Thinking good thoughts and holding him up...:-) nm

• Woo Hoo! - sbMT
  • Kudos to him! - katydid
  • Thinking good thoughts and holding him up...:-) nm - sam
  • Here's to your hubby - getting a jump start on those...sm
  • Great news! sm - m

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conference. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is "candidate #5" and he thinks Blagojevich should step aside and resign and let the Lt. Gov. take over. He states JJ, Jr. is qualified for the position. 

He states JJ, Jr. is not guity of anything. He is not worried about any consequences of this except the media frenzy that is being created by this. If the meeting between the Gov. and JJ, Jr. was taped, they have no concern over it.

He (JJ, Jr.) will be speaking with the investigators on Friday or Monday. He will be holding a press conference in 15-16 minutes.

people are 2 different things.  Blaming either party will get us nowhere.  The situation is upon us and the blame game is only holding up the resolution.

Holding people accountable may help to prevent a similar situation in the future.  Holding someone accountable means owning up to their part in the problem and making retribution to fix the problem.  If someone went along with this and gained financially from it, then that person should be accountable - own up and pay up.  If someone went along with this and gained politically, then that person should be accountable - own up and give up (your position). 

I took serious offense to your comment because you didn't say it was directed to the politicians on the hill.  You said as a general statement to all dems. 

The federal government has rules concerning how much of someone's paycheck that you can garnish.  I personally was in the Navy (in payroll of all things) and when I went through my divorce, the court ordered a whole $325 a month for 2 kids (both in daycare at $120/week/per kid).  We were both discharged just prior to the divorce and he purposely took a job that paid $6 an hour, working 20 hours a week.  The judge, out of the kindness of his heart, based the child support on him making $6/hr at 40 hours, not the 20 he was working.  He was capable of making more, but wanted to tick me off.  BUT, you cannot garnish more than 60% of ones wages and if back support is owed, not more than 65% with the 5% going to pay off the arreage. 

There are certain things that you can take into consideration when they garnish your wages (most states make it mandatory now).  In the military, they cannot include your food ration money, housing money, uniform money and whatever extras they have these days.  They can only include your base salary.  Being that military pay royally sucks, I can see where they are not handing over everything that is owed, especially if he is lower ranking. 

I know it bites the big one and I feel for your daughter, being that I have been there, but she can get through it and be stronger for it.  She needs to show her kids that she can hold her head up high and trudge on.  I'll keep her in my prayers.

Unfortunately even though many of us feel we are responsible citizens on this earth, we can't rely on all our neighbors (whether globally or down the block) to also take the same care we do.  Recycling still is random from state to state and lots of folks still choose not to recycle....and therefore over time it has to become a mandate.  Historically that is when laws are needed, when some folks can be responsible but others can't.  It seems an odd riddle that older laws we easily embrace and defend (many which are kind of silly but still on the lawbooks), but yet as the need for new or revised ones crop up we resist and feel our liberty is at risk.

I'm not sure why anyone would balk at conservation.....or even many aspects of environmentalism.  My greatest hope is to leave this earth in as good of shape as possible for my children and grandchildren as well as other's children and grandchildren.  Unfortunately at this point I am hoping we can at least leave a habitable planet in 50 years to our future generations.  It is my true belief that our human discord will very soon become secondary to a global environmental breakdown that is a greater threat than any war has ever been.  Hope I am wrong. 

Although I tend to be Pro-Choice I am very much against abortion.  The whole idea of it is disturbing for me, to say the least.  As far as the death penalty, I think that's a bad idea also, but there are times when I find it hard to feel sympathy for the person being put to death.....I guess I'm human. 

Anyway, I've always wondered why the political belief systems align in such an odd manner, as you have alluded to.  It seems one group is totally against abortion but support the death penalty, support aggression in our foreign policy, support most military actions, and take a negative, hard line on government funding of programs to help the poor, particularly children of the poor.  Alternately, liberals seem to be more peaceful, war-as-a-last-resort, question the ethics of a death penalty, generosity toward those less fortunate by choice or by circumstance, yet also support Pro-Choice.  This has always puzzled me.

I am an agnostic and happy to let the mystery be without pretending and hoping to know the answers to the unknowable.  I find spiritualism most evident in nature and feel that man needs to protect and love his/her planet.  After all, it's all we have.  We need to be as conservation-minded as possible and reign in overpopulation to start with.....

First of all, if your sister has been attending the same church that long and doesn't know what they are preaching about......that is just sad.  As for Rev. Wright, he is all about African American Theology.  Look it up.......that kind of belief is downright scary.  It is all black power and no equality to it.  It is racism and that is that.

Finally, my husband and I use the comment of being thrown under the bus all the time.  The has been around long before the McCain campaign.

hatred comes from within; it is a fear-based, primitive emotion.  No one  can MAKE you hate.  You have to come to that conclusion based on the way you view the world.  Please do not project such things on a good man.

I will try and make this short (ya - right) .  I'm reading the responses below and I am laughing.  Maybe because it's late right now, but I'm reading the responses and trying to picture what you all look like and the shock that must come across your faces with the responses you receive (because I know the face I make when someone throws me a line).  Just is making me giggle right now - like I say it's late. 

Okay, with that said this is my feelings about both sides.  I was anxious to watch the DNC this week and I will be anxious to watch the RNC next week.  I want to hear what everyone has to say on both sides.  I want to watch the movies about JM's life.  I saw BO's film about his life and I enjoyed it.  Barack seems like a very nice person who has worked hard to get where he is and has helped a lot of people (that is normal people like me, my family and friends who have lost jobs, housing etc).  It sounds like he was raised on the same values I was (about caring about other people, helping those you can).  I believe with the community service and past jobs he's had, and the time he has spent in the senate, he does have the experience and the common sense that a Commander in Chief needs to run a country.

At first I was hesitant to even watch tonight because the whole set up I felt was getting out of hand.  People were throwing out the terms rock star, greek, temple, etc, etc.  When I first saw it coming together I thought well that's a bit odd and why didn't they just have it where the convention has been all week, but once it filled in with all the people it didn't look like anything greek or a temple.  I just looked like a stage on a football field filled with lots of people, and he didn't come across as a rock star.  He looked very statesman like, and I could really look up to him as our Commander In Chief.  Listening to him speak I was reminded of how I felt when I watched Ronald Regan talk.  I felt very patriotic.  To me it looked like a lot of people just wanted to hear him speak.  I also didn't watch all the stuff before Barack came out because I can't stand Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen (which for the life of me I wish someone could tell me the words to his songs - I listened to the music they played last night and honestly there was not one single word in his songs I could identify - not an "it" "and" or "but" it was all mumbled together - anyway...that's a whole other story).  And I certainly can't stand Algore so there was no way I was going to listen to anything he had to drone on about, so I waited until the story of Barack's life and that's when I watched.  I did feel that Baracks speech tonight was truly one of the more inspiring speeches I have heard in a long time.  I do believe he has the American people's best interest at heart.  He is a very caring person and has dedicated his life to trying to change Washington so it works for American's.  He has plans that will help get the American economy back on track.  It's not going to be instantly but at least I feel there will be someone who understand that America should not continue into a depression while we continue to send $1.8 billion dollars every week to Iraq when they have a surplus.  I sit back and think about that and am thinking when is the madness going to end.  Iraq has a surplus, we're heading for a depression yet we continue to send money to them.  I believe Barack has a responsible plan to bring our troops home.  The republicans are now coming out saying that the war has been a success and we won.  So if we won we don't need to be there anymore.  So I thought overall Barack's speech was very inspiring and gave me some hope for the future.

Also I listened to the commentaries tonight.  Not all cos I had to work, but I listened to the republican commenters from Fox and two of them said that Baracks speech was inspiring and they were saying that they (DNC) spent a lot of time and effort preparing for tonight and he came through and gave one of the best speeches and really pulled it through.

My mom told me that you will never agree with a candidate on every issue, so you just vote for the one that you agree with most of the issues on.  For me right now I'm seeing that I agree with more of Barack's issues than JM's, but I need to hear more. 

On the economy I believe Barack is more knowlegable.  I don't believe McCain knows what's going on with the economy.  He seems to be stuck on how the economy is great but ask him specific questions and he does not know the answers.  When he does not even know how many homes he owns how do you think he would even know how the economy is doing?  He's not in touch with what we are going through as Americans.  He doesn't know what it's like to worry if your going to be able to put food on your table, or put gas in the car to go to work or even have a job.  As for jobs, he has voted and supported jobs going overseas and those companies getting tax breaks for doing that.

Foreign affairs.  While Barack may not have years and years of experience, Joe Biden does.  I think John McCain isn't very knowlegeable when it comes to foreign affairs (not when he has to constantly be corrected by Lieberman and others close to him).

Heath care - I don't know where John McCain stands on this so I can't comment.

But those are the issues I face everyday.  Am I going to have a job with income to pay my bills and where is the economy going.  And it's time to bring our troops home with dignity and give them whatever help they need.  That's another issue I don't agree with John McCain/Bush about.  I do not believe the republican party is doing as much as they can to help our troops, especially when its time for them to come home where they belong.

I do not feel that America is any safer than we were before 9-11.  I know we have really p.o.'d other countries sticking our nose in where it doesn't belong trying to dictate to them how they should live and trying to force our viewpoints and political system on them making them fashion theirs as we do ours. 

Also, lying in a POW camp for 5 years does not make you qualified to run a country.

2.  The US Department of Energy last time I checked was a page or two before the "funnies."

I was referring to Obama's web site. 

3. Within the same time (or probably less) that we could drill for more oil here in the US (which wouldn't even come close to producing the quantity we use, and would not stand a chance on the market due to taxes that are already in place) we could implement other sources of energy.  In the course of this we would be providing renewable energy, decrease the horrific environmental impact on the environment, and create new jobs. 

Sure, we could grow corn or soybeans or other alternative fuels.  We could go with T. Boone Pickens' windfarm ideas, but these would all take years to implement as well as billions upon billions of dollars to bring to fruition.  Oil fields create jobs in the fields themselves, the refineries that are already in existence and other industries that use petroleum products in their manufacturing process.  Coal already comprises a large portion of the portfolio of electric companies.  Do away with the coal mines and coal plants and you do away with a lot of jobs in already economically depressed areas.  What are we gonna do, move all our West Virginia coal miners out to the mid west to grow soy beans?  You are basically taking jobs away from one sector to provide them to another sector so, in fact, are not creating new jobs but just shuffling them around. 

My point is not so much that we should not investigate other fuel alternatives, but until we have them in place, don't fine the coal plants for producing the energy our country needs and don't stop the drilling to save the caribou (they are amazingly adaptive critters).  Personally, I don't think energy concerns are going to be on anyone's minds in a few short years.  They will have other things to worry about. 

Please take note to the heading and paragraph 3.  Aren't we trying to put people to work? Don't white male construction workers need employment, too?  Please read some of the comments, too. The people that made comments seem to have a handle on the construction job market. I found some of their comments very interesting.

http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/01/stimulus-how-to-create-jobs-without.html

I made the comment at the local cafe the other day that this nation was so concerned with another President's sexual dalliance and subsequent lies that we wanted to impeach him.  But Bush and the "Vulcans" and their need for this war and all the "irregularities" in how its been presented and undertaken -- the general American public doesn't seem to notice or care all that much if there have been untruths or lies.  At least that is how it seems.  I certainly hope I am wrong.  In essence, it seems as though we as a nation are more concerned about sex than war and death.

And, geez, I practically wanted to move to Canada when this war started because I was so sick at heart.  I just had an overwhelming feeling that we didn't understand what we were getting into, and believe me, I'm not a Middle East expert.  My other question now is, how can we lend credence to and trust the judgment of this administration when they have shown such grievous lack of judgment with such poor advisors and "experts."  It seems to me, once again, that it doesn't take a genius to realize that "liberating" Iraq was not going to be like liberating France in 1944 (or maybe it was 1945).  I know that the administration was warned by many who know the Middle East that this was a grave mistake at the outset because of the innate political precariousness of Iraq and its warring factions.

As I said, I have been able to figure this out and I am certainly not a huge brain.  Why has it escaped those leading our country who are supposedly the most informed and best equipped to make these kinds of decisions?  And saddest of all, I do hope most of all it is not really about oil/money and power.  The idea of that makes me ill, but more and more it appears that this somehow played a major role.

Would appreciate hearing opinions.....

I don't know why I find certain posters/postings so darn disturbing.  I know in my heart they do NOT represent most right-wingers.  I have two very close friends who are right-wingers and quite a few acquaintances.  These folks in no way resemble the posters I refer to.  I also know they are pretty much a lunatic fringe.  I know I should just ignore them....but I can't sometimes, especially when I see postings that are so grievously factually erroneous (i.e., this country takes care of its poor - which I might add in many ways this country TRIES to help its poor but there is still much to be done).  I just think I could address these factual errors without becoming personally embroiled. 

The up side is that I learn so much from the research I have ended up doing as well reading some of the eloquent and inspiring posts I have seen on this board.  That by itself is worth a lot.

Yesterday I felt my blood pressure rise and felt sick to my stomach for a while.  But at sunset I took my three ill-behaved dogs-of-uncertain-heritage for a walkl in a snowy woods out here in the boonies where I live and my appreciation for the world that l am able live in came back to me....and I mean my own personal space, my mental place as well as geographic world. 

I am interested to hear what the other Democrats on the board think of Barack Obama thus far.  I know Republicans have a right to speak up as well, but I don't expect them to agree with him on much, so I am most interested in hearing what other Democrats think of him.  I have nothing against Hilary (I think she is highly intelligent and could do the job just fine), but I just am so inspired by Barack and think he is just what this country needs.  I think he can bring about positive changes that are long overdue!!  He is an exceptional man.

He gave a powerful, electrifying speech over the weekend in Iowa.  I am posting the link below if anyone wants to check it out and see some of the reasons I think he is so very grand. :)

(The link is also asking for donations, but that's only because it was in an email that I signed up for - I'm not trying to get you to donate, honest!)

Hope the racist crazies did not keep you away from the forum.  Last night in the midst of history in the making and again tonight, while the excitement builds as the moment of the presidential nominee acceptance speech draws near, I find myself thinking of you and remembering the anger and pain you were expressing last week about this time in response to those reprehensible Buchanan posts.  I want to share a few thoughts with you.

I am watching the coverage on CSPAN, minus all the reporter's and network's hidden agendas, spin, drama, bias and play-by-play punditry.  This kind of coverage helps the viewer feel that they have a front-row seat with wings that transports them all around and above the scene, giving them the bird's eye view of all the best this joyous, beautiful, uplifting, spiritual event has to offer as it plays itself out. It is being shared by men, women and children from all walks of life, all classes, varieties of gender, creeds, colors and cultures, one big beautiful mass of humanity, all gathered to witness and celebrate this one single moment, unparalleled in the history of our country, as we watch Barack Obama accept his party's nomination for the highest and most honorable office in the land and be acknowledged worthy to lead our nation. 

For all those who played a part, no matter how small, this is their time to stand up and be proud to have participated, on any and all levels, in the struggle that brought us to this place in time.  It is by the Grace of God we come to know that His blessings are now bestowed upon us.  It is my heartfelt wish that you can take the comfort I take in believing the in the notion that when one is on the "right side of history," as Mr. Clinton so eloquently stated, good things can happen and all things are possible.  Take care of yourself.            

M:

If they don't show progress and default on the loans, then the gov would have a controlling interest because they gave out those loans.  This would lead to restructuring, and probably more of a government run industry.  And yeah, they could mess it up just as bad, but we have to at least try something.

Some thoughts:

Even if they are supported financially during re-education, what would they go into?  Just about every industry across the board is being hit with this financial mess, so their options would be limited. Also, we're talking about millions of people, and not everyone is cut out for higher education, which is a good thing because we actually do need workers in this country.

This also leaves us with an auto industry that would consist of imports, so we would still be oil dependent.