What's Really Important Let’s Set The Record Straight –Part I
A few facts:
The nation is in deep financial trouble, and lost in the quagmire of two seemingly endless wars. Who has been in power for the past eight years? Who has run the government of the United States? The Republicans.The Congress has the lowest approval ratings in its history. Who is responsible? Though the Democrats have technically “controlled” Congress for less than two years, the Republicans have obstructed their almost every move.
Barack Obama, contrary to the constant lie disseminated by those same Republicans, is NOT going to raise your taxes. Who will see an increase in taxes? Those earning in excess of $250,000 per year -- that is one quarter of a million dollars annually.
Let’s correct some major misconceptions that are being held by all too many McCain/Palin/Republican supporters, and whoever else. At this time of crisis in American history, the American people need facts, NOT party talking points!
The most significant presidential election in our lifetimes is rapidly approaching. It is a time when we, the voters, have to be better informed and know more about what is, and has been occurring in our government than ever before. We need to know what the candidates are saying, and where they have stood on the real issues of the day, and what they can and will do if elected. Our nation is in the midst of two wars without end at an extraordinary cost in military personnel, resources, and dollars and cents; and the financial woes of the economy continue to grow exponentially. In just three days our nation lost nearly one Trillion dollars as Wall Street melted down.
I do my best to share my thoughts about the country and the candidates with people I meet each day, and I talk with people on both sides. I also listen to what they have to say. I’m not surprised at how many people are very upset with the direction the nation is taking, but I am dismayed at how many are less informed and more apt to use inaccurate and biased talking points when considering how to vote. Here are a couple of examples:
ASSERTION:John McCain doesn’t really represent the Republican Party; and it is the Democratic controlled Congress that is really responsible for the problems besetting the nation.
FACT:
John McCain voted with George Bush 90% of the time, and, it is the Republican Party that has controlled the government of these United States for the past eight years, along with the Congress for six of those. It is amazing how often Republicans, when told it is their party that has created the mess of the past eight years in this nation, automatically respond with, “the Democrats control the Congress!” It’s as if they are totally unaware of the Republican Executive Branch, the “Right” leaning Supreme Court, and all the very partisan Republicans still in Congress -- to say nothing about the fact that the Democrats have only “controlled” Congress for about twenty months. What about the first six years, when the real damage to the country was set in motion?
The very small Democratic majority in Congress allows them to chair committees, initiate investigations, and gives them the power to subpoena those they want to talk to, (which the Bush Administration has consistently defied by claiming “executive privilege), but it does NOT guarantee that they can get any legislation passed!
The Democratic majority in Congress is very small, especially in the Senate, where the party split is 51-49, and only because Joseph Lieberman and Bernie Sanders, both Independents, essentially vote with the Democrats most of the time. As a result, the Democrats have not been able to pass most of the legislation they were elected to pass, oftentimes not even pushing it because it would essentially go nowhere, either because the Republicans have lined up in lockstep to obstruct these bills, or the Democrats couldn’t come up with enough votes to override the vetoes promised by the president.
A Republican controlled Congress enabled the Bush Administration for its first six years in office. For all that time the President only vetoed one bill, H.R.810, aimed at the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, basically an attempt to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research. The Democrats could not override it.
After the Democrats took over control of Congress in 2006, Bush suddenly rediscovered his veto power and vetoed another eleven bills. Guess which party was backing those bills? Only four were overridden, basically because not doing so would have made both parties look bad in the eyes of the American people.
If the rating of Congress is the lowest in history, don’t look to blame the Democrats; blame those who have allowed almost no essential legislation (the changes the American people mandated in 2006) from passing.
ASSERTION:Barack Obama will raise everyone’s taxes, worse case scenario, or best case scenario, those making over $45,000.
FACT:
These are out and out lies! His policy, and the political promises as stated by Barack Obama are, and have been, basically this. If you make less than $250,000 (quarter of a million dollars), you will be getting a tax decrease. Those making more will lose the tax cut given to them by George Bush, and their tax rate will revert back to what they were paying during the Clinton Administration. Most people were quite satisfied with their economic status, and the promise for the future during those years. How many can still say that, and how many people on the Ridge, or in Butte County, or the nation even, are making more than $250,000 per year?
This upcoming election is not a game to be won. It is a very serious matter. Four more years of the same kind of government we have experienced for the past eight just might irrevocably destroy the America we have always loved. This is NOT a time to be diverted by false rhetoric and the usual snake oil salesmen. It is NOT a time for anyone to only listen to their party’s talking points.
It IS time to listen to both sides, and often. It IS time to know what ALL news services (rather than a select few) are saying, here and around the world. It IS time to stop automatically buying into the falsehoods and information that only agree with the facts as we WANT them to be, and blindly believe that everything that doesn’t agree with what we want to be true, is false!
Comments
One can only hope that there are more people interested in the truth than those who are hanging on to lies. What's particularly odious at this time is the fact that now that Obama is fighting back, the media is all over him for a negative campaign. Oooooo that would be the "liberal media" of course.
Posted by: Renee G | September 19, 2008 08:58 AM
Yes Renee G, that is exactly the kind of thing they (both the media and the Republicans) provoke, making it impossible not to respond. And then they criticize Obama like it's the worst thing that ever happened when he is forced to respond.
I love that line that is going around the media, "the people don't like negative advertising, but it works." Nice Catch 22 they set up while constantly screening their lame polls in our faces.
Personally, I'm all for the Obama campaign going after McCain et al. One must fight fire with fire, but in my mind, negative means attacking with lies, not just pointing out the lies that another has made. That's the difference between these campaigns. McCain and Palin lie like there is no tomorrow. Basically the Obama campaign simply points out all those lies in between talking about the issues.
The gloves are off. I myself am sick and tired of the voters who are enabling the downfall of our nation, and I'll go after them. It's not opinions I object to, it's how they are aiding a few to destroy our nation, all the while hiding behind ignorance, denial and the need to be right.
And I hate to say it, but McCain seems older and dumber every time I see him. Just yesterday he thought a reference to the leader of Spain had something to do with Latin America. He also said that if now president, he would fire the SEC Chairman, something the president is not authorized to do.
He long ago ran out of feet to stuff in his mouth. The thought of him in the Oval office is a very scary one. And it gets even scarier when you think of him passing that on to Palin, all fluff and lies, and no substance.
Posted by: Stephen Rose | September 19, 2008 10:00 AM
But Stephen.... it really doesn't matter how old McCain is.... because now, according to Sarah Palin, it's the Palin/McCain Administration. So I guess she's planning on being in charge. So there you have it.... Dick Cheney with lipstick!
Posted by: Renee G | September 19, 2008 10:08 AM
Amen to that!
The misconception about the “Democratic Congress” is one that comes up time and time again. And the Republican denial of the 800 pound gorilla you spoke of in your last blog, is how it stays alive in the American dialog. It is hard to understand how anyone can turn a blind eye to the past eight years, but as they say, none are so blind as those who will not see.
Now of course, as our economy collapses around us, we are supposed to trust those who brought about the collapse to fix it. We should believe that former Republican Senator Phil Gramm who surreptitiously slipped the deregulation of financial institutions into a 2000 appropriations bill, will give John McCain economic advice that will serve the common good. If we expect that to happen, we should keep an eye out for a leprechaun’s pot of gold which is just as likely to materialize.
Now, while Bush is still in office and McCain’s election is not a sure thing, the movers and shakers may only have a short time left to advance their agenda. Therefore, we should be very, very cautious about what we allow the government to push through to “fix” the economy. Unless we really understand the ramifications of some of their proposed moves, we could find ourselves in the same kind of situation we did when the Patriot Act was pushed through under the guise of making us safe. Giving away the store is not the way to save the business.
Posted by: Trish | September 19, 2008 11:54 AM
Good Luck with this one. Sherlock Holmes had his pipe,
Superman had his cape I believe,
So, I give you the awesome white light stone with blue at the center to be your forcus.
It will take not falling down to the other's levels, but fighting up to God's truth.
I wish this for you, so we can fight back, so we can bury the People who caused all this destruction in their name of greed. If you attempt this feat, then Stephen, be the best damn truth finder, investigator you can be.
If others cannot understand this message, I am sorry.
It is time for this country to begin again, as surely as it is being destroyed. It takes people together who surely care about this country to keep it together.
The best answers are usually at another level of up or down. See all levels at the same moment.
God Bless our Country
Bush and Cheney are the Saddam Hussain.
Posted by: BENITA | September 19, 2008 08:07 PM
Thanks BENITA!
Posted by: Stephen Rose | September 19, 2008 11:37 PM
exposing the Palin/Mcain lies is an eight day a week job... never in my memory has anyone spewed more lies in less time not even chimp! BUT the tide may be turning... Palin is SINKING and McCain has been roundly spanked throughout the mainstream media (not to mention the blogs)... Bill Clinton is about to make a media blitz and campaign tour and doubtless Hillary will become more visible too... meme: Mcain is confused and Palin is SCARY (think Halloween)... lipstick on a chimp?
Posted by: heartfood | September 19, 2008 11:50 PM
RENEE: YOU BET SHE IS THINKING ON BEING THE PRESIDENT.
Since when can someone be running for such a high power position, when refusing with her husband and others on what would be criminal charges.
This is blatent, and scary tactics. No one with a supoena has to testify. Will Bush get them off?
If this was a democrat, we would never hear the end of it. Obstruction of justice, criminal intent, burying the books and the emails etc.,
She is still a part of the USA, and we are responsible to make her appear. If she and her husband and co-horts are part of this strong Alaskan group, which I am sure you know the name of, that is proof she is not fit. She doesn't want to be part of this country. So, it is either the President of Alaska or the President of the USA. Why is no one stopping her on this. I hope you don't mind that I addressed you.
Benita
Posted by: BENITA | September 20, 2008 02:16 PM