Saturday, August 30, 2008

Sarah Palin as GOP's Vice Prez?

"I have a 19 year old who's getting ready to be deployed to Iraq. His striker brigade leaves on September 11 of this year. He's 19 and he'll be gone for a year. [And so] on a personal level, when I talk about the plan for the war, let's make sure we have a plan here."

Wanna bet that the fact that her son is leaving for Iraq on 9/11 is going to be used by the GOP?

Here is a
link to the radio interview (just a very small portion)

Transcript: TIME's interview with Sarah Palin

And not too long after she took office as Governor , in 2007, she was interviewed by Alaska Business Monthly and asked about the upcoming "surge", this is wat she said:

"I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq,"
Gov. Palin and Iraq

All of the above combined with her policies on Women Right to Choose, drilling in the wildlife refuge, her denial of pollution re: global warming, her suing the U.S Fish & wildlife service to remove polar bear ban from the list of endangered species etc...McCain gave his own birthday present to the GOP! And this is who may run the country one day?


If some Dem.women supporters of Hillary vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, shame on them!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

NO WAY, NO HOW, NO McCAIN

Wow! Hillary was fired-up this evening at the Convention! I admit, I was nervous when I saw all those signs "HILLARY". She did well, now let's see if her supporters will vote for Obama or continue to cry and punish Obama by voting for McCain or not voting at all. I watched the interview of a woman ( Hillary supporter) on C-Span. She was crying and said that she voted democrat all her life that she is always the one in her family to call everyone and make sure they cast their vote but that this time her family may have to be the one to call her and that she may not vote at all. Does this make sense?



I have more respect for someone who would stay home if the nominee were a supporter of the war. I myself would not support a president who agreed to go to Iraq. NEVER! Hey, you have to walk your talk!



In a way this convention is like all convention. Fired-up the people, give them hope. But this time the price to pay is far too high if we lose. My friend L. always says "Be afraid, very afraid". I do not want to be afraid, but I cannot lie to myself. I really do not want to have to go back to Europe and leave my 40 something life in the U.S behind, but I would not be able to bare another 4 years of a republican DICTATORSHIP.



I cannot wait to watch the Republican convention ( if my stomach can take it). The lies will be pouring that's for sure. OH!
here is the best of the Inky today. Don't worry more of the same will be coming until November. Nice time we are living!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Dreams never die

Today was the first day of the Democratic party Convention in Denver. I wish I could have been there and for the whole week. But instead I watched from my home. I was very moved by two people: Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama. Ted Kennedy, who besides his brain cancer not only showed up - looking pretty good I must say- but delivered a powerful speech. this 76 years old Senator has seen a lot of tragedies in his life time and it was evident that the audience was very touched by his presence while fearful for his being. I am so glad I had the chance to meet him last year when he came to Philadelphia for a fund raiser I was invited to attend .



Caroline Kennedy was the one who introduced "Uncle Teddy". I am glad that she mentioned that he took a strong stand against the war on Iraq and that we have the choice to either see our country moving forward or fall over further behind. Well said, Caroline.

Senator Kennedy's voice was a little shaky at times but his physical strength appeared the same as when I met him. The guy wanted to be there and nothing would have stopped him. He spoke about a new hope, renewal for our nation, that hope was the cause of his life, that dreams never die and that health care (for all) was not a privilege and as he spoke about the gaps that Obama will end between groups of people he mentioned the one of Straights against Gays. BRAVO! the Conservative Republicans watching this must have diarrhea on this one!

Ah! Michelle Obama. What a woman! She was the highlight of the night! A passionate speech that brought tears to the eyes of many people, men and women in the audience. When she said that "We have an obligation to thrive for the world as it should be", I thought of the past eight years that I lived, all the protests against the war, the petitions I have signed, the visits to senators and congressmen, my working for Howard Dean's Campaign, my trust and dreams during the past two presidential elections and I felt a great sadness.

She paid tribute to Hillary Clinton (well done), but one of my favorite time was when she said "This time we listen to our hopes rather than our fears" YEAH! you go Michelle!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Hillary Clinton will take the stage. I cannot wait for the damn thing to be over! But I am looking forward Thursday when it will be Barack Obama's turn!

We better win this one! My friend, L. says that Obama has no chance. I am going to say it again: if Obama does not win, it is for one reason only :PURE RACISM!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

How does one learn to hate?

I suppose that if you tell someone a lie, over and over again, that someone will believe it is true DUH! We have seen this with the war in/on Iraq. No one is born with any prejudice. Too bad children have to grow-up in this case but as I often say that one has to have tasted chocolate in order to say that he does not like it, when adults show a tendency to hatred they must have had a feel for it in their younger years. I often think that parents should pass a test before being able to have children. OK I am pushing a little too far here but how can we stop this? Educate? Does this mean trying to make people not to feel what they are feeling? How can we remove this ugly feeling from people's heart? It will never happen. What I wish is for people to have tolerance towards differences. But again, my wish list is growing by the day and I am an idealist.
Here is an Op-Ed that will make you think and that is getting lots heat.

Racism may cost a Obama's victory

May the bastards who murdered this young boy and destroyed his family's life for ever be put in jail with no chance for parole. When ignorance coupled with hatred brings someone to murder and when to this day so many people believe that Barack Obama is Muslim is outraging. There is no doubt that this savage killing was out of hatred and I am afraid this may cause Obama's defeat as racism is rampant in the U.S.A
I am not saying that ignorant and intolerant people will go around killing Obama's supporters but those idiots who believe everything they hear or read may well kill Obama's chance to be our next president. Take a look here.
Frankly I do not think that the majority of those people wants to be educated as their prejudice is ingrained in their minds and souls. When Hillary and Barack came to Philadelphia this summer and I joined the rally in front the Constitution Center, a woman (Hillary's supporter) flanked her sign to my face and when I told her that I was supporting Obama she called me a communist! Yes, a communist! Now, to my knowledge, no one suggested that Obama was a communist but I strongly suspect that my french accent led this woman to her own conclusion.
America is in deep trouble indeed!





Saturday, August 23, 2008

YES, WE CAN !

"Our tomorrow will be better than our Today" said Joe Biden in his first speech as chosen vice president. No argument from me here. But how much better if the Bush administration of today is not made accountable tomorrow for the wrongful war in Iraq. This will be a start, enough to put those criminal behind bars. I love when the right wing speaks about "morality" but this is one of favorite latest news!

OBAMA/BIDEN and why I am not thrilled

In 2004 I worked my ass off on Howard Dean's campaign, went to Iowa, slept on the floor, knocked at doors, walked miles in cold snowy- windy- weather . I believed in Dean, the anti-war candidate, the one that PhillyForChange had great hope for victory. Iowa here we come , PHOTOS

You know the rest. Dean lost, Kerry lost, or should I say the stolen Election of 2000 was keeping its course.

Today, we have Barack Obama and his running mate Joe Biden. No, I am not thrilled and do not want to be. I remember looking in the mirror of my bathroom while CNN was doing its projection. Kerry was ahead of Bush, Kerry was the winner without a doubt. I said "and if..." no, it was not possible. NO! How could it be? I panicked for a moment. In the morning we had the "winner". Bush was again "elected". I Cannot, will not believe in the polls, the only thing I can do is do all I can to persuade people to vote for our ticket.

And if McCain makes it, trust me it will be for one reason and one reason only: America is racist. Oh! the Media will analyse to death our defeat, from "inexperienced" candidate to the fear of voters for another attack on our soil, that only a warmonger could help us avoid and/or fight back.

No, I am not thrilled, but I will continue to be positive and believe that this time people are smarter. That's all I want to keep in mind.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Requiem for the Last American Soldier to Die in Iraq

At some point in the future, soldiers will pack up their rucks, equipment will be loaded into huge shipping containers, C-130s will rise wheels-up off the tarmac, and Navy transport ships will cross the high seas to return home once again. At some point — the timing of which I don’t have the slightest guess at — the war in Iraq will end. And I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately — I’ve been thinking about the last American soldier to die in Iraq.
http://homefires.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/requiem-for-the-last-american-soldier-to-die-in-iraq/

64 years later

If my father saw me twice before he was killed at war ( WW2) I have no memory of this, as I was only 8 month old. On the wall there is his picture before he went to war, in a box I have his medals, the obituary from the local newspaper, his medals, just a few letters he had written to my mother from the front. But during my latest trip to France, as I visited my sister, she gave me a surprise hidden in an old tissue paper : A two inch tin soldier . On that paper my mother's handwriting which I recognized. She wrote " soldier that Alain put in daddy's pocket when he left for war." Alain was our brother barely 3 years old then.

I hold this tiny soldier in my hands almost everyday. My father carried it as he fought many battles only to come back home in a coffin. 64 years later I never felt so close to him. I wonder how many times he hold it, perhaps kissed it as I often do. 64 years later, I cry for the father I never met.
The Weight of War Falls on the Young