Aug 23 2008
NEWSMATTERS - Go Go Joe!
GO GO JOE!
What a great choice! Joe Biden. Yes, I’d have been thrilled if Joe had gotten the nod for Prez too. More or less. Considering the options that peopled the stage for the primary debates. But Obama got the nod, and all said and done, I’m thrilled with Barack. Yeah, he’s more “centrist” than I’d like, really, right out of the DNC mold. Hardly “the most liberal Democrat in the Senate” as he’s been dubbed. Hardly. But I admit - hear a speech or two, here and there, and at times I was subject to Obamamania myself. He can - and does - inspire. He’s inspired millions. So seriously, ask yourself, when was the last time you were inspired? By a politician no less. Okay, it’s an aging cliche by now, but he does give off a Kennedy-esque shiver at times. No wonder Teddy and Caroline came to his early support. And I ask you - is that so wrongggg???? Here’s a man, a goodhearted man, an intelligent guy, who can speak and make sense and touch people and help lift us higher. A man who’s lit the worldwide stage and rekindled even a glimmer of the kind of respect America used to have. Not bad, huh?
But back to Joe. A bright, sharp, witty, funny guy with his heart in, oh so, the right place. So pro-women’s rights. And gay rights. And workers’ rights. “Fighting for the middle class” has become campaign-slogan fodder for both parties, but Joe’s a guy who’s been there for the middle class his whole life. Between Joe and Barack - my goodness, isn’t it a breath of fresh air to actually have two people to look at and listen to who are actually intelligent? Who, when they speak, speak to reason? Who, in their quieter moments, show that they are men with heart?
It’s been a crazy year, the craziest. wildest Presidential campaign I can remember. And this time is sooo important. I truly believe we cannot afford any more time with these bastards in the executive branch. We have lost too much, there’s too much to lose, and between our threadbare democracy and the dangers we have to confront in and outside the U.S., our economy in shambles, we really, really, really can’t afford anymore youknowwhat!
I’m thinking now of Hillary (remember when you couldn’t say her name without the adjective “inevitable” or “frontrunner”?) and the dozen or so men who first paraded out in the early Democratic primary debates. Remember those scenes? And how it was said - and really clear- what a Strong panel of talent there was there. All things considered. How “any one of them would be so much better than Bush.” True.
And the Republican primary contests - remember those, and the panel of those guys? Lunatics, morons, criminals, creeps and maniacs. Remember Joe’s funny line about Giuliani: how he couldn’t say anything that wasn’t “a noun, a verb and 9/11″? Ohhh, the pandering, the posturing, the doggone crap on display. What was it, 3 out of the 8 or so of them that didn’t believe in evolution??? The preacher who was the evangelical’s darling, who really wanted to get a talk show out of the deal? Forget his name. Oh, Hucklebee, something like that? And Mitt Romney, the billionaire Ken doll, who changed any and every ‘position’ he ever had, no more visible example of raw amoral ambition there ever was. Handsome, yeah, in a Stepford kind of way. And then there was Duncan Hunter, remember that winner? He wanted to bomb everyone, if I recall. Dr. STrangelove lives. And good ol’ Tom Tancredo. Talk about your one-position candidates. His first, middle and last sentence was all about immigration. That’s the “nice” way of putting it. It all came down to racism. For Tancredo, it was “the Mexicans are coming, the Mexicans are coming!” What other winners am I leaving out? Oh yeah, there was McCain. There is McCain. More about him later. Can’t even stomach to think of him tonight.
Oh, I am so so sick of cynicism and manipulation and the perpetuation of a corporate-ruled feigned democratic republic, of, by and for the rich. The Orwellian twisting of language and Rovian strategies. When did “sound bites” become the norm and advertising campaigns take the place of leadership and real human involvement? I know, I know, we’ll almost surely never get back to simpler times, to the dreams of our “forefathers”, but still… I guess as cynical and depressed and despairing as I can be, I am a romantic at heart, and still want to believe in the good of this country. I can still see the faces of the Katrina victims and, though religious I’m not, I’m tempted to pray. Oy… As my mother always said: “God give me strength!”
So tonight, I’ll just enjoy the moment - and unfortunately these moments have been so few and far between in the last 8 years. These last 8 months have been exciting, and now THE FUN really begins. Stay tuned for the convention, less than 48 hours away. Go go Joe!!!
Zach Newman is a writer and political junkie. His “day job”, though, is as an experienced, reliable and trusted Realtor in the Portland area. He is a longtime member of PABA - Portland’s GLBT Chamber of Commerce. Call Zach at 503.287.8989 or visit his website at: http://www.equitygroup.com/zach.
10 Responses to “NEWSMATTERS - Go Go Joe!”
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Biden is another Washington loser who has done nothing for our country to date.
In contrast, Tancredo is a true patriot. He has more credibility, honesty and integrity in his left finger than in the whole lot of Obama, McCain and Biden!! Tancredo is unique–he cares about the country and not what he cpuld gain by being President!! He is the only person who was running who was totally committed to protecting the citizens of the U.S. by closing the border. Where I live, I am reminded daily as to why that is essential. Our culture is being undermined and our nation and people are being divided. Soon Hispanics will gain control by sheer numbers of illegals allowed to flow in endlessly. In the mean time our country is going bankrupt catering to, pandering to and paying benefits to all of the illegals. Laws not NOT enforced for illegals, only citizens.
May God bless Tom Tancredo so that he can continue his work. Our future depends on men like him.
Zach-think about this..
Although this is a 2002 article, it shows the character of our possible next Vice President.
Please forward this article to your favorite talk show host!
Insight on the News, March 25, 2002 by Kenneth R. Timmerman
Some might call it reaching out to American Muslims. But to many Iranians living in California, a fund-raiser for Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) at the home of a prominent pro-Iran lobbyist on Feb. 19 sent a wrongheaded message to the ruling clerics in Tehran.
“When we learned that Sen. Biden was planning to hold a fund-raiser at the California home of Dr. Sadegh Namazi-khah, we immediately contacted his office to express our dismay,” a prominent Iranian-American activist tells INSIGHT. Why dismay? “Dr Namazi-khah is well-known in the Los Angeles area for his support of the ruling clerical regime in Tehran and is one of the regime’s leading unofficial lobbyists in America. We thought that Sen. Biden might not know his background. Getting the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to appear at this event will certainly be seen by the regime in Tehran as a show of support.”
On the eve of the fund-raiser, which brought an estimated $30,000 into Biden’s re-election coffers, a Biden staffer told the activist that the senator’s staff “had all the facts necessary to make a decision,” and he was planning to attend the fund-raiser despite the protests.
Several participants who paid to attend the event tell INSIGHT that Biden arrived at 8 p.m., stayed until 11 and delivered a sweeping condemnation of President George W. Bush’s “Axis of Evil” formula.
“He really impressed us by his grasp of world affairs,” Namazi-khah tells INSIGHT in an interview. “He encouraged us to make our views known and to get more involved in American politics.”
Biden also impressed many of those present with his friendly attitude toward the Islamic Republic of Iran. The senator said that “Iran always wanted to be an ally of the United States and to have good relations with the U.S.,” according to Housang Dadgostar, a prominent lawyer. “As Iranian-Americans, we don’t want anything to happen to the Iranian government or to the Iranian people as a result of this war on terrorism,” says Mohsen Movaghar, a Los Angeles businessman. Both men belong to the 70-member board of directors of Namazi-khah’s Iranian Muslim Association of North America (IMAN).
Namazi-khah denied any official contact with the Iranian government. But he tells INSIGHT that he regularly travels to Iran — something many expatriates do — and that he actively supports “moderates” within the ruling clergy, such as Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, in their efforts to bring reform to the Islamic system.
Namazi-khah and other IMAN board members say Biden’s office contacted them to inquire if they would hold a private fund-raiser for the senator, who is up for re-election this year, after meeting with them at a pro-Tehran gala in New York last December. That event was sponsored by the American-Iranian Council (AIC), a pro-regime lobbying group trying to get Congress and the Bush administration to lift the trade embargo on Iran.
The AIC is funded by hefty contributions from Conoco and other U.S. oil companies seeking to get a piece of the potentially lucrative Iranian petrochemicals sector The oil companies are prevented from working in Iran by the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA), which President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996.
Namazi-khah acknowledges that he and other IMAN board members would like to see the U.S. sanctions lifted and that they worked actively with AIC and another antisanctions lobbying group known as the World Political Action Committee. However, he insists that IMAN is a “cultural and religious group, not a political group.” Indeed, the group is registered in the state of California as a “church” and is exempt from financial disclosure. One IMAN board member says the group raises $300,000 to $400,000 per year from members. He insists that they take “no money from the government in Tehran.”
California real-estate records show that the group purchased a building at 3376 Motor Ave. in Los Angeles in August 1995 for $925,000 and has spent hundreds of thousands more to build auditoriums and meeting rooms for religious services. It was unclear where the money for these projects originated.
One clue can be found in an official calendar circulated by the Iranian government for the Persian year 1379 (March 2000-March 2001), obtained by INSIGHT. The mission statement of the “General Office of Cultural Affairs of Iranians Outside the Country” which circulated the calendar, is to “promote policies of the government of the Islamic Republic [and] strive to be a bridge between the Iranian community abroad and inside the country.” In addition to listing Iranian government Websites, the calendar cites IMAN as a pro-regime group.
“If they are lobbying on behalf of the Tehran government they are probably in violation of U.S. law,” an FBI source who has prosecuted several related cases tells INSIGHT. But with high-level friends in Washington, IMAN may believe it has purchased immunity.
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Re the comments above by Nancy S. A cursory Google search reveals she has a profile on Tom Tancredo’s official website. She has a blog on that site which promotes Tancredo. One of her articles, in the same vein as her comments above, is titled “Info Ron Paul supporters should consider” as it announces that a “Muslim newspaper endorses Ron Paul.” She is connected with a “grassroots conservative” blog called Fire Society; the articles on it appear largely devoted toward denouncing “illegals” and undocumented workers. The lengthy article she’s submitted above was from “Insight on the News”, which was a conservative internet magazine owned by Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church.
SSSOOOO. I’ve met Tancredo on a number of occasions and I respect the man greatly. I respect him so much that I worked as a volunteer when he was campaigning.
I might mention that I tried to post the reasons why I don’t care for Biden here twice and it didn’t happen-I wonder why?? I might try again just for the record.
Here are just a few Biden facts:
He is pro-abortion
He is anti-gun
He is pro-Universal Health Care
He is against a ban on the American Flag desecration
He is against drilling in ANWR
He is against the “No Child Left Behind” act
He is a big wig in the CFR
I believe our counry is a mess. My goal is to be informed. America deserves the best!!!
Hi Nancy - I am the co-owner and manager of this website. I certainly apologize if you had any trouble posting your comments. As might be expected on a gay-interest website, we have a strict policy of openness regarding comments, political or otherwise. We only reserve the right to remove comments that add nothing to the discussion (i.e “so and so is just a jerk.”)
So, our website is open to constructive comments from any angle, political viewpoint or information source. Your comments are welcome, although I suspect that the author of the article, one of the commenters and myself all wildly disagree with you and Tom Tancredo.
The irony in all of this is that our very openness to outside viewpoints allows you to post comments that favor denying foreign cultures and viewpoints the right to participate in American society.
One of the main purposes of this site is to battle homophobia, which, of course, is simply a subset of the xenophobia promoted by Tom Tancredo.
Just some things to think about.
-Rob
Rob-I appreciate your comment. The third time was a charm and my post appeared.
All I can say is that you don’t know Tom. He is not racist or xenophobic. He is sincere and he is concerned about what is happening to the country due to lack of law enforcement. We are a nation of laws but we seem to be on a road to non-enforcement in many areas.
My small town in the midwest is a perfect example. The original post says the ‘Mexicans are coming’–well they are already here and in astounding numbers.
My small community is bombarded with an increase in violent crime as well as drug traffic, graffitti, theft etc– mainly by illegals. Common behaviors are obvious disinterest in assimilation, flying of the Mexican law, arrogant behavior as far as respecting the law.
I respect all immigrants who come here by doing so legally. Those who do not, should not be here. Those who do so illegally, show little respect for the law and appear to uphold Mexico as “their country”.
My comments reflect experience of a family member who is in law enforcement here.
My experience as a nursing administrator confirms that illegals drastically impact health care costs–law requires that they must be treated at the ER. Billing is near impossible due to many alias names and incorrect addresses. Hospitals are closing because of this. I could write a book.
Sorry to get off subject of the post but I feel strongly that this one issue impacts almost all other issues, from healthcare, law enforcement, education, economy, social service programs, to the safety and security of our nation.. etc. (When “one-issue” Tancredo is attacked, I must respond.) Cost of illegals to the U.S. is estimated to be $328 billion/year.
The magnitude of the Mexican invasion is changing our culture to a predominately lower class. Our country is being divided and the cohesiveness destroyed.
People from other countries are qualified and desire to be here also but the influx of people from Mexico make it near impossible. We can not accomodate all the immigrants of the world.
My concern is that neither Obama/Biden or McCain will enforce the law and secure our country. It is easier to bow down to corporate organizations and allow cheap labor to prevail so that big business can get richer. Cheap labor is more important than the future of our nation.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to voice my opinions on this site.
I suggest checking out this study on what cost would be to Fed Gov if illegals were given amnesty…
http://www.thedustininmansociety.com/blog/?p=1463
Zach,
I understand that you are unfamiliar with Tom Tancredo’s views on immigration. People that know Tancredo or who have first hand seen the effects of illegal immigration from Mexico, react badly when he is called a racist.
You know that many Californians that move to Portland are escaping the disaster that illegal Mexicans have brought to California.
I am sure that when some of your real estate clients mention
this, you most likely have a good come back about how nice Portland is. Great.
Have you noticed that most people do not get worked up if you talk about illegal Brazillians or Armenians. Or most illegals trying to get in.
That is because illegal Mexicans do not like America or Americans in general. If you doubt this then ask any Mexican you know if they think the “southwest was stolen from Mexico”
You might be surprised by the answer.
Hi Alexander,
My posting was really a salute to Obama’s choice of Biden as VP, and a brief overview of my memories of the 2 primary fights. It included approx a 3-sentence reference to Tom T. Unfortunately at this juncture, bet. you and Nancy, there are now tomes on this post about immigration. I shouldn’t fault you, since you have submitted only 1 brief and thoughtful response, and I bear you no ill will. I understand no one likes to be called a racist; perhaps I should have showed more care in my language, but I don’t spend a lot of time and don’t edit my posts. When I hear you say, however, that “illegal Mexicans do not like America or Americans in general,” this is something I not only do not believe but find offensive and I believe most others do as well. I see that you have “americafirst” as part of your email address - and I note that many “America First” type groups and those that focus on the “Mexican Invasion”- not all, for sure, but many if not most, are connected with, have ties to, or otherwise mirror and mimic the ideas of, and those connected with white supremacist and other hateful ideology. No, I am not calling you a white supremacist, but this does indicate why such expressions may get my back up. I believe in America First too. I also believe that the overwhelming number of Mexican Americans believe in America First. I am also offended by the use of the term “illegal Mexicans”. People may or may not break laws, but people are not illegal. In my mind, no one has broken more laws in the last few years than Bush and Cheney, who have done their best to rip apart the Constitution. And it is these guys and their team and followers and supporters that have done more to create a ‘disaster’ in our country than any ethnic group: from ripping apart the Consitution and Bill of Rights, to running a secret government, to destroying our economy, to invading another country Illegally, to doing everything possible to give away whatever they can to Oil and other corporate interests, to purposefully dividing people and pushing agendas of fear and smear, ad infinitum. And I would add that the people you refer to are people. Most economists agree that the people you refer to bring far more value to the country than they take ,and our economy would suddenly collapse should they somehow ‘instantly’ be deported. I may not be the smartest guy around but neither am I an idiot - so of course I understand that our immigration system and policies are broken, and need a lot of repair. I understand that there are problems, and there are certainly frictions. And FYI, I have Never met a Californian that has moved to Portland to “escape the disaster” you claim Mexicans have created. Rather, it is my belief that those who you call “illegal” are overwhelmingly good, honest, hard-working folks who have come here for a better life, like so many groups before them. The same kind of criticism you and Nancy level at this group has been leveled in earlier times against the Irish, Italians, Jews, Blacks (who were dragged here in chains, rather than crossing borders on their own volition), et. al. Whether or not you choose to reply again, I hope and expect this to be my last response on this subject in this post. I think it has been all-too-well covered by you and Nancy and myself and the site’s co-owner by now, and has really veered off the topic of the post. I respectfully state the obvious: that we disagree on this matter, and we will have to agree to disagree.
Well, I respect that and my focus is mainly to help elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
And yes, this whole thing is off topic. Thank you for not thinking I am a white supremacist. In fact, we have refered to open border types as “brown supremacists” or the “tan klan”
I have stood with blacks, Mexican-Americans, and jews at protests around southern California.
Yes,I agree to disagree with you on this issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeTD3cNBnBU