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Friday, September 26, 2008

300 Retired Generals and Admirals Endorse John McCain for President

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that 300 retired generals and admirals from around the country are endorsing John McCain for president. The retired generals and admirals announced their support with the following letter:

"We have had the honor and privilege of serving as career officers in the United States Armed Forces, and of serving shoulder to shoulder with so many of the fine young men and women who are the backbone of America's Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. It is that experience that informs our judgment that John McCain is the presidential candidate best suited to serve as America's Commander-in Chief from the day of his inauguration.

"Our next president will confront national security challenges as significant as those faced by any administration in at least a generation. Success will require a leader with proven tenacity, judgment and courage. It will also require a leader with detailed knowledge of our military and other instruments of national power, and with years of experience dealing seriously with foreign leaders.

"John McCain's entire life has been devoted to the service of America. Throughout a long and distinguished career in the military and in Congress, he has repeatedly displayed the courage and integrity to place America's interests first -- regardless of personal cost. And he has demonstrated the experience and wisdom to lead America -- and, importantly, our allies -- in effectively dealing with complex and vitally important national security challenges around the world.

"We unequivocally endorse him to continue his service to the country as the next President of the United States."

Rear Admiral John W. Adams, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Patrick O. Adams, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Albert B. Akers, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Paul Albritton, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Richard Allen, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James F. Amerault, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Vincent J. Anzilotti, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Charlie Bagnal, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General John "Doc" Bahnsen, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Barausky, USN (Ret.)
Major General Barry D. Bates, USA (Ret.)
Major General Ron Beckwith, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General Charles L. Bishop, USAF (Ret.)
Major General John Blatsos, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ben Blaz, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Harry Blot, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General William A. "Art" Bloomer, USMC (Ret.)
Major General John L. Borling, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Mike Bowman, III, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Roger Box, USN (Ret.)
Major General Patrick Brady, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jerry Breast, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bruce Bremner, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jeremiah Brophy, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas Brown, III, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Richard A. Browning, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Bruner, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Lyle Bull, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral E.A. Burkhalter, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jay Campbell, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jim Carey, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jimmy Cash, USAF (Ret.)
Major General George Cates, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Chadwick, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Clarey, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Albert P. Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Clifton "Tip" Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wes Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Richard A. Coleman, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Leroy Collins, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John B. Conaway, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ralph Cook, USN (Ret.)
Major General Richard M. Cooke, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Matthew T. "Terry" Cooper, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Mike Coyne, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert C. Crates, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Howard, Jr. Crowell, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Dastin, USAF (Ret.)
General James B. Davis, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James P. Davidson, USN (Ret.)
Major General Hollis Davidson, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Kevin Delaney, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jerry Denton, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Chip Diehl, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Richard F. Donnelly, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Frank Donovan, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Bill Dougherty, USN (Ret.)
Major General George Douglas, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Walter D. Druen, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Phillip J. Duffy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Richard M. Dunleavy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Robert F. Dunn, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James W. Eastwood, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James E. Eckelberger, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Russ Eggers, USAF (Ret.)
Major General James N. Ellis, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Engel, USN (Ret.)
Major General Bill Eshelman, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Marsha Johnson Evans, USN (Ret.)
Major General Merrill Evans, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James H. Flatley, III, USN (Ret.)
Admiral S. Robert Foley, USN (Ret.)
General John W. Foss, USA (Ret.)
Major General Stuart French, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ronne Froman, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Vance H. Fry, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert Byron Fuller, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Skip Furlong, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Barton Gilbert, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wendell Gilbert, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hank Giffin, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Andrew Giordano, USN (Ret.)
Major General Rick Goddard, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ted Gordon, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Russell W. Gorman, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral H.E. "Rick" Grant, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas N. Griffin, USA (Ret.)
Major General Jeffery R. Grime, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Hall, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Ronald J. Hays, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN (Ret.)
Major General Guy Hecker, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Rolland Heiser, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Dick Herr, USCG (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert P. Hickey, USN (Ret.)
Major General Geoffrey Higginbotham, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Don Hilbert, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Virgil Hill, USN (Ret.)
Major General Kent Hillhouse, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward J. "Ned" Hogan, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral A. Byron Holderby, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Grant T. Hollett, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Admiral James L. Holloway, USN (Ret.)
Major General William Hoover, USAF (Ret.)
General Charles A. "Chuck" Horner, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General James Hourin, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Jefferson D. Howell, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John I. Hudson, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral James D. Hull, USN (Ret.)
Major General Evan Hultman, USA (Ret.)
Major General Charles A. Ingram, USA (Ret.)
Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret.)
Major General Harry Jenkins, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ronald H. Jesberg, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Gregory G. "Grog" Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Jerome Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral J. Michael "Carlos" Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Kantrowitz, USNR (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Douglas Katz, USN (Ret.)
General P.X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.)
Admiral Robert J. "Barney" Kelly, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John Kerr, USNR (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter, USA (Ret.)
Major General Phillip G. Killey, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral George E.R. "Gus" Kinnear II, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Jack W. Klimp, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hal Koenig, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Alexander J. Krekich, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ed Kristensen, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Derald Lary, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Charles R. "Chuck" Larson, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Rufus C. Lazzell, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ward M. LeHardy, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Tony Less, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Frederick L. Lewis, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Frank Libutti, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General William Lindaman, USAF (Ret.)
General James J. Lindsay, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James W. Lisanby, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Dan Locker, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Stephen Loftus, USN (Ret.)
General John Michael Loh, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Noah H. Long, USNR (Ret.)
Admiral Joseph Lopez, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Mike Luecke, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Lynch, USN (Ret.)
Admiral James A. "Ace" Lyons, Jr., USN (Ret.)
General Robert Magnus, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Michael D. Malone, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Daniel P. March, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward H. Martin, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John J. Mazach, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Dan McCarthy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral William "Scot" McCauley, USN (Ret.)
Major General James C. McCombs, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Fred McCorkle, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Billy McCoy, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bill McDaniel, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Craig O. McDonald, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral E.S. "Skip" McGinley, II, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Denny McGinn, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Kinnard R. McKee, USN (Ret.)
Major General Ed Mechenbier, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral George Meinig, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert L. Menist, USA (Ret.)
Major General Stuart D. Menist, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William F. Merlin, USCG (Ret.)
Admiral Paul David Miller, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert W. Mixon, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Joseph Mobley, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Patrick D. Moneymaker, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Benjamin Montoya, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Charles J. Moore, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Douglas Moore, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Major General W. Bruce Moore, USA (Ret.)
Major General Warren Moore, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Joseph P. Moorer, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Moses, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Mulloy, USN (Ret.)
Major General William L. Mundie, USA (Ret.)
General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Major General Terry Murray, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hank Mustin, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Carol Mutter, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jack Natter, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jerry Neff, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mike Neil, USMCR (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Henry Neitz, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ben Nelson, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, USCG (Ret.)
Brigadier General Warren "Bud" Nelson, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Eddie Newman, USA (Ret.)
Major General George W. Norwood, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jacqueline "Jackie" O'Meara, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ira C. "Chuck" Owens, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert S. "Rupe" Owens, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Dave Palmer, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert V. Paschon, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ellis D. "Don" Parker, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Ted Parker, USN (Ret.)
Major General Earl G. Peck, USAF (Ret.)
Major General John Peppers, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Maurice Phillips, USA (Ret.)
Major General Paul A. Pochara, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral David Polatty, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas J. Porter, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Noel G. Preston, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.)
Major General Bill Raines, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral William E. Ramsey, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William Retz, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jon A. Reynolds, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral David C. Richardson, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas M. Rienzi, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Stewart Andrew Ring, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, USAF (Ret.)
Major General James Milnor Roberts, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral David B. Robinson, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Bill Roll, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wayne Rosenthal, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Pete Rots, USCG (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ed Rowny, USA (Ret.)
Major General Michael D. Ryan, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John R. Ryan, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Luciano C. Salamone, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jim Schear, USNR (Ret.)
Major General Carl G. Schneider, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Hugh Scott, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral James E. Service, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bill Shawcross, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward D. "Ted" Sheafer, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mike Sheridan, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Robert F. "Dutch" Shoultz, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert H. Shumaker, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bruce Smith, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Norman Smith, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Richard D. Smith, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert (Bob) Smith, III, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Stan Smith, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Roy D. Snyder, USN (Ret.)
Major General J.R. Spalding, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Stanhope S. Spears, Adjutant General, South Carolina
Major General Ralph Spraker, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Bill Spruance, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Hank Stackpole, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James Stark, USN (Ret.)
General Carl Stiner, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward M. Straw, USN (Ret.)
Major General Ansel M. Stroud, USA (Ret.)
Major General Willam A. Studder, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Leroy N. Suddath, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Gordon Sumner, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul E. Sutherland, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bob Sutton, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jeremy Taylor, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jimmie Taylor, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert C. Taylor, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William E. Terry, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Deese Thompson, USCG (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Howie Thorsen, USCG (Ret.)
Major General Harold Timboe, M.D., USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ernest E. Tissot, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert F. Titus, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John B. Totushek, USN (Ret.)
Major General Rockly Triantafellu, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Carlyle A. H. Trost, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, USN (Ret.)
Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela, USA (Ret.)
Major General Paul Vallely, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Lloyd "Joe" Vasey, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John Vines, USA (Ret.)
Major General John G. "Jack" Waggener, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John F. Wall, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General W.L. "Bill" Wallace, USA (Ret.)
Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.)
Major General Gary Wattnem, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Donald Weatherson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Hugh Webster, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Arvid E. West, USA (Ret.)
Major General Drax Williams, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General James A. Williams, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mitchell M. Willoughby, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Dennis Wisely, USN (Ret.)
Major General Herbert E. Wolff, USA (Ret.)
Major General John J. Womack, USA (Ret.)
Major General Dan Wood, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John W. Woodmansee, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral George Worthington, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Earl P. Yates, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Allan R. Zenotwitz, USA (Ret.)

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Cynthia McKinney Calls for New Investigation and Welcomes Stay of Execution in the Case of Troy Anthony Davis

Green Party Presidential Candidate and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney shares the concerns of Georgians who are calling for the Attorney General to commission an independent investigation into the handling of the Troy Anthony Davis prosecution by both the Savannah Police Department and the Chattam County Prosecutors Office.

Mr. Davis was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Savannah Police Officer Mark Macphail. His conviction was secured on the basis of eyewitness identification evidence. Since his trial, seven citizens who initially testified that Mr. Davis was the shooter have come forward alleging that their respective trial testimony was false.

These witnesses—most of whom have no connection to Mr. Davis or to each other---describe the employment of improper identification techniques, police intimidation, and other forms of undue influence at the hands of the Savannah Police Department. For years, the Chatham County prosecutor has been aware of these claims that police intimidation and faulty eyewitness identification procedures resulted in the false identification of Troy Davis. Yet, to date, there appears to be no internal investigation into these troubling allegations.

More recently, an alarming report of government subornation of perjury has been brought to my attention. At a recent meeting of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, key government witness who identified Troy Davis as the person who shot Officer Macphail, disclosed that when she advised the prosecutor that her identification of Troy Davis was false, she was told to “stick with the story” and forced to testify consistently with her police report. While McKinney cannot conclusively determine the truth or falsity of these claims, without closer scrutiny, no one can. There can be no other acceptable option than a full and fair investigation of these claims by an independent panel. The failure to conduct such an investigation undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and could result, as Mr. Davis and his lawyers’ claim, in the execution of an innocent man.

McKinney noted, “The absurdity of rushing to execute this potentially innocent man without first examining these serious accusations of police and prosecutorial misconduct compels a 30 day stay.”

The Supreme Court granted a stay this week.
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Obama-Biden Roll Out Science and Innovation Plan Today

Today the Obama-Biden campaign will hold a conference call to roll out its science and innovation plan. Three Nobel Laureates, Dr. Harold Varmus, Dr. Bob Horvitz and Dr. Peter Agre will join the call to release a letter signed by 61 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, in the fields of chemistry, physics and medicine, praising Senator Obama's leadership.

During the last eight years of the Bush administration, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support and the government's scientific advisory process has been undermined by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. And John McCain's promise to freeze funding increases for science next year threatens to continue this dangerous trend.

"Senator Obama has a unique and forward looking perspective on the challenges of the 21st century; energy, health care, education, and national security, and realizes they can only be met with a firm commitment to the advancement of science and technology. Barack is committed to the belief that in today's competitive global economy our nation's industries and government must invest in an R&D renaissance, if America is to remain a beacon to the world," said Dr. Harold Varmus, a 1989 Nobel Laureate

To read the letter praising Senator Obama’s leadership, click HERE.

To read the Obama-Biden plan for science and innovation, click HERE.

Those who have signed on:

Alexei Abrikosov, Physics, 2003
Peter Agre, Chemistry, 2003
Sidney Altman, Chemistry, 1989
Philip W. Anderson, Physics, 1977
Richard Axel, Medicine, 2004
David Baltimore, Medicine, 1975
Baruj Benacerraf, Medicine, 1980
Paul Berg, Chemistry, 1980
J. Michael Bishop, Medicine, 1989
N. Bloembergen, Physics, 1981
Michael S. Brown, Medicine, 1985
Linda B. Buck, Medicine, 2004
Mario R. Capecchi, Medicine, 2007
Stanley Cohen, Medicine, 1986
Leon Cooper, Physics, 1972
James W. Cronin, Physics, 1980
Robert F. Curl, Chemistry, 1996
Johann Diesenhofer, Chemistry, 1988
John B. Fenn, Chemistry, 2002
Edmond H. Fischer, Medicine, 1992
Val Fitch, Physics, 1980
Jerome I. Friedman, Physics, 1990
Riccardo Giacconi, Physics, 2002
Walter Gilbert, Chemistry, 1980
Alfred G. Gilman, Medicine, 1994
Donald A. Glaser, Physics, 1960
Sheldon L. Glashow, Physics, 1979
Joseph Goldstein, Medicine, 1985
Paul Greengard, Medicine, 2000
David Gross, Physics, 2004
Robert H. Grubbs, Chemistry, 2005
Roger Guillemin, Medicine, 1977
John L. Hall, Physics, 2005
Leland H. Hartwell, Medicine, 2001
Dudley Herschbach, Chemistry, 1986
Roald Hoffman, Chemistry, 1981
H. Robert Horvitz, Medicine, 2002
Louis Ignarro, Medicine, 1998
Eric R. Kandel, Medicine, 2000
Walter Kohn, Chemistry, 1998
Roger Kornberg, Chemistry, 2006
Leon M. Lederman, Physics, 1988
Craig C. Mello, Medicine, 2006
Marshall Nirenberg, Medicine, 1968
Douglas D. Osheroff, Physics, 1996
Stanley B. Prusiner, Medicine, 1997
Norman F. Ramsey, Physics, 1989
Robert Richardson, Physics, 1996
Burton Richter, Physics, 1976
Sherwood Rowland, Chemistry, 1995
Oliver Smithies, Medicine, 2007
Richard R. Schrock, Chemistry, 2005
Joseph H. Taylor Jr., Physics, 1993
E. Donnall Thomas, Medicine, 1990
Charles H. Townes, Physics, 1964
Daniel C. Tsui, Physics, 1998
Harold Varmus, Medicine, 1989
Jasmes D. Watson, Medicine, 1962
Eric Wieschaus, Medicine, 1995
Frank Wilczek, Physics, 2004
Robert W. Wilson, Physics, 1978

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Sunday, September 21, 2008

McCain: "Obama In The Mud: So Much For Honesty"

"In the past few weeks, Obama has thrown so many false accusations against John McCain that just keeping track of them has become difficult. And these aren't innocent errors. They are deliberate distortions of the sort Obama has always said he reviles." -- New Hampshire Union Leader

"Obama In The Mud: So Much For Honesty"
Editorial
New Hampshire Union Leader
September 21, 2008

When Barack Obama first began campaigning in New Hampshire in early 2007, many voters swooned. We watched him speak to retirees in Claremont one snowy February day that year. Not a single voter we talked with before he spoke planned to vote for him. Afterwards, many said they would. The word that spontaneously came from the lips of multiple attendees: sincere. They couldn't remember a politician who spoke with such sincerity, they said. And many of them had been voting since World War II.

We wonder what those same voters think of Obama's sincerity now. In the past few weeks, Obama has thrown so many false accusations against John McCain that just keeping track of them has become difficult. And these aren't innocent errors. They are deliberate distortions of the sort Obama has always said he reviles.

On Thursday, Obama said of McCain, "He has consistently opposed the sorts of common-sense regulations that might have lessened the current crisis." That's entirely untrue.

As The Washington Post pointed out in an editorial on Friday, McCain in fact has supported many new regulations of financial institutions, including some that Obama opposed. "In 2006, he pushed for stronger regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- while Mr. Obama was notably silent," The Post wrote.

Obama attacked McCain for having a top financial advisor who supported a deregulation bill a few years ago. Yet two top Obama financial advisors, with whom he met on Friday to help him form his response to the current troubles on Wall Street, supported the same bill, which was signed by President Clinton.

Also last week, Obama released a Spanish-language ad that portrayed McCain as anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic and tried to link him to immigration policies that were not his own as well as some choice Rush Limbaugh quotes that appeared to insult Mexicans.

Anyone who has followed the immigration debate knows that McCain is the most pro-immigration Republican on the national stage and that he is not in the least anti-Hispanic. To pull quotes from Rush Limbaugh, who has completely different immigration views than McCain and who opposed him on that issue for years (and still does) is completely disingenuous. The ad is so bad that even The New York Times called it "misleading."

Obama's campaign also accused McCain of lying when McCain's campaign ran an ad saying that Obama supported sex education for kindergarteners. But the bill in question, which Obama supported in the Illinois state Senate, did indeed change state law to allow sex education for kindergarteners.

Obama has said that he won't attack John McCain's motives, only his policies. But he has repeatedly attacked McCain's motives, suggesting that he has been bought off by oil companies and lobbyists.

Obama's greatest strength as a candidate, aside from his oratorical skill, has long been his apparent sincerity and decency. Voters attracted to him think of him as that rarest of things: an honest politician. He has claimed himself that he would never engage in the sort of deceptive politicking that he says has tainted Washington for so long.

Yet here he is violating his own professed standards. This is not the Barack Obama so many voters in New Hampshire and elsewhere thought they knew. But it is the real Barack Obama. For despite his rhetoric, he is in fact campaigning so dishonestly that even The Washington Post and The New York Times have called him on it. Which means that he is in practice no different from those regular politicians against whom his entire campaign has been built.

Read The Editorial

Friday, September 19, 2008

Georgia Secretary of State Handel Releases Summary of Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel has announced the release of the summaries of proposed general amendments to the Constitution of Georgia that will be voted on in the November 4, 2008 General Election. The summaries and Constitutional amendments in their entirety are available at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/Elections/2008_amendments.htm.

A copy of the Constitutional Amendments in their entirety is on file in the office of the judge of the Probate Court and is available for public inspection.

Interested individuals may obtain printed copies of the summaries from their county elections superintendent or the Secretary of State. To obtain a printed copy of the summaries from the Secretary of State, please call 404-656-2871.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

New York Times Talk at Clayton State… Is it Just in Our Heads?

Clayton State University’s Political Science Department will be holding its next New York Time Talk, “Is it just in our heads? The presidential candidates and the economy” on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 11:10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. in room 267 of the James M. Baker University Center.

Facilitated by Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Todd Janke, the discussion is courtesy of the New York Times and the American Democracy Project. A free lunch of pizza and soda is provided.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Senator John McCain on Democrats Pressuring to Renig on Palin Invitation to Stop Iran Rally

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the "Stop Iran" rally:

"Throughout my political career, I have sought to rise above partisanship on critical national issues. Nowhere is this more true than on important matters of national security. Earlier this year, Senator Clinton, Senator Obama and I issued a joint statement on the genocide in Darfur and pledged to support efforts to bring it to an end. Earlier this month, Senator Obama and I put the campaign aside to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country and talk about the importance of national service.

"Next Monday, the day before Iranian President Ahmadinejad is to speak before the United Nations General Assembly, several organizations will sponsor an event to draw attention to the importance of halting Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. Governor Palin and I share a strong belief that a nuclear armed Iran poses a grave threat to the security of Americans and to our allies. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The risk that Iran would provide terrorists with a nuclear weapon is too great for the world to ignore. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust occurred and called Israel a 'stinking corpse.' A nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the entire region. Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons should be a shared goal of every American, not another occasion for partisan posturing.

"Governor Palin was pleased to accept an invitation to address this rally and show her resolve on this grave national security issue, regrettably that invitation has since been withdrawn under pressure from Democratic partisans. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Republicans, Democrats and independents alike to oppose Ahmadinejad's goal of a nuclear armed Iran. Senator Obama's campaign had the opportunity to join us. Senator Obama chose politics rather than the national interest."
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McCain Campaign: "Our View On Bipartisanship: Who's The Better Uniter?"

"As McCain points out on the campaign trail, Obama has a much thinner record of bucking his own party. ... As a U.S. senator, he has taken liberal Democratic positions on most issues." -- USA Today

"Our View On Bipartisanship: Who's The Better Uniter?"
Editorial
USA Today
September 18, 2008

McCain has a longer record of bucking his party's orthodoxy.

Presidents who try to push through major policy changes without the opposing party almost always come to grief. George W. Bush's bid to create private accounts for Social Security collapsed in 2005 when Democrats rejected it. A decade earlier, Bill Clinton's health care overhaul died for lack of Republican input and support.

Social Security and health care remain unreformed, and whether the next president is Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama, he'll need help from members of the other party to address these and other pressing issues. So it's reasonable to ask whether either of them -- both self-styled change agents who tout their ability to cross political lines -- have shown they can do this.

McCain, in Congress for 26 years to Obama's four, has the longer record of producing bipartisan alliances on tough issues. He has bucked his party again and again to do just that -- on immigration, federal judges and campaign finance, to name three on which he enraged many Republicans by defying the party position and working with Democrats. McCain-the-maverick has reverted to party orthodoxy on taxes and other issues this year, which will put him in a bind if elected: Would he stick with those new positions, or compromise with the Democratic Congress he'd likely be working with?

As McCain points out on the campaign trail, Obama has a much thinner record of bucking his own party. With the exception of tough fights for ethics reforms in the Illinois Senate and in Washington -- where he angered Democratic colleagues by insisting on the disclosure of lobbyists who bundle campaign donations -- Obama has rarely challenged party dogma on the sort of big, contentious issues he'd face as president. As a U.S. senator, he has taken liberal Democratic positions on most issues. Studies by Congressional Quarterly show Obama has voted with his party almost 97% of the time, vs. about 85% for McCain.

Where Obama has diverged, it has often been rhetorical and reactive: After securing the nomination, he expressed disagreement with a Supreme Court decision that struck down the death penalty in cases of child rape, and he approved a decision that overturned a strict gun control law in Washington, D.C. He has signaled support for a modified form of affirmative action (extending it to poorer whites and denying it to better-off African Americans), and he has supported a key Bush initiative that funnels federal dollars to faith-based groups.

Obama's bipartisan accomplishments in Washington have been on significant, but relatively non-controversial, efforts to secure nuclear weapons and establish a federal-spending database. What he lacks is a record of challenging his own party on divisive, difficult issues -- the deficit, immigration, energy -- that he'd have to reach out to Republicans on if he's elected. Even with a Democratic majority in Congress, it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass most major measures.
None of this is to say Obama couldn't turn into a consensus-building, party-challenging president. Based on their records so far, though, it takes a greater leap of faith to believe that of him than of McCain.

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McCain-Palin Campaign Conference Call On Barack Obama's Failed Economic Leadership

"And though, the pitch has been strong and its been eloquent, the facts are that he was the number two recipient of the money he has suggested bought off the legislative process in Washington from adopting the types of regulations that Freddie and Fannie needed to oversee the products that didn't exist when the original regulation was structured. ... Not only was it campaign contributions, it was former heads of those companies that were selected to head that vice presidential selection team for Barack Obama." -- Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

Today, the McCain-Palin campaign held a press conference call with Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain-Palin senior policy adviser, on Barack Obama's failed economic leadership:

Doug Holtz-Eakin: "I want to focus my remarks about Barack Obama's economic capabilities as a leader, on his promise to the middle class Americans for a tax cut and what should they really expect. I think the first thing one should be quite honest about is he has no credibility in his comments. This is the man who voted for higher taxes 94 times in the U.S. Senate -- 94 times he had the opportunity to either keep taxes where they were or lower them for middle class Americans; he did not. He then entered into a presidential campaign where he ran as an advocate for higher taxes in the primary. He, in the primary for example, said we're going to get rid of the cap on the taxing the maximum Social Security and subject all of that to a 12.4% tax. It became apparent after he won the nomination, that that was an agenda that is not possible with Americans. So very quickly he said no, no I didn't mean that, I mean anyone who is making over $250,000 I'll raise tax for that and then he said no, no I didn't mean that, I'm going to tax those people who are making more than $250,000 a 4-5% rate. Oh no I didn't mean that, I'm going to do it in 10 years.

"So he has changed that story from an immediate increase, the largest tax increase in American history, to something that he won't do for 10 years, when he would be out of office if he were so fortunate to be elected. That is absolutely the character of what his tax proposals have been in this campaign. He was going to raise taxes on dividends and capital gains and when the bad impact it would have on small businesses he immediately said no, no I'm going to have a zero tax rate for start ups. Start ups don't have capital gains. They're start ups. He has continually shifted to the point where his economic advice most recently said on CNBC, 'We never meant to raise taxes. We're going to wait a couple years. We've always said that.'

"They have said so many things throughout the campaign It is clear that Barack Obama on taxes will say anything that is politically expedient including I will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. The fact is he has promised so much spending it would be impossible for those tax cuts to take place. He has proposed over $800 billion worth of increases in spending and that excludes a recent independent estimate of his healthcare plan which would cost over $240 billion a year alone. It is an inconceivable matter of arithmetic in modern financial markets that he could cut taxes and follow through on the spending promises he made. So there is no credibility in this package.

"And finally we can take this at face value, that he says, 'I am going to raise the top marginal tax, I'm going to increase taxes on dividends and capital gains and then I'm going to do a variety of other things including tax credit that he's proposed.' What will you have: you will have higher taxes on small businesses at a time when firms under 50 employees have created 330,000 jobs in this economy -- an economy starving for some vitality. He will raise taxes on the one source of economic vitality. In an economy where the capital markets are struggling, he will raise taxes on dividends and capital gains. The reason people hold stocks is the dividends and capital gains. If you raise the taxes on them, they will not want to hold stocks and Barack Obama will take the stock market that has dropped by 900 points in two days this week and drive it further south.

What's the net result? Take it at face value, he's going to say you can have a $500 tax credit, but I don't think Americans are going to be too happy with that when they don't have a job and they don't have a pension. This is a very bad combination. His running mate recently said higher taxes are patriotic. This is an economy that is struggling, higher taxes aren't patriotic. They're bad tax policy."

...

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA): "Obviously, as Doug has said, our capital markets continue to broil unpredictably. I think there's clearly a significant amount of turmoil. And the impact on American families is really unknown and is yet to be felt. But this is the time that the country and the people of America really need to see leadership. And I don't know that we've heard any position articulated by Barack Obama, on the situation surrounding AIG up until last night. And even this morning, I think we are very unclear as to where Barack Obama is on the issue of AIG.
"We don't know where he is. And I think it's clearly demonstrating that Barack Obama trying to vote present while we're in an economic crisis, yet again. It seems that this is a pattern of his behavior in the legislative body in Illinois, certainly in the Senate repeated and now in his candidacy for the presidency. He once again cannot come down on an issue that is going to have such an impact, and it already has, on millions of Americans.

"And I think you have also heard from John McCain that, look this is an extremely upsetting and disappointing situation. That I don't think anyone likes to put taxpayer dollars into a private entity, but the way that this has been done It has been done to protect taxpayer dollars. Frankly, taxpayer dollars will hopefully come back to the federal government ant then the taxpayers. This is a loan to AIG, not a bail out.

"There is control now that has been asserted over the company so that no dividends can be paid to shareholders. So that taxpayers will be paid back first. This is the kind of leadership. This is the kind of behavior that I think people expect from leaders. When you compare what John McCain has said and done on this versus an extremely unclear and vague position -- if there even is a position on the part of Barack Obama -- I think it also indicates a very cloudy leadership on his part."
...
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC): "I think it's safe to say that this is an election that I personally believe will be decided based upon leadership. And I think the American people are looking at everything that happens right now and looking at two individuals trying to decide, 'is this the type of leadership I want, not only in the White House, but as commander-in-chief?' I think that the American people expect a good leader to lead by example.
"And I think, as Eric alluded to, to take no positions on whether intervention in AIG was needed displays a lot to the American people. It doesn't recognize the fact that AIG has 74 million customers, and that they operate in 138 countries, and that they have a trillion dollars worth of assets, and that if you allow that to go away, not only is there an employment hit to the American people, there is a disruption in international marketplace that takes what is ripples today and it creates waves that will capsize other companies that today are in fact not necessarily in trouble.

"From standpoint of setting the example, one needs only to look at the Freddie and Fannie challenges and the government response, and the fact Barack Obama was the second largest recipient of campaign contributions from Freddie and Fannie. It's not good enough to go out and just talk about reform and to talk about change. The American people are going to hold these candidates to their actions. And though, the pitch has been strong and its been eloquent, the facts are that he was the number two recipient of the money he has suggested bought off the legislative process in Washington from adopting the types of regulations that Freddie and Fannie needed to oversee the products that didn't exist when the original regulation was structured. It is absolutely essential that Freddie and Fannie in the new world that they will go into are under a different type of regulation that regulates new products. The question is can you accomplish that with somebody tha t is so indebted to those. Not only was it campaign contributions, it was former heads of those companies that were selected to head that vice presidential selection team for Barack Obama. It was the campaign adviser, Frank Raines, who walked away from that company several years ago, with over $90 million of a golden parachute that Barack Obama has criticized regularly throughout the marketplace, that these things shouldn't exist.

"Clearly this is an election about leadership. It is an understanding that the financial markets continue to change and that we need not only a leader that's willing to surround himself with the right types of experts, but a leader that is willing to make a decision in short order based upon what's in the best interest of the American people."
Setting The Record Straight: Deregulation

Doug Holtz-Eakin: "Let me make the observation that the crucial issue that presents the candidates is the future of financial regulation. And in Larry Summers and Robert Rubin, Barack Obama has the two Treasury Secretaries who sheparded through the Gramm-Leach-Bliley legislation that they are now attacking as the source of all the problems on Wall Street that was signed by then-President Clinton. Obama adviser Gene Sperling was praised for his work on the legislation, so the quality of the advice that he's receiving, we have a track record on that.

"John McCain has a track record as well. He is a man who in 2003 said we need to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, these are threats to the U.S. taxpayer. They are threats to financial markets. They need to have a different regulatory structure, a strong office in the Treasury. It didn't happen. He tried again in 2005, repeated his warnings. What we now have are taxpayers owning an institution with $5.6 trillion in liability and a track record of sorry management performance, manipulation of earnings statements, and CEO's leaving in disgrace."

Listen To The Conference Call
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Monday, September 15, 2008

John McCain Statement on Situation in Financial Markets

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the situation in the financial markets:

"The crisis in our financial markets has taken an enormous toll on our economy and the American people -- first the decline of our housing markets followed by the collapse of Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and now Lehman Brothers. I am glad to see that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have said no to using taxpayer money to bailout Lehman Brothers, a position I have spoken about throughout this campaign. We are carefully monitoring the financial markets, including the duress at Lehman Brothers that is the latest reminder of ineffective regulation and management. Efforts must also be focused on ensuring that the deposits of hardworking Americans are protected.

"It is essential for us to make sure that the U.S. remains the pre-eminent financial market of the world. This will be a highest priority of my Administration. In order to do this, major reform must be made in Washington and on Wall Street. We cannot tolerate a system that handicaps our markets and our banks and places at risk the savings of hard-working Americans and investors. The McCain-Palin Administration will replace the outdated and ineffective patchwork quilt of regulatory oversight in Washington and bring transparency and accountability to Wall Street. We will rebuild confidence in our markets and restore our leadership in the financial world."
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John McCain On Our Economy And The American Worker

"Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest-working, the best-skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world. That's the American worker. And my opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals -- the American worker and their innovation, their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America, and I think they're strong. But they are being threatened today." -- John McCain

John McCain
Remarks
Orlando, FL
September 15, 2008

John McCain: "I'd like to just mention a couple of things to you, and first of all a little straight talk. As you well know, we are seeing tremendous upheaval on Wall Street. The American economy is in a crisis. It is in a crisis. People tonight will be sitting around the kitchen table, trying to figure out how they're going to stay in their homes, how they're going to keep their jobs, how they're going to put food on the table. And America is in a crisis today. Unemployment is on the rise, and our financial markets are in turmoil. People are concerned about our economic future. But let me say something, the economic crisis is not the fault of the American people.

"Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest-working, the best-skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world. That's the American worker. And my opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals -- the American worker and their innovation, their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America, and I think they're strong. But they are being threatened today. Those fundamentals are being threatened today because of the greed and corruption that some engaged in on Wall Street, and we have got to fix it. And we have got to reform the way that they do business. And frankly my friends, our workers have been the strength of our economy, and they remain the strength of our economy today. And those fundamentals are threatened, they are threatened and at risk because some on Wall Street have treated Wall Street like a casino. So, we're going to fix it. And their efforts are not being matched at the top. From Washin gton to Wall Street, the top of our economy is broken.

"We've seen self-interest, greed, irresponsibility, and corruption undermine these hardworking American people. We're going to put an end to the abuses in Washington and on Wall Street that have resulted in a crisis that we are seeing unfold today.

"Enough is enough. Enough is enough. We're going to reform the way that Wall Street does business and put an end to the greed that has driven our markets into chaos. We'll stop multimillion-dollar payouts to CEOs that have broken the public trust.

"And we'll put an end, as I said, to running Wall Street like a casino. We'll make businesses work for the benefit of their shareholders and their employees, and we'll make sure that your savings, IRAs, 401k and pensions are protected."

Watch John McCain
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"Bloomberg Agrees With McCain: Economy 'Fundamentally...Strong'"

I just now asked the New York mayor, a former Wall Street hand who's been in the mix in the current crisis, whether he agrees with McCain that the fundamentals of the American economy are strong.

"I do agree that fundamentally America has an economy that is strong," he said. "America's great strength is its diversity, its hard work, its good financial statements, its broad capital markets,its enormous natural resources" and its work ethic, he said.

"I'd rather play America's hand than any other country," he said. "Without problems? No."

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Saturday, September 13, 2008

John McCain's Weekly Radio Address

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/Downloads/091308_wra.mp3

John McCain's Weekly Radio Address:

Good morning, this is John McCain, and it's been a great week traveling through America on the campaign trail. Since accepting the nomination of my party, I've taken our campaign to Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. At each stop, I put Washington on notice that we're going to shake things up in that city. And I had the pleasure of introducing America to Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

I was looking for a fellow maverick in a runningmate, and I sure found one in Sarah Palin. As a chief executive of her state, she took on the special interests and lobbyists who had been in control of her state -- and especially the big oil companies. With major ethics reforms, tax cuts, and a half a billion dollars in spending vetoes, she put government back on the side of the people. Governor Palin doesn't have much patience for what she calls the "good-ol'-boys" network. And the good-ol'-boys in Washington aren't going to like her anymore than the ones in Juneau.

Now that our party conventions are behind us, and both my opponent and I have chosen our running-mates, the choice before America is clearer than ever. For Governor Palin and me, change is more than a slogan, and it's not about party. It's about changing the way business is done, and it's the reason we entered politics to begin with.

What struck me the most about Senator Obama's convention was how much talk we heard about "change" from leaders in Congress who are running the show. Senator Obama has gone out of his way to support his party leadership. But to really fight for change in Washington, you have to know just who you're taking on, and Senator Obama just doesn't get it. The problem in Washington is not Republicans, and the problem is not Democrats. The problem with Washington is that too many people are working for themselves and not working for you.

One of the biggest obstacles to reform today is the Congress itself, where leaders in both parties have sought to raise spending when our country is already nine trillion dollars in debt, to raise the tax burden when our economy is already slowing, and to preserve privileges like earmark spending, which waste your money and keep them in power.

Meanwhile, hard questions are deferred and serious problems are avoided -- the great challenges of energy independence, health care reform, protecting entitlements, education reform, and many others.

This Congress has been in session close to two years and now they have accomplished exactly nothing to meet any of these challenges. Now Senator Obama wants you to believe that things will get better if Democrats control both the Congress and the presidency. But when Americans demand change in Washington, one-party rule where power is an end of itself isn't exactly what they have in mind.

My fellow Americans, if Governor Palin and I are entrusted with four years in the White House, we'll show you what real change looks like. As president, I will veto reckless spending bills, to control the size of government and to let the workers of America keep more of their own earnings. I will put an end to earmark spending, by refusing to sign any bill that contains an earmark. I will lead the cause of health-care reform, by offering every person and family a generous tax credit so they can choose and afford their own health care. I will offer real choice in America's public schools, so that parents, teachers, and principals are in charge instead of union bosses and bureaucrats. And instead of wasting your money on things you never asked for and don't need, we're going to focus on essential priorities like helping American families with tax relief, balancing our federal budget, protecting our people from threats abroad and at home, and regaining control over the cost and supply of energy.

Governor Sarah Palin and I not only promise big change in Washington -- we have records of change to back up our words. We offer not only change you can believe in, but change you can verify. We'll get the job of reform done -- to shake things up in Washington, solve our energy problems, and get the American economy moving again. And whatever your party affiliation, I want every voter in America to know that I am hoping to earn your support in the cause of real reform in Washington.

Thanks for listening.
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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Building On His Long Commitment To Expanding National Service, John McCain Is Proposing A Service To America Initiative.

As President, John McCain will create a Service to America initiative to strengthen the teaching and understanding of American history, culture and core ideas, and to inspire Americans to serve causes greater than their own self interest. Civic participation by citizens over a lifetime, working in neighborhoods and communities, and service of all kinds -- military and civilian; full-time or part-time; and national or international -- can renew America's civic purpose and heal our fractured patriotism.

John McCain's Record Of Supporting Service To Our Nation

· John McCain Was An Original Cosponsor With Sen. Bayh (D-IN) Of The Bipartisan National Call To Service Act That Established A National Service Plan With Incentives To Enlist In The Armed Forces. Under the plan, participants must meet all eligibility requirements for military service and may choose one of the following incentives: $5,000, payable after completing 18 months of active duty; and 18 months of reserve service; repayment of student loans up to $18,000; educational allowance at the Montgomery GI Bill monthly rate for one year; or educational allowance of one-half of the GI Bill monthly rate for three years. The bill also expanded volunteer opportunities in civilian organizations, including AmeriCorps. John McCain reintroduced the civilian components with Sens. Bayh, Kennedy and Mikulski in 2003, after the military service component became law in 2002.

· John McCain Sponsored The Troops-to-Teachers Improvement Act. The Act strengthened and extended the Troops-to-Teachers Program encouraging retired military personnel to become teachers, particularly in schools located in disadvantaged or rural areas facing a shortage of teachers.

John McCain Issues A New Call To Service -- The Service To America Initiative
Highlights

· Bolster volunteerism with an energetic and comprehensive national service initiative designed to increase opportunities for people willing to serve their communities and their country.

· Ensure coordination of all service efforts across the federal government and make certain that all these service programs are effective and on equal footing.

· Convene "Volunteerism Summits" so people can share with others the best ideas and most effective programs currently underway in their own communities.

· Increase focus of our volunteers on urgent situations such as the high school dropout crisis and job retraining.

· Boost opportunities for service overseas to increase understanding and communication among diverse cultures.

· Create opportunities for families to spend service opportunities together at home and abroad.
· Increase service opportunities for the disabled community.

· Coordinate a network of private sector "venture capital" funds matched with government grants to support job retraining or vocational training efforts in high schools and targeted communities where job loss persists.

· Allow faith-based organizations to improve their volunteerism numbers by allowing them to hire consistent with the views of the respective organization without risking federal funding.
Utilize The Wisdom And Experience Of Our Retirees And Veterans

· With Boomers entering the retirement ranks, provide more opportunities to senior Americans by expanding SeniorCorps with a focus on mentoring at risk students, assisting community-based homeland security programs, and overseas teaching of American history to bridge cultural divides.

· Develop opportunities for returning veterans to reintegrate immediately through a civilian service opportunity and continue to serve their country upon returning home.

A Call To Service Is A Call To Educate

· Engage more college students in community service through the Federal Work-Study program; current law only requires seven percent of recipients to perform community service.

· Engage Americans in disaster preparedness and response by providing education and training resources for effective community-based efforts.

· Use AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps volunteers as tutors and mentors to address the high school dropout crisis in America.

· Create a realistic teaching certification requirement for outstanding individuals with years of service and work so they have the opportunity to tutor or teach without jumping through unreasonable bureaucratic hoops.

· Strengthen the teaching of American history and civics education through volunteers in our communities and schools who are able to tutor and teach with a teaching certificate equivalency.

In The United States Senate, John McCain Is An Original Cosponsor Of The Hatch-Kennedy Service Bill That Includes:

· Service Learning: Authorizes new grant program to make direct competitive grants to eligible partnerships to carry out service-learning programs with disengaged youth in secondary schools and authorizes the Corporation for National Service to designate up 20 institutions each year as "Campuses of Service." While the grants authorized under this section come directly from the Corporation to the recipients, state service commissions and departments of education are listed as eligible applicants, allowing state agencies to compete alongside school district partnerships.

· Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Establishes a "Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions to America's Problems," Community Solutions Funds and Innovation Fellowships.

· Service Corps: Directs the Corporation to establish new accounts to fund grant programs including Education Corps, Community Health Access Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Opportunity Corps and Reserve Corps.

· Civic Health Index: The Corporation will establish a "Civic Health Index" and will provide data on the progress and effectiveness of various civic programs and initiatives.

· Serve America And Encore Fellowships: Serve America Fellowships are administered almost entirely at the state level, allowing the states to continue to be laboratories of innovation for volunteer service programs. Eligible organizations also include faith-based organizations. Encore Fellowships provide another incentive to Baby Boomers to utilize their experience in the volunteer sector. Reports indicate that the transferrable education award is a significant incentive for potential participants.

· Volunteer Generation Fund: Directs the Corporation to award competitive 3-5 year grants to support the recruitment, management, and training of volunteers to carry out activities benefitting low-income individuals.VGF will increase the capacity of smaller groups, including churches and faith-based organizations, to engage more Americans in helping their communities.

· International Programs: The bill will improve upon and expand the existing Volunteers for Prosperity Program, providing opportunities for international volunteer service. The bill will expand the Peace Corps, allowing for the improvement of its long-standing mission to provide service in developing countries.
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Mark 9/11 Anniversary by Targeting Terrorists Overseas While Respecting Liberties at Home, Says Bob Barr

“Seven years have passed since the horrid terrorist attacks of 9/11," says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party nominee for President. "The U.S. government can best mark the anniversary by continuing to target groups which threaten Americans, but also by respecting the liberties upon which our nation is based."

“The Bush administration deserves credit for having done much to disable al Qaeda as an effective terrorist organization,” Barr says. “However, early on, the administration took its eye off of the ball when it shifted troops from searching for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan to use in the unnecessary war in Iraq. Now, the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating badly,” adds Barr.

“Moreover, the Bush administration engaged in a sustained attack on the liberty and privacy of Americans in the name of combating terrorism. It drafted the Patriot Act, which provided the federal government with powers well beyond those necessary to confront potential terrorists, and it initiated an illegal surveillance program of telephone calls and emails, ignoring both the Constitution and the law,” Barr explains.

“Obviously, the federal government has a responsibility to protect Americans from terrorist threats,” Barr notes. “However, equally fundamental is the government’s responsibility to respect the liberties which the federal government is tasked to protect. If we sacrifice those basic freedoms, then truly the terrorists have won,” Barr says.

“As president, I will focus U.S. law enforcement and military efforts on terrorists who have targeted Americans. I will not allow my administration to be sidetracked by unnecessary wars and interventions, such as in Iraq,” explains Barr. “As for Iraq, I will quickly withdraw U.S. troops, leaving Iraqis in control of their own destinies.”

“At home, I will restore the Constitution as the guide for U.S. policy,” insists Barr. “The government must combat those who wish Americans ill, but it must act within the law, ensuring accountability for U.S. officials. That means appropriate limits on and oversight of all surveillance, arrests, trials and imprisonment. Never can we forget that the American government is one of laws, not of men,” Barr concludes.

“The attacks of 9/11 leave us with great responsibility for the future. We must defend Americans from those outside who threaten violence. We also must defend Americans from those at home who would sacrifice our liberties,” says Barr.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

"Coburn On Palin And The Bridge To Nowhere"

"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's 'Bridge to Nowhere,' says that he spoke with Gov. Sarah Palin as the controversy was unfolding and she told him 'that she was going to kill it because she thought it was wasteful.' ... Biden and Obama, said Coburn, 'voted for [the bridge earmark] every time it came up because they played the game on earmarks.'" -- Politico

"Coburn On Palin And The Bridge To Nowhere"
Ryan Grim
Politico
September 10, 2008

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov. Sarah Palin as the controversy was unfolding and she told him "that she was going to kill it because she thought it was wasteful." ...

"And can you imagine a governor telling [Alaska Republican Sen.] Ted Stevens what he will or won't do?" Stevens was a vocal supporter of the earmark. He has since been indicted for not reporting gifts he received. ...

McCain was a cosponsor of an amendment that Coburn tried to push through that would have moved the money from Alaska to Louisiana to repair the I-10 freeway damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Joseph Biden (D-Del.) opposed that amendment. Biden and Obama, said Coburn, "voted for [the bridge earmark] every time it came up because they played the game on earmarks. Remember what the appropriators said: 'If you don't vote for this, your earmarks are next. We'll come after your earmarks.' That was the veiled threat." ...

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McCain-Palin 2008 Conference Call On Personal Attacks Against Governor Sarah Palin

"If it's not rejected by Senator Obama, if he doesn't speak to this and condemn that statement, then it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side. I hope he will take this opportunity to step out and get this campaign back on track and reject this outrageous, demeaning statement to someone who has accomplished a lot in her life other than not just have an abortion." -- Senator Lindsey Graham

Today, McCain-Palin 2008 held a press conference call with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to discuss South Carolina Democratic Chairwoman Carol Fowler comments today:

Senator Lindsay Graham: "It's very uncharacteristic of Ms. Fowler to say something this out of bounds. I think it has more to do with the fact that our Democratic colleagues and opponents are in a meltdown mode over Governor Palin. She's a talented, reform-minded, conservative female governor who has, I think, thrown our opponents for a loop in terms of how to engage the McCain-Palin ticket. And all I can say is, if this were done the other way there would be a firestorm of monumental proportions if a Republican had used this line of attack against a Democratic female vice presidential nominee.

"Only very blinded partisan people could not appreciate Governor Palin's many accomplishments throughout her life. I would argue that Governor Palin's life and that of her husband's, people can relate to their struggles and their situations probably greater than anyone else on the national tickets, and the reason she's added so much energy and momentum to our ticket is that she's accomplished, she's a reformer at a time when Washington needs one and people can relate to her. These kinds of attacks that are personal, and quite frankly hateful, are going to backfire on our Democratic colleagues and opponents.

"It's a complete outrage. It's an arrogant statement. It's a statement that comes from being in a meltdown mode. It's like when Barack Obama said that rural people only cling to their religion and their guns because they have problems in their lives. I think the American people are going to understand ... that Governor Palin has done things that our opponent has never done regarding their own party. She has taken on big spending, and she's taken on people in her party who have strayed from doing what is best for America. And in Alaska, they will see this statement. If it's not rejected by Senator Obama, if he doesn't speak to this and condemn that statement, then it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side. I hope he will take this opportunity to step out and get this campaign back on track and reject this outrageous, demeaning statement to someone who has accomplished a lot in her life other than not just have an abortion."

Rep. Marsha Blackburn: "What we are seeing is a pattern that has come into play. We can go back to the remarks that Senator Obama made to a reporter back during the primaries when she was referred to as 'sweetie.' Moving forward, he passed over Senator Clinton and many feel like he also passed over Governor Sebelius both as running mates. And then the lipstick comment that he made yesterday. And now we get to the actions and comments of today. You look at all of this in the context of the campaign -- you know that the American people and especially women are watching this, and first of all they are offended by the lack of respect for Governor Palin being displayed. But secondly, they are offended that the party that has many times said that they were the ones that had cornered the women's market is showing disrespect for all women by choosing to address the woman in the spotlight -- a woman who is a leader with a proven track record -- and trying to diminish her accomplishments, demean the work she has done, and try to demonize her. I think the American women find that to be completely inappropriate."

"The personal attacks, the inappropriate comments -- these are things that conservative women face every day. This is why the truth squad is so willingly and readily coming to defend her. We know that if you don't fit the role model, the stereotype of a feminist, then there are some that do not accept and do not want to talk about your record of accomplishments. Traditionally and generally what you do is you just put your head down and you just plow on through it because at the end of the day you know that fighting for freedom and liberty and making this country great is worth the fight. Now her record -- she has an absolute record. I was recently in Alaska, and it was amazing to me that people there are so proud of their governor and are so happy with the job that she is doing."

Listen To The Full Conference Call
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Sunday, September 7, 2008

Join Statement from John McCain and Barack Obama

Today, John McCain and Barack Obama issued the following statement on coming together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:

"On September 11, 2008, we will join together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero.

"All of us came together on 9/11 -- not as Democrats or Republicans -- but as Americans. In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils -- we were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones. We will also give thanks for the firefighters, police, and emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service, and for the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania."

Saturday, September 6, 2008

John McCain on the US - India Civilian Nuclear Agreement

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement and the decision by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG):

"I welcome today's decision by the 45 nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to lift the global ban on civilian nuclear trade with India. This step, which is critical to implementing the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement, represents another building block in the partnership between our two countries.

"Because the agreement will further involve India in the global nonproliferation regime, strengthen the ongoing transformation of U.S.-India relations, and reduce India's dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources, I supported it early on and without equivocation. The same cannot be said of my opponent, who supported 'poison pill' amendments on the Senate floor that would have had the effect of killing this important agreement. Now that the NSG has approved it, Congressional leaders should act expeditiously to pass the U.S.-India nuclear agreement here at home."
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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Mayor Rudy Giuliani On CBS' "Early Show"

"Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything. Sarah Palin has been a mayor. She's been a governor. She has a record of reform. She has a record of leadership. She's run a budget." -- Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
CBS' "Early Show"
September 3, 2008

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: "Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything. Sarah Palin has been a mayor. She's been a governor. She has a record of reform. She has a record of leadership. She's run a budget. So, why are all these questions for her? Has anybody ever asked Barack Obama, can you bring up your two kids and be president of the United States? They are asking 'can she be vice president and be a mother?' Come on."

CBS' Maggie Rodriguez: "So you're saying you have no doubt and mothers shouldn't either, that she can do it?

Mayor Giuliani: "Where are the feminists? I mean is it just the early feminist groups? Where are they?"

Rodriguez: "I think they are fair questions. It's a lot to judge."

Mayor Giuliani: "They are questions. I don't know if they're fair questions. You can ask any question you want, then to designate it as a fair question. You know, can you be a mother and be a vice president? We've had a lot of fathers run for president and no one has ever asked them, 'can you be a father and be president?' Don't tell me there isn't a difference there."

Watch Mayor Giuliani
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