Category Archives: Politics

Politics

Politicians are Rich

1 Comment

I think the story about John McCain not knowing how many houses he owns is hilarious. They’re even passing out buttons at the DNC: “Ask me how many houses I own.”

As funny as it is that you can claim to connect with the average American when you don’t even know how many houses you own, just about every national politician would be in that camp. Starting salary for a member of Congress is $169,300. I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot more than I make. By way of comparison, 80% of U.S. households make less than $100,000 per year (and that’s households, not individual salaries). I think it’s fair to say that few members of Congress can claim they know what it’s like to be an average American today.

That’s true for John McCain and it’s true for Barack Obama. I’m not saying they shouldn’t make that much money, but it should be remembered when politicians claim they understand tough economic times. It’s a little ironic when we accuse our congress members of being elitist when that’s exactly what they are (and as Jon Stewart says, you shouldn’t be allowed to run for president if you don’t think you’ll do better than the rest of us).

Just for Fun, Politics

Vice Presidential Frenzy

2 Comments

I’ve been getting kind of weary of the vice presidential speculation and frenzy. How many times can we talk about how Barack Obama is going to text message his choice and you can be the first to know? I heard three of four times that Obama could make his announcement as early as Wednesday morning. Everyone’s a buzz. It’s as if the political junkies have nothing else to talk about and refuse to move on until both candidates name a VP.

So yesterday I had enough and decided I’d pretend to be the first to know and start spreading fake vice president announcements on Twitter. I did Obama VP picks yesterday and McCain picks today. And let me tell you, I had way too much fun.

Fake Barack Obama VP Picks:

I know people say Obama needs to beef up his foreign experience & military credentials, but picking Cobra Commander as a VP?!

I can’t believe Obama picked Clinton—Bill Clinton—as VP! First black presidential candidate picks first black president as VP.

Continue reading Vice Presidential Frenzy →

Adoption, Internet, Politics

McCain vs. Obama: Getting Answers on the Adoption Tax Credit

Leave a comment

About a week ago I was talking to a friend about the adoption tax credit that offers a $10,000 credit when you adopt. This friend claimed the credit was George W. Bush’s idea and lamented that if Barack Obama gets elected the credit will vanish. So I decided to sort out some facts. Which is harder than I thought.

To start with the basics, the adoption tax credit started in 1997 as a $5,000 credit and was raised to $10,000 in 2001 as a part of Bush’s tax cuts. Bush didn’t start the tax credit, though he did raise it. It’s also not clear if this is something Bush pushed for or if it was just part of the package. It’s also slated to expire in 2010 if it’s not renewed.

And this is where it gets tricky. Where do the current presidential candidates stand on renewing the adoption tax credit?
Continue reading McCain vs. Obama: Getting Answers on the Adoption Tax Credit →

God, Church & Stuff, Politics

Barack Obama vs. James Dobson

1 Comment

During the Tuesday, June 24, 2008 broadcast of Focus on the Family, James Dobson talks about a speech presidential candidate Barack Obama gave about religion in June 2006 (CNN story). I’ve never been a fan of Dobson (being blacklisted doesn’t help), but the tone of this attack amazed me.

I wrote up seven pages of text analyzing what Barack Obama said and what James Dobson said. It was good stuff. Fiery and mad and pretending to be non-biased but so completely biased.

I was going to break it up into five or six posts and unleash it slowly, savoring the thrill of bashing Dobson. But then I was reminded of all that stuff in the Bible about not being so quick to criticize. I hate those passages. I always want to insist that it’s not being critical, it’s about justice and explaining what’s right and wrong (clearly I’m right, they’re wrong). But those are just excuses. So I’ll hold off on my blow-by-blow (at least for now).

I will say that I think Barack Obama’s speech was impressive. I think James Dobson found a way to criticize everything possible, even if that meant misunderstanding Obama’s intention. It’s that kind of reaction (the kind that finds something wrong with anything) that makes me hate politics. And that’s exactly what I was starting to do, so I’ll stop.

Instead you can read Barack Obama’s Call for Renewal speech and you can listen to James Dobson’s broadcast (the first third is about Tim Russert, then they get to Obama) and decide for yourself.

Politics, Transportation

Repeal Big Oil Subsidies

1 Comment

With gas over $4 per gallon and big oil companies raking in record profits, why are politicians pitching complicated ideas like a windfall profits tax? Wouldn’t it be easier to just repeal the billions of dollars in oil subsidies?

I’m not very up on any of this which is why I’m asking the question. But it just seems silly to me that American consumers are whining about paying $4.09 per gallon at the pump, politicians are wringing their hands about gas prices and coming up with silly ideas like a gas tax holiday—yet all the while we’re shoveling billions of dollars worth of subsidies directly into the pockets of oil companies.

Politics

Shattering Barriers

Leave a comment

Yesterday while watching Barack Obama’s speech and seeing the unbelievable crowd in St. Paul it started to dawn on me just how ground-breaking it is that the Democratic nominee for president is a black man. Seeing that diverse crowd (and that’s saying something in a state that’s 90% white) and hearing Obama preach it (tell me he doesn’t sound like a preacher more than a politician) is pretty inspiring.

What’s especially cool is that it would have been just as ground-breaking if Hillary Clinton had won the nomination. That’s cool. Though it will be even better when these firsts become commonplace.

Politics

Is the Democratic Primary Over Yet?

2 Comments

Tomorrow could be the day Barack Obama declares victory and the Democratic Primary is finally over. Maybe. Two observations on the eve of whatever you call that:

1) What’s all this talk about who is winning the popular vote? Hilary has the lead in the popular vote, Obama has the lead in the popular vote, who cares? Last time I checked the election in November (and the Democratic Primary) were not decided by the popular vote. The popular vote may seem important, but as George W. Bush proved in 2000, you don’t need it.

2) All this quibbling over Michigan’s delegates is kind of insane. Barack Obama wasn’t even on the ballot, so how can Hilary say she beat Obama in Michigan? That’s like saying she beat John McCain in Michigan, and since he wasn’t on the Democratic Primary ballot, I guess she did. Maybe I should make a T-shirt: I got beat by Hillary in the Michigan primary.

Politics

Ignore Those ‘Elitist’ Experts

Leave a comment

The Democratic primary campaign is getting kind of silly. When asked to defend her plan for a summer long gas tax holiday (which will save you $28) by naming a credible economist who think it’s a good idea, Hillary Clinton said: “I’m not going to put my lot in with economists.”

So getting the opinion of experts is somehow a bad idea?

She went on to explain, “We’ve got to get out of this mind-set where somehow elite opinion is always on the side of doing things that really disadvantage the vast majority of Americans.” Oh, so they’re elitist experts. Reminds me of a Jon Stewart bit from the Daily Show about how we should want the very elite running the country (“If you don’t think you’re better than us, then what the &#@% are you doing?!”). I can understand Clinton’s concern that we do what’s best for the vast majority of Americans, but I don’t think that means dismissing expert advice and accusing them of being elitist. That’s not populist, that’s paranoid. Or perhaps political.

The only thing that makes this gas tax debate more interesting is that Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain agree on it.

God, Church & Stuff, Politics

Truthiness of E-mail Forwards; Or, Pray to My God or I’ll Heckle You

5 Comments

Today I received another one of the questionable forwards. The story in a nutshell is that a court ruling had prohibited prayer at a graduation ceremony. When one of the speakers approached the podium, the entire graduating class simultaneously sneezed. Then the speaker simply said, “God bless you, each and every one,” and the crowd erupted with applause. A heart-warming ‘screw you’ to those anti-Christian courts.

The first clue that it’s not entirely true might be the mass simultaneous sneeze. The fact that it’s talking about prayer in school should at least make you wary about potential bias. The fact that it has to conclude with “This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland,” should also be a hint that’s something not right—how often does the newspaper have to assure you something is a true story? I also couldn’t help but wonder why the University of Maryland had a principal.

I looked this story up on Snopes.com, the go to site for questionable e-mail forwards, and found that the story is in fact true. With some notable exceptions.

Continue reading Truthiness of E-mail Forwards; Or, Pray to My God or I’ll Heckle You →

Politics

Michele Bachmann: “We’re Losing Our Country”; Or, Immigrants Steal Country, Hide it Behind Big Fence

5 Comments

I’m not sure I want to keep blogging about politics, but sometimes I’m dumb that way. Here I go again.

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann from Minnesota was recently speaking in Monticello and had this to say about immigration:

“We’re losing our country,” she said. “People are not assimilating themselves to America. They’re not speaking English, and you must speak it if you want to succeed here in this country.”

Losing our country? What? Assimilation and speaking English are not requirements of being an American (reminds me of an uproar over a Spanish version of the national anthem). Seems like our basic freedoms cover that one, and practicing our freedoms is about as American as you can get.
Continue reading Michele Bachmann: “We’re Losing Our Country”; Or, Immigrants Steal Country, Hide it Behind Big Fence →