From Denver…
Our national delegate Karen Goldner chimes in from Denver in the moments leading up to Barack Obama’s speech. And just to make some of us even more jealous she informed us that she has great seats - the 3rd row!
We couldn’t leave the floor because the access point was mobbed with folks trying to get in. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced - a political rally & rock concert. The emotion is overwhelming
Indiana Delegates Go Overwhelmingly To Obama (Update)
Although Hillary Clinton won the popular vote the vast majority of Indiana’s national delegates just went to Barack Obama during the floor roll call. The final tally was 75 to Obama and only 6 for Clinton with 4 absent.
As an aside - how the hell do you go to the national convention, especially this one, and be absent for the roll call?
H/T: Karen Goldner
Update: Hillary Clinton just made a motion that the rules be suspended and Barack Obama be made the nominee by acclamation. Obama is now officially the nominee…
Republican senate primary in Alaska
Unfortunately for Alaska, Ted Stevens, the forty year incumbent Republican Senator from Alaska won his primary this year.
I have never liked Ted Stevens because of his stance on earmarks and pork barrel spending. In my mind Ted Stevens is likely one of the two worst Senators in the country (Ted Kennedy has always been number one in my book) and Ted Stevens has somehow served for forty years.
He was recently indicted on several Federal charges and he has been accused of corruption in the past on multiple occasssions.
I am very disappointed that Republican primary voters chose Ted Stevens to be the Republican nominee for the Senate from Alaska this year.
I certainly hope that he is defeated in November.
I support a majority of Republican candidates; however, I will never support Republicans who I feel are corrupt.
Mike Sylvester
My Take On Biden
As a resident Democrat I feel like I should give my take on Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his VP choice. I think this was an extremely shrewd political decision. Let’s be honest here, had Obama picked an outsider like Kaine or Schweitzer or Sebelius he would’ve opened his campaign up to constant attacks of “inexperience” and “foreign policy naiveté”.
The Biden choice shores that up. So now what we hear is the opposite, with Republicans (and some Democrats) lamenting that Biden is not an agent of “Change”. To that I say - who cares. Biden is the kind of guy with experience to make change happen. And Obama is enough “change” for the entire ticket. Is McCain really going to argue that he and his eventual running mate represents more change than Obama-Biden? Hardly.
His #1 talking point has always been “experience”. The Biden choice doesn’t completely neutralize that but it doesn’t reinforce it either like some of the other candidates would’ve done. And I must respectfully disagree with Mike Sylvester when he says Biden “represents the Washington DC establishment.” The guy has taken the Amtrak train from DC to his home every night to be with his family - name me one other senator that’s done that.
Biden gave a great VP speech today. If he continues to beat up McCain like that then he will be worth his weight in gold to the Obama campaign. He also brings a strong white middle class voice to the ticket - and it’s 100% authentic. Obviously that’s a demographic Obama hasn’t been the strongest with.
All in all a solid pick by the Obama campaign. And the way they manipulated the media this week into non-stop coverage of “Who will he pick” was nothing short of brilliant…
Barack Obama chooses Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his VP
As readers of this blog know I will not be voting for Barack Obama for President. I currently plan on voting for Libertarian Bob Barr for President since I cannot bring myself to vote for Obama or McCain.
That being said I am very surprised that Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate.
Barack’s entire campaign has been about “change.” He has successfully ran a campaign with its main premise being that Washington DC needs “change.”
That being said he has chosen a Vice Presidential candidate who represents the Washington DC establishment. Joe Biden has been a member of the US Senate since 1972.
Joe Biden’s personal background is one that seems typical for a US Senator:
He was born in 1942. Rather than serve in Viet-Nam he went to college as a traditional college student and became a trial lawyer.
He spent four years as a trial lawyer and has been a US Senator for the last 36 years…
I think Obama made a terrible choice.
That being said I think it is very possible that McCain will make an equally poor choice…
Mike Sylvester
Where It All Began For Obama - Looking Back At 2004 Convention Speech
With next week’s Democratic national convention on the horizon I decided to go back and watch Obama’s 2004 keynote convention speech. I remember thinking at the time that this was a guy that sounded Presidential. It’s hard to put your finger on it but it’s there and you know it when you see it.
But before I post the videos here were a few thoughts from blogger Josh Marshall on the convention floor in the moments leading up to the speech:
I’m sitting here a few minutes after nine, waiting for the big event of the evening, Barack Obama’s keynote address. It’s hard to overestimate how much expectation looms around this guy. The Democratic party yearns for this man’s political future like Dick Cheney lusts after the oil and gas fields of the Caspian Sea.
[...]
In any case, he’ll be the only black man in the Senate; and he’ll have a relatively safe seat, as senate seats go. He’ll be an instant star of his party. And all the folks who have antennae for political magic are all atwitter over him. I’ve been watching him give interviews and work the crowd and the tell-tale grace and poise isn’t hard to see.
With all the expectations and anticipation Barack Obama delivered an amazing speech that helped propell him to become the 2008 nominee for President of the United States. Quite an amazing 4 year journey for the man who was merely a state senator when he gave that speech.
The brilliance of the speech is in the build-up and the way he gradually brings the audience in to his vision of America and hope for the future. Great speeches can be appreciated by those of all political persuasions and I think this one is worth watching if nothing else for the nostalgia and the understanding that this moment is really what lead Obama to the events of next week. And to think the national networks didn’t even cover the event live…
Part1
Part2
Post Speech Analysis
National Democrats Still Losing Votes On 2nd Amendment
The Democratic Party’s draft 2008 platform has been released and once again the party is pushing an anti-gun agenda, including a renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban. A diarist at Daily Kos had an excellent post on this topic that’s definitely worth reading but I want to zero in on one specific point:
Gun ownership is election-deciding for pro-gun people and a non-priority for everyone else.
I couldn’t agree more and I think strategically the party has to decide if this is a policy really worth fighting for. It seems to me, even if I put myself into the shoes of an anti-gun person, that the risk-reward ratio is not in the party’s favor.
Barack Obama and his “plan” to create five million new green jobs
I am getting sick and tired of hearing the commercial where Barack Obama promises to “create five million new green jobs.” This commercial has aired over and over in Indiana and ANYONE who reads his plan and thinks that it is going to create five million new green jobs needs to report to a medical institution because they need to “have their head examined.” Here is the plan.
Five million jobs is a whole lot of jobs. The entire civilian workforce in the US is a little over 145 million people. So if Barack Obama’s adds five million new green jobs then one in every 33 jobs in the United States would be a new “green” job…
The entire United States military including all active duty members, reserve members, and national guard members is a little over 2.8 million strong.
Barack Obama is claiming he can spend 150 billion dollars and create five million green jobs.
Does ANYONE believe this absurd claim other then completely blind and partisan supporters of Barack Obama?
Mike Sylvester
John B. Kalb testifies at County Council
I want those that had to be at work when Tuesday’s County Council heard public testimony before they voted on the proposal to approve the issue of a $25 million bond to aid in financing the Maplecrest Road Extension Project. So here it is:
Good Morning, Councilors. My name is John B. Kalb, I am a citizen, a property owner and property taxpayer in Allen County, Indiana. I have with me this morning my “spring” installment payment which I will be depositing in the county treasurer’s office later today.
I am here to express my opinion which is opposition to issuance of a $25 million bond for the “Maplecreast Road Extension Project”. I believe this project is no longer needed and should not be funded with a long-term “pay-later” financing scheme because:
A) I attended the hearing last month ehere 4 members of your august body questioned the necessity of this overpriced project - but then in a subsequent meeting, all except one voted to go ahead with the project in what was a complete turn-around surprize. I have questioned some of you as to why the change in reasoning and was told that “the project was already started (engineering had been done and had been paid for from the $11 million of federal funds)and Allen County would have to somehow repay $3 to $4 million if we didn’t go ahead. So this is the new way things are going to get done in our county (and City of Fort Wayne) - our governmental departments go out on a limb, spend $’s for land, buildings,et al to be used on an unapproved project AND THEN WHEN IT GETS TO THE BODY THAT NEEDS TO APPROVE IT, it’s a “fait acompli” - the elected entity is left with no choice but to approve the project - can you read my lips? HARRISON SQUARE BALLPARK!
B) Councilors - you are not working for Do-It-Best, Walmart or bridge and road contractors - you have sought and were elected to your position to represent the people who have chosen to live in Allen County - ALL OF US! Not just a few. Why can’t you listen to your constituents?
C) In Indiana, due to a revision in our State Code via Public Law 146 which was passed by our General Assembly and signed into law by our governor this spring, registered voters who are property taxpayers now have a method to express their opinions on bond issues like this one (exceeding $12 million) by way of a ballot question in the next general election….This is accomplished, per this public law, IC 6-1.1-20-3.5, by getting 100 or more signatures on a petition to the county election board in this case asking, ” Shall Allen County issue bonds to finance the Maplecrest Road Extension Project” to be placed on the ballot at the next general or primary election. Then the voters would have to, by a majority vote at this election, approve your council’s proposed debt service for this project or it could not occur using this bonding method.
If you vote today, or anytime at a future meeting to issue said bonds for this project, our group has the necessary signatories to file said petition. Contrary to what Mr. Fishering testifided, we are of the opinion that this bond DOES fall under this public law. Members of our state house of representatives Ways and Means Committee have indicated concurance with our interpretation.
D) It is time to stop these “local ear-marks” - this is no different than what we are so critical of our national congresspersons in using ear-marks to use public funds for very questionable projects. This project is one of those - it may have made sense prior to the builing of I-469, but is nonsense now.
E) It is also time to stop the “corporate welfare programs like this project, (and like the Harrison Square ballpark) that net unfair benefits to corporate entities like Do-It-Best, Walmart, building contrators, bond attorneys, (Hardball Capital), et al. I have a brother-in-law who manages and is one of the owners of a local building contracting firm. When I discussed my concerns about this type of project, he said, “John, you know that you are working to take the bread off our home table, don’t you?” I answered him, “Yes, I am, but these actions will allow many, not a few, to keep bread on their tables in Allen County”.
F) One of our Allen County Commissioners stated recently, “I think that one of my main jobs in my position is to seek the maximum dollar return of our federal tax monies, that Allen County sends to Washington DC, to fund projects in Allen County” This from an individual who tells us that he is “a fiscal conservitive”! This attitude is what has led to “Bridges to Nowhere”, $750 toilet seats, et al.
G) Later today, during part of your budget meetings, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport authority will be asking for you to add $2.8 million to their property tax levy for the next tax cycle. This is necessary and due to a guaranty by Allen County that , if for any reason, the Airport Authority was unable to pay the deby service on bonds used to build hangers and aprons for Kitty Hawk Air Freight, the payments would be made out of general property tax revenues. Since this company went”belly-up”, we are stuck. How many times does this have to happen before we understand that “Government cannot operate as a profit-seeking business?”
I ask you to vote NO on this request. Thank You
Direct Mail from Congressman Mark Souder
I received a direct mail piece from Congressman Mark Souder today. It was paid for by the taxpayers and it includes a survey and a large portion dedicated to the re-election of Congressman Souder.
I absolutely hate the fact that it is legal for incumbent politicians (Any Party) to ”spend” taxpayer dollars on direct mail that gives them more name recognition and are used to ensure that incumbents in office.
This piece from Congressman Souder was typical of the pieces of I have seen over the years from Democrats and Republicans in office. The questions listed on the survey are below, my comments are in italics.
If forced to choose, would you support more federal spending on education or alternative energy?
