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McCain and Palin still don't get it? Some of us never stop being Americans.

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There are many who are looking for the negative story or issue about the McCain choice of Gov. Palin as his VP running mate.  My question for all of us is – Do we get it yet?  The Watergate Republicans desire to continue in power has never been about who has the best policies to lead our country but what can we do to remain in power.  The choice of Governor Palin as Vice President once again demonstrates that John McCain does not need to develop any plans for a future America.  The McCain America is the same as the Bush America and it is a future that is not good for our America.   John McCain recently remarked when speaking about the impending strike of hurricane Gustav “We will act like Americans not Republicans…”.  As all of us who work for real substantial change with Barack, those of us who assist develop policy ideas for a better tomorrow we are always Americans.   

During his acceptance speech Barack said we need to be able to disagree with each other without having to relay on negative, personal attacks.  What should we really be concerned about when a person is running for the highest political offices in America?   Fortunately we have a candidate in Barack Obama who has the strength and wisdom of character to remind us all that the most important consideration in an election for President and Vice President is the attitude toward issues and developing policy that works for our world. 

The more we learn of John McCain, the clearer the picture becomes of where a President McCain will lead America.  As a direct result of the policy decisions John McCain formulated in reference to his active participation in the Gang of Keating 5, he ran for cover behind the coattails of campaign reform.  Now that the high priced political consultants and lobbyists are needed, the spirit of campaign reform is quickly forgotten.  

In issue after issue John McCain has demonstrated the same shallow depth of understanding and commitment to issues.  If the issue is the war in Iraq, is it a well thought out policy to remain there for 100 years.  If the question is the definition of the middle income individual, is the answer $5 million dollars.  If the question is business policy, is the answer a sole source military supply contract in Iraq or protected beer distributorship network in Arizona ever the answer in our American, open market society?  Has there really been a conversion from the Keating 5 days for John McCain?  Given John McCain’s rather rubbery policy history, can we hope that the more complex issues that face locations in America or Africa or Russia even see policy solutions that match the ability of America to deliver?

We are now presented a Gov. Palin as a “reform minded” Vice Presidential nominee.   Those of us who have spent time in the great state of Alaska need to remind the rest of the country that very few in Alaska from either party objected to the largess of Senator “Uncle Ted” Stevens until he came under investigation for corruption.  Certainly, neither Senator McCain nor then Mayor Palin objected to the other gifts that were lavished upon the state of Alaska over the years Sen. Steven chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee.  It is extremely easy to become an Alaska reformer when so many in elected officials in Alaska have been indicted over the last few years.  We cannot really be so naïve about the oil business to believe that giving the new benefits to a new group of oil oligarchs is not really “taking on Big Oil” nor allow you to take on the reformer label for yourself. 

The picture that comes into focus with the McCain/Palin ticket paints a very troubling portrait of a future America based on the same old Republican “business entitlements” solutions that we rejected during the Watergate years.  Perhaps we ask too much of a the reform minded pioneer who would be Vice Presidential candidate, when she confesses to not even knowing what a Vice President of the United States does on a day to day basis.  Of course we all know Dick Cheney reformed America and our world substantially in only 8 years.  Do we need a President and Vice President who have consistently demonstrated over the years that their policy ideas are only reform Trojan Horses that are loaded with the long established Republican business entitlement elitist ideals of Nixon, Bush, Cheney and Rove?

Obama asks us how together we can bring reform to Washington. Can we continue to allow the Republican Party of Nixon, Bush, Cheney and Rove tell us what reform looks like in America?  During Watergate, we as a country rejected the failed policy and leadership direction of the Republican Party and Richard Nixon.  We need to take the lead of Barack and keep the focus of the voter on our solutions for America.  Just as we have learned after 9/11 and in the long years since, it is vitally important for all of us to elect people who understand domestic and foreign policy implications from the beginning. 

        

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Perhaps it was hearing one too many times how corrupt all business is and then seeing the death and dying in places like the DR Congo because of the failure of big business and big governments to put people ahead of profits. I said enough of (more...)
 

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