Bulletin: Join Clintons for McCain

Note to all visitors (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents): Please go now to the above web site -- http://clintons4mccain.com -- and join as a member. The group's goal? "We will vote for Sen. John McCain not out of anger, not out of spite, but because he is an honorable American who may not speak the most eloquent words, or give the greatest speeches, but when he does speak we can believe him. "

On my blogs, I get many visitors from "overseas," paticularly Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, New Zealand, and Portugal, and Eastern Europe. I even had one from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. One of my loyal visitors is pro-McCain (and pro-Palin) Australian Jim Fryar. You can find his blog at: http://jimmunro.blogspot.com/. I very hope you'll visit Jim's site regularly.

Many of my non-U.S. visitors want to support John McCain, and I get asked if they can make contributions to http://johnmccain.com/. For example, I got the following comment from a French Canadian, Tym, who blogs at: http://tymachine.blogspot.com/.:

Stephen:"Is it legal for Canadians and people from other countries to financially contribute to the John McCain campaign?"I see that Barack has managed to gather 3 times more money than John did. Does that do him any good to his [Obama's] tarnished image?"

The short answer to Tym's question about people from outside the U.S. contributing directly (key word) to McCain is: No. It's against U.S. law for non-U.S. citizens to donate to political campaigns (key phrase) under the control of candidates.

However, if a committee or group is outside the control of a presidential candidate, foreign national can contribute. Such donations would be similar to ones made, for example, to the American Red Cross or a U.S. church.In my previous column, I strongly urged all people supportive of John McCain -- Republicans, Democrats, Independents, foreign nationals, and U.S. citizens -- to join one of the (many) groups of Hillary Clinton Supporters for McCain. I specifically mentioned http://clintons4mccain.com/. That's a group (nearly 1300 members and growing fast) that opposes the election of Barack Obama -- and backs the election of John McCain.

Why can foreign nationals send contributions to Clintons for McCain? Because it's a group not under the control of McCain's "official" campaign, donating to that group (which I urge you to do) would be no different than contributing to me (which I urge you NOT to do).Clintons for McCain is not a group fixated on debating the pros-and-cons of Mrs. Clinton's views. In fact, it's a group where most members -- although not all -- agree with Sen. Clinton on her political positions.

Instead, Clintons for McCain is dedicated to preventing the election of Barack Obama and encouraging the election of John McCain.

Thus, I urge what we call "foreign nationals" to contribute as much as they can to such groups. I'm sure a $10 contribution (which I've made) would be welcome. I bet larger contributions might be even more welcome.CNN noted today (what took them so long?) that there's tremendous interest outside the U.S. in this country's presidential election.

I hope a lot of that interest will be translated into contributions to organizations supportive of McCain -- but not under the control of his campaign. Clintons for McCain would be a great place to start.

POLITICS ISN'T BRAIN SURGERY: MCCAIN

One important thing all admirers of John McCain can do is to contribute to his campaign. If you can donate $250, please do so. Or, if you can contribute $25, please do it. The Democrat's presumptive nominee, Obama, has been raising huge amounts of money from Moveon.org types, and it's essential that we help put John McCain on a more level financial footing. You can contribute by clicking on the Contribute to John McCain link to your right (at the top) or by going to the McCain web site and clicking on the "contribute" button. Thanks for your generous help.

Note: If you're from Pennsylvania, please go here to see my blog dedicated to the Keystone State. If you're from Ohio or New Jersey, please click on those links to find blogs dedicated to the McCain effort in those states. If you're from Oklahoma or New Mexico, click on those sites. In time, there will be blogs from each of the 50 states (listed as http://[statename]forjohnmccain.blogspot.com.

There's a need for volunteers to manage state blogs that are "waiting" for someone to take over. If you do assume that responsibility, you will receive all the help you need.

As a rough guess, there are about 35 million voters out there who are (or soon will be) strongly for John McCain. If each one who solidly backs McCain "teaches one," McCain would get 70 million votes, which would make him a winner. Frankly, everyone has a family member, or friend, or neighbor who can be brought into the McCain camp. It's that simple.

If people know you strongly support the Senator, then other people are more likely to follow your lead.

(More to come Thursday afternoon. Please read the columns below about John McCain and this probable opponent, Barack Obama, in the general election.)

On The NYT's Smear Campaign Against McCain

From: [Political Analyst] Aaron Rizzio, Subject: Gloves off at NYT

[Reporter] Jim Rutenberg had been shopping this story around furiously to the New Republic and Drudge Report since late last year after the NYT initially refused to run with it. Drudge, apparently on the Romney payroll at the time, ran a teaser item on it on 12-20. What precisely has been developed since [NYT Editor] Keller spiked the apparent dead-end story last year is a question he should be prepared to answer. What we have are 2 apparently disgruntled anonymous former McCain staffers (who are they? were they terminated? who are they working for now?). This could end up being a good thing for several reasons 1.) if it ultimately goes nowhere and Keller takes institutional flak for running such a smarmy and sloppy hit piece on McCain he is effectively immunized against such weakly sourced rumor and innuendo going forward. 2.) It wakes team McCain up to the reality that indeed the NYT is not their friend and they cannot rely on the institutional "msm" to carry water for them here on out for the duration of the campaign. 3.) The NYT has really, really, lowered the bar for future hit pieces on Obama in this campaign cycle (from what promises to be a cornucopia of potential source material); although I wouldn't count on the NYT running any anonymously sourced hearsay accusations of Barack Obama smoking crack behind garbage dumpsters anytime soon. I like this line "even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee". You mean like Tom Daschle former Senate Maj Leader (and Obama backer) who's wife lobbyed against secured airline cockpit bulkheads prior to 9/11? That kind of thing?http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0201.mencimer.html

State Blogs: Million-Vote Project

Why "independent" state blogs? Because people operating independently can accomplish a lot more than official sites, especially in the earlier stages of a campaign. The state blogs mentioned are not under the administrative or ideological control of the offical McCain effort (which you're also encouraged to join) or of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

These blogs should be places where all McCain supporters -- Republicans, conservatives, moderates, and, especially, Independents and Democrats, feel comfortable. That's often not the case when the RNC exerts control.

Also, independents can accomplish more than people who are part of an official structure. I mentioned the independent Democrat, a college student, who started the Obama MySpace site. He ended up, working with other students, getting 160,000 "friends" for Obama. Those people were a crucial element in Obama's wildly successful online fundraising.

The people volunteering to manage or otherwise participate in the state blogs are capable of similar achievements, and the only instruction they will receive is the suggestion that they "go for it." Use your own creativity and imagination to make sure your state goes for McCain.

(I'll say more about this subject, but for now, I urge you to read the column(s) below.)


Note: I put the following post up today on http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com. Click on that link and you'll find some additional information about the Pennsylvania effort.

The state blogs and "The Million Vote Project" began this past weekend and is progressing nicely. We now have blog managers at
http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com;
http://newmexicoforjohnmccain.blogspot.com;
http://oklahomaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com;
http://texasforjohnmccain.blogspot.com.

Within the next week, there should be several more states represented.

Clearly, we need you and others like you to volunteer to manage (or co-manage) these state blogs for McCain. If you'd like to volunteer or suggest a name of someone who would like to do so, please either use the comments section or e-mail me: TalkTop65@aol.com. Serving as a manager (or co-manager) should not be too much of a burden on your time, and doing so will be a major help to the McCain Campaign.

We're especially interested in getting blog managers from New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, California, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, and New Hampshire. I have regular visitors from all these states (and others), and I hope people will step up to the plate. All those blogs currently exist (with the state name followed by "for John McCain"), so you can see what they look like. (For example, http://Hawaiiforjohnmccain.blogspot.com.)

Then, the next step is for you to volunteer as a manager. If you need help with the process, don't hesitate to ask me at TalkTop65@aol.com. The sites are all on blogspot.com, because it's relatively easy to use.

The "look" of each state site will be the same, but the managers will all take different approaches on their blogs. Hopefully, each manager will reach out to all members of the online communities in their various states.

We're calling this "The Million Vote Project," because that's the minimum number of votes these United States blogs can influence in the direction of John McCain. Please volunteer today.In regard to Pennsylvania,

I'll be working this week to inform PA Republicans about the existence of this blog. I'll put up links to perhaps 100 blogs and ask the people to do the same for this blog. Soon, there will be a blogroll listing the 50 state blogs (plus a general one at: http://americanforjohnmccain.blogspot.com.

The Pennsylvania state blog will be a gathering place for supporters of John McCain, a site where people can share information and ideas.

Senator McCain can win Pennsylvania in November. But for that to happen, all his supporters must leverage their influence. This blog will help toward that end.

Sharon, Political Star, Oklahoma Blog

Note: This is cross-posted from "Sharon, Political Superstar" on pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain, a site I urge you to visit. It's one of 50 state blogs for John McCain. In it a few weeks, its focus will be on the McCain race in Pennsylvania, with an occasional nod to neighboring states: WV, NJ, OH, and NY.

THE ONE-MILLION VOTE PROJECT

Up and running now are New Mexico for John McCain and Pennsylvania for John McCain (this site). Also, Sharon from Norman, OK ("Go Sooners!") has agreed to manage Oklahoma for John McCain, and it will be running hard soon. Sharon is a political version of The Energizer Bunny, and she's extremely skilled in organizational and GOTV (Get Out the Vote) activities.

We "ordinary mortals" will never be quite at Sharon's, but many of the things she does are learnable and doable. In the first few weeks this site is alive, I'm going to post material from Sharon and others who are very skilled in making sure their candidates get elected -- and, in this case, that means John McCain.

The woman who heads the New Mexico site blogs usually at The Pink Flamingo. Her initial experience was with political guru Lee Atwater in South Carolina. She also worked on the campaigns of Senator Lindsay Graham. She set up on blogspot 49 of the state sites. I did a grand total of one, Pennsylvania. But I did find the great picture of the Amish kids!

We very much need volunteers to take over the other state sites. I believe we have one for Texas, but a state like that one (huge in geography and populaton) could probably use more than one blog manager. In my exchanges with Sharon, she gives me a lot of information about her political background. Invariably, what she says is applicable to others -- although perhaps not quite at her level of commitment. In her most recent e-mail, she told me the following about the "Air Force life."

She says, "OK is in the bag for McCain for the general election. I can easily help out with Texas. We lived there for eight years before moving to OK when Kelly AFB ended up on the BRAC list to be shut. We were some of the first people from that area to transfer to Tinker AFB. If you cannot find a Texas person, I will see if Brad who comes from Houston will take it over (he helped me out on the Bush yahoo groups) if I promise to help him out. I know several states better then OK - Ohio where I grew up, CA where we used to live, TX where we used to live, and FL where I work with my good friend on elections -- he went to McCain a week before the FL primary and ended up escorted Sen McCain and his wife to events for the final week. In 2000 I knew much more about FL then OK including giving directions to people for Bush rallies. My brother lives in Orlando."

What if a state like Oklahoma is, as Sharon says, "in the bag" for McCain (as I agree it is)? In that case, activists from Oklahoma can contact family and friends in other more hotly contested states.

The two columns below discuss what the 50 state blogs for McCain are designed to do. Each blog will look alike, but the approaches will all be different. There will be no "orders from the top," because there will be no top. In each case, however, they're designed to bring together activists to work TOGETHER toward the election of John McCain.

Soon, you'll see blogrolls with the 50 states for John McCain. Within a month, there will be on this site a blogroll for Pennsylvania. People who don't have blogs -- and that's the vast majorityof people online -- are very much invited to participate. They can receive e-mail alerts about political developments of interest in PA.

Anyway, welcome aboard all. "Mac is back," and so are we.

JOIN YOUR STATE'S MCCAIN BLOGS

Cindy (SJ Reidhead) at her very popular blog (ThePinkFlamingo) is moving ahead setting up state blogs for John McCain. This is an INDEPENDENT effort focused on bringing together you and other bloggers in your state to work together to ensure the election of John McCain. [At the bottom of this column see Cindy's absolutely remarkable column on Obama as a "rock star."]

I hope you and others like you throughout the country will join, either as managers of each state blog or as participants to be listed on the blogroll.

The “AM” Blogroll (McCain's "morning in America") is designed to be a networking tool for the supporters of John McCain It is not to supplant any other group. Indeed, the AM Blogroll will also concentrate on grass-roots logistics, fund-raising, and eventually will become a ‘get out the vote’ tool for local communities.

It's early, but there are now two model blogs up (and will be more soon). Please visit them at:
(1) http://newmexicoforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ -- and
(2) http://americanforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.

http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ will be up late Saturday.

The blogs will make it easier for people in each state to communicate with each other. The blog manager's role will be to make it easier for people's sharing share ideas and communicating what's going on in each state. The blogs can help ensure that McCain is competitive in every state, one of his stated goals.

Of course, no one but Senator McCain and his paid staff (a very small group compared to Obama's huge staff) can speak FOR the Senator. However, it is our first amendment right to speak ABOUT the Senator and his opponent.

We very much need volunteers to manage state blogs. Such people should be committed to the election of John McCain and willing to devote perhaps one hour per day to their particular state blog. (As the election nears, particularly in September and October of this year, the blogs will take on a tremendous importance in getting out the vote for Senator McCain.)

If you might not have the individual time to spend on the blog, please consider being a co-manager. There's reason why 2-3-4 people can't be co-managers. Such people won't be receiving instruction from anyone else, since each blog will be an individual enterprise.

That said, however, the state blogs should look alike (see the examples) and be as user-friendly as possible. That's why Blogger (blogspot.com) will be used. It's simple to set up and attract participants.

The goal would be for each state blog to have representatives from all (or nearly all) counties. Bloggers then can share information and suggestions in order to make certain each state is as well-organized as possible for the election. Also, we can learn from each other about successful tactics at winning supporters and getting out the vote.The state blogs should play a critical role.

However, you're encouraged to join other organizations devoted to Senator McCain. You can find out how to do so by going to: http://mccainvictory2008.com/. MV08 will always be an important element in the McCain effort.

If you'd like more information, please direct your questions either to me (TalkTop65@aol.com) or to SJReidhead@mac.com. You can also leave comments at our blogs.

Every state is going to be critical, but some may be more critical than others. They include: New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. Your efforts can be crucial in such battleground states -- and others. If John McCain wins most of those states (esp. Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio), he will be the next President of the U.S. With enough effort, each state is winnable.

PLEASE VOLUNTEER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

At the Pennsylvania for McCain site (http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain/ (up and running on Sunday), I'll be sharing information provided by political superstar Sharon Caliendo of Oklahoma. She's an expert on individuals leveraging their efforts to elect candidates.

Also, don't forget to visit the models from New Mexico and America generally. Your suggestions are always welcome.

NOTE: THIS BLOG RECEIVES MANY VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S. -- BRAZIL, CANADA, MEXICO, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, AND ELSEWHERE. IF YOU'RE NOT A U.S. CITIZEN, YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, YOU CAN HELP GREATLY BY COMMUNICATING YOUR SUPPORT FOR MCCAIN TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE U.S. PLEASE START DOING SO TODAY! IF YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN OVERSEAS, THIS BLOG (AND OTHERS) WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN GET AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION.


One of the finest bloggers in the history of, well, the blogosphere is SJ Reidhead, Cindy, of New Mexico. She's written an absolute wing-doozer of a column titled "Here he comes walking Down the Street -- Hey, hey it's Obama!" It is an absolute must-read, and you can find her blog it at: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog. The direct link to the Obama column is as follows: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/15/3526556.html.

Here are excerpts, starting with first two paragraphs in the piece:

I have a collection of pieces about Barack Obama today. I think I have two points about him. First, he is nothing more than your average crooked, corrupt, Chicago ward-healer politician with a good publicist. The man is corrupt. He is smoke and mirrors. If investigations into his fund-raising ever get started, the man is highly vulnerable.

Next, breathe a little easier. Barack Obama is not a cult. He’s a rock star. It is a generational thing – but it has nothing to do with politics.

This is exactly what Barack Obama is. He’s a rock star. He’s the hottest thing since Michael Jackson. He isn’t a cult. He’s a happening. He’s hip. He’s now. He’s all that. He’s entertainment. It’s the thing to do. You stand in line, sigh with bliss, scream, pass out, and then go chase him.

Ladies and gentlemen the Beatles have landed again and morphed into a presidential candidate. The beauty of this is the fact that “teen idols” have a short shelf life. Yesterday I thought I picked up twangs of buyer’s remorse, but today all I’m hearing is adoration. Roger Simon thinks he may be peaking too early.

From Right Pundits: Why the super-delegate bribes? “…This smells like political corruption of the highest form. Obama’s political action committee has donated $228,000 to 34 superdelegates who subsequently pledged their support, and the list of bribed superdelegates is growing. That is $8,000 per vote. He has donated another $466,000 to superdelegates who are still officially on the fence. Hillary Clinton’s political action committee has donated $95,000 to 13 delegates who subsequently pledged their support. That is $7,500 per vote. She has donated another $100,000 to superdelgates who are technically uncommitted. John McCain should fillet Barack Obama over this issue. Quid pro quo paying for votes tears at the heart of our democratic system. And love campaign finance reform or not, John McCain is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this Valentine’s Day gift from the Democrats….”

Superdelegate purchase? “…About half the 800 superdelegates -- elected officials, party leaders, and others -- have committed to either Clinton or Obama, though they can change their minds until the convention. Obama's political action committee has doled out more than $694,000 to superdelegates since 2005, the study found, and of the 81 who had announced their support for Obama, 34 had received donations totaling $228,000. Clinton's political action committee has distributed about $195,000 to superdelegates, and only 13 of the 109 who had announced for her have received money, totaling about $95,000….”

THE CULT
Charkes Krauthhammer on the cult of Obama “…Interestingly, Obama has been able to win these electoral victories and dazzle crowds in one new jurisdiction after another, even as his mesmeric power has begun to arouse skepticism and misgivings among the mainstream media. ABC’s Jake Tapper notes the “Helter-Skelter cultish qualities” of “Obama worshipers,” what Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times calls “the Cult of Obama.” Obama’s Super Tuesday victory speech was a classic of the genre. Its effect was electric, eliciting a rhythmic fervor in the audience — to such rhetorical nonsense as “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. (Cheers, applause.) We are the change that we seek.”

That was too much for Time’s Joe Klein. “There was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism ... ,” he wrote. “The message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is.”You might dismiss the New York Times’ Paul Krugman’s complaint that “the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality” as hyperbole. Until you hear Chris Matthews, who no longer has the excuse of youth, react to Obama’s Potomac primary victory speech with “My, I felt this thrill going up my leg.” When his MSNBC cohosts tried to bail him out, he refused to recant. Not surprising for an acolyte who said that Obama “comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament.”…”

THE BOTTOM LINE
Barack Obama is the biggest thing since Michael Jackson. He is a super-star. The great thing about that is the moment something more exciting comes along, the fair weather fans are going to desert him. That's the way the game is played. They are always looking for the newest sensation. Obama is fresh meat for a generation that has never known this sort of excitement. It won't last. He's actually more the Mili-Vanilli (my spelling might be off) of the political world. He's a lip-syncer. There is nothing there but total and complete Chicago style political corruption. He is preaching purity and change to a generation who has not background in history or politics.

His opponent, John McCain must be the one who defines the Obama sensation. He must latch on to the corruption and push it for all it is worth. Obama followers are from the Day Care Generation. They can't handle being fussed at or anyone raising their voice. They must be handled with care, or they will go home and not play at all. If they cannot be swayed to reality, then the best place for them is at home, pouting.


Steve Maloney says: Cindy is absolutely correct in her piece when she says I'm doing a lot of research on Obama's finances, with emphasis on his big benefactor, America-hater George Soros, whose net worth is somewhere between $8.5 billion and $11 billion. He funnels huge sums, directly and indirectly, legally and illegally, to Barack Obama.






I have some excerpts below: