Archive for the 'Politics' Category

Obama’s “SWAT Team”

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

After being really pissed off by that list of “lies” yesterday (all I checked were bullshit - I did not catch Obama lying yet), I am really glad to read this:

Barack Obama is recruiting senior staff to a new unit which will combat virulent rumor campaigns on the internet that threaten to cost him votes in the presidential election against John McCain.

And:

Brooks Jackson, director of the Washington-based FactCheck.org, an independent academic organization set up in 2003 to monitor the factual accuracy of statements made in elections, said yesterday there had been false rumors on the internet about George Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 election.

“With Obama, it is particularly vicious,” Jackson said. He added that one of the most persistent is that Obama, a Christian, is “some kind of Muslim Manchurian candidate, planted by Islamic fundamentalists to betray the country and it is very widespread”.

This SWAT Team is desperately needed.

Hat Tip: fivethirtyeight.com

Obama’s “46 Lies” - Claim 30: I Am Not Acting As President Yet

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

As discussed in “Obama’s “46 Lies” - True or false?“, I want to look into many of Barack Obama’s supposed lies and figure out if they are in fact truly lies or just simply an attempt to throw dirt at him.

Now I will look at my “favorite” so far, claim 30:

30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia, was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially.

This one is utterly ridiculous. This is what apparently happened:

The Colombians captured two FARC terrorist laptop computers at the terrorist camp. The Colombians discovered a treasure trove of information on the laptops including:

– FARC connections with Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa
– Records of $300 million offerings from Hugo Chavez
– Thank you notes from Hugo Chavez dating back to 1992
– Uranium purchasing records
– Directions on how to make a Dirty Bomb

But, no one expected this—
The FARC Terrorists were hoping and expecting that Barack Obama would win the US elections in November because he was most aligned with the Colombian Marxist group.
This document was posted at Martha Colmenares (in Spanish) and Free Republic:

“6. Los gringos pedirán cita con el ministro para solicitarle nos comunicara su interés en conversar estos temas. Dicen que el nuevo presidente de su país será Obama y que ellos están interesados en sus compatriotas. Obama no apoyara Plan Colombia ni firma de TLC. Aquí respondimos que nos interesan las relaciones con todos los gobiernos en igualdad de condiciones y que en el caso de Estados Unidos se requiere in pronunciamiento público expresando su interés en conversar con las Farc dada su eterna guerra con nosotros.

Es todo, Abrazos, Raúl.”

(translated)
6. The gringos will ask for an appointment with the minister to solicit him to communicate to us his interest in discussing these topics. They say that the new president of their country will be Obama and that they are interested in your compatriots. Obama will not support “Plan Colombia” nor will he sign the TLC (Colombian Free Trade agreement). Here we responded that we are interested in relations with all governments in equality of conditions and that in the case of the US it is required a public pronouncement expressing their interest in talking with the FARC given their eternal war against us.

Are you kidding me? Some terrorists in Columbia speculate about what an Obama administration might be doing and you interpret that as “Obama acting as president” and “working together” with terrorists? Whoever originally made this claim needs to get their head checked.
Well, I have checked four of the claims so far, and none of them were true. I think one thing is clear: everybody who forwards such a list of lies without fact checking them first (and not stating that these claims are unverified when forwarding) is acting highly irresponsible.

Obama’s “46 Lies” - Claim 21: The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

As discussed in “Obama’s “46 Lies” - True or false?“, I want to look into many of Barack Obama’s supposed lies and figure out if they are in fact truly lies or just simply an attempt to throw dirt at him.

Now I will look at claim 21:

21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish.

This is also no lie. Read here: Obama actually had to go against his own party, the Senate majority leader and the Senate minority leader to get this bill passed. When has that ever happened? Money quote:

Who supported Washington’s business as usual, and who wanted to change things, fulfill the voters’ desire of cleaning up Washington, and was willing to defy the leadership in Washington?

The roll call does not lie:

Among those voting no were Webb, Tester, Feingold, Kerry, and Obama.

Among those who agreed with Reid that most earmarks should be kept secret as to who sponsored them:  Clinton, and even Obama’s senior colleague from Illinois, Dick Durbin.  There are even more disappointing names in the roll call which you can find at the link.

It might not have taken months to get this bill passed, but it was definitely not piece of cake.

Obama’s “46 Lies” - Claim 20: Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

As discussed in “Obama’s “46 Lies” - True or false?“, I want to look into many of Barack Obama’s supposed lies and figure out if they are in fact truly lies or just simply an attempt to throw dirt at him.

Now I will look at claim 20:

20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn’t write it,introduce it, change it, or create it.

Once again, Obama did not lie. Please checkout Daily Kos for details - it’s way too detailed to corroborate here. Money quote:

It just so happens that Barack Obama played a big role in getting ethics reform done.

The summary says it all:

These votes are just one concrete example of how what Obama says is actually backed up by his record — he isn’t just running against the DC Establishment, he actually voted against DC insider club rules.

So now I have looked at two claims that Obama lied, and both claims turned out to be lies - it’s not a very impressive list so far.

Obama’s “46 Lies” - Claim 18: I Was A Professor Of Law

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

As discussed in “Obama’s “46 Lies” - True or false?“, I want to look into many of Barack Obama’s supposed lies and figure out if they are in fact truly lies or just simply an attempt to throw dirt at him.

Today I want to look at claim 18:

18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

Well, this is clearly not a lie. Even Fox News, who clearly do not have a liberal bias, reported that the law school where Barack Obama once taught is came to his defense after he was accused of falsely claiming he was a law professor. Money quote:

“Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track,” the university statement said.

And:

The university statement said Obama was not full-time but was offered that status several times over 12 years, and he declined.

I believe this definitely clears Obama lying in claim 18.

Hat Tip: Outside the Beltway

Obama’s “46 Lies” - True or false?

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

Today, my parents forwarded me an email they received recently. It contains 46 supposed “lies” of Barack Obama. Some of these claims are most definitely far from the truth, but I am sure such a list can worry many people (such as my mother) and influence many voters, no matter whether these claims are true or not.
Anyway, I googled them and found them on the web:

OBAMA - LIAR, LIAR

1.) Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965. (Google ‘Obama Selma’ for his full March 4, 2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.)

2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.

3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had.

4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya . It is the first widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your half-brother, Abongo Obama, is Odinga’s follower. You interrupted your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Check out this link for verification of that….and for more.

Obama’s cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia Muslim law in place there. When Odinga lost the elections, his followers have burned Christians’ homes and then burned men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth.

5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5 AM according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man.

6.) My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means ‘blessed’ in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama is not half black. If elected, he would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother’s side and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father’s side. While Barack Hussein Obama’s father was from Kenya , his father’s family was mainly Arabs. Barack Hussein Obama’s father was only 12.5% African Negro and 87.5% Arab (his father’s birth certificate even states he’s Arab, not African Negro). From
this link.

7.) I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years,until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.
4-3-08 Article “Obama was ‘quite religious in islam’” This link.

8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - LIAR, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book).
February 28, 2008.
Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago:

Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”
This is just one example of what Pamela is talking about when she says “Obama’s narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.”

9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could speak the language.

10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia , I Have More Foreign Experience - LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn’t even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons?

11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.

12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine.

13.) An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.

14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.

15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.

16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.

17.) Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.

18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn’t write it,introduce it, change it, or create it.

21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish.

22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

23.) I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.

24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens . You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.

25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.

26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.

27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.

28.) No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Canadian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.

29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction of Israel .

30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia, was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially.

31.) I Didn’t Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost.

32.) I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you didn’t.

33.) I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not.

34.) I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates decide.

35.) I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.

36.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26, most of which you didn’t write yourself.

37.) My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. (Obama has now stopped saying this.)

38.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.

39.) I Don’t Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it.

40.) I don’t Have Lobbysists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.

41.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.

42.) My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients.

43.) I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with other people’s words.

44.) I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa, which shows YOUR priorities.

45.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren’t in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time, unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN.

46.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan leaves us all to pay for the 15,000,000 who don’t have to buy it.

Well, I have decided that I want to verify these claims. These lists are dangerous if the claims are untrue - through enough dirt at someone, and something will stick. Unfortunately, when I googled some of the claims, I did not immediately find anybody refuting them, even when I knew for a fact that the claims were outright lies. So I hope if I am able to refute some claims (who knows, some could be true), people will find this on Google and learn the truth.

So over the next weeks and months I will take these claims (probably not in order, as some are easier to verify than others) and try to figure out the truth and post my findings.

West Wing vs. Reality

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Being a huge fan of the West Wing, I absolutely loved reading this.

Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan

Yummy!

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Das möchte ich unterstützen:

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008


Kirchenaustritt.de

Bildung: Ein erster Schritt in die richtige Richtung

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Note: Once again this blog is in German as it deals with German politics and draws on quotes from German sources.

Die deutsche Bundesregierung plant nun einen Rechtsanspruch auf einen Hauptschulabschluss - das ist in der Tat erfreulich. Natuerlich kommt es vor allem auf die Umsetzung an, und da fehlen noch zuviele Details, um eine Bewertung abgeben zu können - ein erster Schritt in die richtige Richtung ist es nichtsdestotrotz. Wenn Vollbeschäftigung hergestellt werden soll, muss die Zahl der geringqualifizierten Arbeitnehmer drastisch reduziert werden.

Allerdings gibt es noch viel zu tun. Ich mag nicht unbedingt der grösste Freund der Gewerkschaften sein, aber in einem Punkt haben sie Recht:

Die Bildungsgewerkschaft GEW hatte bei Vorlage der Zahlen für 2006 von einer enttäuschenden Bilanz gesprochen und das “Schneckentempo” der Kultusminister kritisiert. Echte Erfolge seien “nur mit maßgeschneiderter individueller Förderung für jeden einzelnen vom Scheitern bedrohten Jugendlichen zu erzielen”, so GEW-Vize Marianne Demmer.

Ich bin gespannt ob weitere Vorschläge folgen…