Amendment Vote Linked to Georgia Environment

Georgia voters will make an important decision regarding forest land and the environment on Tuesday, November 4. Georgians will cast ballots on Amendment #1, the “Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008,” which asks voters whether the state Constitution should be amended to allow timberland taxation on the basis of its actual value as a forest, rather than its potential or speculative future use.

“As land values have increased, property taxes have risen to the point where many landowners are forced to decide whether it makes economic sense to keep their land in forests or sell it for development,” explained Lauren Bush, Public Affairs Staff Forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission. “Amendment #1 encourages landowners to keep their land in forests rather than sell it to developers.”

Georgia boasts approximately 24 million acres of forest land, 92% of which is privately owned. The forest industry contributes $28.5 billion to our state’s economy, and provides invaluable nature services to Georgia, including clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of the state’s forest resources.

“Forest management is a long-term commitment for landowners,” said Bush. “They may not receive a return on their investment for 20 or more years, but their property taxes are due every year. Amendment #1 can help encourage property owners to keep their land in forests, which enhance the life of every Georgian.”

To receive the forest value assessment, Amendment #1 requires forest land owners to leave their land in tree production for at least 15 years. If a county’s total tax digest of revenue is reduced by more than three percent, the money will be reimbursed by the State of Georgia. If it is affected by three percent or less, the county will be reimbursed 50%.

If ratified by Georgia voters on the November 4 General Election ballot, the Forest Land Protection Act will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

For more information, visit GaTrees.org, www.forourforests.com or www.keepgeorgiagreen.org.

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Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Office Announce Contacts to Handle Election-Related Complaints

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias announced today that William R. Toliver, an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in Atlanta, will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2008 general elections. AUSA Toliver has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Georgia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District's handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

United States Attorney Nahmias said, "We are committed to assuring an honest and fair election, and to assuring that every lawful vote is counted. Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute and preclude honest votes. They strike at the very heart of our rights as citizens and corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. As such, we will address credible reports of election fraud and voting rights violations promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to the FBI, my Office, or the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division."

On October 8, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft established a Department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department's ability to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur--to make voting easier and cheating harder. Both goals are equally important. It is imperative that in pursuing voter integrity, ballot access is not in any way diminished or harmed. The Department's long-standing Election Day Program furthers the goals of the Initiative. The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day. The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it, while those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2008, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Nahmias stated that AUSA Toliver will be on duty while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 404-581-6000.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in the Atlanta Field Office and each resident agency in this District to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 404-679-9000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section may be contacted at 202-514-3204.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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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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Michelle Obama Meets with Members of the Military Community in Pensacola

Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, met with 14 members of the military community in Pensacola, Florida today, before taking the stage for an Early Vote for Change rally. Among those who met with Mrs. Obama were Wendy Bennett, a military wife and mother whose husband is serving in Iraq and Amanda Allen, a junior attending the University of West Florida, whose husband currently serves in the Navy. Also in attendance were military community members who volunteer for the Obama-Biden campaign and serve as Team Pensacola members and have been heavily involved in the campaign’s grassroots voter registration and early vote for change efforts.

At today’s meeting, Mrs. Obama thanked them for their service to the country, and shared her perspective on the opportunity that military families have in this year’s election to cast their ballot for the only candidate who shares their vision of a military system that does more to support its troops and their families.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these roundtables, it’s that when our military goes to war, their families go with them,” said Mrs. Obama. “Barack is the only candidate in this race who wants to create a 21st century VA that offers world-class care and rejects the idea that we should only treat combat injuries, but not those sustained in training or on the deck of an aircraft carrier. And Barack is the only candidate in this election who has put the middle class at the heart of his economic plan. ”

Today’s meeting builds on the series of roundtable discussions that Mrs. Obama has hosted with military families over the last several months to give a voice to the concerns of men and women who are facing the challenges of balancing work and family – particularly in a troubled economy – and to help communicate Obama and Biden’s plans to support America’s families. Mrs. Obama has met with military spouses and families in North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.

Today’s rally is part of the Obama-Biden campaign’s three day barnstorm across the state to mark the beginning of early voting in Florida. Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, will crisscross the state, speaking with Floridians about the importance of early voting and making their voice heard at the polls in advance of Election Day in order to bring the change we need in Florida and across the nation.

This evening, Mrs. Obama will join her husband in Miami for an Early Vote for Change rally. Tomorrow, Mrs. Obama will host similar events in Jacksonville and Gainesville. In Jacksonville, she will be introduced by Command Sergeant Major Michelle Jones, who served as the 9th Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve from October 2002 through August 2006, and retired in March 2007 after 25 years of service.

Isakson, Chambliss Urge Treasury, Federal Reserve to Address Needs of Community Banks

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke asking them to address the needs of community banks in Georgia and across the country.
The text of the letter is below:

Dear Chairman Bernanke & Secretary Paulson:

Given the current financial climate and its challenges, it is imperative that we address the significant needs of both large financial firms and money center banks for the protection of our investments and retirement security. We must also address the needs of our community banks that small businesses and individuals look to for everyday needs such as inventory loans, operating capital and payroll.

As you move forward implementing your new authority established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, we urge you to determine how best to use your authority to provide much needed capital and access to credit to community banks in Georgia and across the country.

Sincerely,

Saxby Chambliss
United States Senator

Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

Chambliss Campaign: Jim Martin Won’t Stand Up for Georgia in

During the WALB debate that aired Monday, October 20, Jim Martin refused to condemn Senator Barack Obama’s promise that he will make Florida’s water resources a priority in the tri-state water war if elected president.[1]

- “As President, I will make protecting Florida's water resources a priority,” Obama continued.[2]

Jim Martin actually tried to deny that this was Obama’s stated position!

- “Saxby people don’t believe you, they know that’s not true. They know that’s not the position Senator Obama has taken, no Presidential candidate would take a position like that.”[3]

REALLY JIM? BECAUSE WHAT, YOU DIDN’T READ THE STATEMENT THAT SENATOR OBAMA PUT OUT FROM HIS CAMPAIGN? AND YOU DIDN’T READ ANY OF THE NEWS COVERAGE? REALLY?

- “…if that is-and its not-if that were by some silly reason Obama’s, President Obama’s position, I’d stand up to him.”

REALLY JIM? YOU’D STAND UP TO BARACK OBAMA TO PROTECT GEORGIA? BECAUSE WHEN HE ISN’T EVEN IN THE ROOM YOU CANNOT FIND THE BACKBONE TO STAND UP TO HIM BUT WE SHOULD BELIEVE THAT IF HE WERE PRESIDENT YOU WOULD STAND UP TO HIM? REALLY?

Jim Martin: Standing Up For
Florida’s Mussels & Sturgeon!

[1] 11Alive News, http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=122516&catid=3
[2] Gainesville Times, October 17, 2008, ”Obama says he’ll protect Florida’s water resources”
[3] Jim Martin, WALB debate, October 20, 2008

MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL: Editorial: Chambliss win vital to curbing liberals' excess

Published: 10/21/2008

The headlines in recent days have said that incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) is in "the fight of his life." They're right - and that's unfortunate both for him and the people of Georgia.

Chambliss stands a chance of becoming a victim of Obama Barack's expected coattails, which many suspect will be long enough to unseat Republicans who just a month ago were thought to be nearly impregnable. Democratic challenger Jim Martin is running an unexpectedly strong campaign. He is a good man, a diligent worker on behalf of Georgians during the Barnes administration, and though more liberal than most Georgians, he likely would be a capable senator if he were to be elected.

But should a senator so recently seen as secure as Chambliss become one of the victims of the Obama voter surge, it's a virtual lock that the Democrats will wind up with a "filibuster-proof" working majority in the Senate. With the Democrats in control of the White House and the House of Representatives as well, we should then get ready for an onslaught of liberal legislation unseen from Washington since the days of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society."

Our form of government is predicated on built-in "checks and balances," and in this case retaining enough Republicans there to mount a filibuster is looking like the last, best hope of checking an expected flood tide of far-left moves. Otherwise, you can expect a hasty retreat from Iraq, probably two and possibly three stridently left-wing nominees for the Supreme Court, punitive tax hikes on business and so on.

In that light, a vote for Saxby Chambliss seems more important than ever. But even were that not the case, Chambliss has more than earned another term in Washington. He has voted in accordance with the wishes and desires of most Georgians throughout his term, in favor of a strong defense, low taxes and less government.

With neither Obama nor Republican John McCain enamored with the Lockheed Martin-built C-130 Hercules or the F-22 Raptor, Chambliss is strategically situated to help defend them as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, following in the footsteps of legendary Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn. He also has played a vital role as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and in keeping with what has become a Georgia tradition, sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where he is the senior Republican.

Saxby Chambliss has represented Georgia well in Washington, and deserves your vote for another term there.

AAUW Hosts Political Forum Tuesday in Valdosta

The American Association of University Women will host the South Georgia Political Forum from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.

Candidates for all national and local offices will participate in free-form roundtables and offer three-minute speeches, which will be moderated by Dr. Sharon Gravett, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and longtime member of the AAUW. Prior to the addresses, the estimated 20 candidates from state and local races will be available in the meeting room to entertain questions from the public and distribute campaign information.

The Valdosta branch of the AAUW organized the forum, in conjunction with Myrna Ballard of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, Julie Greenhaw of the Lowndes County Republican Party and Dennis Marks of the Lowndes County Democratic party.

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Statement of Senator Barack Obama on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Today, Senator Obama made the following statement acknowledging October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"Today, I join all Americans in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At a time when one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, it’s more important than ever that we dedicate ourselves to working on behalf of the thousands of women who suffer in silence.

"Too often, victims of domestic violence don’t know where to turn, or have no one to turn to. And too often, a victim could be someone you love. That’s why, as a State Senator, I led the fight in Illinois to pass one of the strongest employment protection laws in the nation, ensuring that victims of domestic violence could seek shelter or treatment without losing their jobs.That’s why I introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to provide $25 million a year to domestic violence prevention and victim support efforts. That’s why I co-sponsored and helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. And today, I am so proud to have Senator Joe Biden, the man who wrote that groundbreaking legislation that gave so many women a second chance at life, as my running mate in this campaign.

"As President, I’ll make these efforts a national priority. This month, and every month, we must fight to bring domestic violence out of the darkness of isolation and into the light of justice, especially for minority and immigrant women, and women in every community where it goes unreported far too often. We’ll stop treating this as just a woman’s issue, and start recognizing that when a woman is attacked, that abuse scars not only the victim, but her loved ones, sending currents of violence that ripple across our society. We need all hands on deck to address this – neighbors willing to report suspected crimes, families willing to help loved ones seek treatment, and community leaders willing to candidly discuss this issue in public and break the stigma that stops so many women from coming forward. Together, we’ll make it clear that no woman ever struggles alone."

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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