A Blog Called Hope

McCain and adviser Gramm proclaim America’s economic troubles are merely “psychological”, and that we should all stop “whining”

McCain campaign co-chair Phil Gramm recently ruffled voters’ feathers when he asserted that we, as a nation, are merely a bunch of “whiners” and have merely conjured up our economic struggles.

Realizing that the comments were both insensitive and ill-informed, McCain quickly sidestepped from Gramm’s comments at a recent appearance. However, McCain did echo that economic struggles are just a figment of our collective imagination.

“I think, psychologically — and a lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological …A little psychological boost. Lets have some straight talk. Its not a huge amount of money… a little psychological boost, that’s what I think it would help.” -John McCain

Straight talk huh? Downplaying the exorbitant gas prices and devastating mortgage crisis makes you a ’straight-shooter’?…

In the video below, John McCain condemns Gramm’s comments while mirroring those assertions in one of his own speeches. This is yet another example of the desperate double-talk the American people are seeing from the McCain camp on a regular basis.

Congressman Langevin hosts Homeland Security field hearing

Today’s press release from Congressman Langevin’s office:

Congressman Jim Langevin will preside over a field hearing on Tuesday, July 22, that is expected to explore where Rhode Island and the nation are when it comes to responding to a biological threat, including pandemic influenza.

“Throughout my tenure on the Homeland Security Committee I have made it a point to investigate our country’s level of preparedness to handle naturally occurring and manmade biological threats,” said Langevin, Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology. “This field hearing will examine the progress and challenges in obtaining the resources and guidance necessary to prepare for and respond to contagious biological threats. I am looking forward to hearing from a variety of federal and state agencies on how best to prepare and safeguard our communities.”

Langevin, along with other members of Congress, will hear from two panels. The first panel will include witnesses from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. Representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Health, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, Rhode Island National Guard and Lifespan will participate in the second panel.

Who: Congressman Jim Langevin
What: Homeland Security Field Hearing: Emerging Biological Threats & Public Health Preparedness
When: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 – - 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Rhode Island State House, Room 313
Providence, RI 02903

Yesterday, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) announced that he has secured

$1.3 million in federal funding for RIPTA

On Monday, Senator Jack Reed formally announced that he has secured more than $1.3 million in federal funding for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.

With this money, the RIPTA plans to upgrade its fleet of over 200 buses that provide convenient and affordable transportation to tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders.

This is yet another example of the diligent work Senator Reed has been doing for both our country and the people of Rhode Island. On top of this acquisition for the RIPTA, Senator Reed has also been tirelessly working on behalf of Rhode Island’s struggling homeowners.

As the election year heats up, and Senator Reed prepares to ratchet up his campaign, it has never been more clear that Senator Reed is the right choice for our state.

For more on this story, visit the Boston Globe.

This past Sunday, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) faced off with

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) on ‘ABC This Week’

The two Senators from neighboring states traded barbs over the war in Iraq and which Presidential candidate would best serve the interests of the people of the United States.

Trying to bridge the overwhelming popularity gap between the two Presidential candidates, Senator Lieberman tried to paint McCain as strikingly similar to Obama on the war in Iraq. However, Senatory Reed quickly pointed out that, “Sen. Obama is outlining a strategy to redeploy our forces out of Iraq. Sen. McCain has a strategy of staying there indefinitely. That is the key, significant strategic difference.”

Here is a snippet from the interview.

For more, visit ABC News or the ABC’s News Blog.

The Obama camp has released the newest campaign advertisement featuring the Democratic Presidential candidate.

The ad called “Dignity”, which airs in eighteen states, highlights Senator Obama’s decision to bypass big money jobs and help lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. It also illustrates Senator Obama’s record of working hard to move people from welfare to work, passing tax cuts for workers and providing healthcare for children.

McCain surrogates launch personal assault on Obama; McCain stays mum

Unfortunately, it appears the gloves are off.

After months of spirited political debate on the Primary and Presidential trails, the McCain camp has commenced what is certain to be a series of attacks on Senator Obama’s character.

“Sen. John McCain’s allies have seized on a new and aggressive line of attack against Sen. Barack Obama, casting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as an opportunistic and self-obsesses politician who will do and say anything to get elected. McCain typically leaves the sharpened criticism to others, in the hope of being able to claim the high ground of conducting a ‘respectful’ campaign. But the abrupt shift in tone among his paid staff members, volunteer surrogates and other Republican staples of the cable news circuit is unmistakable, and it resembles the unified message the GOP used to paint the 2004 Democratic candidate, Sen. John F. Kerry, as a flip-flopper.” -Washington Post, June 30. 2008.

McCain likely will continue the charade that he is conducting a respectful and honorable campaign against Senator Obama, but the bottom line is his minions are not acting in such a manner.

These are the same people that responded with seething disgust when retired General Wesley Clark asserted McCain’s war record had nothing to do with McCain’s aptitude to serve as President; which is quite striking considering only four years ago GOP surrogates levied a callous assault on Senator Kerry’s (D-MA) decorated service record in order to blow a hole in his candidacy.

These are the same people that see terrorist attacks on our country as beneficial to McCain’s pursuit of the Presidency.

McCain appears to forget that ‘you’re only as good as the company you keep.’ McCain is surrounded by cold and calculated political personnel. It’s hard to imagine a way McCain could work so closely with such individuals without being either cognizant, or downright supportive, of the positions they present.

If McCain genuinely wishes to conduct an honorable campaign he must take appropriate steps to curb the wave of personal attacks and ignorant and insensitive declarations perpetrated by his supporters.

Senators Obama and Clinton rally in Unity, NH to unite the Party in ending the repugnant Republican reign in the White House

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) joined Barack Obama on Friday in New Hampshire to show her support for Senator Obama and stress the need for change in the White House.

“The truth is, that in this election, we face an opponent with a very different vision of America,” Clinton, said. “In the end, after eight devastating years of President Bush, Senator McCain merely offers four years more.”

“For anyone who voted for me and now is considering not voting or voting for Senator McCain, I strongly urge you to reconsider. I hope you’ll stand with me. I hope you’ll work as hard for Senator Obama as you did for me,” Senator Clinton concluded.

Senator Obama then took the stage and echoed Senator Clinton’s sentiments. He focused on the necessity to shift away from the failed policies of President Bush; something he, and many other invested Americans, are certain Senator McCain will only continue.

“The choice in this election is not between the left and the right, between liberal and conservative — it’s a choice between the past and the future,” Senator Obama proclaimed.

Despite Senator McCain’s recent efforts to paint himself as the energy-savvy candidate, a further look at his record exposes the truth of his environmental ineptitude

In recent weeks, Senator John McCain has shifted his campaign focus to energy; presumably a response to public concerns over rising gas prices and global warming.

One must agree that the Senator from Arizona has indeed put on a good show. Though, a series of entertaining rants is all Senator McCain has devolved into. He has thrown around a $300 million figure to possibly motivate inventors to help resolve our dependence on oil. He has discussed the development of nuclear energy facilities in Nevada (despite the fact 3/4 of Nevada voters oppose such a move).

The reality is that Senator McCain has repeatedly voted against legislation to create “green” jobs and in favor of increasing nuclear waste in the state of Nevada.

In 2002, John McCain voted to approve a site at Yucca Mountain as a repository for nuclear and radioactive waste. After the vote, McCain said that storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain would answer “one of the most important environmental, health and public safety issues for the American people.” In 2000, McCain voted to override the presidential veto of legislation that would establish a permanent nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. In 1997, McCain similarly voted to establish a repository at the Mountain. McCain voted yes on a similar bill in 1996. [2002 Senate Vote #167, 7/9/2002; The Arizona Republic, 7/10/2002; 2000 Senate Vote #88, 5/2/2000; 1998 Senate Vote #148, 6/2/1998; 1997 Senate Vote #42, 4/15/1997; 1996 Senate Vote #259, 7/31/1996; 1996 Senate Vote #256, 7/31/1996]

When coupled with the fact that Senator McCain has consistently voted against the creation of “green” jobs, it is easy to see the inherent contradiction of his policy on energy.

John McCain supported the filibuster of the 2007 energy bill that included an extension of the production tax credit to 2011. While McCain missed the vote to on the bill, according to his staff he did, in fact, support the continuing the filibuster, which eventually killed the bill. In its place, Congress passed another version of the legislation that did not include an extension of the tax credit. A 2008 economic study by Navigant Consulting found that “over 116,000 U.S. jobs and nearly $19 billion in U.S. investment could be lost in just one year if renewable energy tax credits are not renewed by Congress… The study concluded that over 76,000 jobs are put at risk in the wind industry, and approximately 40,000 jobs in the solar industry.” [HR 6, Vote 425, 12/13/07, Failed 59-40: R 9-39 D 48-1 I 2-0; Forbes, 12/13/07; U.S. News & World Report, 12/14/07; American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association press release, 2/4/08]

For a man who claims he has taken up the cause of trying to find alternative energy resources in order to salvage Americans from swelling gas prices, it has become clear that McCain has been wholly inconsistent when it comes to energy. The only constant on energy when it comes to McCain is that he talks a good game to appease the American public but makes decisions behind closed doors that push us further from resolving the energy crisis.

In New Mexico, Senator Obama promises he will ‘live up to the hype’ that surrounds him

It all began with Senator Obama’s rousing speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. And since that moment, Obama has captured the eyes, the minds, and hearts of much of the American public. His popularity has only continued to grow as Obama eyes the United States Presidency.

Many conservatives, who continue to grasp at straws, cling to the hopes that Obama’s appealing platforms ring hollow. They bank on the fact that Senator Obama cannot be genuine about the sweeping changes he plans to make.

However, Senator Barack Obama has been swift to respond to his detractors; ensuring the public that the popularity that surrounds him is not merely hype, but a promising reality that the American people can believe in.

Senator Jack Reed continues to be a catalyst for rescuing struggling homeowners

As mentioned last week, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has been working extremely hard to salvage homeowners from the current mortgage crisis.

In yesterday’s Providence Journal, John Mulligan detailed the work that Senator Reed has been doing on Capitol Hill. As a member of the Senate Banking and Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Reed has worked to craft a revenue producing fee on leading lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The money from these fees would help create a federal housing fund that would go to finance federally backed mortgage insurance to alleviate the financial burden on indebted homeowners.
Senator Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Banking Committee, believes this new bill would raise roughly $500 million that would help stave off foreclosure for as many as 500,000 families.

The bill itself is built to adapt to the changing economic culture. The “rescue” function of the bill will eventually phase out and the new housing fund will remain to provide a source of subsidies for low-cost housing for the poor.

“Good housing is essential to families, not just for shelter but for whether they have a chance to live decently, whether they can hold a job, how they can hold a job with a permanent address, whether the kids can do well in school. It’s hard if you go to two or three different schools moving house to house.” -Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)