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Democrats and Faith

Obama's challenge: getting Democratic secularists on board.

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  • Posted By: martialguy @ 02/05/2009 11:29:55 PM

    Scientologists beliveve that:

    * Psychiatry and psychology are destructive fields which must be abolished.
    * Spiritual beings ( thetans) live many lifetimes. Thetans lived among extraterrestrial cultures before becoming trapped in bodies on Earth. Thetans were brainwashed by these extraterrestrial cultures as a means of population control
    * Thetans have existed for ???tens of trillions??? of years. During that time, thetans have been exposed to a vast number of traumatic incidents and have made a great many decisions that influence their present state. Thetans were conditioned by extraterrestrial dictatorships such as Helatrobus in an attempt to brainwash and control the population. These early events collectively are called "space opera."
    * Xenu (sometimes Xemu) was the ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy." 75 million years ago Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes. The thetans then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to do this today. Isolating thetans and neutralizing their ill effects are neccesary.

    Christians believe that night and day existed before the sun, the earth was flat; and the earth is just a few...thousand years old and.... dinosaurs therefore roamed in peoples' backyards.


    If you have average IQ and you research more into religions; probably you want to convert to...alcoholism

  • Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/12/2008 7:27:37 PM

    Yeah judgment like voting NO for the NEW GI BILL, Hey Mr. McCain who are we suposed to be killing in Iraq, sunni or shia? What's a Kurd? And even though the US weapons inspectors said there were NO weapons, expolsives, or ammunition from Iran, and the latest NIE said Iran had backed away from uranium enrichment...why are you deterimined to take this country into another, a third war? Is it because of your "experience" and "Judgment"?

  • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/11/2008 9:44:27 AM

    What's going on here. Is the "bounce" a BUST????............................

    Friday, July 11, 2008
    The race for the White House is getting a bit closer. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Barack Obama???s lead over John McCain down to a statistically insignificant single percentage point, 43% to 42%. Prior to today, Obama had enjoyed at least a four-point advantage every day since Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race over a month ago. This is the first time his support has fallen below the 45% level since May 31.

    NOBAMA!!!

    • Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/11/2008 3:17:11 PM

      You mean to say he still leads over McCain, even when down? wow...a proportionate drop in both candidates, could it mean that it's summer and polls don't carry alot of excitement? LMAO

      • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/12/2008 12:00:56 PM

        Saturday, July 12, 2008 Email to a FriendAdvertisement
        The race for the White House is tied. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows Barack Obama and John McCain each attract 43% of the vote. When "leaners" are included, Obama holds a statistically insignificant 47% to 46% advantage. Today is the first time that McCain???s support has moved above 45% since Obama clinched the nomination on June 3. It???s also the first time the candidates have been tied since Obama clinched the Democratic nomination

        NOBAMA!!!

      • Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/11/2008 7:21:57 PM

        polls are not important until after labor day !!

  • Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/11/2008 10:50:38 PM

    OMG Look at what CornHolyO posted...it's amazing...

    Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/11/2008 21:56:41
    Comment: 4+ a gallon. If Israel bombs Iran US gets involved, McBushes wet dream, except we have NO military to support a third war, more of our children die, which if fine with McCain as he does not support them anyway oh yeah, soon 7-8/gallon.

    McCain-Killing and Drilling now
    "Handsome"-kNOws it will have no immediate effect on prices and infact would take years and caot billions to even get to, cost passed on to the US in dollars on the gallon, and if there ever was oil found, NO promise from any of the US oil folks to NEVER RAISE PRICES AGAIN ABOVE 1$ a gal.

    McCain-Nucular Energy Plants Now but also thinks that NE plants have root and grow in the ground
    "Handsome"- tells George Bush the word is NUCLEAR...

    McCain-Clean Coal Energy Now, thinks this means polishing all the little pieces of coal, insists this would be a great job for illegals.
    "Handsom"-NO problem with it at all, unless you ask Sean Hannity.

    McCain-Shale Oil Now, thinks that Shale is another faction of epople from Iraq, sunni Shia, Shale, and "What the hell is a Kurd."
    "Handsome"-NO problem here either, wow he's on the ball.

    McCain-Independent from Middle East Oil or stay in Iraq for 100 yrs? What ever comes first
    Hussein-kNOws, they are out of oil in Saudi in 2015, let them dry up and blow away. along with the oil a$$es here.

    McCain-American Hero, crashed 5 fighters before being shot down, cried "my daddy is an admiral" when he was caught, willingly did 32 propagnada films for the VC, earning the nickname ":Song Bird" (google it)because as soon as he was caught he started singing for the enemy, lied to America's POWs when he said he wouild never politicize his status as a "pow", and then never stopped doing it. Turned his back on our troops on the recent GI Bill Vote, where he no showed and no voted because he was to afraid to face the music and just vote against it...my hero.
    Hussein-Not only out of power but DEAD and even though that was our "mission" we are still in Iraq and our children are still sying,

    NOTHINGLIKEOBAMA!!!
    ____________________________________________________________________________________

    WOW! What a statement, good for you ConrHolyO, way to go...glad to see you come around

  • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 3:41:53 PM

    Obama is supports Partial Birth ABORTION

    What is Partial Birth Abortion:

    * Partial Birth Abortion is a method to abort a baby as late as seven months into a pregnancy.

    *The procedure is typically as follows... The doctor spends two days forcibly dialating the mother's cervix.

    *The doctor uses forceps to pull the baby's legs down; rotating the baby so its head is away from the birth canal.

    *The legs & body are pulled into the birth canal, until only the head, which is too large to pass through the cervix, remains in the uterus.

    *The doctor uses a sharp instrument, such as scissors, to puncture the base of the baby's head.

    *The doctor inserts a tube into the hole he created in the baby's skull and suctions out the baby's brain, allowing the baby's skull to crush and pass through the cervix.

    Source: http://www.whatispartialbirthabortion.org/

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 6:45:47 PM

      Sharenews, this post is full of medical mis-information and sensationalistic nonsense. I know that you know the truth about partial birth abortion because I have posted it here before and you made comments to those posts. Yet you still intentionally try to manipulate readers with your inaccurate posts.

      Partial birth abortion was developed to decrease damage to the mother during a late term abortion. In an abortion of a fetus greater than 18-20 weeks, the baby's head is so large and the mother's body so unready for induced labor, that extracting the fetus routinely tore the mother's cervix and caused massive bleeding. Usually the mother survived the hemorrhage, but often these women were unable to ever carry another baby to term after their cervix was lacerated.

      Think of how heartbreaking it would be for a woman who wants a child but for a medical reason can not carry the current baby to term. Perhaps her baby died inside of her, and inducing labor failed, then the abortion tears her cervix and she will have to remain childless. Or her baby had severe hydrocephalus that caused it's brain not to form completely, a 100% fatal birth defect that even most pro-lifers agree is a reason for a late term abortion. Or she had a hormone sensitive cancer such the the cancer would kill her if she continued the pregnancy, but if she aborts then does chemo she could have another child, but her cervix tears during the abortion and she will have to remain childless. As a doctor, I have had patients with all of these tragic problems. Because of cases like this, obstetricians came up with a way to abort late term fetuses without the baby's head tearing the cervix. The baby is partially delivered feet first, a small hole is made at the base of the skull and the brain is suctioned out, causing the soft skull to deflate and allow the delivery without tearing the cervix. Disgusting, yes, but it does protect the mother and allow her to have more children.

      Partial birth abortions are very rare. In Virginia where they keep track of this, a series of 25,000 abortions had only 60 partial birth procedures done.

      Personally I think that late term abortions should be illegal except in the case of medical harm to the mother or severe birth defects. I think that I would put the gestational deadline for normal (not medically necessary) abortions at 16 weeks though, not 12.

      Incidentally, the reason why Obama voted against the 2007 bill banning partial birth abortions is because that bill did not contain a clause protecting the rights of women who needed medically necessary abortions and the victims of rape and incest. Obama is NOT in favor of late term abortions, but he does believe that in some extreme cases they should be allowed.

      Furthermore, "forcible" dilation of the cervix takes 20 minutes or less, not two days. You know that fact also. But you continue to post this mis-information because it sounds so lurid.

      • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/10/2008 9:57:44 PM

        You get sicker and more twisted by the day, ninny. QUIT LYING. Catholic, right??? Well your in danger, of eternal damnation. Conservative??? Maybe for a Socialist. Republican??? You are mentally deficient. Mostly though...you are a ninny. Bought time for mosque, isn't it???

        NOBAMA!!!

        • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 07/11/2008 12:04:52 AM

          HR, her name is Nins, and please do not pick on her by making offensive remarks. Thanks.

          • Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/11/2008 12:07:01 PM

            hiya pia hope all is well with you and yours !!

            • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 07/11/2008 8:20:57 PM

              Hiya back at you willnotvoteobama! You are very sweet, thank you. I'm fine and so is my family . Hope you and your family are too.

          • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/11/2008 6:37:50 AM

            offensive remarks??? Killing the innocents, and then trying to rationalize it, is offensive to me, and any normal human. Oh, I forgot. The innocents aren't human until the cord is cut. Well, your candidate voted TWICE, that born alive, botched abortions, don't get that status either.

            Ninny says she is a Conservative, Catholic, Republican.....if true, she needs mental help. Hussein is against, the most basic rights of humanity. A loonie left wing liberal, and a crook and a fraud.

            If you or the ninny, think for an instant, she is going to run around, spewing her trash, and not get called what she really is....well, too bad. Nins is a total ninny. And a FRAUD. Add crook to it, and you have another Hussein.

            NOBAMA!!!

      • Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/11/2008 12:00:37 PM

        nins dear you are off track in the partial birth abortion procedure ! first the late trem baby will allwat fit through the birth canal that is delivery how ever if the baby is alive when it comes out then all steps have to be taken to keep the baby alive that is the law ! so that being said the doctors do dimember the infant inside of the mother to stop the live birth (thats the doctors useing the loophole of the law!) now on to your therory about the baby being (a) dead (b) too large for normal delivery once that determination is made the only procedure that should be done for the saftey of the mother would be a ETOPIC PREGNANCY SURGERY ! that is the only procedure that would assure the saftey of the mother and would prevent infection because of the dimembering of the dead child ( as a doctor you know that the human body begins decomposition right away after death ) hence thats why only a etopic preganacy surgery would be the only option!! the abortion doctors work under the radar of the law thats why the do it in a clinic not a hospital the clinic would be fine if they were removing a embyro or zygote and theses stages are in the first and the begining of the second trimester of preganacy so a late term abortion being done in a clinic posses GRAVE RISKS TO THE MOTHER NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF INFECTION BUT BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEMMORAGE OF THE UTERAN WALL which can be mistaken as normal bloody discharge resulting from the abortion too many women die from this horrible mistake and even more loose all chances of even being preganat again because of the infection spreading to the ovaries and causing endocriatosis of the uteran walls

  • Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/11/2008 3:14:09 PM

    OhI love the copy and paste game...here we go ;)

    Ok now lets have a look at thiese words:

    Therefore, a TRUE Christian would hold Christian morals in high regard.

    That means:

    Abortion = murder. Period. so Murder is sin, so how do you defend McCain on his deisre to murder more people, thousands mor, not just Americans, but foreigners too, as the bible says, ALL life is sacred, not just American life ;)

    Gay marriage = sin. Period. I love this one. go to YouTube and search McCain v. McCain, you can see that if the wind blows that way, he supports "gay marriage"and then only a short 11minutes later, he does not, so is he for it, or a liar?

    Racism = Sin. Period. Understand that racism is not just a WHITE and BLACK issue, In McCain's case it very much a brown and yellow issue. The man can not grasp the difference between Sunni and Shia, perriod. He does not even know who he wants to kill in Iraq, and when asked about Kurds his response was "WHAT THE HELL IS A KURD?!"

    Lieing = sin. Period. So what would you call standing before a group of American POWs and swearing if they voted for him he would "NEVER" use his status as a "POW" for political gain? he is a sinner you're right.

    Selfishness = sin. Period. This is a big issue for McCain, he divorced his 1st wife(sin) as she was poor and only weeks later married his RICH PLASTIC WIFE. He was involved in one of the most criminal bank corruption scandlas in the 80's Google "The Keating 5" and there you'll see just what McCain stands for.

    Thank you for allyour points, I welcome more when ever you think you have them.

    • Posted By: Hope for America @ 07/11/2008 3:25:34 PM

      Ha ha, again you ignore the references I gave you about war in the Bible. Please stop only listening to what you want to hear and start seeing the things directly in front of you. I wish the majority of Obama supporters would take the same advice, as they are all quite confused as to what exactly Obama is.

  • Posted By: Hope for America @ 07/11/2008 2:04:03 PM

    The problem IS Obama's "faith". Faith in what? He claims to be Christian. This truelly is not so.

    Christian.

    This word is thrown around by many people these days, but seldom do any of them truelly understand what it means.

    Christian means you believe that Jesus Christ(hence Christian) is your savior and through Him only can you go to Heaven, not by works, by faith. Now that doesn't mean that works aren't needed for faith. On the contrary, as Paul states in Romans, good works are the completion of faith. Show me someone without works who has faith. Doesn't exist.

    Thus the qualifications of being Christian extend further than belief in Jesus Christ as savior but also include having teh WANT and the STRUGGLE to uphold what is RIGHTEOUS and good. It DOES NOT mean you have to have no sin, FALSE. The whole concept of Christianity is that man is sinful and condemned to death, but that Christ rescues us from that.

    Therefore, a TRUE Christian would hold Christian morals in high regard.

    That means:

    Abortion = murder. Period.

    Gay marriage = sin. Period.

    Racism = Sin. Period.

    Lieing = sin. Period.

    Selfishness = sin. Period.

    Yet Obama is FOR abortion, FOR gay marriage, he proves EVERY DAY how selfish he is, and his quote "Christian" spiritual leader for the last 20 years is one of the most racist people in America.

    As a devout Christian struggling the good fight for salvation, I cannot look at Obama with any respect. He throws around what is dearest to me, my religion, and tries to claim that he will support what I hold important. Rubbish. Plain clear flat out rubbish. His principles are anti-Christian in every way.

    He may not be muslim but he sure as hell isn't Christian with what he is telling voters.

    This CHRISTIAN will vote for McCain for the hope of upholding what I hold dearest, and what the world needs a lot more of.

    McCain 08

  • Posted By: jane.simpson.wilson @ 07/11/2008 11:49:25 AM

    The problem is not Obama's faith, it is that he changes his mind more than a girl changes her dress before going out on a date. His unending willingness to please everyone just gives me the hives. Can you imagine JFK saying, "Well, being a Catholic, just doesn't suit me anymore, and that Pope, What was he thinking?" I'm sorry, Barry, Oh, that's right he changed it to Obama so he could get the girl, needs more testoterone in his household. Go for a big male dog. That might help. but, bottom-line, I just don't trust him, he wants to be head cheerleader too badly. Oh, and McCain, the PTSD poster-child of the year, I'll be writing in Teddy Roosevelt this election.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 07/08/2008 12:54:08 PM

    McCain supporters, lately I have been noticing that you don't use your time wisely blogging because the majority of you come here to post Obama smears insteading of praising your candidate. Why is that? Do you want your candidate elected? Doesn't seem like it to me becasue I rarely see any positive posts on McCain's attributes. You only praise McCain by smearing, lying about and diminishing Obama. Dumb move. Or could it be there is nothing you can praise him for? That's it.

    • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/08/2008 4:54:05 PM

      Pia, you sound like me back in the primaries when I was telling Obama supporters to state benefits about him instead of smearing the Hillary and husband.

      • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 07/09/2008 8:50:17 AM

        GM sharenews. I do sound like you and I will take it as a compliment.

        • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 11:21:43 PM

          : - ) Yes, I was complimenting you .

    • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/08/2008 9:15:39 PM

      But it is so easy, AND so much fun. I have consistently told the truth about Hussein..He is a CROOK and a FRAUD.

      NOBAMA!!!

      • Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 6:18:13 PM

        So what are you like taking a break from your hot sex life with sinclair? Stay in bed where you belong, with a nice...Dick Cheney is such an bad guy...in your mouth.

      • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 07/09/2008 4:46:49 PM

        HolyRoller, you are so full of the BS it isn't funny. I'm surprised you have the nerve to use the word (truth) and not choke on it. Talk about FRAUD!

      • Posted By: Slave of The Subduer @ 07/09/2008 11:13:39 AM

        Hahahahahahaha!!!! Though your comment seems to be driven from ideocy, it is funny and maybe true.

        NOHOLYROLLER!!!

  • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 3:38:12 PM

    OBAMAS VOTING RECORD


    MISSED VOTES, BAD ATTENDANCE???

    Excerpt: When challenged on his missed vote, in one case, Obamas campaign blamed it on [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid. They claimed he was told the vote was put off. I have always had a problem with the way he passed the buck and blamed others for his failure to cast a vote on a bill he???s describing as a green light for attacking Iran, but that???s neither here nor there. I have always suspected that he really did know that vote was coming up ??? he is a US Senator after all and has a staff of something like 30 or 40 people working for him, and I am sure at least ONE of those staffers are charged with the job of keeping track of when votes were coming up," Alegre wrote.

    More on this: SOURCE: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama:_U.S._presidential_election%2C_2008/Senate_attendance%2C_missed_votes



    OBAMA HITS WRONG BUTTON WHEN VOTING ON LEGISLATURE
    OBAMA SAID OOPS ON 6 STATE SENATE VOTES: What the heck?

    He pushed the wrong button, he asserted at the time. Two of the admitted flubs were on HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUES.

    http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obamavotes24jan24,1,7079399.story?track=rss



    OBAMAS VOTES JUST PRESENT FOR VOTES IN ILLINOIS WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO SIDESTEP CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES: New York Times | RAYMOND HERNANDEZ and CHRISTOPHER DREW | December 20, 2007 12:37 PM

    In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature -- to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate.

    In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted PRESENT effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?ei=5088&en=8385d348acbab84e&ex=1355806800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1209935321-m6g1pEKjjmDSN0IklnbG1w

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 6:54:00 PM

      More twisted lies from Sharenews. Out of hundreds of votes each year, Obama accidentally pressed the wrong button only six times. After hitting the wrong button, Obama immediately had his vote changed, so that when they tallied the votes Obama's official vote was the correct one that he intended. However, the first (inaccurate) vote shows in the record as well as the amended vote, but only the amended vote counts

      Furthermore, it is common practice in the Illinois State Senate to vote PRESENT, and it used as a political tool in a different way than in the National Senate, where you can not vote Present, only Yea or Nay.

      • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/10/2008 9:52:40 PM

        ninny-you talk pretty...pretty twisted. I guess the multiple personality disorder, you so glaringly exhibit, is really getting to you.

        Obama accidentally pressed the wrong button. Maybe if it was after an evening of crack rock and man love. Most likely, he did what good buddy Tony "The Syrian" told him to do. You, and I, and anyone who is paying attention, knows he was pandering to voters, and then voting for the $$$......ever here of FISA??? Ever here of faith based initiatives??? Ever hear of evaluating AFTER, visiting Iraq??? Ever hear of throwing your Pastor..er...spiritual mentor under the bus??? Ever hear of DONALD YOUNG???

        You need to quit lying so much. It's as old as your messiah's message of HOPE and CHANGE. Mostly CHANGE. He does that daily.

        NOBAMA!!!

  • Posted By: peace4world @ 07/09/2008 1:35:33 PM

    Well Obama has no religion, no church, no pastor. How can he say and talk about faith?

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 7:02:53 PM

      Obama can talk about faith because he has faith. Obama is a Christian. That is his religion.

      If Obama currently belongs to no church, that is because he is traveling so much. Once he settles down in Washington I am sure he will join a local church and have a pastor again. Furthermore, there is a large group of ministers, pastors, reverends and priests that pray with and for Obama every week.

    • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 4:15:14 PM

      I am pretty sure Obama will be flip flopping back into Trinity United Church of Christ after the election.

    • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 07/09/2008 4:42:21 PM

      How can people get into name calling and character assassination without realizing that they define themselves far more than who they are attacking.

  • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 12:55:14 AM

    Obama has always been a moderate Democrat. He has some liberal ideas and some conservative ones, but overall he is a centrist. Read his book Audacity of Hope (written more than four years ago) and you will see that he is saying the exact same things today that he was saying then.

    The liberal media and the radical right have both wanted to paint Obama as a leftist liberal, each for their own reasons. They each were guilty of creating an image of Obama that simply is not accurate. Now, they are both screaming, the liberals saying "He's going centrist and abandoning the liberals!" and the right wingers saying "He's flip flopping by going moderate!"

    Both factions are wrong. Obama has not changed. Obama himself referred to this problem last fall, when he said that people were going to project all kinds of ideas onto him, and that some of them were going to be disappointed, because he can only be who he is.

    Obama is a moderate Democrat. Always was a moderate Democrat. End of story.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 07/10/2008 8:45:36 AM

      Geez, Nins. Sometimes I think you are the only one with sense on these boards! I, too, read both of Obama's books 2.5 years ago before he was a blip on the political screen. He hasn't changed. As much as they want to demonize him, the fact remains that Obama is a good, honest, moral man. The way he has led his life tells me that. He worked his butt off to graduate from a prestigious law school, married a successful attorney--and has been with her for 18 years altogether, is an amazing, caring parent to his two girls, and he worked tirelessly to turn around a poor community in Chicago. He is still finding his political footing, true, but I believe in him because I know his heart is in the right place, and he has the intelligence and courage to carry through. I do not see that in McCain, who has turned bailed on both of his wives when they needed him. Ok, he was a POW for 5 years. We get it. What else? I don't think being a POW should automatically score you the most powerful seat in the world.
      We all flip-flop, if you think about it. We make decisions based on the knowledge we have at the time. Nothing is black and white (except for the world of the neocons). I respect Obama for his honesty, and for that fact that he isn't part of the deceitful current administration. McCain is Bush's lackey.

      • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 6:58:49 PM

        Thank you, Summer, not only for the nice thing you said to me, but even more for your heart-felt post.

        I agree with you that Obama is a good, honest, moral man. If people would only read Audacity of Hope and compare it to McCain's autobiograhies they would really see a lot that the media isn't telling them about both candidates.

      • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 4:13:06 PM


        FROM THE GALLUP POLLING:

        80% OF AMERICANS SEE MCCAIN AS CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF:


        July 3, 2008
        Nearly All Americans Consider Military Service PATRIOTIC

        Symbolic gestures valued more highly by older Americans and the less educated

        by Lymari Morales

        WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nearly two-thirds of Americans (62%) say serving in the U.S. military reveals "a great deal" about one's patriotism, ranking it second only to voting in elections among six items rated in a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. More than half of Americans (53%) say the same about reciting the pledge of allegiance, and far fewer about wearing an American flag pin.

        Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spent much of this Independence Day week trying to assure voters of his patriotism, having been faulted during the Democratic primary season for at times not wearing an American flag pin, and for not placing his hand over his heart during the national anthem on at least one occasion. Obama's speech on Monday, entitled "The America We Love," included praise for Republican rival John McCain's service to his country in Vietnam, in response to retired Gen. Wesley Clark's statement that McCain's experience as a Navy pilot and prisoner of war does not necessarily qualify him to be commander in chief.

        McCain's service in Vietnam is generally considered an advantage in this wartime election against Obama, who has never served in the military, and a key reason why:

        80% OF AMERICANS SEE MCCAIN AS CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF:

        The Gallup data reveal that Americans do in fact consider military service in general to be a sign of patriotism. While Republicans are among the most likely of all groups to say serving in the military reveals a great deal about one's patriotism, more than half of both Democrats and independents agree. Republicans also tend to place more value on saying the pledge of allegiance and wearing an American flag pin, while independents align more closely with Democrats, who are generally less likely to place a high value on each action.

        source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/108646/Nearly-All-Americans-Consider-Military-Service-Patriotic.aspx

      • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 4:10:39 PM

        OBAMA SAYS: Dont tell me words dont matter!


        OBAMA WORDS: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are TINY compared to the Soviet Union. They DONT pose a serious threat to us!

        TWO Days later . . .

        OBAMA WORDS: Iran is a GREAT threat! Iran is a GREAT threat, REALLY! Iran is a GREAT threat, I am not kidd???n here!

        WHAT does Obama really believe?? What are we supposed to think if he tells us words DO matter.

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lx-QcstDcU

      • Posted By: pezled @ 07/10/2008 10:12:33 AM

        It's rather ironic to see Mccain castigated for having had divorces by the same party that gave us BIll Clinton and cigars, and JFK and Marilyn Monroe (ad nauseum).

    • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 3:55:04 PM


      NATIONAL JOURNAL???s
      2007 Vote Ratings
      Obama: Most Liberal Senator In 2007
      By Brian Friel, Richard E. Cohen and Kirk Victor, National Journal
      © National Journal Group Inc.
      Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008

      Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was the most liberal senator in 2007, according to National Journal's 27th annual vote ratings. The insurgent presidential candidate shifted further to the left last year in the run-up to the primaries, after ranking as the 16th- and 10th-most-liberal during his first two years in the Senate.

  • Posted By: Chloe123 @ 07/10/2008 8:37:08 AM

    So what is the case for McCain?

    No candidate for President since Wendell Wilkie in 1940 has had as little relevant experience before running for President as Barack Obama. The Illinois Senator served for 8 years, in a generally undistinguished fashion, in the Illinois legislature. He was best known for voting present more often than any other State Senator. When the Democrats took over the Legislature the last two years he served, Obama worked out a deal with the Democratic leader, Emil Jones, to get his name on some bills so he could buff up his resume before running for the open US Senate seat.

    In the US Senate, Obama missed many votes in his first term even before he launched his Presidential bid, as he traveled the country speaking to Democratic Party events (and positioning himself with activists for a future Presidential run). Since the campaign began, he has missed virtually all Senate votes and failed to hold meetings of his own subcommittee. So the Obama record is very thin.

    His major campaign themes have been lofty messages of change and hope and bipartisan unity. This is a smart course to take, when you have little to show for your years in public office. McCain needs to focus on Obama''s record of scant legislative accomplishment and inexperience. What has Barack Obama done, as opposed to claiming to have done?

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 1:33:58 PM

      Chloe, you are setting yourself up by posting this stuff. Didn't you know that McCain has missed far more votes than Obama? The information below is current as of the end of June.

      It is understood that Clinton, McCain and Obama have all missed many votes during the campaign season. However, if the reader will take the trouble to page through Obama's voting record (http://obama.senate.gov), they will see that Obama has been present for all of the important votes. Obama has been present and voted on 62 of the 154 bills before Congress in the current session beginning January 2008. Clinton has voted on 56 of these 154 bills. And McCain, who had already won the primary and didn't have to start campaigning against Obama until a few weeks ago, McCain voted on only 33 of 154 bills.

      As I have exposed in one of my earlier blogs, McCain missed more than half of his votes, even before he started running for President. In the First Session of the 110th Congress (2007) McCain missed a whopping 56% of his votes. McCain doesn't want you to know this, so when you go to his Senate web page, there is no tab to click to see his voting record (http://mccain.senate.gov). An American who wants to know how McCain votes has to look it up on the Library of Congress website (not user friendly) or go to the Washington Post website:

      http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/

      While you are there, pay special attention to McCain's votes on March 13 and 14, 2008. On those days we know he was present, because he voted on 22 bills. But he refused to vote on 22 other bills. He failed to vote on several bills concerning border security, alien removal and English in the workplace, even though he has set himself up as the candidate who wants immigration reform favorable to Hispanics. He also failed to vote on the bills regarding efficient energy production, even though he claims to be in favor of this. He must not be very much in favor of efficient energy and immigration reform since he refused to vote even though he was present. As for Obama and Clinton, they were both present those days, and they both voted on all 44 bills.

      McCain knows that public perception is all that matters, so he gives a news conference and says he supports certain issues, even though he refuses to vote in favor of them. He knows that most Americans never take the time to look up his voting record, and he makes sure that his Senate web page doesn't include this information.


      Furthermore, Obama has been in legislative office 12 years, not four as you state.

      • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 4:21:49 PM

        OBAMAS VOTING RECORD


        MISSED VOTES, BAD ATTENDANCE???

        Excerpt: When challenged on his missed vote, in one case, Obamas campaign blamed it on [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid. They claimed he was told the vote was put off. I have always had a problem with the way he passed the buck and blamed others for his failure to cast a vote on a bill he???s describing as a green light for attacking Iran, but that???s neither here nor there. I have always suspected that he really did know that vote was coming up ??? he is a US Senator after all and has a staff of something like 30 or 40 people working for him, and I am sure at least ONE of those staffers are charged with the job of keeping track of when votes were coming up," Alegre wrote.

        More on this: SOURCE: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama:_U.S._presidential_election%2C_2008/Senate_attendance%2C_missed_votes



        OBAMA HITS WRONG BUTTON WHEN VOTING ON LEGISLATURE
        OBAMA SAID OOPS ON 6 STATE SENATE VOTES: What the heck?

        He pushed the wrong button, he asserted at the time. Two of the admitted flubs were on HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUES.

        http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obamavotes24jan24,1,7079399.story?track=rss



        OBAMAS VOTES JUST PRESENT FOR VOTES IN ILLINOIS WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO SIDESTEP CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES: New York Times | RAYMOND HERNANDEZ and CHRISTOPHER DREW | December 20, 2007 12:37 PM

        In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature -- to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate.

        In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted PRESENT effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator.

        http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?ei=5088&en=8385d348acbab84e&ex=1355806800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1209935321-m6g1pEKjjmDSN0IklnbG1w

        • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 6:55:48 PM

          More twisted lies from Sharenews. Out of hundreds of votes each year, Obama accidentally pressed the wrong button only six times. After hitting the wrong button, Obama immediately had his vote changed, so that when they tallied the votes Obama's official vote was the correct one that he intended. However, the first (inaccurate) vote shows in the record as well as the amended vote, but only the amended vote counts

          Furthermore, it is common practice in the Illinois State Senate to vote PRESENT, and it used as a political tool in a different way than in the National Senate, where you can not vote Present, only Yea or Nay.

  • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 6:38:12 PM

    Know why McCain wants to distance himself from former Senator Phil Gramm? It is not just because of Gramm's recent obnoxious remarks calling Americans "a nation of whiners" and that unemployed Americans are in "a mental recession." In fact, those remarks were so obnoxious that I wonder if they were engineered just to provide McCain an excuse for publicly distancing himself from Gramm. This issue is a lot deeper than it looks on the surface.

    When Gramm was a Senator he was chair of the Committee on Banking, and in that capacity he was able to push through the legislation now known as the "Enron Loophole." This loophole allowed US investment banks to bypass the Federal regulations governing futures trading, and is the reason why the investment banks were able to falsely inflate the prices of oil, wheat, corn and other commodities through massive futures trading, causing your costs of gas, heating oil and food to go through the roof.

    Gramm was a member of McCain's campaign team, but now Gramms' name is turning to mud. In addition to the Enron loophole, Gramm pushed through the Gramm-Leach-Biley Act in 1999, which got rid of the laws that seperate banking, insurance and brokerage activities in America. Essentially, this Act did away with all of the good laws written after the Great Depression to protect us from another Wall Street/Banking Industry collapse. That's right, Gramm stripped the system of it's safe guards nine years ago, and guess what? The value of the dollar has nose-dived, Wall Street is highly unstable, and we are in the midst of a recession.

    Now you could say that this is not Gramm's fault, that he didn't know what the outcome of his actions would be. However, it turns out that the same investment banks that benefited from the Enron loophole and from the Gramm Act gave more than a million dollars to Gramm's campaign. Uh oh. A Congressional hearing is going to be convened to investigate this. And McCain wants to have noting to do with Gramm, wants us to forget that Gramm has been a key player on McCain's campaign team. Gramm was McCain's campaign CO-CHAIR and LEADING ECONOMIC ADVISER.

    With Gramm in the driver's seat as his leading economic adviser, now you know why economists and analysts are saying that McCain's economic policy plans are untenable.

  • Posted By: Concerned Ctzn @ 07/10/2008 12:43:27 PM

    Got one question:

    Why haven't the two candidates agreed to a debate yet? (We're waitng...)

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 1:22:33 PM

      The debates begin after the conventions. Until then, neither candidate is the official nominee.

      • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 3:46:54 PM

        There really is no reason why Obama cant meet with McCain in a Town Hall meeting that McCain challenged him to last month. Even one would be interesting to see how both would stand up against each other in that type of format for debate. Looks like Obama will not rise to that occasion though.

        • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 07/10/2008 5:00:10 PM

          There is no doubt that debates will happen with plenty of time to evaluate performances. McCain literally needs help with nothing to loose and Obama is smart to put him off and wait. Most likely, by all indications, Obama will excel in any debate and McCain won't. McCain would prefer an unstructured townhall format but that really doesn't offer the public much - just to see the candidates dance around and say what they want.

      • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/10/2008 3:46:35 PM

        Hussein said he would debate McCain anywhere, anytime...until he was challenged. Then he decided he would wait. There is no reason debates, could not be handled now...except...Hussein is still changing his positions. Looks like Jesse Jackson even knows he is a FRAUD. Just like the ninny.

        NOBAMA!!!

  • Posted By: sharenews @ 07/10/2008 3:43:54 PM

    These statistics seems to make sense from Gallup:

    PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans who say religion is an important part of their daily lives support John McCain over Barack Obama for president, 50% to 40%, while their less religious counterparts support Obama over McCain, 55% to 36%.

  • Posted By: Nins @ 07/10/2008 1:21:45 PM

    Carly Fiorina is one of John McCain's chief surrogates, particularly talking him up to women. But Fiorina, who was ousted as chief of Hewlett-Packard in 2005, is not above lying to soften the edges on McCain's positions that are unpopular with women.

    On Monday, Fiorina said this to a group of reporters "Let me give you a real, live example, which I've been hearing a lot about from women. There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth control medication. Those women would like a choice." She said. And then for emphasis, she repeated "Those women would like a choice."

    Clearly, women don't need to chose between birth control and Viagra. So by saying those women would like a choice, just what did Fiorina mean? Is she trying to make McCain look Pro-Choice?

    This is not the first time that Fiorina has taken some license with McCain's positions. She recently told women in Columbus, Ohio that McCain "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade." This is a blatant falsehood and misrepresentation of McCain's position, since McCain's own campaign website states "John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that."

    When it comes to the birth control issue, in a rebuttal to Fiorina's Monday comments, the group Pro-Choice America was happy to point out that McCain twice voted against measures that would have required insurance companies to cover birth control -- in 2003 and in 2005.

    The Republican said Wednesday that he did not recall those votes. "It's something that I had not thought much about." he added.

    Now that will make him popular with women voters.

    http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/07/09/mccain-squirms-on-birth-control-question/

  • Posted By: Wisconsin Voter @ 07/10/2008 12:19:57 PM

    Republican faith, Sending people to their maker one bullet at a time.

  • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 07/10/2008 4:20:04 AM

    I thought this is suitable under this topic. I just thought I would share something of interest. I have been reading the book WHAT HAPPENED, Inside the Bush White House by Scott McClellan and Scott takes some time to describe how George W Bush regularly convinces himself that lies he tells are true. Scott writes, after he describes one occasion, ???I know Bush and I know he genuinely believes what he says??? and Scott then goes on to call it ???self-deceit???. Now I have a degree in Psychology, have read probably over 50 books on the subject, and have thought for some time that George W Bush vividly displays a sociopathic personality (as I feel Karl Rove and Hillary Clinton do) and, whether Scott McClellan realizes it or not, that is likely what he is describing. The sociopathic personality has no conscience, is totally self-indulgent and will go to great lengths, without ever experiencing any guilt, to achieve what they want. As Martha Stout, in her book THE SOCIOPATH NEXT DOOR, put it ???their only goal is to win??? and they will go to any length, without ever experiencing any guilt, just to win. They simply think it is their entitlement. She adds that they are quite good at ???faking most anything???. It seems to me an interesting confirmation of what I suspected, which then goes a long way to explain things.

  • Posted By: jazzbebop @ 07/06/2008 11:28:35 PM

    What brand of religion will Obama bring to the white house? It's hard to say, but appears to be some form of twisted "i'm a victim of white america" brand. Can't figure that out as he is, "supposedly", half white and half black. But as near as I can tell never had a "slave" relative. Yet somehow, since everyone else has suffered - I guess because their relatives suffered some couple hundred years ago - we are going to have to hear about it and have it become apart of our great religious history?

    Obama may win - but he will stink up the place, and bring america further down the trail as being a bunch of victims who need the government to bail out there sorry little butts...... Go get a job everyone, someone has to pay their taxes to support all these programs Barry will start....

    • Posted By: Nins @ 07/07/2008 12:54:31 PM

      Now you are getting just plain nasty, Jazz. I was responding to your blogs as if you were a serious Christian, but from this one it is obvious that what you really are is a racist bigot. Saying that a black President would "stink up" the White House and do nothing but offer handouts to other balcks is disgusting. Shame on you.

      Furthermore, Obama is quite different from a "tax and spend" Democrat and he is offering no free handouts to "victims." For instance, his education plan is designed to pump out thousands of scientists and engineers so that the USA can compete on the world market. Obviously, we have lost manufacturing and heavy industry to China, India and Mexico. So now we have to educate our people to become the leaders in energy technology and intellectual property, and thereby regain our spot at the top of the global economy. His education plan isn't just so your kids get to make more art projects. It is designed to dovetail with the economic goals. No victims here, only bright, well educated workers helping to undo the damage Bush has done to our dollar.

      • Posted By: loriw @ 07/07/2008 10:32:09 PM

        Nins you say that Obama is quite different from a tax and spend Democrat but I have looked at a lot of the programs he is proposing and I have serious concerns about how all these generous programs will be funded. He promises tax deductions on one issue and incentives or programs that will need funding on other issues. Where will all the money come from?

        • Posted By: notroubleatall1963 @ 07/09/2008 10:46:26 PM

          LoriW - we will extract ourselves gradually from Iraq and NOT start another war in Iran, and believe me, we will suddenly find ourselves flush with a bunch of cash - to the tune of about a trillion or two.

          Would you not rather have great social programs that BENEFIT EVERYONE than pay your taxes to support NOTHING BUT WARS? DUH.... Americans need to rethink their brainwashing being sloshed at them by the GOP - we spend a lot more than Europeans do on education, health care, fundamental human services... and they never complain about paying "too high taxes" - they actually GET SOMETHING FOR THEIR TAXES.

          Not like us Dummies here in the States.

    • Posted By: sjpersonal @ 07/08/2008 1:30:43 PM

      You are just a pathetic individual.

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