A Blog Called Hope

Ad assailing Barack Obama for “snubbing” troops proves to be off-base

The Republican smear campaign was working in overdrive to tear down Senator Obama’s successful foreign policy trip abroad. Their feeble attempt to taint Senator Obama’s highly touted trip resulted in a short video clip slamming Senator Obama for “snubbing” our brave troops.

The ad attacks Obama on choosing playing basketball over visiting wounded troops, and ultimately canceling the visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center due to the fact cameras would not be allowed in to view him visiting the troops. The obvious insinuations from the fictitious ad are that Barack Obama does not care about the troops and Barack Obama is a calculated political figure who only does things for the accolades that accompany them.

The truth of the matter is that Barack Obama had no say in the decision. Despite planning for the trip for several weeks, Senator Obama was advised by the Pentagon to not visit the troops due to the potential political conflict of interest. The truth is video cameras were not going to be permitted to tag along in the first place. Senator Obama had planned to visit our brave men and women for weeks, knowing full well cameras would not be part of the visit. So any insinuation by the McCain campaign that Senator Obama “snubbed” our troops because he would not get face time is utterly false.

Fact is Senator Obama has visited troops in U.S. and Iraq, outside the gaze of TV cameras. However, that doesn’t plan well for the Republicans, so they won’t want you to know that factual tidbit.

For more “fact checking”, which the McCain camp again has neglected to do, visit Newsweek.

Calling into question both his intelligence and ability to adequately serve our country, McCain piles on with the gaffes

Quick Geography Quiz

1.) True or False: Iraq and Pakinstan share a border.

Answer: False. If you answered “True”, you would be 1) Wrong and 2) in the company of John McCain of failing to recognize Pakistan and AFGHANISTAN share a border.

2.) True or False: Vladamir Putin is the President of Germany.

Answer: False. But don’t tell that to John McCain who recently proclaimed Russian President Vladamir Putin was in fact the President of Germany.

3.) True or false: Czecholoslavakia is a presently existing nation.

Answer: False. In 1993 Czechoslovakia became what is now known as the Czech Republic. But don’t tell that to John McCain, who still clings to 1992 in his mind. Let’s all think for a moment how tremendous 1992 was. 1992 gave us “Wayne’s World”, “Ren and Stimpy”, Kris Kross and their backwards clothing, and Barney people! BARNEY! Who can blame John McCain for wanting to continually relive such a wonderful time?!?

For more on John McCain’s many blunders visit, The Washington Post.

The New York Times has an interesting and insightful Op-Ed piece pertaining to John McCain and the economy.

Here is a brief look at Frank Rich’s article:

In 2000, he told an interviewer that he would make up for his lack of attention to “those issues.” As he entered the 2008 campaign, Mr. McCain was still saying the same, vowing to read “Greenspan’s book” as a tutorial. Last weekend, the resolutely analog candidate told The New York Times he is at last starting to learn how “to get online myself.” Perhaps he’ll retire his abacus by Election Day.

Mr. McCain’s fiscal ineptitude has received so little scrutiny in some press quarters that his chief economic adviser, the former Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, got a free pass until the moment he self-immolated on video by whining about “a nation of whiners.” -Frank Rich (New York Times)

To read the article visit the New York Times online.

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.

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.

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.

Declining poll numbers and an unfavorable political disposition towards Republicans indicates John McCain has to do something more to better connect with the American people and maintain the Republican hold on key red states. And with record numbers of voters identifying themselves as Democratic nationally, McCain’s chances for the White House win are looking more and more dismal.

Senator John McCain’s energy plan focuses on off-shore drilling, a plan strongly reminiscent of Bush policies that benefit Big Oil. Such policies will further push the US behind countries such as Japan, Germany and Spain. Off-shore drilling would not contribute to a real change in gas prices instead only fooling consumers by providing what McCain called in an MSNBC article a “psychological impact.”

This new position goes against his previous stance form the 2000 election, when he opposed lifting the moratorium and campaigned against off-shore drilling.

Other energy ideas include McCain’s support of using Yucca Mountain in Nevada as a national dump site for both nuclear and radioactive waste. He also wants to create 45 new nuclear plants, which would only create more nuclear wasts. John McCain has a history of opposing incentives for renewable energy and green jobs.

Conversely, Senator Obama suggests a plan to create a new energy economy. He rejects McCain’s plans and denounces the Republican nominee’s claim of a psychological benefit as political posturing: “In case you’re wondering, in Washington-speak what that means is that it polls well. It’s an example of how Washington tries to convince you that they’ve done something to make your life better when they really didn’t,” the Senator said.

Polls indicate that Senator McCain has failed to break with the notion that he will uphold Bush policies, strengthening the already commonly held belief that his election will be nothing more than a third Bush term.

Top senior advisor to McCain, Charlie Black has only made matters worse for the presumptive Republican nominee by suggesting that another attack on American soil would help McCain’s campaign. On Monday, it was also reported that another top McCain advisor was quoted as saying Benazir Bhutto’s assassination earlier this year “helped us” in their campaign.

McCain also seems to be losing trust with voters as he repeatedly ignores and violates campaign rules; he violated multiple federal laws by taking a political trip to Canada, broke laws regarding the use of a corporate jet, and skirted around FEC regulations by withdrawing from the FEC’s matching funds program after using the program for financial gains for his campaign.

With more voters identifying themselves as democratic and with McCain’s inability to persuade the American people that his election will not result in a Bush third term, it seems as though McCain’s Bush-Rove tactics are finally catching up with him.