I recently received an email from my Republican friends about how "disgraceful" it was that the Obama campaign painteded over the flag on his plane and put his campaign symbol on it. You know, folks, I can't help but notice that many of the emails I get about Obama are about him not being patriotic. I don't know about you, but I'm more concerned with the issues in this campaign and what the candidates are going to do to help us with all the problems that we have in this country. A person can wear flag pins and do all the "politically correct" things and still not be a good president. To me, Obama putting his campaign symbol on his plane or even painting it red does not matter to me. It is insignificant to the problems this country is facing, such as:
- The highest rate of unemployment we've had in four years.
- The highest rate of foreclosures since the great depression.
- High inflation, prices increasing every day.
- The value of the dollar dropping drastically.
- The largest deficit in this country's history.
- A war that has sapped us of $3 trillion dollars and costing us $9 billion a month, much of which is borrowed money from foreign countries; and then there are the thousands of troops who have lost their lives and been maimed, paralyzed and emotionally scarred for life.
- 50 million people without healthcare in this country.
- 90% of all bankruptcies are related to healthcare crises in families (my sister-in-law was one of them-breast cancer-and she even had insurance) and mortgage problems.
- We're now ranked 39th in terms of quality and affordable healthcare in the world.
- We're now ranked 18 out of 24 countries when it comes to education.
- Our infrastructure (bridges, highways) is falling apart and we don't have the money to make the repairs and replacements necessary.
- We have the highest rate of poverty for children of any industrialized nation (21.9%). The second highest is Italy (16%).
- War profiteering during the war in Iraq has cost this country enormous amounts of money and produced shoddy results even leading to the death of at least one soldier who was electrocuted in the shower because of faulty wiring in the barracks he lived in.
- Exxon-Mobil has produced the largest quarterly profits of any country in history while drivers paid the highest gas prices in this country's history. At the same time they're complaining they need more land (and water) to drill on because the 68 million acres they aren't drilling on isn't enough.
- The middle class is losing ground in this country. More people are falling below the poverty line than since the Great Depression while the rich have grown richer. This is a very disturbing situation, folks.
- The majority of baby boomers will not be able to retire and will be working till they die.
Let's address issues, shall we, and not how a candidate decides to paint his plane.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 50 ( 2 removed by Carla G. )
But do candidates really want to talk about the issues? I went to college in the 1980’s so I know a little about both real inflation and real unemployment. Let’s look at these numbers: 1981: 7.62%, 1982: 9.71%, 1983: 9.60%. (That was the year I graduated and tried to find a job in Physics. Guess what? There weren’t any!) Now we have 5.7% … It’s not good but it definitely could be worse!
Now let’s talk about inflation. 1980: 13.58%, 1981: 10.35%, 1982: 6.16%. I can’t find a simple annual inflation number for 2008, last year it was 2.85%.
I am more than willing to discuss the effects of the massive spending for the war, the war itself, the need for a proper approach to healthcare, the continued lack of support for our infrastructure (which includes our rail infrastructure, seeing that it costs less oil to ship things by rail than by truck) and so forth. The problem is that neither candidate wants to actually do that. Obama would rather just check his tires, and McCain is just plain tired.
As far as inflation, that is just one out of many things I listed. I am older than you are and I've seen higher inflation too. But the fact is, we're just not there yet. It's on an upward climb.
So you were trying to find a job in physics, huh? What did you end up doing?
He touts his "patriotism" and military service, but his voting record on military and veteran's issues is abysmal. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans give him a grade of "D" on veterans issues (while Obama got a B+) Disabled American Veterans give John McCain a rating of 20% on veteran's issues (Obama gets 80%). As one political wag said "A veteran voting for McCain is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."
On issues of equal rights and women, the National Women's Political Caucus gave Senator McCain a rating of "5" (out of a possible 100) because of his opposition to bills that called for equal pay, insurance that covers Viagra should also cover women's birth control, and a long list of others.
These are not impressions or "feelings" about the candidate - they are facts that anyone can check for themselves. As a career military officer, veteran, and woman, there is no way I will ever vote for Senator McCain - based on his voting record. I am especially ticked off at his opposition to the last bill concerning veteran's health care/TRICARE, since this directly affects me. 99 Senators, including the ailing Senator Kennedy, showed up to vote on the bill to make sure it passed by a veto-proof margin, since President Bush was planning to veto it to protect payments to insurance companies. A host of Republicans broke ranks with the President and passed the bill, then overrode the veto. Senator McCain? A no-show both times, because he supported President Bush, but didn't want to go on record with a "No" vote again on an issue important to veterans.
Another thing is how we count unemployment. The only people that are counted on the unemployment figure is the people still receiving unemployment benefits! The people that have run out of benefits aren't counted...the people who are underemployed(computer specialist, now mallwart greeter--loses 90% of salary)--not counted. The people that have quit looking or doing day labor? Not counted. If those people are added to our "5%" lie, we are in double digit unemployment.
Carla, what about the facts? I have heard that leased doesn't mean oil rich. And what about a NEW solution. Larger government transfer of wealth give-aways AND deficit spending is only getting us in deeper. I say again that it's time for CHANGE!
When Bush took office eight years ago, the country was in better shape financially. Clinton had balanced the budget and had a $250 million dollar surplus. As of this week, we now have national debt of $10 trillion dollar.
Let's talk about how Obama is a "celebrity" instead of what we are going to do with the financial crisis or the energy crisis.
Let's talk about how Obama is "the one" rather than how McCain hasn't figured out what to do with the 44 million Americans without health insurance.
A great post. Keep up the great work.
NOT the authority, Robert, to give away health insurance by taxing (under threat
of jail) its productive citizens. I paraphrase a quote: a civilization will not last long
after its citizens find out that they can vote themselves largess.
I guess it easier to pick at airplanes, then to realize that John McCain was against off shore drilling until a few months ago.
(http://politicalfutures.gather.com/)
On the other hand, there is NO flag at all on McCain's plane--only his name in large letters. Why isn't someone complaining about that?
"wants to support and encourage unrepentant homosexuality and lesbianism.
exposes his bigotry Kathleen S.
This is a good recitation of the losses this country has sustained over the past several years.
Carla your figures on Canadian Health insurance interest me because many Provinces do not charge their citizens a premium for Health care coverage.
It's been almost 20 years but when I lived in Ontario they had passed a law against 'extra billing' in which Physicians would bill their patient's over and above what they received from the Ontario Provincial Health Plan at that time.
My parents, who live in Manitoba receive services through both the Provincial and City Health programs that I would dearly love to see some of my patients here in Texas receive!
If we could elect a crop of Politicians with backbone and better morals ie less willing to waste Taxpayer's money on 'Pork' and 'Earmarks' and a fruitless war there would be more available to pay for health insurance and to repair our nation's infrastructure (roads, bridges etc). If corporations like Exxon and Haliburton were no longer able to rape our citizens with their excessive prices for substandard services and obscene profits at our expense maybe we could put more money in the consumer's pockets for basics like food and medicines for their families.
Too many of us are working more hours for less returns and no hope of saving enough to cover expenses if we are injured or become ill or too old to continue working.
I definitely don't see McCain making any move what so ever to solve those issues. Maybe Obama is just another politician but he at least makes some attempt to address these concerns. Now all we need is a Congress made up of Representatives who are willing to work for the people rather than the Corporate Elite. I don't see either Party attaining that level of sound Moral and ethical judgement, yet the Democrats are closer to moving in that direction than the current crop of Republicans is.
Too bad the chances of a viable third party coming to light are so slim.
You're so right about the wasted money and corporate greed. And yes, the Democrats are definitely closer to coming up with a plan than the Republicans. They are too busy looking our for corporations and the wealthy.
He loves the poor--including his half brother in Africa;
He works tirelessly in Congress, except he hasn't really been there in 19 months but I know if and when he is there, this time around he'll vote other than 'present'--good for him, by not voting yea or nay, he was able to avoid being labeled.
He worked tirelessly for the poor in Chicago and was able to get Ayers to help him and that was quite a feat. I'm proud of him.
In spite of all his student loans he was able to buy a beautiful home for his family--way to go. My kids have struggled to do that but he made it and made it well.
He was excellent at standing up for his Minister when others might have scorned him. He stood tall, praised the man, until the Pastor turned on him. I doubt that many of us would have stood tall for someone who damned America. Obama hung in there.
I admire his character and I overlook his wife's comment about not being proud of America before now. I'm sure she was proud to be an American when Clinton was our esteemed president. I'm sure she was proud to be an American when she was able to come from a meager middle class background and get a great education, as did her brother. She really didn't' mean it when she said 'for the first time in my life I'm proud to be an American."
I really do like them, both of them and their lovely children. I want to see them advance in the world and become leaders in making the world a better place, just not in Washington.
At least not now.
"I admire his character and I overlook his wife's comment about not being proud of America before now. I'm sure she was proud to be an American when Clinton was our esteemed president."
OMG...what are you ppl....communists?????
dose that make you a ......Socialist???????????????????????????????????????????????Communist..............................or Rebel with out a cause>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>