Does It Infuriate Anyone That You Can Now Buy The Presidency?
By Ani on December 7, 2008 at 9:20 AM in Bamboozling, Barack Obama, Campaigns & Campaign Financing, Current Affairs, Hillary Clinton, John McCain
I know there have been some comments posted wondering at the direction of NoQuarter, whether or not we are “moving on” and “gently coaxing” our readers to do the same. Well, here is one chick not “moving on,” although I am moving forward.
Certainly, it doesn’t look like we can undo the travesty of this election, so my version of moving forward is to honestly report what happened so it does not happen again. The way to do that is to call those out on the carpet who deserve it. And that includes voters who haven’t been paying attention.
The title issue is much bigger than who got elected. It is about the way this election transpired and what it says about the state of our democracy, our involvement, our knowledge or lack thereof, and the detrimental contributions of a biased press. Most important, it says that money talks and issues, policies and qualifications take a back seat to the almighty dollar and American Idol worship.
I put my country first. I do not want Obama to fail because I do not want our country to fail. As an American citizen, I will respect the office of the President, and if he is indeed inaugurated, I will accord him the same respect I accorded George Bush these past eight years; and you can figure out for yourselves how much or little respect that was. That stated, I will call this man out on the carpet for every trick. I am not done screaming about it.
Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, right?
It’s our country and it ain’t free. Nothing is free. The freedoms people take for granted were earned and I for one, do not want to lose them. No one here spent thousands of hours campaigning, writing, canvassing, calling, donating so that the media could pick our President.
What kind of “change” is this? What kind of “new politics” is it when you can buy the office? Barack Obama buried the competition under an avalanche of money. Period. He told plenty of lies in his advertising and mostly did not get called on them by a fawning and complicit media. The media’s belated mea culpa is as self serving as it is useless. He completely misrepresented McCain’s positions on Social Security and immigration, for example. With Hillary, he misrepresented her health care plan and besmirched her character. He belittled her foreign policy experience as being nothing more than a series of tea parties. Odd, since he has just proudly appointed her his Secretary of State.
All the while, the media said nothing – the advertising dollar was king. It is devastating to think that Obama’s massive spending on these respective networks might also have bought him more positive coverage.
According to Politico:
A close John McCain ally charged on Thursday that Barack Obama had followed Richard Nixon’s 1972 path to victory — drowning his opponent with cash — and asserted Obama was never held to account for breaking a promise to participate in a system that would have limited his campaign’s historic spending.
“If the roles were reversed and it was the Republican Party nominee who had decided to walk away from the system and spend hundreds of millions of dollars more than the Democratic nominee — having a very direct effect on the election — I do not think it would have been taken with as much equanimity by the press and the powers that be as has been the case this year,” said Trevor Potter, a McCain confidant who served as the top lawyer to the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign.
“It was, after all, Richard Nixon doing exactly that — raising an untold amount of money and blowing George McGovern out of the water — that created the public funding system in the first place,” Potter added during a panel discussion of the 2008 presidential campaign.
But Obama’s campaign lawyer Bob Bauer, also on the panel, balked at the Nixon comparison, calling Potter’s analysis “a vast vineyard” of sour grapes.
“I don’t normally think of Richard Nixon when I think of Barack Obama. I don’t normally think of George McGovern when I think of John McCain,” Bauer said, asserting Obama’s enormous financial advantage over McCain was not determinative.
Obama’s final fundraising report, due by midnight Thursday, is expected to show that he raised a record-shattering $750 million or more for his campaign, compared with the $322 million to which McCain’s campaign had access.
Bauer can call it ‘sour grapes,’ but it is unmistakable that a candidate who controls the airwaves with double and triple the media buys, can exaggerate, misrepresent or outright lie about his opponent’s policy and record. Combining that with the media not correcting the record on those misrepresentations; well, that is a formidable one-two punch. Never mind completely demoralizing any opposition voters, urging them to think the outcome was already a foregone conclusion. Never mind the spectre of President Bush in the background.
I am more concerned that Obama did the same thing to Hillary – a far more qualified candidate who was massively outspent and treated to a crap sandwich by the media daily, while Obama’s dissembling, flip-flopping and lack of concrete policy went largely unchecked. This did make a determinative difference.
Not that I wish to give oxygen to Karl Rove, but no matter how evil I think him, he is a brilliant political mind. He had this to say in his editorial in yesterday’s WSJ:
If money talks, we’ll likely soon hear the real reason why Barack Obama beat John McCain. Both men and the national parties will report to the Federal Election Commission today how much money they raised in October and November. And what the numbers will probably show is that Mr. Obama outspent Mr. McCain by the biggest margin in history, perhaps a quarter of a billion dollars.
Rove estimated that the report would show that Obama and the DNC had a total of between $827 million and $847 million in funds for the general election. Why would they need all that is this no-lose year for the Democrats? I mean, if they had such a great candidate and all? Oh yeah, the Bradley effect. Well, clearly, there wasn’t one.
Mr. McCain and the RNC spent $550 million in the general election, including the $84 million in public financing Mr. McCain accepted in exchange for his campaign not raising money after the GOP convention.
He buried Mr. McCain on TV. Nielsen, the audience measurement firm, reports that between June and Election Day, Mr. Obama had a 3-to-2 advantage over Mr. McCain on network TV buys. And Mr. Obama’s edge was likely larger on local cable TV, which Nielsen doesn’t monitor.
A state-by-state analysis confirms the Obama advantage. Mr. Obama outspent Mr. McCain in Indiana nearly 7 to 1, in Virginia by more than 4 to 1, in Ohio by almost 2 to 1 and in North Carolina by nearly 3 to 2. Mr. Obama carried all four states.
Mr. Obama also used his money to outmuscle Mr. McCain on the ground, with more staff, headquarters, mail and a larger get-out-the-vote effort. In mid-September the Obama campaign said its budget for Florida was $39 million. The actual number was probably larger. But in any case, Mr. McCain spent a mere $13.1 million in the state. Mr. Obama won Florida by 2.81 percentage points.
Mr. McCain was outspent by wide margins in every battleground state. But it would have been worse for him if RNC Chairman Mike Duncan and Finance Chairman Elliott Broidy hadn’t stockpiled funds in 2007 and early 2008. The RNC provided nearly half the funds for the GOP’s combined general-election campaign, while the DNC provided less than a tenth of the funds that benefited Mr. Obama.
To diminish criticism, Mr. Obama’s campaign spun the storyline that he was being bankrolled by small donors. Michael Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute, calls that a “myth.” CFI found that Mr. Obama raised money the old fashioned way — 74% of his funds came from large donors (those who donated more than $200) and nearly half from people who gave $1,000 or more.
A huge number of President-elect Obama’s supporters still believe he raised all his money on the internet with mostly small donations. Denial, anyone? And how disrespectful to those who actually were small donors — giving their hard earned money so he could blow $6 million of it in one night on his faux Grecian temple extravaganza at Invesco Field. I guess it’s all about shock and awe, right?
Rove goes on to state:
But that’s not the entire story. It’s been reported that the Obama campaign accepted donations from untraceable, pre-paid debit cards used by Daffy Duck, Bart Simpson, Family Guy, King Kong and other questionable characters. If the FEC follows up with a report on this, it should make for interesting reading.
You can wait long for the follow-up, Mr. Rove. So can the rest of us. It’s circle the wagon time and no one is going to embarrass the new President-elect; certainly not the FEC.
Mr. Obama’s victory marks the death of the campaign finance system. When it was created after Watergate in 1974, the campaign finance system had two goals: reduce the influence of money in politics and level the playing field for candidates.
This year it failed at both. OpenSecrets.org tells us a record $2.4 billion was spent on this presidential election. And with Mr. Obama’s wide financial advantage, it’s clear that money is playing a bigger role than ever and candidates are not competing on equal footing.
The victim of this broken system is one of its principal architects — Mr. McCain. He helped craft the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform along with Sen. Russ Feingold in 2002.
No presidential candidate will ever take public financing in the general election again and risk being outspent as badly as Mr. McCain was this year…
It is time to trust the American people and remove limits on how much an individual can donate to a campaign. By doing that, we can design a system that will be much more open by requiring candidates to frequently report donations in an online database. Technology makes this possible. Such a system would be easier for journalists to use and would therefore make it more likely that fund raising would be included in news coverage. That would give voters the tools they need to determine if a candidate is getting too much from unattractive people.
Well, Mr. Rove, that would only work if people really saw exactly which billionaires or interest groups were contributing money to each campaign – so we see exactly who is pushing to get someone elected. Then voters might take a look to see whether or not they thought that was a good idea.
I still prefer the idea of campaign finance reform – where there is an equal forum and more equal spending. Then we might finally have to look at the issues, not vote for a popular brand.
In closing, Karl Rove offers a truthful assessment of Obama’s monetary juggernaut:
Rather than showing the success of a new style of post-partisan politics, Mr. Obama’s victory may show the enduring truth of the old Chicago Golden Rule: He who has the gold rules.
This campaign made a mockery of campaign finance reform. Do we really want a political system where the louder voice granted by a greater money advantage allows you to shout down your opponent, without regard to the facts? Obama’s supporters keep saying he ran a more effective, shrewder campaign. How shrewd do you have to be to throw almost a billion dollars at the problem?
If, as he put it, his only “executive experience” is running his campaign, that does not bode well for America’s finances during this very troubled time in our economy. If that is his “shrewd” method of problem solving, I’ll take a pass, thanks.
We have an obligation as American citizens to keep the elective process honest, even if politicians will not. I am very proud that I have the right to vote. That is a privilege not afforded everywhere in this world. I want my vote to mean something. I want our politicians held accountable.
I find it horribly disturbing that Obama is congratulated and applauded for the outrageous amount of money he raised in this campaign while people turn a blind eye at the ramifications of this accomplishment. Especially when the FEC refuses to check into the questionable internet donations he received. What has happened to one person, one vote?
How accountable will any of our politicians be when money is all that matters? How accountable are they now? Not very. Rather than “move on,” I say move forward and make as much noise as humanly possible to our elected officials – this kind of “campaigning” cannot be tolerated. How many elections do we want to have taken out of our hands? If we laud those who raise a bushel basket of funds, but decline to oust them when they renege on their promises to the American electorate, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when they tell us to “go off and play” while they run our country into the ground.
(Release: November 13)
on sale for only $16.95.
Excellent post, Ani. The influence of money in politics is also the reason we’re seeing useless Wall St. entities being bailed out with our money, as well as clueless auto manufacturers. And are there any limits imposed by Congress on salaries and bonuses for these failures? Obama is the poster boy for so much that is wrong with our political system.
ridiculous.
wowoowwowwwowowwo
Your name is typical of the type of names used to finance Obama this year.
The internationalists bought this election with their illegal contributions.
The system is broken!
How come were not checking the records of who these people are?
Do you not care about national security.
Maybe you’re one of these foreign types that come to this site. I have checked and 10% of bloggers to NQ are from other countries.
does it bother me?
(cough)
HELL YES IT DOES!
i hate it, i hate it, i hate it, i hate politics!
now that was an easy question
“a fawning and complicit media.”
Ani, I believe you meant to say a BOUGHT media.
Great article. This is exactly the direction that I hoped NQ would go in after the coronation.
Speaking of which, I wonder what wonderful appointment awaits Princess Caroline.
Color me Infuriated
Don’t kid yourself. The democratic process in our country is dying and democracy is dying. It is dying of natural causes. Nothing will prevent this dying process to continue. It all began when praying was prohibited in the nation’s classrooms. That began the devaluation of our most important values and principles. China is now trying to teach the U.S. how to build a fair society.
“It all began when praying was prohibited in the nation’s classrooms.”
No comment here just thought I’d repeat that comment for everyone to laugh at as much as me.
Thanks for that I could use a good laugh.
Nothing like the good old Separation of Church and State.
Surely that’s the reason for our country’s demise.
LOL! Manuel, I’m with you on this one!
The Kennedys have done everything within their power to make the democratic party their own personal monarchy.
Sick people.
They are so threatened by and jealous of the Clintons.
I agree lark. This Nation has wreaked this havoc on itself.
And for the rest of you spare me the separation of church and state malarkey, that most you anti-religion dolts think is in the Constitution. It was in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote in which he was expressing his concern about curtailing the free exercise of religion.
FYI, kathy and lark: religion does not equal morality. if it did, you could just move to saudi arabia and everything would be fine. this country is certainly in a moral crisis, but forced sectarianism is not the answer.
We have had a bought Congress for years too. The Presidency is just more of the same ‘ole corruption that has been in D.C. for years. Obama’s campaign just showed and proved it to us in spades. OMG, is it racist to use that old saw these days?
xcellent article Ani. I too will not forget…Foreigners have bought this Office and are running the show…This is the biggest Coup.
Ani — Thank you for posting this important piece here. I think you have hit the key point: we saw money devoid of policy content pitted against a lifetime of brilliant and creative leadership, and, because the problems that originally gave us Watergate have never really been solved, and we have had deteriorating ‘democracy’ as the distribution of political power and incomes/wealth has become more and more skewed, we are now not really a democracy any more. Which means that if we want to be one again in the future, we have to figure out what it would look like, and start a longterm and big campaign to create it again.
The problems are severe. I was watching a news clip re Franken-Coleman in MN, and was horrified to realize that by just doing a Bush v. Gore back at Coleman, Franken will be able to get that senate seat without actually having the votes. I had not realized it before, but all Franken has to do is to keep suing over peripheral issues (reconsideration of previously-excluded absentee ballots), and even if Coleman still has more votes than him, he can create a justification for Reid to then say ‘time for the Senate to decide this’ by entertaining a motion to reject Coleman’s credentials, to seat Franken, or to force another election. Then the votes become completely irrelevant, and it is again pure naked exercise of political power.
I think that campaigns can now be gamed to make it hard for candidates to get clearcut victories in key districts. The failure of democratic processes to keep the games out of the process makes it possible for candidates to use legal shenanigans to blur the results, and then put it in the hands of friendly parties — USSCt, Reid, Senate majority, Patterson in NY, BO running the world — whatever.
The only solution I see is for a more genuinely vigorous democracy, with greater voter turnout, more voter knowledge, genuine controls on advertising content, funding sources, etc. But where to start? Where are the threads that could begin unravelling all this? A valiant effort was made after Watergate, but where to start?
PUMA!!!
The problem. Words in the dictionary have many meanings. And now under the democracy of postmodernism, words, even those that were well defined ones, can have as many meanings as the people who hear them. The MSM have decided that blurred and ambiguity should be allowed to co-exist within the election process. It is a case where dishonesty reigns and honor is diminished to non-existence.
Our political process and Constitution as I see it was based on honor and that honor based on the fear of God. Since both are now totally discredited and undermined, ambiguity and the irrelevancy of words is now permitted to dominate as fundamental cultural traits.
In general, when the Commerce and Agricultural Departments at Federal and State levels were completely devoid of funds to protect citizens from malpractices and lies by vendors and sellers of goods and services, the doors were completely open for most people to lie to others and basically get away with it. The culture of lies is now in full swing. It is clear that GM and Chrysler’s executive as well as most of those who sit in front of Congressional panels sit there with the express purpose of lying about those issues they represent.
Lying, lying, lying, all I see is lying and that we loved to be lied too, because truth now is just too complicated. Take the example of John McCain and Joe the Plumber versus Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Kal says:
“…the problems that originally gave us Watergate have never really been solved, and we have had deteriorating ‘democracy’ as the distribution of political power and incomes/wealth has become more and more skewed, we are now not really a democracy any more. ”
Truer words were never spoken…
I think it is fair to add…”the problems that gave us the assasinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War, Jimmy Carter and Z Brzezinski, Reagan’s October Surprise, Iran-Contra, S&L debacle, the first Gulf War, Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the stealing of Florida electoral votes to implant the idiot Prince in the White House, 9/11, and the lies and deceit leading to the invasion of Iraq, the mortgage crisis, the world financial crises…
And now we have the fraud-in-charge,Obamessiah. Things are not looking good.
Rush Limbaugh on Barbara Walters: “I Love Sarah Palin”
Hmmm. Some Democrats and lots of Conservatives like her. . .
http://patriotroom.com/rush-on-barbara-walters-i-love-sarah-palin/
It is not only disgusting but also demoralizing. I do not believe we can give up and accept the corruption that permeated this election. Failure is not a choice. Our country was founded to escape tyranny and oppression and to champion freedom of individual rights and responsibility. The present government is not answerable to the people and is ignoring the constitution by bartering away money that they have extracted from the people for their own enrichment and power. They push larger and larger government on our backs despite the failure of government to manage all it has already gobbled up. This is strictly for the purpose of entrenchment and broadening their base.
I have not given up on Obama being removed. I see it as our best hope to avoid a legion of additional government programs sucking us dry and weakening us for the terrorists. There are more than enough reasons why he should not be confirmed and they need to be pursued: from falsified selective service registration to British citizen at birth to fraudulent and illegal campaign practices regarding donations and donors. We as a Nation believe in our strength and compassion and our ability to succeed. We must be sure that our national pride does not blind us to the very real danger of corruption and directed attack from within from those who want to destroy the fabric of our Nation. Unfortunately all too many of Obama’s associates number in the later group.
You know if Obama had asnswered all the other questions about his past honestly the first time asked then maybe more would believe that this BC issue is a hoax.
How many times did it take for Obama to come forth with a bit of truth about Reizo, Wright, Ayers, his voting and etc. What did it take for him to finally give some truth? (If I remember right Obama denied and denied until hard core evidence was produced that he could not refute.)
Right now according to Obama family members he was born in two different hospitals in Hawaii.(His sister says one hospital and he says another).
Right now according to some family members and Kenya officials he was born in Kenya.
Yet so far no one has brought forth evidence to refute either theory…WHY???
What is so hard about showing the hospital copy of one’s BC? McCain did and most people have to prior to getting a driver’s license.
If I lose my Driver’s license I have to bring in my BC, my ss card and a photo id of some sort or my ss card with a US passport(luckily i do have a US passport).
Good points.
And for all of his hiding of records that we have a legitimate reason to examine — Obama gets Zero respect from me — he doesn’t deserve any.
Where is YOUR real Birth Certificate Obama? Where were you really born?
I believe in upholding the Constitution — I respect the Constitution.
Show us, Obama, that you respect the Constitution.
you are correct that the size of the (federal) government has gotten completely out of control. it is impossible for citizens to exercise any kind of meaningful oversight over it. congress is essentially free to demand as much money from us as they want, and to spend it however they want. the press as a watchdog is dead for the foreseeable future.
my new non-partisan cause is going to be one thing: SHRINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. power (and money) must be gotten back to the states where citizens can have some hope of controlling it.
Well did’nt this start 50 years ago with Joe Kennedy buying it for his son?
Yes. But I am not so naive as to believe that that was the first such purchase. The Bushes Sr. Sr. were at it in bed with the Nazis at the same time old Joe was making a fortune with short selling — before he found the Dems and helped them make rules to prohibit it from being used ‘excessively.’
These problems go back to day 1 in what has become the US. Now there is an interesting dynamic going on here that I don’t think any of us should ignore: Women are now becoming somewhat more politically active.
Don’t forget that from the mid-1800s until about a hundred years ago, women were fighting for basic legal personhood (own property, right to vote, right to work, right to own their own wages, obtain custody of their children, hold public office, etc.), and time and time again had to stand back and watch as AA men were allowed to become ‘persons’ first. That is what the Emancipation Proclamation did — by abolishing slavery as a legally-effective category, it gave AA men access to the legal rights of adult men (but not for women, because they were women).
Women still don’t have full equality with AA men, even, because they don’t have clear and equal constitutional protection. But if this election cycle has enabled the focus to shift over to the role that women can and ought to play, then maybe the fundamental changes this democracy really needs can be made by women entering politics with a clearer sense of how male privilege and wealth operates in a pervasively nondemocratic way.
I think BO and his gang of malebonded thugs understand this, and I believe that is why we are getting these two images hitting the blogs almost simultaneously —
Image #1: The image of the cardboard image of Hillary being sexually assaulted by 2 privileged white male BO supporters at once (and woman standing in background helpless/unable/unwilling to intervene), and
Image #2: The image of the cardboard cutout Caroline Kennedy being used by privileged mostly-white male powerholders to create the impression of gender equity.
Note the role of the AA men in all this: They are enacting their unquestioning allegiance to the rich white male hierarchies that put them into play in the first place.
Maybe if enough women become motivated to do something about this, a tidal shift can eventually take place. But history tells us that it seems to take at least twice as long for women to get anywhere in the US as it does for AA men, so unless we can find the afterburners real quick, we’re not quite there yet.
But closing in on the goal, I have to think!
Kal, I agree we must put this all under an historical context.
Thanks for this awesome post. We all need something to clarify and galvanize our thinking and future actions. We are all in shell shock at this unbelievable domination of the electoral process. My husband keeps saying “let it go! We have to support and hope Obama will do the right thing.” I answered that we cannot how Obama obtained this victory, even while we try to support him. My intellect tells me that Obama’s actions show how he will act; I hope he has the best interest of the USA at heart.
You have given us all a way to try and save the institutions and philosophy that made our country what it is.
Thanks
Yes, it bothers me that the Presidency can be purchased. It bothers me alot. I would bet that if every American stayed home on election night, the chosen one would have still had 66 million votes, too. Our votes don’t count folks!
The good news for me is that I don’t make a lot of money, but I used to give to my candidates to help them. I will not be doing that anymore. Since I don’t have big money, I can’t purchase my candidate. I might as well buy lottery tickets. I have a better chance of winning that! I haven’t elected a president since Bill Clinton so I don’t think I’ll vote anymore. I surely won’t donate and doubt I’ll ever volunteer for a politician again either.
Ridiculous.
Art Bell Tin Foil Land.
Obama won 69 million votes BTW.
3 million donors.
That’s what scares you fringe loons. The idea you can’t get a few rich people to anoint your queen really has you befuddled, and angry about it.
Were you at the SCOTUS prayer rally on Friday hoping they would hand you your second president in a row?
wowo
How many of those votes were multiple Acorn votes?. .hmmm, I’d say @ least 5 million, manybe more
well, wowo, since obama is so secretive about everything, you don’t really *know* who he got his money from, do you? i guess it’s just a matter of orthodoxy among you hopeydopeys that it was all from small donors… and no “lobbyists” either, right? heh.
Yes, I’m infuriated by it. And, that is why this election is likely the last time I will ever cast a vote in this country. I have argued against that viewpoint my entire life–thinking it was coming from people not as intelligent as me [how arrogant I was.] But, the truth is, those people were right all along, and I was the fool, not them.
I won’t participate in this criminal election system any longer. It’s not “democratic” and it is a complete violation of everything our founding fathers held dear.
I couldn’t be more disgusted with my country–with its people, who are so propagandized they can’t even see it, and with its government, for perpetrating such propaganda with the intent to subjugate and enslave the people they have such contempt for in the first place.
When George W. Bush was inaugurated in 2001, I vowed not to fly an American flag [I was extremely patriotic, a veteran, come from a military family] until he left office. I have honored that vow.
But the sad part is that now G.W. Bush is leaving office, I am not sure I’ll be able to fly my flag. I cannot fly the flag of a country that is a lie. A complete and utter lie. I might as well fly the flag of Sudan, or Somalia, or China.
Cha-ching! Chalk up one for BO!
Mountainaires, both you and Csuzeq (post right before yours) express a deep frustration, and an inclination to withdraw from the political system. I certainly share this feeling of deep hurt and frustration. Eventually I think we will all probably “engage” once again–out of anger, a determination to stand up for what is right, and deep respect for “everything our founding fathers held dear.” As we can tell by watching the stock market nowadays, what goes up comes down; what goes down comes up. What goes around comes around. How could it be otherwise?
You sound frustrated, but you still have hope, just a small kernel of idealism left. I don’t have it anymore. It’s gone. I don’t believe I’ll ever “believe” when I can see that the foundation is a lie. Vote? No, what’s the point? It’s just collusion in the lie; it’s a pretty pretense for all of us to soothe our consciences…so, why bother? Unfortunately for me, I have seen behind the curtain; it’s ugly. I no longer want to be a part of it. From now on, my own survival will be my top priority. I don’t have time for those apathetic sheep who refuse to look at their bleak future, so as to maintain their pretty little pretense of “democratic republics” which don’t exist any more.
The incomparable Arthur Silber:
The Feast of the Vampires
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2008/12/feast-of-vampires.html
I have always had a solid respect for those who willfully do not exercise their right to vote. I always read a message from those who refuse. I always vote but I know some that I respect very much who don’t.
Vote for a third party if you want. Not voting is a slap in the face for all those who have fought for enfranchisement.
I don’t think there’s a single question in this world that you and I would agree on. It’s kind of like you’re the anti-me.
“Not voting is a slap in the face for all those who fought for enfranchisement…”
What complete and utter nonsense. The people who fought for enfranchisement didn’t know their vote would count for nothing once they got it. Our election system is as rigged as our economic system, and it isn’t those who “fought for enfranchisement” who are benefitting.
Bush v. Gore settled it. And, though I was infuriated by the interference of SCOTUS into a legal situation which was–by law–a state supreme court’s purview, I didn’t realize at the time that the “house” had rigged the game. Now, I am out of the market, as well as out of the “democracy” game. Both are owned by the “house” and rigged by the “house” for the benefit of the rich and very powerful “masters of the universe,” who are playing a very dangerous game at my expense.
When the rest of America realizes the consequences of the very dangerous game being played with them as unwitting pawns, they will know what I know. And, they will be as cynical. That includes you, if you survive it.
Wise up.
http://news.goldseek.com/GoldSeek/1228499200.php
Not me. I’ll proudly fly my American flag in protest of Obama and his corrupt regime. I WILL NOT fly a stupid flag with a rainbow and a big O on it.
In my opinion it’s a disservice to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who died in combat fighting for this Nation to fly some other countries flag in the US as an American citizen.
i’m thinking you may be right, mountainaires.
Well, I guess this analogy casts us dissenters and iconoclasts in the roles of wild Indians, whooping around the circled wagon-train, trying our best (perhaps in vain) to save our homelands from the inexorable invaders; this is a role I do not take lightly.
Ani, thanks very much for this post. Your general statement concerning your present attitude to the incoming administration matches my own exactly.
Go ahead, embarrass him — if you can. Just like Bush, nothing penetrates his thick skull unless it’s personal criticism. Emphasizing how much money he got illegally will just make him gloat over how many suckers he fooled again.
It is indeed sad when it is said that the FEC will not follow up on donations from Bart and friends because they do not want to embarrass the new President, that would only mean in years to come anyone else can use the same method to get into office.
America the great country that we claim to be and we are not interested in who is calling the shot or holding the purse strings of our President? We all don’t want Obama to fail because we don’t want all of us to suffer, but he started wrong in the first place, to many lies, half truths and secrets so he is destine to fail and by extension the country, how one comes into power so shall he rule.
I am even more disgusted when I hear the news that Caroline Kennedy is making a push for Hilliary’s senate seat, now how comical is that? Everything about this election was false from day one, I will keep my fingers crossed that things go well but unfortunately am not going to bet my life on it.
Buying the White House is one thing, and I say keep screaming, but now we need to scream about the president and senators and representatives buying votes for their next elections with bailouts.
I don’t look at bailouts as saving anything but votes for the next election. [ of course there is a lot of wealth distributed right now to politicians ] Anyone think somebody’s offshore account won’t see a major deposit ? We are being screwed. The country is rapidly going under with the Big 3 and Wall St, etc. but I guarantee the politicians have theirs.
START SCREAMING NOW !
well, the corruption certainly isn’t limited to the POTUS; it goes all through congress, the SCOTUS and the media. the US gov’t is now a complete joke. we are nothing but a banana republic.
I will respect the office of the president when Obama respects the office of the president, the US Constitution and the American people.
Wells
It infuriates me along with so many other things in our broken system. The words “grassroots” and “citizen” have been used by the very people who abuse the system….
And the Constitution, particularly on eligibility for POTUS…A HUGE hat tip to CaffineQueen for her fascinating examination of Chester Arthur and a similar precedent in U.S. history. Change. The constant marketing of change, when there is very little change indeed…even steps BACKWARD!!!
http://tinyurl.com/58n3vh
Here’s a more direct link with an update.
http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/
Since Barky has already demonstrated through words and actions that he has no respect for the LAWS of this nation ( being above all that as a special guy and all )…whether they be election campaign laws or constitutional qualifications laws…I’d say none of us should hold our breaths Citizen Wells…But keep a jaundiced eye out…and work at preventing this travesty form ever happening again…
Foreign Interests have bought this office…and the Democratic Party Leadership….
And the Republican Party leadership–Rupert Murdoch. Don’t get crazy and start thinking the Republicans are blameless. They started this mass corruption.
Absolutely, tek. If the moderate Republicans had only fought against GWB in 2000, we might not be in this mess now.
There are still many ways to hope. One way is to throw away Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster Online and any of those forms of word definition that allows for many and various definitions to co-exist simultaneously, regardless of how context adapts them. We can reject the rule of rulers summarily, since there seems to be no honor to support them. We can adopt only one set of definitions to rule, that of Wikipedia and require that the Supreme Court, the White House and Admnistration, Congress and the MSM abide by the definition found in Wikipedia. Lets agree that if we want democracy to work, it must work according to democratic rules of engagement.
Lets require Obama to live by Wikipedia’s definition of his words and not by any and all definitions he wishes they would have.
Yes, I am angry! Talk about an example for the younger generation…your past doesn’t matter as those who provided that information didn’t make the cut.
Money can only buy the general election votes of an electorate failing to investigate the candidate. It cannot buy the Presidency unless we allow the Electoral College to get away with similarly ignoring the facts. Please read Attorney Donofrio’s blog revealing that Chester A. Arthur was also ineligible for President, since at the time of his U.S. birth to an American mother, his father was a citizen of Great Britain.
http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/urgent-historical-breakthrough-proof-chester-arthur-concealed-he-was-a-british-subject-at-birth/
Then, educate the electors in your state.
Ani,
As usual, your posts help me understand that my gut feelings aren’t just my feelings but are my reactions to what I have always thought was happening. I thank you for your research and for standing firm about not “moving on” about this.
I was watching Feingold being interviewed on PBS. He was going on about how much he trusted Obama. When asked about his reaction to O’s reneging on the campaign financing promise, he had to squirm a little. He said he was disappointed, but then went on to voice his trust that O would now work to fix the internet problem.
The progressives just constantly give PEBO a pass, an excuse, whatever. I am just waiting for an epiphany on their part as PEBO moves into the WH. I am pretty sure it will come eventually.
Thank you for your comment. Feingold has been a disappoiintment this election season. He was always one of those with integrity, and he like some others of his better ilk in the Democratic Party have also folded under the pressure of spouting the party koolaid. Very depressing indeed.
He voiced his disappointment with Obama about reneging on public financing — one sound bite this summer — and that was the end of it.
Ani, an outstanding post. Thank you. And I assure you, I am with you. Moving forward, but not forgetting, EVER, what happened in this election. Our democracy has been damaged by both Bush and Obama, as well as those who colluded with them to get their way come hell or high water.
Honestly, I would have thought after the debacle that was Bush and his presidency, people would run as far away from someone even more unqualified and less experienced as opposed to running to him. Most of the same people who screamed bloody murder about Bush, how he got into the WH illegally, are the SAME ONES who did it for Obama! It is shocking beyond belief.
And the money thing – How is it that federal agencies are no longer fulfilling THEIR mandated obligations?!?!?
Sheesh. Thanks for this, Ani!
I don’t think is their fault if they are allowed to maintain their status by permitting their ambiguous terms to dominate over those of the majority.
And face it, polling policies do not exact a policy.
That is a reflection of low morality. A low morality fostered by an educational system that lives by it.
I had to press the mute on so many Obama commercials here in FL that I wanted to pull my hair out. The ones that I actually saw/heard were pretty boring and McCain’s were far better and often humorous but he was indeed drowned out by Mr. Money Bags.
I truly wish that I could feel some joy at the election of our first black President and I somehow feel cheated in that way as well as all the other ones mentioned. I too hope that Obama is able to turn things around, but I can’t even work up the enthusiasm to watch the Inauguration and also feel that I may never vote again. I probably will, but right now I’m just numb.
There are a few things that make me switch channels instantly. One of them is any advertisements by Billy Mays. And he is getting more and more contracts. But I do admire him in that he is able to make such a good living by being such a well perceived messenger of messages. I admire people like him, but I do not admire what he does. The end does not justify the means.
So there are at least two things that make me switch channels instantly. One is Billy Mays. The other the mere image of BO.
I’m so glad you said that about BO. My partner and I have been hitting the mute or back buttons for months now, just like we spent 8 yrs doing with Bush. There certainly is something in the culture putting these guys in power while a significant chunk of the population find them repelling. ??
McCain and the Republican Party had plenty of cash. And the Republicans have in the past always had the cash advantage. So to complain about the inequity this time around is BS. Big deal!
A part of the reason Obama had so much cash is he had millions of supports who gave him cash. You can argue that he also had larger donors, but there is no denying that he had millions of donors, which was unprecedented. That in itself gives him plenty of legitimacy.
As far as your view on buying the media, McCain had the entire Fox Network and talk radio on his side. Huge and powerful media platforms, and a major advantage for the Republicans. If you had to add up all the support and anti-Obama media time on both Fox and talk radio it would be the equivalent of hundreds of millions of value.
You should not be complaining about how much Obama spent, but what you should be asking is why did McCain not have as much money? Or you should really be whining about campaign finance reform, reducing the amount of money in campaigns for all candidates. Your anger toward the Democrats is ridiculous and completely misplaced.
Great, quote Karl Rove all you want, but that guy has done more to harm this democracy than just about anyone since Nixon.
You can keep screaming for the next four or eight years that your guy lost, but you are beginning to sound like a bit of a psycho.
Susan,
You delusionalism is getting out of hand! Therapy is required immediately. Have you seen the FEC report of his “donors?” It tells the picture. Obama is owned by the rich elite don’t kid yourself any longer. I pray for your full recovery.
Stop the hate!
And the Republicans are not owned by the rich? Politicians have always gotten a lot of money from the people that can afford to give the most. Big deal. What Obama brought was not only big donations, but many more smaller donors to the Democratic party.
This whole line of argument is complete BS. If you want to change the campaign finance laws then argue and protest that. Historically, it has almost always been 100% the Republicans that have opposed campaign finance reform, guys like Karl Rove!
ADMINISTRATOR:
NED — YOU HAVE BEEN CAUGHT — DO NOT EVEN IMPERSONATE ANYONE HERE AGAIN — CERTAINLY NOT THE AUTHOR OF THE POST.
I CHANGED YOUR NAME BACK.
Thank you. The major difference in this election was the inability for the Republicans to stack the deck with so-called “soft money” donations – unlimited contributions from corporations – flowing through the party. Funny how everyone is suddenly “outraged” that a candidate managed to amass a huge campaign chest through small contributions – the kind that don’t buy “access” – but were unconcerned when the Bush “Pioneers” very openly telegraphed their intent to not only buy the nomination, but also the office, for Bush in 2000. The payoff for Bush fatcats was something like a thousand or million to one, as those no-bid contracts got rolled out. And yet, NOW we have a “crisis” with the way the campaign was funded?
OCrooked raked in many $$$$ from online donations from phony peeps like Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse. And n’er an eyelash was batted. Despicable.
Ani: read something please. There have been multiple reports, including the reference Ani made in the post–plus one this week by USA Today–that definitively proves Obama got the majority of his funds from large donors. We’ve known this for months. Congressional Weekly also did a report months ago. That money came mostly from Wall St. companies. The same companies he hypocritically railed against during his speeches: the GREED on Wall St! (as he had his hand out, gladly accepting their fat checks).
Kool Aid addicts always strain to justify any and all factual reports that disturb their escapist, fantasy image of the faux Messiah.
Actually the maximum any individual donor can give is $2,300, so technically Obama did not get donations from large donors. You can only give a maximum of $28,500 to national parties, so there are actually no large donors to large parties either.
Corporations are not allowed to give donations directly to political campaigns.
The difference is in soft money to non-campaign related organizations like PACs. Both the Republicans and Democrats got a lot of that. In fact, the Republicans may have gotten much more soft money, as they were less successful in raising money from individuals.
You can argue that in this election, given that although they raised less money the Republicans were more reliant on soft money and therefore more reliant on bigger donors. The Republicans were likely more beholden to special interests, as their concentration of donors was much greater.
Republicans have ALWAYS led in soft money contributions – only now it can’t be given to or spent by the party – it can only go through PACs or 527s. And no coordination between those entities and the parties or campaigns is allowed. I’ll have to look up the stats on exactly how much soft money was spent in this cycle, but even without looking I can tell you it’s a lot less than what was spent in 2000, before McCain-Feingold was passed. Funny, it seems that when the corporation or fatcat making the contribution can’t get their gold star directly from the party, they’re less inclined to throw wads of cash into the election.
Didn’t say that! All candidates are owned by the money. It all comes down to who owns them. To suggest small donors were the main contributors to the 750 BILLION is just lunacy.
Stop that hate!
Again, who’s hating, other than you.
Oh, and it was $750 billion
The majority of DONORS gave less than $250. Obviously the majority of the money gave from those who gave more. The majority of the money will always come from those who have the most. Still, 3 million people donating isn’t a bad start. Perfect? Un-corruptable? Of course not. But a pretty good start.
A hell of a lot better than what the Republicans did for the past 40 years – you know, taking huge chunks of money directly from corporations and lobbyists.
Kudos to John McCain and Senator Feingold for starting to change that. I’ve said it time and time again, if the John McCain of 2000/McCain Feingold had run in this election, he would have had my vote like he did in 2000.
But I am sick and tired of the neo-conservative revisionist history bullshit that says its OK to praise GWB and attack FDR and JFK, and that the Republican party has never done anything wrong or did nothing wrong in this election and were innocent victims of a corrupt Democratic party.
Seriously I’m starting to feel like I’m in looneyville
You got wax in your ears Manny or something wrong with your reading skills! All I said was, Obama was owned by the money, just like Bush.
Stop the hate!
And Hillary wasn’t? McCain wasn’t?
Obviously not as much. I wonder what it was that Obama was willing to do for Soros that Clinton refused.
Just like Clinton refused to promise Kerry the SOS position!
Stop the hate:-)
Much more of Clinton’s money came from large donations than small donations.
Through August 31, 13% of Clinton donors had given $200 or less, but 26% of Obama donors had.
Not to mention the millions of her own money that Clinton used.
Yo Manny,
Why you trying to put words in my mouth?
I said ALL politicians! See you just want to argue because you don’t read to comprehend.
Stop the hate!
[ADMINISTRATOR: Ned, you broke a rule that is absolute at NoQuarter. Not only did you post a comment under another username, but you IMPERSONATED the author of the story! That's unconsionable behavior. Go to FreeRepublic.com -- they'll just love you over there, and they'll express their love in countless ways.]
Stop complaining about Obama then and start complaining about the system.
This article is bullshit. Quoting Karl Rove and complaining about the money Obama spent is BS.
Republicans love to complain when the shoe is on the other foot. They have always enjoyed a money advantage and have far more been the party of special interests and K street. Why do you think it is the Republicans that always stand in the way of campaign finance reform.
Good on Obama for being smart and using the power of the Internet more effectively than the Republican party. I would rather have a smarter more Internet savy president then one who does not even use a computer.
Spoken like yet another (one of many millions) tiresome, delusional brainwashed Obot.
Actually, Manuel, close to half of the contributions – some $335 million – came in the form of donations of under $200. Another $71 million came from people who gave between $200 and $500. So some 60-65% of the campaign was funded by people who gave under $500. Less than 14% came from people giving over $2000 and up to the limit of $2300 – about 55,000 of the over 3,000,000 contributors. You can see the breakdown here.
It appears that in this election, the people with the most money weren’t the ones who did most of the contributing with big money donations.
WHO ARE YOU _you are not Ani…
please do not impersonate me again.
I read carefully what you wrote. You are misrepresenting the FoxNews support for the Republican ticket in this last elections. Fox used a different strategy this time. Only Greta was the lone voice that supported McCain via her unmitigated support for Palin. All the rest of the coverage at Fox showed an ambiguity of context. Hannity of course, but mostly in his Sunday 9 o’clock show. His daily show had Colmes to refute most of his rants. All other shows were very ambiguous in their support for McCain.
Dude see a doctor.
Hannity was ambiguous in his support for McCain?
O’Riley was ambiguous on his support for Obama? Even after he interviewed him he said that while he respected him he disagreed with him on almost every issue.
Seriously dude is your brain that clouded?
So far today you’ve said that our country is going downhill because of the separation of church and state, and it wasn’t clear during the election who Sean Hannity supported.
Let me guess what’s next: GWB will go down in history as one of our better Presidents.
Fox was far less definitive in their support for McCain than MSNBC was for Obama. As someone who rarely watched Fox before this election cycle, I was surprised at their relative lack of bias. In fact, independent non-partisan reviews indicated that their negative/positive reports on both candidates were equal while MSNBC and CNN were strongly skewed to favor Obama.
Only Greta pounded on Obama and had unrestricted support for Palin without any opposing view to counter her views. But it was obvious that she was able to get a coverage of Palin that was quite close and personal and that elicited the envy of most pundits. She was able to get a privileged access that no one else was able to obtain. None the less, she reported on all of it and she understood through her access that all the smears against Palin were made out of an spiteful attitude towards Palin being a woman wielding unmitigated power without having any personal conflicts, misrepresentations or excuses.
“Let me guess what’s next: GWB will go down in history as one of our better Presidents.”
I will venture to say that the subject of history was not your forte.
A part of the reason Obama had so much cash is he had millions of supports who gave him cash. You can argue that he also had larger donors, but there is no denying that he had millions of donors, which was unprecedented. That in itself gives him plenty of legitimacy.
What complete garbage logic! He outspent McCain by massive amounts of money in an election cycle when the Dems should have been a shoe in. He had documented, and unprecedented media bias (there are MANY reports that prove this beyond a doubt), and he used fraud to overwhelm state primary and caucus systems. Even WITH all of these advantages, he only won by 7% points? Yea, he’s got a real mandate alright. Typical myopic thinking–just ignore the 57 million Americans who voted against him.
Plus some of his money came from “funny” people like cartoon characters and other nefarious contributors.
Both McCain and Hillary had filters on their fund raising to catch these poseurs but Obama was willing to accept all comers.
So much for being internet savvy…..or was it all by design?????
We are speaking of illegal donations here, Susan — of which he has plenty. Just because the FEC is refusing to do its job, don’t pretend this did not actually happen. It did. WaPo even reported it, even though they are firmly in the tank for him.
Well said, all. I hope the puppet fraud BHO fails, fails big, and fails big quickly. I hope all his corrupt cabal–DNC, MSM, big money, illegal money, Chicago machine, foreign and domestic radicals, misogynistic thugs–fail big and quickly, too. If they all fail and fail quickly, then somebody–journalist, citizen–finally, finally has broken through the national denial and told the awful, ugly truth about our country and our people. A big, quick, eye opening failure. The failure of the lie. The lie of money, media, misogyny, democracy. The lie has to fail, and fail big and fail quickly. Then the the truth has a chance.
I think it will happen soon. As you can see, Biden is nowhere to be seen. Once Michelle gets into the picture on one side – the extreme liberal side – and Biden gets to defend and try to explain Emanuel, things will begin to break apart fast. Neither Michelle nor Biden will be able to resist their true nature.
I agree, and believe it all, it will happen. No one gets away with the dirty, dishonest, despicable and illegal things Obama and his crowd have not only done but been proud of. I can’t think of another candidate who has been so low.
excellent post Ani. I agree w everything you said. People have allowed themselves to be whored for a dollar. Disgusting. I personally think a large portion of society has just become spoiled and selfish. Hence their consumed interest in reality shows, Ipods and other various material things. There is nothing wrong w having nice things, but when that becomes your center and not integrity and principle, there is a big issue. Make no mistake, Obama will be brought down one way or another.
The title issue is much bigger than who got elected. It is about the way this election transpired and what it says about the state of our democracy, our involvement, our knowledge or lack thereof, and the detrimental contributions of a biased press. Most important, it says that money talks and issues, policies and qualifications take a back seat to the almighty dollar and American Idol worship.
Ani, you’re the best. I always resonate strongly with your posts. I am also moving forward, but I will never forget the fraud, hypocrisy and injustice that was used this election cycle. And it is all about the money. Now, NY State is seriously considering Caroline Kennedy to replace HRC in her Senate seat. Based on what? Again, another celebrity candidate with absolutely NO legislative experience. I read a piece in the NY Observer (I think it was from yesterday) that explained why: with her networking and fund-raising abilities, she will be able to raise the necessary capital for a Senate run in 2010. The DSCC does not have the funds, and the NY media market is very expensive. So that’s what we’ve become. Oprah will be next, and Clooney, Affleck, Will Smith. I’m not joking–they’ve all expressed interest. Then we wonder why our infrastructure is imploding. We have become a narcissistic, immature people. The picture of Obama’s 27 yr. old speechwriter drinking beer and groping the HRC cut out is indicative of the adolescent mentality that we are devolving toward. Reality TV, movie stars, fame, and greed. God Bless America!
word.
wOOOHOO! GREAT POST Ani!
YES!
And, even if some use the term “moving on”, MEANS, “Next step”. It doesn’t mean you “go along”. Indeed, you MUST remember to learn and never to repeat and make the next step so it can’t be repeated, or try not to.
If people try to give new definition to the term of Move On to mean, succumb and agree, that would be the same as a victim being told, “I’m going to rape you, so you might as well lay back and enjoy it”. And then claim, afterwards even, “hey she wasn’t screaming, she enjoyed it, so it wasn’t rape.” Don’t spit on the screen, I was merely pointing out ignorance and stupidity of crime.
I for one will NEVER support or recognize bho as a legitimate nor ‘elected’ president.
Nor will I EVER legitimize the sexism, immorality, deceit, censorship, race baiting, corruption, etc, of this “historic” farce. Saddly this has all set a precendent; and is the confirmation of the complete downfall of American society as we once knew it and so many have sacrificed for.
Bravo! Couldn’t have said it better myself. I do not acknowledge his authority–exactly the way I felt about Bush. You cannot steal the election and then claim legitimacy.
Aye, well they can root and toot all they want about “historical moment” blah, blah, blah… But I think it all very sad that (and it WILL happen), that history will see what a joke it all was/is. Its ashame that a true African American of qualification is not being noted for the place in history. But hey! This is America and if you have enough money you can BUY ANYTHING!!!
F***KING PATHETIC!
The common usage that creates our pain:
The democratic usage that is from God, that has the curative ability to liberate us from pain and makes us free: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor
If anyone complaining on this thread can come up with an example of illegal contributions that were solicited and/or kept by the Obama campaign, I’m all ears. I haven’t seen the evidence of that so far, but generally it takes up to a year or more to fully examine all campaign finance reports – and in this case, probably more than a year, thanks to the large amounts and huge number of donors, and also thanks to Bush’s neglect of the FEC, where several seats on the commission are currently sitting empty. Failing evidence of any individual giving more than $2300 per cycle, or contributions from corporations or foreign nationals, there’s no “there” there. There’s also no “there” there if anyone attempted to give over the limit or if foreign nationals or corporations attempted to give but had their contributions returned by the campaign. The amount of money raised by a candidate is not the problem so much as how much he relies on any individual donor. $2300 or less doesn’t buy anyone “access” as the huge soft money contributions of the good old days did – access that typically paid off by a factor of thousands or millions for each dollar contributed. That’s the issue – not the overall amount a candidate raises.
Consider the cases of Obama donors “Doodad Pro” of Nunda, N.Y., who gave $17,130, and “Good Will” of Austin, Texas, who gave more than $11,000—both in excess of the $2,300-per-person federal limit.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/162403
Consider, also, that those contributions were not kept by the campaign.
It was an illegal action on the part of those who attempted to give amounts in excess of the limits or under false names.
Re-read the post you responded to more carefully. It’s not illegal for the campaign to have been sent some contributions that did not meet the rules – it would have been illegal for them to keep them or solicit them. There’s no evidence that the latter occured, and as for the former, it’s well-documented that the illegal contributions weren’t kept.
ah, new set of parameters. LOL no doubt. BOBO solicited these contributons and excepted them well past the point of illigalilty. He kept them until the FEC put gun to his head and stil there is no guarantee tht he returned them. Those diposable credit cards you buy at the supermarket have a limited life span and since BOBO had already shown that he was willing to take illegal contrbuions from bogus names, it would take about a micro second for the bogus namer to put on a new sock puppet and pump those illegal funds back into BOBO’s campaign.
There’s also no “there” there if anyone attempted to give over the limit or if foreign nationals or corporations attempted to give but had their contributions returned by the campaign.
Oh, so your failure to carefully read the original post, which included the above statement, constitutes “a new set of parameters”? Failure to read carefully doesn’t change what the original post clearly spelled out.
Instead of speculation, you might point out at least one example of a proven illegal contribution that was either 1) solicited by or 2) kept by the campaign. Failing that, you’re just making it up as you go along.
I did read the post. LOL and you seem to be making a rather deceptive distinction here. BOBO solicited small contributions well past the point of illegality. BOBO doesn’t have to say give me illegal dollars to solicit illegal dollars. It just has to take the dollars he solicited past the point of legality. Of course , he did that, and he didn’t give them all back . Since you didn’t like the previous example how about little eyewitness testimony from little closer to home.
Comment by Undercover Black Man | 2008-12-07 13:10:23
I donated more than $2,500 to the Obama campaign. Never contributed to a candidate before.
OMG, WildChild. Did you honestly, seriously NOT KNOW that the limit on personal contributions is $4,600?
No wonder Hillary’s campaign is still in debt. Her supporters didn’t know how much money they were allowed to give!
Amazing! You really should read more.
If the limit were 4600 dollars then it wouldn’t be 2300 dollars…which it is.
2300 for the primaries; 2300 for the general. See… you could’ve dug deeper for Hillary!
LOL… see? How was I supposed to give Hillary 2300 dollars for the general? She didn’t get the NOM. Though she probably will be the only bright light in the BOBO administration.
Many people gave 4600 upfront. (Remember when she was “inevitable?”) That way, she had more available funds, and when she was not the nominee, those donations were refunded.
Today, there are many ways by which a car gets its oil changed when the time comes due for its change.
But certainly so far and as far as I know, no car goes on its own to get its oil changed.
But admittedly each mile of driving gets the oil a little dirtier. At some point the dirt is too much dirt to allow the car to safely continue using the same oil allotment it presently contains.
Who is the person that takes her/his car to have an oil change perceiving the need for it?
And something else. A good mechanic (here meaning a person with mechanical instincts) can pick up a dab of oil from the used oil pan and rub it between the his index finger and his thumb and when looking at the film of oil that remains in them can make a very good assessment of the overall condition of the inside of the motor chamber.
A lady back east credited with giving $174,800 — although she did not contribute a dime — all false contributions made under her name by a network of other people — this was reported in WaPo.
It infuriates me that you can now buy a $286,000 house for $40,000. It happened yesterday in Orlando at an auction.
that doesn’t mean its going to happen. A buddy of mine just moved to salt lake and participated in an auction of about 100 homes that were foreclosed. They all sold at auction. Two weeks later the bank that put them up rejected all the bids.
Blame Bush and his housing bubble and the Bush recession. It is just going to get worse. Thank god we have a much better and smart president in there that will do what it takes to turn this economy and country around. It is a scary thought to me what McCain would be doing right now. Probably not a whole lot. Obama has really tried to take these economic problems by the horns. It is too bad Bush is still in there and Obama cannot really get started.
Narrow minds, immature and juvenile gullible minds… They must still be handing out kool aid…
All I know is that the Obama site did not have a check on their contributions. You could donate under any name with any credit card. It did not matter what name belonged to the credit card or not, you could donate.
Yes I tried it along with many others just to prove the story…And yes I had it taken off my card a few weeks later saying that the information connected with it was bad, which it was.
With the McCain site the name, card and address had to match or it was rejected.
As many of us who tried the experiment wondered, where did the majority of all the small donations come from?
You could try the experiment of going to the FEC website and looking at where the donations came from. It’s not yet complete, as my completely legal contributions aren’t yet listed…but they’ve got over sixteen thousand pages of contributors, along with employers and amounts contibuted, already up. They are even reporting those contributions under $200, where federal law does not require disclosure of the donor’s name and employer.
Funny how they are supposedly reporting those under $200 comtributions now, when earlier they said they weren’t keeping track of them.
So, which is it?
Stop the hate!
Only I hate see is coming out of your mouth.
Yo Manny,
Can you point out the specific hate filled language in my post? Or, is questioning the ONE classified as hate speech in your book?
Now if you really want some hate speech, look at some of the old posts by the Obots here. That will be a real eye opener.
Now, Manny, stop the hate!
You’re the only person I see calling anyone names. And generalizing and stereotyping the majority of Americans who voted for Barack Obama. And using a user name that is, frankly, offensive.
So, Donna. Stop the hate.
Who’s calling people names? Again, exactly where is the hate speech? I’ll be waiting for an example if I’m going to reform my ways.
Stop the hate!
P.S.
Where is the generalizing and stereotyping the majority of Americans who voted for that ONE in my post?
Stop the hate!
Hillary’s site would not let such items go through either.
The whole thing has been a fraud from the getgo. I’m from Chg and know dirty politics too well.
Donna, Since the election, I’ve warmed up to Obama considerably.
This Caroline Kennedy thing is rekindling feelings of anger and helplessness.
You really want to open up a can of worms, just when things were calming down?
Let Caroline Kennedy bask in the wealth that the rest of us do not enjoy, and be content that her butt is kissed a thousand times a day.
She gets that Senate Seat all hell is going to break lose.
I guess it would be “funny” to someone if they failed to consider the manpower that would have been needed to enter hundreds of thousands of small donations each month in the middle of a heated election campaign. The law doesn’t require it, and allows leeway for reconciling it all within a few months after the election for the final report. Nothing to see there, other than the fact that they’re going beyond what the law requires now that the election is over and they can focus more manpower on it.
internet donations require no man power after the programmer writes the program.
That’s an entirely specious argument, and I would explain why it is if you were 1)smart enough to understand it or 2) honest enough to accept it.
In other words, it’s not worth the bother.
OMG you’re a coward LOL
You could also use gift cards to make a donation which could not be traced back to a particular individual — this is outrageous — who knows how much any big donor actually gave.
People were donating under the name Mickey Mouse and Vanney Pouiiiy and so on…
Ridiculous. And certainly not legal.
Two words apply: Joseph Kennedy
When did this place become an offshoot of the free Republic?
being anti-Obama is one thing. Trying to change history to be seen through red-colored glasses is entirely different.
Are there any PROGRESSIVE sites left that are anti-Obama?
Clearly don’t belong here anymore.
This site is a turbulent storm of political opinion, more so than before the election, I believe. Who knows what NQ will look like in 6 months? Obama skepticism still predominates, but the “give him a chance” faction is gaining traction. Stick around and add your voice to the mix.
Given that this site was started to speak out against the lies and mistruths being slung by the Bush administration regarding Iraq, Valerie Plane, torture, etc., I could do without the neo-conservative revisionist history that seems to be most prescient here.
Ummm… “prescient”??
I donated more than $2,500 to the Obama campaign. Never contributed to a candidate before.
How is it so hard for you to believe, Ani, that Barack Obama motivated thousands upon thousands of people like me to give money?
Hillary got outspent because Hillary got out-raised. Sounds like freedom and democracy in action to me.
ahh would that bepeopel like you, stupid, ignorant, or both???
Certainly the majority of whom who could spell “be people”
Hey Manuel you did not need to spell to donate money remember any name or abbreviation or anyone with incorrect spelling could donate so cut the smart remarks and the knocking of a post and spelling.
1. You donated MORE than $2,500?
Thank you for just proving what we’ve been saying all along. Obama accepted illegal contributions. Anything MORE than $2,500 is ILLEGAL! Further, Obama accepted overseas donations as well as from big donors. Again ILLEGAL!
2. Hillary did not raise as much as Obama because she DID follow the LAW! Hillary was not accepting money from places such as …oh…the Gaza strip! She properly reported ALL of her donors to the FEC, unlike the newly selected Thief-in-Chief.
Why don’t we believe in the small donor “miracle” of Obama’s fundraising campaign? Because it’s been proven to be a bold faced lie and you just added further proof.
catherine, m’dear… the limit on donations was $4,600 — $2,300 for the primary campaign, $2,300 for the general election.
I was focused mainly on the primary campaign.
UBC – Wild Child was accusing you of criminality upthread – then again, she’s not real swift. Those of us who understand the law and actually use things like google to look things up knew what you were talking about. The rest of them here – well, expect them to pile on and call you a criminal and liar because they can’t or won’t understand the way things like laws operate.
Mind reading! LOL a function of the fringe. UBM hasn’t given a breakdown of his contributions though his own words say his focus was on the primary. The accusation stands.
Hint: it’s not “mind-reading” when you cut and paste his comments into a response. That’s called “basic literacy”.
My donations are a matter of public record, WildChild. Wah-laa!
But it does turn out that I was mistaken upthread. I included in my earlier figure a $250 donation to Brave New PAC (to support their negative ads against John McCain).
Fact is, I donated precisely $2,300 to Barack Obama — $1,800 for the primaries, $500 for the general.
I would’ve given more, but his campaign was so flush with cash, I eased up on the gas. Still proud for having done my part, though.
well. LOL at least we know your eyewitness testimony isn’t worth a shit.
Perhaps. But I do know how to express myself in public without resort to profanity.
Good home training yields benefits for a lifetime.
LOL
Well good for you UBM. The bullshit testimony you gave was g-rated. LOL that’s quite an accomplishment Ha Ha Ha Ha
Here’s hoping you get a nice bar of Lava soap in your Christmas stocking, WC.
Clean that tongue right up.
momma told me to tell the truth UBM. Not lie nicely like yours apparently did. LOL so keep the soap. Lying is that only reason ever went in my mouth.
Lying is that only reason ever went in my mouth.
Once more in English, please. Thx.
I thought you had an ear for language UWM? LOL who knew you could lose track of the subject that quickly?
You did’nt specify that before …if indeed you did’nt give more during the primaries or GE.
It still does’nt change the fact that Obama was able to outfund previous candidates through illegal donations.
Honey, if your going to say “the fact” which is, in itself poor English, at least be sure that what you are saying is, in fact, a fact….mmkay?
Even the Republicans aren’t arguing that the small number of illegal donations aren’t the reason Obama was able to out fund the previous candidates. It’s because he had an e-mail list and donor list that far outstripped anything that had ever been seen in any industry other than mass-marketing.
Manny, Manny, Manny!
Why the hostility and the aggression?
Calling other people haters and then using such sexist language or do you fail to see the hypocracy of your behavior?
Stop the hate and the sexism!
Because poor little Manny has his thong in a knot because he KNOWS Nobama STOLE the nomination and he and his fellow obots are pissed that we’re not accepting his Thief-in-Chief.
This coming from a person who uses respect as a verb.
I respect your attempt to present yourself as an authority on English usage, Strawb.
(This comment was brought to you by the word RESPECT — a proud transitive verb since 1560!)
Respecting is not proper English. Show me where ‘respecting’ is proper.
Sen. Russ Feingold: “If we must err… let us err on the side of respecting the will of the people.”
Source.
Read my comment below.
It’s not proper usage. It a lazy way of saying show respect.
Manny, Manny relax. I’m sure your commemorative “Obama is my Saviour” underoos will arrive express delivery any day now.
FACT is Oblah oblah outfunded previous candidates due to his acceptance of massive illegal contributions. That is a fact …mmkay.
You did’nt specify that before …
True, I did not. Because I assumed that every well-educated voter knows that the personal limit was $4,600.
LOL. Oh I know how that can happen when we “assume”. I always assumed that well educated African-Americans would vote based on issues and qualifications, not on race. I always assumed that it was only ignorant prejudiced people like white supremacists who always put someone of their own race before qualifications.
I guess like you I was wrong to assume.
Weren’t you one of the ones boo-hooing on this site that you’ll not see a female president in your lifetime?
Methinks you voted based on gender. Twice.
Ok, fine – give us some proven examples of illegal donations that were either 1) solicited by or 2) kept by the campaign.
For the benefit of some here who don’t read carefully, I’ll again stipulate that if a person or entity attempts to contribute an illegal donation, either because they are a foreign national, a corporation, or a citizen exceeding the legal contribution limit – or if someone falsifies their name or donor information – it is the attempted donor who has broken the law, not the campaign. The campaign is required to refuse to solicit or accept donations they know to be illegal, and to return donations that are discovered to be illegal.
So, give us examples of the illegal donations that were either solicited by or kept by the campaign.
I already did. It’s clear the BOBO solicited illegal contributions and kept them until he was forced to return them. A man that has to be forced to do the right thing, isn’t the kind of man that belongs in the oval office.
A claim by a liar is not “evidence”. Though I’d love to see you try it out in front of a judge!
It’s in black and white in newsweek. BOBO accepted contributions from bogus names that exceeded the legal limit and he kept them until the FEC forced him to give them back. BOBO had to be forced to follow the law. There is no misunderstanding here.
I refuse to engage in further discussion with someone who isn’t even bright enough to understand what “evidence” and “facts” are. Enjoy dropping your juvenilia after every comment, whatever blows your dress up. Just be aware for the record – the reason you get no response is that your ignorance and dishonesty is boring.
Game, set, match, Wildchild.
Yes, bow down to stupid liars. That makes you even more pathetic than the stupid liar.
You “win” nothing by lying, other than the well-earned lack of respect from people of character, all of whom are generally smarter and more mature than you.
You’re on the ZZZZZzzzzz list too – so don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back for the big “win” of demonstrating yourself also to be too ignorant and dishonest to bother with.
hey kev, LOL you’re back. With this new sock of yours will you calling NQ posters something besides flaming bags shit when you go insane, or is flaming bag of shit your gold standard?
The evidence we have all seen demonstrate that your facts are constructed out of whole cloth from the voices rambling away in your head.
Yes, Ferd, like your wild claim that “Obama wouldn’t allow Hillary’s name to be entered into nomination at the convention!!!” Which, uh, begs the question as to why there was ever a call by Hillary to suspend the roll call vote – which you wouldn’t have in the first place without more than one name in nomination.
It’s like shooting fish in a barrel around here, probably because you and your pals work really hard to remain this uninformed.
Dissenter….that post just proves your IGNORANCE and how you know absolutely NOTHING about what went on in Denver. What a boob you are.
Wikipedia – and numerous other sites – as well as video footage of the roll call vote – say you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about if you believe “Hillary’s name was never entered into nomination.”
Then again, you’re someone who believes that one of Obama’s first actions as president will be to change the flag to include his face. I don’t think any more need be said.
This being “entered into nomination” was a fraud and a farce — she had nearly 2000 delegates — her true delegate strength was never seen or heard — she wound up with 1000 delegates that night because they did not have an honest roll call vote — Arkansas which voted for her overehelmingly have all their delegates to him — illegal. NJ also. And on and on.
CA which she also won, was so disgusted by the farce, they chose to pass because they were being pressured not to cast their pledged delegates properly (according to the primary vote totals).
Her name in nom. was a symbolic gesture only with him campaigning after the primary to snatch her pledged delegates. This was well covered. Wikipedia is not exactly the authority on anything.
She “released” her delegates as she was pressured to do by the party — their was never a real roll call vote, therefore her name was never genuinely placed into nomination — at the end of the primaries, with MI and FL finally seated in full, they were separated by very few delegates. She was still polling ahead of Obama in head to head matchups against McCain. Had the Super Delegates been allowed to vote their conscience, had their been a REAL roll call vote, we might have had a different outcome.
We will never know.
Wikipedia??
ROFLMAO.
Did Dissenter really use Wikipedia as a source? That’s one of the funniest things he’s ever said.
Stop the hate!
In the example you gave, those contributions were “solicited” in the sense that they were NOT SOLICITED, and then the campaign “kept” them in the sense that it GAVE THEM BACK.
If you want to argue that the software tracking donations should have been better programmed to notice those donations earlier, or that the campaign should have done more to actively review the donations it took in, sure. But they were clearly not solicited and they were clearly not kept.
Okay. But I would like to know this. Did you gave to Obama for his campaign exclusively because he is black? Because we know one thing, being black is something he will not be able to change (presumably).
But if you gave him after or for an specific or precise campaign promise or pursuant to an specific policy, how are you feeling about your donations today?
But you wouldn’t want to be called racist right, insinuating that the only reason people gave to Obama was because he was black, and all.
Today, when he named General Shinseki as Secretary of VA Affairs? Or do you mean today when he went on Meet the Press and discussed the need for an enormous infrastructure investment in the next couple of years. Or the need to get our troops out of Iraq.
Yea, today I’m feeling pretty good about the $375 (all in $25 increments) that I gave to him.
Well, bully for you. That One still will not be paying your mortgage or car payments and that $0.05 per post you get for coming here to post your gibberish will still only get you so much Thunderbird to wash away your sorrows.
ROFLMAO Ferd. Thunderbird? I was thinking Annie Green Springs or Boone’s Farm. HAHAHAHAHHA….Troll Juice. Thunderbird = Obot Kool-Aid.
And if they get 4 or 5 posts in a thread, they can actually purchase a bottle of Night Train.
HAHAHAHHAHAH….I forgot that one. Night Train. Man, Ferd, you know all the great swill. I guess I better EDUMACATE myself on this crap because the Bots are going to be boozing it up but good when reality hits. Last time I drank that crap it was in some alley, out of a paper bag, when I was 14. Ahhh…the good old days!
And if you don’t kill off the entire bottle, you can use the remainder to strip paint or refinish wood.
Or to remove your “Obama is God” tattoos from your butt.
LMAO
Did you gave to Obama for his campaign exclusively because he is black?
Black? I thought he was Arab!
God, is it Butcher the English Language Day or what?
I am sorry about my problem but I cannot help it. I would if I could.
No, not you, the trolls, lark.
Wait a minute, Strawb… I’m having a hard time believing this.
First, you don’t know that “respect” is a verb.
Now, you don’t know that “Arab” is an adjective?
Where was you educated at?
You fracture the Queen’s English everytime you comment, UBM. You shouldn’t be criticizing another’s language skills when yours are pedestrian, at best.
This is the stupiest part of the whole thread.
Many of us on here type and make errors in spelling and grammar. Most of the time it is just typos, or we are thinking ahead of our typing.
If you guys are going to nit pick a person’s comment due to spelling or grammar, it would be in everyone’s interest to take it else where.
Hey I know some of us go of the subject at times, but I thiink agruing about grammar and spelling is way off the subject.
Judging from the content of UBM’s comments, I stand by my original comment, which, by the way, was not directed at you.
“Did you gave” is substandard English. Sorry but it isn’t a typo.
Ferd, watch out or someone will call you “racist” for commenting on UBM’s lack of proper English.
You’re probably right. Goodness knows that only racists use proper English and quibble over its usage. Proper English speakers–you’re under the bus, too.
Oops…I better update the incidents of Fraudbama and the bus. The English Language will be incident #59.
Sorry K you’re right. My original argument was that Manuel was slapping the regulars here around for simple typos then says “I prefer respecting the English language.” I love irony.
Dude, my skillz with the English language have made me a millionaire! I am renowned throughout the blogosphere as the “Coletrane of the written word.”
Better recognize.
Bush is a millionaire too.
If this is you, you’re not black.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589957/
WildChild…ROFLMAO…Uh oh, is UBM BUSTED? He does look about as black as Fraudbama though.
maybe his whiteness is the cover he uses for his inner homeboy. Ice Ice baby
OMFG…Ice Ice Baby…You know, I wonder if the current climate WILL in fact cause a bunch of people to attempt “reverse passing.” i.e., since being white is a nasty thing to be these days…anyone who can will try to “pass” for black.
WC…I’m speechless…I’m shocked how many mediocre people there are in Washington and Hollywood…wait…no I’m not.
And you’re just so proud of that, huh?People will buy all kinds of crap if it is wrapped nicely. Nevermind that it is still crap with a pretty wrapper.
So you’re just a used-car salesman of the blogosphere–big deal.
UBM – “Better recognize?”
Just exactly who the hell do you think you are? Unless you say a pompous degenerate you’re wrong.
UWM has an ear for language LOL
OIAF: Who am I? I’m the guy standing here staring at two Emmys and a Peabody Award.
How’s your career going?
{{ crickets }}
UBM,
You’re a slob and a liar – “black?” ROFLMAO.
My career is great. I will thank you when I win my Oscar. Do you think anyone here cares about your TV hack crap? No wonder everyone here hates you. You are pompous and blow smoke up your own azz for no reason. Great pic by the way LOL. Does Avery Schreiber know you stole his mustache?
wasn’t Mr. Peabody on Rocky and Bullwinkle?
And McDonald’s sells more hamburgers than anyone else, that doesn’t mean they’re any good. In fact they are shit. And if you’re so wonderful, why aren’t you spending your time at the Kennedy’s or with Spielburg in Hollywood? Isn’t trying to prove your superior intellect to a bunch of bloggers or waving your millions in our faces a little sad on your part? Yeah, you’re a real man alright, kicking down. Nicely done.
PS You loser UBM…I did work for Spielberg for five years as a production executive. You write episodic crap. Good for you. When the rest of the country recognizes YOU as David Kelley, Aaron Sorkin, Darren Starr, Jerry Bruckheimer, etc. let us know. You’re not a household name and no one gives a damn about your ER episodes.
^ Spielberg, huh? Wow.
How does he take his coffee?
just think of the joy you’ll experience if one day you are asked to fetch some for him
even better make it first and do the washing up LOL
the visual of u UWM in a pinny is hilarious….come on now you have a sense of humor right??
Um, no Guy, saying ‘Obama is Arab’ is sloppy. Twist it anyway you want, in fact please keep saying it.
“Word Usage
Arab, Arabic, or Arabian?
Arab denotes a person, and is also used before nouns as a modifier (the Arab world; Arab customs). Arabian is an adjective referring to Arabia in geographic terms (the Arabian Peninsula). Arabic is a noun and an adjective meaning the language of the Arab people (She speaks Arabic and knows Arabic literature). Arabic is written with a capital initial letter in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.), and with a small initial letter in the term gum arabic, a substance obtained from African acacia trees.”
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/arab.html
Sorry guys I just couldn’t resist.
So you’re saying you would say ‘Barky is Arab’?
Um yeah, I would have said. Obama is AN Arab, or is Arabic or of Arabian descent or Arabian but are you saying ‘Barky is Arab’ is correct?
Thanks for that, K. I hope Strawberrybitch studies it long and hard.
“He is Arab. He speaks Arabic. He wears Arabian clothes.”
Not difficult, really… if you have a good ear for language.
BOBO doesn’t speak Arabic.
So you think K would say ‘Barky is Arab’ or ‘Barky is an Arab’. Which sounds better? Hmmmmm? And you say ‘Don’t disrespect me’, don’t you?
UBM
so who wants to be a millionaire?
if your what you say you are why are you here.
Right face wrong color maybe or just trying to fudge the issue?
Get off and enjoy a cruise we will be all waving you off at the dock.
or have you recently just had your pockets lined and bank account filled up?
Which sounds better?
“He is African.” “He is an African.”
Both sound fine… because both are correct. Your confusion, Strawb, arises from the fact that the word “Arab,” like “African,” can serve as an adjective as well as a noun.
Consider this:
“She is Turkish.” “She is a Turk.”
Which sounds better? Dumb question. Both sound fine, because both are correct.
an African. Then were not left hanging.
or should I say are not left dangling…like your modifier.
You’re lack of critical thinking skills just supports my view that TV is for gits and journalism is dead if you won a Peabody. That’s why I don’t watch television and have given up on printed news. You are actually comparing Arab, African and Turkish? Yes, she is A Turk, she is TurkISH, He is AN African or he IS African but he IS Arab is still cumbersome and would get a big read slash from the nuns at my private school. And the priests at my college.
WildChild… must you?
There is no dangling modifier in the sentence “He is Arab.” Arab modified he.
Try substituting another adjective.
“He is tall. He is handsome.”
Anything dangling there? (Except in your imagination, that is.)
Pretty soon, I’ll have to start charging by the hour.
My god, my husband is reading your argument and laughing his ass off. He just finished up his MBA with honors. He suggests picking up APA manuel.
sure there is UWM. If you say he is an arab, I know exactly what you are talking about. In contrast if you say he is arab, you just used a dangling modifier because I can ask myself the question he is arab what? … amercian?… by birth?… arabbit (LOL)?
As long as I can do that then your modifier is most definitely dangling.
Oops, that should read AN APA manuel, just like Barky is AN Arab.
^ Strawb, get your husband to explain to WildChild what a “dangling modifier” is. I’m going to McDonald’s.
UBA, I’ve seen you’re picture, make sure you order a salad with low cal dressing then hit the treadmill. It’s Barky is AN Arab. Deal with it. I want to see you write Obama is Arab in one of your TV shows or for one of your columns.
If you noticed in my post Arab is a noun according to the dictionary…
UBA u said that your use of Arab was as an adjective…
I have to agree with those who say your sentence stinks.
Read and learn, K.
back from Micky d’s already UWM? you really can order to the extreme and take a bite like a vandal to light up the flaves and burn your tongue like a candle.
Now, now WildChild. Go easy on UBM. He’s probably waiting for the Government under Herr Obama to pay for his Weight Watchers membership. Obots are all about handouts after all. To heck with personal responsibility.
My last comment on this: So, with the economy clouding all the other important issues, not one Obot wants to point out the actual immorality of a candidate spending $750 million on a campaign.
I gave more also in this election to for the candidates (plural-I helped local, state, congressional, and senate candidates I believed in, besides giving more to Hillary than I have every donated to a presidential candidate before. Unlike you, it appears, I have always been involved.
But, good grief, I began to worry about my charitable giving. Like the Clintons, the Palins and McCains–and unlike Biden and the Os (look up the comparisons)–I give ALOT to charity. In fact I outspent in one year what the Bidens spent in over three for charity. I can guarantee that I don’t make one-fourth what the Bidens make.
O gets an earmark that results in a $200,000 a year raise. He spends fortunes on columns for an apotheosis ceremony (look up what the word means and then connect it to the Roman caesars). He just recently gives his wife a $30,000 piece of jewelry. I could go on about his wish to “spread the wealth.”
I wouldn’t be bragging about how much you gave to the ONE if I were you.
There comes a time when intelligent voters begin to see the corruption from the other campaign, the ignorance of his supporters and the media, and the impossibility of stopping it during a campaign. You’ve been had if you spent that much on O. You will soon learn to regret it.
You know that BS about the jewelry has been completely debunked, right? Or you would, if you didn’t just believe anything that anyone makes up that you’d like to believe. Go look it up. It’s another lie.
Prove it.
Read it and weep.
Or are the AP and the Italian designer that the ring was supposedly being bought from also part of the conspiracy to cover it up? One can’t be too careful these days, can one? Who to believe…some anonymous loon on the web, or a well-established journalism bureau and the man who would be making the alleged ring?
yes, prove it. And prove the $200,000 a year raise for Michelle did not occur. And prove that he hasn’t spent an unprecedented amount on glorifying himself with things like the nomination debacle in my state. And whatever you do, don’t answer my point about the immorality of his campaign spending. That really was the point of the campaign finance reform movement–which McCain supported, and which O turned his back on.
I will believe that O didn’t give Michelle a big “gift” when there is actual proof. Same as for his school records and his CAC records and his birth records.
You get to say the rumors have been debunked because O is now the MESIAH, and faith alone will get you to heavan, right?
No, dummy, I say it’s debunked because it is. By both the AP and the Italian designer from whom he was allegedly purchasing the ring. But for real proof, I have to look at what some online ranter is claiming, right?
But you use a “straw man” argument here. Debunk my other points, and don’t forget to debunk his personal finances, etc. All of it. He may have backed out of the jewelry deal when it proved not good PR. But he admited to the earmark and the stupidity, for example of dealing with Rezko, though he didn’t admit to how deeply illegal his deal was.
The immorality of his spending is what I want you to debunk.
Hey Dissenter…Clap Clap Clap…so you don’t believe the BS you see online? Now you know why we don’t buy Fraudbama’s BS forged BS ON LINE….Thanks for making our argument for us!
Turns out it is false…just look it up on the internet…Not to change the subject–but why did Binden’s wife get a lip lock and Michele only got a peck on the nose…Hmmmmm(its all in the link below about the jewerly and picture of kiss).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1090653/Barack-Obama-denies-claim-buy-rare-20-000-rhodium-ring-wife-say-thanks-support.html
Soooooo Barky is denying that he’s buying a ring and we should believe the little prick because….? FISA anyone, ending the Iraq war by sending the troops to Afghanistan, or how about I never heard Rev. Wright say any racist things…um yeah, I believe Barky.
But my point is about his spending. It’s like the straw man tactic Nixon used when his campaign contributions were questioned. He defended his acceptance of a puppy for his girls so he didn’t have to answer the larger question.
I will give up the point about the jewelry (though I believe there might have been something else going on about the whole report in the background), IF I GET AN ANSWER FROM THE OBOTS ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY APPROVE OF HIS DECANDENT SPENDING OTHERWISE AND HIS HYPOCRACY AS FAR AS CHARITABLE SPENDING GOES.
A man can be judged by those “small” indications of his character.
Why in the world would I care how the man spends his own money? There’s nothing to “debunk” there, unless you want to also dissect the spending habits of everyone worth several million dollars or more. At least he earned his through writing his books. Unlike the current president, whose wealth came from the taxpayers of Arlington Texas.
You’re starting to get into Limbaugh/O’Reilly “Soros bogeyman” territory here.
Hi — this is the REAL Ani writing (I understand there was an impoersonator today…
UBM…
I was motivated to give a lot to Hillary too — but it was within legal limits.
There was a woman who had $174,800 attributed to her name — meanwhile she never gave a dollar — ILLEGAL DONATIONS MUCH??
This is rampant in his campaign donations and was never investigated– I had previous articles on this -
Uppity Woman also had a great article on this very topic — Hillary and McCain bounced back questionable contributions — Obama did not.
Please, UBM, no revisionist history.
Hey manny… you alittle anal or what???
More than “alittle”
I prefer respecting the English language.
WHAT? “respecting the English language.”? I would refrain from correcting other people if I were you.
Strawberrybitch, please tell me you’re not a high-school English teacher.
Dude, Manuel is the doofus who used respect as a verb…and you should have said ‘an Arab’ or ‘he’s Arabic’ not Obama is Arab.
Seriously, I’m looking up ‘respecting’ and I’m not finding it…what dictionary are you using?
Okay dude, just got my hands on my old Funk and Wagnalls and the word ‘respecting’ was used years ago but not in the way that Manuel used it. As in ‘Respecting the Maritime Laws’, etc. Manuel’s use was clumsy, and I bet he also says ‘You’re disrespecting me’. Sorry, if that doesn’t make your eye twitch, then I don’t know what would.
Any self-respecting person would’ve quit this game by now.
Glad to hear you own a dictionary. May I also recommend Strunk & White’s “Elements of Style”?
You just got your ample ass handed to you. Deal with it.
You hit the nail on the head. There are few regulars here who are “self-respecting”. Take Wild Child, for example, who claims she got her mouth washed out with soap for lying as a child. Which probably explains why she’s still foaming at the mouth – it’s the daily diet of soap.
so kev, wouldn’t it be more honest of you to go back to using detractor as your sock puppet. Or was changing socks how you gave BOBO more then the leagal limit in funds too. LOL
Good Lord “dissenter”….Niener.
What children you idiot bots are.
Oooooo WC really hurt your feelings. Want me to kiss it and make it better?
Ani – Kudos to your post! If journalists were not corrupt this article would be front page news.
Both BO and journalists abused their power. The comparison to Nixon is accurate. I always thought that Obama would either be a McGovern or Nixon and the connection to the 1972 race is similar.
Nixon won in 1972 by a landslide. However, by then, Woodward and Bernstein were reporting on the little known Watergate break-in. It didn’t gain traction with the media and public until the Watergate hearings.
The real story is what the press is not reporting about BO. How does his appointments differ than his campaign words? How much of his campaign money was illegally raised just like Watergate? How many journalists have been paid off by his campaign? If it’s true that Caroline Kennedy is interested in Hillary’s Senate seat, I think this is another abuse of power by the elite. How is CK qualified to be a Senator? Let her run in her own race.
The way Reid, Frank, Waters, Dodd, and others are talking and acting in these Congressional hearings is a travesty. They are all part of the problem along with BO.
Haven’t you heard??? One has no need to be ‘qualified’ or ‘experienced’ anymore!
Clearly that was proven by the Sarah Palin debacle.
Take a look at Caroline’s Resume and tell me she isn’t just as qualified as half the buffoons in run for their first Senate terms.
Yup, I agree, she is definitely more qualified than Barky.
CK maybe… But Sarah Palin, most definately is MORE qualified than bobo.
Hehe.
The jokes just keep on coming…
I was being snarky, sjc. Obviously CK is not qualified, but she’s more so than Barky. She grew up in and around politics. Barky grew up snorting coke and body surfing in Hawaii.
Aye. I agree strawberry!
Manny,
You have a copy of CK resume? Where can I get a copy? I’d like to see what she’s done.
Stop the hate!
Sure.
-BA from Harvard
J-D from Columbia
-Intern with Senator Ted Kennedy, at US Daily News
-Founder of Profile in Courage Award
-Chief executive for the Office of Strategic Partnerships for the New York City Department of Education.
-Vice Chair of The Fund for Public Schools, a public-private partnership founded in 2002 to attract private funding for public schools in New York City
-President of the Kennedy Library Foundation
-Director of both the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
I mean, what the hell has she been doing with her life, right?
So, you haven’t SEEN it and you don’t have a copy. Darn. I’m going to have to add liar to the other words that describe you (hater, sexist, and delusional).
Stop the hate!
Oh Donna, Donna Donna.
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Then again I’m just a stupid Obot so what the hell do I know.
Well, you finally had an epithany! Sometimes acknowledging what you are is the hardest thing. I can go watch football now.
See you sexist, hater!
Those are little more than fancy puff appointments for rich and privileged.
little Princesses
Amazing how one hops right out of school to become “Chief Executive for the Office of Strategic Partnerships for the City of NY Dept of Education.”
Her “resume” reads like a Banana Republic dictator’s chest of shiny gold medals.
What has the woman DONE besides having her ass sucked by institutions trying to cash in on her fancy name?
What work did she do besides helping out doting Uncle Teddy?
Obviously, you’re all just a bunch of sexist pigs and misogynists for saying all these hateful things about Caroline Kennedy.
Maneul…
EXACTLY! So glad you saw the light. Yes, you are a stupid Obot who believes exactly what you were TOLD to believe by Camp Coackroach and the lying, biased media. Yippieeee….ONE TROLL already converted. How many trolls does the Fraud have on staff? This could be a long job.
Manny – she also wrote a very good book called In Our Defense about the genius and importance of the Bill of Rights.
Totally unqualified, you betcha.
Dissenter:
You’ve SEEN her resume too! Goodness, share with the rest of the class where it’s posted.
Stop the hate!
Oy, I love the Kennedys myself, but let’s face it, those are not elected positions, those were handed to her because of her name. You know damned good and well if she were some poor working class woman with five children and a hot husband who clawed her way to the top of the political heap, she wouldn’t sell books or get appointed to a bunch of bullshit posts.
I believe Ellen Alderman is generally given credit for that book.
Actually, all that stuff CK has on her ‘cv’ is either directly gratis her funny uncle, or indirectly gratis other Kennedys, her being the oldest, surviving, etc., figurehead of a ‘lineage’ that is now more irrelevant than ever.
She didn’t even write those zero ‘law’ books on her own, not that they actually say anything anyway.
CK is NOT qualified to do much more than launch ships and introduce speakers.
Talk about being rendered sightless by idolatry!!!
PUMA!!!
Make her the ambassador to Monaco.
Heck, I say, name her to Secretary of the Treasury! I’m sure she knows all about money!
Stop the hate:-)
ROFLMAO…He’s not the President yet. Not even the “President Select.” The Constitution has clear requirements and Fraudbama refuses to clarify whether he is eligible. Therefore, since he hasn’t addressed the eligibility requirements, he can’t be the “President Select.” And before the scumbag Obots here start ranting…I told you children if and when you see a hard copy, REAL version of Fraud’s BC, then you can pop off with your filth. Until then, Mr. Kenyan Born Fraud has NEVER proven to ANYONE he is in fact eligible and until he does he’s NO ONE’S “President Select.” 6 cases in the Supreme Court and STILL the FRAUD refuses to just hand a real copy over to the judge. That’s not “tin foil hat” nonsense – that’s a FACT. So when psycho wowow starts up…STFU troll until you can prove that he has a REAL BC. You can’t. So move on. The rest of us will keep filing lawsuits until this is dealt with. Can you IMAGINE? The rest of the world laughing at us because we didn’t bother to check out the candidate Bill Richardson HIMSELF calls an “IMMIGRANT?” LOL LOL LOL. Bought the Oval Office? Of course he did. He’s a con man, fraud and a joke. Ani, I respect your post of course. As I am sure you respect the rest of us who are laughing at this country for what it just did, and trying to end it peacefully in dissent. Unless that PIG George Soros, who owns the Fraud and therefore owns America at this point, has written the 9 justices at SCOTUS big fat checks, then eventually they have to deal with the 6 lawsuits. If they dismiss them, we file more. Period.
Thanks for another good laugh.
Manuel…
The only laugh here is you trolls. Get a life.
I have come the conclusion that when BO swears for the presidency, he will become personally liable to anyone he damages with his decisions. So I expect that smart people will sue him for their loses – being that he took it upon himself to exercise the office of the presidency without being eligible.
Don’t worry guys. I’m sure any day now that Whitey Tape will surface, along with the evidence that Obama is a secret muslim, and a Kenyan citizen.
Brosh…what will you do when you’re out of a job then? I mean, if he’s hasn’t conned himself into the WH then he has no need for trolls does he? I can’t speak to the Whitey Tape as I haven’t seen it. But you have no proof that he ISN’T a Muslim, nor do you have any proof of where he was born. When you do, check back with us.
Ah… he wasn’t born at all really… He is hologram. ( a very expensive one!)
“But you have no proof that he ISN’T a Muslim”
This is basic stuff here, smart guy. When you are saying something, the burden of proof is on the one making the accusation. You’re the one that has to show proof that he IS a muslim. This is debating 101, and you just utterly failed.
Asking me to prove what isn’t? LOL
Uhhhh…He proved it to me. On ABC – when he said “My Muslim Faith.” That’s wasn’t just a slip. That was an EMBARRASSING cop to the truth by the FRAUD. LMFAO. When I talk to people, I don’t accidentally say “My Jewish Faith” because I’M NOT JEWISH. You people are such boobs it just kills me. Never mind his quotes about how beautiful the Muslim Prayer is, etc. Do we need to repost those quotes? I have more than enough proof. And, gee, I don’t consider Rashad Khalidi, Khalid Al Monsour, Louis Farakhaan, etc. part of my cadre of friends either. But guess who does? THE FRAUD. LOL LOL LOL when do you Bots do your homework and stop spouting off the crap your were programmed to spew at Camp Cockroach???
there is no problem as far as Im concerned what Obama’s faith is.
The problem I see is that Obama says that he has never been a Muslim.
I think he should be saying that he has never been a Muslim as an adult.(what religion a parent pushes on a child should have no bearing a a persons characte. However, talking about that part of their life is a LIE).
No, we are saying he’s not eligible to be president, he must prove he is. Every American out there must prove they are eligible for even the most mundane things. Such as driver’s licenses, student aid, etc. I had to have my original BC to get into flight school. Not a copy like Barfo passed around. He needs to be held to the same standard as every other American.
one set of rules that bind us all
If you make a direct statement, “He isn’t a Muslim” in a debate, you are required to offer proof. For example, you can offer his statements in contradiction or the fact of his membership in a non Muslim Church. However, if you are presented contradicting written proof, as in the form of a school registration with his religion clearly listed as Muslim, you are required to present an argument to prove the written document is a mistake or forgery.
I have no proof that you AREN’T a terrorist. Or murderer. Or pedophile. Dinosaur? Hindu? Woman? Child? Chair?
That’s not how it works, buddy.
You moron. I’m also not the “President Select.” You freaks keep forgetting that we do have laws, a Constitution, and requirements for POTUS. And your boss isn’t cutting it. We’ll expose him, one way or another and then you’ll be unemployed again.
Already unemployed, thanks to your people.
another ignorant, uninformed troll. The Democrats have been in control for TWO YEARS. For the last 4, Republicans tried to get regulations passed because of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. DEMOCRATS REFUSED TO PASS ANY. What has started this economic meltdown? The mortgage crisis. Do your homework…..
Buddy if you actually believe the load of crap you’re spewing then I feel sorry for you.
You think this meltdown started TWO YEARS AGO?
This meltdown started 20 years ago. It was just prolonged by a terrific Democratic Presidency for 8 years, and then it took another 6 years of Republican trickle down economics to finish what they started in the 80’s.
The regulations the Republicans wanted to pass on Freddie and Frannie had absolutely nothing to do with the mortgage crisis. And while the mortgage crisis underlies our economic crisis it is NOT the cause of it – no, see, if we had had a mortgage crisis but still had the regulations on banks and other industries that we had in the 90’s, then such companies couldn’t have purchased such mortage securities with OUR money and thus lose it all. Sure mortages are the ultimate problem, but it was the failed economic policies of the Republican leadership that created the intertwined web of disaster that is now unraveling into depression.
You’re full of crap!
Obviously you have no clue what runs economies…
We have had a prolonged expansion lasting since the mid 80’s when inflation finally got under control and interest rates dropped. Reagan put inplace a free market economy that increased our GDP from 9-14 trillion.
In that time free people have been able to prosper in all industries.
I know that the industries I serve were only a fraction as big as they are now including my own.
The blame for this calamity rests solely on those that wanted to inject socialism in to the equation and give houses to those that could not make the payments.
Whether it be Obama and his acorn thugs storming banks demanding homes or whether it be Raines and his corruption or Franks Waters and Dodd America knows who have cost us 7 trillion and a half of year of total wealth in this country.
You’ve been corrected on this lie more than once, and had no response to it, so I guess it’s fair to conclude that you’re not just un- or mis-informed, but are purposely lying.
That won’t make what you are saying any truer, and people who know better will simply conclude that you’re ignorant or dishonest, but whatever, dude. It’s your rep, and to be fair, there’s probably not much you could do to damage here amongst folks who have such low standards for things like honesty.
You’re response is generalized and doesn’t pertain to me which causes me to believe that you have no original thoughts to add to this blog.
Calling me a liar for speaking the obvious truth about the growth this nation has experienced over the past 25 years and the resulting collapse do to the mortgage mess
shows me that you are not part of the greater economy.
Enjoy your bread and soup..
That’s just a blatant lie.
Fannie and Freddie collectively securitized subprime loans for only 2 years – 2005 and 2006. In 2005, the amount was 3% of the total number of subprime loans made. In 2006, it was 15% of the total subprime loans made. Note that both years were before Congress changed hands. Note further that Freddie and Fannie’s holdings were in the A- category only – the safest of all subprime loans. Note further that Freddie and Fannie’s overall default rate is 1.5%, compared with the 5% default rate of the private lenders the Republicans refused to regulate. Note that prior to January 2007, the Republicans held veto-proof majorities and could have passed whatever they wanted. And note one last time for the record that you are either a) woefully misinformed or b) just lying.
No manny… how it works in THIS country is if you WANT to be pres, you have to be born here. So yes. You DO have to ~~prove~~ it. Ah there it is again… that pesky Constitution!
If you are making one or all of the above accusations, oiaf will be judged by a jury of his peers, an anthropologist, gynecologist or carpenter. Otherwise, your argument is factious and I’m certain oiaf will be able to PROVE HE ISN’T due to lack of evidence. Those who resort to factious arguments in a debate will lose a debate. Since there is real, conflicting evidence re. Mr Obama’s religious affiliation and he has stated categorically he has never been a Muslim, it is a valid point of argument. Whereas unless oiaf’s father enrolled him in grade school as a reptile, he has no need to prove he is not genetically related to a dinosaur. And, that’s how it words, buddy.
What is actually the worse part of all this spending is what this money could have done for others.
How many foreclosurers could have been helped out, how many umemployed helped, how many failing small companies helped, how many schools could have been helped and the list goes on.
The money spent by all three candidates was sick but the money spent by the DNC and Obama was really sick.
Especially on the acceptance speech and election night party. I hate to think how much Federal money Obama is going to spend on the inaguaration
240 Million for Seven Days of Inaugural Parties. He’s vile. Then he gets up in front of the country and talks about our crappy economy. He has done NOTHING but spend our money. His parties, trips, etc. He’s Mr. Spendy Bling who doesn’t give a damn about us and this country. He’s “breaking DC” with this party crap and he just has to have it. Last toll, the security ALONE was 15 Million. Never mind the Fraudbama ICE SCULPTURES that will probably be every ten feet at the week long bash. He makes me puke.
But it would be interesting to see his and MO’s and their kids and mother/brother/sister bank balances and asset statements about now.
I bet we would see a lot of creating financial things going on there.
I agree. An opulent, disgusting, self patronizing waste of money. Behold! The Ceasar obama!
this is getting worse by the minute.
No ,I will not move on..No I will not help the low life lying cheating nasty ..Obama
Hand it over the long form birth certificate.Not stick another fraud or colbs that leaves out vital information of the hospital-hospital- seal-doctor -father-mother-dates -age prints.parents and more information.Does Pelsoi and Obama think the judges are stupid? Thinking “Hey go to the website and look at the colb..Hell the colbs does not = the true long form vital birth certificate that Obama is runing from.
UP HOLD THE CONTITUTION AND TAKE NO LESS!!!!!
Hand it over Obama..The people of USA are waiting to see it..
Seriously it scares the shit out of me that people in this country can actually be as uninformed as paranoid as you BC-Bots.
Hey did you hear, Manny has a copy of CK’s resume!
Stop the hate!
Manuel…Show us the BC then we stop. Oops. You can’t. Are you an American born citizen MANUEL? Did you ever read the CONSTITUTION? Look it up. It’s a fascinating document. And when you post your vile little rants…maybe you can explain to us why your boss, the Fraud, won’t show a real document. Instead of being an insulting POS…just answer the question. And it’s you brain dead BOTS that scare the hell out of any normal, decent citizen of this country. PERIOD.
Hello my wise OIAF
You have hit the nail on the head. If there is nothing to hide why hide it.
I want to see the Columbia transcripts
I want to talk to some of his college friends
I want to see his BC
but all this will come out in the enquirer later.
Remember…Its’ all about making money for the media
Hey Moss!
That’s why some of us said “Dissent From Day 1″ and won’t go quietly into the dark letting the Fraud perpetrate his con job on our country. He will NEVER be MY President, ever. I don’t take well to lies, cheating, and fraud. But, at this moment, he really isn’t ANYONE’S President Select. Logic says he can’t be.
That’s great. And Bush was never “My President.” But he was THE President, and he did a pretty awesome job and completely screwing up our country.
So, lucky for you, whether Obama is YOUR President or not, the policies he makes will effect you. If it’s for the worse, I’m sorry. But I’d be willing to bet my life it’ll be for the better.
Obama’s policies will not affect me for the better because I work and don’t wait on hand outs.
when is your trolling shift over?
That might actually be the cost if we dismantle the shield that Bush has built against the terrorists
Manny,
Don’t count your chickens pal. Lots of us are working for that not to happen. And, troll, I don’t know who the F you are talking to but I didn’t vote for Bush either time so STFU about that. Some of us are AMERICANS and we like our lifestyle and the freedoms created by people who shed blood for them. You know, the freedom you have to be sitting here blogging your nonsense. Patriots are fighting for the Constitution. Sorry you might not get your handout tomorrow. But you weren’t REALLY going to get it anyway. He just told you that to get votes. Go look at his district in Chicago and see what he thinks of his voters. It’s not pretty.
Obama, “natural born” citizen of the United States, Constitution of the United States
The Divided States of America
By Henry Lamb Sunday, December 7, 2008
What happens if it turns out that Obama is not a “natural born” citizen of the United States? Does it really matter? He has won the popular vote; he has won the Electoral College vote, and he has nominated an impressive array of high-powered people to lead the nation.
Should he be forced to relinquish the presidency simply because his mother was too pregnant to fly and was forced to deliver Obama in Kenya? What difference does it really make? Is he not the same person that he would have been had his mother actually made it back to Hawaii before he was born?
What would be the public reaction if the Supreme Court forced the state of Hawaii to release his birth certificate that revealed that he was actually born in Kenya and his birth “registered” in Hawaii? Would the millions of people who voted for Obama respect the Constitution and demand that he step aside? Or, would they demand that the Constitution be ignored, so Obama could take the oath to “…preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States?”
This scenario – in the unlikely event that it should unfold – would reveal just how deep and wide is the chasm between the two Americas that occupy the 50 now-divided states of America.
Every elected official takes an oath to “…preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution…” and then many of them proceed to ignore both the oath and the Constitution. Hillary Clinton’s reaction to Al Gore’s failure to win the Electoral College was to declare that she would work to abandon the Constitutional system. Congress has repeatedly rejected efforts to establish rules or law that require every new legislative proposal to cite the Constitutional authority for the proposal. Every time a new Congress convenes, the Constitution is pushed a little further back into irrelevance.
The system of governance created by the U.S. Constitution is unique in the world. It was created expressly to recognize that the government is limited by the Constitution and is empowered only by the consent of the people.
This government created by the Constitution no longer exists.
The America which would ignore the Constitution in order to welcome Obama into the White House now dominates the political machinery of both the executive and legislative branches of government. So thorough is this domination that the very sovereignty of the United States is in jeopardy.
The Americans who would demand inauguration of President Obama, whether he is a citizen or not, would not hesitate to subject the United States to a power that is not limited by the consent of the governed. If the “natural born” provision in the Constitution is irrelevant, then so is the provision that limits the power of the government.
Obama, and his high-powered team, has already declared their willingness to subject the sovereignty of the United States to the supreme power of the United Nations. The United Nations is constructed on the belief that government is the source of power – and grants, or denies, rights to individuals. Individuals have no rights that are not granted by government, and government has the innate power to enforce those rights by whatever means it may deem necessary.
The system of governance created by the U.S. Constitution cannot exist under the authority of the U.N. Obama, and his high-powered team, will embrace U.N. treaties that have been successfully stalled for years. Obama, and his high-powered team, will embrace U.N. initiatives, such as a new emissions-reduction scheme, a new global central banking system, new funding mechanisms for the U.N., and submission to the International Criminal Court.
Most of this change can be made during Obama’s first term. Once done, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to undo. But the people who want Obama in the White House, whether he is a “natural born” citizen or not, won’t care. They have no respect for the Constitution, or for the limited government it created.
On the other hand, the people who say Obama must step aside – if he is not a natural born citizen, have much work to do. It is too late to undo what the November election did, but it’s not too late to begin to limit the damage. Every elected official who is an Obama supporter should be challenged to declare whether they would support inauguration of Obama were it proven that he is not a natural born citizen. Those who would support Obama in violation of the Constitution should be targeted now for removal in the next election.
Every parent who has a child in middle-school or beyond should see that their children read and understand the U.S. Constitution. This essential knowledge cannot be left to the public schools. Every Parent-Teacher Association, every church and civic club, and every community organization should undertake a study of the Constitution, with emphasis on current policies that are not authorized by the Constitution.
If there is ever to be a United States of American again, it must begin with a united respect for our founding documents.
I did not either. Eventually, people will realize they should have wondered: Why did people who did not vote for Bush two times suddenly voted for the GOP candidate this time around? This was a drastic switch for us! Those of us who switched parties were the canaries in the coal mine, so to speak.
The good news is, I am committed to being independent now, and what I should have done all along I will do now: I vow to vote on each candidate by qualifications and shared values, not on party.
Not me. I’m GOP for good. There has to be some balance to the morals and values that the left is eroding. Oh yeah, and that pesky little Constitution the left things they should wipe their butts with. No more Dems for me for life. Never.
Balance is always a good thing. If the status quo remains, I will probably vote favoring the GOP in 2 and 4 years. As it stands now neither party reflects my centrist values of principled compromise. Ugh.
I guess the two of us should reserve the right to change our minds though? I thought I would never vote for the GOP, because of the same balance issue you raised. But I was forced to reassess this lifelong position and made the change to indy. This was no easy decision but circumstances warranted the change.
Amen Sister. My eyes are finally open to the sexism, hypocrisy, chicanery, corruption etc. that is the Democratic Party (special thanks to Obama, Brazile, Barney Frank, Howie Dean and the rest of the Dem Part elite for the extra-strength eye drops). It’s GOP for life for me.
Many more people switched the other way.
oh to Nader?
And where is the justification for such an outrageous statement? What exactly is in the history of That One which leads you to believe this crock of manure?
I think your foil hat is about two sizes too small.
Two days ago they said on ABC that he was naming up to 20 ‘classmates.’
I have to cringe involuntarily at that.
strange that its all after the fact
What the said was misleading. By classmates, they meant graduates from Columbia and Harvard, no necessarily from his years of study. As far as I can tell, only one or two classmates have ever stepped forward, to say they knew him from school. Why so few?
I am still wondering what the big deal about is BC is all about.
We know where everyone else was born, and even McCain showed his BC — I think twice.
What is so hard about showing his hospital BC.
Hey manny… clean up all that shit you’re dropping before you leave
[...] Does It Infuriate Anyone That You Can Now Buy The Presidency? I know there have been some comments posted wondering at the direction of NoQuarter, whether or not we are “moving on” and “gently coaxing” our readers to do the same. Well, here is one chick not “moving on,” although I am moving forward. Certainly, it doesn’t look like we can undo the travesty of this election, so my version of moving forward is to honestly report what happened so it does not happen again. The way to do that is to call those out on the carpet who deserve it. And that includes [...]
Only Greta pounded on Obama and had unabashed support for Palin without any opposing view to counter her views. But it was obvious that she was able to get a coverage of Palin that was quite close and personal and that elicited the envy of most pundits. She was able to get a privileged access that no one else was able to obtain. None the less, she reported on all of it and she understood through her access that all the smears against Palin were made out of an spiteful attitude towards Palin being a woman wielding unmitigated power without having any personal conflicts, misrepresentations or excuses.
Ani,
Well done. I commend you.
I take this is a rhetorical question, Ani.
And thanks for composing this article.
As you know Ani, I took some of the heat on this. Then I realized, people who may have thought I was trying the Jedi Mind Trick via spiked koolaid were doing the same to me. They could have just as easily been trying to “gently coax” me to be in a place I did not want to be. Then I reminded them I was in the trenches with them as we fought first for Hillary, and then for McCain.
Additionally, I will never forgive nor forget what happened and people should watch for periodic reminders in my writing. There might be a reminder this evening as I came up with a story idea over lunch with a loved one.
People should do what is best for them, move on, move forward, take two steps backwards, whatever — its all good. I deeply respect freedom and choice, and they should return that respect. BTW thanks Ani for standing up with me as I took some flying barbs the other day on this. YAFGO applies.
I don’t see it mentioned, will there be an actual investigation to see if O’s donors went over their limits and if there were overseas donors (which I thought was illegal?)
I too gave for the first time, to Hillary. I cannot stomach O. They are going to set up a TV in our lecture hall (at a top-tier university) for the day of the inauguration since it is so historic. I had a different sort of historic in mind, a woman. Same old, same old.
Suspending classes?
If anyone was paying attention, they got an early glimpse into BHO’s true character (not the brand) when he signed an agreement stating he would accept public financing of his campaign and then made up some excuse to go back on his word. A man who would not honor his commitment to something such as that will surely cave- in on other matters when under pressure, or when the morally correct choice is too hard or inconvenient. They say character is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Wonder what he would do when no one is around? You can’t lead without the trust of the people.
The truth is, Ms. Kennedy was born and raised in an ivory tower.
Even her ritzy Harvard education is a legacy. Almost anyone
with a parent who attended Harvard, ESPECIALLY a high-profile,
well-to-do parent gets into Harvard.
Ms. Kennedy expects, and has had everything her little heart desired.
She is in a class far away from people in the state of NY. She does
not have a clue about 99% of the population in this state.
Our U.S. representative seat as a throne.
The truth is, Ms. Kennedy was born and raised in an ivory tower.
Even her ritzy Harvard education is a legacy. Almost anyone
with a parent who attended Harvard, ESPECIALLY a high-profile,
well-to-do parent gets into Harvard.
Ms. Kennedy expects, and has had everything her little heart desired.
She is in a class far away from people in the state of NY. She does
not have a clue about 99% of the population in this state.
Our U.S. representative seat is not a throne.
Good article Ani. Yes it does disturb and disgust me that the Presidency is now for sale. All it takes is scamming hundreds of millions of dollars (some from illegal overseas sources, including terrorists) and spending said millions on cheesy stage props, tattoos, rock bands, and T-shirt shirts with vulgar slurs and slogans on them to get the job done. Hail to our new Chief.
This country is in a freefall shame spiral. And 40-some million of us are going to suffer the fallout and devastation from the White House purchase, which we tried to stop.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/06/obama-spent-m-campaign-funds-rockers-tattoos-ads/
I profoundly appreciate you and all those I shared the trenches with during this election. No one can ever say we did not try. And no one can ever blame us for any fallout stemming from this next administration. Our hands are clean. I know, its not enough. But at least we have our dignity intact.
Right back at you Galt.
All Obama has ever done is run for office. He has no actual concept of how business is run.
The waste will be immense and the fall very great.
Moss, I left a reply to your last comment on the auto industry thread. –Galt
Excellent post per usual, Ani! In a related vein, here’s a must-read article by Jim Petras:
The Election of the Greatest Con-Man in the World:
http://petras.lahaine.org/articulo.php?p=1766&more=1&c=1
And I’m feeling pretty much what mountainaires has said here:
A very sad, sad day for America. What can ordinary folk do, when it looks like the voting populace are merely used as window dressing for a sham representative democracy? When the Powers-That-Be have decided beforehand who the ‘leader’ (puppet, these days) is going to be, regardless of how the votes turn out? Voters are irrelevant to the decision-making process in these ‘elections’ anymore.
Is blogger Shtuey’s 50% solution (see link below) a doable one? That’s an idea I think whose time has come.
http://ohmyvalve.blogspot.com/2008/11/on-life-universe-and-everything.html
******
Yes, Obama ( Mr. Soetoro) used Acorn to buy this election and it really ticks me off. And He isn’t even an American Citizen, but a citizen of Indonesia
Ani–Great post and analysis. I’ve been fuming about the money. Every time someone asks me about how “great it is that BO was elected” I answer:
Best democracy money can buy!
I used to hate Nader for what happened in FL when Bush was installed in office but after Hillary bowed out of the primary it was a Nader sticker I had on my car that said–Imagine Democracy.
Nader is right–there’s too much money in our politics and it is sickening. And I used to naively think the Dems were “better” than the Rs but now I know they are all the same–all beholden to the money and corporations.
And with the American Idolization of politics I give up on the wisdom of the American people. I don’t think Ill ever really participate in politics again. I’m too disgusted with the DNC and everything that happened this time.
There are a lot of great comments here I agree with –but please ignore the trolls! They are such a bore!
Yes! It is very wrong that the presidency can be bought. I understand most of the winners in the last election “happened” to spend more than their opponents. Worse than this, because of who won, it is very unlikely we can do anything to stop this from happening again. In fact, it is very unlikely that we can stop this gang from continuing this trend and, even more important, from doing great damage to America. Tomorrow the Supreme Court is expected to give its opinion of the Donofrio “natural born citizen” suit. Regardless, the fight for America is at a more critical than we probably realize, and fight we must.
If PUMAs are quiet or less active it doesn’t mean they’ve moved on.
Do you tell other Democrats to get over the stolen 2000 election?
Do you tell battered women to get over their abuse?
I will never forget and will always remind people about the corruption and misogyny of the 2008 election.
Agreed. We must make sure that people never forget the corruption and misogyny — otherwise it will surely continue.
Ani – Terrific stuff. You know that I not only compared Obama to Nixon on my blog from way back, but The Denver Group made some powerful ads drawing the comparison. The parallels are numerous: not just the approach to money; but the sexist campaigning (see Nixon/Helen Gahagan Douglas); the odd assortment of associates; the constant playing of the victim.
I agree with you: I love my country and I cannot wish a bad result for an Obama administration. Let us hope it does not end in Nixonian collapse.
Things don’t add up, and where is the 151 million dollars discrepancy?
http://pumapac.org/2008/12/04/wheres-the-money/
Tomorrow is an important day. Supreme Court simply must uphold the Constitution and must not look the other way regarding natural born citizen which Obama likely is not. They are our last hope besides voting out all supporters who don’t care and want to go ahead with violating the Constitution simply because they like Obama and his team. God help us.
What ever happened to all the voter fraud charges and ACORN and how crooked the election was etc.???
Is everyone sweeping all that under the rug?
It is about Hate, it is about rule of law, fairness, honesty, integrity. Where did it go and when did lies become the norm and acceptable????????Not my world anymore and glad I am old and soon be done with it all.
whoops, last comment “It ISN’t about Hate” I meant to say. I have eye problems sorry about that.
Oprah paid off the media not because he’s qualified.
It was a racist thing.
Obama has no experience.
He has no business running for President.
I have my own small business and would never hire a person without a tremedous amount of experience.
How can our government allow someone like Obama run our country?
Is this nuts or what?
Buying the presidency is nothing new. Joe Kennedy to his son Jack, ‘Don’t expect a landslide, I’m not buying any more votes than you need’. And he didn’t.
http://www.ytedk.com/jfk.htm
Barrogant will never be my president. I may even leave the country when I get my son settled in college, if SCOTUS allows this usurper in.
Truly an excellent article.
Why can’t we just say that each candidate gets 2 million to spend and that’s it? Use it wisely. Otherwise, show up to publicly funded debates and actually have to debate if you want people to see and hear you. And none of these jack*** debates led by media dolts who ask amazingly stupid and lackluster questions.
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