wesley clark hammers mccain's experience

Wesley Clark was on Face the Nation today, and he took aim at the idea that McCain's Vietnam War experience makes him more qualified to be president. “I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.” With one swoop, Clark attacked the entire basis for the McCain presidential campaign.
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There are many people out there attacking Mr. Obama for the comments made by Gen. Clark yesterday morning. Apparently, reporters write what they believe, not the truth, and everyone eats it up. The opening line to Josh Kraushaar's article on Politico.com, "Gen. Wesley Clark, acting as a surrogate for Barack Obama’s campaign..." is false but those who choose to believe everything they read, have taken those words and ran with them.

I find it amazing that although Mr. Obama stands in front of the American people and denounces Mr. Clark's statements, no one believes him. What is the truth then? What you say it is? If it's offensive and polarizing enough, it has to be true. Followers of this election appear to be picking and choosing what they believe to be true. You can't do that. Well, you can, but then you would no better than those who are attempting to think for us.

Just as religious zealots do not "speak" for God, when they perpetrate violence on others for their beliefs, nor can one man sum up another in one sentence.

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we are the change that we seek.

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were war crimes committed by the president of united states?

War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war", including but not limited to "murder, the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied territory to slave labor camps", "the murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war", the killing of hostages, "the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and any devastation not justified by military necessity".

War crimes are defined in the statute that established the International Criminal Court, which includes:

Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, such as:
- Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health
- Torture or inhumane treatment
- Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property
- Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power
- Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial
- Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer
- Taking hostages

The following acts as part of an international conflict:
- Directing attacks against civilians
- Directing attacks against humanitarian workers or UN peacekeepers
- Killing a surrendered combatant
- Misusing a flag of truce
- Settlement of occupied territory
- Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory
- Using poison weapons
- Using civilians as shields
- Using child soldiers

The following acts as part of a non-international conflict:
- Murder, cruel or degrading treatment and torture
- Directing attacks against civilians, humanitarian workers or UN peacekeepers
- Taking hostages
- Summary execution
- Pillage
- Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

However the court only has jurisdiction over these crimes where they are "part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes".

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The highlighted crimes are the ones that I believe Mr. Bush has committed and should be impeached for. What do you think?

an open letter to ed & caren hale & the members of the clinton supporters supporting john mccain for president

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hale,

If I may have a moment of your time...

Why, if I may inquire, would you spew propaganda that is so fallacious? Who, is it exactly, are you representing? Perhaps it’s your fellow Texans.

Has your memory failed you? Were you living in the United States of America in 2000? How about '04? Well, let me catch you up on some history you have conveniently forgotten.

Are you aware that in 2000 Al Gore beat GWB with almost 500,000 more American votes? How about the fact that the issues raised in the 2000 election centered on Florida? Coincidence? Who knows. I try not to speculate, although the degrees of separation between responsible parties in this case are too close for comfort for most.

Did you also know that in 2004, controversies such as voter suppression were centered in Ohio? Their Representative at the time, Dennis Kucinich, had this to say, "Dirty tricks occurred across the state, including phony letters from Boards of Elections telling people that their registration through some Democratic activist groups were invalid and that Kerry voters were to report on Wednesday because of massive voter turnout. Phone calls to voters giving them erroneous polling information were also common." Almost 90,000 casted ballots were rejected due to hanging chads. Coincidence? Who knows.

Bush focused his campaign on national security, presenting himself as a decisive leader and contrasted Kerry as a "flip-flopper." Bush's point was that Americans could trust him to be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be "uncertain in the face of danger." Sound familiar?

Let me ask you a question: Did you place a nearly $18,000 ad in either of those years to fight the illegitimacy of those elections? Who knows and although I did state that I do not speculate...there are some things that make you go hmmm...

You're petitioning the country to vote Republican to prove what point? Did you actually support Ms. Clinton or are you just a wolf in sheep’s clothing - going against HER wishes to unite the party AND the country* - to fulfill your agenda?

The truth of the matter is, the Clinton's - either intentionally or not - have angered many people over the years and when it came down to it, they didn't have as many "friends" as they thought.

Shame on you Mr. & Mrs. Hale, if you are indeed a true Democrat, for attempting to assay female voters during a time when we need unity the most. And if you're not, I'm not at all surprised by your negativity...it's right on par for your party.

* "Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me." - Hillary Clinton, June 7, 2008