Words matter more than fists – John McCain is a Fighter

There is no doubt that both Barack Obama and John McCain are two strong willed men. Each has a significantly different vision of where America should go in the early 21^st century. Their decisions could impact the entire century. After all appointments to the Supreme Court are for life. The longest-serving chief justice of the US, Warren Earl Burger headed the court from 1969 to 1986. Scalia was appointed to the current court September 26, 1986. The impact of Ronald Reagan’s presidency is still affecting behavior and discussions throughout the country and he left office in 1989.

Now we have John McCain running for president. He was born August 29, 1936. He just turned 72 years old. He most likely does remember WWII. His family has a history of military service. According to all accounts he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, McCain graduate from the United States Naval Academy in 1958.

I thought I heard him use the word “fight” repeatedly throughout his acceptance speech. Reviewing the text I found he used “fight”, “fights”, or “fighting” a toal of 25 times. In addition he used the word “fought” 9 times. Compare that with Obama’s acceptance speech. Barack Obama used the word “fight” twice and the word “fought” twice. Giving up an early release as a POW, John McCain was a fighter who stayed in the Hanoi Hilton for five years.

The reality is that being president is more than being a fighter. The United States needs a leader with the wisdom and skills to negotiate a variety of situations. Will John McCain be ready to “fight” every nation in the world that does not bow to the United Sates views? Most of those situations are not related to fighting. They are about reaching a result in good legislation that will move our nation forward. Words matter more than fists. Barack Obama is the skilled orator and communicator.

Who Is To Blame For The Mortgage Mess?

Well actually many home buyers foolishly believed they could buy a home with little or nothing down and some how afford the payments even after the interest rates adjusted upwards. The banks accepted the applications and the real estate broker told them “don’t worry.” So those buyers went forward with those home purchases on blind faith.

The banks and mortgage brokers didn’t care because they sold the loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Those two government sponsored companies apparently did not review many of the loans that were made by the banks and mortgage brokers. The consequence is that “a record 9 percent, were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of June.” To believe that the people managing these enterprises did not realize the folly of their ways is equivalent to adults believing there really is a Santa Claus. To make matters worse the Federal Reserve did nothing to interfere with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Where were our congressmen? The Financial Services Committee of Congress headed by Barney Frank of Massachusetts has a web site that advises its responsibilities.

The Committee oversees all components of the nation’s housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities. The Committee continually reviews the laws and programs relating to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and international development and finance agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The Committee also ensures enforcement of housing and consumer protection laws such as the U.S. Housing Act, the Truth In Lending Act, the Housing and Community Development Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, and financial privacy laws.

Actually this mess goes back to a Republican lead Congress as this situation came to light about two years ago. So what have the Democrats done to prevent the meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Apparently the answer is nothing. The cost to taxpayers will be in the billons. Who made money on this situation? The real estate brokers, banks, and mortgage brokers. I foresee new laws and regulations but they are coming after the animals have left the barn.

There is Something about Barack Obama

I was commenting on another blog about a month ago and wrote the following. I believe these words may be more accurate now than when I wrote them.

“OK so Barack Obama is “incredibly arrogant, haughty, full-of-himself, and entitled.” The alternative is what? John McCain stands for most of the ideas and values of the Republican Party. Rather than persue his “straight talk express”, John McCain has altered his positions to reflect most of George W. Bush’s views. Americans just might elect John McCain because they are more like him than Barack Obama.”

A Tired Old Man For President

John McCain has told us every day of his convention that he was a POW in Vietnam. His biography was shown every day. He re-stated part of it in his acceptance speech. His rightful claim is that he is a hero because he has given his life to service to his country. His two themes are “country first” and “service”. The banners were everywhere. No one would deny him salutes, honors, and congratulations over his fortitude. Is that reason enough to elect him president?

We should not elect a president because he survived a POW camp. We should elect a president because he has the wisdom to lead the nation. There was little in his address that would lead anyone to believe he would do anything different than George W. Bush. He says he would be different but his positions and his support by corporate lobbyists do not support that promise. John McCain did not address a single issue with a specific solution.

There was nothing in his speech to tell us how he would deal with the challenges of the 21^st century with the exception of his relatively strong position on reducing our dependence on foreign oil. That position was echoed by Barack Obama who went even further than John McCain by stating a goal of energy independence within the next decade.

Senator McCain’s family has a history of military service. That goes back to at least his grandfather and has been inculcated into his sons. This is a family that is focused on military matters. How many times did he use the word “fight” in his acceptance speech? That could be an issue for a president. Would he fight first and ask questions later? Would he take us into a war with Russia over the republic of Georgia? His support of the Iraq War without a definition of victory is an example of his support of George W. Bush.

Did McCain address any new technologies, global warming, and America’s decline in the eyes of the rest of the world? No! That’s because the Republican Party is the party of the past. John McCain wants to re-fight the Vietnam War. He wants to sacrifice more American lives in the Iraqi civil war. He stands at the head of a party that had only 36 Black delegates at its convention. His focus is on helping corporate America grow even wealthier at the expense of American jobs.

Finally we must address John McCain’s age. He is 72 years old. If elected he would be the oldest person to enter this office. His health has been an issue in the past. The presidency has aged all of its office holders very quickly. If he should become incapacitated Sarah Palin would become president. E,J. Dionne aptly describes Palin as the “quintessentially political choice.” How many of us would elect her to this office?

Compare the acceptance speeches of Barack Obama and John McCain. Obama’s speech was filled with detailed plans for the things he would do as president. McCain’s speech offered no specific plans. McCain spoke about reforming Washington without the detail.

The Democratic Party reflects the racial, ethnic, and religious diversity that now more reflects America. Barack Obama is really a half breed. His mother was White and his father a Black man from Kenya. Barack Obama is from a one parent home. He understands the meaning of working for a living. Obama is the bright, wise, and articulate leader we need in the White House. Barck Obama definitely meets America’s criteria for new leadership.

The choice is clear. Old and stodgy or forward looking. We need to elect Barack Obama!

The California Budget Impasse

California is bigger than many countries. The population exceeds 36 million people. The budget has a shortfall of over $15 billon. The total budget exceeds $100 billion. The reason that no budget has been passed, and there is an annual ordeal in balancing the budget, is that the law requires a two thirds majority for passage. Neither political party has that majority. Both the Democrats and Republicans have fought for their way to balance the budget. Neither has the power to bring a permanent resolution.

The Democrats want to raise taxes to cover the budget and the Republicans want to reduce spending to match current revenues. This argument will probably go on long after Arnold Schwarzenegger has left office. The two thirds law was probably passed to protect the public from excessive spending. The consequence has been just that. The California legislature has a history of poor spending habits.

How Old Is Too Old?

Let’s be honest we are judging everything about the people running for president. What they have done in their lives, their religion, their marital relations, the color of their skin, and their age. It may not be fair but it is reality.

Age is very important. I personally do not believe that race or religion are important at all. Apparently I am in the minority in this view. Anna Quindlen wrote about the age issue in her Newsweek column on February 4, 2008. John McCain has tried to show that he understands that this is a real issue by nominating someone of just 44 years old as his vice president. Sarah Palin does not meet John McCain’s own definition of who should be selected for vice president (someone who could step into the job on day one). Along with his statement, “Today We Are All Georgians” does call his judgment into question. Would he take America to war over Georgia?

Anna is probably correct when she wrote that “… it ages a person in dog years. Each year in office is roughly equivalent to seven years in the life of an ordinary citizen.” Look at how haggard all the men have been after serving as president for eight years. John McCain just turned 72 years old last week. If he should die in office Sarah Palin would become president. How many Americans would vote for Sarah Palin for president?

Competition is Dying in America!

M&A is the acronym for Merger and Acquisitions. It’s going on all the time. The list compiled by CNN for just the last three days is astonishing. It’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This process is killing competition and raising prices for everything.

I will pick just two industries to demonstrate my point. They are super markets and drug stores in the San Fernando Valley (metropolitan Los Angeles). There are now 1.6 million people living in this area stretching from Burbank and Sylmar on the east to Calabasas and Chatsworth on the west.

THE SUPERMARKETS

Today there are only four major chains left in this area. The number of independent stores is so small that most people do not know of their existence unless they are in the immediate neighborhood. Most small markets do not have the resources to do the advertising of the chains. Specialty markets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s do not offer a complete array of products.

The chains currently are Albertson’s, Ralphs (owned by Kroger), Von’s (owned by Safeway), Vallarta (catering to Hispanics and doing quite well), and Jon’s. However 20 years ago the list included Albertson’s, Alpha Beta, Hughes, Lucky, Market Basket, Ralphs, Safeway, Thriftimart, and Von’s. In addition there were many stand alone super markets that were big enough to advertise in the major newspapers. They included the All American Market, Panorama, McDaniels, Alexander’s, and Gelson’s (now a chain in only the wealthiest neighborhoods).

There were others stores too but they were absorbed into the remaining chains thanks to Yucaipa Cos.

THE DRUG STORES

The list is not as long but the trend is obvious. In the past it was Rexall, Thrifty, Longs, and Sav-on chains and many independent stores. Today the list is Rite-Aid, CVS, and Walgreen’s. Both Sav-On and now Longs are part of CVS. Although Walmart, Costco, and Target have pharmacies they are usually not convenient and have limited variety.

There are other industries that have seen consolidations including banks, department stores, and airlines. Los Angeles used to be the home of many savings and loan associations (California Fed, Glendale Fed, Great Western, American) as well as many bank chains that have been absorbed by Bank of America or Wells Fargo (First Interstate, United California, Security First National).

The consequence of the reduced number of businesses in any industry ought to be obvious. Imagine if your company was the only one offering a particular commodity or service. You could charge what ever you wanted. If there were only a few competitors rather than many, your pricing would be less flexible. There are lots of house painters here in my neighborhood so pricing stays low. Gasoline is available from only five companies within three miles from my home. Remember when every major intersection had a gasoline station on all four corners?

So the loss of Longs Drugs, May Department Stores, and Linen and Things means that their competitors can earn more but all of us will pay more.

Barack Obama for President

Being a political Independent is difficult when most of the country is taking sides in a presidential campaign. I am still a Democrat at heart. The one really important personal issue for me is health care.

John McCain is a very good man. He has served this nation with honor. He has considerable experience in the Federal government. He also has taken a strong stand against universal health care. That one issue alone is reason enough for me to oppose him. However he has also taken positions on many other issues that are diametrically opposed to my views. That includes abortion rights, stem cell research, ending the war in Iraq, improved international relations through negotiations, etc.

The issue of Barack Obama’s lack of experience is totally gone now that Sarah Palin has been selected as John McCain’s running mate. Given McCain’s age the possibility of Palin becoming President is very real. That lack of experience was an issue for George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and John Kennedy. Americans made the right decision two out of three times. 35 million people watched Barack Obama last night. Was that because he is a celebrity or did he have something to say?

Look at how well Barack Obama has managed his campaign. I believe that is an indicator of how well he will do as president. Even if I am wrong, John McCain promises nothing new. He would continue most of the programs and ideas of the Bush presidency. The United States cannot afford four more years of the failed Bush policies. Perhaps Obama will not deliver on all of his promises. There is the possibility that he will deliver on some of them.