Bill Too wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:53 AM:Sorry for my prolonged absence – since I am retired and 80 years old - I no longer have the luxury of spending hours writing blog messages. I find myself far too busy doing numerous useful things for the benefit of those less fortunate (low income elderly living below the National poverty level) to dedicate as much time as some of the other bloggers (who will remain nameless, but I am sure you can tell who I mean). My latest observation follows.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, on a small planet, third from a mediocre sun, there was a great nation where it was possible for a man to work and make enough money to be able to buy a home and support a family on his earnings alone. His wife could stay home and take care of the home and family. The concept of the time was that one weeks net earnings should be enough to pay for the cost of buying the family home and the rest was used for food, clothing, and other family expenses – even including going out for dinner and entertainment occasionally – even vacations.

The taxes paid by the working families paid for maintaining the roads and parks and police and fire protection. Family doctors and dentists provided health care without high priced HMO’s and local crime was an almost unheard of occurrence. Of course the Government wasn’t involved in trying to support all of the oppressive regimes of the rest of the world on the backs of the country’s taxpayers, and there was work at a pay rate that the worker could live on for all who wanted to work. There was even an insurance plan (I think it was called Social Security) that all workers (except politicians) paid into that was supposed to provide a basic income for the workers after they retired from working. This was later looted by the politicians and the money diverted to everything except what was originally intended.

Somewhere along the line something happened. The family was seduced by subliminal sales pitches to BUY, BUY, BUY with the result that the majority of the people no longer have the option to enjoy life. For them life is a continual struggle to keep up with the payments – even with BOTH parents working – and the children left to fend for themselves. Any family emergency became a crisis. Where did they go wrong? Can this civilization (?) even survive? Is there any intelligent life left on this world?

esteban wrote on Aug 5, 2008 6:46 AM:John Brown, ... I highly doubt you were stopped because of your race. Get over the race stuff.

esteban wrote on Aug 5, 2008 6:51 AM:Lutrell White, you are correct. But remember, the anticops are a very loud minority. Dumanis charged him to appease the cop haters who vote. Based on the facts given to us so far, there is no way White can be convicted of this. I can't see how the DA charged him...unless there is some evidence that they are not sharing with the public.

esteban wrote on Aug 5, 2008 6:54 AM:Why do people respond to the letters of tha anti gun nut Joseph grant? ... Ignore him and he goes away.

Gotta Wonder wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:05 AM:Trent Hamlin: Seems Trent is echoing Rush and Sean. Trent claims that the 200,000 Gernans were there just for the rock concert. They wouldn't even know Obama if it were not for the concert. Gotta wonder then why they were waving American flags and chanting Obama, Obama, Obama. Obama addressed them in the international language of English rather than German. English is the second language to Germans.
This is evidenced by the articulately spoken English of the Germans interviewed.

Ms M wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:30 AM:eagle
[-] wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:58 PM:Ms.M lost another fan today (not Nick). I thought she was open minded. After the posts today I see that she is just another left wing my way or the highway the republicans are responsible for everything bad and once the democrats are in power all will be good crowd. Ms.M I dare you to list the years since 1940 that the Dems have been in control of the house and senate. Go ahead look it up....all I did was ask for a list of ALL the wonderful things that the cons have done for/to our country over the last 7 plus years to change my opinion of the cons. Don't try to give me a dare or criticise me to cover up for the lack of response. Where is the list. I am very open minded - just give me something to change my mind. From where I sit this country is in shambles and the cons were in charge. So help me out a little and tell me what greatness the cons brought to us in 7 plus years. And Eagle, we will soon find out if the tide will turn when the libs are in control. It usually does take the libs to fix things. In fact without a google, Clinton did darn good. Are we better off today than we were at the end of Clinton's administration and he did well while fighting with Starr and company. Not a bad job at all and handicapped.

Vista Granny wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:31 AM:Lutrell White's letter proves that people read into an article what they want to be there. According to what she writes, it would seem Officer White was simply strolling (or driving)along and some maniac attacked him, so -- being a police officer -- he tried to shoot her and her small child. This, of course, is the proper way for a police officer to act.(???) First of all, the police officer in question was driving his own car, with his wife in tow, and was wearing civilian clothes. Second, there was some kind of altercation and the woman in question had no way of knowing he was a policeman. Third, just being a policeman does NOT give anyone the right to shoot at someone because you lose your temper. Let's see if we can find an honest, unbiased jury.Ha!

Chuck wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:31 AM:>>>Troops need more than flag pins for support>>>> Hussein wont even wear his flag pin

Chuck wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:38 AM:>>>>Obama has a big plan for Big Oil>>>> Yes he does, and big oil will raise gas prices so that we are paying what Europe pays, you will be ut of a job, commodity inflation will be staggering, they'll have to lower interest rates to stop a depression and the dollar will be worthless. That is Husseins plan--but your type will genuflect to his waving staff because he's handing you $1,000.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:42 AM:The letter from Anthony Glad is right on target when he says "all I see is a void pretending to be human" about our elected representatives.
I really like that phrase.
It applies to so many who pay only marginal lip service to existing problems and do virtually nothing.
The most obvious "void pretending to be human" that I see is GWB, the man who is directly responsible for sending the over 4,128 American Troops to Iraq who have been killed.
Regards, Alf.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:11 AM:I am a person of color as well, John Brown.
My color is that of the usual caucasian.
I get mad when stopped by the police, especially if I have done nothing wrong.
We all have other people who resemble us, if not by facial characteristics, then by the usual - age, height, weight, hair color and skin color.
My question to you, and anyone else for that matter, is would you have been moved to write a letter to the editor if the same thing happened and you were "white"?
I've been talked to and questioned several times because the discription of a "person of interest" resembled my basic description (white, middle age, 5' 9", graying hair (long-ish), bushy graying beard, glasses) and there sure are a lot of us that fit that general description.
I sure didn't like the inconvenience, but I didn't feel the need to write in to the newspaper.
I guess I just don't have the bit of a chip on my shoulder caused by my skin color at birth.
Regards, Alf.

esteban wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:19 AM:Nice one vista granny. The fact is, White WAS just strolling along when he was accosted by ... Silva. Also, did it matter if Silva knew he was a cop before she went off on him? Who cares what she knew? She went off on someone regardless if it was a cop or not? Please show me one piece of evidence that said he fired because he lost his temper. Sounds like self defense sweetie.

to Vista Granny wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:35 AM:While I am of the opinion that the situation might have had room for better judgment, Mr. White was obviously provoked in the incident. Silva was acting in a manner far from the norm and she's lucky to be alive (as is her son). She had no business driving that car and no business provoking anyone. If it had been me, I might not have been as nice as he was. I don't own a gun, but I'm pretty certain there would have been a confrontation. Silva's types will get what is coming to them sooner or later. And given the state of public protection these days (or lack thereof) I see worse times ahead for scofflaws and delinquents.

To John Brown wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:39 AM:Mr. Brown I am so sorry you had to experience racial profiling by the police. I know how you feel because it has happened to me more than once. Law Enforcement officers are paid to serve and protect and lately I have not seen serving and protecting rather they are power hunger rude men in uniforms. They feel no need to apologize for the rude treatment or for detaining you their example is Bonnie Dumanis who has charged and convicted innocent people with crimes they did not commit and when the truth comes out she refuses to apologize. I believe you and I understand. You may get many people on this forum who will insult you and call you "hyper-sensitive" but I know it goes further than that. People of color are still being singled out!!! Those who are caucasian will not understand because it does not happen to them. I think it is a tragedy when law abiding citizens can not walk down the street without being harassed by ANY ONE just because of the color of their skin. It seems that we have not progressed in the area of our prejudices. Sad situation in the 21st Century.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:42 AM:Well, "Chuck" at 4:24PM yesterday -
>>>Well, "Chuck" at 11:36AM, the problem is that many of the "detainees" were being held without charges against them>>>>
You replied -
"I have no interest in giving any rights to detainees,(better yet, why take prisoners at all?)"
You had better hope that you never become an "un-person"
just because someone that you met 4 years ago had a brother who had a friend who passed by someone related to a terrorist.
Habeas corpus is as basic a human right as the right to exist.
GWB and company set up Guantanamo Bay and coined the term "enemy combatant" specifically to pull an end-run around the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions. In other words, GWB does not play by the rules - our rules or anyone else's rules, definitely not the rule of LAW.
Oops, I forgot, GWB and all associated with the executive office are above the law, how silly of me!
Regards, Alf.

White was wrong wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:45 AM:IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT SILVA DID!!! WHITE WAS AN OFF DUTY OFFICER AND HE COULD HAVE HAD THE ENTIRE OCEANSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT HIS SIDE IF HE HAD JUST MADE ONE PHONE CALL. BUT NO THIS ... DUDE DECIDED TO HANDLE IT HIMSELF. IF SOMEONE BRANDISHED A GUN AT ME I WOULD TRY TO LEAVE THE SCENE AS WELL, AND IF HE BLOCKED ME IN WITH HIS CAR DAMN RIGHT I WOULD RAM INTO IT. IT IS RIGHT THAT WHITE IS CHARGED AND CONVICTED. I HOPE I GET MY SUMMONS FOR JURY DUTY FOR THAT CASE. I WOULD BE AS FAIR AND IMPARTIAL AS WHITE WAS THAT NIGHT.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:52 AM:Let me get this straight "To John Brown" at 8:39AM, are you saying that any time that any "person of color" (aka "black") is stopped or questioned based on a general description, that they are victims of "racial profiling"?
Why is the term "racial profiling" not used when the police are looking for a "caucasion" (aka "white") person?
After all, if the suspect is white, then all blacks are eliminated from the list of suspects.
Regards, Alf.

esteban wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:58 AM:To "to john brown"...after reading your post, I almost thought you were being serious.

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:08 AM:Chuck[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:31 AM:
Due to Chuck's numerous complaints, Obama now wears a flag pin.

Gotta Wonder wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:20 AM:PEOPLE OF COLOR: My friends, you might be jumping the gun so to speak when it comes to the letter from John Brown. Why was the police officer asking to search the back pack after acknowledged that John was not the suspect. Maybe he was looking for a dough nut or a snickers bar? I can easily understand John's feeling. Ask yourself why did the police officer prolong John's detention after ac knowing that he was not the suspect. I thought that this officer was in hot pursuit of someone whose crime was acting suspiciously?

Joan wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:28 AM:Yes, Bill, there is still intelligent life left on this planet. You!

Oh Brother wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:30 AM:Emily obviously has no problem paying up to $100 or more a year for Tri City's ridiculous plan. Many of us do my dear. We are on fixed incomes and are being hit from all sides with bonds, assessments, fuel and energy increases, food increases, etc. Enough is enough. Vote NO on the bond and remember to send your ballot back by mail!

OBAMACAN wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:34 AM:Julia Godinez's letter shows she needs to practice what she preaches before being turned loose on an innocent keyboard. She says of Obama, "In the beginning, he said he would pull our troops immediately."
Obama has never said he would pull the troops out "immediately." Another Fox News lie to make him look like he is changing positions. Following a recent clarification, many conservatives accused Obama of changing his views, and MSNBC responded with a montage of clips from various debates going back more than a year, in which Obama stated his position that his target was a 16-month phased withdrawal, "as careful getting out as we were careless going in," with the flexibility to respond to changing conditions on the ground. In one debate with Hillary, even looked uncomfortable as he acknowledged that he could not absolutely guarantee the 16-month period because he had to allow for the flexibility to respond to actual conditions.
Obama understands the "surge" is a FAILURE. Yes, a huge overwhelming military presence does calm things on the ground (but what happens when they leave?), but the political rapprochement it was designed to allow has not materialized, and while deaths in Iraq are down, deaths in Afghanistan, the real scene of the war on terror, are at record levels. Some "success."

Old Timer wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:50 AM:Anthony Glad's letter says so much not just about the 5 Representatives in San Diego County, but the people that elected them. Our government just reflects the electorate. I noticed one comment from Chuck about "Hussein" not wearing a flagpin. How sad to think that after such a poignant letter about our veterans being just "throw aways", in the eyes of our elected Representatives, that the conversation goes back to a flag pin. How could any person be so shallow and have lack of feelings where a flag pin response is all that a reader got from this letter??? Are people that brain washed with the hate of a Political Party that they have stopped being human??? I think that past generations of Americans would be ashamed of us if this is what we have become.

Gotta Know wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:59 AM:PAKISTAN WOMAN TO BE ARRAIGNED NEW YORK COURT>"Siddiqui was brought to the United States on Monday and is due to be formally accused before a New York court of trying to kill U.S. soldiers and FBI agents at an Afghan police station last month, the U.S. Department of Justice said." This Al Queda suspect was brought direct to the US from Afghanistan for trail. Why is she at Gitmo with the alleged 12 Al Queda suspects that she knows? Better yet, why aren't all the suspects at GITMO brought to the US for trail? Why does Bush have a policy for this woman and not for other detainees?

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:01 AM:Chuck[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:38 AM: Its all happening on Bush's watch. But, Chuck blames Obama who has not even been officially nominated yet. LOL

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:04 AM:Alf[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:42 AM: Or even if Chuck knew Focal Point via a blog. I will tell you up front. If they start water boarding me, I'm giving Chuck up.

Get over it wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:08 AM:John Brown : EXACTLY the same thing happened to me. My “color” is fair with blue eyes. What's yours?

Dead Enders Unite wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:11 AM:DD, answering for Greenergy last night, continues to oppose both drilling and nuclear energy.

The liberal train is leaving the station without DD and Greenergy, as Pelosi today is releasing Democrats to vote for drilling. (Oh, Thank You Your Highness!)

Admittedly, Pelosi is betting that Democrats will control both Houses and the White House in January, and then will be able to withdraw any concessions given in order to win elections. In the end game Greenergy and DD may eventually be the political winners.

The Dead Enders are holding the extreme position awaiting the eventual return of the elected political class.

Good Luck! Meanwhile, they continue their Attack on the Poor, with high gas prices!

I dare say, gas prices are virtually immaterial to those on this Blog.

Apollo wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:12 AM:Re: Trent Hamlin (letter)
Two glaring errors in Hamlin's letter:
1. The Democratic Party did not "become the majority almost two years ago." They only have a working majority in one house of Congress: the House of Representatives. The do not control the Senate (49-49 tie with 2 independents who caucus with Democrats for committee seats, but one of those votes reliably with the Republicans on military issues). 49 is not a majority, and certainly not enough to block filibusters. They do not control the Presidency. And the Supreme Court is 7-2 Republican appointees, with enough of them willing to politicize the judiciary so as to turn what should be a non-partisan Court into a Republican rubber stamp.
2. Obama is not an empty suit. He is an acclaimed Constitutional scholar and former professor of Constitutional Law, who has one of the finest legal educations in history, unlike McCain who graduated near the bottom of his class in a military college, not trained in public administration, who admits he knows nothing about the economy and whose top economic advisor (Phil Gramm) spearheaded the drive to deregulate both energy speculation and lending institutions, now two of our biggest economic headaches (so you can't refinance your house to fill up your gas tank), and then when millions of people suffered as the consequence of his transferring their wealth to those already doing the best (such as himself), he had the nerve to dismiss them as "whiners."

Chuck wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:16 AM:The same people who bashed Bush on his $1200 stimulus package as wasteful spending are now singing "Kumbaya" in gratitude for Husseins promise to dole out $1000

For SammyShashikant Ambegaokar wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:29 AM:I don't know how to pronounce this name,Shashikant Ambegaokar, so I will call him Sammy. Who is going to decide what is the obscene part of the oil companies profits? You, Congress or should we have a vote on it? When you tax corporate profits or their " obscene profits", do you think they will just say ok and not raise prices to offset the taxes? If you do, you don't have any understanding of basic economics. Gee, I guess Obama doesn't have an idea either since he proposed this as a solution. This is just another liberal plan to take from those that have money and give to those that don't. If you look it up, you will see that oil companies pay a huge amount of taxes now. Take Exxon Mobil, which on Thursday reported the highest quarterly profit ever and is the main target of any "windfall" tax surcharge. Yet if its profits are at record highs, its tax bills are already at record highs too. Between 2003 and 2007, Exxon paid $64.7 billion in U.S. taxes, exceeding its after-tax U.S. earnings by more than $19 billion. That sounds like a government windfall to us, but perhaps we're missing some Obama business subtlety. Finding an alternative source of energy and drilling for more oil are both needed to solve this problem.

Floyd wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:34 AM:Objecting to gunfire on two unarmed people (mother and child) who are backing away makes me a "cop hater"? That's quite a stretch. If I object to the negligent death of an officer caused by another officer, does that also make me a "cop hater"? If an off-duty cop stalks and confronts a famous sports figure, ending his career by shooting him several times -- does that make me a "cop hater"? The answer each time is "no, it makes me a crime hater".

Enabler wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:50 AM:Bill Too writes: “The family was seduced by subliminal sales pitches to BUY, BUY, BUY with the result that the majority of the people no longer have the option to enjoy life. For them life is a continual struggle to keep up with the payments – even with BOTH parents working – and the children left to fend for themselves."

I am unaware that his description fits "the majority of people." When I last checked the numbers, the foreclosure rate was well under 5% and even if many times the foreclosure rate are under pressure, that does not make consumerism a problem for the majority.

As always, with energy prices and their reflected food prices being a larger portion of the family budget for the poor, they are under the most pressure. Since most families are not uniformly successful, it has always fallen to the more successful (and usually older) members of the family to put a floor under the least successful (and usually younger) members, and in a falling housing market there is not always room for successful members of the family to take more credit out of their homes to help. That is distressful for older family members but does not equate to universal, or even “majority” gloom and doom.

Bill Too (and I) are of the Depression Era, and that non-consumerism thinking is part of our being. I am reasonably successful (and supporting less successful family members), and I turn over my shampoo bottles to get every last drop of shampoo – knowing that the drop is not worth the bother, but it is an inescapable mindset. I have always thought my children were spendthrifts – it is the nature of our generation.

In many ways, we have by our support been enablers of their “excess” consumerism. perhaps a SMALL taste of reality would be useful for our younger generations' education, because the Great Depression was certainly a bitter lesson for our generation.

To Bill Too wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:52 AM:We hardly missed you, Bill. Now if Ron and Chuck would disappear and only stick their heads in once and a while, it would be a beautiful thing!

Nick wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:54 AM:"Alf", I will answer your question at 8:52am.
You see, we are so concerned with being politically correct these days, that is totally unacceptable for white folks to be predjudiced and racist. It's okey dokey for Mexicans, Blacks and anyone NOT WHITE to be predjudiced and racist though.
Ahhh...the beautiful double standard when it comes to racism in America.
Yeppers, there's no "hate whitey" talk going on behind closed doors in homes and churches around the Country....lol.
I've always said that the ones who scream racist the loudest are usually the biggest racist.
So far, I've yet to see anything change that opinion.
Cheers, Nick.

hardtack wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:54 AM:A couple more letters like Shashikant Ambegaokar’s and I may be motivated to vote for McCain just to keep Obama out of office.

What will more taxes on Big Oil do to the price of gasoline? Duh! Taxing one industry to invest in another is like giving yourself a transfusion – – taking blood out of your right arm to put it in your left arm, while spilling half of it on the floor. If “renewable energy sources” are a viable investment opportunity, all government has to do is get out of the way and let business seek profits in those areas. Industry does not need a “transfusion” with its own money.

As Henry David Thoreau said: “Government never furthered any enterprise but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way." Unfortunately, that’s a concept that demagogues will never be able to grasp.

Do I or Dont I wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:14 AM:Focal Point
[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:08 AM:Chuck[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:31 AM:
"Due to Chuck's numerous complaints, Obama now wears a flag pin". FP You got to be joking, You joker you! Obama Flipping and caving under pressure! No, Say it ain't so Obama, Say it ain't so. LMAO.

Ron wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:14 AM:Good letter today by Victor Kovner.
Fact of the matter is, 80% of all income taxes paid in California are paid by those who make $500,000 a year and up. So, let's get off this "fair share baloney, shall we?

Most of these, are small businesses, who employ 70% of all Californians.

You start raising those taxes, and you'll see Nevada making out big time.

Obama is Right wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:16 AM:about inflating tire pressure -- but of course he a wrong about it offsetting any newly found oil.

As a retired racing driver I first worry about tires and brakes before being concerned with anything else, but I understand that keeping tires properly inflated is not high on everyone's (or anyone’s) priority list. For those to whom it is a newly found concern, may I recommend a professional tire pressure gauge (one with a long air tube is easier) on Amazon, an Sears sells a great battery-powered tire inflation and multi-use device, but it is heavy (15#) and if kept in your trunk it will offset any predicted gas mileage gain – but keeping it there is a great safety item, anyway.

No, you are unlikely to recognize a gas mileage difference, but your tires will last longer, you will be safer and it will make you actually see that inflating your tires will not offset drilling.

Rudy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:17 AM:HEY TRENT! "Maybe you've seen the disgusting John McCain ad that claims Barack Obama refused to visit wounded American soldiers while he was overseas because "the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras." If that wasn't clear enough, the ad goes on to say, "John McCain is always there for our troops."

The implication is that Obama would only use the wounded soldiers for political reasons, and that McCain would not. This is, of course, belied by the fact that Obama didn't run any ads about wounded soldiers but McCain did. By using them in this ad to attack Obama, McCain is doing essentially what he has accused Obama of doing. It's classic Karl Rove.

But even worse is the fact that Barack Obama actually did visit with wounded soldiers in Iraq, and did so without any fanfare. There were no cameras, no news stories, no publicity -- which is apparently why John McCain and his dirty tricksters didn't know anything about it."

Chuck wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:20 AM:The news is reporting that Doctors urged to stop prostate cancer screening after age 75.
I guess the alternative is to fit the patient with a Depends before snapping on the rubber gloves, (which is like everyday play up in San Francisco)

To the Ostriches out there wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:27 AM:Racial Profiling happens everyday. Why do all you ostriches choose to bury your heads in the sand? The problem gets worse if we try to deny it!!!! Face it we live a racist world!!! Face it we all have our prejudices!! We have hate crimes escalating all over our country. Come lets face the facts when a man is beaten to death by 6 white youths just for being brown we have got a problem. This can not be tolerated or we will have chaos!!! Equality for all now.

Chuck wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:36 AM:I see all the teachers unions members and other union members all have Obama bumperstickers. I guess they think when taxes are massively raised on their employers and the recession worsens, that they will be getting a raise in pay, better benefits and bigger pension contributions.

Joe B wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:44 AM:I love the belief of the mother that any motive of people opposed to the bond is just two people, and then question their motives. The opposition has more than a hundred volunteers sitting outside of stores in Carlsbad and Oceanside. SO I am sure that not all of them are either a former employee or a doctor. The far reaching allegations are so weak that it is humorous. VOTE NO! Send them packing.

Media Watcher wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:50 AM:OBAMACAN: I beg to differ. From the Honolulu Advertiser:September 12, 2007

"Associated Press

CLINTON, Iowa — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year.
"Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was," Obama said in excerpts of the speech provided to The Associated Press.

"The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year — now," the Illinois senator says."

That is not Fox News, that is a quote from the Associated Press.

Care to revise your remarks?

Bill wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:52 AM:Anyone who thinks White was out of line is immediately labeled a "cop hater" being appeased to get a vote.

Thats pathetically weak.

I supported that Costa Mesa cop in Temecula but DO NOT support what White did.

That cop in Temecula was "minding his own business"

Whites actions endangered the public and in no way meet the definition of self defense. He could have called OPD instead of putting a childs life in more danger than his mother had already done.

Whites actions put the kids life in even more danger.

Both of these idiots should share a prison cell.

Nick wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:53 AM:Ummmmmmmm. my post on racism in American Mr. Ed.
You know it is well within the guidlines of these blogs.
My posts always are.

Apollo wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:56 AM:Resubmission

Re: Trent Hamlin (letter)
Two glaring errors in Hamlin's letter:
1. The Democratic Party did not "become the majority almost two years ago." They only have a working majority in one house of Congress: the House of Representatives. The do not control the Senate (49-49 tie with 2 independents who caucus with Democrats for committee seats, but one of those votes reliably with the Republicans on military issues). 49 is not a majority, and certainly not enough to block filibusters. They do not control the Presidency. And the Supreme Court is 7-2 Republican appointees, with enough of them willing to politicize the judiciary so as to turn what should be a non-partisan Court into a Republican rubber stamp.
2. Obama is not an empty suit. He is an acclaimed Constitutional scholar and former professor of Constitutional Law, who has one of the finest legal educations in history, unlike McCain who graduated near the bottom of his class in a military college, not trained in public administration, who admits he knows nothing about the economy and whose top economic advisor (Phil Gramm) spearheaded the drive to deregulate both energy speculation and lending institutions, now two of our biggest economic headaches (so you can't refinance your house to fill up your gas tank), and then when millions of people suffered as the consequence of his transferring their wealth to those already doing the best (such as himself), he had the nerve to dismiss them as "whiners."

Joe B wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:57 AM:Just Say NO... to Tri-City.

Craig wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:06 PM:To Emily- I have to question the authenticity of your letter when you state you moved to Oceanside because of the "quality school system". While I am not trying to knock Oceanside's school system, I think there are several other districts around here with a much better reputation.

I am really curious as to what changes have been made to the increased tax proposal that makes it so much different than the previous two failures.

Anyone else find it funny that there has been a daily barrage of vote "Yes" for this measure?

Dont hold your breath waiting for that wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:09 PM:Media Watcher
[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:50 AM: Don't hold your breath, There are some with three letter names starting with "A", and all the names with "Obama" in them, that will NEVER admit to anything but being correct 99.999% of the time! Give or take.

Teresa wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:09 PM:RE: Obama has a big plan for Big Oil

Guess what that $1000 tax break is going to be spent on? We, the consumer will be paying higher taxes on each gallon of gas we buy. Why? The oil companies will just pass Obama's tax hike to them onto us.

A Question of Equality wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:10 PM:To the Ostriches out there:

A Question of Equality
[-] wrote on Aug 4, 2008 7:26 AM:
Is there some rational reason that many other "marriages" are still prohibited? Why is it any of my business if an adult brother and sister want to marry? They each have equal rights under the law. Why are first-cousins forbidden to marry, and yes, I understand the potential biological consequences and the religious restrictions, but why is this any of my, or your business in a secular society?

Since you are calling today for "Equality for all now" will you support the ending of prohibited marriages, or will you revise your statement to be "Somehat near equality for almost all now?"

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:15 PM:Well, "To the Ostriches out there" at 11:27AM, if a suspect is described as a white male, do the police start pulling over black males?
As to John Brown saying "but I was still detained for some time", I don't know how long "for some time" is, do you?
"Racial Profiling" is a rather harsh term for a "field interview".
Although "racial profiling" does occur, John Brown did not indicate
that he was treated with disrespect
or that he was physically abused
or that he was verbally abused
or that he was physically searched
or that he suffered anything more than being inconvenienced for a period of time that he did not disclose.
Regards, Alf.

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:17 PM:Do I or Dont I: Yes. It is true. Chuck is known far and wide. Even Obama pays strict attention to his blogs.

liberaljim wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:18 PM:Ron, how old are you? Do I detect a child attempting to educate me. Yesterday (3:53 p.m.) you rambled on and on from Prius drivers, the "NO DRILL party" to insisting that global warming is nonsense, that all liberals are alike, that liberals don't practice what they preach using the Pope and Al Gore for proof of that hyperbolic claim, that people shouldn't vote to outlaw smoking in public spaces because if they hate the stench of smoke it's "tough cookies." Phew let me catch my breath again. You further ranted that you have decided that limiting the size of homes in Solana Beach is because "RICH outsiders are moving in on native turf." And your proof for that theory is because "There's no other way to look at that." Phew, another deep breath here, please. Then you tell me to "pay attention, I'm trying to educate you." Your syntex then becomes more stilted than usual stating that "sliding scale socialists are those people who like a little socialism. Not too much but enough to enrich their own lives." You obviously don't have a clue how the term "sliding scale is used in business, economics or education.
You write that "your (sic) rather new here, so let me give you the quick study, ok?" A person as devoid of rational thinking as you has nothing to teach anyone. I suspect your education is very limited and it's obvious by your incorrect use of the term "sliding scale" you have no experience in business. If you are implying you are king of the hill at this site, let me educate you. There is no pecking order in cyberspace, little man.

Mark wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:27 PM:Ron,
To answer your post from yesterday, remember I clearly stated that there is a difference between the National debt and National deficit. The country has always carried debt, but when the debt is carried with a small or nonexistent deficit, economists see us as being in good shape. Granted, many of us feel debt, period is bad, but the government believes that some debt is acceptable. The deficit is what many economists believe is the test of our economic strength. When you have more expenditures than income/taxes coming in, the economy is viewed as weaker. You have enough knowledge on business, that you know it is never good to spend more than you make.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:34 PM:Well, "A Question of Equality" at 12:10PM,
tribal taboos
become religious taboos which
become laws over time.
Tribal taboos were based on observation of the results of the proscribed activity.
Religious taboos evolved (I love using that word while talking about religion) from the tribal taboos but added the "fear of God" to the proscription of certain activities.
Theocracies incorporated religious taboos into their codified law.
Science has explained the reason fot these taboos.
American society today has the government involved in the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms and the most personal decisions of Citizens.
Why keep incest and polygany laws when the people involved are adults?
Aside from the current laws, I do not know of a legal reason and the only objections I can provide are moral or religious ones.
Regards, Alf.

Mark wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:48 PM:I was addressing your statement about October 3rd and 4th, which concerned the attack on Bravo Company and Delta force. I must admit that I was mistaken, the Rangers were not there for peacekeeping. I will always admit when I am wrong, so there you go. But that was a small issue within the larger topics you brought up, which was that it was not Clinton alone who chose to pull out. He consulted military personnel and Congressional Republicans, and then reconsidered America's job when it came to conflicts in thirld world nations.

-When you are quting trillions of dollars, you are refering to the National debt, which you are right, never dissapeared. It is impossible to have a surplus when you dealing with debt. You either have 0 debt or you have debt.
-The surplus was in the National deficit, or the difference between what we took in and what we spent. When Clinton brought the deficit from approx. -200 billion to approx. 236 billion dollars. He obviously did this by raising taxes on the wealthy and cutting government spending.
Clinton's large budget surpluses also owe much to the Social Security tax on payrolls. Social Security taxes now bring in more than the cost of current benefits, and the "Social Security surplus" makes the total deficit or surplus figures look better than they would if Social Security wasn't counted. But even if we remove Social Security from the equation, there was a surplus of $1.9 billion in fiscal 1999 and $86.4 billion in fiscal 2000. So any way you count it, the federal budget was balanced and the deficit was erased, if only for a while.

Source

Congressional Budget Office, "Historical Budget Data," undated, accessed 28 Jan. 2008.

"Reaganomics vs. Rubinomics." Business Week, 21 June 2004.

Wallace, Kelly. "President Clinton announces another record budget surplus." CNN, 27 Sept. 2000.

"Treasury Tax Expert to Bush: Clinton's Increase WASN'T The Biggest." FactCheck.org, 16 Apr. 2004.

Bill wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:52 PM:John Brown, how would you, or do you know how many times caucasians get stopped and asked questions because they fit a certain description.
The police go by what is called in, they don't take it upon themselves to make up the profile.

Just because caucasians don't make a big stink about being stopped doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I suggest you start seeing the whole picture instead of living in your "the police are always against me" world. You might find that they are really out there to try and protect you and not harass you.

Richard wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:09 PM:If you understand much about flag etiquette it has always been technically illegal to wear an American flag. Clothing is made to resemble flags and we have gotten used to it, knowing it isn't done as a sign of disrespect, but it's still in violation of flag rules. The bizarre idea that a person is not a patriotic citizen if he doesn't wear a flag would be amusing if it weren't for the fact that there are actually people who vehemently complain if someone doesn't wear a flag. Sorry, it doesn't mean what you want it to mean, that such a person "isn't patriotic." In fact, quite the contrary; usually that person is not being a jingoist flaunting that we should nation-build other countries to be like us, since that is pure rubbish.
And by the way I'm sick and tired of people telling me that the Iraq war is being won, or has been won, or will be won; these phrases have zero meaning without them being explained. Many tell me our casualties are 'light' considering we got Hussein. Sorry, but Palomar College as one local example lost more students killed in Iraq than it lost during the entire 10 year long Vietnam War. don't tell this writer that the casualties in Iraq are 'slight', especially when Hussein wasn't worth one American life, let alone 4,000 and rising as I wrote a while ago.

A Question of Equality wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:21 PM:Alf: As you fully understand, I am not arguing for an end to "Prohibited Marriages" but rather pointing out the philosophical limitation placed on people by their adherence to their single issue equality demands -- on this Blog, homosexuality and racial are examples.

Some, certainly not all demands for "equality" are single-issue based, "For me, and not for thee" sort of thing.

I have no particular interest with incest, except to note that society has the right to establish standards and when those standards are weakened in some ways they are weakened in others, and as once homosexuals were the most reviled and legally discriminated against, that designation now goes, irrationally, to a new and admittedly smaller but no less discriminated against class of people.

My post was to develop a philosophical discussion on the rights of society in establishing rules, v. the legal dictums of "Equality under the law" and at least to entice readers to plumb their own limits of their willingness to discriminate.

I personally support the right of the individual to discriminate against anyone, for any reason, at any time and any place -- because it is human nature and it is too difficult to establish de jure that which is in the human soul.

All we can do is to establish rules of behavior, and we are not particularly effective at that -- not feelings.

To Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:32 PM:I usually agree with you Alf but today you are off the mark. Mr. Brown indicated "the officer jumped out of his car and YELLED to me, "Where are you coming from?" Sounds like verbal abuse and disrespect to me!! Mr. Brown said he was "but I was still detained for some time." To me five minutes is to long. What about the officer wanting to perform a search, what??? Heck no you can't search me!!!! Oh I forgot the cops can use "probable cause" for an excuse oh I mean reason to search anyone, anytime for any reason. A "field interview" please, you don't really buy that bill of goods, do you? I stand with John Brown the law abiding senior citizen on this.

Profiler wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:40 PM:May I suggest that a policeman who stops a person of color having heard the culprit been described as "Black, 6 foot, clean shaven" is not profiling.

The illegality would come if the culprit was described as "White, 6 foot, clean shaven" and the policeman stopped the Black man just out of spite, to hassle him!

I doubt that is the norm, simply because the policeman's main object is to catch the culprit, not to waste precious time hassling obviously innocent people. I’m certain that it happens, but so do eclipses..it is just not the norm.

richard wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:45 PM:So Jimmy Carter, as I knew all along, was completely correct. He said first in public that Bush planned to invade Iraq immediately after he was sworn in, about 8 months before the World Trade Center was even attacked. I had known of the Iraq invasion plans being on his desk the evening of the WTC attack, but Suskind in his new book also says that the WTC attack was used as an excuse where Bush told CIA officials to write a phony letter form an Iraq informant to Hussein that claimed Al Qaeda was trained in Hussein's Iraq. This link was heaveily explited in partricular about the time of Hussein's capture later. This deranged individual who thinks he knows what he is doing still has 6 more months of garbage to go, with so many Americans actually still believing he is nobly defending our country instead of what he's actualy doing, destroying another country and nation building it, making probably vastly more enemies than if we had not attacked the wrong country in the first place. Pre-emptive attacking the wrong country isn't pre-emptive, it's called something else and it isn't noble. So many people keep saying that even if it was wrong to go in, then we must stay on and on to help fix what has been done. Not so. You run over my kid in my driveway, you're the last person I want to hang arounbd to help rectify it. CYA

To Bill wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:45 PM:You are kidding!!! Right? I think you are the one who needs to look at the big picture. Law enforcement does harass people of color!! I wish it was not true but it is and the only reason you said what you said is because you have never been on the receiving end. You must be white.

Ralphs wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:46 PM:To Emily Fauchon and Gene Ford - I have little doubt that Tri-Cities is an excellent facility, but the powers that be that run the place have spent enough money attempting to get a tax increase passed they could have already payed for a large portion of the building. They need to stop handing out huge bonuses to each other. It does make money according to them, so use the money to expand the business. Thats what ever other business has to do. Does Qualcom get to go to the taxpayers when they need a new building? The answer is no. And also the answer to Proposition A is NO.

Hey to A Question of Equality wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:48 PM:Your analogy makes no sense. It is disgusting to think of marrying my brother or cousin. I love them but please. That has nothing to do with equality. Think real hard and maybe you can come up with a reasonable argument because that one is sort of lame.

Mr. Glock wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:05 PM:I have some friends in Escondido a lot like Gerald Reaster. They seem to always be secretely hoping for a civil disaster, riot or even some poor fool trying to steal their TV - just so they can whip out their arsenal and blow 'em all away.

OBAMACAN wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:10 PM:Media Watcher at 11:50 p.m. disagrees with my statement that Obama's position on Iraq has been consistent and cites an AP story which quotes Obama as saying, ""The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops."
Note the word BEGIN.
While AP is certainly not Fox, they are not perfect either. But the quote they give does not contradict what Obama said, that he wants to BEGIN withdrawal immediately, and have them all out within 16 months subject to conditions on the ground.
Please note, this print article does not SHOW Obama making these statements. It is a fallible reporter's accounts.
The montage I cited that was shown on MSNBC was a series of video clips from debates, with the date of each provided, going back over a year, SHOWING Obama making virtually identical statements to the effect that he wants to BEGIN withdrawal immediately, and have them all out within 16 months subject to conditions on the ground. Same thing, over and over, for more than a year.
Media Watcher asks if I want to revise my remarks.
I stand by those remarks, and the repeated, consistent statements of Barack Obama on this subject.

Ms M wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:12 PM:Quite a few years ago my son and 2 of his friends (all Black) were pulled over on the 78 freeway by the highway patrol. The patrolman said he was doing 57 in a 55 mile zone (and was ticketed for that). They searched his car and in the area for race the letter "N" was entered. What exactly do you call that?

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:19 PM:Bill[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:52 PM: Mr.
Brown may be a middle aged or elderly black American male. It is quite conceivable that during his lifetime the stopping of black men for any reason was the norm. I know that I remembering witnessing it in 1959-1965 in Raleigh.North Carolina. Mr. Brown wrote what his perception. observation and feelings were on the matter. He has a right to them just as you have to your viewpoint.

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:25 PM:Chuck[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:36 AM:
I know what you mean. Schwarzenegger is pretty tough on a bumper sticker.

A plea to the editors wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:29 PM:How about having all those posting comments register. Then only one comment of 250 words would be posted per day.

I can't help but think all the Chucks, Rons, Alfs, Reardons, sdrauls, estabans, bills, etc., only post because they enjoy seeing their name on the web.

If you limit it to one comment, they have to make it worth their while, and save us from the endless dribble they spew.

You might even be able to make a few bucks by only allowing contributions from those who pay a monthly fee.

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:34 PM:Chuck[-] wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:16 AM: My buddy. Chuck is so right. I am getting out my guitar and getting ready to sing for that $1.000.00. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Focal Point wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:40 PM:For Chuck: I have been thinking. Chuck should enlarge his audience. Chuck. is it now time for you to become syndicated? Chuck should also be making the TV rounds.
Maybe Hannity and ? or the Glen Beck and Chuck show? I know that I would watch.

Alf wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:46 PM:Well, "To Alf" at 1:32PM, we see things differently.
John Brown said in his letter "the officer jumped out of his car and yelled TO me, "Where are you coming from?" (emphasis mine, wording his).
Mr. Brown said "when a police car suddenly crossed two lanes of traffic and pulled into the driveway of a local business ahead of me".
Whether it was in the heat of the moment or to be heard over traffic or to catch his attention or to be bullying or to be abusive or to be disrespectful i