PegasusWing's Blog

WASHINGTON - AP

Obama picked up the backing of nine superdelegates, party leaders who attend the convention, delegates by virtue of their positions and are not selected in primaries and caucuses.

"After careful consideration, I have reached the conclusion that Barack Obama can best bring about the change that our country so desperately wants and needs."

10 superdelegates  have switched allegiances from Clinton to Obama. None have publicly switched the other way.

In the overall race for the nomination, Obama leads with 1,859.5 delegates, to 1,697 for Clinton. Obama is just 165.5 delegates short of the 2,025 delegates needed to win it.

So it looks like a McCain/Obama race to the White House.  The campaign should change, since neither man was as quick to sling mud as Lady McBeth, except in self defense.  Hopefully the campaigns will now proceed with honor 

Neither man is apt to enforce our immigration laws, especially McCain who has sponsored previous legislation with Teddy K to benefit illegal invaders.  McCain is definitely more of a hawk than Obama, but other bloggers tell me that we can not and will not pull out of the Mid East.  The oil crisis and its snowballing inflation is threatening the survival of lower income families.  None of the three seemed to have a grip on the economics of the nation, but either can seek out teams of top notch advisors.  Over all, I feel better knowing Ms Clinton won't have her finger on the red button at 3:00 in the morning.  McCain is predictable, but Obama is a mystery to me, one with whom I am not yet comfortable.  Time tells all.

WASHINGTON - A Senate panel has agreed to block U.S. funding for Iraq reconstruction projects worth more than $2 million and to try to force Baghdad to cover the costs of training and equipping the country's security forces.

The provision, included in a 2009 defense policy bill approved this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, comes as Democrats draft a similar provision within separate legislation that would cover this year's war spending.

The efforts are part of the latest push on Capitol Hill to get Iraq to spend more of its own money and spare U.S. taxpayers. Democrats and many Republicans say it is unfair that Iraq is looking at pulling in as much as $70 billion in oil revenues this year while Americans grapple with soaring fuel prices at the pump.

The defense policy bill, which has not been approved by the full Senate, would not cut off smaller rebuilding projects. It specifically supports a program that allows military commanders to spend money on emergency relief projects, as well as an effort that dispatches civilian reconstruction teams to work with local provincial officials.

The bill would require the administration to work with Baghdad to obligate its own money for smaller reconstruction projects before U.S. money is used.

It also says the U.S. must initiate negotiations with Iraq on a broader agreement to share the costs of combat operations in Iraq.

The provision was proposed by Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Evan Bayh of Indiana and Republican Susan Collins of Maine. The three met with Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the president's chief war adviser on Iraq and Afghanistan at the National Security Council, on Monday to discuss the provision.

At the time, the White House was open to the legislative proposal so long as it didn't go too far by severely restricting U.S. aid. Administration officials are concerned that refusing to pay for certain programs, such as training and equipping Iraqi security forces, could slow down the war effort and delay the transfer of the combat mission to the Iraqis.

Still, the administration has declared an end to the era of major reconstruction projects in Iraq and says Baghdad is already taking over those costs.

Collins said much of the discussion on Monday centered on what would qualify as a "major" reconstruction project.

The legislation proposed by the Armed Services Committee would not flatly prohibit aid to the Iraqi security forces. Instead, the bill says the U.S. "shall take actions to ensure that Iraqi funds are used" to cover the costs, including the salaries of the forces and any payments to Sunnis who are part of the Awakening Movement

9/11 dramatically effected President Bush's terms in office.  9/11 was heart breaking to Americans and had us united together and united with the rest of the world.  Techies all over found information to help us locate terrorists.  I, for one, wanted the satisfaction of seeing terrorist training camps in any Arabic country leveled.

With another President, we might have gone in, did the deed, and got out.  But oil was involved.  Now American soldiers are defending Iraq with their lives and at our financial expense.  At the same time Iraq is ripping us off in oil.  They should be paying for their own defense.  Bush promised that they would, then forgot that promise!   Remember that ? !   Allies that were with us have had enough.

In office now Republicans, both in the state and in Florida have given big business great tax breaks.  This is typical of Republicans in a good economy.  The tax burden is shift to the people.  This time Floridians said, "No thanks!"

Now in a failing economy (please do not give me the BS about "Nothing to fear by fear itself-self fullfilling prophesy--trust in the economy--head in the sand clears the mind) ----

Now in a failing economy, the Republicans cut  benefits to the helpless.  They cut foster programs, DCF, nursing homes, classroom spending, and the state's attorney general's office just when crime (from desperation) is spiraling.

We need to dump the Republicans in both the state and fed gov't and replace them all with Democrats.   Who knows if they will do better, but the Republicans certainly are not doing anything productive.

Mike Douglas interviewed Romney. 

Romney bragged that he has business experience.

Douglas asked him about the thousands of lay offs that he caused when he took over those businesses

Romney bragged about balancing the budget and bringing more industry to the state as governor, Douglas pointed out that the state was more in debt and industry was lost.

Romney takes a stand against illegal invaders, but he ran an amnesty state for illegals.

Romney will sink the republican ticket, McCain can't be that stupid.  He is old, his VP wil be vital to his ticket.  Romney could sink the boat.

He tells more lies than Obama.

He rewrites history like Hillary.

McCain can't be so stupid to pick him.