The American people have spoken, Big Money is Silenced
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!! By David A. Franklin, Jr.

One man, one vote and each vote is weighted equally.  The billionaires’ contributions were not weighted as one dollar, one vote. Had that been so, the election would have been decided by a minority of less than twenty individuals. The people have spoken!
Love and Hate:
Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
This philosophy has been brought out over the past electioneering period.  I have used the word “electioneering” intentionally because what happened in the Republican camp has been just that - an attempt to win votes in an election by being insincere and unscrupulous.
 
The pure/unadulterated hatred spewed at the President was sickening.  Even if hate were present in any other regime prior to the advent of Barack Obama it was not evident, and maybe for the absolute reason that the “haters” in times past, at a minimum had, and exhibited respect for the office of the president. Haters exhibited a modicum of decency which is lacking in Republicans of this era.

I hope those who indulged in this level of loathing, FOX News, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, John Sununu, Franklin Graham, Newt Gingrich, to name a few and the sliver of the country who pundits said would vote and indeed have voted for Romney out of utter hatred of the President have learnt. Learnt that hate is negative energy and this expended energy would have better served them and everybody else if applied to positives such as contributing to a discussion that would benefit the country.   

"Love and hate can never be friends,
Oh no, oh no.

Here I come, with love and not hatred.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I,
All the days of I life.
Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man,
For there'll come the day,
When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand."

Dennis Brown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBGJVXRBc5M

The Republicans have indeed been “whipped by the Father’s hand” and will continue to be whipped if they do not do some soul-searching after growing a soul that is, and change their tune.

Lies and More Lies
"A lie cannot live." Martin Luther King, Jr.
The entire Republican campaign was built on lies. And the American people have proven that they are much smarter than these politicians and their cohorts estimate.  The electorate read through their veneer of lies. It is nothing short of insulting that these “leaders” - present, past and “wanna be’s” of the Republican Party could think that they could fool the people.  

The people listened, watched and decided!  They have spoken. 
March into the Future as One Country, One Destiny

So, congratulations to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. There were several campaigns which stood out. But, the one that stood out mostly for me was the U.S. Senate race in Missouri. Well done Claire McCaskill! Job well done by all Democrats who ran excellent campaigns.  

Lessons learnt by Republicans (I sincerely hope). We need to put the past behind except to utilize the experience to march into a challenging but success-driven future – hand-in-hand, “One Nation Under God Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All!"
 
By David A. Franklin, Jr.
Kitchen Politics 123 predicts a win for the President and by a comfortable margin in electoral votes. The GOP and their operatives will continue to the bitter end to try to steal the election!!! 
 
At press time, there are statements which could be rumors, that in two very important swing states - Ohio and Florida less than three hours after polls open, election officials say black ink has run out!  If this is true, it is either another of the last minute fouls in the game right in front of goal. or some Supervisors of Election, Staff and Administration must be fired on the spot for total incompetence. 

I put nothing past the Republican Party as they have no shame in their game. They'll lie, steal and cheat to win at all costs. Disgraceful as it is desperate and pathetic. But, like I always say, good always overcome evil
KITCHEN POLITICS 123: 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PREDICTION
The following table shows the number of Electoral College Votes (ECV). Each State, and the District of Columbia, will be entitled during the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential elections: 
The numbers in parentheses represent the number of Electoral College Votes that a state gained (+) or lost (-) because of reapportionment following the 2010 Census:
                                                                          PREDICTIONS                                 ACTUAL RESULTS
State                                          ECV        Obama/Biden(D) Romney/Ryan(R) Obama/Biden(D) Romney/Ryan(R)  
Alabama                                         9                                              9
Alaska                                            3                                              3
Arizona                                          11(+1)                                      11
Arkansas                                        6                                              6
California                                        55                 55
Colorado                                        9                                              9
Connecticut                                     7                    7
Delaware                                         3                    3
Florida                                           29(+2)            29
Georgia                                          16(+1)                                       16
Hawaii                                            4                     4
Idaho                                              4                                               4
Illinois                                             20(−1)             20
Indiana                                            11                                             11
Iowa                                                6(-1)               6
Kansas                                            6                                               6
Kentucky                                         8                                               8
Louisiana                                         8(-1)                                          8
Maine                                              4**                  4
Maryland                                         10                   10
Massachusetts                                11(-1)              11
Michigan                                         16(-1)              16
Minnesota                                       10                   10
Mississippi                                      6                                               6
Missouri                                          10(-1)              10
Montana                                          3                                               3
Nebraska                                         5**                  1                        4
Nevada                                           6(+1)               6
New Hampshire                              4                     4
New Jersey                                     14(-1)              14
New Mexico                                    5                     5
New York                                        29(-2)              29
North Carolina                               15                                            15
North Dakota                                   3                                               3
Ohio                                              18(-2)               18
Oklahoma                                       7                                                7
Oregon                                           7                     7
Pennsylvania                                   20(-1)              20
Rhode Island                                   4                     4
South Carolina                                9(+1)                                          9
South Dakota                                 3                                                3
Tennessee                                     11                                             11
Texas                                             38(+4)                                       38
Utah                                               6(+1)                                          6
Vermont                                          3                  3
Virginia                                          13                                            13
Washington                                     12(+1)          12
West Virginia                                   5                  5
Wisconsin                                      10                10
Wyoming                                        3                                                3
Washington, D.C.                            3*                 3
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Total Electors 538                                             326                      212        ___________ -   ___________

* Washington, D.C., although not a state, is granted the same number of electoral votes as the least populous 
                                     state (which has always been 3) by the Twenty-third Amendment.

** Maine and Nebraska electors distributed by way of the Congressional District Method.

(+) or (-) = Represents number of electors gained or lost in comparison to 2004 & 2008 Electoral College Map


ECV = Electoral College Votes    (D) = Democrat                (R) = Republican             (I) Independent



                                          IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Early voting in some States began mid-October and continued through November 4. Remember these dates:

• Election Day: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 

• Electoral College formally elects a President and Vice President: Monday, December 17, 2012

• The 113th Congress is sworn in: Thursday, January 3, 2013

• Electoral College Votes are formally counted before a Joint Session of Congress: Sunday, January 6, 2013

• Inauguration Oaths of Office are taken. The new presidential term officially starts: Sunday, January 20, 2013

• Inauguration Day (Traditional date, the 20th, falls on a Sunday in 2013): Monday, January 21, 2013
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“Too Close To Call” States      ECV           
- Colorado                                  9               
- Florida                                    29              
- Iowa                                         6  
- Michigan                                 16       
- New Hampshire                         4              
- Nevada                                     6              
- North Carolina                         15             
- Ohio                                       18  
- Pennsylvania                           20           
- Virginia                                   13             
- Wisconsin                               10             
  TOTAL ECV                            146                                     

Map Courtesy of USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/ 
I do get the feeling that it will come down to Ohio and Florida. Tagg "You're It" Romney bought electronic voting machines being used in today's election. Conflict of Interests? Clearly! 
2500 lawyers for Obama are in Ohio to oversee voting activities.  


Why Florida you ask? 

Because Florida is the Jerry Springer of American Politics! 

Sorry to say but, Governor Rick Scott and the Republican dominated State Legislature has turned it into a Banana Republic. After the debacle of 2000, one would believe hard lessons were learned. We shall see after all polls are closed. 

Who got the junk food and refreshing beverages for tonight? It maybe a long night. A lot depends on Ohio, Florida and the other "swing" States. 

 
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TICK! TOCK! TICK! TOCK! TICK! TOCK! BOOM!          
Is This The End For Teapublicans? A Closer Look At Candidates Who May 
                  Unseat Infamous Tea Party Republicans In 2012. By David A. Franklin, Jr.

With only days to go before the most important election in the history of the United States, Tea Party backed Republicans are self-imploding. They are crashing and burning faster than the Hindenburg did. No knowledgeable voter respects them and these voters want to be done with them once and for all. They are a huge part of the gridlock in Washington, D.C. today. I refuse to waste precious space on my blog writing about Tea Party Republicans. Instead, I will focus on their worthy opponents who maybe spoilers. Every sensable voter would love to see these following candidates win on November 6th, 2012. I hope you enjoy the read? Here goes!
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Jim Graves (DEMOCRAT)
Minnesota - 6th Congressional District

Opponent          Rep. Michele Bachmann (Republican) 
                        Assumed office January 3, 2007           
 Websites          http://jimgraves.com/ 
                         https://www.facebook.com/JimGravesforCongress
                         http://www.youtube.com/user/jimgravesforcongress

What can one say about the self-made businessman and success story Jim Graves? He has an excellent chance of retiring unpopular Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who is the epitomey of what is wrong with the U.S. Congress today. Jim Graves on the other hand shows dignity, integrity, poise and good old fashioned common sense. Good grace and class is something one is born with. He has it in abundance unlike his "fly off the handle" extremist opponent, Mrs. Bachmann. 

"Minnesota's sixth district deserves a smart, compassionate, business-savvy congressperson who will fight full-time to create livable-wage jobs and strengthen the economy, ensuring a strong middle class and improving the lives of everyone." - Jim Graves http://youtu.be/fE26R3ZrnO0 

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Patrick Erin Murphy (DEMOCRAT)
Florida - 22nd Congressional District

Opponent              Rep. Allen West (Republican) Assumed office January 3, 2010
Websites              http://patrickmurphy2012.com                            
                            http://www.youtube.com/user/pmurphyforcongress
                            https://www.facebook.com/PatrickMurphyforCongress
 
"I’m a Pro-Choice, Pro-LGBT rights Democrat who values fiscal responsibility. I support the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and favors higher taxes on the wealthy." – Patrick Erin Murphy http://youtu.be/X2W3oKLEQD8

Young Patrick Erin Murphy is ambitious, bright, energetic, enthusiastic, and tenacious and has openly expressed his disdain of the Tea Party Movement. On many occasions he has called out his opponent, Rep. Allen West, for giving false and misleading statements. West has shown his incompitence and irrationality on a national stage which is humiliating for my beloved State of Florida. So, with no reservation nor hestitation, I would love to see Patrick Murphy in Congress. He will bring a freshness to Congress with intelligence and compitence. Murphy is definately a rising star on the national level. He has a bright political future indeed. 

Murphy is a hard worker who never shuns his responsibilities. He is for a stronger middle class and for cutting taxes for working families in his district. Whatever he sets out to do, he always gets the job done. Latest polls show him ahead of his opponent by a wide margin. There is no stopping this juggernaut as he is on his way to unseat controversial and the very unpopular Rep. Allen West. 

His star can only rise higher. All Florida, especially District 22, should be proud. Keep your eye on him America! This "kid" is going places.

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U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (DEMOCRAT)
MISSOURI
Opponent   Rep. Todd Akin (Republican–District 2–Missouri) 
                 Assumed office January 3, 2001
Websites     www.mccaskill.senate.gov 
                   http://clairemccaskill.com (campaign)                     
                   http://www.youtube.com/user/clairemccaskill2012

Take a bow madam. I mean that, take a bow. You have been immense, colossal. Ever confident and always a lady, Senator Claire McCaskill, has shown grace and dignity under pressure. You show exuberance in doing your job representing the great State of Missouri in the United States Senate. 
Prior to defeating incumbent Senator Jim Talent in 2006, she was elected Missouri State Auditor General and served from 1998 to 2002. She has a stellar record in the U.S. Senate and currently holds several key positions on various Committees: 

Senate Committee Assignments:
Armed Services
Commerce, Science & Transportation
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Special Committee on Aging (Chairwoman) 
Impeachment Trail Committee on the articles against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.

Subcommittees 
Airland and Personnel
Readiness and Management Support
Aviation Operations, Safety and Security
Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism, ·         
Science, Technology and Innovation
Federal Financial Management
Government Information and International Security
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration, 
Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight (Chairwoman)

Senator McCaskill also served as the Chairwoman of the Select Committee for the Impeachment of Samuel B. Kent, which was disbanded July 22, 2009, after Judge Kent resigned. 

Her opponent, Rep. Todd Akin, is out of his depth and far off the reservation when it comes to representing all Missourians. His vomit inducing outbursts against women shows he lacks respect and proper temperament for the important job as a U.S. Senator. This has caused a backlash and Missouri still sees her in the most favorable light. If I were a betting man, I'd bet all on Claire McCaskill to win re-election to the United States Senate in 2012. Fight for what is right, integrity, hard work and loyalty to those who she represents. That's who Claire McCaskill is in a nutshell. In February 2012, the National Journal ranked her as 50th (out of 100 members in the United Senate) as "Moderate". Not liberal, not conservative. So, it can be said that she has a chip on both shoulders which makes her perfectly even. That's the type of leadership Missouri needs right now.

Missouri does not need a fringe right wing freak who calls student loans "a cancer", who wants to privatize Social Security and turn Medi Care into a voucher program. You deserve better Missouri---and you have that with Senator Claire McCaskill.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth (Ret.) (DEMOCRAT)
Illinois - 8th Congressional District
Opponent      Rep. Joe Walsh (Republican – District 8) 
                    Assumed office January 3, 2011
Websites       http://www.tammyduckworth.com/                                    
                     https://www.facebook.com/TammyForCongress
                     http://www.youtube.com/user/TammyforCongress?feature=watch 

A legitimate war hero and is all substance, style, and the epitome of the American Dream. Nothing beats a strong woman and when compared to her opponent, Rep. Joe Walsh, there is no comparison. Rep. Joe Walsh is not even worthy to tie her shoes laces to say the least. Her opponent is crass, angry, bitter and a loose-cannon with many personal family "issues". It is alleged that he owes $117,000 in Child Support. That is frowned upon by many voters in the District and around the United States. 

Tammy Duckworth has shown her ability in top flight government leadership (Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs). Duckworth is Pro-Choice, for the Affordable Health Care Act, one of the best known advocates for Veterans Affairs, supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, for Gun Control and is for bringing greater fiscal discipline and accountability to the billions of dollars US is spending on our military efforts. She is beloved in the district she hopes to represent and is definitely a rising bright star in the Democratic Party. Many hope she wins and all indications say she just might pull it off. 

Your moment has arrived---step up Tammy Duckworth. You have earned it! 

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Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp (DEMOCRAT)
North Dakota

Opponent      Rep. Rick Berg (Republican-At Large Seat) 
                    Assumed office Juanuary 3, 2011.
Websites     http://heidifornorthdakota.com/                    
                   https://www.facebook.com/HeidiforNorthDakota                          
                   http://www.youtube.com/user/heidifornorthdakota?feature=results_main 

Heidi Heitkamp is a maverick and trailblazer. 

As a wife, mother, sister and daughter-her family, and those closest to her, can vouch that she's hardworking and dedicated to whatever she sets her mind to do.  She has a spine made of titanium it seems? She never backs down from a challenge whether big or small. Voters saw her tanecity when she was Tax Commissioner (1986-1992) and then State Attorney General (19912-2000) for North Dakota. Any normal person would probably fold under the pressure of such high profiled jobs...but not Heidi Heitkamp! 

Her prairie Mid-West down to earth charm, genuine suave and sophistication embodies who she is. That's what makes her such a cool person. Don't make that cool exterior fool you as she has the fire in the belly and guts like no other when it matters most. Now she offers herself up to be the next U.S. Senator from the great State of North Dakota. She offers common sense solutions and, no matter how unpopular it may be at the time, she is willing to take bold steps in doing what's right for all of North Dakota. She always put America first and not special interests. Unlike her opponent, Rep. Rick Berg, whose character is questionable at best. He isn't very upfront and acts very Nixonian. If North Dakota wants meaningful change on Capitol Hill, then the best person is Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp. She is strong woman who is just simply amazing.   

Here is an excerpt from her website about who she is:

Big Family in a Small Town
"Heidi Heitkamp learned her North Dakota values of hard work and responsibility growing up in a big family in the small town of Mantador. Her mom was the school cook and custodian, and her dad did all kinds of jobs, from truck driver to seasonal construction.

She says her father taught her the importance of working within the community to get the job done, from building the town VFW hall to putting a public park in Mantador so that every child had a place to play. And she says her mother, who never let the bullies beat up on the little kids in school, taught her to stand up for the little guy and demand fair play.

Heidi brought those small-town values to her career, choosing a life of public service. Today, as a director of the one-of-a-kind Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, she’s a champion for North Dakota’s energy industry. Heidi believes we need to use all of North Dakota’s rich energy resources wisely, creating and keeping high-paying jobs right here. She believes in reducing our dependence on oil from the Mideast and investing in the sustainable, renewable power sources of the future, including harnessing North Dakota’s abundant potential for wind and solar power. And she believes energy companies should do their fair share to build the infrastructure that North Dakota needs to support a thriving energy industry." Source: Official Campaign Website

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Elizabeth Herring-Warren (DEMOCRAT) 
Massachusetts

Opponent    Senator Scott Brown (Republican) 
                  Assumed office February 4, 2011.
Websites    http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?
                   id=82
    
                   http://elizabethwarren.com/ (campaign)                   http://www.youtube.com/user/ElizabethForMA
                   https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethWarren

It is my firm belief that a woman's place is in the House...and U.S. Senate...and ultimately the Oval Office one day as President. Elizabeth Warren is of strong political timber, worthy of such aformentioned jobs. The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts is a wife, mother, writer of numerous best-selling books, a Harvard professor and Attorney by profession. 

She is the embodiment of the American Dream. 

She hails from a working class family from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that struggled to be successful in life. With many obstacles in her way, she persisted against all odds and is an American success story. Women and little girls all around the world should look up to as an inspiration. 

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The word "impossible" can only be found in the dictionary of fools. On a daily basis she proves that the word impossible does not exsist in her vocabulary. 

Elizabeth is proving it yet again by taking on The Establishment Candidate, Senator Scott Brown, and is being successful. Did we expect anything less? She's on her way to uprooting the Teapublican "yesman" in the very progressive State of Massachusetts. Love her or despise her, you can never take away the fact that she is a fighter for what she believes in and what is right. Beloved by many and envied/feared by the 1%, Elizabeth Warren will make a great U.S. Senator. Who knows - maybe she will make an even better President of the United Statess one day! Expect a lot from her as she is bright, enthusiastic and energetic when speaking and working on behalf of "We the People". 

Stay tuned because her star has just begun to rise and shine. Expect more from this wonderful woman in the near and distant future.

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Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (DEMOCRAT)
Virginia
Opponent     George Allen (Republican - Former Governor & 
                   Former U.S. Senator)
Websites      http://www.kaineforva.com/
                    http://www.youtube.com/user/kaineforva?
                    feature=results_main                     https://www.facebook.com/timkaine


Notable Jobs Mayor of Richmond (1988-2001), 38th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2002-2006), 70th Governor of Virginia (2006-2010) and Chaiman - Democratic National Committee (2009-2011)

Tim Kaine's Political Positions
He is against capital punishment except in circumstances such as the case of the Beltway Sniper John Allen Muhammad. He vetoed eight death-penalty expansion bills and adamantly opposes using the electric chair as an option. 


On gay adoption of children -  is open to adoption statint that judges should make a case-by-case analysis when dealing with adoption and unmarried couples and is open to consideration being made to all couples, regardless of their sexual orientation. 


On abortion as a practicing Roman Catholic, he is privately against abortions for religious reasons. However, he opposes overturning Roe vs. Wade  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade

         "I strongly support the right of women to make their own health and reproductive 
          decisions and, for that reason, will oppose efforts to weaken or subvert the basic holding 
          of Roe v. Wade." (Source: http://www.kaineforva.com/

Abortion should be treated as an "individual right." Kaine has encouraged policymakers to focus on bringing down the number of abortions by - reducing teen pregnancy through abstinence-focused education. 
- ensuring women's access to health care and contraception and promoting adoption as an alternative
                                   
 Kaine supports some legal restrictions on abortion. Legal restrictions such as:
                                   - requiring parental consent 
                                   - banning partial-birth abortions in cases where the woman's life is NOT at risk.

He is a tested and proven leader. Definately Presidential Timber and worth keeping an eye on for the future.

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U.S. Senator Sherrod C. Brown (DEMOCRAT)
Ohio
Opponent             Josh Mendel (Republican) 48th Treasurer of Ohio (since 2011)
Websites              brown.senate.gov
                            https://www.facebook.com/sherrod?v=wall
                            http://www.youtube.com/user/SherrodBrownOhio 

Notable Jobs:        Ohio House of Representatives (1975-1982), 47th Ohio Secretary of 
                            State (1983-1991) and 13th U.S. Congressional Representative 
                            (1993-2007).

Looking for a stalwart in modern day American politics? Look no further ladies and gentlemen. Sherrod Brown is as assured, skilled and seasoned as they come. The 2011 National Journal Annual Rankings rated him tied for one of eight "Most Liberal" member of the U.S. Congress. He wears that mantra with great pride. He's passionate about the issues, yearns to serve and leads by example. The man is a legend in the making. Cut from the same cloth as Ted Kennedy, George McGovern and Paul Wellstone. Here is a list of what he does as a member of the United States Senate:

Senate Committee Assignments
- Appropriations
- Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
- Veterans' Affairs
- Select Committee on Ethics

Senate Subcommittee Assignments
Energy, Science and Technology
Production, Income Protection and Price Support
Chairman - Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms 
Chairman - Economic Policy
Housing, Transportation and Community Development
Security and International Trade and Finance
Children and Families
Employment and Workplace Safety

Senator Brown advocates full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. He voted against prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting children in Washington D.C., and received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign.On November 30, 2010 Brown made a contribution to the It Gets Better Project from the Senate floor and on December 18, 2010 he voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Brown co-sponsored, with Senator Sam Brownback(R-Kansas), an Amendment to the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. President George W. Bush signed it into law in September of that year. 

Other Important Bills he voted for
- Patience Protection and Affordable Care Act (December 2009)
- Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (March 2010)
- Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Obama Care)
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (February 2009): Casted the 60th deciding vote.
- Co-Sponsored Protect-IP Act of 2011 (PIPA)- 2012 NDAA which sparked major controversy over indefinate detention of U.S. citizens. 
- Appropriated funds to combat drug trafficking, reduce Medicaid fraud, assist victims of natural disasters, and fund the  
  Department of Defense (2008)

The latest polls show Senator Brown has a commanding lead against his GOP opponent, Josh Mendel, Ohio State Treasurer. As of October 28, 2012 this is what the latest poll for Ohio Senate looks like:

Candidate                      Statewide  Own Party Support    Favorable/Unfavorable   Not Sure
Sherrod Brown (Democrat)    53%                89%                        47%           44%                9%
Josh Mendel (Republican)     42%                81%                        38%           51%              11%
Source: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/ 

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Christie Vilsack (DEMOCRAT)
Iowa - 4th Congressional District
Opponent   Rep. Steve King (Republican-District 4-Iowa) 
                 Assumed office on January 3, 2003.
Websites    http://www.christievilsackforiowa.com/ (campaign)
                  http://www.facebook.com/ChristieVilsackforIowa
                  http://www.youtube.com/user/christievilsack4iowa

These days, current Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack is simply known as "Christie's husband". She has come out locked and loaded, with all guns blazing against her unpopular and misinformed Teapulican opponent. It does help having been the First Lady of Iowa. 

She continues to be dedicated to higher education having worked as a teacher and Community Organizer. A native of Iowa, Chrisitie Vilsack has the common touch and knows how to reach accross the political isle for compromise. With the toxicity in Washington D.C., who better for the job than her? 

The good people of Iowa have suffered fatigue long enough from Tea Party extremist stupidity. They will make their voices heard, especially women, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 by electing the former First Lady of Iowa as their Congressional Representative. 

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Rep. Chris Murphy (DEMOCRAT)
Connecticut- 5th Congressional District 
Opponent          Linda McMahon (Republican)
Websites          http://chrismurphy.house.gov/ (Congress)
                        http://www.youtube.com/user/chrismurphyct
                        http://www.chrismurphy.com/ (Campaign)
                        https://www.facebook.com/ChrisMurphyCT

Rep. Chris Murphy has served Connecticut in various capacities. He was elected to the Connecticut State Senate at age 29 representing District 16 (1999-2003), State Legislature in District 81 serving two terms (2003-2007) and District 5 (2007-present).

Today he is running to be the next U.S. Senator from Connecticut. He sponsored a bill to that would subject Supreme Court Justices to the same ethical code that applies to other federal judges. He suggested in 2011 the possibility of an investigation to decide whether Justice Clarence Thomas had committed ethical violations that would justify removing him from office. Murphy proposed making home invasion a federal crime in 2008 after a mother and her 2 daughters were brutally raped and murdered in his District. He opposes the Three Strikes Law. Here is a list of what he does in Congress today:

House Committee Assignments
- Foreign Affairs
- Oversight and Government Reform

House Subcommittee Assignments
- Middle East and South Asia
- Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives
- Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform

Connecticut District 5 should be proud of their Congressional Representative. He makes things look easy and is always dependable in getting the job done correctly. That's what is needed in the U.S. Senate today. If you want a visionary leader who makes it his duty to work with people on the opposite side of the political isle? Then Rep. Chris Murphy is a man for all people. He's a great Congressman and he will make an even better U.S. Senator. What greater reward is worthy of this patriot other than a U.S. Senate seat? Chris Murphy is deserving of it and so much more. Connecticut won't regret it.                          


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Rep. Joseph "Joe" S. Donnelly (DEMOCRAT)
Indiana - 2nd Congressional District

Opponent  Richard "Dick" Mourdock (Republican)
Websites   http://www.joeforindiana.com/ 
                 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congressman-Joe-Donnelly/
                 http://www.youtube.com/user/joeforindiana
                 http://donnelly.house.gov

Cool, calm and collected best describes Rep. Joe Donnelly. Regarded as a moderate, he is a rarity in Indiana and in the total body politic of America today. He brings this uniqueness to Congress trying to break the gridlock that currently ensnears the once respected American Institution. 

He is a breath of fresh air who respects women, loves America and is a devouted family man. He is pragmatic and thought provoking. His every move is deliberate and motivated by making America and Indiana be a better place. He is for a stronger the Middle Class. He wants to save (and create) more American Jobs from being outsourced. He is for cutting taxes, job training, strengthening education, balancing the Federal Budget and having a more efficient government where the majority in Indiana benefit. Rep. Donnelly is definately not for the 1%. Here is a run down of his roll as a Congressman:  
Committee Assignments
- Financial Services
- Veterans' Affairs

Subcommittee Assignments
- Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- International Monetary Policy and Trade
- Health
- Oversight and Investigations (Ranking Member)

Donnelly is a member of Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats in Congress. In June 2007, Rep. Donnelly was ranked as one of the ten most independent Democrats by the non-partisan Congressional Quarterly report. He often times broke away from the Democratic Leadership as it pertained to budgetary issues.  

His opponent, Dick Mourdoch, is for tax breaks for big Oil Companies and Wall Street. Mourdoch only pays lip service by pandering to anyone who will listen. It is safe to say that Mourdoch suffers from "Romnesia". Mourdoch has selective memory, speak first then think after the fact. Not giving proper thought to the sensabilities and needs of the Indiana voter. A perfect example of Mourdoch pandering was when he made the assinine "God intended" statement on rape: 

"I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen." 
~Richard Mourdoch - 2012 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate 

Mourdoch is like Missouri Rep. Todd Akin...but on steroids. The Indiana voters are clearly rejecting the "my way or the highway" approach and extremist nonsense politics. People want smart leaders who can represent them and who they can be proud of. 

Richard Mourdoch does not fit that mold. 

He's subserviant to his Tea Party Masters like a love sick puppy. Murdouch jumps to the every wish of Tea Party psycophants. Richard Mourdoch is an embarrassment to the great State of Indiana. 

The clear choice, because of his cool, calm and collected leadership, is Rep. Joe Donnelly. He has proven himself as a sensable leader who doesn't conform to Special Interest every wants and needs, unlike his opponent. He's for the people and for making Indiana and America stronger economically. A vote Joe Donnelly is a vote for practicality and common sense. The politics of stupidity and crazy fringe behavior is a thing of the past. Indiana! Reject Richard Mourdoch---elect Congressman Joe Donnelly as your next United States Senator. 

You deserve better. Don't you think? 

I think so...  

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So, we are down to the wire. The moment of truth has almost arrived. It is up to the American people to decide. Do we want trickled down economics, which has been proven an absolute failure? Or do we want real change as we move forward in the 21st Century? 

Don't complain---vote! 

Give President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden the mandate of a Democratic majority in the next Congress. It is how we can move forward from this gridlock . 

The Republicans had their chance and blew it. 

The Tea Party is the Republican Party. America has suffered at their hands long enough. It's finally time for change we can believe in. 

Forward Forever, Backward Never

Vote Republicans Out!
Visit
http://www.barackobama.com/

https://www.facebook.com/barackobama

http://www.youtube.com/user/BarackObamadotcom

 
The Presidential hopeful is now a true “Presidential Wanna-be”. 
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.
The urge, the longing, the itch and the craving to be in the White House is so overwhelming. The evidence of this ‘want’ used to seep through the edges and the cracks of Mitt Romney's skin but has now engulfed him, Mrs. Mitt and all five infantile, juvenile Mitts. 

The saliva-dripping, tongue-on-the-floor exhibit by this family is almost sinful.  There is nothing in life anyone should want so much that he/she will barter his or her soul at every opportunity and sell it to the devil for zero dollars.  But then again, a Tin Man has no soul and the offsprings - the “tin-nettes” or those who marry into this setting (classified as “birds-of- a-feather”) cannot be expected to have a soul – can they?.

The most practiced and honed quality of Mitt Romney is lying and he sucks big-time - school children in England can see through the lies! We ask for transparency and we get transparency we all see through him:

On Abortion – Pro-Life with no exceptions on abortion. He is now underscoring his support for abortion and 
                         contraception.

On Immigration – Originally in the presidential primaries Mr. Romney’s was for self deportation, vetoing the “Dream 
                               Act” then in speaking to Latino voters he said: “The kids of those that came here illegally, 
                               those kids I think should have a pathway to become a permanent resident of the United 
                               States”. As recently as early as this month (October) he said that if elected president, he would 
                               end the program that offers hundreds of thousands of those immigrants two-year reprieves from 
                               deportation, which the Obama administration began in August. October 2012

On Healthcare – His Massachusetts sweeping healthcare law expanded the state’s Medicaid program and resulted 
                            into doubled the number of insured residents which required residents to secure coverage or be 
                            taxed.  Then he vilified President Obama’s healthcare system which is mirror-image of the 
                            Massachusetts’ law while criticizing benefits such as coverage of pre-existing conditions. In the 
                            Presidential campaign he is back and forth on repeal then accept, repeal then accept.

On Taxes – Hike taxes on the middle class but give tax breaks to the rich, wealthy and famous. Then he says it will 
                     mean more take home pay for the middle class – more taxes resulting into more take-home is an 
                     oxymoron if ever there were one. But then again, Romney is a moron.
* On Foreign Policy – Summed up in the President’s words last night in the debate:
                                   “Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the 
                                   foreign policies of the 1980s," Obama told Romney during the debate at Lynn University. 
                                   "Just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s."

On Women’s Rights – Scary!  Equal pay for equal work, a law enacted in what Mr. Romney would call a “Third 
                                     World” country Jamaica since 1975.  JAMAICA THE EMPLOYMENT (EQUAL PAY FOR 
                                     MEN AND WOMEN) ACT Act 34 of 1975. [1st: December, 1975.] This is thirty four (34) years 
                                     before President Obama signed it into law and Mr. Romney is opposing it.  Or no ... I forgot!!! 
                                     He has a binder full of women. The social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of 
                                     the 1920s.

On Outsourcing Jobs, or resting his money in tax-safe havens, OR ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING... 

                                                                  You suck Mr. Romney!
President Obama is everything that Governor Romney is not, cannot and will never be.  

The President is smart.  He did not get his entry to Harvard, his intellect, his suave, his pleasing personality, his sufistication, his charm by the affirmative action of a cash rich-father of a dunce kid, he had to earn it by his assets bestowed upon him by his Father, God. 

Mitt Romney and the far right of the Republican Party, including the Tea Party, use the term “entitlement” to demean and debase the very workers who are the backbone, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system and muscles of the country.  BUT on their side of the fence, the dictionary shows a different and elevating meaning for entitlement – because of who he is, he is entitled to the White House and the other guy for who he is, is not!

I cannot for the life of me understand why this President, with all his achievements under unprecedented harsh circumstances is so unappreciated and hated.  My mother has shared a song with me that she says sums up the answer to my question and it really does. 
Great melody – you should listen to it, especially the words some of which I have extracted and included below. 

Cut and paste......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0c2Ub2EbSU
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Pop Tops “Oh Lord, Why Lord”
I search the open sky to find the reason why
The color of my skin is said to be an awful sin 
Oh Lord, Why Lord

I have to live and live and 
Give much more than I can give
Oh Lord, Why Lord

I feel the weight of everlasting hate
But my strength will not grow faint
Oh Lord, why Lord

Pop Tops (or Los Pop-Tops) were a vocal/instrumental band, formed in 1967 in Madrid, Spain and consisting of José Lipiani, Alberto Vega, Ignacio Pérez, Julián Luis Angulo, Enrique Gómez, Ray Gómez plus lead singer Phil Trim (born January 5, 1940, Trinidad and Tobago)


 

Why America and the World Still Needs Barack Obama
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.

Dedicated to all the Birthers: SONG: "Obama Born Ya" by Screwdriver. 
 http://youtu.be/CRlR7_Dv8PQ
“He’s gotten more done in three years than any president in decades. Too bad the American public still thinks he hasn’t accomplished anything…… Measured in sheer legislative tonnage, what Obama got done in his first two years is stunning."  The Incomplete Greatness of Barack Obama- Paul Glastris, Washington Monthly, March/April 2012.

President Obama is a man of courage. A president who does not allow anyone or anything to daunt his commitment or his resolve.  He successfully defied, confronted, dared, disregarded and treated with contempt the impeding, and the encumbering efforts of the GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party), and I include in this group of obstructionists, the pseudo conservatives who call themselves Blue Dog Democrats. 

Some Achievements in YEARS 1 AND 2 of Obama’s Presidency:

The U.S. Auto Industry take-over and turn-around: Injection of $62 billion in federal money in 2009 which has added over 100,000 jobs since, and for the first time in over 20 years Ford, General Motors and Chrysler the big three automakers all gained market share.  One does not have to call attention to the efforts of the GOP to stop that from happening. Romney our “Businessman of the Century” was the one to say “Let Detroit go Bankrupt” and he cannot to date, and will never in his lifetime, get rid of the egg in his face.  

Wall Street Regulated: We all accept as fact (except Romney and his crew who are passionate proponents and beneficiaries of the spoils of de-regulation) that regulation was and continues to be an absolute must after the Great Recession brought on by the suspect practices of Wall Street. Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010)

Avant-garde Reform of Student Aid: Rapacious banks were relieved of their middleman status with regards to the Federal Student Loan Program and Pell Grant spending was increased.  Students now go directly to the Federal Government and this results in a $67 billion savings over 10 years, $36 billion of which to be used in expansion of Pell Grants to low-income students.

Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act Signed in 2010: With the coordinated efforts with Michelle Obama the act mandating $4.5 billion additional spending to elevate nutritional and health standards for school lunches. 

Signed 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Authorization Act: The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers 4 million more children.  This is financed by tax increase on tobacco products.
Stem Cell Research Expansion:  Bush’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell research were eliminated in 2009.
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Agreement for Speedy Compensation to Victims of Gulf Oil Spill (2010): BP (British Petroleum) was forced to act albeit in the absence of statutory power to compensate victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  $20 billion is secured for this compensation - over $6 billion of this is already honored without lawsuits compared to the approximately 10 years it took for plaintiffs to receive $1.3 billion in the Exxon Valdez Alaska oil spill case. 

Signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009): Equal pay for equal work, giving the right to women who are paid less than men for the same work to sue employers for this discriminatory act even in cases where the discrimination took place years ago. 

U.S. Supreme Court Liberal Seats (2009): Nominated Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman to serve and the fourth woman, Elena Kagan in 2010.

Bush Torture Policy Reversed: In second day in office the President invalidated the “enhanced interrogation techniques” of the Bush era which was in contravention of the Geneva Conventions and in so doing, released President Bush’s secret legal rulings that supported these techniques. 

America’s Image Abroad Improved: By his policies and diplomacy President Obama corrected the severe decline in world opinion of the United States.  The “favorable-factor” towards the US between 2008 to 2011 experienced a rise in 10 to 15 countries surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project by an impressive 26%.

Healthcare Reform passed: 32 million uninsured Americans will be covered because of the Affordable Care Act (2010) and further, there are mandates to cut healthcare cost growth.  This is the primary contributor to the country’s current and future fiscal problems. 

Stimulus Passed: The country was suffering the greatest recession since the Great Depression brought on by the failed Bush Presidency. Boldly and against bad-mouthing coming from the GOP the President signed the $787 billion American Recovery Act in 2009.  Unemployment claims saw a decrease just weeks after the implementation of the stimulus, private sector produced more jobs than it was losing only 12 months after and to date has continued its unyielding growth in private sector jobs totaling over 5 million and counting

Mini-Stimuli beginning – July 22, 2010: These have helped families who are among the 47% of America who Mitt Romney cares nothing about.


Wall Street Regulated: We all accept as fact (except Romney and his crew who are passionate proponents and beneficiaries of the spoils of de-regulation) that regulation was and continues to be an absolute must after the Great Recession brought on by the suspect practices of Wall Street. The President signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010)

Recapitalized Banks:  Amidst the barrage of criticism and controversy President Obama applied good business sense - a quality believed by the GOP and Romney reserved for them and them alone. He approved Treasury Department’s plan, has successfully lured private capital into the largest banks and this has reinstated these financial institutions to a profitable position and at no cost to the government!!!

Credit Card Reforms: This reform under the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (2009) prohibits credit card companies from raising rates without notification and implemented a mandated grace period on these increases while strictly limiting overdraft and other fees. 

War:  Ended the Iraq War with the last of America’s bravest souls returning home in December of 2011

Veteran Support Increased: Increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs’ budget by 16% while at the same time signing a new GI bill with $78 billion in tuition assistance to last over 10 years and provided multiple tax-credits as encouragement to businesses to hire veterans.
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Killing Osama Bin Laden, bringing to an end Moammar Gaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship without the loss of one American life.  

February 1, 2011 Obama publicly told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to go and the rest is history Mubarak’s 30-year rule ended 10 days after.

Missile Defense Trimmed and Reoriented: Saved $1.4 billion in 2010 by cutting the Reagan “Star-Wars’ missile defense budget. 

Stopped purchasing F-22 (2009): The 187 Lockheed Martin single-seat, twin-engine, fighter aircraft the military had built cost the country $358 million each, but have never flown a single combat mission. A saving of $4 billion

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Repealed and brought to an end the 1990s-era restriction on gays in the military.

Regulate Carbon Dioxide Production: Having recognized the dangers of Carbon Dioxide, it was declared a pollutant and regulations put in place as related to its production. 

Renewable Technology Investment: Invested more than his predecessors in research, electric cars, energy efficiency, clean coal and biofuels. 

Drawdown of Troops in Afghanistan has seen constant reduction of troops and combat mission is scheduled to be over by 2013.

Sanctions have been tightening on Iran, over 5 million private-sector jobs created, unemployment rate at 7.8% and despite of unrelenting opposition from the unpatriotic Tea Party-controlled House he could accomplish a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction deal.

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With 17 days to go until the biggest election in modern American history, the polls show a dead even race between the two parties and the country is deluged by the anxieties of the left, the bile and evil cravings to seize power of the right, the hope and anxieties of the voters for a relief from this long drought of quality life.  The world looks on with anxious expectation to the results of the election with the hope that the greatest nation on earth and the trend-setter for world economic success would settle down and get back to business.


This why the America, and the World, still needs Barak Obama!!!

P.S. – Join me (Dave) and Lori Picarella at 11:00pm Monday, October 22nd to discuss the last presidential debate for this season. This is a half-hour internet radio show. We love to hear from you.  Call us at (619)789-1959.   Listen, call-in and make your comment on live radio: www.blogtalkradio.com/kitchenpolitics123
~DF  
 
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.
  
Romney, Ryan and Republicans (RRR) take heed you are striving (you believe) only because you are so comfortable with dishonesty. But I refer you to a simple song – I love these songs; these “message songs”.  This is by the artiste called Shine Head, “STRIVE” and I refer you to a particular stanza:


If yuh a tief tief remember God naw sleep
And although yuh rob a man and yuh get weh last week
Yuh ago laugh outta street but yuh beaten gwine steep
Caz God annuh silent river and jah know him run deep

TRANSLATION:
If you are a thief, remember God is not sleeping
And although you robbed a man (the American people) and got away with it last week
You are going to laugh in the street, but your punishment will be steep (severe)
Because God is not a silent river but God knows He runs deep!
                  
                        ****
Throughout history lots of great men and women
Went about things the old fashion way 
They just kept on winning and winning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJRpJMKxB8 

“The old fashioned way” Romney, Ryan and Republicans (RRR) means pure unadulterated honesty and truth! When it’s not Ryan lying through his teeth at the GOP Convention, it is Romney in the Presidential debate with vomit-worthy, shameless, bare-faced, bone-numbing dishonesty!

Romney engages his Etch-a-Sketch pretending to turn away from his plan which he has been putting forward for the past year and saying the stark opposite is his promise.  And promise it is indeed because he knows he is only trying to hood-wink the American people. He says he will do these things AND  not only does he not explain how he will achieve them but knowing full well he is only feeding these “takers”, these “others” with the heat of the campaign aphrodisiac. He said in the debate he will keep bank regulations in place, hire more teachers, maintain tax on the wealthy in total contradiction of his true intentions and opposite to what he has been promising up until the last 18 seconds before the debate.
Pre-existing conditions benefits are provided for, under his health plan. The truth is, this clause in his plan applies only in instances where continuous healthcare coverage is held by the patient and in addition that right has existed since 1996 and would discard those patients who cannot get healthcare period. This neither matches Obamacare or Romneycare! Read more in “Repeal and Replace, Without the Replace” by Jonathan Cohn, The New Republic May 17, 2012
 http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/103422/republican-repeal-replace-obamacare-pre-existing-condition-guarantee

He would end Obama programs but does not think the American public needs to know how he would accomplish this without eliminating the very things he says he will keep.
 
The $5 trillion tax cut is a direct adaptation of the Ryan’s and Republicans’ stated goals to lower Capital Gains tax to zero which would have Romney and his filthy rich friends  paying zero tax to the Federal Government.  
This benefit for the rich would have to be borne by the “others” “those people” whom he cares nothing about. Middle and working Americans would lose tax deductions for childcare, mortgage interest among others.  Then we cannot forget that people who receive these deductions think they are entitled and while these ‘entitled’ souls lose their entitlement, they work harder and harder to support Romney’s program that allows him and his kind, to pay zero to the country to which they claim they are so patriotic. This is not patriotism it is treason!!!

His denial to the President’s charge that he promises to cut $5 trillion dollars from these wealthy entitled soul "I'm not asking for a $5 trillion tax cut.  What I've said is I won't put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. ... I've got five boys. I'm used to people saying something that's not always true, but just keep on repeating it and ultimately hoping I'll believe it." is jaw-dropping. Not to mention the air of entitlement he exhibits in this utterance being utterly rude and disrespectful to compare the President and the country’s business to shenanigans of he and his and “lie-raised” juveniles!
 He has promised to extend all the Bush tax cuts and has decided to go along with Ryan’s non-acceptance of even the slightest of higher revenue in attacking the deficit.  From which angle then is he saying that all this is untrue?
I have wasted enough time and ire on the pack of thieves so I purge my mind of these negative souls and think of the great men and women who go about things the old fashion way and who just keep on winning and winning!
 
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.

Mitt Romney And His Surrogates Are Plotting To Steal The 2012 Election.

   It says a lot about a person when the best he can do is lie. Not only lie but lie about lying. Although he has been repeatedly proven a liar by the Media, he keeps on lying without flinching, showing no kind of remorse or shame. That is a sure sign of a Class A narcissist. The psycho-analytic definition of a narcissist reads: “A person with a social personality disorder who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance and superiority and an excessive need for admiration”. Placed besides the meaning in the dictionary is a picture of Mitt Romney. 

This need for admiration and recognition extends from his sense of entitlement because of who he is. The child who was given everything he ever wanted or desired – the spoilt brat. So he sets his sight on the White House and if it takes lying, and lying and even assassination of character (those of his GOP colleagues in the presidential primaries and the President’s) he will do it. We need no more evidence than his cold and heartless behavior with his trampling of human lives and livelihood at Bain Capital, the times when by his own uttering we see his true self – “I like to fire people”, “…47% of Americans think they are entitled, dependent on government and aren’t willing to take personal responsibility for their lives… I don’t care about those people.”

Congressman Paul Ryan has underscored the “birds of a feather stick together” cliché. The common thread of lying and shamelessness, the kind of lies my grandmother would term barefaced, and dry-eyed lies”. Ryan has turned out to be a real albatross around Romney’s neck and vice versa Romney around his neck. But birds of a feather do stick together! 

The Group of Bandits:
Having defined the pillars on which this Republican 2012 campaign stands, with the two liars at the core – or no they are not the core, they are the water boys for the real captains of the ship. Although they seem to be front and center of the game, they are but the boys who work on the sidelines and provide water to the real players in this game saying and doing whatever they are told/instructed to do.  And I say “real players” because there are the Republican Governors (special shout out to the Florida posse and Governor Rick Scott) and the most recently discovered GOP’s potential voter registration fraud, the RNC, the Koch Brothers, Carl Rove, Sheldon Adelson to name but a few of the “GOP Steal the Presidency Group”.
• Nine (9) Republican governors and their secretaries of state control the electronic vote count in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Arizona, and New Mexico while Wisconsin  elections is controlled by the state’s Government Accountability Board that is the governor’s appointment.
• There is the nation-wide GOP disenfranchisement campaign and where the pre-election efforts fail, these governors could flip their states’ electronic votes to Romney and provide him Electoral College victory.  There is nothing to stop this from happening, is there?
• The disenfranchisement strategy designed to deny millions of Democrats the right to vote. The Brennan Center of New York estimates that this could result in tens of millions of American votes.
• Stripping voter rolls. In Ohio alone, approximately 1.1 million citizens have been purged from lists since 2009.  GOP surrogate groups such as True the Vote is perpetrating this "21st Century Jim Crow Law" which is criminal and morally wrong. 
Herein lays the problem:
1. Although this massive disenfranchisement drive has evoked strong reaction in the form of lawsuits, loud outcry from voting rights activists, et al it is not obvious if there is a parallel campaign that will guarantee that votes will be  efficiently counted once cast. 
2. Regardless of the serious problems with electronic tabulations in the elections of 2004 (the disgrace of the century) and in 2004 no less, these electronic voting machines have proliferated state electoral machinery; AND we must be aware that the GOP’s clandestine moves have no boundaries.  In Ohio for example we look at the resume of the contractor with the responsibility for Ohio’s vote count? 
GovTech, a Republican owned company who in turn contracts Smartech for servers and for IT support a company named Triad both Republican companies. 
3. Republican sympathetic companies have secured contracts to provide electronic voting machines not only throughout Ohio but throughout other key swing states and these are not easily traceable.  The irony of this is that these have been funded by Federal grants under the Help America Vote Act. The Federal Government funding the disenfranchisement machinery – depriving select Americans the legal right, the privilege to vote. 

All that and more are in the thrust to steal the 2012 elections by the Conservatives, the Christian Conservatives, the Family Values group and the “Honest, Holier than Thou” people.  But maybe the following is saving the best for last.


The best for the last, and the last straw:

    Strategic Allied Consulting owned by Nathan Sproul.  Who is this Mr. Sproul? He is a Mitt Romney’s paid political consultant and a seasoned GOP operative. Strategic Allied Consulting was paid $3 million over the August and September to register voters in the key swing states. This effort to rig the election is in the form of fraudulent voter registration applications. Addresses and party affiliations changed and a number of other irregularities including registration of dead people. 
The implications of addresses and party affiliations changes mean these voters if they are real, and the effort would be worthless if they are not real voters (GOP theft machine doesn’t waste time and effort on useless outcomes).  Some of these addresses are moved to shopping centers and gas stations so when the ‘real’ person turns up at the precinct to vote, their driver’s license would show a different address and by law they could not vote. I can bet that the party affiliation change is from known Democrats to Republican and would you vote for Romney or down the ticket Republican because the Supervisor of Election records show you are registered otherwise. Hell no! That is another way of disenfranchising Democrats.

The irony is that this fraud was first discovered in the Sunshine State where the Laws are historically the most transparent of all the states except when it comes to those involving electoral matters it seems. Florida is the state that is the pioneer for voter list purging, shortening early voting days, eliminating Sunday before election day voting, and the Governor’s raucous outcry of voter-list irregularities. Unless I am not listening closely enough, Mr. Righteous Rick’s (Scott) silence on Florida’s Voter Registration Scandal is deafening!  Were all Scott’s outcry and his pioneering of voters-list purging, and his request for INS citizens register to fine-tune his witch hunt nothing but a smoke-screen to take attention away from what he could have been fully aware of and maybe contributed to, in the orchestration of this Strategic Allied Consulting/GOP skullduggery? Please convince me otherwise.
 I reiterate - all this unfair and dishonest practice of Romney, Ryan, Scott, Rove, Koch and GOP cronies being executed in secrecy to trick and steal the election will not work.  You are up against truth and honesty. You are up against the Obama machinery which if you take your head from out of the sand for a few seconds you cannot but see that the records keep on working against all your efforts! You are up against a President with 3 C’s – Cool, Collected and in Control. He is an Attorney (a constitutional one no less) he is a Professor - and rarely does one see these two qualities/experiences meld so well with street smarts.  In this instance the melding is perfect between the lofty experience and qualities of Attorney/Professor and street smarts and everything in between. 

Romney and his group, the GOP ruled House of Representatives and obstructionists in the Senate, are applying the stealth of the Boogie Man but listen to the song Hush, Hush, Hush Here Comes the Boogeyman    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fAjyFbyb4o    
“Don't you be afraid of him if he should visit you 
 He's a great big coward so I'll tell you what to do…..
Say shoo shoo and stick him with a pin
Bogey man will very nearly jump out of his skin”
 
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.


The system has spawned and nurtured the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC)

  The facts speak for themselves:
  1.  In past 2 decades, States spending on prisons has risen an average of 6 times of spending on higher education.  A
       sample state spending per inmate per year reads like this - California $50,000, Michigan $34,000 and New York 
       $56,000.
“Why is this happening? Prisons are a big business. Most are privately run. They have powerful lobbyists and they have bought most state politicians.” — Fareed Zakaria, CNN, March 30, 2012

  2. Between 1970 and 2005, U.S. prison population increased by 700%. Currently it is estimated that 1 of every 182 
      Americans is incarcerated in a Federal or State Prison. Between 1990 and 2009 Public High School Graduation 
      rate has only increased by 2.9% to a high of 76.6%. The Condition of Education 2012, National Center for 
     Education Statistics State budgets have revealed that most states, despite spending more money overall on 
     education, are spending three to four times more per capita incarcerating prisoners than they are educating 
     students. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/14/states-spend-times-incarcerating-educating-
     studies-say-464156987/#ixzz27aWoqpDW

  3. In California, of the general fund, 11% goes to prisons and 7.5% goes to education. “Spending 45 percent more 
      on prisons than Universities is no way to proceed into the future” said Arnold Schwarzenegger former 
      governor of California

4.  America boasts to be the “freest country in the world” has incarcerated more of its citizens than the rest of the world 
     combined.  7.1 million to date (2012). The United States is ranked 37th in the world in education spending as a 
     percentage of gross domestic product.

5.  States project how many prison beds are needed it factors the number of kids who cannot read well in the 4th 
     grade. They build prisons relative to the projected graduation rate.

6.  Approximately 85% of juveniles are functionally literate and approximately 70% of prisoners exhibit the lowest level 
     of reading skills. The numbers of incarcerations continue to climb each year as more prisons are built in almost 
     every State.

The Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) is one of the monstrously negative effects of rapacious capitalism in the United States. Corporations and private individuals connive to maximize profits at the expense of human lives and human existence.  The wealthy individuals and corporations benefit from cheap labor provided by inmates of the country’s correctional institutions. 
More individuals and corporations than the general public know or believe are involved and benefit from prison industries and the cheap inmate labor.  As an example a number of the largest corporations in America use Fidelity Investments as the sole source of retirement investment for their employees. Fidelity is a funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) who in turn is a big supporter of Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and Geo Group (Geo) who are both corporate sponsors of ALEC. 

What/Who is ALEC? 

“ALEC is not a lobby; it is not a front group. It is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, behind closed doors, corporations hand state legislators the changes to the law they desire that directly benefit their bottom line. Along with legislators, corporations have membership in ALEC. Corporations sit on all nine ALEC task forces and vote with legislators to approve “model” bills. They have their own corporate governing board which meets jointly with the legislative board. (ALEC says that corporations do not vote on the board.) Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. Participating legislators, overwhelmingly conservative Republicans, then bring those proposals home and introduce them in statehouses across the land as their own brilliant ideas and important public policy innovations—without disclosing that corporations crafted and voted on the bills. ALEC boasts that it has over 1,000 of these bills introduced by legislative members every year, with one in every five of them enacted into law. ALEC describes itself as a “unique,” “unparalleled” and “unmatched” organization. We agree. It is as if a state legislature had been reconstituted, yet corporations had pushed the people out the door” ALEC EXPOSED http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F 
We must remember that among the group of corporations are global corporations who with state politicians rewrite the laws that govern your rights 
 McDonald’s contract with companies that use inmate labor to purchase their uniforms and some plastic utensils
K-Mart and J.C. Penny sell jeans made by inmates in the prisons in Tennessee
Services corporations such as banks, energy producers, oil, utilities, insurance companies, telecommunications, call centers many of whom not only fund ALEC with regard to prison labor and PIC, they  have foundations that contribute substantially to ALEC and have representation on ALEC’s Private Enterprise Board
The agricultural industry is not to be excluded. As a result of the tough immigration laws in the Western States the prison industries are vying to fill the void of the migrant workers.  Colorado for example is in partnership with its DOC to implement a program to use inmates on private farms.  All of the above except for the manipulative sell-out of the country to private and global corporations is acceptable on the surface BUT the Colorado experience breeds a situation worse than the illegal migrant worker scenario.  Corporate farm owners pay prisoners 60 cents per day (yes you read correctly).  While the prison guards who oversee the workers are paid handsomely and the corporations benefit big. This not only makes a  bad situation worse since it was believed that migrant workers take jobs from Americans but at this wage rate, employers will have no incentive to change from this source of labor.  This is modern day slavery! And who makes up most of the prison population?

-           Colorado sends female inmates to harvest onions, corn   
            and melons and Iowa is considering to do the same.

-          For more than 20 years, Arizona inmates are being used 
           to provide slave labor for private agriculture businesses. 

Is it plain the reason for not funding public school education - so as to produce fewer graduates. To supply the prison labor force that provides these corporations 60 cents per day inmate labor. The situation that is happening in Washington State is mirrored across the country.  To address the State’s deficit, the State has put the following cuts into play – notice the imbalance skewed against education:

-          $50 million from the Department of Corrections

-          $50 million from K-12 education including state funding to 
           keep class sizes small

-          $51 million from higher education 

-          $30 million from state-subsidized health insurance and 
           the elimination of non-emergency dental care for poor 
           adults

                  FROM SCHOOL TO PRISON
 
By David A. Franklin, Jr.

The irony called Mitt Romney can be understood by his enacting the beliefs and teachings of his Mormon faith which says in part:

 * “Truth is determined by feelings….We believe we know the truth by our  feelings. We do not rely on, and we 
    will disregard any facts that contradict what our feelings tell us is true.”


 •  “By being Mormons, we are assured of salvation – even if we are wrong”

   Never before has anyone presented him- or herself as a candidate for the presidency of the great United States of America or for that matter, as leader of “Anywhere on Planet Earth” been so shilly shally, such a waste of time, who panders to, and assumes the character of the bottom of the barrel for his own selfish reasons. Who makes impulsive, unthinking and impetuous decisions – selling his soul (I forgot, he has no soul) not caring what are the consequences or if it hurts the very country he claims to love and wants to rescue. As a matter of fact, the more disastrous the consequence the more he exhibits that snug satisfaction and he flourishes with cheers from the penny section with Palin, Limbaugh, O’Riley, Bachmann and other such in the front seat.

   His religion is up for scrutiny as is any other religion and by God, Romney himself knows that Mormonism is not a subject he would like anyone to concentrate on especially at this time.  He therefore would be expected to manufacture some modicum of politeness or decorum and take time to understand before he condemns.  “The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions” What in this statement does Romney not understand? 
And then again, his rash reaction was before ANY attack happened but please remember - “We Mormons do not rely on, and we will disregard any facts that contradict what our feelings tell us is true.”  ARGUEMENT OVER! RIGHT MR. ROMNEY?

   The fact is that having won the nomination to run for president is the first this gentleman has had to work for anything without the props of his golden spoon with which he has been fed since birth. But no! Correction, he does have that golden spoon in the form of his personal wealth and connections, and his billionaire colleagues’ contributions. Is it that his spoon on this occasion has outlived its usefulness?
   Welcome to the real world Mitt.  Because you have operated in a cloistered reality so far where if things are not handed to you on a platter, where the opportunity to maneuver is enhanced by your special environment, you  are out of your depth. Having to depend on ordinary mortals to decide your fate you see your world coming to a crash, and you are completely discombobulated!  You become a fool not knowing what to say and when. You jump at every opportunity you see to project yourself as more worthy for the pick than your opponent.  You jump at every prodding from those at the ringside of the school-yard brawl – the far right nut jobs in your party. Can’t you see they are in it to get attention and ratings and to line their pockets at your expense?  Do you have the ability to pause and think and make a decision by yourself, without the cheering and chanting from these school yard bullies?

   Then there are those with psychiatric deficiencies like Richard Williamson, a former Assistant Secretary of State under the Ronald Reagan Administration, who said a Romney Administration would have been on top of the situation before it got to this stage. Secretary Williamson like yourself is living a fantasy or totally lost on all reality. It is because of nonsense talk and thinking like this why the country’s image is what it is in the Middle East. Rightwing hogwash and
irresponsible innuendos, through a terribly dubbed short film, has destabilized an already fragile peace after the Arab Spring. It is obvious that Romney is advised by neo-cons, hell bent on starting another war in the volatile region. War equals big profit for the Military Industrial Complex and the 1%.  This is a carefully orchestrated brew-ha-ha to scare and distract the American people. Haven’t the Republicans learnt that they cannot discredit this president when it comes to diplomacy and eliminating wanted terrorists on a regular basis? All their arguments are invalid when it comes to defending American soil. Nobody does it better than the Obama-Biden Administration…nobody!  


The Unfit Mitt
     Let’s look at some of the important issues Romney supported before he was against them. On every issue, he has been on the side of whatever is popular at the time. It also depends on the audience he is speaking to at the moment. He does more flip flops than a seasoned circus seal, without shame or remorse. The words “truth” and “reality” are non-existent in the man’s vocabulary. 
   
Romney was for Roe vs. Wade in 1994 when he ran unsuccessfully against the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Today, he is so far right of the issue one couldn’t believe he was for it. He wants to repeal Roe vs. Wade today. 

Romney created a successful health care system in Massachusetts dubbed Romney Care. The Affordable Care Act is the off-spring to it. How can he be for his plan but against the Affordable Care Act which is the same thing basically?          
         
Romney was all for progressive Immigration Reform with the Dream Act. Far right Teapublicans hated the idea only because Obama is for it and they fear that it will eat away at their status quo of being the super majority in America. They will do any and everything to hold on to power. 
 
Romney gives no regard to the sacrifices made by men and women. He nor any of his sons have served a day in the Armed Forces yet, if elected, a President Romney would send troops to fight another unnecessary way against Iran. All for the enrichment of the 1% under the guise of “defending Israel”.

Romney got his “3:00 am call” with this latest middle east crisis and, based on his impetuous over-reaction, he flopped miserably. He showed that he is not ready for the presidency by his indecent hast to rush to judgment on the unfortunate violence in Egypt and Libya. All he deserves for his action is ridicule and contempt. He reminds me of Yosemite Sam, that ridiculous cartoon character from Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes Adventures. Has a big mouth and always putting his foot in to shut up.
Picture
Romney has no heart, as well as no brain, who nakedly panders to the conscienceless. America deserves better than you!        

The country needs Barack Obama. A man of conscience, character, confidence and who cares - not Romney who not only will lie to win but does not rely on, and will disregard any facts that contradict what his feelings tell him is true.


 
By: David A. Franklin, Jr.

YOU BET  YOUR SWEET
Picture
"YES"

Quite a seemingly innocent question, the answer to which is dependent on who you ask. In this culture of severe political gridlock and polarization, I dare say “Yes!” America is doing better across the board. There have been many real accomplishments of which the Obama-Biden Administration should be proud. Here are a precious few of those accomplishments:

 OBAMA’S JOB CREATING PERFORMANCE – from 2009 to date, over 4 million private sector jobs created) Obama has turned the “Jobs Lost” report from red (dismal) to green (road to recovery). It took him only one year after the Bush eight year calamity for this statistics to start on the upward/positive swing and the swing continues. And don’t forget, this is despite of Republican obstructionist mantra!!
How Many Jobs Were Created or Lost in 2009?
•  Jobs LOST 2009: -5,060,000
How Many Jobs Were Created or Lost in 2010?
•  Jobs ADDED 2010: +1,027,000
How Many Jobs Were Created or Lost in 2011?
•  Jobs ADDED 2011: +1,840,000
How Many Jobs Were Created or Lost in 2012 to date (July 2012)?
• Jobs ADDED 2012 to date: +1,059,000
Molly’s Middle America - All Jobs & Unemployment Reports (2011 & 2012)
Bureau of Labor Statistics Report LNUO2000000

 
REPUBLICANS' JOBS-IN-AMERICA POSITION AT END OF GEORGE BUSH'S TERM IN 2008
• According to CNN Money Report’s David Goldman, 2008 was the worst year for jobs since 1945. “Annual loss biggest since end of World War II…November (2008), in which 584,000 jobs were lost, and December marked the first time in
the 70-year history of the report in which the economy lost more than 500,000 jobs in consecutive months.” This is the hemorrhaging and tide of job loss that the Obama Administration inherited.

BENEFITS OF OBAMACARE – Yes he cares!!
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office lists the advantages of Obamacare: 

1. It reduces overall healthcare costs for the 32 million who currently can't get insurance thus making healthcare available and affordable to these Americans. This starts in 2014.
2. For people who can't afford health insurance, the Federal government will pay the states to add them to Medicaid.
The income requirement is expanded up to 133% of the Federal poverty level - roughly $29,000 for a family of four.
3. Those who don't qualify for the expanded Medicaid will receive tax credits if their income is below 400% of the
poverty level ($88,000 for a family of four). States will be required to set up insurance exchanges to make it easier to shop for private health insurance coverage.
4. Insurance companies cannot deny children coverage for pre-existing conditions. This benefit applies to everyone in 2014. Insurance companies can no longer drop anyone from coverage once they get sick. If a company denies someone coverage, that person can go to an external appeals process.
5. Parents can put their children up to age 26 on their health insurance plans. As of 2012, more than three million previously uninsured young people were added. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services)
6. The Medicare "donut hole" gap in coverage will be eliminated by 2020.
7. People with existing health insurance will keep it. For those businesses preferring to offer a tax-free benefit like health insurance to attract good workers that won't change under Obamacare.
8. Obamacare does not apply to businesses with less than 50 employees. Larger businesses are required to offer health insurance, but receive tax credits to help employees pay premiums. In 2014, the tax credit increases to 50%.
9. The Act will lower the budget deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 years by raising some taxes and shifting more cost burdens. (Source: CBO CBO Report on Health Care Reform and the Budget; Wall Street Journal, What Health Insurance Ruling Means, June 28, 2012; NPR, Medicaid Expansion, June 27, 2012)

OBAMA ON EDUCATION
• Barak Obama has doubled Pell Grants. 
• He has signed into law a bill that keeps interest rates on federal student loans from doubling this year. This would have hurt approximately 7 1/2 million students raising their loan payments by an average of $1,000.
• He has invested in universities and early in childhood education for  research and development 

The list is so long it will take pages and pages to complete:
• Osama bin Laden, and top Al Qaeda leaders, are dead! A lot of relevant Al Qaeda planning documents for future attack against American soil, and interests around the world, were recovered by the heroic SEAL 6 team. Obama can boast the “Mission Accomplished” sign so stupidly and dishonestly displayed by the Republican captain of the last failed presidency!!
• General Motors and the American Motor Car industry have never before been so alive and so well. The American
Auto Industry was saved. Mitt Romney tried to claim credit for such the successful recovery after shamelessly saying “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt!”
• The $787 billion Stimulus Package. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 spurred economic growth amid the greatest recession since the 1929 Great Depression. Many Republican Governors have benefitted from this although they continue to be their true hypocritical selves and bash the stimulus.
• The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 was signed to re-regulate Wall Street. Their unchecked practices caused the Great Recession which started under the previous Bush-Cheney Administration. Positives stemming from this  law are:
- Tightened capital requirement on large banks and financial institutions
- Mandated large banks to provide “Living Wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies
- Limited their ability to trade with customer’s hard earned money for their own profits
- Created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop abusive predatory products and companies.
• War in Iraq was ended with last troops leaving on December 18, 2011 on the orders of President Barack Obama.
• Equal Pay for Women signed into law
• Women’s Rights to choose how to care for their own bodies supported and laws passed to uphold this right.
• Afghanistan War - In June 2011, troops numbered 101,000 in Afghanistan. That is down to 91,000 and a further 23,000 leaving by the end of summer 2012. All combat missions “…will be over by next year 2013” according
to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
• “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!” The discriminatory policy repealed. This new policy enables gays and lesbians to
serve openly in the Armed Forces for the first time in the nation’s history.
• Colonel Moammar Gaddafi was toppled because of a joint coalition of American, European and Arab governments in a joint military action. The dictator’s 42 years of unchecked power was ended with his unceremonious overthrow by rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost and Gaddafi was killed.
• The Arab Spring saw Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ouster on February 1, 2011. Obama publicly called on Mubarak to “accept reform or step down” which weakened and undermined the dictator’s position in, not only Egypt,
but the entire Arab world. February 11, 2011 saw Mubarak’s 30 year rule end with his overthrow and arrest.
• Improved America’s image abroad because of deft diplomacy, new pragmatic policies and lowering the caustic rhetoric employed by the Bush-Cheney Administration. 
• All “enhanced” interrogation techniques reversed a practice not only lauded but applied by the Bush-Cheney
Administration.  It is considered inhumane under the Geneva Convention. 
• The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010 was signed punishing firms and individuals who aided Iran’s petroleum sector. In early 2012, America coordinated with our Western Allies to impose
further sanctions aimed at Iranian banks. 

These are only a handful of major accomplishments by the Obama-Biden Administration. At this point in the previous Administration, all was touted was “The War on Terror” forgetting everything else that was important. 

Rome was not built in a day.  For America to be where it needs to be, it will take a massive undertaking of epic proportions never before seen. What was destroyed and the devastation brought on the country in eight years by the
previous Administration cannot be rebuilt in four years. I doubt it can be fixed in even eight years. Barack Obama is human not a miracle worker or a messiah. 
 
In conclusion, having witnessed the lies and pitiful desperation of the Republicans at their recent convention, it is time to dig deep and get the honest truth America. It is a bitter pill to swallow for the Republicans but,  America is on the path of economic recovery. And it is the Obama-Biden
Administration to be commended. 
It’s time to go “Forward Forever,
Backward Never”.