Kids running the candy store.

Under Bush, the kids have been running the candy store. Not only have regulations been weakened to the point of ineffectiveness, but most of the regulatory agencies are being run by the industries they are supposed to regulate! This is why we're in the mess we're in, both on Wall Street and at the gas pumps. John McCain has been a part of this cultur e since the first go-round with this in 80s (remember the savings and loans?). He's now claiming that he will regulate Wall Street and get rid of golden parachutes. Did he switch sides all of the sudden?

The McCain campaign truly must think the American voters are stupid. His economic plan was written by Phil Graham and one of his chief campaign adivsors is the former CEO of HP. I hope he's not paying her much, because her golden parachute was about $32 million. At least his wife has someone to shop with.

Bush has displayed no fiscal responsibility, no, wait, Bush has displayed fiscal DISDAIN. And McCain has pledged to maintain that level of irresponsibility. McCain was in the military, but Bush has been spending our money like a drunken sailor. Eliminating Bush's tax giveaway for the rich is exactly what this economy needs. Show me an economist that doesn't agree with that and I'll show you someone that's being paid by Republicans or Republican supporters (or someone that got a "C" in macro-economics and made up their business cards at Kinkos).

This economy has been like a big pyramid scheme, with the top few getting ludicrously rich off the backs of everyone else while the "fundamentals" continue to weaken until the eventual collapse.

It seems that the Presidency should be accountable for job performance. Maybe that's why McCain is trying to act like it hasn't been his party that's been running things the past eight years. Oh, and McCain continues to lie about Obama's econmic plan, while at the same time trying to slide his "plan" through as some sort of change. This election shouldn't even be close, but it just goes to show you that while the Republicans are horrible at running a country they're great at manipulating the media.

And one more thing: McCain wants to tax health care benefits. Are you kidding me? Why not just have Todd Palin put on his snow machine racing boots and kick every working person in the crotch? Maybe we can balance the budget by adding a surcharge to bankruptcy filings. Or perhaps we can raise taxes on people that sell their plasma.

Getting past the smokescreen.

I feel compelled to start this blog because I can't believe how the direction of this campaign is being manipulated. Ever since Sarah Palin was named as the republican VP nominee, the debate has been more about how's she's being treated in the press than about any actual treatment of her in the press. I watched Fred Thompson stand at a podium and say that she's has been the victim of the "most viscious attack in political history." Really?!?! Maybe someone should tell that to Gary Hart. Or how about Bill Clinton? 8 months and 60 million dollars for an investigation that started about a land deal and was expanded until it became about a blow job. The press really respected his family privacy there. And more recently we have John Edwards, Elliot Spitzer, and yes, even Larry Craig. At no time was it even questioned whether the press should have gone after them out of consideration for their families.


It is obvious the republicans have a strategy regarding all the questionable issues with Palin - Fred Thompson playing the role of outraged daddy to poor Sarah. They've put the "media" on the defensive to the point that they're afraid to bring up anything about her in a negative context without tip-toeing about it. Unless of course you are an undeclared right-wing taking head and then it's nothing but righteous outrage. NOBODY has even brought up the irony of the fact that she supports abstinence only teaching in schools and there is a walking, talking example of how that policy fails in her own family. And I've only seen one place in which the irony of her radical pro-life position ("I'm as pro-life as a candidate can be") is when considering the statement that praises her daughter for the decision to keep her baby, and that was the Daily Show. And even that was making fun of Republican delegates, not pointing out the statement that was released when the news broke. Nobody has even questioned the fact that she decided to accept this nomination knowing full well that she had an unmarried, pregnant, 17 year old daughter that would be subject of a media frenzy. What did you think Sarah? She and the Republicans used Bristol as bait so they could roll out the righteous indignation that we're seeing now. And once again the Republicans have grouped the Democrats and "their friends in the MEDIA" together, so whatever gets reported must be slanted and therefore questionable. Things like facts and positions on the issues and comlete and utter lack of experience (unless we're attacked by moose and polar bears) must all be just part of a smear campaign. It's the same smokescreen and the Obama campaign needs to take control of the dialogue of this campaign!!!

McCain's decision to pick Palin as his VP shows that he made the decision based "on political reasons and not based on who would be most qualified to serve as President.*" So much for "Country First."

*Karl Rove on Obama considering Governor Kane of VA based on his lack of experience because he's only been mayor of Richmond, Lt. Governor and Governer.