McCain Speaks Of Change From New Orleans

Wow is he telling some doozies down south. Obama wants to take money from the troops (while McCain votes against giving them an education), that McCain is an agent of change, blah blah blah blah. Just remember as McCain picked New Orleans to talk from, where McCain was when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.



And no matter what he says on the podium, the reality is in his voting record.

Hot Off The Presses, Obama's Speech Tonight in Minneapolis

The speech won't be given for another couple hours, but here it is in print (what, you expected him to wing this?):

Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.

Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign -- through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.

We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning -- even in the face of tough odds -- is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency -- an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn't just about the party in charge of Washington, it's about the need to change Washington.Ê There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.

All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren't the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn't do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- we cannot afford to keep doing what we've been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say -- let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.

In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.

Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.

It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush ninety-five percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.

It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college -- policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.

And it's not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians -- a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn't making the American people any safer.

So I'll say this -- there are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush's policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.

Change is a foreign policy that doesn't begin and end with a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I won't stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what's not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years -- especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.

We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in - but start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It's time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It's time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda's leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century -- terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That's what change is.

Change is realizing that meeting today's threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy -- tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That's what the American people want. That's what change is.

Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it. It's understanding that the struggles facing working families can't be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a the middle-class a tax break, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation. It's understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was President.

John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy -- cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota -- he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for.

Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can't pay the medical bills for a sister who's ill, he'd understand that she can't afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That's the change we need.

Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he'd understand that we can't afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future -- an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. That's the change we need.

And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he'd understand that we can't afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That's the change we need in America. That's why I'm running for President.

The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon -- that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.

Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself. I've walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools. I've sat across the table from law enforcement and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent thirteen innocent people to death row. And I've worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.

So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.

So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.

So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom's cause.

So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that's better, and kinder, and more just.

And so it must be for us.

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

I couldn't have said it better myself, perhaps thats why he's the nominee. Congratulations Senator Obama, now it is on to the White House and new hope and beginning for our country!

The Case Against Brian Foley...Or For Jimmy Dahroug

Note: I've volunteered for Jimmy Dahroug's campaign

On the state level here in New York, there is one large, unifying goal that the Democratic Party has. That would be winning back the majority in the State Senate and resting the power out of Joe Bruno's hands. There are many ways of going at this since we are two seats away right now. One excellent pick-up opportunity is out on Long Island in District 3. Craig Johnson turned nearby District 7 blue last year in a special election and is looking to easily hold onto the seat.

Now we must focus on races like SD-7 and to help progressive candidates like Jimmy Dahroug. Jimmy has widespread recognition since he has already challenged incumbent Caesar Trunzo without much support in the past. Unfortunately the powers that be in the party would rather go with someone more established in line with the establishment who happens to be Brian Foley. Right now Foley is the Town Supervisor out in Brookhaven and he now wants to run for Senate. Foley got himself in with the local party and he is flush with cash even before running. Some love Foley's jump in while still "liking" Jimmy Dahroug because Foley looks more "electable." Forget that for a second though, what does Brookhaven think about all of this?

From The Times Beacon Record:

Political pressures are mounting. Rival factions have gained the upper hand. Town operations are running with the silky smoothness of pebbles in a blender. Things are tough these days for Brookhaven's head honcho, and so what does Supervisor Brian Foley do? Announce a run for higher office, of course.

Foley, punching bag of the right and hardly the left's favorite son, can espouse all he wants about the "exciting opportunity" of gunning for Caesar Trunzo's state Senate seat. He can rattle off his credentials like ingredients in a half-baked pie, cook up sound bites about his county and municipal experiences and how they've prepared him for the challenges of Albany.

Hogwash. This attempted exit (stage left, of course) from Brookhaven politics is both hollow and shallow, as graceless and inglorious as the supervisor's rocky tenure.

It's hard not to see Foley's announcement as an unmitigated, tail-tucking retreat, coming as it did less than a day after his Town Board rivals plundered his office and sucked away his authority the way mosquitoes suck blood. Yes, board meetings happen when they happen and yes, Suffolk Democrats plan their nominating conventions eons in advance, but the symbolism is undeniable: Foley took a spanking, and the next day announced his desire to get out of Dodge.

The rest of the editorial doesn't give Foley much breathing room. They see this as his opportunity to get out of Brookhaven and onto Albany. Foley may be able to raise money (from prior races that is) but what kind of Senator would Long Island be sending upstate to represent them. Sure, he'd be better than Trunzo, but we should aspire for better leaders than those getting out of Dodge.

Fox Finally Admits Their Rovian Menace Advises McCain

The Faux News Network doesn't like to admit to its viewers about their fundamental truths. Reporting hogwash as fact has been their S.O.P. since they began. However once in a while the lone lefty Alan Colmes gets a few words in and yesterday he took the opportunity to expose the fact that Fox News "Contributor" Karl Rove advises the McCain camp.

Barack Obama Has Won The Democratic Primary

Even before 2pm EDT, the Democratic Party's race for the nomination is now over. Barack Obama has won the necessary amount of delegates to become the flag bearer going into the fall and towards the general election versus John McCain. Apparently the AP broke this story after the Clinton campaign denied their original story that Clinton was going to concede the race at her speech tonight at Baruch College here in New York City. Well it looks like the AP wasn't going to stand for that, and now we have this.

From the AP:

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial divisions within the party.

The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

So although the official tally still has Obama with 30-40 delegates to go, the massive support from within the party already has him winning his race with Hillary Clinton. I admire her resoluteness, but the time to show her fighting spirit passed by a long time ago. Now it is time to back our nominee, Barack Obama.

The True Cost Of NYC Pensions

It is only the third day of June and the month could not keep New York clean of financial irregularities. We've had slush funds, Bear Mountain Compacts and Spitzer-mania already this year to name a few. Now we've got a low-balling actuary who has given favorable estimates to the unions at the expense of the city budget, to the tune of $500 million dollars.

From The NY Times:

ALBANY — An actuary paid by public employee unions and yet relied upon by the State Legislature to determine the cost of proposals affecting New York City’s pension system underestimated their ultimate cost by at least $500 million, city documents and other records show.

In the hundreds of bills for which he has provided estimates to lawmakers since 2000, the actuary, Jonathan Schwartz, said legislation adjusting the pensions of public employees would have no cost, or limited cost, to the city.

But just 11 of the more than 50 bills vetted by Mr. Schwartz that have become law since 2000 will result in the $500 million in eventual costs, or more than $60 million annually, according to projections provided by Robert C. North Jr., the independent actuary of the city pension system, and by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s office.

Mr. North and other city employees made the calculations on the 11 bills when they were before the Legislature, but for the other bills, no alternative to Mr. Schwartz’s projections could be found. The New York Times reported last month that in an arrangement that had not been publicly disclosed, Mr. Schwartz was being paid by labor unions. He acknowledged in an interview that he skewed his work to favor the public employees, calling his job “a step above voodoo.”

"A step above voodoo," thats classic. Well not really, it is more like the status quo in New York, no matter what level it is at. Seriously, will this type of crap ever end?

Politicians Can Keep Their Promises

Not just little promises, but big ones too, like promising to get out of Iraq. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made it happen for Australia and it can happen here too (just not this year):

Election Day In Queens Today

Most of the national media will be focused on South Dakota and Montana today, but here in the five boroughs, there is a special election in the 30th Council District (Ridgewood, Middle Village, Glendale) to replace the disgraced Dennis Gallagher who made a deal to resign so that he wouldn't have to face a full trial that included an alleged rape. Now that he's gone and whittled the Republican delegation in the 51 seat body down to two, Democrats are looking get that much closer to a one party Council.

From The NYT City Room:

Most of the Democratic establishment in the borough is supporting Elizabeth S. Crowley, a developer of educational programs for nonprofit agencies. Ms. Crowley ran for the Council seat in 2001 and lost to Mr. Gallagher.

She is a cousin of United States Representative Joseph Crowley, the Democratic Party chairman in Queens. She is also the daughter of Walter and Mary Crowley, each of whom once represented many of the same Queens neighborhoods in the City Council.

Meanwhile, the candidate who is also considered to be highly formidable is Thomas V. Ognibene, who was Mr. Gallagher’s predecessor in the Council, having served from 1992 until 2001, when he was barred by term limits from running for re-election. He was also the Republican leader of the Council.

Another candidate is Anthony Como, a former Queens assistant district attorney and commissioner of the New York City Board of Elections. He is also a longtime aide to State Senator Serphin R. Maltese, a Republican. Mr. Como has been endorsed by the Republican Party organization in Queens.

The fourth candidate is Charles J. Ober, a financial executive and community activist who has worked on neighborhood initiatives against prostitution and graffiti.

The NY Times and many community activists Charles Ober and for many good reasons. Not only does Ober challenge the establishment (something that is going on all over the place) but has proven himself in his neighborhood and will do a great job representing the 30th CD.

'Primary Contests Are Decided In June'

Some of them may be decided in June, but Barack Obama rested the lead from Hillary Clinton in February and he hasn't looked back. Hillary is a strong candidate and frankly that is mostly the reason she's still in this. Tenacious is definitely an adjective for her and her campaign. Today however, is the last day for primary contests in this two thousand aught eight season as Montana and South Dakota put the final 31 of 3,397 pledged delegates on the board. Obama has been leading in that count by over 100 delegates for the last few months.

Tonight when the polls are closed, nearly everyone is expecting Senator Clinton to bow out and endorse Barack Obama, though her staffers say it may come later in the week. Hopefully that statement will come with her speech here in New York. The sooner we all wrap ourselves together for the sake of unity and to fight John McCain and everything he stands for, the better off we are in November. It is time to put down the animosity and stop acting like this.

I know many Clinton supporters are angry about sexism and how it played out in the race. Of course it did and it is sickening to see. I'd love to personally kick Chris Matthews' ass and the rest of the misogynists in the press. They do journalism a disservice like no other. However, do not think that racism has not played a factor here as well.

Racism is an ugly specter in this country and has been for over three hundred years since the first laws were passed codifying chattel slavery in Virginia. I believe that it isn't as visible because for the most part, racism likes to hide itself underneath the facade of our nation. I have heard there could be a possible McCainocrat movement afoot and that Clinton supporters won't vote for Barack Obama because of his skin color. To all those that feel that way, I'd just like to yank your hood off and talk about how you really feel, so that we can begin to tear down that ugliness that is your ignorance.

McCain On The Issues: GLBT Style

The general election is still five months away, but many Americans do not know his positions on many issues other than that he is 'pro-maverick,' whatever that means. Thankfully we have groups like HRC to highlight just what he stands for:

Attention K-Mart Shoppers, Get Yer Pro-Lifer Gear Here

Big box stores scare me for many reasons, especially the devastating impact they have on family-run business when those megalith buildings are erected so that thousands can shop at one time. Besides the economic pitfalls, there are also the social ones, such as denying birth control and now we have a "pro-life" clothing line brought to you by K-Mart.

From Feministing:

Aw, shit. Kmart is selling abstinence-gear for juniors.

Featuring what Kmart calls a "bold abstinence screen print," the True Love Waits sweatpants come in blue, yellow and gray. I also think it's no coincidence that on the same page they carry "Life is sweet" pants. I have no idea if the pants are in any way connected to the True Love Waits organization, but I'm disturbed nonetheless.

Thanks to reader WM for the link.

Yeah, this is definitely disturbing. I doubt we'll be seeing the opposite (its my body, my choice) line any time soon. The problem is that these corporate hogs are trying to impose their morality on the rest of us. Am I being a bit of a whiner on this issue? Perhaps if you look at it narrowly, but this is but one example of a larger picture that indicates corporate America taking a larger interest in our social moors than simply selling their wares (in a way that has been the slow death of small businesses in this country).

Hillary To Drop Out Tomorrow?

It hasn't happened yet, but behind-the-scenes sources say Hillary Clinton's speech tomorrow night in New York will be one that concedes the race to Barack Obama. While aides and surrogates of hers have been talking about fighting until the bitter (Democratic Convention) end, reality has a subtle way of creeping up on all of us, even those that fight against it with all their might.

From The Huffington Post:

Hillary Clinton has summoned top donors and backers to attend her New York speech tomorrow night in an unusual move that is being widely interpreted to mean she plans to suspend her campaign and endorse Barack Obama.

Obama and Clinton spoke Sunday night and agreed that their staffs should begin negotiations over post-primary activities, according to reliable sources. In addition to seeking Obama's help in raising money to pay off some $20 million-plus in debts, Clinton is known to want Obama to assist black officials who endorsed her and who are now taking constituent heat, including, in some cases, primary challenges from pro-Obama politicians.

"This has never happened before," one donor said, referring to the personalized request by email to attend the event in New York Tuesday night.

Hopefully those reliable sources are correct, because once every primary and caucus is over and done with, so should this race. The bitterness between Clinton and Obama must end and everyone dressed in blue (all colors welcomed of course) has to coalesce around the nominee. Tomorrow night Obama will further close in on the number of necessary delegates, if not sooner with the help of the remaining superdelegates.