New Obama Rumors!

That's right folks, we've got new Barack Obama rumors! Forget all those other emails your scaredy cat, redneck friends have been forwarding you. Forget about the one where they say Obama isn't patriotic because he doesn't wear a flag lapel pin or doesn't put his hand on his heart when saying the pledge of allegiance. Now that the primaries are over it's time to forget those tired old unsubstantiated stories and move onto some rumors with real meat. These are taken directly from Slate.com and deserve to be forwarded to everyone you know.

Right now! Come on, don't let me down. Ten people have forwarded me links to that idiotic popcorn cell phone video so let's get these out.

From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?

There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.

Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.

Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.

A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.

Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.

Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.

Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.

There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.

Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.

Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.

Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.

Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.

Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.

Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.

McCain, Clinton and Obama Can't Help Us

No matter who wins in November, we're on our own. Gas prices are hovering around $4.00 per gallon. By the time the general election gets here that price could be closer to $6.00. I can't tell for sure because my crystal ball is on the fritz and I can't afford to get it fixed because of sixty dollar fill ups. One thing I do know is that when we wake up on November 5th, 2008, the price of gas will be pretty much what it was on November 4th. The change from Bush to McCain, Clinton or Obama will not magically make gas affordable. Their election will not make groceries more affordable. Changing the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will not force your employer to give you a raise.

It's all up to us.

If the price of gas is too high, you have to use less so you don't have to spend as much money on it. This is where Mahoning County voters who let the WRTA levy fail feel that short sighted decision come back to bite them in the rump. Maybe the votes will change if fill ups cost $75.00. Regardless, to spend less on gas, we can only drive less and drive smaller vehicles. Trading in that SUV and buying a Cobalt can save you money and help Valley workers at Lordstown.

Times are tough and they'll probably get tougher as the year goes on. John McCain won't even vote to give veterans of the Iraqi disaster a G.I. Bill that will pay for all their college expenses so you can forget about him helping your kids. If you are punching the clock at Wal-Mart or McDonalds and you are in your mid-twenties, you need to get to school. Working for minimum wage or just a little over it will pretty much consign you to a life where you are working for the gas it takes to get to work and the food on your table. Get an education or get a trade. Anything else is stagnation. Making more money and spending less of it is the only way to succeed.

The United States debt is nearly 9 trillion dollars. The budget cannot be balanced while we are at war so the deficit grows each year. The dollar has taken a beating lately so it may not be the investment of choice for cash rich countries like China. If we find it harder to borrow money then something will have to give. Eventually some of the social programs we depend on may be cut. And believe me, welfare for people will be cut long before welfare for corporations. If you are currently receiving benefits, use this time wisely to get back on your feet.

McCain wants to give us health savings accounts and tax breaks. Big deal. The national savings rate averages negative 1/2 percent and the people who really need help with medical costs don't pay a lot of taxes because they don't make a lot of money. Obama and Clinton want universal health care mandated so you will be paying for your policy unless you're lucky enough to get it through work. It will probably be in your best interest to make sure you can afford the good policy. I'm not saying the health care industry treats people differently based on money or status but I can't recall a member of Congress complaining about hanging out in an emergency room waiting area for help.

I'm hoping for change in the White House. Heck, I'm eager for change in the White House. I just don't think the change will have much of an impact on our day-to-day life. We are the only ones who can help us and we need to stop wasting opportunities.

Baracky: The Movie

Senator Obama may have taken a hard punch in Pennsylvania but that means he'll just have to fight a little harder. Hmmm...that reminds me of another guy who overcame tough obstacles.

Tough Questions Remain After Clinton and Obama Have Come and Gone

It was nice to be in the limelight for a few days as the Democratic candidates visited and told us that they understood what globalization had done to us. It was comforting to hear Senator Clinton say that America can't give up manufacturing or its manufacturing jobs. Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama say they would like to renegotiate NAFTA. That all sounds good here in the Valley where thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost to overseas production but there are areas of the country that have benefited from trade agreements and those folks vote too. I go shopping and I see Wal-Mart and K-Mart packed with people enjoying cheap goods imported from the very countries they disdain. It makes you start to ask some tough questions.

Here's one. Given how badly this area has been damaged by trade agreements and a local economy that is sluggish at best, why do so many kids drop out of school? Why don't we learn from our parent's mistakes and take advantage of the educational opportunities here? Why do parents who are struggling to survive allow their children to drop out or not go on to higher education? I thought growing up in hard circumstances was the incentive to do better, to escape the hard life.

Here's another. Why are we always looking for someone to save us? There is an almost undefinable attitude among us that is just waiting for the next big thing to come along and make everything better. With the success of the Youngstown Business Incubator and the construction of the Taft Technology Center it seems like we are starting to figure out that we are going to have to save ourselves but there are still those who think that success is something that just happens rather than the result of effort.

Both candidates talk about green collar jobs. Well, there's a surplus of manufacturing knowledge here in the Valley that could build everything from windmills to recycling plants. The fact is though, that our labor force shoots itself in the foot. Don't believe me? Ask the members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880 that are picketing Nemenz IGA in Hubbard. They've been picketing the newly opened store since September of last year. Why? Because the store that was in that location before Nemenz went out of business. The union thinks it did not get a fair shake when the store opened under new ownership so they've spent the better part of six months picketing the store. What if the store closes down? I'm not sure how another empty store front and even more unemployed people benefits Hubbard but their tunnel vision keeps them marching on the sidewalk.

So Clinton and Obama came to ask for our votes and we told them how tough it has been. You have to ask yourself, though; are we doing everything we can to succeed or are we still waiting to be saved?

Great Obama Ad

Barack Obama's message is completely different from what we've endured these past 7 years. I know that no one man is going to fix all of our problems but it's energizing to see people rally around hope and optimism instead of accepting the "reality" that we must be at war and give up our ideals to be safe. I hope he gets the chance to attempt even half of what he's talked about.

Folks at the Obama Rally at YSU

Folks seem pretty jazzed about the Senator's visit. I don't see that kind of energy from the Clinton or McCain supporters. From the Senator's site.

Barack Obama in Youngstown on February 18th

More video from the Senator's website.

BarackTV: Barack Obama in Niles on February 18th

This is a video of Senator Obama's visit to RMI Titanium in Niles on February 18th.

Democratic Debate in Youngstown?

There is a lot of talk about a debate between Senators Obama and Clinton in Youngstown before the primary in March. Don Hanni floated the idea and even Senator Clinton seems to be behind it.

Youngstown deserves to be the scene of a debate. The area never really took part in the 90's economic boom and recovery from the last recession has stalled. The city and the rest of the Mahoning Valley are a microcosm of the entire industrial Northeast and Midwest that is suffering from high unemployment, crime and a shrinking population. This location is the perfect place for both candidates to explain their positions on crime prevention, education and health care. Youngstown, Detroit, Cleveland and other rust belt cities are all suffering from the effects of an economy that is slowing and transitioning from manufacturing to service and technology. We are prepared to ask tough questions whose answers impact us locally but are relevant to a wide swath of the country.

The Chevy Centre provides the perfect venue for such a debate. The candidates should make use of it.

Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama Visits the Mahoning Valley

Presidential contender Barack Obama was in the Mahoning Valley this morning for a fund raiser. However, I didn't have a $1,000 dollars to contribute to his campaign so I didn't attend and therefore have nothing to report.

The Obama Girl Video

Yeah, I know, I'm about the 1,000,000th blogger to post this but it's just so weird I had to bring it to the last dozen people who may have missed it.

The Importance of Paying Attention Before You Vote

Given the dismal job approval ratings of both the President and the Congress it seems like your vote means more than ever. Conservatives are upset with President Bush about the war in Iraq and immigration. Liberals are fed up with do nothing Democrats in Congress who have shown no leadership on any issue since taking control. There is currently a leadership vacuum that desperately needs to be filled.

And I'm not going to make any recommendations.

I can't. Not yet. The presidential debates have started and the cow chips are already getting deep. No one is saying much of substance and I have not heard any ideas that blow my hair back. The Democrats are sorely lacking in original thought, sticking to safe ground like health care and anti-war rhetoric that they have yet to act on. The Republicans are talking about war with Iran more than they are talking about diplomacy but somehow they continue to stake a claim to being the party of life. Nothing here is new or groundbreaking.

It is clearly up to us, the voting public, to force them to think and be creative. We need to make it clear that we are informed, smart and not satisfied with the status quo. Every candidate needs to de-politicize issues that demand common sense answers. They need to tell the special interests on both sides to clam up:

• Illegal Immigration: This country is built on immigration. We need immigrants to fill jobs and grow the economy. America truly is a melting pot that shows the rest of the world that different cultures can get along peacefully. However, the immigration needs to be legal and controlled by policy. Liberal activists need to stop labeling people as anti-immigrant if they demand that laws on the books be enforced. Republicans need to stand up for what they believe in and ignore big business and polls. Control immigration but protect the country from illegal immigrants.
• Global Warming: The polar caps are melting. I know this because they are smaller now than they used to be. There is evidence of this. Even if you believe humans can't do anything about it, we should be moved to ensure we are not contributing anymore than we have to.
• Energy: Both parties should be working on alternative sources like nuclear, domestic drilling, wind and solar. Liberals need to realize that everyone needs to get to work and that will take oil. I don't live in an area where mass transit makes sense so stop assuming we live in big cities with bus stops and train stations. Conservatives would do well to remember that the less oil we buy from the Middle East the more secure we will be. A well rounded energy policy that makes us independent is the best policy.

Voters who traditionally support either party would do well to listen to the so-called second tier candidates. Rudy Guiliani and John McCain are getting the bulk of the air time but Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul appear well spoken, have experience and talk in less sound bites. On the Democratic side, Obama and Clinton appear to be setting up a real fight but Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Joe Biden are all worth listening to.

It is in the best interest of each voter to educate themselves about the candidates and their positions. Study the record of each one. In this case past performance is definitely indicative of future returns. More importantly, examine what you look for in a candidate. Is it simply party loyalty? If so, the country needs more than that.

America has had a disastrous six years. We are mired in war without good reason and our reputation as a champion for human rights has been badly tarnished. Instead of leading by example we have sunk to the level of our opponents. These and a hundred other issues will demand the attention of a person who is centered, well educated and capable of making good decisions. The primaries for the 2008 Presidential election are the better part of a year away and the elections about six months after that. Each of us has a responsibility to read and learn as much as possible about the candidates in order to make the best choice possible.