Senator Obama hypocrisy

Obama's Campaign Has Previously Reviewed Donations And Claimed To Have Returned All Of Those Funds Connected To Tony Rezko.

"'Our campaign directed a thorough review of these contributions and did our best to identify any received as a result of the June 2003 fundraising event hosted by Tony Rezko,' Burton said in a statement. 'By refunding these donations, the campaign has returned any and all funds that could be reasonably credited to Mr. Rezko's political support.'

Still, Burton offered no explanation of why the campaign took more than a year to shed all the donations it now says are tied to Rezko, especially funds gathered at the party in Rezko's home five years ago." (Bob Secter and David Jackson, "Funds Tough To Figure For Rezko Aid," Chicago Tribune, 1/31/08)

And the giveaways questioned; The Tribune stated the event at Rezko’s home resembled a posh dinner party complete with valet paring and catered dinner. Obama spoke after the meal, and told the crowd about how when he was still in Havard law school Rezko, a developer had tried to hire him; Obama staffers set up shop around the kitchen table, where they collected checks.

One donor at the event was Micheal Sreenan, a former attorney for Rezko company gave Obama $2000 that night but hasn’t heard if the campaign now plans to give it away.

‘If Obama wants to give my donation back to me or let me give it to a charity, I’m fine with that.’ He said, ‘But I don’t see how this makes a difference now, the money still got him elected.’

According to Obama For America Website,, www.barackobama.com , Accessed 6/18/08, Mr. Rogers is a bundler for Obama’s Presidential campaign and has committed to raising over $200,000.

If any of you do not know what bundler means. Bundling describes the activity of fundraisers who pool a large number of campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and individuals. Bundlers, who are often corporate CEOs, lobbyists, hedge fund managers or independently wealthy people, are able to funnel far more money to campaigns than they could personally give under campaign finance laws.

But an article on The Hill by Mr. Alex Bolton said that, an event Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) headlined has prompted head scratching among Illinois ethics experts and drawn sharp rebuke from Republicans because one of the main organizers participated in Antoin “Tony” Rezko’s old fundraising network. John W. Rogers Jr., the chairman of Ariel Investments who gave $22,500 in contributions to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) through Rezko, hosted a top-dollar special reception with Obama Thursday to raise money for the Democratic White House Victory Fund

Rogers has also pledged to raise over $200,000 for Obama’s campaign. He was one of many political players whose name surfaced during Rezko’s recent trial. A federal jury convicted the Chicago political fixer of mail and wire fraud, aiding and abetting bribery and money laundering.

Rogers gave contributions of $10,000, $7,500 and $5,000 to Blagojevich through Rezko, according to a chart of contributions the Department of Justice (DoJ) presented as part of its case.

In an interview on Tuesday, Rogers said he never had a one-on-one meeting with Rezko and did not know why his name appeared on the Rezko donation chart compiled by the DoJ.

“I have no relationship with Tony Rezko,” he said. Rogers, who describes himself as a big Democratic supporter, said he had often “run into” Rezko at political and public events but added: “I’ve never been to his office, I’ve never been to his home, I’ve never talked to him about my business.”

Nevertheless, Rogers’s link to Rezko in federal evidence poses problems for Obama.

Kent Redfield, an ethics expert and political science professor at the University of Illinois, said Obama is taking a political risk by letting Rogers play a prominent role...

‘From Obama's standpoint, he's got to bend over backwards to avoid the appearance that he is just another Chicago politician that's connected to the underbelly of corruption in Illinois politics. If I were advising him, I would tell him, 'You have to be very careful to avoid situations where people will be tempted to connect the dots.'

Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said Rogers is part of a new generation of African-American business leaders in Chicago. She said Rogers's donation to Blagojevich is not surprising but questioned why he gave through Rezko. 'I think that's very odd,' she said of Rezko's role as an intermediary between Rogers and Blagojevich. 'I don't know why he gave that way, and it raises questions in my mind.
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Happy Independence Day

To all Americans..............Have a safe and Happy Independences day.During this 4th of July holiday, when we celebrate the independence of our great country, take a second during the picnics, BBQs, patriotic music and fireworks and pay a few seconds of honor to those keeping our independence free. And as we celebrate our nation's independence, please remember the brave men and women defending our freedom each and every day.

And to everyone who have work and sacrified to make U.S.A a wonderful country in the world to lives.Take a moment and appreciate what America has offered each and every one of us no matter our differences in religions,politics,background and opinions.A special shout out to the newly promoted marines in Iraq who will received their promotion on July 1st in a battle field instead with us back home.

God bless U.S.A

Obama ‘Dignity’ Ad Lies.

According to national review online Senator Obama has taken out the dishonest reference to his passing a bill in Congress to extend health care to wounded soldiers, so all the substantive claims made in the new ad about his legislative accomplishments are about laws he is said to have passed in the Illinois legislature, not the U.S. Senate.

The ad first says Obama “passed a law that moved people from welfare to work” and offers as a citation Illinois Public Act 90-0017 from 1997. That act made some amendments to the Illinois welfare statutes to bring them into line with the federal welfare reform enacted in the previous year. It replaced references to AFDC (the previous federal welfare program) with references to TANF (the new one), and put the new federal welfare reform rules into the state code. Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the act, but in the debate surrounding it he actually said a federal law he would have opposed basically forced the state into it. His exact words were:

Illinois Senate Transcript

I probably would not have supported the federal legislation, because I think it has some problems. But I’m a strong believer in making lemonade out of lemons

But the ad makes it sound like it was Senator Obama’s idea, and then says that he “slashed the rolls by 80 percent,” thus taking credit for the declining welfare rolls achieved by the federal law Senator Obama would have opposed (it cites HHS statistics for that decline, and those trace the results of the federal welfare reform).

A question to Senator Obama, how many lies you need to publish or said to add colors to your ‘accomplishments'.

"A People of Great Destinies"

An essay titled An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom written by John McCain was published by the Council on Foreign Relations in their Nov/Dec 2007 edition. In honor of the birthday of our country, a country born out of a desire for freedom from oppression, I thought it appropriate to share this excerpt . Enjoy!

“Since the dawn of our republic, Americans have believed that our nation was created for a purpose. We are, as Alexander Hamilton said, "a people of great destinies." From the American Revolution to the Cold War, Americans have understood their duty to serve a cause greater than self-interest and to keep faith with the eternal and universal principles of the Declaration of Independence. By overcoming threats to our nation's survival and to our way of life, and by seizing history's great opportunities, Americans have changed the world……Thomas Jefferson argued that America was the "solitary republic of the world, the only monument of human rights, and the sole depository of the sacred fire of freedom and self-government, from hence it is to be lighted up in other regions of the earth, if other regions of the earth shall ever become susceptible of its benign influence." Since that time two centuries ago when the United States was the "solitary republic of the world," more people than ever before have come under the "benign influence" of liberty. The protection and promotion of the democratic ideal, at home and abroad, will be the surest source of security and peace for the century that lies before us. The next U.S. president must be ready to lead, ready to show America and the world that this country's best days are yet to come, and ready to establish an enduring peace based on freedom that can safeguard American security for the rest of the twenty-first century. I am ready.”

Barack Obama and Dr. No --Separated At Birth?

This week, the McCain campaign has characterized Barack Obama as the "Dr. No" of energy independence and energy security. In the past few weeks, John McCain has proposed a number of actions to provide a balanced approach to helping the US achieve greater energy independence. Some of Senator McCain's proposals:

• In April, John McCain proposed a summer federal gas tax holiday. ALthough Hillary Clinton agreed with Senator McCain, Barack Obama said "NO", saying it would "save consumers little and do nothing to curtail oil consumption." What Obama fails to realize is that the holiday would have had a significant impact on trucking and freight industry, reducing costs to consumers for items such as food.


• Senator McCain has long proposed increased use of nuclear energy, and has proposed 45 new nuclear reactors in the US by 2030, arguing that since the Three-Mile Island accident, nuclear technology has gotten safer, as evidenced in countries such as France, which depends heavily on nuclear energy.Obama said "NO", claiming "said he supports increased research into nuclear waste storage and recycling, but could not endorse construction of new reactors until those concerns are resolved."
  (U.S. News and World Report)


• Last week, Senator McCain came out for expanding oil drilling in the U.S. and in off-shore areas. Again, Obama said "NO", claiming it to be nothing but a "gimmick" that would not yield results for 10 years.


• This week, John McCain proposed a "$300 million prize for the for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars.” Again, Obama said "NO", calling the proposal a "gimmick."

While Obama has made some laudable proposals for developing "green" and renewable energy technologies, the truth is that we cannot rule out any proposal that has a chance in getting working Americans some relief. We can't be saying "NO" to anything -- we've got to do it ALL.

What has Obama said "YES" to?

• Windfall Profits Tax on Oil Companies (that failed in the 1970's) -- "YES WE CAN!"


• Taxing Coal -- "YES WE CAN!"


• Taxing Natural Gas -- "YES WE CAN!"

Nobel Prize Winning Economist:"Make Bush Tax Cuts Permanent"

Nobel Laureate Robert Mundell predicts that rescinding the Bush tax cuts "would be devastating to the world economy," according to an interview appearing today in the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Mundell, University Professor of Economics at Columbia University, and a leading advocate for introduction of the Euro, stated that in the U.S, "the big issue economically . . . is what's going to happen to taxes."

"Democratic nominee Barack Obama regularly professes disdain for the Bush tax cuts, suggesting that those growth-spurring measures may be scrapped. "If that happens," Mr. Mundell predicts, 'the U.S. will go into a big recession, a nosedive.'

'It's a lethal thing to suddenly raise taxes,' he explains. 'This would be devastating to the world economy, to the United States, and it would be, I think, political suicide' in a general election."

When asked about further tax cuts, Mr Mundell favored a ceiling of 30% on marginal rates (currently 35%), but stated that "the most important thing that could be done with respect to tax rates now is to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. Eliminating that uncertainty would be more important than pushing for a further cut – in the income tax rates, anyway."

Mr. Mundell also favors reducing corporate tax rates to 25%, and says "It could be even lower, but I think it would be a big step to lower it to 25% . . . I made that proposal back in the 1970s."

So maintaining the Bush tax cuts and reducing corporate tax rates are what a Nobel Laureate says is the correct approach for America's economy. Who else has been saying that? John McCain!

Obama Plays the Race Card -- Again

CNN reports on comments by Barack Obama in Jacksonville, Florida yesterday at a fundraiser, where he clearly showed that he is determined to play the race card early and often throughout the campaign.

“We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run,” said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. “They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. ‘He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?’"

According to the CNN article, this isn't the first time Obama has made such comments. Just last week at a Chicago fundraiser, he made similar statements:

"They’re going to try to make me into a scary guy ... They’re even trying to make Michelle into a scary person. Right?" And so that drumbeat – 'we’re not sure if he’s patriotic or not; we’re not sure if he is too black.'"

Senator Obama, WE DON'T CARE about your race. John McCain DOESN'T CARE about your race. This writer is certain that there is a small segment of the population of this country that will never vote for a black man -- but the vast majority of McCain supporters are not part of that group.

Scott Simon at NPR, discussing Obama's comments yesterday, points out that Obama's opponent is, "... John McCain, not a small band of jerks on the internet...Senator McCain has never mentioned Senator Obama's race."

He goes on to say:

"No doubt Senator Obama has had to bravely bear up under bigoted insults in his life, but not from John McCain. Can someone raise questions about the experience of the candidate, who has only been a U.S. Senator for 4 years, and does not have a prodigious legislative record, without being stained as a bigot? The results of this year's primary and the results of todays public opinion polls might suggest it is politically more injurious to insinuate that someone is a bigot than it is to make an issue of their race. Millions of Americans hope the country can go through this year's historic presidential campaign without anyone playing the race card. But they'll have to watch both sides of the table."

Why Hillary Supporters are Making the Switch to John McCain

The MacPac '08 has invited a few of our new friends from the John McCain.Com Blog to present their thought & views on why they made the switch from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. John McCain. Please read my summery at the end on why I think Hillary sent a secret message to her followers.

.........Boooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


As a former Hillary supporter and a lifelong Democrat - now an Independent - I am supporting and will vote for Senator McCain. I can break my decision down into four categories. First, I have great admiration and respect for John McCain. Second, I lack faith in Senator Obama's character and judgment. I further strongly disagree with his campaign tactics. I believe he has manipulated the vast majority of his followers. This brings me to the third category, which are the people who follow Obama. I am apprehensive about large blocks of people who are willing to follow someone without being able to specifically identify what that person is going to accomplish. To say that he is going to accomplish "change" simply is not good enough. I believe that the individual is left to determine the definition of change and that in itself will make change an unachievable task. The fourth category relates to how the members of the DNC managed this election process. Ifirmly believe that their candidate was chosen well before the first person began campaigning and the outcome was manipulated from said beginning. The decision of which states to put first in the election process speaks to that manipulation. The decision of what states to "punish" speaks to that as well. As for me, I did take a leap of blind faith when my candidate suspended her campaign. I started investigating the possibility of voting for Senator McCain. I changed my political affiliation. I term it a leap of blind faith in that I knew I liked the senator but really didn't know his stance on the issues of importance to me. My instinct was to help anybody that would defeat Obama. That instinct is still there but after looking at the issues of health care, cutting pork barrel spending, and what to do in Iraq, I know that I did make the right choice. Will I fully agree on every issue? No. Would I ever fully agree on every issue with any candidate fromany party? No. That is a silly thing to expect. What I can expect is that my candidate will perform the duties of President of the United States to the best of his ability with wisdom and dignity. I know that John McCain will do that and that is why he will get my vote in November.

KarenKay

Why this former Hillary Clinton supporter is now supporting John McCainJohn McCain will reform our country’s broken systems and policies. I trusthim to get the job done.John McCain says he will rid our government of wasteful spending. I believehe will get the job done.John McCain cares about our planet and will set realistic policies that makeeconomic sense while protecting the environment. I believe he will get thejob done.John McCain understands that all Americans need tax relief. I believe hewill get the job done.John McCain knows our health care system is broken and has solid plans tomake care affordable and accessible for all of America. I believe he will get the job done.John McCain has earned my trust, and he has earned my support. He has a lotof work to do, and I believe he will get the job done. (As much as I like what Machelle has to say here, it was what she didn’t intend to say in an email to me that spoke volumes)
Hi Bodyman!I am in and out of the McCain blog as GoMacFL.. I was a strong Hillarysupporter, and listened carefully to her words along the way. Though she"has" to support Obama, or it is the death of her politically, I believestrongly that in her heart she supports McCain. She has indicated this manytimes in the past months. Hillary and John are friends and colleagues whowork tirelessly for our country. They don't share all of the same ideas andplans, but both have good intentions and a long record of service anddevotion to the USA and trying to do what is right. That is why it is soeasy for many of us Hillary supporters to now support John McCain. I am happy to participate on the blog as a writer for "why I, a former Hillarysupporter, now supporting John McCain". We who have come to McCain aredeeply disturbed by Obama and his supporters. He is dangerous, and they aretoo.Let me know if and how I can help in the MacPac "article".

Machelle in Tampa, FL

Hillary supporter who can't vote for Obama.

As a former Hillary supporter, I can not in good faith vote for Barack Obama for a variety of reasons. I have only focused on one reason that I can't support him. I'm not the greatest writer, but it's honest and from my heart.

I personally believe that our great country is in a critical place right now. I do not believe that Barack Obama has the experience necessary to lead our nation. Integrity, character and judgment are critical to the job for which he has applied. It is my personal belief that Barack Obama does not possess these qualities in any significant amount. I believe that in order to fully commit yourself to anything you must truly have a passion and love for it. Obama. To me, [he] does not respect this country enough to get the job. It is my honest belief that Obama's candidacy is all about him. John McCain's candidacy is about all of us, our country. I own my vote; it is not for sale and does not belong to a party. It is mine to cast how I want. I will not vote for the party this year, instead I will cast my vote for the person I believe will bring character, judgment, integrity and most of all honor to the White House. My candidate come November, will be John McCain. I believe that he possesses all the qualities that I want in my President. I trust him, it's that simple!

I saw you on the blog -- you didn't do anything to chase me away-- the caramelized bacon was good, but I'm sure it can't be healthy. I have been in the heat of battle with the Obamabots for months now-- I needed to take a break for a while. I am refreshed and ready to do battle again. They are draining after a while though.

Thanks for the opportunity-- ;-)

With a smile,

MACKIE

I was one of the fundraisers for Hillary Clinton! The Democratic party is hateful to her and her supporters! We have been called uneducated, w. trash for about a year by Obama and his campaign. I liked Hillary for the economy, but when we have to make a choice between Obama and McCain, my vote goes for McCain for many reasons.
1) McCain has much more experience.
2) McCain has a better character.
3) McCain did not stay at that hateful church for 20 years! Dropping out for political reasons did not convince me about Obama's honesty!
4) If we look at Obama, Hillary and McCain, the Capital gains taxes increase between Hillary and McCain is only 5% But Obama will double your capital gains Taxes and it is insane!
5) I can not imagine Michelle Obama as our first lady in the White House after her anti-American comments! Cindy McCain deserves to be our first lady.
6) I liked Hillary because of her health care reform, universal health care. I took a look atObama's and McCain's health care plan and found out that McCain offers a better health care plan than Obama.
7) There is no comparison between Obama and McCain when it comes to national security! McCain knows how to defend this country
8) I liked Hillary because of the economy but if I have to make a choice between McCain and Obama, I'd rather McCain! I think that Obama's capital gains tax increase will ruin our system.
9) War in Iraq is manageable with McCain. I trust McCain, he will win the war in Iraq.
10) Obama flip-flopped on so many issues like Iran, his pastor, lobbyists, etc.
11) I finally trust McCain more than Obama! Obama is too much for the conservative Democrats or independents who lean on Democrats! McCain will sweep all those voters including me. America comes first than the unity of the party!

Aviva

I am soooo glad you're doing this. Here we go:Making the move to McCain was easier than I ever thought it would be. I havehad a great measure of respect for a man who is centrist, is his own man,and who stands up, openly, to the crazier side of his party. That takesguts, especially when the crazies have all the power at the moment. Withoutknowing another thing about him, I admired him on the spot. Idiot cowboysare one thing. Intelligent mavericks have an appeal all their own, and thatis McCain's appeal to me.I have liberal leanings, I admit it. I feel we should make our society oneof the most admired in the world by respecting people of all walks of life,honoring our elderly who've paid their dues, and building solid futures forour children. So imagine how a woman who's close to her PhD, with anaccomplished career in high tech management feels when she sees anaccomplished woman get up the courage to run for the presidency. A womanwho's positions I didn't always agree with, but whose tenacity, strength,and command of the issues I came to admire. I threw myself into getting herelected. Then suddenly, the world goes mad, and decides the game we're in is notdeciding who should be the next leader of the free world, with all theperils and struggles therein. No the country decides to play American Idolwith the presidential race, and the media took the lead in declaring Obamarock star. HRC supporters were a little shocked, but felt after seeingReverend Wright, Rezko, inexperience (a whopping 143 days in the US Senate)and a prissy demeanor that cried racism every time you asked 'what's hedone, exactly, that makes him qualified? Well, we thought a few monthsof that would turn things back to a sane direction. Instead, we watched ourcandidate get eviscerated by the media, and by her own party. We watchedpeople who'd come to her table as friends, like the black community, andlongtime powerful friends she and her husband had helped into their currentcareers, stab her at every opportunity. We watched the Obama camp play therace card every chance they got. And we were attacked in hordes by his blogtrolls (the Republicans are starting to see how nasty those little collegekids play. They're not only using plays from Rove's book...they're pullingout stuff that makes one vaguely start to recall Nazi tactics fromtextbooks). But worst of all, we saw the Democratic Party itself determinedto do her in. A woman who won the popular vote, and who kicked Obama's buttin the key swing states. It seemed completely suicidal. Many of us werereeling, taking it all in, and then realizing what it meant. They meant totake her down, and put in their puppet. Not for the votes, not for the goodof the country, but for the money and their own personal gain. She, likeMcCain, was too powerful, too much her own thinker, and couldn't be countedon to 'play'. So they offed her in the media, and the DNC helped engineerit.Our candidate did us a lot of honor. She was someone who could work acrossthe party aisles to get things done, like McCain. She was strong, tough, andsmart....so smart. And she never cried victim, like Obama did. She waiteduntil the very end to say, hey, this sexism thing in the media is prettydisgusting. I face sexism all day every day...always have. It comes with theterritory of being a smart woman determined to fulfill her ambitions. Butthis election woke all of us up. Racism, as we now know, is uncool and [any slight perception of racism] will be instantly ratcheted up to intense media glare. Butyou can call a woman anything you like to demean her, and that's ok.When she suspended her campaign, the howls of grief were deafening. She isone of the most powerful women in the world, and they took her down. I beganto view the Obama camp with real fear, and loathing. And I became determinedto be part of the effort that stops him from buying that presidency.The defection to McCain was easy. He's also a centrist, but right-of-center.I am aware he is no friend to women, but he was a friend to her, and he getspoints for that. He's also a man who knows what he's doing. And because he'sbeen in the Senate forever, he's racked up favors. Lots of favors. Peopleowe him. He'll be able to get things done. No one owes Obama anything - he'snever led a day in his life. But like Bush, Obama will owe the powerfulinterests that put him there. And in no way can I feel confident that thosepeople have our interests as a country at heart. Instantly, I decided:country over party. Absolutely. No question.As I work with newly acquainted Republicans on this task, I am reminded thatpolitics makes for strange bedfellows. However, I hear they hate Bush aswell. He's dragged down their party, and they're mad. They've alreadytraveled the road the Dems are now careening down. The truly terrifyingthing is that Obama is Bush v2. He's an affable, know-nothing, charismaticguy who will be a puppet for those putting him in. This is the Dem's do-overof 2000 with their own idiot. I cannot let my country go down in flames likethis. I find myself compelled to act, to turn my strategizing skills everyday to what I can do to make this come out differently. I fret because theRepublicans I am meeting seem ill prepared for the vitriolics of the Obamacamp. Obama's people are superbly organized, and he's got the money. I findmyself pulling out the Republican playbook to determine what can be done toknock the wind out of Obama's sails. I pray you guys have some incendiarystuff up your sleeves.And I am proud to join you.

Sharon



Although I don’t agree with Sharon’s opinion on Sen. McCain’s view of woman, I also wasn’t a woman involved in a sexist campaign against my candidate. If I had been a female Hillary supporter, would I feel different towards men, media or the Obama campaign? I think sexism played a huge part & if you are willing to listen, you might just hear it from Sen. Clinton herself.

I was watching Sen. Hillary Clinton’s endorsement speech of Barack Obama & this is how I think she gave him the political finger in a few ways. I heard it & was laughing, but I later was having a hard time finding it. That was because she added it to the speech, it wasn't as written. We know politicians don't do anything unintentionally in a speech, but this was a tale of two speeches. First, she spoke about herself for 30 minutes & Barack about 6 minutes. She said his name 11 times, but this is where I think it gets good. If you start watching at 15:38, you will see a much different speech. She said at minute 16:02, "Could a woman really serve as Commander-in-Chief? Well, I think we answered that one." Yes we did, the answer was NO. She gave her speech about women & after 3 minutes & 40 seconds is where it differs from the written speech to the spoken one. She said, "You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable, ‘my friends.’" It comes up at 19:40 in the speech. Wow, I only know one other person that EVER says that, Sen. John McCain. She also didn't say a single thing attacking Sen. McCain. She spoke to women & touched on her mistreatment, as if at a feminist convention. That is why I think she sent a subliminal message to all her female supporters on who she truly admires & endorses; who do you think?

Iraqi Leaders Prefer John McCain!

Bret Stevens at the Wall Street Journal discusses some conversations he had with four Iraqi leaders, both Sunni and Shi'a, on whom they prefer for President of the United States. The results are clear -- they believe John McCain is the best President to bring our efforts in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Awani, the governor of Al-Anbar province, insists that al-Qaeda has been vanquished, and also notes:

"Iraq is in a strategic location and has huge resources. There are a lot of eyes on Iraq... Liberating Iraq is a very good dish. And now you are going to hand it over to Iran?"

Mr Stevens also notes,

"...a sense of incredulity hangs over the way Iraqis see the U.S. political debate taking shape. The governor tells a moving story about their visit to Walter Reed hospital, where they were surprised to find smiles on the faces of GIs who had lost limbs. 'The smile is because they feel they have accomplished something for the American people.'

But the Iraqis came away with a different impression in Chicago, where they had hoped to meet with Mr. Obama but ended up talking to a staff aide. 'We noticed there was a concentration on the negatives,' the governor recalls. 'The Democrat kept saying that Americans have committed a lot of mistakes. Yes, that's true, but why don't you concentrate on what the Americans have achieved in Iraq?"

CNN Reports that violence in Iraq is at it's lowest level since 2004. The surge is working, and without John McCain's courage in advocating the strategy, we might still be stuck in the quagmire that was Iraq in 2005 and 2006.

Town Hall Road Show!

Last week, Senator McCain suggested that he and Senator Obama engage in a series of town-hall debates, discussing the issues face-to-face, using independent local moderators and blind questions from citizens attending the meetings and selected by the event moderator.

In his offer, Senator McCain pointed out:

"What a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty sound bites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections."

Senator Obama, we urge you to join Senator McCain in this endeavor. What a tremendous opportunity for all of us to REALLY learn how both candidates stand on the issues, and an even greater opportunity to uplift our country's democratic values.

Fred Barnes has a few comments about the offer, and Obama's desire for more structured, speech-oriented debates where his clear advantage in prepared speeches is clear. Our question, Senator, is what are you afraid of? If you believe your policies are so clearly superior, why haven't you jumped at the chance to prove it to the country?

Senator McCain has proposed a first date of 12 June 2008, at Federal Hall in New York City. Will it be Senator McCain, yourself, and the citizens you propose to lead, or Senator McCain, the citizens, and something else?

Senator Obama, please accept Senator McCain's invitation. Time's running out!