A Web blogger linked to Al-Qaida sites reasons why a McCain victory would be in Al-Qaida's best interest. First an endorsement from President Bush and now this. I don't know which is worse.
Check out the article here.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081022/ap_on_el_pr/al_qaida_us_election_2
These Shoes Rule, Let's Get Em!
source: DemocracyNow headlines 10/23/08
McCain Campaign Spent $150K on Palin Clothes, Accessories
In other campaign news, the McCain campaign has been forced to admit it’s spent more than $150,000 on Palin’s clothes and accessories since she became the Republican vice-presidential nominee in August. Republicans say they’ve always intended to donate the clothes to charity after the elections. But critics say the spending reinforces the perception Republicans have falsely constructed an image of Palin as being in touch with average Americans.
The Cost of Democracy
Malta: $5.49 billion
Madagascar: $5.37 billion
Cambodia: $5.34 billion
Spending on Fall 2008 U.S. Elections: $5.3 billion
Burkina Faso: $5.24 billion
Mali: $5.12 billion
Nicaragua: $4.97 billion
Bahamas: $4.92 billion
Open the Debates
It is unfortunate that of the several presidential candidates set to be on the ballot this November, only two are allowed to participate in the prime-time, televised debates. The United States is a democratic nation after all and as such should it not require of its media fair, equal, and unbiased coverage of candidates running for its most crucial public office? Instead, in addition to our airwaves being clogged by ads from the two bipartisan candidates with campaign funding bloated enough to finance such frequent assaults on our subconscious, we are only presented with two. The televised presidential debate is a forum which we are taught to greatly respect, which students are given extra credit to watch, which is discussed by millions in the following days, on which many voters base their decision. The current form of the presidential debate is not up to par with the respect it gets.
With a little research into the recent history of the televised debates, it becomes quite clear that this exclusion of candidates is no accident. Here is a link that sheds a lot of light on the topic:
http://www.opendebates.org/theissue/.
Suffice it to say that the debates used to be under the control of a group of non-partisan citizens called the League of Women Voters, but in 1988 was usurped by a newly established group under the name Commission on Presidential Debates. Unlike the previous group, the CPD is run by bipartisan politicians and lobbyists. It serves to further only the two participating party's agendas. Does this sort of organization fit in a democracy?
Lucky for us, we live in the age of information, and lucky for us, web space is not nearly as costly as television and radio space. This puts us in a position to take the time to become informed about more than two candidates, their policies, what they believe the direction of the country should be, how to handle the current financial issues, etc. That would be democratic. I suppose the first step is to see whose on the ballot. Wouldn't it be nice if the mainstream media could even give us that much? Well, sample ballots are on the way. There's still time...
More links:
Videos from Green Party's candidate, Cynthia McKinney: http://www.youtube.com/user/RunCynthiaRun
Videos from Independent Nominee, Ralph Nader
http://www.youtube.com/user/votenader08
Videos from Libertarian Nominee, Bob Barr
http://www.youtube.com/user/bobbarr2008?ob=4
there's more candidates still .....
With a little research into the recent history of the televised debates, it becomes quite clear that this exclusion of candidates is no accident. Here is a link that sheds a lot of light on the topic:
http://www.opendebates.org/theissue/.
Suffice it to say that the debates used to be under the control of a group of non-partisan citizens called the League of Women Voters, but in 1988 was usurped by a newly established group under the name Commission on Presidential Debates. Unlike the previous group, the CPD is run by bipartisan politicians and lobbyists. It serves to further only the two participating party's agendas. Does this sort of organization fit in a democracy?
Lucky for us, we live in the age of information, and lucky for us, web space is not nearly as costly as television and radio space. This puts us in a position to take the time to become informed about more than two candidates, their policies, what they believe the direction of the country should be, how to handle the current financial issues, etc. That would be democratic. I suppose the first step is to see whose on the ballot. Wouldn't it be nice if the mainstream media could even give us that much? Well, sample ballots are on the way. There's still time...
More links:
Videos from Green Party's candidate, Cynthia McKinney: http://www.youtube.com/user/RunCynthiaRun
Videos from Independent Nominee, Ralph Nader
http://www.youtube.com/user/votenader08
Videos from Libertarian Nominee, Bob Barr
http://www.youtube.com/user/bobbarr2008?ob=4
there's more candidates still .....
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