http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/whos-that-man-obama-asked-for-id-at-gym-2008-06-27.html

No, I don’t think he has any problem with ridding us of child rapists.

I agree with us ridding ourselves of child rapists; I just disagree on the method.

Claude Castonguay is the father of socialized medicine in Canada. In the 1960s, he chaired a Quebec commission whose recommendation of a government-run health care system for that province was adopted, and quickly spread to the rest of the country. Now, after forty years of experience with socialized medicine, Castonguay has changed his mind:

Four decades later, as the chairman of a government committee reviewing Quebec health care this year, Castonguay concluded that the system is in “crisis.”

“We thought we could resolve the system’s problems by rationing services or injecting massive amounts of new money into it,” says Castonguay. But now he prescribes a radical overhaul: “We are proposing to give a greater role to the private sector so that people can exercise freedom of choice.”

A novel idea! When the first countries adopted socialized medicine, it was a mistake. For the U.S. to do it now, in the face of disastrous experience wherever it has been tried, would be a crime.

*snort*

No way.

hahahah!

Who needs satire when we have reality?

Guess who are co-sponsors of the new Federal Marriage Amendment (Marriage Protection Amendment)?

Anyone…anyone….

Larry Craig and David Vitter

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16020.html

Ginsberg and Stevens were in the minority on that decision. Kennedy was the swing vote.

Is it good leadership? You can not lead if you do not win…

You misunderstood. Obama will be sure to appoint judges like Ginsberg, Kennedy, and Stevens.

Covering his bets may be good politics, but is it leadership?

The World As It Should Be: What Michelle Really Said

Now if those of us who are L, G, B and/or T can just stay focused on what Senator Obama’s actual role is, and not project all our hopes and dreams on him (he is not going to lead our fights and he should not!) … we and others can maybe fully appreciate what Mrs. Obama is saying here and its consistency with what Senator Obama has been saying for some time.

I say this knowing that Senator Obama also recently met and is deliberately reaching out to evangelical Christians — who not only have actual LGBT people among them (it’s true!) but also are as real and present a part of this nation as us non-evangelical-Christian LGBT people.

I could say that their theology teaches *them* to hate *us* (under the guise of our sexuality being a sin). But the they/we distinction breaks down somewhat knowing the lived reality of people like my girlfriend. She left the Southern Baptist church (where she was raised and active) in her early 20s. But NOT because she was a lesbian. She left because the theology unraveled for her, and particularly in its suggestion that Jews would go to hell — she had a Jewish teacher, friend and mentor and couldn’t accept that.

Once that piece went, my girlfriend’s sharp mind saw the whole theology fall apart. It wasn’t til she was 30 that she came out to herself. Then later she ended up in a relationship with a Jew herself.

To me understanding the range of who and what makes up this country, and acting from a non-us/them approach is all part of what it means for Senator Obama to so accurately and effectively seek the presidency of this country. I see him knowing, learning and acting in response to what it is actually capable of — and what it is not.

My guess would be that [Obama] would continue to appoint judges in the mold of those who rendered the majority opinion in that case.

So you’re saying that Obama would appooint Scalias and Thomases to the court like George W. Bush wanted to do. Hunh? Are you out of your ____ mind?

And s. also said…

But don’t you know that Obama is trying to make a play for Evangelical voters?

Sure, he’s making a play for evangelical voters. It’s called “politics.” Barack Obama is a politician. He seeks to win elections.

For all of the FISA-feely types, say that Barack voted against it and a terrorist strike occurs before the elections…Bush and McCain could hammer *O* for leaving America vulnerable by not supporting the bill.

Barack is “covering his bets,” as any good politician should do.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/27/16495/0128/59/543029

and

Maybe it’s my signal that’s jammed! From day to day, I don’t know what exactly I feel about the Obama campaign. At the beginning, there was a clear, consistent signal. Now, it’s like schizophrenia. My sense is there’s discord between Obama the man, and his advisers who have a job to do in getting him elected. At the beginning, I thought I could say who he was. Now, I’m not entirely sure. Whatever.

FWIW, I am not feeling that from him.

I am feeling grounded truth-telling in action — truth-telling that is painful for some/many to see because it says some ugly things about this country that, for some, getting through the day requires avoidance of.

And you wrote: My sense is that America needs a hero, not someone who capitulates.

He is not a hero and to my knowledge has never said he would be or should be. He is — and he makes this very clear to my ears and eyes — part of a large collective (this nation) that I think he attends to and understands EXTREMELY well. The fact that this collective has its painful conflicted and ugly sides is not coming from him. He is not and cannot be a hero. He is nothing isolated from the collective he is listening to, observing, feeling and acting on behalf of.

And: My parakeet just said “It’s just the scary.”

As for victory in Iraq. Maybe you need to re-asses what victory is. You are looking for an honourable outcome from a dishonourable war. Perhaps victory is not possible in those circumstances except to admit a mistake and take actions to correct the injustice immediately. Right now, the error is being compounded. Think of all the disabled soldiers…all the dead ones and their families. You are willing to sacrifice their lives for “victory”?

Yes, Saddam was a bastard, but was not an imminent threat to the USA.

But don’t you know that Obama is trying to make a play for Evangelical voters? Who knows where he really stands? My guess would be that he would continue to appoint judges in the mold of those who rendered the majority opinion in that case.

Defense of innocent life, from the unborn to victims of child abuse are very difficult moral arguments and split many individuals in both directions.

I wish I could share your confidence in the man, but I just don’t know what I am getting for my vote. Yes, he’s eloquent and charismatic, likable enough, but he has yet to persuade me of his ability to be a strong, principled leader.

I am looking for a candidate who will provide:

Energy Independence

Victory in Iraq/War on Terror

Sound tax policy that will keep a struggling economy from falling into recession.

School Choice

Moderate, pragmatic judges.

“blank screen”…hardly.

Here’s what I do know:

1 Obama is not dumb. Actually, he’s extremely intelligent.

2 He’s a decent human being; a good person in whose care I would feel safe.

3 Obama is not perfect…but is pretty damn close!

How can you accept the teachings of Jesus Christ and endorse the death penalty? What would Jesus do? Would he pull the switch? Would he give the injection?

People who call themselves Christians and accept the death penalty based on “old testament” doctrine really, really need to check themselves…that includes Barack Obama.

That being said, i’m still supporting him though I strongly disagree about this issue.