I read a very interesting article in the WSJ today describing the former captors of John McCain and their support for his assent to the presidency. He fought the Vietnamese up front and personal from a cell. He suffered physically and mentally at the hands of the then enemy but was an early supporter of normalization with our former foes. McCain played a crucial role in bringing about the initial rapprochement. If anyone has a right to hate an enemy it is John McCain but that is not his nature.

He has a deep moral center based upon the Constitution and American ideals. He believes in democracy and political freedom for all people which helps explain the compassion from and for the people of Vietnam. He knows these ideals are powerful. His convictions result in action. McCain paved the way for the freedom of the Vietnamese people through diplomacy as well as the freedom for for all Americans through bipartisan reform (e.g., sponsored bill for lobbying transparency with Feingold). The Vietnamese still have a good way to go to shed the shackles of their authoritarian regime and the American people have a long way to go to rid ourselves of a corrupt government ruling class. McCain supported the Vietnamese early through ideas not aggression. He supports the American people by fighting with bipartisan reform. These are signs of wisdom based on a strong moral center. As president, McCain will know what tools to use and when to use them to further the freedoms of all peoples. Comparatively BoIraq lacks the experience to even appreciate the choices.

Obama is now accusing his Republican opponents of being effective.

It is reported that Representative Charles B. Rangel blamed “cultural and language barriers” on his forgetting about $75,000 in income on his tax returns. This minor income problem is apparently the result of an interest free mortgage he obtained from a big New York real estate developer and Rangel political donor. Rangle is allegedly to have said of his investment advisers at the resort “every time I thought I was getting somewhere, they’d start speaking Spanish”. Maybe he could have used a translator. For goodness sakes, this guy is Chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. Daily he oversees some of the most complex matters facing our Nation, taxes, Social Security, and trade agreements to name a few. Rangel is saying it was just incompetence that got him into this mess and he should continue to maintain his role as committee chair. If it is incompetence, he should lose his job; If it is stupidity, he should lose his job; if it is dishonesty, he should lose his job. The embodiment of politics as usual matriarch, Nancy Pesoli (or is it Posoli?) is supporting his retention but she wont be able to keep her finger in the dyke (or is it dike?) for long. Rangle is gone. It’s a shame because notwithstanding that he is either an idiot or a brigand he was always colorful and fun to watch.

April- June GDP grew 3.3% according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis in the August 28th report. The credit liquidity issues are starting to show signs of loosening evidenced by the upward tic in short term commercial parer issuance. We’re not out of the woods yet but a big chunk of the needed (massive) asset rationalizations are now in the rear view mirror; onward and upward ahead. McCain needs to optimize this to his advantage. We are coming out of the cave of financial debauchery; what we need now is leadership, champions of transparency, and a vision of reformed greatness based on real job growth not financial engineering by wall street and construction (the only industry we can’t outsource). McCain and Palin have a task; now they need execute the communication then the play.

B. H Obama is on the defensive. His thin qualifications, no matter how propped up by the Democratic machine are beginning to look thread bear. He is of the system of which he protests change. He is a product of the establishment looking for a puppet with a Clinton smile. He is smart enough to know where his bread is buttered, at the though. Expect no change only rhetoric. When the public gets tired of the false manifestos I suggest they read anything written by Thomas Sowell.

Well he made the speech. He’d better get a specific road map out because the other side has more plans than Carter has pills. He needs to publish, publish, publish his top priorities and let Sarah keep banging away at the Dem’s. He needs a full court information press communicating his economic vision and specific plans. He and Palin can get to work on the hearts and minds but the analysts need to have something to read while he pounds away.

I cant believe the hypocrisy of the BoIraq supporters that are claiming Sara Palin has no experience. Talk about the pot (yes, Obama inhaled) calling the kettle black. I heard one mindless Obama supporter criticizing how small the population of Alaska is compared with other states. Well guess where Biden is from, Delaware, full stop. Strong move by McCain. Choosing a driven competitive woman will pick off the enough Hillary supporters to make a difference. On the Republican side, life long GOP supporters would vote for McCain (against BoIraq) no matter who he picked. This evens the score and shows McCain is not just a status quo GOP know nothing. He is what he has always been, a maverick. He still needs help domestically and her experience is limited notwithstanding not much less so than the other guy. The game is his now lets see how he rises to the job.

Obama is holding his convention this week in Denver. Never in the history of mankind has so much hot air gone so high as in the mile high city. Omama got here through crafty gamesmanship. The Michigan and Florida delegates were disqualified from participating in the selection of the party candidate. Hilary had more votes. Just as well for Boiraq, (sp) she won these highly populated states but gained no delegates. Sound familiar? It’s the same way he won his first election. He used the corrupt Chicago political machine to disqualify all the other candidates petitions by systematically protesting each and every signature. Under the law each was eliminated. He sure seems to rely on tricks to get where he wants to go. Hillary made a good point tonight at the convention by stressing that she has been working in the trenches for thirty-five years for Boiraq’s (sp) right to squirm his was to the top of his party. Give me a break how can anyone take this inexperienced opportunist seriously compared with Hillary or even the plagiarizer, Joe?

Boiraq is a product of the hard work done by those that came before him so he could lead a privileged life. No doubt he is smart and knows how to work the system. Why else would he have found comfort in such a bitter soul mate as his wife? She was earning $360,000 per year working for a charity after he became senator. She didn’t start out that well paid but it sure seems funny she got a BIG raise after he was in office. He knows the system. He’s entitled. If he is not elected he will blame race as the reason and try to indict the country. Forget that the junior senator has never introduced a bill, chaired a committee, made a payroll or most importantly fought the system because he is a product of and with the system. Never however will it be his fault as there is always someone to blame, that is the way the entitled work.