McCain's diving buddy

U.S. Sen. John McCain will make his acceptance speech tonight, and for David Paul Horan, it's personal. Horan, 65, is a Key West lawyer and a longtime diving buddy of McCain's. Horan has been waiting for this moment for a long time. Read about it here.

Also, with Gov. Sarah Palin's big week, the Alaska delegation has been unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight. Read about it here.

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Comments

[Enough is Enough!]

I'm tired of hearing about these losers. How on earth could we elect more Republicans when our nation suffers more and more every day under their selfishness?.

[We Trust McCain Palin]

Since Pelosi and Reid have controlled Congress this nation has gotten substantially worse; their approval rating is in the toilet.

Pelosi Reid Do Nothing Majority Party need to be balanced.

McCain Palin are the solution to actually get things done.

Drill, Baby, Drill

Develop Alternative Energy sources

Keep taxes down to recover from the Pelosi Reid economy

Prevent third trimester abortions

[Omega83]

11:01

how do you suffer? I have a decent job that I work hard at, but it covers my insurance and mortgage payments.

I had to change jobs 2 years ago because my last employer laid a bunch of people off, but luckily with my college degree (the one I am paying for but also earned scholarships for by studying in high school, and wroking part time jobs), I found a much better one. I was blessed to recieve financial aid. In turn, I give back what I can in time to my alma mater, and my church, so that they may also help others.

My mortgage payments aren't awful, but I planned for what they would be before I signed for it so I knew I could afford them.

I don't particularly like paying off my student loans, but I did borrow that money, and had I not finished I wouldn't have the job I have now.

It sucks that gas prices are high. I don't go on as many roadtrips, but I've fixed up my little condo.

I don't condier any of this suffering. I look at it as hard work paying off, but still plenty more to do.

Sarah Palin voice sounds awful.
McCain/Palin should be renamed
"Old Fart/Tart 08"

11:05 Heartless Obtuse Scum.

11:15 Omega I'm glad you're doing well. I would like to see everyone have the same opportunities you (and I) had to be successful. However I believe under the misguided policies of the GOP, we have seen jobs shrink and go overseas or revert to service sector jobs which pay little (while CEOs rake in ridiculous wages.) We have seen education deteriorate regardless of what Jeb's flawed test scores might indicate and our kids cannot compete in the new job market. And faith based charity is laudable, but unfortunately has too many strings attached, once again thanls to the GOP and the politicization of religion. Does your church give money to poor Buddhists without trying to convert them? (I'm assuming your a Christian) Even if they do, well I guess they'd better support the Christian politicians if they can't find a job and want to feed their families, right?

McCain went Dumpster diving which is where he found Sarah Palin.

does anyone beside me think maybe McAiNUS is suffering from a long-term case of "narcosis of the deep"?

i mean, how else can you explain this susan palladin twit?

[NObama08]

11:32: Yeah, let the people just sit on their lazy as*es and wait for the govt to take care of them. Damn those people who actually take personal responsibility, work hard, and succeed. I was a divorced parent of 3 at age 22. I worked as a bartender to support my family. I decided to go to school at 28 yrs old, got loans, worked hard and earned my degree. Today, at 40, I have a great job, good medical insurance, a home, and a nice savings account. I am not wealthy, but consider my very rich. Great friends, family, and feel as though I live in paradise. Life is what you make it.

[Bad economy is just another dem talking point]

September 3, 2008

From the Wall Street Journal

Bush Has a Good Economic Record
By KEITH MARSDEN
September 3, 2008; Page A23

Successive speakers at the Democratic National Convention poured scorn on President Bush's economic record. The clear aim was to justify the party's call for "change," and to undermine support for Republican presidential nominee John McCain. His election would mean a "third Bush term," delegates groaned.

Corbis
Yet Democrats cited no good evidence for their claims that the administration has produced a stagnant economy, widening disparities of income and wealth, high unemployment, and a heavy burden of government debt (supposedly resulting from an unwise military intervention in Iraq).

How does the performance of the U.S. economy really compare with other advanced economies over the eight years of George Bush's presidency? Data published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, the International Comparison Program (ICP) (a cooperative venture coordinated by the World Bank) and the U.S. Census Bureau allow a nonpartisan, factual assessment. Here are some of the findings:

- Economic growth. U.S. output has expanded faster than in most advanced economies since 2000. The IMF reports that real U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 2.2% over the period 2001-2008 (including its forecast for the current year). President Bush will leave to his successor an economy 19% larger than the one he inherited from President Clinton. This U.S. expansion compares with 14% by France, 13% by Japan and just 8% by Italy and Germany over the same period.

The latest ICP findings, published by the World Bank in its World Development Indicators 2008, also show that GDP per capita in the U.S. reached $41,813 (in purchasing power parity dollars) in 2005. This was a third higher than the United Kingdom's, 37% above Germany's and 38% more than Japan's.

- Household consumption. The ICP study found that the average per-capita consumption of the U.S. population (citizens and illegal immigrants combined) was second only to Luxembourg's, out of 146 countries covered in 2005. The U.S. average was $32,045. This was well above the levels in the UK ($25,155), Canada ($23,526), France ($23,027) and Germany ($21,742). China stood at $1,751.

- Health services. The U.S. spends easily the highest amount per capita ($6,657 in 2005) on health, more than double that in Britain. But because of private funding (55% of the total) the burden on the U.S. taxpayer (9.1% of GDP) is kept to similar levels as France and Germany. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 84.7% of the U.S. population was covered by health insurance in 2007, an increase of 3.6 million people over 2006. The uninsured can receive treatment in hospitals at the expense of private insurance holders.

While life expectancy is influenced by lifestyles and not just access to health services, the World Bank nevertheless reports that average life expectancy in the U.S. rose to 78 years in 2006 (the same as Germany's), from 77 in 2000.

- Income and wealth distribution. The latest World Bank estimates show that the richest 20% of U.S. households had a 45.8% share of total income in 2000, similar to the levels in the U.K. (44.0%) and Israel (44.9%). In 65 other countries the richest quintile had a larger share than in the U.S.

Investment has been buoyant under President Bush. According to the ICP, outlays on additions to the fixed assets (machinery and buildings, etc.) of the U.S. economy amounted to $8,018 per capita in 2005 compared to $4,963 in Germany and $4,937 in the U.K. Higher taxes on the upper-income Americans, as proposed by Mr. Obama, are likely to result in lower saving and investment, less entrepreneurial activity and reduced availability of bank credit. Lower-income Americans would be among the losers.

When considering the distribution of income and wealth in the U.S., another factor that should be taken into account is the sharp rise in the number of immigrants. The stock of international migrants (those born in other countries) in the U.S. grew by nearly 10 million from 1995 to 2005, reaching a total of 38.5 million according to the World Bank.

The inflow of migrants may have restrained the growth of average income levels in the bottom quintiles. Nevertheless, their earnings still allowed immigrants to remit $42 billion to their families abroad in 2006, double the level in 1995. So the benefits are widely spread among the families of immigrants remaining abroad -- an important U.S. contribution to the reduction of poverty in these countries.

- Employment. The U.S. employment rate, measured by the percentage of people of working age (16-65 years) in jobs, has remained high by international standards. The latest OECD figures show a rate of 71.7% in 2006. This was more than five percentage points above the average for the euro area.

The U.S. unemployment rate averaged 4.7% from 2001-2007. This compares with a 5.2% average rate during President Clinton's term of office, and is well below the euro zone average of 8.3% since 2000.

- Debt interest payments. The IMF reports that the interest cost of servicing general government debt in the U.S. has averaged 2.0% of GDP annually from 2001-2008, compared with 2.7% in the euro zone. It averaged 3.2% annually when President Clinton was in office.

The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been largely absorbed in a relatively small increase in the defense budget (to 4.1% of GDP in 2006 from 3.8% in 1995). A much higher proportion of U.S. income was devoted to the military during World War II and the Korean War.

The evidence shows that much of the Democratic Party's criticism of President Bush's economic record is wide of the mark. True, the economic slowdown now affecting most advanced countries will likely result in rising unemployment over the coming months. But thanks to sensible policies pursued by the Bush administration (not always with adequate support from a Democratic-controlled Congress), the U.S. economy is sufficiently flexible to keep unemployment below the 7.7% peak reached in the last postrecession year of 1992.

The main risk is that, if elected, Barack Obama will pursue a "social justice" strategy. This would encompass higher taxes on entrepreneurs, savers and investors, more direct government intervention in the economy, and protectionist policies (including revoking existing trade agreements) aimed at safeguarding the jobs of his union backers in "old" industries and public services. If so, the pain is likely to be more widespread and prolonged.

Mr. Marsden, a fellow of the Centre for Policy Studies, was formerly an adviser at the World Bank and a senior economist in the International Labor Organization.

FROM the Detroit Free Press, comments from a focus group the paper had rate susan twitains speecifying last night:

“I was completely underwhelmed. She was a Republican novelty act with a sophomoric script. It was not even a speech I would expect for a someone running for the local PTA, much less for vice president.”

-- George Lentz, 66, Southfield independent

“Who is Sarah Palin? I'm sorry but I still don't know anymore about this young lady tonight than I did last night ... The way it looks to me, she's the Republican vice presidential nominee for one reason: because Hillary wasn't selected.”

-- Mike Kosh, 38, West Bloomfield independent

"Sarah Palin is a self-described ‘pitbull with lipstick.’ She spent little time helping Americans learn who she is. She is a cool, poised speaker, but her speech contained few statements about policy or the party platform. … I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.”

-- Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent

“Nothing worked for me. I found her barrage of snide remarksand distortions to be a major turn off. She is not a class act. The most important point she made is that she will be an effective attack dog.”

-- Jan Wheelock, 58, Royal Oak independent

“Sarah got as much applause as Hillary did, and had a friendly, appealing appearance.
Her delivery style reminded me of a high school valedictorian who also might have been a cheerleader. I thought she would appear more professional, more stateswomanly. She's no match for Joe Biden.”

-- Joellen Gilchrist, 64, Beverly Hills independent
Ouch."

Source: AMERICAblog

susan patten...an insult to PIT BULLS!!

[Omega83]

" would like to see everyone have the same opportunities you (and I) had to be successful."

I went to public schools K-12. Parents did not have the $ to send me to private. Had to apply for several scholarships to pay for college. Also took out loans.

"we have seen jobs shrink and go overseas or revert to service sector jobs which pay little "

Americans want cheap goods. Americans want well-paid American labor. They fail to understand the nexus of the 2. American companies are some of the highest taxed in the world. Standard Laffer curve. Raise taxes, reduce revenues, watch firms change their practices.

"We have seen education deteriorate regardless of what Jeb's flawed test scores might indicate and our kids cannot compete in the new job market."

Well, throwing $$ at schools for years certainly didn't work. Jeb's policies didn't work. What do you suggest?

"And faith based charity is laudable, but unfortunately has too many strings attached, once again thanls to the GOP and the politicization of religion. Does your church give money to poor Buddhists without trying to convert them?"

Pretty sure that sort of thing is constitutionally prohibited. Many churches do not seek public funding because of those very strings attached.

funny - i seem to remmebr her discussing energy policy, economic policy, foreign policy quite a bit. I guess when you're a predetermined hater, you only hear what you want to...

11:32-

It is the business-strangling tax structure that sends jobs overseas.

Did you know that those businesses that have their headquarters in the US and do business internationally are actually taxed twice?

That's why they move their HQ overseas and take THEIR jobs with them. Remember that the jobs belong to the employer.

you should lay off that stuff, 11.56...it makes you DELUSIONAL!

hope you arent still doing it while working or driving, are you?
______

in all seriousness, neither mcAiNUS or tweetie are very strong on policy because the "policy" is FOUR MORE YEARS of the pathetic non-policies of the DRUNK!

even the WARHERO lacks the guts and honesty to tell the voters THAT!!

[Cynical Idealist]

Are you people tools, or are you just pawns of the political hacks with whom you associate?

Denigrating any individual who stands for office says nothing about them, but volumes about you, and your lack of ideas.

If we stop talking about personalities and focus on issues, the tenor of the conversation, and that of the race, will go way up!

People, just because someone's views are an anathema to you doesn't make them wrong or less valuable than yours.

Wake up, both parties are controlled by their extremes; and the parties simply represent a plurality, neither has a majority.

Good policy is created by the tension that comes only from the middle.

McCain's diving buddy - aka The Polls, since he made his VP pick.

Another one of Obama's buddies, Kwame Kilpatrick, is going to prison.

"That is not the Kwame I know," stateth the One, the Messiah.

11:16 I didn't know your Mother was running.

The Oabamabots are out blogging. What happened? School let out early?

What do you call it when a well qualified woman gets passed over for a job in favor of a far less qualifie man?

The DNC Convention in Danver.

McCain/Palin!!

As an independent voter I decided to watch the Palin speech and must say I found myself looking at the clock thinking, when is this thing going to end. I couldn't believe how bad I thought it was. She came across as a giggly teenager giving a presenation on what she did for summer. It seemed beyond sophmoric. It had ackward pauses and the timing was completely off. It was awful. She is definitely not ready to be the VP. That was my take away thought.

It seems clear that no 5 month old baby should be kept awake late at night, in the middle of a roaring crowd and flashing lights.

Babies with Down syndrome have poor muscle tone, problems with their bones and joints, hearing loss, eye problems (like cataracts) and often seizures. A baby with Down syndrome may not cry as much as a normal child, but that does not mean it can be used as a prop in political theater.

Governor Palin, tonight you have demonstrated a complete lack of love, care and respect for your special-needs child.

signed,
Dr. Pavel Osten and Julia Kuhl

Pavel Osten, MD PhD
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University
303 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

Dr. Osten from CHICAGO-

We get it...you support Obama, just like the rest of your corrupt city.

Go sell your snake oil somewhere else.

"I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.”

-- Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent

God there is another one out there... anyone, anyone???

You Republicans had better rethink this ticket. If Lil’ Johnny Napoleon takes the big dive, Palin might have you arrested for your party’s favorite pastime; spending $20 in a public restroom and swallowing future babies. Bob Allen and Larry Craig could be in a lot of trouble.

BTW: Why is Palin proud of her teenage daughter’s “CHOICE” to have premarital sex and a b-stard child, when she wants to prevent the rest of America’s daughters from even having a choice in the first place?

… Oh, that’s right; she’s a hypocritical and blasphemous republican.

DOW down almost 300 today....

lots more DISTURBING economic news....

and what to mcAiNUS and susan pillow have to say?

ABSOLUTLY NOTHING

FOUR MORE YEARS OF THIS KRAP??!!

[God's War]

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is from God."

McAiNUS ops out of Habitat for Humanity foto op:

"Something about being photographed around a "house" is now freaking Mr. McCain out. Or perhaps it's being seen around all those "community organizer" types. If McCain actually saw what community organizers do, how they help needy people in communities, he might have to repudiate all the nasty stuff that came out of his convention last night. And rather than do that, McCain figures it's better to just diss Habitat for Humanity. In any case, Cindy would have nothing to wear to the event anyway - I mean, you can't really wear a $300,000 outfit to a barn raising."

from AMERICAblog, 9.4.08

from SLUDGEREPORT, 9.4.08

"PALIN RAISES MONEY -- FOR OBAMA! **Exclusive** Obama scores $8 million since Palin's speech from over 130,000 donors - on pace to hit $10 million by the time John McCain hits stage, campaign says... Developing..."

[Donald Lance]

yes 4:24, the report showed that only fools would pay money to have their rights ripped out from under them. I hope they get used to writing checks to pols because that is what the future holds for them under Socialism. Me? I've already divested and laughed as I watched the markets tumble today. Get used to that also!