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Can anyone do anything about it?
I can't help but be worried. As I continue to write about our world, I want to remain hopeful. But, the bad news continues coming in. The Dow lost over 300 points on Friday. As America continues to be in the midst of a Presidential Campaign, the world seems to be falling apart. BBC is reporting on a very disturbing development in Colombia threatens to undermine all that seems to have been achieved in the so-called war on drugs. A number of Army colonels have been sacked because they apparently kidnapped homeless men and then killed them to secure body counts and in turn promotions. Colombia was the same country, of course, that pulled off the release of Ingrid Betancourt and others using the emblems of the International commitee for the Red Cross. I view it as a bothersome development because it will undermine the very perilous nature of achievements made in the war on drugs that the world seems to be losing. Look at what is going on in Mexico. I regard Uribe as the ultimate teflon, though. I think he would muddle through as he has through other crisis.
The more worrisome development, though, is the killing of foreigners in the center of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Afghanistan is on fire. Karzai is useless and is a lost case. I am heartened by Joe Klein's comments on Time.com about Barack Obama's views. According to Klein, Barack Obama (and General Petreaus) are in favor of negotiations with the Taliban. I would be interested in any alternative anyone could offer. Right now, I see none.
There is of course the continued bloodbath in equity markets. In California, the public employee retirement system (CalPers) has lost over 40 billion dollars. Overall, 16.3 Trillion Dollars has been lost in equity markets. Although Governor Palin's 150,000 wardrobe, 22,000/Month charge for a makeup artist and the "fight" among the so-called McCain factions is news in some circles, this kind of news really does not help to find jobs and put food on people's tables.
As the week-end begins in the United States. I wanted to find "something" to end this pessimistic note on. All I can say to Mr. Colbert is, "....Right on!!!!".
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The Image of a reformer...or not?
Governor Palin is once again in the news. This time, it has to do with the expenses she incurred for her children. It included a $ 707/Night hotel stay in New York with her 17-year old daughter. I think Governor Palin seems to realize that all such conduct must be beyond even the mildest reproach. Such information that is continuing to come out puts the McCain campaign in very, very,very bad light. The basics of politics is opposition research. You have to make sure you get to know what is out there that would come back and haunt you. It appears that the McCain campaign did not understand it. If they did, then I wonder how come this information is coming out now.
This is yet again another indication of how things are shaping up as we enter the final two weeks of the campaign. The BBC has featured an analysis by Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia. In my view, he is one of the most credible and insightful analysts on the political scene today. He has made a compelling case on where things stand for Senator Obama as he get ready. Here is the link:
Larry Sabato's Take on the 2008 Elections
Although two weeks is a long time, this is the BBC map reflecting Larry Sabato's analysis:
The Electoral College Map Now!!!
Whoever wins (and my money continues to be on Obama) will have a mess on his hands. Between a 10 trillion dollar debt, two wars without end and an economic disaster, I wonder who would even want this job.
The Endorsement floodgates have opened up. The LA Times and the Chicago Tribune have come out in favor of Barack Obama. To that, one has to add the Washington Post. John McCain just snatched a major endorsement from a newspaper in Tampa, Florida. The issue I have with it whether it all matters or not. At least there is a realization that things have to truly change and change now.
The big one, though, is Colin Powell. He is scheduled to appear on NBC's Meet the Press later on today. I read about speculation that Colin Powell may endorse Barack Obama. I am certain that Barack Obama will welcome the endorsement. I am one who also respects Colin Powell. To me, though, the war in Iraq and his speech at the UN put a big dent in his reputation, though. Secretary Powell should have not agreed and should have resigned then in my view. He should have taken the principled stance that Cyrus Vance took when he resigned after the decision to launch the hostage rescue mission in 1980. Not withstanding my profound concern in this regard, I salute Colin Powell for his 40 years of service to the United States and think that his unique insight will continue to be valuable to all. I wonder what the world could have been like if George W. Bush would have listened to Colin Powell vs. Dick Cheney and the neo-con cabal running U.S. Foreign Policy.
November 4 is fast approaching. The rhetoric continues to be heated. There is one funny comment that Senator McCain and Governor Palin made: calling Barack Obama's policies socialist!!??!! The question that Senator McCain and Governor Palin have to answer is what they would do. We are in for some tough times. Tough choices have to be made. The question is who will have the courage to do so.
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Debunking The Myth of Leadership
I was thinking about the issue of Executive Leadership and Experience today. I read about how Senator Obama began his quest. Over the course of the last 2 years, he has been able to build a 50-State Operation with a ground operation that has been second to none. He has led a half-billion dollar organization with thousand of employees (some volunteers of course) and has been able to harness the power of the interent beyond anything imaginable or possible. The genius of his success has been the people he has picked. Starting with David Axelord and others in his high command, he seems to have understood the need to have the best there is. He also did overcome rather long odds by overcoming such formidable challlengers--including Hillary Rodham Clinton. I also wrote his choice of Joe Biden as his running mate. Joe Biden (or as the Economist called him Jobama!!) was the same guy who said that Barack Obama was not ready. The mark of a leader is not to be afraid at all. I view Senator Obama as not being afraid to surround himself with people who will tell him the way it is--no matter what.
The McCain campaign has talked about Senator Obama's connection to the Chicago Political Machine, one thing for sure is that the Daleys have dominated Chicago for a long time. Mayor Daley has made mistakes. But, Chicago is still a City that works. Mayor Daley has not been afraid to make the tough decisions. I think selling Midway Airport is a mistake. But this shows that Mayor Daley is trying to figure out how to make the City work for the betterment of all. As for Bill Daley, Mayor Daley's Brother, he ran the Commerce Department during the Clinton Adminstration. In regards to Bill Ayers, he actions during his youth has been condemned by all. But, he is a respected educator who has worked to make a difference in Chicago. Unfortunately, some decided to manifest their opposition to the war in Vietnam in ways that was simply not the right thing to do. I suggest that we judge the man by what he has done since he emerged from the underground in 1980. In America, we believe in second chances. Bill Ayers was given a second chance and from what I have seen, he has tried to make good of the second chance given to him. I think that even Senator McCain will agree with that
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We truly deserve better than this......
We're truly living in extraordinary times. I laughed when I read about Larry Sabato's characterization of the economic policies of Barack Obama and John McCain. Larry Sabato noted that one of them is living in Disneyworld and one is living in Disneyland. Right now, the U.S. is bankrupt. The U.S. is Ten Trillion (that is Trillion with a "T") Dollars in Debt. The number is so high that the U.S. National Debt Clock ran out of digits. With the way committments are being made right now, the debt will only go through the roof.
As markets are falling and wealth is being wiped off, there is no substantive discussion of the issues. The McCain-Palin ticket continued the pathetic path of guilt by association again today with the release of the new video on association with Ayers. The country and the world need enlightened leadership and a renewed sense of purpose to give folks hope. All they have to talk about is Bill Ayers. They are even going to talk about Jeremiah Wright. "Someone" at a rally "begged" Senator McCain to take it to Senator Obama. "Guilt By Association" may come back to haunt both Senator McCain and Governor Palin. For instance, Governor Palin has apparently attended Alaskan Independence Party Convention with all their rather "interesting" views
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The Stark Choices......
The U.S. Vice Presidential debate has just concluded. Before I talk about the debate itself,the role of the debate moderator must be mentioned. I think Gwen Ifill did an outstanding job. All this hype about her book and her apparent "tilt" towards Obama turned out to be crap!!! So far, the moderators have done a great job. With Tom Brokaw and Bob Schieffer moderating the next two debates, I think it will only get better.
Senator Biden and Governor Palin went toe-to-toe. I think Senator Biden side-stepped Governor Palin in a rather deft way. He was quite restrained, but on top of his game. He was my candidate twenty years ago. He was not my candidate this time simply because I was duped by John Edwards. But, I think Senator Obama's decision to choose him was a master stroke. Senator Biden has spoken his mind. I was impressed when he made two key points: 1) He reminded the world that the idiot Ahmadinejad does not control the Iranian Security services. He was surprised that that Senator McCain was not aware of this fact and 2) He reminded the world of Senator McCain's record
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September 30th 2008 03:11
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Leadership Is Needed Now.....
This Simple Sentence set the tone for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's quest to begin the painful renewal of America in 1933. Whoever becomes President in about 38 days will inherit a "mess" that is as tough as the challenge faced by FDR in 1933. I believe that America can overcome and renew itself yet again. It requires leadership and sacrifice. We must all be ready to do so for the sake of our children. I Pray that whomever wins will be up to the task. I listened to him to gain some comfort on the future:
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September 22nd 2008 05:35
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"It is the Economy, folks......."
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley changed their charter to bank holding companies. This will allow them to start taking commercial deposits. That's a good thing, I suppose. It allows them to have access to the borrowing window of the Federal Reserve. So, the restructruing of investment banking is now complete. Investment banking as we have known it for hundreds of years is gone!!! It is high time indeed.......
As the new week begins, it appears that the U.S. Government's decision to take on the "Toxic Assets" to the tune of 700 Billion has been embraced by markets around the world. I am cautiously optimistic. However, there has to be further steps taken to insure that the middle class is protected from the freefall that it is faced with. I view the economy as the central overriding factor in the election as in 1992. Gallup's daily tracking poll has shown that Senator Obama has lost his edge by about a percent. Other polls, though, continue to call it even. I think it is still even despite Senator Obama taking the lead because of the economy. I continue to view the upcoming debate as a turning point. It should be a blockbuster
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September 15th 2008 04:49
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"May One Live in Interesting Times!!!??!!!"
What a week-end!!??!! Between Lehman's pending bankrupcy, Merrill Lynch's potential sale to Bank of America, the billion dollar Presidential Campaign and the collapse of Alitalia in Italy,the days and weeks can only get more lively!!!
Sarah Palin is still being talked about in the mainstream media. The New Yorker ran a story noting that the President of the Alaska State Senate (who is a Republican) said that the Governor was not fit for the office. She was interviewed on CNN noting how the claims Governor Palin made were stretching the truth. The simple fact that she was for the bridge before she was against it is just one example. The Republicans got away with it in 2004 when they got John Kerry for his explanation of the vote
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September 11th 2008 02:48
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Don't ordinary folks deserve better??!!???
With the latest "controversy" regarding the Lipstick on a pig comment, I stepped back to think about the Republican Convention that concluded last week. I thought about the beating Senator Obama got at the convention. The Republican Team is continuing the drumbeat as we speak. I received something from a friend that I thought was a "funny" attempt to do some fact checking. I edited certain portions I absolutely did not agree with. The achievements of both teams must be respected and must be so stipulated. This is not a school yard fight. When one team trashes the other one and does not want to subject itself to answering the tough questions, it does a disservice to the American People. The analysis is striking and must be brought to bear regarding Senator Obama:
".....If you spend 3 years as a community organizer growing your
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Why is Obama not gaining Traction?
Fox News's headline right now reads, "McCain surges...". I disagree totally with the characterization. The fact is that they got a bounce out of their Convention. There is no question about it. But, I am trying to understand how come Obama is not getting any traction. The polls numbers are right now even. As I see it, the debates will break the race right open. I would be interested to see who gets mad first...mad enough to win the election!!!
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I guess they have to have their moment in the sun!!!
The third day of the Republican Convention has been in full swing. The array of people who have spoken has been quite impressive. From Meg Whitman to Carly Fiorina, they have touted the Republican message of change, of hope, of committment and belief in putting "country first". The video noted that Senator McCain will make sure that the Budget is balanced by 2013. The country was also told about the "gas tax" holiday for three months. Furthermore, the country was also told about tax credits and technology adoption to help change healthcare.
As the evening went on, Michael Steele of GOPAC reminded us to "Drill, Baby, Drill...:" Michael Steele told the country and the world that we should win the war on terror. Mitt Romney talked about the fact that "liberals" were in fact in charge in Washington since 1980. There was of course, Governor Huckabee. He told the country, in his folksy style, that John McCain had "earned" the right to the desk in the Oval Office. The Governor of Hawaii's introduction went to who Sarah Palin is. She was touting Sarah Palin's experience as an Executive. The Governor of Hawaii is telling the country that Senator Obama and Senator Biden have gotten no executive experience at all. The Governor of Hawaii thinks that Sarah Palin is a great choice. The Governor noted that Alaska has the same electoral votes as Delaware and 250 states the size of Delaware can fit into the size of Alaska. She also noted that Sarah Palin is an outsider and an experienced reformer. She called the choice, "...bold and historic...". Now, Rudy Giulinai is speaking and attacking Senator Obama
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What about Senator McCain's Judgement?
The McCain campaign said that Governor Palin was fully vetted. I already commented on the fact that the discussion on her daughter's pregnancy is off limits. Ms. Palin's privacy must be respected.
The Alaska legislature is continuing the investigation into the firing of Alaska's Public Safety Commisioner. Kyra Phillips of CNN commented on Larry King last night that the lead investigator in Alaska has been uncovering evidence daily. The Lawyer for Governor Palin, according to reports, is in a legal tussle on whether the Alaska legislature is the right venue for this investigation to continue. On top of that, the "bridge to no where" which was touted as an example of Governor Palin was debunked by this report courtesy of the Real News. Here it is
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Will Senator Obama's Challenge be honored?
I was so moved by Senator Obama's speech that I decided to listen to it briefly to understand the issues he outlined. He laid out a challenge to Senator McCain to avoid questioning one's patriotism and character. I hope Senator McCain accepts that challenge. With Steve Schmitt running the campaign, I wonder. Steve Schmitt was on the team that got George W. Bush reelected to a second term. He was a disciple of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. Senator Obama's campaign must be prepared to hit back and hit back hard. But, as I wrote earlier, the 527's won't necessarily listen to Senator McCain. I hope that Senator McCain does condone the crap that folks that this so-called our committee deserves is peddling right now.
I"ll be interested in what Senator McCain has to say later on today when he is supposedly going to appear with his running mate. Already, Senator McCain's spokesperson has come out with its' attack. Therefore, the call by Senator Obama was totally ignored by Senator McCain. Senator McCain was gracious, but the attacks will happen and the attack dogs will be unleashed
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Mike Pouraryan
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