Media's Blog

Obama is less than 200 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton vows to continue full speed ahead.I must say that I have been very involved in the political process as the core of events have taken place right in my back yard. Special invitations that I took upon myself to attend. I did meet with Caroline Kennedy,Michelle Obama in Hammond for an hour event and Barrack Obama in Munster,Indiana. I did state early on that the plans were to deliver Indiana to Barack Obama. Well it fell short by 2% or 16,000 votes but my home County of Lake came thru as I expected and made it close as Lake County went for Obama. The delegates in Indiana will be about 50/50. but Barack big win in NC widens his lead. So now the race goes on.

It is reported that some of the voters in the southern part of Indiana have the feeling that Barack is a muslim and that if he was sworn in he would be sworn in with his hand on the Quran.In fact bogus e-mails accuse Him of being a Muslim.But Barack has never been a Muslim. And yet others in Indiana note Rev.Jeremiah Wright as being a problem for Barack Obama. It is yet my belief that Senator Obama will win the Democratic Nomination. If you have questions or comments I would like to see them.

I found this commentary interesting from Georgie Anne Geyer Chicago Tribune.

I am bitter at George W.Bush for posturing, clearing brush in Texas,while he's selling out America to the Chinese.(Only paper,his White House has commented when asked about America's enormous debt held by China and other countries.)I am bitter at Dick Cheney for the arrogant disdain for apparently all humankind that he shows in our names.(The American people are against your policies,he was told recently.He turned that expressionless,blank gaze of his saying "So?"

I am angry at them all for taking away from me, and from all us Americans, these last eight years that, coming at the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new century,could have made the world anew.Instead,they have made us into the most unpopular nation in the world.

Finally,I am bitter about this campaign.Hey,weren't we told over and over again by all the candidates and their hangers-on that they would not engage in the character assassination and negative campaigning that works on the American psyche?Did I hear wrong?

This is only 1/4 of Georgie Anne Geyer's commentary.But what do you think about her commentary? Agree? Disagree?

Thanks for your comments.

This earthquake struck close to the New Madrid fault area and was 5.2 on the scale. Thousands of people witnessed the tremble,shake,and train noise. In fact my daughter who lives about 7 miles farther north says her home shook and floors trembled.

But the amazing thing is I slep thru the whole thing not feeling anything at all.No damage either.I heard that people felt this quake 100 miles north of where I reside.This earthquake was about 300 miles south of Hammond,Indiana.

Actually I have never experenced a quake in my life.

Thank God from all the reports I have heard.

The latest study of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has concluded that nearly 1 in 5 veterans is suffering from depression or stress disorders and many are not getting adequate care.

An estimated 300,000 veterans among nearly 1.7 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are battling depression or post traumatic stress disorder.More than half of those people, according to the study conducted by the RAND Corp., are slipping through the cracks in the bureaucratic system, going without necessary treatment.

The Rand study teaches us that such wars might kill fewer soldiers than traditional fights but can leave deeper psychological scars.That distinction subjects a wider view of military personnel to the stresses of war. Nearly all of our soldiers are under fire,or subject to mortar rounds or roadside bombs.They also witness the deaths of civilians or fellow soldiers.

Military officials praised the RAND study saying that it's findings are consistent with their studies and that it would reinforce efforts to try to improve mental health care.

Obama rallies features limited tickets,unlimited enthusiasm.

O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma! The cheers off the walls at Roosevelt High School on Thursday.At 11:27a.m., the crowd of about 2,500 shouted inside the school's gymnasium when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took took the podium.

The chant rattled the rafters:"We want change! We want Change! We want change! Senator Obama only had to raise his hand to quiet the crowd. He opened by saying "It's good to be in Gary,Indiana which is so close to being back at home in five days".

The main points of his speech were the war in Iraq,the wanting economy,the loss of jobs,and the sad state of education in this country.He stated,"if that isn't enough for change,I don't know what is".

Outside the gym,lines of ticket holders believers could not get in and stood in the hard rain.By far,more media showed up for Obama's rally than for Hillary Clinton's rally in Hammond last month.

The percentage of Hillary's lead in Penn is declining to single points as the penn primary draws near and I am told by some of my friends that they are working to deliver a win in Indiana for Obama.

I am kind of surprised at the ones who are saying this as this is the first time they have jumped to rally with this type of enthusiasm.

It is  stated that a quick withdrawal by our troops from Iraq  could lead to chaos or even genocide. The United States is no closer to  its goals in Iraq than it was a year ago. This is according to a report released sunday April 06,2008 by a Think Tank.

The U.S.Institute of Peace report was written by experts who advised the Iraq Study Group which is a panel mandated by Congress to offer recommendations on U.S. policy in Iraq.

This report was released two days before top commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker give their brief to Congress on the situation in Iraq and prospects for American troop reductions.

Their recommendations President Bush has made known that He will accept.

Finallly this report says that " The U.S. is no closer to being able to leave Iraq than it was a year ago and lasting political development could take five to ten years of full unconditional U.S. commitment to Iraq." What are your thoughts about this?

Obama's speech may mark a new opportunity for Americans to discuss their feelings about skin color.Intent on bridging a longstanding gap between black and white.

Senator Obama's speech was praised widely as inspiring oratory that encouraged Americans to break the racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years.Fruitful conversations require listening without being defensive,identifying common goals and the willingness to be uncomfortable on both sides.

Where exactly are we with race relations in America? Is it possible that what we see of racial matters highlighted in the media a distored picture? There are calls now in the black community for a boycott of certain News Networks claiming bias reporting due to there being a Black man running for President. This seems to be the core heart of the issue to some. I am just watching how all of this mess will play out. I have no answers only questions.If you have some answers I would love to know.I hope that there is fair reporting about whatever the problem is.

What question would you ask of a person of a different race to get to know him or her better?

What's at the root of the black/brown divide? Why didn't more blacks participate in the immigration marches? Why aren't Asian Americans more vocal about discrimination? I never thought I'd see during my life time. (I'm 51) A man of color with a real shot at becoming the President of the United States?

I would like to see your thoughts on this.Thank you.

Geraldine Ferraro stepped down from her position on Hillary Clinton's finance committee after her comments on Barack Obama's race came to dominate the news.

Ferraro was a 1994 Democratic vice presidential nominee. She says her comments were not racist. She stated "I think what America feels about a woman becoming president takes a very secondary place to Obama's campaign to a kind of campaign that it would be hard for anyone to run against". "If Obama was a white man,he would not be in this position and if he was a woman he would not be in this position". She further went on to say "he happens to be very lucky to be who he is and the country is caught up in the concept.

Was that racist?

Barack comments back by saying "I'm Always hesitant to throw around words like racist because I don't think she intended them that way,I think her comments were ridiculous." Obama goes on to say "I think they were wrong headed the notion that it is a great advantage to me to be an African American named Barack Obama to pursue the presidency,I think, is not a view that is shared by the general public." Is Barack Obama lucky to be a black man?

But is that the view? What are your thoughts on this story?

 They say to little spent on rebuilding the country.

Close to $50 billion in U.S. taxpayer's money has been invested in reconstruction since the invasion, but the program has achieved at best mixed results when measured by improvements in the lives of Iraqi citizens. The GAO, which is charged with overseeing the Iraqi qovernment's finances, has estimated that Iraqi spent only 22 percent of the oil money set aside for reconstruction in 2006.  In January, the GAO reported that Iraq had spent just 4.4 percent of its 2007 reconstruction budget by August of that year, the most recent figures available at the time.

Whatever the exact figure is, the fact remains that basic services in Iraq measured by hours of electricity, gallons of potable water or quality of health care have scarcely improved. As a result, the letter from the Armed Services Committee says, "we believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks."  The letter was signed by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the committee chairman, and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a former chairman. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, did not sign the letter, even though he is the ranking Republican on the committee.

The letter by Levein and Warner requests detailed information on the size of Iraqi oil revenues from 2003 to 2007.  The letter also asks, " Why has the Iraqi government not spent more of its oil revenue on reconstruction, economic development and providing essential services for the Iraqi people?" I s there more that the government of Iraq can do to better themselves seeing all the U.S. troops that are there?

What do you think about all of this?