Fantasy Politics USA

Barack Obama told Iowa’s largest union, that as President he would walk the picket line with them. Obama criticized President
Bush’s policies towards working people. “We are facing a Washington that has thrown open its doors to the most anti-union, anti-worker forces we’ve seen in generations,” Obama said. “What we need to make real today is the idea that in this country we value the labor of every American.” “I stood on the picket line and marched with workers at the Congress Hotel in Chicago last week,” Obama said. “I had marched with them four years earlier and I told them when I left that if they were still fighting four years from now, I’d be back on that picket line as president of the United States and we’ll get the Congress Hotel organized.” Obama added, “I won’t just vote the right way with you, I will stand with you.” Obama told the crowd that he has worked for the working people since he began politics. He cited his years as a community organizer in Chicago, which brought him closer to people that are struggling. “When I talk about hope, when I talk about change, when I talk about holding America up to its ideals of opportunity and equality, this isn’t just the rhetoric of a campaign for me, it’s been the cause of a life; a cause I will work for and fight for every day as your president,” Obama said. John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, and Bill Richardson also addressed the convention of Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Alan Cosgrove

Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Steve Kubby, who is best know for his work for marijuana legalization and his work on behalf of medical marijuana patients, has announced that he endorses Ron Paul for President. Steve Kubby is still running for the President as the Libertarian Party candidate, but says he will quit if Ron Paul wins the Republican nomination. Kubby says he will ask the LP party to nominate “none of the above” at next years convention and go volunteer for Ron Paul. Why is he willing to abandon the LP party for Ron Paul? Because a recent poll says that 70% of LP members support Ron Paul, and all the real LP front runners are lucky to get 3%. Kubby may be excited about Ron Paul, but not that excited. Kubby says he plans on releasing his first commercial soon, and will continue to debate other LP candidates, and make radio appearances. Kubby’s endorsement of Ron Paul is not getting support from other LP candidates yet. Robert Milnes said he believes that, “Kubby’s endorsement of Ron Paul’s candidacy is a huge strategic blunder. He should call for, as I do, for libertarians to cease their support for Ron Paul. He is diverting libertarian support to the GOP. He is not a good progressive alliance candidate.” Hey Kubby, don’t bogart that joint my friend.
Alan Cosgrove

In May Hillary Clinton wrote a letter to the Pentagon and urged them to draw up plans for withdrawal from Iraq. She did this as a Senator, and a member of Senate Armed Services Committee. Last week Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman responded to Clinton’s questions. In a letter to Clinton, Edelman delivered a terse partisan message, accusing Clinton of aiding the enemy. But as Clinton said in her letter, “If we’re not planning for it, it will be difficult to execute it in a safe and efficacious way.” Edelman wrote, “Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somalia. Such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks.” He added, “Fear of precipitate U.S. withdrawal also exasperates sectarian trends in Iraq politics.” The Clinton camp was not happy with this letter. She responded with a letter to Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates. In her letter Clinton said, “Under Secretary Edelman’s response did not address the issues raised in my letter and instead made spurious arguments to avoid addressing contingency planning for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.” She also wrote that Edelman, “claims that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies. Under Secretary Edelman has his priorities backward. Open and honest debate and congressional oversight strengthens our nation and supports our military. His suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and dangerous.” The question here is why is a member of the Pentagon responding is such a partisan way to a Senator? She was doing her job, as a U.S. Senator and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. It is all about checks and balances. Edelman sounded more like Rush Limbaough or Sean Hannity. Edelman also accused most Americans of aiding the enemy, because most Americans would like it if the Pentagon would draw up plans to get out of Iraq as soon as possible.
Alan Cosgrove

According to the latest Declassified National Intelligence Estimate “the United States currently is in a heightened threat environment.” This after the Bush administration has spent billions of dollars on his war on terror. According to the report, “the US Homeland will face a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years.” This threat comes mostly from al-Qa’ida, but also from Lebanese Hizballah, and other non-Muslim radical groups. Barack Obama responded to this report in a press release saying, “This morning’s declassified NIE is a chilling reminder of what we have feared all along. After almost six years, awesome sacrifices by our brave men and women in uniform, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, we are no safer than we were on 9/11. This is a consequence of waging a misguided war in Iraq that should never have been authorized, and failing to seize the opportunity to do lasting harm to the extremist networks that pose a direct threat to our homeland. It is deeply troubling that more that nearly six years after 9/11, al Qaeda maintains a safe haven, an intact leadership, and the capability to plan further attacks. It is time to act to correct those mistakes, and the first step is to get out of Iraq, because you can’t win a war when you’re on the wrong battlefield.”
Republicans see the report the other way saying it confirms the gains made by the Bush administration. All I know is Osama Bin Laden is still on the loose, and we are stuck in a civil war in Iraq. Just doesn’t make any sense.
Alan Cosgrove

Oprah Winfrey is a big fan of Barack Obama, and will host a fundraiser at her mansion near Santa Barbara, Calif. for him on September 8th. To get in the door will cost $2,300. If you can tap your friends and family for a total $25,000 that will get you into a special reception, and $50,000 will get you dinner with the candidate. California was Obama’s top donor state from April through June with a total take of $4.2 million, and this will just help him get more cash from the delegate rich state. Obama already has the support of Hollywood big wigs like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, but Oprah is the biggest catch of Hollywood for Obama. Through her he can reach millions of women. Obama should go on Oprah’s show as a way to pay her back for the fundraiser.
Alan Cosgrove

The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll, taken between July 9-11 with 1,004 adults, shows that many Republicans are still undecided. This is in sharp contrast with the Democrats that have held fairly consistent poll numbers. It is still six months before the first real voting, but the Republicans have no clear front runner. Rudy Giuliani’s numbers fall each poll. He was around 35% in March, but now he is at 21%. Right behind him in the polls with 19% is undeclared candidate Fred Thompson. Thompson wasn’t even in the polls in March. John McCain is tumbling down in the polls with 15%, but he is still ahead of big money winner Mitt Romney who only gets 11%. Romney has been going up in the polls, probably at McCain’s expense. Mike Huckabee has remained at a constant 3%. The other undeclared candidate Newt Gingrich only gets 5%, which is down from 11% in March. The most telling part of the poll is the “none of the above” and “don’t know” categories for the Republicans. A month ago they were around 14%, but now these two categories are at 23% which is more than front runner Giuliani’s 21%. On the other side of the aisle Hillary Clinton is still the front runner with around 36%. Barack Obama is second with 20%, and the Democratic surprise is Al Gore is third with 15%. John Edwards is the only other one in double digits with 11%. The Democratic numbers have remained pretty consistent during the last three polls, especially when compared to the Republican numbers. This discontent among Republican voters might give some hope to the lesser known candidates like Huckabee or undeclared candidates like Gingrich. If you put these poll numbers together with the recent fundraising reports it doesn’t look very good for Republicans in 2008. If Fred Thompson isn’t Ronald Reagen resurrected the Republicans are going down in flames.
Alan Cosgrove

John Kerry, who has a hard time talking sometimes, was accused of flip flopping on the issues during the 2004 presidential campaign, and these charges contributed to his failed campaign. Now he is using the same style attacks against candidate Mitt Romney. “Let’s be very clear. I had not changed my positions and they played a game with that,” Kerry said of his opponents. But it is different with Romney according to Kerry. “He’s changed on abortion, he’s changed on gay rights and he’s changed on marriage,” Kerry said. “He’s changed on guns and he’s changed on the war. That’s pretty significant. I think people are asking the question out there, ‘Who is he, really?’ ” The Romney campaign responded by saying that Kerry is acting like a sore loser. They said that Kerry has a “mild form of personality disorder.” I thought all Presidential aspirants had some form of personality disorder. Romney’s campaign is just in denial.
Alan Cosgrove

The candidates full reports of fundraising activity from the past quarter was due at midnight on Sunday. The Democrats are pulling in the cash right now with a total of $83 million for the last quarter. A big portion of that went to Barack Obama who reported $33.1 million raised last quarter. Not far behind him was Hillary Clinton who raised $27 this past quarter. So far she is tops in fundraising with $63 million overall, and she is not spending that much either, giving her $42 million in the bank. The other Democratic candidates are far behind with John Edwards bringing in $9.1 million, and Bill Richardson bringing in $7 million. The bottom tier candidates all spent more than they brought in with Chris Dodd raising $3.3 million, and spending $4.4 million. Joe Biden raised $2.5 million and spent all of it. Dennis Kucinich raised under a million dollars. The Republicans raised a total of $58 million. Mitt Romney raised $21 million, but that includes a $6.5 million contribution from himself. Not far behind is Rudy Giuliani who raised $17.6 million last quarter. John McCain reported a disappointing $11.6 million for the last quarter, while he spent $13.1 million during the same period. His bank is running low with only $3.2 million left and $1.8 million in debts. Ron Paul has more in his bank with $2.3 million. Paul runs one of the leanest campaigns, spending less than 1/4 of what he raises. The other Republicans brought in smaller amounts with Tom Tancredo reporting $1.5 million for the last quarter, Sam Brownback raised $1.4 million, and Duncan Hunter and Mike Huckabee both brought in less than a million. Jim Gilmore brought in so little that he decided to drop out of the race this past weekend.
Alan Cosgrove