Why Vote Democrat?

"House Democrats are introducing the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century to honor the bravery of our troops and the tremendous sacrifices that their families have made. The New GI Bill will repeal unfair tax burdens on military families, provide Veterans with the benefits they deserve like affordable health care, education and job training, strengthen our support for our men and women in uniform and improve benefits for our National Guard/Reservists."
--from the web site of Congressman George Miller (D-California, 7th Congressional District)

Why doesn't McCain support this bill? The G.I. Bill was in full effect when he was in the active military. Isn't his constituancy suffering? Don't they matter?

Sen. Obama cares and is backing this bill.

"That's why I've pledged to build a 21st century VA as President. It means no more red tape - it's time to give every service-member electronic copies of medical and service records upon discharge. It means no more shortfalls - we'll fully fund VA health care, and add more Vet Centers, particularly in rural areas. It means no more delays - we'll pass on-time budgets. It means no more means-testing - it's time to allow every veteran into the VA system. And it means we'll have a simple principle for veterans sleeping on our streets: zero tolerance. As President, I'll build on the work I started in the Senate and expand housing vouchers, and launch a new supportive services housing program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness."
--from the web site of Sen. Barack Obama

What else is Barack doing?

Obama Demands VA Investigate Allegations of PTSD Misdiagnoses to Reduce Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama sent the following letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, calling on him to investigate reports that a psychologist at a Texas Veterans Affairs (VA) facility told staff members to refrain from diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to reduce costs. According to today's Washington Post, the psychologist, Ms. Norma Perez, apparently emailed Teague Center staff members suggesting the alternative diagnosis to limit the number of tests required to diagnose PTSD. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, thousands of service members have returned home suffering from combat-related psychological injuries like PTSD, which require much-needed treatment.

Obama campaign makes steps toward November primary, pulls more superdelegates

Presidential Candidate Sen. Barack Obama has quietly, respectfully been making strides toward winning the November contest in his bid for the presidency, focusing less on Sen. Hillary Clinton's primary woes.
Today he picked up another superdelegate.

Connecticut Democratic Party Chair and Superdelegate Endorses Obama
By Sam Graham-Felsen - Jun 2nd, 2008 at 9:22 am EDT

Senator Barack Obama has helped to energize thousands upon thousands of Democrats in Connecticut and across the country. He has inspired the electorate and won their confidence by demonstrating sound judgment, strength of spirit, dedication to those in need, and belief in the transforming power of community.

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My Perspective
Personally, the general public should realize that major news outlets need a logical, easy-to-understand way to present something as complex as a United States election to the masses.
What the public hears and sees in news content should be balanced with their own value system, thoughts and feelings about how well or poorly they have fared these past eight years and so forth.
All of that combined should help personalize the decision to vote Democratic or Republican.

Universal Studios Fire On Historic Back Lot - Entertainment

A massive fire raged on a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, spewing thick smoke as it devoured blocks of movie sets. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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Jamaica's Bolt sets world record in 100 meters at Reebok

NEW YORK -- Like a bolt out of nowhere, Usain Bolt is now the world's fastest man.The Jamaican runner, who doesn't even consider the 100 meters his best race, set the world record Saturday night with a time of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix, .02 seconds faster than the old record held by his countryman, Asafa Powell.

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Clinton wins Puerto Rico but Obama still leads

Reuters - Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nominating contest in Puerto Rico on Sunday, but still badly trails front-runner Barack Obama as he draws closer to clinching the party's presidential nomination.

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Florida not on board with DNC decision

Democratic Party officials agreed Saturday to seat Michigan and Florida delegates with half-votes.
Amids a day of speeches and raucous behavior from the stands, Florida promised amidst yells of "Denver, Denver, Denver" to take the decision to the convention in August which will be held in Denver.
The DNC motion to seat all Michigan delegates with half vote each passed and a thank you was issued. Michigan is on board.
The rules committee agreed on the compromise offered by the Michigan Democratic Party that would split the difference, allowing Clinton to take 69 delegates and Obama 59. Each delegate would get half a vote at the convention in Denver this summer, according to the deal.
Nineteen in favor, eight opposed and no abstentions.
Need to win is now 2,118 delegates to clinch the nomination and Barack Obama has 2,050.

I believe it is disrespectful of Hillary to not concede the race. She will not and cannot win. This is not good sportsmanship, I gather but indeed, politics.

Obama's name wasn't on the Michigan ballot and Clinton got 50 of the vote with 40 percent uncommitted.
A much better story on this matter: DNC vote

Barack & Michelle Obama resign from Trinity United

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have tendered a resignation from their church Trinity United Church of God in Christ.
A phone call placed to the church rendered the switchboard operator who said she knew of no resignation one way or the other. She said the officers of the church were not available.
I believe what Roland Martin reported is true in that he is a respected journalist and radio talk show host.
And I know he would not ever go off half-cocked on bad intel...however, a quick search found this item:
Sen. Barack Obama is leaving Trinity United Church of Christ, his longtime religious home in Chicago and a place that has triggered repeated controversies during his presidential bid, according to a Chicago Tribune blog entitled, "The Swamp."

Sex in the City (lives on in all of us women)

A comment made on the NPR site got me to thinking about my life.
I made the comment.

I said I had failed while reaching for the Sex in the City lifestyle. Actually, I met the same fate as the show and the women in Sex in the City: My activities were halted. Our society doesn't want women purposely behaving like Carrie, Sam, Charlotte and Miranda.

The story line of each character changed over time and then Sam got cancer (was this to replace her getting HIV?).
Each of the women had some unhappiness injected into their lives. Carrie was a victim of abuse when she went to Paris with the artist (whatchamacallit--i forget his name) and my heart fell to the floor. He slapped her. Was this a way to say women who behave like her get what they deserve? I hated that part.
Charlotte married and divorced, finally found happiness and then was infertile. *Sigh*
Miranda the high-powered lawyer, married a bartender turned owner and moved away from Manhattan--after she was turned into a baby's mamma, single mamma. *sigh of disappointment and dangit!*
They almost made it.
In short, they were no longer fabulous. They were less-than-fab reality-bitten normal, everyday bla-ze.
Why did this change occur? No man would have lived with or married any of those women.
First, dating one of them means you date them all. We know how girlfriends and marriage are like oil and water sometimes. Second, they have sex and enjoy it. Sex to them is not a giving up but a sharing or sometimes a taking (just to take the edge off a bit, ya' know)and many, many men do not like that attitude.
Matter-of-fact, I remember the disappointment I felt when reported on the news, was the story of N.Y. club owners banning women who behaved Sex-in-the City-ish on premises.
Yes, people the women were banned. They were banned for being free and expressing themselves and being too forward and I gather, the behaviors caused problems inside the clubs.
I can see how.
Before watching Sex in the City, I would have argued anyone on this point.

However, when women are grown and sexy and pick their mate for intimate encounters--like a man, a man-like situation happens.

Fights, public and humiliating are in the character of high-schoolers on the playground after school. Hurt feelings and misunderstandings are not handled well by the majority of the men we all know. They process feelings differently. Hurt a guy's feelings and see how hateful he gets. I mean, the kind of hatefulness that is scary and hard to forget.
He is not built to wait by anyone's phone. Unlike a woman, who will carry that hurt around inside, the guy may take action. And naw, it won't be pretty at all.
So I can see why these women were banned or at least gently encouraged to behave as ladies and not grown-ass women who are free in America to do as they please.
I gotta see that movie but remember the good old days when Sex in the City was really like a page out of Cosmopolitan magazine?
Wishful thinking, ladies.

Fan’s injury should force bat policy change

The wire came out of Susan Rhodes’ mouth this week. Doctors replaced it with rubber bands, so now people can understand her when she tells the story of how a maple baseball bat shattered her jaw.

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