Re: Wow. Some folks dive right into ignorance.

I think you missed some of his other tax plans. Social Security raised to 106,000. Capital Gains Taxes raised to 50 percent. Both of these would hit the middle class. His upper income tax would hit small businesses most. Their taxes would rise to over 50 percent when you consider federal, state, social security, and medicare combined. Imagine giving me 60 cents for every dollar you make. That is what his tax plans would do to small business owners. Go ahead and implement his tax plans and watch us dive deep into a recession. As far as Oil, you can cut demand only to a point. We only think in terms of gasoline, but everything you see that is plastic is made from oil. You may be able to cut gasoline usage, but the price of other items will continue to increase becaus of Oil. Alternative Energy such as wind and solar have not been proven anywhere as long term and large scalable solutions. If Japan and German engineers can't solve the enery solution we are not going to do it over night.

Re: Wow. Some folks dive right into ignorance.

I _have_ checked Obama's web site and his proposals are either straight Marxist-fascist or completely unworkable. Anyone familiar with only basic elementary economics can recognize this fact, based on his stated programs of, essentially, nationalizing our private energy companies, converting to wealth-transfer tax programs, and relying exclusively on technologies that are able to supply only 2% of our energy needs as the near, mid, and long-term solutions even though our domestic production continues to decrease.

The level of ignorance of the most elementary facts in these areas, as reflected in most of the comments to this article, is truly astounding! Politics, race, and other factors aside, as likable as Obama appears to be, this is not the time, with Soviet-style rumblings coming from Russia, to experiment with an inexperienced socialist as Commander-In-Chief.

For the first time in many years, I am truly frightened for my grandchildren and my country!

Re: Wow. Some folks dive right into ignorance.

Why is it that you actually think we can conserve our way into lower gas prices? No matter how much we cut our demand the new demand is coming from India and China. People there are just now coming into the age of being able to afford cars etc. It will take conservation for sure, however I don't understand why liberals are against using every means available to us. We should drill here, drill now, we should develop alternative sources of engery, we should build new refineries and safe nucular plants. Just us starting these steps will drive the cost of gas down as those we cannot depend on see us becoming indepent. We do the drilling etc for the future, if President Clinton had not vetoed a bill for drilling because it would not produce results for 10 years, (that was 10 years ago) we woud have that piece available to us now and then we do other means for the short and long term.

Re: No mystery to me

So, based on your comment, when the survey showed a dramatically different result a few weeks ago, was this a liberal website? Or has the site changed that much in the past 10 weeks?

Perhaps people are just getting to know the candidates and to make up their minds.

Re: No mystery to me

To: Computer Scientist DoD
Your comments have accuracy. One day, then the neo-cons, & corporate interests, have complete control of our government, Fedsmith will have to be re-named Corporatesmith or contractorsmith. There will be no more feds to discuss. Federal workers will be about as extinct as dinosaurs.

Re: No mystery to me

People just see what they want to see. As the other poster pointed out, this guy was probably quiet when other surveys about Democrats have run or showed them ahead (as has happened on this site) but if one comes up that he doesn't like the results of, it just has to be biased or rigged. Sounds like the people saying that electronic voting in polling places is rigged. I feel sorry for people who lead such paranoid lives.

Re: No mystery to me

So Fed.Smith is a right wing organization eh? Like so many "liberals" as you have labeled yourself, I would suppose that "ignorance is bliss." You probably think Al Gore walks on water as well. If you think Fed.Smith is a right wing publication you need to read up on political realities pal. You members of the so-called "Liberal Establishment" tolerate your own views, but you adamantly oppose anyone with a different viewpoint. I have to think that hypocrisy is one of your core values!

Re: No mystery to me

Computer Scientist at DoD - if you really believe that Fedsmith is "right wing," you can't read it as often as you say you do. The authors may walk a fine line sometimes, but I hardly think there is anti-liberal bias among them - they work very diligently to write articles that present both sides of a story and manage to address issues in an objective, informative style.

Re: No mystery to me

.....nothing pro-EEO; nothing pro-union. No stories on worker rights, blowing the whistle, catching management, etc......

Did you notice....no whining also?

Re: No mystery to me

Actually, I see a bit of a right wing leaning here, as well. Not as extreme as what you're suggesting but I do see it. And, if there were any doubt, one need only go to the responses to this thread and see how quickly those percieved as even slightly liberal are 'dog piled' on by attackers.

And the articles about the workforce seem mostly to be from the perspective of management. I've been reading them pretty faithfully trying to gain tips on management styles.

Re: No mystery to me

GSA, it goes both ways. Those who show any support for McCain are immediately attacked and in some cases personally insulted. Unfortunately, there are many folks on the far left who perceive anybody who isn't in the same far left corner as being a right wing radical.

To such folks there is no such thing as a moderate position.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

Federal Worker, don't throw out the religion card just because your guy came up short. That's a cheap political stunt, spare us.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

This isn't any sort of "religion card." This is a fact, as substantiated by some of the comments on the first page of the article.

I've read comments about Obama's middle name "Husein". If his middle name were "Smith", would that be OK? I've also read a survey where 15% of the voters believe that Obama is a Muslim. That would be OK if it were true. But it's patently untrue. Just stating a fact, not a "cheap trick."

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

No doubt, being a Muslim would be a serious disadvantage in a presidential campaign. Obama says he is a Christian and no doubt that is true as he went to the church with Rev. Wright for 20 years or so in Chicago. There is also some evidence he has had Islamic instruction while living in Indonesia. He apparently used a different name at the time and went by Barry Soetoro instead of Barack Obama while living with a stepfather in another country. I doubt he will emphasize that in his election campaign but some who knew him then did not doubt that he went to a mosque with his family.

Perhaps it makes no difference but Sen. Obama does not seem very forthright in discussing these issues which creates doubts about his credibility and, ultimately, will harm his chances in winning this election as many Americans are concerned about the threat to our country from terrorists--many of whom are Muslim--and we cannot help but wonder if he will be as strong an opponent as Sen. McCain.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

Oh please, LR Specialist. You wrote "There is also some evidence he has had Islamic instruction while living in Indonesia. He apparently used a different name at the time and went by Barry Soetoro instead of Barack Obama while living with a stepfather in another country."

Okay, he called himself "Barry" rather than "Barack" in his younger days. I wonder if John McCain had ever been "Johnny" during some point of his life. So is this some sinister plot that shows that Obama is a "secret Muslim?" What is the source of this alleged information? Did it come from a reliable source, or did it come from some neo-con speculator i.e. Riley, Hannity, or Limbaugh? I suppose you are one of that 15% that believe that Obama is actually a "Muslim" even though he has shown his Christian faith more than once.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

Actually, I was careful to start out my note that Obama says he is a Christian and there is no doubt that is true so I am mystified why you chose to think othersise.

The Los Angeles Times noted earlier this year that:
A close boyhood friend of Obama, Zulfin Adi, said Barack "was a Muslim. He went to the mosque."

Obama's first-grade teacher at a Catholic school, Israella Dharmawan, said: "Barry (Barack's nickname) was Muslim. He was registered as a Muslim because his father was Muslim."

In the third grade, Obama transferred to a public school, where he was also registered as a Muslim. At the school, Muslim students attended weekly religion lessons about Islam.

Some of these details have been confirmed by Obama himself. In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama mentions studying the Koran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."

The Obama campaign later clarified saying he had not been a "practicing Muslim" which, presumably, emphasizes the word "practicing." There is little doubt that the school was one that practiced any sore of radical religious practices but he has been exposed to and apparently was part of the religion at one time, even if he was not a "practicing Muslim." There is also no doubt he chose to call himself "Barry" for a number of years before changing to "Barack." No doubt, there are efforts to obfuscate this part of his life for political reasons but there doesn't seem to be much doubt about his early upbringing. Voters will have to decide for themselves whether it is important; I was just pointing out the reality of what reporters have learned about his background.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

Obama was registered according to Indonesian law as a "Muslim" because that was his father's religion, not his own. So this does not prove at all that Obama actually was a Muslim. And then you point out that Obama was "exposed" to Islam. I'm sure. As a person living in a country that has religious freedom, John McCain was also exposed to Islam, as well as to Judaism, Buddhism, and of course Catholic and Protestant Christianity.

You state that you know that Obama is a Christian. So I'm curious: why are you bothering to go into all this stuff about how he was "exposed" to Islam? Is it to feed into all of these false rumors about how Obama actually is a Muslim?

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

This is stupid. Someone says Obama is Muslim and that is fact. The guy is not Muslim. period. So why did someone make the stupid remark that he is. The person calling him Muslim brought religion into the alleged issue.Sounds like dirty Republican tricks again.
If you want to be arrested, tortured, and forced to testify against yourself, vote Republican for president. They do not believe in the Constitution.
Also, if you want someone who does not want to allow birth control or learning about the methods of birth control vote Republican. We will have more unwanted children out of wedlock.

Re: Obama's survey totals influenced by false rumors

I'm still trying to figure out why Obama being Muslim or Christian is actually important to his ability to lead the nation.

Anyone still seriously disputing Obama's religious affiliation just isn't paying attention.

Anyone who thinks that it matters to someone's ability to administer well, (or not so well, ) the businesss of leading our nation really has his priorities screwed up.

Now, don't be reading anything into my choice for president by my writing the above.

Re: McCain vs Obama

Adjudication officer: I shudder to think of you adjudicating anything. Your statement that Democrats are Marxists would be hilarious if it didn't come from someone in some position of authority. The fact is that the variance between the two major political parties in this country is very small - - look at the comparative deficits and economic well being under the Clinton and Bush Administrations as just one indication. Regarding the wrecking crew comment, If you think that this country is better off now than it was at the beginning of the first Bush Administration you are completely off in an alternate reality.

Re: McCain vs Obama

"Regarding the wrecking crew comment, If you think that this country is better off now than it was at the beginning of the first Bush Administration you are completely off in an alternate reality."

Unfortunately, there are WAY TOO MANY people off in alternate realities...let's hope they are outnumbered by people who can think for themselves when election day rolls around. We've got 8 years of horrendous white house leadership to fix!

Re: McCain vs Obama

LR Person - I think what he was trying to say is if JFK was alive today he would have to run as a Republican. He was for strong defense, keeping taxes down, and workers rights. The Democrats of today have abandoned much of what they stood for 50 years ago even though they still say they support those ideals. The Republicans get accused of being tied to the religious right by Democrats, but I find the socialist agenda of the groups the Democrats are tied to far more dangerous to the foundation of this country. They seem to want this country to emulate Europe with regard to taxes and big government yet there is nothing in Europe that is successful. It has already been tried and proven a failure by the Soviet Union. As far as being better off, we are never better off from one President to another because inflation, cost of living, and taxes all go up every year. Gas is up because we created our own enery crisis in this country with the not in my backyard philosophy.

Re: McCain vs Obama

Firing a federal employee is not a cosmic event. It is a non-event and should happen more frequently. I keep remembering the civil service rocket.

Re: McCain vs Obama

Special Note to LR Person and Overpaid Peon. Here is a quote from Norman Thomas, Six-Time Socialist (Marxist) Presidential Candidate: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program and America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened." The Democrat Party is the acknowledged "liberal" party in this country; they have been since the days of so-called Progressive Woodrow Wilson and when Franklin Roosevelt came to power and pushed the "socialist" agenda with the help of his "socialist" cronies. The "Liberal Establishment" has become the purveyor of Socialism/Marxism in the United States. If you can't see that, then you are either historically blind or completely ignorant and I am sorry for your malady.

Re: McCain vs Obama

ah, and there's that name calling again. it really detracts from your arguments when you stoop to a 6th-grade level to present them.

Re: McCain vs Obama

"Name-Calling?" Excuse me, but to what are you referring? I merely stated some facts. Can you refute them? There is a "Liberal Establishment" although your apparent ignorance might not recognize it. The term crony/cronies is recognized in the dictionary as a word! It would appear that you are more engaged in name calling than anyone else. Of course, that is to be expected and you certainly have the right to babble on.

Re: McCain vs Obama

Peon, you've insulted more people here than practically anybody, stop whining about a bit of name calling.

Re: McCain vs Obama

ah, there's that selective reading again. if you feel insulted because i point out the lack of logic in your arguments (name-calling, straw man, etc), then i guess i do insult a lot of folks.

um, but i'd venture to say that if you read more closely those with the same opinions as you, you'd find just as many insults hurled in the other directions.

but again, selective reading (similar to select listening) is blinding to some folks.

Re: McCain vs Obama

I agree with the comments about you and the facist Bush. Bush set up a system with torture in Guantanamo. The Constitution does not allow the use of forced testimony against oneself for any reason. Waterboarding is torture.
Bush tried to set up a system of no lawyers for prisoners. The Constitution does not allow this.
The Bush administration eliminated trials by jury. The Constitution does not allow this.
Your socialist name calling is stupid and is in support of your facist agenda.
Note that more of the Supreme Court justices have been appointed by Bush and Reagan. This is why they supported Bush's facist ideas.
I am no flaming liberal. I do believe in the Constitution, not just when it suits me.

Re: McCain vs Obama

Calling the President a facist is ridiculous. Most of the rest of us have grown beyond juvenile name calling, I urge you to join us.

Re: McCain vs Obama

"Your socialist name calling is stupid and is in support of your facist agenda."

IRS Examiner, it's interesting that you get bent out of shape when somebody engages in name calling by calling your side "socialist" but you have no problem engaging in name calling yourself by calling the other side "facist".

If you want to be taken seriously you may want to stop being a hypocrite.

Re: Survey Surprise

The survey was taken after the video you are referring to that included Paris Hilton.

Re: Survey Surprise

ANYTIME the Repubelicans are in charge, the American people end up the losers. Wait, let me rephrase...the NON-WEALTHY American people end up losing.

Re: Survey Surprise

Disgusting? How was the ad disgusting? It simply said that instead of getting caught up in the "superstar" phenomenon of Obama, look at the substance. And for many, they see no substance. I thought the ad was particularly clever and everyone, especially the Hiltons, completely overreacted....

Re: Survey Surprise

Actually, we are in one war (GWOT). We just happen to have multiple fronts. It is actually more like WWII than the most recent conflicts of Vietnam and Gulf War 1. Of course, WWII was a united effort by our citizens. The current situation only reveals how fractured the country is and how selfish people are....sort of like the environmentalists when they yell "Go Green" but turn around and yell NIMBY when it strikes close to home.

I wish everyone would look at the facts and not put a spin on everything. It only fans the flames (like my comment aboutenvironmentalists...sure to get a rise out of someone).

Re: Obama-McCain poll

I don't know what "misstatements and downright lies" you are referring to, or if your characterization is accurate, but the reality is that people vote on what they believe to be true. Moreover, what some consider "misstatements and downright lies" is often dependent on the beliefs of the person making or reading the statement.

I think the summary of the article is correct. Many voters will not tell a pollster what they really think; they tell them what is "politically correct" or what the media has led them to believe they are supposed to think. When they vote, or can send in an anonymous comment, you are more likely to hear what they really think.

The results of the previous statements (involving Howard Dean and the last presidential election) probably bear this out to some extent. I don't think the readers of this site are "right-wing" (as one note said above). The comments reflect reality of the views of voters that we don't often read in the mainstream media because it does not conform to the beliefs of the journalist writing the story.

Re: Obama-McCain poll

Well, I saw one comment here that is a patent lie: "The mid eastern ethnicity [Obama] pretends he's not a part of, hates anyone who does not pray to Allah,"

So according to the person who made this comment (I read it in the front) Barack Obama is actually Arab in ethnicity? Not that this should truly matter, but this is total nonsense. But I've read that about 15% of the American public believes it, no matter how untrue it is.

As I said before, the fact that 15% of the American voters polled believe stuff about Obama that factually isn't true (i.e. that he is a Muslim and/or that he is actually Arab): he's still doing quite well in most of the polling. Which says a lot about the people and the party who are opposing him.

Re: Presidential Candidates

sooooooooo, just cuz he served in the military means he can be a good president?

and just cuz the other guy HASN'T served, means he CANNOT be a good president?

and if you don't think he has policies, i suggest you check out his website or start listening to the REAL news and educate yourself (no, bill o'reilly and rush limbaugh aren't real news; try again)

That is, unless you are just purposefully spewing the misleading inaccuracies that limbaugh and his buddies vomit out in an effort to misinform the voters cuz they're SCARED of somebody "different" being in the white house.

Re: Presidential Candidates

Since when is it a requirement that an individual running for president has to have had military experience? Did Lincoln serve in the military?

Re: Presidential Candidates

To: QA Surveillance Supervisor/SUPSHIP Gulf Coast
There is one thing clearly in black & white. You don't like Obama. If Obama had served in the military, no doubt you would be eager to "swift boat" him. If he was a former CEO, or head of a UN effort, you would nit-pick that too. Go ahead & vote for the one you obviously prefer, being McBush.

Re: Presidential Candidates

Peon, the QAs point has gone comepletely over your head. I'll break it down for you... McCain's national political experience may not be as vast as you'd like and no, his military experience alone doesn't qualify him.

That being said, the only national or military experience Obama has is one term as a Senator where he commonly voted "present" on issues. That's it. No more. Nada. And no, being a good public speaker is not a substitute for experience.

It's obvious to anybody that his lack of experience falls short of McCain's.

Re: Presidential Candidates

Fed Peasant, your "McBush" quip indicates that you have no idea that McCain and Bush have not seen eye to eye on many things.

Please try to educate yourself before the election, we don't need more uninformed voters casting votes.

Re: Presidential Candidates

To: Agent IRS
The active duty military has a very heavy concentration of registered republicans. Especially in the officer corp. This is a test, or excuse, often thrown up. Especailly for democrats. It means to say that if you are a citizen, voter, tax payer, etc, your opinions & vote mean nothing unless you have served in the military. Only prior military people are top class citizens & candidates, & this usually means republicans. What a sad state of affairs when people buy into this B.S. & don't challenge it!!
I am retired military & I don't wear it on my sleeve. The same for my religion. I respect my felow citizens, veterans or not!!

Re: Presidential Candidates

Lincoln served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk war.

Re: Presidential Candidates

To Supervisor doj:
I did educate myself. As a conservative, I am abandoned, & lost, by both President Bush & President McCain. Does the 100 Year Iraq War, busted budgets, & federal debt qualify? Does still legal abortion qualify? I could go on & educate you!! The Republican Party & conservatists ain't what they used to be!!

Re: Presidential Candidates

You may have educated yourself on some things but you didn't on McCain. By calling him McBush the obvious implication is that you think he's just like Bush.

You can generalize all you want about the Republican Party but that isn't going to change the fact that these two men are not the same in views or in person.

Re: Presidential Candidates

Bush defended Taexas. Kerry was in Viet Nam. Did you support Kerry?

Re: Presidential Candidates

irs examiner, is bush running for office? Is kerry running for office?

You and the rest of the folks who are complaining about people who aren't even in the running for the office this article is about need to keep your eye on the ball.