Just a quick thought...

...before I settle in for the night.

I heard McCain proclaim (with a smirk) that Obama's 30min mini-movie was financed with broken promises.

I don't agree with that assessment.

I say it was financed by me. And my neighbor. And the person who lives down the street.


And the countless other Lil Ole Me's across this great country who saw something special and hopeful in Barack Obama.


I might own just a millisecond of last night's production, but damn it, I own it--Me and the other roughly 333,333 1/3 Americans who donated $15.00 to Barack Obama. My $15 bought me 15 minutes of fame that even Joe the Plumber would drool over--because in that mini-movie, I saw myself. I saw my parents and my neighbor, and the person who lives down the street. It was our story that was told. And no one can take that away from us.


So, McCain can stump, stump, stump away on how lavish and over-produced it was--he shows us the plain truth. Fresh off the Straight Talk Express, he shows he is a jealous, bitter man who can't stand the fact that the rest of us didn't love him enough to send him $15 of our hard-earned paycheck. It was the Lil Ole Me's of the country that were on display last night. Eat your heart out, McCain.

Have got to share this one...

This may not be for our area, but apparently the negative campaigning is rampant this year.
Watch this ad from the Democrat incumbent in the 121st Assembly District. Perhaps some of our area representatives and representative-wannabes should take a cue from this guy's campaign...

This is awesome

(h/t to foilhatsunite for finding this gem.)

Gas Price Check

In Waddington:
Sharlow's: 2.79
Kunoco: 2.82

Louisville:
Steve's Stop n Shop: 2.99

Massena:
Stewart's, Sunoco: 2.91

Lisbon:
Parkway: 2.81

In Barcelona, Spain: $5.45 (lol...thanks, rwiley)

Add your favorite gas stations to the list.

Is this what we've become?

TODAY'S TID-BIT

Since becoming a state in 1959, Alaska is historically a "Red State" in national elections, only voting "Blue" once, in 1964.

According to the Federal Election Commission, as of 9/30/08:

• John McCain has received $306,227 in campaign contributions from his running mate's home state of Alaska.

• Barack Obama has received triple that, with $930,869.

• 

Dare we suggest that Alaska's vote will be as blue as the color of its flag?

Gas Price Check

Add your favorite gas station's price to our list.
Sharlow's in Waddington, Regular, 2.99
Kunoco in Waddington, Regular, 3.02


I would like to note/question two things, as I am not sure anyone in the national media has (I don't have time to watch EVERY station and read EVERY newspaper!):

#1: If a barrel of crude oil is now half the price it was in July, why haven't our gas prices gone down by half?

The average gas price in Syracuse (closest place I could find with an average) in July peaked at 4.23. By that measure, we should only be paying roughly 2.12/gal.

#2: For all of Gov. Palin's boasting about taking on Big Oil and giving Alaskans a state bonus from the proceeds, can anyone tell me why Alaska has the SECOND HIGHEST gas price in the nation?

Average Retail Gasoline Prices Around the Country
The prices below are for regular gasoline as of 10/20/2008 7:03:48 PM local time.
Area Average Price Oklahoma 2.409 lowest NewYorkState 3.135 Alaska 3.662 Hawaii 3.772 highest Update: Alaska has the lowest Federal and State taxes on gas in the country @ State Gasoline (¢/g) Diesel (¢/g) Alaska 26.4 32.4

(California is the highest.)

How is it that their gas prices are so high? It has to be town and/or county tax, right?

Time for some campaignin'

El Tinklenberg for Congress 2008

UPDATE 10/20: MR. TINKLENBERG'S CAMPAIGN HAS RECEIVED $700,000 IN DONATIONS IN THE (3) DAYS SINCE BACHMANN'S OUTRAGEOUS REMARKS ON HARDBALL.

Mr. Tinklenberg is Ms. Whack-job Bachmann's competition for her House seat this year.

Please, check out his site. And donate.

This may not be our area--but we have got to help our fellow citizens get this freak show out of Congress.

From his blog:
Bachmann dishonors the Congress, all Minnesotans, and all Americans

Rep. Michele Bachmann appeared on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Mathews yesterday and labeled Presidential candidate Barack Obama as "absolutely" anti-American.

In addition, the Republican congresswoman insinuated that Obama's wife Michele, and even fellow members of Congress, are possibly anti-American.

[...]

"Accusing a candidate for President of the United States of being anti-American is an insult to the very foundation of our democracy; as a member of the United States Congress she has disgraced herself and brought shame upon her office. Once again, Congresswoman Bachmann has demonstrated the lengths she will go to vilify any person in this country, including fellow members of congress, who disagree with her extreme views."

Click here to add to this most worthy cause:

Would you make up my mind already?

The Republicans have me going in twenty different directions. I'm not sure anymore if I'm up or down or which way is right or left. Whoa--hold on there--that was a little extreme--I do indeedy know what is right and what is left.

Anyway, according to Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin, I am off the hook! I'm in the free and clear. I can be spared from her wrath. I--little old Small Town America--am patriotic and pro-America. Yay me! (I knew that all along!)

However, disturbingly, the Republican Representative Michelle Bachman from Minnesota has me in the anti-America crowd. Because I am a liberal. Because I am a Democrat. Because I "associate with Barack Obama."

Here are the contrasting views:

Palin:
"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans."

Bachmann (this is a paraphrase, because, at post time, a transcript is not yet available):
If you are a leftist liberal, you are anti-American. Michelle Obama is an anti-American, because until recently, she wasn't proud of her country. Barack Obama surounds himself with anti-Americans, and therefore is anti-American. Congress is full of anti-Americans. I am anti-American because I support Barack Obama--and heck, the final nail in my unAmerican coffin--I'd pal around with him, too, if I could.

When did it become a Republican talking point that if you question the establishment, you are against it? Why is it so black and white as to be 'with us or against us?" I don't understand the polarity of it. Last time I checked, I had a right, as an American citizen, to question my government.

Article I of the Bill of Rights:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The inferences made by both of these women are hurtful and divisive. To suggest that there are pro-American and anti-American areas in the country is just plain stupid (did we really expect anything else?) To suggest that a large majority of the American population is anti-American (because the large majority of America is Democrat) is beyond the pale.

If this is the way our citizens are to be treated, well thanks, but no thanks. I'll take that "Bridge to Nowhere" and make it a Bridge to Canada, which all us foaming-at-the-mouth anti-American liberal lefty Democrats can slither over and get the hell outta Dodge before we get nuked.

Red Scare 2008

I had the unfortunate opportunity to watch this exchange between Chris Matthews and Representative Michelle Bachman of Minnesota as it was happening. And I could not have been more shocked--or insulted. I cannot possibly believe that this woman would be received well when she wanders back into Congress. She has burned some major bridges here.

Watch this--its takes a while, but its worth it...I tried to find the shortest, but most meaningful video.

This is about as scary as it comes, folks. This woman pretty much verbalized that Left-wingers/Democrats are anti-American. She believes the media should launch "a penetrating expose' " into just how many of her fellow Congressmen and women are anti-American.

Just who the hell does this freak think she is anyway? I'm gonna do an investigation of my own into her Family Tree. Can you guess what I will find? I'm sure there's some McCarthy blood in there somewhere!

Cantwell? Well, I can't tell him yes.

Shortly after I started this blog, I wrote a post titled Cantwell? Can't tell.
It was about a chance encounter with 118th District Assembly candidate Bobby Cantwell. While I joked about having to sit across from a Republican at a community dinner and how it made me lose my appetite, I was really impressed with him--but I hadn't decided if I wanted to give up my sacred Lefty vote for him just yet... I had yet to meet his Democrat rival.

In that post, I observed: "He was pleasant, forthcoming, grounded in this area, and sincere—oh, and handsome. He did have a slight aroma of politician—I’ll call it aroma for now, because I don’t know him well enough to determine if it qualifies as stench or not." I was reassured by fellow NNY blogger pguston of abaycircus, "The aroma that you noticed is not stench, he is a natural salesman, able to sell an ice cream sandwich to an eskimo."

I felt somewhat comfortable, then, with my first impression.

Well, the jury's just come in.

Its stench.
And it reeks so bad, I can smell it through my TV set:

I felt mildly violated today as I, during my hectic morning tornado routine, had a fly-by glimpse of him on News10Now. I halted and watched in horror. There he was fresh-faced and smiling after his debate--and reciting the same words he had said to me. "I am a fresh face. I have a fire in my belly. I'm ready to get in there and get to work." I turned off the TV. I felt like I had just been played.

Those words said to me during my conversation with him those many weeks ago, were being broadcast on regional news. How dare he? I felt at ease with him--felt he was genuine, sincere, forthcoming. We talked for a good while that night, and I was appreciative of the fact that he took the time to listen to me, but also to relate his story to me. There were other people there that wanted his attention, but he took the time to talk to me. It wasn't a question and answer session. It was more like two new friends getting to know one another. In retrospect, he spoke with the ease of a politician, craftily weaving his story, in and out with easily veiled talking points. What a fool was I! There's a reason for the saying "never trust a politician who speaks from the heart."

So, Mr. Cantwell, since you have pissed me off, I will now reveal the embarrassing advice I gave you that night. Has anyone recently heard Bobby Cantwell refer to himself as "Bobby Cantwell"?

If the answer is yes, then he is the fool, not me. If the answer is no, then he is wise to have listened.

While shaking his hand, my parting words to Mr. Cantwell that evening were, "And by the way, don't refer to yourself in the third person--especially if you are going to debate that woman. It makes you come off as pompous and self-absorbed."

Here's another bit of advice...
When talking "candidly" to Small Town America in the future, Mr. Cantwell, please preface your remarks with the following disclaimer:

"I'm Bobby Cantwell, and your ears are simply a vessel for my talking points."

Nobel Economics awardee no fan of McCain

Its pretty sad when the Nobel winner for Economics thinks your plan sucks. Read on:

snippet from the Wall Street Journal:

OCTOBER 13, 2008, 3:34 P.M. ET
Paul Krugman Wins the Nobel Economics Prize
By JUSTIN LAHART


The Nobel prize in economics was awarded to Paul Krugman, a Princeton University scholar whose groundbreaking study on trade is less known to the public than his withering assessment of the Bush administration.

In announcing the award Monday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited Mr. Krugman's work analyzing trade patterns and how areas of specialization arise in different regions.

As a columnist and blogger for the New York Times, Mr. Krugman, 55 years old, has taken the Bush administration to task over its waging of the Iraq war and, more recently, its handling of the financial-system bailout. Mr. Krugman also has faulted Republican presidential candidate John McCain, writing earlier this month in his column, "the McCain plan would do for health care what deregulation has done for banking. And I'm terrified."

I'm rubber and you're glue...

Well, well, well, my dear John. How does it feel?

Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia, lambasted the McCain-Plain campaign today for inciting hostility and violence. According to CNN, this is what went down:

"What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse," Lewis said in a statement.

"George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights... "

Now, McCain has praised Lewis in the past, and has even gone so far as to state that Lewis is "one of three men he would turn to for [spiritual] counsel as president." So now his feelings are hurt and he wants Barack Obama to apologize for it:

"The notion that legitimate criticism of Sen. Obama's record and positions could be compared to Gov. George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.

"I call on Sen. Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America."

(blogger's note: rotflmao)

The Obama camp came back with this one, and I don't think there has been a moment during the last few months that I've been prouder:

"Sen. Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies," Burton said. "But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for president of the United States 'pals around with terrorists.' "

How do they spell IMPEACHMENT in Alaska?

P-A-L-I-N

McCain gets a "D" in Veterans Affairs

I had the privilege of watching this last night and was lucky enough that someone posted it on YouTube (video at the end of this post.)

(blogger's note: Being from a family with a military background, Veterans issues are near and dear to my heart. My father, a WWII and Korea Vet, is going through his second tour of duty with prostate cancer. He is 83 this month. He relies on the VA for his care.)

Anyway, the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) rates our representatives on their support of Veterans' issues. "A non-partisan non-profit founded in 2004 with tens of thousands of members in all 50 US states, IAVA is America’s first and largest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans' group." (wiki bio) McCain likes to play himself off as a champion of Veterans. Not so, says Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of IAVA.

The most stand-out line from the interview:

"Being a Veteran alone does not make you strong on Veterans issues."

McCain's report card:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
4th term Republican from Arizona. First elected in 1986.
Our Comments

D

(3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)

A New GI Bill (2nd vote)			06/26/2008	Not Voting
A New GI Bill (3rd vote)			06/26/2008	Not Voting
A New GI Bill (1st vote)			05/22/2008	Not Voting
Stopping a Second Rate GI Bill			05/14/2008	Not Voting
Enhanced Veterans' Benefits			04/24/2008	Not Voting
Expanded Veterans' Benefits			10/01/2007	Not Voting
Veterans' Health Care, 2008			09/06/2007	Yea
Funding for MRAPS			03/29/2007	Yea
Veterans' Health Care, 2007			02/14/2007	Yea

(blogger's note: as you can see, McCain has not voted on a single key Veterans issue in over ONE year.)

A new ad from VoteVets.org that ran during this show pointed out that instead of attending session to vote on the historic update to the GI Bill, McCain opted to go to a campaign fundraiser.

In the spirit of brevity, on to the video...



On a final note:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
1st term Democrat from Illinois. First elected in 2004.
Our Comments
B
(5 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship)

and

Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. (D-DE)
6th term Democrat from Delaware. First elected in 1972.
Our Comments
B
(6 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship)

Community service = Slavery?

While perusing www.jeffersondemocrat.org aka Danger Democrat, I came upon a most disturbing comment from one of those "anonymous" posters. It pissed me off so much, that I let my fish overcook in the oven while I hopped on my soapbox. My rebuttal may resemble condescension, but I do not care. I was appalled by what I read. And while it may appear that I like reading my own words, the truth is I simply cannot allow this issue to be lost in the vast ocean of posts and comments on DD.

Here is my reply, which quotes the anonymous that I took issue with (to read the entire post click here):
____________________________________________________________________

OK, now let me get this straight. And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong--as I know you will, but...

anonymous @ 4:31PM quoted the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, ""Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime ... shall exist within the United States," and then proceeded to say, "I guess in Obama's mind it must be a crime to be born or to go to college" and "Obama promised that as president he would "set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100hours of service a year.""

Am I to understand this correctly as you equating community service to slavery?

Is there something wrong with you?

This community service that it appears you so detest is the foundation of every single community in this country. It touches every life, every day either directly or indirectly. From the people who plan your local Memorial Day service, to the people who clean your church, from the mothers and fathers who usher your kids through scouthood, to the people who sign you in to cast your vote on election day--these are all volunteers giving their time, money and resources free of charge for the betterment of our communities and our lives--including yours.

It sounds to me like you are an ungrateful snot who desperately needs to get off their dead ass and go drive some Veterans to their doctor appointments at the VA hospital 3 hours away. Or go deliver some Meals-On-Wheels to your local senior citizens home. While you are there, sit down and have a chat--let them tell you the important part community service has played in their lives. You need an education in compassion and selflessness. Some community service would do you well. The greatest generation that ever lived in this country is getting old. They lived lives full of hard work, determination, and discipline--and thought nothing of helping out if they were needed, anywhere, at any time. Their deeds are almost forgotten in this cyber-human-unfriendly age we live in. Learn from them now before they are not around to remind you.

October 03, 2008 7:05 PM

______________________________________________________________

Is this what we have to look forward to, what our children have to look forward to? A country full of citizens that want payback for every single thing they do? What has created this selfishness?

I learned the value of community service and helping your fellow man from my parents. Not only I did I learn it, I practiced it right alongside them. And though my parents have aged and are no longer able to do the things they used to, I still practice it. And so do my young children. They will learn from a very young age, as I did, what it means to do something for someone without expecting something in return. Today's generation is all about instant gratification and the mindset of "what's in it for me?"

While this is supposed to be a political-ish blog, and my comment was made in reference to a policy offered by a Democrat, my feelings on this have nothing to do with politics and party-affiliation. I would support any candidate on this topic, regardless of what party they belonged to. It just so happens, however, that it is a Democrat offering this idea, and I wholeheartedly support it.

Past is prologue....

For me, one of the scariest moments from last night's Vice Presidential debate was when Gov. Palin called out Sen. Biden for concentrating so much on the past. 'You're looking at the past, Joe. If you want change to you need to look forward,' or some other gibberish like that.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is by philosopher George Santanaya:
Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

As Biden said, "past is prologue." If we do not take the time to carefully study our mistakes, we shall repeat them. If we do not commit ourselves to learning why the mistakes were made and what they resulted in, we shall repeat them.

She is an idiot for suggesting otherwise.

Last night just solidified my initial belief that she is a whack-job fake who knows no more about the running of this country than those "Joe Sixpacks" she so often refers to.

Veep Debate Discussion

Your thoughts about tonight's debate...

Uh oh......

h/t to DD for this tidbit...

Andrew Halco who has debated [Gov. Palin] before had this to say, "I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do."

Are our tin foil hats enough to protect us from her evil charms?
Should we install the Emergency Face Guard on them and insert the Bullshit-Reflector Earplugs?
Geez, I hope I am prepared for this...