It's very interesting that McCain/Palin are selling themselves as reformers. Exactly who are they going to reform?
The Republican party has been in the White House for the past eight years, in control of both houses of congress for six of those. Are we honestly expecting them to reform they're own party? I don't think so.
If the version of John McCain was the one we saw in 2000, maybe we could expect a fight on behalf of reform. Today's John McCain has fully embraced the politics of Karl Rove, fully embraced the divisiveness of the religious right, fully endorsed the economic and foreign policies of the current president. Once again, who is he going to reform? What is he going to change?
Based upon recent track records, reform will not happen under another republican administration. All one has to do is examine the current financial crisis to gain insight into what type of reform we can expect. I think if is fair to say, there has been a hands approach to oversight of the financial markets. The lack of real oversight has contributed significantly to the mortgage and lending crisis we're experiencing today. McCain is still preaching dereguluation and proposing policy that allowed corporate america and wall street to put us in this mess.
McCain, at one time, was a maverick. But how can his campaign really expect the electorate to believe that he is going to reform the very policies and party he helped create? He's selected a running mate that's built in the same made of G.W. Bush, and ideologue that fully embraces cronyism at every level. It's not going to happen, we all know that politics at the national level is all about the "Party".
All I know is that while the Republicans were in control, the following happened:
1. The deception of the American public to lead us into a phoney war in Iraq, costing us over 4K american lives and over 70K soldier injured.
2. The failed federal response to Katrina
3. The replacement of career professional government employees with right-wing ideologues. Competence was replaced by loyalty to Bush and his ideology.
4. A Justice department who doesn't understand the concept of Justice. All we have to say is ...Alberto Gonzalez.
5. The Patriot Act, unwarrented wire-tapping of U.S. citizens. Siezure of U.S. citizen electronic property at the border, without warrant or even suspicion.
6. A republican party, that is not the party of conservatives, but rather a party that seeks to expand the influence of corporate interest rather than the interests of "main street".
We need change and we need real leadership. many of you have made several disparaging remarks about Obama and his perceived lack of experience. Many of those criticisms are rooted in simply party unity ideology rather than basis in fact. All I can say regarding tha issue, is that he put together a campaign that took down the mighty Clinton machine. And I believe that he did it by running a relatively clean and honorable campaign. That's something the Republicans and their supporters failed to do.
Obama has clearly demonstrated the ability to surround himself with the right people so the right decisions can be made. That's what executives do.
Can we really expect McCain to do the same?
" I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message". Paid for by 'Obama for President'.
you beat me to it, lol.
Out of context hogwash.
Just want to respond to a few points here.
First off, what failed response to Katrina? Did you notice how busy Bush was when Gustav and Ike were on their way? Or how busy he was in the aftermath of each? Oh yeah, he's been busy running the country.
90% of the responsibility for preparing for and responding to a hurricane lie with the Governors of the states affected, and the local authorities, NOT the federal gov't. FEMA's job is to coordinate with local agencies, and provide support. That's basically it. Before and after Katrina hit, FEMA was on the ground, ready to assist. There certainly were major failures that turned Katrina into the disaster that it was, and FEMA certainly isn't blameless, but the overwhelming responsibility for Katrina lie with the Governor and the Mayor.
Where were the mandatory evacuation orders? Why weren't the highways opened up to contra-flow in the day or two before Katrina got there? Why was there NO effort whatsoever to assist the indigent and ill in evacuating Katrina?? Buses stood empty and unused, while people were herded like sheep into the Superdome. It wasn't the federal gov't that did that, it was that idiot Nagin.
And then of course, there are the levees. NOLA got money to repair and strengthen their levees. Instead, they built a casino. Talk about skewed priorities.
But hey, lets just blame the federal gov't. That is easiest, especially because you just plain old don't like Bush. The irony of liberals never ceases to amaze me. You are the first to call on Big Gov't when you want some problem fixed, and you are the first to shrill your head off about it being the gov'ts fault when something goes wrong.
As far as Obama goes, I don't talk about his inexperience because its the party unity thing to do. I talk about his inexperience because he IS dangerously inexperienced. Iran is a "tiny" country"??? Iran is not a serious thread??? Sure, so someone bent his ear and told him to eat his words about how much of a non-threat Iran is. The damage is done.
And I honestly cannot believe you are trying to pretend that Obama "surrounds himself with the right people". The Right Reverent Wright immediately comes to mind. Then of course there is Ayers and Rezco. But lets not go there, everyone knows about those guys. Lets talk about Obama's stated intention to meet with Achmadinejad without any pre-conditions. When he was rightly called out for being so naive, your Bright Boy noted that Kennedy himself met with Kruschev without preconditions.
Is there ANYONE on Obama's staff who knows ANYTHING about foreign policy?? Who knows ANYTHING about foreign policy going back more than 2 weeks ago??? That meeting with Kruschev that Obama pointed out to defend his own statements was a DISASTER. Kennedy was warned by the State Dept not to do it, he did it anyways, and spent four long days being Kruschev's whipping boy. Even Kennedy himself admitted afterwards that it had been a mistake. Kruschev on the other hand came away from the meeting convinced that Kennedy was naive and easily pushed around. Soon after, construction began on the Berlin Wall, and later we had the Cuban Missile Crisis. Contrary to popular believe, Kruschev got EXACTLY what he wanted out of the cuban missile crisis. He got us to agree to remove missiles from Turkey. We blinked, not Russia.
Apparently though, Obama doesn't have ONE single person on his staff who knew enough history to tell him NOT to cite the disastrous meeting between Kennedy and Kruschev. Not only is Obama ignorant of foreign policy he does NOT in fact surround himself with the best either.
"The Right Reverent Wright immediately comes to mind"..
Rev. Wright will absolutely not be involved in an Obama administration in any way...The only way he'll see the White House is how 99% of the of the public sees it, with a ticket on a guided tour...McBush, on the other hand, with the selection of Sarah Palin (Not only is McBush unfit to lead, he's unfit to select) he has caved in to the religious right....Had he taken a Ridge, Giuliani, or Libermann for VP, then perhaps one could say the 2000 McCain was back, but his choice proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he is NO MODERATE....
"Is there ANYONE on Obama's staff who knows ANYTHING about foreign policy??"..
Joe Biden forgot more about foreign policy than Sarah "I was in beauty pagents & played basketball" Palin will ever know....
And as for the first dude, the lady set you straight and can you say----Tony Rezko???? Or how about---"The Chicago Way."