Democrats Need to Reach Out Before the Next Election

Good Morning Papamoka Bloggers - The latest gossip out of the recent election is AWESOME! Didn't you hear? The Raw Story is reporting this morning on a Glenn - "wow, the man is nuts" - Beck interview where "Joe the Plumber" supposedly said that John McCain made him "feel dirty" and that Sarah Palin was "the real thing."

I'm sorry, but this is both hilarious and frightening! The random guy that John McCain and the Republican Party made their mascot - Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher - said that he felt “dirty” after “being on the campaign trail and seeing some of the things that take place.” The really funny/sad part is what he said after he had a one-on-one meeting with McCain.

"I asked him some pretty direct questions...they appalled me, absolutely. I was angry. In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him.” Asked why he stuck by McCain's side despite being "appalled" by the candidate, he said, “honestly, because the thought of Barack Obama as president scares me even more.” Unfreakinbelieveable!!!!! Is this guy for real?

“Sarah Palin is absolutely the real deal,” he said. "With Sarah Palin, I don't want to say I felt a presence but she definitely had energy and she definitely went to work for [the] American people, and it disgusts me on how often they try to bash her just for her sincerity. It's just, you know, she really wants to work for America and I mean, I wish people would listen to her and let them, and let her work for us. You know, she wants to serve us. She's not looking for power."

Excuse me Joe, but we did LISTEN. We tried to LISTEN more, but the campaign wouldn't let us. In the end, WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING! Did you listen? Something tells me that your judgement was clouded by something. Joe, we weren't looking for a simple public "servant," we were looking for a president.

I hate to sound like a blue state snob, but COME ON PEOPLE! This is NUTS! Sensible, responsible citizens can only tolerate so much from these idiots. Yes Joe, that judgement of yours makes me think you're an IDIOT! People like you constantly VOTE AGAINST YOUR OWN BEST INTEREST! Not to mention you ruin it for the rest of us.

So, my only conclusion is that Joe is a typical, ill-informed, irrational voter? He was appalled by his candidate but still refused to vote for a good man like Obama because he "scared" him. What the HELL! Why didn't he just go talk to Obama more and GET OVER HIS IRRATIONAL FEAR? I'm sure Barack would have given him an interview if he wanted one. There's got to be more to the story. Oh yea, how about CLOSED MINDEDNESS and RACISM!

We're up against irrational people that buy into "presence" and "morality" and "energy" over actual knowledge, experience and substance. Didn't we hear the same crap from these fools when they voted for George - "the idiot" Fredo of the Family" - Bush? I don't get it. They actually scare me now. They have too much power. They should not be the swing vote for the future.

How many ignorant blue collar racists are out there? Why do they like Sarah Palin so much? Why can't they see that voting based on irrational emotions gave us Bush? Why don't they see the danger in thinking that way? Why don't they see the damage they've already done? Okay, that's enough ranting. Now, what do we do about them? We need to make sure they don't cause any more damage.

When things get better economically in this country, and the American people are once more swayed by fear and divisiveness, then people like Joe will matter again. As Democrats we need to reach out to the "Joes" of this country. We need to sit down with them before the next election to see if we can change some minds - or mindsets. We need to figure out what motivates them beyond fear and hate. We need to agree with them that cuts are important, but that lower taxes often means mortgaging our children's future. We need to become their friends. We need to educate, not intimidate. So, who's with me? Let's DO IT!

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Confusion Over Torture All Started 41 Years Ago Tomorrow

Hello Saturday Papamoka Bloggers - I know we're used to being lied to by our politicians, but I think the confusion over John McCain's Vietnam captivity needs to be acknowledged on the anniversary of his capture.

It is potentially one of the most disturbing tales in American politics. The possibility that he lied about being tortured to win votes makes me very uneasy. I compiled the following from a very interesting article in today's London Times.

I know many of you Republicans are going to accuse me of not trusting an American hero over a Vietnamese jailer, but that's not true. I'm not saying McCain lied. I just think it's important to point out the discrepancies in the stories. Read the article in the Times and make up your own mind. I don't know who is telling the truth.

The Times interviewed his jailer Tran Trong Duyet. They were friends after the war. Duyet claims that McCain received good medical care and was never tortured in any way.

Amazingly, McCain crash-landed forty-one years ago tomorrow. He was supposedly treated for his injuries and spent the next five and a half years as a prisoner. The story accounts differ most when each side describes McCain’s incarceration, first at the prison known as the Hanoi Hilton and later at The Plantation.

Tran Tron Duyet's Version from the London Times
"[Duyet], the former prison director, met McCain a year after he had been shot down. He recalls a defiant rule-breaker, the patriotic son of an admiral and a fervent believer in the war. What he does not recall, however, is a victim of torture or violence."

“I never tortured or mistreated the PoWs and nor did my staff,” says Mr Duyet in contradiction of Mr McCain’s account and those of other prisoners. “The Americans were dropping bombs on military and civilian targets – so it’s not as if they had important information we needed to extract.” Mr Duyet says that he sympathises with Mr McCain and other PoWs for claiming that they were tortured. “It’s up to the Americans to decide whether or not he counts as a hero. He was very brave, very manly, he dared to argue with me and he was very intelligent. But all the talk of being tortured is for the sake of votes.”

McCain's Version from Faith of My Fathers, by John McCain
“I was hauled into an empty room and kept there for four days. At intervals, the guards returned to administer beatings. One held me while the others pounded away. They cracked several of my ribs and broke a couple of teeth. Weakened by beatings and dysentery, with my right leg again almost useless, I found it impossible to stand."

“On the third night I lay in my blood and waste, so tired and hurt that I could not move. Three guards lifted me to my feet and gave me the worst beating yet. They left me on the floor moaning from the pain in my arm. Despairing of any relief from pain and further torture, I tried to take my life.”

I don't know what to think. I guess I should believe McCain since he's a fellow American. It's weird though. What do you guys think? McCain does look permanently injured from possible torture, but supposedly his injuries from the crash were severe too.

You should also be aware of another creepy McCain fact related to Vietnam. Did you know that McCain has been receiving 100% disability payments from the Defense Department since the early seventies, despite his abilities and personal mobility?

Many in the veteran's community still think it's a travesty of justice. That level of disability is usually reserved for highly crippled vets. There are many examples of wheelchair bound soldiers who receive less than 50% disability. The man has too many red flags if you ask me.

I guess I'll just have to believe that John McCain did his best, and whether he was tortured or not, he says he was. I'll just have to give him the benefit of the doubt. That doesn't mean, however, that I am free of doubt. I still don't like the red flags. There are too many mysteries about the man.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's West Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

*****Paulie's Point of View has linked in with and opposing opinion...

Republicans Need to Think This Time, Before They Act

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - I need to ask a simple question of my Republican friends. Don't you need to know more about John McCain's health before you vote for him? His running mate is Sarah - the mystery woman - Palin for God's sake!

The New York Times is reporting, like so many journals and doctors before it, that "serious gaps remain in the public's knowledge about the health of the presidential and vice-presidential nominees." He singles out McCain most of all. You know, the only cancer survivor running for office. Historically, it was common for candidates and their doctors to be very forthcoming, so why aren't you demanding to know more about the health of your 72-year old candidate?

Times Reporter Lawrence Altman, a medical doctor himself, says that not only would McCain be the oldest man sworn in as president, he would be the first cancer survivor to win the office. "The scars on his puffy left cheek are cosmetic reminders of the extensive surgery he underwent in 2000 to remove a malignant melanoma." People like McCain often have recurring episodes. There is every possibility we may wind-up with a President Palin. My God that scares the hell out of me.

Last May, McCain and his doctors allowed a handful of reporters only 3 hours to review nearly 1,200 pages of medical information. The experience left more questions, even confusion, about his cancer. The worst part was how they were disorganized, preventing reporters from learning any conclusions. No offense bloggers, but that is just BS! If you're a responsible voter, than you should be more curious about your candidate's health. He should be disqualified unless you learn more.

Thousands of doctors are doing just that by calling for more complete and accurate information about McCain's cancer, a very severe form of melanoma. Statistically, McCain has an extreme likelihood of death from a recurrence of the cancer. That fact alone should have us all quaking in our boots if you consider a Palin ascendency. The idea scares the hell out of me, and it should for Republicans too.

Both Barack Obama and Joe Biden released recent medical records to the Times showing that they were healthy, though Altman notes that Biden's documents "did not indicate whether he had had a test in recent years to detect any new aneurysm," and Obama's most recent check-up was in January 2007.

"Nothing is known publicly about Ms. Palin's medical history," Altman reports. As usual, the woman is a mystery wrapped in a crap package. The only thing we know about Palin medically is that her water broke while she was at a conference in Dallas and that she flew to Anchorage to give birth. Wow, that's a good reason to be scared right there. The woman is CRAZY!

Personally, I don't trust you Republicans. You voted for George Bush TWICE! You should all be disqualified after that crap fest. Unfortunately, the majority of us who voted for Gore and Kerry lost anyway, because your peeps in power succeeded in stealing both elections. I guess your votes counted more than ours. Even though you should be ashamed and disgraced, the good news is that you now have a chance to make things right. You can vote for Obama this time.

This time you can vote for intelligence over stupidity, brains over brawn, and competence over incompetence. So, stop listening to the the dumb little demon on your shoulder and go and vote for Barack Obama. Don't make another stupid mistake and risk a President Sarah Palin. Please God NO!!!!

We should not all be forced to suffer because you people have a serial-studity problem. Do the right thing. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT THIS TIME!

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

My Fellow Americans, Let's Help John McCain Retire Early

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - Some of you might have heard that McCain called people "my fellow prisoners" instead of "my fellow Americans" during a speech in Pennsylvania yesterday. You can check out the video right here on Papamoka.

To be blunt, I don't trust this man. I believe it was just another way to bring up his past suffering and war record to earn sympathy votes. He must have heard that we were growing weary and tried to be more subtle. It was no slip of the tongue. He was in prison over twenty years ago and we are supposed to believe that he would say something like that. He was in a small cell during his incarceration. How often would he have called out to his "fellow prisoners" anyway. The whole think stinks, just like his campaign lately.

To me it is just one more example of the fake John McCain. In my opinion, despite being a war hero, the man is creepy. There's a report this morning on the Huffington Post about how he attacked a poor woman at a crap's table in Puerto Rico because she touched him. The man must have a screw loose. Who does that? He doesn't have the right temperament or disposition to be president. The man probably shouldn't be in the US Senate if you think about what we've learned lately.

I say that we help him out and let him retire early. Let's learn from the interesting revelations of late and help him settle down into a nice, quiet life. My fellow Americans, and the citizens of Arizona, need to give this man a break. We need to vote for Obama in November, and the good people of Arizona need to vote for somebody else at their next opportunity.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's West Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

September 11 and Politics

When America was attacked on 9/11 I was sitting in my office cubicle doing the job I was being paid to do. I could not get updates other than a customer in New Jersey that kept feeding me the news. When the first tower was attacked, I, like many other people thought it was an accident, when the second tower of the World Trade Center was hit by an airplane I knew it was an act of war. What I didn’t know was who and why? I wanted to go grab my baby girls out of school and know they were safe. My boss declined that request. I should have told him to F off but I didn’t. Five mouths to feed counter acted my need for a job to feed my babies.

Why would people go to such extremes to attack a people that in all respects, no matter how you look at our political philosophies, always reaches out to lend a helping hand? Why? To this day, nobody can answer that question.

Today, I watched a two plus hour depiction of what happened on that tragic day and it got my blood boiling. So many innocent people lost their lives on 9/11 and not one of them deserved it. I’m a die hard liberal and it pissed me off. People jumping out of windows from fifty and sixty or more stories up to their death because they did not want to be burned to death. Reporters on the scene were quoted as stating that the thud of bodies hitting the ground was every couple of seconds.

These people were murdered and I may be a liberal but I am not a pacifist. When you attack my nation I will fight back! When you kill my fellow Americans just to raise awareness of your cause then you piss me off too! America is not a red state or blue state nation or tribal click, we are all Americans when you attack us.

I don’t care where the blame lands as far as what President Bush has done to defend America. He alone has had access to the information to defend this nation and I appreciate the work and sacrifice he has had to bare. We don’t know what he has had to do to protect America so I’m going off the Bush bashing mentality as a liberal blogger.

Which leads me to the next point. Do we want another hundred year war as in the days of the Crusades or to talk to the people that want to kill us all? That is a double edged sword when it comes to politics. We can kill millions of people in response to 9/11 or we can find out what the hell is really going on? Logically, none of this state of affairs makes any sense. We can just continue the status quo or we can find out what the root of the problem really is.

During the Cold War, every American President talked with the Soviet Union. Talking to your enemies is not caving in to your enemy. It's just talking and that is what diplomcacy is all about. One side talks, and then the other side talks. That is how you work out differences. It may not always be the best path but it brings people to a common understanding.

In the mean time, we have one politician running for President intent on a hundred year war and another begging for diplomacy. It is totally up to you how you vote. I’m leaning on the side of diplomacy. I still hate the bastards that killed so many innocent people on 9/11. We as a nation have to move past that point in time or forever be defined by it.

Something is wrong, how we find the balance to understand the reason and madness behind 9/11 is nothing that either McCain or Obama is running on. At this point in time they are running a he said and he said campaign and that is not serving the true spirit of the American people. Life in America is not based out of Baghdad or Iraq?

When McCain and Obama want to talk real issues then maybe we can listen in. Till then, my heart felt prayers are with the many families that lost a loved one on 9/11. Their pain is real, what are you both campaigning for President going to do about it?

If you want to convince Americans how to vote then tell us what you intend to do to protect and defend America! It is frankly that simple.

Papamoka