The South Shall Rise Again

Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting anyone from the south?  I'm one of those New England born hot headed liberals that loves my southern friends.  They have a quality of life about them that is more common sense and passionate than people in the north.  People from the south are warm and friendly for the most part and the one thing you notice in a southerner is that they just want to say hello and be friendly.  They love children, love family, love good food, and most of all are very patriotic.  Good virtues that make for good friends and people all around. 

One of my dearest friends lives in North Carolina.  When he speaks it is almost like reading a Mark Twain book but funnier.  His words are to the point and he makes his point clear which is a true southern thing.  We could talk on the phone for hours if not interrupted.  You will always know where you stand with anyone from the south.  But that isn't true with what the southern states elect to represent them?  Why is that?

People like me look at the political actions in the south as hi-jacked.  Family values was somehow manipulated into serving the masters of the plantation or special interests rather than the child that needed food, or love, or a descent education.  Compassion in politics is no longer valid in the southern states of this country in both the Senate and the Congress.  People that live in the south no longer matter to the people they elect.  Checks to political campaigns matter.  The bigger the check the more attention you get.  That is a fact, and it goes against everything that I know of all my southern friends.  But they can not write big checks so their voice is meaningless. 

We have a government that is lost and lacks any leadership.  Us against Them mentality.  There is no longer a working function of our current government.  The congress is hi-jacked by people throwing tantrums on both sides instead of doing the job of finding the common ground.  Both political parties are guilty of it.  Who pays the price for inaction?  We do.

To all my friends in the south, I love ya bunches but ya need to get off the porch and start minding the store.  Your well respected and loved hospitality is being stolen from you by shop lifters that call themselves your representatives in the United States Congress.  Time to see if your voice can reach far enough to make a drop of dew drop off a ripe melon.  The south shall rise again.  Good people will not stand for being kicked by politicians that sold out against their personal family values. 

Franklin Roosevelt loved his time in Georgia, simply because the people were friendly to him and intensely genuine.  In turn, he invested large amounts of his own personal money to build facilities for kids with polio.  He saw the kids, he saw the people, he acted.  You don't see that in any leaders in most southern states anymore.  More for those that have too much and less and less for those that have nothing seems to be more important.  That is NOT a southern quality I would want to be associated with.  Maybe it is time for the south to rise and turn blue again where people matter first?  Just a thought.

Papamoka  

Virginia Foxx Nut Job on Healthcare

I should first start off by offering this little piece of information about the Republican nut job from North Carolina, she claims that every American has health care. I can’t make this stuff up! She said it, believes it, and is freakin’ delusional! I wonder what her net worth is to be able to boast this lie about our healthcare system? “All Americans have healthcare”. Raise your hand if you know of someone that does not have health care? Email Congressmen Foxx if you do not have health care insurance. Check out her statement, you have health care…

(No video, just a sound bite)



Is she right? I hate to say it but she is correct. It’s called an emergency room! That’s the problem Virginia! DUH IS YOU Virginia. That is what is busting our health insurance system. Yes you can go to the ER if you have a medical emergency, and yes you will get patched up and sent home. The issue Mrs. Foxx, God that is ironic (she gets and extra X in her name to differentiate the filth and lies Fox News reports as almost the truth), is that emergency rooms do not and will not treat long term health care problems like cancer, leukemia, muscle disorders like MS or can I go through a plethora of other life threatening medical problems that millions of Americans face every single day. Emergency rooms are not for long term treatment that could save lives!

I’m an American citizen, born here, raised in Worcester County my entire life. I don’t have health insurance. I more or less work for myself now and I can’t get affordable health insurance even from the state of Massachusetts because my parents didn’t have a name for me before they left the hospital that I was born in. My birth certificate reads pure and simple “--- O’Keefe” and the fact that I was a baby boy born to Jack and Louise O‘Keefe. Feel free to call me Dash. The kids are covered but I’m screwed no matter how many times I tried to prove that I am and have been an American citizen.

Do I have long term health problems? You betcha I do and I can’t see the specialty doctors at UMASS Hospital that I had when I was gainfully employed. So I deal with it and live with it. I’m not important in this battle simply because there are so many more people that DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE that are important to this countries future. He or she may be sitting right next to you at this very moment. Without health insurance for all of our people then only the silent voices of the sick and poor will pass out of our range of hearing. That works fine for those of us with tons of cash in the bank and have a voice and pulpit to preach from. It doesn’t work for those of us hoping that the symptoms and progression of our medical issue that grows worse daily will not or does not take us one step closer to the casket. We have so much to offer and Virginia Foxx is lying for the sake of the almighty dollar and whatever connections she has financially to her political office. How do you sleep at night Virginia? Follow the money is always the rule of thumb. I dare to wonder how many skeletons are in the Foxx closet.

Life is precious and anyone that comes out with a statement as moronic as Virginia Foxx’s, that declares all Americans have health insurance should be questioned and that statement vilified. I personally find it more than stupefying that she is so anti abortion and yet she has no problem with letting millions of Americans die each year simply because they have no health insurance. What is the difference Virginia? What is the difference?

This fight for healthcare for all Americans isn’t a right verse left issue. It is a fight for life. Defend your argument against life from the right side of the political spectrum. If you can’t your stance against health care for all, then why is the right side of politics so much against healthcare for all Americans?

Papamoka

Obama Rally Tire Slashing Intimidation

While Obama supporters were inside supporting their candidate for President, someone not of their political philosophy decided to slash the tires on 30 cars. That sure showed them how real politics works! Nobody can honestly say that it was McCain supporters that slashed these peoples tires but then again nobody can say that it wasn’t? Either way you look at it, somebody wanted to send a message to the Obama supporters and the message they sent was loud and clear!

Tires slashed during Obama rally
By Corey G. Johnson
Staff writer

Someone slashed the tires of at least 30 vehicles parked outside the Crown Coliseum on Sunday during a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating. The tires were cut while people were inside the Crown Coliseum listening to speeches, said Maj. E. Wright of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Many of the damaged vehicles were parked on Wilkes Road. Representatives from Obama and Sen. John McCain’s campaigns said they were unaware of the acts.
Susan Lagana, the North Carolina communications director for Obama, said it was extremely disappointing and unfortunate that “people would have to experience something like that.”

Mario Diaz, communications director for McCain, did not respond to a call late Sunday. - Fayettville Observer

The sad part of this whole story is that people from all walks of life are financially hurting and if one or two tires per car were destroyed in this prank then it just cost thirty families a lot of money that they need to just survive the month on. An event like this, vandalism, destruction of private property is not the way to inspire Independent and Moderate voters that are still undecided. Now that a couple of hundred bucks from each of these families has been literally robbed from them, from their children’s mouths, that is one hell of a catalyst to rule out casting a vote for John McCain. And the funny part about all of this is that this story will be read or aired all over the nation and the only one that will be judged for it is John McCain.

I’m sure the local authorities will investigate this matter as best they can but the true culprits will most likely never be caught.

Politically, this works to Obama’s advantage by the worst possible means. If the people responsible for doing this thought it would change the victims of their vandalism vote then they were dead wrong! I’m simply disgusted over this.

If I were advising John McCain though, this could be a negative turned into a posistive advantage to him by likely voters all across North Carolina. Basically, if John McCain stood up for what is right and offered to pay for the replacement tires for each and every single one of these people, he would come out smelling like a rose politically. Before handing out the money he could simply make a small speech and call vandalism like this uncalled for, not what he is about, and outright shameful. That would be the end of this story and the networks would gobble it up in free air time for the McCain campaign.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen though. The McCain campaign does not think in the ways that lift people up and offer hope to those of us that are not in his political tent so to speak. Instead the news coverage from the McCain campaign will be no comment or the calls to the campaign were not returned.

Papamoka

John McCain: Meet Your Fundamentals

Forest City is one of those places in western North Carolina that does not evoke images of much. Primarily because no one has ever heard of it. Nearby is Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, and that's about it. It is, however, a nice place to live; one of those "small towns" with matching "values" that the McCain campaign is quick to extoll, thanks to the Embarracuda, Sarah Palin.

There are no hockey moms or soccer moms. Maybe a bunch of Joe six-packs. It is the essence of what the Republican Party refers voters to when complaining about the evils of liberalism.

But....Forest City was also once a hub of textile activity. After NAFTA the area was devastated by plant closings. One by one the jobs (and machinery) made fast exits for China and Mexico. One remained however. National Textiles (Haynes Brand) still chugged along. In the Fall and Winter, one could see the plume of steam from the National Textiles plant rise in the clear sky. It was like the last candle burning on the cake.

Two weeks ago the evening shift was called together at 8 p.m. The plant was closing. The machinery was going to be relocated to Honduras. Good luck and don't let the door hit you on your unemployed ass. 500 people have been tossed onto the globalization bonfire, but that's small potatos, I guess. But in a small town, that's 500 families, 500 car payments, 500 mortgages. Anyone who has undergone this can relate to the rather implausible future that requires one to adjust from say $17.00 per hour at 40 hours a week to the Walmartized standard of $7.00 with no more than 32 hours a week.

This happened because of the 2005 Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA. So I did a little digging, and this bill passed with a razor thin margin in the House, and by a 55-45 vote in the Senate. The votes were as follows:

Voting in favor:

Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ)

Voting against:

Barack Obama (D-IL)
Joe Biden (D-DE)

Now maybe the adults among those 500 families, tossed into the wilderness by the above votes, will go for McCain because Sarah Palin is cute; winks good, and promises "change." They may, as is the pattern, fall for the "re-education required" to get themselves "decent" jobs in the future. And hey, they are part of the strong "fundamentals" that McCain/Palin insist are strong.

Three weeks from the election and they are getting all the "education" they need. And it's real simple:

Their votes are needed to stop "radicals" like Obama and Biden from winning this election. After that, they won't be needed for anything.

Duke of Madness

Originally posted at Duke of Madness

Gas Shortages in the South East!

Is it not unreasonable for the MSM (Main Stream Media) to not report nationally that there is a severe gas shortage in the South East of America? There are two things that this nation can not function without, one is food, and the other is Gasoline!

After talking with a friend from North Carolina today I heard that most of the gas stations in his state are rationing gas because it just isn’t there. Trucks go to the refineries and end up coming back empty. The local story is that the refineries shut down because of hurricane Ike, they just have not started back up yet.

AAA: Nashville Has Worst Gas Shortage in Southeast

(AP) -- Nashville continues to see the worst gasoline shortage in the southeast.

AAA spokesman Randy Bly said Atlanta and Tallahassee, Fla. are also seeing shortages, but nothing like in Nashville, where long lines and empty pumps have been a common site since Friday morning. - AP and My Eye Witness News

Somebody explain to me why gasoline is abundant in New England but you have to travel from gas station to gas station to fill your tank in the South East? This whole scenario and manipulated shortage of gas wreaks of political punishment to keep red states red! It isn’t bad enough that America is being robbed by the mega bail out for Wall Street but now we have the oil companies manipulating and strong arming Southern States to toe the line of the Republican Party candidate. Big Oil still has not made enough money so they are punishing Red State voters for even thinking about voting Democrat. If I were a die hard Repbulican voter that had to face this level of deception, I would vote for Obama out of shear spite! Screw me, screw you!

There is not one valid reason why gas is being rationed in the South and it all points to corruption and market manipulation. After all is said and done, the Robber Barron’s are still alive and well and wielding their power regardless of what Washington thinks. Vote for the GOP and their candidate for President or you don’t get gas for your car or truck to go to work. Then again, it’s just big oil business doing what they need to do to protect their special interests.

Papamoka

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Obama to McCain… It’s the Economy!

While all the rest of us worker bees are scrambling how to make the rent, the mortgage, and even our food budget, good old boy of the we have more than you private club John McCain is under attack. How dare these liberal Democrat monsters in the media attack Johnny good old boy of the Republican Party? He’s a Conservative with a capital C! Tax breaks for Exxon mean more jobs for, for, … I’ll get back to that later.

Who the hell do these Liberals think they are attacking a POW Vet? He served his nation and he was a military hero forty plus years ago. He’s been to Walter Reed untold amount of times and saw the horror of the hospital for our servicemen and woman and did something about it finally when the Washington Post broke the hospital wide open. He was going to do something about it before the press got there but he was too busy doing other important stuff like voting against increases in VA funding that would have crippled the nation. Greedy crippled veterans should just bite the bullet and pan handle like the rest of the cripples do.

How anyone making under six million a year thinks that cutting taxes on the rich will help our nation in an economic downturn will help is ludicrous and those folks are just out of touch. Do we as a nation not see the service industry of the mega rich that exist in this country. All of those homes don’t clean themselves, the grass just doesn’t pop on over to the local barber shop for a trim. The limo’s and cars don’t wash themselves, and the food just doesn’t fix itself for all of the summer parties about to erupt. Who do you think is going to groom all of the poodles across America? This industry is a necessary requirement if we are going to have them and us. Poor people and lower class people need the rich and supper rich in a quid pro quo economy. There is nothing wrong with a minimum wage job. People do not need to make a living wage or have a car to drive to work when the busses of our nation are running perfectly fine.

Then we have this from that extremist Liberal Party that could not decide if a woman should be their candidate or an African American. Just silly…

Obama took part of his speech from headlines across the nation, noting that the average price of gas just hit $4 a gallon for the first time. The news followed an unusually sharp spike in the unemployment rate on Friday.

Repeatedly linking McCain to Bush, Obama said, "our president sacrificed investments in health care, and education, and energy, and infrastructure on the altar of tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs."

Obama criticized McCain for originally opposing Bush's first-term tax cuts but now supporting their continuation. He said he would increase taxes on oil companies while McCain would reduce them.

"At a time when we're fighting two wars, when millions of Americans can't afford their medical bills or their tuition bills, when we're paying more than $4 a gallon for gas, the man who rails against government spending wants to spend $1.2 billion on a tax break for Exxon Mobil," Obama said. "That isn't just irresponsible. It's outrageous." - MSNBC

Now Obama is selling that we are at war on two fronts? Is he out of touch. He must be a Muslim! Okay, he isn’t a Muslim but he sounds like one… Okay he doesn’t sound like one but we have weapons of mass destruction to defend our oil supply over… No weapons of mass destruction?

John McCain is a joke! Maybe it is the fact that he remembers the last time he pumped gas and it was under a dollar a gallon. Flash back to the video of George H. W. Bush being amazed at scanners in the stores while Christmas shopping? Same scenario just fast forward to 2008. Out of touch!

Maybe our political system is broke but the poor of America have never needed a President more than ever that actually cares about American’s at the bottom of the food chain of our economy. While the Maverick McCain is all about defending the mega rich individuals and corporations you can not say that about the Obama for President campaign. The two sides are night and day and if you need to think about the vote you need to cast then you are making just over a million per year with no worries. Sleep good their pumpkin while another child in America goes to bed without dinner, without health insurance, and most of all without a future.

Them and us, is alive and well in this political race for President.

Papamoka

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