34 posts tagged “president”
So, today the big focus is on how you can make fake donations to the Obama site that still take money from your account. As in:
So I went to the Obama website this afternoon and clicked on the "Donate" button.
I used my real MasterCard number (but was not asked for the 3 digit security code).Used the following information and it was accepted...
First name: Fake
Last Name: Donor
Address: 1 Dollar To Prove A Point
City: Fraudulent
State: AL
Zip / Post: 33333
Email Address: allmyinfoismadeup@mediabias.com
Phone Number: 2125551212
Employer: Mainstream Media
Occupation: Being in the Tank
And incredibly, my $5 donation was ACCEPTED!!!
I then went to the McCain site and used the exact same information (and WAS asked for the 3 digit security code for my MasterCard). There, my contribution was rejected with the following message: "Your transaction was not approved for the following reason(s): Invalid data", and then: "We have found errors in the information that you have submitted. Please review the information below and try again."
Well, my reaction is that Obama is from Chicago...why are we surprised? The man has built up his political career by relying on the efforts of crooked politicians and leaders. He is at his best a dissembling shit, and at his worst a deceitful political thug. I know such talk offends, but John McCain and his supporters have endured a worse sort of casual contempt from followers of Obama. One side of the political debate seems to always be guardedly assessing the other's stupidity. Guardedly, I say, for when they see the first sign of an intelligent critique of Obama the guardians of PC drop in to accuse the critic of abject racism or bigotry.
Then there is this:
Turning the Page from Campaign Finance Fraud . . . [Andy McCarthy]
What is the deal with Obama's birth certificate and citizenship status?
Pamela Gellers at Atlas Shrugs raises some apparent shenanigans with the birth certificate the Obama campaign previously produced. Meanwhile, Philip J. Berg, a former Deputy AG of Pennsylvania and a professed Hillary supporter, filed a lawsuit claiming Obama is not constitutionally eligible to be president; instead of simply clearing up any questions — which you would think would take about five minutes — Obama's lawyers moved to dismiss the suit and failed to file a timely answer, meaning that, under the applicable rules (according to Berg), Obama is legally deemed to have admitted Berg's allegations that he is constitutionally ineligible to be president.
Admittedly, I've ignored this issue up until now on the theory that if there was anything here worth looking at, surely the Hillary and McCain campaigns would have raised it. But this all seems very strange. It's not just a matter of whether Obama was born in Hawaii — Berg claims he wasn't, but most others seem to agree he was (though the publicly available proof seems shaky at this point). There is also the question whether he was also a citizen of one or more other countries (Kenya? Indonesia?) and whether that means, as a matter of law, that he could not be a "natural born" citizen as required by the Constitution.
Has anyone around here looked into this? Is it a serious issue, and why does Obama seem to be so squirmy about it?
I'm not sure if this smells of desperation or if this issue really has legs. I actually hope it does. Our Constitution is pretty clear that you must be a natural born citizen to be President. If Obama is in fact not eligible for the Presidency, expect a whole lot of talk about how the Constitution is a living document and it evolves over time...apparently enough to mean the opposite of what it says. Well, now's definitely not the time to be polite. The best opportunity to bring up this question happened to be 2 years ago. But there's no time like the present.
"No person except a natural born Citizen(Obama's status now in doubt), or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution(these people are all dead), shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years(Sign of the times, huh? Barely out of college these days), and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States(again, these are all dead)."
And it is a problem in this country.
The Left Finally Accepts Religion in Government... So Long As You Worship Obama
Thinking about the Smith College op-ed where a student declares Obama to be her "Personal Jesus," I'm reminded of something I wrote on the off-duty blog:
This [children singing about Obama] video illustrates a phenomenon that I’ve periodically underestimated in assessing politics this cycle.
A large number of Americans, like the poster on Mulder’s wall, Want To Believe.
They want to believe in a political leader who they can describe in Messianic terms. They want to touch hands that have touched him. They want the face of their leader staring down on them on posters in public places.
They want to indoctrinate their children about his greatness before they can think for themselves, as we saw in the “children singing” video.
They want to sing songs about him, and credit him for “healing people’s souls.” They want to get together in groups of tens of thousands and chant their leader’s name. They want to make that silly “O” salute.
Cam, you and I have talked offline about the Founding Fathers and their vision of what a citizen of the new nation would be: fiercely independent, largely self-reliant, skeptical of government power, fearful of the passions of the public at large, and modest in his national ambitions. A large swath of the public is the exact opposite of this.
“A Republic, if you can keep it.” It’s tough to keep it if enough of the citizenry wants to see the chief executive as a Xersian God-King.
We can argue if Obama's tax plan is good or bad, or whether unconditional face-to-face summits with Iran's leaders is a good idea, or whether McCain or Obama have the managerial skills to be an effective president. But it's impossible to refute someone who believes that Obama is healing people's souls. You can't dissuade someone whose criteria for a president is whether or not he can make that "mythical voice boom out over the mountaintops." It's fascinating that the press that screamed bloody murder over John Ashcroft holding prayer meetings with some staffers before work is now shrugging its shoulders at the fact that a portion of the national conversation includes, "In the Name of Obama, Amen."
This issue is perhaps the most troubling aspect of a troubling presidential race. At some point I think all conservatives have hit "the wall" in debate with liberals about Obama and his policies. Rational point after rational point can be made against the man, and acknowledged by our opponents as a shortcoming...but it never actually makes a difference to anyone.
For too many people, support for Obama is based on irrational hopes and vague promises of change. What bothers me the most about the other side is how uncritical they are of this untried man who wants to be our nation's top bureaucrat. But the office of POTUS has somehow been conflated with the idea of a visionary and epochal leader. That's worse for the country than any recession.
Ask any conservative today about John McCain and I doubt you'd find the same kind of unblinking acceptance of the candidate. I feel like we have our eyes wide open about McCain's shortcomings, and have decided that despite those he remains the better candidate in this race. Rest assured that if McCain breaks with conservatism too often he will be roundly and forcefully criticized. I believe in my heart that if Obama breaks with liberalism then it will be liberals who modify their stance on the issues.
Props to Geraghty for referencing Xerxes and all the attendant imagery that name evokes.
And I offer my thoughts upon it.
Well, Cindy first. She needs some practice with the teleprompter. She'll have plenty of it, I'm sure. She's a good wife, though. And here's the negative part of my brain, but if I were Team McCain I'd only talk about marriage very briefly. Unfortunate end to the first one and all. But to McCain's credit, he publicly lists that failure as his greatest.
Nobody can accuse McCain of not having a personal stake in the ongoing conflict. And Cindy is a proud mother to all her children.
Bridget McCain is a testament to John and Cindy's pro-life views. McCain is from the old school, though, and doesn't make loud proclamations about his religious beliefs. So, it would be easy to ignore the very compelling story of Bridget. Easy and stupid.
I hope McCain can keep this crowd energized.
****
Here he comes.
The video is good so far. McCain's mom...funny.
Yes, this video is making its point.
Darkness. A light, and he is here. The convention stage is set up in town hall format, allowing him to be more comfortable with this very big speech.
Crowd is enthused. I think they are ready for a real humdinger of a speech.
You can't let the crowd have its way with you.
Damn camera keeps going to the protester up in the balcony. Whatever, bro. You look like Ed Norton from American History X.
"Much more unites us than divides us"...that's hard to keep in mind sometimes. I hear genuine emotion coming from him.
Fracking Code Pinkers. Good on you, McCain. Play 'em off.
McCain really takes corruption personally. Hopefully he'll run out of Veto ink and have to spend $1.50 of our tax money on a new Veto pen. I'd gladly allow that gov't expenditure.
I remember when I wrote John McCain off in the primaries. I'm not as smart as I thought.
John McCain's message on domestic issues hasn't been really addressed this week, until now. He needs to stick with this theme.
"Culture of Life" wot wot!
He needs to talk more about his health insurance plans. Specifics will come, hopefully soon.
Education: Big issue. Help bad teachers find another line of work! Word up.
Gotta stop making Russian billionaires and Middle Eastern Sultans.
DRILL BABY DRILL!
We need to use nuclear power. It's safe, it's clean, and it's efficient. Let's use all the tools at our disposal to help ourselves.
On to Russia...Call them out, McCain.
Wise to not keep Obama at the forefront, but to mention him. This is about McCain, but it's about how he's more suited than Obama.
I can't imagine this man's experience in Vietnam. I can only admire it.
He is right on about service. Humanity needs a cause bigger than itself to serve, individuals need a cause.
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. We make history. Damn right. Hell to the yes.
Aw sh%t. Not that Raising McCain song again. Who thought that was a good idea?
Ok, but that's ok. Here comes Sarah Palin and some instrumental music. And confetti!! Whee!
They're playing Barracuda. Nice.
So overall, this was a positive speech. I think it did a lot to solidify his positions, and it's got me feeling assured that we'll make a good go of it in the next two months.
I have been working at a new job recently, and I have had little energy for blogging. But today I took the time during lunch to pen a few thoughts on the Barack Obama problem.
Additionally, my wife found my first gray hair this evening. I am ecstatic, having desired a touch of gray since I was 17 or so. I think that optimally I would affect a George Clooney or a Reed Richards, one or t'other. Now, without much ado, my first bloggable thought in weeks.
********************
Lately I've been ruminating on the specter of an Obama candidacy. Hillary is not done yet, but it looks grim. The Democrats have decided that they can safely abandon Mrs. Clinton in favor of the charismatic Senator from Illinois. Obama presents some unique obstacles to a reasonable discourse. No criticism of the man seems to be allowed to stand...for this, that or the other reason. He was handled with kid gloves during the early part of the primaries.
The crux of the issue with Barack Obama is that he is an inexperienced candidate who has some very questionable associations that may affect his ability to lead us, but we are being prevented from seriously exploring his weaknesses because of a heightened sensitivity to matters of race and identity.
There is a legitimate fear that his association with avowed anti-American radicals as well as his long membership in a church which prides itself on being the cutting edge of black liberation theology are less a circumstance of his political upbringing and more a reflection of his own personal beliefs. Americans, I feel it safe to say, want in their President a basic quality - that of the ultimate Spokesman. To my thinking, a President should at the very least be altogether in love with America. Not blithely accepting this or that policy as sacred, no, but echoing Stephen Decatur's toast:
Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.
A man who could share this sentiment looks clearly at things and sees the plain truth that America, for all her faults, is a force for good in the larger world. A President of the United States should ever and always be the first to sound the praises of America, even as he claims to chart a new course.
Obama's attempts to avoid jingoism and immodest displays of patriotism bespeak a very cool attitude towards the country he thinks he is qualified to lead. The question again intrudes upon us: what exactly are his beliefs about America? We must have an answer, but we are consistently thwarted in our attempts to procure one.
I am inclined to believe, as are others, that Obama's immaculate status is preserved by unfair means. Why is it legitimate, even mandatory, to question Cindy McCain's tax returns, but entirely unfair to bring up the subject of Obama's radical colleagues and mentors? If there is a scale of relevance, Mrs. McCain ranks in the bottom quarter...or eighth.
But, as ever with liberals, we find that when it comes to their pet causes every action is judged on a sliding scale - a relative measure. Obama is spared from deserved criticism because he is held to a different standard. I posit that this is due to his race.
It is not a direct relationship. Obama is not spared because he is black. But he is. What we have to understand is that the culprit in this case is the very worst sort of identity politics.
Think about it. To liberals, a person's identity takes center stage. Every aspect of that person makes up the very essence of who they are, their identity. This is opposed to character, which can be judged to be good or bad. Criticizing a person for their character flaws, long thought to be acceptable as a means of improving character, has of late been replaced with a drive to affirm the individual's sense of identity. Iconoclasm is the new old vogue, and so to criticize a person like Barack Obama is to violate a taboo of liberalism.
Another thing that makes up your identity, as opposed to your character, is your race. So, to criticize Obama's actions is to criticize his identity. And to criticize his identity is to criticize, however tenuously, his race. And thus we are faced with the uncomfortable realization that criticizing Barack Obama has a slight odor of racism about it. I doubt Obama intentionally cultivates this, but he certainly benefits from it. And I'd liken the scent to a manufactured odor, sort of the way that Febreze doesn't really smell like fresh linens hanging on a line.
When we view Obama through a lens of identity, it is not possible to judge him fit or unfit for the Presidency. When we look at him through the prism of character, it is eminently doable. This is the great problem we face in our current political climate: Identity politics is the order of the day, and until we distinguish between the false, relative view of identity and true personhood we will never be free of it.
I think the time has come for me to stop fighting it. Over the past few months I've been arguing with everyone around me about the political candidates, which one is better and which one would be death for this country. And I've been taking it for granted that I should support a Republican.
But I am so tired of the fighting. I finally watched the speech Barack Obama gave the other week. You know, the one I ridiculed earlier. Well...I listened to the man and he spoke to my soul.
I've decided to vote for Barack Obama.
Now I didn't come to this decision lightly, I want you to be quite aware of that. In fact, I went back and watched Obama's speeches from the past few months. All of them. And it was just like, wow. One thing after another just resonated with me and I started to ask myself why we aren't all working together on our problems. Why can't we just unite behind this man and follow his lead. He's a proven leader in the Senate and he's an inspiring, charismatic guy who just might impress our enemies with his willingness to actually talk to them for a change.
Maybe he'll also crap a rainbow. Then we can all hold hands and slide down it into a pot of free healthcare, citizenship for illegals and the end of all those nasty gun rights. If we fall off (rainbows are fickle, you know) we'll find a cushion in the piles of aborted babies that Obama considers punishment. It's a testament to my lack of conviction in my writing that I couldn't keep up this pathetic joke any longer. I could almost taste the vomit.
If we elect Barack Obama it will show that the American republic has been corrupted by democracy. The base impulses of the electorate are to serve self, first. Any politician who tells you exactly what you want to hear has you marked as a rube. I guarantee that the old talk about the electoral college comes up again this year.
Up with Electors!
Occasionally, e-mail forwards are worth reading. But only rarely.
Dream Team
Last night I had the strangest dream. It was so real, so life-like and so
vivid. Let me describe it to you briefly...1. Hillary wins the Democratic Party nomination for President of the
United States
2. Naturally, she wants to choose as her running mate someone with a lot
of knowledge and experience in government and foreign affairs, someone who
is a seasoned campaigner who could bring a lot of strength to the ticket.
Who better than Bill, her husband?!!!
3. Hill and Bill go on to win the election in November and the Democrats
maintain control of the House and the Senate.
4. Hillary is sworn in as President on January 20, 2009. The next day,
after all the inauguration parties are over, she calls a press conference to
make an announcement: she is resigning as President!!! Bill, as the Vice
President, immediately becomes President!!! This is all perfectly legal
under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, for it states that 'no person
may be elected as president more than twice'.Bill is not being elected for a third term but is merely serving out the
remainder of Hillary's term---all 4 years of it.
5. But wait! There's more! The following day Bill calls a press conference
to make an announcement. He has chosen someone to fill the now-vacant office
of Vice President. Guess who he p icks? Why, Hillary, of course!!!
6. And one last thing, Bill could resign just before the elections and
that would make Hillary the incumbent President. She could run for
re-election and we could do it all over again and she would never serve out
her two terms... Bill could be President for life....
Please forward this e-mail to all of your Republican friends and to as
many others as you wish to cause sleepless nights...
I think this paragraph from Jonah Goldberg of National Review is a tidy summation of my feelings on what some have called "one of the finest speeches ever."
Why do voluptuaries of racial argy-bargy want yet another such dialogue? For some, it’s to avoid actually dealing with unpleasant facts. But for others — like La Raza or the college professors scrambling to follow Obama’s lead — when they say we need more conversation, they really mean their version of reality should win the day. Replace “conversation” with “instruction” and you’ll have a better sense of where these people are coming from and where they want their “dialogue” to take us.
Ultimately, Obama's speech is nothing so momentous, so awe-inspiring. In fact, Obama's refusal to distance himself personally as well as professionally from the man who condemned America in no uncertain terms while giving an award to real hate-mongers like Louis Farrakhan is troubling. Is it weakness of character, which might be forgivable, or is it that Mr. Obama finds the words of his pastor not particularly offensive?
One thing I think we can agree upon is that the President of the United States cannot be too patriotic. He is not only our leader in matters foreign and domestic, he is also America's preeminent spokesman. When a man tolerates sentiments such as Jeremiah Wright's and refuses for years to repudiate them, that man is demonstrating a quality that no President should possess.
Is Obama's speech really a call to dialogue? That remains to be seen. Currently, it amounts to nothing more than a grand changing of the subject.
Can anyone, anyone tell me just what is so great about Barack Obama? From what I've seen of him, he's got nothing to recommend him for the presidency and his whole campaign has been based on indistinct notions of "hope" and "change" that really don't mean anything.
I see the news, and I read things like this by Mark Steyn and the "Obama-rama" just doesn't make sense. Why, why, why would anyone with a brain be supporting Obama for the presidency? Let's just say you are in fact a liberal and you want to see liberal policies enacted. Great. Why not vote for Clinton, who will quite frankly be better positioned both in Congress and abroad to meet those liberal goals?
You read Obama's ideas on the issues and they are so much fluff. How, pray tell, would President Obama "secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years" if he is also committed to withdrawing our forces from the enemy's home turf of the Middle East? Does Obama mean to say that he will continue American Interventionism, only that his version will be specifically targeted against nuclear weapons, or Al-Qaeda, or whichever problem? How will he accomplish this without violating the rights of your friendly neighborhood fifth-column terrorist?
How do you fight an enemy that uses a cellphone to communicate? Eavesdrop. How do you foil a plot to attack a country that is planned entirely via e-mail? Hack. How do you make this happen if your agents are not empowered to search within our own borders? Further, how do you intend to make sure that our legal system is not taxed by the influx of "enemy combatants" who would be granted representation by your closing of Guantanamo?
It's this expectation of greatness that I can't stand. Why would he be a great President? Because he's got one of the most liberal records (short as it is) in Congress? Because he's a "first?" Because he can say something inane without sounding like a total moron? Because he makes people faint?
Where is the Democrat who will look at this Barack Obama and say, "Sir, you are no Jack Kennedy?" It is my opinion that being compared to Kennedy is no great honor, but liberals seem to like him. And at least he spent 14 years in Congress before being elected. Obama is, at this point in his career, just a pretty face with a nice voice and some good speech writers. When you get past the cult of personality surrounding the man, you realize that his politics are pretty scary if you don't live in Europe and would damage our ability to defend ourselves from a terrorist attack. Of course, if one of those should occur who do you think would be blamed? Not the sitting president, no way! Not the Congress...why, it must have been President Monkey-face McStoopid the War Monger and his policies that made those nice Muslims mad enough to attack us again.
He's not qualified for the job, and I question the commitment to rational thought of anyone who seriously believes that he is.
John McCain made a stop in Norfolk, VA today to discuss foreign policy issues and receive some glowing praise from a number of his colleagues. Always keen to learn more about international relations and, well, see famous people, I managed to weasel my way in and was treated to a sensible, realistic acknowledgment of the threat of radical Islam. This is from some of the most knowledgeable authorities on national security in Congress.
Chief among these in my eyes was John Warner. A Southern gentleman in the truest sense, Senator Warner has been a strong advocate for the military and if he believes that John McCain will do well as the President then I am prepared to believe him.
The major point today was that we absolutely must confront radical, militant Islam. I agree with that sentiment 100%. Senator Sam Brownback made some very excellent statements, bringing the focus onto Africa where a significant amount of Muslim extremism is fomented. Brownback is also extremely prominent in the pro-life community. His endorsement of McCain puts any doubts about McCain's pro-life credits to rest.
In addition to these two men, the endorsement of former Secretaries of the Navy William Ball and John Lehman spoke volumes about their beliefs in McCain's strong military stance. Rebuilding the military is key, as the Clinton years saw too much military reduction. Rumsfeld made an error before Iraq and Afghanistan by not focusing more effort on building up force levels to avoid long, repeated deployments. But another point made today was that we must maintain the All Volunteer Force by increasing recruitment and increasing opportunities for soldiers. As McCain said, there is a market out there and young people have to know their needs will be met should they choose military service.
It is well within the interests of my region of Virginia to elect a man like John McCain.
McCain is strong on the social issues. Period. McCain is obviously strong on foreign policy (his strong language regarding Iran was particularly impressive), though conservatives still need more assurance about the illegal immigration issue. When I informed my good friend W that I was in attendance, he cut to the heart of the matter quite succinctly: "...if they serve lunch order the enchiladas. I hear they taste really good with a side of amnesty." No lunch, but it is important to keep from getting star-struck. Thanks W!
On a side note, I just saw myself on TV. Some guy blocked my handshake with McCain and the annoyance on my face is pretty obvious. I wish I had a picture. It's ok, because I did get to shake Sam Brownback's hand and let him know I appreciate his pro-life stance. He said we've got to push harder on that issue. Agreed.
I got a picture of McCain answering questions from the press, which I have provided. Forgive the quality. I didn't think I'd actually be allowed inside and neglected to bring a camera! If I can locate a bit of that video with my handshake fiasco, I'll post that too. UPDATE: Here's that video...Note the disappointed looking young man at 56 seconds in. That old guy in front of me was such a fanboy, he jostled me out of the way just to tell McCain something the man wouldn't remember in 10 seconds anyway.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
Well, the writing has been on the wall since Tuesday, I think. After Romney's loss in California on Tuesday my mood has been one of resigned acceptance of John McCain as the Republican pick.
That, and a brimming displeasure with Mike Huckabee for playing the destabilizing factor in this race. I have never understood the frustration with evangelical voters until this very year. Huckabee has nothing to recommend him for the Presidency, but he has been propelled by pandering to evangelicals and by downplaying his inexperience. He is gunning for that VP spot right now, but I am confident he will not get it. A VP has to be much more than just a replacement these days. He has become an assistant to the President in many ways. Huckabee's lack of experience again comes into play here.
While Huckabee has certainly outmaneuvered Romney politically (throwing the "no whining" comment in Romney's face was somewhat triumphalist and nasty), it is obvious to me that he has been outclassed.Mitt Romney has exited this race in the way that Mike Huckabee should have done long ago. His acknowledgment of the more pressing issue of our time, the fight against radical Islam, and his willingness to close ranks in the face of inevitability is an indication that he is a man of character and principle.
John McCain is doing exactly what I needed him to do. In speaking to the CPAC, he is as I write addressing his record and telling us what he plans to do. He is telling us that he will listen, which is all we can hope for in a leader. His conservatism is real and his deviations from it are forgivable. I believe him when he says he'll do his best, and now that he has been straight with me and other conservatives I can support him.
