Immigration comes up as major topic in McCain/Obama meeting

On Saturday, I predicted (http://raymondblogs.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama-and-mccain.html) that Obama would offer McCain some sort of position working on the immigration issue. Today, (http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN17514919) the meeting took place and we are now hearing from "sources" that immigration was one of the topics discussed. It looks like my prediction is still alive:) Let's see if anything official happens.

Raymond
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Obama and McCain...

I don't make lots of predictions, but I'd like to take a chance on this one. Sen. John McCain is expected to meet with the President-Elect on Monday. I believe President-Elect Obama will put Sen. John McCain in some sort of leadership position with regard to Immigration. I believe he wants to move quickly to find ways to work with his former opponents where possible. Sen. McCain is obviously his biggest opponent, but also a man he can work with. Sen. Hillary Clinton would be his 2nd biggest opponent. She has already been mentioned as a potential Secretary of State. If you think about it, if he brings the logical opponents into his administration, it makes arguments against whatever he proposes harder to make. Working with McCain will help Obama get things passed that he otherwise might have a tough time on. Immigration would be a logical place for Obama to work with McCain. The two men see pretty much eye-to-eye on that issue. Quite frankly, if anyone was voting for or against either candidate in the general election due to immigration, I have no idea who that vote would have been cast for. The 2 candidates have very similar positions on immigration. This would be a way for Obama to score a quick victory. It would also almost surely solidify the hispanic vote for Democrats in the near future. If the plan led to eventual citizenship for illegal aliens, then the plan could also bring on voters who can't even legally be in the country under current laws. That would be a win-win for Obama. That's my prediction. As far as domestic policy, Obama pointed out McCain's shortcomings during the campaign. When it comes to foreign policy, the 2 also seem to have major differences. However, immigration is the logical issue with which the 2 men could work together. Considering the fact that the President-Elect has fewer than 70 days left before taking the oath, he wouldn't be meeting with McCain if he didn't have a specific plan in mind ahead of time. I doubt a cabinet position would be part of this. It seems more logical that he might tap McCain as the head or co-head with a Democrat of an immigration "task force." That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Raymond
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President-Elect Obama

Ok, it looks like President-Elect Obama will soon be running the country. With Pelosi and Reid running congress, one thing is sure... It looks like we will see how things go when they are run from the left. I hope Obama does a fantastic job. Maybe some of the theories about how taxing the rich means they have less money to hire employees and expand business will turn out not to be true. We're soon gonna find out. I'm praying for Obama and his family. They are certainly getting ready to begin an exciting part of their lives. I wish them the best! As Americans, we'll all be watching to see how things go. I think there are a couple of things that would not hurt him, but would both give him even more political capital with which to work... He could announce a task-force that will work out a solution to the immigration issue. That task force could be co-chaired by a Democrat and a Republican.. If he announced John McCain will be co-chairing with a Democrat, that would be a coup. McCain's immigration policy is not far removed from what Obama wants as well (remember, Ted Kennedy worked with McCain on the immigration bill that never made it.) Then, he could announce a similar arrangement with Healthcare and Hillary Clinton. He also has many similar idea to Hillary when it comes to Healthcare. Announcing these 2 task-forces/committees will give him time to deal with economic/foreign issues he will surely be spending a great deal of time working on. They would also prove that he is serious about bringing people together to fix these problems. Since he has congress on his side, it should be fairly easy to get whatever he finally proposes passed. Obama can then work on the economic stimulus and tax hikes/cuts he has promoted during the campaign. He can focus on that during his first 100 days, and the Healthcare and immigration plans could be submitted several months after these task forces begin their work. This will allow him to deal with these issues within 6 months or more. We'll see what happens:)

Raymond
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Presidential Election... some battleground states getting closer..

We are just 2 days away from the election, and there are still many polls showing Obama leading nationally. However, a poll showing just a 2 point lead by Obama just came out. This is after about 4 or 5 polls showed a 3 point lead. Most of those would be within the margins of error. Even so, plenty show bigger leads for Obama. One interesting thing about this new 2 point poll is it is the Investor Business Daily poll. This was the most accurate poll in 2004. If you look at battleground state polling, several of those are getting interesting as well. Take Ohio as an example... the latest Mason/Dixon poll there now has McCain up by 2 points. There have been several polls of Ohio showing a McCain win there. In Florida, while Obama is leading by a few points in many polls, the latest Reuters poll shows a tie. From October 16-22nd, 4 polls showed McCain winning there. I know it has been said several times on the networks that Obama polled better than he performed in several primaries. If this is true for the general election, Tuesday night could be interesting. By the way, most of the polls I'm referring to I found at realclearpolitics.com. You could spend hours there researching polls, if you are bored! Anyone who says this race is over is fooling themselves. For McCain to win on Tuesday night, a lot of things have to go his way. However, if he can just get many of the states to fall the way they did in 2004 for GWBush, he could still pull off a win. We'll see what happens...

Raymond
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Happy 90th Birthday Billy Graham!

There aren't many people I can think of who hold the position that Billy Graham does. I was flipping through the TV tonight, and I ran across a tribute to Rev. Billy Graham. He is turning 90. Billy Graham has always been held to extremely high esteem in my family. While I understand he is not perfect, he is an example of the power of allowing the Lord to use your life. If there is someone alive today on earth who will have a better welcome to heaven than Billy Graham, I can't think of who that could be. A month or two ago, his son Franklin Graham was in town to do a Franklin Graham Festival. Franklin is taking up his father's cross to bring others to the Lord through crusades. One of the things I love about my job in TV is that I get the chance to meet newsmakers, and often I get a chance to have a short conversation with people in the news. I had the chance to talk to Franklin Graham just before he kicked off his Festival. I was impressed with what he was doing in Charleston, and I told him so, but when I was talking to him, I couldn't help but think that this was Billy Graham's son. Billy is a living example of what it means to be a man of God. I wish I had had the chance to go to a Billy Graham Crusade. I look forward to talking to him in heaven. They just showed a clip of Billy Graham getting a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It points out what kind of man he is. He said that years prior to that ceremony, he was asked if he would be willing to have a star put on the walk named after him. He said he couldn't think of a reason God would want a star with his name on it. He said years later, he recalled meeting people from Hollywood who were Christians. He said it dawned on him that one day a child might walk by his star and ask his parents "which rock star was this Billy Graham?" He said that might be an opportunity to explain that he was a preacher, and perhaps someone would have the message of Christ explained to him, and someone may come to Christ because of that. He's a great man, and he keeps his message simple. If you aren't really familiar with him, I'd invite you to take a look at the 2 minute clip of his sermon from decades ago below. It is as relevant today as it was the day he preached it. Thanks Billy! Happy Birthday.

Raymond



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Election in 4 days....

We're 4 days away from a major election. No matter which side of the political fence you stand on, it is clear there are two very different directions this country could end up taking. It appears Obama may win this race, but several recent polls show it could be almost a dead heat. I'm looking forward to finding out on Tuesday.

PS: Saw a funny bumper sticker on a car tonight.... "Intelligent people for McCain/Palin 2008." That's a good one.

Raymond
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Laugh your face off...

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK PLAY UNLESS YOU HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO LAUGH...
This is so funny I can't stand it.



Raymond
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Been away for awhile...

Hey folks...

I've been away from the 'ole blog for a couple of weeks. I was out of town for awhile, and I've just been so busy I haven't gotten around to updating the blog. You can check out my online talk show on the Smoky Mountains at www.gosmoky.com to see that I haven't been ignoring the net completely. I'm going to make an effort to update this several times per week.

Raymond
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Blog Action Day

Today is National Blog Action Day. It is a day set aside to highlight the issue of poverty. Check out more info at www.blogactionday.org



Raymond
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Ray Boltz is Gay...

Ok, this is a big deal. I worked at WKCL in Ladson, a Christian radio station for 10 years. Ray Boltz was probably requested and played hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in that decade.



The first concert I went to with my future wife was a Ray Boltz concert. He came out of the closet in an interview with a gay magazine in Washington this month. I never saw this one coming. My first reaction is, well, I never really knew Ray Boltz. On second thought, I think I knew who he was, I just didn't know THIS about him. I have no problem personally with the fact that he has a boyfriend. As a Christian, I believe the bible says this is sin. Having said that, there are all sorts of sins that don't change the way you think about someone. If I told you Ray Boltz has not tithed 10% of his earnings for the last 20 years, would that change the way you think about him? As far as I understand it (and I'm by FAR not a biblical expert,) sin is sin. There really isn't a set of sin "levels." Telling a lie keeps you out of heaven just as sure as killing someone. Jesus paid the price to cover ALL SIN. I DO understand that. Once we become a Christian, we are to turn away from our sin. If he is still sinning, isn't that wrong? Well, I suppose it is. Just like it is still sin when we allow our temper to flare up. It keeps us from being the husband/father we need to be. In the end, it is God's job to judge us. I have friends who are gay, and I don't look at them any differently than my straight friends. There are straight friends I have who aren't living the way I believe the bible says they should either. But that doesn't mean I believe I should point out their sin to them, especially if they are not Christians. This whole story is just a shocker to me, since Ray Boltz was such a part of my life for such a long time. I'm sure some of the others who read this can relate to what I'm writing here. What do you think about this subject? I'm really interested in hearing other opinions.


Raymond
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Honestly not allowed in the campaign...

Ok, so last night, I blogged that Biden agreed with me, that the McCain "internet" ad was terrible. Now today, Biden changed his mind...

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/09/biden_sent_to_reeducation_camp.asp

BTW... the video from Biden on the bus with Katie is right below this post... check it out and let me know if it sounds to you like he hadn't seen the ad.

Raymond
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Biden, on ad I blogged about: "I thought that was terrible."

I was extremely pleased to see Joe Biden agrees with me on the ad that the Obama campaign ran, making fun of the fact that John McCain can't use the internet the same way the rest of us can...




Raymond
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Obama ad: McCain can't use computer.. .doesn't mention war injuries that makes that difficult...

This is a story that has my blood boiling... apparently, being injured serving your country is not a good excuse to not be as "techno-savy" as some in politics believe you should be. No matter what your politics, this should be something that upsets you as well.

Sen. Barack Obama has a new ad out, highlighting how "old" John McCain is...



http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/still_ad/

...while I suppose it is the Obama campaign's right to talk about McCain's age, the part that irritates me is the following...

"He admits he still doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an e-mail."

That statement is FINE, unless you consider the facts...

FACT 1: McCain suffered injuries as a POW that make it difficult for him to type on a keyboard...
FACT 2: Unless FORBES was making the news up, as far back as 2000, it was reported that McCain, through the assistance of his wife, has been sending email..

"In certain ways, McCain was a natural Web candidate. Chairman of the Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee and regarded as the U.S. Senate's savviest technologist, McCain is an inveterate devotee of email. His nightly ritual is to read his email together with his wife, Cindy. The injuries he incurred as a Vietnam POW make it painful for McCain to type. Instead, he dictates responses that his wife types on a laptop. "She's a whiz on the keyboard, and I'm so laborious," McCain admits." (http://www.forbes.com/asap/2000/0529/053_print.html)

I sure hope nobody in the Obama campaign realized that McCain's war injuries make it difficult to use a computer the way you and I can on a regular basis. I also assume nobody in the campaign bothered to do 5-10 minutes of research on google prior to releasing the ad. However, that is a lot of assuming. We all know what assuming does.

I'd love to hear what you think on this... am I being oversensitive, or is this about as low as any campaign can go?


Raymond
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SC Democratic Party Chair: Palin's biggest qualification is no abortion

Here is the dumb comment of the night... The chairman of the South Carolina Democrat party said that Palin's primary qualification is that she has not had an abortion. I first heard about this at Palmetto Scoop... http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/09/10/fowler-palin-primary-qualification-that-she-hasn%e2%80%99t-had-an-abortion

I can't imagine why this comment would be made. Afterall, even if it was used in jest, it failed. There doesn't appear to be ANY context that I can imagine in which the statement would be considered funny.

I suppose it could be like Chevy Chase adlibbing a joke... not funny unless it's scripted... but my guess is there is just serious panic on the left and they are just blurting out their thoughts without considering the consequences.

That appears to be what the McCain campaign thinks of the comment as well.







I had the chance to phone in to a media conference call this afternoon with Sen. Lindsey Graham. Here are few of the things he had to say about the comments... He said he was "shocked and surprised" that Fowler would make such comments. He said "If this were done the other way, there would be a firestorm…" Finally, he said "It shows our democratic colleages are in a meltdown." That makes the most sense to me as well.


UPDATE: As usual, FITSNews has a unique look at this story...http://www.fitsnews.com/2008/09/10/carol-fowler-is-kind-of-a-bitch/
Fowler, and the FITSNews story touches on an issue I mentioned here Monday.. http://raymondblogs.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-have-to-apologize-for-not-updating.html

Raymond
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Illegal Immigration Problem? Ok, let's make it harder to do it legally!

I read an article in USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-09-citizenship_N.htm?csp=34) that covers the fact that the number of people applying to become a US citizen has dropped by more than half after the fee to apply for citizenship increased more than 50%. The fee went from $400 to $675 per year. This simply does not make sense. One of the biggest problems facing this country is illegal immigration. One of the easiest ways we can fix the problem is to make it EASIER to come to the US and become a citizen LEGALLY. If we increase the fees to become a citizen by more than 50%, that is basically ASKING for more illegal immigration. As I've said to friends before, if I were born in Mexico or other less than modern countries around the world I would be doing my best to get to the United States as well... legally or illegally. The fees involved with coming to the US and becoming a citizen need to be lowered, not raised.

Raymond
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TRUE face of feminists

I have to apologize for not updating the blog since Palin's speech last week.  To be honest, I think I was just stunned into not blogging.  As I watched the speech, I was thinking of several things... that I might be watching the US version of Margaret Thatcher... That I was looking at the modern Ronald Reagan... that she was a similar woman to my own mom... who raised us while still working and proving that women can do the same jobs men can do.  I've always thought of my mom as a feminist of the TRUE variety.  I've never bought into the lie that N.O.W. or people like Gloria Steinem or women like her are the true feminists.  I think that was a media creation.  I ran across this post from NPR... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94369835&ft=1&f=1102 that asks if Palin is the NEW face of feminists.  I agree, she is the face of feminists.  However, I am not sure this is NEW.  I believe women all across this country are just like Sarah Palin.  They want to do the same jobs as men, but at the same time, they don't want to pretend they are men.  A TRUELY strong woman doesn't need to look/dress in a masculine way in order to be a true feminist.  Sarah Palin is the embodyment of this point.  She is making the tough decisions, she is a leader, she is a mother, she is a friend, she is a real woman.  The incredible reaction we are seeing to her, from the 37 million people who watched her speech, to the crowds showing up to see her on the campaign trail, to the brand new polls out showing a BIG jump (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html) all prove this.  Women (and men for that matter) across this country have been waiting for a REAL, TRUE feminist to show up on the scene.  Nothing in the definition of a feminist (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/feminist) suggests that women have to act like men or dress like men to be a feminist.  Quite the opposite.  I believe a true feminist can be who she is.  She doesn't need to act like a man to be a woman.  That is what I've seen so far from Sarah Palin.  She is who we see on TV.  Her friends say this, people from Alaska say this.  It is refreshing to hear from a politician who knows who she is, and isn't afraid to be that in public. 

 

Raymond
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WOW....

If you missed Gov. Palin's acceptance speech, look it up on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKgNrb3baNM&eurl=http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/news/Speeches/c1af6c79-f5bf-42ed-9fb9-9e83b0c580e1.htm


Raymond
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NOW: Palin's more a conservative man...

I just read this post in The Weekly Standard... NOW tries to say, since Palin doesn't think the way they do, she must not be a woman, but perhaps a conservative man... NEWS FLASH FOLKS... Turn your tube on and you'll see what a REAL woman looks like.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/09/now_palin_is_not_a_woman.asp

Raymond
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Thompson lays groundwork for future...

Listening to Fred Thompson's speech tonight, I can't help but wonder if he isn't laying the groundwork for a future in higher political office.  He certainly is saying the right words to get the crowd pumped up.

Raymond
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I get dibs on the GOP Convention plasma...

I want that plasma when the convention is over in St. Paul.

Raymond
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Prisoner Escapes for 2nd Time...

I love law enforcement. Frankly, law enforcement is the only thing between all of us and the criminal crap of society. However, every so often something happens that makes you ask HOW? How did that happen? This is one of those stories... (http://www.counton2.com/cbd/news/local/article/inmate_escapes_for_second_time/13953/)

Apparently, this dude escaped from the Dorchester county sheriff's office twice. That either says a lot about HIM, or the SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I'm hoping it says a lot about him. He is now on the run.

Raymond
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Palin's daughter expecting... Is it possible to have another baby that soon??

Gov. Sarah Palin says her daughter is pregnant. Now, I'm sure the medical experts over at The Daily Kos must be able to explain how the daughter is 5 months pregnant when she just gave birth in some elaborate scam The Daily Kos explained here... (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223.) The more likely story is, The Daily Kos and other online blogs have been lying about Sarah Palin because they don't appreciate strong women. It appears Bristol Palin is planning to marry the father of the child. I don't know how people can sleep at night saying things like that about others, even if they are running for vice president. I'm sure none of the people at The Daily Kos have had teenage children who ended up pregnant.

Raymond
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New polls show race dead-even again...

Just a few days ago, the latest polls showed Obama had bounced up to about a 6 point lead on at least one poll, with several others showing 2-3 point leads. Now, the latest Zogby poll shows ( http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews1547.html ) a 2 point lead for McCain... and CNN has Obama leading by a point ( http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html ). This comes after Obama had at least a 3-4 point lead in most polls for a couple of weeks. We'll see what a weaker GOP convention this week means for McCain's convention "bounce" or lack thereof.

Raymond
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UPDATE: Now Ferraro will not reveal who she will be voting for...

On Friday, I blogged about how it was surprising what Geraldine Ferraro was saying about Gov. Sarah Palin( http://raymondblogs.blogspot.com/2008/08/surprising-words-from-geraldine-ferraro.html ). Tonight, it appears Ferraro is happy about the Palin pick. Not only that, she wont say who she plans to vote for in November ( http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/ferraro-happy-a.html ).



Raymond
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The attacks on Palin begin...

I understand attacking political candidates on their positions on the issues. However, it amazes me how fast the "attack machine" has gone overboard on Sarah Palin. Apparently, the left is not interested in WOMEN moving up in politics as much as LIBERAL WOMEN moving up in politics. Alan Colmes, whom I must admit, I had a bit of respect for before today apparently posted information so offensive it is no longer listed ( http://www.alan.com/2008/08/31/heres-that-screenshot-of-the-original-post/ ) on his website. The point he was making was that Palin didn't take care of her baby during pregnancy. You would think the left, many of whom (including Bill Clinton) believe an abortion is fine up until the day the baby could be born a healthy child, would have some nerve complaining about prenatal care. According to several blogs online, he posted an article claiming (among other things) that her flying home to deliver the baby was not in the best interest of the health of the child. He also posted a blog about the fact that the Palins eloped 20 years ago, and had their son 8 months later. He (http://www.alan.com/2008/08/29/conservative-family-values/) implied that this questions their family values. I was bit aware that conservatives claim to be perfect. Conservatives simply acknowledge that there IS a right and wrong. The fact that they married and had the baby also says something about their family values, however I'm not sure Alan "gets" that. Quite frankly, getting married and having the baby also shows you what they think about responsibility. Then, this next one is equally disturbing... "The Outlook of a Liberal Veteran" is ( http://oiflog.blogspot.com/2008/08/something-doesnt-add-up-with-sarah.html ) repeating the rumors that one of Palin's daughters may really be the mother of Palin's infant. To even repeat rumors like that as possible fact without knowing for sure shows a lack of class. The blog references ( http://openthread.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223) a link to The Daily Kos that goes into detail about why, since Palin didn't "look" pregnant (I assume according to the medical experts at "Daily Kos",) then she must not be the mother of the child. Now, I'm no statistician, but what would be the statistical probability that a doctor or someone else would deliver the child of the daughter of the governor of a state, while at the same time, the governor would go to the hospital to give birth, but not actually be giving birth, and NOBODY involved (doctors/nurses/hospital employees) would talk about it? Let's go a step further. Add to that the fact that this governor is now the VICE PRESIDENTIAL nominee for one of the 2 main political parties. Like I said, I'm not statistician, but that would have to be SOME CONSPIRACY in order to be true. I love conspiracy theories as much as the next guy, but come on... I think this is just the first of many examples of tasteless rumors that will be brought up to fight this trailblazing woman. No matter what anyone says, and even if McCain does not win in November, she is still the 2nd woman to be on the ticket for a Presidential nomination. It's too bad the very people who claim to support women in this country have turned against Palin almost as fast as many on the left turned from Hillary Clinton once it looked like her chance of becoming President had faded. By most accounts, Palin even comes to her position as nothing more than an average American who wanted to change the way things were run in her city/state (and now nation.) You would think that might ring with the left, since they often claim to support the little man and woman in this country.

Raymond
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Another GOP minority first...

I ran a post (http://raymondblogs.blogspot.com/2008/08/republicans-continue-long-history-of.html) about how Palin's nomination is just the latest in the Republican party's long line of firsts when it comes to minority advancement. I CAN'T BELIEVE I forgot Sandra Day O'Connor. She was the first female Supreme Court justice. President Reagan appointed her. I just wanted to add her to my post...


Raymond
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Palin/Obama Comparison...

Excellent comparison to put things into perspective...






http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/aug/30/tale-of-the-tape-sarah-palin-vs-barack-obam/



The more I hear about Palin, the more I understand why McCain chose her as his running mate.

Raymond
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Democrats: "Gustav ... proof there is a God... "

It looks like some Democrats seem to think Gustav is a blessing from God... or a curse from God... not sure, I guess you'll need to ask them...
Below is Michael Moore... who says "Gustav is proof that there is a God in heaven."



Below is video of DNC Chair Fowler and US Rep. from SC Spratt on an airplane talking about the issue... and how God must be on their side...



I know Democrats are trying their best to show how much faith they have, but this is taking it a bit far...

Raymond
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Republicans continue long history of minority progress...

It looks like a long line of "walking the walk" on minority issues continues in today's GOP. From Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation to the modern Presidency, the GOP has lead the way in supporting minorities. The only black justice currently on the US Supreme Court was a GOP nominee. The first black Secretary of State (Colin Powell) was appointed by a Republican (George W. Bush.) The first black female Secretary of State (Condi Rice) was appointed by a Republican (George W. Bush,) and if McCain wins in November, the first female to hold the Presidency or Vice Presidency will be from the GOP.

Raymond
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Surprising words from Geraldine Ferraro on McCain's pick

Apparently, the way she was treated by the Obama campaign has not been forgiven...



Do you agree??

Raymond
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Pictures say at least a thousand words...

Raymond
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Dr. James Dobson on Palin Nomination...

Dr. James Dobson is someone I respect and admire about as much as any other person in public life. As far as I'm concerned, his opinion is right up there with Dr. Billy Graham. I think he is also a leader of Christians across America for all the right reasons. Anyone who knows him through his program, "Focus on the Family" knows he is not about James Dobson, but about what's right for the family, and what's right for America. I don't "endorse" people like this often, but I DO support Dobson and how his ministry has literally helped millions of families for decades. I say all of this to let you know how important I think his opinion of Sarah Palin is. Below is a copy of his comments on McCain's choice of Palin today...

http://townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2008/08/29/dobson_%E2%80%9Ci_would_pull_that_lever%E2%80%9D_for_mccain-palin

Raymond
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How NOT to fire a gun...

Here is a short, instructional video on how NOT to fire a gun...



Raymond
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US Court: No, you can't ensure all your meat is mad-cow free...

Ok, I found this, and I just HAD to tell you about it. This is truely idiotic.. (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-08-29-mad-cow_N.htm?csp=34) A US court is actually banning a meat company from testing their meat for mad cow disease. Generally just a portion of a company's meat is tested for mad cow. This company wants to test ALL of their meat for mad cow, so they can advertise it as having tested mad-cow-free. Other meat companies apparently don't like competing in the free market, so they asked, and the judge agreed, not to allow the company to test it on the grounds that consumers would want the other companies to test all of their meat. The other companies said that would be too expensive. Apparently the judge agreed and is banning the company from testing all their meat. Can you really believe this?

Raymond
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All politics aside, congratulations America...

All politics aside, tonight is a huge night for America. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have a huge smile on his face right now. While I don't support all of Barack Obama's proposals (well, rather, I'm not sure what he is proposing other than "change",) the fact that a black man has made it as far as he has says something about where we are as a country. It doesn't surprise me. I've thought for years that if a serious candidate who happens to be black ran for President, he/she would have as good a shot as any white man of winning. I didn't realize how black Americans thought about that until the primary results began to come in and little by little, it was proven that white Americans were willing to vote for a black candidate. I can't tell you how many black friends of mine reacted with shock that white people WOULD vote for a black candidate. If for no other reason than that, I can say Obama winning the primary was a good thing. No matter what happens in November, the fact is now known to ALL of America... Americans WILL vote for a black man for President. Obama has positioned himself as a man who wants to be President who HAPPENS to be black. Obama ran on the content of his character, not the color of his skin. Politics aside, congratulations America!

Raymond
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Do Democrats want Obama to win?

With the convention underway, politics is an even bigger topic around the office recently. I've been wondering how sincere President Clinton and Senator Clinton are when they tell the rest of us to vote for Barack Obama (especially since Bill thinks Barack should kiss his a$$... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2211812/Bill-Clinton-says-Barack-Obama-must-'kiss-my-ass'-for-his-support.html.) Frankly, it would not surprise me if they secretly wanted Obama to lose in November. Clearly, Hillary would be able to move back to the White House sooner if Obama loses the race. One thing I hadn't even considered though was how many liberals secretly are rooting for McCain. I'm not saying they will go out and vote for McCain, but I talked to three liberal friends today who all said they want Hillary to be President so bad that they almost would rather McCain win. If that happens, Hillary can run again in 2012. Who knows if or how this might impact Obama in November...

Raymond
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McCain leading in Gallup Poll..

You might have heard about the new Gallup poll (http://www.gallup.com/poll/109834/Gallup-Daily-Bounce-Obama-Post-Biden-Tracking.aspx) showing McCain leading Obama by 2% today. Well, if you look at a list of the most recent polls (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html,) this is not an anomaly. The 3 most recent polls all show McCain either leading or tied with Obama. I'm guessing this is not the "Convention/Biden/World Tour/Media Hype" bump in the polls the campaign might have been anticipating. With President Bush/VP Cheney preparing to speak next week at the GOP convention, I think the media might be surprised at how well liked both of these speakers will be. Then there is the McCain VP pick. The idea of announcing his pick the same day Obama speaks at the DNC is being floated as a possibility. If McCain nominates someone who draws conservatives, another boost in the polls for McCain would be likely. Stay tuned...


Raymond
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South Carolina SAT Scores Up .14%

The latest SAT scores are now out for South Carolina, and the good news is, the scores ARE higher (http://www.ed.sc.gov/news/more.cfm?articleID=1034.) The bad news, we are still 32 points less than average in the nation. Now, obviously it is better to be two points higher than last year, but 2 points higher than 1461 is an increase of .14% (rounded up.) If we can keep up this 2 point increase each year, it will take 16 years to reach the nationwide average. That is, assuming other state scores don't improve. The state department of education also says the gap between white and black kids is widening. If these are priorities (higher SAT scores and narrowing of the black/white gap,) then clearly there is much work to be done. Now, having said all of this, I congratulate the students of South Carolina for improving. Clearly, this is better than a drop in the scores. As a matter of fact, the above article goes on to point out the fact that...

"The College Board, which tracks 10-year SAT trends, said the state’s 34-point improvement since 1998 in reading and math (the writing test is only in its third year) remained the nation’s best among states where more than half of the high school seniors take the SAT. "

This IS an important fact. There are other states who simply test a smaller number of students. If you test fewer students, and only test the students who tend to do better on the tests, you end up at an unfair advantage. The number of black students who scored high enough to earn college credit in AP classes is up 25% in the last 5 years. That is great news for those kids, and great news for South Carolina. But as good as some of these points are, a .14% increase in the SAT scores is not acceptable. What do you think??


Raymond
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Hillary made more political sense...

The big buzz now in the political world is how Sen. Barack Obama didn't show Sen. Hillary Clinton enough respect by not vetting her, or picking her, or even asking her advice on possible VP candidates. Several prominent conservatives are on TV talking about how glad they are that Hillary is not on the ticket. That attitude from conservatives makes sense... think about it, of all the candidates Obama could have picked, only Al Gore MIGHT have had a better chance of bringing more voters to the polls than Clinton. Technically, Hillary beat Obama in the popular vote... ( http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_clinton_win_the_popular_vote.html) With that being the case, she literally has more potential voters than any primary candidate in history to bring to the table. She also kicked Obama's butt when it came to hispanic voters. They could end up key in this election, because many hispanic voters may feel comfortable voting for Sen. John McCain since he was instrumental in the Illegal Immigration bill (although it didn't pass... yet.) Hispanics could indeed decide who wins in November. Another block Hillary would shore up is women. Women who voted for Hillary might not vote for McCain, but many of them may just decide to sit the whole thing out alltogether. In a close race, those votes could make the difference. Then there are probably friends of the Clintons who aren't very happy that Bill and Hillary are not being given the respect they think they deserve. Some of those voters might consider a moderate conservative like McCain someone they can vote for. If you think about it, for all that Biden brings to the ticket (foreign policy, experience, age,) Hillary does seem (politically at least,) to have been a better VP candidate than Biden. If anyone takes an honest look at the current campaign, you have to admit, for Obama to NOT BE beating McCain in a big way right now is really incredible. I mean, he just came back to the country after traveling the world with the main anchors of each network in tow... He had that huge rally in Berlin... he just selected his VP, and he is a day away from his convention... yet the latest Gallup tracking poll shows the race is tied(http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html.) The irony of all this is, Hillary herself predicted Obama could not win in the general election months ago.... (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/02/hillary-clinton-barack-ob_n_94770.html) "Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and former President Bill Clinton are making very direct arguments to Democratic superdelegates, starkly insisting Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., cannot win a general election against presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz." It will be interesting to see if he gets a big bump in the polls after this week. Looking at the facts as they are (polls and events that should be giving Obama a big lead) I have to say I see what Hillary and Bill were talking about, Obama is going to have a tough time in November.

Raymond
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"You don't need to wear your tail to bed."

I tell you what, as a parent, every so often you hear something being said in the house that you never would have heard prior to kids. Tonight was one of those nights. We were getting the kids ready for bed, when I hear my wife say "No, take your tail off... you don't need to wear your tail to bed." Perhaps it isn't as funny on a blog as it was in person. My guess is, the parents reading this will understand. If you aren't a parent yet, perhaps one day you may hear something similar in your house. I love these little "moments" as the girls grow up. One day, too soon, they will be grown and out of the house. Soon, we'll be longing for the days when our daughter wanted to wear her dog outfit and tail to sleep. In the meantime, we're enjoying life with young kids. I wouldn't change a thing in the world. God sure is blessing us.

Raymond
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WTMA 1250AM Show Live from 1-4PM Est..

Ok, I'll be live from 1-4PM today filling in for Charlie Thompson on "The Wonderful World of Charlie Thompson." Tune to 1250AM in Charleston, SC, or log on to listen live at www.wtma.com. We'll talk about lots of stuff..... the big BIDEN announcement... how republicans are being blamed for the "energy crisis"...... passing a 9 foot long tapeworm... those topics and more today... call in 843-556-1250 or 1-800-737-1250... IM me at IM1250.... or email raymond@raymondowens.com!

Raymond
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CNN CONFIRMS: OBAMA HAS CHOSEN JOE BIDEN

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ABC News: Secret Service Dispatched to Biden Home

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/us-secret-servi.html

Raymond
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I'm filling in tomorrow for Charlie Thompson on WTMA 1250AM

Just thought I'd let you know I'm filling in for Charlie Thompson on his talk show tomorrow from 1-4PM at 1250AM WTMA. I have several topics I'm going to discuss, including the VP obama nominates. Feel free to call in and chat with me... 556-1250 or 800-737-1250. If you can't listen via radio, you can listen live at wtma.com.

Raymond
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"It IS Biden"

It looks like Obama is supposed to send out what is likely one of the most anticipated "text messages" in history early tomorrow morning. CNN is running breaking news of several candidates who have NOT been chosen. As I mentioned here on the blog, Biden still looks like the best possibility. I just found a blog (http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/08/its_biden.asp) on "The Weekly Standard" blog that says a Democrat in the campaign says it IS Biden... I guess we'll find out for sure in a few hours....

Raymond
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Will your vote be recorded in November?

WARNING: If you want to feel that your vote will count in November, do not read this blog... you might have doubts after reading...





The company that has been used by more than 30 states to run electronic voting has admitted their machines dropped 1,000 votes in Ohio... Premier Election Solutions Inc. is the company...


http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-21-voting-machine_N.htm?csp=34


I tried to see if I could find out if South Carolina used "Premier ES" machines... it turns out, they are listed as "diebold," but it's the same company... I found this from Jan... looks like a machine was not reset to zero before the election here in SC... same company... keep in mind, I don't think we have paper backups here in SC... just have to "trust" these machines... also, according to this article, the SAME systems being used in SC were DECERTIFIED by California's Sec of State...


http://presscue.com/node/42621


Then check out this AP article from 2 days ago... on how many states are literally throwing out, giving away or mothballing ALL of their electronic machines... due to voting problems... and this article also says something interesting... that this "Diebold" company changed its name to Premier Election Solutions because of problems with their machines over several years...


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jej6XIWrQn6-gw5O5bJa1ELx78DgD92LLDO00

This is just what I could find looking around for a few minutes... certainly enough to make me wonder whether or not my vote will county even if I do show up at the polls.

Raymond
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Obama VP delay....

Ok, at first I thought the idea of text messaging and emailing his VP pick was a great idea. I still think it was brilliant as far as marketing is concerned (he probably has doubled his total email/text list... and that is the cheapest way to send out fundraising pleas in the future.) However, this delay is getting crazy. I'm checking my text messages all day. I think it's becoming a problem for me. Maybe it's just me, but I wonder if this anticipation might actually... hold on a second.. the text just went off...... nothing, just a news story... ANYWAYS (see what I mean)... WAIT.. .another text.... ok, just another political story from twitter... where was I.. OH, I wonder if this anticipation might actually hurt Obama in some way. Who knows... It looks like this race is so close to call, any little thing could literally make or break the election. I STILL think Biden makes the most sense. People know him about as much as any of the serious VP contenders, and I think (if I am any indication) he leaves a fairly positive impression. I had the chance to talk to him for a moment during the campaign, and he certainly gave me the impression he was a smart guy who knew how to get things done. He seems like a decent secretary of state candidate as well. Tonight, I talked to one of the super delegates at work, and he told me he felt the same way about Biden. The issue with Russia is certainly making foreign policy a bigger priority, and I think Biden makes good sense in that respect. Quite frankly though, foreign policy SHOULD have been a priority even if the Russian issue had never happened. We live in a world in which international incidents can happen at anytime. That's something every voter should think about before making their decision.

Raymond
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63 yr old woman suing AARP for age discrimination, LOL...

Now THIS is funny... I was getting ready to hit the sack, and then I came across this article... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26300527/... AARP being sued for age discrimination, LOL... check it out...


Raymond
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Rachel Maddow gets MSNBC show... but FOX NEWS is biased...

Having watched Rachel Maddow fill-in for Keith Olberman in the past, I will say I think the decision to replace Dan Abrams with her is probably a smart move (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/19/maddow_gets_her_own_msnbc_show.html ). While I don't agree with most of what she says, she can be entertaining. That's really what it's all about on TV unless you are doing a PBS or CSPAN show. However, I think it's funny how people I run into will make remarks about how "biased" FoxNews is, while at the same time MSNBC is supposed to be a solid journalistic network. Well, if Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity make FoxNews a conservative network, then certainly Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow would mean MSNBC is a liberal network. Of course, you'll never see that on TV anywhere. I don't know whether MSNBC is liberal or conservative. They have some shows that present a viewpoint, but that doesn't make the network liberal anymore than O'Reilly/Hannity make FoxNews conservative. I've not seen hard evidence that Fox is conservative. But if I make that point to some people, their emotions might prevent them from using logic and specific instances to prove the ole' "FoxNews=Conservative" line. Go ahead, post links here to prove me wrong:)

Raymond
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Report from Palmetto Scoop: VA Gov. Held Line of Succession Meeting

I told you I'd let you know when I heard anything on the VP race... well, The Palmetto Scoop Blog is reporting VA Gov. Kaine held a meeting to discuss what would happen should be be chosen as Obama's VP... read the Scoop for more...

http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/08/19/insider-virginia-gov-held-line-of-succession-meeting/

Raymond
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VP Race is on!

Ok, as someone who enjoys politics, this week is truely an exciting week. It looks like Obama will be announcing his VP sometime this week. McCain's people say he will make the announcement August 29th in Ohio. Drudge is reporting that Obama already knows who he is going to pick. Then, next Monday the Democrats will meet to crown Obama their king, and shortly after the Democrat's meet, the GOP will be meeting to do the same. I'm going to lay out my prediction for Obama... I think Joe Biden makes the most sense for Obama. As far as McCain is concerned, I couldn't say one way or the other. However, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is still being listed as a potential VP choice. As a matter of fact, just days ago, he was at a McCain event in Aspen, Colorado. Add to that the fact that Sanford would be strong on the conservative side, as well as strong on the fiscal side of things. Both of these are areas some consider McCain to be weak. Sanford is also young, which balances out the age issue as well. Sanford was also McCain's 2000 co-chairman for his South Carolina campaign. Lindsey Graham was the other co-chair. Graham is extremely close to McCain. I would imagine that relationship would not hurt Sanford's chances. I spoke with Gov. Sanford's spokesperson several times over the last few months. He says this isn't really something the Governor is thinking much about. Well, he might not be thinking about it, but he sure is spending some time on the road hanging out with McCain, which leads me to believe this is something Sanford is at least interested in. This is more exciting for me than the Super Bowl. I'll update this post with more information as it becomes available.

Raymond

Raymond
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Making baggy pants illegal in Charleston... This is getting crazy...

When I first heard about the proposal in Charleston to make baggy pants illegal (http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/search.apx.-content-articles-CBD-2008-08-12-0021.html,) my first reaction was "fine, I don't care to see underwear out in public." But after thinking about the issue for more than a minute, I think this is just a sign of the times. I'm not talking about a sign of how bad things are, with the way kids are dressing these days. I'm talking about a sign of the times in which elected officials seem to be making normal things we take for granted illegal. Making baggy pants illegal seems like a great idea at first. But this is just the latest in a long line of small steps that erode your freedom. The smoking ban is another issue that I personally don't feel strongly about one way or the other. I don't smoke, and I don't enjoy being around people who are smoking. Frankly, they smell like a butt, literally. But to force a business owner to not allow smoking just seems anti-American to some extent. Another local government in the Lowcountry is making it illegal to not tear down your sand castle at the beach. I kid you not! Now, they say the real issue is not sand castles, but the holes people put in the ground to install a umbrella. Well, I've personally placed umbrellas in the sand at local beaches, and the hole disappears as soon as you pull the pole out of the sand. The point some officials make is that people can fall in the holes if they don't see them. If you can fall in an umbrella hole, you have really small feet. The bottom line is, this ban really only applies to sand castle holes. It just doesn't seem right that we can't build a sand castle and leave it for the ocean to tear down at the next high tide (which happens everyday.) Or how about this one.. In Mount Pleasant it is illegal to pump gas without paying for it in advance. Now, if a business owner wants you to pay before you pump, they can do that on their own. If a business would rather allow you to pay after you pump, well, that's illegal in Mount Pleasant. Now, what business is it of the local government to tell a business owner when they have to accept payment for something? The rationale is that allowing people to pay after the pump can increase the number of drive-offs. Well, if a business owner is having a high rate of drive-offs, they can impliment a pre-pay only policy. How about the dog ordinance at some local beaches? You can't take a dog out on the beach, even on a leash, from 10AM-6PM from April-October. Now, I understand why allowing dog mess all over the beach should be illegal, and it is. But you can't even bring your dog on the beach at all from 10-6. Now, prior to this law, for thousands of years animals were allowed to roam the beach as they so pleased. What legitimate purpose could there be to not even allow dog owners to walk their dog on a leash during the day? I'm not a dog owner by the way. If we don't quit thinking about laws that only affect ME, and look at how some laws simply erode freedom, there is no logical end to what could be made illegal. I could go on and on with examples. The point I'm making is, when is it enough? How many freedoms should be able to be taken away just because some people don't want to be bothered by smoke/sand castles at the beach/dogs walking by/baggy pants? Are small freedoms valuable? Or are our larger freedoms the only freedoms worth protecting? Who is watching out for our freedoms? It doesn't appear that elected officials are.

Raymond
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Minorities becoming majority by 2042... what's your point??

A story (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licens0814,0,7027479.story) making the rounds now is the new report by the census suggesting white people will no longer be the majority by 2042. My question is, what's the point of this? Is this good news? Is this bad news? Why is this such a big story? Who really cares? I think the majority of the media makes it a big story because race in general, anything dealing with race, is an obsession of many in the media. I know I sound naive, but I'd love to see a day when stories on race are near the back of the newspaper (wait, make that the bottom of the website... newspapers are dying off and perhaps one day will not be printed at all,) not because who we are is not important, but because who we are is so much more than the color of our skin. I truely believe that is EXACTLY what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. meant in his "I have a dream" speech. Go ahead, read the transcript, or better yet, listen to the speech yourself and tell me if I'm wrong... http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm. I think the speech was more about the day when race is NOT THE ISSUE. When race is the last thing we see. Apparently, we are not here yet. Actually, let me take that back. I think more and more Americans ARE there now. It just seems that story isn't being told as often as stories about our differences. I suppose that isn't as "sexy" as stories of racial tensions. I believe Rev. King wanted us to look at the REST OF WHO WE ARE, not just the COLOR OF OUR SKIN. One day, perhaps the majority of the media will understand that as well.

Raymond
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Could a new Fairness Doctrine include the internet?

Ok, I thought I was finished with the blog for the night, but then I came across this article.. http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080812160747.aspx. An FCC commissioner told some bloggers at the Heritage Foundation that if the fairness doctrine comes back, the FCC could end up dictating content on the internet. The beauty of the net is that anyone can say anything at anytime. I'm interested in hearing what you think. Do you think the FCC should be able to dictate what runs on the internet? Who do these guys think they are?

Raymond
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Gas prices lower now, thanks to President Bush...

Ok, now I don't agree with every decision President Bush has made since he took office, but I DO believe that he is basically used as the excuse for every problem that plagues the earth these days. Part of this is surely politics. I would imagine come mid-November, no matter WHO gets elected, that game will become less popular. But when it comes to the price of gas, it is hard NOT to give The President the credit he is due. Oil hit an all-time high the day President Bush signed an order lifting the executive level ban on off-shore drilling. The next day the price of oil began dropping, and it is still dropping basically everyday to this day. If one looks back at recent history, John McCain, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, etc... were ALL against off-shore drilling. ALL of them have changed course on the issue since President Bush began pushing hard on the issue. The price at the pump is down more than a quarter just in the last month or so, thanks to the lifting of that ban by The President. I believe congress will soon lift the congressional ban as well. A number of GOP senators are pushing for the ban to be lifted by October 1st, and they have started a website to push that idea, http://www.energyfreedomday.com/. The fact that oil/gas has dropped significantly since the exact DATE The President lifted the executive ban proves offshore drilling CAN lower the price at the pump. Even if there were less than 1% of our oil needs offshore, the very idea that our elected officials are willing to TAKE ACTION appears to be enough incentive to the markets to move the price at the pump lower. Common sense takes you a step further. If congress lifts the ban, and drilling begins offshore, it would seem likely that the price of oil might drop significantly. Perhaps the whole drive-up of the price of oil was tied to the fact that the markets, and speculators trading in the markets didn't believe congress and the white house were willing to actually DO SOMETHING about the high price of gas. ALL OF THIS is due to The President stepping up and DOING SOMETHING. Nobody else was willing to take immediate action. Solar, Hydrogen, Ethanol, Wind and the like are all long-term solutions to the problem. It makes sense that we should explore other options besides oil, but for NOW, finding more oil here in the U.S. makes the most sense (not just to me, but as we've seen, the markets agree with that as well.) Now, did President Bush get the credit for this? Nope. I onlny heard one or two news outlets point out that the price began to drop after the executive ban was lifted. Not until tonight have I heard ANY news outlet put two and two together and point out how not only did the price at the pump begin to fall, but now EVERYONE who was against it originally (see list above,) are now willing to look at off-shore drilling today. Lou Dobbs mentioned this issue tonight on his program. You can see the results of a poll he put up about The President and whether he was getting the right attention on this issue at this link...http://loudobbs.tv.cnn.com/. I suppose, just like the fact that no other U.S. city has been attacked since 9/11, this is another issue with which President Bush will get no credit. Then again, probably part of the "arrogance" others see in The President is really the fact that he appears to be secure enough in his decisions that he doesn't worry about what others think.

Raymond
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My new blog...

Welcome to my new blog. I am trying to get more involved online beyond just myspace and facebook. I'll be commenting on everything from what's going on in my life to stuff that irritates me (like idiots who throw trash out their cars... come on guys, I'm far for a tree hugger, but there's no excuse for that.) For those of you who know me, I love politics, and news, so I'm sure that will be covered in-depth on these blogs. Thanks!!

Raymond
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