President Obama

[uknightbreed]

You keep labouring this point about Obama's colour. So what that people voted for him because he is not white. How many people voted for Mccain because he is is white? I don't think colour is as relevant as you contend.

yes but thats what im saying too.

every news article is overloaded with references to his colour.
its racist and offencive imo.

id rather hear about the man , his life and his job , i couldnt give a toss what colour he is.

if mcain won , would the same news channels be talking about how white he is and how its great for white pride and how hopefully other countries would now get a white leader like him too ? no.(ive only changed the word black to white from comments on the news)

racism of any form should not be tolerated.

ps .... it must be weird for america that obama doesnt take over till late january. its an awful limbo period isnt it ? can bush really make many big policy changes with the new president coming in , or are his hands tied ?

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

 

[ToxtethBlue]

i quote martin luther king....

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. "

well ive also heard plenty of interviews where the voter chose obama due to his colour .

first calling obama black is disregarding his white origin's , this is racist - he is not black , not white ,he is mixed race.(same with lewis hamilton)to say anything other is racist. in fact even mentioning any colour is racist.its shouldnt be important.

second , martin luther king would be turning in his grave.
wether the person is a black or white man is irrelevant. the character of the person is all thats matters.
if race dosnt matter why are spike lee jesse jackson etc banging on about his colour. (jesse jackson himself said obama wasnt black enough - the man is just as scummy as as a kkk member imo)

it seems racism has not been eliminated but instead has turned on its head.
this needs to be addressed before so called 'positive' racism causes another war zone.

surely obama is the perfect man to set 'equality' straight ?

He sees himself as a Black man, he identify's as an African American. Obama is mixed race but like alot of mixed race people he identify's more with his black roots.

 

[Nebbiolo]

He sees himself as a Black man, he identify's as an African American. Obama is mixed race but like alot of mixed race people he identify's more with his black roots.

Which seems fair enough to me. Mixed raced people have to put up with racism as much as people that are black. So it is no surprise that Obama might think of himself as black first and foremost.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think of myself as more bat than man.

 

[TX Bill]

I think its a great choice, although what really worries me is the reason why some people voted for Obama, some interviews people have said they only voted for him because he is black... thats crazy.

However, I do think he will be a superb president.

Maybe with the oil hungry republicans out of power we can have a world without war for a bit.

Excellent post, I agree on all counts.

I laughed when someone on CNN said that healthcare for all is just not possible, well it works in the UK its not perfect but it works.
I imagine if less was spent on the military and more spent on healthcare and helping the comman man that the U.S. would become a better country for all Americans and not just the elitist top 5%.

Anybody with a brain can realise that Thatcher was the worst thing that ever happened to this country, she is a vile pig that needs putting down. shame nobody did it before she destroyed millions of lives.

On the war thing, war is only good for one section of people, and that is those that produce bombs, planes and the other assorted death machines.

Did you know ALOT of weapons manufacturing companies were near folding and going out of business during the spring/summer of 2001.
This is fact, you can check it.

These same businesses now, are some of the richest most powerful companies in the world, having produced a multitude of killing things to be used on innocent people in the middle east.

Remember, in the free world, we say Innocent until proven guilty, NOT... "we think they are terrorists so bomb the [Poor language removed] out of them and their next door neighbors just in case..... oh and if you miss, [Poor language removed] it..."

Soemone mentioned Guantamano Bay, that place is slimy black dot on the face of all Americans, while that place is keeping people in detention for years and years with no charge and no trial, no American can talk about land of the free in any way shape or form.

Welcome Back Rob !!!

Where you been?

 

[TX Bill]

i go to one of the most conservative colleges in the US, washington and lee university, and i'm probably one of the most liberal people you'll ever meet, but it was great last night when myself and the few other liberals on campus broke out the champagne upon hearing CNN declare Obama president.

Btw, CNN did 2 polls, and showed the voting results for people who said that race was a factor in their decision, and those who said race wasn't a factor. the voting breakdown was nearly even for both of them, so I don't think race really changed anything (as many people voted for him because he's black as people voted against him because he's black).

the conservatives are right though, he's been given our support, but the status of america's problems hasn't changed in the least, and he has a lot of work ahead of him.

still, I look forward to, within the next few years:

• comprehensive health care reform (47 million americans don't have access to routine care, utterly disgusting)
• getting rid of the george bush tax cuts and closing some of the corporate tax loopholes (and Tx Bill, i'm sorry you're going to have to pay more in taxes, but if you make more than $250,000 a year, then i gotta say I envy you, and would guess that since you make 5 times the median income, you're probably not hurting all too badly right now like a lot of pople are)
• BRINGING THE TROOPS HOME: american involvement in the middle east has almost without exception produced worse outcomes in the future (dating back to the coup of iranian prime minister mossadegh under eisenhower), and I don't want american soldiers to continue to die just to spare us blushes.
• Hopefully some greater funding for alternative energy. One of my greatest fears about Barack Obama is that he doesn't seem as determined as McCain to end corn subsidies for Ethanol. Anyone with a background in environmental studies will tell you that corn is not a viable energy option alone, and that money is taking away from R&D into alternative energy. Obama was is in favor of cap and trade, I just hope he has the courage to institute it, knowing that it will drive gas prices up and probably hurt his popularity
• Closing, or at the very least, modifying policy related to Guantanmo Bay. It disturbs me that Americans have just accepted the horrors of guantanmo bay, and the fact that we've stood idly by gives creedence to some of those NWO conspiracy theories.

I have a lot of faith that Obama can get things done about all these issues, which are all very important to me, but only time will tell I suppose.

also, the possiblity of a 3/5ths majority in the senate is still alive, now that we won the oregon seat. Al Franken might pull out a win in the recount, and the runoff in georgia really is a toss up. It bothers me that Stevens was so widely supported in Alaska, the man is a convicted felon (and may be the first convicted felon elected to the US senate), and he might now be the only obstacle to full control

So much I could comment on here but frankly, I think it would be a wasted effort so I'll concentrate on this one area.

I don't mind paying taxes as all ToffeetillIdie. It's a part of being of American (without trying to sound too corny.)

But instead of funding socialized medicine with increased tax dollars, how about a better idea. How about cut back on all of the pork spending and earmarks that routinely fly through Congress? Yes, while it may not pay for all of it, it will pay for a good chunk of it.

I mean I have issues with socialized medicine on it's own merit (as MikelsGoat so eloquently said, "It doesn't work...") but let's say Obama and Congress try to get it done.

Great. Don't tax me. Cut wasteful spending elsewhere. And I do mean wasteful. I'm not talking about defense spending, welfare, or even aid that we give annually to other countries that totals in the BILLIONS.

Start at the pork and the earmarks and we're on our way. But until Congress (both parties) and the Presidency (regardless of who's in) get serious about the deficits we run and the crap we spend MY money on, they can take socialized medicine, or any other government program and cram it with walnuts. Oh, and Social Security isn't looking too good either for my generation nor yours.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25007385/

Interesting article on earmarks (from MSNBC so you KNOW it doesn't have a conservative slant to it). They estimated 15B annually.

 

[Slight_Return]

I think of myself as more bat than man.

is that a typo?

 

[TX Bill]

I thought some of you might get a kick out of these.



'If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the
newspaper you are misinformed.'
Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like
a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the
support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which
debt he proposes to pay off with your money.
-G Gordon Liddy

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on
what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in
rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys
to teenage boys.
-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short
phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it
stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it
costs when it's free!
-P.J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as
possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean
politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in
session.
-Mark Twain (1866 )

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.
-Unknown

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings.
The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the
taxidermist leaves the skin.
-Mark Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
-Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)



A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong
enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. - Oscar Wilde

 

[GrandOldTeam]

There was a good quote from Karl Marx I think. "Catch a man a fish, and you can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish, and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity" - or words to that effect.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Just seen this on Kipper;

Putin wants to return as president of "Russia"


Why is this? Because there's a soft tool in the whitehouse now and the time to restore the soviet union will never be better.

Chew on that, bottom feeders. I'm going out.

PS No malice in any of these posts. Most all my friends are Obama people and there's no talking sense to them.

Here's another smart thing obama said. "We don't need to drill for oil. If we'd all just properly inflate our tires that'd be just as good as drilling for oil."

Amazing.

Oh, well. I can't wait for my free health care package to come in the mail, my paychecks to get bigger and peace in the middle east. Oh, but that isn't going to happen. My boss will be taxed out his arse and cut my hours, my landlord will have to raise my rent and when the middle east erupts into flames again Obama will say, "I'll just go make a speech, that'll take care of it." and when I get sick and go to emergency and they ask me for money I'll say, "But, but Obama said he'd take care of it." and they'll kick me out.

And why are stocks falling drastically for the second day after his nomination? Because he's said he's going to tax wealthy bastards and now they're all getting their money out before he can get his hands on it to "re-distribute."

AARRRGGGHHHHHHHH

I laughed at first, but then it dawned on me.... he has a point!

 

[toffeestillidie]

So much I could comment on here but frankly, I think it would be a wasted effort so I'll concentrate on this one area.

I don't mind paying taxes as all ToffeetillIdie. It's a part of being of American (without trying to sound too corny.)

But instead of funding socialized medicine with increased tax dollars, how about a better idea. How about cut back on all of the pork spending and earmarks that routinely fly through Congress? Yes, while it may not pay for all of it, it will pay for a good chunk of it.

I mean I have issues with socialized medicine on it's own merit (as MikelsGoat so eloquently said, "It doesn't work...") but let's say Obama and Congress try to get it done.

Great. Don't tax me. Cut wasteful spending elsewhere. And I do mean wasteful. I'm not talking about defense spending, welfare, or even aid that we give annually to other countries that totals in the BILLIONS.

Start at the pork and the earmarks and we're on our way. But until Congress (both parties) and the Presidency (regardless of who's in) get serious about the deficits we run and the crap we spend MY money on, they can take socialized medicine, or any other government program and cram it with walnuts. Oh, and Social Security isn't looking too good either for my generation nor yours.

Pork now 'earmarks' ? 11,000 of them - Capitol Hill

Interesting article on earmarks (from MSNBC so you KNOW it doesn't have a conservative slant to it). They estimated 15B annually.

I definitely agree that earmarks are a huge problem, i just see them as a general problem, not a partisan problem, and I see them as a problem the president has very little ability to stop.

Obama pushed a lot of pork barrel spending, so did mccain, and so does any senator or representative who's constituents are satisfied with their representation. Whether we like it or not, pork is very much a part of our congressional system. Try criticizing your opponent's pork-spending in a senate race, and watch your chances of winning erode, and often times pork spending creates domestic jobs and can be used to fund important projects (though undoubtedly most of them aren't). If you look at the constitutional founder's intent, the Senate was created not to represent factional interests (which they knew would have a strong influence over the house of represenatives), but instead they were elected by state legislatures to serve the state's interest. Essentially, the senate's role is pork.

Now you're right, that getting rid of this system would create a lot of money for spending on important projects, but there really isn't any way that Obama could do this. In resisting pork, he may likely cause a rift between himself and congress, similar to the one that occurred in the Carter years (similar situation really, dems controlled both houses, but because a rift developed between the presidency and congress, nothing really got done, and i'm sure you'd agree it was a pretty terrible presidency). With the current state of world affairs, a president and congress that are unable to work with eachother could turn out terrible.

There may very well be a way to get rid of pork spending, I just really don't see how obama could do it.

 

[TX Tiburon]

There may very well be a way to get rid of pork spending, I just really don't see how obama could do it.

Line item veto is an absolute must.

 

[toffeestillidie]

Line item veto is an absolute must.

as i said though, this could cause a rift between him and congress (similar to when carter tried to shoot down wasteful projects), one which wouldn't prevent the parts of our government from working well together. politics is about appeasement, and constitutionally suspect expansions of executive power may only make things worse.

so in short, i think in the short term it'd be great if obama used line-item vetoes to eliminate pork earmarks, but this might have serious constitutional repercussions, and may lead to bitter disputes that we can't afford right now.