Last of Our Kind

There is so much at stake in this election. I think everyone has figured this out by now. This is the election of a lifetime. It presents us all with a choice between two very distinct candidates, and two very distinct ideas about the proper course for this country. I think everyone who is paying attention, and anyone reading this, probably knows the particulars of which candidate stands for what. And if they do not, I think most people are doing what must be done to learn the facts. At least I hope that is the case.



Unfortunately, I still see and hear from so many people out there that for some reason still think Barack Obama is a Muslim or a terrorist or both. Friends I thought I knew, TV personalities, radio personalities, pundits, bloggers, and even young people…people that I thought would not be taken in by the lies and distortions of the republican machine and the McCain Smear-Talk Express. I have some news for everyone…we have a little thing called freedom of religion in our country. That freedom covers everyone in our country, and any religion they care to practice, including no religion at all. You know what that means? It means our president is NOT REQUIRED to be a Christian. Now, I know Christianity is the major religion in the United States, and for that reason, people elect leaders who most closely reflect and embody their beliefs and values, but nowhere does it say it has to be this way. What “values voters” seem to forget is that there is much more at stake in this election than someone’s Christian beliefs. I am not advocating for any particular religion or non-religion here. I am not saying we should have a Muslim president, and I am not saying we should have an atheist president. I am, however, saying it should not matter. I am saying that I want a president that is going to address the major issues facing our country in both the foreseeable and unforeseeable future. I want a president that is going to address our strained relations abroad by communicating and using…uh…what is the word I am looking for…must have forgotten…oh yeah…DIPLOMACY. I want a leader that will recognize climate change and global warming for the problems that they are, and do something about them (because they are NOT a myth). I want a new president that is going to change our energy policy, take us off foreign oil, invest in clean renewable energy sources, and commit to increasing fuel efficiency standards. I want someone who will do something about the failed economic policies of the last eight years, someone who will cut taxes for the middle-class (the word middle-class does not exist in McCain’s lexicon). And I do not care if that president needs to ask himself, “What would Jesus do?” or “What would Allah do?” or Vishnu or Buddha or Confucius or logic or reason, before making a decision, I just care that he makes the right one. The right decision for you, for me, for your children, your grandchildren, and so on and so forth.

Guess what? The Muslim religion is not synonymous with terrorism, and being a terrorist does not automatically mean you are a Muslim. I know…I know, that was a bit repetitive, but I have to think, no, hope that…maybe if we repeat things enough, it will get through the thick skulls of the ignorant bigots who actually believe it. Once more for those with small-minded proclivities: NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS and NOT ALL TERRORISTS ARE MUSLIMS! Anyone who is still clinging to the idea that Obama is either a Muslim or a terrorist or both, is either not paying attention, brainwashed by all of the Republican fear mongering paranoia, or just too ignorant to care.



I am sure some of those bigots out there will say, “Well he did associate with that terrorist Bill Ayers!” And to you I say what everyone already knows…Obama was EIGHT YEARS OLD when The Weather Underground was active. Which is kind of like saying, “You are a Christian, and therefore you are responsible for the Crusades of the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.” I digress, perhaps that was a stretch, but you see my point. Obama served on a bipartisan education board with Ayers. It was a committee that was funded by Walter H. Annenberg, a well-known philanthropist and education advocate, and friend and advisor to Republican icon, President Ronald Reagan. Some people will say he was raised Muslim. So what if he was? It does not mean he is still a Muslim. Besides that…all of this is making me stray from my main argument: It should not matter one-way or the other. That is why we have a little thing called Separation of Church and State.

Now we are all entitled to our opinions, I will not deny that. However, a right to your own opinion does not make it a good opinion. I am sure everyone who still thinks Obama is a Muslim, still believes it, and thinks that my opinion is a bad one. That is fine. I do not expect to change your mind today or tomorrow or maybe even ever, but I have said what I believe to be true, and call it a hunch, but I think there are a few others out there who would agree with me.

I will let you all be the judge. Tell us your thoughts.

Until next time,
Your trusty neighborhood-misguided-idiot-liberal-nutjob-anti-American-socialist-communist-(insert Republican talking point insult here)
-LoOK

Post Script
Colin Powell on this issue from Meet the Press this last Sunday:

"I'm also troubled by - not what Senator McCain says - but what members of the Party say, and it is permitted to be said: such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is he is not a Muslim. He's a Christian; has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, "What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?" The answer's "No, that's not America." Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be President? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own Party drop the suggestion he's Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery. And she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards - Purple Heart, Bronze Star; showed that he died in Iraq; gave his date of birth, date of death. He was twenty years old. And then at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross. It didn't have a Star of David. It had a crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Karim Rashad Sultan Kahn. And he was an American. He was born in New Jersey, he was fourteen years old at the time of 9/11 and he waited until he could go serve his country and he gave his life."

In our last post I talked about the endorsement of Barack Obama by General Colin Powell. I said somehow the right would find a way to spin this, and I hinted to it with rush Limbaugh’s reaction. Today he made himself even clearer on where he stands on this endorsement:



I know starting a feud with Rush Limbaugh is pointless. I know there are a million blogs out there in this world that bash him every day. I also know there are a million out there that praise him all the same. But today, after his latest remarks I have had enough.

However, I am perplexed at where I should start. Should it be with the “genital” comment or his blatant form of racism?

To call a true American war hero, a man who understands how to wage battle in times such as these more than anyone, a man who we need around to get advice from "Genital Powell" is disgusting. Tell me Rush, how is it that you sleep at night? Are you still popping those pills? Is that it? It must be.

Rush, I am sure you have supported Colin Powell in the past. I am sure he was one of your favorite guys when he was advising Reagan, or when he was George Bush’s Secretary of state. The truth is, when General Colin Powell saw how “his party” was evolving into a majority of nutcases he took a step back and said “Wait a minute, this isn’t the party I want to associate myself with.” When he said that, you sir, decided to throw him under the bus. You threw him to the dogs and I am sure your listeners ate him alive.

Now, to say that General Colin Powell chose to endorse Senator Barack Obama based only on the fact that he is black is disturbing. To say that implies that it had nothing to do with John McCain’s lack of leadership during this campaign, or his recent condoning of tactics such as calling Obama a terrorist and being proud of supporters who chant, "Kill him!" However, according to you these reasons have nothing to do with the endorsement because Powell and Obama are both black.

It has nothing to do with the reality that John McCain chose an inexperienced running mate based solely on the fact that she was a woman. Forget the fact that General Colin Powell said Governor Palin is not ready to be president of the United States. Forget that General Powell is disgusted with the overall tone of McCain’s Campaign. General Colin Powell’s endorsement has nothing to do with the fact that John McCain’s campaign is being run by lobbyists or that John McCain thinks the "fundamentals of our economy are strong." According to you Rush Limbaugh, General Colin Powell chose Obama because he is black.

John McCain lost all three debates as determined by every poll I saw. He was not strong on issues both foreign and domestic. He does not have a plan to solve the healthcare crisis or a plan to help the middleclass at all. He wants to give tax breaks to the rich and raise taxes on the poor (he plans to tax benefits), but none of this had any bearing on General Colin Powell’s decision, because both he and Barack Obama are black.

And if you truly believe that then you are in fact still on drugs. You must be, it is the only reason I could even begin to comprehend your rationale or lack thereof. Of course who am I kidding. You are Rush Limbaugh, bloated talking head for all those who are too stupid to know better, or too ignorant to change. You spew hate because that’s your job. You are paid copious amounts of money to vomit over the airwaves because you have a following that will eat it up.

The truth is, this time Rush, you will not win. The American people will no longer be fooled by your words, or afraid of your tactics. John McCain is not going to win this election. I know part of you is excited. You will have high ratings for eight years declaring how horrible Obama is as President. But the truth is you are weak, and weakening. You and your faithful will fight against a leader who stands against everything you are, and I am sure that terrifies you. So enjoy this moment while it lasts, because it won’t be this way forever.

I won’t be directing a post to Rush very often, if ever again. I won't waste my time. I know he won’t listen. He’s paid not to.

There was one endorsement left in this election season that both John McCain and Barack Obama wanted. General Colin Powell is respected across the board by both Republicans and Democrats. He is after all a Four Star General, former national security advisor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former Secretary of State. In layman’s terms, General Powell has some credibility when it comes down to who he wants to endorse.

Well, in a move that some may call the final nail in McCain’s coffin, General Powell chose to endorse Senator Barack Obama. He chose to endorse him because he believes Senator Obama is a, “transformational figure” and would be an, “exceptional leader.” I have to say for John McCain to hear that, it’s got to hurt. It also had to hurt to hear General Powell say that he did not believe Sarah Palin was qualified to be president of the United States. For McCain’s Campaign, it had to hurt to hear General Powell trash the judgment of John McCain.

For Barack Obama, this endorsement was music to his ears. In the final weeks this can only help. It will help with those who still believe that Barack Obama does not have the foreign policy credentials, or the experience to be President. With this endorsement, Colin Powell will reach out to the older voters (being 71 himself) and say (even if he chooses to remains silent for the duration of the election), “Do not be afraid to trust this young man with our future. Do not be afraid to believe that he is the man to take us out of these tough times of today and help us arrive at a better tomorrow.”

Now, I know the Republicans will find some way to spin this endorsement as a bad thing, but General Powell was an aide to Reagan, their dearly beloved Ronald Reagan! So, to the McCain campaign I say, “Good luck on this one.”

For those of you who feel General Powell chose to endorse Barack Obama because he is black (I am talking to you Pat Buchanan and Rush Limbaugh) I am glad that you found some sort of spin to make it through the day, but you are wrong. You are not only insulting General Powell, but insulting the American People. But we all know you thrive off of ignorance. Without it where would you be?

Now, to be fair had the General endorsed McCain, the Obama camp could have said, “General Powell is the man who took a test tube of baking soda and lied to the United Nations to get us into the Iraq War. He is the type of adviser that President Bush surrounded himself with, and this simply represents John McCain being an extension of George W. Bush.” I am sure that statement was written just in case. However, it would have been misleading and incredibly inappropriate.

Yes, General Powell did in fact play a huge part in our run up to the Iraq war. I believe that he knowingly lied to the U.N., but I also believe that he is incredibly repentant of his past indiscretions. I believe he wants nothing more than to atone for his sins and by supporting a leader who he feels is “transformational,” Colin Powell believes we can still get out of Iraq with some respect intact.

While some may jump on the aforementioned criticism of General Powell, many others will praise the General for his courage, for his “Maverick” move to reach out across party lines and support a Democrat.

I fall into the latter category and say Thank you General. Thank you for showing us that there are still “Washington Insiders” that believe what so many of us believe. We can change, we will change, and that change is nothing to fear.