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It has become a commonly cited statistic here at BH that New Hampshire receives back $0.67 for every dollar it contributes in federal taxes, and Alaska receives $1.83 to the dollar. Now, we can't expect every state to get a dollar for every dollar, because that would mean the government would be spending nothing on the mechanics of government (like the judicial system, the military, etc as opposed to functions like the postal service, national parks, road subsidies, etc), but that figure in Alaska is pretty egregious.
CNN reports today Governor Palin's federal earmark requests in her first year in office (2007)--and that's just Palin's things, not everything her delegation takes--exceed the total amount of earmark money taken by the entire bi-partisan delegation from New Hampshire, a state with about twice as many people.
New Hampshire's delegation requested took 238 million dollars in earmark money. Governor Palin requested 256 million. Her state's Congressional delegation took a combined total of over 486 million dollars, 456 of which by Senator Stevens--who, by the way, is a longtime political ally, advocate, and collaborator of Palin, not simply another Republican from her state.
Alaska takes more money per person in earmark money than any other state.
And to top it all off, the $27 million in earmarks Palin secured as Mayor of a town of 5,000 people--far more than many members of Congress take in a year, and Congressional districts are generally more than a hundred times the size of Wasilla. On three separate occasions, Palin projects in Wasilla met criticism ("objectionable" on McCain's regularly published pork lists) at the time from Senator John McCain, whose campaign was recently asked about that very same money. Respondeth McCain's people,
Towns like Wasilla in Alaska depended on earmarks to take care of basic needs.
A big change from making a point to object. Furthermore, if that's true, then when he promises to veto any bill with earmarks, isn't John McCain screwing Small Town America?
This issue is vitally important; it may be the only real thing McCain is talking about changing.
h/t in part to CNN
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...
http://www.congress.org/congre...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...
http://marcambinder.theatlanti...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c...
(Nice piece... Eyes on the puck everyone. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
I have said it before and I will say it again: Gov. Palin is irrelevant. She is the decoy, the rodeo clown, the half-time show, the red cape, the cipher, the straw (wo)man, whatever flummery will serve to distract critical attention from the main puppet show (and from the Wizard of Rove behind that curtain over there) and attract more general attention from the cheap seats.
It's the oldest trick in a book written by P.T. Barnum, and his spawn are still getting the rubes to part with their pay envelopes when the carny comes to town. These operators are using every trick and shill they can think of to convince ordinary well-meaning and otherwise sensible folks to vote against their own best interests in favor of some special interests.
The strange and exotic John McCain* must, by punditry wisdom, choose Mitt Romney as the GOP VP nominee. The talking head collective concur, POTUS & VPOTUS must be sympatico.
At first, I thought Daddy Mac was speaking ill of Mr.Romney's flexible nature:
It's been apparent to me for some time that the war on terror is a smoke screen for the effort to roll back the civil and human rights protections achieved by the American people in the 1960s and "secure" the population from enforcing their own laws.
Many months ago, as a then strong supporter of Hillary Clinton, I urged her campaign to "Let Hillary Be Hillary." I thought a lot of her campaign during the four or five months before Iowa and New Hampshire was being mismanaged on the national level, short-circuiting her chances to be President.
The past is past. That was then, now is now. The primary season is over.
Her speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight showed vintage Hillary Clinton -- only better than ever. Obviously, during the past couple of months she put her Penn aside, cleared her head of some of her other "message managers," and restored all that she had been.
This woman should be President, and certainly has a chance in eight years.
I remain a solid supporter of Hillary Clinton, but I'm also excited about Barack Obama. He will be President, with Hillary's help and his excellent choice of Joe Biden, and I'm confident he will do great things.
Barack Obama will get the United States out of Iraq, he'll run a smart war on terrorism, he'll restore our foreign alliances, and he'll work with Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton to create health care for all of us. As a plus, he'll focus on renewing our national commitment to quality education, create new independent energy policies, and reform our economy so that working men and women can make a living.
Lives and futures are at stake in this election, and that's why all of us who supported Hillary Clinton now need to vote for Barack Obama. He'll be a great President. And Hillary Clinton will someday be too.
My name is Brian and I am a staff member from the Obama campaign at our state headquarters in Manchester.
I wanted to introduce myself to the wonderful readers on BlueHampshire. Previously the Obama state pages were active during the primaries and most people read the blog on the main site. Now the content on NH.BarackObama.com is continuously active and updated. Please visit it often as I'm looking forward to your comments and ideas as we hit roll on through this historical campaign season.
The main role of the New Hampshire for Obama site is to be both a resource and action network for people who want more information on the campaign, what's going on across the state, and how to get involved.
Some events and highlights coming up include:
1. Across the state there are Organizational Meetings tonight, Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Some of them are highlighted on http://nh.barackobama.com but you can also find more by clicking "More Events >>" on that right sidebar on the main New Hampshire state page.
2. Did you hear there's some huge event happening in Denver, Colorado next week? Crazy. But since only the lucky people get to go, we're going to do it up big in the Granite State too. Go to http://my.barackobama.com/conv... to find a Convention Watch Party near you. Senator Obama's speech Thursday, August 28th is going to be amazing!
3. Are you curious about who the VP is going to be? Me too. Everyone keeps asking me, but I don't know. But I do know that you can Be the First to Know by texting VP to OBAMA (62262) - standard rates apply - or by signing up at http://my.barackobama.com/first. The announcement could happen any day now! DON'T WAIT!
4. If you or anyone have questions about how to register to vote - we've created the New Hampshire Election Headquarters at http://my.barackobam.com/NHEle... You can find election information there and even download an Absentee Ballot application from the Secretary of State's website if you know you're going to be out of town on November 4th.
There's so much more on the New Hampshire for Obama website but that should be a good start for you. We also keep the state Blog up-to-date and relevant, so please come and comment and let me know what you think.
Enjoy and I look forward to reading all of your posts on Blue Hampshire too.
Kind regards,
Brian P. Clark
Obama for America Staff - in New Hampshire
http://nh.barackobama.com
P.S. I'm so happy that one of New Hampshire's own Ed Prouty from Atkinson was the historical 2,000,000 donor to our campaign. Thank you!
(So glad you're back, mbair. - promoted by Dean Barker)
cross-posted at Daily Kos
On Sunday I attended a Vets BBQ at the Sweeney VFW post in Manchester, NH to support the re-election of Carol-Shea Porter (D-NH) to the US Congress from the first district. An overflow crowd, they even ran out of hamburgers, greeted CSP and her guest in NH that day, Congressman Chet Edwards (D-TX) from the 17th district which includes the village of Crawford which is currently missing the idiot that is currently and woefully living in the White House, most woefully.
The two have become fast friends in DC as Congressman Edwards, Carol's new BFF down there, is the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and VA (MILCON/VA). He came to NH to see what's up first hand. He was impressed with the turnout at the event, so was I.
Carol's remarks were brief and focused on the outrage that NH is currently the only state in America that does not have a full service VA hospital. Follow me below the fold for all the remarks because as Carol told us all in attendance: "There is no excuse."
Mukasey loosens post-Watergate restrictions, authorizes FBI to gather intelligence inside the US
FBI to Get Freer Rein on Terrorism Suspects
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251...
Wednesday 13 August 2008
by: Marisa Taylor,
McClatchy Newspapers
Washington - Attorney General Michael Mukasey confirmed plans Wednesday to loosen post-Watergate restrictions on the FBI's national security and criminal investigations, saying the changes were necessary to improve the bureau's ability to detect terrorists.
Mukasey said he expected criticism of the new rules because "they expressly authorize the FBI to engage in intelligence collection inside the United States." However, he said the criticism would be misplaced because the bureau has long had authority to do so.
Mukasey said the new rules "remove unnecessary barriers" to cooperation between law enforcement agencies and "eliminate the artificial distinctions" in the way agents conduct surveillance in criminal and national security investigations.
"There was clear-eyed and bipartisan recognition after the attacks that we needed to be able - and allowed - to collect intelligence in the United States," he said in speech prepared for an anti-terrorism conference in Portland, Ore. "Indeed, there was a loud demand for it."
I confess to having a BIG smile on my face because my biggest fear - that the Obama campaign would not respond forcefully to the false yet inevitable attacks questioning Senator Obama's sincerity, religion, political beliefs, etc. - is no more. Prepare yourselves for the counter-punch!
I strongly urge Blue Hamsters to share this document "Unfit for Publication: An Investigative Report on the Lies in Jerome Corsi's 'Obama Nation'" ( link also found here) with anyone & everyone you know who might believe the disgusting lies being spewed by the bigots who have corrupted American conservatism. It is 41 pages of point-by-point refutation of the author of "Unfit for Command" (the Swift Boat book) and his claims in his new piece of libel.
It is well worth your time to read and to encourage others to review as well. You will see what a bigot this author is, his thoughts on Catholicism and Islam and pages of his lies, masking as journalism.
This would be the Georgians who are all about oppressing and / or engaging in massacre against the Ossetians every chance they get:
Georgia - South Ossetia: Bloodshed in the Caucasus (1992, Human Rights Watch)
And they of course were the ones who were the primary movers in igniting the current conflict, by a sham suing for peace immediately followed by an invasion of South Ossetia as a region under peacekeeping.
Russia is certainly being opportunistic, but McCain taking the first chance to immediately and loudly shout "Russian Evil Empire!!!1!" before the smoke had cleared shows exactly the opposite of what's being spun by Fox News and the McCain campaign. That was a clumsy foreign policy fumble for McCain to immediately blame the Russians. And saying things like "We are all Georgians" just compounds it.
Obama's restraint and prudence in his response has been borne out by the evidence that's been revealed that the Georgians have acted in a fashion just as blameworthy as the Russians - the invadee today was the invader just a few days ago. Obama has displayed foreign policy acumen here in stark contrast to McCain.
And yeah, send Condie Rice in to work on this. Because she has lots of experience in that part of the world. Experience helping to build pipelines in that region, that is. Pipelines not unlike all of the ones that run through Georgia.
The "trial" of Salim Hamdan, who is described as Osama bin Laden's driver, is over. He was cleared of conspiracy charges but found guilty of "providing material support for terrorism."
Hamdan was captured in 2001. Congress created the law he was convicted of violating in 2006.
This is known as an ex post facto, or "after the fact," law. The prohibition against governments using this goes back to the Magna Carta. Examples of "arrest now, think up charges later" are typically used to highlight just how repressive and corrupt a regime is - think Louis in Nazi-occupied Casablanca.
The Bush regime may get away with this because Hamdan is a foreign national. Where many civil liberties are recognized because they help maintain a healthy state - e.g., free speech being essential to citizens participating in government - the ex post facto prohibition is "simpler." There is really no good reason for ever using this totalitarian tool against anyone.
The U.S. is now in the business of conducting Soviet-style show trials.
The presidential election is turning again on a choice between conversation and confrontation. How will we choose to approach our neighbors, allies and adversaries -- domestic and foreign? Helena Cobban is a veteran journalist who has traveled extensively around the world. She writes for the Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Review, and blogs at justworldnews.org Her most recent book is Re-engage! America and the World after Bush, in which she suggests ways citizens can help shape a more inclusive, less confrontational, foreign policy. Off The Bus caught up with Cobban this week and asked her about her book and what she thinks the "post-Decider"-era might hold in store for us and the world.
A particularly interesting article appears on the front page of the Wall Street Journal this morning: Voters Unease with Obama Lingers Despite His Lead ( http://online.wsj.com/article/... ). It says,
...The focus [of the race] has turned to the Democratic candidate himself: Can Americans get comfortable with the background and experience level of Sen. Obama?
This dynamic is underscored in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. The survey's most striking finding: Fully half of all voters say they are focused on what kind of president Sen. Obama would be as they decide how they will vote, while only a quarter say they are focused on what kind of president Sen. McCain would be.
The challenge that presents for Sen. Obama is illustrated by a second question. When voters were asked whether they could identify with the background and values of the two candidates, 58% said they could identify with Sen. McCain on that account, while 47% said the same of Sen. Obama. More than four in 10 said the Democratic contender doesn't have values and a background they can identify with.
...
"Obama is going to be the point person in this election," says pollster Peter Hart, a Democrat who conducts the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll along with Republican Neil Newhouse. "Voters want to answer a simple question: Is Barack Obama safe?"
But I was talking last night with Wayne Burton, long time Democratic activist from Durham, about what we need to be doing to win in November. He observed that both Deval Patrick and Barack Obama are "held to a higher standard" in the voting booth and then in their jobs.
This struck me as a gentle and insightful way to put it. The Journal brushes up against the race issue in this paragraph:
The excitement and the uncertainties about the Obama campaign flow from his unusual personal profile. Not only is he the first African-American to win a major party's nomination: He also was raised by a single white mother, spent his formative years in Hawaii and Indonesia, got an Ivy League law degree, has been in the Senate less than four years, attended a controversial African-American church, and is married to a strong professional woman who has stirred up some controversy herself.
The article goes on to include important quotes on race as a factor. The question is, will the voters set an impossibly high standard.
I was on my second enlistment when I went to war in '91. My wife lived with my mom for the 7 months that I was away. We had no children in those days.
My decision to accept what is called an "early out" came as a surprise to the NCO's in my platoon. I walked and talked like a lifer, but my heart couldn't put my wife through that long sad wait again. I got out for a few reasons, but I knew then, as I know now, that those deployed carry only part of the burden of the deployment.
There are many heroes born from war. And most, never don our nation's uniform.
Children with a parent at war are vulnerable to anxiety or depression, mental health experts say. Homecomings are hard, too, especially when parents return with physical or emotional wounds. In today's wars, unlike those of the past, that cycle is repeated for many families. Of 808,000 parents deployed since Sept. 11, 2001, according to Pentagon data, more than 212,000 have been away twice. About 103,000 have gone three or more times.
"You're talking about a generation of kids who are hurt from the impact of multiple deployments," said Lynne Michael Blum, author of "Building Resilient Kids," an online course for educators through a Johns Hopkins University initiative to help military children. "The first deployment can be hard, but parents report their kids bounce back. But now as families are facing multiple deployments, the research shows that families never have the chance to readjust back to normal. When they're supposed to be focused on just being kids, they are focused on when Dad or Mom are going back into danger again."
His colleagues call him "Big Media Matt." That's because Matthew Yglesias is a respected voice of the liberal blogosphere. The 28 year-old Yglesias has accomplished much. He graduated magna cum laude, from Harvard, served as editor-in-chief at The Harvard Independent, and upon graduating, he became a writing fellow at The American Prospect. Yglesias began blogging in 2002, focusing on American politics, public policy, and foreign policy. Yglesias now writes for The Atlantic Monthly and blogs at the Atlantic blog.
His new book, Heads in the Sand: How Republicans Screw Up Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Screws Up the Democrats has just been released by Wiley Press. In the book, Yglesias offers a new approach for the Democrats, an outline of how they might restore America's integrity in conducting international affairs. He talked to OffTheBus last week.
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