(Proudly Cross-Posted to Clintonistas For Obama and ComputerQueen.Net)

I found this both interesting, and comforting going into tomorrow's VP Debate:

From CBS13

Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin have put in some very long days preparing for their Thursday night debate. To give voters a better sense of who these candidate are, and where they stand on a number of issues, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked Biden and Palin some "Vice Presidential Questions." This installment tackles Roe v. Wade and Supreme Court decisions.

We'll start with Sen. Biden:

Katie Couric: Why do you think Roe v. Wade was a good decision?

Joe Biden: Because it's as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours. What does it say? It says in the first three months that decision should be left to the woman. And the second three months, where Roe v. Wade says, well then the state, the government has a role, along with the women's health, they have a right to have some impact on that. And the third three months they say the weight of the government's input is on the fetus being carried.

And so that's sort of reflected as close as anybody is ever going to get in this heterogeneous, this multicultural society of religious people as to some sort of, not consensus, but as close it gets.

I think the liberty clause of the 14th Amendment ... offers a right to privacy. Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friends, that they say, you know, unless a right is enumerated - unless it's actually, unless [it] uses the word "privacy" in the Constitution - then no such "constitutional right" exists. Well, I think people have an inherent right.

Couric: Are there Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?

Biden: You know, I'm the guy who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. And I said that every woman in America, if they are beaten and abused by a man, should be able to take that person to court - meaning you should be able to go to federal court and sue in federal court the man who abused you if you can prove that abuse. But they said, "No, that a woman, there's no federal jurisdiction." And I held, they acknowledged, I held about 1,000 hours of hearings proving that there's an effect in interstate commerce.
Women who are abused and beaten and beaten are women who are not able to be in the work force. And the Supreme Court said, "Well, there is an impact on commerce, but this is federalizing a private crime and we're not going to allow it." I think the Supreme Court was wrong about that decision.

Notice how organized his responses are, and how engaged he appears to be.  This is what one would expect ... short of having 10 words ...

Then Katie Couric turned to Gov. Palin:

Couric: Why, in your view, is Roe v. Wade a bad decision?

Sarah Palin: I think it should be a states' issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I'm, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, also, though, it's no secret that I'm pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that's what I would like to see, um, further embraced by America.

Couric: Do you think there's an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution?

Palin: I do. Yeah, I do.

Couric: The cornerstone of Roe v. Wade.

Palin: I do. And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that.

Couric: What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?

Palin: Well, let's see. There's, of course in the great history of America there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but ...

Couric: Can you think of any?

Palin: Well, I could think of ... any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But, you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.

OMG!  She fumbled the football ... this is one of the crown jewels in her personal political platform, and she fumbles!!!

Make your own judgements, but I'm expecting her to get creamed tomorrow night.

Just my 2 cents!

(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama and ComputerQueen.Net)

Let's watch the video first:

This is one of the new Obama ads, and I think they have it right on the money.  This ad really highlights just who McSame has working for him. You can see more on this at McLOBBYI$T.Com

With him lying about the issues, lying about who is working for him, lying about his running mate's record, lying about his voting record, lying about his opponent's voting record ... what WON'T McCain lie about?  

The last thing America needs is another Lying President.

(Proudly Cross Posted at Clintonistas For Obama and ComputerQueen.Net)

Today I rise in support of the Candidacy of Kay Hagan to represent the Great State of North Carolina in the United States Senate.

While in the North Carolina State Senate, Mrs. Hagan has worked tirelessly to support her constituents.  She has been a vocal advocate for Safer Schools and Streets.  She has crossed party lines to ensure a balanced budged in her state, and pushed reform measures to open the budgeting process to the public.  Kay was instrumental in the effort to make North Carolina a leader in encouraging power companies to use renewable energy sources.  She also led the charge to make up the difference when Washington failed to adequately fund the Children's Health Insurance Program.  Kay has been a liberal lion for her district and for the State of North Carolina.

If she can effect all this change in the State Senate, think of the amount of change she can help President Obama effect if we send her to the US Senate!  

In her own words:

Military and Veterans

The government needs to protect the American people with a strong, well-funded military. Kay has consistently been a strong supporter of the military and has been a leader in making sure that North Carolina remains the most military-friendly state in the country. When Washington came up short, Kay helped members of the National Guard get the living and travel expenses they were owed, and she has supported efforts to make sure that the National Guard was getting all the training and equipment they needed to do their jobs and to come home safely. She will support better pay for our brave service members and she will oppose extended deployments that prohibit necessary rest and training. Kay also opposes the proposed Navy outlying landing field and will push for a solution that works for the military and for North Carolinians.

As the wife of a Vietnam veteran and the aunt of two young men currently serving in the military, it's personal to Kay when it comes to taking care of our veterans and rewarding their service and sacrifice. With over a million service members having served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the country needs to improve its commitment to our veterans. Kay will continue to support increased funding for veterans' health care and providing benefits for our veterans so we are not leaving them homeless and out in the cold. She will insist on passing a new GI Bill so returning veterans can go to college, and she favors a major investment in mental health resources for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to make sure this generation of veterans gets appropriate treatment for the invisible casualties of combat.

We have the power to help her fight for Veterans.

Health Care
Making health care affordable and accessible to everyone is crucial to our economic competitiveness and to North Carolina families' well-being. When Washington failed to adequately fund the children's health insurance program, Kay stepped up and pushed for state funds to make sure children got coverage. In the Senate, she will keep fighting to extend health coverage to children and will oppose unfunded mandates by supporting increased funding for Medicaid. She will fight to lower costs by implementing electronic medical records, eliminating the extraordinary waste in the system, giving small businesses new options for buying insurance together and allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug costs for Medicare recipients.

North Carolina, as well as the nation, must reduce our nursing shortage. Kay supports improving education to boost the number of qualified applicants, and she will push to improve the quality and availability of nursing programs.

She's already a leader in Health Care in her state - now we can help her work with Our Next President to effect this form of Pragmatic and Positive change nationwide!

We can enable her to become a leader in the charge for a responsible energy policy, heavy in renewable sources, and we desperately need leadership like hers to help balance the National budget.

C4O has been committed to sending good Progressive Democrats to Washington to build a coalition for President Obama to work with, and this laudable candidate is a prime choice for that role.

I'll leave you with a video from Kay Hagan's website.

As always, please help C4O send Our All Stars and Our Rising Stars to Washington!

(Proudly Cross-Posted at Clintonistas for Obama and ComputerQueen.Net)

I'm just pleased as punch to have been asked to do another blog about Lt. Col. Brown.  

Now, let me preface this by saying that I know this will prove to be a tough race.  The PVI of the district is R+11, and the GOP is running a carpet bagger from the 19th State Senate district (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties).  It appears they have to transplant someone with a pulse to take over for Doolittle, whom chose not to run again after the scandals of the past year.

The newest polling data I could find was from May, where Brown was 2 points up.

The following is a taste of his issue profile:

On Health Care:

45 Million Americans lack access to health insurance, and the number is growing. Charlie believes increasing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans is a moral and fiscal imperative. Charlie strongly supports the expansion of SCHIP, to ensure all children have access to affordable care. He also supports the concept of Universal Health care and will lead the fight for a new, constructive dialogue to solve America's health care crisis in the next Congress.

2 Words: Right On!

On Homeland Security:

It is appalling that 5 years after 9/11, the U.S. Government still hasn't implemented most of the 9/11 commission's recommendations.

Charlie believes we must immediately secure our borders, implement a national railway, port, and transit security plan, end the practice of using DHS funding for pork barrel spending that doesn't address legitimate security threats, address the communication and interoperability problems that continue to plague intelligence and emergency response operations, adequately fund FEMA and restore it to a Cabinet level post.

I don't even have to bother spinning this one!

On Iraq

Having coordinated surveillance flights over Iraq in the 1990's, Charlie did not support the U.S. invasion because he knew there were no WMD's present, that an invasion could unleash centuries old sectarian conflicts inside Iraq, and leave fewer American military resources available to defeat the enemy who attacked America on 9/11--Al Qaeda.

Despite under-manning, under-equipping, bad intelligence and naive post-war planning by politicians in Washington, America's military has toppled a terrible dictator in Iraq. But as General Patreus himself has said, our troops can only create the space for Iraq's newly elected politicians to reconcile the political differences that have fomented sectarian violence and civil war. Ultimately, Iraq needs a political solution, not a military one. And America can't defeat global terrorism by transforming the world's finest military force into the Baghdad police force.

Charlie believes accountability is the key to getting our troops home quickly and responsibly---tying future U.S. aid to the achievement of key political benchmarks by Iraq's elected leaders. Together with limited counterterrorism operations, training of Iraqi Security forces and accelerated reconstruction efforts, only real results from Iraq's politicians can expedite the process of political reconciliation Iraq needs to create a permanent stable government that can sustain itself and defend its own borders. Ultimately, open ended promises of money and troops by our government provide little incentive for Iraqi politicians to take action and ownership of their nation's future.

Ultimately, re-deploying US Troops out of Iraq will enable the United States to refocus on the real front lines against terrorism-fighting the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, strengthening our strategic alliances, improving intelligence gathering, expanding special operations capabilities, and giving our troops more time here at home- so they can be rested, trained, properly equipped and ready for quick deployment against terrorist concentrations or any other threats to America.

Col. Brown has show his willingness to speak truth to power.  He was a vocal opponent of the Iraq War ... not because it was the politically expedient thing to do, but because it was the RIGHT thing to do.

So this brings me to my support of Col. Brown.  He already had a good showing in 2006, running against Doolittle, only losing by just over 3 points.  The district has grown since then, and a lot more progressives have moved into the mountain regions of the Northern Sierra Nevada range.  With all this motion, we have the best chance we've had in 20 years to take back the CA 4th.

On our commitment to Veterans, Col. Brown is setting aside 5% of his fundraising to assist with Veterans charities.  Having a Father who is a Vietnam Vet, this is something that is very moving for me.  I'd like to see more of our candidates rise to this challenge and help those who have fought for our freedoms.

Charlie Brown also understands the need for retail politics in a rural district, such as the 4th.  From appearances at 4th of July Celebrations, to fundraisers at a Vineyard in Penn Valley (which is where I got to meet him ... my friend's parents own the vineyard), he is no stranger to the Grip-N-Grin.  When people contribute to his campaign, he sends them a Hand Signed letter of thanks.  That is something that is all too rare in today's politics.

So, please join with the Clintonistas for Obama team as we support Our Progressive C4O All Stars.

As always, Just my 2 Cents!

Dizzy

Someone just e-mailed me a link to this video that MORE than underscores my previous article in the Government Fail series from C4O ...

So, A BIG thanks to Liberty Balls for the following video:

Just my 2 Cents - comments always welcome

Dizzy

(Proudly Cross-Posted to Clintonistas for Obama and ComputerQueen.Net)

In the continuation of our "Government Fail" series, I'd like to take a moment to highlight how Senator McCain would be just as bad, if not worse, than the Bush Administration has already been in regards to health care.

What I find the most troubling, is McCain's stance on Bush's veto of the Children's Health Insurance Expansion.  Bush's reason for the veto was that he felt it was a step towards "federalizing" medicine.

McCain's response to CNN's John King:

"Right call by the president.

In short, because they don't want to look like they're federalizing medicine, they have left 10 million children without health care through the vetoed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.  What a great way to stand up for our children!

NEXT! ...

McCain is proposing a health plan that is nearly indistinguishable from President Bush's, including dislodging State insurance regulations:

McCain's plan would allow companies to offer national plans based in states that don't have requirements passed by the vast majority of other states, including emergency care, required by 44 states. "Mr. McCain would also allow people to buy insurance across state lines." [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07]

Some of the State Mandates that would be overridden would include :

• Emergency Room Care (currently required by 44 states)
  
• Direct Access to OB/GYN (44 states)
  
• Diabetes (47 States)
  
• Colorectal Cancer Screening (23 States)
  
• Mental Health Parity (45 States)
  
• Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction (33 States)
  
• Off-Label Prescription Drug Use (36 States)
  
• Chiropractors (46 states)
  
• Clinical Trials (20 States)

The McCain plan would also move away from an Employer-based system.

"The existing tax break for employer-sponsored insurance would be eliminated, taking a step away from the work-based model in place for the last half century and toward an individual market." [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07]

The NY Times also weighed in:

Health Care

Mr. McCain's proposal to eliminate tax breaks that encourage employers to provide health insurance for their workers is very similar to one that Mr. Bush pushed last year, to little effect. The Bush plan offered a $15,000 tax deduction for families buying their own insurance, while the McCain plan would give a refundable tax credit of $5,000 to families for insurance whether or not they pay taxes. Both men opposed a 2007 bill to expand a children's health insurance program for lower- and middle-income families.

I've shopped for insurance - I know that most comprehensive plans for a healthy individual start around $150 per month.  And the price increases exponentially for those with pre-existing conditions.  McCain wants to claim he's doing this for the little guy, but what little guy can afford to insure his family wihtout the breaks of a group insurance plan, such as the ones that many employers offer.  While the current system isn't the best, this plan would only further disadvantage the lowest of wage earners, and give money back to the corporate monster.

And the newest piece to the puzzle - adding ideology into policy.  

The Bush Administration recently floated a draft rule to the Department of Health and Human Services redefining how monies are spent.  While the basis cited by the Administration was to prevent discrimination in employment based on a medical provider's aversion to abortion, it also gave some new language to what falls under the category of abortion.

Again, from the New York Times:

The proposal defines abortion as follows: "any of the various procedures -- including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."

With all of McCain's quotes about America being founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, it takes little conjecture to see where he will land on this issue.

While I can understand the point of not wanting to bar medical providers from employment based on their personal beliefs, I have to be reminded that Roe V. Wade guaranteed that the Right to Choose rested with the woman, not the doctor.  

Additionally, the Hippocratic Oath in short requires a doctor to do no harm, regardless of their personal convictions.  If a woman might die without an abortion, the doctor is ethically bound to perform it, regardless of their personal beliefs.  Bush's plan would effectively give them a policy based exemption that is ethically and morally wrong.

Also, I'm sure I don't need to go into detail, again, about how Bush has (and McCain will further) tear away at the Ryan White CARE Act.

These are just a few examples of how, in the vein of health care, McCain would seriously be McSame, and how the Republican Controlled Government (read President Shrub) has Failed the American People.

Proudly Cross Posted at Clintonistas for Obama and ComputerQueen.Net

The past week has seen the mainstream corporate media continue their love affair with McBush. Ironically, this is the same media that Republicans have for years termed liberal.

Now, follow me on this one, as I'm moving quickly ...

The following block quotes are from an e-mail sent out by the Obama Campaign:

Just last week, McCain and his party attacked Barack Obama and ridiculed the idea that keeping your car tires inflated is an effective way to improve fuel efficiency and keep down the cost of gasoline. They even mailed out tire gauges as a joke.

I think the shortest response I can give is "Duh!"

Anyone who has limited mechanical experience with vehicles (or has a loved one who possesses such experience) has heard preaching ad nauseum regarding the need for properly inflated tires. This has been something known to millions for decades, but the MSM has gotten away with discounting this because McBush says it's simplistic. Sometimes the best ways for John and Jane Doe to assist with global issues, is something as simple as maintaining your vehicle properly. Not to mention it helps the pocketbook immensely.

The even more shocking thing to me, however, is that the MSM didn't call McCain or the RNC on this. All they did is laugh it off. McCain wasn't even made to eat his share of crow over such a stellar gaffe.

NEXT! . . .

Earlier this week, the McCain campaign put out an ad saying that Washington is broken.

Again, another obvious statement. The thing that the Rethuglicans don't mention is that Obama's been there 4 years ... their guy has been there 26 years. McBush has had a LOT more time to fix things, yet chooses to play the blame game. Look at McSame's voting record ... in the past 7.5 years, he's voted with Bush and the Republican Party 95% of the time. Maverick my @$$!

And again, the MSM is allowing him to make baseless claims without repercussions.

And Finally ...

Another ad uses scare tactics to claim Barack's tax policy will hurt middle class Americans.

The Media conveniently forgot that McSame's plan only helps the top echelon of wage earners. Over 100 million middle class families will take the tax burden of the upper class . . . the SAME upper class that has the ability to have people lobby for their tax loopholes, and who perpetuate the broken system that McSame talks about. Which party has spoken out against lobbyists and special interests? Certainly not the Rethuglicans!

Again and again it's painfully clear that McSame is truly the darling of the Mainstream Corporate Media ... the same media that the Right Wing-nuts loves to call Liberal!

And to hear the candidate speak to it himself:
So, how is McSame's campaign different than the normal Rethuglican faire? Where's the "Straight Talk Express"? And, lord knows if he can't campaign differently than the Republican standard of smear and fear, then how will he TRULY Govern?

Just my 2 Cents ... /me steps off the soapbox.

(Proudly Cross-Posted at Clintonistas for Obama)

So, I was perusing the local news, and ran across a story about some new math coming out of the International AIDS Conference, currently being held in Mexico City.

CBS13 is reporting:

The country had roughly 56,300 new HIV infections in 2006 -- a dramatic increase from the 40,000 annual estimate used for the last dozen years.

While the CDC doesn't think that their "New Math" will dramatically increase the total projected number of infections in the US, they do feel it a failure in prevention efforts.

But some advocates complain that CDC's annual spending on HIV prevention in the United States has been held to roughly $700 million since 2001, while costs have risen. (That's about 3 percent of what the federal government spends on AIDS; much of the rest is on medicines, health care and research.)

This figure is VERY small, considering the total number of ASO's out there that are doing harm reduction programs.  We, as a society, need to drastically increase our investment in protecting our future generations from this epidemic.

While both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama have signed onto the National AIDS Strategy, we need to hold their feet to the fire to ensure they keep their committment past this election cycle.  

That's why I'm proud to be working with the Campaign to End AIDS on their Stand Against AIDS action in Oxford, MS the 3 days leading up to the first Presidential Debate.  Sen. Obama's people will be attending a Town Hall meeting the day before the Debate with our participants, and the C2EA is working to get McSame's people there too. We're pretty sure, however, that McSame doesn't really care about AIDS in America .... just like the Bush Administration's current stance.

As y'all can see, this is a pet issue for me, as I am living with HIV.  Hopefully, the next administration will do more to help prevent the virus from spreading, and will work to shore up both continuing care for those of us with HIV/AIDS, and working even more agressively towards both a Therapeutic and Preventive Vaccine.

Just my 2 Cents - comments welcome

Dizzy