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Voice of the Reader

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 9:18 AM CDT

Get to know the real McCain

To the Editor:

It is hard for me to believe that according to some polls, more Americans think McCain would do a better job of handling Iraq and do better as commander in chief than Obama. Have we forgotten that this expert was one of the very ones pushing so fiercely to have us attack Iraq? Most Americans agree today that was a colossal blunder.

Let me share some facts just gleaned from Cliff Schecter's book, "The Real McCain." For all the working men and women who support McCain, did you know that the "straight-shooter" shot down six attempts to raise the minimum wage? Further, he supported the Columbia Free Trade Agreement, a country which leads the world in the murder of union leaders.

The so-called maverick who constantly harps on national security and keeping us safe, in '05 and '06, voted against every idea the Democrats made to keep America safe, from port security to more resources for firefighters and first responders. He missed the vote which was to implement the 9/11 Commission's findings. During the 110th Congress, he missed 261 of the 468 votes cast. Schecter accuses him of being a very selective voter and a safe "no be there" voter.

Finally, the staunch "supporter of the troops" was given a "D" grade by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He's quick to send our men and women into the war surge of death, but quite reluctant about helping them pick up the pieces of their broken lives afterward.

Read the book, and perhaps you will agree with me that a vote for McCain will continue to accelerate our moral and economic decline.

Elsie Speck

Carbondale

Ron Paul supports Republican values

To the Editor:

USA, land of the free, home of the brave, is morphing into the American Union, European style, with open borders with Canada and Mexico and Muslims welcome, along with Syrians, Arabs and whomever. Forget national sovereignty.

Congress was trumped by U.N. treaties and President Bush agreements to share Social Security checks (baby boomers won't need them) with Mexican workers, changing U.S. laws to agree with not only Canada and Mexico, but Britain and Europe as well.

Are there not tens of thousands dyed-in-the-wool Boston Tea Party, USA patriots, who love their sea to shining sea country and want to see it return to the individual freedom, small government our founding fathers gave us?

If so, write the Republican Party National Committee and say you support Dr. Ron Paul and his lifelong dedication to constitutional laws, states' rights, private property rights, individual freedom, U.S. sovereignty and respecting sovereignty of other nations. In short, true Republican values.

Tell them to choose Rep. Paul at their convention and you will get a vast number of votes from his grassroots revolutionists.

No viable candidate, no Republican vote.

Mary Wasson

Equality

Clean coal is a viable option

To the Editor:

So Al Gore wants to wean the country off of carbon-based electricity by 2018?

These new green technologies such as wind power sound great, but have enough questions been asked before we stake our futures on them? If we spend a couple of trillion dollars developing wind power in the Midwest, what would happen if the weather had a bad hair day in tornado alley?

A wind farm is a much bigger target than a coal-fired plant. How much damage could be done to that new infrastructure? Isn't this system dependent on predictable wind patterns? Are those wind patterns part of that rapidly changing climate Al keeps screaming about? What if global warming shifts those patterns? If wind was 100 percent dependable 24/7, ships would still have sails rather than engines.

What if the wind just stops for a day or two? If you want to see what one of these giants looks like when flying apart, just look online at www.youtube.com, where there are several videos. It's scary and could be deadly.

I'm all for clean power, but I don't want to see a repeat of corn-based ethanol. The demand for corn has skyrocketed and so has the price. It appears to be contributing to a food shortage.

Did the unquestioned politically correct promises of clean, renewable resources lead us down that path? Let's not make that mistake again.

Clean coal technology is a big key to this transition and it will take a lot more than 10 years, Mr. Gore.

Alfred E. Sanders Jr.

Marion

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Steve S. wrote on Aug 21, 2008 10:46 AM:

" The Democrats control every state office backed up by a commanding control of both houses. So Herin High and Hmmmmsez, tell me how good we have it here in good ole So. IL. If you believe that, I've got some swamp land in Arizona you might be interested in unless you've already purchased property in one of those extra 7 states Obama says we have. "

HMmmmsez wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:52 AM:

" If the Republicans were running everything. It would most certainly please Steve S. Sorry Steve. (not really) This time round. Theres more voters in our corner. So Steve. You had better get yorself prepped to cough up more of your hard earned cash comes April or quarterly if need be, and after you do. Heck. Go ahead and have yourself a nice day. "

Herrin High wrote on Aug 20, 2008 12:15 PM:

" Steve S. - A Dictatorship of the DemocratIC party!!! WOW! Why didn't WE think of that? Jebus, I sure hope we get there. We'll have a special place at the concentration camp where you and Billo can watch videos of Rush Limbaugh being waterboarded. Then, we'll put Southerner in a room full of gay guys who will criticize his clothes and general all-around poor taste. We'll try to find some Muslims to taunt Mary Wasson and Donohgod, but they're probably all booked up. "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 15, 2008 11:49 PM:

" Billofrights- Can you not see the irony that you use the phrase "Enron like programs" to describe democratic initiatives? Seriously, what made Enron possible was the de-regulation that you love so much, your party was 100% for the deregulation that allowed Enron, yet you unashamedly use that as an example? You have ENORMOUSly large....gall, yeah lets say gall, to say that. What about outsourcing? Does that hurt our economy? Does selling our manufactiring base to China help us? The republicans are 100% for outsourcing to china, does that help us? Does cutting funding for education help us? Does running up the largest deficit in history help us? Ummmmmm....yeah, those sweeeet GOP economic policies are working GREAT!!! "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 15, 2008 6:36 AM:

" My last comment on this...dealing with the snakes is not what they are there to do. It is to advance sound conservative policies that do not have unintended and damaging consequences. For decades there was one party control of Congress and we were given on mess after another. None of their programs work or do what they say they will. They always underestimate the cost of the programs and over state the benefits. They never have an honest evaluation of the results to see if the programs "work". We "invest" in poverty and we get more of it. We impose Enron like programs on the tax paying citizens that will drive our citizens into poverty (social security, medicare, medicade, universal health care, etc. The list is endless). No I am convinced, after watching how the opposition party did everthing in it's power to see that we lost the war against terrorists simply because they hate Bush so much. If this is not their reason then they are more reprobate than even I imagined. They do everything to damage the economy. There is not one democrat that has any positive message about America or it's people or it's economy or it's place in the world. It's tear down tear down tear down. That is the reality. It's been a decade since I have heard one democrat praise America for it's goodness, for it's accomplishments, for it's underlying reasons for it's liberty and freedom. It's always bla bla bla...BUT! And, at this point they trash America or speak of it's imperfections which are always minor and will always get worse if they implement a "solution". Sorry, but them's the facts. When I hear the first democrat on the current bunch of leaders praise America I will get back up off the ground and applaud. The rank and file are not all included in this description although many are simply following blindly. They have failed to do their due deligence to see that this is not the party they once knew. They are in denial and are enablers to keep them in power because they simply won't admit what they know and fear about their leaders. Have a nice day. "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 14, 2008 4:11 PM:

" Billof rights- there is a mountain of evidence that Bush is incompetent. Frankly, it is in his best interests to be ignorant because if he was on the ball and "in the loop" regarding the DOJ attorney firing/crimes, or the outing of Plame, or the creation of fraudulent war intelligence, then he is worse then a moron, he is complicit. You and i obviously disagree on where we want the line drawn, but it seems as if you're saying there is no such thing as an intelligent, rational, objective democrat who has America's best interests at heart. I know that there are good republican politicians who put country before party, and i also know that if anything is ever going to get done both parties must work together. If your GOP guys never dealt with the "snakes" nothing would ever get done. "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 14, 2008 10:32 AM:

" 1st Amendment...why not write without calling names. You don't know Bush personally so how can you attribute so many negative comments about his character? History will prove that he did the right things regarding terror (including Iraq). History will prove that the opposition party aided and abetted our mortal enemies. I never was a great fan of Bush because he is not a CONSERVATIVE when it comes to social and fiscal issues. He is just like his dad. They are basically good people but just don't have the core values and worldview that I have. I totally believe Bush wants to keep America and Americans safe. To attribute otherwise is just plain sick. I'll be glad when he is out of office. At one time I wanted a democrat elected after Bush to teach RINO'S a lesson. But, the more I hear about Obama and the more scary his foreign relations comments are I regret this thought. As a Viet Nam vet myself I am greatly disappointed that it is John McCain on the ticket. I don't like him or his politics. I don't like his patty cake with snakes (Kennedy and the like). But Bush did that also. Wonder why people with a modicum of intelligence continue to think they can pick up snakes without being bitten? "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 13, 2008 11:44 PM:

" Come on billofRights, I know Bush isn't running. My point is valid, however. You and the rest of the gop crowd (bagladies etc) voted for (many voted for him twice) Bush despite his sorry history of being a failure and a draft dodger (now we see him getting drunk at the olympics which detracts from his purported religious conversion). In other words, you and the rest of the republicans on this site helped elect this presidential disaster known as bush (twice) so why do you deserve credibility when it comes to whether Obama is the better choice? Seriously, you guys thought Bush was a great choice, many of you still think he has done a good job, so frankly, your judgment, and the judgment of anyone who voted for the worthless coward/traitor that is bush isn't worth a sack of monkey toenails. (no offense to you personally) For this reason, I think people who are sitting on the fence about Obama should ignore the pro-Bushies propaganda. "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 13, 2008 5:48 PM:

" this may come as a big surprise...bush isn't running in 2008 "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 13, 2008 1:54 PM:

" Obama was the editor of his class' Harvard Law Review Bush's daddy bought his way into Yale where he graduated in history. Bush failed at every thing he ever tried where competition was an issue. His money bought him every election he has won. You and those like you elected him now we should trust YOUR JUDGMENT?!!? "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 13, 2008 12:25 PM:

" obama is intelligent. Saying it is so does not make it so. This man was an "community activist". An ACORN member and you can look up this organization on the web and see if you appove of it. What a qualification!!!! The old coot from Az would NEVER have been my choice for senator much less president but he is. Same for Obama...nothing recommends him for this position. "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:34 AM:

" news articles out today confirm that McCain lifted his "oh so wise" foreign policy remarks about Georgia from Wikipedia...so are the Obama haters now going to deride McCain? Uhhh...no, because you folks won't ever vote for a democrat. Obama will prove you wrong, he will make intelligent choices because....ready?....he is intelligent. You, all of you, voted for the idiot-in-chief, and some of you still support him, those of you who still support Bush have ZERO credibility to talk about judgment on who is the better candidate. "

Southerner wrote on Aug 12, 2008 6:59 PM:

" To Elsie: I think that we do not have a real good choice with either candidate but I fail to see how you think Obama will help with our moral decline as he apparently is a strong supporter of abortion and gay rights. He has done little good of note that I can see as a senator. His message of change means nothing. Losing a leg is change but I would not consider it a good thing. "

Member#1 wrote on Aug 12, 2008 6:31 PM:

" I, for one, am tired of dumb presidents. The one we have now is enough. McSame may be worse! He graduated fifth from the BOTTOM of his class. He crashed two planes, one into utility wires which is Pilot Error, before as he says, "I flew my plane into a Sam missel." He can't use a computer or his blackberry, his trophy millionaire wife has to do that for him. He admitted on national TV he didn't "know anything about economics". In the Navy he had only one one year command assignment as Commander of an undergraduate pilot training squadron. The Navy didn't have confidence enough in him to give him a sea command so he quit the Navy. He was known as a heavy drinker and womanizer. When his first wife was disabled in an accident, he ditched her for a blond millionaire. He has a really bad temper and one never knows when he is going to fly off the handle. All of us who served in combat know the psychological problems vets have, McCain is no exception. The same accuations he makes about Obama were made against Kennedy, not bad company to be in. For god's sake we are in the 21st century and we need intelligent forward looking leadership, not some old guy one day away from the rocking chair. "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 12, 2008 5:57 PM:

" ONPOINT I think you misread LOWTEK'S comments. I read that comment of his that "never underestimate stupid people in large numbers" to mean that Obama is leading in the polls because of "stupid people in large numbers". That makes a lot more sense read that way don't you think? "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 12, 2008 5:53 PM:

" Steve S. I have been reading 1st Amend posts (and he regularily attacks me) for a long time. In fact, I picked this name bill of rights simply as a foil. I'm not sure he is stupid enough to vote for Manson. I am certain, if he thinks it through, that he will agree that a person from the Chicago machine is not good for America. He will also come to realize that Obama is not in the main stream of American values. He will also come to realize that all the mentors Obama has had have prepared him to have positions that are in great conflict with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights not to mention our forefathers. He will also, to his great regret, have to pay much higher taxes (not as taxes per se but in everything that he buys since Obama intends to impose taxes that every American will have to pay in their meat and potatoes, milk, clothing, appliances, autos, vacations, home repairs, etc. He represents the greatest threat to our economic health since the peanut farmer. This list could go on but the most scary part is the fact that Obama's worldview is one that will very likely get thousands of innocent Americans killed. He simply does not have any foreign policy sense. For this reason he is very dangerous to our liberty and freedom. McCan is indeed an old coot. But, one thing is for sure, he will not put America in danger! "

onpoint wrote on Aug 12, 2008 3:29 PM:

" I wish the world was as simple as ole' Elsie Speck thinks it is. I have been reading her left-field drivel in this paper for years and one thing has never changed, her point of view is ALWAYS waaaaay off the mark. Nothing more to be said on that issue.

LOWTEK - I find your remarks amusing. If I may quote you, you wrote "Never undersetimate stupid people in large #'s." You know, when I see those who say they support Obama because he has a nice smile, or speaks well, it confirms to me the level of competence of those who support his socialistic views. It matters not that his plans will be harmful to the future of this country. Far more that McCain. The fact of the matter is, those who do not educate themselves about whom they vote, are a hazard to us all. All I am saying is this, let's use some commone sense!! By the way, you may want to proofread what you write. "

Steve S. wrote on Aug 12, 2008 11:51 AM:

" And by the way Elsie, Democrats control every state office and control the legislature in Illinois by a wide margin and we all know how that is turning out. Obama is out of the same stable of Chicago politics groomed by Daley, Blajokeavich and the rest of the best. Let the good times roll... Woo Hoo. "

Steve S. wrote on Aug 12, 2008 11:31 AM:

" If anyone has been reading these blogs, it doesn't take long to realize that nothing would make Elsie Speck and 1st Amendment happier than if every elected office was held by a Democrat. I guess they would rather the nation be a dictatorship before they would vote for a Republican. That's scary as it doesn't seem to matter to them who the candidate is as long as he/she is a Democrat. I would hope that if Charlie Manson were to ever run for public office, he would run as a Republican because if he ran as a Democrat, Elsie and 1st would vote for him. "

LowTek wrote on Aug 12, 2008 11:29 AM:

" 1st Amendment wrote on Aug 12, 2008 10:14 AM:

"" baglady, billofrights, etc,... I'm here to gloat. Yes, gloat. Because no matter how hard your ilk tries to smear obama with lies and slanderous inuendo, he is still leading the polls."

Never undersetimate stupid people in large #'s "

LowTek wrote on Aug 12, 2008 11:25 AM:

" Clean coal is a viable option
Did you know that coal can be converted into Oil for about $45 a barrel!! This technology was invented during the W.W.2 by the Germans.
My question is with all he coal in Southern Illinois why isn’t Senator Obama pushing this issue?
I can not get any reply from his office? All I ever get it "we can not drill our way out of this" This statement does not make any since. If you raise the supply of the product then the price drops. (Economics 101)

References
national geographic
priceofoil "

bugler wrote on Aug 12, 2008 10:28 AM:

" To DONOHGOD, I agree, we shouldn't vote for foreigners. Obama was born in America. McCain was born in Panama. It is not clear whether he is eligible to be President. Hopefully we will never find out. But, if a Democrat ran who was born on a military base in a foreign country, the Republicans would never stop talking about it.

How did Muslims get into the mix?

I agree that a true Christian (like Obama) would be better than a fake Christian like McCain. After all, McCain has no family values (he called his wife an obscene C-word in public, and later suggested she enter a bimbo-type, stripper-type beauty contest in Sturgis. (I don't care whether the latter was a joke. It still shows us how much he would embarrass America.)

Obama is not perfect, but he's not shameful. "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 12, 2008 10:19 AM:

" On a serious note, I would direct the attention of all pro-middle class folks to the recent WSJ august 1 article that explains that Wal-mart is urging its store managers not to support obama because he will make it easier for Wal-marts to unionize. God forbid that Wal-mart be stopped from violating our current labor laws, God forbid people working at wal-mart make a living wage, or that there be democracy in the workplace (which is all a union is), I will do my utmost not to such anti-union, anti-middle class, anti-worker establishments. "

1st Amendment wrote on Aug 12, 2008 10:14 AM:

" baglady, billofrights, etc,... I'm here to gloat. Yes, gloat. Because no matter how hard your ilk tries to smear obama with lies and slanderous inuendo, he is still leading the polls. He will be the next president. It must make you sad to know that since you're Illinois voters, that your votes won't count because they will be far outnumbered by the democrats of the state. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Does the widdle GOP babies need a sutsie? WHaaaaAaaaa!:) "

SI native wrote on Aug 12, 2008 7:37 AM:

" "Screamers" like DONOHGOD depress me. People who choose to believe such utter and complete stupidity, despite all credible evidence to the contrary, also are the types that buy into other stupid ideas, like "we're fighting a war on terror by attacking a country that had nothing to do with terror." These sorts of people can also vote. God help us all. "

Bill of Rights wrote on Aug 12, 2008 7:24 AM:

" Give up folks. None is so blind as one that simply will not see. This is Speck. Her worldview is that America is reponsible for all the evil in the world when in fact it is the opposite. How in the world she can equate America's descent into a moral cesspool by electing McCain is beyond comprehesion. I also wonder what she means by economic decline. As a person with socialist views I would think that the shared poverty of Marxism is her goal (for us not her). The "book" she refers to was a "hit piece" with no real substance or evidence to back up her claims. I'm no fan of McCain but to turn the country over to someone that has no experience and no real qualifications like Obama is down right scary. His response to Russion invading Georgia proves that. Besides, there is still a great deal of doubt that he was actually born in Hawaii but may have been brought there. If that is true, he is not eligible to be President of the United States. For sure, as one examines his mentors, he is not in the mainstream of American values. "

BagLady wrote on Aug 12, 2008 5:22 AM:

" With all due respect DONOHGOD, you are an under-educated buffoon. Further, drinking-and-posting don't mix. "

BagLady wrote on Aug 12, 2008 5:13 AM:

" Dear Elsie Speck, did you know that the day after Russia invaded Georgia, Sen. Obama demanded for the “UN to pass resolution condemning Russia” -- but was unaware that Russia has UN Security Council veto power!

Good grief Elsie, anyone that even occasionally reads a newspaper should be aware of such a fundamental fact of life. Is this the best that Obama’s 300 (yes, 300) foreign policy advisors can come up with? What’s next…a statement by Obama demanding that the Russians not be allowed to invade Georgia’s neighbor South Carolina?

Elsie, please, take some smelling salt to stop your swooning--this guy’s an empty suits witch reflects his even emptier cranium.

As an aside Elsie, I very much look forward to this weekend’s demonstration by the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois, as they vigorously protest this horrid act of war by Russia against democratic Georgia. I bet those signs and slogans are primed and ready. Good luck komrades and kumbaya! "

DONOHGOD wrote on Aug 12, 2008 4:43 AM:

" PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT ANY ONE THAT WOULD EVEN CONSIDER VOTING FOR A MUSLIM OR ANY OTHER FOREIGNER THAT IS FOR THE RUINATION OF THE BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS OF OUR COUNTRY SHOULD BE SHOT FOR TREASON.
ALSO, I FEE THEY SHOULD CLOSE BOTH OUT BORDERS AND KEEP THE FOREIGNERS FROM OUR COUNTRY. "

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