Friday Goodies – 10/10/08

October 10, 2008 by weatherdem 1 Comment

In a Sinking Economy.

I know this is going to come up again someday, so I’m going to get ahead of it.  Sarah Palin has said in the past she was responsible for bringing a pipeline to Alaska that would deliver natural gas to the lower 48.  The cowardly John McCain told his Faux Noise extremist buddy Sean Hannity the same thing.  The problem?  Both Sarah and John are lying.  Again.  No part of the pipeline has been built.  Federal approval is still years away and, just like the rest of the pro-drilling idiot crowd, no natural gas will make its way to the lower 48 for at least 10 years.  So here’s a major difference between Obama and McCain: in 10 years, Obama’s energy policies will put us well on the way toward making renewables our primary source of energy.  McCain and Palin will still be waiting for oil to be drilled off-shore, for natural gas to be sent from Alaska and for oil to be drilled out of oil shale.  Obama will have taken meaningful steps towards mitigating human forced climate change.  McCain and Palin will still be burning every fossil fuel they can.  Obama offers change, pure and simple.

More on the last point: whoever is elected in November has the opportunity to demonstrate the U.S.’s leadership on climate change to the world.  They can go to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland in December.  They can commit to reducing GHG emissions.  They can commit to providing assitance to developing countries.  They can commit to a more prosperous 21st century.

I want to bring every reader’s attention to the comment by Marie, below.  For now, I have approved it so that I can point out the lack of facts in any of the points and clips.  I have also approved it to bring awareness of the larger message: when Republicans lose races across the country this year, they’re going to scream about Democrats stealing the election, with no factual basis.  It is obvious that this frame is being established now by CONServative leaders and all their extremist followers are following the tune, as usual.  Now, let’s get to some facts:

First, get the terminology correct.  ACORN can’t commit voter fraud.  Only voters can commit voter fraud.  You would still be incorrect about their intent if you called it registration fraud, but at least then it would be a credible criticism.

Second, Obama did give ACORN $800K – in the primaries.  He hasn’t given them anything since.  It’s incredible to me that CONServatives have the worldview that working hard to register people is somehow a bad thing.  Real people are being registered by ACORN and dozens of other entities.  You know why?  Democrats win when more people vote.  Republicans win when people are not allowed to vote.  That’s what this attack against ACORN is all about: preventing citizens from voting.  That’s disgusting and immoral.

Third, do you really think ACORN has that much power?  Seriously, CONServatives’ conspiracies would be laughable if they didn’t have so much control over the media.  How could ACORN possibly force any bank to give sub-prime mortgages to unqualified borrowers?  Banks were more than happy to do so – it kept their gambling habits stoked.  You only undermine your own credibility when such silly things are spread.

Fourth, Obama worked for ACORN a long time ago.  This is the same nonsense that McCain’s handlers want CONServatives to focus on: people that Obama had an association with that have nothing to do with his job today.  Is your point that Obama forced ACORN to force banks to give people with bad credit mansions?  Because that’s just ridiculous.  If it’s something else, just come out and say it.  And that’s what this boils down to: McCain and his CONservative supporters are all cowards.  They don’t have what it takes to just come out and say what they think about Obama.  They’re running around whispering rumors to each other and insinuating things about Obama.  Who happens to be a freaking sitting U.S. Senator.  If you really think he’s done all the bad things you’re insinuating, it should be easy to convince your DA or the DoJ that Obama should be jailed.  Otherwise, you’re all just a small fringe group.  Americans aren’t going to be scared by your b.s. this time around.  They’re seeing through your little acts and realize their lives are better when they’re working for the future and not piddling themselves underneath their beds.

Some additional ACORN facts: they’re required by law to turn in every completed application, even if they know it to be problematic.  ACORN flags incomplete or suspicious applications when they turn them in to county officials.  Election officials often ignore those flags when they’re turned in, causing themselves headaches down the road.  There has never been a single proven case of anyone, anywhere, casting an illegal vote as a result of a false registration.  Not surprisingly, none of the corporate media reports relayed any of this information.  Some investigation.  Stop the fear-mongering.  It’s pathetic.