Tens of thousands of people across America are actively working to get David Letterman fired for his objectionable comments about Sarah Palin and her 14-year-old daughter. Following are contact links for you to contact Letterman's advertisers and explain why they should take their ad dollars elsewhere. Following the links is a column from Sunday by a major Palin supporter, columnist Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Toledo Blade. If Jack Kelly's column doesn't appear weekly in your own local newspaper, contact the paper's editor and ask him or her why not. In regard to the advertisers, please contact as many as your time allows.
LETTERMAN ADVERTISERS FOLLOW:
TV.com,
CBS Interactive, Inc.
235 Second StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105Main: 415-344-2000 support@tv.com
On The Border Restaurants,
Brinker International6820 LBJ FreewayDallas, TX 75240(972) 980-9917Contact at:http://www.webmail.law.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ontheborder.com/contact/contact.asp Phone:1-800-983-4637
Best Western,
Best Western International, Inc.Customer Relations DepartmentTelephone: 1-800-528-1238Fax: 623-780-6199Email: customerservice@bestwestern.com Regular Mail: PO Box 10203Phoenix, AZ 85064Attn: Customer Service
Intel –
Website contact page: http://www.webmail.law.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.intel.com/feedback.htm?iid=ftr%2BcontactCorporate Mailing Address2200 Mission College Blvd.Santa Clara, CA 95054-1549USA (408) 765-8080
CBSports.com –
Contact page: http://www.webmail.law.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cbssports.com/help/contactus/usersspeak Headquarters2200 West Cypress Creek RoadFort Lauderdale, FL 33309Phone: (954) 351-2120
JohnFreida.com–
Contact page: http://www.webmail.law.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.johnfrieda.com/event.asp?action=entry%26EventCode=jfcontact Consumer Relations DeptKao Brands Company2535 Spring Grove AveCincinnati, OH 45214Phone – 1-800-521-3189
DiTech –
Not sure if this is Ditech financial , or Ditech networks and don’t know if they are one and the same.
Lexus – Contact info page This has their corporate address, their phone number and a link to email them – http://www.lexus.com/contact/
Earn My Degree
WCS 157 Yesler Way Suite 200Seattle WAUnited States 98121206-812-4653information@worldclassstrategy.com
Lifelock
60 E Rio Salado PkwySte 400Tempe, AZ 85281480-682-5100 Contact page has names and email addresses of executives.http://www.lifelock.com/about-us/about-lifelock/contact-us
Bowflex –Nautilus, Inc.
Global Headquarters16400 SE Nautilus DriveVancouver, WA 986831 360 859 2900 PublicRelations@nautilus.comContact page- http://www.bowflexrevolution.com/nautilus_incorporated/contactus.jsp?lid=Contact+Us+-+ContactUs
Mars Candy
Mars North America100 International DriveMount Olive, NJ 07828Tel:1 973 691 3536 [Media],1 800 627 7852 [Consumers]Fax:1 973 691 3829http://www.webmail.law.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.mars.com/global/News%2Band%2BMedia/Media%2BContacts.htmemail – form – http://www.mars.com/global/Contact+us/Media+contacts+North+America.htm
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation 1680 Capital One Drive McLean, VA 221021/703-720-1000LasikPlus7840 Montgomery RoadCincinnati OH 45236Telephone: 513-792-9292Toll-Free: 800-688-4550Fax: 513-792-5620Email: bkise@lca.comContact page- http://www.lasikplus.com/ir/contacts.html
Embassy Suites
Dawn Ray/Nancy GearinEmbassy Suites Hotels901-374-5954/ 901-374-6423dawn.ray@hilton.com
nancy.gearin@hilton.comContact page – http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/customersupport/index.do
EBay
eBay Inc.2145 Hamilton AvenueSan Jose, CA 95125Media relations – (408) 376-7458Contact page – http://news.ebay.com/about.cfm
ancestry.com
The Generations Network, Inc.Attn: Customer Solutions,360 W 4800 N Provo, UT 84604Phone: 801-705-7000FAX: 801-705-7001mediarelations@ancestry.comContact page – http://www.myfamilyinc.com/default.aspx?html=contact
True Credit
TrueCredit100 Cross Street, Suite 202San Luis Obispo, CA 93401866-212-2170 (only contact number I could find)2012 Draft Sarah Committee – http://www.2012draftsarahcommittee.com/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09165/976998-373.stm
Palin power: She's drawing big crowds and ignoring the D.C. cognoscenti
Sunday, June 14, 2009
By Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
President Barack Obama is, by far, the most popular politician in America. And there is little doubt who is No. 2.
The city of Auburn in upstate New York, population 28,574, held its first annual Founder's Day celebration June 6. The most famous of the city's fathers is William Seward, who as secretary of state purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. To commemorate the event, the city council invited the current governor of Alaska. The parade featuring Sarah Palin drew more than 20,000 people, according to press reports.
The next day Ms. Palin traveled to Long Island to speak at a fund-raiser for a charity which aids the developmentally disabled. Before that, she and her daughter, Willow, attended a New York Yankees game at the invitation of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The day after that, Ms. Palin took part in a fund-raiser in Washington, D.C., for House and Senate Republicans at which former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was the keynote speaker."An attempt to have the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate speak at the dinner ... fell through when organizers feared she might upstage Gingrich," UPI reported.
It was a rare trip outside of Alaska for Ms. Palin, who since the election has been tending to her day job, and it produced plenty of snotty commentary.
Much of it came from "GOP insiders" in Washington who speak anonymously to journalists.
"Everyone seems to have a Sarah Palin story of ignored calls, mishandled invitations or unanswered e-mail," wrote columnist Kathleen Parker, who was severely critical of Ms. Palin last fall.
The subtext of Ms. Parker's column is that her anonymous confidantes are upset with Ms. Palin because she has not hired them to work on a presidential campaign she has not begun.This presupposes both that Ms. Palin wants to run for president in 2012, and that if she does, it would be wise for her to start now.
Both are dubious assumptions. Ms. Palin may wish to do the best job she can as governor, and to decide whether or not to seek re-election next year before deciding if she wants to run for president in 2012, 2016 or ever.If Sarah Palin decides she's had her fill of public life, it could be because of the attention her visit drew from the likes of "comedian" David Letterman.
In his monologue Monday, Mr. Letterman "joked" about Ms. Palin's "slutty flight-attendant look," and made two awful jokes about her daughter, one implying she'd had sex with Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez, the other that she'd been a prostitute for former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
"Laughter incited by sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/New York entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contribute to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others," Ms. Palin responded when asked for comment.
That many liberals found Mr. Letterman's remarks humorous speaks not only to their depravity, but to their fear. The 20,000 who turned out to see Ms. Palin in Auburn testify to the fact that she strikes a responsive chord with ordinary people no other Republican does.
Liberals and some Beltway conservatives assert Ms. Palin is stupid. She frequently is misquoted -- most recently by Dan Balz in The Washington Post Wednesday -- to make her appear so.
But I'd say she got the better of it in her exchange with David Letterman. And her brief walk across the stage at the GOP dinner Monday drew more attention than Mr. Gingrich's stem-winding speech. For someone who, according to the Washington cognoscenti, doesn't know what she's doing, she's doing pretty well.
I don't think Sarah Palin has decided whether she'd like to live in the White House. But if she does, ignoring the conventional wisdom in Washington may be the best way to get there.
Jack Kelly is a columnist for the Post-Gazette and The (Toledo) Blade (jkelly@post-gazette.com, 412 263-1476).
Showing posts with label Jack Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Kelly. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Dump Biden Movement Gathers Speed
Sarah Palin lands a large fish -- and is now seeking an even bigger prize . . .In his piece linked below, Pittsburgh columnist Jack Kelly cites me (correctly) as one of the sources on the movement to dump Joe Biden and replace him with Hillary Clinton. I stand by the story, although it becomes more difficult for Obama to act as the story gains greater publicity. Obama nemesis Cristi Adkins and I interviewed Jack Kelly yesterday on Clintons4McCain Blog Talk Radio (accessible soon on the widget to your right).
Dump Joe Biden Idea Gaining Momentum
September 18, 2008
We reported here on Peace and Freedom yesterday that some top Democrats are now urging Barack Obama to dump Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate and replace the Senator from Delaware with Hillary Clinton, the Senator from New York. The rumblings of this idea persist….and are gaining momentum….
Link to our article from yesterday and then read below Jack Kelly’s take on all this:
Could Hillary Replace Biden As Obama VEEP Candidate?
By Jack Kelly
The Washington Times
September 18, 2008
COMMENTARY:
In what now seems the long ago days between the time Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate and her acceptance speech, there was considerable speculation in the news media that Mr. McCain would drop her from the ticket.
This was entirely a media invention. There was no sentiment among Republicans for replacing Mrs. Palin, and Mr. McCain - whose loyalty to his friends nearly cost him his life in Vietnam - is not the kind of person who would desert his choice.
And there was a very practical reason why this option never was considered. Sen. George McGovern was going to lose in 1972 no matter what, but the final nail in his coffin was when he dumped running-mate Sen. Thomas Eagleton after it was revealed Mr. Eagleton had had shock treatments for an unspecified mental illness. With one stroke, Mr. McGovern called into question both his judgment and his loyalty.
There has, of course, been no further speculation about dropping Sarah Palin from the ticket after her boffo performance in St. Paul, Minn. But my friend Steve Maloney (who first got me interested in Sarah Palin) says his sources in the Democratic Party tell him Barack Obama is being pressured to dump Sen. Joseph Biden from the ticket and replace him with Hillary Clinton, the switch to come just after the vice presidential debate Oct. 2. Speculation about such a switch has emerged on several left-wing blogs.
“It’s time to dump Biden and replace him with Sen. Hillary Clinton,” said Andy Ostroy on the Huffington Post Monday. “I’m starting to think that if Team Obama doesn’t do something dramatic fast, it’s gonna lose this election.”
On Thursday, September 18, 2008, Joe Biden said paying more in taxes should make us feel patriotic.
What might prompt such an act of desperation? The polls - which indicate the race is a statistical dead heat - are cause for concern, but not for panic.
This might be the reason: “Party elders also believe the Obama camp is in denial about warnings from Democratic pollsters that his true standing is 4 to 6 points lower than that in published polls because of hidden racism from voters,” wrote Tim Shipman in the London Telegraph Sunday.
“While the polling is close, I believe it is far worse than the numbers reflect given social apprehension of middle-of-the-road uncommitted respondents to appear racist by not supporting Obama,” wrote former Democratic congressional candidate Paul Hackett on the Daily Kos blog. “Thus instead of being down in Ohio by 3 or 4 points I would argue that for planning purposes the working assumption should indicate that Obama is down in Ohio by roughly 10 points.”
If this is true (and I don’t think it is), Mr. Obama is in very deep kimche. There are 12 states in which this election will be decided. Seven - Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada - were carried by President Bush in 2004. Five - Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Hampshire - were carried by Sen. John Kerry.
To win, a candidate must amass 270 electoral votes. President Bush won 286 in 2004, so Mr. McCain has 16 to play with. He could lose Iowa (7) and either Colorado (9), New Mexico (5) or Nevada (5) and still win the election.
As a practical matter, Mr. McCain can’t win unless he carries both Florida (27) and Ohio (20), but he is already leading in both states, and if Mr. Hackett is right, then they’re already out of Mr. Obama’s reach.
Also as a practical matter, Mr. Obama can’t win if he loses either Pennsylvania (21) or Michigan (17). The public polls indicate both states are tossups, but if Mr. McCain has a hidden 4 to 6 percentage point advantage, he has the lead in both. New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington state and New Hampshire might also switch from blue to red, while the only red state in which Mr. McCain would be behind is Iowa.
State by state polls should be taken with a grain of salt. A recent poll indicated a 20 percentage point lead for Mr. McCain in North Carolina, and a statistical tie in Virginia.
North Carolina was, on average, 3 percentage points more Republican than Virginia in the last two presidential elections. It’s inconceivable nearly 20 percentage points could be separating them now. The massive turnout at a McCain-Palin rally in one of the bluest counties in Virginia a week ago suggests the North Carolina poll may be the more accurate.
Could a “Hail Hillary” pass change the grim arithmetic facing Mr. Obama? We may find out.
Jack Kelly, a syndicated columnist, is a former Marine and Green Beret and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan administration. He is national security writer for the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette.
Dump Joe Biden Idea Gaining Momentum
September 18, 2008
We reported here on Peace and Freedom yesterday that some top Democrats are now urging Barack Obama to dump Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate and replace the Senator from Delaware with Hillary Clinton, the Senator from New York. The rumblings of this idea persist….and are gaining momentum….
Link to our article from yesterday and then read below Jack Kelly’s take on all this:
Could Hillary Replace Biden As Obama VEEP Candidate?
By Jack Kelly
The Washington Times
September 18, 2008
COMMENTARY:
In what now seems the long ago days between the time Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate and her acceptance speech, there was considerable speculation in the news media that Mr. McCain would drop her from the ticket.
This was entirely a media invention. There was no sentiment among Republicans for replacing Mrs. Palin, and Mr. McCain - whose loyalty to his friends nearly cost him his life in Vietnam - is not the kind of person who would desert his choice.
And there was a very practical reason why this option never was considered. Sen. George McGovern was going to lose in 1972 no matter what, but the final nail in his coffin was when he dumped running-mate Sen. Thomas Eagleton after it was revealed Mr. Eagleton had had shock treatments for an unspecified mental illness. With one stroke, Mr. McGovern called into question both his judgment and his loyalty.
There has, of course, been no further speculation about dropping Sarah Palin from the ticket after her boffo performance in St. Paul, Minn. But my friend Steve Maloney (who first got me interested in Sarah Palin) says his sources in the Democratic Party tell him Barack Obama is being pressured to dump Sen. Joseph Biden from the ticket and replace him with Hillary Clinton, the switch to come just after the vice presidential debate Oct. 2. Speculation about such a switch has emerged on several left-wing blogs.
“It’s time to dump Biden and replace him with Sen. Hillary Clinton,” said Andy Ostroy on the Huffington Post Monday. “I’m starting to think that if Team Obama doesn’t do something dramatic fast, it’s gonna lose this election.”
On Thursday, September 18, 2008, Joe Biden said paying more in taxes should make us feel patriotic.
What might prompt such an act of desperation? The polls - which indicate the race is a statistical dead heat - are cause for concern, but not for panic.
This might be the reason: “Party elders also believe the Obama camp is in denial about warnings from Democratic pollsters that his true standing is 4 to 6 points lower than that in published polls because of hidden racism from voters,” wrote Tim Shipman in the London Telegraph Sunday.
“While the polling is close, I believe it is far worse than the numbers reflect given social apprehension of middle-of-the-road uncommitted respondents to appear racist by not supporting Obama,” wrote former Democratic congressional candidate Paul Hackett on the Daily Kos blog. “Thus instead of being down in Ohio by 3 or 4 points I would argue that for planning purposes the working assumption should indicate that Obama is down in Ohio by roughly 10 points.”
If this is true (and I don’t think it is), Mr. Obama is in very deep kimche. There are 12 states in which this election will be decided. Seven - Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada - were carried by President Bush in 2004. Five - Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Hampshire - were carried by Sen. John Kerry.
To win, a candidate must amass 270 electoral votes. President Bush won 286 in 2004, so Mr. McCain has 16 to play with. He could lose Iowa (7) and either Colorado (9), New Mexico (5) or Nevada (5) and still win the election.
As a practical matter, Mr. McCain can’t win unless he carries both Florida (27) and Ohio (20), but he is already leading in both states, and if Mr. Hackett is right, then they’re already out of Mr. Obama’s reach.
Also as a practical matter, Mr. Obama can’t win if he loses either Pennsylvania (21) or Michigan (17). The public polls indicate both states are tossups, but if Mr. McCain has a hidden 4 to 6 percentage point advantage, he has the lead in both. New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington state and New Hampshire might also switch from blue to red, while the only red state in which Mr. McCain would be behind is Iowa.
State by state polls should be taken with a grain of salt. A recent poll indicated a 20 percentage point lead for Mr. McCain in North Carolina, and a statistical tie in Virginia.
North Carolina was, on average, 3 percentage points more Republican than Virginia in the last two presidential elections. It’s inconceivable nearly 20 percentage points could be separating them now. The massive turnout at a McCain-Palin rally in one of the bluest counties in Virginia a week ago suggests the North Carolina poll may be the more accurate.
Could a “Hail Hillary” pass change the grim arithmetic facing Mr. Obama? We may find out.
Jack Kelly, a syndicated columnist, is a former Marine and Green Beret and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan administration. He is national security writer for the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Obama Wants $7 Gallon Gasoline
If you like the idea of $7 a gallon gasoline, you're going to love Barack Obama . . . On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site tonight (Saturday) I talk the gloves off on the Obama Campaign's playing of racial politics. Also, will the congressional candidate pictured below be not only the first Black President but also the first female President? Many people think so. . Today (Sunday) on my Pennsylvania blog I've started what will be several columns about the woman below, Dr. Deborah Honeycutt, and how her campaign should serve as a model for GOP candidates around the nation. I believe today's PA blog column gives some fresh insights into how the "money game" really works in politics.
This is Deborah Travis Honeycutt, M.D., Republican candidate for Congress in GA's 13th district. She's one of the most exciting candidates in the country, and she's already raised $2 million-plus dollars. I'll be writing about her Saturday evening and Sunday morning on my Pennsylvania blog. Could you be America's first Black, female President? I hope so.
Senator McCain: Be honest, be forthright, and, above all, be shrewd.
This is Deborah Travis Honeycutt, M.D., Republican candidate for Congress in GA's 13th district. She's one of the most exciting candidates in the country, and she's already raised $2 million-plus dollars. I'll be writing about her Saturday evening and Sunday morning on my Pennsylvania blog. Could you be America's first Black, female President? I hope so.Recently, a friend -- national security expert and syndicated columnist Jack Kelly -- told me that John McCain lacked "shrewdness."
That comment bothered me so much -- at least partly because I believe Jack is right -- that I got up early Saturday to write about it. I'd also like to solicit your views on the subject. (Don't get me wrong on this; Jack Kelly and I bow to no one in our desire to help John McCain get elected.)
The lack of shrewdness criticism is scary. It's like saying a basketball player is great at running up and down the court -- but he or she can't shoot worth a lick. If "the readiness is all" in Hamlet, then shrewdness is all in politics.
Jack Kelly was talking mainly about John McCain's position on ANWR. I was wrong to oppose (mildly) drilling in ANWR. Bill Clinton was wrong to veto legislation authorizing such drilling. The Democrats have been wrong for 20-plus years to oppose drilling just about anywhere in the U.S., including ANWR.
Most to the point, John McCain has been wrong to oppose it. If we had huge amounts of oil coming in now from Alaska, we could at least dampen the upward pressure on prices.
In our world, anyone who opposes drilling in the U.S. -- onshore, offshore, or in Alaska -- has no real grasp of what we face. That is gasoline not at $4-plus per gallon, but gasoline at perhaps $6 or $7 a gallon. When it costs $150-$200 to fill up your tank, what exactly will you do?
What would gas prices at those levels do to our economy and what we call "The American Way of Life?" It would wreck them. Many people could not afford to drive back and forth to work. The price of everything that's transported -- and that indeed is all the things we eat, drink, or wear -- will skyrocket. In the dead of winter, many people will be turning down their thermostats to about 60 degrees.
Will the price of anything go down? Yes, the value of your home will decline sharply unless you live very close to public transportation.
The oil-producing nations will get richer, and we will get poorer. Of course, Middle Eastern nations (and Venezuela) will have a lot more money to funnel to terrorists.
What's Barack Obama's solution? He has none. He likes $4 gasoline and probably will love $7 gasoline.
What's Barack Obama's solution? He has none. He likes $4 gasoline and probably will love $7 gasoline.
He believes -- rightly -- that gasoline priced like champagne will cause people to "conserve." Obama apparently has the U.S. confused with, say, Monaco, where you can take a round trip on foot border-to-border in an afternoon.
Obama, the supposed "candidate of hope," offers only hopelessness on our nation's single most pressing issue. Apparently, he sees a great day for America as the one when people have to walk from Austin to San Antonio. Audacious, yes. Smart -- not really.
Barack Obama -- and almost every other Democrat in Congress -- have offered McCain a nice slow pitch down the middle of the plate. A shrewd McCain would hit it right out of the park. He would call for a "Manhattan Project-type" effort directed at achieving energy independence within a decade. He would advocate every feasible step to hold the line on gas prices.
And perhaps most of all, he would give the green light to exploration and production in ANWR. What on our Creator's Green Earth is he hesitating for? We are approaching a national emergency.
Yet John McCain is playing Prince Hamlet when he should be emulating Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy. Where is McCain's energy version of JFK's "man on the moon in 10 years" speech?
I have news for John McCain, whom I've always admired: you don't have a "choice" anymore about ANWR.
If you truly want to win the presidency, advocate immediate efforts to discover and produce the oil there. Contrast yourself with Obama,, who apparently smiles every time he goes past a gas station.
Ask what Obama and the Democrats in Congress have done to anticipate or deal with the current situation. Explain that having all of us motor about in something half the size of a VW Beetle is not a "solution."
Point out that Obama, as a multi-millionaire, really doesn't have to worry about gasoline prices. Discuss how completely out of touch he is with Middle America. (Obama loves to pretend that he and Michelle, who made $300,000 a year, are just "plain folks" pricing the veggies at Whole Foods.)
John McCain, please be shrewd. Prove Jack Kelly wrong. Prove me wrong. Take the great opportunity Obama, the elitist who probably never saw an SUV he didn't abhor, has given you.
In short, blow this election wide open. Don't let it fade away while you meditate week-after-week on the merits of drilling on a tiny portion of a national wildlife reserve.
Senator McCain: Be honest, be forthright, and, above all, be shrewd.
Friday, June 20, 2008
McCain: Seize Energy Issue Now!
On my Pennsylvania blog Friday night I put up a column entitled "Democrats' Gas Prices Destroying America." Frankly, it's time to take off the gloves on the gasoline crisis. Please visit.
The following important column is by my friend and fellow Western Pennsylvanian Jack Kelly, national security writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Toledo Blade, and other publications. He strongly endorses Gov. Sarah Palin for a place on the McCain ticket. He also strongly backs John McCain but believes the Senator lacks "shrewdness." (Jack Kelly is a former Marine, former Special Forces soldier, and former candidate for Congress.)
JOURNAL PRESS SYNDICATE
545 West End Ave. (Suite 2C)
New York, N.Y. 10024-2713
Tel: (212) 580-8559
Email: ijbnyc@aol.com
Note: If your local newspaper doesn't print Jack Kelly's syndicated column, please call them up today and ask them (nicely but firmly) to start doing so. If they continue not to, keep calling.
BY JACK KELLY
Barack Obama has the lead for the time being. But three sign posts point the way to a McCain landslide in November -- in the unlikely event the Arizona senator has the wit to heed them.
What figures to be by far the most important issue this fall is the skyrocketing price of energy and its deleterious effect on the broader economy and national security.Now that Sen. McCain has flip flopped on drilling off of our coasts, there is a substantial difference between him and Sen. Obama on the issue. Sen. McCain also supports building more nuclear power plants, which Sen. Obama opposes.
Opinion polls indicate a large majority now supports drilling for oil off our coasts and in Alaska. That majority is likely to expand and harden as gas prices rise this summer. But Sen. McCain can't fully capitalize politically on this change in public attitude unless he completes his flip flop, and consents to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Commentary editor John Podhoretz fears Sen. McCain's ego will prevent him from doing what is in his, and his country's interest:"So McCain 2 makes a big speech about offshore drilling and the need for it. Fine. But the message is muted and confused. Why? Because McCain 1 voted against oil exploration and field development in (ANWR) and McCain 2 doesn't want to look like a flip flopper by changing his stand on the matter...In acting out of a combination of holer-than-thou piety and political pique, McCain 1 has made it all but impossible for McCain 2 to run with this issue and go on the offensive with Obama on a matter of central concern to the American people."
I fear Mr. Podhoretz is correct. But few Americans would hold flip flopping against Sen. McCain, because they've flip flopped, too. Soccer moms were happy to genuflect to environmental pieties when gasoline was $2 a gallon. But now that they have to sell their firstborn to fill up their SUVs, their attitude has changed dramatically.
If Sen. McCain were to fly to ANWR and announce his change of heart there, the attendant publicity would make it clear to Americans the sharp difference between himself and Sen. Obama on the issue most important to their pocketbooks. He supports letting Floridians and Californians decide whether there should be drilling off their coasts. Why shouldn't the same principle apply to Alaskans? A large majority favor drilling in ANWR.
The second sign post is Sen. Obama's clumsy embrace of a Sept. 10th attitude toward the war on terror. The law enforcement approach toward fighting it is precisely what led to Sept. 11, 2001.
Fortunately, national security is the one issue Sen. McCain knows something about. The danger for him here is that he'll overemphasize it. The fact that we're winning the war on terror makes most Americans less interested in it, and more focused on economic concerns. Voter anxiety about Sen. Obama's fitness to be commander in chief is a strong subsidiary issue.
But this election will be won or lost at the gas pump.
The third sign post was illuminated by the flap over the receipt by the (now former) head of Barack Obama's vice presidential selection committee and two prominent U.S. senators of below market rate loans from Countrywide Finance, which Sen. Obama has charged is in large part responsible for the sub-prime mortgage crisis. One of those senators, Chris Dodd of Connecticut, is trying to push through Congress a bill that would, in effect, bail out Countrywide.This glaring conflict of interest hasn't attracted much attention from the news media, because for most journalists, a scandal isn't really a scandal unless Republicans are involved.
But it's an issue tailor made for Sen. McCain. He has often stupidly (see McCain-Feingold), but always ardently, fought pork barrel spending and corruption. Congress has its lowest approval rating in the history of polling. Replacing the Washington way with the Chicago way is not an improvement. Sen. McCain is the best person to make that case, and Americans are in a mood to hear it.
The sign posts also indicate who Sen. McCain should choose for his running mate. No Republican can better make the case for drilling than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and no governor has fought harder against corruption, especially in her own party.
So go to ANWR, Sen. McCain. Embrace Sarah Palin there. You'll have to eat some crow. But crow doesn't taste so bad when it's served on the White House china.
Email: jkelly@post-gazette.com
The following important column is by my friend and fellow Western Pennsylvanian Jack Kelly, national security writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Toledo Blade, and other publications. He strongly endorses Gov. Sarah Palin for a place on the McCain ticket. He also strongly backs John McCain but believes the Senator lacks "shrewdness." (Jack Kelly is a former Marine, former Special Forces soldier, and former candidate for Congress.)
JOURNAL PRESS SYNDICATE
545 West End Ave. (Suite 2C)
New York, N.Y. 10024-2713
Tel: (212) 580-8559
Email: ijbnyc@aol.com
Note: If your local newspaper doesn't print Jack Kelly's syndicated column, please call them up today and ask them (nicely but firmly) to start doing so. If they continue not to, keep calling.
BY JACK KELLY
Barack Obama has the lead for the time being. But three sign posts point the way to a McCain landslide in November -- in the unlikely event the Arizona senator has the wit to heed them.
What figures to be by far the most important issue this fall is the skyrocketing price of energy and its deleterious effect on the broader economy and national security.Now that Sen. McCain has flip flopped on drilling off of our coasts, there is a substantial difference between him and Sen. Obama on the issue. Sen. McCain also supports building more nuclear power plants, which Sen. Obama opposes.
Opinion polls indicate a large majority now supports drilling for oil off our coasts and in Alaska. That majority is likely to expand and harden as gas prices rise this summer. But Sen. McCain can't fully capitalize politically on this change in public attitude unless he completes his flip flop, and consents to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Commentary editor John Podhoretz fears Sen. McCain's ego will prevent him from doing what is in his, and his country's interest:"So McCain 2 makes a big speech about offshore drilling and the need for it. Fine. But the message is muted and confused. Why? Because McCain 1 voted against oil exploration and field development in (ANWR) and McCain 2 doesn't want to look like a flip flopper by changing his stand on the matter...In acting out of a combination of holer-than-thou piety and political pique, McCain 1 has made it all but impossible for McCain 2 to run with this issue and go on the offensive with Obama on a matter of central concern to the American people."
I fear Mr. Podhoretz is correct. But few Americans would hold flip flopping against Sen. McCain, because they've flip flopped, too. Soccer moms were happy to genuflect to environmental pieties when gasoline was $2 a gallon. But now that they have to sell their firstborn to fill up their SUVs, their attitude has changed dramatically.
If Sen. McCain were to fly to ANWR and announce his change of heart there, the attendant publicity would make it clear to Americans the sharp difference between himself and Sen. Obama on the issue most important to their pocketbooks. He supports letting Floridians and Californians decide whether there should be drilling off their coasts. Why shouldn't the same principle apply to Alaskans? A large majority favor drilling in ANWR.
The second sign post is Sen. Obama's clumsy embrace of a Sept. 10th attitude toward the war on terror. The law enforcement approach toward fighting it is precisely what led to Sept. 11, 2001.
Fortunately, national security is the one issue Sen. McCain knows something about. The danger for him here is that he'll overemphasize it. The fact that we're winning the war on terror makes most Americans less interested in it, and more focused on economic concerns. Voter anxiety about Sen. Obama's fitness to be commander in chief is a strong subsidiary issue.
But this election will be won or lost at the gas pump.
The third sign post was illuminated by the flap over the receipt by the (now former) head of Barack Obama's vice presidential selection committee and two prominent U.S. senators of below market rate loans from Countrywide Finance, which Sen. Obama has charged is in large part responsible for the sub-prime mortgage crisis. One of those senators, Chris Dodd of Connecticut, is trying to push through Congress a bill that would, in effect, bail out Countrywide.This glaring conflict of interest hasn't attracted much attention from the news media, because for most journalists, a scandal isn't really a scandal unless Republicans are involved.
But it's an issue tailor made for Sen. McCain. He has often stupidly (see McCain-Feingold), but always ardently, fought pork barrel spending and corruption. Congress has its lowest approval rating in the history of polling. Replacing the Washington way with the Chicago way is not an improvement. Sen. McCain is the best person to make that case, and Americans are in a mood to hear it.
The sign posts also indicate who Sen. McCain should choose for his running mate. No Republican can better make the case for drilling than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and no governor has fought harder against corruption, especially in her own party.
So go to ANWR, Sen. McCain. Embrace Sarah Palin there. You'll have to eat some crow. But crow doesn't taste so bad when it's served on the White House china.
Email: jkelly@post-gazette.com
Monday, June 9, 2008
Palin: McCain's Most Compelling Choice
NOTE TO BLOG BUNKER LISTENERS ON SIRIUS (BUT NOT TOO SERIOUS) RADIO: This is my main, national blog. The other blogs I'll mention are the Hillary Supporters site (http://hillarysupportersformccainb.blogspot.com and the Pennsylvania site: http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com. Other blogs I'll try to mention include:
the main Palin web site: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com
the Moms4McCain site: http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com
the Bev Perlson military moms site: http://thebandofmothers.com
the Tom Manion web site: http://votemanion.com.
the primary McCain discussion site: http://mccainnow.com.
If you have any questions, e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com. Thanks!
You will read things here that the national media will start covering next month. On my Hillary Supporters site and on my PA site, I talk about a national group of Hillary supporters who are targeting for defeat "SuperDelegates" who gave Sen. Clinton the shaft (voting for Obama against the wishes of their constituents. Such individuals include John Kerry of MA and Jay Rockefeller of WV, among many others.
Can't go to bed tonight (Monday) without asking you to check out my Hillary Supporters for McCain site. It contains information about the most amazing political movement I've sene in my lifetime: Hillary Supporters who "mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore." Fascinating . . . I will be on Sirius Radio from NY at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday.
On my Pennsylvania blog I've received an important request from Tom Manion, Republican congressional candidate in PA's 8th district. It deals with an important online poll. Manion, a Marine Corps veteran, lost his son Travis in the Iraq War. Please visit the site for information. http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
Sarah Palin sorrounded by veterans of the Vietnam War. Sarah's son, Track, age 18, is an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army. She's widely regarded as the frontrunner for the GOP's V-P nomination.
"Sarah is not an ordinary mortal. She truly has no downside."
the main Palin web site: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com
the Moms4McCain site: http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com
the Bev Perlson military moms site: http://thebandofmothers.com
the Tom Manion web site: http://votemanion.com.
the primary McCain discussion site: http://mccainnow.com.
If you have any questions, e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com. Thanks!
You will read things here that the national media will start covering next month. On my Hillary Supporters site and on my PA site, I talk about a national group of Hillary supporters who are targeting for defeat "SuperDelegates" who gave Sen. Clinton the shaft (voting for Obama against the wishes of their constituents. Such individuals include John Kerry of MA and Jay Rockefeller of WV, among many others.
Can't go to bed tonight (Monday) without asking you to check out my Hillary Supporters for McCain site. It contains information about the most amazing political movement I've sene in my lifetime: Hillary Supporters who "mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore." Fascinating . . . I will be on Sirius Radio from NY at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday.
On my Pennsylvania blog I've received an important request from Tom Manion, Republican congressional candidate in PA's 8th district. It deals with an important online poll. Manion, a Marine Corps veteran, lost his son Travis in the Iraq War. Please visit the site for information. http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
Sarah Palin sorrounded by veterans of the Vietnam War. Sarah's son, Track, age 18, is an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army. She's widely regarded as the frontrunner for the GOP's V-P nomination."Sarah is not an ordinary mortal. She truly has no downside."
I proclaimed to the world yesterday that prominent national security writer Jack Kelly (who writes for major newspapers in Pennsylvania and Ohio) has strongly endorsed Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska for the GOP ticket. Kelly is an unusual combination - a former Marine, a former Special Forces soldier and a former candidate for Congress (he lost, alas).
In his column, Jack Kelly says "most [presidential candidates] will settle for a veep who isn't a drag on the ticket, as Dan Quayle was for the first President Bush." He might have added, "Or, as Dick Cheney apparently was on the second President Bush."
Kelly adds, "The potential [McCain] running mates most often discussed have downsides nearly as great as their upsides."
He adds, "Gov. Tim Pawlenty helps only in Minnesota, and not enough, according to current polls, to make a difference there. Mr. McCain's friend, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, would bring in some moderate Democrats but could further antagonize conservatives already suspicious of Mr. McCain.
"Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts would have little appeal to working-class whites unhappy with Sen. Barack Obama, and evangelicals fret about that Mormon thing. A Mike Huckabee nomination would irritate economic . . . conservatives as much as it would please evangelicals. Louisiana Gov.
Bobby Jindal is a rising star. But he's only 36, and he's been governor for less than a year."
The men - key word - Kelly mentions are all people of talent. One of them (Jindal?) may end up as President someday. But Jack Kelly is right about their downsides.
According to pundit lore, Pawlenty could help McCain win the "battleground" (sorta) state of Minnesota. However, he won re-election there by only 21,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast. He was lucky to carry Minnesota himself. Bulletin to John McCain: you aren't going to carry Minnesota with or without Pawlenty.
Mitt's Romney's problem is that he strikes many people as inauthentic. They don't believe his latter-day conversion to pro-life and anti-illegals views. They see him as ambitious to a fault. Also, in the primaries, he seemed to win only states either dominated by Mormons (Utah) or characterized by the fact Mitt Romney grew up there (Michigan).
Bobby Jindal is a mixture of ability and oddness. A few months ago he was interviewed on CNN, and the questioner couldn't get him to say whether he endorsed John McCain . . . or Barack Obama. With Jindal around, McCain might need a food taster.
As Kelly implies, Joe Lieberman - a fine man and a patriot - would be an awful choice. He came close to losing his seat in Connecticut. Most Democrats despise him, and most Republicans would rather see someone else on the ticket.
Mike Huckabee is a candidate whose campaign was almost as tenacious as Hillary Clinton's He's chronically underestimated by the national media. However, it's hard to see what he could bring to the ticket that Sarah Palin can't.
She's just as "Christian" as Mike, but has less of a tendency to wear it on her sleeve. Also, she has pro-life credentials (having opted to give birth to a Down Syndrome child) that no other politician can match.
What works against Sarah is tradition - specifically, the Republican tradition of making very bad choices for Vice President. Barry Goldwater chose William Miller, an obscure (and deservedly so) Congressman from Lockport, New York. Nixon chose Spiro Agnew specifically to help him carry Maryland - which didn't happen - but lack of popularity turned out to be the least of Agnew's faults.
George H. W. Bush famously chose Quayle, who struck most people as a simpleton. Bob Dole chose Jack Kempt, but the wretched Republican campaign could have been won if Abraham Lincoln and George Washington were on the ticket.
George W. Bush chose Dick Cheney, supposedly a "solid" pick. In fact, Cheney - holed up mainly in his "undisclosed location" (the Bat Cave?), turned out to be the Darth Vader of contemporary politics.
The only "problem" with Sarah Palin is that she's such an obvious choice. As my friend in Boston puts it, she's a no-brainer. Some people invent shortcomings, such as the fact that she's beautiful and was - and is - a great athlete, the kind of person who runs - and finishes - marathons.
In my previous column I listed the groups for whom Sarah has great appeal: young people, military families, working mothers, women professionals, pro-lifers, hunters, working-class voters (her husband being one), fitness and health advocates, and ethics-in-government people. I didn't add Alaskans, where Sarah's approval ratings hover around 90%.
She's also a ferocious campaigner. In her race for Governor, she first unseated the incumbent Republican, Frank Murkowski. Then, she in the general, she beat a popular former Governor (and Democrat) Tony Knowles. That was in 2006, which was generally a very bad year for Republicans.
If John McCain doesn't choose Sarah Palin, he might have to plead temporary insanity. As I've said, "Sarah Palin is no ordinary mortal." I've also said that she's "Mt. Rushmore material." I certainly hope John McCain takes the first major step in proving me right.
Link to Jack Kelly's column: http://post-gazette.com/forum
Sunday, June 8, 2008
BULLETIN: Palin Receives MEGA-Endorsement
On my Pennsylvania blog I've received an urgent request from Tom Manion, Republican congressional candidate in PA's 8th district. It deals with an important online poll. Manion, a Marine Corps veteran, lost his son Travis in the Iraq War. Please visit the site for information. http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com.
Important Note: This afternoon (Monday) I'll have up another column going into some detail about the Kelly endorsement of Sarah Palin (see below) and the criticality of the vice-presidential choices this year. If you want to see the column a little early, e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com, and I'll send it immediately. Thanks so much for visiting. (I love the pic below of Sarah.) On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site I have a guest column by a Black woman strongly endorsing John McCain.
Sarah Palin receives major endorsement for V-P and is now frontrunner for a slot on the McCain ticket.
"Sarah Palin is no ordinary mortal."
Bulletin: Today one of the nation's most important conservative columnists, Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade, endorsed Sarah Louise Heath Palin of Alaska for the vice-president slot on John McCain's ticket. Please tell everyone in the blogo-verse! Good for Jack! He calls her McCain's "secret weapon" and a major key to victory. He calls her "a running mate who's got it all."
Sarah's candidacy is critical to the victories of Republican candidates like Melissa Hart (PA), Toni Gilhooley (PA), Dana Walsh (CA), Marina Kats (PA), and many others. Jack's column is at: http://post-gazette.com/forum.
Please scroll down to the previous column to read about what groups Sarah Palin should help attract. It's a long list.
On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site I have an important column by an African-American woman who's strongly backing John McCain.
Important Note: This afternoon (Monday) I'll have up another column going into some detail about the Kelly endorsement of Sarah Palin (see below) and the criticality of the vice-presidential choices this year. If you want to see the column a little early, e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com, and I'll send it immediately. Thanks so much for visiting. (I love the pic below of Sarah.) On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site I have a guest column by a Black woman strongly endorsing John McCain.
Sarah Palin receives major endorsement for V-P and is now frontrunner for a slot on the McCain ticket."Sarah Palin is no ordinary mortal."
Bulletin: Today one of the nation's most important conservative columnists, Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade, endorsed Sarah Louise Heath Palin of Alaska for the vice-president slot on John McCain's ticket. Please tell everyone in the blogo-verse! Good for Jack! He calls her McCain's "secret weapon" and a major key to victory. He calls her "a running mate who's got it all."
Sarah's candidacy is critical to the victories of Republican candidates like Melissa Hart (PA), Toni Gilhooley (PA), Dana Walsh (CA), Marina Kats (PA), and many others. Jack's column is at: http://post-gazette.com/forum.
Please scroll down to the previous column to read about what groups Sarah Palin should help attract. It's a long list.
On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site I have an important column by an African-American woman who's strongly backing John McCain.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Obama: NOT Presidential Material
IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT BLACK CONSERVATIVES -- ESPECIALLY YOUNG BLACK CONSERVATIVES -- ONE IMPORANT WAY YOU CAN DO SO BY VISITING A KEY WEB SITE: http://hiphoprepublican.com/ Today, HipHop has a great video destroying the Democrats' arguments on the Iraq War. Please go there and write a comment of encouragement.
Today in Pennsylvania, there's a lot of excitement about the primary. This afternoon, I'll be writing about a devastating article in The (London) Economist. It discusses Barack Obama and his now-famous comments about average Americans who "cling" to religion, guns, racism, and anti-immigrant feelings.
Right now, on TV an Obama commercial is running that says, "Barack Obama doesn't take money from 'Big Oil' or lobbyists. That's of course not true, as a recent USA Today expose pointed out. Obama has many lobbyists raising funds for him, and he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from oil industry executives. Go figure!
You’ve already heard a lot about Barack Obama’s so-called “bitter” comments. As columnist Jack Kelly said Sunday in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the national media – strongly pro-Obama -- emphasize the word “bitter” because it’s the least objectionable part of the candidate’s statement. The most objectionable part is where the candidate says that typical Americans cling to religion, guns, racism, and xenophobia (hatred of foreigners).
The best analysis I’ve seen of Senator Obama’s statement is in The Economist (April 19-25 , 2008, p. 44 ). Here are some excerpts:
“Barack Obama has a magic way with word, but when the magic deserts him, it deserts him big time. April 6th saw Mr. Obama making the worst verbal gaffe of this seemingly endless campaign. He told a group of fat cats in San Francisco that the reason why he is finding it hard to appeal to blue collar voters in Pennsylvania is because they are ‘bitter.’ They have suffered from so many broken promises that they prefer to ‘cling’ to God, guns, and xenophobia rather than reaching out for a helping hand from the government.
“ . . . Conservative radio talk show hosts have been bellowing 24/7 that Mr. Snooty knows nothing about the real America.
“And no wonder! Mr. Obama has always been in danger of coming across as an elitist. He was educated at Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He not only reads books but writes them [Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope]. He once urged a group of Iowa farmers to check out the price of arugula in Whole Foods – an upmarket store that has no branch in the entire state. His Ivy League educated wife [Michelle] – who is paid nearly $300,000 a year for promoting ‘community outreach’ – is in the habit of telling audiences how difficult it is to afford ballet classes for their daughters.”
Those of us in America might ask: Why do we have to rely on a British journalist to provide such insights? Why is our own national media seemingly mesmerized by such a flawed candidate as Barack Obama? Perhaps because they’re easily mesmerized?
In Pittsburgh, about 15 miles from where I live, the Post-Gazette recently endorsed Obama on the grounds that he would take America “beyond partisanship.” Oh really? The (non-partisan) National Journal recently assessed Obama as the most liberal – and thus highly partisan – member of the U.S. Senate. The Post-Gazette editorial board (alas, Jack Kelly is not a member) knows Obama’s record, but they chose to misrepresent him to their readers.
In Dreams From My Father, Obama describes his remarkable grandmother, whom he’s now using in ads, as “a typical white person.” What if John McCain, or any other Caucasian, had described ANYONE as a “typical Black person?” That white American would no longer be seen as a serious candidate for the presidency.
Media outlets like the Post-Gazette are engaging in a journalistic form of Affirmative Action. They’re holding Obama to much lower standards than they are Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
In fact, the media’s failure to live up to its obligations is a major reason people are turning to the new media for information. In fact, it’s one reason you’re here rather than relying on a manipulative news organ like the Post-Gazette.
Thanks for visiting this site – and keep coming back. Thanks especially to regular visitors from Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Cranberry Township, PA; Jefferson, Maryland; Rome, Georgia, Ewa Beach, HI; Anchorage, AK; Eagle River, AK; Wasilla, AK; Colorado Springs, CO; Queensland, Australia; Houston, TX; Austin, TX; St. Augustine, FL; Oklahoma City, Ok; Baton Rouge, LA; Rochester, NY (my birthplace); Dover, DE; Boston, MA; and Manchester, NH. There are many more regular visitors, and I'll mention them in my next column. Your comments are welcome!
The following message from Black conservative, radio show host, and pro-life activist Craig Bardo is an important one, and I hope you'll offer whatever help you can.
So often, we who oppose the practice of contraceptive abortion are accused of not caring for those that survive the abortion decision. For many black folk, the right to life movement is seen as a largely white effort and one that we may intellectually support but haven't found a way to contribute our time or limited financial resources.I've had occasion to visit Grace Pregnancy Resource Center here in Nashville, which supports 200 young women who have made the decision to bring their children to term rather than abort them.
This center is 3 buildings down from the second largest abortion clinic in the city. 47 of the women in the program were deterred from having an abortion by the staff at the Center. One young woman visited this morning, thinking that she was entering the abortion clinic, the counselor had an opportunity to visit with her,but she went up the street anyway, I don't know what she decided to do. 39% of these young women are black 22% are Hispanic.
I host a radio program here in the city and tomorrow, I'm kicking off a fund raiser for the Center that will go through next Wednesday. We're on the air from 6-8 am CST, M-F, Brian Harris the president of Tennessee Right to Life along with their spokeswoman Carolyn Smith, who happens to be Emmett Till's cousin. They'll be in the studio at 7:00 am to talk about the good work they're doing. These girls need your help.
You can listen in on the program via live streaming audio @ WVOL1470.com or WVOL1470.net. You can call in with your pledge of support to (615) 737-9865 or (615)227-1470. Make your checks payable to Tennessee Right to Life (Grace Pregnancy Resource Center). If you want to donate on line, go to their website, www.TNRTL.org and make sure to put The Craig Bardo Show in the memo box so they can track your contribution.
Thanks for your support and please pray for this effort, these young women are counting on it!
Today in Pennsylvania, there's a lot of excitement about the primary. This afternoon, I'll be writing about a devastating article in The (London) Economist. It discusses Barack Obama and his now-famous comments about average Americans who "cling" to religion, guns, racism, and anti-immigrant feelings.
Right now, on TV an Obama commercial is running that says, "Barack Obama doesn't take money from 'Big Oil' or lobbyists. That's of course not true, as a recent USA Today expose pointed out. Obama has many lobbyists raising funds for him, and he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from oil industry executives. Go figure!
You’ve already heard a lot about Barack Obama’s so-called “bitter” comments. As columnist Jack Kelly said Sunday in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the national media – strongly pro-Obama -- emphasize the word “bitter” because it’s the least objectionable part of the candidate’s statement. The most objectionable part is where the candidate says that typical Americans cling to religion, guns, racism, and xenophobia (hatred of foreigners).
The best analysis I’ve seen of Senator Obama’s statement is in The Economist (April 19-25 , 2008, p. 44 ). Here are some excerpts:
“Barack Obama has a magic way with word, but when the magic deserts him, it deserts him big time. April 6th saw Mr. Obama making the worst verbal gaffe of this seemingly endless campaign. He told a group of fat cats in San Francisco that the reason why he is finding it hard to appeal to blue collar voters in Pennsylvania is because they are ‘bitter.’ They have suffered from so many broken promises that they prefer to ‘cling’ to God, guns, and xenophobia rather than reaching out for a helping hand from the government.
“ . . . Conservative radio talk show hosts have been bellowing 24/7 that Mr. Snooty knows nothing about the real America.
“And no wonder! Mr. Obama has always been in danger of coming across as an elitist. He was educated at Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He not only reads books but writes them [Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope]. He once urged a group of Iowa farmers to check out the price of arugula in Whole Foods – an upmarket store that has no branch in the entire state. His Ivy League educated wife [Michelle] – who is paid nearly $300,000 a year for promoting ‘community outreach’ – is in the habit of telling audiences how difficult it is to afford ballet classes for their daughters.”
Those of us in America might ask: Why do we have to rely on a British journalist to provide such insights? Why is our own national media seemingly mesmerized by such a flawed candidate as Barack Obama? Perhaps because they’re easily mesmerized?
In Pittsburgh, about 15 miles from where I live, the Post-Gazette recently endorsed Obama on the grounds that he would take America “beyond partisanship.” Oh really? The (non-partisan) National Journal recently assessed Obama as the most liberal – and thus highly partisan – member of the U.S. Senate. The Post-Gazette editorial board (alas, Jack Kelly is not a member) knows Obama’s record, but they chose to misrepresent him to their readers.
In Dreams From My Father, Obama describes his remarkable grandmother, whom he’s now using in ads, as “a typical white person.” What if John McCain, or any other Caucasian, had described ANYONE as a “typical Black person?” That white American would no longer be seen as a serious candidate for the presidency.
Media outlets like the Post-Gazette are engaging in a journalistic form of Affirmative Action. They’re holding Obama to much lower standards than they are Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
In fact, the media’s failure to live up to its obligations is a major reason people are turning to the new media for information. In fact, it’s one reason you’re here rather than relying on a manipulative news organ like the Post-Gazette.
Thanks for visiting this site – and keep coming back. Thanks especially to regular visitors from Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Cranberry Township, PA; Jefferson, Maryland; Rome, Georgia, Ewa Beach, HI; Anchorage, AK; Eagle River, AK; Wasilla, AK; Colorado Springs, CO; Queensland, Australia; Houston, TX; Austin, TX; St. Augustine, FL; Oklahoma City, Ok; Baton Rouge, LA; Rochester, NY (my birthplace); Dover, DE; Boston, MA; and Manchester, NH. There are many more regular visitors, and I'll mention them in my next column. Your comments are welcome!
The following message from Black conservative, radio show host, and pro-life activist Craig Bardo is an important one, and I hope you'll offer whatever help you can.
So often, we who oppose the practice of contraceptive abortion are accused of not caring for those that survive the abortion decision. For many black folk, the right to life movement is seen as a largely white effort and one that we may intellectually support but haven't found a way to contribute our time or limited financial resources.I've had occasion to visit Grace Pregnancy Resource Center here in Nashville, which supports 200 young women who have made the decision to bring their children to term rather than abort them.
This center is 3 buildings down from the second largest abortion clinic in the city. 47 of the women in the program were deterred from having an abortion by the staff at the Center. One young woman visited this morning, thinking that she was entering the abortion clinic, the counselor had an opportunity to visit with her,but she went up the street anyway, I don't know what she decided to do. 39% of these young women are black 22% are Hispanic.
I host a radio program here in the city and tomorrow, I'm kicking off a fund raiser for the Center that will go through next Wednesday. We're on the air from 6-8 am CST, M-F, Brian Harris the president of Tennessee Right to Life along with their spokeswoman Carolyn Smith, who happens to be Emmett Till's cousin. They'll be in the studio at 7:00 am to talk about the good work they're doing. These girls need your help.
You can listen in on the program via live streaming audio @ WVOL1470.com or WVOL1470.net. You can call in with your pledge of support to (615) 737-9865 or (615)227-1470. Make your checks payable to Tennessee Right to Life (Grace Pregnancy Resource Center). If you want to donate on line, go to their website, www.TNRTL.org and make sure to put The Craig Bardo Show in the memo box so they can track your contribution.
Thanks for your support and please pray for this effort, these young women are counting on it!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Steve Maloney on Political Pistachio
Tomorrow (Monday) at 10 p.m. Eastern Time I'll be on Doug Gibbs's Political Pistachio Radio. I'll be joined by my friend Adam Brickley of Colorado Springs, the individuals who started the Draft Sarah Palin for VP Movement. We'll be discussing Gov. Palin's chances, as well as other possibilities for the V-P choices. The subject of Senator John McCain, whom I support strongly, will also come up.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio. This week Doug, a fine gentleman, will have on a very important guest, Kathleen Willey, once a strong Clinton supporter and someone who was molested by President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. Quite a timely guest. She's written a new book on her experience, and I bet it won't be coffee table material in the Clinton household.
The absolute best conservative columnist in PA is Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A former Marine, a former Special Forces soldier, and a former (one-time) candidate for Congress, Kelly is one writer who knows what he's talking about.
Please read his Sunday column, which you can find at the following: http://post-gazette.com/forum.
The subject is "The Obama Mirage," and the sub-head is: "There's no there there." Kelly is quoting Dame Edith Asquith who, when asked what she thought about Oakland, California, said, "There's no there there.'
Kelly's article begins with these words: "Texas state Senator Kirk Watson had an embarrassing momentthe night the candidate he is supporting for president won the Wisconsin primary. MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked him to name a legislative accomplishment of Sen. Barack Obama."
"'I'm not going to be able to do that tonight,' Mr. Watson replied."
Later, Kelly quotes Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton. "'Barack Obama is no Muhammed Ali. He took a walk every time there was a tough vote in the Illinois state Senate. He took a walk more than 130 times. That's what a shadow boxer does. All the right moves. All the right combinations. All the right footwork. But he never steps into the ring.'"
Buffenbarger then goes on to say: "'I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing trust fund babies crowding in to hear [Obama] speak. This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack-machine.'"
As a card carrying member of said Attack Machine, I hope he's right.
Jack Kelly on Obama
The absolute best conservative columnist in PA is Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A former Marine, a former Special Forces soldier, and a former (one-time) candidate for Congress, Kelly is one writer who knows what he's talking about.
Please read his Sunday column, which you can find at the following: http://post-gazette.com/forum.
The subject is "The Obama Mirage," and the sub-head is: "There's no there there." Kelly is quoting Dame Edith Asquith who, when asked what she thought about Oakland, California, said, "There's no there there.'
Kelly's article begins with these words: "Texas state Senator Kirk Watson had an embarrassing momentthe night the candidate he is supporting for president won the Wisconsin primary. MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked him to name a legislative accomplishment of Sen. Barack Obama."
"'I'm not going to be able to do that tonight,' Mr. Watson replied."
Later, Kelly quotes Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton. "'Barack Obama is no Muhammed Ali. He took a walk every time there was a tough vote in the Illinois state Senate. He took a walk more than 130 times. That's what a shadow boxer does. All the right moves. All the right combinations. All the right footwork. But he never steps into the ring.'"
Buffenbarger then goes on to say: "'I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing trust fund babies crowding in to hear [Obama] speak. This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack-machine.'"
As a card carrying member of said Attack Machine, I hope he's right.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
GRASSROOTS: McCain's Key to Victory
LARRY THE CUCUMBER AND "HUCK," A GREAT TEAM IN 2008
Note: My primary blog is accessible at: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com/. Please read tomorrow's column: "Clinton & Obama: Two Phonies"
I asked Sharon, of Norman, Oklahoma, how she and her political allies were able to generate victories in Oklahoma, a state with a tradition of voting for Democrats. Here's her reply, beginning with the emphasis on giving people T-shirts at football games. Her emphasis, like mine, is on the least expensive and most effective forms of campaigning. Both of us believe that TV ads are too expensive -- and increasingly ineffective.
These were t-shirts which they [the campaigns] picked up very cheap. We had Crimson for OU [Oklahoma University and for OSU [Oklahoma State University] they had Orange. Since our mascot at OU is the Sooner Schooner, they had that on both sides and one had Sooners for Bush-Cheney and the other side had Sooners for Coburn. Then the ones for OSU had their mascot, the Cowboy.
We actually walked doors in a U.S. Senate race [that resulted in the election of Dr. Tom Coburn, who introduced McCain at the CPAC convention]. In fact, in our Governor's race in 2006, we had Bob Sullivan pick out precincts around the state where he walked doors. It made the news on both sides of the state at 10:00 o'clock [note: in OK, the "late" news is at 10 p.m.]. Candidates for statewide races or Congressional seats do not walk doors normally.
It started with Dr. Coburn in 2004 and then in 2006 our Governor/Lt Gov candidates walked some precincts. You cannot buy that kind of publicity. They actually had the media taking pictures and thety appeared in the paper.When we walked our precincts asking for votes for Dr. Coburn, we wore the shirts. We heard more of, "How do we get one of those?" When you wear straight campaign shirts [without the football links], I have never been asked where they can get one.
If you do a TV ad, I would recommend trying to find the one that Senator Don Nickles ran in 1998 -- know it is a long time ago but his ad was about bringing Oklahoma values to DC and he was out in the countryside with a white farm fence. It could be upgraded for today but the central theme of bringing OK values to DC still resonates as Coburn used it in 2004 when he ran for Don's seat.
My State Rep, who was defeated last time, spent $243,000 for his failed campaign and the Dem spent $41,000 but walked the doors and advertised on the radio -- especially sports talk radio while the Republican ignored radio and went to TV. We had so many TV ads before the 2006 election, they were lost in the shuffle.
Congresswoman Mary Fallin wore out several pair of shoes walking her Congressional district in 2006 asking for their vote. She was out all the time as were her Republican opponents for the open seat. She walked the most doors, got in a run-off, walked even more doors, and won. She connected totally with her district and to this day she is so well liked. She made the fair circuit of the counties in her district and was highly visible at our State Fair in [Oklahoma City]. She was on the radio a lot and she used the theme of bringing OK values and ideas to DC. She didn't use robo calls [automated calls] and neither did her opponent, Denise Bode, but several others did and they were not well-received. She had Ed Goeas as her consultant. Grassroots won it for Mary as she had the largest amount of volunteers.
I made calls before the primary election (not even my Congressional district) and the theme was: "Mary Fallin asked me to call today to ask for your vote." The senior citizens were so impressed that they were being asked by a live person. Then we had a cheat sheet to use if they had any questions but we found being short and to the point made the biggest impression.
Dr. Tom's calls were the same -- we were live except for the ones the NRSC paid for that Bush and Cheney taped.For the Rudy campaign, we had people use their cell phones on weekends when there are free minutes. It worked great and you can get a lot more people calling. Phone banks are expensive to set up for such a short period of time. so a lot of our campaigns are going to cell phones with a limited number of phones available for people to make calls during the week but on weekends it is almost all cell phones and same with the evening.
Big money doesn't mean you are going to get elected. You have to connect to the people, something a lot of candidates forget because of consultants who would rather line their pockets have forgotten.
Note from Steve: The emphasis in this blog is not on "borrowing" tidbits of information from news sources. Rather, it concentrates on political fundamentals, the steps necessary to win elections. John McCain is not going to be able to raise as much money as his opponent -- either Clinton or Obama -- and he shouldn't even try. Instead, there should be as much emphasis on person-to-person contact as possible. The emphasis should be on low-cost, high effectiveness forms of campaigning, the kind Sharon outlines above. What worked in Oklahoma will work in any state or congressional district. If John McCain uses these techniques, he will win. If he doesn't, he won't.
I asked Sharon, of Norman, Oklahoma, how she and her political allies were able to generate victories in Oklahoma, a state with a tradition of voting for Democrats. Here's her reply, beginning with the emphasis on giving people T-shirts at football games. Her emphasis, like mine, is on the least expensive and most effective forms of campaigning. Both of us believe that TV ads are too expensive -- and increasingly ineffective.
These were t-shirts which they [the campaigns] picked up very cheap. We had Crimson for OU [Oklahoma University and for OSU [Oklahoma State University] they had Orange. Since our mascot at OU is the Sooner Schooner, they had that on both sides and one had Sooners for Bush-Cheney and the other side had Sooners for Coburn. Then the ones for OSU had their mascot, the Cowboy.
We actually walked doors in a U.S. Senate race [that resulted in the election of Dr. Tom Coburn, who introduced McCain at the CPAC convention]. In fact, in our Governor's race in 2006, we had Bob Sullivan pick out precincts around the state where he walked doors. It made the news on both sides of the state at 10:00 o'clock [note: in OK, the "late" news is at 10 p.m.]. Candidates for statewide races or Congressional seats do not walk doors normally.
It started with Dr. Coburn in 2004 and then in 2006 our Governor/Lt Gov candidates walked some precincts. You cannot buy that kind of publicity. They actually had the media taking pictures and thety appeared in the paper.When we walked our precincts asking for votes for Dr. Coburn, we wore the shirts. We heard more of, "How do we get one of those?" When you wear straight campaign shirts [without the football links], I have never been asked where they can get one.
If you do a TV ad, I would recommend trying to find the one that Senator Don Nickles ran in 1998 -- know it is a long time ago but his ad was about bringing Oklahoma values to DC and he was out in the countryside with a white farm fence. It could be upgraded for today but the central theme of bringing OK values to DC still resonates as Coburn used it in 2004 when he ran for Don's seat.
My State Rep, who was defeated last time, spent $243,000 for his failed campaign and the Dem spent $41,000 but walked the doors and advertised on the radio -- especially sports talk radio while the Republican ignored radio and went to TV. We had so many TV ads before the 2006 election, they were lost in the shuffle.
Congresswoman Mary Fallin wore out several pair of shoes walking her Congressional district in 2006 asking for their vote. She was out all the time as were her Republican opponents for the open seat. She walked the most doors, got in a run-off, walked even more doors, and won. She connected totally with her district and to this day she is so well liked. She made the fair circuit of the counties in her district and was highly visible at our State Fair in [Oklahoma City]. She was on the radio a lot and she used the theme of bringing OK values and ideas to DC. She didn't use robo calls [automated calls] and neither did her opponent, Denise Bode, but several others did and they were not well-received. She had Ed Goeas as her consultant. Grassroots won it for Mary as she had the largest amount of volunteers.
I made calls before the primary election (not even my Congressional district) and the theme was: "Mary Fallin asked me to call today to ask for your vote." The senior citizens were so impressed that they were being asked by a live person. Then we had a cheat sheet to use if they had any questions but we found being short and to the point made the biggest impression.
Dr. Tom's calls were the same -- we were live except for the ones the NRSC paid for that Bush and Cheney taped.For the Rudy campaign, we had people use their cell phones on weekends when there are free minutes. It worked great and you can get a lot more people calling. Phone banks are expensive to set up for such a short period of time. so a lot of our campaigns are going to cell phones with a limited number of phones available for people to make calls during the week but on weekends it is almost all cell phones and same with the evening.
Big money doesn't mean you are going to get elected. You have to connect to the people, something a lot of candidates forget because of consultants who would rather line their pockets have forgotten.
Note from Steve: The emphasis in this blog is not on "borrowing" tidbits of information from news sources. Rather, it concentrates on political fundamentals, the steps necessary to win elections. John McCain is not going to be able to raise as much money as his opponent -- either Clinton or Obama -- and he shouldn't even try. Instead, there should be as much emphasis on person-to-person contact as possible. The emphasis should be on low-cost, high effectiveness forms of campaigning, the kind Sharon outlines above. What worked in Oklahoma will work in any state or congressional district. If John McCain uses these techniques, he will win. If he doesn't, he won't.
NOTE: PLEASE READ JACK KELLY'S COLUMN TODAY!
Please read the column today by Jack Kelly (a real conservative -- one with brains), who writes for the Toledo Blade and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It's accessible at: http://post-gazette.com/forum. One good line: "Every GOP candidate who rose above the asterisk level in the primaries has been called a RINO." He also beats Ann Coulter about the head-and-shoulders.
"Ann Coulter is so angry with McCain's occasional embrace of Democratic ideas that she says she'll campaign for Democrats if Mr. McCain wins the nomination." Kelly adds, "Ms. Coulter says this kind of thing whenever she feels she's not getting enough attention."
Also, "If Mr. McCain wins despite the objection of the [right-wing] RINOs, he'll owe them nothing, and it is doubtful he will have warm and fuzzy feelings about them."
Kelly concludes, "We're in the midst of a war we can't afford to lose. There is a stark difference between Mr. McCain and the leading Democrats on this and many other issues. Spare me your phony airs of moral superiority, RINOs. To sit out this election would be like sitting out 1944."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
