OBAMAUSA.COM

A New Page

FusedLight — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:13:00 GMT

When I was living in South Africa I visited friends in Soweto a number of times. On the wall of almost every living room were two pictures: John Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Today a third picture will be going up there: Barack Obama.

The Dot talked with her daughter in France this morning. People were stopping and talking with any American they could find to tell them of their joy and happiness in Obama's election.

I talked with my friend Rona in London... everyone's abuzz in the tubes about the election.

It's going to be interesting to see who Barack pulls in for his cabinet.

Finally...

Yes We Did.

To the polls...

FusedLight — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:31:00 GMT

In about 15 minutes I'll be off to the polls with my godson and his friend. Both teenagers. Both voting for the first time. Both voting for Obama. I'm hoping every adult in the US is taking at least two new voters to the polls.

And remember....

If you don't vote, you can't complain. No exceptions.

UPDATE:

And... here's the boys after voting for the first time!

Afterwards, we stopped in for our free coffee from Starbucks.

Rest In Peace, Toot

FusedLight — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:22:00 GMT

Barack's Grandmother has died.

How sad that she's missing his day. With any luck, she's up there with Studs Terkel. Stud had been hoping against hope to hang on long enough to see Barack win.

Palin Punk'd

FusedLight — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:09:00 GMT

I had to force myself to watch and, more importantly, listen to this:

You can read a discussion at CNEWS here.

She gushes, she burbles, she makes a garsh-darn (with a wink) fool of herself. First off... it looks like they don't even try to vet the call. Cripes... I should try calling! Secondly, even as the caller drops bomb ("my wife, she is hot in bed!") after bomb (a Hustler video called Nailin Paylin) after bomb (well, really, really, REALLY, bad fake French accents) she doesn't catch on. She just blathers and blathers and blathers.

Good Ghu ... can you imagine her as President?

UPDATE!
Here's the "special American advisor Johnny Hallyday" referred to in the prank:

History

FusedLight — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:19:00 GMT

I collect Mark Twain First Editions. Or at least I did, until they became a bit more pricey than a Simple Programmer could afford. Along the way I started to collect the first magazine appearance of Twain's works. For example, Huckleberry Finn first appeared in Century Magazine in 1884. So, what has this got to do with The Election?

Back in The Day, there wasn't TV. There weren't radios. Just newspapers and magazines. What I try to do when I'm reading Twain in those 1880 magazine is not to think that I'm reading an old, antique, book, but rather that I'm reading those stories for the very first time. And not just the Twain... there was "news of the day", reminiscences on the civil war... it was just like watching 60-Minutes but in print.

So... cast your mind to the future. To folks watching TV footage of this election. To folks calling up long-archived web pages of the candidates. What will they think?

Will they see this point in time as a juncture where a country that was careening off the road into dark future suddenly right itself and get back on track? Will they see a nation that failed to embrace hope descend into bitterness and poverty?

And what of the players? Will Barack be seen as a brave, but ultimately failing, candidate? Will a President Palin be viewed as the last president before the country split into chaos?

I think not.

I think that come Wednesday morning we'll see a nation whose youth and traditionally disenfranchised populace finally stepped off the sidelines and into the voting line. Stepped into a line where they had to wait hours to vote...but stayed there because they new the time to just wait for some else to fix was over.

A few months ago I talked about tipping points. We're at another one.

I'm going to do what I can... I'm going to do some phoning. You can too... go to the Obama Event Site now.

Bussed In - But No Joe

FusedLight — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:24:00 GMT

According to a local school official, and reported in the Huffington Post, 2/3 of the 6,000 folks at the rally were bussed in by the school district. If this sounds familiar, it's just like the bad old days in Russia (nee. Soviet Union) when workers were bussed in to make impressive backdrops to political rallies. Dozens of buses, thousands of students and staff out of their classrooms.

A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses.

What I want to know, was this on the taxpayer's dime?

One person that McCain thought was there was a no-show. Poor John:

We expect this man to co-ordinate the running of the United States and he can't even co-ordinate a rally?

The Daily Show

FusedLight — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:11:00 GMT

Here's Barack last night on the Daily Show:

What I like about this was the conversational nature of the interaction. Barack was talking with Stewart not so much as at Stewart.

Two Gems from the GOP

FusedLight — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:36:00 GMT

First, the nasty one. CNN Reports that a fake flier is going out telling Democrats to vote on the 5th of November. Read the flier here (PDF File). It seems that something like this crops up each year. I never have seen Democrats try to pull one like this. Something about honor, ethics, etc etc.

And then, the silly one. McCain is trying to get an LA TV station to release a tape about a meeting Obama had in 2003 with a Palestinian group in the US led by a chap named Khalidi. Here's the MSNBC story: MSNBC Story.

Here's a quote from the story:

McCain also has ties to Khalidi through a group that Khalidi helped found 15 years ago. The Center for Palestine Research and Studies has received more than $800,000 from an organization that McCain chairs.

So... are we supposed to be mad at Obama because he had a meeting with this guy, or mad at McCain for giving the same guy $800,000? I bet they've had this one sitting in the wings waiting for the final days. Trying to pull a Willy Horton, I'd wager.

Michelle Obama on Tonight Show

FusedLight — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:58:00 GMT

I like her... compared to so many first ladies (to be!) she just feels so "normal".

Good Words from Ron Howard

FusedLight — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:35:00 GMT

Thanks, Ron:

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Hey... and Fonzie, too!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Trickle Up Economics

FusedLight — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:23:00 GMT

Republicans just love their trickle down economics. Make the mucky-mucks happy at the top, and the good times will eventually dribble down onto the hoi polloi. What we've got now shows that they have it exactly backwards. What we are seeing now is, and you heard it hear first...

Trickle Up Economics

I just heard on National Public Radio that the consumer confidence index is at the lowest ever point since they started tracking such things. It gives lie to the "trickle down" that has supposedly happened. What's going on?

The first ones to get hit by an economic crisis are those on the bottom. Low-paying jobs are lost, industry is shut down.
No salary leads to lessened purchases.
Lessened purchases leads to less sales tax being collected.
Lessened sales taxes leads to not enough money coming into the state coffers...
leading to big state deficits.
Which finally ends up with:
Reduced state services to everyone.

Bad times lead to worse times for the state. When the folks on the bottom and middle class can't buy things, everyone is punished. Except, of course, for those folks on the top, insulated by their golden parachutes.

Trickle down just gets those folks underneath sodden with an unmentionable sprinkle, trickle up hurts us all. Tax cuts for the rich, per McCain and company are great for the top. Cutting taxes for the middle, per Obama and company, gets the sales tax sources back in play are helps the economy.

Pipedreams

FusedLight — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:26:00 GMT

Here's an interesting read on MSNBC: Pipeline Process Flawed

Remember Palin's impassioned speech on the pipeline, the great job she did, yada, yada, yada??

The bidding process narrowed the selections down to one company. And, guess what, that company has ties to her administration.
Told by legal advisers not to have direct contact with the bidders, she did so anyway.
A few years earlier, the winning bidder offered to do the pipeline without a state subsidy. This time around, they walked away with a hefty $500 million subsidy.
In doing a feasibility study, the person doing the study used to work for the company.

Of course, the pipeline may never be built. Lots and lots of environmental and legislative hurdles. But as president, Palin could push 'em through. Oh. Wait. The pipeline goes though Canada. So much for pull up there, eh?

Speaking of Canada... that $500 million bonus? Forget "Buy USA!" Tanscanada Pipeline is a Canadian company. Go Canucks!

Now no one is suggesting bribery (hey, how's that for a RNC type statement!), or even an actual quid pro quo, but we are talking about a team that's supposed to be getting rid of those government sweetheart deals. Palin should read about Caeser's wife.

Spending Priorities

FusedLight — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:07:00 GMT

If you can't get your spending priorities straight during your campaign, how can you be expected to get them straight when you're running the country?

A report in MSNBC has revealed that Palin's stylist was paid more than McCain's foreign policy adviser!

Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast, McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500, the report showed.

I guess it costs a lot of money to put lipstick on a hockey mom, eh?

But then again, the stylist getting paid more than the foreign policy wonk shows just how close the McCain camp is to playing things the same way that Bush's crowd did. Hey, we got ourselves the best war that money can by based on high quality advice.

So, to summarize today's lesson:

You can spend a lot of money on flash and get a pretty picture.
You can spend a little money on intelligence and get a nasty war.

Caveat emptor, me lads...

A Desperate Smear

FusedLight — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:31:00 GMT

It doesn't get much lamer or more venal than this: a McCain campaigner fakes getting attacked by a black man:

...told investigators that she suspected the man then noticed a John McCain sticker on her car, became angry and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground and telling her "you are going to be a Barack supporter," police said in a statement.
She said he continued to punch and kick her while threatening "to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter," police said. She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter "B" into her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.

Did she come up with this on her own, or was she talked into it by a campaign operative. Whatever the cause, the aim of the fake attack was to give the message barack supporter = motivates black man = attacks white woman.

That's right folks! You elect the black guy to office and all them uppity colored folks are going to be out there raping and robbing decent white women!

Sounds like at least some in the McCain camp are getting pretty desperate.

UPDATE...

Charges are being pressed... here's more details: The Latest Outrage. The girl is sick...and stupid, to boot. The "B" carved into her face is backwards. Yup... she was looking in a mirror when she did it. "Hey, looks ok to me!" Now it will get very interesting...what will the McCain camp say about this...or will they just pretend it never happened.

An Odd Fashion Sense

FusedLight — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:59:00 GMT

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah... look at what you wore!

(from the Huffington Post)

You'd think for $150,000 her fashion advisers would have picked out something with elephants. Then again, her fashion advisers are probably all closet Democrats and pulled a fast one!

Traveling

FusedLight — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:40:00 GMT

The pound is down the US$1.63 and the Euro is down to $1.32. The Dot and I might just be able to afford a trip overseas next summer without breaking the bank (as if they weren't already broken, eh?). So, what's that got to do with Obama and Company?

Lots.

For the last seven years I've always made sure I've got my "He's not My President!" button on when I travel to Europe. If I'm lucky, I get mistaken for a Canadian. If I'm not, I'm subject to all sorts of rants & rages until I let the ranter know that I'm ranting & raging against Bush and company, too. A lot of folks say "So what if the rest of the world hates us." Guess what? The rest of the world has a choice when buying things. They can buy from us. They can buy from China. They can buy from Russia. So, if you really, really, hate someone, who do you buy from? Certainly not the one you don't like very much. As my late father once said, "I won't appeal to your better nature, for you obviously don't have one, so I'll appeal to your greed."

Being liked overseas is, simply put, better for our nation's bottom line. I've sold my software overseas since the mid 1980's. It's a lot easier to interact with potential customers when they don't think your country is run by idiots.

And what of this election? Check out this Recent Entry in the London Telegraph.

While Obama isn't the universal selection of Europeans, he is head and shoulders above McCain. He's up in the heavens when compared with Bush. The "change" they see in Obama isn't a change towards radicalism, it's a change back to the US working as a partner with Europe rather than a bully. It's a change back to using discourse rather than arms to settle differences. It's a change to building up rather than breaking down.

And that's just Europe. Africa sees a man with the same color of skin. He has ties of blood to Kenya. Africans feel that they will get a fair hearing from a man who has sat with tribal elders as an equal. The middle east sees a man with the middle name of "Hussein". Now that name may raise hackles in the US, but in the Middle East it means that here is a man that won't shoot first and ask questions later. Even though there are no real ties to the Middle East, they'll see that middle name and feel a kinship. And that kinship will bring people to the table that would never come there for a man whose middle name is "Sidney".

I've always been proud to be an American. I've been embarrassed to be one over the last couple of years. When confronted I always say "America's smart. We'll eventually get rid of the idiots and have reasonable people at the top again." This time around I'm pretty hopeful that we will.

Spiro Lives -or- Gary is on a Rant

FusedLight — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:18:00 GMT

I think McCain is an honorable, if misguided, man. I think he's bought into the Big Lie that Bush et. al. have been pushing since Little W. took office. He may even believe it. But, I think he feels very, very, bad when he's done something wrong. It's just that he can't say no to his RNC handlers. We'll probably be seeing a burst of negative ads that will go down well with the unwashed masses, but will in the end give McCain grief whenever he looks in the mirror.

But what about Sarah? We've got:

Ethics issues in Alaska (nothing illegal, but...)
Expense issues (legal by "the book", but...)

Getting paid per-diem to live in her own home while governor.
Getting the state to pay for husband & kids to travel to "state" events.

Acceptance of hate speech at her rallies

She seems excel at "skirting around the edges" of ethical issues. Hence, my title for her of "Spiro Light". Now you kids might not remember good old Spiro T. Agnew, VP under Richard Nixon. Like Palin, Agnew's GOP handlers gave him great lines such as "nattering nabobs of negativism". Palin get's "Drill, baby, Drill". Not as catchy, but she didn't have William Safire as a writer. Why "lite". Palin (at least not to date (hmmm... I'm sounding like one of those GOP folks implying things about Obama, aren't I?)) hasn't been formerly charged with anything, but she sure likes to dip into the public coffers and pull the state strings if it will do her some good. What my stomach tells me is that if Palin were to end up in the VP office (Ghu Forbid!), there would be a lot more found out than what we see now.

Boy, this turned into a real rant, didn't it? I guess I'm just getting Real Tired of Palin's wink-wink, down-home, you-betcha persona. For goodness sake, just look at her... she's a lightweight who's never run anything larger than a middle-sized US city.

Censored!

FusedLight — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:29:00 GMT

Hey! I've gone big-time! A user of the PLATO computer-based education system emulator (See: cyber1.org) has written that I'm censored at his place of business!

I'm censored??? Wow! I've not been so honored since I was almost kicked out of South Africa back in '79 for running a notes file called "indaba"! Woo-Hoo! Luckily my SA friends, black, white, and "colored", stood up for me (as in, "send him back and we all quit") and Control Data backed down. I had to promise to Be Good. Which I was. Mostly.

I must be doing something right, eh?

Charge It!

FusedLight — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:59:00 GMT

Gosh, I wish I could get the state to pay for my kids trips!

Sarah's done it again. Check out this new report at MSNBC.

But wait...there's more. After McCain taps Palin as VP (to quote MSNBC):

After Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate and reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters' travel.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, what with her getting paid expenses by the state while she was at home.

Just what DID McCain do to vet her, anyway???

McCarthy Lite

FusedLight — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:32:00 GMT

It looks like Minnesota's very own Michelle Bachman has gotten on the tiger and is having a heck of a time getting off. This time we don't have a Member Of The Audience making an audacious statement...we have the candidate herself. Take a listen (you might have to click on the title of this entry to see the full entry with the video box)...

She is so out of touch with everyone, Republicans included, that folks are sending in big bucks to her opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg. Big Bucks as in over $750,000 from individual donars. Big Bucks as in the DNC is going to be spending a million on advertising.

What is it with folks like Bachman? Does she live in some sort of alternate reality that was frozen in the 1950's? Back then someone like Joseph McCarthy could rant and rave and no one would call him on it. It's not like that anymore, Michelle...really...it's not. If you make some sort of bizzare statement it will be out on the internet within minutes, if not seconds, of you opening you mouth. There are no dark corners to hide in any more.