Pajamas Media

Hey Obama, How’s That ‘Judgment to Lead’ Meme Going?

Another of his claims to the presidency evaporates before our eyes.

September 18, 2008 - by Pam Meister

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How about Obama’s first executive decision — his choice of running mate? I don’t know about you, but Bazooka Joe Biden’s penchant for running the gaffe-o-matic on high probably wasn’t quite the gravitas Obama was looking for. It’s hard to have faith in your right-hand man when he tells voters on the campaign trail that “Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America.” Add that to his uncanny ability to insult minority groups, inattention to detail, and inability to use his own words and you have a political powder keg just waiting to blow.

Is this the kind of judgment to lead we’ve all been hearing so much about?

Now imagine Obama in an intense negotiation with one of America’s enemies — only in an Obama presidency we won’t have enemies, we’ll have “countries with opposing viewpoints.” Any-hoo, just imagine the scene: tea and cakes have just been served on the official Oval Office tea set — festively adorned with Obama’s personal seal — and Obama, in an attempt to lighten the mood and relax his guest, says to Kim Jong Il, “Hey, I just added a great song to my iPod. It’s called ‘Short People’ by Randy Newman. Remember that one? It goes like this: ‘Short people got no reason to live … they have little hands, little eyes, they go around telling great big lies.’ … Hey, where are you going? You didn’t finish your tea!”

Gross exaggeration? Of course. But considering how The One^TM has unraveled on the campaign trail in just a matter of weeks since the entrance stage right of Sarah Palin, Americans have reason to be concerned how he would react under the very real pressures of the presidential office. What tough decisions has he made that illustrate the judgment to lead that he’s been claiming for the past 19 months? Surely it can’t be day-to-day campaign decisions, as much as he’d like us to think that, because that’s his campaign manager’s job.

Another saying that’s been around even longer than “lipstick on a pig” is “caveat emptor” — “let the buyer beware.” It’s one that American voters would do well to heed in November, regardless of what our more enlightened European betters think.

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Pam Meister is the editor for Family Security Matters and a contributor to Big Hollywood. Her work can also be seen at American Thinker. The views expressed here are her own.

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107 Comments

1. Ed Wallis:

…and then there’s the…ahem…”judgement” [sic] of Barack “I want to bring our troops home now and end this war” Zerobama to meddle in US-Iraqi negotiations, which would have delayed the withdrawl and return of US troops currently in Iraq.

…even on a global-scale matter, he cares more about his own political positioning than the safety of our troops and of our country.

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:30 am 2. KansasGirl:

Hussein is a socialist. He needs to be taken out of power.

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:38 am 3. LeighB:

Pam, great take on The One. I have been counting his ums, uhs, and you knows, for about six months. If his adoring press had been quoting him accurately, including all those pauses, then more people would have concluded long ago, he reads pretty well. And that’s about it. Why can’t people see there is nothing there? Not even his own words. Except the ums, uhs, and you know…

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:40 am 4. SAF:

Ed Wallis:

Exactly so. Obama stands for Obama being elected.

The left knows how he will govern. The undecideds who vote for him buy the middle of the road speeches he gives and that he is the agent of change. He will take us very left and indeed that is change. Undecideds will be surprised by what they get if Obama is elected.

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:54 am 5. TubbyHubby:

Please lay off the ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. I had a terrible stutter when I was younger – I can assure you that type of speech pattern does not indicate a person’s intelligence or ability to make sound judgments. No, in Obama’s case, it’s the stuff he says between the ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ that scares the heck out of me.

Sep 18, 2008 - 4:10 am 6. Terry Gain:

His audience had no doubt to whom he was referring wih his lipstick on a pig remark so it is tiresome to hear timid conservatives tripping over themselves to explain he wasn’t referring to Sarah.

America is now dealing with a financial crises brought about by liberal lending practices implemented by liberals and whose chief beneficiaries were liberals. And the biggest pigs at the Fannie Mae trough are all Democrats, including the meesiah and Jamie (50 million bucks) Gorelick – she of the 9/11 fame.

Only in liberal America can someone whose policies led to a disaster be appointed to a commission investigating it.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:03 am 7. 888:

Obama slammed McCain today for McCain’s call for a commission to investigate the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac debacle. Obama’s surrogates are going around slamming McCain for the same reason. How interesting…and clever. The reason Mr. Slick Obama is decrying this call for a commission is because the investigation will uncover the fact that the top 4 recipients of campaign contributions of the broke Fannie and Freddie housing programs from 1988 to 2008 are Democrat senators John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd and no other than Mr. O himself. What’s troubling is that Dodd and Obama have the gall to blame the mortgage giants’ collapse on President Bush and McCain. How absolutely laughable.

McCain has been calling for reform of the quasi-governmental housing program since 2004. He’s on record as pushing for reform legislation on exactly this Fannie/Freddie program, but his bill was soundly quashed by the irresponsible Democratic Congress. As for Bush, according to the Washington Post
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091102841.html), “The (Bush)administration not only identified the problem, it also recommended a solution. In June 2004, then-Deputy Treasury Secretary Samuel Bodman said: “We do not have a world-class system of supervision of the housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), even though the importance of the housing financial system that the GSEs serve demands the best in supervision.” Bush got involved in the effort personally, speaking out for the cause of reform when he said in December 2007, “Congress needs to pass legislation strengthening the independent regulator of government-sponsored enterprises like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, so we can keep them focused on the mission to expand home ownership.” He even mentioned GSE reform in this year’s State of the Union address.”

Before Obama and company start slinging mud that (as usual) has absolutely no validity, they should look in the mirror.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:31 am 8. Boris:

” ‘Lipstick on a pig’ may prove to have been the true turning point in this campaign.”

No, sorry. It was a huge nothing. McCain and associates tried to make it something, but they utterly failed and no one is buying it except the base.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:44 am 9. Joanna:

TubbyHubby: I’m very sorry to hear about your speech impediment. My father has something similar, and I’ve seen how frustrating it can be. But Barack Obama doesn’t have a speech impediment. He’s a genuinely good speaker when he’s reading from prepared notes. But take those away, and his “um”s and “uh”s are overwhelming, indicating a scattered mentality and inability to think fluidly on his feet and translate that thought into action. This is quite different from a speech impediment.

He also comes across as painfully humorless, which may have something to do with his lack of off-the-cuff speaking skill.

Sep 18, 2008 - 6:29 am 10. Steve:

Your ‘take away the teleprompter’ comment is absolutely true. I made a rookie attempt at analyzing some of Obama’s ‘ums and uhs’ type mannerisms from a CNN interview he did earlier this summer. Almost every one of his answers started with a ‘well’ or ‘you know’ or ‘look’ or all of the above. It wouldn’t surprise me if the video had some untranscripted ums and uhs but I was at work and couldn’t see the clip.

My clumsy write up here:
http://chaser892.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!6C90F7BD8BBE8E9F!740.entry

Sep 18, 2008 - 6:34 am 11. Todd:

“…Bazooka Joe Biden’s penchant for running the gaffe-o-matic on high…”
So which is the more serious contributor to global warming, fossil fuels or hot air?

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:28 am 12. AdrianS:

They say that doing too much cocaine can cook the brain so that the result is a lack of focus and inability to form complete and cogent ideas without losing train-of-thought.

Watch Obama carefully and you’ll see that he starts saying something and then says something else. Or, Obama will want to quote specific numbers or data and he can’t remember; so he changes and stammers.

Obama has admitted openly that he is the result of having illegally used cocaine and marijuana and the result of it all is Barack Obama is mentally feeble.

Obama reminds me of the public service ad run several years ago that said using drugs was like frying the brain — it showed two eggs in a frying pan.

Down with Barack Obama the socialist.

Long list America and great American values — John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:32 am 13. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Pam Meister, et al.
RE: Actually, It’s Much Worse

Take away the teleprompter and what do you have? Someone who over-utilizes “uh” and “um.” — Pam Meister

He’s a walking talking-disaster. He is subject to Freudian slips that do much to expose what he REALLY thinks and/or wishes. Sometimes with painful results.

[1] When in Pueblo, Colorado, last Monday, he said, “I’m glad to be here in Denver.” That was even WITH his traveling teleprompter.

[2] Some time back, he told ABC News…

In a revealing slip in an interview with ABC recently, Mr. Obama said, “If we’re going to ask questions about who has been promulgating negative ads that are completely unrelated to the issues at hand, I think I win that contest pretty handily.” — Karl Rove

[3] Most damning of all, the other Sunday morning talk show with Stephanopolis revealed….

Obama said, “Let’s not play games. What I was suggesting — you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. — Fox News

The point here being that can we REALLY afford a president who could blunder about so much in a meeting of heads of state? This guy could start a war if he didn’t have a teleprompter to help him speak properly. And even then, based on item #1, there’s doubts.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The capacity to lead requires a capacity to communicate, accurately.]

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:49 am 14. proud elitist:

At least Obama knows who Zapatero is… Heck, I bet Michelle and Joe and Jill do too.

Of course, maybe ol’ Johnny really wants to group Spain with Venezuela, Argentina and Bolivia in terms of their leaders.

Or maybe he has senile dementia.

The there’s Sarah! Charlie, I didn’t blink when asked to be VP. Sean, it was a family decision.

And then there’s the truth via the press release – cited from Sullivan:

–Here’s the official tick-tock of the Palin announcement from the McCain campaign back in August:

“At approximately 11:00 a.m. Thursday August 28, 2008, John McCain formally invited Governor Sarah Palin to join the Republican ticket as the vice presidential nominee on the deck of the McCain family home.

“Later that morning, John McCain departed for Phoenix and Governor Palin departed with staff to Flagstaff, Arizona. Governor Palin, Kris Perry, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter proceeded to the Manchester Inn and Conference Center in Middletown, Ohio. They were checked into the hotel as the Upton Family. While there, Governor Palin’s children, who had been told they were going to Ohio to celebrate their parents’ wedding anniversary, were told for the first time that their mother would be a nominee for Vice President of the United States of America.–

She’s a pathological liar, just like Bush and Fredo.

where’s biden? Ask the media as he has been out on the stump. They just haven’t been covering it due to the fact that McCain hasn’t pulled any hysterics lately and there’s a finanical crisis going on.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:51 am 15. Bill Perron:

888 Obama blaming the collapse on Bush and McCain is not laughable, it is nothing less than irresponsible, immoral, and reprehensible.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:34 am 16. Chuck Pelto:

TO: proud elitist
RE: Projecting, Eh?

She’s a pathological liar, just like Bush and Fredo. — proud elitist

I say that because you can’t back what you just said up with any significant supporting evidence. Therefore, YOU are self-identifying.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. Are you taking your instructions from Obama to ‘get in their [our] face’?

Bring it ON! I enjoy a good ‘argument’ and I look forward to using all this evidence of your sociological nature to prove what a disaster having a Freudian-slipping president would be for this nation.

Then again there’s the fact that he’s ‘on the take’ from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:39 am 17. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Boris
RE: Don’t Count on It

” ‘Lipstick on a pig’ may prove to have been the true turning point in this campaign.”

No, sorry. It was a huge nothing. — Boris and someone else

I’m working on a cartoon of Obama in traditional Muslim attire fleeing from a pig with lipstick who is saying, “Kiss me you big loveble, hate-promulgating Muslim, you.”

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Wit makes its own welcome, and levels all distinctions. No dignity, no learning, no force of character, can make any stand against good wit. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:43 am 18. surf66:

“proud elitist”!
you sycophant! You repetitious quack! your script is rife with the slime and smear notable from the left! Poser! you and people like you are the reason we will march to the polls and vote: the mindless mush of our public education system and the spouting mouth of all that is wrong in this country. See you there! Your vote has been cancelled….by ME !
Blah-ha-ha-HAAAAAA!

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:02 am 19. Bear:

Don’t forget his interview with O’Reilly, how
Obama kept trying to touch Bill. I can just
see the image of Obambi sitting down with Putin
uh, and uh, grabbing at Putins knees.

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:21 am 20. always right:

888@Sep 18, 2008 – 5:31 am

Besides the top campaign contribution from Fannie and Freddie, IF ONLY it is widely known, the top executives of both Fannie and Freddie are on the advisory board of Obama camp.

Who were two of the CEOs who got big bailout packages from the Fannie/Freddie GSEs? Jim Johnson and Franklin Raines. Which candidate has them as advisers to his campaign? Barack Obama.
Ed Morrissey (HotAir.com)

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:29 am 21. Mudpie:

Todd: “…Bazooka Joe Biden’s penchant for running the gaffe-o-matic on high…”
So which is the more serious contributor to global warming, fossil fuels or hot air?

Hot air, Todd, because that is all global warming is. It comes from the left.

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:33 am 22. Bookem Dano:

So Obama isn’t fit to lead because he says “uh” and “um” while thinking over his answers to questions? Well, at least he stops to think, unlike John “I don’t know where Spain is” McCain.

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:33 am 23. Jeff:

What people don’t understand is why some of us are so against the current Republican ticket, but we have an obligation to fight against history ever being repeated again. Many of us out here are not fighting for the Democratic campaign but are fighting against an ideology.

1) An ideology that completely mirrors the ideology of this past 8 years.
2) An ideology that recognizes the few while completely disregarding the masses.
3) An ideology that believes in taking military action against Iraq, an incident that is completely unrelated to 9/11, without solidifying our claims beforehand. In the present, we have found no evidence of weapons of mass destructions or a tie to Osama Bin Laden. The devastation of this war has cost us over 4,000 of our brave troops and counting, over 1/2 trillion dollars of taxpayer’s money and counting, and over 1 million Iraqi lives unrelated to the terrorists or insurgency.

Cost of the Iraq War — http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

4) An ideology that still believes that the Iraq War is the right war on terrorism when the Afghanistan War should had been the right war on terrorism, where Osama Bin Laden actually was until he slipped into the mountains and into Pakistan’s territory now. The Iraq War also diverted our attention away from the Afghanistan War. We now have extended our resources in two separate places and have heightened our risk to our troops, our expenses, and creating another dilemma that will take quite some time to finalize. The Iraq War will not go away overnight and it is now our obligation to see it all the way through for God knows how many more years. This has also been the most unpopular war in the eyes of the world’s communities.
5) An ideology that believes that we are at our safest state since 9/11, when a recent terrorist plot was still trying to enter Great Britain’s airports with liquid explosives heading directly to us, but thankfully the plot was foiled. While in Afghanistan, the terrorists are regrouping and strengthening and we have recently suffered another high casualty to our troops yet again within this past month. We currently have the least amount of alliances in the world’s communities due to this unpopular Iraq War. True national securities are the ties that bind us to our world’s communities and the ties that bind them to us.
6) An ideology that vetted one of the most inexperience VP ticket in history, from foreign policies to national defense. If God forbids that anything happens to this President if elected and is stricken with illness, this VP will be running the country.
7) An ideology that believes in “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” while we are facing the highest mortgage foreclosure crisis, high unemployment rate, and the largest collapse of our financial infrastructures since The Great Depression of 1929.

This is an ideology that a lot of us in America are against. Whether this ideology is in the Republican or Democratic ticket is not the main issue but the fact is that America does not want to fall into another 4 more years of devastation. We cannot afford this anymore.

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:45 am 24. Nine-of-Diamonds:

“So Obama isn’t fit to lead because he says “uh” and “um” while thinking over his answers to questions?”

No, but at best he is very hesitant when giving answers off script. At worst he simply may not understand many of the issues well enough to give a logical response. Left wingers cite his time as a Harvard lecturer as proof of his intelligence – I still have my doubts. Even the NY Times admitted recently he seemed to have little understanding of the legal controversies that other faculty members discussed freely.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:01 am 25. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Bookem Dano
RE: Not Really

So Obama isn’t fit to lead because he says “uh” and “um” while thinking over his answers to questions? Well, at least he stops to think — Bookem Dano

You must not be very familiar with speech/thought impediments. Based on your ‘analysis’ of Obama’s speech, a Valley Girl would be just as good as President of the United States.

AND, you might be right in that. Because at least Valley Girls don’t commit so many egregious Freudian slips; see my item (above).

Enjoy,

Chuck(le)
[We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out. -- Winston Churchill]

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:02 am 26. always right:

At least Obama knows who Zapatero is…..

And how is that ‘judgment’? Let alone that constitutes a ‘judgment to lead’.

Maybe we should have elected the all time Jeopardy champion.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:05 am 27. Robert Hurley:

Pam:

I would like to see you run for office – Please be real – This article makes me question why anyone would give you the space to write. Let take a poll – How many people think Pam is a better speaker than Obama. What a joke!

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:05 am 28. squidly8:

TubbyHubby, Obama’s ums, ahs and you knows are not a result of stuttering. They are the result of poor presentation skills.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:07 am 29. proud elitist:

Jeff — the right does not care. Genuinely does not care because Bush listened to God and this is a war from God. (Correct, Sarah?)

They will not belive you when you say that (1999) McCain had joined with other Republicans to push through landmark legislation sponsored by then-Sen. Phil Gramm (who is now an economic adviser to his campaign). The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act aimed to make the country’s financial institutions competitive by removing the Depression-era walls between banking, investment and insurance companies.

They will not believe you that these credit-default-swaps were able to exist/boom due to this deregulation. They will not believe you when you say that McCain was for deregulation before he was against it.

They will not believe you when you tell them that this all happened under the Republican watch.

Like Bush and Sarah, they are intellectually incurious and will not research this area on their own. They are out of touch like McCain and will listen to what their surrogate mamas like Hannity, O’Reilly, Beck and Limbaugh tell them.

They don’t care that Sarah told that mean, sexist Charlie that she DID NOT BLINK when asked while telling Hannity (who has probably spanked a monkey to her picture) that the family decided. They don’t care that the McCain campaign’s press release does not support her story. LIAR.

Bridge to Nowhere. LIAR
Cooperate with Troopergate. LIAR
No earmarks. LIAR

Hence, pathological LIAR.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:13 am 30. Sowell Disciple:

The “ums” and “uhs” seem to make sense when you consider how calculated, contrived, and just plain dishonest so much of what he says is. If he were a truth-teller, he could speak more spontaneously and fluently.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:15 am 31. misanthropicus:

More on Glibama’s freudian slips, hubris, obsessions and anxieties: “… in my Muslim faith…”, “… world leaders I expect to conduct business with for the next 8-10 years…”,

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:18 am 32. Sarah:

“Jeff” a.k.a. “obviously delusional”
I personally see it as a plus that if anything would “God forbid” happen to John McCain Sarah Palin would be in charge! She wouldn’t put up with the liberal elitist bullsh*t that got us into the mess we’re in anyway. When McCain was talking about the fundamentals of our economy he was talking about AMERICAN WORKERS being the backbone of our economy and that is why it is strong. That is, those of us that actually work for a living and don’t wait around with our hand out to the government.
WHO FREAKING CARES what the rest of the world’s opinion is about us being in Iraq, if you agree with “the rest of the world” so much tell me where I can send the money for your plane ticket to get you the hell out of America! After all, if it’s so unbearable here in America why don’t you go try China or Russia where your obviously socialist “ideology” would be more appreciated!

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:18 am 33. always right:

BTW, McCain’s response is exactly right. Time to re-evaluate which allies are the Americans’ true friends in need.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:18 am 34. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: Jeff

This is an ideology that a lot of us in America are against. Whether this ideology is in the Republican or Democratic ticket is not the main issue but the fact is that America does not want to fall into another 4 more years of devastation. We cannot afford this anymore. — Jeff

Rely on only REAL Democrat/Progressive hype and hysteria. Don’t be fooled by imitations.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Liberals aren't. Progressives won't.]

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:20 am 35. TeamPlayer:

How racism works

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said “I do” to?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama were a member of the “Keating 5″?
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does.
It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
Positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

- Kelvin LaFond, Fort Worth

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:40 am 36. proud elitist:

except, always right, that he was confusing Zapatero with Latin American leaders…

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:42 am 37. KDawg:

I heard Obama in an interview with some political analysts about the war in Iraq. Obama was stuttering and contradicting himself. He isn’t so charismatic w/out his speechwriters and teleprompters. I ask my brother and sister why they want OBama for president. “Because he has charisma and he can actually make a speech w/out making a fool of himself.” I chuckle at this. Because Obama has made a fool of himself plenty of times. Obama will not have my vote.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:15 am 38. proud elitist:

You’re just jealous because you have dunce speaker as president, a terrible presidential candidate speaker and a shrill harpy who, like GWB, says “nucular” versus “nuclear.”

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:23 am 39. Ed Wallis:

“Jeff” 9:45am –

I’ll guess you mean : “Capitalism” …

…versus Socialism (not that you or Zerobama would ever admit to that being the driver behind his policies…no, no, we don’t mean Soros’ checkbook here…)

Given that choice, I trust Americans to vote for Capitalism – warts and all – every time over Socialism.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:32 am 40. CDO:

“You also have someone who made a joke that backfired spectacularly. “Lipstick on a pig” may prove to have been the true turning point in this campaign.’

I suppose that explains her polling numbers dropping like a rock since those comments. One thing about the wacky right, logic never enters your mind.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:32 am 41. KDawg:

To the Proud Elitist

Voted for Bush and Proud of it.
Any BOzo is better than Jon Kerry.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:44 am 42. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: proud elitist…

….has problems with English dialects.

Let’s hope he never mentions such thinks in places like Dallas or or Mississippi or New Orleans or Atlanta or Brooklyn or the Valley.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. There’s a difference between pronouncing a word differently and not being able to speak the RIGHT word because you chose the wrong one or you have a speech impediment, i.e., stutter and stammer.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:56 am 43. davod:

I am waiting for a Youtube showing Obama answering the 3:00Am phone call. He asks the caller to hold on and calls for his military aide with the “nuclear football”.

The aide rushes in, opens the bag, and sets up a portable teleprompter, the conversation the proceeds (A bubble in the background shows a Soros look alike typing information into a computer).

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:11 pm 44. always right:

except, always right, that he was confusing Zapatero with Latin American leaders…

No, he didn’t.

It was the interviewer who did NOT understand McCain’s answer.

And apparently, you too.

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:16 pm 45. A Breather… | The Anchoress:

[...] you just have to step back and be a little frivolous, in the face of all the madness, and it is both mean and crazy out there. Can you imagine the press not talking about the invasion [...]

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:25 pm 46. B Dubya:

Jeff
Thanks for the astroturf “Jeff”.
Say, aren’t you “a concerned citizen”? Arn’t you truely “a real conservative”?
We’re on to you Obama apparatchiks, dude. Take it somewhere else.

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:35 pm 47. Jeff:

I hear quite a bit of claims from all of the PajamasMedia “sheeps” that Obama is promoting socialism. The REAL socialism is what we are seeing now, with the current Administration, which McCain agrees with a lot of the times, bailing out Fanny Mae, Freddy Mac, and now AIG with taxpayer’s money. Remember folks, the President either approves a proposal or he vetos it.

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:40 pm 48. katablog.com:

I think it’s best for people to consider Barack Obama’s ability to make decisions. Here is a guy that couldn’t decide “yes” or “no” while serving his short term in the senate, so he voted “present”.

Here is a guy who believes that the decision about when life begins is “above his paygrade”.

And now, here is a guy that can’t decide if bailing out AIG was a good or bad thing.

And we want this person with his hand hovering over “the button”? We want this guy in control when the next terrorist 9/11 event happens, trying to decide whether to put the Air Force jets up, ground flights, etc?

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:45 pm 49. proud elitist:

and, always right, that is through a McCain spokeshack named Randy, right? Links, please. Of course, McCain completely avoided any answers to questions on Spain today on the stump.

Maybe McCain thought the reporter was saying “Zapatos” or “Zapatistas”?

First Carly tells it like it is and then gets banished from the campaign.

And while Jeff is right, understand that we have no choice but to bail out these unscrupulous financial institutions because of how much Americans’ debt they have AND that this entire industry (credit-default) is worth 60+ TRILLION dollars.

These were people that your kind elected into office. The law passed to deregulate and frak up America were done by Republicans in the middle of the night and your man, Johnny POW, supported it. Heck, one of his financial gurus, Gramm, coauthored the bill.

You hate to pay taxes, don’t you? Where the frak do you think this money is coming from? *WE* now own this crap.

Thanks Refugs, thanks!

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:03 pm 50. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: Jeff…

bailing out Fanny Mae, Freddy Mac — Jeff

….obviously has trouble reading. Either that or he has short-term memory loss.

Otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered with this tripe again. Especially after all the information pouring out about how Obama is the second highest recipient in Congress of money from Fannie and Freddie. Only behind another Democrat.

Then there’s the business about how prominent Democrats have been getting MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of dollars from Fannie and Freddie. The same people who are responsible for their collapse. And that two of these three people are Obama’s ‘advisors’.

With advisors like that we can be assured of ‘change’….

…for the worse.

And Jeff is whining about McCain? McCain warned the Senate about malfeasance in the way Fannie and Freddie were doing their books back in 2005. But the Democrats were so in the tank with this Clinton-initiated disaster that they did NOTHING to prevent it.

So, as I said above, Jeff either can’t read or can’t remember or much, much worse.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:05 pm 51. proud elitist:

Chuck: How noble of Johnny POW. I mean, six years earlier he totally supported it…

And, if my memory serves, the people in charge of the White House in 2005 and the Congress were…wait for it…Refugs.

Point, match, set.

How a Refug can talk his way around this is beyond me. And the American people as these financial crises have swung the polls pro-Obama.

You may be a an r-tard baby (South Park reference, “Go God Go!”, before you jump all over me), but a good portion of the American people don’t seem to be drinking the Kool-Aid today.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:12 pm 52. Chuck Pelto:

P.S. Looks like the same thing applies to ‘proud elitist’ too.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:17 pm 53. JMS:

And why can’t Obama answer anyone’s questions? He was in New Mexico at a restaurant, and a reporter asked him about whether the head of the SEC should be fired. He just said he’d be speaking about it later. Forget the speeches, Obama. Why can’t yo talk to the people? Scared? Not prepped? Not sure what to say? I guess so.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:22 pm 54. Jeff:

Chuckles,

The FACT is still clear as day that, eventhough it is a critical moment in our financial firms, this Administration is the one who is bailing them out with taxpayer’s money. Please say it isn’t so, Chuckles.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:27 pm 55. cedarford:

proud elitist:
You’re just jealous because you have dunce speaker as president, a terrible presidential candidate speaker and a shrill harpy who, like GWB, says “nucular” versus “nuclear.”

We had Bush as President because the Dems ran a very lousy candidate with a terminal case of “Senatoritis” back in 2000. We had Bush again because Democrats again went with a Northern Elitist who had a dishonorable past smearing our soldiers.
We have a present candidate who is highly flawed – a Bob Dole II – but who is somehow even against the Annointed One.
One reason for that is 2/3rds of the rest of the country lives in the South, the West – or knows someone who was or is in the military – where the idiom “nucular” is the way it is said.

Of course Northern elitists who pride themselves on knowing nothing about atomic energy because “it’s all bad” – are quick to say such people, even those working as reactor operators, are out of touch and ignorant by saying they work at a nucular power station. Or back in their day, the Marine Vet trained against a nucular foe.

Because everyone with a Harvard degree knows it is pronounced nu-clee-arr.

Why did nucular come to predominate and become military vernacular? Too few Northern Democrats serve their country.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:32 pm 56. proud elitist:

Because, JMS, you can’t fire the head of the SEC as it is confirmed by Congress…

And, this is the same SEC head who McCain supported.

Fact 1: The outgoing SEC chair in 2005, William Donaldson — a former Yale dean, under Secretary of State, and Wall Street executive — had frustrated the White House and Republicans in Congress by often siding with the two Democrats on the commission in favor of stricter regulation of banking and financial services. Reportedly under pressure from his fellow Republicans, Donaldson quit two years before his term was done.

Fact 2: Cox, a former California congressman who worked closely with McCain on a number of issues when McCain’s Senate Commerce Committee chairmanship coincided with Cox’s House Eneregy and Commerce Committee asignment, and who was recently boomed as a prospective vice-presidential running mate for the Republican, will be excused if he feels like he is the one who has been betrayed.

Cox’s nomination to serve was considered by the Senate in the summer of 2005, at a time when McCain was positioned, as chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, to raise any concerns he might have had — and even to hold hearings — about the selection. As McCain, himself, bragged this week: “I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights every part of our economy.”

While that statement was a bit of a stretch, it is reasonable to suggest that the Commerce Committee chair could have identified an opening (perhaps through the committee’s responsibility for overseeing interstate commerce) to hold a hearing and raise concerns about Cox.

Instead, McCain made no complaint and ceded responsibility for reviewing the Cox nomination to the Banking Committee, which has primary responsibility for reviewing SEC nominations. The Banking Committee gave Cox a predictable free ride from the Wall Street-friendly Republicans and Democrats who pack the panel.

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:39 pm 57. Hey Obama, How:

[...] senator and had no real political stake in taking either position

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:57 pm 58. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: Jeff & Changing the Subject

The FACT is still clear as day that, eventhough it is a critical moment in our financial firms, this Administration is the one who is bailing them out with taxpayer’s money. — Jeff

While Jeff would like us to think that he was attacking politicians as a whole, anyone with more than two synapses to rub together knew better.

Sure. We’re all going to own a little bit of very ill-advised loan the program started by the Clinton administration bought into.

But Jeff and his ilk refuse to recognize the reality of the situation, the DEMOCRATS are more to blame than anyone else.

If Jeff REALLY wanted to do something about the mess he’d do the following:

[1] Require Obama and Dodd to return all the money they got from lobbyists for Fannie and Freddie.
[2] Require the TENS OF MILLIONS ‘earned’—or I rather think ’stolen’—from Fannie and Freddie by the likes of Raines, Johnson and Gorelick be returned.
[3] That Obama would dismiss with prejudice Raines and Johnson from his team of ‘advisors’.
[4] In the coming election, refuse to vote for ANY incumbent legislator who didn’t raise alarm bells about the coming disaster like McCain did in 2005.
[5] Call upon Obama to apologize to McCain for not heeding his warning in 2005.

Then, and ONLY THEN, would I think that Jeff might REALLY be interested in doing something constructive about this mess, as opposed to being what the Scientologists would call a ’suppressive’; one who kicks the cat for the dog making a mess on the carpet.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. In regular psychology circles, ’suppressives’ are referred to as sociopaths.

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:12 pm 59. Chuck Pelto:

TO: proud elitist
RE: Yes….

Chuck: How noble of Johnny POW. I mean, six years earlier he totally supported it… — proud eliteist

…but then in 2005 he saw the report from an audit of Fannie and Freddie and raised the alarm that their accounting procedures were, as accountants would say, “Not Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAPP).” You know what we heard about Enron.

Funny that you so-called ‘truthers’, i.e., ‘liberals’ and/or ‘progressives’ keep leaving out those little details. But expected of your ilk.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[What they are telling you can be important. What they are NOT telling you can be vital. -- CBPelto]

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:15 pm 60. proud elitist:

So in 2005, McCain supports the removal of a man (Donaldson) complaining about problems with the lack of regulation and supports a man (Cox) who he now wants to replace…

Chuck is obsessed with 2005…

Chuck does not care that what McCain supported in 1999 caused this.

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:38 pm 61. 888:

Jeff, it’s clear you and a lot of simpletons like you, do not understand the economic and financial reverberations and ramifications around the globe if Fannie/Freddie and AIG were not bailed out. Their reach is too difficult for you to comprehend. You’re just like Obama who could not answer a simple yes-no question when asked about when an infant’s life begins (”uh, it’s above my paygrade”…what an absolute moron) and now, his campaign can’t provide Obama’s position on the AIG bailout (because they haven’t figured it out yet FOR him…truly a dunce). Then you’ve got Biden out there proclaiming to the world that Hillary would’ve been a better VP candidate than him and telling a wheel chair bound person in the audience to “stand up”…Good grief!

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:41 pm 62. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: Again….

…the ‘progressives’ demonstrate a severe mental handicap, they can’t read and/or they can’t understand English.

And we trust these characters to give US advice?

Only a fool would listen to fools such as they.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Birds....Feathers.....Flocks.....]

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:44 pm 63. Chuck Pelto:

P.S. As some wag put it….

When the facts change, I change my mind. What do YOU do?

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:44 pm 64. proud elitist:

OMG! So McCain is a flip-flopper?! The most vile of all crimes?!

You don’t say?!

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:05 pm 65. Chuck Pelto:

P.P.S. I think I already know what YOU would do……

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:07 pm 66. proud elitist:

I don’t vote for lying sacks who participated in the types of deregulation laws that caused such problems as Enron and our current financial crises.

P.S. I know what you do, too!

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:14 pm 67. Chuck Pelto:

TO: proud elitist
RE: Speaking of Lying Sacks….

I don’t vote for lying sacks who participated in the types of deregulation laws that caused such problems as Enron and our current financial crises. — proud elitist

….you’re projecting again. And I think we have the evidence to support that allegation floating around on a thread or two here.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. Your projecting again.

P.P.S. And you confirmed my understanding in my previous P.P.S…..

Thanks…..

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:29 pm 68. joannis franklin:

Every once in awhile, Fast Barky lets one slip, which, if we were discerning, we would see he is dishonest. A case in point which no one mentions is when he said he was against the war because he knew there were no weapons of mass destruction. That’s Bull. He had no intelligence briefings, and our intelligence estimates and that of our Allies said they did have WMD. What no one asks is – if Hussein had them as our Intelligence told us (and of course it was a matter of time before Huseein would have got them later!), how can we trust Obama with discounting it – at our peril, when he did? In other words, what would have happened if the Intelligence Estimates had turned out to be true?
Another such moment of revealing: Obama revealed in his story about his life that on the same Sundays he was jogging, he was fasting…As if that was quite something – well, I suppose he didn’t think we’d ask what he was doing fasting on Sundays (while at Columbia) – nobody did, so he has gotten away with it. No one is purportedly allowed to ask if he was Muslim – IF he is no longer. Bull – I’m asking it! Christians do NOT fast on Sundays – Muslims do. Why has he lied about never having been one? And if he lied about having never been one, how do we know or trust someone who lied about it that he isn’t one even now???
There are other examples I could give. Fast Barky
has never been vetted, NOR ever proved himself for America. Come on, Americans – for God’s sake wake up!

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:35 pm 69. Jeff:

Chuckles wrote,

~~~If Jeff REALLY wanted to do something about the mess he’d do the following:

Chuckles,

Only one of your comment is fact and that is the situation in 2005, when McCain warned Congress about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac of “cooking the books”. But the FACT remained, the Republican controlled Congress at that time did nothing. Democrats did not take over Congress until after that.

Which blog sites did you get the rest of the info from? Was it a Right Wing blog site?

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:37 pm 70. Jeff:

888,

You simpleton child, I did not mention anything about the fact that Fannie, Freddie, or AIG should NOT be bailed out. I merely pointed out that they are being bail out by this current Administration. Get your facts straight, child.

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:41 pm 71. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Jeff
RE: You Are…..

Only one of your comment is fact and that is the situation in 2005…. — Jeff

….either the laziest person on this blog or you are a liar. You’ve been shown the evidence and/or links to it. Therefore, having been shown that, you are not merely ignorant.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else. -- George Bernard Shaw]

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:55 pm 72. Jeff:

My apologies Chuckles,

I apologize for NOT being a PajamasMedia “sheep” and accepting any of the information within this website as factual. I am a true believer of DOING ONE’S OWN RESEARCH rather than believing in articles with conservative or liberal agendas.

Sep 18, 2008 - 4:59 pm 73. chaco:

Bunch of sour grapes. Neither candidate is up to the job that is coming, but as long as the economy is the issue Obama will win. This type of tripe is for the hateful and unthoughtful. Enjoy wallowing.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:17 pm 74. Rubicon:

TubbyHubby. You are of course correct. Speech impediments are not to be made fun of since in most cases, they cannot be helped. Obama could help his by being prepared, but thats a different issue.
The bailouts of Freddie & Fannie are indeed a form of socialism. Bush should not do this, “unless such an action is in the interests of the national economic structure.”
And unfortunately, based on the info available at this time, such are.
Obama is promoting socialism. He would socialize much of America’s health care, energy industries, financial industries, etc.
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) which community organizers rabble roused for back in ‘92 (I think), is the base cause of the current financial crisis. Sub Prime means, loans were made to borrowers whose credit worthiness was suspect or was in fact, incapable of actually meeting the requirements of the lending contract. They could not pay if any of many real estate issues happened. And they did. Values fell. This is NOT the fault of the public & the public should pick up only that portion of the bill needed to keep our economy in tact. If that means foreclosures, so be it. The borrower took the chance based on “special lending rules that had been over relaxed for them. No one relaxed rules for me, nor have they for millions of others.
Every time we make ’special rules, special laws, special considerations, etc.” all we get are especially painful problems to fix that were caused by all of the “special” deals.
You cannot “special” your way into prosperity. Real work, real savings, real effort, and real desire to succeed, are required. For many that will be difficult, but they will have the knowledge they worked for it.
Sorry if this sounds mean…. but we cannot sacrifice the entire nation just to appease special situations brought about by foolish notions of doing good, by community organizers!
If Obama’s idea’s for the economy are what seem to think will win the election for him, wait until the public realizes what his plans will eventually bring on. A well informed public will not vote for another Castro, Chavez, Kim Jong Ill, or other socialist. The system has failed the people wherever tried. It has always resulted in tyranny & oppression, along with economic suffering of the people.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:25 pm 75. Vince P:

Proud Elitist mentioned that it was Gramms fault for his banking reform law in 1999. Pround Elitist is only giving us half the story.

Yes, Gramm and other Republicans were eager to pass the new law, and so were Chris Dodd and Schumer and Clinton and the Treasury Dept.

However, because the Democrats are slaves to their left-wing base, the Democrats would not permit the Bill to be signed unless there were provisions in the bill that no bank can take advantage of the new markets opened to them UNLESS they have clear recored of giving out loans to minorities and other groups were not given loans under normal credit-check standards.

So the Democrats mandated that these crappy loans be issued as a requirement for a lender to enter into the global finance system…

The Democrats sealed our doom.

This is from the New York Times when the bill passed 23 Oct 1999:

WASHINGTON — The Clinton Administration and top Republican lawmakers reached an agreement early Friday to overhaul the financial system, repealing Depression-era laws that have restricted the banking, securities and insurance industries from expanding into one another’s businesses.

…

For instance, the nation’s largest financial services company, Citigroup, would have been forced to sell some of its insurance operations as part of the $72 billion merger last year between Citibank and Travelers Group without either the legislation or a waiver from regulators.

…

The legislation will more easily enable financial companies to offer corporate clients a full range of services, from traditional loans to investment banking services, like public stock offerings. And for consumers, it paves the way for financial supermarkets, which will be able to offer one-stop shopping for an array of services, all under one roof. The measure is also expected to clear a path for a new and bigger wave of corporate deal-making as more companies consolidate.

White House officials withheld final approval of the agreement until aides could see the measure’s language. But the officials indicated Friday night that, with broad support from Democrats in Congress, the measure was all but certain to be signed by President Clinton. As such, it will be one of the most significant pieces of legislation to be written by the White House and the 106th Congress, which began its term considering whether to remove Clinton and has had a bitter relationship ever since.

…

Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers said in an interview, “At the end of the 20th century, we will at last be replacing an archaic set of restrictions with a legislative foundation for a 21st-century financial system.” The measure, he added, “would provide significant benefits to the national economy.”

Senator Gramm said the measure “is the most important banking legislation in 60 years.”

…

The legislation repeals the Glass-Steagall Act, or, as it is formally known, the Banking Act of 1933, which broke up the powerful House of Morgan and divided Wall Street between investment banks and commercial banks. It also makes significant changes to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, which had restricted what banks could do in the insurance business.

The Glass-Steagall Act was enacted after the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing banking crisis and Great Depression. On the day it was signed, along with the National Industrial Recovery Act and other measures, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the package “the most important and far-reaching legislation ever enacted by the American Congress.”

…

The breakthrough in Friday’s legislation came in a backroom meeting at the Capitol soon after midnight, when a group of moderate Senate Democrats — led by Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Charles E. Schumer of New York — forced a compromise between Gramm and the White House over the legislation’s effect on the Community Reinvestment Act, a 1977 anti-discrimination law intended to encourage lending to minorities and others historically denied access to credit.

Dodd, whose state is home to the nation’s largest insurance companies, and Schumer, with strong ties to Wall Street, have long sought legislation to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act. Both men said in interviews Friday that they moved to strike a compromise after it became apparent that the legislation might be killed, as it was last year by Gramm, over the debate about the Community Reinvestment Act.

Gramm had maintained that he did not want anything in the bill that would expand the application of the Community Reinvestment Act because it was, he said, unnecessarily burdensome to banks. He had sought a provision that would exempt thousands of smaller banks from the law. He also wanted a provision that would expose what he has described as the “extortion” committed by community groups against banks by requiring the groups to disclose any special financial deals the groups extract from the banks.

But the White House found that provision unacceptable and had its own ideas about community lending. It wanted the legislation to prevent any bank with an unsatisfactory record of making loans to the disadvantaged from expanding into new areas, like insurance or securities.

The White House had insisted that the President would veto any legislation that would scale back minority-lending requirements. Four days of intense negotiations between Summers, Gene Sperling, the President’s top economic policy adviser, and Gramm, while moving the two sides closer, failed to resolve the differences.

..
After receiving calls from executives of some of the nation’s leading financial companies, Dodd and Schumer began trying to work out a compromise. An agreement was quickly reached on the issue of banks and expanded powers – no institution would be allowed to move into any new lines of business without a satisfactory lending record.

The lawmakers bogged down on Gramm’s insistence that all community organizations disclose to the regulators what benefits they get from banks. Some Democrats expressed the fear that Gramm’s proposal would require the Boy Scouts to file reports with the regulators.

Ultimately, the following provisions were drawn up and both the White House and Gramm said they could accept them:

¶Banks will not be able to move into new lines of business unless they have satisfactory lending records.

¶Community groups will have to make disclosures to regulators about certain kinds of financial deals with banks that they have pressed to make loans under the Community Reinvestment Act.

¶Wholesale financial institutions, a new kind of business that takes large, uninsured bank deposits, cannot be affiliated with commercial banks.

¶Small banks with satisfactory or excellent track records of lending to the underserved would be reviewed less frequently under the Community Reinvestment Act. As a practical matter smaller banks are reviewed about every three years. The deal struck today allows all rural banks and banks with less than $250 million in assets to undergo examination once every five years if their last exam resulted in an “outstanding” grade and every four years if they last scored “satisfactory.”

For more than 20 years, Congress has tried unsuccessfully to rewrite the nation’s financial services laws and repeal Glass-Steagall, particularly as many other industrial nations had no similar restrictions on their banks. But until recently, the three main industries affected by the legislation — banks, securities companies and insurers — had competing interests and were able to lobby any legislation to a standstill.

That all changed in recent years as the lines between the industries began to blur and it became more broadly acknowledged that a deregulation of financial services could be beneficial to insurers, bankers and securities firms alike. Once the three industries rallied around the legislation, they became a formidable political force, raising millions of dollars for lawmakers and pressing both Republican leaders in Congress and the White House for new legislation.

Sep 19, 2008 - 1:22 am 76. Jeff:

What most people have not notice or fail to notice is that “Change” is coming in this election. But the “Change” is not only being promoted by Obama’s campaign since the beginning, the “Change” is now also in McCain himself, who has seemed to have made a 180 degrees turn in his own transformation. Here are the “Changes” of McCain —

1) McCain was previously against oil drilling in ANWR, Alaska; off the coast of Florida; off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico; and off the coast of California. Now he is for “drill baby drill”.
2) McCain was against Federal regulations of America’s largest financial institutions like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG. Now, after these financial institutions are collapsing, he is promoting Federal regulations to control them so that this crisis will not happen again. He now wants more Federal regulations of Wall Street altogether. Wouldn’t this be considered as socialism that most conservatives do not want? Also, please do not forget McCain’s past involvement in the Keating Five as an example that his future plans for Federal regulations of financial institutions will not work —

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

3) McCain has said over and over that, “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” in reference to our economy. Now, he states that he was referring to the American workers as being the backbone of our economy? This reference is only made after Obama has contested his refusal to accept that our country is in a financial crisis. Maybe this is McCain’s way of defusing his stance of denial.
4) McCain has stated since the beginning of the Republican campaign that he will fight a good and honest campaign without resorting to dirty politics of using smear tactics. Now, most of the McCain’s campaign ads against Obama are smear campaigns that even The New York Times, The Washington Post, The LA Times, Newsweek, and various other major news agencies have declared as false information using very dirty politics. Most of the Obama’s campaign ads have been on the defense to all of these false accusations by the McCain’s campaign ads.
5) For more changes of McCain, please look at the link below —

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/flipflops

In this election, there are in fact two forms of changes. One form of “Change” is being promoted by a candidate who wants to transform this country for the better, while the other form of “Change” is being promoted by another candidate of his own transformation to capture the hearts of the American public. Which form of “Change” do we want as a country?

Sep 19, 2008 - 1:54 am 77. 888:

Jeff, no problem with “the current administration” bailing them out — Dow Jones is up 400 points today.

Sep 19, 2008 - 3:04 am 78. Ed Wallis:

To add to Vince P.’s comments of 1:22am :

FROM:

http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2008/09/nytimes-in-2003-bush-proposed.html

EXCERPT:

“… Among the groups denouncing the proposal today were the National Association of Home Builders and Congressional Democrats who fear that tighter regulation of the companies could sharply reduce their commitment to financing low-income and affordable housing.

”These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ”The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”

Representative Melvin L. Watt, Democrat of North Carolina, agreed.

”I don’t see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing,” Mr. Watt said.”

Sep 19, 2008 - 3:12 am 79. Tom the Redhunter:

Obama’s judgment is so good that for 20 years he sat and listened to a racist kook hatemonger preach “Black Liberation” theology and didn’t think anything wrong with it.

It’s also so good that he announced his run for state senate from the home of an unrepentant ex-terrorist. He later served with him on the board of the Woods Foundation, and worked to create the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.

Then there’s Tony Rezko….

I could go on but you get the point.

Sep 19, 2008 - 4:59 am 80. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Jeff
RE: Your OWN Research

I am a true believer of DOING ONE’S OWN RESEARCH rather than believing in articles with conservative or liberal agendas.
— Jeff

Call me when you get back.

In the meantime, better keep your yap shut until you’ve done ALL the research on this—or any other—subject that you care to spout off on.

Personally, I prefer to collect information from reliable sources and use that, instead of having to spend a lot of time on original research. Something we’re taught in the Army during that phase of the Command and General Staff Course known as Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB). We learn how to take information with a ‘grain of salt’ until the source has been evaluated as (1) reliable and (2) accurate.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information. -- Winston Churchill]

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:30 am 81. Chuck Pelto:

TO: All
RE: Jeff’s ‘Word’

Earlier he said he preferred “doing one’s own research” and not a few items later he’s citing Wikipedia.

I wonder if he understand English at ALL….or he’s just a liar.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Wikipedia is a virtual suppository of information.]

P.S. Especially of political information.

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:36 am 82. Ed Wallis:

I think the “judgment to lead” has as a prerequisite the integrity to argue and debate based on honest premises.

Not for Zerobama and his thugs.

See :

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178554189155003.html

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:49 am 83. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Ed Wallis
RE: Indeed AND….

I think the “judgment to lead” has as a prerequisite the integrity to argue and debate based on honest premises. — Ed Wallis

…It helps to be honest oneself, e.g., Jeff.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Honesty is the best policy, but insanity makes for a better defense.]

Sep 19, 2008 - 7:36 am 84. SK8800:

The “One” lol…can not remember how many states we have or how many he has been to, the “One” can not remember being in a church that spews hate and racism, yet has attended for so so many years, could never disown his spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright as he is like family…oh yeah…simon says (I mean the “One” says) goodbye pastor! The “One” can not remember if he is a muslim or catholic unless someone is there to tell him, and the “One” see’s no problem with having friends like Ayers and Dohrn, with whom, as his campaign has acknowledged, he continues to have a friendly relationship. Another tidbit “As a gesture of solidarity, the Vietnamese who Dohrn met in Budapest presented her with a ring made from an American aircraft shot down over North Vietnam. Bill Ayers would receive a similar ring while meeting with Vietnamese communists in Toronto. He later recalled being so moved by the gesture that he “left the room to cry.” He said, “I realized…America was an evil… and that I was… living inside the belly of the beast….”

Isn’t it comforting to know that Barack Obama can see no wrong in any of this? Blind ambition is not fitting for a President and I would say he does not show poor judgement, just no judgement at all!

Sep 19, 2008 - 8:11 am 85. Rubicon:

The “racism” bait does not hold water. Most Americans (that would those of us who cling to our religion & guns… but not in bitterness, only knowing to do so is our written constitutional “right”), could care less what color Obama or any other candidate is.
Race baiter’s fail to understand that average Americans began some time ago, to judge one by the content of their character & have dismissed the color of their skin as an issue.
Sarah Palin did not lie about vetting. She was first interviewed in May. Even the local Wassila newspaper had an article on this. She was interviewed at least three times in extensive interviews by campaign management, and up to 12 times by other members of the campaign, not to mention the five times McCain spoke with her. She met with hubby & the kids at the hotel, to break the news to the kids that the final decision had been made. Until that day, she & her hubby had told the kids only that it was a possibility. Even the kids met with McCain twice before he selected her.
The vetting issue is a deflection attempt.
The pregnancy issue is a deflection attempt.
The abortion issue is a deflection attempt.
The trooper gate issue is a deflection attempt.
The administrator fired for failing to do his job (repeatedly), issue is a deflection attempt.
The foreign policy experience issue is a deflection attempt.
The “Bridge to No Where” position issue is a deflection attempt.
In short, just as race is being used to deflect attention away from the failings or shortcomings of their presidential candidate, liberal leftist socialist Democrats are trying their level best to make Sarah Palin’s supposed failures issues because the complicit media needs fodder to spew repeatedly to the public, or they may actually be required to focus on the repeated actual failures & consistent actual anti-American relationships & positions, Obama has taken over the past twenty years, &/or recognize the fact that Obama, the number one on the Democrats ticket, has no managerial or executive experience with which to compare to the number two on the Republican ticket.
McCain did try to get Fannie & Freddie reformed. He was blocked at almost every turn by Democrats & Rino’s who were beholden to those special interests.
McCain does have “former” lobbyists on his campaign advisory committee. So what? Few advisor’s dealing in Washington have not been lobbyists. In fact, that experience has enabled them to be able to provide serious incite to issues.
By the way…… many of Obama’s advisor’s are also “former” lobbyists. It is disingenuous to say only McCain uses former lobbyists or to suggest he is using “current” lobbyists. It is also disingenuous to say Obama does not use lobbyists. McCain’s advisor’s who were former lobbyists are just as former as Obama’s are!
Obama’s campaign staff in Chicago have an email attack list. When anyone in the media allows someone to speak who has uncovered anything at all that reveals Obama for who he really is & details his associations with rabid anti-Americans, terrorists, & community organizer groups (read: rabble rouser’s), like ACORN (prosecuted previously for staff who registered many dead people to vote, etc., and who are currently working diligently behind the scenes as we speak today to probably do exactly the same thing PLUS register untold numbers of illegal aliens using false & forged identity documents, etc….. the Obama attack email list assails those media outlets with calls to demand said media outlets provide NO speaking time to those individuals.
The rabble rouser’s of the email attack list, do not demand equal time to speak…. they demand the media outlet silence or not provide time or opportunity for anyone to speak who provides evidence of Obama’s past.
Why would a presidential candidate seek to have his national campaign office staff to use emails & telephones, etc., to demand media outlets refuse to permit people to speak?
What kind of freedom is it that someone who is to swear an oath to defend our constitution & our rights enumerated within, as the elected leader of our nation?
When the individual seeking the highest office in our land has a national campaign office support group designed to act to silence the opportunity & ability of any other American to speak, its time Americans realize this individual is a rabid socialist seeking to create an oppressive & despotic government here, just as his friends in Venezuela, Cuba, & North Korea have already done.
Gore once said to a group of assembled media types that he saw “balanced” news coverage as a bias against efforts to reform America. He called it “balance as bias.” Based on the Obama free speech attack machine, it appears Obama believes in this same socialist philosophy & its draconian imposition of despotic rule over free people. No Thanks.

Sep 19, 2008 - 9:05 am 86. Jeff:

Chuckles,

Wikipedia is actually more neutral in their information gathering than the one-sided blog sites that you have been getting your information. By not being able to differentiate between the neutral and the one-sided websites with political agendas, it is your command of the English language that is questionable.

Also, for people to disagree politically is what makes this country great. Resorting to childish mockery and insults of those who don’t agree with you only makes your views look unimportant.

Sep 19, 2008 - 10:04 am 87. POWinCA:

You bring up a great point about his verbalized pauses.

I analyzed his poker tells in several of my blog entries:

http://powinca.blogspot.com/2008/08/obamas-oreo-problem.html

http://powinca.blogspot.com/2008/09/bidens-plagiarism-rubbing-off-on-obama.html

http://powinca.blogspot.com/2008/09/oreo-cookie-tells-obama-not-to-enlist.html

His lies and discomfort are 100% transparent to all except for his Doublethinking, Crimestopping supporters.

I can also show that Obama is among the LEAST qualified people ever to run for the presidency and McCain is among the MOST qualified:

http://powinca.blogspot.com/2008/09/presidential-experience.html

Vero Possumus – truly a possum.

Sep 19, 2008 - 11:11 am 88. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Jeff
RE: Yeah…Right….

Wikipedia is actually more neutral in their information gathering than the one-sided blog sites that you have been getting your information. — Jeff

That’s why, when the Edwards love-child story broke, they were suppressing reports of it until the web, via places like PJM, made an issue of it.

I trust Wikipedia only on matters relating to plants, animals, astronomy and non-controversial history. Anything with ANY controversy to it found there is given a Z-9 rating for ‘accuracy’ and ‘reliability’.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. Maybe you should enlist for a burst-of-six and get a position in an intelligence unit. You MIGHT actually learn how to evaluate sources of information a tad better…..

Sep 19, 2008 - 12:21 pm 89. jerry:

Proud Elitist reminds me that the so-called Progressive community constantly shows its adolescent mindset by constantly projecting its own behavior upon the opposition. He simply repeats the mantra that the Republican ticket tells lies despite the fact that many of the so-called lies are shown to be true.

The psychology behind this is that Progressives are born liars but like most adolescents need to justify their own behavior as a defensive mechanism against the lies told by their opponents. The fact is that all politicians shade the true but few are outright liars. On balance Progressives shade the truth more because the reality is that the Progressive program has failed where ever it has been tried. They must lie to cover their tracks.

I will not engage in debate with a person like proud elitist because for all practical purposes he is a moron. You cannot argue or reason with moron so it is best to ignore his rants.

Sep 19, 2008 - 1:25 pm 90. Jeff:

Chuck,

On a serious note, our constant bickering about who said what or who is right, will be a never-ending revolving door. Let’s just agree to disagree in regards to this election.

I know you have your strong views, like Ed Wallis, and I have mine. I know you guys are great folks but this hyperpartisan politics is what I dislike most in Washington, less in our normal everyday lives. I don’t take anything personal on these posts but I don’t want to offend anyone’s feelings either. I got pretty carried away in my debates with Ed Wallis and I do regret my heated words. My apologies, Ed.

Sep 19, 2008 - 4:19 pm 91. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Jeff
RE: Great!

On a serious note, our constant bickering about who said what or who is right, will be a never-ending revolving door. Let’s just agree to disagree in regards to this election. — Jeff

Stop bringing it up and I’ll stop thrashing you in public for it.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. This is not, from my experience ‘hyperpartisan’. This is a matter of trying to educate. Maybe not YOU. But SOMEONE—likely a ‘lurker’—is going to see these little engagements and realize which side of the knife has an edge….think Occam’s Razor…..

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:06 pm 92. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Jeff
RE: proud elitist

I will not engage in debate with a person like proud elitist because for all practical purposes he is a moron. You cannot argue or reason with moron so it is best to ignore his rants. — Jeff

As with DavidN, down the hall from here, you’ve identified the individual accurately. However, SOMEONE has to remind him of reality. And besides, as I mentioned immediately above, others will observe and learn something.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. -- Proverbs]

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:11 pm 93. 888:

Michelle Obama recently told her audience not to vote for someone just because ’she’s cute’. I would say the same to blacks: don’t vote for someone just because a candidate is black, or to a hispanic just because the candidate is a hispanic. Vote for someone you agree with, in terms of the candidate’s positions on issues that matter to you; the candidate’s character, judgment and principles; and, also the candidate’s ability to move this country forward and meet the challenges the world offers, without being beholden to anyone or any special interest groups.

Sep 19, 2008 - 6:34 pm 94. Kathleen:

“‘Short people got no reason to live … they have little hands, little eyes, they go around telling great big lies.’ … Hey, where are you going? You didn’t finish your tea!”

ahahahahahahahaha!! Oh my god…. hahahahahahaha…..

Sep 19, 2008 - 7:48 pm 95. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Kathleen
RE: And THIS…

“‘Short people got no reason to live … — Kathleen

…has WHAT to do with anything on this topical thread?

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[If you can't convince them, confuse them. -- Democrat axiom]

Sep 20, 2008 - 1:23 pm 96. proud elitist:

Chuck, it was jerry not jeff, who will not engage in debate with me.

Whether you like me, agree with me, want to call me a moron or whatever, we are both passionate about our POVs and the ways we see America needing to go.

You support McCain/Palin. I don’t. Just as you cannot support Obama, I cannot support McCain.

Reality is always jaded by the paradigm you use to view it through.

And yes, both sides oversimplify issues and try to sweep things under the carpet that we disagree with.

This financial crisis has participation on both sides of the Congressional aisle. But one side has been much more reckless about America’s finances that the other. One side has been in charge of the WH for almost 8 years, and 12 out of the last 14 years of Congress.

And it’s not the party of Obama.

In terms of judgement, I view McCain’s first executive decision, the pick of Palin, as the immediate reason to disqualify him from PotUS. Her pick was purely based upon political purposes. The same Karl Rove that in August 2008 said that if Obama picked Kaine of VA, it would be solely political since Kaine does not bring experience with him since he was only a mayor (of the 105th largest city in the US) and a governer, and yet praises the Palin pick. (Face the Nation, CBS, August 10, 2008).

The fact that this person, with those qualifications, irrespective of gender, is a potential #2 in line for PoTUS is not reassuring in the way that Biden, another poential #2 in line for PoTUS, is.

—-

Finally, Chuck, you gave 5 challenges to Jeff:

If Jeff REALLY wanted to do something about the mess he’d do the following:

[1] Require Obama and Dodd to return all the money they got from lobbyists for Fannie and Freddie.

–Does this apply to Rick Davis who lobbied on behalf of Fannie and Freddie? McCain has also received F/F money such as from New York investor Geoffrey T. Boisi, a member of Freddie Mac’s board, contributed more than $70,000 to Mr. McCain and Republican Party committees working for his election. What about Richard F. Hohlt, a Fannie Mae lobbyist, are among the McCain “bundlers” who have raised $100,000 to $250,000 from others?

[2] Require the TENS OF MILLIONS ‘earned’—or I rather think ’stolen’—from Fannie and Freddie by the likes of Raines, Johnson and Gorelick be returned.

–Does this apply to all types of scandals? Like Enron or those with obscene oil profits? Or maybe, AIG, which received $85 billion in US tax dollars earlier this week?

Because McCain and AIG have quite a relationship…AIG is one of the largest donors to the “Reform Institute”, a McCain think tank (co-founded 2001; he formally stepped down in 2005 but is still closely linked with it). It should be noted that Rick Davis served as the president of the nonprofit Reform Institute for three years.

[3] That Obama would dismiss with prejudice Raines and Johnson from his team of ‘advisors’.

–I assume you would ask McCain to dismiss without prejudice Rick Davis (F/F and AIG) as his campaign manager. And Phil Gramm who wrote part of the legislation that contributed to this process. And McCain’s confidant and adviser Charlie Black, whose firm worked for Freddie Mac for several years ending in 2005, and the deputy campaign finance chairman, Wayne L. Berman, a vice president for Ogilvy Worldwide and a former Fannie Mae lobbyist.

[4] In the coming election, refuse to vote for ANY incumbent legislator who didn’t raise alarm bells about the coming disaster like McCain did in 2005.

[5] Call upon Obama to apologize to McCain for not heeding his warning in 2005.

—[4] and [5] above are tied together; the 2005 bill you are referring to with respect to McCain removed oversight from congress to an independent agency. Until 2005, McCain was not on the side of regulation (S&L and Keating Five, 1999 Gramm, 2000 The Commodity Futures Modernization Act). Note that the 2000 CMFA, in particular, has been getting a good portion of the blame for the financial crisis of September 2008.

Despite his 2005 “warning”, his attempts to depict those efforts as some sort of early warning that could have lessened the current credit crisis does not wash. All McCain was talking about then was the potential fallout of accounting troubles in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He didn’t say anything about a freewheeling climate among creditors that had major financial institutions becoming badly leveraged on bad loans.

—

Chuck, will you also adhere to your [1] to [5] above?

Sep 20, 2008 - 2:32 pm 97. Michael T:

As a Canadian, I hope you will allow me to make a few observations about the upcoming US election, as whom you elect affects, in some way, many nations around the world. In a word, I’m worried that neither of the candidates are up to the job that the job demands of them. Neither are great men;both are politicians which is what worries me.Where are the great men in times of need?The political machines behind both parties ahve become isolated from the American people. We have a major threat to the civilized world in Islam and your financial leaders have either failed Economics 101, or let greed get in their way; I suspect the latter. Where are your Washingtons,Jeffersons, Lincolns,Roosevelts or Trumans now that you need them? The United States deserves better. I hope that you make the right decision with such limited choices.

Sep 20, 2008 - 11:09 pm 98. marybel:

“Maybe there is something to the rumor that Michelle Obama wears the pants in the family.”

THAT is no mere rumor, it’s God’s truth. I even heard it on O’Reilly. Michelle, who holds enmity, jealousy, and a huge grudge against Hillary, was behind nixing her from the ticket. Michelle has been an intense liability for her widdle hubby wubby all along…an has just recently been allowed to resurface to attack Palin – because Hillary refused.

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:58 pm 99. Marc Malone:

Michael T, you’re right that they’re both a bit unqualified to be President. However, this cycle, the qualified couldn’t get elected. We are in a period of “American Idol-ness”.

Obama is young, fresh, and exciting… and grossly unqualified. The only one the ‘Pubs had who could compete on the field of battle (Change) was McCain, so he’s what we got. He’s really not too bad. He’ll do less or no harm. Third-party guys have no shot. So, while there MIGHT be someone there worthwhile, usually they have some loony or geeky quality to them.

In 4 or 8 years, Bobby Jindal might run, and show some competence. I fear, though, that we have to go through some hard times to teach this spoiled generation some hard lessons about qualifications. The cycle then starts anew.

Sep 27, 2008 - 3:34 pm 100. Pajamas Media » ‘Obamazebo’ Reveals the Candidate’s Flawed Judgment:

[...] presidential candidate Barack Obama brings to the table. The claim, as PJM’s Pam Meister described it last month, is that “he may not have the same experience as his opponent, but he has what it takes to [...]

Oct 9, 2008 - 3:32 am 101. Whatever Happened To Patti Solis Doyle? « Cinie’s World:

[...] was given a job to nowhere for unfathomable reasons, it kinda makes Barack Obama’s “judgment to lead” a wee bit suspect, doncha think? And it makes the prospect of Hillary Clinton as Secretary [...]

Nov 29, 2008 - 12:52 am 102. lenkaalech:

I think the girl’s name is Cinderella, but i haven’t found any info about her.
She either might have changed her name or she is out of the biz.

This clip is worth the download.
If you like skinny girls…this is the one!
Enjoy……

link: http://depositfiles.com/en/files/0q1liua5f

Feb 5, 2009 - 10:42 am 103. DaveCahonne:

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it should be constructed by a professional web designer.

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Mar 10, 2009 - 7:21 am 104. AnnaNoble:

I found the best thing to my sister’s birthday… It’s really hard to find cool and still unique.
So today I saw this thing from ZTARLET on facebook where you can name a real star in the sky and have the certificate and a teddy bear sent to you and pay it by a single SMS. So awesome

Jun 5, 2009 - 12:58 am 105. Keteffifsturl:

Hi,

What is the best VPS web hosting company?

I’m trying to build a web site for my supervisor.

Thank you,

-Jen

Jun 11, 2009 - 6:42 am 106. CaseyFronczek:

I saw that Casey Fronczek is offering fishing trips now down in south Florida. Does anybody have any input on these trips or has anyone been on one of these trips before?

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:58 am 107. Peggybird:

Very helpful and positive forum, I have already learned a lot from just reading?

Peggybird

Jun 29, 2009 - 2:52 am

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Hey Obama, How’s That ‘Judgment to Lead’ Meme Going?

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