It seems that almost every day the media is jumping on some "new" thing Barack Obama said that they perceive is somehow different from what he was saying before.  The problem is that the "new" things are, for the most part, not new at all.  They are the same things he has been saying since the very beginning of the primaries.  They are the same things he has said in stump speech after stump speech across the country.  They are the same things that I personally heard him say at events in May 2007, December 2007, and January 2008.

So, I totally expect this from the media, what bugs me is that there are constantly diaries here about them.  I don't know if these are McCain trolls or what, but it is getting really annoying.  So, I have an idea.  For those people who apparently have no idea what Barack Obama is really about go here.  That is Obama's YouTube page.  It includes everything from ads to speeches to news reports.  You can also go here.  That is the issues section of Barack Obama's website.  There you will find the "Blueprint for Change," which has been part of the campaign since Iowa.

The Supreme Court is much more than 9 old people in a dress sitting on a "bench." The Supreme Court is THE most powerful institution under our constitution. The Congress and the Executive Branch must abide by the rules. The Next President in 4 to 8 years will appoint around 3 or more Supreme Court justices.

It is with the utmost urgency that we must make sure that Barack Obama wins the Presidency for that reason and no other. Barack Obama could flip flop and say he wants to keep my family in Iraq for 100 years and I would still vote for him to keep the Supreme Court out of the hands of the Republican party.

This is the fourth in a series that has thus far included Why the Left is Right on...  Gay Rights, Why the Left is Right on...  The Death Penalty, and Why the Left is Right on...  Abortion.  In it I will briefly explore some of the problems with the current American health care system, and why I believe that these problems would best be solved by Democratic proposals for universal health care coverage.  

For full disclosure, I note that I recently filed bankruptcy because of medical bills accrued when I did not have insurance - and my brother and my mother both still have no health insurance at all, so it is a personal issue for me.  

Of course I don't mean people here. I mean your average voters who watch some news and make attempts to educate themselves on the candidates. Do they know?

I mean it's all so incredible. A man who was himself tortured -- endorsing torture? It is unbelievable in the most literal sense of the word. And yet that's John McCain.

Earlier today when I was piecing this diary together, I asked the community whether people realize McCain is pro-torture. Kossack AnnCetera said that they do not, but added that accurate information might help people see the truth -- so long as it's palatable.

Unfortunately there's nothing palatable about the fact that torture is now a campaign issue in the year 2008 in the United States of America. But what is worse perhaps is people who are against torture voting for a man who is not.

Yes. I actually saw someone post a comment with those very words in it.

The contortions some of you people have made in the last 48 hours have been nothing short of astounding. I've seen everything from, "Obama has a secret plan that's going to protect your civil liberties, and won't you look stupid, then?" to the idea that it's only a "hard left" minority that's pushing the issue. Perhaps the most BRAZEN comment I've seen, is that Dodd and Feingold were somehow in the pockets of (dun-dun-DUUUUN) The Trial Lawyers of America, who would just LOVE to see telecom immunity stripped out of the bill, for all the lucrative lawsuits it would generate.

When Republican talking points get pushed to the rec list, we've truly gone through the looking glass.

This is the third in a series that has thus far included Why the Left is Right on...  The Death Penalty, and Why the Left is Right on...  Abortion.  In it I will explore the status of gay rights, as well as the reasons that I feel that the left is right when it comes to teh gheyz (of which I am one - full disclosure).  This diary will not explore the argument of marriage versus civil unions - though there are very valid points one could make on the subject, it is simply not the focus of this entry.

Below is an updated version of the 97+ questions that the media should be asking John McCain.  You will note from these questions that they are all fair and I have made the decision to remove some of the more controversial questions that could be asked such as "Why did you call your wife Cindy a trollop and a c*nt in 1992 in front of 5 eyewitnesses?"

There are 3 categories of questions below.

The open ended are designed to elicit information from McCain.  Be prepared to follow them up.

The yes-no questions are simply that, yes-no.  If asking a yes-no question from McCain, insist on a yes-no answer.  Do it calmly.  (Ex:  Excuse me sir you are not answering my question, yes or no.)  Repeat the question if necessary.

The short answer questions require simple answers and have a purpose behind them.

Let's see how many of these questions get asked from now to November.

It is time for democrats to discontinue the use of republican terminology and define our opponents with appropriately descriptive language. Flip-flopping is not the problem, in fact, quite the opposite: change is good. We must emphasize the issues behind the changes and the positions themselves, rather than imply evolving thinking and revisiting positions is a negative.

Despite a Democratic majority in congress, it often doesn't seem that way. All too often supposedly Democratic congressman vote for something, which goes against the Democratic base, and appeases Bush. Where are their constituents? All too often, their constituents are uninformed or not sufficiently engaged in the electoral process. We must reach these people, and tell them to call their representatives.

I propose we get a list of the constituents in every congressional district in the country. Next, we can set up a phonebanking site like Obama's effort. However, instead of targeting it towards a particular campaign, it should centered around lobbying for important issues.

Voters are looking for a Life Boat, not A Swift Boat.""

Badger Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michelle Obama came right out and said it....she has Faith that America’s voters care about the War and the Economy and Healthcare...and will not cast their vote based on sensational non issues that have NO Effect on their lives and Well being.

Voters are looking for a Life Boat, not A Swift Boat.

June 14th, 2008 at 9:19 pm

What's yours?

So now the Baby Mama controversy has reached the front pages.  The same site that brings us classics like Old Jokes and "yellow teeth" spends this sort of time and energy over an equally inappropriate characterization of one of our own.

Time after time, we see Republican operatives, pundits in the media, and internet commenters attack Obama for "not standing for anything" and "having no positions." For those of us who can type "www.barackobama.com" and then click on the big button that says "issues," these statements are an obvious, self-inflicted designation of ignorance. To this end, the accusations don't bother me, as they only indicate that these people continue to underestimate the Democratic nominee. However, what does bother me is this almost universally accepted notion that, by contrast, John McCain is somehow the candidate of substance and detail. On the basis of outdated rhetoric about Barack Obama, it's just assumed that McCain is all about policy proposals, a studious wonk opposed to the empty suit's lofty rhetoric. But for anyone who can type "www.johnmccain.com" and click on the button that says "issues," it's obvious that nothing could be further from the truth.

Aside from the Economy and the War, I am amazed at how thin John McCain’s set of plans and policies are in comparison to the entire spectrum of issues that will demand significant attention from the next president.

Not only are his plans regarding the BIG issues aimed in the wrong direction completely,  but what is even more pathetic, is how short-ranged he really is when it comes to ALL of his issues.

The Tax Policy Center released a report "A Preliminary Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates' Tax Plans.  In this Diary I am going to expand on the excellent diary by ARingMD2B

90% of Americans will pay less income tax under Obama than McCain

The report can be found here.

Let's look at the numbers a bit differently.

Now we can be seen as more then a redneck nation, books like Hey,Rube by your favorite writer and mine will finally lose their sting. Now, we can move to more substantive issues like Myanmar, China , the recession , Rove dodging more subpoenas , Libby pointing out Bush and Cheney and other crimes against humanity.

I may not be the ultimate human rights activist or even the most caring person, but it is time to move to the issues that are destroying this country- NAFAAT, Secret stuff with Iraq, Contractors in Iraq and a list of so much stuff that has gone unmentioned for so long it is as if Bush is a reasonable leader. The primaries have been a get out of jail free card for the Bush Family crime Syndicate and it is time to move towards jail time for Fredo, whoops, I mean G.W.

This will be my first diary that I have attempted on Daily Kos although I do lurk alot and comment occasionaly.  I just found this article on Digg and didn't see any comments about it here so I thought I should bring it up.

US quits Human Rights Council

This is a new series of articles I'm hoping to write, detailing why I feel that the left is correct on a variety of issues.  The second such issue I will be examining is one that many people seem to be misinformed about, and so I invite you to join me beyond the jump for an examination of...  THE DEATH PENALTY AND YOU.

Cross-posted from OH-16: John Boccieri for U.S. Congress

The drumbeat about where Ohio State Senator Major John Bocceri lives started in the Democratic Primary Race for the United States House of Representative for Ohio's 16th Congressional District. It was the only plank his Democratic Primary opponent could find to use against him and it didn't stick. The Major won by nearly a 2-1 margin in all four counties of the 16th, Ashland, Medina, Stark and Wayne, in the March 4th Primary.

As if by some stroke of political genius, this drumbeat was supposed to stick through November as the big isssue. And, almost like a Rovellian tantric chant, it seems to keep popping up.