McCain will Continue Presidential Secrecy

McCain has always promised an open and transparent government if he is elected president. After almost 8 years of some of the most secretive government policies under the Bush administration, an open and honest government seems like only a fanciful dream to most of us. 8 years ago, I would have believed McCain was the type of man to tell the American people the truth.

Unfortunately, the McCain of 2000 is not the McCain of 2008. We are already seeing signs that the McCain/Palin ticket would continue the secretive, dishonest and obstructionist policies favored by the Bush administration.

Issue one - McCain has been called to the mat by nearly every organization and publication out there for being dishonest in his campaign. Even FackCheck.org had to publish a response to McCain's deceptive and misleading ads. Karl Rove, the king of deception has even called McCain's ads misleading and have gone "too far". Is it possible for anyone to sink below the level of the Bush administration? Apparently so.

Rove: McCain went 'too far' in ads

Issue two - Toopergate. Many partisans claim that this is a politically motivated investigation, but it must be reiterated that the investigation into Palin's abuse of power commenced long before she was chosen as McCain's running mate. Even if Palin is completely innocent of all charges, the attempt to subvert the investigation is clearly following the same path as the CIA/Plame leak investigation. McCain is already trying to control information available to the American people by taking control of the documentation. This is a state issue that should not be controlled by a national campaign. This only proves that McCain believes in Bush obstructionism. As the republicans always say, if you have nothing to hide than allow open access to prove your innocence.

McCain campaign clamps down on questions in Alaska

Alaska AG: State employees won't honor subpoenas

Palin unlikely to speak with investigator

Issue three - Openness subversion. Palin has already proven herself to be following in the footsteps of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney by using non-official email accounts to conduct official state business. In an attempt to leave no official paper trail on Palin's connections with lobbyists and crony capitalism, Palin uses a Yahoo account to conduct state business behind closed doors. This is the same tactic Rove and Cheney used to conduct national business without leaving an electronic trail that could be subpoenaed by the American people.

How Transparent Will Palin Be?

Issue four - Open door policy. McCain once championed the media as his biggest base. now that they are actually holding him accountable for his actions, McCain has closed the door to public access for both himself and Palin. Bush held the same philosophy of avoiding having to answer to the American people. A president cannot deny access due solely to the fact that the press might ask a difficult or probing question.

McCain campaign keeps Palin under wraps

Dems hit McCain on access

McCain has flipped from being a champion of open government to a champion of Bush secrecy and obstructionism. Eight years of this policy has lead to disastrous results. Another four years is not going to get any better.

No New Tail to Tell

It has been a couple of days now since the American people swept Republicans out of power and swept a bunch of new Democrats into power.

To ease their woes, I see all over the right-sided blogosphere that the Democrats elected to oust the Republicans are "conservative" and that the American people actually didn't move the political spectrum towards the left.

Hmmm... Aren't these "conservative" Democrats just elected the same people that were "way too liberal" only days before the election?

It Sucks To be the King

It has got to be a sad day for King George. For all intensive purposes, he got a vote of no confidence from the American people yesterday during the mid term election. An anti-mandate was issued for his policies on domestic and foreign affairs. In the end, there will be about a 32 seat pick up in the House of Representatives for the Democrats. In the Senate, where no one thought that the Dems would pick up the six needed seats, the Dems took control. There is no other way to describe this than a massive blow out for the Republicans. The GOP pundits are trying to spin this anyway they can, but even the die-hard Freepers know what this was all about.

For me, the birds are chirping... the air is fresher... although, the latter could be due to the Clean Air Act being enforced again.

The American people sent a clear message. They are tired of the corruption, they are tired of the lies, they are tired of right wing extremist trying to impose their will on the rest of us, they are tired of incompetence, and the are really tired of George "stay the course" Bush. The message was so clear and convincing that as I writer this, Rusfled is getting canned (GOP says Rumsfeld is stepping down).

Karl Rove's belief that you could build a permanent majority by running a 51% divide and conquer style campaign has finally come to an end. First of all, no majority is ever permanent. Second, a majority built on 51% tactics is even more fragile.

I am guessing that Bush is ruing the fact that he claimed that a vote for a democrat is a vote for terrorist. He now has to deal with the democrats who control the legislative agenda.

I am also guessing that the Republicans who still have jobs are second guessing the way that they treated democrats over the past 6 years. Republicans who were in the majority blocked democrats from participating in the legislative process in all aspects other than the actual voting on bills.

The three GOP senators that I wanted to see lose the most all lost. That is Santorum of Pennsylvania, Burns of Montana, and Allen of Virginia. I think I wanted to see Allen lose the most out of all three of them. He is such a slimy guy. I feel that I need to take a shower after just watching him on TV.

I hope that the Dems hold up their end of the bargin and deliver on what they promised. I also hope that they treat the republicans with the respect that they failed to treat us. Just because we won does not mean we should play down to their level.

A Voter Rebuke For Bush, the War And the Right

How to Win as a Republican?

Pretend to be a Democrat.

Today, the Republican candidates for Governor and Senate bused in homeless people from Pennsylvania to had out literature in predominately black precincts.

There is only on catch... the pamphlets (sample ballots) that the hired hands were handing out labeled the Republican candidates as Democrats and not Republicans.

That's right, the only way for a Republican to win these days is to pretend to be a Democrat.

These actions, along with all the other crap that has been going on to mislead, confuse and trick voters is disgusting. Right or Left, let people vote on the issues.

Sample Ballots in Pr. George's Misidentify Candidates
By Ernesto Londo?o
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 7, 2006; 4:18 PM

Inaccurate sample ballots describing Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Senate candidate Michael S. Steele as Democrats were handed out to voters in at least four polling sites in Prince George's County this morning.

The ballots were distributed by people who said they arrived by buses this morning from Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Erik Markle, one of the people handing out literature for Ehrlich, who is seeking reelection, and Steele, the current lieutenant governor who is campaigning to replace retiring Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D), said he was recruited at a homeless shelter in Philadelphia.

After a two-hour bus ride to Maryland, Markle said the workers were greeted early this morning by first lady Kendel Ehrlich, who thanked them as they were outfitted in T-shirts and hats with the logo for Ehrlich's reelection campaign. Nearly all of those recruited, Markle said, are poor and black. Workers traveled to Maryland in at least seven large buses.
(Full Story)

I Voted

It is done.

Regardless of how this election day ends up, I cast my vote against the status quo and for change. I cast my vote for success and against failure. I cast my vote as a referendum on the Bush administration and to tell him, in the only way I can, that he is not right, all knowing, and omnipowerful. I cast my vote for people who believe that we must progress and not regress. I cast my vote for people who believe all Americans are equal and not just those who fit the pre-ordained mold. I cast my vote for family values... real family values, not just the pretend ones that the right has been pushing. I cast my vote for cures for disease, a raise in the minimum wage and for holding our elected officials accountable.

In the grand scheme of things, my vote counts for little, but it counts a whole lot to me.

Update: Looks like there are plenty of problems with the electronic voting machines across the country. Several jurisdictions have already had to file motions with the courts to keep their polling station open for an extended period. In MO, there are electronic machines tabulating votes the Republican when the Democrat has been selected. In PA, it is reported that there are at least 2 precincts with no working machines. Similar issues in OH.

It is reported that even Ken Mehlman, the head of the Republican National Committee decided to vote with a paper ballot instead of an electronic voting machine when given the choice. That says a lot.

It is going to be a long day.