Hope and Pocket Change

Thursday morning June 19th, Obama posted a YouTube video denouncing the public campaign finance system that has been in place since the 70's.

Basically, the public campaign finance system limits each candidate to a budget of $85 million during the presidential campaign from convention time through election day. The money is drawn from a pool of $3 donations taxpayers donate when filing their income taxes.

::As explained by CommonCause.org::

"

What is the Presidential Public Financing System?

In short, the presidential public financing system allows presidential candidates the option to receive public funds for their campaign if they can fulfill certain qualifications and abide by spending limits.

What is its purpose?

The primary purpose of the fund is to reduce the role of large amounts of private money raised in the presidential campaign and the obligations that are, or can appear to be, associated with those contributions.

The system was created in the 1970's in response to the Watergate scandals that surrounded the Nixon re-election campaign when his campaign committee was found to have illegally received hundreds of thousands of dollars from some of the country's largest corporations. Congress responded by passing sweeping campaign finance reform, which included the presidential public financing system designed to minimize a candidate's dependence on donations from wealthy special interests.

But the presidential public financing system isn't just designed to stop corruption, or the appearance of corruption. It is also designed to increase competition for candidates who may not have a broad network of large contributors or a large amount of personal wealth, as well as free up time to allow candidates to get their message out to voters instead of constantly raising money."

Basically Obama claims he wants to raise the money in small donations online instead of spending a measly $85 million already donated. Why would he want to do this? Well, because here are the numbers thus far raised by presidential candidates,

HMMMM I wonder if Obama always felt this way about public financing???????

(WALL STREET JOURNAL:

In January 2007, Sen. Obama criticized Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for opting out of public financing for the primary season. In February, responding to a questionnaire, he pledged to remain in the public-financing system as long as his Republican opponent agreed to a "fund-raising truce" for the general election.)

WOW WHAT A SHOCKER!!!!

Obama go back on his word?

NOOOOOOOO.......

Yeah, Obama plans on outspending McCain.

So, much for Hope and Change, and new Washington.

For those of you looking to Obama for change in Washington this November, do your homework.

Communism looks good on paper too.

*****UPDATE (08/07/08): the youtube vids above no longer work..... hmmmmmm.... democrats working hard on their internet skills!!!!************



Charles Drengberg

Harry Reid-tard the Tax-Master!!!

Yesterday, in another massive waste of the American people's tax-money and the Senate's time, a Democrat-led bill was rejected as predicted that would cut $17 billion in oil company tax-breaks and impose a windfall tax on the major oil companies' continuing record breaking profits. Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who I have now decided is either completely retarded, or just gets his jollies from pushing go-nowhere legislation, and backing bills that make no sense, was the bill's sponsor. (Harry Reid was the Senator who backed all the Iraq withdrawal timetable legislation last year that everyone knew had less legs than Heather Mills to stand on)
I usually get my political news from the same media outlets as all of you, but I've now decided that I'll just do all my own research before blogging anything about legislation. The NY Times reported on yesterday's vote as if the Republicans are just protecting oil companies interests, and the Democrats are trying to help ease the American peoples' struggle with a national average of $4 a gallon at the pump. Unbiased news is somewhere between unicorns and Kobe Bryant being faithful to his wife, non-existent and borderline comical.
In reality any college sophomore that passed Econ 101, or Macroeconomics as it's better referred to, could explain to you why putting a windfall tax on the oil companies would only make gasoline more expensive and not cheaper. Oil companies explore, find, transport, refine, and provide a commodity that every single American needs on a daily basis. If our Government raises the taxes those companies have to pay, they will have to in turn raise the price of their product to maintain a successful business. Not to mention that the money the government takes will surely be spent on everything but what they intend on spending it on which is alternative fuel research.
My biggest problem with all of this back-n-forth bill proposals and grandstanding testimonies is that the only people losing are us. Not the oil companies, not political leaders, you and me. Oil companies are in the business of making money. If you don't want to buy their product, get a bike, ride the bus, or walk. Until gas reaches a price that's so significant that it forces change nothing will happen.

Pulpit Pandering

Growing up in middle-of-nowhere Ohio, I had some great opportunities to experience several very different church environments, in great part due to my one of my best friends having two uncles as Catholic priests that frequently visited other churches in the community. Raised in what I guess is called a Bretheren Church, I was used to a more relaxed type of worship. The pastor often spoke of everyday issues families faced, the children were told the typical Bible stories, and everyone was very loving and positive making Sundays a refreshing start to the week upon us. On the weekends I would stay the night @ my friend Sean's house, usually to play video games and eat junk food into the early morning, part of the deal was that I had to go to Church with them in the morning. So I'd throw on some Dockers and a collared shirt and drag myself into Sunday Mass, which to me was very foreign. There was kneeling, chants, rehearsed responses, and lots of new people to watch. I didnt mind it much though because it usually only last an hour or so unlike our church which sometimes went 2-3 hours.

On special weekends, Sean's uncle, Father Larry, would take us to other churches sometimes. One in particular was a Baptist Church in what everyone in our town called "the ghetto". Of course being of the fairer persuasion alot of the black kids I knew from school looked at me like I was lost, but quickly realized we were all there for the same reason. They had a wild gospel band and everyone seemed far more energized and animated than other churches I had been to. This was actually a blast to be around. That was one of my very few experiences of a "black church."

Now, there's YouTube, Rev. Wright, and Father Flager. These images and sound clips have been ringing through the talk radio stations for the past 2 months, and I'm starting to wonder, how many other churches sound like Trinity Church in Chicago. How can we be told not to judge Obama on what the preachers in his church of 20 years are screaming into a pulpit? Who are these nutjobs in the congregation applauding? Is this what church is about now? Political rhetoric and conspiracy theories? Why aren't people out protesting in front of that church? I'm pretty sure if Bush's pastor was recorded saying things like this everyone would be in an uproar!

I'm clearly not voting for Obama anyway, and I personally think his campaign has been a complete mess, but I do want some attention brought to the fact that this guy is the best the Democrats have to offer. A man who sat in a church like that for 20 years married to a woman who speaks as if America has been so hard on her throughout her life.

I'm no fan of John McCain, but I would vote for anyone marched out there before I vote for someone like Obama. He can thank his worthless church for that. (along with pretty much every political view he claims to be committed to.)

When did it become acceptable to bash America with complete disdain? And who decided that church was the appropriate place to do so? Opposition to government should be constructive criticism, not blind hatred. If these people hate America so much, they can go to Mexico. I'd be willing to grant amnesty to people that love this country just to get rid of those who hate it.