Keep Up the Good Work

According to the Office of Management and Budget, Congress approved 11,524 earmarks for the 2008 fiscal year, totaling $16,501,833,000. I will state it again: 11,524 earmarks worth $16,501,833,000! Of course, not all earmarks should be viewed as wasteful spending. However, let's put that eye popping figure in just one perspective: With $16,501,833,000, you could pay the first year's tuition at a four-year academic institution for 742,724 individuals. At the same time, with that $16.5+ billion, you would only be able to fund 48 days of the Iraq War (which is probably an extremely conservative estimate at that). If you aren't depressed by now, the following is a list of the worst earmarks in 2008:

10. The $700 billion economic bailout in October was reluctantly viewed as a necessary evil by numerous politicians (Democrats and Republicans alike). At the same time, an additional provision (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h1424enr.txt.pdf) introduced by Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) was also an evil but certainly not necessary. Decreasing tariffs for U.S. manufacturers of wool fabrics which use imported yarn, the measure will reduce the tax liability for these companies by $148 million over five years.

9. Another product (http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/latestversionAYO08C32_xml.pdf)
of this year’s financial bailout will renew an expired rebate against excise taxes imposed on rum imported from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands until the end of 2009. The $192 million in tax cuts will primarily assist those two territories in developing their economies and, in theory, reducing the need for future financial support.

8. Although Montana’s total amount of foreign exports is less than one third of a much smaller Delaware, Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) obtained $583,000 (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_342974.html) for the Montana World Trade Center. Headquartered in Missoula (a city with a population of 64,000 residents), the center clearly has impressive ambitions: the web site can be read in five languages and the logo includes a stack of hundred dollar bills in front of a globe.

7. Congress spent more than $200 per resident of the tiny southern town of Boydton, VA in order to develop a historic walking tour. The $98,000 earmark (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_289167.html) for a town less than one square mile in size is designated for the tour of, among other things, a 1790s tavern, a Greek Revival courthouse and a one-mile long oval race track. The appropriations were secured in a Department of Housing and Urban Development bill by Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA). Goode is the same individual who declared last year that "Federal budget spending is too much overall and Congress members should set an example by not spending too much".

6. Despite the fact that Maine's lobster industry generated approximately $300 million in 2006, Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) were able to obtain $188,000 (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_326992.html) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to launch the Lobster Health Coalition at the University of Maine’s Lobster institute. By the way, the institute’s other accomplishments include developing a live Internet "Lobster Cam" and creating lobster treats for dogs called Bisque-its.

5. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Sen. Ronald Wyden (D-OR) championed another earmark on the financial bailout bill. In this earmark (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s3055is.txt.pdf), manufacturers (including the Oregon based Rose City Archery) of wooden arrows designed for children will receive an exemption from an excise tax and, in turn, save those companies up to $2 million over the next ten years.

4. As the individual behind the proposed “Bridge to Nowhere”, it should not be any surprise that Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is included on this list. This year the "King of the Earmarks" requested more than $2.5 million (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_352923.html) for the building of an airport on the remote Akutan Island. The airport would be used primarily by a large seafood company which has donated money to Stevens's election campaigns and political action committee funds.

3. Among the unexpected beneficiaries of the recent financial bailout are two tuna canneries in American Samoa. Tax credits, which had expired at the end of last year, were re-instated and backdated (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h1424enr.txt.pdf), thereby reducing the canneries’ tax liability by $33 million over two years. I should point out that, even though the U.S. based Del Monte Corp. recently sold their StarKist tuna cannery in American Samoa to the South Korean company, Dong Won, the cannery will still qualify for the tax exemption because the operation is based in the U.S. territory.

2. In the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2008, Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) secured two earmarks (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_340582.html) totaling $3.6 million for Phoenix Products, Inc. Based in McKee, KY, Phoenix Products is a small company which manufactures aircraft accessories, including custom interiors. Rogers’ most recent earmarks for the company are allocated for the delivery of five hundred leak proof transmission drip pans for Black Hawks used by the United States Army and National Guard. However, Army officials have stated that they have yet to decide if the drip pans should even be purchased from Phoenix Products in the first place.

1. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) secured more than $1.9 million in special funding (http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_352821.html) for a planned $30 million academic center at the City College of New York. Not surprisingly, the new facility will be called the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service. When Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) objected to the situation, Rangel arrogantly responded: "I would have a problem if you did it because I don't think that you've been around long enough that having your name on something to inspire a building like this in a school. It might be that it would be in order for you to get publicity and to get re-elected. But since I've been here thirty-eight years and have not really had any opposition from the other side, it doesn't serve any function for me." It is important to note that, in September of this year, the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Rangel allegedly (1) using his congressional stationary to solicit donors for the center, (2) failing to report and pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic and (3) living amongst four rent subsidized apartments in Harlem while still claiming his house in Washington, D.C. as his primary residence for tax purposes.

Worth Every Single Penny

As a parody to the popular children's book "Goodnight Moon", authors Erich Origen and Gan Golan created the priceless "Goodnight Bush". This book is a must have and should probably replace the Bible in the nightstands of hotels and motels. (The details in the illustrations are absolutely amazing.) Get your copy today: http://www.goodnightbush.com/.

Top 10 Quotes from Our President

The following is a list of the best quotes from President-elect Barack Obama in 2008:

Top 5 Inspirational

5. "I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington -- it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston." -- During his acceptance speech on election night in November

4. "It's been a long time coming but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America." -- During his acceptance speech in November

3. "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." -- During his acceptance speech in November

2. "This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids, to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace, to reclaim the American dream and re-affirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope and, where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: 'Yes, We Can'." -- During his acceptance speech in November

1. "We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. We are the hope of those boys who have little, who've been told that they cannot have what they dream, that they cannot be what they imagine." -- In his speech following his successful Super Tuesday in February

Top 5 Critical/Humorous

5. "Now [John McCain] tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network. In the McCain campaign, that’s called a staff meeting." -- At a campaign stop in Nevada in September

4. "You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig." -- Referring to the policies of John McCain and Sarah Palin at a campaign stop in Virginia in September

3. "In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine." -- On the final night of Democratic primaries in June 2008

2. "You notice that people who’ve been in Washington too long, they don’t talk like ordinary folks. We had this debate in Las Vegas and somebody asked me, 'What are your weaknesses?'. So I said, 'Well, you know, I don’t keep track of paper that well, I’m always losing paper, my desk is a mess'. And then they asked the next two candidates. And one candidate says, 'Well, my biggest weakness is I’m just so passionate about helping poor people'. And then the other one says, 'I’m just so impatient to help the American people solve their problems'. So then I realize, well, I wish I’d gone last and then I would have known. I’m stupid that way -- I thought that when they asked what your biggest weakness was, they asked what your biggest weakness was. And now I know that my biggest weakness is I like to help old ladies across the street." -- At a campaign stop in South Carolina in January

1. "Americans have a big choice to make and, if anybody feels like they don't know me by now, let me try to give you some answers. Who is Barack Obama? Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jorel to save the Planet Earth. Many of you -- many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for 'That One'. And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for President." -- During his comedic speech at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in October

Epitome of the Bush Administration

In August 2006, Mr. Bush conducted meetings with the family members of five Maine soldiers who died in either Iraq, Afghanistan or the September 11th attacks at the Pentagon. During her and her children's time with Mr. Bush, Hildi Halley tearfully described the impact that the death of her husband, Army National Guard Capt. Patrick Damon, had on their family. On the other hand, after her two children left the room, Halley's comments for Mr. Bush became more direct and critical. Now I obviously understand that Halley would be upset over the loss of her husband and that Mr. Bush has a specific job to perform as commander-in-chief (regardless of how poorly he has served in that particular role). With that being said, there are a couple of aspects of this story that are absolutely frustrating.

Building roads as an engineer in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (whatever in the hell that means), Damon collapsed and died unexpectedly at the age of 41. Despite a lack of heart problems in either his or his family's medical history, the initial Army reports attributed Damon's death to a sudden heart attack. Halley was subsequently informed that there was no evidence that a heart attack killed her husband, leaving the cause of death as inconclusive. Based on the report from the State Medical Examiner, many of his family members believe that Damon died from an adverse reaction to some of the vaccines administered to him. The original conclusion from the Army clearly sounds like the U.S. military covering themselves once again.

With that being said, the most blood boiling part of all this is what occurred at the very end of Halley's meeting with Mr. Bush. Before then, Halley informed Mr. Bush that "I hold you responsible for my husband's death. You made a mistake and it's your responsibility as a Christian man to end this war.'' She also informed him that "As President, you're here to serve the people. And the people are not being served with this war." Bush responded with "I'm not going to have a philosophical debate over politics". By the time Mr. Bush rose to end the meeting, Halley was no longer able to control her anger: "[Patrick's] dead. For what? I've lost my soul mate.'' Not agreeing with Halley's view of the war, Mr. Bush declared that "We see things differently''. And, considering the situation, the dialogue between the two is completely understandable. However, what has amazed me about their meeting is that, during his parting exchange with Halley, Mr. Bush bothers to hand a souvenir presidential coin to the grieving widow. Seriously, a presidential coin? This woman's husband died while serving our country and you slip her a coin as you are walking out of the room? What do grieving mothers and fathers receive? A set of "presidential" steak knives that he took from the White House kitchen? Give me a break.

Strange Bedfellows

I will be the first to admit that I willingly and enthusiastically worship at the altar of Obama. I also openly praise his willingness to open his Cabinet to his opponents from the presidential race, including Hilary Clinton and Bill Richardson, and retain Robert Gates as his Secretary of Defense. However, I am somewhat bewildered by President-elect Barack Obama's decision to select Richard Warren to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration ceremony next month.

Author of "The Purpose Driven Life", Warren is also the founder and senior pastor of the Saddleback Church, an Evangelical Christian megachurch in Lake Forest, CA. The church's weekly attendance of more than 23,000 makes it the fourth largest church in the United States. And although Warren has taken a stance against torture and global warming and promoted AIDS awareness, there are some other areas in his background which make me scratch my head:

• On gay marriage: "I'm not opposed to [visiting rights] as much as I'm opposed to re-definition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I'm opposed to having a brother and sister being together and calling that marriage. I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that marriage. I'm opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage."
• On homosexuality: "The designer of sex has clearly and repeatedly said that he created sex exclusively for husbands and wives in marriage. Whenever God's parameters are violated, it causes broken hearts, broken families, emotional hurt and shame, painful memories and many other destructive consequences. There would be no STDs in our world if we all played by the rules."
• On Proposition 8: "For 5,000 years, every culture and every religion -- not just Christianity -- has defined marriage as a contract between men and women. There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease two percent of our population."

I would just like to comment on Warren's quote regarding gay marriage. I am utterly amazed by how, when conservatives speak about this topic, they ultimately end up comparing a perfectly harmless arrangement to incest, pedophilia, polygamy, bestiality, etc. However, while they continue to denigrate homosexuals with these associations, these same bigots never seem to complain when homosexuals put their lives in danger as firefighters, police officers or members of the military; treat the sick and dying as doctors and nurses and teach our nation's children as teachers and professors.

I'll Take the Crazy Guy from Illinois

Ever since last Tuesday, the right wing has been scrambling around in an attempt to connect President-elect Barack Obama with Rod Blagojevich, the highly shady Governor of Illinois. Although they are both from the state, it would be an utterly amazing feat since Blagojevich is heard calling Obama a "motherf----r" on the FBI tapes.

Over the last few days, the conservative nutjobs have acted as if they have been blind from the selfish and outrageous actions of the Republicans over the last eight years. In case anyone has forgotten the names, the following is only a short list of the individuals who have been indicted or investigated or entered guilty pleas:

• Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK): Previously under investigation for the illegal dismissal of a government employee
• Former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK): Indicted in July 2008
• Rep. Richard Renzi (R-AZ): Indicted in February 2008
• Former Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT): Previously under federal investigation for accepting illegal campaign contributions
• Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA): Currently under federal investigation for ethics violations regarding campaign contributions and personal financial benefits
• Rep. Donald Young (R-AK): Currently under federal investigation for accepting bribes, illegal gratuities and/or unreported gifts
• Gov. James Gibbons (R-NV): Has been under investigation for (1) granting no-bid contracts to a friend and campaign contributor, (2) a nepotism scandal surrounding the employment of his wife, (3) sexually assaulting a woman and (4) hiring an illegal immigrant
• Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA): Currently under federal investigation for illegal land transactions
• Former Rep. Robert Ney (R-OH): Pled guilty in October 2006
• Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA): Currently under federal investigation for his inappropriate connections to recipients of federal grants
• Rep. Kenneth Calvert (R-CA): Currently under federal investigation for using earmarks for personal gain and his inappropriate connections to a lobbying firm
• Jack Abramoff (lobbyist): Pled guilty in January 2006
• Former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA): Previously under federal investigation for accepting illegal campaign contributions
• Former Rep. Randall Cunningham (R-CA): Pled guilty in November 2005
• Former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX): Indicted in September 2005

It is extremely important to point out that, aside from Abramoff, the abridged list only contains a small number of governors and members of the United States Congress. The list does not include creepy politicians with sexual offenses, such as former Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) and former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), as well as numerous other lobbyists and Republican officials.

They Finally Got a Big One Right

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court intelligently decided against a further review the Leo Donofrio case which I discussed in my previous posting. (There are two other cases pending, including Philip Berg's.) In a response posted on his blog regarding the Supreme Court's decision, Donofrio makes no apologies for his ridiculous lawsuit. In fact, he actually states that President-elect Barack Obama should have been aware of the fact that, if he were elected President, "the dam would be broken and the waters of foreign influence would be forever capable of drowning our national sovereignty and placing our military in the hands of enemies from within". Being a little melodramatic, are we?

Despite Donofrio's absurd ramblings, I will say that I am delighted by the fact that Donofrio also named John McCain (as well as the candidate from the Socialist Workers Party) in his lawsuit. Why McCain? Well, McCain was born at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone. And after "The New York Times" published a report in February of this year questioning McCain's status as a natural born citizen and, in turn, his eligibility to run for President, the United States Senate actually went out of its way and unanimously passed a bipartisan non-binding resolution in April which declared that McCain satisfied the qualifications for the presidency. The resolution was introduced by Tom Coburn (R-OK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and was supported ironically by Obama, Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Jim Webb (D-VA).

With that being said, a subpoena was filed in U.S. District Court in April by Fred Hollander, requesting McCain's birth certificate. The Department of Homeland Security, which administers citizenship services, declined to provide copies of the document because supposedly the subpoena was improperly served. Curiously enough, no record exists of McCain's birth in the birth registers of the Health Department of the Panama Canal. In addition, a search of the "child born abroad" records of the U.S. consular service from August 1936 included numerous U.S. citizens born in the Panama Canal Zone but without any mention of McCain.

Theodore Olson, the former Solicitor General under Mr. Bush, and Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, studied the case at the request of the McCain campaign. Olson and Tribe cited a 1986 Supreme Court ruling which stated that the United States exercised sovereignty (which certainly lacks absoluteness) over the Panama Canal Zone between 1904 and 1979. However, a policy manual from the Department of State clearly disagrees: "Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth."

After re-reading the information above, it amazes me that Obama's background is being scrutinized to such an extent by individuals clearly not qualified to do so. But what is even more amazing is the fact that, since the presidential race has already been decided, McCain has not publicly come to Obama's defense. Considering the fact that Obama (and 4 other Democrats) supported that bulls--t resolution in February, it is obvious that McCain once again does not have the stones to be a real man. That shouldn't be a surprise to many because he has proven this fact during his military career, as a member of Congress and on the campaign trail.

Sore Losers of the Year

The United States Supreme Court quietly convened last Friday to determine the need to schedule oral arguments on whether or not President-elect Barack Obama is a natural born citizen and, in turn, eligible for the office of President of the United States. Initially the application for the case of Leo C. Donofrio v. Nina Mitchell Wells, New Jersey Secretary of State was denied by the more liberal voting Justice David Souter. However, the conference was prompted after conservative Justice Clarence Thomas refiled and submitted the application. Twenty other cases (including Philip J. Berg, Esq. v. Barack Hussein Obama) have been filed nationwide which dispute either (1) Obama's status as a natural born citizen or (2) the authenticity of his birth certificate from Hawaii.

This is an extremely confusing situation (primarily due to the morons filing the cases) so I will attempt to explain everything as fully and succinctly as possible.

Moron: Admitting that he believes Obama's certification of live birth from Hawaii is legitimate, Donofrio explains the basis for his argument: "My lawsuit challenges [Mr. Obama's] status as a 'natural born citizen' based upon the fact that his father was a British citizen/subject. Mr. Obama admits, at his own web site, that he was a British citizen/subject at birth. He was also a U.S. citizen 'at birth'. He does not have dual nationality now but the Constitution is concerned with the candidate’s status 'at birth', hence the word 'born' in the requirement."
The Harrowdown Hill: With that being said, the fact that his father was a British citizen has no effect on Obama's status as a natural born citizen of the United States. Section 1401 of Title 8 of the U.S. Code states that an individual born in this country is considered to be a national and a citizen of the United States at birth. And to use Donofrio's "logic" against him (which isn't difficult to do), if he truly believes Obama's certification of live birth to be authentic, the argument against Obama's status as a natural born citizen is null and void. He was born in Hawaii to a mother who was a U.S. citizen. Now if Donofrio is also attempting to claim that Obama's previous dual citizenship plays a role in this situation, then he is completely wrong in that aspect as well. According to the web site of the Department of State, an individual who is automatically granted another citizenship (association by birth, for example) does not risk losing his/her U.S. citizenship.

Moron: In a signed affidavit for WorldNetDaily (a conservative web site with a questionable past), Ron Polarik, a supposed Ph.D. in Instructional Media, addresses Obama's certification of live birth and the difference between that document and a birth certificate.
The Harrowdown Hill: The problem is Polarik insinuates that Obama could have been born anywhere in the world but his mother would have still possessed the ability to register the birth with the Hawaii State Department of Health. This irresponsible assumption places a completely incorrect spin on the situation. As a matter of fact, the web site for the Hawaii State Department of Health states that a certification of live birth registers "a person born in Hawaii who was one year old or older and whose birth had not been previously registered in Hawaii". Is it me or do the terms "born in Hawaii" and "born abroad" seem to be complete opposites? What is amazing (or maybe it isn't once you think about it) is that Polarik is actually a pseudonym. In other words, one of the individuals claiming that the birth certificate of the next President of the United States doesn't even have the stones to use his or her real name. You will have to excuse me if I seem a little suspicious.

Morons: In their respective cases, both Philip Berg and Alan Keyes allege that Obama wasn't even born in the United States but in his father's native Kenya. One of the "reasons" that they and other conservative nutjobs are making this claim is a revised statute which, in their eyes, allows a birth certificate from the State of Hawaii to be issued for children born abroad.
The Harrowdown Hill: The Revised Statute 338-17.8 actually provides the Director of Health with the ability to issue a birth certificate to the legal parents who, while at the time of the birth, were living outside of the state but "had declared the Territory or State of Hawaii as their legal residence for at least one year immediately preceding the birth" of the child. As you can see, the legislation, created twenty-one years after Obama was born, does not speak specifically to children born outside of the U.S. However, that doesn't stop the right wing from manipulating the words once again. What's amazing is that these idiots can't get their facts straight and refer to the number of the revised statute as "338-178" (and not 338-17.8) all over the Internet. At the same time, I haven't heard too much from those same individuals concerning the birth announcements that were published in two local newspapers after Obama was born (http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/ObamaBirthStarBulletin.jpg and http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/obama-1961-birth-announcement-from-honolulu-advertiser0000.gif).

While we're at it, let's take a quick look at some of the individuals mentioned in the paragraphs above:

1. Leo Donofrio: Donofrio left his career as a practicing attorney in order to become a professional poker player. I am sure the fact that Donofrio has only won just over $46,000 this year and is the member of a two-bit rock band has nothing to do with his case, which was sure to generate public attention.
2. Philip Berg: Berg is currently serving as an attorney but has been sanctioned and fined in the past for ethics violations against his own clients.
3. Alan Keyes: Among other actions, Keyes (1) disowned his own daughter after admitting she was a lesbian, (2) attempted to intervene in the Terry Schiavo case and (3) publicly supported Roy Moore, the former Chief Justice in Alabama, for Moore's refusal to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom.

With all of this information in mind, it is extremely important to note that, according to Article II, Section I of the United States Constitution, "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President". Sound like anyone we know? Could his last name be Obama?

Both Hilarious and Poignant

This video is a hysterical response to California residents voting against Proposition 8: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

Happy Holidays!

Laura Bush recently asked the members of the United States House of Representatives to select artists to showcase all 435 congressional districts by decorating ornaments for the Christmas tree at the White House. Of the approximately 370 submitted, the design by artist Deborah Lawrence from Seattle, WA was the only ornament rejected.

Chosen by Rep. Jim McDermott (R-WA), Lawrence created a nine-inch ornament which is covered with swirling red and white stripes and features a picture of McDermott. What's the big deal with all of that, you say? Well, since McDermott signed a resolution to initiate the impeachment of Mr. Bush, Lawrence glued text praising the resolution onto the ornament, including the phrase "Impeach Bush". Unfortunately McDermott and his office is now backing away from Lawrence by declaring that "We agree with the first lady's decision to remove it". Wonder what Laura Bush had to say about all of this? On Tuesday, Sally McDonough, Mrs. Bush's Press Secretary, stated: "I think it really is a shame and, quite frankly, not very much in the holiday spirit." However, the best quote from this whole situation is from Lawrence herself when she was asked about using a tree ornament as a medium to address political issues. Speaking at a White House event prior to her design being officially rejected, Lawrence had this to say: "I'm happy [Barack] Obama is going to be President but we have to hold Bush and [Mr.] Cheney responsible for heinous crimes. If Bush shows up to this event, I'll tell him that. If Laura Bush comes, I'll say, 'I bet you're glad the last eight years are almost over'." Bravo! Ironically, these ornaments are the only accomplishment in Mrs. Bush's eight long years in the White House.

Scared Yet?

After the federal government recently decided to guarantee $306 billion of Citigroup debt, the total cost of the financial crisis now exceeds $4.61 trillion. (Bloomberg calculates the amount that the American taxpayer is now on the hook for is actually $7.76 trillion, or $24,000 for every man, woman and child in this country.) To put those figures in greater perspective, the bailout has cost more than all of these big budget government expenditures – COMBINED:

• Marshall Plan -- Cost: $12.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $115.3 billion
• Louisiana Purchase -- Cost: $15 million, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $217 billion
• Race to the Moon -- Cost: $36.4 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $237 billion
• Savings and Loan Crisis -- Cost: $153 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $256 billion
• Korean War -- Cost: $54 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $454 billion
• New Deal -- Cost: $32 billion (estimated), Inflation Adjusted Cost: $500 billion (estimated)
• Iraq War -- Cost: $551 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $597 billion
• Vietnam War -- Cost: $111 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $698 billion
• NASA Budget -- Cost: $416.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $851.2 billion
  

Total: $3.93 trillion

That total is approximately $687 billion less than the cost of the financial crisis to this point. The only single event in U.S. history which even comes close to matching the cost of the current financial crisis is World War II. The original cost for World War II was $288 billion and the inflation adjusted cost is $3.6 trillion. The more than $4.61 trillion committed so far to the financial crisis is almost $1 trillion dollars ($979 billion) greater than the entire cost of World War II incurred by the U.S.

Only Two Months Left

With only a few weeks remaining until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, I wanted to provide a snapshot of how Mr. Bush and his cronies have openly ignored the Constitution, abused their power and insulted our intelligence. Therefore, I have included the following timeline, which includes just a small handful of the many blunders in the debacle known as the Bush administration:

2000
December: The conservative United States Supreme Court rules that Mr. Bush has "defeated" Vice President Al Gore in the presidential election. Life as we know it ceases to exist.

2001
January: Soon after Mr. Bush takes office, an overthrow of Saddam Hussein is planned during the very first National Security Council meeting. (Keep in mind that this is eight months before the September 11th attacks.)
February: Mr. Cheney conducts covert meetings with oil executives in order to develop a national energy policy.
March: Mr. Bush repeals a health regulation which would have reduced the levels of arsenic permissible in drinking water.
August: Mr. Bush receives a daily briefing titled "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US". Despite this obviously important information, the Bush administration essentially does nothing.
September: (1) Nineteen Islamic terrorists attack the U.S. After being informed that a second airplane has been flown into the World Trade Center, Mr. Bush continues reading "The Pet Goat" with Florida schoolchildren for seven more minutes. (2) Following the attacks, the White House Council on Environmental Quality pressures the Environmental Protection Agency to downplay the risks of the breathing air at Ground Zero.
December: As Enron collapses, Mr. Bush distances himself from Kenneth Lay, the former CEO and Chairman of the disgraced company and a frequent contributor to Bush's political campaigns.

2002
January: The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp opens; Mr. Bush states that detainees were not entitled to any of the protections under the Geneva Conventions.
March: While the White House asks the National Security Agency to start the practice of warrantless surveillance, Mr. Bush declares that he is truly "not that concerned" about Osama bin Laden. Apparently he wasn't kidding.
August: A memorandum from the Department of Justice defines torture as only extreme acts which cause pain similar in intensity to the pain resulting from "organ failure, impairment of bodily function or even death".
November: The New Hampshire Republican Party hires a telemarketing firm to jam telephone banks used by the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the Manchester Professional Fire Fighters Association during the election for the state's United States Senate seat. Key figures in the scandal have connections with the White House and the Republican National Committee.

2003
January: Citing a knowingly incorrect dossier from the British government, Bush claims in the State of the Union address that Iraq sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. When addressing the enormous fabrication, the White House Director of Communications later states that "The President of the United States is not a fact checker".
February: (1) Secretary of State Colin Powell presents false intelligence on Iraq to the United Nations Security Council. (2) Jeff Gannon (aka James Guckert), a "reporter" for Talon News and former gay prostitute, is issued a press pass by the White House.
March: The U.S. invades Iraq. Halliburton, the former employer of Mr. Cheney, is awarded a $7 billion, 5-year no bid contract.
May: Mission accomplished!?!
July: Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson blows the whistle on the Bush administration's claims that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. As a result, Valerie Plame Wilson, his wife and an undercover Operations Officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is identified publicly by idiotic journalist Robert Novak; Mr. Bush promises to terminate the individual responsible for the leak.

2004
April: (1) Photographs of the atrocities performed at the Abu Ghraib prison are published. Testifying before the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld later calls for the changes to ensure the abuse "doesn’t happen again". (2) Pat Tillman, a U.S. Army Ranger and former professional football player, is killed by friendly fire. However, the Pentagon reports that Tillman and his unit were attacked in an ambush in Afghanistan.
May: The Government Accountability Office concludes that the Department of Health & Human Services created fake news reports to promote the Bush administration's new Medicare drug benefit.
October: Numerous media outlets report the sightings of bulges under Mr. Bush's jacket during the presidential debates with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA). To view these pictures, go to http://homepage.mac.com/c.shaw/BushBulges/PhotoAlbum15.html. Normally I would avoid posting information on conspiracy theories but, let's face it, he's retarded. Therefore, this isn't much of a stretch.
November: Robert Stein, a comptroller and financial officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, is changed with stealing funds and accepting bribes totaling more than $2 million. Stein was hired despite serving prison time for felony fraud in the 1990s. By the way, $15 billion in U.S. funds have gone missing in Iraq.
December: (1) Mr. Bush nominates Bernard Kerik for the role of Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Kerik withdrew his name from consideration a week later due to the fact that he had previously employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny. In a separate matter, Kerik pleaded guilty in June 2006 to two ethics violations and was ordered to pay $221,000 in fines.
In November 2007, Kerik was also indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, tax and mail fraud and providing false statements to officials from the White House and the Internal Revenue Service. (2) Speaking of inept public servants, Mr. Bush awards Presidential Medals of Freedom to Paul Bremer and George Tenet, who both played large roles in the train wreck better know as the Iraq War.

2005
January: "USA Today" reports that Armstrong Williams, an African-American political commentator, had been paid $240,000 by the Department of Education to promote the controversial No Child Left Behind Act on his nationally syndicated television show.
March: (1) Mr. Bush sticks his nose clearly into where it belongs and fights to keep the vegetative Terri Schiavo alive. (2) "The New York Times" reports that at least twenty federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Census Bureau, have produced and distributed hundreds of television news segments in the past four years for broadcast on local stations nationwide.
June: Philip Cooney, the chief of staff to the Council on Environmental Quality, resigns after documents reveal that, regardless of his lack of scientific training, he repeatedly edited government climate reports to cast doubt on the connection between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Less than a week later, ExxonMobil announced that Cooney would be joining the oil company in the fall.
August: Hurricane Katrina slams New Orleans and, due to the pitiful response by the federal government, all hell breaks loose.
September: Mr. Bush falsely claims that no one anticipated the levees in New Orleans to break from the force of Hurricane Katrina. However, videotape from the day before the storm made landfall clearly shows that Mr. Bush was warned about this very issue by Dr. Max Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center.
October: (1) The Occupational Safety & Health Administration determines that numerous trailers provided to hurricane victims by the Federal Emergency Management Agency contain dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. (2) Harriet Miers withdraws her name from consideration for a seat on the Supreme Court after only twenty-four days. Meetings with senators following her nomination exposed her lack of knowledge of basic constitutional law concepts.
November: Oil executives lie to Congress regarding their secret meetings in 2001 with Mr. Cheney.

2006
January: Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleads guilty to three felony counts relating to the defrauding of Native American tribes and the corruption of public officials. Despite Abramoff's strong ties with his administration, Mr. Bush states that "I don't know him".
February: (1) Mr. Cheney shoots his friend Harry Whittington in the face while hunting quail (Who in the f--k goes quail hunting?). As to be expected, Whittington apologizes to Cheney: "My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this week." (2) George Deutsch, a presidential appointee to NASA, resigns after Dr. James Hansen, the director of the organization's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, charges that Deutsch attempted to prevent Hansen and his colleagues from openly discussing global warming.
April: Although seven retired generals call for Secretary Rumsfeld to resign, Mr. Bush eloquently utters: "I'm the decider and I decide what's best."
May: As the third highest ranking official in the CIA, Executive Director Kyle Foggo resigns. Foggo was eventually charged with fraud and other offenses in the bribery case of convicted Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA). This indictment was superseded and expanded with charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering relating to his interactions with defense contractor Brent Wilkes.
October: Lester Crawford, the former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, pleads guilty to violating conflict of interest laws by falsely reporting information concerning stocks he owned in food, beverage and medical device companies of which he was responsible for regulating. Crawford had resigned from his post in September 2005, only two months after being approved by the U.S. Senate.
November: On November 1st, Mr. Bush declared that Rumsfeld would serve as the Secretary of Defense for the length of his term as President. On November 8th, the day after Election Day, Mr. Bush announced that Rumsfeld would be resigning.
December: Despite positive performance reviews from the Department of Justice, eight U.S. Attorneys are forced to resign.

2007
February: "The Washington Post" publishes a series of articles detailing numerous cases of neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported by wounded soldiers and their family members.
March: (1) Scooter Libby, former chief of staff to Mr. Cheney, is convicted on one count of obstruction of justice, one count of providing false statements to federal investigators and two counts of perjury resulting from the Valerie Plame Wilson case. Contrary to his earlier promises, Mr. Bush commutes Libby's thirty-month prison sentence. (2) Steven Griles, the former Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior, pleads guilty to obstruction of justice in the Senate investigation of the scandal involving Jack Abramoff. (3) Last but not least, multiple cases of tainted food, pharmaceuticals and toys imported from China reveals a lack of regulation by the Bush administration.
April: (1) Testifying before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales uses the phrase "I don't recall" and similar statements a total of sixty-four times. (2) The White House reports that more than five million e-mails have been "lost".
May: Paul Wolfowitz resigns as President of the World Bank amidst an ethics violation investigation concerning his relationship with Shaha Riza, the organization's Senior Communications Officer and acting Manager of External Affairs for the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office.
June: "Time" magazine reports that, since 2003, Mr. Cheney and his staff have refused to file required reports with the National Archives and Records Administration. Mr. Cheney has argued that his office is exempt from the executive order (signed by Mr. Bush himself) requiring such actions because the Vice President's office is part of both the executive and legislative branches.
August: (1) After ignoring the Constitution for the majority of his term as Attorney General,
Alberto Gonzales resigns. (2) The International Committee of the Red Cross reports that the interrogation methods utilized in the CIA's secret prisons are "tantamount to torture" and violate international law.
December: (1) Reports surface that an administration official in the CIA destroyed videotapes of the agency's use of waterboarding techniques on detainees in the aforementioned secret prisons. (2) Howard Krongard, the head of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of State, resigned following accusations of averting investigations into contracting fraud in Iraq and a conflict of interest with Blackwater Worldwide, at which his brother was on the advisory board.

2008
March: During a videoconference with U.S. military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan, Mr. Bush delivers these wonderful sentiments: "I must say, I'm a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you...in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks."
April: The Government Accountability Office releases a report on combating terrorism with the title "The United States Lacks Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas".
May: (1) Under investigation that he may have deleted files on whistleblowers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the office of Scott Bloch, Special Counsel at the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The Special Counsel role is the highest ranking position in the OSC, which...yes, you guessed it...defends anti-discrimination laws and whistleblower protection for federal employees. (2) Scott McClellan, the former White House Press Secretary, writes in his new book that Karl Rove, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Mr. Bush, "had at best misled" him about his role in the Valerie Plame Wilson leak. (3) Finally, in what may be his most pitiful lie during his entire presidency, Mr. Bush claims that he quit golfing in August 2003 after the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in order to honor the fallen soldiers in Iraq. "I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal." Except for the fact that video evidence exists showing this disgrace of a human being playing golf in October 2003, only 3 months after his heartfelt "pledge".
July: (1) Mr. Bush ends a private meeting at the G8 summit by uttering "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter" with an enormous grin and then punching the air. This idiot faced additional criticism after Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, is described in the White House press package provided to journalists as one of the "most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice". Describing the insult as "sloppy work", the Bush administration explained that a White House official had obtained the characterization of Berlusconi from the Internet without proofreading the information. (2) A former official from the Environmental Protection Agency claims that Mr. Cheney's office removed congressional testimony from a report on the public health consequences of climate change; the testimony was provided by Julie Gerberding, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control. (3) Karl Rove ignores a subpoena from the House Committee on the Judiciary to discuss the Valerie Plame Wilson scandal.
August: At his estate in Crawford, TX, Mr. Bush logs his 950th day away from the White House, easily surpassing the vacation record of Ronald Reagan.

She Made Me So Proud

Since the election was more than two weeks ago, I am completely aware of the fact that this information is slightly out of date. However, just after Barack Obama was thankfully elected President of the United States, my family and I left for Disney World so I did not get the opportunity to post this. With that being said, my wife created the following list in response to comments from a misinformed Republican.

Valid Reasons to Vote for McCain/Palin:
1. You feel that women currently have too many rights.
2. You aren't really sure what the Constitution is.
3. You are afraid that someday your children might want an affordable college education.
4. You hate it when companies create jobs in the United States instead of shipping them to other countries. (Young Asian children really do make the best running shoes.)
5. Having the same grade point average as the President makes you feel special.
6. You feel that having the rest of the world hate you is a plus for U.S. foreign policy.
7. If Bill O'Reilly says it or you hear it on Fox Noise...I mean, Fox News...then it must be true.
8. You feel that, when the Bible says "Love thy neighbor", it only applies to people who are exactly like you. Everyone else doesn't count.
9. You think you are not middle class even thought you work at a desk job. (And aren't the one signing the paychecks.)
10. Black people totally freak you out unless you are watching MTV or they are checking you out at Target.
11. The last eight years have been great!

Winners and Losers

This year's presidential and congressional elections produced many winners (See: Obama, Biden, the American public). At the same time, aside from the obvious choices (See: McCain, Palin), the elections also uncovered a few previously unknown losers. The leader of this pitiful group is Joseph Wurzelbacher aka "Joe the Plumber" (or Joe Wurzelburger, as John McCain referred to him during the final presidential debate). The right wing continues to claim that Wurzelbacher is just your typical "everyman" but the evidence suggests otherwise:

• During his famous conversation with Barack Obama, Wurzelbacher asked this question to the presidential candidate: "I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?" However, in a subsequent interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America", Sawyer inquired if Wurzelbacher was currently earning $250,000. His response was "No. No. Not even close." As proof, court records from a divorce show that Wurzelbacher earned only $40,000 in 2006.
• In January 2007, the Ohio Department of Taxation placed a lien against Wurzelbacher because he had not paid $1,182.98 in personal property taxes. Two months later, a second lien was filed against him for $1,261 owed to St. Charles Mercy Hospital.
• Although his nickname now is "Joe the Plumber", Wurzelbacher is not a licensed plumber. As a matter of fact, he hasn't even completed the apprentice program he started in 2003. Tom Joseph, Business Manager for the Local 50 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, declared that "[Wurzelbacher] has got no schooling, no licenses, he’s never been to a training program, union or non-union, in the United States of America". By the way, the association endorsed Obama for President. In addition, Wurzelbacher claims that he legally operates under his employer's license but, according to Ohio building regulations, he is required to maintain his own license in order to perform plumbing work.
• Since his encounter with Obama, Wurzelbacher joined with country music artist and producer Aaron Tippin to form a new partnership, which includes booking management firm, The Bobby Roberts Co., and publicity management concern, The Press Office. The requests have supposedly included a potential record contract with a major label, personal appearances and corporate sponsorships.
• Wurzelbacher has also started his own web site (http://www.secureourdream.com/) to "bring together individuals who want to help others while, at the same time, ensuring our government keeps answering our tough questions". Seriously, let's face it. This web site was created to allow this idiot to cash in on his newfound "celebrity". In fact, for an annual fee of $14.95, a Freedom Member will receive (1) full access to "Joe The Forum", where you may chat directly with Wurzelbacher, (2) a subscription to the "Joe The Blog" monthly newsletter, (3) free shipping on all "Joe The Plumber" merchandise, (4) a free signed copy of his forthcoming book and (5) the ability to "become an integral part of an American movement to restore our government to the people". Yes, you read all of that correctly.
• Most recently, during a campaign stop in Columbus, OH, an audience member directed this claim at Wurzelbacher: "A vote for Obama is a vote for the death to Israel, I'll guarantee you that." What was Wurzelbacher's highly informed response? "Well, you know what, actually I'll go ahead and agree with you on that one. You know...no, I agree with you. I really think that would be a problem."
• On FOX News's "Studio B" later that same day, anchor Shepard Smith amazingly confronted Wurzelbacher on his earlier comments: "Barack Obama has said repeatedly, time after time, that there is nothing more important than the United States friendship with Israel and that the United States will back up Israel every moment of every day if and when he becomes President of the United States. He could not have been clearer about it in his positions and in his speeches, and I just wonder what it is that makes you think that he's lying about that." Wurzelbacher responded by eloquently stating "Actions...you know, I've heard words and I hear words from politicians all the time, you know, but actions kind of give you an idea..." Following the interview, Smith added this before going to a commercial break: "I just want to make this 100 percent perfectly clear. Barack Obama has said repeatedly and demonstrated repeatedly that Israel will always be a friend of the United States, no matter what happens once he becomes President of the United States. His words. The rest of it -- man, some things -- it just gets frightening sometimes."

Hallelujah!

Aside from Barack Obama being elected President on Tuesday, there were three other fabulous results of the election:

1. Joe Biden, a fellow Fightin' Blue Hen from the University of Delaware, will soon be in the White House.
2. John McCain and his fake conservative image from the last two years were both soundly defeated.
3. Sarah Palin, the imbecile and b---h with absolutely no place on the national stage, was sent back home to Alaska.

Top 20 Reasons to Vote Tomorrow

20. Like it or not, there are a lot of individuals who will do whatever Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh tells them to do.

19. "The ballot is stronger than the bullet." -- Abraham Lincoln

18. Watch the documentaries "Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections", "Hacking Democracy" and "SiCKO" for evidence as to why.

17. "The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all." -- John F. Kennedy

16. The stakes have never been higher in terms of moving away from a drill and burn energy policy and a lie and die military policy.

15. "It is a way responsible citizens have a voice in the conduct of their nation. It is both a responsibility and a privilege." -- Madeleine Albright

14. At the current rate, when your children are adults, the United States will owe China more money than actually exists on the planet.

13. "Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote." -- George Jean Nathan.

12. There are 6.46 billion human beings who are not eligible to vote in this election but will still have to live with the results. And thanks to the 24th Amendment, you can do it for free.

11. As Emma Goldman declared, "If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal". And they did, in the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea, China, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Burma and other countries.

10. Twenty percent of registered voters who did not vote in 2004 claimed that they were "too busy" to do so.

9. "There have been many times in recorded history when one vote turned the tide. When women’s right to vote was ratified throughout America, the last state to ratify it was Tennessee. The vote came down to a tie on two successive votes. On the third try, one state representative changed his mind and decided to vote for it. That one single person’s vote gave Tennessee the final ratification to allow women to vote in America." -- Ben Nighthorse Campbell

8. In Australia, voting is mandatory. Despite major suppression and violence (and an almost complete boycott by the Sunnis), Iraq still had a higher percentage of voters than we did in 2004. And Malta turned out ninety-three percent of voters in the country’s most recent election, which was actually a down year.

7. In a recent poll, twenty percent of students at New York University stated that they would give up their right to vote in 2008 for an iPod touch. Seriously?!? A f-----g iPod touch?

6. Your father, grandfather or great grandfather was either wounded or killed in the defense of our country. Vote for his memory and for all of those individuals like him.

5. "To vote is human." -- Milton Glaser

4. "The idea of an election is much more interesting to me that then election itself. The act of voting is in itself the defining moment." – Jeff Melvoin

3. A vote is an opportunity to tell the truth. As George Orwell wrote, "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act".

2. "Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good. 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

It Never Ends

The right wing jumped on the recent reports that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has maintained a friendly relationship with Rashid Khalidi, the Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and the Director of the Middle East Institute of the university's School of International and Public Affairs. The Republicans have tried to connect Khalidi with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is a political and paramilitary organization representing the Palestinians.

The right fails to mention that the International Republican Institute (IRI) provided multiple grants in the 1990s to the Center for Palestine Research and Studies (CPRS), including one grant for $448,873 in 1998 (page 14). The CPRS was co-founded by Khalidi and the Chairman of the IRI is - surprise, surprise - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). In fact, the relationship between Khalidi and the IRI extends as far back as 1993, when McCain joined the organization as Chairman. Supposedly a non-partisan organization formed to "advance freedom and democracy worldwide", the IRI has been accused of, among other things, training leaders of the 2004 coup d'etat in Haiti, as well as funding opposition groups for a destabilization campaign in the months leading up to the removal of democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. What adds to the ridiculous attempts by the Republicans to "connect the dots" between Obama and Khalidi is the following exchange from Thursday's "CNN Newsroom":

Michael Goldfarb (national spokesperson for the McCain campaign): "Look, you are missing the point again, Rick. The point is that Barack Obama has a long track record of being around anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric."
Rick Sanchez (Anchor): "Can you name one other person besides Khalidi who he hangs around with who is anti-Semitic?"
Goldfarb: "Yes, he pals around with William Ayers, who is an unrepentant domestic terrorist."
Sanchez: "No, no, the question I asked you is, can you name one other person that he hangs around with who is anti-Semitic? Because that is what you said."
Goldfarb: "Look, we all know that there are people who Barack Obama has been in hot water." Sanchez: "Michael, I asked you to name one person, one."
Goldfarb: "Rick..."
Sanchez: "You said he hangs around with people who are anti-Semitic. OK, we have got Khalidi on the table. Give me number two. Who is the other anti-Semitic person that he hangs with that we, quote, all know about?"
Goldfarb: "Rick, we both now who number two is."
Sanchez: "Who? Would you tell us?"
Goldfarb: "No, Rick, I think we all know who we are talking about here."
Sanchez: "Somebody who is anti-Semitic that he hangs around with?"
Goldfarb: "Absolutely."
Sanchez: "Well, say it."
Goldfarb: "I think we know who we are talking about, Rick."
Sanchez: "All right. All right. Again, you charged that Khalidi is anti-Semitic. He would say that his policies on Israel differ from those of Barack Obama and many other people. But, either way, I guess we will have to leave it at that."

Dedicated to Any Undecided Voters, Part II

With a posting from a couple of days ago, I provided numerous events in the life of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) which emphasize his inability to serve as President of the United States due to his lack of character and honesty. There are also multiple incidents highlighting his deficiency in both maturity and temperament. The following examples are some of the most impressive, with the majority being between McCain and members of his own party:

• In an interview with "Rolling Stone", Dan Schnur, McCain's press secretary for his 2000 presidential campaign, stated "If I tried to convince you [McCain] does not have a temper, you should hang up on me and ridicule me in print".
• At least five of his Republican colleagues have officially proclaimed that McCain is temperamentally unsuited for the role of President. According to former Sen. Robert Smith (R-NH), McCain has "very few friends" in Congress due to his frequent "incidents of irrational behavior" with his fellow Senators. Smith added that McCain's "temper would place this country at risk in international affairs and the world perhaps in danger. In my mind, it should disqualify him." Based on McCain's temper, Sen. Peter Domenici (R-NM) decided in 2000 that "I didn't want this guy anywhere near a trigger". Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) commented that "The thought of [McCain] being President sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me." Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) stated that "[McCain] was very rough in the sandbox. Everybody has a McCain story. If you work in the Senate for a while, you have a McCain story. He hasn't built up a lot of goodwill." Describing him as "a vicious person", former Rep. John LeBoutillier (R-NY) stated that "Nearly all the Republican Senators endorsed Bush because they knew McCain from serving with him in the Senate. They so disliked him that they wouldn't support him. They have been on the hard end of his behavior."
• Aside from the quotes above from his congressional colleagues, other individuals with strong ties to McCain have made similar statements. As the Republican state committee chairman in McCain's home district in Arizona, Rob Haney declared "The guy has no core, his only principle is winning the presidency. He likes to call his campaign the 'straight talk express'. Well, down here we call it the 'forked tongue express'." Haney also commented that "McCain is mentally unstable and out of control and vindictive" and worries about "his ability to handle real political problems". Jon Hinz, the former Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party, stated that "It's the President's job to negotiate and stay calm. I don't see that he has that quality...I've just seen too much. That temper, the intolerance - it worries me." Pat Murphy, the former editor of "The Arizona Republic", proclaimed "Most of us in the media in Arizona thought of [McCain] as a guy who had a terrible temper, occasionally had a foul mouth, a guy who whined and pouted unless he got his way. McCain has a temper that is bombastic, volatile and purple faced. Sometimes he gets out of control."
• Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, offered these comments on McCain: "No dissent, no opinion to the contrary, however reasonable, will be entertained. Hardheaded is another way to say it. Arrogant is another way to say it. Hubristic is another way to say it. Too proud for his own good is another way to say it. It's a quality about him that disturbs me." James Dobson, the highly conversative founder of the evangelical group called Focus on the Family, stated that McCain "has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language".
• Sensitive about his height and physical appearance, McCain exploded on the night he was elected Senator in 1986 after discovering that the stage for his victory speech was too low. As a result, the television audience witnessed his head bobbing at the bottom of the screen, his chin continuously out of view. An enraged McCain tracked the young Republican volunteer down and proceeded to poke the volunteer in the chest, calling him an "incompetent little s--t".
• At a Republican fundraiser in 1998, McCain delivered an inappropriate joke about President Bill Clinton's daughter. "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly?" he asked. The supposed punchline: "Because Janet Reno is her father."
• During his 1992 congressional campaign, McCain's wife, Cindy, rubbed his head and joked about his thinning hair. The response from McCain was quite admirable: "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c--t." Although the exchange was witnessed by three reporters, the McCains deny its occurrence.
• McCain had a heated argument with Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) regarding the fate of missing U.S. servicemen in Vietnam. "Are you calling me stupid?" Grassley asked. "You're a f-----g jerk!" shouted McCain. Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) later told reporters that he believed McCain was "going to head butt Grassley and drive the cartilage in his nose into his brain. I'm going to watch a colleague kill a colleague."
• McCain once informed Domenici, the Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, that "Only an a--hole would put together a budget like this".
• Speaking at a luncheon attended by McCain, former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson was among a group of local mayors fielding questions from the Arizona congressional delegation concerning local land issues. At one point, Johnson was interrupted by a McCain outburst: "Hold it a minute. Somebody write down everything this guy has to say. You know what, we need to record him. It's best to get a liar on tape." Johnson stood and asked, "Senator, if you have a problem with me, why don't we go out in the hallway and talk about it?" McCain replied: "You're god damn right I have a problem with you. They've been treating you like a princess in Phoenix while they've been burning me over this dam deal and I'm sick of it." Following the verbal altercation, Johnson has stated that "His volatility borders in the area of being unstable. Before I let this guy put his finger on the button, I would have to give considerable pause."
• After barging into a bipartisan meeting on immigration legislation and attempting to seize control of the proceedings, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) responded to McCain's actions: "Wait a second here. I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line." McCain roared: "F--k you! I know more about this than anyone in the room."
• During a campaign appearance in April 2007, McCain responded to a question regarding our approach to the Middle East: "That old, that old Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran'. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb."

Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel, Part II

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a senior policy advisor for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, was initially thrust into the public eye when he falsely claimed last month that McCain was responsible for the creation of the BlackBerry. After those comments, many people felt that the McCain camp would keep Holtz-Eakin away from all cameras and microphones. Well, luckily we were wrong.

Holtz-Eakin discussed the various features of McCain's health care policy today with CNNMoney.com. One of the most important aspects is that, under McCain's plan, all employees would be taxed on the value of their health insurance for the first time in U.S. history. Second, all employees would lose the tax exemption for company sponsored medical benefits but would instead receive a refundable tax credit of $2,500 for individuals or $5,000 for families purchasing qualifying health insurance. So what did Holtz-Eakin have to say? Discussing the likelihood of younger, healthier employees abandoning their company sponsored plans, he stated: "Why would they leave? What they are getting from their employer is way better than what they could get with the credit." He does know who he works for, right?

Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel, Part I

As I mentioned in a recent posting, the geniuses on the right continue to incorrectly label Sen. Barack Obama's economic policies as a form of socialism, communism or Marxism. At the same time, along with Sen. John McCain's socialist comments in the past, those same geniuses also continue to sidestep the fact that Sarah Palin is the governor of a "spread the wealth" state. Luckily for the rational thinkers on the left, Palin has been doing her part and advertising that information.

A few weeks before she was nominated for Vice President, Palin provided this statement to a journalist from "The New Yorker": "We're set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs." This quote is the smartest thing to come out of Palin's mouth since she was selected by McCain.

Dedicated to Any Undecided Voters, Part I

Ever since the last balloons fell at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the respective campaigns have attempted to emphasize Sen. Barack Obama's lack of executive experience; Sen. Joe Biden's inability to filter his comments and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's lack of intellect and international knowledge and her overly conservative views. At the same time, it seems as if both the Democrats and media alike have given somewhat of a free pass to Sen. John McCain (assumedly due to his time as a prisoner of war). However, if a little more attention was devoted to his background, everyone would see that McCain lacks the character and integrity to serve as the President of the United States. In fact, Richard Clarke, the former chief counter terrorism advisor for President Bill Clinton and Mr. Bush, had this to say recently about McCain: "I'm sure John McCain loves his country. But loving your country and lying to the American people are apparently not inconsistent in his view." With that being said, the following is a long list of dubious events from McCain's life:

• McCain's self described "four-year course of insubordination and rebellion" at the United States Naval Academy finished with him graduating 894th out of a class of 899 students.
• Prior to him even seeing action in the Vietnam War, McCain crashed three planes, which can be attributed primarily to his self described "daredevil clowning" and poor judgement. The second incident created a blackout throughout a large portion of southern Spain when, during a training mission, he flew his plane too low and sliced through electrical wires. (I am sure the fact that both his father and grandfather were four star admirals in the U.S. Navy had nothing to do with McCain being allowed to continue flying.)
• While sitting in the cockpit of his A-4 Skyhawk aboard the USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin, a Zuni rocket was unintentionally launched across the flight deck, causing a huge explosion which killed 134 sailors and injuring 161 more. Instead of assisting the rescue workers in recovering bodies and joining the heroic crew in mourning its fallen brothers, McCain traveled to Saigon for some "much welcome R&R".
• Although he is viewed by many as a war hero, McCain has admitted to the fact that, soon after he was imprisoned in Vietnam, he informed his captors: "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital." Only two weeks after his capture, McCain provided the name of his ship, the amount of raids he had flown, his squadron number and the target of his final raid.
• Aside from concealing his readiness to offer confidential information during his capture, McCain has also permitted the length of his torture to be exaggerated. Although former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) stated during the Republican National Convention that "For five-and-a-half years this went on", McCain's torture in Vietnam actually ended after two years.
• After returning from Vietnam, McCain wanted to study at the National War College, a school in the National Defense University, but he was turned down by his military superiors for being underqualified. Therefore, McCain appealed the decision to Sen. John Warner (R-VA), who was the Secretary of the Navy at the time and a friend of McCain's father.
• At the end of 1974, McCain was selected as the commanding officer of the Replacement Air Group, the largest air squadron in the Navy. In a post which now required him to train carrier pilots, McCain openly admitted that he "was not qualified" for the position.
• While McCain was a POW, his first wife Carol was involved in a horrible one-car accident on Christmas Eve in 1969. She would spend six months in the hospital and suffer through twenty-three surgeries, which left her five inches shorter and walking on crutches. Despite Carol's ordeal, McCain proceeded to, according to biographer Robert Timberg, have numerous extramarital affairs, including with some of his subordinates.
• In 1977, McCain was named as the Navy's liaison to the United States Senate. Although McCain was serving as the branch's top lobbyist, he showed his true political colors by securing a $2 billion pork project to replace the USS Midway, which was against the wishes of President Jimmy Carter and the Secretary of the Navy. As Mark Hill, chief lobbyist for the Association of Naval Aviation, remembers, "he did a lot of stuff behind the back of the Secretary of the Navy".
• During the spring of 1979, McCain met Cindy Hensley, leading to a year long romance while McCain was still married to and living with Carol. Although he married Cindy three months after divorcing Carol, McCain was still legally married to Carol when he and Cindy were issued a marriage license from the State of Arizona.
• A self proclaimed "foot soldier in the Reagan revolution" prior to his marriage to Cindy, McCain was never forgiven by Ronald and Nancy Reagan for divorcing Carol. Aside from providing Carol with a job in the White House, Nancy did not endorse McCain for President until he became the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party.
• Receiving advance notice in 1982 that a U.S. House of Representatives seat was opening up in the Phoenix area, Cindy purchased a house for McCain in that particular district within minutes of the Republican incumbent's retirement announcement. In sharp contrast to his current marketing ploys, McCain's campaign advertisements at that time described him as an insider, an individual "who knows how Washington works". And although the Reagans no longer respected him, McCain still featured pictures of himself smiling with both Ronald and Nancy.
• McCain voted against honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national holiday in 1983, subsequently continuing that stance until 1989. He initially voted twice against campaign finance reform and attempted to reduce federal funding for social programs.
• In the year before his United States Senate run, McCain championed legislation to delay new regulations on savings and loan associations. Being extremely grateful for McCain's actions, Charles Keating, the chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, donated $54,000 to McCain's campaign. When Keating attempted to fill the federal regulatory bank board with his colleagues, a telephone call from McCain hastened the process. In 1987, McCain also attended two meetings convened by Keating in order to eliminate pressure from the federal regulators. As a member of the Keating Five, McCain was one of five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989 for improperly intervening on behalf of Keating. At the time, Lincoln Savings and Loan was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. In total, Keating contributed $1.3 million and provided numerous free vacations to the five Senators in exchange for those individuals assisting him in resisting government regulators. When Lincoln Savings and Loan went bankrupt that same year, the collapse cost the taxpayers $3.4 billion, which was the record for the most expensive bank failure in history until the current mortgage crisis.
• Supposedly in a response to the Keating Five scandal, Cindy became addicted to Vicodin and Percocet. While her drug addiction is certainly concerning, the fact that Cindy directed a doctor employed by her charity (which provides medical treatment to patients in developing countries) to supply the narcotics is the real issue. As Director of Government Affairs for the charity, Tom Gosinksi maintained a detailed journal and, when he was suddenly terminated by Cindy, Gosinksi provided the journal to the Drug Enforcement Administration. To avoid a prison sentence, Cindy agreed to a confidential plea bargain and court imposed rehabilitation. After Gosinski filed a $250,000 wrongful termination suit, the attorney for the McCains demanded that prosecutors investigate Gosinski for extortion, a charge later dismissed as unsubstantiated.
• McCain supported President Reagan on abortion, tax cuts for the wealthy and support for the Nicaraguan Contras. Citing as his biggest legislative victory of that era, McCain also supported a 1989 bill which eliminated catastrophic health insurance for senior citizens.
• McCain voted to confirm conservatives Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court.
• McCain denounced President Clinton for sending the military to Somalia and actually sponsored an amendment to discontinue funding for the troops.
• In 1993, he was the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for a group sponsoring an anti-gay rights ballot initiative in Oregon.
• During the "Gingrich revolution" in 1994, McCain called for the elimination of the Departments of Education and Energy. (Considering his current platform, this brilliant idea does not surprise me at all.) The following year, he championed a sweeping measure which imposed a moratorium on any increase of government regulation.
• In 1997, McCain was named chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, which regulates the insurance and telecommunications industries. During his tenure as chairman or ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, executives and fundraisers associated with these two industries donated $2.6 million to McCain. Employees of BellSouth contributed more than $16,000 to McCain, who returned the favor by asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strongly consider the company's request to become a long distance carrier. Days after legislation benefiting the satellite television carrier EchoStar cleared McCain's committee, the company's founder hosted a major fundraiser for McCain's first presidential bid.
• After donating $20,000 and allowing McCain to use his corporate airplane in order to travel to presidential campaign events, Bud Paxson met with McCain because of the FCC's delay in approving his acquisition of a television station in Pittsburgh. Although considered "highly unusual", McCain sent two letters to the FCC in order to finalize the deal.
• The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999 repealed legislation from 1933 and, by doing so, allowed for competition among banks, securities companies and insurance companies. McCain voted for this legislation, which has played an enormous role in the current financial crisis.
• Following his failed presidential bid in 2000, McCain founded a non-profit organization called The Reform Institute. McCain staffed the organization with, among others, Rick Davis, his current campaign manager and a former lobbyist for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Prohibited from explicit political activity due to its 501(c)(3) status, The Reform Institute still managed to receive large amounts of money from the telecommunications industry. EchoStar provided a donation of $100,000 and a charity funded by the CEO of Univision contributed an additional $100,000. As the officials of Cablevision were testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee, the company contributed $200,000 to the Reform Institute in 2003 and 2004. Not surprisingly, McCain encouraged the approval of Cablevision's proposed pricing plan.
• Adding to the lies perpetrated by the Bush administration after the September 11th terrorist attacks and anthrax scares, McCain stated that "There is some indication, and I don't have the conclusions, but some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq". Later that month, McCain did his best Dick Cheney impersonation by falsely claiming that "The Czech government has revealed meetings, contacts between Iraqi intelligence and Mohamed Atta. The evidence is very clear. . .so we will have to act." In December of that year, McCain worked with eight other members of Congress to write a letter to Mr. Bush. This letter insisted "All indications are that, in the interest of our own national security, Saddam Hussein must be removed from power".
• McCain was one of only two Republicans to vote in 2001 against Mr. Bush's $1.35 trillion, 10-year tax cut. Two years later, McCain was just one of three Republicans to vote against additional tax cuts, describing those cuts as "too tilted to the wealthy". Then in May 2006, after years of speaking out against Mr. Bush's tax cuts, McCain voted for an extension. Not unexpectedly, McCain announced his intention less than a year later to run for President.
• In September 2002, McCain attempted to assure Americans by saying "I believe that the United States military capabilities are such that we can win a victory in a relatively short time...I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time." On the eve of the invasion, McCain was also emphatic in his confidence that the United States would be received as liberators by the citizens of Iraq. However, McCain sang a different tune in August 2006: "It has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe that this would be some kind of a day at the beach, which many of us fully understood from the beginning would be a very, very difficult undertaking."
• In a highly public battle with Mr. Bush in 2005, McCain claimed a victory which required all military personnel to comply with the Army Field Manual when interrogating prisoners. Just over a year later, McCain formed an agreement with the Bush administration to allow the indefinite imprisonment of detainees and ignore the Geneva Conventions' restrictions against torture.
• An article from the "Congressional Quarterly" in January 2008 determined that McCain was the most reliable voter for the Bush administration in 2007: "McCain's 95% support score for last year was the highest in the chamber."
• McCain received a grade of D from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) for his leadership and voting record during the 2007 and 2008 legislative agendas concerning the most critical issues facing veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
• In March 2008, McCain insisted that he is "always for less regulation". However, in September of this year, with the federal government committing $85 billion in order to halt the collapse, McCain claimed that the current financial woes "stem from failed regulation, reckless management and a casino culture on Wall Street". Perhaps this is why, at the end of last year, that McCain described his knowledge in the financial arena: "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."
• McCain reversed his decades long opposition to coastal drilling in June 2008, shortly before accepting $28,500 from thirteen donors connected to Hess Oil.
• A few years ago, McCain attempted to prohibit registered lobbyists from working on political campaigns. During McCain's current presidential bid, more than 175 lobbyists have been managing and raising money for his campaign.
• Before he became McCain's chief campaign advisor, Charles Black served as a founding partner of the lobbying firm BKSH & Associates. Black and his partners at the firm acted as registered foreign agents for numerous controversial leaders (including Ibrahim Babangida, Mohamed Siad Barre, Ferdinand Marcos and Mobutu Sese Seko), as well as Freddie Mac and Philip Morris. Prior to his current role as McCain's foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann lobbied for the National Rifle Association and against federal safety inspections of roller coasters. Both Black and Scheunemann have strong ties to Ahmad Chalabi, who provided a major portion of the information on which the U.S. intelligence community based its condemnation of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The information included reports of weapons of mass destruction and alleged ties to al-Qaeda, which nearly all of it was proved false by the media and the intelligence communities of other countries. As we now know, that bill of goods was still sold to the American public as gospel.