not being an ideologue of any stripe, i am just personally relieved that we finally have someone as President who can think for himself, and in my opinion is acting in the best interests of the country.
does that mean he always acts the way i want him to? maybe yes, maybe no, but so far, given the alternative of a full on economic collapse and the very real possibility of WW III that seemed very much on the horizon until recently, i think he is doing a damned good job. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchy...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> wrote: > > > > You'd think Obama would feel more kindly toward Nevada, having been (or > > still is?) an avid poker player, the game of choice that quietly greased > > his hand for political favors. A bet on a Unity Pony looks good at the gate > > but will always be a disappointment at the finish line. > > > > Did anyone catch Obama's speech at Notre Dame? Even though he got a standing > ovation, and had very few right to life protesters, the only counter the > right wing spin machine has about Obama's positive reception is that Notre > Dame has become a "secular" school, no longer worthy of wearing the Catholic > mantel. The left ain't none too pleased either. TOTUS has eloquent, soaring > pretty words, enough to make you weep in adoration but if you peel away his > masterful delivery, there isn't anything of substance you can hold him to. > Obama is one slippery Pol. Riverdaughter nailed it. > http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/ > > Obama: > "...As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was > reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign...A few days after I > won the Democratic nomination, I received an email from a doctor who told me > that while he voted for me in the primary, he had a serious concern that > might prevent him from voting for me in the general election...What bothered > the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website an > entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a > woman's right to choose."..He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you > oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words." > > After I read the doctor's letter, I wrote back to him and thanked him. I > didn't change my position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my > website..." > > Riverdaughter: "Please note that Obama never actually states his position on > the issue. He states that a campaign staff member posted something on his > website but he never said he agreed with what was posted, even if the "right > wing ideologues" part was changed to to "anyone." Will Obama fight anyone > who wants to take away a woman's right to choose? We don't know because he > didn't say. We know we can't rely on what his staff says, because they > frequently get his positions wrong. > > His references to reducing unwanted pregnancies, making adoption more > available and providing care and support to pregnant women are nothing new, > both parties have been using those talking points for decades. His reference > to the "spiritual" dimension of choosing to have an abortion should raise red > flags for anyone who doesn't think women first need to get permission from > their minister, priest or rabbi. > > Obama's endorsement of the conscience clause is not a pro-choice position > the clause was intended to make it more difficult for women to obtain the > medical services necessary to safely terminate a pregnancy. Like parental > notification laws and so many other rules the anti-abortion crowd keeps > coming up with, their goal is to chip away at Roe v. Wade until they can > persuade SCOTUS to reverse it. > > So far Obama's pro-choice record consists of repealing the global gag rule, > which doesn't help women in this country. If his other executive orders are > any indication, look for the rule to be quietly reinstated with cosmetic > changes in the wording. > > Obama also offered this bit of rhetorical fence straddling: > > The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, > and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to > protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both > deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the > cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against > stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the > sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes > who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved. > > Those words would make a nice preamble to an policy announcement but that > would require Obama to take a stand on a controversial issue. Take out the > flowery language and it's just another way of saying "There's two sides to > every story." > > If you want to see bold leadership then Barack Obama is the last person to > watch. Robert Kennedy was a bold leader. When Bobby Kennedy was running for > President he spoke out against college deferments from the draft. Kennedy > believed they were unfair because they forced the poor and working class to > bear the burden of fighting the war in Vietnam. > > But Bobby Kennedy didn't speak out against college deferments to the people > whose sons went to war instead of college. He went to college campuses and > spoke directly to the students who were enjoying the deferments. They may not > have liked what they were hearing, but they knew Bobby was right. > > When Martin Luther King was assassinated Bobby Kennedy was in Indianapolis. > Kennedy didn't call his political handlers and tell them to run some polls > and focus groups so he could decide what to do. Even though the chief of > police told him he could not provide protection Kennedy went out and made an > impromptu speech at a rally in a predominantly black neighborhood. > > Kennedy spoke for less than five minutes, talking about his brother JFK's > assassination and calling for racial reconciliation. He asked people to go > home and pray for King's family and for the nation. There were riots in 60 > American cities in the wake of King's murder, but Indianapolis grieved > without violence. > > That's bold leadership." > > raunchydog: As always Obama offers fresh cut flowers instead of a potted > plant. If you ever get the feeling Obama betrayed you, it's because you fell > in love with his pretty words and didn't pay attention to his lack of core > democratic principles. If you want to know what Obama is about, instead of > listening to what he says, watch what he does. >
