Hypocratic Tax Policy

Media Matters is a not-for-profit that attempts to keep the media honest on their reporting. It really is amazing to see how often we are misguided by opinions and missed facts.

One of their articles titled The Edwards standard and John McCain is on how the wealth is so skewed from the left and right. Edwards has always been criticized as being too wealthy (even though he had humble beginnings) to be fighting poverty...ridiculous! Apparently, it is okay though for wealthy candidates to continue to push their wealth to higher places. There is just something that makes my stomach hurt about this.

The article takes us through how each candidate's policies effect their personal income...I was appalled after reading this. I know the argument. "Well the rich can use their money for spending to improve the economy"...but my argument is that they only spend with other people like themselves...Big Business. So the 365K of savings for McCain is invested in what? And how is it used to better our nation? Or is it used to better their own bottom line to make them richer. 365k is a lot of money!!! Let the wealthy fund the war in Iraq. They seem to be the only ones that don't sacrifice as much for us to be there. It's always the struggling families sending their sons to fight (I end here on this note before I head off into another rant).

How am I suppose to really believe in tax programs that give the rich such huge breaks! According to this article, McCain would save 6x my annual salary in one year. I am so much more aware of the insanity of some of the political rights arguments. The majority of this country is not rich. As a matter of fact, 95% of our country makes below $250k per household (less than what the McCains will save in one year!). If you want to see how "setup" our society's tax code is, do your own research. Mind you this is just personal income...forget the corporate taxes.

The "New" Michelle Obama

Our girl kicked it on The View the other morning, folks. She spoke so beautifully and looked so stylish that the dress she wore is flying out of the stores. It's bizarre how she had to be re-imaged and reintroduced and how the Obama campaign has started a website to fight the smears, but anyone who hears her in her own words could not help but be impressed. Though I'm sure her statements are being parsed for cannon fodder that the attack machine can continue to lob at the Obama campaign, I'm also confident that any reasonably open-minded person would see nothing to be frightened of.



I have this theory abut first ladies. We like every other person who is in that role. Getting a new one is like having to buy a new car when you aren't ready to get rid of the one you've got if it's good and reliable. On the other hand if you don't like your car, you're more than happy to get rid of it in favor of a new model. (Maybe that's why people are so brand loyal when it comes to cars. Hmmm...)

It's been about 40 years since we've had two consecutive first ladies that the country has actually taken to: Jacqueline Kennedy followed by Ladybird Johnson, and consider the circumstances that precipitated that transition. I'm sure the country was predisposed to support the Johnsons as the new first family. Then after Mrs. Johnson we had Pat Nixon (disliked), Rosalyn Carter (liked), Nancy Reagan (hated, but now beloved since her husband's death and stunningly impressive funeral), Barbara Bush (liked), Hillary Clinton (despised), Laura Bush (beloved). Hopefully because the Obamas are so Kennedy-esque, Michelle Obama as first lady could harken back to the sixties as the Obamas have on so many other levels, with their young and attractive family, and break this cycle. We shall see!

The Obama Sock Puppet

Of course on its face comparing Black people to primates is offensive. But also on its face, the sock monkey is cute and I want to own one too, so there! Some folks might collect buttons, t-shirts, or posters, but I want the sock puppet and the Hillary nutcracker too! Does this make me racist AND sexist? Have I so bought into four centuries of Black degradation that I would gleefully support the latest example of oppression?

No, not at all. I simply view it as a manifestation of Obamamania in the most exciting election of my lifetime. I don't like the idea of someone getting rich off the idea if the sock monkey really takes off especially if Black folks give it an OK. But I think that whining about such things sounds weak, like all those Hillary supporters who complained about the nutcrackers being sold in airports. Yes, it was sexist and practically given a pass in a way that the Obama/Curious George t-shirt was not. Yes, no white male candidate had to endure something equally offensive. But as Peggy Noonan wrote so eloquently, women like Golda Meir, Indira Ghandi, and Margaret Thatcher knew they were up against the patriarchy yet never complained about sexism: "It is blame-gaming, whining, a way of not taking responsibility, of not seeing your flaws and addressing them. You want to say, 'Girl, butch up, you are playing in the leagues, they get bruised in the leagues, they break each other's bones, they like to hit you low and hear the crack, it's like that for the boys and for the girls.'"

So I agree with Jimi Izrael, whom I've been listening to every Friday for months on NPR's Tell Me More. Let's disarm the racists by showing that their objectification of Obama holds no power over us. We define who we are in this day and age. This is 2008, not 1908 and a Black man is at the brink of becoming president! And just ask Barack Obama himself. He's not about to be swift-boated let alone allow some dumb puppet to derail him from his bigger mission. So why don't we measure our collective racial outrage against an event like Hurricane Katrina, for example. In terms of racism and demanding a response, the sock puppet doesn't move the needle even one millimeter.

The Loss of Tim Russert

Washington lost one of its greatest on Friday, June 13th, and I must admit I've been somewhat taken aback by the outpouring surrounding Tim Russert's passing, both on a personal level and observing the rare pause taken by my adopted hometown. Of course, when the media loses one of its own who was at the top of his game, it gives television producers and the columnists a chance to celebrate their industry in a most deserved way as they wax nostalgic about their esteemed colleague and why he was special. As the coverage wore on that first weekend, with round the clock tributes not only on NBC/MSNBC but also special tributes on all of the other networks, Matt Lauer at the Today Show desk on Saturday (!), Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory hosting a special edition of the Today Show on Sunday, and then Tom Brokaw hosting a very special edition of Meet the Press with a cast of all-star greats, it became more and more evident that Tim's passing was bigger than anyone would have anticipated.

Tim Russert had become such a political fixture in Washington that losing him so suddenly is just not something any of us was prepared for. As an NBC family from way back (in the 70s during Walter Cronkite's heyday, we were watching John Chancellor), Tim had been a constant presence in my household for years but especially during this past primary season. The idea that this historic election will conclude without his insights leaves such a vacuum for me. During every primary we watched MSNBC in the evening (not CNN, thank you) and Tim on the Today Show the following morning to break it all down. On Fridays I would get my text alert announcing who would be the guests on Meet the Press, and if I couldn't watch the broadcast I was just as happy listening to the C-Span radio broadcast in the afternoon or watching the video podcast while making dinner.

Tim's sudden loss gave occasion for the powerful in this city--including the President, the Speaker of the House, and both presidential candidates--to lay aside their differences and come together. Such a coming together really only happens at rare occurrences like protocol-driven events like a state dinner, a presidential funeral, or the opening of a new national memorial. But the unexpected aspect of Tim's passing allowed everyone to put down their guard and reflect on the important contributions made by this outstanding journalist, who knew EVERYONE. His memorial service at the Kennedy Center was broadcast live by the local NBC affiliate and the local NPR outlet.

There are many reasons to admire Tim Russert, but his passing has been a reminder and an example of the fulfillment of the American dream. A guy from working class Buffalo made it to the top. And because he was so admired by everyone he met along the way, he has been deservedly lionized. His passion for everything he did and his hard work are shining examples of a life well lived. Everyone has acknowledged that Meet the Press was the best of its kind under Tim's stewardship. Like all greats, he made his work look effortless though we now know how much preparation went into each show. Tim had obvious passion for what he did and felt a deep sense of responsibility to his audience to ask questions and let folks just answer for themselves so that we could all make up our own minds. Nothing was dumbed down or explained for us, we could see it all for ourselves plainly.

But as much as he strived to be part of the rhythm that makes this town hum, Tim Russert was a man who cared about people as passionately as he cared about politics, and I believe that is at the heart of why so many of have been moved to respond to his death. On NPR's News and Notes, Gwen Ifill and Michelle Norris explained why Tim Russert mattered in one of the most moving accounts I've heard yet. Ifill explained further on TheRoot.com that Tim really was the type of guy who knew what he didn't know and wanted to surround himself with people who could teach him.

Even though Tim may be that rare person who might have wished he could have spent more time at the office, he apparently loved his family more than anything. Hearing his son Luke on the Today Show speaking so eloquently under such horrific circumstances was incredibly moving! As great as his work as a journalist was, it was plain for all to see that his greatest work was to have loved and raised such a wonderful son, born into privilege but rooted in the same working class Catholic values that Tim Russert held so dear (and who knew so deeply!).

Watching Luke made me think of my own father. Not only because I know that I could NEVER have spoken so publicly so soon after my dad's death, but also because my father always let me know how much he loved me and how much he loved his family. It's so important to let the people in our lives know how much we care! These words matter and to be comfortable saying, "I love you" can have such lasting impact and provide stability when times are tough, especially when losing a loved one.

Once in a lifetime...

I am posting based on a comment I saw on the Obama Blog today:

"The Nashville City Paper reports that superdelegate Lincoln Davis, a Congressman whose district went strongly for Clinton in the promary, has been "slow to endorse Obama." This is not remarkable in its own right, and I'm sure there are other elected officials who are not eager to get out in front of their constituents and endorse a candidate they rejected.Fred Hobbs, a state Democratic Party Executive Committee member representing part of Davis’ district said this:

"Maybe [it’s] the same reason I don’t want to — I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him," Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. "He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be."

WTF?? I don't expect the bubbas and yahoos in my state to all fall into line, but for a Democratic executive to use such a scurrilous attack line against his party's presumptive presidential nominee seems to me to call for some kind of retribution from above. I have no idea whether the DNC has any official sway over the state parties - I suspect not - but Howard Dean or someone needs to call on the state party to reign this guy in.

---

Here is my response:

Dear Mr. Hobbs,

I am a woman living in Maryland, and I just wanted to make you aware of something I came across as being one of your statements:

"Maybe [it’s] the same reason I don’t want to — I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him," Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. "He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be."

I want to be as open-minded and understanding as possible about these statement. Are you saying that he does not represent democratic values or democratic principles? Please help me follow your train of thoughts about the things he stands for. And when you say we don't know enough about him, what do you mean? What would you like to know more about him? Or are you saying that you don't know someone like him? Or are you saying that him becoming a senator on state and federal level is a farce? Please help me understand your thoughts because I want to atleast understand what you see that I don't. He has a respectable family history with family that served in WWII, his mother raised him with regular American values of work hard and serve others. He helped several families in Chicago overcome some really trying financial times because of steel mills closing. He wants our troops to be respected at home too. He understands the exclusion that so many people feel from our political system.

I can not and will not subscribe to the GOP standards of acceptance (or Clintons to some degree, though I don't think she meant it) of others not like ourselves. "We don't know people like him, so he must be a terrorist or do things as terrorists do..." This is fundamentally wrong! And for me it cuts me deep because that means the same would apply to me, my sons, and anyone else that looks like Mr. Obama or carries himself in a way to respect other that he doesn't agree with or are less than perfect. These are the politics that have made Americans feel cynical about serving as a citizen. You see, it is easy for the GOP to plant seeds like that into peoples head, because America is not use to the new America. America is full of disagreements, full of people that historically don't look like our forefathers and full of people that love this country because it is the land of the free no matter what we look like, sound like, come from, etc.! We must not let the GOP steal our love of country because of the seed planting they have succeeded in doing.

If you are worried about his church issues, let me tell you about my point of view about that. Many times in African American churches, the church is full of a variety of people, some with limited education, some with much, some with criminal backgrounds, some with no such thing, some from wonderful families some from broken homes. The whole gamet is there. Some are angry still over racial differences and want to explain these grievance all the time. Some are not and want those they love to soften up on those issues. See...Barack Obama is a lot like me. He has true compassion for all kinds of people, because that is what he is. I've seen the gamet of people in my life and rather than run away, I stay to understand and hopefully enlighten to a new more open and understanding way of seeing things, black and white. This is what we do as African Americans because we all have one common thread no matter what...exclusion. Exclusion from being a part of mainstream American because of what we like, see and do. The things we like see and do are because of the exclusion. So, we do a dance everyday between being who we are for each other and being enough so that we can be included. So rather than exlude people that are less than perfect we include and hope for change. That is our God given understanding and this is how I choose to believe when it comes to why he stayed in that church for 20 years. It can't be explained easily and I don't expect him to do so.

So, Mr. Hobbs, I request that you seek a new way of thinking by getting to know who he is and what he really stands for with all his imperfections and try to lead your constituents to support a Democrat. This kind of leader comes only once in a life time and I'm banking on him to be a catalyst to a better tomorrow mostly because of the way so many of the excluded view him.

Sincerely,
Ericka McLeod
Human Being
American
Democrat

Why I voted for Obama in February and why I will vote for him in November!

All of his positions (atleast all of the ones I've read thoroughly) are mine. I understand him and his tireless work to move towards being fair. He wants to de-polarize our country. I appreciate that.

Please visit this site to check on all the issues. You can see what his opponent thinks too.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm

I'm Voting Republican!!!

This video sums it up! Very funny!

How do you like the new theme?

What a Difference a Month Makes!

Or a day or a week or an hour in this highly charged campaign! In reading my last post a MONTH AGO, I can't believe how much things have changed and how happy I am right now vs. then! Our man did it! He beat the Clinton machine! Something Republicans couldn't do even when he was impeached! The magnitude of this accomplishment is staggering. No wonder Hillary couldn't concede. She's in shock that she was beaten by such an upstart! The rest of us are as euphoric as Oprah! Even the conservatives are giddy that the democrats have finally voted to impeach the Clintons. And principled conservatives like George Will studiously backed Obama's decision to make his vice-presidential selection his own:

"Obama's choice of a running mate will be the first important decision he makes with the whole country watching, so it will be a momentous act of self-definition. If he chooses her, it will be an act of self-diminishment, especially now that some of her acolytes are aggressively suggesting that some unwritten rule of American politics stipulates that anyone who finishes a strong second in the nomination contest is entitled to second place on the ticket."

And her surrogates like Lanny Davis circulating a petition to make her the VP and Bob Johnson pressuring the Congressional Black Caucus to do the same! Another case of the "audacity of audacity" as Gail Collins put it. Thank God Charlie Rangel, Ed Rendell, and some others said, "Enough!" In the end, the superdelegates acted superbly. These people know that what is good for the party is not necessarily what's good for Mrs. (or Mr.) Clinton.

But as usual Peggy Noonan said it best: "They threw off the idea of inevitability. Mrs. Clinton didn't lose because she had no money or organization, she didn't lose because she had no fame or name, she didn't lose because her policies were unusual or dramatically unpopular within her party. She lost because enough Democrats looked at her and thought: I don't like that, I don't like the way she does it, I'm not going there. Most candidates lose over things, not over their essential nature. But that is what happened here. For all her accomplishments and success, it was her sketchy character that in the end did her in.

But the voters had to make the decision. So, to the Democrats: A nod. A bow. Well done.

May this mark the beginning of the remoralization of a great party."

I already know that Obama's success may have the power to change the course of our nation. Even if he doesn't become president, he has shown us that it is possible for America to live up to its creed. Millions will mobilize for his campaign and for their own future campaigns. Hillary's supporters will doubtless do the same. Hope is alive! Do we now all get what Michele Obama meant? Many may oppose Obama for president, but most can't help but feel something major has happened in our land. We have held up a mirror to ourselves and there may be a few wrinkles or graying hairs out of place, but I think we look pretty good today. We can certainly be proud that in this era, our democracy is atop the list of Japan and the western nations where we usually find ourselves lacking. To the good ol' U.S. of A!