BGRVB - Tivoli Stories Finally Claims Bruce Golding
The Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding has announced publicly that he intends to stand down as soon as an election is scheduled.
The fact is that he has been exposed for his deeds and is standing aside due to questions raised by the Tivoli Stories Series by BadGalsRadio.com.
BadGalsRadio Brings You Tivoli Stories Part 6 - Finally, Tivoli Speaks
For more than three years BadGalsRadio and Mama ASID have publicized the deeds of Mr.Golding; including his secret international deals with the USA for Christopher Coke instead of Himself. Tivoli Stories has shown Jamaica and the world the Real Bruce Golding and the picture looks more like a nightmare.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann reintroduced legislation in the U.S House Tuesday to repeal the 2007 law mandating incandescent light bulbs be phased out in favor of compact fluorescent light bulbs by Jan. 1, 2012.
Her resolution, Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act - Please Watch Her IN ACTION. Remember that there is a constitution that talks about Equal Rights, and apparently she's unaware of it. isn't it almost a requirement to be in elected office, that you are aware that your job depends on the constitution ? especially if you are in the Legislative Branch of the government ?
This Cannot Be Americas' Future Unless we want to revisit our conflicted past.
Do You think this could actually backfire, and put Palin back on the Presidential Path?
--Today is Thirsty Thursday's First Ever Taxday Edition--
Just because we love our visitors so much, we wanted to make it extra special . We went out and got the absolutely craziest, newest, most unbelievable stunt on tevee The SNL Sarah Palin Network Previews. of course we also have to give you a big bong to puff it up so don't forget to Puff Puff, Passsssssssssssssss that Alaska.
Lets See What the Silver Medalist Has to Say about Her New Network
Produced by : RE Ausetkmt @ The Sunshine Shop - Tampa Fl. & BadGalsStudios - Motown MI 02/01/2010| mastered 02/09/10 at Top Secret Studios UK - Manchester UK
Copyright : RE Ausetkmt for BadGalsRadio.com and all rights reserved to original copyright owners for the artwork and music utilized in the podcast.
why are we teaching our children to be fearful of praising the good works they see ?
when we read this story earlier it was appalling to see how these children are being made pawns of stupidity. how do little children fit into the glenn beck drama ? it appears the kids made a little video singing during a celebration at their school; presented it to an author of a childrens book on Barack Obama as a gift; and her pr people capitalized on the kids cuteness factor and put them on YouTube.
What are these kids doing wrong ?
YouTube seems to be getting the rep as the place you find anything to use to stick someone else in the eye with. but why kids and why now ?
the tune is "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" Why is this wrong ?
apparently when they (the political pootbutts) discovered the video it had been up for months, and the becks' folks just discovered it.
Utterly amazing, they are searching for kids videos now to use as fodder in their war of stupidity
Glenn Beck has turned a page in our nations political history, with his step to a lower level. he thinks kids should be used as tools. how crass and totally idiotic. the kids are not praising any political party or actions; they are only singing about their president, much as other kids have done about other presidents of this very nation.
anything that comes up about Barack Obama seems to make Glenn Beck believe he is writing a new page in history. but who's going to read that misinformation and get anything usable out of it ? we doubt anyone who can read the news in comparison, will know that this is a lame attempt to remain in the media - by a personality with little appeal and less common sense.
Glenn Beck take your finger out of your nose and go sit down somewhere,
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - A school for kindergartners through second-graders in a comfortable Philadelphia suburb has become the latest target of accusations by conservatives that schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to idolize President Barack Obama.
The controversy grows out of a school assembly during Black History Month in February, when gripes about the freshly inaugurated president were still mostly hushed.
That month, a group of smiley and fidgety students at B. Bernice Young School sang a medley of two short songs praising the president.
The first song begins, "Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama/He said that all must lend a hand/To make this country strong again."
The second one was set to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and included the refrain, "Hooray, Mr. President."
While the performance is seven months old, the outrage is new and came about because of the discovery of a YouTube video.
It's been fodder for conservative opinion leaders such as columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin and Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck.
The notion that schoolchildren are being subjected to partisan politics rather than taught civics emerged earlier this month before an Obama speech to students was played in thousands of schools.
By then, unlike February, there was broader mistrust of Obama, particularly over his health insurance overhaul plans. Concerns that he would use his speech to students as a political tool grew partly because the White House initially released a lesson plan encouraging students to "help the president."
The plan was revised and the message to students was not overtly political.
News about the song brought a quick response from New Jersey's Department of Education. Spokeswoman Beth Auerswald said the department wants "to ensure students can celebrate the achievements of African Americans during Black History Month without inappropriate partisan politics in the classroom."
Auerswald said the state would also look into whether posting the video online violated the privacy of students.
Superintendent Christopher Manno defended the performance in Friday's editions of the Burlington County Times.
"There was no intention to indoctrinate children," he said. "The teacher's intention was to engage the children in an activity to recognize famous and accomplished African Americans."
He said he would not identify the teacher who led the song. State education officials said she retired at the end of the last school year.
The source of the video is not entirely clear. In Malkin's column, she said it was posted in June on the YouTube channel of author Charisse Carney-Nunes, who wrote the children's book "I Am Barack Obama."
The song medley was presented to Carney-Nunes, who had been invited to the school, as a demonstration of a project the children had put together, her public relations firm said in a statement.
"Charisse feels it is unfortunate that an event put together with sincere intentions to encourage literacy while celebrating the contributions of African Americans to our great nation has become political fodder and hopes cooler heads will prevail," the hoverFly media statement said.
The video was ubiquitous online Friday but was not listed under Carney-Nunes' feed.
Officials at the Burlington Township Board of Education did not return calls Friday to discuss the incident or how much public response it received, and the district's Web site was not available.
Leslie Gibson, the mother of a kindergartner and a second-grader, said the incident was not addressed in Thursday evening's back-to-school assembly.
Gibson said that while parents had different views about how problematic the song may have been, one thing was unanimous: They don't like having television trucks and reporters camped out on the streets near the school.
Friday afternoon, there were two police cars posted outside the building.
There wasn't much protest, though. One man, Chris Concannon, from nearby Magnolia, was outside hoping to speak with school officials about what happened.
"It's just like the Hitler Youth all over again," said Concannon, an unemployed 26-year-old former National Guardsman. "They should be learning history, but instead they're being taught to worship the president."
Lets Finally Get Over the Temptation.. and Become SmartCarders
Some favorites of the author
today we offer our weekly PSA in a post to help you get more use out of your Entrecard.
This is our All Powerful Friends Feed. you get in in the Newsfeeds Tab on your dashboard.
http://entrecard.com/feeds/news/TG2KYY929M/rss2.0
Going Here Means basically You take your time and look at the posts. no toolbar and no bs - just the posts that have been Recently Updated, VOILA !
We read on a certain blog recently in the comments that if we didn't bitch we'd have nothing to say. wow - powerful words indeed.
But we're not Thirsty, or Hongry. we're phat enough that we
don't need to go Buyin Hits and PR; Begging for comments or drops; let alone Donations.so what we planned for our response
post is this - A PSA On Being a SmartCarder
Lets Learn How To Use Entrecard Like SmartCarders. Uh Huh - that's not bitching or complaining - or pointing the finger at anyone else, as we've been accused of doing.
First off the reason you want to consider this approach is "Entrecard is supposed to be a Bloggers Social Network" - Not A Job.
Uh Huh - sorry we can't help but toss stones at them thirsty teams out there; who boast such high drop figures daily, but rarely make a Real substantive post. Sorry but IN My Opinion - posting pics of your kid,
your house and your car are not only dangerous, but outright asking for trouble.
Recently those of us who read, saw the headlines about the break-ins that happened because folks twitted about being away from home. Please, think about your personal security and the crime rate; if not how many fools are out there waiting to kidnap your adorable blogging star subject. common sense ain't common, mom always said. today we are seconding that as fact.
Sorry - but there should be a link that connects when a blog appears in front of you - if you see politics, or
adult subject matter, that's not your thing ? why not move on -
We Are Here for The Reality of Politics and Entertainment.
many of these blogs are serial droppers (clickfiends).
We've learned from watching them come up in our Inbox Day
After Day. We've stopped JUST dropping back on them;
but they still continue to drop on us for some reason...
Here's An Open Question to the Click Fiends -
(you know who you are)
Why is One EC So Important when there is obviously nothing of interest to you here ? my bouncerate is the real issue to me, but not to you. hmph...
please read this clickfiends, and those who want to make
themselves contributors to our daily gift ec pot -
"We see it as a gift, And We Say A "Hearty Thanks" for supporting our entrecard advertising fundage.
fyi - you too may have an EC Gift Pot - it works like this, if you get drops that you do not return, they are still counted remember. the dropper gets a point and the droppee gets a point. Niiiiccceee..
Ahhhhh That Dirty Inbox and Temptress Toolbar..
yeah. those are the two real culprits. If you want to have a better focus on
who you really visit on Entrecard, take a trip to your own profile.
Being Good Carders - We went to the Entrecard book last nite to see if there was a page on it; Only to be shown NO Entrebook ANYLONGER.uhhhh yeah..click and see for yourself.
So we decided that the easiest route is to go toYour Blogs Profile Page.Just click on the Entrecard E on your widgeton your page.
It will Instantly Transport You to Your Profile page.
on that page is the most important tool you have access to - Your Favorites.
Your Favorites are hand selected by you; as you are dropping.
First thing you should do is to take a look at how many Favorites
you have saved over your months on Entrecard. count them.
Early this morning I went through mine, and was totally amazed at the blogs
that I like and favorited. some of them, I've visited once or twice - and I've
never seen them again. could there be some housekeeping needed ? oh yes indeed..
First I clicked the link at the end of my favorites column
I was magically transported to the page which shows my Favorite Carders.
a huge list of approximately 400 cards opened. yes 400 - far too many to viist regularly.
upon closer inspection, I found that many of them were removed from entrecard
or even dead. I also noticed many marked clearly no widget; or ads disabled.
Our sister blog Recycled Frockery disabled ads for a few months during our redesign
deliberations; only to finally return and take ads again a few weeks ago.
the blogs which I wanted to take a peek at that - were mostly blogs that
I hadn't seen in a long time. I clicked on the cards and loaded them in multiple tabs; exactly as the tool bar would. - This is done by using the control key while I clicked the card.
As they loaded I got to see their profiles and to see our relationship played out..
many had no feed - so hence no blog
If i liked it, I clicked the url to visit to verify if the blog
was a keeper or a tosser. when the blog loaded I could
almost make an immediate decision. many were dead,
moved or just so old that there was no point in keeping
them on my favs any longer. I clicked that remove from favs
link on their profile page, instantly removing the card and the
feed from my friends list - poof. easy instant housekeeping.
How Did It Feel - Ooooohhhhhh let me tell you..
many of the blogs I visited this morning actually were just no widget,
but still great blogs. some of them like Junk Drawer were still listed - even without a widget. I let them stay because they are locked into that feed;
and I can still read them, regardless of if they are Active in Entrecard
or Have A Widget - get it now ?
the blogs who have no widget, may have left entrecard, but their feeds are still available to me on my friends feed. that makes it oh so great.
so I did the housekeeping judiciously - removing dead blogs,
and others that I know I have no real interest in. somehow I
felt bad removing some which still drop on me; even though I rarely drop back.
that's the beauty of this housekeeping. you make the choices based on what you want.
Keep that friends feed clean. use it to drop from, instead of that volitile clickfarm called the Inbox.
we're stepping back into our respectable position of avoiding the Inbox Totally.
we're going to keep our friends feed as our primary point of drop origin;
knowing that we're keeping it clean and useful. that's what we need entrecard
to do for us. keep it clean and useful.
this is our PSA for the Week of August 5-12th, 2009.
Please feel free to post comments, and to discuss the methods I've outlined to help keep dropping interesting; and be a smart carder. this post was inspired by a question asked by My Friend Cher on AskCherlock.
Hope You All Put This To Good Use and Start Enjoying Being a Smart(entre)Carder Again,
This is the video from the officers of cambridge mass in support of their fellow officer sgt crowley. the female who speaks, makes me want to slap my monitor. I will stop there as I am sure everyone will have their own opinion of this little demonstration and exercise in "Can't We All Just Get Along-ism". why didn't they just start singing "kum baya"
later this evening, the president - professor gates and sgt crowley are said to be sitting down to discuss the episode over a beer. the entire episode has now turned itself inside out; and the victim is now the attacker.
I am still not feeling this fake commiseration because the episode that occured, cannot be resolved with simply a bottle of beer. Glen Beck is on tv calling the president a racist; and we tolerate that bs ?
why do we now need amnesia when we can see what led to this ? why not really talk about the problem HONESTLY; and work on a REAL Solution. Lets work out a way for this bs to never ever happen to Anyone Ever Again in America.
Sometimes The Media can be a very bad influence on Reality; as we can see from this case.
"A typical street whore." "A bunch of ghetto thugs." "Ghetto street trash." "Wonder when she will get her first abortion."
This is what someone said about 11 year old Malia Obama.
Republicans have stretched the line about as far as it can go to do this. there is no way this can be defended - no way.
the amount of attention these kids get is unbelievable; especially with them being pre teens and always on apparently their best behaviour. their mom and dad expect no less, I am sure. you can look at them as a family and tell that those girls have manners. they wouldn't say these things I don't think, so
I wonder why some adult could fix their mouth to say such nasty things about a lil girl, who they don't even know.
Now How Would You Feel, if someone Said This About Your 11 Year Old Who They Didn't Know ?
Comments Please, I am really curious to hear your opinions on this,
This photo of U.S. President Barrack Obama's daughter Malia, wearing a peace-symbol t-shirt touched off a storm of epithet-laced comments on the conservative 'Free Republic' blog
Photograph by: Remo Casilli , Reuters
"A typical street whore." "A bunch of ghetto thugs." "Ghetto street trash." "Wonder when she will get her first abortion."
These are a small selection of some of the racially-charged comments posted to the conservative 'Free Republic' blog Thursday, aimed at U.S. President Barack Obama's 11-year-old daughter Malia after she was photographed wearing a t-shirt with a peace sign on the front.
The thread was accompanied by a photo of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that featured the caption, "To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds."
Though this may sound like the sort of thing one might read on an Aryan Nation or white power website, they actually appeared on what is commonly considered one of the prime online locations for U.S. Conservative grassroots political discussion and organizing - and for a short time, the comments seemed to have the okay of site administrators.
Moderators of the blog left the comments - and commenters - in place until a complaint was lodged by a writer doing research on the conservative movement, almost a full day later.
"Could you imagine what world leaders must be thinking seeing this kind of street trash and that we paid for this kind of street ghetto trash to go over there?" wrote one commenter.
"They make me sick .... The whole family... mammy, pappy, the free loadin' mammy-in-law, the misguided chillin', and especially 'lil cuz... This is not the America I want representin' my peeps," wrote another.
Such was the onslaught of derision on the site that the person who originally complained about the slurs, who goes by the nickname 'CatM', claimed on the left-wing DailyKos.com website that only one comment in the first hundred posted actually criticized the remarks as inappropriate.
A note on the front of Free Republic reads, "Free Republic does not advocate or condone racism, violence, rebellion, secession, or an overthrow of the government," but one comment on the thread read, "This disgusting display makes me more and more eager for the revolution," while another read, "I never actually wnated [sic] to be a pistol before but..."
After attention from other blogs, the thread was suppressed and placed under review, but before long it was returned to the site intact, and attracted a new series of racial slurs when the original complaint email was posted publicly to the site, with the sender's email address intact.
"The writer has a point," wrote site owner Jim Robinson sarcastically. "We should steer clear of Obama's children. They can't help it if their old man is an American-hating Marxist pig."
"I agree Jim," wrote commenter, by the nickname NoobRep. "The kids didn't pick their commie pinko pansy of a father. Nor did they choose to be put into the spotlight. But Obama/Soetoro is fair game and so is his witch of a wife."
"Poor kids. I hope they're not 'punished with a baby'," wrote another. "Hopefully they won't deal cocaine like the Kenyan."
"DIRTBAGS! All of them. Our [White House] is now a joke to the rest of the world. We have no respect and this is not going to turn out well, mark my words. We will be hit, and much worse than last time. We are now seen as weak and vulnerable. Ghetto and Chicago thugs have taken over."
Only after significant negative attention from a host of left wing political blogs did the maintainers of the Free Republic site place the thread under review for a second time, before finally pulling it.
In the wake of the controversy, some Free Republic posters complained about the vitriol.
One poster by the name of "fullchroma" wrote, "To Jim Robinson: The recent uptick here in racist vitriol, aimed at Barrack, Michelle and their children has made me wonder if I belong. My objection to Obama has nothing to do with skin tone. Is the ugly stereotype of Conservative racism true?"
Another, going by the name of TChris, wrote, "Free Republic is a political discussion forum. It SHOULD be beneath us as a group to stoop to such juvenile tactics as I see increasing here lately. Do we REALLY have to insult Mrs. Obama's appearance like a clique of nasty 14-year-old girls?"
But such opinions were not shared by all. Said Roses of Sharon, "Poor libs .... Too late, the battle has been joined."
NOTE: A screen capture of the entire thread has been saved here.
Now if ya love Reggae Music Say F O R W A R D D D D D D D D !!!!
This is Ras Muhammad, the hottest new Reggae Sensation From Indonesia
WE know many folks seem to believe that Reggae can only originate from Jamaica, but that's been proven to be old news. This is the News today children - Check out the Future of Reggae,
Moving's to the East (Ras Muhammad) - Leaving Babylon
Asianrockerswith a Full African Flava.
Nuff RASPECT Ras Muhamad - Hold Up HIM Bloodstained Truth, EVER
Indonesian reggae singer Ras Muhamad performs his songs and talks politics
By Claire Bolderson
BBC World Service, Jakarta
Indonesia's democracy is only a decade old and the political parties are mostly indistinguishable on policy - but eleven years after the fall of the Suharto Dictatorship where all dissent was squashed - new voices are emerging, trying to influence debate.
One such voice is Ras Muhamad, a young reggae singer.
He was chosen by Rolling Stone magazine Indonesia as Best New Reggae Artist in 2008.
The same year his song Musik Reggae Ini (This Reggae Music) was nominated for an AMI Award - Indonesia's answer to the Grammys.
His songs are about money, corruption and political leadership.
Ahead of July's presidential election, and following April's parliamentary poll, his subject matter resonates with his young and excitable audience.
Reggae music is always the voice of the people
Ras Muhamad
His new album, The Next Chapter, is - he says - a reference to the potential of the upcoming election, and warns the youth of Indonesia not to place too much hope in political parties.
"A lot of politicians here only reach out to people when it's election time and when election time is over they just disappear and then we don't hear about them any more," he tells me.
Instead he believes people have to help themselves: "You can shape your own destiny by your struggle, by your works and bring about a lot of changes."
Ras has certainly shaped his own destiny.
He was born in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, but moved with his parents to US in the early 1990s before returning home four years ago.
He first began performing reggae as a teenager living in the Queens borough of New York, and while still in high school formed his first band.
He describes his type of reggae as "dancehall" reggae - a style that combines reggae and hip-hop.
He has become a musical ambassador of sorts for reggae in South East Asia - on his latest album he worked with musicians from Senegal, Kenya and Norway.
But his idols are still Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, performers who were unafraid to let politics influence their music.
He says he chose reggae because it suits his voice and style, but also because it can convey a message too.
"Reggae music is always the voice of the people. Whatever is happening, I feel like I have to sing about it," he explains.
"The basis and foundation of reggae is always about unity, and one of the role models in reggae is [former Ethiopian Emperor] Haile Selassie and I always look up to him and also the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno."
Sukarno declared Indonesia's independence from colonial rule and became a leading figure of the Non Aligned Movement.
New generation
So does Ras see himself with a future in politics?
"I never think of myself as a political musician, but the society we are living in in Indonesia, we have a lot of conflicts," he says.
"That's why I want to convey that we have to care for each other and also respect each other, not just slogans and that type of thing."
I hope they can be a stronger generation...the people are the leaders and we can bring about change
Ras Muhamad
Ras believes the music industry still looks down on reggae, but he believes it has the potential to bring about change, at least in attitudes if not politics.
His song Crisis decries the lack of care and love in society, and calls for the gap between the rich and the poor to be narrowed.
More than half Indonesia's work force earn less than $2 a day while a tiny but visible elite at the top are multi-millionaires.
"It seems like the richest of the rich, they just look after themselves and they never reach out to the poor, they never help the underprivileged," he says.
He says however that the onus is on both groups to try to change things.
"The rich can't stay by themselves they have to reach out, and the poor, they can't just say, 'I'm poor, ok and well that's it, can't do anything about it', you know."
He hopes that his music will reach out to a new generation of leaders in both politics and civil society who have the potential to change Indonesia and make it a fairer, more open society.
"I hope they can be a stronger generation and don't depend too much on political leaders," he says.
Thank God It’s Finally Over - this has been a week from Republican HELL. Shady McCane can’t dig a hole deep enough to cover up this mess. time is drawing near for the elections; and we finally know their plan - “Stall and Smear”.
They have No Platform, No New Speeches and Nothing for us to really use as a gauge to figure out what they really plan to do other than destroy the rest of us. it’s been one long replay with Shady doing the same speech at every stop. Sheesh, doesn’t McCane have a spare liar around for her ?
Enough, of all of it, next week we start a Fresh New Series on Joe Biden and Then Barack Obama “It’s All About Change Baby” Daily Updates Straight Through to NOV 4th. ~RE
Hollyweird folks raised about 9 mili for Barack Obama’s campaign:
Barack Obama partied with Hollywood celebrities Tuesday night and with the help of Oscar-winning singer and actress Barbra Streisand raised an eye-popping $9 million for his presidential campaign and the Democratic Party.Obama spent more than an hour before dinner getting his picture taken with guests. He said later that people had encouraged him to be tougher and had questioned why he was so calm in a close race against Republican John McCain.
“I’m skinny but I’m tough,” he said. “I’m from Chicago and we don’t play. Just keep steady. If we can cut through the nonsense and the lipstick and the pigs and the silliness, then I’m absolutely convinced that we are going to win,” Obama said, referring to some of the offbeat charges raised against him. “The reason I’m calm … is I’ve got confidence in the American people,” he said. “I really think they want to see us do better.” Standing in the courtyard of the palatial estate, he said his campaign was dedicated to people who need jobs and health care and worry about their pensions and sending children to college. “It’s about those who will never see the inside of a building like this,” Obama said. He said the economic turmoil in recent days had been sobering for America. “It’s reminded people that this is not a game. This is not a reality show, no offense to any of you,” Obama said to laughter. “This is not a sitcom.”
YES WE CAN!!!! If you haven’t done so already, make sure you get out there and register to vote!!!
Would cut taxes on middle-class families by abolishing the Alternative Minimum tax. Would keep Bush tax cuts, but reduce government spending. Wants to reform social security and healthcare.
Would use targeted tax relief to help middle-class families cope with rising costs and stagnant pay. Would repeal Bush tax cuts for rich households. Wants to reform healthcare and renegotiate free trade deals.
Voted for 2003 invasion and backed Bush troop escalation. Had said US forces should remain until Iraq is able to defend itself, but now predicts under his presidency most would have withdrawn by 2013.
Opposed the war in Iraq from the outset and says there is "no military solution". Opposed "surge" strategy. Backs phased withdrawal of US forces - with all troops out of combat operations within 16 months of taking office.
Would focus on trying to get a league of democracies to escalate economic sanctions against Iran. Refuses to rule out military solution if necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. No unconditional diplomacy.
Favours "aggressive personal diplomacy". Would meet Iranian leaders without preconditions. He says they would change their behaviour if given incentives to do so. Military option not off the table.
A former Vietnam POW, he has sought to prevent the CIA using "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment". However, in February 2008 he voted against a bill that would have banned water-boarding.
Wants increased national security funding to be allocated to areas most at risk of attack. He has criticised the Patriot Act, but voted to re-authorise it in 2006.
Climate change
Says climate change is real and devastating. Says US should consider joining with every other nation in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, if China and India join in.
Wants an 80% cut in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Wants US to lead global effort to combat climate change. Would invest $150bn over 10 years in clean energy.
Has highlighted his record on supporting health care for military veterans. Favours tax incentives to encourage people to get personal health insurance.
Backs universal coverage but would not make insurance compulsory, except for children. Subsidies would make cover more affordable and insurers would be unable to refuse coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
Co-sponsor of bill which offered an amnesty to illegal immigrants as well as tougher border controls. Says undocumented workers already in the US should be put on path to citizenship.
Wants US-Mexico border better policed and backs stricter penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers. Argues that giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship is not an amnesty if they pay a fine.
Wants to overturn the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion, Roe v Wade, but was supportive in the past. Would aid state efforts to boost adoption. Backed 2007 ruling banning late-term abortions.
Trusts women to make their own choices on abortion "in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy". Criticised Supreme Court decision to uphold ban on late-term abortion.
This at-a-glance guide is intended to give an overview of the candidates' stances and policies only. More detailed information may be available on their individual campaign websites.
Clips of an interview John McCain gave to a Spanish radio station are aired in which the Arizona senator appears to mistake Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for a Latin American leader, and declines to promise to hold talks with him. A McCain spokesman dismisses the suggestion that Mr McCain misunderstood the questioner, and asserts that Mr McCain would make no promises about holding talks with the Spanish leader. Joe Biden says that paying taxes is "patriotic" in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, and the second part of Sarah Palin's Fox news interview is aired, in which she talks about Hillary Clinton and her role in the "Troopergate" scandal.
KEY QUOTES
"I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."
John McCain answers a question about the Spanish prime minister
I think he was first elected when I was like in second grade
"It's time to be patriotic, Kate. Time to jump in. Time to be part of the deal. Time to help get America out of the rut. And the way to do that is, they're still going to pay less taxes than they did under Reagan."
Joe Biden calls on Americans earning over $250,000 to pay more tax
"Senator Biden has tremendous amount of experience. I think he was first elected when I was like in second grade." Sarah Palin "People shouldn't make a decision this time based on, 'I like that guy' or 'she's cute'... And I'm talking about me." Michelle Obama "The Obama campaign is cheerleading this crisis. And if you look at the quotes from this campaign, when they talk about 'we think that this is going to benefit us... it's great for us'."
McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt
"These days, [John McCain] sounds less like his old self than Bob Dole, another senator who ran for president in 1996, sounded in the closing days of his campaign - speaking louder or repeating statements that he thinks might be overlooked." Adam Nagourney, New York Times
NUMBER NEWS
John McCain has now lost his lead in all four daily tracking polls, with Rasmussen now showing a tied race, Hotline/Diageo, and Gallup both giving Mr Obama a four-point lead, and Research 2000 giving the Illinois senator a six-point lead.
A series of battleground polls from the University of Wisconsin suggest that the races in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are statistically tied.
And another set of swing-state polls - from the National Journal - indicates tied races in Florida, Colorado and Ohio.
DAILY PICTURE
Campaigning is clearly hungry work for Barack Obama in Bernalilo, New Mexico
Tracking campaign finance
The candidates for the US presidency have been raising millions of dollars every month. Find out below who's ahead in the money race and where the cash is coming from.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW as of 31 July 2008
Barack Obama has raised more money than John McCain partly because of the excitement generated by the Democratic nomination battle. His donors had pressing reasons to donate, from January right through to June, while Mr McCain wrapped up the Republican nomination in March.
Mr McCain has decided to take public financing, which means that from 1 September he has a maximum of $84m [£45m] to spend on his campaign. The McCain campaign is no longer accepting donations, except to its compliance fund - money to pay for lawyers, accountants and other expenses involved in maintaining compliance with federal election laws. The Republican National Committee, however, can still raise money to support the McCain campaign.
Barack Obama is the first candidate not to take public financing since the system was introduced in the mid-1970s. He will have no spending limit.
The Obama campaign has also broken the mould of US election finance by making big efforts to attract small donors. As a result Mr Obama has raised almost four times as much as John McCain from donors contributing less than $200.
A look at where the candidates are receiving most donations reveals that Barack Obama has a distinct advantage in heavily urbanised states such as New York, Illinois and California, while John McCain is receiving significant support from the key battleground state of Florida.
The majority of a campaign's spending is split between media - the adverts, websites and leaflets that deliver the candidate's message - and administration, which includes offices, salaries and travel. The campaigns also reinvest a portion of their money on fundraising activities, such as live events and phoning supporters, to generate more donations.
MAJOR DONORS
Anyone making a donation above $200 must indicate their occupation. These figures can be combined with donations from unions, industry associations and political groups to give an idea of who is supporting each campaign. John McCain is only significantly ahead on donations from retired people and from the oil and gas industries. In all almost every other area, Barack Obama is either on roughly level terms or ahead, even in those where the Republicans would expect to be strong, such as real estate, business and finance.
(this blog appeared originally on 09/16/08on VoteMeCool - click the title to visit them, it's well worth it, believe me)
I found this extremely useful info. while visiting the Electronic Village Blog. (Its a totally Friendly, Unbiased site where anyone is welcome.)
Since ALL four (including Palin) candidates are asking us to hire them for Executive positions, shouldn't we THOROUGHLY examine their resumes?
Yes I realize that REAL EXPERIENCE (not Fraudulent Experience) counts as well, however shouldn't a good Education lay the foundation?
NOT trying to play the "Race Card" or make excuses but could someone please tell me how is it that whenever Minorities (especially African-Americans) are vying for Leadership roles their backgrounds are evaluated with a fine-tooth comb, but when the candidate is Caucasian it appears as if their faults or lack of necessary skills are often overlooked?
I'm just asking because inquiring minds want to know.
Here's some Food for Thought:
More Education doesn't mean your an ELITIST, just as less Education doesn't indicate you actually identify with Grassroots, WORKING CLASS type of people.
Peace
Barack Obama
* Occidental College - Two years * Columbia University - B.A. Political science with a specialization in international relations. * Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joe Biden
* University of Delaware - B.A. History * University of Delaware - B.A. Political Science * Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
John McCain
* United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899
Sarah Palin
* Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester * North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study * University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism * Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester * University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. Journalism
Sources: Electronic Village, Flickr
Small-town girl v big-city boy
Virginia-based author Joe Bageant claimed Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin as a fellow "redneck", in a recent essay for BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He meant it as a compliment. Here Jamie Stiehm, a city-dwelling political commentator, asks whether small-town values are all they are cracked up to be. When an American refers to someone as "small-town", it's seldom clear whether it's meant as praise or scorn.
Sarah Palin declared psychological war on Barack Obama by setting up a 'small-town girl v big-city boy' dichotomy
It all depends on the speaker, subject, listener and ZIP code where the conversation is taking place. For some, small towns are where virtues live: near the diner, yarn shop and swimming hole. For others, "small-town" is a synonym for smug narrow-mindedness. Governor Sarah Palin, the political hurricane that made landfall in early September as the surprise Republican vice-presidential nominee, hit upon the deepest contradiction in the American character. It's as old as the fierce fight between two founding fathers - urbane Alexander Hamilton of New York and Thomas Jefferson, a Virginia slave-owning gentleman of the land. We Americans still have a romantic notion about the simple small town, which goes hand in hand with Jefferson's idealised "yeoman farmer". But in real life, most of us live in the busy, peopled world Hamilton envisaged. Ms Palin declared psychological war on Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, right away by setting up a "small-town girl versus big-city boy" dichotomy. In her hello-to-the-country speech, Palin zeroed in on Obama's work as a community organiser in Chicago before he went to Harvard Law School. That was in another metropolis known as Cambridge, a lively academic grove in Boston. In a rare move for a political unknown, Palin made it personal between the man running for president, Obama, and herself. They are of the same generation: she is 44 to his 47, and represent bipolar extremes.
VIEWPOINTS
Jamie Stiehm is a political journalist based in Washington DC, whose essays on the 2008 presidential campaign have appeared in the liberal, pro-Obama Huffington Post. This is one of a series of comment and opinion pieces that the BBC website will publish before the election.
"I have the privilege of living most of my life in a small town," Palin told roaring Republicans at their convention. "I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain... I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organiser, except you have actual responsibilities." Gopher Prairie But, just a moment, what's so great about being mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska? Whether Ms Palin ever made time to see the skylines and neighbourhoods of Philadelphia, Boston or Baltimore is arguably more to the purpose of governing the United States. For like it or not, we are a nation composed of mostly city dwellers.
We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity
Sarah Palin quotes the late Hearst journalist, Westbrook Pegler
The 1920 census was the point in our social history when the population changed from living in rural and small communities to living in cities. That shift is mirrored beautifully in the literature of the period, known as "The Revolt from the Village," as critic Carl van Doren put it in The Nation in 1921. This revolt was accompanied by a rush to breathe in the exhilarating big city by young men and women, as told in the autobiographical novel, You Can't Go Home Again, by Thomas Wolfe. The most famous work in the anti-small town movement was the 1920 novel Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis, who based fictional Gopher Prairie on his own Minnesota hometown. The Nobel laureate author opened with a world-weary, ironical note: "This story would be the same in Ohio or Montana, in Kansas or Kentucky… Main Street is the climax of civilisation." Biographer Richard Lingeman, also the author of Small Town America, said Lewis' masterpiece launched "a conscious, definitive attack on the stuffiness, provincialism, smugness, conformity and cruel gossip of small town life, intended to puncture the myth once and for all." World citizen Yet here the heartland myth persists, in popular culture as well as partisan politics. Rock singer John Mellencamp's song, Small Town, tells the other side of the story told by Lewis: "No, I cannot forget where it is that I come from/I cannot forget the people who love me/Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town/And people let me be just what I want to be." The lyrics are in an ode to his Indiana hometown.
Barack Obama would have a hard time laying claim to small-town credentials
Mellencamp is a big Obama supporter, as it happens. Maybe the Democratic nominee would be well advised to take the singer on the road to help shore up his support in small towns in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania? One of the strengths of Obama's curriculum vitae, for some of his supporters, is its variety. Growing up, he lived in Hawaii and Indonesia. He studied in LA, New York and Boston and knows his way around Washington. He's a world citizen. He'd have a hard time claiming small-town status, though Springfield, Illinois, where he served as a state legislator, is a fairly small town where another lanky lawyer who ran for President once lived. (That would be, of course, Abraham Lincoln.) No doubt certain strengths come from living in a small town, especially for politicians. Bill Clinton, who hails from Hope, Arkansas, embodies the easy social connectedness which a small town upbringing can produce. Everyone tends to relate to everyone else, up and down the social scale. People know the person you were in high school. You might even be married to someone you knew in high school, as Palin told the world she was. "My guy," was how she introduced her husband, Todd Palin, to the cheering crowd that night. You might even be pregnant in high school, as her daughter Bristol is - but somehow the redoubtable Palin has turned that into a small-town virtue, too. Urban sophisticates In her convention speech, she quoted anonymously Westbrook Pegler, the long-gone Hearst newspaper columnist and scourge of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity." Was the subtext that urban sophisticates like Obama are somehow suspect? Just what we need, a new culture war at home. As if we Americans weren't demoralised enough already by the economy and the war in Iraq. But there is no obvious reason why the big city guy has to lose this ideological battle. Maybe he should engage and ask Americans: hey, whose world would you rather live in? Jefferson's or Hamilton's? Mine or Palin's? Wasilla or Chicago? He'll have to watch out though, or the small-town girl will have him for lunch at the diner.
Palin e-mail hack details emerge
The hacked Yahoo account was one of two Ms Palin owned
Details of how an e-mail account of US Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was hacked have emerged.
Following the hack, screenshots of Mrs Palin's messages, inbox, pictures and address book were posted to the Wikileaks whistle-blowing site. It is thought the attackers exploited the password resetting system of Yahoo's e-mail service.
Details about Mrs Palin's life pulled from public sources reportedly helped defeat security questions.
Formal investigation Information from Wikipedia and other online databases helped to establish Mrs Palin's date of birth, zip code and other personal information. Armed with this, the attackers convinced the Yahoo password re-setting system they warranted access and allowed them to re-set the password and then get at the account.
In an official statement Yahoo said: "Yahoo treats issues of security and privacy very seriously." It added: "To protect the privacy of our users, we are not able to comment on the details of a specific user account."
"Generally, if Yahoo! receives reports that an account has been compromised, we investigate for suspicious activity and take appropriate action," the company said.
Mrs Palin is being investigated for her conduct as governor of Alaska
The attackers broke into Mrs Palin's gov.palin@yahoo.com e-mail account. This account and another, gov.sarah@yahoo.com, owned by Mrs Palin have now been deleted.
The FBI and the US Secret Service have now begun a formal investigation into the attack and who may have been behind it. The hackers used the CTunnel proxy service which routes web browsing through an intermediary to obscure where the attackers were based.
However, the screenshots for the attack reveal the original web address used by the proxy which may help investigators track down the miscreants.
It has been reported that records from the CTunnel proxy service are being sought by the FBI. The attack on the e-mail account comes as questions are being asked about whether Mrs Palin used her personal e-mail accounts to carry out state business.
US law states that all e-mails relating to the official business of government must be archived and not destroyed. However, it does allow for personal e-mails to be deleted. Mrs Palin is being investigated in Alaska for alleged abuse of power while governor of the state.
Senator Chuck Hagel could be influential with independent voters
(BBC News) Senior Republican Senator Chuck Hagel has voiced doubts about Sarah Palin’s qualifications for the vice-presidency.
John McCain’s running mate “doesn’t have any foreign policy credentials”, Mr Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald. Mr Hagel was a prominent supporter of Mr McCain during his 2000 bid for the US presidency, but has declined to endorse either candidate this year. He was opposed to the Iraq War, and recently joined Mr McCain’s rival Barack Obama on a Middle East trip. ‘Stop the nonsense’ “I think it’s a stretch to, in any way, to say that she’s got the experience to be president of the United States,” Mr Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. And he was dismissive of the fact that Mrs Palin, the governor of Alaska, has made few trips abroad. “You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don’t know what you can say. You can’t say anything.”
This kind of thing will have an effect on independents
Mr Hagel also criticised the McCain campaign for its suggestion that the proximity of Alaska to Russia gave Mrs Palin foreign policy experience. “I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, ‘I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia’,” he said. “That kind of thing is insulting to the American people.” BBC North America editor Justin Webb says Mr Hagel’s opinion of Mrs Palin will have an effect on independent voters. A senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Hagel was a close ally of Mr McCain, but the two men parted company over the decision to go to war in Iraq. Mr Hagel skipped this year’s Republican National Convention in favour of a visit to Latin America. Mr Hagel’s decision to accompany Mr Obama this summer on a trip to Iraq and Israel, as part of a US Congressional delegation, led to speculation that he would throw his support behind the Democratic nominee. However, a spokesman for the Nebraska senator insisted in August that “Senator Hagel has no intention of getting involved in any of the campaigns and is not planning to endorse either candidate”.
In April, Mr McCain called for improved relations with Spain
US Republican presidential candidate John McCain has raised suspicions in Spain that he thinks the country’s prime minister is Latin American.
Asked by a Miami radio station if he would meet PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Mr McCain spoke of his record with leaders in “the hemisphere”. His answer led some to suggest he thought Mr Zapatero was Latin American. Mr McCain’s campaign team denied any gaffe, but did say the candidate had refused to commit to a meeting.
Spanish media have suggested that stance could be a sign Mr McCain has not forgiven Mr Zapatero for pulling Spanish troops out of Iraq when he became prime minister in 2004.
Misunderstanding? Before asking Mr McCain about Mr Zapatero, the Spanish interviewer repeatedly questioned Mr McCain about Latin American leaders, including Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, with whom the US has a fraught relationship. But the interviewer then changed the subject by saying: “Let’s talk about Spain. “If you are elected president, would you be willing to invite Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?” “I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are our friends and who want to work with us in co-operative fashion,” Mr McCain answered, before moving on to talk about US relations with Mexico.
He did not even mention Zapatero’s name
Semanaldigital.com Spanish digital newspaper
In an effort to draw an answer, the Caracol Miami reporter posed the same question three more times. Mr McCain gave more or less the same response, saying at one stage: “All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. “And that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.” But Mr McCain’s answer has itself posed more questions. Did Mr McCain forget which country Mr Zapatero leads? Did he misunderstand or mishear the question? Or was he intentionally signalling a cooling in the relationship between Spain and the US? Mr McCain’s foreign policy adviser, Randy Sheunemann, said that there was no doubt about the senator’s answers. “The questioner asked several times about Senator McCain’s willingness to meet Zapatero, and identified him in the question, so there is no doubt Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred,” he wrote in an email to the Washington Post. “Senator McCain refused to commit to a White House meeting with President Zapatero in this interview,” he confirmed. ‘No mention’ In Spain, opinion was divided on the ambiguous answer. One interpretation is that Mr McCain has not forgiven Mr Zapatero for deciding to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq upon taking office in April 2004. “McCain was asked four times and four times he avoided committing to a meeting with Zapatero,” wrote the Spanish newspaper El Pais. That would be a big change from April, the newspaper said, when the candidate told a reporter “it is the moment to leave behind discrepancies with Spain”. Other newspapers were more critical. “He did not even mention Zapatero’s name” wrote El Semanal Digital, an online newspaper. Mr Zapatero, himself did not give much credence to this episode, telling Spanish media that his government would work with Washington “whoever wins the elections” in the US.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is “unlikely to co-operate” with an inquiry into alleged abuse of power, a campaign spokesman has said.
Ed O’Callaghan said the Alaska state legislative probe had become “tainted” by partisan Democratic politicians seeking to target the Alaska governor. Mrs Palin, who is John McCain’s running mate, denies any improper behaviour. A spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party rejected claims that the inquiry had become politically motivated. The probe into the affair - referred to by some as “Troopergate” - began before Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Mrs Palin as his running mate last month. Mrs Palin and her husband campaigned in Colorado and Ohio on Monday. She is expected to make further campaign appearances in Ohio on Tuesday. ‘Stall and smear’ Mrs Palin is accused of removing Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan from his post after he had refused her request to fire her ex-brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, as a state trooper. Mr Wooten was involved in a contentious divorce and child custody battle with her younger sister. Critics say Mrs Palin was using her power as governor to pursue a personal feud.
The investigation centres on the dismissal of Alaska’s public safety chief
Mrs Palin insists that she fired Mr Monegan over disagreements about budget priorities. A bipartisan panel of the Alaska state legislature voted to authorise an inquiry and in July appointed retired prosecutor Stephen Branchflower to lead it. Mrs Palin’s husband, Todd, has been ordered to testify to the inquiry, as have her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff. McCain campaign spokesman Mr O’Callaghan said he did not know if Mr Palin would challenge the subpoena, issued on Friday, requiring his cooperation. However, Mrs Palin was “unlikely to co-operate” with the inquiry “so long as it remains tainted and run by partisan individuals that have a pre-determined conclusion”, the AFP news agency quotes him as saying. Mrs Palin has not been ordered to testify but Mr Branchflower has said he hopes to speak to her about Mr Monegan’s dismissal. Patti Higgins, spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party, accused the Republican presidential campaign of “doing everything it can to stall and smear” the investigation. Mrs Palin’s lawyer has claimed that public statements by the Democratic chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month indicate that the inquiry is politically motivated.
This broad stay running her mouth. Now “Sarah Palin” is saying Barack regrets not choosing that Shady Hillary Clinton as a running mate:
Gov. Sarah Palin says Sen. Barack Obama just might regret not picking Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate. “I think he’s regretting not picking her now, I do. What, what determination, and grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way — she handled those well,” the Alaska governor told Charles Gibson in her third and final exclusive interview with ABC News.
The thing about Barack is that he doesn’t need to choose some random ass heffah as his running mate to get the woman’s vote. Everyone knows why this Palin character was chosen, and believe us, it’s not because she’s the best man for the job.
Politics may be tougher than ever, but Obama has wowed along the campaign trail with confidence, in polished looks that bring to mind a famous former first lady. Sticking mainly to favorite hometown designers like Maria Pinto, who crafted her sleek purple sheath, Obama has also tried new looks by Isabel Toledo and jeweler Tom Binns for campaign fund-raisers.
So far, we have heard from Sarah Palin's mum and dad, her current church minister and her former pastor, and countless residents from her hometown of Wasilla.
Sarah Palin's TV interview debut
At times it has seemed that there were more reporters in Alaska than polar bears, trying to separate fact from fiction on this new phenomenon of American politics. US opticians have witnessed a surge in sales of those Palin glasses. On the internet you can now purchase Sarah Palin dolls.
But until now we had heard precious little from Sarah Palin herself - bar the set-piece, scripted speeches that she has delivered with aplomb. Her appearance on ABC News was without doubt an eagerly awaited interview, the anticipation heightened by the stories of her teenage daughter's pregnancy, "troopergate" and "lippygate". 'Agent of change' For Democrats, who are not alone in feeling that she has been shielded from the media, would this be the time when she would fall flat on her face? For Republicans who have been wowed by this mother, moose-hunter and maverick, there was the hope perhaps that her critics would be forced to eat some more humble pie. It was always going to be difficult to live up to those kind of expectations. But Charles Gibson, the avuncular anchor of ABC's nightly news, tried to probe areas that have so far been off limits.
He began with foreign policy. What did this former mayor of a town of 9,000, and now governor of one of America's most remote and least populated states, know about the real world?
We learned that Sarah Palin had travelled abroad, to Mexico and Canada, and more recently brief stops in Germany and Kuwait to meet Alaska's National Guard. No, she had never met another head of state.
But she knew about Russia - because you can "actually see it" from Alaska. At first it may have all sounded rather naive.
But Sarah Palin held her ground, pointing out that she was an agent of change, not the same old Washington politician clinging on to a "big fat resume".
Straight talking She highlighted the fact that she was governor of a state that produces nearly 20% of the US domestic supply of energy.
And she had clearly grasped some of the detail of global affairs, making reference to Georgia and Ukraine's Rose and Orange revolutions.
She staked out a hawkish line on Russia. If Georgia were a member of Nato, she made clear, then America and its allies would have to defend its independence.
It may have sounded gung-ho, but who could disagree with a central tenet of Nato membership?
In the end this interview is unlikely to dramatically alter already strongly held perceptions
Perhaps a more experienced politician would have avoided hypotheticals. But then isn't such straight talk part of her appeal? An antidote to the more academic thought processes of, say, a Barack Obama.
Governor Palin did seem rather hazy when asked whether she agreed with the Bush doctrine. "In what respect?" she asked, without seeming to know that it was a reference to pre-emptive war. But after some prompting she was able to define a familiar Republican theme of the threat posed by Islamic extremism.
More than that, she was able to make reference to the fact that her elder son Track was about to deploy to Iraq. For millions of Americans, this is about actions not words.
Many questions were really left unanswered. Her religious beliefs were only briefly touched on. She clarified her earlier comments that suggested the Iraq war was ordained by God himself, talking instead about a plan for good and a reference to God-given rights. Enough not to alienate an agnostic, or to offend the evangelical vote.
In the end, this interview is unlikely to dramatically alter already strongly held perceptions. For Republicans it will have only reinforced Sarah Palin's appeal as a tough-talking, no-nonsense breath of fresh air.
For Democrats it is likely to have highlighted her weakness - a lack of experience. As for the all-important undecided voter, they will probably want to hear more before they finally make up their minds.
US Weekly ran a story yesterday about how Sarah Palin had a tanning bed put into the governor’s mansion in Alaska. She paid for it with her own money and it’s possible it wasn’t as astronomically expensive as they’re claiming, $35,000, because used and refurbished models can go for under $2,000, based on the three minutes of research I did. Somehow they’re trying to make a connection between John McCain’s two bouts with skin cancer and Palin’s use of the tanning bed, which she even discouraged in a public service announcement, saying it contributed to cancer.
Self-proclaimed “hockey mom” Sarah Palin had a private tanning bed installed in the Governor’s Mansion in Juneau, Alaska, Usmagazine.com confirmed on Monday.
“She did. She paid for it with her own money,” Roger Wetherell, chief communications officer of Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities told Us.
The Narco News Bulletin first reported on the former beauty queen’s penchant for a bronzed body.
“It was done shortly after she took office [in early 2007] and moved into the mansion,” Wetherell told the Narco News.
According to Wetherell, the tanning bed was purchased used, from a health club.
Tanning beds can cost up to $35,000 to install in a home - not including the cost of parts, Color Me Tan manager Erin Weise told the Narco News.
“I don’t think it’s normal for people to have a tanning bed in their house, ” Wiese, who is based in Fairbanks said. “It’s expensive.”
Palin’s running mate, presidential candidate John McCain battled skin cancer in 1993, and again in 2000.
“I coat SPF 30 on myself first thing in the morning, and wear long sleeves and a hat whenever I’m in the sun,” McCain has told Newsweek.
Palin declared May 2007, “Skin Cancer Awareness Month.” In the press materials it was noted, “Skin cancer is caused, overwhelmingly, by over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and from tanning beds.
Did anyone see that movie with Al Pacino and Hilary Swank, Insomnia? It’s dark all day in Alaska during some times of the year, and light all day at other times. Maybe Palin just wanted some sunshine. Most doctors don’t recommend tanning beds for seasonal affective disorder, but I’ve used them sparingly for that purpose and it does help improve my mood in the winter.This isn’t really anything to fault Palin for and we don’t know if she was tanning every day or if her teenage daughters bugged her to get the tanning bed or whatever.
We have earnestly been cutting back on the political news here after your feedback and the pretty heated discussions about it. More celebrities have talked smack about Palin and McCain, and we’ve stuck to the entertainment news and rolled our eyes. Mollygood has a good take on this and said it’s hard not to do politics because these people are on the covers of all the celebrity magazines. Even if we actively ignore them they’re becoming celebrities on both sides of the fence, whether they’re actively seeking it or the press is helping them along.
Palin using a tanning bed, though, that’s not news. Do any of you use tanning beds in the winter? It really did help me, but I once got burned and have to limit my time in the bed. The politicians should take a similar approach to fame - use it wisely or it’ll bite you in the butt.
Click to Listen to Tivoli Stories Part Three
Duration : 56:46 mp3 - 256k / 44.1 mhz Joint Format
Reggae music is always the voice of the people 
Arizona senator and Vietnam war hero would be oldest man to become president.
The Illinois senator promises "change" and would be the first black US president.
A look at where the candidates are receiving most donations reveals that Barack Obama has a distinct advantage in heavily urbanised states such as New York, Illinois and California, while John McCain is receiving significant support from the key battleground state of Florida.
