Exposing Republican LIES about Benghazi and their LIES against Hillary Clinton.

I am so tired of the Republican LIES about Benghazi! How dare them utilize the death of an American Ambassador and 3 other Americans for their own political gain. They've attacked our President, our Secretary of State, the Defense Department, and the CIA.

Let's expose:
THE REPUBLICAN LIE: "There was a seven hour long attack against the Ambassador at the Libyan Embassy in Benghazi. There was plenty advance warning that this would happen, yet no help was sent and 4 Americans were killed. The president was so concerned about his re-election campaign, he refused to send them help and tried to minimize the al Qaeda attack by sending his friend from the United Nations on the talk shows to blame a video. That way he could continue his lies that al Qaeda is diminishing."

As I've previously reported, AMERICA WANTS THE TRUTH ABOUT Benghazi, NOT Republican LIES!! When you read THE FACTS, you'll realize the depth of the Republican LIES!

The FACTS:

1. The attack occurred on 9/11/12. The attack was NOT at the Libyan Embassy but at an annex to the Embassy in Benghazi, a thousand miles away.
2. On 9/11/12, protesters were protesting about the video at the Libyan Embassy in Tripoli, and also at the Cairo Embassy in neighboring Egypt as well at other embassies throughout the Middle East.
3. The attack was NOT 7 hours long at the Annex, it was 2 hours long and the attackers were scared away by Drones sent by Washington.
4. Everyone thought the attacks were over when the attackers ran away after the Drone strike.
5. The Ambassador was still alive after the attacks and was taken to a hospital by Locals. He died later from smoke inhalation. The Ambassador's IT guy was shot and killed during the attack.
6. About 5 hours later, a CIA annex about 5 miles away was attacked. During the CIA attack, an officer and a former navy seal (who was working as a contractor) were killed. The attackers were thwarted after about an hour and local law enforcement assisted in helping remaining Americans flee the city safely.
7. The attackers were NOT al Qaeda. They were a Local Militia. There are thousands of local militias throughout the Middle East and in the U.S. The attacking local militia was said to have al Qaeda affiliation. Whether that affiliation was through the internet or through their "Mission Statement" hasn't been defined.
8. This militia attack sprung up out of nowhere. There was no indication throughout the day that this was going to happen, unlike the Tripoli and Cairo Embassy protests, which were violent throughout the day.
9. The letters the Ambassador wrote were regarding the increased level of threats across Libya, especially in Tripoli.
 
The facts REFUTE the Republican Lies!
The Facts PROVE the Defense Department, the CIA and Washington did respond and did investigate. The proof was in their sending of the Drones which caused the militia to run away.

The right wing started their attacks immediately after the attacks, starting with Mitt Romney. Talk Radio has relentlessly spread their lies and conspiracy theories -- so much that most people don't know these actual facts.

President Obama Nominates Mexican American Julian Castro as HUD Secretary. Next step, 2016 Clinton-Castro for President - Vice President!

Great News! On Friday, President Obama nominated San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as HUD Secretary. (Housing and Urban Development)

I like Julian Castro. He is smart, raised by a fine mother, politically savvy, a rising Mexican American Superstar. Julian has done an excellent job of “revitalizing one of our most wonderful cities,” as our President Obama said in making the announcement. He described Julian as someone who has “worked his tail off to achieve the American dream.”

I like Julian Castro. I want him to be Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016. They will WIN! They will represent ALL OF US in Washington! Pass Immigration Reform! Support Healthcare for All. Represent the 99%.

So Tired of Republicans, Especially the Evil Ted Cruz!

I am so tired of Republicans and their stupid, racist agenda.

Ted Cruz is the worst. Evil. Hate filled. Spewing his racist rhetoric against our President.
Canadian Cruz, unpatriotic, cheers Putin and chastises our President. How Evil!
What kind of IDIOT would support radical, racist Cruz? His Father fought with Castro.
The weakling traitor backstabbed his friend Castro, then ILLEGALLY came to America. Married an American Immigrant from Europe and ran off to Canada and gave birth to the ANTI Latino Ted Cruz. Cruz is the epitome of ANTI American. Evil Ted Cruz!

Latinos.
We need to Pay Attention to this Evil Incarnate Cruz.
He hates his own ethnicity.

Evil, Evil Cruz!

Register to Vote in the 2014 Elections.
We have to STOP Republicans.

They threaten to take away our Liberties.
They want to take away Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
They support the 1 percent and HATE us, WE THE PEOPLE!

Latinos... I call on you... REGISTER TO VOTE!

VOTE AGAINST THE EVIL AGENDA OF REPUBLICANS!

San Antonio! I call on South Texas, South New Mexico, South Arizona and Southern California.
REGISTER TO VOTE AND VOTE!

PLEASE VOTE!!! in 2014. VOTE STRAIGHT Democrat.

Do this for ALL OF US!
Do it for the LIBERTIES of AMERICA!
Do if for the AMERICAN DREAM!!!

God Bless America!
God Bless Our President Barack Obama!
God Bless Our Next President, Hillary Clinton!!

Counting the Days Until Hillary Declares her Candidacy

There are so many of us Latinos, Women, Old People and Minorities COUNTING THE DAYS until Hillary Declares her Candidacy.
Hillary is our Advocate.
Hillary is our Heroine.
Hillary will FIGHT for OUR CAUSES!!
Hillary Believes in Equal Rights, Women's Rights, Minority Rights.

God Bless America! God Bless Hillary!

(And Rand Paul and Canadian Ted Cruz can rant and rave all they want. We The People can't stand them!)

Hillary Clinton: "Why do extremists—in every country—want to control women? .. Women have a RIGHT to make their OWN CHOICES!"

God Bless Hillary Clinton!
This weekend, at the "Women In the World" - International Summit, she said, "Why do extremists—in every country—want to control women?" The Secretary of State said that even the U.S. ought to live its own values because "America needs to set an example for the entire world."

Debt Ceiling Raised, but at What Cost? Our President & Dems Bent Over and took the Satan Sandwich! Mr. President Stand Strong or Step Aside!

The Debt Ceiling has been raised. Congress has passed the bill, rife with homage to the insane Tea Party Republicans. Our President has bowed down to their demands. He lost command of the dialogue. He AGAIN has conceded to the "right of Center."
In this bill:
. Tax Cuts for the Rich are continued!
. We will see massive Reductions for the Poor and Middle Class.
. No extensions for the Unemployed.
. Possible impact to Medicare and Unemployment

The idiotic Tea Party is still upset. Those white haired, medicare recipients are STILL insisting on Voting NO to the Bill. These zealots advocate even more Reductions in Medicare and Social Security. These zealots who are ON SS and Medicare DO NOT HAVE A CLUE of what they are asking for.. instead they are being led blindly by their Tea Party Leaders, the Koch Brothers, who wrote their agenda:
1. Continued Tax Cuts for the Rich
2. Continued Outsourcing Overseas
3. the END to Regulations
4. the END to the Minimum Wage
and to FUND their demands, put the cost on the Lower & Middle Americans by:
1. End Medicare and Social Security
2. End Education as we know it today
3. Continue Guest Workers while Mass Deporting those 12M here!

If we let the TeaParty/Republican extremists win, we are DOOMED to having only two classes of Americans, the very Rich, and the very Poor. We will be like apartheid South Africa.
The Tea Party extremists are too ignorant to know what they are asking for!

I am worried that our President is too weak to FIGHT the extremist Right Wing! He keeps giving in to their demands. What are WE Loyal Americans of ALL ethnicities to do??
I believe we need to send a message to our President.
Ask him to stand STRONG to OUR CAUSE! Otherwise, if he insists on Staying Weak and bending over to the Extremist Right Wing, he must step down. Step down and support someone who can take up the reigns of WE THE PEOPLE!

Mr. President! Stand Strong! Stand Firm!
or
Step Down!
Allow Hillary Clinton to take the reigns for WE THE PEOPLE!
For now, Mr. President, WE THE PEOPLE are Behind you.
However, IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE, STEP DOWN and ALLOW HILLARY TO STEP IN!

Let Level Heads Proceed Regarding How We Respond to the Turmoil in Egypt! Support our President and Hillary!

Egypt is on the midst of Revolution. They are deposing their current Leader, President Hosni Mubarak. The protesters have demanded Mubarak resign. Large groups of protesters, in the thousands, gathered across Cairo, their Capital city. The marchers are demanding Mubarak step down. They are tired of the division of classes, the mistreatment of women and years of neglect, rampant poverty, continuous unemployment and rising food prices.

For years, they had been promised Democratic elections. With years of broken promises and with his plans for Mubarak to hand over his Presidency to his son, the people revolted.

There were smaller protests in Assiut south of Cairo and al-Arish in the Sinai peninsula. Regional television stations were reporting clashes between thousands of demonstrators and police in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and Minya south of Cairo. At the upscale Mohandiseen district, at least 10,000 of people were marching toward the city center chanting "down, down with Mubarak." The crowd later swelled to about 20,000 as they made their way through residential areas.

Foreign governments have been leery about getting involved in this internal strife. However, they have stepped up their warnings about travel to Egypt, with several urging their nationals to evacuate as soon as possible, further fueling uncertainty over where the Arab nation is headed after nearly a week of mass protests.

We, in America, are very fortunate to have level heads in Washington. The U.S. appealed for an orderly transition to lasting democracy in Egypt even as escalating violence in the Mideast threatened stability in that Region and put President Barack Obama in a diplomatic bind.

Why is there a Diplomatic Bind in the Middle East? Even though Mubarak is a Dictator and has broken his promises regarding Democratic elections to his people, he has been our ally in the Middle East. This is so critical since we still have our military in Iraq and Pakistan. For decades, Egypt's Mubarak's administration helped maintain stability in the Middle East. Mubarek was the first Nation to sign the Peace Treaty with Israel. And those of us over forty remember when Iran's people rallied on the streets for Democracy in the 1980s, ousted the Shah of Iran and brought back the Ayatollah Khomeini, putting him back in power; and one of the student leaders who helped put him back in power was the current President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who we are now struggling with as Iran attempts to build up their nuclear weaponry. We remember the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1980 when these same students who overtook the American Embassy and kept our people hostage for 444 days. However, some may argue, that at least part of the responsibility for these tragic events was due to America's/CIA's continued involvement in other countries' governments.

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton refused to speculate on the future of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or his teetering government. But she and U.S. officials said, "obviously we want to see people who are truly committed to democracy, not to imposing any ideology on Egyptians."

Hillary warned against a takeover resembling the one in Iran in 1980, with a "small group that doesn't represent the full diversity of Egyptian society" seizing control and imposing its ideological beliefs. Hillary's comments came as President Obama's administration continued to observe the fast-moving situation in Egypt. Left largely unsaid is the growing fear that a government hostile to the U.S. could gain control of such a large and important Arab nation.

I, for one, am glad of one thing. We have sane, level, thinking heads in Washington right now. Sarah Palin and John McCain's song "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" continues to resound in my head. And GOP Conference Chairman Thaddeus McCotter saying to stand behind the Dictator Mubarek and stop the protestors. (Yikes...How Dangerous!)

We need to stay out of this mess until their own country determines their destiny. We need to support our people in getting out of Harm's Way and returning home to America. We The People Need to Support our President and our Secretary of State. Let Level Heads prevail!
PS: My Fellow Americans -- Know that at the end of the day, one thing that will surely impact us as a result of all of this conflict: OUR GAS PRICES ARE SURE TO GO UP! Please... DO NOT BLAME OUR ADMINISTRATION FOR THE INEVITABLE!

Breaking News: North Korea Pardons Jailed Journalists After Bill Clinton's Visit

Good Job Bill, Hillary and President Obama!! Bill Clinton's private Peace Mission to release the journalists was successful.
Message to Republicans: Peace and Diplomacy works!!
ABCnews reports:
North Korea Pardons Jailed Journalists After Bill Clinton's Visit
North Korea's state agency said the country's leader Kim Jong-Il pardoned two jailed U.S. journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, just hours after former President Bill Clinton arrived in the country. Clinton, who took a surprise trip to the country to negotiate the release of the two journalists, met with them earlier in what was a very emotional meeting, a government source told ABC News. The source, who has knowledge of the Clinton team's mission, was hopeful that the two will leave North Korea tonight for the United States, possibly even on the same plane as Clinton.

Clinton arrived in Pyongyang early Tuesday and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il to talk about the two journalists, who were arrested after straying into the country while they were reporting on the Chinese-North Korean border. Ling and Lee were later convicted and sentenced to 12 years hard labor. The White House today had little to say about the former president's visit except to stress that this is a "private mission."

"It's a little sensitive," said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. "We will have more to say on this hopefully later on."
Gibbs denied reports by North Korea's state media that Clinton carried a message from President Obama to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. The Korean Central News Agency said that Clinton 'courteously' conveyed a verbal message from Obama, and that Kim expressed thanks and engaged in "sincere talks" with Clinton. The defense ministry hosted a banquet at the state VIP house for the former president, according to North Korea's state media. "While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission," Gibbs said in a statement released earlier today.

GOOD vs EVIL: Hillary Clinton-We Share Responsibility. Our Drug Use Fuels Mexican Border Violence! Pat Buchanan-So What! Put Snipers on the Border!

Hillary Clinton said: "U.S. Drug habits fuel Border Violence!" Hillary agrees with what I have been long reporting. The U.S. is the number 1 user/abuser of illegal drugs in the World and shares responsibility with Mexico for their War on Drugs!

MSNBC Reports:

Hillary Clinton said the United States shares responsibility with Mexico for dealing with violence now spilling across the border and promised cooperation to improve security on both sides.

Hillary on Drugs:

"We do have a co-responsibility for what's happening in Mexico. It is drug demand in the U.S. that drives drugs north across our shared border. If not for this high demand, it would not be profitable. There would be no drug gangs fighting for territory because they make so much money selling drugs to Americans."

Hillary on Assault Weapons:

"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians. I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility."

Republicans and Pundits are already attacking Hillary's response. On Hardball yesterday, Chris Matthews discussed the subject with blathering wildman Pat Buchanan.

On Drugs: Matthews and Buchanan both agree the U.S. is the number 1 drug user in the world, but so what. We have to live with it.

On Guns: Matthews, Buchanan and Republican Sen. John Cornyn all say we do supply guns to the Mexican Drug Cartels, but so what. We are not going to change the 2nd amendment and it is Mexico's problem. Buchanan said if he were Ambassador he would not only ensure a fortified fence was built, he would not use the National Guard. He would use snipers on the border. What a madman! Yikes!!
Hardball Conquering Mexicos Drug Wars: (click on link to see video)

Matthews: The problem in saying we are responsible for Drug Use, and it is a fact, is, what are we going to do about it. Nobody has a plan for getting rid of the drug market in the U.S. This is a free country. We have tough laws.We put dealers in jail for 20 years. But it doesn’t work. People make their own decisions and they can make the bad ones. And you have to live with it.
Is the secretary saying as long as people in this country use cocaine, crack or powder, then we have people cutting their heads off down there and it’s our fault??
Buchanan:That’s where she is wrong. There’s no doubt there is a drug market in the U.S. of billions and billions of dollars and it is what people are fighting over. But we are not responsible for the fact they are killing each other over it.
We have 2 ways to fight this.
1. Legalize Drugs. Managed Market in U.S.
2. Kill drug dealers. Kill the users.
But we aren’t going to do either. We have millions of drug users. Friends. Colleagues. Families. Candidates for President who use dope. We are not going to do either solution. We got what we got.
Matthews: What about taking a ban on assault weapons. John Cornyn says he is not going to restrict the 2nd amendment to help the Mexican government stop the flow of weapons going south. Mexico has to step up and provide additional resources to protect their own border. The 2nd amendment is the most sensitive after the 1st amendment
Buchanan: We can’t stop guns going south, we can’t stop people from coming in. Bush said he caught 6M. We got 12 – 20M people, gangs, El Salvador….
Matthews: Even if we put your wall up Pat, drugs can still be flown in or come in through the Gulf of Mexico. What would you do if you were the Ambassador.
Buchanan: We need the wall. We need the security fence. We need to stop the trucks from coming in. They have escorts, Zetas, trained by Americans, who have gone rogue from the Mexican Army. If I were the Ambassador. We don’t need the National Guard. We need Special Forces. We need to go down there and use American Snipers.
Matthews: Take the lives of the people who come here to work?
Buchanan: No. Just the coyotes. They are raping them, human trafficking...
Matthews: But you can’t…
Buchanan: In the next 30 years, we don’t need to worry whether sunni or shea, are running things in Baghdad. This is about the future of our country. We are going to have 135M Hispanic folks in the U.S. because of mass migration. We will have as many Mexicans here as in Mexico. The border will not exist. How do you have a country...
Matthews: Don’t people assimilate.
Buchanan: No, not with 135M. When you have small groups, they become Americans. The fastest growing radio stations are Hispanic. That's too many. We have too many at one time coming in.
Matthews changing the subject to Hillary Clinton to quit Buchanan from blathering and slobbering:
Matthews: Hillary Clinton sees her ability and her sway to be much larger than simply taking orders from the president. It’s to go out there and think originally about the messages she should be sending. I also think the Clintons are coalition partners with Obama, very much like the Israeli cabinet. The Clintons are coalition partners. Domestically and foreign-policy wise. I think it’s going to be interesting to watch this thing develop. Hillary Clinton is not an employee of the president. Nor should she be, by anybody’s lights.

Buchanan: Right.

"Smart Power": Hillary Clinton Soon to be Secretary of State! Key Points from the Senate Hearings

Hillary Clinton, my first choice for President and candidate for Secretary of State, sat before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a question and answer hearing today. She was strong, intelligent, confident, respectful, forthright, empathetic and tough. Most believe she will be confirmed Secretary of State this week.

Hillary opened by saying “I am proud to be an American at the dawning of this new American moment.” She said she will help restore confidence in America with a "smart power," a combination of diplomacy and defense.

"America must build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries. We cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America," she said. "I believe American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted."
During the hearing, Hillary spoke at length about:

. Preventing Iran from building nuclear weapons, and not taking any options off the table in dealing with Iran.

. Ending North Korea's nuclear program,

. "Sounding the alarm" about Darfur, Sudan

. Special concerns for the rights of young women and girls around the world and stopping violence/atrocities against women. Hillary said about these atrocities, "“This is not culture, this is not custom, this is criminal."

. Extend the strategic arms reduction agreement with Russia.

. Work more closely with Canada, our largest trading partner, and Mexico, our third largest. Canada and Mexico are also our biggest suppliers of imported energy. More broadly, we must build a deeper partnership with Mexico to address the shared danger arising from drug-trafficking and the challenges of our border, an effort begun this week with a meeting between President-elect Obama and President Calderon.

. Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Hillary said the situation in Gaza had left Americans "pained by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians." Some pundits are saying this is a clear sign by the new Administration that Israel will no longer have a free hand and instead, diplomacy will prevail.

. Improve relationship with China

. Questions were asked about disclosure of donations to the Clinton Foundation/library, requesting more transparency. The Clintons have forged an agreement that will allow for more public disclosure of donations and overseas work. This agreement sets a presidence, since no other president has ever been so open in disclosing their contributors. Of course the RNC sent philanderer/corrupt lame duck David Vitter to push to re-open the agreement with quarterly detailed reporting, all of which seemed ridiculous. It is no wonder they sent the likes of Vitter to do this scapegoating. He looked embarrassed and his performance was laughable.

As the Hearing continues, I will update this blog as appropriate.

Reference:

Live Blog - The Caucus Blog - NY Times

RAW DATA: Hillary Clinton's Statement at Senate Confirmation Hearing

Why I Do Not Support Caroline Kennedy for the Senate Seat in New York

Being in politics is like being a Gladiator in the Coliseums. Think of Kirk Douglas or Jack Palance. Both aggressive Gladiators fighting each other, Lions with swords, head to head, spear to spear, mace to shield.
In each political seat, we need our Gladiators, fighting the fight. Championing the cause.
I, for one, cannot see Caroline Kennedy, totally untested, put in the Senatorial position in one of the most high profile, toughest states in the nation. Compare her to the woman she would be replacing, Hillary Clinton. Who on this planet doubts Hillary´s intelligence or her ability to be tough?!
Hillary is Brilliant! She can go head to head with any challenger. We ALL saw here in the debates. She is knowledgeable, well informed and respected by all. We need someone of Hillary´s stature to replace her.
We are NOT the Republicans. We DO NOT believe Any Woman will do! We want our politicians to be Brilliant, Caring! And Tough! They have to have the ability to go toe to toe against anyone who panders to the political PACs, Lobbyists and the Status Quo!
I know Caroline is a nice lady and comes from a very nice family. I have no doubt she is intelligent. I realize she gives some political pundits, like Chris Matthews, that tingle up his leg as Obama did, but we are in a fight to the finish in our country. We cannot allow the likes of Cheney or Bush to run our administration again! Ever!! For that reason, I DO NOT SUPPORT an inexperienced, soft-spoken, light-weight like Caroline Kennedy, to be Hillary’s replacement as junior Senator from New York! We need someone who can hit the ground running and then WIN the Senatorial re-election in 2010! Let her run for City Council or Mayor of Manhattancilla. Get her feet wet and let’s see if the people support her and we will see what she can do first.

Palin is a Slap in the Face to Hillary Supporters!

I do not believe ANY Hillary supporters will vote for scandal soaked, former Beauty Queen (as Pat Buchanan repeated so often today) Sarah Palin.

Here is why:

1. Hillary is a brilliant diplomat, well experienced in foreign policy, Palin is not.

2.Hillary is an excellent, knowledgable speaker and holds her own in the toughest debates. We know nothing about Palins debate style.

3. Senators, Congress,political leaders around the world know and respect Hillary. Not even Kay Bailey Hutchinson (who would have made a far better, more credible choice for VP vs Palin) knew who Palin was when she was interviewed on CNN this morning.

4. Palin is wrong on Pro Choice, Wrong on Gun Control, Wrong on Gay Rights, Wrong on Equal Pay for Equal Work, Wrong on Global Warming (but Pat Buchanan says she is a former Beauty Queen!)

5. Palin supported Pat Buchanan in his last Presidential Bid! (and is a former Beauty Queen)

What a slap in the face to ALL WOMEN to have someone with Palin´s lack of knowledge, skills, experience, so far less than Hillary, in line for President! What an insult to Hillary and to ALL Women!! (How dare Palin invoke Hillary´s name today during her VP acceptance speech merely pandering for female Democratic voters to support her.)

Even her own state questions her V.P. Candidacy.

The Anchorage Daily News reports: Palin candidacy raises eyebrows in Alaska
By DAN JOLING / Associated Press Writer Published: August 29th, 2008 11:45
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is a comely candidate with a reputation for fighting corruption, but lately her reputation within the state has been bit by allegations of mixing political and family business, and by mistreating one of the state's premier marine mammals.

. Palin's catch-phrase of "openness and transparency" has been tarnished by revelations that staff members tried to have Palin's former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper. (hear Palen´s staff use insider influence to get brother in law fired)
. Also, the governor of the only state with polar bears has adamantly opposed listing the animals as a threatened species, despite strong evidence that global warming has devastated their sea ice environment off Alaska's coast.
. And despite John McCain's claim Friday that Palin is a budget-cutter, the governor this year oversaw 6 percent increase in Alaska's operating and construction budget, fueled by a revised tax structure and skyrocketing crude oil prices.
Dermot Cole, a longtime columnist for Alaska's second largest newspaper, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, called McCain's choice of Palin "reckless" and questioned her credentials.
"Sarah Palin's chief qualification for being elected governor was that she was not Frank Murkowski," Cole said of her enormously unpopular predecessor, who lost favor with Alaskans in part because of unpopular budget cuts. "She was not elected because she was a conservative. She was not elected because of her grasp of issues or because of her track record as the mayor of Wasilla."
Her enormous popularity in the state took a hit this summer over her firing of her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, a former Anchorage police chief. State lawmakers launched a $100,000 investigation to determine if Palin dismissed Monegan because he would not fire the governor's ex-brother-in-law, Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, who has been involved in a messy custody battle with Palin's sister. (some integrity!!)
In 2005, before Palin ran for office, the Palin family accused Wooten of drinking beer in his patrol car, illegally shooting a moose and firing a Taser at his 11-year-old stepson. The Palins also claimed Wooten threatened to kill Sarah Palin's father. Wooten was suspended over the allegations for five days in 2006 but still has his job.
Palin denied the commissioner's dismissal had anything to do with her former brother-in-law and denied orchestrating dozens of telephone calls made by staff and family members to Wooten's bosses. The investigation launched by state lawmakers is expected to take at least three months.
State Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, said Palin's candidacy does not change the investigation. "I think it raises its profile. I don't think it changes the steps you go through. It is what it is. You have to find out what happened," French said. The investigator hired by lawmakers two days ago told the Department of Law it was time to schedule Palin's deposition, French said.
Palin, in a move that shook up Alaska's Republican party, took on the state's long-term congressional delegation, U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young, calling on them to explain why they're the target of federal corruption investigations. But she has been just as dogged trying to protect Alaska's main industry and cash cow, petroleum extraction, from the side-effects of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's decision to list polar bears as a threatened species. "Listing polar bears under the Endangered Species Act has the potential to damage Alaska's and the nation's economy without any benefit to polar bear numbers or their habitat," Palin said, a statement environmental groups call ridiculous. Polar bears use sea ice as a platform to hunt seals and the listing has the potential to disrupt future offshore drilling in polar bear territory. The disappearance of ice at such an alarming rate forced Kempthorne, who had not added a U.S. creature to the endangered species list since he took office, to declare polar bears threatened. Summer sea ice last year shrunk to the lowest level since the beginning of satellite observations, about 1.65 million square miles, nearly 40 percent less than the long-term average between 1979 and 2000. The National Snow and Ice Data Center said this week that 2008 could break that record. Most climate modelers predict a continued downward spiral, possibly with an Arctic Ocean that's ice free during summer months by 2030 or sooner. Palin contends climate models are unreliable, polar bear numbers have not crashed and they've survived other periods of warming. She has also claimed polar bears could adapt to living on land - a contention most international polar bear scientists find specious, given that grizzly bears already occupy that niche on land and polar bears have shown little ability to feed on land, other garbage or the occasional whale carcass. Palin is suing to overturn Kempthorne's decision.
Palin also claims to be a fiscal conservative, but watched this year as Alaska reaped the bounty of high oil prices and a revised tax structure. The excess has spared her from any sort of challenge to make tough budget-cutting decision, but did spur her to come to the rescue of Alaskans facing the nation's highest energy costs. Palin championed a $1 billion energy assistance package that will send each resident $1,200 to help offset energy costs, which runs to more than $9 per gallon for gasoline in rural Alaska. That will be on top of dividends from the Alaska Permanent Fund, checks to each qualified resident that are expected to exceed $2,000 this year.

Soap Opera Politics Volume 1, Issue 32

Democratic Convention Update: Hillary Clinton Gives Rousing Speech in Support of Obama-Biden!

Hillary gave a ROUSING speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver tonight. Here are the highlights. (Link to entire speech):

No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President.
Tonight we need to remember what a Presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you -- the American people, your lives, and your children's futures.

When Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again. He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Barack Obama sign a health care plan into law that covers every single American. Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home – a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.

Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. He is a strong leader and a good man. He understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He is pragmatic, tough, and wise...They will be a great team for our country.

Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend. He has served our country with honor and courage. But we don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years. More economic stagnation …and less affordable health care. More high gas prices …and less alternative energy. More jobs getting shipped overseas …and fewer jobs created here. More skyrocketing debt ...home foreclosures …and mounting bills that are crushing our middle class families. More war . . . less diplomacy. More of a government where the privileged come first …and everyone else comes last. John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47 million people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatize Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work. With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.

We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance. I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation. We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope. That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great – and no ceiling too high – for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other. Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all!

Soap Opera Politics Volume 1, Issue 28

Say Good-Bye to Tomatoes!

U.S. Farmers say Immigration Laws are BROKEN!! One of Nation´s largest Tomato Farmers to STOP harvesting tomatoes this year and will instead harvest grain since it can be harvested by machines. Farmer says harvesting tomatoes are high paying jobs but jobs Americans won´t do due to the heat and difficulty of harvesting.

Major Pa. tomato producer quits, blames Congress
By Nancy Petersen Inquirer Staff Writer Tue, Mar. 25, 2008
CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. - Keith Eckel, the largest producer of fresh market tomatoes in Pennsylvania, is getting out of the business. Fearing that the labor needed to harvest his tomatoes won't be there when he needs it, Eckel announced yesterday that after decades of growing tomatoes, he was calling it quits. He placed the blame squarely at the feet of Congress and its failure to enact what he called a meaningful immigration reform measure. "The system is broken," Eckel said before a crowd of neighbors, employees and news media gathered in the packing house at his farm near Scranton. "It's a sad day," he said. "We're closing a part of our business that we really love."
Eckel's problems are echoed coast to coast by farmers who are reliant on foreign farm workers allowed into the country each year to plant, pick and package crops. Eckel said the impact of the government's increased vigilance on illegal immigration and the lack of action on an immigration reform bill has sown doubt among farmers that they will be able to count on a predictable and sufficient work force.
The push for immigration reform has stalled in Congress and little action is expected during the rest of this election year. The problem can be solved if Congress would pass a viable and accessible guest-worker program, Eckel said. Otherwise, he and other farmers say they are not going to take the risk of planting crops they can't harvest for lack of a workforce. Eckels estimated the value of his tomato crop at $1.5 million to $2 million. "It is a real concern, and we are disappointed that Congress has failed to act," said Peter Furey, executive director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau. "Ultimately, consumers will feel this." Eckel warned that unless the issue was resolved, it would eventually drive the fresh fruit and vegetable industry offshore, causing an inevitable rise in food prices.
Last year, Eckel employed 180 people, but this spring, when he plants crops that can be handled by machines, he will employ five. Farmers across the country who depend on immigrant labor are facing the same decision as Eckel: Do they forge ahead and risk losing a crop, or do they plant another crop for which a machine can do the work? "It is one of those situations where the ground is shifting under your feet and you may not notice it until two or five years out," said Jack King, director of national programs for the California Farm Bureau Federation. Workers on Eckel's farm averaged $16.59 an hour "and they earned every penny of it," Eckel said. "No one will harvest tomatoes in 90 degree weather except immigrant labor," he said. And a number of people who worked in his packing house were retired workers picking up a few extra dollars, he said. Congress needs to act, said Furey of the New Jersey Farm Bureau: "We need a national solution that is realistic, in tune with the economy and fair to the people." Eckel gave President Bush credit for trying to enact meaningful change, but he said a divided Congress and emotions got in the way. He said the climate was such that legal immigrants were fearful of moving across state lines, further exacerbating the problem.
Although his workers have documents proving that they are legal, Eckel said some estimates show that between 60 percent and 70 percent of the documents are fraudulent.
"We can no longer take the risk," he said. "We have done everything we can to comply with the law." Most farmers are honest, he said, but rather than run the risk of losing their crop, they simply won't plant one.
"It's a very uncertain time," said King of the California Farm Bureau. "Farmers are scared stiff on this immigration thing. They are operating at the mercy of the federal government." King said that some of the state's vegetable growers were moving their operations to Mexico, raising concerns about food safety.
Last year Eckel planted 2.3 million tomato plants over 340 acres of his Lackawanna County farm, a crop that he estimated supplied about 75 percent of the fresh tomatoes in produce aisles between Boston and Washington. He said his was the largest tomato producing operation north of the Mason-Dixon Line and east of Ohio. This year, he is planting about 45 acres of sweet corn, and 1,200 acres of corn for grain.
When his mother asked where they will get tomatoes this summer, her son said: "We'll buy from one of our good neighbors."

A Win for the PROs! Heinous Blackwater Security Facility will NOT be built in So Cal!

A win for the PROs!!! As I reported here on my blog, Blackwater was in the process of building a security facility in So Cal in anticipation of the passage of the SAVE Act. Their plans were to serve as the Contractors who backup the Border Patrol in patrolling the border and nearby towns with their non manned aircraft.

WE THE PEOPLE in So Cal said NO! to their plans. Now, the heinous Blackwater Security Facility will NOT be built in So Cal!! We know they will not give up their plans. I promise to keep you apprised of their future plans!

Sign-On San Diego Reports:

Security-training camp won't be built in Potrero
By Anne Krueger - UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER - March 8, 2008
Blackwater Worldwide dropped its plans yesterday to build a military and law enforcement training camp in East County, ending a storm of controversy over the security contractor's presence in the county.
Brian Bonfiglio, a Blackwater vice president, said the decision came down to noise – gunfire tests at the 824-acre site in Potrero exceeded county standards – and not fiery opposition from residents, environmentalists and those politically opposed to Blackwater's role as a contractor guarding officials in Iraq.
“Blackwater has maintained its position from the very beginning that if we could not meet or exceed (California) and San Diego County guidelines that we would not proceed, and we are keeping to that commitment,” Bonfiglio said in a statement...

Residents feared Blackwater's training facility would bring noise and traffic to the community. They and others also didn't like the idea of having the government contractor in San Diego County, particularly after reports of a Sept. 16 shooting in Baghdad in which Blackwater employees killed 17 Iraqi civilians. After the incident, Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince was called before Congress, and U.S. officials imposed tougher restrictions on Blackwater and other security companies working in Iraq.
Hedlun, who began serving on the Potrero planning group in January 2007, was initially the only group member to oppose Blackwater. Opponents gathered petitions for a recall election targeting those who had voted in favor of the project.
In December, five members of the group were recalled and replaced with candidates who opposed Blackwater's plans. Carl Meyer, the newly elected chairman of the group, said they had planned to discuss a resolution against the project at their next meeting.
“It's great news for the community of Potrero,” Meyer said. “We'll have a party.”

Calm Before the Storm - Outing the Secret Immigration Bills!

Of late, all has been quiet on the Immigration Reform front. Discussion Boards, both PRO and ANTI, have been quiet. Blogs have been quiet. There has been a significant amount of Political discussion, including here on my blog, but very little Immigration Talk.

For a while, I thought the quiet was due to the fact that all three candidates, HRC, BHO and JSM (John Sidney McCain), support Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR).

Then, I started thinking it could be due to the RNC controlled media focus being taken off of Immigration since the McCain nomination. We know that Fox and the AMJocks are funded by the Right. I still think there is something to this possibility or maybe, just maybe, this is the calm before the storm.

I am hearing some rumblings that new Immigration Bills are being documented in very hush, hush privacy. Some of these bills are PRO - CIR. Some of them are ANTI.

Here are two articles re some of these Hush Hush activities:

Immigration Becomes a Political Football (Again)
The question of border security and the threat to U.S. security is back on the table even as the Presidential campaign progresses to the next phases. Senate Republicans plan to introduce a package of as many as 11 bills (could actually grow to 14) that establishes a hard line on illegal immigration. Even though experts consider it unlikely that these bills will reach the floor for debate, they reflect a move toward harsher immigration rhetoric and legislative proposals from both parties since Congress failed to pass a comprehensive overhaul in 2007. While some of the language in these possible pieces of legislation echo House bills, they go further. These bills include provisions to dock states 10% of their highway funds if they issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Another bill would extend the presence of National Guard on the border and still another would curtail language assistance at federal agencies and the voting booth for people with limited English ability. Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala, one of the leaders of the Republican efforts is offering a bill that would impose a maximum two-year sentence for the second offense of crossing the border illegally. Other bills:
● Block federal funding from cities that bar their police from asking about immigration status.
● Give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to use information from the Social Security Administration to target illegal immigrants.
● Require construction of 700 miles of fencing along the Southern border, not including vehicle barriers.
● Impose sanctions on countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens.
● Deport any immigrant, legal or illegal, for one drunken-driving conviction.
● Enable local and state police to enforce federal immigration laws
Its clear that immigration remains a political football in this Presidential election year. This includes the possibility of giving Senator McCain an opportunity to endorse one of the tougher bills to help distance him from some of his previous positions. Posturing or not, maybe some real immigration reform and border security measures will emerge from this, even though its an election year.

Immigration: New bills, old borders
By: David Rogers and Patrick O'Connor Mar 5, 2008 05:40 AM EST
For seasonal employers, whether crabbers in Maryland or grand hotels in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the real calendar — not politics — makes the pressure very real and immediate. Immigration reform is raising its head again in Congress, stirring old hopes and fears among Democrats and forcing Republicans to re-evaluate their tactics given the re-emergence of John McCain. Nothing is anticipated on the scale of the comprehensive immigration bill that collapsed in the Senate last year. But seasonal employers, such as the restaurant and tourism industries, are pressing hard for more H-2B visas for lower-skilled workers this summer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised Hispanic lawmakers an opportunity to add provisions addressing concerns in their community. A third potential piece is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) — with the support of fellow “Blue Dog” Democratic moderates — that takes a more conservative approach: beefing up border security and requiring employers to use a government database to verify that their workers are in the U.S. legally. By Jay Fraser on March 5, 2008 at 10:53 PM

I have two questions for my readers:

1. Do you think either of these secret proposals will have any chance of passing before the election?

2. How will this impact the Political Debate, given the 3 candidates support CIR?

Hillary and Barack: Being Honest About NAFTA or just False Promises and Politics as Usual?

Were Hillary and Barack being honest when they said in the Ohio Debates the United States could "opt out" of the 14-year-old NAFTA pact if Canada and Mexico refuse to strengthen labor and environmental provisions and modify an investment chapter that critics say favors corporate interests too much?

Did Obama's senior economic adviser tell Canadian officials privately that Obama's criticism of the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico was "political positioning"?

Now, Reuter´s is reporting:
Mexico businessmen unfazed by U.S. NAFTA threats Thu Mar 6, 2008 5:13pm EST
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican factory owners are shrugging off threats by U.S. presidential candidates to retool a major free trade deal but say they would worry if the talk continues after election day in November. As they vie for the Democratic Party nomination, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have vowed to tell Canada and Mexico that the United States will pull out of the North America Free Trade Agreement unless labor and environmental standards are renegotiated. Yet even if one of them wins the November election against presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, a NAFTA supporter, few see Washington easily reopening the trade deal, the fruit of years of thorny negotiations. "I really doubt they would go through with it. They are just playing politics," said Cesar Castro, who heads Mexico's association of maquiladoras, the assembly-for-export factories that dot the border with the United States.

Castro said killing NAFTA or changing it to favor American workers would shut down Mexican factories and hurt employment in Mexico. "Illegal migration would spike and we all know they don't want that," he said.
By reducing or eliminating tariffs, NAFTA has helped make Mexico the No. 3 business partner with the United States, after Canada and China. "There are net benefits on both sides of the border, so I don't think they will touch it," said Jose Antonio Abogaber, who heads the chamber of shoe makers in the industrial state of Guanajuato. Conservative Mexican President Felipe Calderon's government has made clear it is happy with NAFTA the way it is, while warning against any move away from free trade. "NAFTA has been successful for each of the three countries," Economy Minister Eduardo Sojo told reporters in Toronto earlier this week. "What we need is more integration, not less integration."
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Readers, What are you thoughts? We know John McCain will continue with NAFTA, Big Business and his partnerships with his RNC Cronies. What about the Dems? Will they make changes as they promised? Or will they say one thing and continue with politics as usual? Should we be concerned?
Is NAFTA a problem? If not, then why doesn´t McCain, HRC and BHO explain the real issues?

My Night at the Caucus

The Texas Two Step: Primary & Caucus:

I voted yesterday and participated in the caucuses last evening. It was so exciting. This was my first caucus. It was very different than I expected. The caucuses started after the polls closed, at 7 pm. Actually, they started after the last person voted, so it was closer to 8 pm. Imagine 500 people standing outside on the lawn of an election center as people in line finished voting.

While on the lawn, they rounded us up into our precinct with one person holding up the precinct number sign. We had six or seven precincts. Each precinct had about 60 to 100 participants and we were all huddled up together in our groups.

After the last voter voted, they called out each precinct number and they hurded us into a section of the election center. Our precinct was second to the last called. As we were called, each group hooped and hollered. There was so much energy and excitement in the air, it was more like a pep rally.

I did notice something different, however. What I noticed was that for my suburb, there was a different ethnicity mix than I usually see when I go to the mall or bowling. I live in an affluent multi cultural suburb and this is reflected when I go shopping or out to dinner. The mix is generally: 55% Anglo (various ethnicities), 15% Hispanic, 15% Black, 15% Asian or Middle Eastern. At the election center, the mix was: 40% Anglo, 40% Black, 10% Asian-Middle Eastern, 10% Hispanic.

Once we went to our designated area, they asked for a volunteer Precinct Leader and a Secretary. I volunteered for secretary. Actually, since they told us outside they were looking for volunteers for each position, I volunteered outside. When we came inside, they all just voted for me. They had 2 volunteers for precinct leader and one person was elected. The leader and I worked out a plan to verify and sign up all the caucus members and their votes and ask for volunteer delegates. Since I was the secretary and signed everyone up, I saw that every Black voter and every mixed race couple (Black plus other) voted for Obama. Some of the yuppy career couples voted for Obama too. The majority of women (especially the self confident, outgoing, career women) and Hispanics voted for Hillary. I also noticed a number of young preppy youth voting for Hillary.

Throughout the caucus vote, we asked for volunteer delegates, indicating that the delegates needed to stay after everyone voted so we could vote on resolutions and who would go to the County Caucus. Now the caucus vote for my precinct was 60% Obama and 40% Hillary. However, the volunteers for delegates who stayed were 30% Obama and 70% Hillary. Consequently, by the end of the evening, all of the Obama supporters who volunteered as delegates became delegates for the Convention. Unfortunately, since we had so many Hillary volunteers for delegates, we had to draw names. I didn´t get it, but I was the first alternate. (boo hoo for me). I still have a shot, especially if someone drops out, since I am the 1st Alternate.

The events ran late into the evening and I did not arrive home until 11:30pm. The time flew and I was not tired at all, but my husband was already in bed. I watched CNN to check the stats from the evening. We had been checking periodically from the caucus so I already knew Hillary was the winner in TX, RI and Ohio.

Latinos' influence in primaries more important than ever

Like never before, Latino voters will make a significant difference in 2008, especially in Texas.

Latinos total one quarter of the Texas electorate and are about 3.6 million strong.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is thought to have a strong edge in the March 4 Primary, although younger Latinos seem to be giving Mr. Obama a serious look.

Mr. Obama has asked many long time voters for their support, many who seem unshakeable in their loyalty to Mrs. Clinton.

United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta has urged Latinos to vote for Senator Clinton. Dolores is held in high esteem by many Latinos and viewed as a heroine of Civil and Human Rights.

My predictions, based on local news, grocery store chatter and ear to the ground feedback:

Hillary Clinton will win the popular vote in Texas by +5%.

Economic Disasters Get Personal in Michigan, But Wait, Isn´t This What the ANTIs are Asking For?

Very Sad News. Due to the Economic Recession in Michigan, a number of schools are closing in Michigan, including the grade school I attended.
Bad Economic Times are happening all around us.

From the Lansing State Journal: Tumbling enrollment: Mid-Mich. cushions the impact by merging schools, closing buildings
Derek Wallbank & Al Miller Lansing State Journal
Cedar Street Elementary aide Kelly Donaldson and her colleagues saw the writing on the wall. Declining enrollment already had forced staff layoffs and program cuts. Then, the Mason school board voted in February to close the 324-student school. "We knew it was coming, but it's really sad," Donaldson said, choking back tears at the meeting where the school board voted unanimously to close the school. "It's like your family."

Experts predict few mid-Michigan parents and students will escape the changes with which local public school districts are grappling as the impact of lower birthrates and families leaving the state combine to create challenges not seen in Michigan public education in decades.
Across the tri-county area, school districts in Lansing, Mason, Eaton Rapids and St. Johns are considering or have implemented plans to close school buildings. Districts such as DeWitt have suspended future growth plans. Others, such as Charlotte, are taking hard looks at how future enrollment melds with existing facilities.

The problem, experts say, is that birthrates across mid-Michigan are down 15 percent in the last two decades. And Michigan's weak economy is exacerbating the problem, causing families to leave the state for economic reasons and curtailing an influx of new families. Michigan, with 1.6 million public school students, will have 20,000 to 25,000 fewer students each year through 2011. Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, with more than 71,000 students today, will have about 4,000 fewer by then, according to Fred Ignatovich, a former Michigan State University professor who projects school enrollment for many area districts. "And it might even be heavier if this economic downturn persists," Ignatovich said.

For many mid-Michigan communities, that means a streamlined public education system with fewer teachers and students and more tough decisions about shuttering buildings, neighborhood blight, new taxes and rising educational standards. The changes come at a time when school funding - paid per student - is declining with the loss of each student. If local districts have 4,000 fewer students by 2011, they lose $30 million in state funding.

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Question to my Viewers: Aren´t these "smaller economies" what many ANTIs are asking for when they talk about Reduced Immigration Levels and Deporting the 12M?