I am not from California, so I have no idea what kind of campaiging occured for this horrendous proposition. Those folks that voted yes should be ashamed of themselves and need to re-evaluate their values. What this really boils down to is a total disregard for the human rights of our fellow man/woman and I for one cannot stand for that. Anyway I just wanted to get out some of my thoughts on this issue and here are Ketih Olbermann’s views on it as well.

I don’t disagree that there was some racial tinge to Palin’s comments and I think they were a dispicable attack on Obama’s character. It seems the Republican party has seen the writing on the wall that they are faltering, so instead of stepping up their approach to the issues that matter most to voters they have decided that its time to take down Obama via asinine character attacks.

Lets examine this a bit further. Last week John McCain pulled his campaign out of Michigan pretty much accepting defeat in that state since Obama has such a commanding lead. There have been numerous reports of major swing states leaning Obama. Obviously, McCain needs to do something huge or Obama needs to slip up big time to get McCain back into this election. I highly doubt the latter is going to happen this late in the race. I think Obama is going to choose words and actions carefully for these last 28 days. However, we have already seen the route McCain is going to take and its a very typical Republican response. Attack the man instead of the issues.

Another thing that is happening is the RNC is going to petition for an investigation into Obama’s campaign funding and donations. If this isn’t the RNC grasping at straws hoping to somehow sideline Obama I don’t what else it could be.

I think the chicken is coming home to roost and the McCain campaing and RNC is starting to realize that Obama is pulling ahead and they are starting to run scared.

This is a letter from the main newspaper of Norway, VG. It is taken from another blog, so it is left intact from there. I know a lot of people don’t read this blog, but if you do I hope this gives you a little better insight into what kind of a man Barack Obama is.

She has already voted for Obama. She recently donated 100 dollars to his campaign.
She often tells the story from Miami airport, both when race issues are raised and when the conversation turns to the presidential elections.
-I sincerely hope the Americans will see reason and understand that Obama means change, says Mary.

*Not at all sure about this part of the translation. The Norwegian word used is ‘miljøarbeider’, I don’t know what the exact English word for that is or even if there is one, and I don’t know enough about Obama to say what job of his they’re talking about.
**This is my translation of the reporter’s translation of the letter. From English to Norwegian and back to English. So obviously it is not correct word for word.

And here she is with her husband and the letter.

This is not a big or important story. But it is a nice story and if one is voting for a person, and not just for a political platform, it might be interesting to hear it. Somehow I don’t see this story being covered in American media much, so let’s count this as one blogger’s contribution to the news coverage of the 2008 election.

How Obama Became Acting President

So I was looking at the lame stories on digg and came across this and since I know at least one of you is from California is this really the way Californians see America? It looks like someone spent 5 minutes in Photoshop. Haha!

I know I said I wasn’t going to be posting political comments, but this one stems from another topic. I recently read an article titles “Let’s let go of reverse sexism” on CNN. I just wanted to point out that there is no such thing as reverse sexism. Sexism is sexism and it goes both ways. Similarly reverse racism does not exist for that exact same reason.

I will be taking a break from political commentary for a while and blogging about other things. I know you are all disappointed, but its what I am going to do.

Let me start by saying that during the primaries I had a less that respectful opinion of Senator Clinton, however, I feel that this is just the nature of the primary season. People choose their candidate and stick with that candidate through thick and thin and this is exactly what I have done. Now that heads are beginning to cool and the Democratic party is working to unite once again I think the negatives of both Senator Clinton and Senator Oboama will fade to make way for a more unified Democratic party.

My mother raised me to be a Democrat and as I grew up I never really acknowledged that often calling myself an Independent or having no ties to a political party. Today I am proud to say that I am a Democrat and a very proud Democrat. Only the Democratic party can bring out two candidates that are groundbreaking and offer a chance at making history. This election we as Democrats have made history and will continue making history all the way to the White House.

Now that the race is over and Barack Obama has won the nomination I would like to give my tremendous respect to Senator Clinton and the entire Clinton family. They have played a key piece in the Democratic party for the past 15+ years. Today she threw her full support behind Barack Obama in an awesome speech. One of the other things I feel that she and Obama have done is point out where the Democratic nomination process needs revision because most Democratic nomination processes have not gone this long. Anyway now I am rambling, so I am going to go ahead and post this sucker.

Thank You Hillary Clinton!

Yes We Can!

Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.

Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said – because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another – a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign – through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

Well part of the deal with this is that every year I have to go see my Cardiologist down at Children’s Heart Clinic in Minneapolis and tomorrow is the day. Last year my checkup went great and everything looked good except I was put on medicine as preventative measure, which I of course am all for. Anything that helps me helps me out in the long run I am all for. The funny thing is that for the most part these appointments go very well and I know this one will probably go equally as well, but whenever one of these appointments come up I can’t help but worry. All the what-ifs come flying into my head and just worry me more.

The general procedure for the appointments usually starts with an EKG/ECG followed by a chest x-ray. After the x-ray I am put in a room to wait for the doctor and usually he looks at the x-ray before coming into the room. He sits down and talks to myself and family that goes with me about what he sees in the x-ray and the EKG/ECG followed by listening to my heart and all that basic stuff. Every couple of years an echocardiogram is done, which is basically an ultrasound of the heart. They use it to measure the size of the heart chambers, blood flow through the heart, and how well the chambers of the heart are working. I’m sure one will be done this year as I am due. Really though in the grand scheme of things these appointments are very basic and unless something stands out as abnormal I am free to go for another year.

I guess I am most likely worried over nothing, but I think it just kind of goes with the territory. At the same time I am confident that everything should be A-ok.

Hey, on a side note I get to miss a Tech Para meeting for this, so all is good!

I don’t see how the Clintons would be fuel for more scandal. The only reason Bill Clinton had a scandal on his hands was because Republicans wouldn’t leave the Monica deal alone for the Clinton family to work out in private, no, they made a public spectacle out of the whole ordeal and wasted valuable time that could have been put towards bettering this country. Nothing is more scandalous than the way George Bush has run this country and with John McCain this nonsense would continue.

I would like to see a President who is not at odds with Congress, so whether its Hillary or Obama I don’t care. The policy behind each candidate is fairly similar, so I don’t think Hillary will be able to pull off anything. Although I have seen them do stupid shit I still think Congress is smarter than that.

John McCain has showed areas of separation with the ideas and policy of our current President, however, there are still far to many similarities. I absolutely do not think the Iraq war should continue or that we have accomplished a damn thing in the years we have been there, but John McCain plans to keep our troops and young people in Iraq. I cannot with good conscience stand behind a President who plans to continue the war in Iraq. During a recent McCain speech regarding the economy he failed to mention the housing crisis or the sagging economy that is on the brink of recession, and that is very important for a guy like me who may be looking for a house in the next few years and would like to be able to start a family. Not addressing key issues like that are what drives me away from a candidate like McCain. Both Clinton and Obama have addressed these issues and have plans for dealing with them.

To me all politicians are liars some are just better at it. I don’t condone the way Clinton has conducted her campaign or the fact that she continues to stay in this race without a clear shot at victory, however, I refuse to vote for someone who will continue in Bush’s footsteps. It is time to blaze a new trail for this country and I have faith that the Democrats, no matter the nominee, can accomplish this.

Go Obama!
Yes We Can!

Bullshit!

Seriously, what the fuck would possess a Democrat to suddenly turn and vote for John McCain? I don’t know about you, but I absolutely do not want a Bush 3rd term which if McCain is elected is exactly what we would have. I have stayed pretty quiet about this, but enough is enough and I am going to come right out and say that if Hillary gets the nomination or is Obama’s running mate I will absolutely vote for her because here is the deal. I do not like Hillary’s personality, but when looking at her planned changes and Obama’s planned changes they are practically the same. I actually think she could help Obama win over the white, working class vote that he so critically needs to get. She could also be helpful in Florida.

Now I absolutely do not want her getting the nomination as I have been an Obama supporter from day one and have donated money to further his campaign, however, I still would like to see a Democrat in the White House this next time around to see if they can turn this country around.

I welcome comments on this post as it could be a sticky subject.

Its a bit long, but worth the watch.

First a quote by Hillary Clinton:

“I’m going to work my heart out for whoever our nominee is. Obviously, I’m still hoping to be that nominee, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone who supported me … understands what a grave error it would be not to vote for Sen. Obama.”

To me this is a big deal for Obama because of all the people saying they would not vote for him if he is nominated. I think if Barack is the nominee, which is becoming more and more likely by the day if not already a done deal, Hillary should continue “working for the nominee,” and saying this exact thing to those who supported her through the primary and caucus season. It is crucial that Obama works to fix the areas that he is weak, however, Hillary can significantly help him in this area.

Secondly, Senator John Edwards gave his official endorsement for Barack Obama at a rally in Michigan this evening. To me this is huge because both candidates have been working on Edwards as if his endorsement could be a deal breaker and tonight that happened. The endorsement did two things. First it sent a message to the super-delegates saying “Hey, a major player in the Democratic party has just gave his support for Obama.” This should lead to more super-delegates in the coming days for Barack. The second thing it did is blanket Hillary’s win in West Virginia. Take that!

The one question I would have is could we see an Obama - Edwards ticket? At the same time could we see an Obama - Clinton ticket. I think one of these is a huge possibility and it could be either. Anyway I will leave you with that thought.

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Sometimes I wonder how fat I would be if I ate bacon everyday.

Now as I do with all these posts I just want to throw out the notion that Hillary should step down and stop being such an idiot about this. She has lost the nomination and it is of her own doing. She is out of money and from her speech on Tuesday night she may be out of energy as well. The coming weeks will only show her continuing to slip and lose respect all at the same time. The democratic party needs a leader at this point and the unification process needs to begin, otherwise we could be terribly divided come general election time.

To be frankly honest I am getting tired of having to write posts like this, but I feel it is my duty to continue to urge this thing to a close. I previously gave my endorsement to Barack Obama, as if my say actually matters, but I will stick with him through this entire process and I will continue writing these posts until Hillary drops out. I apologize to my readers, but its just something I have to do feel like I am making a difference.

On a side note this is my first post written with MarsEdit!

“This fall, we intend to march forward as one Democratic Party, united by a common vision for this country,” he said. “Because we all agree that at this defining moment in history — a moment when we’re facing two wars, an economy in turmoil, a planet in peril, a dream that feels like it’s slipping away for too many Americans — we can’t afford to give John McCain the chance to serve out George Bush’s third term. We need change in America.”

-Barack Obama

History was made last night in stunning fashion. With Clinton leaing Indiana by 20% or so, Obama was able to cut that lead down to a whopping 2%, a mere 20,000 votes, effectively shutting Clinton down and making her run for the nomination mathematically impossible.

Sadly, it appears Clinton will remain in the race and push forward rather than drop out like she should have done a long time ago. Personally, I think May 20th after the Oregon voters have their say this will be totally 100% over.

Lets hope and always remember “Yes We Can!”

As you know yesterday was the primary in the state of Pennsylvania. All the news organizations, of course, talked it up as if it was the biggest primary yet. I agree to the fact that it was an important primary, however, looking at the numbers afterwards not much has changed. Hillary is trailing in both the delegate counts, which includes the superdelegates, and the popular vote. This win just gives her an excuse to contiune dividing the Democratic party and allowing John McCain to gain more momentum as he runs through primary and caucus season uncontested. As a matter of fact McCain is already on to the Presidential portion of the campain, which at the moment gives him a theoretical advantage.

Through the rest of this week we should see a number of endorments, which have already began with the Governor of Oklahoma endorsing Obama. I would love to see what John Edwards and Al Gore have up their sleeves because those two endorments could be huge. I will be commenting further as the week continutes and hopefully I have some good news to report.

Go Obama!

• Headphone use while driving

This is a growing trend and I don’t quite understand why. First of all you are an absolute danger to everyone else on the road and also a danger to yourself. With headphones on, even at the lowest tolerable level, hearing is impaired. Not only that but it is illegal! Minnesota law states:

You may not wear headphones or earphones in both ears while operating a motor vehicle.

Yes, this means if you have a single ear hands-free unit of some sorts you are ok to use that. My biggest problem isn’t that its against the law, but more or less the danger of doing so. Stereo deck makers have also worked to bring iPod ready decks that are not only inexpensive, but allow you to control the iPod straight from the deck itself. Get one if you have the intention of listening to your iPod in the car. To me this is all common sense.

As the news has made very clear the Governor of New York was caught using a call girl service on several occassions and has since resigned his post. Apparently, this is a common problem amongst Democrats, so I want to delve into why they suck at lieing.

I have no doubt in my mind that Republicans are doing this as well, but simply put they are better liers. This is great when you don’t want to get caught doing something you shouldn’t be doing. (Thank you Captain obvious.) Democrats, however, suck at not getting caught. Take for instance Bill Clinton during the Monica Liewinski testimony in front of Congress. The man blatantly lies and then tries to emphasize his lie by spouting his most infamous quote. If that doesn’t make it painfully obvious I don’t know what does.

The funny thing around all of this was how swift action was taken to remove the Spitzer from office, yet you have an asshole like Larry Craig who sits and admits he did it by resigining and then says no wait I didn’t do it.  WTF? How can he get away with that bunch of BS?

Anyway as random as this post has been I have to wrap it up.