Barack/Hillary

[Teresa]

OBAMA MANIA

Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun

It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.

Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.

The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the front runner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.

Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts.

Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.

Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.

Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.

Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial "beauty."

Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.

Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on "the rich." How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, "All praise and glory to God!" but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have "hijacked" - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of "bringing America together" means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.

But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.

It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

[Teresa]

I've said it before.. but these people scare me..



Michelle Obama And America

Michelle Obama, wife of Democrat front runner Barack Obama, shocked a lot
of people over the weekend when she said this:  "For the first time in my
adult lifetime I am proud of my country."  Wow!  That takes my breath
away.
Mrs. Obama is 44 years old, so for over roughly 24 years of "adulthood,"
taking her at her word, she has never been proud of our nation.  Is there
a theme here?  You may remember that last year Senator Obama said he
refused to wear a flag lapel pin because it represented a "substitute for
true patriotism."  And what precisely is true patriotism?  According to
Senator Barack Hussein Obama, it is opposing the war in Iraq.

Apparently nothing America did from 1982 to 2008 caused her heart to swell
with pride.  Not our successful effort to defeat Soviet communism and
liberate millions of people in Eastern Europe?  Not our relief efforts
around the world, through which we spent billions to help the downtrodden?
Not anything?

When she learned with all the rest of us ! how her fellow citizens on
United Flight 93 bravely fought back against jihadist hijackers and prevented
another disaster on September 11th, did she not fill up with pride?  As
Americans of all races and classes rallied together in defense of our
nation in the aftermath of September 11th, did her spirit not jump with
love for her homeland?
Apparently not.

The Obamas are living examples of the American Dream.  Both Michelle Obama
and her husband have Ivy League degrees.  They make a joint income of over
one million dollars a year.  They live lives that most ordinary Americans
can only dream of.  Yet, Mrs. Obama, who wants to be first lady, has been
unable to find the pride in America that millions of ordinary Americans
feel every day.

Sadly, her attitude is not rare among left wing American elites.  We are
"educating" millions of Americans to be globalists first and foremost, and
we are doing precious little about educating our children to be proud and
unashamed Americans.

[W. Gray]

She also wrote a thesis at age 22 that is drawing quite a bit of attention.

Can't go too much on school, though, take George W. for example...

Someone has said the "swift boating" of Obama has been pretty tame but should get more interesting as time moves along.

[Teresa]

Interesting facts that I received today...

Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
28%

CLINTON
24%

How does this affect you?
If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to  taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on  the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.



DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
39.6%

CLINTON
39.6%

How will this affect you?
If you have any money  invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will  now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama or Clinton  become president. The experts predict that "Higher tax rates on  dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely  nothing to cut the deficit."



INCOME TAX

MCCAIN
(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500

Single making 50K - tax $12,500

Single making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 60K- tax $9,000

Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K - tax $31,250



OBAMA
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800

Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750



CLINTON
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800

Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750


How does this affect you? No explanation needed.
This is pretty straight forward.



INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN
0%
(No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA
Keep the inheritance tax

CLINTON
Keep the inheritance tax


How does this affect you?
Many families have lost businesses, farms and ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax.  Those willing their assets to loved ones will not only lose them to these taxes.



NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY BOTH CLINTON AND OBAMA

* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2,400 square feet

* New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

* New taxes on natural resource consumption (gas, water, electricity)

* New taxes on retirement accounts and last but not least....

* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the  same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!


If Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Could Enact All Of His Campaign Proposals, Taxpayers Would Be Faced With Financing $874.35 Billion In New Spending In His First 4-Year White House Term.


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MORE DETAILS IF YOU ARE INTO DETAILS:

Updated  February 14, 2008:
Obama's National Infrastructure  Reinvestment Bank Will  Cost $60 Billion Over Ten Years; Equal To $6  Billion A Year And $24 Billion Over Four Years. Obama: "I'm proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60  billion over ten years." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Economic Policy, Janesville , WI, 2/13/08)

Obama's Health Care Plan Will Cost Up To $65 Billion A Year; Equal To  $260 Billion Over Four Years. "[Obama] campaign officials estimated that the net cost of the plan to the federal government would be $50 billion to $65 billion a year, when fully phased in, and said the revenues from rolling back the tax cuts were enough to cover it." (Robin Toner and Patrick Healy, "Obama Calls For Wider And Less Costly Health  Care Coverage," The New York Times, 5/30/07)

Obama's Energy Plan Will Cost $150 Billion Over 10 Years,  Equal To $15 Billion Annually And $60 Billion Over Four Years. "Obama  will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance ! the next generation of  biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in  low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital  electricity grid." (Obama For America, "The Blueprint For Change," www.barackobama.com, Accessed  1/14/08, p. 25)

Obama's Tax Plan Will Cost Approximately $85 Billion A  Year; Equal To $340 Billion Over Four Years. "[Obama's] proposed tax  cuts and credits, aimed at workers earning $50,000 or less per year, would  cost the Treasury an estimated $85 billion annually." (Margaret Talev,  "Obama Proposes Tax Code Overhaul To Help The Poor," McClatchy  Newspapers, 9/19/07)

Obama's Plan Would Raise Taxes On Capital Gains And Dividends, And On Carried Interest. Obama's tax plan includes: " increasing the highest bracket for capital gains and dividends  and closing the carried interest loophole." (Obama For America, "Barack Obama: Tax Fairness For The Middle Class," Fact Sheet,  www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/8/08)

Obama's Economic Stimulus Package Will Cost $75 Billion."Barack Obama's economic plan will inject $75 billion of stimulus into the economy by getting money in the form of tax cuts and direct spending  directly to the people who need it most." (Obama For America, "Barack Obama's Plan To Stimulate The Economy," Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 1/13/08) 

Obama's Early Education And K-12 Package Will Cost $18  Billion A Year; Equal To $72 Billion Over Four Years. "Barack Obama's  early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year." (Obama For America, "Barack Obama's Plan For Lifetime Success Through Education," Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 11/20/07, p.15)

Obama's National Service Plan Will Cost $3.5 Billion A Year; Equal To $14 Billion Over Four Years. "Barack Obama's national  service plan will cost about $3.5 billion per year when it is fully  implemented." (Oba! ma For A merica, "Helping All Americans Serve  Their Country: Barack Obama's Plan For Universal Voluntary Citizen  Service," Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 12/5/07) 

Obama Will Increase Our Foreign Assistance Funding By $25  Billion. "Obama will embrace the Millennium
Development Goal of cutting  extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our  foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal." (Obama For  America, "The Blueprint For Change,"www.barackobama.com, Accessed  1/14/08, p. 53)

  Obama Will Provide $2 Billion To Aid Iraqi Refugees. "He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own  country can find a safe-haven." (Obama For America, "The Blueprint  For Change," www.barackobama.com, Accessed  1/14/08, p. 51)

Obama Will Provide $1.5 Billion To Help States Adopt  Paid-Leave Systems. "As president, Obama will initiate a strategy to  encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with start-up cots and to help states  offset the costs for employees and employers." (Obama For America,  "The Blueprint For Change," www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 15)

Obama Will Provide $1 Billion Over 5 Years For Transitional Jobs And Career Pathway Programs, Equal To $200 Million A Year And $800 Million Over Four Years. "Obama will invest $1 billion over  five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement  proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the  workforce." (Obama For America, "The Blueprint For Change,"www.barackobama.com, Accessed  1/14/08, p. 42)

Obama Will Provide $50 Million To Jump-Start The Creation  Of An IAEA-Controlled Nuclear Fuel Bank. Obama: "We must also stop the  spread of nuclear weapons technology and ensure that countries cannot build -- or come to the brink of building -- a weapons program under the auspices  of developing peaceful nuclear power. That is why my administration will  immediately provide $50 million to jump-start the creation of an  International Atomic Energy Agency-controlled nuclear fuel bank and work to  update the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty." (Sen. Barack Obama,  "Renewing American Leadership," Foreign  Affairs, 7- 8/07)

[frawin]

Teresa, if Obama and/or Hillary get in the best thing to do is go South of the Border and and comeback into the US as an illegal. You will pay consderably less income tax, if any,  can draw social security, have free medicine, free education for your children and if you commit a crime go back to Mexico, change your name and comeback and start all over again. There is nothing surprising in what Obama/Hillary propose in taxes and socialized medicine. it is much the same as Carter, Gore , Kerry and Edwards proposed.
Frank

[Teresa]

But Frankie..............................

I can't  speak Mexican.....
so I have to stay here and pay for everything.........WWWAHHHHHHHHHHHH   

[flo]

Teresa, not to worry - illegals don't have to speak english in this country so what makes you think you have to speak mexican if you go down there? 

[frawin]

I read another article in the paper this week about Barack Obama's Grandmother being born in Peru Kansas, given that surely he will carry Elk, Chautauqua and the adjoing counties, "VOTE FOR THE HOMETOWN/AREA BOY".
Joe

[Teresa]

A float in a German parade....
SO, you think the world isn't watching the fiasco in the USA?