|
Yelling smears such as "socialist" like it's the 1950s aren't going to fly in the 2008 election.
Tim Michael Case presented "His Voice" to the Tracy Press (July 30, "Press gives Obama free pass"), and I feel that I must add my voice and deal with some of his "misstatements." He repeats the old saw that the media is giving a pass to Sen. Barack Obama.
I wish this was true, but, as usual, Case is following his prepared script. In reality, the media has been very kind to Sen. John McCain. For example, it was not a reporter who asked McCain how many homes he owns, when he said he could not remember, but a member of a town hall audience.
Case brings up the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and uses him to attack Obama. That is a fair criticism, but conveniently, Case (and most of the media) refuses to mention the Rev. John Hagee of Texas.
When Hagee endorsed McCain in February, the senator hugged him. He went out of his way to get the endorsement of Hagee, his 20,000-person congregation and his several-million tele-congregation.
When Hagee attacked Islam as a false faith, McCain said nothing, and neither did the media. When Hagee gave an anti-Catholic sermon, McCain said he did not agree but continued to support him.
But when Hagee attacked the Jewish faith as causing terrorist attacks in the U.S., and when many Jewish-Americans said no more campaign contributions, McCain dropped Hagee faster than a burning coal.
Case brings up William C. Ayers, a terrorist weatherman of the 1970s and, using guilt-by-association, ties him to Obama. Well, Mr. Case, give up that McCarthyism. It went out in the 1950s.
When Ayers was active, Obama was 7 years old. Most 7-year-olds I know are not influenced by anyone who shaves. Of course, maybe Ayers has grown up and changed his beliefs, which Case denies him.
Another item that the media has not mentioned is McCain and the sport of boxing. While a midshipman at the naval academy, McCain joined the boxing team and became a fair boxer.
When television began Ultimate Fighting matches in the late 1990s, McCain was livid. This was not boxing to him. He tried to get the Federal Communications Commission to ban the broadcasts. When that did not work, he wrote to cable networks that aired Ultimate Fighting, and several of them dropped the programs. He used his position as the chairman of a Senate subcommittee to hold hearings about this sport. But when he found out that the major sponsor of Ultimate Fighting was Anheuser-Busch (his wife controls the Anheuser-Busch distributorship of Arizona), he became very quiet.
The most interesting part of Case’s Voice is his accusation of Obama’s preaching of a "religion of Socialism." I am grateful that Case did not accuse Obama of being a Communist. That routine died in 1991. Had he done so, the people of Tracy would be laughing so hard that it would be a 4.8 on the Richter scale.
I defy Case to point out where Obama has advocated government ownership of the means of production and distribution, and where the senator has preached a classless society. It is not there. But, according to the Fox News/Swift Boat For Liars playbook, just accuse Obama of being a socialist, never mind the truth.
Come on, Case. As the late Ann Richards said: "That old dog just won’t hunt."
• John D. Treantos Jr. is a 37-year resident of Tracy and a retired teacher.
Trackback(0)
|
From Obama's book Dreams of my Father (the socialist), a sermon by Reverend Wright,
'white folks' greed runs a world in need'
The intent of redistributing wealth is to create a classless society.
According to the latest IRS the top 50% of payers pay 95% of all the income tax
Obama, "... Robbing from the rich will do, especially if it’s done in the name of fairness."
Government, is already your partner through taxation and more so through higher taxes.
Why should the Fed/State own a business they don't understand when they still get the taxes?
Oil companies make $.08 per gallon.
The State & Fed take $.45 or more per gallon.
You do the work, 85% of the profit goes to government. Who tells the company(s) what to do?
If you think you'll pay the same or less for energy after oil paying for a windfall profits tax,
guess again.
Because he doesn't say government ownership word for word...
doesn't mean it can't be found in his speeches, comments, and writing.