Tonight we witnessed history. Senator Obama received 338 electoral votes (with Missouri, North Carolina, and Indiana still too close to call) and will be the 44th President of the United States of America. Our hopes and dreams are now real.
In his speech, President-Elect Obama spoke of the challenges ahead, and our need to come together as a country. No surprise, Obama’s right; the real work is still to come. We didn’t do this just to win an election, we did this to change a country. We need our next president to work hard with the right priorities. We need him to open government back up to the citizens. But his efforts alone won’t be enough.
We believed in Obama during the election, and we knocked on doors, made calls, and spread the message of change all for tonight’s results. Now, we must first believe in our collective better future, and then give it our all. We will need more sacrifice and more dedication.
Tonight, the powerful realization of our potential as Americans gave me chills. Of course if felt good to win–to support a successful campaign, but the inspiration from a movement bigger than one’s self is the true reward of this campaign. A few phone calls to a swing state alone didn’t change the election, but together, our 1 million calls in the last 3 days persuaded people to head to the polls. Small donations of $5 or $10 alone didn’t buy airtime or pay the campaign staff. Together, our small contributions, combined with volunteer efforts, built the best campaign in the history of American politics. We did this together.
President-Elect Obama also spoke tonight of our need to work with people in every level of government from every party. Republicans fell out of favor with many voters over the course of the last eight years, but that will not and should not be the case for the future. There is common ground between Democrats and Republicans, and while it’s difficult to break the constant campaign cycle that forces partisan politics into every action, if anyone can interrupt even the least bit, I believe it will be Barack Obama.
The former Republican candidate for president, Senator McCain also spoke tonight. He delivered a respectable and honorable concession speech. It was especially poignant when Senator McCain wished “Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.” Professing the need for unity is one thing, leading to it is much more consequential.
We will have plenty of time to dissect the failure of the McCain campaign at a later date, and tonight, I will only say that the concession speech we heard was reminiscent of the old McCain. The old McCain was barely the maverick he claimed to be, but was an honorable public servant with an affinity for compromise. The authentic John McCain wrote tonight’s speech, instead of outsourcing it to the Bush campaign attack dogs like he did during the campaign.
Congratulations to President-Elect Obama and his campaign staff. Congratulations to Congressman Harry Mitchell in Arizona and his campaign staff–a very special staff to those of us here at Take Back the Flag. Congratulations to the other Democratic campaigns across the country. Congratulations to everyone involved in this historic campaign–from Obama himself to the every single volunteer. Tonight is a special night, now a special time; we’re lucky to be alive. The future is uncertain, but the opportunities are infinite.
Take Back the Flag subscribes to Mike Huckabee’s “HuckPAC” emails so you don’t have to. In an email tonight to supporters with the subject “Final Push,” Huckabee urged supporters to vote tomorrow and ignore his perception of the media’s premature call for Obama. He then wrote,
“Tonight I am urging you to vote tomorrow if you haven’t already, help turn out the vote in your family and network of friends and send reminder emails and reach out to them by phone tomorrow. If you know an Obama supporter, tell them they can still vote on Wednesday!”
Huckabee’s false election information is illegal and humorless. Earlier today on the Political Ticker, CNN explalined:
“Communicating false information to voters is punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia election law.”
CNN included this statement in their coverage of fake flyers in Virgina imparting the same false information as Huckabee. Other states likely have similar laws. If nothing else, Huckabee violated election law in Virginia with his email distribution of fabricated election information.
Sadly Huckbee’s actions fit in with the traditional Republican mold of lies and arrogance when it comes to elections. Republicans whine about voter registration fraud and easy ballot access while smearing Democratic candidates as unpatriotic and un-American. But when it comes down to it, they’re the only ones mocking the actual election and demolishing the fundamental element of our democracy. Sometimes Democrats go too far in their efforts to open the polls. We must in fact defend our right to vote by guarding against fraud in all forms. But we have to find a compromise in the middle, and so-called jokes like Huckbee’s are indicative of a appalling mindset destined to close the polls to the citizens.
This reprehensible behavior is especially disappointing to see from Governor Huckabee. All through the primary season, Take Back the Flag vehemently disagreed with a significant majority of his opinions and policy proposals, but greatly respected his honest and authentic demeanor. He didn’t talk down to the voters. He looked us all right in the eyes and told us what he believed. He had some scary ideas, but he was admirable among a slate of Republicans (and Democrats) pandering at every turn in the road.
Even in the general election, Governor Huckabee mostly maintained his honorable style. Sure, he campaigned for McCain and used some of those divisive social issues in his speeches, but he didn’t sink neck-deep in the mud like other Repubilcans, such as Rudy Guilianna and Mitt Romney. Both Guilliani and Romney seemed to be true moderate Republicans, but they slipped in the primaries and then came crashing down in the general election as surrogates for John McCain. Clearly, they took their cues from the strategists McCain stole from the smear-driven Bush campaign, not from the candidate himself.
It’s time to move behind this type of electioneering and look towards the future. Polls open in literally hours. Our opportunity is here.
California is as close as possible to a sure win for Senator Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Yet fivethirtyeight.com calls Proposition 8, the disgusting proposed constitutional amendment to “protect marriage,” a toss-up in this liberal west-coast elitist state (fivethirtyeight.com).
Marriage is one of those issues that divides America, and likely will continue to do so into the future. I’ve always mantained that regardless of your personal feelings on marriage, the most important change we need is a fair recognition of civil rights for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation (among other individual characteristics). Government should stay out of the marriage business, leaving it to the private sector and religion to determine acceptable practices. It is unacceptable for loving couples to miss out on visitation rights, access to health benefits, and more because they happen to be with someone of the same gender.
The fairness argument won’t fly with radical individuals, but in general, it takes out the divisiveness of religion and puts the government in a non-judgmental place to ensure equal rights–from the government perspective only–for all.
Gavin Newsom, the Mayor of San Francisco, changed my mind about marriage and civil unions. I never realized how deeply government is involved in the legal aspects of marriage. While it still might be politically and practically adventageous to only pursue civil unions for all couples to ensure equal rights, it might not be the moral course of action.
Watch the video below of Mayor Newsom at a recent Policy Talk@Google. He’s quite convincing.
Also, check out the art below from a guest submission to Take Back the Flag. Engaged voters, with passion, creativity, and generosity, will continue to fight against extreme right-wing causes. It’s sad that so much is wasted defending the most basic civil rights from unnecessary legislation from the ballot boxes. But we’ll continue to work hard to do so. Californians, please vote no on Proposition 8 this Tuesday.
McCain’s spending freeze isn’t breaking news, but it’s one of his scariest proposals. He’s right about one thing: drastically increases taxes will further damage our economy. Fortunately, no one is proposing across the board tax increases. In fact, Obama–the usual target of McCain’s “tax and spend” lies–is proposing a tax cut for 95% of American workers. And that would be on top of household savings from health care costs, better health, and higher wages from a stimulated economy.
McCain is wrong about another fundamental part of the economy; government spending. His blunt force government spending freeze would eliminate jobs and drive the economy into a complete recession, if we’re not there already. It’s a dangerous proposal, and foresight into McCain’s governing style of zero attention to detail, no fact-based solutions, and policies that politically sound good, but fail to deliver.
In addition, this overzealous measure is confusing when stacked next to McCain’s plans to spend billions in Iraq and in new programs. In Governor Palin’s first “major policy address” (the week before the election) she promised to fully fund research into Autism, among other diseases. Would that fall under McCain’s own spending freeze? Who knows. These policies are only based on politics. We need strong politics for four more days to pick a winner in this race. Then, we need strong policies for four more years. If the last twenty months are any indication of what’s to come, Obama is the only candidate in this race with the ability to lead.
A vice president has a really great job, because not only are they to support the president’s agenda, they’re like the team member, the team mate to that president, but also they’re in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to, they can really get in there with the Senators and make lots of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom, and it’s a great job, and I look forward to having that job.
From the Constitution of the United States of America (only paragraphs with the words “vice president):
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
(From the National Archives Constitution transcript)
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
Feel free to read the above selections. But trust me, with every paragraph containing the words “vice president” out in the open, there is nothing to interpret as “in charge of the United States Senate.” Governor Palin is utterly confused about the simplest of civic lessons.
Her teachers at every level should be ashamed. But the blame doesn’t rest solely on the teachers. Students must want to learn, to seek knowledge. And as a high ranking government official, it is unacceptable that Governor Palin doesn’t seek even the most basic and fundamental information about our country.
It speaks to her larger problem of sticking with what she knows and never venturing from her comfort zone. It might work when you’re a small town mayor in Alaska, but it’s unacceptable from a candidate for Vice President of the United States of America.
In a world full of insensitive and ignorant comments on CNN.com, SoCal’s comment yesterday, October 22, 2008 at 2:23PM Eastern Standard Time, stands out as concise, insightful, and honest.
It’s shame that there wasn’t a moose running free on that field, so Sarah Palin could show reporters her ability at shooting animals from a plane.
How true. Palin’s ardent and financial advocacy for the so-called sport of shooting innocent animals from a plane is just one of her many outlandish and out-of-touch policies that goes hand-in-hand with her out-of-touch personal and family life. Let’s save the animals of the National Zoo and keep Governor Sarah Palin far away from Washington, D.C.
I’ve lost track of how many ridiculous things Palin did in her first 20 or so months as governor. It’s like a new game, “vet the unvetted!” Maybe the McCain strategy was along the lines of “don’t ask, don’t tell, and they’ll never find out.”
The AP reported yesterday that Palin charged the State of Alaska large sums of money multiple times for personal travel for her daughters. Plane tickets were over $1,000 each, and luxury hotels ran upwards of $500 per night. The Palins traveled together to Todd’s snow mobile races, leadership conferences, and political events. Personal Perks Palin: she thinks like Joe the plumber and talks about lowering your taxes, but really she wants to grab as much government money as possible to spend like Joe the movie star.
Her behavior is incredulous. First she pretends to advocate lower taxes while supporting massive government outlays. Someone’s got to pay for it, and as Tom Friedman eloquently points out, “Do you think borrowing money from China is more patriotic than raising it in taxes from Americans?” That is not putting America first. That is selling America first.”
Today we learn that Palin spent upwards of $150,000 for clothing and accessories for her family at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Fortunately, these were not State funds. But, the Republican National Committee funded the entire splurge–so for those of you out there faithfully sending in your checks to the GOP, now you know exactly where it’s going. Clothing for the family from expensive department stores, or “campaign accessories” as the campaign staff billed it.
My mom wasn’t a hockey mom–I definitely wasn’t cut out for the sport. But she was a band mom, and a swimming mom, and just a mom, and she didn’t drop that kind of money on luxury clothing and accessories. I can’t even fathom the number of moms I know it would take to spend that much in total over their lifetimes.
In this case, the specifics and excuses don’t change much. The New York Times suggests the campaign tried to defend the purchases as necessary last minute items for campaigning in different climates. And they made sure to mention that Governor Palin herself didn’t spend the time shopping, her team made the decisions for her. Palin’s extravagant spending on clothing and her hands off approach to shopping are no surprise. In fact, they seem to fit our general expectations of her governing style in Alaska and her plans for the Vice Presidency (when she’s not busy presiding over the Senate…).
Goodbye hockey mom and hello country club mother. Nothing wrong with country club mothers, but let’s not turn this into a theater production where Palin dances around as “common-folk” then heads backstage to the VIP lounge and her life of luxury. Let’s not let Palin pretend to be someone she’s not. Maybe she held a connection earlier in her life, but it clearly exists no more.
Finally, the McCain-Palin economic plan is clear: they’ll all grab their families and head to luxury department stores on private aircraft, all in an effort to stimulate the economy.
The logic is missing, and the economic theory is flawed. John McCain’s health insurance plan might be the only option out there with a legitimate chance of exacerbating our current health care crisis. The current health care system in America is broken, but we need to expand work-based health insurance with subsidies and tax incentives, not destroy it. Groups of individuals clustered together for any reason besides their health status are one of the only options for a successful health insurance system in America without a complete government takeover. The best place to find such a group? Tomorrow morning when you walk into work, take a look around.
The following is a segment of the interview that long time republican, Colin Powell gave on Meet the Press (10/19/08) in which he endorsed Barack Obama for president.
“I am also troubled by, not what senator McCain said, but what members of the party say and it is permitted to be said.Such things as, ‘Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’Well the correct answer is he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian, he’s always been a Christian.But the really right answer is, “What if he is?”Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?The answer is no, that’s not America.Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, ‘he’s a Muslim and he may be associated with terrorists.’This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”
–Colin Powell, Retired General, National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, Secretary of State to George W. Bush
Aaron has been trying to get me to guest author a piece on here for sometime, though it was not until today that I felt compelled to comment. He (Aaron) has done a wonderful job handling the incompetent nature of Sarah Palin and the out-of-touch thinking of John McCain, though no offense Aaron, Sarah Palin’s lack-luster qualifications could have been described by a monkey. Now that I’ve said that, I’m beginning to think “as a monkey” might be more apropos. Yet I digress on an area that needs little.
Upon seeing Retired General Colin Powell’s endorsement on NPR, I contacted my father to get his take and found him nearly incoherent, a rare quality for any of my family. My father is a man who is an honest-to-god independent-moderate and is rarely at a loss of words, regardless of the situation. He voted for George W. Bush in both elections (now we know who to blame, other than Florida) and has been a long time supporter of tight, fiscal responsibility in regards to social welfare. However, when we talked earlier today, his not only excitement over the endorsement, but the elocution in which General Powell laid out the current political climate and relationships between the two campaigns had him ready to call and donate to Barack Obama. I point this out to illustrate the “across party lines” and efficacious, innate appeal that Obama has brought to the table. This impression being further solidified by an MSNBC poll that has 65% of nearly 40,000 people’s votes being swayed by General Powell’s endorsement.
As I’m sure anyone who knows me will attest to, I tend to be a left of left treehugger and bleeding heart animal lover. I am not, however, as fanatic an Obama supporter as many would assume. I think Jon Stewart has gotten it right in his good-natured criticism of Obama’s Christ-like adoration. Barack Obama, himself, is not George Bush’s magic wand that will fix the economy. He won’t be able to hold out a hand and command the terrorists to cease and desist. He won’t even be able to feed the hungry with two herrings and half a dozen baguettes. I’m sorry if I’ve punctured anyone’s dreams.
What I believe Barack Obama will do is use his education and intellect, elitist though they may be, as well as his constructive and effectual ability as an orator to unite different thinkers of different parties and different faiths under one common idea. Too optimistic? Too idealistic? You’re damn right. I’d much rather have a president whose head and beliefs are in the idealistic/optimistic realm and then have him meet people half-way, then have a “realist” (whatever that really means),who has already resigned themselves to the fact that something is impossible and so go into the presidency with a self-defeating mindset.
Lincoln, when establishing his cabinet, surrounded himself with individuals who would challenge his way of looking at the world. He picked those who he felt were more intelligent and experienced then himself, as well as a few who fundamentally disagreed with his perspective on the country and the direction in which it was going. Lincoln was the quintessential liberal-intellectual-elitist-mocha sipping-pansy that united our country in a way many thought impossible and unrealistic. Can you imagine where we’d be today had he settled? What bigot’s half-measures would be in place of the Constitution and Bill of Rights? What religions would (and would not) be free to practice wherever they’d like? Resistance to change is the platform of the conservative mindset.
Now, for exhibit B, I give you Barack Obama. A tall, thin, eloquent leader that has surrounded himself with people he feels are more intelligent then himself; Warren Buffet, Al Gore and Colin Powell to name a few. In the face of insurmountable odds and those pesky “realists“, he did what has never been done before. When he decided to run for the candidacy of the US presidency, how many told him it was a pipedream? That he was attempting the impossible against Hilary Clinton and the establishment of the political process? No country would ever elect a black man with a funny name and big ears to the highest office in the land.
Right now Gallup has Barack Obama up ten points over John McCain in the general. He raised more then 150 million dollars in September from 3.1 million donors, 650,000 of which were new. The average amount donated was $86. Not bad for an idealistic-elitist-Muslim-terrorist with big ears and a funny name.
It is my sincere hope that he is able to bring that draw to the rest of the world.
As a post-script, perhaps we should examine the definition of terrorist; a terrorist being a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims. That, of course, leads us to ask, what is terror, really? It’s a person who uses fear as a means to an end. Makes sense I suppose, suicide bombers and what not. Except, no where in our definitions does it say it has to be physical violence. Does the spread of a hateful and fear inspiring ideas lend itself to creating terror? I suppose it must. On this same tract then, are not the people who are spreading lies about Barack Obama terrorists? Creating fear, specifcally with lies, to an ends of political victory. Are these really the people we want running our country? Words to chew on.
Danny is a guest contributor to Take Back the Flag. This is his first of many submissions. Danny can be reached at danny@takebacktheflag.com.
McCain: Let me just say categorically I’m proud of the people that come to our rallies. Whenever you get a large rally of 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people, you’re going to have some fringe peoples. You know that. And I’ve — and we’ve always said that that’s not appropriate.
McCain’s response to Bob Shieffer’s question about the tone of the campaigns, in Shieffer’s words, “nasty.” There are certainly good people in attendance at a typical McCain rally, but with the widespread problems, McCain should be anything but “categorically” proud. In fact, it’s his own inciting rhetoric and the even more extreme language of his running mate that are the root cause of the crowd behavior. Even “fringe peoples” don’t shout out “kill him,” “terrorist,” or “bomb him” in response to civil discourse or policy talk.
McCain’s on a new little hypocritical rant with this whole “repudiate campaign.” Maybe he’s seen the polls and lowered expectations to the point where he wins if Obama wins the election but repudiates everyone who votes Democratic and criticizes McCain.
McCain continues to insist that Obama “repudiate” this and “repudiate” that because “he always repudiates” inappropriate comments about Obama. But he doesn’t. McCain casually considers the violent outbursts at his rallies as “inappropriate” but won’t take a stand with a serious approach or statement saying that type of behavior will not be tolerated. He’s traveling this weekend to campaign with a Virgina GOP Chair who instructs volunteers to compare Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden because “they both have friends who have bombed the pentagon.” (Huffington Post) Palin’s even worse, and while she’ll never admit anything, you can see it in her eyes; she wants to win at all costs, even if it means taping into the most primal fears and violent nature of her supporters.
Senator McCain, at your own insistence, you must repudiate your own campaign for this attrocious behavior.
Brokaw: There are lots of issues that we are going to be dealing with here tonight. And we have a question from Langdon in Ballston Spa, New York, and that’s about huge unfunded obligations for Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlement programs that will soon eat up all of the revenue that’s in place and then go into a deficit position.
Since the rules are pretty loose here, I’m going to add my own to this one. Instead of having a discussion, let me ask you as a coda to that. Would you give Congress a date certain to reform Social Security and Medicare within two years after you take office? Because in a bipartisan way, everyone agrees, that’s a big ticking time bomb that will eat us up maybe even more than the mortgage crisis.
Obama: Well, Tom, we’re going to have to take on entitlements and I think we’ve got to do it quickly. We’re going to have a lot of work to do, so I can’t guarantee that we’re going to do it in the next two years, but I’d like to do in the my first term as president.
But I think it’s important to understand, we’re not going to solve Social Security and Medicare unless we understand the rest of our tax policies. And you know, Sen. McCain, I think the “Straight Talk Express” lost a wheel on that one.
So let’s be clear about my tax plan and Sen. McCain’s, because we’re not going to be able to deal with entitlements unless we understand the revenues coming in. I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans, 95 percent.
If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, you will not see a single dime of your taxes go up. If you make $200,000 a year or less, your taxes will go down.
Now, Sen. McCain talks about small businesses. Only a few percent of small businesses make more than $250,000 a year. So the vast majority of small businesses would get a tax cut under my plan.
McCain: Sure. Hey, I’ll answer the question. Look — look, it’s not that hard to fix Social Security, Tom. It’s just…
Brokaw: And Medicare.
McCain: … tough decisions. I want to get to Medicare in a second.
Social Security is not that tough. We know what the problems are, my friends, and we know what the fixes are. We’ve got to sit down together across the table. It’s been done before.
First of all, McCain said “I’ll answer the question” mocking Obama for not answering the question, even though he did. Then, of course, McCain didn’t answer the question. He just said everything will be alright, and offered no specifics, including any timeline, as requested by Tom Brokaw.
This segment also highlights the facts of Obama’s tax plan, and his foresight to look at the complete economics picture of Social Security and Medicare (especially compared to McCain’s grunts of an answer).
Finally, McCain’s attitude and rhetoric on this subject matter is representative of his main style; something along the lines of “we can do it” or “I’ve done it.” I appreciate the optimism, but I’m quickly stymied by McCain’s assertions that he’s done something in the past.
Sure, in a few cases, including one or two high profile instances, he has been a “maverick” and bolted from the standard Republican tradition, worked with Democrats, and helped ensure passage of a bill. But in general, what has McCain done for you lately? Deregulated the financial markets? Passed tax cuts in the Bush budgets for big businesses and oil companies?
McCain’s solution to Social Security not to long ago was the Bush privatization plan. Luckily that didn’t work out; as bad as retirement accounts look today, if they were Bushized, it’d be a whole lot worse.
Later on, McCain continues in the same vein. From the debate:
So let’s look at our record. I’ve fought higher taxes. I have fought excess spending. I have fought to reform government.
No one can deny this is great work on behalf of the American people. But if McCain clings to his “change” mantra, the whole picture is chaos. If he’s been fighting for us for lower taxes and less spending in a reformed government, why is everything so messed up? Its because McCain is an act. He’s part of the Bush school of thought, but his aura is “maverick.”
Here, again, McCain promises action with no credibility. From the debate:
But the point is that I know how to handle these crises. And Sen. Obama, by saying that he would attack Pakistan, look at the context of his words. I’ll get Osama bin Laden, my friends. I’ll get him. I know how to get him.
How do you know how to handle these crises? How do you know how to get him?
I’m looking at your record, Senator McCain, and you’re rhetoric is vague enough to sound good, but where is the action? In your eyes, you fought for lower taxes, but we still need to lower taxes. You fought for government reform, but its still completely corrupt. You know how to get Osama bin Laden, but you’ve been there in the Senate for every single year we’ve been searching with no success.
You’ve served honorably in the military and in the government, but if you’ve been doing all that for 26 years and still think we need the drastic change that you claim to bring even though you’ve supported the policies of the last eight years 90% of the time, you sir, are a failure.
Take Back the Flag’s Take on the second presidential debate is based on direct language from the CNN transcript.
Barack Obama’s campaign recently released an online calculator to compare the tax policies of Obama and McCain. Simple testing fit with Obama’s campaign promise of providing more tax cuts for the middle class. As expected, the tax cuts lessen as income increases, and are completely phased out at the highest income levels.
Obama’s tax policy represents a new era in American politics. Democrats have often supported tax policy geared towards the middle class, but somehow the “tax and spend” label stuck. The connection between Democrats and tax is absurd and unfair. Government needs taxes to provide for our country. Without government intervention we would suffer without everything from sidewalks to national defense due to market failures. Why would I ever contribute to either if I thought you were and I could still use it?
The real difference is Republicans like to give big tax breaks for the top earners and hope it “trickles” down. Democrats often prefer a more progressive tax system, where higher earners pay a higher percent on additional income. But that’s not what we see; we see the political spin, and unfortunately Republicans know how to spin taxes.
The difference in this campaign is Obama’s more aggressive stance on taxes, and his relentless argument about lowering taxes for 95% of Americans. Now, a simple little online calculator is quite revealing about the difference policies. Is it good or bad that Senator McCain doesn’t know how to get on the internet and check out this website?
It’s likely only an estimate of the proposed policy, but Obama and these simple demonstrations are what we need to change the political culture and disarm the Republicans in one of the few issues they have left.
Obama: And the last point I just want to make. I think the young people of America are especially interested in how they can serve, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m interested in doubling the Peace Corps, making sure that we are creating a volunteer corps all across this country that can be involved in their community, involved in military service, so that military families and our troops are not the only ones bearing the burden of renewing America.
That’s something that all of us have to be involved with and that requires some leadership from Washington.
Senator Obama, thank you for seeing the truth and saying it. We’re hungry to serve America, but too often that path is confusing or impossible. Service to America today basically means military service, the most honorable of choices. But while we’re involved in multiple overseas conflicts and those conflicts are controversial, enlisting is a scary thought.
Here at Take Back the Flag, we’ve heard a few stories from young Americans with the desire to serve. But it always ends up with a question like “Should I really join the Air Force while we’re fighting in civil wars overseas and few can trust the government?” And, as expected, the answer, is always no.
Thank you for seizing this opportunity and realizing the amazing potential it has for America. It won’t immediately allow a middle-class family to afford much needed prescriptions like health insurance reform, or save the planet for our future generations like a responsible environmental policy, but service opportunities should be a top priority for your administration.
For all the young people out there, this is the chance. Please remember to vote on November 4th.
Coming up: our Take on the third and final debate and more cartoons.
Take Back the Flag’s Take on the second presidential debate is based on direct language from the CNN transcript.
Obama: So we’re going to have to make some investments, but we’ve also got to make spending cuts. And what I’ve proposed, you’ll hear Sen. McCain say, well, he’s proposing a whole bunch of new spending, but actually I’m cutting more than I’m spending so that it will be a net spending cut. […]
McCain: Do you know that Sen. Obama has voted for — is proposing $860 billion of new spending now? New spending.
That’s right, Senator Obama and Democrats are now used to the Republican rhetoric enough to accurately predict the upcoming lies and offer the Republican a chance to say something else–or at least phrase it in a different way. Yet McCain proved once again in this statement that he’s all systematic rhetoric programmed at the Republican National Committee headquarters. How is this even considered civil discourse or productive debate in choosing a president?
McCain’s best argument for the presidency is that Obama is proposing new spending, an untruthful and boring Republican standard. Of course he’s proposing new spending. McCain is too! Every candidate for every office promises new programs, new tax cuts, or maybe even both. All involve new spending.
Obama specifically said yes to new spending, including investments in infrastructure and energy jobs across the country. Then he stated in unequivocal terms that his plans involve more cuts then spending, leading to, wait for it, a “net spending cut.”
Senator McCain’s programmed statements are an insult to the American voter. Please, Senator McCain, have some respect; don’t spew Republican rhetoric at us, when we all know its absolutely false. You’re better than that, but you haven’t shown in in a long, long time.
Take Back the Flag’s Take on the second presidential debate is based on direct language from the CNN transcript.
Still behind schedule, but still going. In Tow. captures the McCain policies from the viewer perspective of the second presidential debate. Bush, Cheney, and Rove let McCain have his little fun running wild as “maverick,” but no longer. McCain’s staff of attack dogs–literally a repeat of the Bush campaigns–has led McCain’s straight talk astray and into the realm of Bush-Cheney-Rove policies and politics.
Its like people who buy a sports car they can’t afford: its fun to cruise around for a while, but eventually the people with the power show up and repo it in the middle of the night.
McCain: Well, Theresa, thank you. And I can see why you feel that cynicism and mistrust, because the system in Washington is broken. And I have been a consistent reformer.
I have advocated and taken on the special interests, whether they be the big money people by reaching across the aisle and working with Sen. [Russ] Feingold [D-Wisconsin] on campaign finance reform, whether it being a variety of other issues, working with Sen. Lieberman on trying to address climate change.
I have a clear record of bipartisanship. The situation today cries out for bipartisanship. Sen. Obama has never taken on his leaders of his party on a single issue. And we need to reform.
The system in Washington is broken because politicians of both parties, just like Senator McCain have been gaming the voters for years. They say one thing and do another. They pander to every potential voter. Its important to talk about different issues with different people, but lies about jobs and the environment and the economy never help. Worse yet, the traditional Republican smear tactics about “foreign,” “un-American,” and “un-patriotic” Democrats.
How dare Senator McCain–a 26 year member of the United States Senate–blame the “system” and then randomly credit himself as a reformer? McCain does not have a true record of bipartisanship. The one thing he has done well is create a persona of a bipartisan maverick while supporting Bush policies and adhering to neo-conservative principles. He’s clever in his tactics, like publicly disagreeing with President Bush and the party leadership on high profile issues such as torture and global warming. But as McCain would say himself, actions speak louder than words. His maverick style is words only. Anyone can publicly oppose the President’s outrageous policies, but taking steps to change them is the true mark of a maveric. What has McCain done about those high profile positions? Nothing.
McCain and Palin keep talking about the “future” and insisting Obama and Biden “must forget the past to look forward.” Let’s look forward. McCain is proposing policies that have failed in the last eight years. He offers no solutions to the most pressing issues of our time, including health care, education, and even his favorite issue to talk about, spending within the budget. It doesn’t matter that he’s worked with two or three Democratic senators or “bucked” his party leadership on occasion; that’s all in the past.
Senator McCain, Theresa and others are cynical about the system because of people like you. You’ve supported policies in the past to keep the middle class down while rewarding the highest earners in America, ignore the millions who cannot afford health care, and keep the government at an elite level where average citizens have no access and no influence.
The policies you propose as a candidate for the highest office in the land only continue those failed policies you’ve supported for 26 years. Your campaign staff is run by powerful Washington lobbyists who are not only insiders themselves, but use their corporate positions and campaign appointments to sell direct access to you. That same campaign staff uses unethical and fraudulent claims in attacks on your opponent, just like they did while working for President Bush and Dick Cheney in 2000. They’re cynical because you’ve lied to them, pushed them out, and kept them at bay.
Start answering to the American people–hear their voice, not the paid voices of your lobbyist staff–and you’ll see the distrust and skepticism in the government from a whole new perspective.
Take Back the Flag’s Take on the second presidential debate is based on direct language from the CNN transcript.
Part two of Take Back the Flag’s cartoon series. We’re a little behind schedule posting this right after the Obama-McCain debate, but we’ll get back on track. Click the cartoon for the full size, and please share your comments and suggestions below.
John McCain’s distinguished public service career spans 26 years. In a sense, its very honorable. But looking at the character of Senator McCain revealed in the current campaign, his service looks more like a power grab to benefit himself and his friends. Now, in the midst of another financial crisis stemming from industry deregulation, McCain is trying to distance himself from Washington. One minute he’s the experience leader putting country first, the next, he’s a reforming maverick who’s ready to change Washington. 26 years later? Its about time.
The only mavericky thing McCain did was pick Sarah Palin. McCain must have felt like such an insider that he needed to bring in an extreme outsider who has no Washington experience, no credibility, and no understanding of the world around her.
Senator Obama, on McCain’s sudden reach for the outsider status:
Take Back the Flag 