More lies about Obama

I received the latest email spewing lies about Barack Obama from one of my college buddies. It proports to be written by a man named Chuck Green, who apparently is a "journalist."

Like you, when I heard that John McCain had selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, I said, “Who?”

As the details emerged over the next couple of hours, I was even more puzzled. Barely two years into statewide office, former mayor of a town of fewer than 7,000 citizens, caribou hunter, hockey mom, commercial fisherwoman, former pageant winner, PTA mother of five.

Had McCain lost his mind?

But, as the hours passed and dusk turned to dawn, other aspects of her life started to surface, and the surprising choice started to become more sensible.

Could Sarah Palin actually be more qualified than say, Barack Obama, to become president, should something tragic happen to the 72-year-old McCain? The comparisons of Palin and Obama started to come into sharper focus.

They both have only one house - although his is a $1.8 million mansion, and hers is a standard family house worth about $160,000.

Let's not pretend these two numbers are directly comparable. Something tells me the same house in Wasilla, AK is not going to be "worth" the same amount as it would be if you transplanted the same house to Chicago, IL. Also, I don't think the McCain camp wants to use the value of one's real estate as a measuring stick by which we determine if one is fit for office.

As a member of the Wasilla City Council, she didn’t vote “present” on any issues, while Obama voted “present” about 160 times while he was a legislator in Illinois. She hasn’t been afraid to take stands on tough issues, then face the consequences on the Main Street of Wasilla the next morning.

Voting present is a symbolic gesture. The end result is not changed. This is a weak argument. Sure, 160 times is a lot, but I don't care. Also, something tells me that Ms. Palin wasn't subjected to votes with the same level of importance when she was on the governing body of her village.

One of her first acts as mayor was to fire the town’s trouble-making police chief. Obama found it heart-wrenching to fire his racism-spewing, hate-mongering pastor.

Pray-tell, what trouble did he make? She also tried to fire the "trouble-making" librarian because she wouldn't let her pull books from the shelves that offended her Christian sensibilities, an act that damn near got her re-called before her first term was up. The official reason for these terminations? Failure to cooperate with the administration. No lie, check it out.

She resigned her post as an Alaskan oil and gas commissioner because she thought her Republican colleagues were too cozy with the executives of oil and gas companies. Obama hasn’t even denounced his self-acclaimed friend, William Ayers, the radical leftist who helped bomb U.S. facilities in the 1960s and who continues to advocate anti-American sentiments.

First off, politicians call everyone their "dear, dear friend." If they remember your name and you're a supporter, you're friends. Secondly, if we held every politician accountable for the 40 year-old actions of their political acquaintances, no one would be in office. McCain was a member of the Keating 5 and his father-in-law did business with the mob. Mr. Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a radical secessionist organization. Hell, Sarah Palin even did this video for them.

She campaigned, and won, the governor’s seat in a scrappy fight against a powerful Republican incumbent in her continuing crusade against corruption and unethical practices in Alaska. Obama has rarely even cast a vote against members of his own party.

Of course, he authored landmark campaign finance and ethics reforms his first year in office, but that doesn't really fit with your strategy in this column, does it Chuck? Palin's "crusade against corruption" is almost as much of a joke as McCain's. Palin secured $720 million in earmarks for Alaska in her first 20 months as Governor. When she was mayor of Mayberry, she hired a lobbying firm that brought in $27 million in earmarks for her tiny little village. She supported the bridge to nowhere, she was endorsed by indicted Senator Ted Stevens and she even ran his shady 527 PAC. But, I guess it's not like she was a member of the Keating 5 or anything.

She has successfully governed a state with enormous environmental, economic, strategic and corruption issues. Obama has never governed anything; he has simply cast votes, one among hundreds of others who have no accountability for their actions.

So, let me get this straight, when Palin was on the Maybery City Council, she showed leadership and earned valuable experience. When Obama was in the Illinois and United States Senate, all he did was cast votes. What did John McCain do in his nearly three decades in Congress?

There is a big difference between someone making daily decisions as an executive, and one among hundreds who voices an opinion.

Are these the same "daily decisions" that Mayor Palin made that took the town of Wasilla from being almost completely debt free to being tens of millions of dollars in debt? That caused a village to build a multi-million dollar ice-skating rink when they didn't have sewer or storm water treatment? Or to break ground on said ice-skatin rink before you even had the deed to the property, resulting in millions of dollars in legal fees to fight litigation?

Palin has said “no” to hundreds of millions in federal handouts to Alaska; Obama has never turned away federal money and advocates spending billions and billions more.

See above. This isn't even just flawed logic, it's an outright lie. I'll tell myself that Mr. Green is just a lazy journalist and not a partisan hack promoting something he knows to be untrue.

Palin has governed a state that borders the former Soviet Union and Canada. Obama has served in the legislature of a state that borders Iowa

.LOL. If I wasn't so jaded, I'd be outraged by this statement. But I just can't help but laugh. Where do I begin. First, Alaska does not share a border with Russia, and hasn't for, you know, eons. Back during the days of Pangea, it probably shared a border with Africa too, does that make Palin uniquely qualified to solve the AIDS crisis?

Second, the Soviet Union no longer exists. Could you guys try a little bit harder to prove you haven't gotten over the Cold War mindset.

Also, to be fair, Illinois also borders Indiana and Wisconsin. And Canada is practically on the other side of Lake Michigan (OK, it isn't really, there's that pesky Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but if Alaska can be said to border the Soviet Union Commonwealth of Independent States Russia, I can say Illinois borders Canada.

Even if this argument mattered, I say we elect baseball player Curt Schilling President. He's from Alaska, and he won a baseball game with his Achilles tendon exposed. One word: hero.

Palin has been to the Middle East and has a son in the Army who will be deployed to Iraq next week. Obama visited Iraq for two days a few weeks ago.

See Biden, Joe. Next.

Palin has governed a state twice the size of France, with rave reviews; Obama has governed nothing.

WTF? Since when was the total acreage of your state a determining factor in your competency and ability to govern. Perhaps we should elect Vladmir Putin to be head of the UN. I mean, Russia is the biggest country in the world, so he

Chew on this, Alaska has about 760,000 people. The greater Kansas City metro-area has about 1.9 million people.

Palin has worked the last couple of years on the job, earning her salary as governor. Obama has spent the last couple of years collecting a salary as U.S. senator, but spending most of his job running for the Democrat nomination for the presidency.

Again, not a fight John McCain wants to start. His attendance record is even worse than Obama's.

Palin’s spouse has spent his life working the hard tasks of an Alaskan commercial fisherman and oil pipeline supervisor; Obama’s spouse has worked as a hospital public-relations executive earning more than $200,000 a year.

How is a spouse's income/employment relevant? I don't begrudge John McCain for marrying hot rich girls, I just pray for Cindy's sake she doesn't get in a car accident.

The Obama's worked hard, they got a good education and they made themselves some money. Sure they were the least rich of all 50 people running for President from both parties, but let's paint them to be rich elitists anyway (says the man who married into a beer-distribution fortune worth nearly $100 million)

Palin has made the agonizing life-and-death decision over whether to abort a Down Syndrome baby and now faces the challenge of helping her 17-year-old daughter through a pregnancy; the Obamas have the blessings of two healthy, beautiful daughters with the difficult years still ahead of them.

I'll let Samantha Bee answer this one.

The contrasts go on and on, and in each instance Obama seems to be on the short end of experience and tough decisions.

America is no longer asking, “Sarah Who?”

You're right, they know who she is, and know she isn't fit to be Vice President.

Email Chuck at chuckgreencolo@msn.com and let him know you're tired of people spreading lies.

Cheese flavored lies

Another post from The Kansas Republican, another lie. Or at least a blind assumption made in the absence of facts.

These clowns read a story on da int-ruh-netz that said a cheese factory decided to locate in Eastern Colorado as opposed to Western Kansas.

OBVIOUSLY this is Gov. Sebelius' fault. Not the Republican-controlled legislature. They eveen linked to the story!

The problem is, the story made no mention of anything even remotely political.

Leprino reportedly chose the location partly due to the quality and availability of milk in neighbouring Weld County. Moerover, in December 2007, FLEXNEWS had reported that Leprino had also considered other locations for the plant in north Colorado and in south west Kansas.

Leprino provides mozzarella cheese to companies such as Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut and has 9 plants in the US, and 2 in the UK.

Apparently its Governor Sebelius' fault there isn't more/higher quality milk in Western Kansas.

Then, they repeat the same baseless accusations made by their cousins over at Stay Red Kansas, that 1) the recent GAO decision was the result of Roberts, Tiahrt, Brownback and Moran's hard work and 2) Jim Slattery is angry about the decision.

Meanwhile, thanks to tireless work by Senator Roberts, Brownback and the rest of
the DC gang, the GAO ruled that the Air Force's procurement process was not
handled properly.

What, no props for Reps. Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore?

Nevermind the fact that Slattery released a press release praising the decision or that Roberts and Brownback actively created an atmosphere condusive to the decision while Tiahrt and Moran sat on their hands.

The casual relationship that TKR and SRK seem to have with "facts" and "truth" is starting to get annoying.

Offensive rhetoric from the KS GOP

Christian Morgan and the KS GOP have reached a new low.

In a recent blog post, Morgan and his cronies parrot a National Review story criticizing Sen. Barack Obama for supporting giving constitutional rights to detainees at Guantanamo Bay (the scoundrel!)

As if it wasn't bad enough that McCain called the decision“one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” Ya, right up there with Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson. Or Roe v. Wade if you are so inclined.

Worse than that though, Morgan and the National Review call Obama the "September 10 candidate." This is nothing more than cheap, underhanded fear politics and Christian should be ashamed of himself.

People on both sides of the aisle should be able to agree on one thing, the thousands that died on Sept. 11, 2001 did not die so that people could use their deaths to score cheap political points and to do so trivializes the tragedy that was 9/11.

Not only that, but it's insulting and outlandish to insinuate that any candidate, Republican or Democrat, would ever do anything they felt would make an attack like the one of that fateful Tuesday more likely.

Supporters of Obama and McCain can debate the legal merits of extending the writ of habeas corpus to those incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay, but neither side should resort to accusing the other of promoting further terrorist attacks or being on the side of the terrorists.

Whatever your political leanings may be, we think we can all agree that this sort of political hackery is unconscionable. If you agree, call Christian Morgan and tell him the best way to honor those who were killed on 9/11 and those who have died fighting to protect those rights is to refrain from using their deaths to score cheap political points. The number is (785) 228-0353.

TKR - Liars? Idiots? Or Both?

Hey Kansas Republican Party. Just because Boehner says something stupid, doesn't mean you have to repeat it. Yes, I'm talking about this.

Washington Republicans (like Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran) really want to get away with voting against our Iraq war vets, but they can't find anything wrong with Webb's G.I. bill - so they're grasping for straws. And, of course, they aren't very clever. So they're recycling their favorite scary phrase: "small business tax."

The new half-percentage tax surcharge is being referred to as a "patriot tax" on individuals earning over $500,000 and couples earning over $1 million. But what they aren't saying is that this tax increase will also affect some 325,000 small business owners across the country.

WOAH! SCARY! EXCEPT...it still only affects millionaires...not your favorite local bar.

According to the Center for Budget & Policy Priorities:

Critics of the House-passed bill maintain that their concern is its impact on “mom and pop” small business operations, which they describe as the engines of economic growth and job creation. These critics should be reassured by the fact that the overwhelming majority of such enterprises will never generate enough profits to make them subject to the surcharge. Importantly, only business profits, not gross receipts, are potentially subject to the surcharge. Some critics have misleadingly implied that the surcharge applies to gross receipts over $1 million.

Moreover, even the “about 1 percent” figure likely overstates the impact of the surcharge on small business owner-operators. The Tax Policy Center data classify as a small business owner anyone who receives any income from an S corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or various other types of businesses.[4] Many of these individuals, however, play no role in managing the business and are simply passive investors who contribute some capital to the enterprise and, in exchange, receive a share of the profits. Their ranks include President Bush and Vice-President Cheney...

Ah HA! So the truth comes out...in voting against education for veterans, Moran & Tiahrt aren't just trying to protect millionaires, they're protecting George Bush and Dick Cheney! WHY ARE WE NOT SURPRISED!?!?!

And the Kansas GOP staff...I mean..."secret bloggers" just spits it all out like it doesn't make them look REALLY REALLY incompetent. But it does. And they are.

That jolt you just felt was the Earth as it stopped spinning

There's a new post up over at TheKansasRepublican. And we here at LBK couldn't agree more with it's premise (or at least what we think it's premise is).

Much has been written about Ben Hodge…most of it true. We all know Ben isn’t running for re-election; We all know he doesn’t care about beating Democrats; We all know that he really doesn’t care about anyone but Ben Hodge; We all know he doesn’t have a permanent address. We know all that.

But what we have finally determined is that Ben Hodge is possibly the worst State Representative in the state of Kansas. And that is not hyperbole. His behavior as a legislator has been embarrassing not only to himself, but to his District and to a large extent, the Kansas Republican Party.

Luckily Ben Hodge is not running for re-election. But us here at The Kansas Republican believe we have not seen the end of Ben Hodge. Rumor has it he may run for the House in a different district or run against an incumbent Senator like Barbara Allen or David Wysong. He has exhibited in the past an ability to pop up in any district to run for office, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up in the wealthy areas of Johnson County to run for office.

It’s too bad when elected officials push their own agendas at the expense of the people of Kansas. There appears to be a lot of that going around in Topeka these days.

Hear, hear, TKR. We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Bravo.

Network TV War Analysts: Robots in Disguise

The Bush administration lied to the American people about Iraq, and then spent seven years and billions of dollars covering up that lie.

I know this is no longer a surprise to anyone, but it still makes me angry.

And yesterday's story in The New York Times made me especially angry because it involves television network news and I HATE television network news. Fox, CNN, NBC - you name it, I hate it. And here's just another example of why:

In the summer of 2005, the Bush administration confronted a fresh wave of criticism over Guantánamo Bay. The detention center had just been branded “the gulag of our times” by Amnesty International, there were new allegations of abuse from United Nations human rights experts and calls were mounting for its closure.

The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly. Early one Friday morning, they put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo.

To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.

Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.

Reading on...

Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.

We know the Bush administration flushed their ethics down the toilet long ago - but why these "journalists" allowed individuals - with not only known financial ties to contractors in Iraq but also close ties to the Bush administration - to act as independent voices on their "news" shows...well...it makes me sick.

In a Q&A related to this piece, NYTimes reporter David Bastow was asked if he discovered why the major network executives and news editors didn't vet their "analysts." Here's his answer:

Two networks, CBS and Fox News, declined to answer any questions about their use of military analysts, including what specific steps they took to vet them for business ties that could pose conflicts and what ethical guidelines they established for them. NBC would not allow any executives to be interviewed, but released a short statement saying it had “clear policies in place’’ to avoid even the perception of a conflict of interest. Spokesmen for CNN and ABC said that while their military analysts were expected to keep them informed of outside sources of income, neither network had written ethics policies governing potential conflicts of interest with their analysts.

But the question you raise – why didn’t the network news executives try to “close the gap’’ between what journalists were reporting and what some analysts were saying – is a good one. One possible answer: Several analysts said in interviews that network news officials tended to defer to their experience and expertise in military matters.

Are you as disgusted as I am?

Crazy out, crazy in

Kansas lost the very best State Representative/blogger yesterday. Yes, Rep. Ben Hodge resigned, effective at the end of the wrap-up session. Some of you more astute readers may be saying, "WTF, his term is over at the end of the wrap-up session, why not just announce you aren't seeking re-election?"

The answer? With Ben Hodge, who knows. Under this scenario, Scott Schwab (who inside sources have informed us is actually Undead) will likely be appointed his successor by the Republican Central Committee in Johnson County (of which Schwab is the chair), but he would still have to run for "re-election" in November. Schwab has already held this seat once, ceding to Hodge to launch a quixotic yet unsuccessful run at being slaughtered by Dennis Moore (he couldn't get past the primary), so it's not like he would benefit too much from the "incumbency."

Personally, I think it was just because Hodge is too lazy to go to committee meetings over the summer.

Unfortunately, we likely haven't seen the last of this God of Hacks. According to the KC Star, he'll be reaking havoc on a different part of Johnson County, most likely challenging Barbara Allen in the 8th Senate District. Apparently she is too normal for Ben's tastes.