The Truth about ACORN?

I am not a member of ACORN nor a volunteer. I am sympathetic with their aim or organizing people who normally fall outside the mainstream ... people who are poor, minorities, feeling powerless, feeling like they have no voice. I abhor the GOP tactic of working to suppress voter turnout and participation, especially in minority areas. I have participated in petition drives and know that when the numbers are large some ridiculous things will happen. With ACORN's registration drive exceeding one million new voters it is not surprising that some mistakes will occur. The GOP spin on this is abhorrent. In defense of ACORN I repeat here their comments on this and the fact that Senator McCain was a supporter of ACORN in recent times.

"ACORN to McCain: Have You Lost That Loving Feeling?

October 13, 2008

Senator Allied with ACORN as Recently as 2006, Now Turns Cold Shoulder

October 13, 2008, Miami, FL - U.S. Senator John McCain's recent attacks on the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are puzzling given his historic support for the organization and its efforts on behalf of immigrant Americans. As recently as February 20, 2006, Senator McCain was the keynote speaker at an ACORN-sponsored Immigration Rally in Miami, Florida at Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus.

The rally, co-sponsored by ACORN in partnership with the New American Opportunity campaign (NAOC), Catholic League Services – Archdiocese of Miami, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Miami Dade College, People for the American Way/Mi Familia/Vota en Accion, the Service Employees International Union, and UNITE/HERE, was intended to call attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Senator McCain spoke at the rally attended by hundreds of ACORN members, most of whom were dressed in the red shirts typical of its members. Senator McCain's speech focused on the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive reform bill, which McCain sponsored with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer of ACORN, said, "It has deeply saddened us to see Senator McCain abandon his historic support for ACORN and our efforts to support the goals of low-income Americans. Maybe it is out of desperation that Senator McCain has forgotten that he was for ACORN before he was against ACORN; he was for immigration reform before he was against immigration reform; and he was a maverick before he became erratic. We were thrilled to partner with him to help reform the outdated immigration laws in this country, and were pleased to work closely with him on this issue."

Lewis continued, "We expected Senator McCain to support our efforts to give voice to millions of Americans who have never participated in an election before. We are surprised at his efforts to vilify an organization that, until recently, he saw as an ally. Maybe this surprise attack and change of heart is indicative of his state of mind, and the way he would govern."

Senator McCain and his campaign have recently launched a series of coordinated attacks on ACORN, the nation’s largest community organization of low-and moderate-income families.

Ms. Lewis went on to say that, "We are sure that the extremists he is trying to get into a froth will be even more excited to learn that John McCain stood shoulder to shoulder with ACORN, at an ACORN co-sponsored event, to promote immigration reform."

Senator McCain was joined at the rally by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), leaders from both political parties, immigrant communities, and members of labor, business, and religious organizations."

http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12439&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=22386&tx_ttnews[backPid]=12387&cHash=5706e23a2f

...

Who benefits from their tax plans?

This is the last comparison that I have of the effects of the competing tax plans of Barack Obama and John McCain. Today (Oct. 14) McCain is going to release his new economic plan initiatives--so he says and that might affect his tax plans.

McCain & Palin are not pro-life

John McCain and Sarah Palin bill themselves as pro-life, but the truth is that they are not. They are anti-abortion and anti-choice. That much is true. In fact Palin wants no woman to have the choice over this important matter in any circumstance. But being anti-abortion and anti-choice does not equal being pro-life.

I am not Catholic, but I love the position of Catholics United. Here is what they have to say in their new flyer:

"The BEST way to combat abortion is to give women and families the tools they need to choose life.

Studies consistently show that when women and families have health care, jobs, education, and other essential supports they are less likely to have an abortion. In fact, more than three out of four women who obtain an abortion say that economic factors were a primary reason for doing so. Instead of helping struggling American families, our leaders have left them to fend for themselves.

Being pro-life is 1 percent talk, 99 percent ACTION.

Being pro-life is not just about what our elected leaders say they believe. It’s about the things they do. During the Clinton Administration, the U.S. abortion rate declined nearly 30 percent without enacting any legal prohibitions on abortion. Under President Bush, this decline stagnated. Even the appointment of two new Supreme Court justices was unsuccessful in making any meaningful progress toward building a culture of human life. For all its talk about being pro-life the Bush Administration hasn’t protected a single unborn child.

Pro-life means ALL human life - WITHOUT exceptions.

How can our leaders say they are pro-life, while starting unjustified wars, supporting torture, opposing expanded health care for children, cutting school lunch programs, and standing by as hard-working Americans lose their jobs and retirement protections? They can’t. To be pro-life is to answer a deep call to support and defend human life at all stages - from conception until death. It means caring for the unborn, for the children, for the less fortunate, and for all hard-working Americans.

Overturning Roe v. Wade will NOT end abortion in America.

All too often, what passes for an authentic pro-life agenda is a candidate’s stated opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. While legal protections for the unborn are an important part of a pro-life strategy, overturning Roe v. Wade would simply let states decide whether abortion should be legal or illegal. In a post-Roe America, only a handful of states would impose penalties on those who obtain or perform abortions, and women living in these states could still go elsewhere to get an abortion. Overturning Roe cannot be seen as a substitute for policies that can work RIGHT NOW to end abortion, namely supporting women and families."

For the flyer and more information from this organization, visit:

http://www.catholics-united.org/

The Real Iraqi Surge

We continue to hear from the McCain campaign about The Surge in Iraq. What they and sadly the mainstream media does not bring to our attention has been the real tragic human surge of refugees out of Iraq. The Surge that John McCain likes to discuss worked to bring down some statistical violence, but the stability of that is questionable and internal events already threaten it; little is said about the terrible human crisis to which we have been a major party. I present to you an important piece of information on this and the link to read more.

One in five Iraqis have been displaced.
According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration in 2007, almost 5 million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country, the vast majority of which had fled since 2003. Over 2.8 million vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq, while 2 million were living in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Gulf States. Most Iraqis are determined to be resettled to Europe or North America, and few consider return to Iraq an option. Iraqis have no legal work options in most host countries and are increasingly desperate and in need of humanitarian assistance. They face challenges in finding housing, obtaining food, and have trouble accessing host countries’ health and education systems. Their resources depleted, small numbers of Iraqis have returned to Iraq in the past few months. Most of those who returned were subsequently displaced again.

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679

One of the strengths of the McCain-Palin campaign

Watching news coverage of today's Barack Obama's campaign appearance at the University of Miami (Florida) where he focussed on issues important to women and families, I saw the moment where a group calling themselves something like "Blacks against Obama" raised signs about abortion and gay marriage and interrupted Senator Obama's speech. He was courteous to them and they were escorted out only after their refusal to quiet down.

Only once recently have I seen this at a McCain or Palin appearance. That was a moment at the RNC when a few protestors brought out their signs during Senator McCain's speech. They were quickly lead out of the hall. But since then the campaign staff has been very adept at keeping out dissenters and anyone who might ask tough questions of either of the two members of the Republican ticket. They will not be distracted by real dialogue or tough questions. They will avoid all challenging venues. They will shut down all inquiries and investigative procedures that threaten their electability.

Yes, they are very good at this. This is what they will bring to Washington, D.C. if elected. American citizens will speak only if asked to speak (see "deference").

Watch for a constitutional amendment to rein in the First Amendment under a McCain-Palin administration. Or would it be a Palin-McCain administration as she uttered yesterday?

Have you had your beer with George?

I must begin with saying that I do not drink. But I use the subject header because some say that part of George Walker Bush's appeal in the 2000 and 2004 campaigns to many people was he seemed to be the sort of guy they could imagine having a beer with. Certainly not Albert Gore nor John Kerry. Now some seem to be saying that Sarah Palin is appealing because she knows as little as they do. The Bush Doctrine? What is that? Hey, she answered Charles Gibson's question as well as most of us could, ergo, we like her.

Now, how many of you have had your beer with George? How many of you will actually attend a Palin barbecue? Or are we going to elect knowledgeable and effective leaders this time?

Will candidates for president risk our fragile environment?

Will candidates for president risk our fragile environment to win needed contributions for their campaign? Will they endanger our already threatened oceans and air for personal political gain?

I will not contend that corporate donations play absolutely no role in the Obama campaign, but the renewed and improved support from Big Oil for John McCain since his reversal on off-shore drilling (is this an example of flip-flopping?) shows how far he will go. I recommend reading Matthew Mosk's article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html