Obama calls on McCain to acknowledge his patriotism

Obama tries to push back McCain's shots at his character, without impugning McCain's, in a speech to veterans today. In particular, he's demanding that McCain call him a patriot -- forcing the direct question to a candidate who, at times, shies away from his own harsh attacks; and pressing a storyline Obama likes: That McCain is Mr. Negative.

From the prepared remarks:

But one of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can't disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism. I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America's national interest. Now, it's time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.

Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America -- you served the United States of America.

So let's have a serious debate, and let's debate our disagreements on the merits of policy -- not personal attacks. And no matter how heated it gets or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain's service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States.

“New Evangelical” Warren just like the old ones. He calls pro choice pols “holocaust deniers.”

Great. I bet Jews love being equated to blastocysts.

A new anti-McCain video should show him at a the Saddleback forum talking about the "Cone of Silence" with a caption that reads: "McCain has the courage to lie and cheat even in church">

Rick Warren, essentially trivialized the holocaust, and the people who died in that holocaust, and the people who fought and the people who died in WW2. Besides that, he compared 9 million Jews to fetus'.

Required @ 7:

Why Obama would lend xtian psychos like Warren any credibility by appearing is beyond me. Pandering will not get you elected, sorry. Gonna find that out way too late...

At Huffpo, they are reporting that Evan Bayh (Republicrat Ind) is one of Obama's finalist for the V.P. slot. Why doesn't he just pick Joe Lieberman. Evan freaking Bayh? WTF! That guys an idiot. A DLC (everything that's wrong with the democratic party) republican-lite doofus. He's one of those so called democrats that Fox news loves.

He passes on someone like Wes Clark, for Bayh? Are their any deomocrats left who understand what FDR's people's party was all about. Obama is running for president because of LIBERALS, not DLC fuckheads. We beat their candidate - Hillary. He really is pushing me hard to vote green. If something happened to Obama, we would have a fucking republican in the White House with Bayh!

The Mahablog post was fantastic. Thanks for that. "Stupid is easy. Stupid lets you give clear and unambiguous answers to murky and complicated questions. Smart, on the other hand, requires dealing with reality. "

It would be so easy to quote the entire blog post. Really worth reading.

CMINCA @ 13:

The Christian paradox: How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong http://www.harpers.org/archive/2005/08/0080695 by Bill McKibben [Harper's Magazine August 2005]

[Excerpt] "Only 40 percent of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels. Twelve percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. This failure to recall the specifics of our Christian heritage may be further evidence of our nation's educational decline, but it probably doesn't matter all that much in spiritual or political terms. Here is a statistic that does matter: Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” That is, three out of four Americans believe that this uber-American idea, a notion at the core of our current individualist politics and culture, which was in fact uttered by Ben Franklin, actually appears in Holy Scripture. The thing is, not only is Franklin's wisdom not biblical; it's counter-biblical. Few ideas could be further from the gospel message, with its radical summons to love of neighbor. On this essential matter, most Americans—most American Christians—are simply wrong, as if 75 percent of American scientists believed that Newton proved gravity causes apples to fly up."

And this:

"The best-selling of all Christian books in recent years, Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life, illustrates the possibilities. It has all the hallmarks of self-absorption (in one five-page chapter, I counted sixty-five uses of the word “you”), but it also makes a powerful case that we're made for mission. What that mission is never becomes clear, but the thirst for it is real. And there's no great need for Warren to state that purpose anyhow. For Christians, the plainspoken message of the Gospels is clear enough. If you have any doubts, read the Sermon on the Mount.

Admittedly, this is hope against hope; more likely the money changers and power brokers will remain ascendant in our “spiritual” life. Since the days of Constantine, emperors and rich men have sought to co-opt the teachings of Jesus. As in so many areas of our increasingly market-tested lives, the co-opters—the TV men, the politicians, the Christian “interest groups”—have found a way to make each of us complicit in that travesty, too. They have invited us to subvert the church of Jesus even as we celebrate it. With their help we have made golden calves of ourselves—become a nation of terrified, self-obsessed idols. It works, and it may well keep working for a long time to come. When Americans hunger for selfless love and are fed only love of self, they will remain hungry, and too often hungry people just come back for more of the same."

Only thing that kid is missing from his blurb is the top 1% now controls and hordes the majority of "wealth" and assets, which is why we are heading into a depression because there is absolute ZERO Liquidity.

The entire US, beyond the banks, is becoming a land of the walking dead.

Why some long winded article on how "smart is cool" or how America has been dumbed down.

Hell, just do it the Karl Rove way. With SLOGANS!

United States of Assholes

America...where the best at everything!

We don't need the world. We's America!

You don't have to read the Constitution. It's really good! Everyone knows it!

"The pro-Obama Dugeons and Dragons crowd?" What is this supposed to mean? Everybody I know used to D&D; at least half of them are neo-cons now. I think this is one of the stupidest "insults" I have ever heard. Is he talking about me AND my grandchildren? OK, my family is all pro-Obama, it's true (including my parents, now in their 80's.) I may be chaotic neutral; but this is just silly!