Panic! Fear! Give Us Power!
Here’s Hillary playing the fear card while making the case for the Iraq war:
Here’s McCain doing the same for the current bailout:
Have you called your senator yet?
I just sent this to Jim McDermott.
Dear Mr McDermott, All of my friends and I were extremely disappointed to learn of your “yay” vote with regard to the Bailout of the Wall Street investment banks at the expense of our children. My family will not be voting for you in the future if this remains your position.
Congress has no right to give the White House and its Secretary of the Treasury the power to transfer the people’s money to the richest bankers in the country. Vote No to the Bailout legislation. The Bailout legislation is being rammed through Congress again in a matter of days. This is an illegal power grab by the White House and their richest friends on Wall Street. The Legislation allows the Treasury Department to appoint the same bankers who created the crisis to administer and dictate the use of trillions of our tax dollars. It is also one of the biggest transfers of wealth from working families to the ultra-rich in the history of the United States.
Please reconsider your position in the upcoming vote. Do not give into the same “panic mode” hijinks that got us into the Iraq war. Although governmental action is clearly needed, please take the appropriate amount time, and give careful consideration to your course of action, and vote your conscience.
thank you.
steve lodefink,
seattle, WA
Wow, what an excellent letter. I am going to copy it! It’s a good idea to get this to the House reps (again).
I wrote the first and third paragraphs, but I copied the middle from some site that was urging people to write.
In disappointing news, Obama just voted for the bailout in the upper chamber.
-s
Ya, I’m watching it live online. He just lost my vote I’m 99% sure.
Note sure what to do now. Extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just don’t understand, and I’ve always thought myself pragmatic and not prone to idealism.
Well, from what I can tell, you pretty much HAVE to vote for Obama. McWalnuts would be SO much worse.
You can vote for whomever you want. Not voting for Obama is not a vote for McCain. That’s a fallacy I’ve always been frustrated with. Everyone should encourage and support the process of voting your conscious. If that was the case we’d have better candidates.
I know what you’re saying, Will. But at that moment of writing in Dennis Kucinich, although I’d be voting my conscious, I would be devastated if McCain won Minnesota. Wouldn’t you rather have Obama than McCain? Are not these our two “choices” given the primary process? Here is the real answer!
P.S. I’m furious that Obama/Biden caved. What a JOKE! Did you see Michael Moore’s plan? It’s awesome - I’m faxing it to my congressperson (John Kline, the yokel, voted YAY on Tuesday - argh)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=237
Have a great day. Your blog is sooooo awesome!
I proposed that same system after my experience at the Iowa Caucus. I didn’t know it was a legitimate system gaining ground - that’s really exciting.
Let’s be clear. Voting for Kucinich or Nader or Mickey Mouse, is NOT a vote for McCain. I reject that fallacy completely. I would be bummed if McCain won. But I’m also no longer enthusiastic over Obama’s presidency. And most importantly, life is to short I and I don’t want to participate in ways of thinking that don’t improve society.
I think it’s time for the system to completely fail, a McCain win for instance, to galvanize a majority of the country to enact change and abandon party politics. Nancy Pelosi is a joke, as big a joke as McCain. And Obama is in tow with her.
Ok cutting off my rant, back to work ;)
Will, I admire your strength of principle.
Yes! We won’t be able to blame Will if we get what we deserve in November. You are a man of INTEGRITY! And fun. :)
Here’s to INSTANT RUN-OFF voting AND also to real plans/legislation that support a world-worth-living-in-together.
Sufi
P.S. Thanks for responding the couple times I’ve chimed in. I really do enjoy your little group you got going here. Wish I knew you guys.
I admire that you think life is too short not to vote your conscience, but if McCain/Palin end up in office I’m pretty anxious about what will happen with the Iraq war, the economy, and Global Warming. Obama is light years ahead of McCrazy in all of those area, even if he’s not Denis Kucinich. With the environment in particular it seems that we have such a narrow window to make major changes before more irreperable damage is caused. I don’t think I could stomach the prospects for the next four years with McCain/Palin in power.
Here’s the problem with your logic (which was also my logic about 24 hours ago):
Obama *is* different than McCain when he give his campaign speeches and writes books. But he has yet to back that up when given the chance.
You have more evidence that he WON’T make those changes than evidence that he WILL (and if I’m wrong please tell me/convince me, because I do want to be convinced that I’m wrong here).
Secondly, Obama, by voting for the bailout and by acting on his position to extend the war, has no way to pay for these changes.
This is why I’m so beside myself. Here was an opportunity to let the economy self correct and punish Wall Street, and lead with a proposal not to give the treasury a blank 700 billion check to buy bad debt, BUT to spend 700 billion on new energy development and infrastructure. Remember how he said we need a new “Manhattan Project”?
That’s change. That’s the type of stuff that past Presidents have done in the face of turmoil and that’s the type of leadership we need again. It’s not idealism to expect that from a candidate in 2008. And if we don’t put Obama to those standards then . . .
See that’s where I’m at.
Dude, you are much more of a political buff than I am and I’m afraid I could get into Modern Jackass territory (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=modern+jackass) pretty quickly if I try to argue the fine points with you.
Which is why I will type just two words for your consideration. SUPREME. COURT. McCain of course voted to appoint
Alito and Roberts while Obama voted against them. Since McCain/Palin would likely appoint at least a couple more justices just like those two, we could be stuck with a pretty ugly Supreme Court for the rest of our natural lives, and risk the overturn of Roe v. Wade. (http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/9/20/221052/549)
That’s an excellent point. I can’t disagree there.
Update -
My rep. Jim McDermott changed his vote and went against the bailout heist! (but of course it wasn’t defeated).
I’d like to think that it was letters from his constituents that did it.
Jim McDermott RULES!!!! I wish he could be president! :-)
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