Who do you think should be elected in 2008?

[GrayMouser]

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee who revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the measure reducing and eliminating funds for programs she opposed. Inking her initials on the legislation -- "SP" -- Palin reduced funding for Covenant House Alaska by more than 20 percent, cutting funds from $5 million to $3.9 million. Covenant House is a mix of programs and shelters for troubled youths, including Passage House, which is a transitional home for teenage mothers.

According to Passage House's web site, its purpose is to provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the...l?hpid=artslot

Hey, my kid's looked after- to hell with everybody else's.

[D.Sullivan]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

Which is one thing when you're a Senator, and the only result might be a bit of an embarrassment on the Sunday talk shows...it's quite another when you're getting that infamous 3:00 am phone call.

Yeah, he likes to shot from the hip...a lot. Not such a great quality in a President. Especially considering our situation with Russia. That last person I want in the White House right now is a trigger happy Reagen lover. That's just asking for second Cold War. Plus, from what I've heard, if he ever was woken up at three in the morning, he'd be doing his best imitation of Hunter Thompson in Fear and Loathing because of all the medication he takes before he goes to bed. He is [I]72[I], remember...

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

Plus, from the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party:

"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."
Joe Vogler

http://www.akip.org/introduction.html

Given all the hits Barack and Michelle Obama took over their supposed lack of patriotism, I wonder if Sarah Palin still agrees with that?

Exactly. Could you imagine what would happen if Obama or Biden ever said anything like that? We'd have lost the race. I think this is one of the big things that's really going to hurt the McCain camp...what have they got on Obama now? All of there favorite cards to play on Obama now apply to Palin, also.

[D.Sullivan]

Originally Posted by Acalewia

You know all this media circus surrounding Palin's daughter is going to far. Is she the only pregnant teenager? I knew at least 6 in high school between the ages of 16 and 18. This is something that should be dealt with in private, not under the watchful eye of the media. The way everyone is acting, you'd think she was the first and only teenager that didn't wait until marriage and ended up knocked up. Get over it! Go check out the local high school. You are guarrenteed to find at least one or two teenage mommies.

The only reason anyone's making anything of it is because she's the daughter of the Republican Candidate for the VP of the USA. Of course there are other pregnant teens out there...no one said there wasn't. And you're right and honorable to say Palin's daughter should be left alone. But Palin shouldn't be. She wants us to vote her into an Office of Public Service and it's our business how she conducts herself now whether she likes it or not.

Thanks for the link, GreyMouser. Is it just me, or does it seem to just keep coming? The more you pull the more it seems to unravel...

[The Gaffer]

Originally Posted by D.Sullivan

The only reason anyone's making anything of it is because she's the daughter of the Republican Candidate for the VP of the USA. Of course there are other pregnant teens out there...no one said there wasn't. And you're right and honorable to say Palin's daughter should be left alone. But Palin shouldn't be. She wants us to vote her into an Office of Public Service and it's our business how she conducts herself now whether she likes it or not.

There's rather a lot of 'em, and it seems McCain/Palin would have more, not less:

In 2005, presidential candidate John McCain, who picked Mrs Palin as his running mate, opposed a Senate Democratic proposal that would have spent tens of millions of dollars to pay for pregnancy prevention programmes other than abstinence-only education, including education on emergency contraception such as the morning-after pill

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7593735.stm

Some horrendous stats from that article:
* 44 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the US for 2000-2005
* 27 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the UK (the worst in Europe)

It's beyond satire.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by Valandil

You guys need a reality check.

1. Sarah Palin's ties with the oil industry have been connected with fighting abuses.

Actually the tie I was referring to is the fact that her own husband works for BP on their North Slope operation. Spin that all you want saying it doesnt matter or hes not important enough but it still is a major red flag. The saving grace is that she has had a small history of taxing the oil companies in Alaska despite this.

But it will be the experience thing and the many tiny cuts you see just coming out now that will cause this to hurt more than it helps in the end. It will be a decision that they look back on after the fact and realize mistakes were made. Its ridiculous to expect non-republicans to vote for someone who has VERY conservative traditional republican beliefs just because they are the same sex. Although it does seem to be turning the religious right sector onto the ticket and that will provide a boost. But Im thinking between now and November the press will have worked themselves so deep into her life and turned up so many little things that theyll have to be constantly on defense and will make no ground up to the Obama machine.

[D.Sullivan]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

There's rather a lot of 'em, and it seems McCain/Palin would have more, not less:

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7593735.stm

Some horrendous stats from that article:
* 44 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the US for 2000-2005
* 27 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the UK (the worst in Europe)

It's beyond satire.

That's terrible.

And in a further ironic twist...

From Talking Points Memo:

GOP: Battle Stations!

Apparently realizing that the Sarah Palin rollout is going badly, the GOP is holding a series of press conferences here in St. Paul to push back.

Underway now is a presser with female GOP officials talking about the purported "smear campaign" against Palin. "The Republican Party will not stand by while Sarah Palin is subjected to sexist attacks," says McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina, comparing it to sexist comments endured by Hillary Clinton during the primary.

Still, the GOP is having trouble with its talking points. At an earlier press conference this morning, former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin was asked what Sarah Palin's position on comprehensive immigration reform is. Marin's response was that there will be no doubt what the "ticket's" position is, apparently unable to respond directly to the question.

This of course is all part of a convention schedule that today features Palin's acceptance speech.

Late Update: Chris Hayes of The Nation sees this for what it is:

One of the most bizarre spectacles in modern politics is watching the Republican Party attempt to reverse engineer the Chris Matthews/Hillary Clinton-in-New-Hampshire-moment as a means of stoking some kind of feminist backlash in favor of their extreme-right-wing, Eagle-Forum friendly, pro-life, creationist candidate. The same one who called Hillary Clinton a whiner when she pointed out the sexism of the coverage she faced.

Later Update: Faux outrage is not enough in and of itself. The full GOP battle cry requires an amorphous enemy accused of vague treachery. As usual the media is filling that role now.

--David Kurtz

The hypocrisy is unbearable...

Also, the "Straight Talk Express" has canceled McCain's interview with Larry King as punishment for this...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/212194.php

...meanwhile, Obama is going on O'Rielly! Pretty interesting contrast. McCain is attacking the newscorp for doing it's job and asking questions about his campaign(the image of strength..."Stop asking me questions! I just want to be your Presient!") and going as far as to cancel interviews with big softies like Larry King while Obama is diving headlong into enemy territory and "looking forward" to it. Which one sounds more confident about where they stand right now?

[Coffeehouse]

Wow............................................. Been watching some of the Republican Convention. And the alarm bells are ringing so.. loudly.. inside.. my head. Some of the stuff uttered by the politicians there is pure fundamentalism! It's not even funny.

These are people who have lead the USA for the last 8 years and the stuff they're saying now is EXACTLY the same! Exactly the same! And not a thing about fixing the American economy! Lots of cheap shots at Europe. Seriously flawed understanding of terrorism. Sick views of how to run a free, democratic country!

I hope there are some serious numbers of outraged voters in America now, because the nuts in the Republican party and their extreme views will tear apart the America that Norway befriended long ago and has held as its most important ally ever since the War.

The people running for the Republican party this year will further tear away the social fabric and diversity that is the USA, make the economy go from recession to outright depression, and if there ever was a time when the USA stood weak on the international stage they will tear it so much down that even China will seem attractive to some, and that leaves room for pause.

Fix it!!!

I need a drink... kidding

[Insidious Rex]

Rudi was a bozo but I thought Palin did pretty well for herself. She came out strong and aggressive which is exactly what she had to do. She countered some of the talk that’s been going on about her since she was announced and took some hard shots at Obama which is her job as the VP. Yes she did obfuscate the truth a number of times but that’s par for the course at these events and it will be exposed afterwards. The nonsense about DRILL NOW! DRILL NOW! was what really turned me off. What a joke of a mentality. That was really embarrassing to witness as an American citizen that there are still millions of Americans who think drilling up the wild life sanctuaries in Alaska and elsewhere is The answer to the oil problem. Don’t they get that it will do nothing for ten years? And it will make little difference even then? Why is that so hard for people to understand? Anyway other then that nonsense I thought her speech was pretty good. I doubt it will stop the press from digging up all this unpleasant stuff about her but it may rally the true conservatives around the troops which they haven’t been with McCain so far. In fact they may want to have her do the debating and spare McCain that task…

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Coffeehouse

These are people who have lead the USA for the last 8 years and the stuff they're saying now is EXACTLY the same! Exactly the same!

[tongueincheek]That's because they were spot-on in the first place. [/tongueincheek]

[BeardofPants]

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.


Some examples:

PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."

THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."

THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.

THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.

THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."

THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."

THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

___

Associated Press Writer Jim Drinkard in Washington contributed to this report.

From here.

[D.Sullivan]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

From here.

Good post - thanks for that, BeardofPants. I think the bit about the Alaskan National Guard is particularly funny. Do they really think we're that stupid?

This guy clearly thinks we are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxMCp1vydEI

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

[tongueincheek]That's because they were spot-on in the first place. [/tongueincheek]

Lol?

[D.Sullivan]

Whoa...Biden's coming out swinging now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_t_J...eature=related

[Coffeehouse]

Wow, watching Palin's interview with CBS. That was painful.. Can't wait for the debates

Matt Damon: "I need to know if she thought dinosaurs were around 6,000 years ago"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anxkr...eature=related

[The Gaffer]

Key quote:

"It's absurd, and I don't know why more people aren't talking about how absurd it is."

It's not much more absurd than Shrub getting in. Maybe a bit more, but not much.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Ay, there's the rub.

My Dad voted for Republicans for years. I didn't really understand it. But finally I saw it, just for a moment, from his side. When he voted for Republicans, he was grouping himself with the rich. He was saying, "I will win the American Dream, my hard work will be rewarded." He saw the social concerns of the Democrats as a concession...people, maybe even people like him, would need help. That was too scary to contemplate, so he voted against his own interests, hoping that someday he'd find a way into that club.

People have pride. It's the job of the Democrats to reach and preserve that pride, so that good folk like my father aren't afraid to vote with their love, instead of their fears.

[The Gaffer]

Yeah, true. This is how Maggie Thatcher turned the UK into a capitalist playground. Give everyone the right to buy their council house, and suddenly they're all fully paid-up curtain-twitchers obsessed with the value of their house.

But really, there is a tremendous opportunity to wipe out the "big government socialist" lie right now, what with all this huge-scale nationalisation of corporate debt that is going on.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Ay, there's the rub.

My Dad voted for Republicans for years. I didn't really understand it. But finally I saw it, just for a moment, from his side. When he voted for Republicans, he was grouping himself with the rich. He was saying, "I will win the American Dream, my hard work will be rewarded." He saw the social concerns of the Democrats as a concession...people, maybe even people like him, would need help. That was too scary to contemplate, so he voted against his own interests, hoping that someday he'd find a way into that club.

People have pride. It's the job of the Democrats to reach and preserve that pride, so that good folk like my father aren't afraid to vote with their love, instead of their fears.

And this is how the republicans have won for years. Tying the religious right wing vote together with the working class vote who routinely vote AGAINST their best interests by the millions because they think giving tax breaks to big oil and bailing out wall street fat cats is somehow more American than helping the poor. Ive never understood it really…

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Well, "the working class' votes all over. Certainly the unions are seldom tempted by Republican promises...no matter how much tax money they promise to return.

It's the RR's who have completely forgotten the Rockefeller wing of "small government' that those working folks voted for. As ordinary people figure out WHO is running up the debt and WHY, they turn away.

That's what happened with my father, eventually. He told me, "Reagan just can't give up on his buddies selling weapons." It was a happy day in my house, I can tell you.

[Coffeehouse]

ElizabethAnnRoger wrote: "So we all know whats coming up...ELECTION!!
Now I want to know who you all are voting for (or who you would vote for if you could, like me).
Are you for Obama, or McCain?
A Democrat or Rebublican?
Take your pick, I wana hear them all!!!

Personally? Im for McCain. What change does Obama want. Had he told us? I THINK NOT. Plus, McCain if PROLIFE.
***********ALL LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION,AMEN*****************
Killing the helpless is wrong. The 3 month olds can not voice their opinion. We must fight for them!!
...and I am a rebuplican...
Obama will make us go to Socialism...that I KNOW he will 'change'."

Hey, it's easy to find out what the Obama/Biden ticket stands for. Perhaps you should read (all) it if you think this point in time and this Election to be important (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/):

Civil Rights
There is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. More than 40 years later, there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the ability to vote.

Defense
"Our country's greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. When we do send our men and women into harm's way, we must also clearly define the mission, prescribe concrete political and military objectives, seek out advice of our military commanders, evaluate the intelligence, plan accordingly, and ensure that our troops have the resources, support, and equipment they need to protect themselves and fulfill their mission." -Barack Obama, Chicago Foreign Affairs Council, April 23, 2007.

Disabilities
"We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination .... policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities."

Economy/Taxes
As president, Barack Obama will implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods.

Education
Throughout America's history, education has been the vehicle for social and economic mobility, giving hope and opportunity to millions of young people. Our schools must prepare students not only to meet the demands of the global economy, but also help students take their place as committed and engaged citizens. It must ensure that all students have a quality education regardless of race, class, or background. Barack Obama is committed to strengthening our public schools to maximize our country's greatest natural resource - the American people. Obama believes that we must equip poor and struggling districts, both rural and urban, with the support and resources they need to provide disadvantaged students with an opportunity to reach their full potential. Too often, our leaders present this issue as an either - or debate, divided between giving our schools more funding, or demanding more accountability. Obama believes that we have to do both, and has offered innovative ideas to break through the political stalemate in Washington.

Energy & Environment
Senator Obama has been a leader in the Senate in pushing for a comprehensive national energy policy and has introduced a number of bills to get us closer to the goal of energy independence. By putting aside partisan battles, he has found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal.

Ethics
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a politically charged election year, Obama acknowledged that corruption was a problem that plagued both political parties. He subsequently enlisted the help of Republican allies to limit lobbyist influence, shine sunlight into the earmarks process and promote open government.

Faith
In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life.

“Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope: In the end, that is
God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation, a belief in things not seen, a belief that there are better
days ahead.”

“Given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.”

“Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America – there's the
United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian
America – there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”– Democratic National Convention Keynote Address.

“We think of faith as a source of comfort and understanding but find our expressions of faith sowing
division; we believe ourselves to be a tolerant people even as racial, religious, and cultural tensions roil
the landscape. And instead of resolving these tensions or mediating these conflicts, our politics fans
them, exploits them, and drives us further apart.”

Family
Strong families raise successful children and keep communities together. While Senator Obama does not believe that we can simply legislate healthy families, good parenting skills or economic success, he does believe we can eliminate roadblocks that parents face and provide tools to help them succeed. A husband and father of two, Senator Obama has promoted strong families in the Senate.

Fiscal
"The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on ... If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we'd see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies." - Barack Obama, Speech in the U.S. Senate, March 13, 2006

Foreign Relations
“I am running for President of the United States to lead this country in a new direction… Instead of being distracted from the most pressing threats that we face, I want to overcome them. Instead of pushing the entire burden of our foreign policy on to the brave men and women of our military, I want to use all elements of American power to keep us safe, and prosperous, and free. Instead of alienating ourselves from the world, I want America – once again – to lead…

This must be the moment when we answer the call of history. For eight years, we have paid the price for a foreign policy that lectures without listening; that divides us from one another – and from the world – instead of calling us to a common purpose; that focuses on our tactics in fighting a war without end in Iraq instead of forging a new strategy to face down the true threats that we face. We cannot afford four more years of a strategy that is out of balance and out of step with this defining moment.”
— Barack Obama, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008.

Healthcare
"I...believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right...We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair." -Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07

Homeland Security
Seven years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airports and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. The 9/11 Commission gave the government five F's and 12 D's on the implementation of its recommendations. Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politics. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness.

Immigration
Barack Obama has played a leading role in crafting comprehensive immigration reform. Obama believes the immigration issue has been exploited by politicians to divide the nation rather than find real solutions. This divisiveness has allowed the illegal immigration problem to worsen, with borders that are less secure than ever and an economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows.

Iraq
Before the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.

Poverty
There are 37 million poor Americans. Most poor Americans are in the workforce, yet still cannot afford to make ends meet. And too many poor Americans are single mothers who are raising children. Barack Obama has been a lifelong advocate for the poor -- as a young college graduate, he rejected the high salaries of corporate America and moved to the South Side of Chicago to work as a community organizer. As an organizer, Obama worked with churches, Chicago residents and local government to set up job training programs for the unemployed and after school programs for kids.

Rural
"We are at that critical and urgent moment. If Washington continues policies that work against America's family farmers, our rural communities will fall further behind - and so will America. But if we reject the politics that has shut ordinary folks out, we can create a new story for rural America ... The dreams of rural Americans are familiar to all Americans - to make a good living, to raise a healthy and secure family, and to leave our children a future of opportunity. It's time for real leadership for rural America to extend that American dream. That's the dream of opportunity that I've spent my life fighting for. And that's what our rural agenda will do." - Barack Obama, Speech in Fairfax, IA, October 16, 2007

Service
"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century ... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency." - Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007

Seniors & Social Security
Americans turning 65 this year have grown our economy by 4.5 times over the course of their working lives. They have tilled our soil, defended our country, taught our children, worked in our factories, and raised a new generation to build upon their successes. And yet, many struggle to get by. Threats to Social Security and Medicare, skyrocketing health costs, and abuse and neglect of seniors all jeopardize our unspoken covenant: our seniors worked hard to take care of us, and now we must be here for them.

Veterans
As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. A grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans and Democrats in order to honor our commitment to America's veterans.

Women
""From the first moment a woman dared to speak that hope - dared to believe that the American Dream was meant for her too - ordinary women have taken on extraordinary odds to give their daughters the chance for something else; for a life more equal, more free, and filled with more opportunity than they ever had. In so many ways we have succeeded, but in so many areas we have much work left to do." - Barack Obama, Speech in Washington, DC, 11/10/05