Dear Sen. Obama

Dear Senator Obama: I saw the debate last Saturday and thought you handled yourself well. When they got into finding Bin Ladin and what you would do if you knew where he was you gave the standard answer that you would kill him if you got the chance. Too often is sounds like that will cure the terrorism problem. It was actually Senator McCain that talked about needing the help of the people of Pakistan to capture or kill the infamous terrorist leader. Called it counter terrorism. While I believe that McCain sees this as only a strategy or means to an end, i wish you would have taken the opportunity to not only agree with this "strategy" but expand it to say helping people in despair is the number one too in fighting terrorism both Islamic and other violent.groups that mean us harm. As evidence you could have sited where America is revered. Like in many parts Africa where Americans are much admired for our help in HIV-AIDS and malaria prevention and eradication. It is of the few things that the Bush Administration can be proud of is their out reach in places like Rwanda. It has done more to keep Africa and America safer than the billions of dollars of military hardware we have give to countries like Ethiopia. You, Senator Obama, I know understand this. That to change our image in the world, the way we are perceived, is the best way to keep this country safe. I know that you because of who you are, have to appear to be just as tough as your elder Senator rival. But you have proven yourself to be also more thoughtful and wise. You have said in the past that you would tell America not only what it wants to hear but what it needs to hear. Now is your chance. Sincerely, Hope for the future

Leadership

So why are the Democrats so afraid to push this urgent deal of a financial bailout for Wall Street through. Why do they need the Republicans? We elect these people to Washington to represent us, to look out for us. If the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve come to you and tell you that this is needed, the President says its needed and you yourselves know its needed why let angry voters that know very little about this situation, scare you out of making a decision they know they need to make.

Is the purpose of being elected to get re-elected? Or is it to lookout for the people that you represent. They sit on banking committees and commerce committees, we work and take care of our kids and try to make a living to support our families. We don't have time to follow the banking regulations or how Wall Street even works. Not that we are a dumb electorate or have no need to monitor the goings ons in Washington but the politicians job is to lead. Its not always the popular decisions being made but that's your J.O.B.

So if the people are upset that they have to pay for someone elses mess remember what you tell your children when they scream about something not being fair. Life sometimes is not fair. Remind them, like Senator Obama has, that the cost of doing nothing will be worse.

Everyone, including the people on "Main Street", were happy when money was abundant. Now we have to pay the piper. America may not be a nation of whiners but we do seem to want something for nothing. We have crumbling roads and poor schools in part because no one wants to pay for it. To mention rasing taxes is political suicide. Just ask George Bush Sr.

The reason nothing gets done in Washington is not just lobbyist but being re-elected. So Dems show some leadership don't concern yourself with blame but with purpose. You are the majority. To much is given much is required.

Who Is John McCain

I was a sophomore in college in 1980. My mother was able pay for college in large part through government grants, known as BEOG now known as Pell Grants. I had a work study job to pay for books and food as well. This was also the beginning of the Reagan years. You remember, smaller goverment, less regulation. A free market economy. Tax cuts for the wealthy. The birth of trickle down economics. My grant was cut by more than half.

Reagan was all about de deregulation. That the markets would grow if we left them alone. John McCain idealized Ronald Reagan and proudly claims he's a Reagan Republican. On many occasions has said he's a de regulator. Now with a infestion of lobbiest, connected to both Wall Street and the mortgage industry in his campaign, he's a populist looking out for the little guy. Now he is suspending his campaign and flying back to Washington just in time to get in the way and take credit for whatever is decided. Says that its no time to be debatin' when the country is in trouble my friends. Presidential debates have gone on through everything from the bombings in New York during the '60's to the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Country first right John?

The real John McCain is being revealed to even the most clueless of the American electorate. He has been reactionary and volatile since this economic bombshell was dropped. His first reaction was to say that the fundamentals of our economy were sound. Then when it was apparent that not only were the fundamentals not sound but that we were about to collapse his first response was to fire the Securities and Exchange chairman. Then when informed that the president can't fire the SEC chairman he changed course. Then he was against the government bail out of the insurance giant AIG. Then when informed of the consequences of letting AIG fail, he was for the bail out. He then called for a blue ribbon panel, (yet to find out what make a panel blue ribbon), to figure out how we got into this mess.

In the past few weeks the McCain campaign has systematically eliminated reporters that he deems bias. You know the one's that question his judgment with legitimate questions. His very popular vice presidential running mate has held 1 1/2 interviews, (the one with the Fox network was not an interview as much as a feel good session), in almost 4 weeks. They didn't even allow a single reporter to ask a question on Sarah's "Great Adventure" to the United Nations for photo ops with foreign leaders. You do know that she only got a passport last year.

This man is a genuine American hero and a train wreck as presidential candidate. He lacks the temperament and thoughtfulness to be president. It has been said about President Bush that the problem with him is he is too single minded. Its his way or the highway. He's the "Decider". In more ways than one we knew where he stood. You may not agree with but I know who Bush is. Who is John McCain.

Which Will You Choose

What does it mean when a presidential candidate would rather make up stories about their opponent than talk about the issues. I had the opportunity to cover for the Danish people the Democratic and Republican conventions. One was about unity and what we can do to address the serious problems we face. The other was wrapped in the flag. Lots of references to country and open disdain for Europe and remarkably little mention in word or in signs of the party they represent. I'll let you figure out which was which. Barack Obama had muted criticism for John McCain but he also talked about his vision and plan for the country. He talked about policy instead of just acceptance speech rhetoric. His speech fell on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's March On Washington speech. Some in the black community were upset that he did not make a bigger deal out of the magical coincidence. But the night was about him and not Dr. King. I think Dr. King would agree. John McCain's speech was about country and service. His time spent in a Vietnamese prison camp. While a heroic story it did not speak to the millions of Americans losing their homes, our lack of affordable health care. Just a simplistic answer to a complex problem, "drill baby drill". In a "tribute" to the victims of 9/11 the Republicans showed not the way people pull together and helped each other. They didn't honor the dead by showing a plane crashing into one of the towers and what appeared to be a person leaping to their death or the towers crashing to the ground. They used it to scare the public. "If you don't vote for us this will happen again". That is what I took from this "tribute" to 9/11. So we have a choices. What do we want this election to be about. The issues or smear. Pandering or substance. Will we accept a presidential election, in this crucial time, that is about race or the future for you and your children. Which will you choose?