Happy Birthday John McCain (flashback)
RNC Convention logo: subliminal messages
Sen. Joe Biden: “John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.”
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Like Senator John Kerry who preceded him on the speakers agenda, Joe Biden has been a personal friend of John McCain for more than three decades. John Kerry asked John McCain to leave the Republican Party and become his running mate in 2004 (despite denials by McCain). Joe Biden several years ago said that he "would be proud to run with or run against John McCain." But that was then and this is now. When these two old friends of John McCain who know him well express their doubts, reservations and concerns about the judgment of the man whom they regard a friend, people should listen to them seriously. (The McMedia ignored this point entirely.)
The one-two punch of the speeches by Kerry and Biden reminded me of Senator Lloyd Bentsen’s classic response to Senator Dan Quayle during the 1988 vice presidential debate:
Bentsen: Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy: I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.
John Kerry and Joe Biden essentially reprised this line on Wednesday night: "Senator, I served with John McCain; I knew John McCain; John McCain was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no longer John McCain."
John McCain is my friend. We’ve known each other for three decades. We’ve traveled the world together. It’s a friendship that goes beyond politics. And the personal courage and heroism John demonstrated still amaze me.
But I profoundly disagree with the direction that John wants to take the country. For example,
John thinks that during the Bush years "we’ve made great progress economically." I think it’s been abysmal.
And in the Senate, John sided with President Bush 95 percent of the time. Give me a break. When John McCain proposes $200 billion in new tax breaks for corporate America, $1 billion alone for just eight of the largest companies, but no relief for 100 million American families, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.
Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history — a half-trillion dollars in the last five years — he wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks. But he voted time and again against incentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, biofuels. That’s not change; that’s more of the same.
Millions of jobs have left our shores, yet John continues to support tax breaks for corporations that send them there. That’s not change; that’s more of the same.
He voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage. For people who are struggling just to get to the next day, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.
And when he says he will continue to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq when Iraq is sitting on a surplus of nearly $80 billion, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.
The choice in this election is clear. These times require more than a good soldier; they require a wise leader, a leader who can deliver change — the change everybody knows we need.
* * *
I’ve been on the ground in Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can tell you in no uncertain terms: this administration’s policy has been an abject failure. America cannot afford four more years of this.
Now, despite being complicit in this catastrophic foreign policy, John McCain says Barack Obama isn’t ready to protect our national security. Now, let me ask you: Whose judgment should we trust? Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he said only three years ago, "Afghanistan — we don’t read about it anymore because it’s succeeded"? Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan?
The fact is, al-Qaida and the Taliban — the people who actually attacked us on 9/11 — have regrouped in those mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and are plotting new attacks. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff echoed Barack’s call for more troops.
John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.
Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he rejected talking with Iran and then asked: What is there to talk about? Or Barack Obama, who said we must talk and make it clear to Iran that its conduct must change.
Now, after seven years of denial, even the Bush administration recognizes that we should talk to Iran, because that’s the best way to advance our security.
Again, John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.
Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he says there can be no timelines to draw down our troops from Iraq — that we must stay indefinitely? Or should we listen to Barack Obama, who says shift responsibility to the Iraqis and set a time to bring our combat troops home?
Now, after six long years, the Bush administration and the Iraqi government are on the verge of setting a date to bring our troops home.
John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.
Again and again, on the most important national security issues of our time, John McCain was wrong, and Barack Obama was proven right.
Folks, remember when the world used to trust us? When they looked to us for leadership? With Barack Obama as our president, they’ll look to us again, they’ll trust us again, and we’ll be able to lead again.
Joe Biden also made an emotional connection with the American people with his remarkable life’s story, and his ability to speak directly to the heart of Americans about their concerns and fears. While the McMedia was unfairly critical of the speech on style points (because the media only cares about style over substance), substantively the speech was a wonderful reintroduction of Joe Biden to the American people. America was listening.
For a transcript of the speech Transcript: Joe Biden’s Acceptance Speech : NPR
Watch the video (below the fold – for technical reasons)
Sen. John Kerry: “Before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself.”
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
In perhaps the best speech on Wednesday night that much of the McMedia did not broadcast in favor of listening to themselves talk, Senator John Kerry delivered a scathing indictment of the man who is his friend, John McCain.
The stakes could not be higher, because we do know what a McCain administration would look like: just like the past, just like George Bush. And this country can’t afford a third Bush term. Just think: John McCain voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Ninety percent of George Bush is just more than we can take.
Never in modern history has an administration squandered American power so recklessly. Never has strategy been so replaced by ideology. Never has extremism so crowded out common sense and fundamental American values. Never has short-term partisan politics so depleted the strength of America’s bipartisan foreign policy.
George Bush, with John McCain at his side, promised to spread freedom but delivered the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time. They misread the threat and misled the country. Instead of freedom, it’s Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban and dictators everywhere that are on the march. North Korea has more bombs, and Iran is defiantly chasing one.
Our mission is to restore America’s influence and position in the world. We must use all the weapons in our arsenal, above all, our values. President Obama and Vice President Biden will shut down Guantanamo, respect the Constitution, and make clear once and for all, the United States of America does not torture, not now, not ever.
* * *
I have known and been friends with John McCain for almost 22 years. But every day now I learn something new about candidate McCain. To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician, I say, let’s compare Sen. McCain to candidate McCain.
Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Sen. McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Sen. McCain’s own climate change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Sen. McCain wrote. Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you’re against it.
Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself. And what’s more, Sen. McCain, who once railed against the smears of Karl Rove when he was the target, has morphed into candidate McCain who is using the same "Rove" tactics and the same "Rove" staff to repeat the same old politics of fear and smear. Well, not this year, not this time. The Rove-McCain tactics are old and outworn, and America will reject them in 2008.
Then John Kerry cut directly to the heart of John McCain’s perceived strength, so the McMedia constantly reminds us: his so-called "judgment."
So remember, when we choose a commander in chief this November, we are electing judgment and character, not years in the Senate or years on this Earth. Time and again, Barack Obama has seen farther, thought harder, and listened better. And time and again, Barack Obama has been proven right.
When John McCain stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier just three months after 9/11 and proclaimed "Next up, Baghdad!" Barack Obama saw, even then, "an occupation of "undetermined length, undetermined cost, undetermined consequences" that would "only fan the flames of the Middle East." Well, guess what? Mission accomplished.
So who can we trust to keep America safe? When Barack Obama promised to honor the best traditions of both parties and talk to our enemies, John McCain scoffed. George Bush called it "the soft comfort of appeasement." But today, Bush’s diplomats are doing exactly what Obama said: talking with Iran.
So who can we trust to keep America safe? When democracy rolled out of Russia, and the tanks rolled into Georgia, we saw John McCain respond immediately with the outdated thinking of the Cold War. Barack Obama responded like a statesman of the 21st century.
So who can we trust to keep America safe? When we called for a timetable to make Iraqis stand up for Iraq and bring our heroes home, John McCain called it "cut and run." But today, even President Bush has seen the light. He and Prime Minister Maliki agree on — guess what? — a timetable.
So who can we trust to keep America safe? The McCain-Bush Republicans have been wrong again and again and again. And they know they will lose on the issues. So, the candidate who once promised a "contest of ideas" now has nothing left but personal attacks. How insulting to suggest that those who question the mission, question the troops. How pathetic to suggest that those who question a failed policy doubt America itself. How desperate to tell the son of a single mother who chose community service over money and privilege that he doesn’t put America first.
No one can question Barack Obama’s patriotism…
* * *
This election is a chance for America to tell the merchants of fear and division: You don’t decide who loves this country; you don’t decide who is a patriot; you don’t decide whose service counts and whose doesn’t.
Four years ago I said, and I say it again tonight, that the flag doesn’t belong to any ideology. It doesn’t belong to any political party. It is an enduring symbol of our nation, and it belongs to all the American people. After all, patriotism is not love of power or some cheap trick to win votes; patriotism is love of country.
For a transcript of the speech Transcript: Sen. John Kerry On Foreign Policy : NPR
Watch the video (below the fold – for technical reasons)
Day 3: The “Big Dog” testifies that “Barack Obama is ready to lead America”
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
First, I want to congratulate Hillary Clinton for her magnanimous gesture during the roll call of the states by moving for suspension of the rules and to nominate Barack Obama by acclamation. That my friends is what true professionalism and party unity is all about. (The McMedia were sadly disappointed that their "Democrats are divided" narrative never materialized. And they dare to call themselves the "best political team in the business"? Not when they are always wrong).
President Bill Clinton followed Hillary’s lead. In a much anticipated and widely speculated about speech to the convention, the "big dog" delivered a testimonial for Barack Obama. Here is the key excerpt:
I’m not so grateful for the chance to speak in the wake of her magnificent address last night. But I’ll do my best.
Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she’ll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama.
That makes two of us.
Actually that makes 18 million of us — because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.
Here’s why.
Our nation is in trouble on two fronts: The American dream is under siege at home, and America’s leadership in the world has been weakened.
Middle-class and low-income Americans are hurting, with incomes declining; job losses, poverty and inequality rising; mortgage foreclosures and credit card debt increasing; health care coverage disappearing; and a big spike in the cost of food, utilities, and gasoline.
Our position in the world has been weakened by too much unilateralism and too little cooperation; a perilous dependence on imported oil; a refusal to lead on global warming; a growing indebtedness and a dependence on foreign lenders; a severely burdened military; a backsliding on global nonproliferation and arms control agreements; and a failure to consistently use the power of diplomacy, from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America to Central and Eastern Europe.
Clearly, the job of the next president is to rebuild the American dream and restore America’s standing in the world.
Everything I learned in my eight years as president and in the work I’ve done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job.
He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopes and rally us to high purpose. He has the intelligence and curiosity every successful president needs. His policies on the economy, taxes, health care and energy are far superior to the Republican alternatives. He has shown a clear grasp of our foreign policy and national security challenges, and a firm commitment to repair our badly strained military. His family heritage and life experiences have given him a unique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation and to restore our leadership in an ever more interdependent world. The long, hard primary tested and strengthened him. And in his first presidential decision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park.
With Joe Biden’s experience and wisdom, supporting Barack Obama’s proven understanding, insight, and good instincts, America will have the national security leadership we need.
Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world. Ready to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States.
Later in the speech the "big dog" delivered the indictment against the failed Republican ideology of the past 28 years:
But on the two great questions of this election, how to rebuild the American dream and how to restore America’s leadership in the world, he [McCain] still embraces the extreme philosophy which has defined his party for more than 25 years, a philosophy we never had a real chance to see in action until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and Congress. Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades were implemented.
They took us from record surpluses to an exploding national debt; from over 22 million new jobs down to 5 million; from an increase in working family incomes of $7,500 to a decline of more than $2,000; from almost 8 million Americans moving out of poverty to more than 5 1/2 million falling into poverty — and millions more losing their health insurance.
Now, in spite of all the evidence, their candidate is promising more of the same: more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that will swell the deficit, increase inequality, and weaken the economy. More Band-Aids for health care that will enrich insurance companies, impoverish families and increase the number of uninsured. More going it alone in the world, instead of building the shared responsibilities and shared opportunities necessary to advance our security and restore our influence.
They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more. Let’s send them a message that will echo from the Rockies all across America: Thanks, but no thanks. In this case, the third time is not the charm.
Bill Clinton finished with an analogy to historical continuity between his presidency and Barack Obama.
Barack Obama will lead us away from division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope. If, like me, you still believe America must always be a place called Hope, then join Hillary, Chelsea and me in making Sen. Barack Obama the next president of the United States.
All in all, Barack Obama could not have asked for any more from Bill Clinton. It was a well-crafted speech that sounded the right themes and delivered the right message. Well done.
For a transcript of the speech Transcript: Bill Clinton’s Prime-Time Speech : NPR
Watch the video (below the fold – for technical reasons)
DNC video tribute to our veterans
It’s Official — We Are Family
