Don't buy the lie - Tancredo flipflops on Iraq

Do you like the way your politicians lie to you? Do you like the way they change their positions on critical issues just to get reelected? If you do, you will love Tancredo's most recent smoke-job.

Up until this point the congressman has been fully behind the mayhem in Iraq. it said so right on his website where he had a feel good statement about Iraq including words like 'progress', 'success', 'democracy', 'stability', and 'peace'. Apparently, with how poorly the Iraq war is polling and maybe even Tancredo's position in his race against Bill Winter, the congressman decided that it was time to flip flop. (I'm sure he likes the 'perks' that the Republicans enjoy.)

So now on his website instead you see a broken link when you look for his position on Iraq. And in the recent Congressional District 6 debate, Tancredo said that a timetable was needed to withdraw from Iraq.

What do you think? Is Tancredo acting in your best interests? Or rather, do you think he is willing to do anything, say anything, promise anything, to get reelected again.

I believe the latter and I URGE you to vote for change this fall and elect Bill Winter.

Republicans shameful in retreat

News today that the president has set a timetable for the withdrawal from Iraq is good for our country and a rout of the chickenhawk fair-weather republicans. The democratic party has been saying we need to let the Iraqi people stand up for their own country for months now. They have been saying that because it makes sense and it is the right thing to do. We need to let the people of Iraq govern themselves and set their own course. In contrast, the dubbya administration has been saying such a strategy would be 'cut and run' and that we should stay and die instead.

Well, they got their wish, our soldiers are dying in droves with October having more casualties than any other month this year (yet).

Now we see the real cowards and the true colors of the republican party.

Did they advocate withdrawal because it is the right thing to do?
Did they advocate withdrawal because it is what the Iraqi people want?
Did they advocate withdrawal because this it is not our place to occupy a foreign country?

No.

Only now do they advocate withdrawal because they realize they are losing in races around the country - the American people do not want this war and do not want to continue to hemorrhage money in a fight that is not our fight. The are making decisions that kill our troops based on politics, not sound military doctrine. They have the deaths of our soldiers on their hands. They are cowards because they are retreating from the polls and their imminent defeat in the midterm elections.

Shame on them.

Minding Your Business

I have been reading lately about building business and personal finance. One of the common themes among the various authors is the following:

Mind your business. The idea being that if you don't watch out for your business, nobody else will.

For some reason, this popped into my mind during the most recent debate between Angela Engel and Spencer Swalm (10/3). For a moment I didn't realize why and then it hit me. Both candidates are doing just that: they are acting on their beliefs and running for office to 'mind their business' or, more generally, their interests. What it comes down to then is what their interests are.

For Mr Swalm, he cares about his business: selling insurance. He wants minimal regulation and he advocates health spending accounts. His interest in these areas are genuine. The insurance industry and the people who sell insurance would LOVE to have free reign and new guaranteed product to sell.

Mr Swalm also cares about YOUR business. Specifically, he indicated he will legislate based on his conservative religious values. I imagine this covers the gamut: what you do at home, how you worship, what you teach your children, who you care for. Those are all fair game.

Angela Engel is in the same boat. She too is minding her business but, luckily for us, Angela’s business is OUR business. Angela is an education professional having been a teacher, school administrator and education policy advisor. She knows her stuff and Angela knows that educating our children and building an educated workforce helps everyone in the state and allows our state’s businesses and economy to grow strong.

So when you go to vote this November think about your business.

Do you want to support the insurance industry? Do you want someone legislating your activities, lifestyle, and choices based on his conservative beliefs?

Or do you want your children to get a high quality education. Do you want your small business to grow strong with highly educated employees? Do you want our state’s economy to prosper with a dynamic and creative workforce?

I think we all want the latter. We need to tell Mr Swalm to go back to minding his own business. More importantly, WE need to be out there showing our support for Angela Engel. WE need to get out the vote and get her into office. Because, after all, everyone needs to mind their business and Angela’s business is OUR business.

Religious Tolerance - preschool style

The next time I hear the evangelical right whining about how they are being persecuted by the 'evilgodhatingleft' I'll have something to reflect back upon.

This weekend a friend's children were playing with neighbors and somehow these 7 years old started talking about god (the lack of caps IS on purpose). One little girl told the other that because she didn't accept Jesus Christ she was going to hell where her head would be cut off. I think I remember that line from the bible. That was the part where JC said (and I paraphrasing here) "Love one another, help one another, be meek, and behead anyone who doesn't believe what I say thereby condemning them to an eternity of pain and suffering."

Think about that. Some of 'our' churches are teaching hatred and intolerance very similar to the Pakistan 'terrorist factory' madrasahs. Come to think of it... we basically have 'our' own Osama: his name is George W Bush. His regime is basically a much better funded Al Qaedea - ridding the world of one non-believer at a time. The good news is that now that the congress has legalized torture: Dubbya can behead the infidels just as Jesus wants him to.

If I sound mad it is because I am. Imagine that poor 7 year old wondering why her friend basically just foretold her painful eternal damnation. What should her parents tell her? How should she react in the face of religious hatred and bigotry? Maybe they should teach her to hate back?

And we wonder why the world hates us.