Georgia Secretary of State Handel Issues Preliminary General Election Statement

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today released the following statement regarding the 2008 General Election:

“An estimated 3.9 million Georgia voters cast ballots in the 2008 General Election, roughly 74.1 percent of active voters. Additionally, over 2 million voters cast ballots during early voting, over 53 percent of total votes cast. Ninety-three percent of voters cast ballots in person using an approved form of photo identification – without incident.”

In 2004, roughly 3.3 million voters cast ballots, comprising 77 percent of active voters. Voters cast 422,485 ballots during early voting.

“On Election Day across the state, voters experienced minimal lines and wait times thanks to the preparation and hard work of our county election officials and poll workers. The work of these individuals makes democracy possible and I am grateful for their dedication.”

Ballots from military and overseas voters will be received and counted by county election officials through Friday, November 7. County election officials and voters must resolve any issues regarding provisional ballots and add them to election totals by Thursday, November 6. Further, county elections officials cannot certify the election until issues regarding challenged ballots have been resolved.

Once counties complete their certifications, the Secretary of State will certify the statewide results. Any run-offs will be announced upon certification, which should occur sometime next week.
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National Right to Life PAC Announces Endorsement of Saxby Chambliss for Re-election to the U.S. Senate

The political-action arm of the nation's largest right-to-life organization today announced its strong endorsement of the re-election of Saxby Chambliss to the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to Chambliss, the National Right to Life PAC (NRL-PAC) commended Senator Chambliss for his "exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate."

NRL-PAC Political Director Karen Cross said, "Senator Chambliss has a perfect, 100 percent pro-life voting record for his entire six-year term, but Democrat Jim Martin favors continuation of the current policy of allowing abortion for any reason."

The entire text of the NRL-PAC letter to Chambliss appears below. For further information, contact National Right to Life PAC at 202-626-8825, or by e-mail to Legfederal@aol.com.

October 28, 2008

Senator Saxby Chambliss
Chambliss for Senate
Atlanta, Georgia 30355

Dear Senator Chambliss:

The National Right to Life Political Action Committee (NRL-PAC) is pleased to endorse you for re-election to the United States Senate.

NRL-PAC is the political arm of the nation’s major right-to-life organization, representing right-to-life affiliates throughout the nation.

We commend you for your exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate. This record includes support for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (enacted in 2003) and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (enacted in 2004). It also includes your consistent votes against federal funding of abortion and of organizations that promote abortion.

We are also grateful for your cosponsorship of other important pro-life bills that have not yet been enacted, including parental notification legislation and a bill to ban the practice of human cloning.

In addition, we applaud your consistent support for the confirmation of federal judicial nominees who believe that the proper judicial role is to interpret and apply the written law, not to engage in legislating from the bench.

Your extraordinary pro-life record should earn you the support of every voter who is committed to preservation of the fundamental right to life and to the protection of the most vulnerable members of the human family.

Sincerely,

David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Karen Cross
Political Director

Douglas Johnson
Legislative Director

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
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Macon Telegraph Endorses Saxby Chambliss

It's funny how time and circumstances beyond the control of candidates change campaigns. Eight months ago Democratic challenger Jim Martin wasn't in the primary picture. Party leaders had to twist his arm to jump into the race. Martin obviously had the most state-wide name recognition among the five challengers who included Vernon Jones, DeKalb County's CEO, Dale Cardwell, a former TV journalist, Rand Knight, an ecosystem scientist and Josh Lanier, a former Senate aide and Washington lobbyist. Martin won in a runoff against Jones.

While the Democrats were fighting it out, the incumbent first-term senator, Saxby Chambliss, was deemed invulnerable. He had a huge war chest, all the name recognition a candidate would need after serving in the House and now Senate. But even Superman can be brought to his knees by Kryptonite. Chambliss' weakness can be spelled in three simple examples. Along with Georgia's other senator, Johnny Isakson, Chambliss barnstormed the state in favor of an immigration plan that blew up in their faces. They got the message and turned tail and ran from the issue.

The two senators were also instrumental in forming the Gang of 10 that pushed an energy plan that many saw as giving too much sway to the Democratic point of view. And there's the wild card named Sen. Barack Obama and the electorate he's managed to inspire. All those factors have made the race between Chambliss and Martin a dead heat.

We have no qualms with Martin; he has been an exemplary public servant from his days in Vietnam to the Georgia Legislature to state commissioner for the Department of Human Resources under governors Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue. That said, we are not ready to kick Chambliss to the curb just yet. Chambliss' knowledge of Middle Georgia interests, particularly agriculture and Robins Air Force Base, make him a vital component in the economic future of the mid-state. Chambliss has not forgotten what part of the state he comes from, and he must be given credit for his courageous vote for the $700 billion bailout bill. For those reasons and more, we choose Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Charles E. Richardson/for the Editorial Board
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Absentee Ballots Being Reprinted - Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County elections officials have discovered a problem with 19,000 absentee ballots that have been sent to voters. The ovals where voters mark their choices are too thick for the optical scanning machines to read.

Elections Director Lynn Ledford said routine equipment testing two weeks prior to the election revealed the problem. State law requires such testing no later than three days before Election Day. “We want to assure everyone who has used an absentee ballot that every vote will count,” Ledford said.

The absentee ballots have been reprinted and new requests are being filled with correct ones that will scan properly, according to Ledford. She also emphasized that voters who are holding absentee ballots have the option of voting the absentee ballot or surrendering it and voting on Election Day.

Votes on incorrect forms will be counted using a manual process observed by a representative of each political party and a monitor from the Secretary of State’s office. Non-partisan candidates will also be allowed a monitor. State law requires that all participants be sequestered with no outside contact to prevent information leaks.

Unreadable ballots will be duplicated in accordance with state law so that they can be scanned and the copy will then be stored with the original in case a recount is necessary.

Voters submit absentee ballots in two envelopes, so the identity of any individual voter will not be known once the outer envelope is removed. Election workers will tabulate and post the votes as usual after the polls have closed on Election Day. No delayed results are expected.

“The problem is not apparent to the naked eye but the machine can’t read the ovals,” said Ledford. “And we can’t reprogram the scanner after it has been certified by state officials.”
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Isakson, Chambliss Express Concern over Proposed Expansion of Bulldog Military Operating Area in East-Central Georgia

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and Bobby Sturgell, Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, expressing their concern over the proposed expansion of the Bulldog Military Operating Area in East-Central Georgia and the negative impact it could have on operations at civilian airports in that region.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Donley and Administrator Sturgell:

Today our
staffs met to discuss the proposed expansion of the Bulldog Military Operating
Area (MOA) over East-Central Georgia. We had previously written to you
regarding this issue, and appreciate you making your staffs available to
meet.

We strongly support the ability of the Air Force to conduct
necessary training and operations in support of its readiness and our nation’s
security, and recognize the requirement it has. We remain concerned,
however, about the potential impact the proposed expansion as outlined in the
letter we received from Colonel Miller on March 10, 2008 may have on operations
at civilian airports in Emanuel County, Georgia, and Millen,
Georgia.

Specifically, the community is concerned that the proposed
expansion may negatively affect arrivals and departures flights into the
Swainsboro / Emanuel County airport and that the recent upgrades to the
Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport may be negated by the proposed
expansion. Swainsboro is also concerned about communications issues and
delays as they relate to instrument arrival and departure clearances at the
airport. Both communities are concerned about MOA usage notifications
between the Wing and the airports, and the steps forward with regards to the MOA
should traffic at these airports increase and necessitate new airspace
needs.

We appreciate the reassurances by your staffs that
they will take these, and other concerns raised at tomorrow’s public meeting,
into consideration and that both the Air Force and FAA will work to mitigate
these concerns before implementing changes to the MOA. We hope that the
Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration can agree on a proposal and a
process of closing the MOA to accommodate arrivals and departures into these
airports so as not to negatively affect existing or dissuade future commercial
air traffic and economic development, and we stand ready to assist you in any
way possible in this regard.

We appreciate you keeping us fully
informed as this issue develops, and we intend to carefully follow this issue to
ensure that out national security needs are met without negatively impacting
operations at local, civilian airports in Georgia.

Very
truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss
United States Senator

Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

The community will have an opportunity to engage the Air Force and the FAA and share their comments at a public meeting on October 23, 2008. Isakson and Chambliss encourage all interested residents to attend the meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. at the Augusta Regional Airport, Large Conference Room, 1501 Aviation Way, Augusta, Ga.

The FAA and the Air Force have extended the public comment period to November 24, 2008, and have pledged to Isakson and Chambliss that they will look at ways to mitigate the existing concerns of the community.

State Senator Jack Hill, State Representative Butch Parrish and other elected officials as well as Bill Rogers and the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce have worked with Isakson and Chambliss on this important effort.
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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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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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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

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.

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.

Read The Editorial
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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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