MOVING AGAIN. New site, SteveEverettBlog.com

Thanks to all subscribers and your donations. I'm moving my blog once more and hopefully this will be THE site for a LONG, long time. Started blogging a couple or so years ago at JustAThoughtThatsAll.com, then moved to SteveEverettRandomThoughts.com. The new site is SteveEverettBlog.com. Simple and to the point.

This site will no longer be updated. Please cancel the RSS feed to this site and go to the new site, SteveEverettBlog.com and subscribe to the RSS feed there.

Daily Dose of Obama Vids -- Episode #54

"If we're going to out compete the world of tomorrow then we must out educate the world of today," Barack Obama.

Video #1: While John McChange spent Tuesday talking about lipstick Senator Obama talked about education for 35 minutes in Dayton Ohio.


Video #2: Senator Obama talks with Judy Woodruff on Thursday.


Flashback Video: 75,000 to see Barack at Waterfront Park in Portland on May 8th, 2008. (3min)


A few of the latest election links:
Senator Obama is set to start calling out the lies from the McCain campaign beginning on Friday. NY Times

Washington Post's E.J.Dionne say McCain is running a "disgraceful, dishonorable campaign of distraction and diversion."

--
cross posted at Daily Dose of Obama Vids .com and Daily Kos.

Will a bridge to nowhere lead to a campaign to nowhere?

Following the Republican convention Senator John McCain enjoyed as much as a 10 point lead in national presidential polls. On Wednesday the latest 4 presidential polls had the race for the White House back to dead even. Why has the momentum now seemingly gone back to the Obama campaign?

Could a now very famous bridge to nowhere in Alaska be playing a part in voters moving toward Obama. Could a failed bridge to nowhere project in Alaska now be causing the McCain campaign to be running a campaign to nowhere?

The problem for McCain seems to be that his vice presidential selection Sarah Palin has been campaigning around the nation stating at nearly all campaign stops that she opposed the over $200 million bridge to nowhere project and that she told Congress, in her words, "thanks but no thanks."

Problem is photos, video and documents have now surfaced showing that Palin was a supporter for the project until Congress cut out the earmark. After Congress removed the earmark for the bridge Palin then went public stating her opposition to the earmark... but... she kept the $223 million dollars. No she didn't build the bridge, but she did keep the money.

Non-partisan journalists have now called her out on this and apparently the American voters are now catching on as well. Will she continue to trumpet her opposition to the project as she campaigns? If she does will this continue to harm the McCain campaign? Only time will give us the answers to those questions.

BLOG BONUS: Election video and links.

Video: Senator Obama on Wednesday. (5min)


Video: Chris Matthews talks about Sarah Palin



Senator Obama talks with David Letterman (link to video)

Senator Obama is preferred 4-1 over McCain in an international poll. (link to the column)

--
Cross posted at Steve Everett Random Thoughts .com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean, Louisville Courier Journal, FloridaToday.com

Palin's political honeymoon is over. Now time to pay some bills.

Alaska governor Sarah Palin appeared to have a blissful and romantic political honeymoon last week with the base of the Republican party. But the week has now ended -- and the honeymoon is over. Now what?

She seemed to have made it through the honeymoon without any major fights with her mates at the Republican convention. She even seemed to enjoy a once in a lifetime exhilarating climax mid-week by reading a script in front of a large convention and television audience.

But oh boy, it's now the week after. Back home from the wonderful honeymoon. Time to unpack and get back to reality and routine. Time to go back to work. Even time to pay some bills. Political bills.

Palin's political bills that are NOW DUE will come in the form of questions that will require answers. Many of these questions if left unanswered will quickly be viewed as PAST DUE by the American voters.

In no particular order some of those questions are:

QUESTION: Governor Palin, what made you decide to no longer cooperate and assist investigators as it relates to the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan? Do you think his dismissal in any way put any of the citizens of Alaska at risk?

QUESTION: Governor Palin, your husband Todd is a confirmed and admitted former member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a political party whose primary goal was to secede from the United States of America. Have you at any time in your life ever suggested to anyone that you believed that Alaska seceding from the United States would be a good thing or agreed with anyone who communicated to you that they were in favor of Alaska seceding from the United States?

QUESTION: Governor Palin, you decided not to build the so called bridge-to-nowhere but you kept the $233 million dollars in federal taxpayer money that was going to be used to build the bridge. In your mind how did you justify that?

QUESTION: Governor Palin, you oppose abortion because you said it is killing something God created yet you are for capital punishment of a person, who is as you call it, God's creation. How old do you require a person to be before you believe it is then okay to kill something, someone, God created?

Optional 2nd question on abortion: Governor Palin you have stated you would be against abortion even if your daughter was raped but that you were in favor of capital punishment. If your daughter's child born from the rape committed a heinous crime when he or she became an adult and was sentenced to death under current law do you think you would continue to support capital punishment?

QUESTION: You support the right to bear arms. Do you have any limits on that right? Does your definition of "arms" include automatic weapons or a bazooka or even a canon. If you draw the line anywhere on the right to bear arms where do you draw it and please be clear and definitive if possible.

QUESTION: Governor Palin, you have opposed funding for sexual education in public schools in Alaska and have indicated you believe it is best for the youth of Alaska to be taught sexual education in their homes. For the children who do not receive factual information in the area of sex, unwanted pregnancy prevention and prevention of sexual transmitted diseases in their homes, if it is also not provided for them in the public schools do you have any suggestions of another avenue where these children could receive this information?

QUESTION: Governor Palin, you have stated that you are in favor of teaching creationism in the public schools. Is it your opinion that creationism should be part of a school district's science curriculum? If yes please tell the American people your rational for that stance.

Optional 2nd question on creationism:
Governor Palin, you have stated that you are in favor of teaching creationism in the public schools. Did your own personal religious beliefs play any part in you arriving at that decision? If your answer is yes then if a Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist were elected governor of a state in America would you feel it would be proper for them to inject their personal religious beliefs into public school curriculum?

QUESTION: Governor Palin, you have stated that you do not believe in global warming. All of the academies of science in all of the major industrial countries in the world do believe in global warming. Do you have some information you would like to share with us that perhaps these academies of science do not have?

These are a few questions I HOPE that the powers that be in the American media will one day get around to asking Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. These are but just a FEW questions that the American voters deserve answers to before November 4th, 2008.


Video of a recent Alaska news report on Governor Palin (2min)


--
Cross posted at Steve Everett Random Thoughts .com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean, Louisville Courier Journal, FloridaToday.com and DailyDoseOfObamaVids.com.

Daily Dose of Obama Vids -- Episode #53, "they're trying to run against themselves"

A few quotes from today's videos.

• "they're not telling the truth"
• "just won't fly"
• "they're trying to run against themselves"
• "the American people aren't stupid, they will get it"
• "the Republicans can't govern but they run smart campaigns"
• "under George Bush with an assist from John McCain"
• "all the things John McCain says are bad she (Governor Palin) lobbied to get, and got a whole lot of it"
• "you can't just recreate yourself, the American people aren't stupid"

Video #1 & #2: Senator Obama talks with Keith Olbermann on Monday.

Part 1: (10min)


Part 2: (9min)


Video #3: Senator Obama's new ad. (30sec)


Video #4: Senator Obama talks to voters in Flint Michigan on Monday. (4min)


Bonus video: Thank you Sarah Palin for the kind words. She seems to think much more highly of Senator Obama when she speaks from her heart than when she speaks from her script. (Sept. 3rd, 2008 interview, 45 seconds)


--
cross posted at Steve Everett Random Thoughts .com, Daily Dose Of Obama Vids .com and Daily Kos.

Daily Dose of Obama Vids -- Episode #51 "they must think you're stupid".

Let's play "Find the Quote!"
Here are a few quotes that are in today's videos. Did you hear them in the video? If not you didn't listen closely :-)

• "They must think you're stupid"
  

• "there'd be a gopher hole"
  

• "no more begging for Veteran disability payments"

In the comments let everyone know what your favorite quote or quotes from today's videos were.

Video #1: Barack in Terra Haute. He's on top of his game here. I wish election day were tomorrow. November 4th can't come soon enough for me and tens of millions of others I'm sure. It will be mind boggling what Senator Obama can accomplish when he can focus 100% on solving problems for Americans and not have to respond to John McSame and his cronies' mindless statements and proclamations. (10min)



Video #2: Senator Obama responds to the republicans mockery of everyone in America who has ever been been motivated to become involved with community organizing. (Sept. 4th in York, PA. 1min)



Video #3: Senator Obama responds to the Republican convention. (Sept. 3rd in New Philadelphia, OH, 1min)




Flashback video: Aiken SC on October 10th, 2007. Barack with the lady who got the "fired up, ready to go" started. I don't know about you guys but I'm STILL fired up but now I'm fired up and ready to FINISH on November 4th, 2008 what will be the first step in a long journey that will hopefully lead to the restoration and recovery of our great nation.



-----
Cross posted at Steve Everett Random Thoughts .com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean, Louisville Courier Journal, FloridaToday.com and DailyDoseOfObamaVids.com

Steve Everett is a former award winning sports editor and now writes a daily blog on a wide range of issues.

Thank you Sarah Palin, for the $10 million donation!

Oh my. The adrenalin has slowed. The dust has settled. And just what was the result of Alaska governor Sarah Palin's speech last night at the Republican convention.

The numbers are in. $10 MILLION IN DONATIONS!!!

Yippi, the Republican base came through right. They must be ecstatic at what Scandal-a-day-Sarah stirred up in donations.

Wait a minute. Wait just a minute. I'm getting corrected here. Yes, I'm being told that $10 MILLION IN DONATIONS were received in just 24 hours following Scandal-a-day-Sarah's speech. But. But, wait, I'm still getting reports.

Oh no!!! It can't be. The $10 MILLION IN DONATIONS in just 24 hours following Scandal-a-day-Sarah's speech WENT TO THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN!!!

Say it aint' so. Please someone SAY IT AIN'T SO!

Still you may ask. Surely Senator McCain's campaign (Republican National Committee) received donations following Palin's rousing attacks on Senator Barack Obama. Yes, yes the McCain campaign did receive donations, around one million dollars.

Hmmm. Palin gives a speech. The following 24 hours Senator Obama receives $10 MILLION in donations and McCain receives one million.

Hmmm. Maybe the Obama campaign should buy say, 30 minutes of tv time for governor Palin once or twice a week so she can give a speech to the American people? You know at a ten to one ratio, that might not be a bad investment.

-- blog bonus

As an Obama supporter I'd like to include a short video of Senator Obama's response to this week's Republican swiftboating attempts.

Will McCain be bailin' on Scandal-a-day-Sarah Palin?

Political pundits from the left AND THE RIGHT across the nation continue to be befuddled by the choice of an unknown Alaskan governor being John McCain's pick as his vice presidential candidate. Republican pundit Peggy Noonan said yesterday "it's over".

Many reports initially stated that it was apparent that McCain's choice received minimum vetting and was rushed due to the Republican Convention getting underway. Some reports say McCain had only met Palin once in his life.

That lack of vetting now appears to be coming back to haunt Team McCain with several reports out that Governor Palin has made several recent statements that have been untrue.

The most damaging of Palin's misstatements may be what many are calling Troopergate. Apparently Palin may have fired a public safety officer for personal reasons which could have put the safety of Americans in Alaska at risk.

A few quotes from Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential selection Sarah Palin

• "I'm a mom, and my son is going to get deployed in September, and we better have a real clear plan for this war. And it better not have to do with oil and dependence on foreign energy."

• "Something's kind of changing here in Alaska, too, for being such a red state on the Presidential level. Obama's doing just fine in polls up here, which is kind of wigging people out, because they're saying, 'This hasn't happened for decades that in polls the D' "--the Democratic candidate--" 'is doing just fine.' To me, that's indicative, too. It's the no-more-status-quo, it's change."

• "I can’t claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled."

• "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

• " I want to know that we have an exit plan in place."

A few of Palin's political positions

• In 2002, while running for lieutenant governor, Palin called herself as "pro-life as any candidate can be. She opposes abortion for rape and incest victims,[96] supporting it only in cases where the mother's life is in danger. Palin does support contraception, and is a prominent member of Feminists for Life, which takes no position on that issue. However, Palin has said she is in favor of the death penalty.
• She does not support re-legalizing of marijuana in Alaska despite using the drug herself at a time when it was legal under Alaska (but not Federal) law, stating concerns about the message re-legalization would send to her children.
• According to Time, Palin's foreign policy positions were not clear at the time she was picked, but she has called for an exit strategy to bring the troops home from Iraq.

Comments about Palin:

• Alaska Republican State Senate President Lynda Green "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"

• Former Alaska House Speaker Gail Phillips, "This can't be happening, because his (McCain's) advance team didn't come to Alaska to check her out."

• "I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she's a woman." Faye Palin, Governor's Palin's mother-in-law who also says she's still undecided on who she will vote for in the presidential election.

Palin and her husband are reported to be a former members of the Alaskan Independence Party. This is what the founder of their group had to say about America:

• Alaskan Independence Party founder, Joe Vogler said "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government and I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."

Palin photos:

That's the Republican vice presidential candidate while in college wearing a t-shirt that says. "I may be broke but I'm not flat busted"

She likes to kill animals

And yes she likes to wear them too. That's real fur.



As a supporter of Illinois Senator Barack Obama as the next president of the United States I say this to you Senator McCain for the selection of your vice presidential running mate. Thanks for the early Christmas present. Ho ho ho!

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Cross posted at Steve Everett Random Thoughts .com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean and Louisville Courier Journal. Steve Everett is a former award winning sports editor and now a freelance blogger who has been referenced in USA Today and various other publications.

Joe Lieberman: The ultimate political opportunist.

This blog doesn't really need a lot of commentary. The video really says it all. But I won't be too lazy with it.

Joe Lieberman lost his Senate Democratic primary in 2006. Did Joe bow out gracefully? No. He started his own party called Connecticut for Lieberman and finagled and rooked his way back to the U.S. Senate. Now Joe has found a new love. The Republican party. Joe even decided to speak this week at the Republican convention. So what did Joe have to say about George Bush, John McCain and the Republican party just 4 years ago. Do these guys not know that video tape exist? Watch and listen... and enjoy. I certainly did.




Joe Leiberman and George Bush share and affectionate moment.


Hopefully in 2012 the good citizens of Connecticut will remove Joe LIEberman from the United States Senate. Then he can spend all the quality time he wants with George down in Crawford. Hunting, fishing, camping... will that be one tent or two?

-----

Cross posted at SteveEverettRandomThoughts.com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean and Louisville Courier Journal.

Senator John "I was a P.O.W." McCain

Why, why Senator McCain must you entangle the fact that you were a P.O.W. into almost every question that is asked to you?

Yes, you served your country honorably. Yes, you went through a horrible situation and endured unthinkable suffering. But you didn't do that in order to help yourself win a political election. You did that because you believed in America. So please stop reducing yourself by bringing up your P.O.W. history at almost every stop and every television interview. Let others do that if they feel it's relevant in this election.

You weren't treated well and to your credit you have been a strong and independent voice in the Republican party in recent years in denouncing torture and you told the American people that the Bush administration committed torture when they waterboarded P.O.W.'s that are now in American custody. The courage you had to speak up is something all Americans should admire and appreciate.

But please Senator, I ask of you. Let others sing your praises. It sounds much more in tune that way.



-- snippets from this blog were reference in the USA Today print and online editions. Link to the USA Today column.

-- cross posted at SteveEverettRandomThoughts.com, Daily Kos, TPMCafe.com, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nashville Tennessean and Louisville Courier Journal

Will it be up to Obama to catch Osama?

It's been almost 7 years ago that Osama Bin Laden gave the signal to his troops to hijack and pilot planes into American landmarks killing thousands of innocent people.

Has Bin Laden been arrested? No. Will he be apprehended before the Cheney and Bush folks leave office? Doesn't seem likely. Maybe the Cheney and Bush folks will give the American people a big October surprise and bring Osama out of hiding? Or will Bin Laden just continue to put out his video of the week?

More than likely it appears this will be passed on to the next American administration along with the $9 trillion dollar debt and the recession and rebuilding New Orleans and rebuilding ground zero and so on. But as far as Bin Laden, Barack Obama has been leading in most polls for the past couple of months... so will it be up to Obama to catch Osama?

If Senator Obama is elected I expect that Osama's days as a free man and prolific video producer will rather quickly come to an end (within 6 months) and America as a nation and the families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attack will at last have a semblance of justice for their murdered family members.

-- cross posted at Daily Kos

Appeared as a letter-to-the-editor in the print and online editions of the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. (link to)

Solutions for improving health care in America

• More professionals in the health care field. More doctors, more nurses, more hospitals, just more people trained and working in the field of health care. This will provide more Americans with quality jobs and also will bring down the cost of health care due to the oldest law in economics, supply and demand.
  
• More preventative care and testing.
• More access to health care education and training for everyone not just those who can afford it. Any young person who has the aspirations and capabilities of being a health care provider or researcher should not be denied that training because they can't afford it.
  
• I believe in capitalism but I believe capitalism like anything else has its limits and for me a making huge profits off of sick people is pushing capitalism too far. There must be oversight on the health insurance industry and all aspects of the health care industry. That being said I also understand and believe to attract our best and brightest that health care providers must be allowed to make a comfortable living for themselves.
  

Stronger and enforceable international justice system is needed.

I believe withing the next decade or so a strong push will occur for a much stronger international justice system and a much more comprehensive creation of international laws.

Technology is connecting the world, bringing us all much closer together, if not geographically we are closer together as far as communication and interaction. I believe within the next 20 to 30 years, certainly by the year 2050 that an international justice system will be advanced, developed and enforceable enough that the need for national armies will begin to go away.

By the turn of the next century national armies will no longer exist. The developed and enforceable international justice system will be the instrument that nations use to resolve disputes such as boundaries, resources, etcetera.

The trillions of dollars spent annually on national defense by nations across the world can then be spent on fighting disease, housing and nutrition for everyone, etcetera.

Obama proposes 21st century VA

The Walter Reed disgrace shown a spotlight on the facts that the current administration is much more gung-ho on sending young Americans in to battle than they are about caring for them when they return home wounded.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has a different view. He says " "Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."

In keeping with those views Senator Obama has proposed the creation of a 21st century VA. His plan would overturn the 2003 ban of some veterans and allow ALL veterans back in.

His plan will strengthen all areas of care and have a ZERO tolerance for this nation ever again allowing tens of thousands of veterans to be homeless in America.

His plan will ensure a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life and will fully fund the VA, hire additional claim workers and transform paper claims to electronic.

While in the Senate Obama has passed legislation to improve care and remove red tape for our veterans. As president, his administration, unlike the current one, will give veterans the respect, treatment and care they deserve and an Obama administration will ALWAYS place the interests of the men and women in uniform in the U.S. Military ahead of the for-profit private contractors.

-- Cross posted at Daily Kos

Gore Launches $300 Million Climate Change Initiative

WeCanSolveIt.org

AliveInBaghdad.org; Don't forget about these guys

Most of us in America really can't comprehend what the everyday citizens in Iraq have gone through since 2003 when draft dodgers King George and Prince Cheney ordered the beginning of Operation Iraqi Destruction and Operation Iraqi Free Money.



I have seen no better outlet providing what is really going on there than AliveInBaghdad.org. Brian Conley is the sites founder and they normally try to get out at least one video a week from Iraq. A podcast subscription is available and they also have a youtube channel.

I have no direct affiliation with the site, so with that disclosure I would like to note that the AliveInBaghdad.org gets it monetary support from readers. There's a paypal donate button on the site.

Brian, thank you for what you have done. Through your work and website I can at least feel I have some idea of how the lives are going for regular citizens in Iraq. Hopefully someday your site will not be needed or be necessary, a sentiment I think you probably also share and a sentiment that probably the good people of Iraq, whose stories you have found a way to bring to us, also share.

--

Cross posted by Steve Everett at Daily Kos

Fired U.S. Attorney McKay says Alberto Gonzales (and others, Rove?) likely to face criminal charges as early as next month

Concerning the ongoing investigation of the Office of the Inspector General McKay was quoted yesterday in the Spokane Spokesman Review as saying, “My best guess is it will be released sometime next month,’’ and likely will include recommendations for criminal prosecutions of Gonzales and maybe others." McKay was interviewed for 8 hours during the investigation.

McKay was quoted as saying “The chief law enforcement officer for the United States should not lie under oath."

McKay also said he thought that he and the seven other U.S. attorneys were likely fired for political reasons with the strings possibly being pulled by Karl Christian Rove.

Dean Martin, 1956, That's Amore

Ran across another Dean Martin video on youtube, 1956, That's Amore. They just don't writer 'em or sing 'em like this anymore, and that's sad.

Jimmy Carter Youtube clip: Does Bush torture? "I don't think it, I know it"

I think Carter is almost certainly right on this one but I do disagree with a statement he made later in the interview in which he said charges probably shouldn't be brought. Was he just being politically correct or is that how he really felt? I'm not sure what the answer is but how is American ever going to get any respect back from the international community if the citizens in effect harbor criminals who committed torture?

Brooke Astor

New York City will never again be quite the same with the recent passing of who many called the first lady of the city, 105 year old Brooke Astor. Astor spent the last several decades of her life dedicated to philanthropy giving away tens of millions of dollars throughout the city's five boroughs. In the New York Times death notice they included lyrics from the great Sinatra hit Young At Heart.

"And if you should survive to 105,
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive.
Then here is the best part,
You'll have a head start,
If you are among the very young at heart."

A kiss is just a kiss (see video below)

Lyrics from the song "As Time Goes By" from the 1942 movie Casablanca

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

Hidden camera splash

Enough with politics. Take a quick look at this hidden camera practical joke from youtube.

Look at who profited most from the war

Do you want to know why this Dick Cheney-George Bush/Iraq war was started. Just take a look at who has benefited the most financially and you will get your answer. I'll give you a few clues to get your research started, Exxon Mobile and other oil companies, Haliburton and their subsidiaries (Blackwater etc.), and other industries involved in the production of products used in the war -- the military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned about.

Most all criminal activity, when one gets to the bottom of it, is usually, primarily, simply about making a buck.

-- Published in the print and online editions of the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle.

Saddam Hussein vs George Bush on pay-per-view?

I know, I know, hindsight is 20-20 but wouldn't it have been a much better idea instead of the Iraq war to have just put George Bush and Saddam Hussein in a boxing ring and let them go head to head in a pay-per-view match?

The hundreds of millions of likely proceeds could have been cut, let say, three ways. One third going to finance the capture of this guy Bin Laden who orchestrated the murder of over 3000 innocent people, another third to a college education fund for the children of those killed in the World Trade Centers and the final third to help improve the health care and nutrition needs of innocent Iraqi children suffering and dying from sanctions imposed on their country throughout the 1990's (the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, UNICEF, estimates around 500,000, yes five---hundred---thousand Iraqi children died as a result of the sanctions from lack of medical supplies, malnutrition and diseases caused by lack of clean water).

Interesting world we live in, huh?