Truemors
By Bobbi Miller-Moro
Not only is this a strait forward open letter to Sarah Palin, but included at the end is the facts on WHERE THE CANDIDATES STAND ON THE ISSUES. No one can claim ignorance. This is about facts, truth and lies.
I am a 35 year old working, middle class mother of five living in So. California. I have been a Republican since my great ancestor Richard Stockton, signed the Declaration of Independence. I am an ex-police officer, and now I own my own business. This is the first time I changed my party. I am voting for Obama and Biden. I saw Sarah Palin’s speech last night. I have watched both conventions closely. I have studied on the issues. I have read articles on major news networks, and blogs. I have listened to NPR, radio talk shows, and television shows. This election, I am making the right choice.
My family got hit with the economy’s upward spiral of surging gas prices, and we have no health care. We have felt it at the grocery store. We now shop at the 99 cents store. We have lost one of our vehicles, on the verge of losing our home and are three months behind an astonishing amount of debt that we once was able to afford.
This election, I am taking my life back, I am taking my country back. I have heard the arguments on both sides. I know Obama’s back story, I know McCain’s back story, and I got to know Biden’s. Now it was Sarah Palin’s turn. As I watched last night, I was waiting just like the rest of us to see what she was going to say. Now I was going to get to know her. The fact that she has five children (weather or not the fifth baby is hers or not), and she has this unbelievably fortunate position of running for Vice President, I cannot help but to root for her.
I know how hard it is to raise five children. I have a 16 year old, 15 year old, 12 year old, 4 year old, and 2 year old. I know how hard it is to juggle between working and raising my children. I have tried the stay at home route, especially when the children were months old-but always had to go back to work to have the extra income. I chose to own my own business, because that was the only way I can make enough to meet the high cost of a family of seven.
I want to see a woman in office. I want to see a mother of five showing America, “it can be done”. Of course I have concerns about how the children will manage without their mother. I know that a baby with Down Syndrome will take a lot of time, love and patience that as Vice President there will be no way it will be physically possible for her to be there the amount of time needed. So essentially, her husband will take on that role, or her family. As any mother, you cannot help to have your attention focused on your kids, your family-even while you work.
It doesn’t mean you cannot perform excellently. It does not mean that a mother cannot make powerful decisions, and be completely reliable and competent. I was a single mother with three children and a police officer. It can be done.
I created a blog, Thank God For Mommy
where I dispel the notion that just because you are a mom you can’t reach for your dreams. That you can’t have it all. I talk about everything from paintings to
filming two movies pregnant as a co producer one here in the states and another in Cuba. I talk about how I continue to make films, and I continue to pursue my physical fitness, continue to educate myself and live a life for myself and my children. My four daughters and one son see that I make it happen.
So, when I saw Sarah Palin on the ticket, I thought ‘wow, this is validating’. I loved the fact she was a mother of five, and worried at the same time. This is a huge country. This is not Alaska, population 9,000. I cannot, we cannot, afford another four years and I am scared to death to let a Republican in the White House, but Sarah-she might be the one to make a difference.
So she gets on stage, and she looks great. Then she starts to talk. I waited for her to talk about her family. But, all she did was talk about how many kids she has, and the fact she has a special needs baby. She talked about her husband, and what a normal guy he was. She talked about being a pit bull hockey mom. But, I was still waiting. I remember listening Michelle Obama’s speech. Talk about her family, her roots, her beliefs, her parents, and grandparents. I got to know Michelle Obama that night.
Half way thru Sarah’s speech, she starts to lie, blatantly. Like really aggressive lying about Obama. The way she spoke about him, making fun of community service (wow), and that he has ‘devoted followers’, the stage he stood on, him trying to save the planet (like a world leader), how she twisted the words of things he said about running his campaign, etc and on and on. She said we have no idea where Obama stands on anything, um…anyone who has a computer can just Google it for Godssakes. My jaw dropped. I thought she would take the higher road. I thought I was going to hear about who she is, but she talked about Obama, Obama, Obama. On and on she went, it got uglier and uglier and she got uglier and uglier.
Oh, no. I thought. This is more of the same. She fed the hate mongers in the crowd raw hate. They gobbled it up. Where was the speech about what type of person she was, her belief system, her values her promises to our country? She seemed completely inauthentic, and smug. ‘Shrill’ is how one person put it.
I want to rally on the side of a working mother of five. I want to have compassion for her teen daughter’s pregnancy. I do. But, the Right wing conservatives have been such a proponent against that. Wasn’t also Sarah’s stance also against it? Now, what? They are covering for one of their own?
Due to the fact that there is rarely any specific information on where the candidates stand, I put this together referencing from a non biased site. I did not put all of it here, due to reading time and space. But, the major topics I did put. I was surprised to find how little information on where Sarah Palin stands on issues, and on some (like immigration) there was just nothing. Obama’s in comparison was very lengthy. There is no excuses as to where the candidates stand on the issues. Here it is in black and white.
The Issues.
A List of all four tickets stance on the issues.
Barack Obama
Expand access to contraception; reduce unintended pregnancy: Favors topic 1
Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007: Strongly Favors topic 1
Voted against banning partial birth abortion: Favors topic 1
Stem cells hold promise to cure 70 major diseases: Favors topic 1
Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters: Favors topic 1
Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill: Favors topic 1
Protect a woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1
Supports Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1
Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women: Favors topic 1
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1
Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1
NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Favors topic 1
YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Favors topic 1
NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Favors topic 1
YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Racial equality good for America as a whole: Favors topic 2
Fight job discrimination to give women equal footing at jobs: Strongly Favors topic 2
Include class-based affirmative action with race-based: Favors topic 2
Better enforce women's pay equity via Equal Pay Act: Strongly Favors topic 2
Supports affirmative action in colleges and government: Strongly Favors topic 2
Opposes CA Prop. 8, one-man-one-woman marriage: Strongly Favors topic 2
America's race and class problems are intertwined: Favors topic 2
Get minorities into home ownership & global marketplace: Favors topic 2
Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice: Favors topic 2
Sponsored bill for a Rosa Parks commemorative postage stamp: Favors topic 2
Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2
Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2
Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements: Favors topic 2
Gays should not face discrimination but should not marry: Opposes topic 3
Decisions about marriage should be left to the states: Opposes topic 3
Homosexuality no more immoral than heterosexuality: Favors topic 3
We need strong civil unions, not just weak civil unions: Favors topic 3
Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality: Favors topic 3
Marriage not a human right; non-discrimination is: Favors topic 3
Include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws: Favors topic 3
Increase funding for AIDS treatment & prevention: Favors topic 3
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3
Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: Strongly Favors topic 3
NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Reduce recidivism by providing ex-offender supports: Opposes topic 9
No extra penalty for gang association: Opposes topic 9
Passed 150 laws to toughen penalties for violent crime: Favors topic 9
Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Rated 75% by the NCJA, indicating a mixed record on criminal justice: Neutral on topic 9
YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok: Opposes topic 10
Provide some common-sense enforcement on gun licensing: Opposes topic 10
2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Concealed carry OK for retired police officers: Favors topic 10
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban: Strongly Favors topic 10
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions: Strongly Opposes topic 10
NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Added 20,000 children to Illinois healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5
Increase competition in the insurance and drug markets: Opposes topic 5
National Health Insurance Exchange for private coverage: Opposes topic 5
National insurance pool & catastrophic insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5
The market alone can't solve our health-care woes: Favors topic 5
Crises happen in our lives and healthcare is necessary: Strongly Favors topic 5
Believes health care is a right, not a privilege for the few: Favors topic 5
Will expand health coverage & allow meds to be re-imported: Favors topic 5
Ensure access to basic care: Favors topic 5
More funding for Rx benefits, community health, CHIPs: Favors topic 5
Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: Strongly Favors topic 5
NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Favors topic 5
YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors topic 5
YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5
YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5
YES on requiring negotiated Rx
prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5
Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Privatization puts retirement at whim of stock market: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6
No privatization; but consider earning cap over $97,500: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Stock market risk is ok, but not for Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6
$2000 tax credit for Working Families Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 6
NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
GovWatch: $150B for electric car batteries & new technology: Strongly Favors topic 18
GovWatch: Supports nuclear power if it's clean & safe: Opposes topic 18
Reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18
Aggressively address accelerating climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18
3-way win: economy, environment, & stop funding terror: Strongly Favors topic 18
Cap-and-trade is more specific on reducing greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18
20% renewable energy by 2020: Strongly Favors topic 18
Invest in alternative energy sources: Favors topic 18
Increase CAFE to 40 mpg: Strongly Favors topic 18
Renewable Fuels Standard: require ethanol in fuel supply: Strongly Favors topic 18
Sponsored legislations that improve energy efficiency: Favors topic 18
Sponsored bill for tax credit for providing 85% ethanol gas: Favors topic 18
Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: Strongly Favors topic 18
Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18
Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18
Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18
Let states define stricter-than-federal emission standards: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18
YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors topic 18
YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18
I will raise CEO taxes, no doubt about it: Strongly Favors topic 11
Trillion dollar giveaway: the Paris Hilton Tax Break: Strongly Favors topic 11
Bush tax cuts help corporations but not middle class: Strongly Favors topic 11
Tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs: Favors topic 11
Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11
YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors topic 11
NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11
NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Immigrants are scapegoats for high unemployment rates: Strongly Favors topic 12
Support granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants: Favors topic 12
Reform must include more border security, and border wall: Opposes topic 12
Pathway to citizenship, but people have to earn it: Favors topic 12
Give immigrants who are here a rigorous path to citizenship: Favors topic 12
Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants: Favors topic 12
Comprehensive immigration reform without amnesty: Strongly Favors topic 12
Provide funding for social services for noncitizens: Favors topic 12
Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors topic 12
YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Grow size of military to maintain rotation schedules: Favors topic 15
Give our soldiers the best equipment and training available: Favors topic 15
Sponsored bill for Iraq budget to be part of defense budget: Opposes topic 15
YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
Can't do anything at home with $12 billion a month on Iraq: Favors topic 17
US policy should promote democracy and human rights: Favors topic 17
$2.7 billion each week of Iraq spending is unsustainable: Favors topic 17
War in Iraq is "dumb" but troops still need equipment: Strongly Favors topic 17
We are playing to Osama's plan for winning a war from a cave: Strongly Favors topic 17
NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17
YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17
This is an excerpt of much more.
Refrence: http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm
Joe Biden
Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile: Strongly Favors topic 18
Rated 95% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18
Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18
Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18
Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: Strongly Favors topic 18
Rated 83% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18
Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18
NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Favors topic 18
YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors topic 18
NO on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Favors topic 18
NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards: Favors topic 18
NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Favors topic 18
NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18
YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18
YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors topic 18
YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Favors topic 18
YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18
Take away $85B in annual tax cuts for 1% of top earners: Strongly Favors topic 11
Rated 15% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11
Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11
YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors topic 11
YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11
NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Favors topic 11
YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11
NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Favors topic 11
YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Favors topic 11
YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Favors topic 11
NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11
NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Oppose granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12
It's impractical to deport 14 million illegal immigrants: Favors topic 12
Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on continuing federal funds for
declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12
NO on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12
NO on visas for skilled workers: Opposes topic 12
YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work: Favors topic 12
YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors topic 12
YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12
NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Rated 80% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15
NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Opposes topic 15
NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Opposes topic 15
YES on favoring 36 vetoed military projects: Strongly Favors topic 15
YES on allowing another round of military base closures: Opposes topic 15
YES on military pay raise of 4.8%: Strongly Favors topic 15
YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP: Strongly Favors topic 15
YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance: Favors topic 16
YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Favors topic 16
YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Favors topic 16
YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Favors topic 16
NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Favors topic 16
Worth losing election to protect our troops: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Never de-fund a single soldier in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Fund the safety of the troops till 67 anti-war votes reached: Opposes topic 17
Change the fundamental premise of Iraq engagement: Strongly Favors topic 17
Voted for Iraq war in 2002, but now a war critic: Strongly Favors topic 17
Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17
NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17
YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17
This is an excerpt.
Reference: http://www.ontheissues.org/Joe_Biden.htm
John Mc Cain
Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
Don't hold gun manufacturers liable for crimes: Favors topic 10
Opposes restrictions on assault weapons and ammunition types: Strongly Favors topic 10
Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks: Opposes topic 10
Voted against Brady Bill & assault weapon ban: Strongly Favors topic 10
Punish criminals who abuse 2nd Amendment rights: Favors topic 10
Repeal existing gun restrictions; penalize criminal use: Strongly Favors topic 10
Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10
Allow firearms in National Parks: Strongly Favors topic 10
YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Favors topic 10 McCain co-sponsored banning gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC
YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Favors topic 10
NO on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Favors topic 10
YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Favors topic 10
YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Harness market competition for comprehensive reform: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Include a health savings account in healthcare reform: Opposes topic 5
1989: No mandatory catastrophic Medicare coverage: Opposes topic 5
1993: To socialize healthcare would be to ruin it: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Matching funds for seniors citizens’ prescription drugs: Favors topic 5
Expand health insurance to 11 million uninsured children: Strongly Favors topic 5
Allow paying extra for choice of doctors & care: Favors topic 5
More tax-deductible health costs; limits on malpractice: Favors topic 5
Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5
$350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5
Rated 25% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5
NO on blocking medical savings acounts: Opposes topic 5
NO on Medicare means-testing: Favors topic 5
YES on limiting self-employment health deduction: Opposes topic 5
NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Opposes topic 5
YES on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5
NO on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5
YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors topic 5
YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5
NO on expand
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