Clinton: “Obama Is My Candidate And He Must Be Our President”

By- Suzie-Q @ 10:30 PM MST

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., waves at the crowed after her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, introduces her at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Clinton salutes Obama as Dems at convention cheer

DAVID ESPO | August 26, 2008 11:50 PM EST | AP

DENVER — Hillary Rodham Clinton summoned the millions of voters who supported her in the primaries to send Barack Obama to the White House Tuesday night, and drew thunderous applause at the Democratic National Convention when she declared her one-time rival is “my candidate and he must be our president.”

“We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare,” said the former first lady, writing the final chapter in a quest for the White House every bit as pioneering as Obama’s own.

The packed convention floor became a sea of white “Hillary” signs as the New York senator _ Obama’s fiercest rival across 56 primaries and caucuses _ strode to the podium for her prime-time speech. The signs were soon replaced others that read simply, “Unity.”

While her remarks included a full-throated endorsement of Obama, Clinton did not say whether she would have her name placed in nomination or seek a formal roll call of the states when the party’s top prize is awarded by delegates on Wednesday night.

Clinton had been the prohibitive favorite for the nomination she launched her campaign last year, seeking to become the first female president. But she fell behind Obama after the leadoff Iowa caucuses in January, and he now is poised to become the first black nominee of a major party.

Obama turned the featured speaking slot of the convention’s second night over to Clinton, hoping she could nudge her disenchanted supporters toward his candidacy.

He called her after her speech to express his appreciation, aides said.

She followed others to the podium who ripped into Republican McCain as indifferent to the working class and cozy with big oil.

MORE

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McCain Owes America An Alzheimer’s Test

By- Suzie-Q @ 9:45 PM MST

Democrats.com- Submitted by Bob Fertik on August 26, 2008 – 3:08pm.

While Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama were rocking the Democratic convention in Denver, John McCain made his 13th appearance with Jay Leno to joke about his age.

But McCain’s age is no joke. He will turn 72 on Friday and would be halfway to 73 if elected and sworn in on January 20. That would make him the oldest first-term President ever, two years older than Ronald Reagan.  He has survived four skin cancers (melanomas), including one in 2000 that was classified as Stage IIa.

McCain is two years older than his father was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at 70. He is 11 years older than his grandfather was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at age 61.

The United States cannot afford the risk that McCain would die suddenly in the middle of an international crisis.

Nor can we afford the risk of dementia. 22% of Americans over 70 are affected by mild cognitive impairment, while 13% of Americans over 65 have Alzheimer’s. Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 83, but early signs were evident during his first term. Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher developed dementia at age 75.

McCain has never had an Alzheimer’s test, even though he has 6 of the 10 warning signs, including his inability to remember recent facts like the number of homes he owns, the $1M lawsuit he filed in 1990, or the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

John McCain owes America a thorough test for Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment long before Election Day.

Sign our petition to the Corporate Media:
http://www.democrats.com/mccain-owes-america-an-alzheimers-test

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John McCain’s Temper… Senator’s Have Seen Him “Explode”

By- Suzie-Q @ 4:30 PM MST

Dick Durbin noted John McCain’s temper is “well documented.”
Photo: AP

Democrats take aim at McCain’s temper

Politico- By DANIEL W. REILLY | 8/26/08 4:09 PM EST

DENVER — John McCain’s Democratic colleagues in the Senate are zeroing in on his oft-discussed temper, questioning whether the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is too volatile to be commander in chief.

In separate interviews with Politico on Tuesday, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said they have seen McCain “explode.”

“He has a huge anger problem,” Boxer said. “And he never hid that. … I have seen it happen on the Senate floor many, many times. … He has exploded at me a couple times.”

Boxer said McCain has always apologized after the dust-ups. Nonetheless, she insinuated that McCain’s temperament makes him unfit for the White House.

“It’s all well and good to apologize,” Boxer added, “but if you are in charge of that black box, I worry about that.”

Durbin noted McCain’s temper is “well documented,” saying that he had been on the receiving end of it for what he considered “minor things.”

“I was in a confrontation with him … and he was quick to explode,” said Durbin. “It simmered for a long time.”Republicans have accused Democrats of inventing the temper line of attack to knock the Arizona senator. But Durbin called it “an important issue.”Boxer pointed out that many of McCain’s GOP colleagues have also spoken out about his volatility, highlighting an incident told to the Biloxi Sun Herald by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).Cochran told the newspaper that he watched McCain get involved in a physical confrontation with a Nicaraguan government official during a 1987 trip there. According to Cochran, McCain grabbed the official by the shirt collar and “snatched him up like he was throwing him up out of the chair.”

McCain has said the account was “simply not true.”

Watch the videos

(h/t to Basheert for this story)

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AFL-CIO President John Sweeney: ‘John McCain Is Wrong’

By- Suzie-Q @ 2:45 PM MST

AFL-CIO President: ‘John McCain Is Wrong’ About His Claim That Economy Is Strong

Think Progress- By Ali at 4:49 pm

Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said again, “I still believe the fundamentals of the economy are strong.” Though he has waffled on this point in the past — declaring in April we had made “great progress economically” during Bush’s presidency before reversing himself 24 hours later — he was clear last week in declaring the U.S. “still the most innovative, the most productive” country.

ThinkProgress spoke with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney today at the Democratic National Convention, and asked if he agreed with McCain’s assessment. Sweeney replied, “McCain is wrong”:

I think John McCain is wrong. He doesn’t even know how many homes he has. … We’ve seen the McCain position as just a continuation of the Bush Administration. It’s President Bush’s policies that got us into the mess that we have now. And it’s not only a short term crisis, it’s long term and it has to be addressed. Workers are having a tough time. The wage inequality that’s out there is unbelievable, and health care and retirement security are threatened. Those are some of the reasons that we’re not supporting John McCain.

Earlier today, the U.S. Census’ poverty figures revealed just how far the American economy has sunk under Bush-McCain policies: 37.3 million people were living in poverty in 2007, and 45.7 million, or 15.3 percent of the population, lack health insurance — 6 million more than when Bush took office 2001.

Speaking to the Rocky Mountain News, Sweeney “said the growing pay gap between CEOs and workers can be tied directly to the increasing difficulty in workers’ ability to form unions.” Unfortunately, McCain opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize. In a debate last fall, he said that while unions played “a very important role in the history of the country,” unions “have been serious excesses.”

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Afternoon Jukebox… When The Stars Go Blue

By- Suzie-Q @ 2:40 PM MST

The Corrs & Bono – When The Stars Go Blue (Live 8 )

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Watch: All Out Fascism Rips Open In Denver!

GEF @ 4:58 PM ET

Denver Police Have Already Arrested About 100 Protesters

VIDEO ON LINK

The Associated Press reports that, as of early Tuesday, about 100 people have been arrested following the breakup of a protest by Denver police.

The confrontation erupted Monday night as police in riot gear tried to disperse a crowd of about 300 people that was disrupting traffic near the Denver City and County Building.

Police said they were forced to use pepper spray when members of the crowd, some carrying rocks, rushed a police safety line. But one protester said officers charged the protesters with no warning.

Those arrested faced charges for violating city ordinances including failure to obey a lawful order, obstructing a public roadway and interference.

“The bonds have ben set low enough so that we believe that most people will bond out in a relatively short time,” said John Harrison of the Joint Information Center, a command set up by city, state and federal authorities to field media inquiries during the convention.

Harrison said two officers deployed pepper spray during the incident, while another officer shot pepper balls, similar to a paint ball containing pepper spray.

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Flight Delays Across The Country Caused By FAA Computer Problems

By- Suzie-Q @ 1:30 PM MST

FAA Computer Problems Causing Flight Delays Across The Country

Huffington Post | August 26, 2008 03:42 PM

CNN is now reporting that FAA computer and communications problems are causing flight delays across the country.

The Chicago Tribune has a story:

Because of computer problems at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Atlanta, flights at O’Hare and Midway airports and the East Coast are being delayed, the FAA said Tuesday afternoon.Midway delays were running up to 1 hour and 45 minutes and increasing at 2:40 p.m., the FAA reported. Delays at O’Hare were less severe, running between 16 minutes and one-half hour.

In addition to the Chicago airports, Boston Logan International Airport was also holding planes on the ground for up to one-half hour.

Click here to read that story in its entirety

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The Revenge Vote in ’08!

GEF @ 3:08 PM ET

There are MILLIONS of Democrats and Independents who are going to vote for McCain out of spite to the Democrats and their broken promises.

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Denver Police Arrest 100 Protesters And Pepper Spray From Cannons

By- Suzie-Q @ 10:00 AM MST

A girl warned anyone with contact lenses to get out of the area.
“The spray will fuse your contact lenses to your eyeballs,” she said.

Denver police hit protesters with pepper spray from cannons, arrest 100

Raw Story- John Byrne
Published: Tuesday August 26, 2008

Denver police have taken 100 protesters into custody after ordering them to disperse and spraying them with pepper spray from cannons.

The action happened last night but more details have emerged this morning.

Riot police forced several hundred protesters out of the civic center and blocked them before they could reach the 16th St. Mall. They used at least two armored vehicles, according to the Denver Post.

A spokeswoman for the convention’s Joint Information Center, “said one officer fired pepper spray during the initial confrontation near the City and County Building and one officer fire pepper spray on 15th Street. She also said one officer fired pepper balls in once instance, but wasn’t sure of the timing.”

The spokeswoman said the office fired his spray after protesters “charged the police line.” She did not cite any violence on the protesters’ behalf.

Police processed detainees until nearly 1am ET last night. They were then loaded onto sheriff’s detainees for transport to a temporary “processing center” set up just for the convention. Denver Police have been criticized by civil liberties groups such as the ACLU, which released a leaked memo showing that the police had classified all manner of people as a threat, including those on bicycles, wearing football helmets, or carrying city maps or protest signs.

“I’m a little in shock,” said Joey-Kenzie, 21, of Denver, told the Post after spending about an hour and a half in the crowd of people pinned in by SWAT officers.

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Pouring Gas on the Afghanistan Bonfire

Sudhan @17:40 CET

Chris Hedges | Truthdig, August 25, 2008

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grind forward with their terrible human toll, even as the press and many Americans play who gets thrown off the island with Barack Obama. Coalition forces carried out an airstrike that killed up to 95 Afghan civilians in western Afghanistan on Friday, 50 of them children, President Hamid Karzai said. And the mounting bombing raids and widespread detentions of Afghans are rapidly turning Afghanistan into the mirror image of Iraq. But these very real events, which will have devastating consequences over the next few months and years, are largely ignored by us. We prefer to waste our time on the trivia and gossip that swallow up air time and do nothing to advance our understanding of either the campaign or the wars fought in our name.

As the conflict in Afghanistan has intensified, so has the indiscriminate use of airstrikes, including Friday’s, which took place in the Azizabad area of Shindand district in Herat province. The airstrike was carried out after Afghan and coalition soldiers were ambushed by insurgents while on a patrol targeting a known Taliban commander in Herat, the U.S. military said. Hundreds of Afghans, shouting anti-U.S. slogans, staged angry street protests on Saturday in Azizabad to protest the killings, and President Hamid Karzai condemned the airstrike.

The United Nations estimates that 255 of the almost 700 civilian deaths in fighting in Afghanistan this year have been caused by Afghan and international troops. The number of civilians killed in fighting between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan has soared by two-thirds in the first half of this year.

Ghulam Azrat, the director of the middle school in Azizabad, said he collected 60 bodies after the bombing.

“We put the bodies in the main mosque,” he told the Associated Press by phone, sometimes pausing to collect himself as he wept. “Most of these dead bodies were children and women. It took all morning to collect them.”

Azrat said villagers on Saturday threw stones at Afghan soldiers who arrived and tried to give out food and clothes. He said the soldiers fired into the crowd and wounded eight people, including one child.

“The people were very angry,” he said. “They told the soldiers, ‘We don’t need your food, we don’t need your clothes. We want our children. We want our relatives. Can you give [them] to us? You cannot, so go away.’ ”

We are in trouble in Afghanistan. Sending more soldiers and Marines to fight the Taliban is only dumping gasoline on the bonfire. The Taliban assaults, funded largely by the expanded opium trade, are increasingly sophisticated and well coordinated. And the Taliban is exacting a rising toll on coalition troops. Soldiers and Marines are now dying at a faster rate in Afghanistan than Iraq. In an Aug. 18 attack, only 30 miles from the capital, Kabul, the French army lost 10 and had 21 wounded. The next day, hundreds of militants, aided by six suicide bombers, attacked one of the largest U.S. bases in the country. A week before that, insurgents killed three foreign aid workers and their Afghan driver, prompting international aid missions to talk about withdrawing from a country where they already have very limited access.

Continued . . .

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