Some other things to share tonight...

- So last night I emailed everyone I could with basically my first post on this blog with some changes. I received quite a few positive responses and I thank those of you who emailed me encouragement. Of course not every response was positive. And that's fine. Not everyone wants to talk politics or read about my thoughts. I won't be sending out any more emails or bothering anyone about this again. If anyone wants to know my thoughts, they can be found right here. But the comments were far more positive than negative and I do appreciate that. Makes me feel good that there are people who agree with me.



- I saw this article today: http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/17/1413605.aspx It's basically more confirmation that Palin took earmarks while mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska. You know, I'm not completely against lobbying and earmarks if they are for the right things. It's almost kind of needed. But to present yourself as a reformer and to continue to deny that you ever did this, that's what I have a problem with. I also do have a problem with how much was given per capita to Alaska. It was more than excessive.



- Anyone else have a problem with the government just giving money to failing banks? I know they are doing it to save jobs but how about saving people's homes instead then? Again, helping out the rich and leaving the middle-class and poor holding their hats. I'm not saying people who bought homes foolishly should just be bailed out, I don't think they should, but to just keep giving our hard earned tax dollars away like this drives me nuts. Are they going to keep doing this?

Then there's John McCain now flip-flopping on regulation. He's ALWAYS been against regulation. Always. Now he's for it. Here's an article that discusses all of this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26774653

- This is a BRILLIANT article from Time about McCain being dishonest (to put it nicely) during this election: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1842030,00.html?imw=Y It's really a must read. It says it right at the end of the article: "He has run a dirty campaign." Brilliant!

- Here's another article from Time that I found interesting: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1842156,00.html?imw=Y

This is one of the other things that is troubling me about the Republicans: Their high and mighty ways when it comes to dealing with other countries. I understand that you want to see improvements in other countries policies and stand up to those who you don't agree with what you believe (Iran vs. Israel; North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela vs. human rights), but at the same time maybe talking to these countries might make in-roads to making those improvements and generating friendly relations. We're never going to get anywhere with improving relations without opening up to and talking to these countries. Maybe it won't work, but you have to try and it can't always be under your terms. You have to show some respect to other countries, as well, and not always be dictating terms. At least that's my belief. You can't achieve world peace by going to war or by sitting around waiting for it to happen.

- Here's more evidence of the McCain campaign distorting people's words to give misleading information about Obama: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccain-palin_distorts_our_finding.html

- Here's even more information about that McCain ad accusing Obama of supporting sex ed for kindergartners: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/off_base_on_sex_ed.html. It's a false accusation, of course.



- In the effort to be fair, here are some things that apparently have been said about Sarah Palin that are apparently false:

• Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she increased funding and signed a bill that will triple per-pupil funding over three years for special needs students with high-cost requirements.


• She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a "What if?" question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term.


• She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.


• Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.


• Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska's schools. She has said that students should be allowed to "debate both sides" of the evolution question, but she also said creationism "doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

This comes from factcheck.org (http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html). So if you heard these things about her, don't believe them. I had not heard them and, to me, they are much more minor than the false statements the Republicans are making about Obama.

- I was on factcheck.org quite a bit tonight. The funny thing? I see them debunking a lot of the ads that McCain has put up... not so much for the things Obama is saying...

- Tell you what... blogger.com is GREAT! I just had IE shut down on me and this site actually saved what I was typing for me. All that you see before this... I thought I lost it but the site auto-saved my work. Thanks blogger.com!

- The most encouraging thing I read today? Apparently the rest of the country is starting to realize what's going on and the tide is presently swinging in Obama's direction. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/18/campaign.wrap/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

That's enough for tonight. Again, if you are reading all of this, I thank you. Click around in some of those links I posted, if you have a chance. Interesting stuff.