Clear thinking and straight talk from the top of a mountain.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Reports of Giving up on New Mexico Premature
Just a few days ago, it was being "reported" by those with their own agenda that John McCain was giving up on winning New Mexico. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth and two campaign visits this Saturday prove that without a doubt:
New Mexico Road to Victory Rallies in New Mexico this Saturday Join John and Cindy McCain and your New Mexico Ticket for either of our Road to Victory Rallies in New Mexico this Saturday, October 25th.
Since Senator McCain picked Governor Palin to be his running mate, we've heard an awful lot of attacks coming from the Democrats and the mainstream media (Mr. Charles Gibson) about Sarah Palin being "only one heartbeat away from the presidency." Of course, this isn't the first time this strategy has been used by Democrats.
As I recall, that candidate ended up with only 10 of the 50 states in the Electoral College. You'd think they'd learn. If you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, you might want to go watch some more presidential commercials at the Museum of the Moving Image.
I have about half a dozen email addresses. Some are business related. Some are personal. I try to keep them separate. I would venture to guess that a growing number, if not the vast majority of working Americans, have at least two email accounts. A work email account, and a personal email account - just like Governor Sarah Palin.
Unfortunately, someone has taken it upon themselves to hack into the Governor's personal email account, an account with personal family photos and private communications, and to post them online. The McCain camp has released the following statement:
"This is a shocking invasion of the Governor's privacy and a violation of law. The matter has been turned over to the appropriate authorities and we hope that anyone in possession of these emails will destroy them. We will have no further comment."
Personally, I think this stunt is going to backfire on the perpetrators. The problem the Democrats are having with Sarah Palin from a political strategy standpoint is that she is someone with whom the vast majority of Americans can relate.
This is only going to further cement the bond that Sarah Palin is developing with the American people. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of Americans cherish their privacy and would be appalled if someone hacked their personal email and put the contents out there for all to see. This invasion of privacy on the heels of the attack against Sarah Palin because her 17 year old daughter is pregnant is without a doubt a new low. And, I'm willing to bet that it will hurt Democrats in the polls come November.
It looks like Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for Vice President, had a first choice as a running mate, and it wasn't his colleague Senator Barack Obama (if you're crunched for time skip ahead to 2:36 into the clip):
That's right, given half a chance, Senator Joe Biden would have run on the presidential ticket with none other than the Republican candidate for President, Senator John McCain. Heck, he went so far as to urge McCain to run on a John Kerry ticket in 2004. Kind of makes you wonder how all of the Democrats can claim that electing John McCain as President is the same as a Bush third term.
I was on the road last night, so I didn't get to watch Sarah Palin's speech at GOP Convention. However, I just watched it this morning, and all I can say is that there is no more perfect candidate for Vice President of the United States.
There were several times during her speech where Governor Palin seemed to be speaking straight to New Mexicans:
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
Before Governor Palin was selected, I had a conversation with a producer from a PBS show, and I told him that one of Senator Obama's biggest challenges in winning New Mexico would be the urban versus rural divide. As an urbanite, who time and time again shows he is out of touch with rural values, Senator Obama has some serious challenges in appealing to the two thirds of the state population that lives in rural New Mexican towns. It was this population that turned out and delivered New Mexico for President Bush in 2004.
Every time the Obama camp and the mainstream media question Governor Palin's readiness because she comes from a small town in a sparsely populated state, they strengthen the resolve of proud rural New Mexicans to once again have their voices heard in the White House.
Compare Governor Richardson's approach to leadership to that of Governor Palin:
I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
I also drive myself to work.
And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
The Governor with five kids at home doesn't need jets, drivers and personal chefs, but the Governor in a two-person household does? Where's the logic in that? Supposedly, the Democrats are the party of the masses, but you tell me which Governor lives more like you and me?
Of course, I realize that Governor Richardson is not running for President. So, let's bring it back to a Presidential ticket comparison. McCain/Palin versus Obama/Biden. When it comes to proven leadership at the top of the ticket, McCain/Palin win hands down. When it comes to a track record of change and bucking the political establishment, McCain/Palin win hands down. When it comes to dealing with energy or experience in world affairs, McCain/Palin win hands down.
On every measurement and in every category McCain/Palin is the more impressive ticket. And every time, someone tries to make the case that Governor Palin is not ready to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, we'll think of this:
When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.
Governor Palin's proven track record of meeting family and community responsiblities combined with Senator McCain's proud history of fighting for this country means much more than Senator Obama's and Senator Biden's "experience" of winning elections.
However, the very best female candidate we have -- and this won't suprise anyone -- is Sarah Heath Palin, the governor of Alaska. With an approval rating in the 90s, she's the most popular state official in the nation. She's a mother of four attractive children, a wife who's a model of commitment to her spouse, and a pillar of honesty in a state with more than its share of political corruption.
She's extremely knowledgable about several critical issues, including energy, the environment, and education. There's no doubt she'll be as passionate about observing the U.S. constitution as she is about following Alaska's state document. She advocates the form of Christianity that emphasizes doing rather than talking. She's a lifetime supporter of Second Amendment rights.
As her electability and approval ratings show, she knows how to communicate with voters. She has just enough of a populist streak that she's not afraid to take on the big corporations (Exxon-Mobil, BP, and Conoco-Phillips) that, in the past, have generally had their way in Alaska.
Later that same week, I was on Eye on New Mexico, and because of the additional research I had done, I brought up what a great V.P. choice Sarah Palin would make. I've got video on my TIVO of that episode. Maybe this weekend, I'll pull it off and post it here.
With the Democratic National Convention in full swing, it's a good time to review one of the key economic policy differences between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.
McCain sounded most like Kemp when he told me: "I want everyone to be rich. I worry about inequities. I think that corporate greed is hurting their image. But trying to enact some kind of legislation that would take money from the rich and give it to the poor, that's just out of the question."
Senator Obama would raise the top individual tax rate back to 39.6 percent, impose an additional 2 to 4 percent tax on earnings for some over the existing Social Security wage cap, and bring back the phase-out of the personal exemption and certain itemized deductions for higher-income taxpayers. When added up, the top effective marginal tax rate rises by 12 to 14 percentage points, from 37.9 percent to roughly 48 to 50 percent. "High" is in the eye of the beholder, but these are tax rates not seen since before the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
The bottomline is that Senator Obama wants to increase taxes, so that he can increase spending, which brings us to New Mexico. Any time anyone suggests that increasing government spending is the solution to curing poverty, you really need to take a look at the poverty statistics in our state (subscription).
About one in four New Mexico children lived in poverty in 2007, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau in its American Community Survey.
That number is up from previous estimates of a nearly 20 percent poverty level for New Mexicans under 18. National poverty estimates for 2007 are at about 18 percent for children, according to the Census Bureau.
Census Bureau spokesman Jerry O'Donnell said Tuesday that while poverty levels across the nation have leveled off in recent years, the numbers of children in poverty have been growing.
New Mexico had fewer than one in five —about 18 percent — of its total population living in poverty last year, while the United States remained level at about 12.5 percent.
Poverty levels differ based on family size, but a family of four in poverty would make less than $21,200 annually, according to federal guidelines.
The number of New Mexicans without health insurance also grew, according to data from a separate Census Bureau survey — the Current Population Survey — also released Tuesday.
About 22.5 percent of New Mexico's population was uninsured last year, while 15.3 percent went uninsured across the nation, according to the Census Bureau.
Government spending has increased in New Mexico from $3.9 billion to over $6 billion in the last six years, and more children are living in poverty. Increased spending on government programs are not the answer to solving the poverty problem in America. It doesn't work in New Mexico, and it won't work nationally.
A leader takes a stand. When he sees a problem, he calls it as he sees it. It may not win him more friends. It may not be the smartest political move, but it is the measure of a good leader. And, in the end, the leader who is willing to take a stand based on principle earns respect.
This was evident in the conversation that was revisited and then revisited again and again regarding Senator McCain's request to the North Carolina GOP to not run an Obama attack ad based on Obama's longstanding relationship with controversial minister Jeremiah Wright.
Yet, for all [of Barack Obama's] moralizing on the subject [of race], why is it that Obama is staying silent as members of his own party -- not to mention his own race -- in Tennessee use racial slurs to attack another member of his own party? And why is it that the national media has ignored this story? Perhaps its because the candidate being attacked, Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen, is not black but is Jewish? And perhaps its because his attackers are members of Tennessee's black religious community? And perhaps it is because the Congressional Black Caucus is funding Cohen's Democratic opponent, Nikki Tinker? And perhaps it is because Tinker is benefiting from this anti-Semitic attack against Cohen?
Obama may be a great orator. His campaign may have brilliantly marketed him as the catalyst for change. However, when given the opportunity to lead and speak up against politics of hate, Obama has already failed miserably. Change can only occur by electing a strong leader. Barack Obama is clearly demonstrting that he is not that leader.
Just a couple of months ago, it was widely predicted that prices at the pump would hit five dollars by Labor Day. Now, it seems that we might actually see a drop in prices at the pump between now and the election in November.
However, don't be fooled. If we see temporary relief, it will be just that - temporary. Relief designed to give the impression that we don't need to increase domestic oil exploration. If the Democrats expand their control of the legislative branch and take control of the executive branch, we will see gas prices north of five dollars a gallon for a very simple reason (subscription):
Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, supports lifting a drilling ban along the Outer Continental Shelf and encouraging more offshore drilling and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Barack Obama, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, has opposed lifting the current offshore drilling bans.
"There is no way for at least a generation that we can get by without more and more oil," Domenici said. "If we could just use our own, we could save American dollars from flowing out of America."
Meanwhile, President Bush on Wednesday renewed his request that Congress lift its moratorium on coastal oil and gas drilling.
"The American people are rightly frustrated by the failure of the Democratic leaders in Congress to enact commonsense solutions," Bush said. "All the Democratic leaders have to do is to allow a vote. They should not leave Washington without doing so."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, relented on the offshore drilling issue earlier this week, offering Republicans a chance to offer four amendments to the speculation bill, including one that would bring the drilling proposal to a Senate vote.
Look again at the bolded sections from Michael Coleman's article. Even a goof like "Give 'em Hell Harry" recognizes the fact that domestic drilling deserves to be on the table. Yet, the Democrats presumptive nominee for President, Senator Barack Obama, remains stubbornly opposed to any common sense solution to ultimately returning market control of gas prices to Americans.
OPEC has rejected US pleas for raising production and the president of the cartel says he expects oil to stay at current price levels through the end of this year. That stands against a market where oil demand has gone up 1.5 million barrels a day for the last ten years.
Now who gets hurt the most when Democrats in the U.S. government insist on blocking domestic oil production? The working poor and middle class families is who:
If gasoline prices move from their current average price of $3.20 to $5, the cost of fuel for a family that spends $50 a week for gas would move up over $1,000 a year. That would wipe out any tax rebate payments from the Federal government and drive the economy deeper into its currently slowdown. It would also further fracture already delicate P&Ls and balance sheet at large auto makers and airlines. Retailers would get less traffic. Very few industries would be spared some effect.
"... wipe out any tax rebate payments from the Federal government and drive the economy deeper into its currently slowdown." That's also an important fact to keep in mind for Governor Richardson's upcoming taxpayers funded Special Session.
Of course, in characteristic Richardson fashion, he is hoping to dupe New Mexicans into believing that by giving us a rebate, he is alleviating our pain. However, the plain and simple truth is that, like all other Richardson fiscal decisions to date, he is making it more expensive for most New Mexicans to live.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is taking fire from Republicans after erroneously saying during his town-hall meeting with veterans in Las Cruces that his uncle was among the American soldiers who liberated Auschwitz during World War II.
Auschwitz was liberated by the Russians, not the Americans.
"John McCain's proposal [to visit Iraq] is nothing more than a political stunt, and we don't need any more 'Mission Accomplished' banners or walks through Baghdad markets to know that Iraq's leaders have not made the political progress that was the stated purpose of the surge. The American people don't want any more false promises of progress, they deserve a real debate about a war that has overstretched our military, and cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer."
Say what????
Senator Obama is promising to pull the troops out of Iraq. Don't you think as a potential future Commander in Chief, he ought to be willing to spend some post-surge time on the ground with our generals in Iraq? Or maybe Senator Obama is afraid he might learn something while visiting. Something like:
According to the Military Times poll, more than 60% of active-duty servicemen believe the US is either "somewhat" or "very" likely to succeed in Iraq. But less than 20% of them think "the Iraqi military will be ready to replace large numbers of American troops" in 2 years or less. That suggests that a sizable number of the troops on the ground think that a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would amount to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Imagine if a soldier, marine, or guardsman were to express that opinion to Obama's face, in public, on the ground in Iraq.
We're a battleground state. We're a battleground in the Presidential race, and we're a battleground for at least two Congressional seats and one Senate seat. There is a lot at stake here. And, if you're a businessman, on either side of the aisle, there is no better state in which to make a political investment. The odds are in your favor. So, I don't blame George Soros for choosing the Land of Enchantment for his playground.
This all reeks of politics as usual. And, George Soros is adding the icing to the cake by launching, albeit through a proxy, an attack ad on a candidate in a fight that hasn't actually begun. Then to top it all off, the organization to which he has given millions, launches the attack based on the same set of lies and purposeful misrepresentation that the Democratic National Committee has been trying to seed with the American public.
But, hey don't take my word for it. Watch the latest video to be launched by MoveOn.org:
The clear implication is that if McCain is elected, we can expect to be battling in Iraq for many decades to come. But the admakers cut off the rest of McCain's response, which provides some badly needed context:
McCain, town hall meeting, Jan. 3: Maybe a hundred. ... We’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me, as long as Americans, as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. It’s fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world.
The DNC ad doesn't mention that McCain was speaking specifically about a peacetime presence. And the text of the ad paired with images of Iraq under siege leave a clear impression that McCain proposes to allow a century more of war, with U.S. involvement. That's not what he said, in New Hampshire or in other settings when he's been asked about it.
Pretty convenient to leave out the context, isn't it? It's also pretty sad. If they want to attack Senator McCain, they should do so on the facts. Instead, Soros & Co. show a disturbing commitment to purposely misleading the public.
Which, conveniently brings us full circle back to beginning of this post. I don't have a problem with George Soros trying to influence the outcome of New Mexico politics - that's just the way the game is played. I do have a problem with his tactics - lies and distortions.
After my last Soros post, I received a couple of nice notes from New Mexico Independent's paid contributors. As a result of those communications, I feel I should set the record straight. I don't judge any of those folks for taking a stipend. I don't have a problem with the left leaning tendencies of the majority of the contributors. I don't even have any problem with most of their views, despite the fact that they are contrary to my own. I believe we are all contributing to a discussion.
However, to pretend this site just accidentally in a non-partisan way happened to bring several left-leaning bloggers under one banner is not exactly being truthful. As to those who have commented that I'm listed on the blogroll... Yes, I've been aware of that from the get go. I'm also listed on the blogrolls of Democracy for New Mexico and State Senator Dede Feldman's blog. Are you going to tell me those are also non-partisan sites?
There is nothing wrong with being partisan. A partisan system is what makes our government work. It's all part of checks and balances. It is the failure to disclose that is the problem here.
Do you think it is just an oversight that MoveOn.org's latest ad is not analyzed on this "independent" site for what it is. Now, in all fairness, after my last Soros post I did receive an offer to submit articles to New Mexico Independent for consideration (as proof that they're a truly unbiased site).
So, I'll be happy to submit this one for publication. Please just let me know where to pick up my $1,500 stipend.
I had a chance to jump on a blogger only conference call for about thirty minutes this morning with Senator John McCain. The McCain camp has been great about reaching out to bloggers regularly and inviting us to call in and ask questions.
What most impressed me was Senator McCain's closing comments in which he expressed appreciation for the work bloggers are doing in promoting political discourse - whether in agreement or not. The frank conversation that occurred on the call made it clear that anything could be discussed. Sure, we were all bloggers from the right, but believe me, just because we're all on the same team does not mean that we all agree - especially when it comes to strategy, tactics and message.
This was evident in the conversation that was revisited and then revisited again and again regarding Senator McCain's request to the North Carolina GOP to not run an Obama attack ad based on Obama's longstanding relationship with controversial minister Jeremiah Wright.
It was clear that several bloggers on the call thought that the North Carolina GOP should run the ad.
However, Senator McCain did not waiver in his beliefs, instead he remained steadfastly respectful that it should not run as it distracted from the issues which really deserved focus. He also acknowledged that it was a request on his part, but that the North Carolina Republican Party was free to do what they wanted.
One of the issues Senator McCain felt was more deserving of attention was the empty promises made by the Democrats in 2006. For example this from an email I received the other day:
On the two-year anniversary of Speaker Pelosi’s pledge that “Democrats have a commonsense plan to bring down skyrocketing gas prices,” gas prices have set another new record, with regular unleaded clocking in at $3.556/gal., according to AAA. The average price of gas has gone up $1.25 – more than 50 percent – since the beginning of the 110th Congress.
The warming weather always means an opportunity for families to spend sometime together usually on a road trip. Unfortunately, the prices at the pump may put that time honored family tradition out of reach for many Americans. Senator McCain has proposed a rather simple solution, a tax holiday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, Senator Obama, once again proving he is out of touch with regular Americans, is opposing this tax holiday.
This is not something that benefits the rich, since they are more likely to fly to their vacation destination. Instead, this is a direct affront to the working American families. Those who are going to feel the crunch at the pump the most. It looks like Senator Obama is committed to giving working Americans in small towns across the country a reason to be bitter.
One of the interesting topics that I had a chance to discuss with RNC Victory Chairman Carly Fiorina was Senator John McCain's longstanding support of a tax free Internet environment. I'm not talking about just temporarily extending the ban on taxing the Internet. We're talking about Senator McCain supporting a permanent moratorium on taxing the Internet.
So why is an extension not enough? The specter of possible Internet taxation further down the road presents a disincentive to the same businesses and entrepreneurs that have brought the Internet this far to continue innovating.
Another temporary hold on taxing the Internet is like letting the mob walk through the town telling people "Don't worry, I'm not going to rob you today. But I'll be watching you and we'll reassess the situation next week." Chances are the threat of taxation in the future will put a damper on the willingness of businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in new technologies.
Do we really want policies that dampen the willingness of businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in new technologies? Considering all of the effort that goes into building and recruiting new technology businesses in New Mexico, the answer is undoubtedly a resounding, "NO."
I was born a New Yorker and have lived in more places than I can count on one hand. My wanderings included a total of more than two years in Ecuador and nine years in California. The latter being significant as that is where I met the love of my life. Of course, she determined that our progeny would be the tenth generation of her family to be raised in New Mexico. So, this is where my roots will grow long.
