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The real mccain..

If Every Paper Endorses Tony Sasso....

Will the republicans who make up the majority of gerrymandered District 32 have the good sense to vote for the best candidate?

The two major papers that serve this District, the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today, have both handily endorsed Sasso as being one of the best candidates this district has seen: and both say that his GOP developer opponent is woefully unprepared:

Sentinel:

Voters have a clear choice in Tuesday's election for House District 32: Democrat Tony Sasso.

Mr. Sasso has the experience and command of the issues facing the district made up mostly of Brevard County, including Kennedy Space Center and parts of east Orange including the communities of Vista Lakes, Lake Nona and Wedgefield.

The resignation of former state Rep. Bob Allen forced this special election, and we recognize Mr. Sasso will have a tough battle in this district, where Republicans far outnumber Democrats.

But Republicans ought to think before they vote the party line. Mr. Sasso's Republican opponent, Merritt Island builder Sean Campbell, is woefully unprepared to serve in Tallahassee. The other option, independent Jerry Maynard, is not a serious candidate.

Mr. Campbell lacks even the basic knowledge of how Florida's tax structure or its school system works. Such lack of knowledge would leave little hope he could be effective.

Mr. Sasso, on the other hand, served on the Cocoa Beach City Council for six years. During that time, he's been a champion of managed growth, and he has a plan to lure high-tech industry as the shuttle program winds down.

The Sentinel endorses Tony Sasso for state House District 32 in Tuesday's special election.

Excerpt from Florida Today:

• He understands the public's tax revolt sentiment but also the impact tax cuts will have on local services and education -- an insight that would serve citizens well in Tallahassee.
  
• He says the state must "get its act together" to help lure post-shuttle industries and jobs to Kennedy Space Center, and wisely wants the Legislature to create a public-private aerospace and high-technology investment fund.
  
• He's a leader in environmental protection, pressing hard for growth management and passage of the Clean Oceans Act that would ban Port Canaveral gambling ships from dumping their waste off our coast.
  
• He believes the Legislature must get tough with insurance companies that continue canceling policies, raising rates and dumping more risk on consumers through the state's catastrophe fund.

The other candidates in the race are Republican Sean Campbell of Merritt Island and Independent Jerry Maynard of Titusville.

Campbell, who runs a company that provides labor primarily for commercial and industrial construction, has a sincere desire to serve. But he has a troubling lack of knowledge about key issues such as creating space jobs, improving education and revising tax policy. He also believes the Legislature is exempt from the Sunshine Laws that guarantee open government and the public's access to it, which should worry everyone.

There's no way he's ready for Tallahassee.

And this is REALLY scary. This is what Sean Campbell recently said of bills he would sponsor if elected:

"Well, I'm sure you're all going to find this really hard to believe, but I really haven't given it a whole lot of consideration. I've been so focused on this race and winning this race."

If he wins, it will prove once and for all that GOP voters truly will vote lockstep for anyone with an (R) in front of their name, no matter the qualifications. Sometimes its essential to vote for the best person. I not only voted for, but volunteered to campaign for a republican candidate (Cindy Gennell) for mayor in 2002 AGAINST the incumbent Dem. Our city lost out on a great mayor.

I hope District 32 doesn't give up on the best qualified candidate they have for a uninformed wannabe. You would think that after "Bathroom Bob" Allen, the Grand old Party wouldn't try to put up another embarrassing candidate. But just like an established writer that gets lazy and will put out any piece of crap because he knows his fan base will buy it, they are banking on the GOP majority to take what they are given.

ON FEBRUARY 26, the day of the special election, I truly hope they prove them wrong.

10,000 Years in Iraq

According to McCain, no big thing...

McCain: Janet Reno is Chelsea Clinton's Father

Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because Janet Reno is her father.

That lovely joke was complements of Mr. Straight Talk himself at a 1998 Republican Senate fundraiser.

Insulting a child, insulting the first female Attorney General of the United States who was and is suffering from a horrible disease, and getting in a dig at Hillary and lesbianism all in just 12 words. Nice.

Of course, the mainstream "liberal" media that McCain is currently bashing has consistently refused to say anything about this story, and the few who have refused to print or say the joke. They just say he said a "vulgar" or "offensive" joke about the Clintons. Yes, that joke was too bad to print because it might offend someone--however, the detailed exploits of Bill's sexual escapades are fair game. Nice.

The current lobbying scandal is the story currently grabbing the headlines, but the fact that he has lobbyists working and making phone calls from his own "Straight Talk Express" amuses me more frightens me.

No, what frightens me is that McCain is a nasty, abusive, ill-tempered man who is not fit to serve as Commander in Chief. America can ill afford to have another brain-damaged individual serving in the highest office.

McCain's veep, and other predictions...

I was more certain, until recently, who the veep would be than the presidential nominee for the Republicans. I always knew it would be either McCain or 9ui11iani, but either way I predicted last December that the veep would have to be HUCKABEE. Both men needed a likable but solid conservative on the ticket, the reasoning went. After Iowa, it seemed like a sure bet. McCain/Huckabee.

But I was wrong.

From what we KNOW about Huck, the GOP establishment hates him. In previous blogs I ranted how it would be impossible for Huckabee to get the nomination. The GOP establishment's agenda is to reduce taxes for the wealthy and big business. It was never really about social issues. The establishment doesn't really care about abortion, homosexuals, and the right-wing evangelicals silly crusades--they are to be whipped into a frenzy and vote, then go home. Period. Huckabee actually believed this crap and actually believed that he would be supported even though he was fine with raising taxes on the wealthy in his state to balance the budget.

Poor Huck. He learned otherwise when he was viciously attacked by establishment conservatives and their front groups (like Club for Growth). Huckabee is staying in for one reason--to force McCain to accept him as veep. He is making the plea that social conservatives rally behind him and McCain desperately needs him.

My original prediction that Huckabee would be veep runs contrary to the fact that he is wholly rejected by the GOP establishment. If McCain were to win, and Huck would be veep, then the GOP would have to get behind him next presidential election. This would be unacceptable.

Besides, the longer he stays in, the more irritable he is making everyone on the right (except the right-wing loons). Huckabee will never again be able to run, unlike Willard Mitt Romney.

(Bonus prediction: Romney calculated that he could be the establishment candidate next time. Let me break it down. Dole proved himself in 1988 by being a force against Bush 1--when his goose was cooked, he endorsed and strongly supported Bush 1--hence, it was his turn. McCain did the exact same thing with Bush 2 in 2000--and now it's his turn. Romney wants to be the establishment candidate after a supposed McCain win--so I knew he would swallow hard and endorse McCain. Given age, McCain might just run one term. Romney wants to be next in line for 2012 or 2016. You wait.)

Back on track---Then I got to thinking, why the hell does McCain need to suck up to the base after all? McCain has snubbed them repeatedly, and those bozos are so weak that they are unable to stop his rise to win the nomination--even in closed primaries. Even massive evangelical turnout in my former home state of VA couldn't stop the McCain Train. Picking another old man like Fred Thompson or another Rush-hated man like Huckabee is not going to bring the social conservatives over. Even if he can get some to accept him, they aren't going to be throwing money at him and work their tails off going door-to-door like they did for their cult leader, George W. Bush. (As one nutjob told me, "Once again, GOD is speaking through a Bush"! Idiot.)

McCain owes them nothing, he doesn't like them, they aren't going to like him, and it looks like they aren't going to be a factor in this election.

McCain will go with his gut. Someone he likes. Someone he trusts.

Who will it be?

Tim Pawlenty of MN?
Kay Bailey Hutchinson of TX?
Joe Lieberman of Turncoatland?
John Thune of SD?
Bobby Jindal of LA?
Condi Rice?
Our own Charlie Crist?
Some moron we've never heard of?

Nope. I think it will be Rudy Ghouliani.

Think about it. To some in the establishment, this is a "dream ticket". The right-wing conservatives who hate McCain aren't going to vote for him anyway, but the thinking is that this could bring in more independents and swing Democrats. Furthermore, both of these guys are close. Rudy said that he would support McCain if he wasn't running in a debate last year, and McCain never attacked Rudy. In fact, I would be willing to bet that Rudy and McCain discussed this after Rudy lost Florida. (What did Rudy have to gain be dropping out one week before his home state and other big states before Super Tuesday?)

My prediction is this will be a McCain/Guiliani ticket. Wrong? We'll see.

One more prediction: After Wisconsin, Obama will have won 8 primaries in a row. Momentum is the name of the game. Rudy had a big lead in Florida, and all of the other major states, and all of the other swing states. He lost the first 6 primaries/cauci and then POOF!* Gone. HRC leads slightly in TX, PA, and OH, but she lost her big leads. After Wisconsin, I think Obama will win TX and OH. It's hard to stop momentum.

If I am wrong here, then this race will go to a brokered convention. If that happens, HRC will win. This is why she won't drop out. Most of the superdelegates have ties to the former Clinton administration and will pledge to support her as long as she either won the state, the relevant congressional district, or has the lead in delegates.

A brokered convention will tear up the party, and leave us with 8 weeks to put it back together a fight McCain. Bad news all around. This is why, once again, I am currently supporting Obama (from Obama to Clinton and back again).

If we go to a brokered convention, we will lose. This is not a prediction, it is reality. And if we lose the election in 2008, the only prediction I PROMISE will happen is that McCain will entrench us in Iraq for his promised 100 years, we will lose two more seats to the Supreme Court, and America will suffer unbearably with the extension of Bush's third term.

You wait.

Creepy Picture of McCain..

Almost as creepy as a third Bush term...

Some "maverick". Hugging the man who let Rove smear his daughter. What a loser.

What's that you say? Not Bush's fault? He couldn't have known, no one tells him anything. McCain should just be mad at Rove.

Quote from John McCain:

I've always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart great political minds I think in American politics. I've always respected him. We never had any ill will after the initial South Carolina thing. After we had the meeting with President Bush we moved on. I've seen Karl Rove many times when I've been over at the White House. We've always had pleasant conversations.

A man who throws his own daughter under the bus does not deserve to lead this great country. Click here to help us stop this bastard: Stop the Third Bush Term

How pathetic is John McCain?!

I couldn't believe this headline on FAUXnews:

McCain Open to Rove's Advice, Cash

Maintaining that he does not hold any grudges from the 2000 GOP nomination fight, John McCain says that Karl Rove’s help and advice is welcome aboard the Straight Talk Express...

“They beat me (in 2000). I would certainly be happy to have them give us advice..... he has a very good, great political mind and any information or advice and counsel he could give us I would be glad to have,” he added.

Doesn't hold any grudges??

Rove is the architect behind the push-polls in South Carolina that attacked McCain's daughter. In case you forgot, John M. won New Hampshire in 2000. Rove decided to stop McCain in SC by organizing phone calls to ignorant, potential GOP voters that asked how they felt about McCain having a "black" daughter.

Although McCain's adopted daughter isn't black, the GOP voters were NOT ONLY ignorant enough to believe it, but actually think it even mattered. (Adopting outside your race? What's next?)

Despite W having nieces and nephews who are racially mixed, he obviously had no trouble with the smear. His puppet-master told him he would win at any cost. In one fell swoop, he smeared McCain's daughter while playing to people's prejudice and fear (a Bush administration trademark).

The most revolting thing? McCain threw a little temper tantrum, then proceeded to KISS BUSH's ASS for the next 8 years. He did this because he knew if he sucked up like a good little soldier, it would be his turn.

So what if he threw his OWN daughter under the bus? Maybe that coward doesn't consider her his own since she's adopted or isn't white. Or maybe he figures his own family can take one for the team. I can't understand how anyone would suck up to someone who thought your family was fair game.

(Remember that straw poll last year when he told people not to vote for him but to write in George Bush because he "needs" us? I almost threw up.)

And now, to accept cash from and SUCK UP to Rove, the very person who orchestrated the whole thing?

At least Hillary defended her own daughter when attacked by Schuster.

How can anyone trust John McCain to protect our nation when that coward won't even PROTECT HIS OWN FAMILY!!!!!!!!!

Bush Legacy: Setting a Standard in Fear-Mongering

Happy Super Tuesday!!

The following is an article written by Richard A. Clarke, the former terror czar of the Bush administration, in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 01 February 2008:

When I left the Bush administration in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place. Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions, but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate his agenda.
This week's State of the Union proved nothing has changed.
Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people. On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) - the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts.
Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, the president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under the act are in effect up to a full year.
Simply put, it was wrong for the president to suggest that warrants issued in compliance with FISA would suddenly evaporate with congressional inaction. Instead - even though Congress extended the Protect America Act by two weeks - he is using the existence of the sunset provision to cast his political opponents in a negative light.
For this president, fear is an easier political tactic than compromise. With FISA, he is attempting to rattle Congress into hastily expanding his own executive powers at the expense of civil liberties and constitutional protections.
I spent most of my career in government fighting to protect this country in order to defend these very rights. And I know every member of Congress - whether Democrat or Republican - holds public office in the same pursuit.
That is why in 2001, I presented this president with a comprehensive analysis regarding the threat from al-Qaeda. It was obvious to me then - and remains a fateful reality now - that this enemy sought to attack our country. Then, the president ignored the warnings and played down the threats. Ironically, it is the fear from these extremely real threats that the president today uses as a wedge in a vast and partisan political game. This is - and has been - a very reckless way to pursue the very ominous dangers our country faces. And once again, during the current debate over FISA, he continues to place political objectives above the practical steps needed to defeat this threat.
In these still treacherous times, we can't afford to have a president who leads by manipulating emotions with fear, flaunting the law, or abusing the very inalienable rights endowed to us by the Constitution.
Though 9/11 changed the prism through which we view surveillance and intelligence, it did not in any way change the effectiveness of FISA to allow us to track and monitor our enemies. FISA has and still works as the most valuable mechanism for monitoring our enemies.
In order to defeat the violent Islamist extremists who do not believe in human rights, we need not give up the civil liberties, constitutional rights and protections that generations of Americans fought to achieve. We do not need to create Big Brother. With the administration's attempts to erode FISA's legal standing as the exclusive means by which our government can conduct electronic surveillance of U.S. persons on U.S. soil, this is unfortunately the path the president is taking us down.
So it is no surprise that in one of Bush's last acts of relevance, he once again played the fear card.
While he has failed in spreading democracy, stemming global terrorism, and leaving the country better off than when he took power, he did achieve one thing: successfully perpetuating fear for political gain.
Sadly, it may be one of the only achievements of his presidency.

Just Go Away Nader

What a loser. He can't possibly win, but like Eugene McCarthy, will continue to run in every election.

I do agree that we need more than this ridculous two party system. But we need a charasmatic leader who can pull enough people from both sides to make a difference.

Nader aint' it. Never has been, and especially now.

He will take a few hard core liberals with him on this futile quest, but I don't think they would have voted for Clinton anyway. Obama, maybe.

What irritates me the most was Nader's smugness in talking to Wolf Blitzer. He said he was running to fight the corporate interests. In 2004, he accepted money from EVERYBODY, including the so-called "corporate interests" he railed against.

He took money from hate groups and anti-environmental groups. He refused to give any money back, telling his supporters that maybe they just really like him and want change.

NO, idiot. They were hoping you would be a spoiler like you were in 2004. Turns out that John Kerry didn't need help losing--his lack of response to the SwiftBoaters, his ban on attacks of W at his convention, and his refusal to spend over 14 million on election day was more than enough to cost the election. But like last time, you didn't help.

You have spent a lifetime fighting for righteous causes, and all of that has been blown out the window with your ego-driven quest that only helps the Republicans--although very insignificantly, but helps nonetheless.

This time no one will pay him notice. I just get irritated when I hear him blather about why he's doing this.

PS--And another thing, I owned a Corvair, and it was the best damn car I ever drove.