Women Against Sarah Palin

A Post by: Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston New York, NY This Post is by women & ONLY for women that are against Palin being vice-president: Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters: We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce—on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate—that has a real possibility of becoming fact. Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet. We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from. First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly. Therefore, we invite you to reply here with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation. Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence. We will post your responses on a blog called 'Women Against Sarah Palin,' which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience—the greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be. Thank you for your time and action. Sincerely, Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston New York, NY womensaynopalin@gmail.com Read more!

NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative Campaign Announces Milestone!

A picture is worth a thousand words! In this case, 30,000 signatures (and growing) shows that on the 7th anniversary of 9/11, a significant number of NYC voters aren't satisfied with the official explanation of 9/11 nor the government-sponsored investigation! Sept. 9, 2008 - New York, NY) Some said it couldn't be done. However, others here in NYC knew different. We knew that with the right attitude, the right effort, all that mattered was doing whatever work was required to establish the foundation for the NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative. This public referendum is the most substantial, well-structured effort to date that can result in a subpoena-powered, fact-driven, comprehensive investigation of the most momentous event of our time. Now, 30,000 petition signatures, the minimum requirement to submit a ballot initiative to NY City Council has been reached. From here we will work to double and triple our numbers. We will widen our base and build even greater momentum. We will create a demand for passage of the Initiative that will be undeniable. This is completely available to us because there is now official confirmation from the City Clerk's office that all existing signed petitions will be valid for the mayoral election in 2009. It should also be noted that with substantial numbers and support showing there is a serious mandate from the voters, it is actually possible that NY City Council can be moved to introduce and pass the Initiative on their own. This is the necessary strategy which organizers and petitioners here in NYC have every intention of pursuing. Another vital piece of information has come to light. Back in the spring doubts were raised about the NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative because it was said that the Mayor could block it, making all our efforts null and void. Many people here and around the country were disheartened, saying there would be no way Mayor Bloomberg would allow the Initiative to get on the ballot. They argued we were doomed and it would be futile to try. However, there was a core group of stalwart and stubborn activists who were not deterred. We always knew this wouldn't be an easy task, but led by our vision for an authentic investigation we pushed ahead anyway. There were other challenges as well, yet we always knew that if effort was applied, anything could happen. We could actually succeed. Now, through communication with the City Clerk and upon reading the detail of the law we have learned that the Mayor cannot kill the Initiative. If he wanted to complicate things, he would have to go through the trouble of setting up a Charter Commission. This Commission would have to hold public hearings. Then if this Commission succeeds in placing it's Initiative on the ballot, our Initiative would be rescheduled to the following year's election. In summary, the Mayor would have to go through a complicated process which can be rebutted by the public and would bring much scrutiny on his actions. You can be sure that many 9/11 families will not be pleased. This action would attract an immense amount of negative baggage. If his Charter Commission succeeded in introducing their own Initiative, our Initiative would still be valid and be placed on the ballot one year later. As Senator Mike Gravel recently told me, sometimes things require a longer term approach but since they're worthwhile, you have to adopt a high-level perspective which will get you to the place that's desired. He should know. He has been working on the National Initiative for 20 years! At a meeting of our petitioning/management group on Wed. Sept. 3rd, Senator Gravel joined us by speaker phone. He said the following: "Solidify the numbers in 2009. It's vital to get enough signatures. This will get you credibility and visibility. Get people to anticipate and want it. There are people who share your view. I applaud everyone who worked to bring it about.This is truly the most significant effort going on. I can't encourage you enough to continue your efforts." I asked him to comment on his recent statement saying that the Initiative is the most effective way to hold Bush and Cheney to task. He answered, "More than they are involved. We are committed to pursue justice, knowledge, and truth, wherever that leads us." He offered to continue helping in every way he can. Then we were joined by Ed Asner on speakerphone. He was absolutely elated by the results that have been achieved here. He said, "I'm proud to be identified with you. Proud to support you. I celebrate all you have achieved. Then he went onto say,"You're not over the top yet because of fear that occupies every soul. If you have no fear at this time, you must be lobotimized! Yours is a sensational achievement. I'm really impressed." We thanked him for his willingness to be involved with the Initiative to which he replied, "You're the one's doing the work. I'm just spreading my name around. My love to you all." We invited him to NYC and promised to have a huge party which will hopefully hasten his arrival. Furthermore, 25-year veteran NY Times journalist Philip Shenon lectured at the NY Law Bar Association on Thurs. Sept. 4th on his best-seller titled "The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation". I gave him press materials on the Ballot Initiative. As it turns out, he had already heard of it and clearly appeared impressed. This could lead to any number of positive developments. After all, every page of his book is filled with evidence on why a new investigation is warranted. We know that the federal or even local government is unlikely to call for a true investigation of 9/11, however, through the NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative, the voters of NY City can. This may be the only opportunity to obtain truth and justice for the victims of 9/11. People of conscience around the world are awaiting the outcome. Now more than ever, what's needed is public support. Anyone who knows voters in NY City can direct them to the site where they can download the petition and volunteer. Also, funding is needed for hiring professional petitioners, paying for literature, banners, educational DVDs, and advertising. We ask all to donate whatever they can, which can be done on the web site at www.nyc911initiative.org . Please urge others to help so that we can break through the wall of resistance to the truth of 9/11. Together, we can correct history, gain the truth of 9/11 and secure justice for the victims including first responders. This will go a long way towards restoring Constitutional freedoms and creating a political system which complies with law and works to fulfill the principles of democracy. We can then re-chart our collective future towards a vision consistent with the kind of society that our children deserve, can live and thrive in. Les Jamieson National Coordinator NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative -------------------------------- The NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative Campaign is a citizen-based effort to call attention to the fact that the U.S. government did not conduct a thorough investigation of 9/11. Through the creation of a public referendum, the most basic of democratic processes, the voters of NYC can now use their power of the petition to place a ballot initiative on the general election of 2009. This Initiative is designed to enable voters to create a new, independent, impartial Commission to conduct a thorough, fact-driven investigation of the most momentous event of our time. . Read more!

Bill of Rights or Orwellian State? You Decide

Police use pepper spray on a woman as she approaches them with a flower during a rally at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

This post is not intended to speak to Democrats, Republicans, conservatives or liberals. The intended audience is ALL AMERICANS who value the freedoms described in the First Amendment of our Bill of Rights. The article below, written by Chris Hedges, recaps the frightening actions of the St. Paul police department in response to peaceful protests at the Republican National Convention. Leave your party affiliations at the door and ask yourself if these actions demonstrate the characteristics of a free society. For those that don't, please get involved in protecting the original freedoms that help make this country great, as that is what a true 'Patriot' does.
Tyranny on Display at the Republican Convention By Chris Hedges St. Paul is a window into our future. It is a future where, as one protester told me by phone, “people have been pepper-gassed, thrown on the ground by police who had drawn their weapons, had their documents seized and their tattoos photographed before being taken away to jail.” It is a future where illegal house raids are carried out. It is a future where vans containing heavily armed paramilitary units circle and film protesters. It is a future where, as the protester said, “people have been pulled from cars because their license plates were on a database and handcuffed, thrown in the back of a squad car and then watched as their vehicles were ransacked and their personal possessions from computers to literature seized.” It is a future where constitutional rights mean nothing and where lawful dissent is branded a form of terrorism. The rise of the corporate state means the rise of the surveillance state. The Janus-like face of America swings from packaged and canned spectacles, from nationalist slogans, from seas of flags and Christian crosses, from professions of faith and patriotism, to widespread surveillance, illegal mass detentions, informants, provocateurs and crude acts of repression and violence. We barrel toward a world filled with stupendous lies and blood. What difference is there between the crowds of flag-waving Republicans and the apparatchiks I covered as a reporter in the old East German Communist Party? These Republican delegates, like the fat and compromised party functionaries in East Berlin, all fawned on cue over an inept and corrupt party hierarchy. They all purported to champion workers’ rights and freedom while they systematically fleeced, disempowered and impoverished the workers they lauded. They all celebrated the virtue of a state that was morally bankrupt. And while they played this con game, one that gave them special privileges, power and wealth, they unleashed their goons and thugs on all who dared to challenge them. We are not East Germany, but we are well on our way. An economic meltdown, another catastrophic terrorist attack on American soil, a war with Iran, and we could easily swing into an authoritarian model that would look very familiar to anyone who lived in the former communist East Bloc. A few of those arrested in St. Paul, including eight leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee—one of the groups organizing protests at the GOP convention in St. Paul—now face terrorism-related charges. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald and Max Spector could get up to seven and a half years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge, which allows for a 50 percent increase in the maximum penalty. This is the first time criminal charges have been filed under the 2002 Minnesota version of the federal Patriot Act. The Patriot Act, which was put in place as much to silence domestic opposition as to ferret out real terrorists, has largely lain dormant. It has authorized the government to monitor our phone conversations, e-mails, meetings and political opinions. It has authorized the government to shut down anti-war groups and lock up innocents as terrorists. It has abolished habeas corpus. But until now we have not grasped its full implications for our open society. We catch glimpses, as in St. Paul or in our offshore penal colonies where we torture detainees, of its awful destructive power. The commercial media told us that what was important in St. Paul was happening inside the convention hall. The vapid interviews, the ridiculous soap opera sagas about Sarah Palin’s daughter and the debate about whether John McCain or Barack Obama has proprietary rights to “Change” divert us from the truth of who we have become. You had to search out “Democracy Now!,” TheUptake.org, Twin Cities Indymedia, I-Witness, along with a few other independent outlets, to see, hear or read real journalism from St. Paul. It does not matter that the RNC Welcoming Committee describes itself as an “anarchist/anti-authoritarian” organization. We don’t have to embrace a political agenda to protect the right to be heard. Shut down free speech and radicals only burrow deeper underground, splitting ossified political systems into fractured extremes. We may well end up with the Christian right on one side, with politicians like Sarah Palin providing an ideological veneer to a Christian fascism, and embittered leftist radicals who turn to violence on the other. St. Paul was not ultimately about selecting a presidential candidate. It was about the power of the corporate state to carry out pre-emptive searches, seizures and arrests. It was about squads of police in high-tech riot gear, many with drawn semiautomatic weapons, bursting into houses. It was about seized computers, journals and political literature. It was about shutting down independent journalism, even at gunpoint. It was about charging protesters with “conspiracy to commit riot,” a rarely used statute that criminalizes legal dissent. It was about 500 people held in open-air detention centers. It was about the rising Orwellian state that has hollowed out the insides of America, cast away all that was good and vital, and donned its skin to shackle us all. Read more!

"The Grown Folks Table" Coming Soon!

A fresh voice in Hip-Hop! Take a good listen to this fresh voice in Hip Hop and soul. He goes by the name of SPEECH. After traveling to Jerusalem, the turbulent Middle East, down-under Australia, Northern Africa and Europe, Speech embarked on his most incredible musical journey to date. The Grown Folks Table. A record of world-wide influence and collaborations. Special Guest include: John Butler (of the John Butler Trio), Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5), Marie Daulne (of Zap Mama), Steph Pockets, Marvin Priest, Jahi, Braille, Theory Hazit, Jahah, 1 Love, Tasha Larae, Za’ and JJ Boogie (of Arrested Development). Beat Producers include: S-1 (Strange Fruit Project), Speech, Sebmaestria (France), Lounge Lizards (Denmark), Theory Hazit, and BeatKamp (New Zealand). Speech has always had a fresh take on hip hop since his debut in 1992 with the revolutionary group Arrested Development, of which he lead and founded. Yet Speech has grown from a sometimes naïve, hippie rapper to a songwriter and passionate philosopher/activist. And this album shows his best hip-hop lyrical skills to date. At first listen you notice the obvious hard-hitting drums, a new addition to his usual melody driven tunes. You will also notice Speech’s unapologetic return to Hip hop. With all of his musical detours, it’s easy to forget that the world first heard of Speech in a hip-hop group. Speech says: "Grown Folks Table is my coming of age record, everybody grows up, this album deals with those transitions. I’m speaking to a new generation where immaturity is glorified, & no one is expected to mature. Too many rappers who in reality are hittin’ on 40years & have kids, complex lives and wives, yet rarely talk about them in their songs. Instead they portray themselves with dancing women at the beach, shopping at the malls, going to strip clubs, and playing video games."
Speech the writer of 1991’s hit, “Fishing For Religion” it’s obvious with this “Spiritual” laced release, Speech has found religious faith. Each song is sprinkled with these convictions and yet with honesty he wrestles with what religion commands and how he sometimes falls short of it. This album is filled with the thrills of human drama. It surpasses the cliché’ revolutionary banter of some and embraces a commonality that the whole world will relate to.
From revolutionary, to father, from husband to minister, The Grown Folks Table speaks to the thickness of life, like not many other records dare to in these days.
"The Grown Folks Table" is pure hotness, full of hard hittin beats & uplifting content. Available late - 2008 on CD, Vinyl and specialty cassettes - from Vagabond Records & Tapes Keep in tune with the blog as Speech will Debut some of this great material in the coming months! Read more!

Beware of this BOOK!

If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or if you have neighborhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it a long to others. Schools are distributing this book to children through the Scholastic Book Club. Beware of this book! The name of the book is Conversations with God... It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to church/e-mail addressees, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends. Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theaters, on the internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read. Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, 'Don't judge a book by its cover (or title) The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the 'voice of God'. However, the 'answers' that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question 'Why am I a lesbian?' His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and 'celebrate' her differences. Another girls poses the question 'I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?' His reply is, 'Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong.' Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply 'I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is ''judge not lest ye be judged.' Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God. And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children. Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey. Pass this on to every Believer you know. God bless! And, if you are in doubt, check out the books yourself. Original post By: A friend of a friend of my moms. However, cuz the post interested me, I decided to do a little research of my own and I pulled a couple quotes to see where this false "prophet" got his inspiration. Here's a quote from his own website. "Neale's mother hardly ever went to church, and when he asked her why, she told Neale, "I don't have to go to church-God comes to me. He's with me and around me wherever I am." This view of God in his childhood would open Neale fully as an adult to transcend the traditional views of organized religion and bring to the world the message found in Conversations with God." In another section of his bio, it explained his supposed divine conversation with God..."Neale says that he heard a voice, soft and kind, warm and loving, that gave him an answer to this and other questions. Awestruck and inspired, he quickly scribbled these responses onto the tablet. More questions came, and, as fast as they occurred to him, answers were given in the same soft voice, which now seemed placed inside his head. Before he knew it, Neale found himself engaged in a two-way on-paper dialogue. He continued this first "conversation" for hours, and had many more in the weeks that followed, always awakening in the middle of the night and being drawn back to his legal pad. Neale's handwritten notes would later become the best-selling Conversations with God books." Of course the bible makes it clear that God now speaks through HIS word and that by THAT word we will be judged. (John 12:48) Anywhoo, just another day jotting down thangs and living life! Peace yawl, SPEECH Read more!

McCain's Only Hope

McCain's campaign manager even admitted that all McCain has to rely on is attacks, saying that for them, "This election is not about issues."
The McCain campaign is trying to distract voters from the real issues -- so let's focus on what they're trying to hide.
They've come out against the life-saving possibilities of stem cell research.
They don't even mention protecting equal pay for equal work.
They support huge tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans.
They've almost completely ignored the $10 billion we're spending every month in Iraq.
And they make zero exceptions for a woman's right to choose -- even in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.
If that all sounds like more of the same, that's because it is. John McCain is offering a third term of the disastrous Bush agenda, so it's no wonder his campaign would choose to focus on attacks instead of issues. Read more!

Eight is Enough! Let's All Work to Keep the American Promise Alive

On the eve of the most important election in our generation, let's hammer the last nail into the coffin holding the politics of fear, injustice, inequality & Republican divisiveness! Every one needs to get involved in electing Barack Obama for president of these United States! Tell your friends to vote for change, not more of the same! Share with them the reasons Barack is that agent for change! Share with them the importance of this election, this is ultimately about you & me, more than Barack! We need grass roots involvement and everyday people's investment!! YES WE CAN! In case you were one of the unfortunate that didn't have the chance to watch this historic moment, I have provided the text of Barack's acceptance speech below. It's powerful - please read & share it. Peace & Strength, speech

"To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin, and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation: With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States. Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest_ a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours — Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night. To the love of my life, our next first lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia, I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you. Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart, that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well. That's why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women, students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors, found the courage to keep it alive. We meet at one of those defining moments, a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more. Tonight, more Americans are out of work, and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes, and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach. These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work. This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news. We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes. Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land: enough! This moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On Nov. 4, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough." Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that, we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need. But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change. The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives, on health care and education and the economy, Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisers, the man who wrote his economic plan, was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners." A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know. Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under $5 million a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than 100 million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement? It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it. For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy — give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is, you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don't have boots. You're on your own. Well, it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America. You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president, when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000, like it has under George Bush. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job an economy that honors the dignity of work. The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great, a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight. Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships. When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed. And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well. I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as president of the United States. What is that promise? It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road. Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves, protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology. Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity, not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work. That's the promise of America, the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper. That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president. Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it. Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America. I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the startups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. I will cut taxes — cut taxes for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class. And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office. Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stopgap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close. As president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies retool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy; wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. America, now is not the time for small plans. Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American — if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education. Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most. Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent. Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations. And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons. Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime, by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less because we cannot meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century bureaucracy. And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need. Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility — that's the essence of America's promise. And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander in chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have. For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell, but he won't even go to the cave where he lives. And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war. That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past. You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in 80 countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice, but it is not the change we need. We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans have built, and we are here to restore that legacy. As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home. I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future. These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain. But what I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism. The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America, they have served the United States of America. So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first. America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore. We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This, too, is part of America's promise, the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort. I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things. And you know what it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know. I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you. For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it, because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. America, this is one of those moments. I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands. And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise. This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. Instead, it is that American spirit that American promise that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend. That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours, a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot. And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream. The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred. But what the people heard instead, people of every creed and color, from every walk of life, is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one. "We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back." America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise, that American promise, and in the words of Scripture, hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America." Read more!

Speech Featured in Dave Stewart's 'American Prayer' Video

Hey y'all, When Dave Stewart, of 'Eurythmics' fame reached out to celebrity friends throughout the United States to participate in creating this moving video tribute for the song he wrote with U2's Bono, Speech immediately agreed, once again lending his support to the only true candidate of change, Barack Obama. Senator Obama's message has unified millions of Americans, as well as people throughout the world, to work together in establishing hope and promise as undeniable and basic rights for all. As you will see, Dave's 'American Prayer' video deftly captures the essence of this crucial notion. Joining Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, Joan Baez, Macy Gray, Joss Stone, Jason Alexander and others, Speech asks that you use the power of your voice and vote to make this vision a reality in November. He stated that "We cannot let the true American prayer die because of McCain and Bush's fear tactics and war mongering". To see the video click on the blog title above. Please share it with everyone who understands that change is our only hope. Read more!

Corporate Privilege - by Gregg Adams

Greetings tax payers. Are you tired of paying exorbitantly high taxes on your hard earned wages? Do you feel like your tax rate is always on the rise, yet the return is ever diminishing? Well according to a report released in July by the Government Accountability Office, (GAO) there's a way to avoid all of this nasty taxation. All you need to do is become a US Controlled Corporation, (USCC), or better yet, a Foreign Controlled Corporation, (FCDC). According to the study, approximately two thirds of USCC's paid no federal income taxes for the period reviewed, spanning 1998-2005. The study also found that 68% of FCDC's reported no tax liability over that period. What does that mean in real numbers? In 2005 alone, more than 38,000 foreign corporations and 1.2 million U.S. companies had no tax liability, although these companies had a combined $2.5 trillion in sales. Are you angry yet? Well the GAO, after all that statistical analysis, (I have listed the website at the end of the article) forgot to identify the companies involved. In a truly commanding act of righteous indignational, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. said, "It's shameful that so many corporations make big profits and pay nothing to support our country,". Ironically, Dorgan had requested the GAO study, along with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. So why are Senator's Dorgan and Levin not standing on the GAO's doorstep and demanding identification of the abusers? I'm just guessing here, but while this was a well crafted show of concern for their constituents, the risk of pushing it to the next level could jeopardize future campaign contributions and, perish the thought, reelection if they make things too hard on their corporate pals. After reading further, I found another quote from Dorgan. "It's time for the big corporations to pay their fair share," Dorgan said. Maybe I judged him too quickly? NAHHHHHHHHHHH! What do you think? You can find the detailed GOA report at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08957.pdf Read more!

Peace, Lies and Baseball - Live From Beiijing! - by Gregg Adams

Hey sports fans, did you watch NBC's coverage of the Olympics Sunday, August 10Th? Well if you didn't, you missed some riveting television! The men's 4x100 relay final, China vs. the U.S. in women's gymnastics, but most importantly, Costas vs. Bush. As you may be aware, our President is multi-tasking in Beijing, discussing humans rights and freedom of the press with President Hu Jintao, admonishing Vladimir Putin for violence and "disproportionate response" in bombing Georgia and reassuring baseball fans that it's important the sport "be clean". Over the last few days has Dubya had more air and hang time than a Kobe Bryant dunk; waving the flag, providing pep talks for the basketball team and hanging with beach volley ball star Misty-May Treanor. The giddy way he's prancing around our athletes in Beijing kinda reminds me of the 9 year old winner of the 'Tell Cheerios why you deserve a trip to the Olympics!' contest. (Just what was he doing with Misty anyway?) In all seriousness, Bob Costas structured what could have been a great forum for the President. Whether you believe he should have attended the games or not is your call, however it did present an opportunity to show the world that he is on top of his game, active in managing diplomatic relations and working with his peers to avert another world crisis between Russia and Georgia. The result? Once again, I was dumbfounded by his lack of skill in communicating our position on the issues and his obvious inability to see the irony, and in some cases, absurdity of his answers. For example, after Costas asked him about what he had said to Putin regarding the conflict in South Ossetia, he remarked: "It was just interesting to me that here we are trying to promote peace and harmony and we're witnessing a conflict take place". He also articulated "There needs to be a international mediation there for the South Ossetia issue". Is the same leader who refused to consider mediation as an option before his ruthless invasion of Iraq now channeling John Lennon? One particular answer provided crystal clarity on the President's grasp of the issues back home: Costas: This past week you restated America's fundamental differences with China. THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Costas: But given China's growing strength and America's own problems, realistically how much leverage and influence does the U.S. have here? THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I don't see America having problems. HMMMM, perhaps our next commander-in-chief will not only admit there are problems, but take an active role in helping to resolve them. After he set that whole 'American problem' misconception straight, he moved on to human rights: Costas: Then this past week they revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, an exemplary Olympian who had planned to come here not to directly protest China's government, but to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Costas: What's your reaction? THE PRESIDENT: My reaction is I'm sorry Joey Cheek didn't come, he's a good man. Joey Cheek has just got to know that I took the Sudanese message for him. My attitude is, is if you got relations with Mr. Bashir, think about helping to solve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. That was my message to the Chinese government. I pray the Chinese government doesn't follow the example the Bush administration has set on this issue - a total lack of action and commitment. In closing, we all know that Dubya knows baseball. Why he even owned the Texas Rangers at one time. I may be wrong, but didn't he own them during the time period currently being investigated by George Mitchell for rampant use of steroids? Why yes he did, which makes this exchange all the more interesting: Costas: Briefly, one more sports question. THE PRESIDENT: Sure. Costas: You have been outspoken -- your past connections to baseball; you used a State of the Union speech to do it, to talk about performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Marion Jones recently petitioned you for clemency. THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Costas: She's serving time because of involvement in the BALCO case -- one-time Olympic hero. We know many Olympians and in your favorite sport and mine, baseball, big names -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens. What's your feeling about this and how much do you, as an American, trust the integrity of the sports you watch? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, you know, let's just talk about baseball. Obviously one of the great things about baseball is we can compare the records of the players of the '50s to the '60s and the '70s, and obviously the 1990s, and it is very important for there to be a -- for the sport to be clean so that the great continuity and the history of baseball is real. And secondly, we don't want adults sending mixed messages to children, that it's okay to shoot up drugs in order to become a star, because it's not okay. Here's a news flash for you George - it's not OK to deceive the American people in order become a star in the eyes of the Oil industry either. Most Baby Boomer's you talk to agree that the 60's were a hazy period to recall , for the Decider, it seems to be the 80's! Read more!