McCain: That was then (Flip). This is now (Flop).

Monday, April 07, 2008

In my previous article, “Vote John McCain in 2008 (if you think George Bush deserves a third term),” I wrote about how closely his policies are aligned with those of our current imperial president.. It wasn’t always so. In fact, one of the tidbits never reported in the mainstream media (of course) was how John McCain was so upset with the 2000 election and the way the Bush campaign was run that he actually considered leaving the Republican Party and becoming an Independent. While he denies it, there is ample evidence that there were discussions between he and Tom Daschle, as well as several other prominent Democrats. But that was then and this is now.

This could be John McCain’s last chance to become president. If he is elected, he will be the oldest elected president at the age of 71. It is unlikely (never say never in politics) that he’ll mount this kind of effort at the age of 76. While the mainstream media preoccupied themselves promoting McCain as the straight-talk express in the years following Bush’s re-election, he began his transformation to a candidate that would be more acceptable to the GOP base, one of the most influential being evangelical Christians. Read the rest of this entry »

McCain: That was then (Flip). This is now (Flop).

Monday, April 07, 2008

In my previous article, “Vote John McCain in 2008 (if you think George Bush deserves a third term),” I wrote about how closely his policies are aligned with those of our current imperial president.. It wasn’t always so. In fact, one of the tidbits never reported in the mainstream media (of course) was how John McCain was so upset with the 2000 election and the way the Bush campaign was run that he actually considered leaving the Republican Party and becoming an Independent. While he denies it, there is ample evidence that there were discussions between he and Tom Daschle, as well as several other prominent Democrats. But that was then and this is now.

This could be John McCain’s last chance to become president. If he is elected, he will be the oldest elected president at the age of 71. It is unlikely (never say never in politics) that he’ll mount this kind of effort at the age of 76. While the mainstream media preoccupied themselves promoting McCain as the straight-talk express in the years following Bush’s re-election, he began his transformation to a candidate that would be more acceptable to the GOP base, one of the most influential being evangelical Christians. Read the rest of this entry »

Vote McCain in 2008 (if you think George W. Bush deserves a third term)
Monday, April 07, 2008

Maybe my reasoning is flawed. But why would Americans want to give a third term to the most unpopular administration in American history? While many Americans still envision John McCain as the straight talking, special interest-disdaining maverick candidate of the 2000 election season, the fact is that he’s never really been any of those things. To make it worse, he’s even changed his position on the issue of waterboarding. Why? Now 71 and perhaps sensing his “running” days are coming to an end, he is John McCain, candidate for President of the United States and it is now or never. Be afraid. Be very afraid. A vote for John McCain is a vote for George W. Bush and a McCain win is akin to giving our current imperial president an undeserved third term.

Marching in step with the Bush war doctrine

Mr. Bush recently stated that the GOP will prevail in the 2008 election so that we can continue what he no doubt feels is the good fight in Iraq. If this is the case, then Bush’s worldwide aggression is in good hands. John McCain is a full-fledged “hawk” and a staunch supporter of President Bush’s war effort. Not only is he on record stating that the surge is “working,” but McCain also believes that the Iraq war is winnable and that winning is essential. Citing our long-term occupation of Korea, Mr. McCain has no problem at all seeing U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq for many years to come. He has acknowledged, however, that he must convince the American people that the war is noble and worthwhile during the campaign’s stretch run. Another notable point is that McCain is in lockstep with George Bush on Iran. There is no question he’d use military force against Iran if he deemed it necessary. This is a dangerous equation, given the milquetoast character of Congress. Would they stand up to John McCain or roll over and play dead as they have for George W. Bush? Read the rest of this entry »

CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE

The McCain Health Plan: Millions Lose Coverage, Health Costs Worsen, And Insurance And Drug Industries Win

By Roger Hickey

April 29th, 2008 – 9:24am ET

Today Arizona Sen. John McCain will deliver what his handlers are hyping as a major address on health care. McCain’s plan is a dangerous fraud.

He wants voters to think he is going after health care cost inflation. In reality, he wants to dismantle the employer-provided system that now covers over 60 percent (or about 158 million) of non-elderly Americans, forcing millions of us who now get fairly decent health insurance on the job to instead buy whatever they can find on the individual market controlled by unregulated and predatory insurance companies. And he would drive health care costs upward, not downward.

This is truly amazing: McCain and his handlers knew they had to say something about health care. So they turned to their friends (and financial supporters) in the health care industry and the conservative think tanks. And they have adopted the most extreme right-wing ideological approach, premised on the idea that the big problem in health care is that Americans have too much insurance – in their words, we don’t have enough “skin in the game” – and that only when we have to buy health care with money that comes directly out of our own pockets will consumers force doctors, hospitals and insurance companies to become more efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

Center for American Progress

From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half

By The Center for American Progress Task Force on Poverty

Read the full report (PDF)

Executive Summary (PDF)

Research Model (PDF)

Watch Task Force members discuss the report

Thirty-seven million Americans live below the official poverty line. Millions more struggle each month to pay for basic necessities, or run out of savings when they lose their jobs or face health emergencies. Poverty imposes enormous costs on society. The lost potential of children raised in poor households, the lower productivity and earnings of poor adults, the poor health, increased crime, and broken neighborhoods all hurt our nation. Persistent childhood poverty is estimated to cost our nation $500 billion each year, or about four percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. In a world of increasing global competition, we cannot afford to squander these human resources.

The Center for American Progress last year convened a diverse group of national experts and leaders to examine the causes and consequences of poverty in America and make recommendations for national action. In this report, our Task Force on Poverty calls for a national goal of cutting poverty in half in the next 10 years and proposes a strategy to reach the goal.

Our nation has seen periods of dramatic poverty reduction at times when near-full employment was combined with sound federal and state policies, motivated individual initiative, supportive civic involvement, and sustained national commitment. In the last six years, however, our nation has moved in the opposite direction. The number of poor Americans has grown by five million, while inequality has reached historic high levels. Read the rest of this entry »