KISSHANK's Blog

President Obama announced yesterday that he will restrict the salaries of corporate execs that get ANY of this TARP money. THe ceiling will be 500k. I for the longest time have been calling for the restrictions of these corporate morons that sit in their ivory towers smoking big fat cigars while the little person barely makes enough money to support his or her family. We should go even further!! We should also restrict the purchase of all these corporate jets and all these lavished vacations at expense of the american people!! What makes these corporate fat cats think they are any better than anyone else? Most of these execs are the reason why the corporations are asking for bailouts!! Why reward someone that dumped your company into the toilet to begin with.  I know my Conservative friends will be screaming at me... Well I for one dont care!! I havent received a raise in over 2 years now..While the execs in the corporation I work for have made millions !! Between the jets and the country clubs and all the other perks they are getting...About spread the wealth around here?

As of 11:01 pm Florida time. The new President of the United States is Mr Barack Obama!!!

Seems that John Mccain is losing BIG!!!!. aND TOO ALL YOU REPUBLICANS... SO SORRY YOU LOSE!!!! YOU WILL HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ME FOR 4 YEARS!!

BARACK OBAMA - 207

JOHN MCCAIN-138

And thank you orange county... you have come thru and voted over 60% democrat!!! im so proud of you!!!

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll

Obama 49.1%, McCain 44.1%

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Gallup Daily:

Obama 52%, McCain 42% Among Likely Voters

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Rasmussen

Obama with 51%

Mccain with 46%

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CBS) With just three days left until Election Day, a new CBS News poll finds that the Democratic presidential ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden leads its Republican counterpart by 13 points among likely voters, 54 percent to 41 percent. That margin reflects an increase of two points in the Obama-Biden ticket's lead from a CBS News/New York Times poll released Thursday.

About one in five voters say they have already cast their vote, either in person or through the mail, and these early voters prefer the Democratic ticket by an even greater margin. Obama leads among early voters 57 percent to 38 percent, a nineteen point advantage.

The economy is by far the issue of top concern to voters, and they continue to view Obama more favorably on the issue than they do his Republican rival, John McCain. Fifty-one percent of registered voters say Obama would make the economy better, while just 29 percent say McCain would.

On the question of who will raise taxes, the candidates are roughly even: Forty-seven percent say Obama would raise their taxes and 48 percent say McCain would do so.

So so far so good......

McCain's campaign and the RNC have done everything possible to keep Bush and Cheney hidden from view, but Obama is jumping on any glimpse of the unpopular duo.

His campaign flagged a wire story a few days ago noting that POTUS had cast his absentee ballot for McCain and today they're highlighting comments Cheney made at a rally in the Wyoming congressional race.

"I believe that the right leader for this moment in history is Sen. John McCain," Cheney said today in Laramie.

Obama, speaking in Colorado, went on at length about the endorsement, playing as it did into one of the central themes of his campaign.

"I'd like to congratulate Senator McCain on this endorsement because he really earned it," Obama said.  "That endorsement didn't come easy. Senator McCain had to vote 90 percent of the time with George Bush and Dick Cheney to get it."

The timing could not be worse for McCain, who has sought to distance himself from the, until today, largely underground Cheney and pointedly made sure to include the vice-president's name when panning the administration's energy policy (something that has not gone unnoticed in Cheneyworld)

So is this the final nail in the coffin of John Mccain..Dick Cheney!!! Oh my god!!! Yep If this isnt proof that John Mccain and the Bush administration arent in bed together I dont know what is..

TORONTO (Reuters) – U.S. vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin fell prey to a Canadian prankster on Saturday when he called her impersonating French President Nicolas Sarkozy and got her to accept an invitation to hunt baby seals.

In an over-the-top French accent, a member of the Quebec comedy duo "The Masked Avengers," famous for tricking celebrities and politicians including Sarkozy himself, asked if Palin would take him on a hunting trip by helicopter, and then in French said they could also go kill baby seals.

An apparently oblivious Palin said she thought that would be fun. "We could have a lot of fun together as we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone that way."

The prankster also got Palin, Republican John McCain's running mate in Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, to reveal a potential ambition for the top job in Washington.

Asked if she would like to eventually become president, the Alaska governor responded, "Well, maybe in eight years."

Palin's office quickly admitted they were hoodwinked.

"Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy, and other celebrities in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie," Palin spokeswoman Tracy Schmitt said in an e-mail.

During the phone call, which was played for a Montreal radio program, Palin complimented the fake Sarkozy on his beautiful wife, Carla Bruni, and asked him to give her a "big hug" for her.

"You added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours," Palin said.

The prankster responded by complimenting Palin on a notorious Hustler porn film "Nailin' Paylin," which he said was a documentary of her life.

"Oh good, thank you," Palin said.

Palin also reassured the fake Sarkozy when he said he would not want to bring Vice President Dick Cheney on a hunting trip. Cheney once accidentally shot a hunting partner.

"I'll be a careful shot," she promised.Oh my god!!! and this could be our future vp.... shows just what kind of a bonehead she is...

The Problem

• Wounded Troops Suffer: The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don’t always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.
• Veterans Budget Shortfalls: In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.
• Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken: There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.
• There is Shortage of Care for PTSD: Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.

Barack Obama’s Plan
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans’ Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation?s veterans deserve.

• Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: One of Obama’s first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
• Strengthen VA Care: Obama will make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible. He will improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women’s health.
• Combat Homelessness among Our Nation’s Veterans: Obama will establish a national “zero tolerance” policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.
• Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination: Obama will crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.

Help for Returning Service Members
Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA&rsquot;s broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.Ensure a Seamless Transition: Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.

• Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Obama will establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
• Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Obama will hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. He also will transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.

Improved Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.

• Improve Mental Health Treatment: Obama will improve mental health care at every stage of military service. He will recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
• Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Obama will establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
• Expand Vet Centers: Obama will expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.

Barack Obama’s Record
As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Obama passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at places like Walter Reed. He passed laws to help homeless veterans and offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness. Obama led a bipartisan effort in the Senate to try to halt the military’s unfair practice of discharging service members for having a service-connected psychological injury. He fought for fair treatment of Illinois veterans’ claims and forced the VA to conduct an unprecedented outreach campaign to disabled veterans with lower than-average benefits. Obama passed legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans’ benefits. He passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for traumatic brain injuries. He introduced legislation to direct the VA and Pentagon to fix disjointed records systems and improve outreach to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

George Bradshaw; E5, 1835th EI, 4th MOB, 1827th EI, 2064th Comm, 3410th TTG, CA, OK, TX, AK, MS

Brendan Clifford; E4, 71st Maint Bn, Germany

Gregory Darr; Sergeant, VII Corps, Germany

Richard Cobb; E4, 101st Abn, Vietnam

Bob Brandon; LCDR, VA-105, FICEURLANT, AIC, Northern Watch, KFOR, JTF, Med, Norlant, Indian Ocean, Turkey, Germany, Kosovo, Guantanamo Bay

Eric Sleeper; Sergeant, CLR-25, 3rd TSB, CLR-17, Iraq, Okinawa, Camp Pendleton

Dedrick Lewis; SSgt, Fuels Spec, Supply, Moody AFB GA, Incirlik AFB Turkey, Reece AFB TX

Daniel Barnett; ET1, Reactor Controls, CVN-73

Stephen Bernard; E4, 63rd Maint Co, Vietnam

Theresa Roman; Cpl, HqCo, HqSvcBn, San Diego CA

Gary Glaze; 1st Lt, A Co. 5th Bn 60th Inf, 9th ID, Mekong Delta Vietnam

F. Kale Mathias; E5, USACC Augsburg, 68th Sig Bn, Augsburg Germany

Thomas Schmidt; E5, VMA 211, H&MS 11 MAG 11, Vietnam, Japan

Chad Elliott; E5, Transportation, Iraq

Warren Messick; SSgt, 49th MXS, Holloman AFB NM

Chuck Peterson; A2C, 9th Bomb Wing SAC, Mt Home ID

Arora Rivpreet; Cpl, CAB CEC, 2/4, 1/5, MWSS 272, Okinawa Japan, Korea, Philippines, Iraq

John Rosado; E4, 102nd Engr Bn C, N.Y.C.

Eugene Uptegraph; Lt Col, 50 FTS, Columbus AFB

Paul McFarland; SSG, 24th Med Co, Cold War, Bosnia, Okinawa

Jeff Coffman; SM2, USS Excel, MineGroupOne

Stan Bozarth; Cpt, 6 Bn, 56 Arty, Vietnam

David Chew; LCDR, USS Claud Jones, COMCRUDESGRU-12, Mid-Pac, West-Pac, Med

Arthur Edwards; LCDR

John Clinkscales; E7, Hq USAF/FM, Pentagon

Edward Davis

Kenny Ley; CW5,Vietnam, Germany, Bosnia, Korea

Dave Morris; Sgt, 56 Avn, 164th Maint Co, Germany, Saudi Arabia

Peter Burr; Maj, MACV, Vietnam

John Cole; 1st Lt, 1st Cav Div, Ft Hood TX

Travis Petkovits; Spec-4, 3/161st Inf, Ft Lewis, Yakima

Dave Beachley; Sgt, 522nd CEWI Bn, 2nd AD, Ft Hood TX

Chuck Kropp; E-4, 32nd Inf, 7th ID, Korea

Alan Miner; Sp-5, Signal Corps, Vietnam

Stephen Ames Berry; E4, Army Security Agency, Tokyo

Patrick Daniels; Sgt/E5

J. Rick Sepolen; E6, 25th ID, Vietnam

Douglas Englund; Col, 4th ID, Vietnam, Iraq

Leland Borland; E4, COMAIRPAC, Japan

Joseph Jaquay; Spec 5, 361st Signal Bn, Vietnam

Carl Jackson; E5, USS Ohio, SSBN-726-Blue, Pacific Sub Fleet

Carl Stellwag; E5, Vietnam, 123 Avn Bn, B Co

Joseph Ward; SFC, 78th Div NJ, 324th CSH FL, USA

Sheryl Young; Cpt, Engr and Installation, Radar Eval, USAFE, Griffiss AFB, Hill AFB, Ramstein AB, Keesler AFB

Michelle Matthews; SSgt, 206th MI Bn, Ft Dix, Ft Bragg, Ft Rucker, Ft Gordon, Honduras, Panama, Germany, Korea

Marcella Zito-Barrows; E5, USS Ajax, USS Holland

Bradley Christmas; Lt, USS Portland, Operation Desert Storm

Kenneth Williams; E6, USS McKee, Gulf War

Craig Seabrooks; various units, Weisbaden AB Germany, Ft Bragg, Schweinfurt Germany, Tuzla Bosnia

John Gradwohl; FC3, USS New Orleans, NSWSES, USS Belleau Wood, Desert Storm, Pacific Fleet, Port Hueneme

William Cassels; Cpl, Scout Dogs, Vietnam

Amanda Armitage; E5, USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, NAS Oceana, US Fleet Forces Command, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News

Jim Harris; Sgt, Phu Cat, Phan Rang, Vietnam

Price LaCroix; SMSN, USS NEREUS, Pacific Fleet

Paul Mallary; CT2, USNSG, Nicosia, Cyprus

Andrew Colon; SPC-E4, 1-101st Avn Reg, Ft Campbell KY

Donald Watkins; Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class, NAS Albany GA, NAVSUBMEDCEN New London CT

Joe Van Horn; Sgt E5, 101st Abn, Vietnam

Ralph Bruechert; E5, 6th Fleet, USS Saratoga

J Rashid; Cpl, Bravo 1/11, Camp Pendleton CA

John Kendall; HM3/SSGT, USS Raleigh LPD-1, FMF 3rd MarDiv MED, OKIN, Camp Pen, USAFR

Frank Borghese; SFC, 4th PSYOP Gp, 9th PSYOP Bn, 312th PSYOP Co, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom

Robert Lieberman; Cpt, 374th RRC, Vietnam

Sabrina Seronello; E5, 959 SURG OPS, 332 EMDG, TX, Iraq, Katrina

Craig Thaler; E4, Gunnary Seargeant, Ft Brag

Susan Budassi-Sheehy; Cpt, US Army Gen Hosp Landstuhl, 225th Station Hospital Munich, Germany

Paul Leicht; Cpl, 3 MAW, Iraq

Glenn Jorgensen; 1st Lt, 1st Sig Gp, 864th Engr Bn, CONUS

Jon Curtis; TSgt, 8th TFW, Ubon

Ron Zabowski; PO 3rd Class, U.S. Naval Security Gp, Philippines, AK, Wash DC

Charles Sanders; E4, 2/19th Abn Art, Vietnam

Kyle Webster; E5, 4th TFW, Gulf War I

Miguel Legaspi; SSgt, Co D, 3rd AABN 29 Palms CA, Somalia, Okinawa, Philippines, Persian Gulf

Pierre Batraville; MSgt, III Mef, US, Okinawa, Philippines, Persian Gulf

Jacqueline Koczon Charette; A1C, Hospital, George AFB CA

Michele Strub; Spec 4

Jasper Copeland; MSgt, various units, England, India, Thailand

Matthew Hartmann; Spc, A Co 2-5 Cav 1 CD, Iraq

Walter Costello; LtCol, VMFA-122, 314, 232, 513, Vietnam

Art Blank Jr M.D.; Cpt, 93rd Evac Hosp, Vietnam

Leo Stone; MMCS, various locations

Vincent Thomas; Pvt 1st Class, 1st ID, Vietnam

Thomas Reynolds; Cpt, Det 1, 7th Air Force, Vietnam, Thailand

Cora Tula Watters; Cpl, Woman Marines 2nd Marines, Lejeune, PL, Quantico, Philly

Henry Benefield; Sgt, 1st/5th Mech, Vietnam

E Smith

Michael Anderson; E4, B Co 55 Spt Bn, Kentucky, Germany

Eric Stoutenburg; Cpt, 2nd Bgd Recon Troop, 1st Inf Div, Iraq

Douglas Knox; CW3, USARC

Brian Skolrud; Spec, 4th Bgd 2nd Inf Div, Ft Lewis WA

Mary Knab; SSgt, Medic, McConnel AFB, Wichita KS

Francine Askew; LCpl, Marine Barracks 8th, Wash DC

Jennifer Williams; Cpt, HQ PACAF, Desert Storm, Okinawa, HI, CONUS

Mitchell Adkins; SSgt, 86 CRG/AMS, Ramstein AB DE, Iraq

Bill Jones; MSgt, Numerous Med Units, USA, Turkey, Philippines, England, Germany

William Zehner; E4, 4/37 AR, 1st ID, Gulf War

Steve Hayes; 1 SG

Michael Eggleston; SN, Mobile Riverine Force, River Assault Sqd 131, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Joseph Tuckman; E3, HQ Special Troops, Heidelberg Germany

Joan Schramm; LCDR, TX, CA, Japan, DC

Ron Abner; Sp4 Combat Medic, 2/8 Mech Inf 4th ID, Vietnam

Randolph Andrews; Sgt, 3/47 9th Inf Div, 1st FSB 1st Armored Div, Ft Lewis, Butzbach

Norm Anderson

Steve Johnson; Sp 5, 508 ASA, Korea

David Forsyth; E5, C Co 1st MarDiv, Vietnam

Pamela Disponett; HMC, CINCUSNAVEUR, NAVHOSP’s, NOMI P’Cola, Okinawa, London, Sicily, TX, VA, FL, CA, IL

Sofia Isham; E4, Conus

Lisa Kennedy-Perkey; E5, NAVFAC, NAS, Argentina, Sigonella

William Garner; E3, USS Kitty Hawk, Westpac

David Collins; Sgt, 1/51 Inf

Larry Wakefield; Sgt, L3/9, L3/5, Vietnam

Frank White; Cssd-14 1st, MCAS, El Toro

Nat Porcelli; E4, 65th Med Group, S. Korea

Mark Nottingham; Tech Sgt Select, 55th MXS, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan

L. Thornton; SSG, Military Police, Europe, Central America

Michael Akeroyd; Cpt, 1-13 Armor, Baghdad Iraq

Herbert Young; 165th AW

Bruce Waxman; Cpt, 176th Med Det, Vietnam

Allan Kelson; Sgt, 7100 ABG, Wiesbaden Germany

Lawrence McPherson; Sgt E5, 4/9 Inf, 3/7th Mech Inf, 3/87th Inf, Ft Wainwright, Ft Benning, Friedberg Germany

Charles Cox; E5, Med Co, Ft Rucker AL

Tanis Ybarra; Sgt, HMH-463, Vietnam

Lloyd Glover; SFC, ADA units Patriot Missile Units, stationed worldwide

Kenneth Boddie; E4/Sp4, 3rd AD, 21st Inf Div, Franfurt Germany

Horace Altice II; E5, Southwest Asia

Matt Johnson; E4, 2nd Bn, 3rd US Inf, MDW

William McNeely; Major, 1st AD, Iraq, Bosnia

David Reed; Sgt, 91st Supply Sqd, Minot A.F.B.N.D.

Don Cooper; Pvt 1st Class, 82nd Abn, Vietnam

Jeff Harsha; E7, USS Garrett County, Atlantic, WestPac

Tom Ganse; FTG-2, CVS-20, Yankee Station

Arthur Cooper; TSgt, AFCS, AFCC, stationed worldwide

Miguel Acosta

Jeffery King; SSgt/E5, 612th Fighter Sqd, AK, Spain, Turkey

David Bowers; Lt Col, HMM 262, 1st Bn 3rd Marines, 23rd Marines, FMF

David Christy; Sgt, VMCJ 1, Vietnam

David Bright; SFC E7, 1st Air Cav, Vietnam

Bill Sweiderk; EM-4, US Navy 2nd Fleet, Atlantic, Caribbean

Michael Ruth; E2, E-2-10, Ft Knox KY

Jeffrey DeHaven; 2nd Lt, 116th Bgd Combat Team, Iraq

Richard Days; Sgt, HQ, A Co 122 Sig Bn, 209th Sig Co A 63rd Sig Bn, 58th Sig Co, 11th Sig Bde, 7th Sig Bde, Korea, Germany, Bahrain, Honduras, Gulf War, Somalia, Croatia, Ft Huachuca

Richard Anderson; Lt, multiple units, Wash DC, TX

Charles Davis; Sp4, 6th Army, Far East, US

Raymond Trojanowski; Sgt, VMGR-152, Vietnam

Annette Copeland; Sgt, TRADOC, HQ, Command Gp, Ft Monroe VA

Mark Kane; E6, Naval Media Center, Helicopter Combat Support Sqd FIVE, Naval Station Anacostia, Anderson AFB

Greg Wierzbicki

Scott Fairchild; LTC, 82nd Abn, 9th ID, TAMC, FAMC, WRAMC, Ft Polk, FSHTX, stationed worldwide

Joe Bayerl; Maj, 10th Mountain Div, Somalia

Mark Schmidt; Sp4, 82nd Abn Div, Ft Bragg NC

Adam Crum; Cpl, MALS 16, Iraq

Jeremiah Hogan; S/Sgdt, 381st BG, 534th Sq, England

Theodore Bates; Sgt, Bravo 2/5 Field Artillery, Operation Iraqi Freedom

Eddie Hernandez; E4

Jennifer Hernandez; E5

Christopher Weathers; E3, I Co 3/2, Desert Shield/Storm

Lorin Smith; SSG/E6, 36th Combat Avn Bgd, TX National Guard, Iraq, OIF

Ron Scarbrough; E4, TAC, AAK, ADC, FL, NC, AK, Vietnam

David Henderson; Gunnery Sgt, HMLA 367, 169, 267, 369, Camp Pendleton MEU Forces

John Peukert; FT3, USCGC Bear, USCGB San Juan, Atlantic, Caribe

Michael Hudson; 1 SG, worldwide

Richard Jones; STS4, SSBN 654 Blue, USS George C. Marshall

Gabriel Michaels; 4th MEB, Anti-Terrorism Bn, Iraq

Leo Wicker; LCpl, Fox 2/7, Vietnam

John Coburn; Lt, USS WYOMING, Kings Bay GA

Brian Hoffman; MT3/SS, USS Stonewall Jackson SSBN 634b, Kings Bay Submarine Base Charleston

And this is just a partial list.So before you republican nuts start saying that the military is only for Mccain think again.

CNN) – New England's lone House Republican appears to have publicly broken with his party's standard-bearer, saying John McCain has not run a clean campaign and is likely to lose his bid for the presidency.

"I just don't see how [McCain] can win," Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays told the Yale Daily News earlier this week. "He has lost his brand as a maverick; he did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign." Shays, who in 2006 became the only Republican congressman from New England, perennially finds himself in a heated re-election race.

The comments are the latest in a string of Republicans who have publicly criticized the Arizona senator's handling of the presidential race and predicted his defeat next week is all but certain. (Other Republicans joining the chorus include Former Maryland Sen. Charles Mathias, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.)

Fellow Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl and former GOP presidential Candidate Mitt Romney also have reportedly said they think McCain is likely to lose. Jon Kyl denied making the comments, though the Arizona Daily Star later produced audio indicating he did.

In his Yale Daily News interview, Shays did not endorse Barack Obama, and said he remained skeptical the Illinois senator will govern from the center if he is elected president.

“It’s what all presidents should do, but [Obama] has never been there,” he said of Obama's ideological orientation.

Shays is a co-chairman of McCain's campaign efforts in Connecticut.

So yet another defection..the list keeps getting bigger... Whos next? Come on in!!

The McCain camp gambit comes after conservative writers have repeatedly pressed for media outlets to write about the rather tenuous connections between Obama and Khalidi, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights.

Specifically, National Review writers want much more attention paid to the association, given that the LA Times has reported that Khalidi lavished praise on Obama at a farewell party in Chicago at which Bill Ayers was also present. (Other writers have accused Khalidi of being an aide to Yasser Arafat, a claim which Marc Ambinder and Ari Berman have suggested is not credible.)

In regards to Khalidi, however, the guilt-by-association game burns John McCain as well.

During the 1990s, while he served as chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI), McCain distributed several grants to the Palestinian research center co-founded by Khalidi, including one worth half a million dollars.

A 1998 tax filing for the McCain-led group shows a $448,873 grant to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies for work in the West Bank.

The relationship extends back as far as 1993, when John McCain joined IRI as chairman in January. Foreign Affairs noted in September of that year that IRI had helped fund several extensive studies in Palestine run by Khalidi's group, including over 30 public opinion polls and a study of "sociopolitical attitudes."

Of course, there's seemingly nothing objectionable with McCain's organization helping a Palestinian group conduct research in the West Bank or Gaza. But it does suggest that McCain could have some of his own explaining to do as he tries to make hay out of Khalidi's ties to Obama.

So before all you right wing conservative nutjobs start calling Obama a terrorist again..YOu bettter look at your saviour John Mccain..

The United States is fighting two wars. The financial system is in crisis. The terrorists behind the worst-ever attack on U.S. soil are regaining strength. The cost of propping up the economy will propel the federal budget deficit from the stratosphere into deep space.

Americans badly need a leader who can navigate the nation through these perils.

As the primary season began, the candidate who seemed best qualified to be that leader was Republican John McCain. But Mr. McCain then was a different candidate from the one before us now. He has abandoned positions we admired. He has reacted inconsistently, even haphazardly, to events. In making the most important decision of his campaign, he showed shockingly poor judgmentUnder months of unrelenting scrutiny and withering political attacks since then, the Democratic nominee has proved to be an unflappable and thoughtful leader. He has displayed a remarkable command of issues, both domestic and foreign. It's hard to imagine a quicker study.

Mr. Obama has wisely compensated for his relative inexperience by reaching out to experts, from billionaire investor Warren Buffett and former treasury secretaries for advice on economic policy to ex-national security advisers on foreign policy. He chose as his running mate Joe Biden, the veteran U.S. senator from Delaware and Foreign Relations Committee chairman. The contrast with Mr. McCain's choice for vice president could not be more striking.

Mr. Obama gets the nod in this race not just because of his opponent's flaws.

The Illinois senator has a better plan than the Arizona senator for expanding health-care coverage. Mr. Obama would focus on the problem -- uninsured Americans -- while strengthening the current system of employer-based care. Mr. McCain would unravel that system.

Mr. Obama also would be more aggressive in curbing America's dirty and dangerous addiction to petroleum by mounting an ambitious campaign to develop renewable energy. Mr. McCain says he favors alternatives to oil, but his "drill, baby, drill" fixation could prolong the nation's habit.

The Democratic nominee is more inclined to turn the page on the foreign policy of the past eight years that has alienated allies and incited enemies. His willingness to engage when necessary in tough negotiations with enemies is not naive or irresponsible; it's an approach followed before by presidents from both parties.

Since he began his meteoric rise in American politics, Mr. Obama's critics have trivialized his remarkable skills as a speaker. From Abraham Lincoln through Ronald Reagan, history has shown that eloquence is a powerful tool for presidents to rally Americans to get through tough times together and achieve great things.

As president

Mr. Obama would add only slightly less to the deficit through his spending proposals than Mr. McCain would through the tax cuts he's promising. If the Illinois senator shows the same knack for staying on top of events as president that he has demonstrated in his campaign, he will pare back his plans to meet the imperative of shrinking the federal deficit. It's a good sign that he has sought the advice of former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who persuaded President Clinton to balance the budget.

There is reason to be wary of any Democrat in the White House when the party looks likely to pad its majorities in both chambers in Congress. If Mr. Obama wants to fulfill his promise as a leader who rises above a partisan agenda, he will need to strike a moderate course. He can signal a move toward the center by giving up on his bad idea of trying to renegotiate trade agreements that have benefited the economy. He can withdraw his support for a proposal to do away with secret-ballot elections to form unions -- that's unfair to workers and businesses alike. He can tie his plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq more closely to conditions there instead of a rigid timetable.

But any reservations we have about Mr. Obama are outweighed by our doubts about Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin.

No matter how this campaign turns out, Mr. McCain is a bona fide war hero who served bravely and suffered terribly for this country. For that, and his service in Congress, he will always deserve the appreciation and respect of all Americans.

But in this race, Mr. Obama deserves their vote.

DENVER -- At his second six-figure rally in just over a week, Obama urged his supporters to vote early and again linked his rival to President Bush.

The campaign, citing police, said more than 100,000 people attended the event here.

Obama talked about comments McCain made on Meet the Press this morning. “Just this morning, Sen. McCain said that actually he and President Bush 'share a common philosophy.' That’s right, Colorado. I guess that was John McCain finally giving us a little straight talk -- owning up to the fact that he and George Bush actually have a whole lot in common,” he said to laughter from the crowd gathered on a chilly Sunday morning near the state capitol building. “Well, here’s the thing though: We know what the Bush-McCain philosophy looks like. It’s a philosophy that says we should give more and more to millionaires and billionaires and hope that it trickles down on everybody else.”

This morning, in talking about his differences with Bush and others in his party, McCain said: "Do we share a common philosophy of the Republican Party? Of course. But I've, I've stood up against my party, not just President Bush, but others; and I've got the scars to prove it."

In rallies in Nevada and New Mexico yesterday, Obama joked about McCain’s recent efforts to distance himself from the unpopular Republican president -- at one point calling McCain Bush’s “sidekick” and saying that McCain attacking Bush for his economic policies was like “Robin getting mad at Batman.”

The Democratic nominee, who drew 100,000 people to a rally under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis last weekend, told Coloradoans to go out and vote early him -- just as Bush did for McCain -- and argued that as president he would do more to help the middle class.

Denver is in a strongly Democratic county, where Obama is hoping to boost turnout. He was set to hold a rally in Fort Collins later today, which is in strongly Republican Larimer County. Polls show Obama leading McCain in a tight race in the state, which Bush won in 2004.

In talking about his tax policy, Obama mentioned Bill Clinton -- something he does from time to time on the stump. He said he would roll back the Bush tax cuts on the very wealthiest Americans, so that they paid the same rate they paid under Clinton.

"By the way, they were doing fine under Bill Clinton. In fact, they were doing better under Bill Clinton because everybody was doing well," he said. "And those who owned businesses, their customers could actually afford to get their products and hire their services."

Hillary Clinton often invoked her husband's administration on the trail during the primaries to remind people about the relative prosperity of his two terms. Obama is set to rally with the former president in Orlando on Wednesday.

Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), who was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the United States Senate, is the latest Republican to back Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, Politico learned Sunday.

Pressler, who said that in addition to casting an absentee ballot for Obama he'd donated $500 to the Illinois senator's campaign, cited the Democrat's response to the financial crisis as the primary reason for his decision.

"I just got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better, and I like his financial team of [former Treasury Secretary Robert] Rubin and [former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul] Volcker better," he said. By contrast, John McCain's "handling of the financial crisis made me feel nervous."

The former senator added that he hoped the next president would help place restraints on executive pay, and said: "I don't think [McCain] will take action in that area, or he's as likely to."

Pressler, who said that he had never voted for a Democrat for president before, added, "I feel really badly. I just hate to go against someone I served with in the Senate. I voted and I got it mailed and I dropped it in the mailbox, and it tore at me to do that."

Currently an adjunct professor at Baruch College in New York, Pressler served in the Senate from 1979 through 1997, and prior to that spent two terms in the House of Representatives.

During the 104th Congress, from 1995 to 1997, Pressler chaired the Senate Commerce Committee. When Pressler was defeated for reelection in 1996, McCain took over his chairmanship.

After leaving office, Pressler formed a legal and lobbying firm, The Pressler Group, and in 2002 unsuccessfully sought election to South Dakota's sole seat in the House of Representatives.

He joins a growing list of Republicans who have thrown their support to Obama in recent days. Last Sunday former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Obama on NBC's "Meet the Press." On Thursday Obama picked up the support of former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson, who was joined on Friday by former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld.

Like some of Obama's other Republican supporters, Pressler said he had concerns about his party's fiscal policy, particularly the war in Iraq, that went beyond the presidential campaign.

"We have to be a moderate party. We can't be for all these foreign military adventures. We have to stop spending so much money. My God, the deficit is so high!" he said. "The Republican Party I knew in the 1970s is just all gone."

Despite his support for Obama, however, Pressler emphasized that he intended to stay in the GOP and described himself as a "moderate conservative."

"I'm not leaving the Republican Party. We're going to reform it," he said, but added: "In the general election, if you have disagreements, you should not vote the party line."

So who will be next to abandon the republicans.... stay tuned the list is getting long