A Blog Called Hope

In his own speech, John McCain responds to Obama and stands by the war in Iraq

Following Senator Obama’s lead, John McCain outlined his own plans for US foreign policy.

His major linchpin, as always, is the need for the United States to remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future.

“It is precisely the success of the surge in Iraq that shows us the way to succeed in Afghanistan. It is by applying the tried and true principles of counter-insurgency used in the surge — which Senator Obama opposed — that we will win in Afghanistan. With the right strategy and the right forces, we can succeed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I know how to win wars.” -John McCain, July 15, 2008.

Hmm. Interesting.

John McCain knows how to win wars? History tells us that McCain has never been served as a General or Commander in Chief; so what qualifies him to say he “knows how to win wars”???

Aside from that obvious misstatement, there also remains McCain’s questioning of Senator Obama’s position on Iraq. Never has Senator Obama proclaimed our fate in Iraq is certain failure, never has he speculated that we cannot win both Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Obama’s position, which McCain and his supporters are ignorant to, is that we should seek outside assistance in Iraq to enable the United States to re-focus our efforts in the war on terror ON terrorists, including bin Laden, sitting pretty in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

For a man who attempts to convey that he is a different person than President Bush and paints himself as a straight-talking independent thinker, it sure seems that John McCain has fully subscribed to the failed foreign policies of the Bush administration. This is the same ’stay the course’ mentality that has kept over 100,000 of our brave men and women in harms way. This is the same misguided, and detrimentally stubborn, attitude that permeated throughout our government during the 60s and 70s when McCain himself was serving our country.

Instead of offering something new, something that may in fact turn the tide in our country’s favor, it certainly appears that The McCain “straight talk express” has taken a detour down some perilous routes that Bush and Nixon have traveled in the past.

Citing Iraq, Senator Obama emphasizes the need to repair foreign relationships and shift our focus to adequately combating terrorism abroad

Proclaiming that the Bush administration, along with John McCain, have been misguided in their war on terror, Senator Obama re-emphasized his plans to withdraw troops from Iraq and refocusing our military efforts on finding Osama bin Laden and terrorist leadership where they truly are.

“In fact – as should have been apparent to President Bush and Senator McCain – the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was. That’s why the second goal of my new strategy will be taking the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan… Al Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia. If another attack on our homeland comes, it will likely come from the same region where 9/11 was planned. And yet today, we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan.” -Senator Obama, July 15, 2008.

Along with responsibly ending the conflict in Iraq and capturing Osama bin Laden and other terrorist leadership, Senator Obama outlined three additional foreign policy goals his administration will have:

• Securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue nations

• Achieving true energy security

• Rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century

Senator Obama proclaimed that we must rebuild the bridges the Bush administration has broken, and learn from our own history as a nation. What made America great and prosperous was our amicable relationships with foreign nations and our genuine sense of justice and democracy.

Barack Obama acknowledged that the past eight years have set us back, but he has also realized that these are challenges that can be, and must be, overcome in order for America to return to prominence on the world stage and ensure our everlasting safety. Senator Obama concluded his remarks by accurately asserting, “We know what is needed. We know what can best be done. We know what must done. Now it falls to us to act with the same sense of purpose and pragmatism as an earlier generation, to join with friends and partners to lead the world anew.”

For a transcript of Senator Obama’s speech, click here.

McCain backtracks on support of Iraq war and President Bush, in direct conflict with past assertions

Given the length of the conflict, and slumping position in world affairs, there are few things the American people are more concerned about than ending the war in Iraq and bringing our brave men and women home.

Sensing this ever-present reality, John McCain’s camp has ramped up the anti-Bush/Iraq war machine.

On Meet the Press this past weekend, McCain Victory ‘08 Chair Carly Fiorina sidestepped from McCain’s history of support of President Bush and his war on Iraq.

“To say John McCain was aligned with President Bush on the prosecution of the war in Iraq is to change history.” -Carly Fiorina, July 13, 2008.

The only persons hoping to alter history is the McCain camp. The truth of the matter is that John McCain was one of the leading proponents of the war in Iraq, and even when the battle began to go array, McCain steadfastly supported the President’s decision to go to war and strategies implemented during the war.

“I think the President has led with great clarity and I think he’s done a great job leading the country.” -John McCain, April 23, 2003.

“We’ve got to stay the course.” -John McCain, June 29, 2005.

McCain and his supporters continue to feed the American public what they want to hear, all the while leaving the truth behind a smokescreen of lies. McCain’s history is one of prolonged Bush and Iraq war support coupled with public double-talk and political deceit.

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.

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.

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.

Congressman Langevin officially files for re-election in second Congressional District

Today, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) formally filed for re-election, seeking to serve his fifth term as Representative of the Second Congressional District of Rhode Island.

Here is the press release from the Congressman’s office:

Congressman Jim Langevin today filed with the Secretary of State’s Office to run for his fifth term as the Representative from Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District. Langevin released the following statement after filing:

“It has been an honor for me to serve the constituents of the Second Congressional District for nearly eight years. While the Democrats, under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have made great strides to move this country in a new direction after 12 years of Republican leadership, more still needs to be done.

“I look forward to continuing my travels throughout the district in the coming months to hear the concerns of my constituents and reassure them that their voices are being heard in Washington.

“As I campaign for my fifth term, I pledge to work to get our economy back on track, advocate for an end to our military involvement in Iraq and last, but certainly not least, solve our nation’s health care crisis. These issues, among many others, will be my priorities once re-elected.”