This has been going on for 8 years....or is this attributed to, recently, weaker dollar????

you can sell your home if it is priced at market level.
there is a nationwide shortage of nurses.
you are not blaming Teacher's increased benefits, are you??? really????
Your home value is closely tied to the public schools in your area...(which are free)....perhaps you overpaid???..

look, sure it's a little tougher with a weak dollar, but this has not been going on for 8 years....

let's all be realistic......

i have not decide where my vote is going...you had a chance to persuade ....but

Hi everyone,

I have removed several posts from this thread. I know that this is a sensitive subject, I also know that tensions are running a bit high.

Please respect your fellow posters.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and choices. Please help us keep the forums civil.

Thank you,

Mark

marc,

it wasn't me!!!! :drinkerker: : :drin

ok but if you really look at it.....it is the weak dollar causing all this...and be honest..it has not been going on for 8 years!!!! your principals letter was dated 2008...not 2001...

It didn't just happen this summer. It was sneaking in before then. Utilities and gas prices were going up. Then the food prices started rising. I don't remember exactly what year. I'm guessing that it was becoming severely noticeable about 4 yrs. ago. It just started hitting the fan big time this summer. Hence the principal's letter this summer.

Snowball/Allen 08

My tummy started hurtin and my head started spinnin when i read the post... uh oh ill be back in a sec, gotta meet the porcelin god...




If we as Americans really wanted WE ALL WOULD GIVE A MAN LIKE RON PAUL A CHANCE!!

I hope john Mccain loses he sucksssssssssssssss

Oh, PFFT, I was hoping the finishing of the topic was going to be "Hanged by his own belt after he realized he's a racist hypocrit who doenst know crap from $hit" sorry, wrong thread.

I know everyone is entitled, but those "everyone" need to be informed of the truth as well.

http://www.icanhasurvote.com/images/approved/20070131_MCCAIN-GOOKS.jpg

Says some of it, lol.

Things You Should Know About Senator John McCain
In 2nd Amendment, Dossiers, Elections, From My Desk, National Security, Politics & Political Science on February 4, 2008 at 12:02 pm
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First, the real person that should be standing as the winner of the primary Republican election is Fred Thompson … As Ken McCracken writes:

Fred was about ideas, but unfortunately campaigns are mostly about personalities and rhetoric, and Fred left his ample theatrical skills hiding in the wings while lesser lights got the applause. Weeks, and months went by, and everyone figured he was only half-serious about running, and that is the message that stuck.

When John McCain began his career as a congressman in 1983, he was accurately described as a Reagan conservative. However, Rep. McCain had disagreed with President Reagan when it came to vote for a resolution to keep the Marines in Lebanon as a peacekeeping force an extra 18 months. McCain not only voted against it but made a public speech on the floor of the House.


John McCain’s success has often been attributed to his horrific experience as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton, and became a “darling” of the media. US News & World Report of the day stated that McCain was a “Republican on the rise”. After his second term in the House, he went after Barry Goldwater’s seat in the Senate after he found out that Senator Barry Goldwater was retiring. McCain was popular with the press in Arizona, as well as Senator Goldwater’s support. He won the senate seat in 1986. He soon became a major voice when it concerned defense and foreign policy issues in Congress. He also went on the list as a possible vice president for the Bush campaign.

John McCain soon became part of a scandal with four other senators who were asked by Charles Keating, the owner of Lincoln Savings and Loan, to meet with bank regulators regarding a federal audit. Reluctantly, McCain participated with the other four senators in two meetings. Details at Newsvine:

At the second meeting the senators discovered that the case was going to be turned over to the justice department. McCain and Senator John Glenn from Ohio backed off and had no further involvement. But the two meetings they had attended were enough to pull them into the scandal. McCain had been friends with Keating since 1981. … A senate ethics investigation would eventually clear McCain and Senator John Glenn. … Many thought that the decision had been motivated by politics, not by the evidence.
McCain did not let the Keating Five scandal defeat him, quite the opposite in fact. He began to look at the way campaigns were financed. Reform was needed. … McCain enlisted the aid of Senator Russell Feingold, a democrat from Wisconsin. Their target was to restrict the “soft” money from political campaigns. … It would take seven years, but the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 finally passed.

From Say Anything blog:

McCain says he opposed the Bush tax cuts in 2001 for the conservative-friendly reason of their not being coupled with cuts in federal spending. But in 2001 what he actually said was different, and more populist than conservative. … In 2001, McCain said the tax cuts favored the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

Here is Senator John McCain’s record of the issues:

Abortion

Abortion issue shows what kind of country we are.
Overturn Roe v. Wade, but keep incest and rape exceptions.
Supports repealing Roe v. Wade.

Budget & Economy

Loss of economic strength leads to losing military strength.
Republicans have forgotten how to control spending.
Congress spends money like drunken sailor.
Veto all pork-barrel bills and announce pork spenders.


Civil Rights

Don’t ask, don’t tell is working; don’t tamper with it.
Confederate flag on top of capitol was wrong; in front is ok.
Leave gay marriage to the states.
Ten Commandments would bring virtue to our schools.
Confederate flag is a “symbol of heritage”.
Allow, but not mandate, school prayer.
1st Amendment not a shield for hate groups.
We don’t need laws against Spanish language and culture.
Affirmative action OK for specific programs, but no quotas.
Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration.
Voted YES on Amendment to prohibit flag burning.

Corporations

People worry about corporations unduly influencing elections.
Voted NO on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore.
Voted YES on restricting rules on personal bankruptcy.

Crime & Judiciary

Judges have limited scope under the Constitution.
More death penalty; stricter sentencing.
Voted YES on limiting death penalty appeals.
Voted NO on restricting class-action lawsuits.

Drugs

Mexico should extradite drug dealers to the US.
We’re losing drug war – just say no.
Stricter penalties; stricter programs.

Education

Teaching creationism should be decided by school districts.
Charters, home schooling, and vouchers are key to success.
Against nationally imposed standards and funding strings.
Teach virtues in all schools.
Voted YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools.
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer.
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC.

Energy and Oil

FactCheck: Oil independence will take 25 years, not 5 years.
Climate change is real; nuclear power is solution.
Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska’s ANWR.
Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Voted NO on Bush Administration Energy Policy.

Environment

FactCheck: Criticized $3M “bear DNA” study, but voted for it.
Preserve and help our National Parks.
Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior.

Foreign Policy

Maintain Cuban embargo; indict Castro.
Our conscience influences US intervention, as in Rwanda.
Russia: Sanctions until Putin exits Chechnya.
Pay dues to UN after UN reforms.
Voted NO on killing a bill for trade sanctions if China sells weapons.
Voted YES on cap foreign aid at only $12.7 billion.

Free Trade

Every time US went protectionist, we paid heavy price.
No environmental provisions in trade agreements.
Against foreign sales corporations (offshore tax breaks).
Substitute trade treaties for protectionism.
Admit China to WTO based on their concessions.
Free trade with any country except security risks.
Mexico: balancing act between free trade and stopping drugs.
NAFTA has had unambiguously positive impact on US.
Voted YES on permanent normal trade relations with China.
Voted NO on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market.

Government Reform

Reform election system, and get rid of electors.
No term limits; they throw away the good with the bad. (Jan. 2000)
Drain the big money swamp to kill lobbyist mosquitoes.
Supports Line-Item Veto and Balanced Budget.
Supports term limits on Congress (Jul 1998)
Voted YES on require photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration.
Voted YES on banning campaign donations from unions and corporations.
Voted YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity.
Voted YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress.
Voted YES on banning “soft money” contributions and restricting issue ads.
Voted YES on requirement of photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration.
Voted NO on funding for National Endowment for the Arts.
Voted YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance.
Voted YES on approving the presidential line-item veto.
Rethink flawed Presidential daily intelligence briefings.
CIA yielded to conventional wisdom, not political pressure.
Reduce federal government size and scope, including military (1998)

Gun Control – 2nd Amendment

I know how to use guns; but I don’t own one.
Prosecute criminals, not citizens for gun ownership.
Don’t hold gun manufacturers liable for crimes.
Opposes restrictions on assault weapons and ammunition types.
Supports ban on certain assault weapons.
Guns are a problem, but so are violent web sites and videos.
Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
Voted NO on background checks at gun show – 2004 (but, stated in Aug. 1999: Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks.). Also voted YES on loosening license and background checks at gun shows in same year. In 1999 he voted YES on maintaining the current law: guns sold without trigger locks. Yet, in Aug, 1999 requested to require gun locks.

Health Care

Preserve quality health care by individual responsibility. (2007)
Give individuals $2500 refundable tax credits for healthcare.
No mandated universal system; no mandated insurance coverage. (2007)
Control health costs so manufacturers stay competitive.
Supports tax-free medial savings accounts and tax credits.
Higher taxes on cigarettes.
More tax-deductible health costs; limits on malpractice.
Voted NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D.
Voted YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics.
Voted YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Voted YES on limiting self-employment health deduction.

Homeland Security

Waterboarding is torture; we’re not going to torture people.
Consult lawyers on war decisions; no half-cocked war basis.
After 9/11, ask Americans to join military or AmeriCorps.
Close Guantanamo Bay prison; announce no-torture policy.
We must provide our children a strong, better country.
Eliminate defense pork, but increase most other defense.
Terminate C-130, B-2 and Seawolf; use funds to modernize.
Politicians keep unneeded bases open for political purposes.
Keep health care promises to aging veterans.
$6.4B of military spending waste is a disgrace.
Raise military pay to avoid military draft.
Military personnel on food stamps is a national disgrace.
Europeans should spend more on defense, within NATO.
Voted NO on limiting soldiers’ deployments to 12 months.
Voted NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. (2006)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the Patriot Act.
Voted YES on extending the Patriot Act’s wiretap provision.
Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism.
Voted YES on military pay raise of 4.8%.
Advocacy: Innovate intelligence gathering for future hard targets.
Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP.

Immigration

Do everything I can to help all immigrants learn English (2007)
12 million illegals in country now is de facto amnesty.
No official English; Native Americans use own languages.
Immigrant reform needed for national security (2007)
Change rule barring immigrants from running for president.
Make possible for immigrants to do a job Americans won’t do. (didn’t specify whether he was referring to illegal or legal immigrants in 2004)
Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform.
Voted YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government.
Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border.
Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program.
Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.
Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants. (Again, doesn’t state whether illegal or legal immigrants. 1997.

Social Security

We need personal savings accounts.
Willing to compromise on raising cap above $90K.
Allow workers to invest privately.
Voted YES on Social Security Lockbox and limiting national debt.
Voted YES on allowing personal retirement accounts.
Voted YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes.

Tax System

We need a simpler, fairer tax code, but not FairTax.
Tax system is fair; wealthy pay bulk of taxes.
Will not sign no-tax pledge; focus on cutting spending.
FactCheck: Families spend $20B on tax prep, not $140B. How about spending no money on tax preparation unless in business?)
Remove charitable deduction; it only benefits rich.
Supports flat tax; stop complexity by special interests.
Cut marriage tax, inheritance tax and earnings test.
Taxes should be flatter, lower, and simpler.
Voted YES on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax.
Voted YES on raising estate tax exemptions to $5 million.
Voted YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts. (2007)
Voted YES on permanently repealing the ‘death tax’. (2006)
Voted YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates.
Voted YES on eliminating the marriage penalty.
Voted NO on across-the-board spending cut.
Voted YES on requiring the super-majority for raising taxes.

Technology

Don’t police Internet crime; go after money to reduce crime.
Veto pork barrel; focus transportation spending on repairs.
Internet tax ban saved consumers $600m this Xmas (2000)
Voted NO on restoring $550m in funding for Amtrak for 2007.
Voted YES on Internet Sales tax moratorium.
Voted NO on telecommunication deregulation.

War & Peace

The War on Terror is a war we must fight. (2004)
Avoiding the War on Terror has cost us dearly.
Iran is sponsor of terrorism; US strike if they get nukes.
Palestine: Against declaration of statehood.
Keep military option open against Iran, even if no nukes.
No direct talk with Iran; talk is over-rated.
Help Maliki government in Iraq move forward as rapidly as possible.
I would much rather lose a campaign than lose a war.
Iraq is now the central front in the war against al-Qaeda.
Democrats proposing failure in Iraq by withdrawing.
Congress has no authority to cut off funds for Iraqi use.
Voted NO on redeploying non-essential troops out of Iraq in 9 months.
Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007.
Voted NO on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan.
Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq.
CIA never questioned assumption that Saddam had WMDs.
Conclusions on Iran and North Korea are all classified.
Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

Welfare and Poverty

Require 40 hours work per week from welfare recipients.
Supports block grants, welfare-to-work, state control.
Voted YES on welfare block grants.
Voted NO on eliminating block grants for food stamps.
Voted YES on allowing state welfare waivers.
Voted YES on welfare overhaul.
Fully fund AmeriCorps.

And, in the case of Campaign Finance Reform bill co-authored by Senator McCain (Ken McCracken at Say Anything):


The First Amendment is not a negotiable instrument to be bargained away to earn plaudits from the press (the only constituency that ever really gave a damn about campaign finance reform), but McCain the First Amendment to be quite fungible in the name of increasing his political visibility. The man certainly has his priorities. … Protecting the new and odious practice of filibustering citizenship by cementing it in place via the Gang of Fourteen, does still more harm to the Constitution. Amnesty, shamnesty, or anything even close to resembling citizenship for illegals is an insult to the rule of law, and to the hallowed tradition of legal immigration in this country. Dragging his feet on building a border fence to protect our sovereignty belies an ugly ulterior motive. … He has an abiding faith in the voodoo science of global warming. He publicly threw Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld under the bus …
He called the Swiftboat Veterans “dishonest and dishonorable”, with no basis in his personal experience or the record to justify doing so.
Call it the McCain Mutiny, call it McCain Derangement Syndrome … these are troubling reasons to doubt McCain that are grounded in reality and facts …

But there are other reasons (Say Anything Blog) :


I believe my party has gone astray. I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy (Quote from John McCain)

U.S. Veteran Dispatch, Ted Sampley, November 14th, 2007 – (personal background) …


When McCain returned to the United States in 1973 after more than five years as a prisoner of war, he found his wife was a different person. Carol McCain, once a model, had been badly injured in a car wreck in 1969. The accident “lfet her 4 inches shorter and on crutches, and she gained a good deal of weight.” Despite her injuries, she had refused to allow her POW husband to be notified about her condition, fearing such news would not be good for him while he being held prisoner. But, just a couple of years later, McCain, while pondering a future in politics, met Cindy Hensley, an attractive 25-year-old woman from a very wealthy politically-connected Arizona family. While still married to Carol, McCain began an adulterous relationship with Cindy. He married Cindy in May 1980 – just a month after dumping his crippled wife and securing a divorce. …
In the senate, McCain managed to stay low key until suddenly he found himself on television trying to explain himself as one of the “Keating 5,” five senators who became enmeshed in the scandal involving the collapsed Lincoln Savings and Loan and the financial machinations of Charles Keating. Keating was convicted of federal fraud and racketeering charges and in 1997, McCain’s friend Symington was forced out of office after being convicted on seven counts of fraud. Reports from a variety of U.S. publications exposed McCain’s true scandalous character. (Sources at original article linked above).

Say Anything blog:


- McCain favors business lobbyists’ desires for foreign workers vs. protecting American workers’ wages and jobs.
- McCain’s hopes of giving millions of amnesty will saddle American taxpayers with huge costs of $20,000 per illegal per year. …
- McCain has taken the pro-amnesty position in nearly two dozen votes.
- McCain only promises to make 2 million of the 12-20 million illegal aliens go home.

John McCain in 2003:


I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people, Amnesty has to be an important part …”

He has also stated –


The first day I am President …

He will close Gitmo – see YouTube.

McCain, along with Lieberman have been advocates of anti-global warming legislation (National Center organization). McCain and Lieberman have proposed an “Energy Tax” –


No drilling in ANWR, nor in the Everglades, nor off the coast of Florida … To think that drilling in ANWR is the solution to our incredible energy needs is frankly, is not keeping in the reality of what’s there, and what it would take to get it out.

McCain stated that same-sex marriage ban is un-Republican. (All Politics).

A YouTube video shows McCain boasting that he voted against the Bush Tax Cuts.

Club For Growth reports that McCain would vote against tax cuts again.

And, again at Say Anything:


- McCain sponsored and voted for an enormous 28.2% tax increase on cigarettes in 1998.
- McCain was one of only two Republicans to vote against the $1.35 trillion tax cut in 2001.
- McCain was one of only two Republicans to twice vote against permanent repeal of the death tax in 2002.
- McCain was one of only three Republicans to twice vote against the $350 billion tax cut in 2003.

And check out McCain’s proposed tax on energy at National Review.

McCain would not participate in the Anti-Tax Pledge. (CNSNews).

Buzz Flash:


McCain voted against $19 billion for military hospitals. He also voted against Amendment to provide $2.8 billion for Veterans’ Medical Care and against an amendment in 2005 to provide a guaranteed stream of funding for Veteran’s Health Care. Voted against establishing a $1 billion trust fund to provide improvements to military and veteran health facilities.

J. B. Williams of the Canada Free Press publicly denounced McCain as a liar and explains why.

Mark Levin reports the Real McCain Record at National Review.

Michelle Malkin writes: John McCain vs. the Right: No Easy Peace and The Geraldo Rivera Republican.

American Chaos at WordPress – McCain Does Not Deserve the Republican Nomination.

McCain denies it, but he talked to Democrats about leaving the Republican Party (Senator Kerry had been considering making him his running mate in 2004 – admitted that he would “would entertain it” on ABC’s Good Morning America on March 10th, 2004.); however, John Weaver reports that it was true that McCain had those talks with Democrats via Fox News Special Report, March 29th, 2007.

And, according to Say Anything and staff personnel:


John McCain is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, so our friend works directly with McCain’s staff on a regular basis. …his experience has been that McCain staffers are habitually heavy handed and abusive, using threats and intimidations to get what they want with complete and utter disregard and disrespect for people to the extent that it would make it very difficult to feel good about a McCain presidency. Maybe that’s how people get things done on Capital Hill, but that’s not the kind of leadership that I want to support.

NewsMax, Rush Limbaugh article – McCain Does Not Fit ‘Conservative’ Definition. Well, maybe that is why he got such high percentages lately – from Democrats who do not want either Hillary or Barack for president.

McCain lied about Romney’s funding for abortions – see FactCheck.

Border Fire Report calls McCain’s ideology on the illegal immigration issue: McLame’s Immigration Insanity.

In a Newsweek article:


When Ross Perot Calls … The former presidential candidate blasts John McCain, and gets an education about Barack Obama’s religion.

McCain’s stance on our national security, specifically our southern border he states: We are not going to build fences and barriers. (YouTube)

GunOwners organization writes about his position concerning the Second Amendment. Dave Kopel writes that McCain is a “no show on guns”.

Real Change reveals the skeletons in McCain’s closet.

There is even a site named The Real McCain – exposing his record.

The Next Prez blogspot article The Conservative Case Against McCain.

Read information about involvement in two scandals …

The Keating 5 and Gang of 14

As well as a CBS News story McCain isn’t Right for the Right

“Outrageous Exaggerations” at FactCheck.

Further Reading -

Defending America by David Hackworth
Why Vietnam Vets Split on McCain
Luck of the Admiral’s Son
MSNBC Questions McCain’s Temper
An Enormous Crime

And that leaves Mitt Romney – the next runner up in the percentages thus far – with Ron Paul and Giuliani, with low percentages.

Now, on the Republican side of the aisle – Romney remains the only viable candidate to beat him. Unfortunately, people don’t trust him either.
Issues like:

His advocacy against “assault weapons“.
One Lie Too Many
Lobbyist Hypocrisy
Lobbyists Among His Campaign Staff
Long Time Hunter Boast - Blasted
Romney Should Not Be Next President
Romney and Island Tax Havens
Religious Intolerance


So far, you are reading a thorough report on McCain – I am not voting for him for only one reason, but several reasons. And the primary in Wisconsin is approaching near

http://uglydemocrats.com/democrats/United-States/Barack-Obama/

This was on another thread. It is worth watching. What an eye opener!

therealmccain,com

i am watching therealmccain.com
now.

wow

Wow!!! is right. I have heard about these things but to actually see it!!

Obama/Biden '08

Time for a change. It's going to be a tough job to change what Bush has done and it is going to take some time, but we need to start with the change now so maybe by the time our kids are ready to vote, this Country will be in a much better situation than it is now!!!

Anyone who really wants change will stop supporting the 2 party system, where the ruling class try to shove thier 2 almost identical choices down you throat.

The issues people get hung upon are distractions. They are dividing us & the conquering is almost complete!

Do you want Strawberry Koolaide or Cherry?