   | | Political discussion involving past and present political events, candidates and elections. Please read Msg #1 before posting. |
Msg #374
9 replies | Funny for all you Texas Republicans! | By Merry_CA on 9/18/07 10:55am
You have undoubtedly seen this... but it's still funny! (in a twisted / Republican sort of way)
Three Texas surgeons were playing golf together and discussing
surgeries they had performed.
One of them said, "I'm the best surgeon in Texas. In my favorite
case, a concert pianist lost seven fingers in an accident. I
reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for
the Queen of England."
The second surgeon said. "That's nothing. A young man lost an arm and
both legs in an accident. I reattached them, and 2 years later he won
a gold medal in track and field events in the Olympics."
The third surgeon said, "You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a
woman was high on cocaine and marijuana and she rode a horse head-on
into a train traveling 80 miles an hour. All I had left to work with
was the woman's blonde hair and the horse's ass. I was able to put
them together and now she's running for President."
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| Msg #343
8 replies | Greenspan on 60 min | By bestcal on 9/16/07 10:28pm
Okay,so he thinks Clinton was the most intelligent president that he ever worked with and that Hilary is totally qualified to do the job!.
Yes!
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| Msg #320
17 replies | Media Image | By Pamela on 9/15/07 3:20pm
In my opinion, the media is extremely liberal and often one sided.
There always seems to some type of a slant.
For instance, those illegally entering this country are shown
as heroic and much Press time (as least in Los Angeles) is given
to them.
One person in particular comes to mind. This woman disobeys federal
law, is found guilty, gets pregnant, has a child, holds-up
in a Chicago church, comes to Los Angeles, is arrested and then
deported.
The Media goes crazy about this "victim" and the separation
from her American born son (where is the father?).
At the same time, there are literally thousands of American born
(generational) families in this country who are unemployed and/or
working minimum wage jobs or very dangerous jobs (such as in coal
mines) just to make ends meet.
States such as Kentucky, Indiana and Louisiana are in desperate need
of help. Yet, focus is spent on the plight of illegals crossing the desert
and highways and their struggles for a "better life".
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| Msg #262
78 replies | WW H/O DO? | By Merry_CA on 9/14/07 1:36pm
Now that Dubbaya has gifted the Iraq war to the next president... what do you think Hillary or Obama will handle it? What do you think this campaign is going to look like? Kinda makes illegal immigration look like small papas now doesn't it?
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| Msg #253
22 replies | Anyone reading about the NAFTA Superhighway? | By Marinna/FL on 9/13/07 7:25am
The NAFTA Superhighway will connect all three North American countries together. This connection will take place with the construction of this highway. For those who are not geographically literate, those three countries are The United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
This highway, which is scheduled to start construction next year will consist of ten lanes (5 in each direction) and will start in Lazaro Cardinas, Mexico and run up through the United States with the first customs stop being in Kansas City, with it then proceeding up through Canada. I do not know about the rest of you, but this seems to me to be the beginning of the end of the Independent United States as we know it. This is starting to sound like a audio bit out of the twilight zone.
If you want to read the rest of this blog, you can go to:
http://earlsview.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=9
2nd or 3rd article on that page.
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| Msg #246
7 replies | I'm surprised NOBODY said anything about Hillary and her | By Stuart Posner on 9/12/07 3:20pm
acceptance of money from a fugitive on the run Mr. Hsu. And then....when 'caught' taking the funds, she only 'volunteered' to give back a portion and NOT the entire amount.....although she claims she is NOW giving back the entire amount.
Why the hesitation Hillary...from the "Smartest woman in America"
Why does ANYONE trust this woman?
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| | | Msg #242
2 replies | Comments? | By  John_NorCal on 9/10/07 7:53pm
War is in fact a class confrontation. From time immemorial, war has torn at the fabric of society and kicked its heels at the oppressed. Sadly, it will continue to do so. It will continue to do so as long as there is a living being who believes that his faith, his ideology, his very existence is superior to another.
What if they gave a war and no one went? Who will be the first to say, “Not me!”? Will it be the "oppressor" or will it be the "oppressed?" Who will make that determination of right or wrong? Will the oppressor, who devalues life's existence while relegating others to the depths of despair, be the one to forego the very action that fills its belly? Or will it be the oppressed whose souls are filled with the desire and the fire to burn through their despair and torment to regain their right to human dignity?
History has shown us many conflicts among men of good will and men whose ideology are the crust covering a cauldron of despair. In modern times, we have seen the rise of Hitler who fed his fanaticism on the embers of societal discord; embers that gave way to the fires of hell; fires that consumed life’s treasured dignity and left as its trail the ash of hope, love and beauty.
Peace unfortunately is not the natural order of things. Peace is the order that is brought about by courageous souls who dare to say, “Enough!” “Enough of the oppression!” “Enough of the denial of the intellect that God has given mankind!”
As long as we have disharmony among men; as long as we harbor the thought that "man has an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," then we must be willing to answer the call of Freedom. Freedom's call must beckon and be answered to by the souls of all would yearn for it. Freedom must not and should not be won solely on the backs of the under privileged. The quest for freedom must be borne equally by all who would savor its sweetness.
While the quest for freedom must be an inherent responsibility of all, we must beware of those who would distort the truth to the benefit of their exclusivity. General Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex. And so we must not bind the fabric of our society solely with the threads of an institution beholden to corporate profits and greed. Instead our societal fabric should be held together by the threads of education, prosperity, hope, and dignity.
The military institution is an honorable one. It is in this institution that we place our faith and trust to safeguard our way of being. We must hold to the highest accountability those who we entrust the moral and equitable use of this institution. As we are willing to wield the sword of might to the oppressor, we must also be willing to wield the shield of protection to the oppressed.
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| | Msg #217
0 replies | Any Muslims to shed light on the Bin Ladin video? | By CJ on 9/7/07 4:35pm
I noticed that in the video, Bin Ladin called all of America to convert to Islam. I recall that when the President of Iran wrote to President Bush over a year ago, it was also one big call to repent and convert.
I have "heard" that Muslims ask you to convert first, then if you don't convert, then it is okay to kill you.
Both the letter from Iran, and this video were very rare communications to our country. Both of them emphasised conversion. So, to me, this says, "If you don't convert, then it is your own fault if we attack".
Can anyone shed some light on this?
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| Msg #216
0 replies | ok, I got one for ya.... | By Charm_AL on 9/7/07 3:54pm
Donald Rumsfeld breifed the President this morning. He told Bush that 3 brazillion soldiers were killed in Iraq. To everyone's amazement, all the color ran from Bush's face, then he collasped onto his desk, head in his hands, visibly shaken almost whimpering.
Finally he composed himself and asked Rumsfeld " Just exactly how many is a brizillion?"
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| Msg #206
5 replies | New game show: Power of 10 Question | By jba/fl on 9/6/07 8:38pm
America is now 236 years old. How many Americans think that this country will be the same in 100 years?
Ans: 76%
I really thought the number would be higher, but re-reading illegal immigration posts here make me think that some illegals said they were Americans and got counted for this answer.
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| Msg #200
3 replies | Bin Ladin's 9/11 video | By CJ on 9/6/07 5:08pm
I read in the news that Bin Ladin is going to release a video about 9/11. I wonder if this will put to rest any conspirity theories. I wonder: how we are getting the PR on this media event anyway? Are people going to say Bush is in cahootz with Bin Ladin and he got Bin Ladin to cover for him?
I am not behind Bush, but I don't think he is behind this. The few Muslims that I know say that Muslims had nothing to do with the 9/11 bombings, that it was OBVIOUSLY Israel (and that can be proven because no Israelies were at the Twin Towers that day, beause they were all fore-warned.)
I hope he says, "I did this because . . . "
I hope he endorses a candiate, so I will know which guy I am NOT going to vote for the most (if that's at all possible).
What do you think Bin Ladin will say, and how do you think this will affect the country?
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| Msg #198
13 replies | Plan to stop illegal immigration | By Merry_CA on 9/6/07 3:26pm
Here's my solution to the illegal immigration problem... Parents of teenagers... start encouraging your teens to seek out seasonal crop picking opportunities, janitorial service jobs, look for lawns to mow and bushes to trim around your neighborhood, offer to apprentice for a landscaping company.... Write your senators and congress people and tell them that you want employers (no matter how large or small) who employ illegals to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Stop whining about the problem and start working on a solution that will actually solve the problem.
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| Msg #193
14 replies | How does the black community feel about illegal immigration? | By CJ on 9/6/07 10:27am
I happen to be white. In my community, we have a LOT of Mexical illegals. Every store you go into, everyone around us is speaking Spanish. That is the tip of the iceberg of the many changes that I see around here.
When I sign whites, they are very outspoken about how the illegals are trashing their cities. It is not that Mexicans are brown-skinned, it's that they are bringing gangs, poor education, thowing trash in the street (like dirty diapers), bumping their ranchero music, etc. Whites say their children can't get jobs becuase the stores are run by Hispanics, and they only hire their friends. Whites would be totally blasted if they did something like that. One woman said her daughter is flutetly bilingual, but because she is white and blond, they will not hire her. One time I went to a Carl's Jr, and they were having an employee meeting in the lunch area, and they were holding it in Spanish.
When I sign Mexicans, they don't speak English at home, they are upset that I don't speak Spanish, they say California REALLY belongs to Mexico, and they are taking it back becuase they have every right to be here. Their teenage children (guys and girls) are covered with tattoos and gang attire.
I want to ask my black customers how they feel about illegal immigration, but I am nervous to bring anything like that up when I have Martin Luther King, Malcom X, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton glaring down from the wall in the dining room. I would think blacks would be upset becuase the Mexicans are taking all the social services and jobs, but then again, I am afraid anything I say would be perceived as racist. I did ask one black man. He was single and had a teenage daughter. He said she only has Mexian friends, and they are nice girls, but he wants his daughter to go to college, and her Mexican friends only want to get pregnant. They don't even want to get married.
You don't need to jump all over me about being "racist". I know in my heart that I don't care what color anyone is. I care if people are coming across the boarder illegally, plundering socal services intened for American Citizens, and trashing our contry, and doing all the drugs and crimes Americans won't do. If all the illegals were from England, it would bug me just as much. My family came from Denmark legally, learned the language, did not get any handouts, and got married. They said, "We are AMERICANS now." I know that there are many other illegals besides Mexicans, but in my neighborhood, that is what I see.
Okay, let the flaming begin . . .
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| Msg #189
3 replies | Republicans: Your vote: | By CJ on 9/5/07 11:05pm
In light of the recent televised debate, which is your favorite Republican candidate?
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| Msg #184
0 replies | Do Not Call List set to expire...Interesting article | By jba/fl on 9/4/07 10:40pm
'Sept. 10, 2007 issue - At county fairs in Pennsylvania this summer, visitors lined up for the Ferris wheel, pie-eating contests—and to renew their spot on the state's Do Not Call Registry. Who knew that the list, which was established in 2002, came with a five-year expiration date? Not Mark Baicker, a pension manager from Carversville, Pa. "It's totally confusing," he says. "When you're signing up, it should be permanent." As the Sept. 15 deadline looms, the state is putting the word out through public-service announcements, newspaper ads and TV spots. Still, only 690,000 people out of the 2 million registrants who need to renew have done so.
These mixed signals in Pennsylvania could mirror a problem the entire country will face next year, when the first people who signed up are dropped from the federal Do Not Call list. The nationwide registry, with 148 million numbers, is considerably larger than in Pennsylvania, one of the few states that still operate a list independent of the Federal Trade Commission's. Nearly half (or 63 million) of the numbers were registered in 2003, the program's first year, which means they'll start to fall off the list as early as next summer. Unlike in Pennsylvania, federal budget constraints will prevent a massive national get-the-word-out movement with television ads or county-fair booths.
The five-year limit was set in place to purge the list of Americans who invariably move or change numbers. But for telemarketers, a lack of awareness about the expiration date signals new opportunity. "Will we attempt to touch people no longer on the list? Of course." says Tim Searcy, CEO of the American Teleservices Association. The "mass expiration," he argues, will also let customers decide whether they want to opt out. "New offers might be compelling after five years," he says. Most households probably don't see things that way. "I bet 99.9 percent of people who swear off calls never want to get them again," says Baicker from Pennsylvania.
That's one reason businesses have been targeting your mailbox and inbox instead of your land line. From 2001 to 2006, direct-mail spending increased from $24 billion to $32 billion, according to the Direct Marketing Association, while profits rose from $363 billion to $517 billion. Similar jumps occurred with catalogs and Internet marketing; meanwhile, telemarketing spending has remained flat at $46 billion. Earnings in that time have only slightly increased, from $382 billion to $393 billion. "Our members have shifted how they reach people," says Jerry Cerasale, the association's senior vice president. "But people will likely get calls." Better practice hanging up.
—Kurt Soller
© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.'
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| Msg #182
5 replies | Anyone here own a home of over 3000 sq feet? | By Charles_Ca on 9/4/07 12:54pm
Rep John Dingell (D-MI) has introlduced a bill today that will elliminate the mortgage interest deduntion on your home if it is 3000 sq ftor over. Way to go get those McMansions, no one needs 3000 sq ft to live in. National Association of Home Builders reports that homes of over 3000 sq ft are one of the few areas still experiencing growth: this bill should take care of that!
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| Msg #181
4 replies | Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas | By TRG_wy on 9/3/07 10:40pm
BOY THIS WILL GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE UP.
Why do our leaders in Washington not want to resolve this problem???
Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas is a fairly famous institution and for a variety of reasons:
1. John F. Kennedy died there in 1963
2. Lee Harvey Oswald died there shortly after
3. Jack Ruby-who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, died there a few years later. by coincidence
On the flip side, Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year.
(That's almost 44 per day---every day)
A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants.' Crikey, that's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas. According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.
The average patient in Parkland's maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child. She is also an illegal immigrant. By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay. OK, fine. That doesn't mean they should receive better care than everyday, middle-class American citizens. But at Parkland Hospital, they do.
Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics. NINE. The Dallas Morning News article followed a Hispanic woman who was a patient at one of the clinics and pregnant with her third child---her previous two were also born at Parkland. Her first two deliveries were free and the Mexican native was grateful because it would have cost $200 to have them in Mexico. This time, the hospital wants her to pay $10 per visit and $100 for the delivery but she was unsure if she could come up with the money. Not that it matters, the hospital won't turn her away. (I wonder why they even bother asking at this point.)
How long has this been going on? What are the long-term effects? Well, another subject of the article was born at Parkland in 1986 shortly after her mother entered the U.S. illegally---now she is having her own child there as well. (That's right, she's technically a U.S. citizen.) These women receive free prenatal care including medication, nutrition, birthing classes and child care classes. They also get freebies such as car seats, bottles, diapers and formula.
Most of these things are available to American citizens as well but only for low-income applicants and even then, the red tape involved is almost insurmountable.
Because these women are illegal immigrants they do not have to provide any sort of legitimate identification---no proof of income. An American citizen would have to provide a social security number which would reveal their annual income---an illegal immigrant need only claim to be poor and the hospital must take them at their word.
My husband is a pilot for the United States Navy (yes, he fought in Iraq) and while the health care is good, we Navy wives don't get any of these perks! Car seats? Diapers? Not so much. So my question is this: Does our public medical care system treat illegal immigrants better than American citizens? Yes it does!
As I mentioned, the care I have received is perfectly adequate but it's bare bones, meat and potato medical care---not top of line.
Their (the illegals) medical care is free---simply because they are illegal immigrants? Once again, there is no way to verify their income. Parkland Hospital offers indigent care to Dallas County residents who earn less than $40,000 per year. (They also have to prove that they did not refuse health coverage at their current job. Yeah, the 'free' care is not so easy for Americans.)
There are about 140 patients who received roughly $4 million dollars for un-reimbursed medical care. As it turns out, they did not qualify for free treatment because they resided outside of Dallas County. So the hospital is going to sue them! Illegals get it all free! But U.S. citizens who live outside of Dallas County get sued! How stupid is this?
As if that isn't annoying enough, the illegal immigrant patients are actually complaining about hospital staff not speaking Spanish. In this AP story, the author speaks with a woman who is upset that she had to translate comments from the hospital staff into Spanish for her husband. The doctor was trying to explain the situation to the family and the mother was forced to translate for her husband who only spoke Spanish. This was apparently a great injustice to her.
"In an attempt to create a Spanish-speaking staff, Parkland Hospital is now providing incentives in the form of extra pay for applicants who speak Spanish. Additionally, medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern for which Parkland Hospital is the training facility will now have a Spanish language requirement added to their already jammed-packed curriculum. No other school in the country boasts such a ridiculous multi-semester (multicultural) requirement.
In the meantime, I have to end my column here. I have to go buy a car seat.
(Ed: Sorry for the length, but this needs wide circulation----particularly to our "employees" in the Congress.)
Quote of the Day
"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public*, there will be no shutting them again." -Grover Cleveland
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