You Heard It Hear

Wealth in America

2008-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

90% of Americans own 20% of the wealth in America

2008-10-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Battle of the Senators Part 1 & 2

Bailout Plan

2008-10-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

McCain: The Great Deregulator

2008-10-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

McCain Lies Part 1

2008-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

McCain Lies Part 1

McCain's Brother: VA Suburbs "Communist Country"

2008-10-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

McCain's Brother: VA Suburbs "Communist Country"

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER October 5, 2008 01:21 PM EST

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate John McCain's brother made an apparent joke at a campaign rally this weekend that might not play well in parts of newly competitive Virginia.

Joe McCain, speaking at an event in support of his brother, called two Democratic-leaning areas in Northern Virginia "communist country," according to a report on The Washington Post's Web site.

"I've lived here for at least 10 years and before that about every third duty I was in either Arlington or Alexandria, up in communist country," Joe McCain, a Navy veteran, said at an event in Loudoun County, Va.

Joe McCain then apologized, but the remark drew laughter at the event, according to the report.

Virginia has long been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, but Democrat Barack Obama is running even or ahead of McCain in recent state polls. Obama is being helped by fast-growing communities in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Northern Virginia, which tend to vote more Democratic than other parts of the state.

One of those areas is Arlington, Va., where John McCain owns a condominium.

"This was Joe McCain's unsuccessful attempt at humor," said McCain campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho. "John McCain and Sarah Palin are committed to winning the support of voters in Northern Virginia and understand the region's importance to victory statewide."

Could the McCain campaign be trying to bring back the McCarthy era by accusing all that oppose them to be terrorists and communists?

Republics Let This Bill Die

2008-09-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE APPROVES DOLE LEGISLATION TO REFORM OVERSIGHT OF FANNIE MAE & FREDDIE MAC

Jul 28, 2005: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. It was approved by the committe which had a majority democrat membership.

There were 11 democrats and 10 republicans in that committee and it passed, WOW!!!

OK,democrats didn't stop in committee in 2005, republicans had two year to take action since they controlled congress

So how is this the dems fault when all he republicans had to do is pass it when they controlled congress?

Is this all republicans can do try to blame it on the democrats. Don't they know the facts can be checked.

http://dole.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=d692e1c0-224d-4109-ac5e-14a5cfee0af8&Month=7&Year=2005

SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE APPROVES DOLE LEGISLATION TO REFORM OVERSIGHT OF FANNIE MAE & FREDDIE MAC July 28th, 2005 - Washington, D.C. - The Senate Banking Committee today approved legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole and her colleagues Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and John Sununu (R-NH) that would improve oversight of Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE). The bill, the Federal Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act (S. 190), must now be considered by the full Senate.

“It is of the utmost importance that we enact legislation this year to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac operate under an effective, world-class regulator,” said Dole. “This bill sends a strong message to those employees at Fannie and Freddie who have cooked the books at these important institutions.

“It is unacceptable that such entities - that were designed with the sole purpose of lowering the cost of homeownership through a liquid secondary mortgage market - had become grossly mismanaged and must restate earnings. Why should these financial institutions, with debts that rival the federal government, have any less regulation than a bank? We cannot accept having a regulator that was intentionally made to be weak when the stakes are so high for the American people and our economy,” Dole added.

The legislation would:

· Create an independent world class regulator to oversee the safety and soundness of the housing enterprises;

· Give the new regulator the authority to close down a failing GSE and protect against a taxpayer bailout;

· Give the new regulator greater discretion in raising capital standards to prevent insolvency;

· Give the new regulator approval power over new programs and activities proposed by a GSE;

· Require the annual audits of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing programs to ensure that these programs support the enterprises’ affordable housing mission;

· End presidential appointments to the board of directors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and require all Federal Home Loan Bank directors to be elected.

Additional Background

On September 17, 2004, Fannie and Freddie’s regulator, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, released a report that, among other things, charged that through improper derivatives accounting, Fannie Mae manipulated earnings to hide volatility (as Freddie acknowledged in 2003) and to reach bonus targets for executives. Fannie Mae denied this but did not file third quarter earnings in November. On December 15, 2004, the SEC released its findings with regard to only the underlying accounting questions. The SEC also determined that Fannie Mae violated underlying accounting questions. It determined that Fannie Mae violated underlying accounting rules and must restate its earnings for the last four years. This will force Fannie to recognize an estimated $11 billion of losses on derivatives used to hedge interest rate risks.

This legislation (S. 1508) was first introduced in 2003 by Senators Dole, Hagel and Sununu. Their bill served as the vehicle for GSE reform legislation passed last year by the Senate Banking Committee. The Senate did not act on the Committee-passed legislation last Congress.

McCain: Energy Plan

2008-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Obama/Bidem Healtcare: Fight for New Initiatives

2008-09-17T11:37:00.002-07:00

Fight for New Initiatives

Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. They strongly support investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. They have been champions of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama-Biden administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.
Fight AIDS Worldwide. There are 33 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. As president, Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Obama believes in working across party lines to combat this epidemic and recently joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle.

Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama and Biden are committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama and Biden believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.

Improve Mental Health Care. Mental illness affects approximately one in five American families. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. more than $100 billion per year. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses are provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.

Protect Our Children from Lead Poisoning. More than 430,000 American children have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. As president, Obama will protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities be lead-safe within five years.
Reduce Risks of Mercury Pollution. More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood, and approximately 630,000 newborns are born at risk every year. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a plan to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.

Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama and Biden believe that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.
Barack Obama's Record

Obama/Biden Healthcare: Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System

2008-09-17T11:37:00.001-07:00

Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System

Reducing Costs of Catastrophic Illnesses for Employers and Their Employees: Catastrophic health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers. The Obama-Biden plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums.

Helping Patients:
Support disease management programs. Seventy five percent of total health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Obama and Biden will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.

Coordinate and integrate care. Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease and these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly. Obama and Biden will support implementation of programs and encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions.
Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama and Biden will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.

Ensuring Providers Deliver Quality Care:
Promote patient safety. Obama and Biden will require providers to report preventable medical errors and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future occurrences.

Align incentives for excellence. Both public and private insurers tend to pay providers based on the volume of services provided, rather than the quality or effectiveness of care. Providers who see patients enrolled in the new public plan, the National Health Insurance Exchange, Medicare and FEHBP will be rewarded for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures.

Comparative effectiveness research. Obama and Biden will establish an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness, so that Americans and their doctors will have the accurate and objective information they need to make the best decisions for their health and well-being.

Tackle disparities in health care. Obama and Biden will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities. They will also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care through quality measurement and reporting, implementation of effective interventions such as patient navigation programs, and diversification of the health workforce.

Insurance reform. Obama and Biden will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance and will promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.

Lowering Costs Through Investment in Electronic Health Information Technology Systems: Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes it hard to coordinate care, measure quality or reduce medical errors and which costs twice as much as electronic claims. Obama and Biden will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records, and will phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT. Obama and Biden will ensure that patients' privacy is protected.

Lowering Costs by Increasing Competition in the Insurance and Drug Markets: The insurance business today is dominated by a small group of large companies that has been gobbling up their rivals. There have been over 400 health care mergers in the last 10 years, and just two companies dominate a full third of the national market. These changes were supposed to make the industry more efficient, but instead premiums have skyrocketed by over 87 percent.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will prevent companies from abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases. Their plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping exorbitant amounts for profits and administration. Their new National Health Exchange will help increase competition by insurers.

Lower prescription drug costs. The second-fastest growing type of health expenses is prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe and Canada but charging Americans more than double the price. Obama and Biden will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama and Biden will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama and Biden will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.

Obama/Biden Healthcare:Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All

2008-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All

The Obama-Biden Plan to Cover Uninsured Americans: Obama and Biden will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama-Biden plan will have the following features:

Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditions.

Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.

Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.
Simplified paperwork and reined in health costs.

Easy enrollment. The new public plan will be simple to enroll in and provide ready access to coverage.

Portability and choice. Participants in the new public plan and the National Health Insurance Exchange (see below) will be able to move from job to job without changing or jeopardizing their health care coverage.

Quality and efficiency. Participating insurance companies in the new public program will be required to report data to ensure that standards for quality, health information technology and administration are being met.

National Health Insurance Exchange: The Obama-Biden plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency. The Exchange would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, public.
Employer Contribution: Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small businesses will be exempt from this requirement, and will receive a new Small Business Health Tax Credit that helps reduce health care costs for small businesses.

Support for Small Businesses: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will create a Small Business Health Tax Credit to provide small businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to 50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees. This new credit will provide a strong incentive to small businesses to offer high quality health care to their workers and help improve the competitiveness of America’s small businesses.

Mandatory Coverage of Children: Obama and Biden will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama and Biden will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Expansion Of Medicaid and SCHIP: Obama and Biden will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.

Flexibility for State Plans: Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care reform. The Obama-Biden plan builds on these efforts and does not replace what states are doing. States can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.

McCain: Abortion

2008-09-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

He has said he favors a Constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion. He would allow exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at stake.

McCain's support for banning "all" abortions seemed unequivocal when he stated it during a Jan. 30, 2000, appearance on "Meet the Press" with the late Tim Russert

McCain's Web site states that he supports overturning Roe v. Wade, calling such a move "one step in the long path toward ending abortion

Factcheck.org

Palin: The Plane, The Plane

2008-09-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

The jet was placed on eBay for sale, but it wasn't purchased from the site. The plane was eventually sold through an aircraft broker to businessman Larry Reynolds for less than the asking price and the original cost.
John McCain, however, took the claim a step further just days after Palin's speech, suggesting that Palin had not only sold the plane on eBay, but made money on the deal as well. At a campaign stop in Wisconsin on Sept. 5, McCain said, "You know what I enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay — and made a profit!" But that wasn't the case.
Palin was referring to a Westwind II jet that had been purchased by former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski. According to the Anchorage Daily News, Murkowski purchased it in 2005 for his traveling needs, and other purposes, despite objections from state officials and the public that it was an unnecessary expense. The jet cost the state more than $62,000 in quarterly payments.

Palin made selling the unpopular jet a priority during her campaign for governor in 2006. After defeating Murkowski in the Republican primary and then winning the general election, Gov. Palin went ahead with plans to auction off the plane. She announced her decision to sell the jet on eBay on Dec. 12, 2006, in a press release, which cited Alaska's "successful" use of the Web site to sell other things previously, including other aircraft and a ferry.

After attempts to sell the plane on the online auction site failed to produce the desired result, the state turned to Turbo North Aviation, an aircraft dealing company, to find a buyer. The New York Times reported that there was "one serious" potential buyer who responded to the Internet listing, but according to Alaska's director of administrative services for the Public Safety Department, the deal fell through. The jet was eventually purchased by Larry Reynolds, a businessman of Valdez, Alaska. But the state didn't make a profit; instead, it lost money on the deal. According to news reports and a release from Palin, Reynolds only paid $2.1 million for the jet, several hundred thousand dollars less than the $2.7 million Murkowski originally paid for it in 2005, and still less than the nearly $2.5 million price tag the Anchorage Daily News reported that Robert Heckman, owner of Turbo North Aviation, had suggested as an asking price for the jet.

It's worth noting that during her retelling of the situation during her convention speech, Palin didn't actually say that she "sold" the plane on eBay. She only said that she "put it on eBay." That's correct. But to some, it may have implied that the plane was actually purchased from the online vendor, which wasn't the case.

A HuffingtonPost blogger also said that Palin's comments made it seem as though the idea to put the plane for sale on eBay was all her own. Whether she was taking sole credit or not we can't say, but as various reports show, including a press release from Palin's office, this wasn't the first time the state had attempted to sell something on the site, with or without success.

In addition, CBS News' Scott Conroy noted that during her speech at a campaign rally in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Sept. 10, "[i]nstead of delivering her usual line about putting the Alaska governor’s private jet on eBay, Palin said simply, “the state’s luxury jet, it’s sold.”

In February, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Reynolds would use the jet as part of an air charter service, transporting hunting enthusiasts on expeditions to Russia.

Factcheck.org

Palin Misstates Basic Facts

2008-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sat down with ABC News' Charlie Gibson for an interview, part of which aired Sept. 11. In the exchange, the Alaska governor misstated a basic fact about her state's energy production:
Palin: Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that's with the energy independence that I've been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy, that I worked on as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the oil and gas development in our state to produce more for the United States.
It's simply untrue that Alaska produces anything close to 20 percent of the U.S. "energy supply," a term that is generally defined as energy consumed. That category includes power produced in the U.S. by nuclear, coal, hydroelectric dams and other means – as well as all the oil imported into the country.

Palin would have been correct to say that Alaska produces just over 14 percent of all the oil produced in the U.S., leaving out imports and leaving out other forms of power. According to the federal government's Energy Information Administration, Alaskan wells produced 263.6 million barrels of oil in 2007, or 14.3 percent of the total U.S. production of 1.8 billion barrels.

But Alaskan production accounts for only 4.8 percent of all the crude oil and petroleum products supplied to the U.S. in 2007, counting both domestic production and imports from other nations. According to EIA, the total supply was just over 5.5 billion barrels in 2007.

Furthermore, Palin said "energy," not "oil," so she was actually much further off the mark. According to EIA, Alaska actually produced 2,417.1 trillion BTUs [British Thermal Units] of energy in 2005, the last year for which full state numbers are available. That's equal to just 3.5 percent of the country's domestic energy production.

And according to EIA analyst Paul Hess, that would calculate to only "2.4 percent of the 100,368.6 trillion BTUs the U.S. consumes."

Palin didn't make clear whether she was talking about Alaska's share of all the energy produced in the U.S. or all the energy consumed here. Either way, she was wrong.

Source: Factcheck.org

McCain: Not for the middle class

2008-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Karl Rove talking about Palin, The Trueist, Funniest Clip You Will Ever See

2008-09-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

data=http://www.hulu.com/embed/-WikhSpYKoqhKetLGC7lFg/544/900 allowNetworking="internal" allowScriptAccess="never">

McCain: Non-support of Military

2008-09-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

McCain:Can't remember anything he did for African-Americans

2008-09-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Karl Rove talking about Palin, LOL

2008-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

The video that should sink John McCain's presidential dreams

2008-09-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

McCain: Needs to check the facts on Iraq

2008-09-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

McCain: Needs to check his facts on Iraq

McCain/Obama Tax Plans

2008-09-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

McCain: 30 Flipflops

2008-09-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

John MCCain flip flop 101

2008-09-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

McCain Flipflop #13: Fighting for Oil

2008-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #12: Mccain flip flops on Iraq timeline, promise to withdraw

2008-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Iraq demands deadline for pullout of all US troops

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Monday no security agreement with the United States could be reached unless it included a "specific deadline" for the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq.

Last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the two sides had agreed tentatively to a schedule which included a broad pullout of combat forces by the end of 2011 with a residual U.S. force remaining behind to continue training and advising the Iraqi security forces.

But al-Maliki's remarks Monday suggested that the Iraqi government is still not satisfied with that arrangement. An aide to the prime minister said Monday that Iraq remained adamant that the last American soldier must leave Iraq by the end of 2011 — regardless of conditions at the time.

The official, like others who spoke about the specifics of the debate, spoke on condition of anonymity because the text had not been approved by either government.
President Bush has long resisted a timetable for pulling out troops from Iraq, even under heavy pressure from a nation distressed by American deaths and discouraged by the length of the war that began in 2003.

"There can be no treaty or agreement except on the basis of Iraq's full sovereignty," al-Maliki told a gathering of tribal sheiks. He said such an agreement must be based on the principle that "no foreign soldier remains in Iraq after a specific deadline, not an open time frame."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said negotiations with the Iraqis continued, but reiterated the U.S. stance depended on conditions in Iraq.

"We're optimistic that Iraq and the U.S. can reach a mutual agreement on flexible goals for U.S. troops to continue to return on success — based on conditions on the ground — and allow Iraqi forces to provide security for a sovereign Iraq," he said in Crawford, Texas.

The Bush administration now speaks about "time horizons," but even that now appears unacceptable to al-Maliki's government.

"We find this to be too vague," a close al-Maliki aide told The Associated Press on Monday. "We don't want the phrase 'time horizons.' We are not comfortable with that phrase," said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the ongoing negotiations.

Another top al-Maliki aide, also speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the Iraqi government has "stopped talking about the withdrawal of combat troops. We just talk about withdrawals," including trainers and logistics troops.

In his Monday address, al-Maliki also suggested that the question of granting immunity to U.S. military personnel or contractors continued to be a sticking point in the negotiations.

In one key part of the draft agreement, private U.S. contractors would be subject to Iraqi law but the Americans are holding firm that U.S. troops would remain subject exclusively to U.S. legal jurisdiction.

Al-Maliki said Monday that his country could not grant "open immunity" to Iraqis or foreigners because that would be tantamount to a violating the "sanctity of Iraqi blood." He did not elaborate.

The agreement had been scheduled to be concluded by the end of last month.
No new date has been set, but the two al-Maliki aides said a final draft was now available to the political leaderships in Baghdad and Washington. One of the two said a breakthrough was not expected before next month.

McCain Flipflops #11: Afghanistan, John McCain copies Obama's position

2008-09-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #10: Immigration

2008-09-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #9: Ethics Reform

2008-09-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

McCain opposes a list, a list showing where the money is going, from the donator to the donatee, LOL

A LIST!!! AGAINST A LIST!!!

McCain Flipflop #8: Confederate flag

2008-09-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #5A: McCain actually admits Bush tax cuts work in favor of the rich

2008-09-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #3, 4, 5, 6, 7

2008-09-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

#3 Pandering to the religious right
#4 Immigration Amnesty
#5 Bush Tax Cuts
#6 Illegal Immigration
#7 Iraq:It is going to be easy;It is going to be hard

McCain FlipFlop #2: Gay Marriage

2008-09-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

McCain Flipflop #1: Ethanol

2008-09-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

McCain: Oil Drilling

2008-09-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Psychological

The Oil Companies

The government says:

The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.

Source: Energy Information Administration

McCain's Tax Plan Makes Zero Sense

2008-09-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

PAUL KRUGMAN; THE NEW YORK TIMES
Last updated: April 30th, 2008 01:24 AM (PDT)

As the designated political heir of a deeply unpopular president – according to Gallup, President Bush has the highest disapproval rating recorded in 70 years of polling – John McCain should have little hope of winning in November. In fact, however, current polls show him roughly tied with either Democrat.
In part, this may reflect the Democrats’ problems. For the most part, however, it probably reflects the perception, eagerly propagated by McCain’s many admirers in the news media, that he’s very different from Bush – a responsible guy, a straight talker.

But is this perception at all true? During the 2000 campaign, people said much the same thing about Bush; those of us who looked hard at his policy proposals, especially on taxes, saw the shape of things to come.

And a look at what McCain says about taxes shows the same combination of irresponsibility and double-talk that, back in 2000, foreshadowed the character of the Bush administration.

The McCain tax plan contains three main elements.
• McCain proposes making almost all of the Bush tax cuts, which are currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2010, permanent. (He proposes reinstating the inheritance tax, albeit at a very low rate.)
• He wants to eliminate the alternative minimum tax, which was originally created to prevent the wealthy from exploiting tax loopholes, but has begun to hit the upper middle class.
• He wants to sharply reduce tax rates on corporate profits.
According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the overall effect of the McCain tax plan would be to reduce federal revenue by more than $5 trillion over 10 years. That’s a lot of revenue loss – enough to pose big problems for the government’s solvency.
But before I get to that, let’s look at what I found truly revealing: the McCain campaign’s response to the Tax Policy Center’s assessment. The response, written by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former head of the Congressional Budget Office, criticizes the center for adopting “unrealistic congressional budgeting conventions.”
What’s that about?

Well, Congress “scores” tax legislation by comparing estimates of the revenue that would be collected if the legislation passed with estimates of the revenue that would be collected under current law. In this case, that means comparing the McCain plan with what would happen if the Bush tax cuts expired on schedule.
Holtz-Eakin wants the McCain plan compared, instead, with “current policy” – which he says means maintaining tax rates at today’s levels.
But here’s the thing: The reason the Bush tax cuts are set to expire is that the Bush administration engaged in a game of deception. It put an expiration date on the tax cuts, which it never intended to honor, as a way to hide those tax cuts’ true cost.

The McCain campaign wants us to accept the success of that deception as a fact of life. Holtz-Eakin is saying, in effect, “We’re not engaged in any new irresponsibility – we’re just perpetuating the Bush administration’s irresponsibility. That doesn’t count.”

It’s the sort of fiscal double-talk that has been a Bush administration hallmark. In any case, it offers no answer to the principal point raised by the Tax Policy Center analysis, which has nothing to do with scoring: The McCain tax plan would leave the federal government with far too little revenue to cover its expenses, leading to huge budget deficits unless there were deep cuts in spending.
And McCain has said nothing realistic about how he would close the giant budget gap his tax cuts would produce – a gap so large that eliminating it would require cutting Social Security benefits by three-quarters, eliminating Medicare or something equivalently drastic. Talking, as Holtz-Eakin does, about fighting waste and reforming procurement doesn’t cut it.

Now, McCain isn’t unique in making promises he has no way to pay for – the same can be said, to some extent, of the Democratic candidates. But McCain’s plan is far more irresponsible than anything the Democrats are proposing, and the difference in degree is so large as to be a difference in kind. McCain’s budget talk simply doesn’t make sense.

So what are McCain’s real intentions?
If truth be told, the McCain tax plan doesn’t seem to embody any coherent policy agenda. Instead, it looks like a giant exercise in pandering – an attempt to mollify the GOP’s right wing, and never mind if it makes any sense.
The impression that McCain’s tax talk is all about pandering is reinforced by his proposal for a summer gas tax holiday – a measure that would, in fact, do little to help consumers, although it would boost oil industry profits.
More and more, McCain sounds like a man who will say anything to become president.
Paul Krugman is a New York Times columnist.
Originally published: April 30th, 2008 01:24 AM

McCain: Children's Healthcare

2008-09-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Before you read the following US Senate votes, in which McCain voted "NO" and Obama voted "YES", you should understand a few facts. Bills get signed into law by the President. Amendments are used to make changes to bills. They can be used to strike (remove things from), add, or modify a bill.

I only mention this because when McCain is questioned about his US Senate votes he often responds by saying, "The bill contained 'pork/earmarks' or tells the person asking the question that he doesn't know where he got that information from. Simply put if you vote against an amendment, you don't want to see it on the bill.

McCain says he is for children but his US Senate votes don't say that, here are some of the votes:

US SENATE VOTES

McCain voted "NO" Obama voted "YES"

Children

This is a BILL it passed McCain voted "NO"

Vote Number: 307 Vote Date: August 2, 2007, 10:18 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: H.R. 976 (Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 )
Measure Title: A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.
Source: US Senate Vote 307

This amendment established a 1% tax on adjusted gross incomes of $500,000 or greater to help end child poverty. Basically if you had deductions that lowered your gross salary below $500,000 you did not pay the tax.

Vote Number: 338 Vote Date: November 17, 2005, 08:42 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2588 to S. 2020
Statement of Purpose: To eliminate child poverty.
Source: US Senate Vote 338

Vote Number: 337 Vote Date: November 17, 2005, 08:23 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2596 to S. 2020
Statement of Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate concerning the provision of health care for children before providing tax cuts for the wealthy.

This is what the sense of the senate was, what McCain voted "NO" to and Obama voted "YES" to:

Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the Senate should not vote to extend the capital gains and dividend tax cuts, a majority of the benefits of which go to households with incomes over $1,000,000, until Congress has taken steps to ensure that all children in America have access to affordable, quality health insurance;
(2) the Senate should vote instead to use the funds generated by the expiration of the capital gains and dividend tax cuts to further the goal of ensuring that children have access to health insurance coverage by--
(A) awarding grants to States, faith-based organizations, safety net providers, schools, and other community and non-profit organizations to facilitate the enrollment of the 6,800,000 children who are currently eligible for enrollment in the State Children's Health Insurance Program but who are not enrolled;
(B) paying to each State with an approved State Children's Health Insurance Program or Medicaid plan, an amount equal to 90 percent of the sums expended for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of enrollment systems determined likely to provide more efficient and effective administration of the plan's enrollment and retention C) establishing a grant program under which a State may apply under section 1115 of the Social Security Act to provide medical assistance under the State Children's Health Insurance of eligible children; and
(Program to all children in their State.
Source: US Senate Vote 337

The Bill for these amendments passed, theses amendments did not make it

Vote Number: 279 Vote Date: October 27, 2005, 05:01 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2287 to H.R. 3010
Statement of Purpose: To increase appropriations for after-school programs through 21st century community learning centers.
Source: US Senate Vote 279

Vote Number: 272 Vote Date: October 26, 2005, 05:03 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2254 to H.R. 3010
Statement of Purpose: To increase appropriations for Head Start programs.
Source: US Senate Vote 272

Vote Number: 269 Vote Date: October 26, 2005, 11:44 AM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2275 to H.R. 3010
Statement of Purpose: To provide additional funding for title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Source: US Senate 269

McCain: Katrina

2008-09-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Before you read the following US Senate votes, in which McCain voted "NO" and Obama voted "YES", you should understand a few facts. Bills get signed into law by the President. Amendments are used to make changes to bills. They can be used to strike (remove things from), add, or modify a bill.

I only mention this because when McCain is questioned about his US Senate votes he often responds by saying, "The bill contained 'pork/earmarks' or tells the person asking the question that he doesn't know where he got that information from. Simply put if you vote against an amendment, you don't want to see it on the bill.

These amendments never made it on to the bills that all passed.

US SENATE VOTES

Hurricane Katrina

McCain voted "NO" Obama voted "YES"

Vote Number: 330 Vote Date: November 17, 2005, 11:47 AM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2602 to S. 2020
Statement of Purpose: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax benefits for areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma and to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes.
Source: US Senate 330

Vote Number: 285 Vote Date: November 3, 2005, 10:43 AM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2356 to S. 1932
Statement of Purpose: To provide emergency health care and other relief for survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
Source: US Senate Vote 285

Vote Number: 234 Vote Date: September 15, 2005, 03:24
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1678 to H.R. 2862
Statement of Purpose: To provide financial relief for individuals and entities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Source: US Senate Vote 234

Vote Number: 229 Vote Date: September 14, 2005, 01:06 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1660 to H.R. 2862
Statement of Purpose: To establish a congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of the United States especially in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath and make immediate corrective measures to improve such responses in the future.
Source: US Senate Vote 229

Vote Number: 226 Vote Date: September 13, 2005, 04:41 PM Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1661 to H.R. 2862 Statement of Purpose: To provide emergency funding for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Source: US Senate Vote 2005/226

Vote Number: 199 Vote Date: July 13, 2006, 03:23 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 4600 to H.R. 5441 Statement of Purpose: To increase appropriations for disaster relief, and for other purposes.
Source: US Senate 2006/199

Vote Number: 6 Vote Date: February 2, 2006, 07:51 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2716 to S.Amdt. 2707 to H.R. 4297 Statement of Purpose: To establish a congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of the United States especially in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath and make immediate corrective measures to improve such responses in the future.
Source: US Senate Vote 2006/6

McCain: Veteran Support

2008-09-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

Before you read the following US Senate votes, in which McCain voted "NO" and Obama voted "YES", you should understand a few facts. Bills get signed into law by the President. Amendments are used to make changes to bills. They can be used to strike (remove things from), add, or modify a bill.

I only mention this because when McCain is questioned about his US Senate votes he often responds by saying, "The bill contained 'pork/earmarks' or tells the person asking the question that he doesn't know where he got that information from. Simply put if you vote against an amendment, you don't want to see it on the bill.

All of the bills that these amendments were for passed, these amendments did not make it on the bills.

US SENATE VOTES

McCain voted "NO" Obama voted "YES"

Veterans
McCain says he supports our veterans yet he votes against them when veteran issues come up in the US Senate.

Vote Number: 98 Vote Date: April 26, 2006, 05:55 PM Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Agreed to Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 3642 to H.R. 4939 Statement of Purpose: To provide an additional $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.
Source: US Senate Vote 98

Vote Number: 63 Vote Date: March 16, 2006, 03:28 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 3141 to S.Con.Res. 83
Statement of Purpose: To provide an assured stream of funding for veteran's health care that will take into account the annual changes in the veteran's population and inflation to be paid for by restoring the pre-2001 top rate for income over $1 million, closing corporate tax loopholes and delaying tax cuts for the wealthy.
Source: US Senate 63

Vote Number: 41 Vote Date: March 14, 2006, 04:22 PM Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 3007 to S.Con.Res. 83 Statement of Purpose: To increase Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.
Source: US Senate Vote 41

Vote Number: 7 Vote Date: February 2, 2006, 08:37 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2735 to S.Amdt. 2707 to H.R. 4297 Statement of Purpose: To support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans.
Source: US Senate Vote 7

Vote Number: 343 Vote Date: November 17, 2005, 10:41 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2634 to S. 2020
Statement of Purpose: To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder.
Source: US Senate Vote 343

Vote Number: 251 Vote Date: October 5, 2005, 09:43 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1937 to H.R. 2863
Statement of Purpose: To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.
Source:
US Senate Vote 251

Vote Number: 248 Vote Date: October 5, 2005, 08:30 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1933 to H.R. 2863 Statement of Purpose: To increase by $360,800,000 amounts appropriated by title IX for Other Procurement, Army, for the procurement of armored Tactical Wheeled Vehicles for units deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to increase by $5,000,000 amounts appropriated by title IX for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, for industrial preparedness for the implementation of a ballistics engineering research center.
Source: US Senate Vote 248