Kay Hagan: Angry at BushDole

This post is long overdue, but a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to watch U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole and NC State Senator Kay Hagan speak at an agricultural forum in Raleigh, NC. Though they spoke in separate time slots, Hagan spoke as if she were in a debate.

Dole spoke first, choosing to focus on her experience and her senatorial record. She had a LOT to say, and routinely went over her time limit -- which resulted in the mic being cut off. That said, she is no stranger to public speaking, and even though the mic was cut-off, I could still hear her in the back of the room. That woman's got some pipes!

Dole was a little long-winded, and she should have been aware of the time limits. But, she came across as gracious, friendly, and a class act. Next it was Hagan's turn to speak, and the contrasts in personality were remarkable.

Dole's mic had barely had time to cool off, and Hagan was attacking her. (I have no doubt that Dole was still backstage once this point. I would have been FUMING if I were her. And I was a little disappointed that Dole didn't take back her podium to confront the silly attacks) Hagan was routinely going after Dole and whatever topics that Dole has in common with President Bush. It became ridiculous at one point. I'll break-down Hagan's speech to these main parts:

1) Senator E. Dole and President Bush are in bed together on every topic important to the farmers of NC. (I wonder how Bob feels about this!) :)
2) Hagan has very few suggestions for action or legislation, but at least she isn't Dole.
3) Senator Dole's last name is now BushDole.

Now, I'll have you know that I came into this with an open mind. I'd never heard Hagan, and I wasn't too sure about Dole. Heck, in NC, most of the Democrats here are more conservative than republicans on the Left Coast.

What I don't understand is why Hagan took such a shrill and aggressive stance with this crowd. These are (generally speaking) farmers, owning small / medium businesses. They tend to be conservative, and they want their Senator to be competent, and to get things done. Hagan showed no ability to match any of these points. Her speech lacked specifics, would have been much better received in San Francisco, than rural North Carolina.

Dole is running against Hagan, and Hagan is running against BushDole. Will anybody be listening to what Hagan's saying come election day? I doubt it.

The Return

Well, I've returned. Unfortunately this means that I'm no longer on the McCrory Campaign. Back in June, the new campaign manager decided to replace me with someone with whom he has worked before. It's his perogative -- I just wish he would have told be before I turned down a job on another campaign. So, I no longer have my dream-job and again I'm looking for employment in this foreign land known as Charlotte, NC.

However, this post isn't about my return. It's about the return of Russia to the world scene. Under Putin (even though he's not the President, it does appear that he is still pulling the strings), Russia has emerged as a political and military force again. This is evidenced by the latest retalatory strikes against Georgia (the country, not the state).

From the initial reports, it sounds like Georgia thought it could attack and subdue one of it's internal province 's that is loyal to Russia. They were wrong. Today's Russia is not about to take any guff from one of it's break-away republics. So, Russia went in, secured the area loyal to it, and is now in the process of running over the rest of Georgia.

Unfortunately for Georgia (which was trying to become a part of NATO), the US is in no position to defend it with military might or political strength. American forces are stretched thin due to the wars in Iraq and Afganistan, and the falling dollar has weakened the US economy.

The Russian Bear has returned. And I'm growing concerned that the politics of appeasement will allow Russia to take back most (if not all) of Georgia, much like the Soviet Union did during the early days of the cold war.

Hiatus

In case you haven't noticed, I've been too busy to post here lately. And, it appears that will continue for a while, since I've been working on a campaign here in North Carolina. So, this blog is on hiatus until further notice.

Also, though it should be apparent -- this blog represents my thoughts, beliefs, and positions. It does not in any way represent the position of whatever campaign I am working for.

I'll be back to posting in November, or whenever I stop working on the campaign trail.

Oh What Fun!

This election season has been one for the ages. The Republican primary went until Super Tuesday (California FINALLY had a say in the outcome -- YAAY!) and the Democrats are still banging it out.

Clinton (Hillary) and Obama are slugging the hell out of each other. I'm writing this on February 20, 2008, and it looks like this could go to the next super Tuesday when Ohio and Texas finally get their say. I can't remember the last time when a political party didn't have it's candidate by this time in the primary. Most (I believe) of the states have had their primaries, and there is STILL no clear cut winner! This is just sooo much fun to watch.

But last night, Obama won his 10th state primary in a row! The writing is starting to appear on the wall, and Hillary should be worrying -- if she isn't already.

Obama is a FANTASTIC orator! Hell, I don't like many of his positions -- and I get chills listening to him. Great speech writer -- and even better delivery. Along with inspiring his supporters like no other, people are beginning to realize that Obama is a historic candidate.

He WILL be on the presidential ticket for the Democrats. I think he will be their nominee for president. But if, by some miracle, Hillary pulls this out -- she will have no choice but to make him the vice-presidential nominee. This will be the first time an African American will be a presidential nominee -- and that is very noteworthy.

Republicans should be very worried. McCain doesn't inspire the Republican base voters and he's from an older generation. In additoin, many who do vote for him, will probably do so unenthusiastically.

Obama, on the other hand, inspires the Democratic base, and many others. He is youthful and energetic. And right now, he is riding a tidal wave of momentum. His historic run will continue to inspire, and unless the Republican party gets its act in gear, many voters will want to be a part of history.

Catch-Up

Ok, it's been a while, and I apologize to all three of you who read this. Hower things HAVE been very busy. Finding a job, selling a house (and keeping it clean), finding and buying a new house, and driving between DC and Charlotte on the weekends can keep a guy busy!

But there is something going on that is just too onerous not to discuss.

This week it came out that the CIA had video of "water boarding". Water boarding is an interrogation technique that scares the hell out of the person being questioned. (Supposedly it makes them feel as if they are drowning.) Apparently, the CIA has been doing this to get timely information out of high-level terrorists they've captured.

But since this information has come out, the Democrats are screaming bloody murder, feigning horror that somebody (i.e. Americans) could condone and support such a thing. (Even though Democratic leadership approved and supported water boarding -- before it was in fashion to oppose it. Don't believe me? Read this from Investors Business Daily)

Sadly, I believe that these Democrats have forgotten all about the horror of 9-11. I believe they are purely interested in political gain -- damn the consequences.

In addition, I would like to remind everyone what terrorists do to Americans. These hostages are are NOT given the luxury of prayer time, or reading materials, or even the luxury of living. Americans, at the hands of terrorists, die a painful greusome death that is broadcast all over the world as propoganda.

Below is a link to a video that shows the death of reporter Daniel Pearl. He died in a most heinous way. Beware, is a slightly edited video of the beheading. The original was much more greusome.

http://justsickshit.com/execution_video/Daniel_Pearl_execution.mpg

Compared to this, I just don't think water boarding is very harsh at all.