A message from the Transporation Secretary to Senator John Kyl (R-Arizona)

The White House fights back via the Transporation Secretary, as Senator Kyl expresses his point-of-view with respect to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Kyl "publicly questioned whether the stimulus is working and stated that he wants to cancel projects that aren't presently under way," LaHood wrote Brewer. "If you prefer to forfeit the money we are making available to your state, as Senator Kyl suggests, please let me know." source: AP News - My Way

[snip]

On the Net:

Kyl column on stimulus: http://kyl.senate.gov/record.cfm?id315337

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov

Video: Sen. Kyl on how to tell folks they need the same kind of health care system they already have without them knowing it

From Think Progress:

KYL: We of course believe the free market can provide the incentives for everyone to be covered with good insurance but to talk about it in terms of the free market is not to be persuasive with the people we have to convince. We have to describe this in terms that people really do understand and care about and that is patient-centered. They don’t want to get between themselves and their doctor. They don’t want to have long waiting lines, possibly even denying care that they feel is important. They don’t want to lose insurance they like already. Those are all things we need to address in our alternatives and I think that’s the best way for us to talk about it rather than talking about the free market.

Watch it:

Of course, Kyl is pretending that for-profit insurance companies don’t already stand in between patients and doctors.

Arizona: President Obama still drawing crowds

President Obama is to speak at Arizona State University this month. The crowd is expected to be around 63,000.

Anne Schneider, an ASU political-science professor, said that the historic nature of Obama's presidency has heightened excitement about this rare event.

"To have a sitting president speak at your commencement is special. He's (also) the first African-American president," she said. "And because we are a long way from Washington, D.C., the opportunity to see the president is very limited.

"This is a special opportunity for students to share with their parents . . . and for ASU." source: AZCentral.com

He's still got it.

State News: Some stories that caught my eye from the States in the union

• In Florida, Republican lawmakers are working to pass a law that 'intended to nullify a bill known as the Employee Free Choice Act that's been introduced but not yet passed by Congress.'

• In Arizona, Republican lawmakers are working on a proposal which they refer to as ''"revenue enhancements" sweeping hundreds of millions of dollars from school districts and municipalities into the state general fund.' Federal stimulus funds are still on the way for Arizona schools.
  

The Republican legislative leaders also called for using roughly $1 billion of federal stimulus money and a total of $1 billion from new budget cuts and raids on special-purpose funds.

[snip]

...school groups have said the money proposed to be swept from their "carryforward" accounts already is spoken for in many instances due to contracts or other commitments.

School districts are allowed to carry over into the next fiscal year up to 4 percent of the operating budget.

• In, Illinois, the Junior Senator Roland Burris, appointed by former Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill President Obama's vacant Senate seat, introduced the Senior Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, as "the senior citizen of the great state of Illinois."

• In Maryland, actor Kevin Spacey preps for his new role playing disgraced Washington Lobbyist met with Jack Abramoff, by meeting with Abramoff at his home in the Cumberland prison facility.

Arizona school uses marquee to request donations for supplies, while Republicans in Congress call for spending freeze

Tight budgets call for creative measures.

Carver Elementary School in Yuma Elementary School District 1 has posted a message on its marquee, 1341 W. 5th St., alerting the public it has no more money for supplies. Carver Principal Debra Drysdale said the message was not tongue-in-cheek, but a serious appeal.

"We received quite a nice response - my superintendent thinks it's a little drastic, but it's working," Drysdale said.

Drysdale estimates Carver has received $500 to $700 in donations from community members, parents and people just driving by. In the meantime, the Carver faculty are doing everything to conserve, from turning off lights and computers when not in use, to returning district-supplied cell phones. Some teachers have just been purchasing their own supplies.

[snip]

Carver has essentially frozen its capital line with just a few thousand dollars left to replace equipment and furniture, Drysdale said. The school's maintenance and operating budget to furnish office supplies has been depleted. source: YumaSun.com

In a related story, top Republicans in the House of Representatives called for President Barack Obama to veto the the Omnibus bill, and called for a spending freeze for the remainder of the year.

I don't think that the Republicans are going to get any traction on this proposal, but it's probably a good thing that this Arizona school is asking for donations, just in case.

It should also be noted that President Herbert Hoover who oversaw The Great Depression also called for a spending freeze to the federal budget, which resulted in many among the 25% unemployed and hungry and homeless Americans of the time to nick name their shanty towns 'Hooverville'.

I learned that when my daughter was in grade school. They studied The Great Depression and one of the projects in that study was to create a miniature version of a 'Hooverville'.

Arizona Attorney General says we need the legalization debate to go forward

Terry Goddard, Attorney General for the State of Arizona which is on the front lines of the drug wars on both sides of the border with Mexico talks about the guns. He also appears to conceded that the strategies of the past have not worked and the debate needs to go forward, and within that debate we must talk about the thing that many have not wanted to talk about in the past.

We have to talk about it.

A recent Zogby poll found 44 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. That figure is up from 34 percent in 2001, according to a USA Today-CNN-Gallup poll.

On Tuesday, President Obama's Attorney General announced that the federal government would not conduct police raids on marijuana dispensaries in states which have approved cannabis for medicinal purposes.

source: The Raw Story

Spring Training Invite: Sox invite the President to spring training

President Obama is a die-hard Sox Fan. This invite is going to be hard to resist, but he's a pretty busy guy these days.

It just so happens that the President will be in Arizona on Tuesday which has been hard hit with foreclosures.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The invitation is out there and now the White Sox are waiting for a reply.

President Obama will be in the Phoenix area this week, and he has been given an invitation by his favorite organization to visit the team in Glendale, Ariz. and get a glimpse of the new state-of-the art facility that is Camelback Ranch, according to vice-president of communications Scott Reifert. source: The Chicago Sun Times

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is said to be tapped for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

This is coming from Mike Allen at Politico.

I was actually less than ten feet from Janet Napolitano this year when she came to our local community center in our poorest neighborhood to talk about why she supported Barack Obama for President of the United States, and to encourage our grassroots effort.

It was pretty cool.

Folks were teasing her about perhaps being on the ticket as the Vice-President. That didn't turn out of course, but Secretary of Homeland Security is not to shabby.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has been chosen to serve as secretary of the vast and troubled Department of Homeland Security for President-elect Obama, Democratic officials said. Napolitano is a border governor who will now be responsible for immigration policy and border security, which are part of Homeland Security’s myriad functions.

Napolitano brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State’s first female attorney general. One of the nation’s most prominent female elected officials, she made frequent appearances on behalf of Barack Obama during the campaign. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006.

Transition insiders have long expected that she would be offered a Cabinet slot, although she had also been mentioned for other posts, including attorney general.

Napolitano, 50, endorsed Obama in early January, just as the primaries were kicking off, and the female up-and-comer's decision to back the Illinois Senator got widespread coverage.

In 2005, TIME magazine named her one of America’s five best governors, calling her “A Mountaineer on the Political Rise.”

for Politico source - click here

We may be hearing from John McCain soon

Already? I wonder if he will keep fighting. It's hard to tell what John McCain will do. He's been a bit erratic lately.

Tue Nov 4, 7:19 PM Pacific

McCain May Appear Within The Hour

Kelly O'Donnell reports on NBC that McCain is expected to address his supporters soon, possibly within the hour.

Presumably, if he's in trouble in Arizona, he'd want to make a public appearance before the state is potentially declared for Obama (not that I have any idea who is going to win).

for source - click here

MSNBC: Yay Ohio! Projected winner is Obama! Arizona too close to call.

Woooooooohoooooooo Ohio!

BREAKING NEWS: Obama wins another key state, taking Ohio, NBC News projects

McCain home of Arizona, other major states too close to call, NBC says

for source - click here

Breaking records in Florida, Wyoming Newspaper for Obama, Arizona newspaper for Obama

Yay! Yipppppppeeeeeeeeeee!

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Florida's 2008 election makes history, again. This time, Secretary of State Kurt Browning reported a record number of early voters.

According to early estimates, more than 4.2 million voters have cast ballots for the presidential election so far. That number is likely to increase since absentee ballots can't be counted until 7 pm on Election Day tomorrow.

Records indicate more than 2 million voters voted early and more than 1.5 million voters voted absentee. That means at least 38% of Florida registered voters already voted.

"Florida is ready for Election Day," said Browning.

Secretary Browning cautioned Floridians to be patient and expect to wait in lines on Election Day. He expects more than 80% of voters to weigh in this year.

read more here

Source: Casper Star Tribune

It is a foregone conclusion that Wyoming's three electoral votes will go to Sen. John McCain. It would be easy for the Star-Tribune to simply agree with the majority of voters in this red state and endorse the Republican candidate for president.

But this isn't an ordinary election, and Sen. Barack Obama has the potential to be an extraordinary leader at a time we desperately need one. The next occupant of the White House will inherit a national economy that's collapsing and two wars our nation has been fighting for years, depleting valuable resources we need to fix a multitude of domestic problems. Far too many of our nation's citizens live paycheck to paycheck, worried about whether they'll have a job next week or if a medical crisis will bankrupt them.

What America needs most in these troubled times is a president who will move the country in a positive direction. The candidate who is most likely to chart a new course that will lead us to better days is Obama. Moreover, he is the best candidate for Wyoming.

... The three presidential debates showed Obama to be a calm, thoughtful leader with a unique vision of the future. The contrast with his opponent, who seemed angry and erratic, could not have been more stark or more telling.

read more here

OPINION
SEN. BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama for president

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.02.2008

Sen. Barack Obama

We see America the way Barack Obama sees America.

Our future requires a steady, intelligent and, as former Secretary of State Colin Powell said, a "transformational" leader to guide us into a new era. Obama brings deep intellectual curiosity, equanimity and discipline.

The ground under America is moving. A generational change is under way with or without Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., or Barack Obama, D-Ill.

The core concerns are more about the future than the past, be it eight years ago or one day ago. They are about the moment and the movement to engage Americans in ways not seen before, especially against a backdrop of economic strife unmatched since the Great Depression.

read more here

read more here

Georgia, North Dakota, Arizona Gettin' Some Obama Ads

Paddy commented that the photo is 'gratuitous', and that the Senator from Illinois is 'hot'.

With age and maturity I have come to describe Barack Obama as 'Cute's as a bug's ear." and on alternate days "Pertier than a speckled pup."

I'm a couple years older than Barack Obama, but somehow watching him fly all over the country and still find the time to go spend trick or treat nice with his kids, I feel about 30 years older than him.

Anyway. From The Political Carnival:

Friday, October 31, 2008

Obama Expands Ad Buy to New States

Let 'em whine, Barack has this covered. BFCE!!! Via Taegan.

Two interesting items from a conference call with Obama campaign manager David Plouffe:

1. The Obama campaign will add Georgia, North Dakota and Arizona to it's final ad buy of the election, suggesting those traditionally Republican states are now competitive.

2. The races in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, and New Mexico are already nearly half over since so many people have voted early.

for source - click here

Defending Arizona: RNC has to defend John McCain's own State using the 'Robocall'

TPM is reporting on the RNC having to deal with defending Arizona

John McCain and the Republican National Committee are now running robocalls attacking Obama as weak on terrorism -- in McCain's home state of Arizona, according to multiple readers from the state.

The call signals genuine worry about McCain's home state at a time when several polls show the race to be much closer than expected there.

McCain's robocall, which was played to us over the phone by Mary Joe Bartel, a retiree who lives south of Tucson, attacks Obama as unprepared to defend the country from terrorism, singling out Joe Biden's recent remarks about the likelihood of Obama being tested by an international crisis early in his first term.

Here's the script: read more here

Barack Obama: 1/2 Hour Campaign Ad - American Stories, American Solutions

Hey North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and Nevada!

What about you Colorado, Virginia and Pennsylvania?

We need you. It's not about him, it's about you.

It's not about them, it's about us.

Vote. Volunteer.

Indiana's own Democratic Senator Evan Bayh faces off with Republican John Kyl of Arizona on CNN

Going to war in Iraq, the poor getting poorer, wages for working families stagnating, while the rich got richer. Who is to blame? Not President Bush according to Senator John Kyl of Arizona.

KYL: George Bush doesn’t run the economy. He didn’t create this problem. His tax rates being lower actually helped for six years create the second largest economic growth that we’ve had in the history of the country in recent years. … The President doesn’t run the economy.

Watch it:

The current financial crisis is a direct result of Bush running the economy. Bush’s massive tax cuts for the wealthy have contributed to record inequality and historic deficits and debt. The administration gutted several “specific regulations” of the financial system, helping plunge Wall Street into the mess it is facing today.

Embracing a common conservative talking point, Kyl tried to lay all the blame for the crisis on the lack of regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As Alan Greenspan, SEC Chairman Chris Cox, and former Treasury Secretary John Snow — along with the Wonk Room — have stated, this is false.

CAP’s Scott Lilly noted that for the past eight years “we have papered over the fact that American consumers do not have the purchasing power to sustain economic expansion.” Why? Bush’s policies have done nothing for the majority of Americans.

I will say that President Bush, based upon his economic ideology which supports the 'trickle-down' theory, and further being Chairman of the Board of the party that touts itself as being the Champion of big business, could not possibly have affected the economy in a way that was good for the American worker in terms of higher wages and better benefits.

The President put into play another exercise (the first one was under Reagan) the grand experiment of the 'trickle-down' theory. That makes him responsible, as well as culpable for the state of the economy today.

Stealing in Arizona: McCain Supporters 'Try' to Steal Hope om Arizona

I have heard accounts in Northwest Indiana of Obama-Biden Campaign for Change signs being lifted from yards. It's rather childish, and it would be childish if Obama supporters were doing it as well. I like the way this supporter has handled it. PD

"We need to build respect for one another
so that we can work together
to solve the enourmous problems that are facing
ALL Americans."

Road Blog: Barack and the Governors in Daytona Beach, FL

by Obama Road Blog

Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 08:56 PM

“Growing up, I saw my mother struggle to put herself through school and raise me and my sister on her own. She once had to turn to food stamps, but thanks to student loans, scholarships and a lot of hard work, her kids could attend some of the best schools in the country. I think women like her who work hard and pour everything they’ve got into their children should be able to pay the bills and get ahead for a change – that’s why I’m running for President.” -- Barack Obama

Barack Obama landed in Daytona Beach, Florida this rainy Saturday morning, where he joined Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona Governor Janet Napalitano. Together, they hosted a spirited “Women for the Change We Need” event at Bethune-Cookman University, for 2,500 attendees.

Watch Governor Napalitano talk about her home state’s unique historical relevance to this year’s general election:

“Janet knows something about the senior Senator from Arizona,” said governor Sebelius. “But in Kansas, we know something about the Senator from Illinois. Barack Obama was raised by a Kansas woman.”

Here's the clip of governor Sebelius’ remarks:

Barack spoke about his commitment to fund education, to continue to support legislation that encourages equal pay for women, establishing affordable health care, and his goal to protect social security from the Bush/McCain privatization plan.

Mentioning his running mate, Barack said that Joe Biden has “spent his career working to improve women’s lives. He wrote the Violence Against Women Act so we’d finally treat domestic violence like the heinous crime that it is. And in case you were wondering, John McCain voted against that legislation.”

Barack also spoke in detail about the influence of the women in his life, his grandmother, his mother, his wife, and how they continue to inspire him. In talking about Michelle, Barack acknowledged the special demands placed upon working mothers:

“Sometimes, when she’s with the girls, she’s worrying about work – and when she’s at work, she’s worrying about the girls and whether she is doing the right thing as a mom. It’s a feeling I share every day – especially these days, when I’m away so much, out on the campaign trail. But we know that no matter how advanced we like to say we are, women are still bearing that burden.”

Barack acknowledged that women are indeed the backbone of this country, and that they have consistently risen to the occasion when called on to do so, often blazing new trails in the process.

Here is a clip of Barack speaking directly to over two thousand of these women, asking them to join him in his call for change, to help face our biggest challenges as a nation:

Peter Rubi
September 20, 2008
On I-95 en route to Jacksonville, FL

Job Fair - Dayton, Ohio where you can get a job picking lettuce for $50 per hour.

Ohio residents: want to make $50/hour?

by billysumday

Sun Aug 24, 2008 at 05:32:57 PM PDT

On Friday, August 29th, at the Victory Center in Dayton, Ohio, John McCain will be celebrating his birthday and announcing his VP pick to 10,000 supporters. It would, I think, be a great time to organize a large group of well-dressed, well-coiffed, unemployed (or, in the parlance of our day, under-employed) Buckeyes to greet Senator McCain with resumes and references in hand. It is time for the Senator to make good on his promise to pay workers $50/hour to pick lettuce in Yuma, Arizona.

* billysumday's diary :: ::
*

Unfortunately, I just moved to Pennsylvania from Ohio, so I would be unable to either organize or attend this rally, but imagine what a powerful scene that would be. Hundreds (thousands?) of out-of-work Ohioans, dressed in slacks and a tie, holding resumes, waiting in a line to speak with Senator McCain, patiently standing outside the arena's doors for the chance to take him up on his offer of $50/hour.

I know that Ohio has been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs. I know that there are unions willing to step up and hit McCain for his unwillingness to help the American worker. I know that McCain is out of touch - only an idiot would suggest that an American worker wouldn't want to put in a 10-hour day for a payout of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Does Senator McCain know that at $50/hour, working a 40-hour week for 50 weeks would be $100,000? Does he know how few Americans actually make that amount of money? Does he know how few Americans make half that? read more here

Hopeful Democrats in Red States: Arizona's Changing Demographic and the Selling out of Hispanics by John McCain

THE HUFFINGTON POST

By Marlene H. Phillips

August 11, 2008

Conventional wisdom in presidential politics says you win your home state. You're also supposed to pull everyone else on the state ticket into the win column with you. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain should win Arizona. He's in his fourth term as senator from a state widely viewed as a Republican reliable. This is Goldwater Country, the Wild West, where retail establishments post signs kindly requesting you leave your gun in the car. Arizona's as red as the Grand Canyon at sunset. Or at least it used to be.

Tip O'Neil, another Arizona guy, said that all politics is local, and here on the ground, Arizona looks purple.

I live in Oro Valley, Arizona, suburb of Tucson. The City of Tucson is solidly Democratic but up until recently Oro Valley was anything but. OV is pretty close to the epitome of what 'suburb' brings to mind; families and retirees, sign restrictions and height ordinances, a holiday parade featuring local high school bands. My hometown could be counted on to be solidly Republican and has been since its incorporation in 1974. Not now. Our most recent election produced a Town Council with a decidedly progressive majority. In 2006 our two seats in the State House went Democratic, and that same year, after twenty-two years of Republican representation in D.C., we elected Gabrielle Giffords, a congresswoman with a 'D' after her name. In 2006 OV looked for all the world like a liberal bastion: the majority of OV voters actually voted straight down the Democratic ticket -- including voting for our governor, prominent Democrat Janet Napolitano. Woa, cowboy. That's a whole lot of blue.

Long-time Arizona resident Michael Bryan, creator of "Blog for AZ," says he's seen the change taking place. "Republicans are just not the dominant force they used to be. Democrats have picked up seats both in DC and the State House. We have a Democratic Governor and Attorney General. Twenty years ago all this would have been unthinkable." And Bryan sees a strong possibility for more blue in 2008, including a possible House seat pick up in District 1 (currently held by Republican Rick Renzi, who decided not to run after being indicted by a grand jury). Bryan puts the shift is partly changing demographics (including the influx of residents from Democratic states) and partly a shift of power to Independent voters, which he says is now the second biggest voting block in Arizona. "If you look at how Independents are voting nationally," Bryan says, "they're leaning Democratic. That bodes well for Democratic chance here in Arizona."

Bryan believes McCain has badly handled Arizona. "If a change is going to happen it'll happen in the Hispanic vote. McCain used to have that vote. But that support is gone because in order to capture the nomination, McCain sold them out; he had to change his beliefs to appeal to the far right view on immigration. And when he did that, he abandoned his Hispanic supporters and there's nothing he can do to bring that back." Bryan isn't convinced McCain will lose his home state but he is convinced on that one point. "If McCain loses Arizona, it'll be because he lost the Hispanic vote."

Coming out of an event before the presidential primary here I was walking behind two retirees; well dressed, tan, fit and, I couldn't help but hear, not real wild about John McCain, especially the gentleman. "I'm telling you," he said to his companion, "if McCain gets the nomination he's not getting my vote. I don't trust him! I don't like him! I won't vote for him!" By chance they passed a car sporting an Obama bumper sticker. I watched the gentleman turn his head, gesture at the bumper sticker and proclaim loudly, "But if that guy wins I'll switch parties and vote for him instead!"

So we Arizona Democrats are feeling something that for us is pretty new. I think it's optimism but native Arizonans, a pragmatic and realistic bunch if ever there was one, aren't quite that giddy. Most long-term Arizona Democrats I've spoken to are merely "hopeful," they "have their fingers crossed," they "think they've got a realistic chance." But they see it, too. Our sunsets here in the desert may be brilliantly red, but a new day might be dawning. And it might be as big and blue as the endless Arizona sky.

for source - click here

Peon Watch - Lies, Misdemeanors and Felonies: Former GOP Activist and Obama Supporter on 'New Dirty Tricks McCain'

THE HUFFINGTON POST

By Frank Shaeffer on August 06, 2008

The Arizona senator is running a barnyard demeaning campaign even comparing Senator Obama to Paris Hilton, lying about Obama's record of visiting our wounded warriors and lying about Obama playing the "race card." Denouncing the new Dirty Politics McCain, McCain's own former strategist, John Weaver said to Newsweek: "Its hard to imagine America responding to 'small ball' when we have all these problems."

McCain is going to lose this election. And the way he loses will take the Republicans down with him.

As a former Republican activist who, as late as 2000, was campaigning for John McCain against Bush, today I am a dedicated supporter of Senator Obama. Yes, I changed my mind. But that isn't the point. My point here is to ask how the Republicans will define themselves by the means they use to try to define and defeat Obama.

By the very way the new Dirty Politics McCain is fighting his losing election he has disqualified himself from the presidency. Simply put: Republican strategists who think that business-as-usual -- i.e., the slanderous politics of the past 30 years -- will take care of matters this time around, are deluded.

A few more lies about Obama, silly comparisons to celebrities, lies about him "not visiting" our troops, B.S. about Obama "introducing the race card" and the Republicans won't recover. That is too bad, because we need a two-party system.

Will the Republicans sacrifice themselves to vindicate the ego of one man?

The reason to vote against McCain, paradoxically, is not just McCain's flip-flop on the use of dirty politics but also his military career. He is an old warrior willing to do anything to win. His military experience and the sort of arrogance that goes with being a self-proclaimed hero, is working against him.

The problem is that the new Dirty Politics McCain doesn't see himself as a civilian. He sees himself as so honorable that he can do no wrong. That was why he felt free to abandon his first wife and his children to chase a young blond who had 100 million dollars. He was a hero! He deserved a good lay and a good bank account! Why should he put up with a wife who had had a disfiguring accident! And these days why should he lose to an uppity black man who never belonged to his private military club?

It is time for America to draw a line under the Bush years of dirty tricks, not add to them. All over the world people who have thought ill of America are now thinking better of us, simply because Obama has become a serious major party candidate. All over the world our country, which has sunk to its lowest level ever in the public's view under Bush, suddenly looks immeasurably better because we have grown up enough to embrace a black candidate, our fraught and sordid racial history notwithstanding. We might even be setting an example in spite of ourselves. All over the world people who have despaired of their old friend America are taking a second look. read more here