Where the Presidential Campaigns stand

If, as John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis says, "This election is not about issues" then what is it about? The Republican campaign wants to talk about lipstick and not legislation. They want to talk about sexism and not Social Security. They want to talk about pigs and not PTSD; and so it goes..

As annoying as Governor Sarah Palin is to me, I've got an open mind and I am really trying to listen to what she has to say to see if there really is anything about the stories flying out of Alaska. I want to know how the Republican VP nominee feels about foreign policy, health care, education, taxes, the environment, Social Security; you know, all that boring stuff. Sarah Palin is drinking the Republican koolaid and is regurgitating the party line, which is probably just fine with the McCain campaign. So far, I haven't heard an original line out of Palin's mouth on the campaign trail, just cut from her speech at the convention in St Paul and paste it in Fairfax. Rinse & repeat. It's time to take Palin out of her gilded cage to see how she handles the pressure of live questioning. If she's as good as they say, then she'll do fine. If not, we'll see what kind of VP she will make.

On Sunday, Chris Wallace from Fox News asked Rick Davis what her availability to the media will be, stating that she has not answered a single question from the national media. When is she going to agree to an interview?, Davis responds she will be available to the news media when and if we decide that that is going to be the case. (my emphasis- IF we decide....oy!)

So, it's about time someone talks about the issues. The CBS Evening News has launched a series called "Where They Stand". CBS News will be devoting a large part of our broadcasts between now and Nov. 4 to telling you where the candidates stand on major issues - from the war in Iraq to health insurance to education … and a lot more. Each piece will be an in-depth look at the issues facing the 44th president. The inaugural story covered where each candidate stands on personal taxes.

On Thursday night, Lara Logan, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent will focus on each candidate's Iraq strategy. Lara Logan is a tell-it-like-it-is, no holds barred reporter who has a fierce determination to enlighten the American public with what's going on in Iraq. She feels responsible for Americans not understanding what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. We can handle the truth, so I hope she is able to ask the questions she wants to.

With 55 days more until election day, we cannot hear too many facts. It seems that this series on CBS is trying to do just that.

Today I am The Decider

Today is Super Tuesday. 15 primaries and 5 caucuses will take place in 24 states to determine how more than 2700 delegates will be designated in the presidential campaign.

Today I've earned the privilege to make my vote count, to decide who I want to be my president.

Today I am not voting for gender or race.

Today I am not voting because some celebrity told me how to vote.

Today I am the decider.

Today I am voting with hopes that my candidate will end the occupation in Iraq.

Today I am voting to honor those who can no longer vote.

Oh no he didn't!

Senator Barack Obama told the Associated Press in an interview on Sunday that if President Bush vetoes an Iraq war spending bill as promised, Congress quickly will provide the money without the withdrawal timeline the White House objects to because no lawmaker "wants to play chicken with our troops,"

Say it ain't so! Obama is trying to show that he is different than Hillary Clinton when it comes to the war in Iraq. Hilary says she would end the war if elected and won't apologize for her vote to attack Iraq back in 2002. She said she understands the the frustration and outrage people are feeling about the lack of progress in Congress to end this war. Obama says that he was against the Iraq invasion from the beginning.

It seems to me that both of them have given up on bringing the troops home during the next 2 years until one of them gets into the White House.

I understand there is a narrowly divided Senate. I understand when both the House and the Senate say the resolutions they put forward were the best they could do, although I don't agree. It is not time to throw their hands up and say "My bad, I'll end it when I am president". It is not time to abandon the troops and support them by letting them sit in this undefined mission until *they* get elected as president.

With 9 months until the first primary in 2008, I am already tired of the campaign for president. I am tired of the campaign overshadowing the issues the took them to Washington. And I am really tired of them asking me for money. They aren't doing what I asked; *they* are not bringing the troops home. Why would I send them back to DC again for the next term if they didn't do the job I sent them there to do in the first place. If Obama & Clinton, especially, are courting the American people for their vote, they need to listen to the people. If this is the best leadership that the Democrats can offer this country, then we are in sad shape.

Leadership is setting the record straight and making sure people know that the appropriations money that remains from the last supplemental will last into July and will not undermine U.S. troops and the war in Iraq if it did not approve approximately $100 billion within weeks.

According to a Congressional Research Service memo dated March 28 and sent to the Senate Budget Committee, "The Army could finance the O&M (operations and maintenance) of both its baseline and war program ... through most of July 2007" by shifting around money in existing accounts.

Leadership is making it very clear to George Bush that he is the one that is undermining the US troops. Leadership is standing up to the president and letting him know that he is no longer the "decider" and that Congress holds the purse strings now and they will use them. Leadership is letting the president know that the he and his warmongering cronies *will* be held accountable of the mismanagement of this war, because this Congress will hold them accountable. Leadership is telling the 43rd president of these United States NO. No more troops, no more money.

Another presidential hopeful, John Edwards said "Silence is a betrayal" "It is a betrayal not to stop this president's plan to escalate the war when we have the responsibility, the power and the ability to stop it. We cannot be satisfied with passing nonbinding resolutions that we know this president will ignore."

We can do better for the troops. Obama is ceding his responsibility as a member of the US Senate when he says no one "wants to play chicken with our troops," Of course no one does, but by giving unnecessary and continuing power to the president, Obama is turning his back on the troops and buying in to the presidents false claims just as Karl Rove planned. How dare he?