It's hard to believe that I haven't blogged in over two and a half years! What was I thinking?? All of a sudden I have at least ten topics to blog about and not a clue where to start. Political topics -- the crazy GOP candidates, the party of NO, my take on the political spectrum, the 2012 campaign.... Personal health and fitness topics -- how to survive multiple surgeries and keep your sense of humor, getting well, bye, bye diets; hello wellness.... Family fun -- genealogy and getting together... hmmm.....

Maybe I'll start with personal stories and work up to (or down to) the wacky world of wingnut politics! Oh, well, I'll think about that tomorrow, Scarlet!

A Subpoena is a subpoena, is a subpoena, is a ........

On February 23, Karl Rove was supposed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in accordance with a Congressional subpoena. But Karl Rove didn't show up. Again!

He didn't show up last year either when he was ordered to testify. He hid behind his buddy George who said Rove's testimony was protected by "executive privilege." Now Bush is no longer president (yippee!!), so we should expect Karl Rove to honor a subpoena like any other U.S. citizen! Finally we should have the opportunity to learn the truth about Karl Rove's misdeeds, from authorizing voter suppression tactics to orchestating the arrest of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.

But even though we have a new president (yippee!), Karl Rove is still acting like he's entitled to all the privileges that may have come with his old job. 

But there is something that we can do. I just signed a petition telling Attorney General Eric Holder to compel Karl Rove to comply with the subpoena. When that day comes, I'll be glued to the TV to watch this weasel squirm.

It's called accountability, folks! Plus a lot of other words like, justice, honor, truth and the American Way!

And, hey, while we are at it, let's subpoena Dick Cheney about authorizing torture, a violation of both US and international law... how 'bout that?

"In Support of Shunning"

Media Matters for America sent out an email today with an essay, "In Support of Shunning," by Jamison Foser. It is a fascinating, well-researched article that underlines the hypocracy in the conservative media today. The article focuses on George Will, the much acclaimed Washington Post columnist and holier-than-thou conservative. While Will claims to be above reproach, Foser gives several examples of Will's lies and Will's attempts to bury the truth. For all of you who are concerned about truth in the media, this is a must read! I also highly recommend that you sign up for a daily email summary from Media Matters for America that highlights media falsehoods promoted by conservative media sources.

Rediscover Joy

My friend, Ed, a link to the world of the conservative, sent me this video, from his uncle, the ultra conservative, as a reminder to pause for a while among all the hectic activities this time of year and not lose yourself in the activities of shopping, cooking, stress and fatigue. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have. Even the conservatives are supporting change! Be sure to turn up the volume on your speakers and ENJOY!

Click here:  FINDING JOY

A Great Day!

It was a great Christmas day with presents, cooking, good conversation, and playing in the snow. The meteorologists tell us that in Western Washington we have a 7% chance of a White Christmas and that there have only been 10 Christmases since 1891 with more than one inch of snow. Here on South Pass Road at about the 535 foot level we have 26 or so inches of snow on the ground -- not sure if it was a record breaker, but it sure was beautiful. Our guests enjoyed skiing, sledding and making angels in the snow.

Not my usual post, but.....

I just had to tell you about two things I learned today from Customer Service 800 numbers:

1. Six full graham crackers make one cup of graham cracker crumbs;

2. You can keep home-made mashed potatoes on warm in a Rival Crock Pot for 2 - 3 hours.

I searched the Internet for this information and could not find a thing! But the customer service folks at Kraft and Rival had the information at their fingertips -- and they assured me that these were not the most unusual questions they have ever received.

I made my Mother's recipe for Christmas Pudding and it called for 18 crushed graham crackers, but only had the already crushed kind. And I hate the last minute kitchen chaos with the mashing the potatoes, scooping the stuffing and stirring the gravy all at the same time!! 

I'm way ahead with dinner prep this year!!!

Torture Creates Terrorists

On November 30, 2008, the Washington Post published an article by Matthew Alexander, a pseudonym for a military officer who led an interrogation team in Iraq in 2006. In the article Alexander talks about "the deeply flawed, ineffective and un-American way the U.S. Military conducts interrogations in Iraq."

Alexander is a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force serving as a pilot, counterintelligence agent, and an interrogator. In Iraq in February of 2006, he was part of a team trying to locate Zarqawi. He found that the Army was conducting interrogations according to the Guantanamo Bay model, which he defines as the methods outlined in the U.S. Army Field Manual, but often bending and breaking the rules. He said, "These interrogations were based on fear and control; they often resulted in torture and abuse."

Matthew Alexander refused to use those techniques and taught his team another approach that built rapport with suspects, was culturally sensitive, and used "good old-fashioned brainpower to tease out information." Their efforts were successful and led to the death of Zarqawi.

Despite Alexander's team's success, the military continued to use the old methods -- cruelty, hatred and fear. Alexander knows the justification that says, "we need the rough stuff for the truly hard cases...." Yet he recounts an incident in which his new techniques prompted one captive to say, "I thought you would torture me, and when you didn't, I decided that everything I was told about Americans was wrong. That's why I decided to cooperate."

Perhaps the most emotionally wrenching and intellectually compelling statement made by Matthew Alexander was this one:

Torture and abuse are against my moral fabric. The cliche still bears repeating: Such outrages are inconsistent with American principles. And then there's the pragmatic side: Torture and abuse cost American lives.

I cried as he went on to show how the torture created more terrorists with a stronger will who killed more American soldiers. And I couldn't help but place the blame directly at the feet of Cheney and Bush. Here is a military man who figured out a better way, a more morally correct way, to gather information and at the same time to reach out to the enemy in a humane way.

But out leaders, both civilian and military, were too set on their course, too ignorant, too calloused, too devoid of morals and ethics, to even listen to Matthew Alexander, to even consider a better way, to rise above evil and seek a more just way. Alexander says that "at least half of our losses and casualties in that country have come at the hands of foreigners who joined the fray because of our program of detainee abuse." He rightly calls the torture and abuses a stain on our national honor.

Damn you Dick Cheney! Damn you George W. Bush! 

I call on the next administration to charge Cheney and Bush with the war crimes that they have committed. That is the only way to restore our national honor, to reinstate moral and ethical treatment for all and to reset our course based on our founding principles.

"Enough to make a Jackal puke"

In an interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC News, Dick Cheney, in all his arrogance, has admitted to two major crimes: 

1.  Lying to the American people - no matter what the intelligence may or may not have shown, he would have still declared war on Iraq - Cheney said, "This was a bad actor, and the country's better off, the world's better off, with Saddam gone, and I think we made the right decision, in spite of the original NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) was off in some of its major judgments." 

We went to war simply because Dick Cheney wanted to.

Dan Kennedy of the UK Guardian wrote, "For Dick Cheney, the cause of so much suffering, to assert with such smug certitude that it was all for the best is enough to make a jackal puke." I couldn't have said it any better.

2.  Authorizing war crimes of torture. In the ABC interview Cheney admitted that he was directly involved in approving the use of torture by the CIA. In talking about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was waterboarded over 100 times, Cheney said he was involved in the approval and added, "So it's been a remarkably successful effort. I think the results speak for themselves." The reporter even pushed him a bit by asking if in hindsight did he think the tactics go too far. Cheney replied, "I don't." And again Karl asked if the tactic of waterboarding, which we no longer use, was appropriate to use with KSM. And again Cheney replied,"I do."

There you have it folks -- if Cheney is not charged with the crime of torture of prisoners of war, then we are indeed no better than the terrorists that we denounce.

Cheney and his cronies will say that waterboarding isn't really torture and isn't a punishable offense. But check out the history of waterboarding that NPR reported in a story they did on torture and war crimes in November of 2007 during the Mukasey nomination hearings. In that piece they cite legal cases from World War II, The Vietnam War, and a 1983 case involving a Texas sheriff. The perpetrators of the waterboarding torture in all three cases were found guilty and sentenced accordingly.

Why should Cheney remain above the law? He must be charged and tried just like the others. 

If Cheney is not held accountable, where will it end? 

45 days, 14 hours and counting.....

I always thought I knew what a "natural born citizen" was -- until today. Our Constitution says that a president must be a "natural born citizen." I thought that "natural born citizen" meant someone with at least one parent of U.S. citizenship, no matter where that person was born, as long as they did not hold citizenship in any other country. Today, after listening to various legal experts and reading a variety of news sources on the internet, I am amending my previous understanding so that now I believe that a "natural born citizen" is one born in a U.S. state or territory with at least one parent a U.S. citizen.

But even with that new bit of information, I'm absolutely amazed that the United States Supreme Court may actually decide to hear a case regarding Barack Obama's citizenship. The Chicago Tribune reported today about at least 10-15 court cases trying to challenge Barack Obama's citizenship status in order to prevent him from being inaugurated in January, even though the state of Hawaii has certified the legitimacy of his birth certificate on file in that state and both Media Matters and FactCheck.org have established the facts in this case.

It is all a bunch of malarkey being perpetuated by the extreme right, by those who see an Obama presidency as some sort of threat to their beliefs. The only possible threat he holds for them is that their far-right, evangelical religious fanaticism will not be shoved down the throats of the rest of us who happen to be the majority of U.S. citizens.

If the Supreme Court is arrogant enough to agree to hear this case, it only shows us just how far afield at least two branches of the government have veered under soon-to-be ex-president Bush.

The Inauguration of Barack Obama can't happen soon enough!

Religion, Rhetoric and Why Doesn't She Just Go Home!

It has been a while since my last posting. I really do have several excuses -- post-election euphoria and bronchitis. The euphoria continues and I finally got some meds for the bronchitis!

There are three issues currently bothering me; hence the title: Religion, Rhetoric and Why Doesn't She Just Go Home!

Religion

I just finished reading Ken Follett's World Without End, the sequel to his The Pillars of the Earth. Both are historical fiction set in the 1100's to 1400's with a major theme of religion, politics and power in England. Great stories that once again give us an historic perspective of unethical and immoral religious power at its worst -- the use of religion to control common people. Now you are asking yourself, "So what's her point?"

The point is -- it still happens today. Aren't we slow learners! The Associated Press has reported on a catholic priest in South Carolina who told parishioners that if they voted for Barack Hussein Obama (yep! he used the full name!) they can't receive communion because he is the "most radical pro-abortion politician...," and voting for him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil." Holy Shit! Whatever happened to separation of church and state? Why should his parish (or any other for that matter) be tax exempt? Secondly, what an idiot! He doesn't know the difference between pro-abortion and pro-choice! President-elect Obama is pro-choice. He has never said that he would push, force or compel anyone to have an abortion. Don't like abortion? Don't have one! Priests can abuse children for years and the church keeps it hush-hush and pays off victims. But women make their own choices? Never! What hypocrisy! Isn't it time to quit clinging to religion?

Rhetoric

Wow! I can't believe how naive I've been. I used to think that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity were just idiots that a few bigots listened to. Then someone told me about Media Matters for America. I had no idea just how many radio programs are broadcast every day in the country that preach hate and intolerance, tell lies and swear they are true.... and millions of people listen to them every day and take it all in as "gospel truth." These are gun-toting, religion-clinging, "I'm patriotic and you're not," kind of folks. Katie Couric should have skipped the question about what newspapers Palin reads and instead asked her what radio programs she listens to!

Media Matters for America has documented a nationwide network of conservative radio hosts engaged in an all-out effort to foster hate and suspicion of Barack Obama. But these same radio hosts also lash out at women, the LGBT community, the poor, minorities, progressives and even autistic children. Since I usually only listen to NPR or CBC2, I had no idea how bad it was out there on talk radio. The Media Matters website documents hundreds of these programs that are indeed shocking. I'll do additional blogs on this issue over the next few weeks, but here are just a few:

Dennis Miller: "Women on the left hate" Palin "because to me...it appears that she has a great sex life."

Chris Baker: Called Obama a "little bitch" who "won't even stand up to "smoking-hot" Palin.

Chris Baker: "I don't think homeless people should vote;" "I'm not that excited about women voting."

Bill Cunningham: on Democratic women -- "A lot of women who are single are vulnerable; they need like a daddy government to keep an eye on them."

Jim Quinn: Called NOW the "National Organization for Whores" and said that Philadelphia Daily News columnist, Fatimah Ali, should "get an American name."

Why Doesn't She Just Go Home!

Just when you think that the election is over and you'll never have to listen to another speech by Sarah Palin -- she's baaacckkk! So now she says that she will run for president in 2012 if god tells her to. "Hey, Sarah, this is like, you know, god speaking to you, just DON'T DO IT! You betch ya!" Poor Sarah just doesn't know when to call it quits. She has given more press conferences and interviews since the election than she ever thought of giving before the election! 

Actually, part of me feels sorry for her. I don't think she understands how very badly she was used by John McCain and the RNC. Instead, she believes that she really is equal to Hillary Clinton. Yikes! 

Oh, What a Night!

.... and it's a great day to be an American!

Now the really hard stuff begins. The November 4th editorial in the New York Times, "So Little Time, So Much Damage," says it all -- we still have 76 days to go with Bush in office. The editorial lists all of the important areas where the Bush administration could still make last minute policy changes that would potentially wreck havoc on us for years to come. Here's a list of the areas and their major points of vulnerability:

Civil Liberties:

Mukasy put through new guidelines last month that give FBI agents the authority to investigate without any probable cause, lie, and intimidate. In an even more upsetting decision, The Homeland Security Department's Office of Legal Counsel used the most convoluted, misuse of logical thinking to justify ignoring the law that requires the department's privacy officer to account annually for any activity that could affect our privacy. The Times classic comment on this one was, "Orwell couldn't have done better."

The Environment:

We have seen most of these changes in the news, but not widely disputed. The administration is busy weakening regulations on clean air and clean water and endangered species protection.

Abortion Rights:

Leavitt, secretary of health and human services, is expected to announce very soon some rule changes that further limit access to abortion, contraceptives and even to information about reproductive health care options. Unbelievable!! Furthermore, they want to extend the existing law, the so-called right to refuse, that allows medical personnel to refuse to participate in an abortion, to a very wide-range of health care areas: abortion referrals, unbiased counseling, birth control pills, emergency contraception, etc. 

IRS:

In September the IRS restored tax breaks for banks that take big losses on bad loans inherited through acquisitions. The Times learned that some banks are planning to use their bailout funds for mergers and acquisitions that will take advantage of the new tax subsidy. So not only do they benefit from bailout funds, but they compound their good fortune with a major tax subsidy!!!

The problem is that some of these last minute, in-your-face, Bush administration "got cha's" will take years to dismantle and a constant diversion of resources to uncover. 

So don't fall for the "nice words" uttered by Bush this AM and assume that he is now "just a lame duck" -- he and his administration will continue for the next 76 days to be a plague upon us.

D Day

When Michele made her daily call to us at 8:00 AM, she called this "D Day." That is an apt name for today; or we could call it "anxiety day," "End of the Polls Day,"  "The End," or "The Beginning." For me it is an anxiety-filled, stay-glued-to-MSNBC and CNN, vote day and those that are STILL undecided probably aren't going to vote anyway!

If you have listened to James Carville recently, you know that he is very optimistic that Barack Obama will be President Obama at the end of the day. 

This morning Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com posted the following results:

Electoral Vote      Obama  348.6          McCain  189.4

Win Percentage    Obama  98.9%         McCain  1.1 %

Popular Vote         Obama  52.3%          McCain   46.2%

Senate                     Dems  57.1                Repos   40.9

And, by the way, Nate says to ignore exit polls -- they are notoriously unreliable.

And finally, my husband Jerry predicts Obama will have over 340 electoral votes!

It's a great day to be a Democrat!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good

I just read a wonderful article in the Christian Science Monitor today that gave me goosebumps,  a lump in my throat, and tears on my cheeks:  "My Wife Made Me Canvas for Obama; Here's What I Learned" by Jonathan Curley.

First, the catchy title caught my eye. Then the tone of the article took over. Jonathan Curley is a self-professed conservative banker, a white guy who voted for both Bushes. He was upset when Bill Clinton was elected, but says that in the end he wished Bill could have another term. He really endeared himself to me with his response to his wife who asked him to spend a morning canvassing for Obama. He said, "But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told."

I got the goosebumps when he talked about he and his wife knocking on doors in a predominately Black neighborhood and the overwhelmingly positive response they received.

And I got the lump in my throat when he wrote, "I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the big things.... I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama."

And the tears started to roll down my cheeks as I read his last paragraph: "My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors, But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do the for Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me."

The Bad

The bad side of this final week of campaigning has to do with winning at all costs -- voter intimidation. I came across another article today, 'Tis the season for tricking voters," from the Associated Press, that talks about the use of confusing emails, disturbing phone calls and insinuating fliers to keep people from voting through intimidation or misinformation.

If you read my earlier blogs, you already know about the situation in New Mexico. But here are some more --

In Philadelphia, fliers have circulated in predominately Black neighborhoods warning that voters could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or criminal convictions.

In Virginia, bogus fliers that looked real with the commonwealth seal and all said that because of the anticipated high voter turn out there would be two elections. Republicans should vote on Tuesday and Democrats on Wednesday!

In Pennsylvania, emails were received linking Obama to the Holocaust. According to the AP, the email was sent by a group calling itself Republican Federal Committee and said, "Jewish Americans cannot afford to make the wrong decision on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Many of our ancestors ignored the warning signs in the 1930's and 1940's and made a tragic mistake."

Additionally, intimidating leaflets were taped to benches at Drexel University in PA; phone calls to Latino voters in Nevada from so-called Obama supporters ready to take their vote, right then and there, by phone. It is not that this never happened before, but this time, according to those interviewed, it is much more widespread.

The Ugly

This is really ugly; it is in the category of "so upsetting I didn't know whether to spit or to cry." But, believe it or not, the ending lifts you back up again.

Zorn Redeems Himself

Remember last week when I was upset that the Chicago Tribune blogger, Eric Zorn, moved away from reasons why Obama would win to 08 reasons why McCain could win? Well, he has redeemed himself with his posting on October 30th -- Counterpoint: 8 reasons Obama will win.

1.  Obama's supporters are more energized. 

2.  Obama has a superior ground game.

3.  Obama has a superior air game.

4.  McCain has lost his brand.

5.  Sarah Palin is turning out to be the disasta' from Alaska.

6.  Obama hasn't lost his cool.

7.  McCain hasn't been able to fight the Bush head winds.

8.  Obama has been lucky.

Zorn's explanations, evidence and eloquence regarding each of these reasons are right on! Reading his blog certainly helped to restore my optimistic hope for a double digit win!

Voter Intimidation is Real -- Please Take ACTION

I mentioned it the other day, but now we need action. The Department of Justice MUST investigate voter intimidation in New Mexico.

The Problem:  Private investigators associated with GOP lawyers have been showing up at the doors of poor and Latino voters asking them intimidating questions and insinuating that they don't have the right to vote.

Who is Affected:  New Mexican voters in good standing who have every right to go vote on Election Day, but who may not show up at the polls if they have been frightened in their own homes.

The Solution:  

1.  E-mail Attorney General Mukasey -- the Department of Justice is charged with stopping voter suppression and protecting every American's right to vote. A spokesman for the DOJ's civil rights division has said that they are "looking into" this problem, but that's not good enough. We need a serious investigation worthy of these insidious tactics.

2.  Pass this message to every voter you know -- with only days left till the election, we need to make sure that as many New Mexico voters as possible are educated about this problem so that if intimidators show up at any home, they'll know the right thing to do: Shut the doors in their faces.

3.  Click here to send an email to the Department of Justice.

I just took action on this crucial issue -- I hope that you will too.

I Feel Good!

I FEEL GOOD

James Brown

Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now

I feel good, I knew that I would, now

So good, so good, I got you

Whoa! I feel nice, like sugar and spice

I feel nice, like sugar and spice

So nice, so nice, I got Obama

(sax, two licks to bridge)

This is a favorite song of mine -- always makes me feel up and energized. And that's how I feel about the campaign today. All indicators are GO!!

Val reminded me to check out fivethirtyeight.com and I love what Nate Silver shows with his awesome statistical analysis --

Electoral Vote --          Obama   348.2       McCain   189.8

Win Percentage --       Obama     96.2%     McCain   3.8%

Popular Vote --            Obama     52.1%     McCain   46.5%

Senate seats held --     Dems       57            Repos      41

Not quite the double digits that I'm still hoping for, but I'LL TAKE IT!

Mitchell Bard, a blogger for Huffington Post, said yesterday that "Obama Is Dominating in the Polls, but Four Things Keep Me Awake at Night." I guess I'm not the only one with anxiety issues! His four "hold-your-breath" potential problems are close races, voter fraud, an October or November surprise, and "More that Just the Bradley Effect" or straight out racism. I agree that any of these, and more than likely some of each, will effect the outcome, but hopefully a big lead will mitigate any of these effects. 

CNN reported just today that Barack Obama has made substantial gains in many key states, including Arizona!!

And aside from the numbers, on the human side, 30 to 40 call center workers in Indiana courageously walked off the job taking the ethical "high road" rather than read a McCain Script attacking Obama. The McCain campaign is using call centers in states that prohibit robo calls.

It's a great day to be a Democrat!!

Down, Again!

Well, all it took was a few minutes of TV this morning and checking out a few news articles and blogs to dash my hopes again and bring on the fear. The polls today show another narrowing of Obama's lead. Who are these people that respond to the polls? They never call me! Did you get a call? 

Then I checked my email and saw this message from MoveOn:  "Dear MoveOn member, I don't mean to ruin your day, but we can still lose ....." Well, that did it -- instant despondency! 

Then I checked the online news sources that I look at almost every day. The headline of the Zorn blog at chicagotribune.com caught my eye: "08 reasons Barack Obama might lose next Tuesday." I thought, "Oh, no! This is the guy who wrote "08 reasons Obama will run" in January 05 and "08 reasons Obama will win" in January 2007. Why is he losing faith now??" So I had to read this new article.

Zorn lists these 8 reasons Obama might lose:

1.  "Bittergate"

His reference here is to Obama's statement about small town Americans clinging to their guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them. While I happen to believe that statement is thoughtfully accurate, I guess gun-toting, evangelical religious racists didn't like it. Too bad.

2.  He's played too much defense.

Zorn's point here is a bit convoluted -- he says that Barack didn't attack McCain's (this is too funny -- I just accidentally typed then corrected this spelling of McCain's -- McCaint's!!!) character and judgment and had to answer the relentless attacks on his character and judgment by McCain.

3.  He was more dismissive than responsive to festering issues.

I think this has been a real Catch 22 in this campaign. It is a narrow path between "he doth protest too much" and "he's hiding something."

4.  He left points on the table.

Zorn regrets that Obama did not capitalize on McCain's association with Renzi and G.Gordon Liddy. Well, maybe he should have, but I like the idea that Obama did not stoop to McCain's level.

5.  Biden's blunder.

We all know that Joe sometimes engages his mouth before his brain. And we also know that his statement about an inevitable crisis test was taken out of context by the McCain campaign. But you got to love Joe and I think he redeemed himself in his interview with a local Florida TV station. Check it out --

6.  The economy now looks more like a chronic woe than an urgent crisis.

Zorn thinks this may give McCain an edge -- I don't think so...

7.  Smoke

With all the rumors, insinuations, guilt by association going around, some people may think "where there is smoke, there's fire." But I know if you ask any trained fire fighter, there can be lots of smoke without any flame.

8.  He's African-American

Duh..... so? I really think people should start changing how they phrase one's ancestry. For example, I'm not German-American. I'm an American of German descent. Barack Obama is not an African-American. He is an American of African descent. Isn't it about time we get it straight? That's Country First -- American first.

Anyway, Zorn left a cliff hanger when he said that on Thursday he will tell us 08 reasons why Obama will win anyway!

Whew, now I can go do the laundry.

HOPE

I received an email from Val after my last blog entry and lo and behold -- HOPE -- enjoy!

Lies, Intimidation, and Racism

A little over one week to go... and I'm fluctuating between unabashed optimism and abject depression almost on an hourly basis.  I want to be positive, and in my heart of hearts I really do believe, that Barack Obama will be our next President. But then I watch TV or read the news on the Internet, or receive an email and the worry sets in again. I know that this week will be filled with lies, intimidation and racism coming from the McCain / Palin campaign. Some cases in point --

LIES -- McCain continues to misrepresent (lie) and misspeak (lie) about Obama's tax plan. It is amazing to me that he continues to do so even though he was corrected in two debates and all the major fact-finding groups have determined that he is wrong about Obama's plan. In the meantime, McCain's plan is full of holes -- the same philosophy of economics that the Republicans have always espoused -- and it hasn't worked! 

My best guess is that we are going to continue hearing this for the next week and probably even bigger whoppers. My fear is that people will begin to actually believe this bullshit because they have heard it so often. My hope is that my fellow citizens aren't that stupid to fall for a bunch of lies.

INTIMIDATION -- Lest you think that voter intimidation only happens in struggling democracies (oh, maybe that is us!), be sure to follow some of the stories like the one reported in New Mexico this past week. A Republican attorney, Pat Rogers, claimed that 10 voters were fraudulent. Project Vote working with ACORN charged that the voters were eligible to vote and further charged that the visit to two of the voters  by a private investigator constituted voter intimidation. It seems that this Pat Rogers also filed claims of voter fraud in 2004 and 2006 and he was one of the New Mexico GOP activists (named in the report on the firing of U.S. attorneys) who complained to the Department of Justice about then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Pat Rogers also hired the private investigator, Al Romero, to pay visits to the voters. Here is what Romero told one of those he visited. "You have to realize we're just trying to protect the people, we just want to make sure that she's a legitimate voter and if she votes and she's not supposed to, then it's illegal." The granddaughter of another voter said, "He tried to tell me to tell her to be careful when she's voting. He was trying to tell me stuff to scare her from voting." It is interesting to note that the voters in question were both Hispanic and both over 65 years of age. 

My best guess is that we will see more of this type of intimidation before the election and all kinds of voter fraud accusations during and after the election. My fear is that voter fraud could be a reality that steals the election away and that voter intimidation will actually work to keep people away from the polls and voting. My hope is that people vote despite the intimidation and fear and that Obama wins by a landslide (I want double digits!) and people turn out in record numbers to vote for him.

RACISM -- This is a really tough one. Very few people will admit to being racist, but there is so much evidence to the contrary. Take for example the white woman on the NPR series about York, PA voters and racism who said she wasn't a racist but feared that if Obama were elected the blacks would get back at whites by making them move off the sidewalk to let Blacks pass and she was afraid that blacks would riot. She said this to a black NPR commentator in a room with 15 people -- black, white and Hispanic. But of course she discounted those in the room who were black and said it was "those out on the street." I had to listen to that twice to absorb it all! No wonder my friend Sue who lives in the city of York is scared about this election! I lived in the suburbs of York for nine years before moving to Washington state -- believe me when I say that racism is alive and flourishing in York, PA -- both in the city and the county named York. My daughter Michele told me about an election - racism piece on Chicago Public Radio's This American Life aired on Saturday, October 25th. I searched online for it, but noticed that they only post on Mondays. So I'll be adding some thoughts and that URL on the 27th or 28th. I talked to my brother Greg in Western PA yesterday and he is amazed at the role that race is playing in the election. He said there are many code words and phrases like "can't trust him," "not like us," and "he's different." But there are also the blatant comments like "I'm not convinced he isn't a Muslim." We have that same sort of talk here in Washington, too. 

My best guess is that we are far from moving beyond racism in this country despite all the hard work, education and soul searching and it will effect this election. We have already seen and heard the effects of the McCain/Palin rhetoric like "He doesn't see America the way we do." My worst fear is that McCain and Palin will ratchet up that rhetoric and whip the stupid side of the Republican Party into near hysteria with ideas of conspiracy, treason, violence and killing. My best hope is that we have made sufficient strides in the areas of tolerance, inclusiveness, and fairness to counter any racism residue.

So... my goal this next 8 or 9 days is to stay on the hopeful side and not give in to the fears and negative dialogue... But then that nagging little voice whispers, "what if he doesn't win?"

Top Ten Reasons I voted for Obama

I mailed my ballot in last week just 24 hours after it arrived in my mailbox. I just couldn't wait any longer to vote for Barack Obama. I've waited for almost two years to cast that ballot! Here are my Top 10 Reasons for Voting for Obama:

10.  He is a uniter; not a divider.

9.    He is intelligent, knowledgeable and a critical thinker; not a reactionary.

8.    He is a calm, cool and collected decision-maker; not prone to overreacting, anger and scattered attention.

7.    He is an excellent speaker capable of easily explaining the most complex concepts; not a talker who can't say what he means and just talks in pat phrases and platitudes.

6.    He is consistent in his philosophy, his approach and his policies; not one who tries to change his image and his message depending on the latest polls.

5.    He is a leader; not a panderer.

4.    He is patriotic, steadfast and loyal; not a maverick.

3.    His family values show by his actions; he doesn't just talk a good game.

2.    He is young, energetic and inspiring; not past his prime in both mental and physical health.

1.    He is hope, he is change we can believe in, and he is real; not the same old thing.

I voted for Barack Obama for my granddaughters and for their grandchildren because their future depends on this election. Please cast your ballot for Obama in order to guarantee a future life with liberty and the pursuit of happiness, with freedom, compassion and justice for all -- for all of our grandchildren!