TERRORISM NOW AND THEN

What Can We Learn from “Former Domestic Terrorist” Bill Ayers?

[WARNING: If you are one of those “We don’t talk about terrorists” kind of people, please leave the room. This piece will not interest you in the least. It will only make you angrier. Go on back to the Reactionary Lounge. This room is the Room for Change.]


American Anti-War Sympathy for Bill Ayers and the Weathermen, back in the 1960s, tells us something we need to know for defeating Islamist terrorism today.

Back in That Vietnam-War Era, Countless Americans Opposed the War, but couldn’t do much about it. We marched, we protested, and the war continued.

The Weathermen Did It Differently. They used bombs to disrupt draft boards and the Pentagon.

This “Domestic Terrorism” Was Unsuccessful. But it was their most-powerful weapon against our immensely powerful government.

Many Against the War Did Not Condemn the Weathermen at the Time. Back then, we sympathized with their politics, even when we opposed their methods.

Right Now, Islamist Terrorists Survive Only Because Their Citizens share a view about the West. If we can change the way that terrorist-sympathizers see the United States, we will be more than halfway toward winning the so-called "War on Terror."


Channeling Barack Obama™ Opposes Islamist Terrorism. And we do not endorse “domestic terrorism,” past or present.

But It Always Helps to Understand Your Enemy. And the sympathizers who hide him....

As Long as Terrorists Have Civilian Sympathy, the terrorists will be able to hide. This is what makes these wars the hardest to win. Whether in Vietnam or in Iraq and Afghanistan, or even here at home.

If We Don't Care What the Rest of the World Thinks of Us (as the Bush administration insists), we will continue making enemies around the world. And those enemies will find sympathy among their people.

Only by Considering the Opinions of Others—and then deciding what we can change and what we cannot—only then can we win over the hearts and minds of those who might otherwise oppose us.

And That Is the Best Lesson We Can Learn from the example of the Weatherman, and former-terrorist and current Chicago educator, William Ayers.


NOTE: To Read What Bill Ayers Has to Say About His Role in the Recent Presidential Election, go here:

“What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been: Looking Back on a Surreal Campaign Season”

NEWS FLASH! Chief McCain Advisor Revealed; Labels McCain Hero "Socialist"

[A Hypothetical Report Found on a Campaign Bus Somewhere in Iowa]


DES MOINES—“John McCain and Sarah Palin Now Use Joe the Plumber as their chief economic advisor,” revealed one usually reliable source close to the Republican presidential campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity. Mr. the Plumber fills the spot previously occupied by Phil Gramm. Mr. the Plumber's resumé as economist was not immediately available for review by this reporter.

The McCain Campaign's Former Chief Economic Advisor resigned from the campaign earlier this year following political fallout from a comment that, “We have sort of become a nation of whiners.” The comment was made many weeks before the onset of the current economic crisis which compelled Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to approach the United States Congress with his $700 billion Wall Street “rescue plan.”

“The Obama-Biden Idea About Taxing Wealthier Americans to help out middle-class Americans is not ‘patriotic’ in critical times like these,” chief economic advisor the Plumber reportedly told the McCain-Palin campaign.

“Joe the Plumber Calls This ‘Socialism,’” Alaska Governor Sarah Palin subsequently reported, quoting the newly prominent economist.

(The Original “Joe the Plumber,” Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, reportedly makes about $44,000 a year. Mr. Wurzelbacher has an income-tax lien on file with the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Wurzelbacher reportedly believes that lower-income people should pay the same taxes as the wealthy. Whether this position includes opposition to the progressive Federal Income Tax is unclear to this reporter.)

The Federal Income Tax Was Promoted by former Republican President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1901-1909) as a progressive instrument, part of his efforts to create a “Square Deal” between big business and its workers.

Among Candidates in the Current Presidential Campaign, both the McCain family and the Obama family would pay higher taxes under the Obama plan, and lower taxes under the McCain plan. Neither the Biden nor Palin families would benefit from either plan, according to sources familiar with the two tax-plan proposals.

“Is it Merely Coincidence That the Modest Obama tax increase would also be paid by Senator John McCain’s family?” asked our occasionally reliable source. “Country First is harder to believe when Joe the Plumber becomes the chief economic advisor, and the result is a reduction in the candidate’s taxes.

“But Who Do the McCain-Palin Campaign want to give the big tax breaks to? People like Senator John and Cindy McCain.”

Senator McCain and Governor Palin Have Implied that Teddy Roosevelt was “Socialist” in relation to support of his progressive income tax, which Barack Obama also supports.

On Socialism, Teddy Roosevelt Himself Wrote, in his 1913 An Autobiography, “many of the men who call themselves Socialists today are in reality merely radical social reformers, with whom...good citizens can and ought to work in hearty general agreement, and whom in many practical matters of government good citizens well afford to follow.” [Italics, ChannelingBarack Obama™]

“The Issue of Economics Is Not Something I’ve Understood as well as I should,” Senator McCain recently admitted. “I’ve got Greenspan’s book.” The Senator was apparently referring to The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, by Alan Greenspan, published 2007 by the Penguin Press.

Who Played Joe the Plumber and Ed the Electrician for Suckers in the Free-Market Economy?

The Key Element Missing from Discussions of Free-Market Theory has been the relationship between the heads of free-market enterprises and the “bodies” of those enterprises. While the beneficiaries of “free-market,” “trickle-down” theory hold their talks, the American worker has been too busy at work to join in.

“Labor Is a Commodity.”

That’s the Conservative View, as Noted Columnist George F. Will talked about in his article recently cited in these pages.*

This Secret Has Been Hidden Inside Republican Politics since President Richard Nixon brought it into play back in 1972, when he labeled the labor portion of America, “the Silent Majority.” These free-market Republicans can't really afford to think about the individual workers like Joe the Plumber and Ed the Electrician and Joe Sixpack. After all, somebody has to pay for the real cost of government....


Three Messages Have Dominated the Republican Agenda for at least the past forty years:

The Implicit Conservative Message:

“Sure, you ain’t rich yet, but when you get there, do you want the Democrats and the Socialists to take all your money and spread it around to all the people that don’t even pay taxes, let alone work for a living?”

The Stated Message:

“Republicans seek to lower taxes. Republicans don’t believe in ‘Spread the Wealth.’ Always vote against those ‘Tax-and-Spend’ Democrats.”

But the Real Message Is This:

“We ‘Defer-and-Spend’ Republicans believe we can just keep pushing off the costs of government. Why should we pay for anything? We can push these costs on down the road to the next generation, and to the next generations to come. Onto Joe the Plumber, Jr., and Ed the Electrician's kids.”

No Matter What They Say, the “Defer-and-Spend” Republicans do not actually oppose taxes. They just don't want to have to pay any taxes themselves. Whether this is dishonesty or ignorance, Republicans just consider it a good idea to defer taxes and let someone else to pay.

“Pro-Americans” Would Be Furious about this Practice. If they knew about it....

But “Joe the Plumber” Is Too Busy Working. He's got bills to pay. Who’s got time to question the ability or the integrity of free-market theory and its purveyors?

And “Joe Sixpack” Probably Hasn't Heard the News Yet, that Alan Greenspan has been in “a state of shocked disbelief,” admitting that he was mistaken. About these “free-market” theories...

Meanwhile, John McCain and Sarah Palin and the Conservative Pundits continue to reinforce the Pro-American’s trust in the confident Republican rhetoric.

The Rhetoric That Even Alan Greenspan Now Says Is Wrong.....

Yep, It’s “Joe the Plumber” and His “Fellow Americans” Paying the Price. To the tune of the $700,000,000,000 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It “taxes” each and every “Pro-American” citizen more than $2,000 in extra taxes apiece.

“Joe the Plumber” and “Ed the Electrician” Better Get Back to Work Soon. They’ve got some big deferred-tax bills to pay.

Meanwhile, the Noticeably Silent Fortune 500 CEOs glide gently to Earth on golden parachutes....

....Landing Once More on the Backs of George F. Will’s “commodity.” Joe Sixpack. Joe the Plumber. Ed the Electrician. The stalwart Republican voter for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Everyman, the American tax-payer.

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* Previous post: Channeling Barack Obama, “It Seemed Like Sort of a Good Idea at the Time....” (Channeling Barack Obama™, 10/09/2008). Original source material: George F. Will, “The Right Minimum Wage” (The Washington Post, 01/04/2007, p. A17)

PROPOSED: A Party of Thinking Americans

Here's an Idea for Improving the Political Conversation and the Governance of the United States:

A New Political Party of “United Democratic Republicans” could bring together thoughtful Americans from both sides of the Left/Right political divide to debate all national issues, in mutual respect, with both sides seeking compromises that rise above ideology and serve the American people as one nation, indivisible.

Such Compromises Are Well-Within Our Reach, if instead of dividing the country by political orientation, we divide it by the attitude of shared spirit and good manners.

One Example of Such Cooperation Exists in the “Welfare-to-Work” Program of the Clinton Administration. “Responsible compassion” combined with “individual responsibility” worked to get participants off the welfare merry-go-round.

Other Such Liberal-Conservative Solutions must exist, once both sides put their minds to it.


POTENTIAL RESULTS:

No More Big Government masquerading as small government, as we've seen over the past twenty-eight years.

No More New Deal Great Society that puts government ahead of individual responsibility, as we've seen off and on since 1932.

The Thinking Americans from “Both Sides of the Aisle” could work together in earnest sincerity, absent the rancor and mistrust of motive that has permeated American political discourse for so long.

Meanwhile, the Know-Nothing Americans Must Either Work with One Another or else fracture into dozens of small parties that can never elect anybody to anything.


Is This Just Another Naïve Idea by some washed-up old terrorists?

Or Is It a Legitimate Way to re-configure the country?

If American Truly Can Do Anything, We Can Do This. If we can put a man on the moon, we can do this.

If Americans from Both Sides of the Aisle can elect an African-American as President just 44 years after passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we can do this.


As for the Know-Nothing Americans? First, they might nominate Governor Sarah Palin to run against Barack Obama in 2012.

And Then Next, If They Lose Enough Elections, maybe they’ll decide to stop shooting first and questioning later. Maybe they'll decide to put down their slogans and start to think.

Republicans for Obama Are Still Republicans

Back in the 1860s, a New Kind of “Know-Nothing” American turned against Lincoln’s Anti-slavery Republican Party because of the Civil War. Instead of thinking seriously about political issues, these people categorically voted against Republicans. And thus, they voted for Democrats.

About Republicans, the Know-Nothing Americans Said:
“We ain’t gonna vote for that party never again!”

And These Know-Nothing Americans did not vote for Republicans for the next one-hundred years....

Then Came 1964, and the Civil Rights Act. Putting aside what the Republicans had done in the War of Northern Aggression, the Know-Nothing Americans now turned against the Democrats. And by 1972, the Know-Nothing Americans had all moved back over to the Republican Party. They did not vote for Democrats for at least the next thirty-six years.

About the Democratic Party, the Know-Nothing Americans Said:
“We ain’t gonna vote for that party never again!”

And Since That Time, the Republican Party has had to cater to the Know-Nothing Americans in order to win elections. It has been a high price to pay.....

In the Current Election, We See the Extent of That Cost: A good man, John McCain, has been sucked too far into the maelstrom of Know-Nothingness, in an effort which we hope will ultimately prove to be in vain.

Meanwhile, Some of the Nation’s Leading Conservatives and Leading Republicans have come over to the Barack Obama side to vote.

Rest Assured, These Good Republicans Remain Republicans. Or at least, they remain Conservatives.

Once this Current Anti-American Situation Passes, these good people will get back to fighting “the good fight” for their Conservative ideals.

The Great National Debate between Conservative ideals of responsible opportunity and Liberal ideals of responsible compassion will get back underway.

As for the Know-Nothing Americans? If they lose enough elections, maybe they’ll decide to stop shooting first and asking questions later. Maybe they'll learn to put down their slogans and start to think.

Style Over Substance: The Republican “Spread the Wealth” Plan

The Wall Street Rescue Plan Is the Republican Version of “Spread the Wealth.” The effects of the past twenty-eight years of Republican deregulation and Liberal-bashing have led to the greatest spreading of wealth in the Nation’s history. All 300,000,000 of us must “spread” our “wealth” to protect the McCain-named “greed and corruption on Wall Street.”

If “Spread the Wealth” Is Really the Republican Program, how can Senator McCain and Governor Palin get away with accusing Barack Obama? The answer is simple: it depends on John McCain’s sarcastic tone and Sarah Palin’s humorous barbs about “Joe the Plumber” and “Ed the Dairyman.” By pushing these false examples—of people who would actually gain in the wealth of Wall Street CEOs under an Obama plan—the Republican candidates exercise their own right to “Style Over Substance.”

“Style Over Substance” Is What the Republican Party Has Given Us for the Past Eight Years. Meanwhile, they have “spread the wealth” of middle-class American, to bailout the multimillionaires on Wall Street. $700,000,000,000 and counting: that’s how much taxpayer money the Republican “Spread the Wealth” plan has spread to rescue Wall Street. Where is the “trickle down” in that?

General Colin Powell Makes His Case for Barack Obama eloquently. While John McCain and Sarah Palin believe that being an Arab-American or a Muslim-American or a French-American or an American city dweller is a bad thing, Colin Powell points out the essential American point-of-view:

We Are All Americans. While Sarah Palin talks about “pro-America” parts of the country, nothing in the Barack Obama or Joe Biden record shows either leader categorically dismissing any American citizens as second-class.

“Style Over Substance”? “Second-Class Americans”? That’s the McCain-Palin approach, for which un-American positions they should be resolutely denied election to higher national office.

Style and Substance? That’s What Barack Obama Offers America throughout this long campaign and in presidential leadership to come. Now, early voting is begun in many states throughout the nation. One party in this election clearly seeks to represent all of America. We are one nation. United and indivisible.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden Ask for Your Vote. They need it now. America needs your vote now. It is time to show the “Spread the Wealth” Republicans that “Country First” means all the country. And “Hope” and “Change” represent the real American future, to end this long era that has put the failed policies of “Wall Street First” ahead of the safety and security of the greatest nation the world has ever known.


Thank You for Your Support

Guilt by Association and the Terrorism of Deregulation (Part II)

The Terrorism of Deregulation:

The Economy of the United States of America has struggled under years and years of the "terrorism" of deregulation. Can our economy continue to support a “deregulation Maverick” like Senator John McCain?

As Election Time Draws Near and the Economy Sinks, Senator McCain and his “Maverick” running mate will be talking more and more about anything they can get away with, doing their best to distract Americans from the real challenges that face America today.

Is This Any Way to Run an Election? John McCain said that he’d rather lose an election and save the economy, than lose the economy just to win an election.

Guilt by Association Is not New. And it’s no surprise. In fact, a McCain-Palin campaign worker today said,

“If We Keep Talking about the Economy, We’re Going to Lose.”

Small Wonder That the Maverick Deregulator who encouraged decades of "deregulation terrorism"—from the Savings & Loans, all the way to Wall Street—would want to talk about just about anything else.

Terrorism? Deregulation? Savings & Loan Scandal? Which of these things really matter when it comes to feeding your family, filling up your gas tank, paying for college, and saving for retirement?

Barack Obama Needs Your Vote on November 4, 2008. It's time to change America. Senator McCain wants to talk about Barack Obama and Distinguished Educator William Ayers. Why would the McCain-Palin ticket rather talk about that?


Thank You for Your Support.

Guilt by Association and the Terrorism of Deregulation (Part I)

Guilt by Association:

While Senator John McCain Actively Participated as a member in the scandal of Charles Keating and the Keating Five, Barack Obama had absolutely nothing to do with America’s war in Vietnam.

When the Vietnam War was Lost, Barack Obama was 13 years old.

Barack Obama Had Nothing to Do with anti-war activities back in the 1960s. When William Ayers committed his anti-Vietnam War activities—for which Distinguished Educator Ayers has since turned himself in and apologized—Barack Obama was 9 years old!

Barack Obama Met Mr. Ayers as a Respected Educator in the 1990s, helping to reform a crumbling Chicago education system. Not as a terrorist, but more than 20 years later, as an educator.

Does the McCain-Palin Campaign Honestly Believe Barack Obama should put politics ahead of Chicago school kids? Should Barack Obama, like John McCain, put politics ahead of the American people?

To Fix the Current Economic Crisis, the Obama team of leaders includes: Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett; former Reagan Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker; and former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Are these the kind of people John McCain would accuse of supporting a former terrorist?

President & Senator Clinton: Is Sarah Palin implying that Senator Clinton would support a terrorist? Does John McCain mean that President Clinton would support a terrorist?

Coming in Part II: "The Terrorism of Deregulation"

Thank You for Your Support.

What Difference Does John McCain Make?

What Difference Does John McCain’s Involvement in the Losing Savings & Loan Meltdown back in 1987, and the Keating Five scandal, make in today’s economy?

What Difference Does John McCain’s Involvement in the Losing Vietnam and Iraq Wars make in today’s foreign relations?

What Difference Does John McCain’s Role as a Deregulating Maverick in Today's Losing Economy have to do with the need to bail out Wall Street with 700,000,000,000 of American taxpayer dollars?

What Do 26 Years of Loss and Failure Have to Do with America’s Next President?

On November 4, 2008, We Can Elect Barack Obama President of the United States, and Joe Biden Vice-President to serve at his side. Unless we want more years of deregulation, loss and failure.

It’s Time to Put Someone Who Knows How to Win for the American people in the White House. Not just to fight, but to win....

Can American Survive Four More Years of More of the Same Loss and Failure? Of Course.

But Thrive? No.

It's Time for Real Change with President Barack Obama.



Thank You for Your Support.

Roasting the Chickens

It Has Been One Thing to Poke Some Fun at the Bad Guys during their long years of success, while they remained insulated from the realities that affect the rest of us.

It Is Another Thing When These Chickens Come Home to Roost, and it is our henhouse that they land on—the one that they’ve dismantled for us.


Since the 1980 Election of Republican President Ronald Reagan, the regulations and the treasury of the United States have been under assault by a determined policy of “free markets” and “trickle down” and “supply side.” It will always be folly to run a government into the ground by both lowering its income and increasing its costs.

But This Has Been the Thrust of the Republican “Free Market” Idea. If nothing else results from the current debacle, let us at least hope that the practical lesson, which was somehow not logically clear-enough to the “Show-Me” nation of Americans before, now has been shown. We are actually living out the logical disaster of living beyond our means.

When Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Came Out to Congress and said, “Listen, you have to fix this thing quickly, and you have to give me $700 billion dollars, with no strings attached, to do it,” much of America doubted the move. Our “Hey, How Hard Can It Be?” President lost almost all of his credibility a long time ago. And now here he comes to terrorize us one more time.

President Bush and the Republicans have deliberately stuck America between a rock and a hard place.

Those Who Were Recently Referred to as the “Revolting Republicans,” get labeled thus because they waited until this last-minute, brink-of-disaster opportunity to speak up and say, “Hey! It’s a bad bill. We’re not gonna do it.”

Where Have These "Revolting Republicans" Been Up Until Now? And what political motive kept them silent before voting time earlier this week?

What Has Been Done Is Despicable. It has been despicable for the entire seven-and-a-half years. And the fact that there’s not much America can do about it right now is as infuriating to all the rest of America, who have the not-unreasonable attitude of, “Why should I bail out Wall Street?”

One Can Hardly Help But Wonder Whether This "Rescue" Request is just a feeble bumbler’s last-chance effort to completely empty out the coffers of the country, on his way out.

But the Current Evidence from the Markets tells us that indeed the President is right this time. At least he is right to the extent that Congress must act quickly. On the other hand, the arguments against this bill—with its made-up cost of $700 billion dollars—remain persuasively disturbing.

Six Years of Unbridled Control of Government, out of the past total of 28 years. That’s how long it took the Republicans to work their damage of de-regulation uncontrol. And this is the result.

Now, Please Listen to the Lesson Learned:

It Is Not Possible To Run Any Endeavor By Constantly Raising Expenses Above Income. Things must be paid for. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Now That the Republicans Have Seen It, and the rest of us have to help pay for it—

Can We Please Pass the Stupid Bill, and then move on to a reasonable relationship with fiscal reality?

Thank You.

Can America Really Have It Both Ways?

Anyone Listening to Senator McCain over the past few weeks has heard him promise to rid Wall Street of greed, while deregulating the economy so that America can get back to work.

But Greed Is One of the Key Reasons that regulation is needed. And regulation is what the Republican Party has spent the last eight years getting rid of.

Senator McCain, Like Most People, wants to provide necessary government services, while lowering the taxes necessary to pay for them.

The Way Conservatives Explain It, when tax rates are lowered, tax revenues go up. If that’s the case, doesn't it make better sense to get rid of tax rates entirely, and let tax revenues rise through the roof?

Another Way of Saying This Is “You Get What You Pay For.” Republicans don't want to pay for anything. These years of the twenty-first century in America so far are the result.

“Voodoo Economics,” is what George H.W. Bush called it. And current circumstances make it look like he had something.

The Past Seven Years Provided an Unprecedented Opportunity for Conservative Americans and the Republican Party to put their free-market ideas to the test. Controlling all three branches of the Federal Government for six of those years is about as good as it gets. And yet almost 90% of Americans say that the economy now is about as bad as it gets.

The Free-Market Ideology Does Not Work. Not back in the 1920s. Not in the twenty-first century. It makes no sense. It is illogical. It is “voodoo economics.”

Yeah, But What Really Went Wrong? Maybe the following quote from David Brooks’s column, “Revolt of the Nihilists,” in The New York Times, 09/30/2008 (italics by Channeling Barack Obama) may shed some more light on a key Conservative ideological flaw:


“What We Need in this Situation Is Authority. Not heavy-handed government regulation, but the steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up.”


What Public Instititutions Is David Brooks Talking About? The Carnegie Library? The American Red Cross? The Daughter of the American Revolution?

The Key to the Republican Disaster is this cluelessness about government. Republicans don’t know what government is. They don’t know how it works. They finally seem tired of running it.

Here’s Hoping that on November 4, 2008, They Finally Give America Some Government Back.


My Name Is Not Barack Obama, and Barack Obama does not even know that this exists.

A Simple Solution to Gasoline Shortages

Cars with License Plates Ending in Even Numbers could buy gasoline on even-numbered days.

Cars with License Plates Ending in Odd Numbers could buy gasoline on odd-numbered days.

Within a Day or Two of Starting This Plan in 1974, the gas lines disappeared. Once the lines disappeared, people stopped topping off their tanks all the time, and the shortage problem quickly abated.

In This Time of Economic Crisis and Gasoline Shortages, Americans working together can still achieve anything.

Thanks for Your Interest.

What Are Pelosi and the Revolting Republicans Thinking?

In this Seemingly Endless Epoch of the Republican Meltdown, it is constructive to glimpse how Democratics and Republicans both make a share of the mess, and contribute to the ongoing fiasco of American politics:

What the Heck Was Nancy Pelosi Thinking when she made that highly partisan, anti-Republican speech before the vote was taken on the bailout proposal yesterday? She may have merely been overtired from the long hours, but still she might have shown better restraint.

What Were Those Republican Representatives in Revolt thinking when they bailed on the bail-out? They embarrassed their peers in the House and Senate, they embarrassed their President, and they tipped the financial markets into a freefall.

And What Was Senator John McCain Doing, swooping in and out and around, and postponing the debate without skipping it, and suspending his campaign without suspending it, and then claiming a victory which was thrust into the jaws of defeat? And blaming the whole thing on Barack Obama somehow?


Over the Past Weeks, We Have Witnessed Some Stunning Non-Partisan Displays:

Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire gave an exemplary presentation of the Senate bill, explaining the crux of the matter, and complimenting everyone involved on both sides of the aisle, including by name those Democrats who had played substantial roles.

Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Barney Frank have spoken repeatedly to task, without invoking partisan rancor.

President George W. Bush has called on both parties equally to help defend this crisis. Even in the special meeting President Bush called to help move a bailout forward, he flanked himself with Democratic Congresswoman Pelosi and Democratic Nevada Senator Harry Reid.

Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke made their appeal to our government, and singled out no side for blame.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama offered up supportive words for those hard at work to rescue the economy. And he did this from an appropriate distance, as one not directly involved in the challenging negotiations across party lines.


Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures. The current fiasco has shown numerous members of our government—and in particular, members of the United States Congress—rising to put national service before partisan obstacles.

This Is the Kind of Leadership the American People Want to See. We want a government that works for each and every one of us, regardless of political party. Once a politician is in office, that person’s previous party affiliation must fall away for the duration. This is what we want to see.


It Is Up to Congress to Explain What’s Going On. Congress must convey, in clear and honest communication, what is at stake here, and what must be done. No more partisan politics, the continued politicization of a crisis caused by failed regulation.

No Bill of Goods May Be Sold to the American People by a government that knows not what it does. We depend on the wisdom of such honest congressional leaders as Judd Gregg and Barney Frank to see us through.


But as for Nancy Pelosi and the Revolting House Republicans, and others who would put party above constituents, there is not much more for us to say. Other than:

What the Heck Are You Thinking?

NEWS FLASH! President Bush Declares National Celebration!

[DISCLAIMER: The confusion of today's events have compelled this imaginary effort to make some sense of it all.]

President George W. Bush Today, speaking from the White House, announced that “September 29th, 2008, shall henceforth be celebrated as National John McCain Day in honor of the role that Presidential Candidate John McCain played in pushing through the legislation today that quite literally may have saved the nation.”

“We Were Going Over Niagara Falls in a Handbasket,” President Bush said. “The subprime-mortgage fallout over the declining economy was making it hard for you and me and the man on the street to get a credit card to use to buy his groceries. And the same for his gasoline, which has gone up as high as $4.00 a gallon in some parts."

“America Did Not Hesitate in Knowing Where to Turn,” said the President. “There was a meltdown. A literal meltdown. And the Democrats, well, you know. This is no time for partisan politics that blame those on the other side of the aisle, in the Democratic Party, who stood by and watched the empty beer keg floating in the barrel of melted ice.”

“And Then, Along Came John,” the 43rd President of the United States said from his podium in the Rose Garden. “And John McCain got the job done.”

“There Was This Other Candidate, You See,” Mr. Bush continued. “Barack Obama, see, he didn’t—Well, you can’t just phone it in. You have to be there.”

“And John McCain Was There,” the President added. “He was there just as he had been in Vietnam as a P.O.W., a prisoner-of-war who when they let him go home, he said that, ‘No. I’d rather stay.’ And he stayed. And the rest is history.”

“Yesterday, as a Result of the Dedication of My Friend, John McCain, the biggest bailout in American history took place,” said Mr. Bush. “We were pulled from the brink of disaster, our economy. And so I hereby declare this a national day of celebration.”

“National ‘John McCain Saved the Day’ Day will now be celebrated throughout America every year on the 29th day of September. And if it falls on a day other than Monday, then we will move it to Monday. And have two holidays that year.”

“Thank You, John McCain, for Rescuing America Single-Handedly Once Again.”

NEWS FLASH! America’s Financial Crisis: Fortune 500 CEOs Respond

Channeling Barack Obama™ has received the following open letter to the American people:

Dear Fellow Americans:

We, the Undersigned CEOs of Companies on Fortune Magazine’s list of the 500 largest American companies, have stood quietly on the sidelines while Congress and the American people debate the solutions to the overwhelming crisis of our national economy. We understand that many citizens do not fully understand the exact nature the crisis, nor how we—each of whom makes a salary of tens of millions of dollars—screwed it up.

But That’s Just What We’ve Done. We’ve screwed it up.

And Now We Come to the American People with our hats in our hand. We need your help.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, on Our Behalf, has asked Congress to put together a plan to take away the obstacles that are shutting down the credit markets and making it impossible for businesses to continue doing business, and for citizens to buy houses or cars, or to use credit cards.

If Congress Does Not Act—and Quickly—the entire credit system of the United States will stop. What we will have is a major disaster. And so we need Congress’s help, and the resources of the United States Treasury—which money ultimately belongs to you.

To Show Our Understanding of What the American Taxpayer Faces with such a large plan, we would like to make the following accommodation, out of respect for your great sacrifice:

Effective with the Signing of the Economic Rescue Package, we, the undersigned CEOs, will voluntarily reduce our own salaries to a number that is 14 times the average pay of each company’s salaried employees.

Whole Foods, Inc., the Nation’s Largest Organic-Grocery Market, has used this salary cap for years. It has served Whole Foods well. This cap serves as an ideal guideline for how American corporate leaders should be compensated in the future.

In the Meantime, All Salary Above This Cap, until our salaries are renegotiated, we will give to the United States Treasury, to be used as will best serve America’s financial needs right now.

America Is in Crisis. We, the undersigned CEOs, appreciate the willingness of the American people to step up. The extra millions of dollars that we CEOs have at our disposal are the least we can offer, in gratitude for the generosity of the American people.

To Our Fellow American Citizens, we say:

Thank you, and God Bless America.

(Signed)

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McCain Denies. We Apologize.

Speaking Earlier Today on ABC News’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Senator John McCain was asked about his apparent reluctance to look at Barack Obama during Friday’s debate.

“I Wasn’t,” interrupted Senator McCain.

Mr. Stephanopoulos, Visibly Surprised, said, “No? Well, we went back through the tape, and some people were saying that that was showing disdain for him. Is that fair?”

Senator McCain Chuckled. “I was looking at the moderator a great deal of time; I was writing a lot of the time. No way, no how, that in any way would—”

“Certainly Not What You Intended,” interrupted Mr. Stephanopoulos.

“Not Only What I Intended,” Answered Senator McCain. “Wasn’t,” he repeated. “That’s just foolishness. I’ve been in many, many debates, and a lot of times I don’t look at my opponents, because I’m focusing on the people and the American people that I’m talking to.That’s what the debate’s all about.”

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What Can You Make of the Video Evidence?

http://www.the-peoples-forum.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5185

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The American Voters Were Promised an Opportunity to evaluate the ability of our two presidential candidates debating face-to-face. While Barack Obama frequently turned toward his Republican opponent, and addressed his opponent directly, Senator McCain clearly did everything he could to avoid looking at his debate opponent.

Does Senator McCain Expect That International Debates would go well for him—and for the American people—if he would not address his counterpart directly? Such behavior in most cultures is taken as a sign of weakness and an insult. Weakness and insult lead to war, not to peaceful, constructive international cooperation.

In the Debate, Barack Obama showed Senator McCain the respect that this distinguished war hero deserves. Whether Senator McCain’s behavior reflected denial or senility or venality hardly matters at this point. The debate is over. The opportunity is lost.

However, If Senator McCain Claims that what happened didn’t even happen, it’s hard to know what to think. There is no good answer. What he was thinking—before, during or after—no one may ever know.

While We Respectfully Disagree with Senator McCain about the purpose of a debate—in which both parties have agreed to debate each other—it is hard to label something as “cheating” when the accused person insists that not only wasn’t he cheating, but that the cheating did not even occur.

On the Basis of the Confusion, We Apologize for accusing John McCain of deliberately cheating the American people in last Friday night's debate.

Why Did John McCain Cheat?

The American Voter Lost the First Presidential Debate. Each side—Republican and Democratic—has claimed victory. But read below to see how the American people clearly lost, and why.

The Debate Format Had Both Candidates Addressing Each Other in last Friday night's session. This would have given American viewers a chance to see how each candidate might serve our country in an actual negotiation setting. When the next President of the United States goes to meet with Vladimir Putin or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the American people naturally don’t get to go with him. This debate was where we were supposed to see it.

But Senator McCain Balked. He Cheated. The Republican candidate for president broke his agreement on the spot. He gave no explanation, no warning. He would not look at Barack Obama. He would not meet Barack Obama’s eyes.


About His Refusal to Talk Directly with Barack Obama, Senator McCain asked Jim Lehrer, “Are You Afraid I Couldn't Hear Him?” Was this a self-deprecating remark about the Senator's age? Or a smirk at tricking Jim Lehrer, Barack Obama, and the American voter?

It Is Our Job as Voters to Make the Best Voting Choices We Can Make. This is our only job in any election. The disrespect that John McCain showed, whether deliberate or not, was to the responsible American voter, who made the time, at the end of the long work week, to honor our duty of making the best-informed decision possible.

All’s Fair in Love and War, goes the old saying. But this generally refers either to the enemies or to romance. And the McCain/Paling slogan is “Country First.” The question here is, which was it? Does cheating the American voter come under the heading of “All’s fair”? Or perhaps of “Country last”?


We Are the Real Victims of McCain’s Cheating. Our job of deciding on the best presidential candidate was deliberately thwarted, for unexplained reasons, by Senator John McCain. We were promised an opportunity to do our job in Friday’s debate. The opportunity was denied.

American War Hero John McCain Should Be Ashamed for putting himself above country, and above the duties of the American people, as he took that opportunity away.

Is Government Really the Problem?

Republicans Since the Days of Ronald Reagan have loudly insisted that “Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.”

With the Current Bailouts of the American Economy underway in Washington, it’s getting a little bit harder to make that sound convincing.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, speaking urgently last week before the Senate Banking Committee about their Federal Bailout proposal, seem to believe that government actually may indeed have the solution to the current potential mortgage meltdown.

According to These Distinguished Republican Gentlemen, deregulation is the problem, government is the solution. And the time is now.

Government Can Be the Solution, even if the free-market Republicans want to deny it.

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and Vice-Presidential Candidate Joe Biden ask for your vote on November 4th.

It's Time to Reinvest in the American Spirit.


Thank You For Your Support

Conservatives Have Been Rushed Too Often

We Americans Have Been Rushed in the Wrong Direction Too Many Times by the current presidential administration, and the current situation looks like more of the same: a proposal which somehow protects Wall Street and its CEOs, while putting the rest of America at greater risk.

Genuine Conservative Americans have been at a loss in the current political circumstance. But the choice of feckless Republicans has not been the answer. Our sad, recent history shows this.

It Is Time to Refine Our Ideologies. With the factual evidence of the past eight years, we now know that regulation, always imperfect, is also always necessary. Laws and regulations mitigate unfettered greed and recklessness. Conservatives must find a better way.

No One Likes to Be Regulated or Taxed. But a government without controls--or without income--is a crippled government going over the falls. And a Congress which rushes always to the aid of the ship, while consistently ignoring the passengers, will eventually founder.

Fortunately for America, Congress Is Not Cowed This Time. The bipartisan cooperation currently rises to meet the high expectations of the American public. Those expectations shall not be disappointed. In times of dire crisis—when it really matters—the United States Congress comes through.

The Success of the Barack Obama Campaign to date, meanwhile, shows that the presidential candidate knows how to manage. Against formidable opponents along the way, he has demonstrated an agile ability to learn as he goes along. The Nation currently rushes toward a Niagara Falls of economic distress. At the helm, we want a clear head, undistracted by ideology, with a pragmatism that represents the finest spirit of the American people.

My Name Is Not Barack Obama, and Barack Obama does not even know about this message.


Thank You for Your Support

It's 3:00 A.M. in America

It's 3:00 A.M. and You're a Candidate for the job of President of the United States. The Red Phone Rings. Do you answer it?

Or Do You Let Your Answer Machine Take the Call, while you postpone it? After all, you're busy right now with other things. Such as a debate with a political opponent. And a financial bailout package, the result of failed anti-regulation, free-market policies, is up for negotiation in Congress. Then there's the issue of your vice-president, whose feelings have been hurt yet again by the vicious partisanship of the media.

Do You Answer the Phone? Do you take the call? Do you carry on with the debate? Do you work on the bailout with Congress? Do you calm your vice-president (or arrest all of the partisan media)?

Or Do You Turn Over and Go Back to Sleep?

It's 3:00 A.M. in America. Mr. President, what are you going to do now?