You're right, rg. I've said it before and I'll say it again and I'll keep saying it until we either get it right or we go belly up: We have to find and elect some legislators - from whichever party - that have the cajones (?) to stand up and be honest with the American people.

We can't continue to play policeman to the world while bankrupting our own society and selling our country to foreign nations. We can't continue to be the safe haven for every disgruntled foreign national that can't make it at home. We can't continue to toss money away by building lavish but completely superflous pork projects. We can't continue to allow legislators to buy votes with more entitlement programs and insulating themselves with exhorbitant retirement packages while bankrupting the social security system none of them will be relying on to *survive*.

And it simply has to work on *both* sides, because that's what politics has become. It's "us" vs. "them" and we're BOTH losing! People, the citizens of this country, have to realize the government does not exist to take care of their every need so they can spend their pin money on Hummers and 6000 sq. foot houses they can't afford.

It's time they quit diverting the attention of society with the lollipop of more handouts while they stick the needle of political and coporate irresponsibility into our collective butt cheek! It's time we quit *allowing* it and letting ourselves be hoodwinked into believing that these temporary fixes are "for our own good."

Give me the damn shot, Doc! I know it's going to hurt a little now but if you actually put some vaccine in the thing we might avoid the plague.

Ernie

ernie, you do pose a good point, the problems we are faced with today arent the sole fault of the republicans either the white house or in congress, and mike you also pose a good point in saying that bush's tax cuts were to the rich and big business. as far as i'm concerned we're all responsible for the havoc being caused today, we voted these officials in and by not speaking out have thus allowed them to follow their own agendas instead of that of the american people and unless we do something about them soon, our problems will get worse and then the sky will fall.

Thank you Ernie,but all I was trying to point out Senator Phil Graham had a big hand in deregulating the banks ,who knows, maybe the Dems traded for a vote on affirmative action. It is supply side economics favored by the GOP. Dems are a bottom up economics. It is more of a chicken or the egg theory...Not my intention to support the Dems on this issue,I just wish congress moves back to the way it was 30 years ago.....The mortgage crises was due to creative paper work,willful allowing credit risk individuals to get home loans then selling that note to others in this country and abroad. They eventually ran out of suckers ,the last one in line (banks) were stuck with the bad loans.Alan Greenspan knew this all along...It is detailed in his book..He is also to blame....Allowing the banks and investments firms to merge without any oversight is just wrong.

I have never blamed any president for high gas prices,but I do blame him for the $10 billion a month we are spending in Iraq,and no veto on spending bills in his first six years. He is not a fiscal conservative.

I went overboard on the financial genius bit,it had no place in my post,but I was amazed someone would post personal financial data..Sorry.

Have a good Sunday...have to grill fajitas and sausage.

One thing you're right about, Mike. I used to be calm and logical. Still am most of the time but I do get fired up now and then. Usually at late hours after a couple glasses of wine. :-)

Still doesn't change the facts that the mess this country is in and getting deeper into every week is NOT the sole fault of the Republicans, the Democrats, the liberals, the conservatives or the independents. And it's certainly not the sole fault of GHWB.

We didn't get into this current situation without some "bipartisan" cooperation to pass legislation that does short term good but ensures our long term destruction. The Bear-Stearns and FreddieMac/FannieMae bailouts are just the tip of the current iceberg and are symptomatic of the no-personal-responsibility attitude that's pandemic in this country.

It's a problem when individuals refuse and are allowed to get away with being personally irresponsible but it's disastrous now that we've extended that same philosophy to corporate giants being piloted by inept executives that are themselves insulated by Golden Parachutes. And through it all we've somehow come to the conclusion that the nebulous entity called "government" is somehow responsible for rescuing all of us from our own irresponsible decisions and actions.

And again, you're right. I need to stop here. I'm starting to get myself riled up again over this self-destructive lunacy we call politics.

Ernie

ps. There was no mention of my financial genius in making a few bucks in the stock market. Not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. The numbers were just illustrative. But the square footage of my refrigerator carton under the overpass is about ten.

Oy....

Ernie Cash: the non-bias all American or wishes everyone to think that.Posters are not that stupid.
Now he wants everyone to think that little amount of money he made in the stock market is a stroke of genius.That is the first time I have seen someone put out their portfolio amount,what's next your gross income,square footage of your house,how about SAT score? My post was not about Ernie.

Ernie said
Integrity and putting *this country* before personal agendas
Those are talking points not actual solutions.

I did not mention McCain or Obama because we do not have a short term solution.

I mentioned printing more money hoping to grow ourself out of this mess is the only option this country has left because of the Federal Reserve. I know printing more money devalues the currency,but I also said we are not going to demolish the Federal Reserve anytime soon.It's what we have ,not an endorsement.

The Democrats could have received something in return for allowing the Republicans to get their wish. I am just saying it is the Republicans that wanted to deregulate the banks and the Dems let them do it.I am not against trying new ideas just not continuing an ideal after it fails.

We went to war and I just mentioned that we should have taxed the American public,because then we would all have a stake in it and that would pressure the powers to come up with an exit plan and perhaps a little congressional oversight.We were told to go shopping.

Again Bush tax cuts for the rich.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/08/was...

Ernie, you used to be calm and level headed,and put out a common sense post,now you are in constant attack mode and you seem to have a need to be provocative whether its race,politics or someones different point of view.

BigJ, I'm sorry you don't give "a rat's butt" about my opinion. Oughta make you a very good politician to be absolutely clueless about what Americans think, want and need. You'll fit right in. I'm all a-tingle.

One small suggestion if you don't mind my making it... and I'm sure you won't since your agenda is the only one you care about.

You might want to learn English.

But, hey, that's just my opinion.

Ernie

Well, Mike, at least you're not ideological.....

"Before the country returns to the American people, they should fix it."

Oh? Who is "they," do tell. The American people? How's that supposed to happen when it's the politicians who make the rules? And don't confuse "American people" with politicians. American people are those who're working to support their families, paying unbearable taxes and getting damn little in return. Politicians are those who are seeking and who are in the positions that make the rules to spend those tax dollars - and millions more - to further their own agendas and secure their re-elections; America's problems be damned.

"I understand Ron Paul economics..."

No, you don't. You think you do maybe, but the gist of his economics AND his politics are integrity and putting *this country* before personal agendas. You simply do not understand that. He's not a Democrat after all.... but at least you're not ideological.

"Bear Stearns and Freddie and Fannie problem started about 30 years ago, when the Democrats were in charge, but they let the Republican conservatives deregulate the finance industry."

Whew... that was a close one. But at least you managed to somehow shift the blame to the Republicans who weren't "in charge." Thank God you're completely objective and not ideological!

"Now we have a problem because we cannot let Freddie and Fannie fail or we would have even a bigger mess."

And that would be as opposed the even hugomongously greater mess our progeny will face in five or ten more years? I get it... let's postpone the inevitable 'til the next guy's in office and we can blame it on him. If it's McCain you'll get to rant 'til the cows come home and if it's Obama... well, just maybe we can postpone it until the next Republican gets elected... but at least you're not ideological.

"Because we have the Federal Reserve ,we are able to temporarily print more money to ease the pain..."

Now *there's* a statement that needs absolutely no rebuttal. You're right. Let's print some more dollars that have absolutely no value. Wheeeeeeee... gimme some o' that kool-aid!

"401K returns are not real, unless you cash them in… value today."

Yep.. value today: $254,031 in today's dollars.. Value when I retire and rely on it to retire in 2010 (maybe) $26.43 in today's dollars thanks to "we are able to temporarily print more money to ease the pain." How can I argue with that logic?? Thanks for clearing that up for me. I mean, hell, that oughta be good for about one Big Mac and a side of fries, eh? Not bad for 30 years' work....

"the Bush administration is at fault"

Ahhhh. Now we're getting down to the non-ideological crux of it, aren't we?

"Financing two major wars and cutting taxes…Never done before."

Terrorists (with an ideology, not a country) fly four hijacked planes into the WTC, the Pentagon and unless some REAL Americans stop it, the White House. Never done before. Unless, of course, you buy the conspiracy theory that all that was done by the government so they could raise gas prices to $4/gal. Maybe the non-ideological Democrats coordinated that to make the Republican administration look bad and they could sweep the congressional races and win the White House in '09.

Nah.. that'd be too ideological.

"The Bush tax cuts favored the top 1%"

Good (talking) point. The fact is, though, that the Bush tax cuts favored every tax paying American. *You* pay less taxes because of those tax cuts. *I* pay less taxes because of those tax cuts. That's fewer dollars the government can piss away on bridges to nowhere and the Bush Presidential Library that damn near no will will go see anyway. Yeah, I can see where *that's* a problem.

"The administration should have paid for the wars with a tax bond and a war tax."

Or we could just forego the war, secure our borders and be politically incorrect by not letting anyone not an American citizen into the country while we sort out and boot out those that aren't and are already here. But oops, that wouldn't be politically correct. Can't have that. Let's just let 'em keep pouring into the country, bomb a few more buildings, spread a little anthrax here 'n there. At least we can remain non-ideological while these ideological fanatics kill a few more thousand non-ideological Americans. Hey, it's the price ya gotta pay...

I'll get to the rest of your drivel later. It's late (early?) and while those Mexicans have a great plan of sleeping during the heat of the day and working when it cools off that I've adopted when I can, I'm getting sleepy again.

Ooops. Was that a racist remark? My deepest non-ideological apologies.

Ernie

South Texas, you are amongst those who ignore the signs even when they are blinking at you in the face. The sky may not be falling, that be an actual depression, however you cannot deny that the situation we are faced with is not serious. We take for granted the fragility of our beloved economy. Do you actually believe that if we were to continue the same policies we've been using for the past 8 yrs, our situation won't get any worse? Sadly enough, that's what Senator Mccain believes, because he's been echoing the same sentiments President Bush has been saying. I honestly have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in Senator Mccain. I was under the assumption that due to his reputation as a political maverick in the senate, he would be much different then our current president. I was sadly mistaken however. I repeat my earlier sentiments concerning Senator Obama, I honestly don't care what he and his wife believe in, they can believe that the world is flat and the wheels on the bus go counter clock wise for all I care. What I do care about, is finding a solution to our problem, before it becomes a disaster.

I watched the whole video. What a load of crap!

http://www.eyeblast.tv/Public/Video.a...

Before the country returns to the American people, they should fix it.

Once again you are not going to find answers about the economy or economics for that matter on left or right wing media. C-SPAN ,Congressional hearings and CNBC are some good places to start.

I understand Ron Paul economics, but it has its basis in doing away with the Federal Reserve. Right now, that is not realistic or on the table.

Fannie & Freddie et al

1.Bear Stearns and Freddie and Fannie problem started about 30 years ago, when the Democrats were in charge, but they let the Republican conservatives deregulate the finance industry. The government let the banks control the usury charge. The banks and investment firms were allowed to merge. Creative paperwork, called mortgages were started without government oversight. Now we have a problem because we cannot let Freddie and Fannie fail or we would have even a bigger mess.
2.Because we have the Federal Reserve ,we are able to temporarily print more money to ease the pain, hoping to grow out of this problem.
3.401K returns are not real, unless you cash them in… value today.

Where the Bush administration is at fault
1.Financing two major wars and cutting taxes…Never done before.
2.The Bush tax cuts favored the top 1%
3.The administration should have paid for the wars with a tax bond and a war tax.
4.The administration borrowed heavily for the wars and Katrina, adding to the deficit.
5.In his first six years, the president never vetoed a spending bill.
6.No congressional oversight on spending during the first six years.
7.How many times has the debt ceiling been raised in the last six years?

I will leave it there,but when I saw Senator Jim Bunning(R-KY) yelling at Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson about his policies causing many of his fellow Republicans not getting reelected, then I know it's nonpartisan. Jim Bunning is about as conservative as you can get.

Final thoughts,you cannot let the petrochemical, oil companies, financial institutions,or our teenagers go unregulated. It's like the fox guarding the henhouse.

**** 1)Never should have gone to Iraq in the first place***

That's not nice. Jealous?
Bill was an excellent speaker. How's that.

RE:Bush--if it's on your watch? You break it--you pay for it.

Mike.....Bill Clinton's Oratory skills? The only ones I remember revolved around his genitalia.

"Someone has to return America to the American people. "

I couldn't agree more, TnT. But I don't think Obama is the person to do that nor do I think, for that matter, McCain is either. Whether by design or by inability either will simply maintain the lying, deception and pocket-lining status quo in DC.

One thing I cannot understand is how the left wants to lay all the current problems in this country at Bush's feet. Well, I CAN understand *why* they wish to; it's politically expedient. What I can't understand is how they think their allegations have any veracity. If Bush is solely responsible for current high gas prices, the housing/mortgage/banking debacle and rising inflation, he must also be solely responsible for the past four and a half years of unprecedented economic growth. (Remember the "good ol' days when your 401k and mine were returning 10-13%... in 2002-2007?)

Of course those good times were lucky throwbacks to Clinton's "balanced" budget. Everyone knows prosperity can't be blamed on conservative principles nor a Republican administration because, as the left is quick to point out when these facts are mentioned, anyone who'd believe *that* must listen to Rush, Sean and Glenn all day long. Huh? Near as I can tell, that's their rebuttal when they run out of Olberman talking points. What a crock....

Fixing this country's ills isn't going to be without discomforts and we're simply going to have to find and elect politicians who have the gonads to stand up and tell the American people that...and MEAN it. Catch-22? Yeah, probably. Because most of the electorate are as self-serving and inconvenience-avoiding as are their politicians. For all our grand talk of concern about the welfare of our children and grandchildren we're simply unwilling to make any sacrifice that includes having to do without our SUVs, air conditioning and early retirement.

The current tendency to bail out Bear-Stearns and Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae are perfect examples was the tax relief stimulus package and the new one the Dems in congress have begun promoting. Perfect examples of smothing out the current wrinkles while adding those molehills to the mountain we're rapidly building and racing toward. We're postponing molehills that would be but a bump in the road and adding them to the mountain that will eventually bury those children and grandchildren. How's that for an example of our philanthropic concern for our progeny?

Yeah, I'm impressed.

Ernie

rg20.....you are buying that "sky is falling" crap.....if you really want to see the sky fall elect Obama.

RG201508
Stay in the middle of this country needs a counterweight.IMO you have a good grasp of the issues.

ThisnThat
Pandering will always take center stage, but I know, neither candidate can give us a short-term solution. In next 100 days the candidate that can convince most Americans that their plan can bring back economic stability will win. The American middle class is hurting, and they will see through spin and gimmicks. If

Mike,
Shhhhhhhhh. George Bush Idolators will fight cha to the death over that remark.
Ronald Reagan gave a pretty decent speech, too. It kind of went with his past occupation.  So we can't give him full credit for his skills. 
One can only pray better selections for the SC and cabinet leadership are made. Someone has to return America to the American people. I'd vote for the Purple People Eater if he'd help America out of its overload of garbage-spewing politicians and their handmaidens. (And we can reform his people eating ways, which we have been unable to do with Big Business thus far.)

ThisnThat for those of the left oratory skills are a must (Bill Clinton,John and Robert Kennedy), for those on the right,a simple one line that you repeat over and over will get you to an election(cut taxes,stay the course, the surge worked).

I get a kick when when I hear the right-wingers lecture us on the evils of voting for Barack Obama... They voted for George W. Bush twice,so they have no credibility.

I can guarantee Barack Obama will not offer mediocre candidates for the Supreme Court like Harriet Miers and Alberto Gonzales.

I think both candidates have serious holes in their "I'M A GOOD GUY" character clothes. That aside, however, I wish they would all learn to give a speech.
No, John McCain, everybody is not "my friend", and evidently even serious subjects you're speaking on earn a little Bugs Bunny chuckle at the end of the oratory.
I began turning off the TV every time Hillary came on. One more "you know" was one more too many.
Did she start any sentence without the introductory, "you know"? No, lady, I don't know. If I did know, I would not be listening to you looking for answers to my I do not know questions. If you know everybody already knows, then why are you wasting our time telling us what we already know?
I can't decide if Obama wants us to think he's a deep thinker with his "um" "uh" long and drawn out at the forefront, middle, well, actually throughout, every comment or speech. Perhaps he is deeply studying the question or subject. Or perhaps he is using the old George Bush method. Someone is feeding the answers into his earphone and the "um's" are necessary delaying tactic while he absorbs the answer being fed to him.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Anybody else want to scream, Say it now already. Jeez!
Finally, what is this prefacing every statement with, "I mean"? Are you defending your position even before making a stupid comment.
Quick "Where's Waldo" moment. How many "I mean's" or "I meant to say", are in one Michelle Obama speech. How many "I meant to say" after she makes a speech. Now try the same puzzle with cable news network moderators and guests. 
We could continue on indefinitely with speaking quirks, but Ummmmm, I mean, you know, my friend, your speechmaking skills are "awesome" to many idolators, I'm sure. You are quite ready to "embrace" their issues wholeheartedly, I "understand that clearly".
Quick side question. If left leaning liberals are "tree huggers" when they "embrace" their "issues", what are far right conservatives called when they "embrace" their "issues"?  Gulf Coast /Anwar oil exploration rig huggers? Guess I'll need to get with Newt and Karl at Fox News for that answer.
I propose a law allowing only so many ummm, ahs, you know, and stupid comments/butchered vocabulary and friends in one speech. That should cut the rhetoric in half for most politicians and their wifely surrogates. As an added plus, news shows would have more time to provide us with more news. 
The American people deserve no less.
 

I have always considered myself to be right in the middle when it comes to politics. I sway to what will most benefit myself, my community, and my country.We're in trouble folks. Gas prices are out of control, the housing market is going down the river without a paddle and they're about to lose the canoe, nearly every country on the face of the planet either hates our guts or just ignores us, and with losses of jobs just piling up we're teetering on the brink of an actual fullblown recession. With this next presidential election our problems can get better or worse. On one hand we have a canidate who is talking about using the same tactics that our current-washed up-hasbin president has been using. Ever since this recession started what relief did Bush really offer us besides the stimulus checks? Absolutely none at all. Neither him nor the republicans in congress have offered any solutions; all they've done is just stood in the way of progress. Just this past week, they shot down a bill to release a few supplies of oil that could've really lowered down our gas prices probaly back to 2 bucks a gallon. This in turn proves that they despise any ideas if they didn't come up with them. Now Obama is actually singing a different tune, he's offering solutions. Do I care if he's muslim? No, his religious faith is his own business not mine. As for his wife, I don't know how true those allegations are, but I can tell you this, nearly every person whether they're in the public light or not has atleast one skeleton in their closet. All I care is that we get these problems fixed in a timely manner.

Excellent post and observation, JB.

While I appreciate MLK's comment in his "I Have a Dream" speech that he hopes someday people in this country will be judged on the content of their character, it also speaks to a person's character to observe the character of those with whom he associates; certainly so when observing the subjects choice of life partner. So yes, it *is* valid to question Michelle Obama's character in the process of assessing Barack's fitness for the presidency.

Michelle isn't running for president and neither is Jeremiah White or Bill Ayers but the fact that these people are the ones Mr. Obama has chosen to have close to him in his life reveals an aspect of his character that concerns me and, I believe, should concern every American. Barack has chosen to dissociate himself with Wright and has attemped to explain away his relationship with Ayers but he cannot do so with his wife - at least not easily or with a simple explanation that the relationship with Michelle is a part of his past as he has attempted to do with Ayers.

All these choices are insights into the "private" Obama JB alludes to in his post. It is this character view that leads me to believe that Obama is no less the political animal than Clinton (take your pick) who would do or say anyting in the public venue to assure his election while keeping his true character - or decided lack thereof - in the shadows.

And well said as well, STX! I have no concerns about a black man becoming president just as I had no concerns about a woman becoming president. I have serious concerns about *this* black man becoming president just as I had about *that* woman seeking the same objective.

One's race or gender have no more (nor no less, for that matter) to do with becoming president than being a peanut farmer or a Hollywood actor. Is it appropriate to question how those former vocations would affect the person's ability to fill the office? Yes. But it would seem it's NOT appropriate (read "politically correct") to question how the candidate's race or gender might affect his or her presidency. Perfect examples of reverse racism and reverse sexism.

BigJ, good luck in your quest for election. I hope the office you plan to seek is not one for which I'm eligible to vote. I might suggest however that you consider appointing Tyler as your speech writer. Seems the two of you speak the same language.

Ernie

Big J.....read your post....it makes no sense....When did Laura Bush do anything and what does that have to do with anything.

Have you read Michelle Obama's dissertation? Have you read her other writings? Have you read Obama's books?

You are one of those who denies that racism can flow two ways. The only racism you see or claim is white on black. When Obama refers to his white grandmother who sacrificed greatly to make sure that there was money for her ungrateful grandson to attend one of the best schools in Hawaii as a "typical white woman"....and throws her under the bus in his speeches, you see the man's true color.

And speaking of color, this has nothing to do with color....it has to do with character, something which Obama and his wife have very little of. If you think I dislike Obama because he is black you could never be more wrong....I dislike him because he is shallow, inexperienced, changes his stance to comply with what his present audience wants to hear, and lies about his true beliefs.

No J.....you are the problem....the problem that will vote or Obama no matter what because of his color. You are the ultimate racist in that regard.

JB,
As my Brit friends say "Spot on Mate"!!!!

"Public character...is no evidence of true greatness, for public charater is often an artificial one."
"It is not, then, in the glare of public, but it the shade of private life that we are to look for the man. Private life is always real life. Behind the curtain, where the eyes of millions are not upon him... There he will always be sure to act himself. Consequently, if he act greatly in private, he must be great indeed. Hence it has been justly said that " Our private deeds, if noble, are noblest of our lives."... It is the private virtures that lay the foundationm of all human excellence."
Obama has done a great job of creating a public persona but has shown us little of his private character (The combined moral and ethical structure of a person). We are cautioned by the founders of this great nation to always consider the true character of the men we elected into public service. This applies to all candidates, local, state, federal, democrat or republican.
It is Sen. Obamo's relationship with Rev. Wright that provides us a glimpse of his true character. This also goes for his voting record and continual changing of positions, AS WHAT YOU DO CANNOT BE SEPERATED FROM WHAT YOU BELIEVE. We are called to discern a man's character before we place him in a position of public trust. Sen. Obama claims to be be a differnet kind of politician although his actions to date say that he is exactly what he claims not to be. We need statesman (men who will not compromise principles, regardless of what it might cost them) not politicians (someone who would comprimise his principles in order to advance with his party, his consituents or a powerful committee head, etc.) Sen Obama's actions and relationships to date lead me to believe he is but a mere politician.

Ummmm... and just for the record, those eight German-Americans get to vote in November. Those 200,000 Germans

don't.

Ernie

Sandwichh....Kudos...

I listened to Obama's speech in Berlin. I lived in Berlin for three years and know Berliners. Obama thinks the crowd he drew was due to popularity; I would be more inclined to believe it to be "curiosity".

And knowing Berliners, I can imagine their ridicule of him and the America he thinks he represents.

Personally I was offended....HOW DARE HE....A U.S. Senator who has served in the U.S. Congress only 140 days, who has literally achieved nothing...accomplished nothing for his country stages himself in the shoes of JFK and Reagan. I am physically nauseous...and hopefully others will take this arrogance and self-loving for what it is....narcissim at the ultimate level.

Oh God....please do not allow this man to sway and woo the naive into believing that he is indeed the Messiah.....as Fidel Castro seduced the Cubans and as Hitler seduced the Germans.

OK,
Jhgrimal, your meeting then gives you “rights” to bash, just try to you your own words and not the Socialist media.

Mike,
No brief meeting for you???? So be quite.

I have never met with W. Met his father one time when he was Vice President.
Jhgrimal, I wonder if your meeting W was like my meeting with his father??????

I did meet with W’s Chief of Staff a couple of times when he was Governor of Texas. Does that count?

I think this article sums up what has become of the almighty messiah, the on high Obama.

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER | Posted Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:30 PM PT

Barack Obama wants to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. He figures it would be a nice backdrop. The supporting cast — a cheering audience and a few fainting frauleins — would be a picturesque way to bolster his foreign policy credentials.

What Obama does not seem to understand is that the Brandenburg Gate is something you earn.

President Reagan earned the right to speak there because his relentless pressure had brought the Soviet empire to its knees and he was demanding its final "tear down this wall" liquidation.

When President Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate on the day of his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, he was representing a country that was prepared to go to the brink of nuclear war to defend West Berlin.

Who is Obama representing? And what exactly has he done in his lifetime to merit appropriating the Brandenburg Gate as a campaign prop?

What was his role in the fight against communism, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the creation of what George Bush 41 — who presided over the fall of the Berlin Wall but modestly declined to go there for a victory lap — called "a Europe whole and free"?

Does Obama not see the incongruity? It's as if a German pol took a campaign trip to America and demanded the Statue of Liberty as a venue for a campaign speech. (The Germans have now gently nudged Obama into looking at other venues.)

Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?

Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times.

As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.

It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history — "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" — when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow."

As economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone.

Obama may think he's King Canute, but the good king ordered the tides to halt precisely to refute sycophantic aides who suggested that he had such power. Obama has no such modesty.

After all, in the words of his own slogan, "we are the ones we've been waiting for," which, translating the royal "we," means: "I am the one we've been waiting for."

Amazingly, he had a quasi-presidential seal with its own Latin inscription affixed to his podium, until general ridicule — it was pointed out that he was not yet president — induced him to take it down.

He lectures us that instead of worrying about immigrants learning English, "you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish" — a language Obama does not speak. He further admonishes us on how "embarrassing" it is that Europeans are multilingual but "we go over to Europe, and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup.' " Obama speaks no French.

His fluent English does, however, feature many such admonitions, instructions and improvements. His wife assures us that President Obama will be a stern taskmaster: "Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism . . . that you come out of your isolation. . . . Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."

For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is? We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more.

As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall — I'm no expert on this — Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.

Oh Mike....you are hilarious...
Cindy McCain admits her past addiction to prescription drugs and her efforts to help others with the problem...
Nevermind that she is a fantastic business woman, an outstanding mother, has adopted a child with a severe physical defect,  and works her heart out trying to rid the world of mine fields that are killing children.....and that is only a few of her hundreds of kudos.
Okay...so give me a list of Michelle's accomplishments other than her rotten dissertation and the fact that she graduated from a prestigious college on your dollar.
And to the gentleman who called me a racist. I am without a doubt the most non-racist person you would ever know. I abhor racism and prejudice and that is the reason that I abhor Ms. Obama. At least her husband tries to hide his prejudice, at least since the campaign has started.
Racism whether white on black or black on white, or any other combination is totally unacceptable.
As far as getting out of my house, and my comfortable surroundings, I would be willing to bet that I have travelled more and intermingled with more of the poor and uneducated in third world countries than you could even imagine.  I have set at their tables and eaten their food, and tried to understand their feelings.
If you really care as much as you would like us to think you do, take the time to read Dr. James Cone's book, "Black Liberation Theology"....a book oft referred to by Reverend Wright and prior to the campaign quoted by Mr. Obama. You will educate ourself on from whence your hero comes.
As far as my voting record....I did indeed vote for President Bush twice.....and I predict that history will find him to be one of our greatest presidents. 
I wish there was some way that we could see how Al Gore or John Kerry would have handled 911 without suffering the consequences of it actually happening.  I feel certain that the men in this country would be most unhappy with the women wearing burkas if that had been the case.  I am sure that Kerry and Gore would have apologized to the Osama for the tragic death of his followers  and apologize for our buildings being in the way of the airplanes they were on..

The right will go to extreme limits to go after Michelle Obama.
Meanwhile mainstream media and the Obama camp remains quiet about Cindy McCain's addiction to percocet and Vicodin to ease her emotional stress during the Keating 5 affair. Like Rush Limbaugh she had a AVMT physician write illegal prescriptions for her.In 1992 Tom Gosinski Director international affairs for AVMT discovered she was stealing drugs. The family forced her to to get treatment.
More of the story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Mc...
You can bet if the table were reversed,Fox would be leading with this story every night...Kudos to MSM and the Obama campaign,because it is not relevant to this campaign.

FYI Shannon, I have met Bush. So i guess i can say he is real dumb..... Well fill in the blank!

southtexas , you and those like you are the reason we are in the trouble we are in now. Venture outside your house, outside your city, outside your state and outside what you consider comfortable, and maybe just maybe you’ll recognize that 7 and 1/2 years of being lead by the person you probably voted for twice has put us in a hole we may never get out of. You’re a bleeding heart racist. Yes, that right I said it and chances are its probably true, but I will never know for sure because you’ve never written a dissertation.

Garn. None of us have met the other Obama, either, and yet we're supposed to ave formed an opinion of him and his views by now. What makes her inaccessible?

You don't have to meet Ms. Obama to understand her beliefs and her stance. Her Doctor's dissertation is available to read and digest as well as her other writings.

She is a bitter racist who alienates herself from those black people who mingle with the white man. Watch her body language as she is forced to pretend to like any segment of America that is not black.  In other words, she is the poster child for Jeremiah Wright.

People wake up....Obama will brutally wound America should he be elected. I do not understand the naivety of his supporters. 

Remember Fidel Castro preached a message of "change" to the Cuban people also.  Have we not learned anything from history.

It's about policy decisions, incompetence,circumventing the Constitution and according to the latest polls most Americans feel that way.... Only about 23% remain Bush loyalist......

OK,
All you socialist better listen to jhgrimal, you cannot form an accurate opinion of another person without meeting that person. So all you Bush bashing Socialist take back what you have repeated from the Bush bashing in the Socialist/liberal media unless you have actually met our President.

So Clarence, where did you meet Mrs. Obama? OH, you haven't! Hmmm..... Let’s see here, you've created a view of someone you have not met, based on what others who have not met her have said about her. I have not met you Clarence, but from what I’ve read I’ve concluded you’re an idiot.