary of a dozen votes (two that he missed and ten that he voted against) with respect to Iraq, funding for veterans or for troops, including equipment and armor.  I have also included other snippets related to the time period when the vote occurred.

September 2007: McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments.  At the time, nearly 65% of people polled in a CNN poll indicted that "things are going either moderately badly or very badly in Iraq.

July 2007:  McCain voted against a plan to drawdown troop levels in Iraq.  At the time, an ABC poll found that 63% thought the invasion was not worth it, and a CBS News poll found that 72% of respondents wanted troops out within 2 years.

March 2007: McCain was too busy to vote on a bill that would require the start of a drawdown in troop levels within 120 days with a goal of withdrawing nearly all combat troops within one year.  Around this time, an NBC News poll found that 55% of respondents indicated that the US goal of achieving victory in Iraq is not possible.  This number has not moved significantly since then.

February 2007:  For such a strong supporter of the escalation, McCain didn’t even bother to show up and vote against a resolution condemning it.  However, at the time a CNN poll found that only 16% of respondents wanted to send more troops to Iraq (that number has since declined to around 10%), while 60% said that some or all should be withdrawn.  This number has since gone up to around 70%.

June 2006:  McCain voted against a resolution that Bush start withdrawing troops but with no timeline to do so.

May 2006:  McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.

April 2006:  McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.

March 2006:  McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.

March 2004:  McCain once again voted for abusive tax loopholes over veterans when he voted against creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes.  Jeez, McCain really loves those tax loopholes for corporations, since he voted for them over our veterans' needs.

October 2003:  McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq and to reduce the amount provided for reconstruction in Iraq by $322,000,000.

April 2003:  McCain urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.

August 2001:  McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000.  To his credit, he also voted against the 2001 Bush tax cuts, which he now supports making permanent, despite the dire financial condition this country is in, and despite the fact that he indicated in 2001 that these tax cuts unfairly benefited the very wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

So there it is.  John McCain is yet another republican former military veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military.  Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military.  If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?

by Phillip Butler, PhD

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always “No, John McCain was a POW with me.” The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

John’s treatment as a POW:

1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September 1969, the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965, so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POWs for their country. A dam good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.

2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately, this was often the case; new POW’s arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was nonexistent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John’s father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW’s suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda.

3) John was offered, and refused, “early release.” Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to “admit” that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was “lenient and humane.” So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions, and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW’s were released, with the sick and wounded going first.

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 660 military POW’s in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled as follows: Medals of Honor – 8, Service Crosses – 42, Silver Stars – 590, Bronze Stars – 958 and Purple Hearts – 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe. Among the POWs John wasn’t special. He was just one of the guys.

John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty, and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60s and 70s. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John’s age (72) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for four or more years.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush’s war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me, John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John’s views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I’m disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate or maverick Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist minister. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he dislikes that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don’t see that John is the “straight talk express” he markets himself to be.

Senator John Sidney McCain III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who “Returned With Honor.” That’s our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I’ve decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

by Phillip Butler, PhD

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals. After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/08/25/why-i-won%e2%80%99t-vote-for-john-mccain/

It would be very unwise to underestimate this group as just another blindly, fanatical extremist group that needs to be wiped off the map.  They are very purposeful in their philosophies.  They have been doing the same thing with Bush this whole time.  And he has played right into their hands . . . just like McCain would were he to win.  They know a gool 'ole war monger when they see one.   What better way to wear us (the US) down than by goading us into a exhaustive, endless, draining, useless war?  How dare Barack Obama voice his desire to sit down and have a conversation with these extremist groups instead of pulling out the bombs?  God forgive anyone who should try something so radical as to possibly try to make peace with anyone!!  We have created a very sad world in which someone who proposed going the peaceful route would be labeled as a socialist or radical?