tagged w/ Patriotism
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US soldiers are returning from Iraq to die of "mysterious" ailments.
During the current Iraq War the U.S. use of radioactive DU weapons increased from 375 tons used in 1991 to 2200 tons. Geiger counter readings at sites in downtown Baghdad record radiation levels 1,000 and 2,000 times higher than background radiation. The Pentagon has bombed, occupied, tortured and contaminated Iraq. Millions of Iraqis are affected. Over one million U.S. soldiers have rotated into Iraq. Today, half of the 697,000 U.S. Gulf War troops from the 1991 war have reported serious medical problems and a significant increase in birth defects among their newborn children.
The effects on the Iraqi population are far greater. Many other countries and U.S. communities near DU weapons plants, testing facilities, bases and arsenals have also been exposed to this radioactive material which has a half-life of 4.4 billions yearsUS soldiers are returning from Iraq to die of "mysterious" ailments.... more
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Pay homage, then, to overstressed, overworked mailman Steven Padgett, who has confessed to a cardinal sin among the letter carriers tribe: he failed to deliver.Pay homage, then, to overstressed, overworked mailman Steven Padgett, who has... more
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My niece Tanya was able to encapsulate in words what it is like to be a military wife - her husband is in Afghanistan serving our country. Meanwhile, his family misses him as he misses his boys and some of the things parents take for granted every day.
From the November 2008 issue of Cincinnati Magazine.My niece Tanya was able to encapsulate in words what it is like to be a military wife... more
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WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees last week told the White House to preserve all records produced by the Bush administration and expressed "particular concerns" whether Vice President Dick Cheney's office will comply with the law.
"We believe it is vital the presidential and vice presidential documents belonging to the American people be preserved, including those related to key national security decisions in which the (office of the vice president) played an important role," the senators wrote in the Nov. 7 letter to White House lawyer Fred Fielding. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press.
The letter was sent by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Sen. John D. Rockefeller of West Virginia and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. They asked Fielding to detail steps being taken to preserve White House documents and hand them over to the National Archives and Records Administration.
The senators asked whether the White House believes that any notes, document and records created in the White House by the president, vice president and their staffs may be destroyed without first consulting with the archivist of the United States, and if so which ones. It also asks whether Fielding has investigated a Washington Post report that some presidential orders are kept off White House records in a safe in office of the vice president's lawyer.
"We have particular concerns ... regarding documents in the possession of the Office of the Vice President," the letter said. Citing ongoing litigation over the preservation of Cheney's records, the senators wrote: "the declarations filed in that case by the Office of the Vice President raise serious concerns about its interpretations of the (Presidential Records Act)."
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Well...it's about time.WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees last... more
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The Deep South went Republican in 2008, missing the memo from the rest of the country that this was a Democratic year. The New York Times’ Adam Nossiter argues that this “could spell the end of the so-called Southern strategy, the doctrine that took shape under President Richard M. Nixon in which national elections were won by co-opting Southern whites on racial issues.” A quote from political scientist Wayne Parent states the article’s thesis more bluntly: “The South has moved from being the center of the political universe to being an outside player in presidential politics.”
But Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia were contested states for the first time in years—arguably, the South will be more politically influential after 2008 because presidential candidates will likely campaign there more heavily than they have in the past. And, perhaps, the way suburban communities are transforming these states’ politics is an extension of the trends that brought the South into the Republican camp in the 1960s, not a departure from them. Boston University historian Bruce Schulman, author of three books on the years that produced the “Southern strategy,” says that “some people misunderstand the Southern strategies of Nixon and Republicans after that. They think it’s all about the white backlash … but a good part of the Southern strategy was centered not in [the Deep South], but in what we might call the ‘Sunbelt South,’ suburban places like Atlanta.”The Deep South went Republican in 2008, missing the memo from the rest of the country... more
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Thanks to Obama, a generation of Americans is finally experiencing those good-old patriotic feelings of pride and love for the commander-in-chief. You know, those feelings we were all SUPPOSED to be feeling, but never have before?
I liked Clinton a lot, and I voted for him happily. However, after all the struggles surpassed, all the voter-fraud we've overcome, all the door-knocking... this time it's personal. I genuinely care about Obama, and I'm personally invested in his safety and well-being. I've never felt that about a president before.
After so many years of loathing our commander-in-chief, and being ashamed to live in a country that hoisted Baby Bush into a leadership position twice, it's so beautiful and refreshing to experience this brand new sense of national pride.
This must have been what it felt like when Kennedy was in office.Thanks to Obama, a generation of Americans is finally experiencing those good-old... more
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A council has warned staff not to use the word "British" because it may upset Scottish, Welsh Irish or Asian people.A council has warned staff not to use the word "British" because it may... more
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ClareW
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added this
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3 years ago
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WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama plans to use his executive powers to make an immediate impact when he takes office, perhaps reversing Bush administration policies on stem cell research and domestic drilling for oil and natural gas.
John Podesta, Obama's transition chief, said Sunday Obama is reviewing President Bush's executive orders on those issues and others as he works to undo policies enacted during eight years of Republican rule. He said the president can use such orders to move quickly on his own.
"There's a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action, and I think we'll see the president do that," Podesta said. "I think that he feels like he has a real mandate for change.
We need to get off the course that the Bush administration has set."
I believe Barack Obama will in fact use his executive powers to make an immediate impact when he takes office. Essentially, Bush has slit the throat of the Constitution and with it he endangered many of the rights so treasured by the American people.
During the period of time that this took place, a great deal of fear had been instilled into the minds of American people. To stand up against anything the Bush administration put out was considered unpatriotic and was border line treason. The American public gradually managed to sidestep this SS troop type of tirade.
The media and the public are finally free to express their 1st Amendment rights. This election screamed loud and clear the will of the people.
The first 100 days of Barack Obama’s presidency should and I am sure it will be to stop the bleeding caused by Bush’s attack on the Constitution.
To see the rest of the article above go to url:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081109/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama
WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama plans to use his executive powers to make an... more
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When I first heard CNN’s Jack Cafferty ask his viewers what would they miss about Bush, I shook my head and said “absolutely nothing”.
But then I started thinking about it, wondering how my life would have turned out if there had never been an election fiasco in Palm Beach County in 2000. If there had never been a hanging chad or an inverted dimple or a butterfly ballot.
If the Supreme Court had never stepped in and selected George W. Bush as our 43rd president.
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Click the link for the rest of the storyWhen I first heard CNN’s Jack Cafferty ask his viewers what would they miss... more
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BERLIN – Around the world, throngs packed outdoor plazas and pubs to await U.S. elections results Tuesday, many inspired by Barack Obama's promise of change amid a sense of relief that — no matter who wins — the White House is changing hands.
As millions of voters decided between Obama or John McCain, the world was abuzz with the sense of bearing witness to a moment of history that would reverberate well beyond American borders.
"America is electing a new president, but for the Germans, for Europeans, it is electing the next world leader," said Alexander Rahr, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.
In Kenya, Obama's ancestral homeland, the atmosphere was electric with pride and excitement as people flocked to all-night parties to watch election results roll in.
"Tonight we are not going to sleep," said Valentine Wambi, 23, a student at the University of Nairobi who planned to join hundreds of other students in the Kenyan capital for an election party. "It will be celebrations throughout."BERLIN – Around the world, throngs packed outdoor plazas and pubs to await U.S.... more
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John McCain unveiled a new attack on Barack Obama's patriotism Saturday, jumping all over - and taking out of context - remarks made yesterday in which the Democratic nominee said the Iowa Caucuses vindicated his faith in the American public.
Campaigning in Springfield, Virginia, McCain told the crowd that he had always had faith in his country and - dinging his opponent - claimed that the United States "has never had to prove anything to me."
For all the politics at play here - certainly, the GOP has won many elections painting their opponents as not loving of country - there is much to quibble with.
For starters, at various points during this campaign, McCain - whose surrogates and vice president have often gone after Obama on this front - has confirmed that he believes Obama to be a patriot. Moreover, the Republican nominee at one point in his life made comments similar to those offered by the Illinois Democrat.
Speaking about his experience in Vietnam, he described his time as a POW as one that tested and affirmed his love of country.
"I think it makes you a better person," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity in March 2008. "Obviously, it makes you love America. I really didn't love America until I was deprived of her company, but probably the most important thing about it, Sean, is that I was privileged to have the opportunity to serve in the company of heroes."
Past statements aside, if one actually takes a look at what Obama said, and what he has said before, it is hard to interpret in anyway that he doubted the United States. Just look at the sentences before his "faith" remark, in which he lavishly praises the American people, who he "knew" were "decent" and "generous."
"I had confidence in the people of Iowa because I knew that the American people are a decent people and a generous people, willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations," the Senator told a crowd in Des Moines on Friday. "No where was that truer than here in Iowa."
Those remarks, as the Obama camp pointed out Saturday afternoon, are almost identical to ones made by the Senator even before the Iowa caucus.
"Most of all, I believed in the power of the American people to be the real agents of change in this country - because we are not as divided as our politics suggests; because we are a decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations; and I was certain that if we could just mobilize our voices to challenge the special interests that dominate Washington and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there was no problem we couldn't solve - no destiny we couldn't fulfill. Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated that faith."
There were no screams of treason then. Rather those comments were interpreted for what they were: Obama thanking the Iowa public for exhibiting the characteristics that he believes make America, America.
"It's pathetic that John McCain would take a statement Barack Obama has been making for a year about his faith in the American people and distort it to attack his patriotism," spokesman Bill Burton said in response to McCain's attack Saturday. "Sadly, this is what we've come to expect from a desperate, dishonorable campaign that will say anything in a failed attempt to win this election."
[Article from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/01/mccain-attacks-obamas-pat_n_140006.html]John McCain unveiled a new attack on Barack Obama's patriotism Saturday, jumping... more
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Most recently, Sarah Palin has been tagged as becoming a rogue diva by the republican campaign. The RNC is greatly troubled over Palin as she trends further to her rogue position. As you can see, John is taking this matter into his own hands.Most recently, Sarah Palin has been tagged as becoming a rogue diva by the republican... more
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What A Powerful Leader, This Is What America And The World Needs Now. When you listen to Obama versus McCain as they speak, there is such a huge difference in their capacity to express what is needed and to motivate people. Obama is eloquent, straight forward and substantive with what he has to say. McCain on the other hand is none of these. He essentially spews out one liners, makes a big bushish grin and waits for his crowd to cheer. There is no substance and no direction. It seems as if most if not all of his leadership skills have become impoverished. This is not what America needs in this time of crisis.
The economy is not the only crisis we face. The world is currently facing another crisis. It is a crisis of having very little or no diplomacy. This is extremely dangerous as there are many conflicts around the world nearing the boiling point. This is why this is the most vital election in America's history. There are so many things that hang in the balance. The significance goes much deeper than some of the personal issues that so many quibble over. It is not about whether you are a republican or a democrat. Right now the entire world is holding their breath as to the outcome of what we do in this election. There is an extreme build up of energy and tension that is soon to be set free on a global scale. The direction this energy will take us (the human race) is why this election is so important. So many things are intertwined across the globe in such a way that we are no longer impacting only our selves with our choices.
We have two choices in candidates to pick from. They both have distinct differences in their perceptions, desires, and focus of purpose. McCain is of the nature to war first and use diplomacy second; just look at his and Sarah Palin’s response to the attack on Georgia. If we would have attacked Russia as they had implied that we should, Palin would have seen missiles rather than Putin’s head launched over her 40 mile stretch of Bering Strait into Alaska. War mongering is not the mentality we want to continue to spew into the world as a nation.
Diplomacy is extremely vital at this point in the journey of humankind as world tensions are mounting. Barack Obama is of the nature to use diplomacy first and then use military force as a last resort. This is not a weakness as some would like to imply. Look back at President Kennedy’s response to the Cuban missile crisis. If McCain and Palin would have been in power at that time, just imagine how different the world would be now! Please note that Obama will not hesitate to use military force if the situation is warranted.
The rest of the world recognizes these distinct differences between Obama and McCain. It is time for more Americans to see this difference as well. There are an increasing number of staunch republican politicians voicing their support for Barack Obama such as Colin Powell, Scott McClellan, and Chris Buckley. They are realizing that this country needs a change and it is not the one that McCain and Palin will bring. They will bring a change but let’s not go there. Vote Barack Obama and Joe Biden into office and the bulk of the world community will get behind us in making the world a safer, greener, and more stable place. Our economy and the rest of the world economies will once again become stable as well.
Peace What A Powerful Leader, This Is What America And The World Needs Now. When you listen... more
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1. The news makes me sad ... so I don't watch It
Sarah Palin at a North Carolina fundraiser:
At those times on the campaign trail when sometimes it's easy to get a little bit discouraged, when, you know, when you happen to turn on the news when your campaign staffers will let you turn on the news ... Usually they're like "Oh my gosh, don't watch. You're going to, you know, you're going to get depressed."
Maybe her handlers could put on a puppet show instead -- something fun that allows Palin to maintain her cheery optimism in the face of overwhelming evidence that the McCain campaign has imploded. There was once another politician similarly unconcerned with current events and the news: George W. Bush. That went well.
2. The people don't elect US presidents, God does
Upon being asked by James Dobson if the McCain ticket's precipitous slide in the polls gets her down:
... [it] strengthens my faith, because I'm going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I'm not discouraged at all.
... and I can feel it too, Dr. Dobson. I can feel the power of prayer, and that strength that is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation.
Ah yes, the always helpful "prayer warriors," whose appeals to the Almighty actually count for more than the average American citizen's vote. Apparently the next president of the United States will be handpicked by God.
3. Palin believes in "divided" states of America
At a fundraiser:
We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hardworking, very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation.
Palin later apologized for the statement. But her backpedaling shouldn't get her off the hook for putting forth a deeply divisive vision of America. How would conservatives have reacted if, in an attempt to pander to uber-liberals, Obama said "I love visiting the parts of the country where people aren't close-minded assholes"? Probably not well.
4. The Vice President is supreme boss of the Senate
Here's what Palin said when Brandon, an elementary school student, asked: "What does the vice president do?"
That's something that Piper would ask me! ... They're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.
To be fair, Palin had no idea what the VP does the last time the issue came up, so this is almost an improvement. Except that saying the vice president (who is only nominally head of the U.S. Senate) makes policy changes through Senate legislation reveals an embarrassing ignorance of our government's system of checks and balances. Also, it's a bit disconcerting to hear someone running for VP endow that office with God-like powers over a separate branch of government.
5. Delusional response to Troopergate
"Well, I'm very, very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing ... any hint of any kind of unethical activity there," said Sarah Palin last Sunday, soon after she was found to have engaged in wrongdoing and unethical activity in the "Troopergate" investigation. Again, a propensity for denial and lies, a deep aversion to reality -- not the best ways to signal your commitment to "change" from "politics as usual."1. The news makes me sad ... so I don't watch It
Sarah Palin at a North... more
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BuddyP
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added this
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3 years ago
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No Class, No Dignity, No Respect ! Just a whole lot a right wing hack and horses back!
This is a must see. The main part you will want to catch is at about 1min 10 secs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV0THEhCTMoNo Class, No Dignity, No Respect ! Just a whole lot a right wing hack and horses... more
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WASHINGTON — "Joe the Plumber" was only one of two Americans injected into the presidential election this past week. The other was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan , whom former Secretary of State Colin Powell invoked in his endorsement Sunday of Barack Obama .
Khan was a 20-year-old soldier from Manahawkin, N.J. , who wanted to enlist in the Army from the time he was 10. He was an all-American boy who visited Disney World after he completed his training at Fort Benning, Ga. , and made his comrades in Iraq watch "Saving Private Ryan" every week.
He was also a Muslim who joined the military, his father said, in part to show his countrymen that not all Muslims are terrorists.
"He was an American soldier first," said his father, Feroze Khan . "But he also looked at fighting in this war as fighting for his faith. He was fighting radicalism."
Khan was killed by an improvised explosive device in August 2007 along with four other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter while searching a house in Baqouba, Iraq . He's one of four Muslims who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and are buried in Arlington National Cemetery , where 512 troops from those wars now rest.
About 3,700 of the U.S. military's 1.4 million troops are Muslims, according to Defense Department estimates.WASHINGTON — "Joe the Plumber" was only one of two Americans injected... more
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Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin apologized Tuesday for any misunderstanding caused when she referred last week to the patriotic values of "the real America" and the "pro-America areas of this great nation."
Democrats and others criticized Palin for seeming to imply that some parts of the country are more patriotic than others.
Palin denied that was her intention in an interview with CNN on Tuesday.
"I don't want that misunderstood," Palin said. "If that's the way it came across, I apologize."
The Alaska governor made the remarks at a fundraising event in North Carolina last week.
"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard-working, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation," she told the crowd.Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin apologized Tuesday for any... more
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For many years, "patriotism" has been owned by the political right. This is utterly wrong. With this video, Americans of all kinds stake their claim to America.
This music is based on the famous poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns, about the betrayal of the Scottish people by their own leaders. Sound like a familiar scenario? It's been updated to reflect the America of 2008.
This has been up on youtube for a little over a week, and has already passed 100,000 views.
Whose America is it? Yours. Mine. Ours.For many years, "patriotism" has been owned by the political right. This is... more
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