Fire Drew Carey!

I have watched about 10 minutes of the "new" The Price Is Right hosted by Drew Carey. HE'S AWFUL! He's completely bored and uninterested in really interacting with the contestants. Case in point: in a Showcase Showdown, one contestant comes within $500. Pretty good, though I've seen someone come within $100 (they changed it a few years ago). The other contestant? RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!! How the hell did he do that. Carey's response?

Tony Campolo

Someone posted this quote today on a message board that I read. I find it succinctly sums up the "morals" that are espoused on TV.

"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

http://www.progressive.org/?q=mag_camp0805

Anthony "Tony" Campolo (born 1935) is a well-known American pastor, author, sociologist, and public speaker known for challenging Evangelical Christians by illustrating how their faith can offer solutions in a world of complexity. With his liberal political and social attitudes, he has been a major proponent for progressive thought and reform in the evangelical community. He has become a leader of the movement called "Red-Letter Christian", putting the emphasis on the reported words of Jesus, found in many Bible publications in a red font.

ESPN Streak for the Cash

ESPN has a contest going on how long a streak you can get guessing the outcome of games, points players score, etc. They're starting to go a bit overboard with it, though. Perhaps it's because some participants have come close to a streak of 25, which will win them $10,000.

A selection of tonight's choices (as of 9:30 p.m.):

• Which team will make the FIRST 3-pointer of the FIRST QUARTER - Boston or Atlanta (NBA)
• Which team will make the FIRST FREE THROW of the game - San Antonio or New Orleans (NBA)
• Which TEAM will grab the LAST REBOUND of the game - San Antonio or New Orleans (NBA)
• 
  

Proposal could lead to 199-foot cross off US 80

Because, you know, the bigger your cross the more Jesus loves you...

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20081216/UPDATES01/81216015/0/UPDATES01

BOSSIER CITY — A proposal that could allow a north Louisiana church to build a nearly 200-foot-tall cross has been advanced by the Bossier City Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Central Assembly of God wants to put up the 199-foot cross off U.S. Highway 80 just outside of Bossier City. But the church is zoned for structures no more than 45 feet tall.

The planning commission on Monday voted 6-0 for a draft of a proposal that would allow the building of structures higher than the maximum height if an exception is granted by the local Board of Admustment. The proposal goes next to the Bossier Parish Police Jury.

Sam Marsiglia, planning commission director, said the police jury will likely consider the change in February.

On the bandwagon

No, not on the baby bandwagon! It seems half the people I went to high school with are, and good for them! I'd prefer to wait a few more years. But as stereotypical as it is, I already have names in mind:

For a girl - Audrey Catherine "Cate" Mayer
Audrey was my great-grandmother, and quite a hoot from what I understand! In my mind I've always perceived her as a strong woman, especially someone who fought breast cancer and could joke, "Let me go put my boobs on," before going to town.
Catherine is a good traditional name, with "C" being the English spelling. It is also a Catholic name, and since our children will probably be raised that denomination, it seems appropriate. Catherine is also the name of many, many strong women in history.

For a boy - Carsten Joseph Mayer
I've always said that my children need to have names that can be found on a bicycle license plate, but you can have them custom made now.
Carsten is the German variant of Christian. I'll probably have to fight Michael on this one, but Carson would also be okay.
Joseph is Michael's middle name. And his brother's. And his dad's. And his grandfather's. And his great-grandfather's first name. See where I'm going? If we had 10 children and they were all boys, they'd all have the middle name Joseph.

Cate Mayer and Carsten Mayer.

So...

...I'm watching Totally '80s on VH1 Classic. There are some BAD videos.

Journey "I'll Be Alright Without You" - typical behind-the-scenes footage segueing into concert footage

The Romantics "Talking in Your Sleep" (1983) - BAD BAD BAD, and really big big hair!

Sting "Gabriel's Message" (1987) - it's like an '80s version of "Desert Rose"

Gary Numan "Cars" (1979/1980) - classic '80s with the neon tubes and the multitude of bad camera effects, yay synthesizer and tambourine and clapping!

Bruce Springsteen "Dancing in the Dark" (1984) - Courteney Cox! Love this video! Step right, clap, step left, clap! And I love the Wesley Snipes look-a-like getting his clap on!

Hall & Oates "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (1981) - nothing needs to be said, it's a Hall & Oates video

Loverboy "Hot Girls in Love" (1983) - hot chick driving hot rod/band playing on stacked barrels; wow, there's a scene where the band is playing in a field of gas pumps, and the drummer is using the pump handles to drum

Sting "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (1985) - very strange, was some of it shot on a green screen?

Jody Watley "Real Love" (1989) - Love Jody! Scrolling lyrics throughout, lots of B&W shots

Paula Abdul "Forever Your Girl" (1988) - another behind the scenes B&W '80s video, little girls reenacting Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video and Paula dancing, lots of kids dancing, too (I had this tape)

Madonna "Into the Groove" (1985) - I LOVE THIS VIDEO!

John Lennon "I'm Losing You" - looks like a recent video of an old song with footage of Lennon and B&W cartoons

Ain't it funny...

...how the FinallyFast.com commercials say "FOR PC COMPUTERS ONLY" but half the computers in the commercial are Macs?

Once you schism you can't stop...

Okay, I know that the Anglican church exists because they schismed from the Catholic church...

Here is a list of formerly Anglican denominations who schismed at one point.

• American Episcopal Church - 1968-1991 (merged into Anglican Church in America)
• Anglican Catholic Church - 1977, 5,000 in US
• Anglican Catholic Church of Canada - 1977
• Anglican Church in America - 1991, about 5,200 in US (merger between American Episcopal Church and some Anglican Catholic Church parishes)
• Anglican Diocese of Arizona
• Anglican Episcopal Church
• Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) - 2000
• Anglican Orthodox Church - 1963
• Anglican Province of America - 1974
• Anglican Province of Christ the King - 1977 (about 8,000 in US)
• Christian Episcopal Church - 2002 (resulted from a split in the Episcopal Missionary Church Diocese of the West)
• Church of England (Continuing) - 1994
• Diocese of the Great Lakes - 1998 (formed from clergy of the Independent Anglican Diocese of Ontario and the Missionary District of the USA with the Independent Anglican Church [Canada Synod])
• Diocese of the Holy Cross (separated from the Anglican Province of Christ the King)
• Episcopal Missionary Church - 1992
• Episcopal Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of America - 1999
• Evangelical Connexion of the Free Church of England - 2003 (separated from the Free Church of England)
• Free Church of England - 1844
• Holy Catholic Church-Western Rite- 1997, in Latin America, Europe, and South Africa (separated from the Anglican Church in America and the Traditional Anglican Communion)
• King's Family of Churches - 2003 (40,000 in Spain)
• Orthodox Anglican Church - 1964-1999, 1999 (separated from the high-church Episcopal Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of America, who was originally the low-church Orthodox Anglican Church)
• Orthodox Anglican Communion - 1967
• Reformed Episcopal Church - 1873
• Traditional Anglican Communion - 1991 (trying to rejoin the Roman Catholic Church without giving up Anglican core values)
• Traditional Church of England
• Traditional Protestant Episcopal Church - 1986 (formed by clergy who left the Anglican Catholic Church and other Continuing Anglican denominations)
• United Episcopal Church of North America - 1981 (separated from Anglican Catholic Church but is now in communion)

One of the most amazing speeches. Ever.

The Mythbusters are Polishing Poop!

Hehehe!

SNL parodies Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2I121W5AlA

America

America may have some of the greatest ideals in the world, but I don't believe it is the greatest country (that designation doesn't exist in reality). This country has done terrible things in the name of "protecting our interests."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/20/sbm.iraq.galbraith/index.html

Years before the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was slaughtering Iraq's Kurds with bombs, bullets and gas.

The Reagan White House saw it as a ruthless attempt to put down a rebellion by a minority ethnic group fighting for independence and allied with Iraq's enemy, Iran.

But Peter Galbraith thought it was something worse.

"A light went off in my head, and I said, 'Saddam Hussein is committing genocide,'" said Galbraith, who was on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time.

An unabashed idealist, Galbraith was known for tackling unconventional issues.

"If you're going to be idealistic in life, you're going to be disappointed," he said. "But that's not a reason to abandon idealism."

Galbraith was one of the first Westerners to witness the effects of the slaughter. During a fact-finding trip for the Senate in 1987, he saw something troubling.

"When we crossed from the Arab part of Iraq into the Kurdish part of Iraq, the villages and towns that showed on our maps just weren't there," he said. Bulldozing Kurdish villages was just the first phase of Hussein's war against the Kurds. In 1988, it escalated with chemical weapons.

"Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people were killed in those attacks, and then Iraqi troops moved into those villages and gunned down the survivors."

Galbraith wanted to invoke the U.N.'s Genocide Convention, which requires countries to prevent and punish such crimes.

"We could not stand aside and allow Saddam Hussein to commit genocide against the Kurds of Iraq."

With the support of his boss, Democratic Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, Galbraith drafted a bill -- the Prevention of Genocide Act -- that would cut off U.S. foreign aid to Iraq and impose a trade embargo.

"That would have been an appropriate response to a dictator who is gassing his own people," Galbraith said. "I thought with a name like that it would garner a lot of support."

But the compelling name was not enough. So Galbraith went back to the region to gather more evidence.

Tens of thousands of Kurds had fled to Turkey. Survivors described blinding, burning clouds of poison gas that dropped people in their tracks.

"These people don't make up these stories. These are real stories. And if you talk to them, if you simply talk to them ... you know that they're telling the truth," Galbraith said.

His report was still not enough to persuade the White House to punish Saddam.

The Reagan administration had invested several years cultivating Iraq as an ally against Iran, their mutual enemy, and as a market for U.S. products, including more than $1 billion a year in farm exports.

The Prevention of Genocide Act would end the diplomatic courtship and hurt U.S businesses. Read once-secret documents from the Reagan administration

"I had a fellow who worked for one of the Louisiana senators call me up really in tears," Galbraith said. "And when I talked about genocide against the Kurds, he talked about the genocide that I was committing against the rice farmers of Louisiana."

Although then-Secretary of State George Schultz warned Iraq that use of outlawed chemical weapons jeopardized the two countries' budding relationship, Schultz's spokesman said imposing economic sanctions would be premature.

To Galbraith, "that was a morally repugnant statement."

The Reagan administration also claimed Galbraith's bill used "inaccurate terms like genocide." But for Galbraith, this was no time for semantics.

"Should we have waited until he used chemical weapons again? Should we have waited until instead of 5 percent of the Kurdish population was murdered -- 10? 15?"

In the end, the House of Representatives killed Galbraith's sanctions bill with backing from the Reagan administration. Politics had trumped principle.

Galbraith calls the U.S. policy "appeasement."

"We were not able to modify Iraq's behavior," Galbraith said. "And guess what?"

Two years later, in August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, its oil-rich neighbor to the south.

This time, the U.S. compared Saddam to Hitler. And with Kuwait's oil at stake, the U.S finally screamed bloody murder.

Wow.

This just blows my mind. I was a big Comets fan during high school. Cynthia Cooper remains my favorite WNBA player ever. Wow. Four straight championships. Gone.
Houston Comets to Suspend
Operations for 2009 WNBA Season

HOUSTON AND NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2008 – The Houston Comets will suspend operations for the 2009 season it was announced today by WNBA President Donna Orender. A WNBA Dispersal Draft involving Comets players will take place on Monday, Dec. 8.

“Multiple investors have come forward and expressed significant interest in purchasing the Comets and having them continue to play in Houston in 2009,” said Orender. “However, we made the judgment that we would not be able to complete a transaction with the right ownership group in time for the 2009 season. The WNBA is extremely grateful to the Comets organization, to the city of Houston and to the team’s loyal fans for helping build both the WNBA and the game of women’s basketball.”

Having concluded its 12th season in 2008 with increases in attendance, ratings, Web traffic, sponsorships and merchandise sales, the WNBA will play the 2009 season with 13 teams. The 2009 season also marks the first year of the WNBA’s new, eight-year television agreement with ESPN under which the league will receive a rights fee, a first for a women’s professional team sports league in the U.S.

Comets season ticket holders will be notified in the near future of a procedure for refunds.

Current Comets players, with the exception of unrestricted free agents Latasha Byears, Mwadi Mabika, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson, are eligible to be selected in the Dispersal Draft. The order of selection, based on the inverse order of 2008 regular season finish will be as follows:

1) Atlanta
2) Washington
3) Chicago
4) Minnesota
5) Phoenix
6) Indiana
7) Sacramento
8) New York
9) Los Angeles
10) Connecticut
11) Detroit
12) Seattle
13) San Antonio

I am now officially a Greg Oden fan!

Shrimp running on Treadmill

Today's Idiot

Jimmy Patsos, coach of Loyola (MD). He practically ran a 3-2 defense on Davidson tonight... All to shut down Stephen Curry, who scored 0 points because he stood aside so he teammates could go 4-3 on the other team. Davidson won 78-48. Way to go, dude.

I want a Roomba and a cat!

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC

I now own 2 postcards of this beautiful Episcopal cathedral in NYC. Here's an interesting fact from their website.

The Very Rev. James Parks Morton, Dean at the time, pressed for a revival of the building program, but with a new emphasis. The Cathedral would hire and train the unemployed and underemployed from the neighborhood to do the work. He urged, "We will revive the art of stonecraft ... and provide our city with a massive symbol of hope and rebirth."

The Stoneyard was dedicated on June 21, 1979, and on September 29, 1982, aerialist Philippe Petit crossed Amsterdam Avenue on a 150-foot high wire to deliver a silver trowel to Bishop Paul Moore, marking the start of the next phase of construction. Because stonecraft was a moribund skill in the United States, professionals had to be brought from England to train the stoneworkers. The great work was underway again. Blocks were cut, and both the North and South Towers progressed upward.

Congrats to Myron Rolle!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/11/22/staples.rolle.rhodes.scholar/index.html?cnn=yes

Rolle named Rhodes Scholar

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. -- Florida State professor Sally Karioth bought two cards to give her prized pupil Saturday; one for good news and one for bad. Had Myron Rolle opened the bad-news card, it would have played the old Band-Aid jingle.

That card will remain stuck in its envelope. When Rolle, FSU's starting free safety, opened the good-news card, it blasted that Tag Team classic, "Whoomp, There It Is." And that probably marked the first and last time Tag Team will serenade a freshly minted Rhodes Scholar.

Rolle, a junior who earned his bachelor's degree in 2 1/2 years, now has the opportunity to join a club that includes former President Bill Clinton and former New York Knicks star and U.S. senator Bill Bradley. He was one of two Rhodes scholars selected from 13 candidates in District 7, which comprises Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. There are 32 Rhodes Scholars elected each year. Rolle is the first BCS conference starter to win a Rhodes Scholarship since Stanford tight end Cory Booker in 1992. Booker now is the mayor of Newark, N.J.

Rolle said he wasn't nervous for his interview early Saturday afternoon.

"It's almost like a game," he said. "You practice, practice, practice, and when the lights come on, you show what you're made of."

The scholarship will pay for two to three years of tuition, room and board at Oxford. Rolle has said he likely would study medical anthropology at Oxford.

After hearing the good news, Rolle hopped into an SUV, which took him to Birmingham International Airport. There, he boarded a jet bound for Baltimore. Upon landing, Rolle will travel to College Park, Md., where he will hopefully arrive in time to play the remainder of the Seminoles' game against Maryland.

I doubt Lennon would care.

Especially since he was raised Anglican and would be what you could call lapsed.

Vatican forgives John Lennon for Jesus quip
In 1966, Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican's newspaper has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, calling the remark a "boast" by a young man grappling with sudden fame.

The comment by Lennon to a London newspaper in 1966 infuriated Christians, particularly in the United States, some of whom burned Beatles' albums in huge pyres.

But time apparently heals all wounds.

"The remark by John Lennon, which triggered deep indignation mainly in the United States, after many years sounds only like a 'boast' by a young working-class Englishman faced with unexpected success, after growing up in the legend of Elvis and rock and roll," Vatican daily Osservatore Romano said.

The article, marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' "The White Album," went on to praise the pop band.

"The fact remains that 38 years after breaking up, the songs of the Lennon-McCartney brand have shown an extraordinary resistance to the passage of time, becoming a source of inspiration for more than one generation of pop musicians," it said.

Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980.

Postcardpalooza!

http://sites.google.com/site/susanvmayer/postcards

Susan's Preferred Videos for Today

Ne-Yo - Closer


AND

John Legend feat. Andre 3000 - Green Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hd-uklv-5g

Heck yeah!

Finally, a little common sense...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27778146/

Some abortion foes shifting focus
Frustrated by failure to overturn Roe v. Wade, activists look to assistance

Frustrated by the failure to overturn Roe v. Wade, a growing number of antiabortion pastors, conservative academics and activists are setting aside efforts to outlaw abortion and instead are focusing on building social programs and developing other assistance for pregnant women to reduce the number of abortions.

Some of the activists are actually working with abortion rights advocates to push for legislation in Congress that would provide pregnant women with health care, child care and money for education -- services that could encourage them to continue their pregnancies.

Their efforts, they said, reflect the political reality that legal challenges to abortion rights will not be successful, especially after Barack Obama's victory this month in the presidential election and the defeat of several ballot measures that would have restricted access to abortions. Although the activists insist that they are not retreating from their belief that abortion is immoral and should be outlawed, they argue that a more practical alternative is to try to reduce abortions through other means.

This disappoints me so much

It's sad we send our troops to guard others against aggression and we end up poisoning them. Someone should pay for this.

Gulf War illness real, federal report says

An extensive federal report released today concludes that roughly one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1990-91 war in Iraq suffer from Gulf War illness. "This is what Gulf War veterans have been saying all along," said one advocate. The panel that released the report noted that research funding has declined dramatically and calls for a "renewed federal research commitment."

Lil' O'Reilly

Amazing Spiderman 573

Yes, it's real!

In the Marvel Universe, Colbert was still a viable presidential candidate. He won the popular vote but Obama won the electoral vote. The determining factor? FLORIDA

"Pregnant man" pregnant again

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081114/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_pregnantman

I'm socially liberal and am all for personal freedom, but this just crosses the line. This person made a choice to change genders, but still stayed on the fence. Bottom line, if you want to be a man, BE A MAN. Men don't get pregnant. You can't have it both ways!

Yuck.

Obama gets the Clinton band back together

Thirty-one of the 47 people so far named to Obama's transition or staff posts have ties to the Clinton administration.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15617.html

As the last Democratic presidency in the past 30 years which ended only 8 years ago, doesn't it make sense to hire staff that has experience?

Politico, you're starting to get a bit obvious...

Colbert is a flippin'... flipper

Obama adviser tied to defense contractor

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15553.html

Sam Nunn, whose national security expertise drove his selection as a senior informal Pentagon adviser to Barack Obama’s transition team, sits on the board of a major defense contractor that sold critical infrastructure equipment to Iran.

Nunn, who has staked out a reputation as one of the world’s preeminent experts on nuclear non-proliferation, joined the board of General Electric in 1997, shortly after stepping down from his four terms representing Georgia in the Senate.

From 2000 to 2007, the company won 281 contracts from the Defense Department worth a total of $8.8 billion.

And, in 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission singled out the company’s nonmilitary business in Iran, inquiring in a letter why GE didn’t reveal sales to the country in its corporate filings.

“The issue of whether to conduct business in certain countries is complex,” GE wrote back in July 2006. “We must take into account not only the views of the U.S. government but all relevant stakeholders."

Nunn, now 70 and listed as chairman of “public responsibilities” for GE, was copied on the letter.

Neither he nor the Obama transition team responded when asked if his continued paid service on GE’s board was a conflict of interest with his informal role helping to guide Obama’s transition in the Defense Department.

Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for Obama, pointed to a transition statement clarifying that Nunn, who was mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Obama, “will play an informal senior adviser role throughout the defense transition process.”

Cutter added in an e-mail to Politico that Nunn “has no formal role. He's an outside informal adviser, offering his advice as needed. He's not part of the agency review team.”

Seriously, what a ridiculous story! It's frickin' GE! They are involved with EVERYTHING! Singling out one division of their business is pretty flimsy, Politico.

Here's GE's businesses, from Wikipedia:

GE's divisions include GE Capital (including GE Commercial Finance and GE Money and GE Consumer Finance,^[16]), GE Technology Infrastructure (including GE Aviation,the former Smiths Aerospace and GE Healthcare), GE Energy Infrastructure, and NBC Universal, an entertainment company.

Through these businesses, GE participates in a wide variety of markets including the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity (eg. Nuclear,^[17] gas and solar), lighting, industrial automation, medical imaging equipment, motors, railway locomotives, aircraft jet engines, and aviation services. It was co-founded and is 80% owner (with Vivendi) of NBC Universal, the National Broadcasting Company. Through GE Commercial Finance, GE Consumer Finance, GE Equipment Services, and GE Insurance it offers a range of financial services as well. It has a presence in over 100 countries.

Cheer!

All these articles about Palin running in 2012 makes me think of an old basketball cheer:

Go back, go back!
Go back to the woods!
'Cause your team ain't got no spirit
and your coach is no good!

(Coincidentally, I though the same thing about my HS basketball team. Depressing.)

I'm just so tired of it.

I'm tired of seeing articles about people dying in wrecks because they WERE NOT WEARING THEIR SEATBELT.

Sinking island's nationals seek new home

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/maldives.president/index.html

MALE, Maldives (CNN) -- The new president of the Maldives wants to relocate -- his entire country.

Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed, a former political prisoner, was sworn in Tuesday after he unseated Asia's longest-serving leader in the country's first multi-party elections two weeks ago. He inherits an island nation with several problems.

Foremost among them: The very likely possibility that the Maldives will sink under water if the current pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels.

The Maldives is an archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands located south-southwest of India. Most of the islands lie just 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level.

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forecast a rise in sea levels of at least 7.1 inches (18 cm) by the end of the century.

The island was badly hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which killed an estimated 273,800 people and left thousands missing across Asia and Africa.

In the Maldives itself, at least 82 people were killed and 26 unaccounted for from a population just over 270,000, according to the Maldives Disaster Management Center. Sixty-nine islands were completely flooded and a further 30 islands half flooded.

The capital of Male was also flooded, although sea walls protected it from further devastation. The government has calculated that creating a similar barrier around the rest of the country would cost too much.

And so the tourist nation, which has white sandy beaches that lure well-heed Westerners, wants to set aside some of the billion dollars a year it receives from tourism and spend that money on buying a new homeland.

"We will invest in land," Nasheed said. "We do not want to end up in refugee tents if the worst happens."

Nasheed's government has said that it has broached the idea with several countries and found them to be "receptive."

Land owned by Sri Lanka and India are possibilities because the countries have similar cultures, cuisine and climate as the Maldives. Australia is also being considered because of the vast unoccupied land it owns.

Read the rest at CNN.com.

Chef Susan Presents!

Tonight I made a stew!

Well... It's a stew in name. The liquid is more a soup than a thick stew. But I didn't burn it this time!

I used the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (or online here). It took a little over 6 hours on high.

Maybe it will thicken up when it's cooler. Or maybe not.

But it's edible and that's what counts!

Oh, Lord

Slaying Linked To KKK Initiation; 8 Arrested

Woman Traveled From Oklahoma To Join

COVINGTON, La. -- Eight people were arrested Tuesday in connection with the killing of a woman who apparently tried to back out of a Ku Klux Klan initiation ritual, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said Tuesday.

The woman was slain Sunday morning, allegedly shot to death by a Klan leader from Bogalusa. Her body was found Monday in a ditch in the small St. Tammany community of Sun, about 60 miles north of New Orleans, the sheriff said.

Raymond "Chuck" Foster, 44, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting the woman. Seven others -- Raymond Foster's son, 20-year-old Shane Foster; Frank Stafford, 21; Timothy Michael Watkins, 30; Alicia M. Watkins, 23; Andrew Yates, 20; Random Hines, 27; and Danielle Jones, 23 -- are facing obstruction of justice charges.

Shane Foster and Stafford are being held in Washington Parish and will be brought to St. Tammany Parish soon for processing. The other six suspects are being held in the St. Tammany Parish jail.

Strain said the woman lived near Tulsa, Okla., and was recruited over the Internet to come to Louisiana for initiation into the Klan. Deputies have not been able to confirm her identity.

She arrived in Slidell last week and was met by two members of the group, Strain said. She was taken to a campground near Pearl River for the initiation ceremony, and when she asked to be taken back into town, there was an argument. That's when Foster allegedly shot and killed her, Strain said.

The other members of the Klan group are accused of helping cover up the crime by burning items at the campsite, including the woman's personal effects. A clerk at a nearby Circle K alerted police after two of the suspects went into the store bathroom to wash blood out of their clothes, Strain said.

Investigators found Klan paraphernalia at the campsite, including flags and six Klan uniforms. Strain said Raymond Foster is chief of the "Sons of Dixie" or "Dixie Brotherhood" KKK branch.

Strain said the case does not appear to be connected to the recent election of Barack Obama as president. He told WDSU he was surprised to find out about this KKK group because it hadn't been very visible before.

Doggie! Doggie! Doggie!

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4AA3WL20081111?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

It's so cute! I love those big ears!

Peru offers bald dog of Incas to Obamas

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvians crazy about their national dog, a bald and often toothless breed popular among Incan kings, offered Monday to send a hypoallergenic puppy to the Obama family.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has promised daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, a new pet for the White House. But Malia is allergic to most breeds, he said Friday as speculation swirled about the dog the family would choose.

Owners of the Peruvian Hairless Dog, a breed dating back 3,000 years and depicted in pre-Hispanic ceramics, say it is perfect for kids who are sensitive to dogs.

"They do not cause any type of allergy and are very friendly and sweet," said Claudia Galvez, 38, director of the Friends of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association.

"We want to give a male puppy to Obama's daughters, so they get to experience all the joys of having a dog but without any allergies."

Someone's been playing with the Winnfield Wikipedia page.

• Bodie Little, Current parish sherriff, kind of a jerk, and sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, spends too much time worring about potheads.
• Scott Nugent, Police officer that killed a man by tasing him to death while he was in handcuffs.

No wonder people thought I was "rich" when I was a kid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowest-income_counties_in_the_United_States

100 poorest counties by per capita income

Rank	County	Per Capita Income
1	Buffalo County, South Dakota	$5,213
2	Shannon County, South Dakota	$6,286
3	Starr County, Texas	$7,069
4	Ziebach County, South Dakota	$7,463
5	Todd County, South Dakota	$7,714
6	Sioux County, North Dakota	$7,731
7	Corson County, South Dakota	$8,615
8	Wade Hampton, Alaska	$8,717
9	Maverick County, Texas	$8,758
10	Apache County, Arizona	$8,986
15	East Carroll Parish, Louisiana	$9,629
26	Madison Parish, Louisiana	$10,114
75	Evangeline Parish, Louisiana	$11,432
87	Winn Parish, Louisiana	$11,794

Halloween!

We had 12 trick-or-treaters this year!

Getting excited!

Wool over my eyes

http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581

I defended her against critics over the clothing flap. Boy, was I wrong!

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

Funny HaHa

Obama won Maverick County, Texas, 78% (8,554) to 21% (2,316).

Simply moving.

Love him or hate him, this is one of the goals he has fought for for 40+ years.

Congratulations!

President-elect Barack Obama

It's so nice to finally be able to say it!

RIP

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html

Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died following a bout with cancer, Obama and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, said Monday.

MINK, 73, READY FOR SHOT AT HOOPS HISTORY

http://beyondthearc.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/02/1628595.aspx

Ken Mink’s ready for his shot.

The Roane State (Tenn.) senior may become the world’s oldest college basketball player on Monday. He’s no ordinary senior. The last time Mink played college hoops, Dwight Eisenhower was President.

The 73-year-old hoopster has garnered plenty of attention in his return to the court. Newspapers, TV and Internet stories have popped up about Mink. “The Today Show” wants him as a guest. A Hollywood screenwriter reportedly wants to capture his story.

When the Raiders open their season against King College, the Guinness Book of World Records will be paying attention. “Inside Edition” will have a film crew on hand.

The attention’s nice, but right now, Mink’s more concerned about how he’ll fare. He last played college hoops at Lees College (Ky.) in 1956. If Mink does see the court, he knows he’ll be a little nervous. It’s been a while since he’s been on that stage.

“Fifty-two years,” Mink says. “Can I retain that memory? Can I recapture that? I don’t know. It’s going to be a mystery for me.”

I've been waiting for a story like this one to come out today.

Boo! Supporting Obama? No treats for you

Mich. woman shares sweets with only those who back McCain, Palin

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27488353/
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. - A woman refused Halloween candy to children whose parents support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Shirley Nagel passed out candy Friday on the scary U.S. holiday, but only to those who shared her support for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his vice presidential pick Sarah Palin.

Television station WJBK reported that a sign posted outside Nagel's house in suburban Detroit served this notice to children seeking treats: "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters."

Nagel told WJBK that "Obama's scary." When asked about children who were turned away empty-handed and crying, she said: "Oh well. Everybody has a choice."

Congratulations Republican Party!

Because of your fear-mongering (Democrats are going to take away our guns!), this household will now be casting TWO votes for Obama/Biden. And one of us is a Republican.

Remember this guy?

James Dobson’s ‘Letter From 2012 in Obama’s America’

http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=3283&continue

James Dobson’s ‘Letter From 2012 in Obama’s America’

by Jim Wallis 10-29-2008

James Dobson, you owe America an apology. The fictional letter released through your Focus on the Family Action organization, titled “Letter From 2012 in Obama’s America”, crosses all lines of decent public discourse. In a time of utter political incivility, it shows the kind of negative Christian leadership that has become so embarrassing to so many of your fellow Christians in America. We are weary of this kind of Christian leadership, and that is why so many are forsaking the Religious Right in this election.

This letter offers nothing but fear. It apocalyptically depicts terrorist attacks in American cities, churches losing their tax exempt status for not allowing gay marriages, pornography pushed in front of our children, doctors and nurses forced to perform abortions, euthanasia as commonplace, inner-city crime gone wild because of lack of gun ownership, home schooling banned, restricted religious speech, liberal censorship shutting down conservative talk shows, Christian publishers forced out of business, Israel nuked, power blackouts because of environmental restrictions, brave Christian resisters jailed by a liberal Supreme court, and finally, good Christian families emigrating to Australia and New Zealand.

It is shocking how thoroughly biblical teachings against slander—misrepresentations that damage another’s reputation—are ignored (Ephesians 4:29-31, Colossians 3:8, Titus 3:2). Such outrageous predictions not only damage your credibility, they slander Barack Obama who, you should remember, is a brother in Christ, and they insult any Christian who might choose to vote for him.

Let me make this clear: Christians will be voting both ways in this election, informed by their good faith, and based on their views of what are the best public policies and direction for America. But in utter disrespect for the prayerful discernment of your fellow Christians, this letter stirs their ugliest fears, appealing to their worst impulses instead of their best.

Fear is the clear motivator in the letter; especially fear that evangelical Christians might vote for Barack Obama. The letter was very revealing when it suggested that “younger Evangelicals” became the “swing vote” that elected Obama and the results were catastrophic.

You make a mistake when you assume that younger Christians don’t care as much as you about the sanctity of life. They do care—very much—but they have a more consistent ethic of life. Both broader and deeper, it is inclusive of abortion, but also of the many other assaults on human life and dignity. For the new generation, poverty, hunger, and disease are also life issues; creation care is a life issue; genocide, torture, the death penalty, and human rights are life issues; war is a life issue. What happens to poor children after they are born is also a life issue.

The America you helped vote into power has lost its moral standing in the world, and even here at home. The America you told Christians to vote for in past elections is now an embarrassment to Christians around the globe, and to the children of your generation of evangelicals. And the vision of America that you still tell Christians to vote for is not the one that many in a new generation of Christians believes expresses their best values and convictions.

Christians should be committed to the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of America, and the church is to live an alternative existence of love and justice, offering a prophetic witness to politics. Elections are full of imperfect choices where we all seek to what is best for the “common good” by applying the values of our faith as best we can.

Dr. Dobson, you of course have the same right as every Christian and every American to vote your own convictions on the issues you most care about, but you have chosen to insult the convictions of millions of other Christians, whose own deeply held faith convictions might motivate them to vote differently than you. This epistle of fear is perhaps the dying gasp of a discredited heterodoxy of conservative religion and conservative politics. But out of that death, a resurrection of biblical politics more faithful to the whole gospel—one that is truly good news—might indeed be coming to life.

Electoral Compass

http://www.electoralcompass.com

Here you find an overview of all issues. You can click on an issue to see your repsonses and responses from Barack Obama as well as the sources on which they are based.

67% agreement	Gun control
67% agreement	Environment
92% agreement	Iraq
92% agreement	Economy
75% agreement	Income
67% agreement	National security
92% agreement	Family
75% agreement	Immigration
67% agreement	Health care
83% agreement	Law and order
92% agreement	Education
83% agreement	Terrorism

Gun control (67%) agreement

Proposition 1: People should have a background check and obtain a license before they can buy a gun Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Debate transcripts I think all of us are still just overwhelmed with grief for the families and for Virginia Tech and obviously people here remember what happened at the university and how painful it can be (a reference to the shootings at the University of Iowa). I do think that the evidence so far at least indicates that you've got a young man who was mentally deranged, was identified as such, was temporarily committed and was still able to obtain handguns and so one critical question is, 'What happened to our background check system? Why did it fail?' and it seems like we should be able to come to some bipartisan agreement on making that background system, background check system work. The second area which may be fought by the NRA, but I think has to be looked at is the availability of 19-round clips. I'm a strong believer in the rights of hunters and sportsmen to have firearms. I'm a believe in homeowners having a firearms to protect their home and their family. It's hard for me to find a rationale for a 19-clip semi-automatic. I said at a forum earlier this week, 'If you need 19 rounds to shoot a deer, you probably shouldn't be hunting' and so that I think is something that we should be able to have a reasonable conversation about." "The problem that we've had is that the overwhelming majority of gun owners use those firearms safely, secure them properly and I think would be amenable to reasonable gun control laws. The NRA's attitude has been that any restriction is an infringement on the rights of gun owners and you know because of the breadth of their membership and the large amounts of money that they have at their disposal, I think they are oftentimes able to scare law-abiding gun owners into thinking that Democrats are going to take away their rights and part of what I think we have to communicate is that we are committed to maintaining the rights of lawful gun owners, but that doesn't contradict the need to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill or put limits on the accessibility of semi-automatic weapons or make sure that straw purchasers aren't dumping firearms into our inner cities." (On radio IOWA 22nd April 2007) http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/04/clinton_edwards.html(there are) two realities to gun culture in this country,” a rural tradition of hunting and “self-protection” and the “reality of urban crime and guns used to initiate violence.” “I think we can respect the traditions of the former while dealing with the problems of the latter,” said Obama, who said he supports programs designed to trace back gun purchases to shut down unscrupulous dealers, as well as laws that prevent convicted criminals or the mentally deranged from obtaining guns. Valley News NH (Nov 2007) http://www.alphecca.com/?p=544 Other websites and news sources He also answered "yes" when asked if he backed state bills that would ban the possession of all handguns. He now backs stringent but limited controls. Newsday 02/12/2007

Proposition 2: Stricter gun control will not reduce crime Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Other websites and news sources Q: Do you think gun control has an impact on crime rates in the United States? A Obama: "Yes, I do think that reasonable gun control measures reduces violent crime and saves lives. I respect the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. But we can't deny that gun violence has taken the lives of too many Americans. I believe that through common-sense measures, we can keep guns from those who may pose a threat, while also protecting the rights of legitimate hunters and sportsmen." (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/#gun-control) NASHUA, N.H. --Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said this week's shooting at Virginia Tech highlights serious shortcomings with gun control. "We're still selling handguns to crazy people," Obama said during a campaign stop at a Nashua senior center on Friday. "We're supposed to have a system that these people are screened out. What's clear is the background check system in this case failed entirely." http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/04/20/obama_says_us_needs_to_review_gun_policies/Just days prior to announcing his urban agenda aimed at combating urban poverty, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama entered Vernon Park Church of God on July 15 to a thunderous applause from a supportive crowd with a message challenging the gun lobby, criticizing the Bush administration and issuing a call to action for Black men. “Our playgrounds have become battlegrounds. Our streets have become cemeteries. Our schools have become places to mourn the ones we’ve lost,” said the Illinois senator. “I’m sick and tired of seeing our young people gunned down.” http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3789.shtml Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour Obama was a board member of the Joyce Foundation which funds and maintains several gun control organizations in the United States.

Proposition 3: All semi-automatic weapons should be banned Your opinion: completely agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Debate transcripts "I'm a strong believer in the rights of hunters and sportsmen to have firearms. I'm a believer in homeowners having a firearm to protect their home and their family," Obama said. "It's hard for me to find a rationale for having a 17-clip semiautomatic." http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=1AE9B6AE-D8A7-6619-6DA493C9771D0676

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Environment (67%) agreement

Proposition 1: The effects of global warming are grossly exaggerated Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "Global warming is real, is happening now and is the result of human activities. " "The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe." http://www.barackobama.com/issues/environment/ "Climate change is an unprecedented man-made threat to the environment." http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Foreign%20Policy.pdf

Proposition 2: An additional carbon tax on fuel will effectively reduce pollution Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website In contrast to other approaches like a carbon tax, cap-and-trade programs provide maximum assurances that emissions will decline to desired levels by the targeted dates. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/environment/ Other websites and news sources Do you believe that we need a carbon tax in addition to a cap-and-trade program? I believe that, depending on how it is designed, a carbon tax accomplishes much of the same thing that a cap-and-trade program accomplishes. The danger in a cap-and-trade system is that the permits to emit greenhouse gases are given away for free as opposed to priced at auction. One of the mistakes the Europeans made in setting up a cap-and-trade system was to give too many of those permits away. So as I roll out my proposals for a cap-and-trade system, I will price permits so that it has much of the same effect as a carbon tax. http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/30/obama/index.html

Proposition 3: The US should never sign international treaties on climate change that limit economic growth Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Obama will build on our domestic commitments by creating a negotiating process that involves a smaller number of countries than the nearly 200 countries in the current Kyoto system. Obama will create a Global Energy Forum - based on the G8+5, which included all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa - of the world's largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues. "Re-Engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): As the world prepares for the post-2012 phase of the UNFCCC, the United States must regain its leadership role in multiple forums to negotiate effective climate agreements. This requires re-engagement with the diplomatic efforts under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change . The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it. " http://www.barackobama.com/issues/environment/

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Iraq (92%) agreement

Proposition 1: The US had every right to invade Iraq Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "DEC 2003: Obama Said Iraq And Al-Qaeda Not Connected. "On the Iraq war, Obama is strongly critical of President Bush, saying, 'We have an administration whose arrogance internationally seems to have no bounds.' The Iraq war 'is distracting us from what should be our number-one priority, the war on terrorism. There is no connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda.' Obama wants to bring other nations into the terrorism fight." [Rockford Register Star, 12/2/03]" "Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the war would lead to "an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined consequences." http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Iraq%20Final.pdf

Proposition 2: The US is safer because of the invasion of Iraq Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website (from election programme 2008) FEB 2004: Obama Said Iraq War Will Not Make America Safer And Will 'Poison' Relations With The World. "'I am the only candidate in this race [Illinois Senate primary] to have publicly opposed the war in Iraq before it started,' Obama said. 'Rather than reducing the threat of terrorism and making America safer, I feared that going to war unilaterally would poison our relations with other countries.'" [Chicago Daily Herald, 2/1/04] Plan terugtrekking Irak http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Iraq%20Final.pdf

Proposition 3: The new president should begin to bring home all US troops from Iraq immediately Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "All Combat Troops Redeployed by 2009: Barack Obama would immediately begin redeploying American troops from Iraq. The withdrawal would be strategic and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Troops would be removed from secure areas first, with troops remaining longer in more volatile areas. The drawdown would begin immediately with one to two combat brigades redeploying each month and all troops engaged in combat operations out by the end of next year." "SEP 2006: Obama Said US Must Leave Iraq Responsibly. In West Virginia, Obama said, “We must exit Iraq, but not in a way that leaves behind a security vacuum filled with terrorism, chaos, ethnic cleansing and genocide that could engulf large swaths of the Middle East and endanger America…We have both moral and national security reasons to manage our exit in a responsible way.” [Charleston Gazette, 9/26/06]" http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Iraq%20Final.pdf

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Economy (92%) agreement

Proposition 1: The best way to reduce the federal deficit is to raise taxes Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website A COMMITMENT TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY Barack Obama’s plan will provide $80-85 billion in tax relief to America’s workers, seniors, and homeowners. Unlike President Bush, whose fiscally irresponsible tax cuts that traded the budget surpluses of the 1990s to record deficits today, Obama has a plan to pay for his tax reform plan. In addition to closing the corporate loopholes and cracking down on international tax havens, he will pay for middle class tax relief by and increasing the highest bracket for capital gains and dividends and closing the carried interest loophole. BARACK OBAMA: TAX FAIRNESS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/HQpress/Fact%20Sheet%20Tax%20Fairness%20Speech%20091707%20FINAL%20IH.pdf Candidate's book, columns or other publications We were told by our President that we could fight two wars, increase our military budget by 74%, spend more on education, initiate a prescription drug plan, have tax cuts, all at the same time. We were told by Congress that they could make up for lost revenue by cutting government waste. The result is the most precarious budget situation we have seen in years. We now have an annual budget deficit of almost $300 billion, not counting more than $180 billion we borrow every year from the Social Security Trust Fund. It is not the debt that is most troubling. The bulk of the debt is a direct result of the President's tax cuts, 47.4% of which went to the top 5% income bracket. We can eliminate tax credits that have outlived their usefulness & close loopholes that let corporations get away without paying taxes. We can restore a law that was in place during the Clinton presidency--called Paygo--that prohibits money from leaving the treasury without some way of compensating for the lost revenue. The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.187-189 Oct 1, 2006 Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour "Senator Obama voted against the most recent effort to raise the national debt limit. The current national debt has exceeded $8.6 trillion dollars, and nearly $4 trillion of that debt is now held by foreign governments. Our national debt and annual budget deficits effectively tax all Americans by adding to the amount of interest paid to service U.S. borrowing; Senator Obama would rather invest these hundreds of billions of dollars into national priorities, such as securing our homeland, improving our schools and providing needed benefits to our veterans. " http://obama.senate.gov/issues/good_government_responsible_spending/

Proposition 2: The tax cuts for people with a higher income should be reversed Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Debate transcripts "MR. NAVARRETTE: Thank you, Tavis. This week billionaire Warren Buffett said that the very wealthy aren’t taxed nearly enough. In fact, he noted -- (applause) -- in fact, he noted that he’s taxed at a lower rate than some of his employees, who earn much less. Do you agree that the rich aren’t paying their fair share of taxes? And if so, what would you do about it? SEN. OBAMA: There’s no doubt that the tax system has been skewed. And the Bush tax cuts -- people didn’t need them, and they weren’t even asking for them, and that’s why they need to be less, so that we can pay for universal health care and other initiatives. " Democratic Debate Washington PBS 28-6-2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/us/politics/29transcript.html?pagewanted=print Other websites and news sources Edwards has vowed to completely repeal the tax cuts for high earners to pay for the cost of his plan, estimated at $90 billion-$120 billion per year, while Obama would pay for his plan in part by letting the tax cuts expire in 2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20819827/

Proposition 3: The government has no responsibility to provide retirement funds Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Strengthen Social Security Barack Obama recognizes that Social Security is indispensable to workers and seniors, and it is probably the most important and most successful program that our country has ever made. Obama is committed to ensuring Social Security is solvent and viable for the American people, now and in the future. Although the underlying Social Security system remains strong, the projected long-term cash flow of the program needs to be addressed, particularly as the baby boom generation begins to retire. This is a real but manageable problem. Obama will be honest with the American people about the solvency of Social Security and the ways we can address the shortfall. Obama will make it a top priority of his administration to protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries alike. And he does not believe it is necessary or fair to hardworking seniors to raise the retirement age. He will also continue his long record of opposing the privatization of Social Security, which has dominated the debate in Washington for too long. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/retirementFactSheet.pdf

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Income (75%) agreement

Proposition 1: Mortgage lenders should be more tightly controlled Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Barack Obama believes we must establish stiff penalties to deter fraud and protect consumers against abusive lending practices. Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act, which would increase funding for federal law enforcement programs, create new criminal penalties for mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud, and require industry insiders to report suspicious activity. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fightingpoverty/

Proposition 2: People with higher incomes should receive less Medicare benefits Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website EXPANSION OF MEDICAID AND SCHIP. Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function. Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need assistance will receive income-related federal subsidies to keep health insurance premiums affordable. They can use the subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan. (http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/HealthPlanFull.pdf)

Proposition 3: The federal government should reduce income inequality Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website In both the Illinois State Senate and the U.S. Senate, Obama has championed efforts to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is one of the most successful anti-poverty programs to date. As president, Obama will reward work by increasing the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increasing the benefit available to parents who support their children through child support payments and reducing the EITC marriage penalty which hurts low-income families. (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fightingpoverty/) Supporting Low-Income Families The Child Tax Credit allows parents to receive $1,000 per child and has been an important financial resource for working families. Unfortunately, the credit is skewed so that many families who need it the most cannot get it. Because of artificially high income limits that are indexed to inflation every year, parents that work full time at minimum wage are not eligible for the credit. As a result, nearly 17 million low-income children get less than the full credit. Senator Obama worked with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to introduce legislation lowering the income limit so that 600,000 more families can benefit. Senator Obama also introduced legislation to temporarily expand the Child Tax Credit for low-income parents affected by Hurricane Katrina. Senator Obama succeeded in passing legislation to extend tax credits for military families by allowing service members deployed to war zones to apply their non-taxable combat pay toward the Earned Income Tax Credit. (...) Support Low-Income Families: The Child Tax Credit allows parents to receive $1,000 per child and has been an important financial resource for working families. www.barackobama.com/issues/family/

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National security (67%) agreement

Proposition 1: The US should reduce its financial contribution to the UN Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website “Today it’s become fashionable to disparage the United Nations, the World Bank, and other international organizations. In fact, reform of these bodies is urgently needed if they are to keep pace with the fast-moving threats of today. But real reform will not come . . . by bullying other countries . . . . Real reform will come because we convince others that they too have a stake in change – that such reforms will make their world, and not just ours, more secure.” As president, Barack Obama will restore America’s leadership abroad, reform and enhance international organizations and strengthen our alliances. (http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Foreign%20Policy.pdf)

Proposition 2: Iran is not an imminent threat to world peace Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Barack Obama would refocus our efforts on the challenges in the wider Middle East, where Hamas and Hezbollah feel emboldened and Israel’s prospects for secure peace seem uncertain, while U.S. diplomatic engagement has been sporadic; on preventing Iran, which has been strengthened by the war in Iraq, from acquiring nuclear weapons; Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs are a threat to global security and could provoke a nuclear arms race that results in many more nuclear states. (http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Foreign%20Policy.pdf) Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is far too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy. And while we should take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. (http://obama.senate.gov/speech/070302-aipac_policy_fo/index.php)

Proposition 3: The US should decrease its spending on defense Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Rebuild and Repair the Military. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated the consequences of underestimating the number of troops required to fight two wars and defend our homeland. Barack Obama supports plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 troops and the Marines by 27,000 troops. Increasing our end strength will allow units to retrain and re-equip properly between deployments and decrease the strain on military families. Barack Obama also will invest in an equipment reset for the Armed Services, including the National Guard, which has seen its readiness for homeland security missions decrease significantly. Transform the Military to Meet 21st-Century Threats. Barack Obama will ensure the United States Armed Forces maintain their technological edge, but will also invest in our warfighters to ensure they have the skills and training to fight and win the 21st century’s complicated conflicts. That includes counterinsurgency and intelligence expertise as well as language skills and cultural literacy. Obama supports incentives such as foreign language proficiency pay for high-demand languages. http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Foreign%20Policy.pdf

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Family (92%) agreement

Proposition 1: Same sex marriages should be made legal Your opinion: completely agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Candidate's book, columns or other publications It is my obligation, not only as an elected official in a pluralistic society but also as a Christian, to remain open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided, just as I cannot claim infallibility in my support of abortion rights. I must admit that I may have been infected with society's prejudices and predilections and attributed them to God; that Jesus' call to love one another might demand a different conclusion; and that in years hence I might be seen on the wrong side of history. Barack Obama The Audacity of Hope Debate transcripts "COOPER: Senator Obama, the laws banning interracial marriage in the United States were ruled unconstitutional in 1967. What is the difference between a ban on interracial marriage and a ban on gay marriage? OBAMA: Well, I think that it is important to pick up on something that was said earlier by both Dennis and by Bill, and that is that we've got to make sure that everybody is equal under the law. And the civil unions that I proposed would be equivalent in terms of making sure that all the rights that are conferred by the state are equal for same-sex couples as well as for heterosexual couples. Now, with respect to marriage, it's my belief that it's up to the individual denominations to make a decision as to whether they want to recognize marriage or not. But in terms of, you know, the rights of people to transfer property, to have hospital visitation, all those critical civil rights that are conferred by our government, those should be equal." CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate 07/23/2007 http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/23/debate.transcript/

Proposition 2: Abortion should be made completely illegal Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Debate transcripts "Senator Obama, on this same topic, what about your view on the decision on partial-birth abortion and your reaction to most of the public agreeing with the court's holding? Obama: You know, I think that most Americans recognize that this is a profoundly difficult issue for the women and families who make these decisions. They don't make them casually. And I trust women to make these decisions in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy. And I think that's where most Americans are. Now, when you describe a specific procedure that accounts for less than 1 percent of the abortions that take place, then naturally, people get concerned, and I think legitimately so. But the broader issue here is: Do women have the right to make these profoundly difficult decisions? And I trust them to do it. " South Carolina Democratic debate. April 26, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397/

Proposition 3: Using embryos for stem cell research is acceptable as it enables us to find cures for diseases Your opinion: completely agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Other websites and news sources If elected, would you keep the current ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research in place? Why or why not? No. Each year, 100,000 Americans will develop Alzheimer's disease, with impaired memory, ability to understand, and judgment. Over 1 million adults will be diagnosed with diabetes this year, and risk complications that include blindness, damaged nerves and loss of kidney function. We all know or have met individuals with spinal cord injuries, including national celebrities, local war heroes and loved ones from our own families and circles of friends, who are struggling to maintain mobility and independence. For most of our history, medicine has offered little hope of recovery to the 100 million individuals affected by these and other devastating illnesses and injuries. Until now. Recent developments in stem cell research may hold the key to improved treatments, if not cures, for those affected by Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury and countless other conditions. For this reason, I am a proud supporter of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. The president was wrong to veto it, and I will make sure that it is finally signed into law when I'm president. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/#stem-cell-research Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour "Obama Renews Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research Wednesday, April 11, 2007 I stand in full support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act as I did when this bill was introduced and sent to the President’s desk in the 109th Congress. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. I am frustrated by the opposition this bill has generated and saddened that we are preventing the advancement of important science that could potentially impact millions of suffering Americans. The study of stem cells holds enormous promise for the treatment of debilitating and life-threatening diseases. However, in order to reach this level of medical achievement, much more research is necessary to understand, and eventually harness, the amazing potential of stem cells. Instead of creating roadblocks, we must all work together to expand federal funding of stem cell research and continue moving forward in our fight against disease by advancing our knowledge through science and medicine." http://obama.senate.gov/press/070411-obama_renews_su/

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Immigration (75%) agreement

Proposition 1: To prevent illegal immigration, the US should complete the fence along the entire Mexican border Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "Creating Secure Borders Barack Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border and at our ports of entry. Obama believes we need additional Customs and Border Protection agents equipped with better technology and real-time intelligence." http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration_and_the_border/ Debate transcripts "SENATOR OBAMA: What I would do as president is pass comprehensive immigration reform. And the federal government should be doing, which is controlling our borders but also providing a rational immigration system, which we currently don't have" http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/us/politics/26DEBATE-TRANSCRIPT.html?pagewanted=printSEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I have been a consistent champion of comprehensive immigration reform. Keep in mind, that my father came to this country from a small village in Africa because he was looking for opportunity, and so when I see people who are coming across these borders, whether legally or illegally, I know that the motivation is trying to create a better life for their children and their grandchildren. SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I have been a consistent champion of comprehensive immigration reform. Keep in mind, that my father came to this country from a small village in Africa because he was looking for opportunity, and so when I see people who are coming across these borders, whether legally or illegally, I know that the motivation is trying to create a better life for their children and their grandchildren. Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour "Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border. Reference: Secure Fence Act; Bill H R 6061 ; vote number 2006-262 on Sep 29, 2006 http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/10/ldt.01.html

Proposition 2: All illegal immigrants without a criminal record should be given the right to stay in the US legally Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website There are millions of people living in the shadows who would like to fully embrace our values and become full members of our democracy. For the millions living here illegally but otherwise playing by the rules, we must encourage them to come out of hiding and get right with the law. Barack Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, not violate the law, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration_and_the_border/ Other websites and news sources CNN LARRY KING LIVE Encore Presentation: Interview With Barack Obama Aired March 24, 2007 - 21:00 ET What's your position on illegal immigration? [...]But we also have to recognize that we've got 12 million undocumented workers who are already here. Many of them living their lives alongside other Americans. Their kids are going to school. Many of the kids, in fact, were born in this country and are citizens. And so, it's absolutely vital that we bring those families out of the shadows and that we give them the opportunity to travel a pathway to citizenship. It's not automatic citizenship. It's not amnesty. They would have to pay a fine. They would have to not have engaged in any criminal activity. They would have to learn English. They would have to go to the back of the line so that they did not get citizenship before those persons who had come here legally. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/24/lkl.01.html

Proposition 3: Illegal immigration threatens our national security Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "The overwhelming majority of immigrants, both legal and undocumented, come to this country with the hope that hard work and sacrifice will secure a better life for their children. Every year, a million people enter the country legally and another 500,000-800,000 people come illegally or illegally overstay their visas. Barack Obama believes we must fix the broken system to meet the needs of the U.S. economy. Obama believes immigrant workers should have legal protections to avoid abuse and downward pressure on American wages and working conditions. He also realizes the need to increase the number of people we allow into the country legally to a level that keeps families together and meets the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill." http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration_and_the_border/

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Health care (67%) agreement

Proposition 1: Providing health care is not the responsibility of the government Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website " The federal government and state and local governments play critical roles across the full range of disease prevention and health promotion activities. First, working together, governments at all levels should lead the effort to develop a national and regional strategy for public health, and align funding mechanisms to support its implementation. Second, the field of public health would benefit from greater research to optimize organization of the 3,000 health departments in this nation,65 collaborative arrangements between levels of government and its private partners, performance and accountability indicators, integrated and interoperable communication networks, and disaster preparedness and response. Third, the government must invest in workforce recruitment as well as modernizing our physical structures, particularly our public health laboratories. And finally, the government must examine its own policies, including agricultural, educational, environmental and health policies, to assess and improve their effect on public health in this nation. As President, Barack Obama will prioritize all of these activities, to ensure a 21st century public health system and healthy America." (Heathcare plan Obama.http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/HealthPlanFull.pdf )

Proposition 2: US law should obligate all companies to provide health care insurance for their workers Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website "EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION. Employers that do not offer meaningful coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan." (Health care plan Obama http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/HealthPlanFull.pdf ) Candidate's book, columns or other publications Other websites and news sources Democrats John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama, for instance, would do on the federal level what Massachusetts is now doing through a state mandate: require employers to either cover their employees or help finance their insurance. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20002130/

Proposition 3: The government should provide health care coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website The Obama plan will guarantee coverage for every American through partnerships among employers, private health plans, the federal government, and the states. The plan both builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans. Under the Obama plan, Americans will be able to maintain their current coverage if they choose to, and will see the quality of their health care improve and their costs go down. Plan gezondheidszorg volledig http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/HealthPlanFull.pdf Republican skeptics say it would be too invasive and would restrict personal freedom and choice. Liberal Democrats have expressed concern that such a mandate would be too financially burdensome for lower-income individuals and families a concern shared by Obama, who has said individuals cannot be forced to purchase insurance until the cost of coverage is substantially reduced. n response, Obama said Clinton's plan is similar to one he proposed in the spring, "though my universal health care plan would go further in reducing the punishing cost of health care than any other proposal that's been offered in this campaign." http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/09/17/News/Clinton.Announces.Plan.To.Cover.The.Uninsured.And.Lower.Health.Care.Costs.For.Ot-2972874.shtml

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Law and order (83%) agreement

Proposition 1: The death penalty helps deter crime Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Candidate's book, columns or other publications While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes--mass murder, the rape and murder of a child--so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment. On the other hand, the way capital cases were tried in Illinois at the time was so rife with error, questionable police tactics, racial bias, and shoddy lawyering, that 13 death row inmates had been exonerated. Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 58 Oct 1, 2006

Proposition 2: The government should spend money on keeping drugs off the streets, not on treating drug addicts Your opinion: neutral Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website A RAND study found that mandatory minimum sentences are less effective than discretionary sentencing and drug treatment in reducing drug-related crime, and every leading expert body in criminal justice has opposed the use of mandatory minimum sentences, including the Sentencing Commission, the Judicial Conference, the American Bar Association, and leading criminal justice scholars. http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/HQpress/Fact%20Sheet%20Howard%20Convocation%20FINAL%20IH.pdf

Proposition 3: For each crime there should be a fixed minimum sentence Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website A RAND study found that mandatory minimum sentences are less effective than discretionary sentencing and drug treatment in reducing drug-related crime, and every leading expert body in criminal justice has opposed the use of mandatory minimum sentences, including the Sentencing Commission, the Judicial Conference, the American Bar Association, and leading criminal justice scholars. [...] Obama will immediately review these sentences to see where we can be smarter on crime and reduce the ineffective warehousing of non-violent drug offenders. http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/HQpress/Fact%20Sheet%20Howard%20Convocation%20FINAL%20IH.pdf

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Education (92%) agreement

Proposition 1: Better teachers should be paid higher wages than their colleagues Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website Pay Teachers More: Barack Obama wants to make a promise to educators -- if you're a teacher or a principal doing the hard work of educating our children, we will reward that work with the salary increase that you deserve. If you're willing to take on more responsibilities like mentoring, we'll pay you more. And if you excel at helping your students achieve success, your success will be valued and rewarded as well. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

Proposition 2: Creationism should be taught in science classes in school Your opinion: completely disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour On science and faith in the classroom: "Intelligent design is not science. We should teach our children theology to get them to think about the meaning of life. But that's separate from how atoms or photons work." http://obama.senate.gov/news/060118-obama_townhall/index.php

Proposition 3: More government funding should go into public schools, not to education vouchers Your opinion: tend to agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Candidate's book, columns or other publications Conservatives argue that the problems in schools are caused by bureaucracies and teachers' unions; and that the only solution is to hand out vouchers. Those on the left find themselves defending an indefensible status quo, insisting that more spending will improve education. Both assumptions are wrong. Money does matter in education. But there is no denying that the way many public schools are managed poses at least as big a problem as how well they're funded. Our task is to identify those reforms that have the highest impact on achievement, fund them, and eliminate those programs that don't produce results. We are going to have to take the teaching profession seriously. This means paying teachers what they are worth. There is no reason why an experienced, highly qualified teacher shouldn't earn $100,000. In exchange for more money, teachers need to become more accountable for their performances, and school districts need to have greater ability to get rid of ineffective teachers. Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.161-163 Oct 1, 2006

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Terrorism (83%) agreement

Proposition 1: Anti-terrorism legislation, such as the Patriot Act, unacceptably violates civil liberties Your opinion: completely agree Opinion Barack Obama: tend to agree Debate transcripts But what we cannot continue to do is operate as if we are the weakest nation in the world instead of the strongest one, because that's not who we are. And that's not what America has been about historically, and it is starting to warp our domestic policies, as well. We haven't even talked about civil liberties and the impact of that politics of fear, what that has done to us in terms of undermining basic civil liberties in this country, what it has done in terms of our reputation around the world. Democratic Debate Philadelphia MSNBC 30-9-2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30debate-transcript.html?pagewanted=print

Proposition 2: Some form of torture is acceptable if it can prevent terrorist attacks Your opinion: tend to disagree Opinion Barack Obama: completely disagree Other websites and news sources "I have been consistent in my strong belief that no Administration should allow the use of torture, including so-called 'enhanced interrogation techniques' like water-boarding, head-slapping, and extreme temperatures. It's time that we had a Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law and American values, instead of finding ways to enable the President to subvert them. No more political parsing or legal loopholes. I cannot support Judge Mukasey unless he clearly and unequivocally rejects techniques like water-boarding." Barack Obama in: http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/obama.php

Proposition 3:
Iraq is just one front in a broader fight against Islamic terrorism

Your opinion:	completely disagree
Opinion Barack Obama:	completely disagree

Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website

"OBAMA’S VISION OF AMERICAN SECURITY IN THE 21st CENTURY. 1. ENDING THE WAR IN IRAQ 2. RESTORE OUR MILITARY 3. SECURE AND STOP THE SPREAD OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION" http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Foreign%20Policy.pdf " Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the war would lead to "an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined consequences." In January 2007, Obama introduced legislation to responsibly end the war in Iraq, with a phased withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations. As the nation debates how to move forward in Iraq, Obama laid out his plan to end the war, as well as his vision for what America can achieve once we turn the page in Iraq. " http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20Iraq%20Final.pdf

Speech transcripts