Media Credibility and the Polls - What to Believe

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With primaries over we are almost through the silly season of the never-ending campaigns for control of our government and it is time to take a look around at all the damage that has been done. How do we do that? Well the media and politicians use a clever technique called polling to keep us informed of what we think and the big question is does it really do that? No!

Wake up media and stop trying to sway the American public opinion. It has been 40 years since I started developing campaign polling and demographic databases and the one constant through nine presidents is nothing has changed. The American people will always make up their own mind and if you try to influence them your polls will be the same disaster as always.

So why should the news media care? Because the credibility of the media is just as poor as the credibility of the president, congress and corporate America and those reporting the news should not be considered a joke. If I didn’t care about the reputation of the media I would not care, although the extreme efforts of some media to mislead the public does provide some form of entertainment.

News reporting is a protected privilege in America, it is even protect by the Constitution in the Bill of Rights. But along with such privileged status comes responsibility, the responsibility to not abuse your rights and many of the media seem to forget.

What is the purpose of polls? Polls are a snap shot at that moment of time in reaction to a specific question. No more no less. The more objective the question the more objective and honest will be the answer. The more scientific the pool of people polled the more accurate the results.

Every day political news reporters try to apply the results of daily polls to what will happen in the future. For example, they tell us Democrats and Republicans are tied in the polls today and that means the Democrats will do much better in the Midterm elections than expected. Such extrapolation is nonsense and the media knows better. When you hear such things just know there is a hidden agenda by those making such silly reports.

This is September, not November, and so far one third of the voters, the Independents, have not even been polled since all primary polls only talk to Democrats and Republicans. Those few polls that do survey Independents are not getting much press but they show the largest GOP lead ever recorded over the Democrats, well in double digits.

Any poll done at this time when one third of the voters are not even counted, and that one third may well be the angriest of all the voters, could be 20-25% inaccurate. So why does the media continue reporting the party results? They know better.

The only polls accurate right now are those concerning the public sentiment and they foreshadow serious change this fall. More than two-thirds of the public think the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than two-thirds think Obama and the Democrats are doing the wrong things, and more than two-thirds think congress, all of congress, is just as misguided. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe as I have pointed out consistently all year, a tsunami is about to hit the Democrats in control.

If the parties are running even at this time and both are held in low regard by the populace it is only because the Independents are not being counted. Come November 2 the game changes radically and the combined Republican opposition with the Tea party and Independent disgust with government will make a statement that will be heard around the world. The party in power will fall.

Also, there is no way the results in one state mean the same thing will happen in another state as the people of Delaware are far different than those in Ohio or Iowa, just as New York is different than California. Polls can also be very distorted if the people surveyed are not registered to vote, or even if they are registered does that mean they will actually vote.

As I said recently, just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.

Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.

A poll of “eligible voters” can be wrong because about 40% of eligible voters are not even registered to vote. Even a poll of “registered voters” could also be wrong for less than half will vote in the election and the enthusiasm of the voter will dictate the turnout. Republicans have much greater enthusiasm to vote and Independents may have even greater enthusiasm. Few polls will ever go into the level of detail needed to get accurate results.

There is a final distortion of poll results if the caller identifies who employs them or if they say it is for an organization like Gallup, Rasmussen or the Washington Post for example as some people are going to be inclined to answer the way they think the “media” wants them to answer. People do not want to feel stupid so they might just make up answers, especially on issues they do not know.

The bottom line is this. If you believe the polls published by the media you are as crazy as the media. On the other hand, if you really want to see a meaningful poll the following are the latest results from a Gallup Poll on the Confidence of the American Public in our institutions.

It would appear the general public already know what they think of the media and their polls when 78% of our citizens do not have a great deal of confidence in Television news, yet they have even less confidence in Congress with 89% not having confidence, the worst record of any American institution. Also note that nearly two thirds of Americans, 64%, do not have confidence in the President. Then remember these numbers are almost three months old. How low can you go by now?

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Feliz cumpleaños México. ¡Viva México!

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Today Mexico celebrates their 200th anniversary and all Americans should celebrate with our Southern neighbor.  Please take the time to watch the videos pesented and enjoy the BBC photos of the celebrations that are taking place throughout the Mexican nation.

As someone who spent nearly every year visiting Mexico when growing up we need to be reminded that there are many common values and shared visions we have with Mexico. In times of troubles such as the drug wars currently having a tragic impact on that nation, remember it is an American problem as well and they are courageously fighting our battles for us.

¡Viva México!

 

Please watch these videos...

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Obama and Democrats Launch Fund Raising Drive Today - Why Lie?

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The Lie!

The following letter was distributed today, September 15, by the Obama Democrats fund raising operation.  In it they state;

The special interests in Washington are not happy, and it's because of something you did.

Since President Obama moved into the White House, this movement has stripped them of their influence, proving we could take on the lobbyists and corporate cash with good, old-fashioned organizing.


The full text:

xxx--

The special interests in Washington are not happy, and it's because of something you did.

Since President Obama moved into the White House, this movement has stripped them of their influence, proving we could take on the lobbyists and corporate cash with good, old-fashioned organizing.

Now these groups are vowing to get payback in the fall elections -- and they have put all their chips on one man: Congressman John Boehner.

Third-party organizations have already spent millions to help Republicans take over the House and make him Speaker -- and you can bet there are millions more to come in the form of nasty TV ads and shadowy robo-calls before November.

Here's how we fight back: the largest-scale voter turnout effort this party has ever assembled in an election like this.

Another grassroots supporter has promised to match, dollar for dollar, whatever you can chip in today. These matched donations add up fast -- and right now there are 84 donations across Maryland waiting to be doubled.

Don't leave this money on the table -- donate $5 or more today and double your impact.

It's easy to see why these special interests picked John Boehner. This is a guy who first made national news 14 years ago when he was caught handing out checks from tobacco lobbyists on the House floor.

John Boehner said he did nothing wrong -- he was simply helping out his lobbyist friends.

And, in all of the fights we've waged together these past 20 months, he's been these special interests' right-hand man.

He teamed up with financial lobbyists to do everything he could to stall Wall Street reform and even took time before the vote on health reform to scream "Hell no!" over and over again from the podium.

If John Boehner is handed the Speaker's gavel, all that is wrong with Washington is back in business. Their plans are simple -- unravel what this movement has done and stand in the way of the rest of President Obama's agenda. Some Republican leaders have even threatened to shut down the government to get their way -- a heartless move that would hold Social Security checks hostage and shut down veterans' hospitals across the country.

With just 48 days to go until the election, this movement is the only thing standing in John Boehner's way.

Take advantage of this opportunity to piggy-back on another grassroots supporter's promise. Help fund our effort to fight back against Republicans and keep America moving forward.

Chip in $5 today to get your donation doubled:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Match2010

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

The Truth!

According to the independent OpenSecrets.org in terms of special interest money raised by Obama and the Democrats in 2010!


Total Fund Raising in 2010:

And that is the WHOLE TRUTH!

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Obamaville 9/15 - The Mystique of the Muslim Mosque at Ground Zero

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In yet another development misinterpreted by the media, especially the liberal media and Obama people, as the shroud of mystique is peeled away from project there is no doubt the sponsors will have to give up hopes for placing the mosque at Ground Zero.

The liberals, Obama people, Mayor of NYC and many others expended a great deal of political capital trying to justify the right to build it at Ground Zero but common sense will prevail in the end and it will be moved. Legal opposition from first responders, legal action by New Jersey residents, questionable funding sources and bizarre threats of retaliation by the Muslim world if it is not built there have all combined to make it impossible in our opinion and you will soon learn it will be moved, or dropped altogether since the money was never there in the first place.

In the future let us hope our political leaders are a lot less politically correct and a lot more in support of the majority of Americans who have said all along it is not appropriate to build it there. It was never a matter of did they have the legal right to build it there and always a matter of common sense, why would anyone want it there. In the end common sense will win out.

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MSNBC Host Chris Matthews first Media Person to Get It?

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Last night as the legions of political analysts and media personalities were absorbing the astounding results of the latest Tea Party movement in the Tuesday primaries of all the media coverage on television including the cable trio of CNN, Fox and MSNBC the normally liberal Matthews was the only person on television who seemed to sense the real ground swell of the Tea party and Independent movements.

As the Democratic and Republican leaning networks and announcers were declaring the Tea party win in Delaware as a blow to the GOP efforts to win control of the Senate, Matthews was the only one to urge caution in interpreting the results as a GOP defeat in the Midterm elections.

We have been writing in the Coltons Point Times for over two years aboutr the rapid polarization of the Independents in America as the total registered Independents have surpassed the total number of either Democrats or Republicans. The Independents feel alienated by both parties and are mad about the growth of government, reckless deficit spending, an increase in the national debt and a failure of our political system.

Somehow the Lame Street media has completely missed this growing discontent. At the same time the Tea party movement has evolved which was castigated by the media as radicals and lunatics. Yet the Tea party, fueled first by Sarah Palin and then Senator James DeMint, pulled off stunning upset after upset up to and including last night. The principles articulated by this group matched the goals of the ignored Independents.

It was only a matter of time before the interests of the Tea party rogues and Independents merged and that is now as we approach the November election and the huge Independent base can finally flex it's muscle after sitting on the sideline all year. To his credit Matthews is the first media person to acknowledge this potential powerhouse and ask if all incumbents may be at risk and if the Democrats might be in danger of losing in a massive landslide. We hope he keeps his eyes open.
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Obamaville 9/15 - A Sad Ending to the Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints affair

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Last January I wrote a Super Bowl preview and said the following. This week the last action I predicted, the Reggie Bush would lose his Heisman trophy came true when he returned it, the first time in history a Heisman has been forfeited. All the penalties I predicted were imposed.

It was the end of a dark chapter in college football and one the NCAA and NFL must address if the sport is ever to be completely cleaned up. While the school, USC, lost millions of dollars in revenue, lost the ability to appear in bowl games and had to forfeit a national championship, Bush suffered as well. But the sports agents who lured him into the illegal acts go unpunished.

The time is long overdue for the NCAA and NFL to take strong actions against the predatory practices of unethical sports agents by banning them, preferably for life, if they harm a career of such a youth as Bush. A kid in college can easily be seduced by the temptation of cash and gifts while in college and those who make such offers deserve to be banned from the sport for the damage they have done to the player and the college.

Monday, January 25, 2010
Super Bowl Time - The Gladiators in the Coliseum - Are the Saints Angels or Demons?

I do have a problem with Reggie Bush, star of the Saints. There is something unfair about what he did when he was in college at USC and he won the national championship and Heisman trophy. A multi-year investigation by the NCAA is about to be released and I expect it will show Bush violated many laws in college accepting cars, cash, a home for his parents, trips and who knows what else from agents intent on getting a piece of his pro career.

If that is true, then USC will probably have to forfeit all the games he played in and might lose the national championship and Bush might lose the Heisman as the best player in college football. It would be appropriate for the severity of what he may have done. What is unfair is that the university can lose all that, be put on probations and lose millions of dollars in revenues from bowl games, lose tens of thousands of dollars in sports scholarships other deserving kids might have been given, but Bush, the one behind the disaster, loses his trophy and nothing more.

He still kept all the payoffs during his college career, his parents kept what they got, Bush got his millions of dollars in the pros, so crime seems to be very rewarding for him. You see, without the national championship and Heisman trophy he never would have got the millions he was paid to turn pro. If pro football wanted to run a clean house they would ban for life anyone who cheated in college to benefit in the pros.

As it stands right now the next generation of pro football players will be encouraged to cheat, take bribes and illegal gifts in college, further eroding the morality in amateur sports, especially if Bush and New Orleans wins the Super Bowl. It just does not seem right that the signal we send our youth is crime pays, and pays and pays, not just for the moment but throughout their career. This Super Bowl will be a bit tarnished if the Saints win.
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Sarah Palin, James DeMint & Tea Party Trounce Media and both Political Parties in Final Primaries

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There is one clear loser after a tumultuous primary season and that is the eastern news media, the so called political analysts of both parties, and the leadership of the two parties who failed to awaken to the news that they have been buried in the rubble of a political system that is owned by special interests, with the news media and political parties the biggest of special interests.

From the view of Main Street far removed from our nation's capitol and Wall Street, where our news media and politicians call home, there is a comedy going on out east as the professionals and pundits continue to ignore a grassroots movement that is overthrowing a political system that is to corrupt, to beholden to special interests and to arrogant and egotistical to see the light.

Class warfare is alive and well in America fueled by the disconnect between the media, professional politicians and special interests versus Sarah Palin, Senator James DeMint and the People. Now the principles of Palin, DeMint and the People are poised to trounce the elitists and arrogant pros once and for all in the Midterm elections.

This time the Republicans will benefit not because they are more closely aligned to the new American coalition but because they are the outsiders. I mean the GOP establishment suffered more defeats than the Democrats in the primaries but it is only a foreshadowing of the pounding the Democrats will take in the Midterm elections when the massive number of Independents finally join the battle.

Just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.

Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.

All the political spin in the world will not change what is forthcoming. People are mad as Hell and they are not going to take it any longer. Pundits from Carl Rove of the GOP to the host of liberal Democrats claiming victory because of GOP defeats have failed to read the tea leaves and are standing on the shore with a life jacket while a 400 foot tsunami is bearing down on them.

When the tens of millions of disgruntled Independents finally join the fray come November the face of the political landscape in America will be shattered. The day of the party bosses is over and the politicians caught up in the special interest games will be exposed and eradicated.

The People know the American political system is truly broken, the American news media is as addicted to the old ways as the politicians, the special interests own the country and neither political party has the guts to fix it. It is time to give someone else a chance and the People are taking control of the political system.

People are demanding honesty in politicians and when the old boys keep compromising their principles to protect their system the People know it. Sarah Palin, like her or not, has always stood by her principles no matter how brutal the attacks from the left. Senator James DeMint from South Carolina, an almost unknown national figure from South Carolina has done it as well and will be elected to a second term overwhelmingly. Both have proven they are not about to sell out their principles because the political parties or news media don't like what they say.

They exemplify the honesty of principles lacking in Washington and they have demonstrated a respect for the people that is scorned by the elitists in Washington. That arrogance and scorn will be the eventual downfall of the media and the political establishment.

It is too late for the party pros, pundits and media to see the light. America is being Taken Back in spite of the claims to the contrary. From this point forward it will be fun to watch the dismantling of old style politics in America and it is long overdue. A new dawn is coming to America and the day of special interest control and political party manipulation is nearing an end and with it will go the media and pundits who have worked so hard to preserve a broken system.
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Taking Back America - The Midterm Elections are a Good Place to Start!

Yes it is finally time for change!

If the people of America want to get control of their country now is the time but it can only happen if they take responsibility for what happens in their country. You see, people seem to have forgotten the rest of the story when it comes to our Bill of Rights. When they published the full title of the Amendments to the Constitution the editors left out part of the title. It should have read the Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

There is no better generation to fix that problem than the battle tested, Cold War conditioned, oil shortage hardened Baby Boomers who are the only generation of the past century to understand the price of freedom and the dangers of democracy. I think every person who cares and wants things better should wear a tee shirt and paste bumper stickers that proclaim, “This is My Country!”

We can start by telling the politicians who want to represent us that we the people will tell them what we need and what to do. Last time I checked they work for us. Our true Agenda for Change will be presented by us, not the politicians or special interests who still rule Washington. The pollsters, political advisors and advertising agencies that put words or sound bytes into the mouths of politicians have it all wrong. They are the very people who got us into this mess.

No, we need to give government back to the people, give God back to the government and give meaning back to our Declaration and Constitution. We need to provide what people need, stop promoting what we don’t need, and start seeing government act like our friend and protector rather than a front for greed and power hungry individuals or corporations.

America must be wealthy, not the rulers who try and run or own America. Don’t you think those who claim to know what's best for us have victimized us for long enough? We want a nation where housing laws protect the homeowners not the mortgage and financial institutions. We want banking laws that protect the citizens not the credit card companies, debt collectors, lawyers and hidden fees.

Our government licenses telephone companies, television and radio stations, banks, mortgage companies, investment banks, doctors and stock brokers among many others, while we regulate the stock market, commodity market (including the price of oil and food), energy companies, interstate commerce, foreign aid and practically every other aspect of our lives. Do you feel protected?

We spend more money protecting oil producing nations, arms dealers, drug companies, banks and investment houses than we do protecting people and that has simply got to change. Look at the cost, $700 billion and 4,000 American lives in Iraq to protect the Arab nations from Arab terrorists, or is it the Arab oil producers from disruption? What do we get? Record oil prices, no effort by OPEC to increase production and lower prices, and the scorn of the world.

Or how about our Afghanistan experience? We spend billions to chase the terrorists out of Afghanistan into hiding in Pakistan, a nation where we spend billions more to protect the military and government that gives the terrorists safe haven. We have no viable foreign policy, we just support the arms dealers of the world who make sure there is always civil unrest, genocide and demigods running amok where we can spend billions more defending people. If America stopped financing war directly and indirectly do you think the arms dealers would spend their own money to cause wars?

Back in the good old USA we have more than enough wars of our own to fight against the destruction of our immune systems by the pharmaceutical companies, the addictions imposed on us by television, video games, hospitals and doctors, the health care industry, the wellness industry, the physical education industry, and all those who think the only way to good health is through the pocketbook.

Then there are the phone companies, banks and credit card companies with their incredible hidden fees and confusing billings; insurance companies that increase rates for reasons having nothing to do with their insurance coverage; the media whose message is always influenced by the advertising dollars it might generate, and the government who works for everyone but the people it is supposed to represent.

Oh it is time for change all right, but not the change Obama promised qnd then gave us. No, the change we need must be cataclysmic to do any good. All the shadowy figures that profit from our difficulties, steal from our treasury and attempt to influence our minds and destroy our wills are counting on us being too weak, too self-centered and too preoccupied to bring about real change but I say they are wrong. Once again the bad guys have underestimated the power of freedom and the will of the people.

Proudly display your sign This is My Country and then do what they don’t expect, show you care. Help establish the Agenda for Change that we need, not the one politicians say we need. Save money, don't spend it. Keep reducing your oil consumption. Eat fresh food, not processed. Get healthy so you can get rid of the addictive prescriptions. Ask if the tests your doctor wants you to take are really necessary.

Spend weekends with your family, seeing what you missed in your community, state and surrounding areas. Enjoy the local festivals and events. Turn off television, limit your texting and reduce your time on the Internet. Get the kids off video games and back into society. Have a yard sale or donate extra stuff to a worthy cause. Why not try church, the synagogue or a mosque.

Help a neighbor, visit a sick friend or a lonely relative. Be smart, ask questions and question what you are told. Do these things and we can start to get back our nation.

What are the targets for change - the bad guys hurting America? Here are some examples.

1. Money Mongers of the Financial Institutions - Obama couldn't stop them!

Who are these people and what threat do they represent? Well, the intricate web of interlocking ownership, access to media, control of pricing in stocks, currency, commodities and bonds, and insulation from scrutiny probably make this the single most powerful force on Earth, capable of controlling governments and destroying opposition without ever getting their own hands dirty. You see they are invisible to the general public.

Financial institutions control the world simply put and they do not serve the world in the process, as serving is not a good return on investment. They set up mutual funds to consolidate investment power and get government to create more sources of funds and turn them over to the financiers to manage such as pension funds, 401K funds, IRAs and many others.

They create financial “experts” to tell us what is happening to our investment markets and how to invest what money we do control completely ignoring the conflicts of interest when the greatest beneficiaries of the advice are the market makers, the very financial institutions whose experts are giving supposedly objective market advice.

What does that mean? The media takes the advice of industry experts and tells us the price of oil is going up because of the potential for a hurricane in the gulf that may or may not disrupt supply lines and drilling operations. A suicide bombing in Iraq shows that the crude oil supply from that country is not stable so a shortage of future oil may result if a bombing of the oil pipelines is successful. Cold weather in American means there will be a shortage of heating oil no matter that there are sufficient inventories already in the country. So the price of oil goes up, and up and up.

Who benefits? The owners of the crude oil, the companies that pay them for the crude, the banks that finance the companies, the stockholders that own shares of the companies, the IRAs, 401Ks, pension funds and mutual funds that pump money into the companies, the companies selling and buying their stocks, or the companies setting market prices? Guess what, all of them could be part of the financial institutions benefiting from the market manipulations caused by the speculative reports on the industry by the media.

So why does the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission let them do this? The FTC and SEC are supposed to be our government watchdogs protecting the public from unscrupulous financial manipulators. For two years the same financial sector was behind the unethical, immoral and often-illegal manipulation of the sub-prime mortgage markets as well which sent the USA into a catastrophic recession and certainly left millions of homeowners in foreclosure. Where were the federal regulators? Where are they today?

2. Mortgage Lenders – Vampires of the Golden Dream

Even though mortgage lenders can be owned, controlled or manipulated by the financial sector and banking institutions they are often set up independently until they finish preying on an unsuspecting public, having got caught using questionable practices (sub-prime loans for example), using heavy handed tactics, misleading consumers and initiating mortgage foreclosures.

When this happens the lenders now approaching bankruptcy get bought out by the financial and banking sectors that are seeking to acquire real estate property at far below the loan value. So losses are written off, property is acquired far below the loan value, new mortgages are written to resell or refinance the property, a few million people lose their homes due to foreclosures, and the financial institutions now have a new division with secure assets and credit worthy clients.

Of course we then lose sight of the fact illegal mortgages and unethical selling practices caused the bail out cycle to take place. Or that mortgage lenders, sales people, lawyers and credit rating firms were all players in this billion-dollar scam. That closing fees, collection fees and late fees have made someone millions of dollars at the expense of the hapless homeowners.

Finally even the government backed mortgage programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (what great names for federal backed mortgage players), not to mention the long list of programs such as VA, Indian, Rural, Low Income and other federal mortgage and housing programs must be ever more vigilant to root out corruption, contract fixing, slipshod construction and repair work, inefficient heating and utilities and other problems that beset our federal and state housing efforts.

3. Credit Card Industry Standards, Fees and Collection Methods

Now this is an area of regulatory meltdown and benign neglect involving federal and state agencies ranging from the FTC to Congress, from the SEC to Justice Department. There is a body of law at both the state and federal levels that regulates these practices but no one seems to pay attention.

The issuance of credit cards through the mail and Internet and the proliferation of offers from credit card companies are astounding. The never-ending changes in interest rates charged, the justification for such changes, the explanation of such practices and the downright deception in consumer information is appalling and predatory.

Fees change constantly for ATM charges, handling, processing, vendor, fraud, security, and any other excuse to stick it to the consumer. Credit rating companies feed information to credit card companies and collection companies making the whole business of debt collection a financial windfall to lawyers, collection agencies, process servers and even the courts. Lies regarding the rights of the cardholder are overwhelming to most people, threatening to them and their credit, and fraught with heavy-handed tactics.

Simply stated there is no protection for people from getting the cards, understanding the changing fees, and especially getting caught in the late payment and collection process. Debts are written off yet collection efforts go full steam. When debts should be forgiven efforts are still made to scare the consumers into making payments. If we allow a credit card company to write off the bad debt, then why is the collection industry pursuing the poor consumer with no money? Why are the bad debts written off years before the debt is forgiven to the consumer?

Even the reforms by Obama and the Federal Reserve have not stopped the unethical practices nor halted efforts by these companies to further rip off the public.

4. Health Care Industry Cost, Insurance and Unnecessary Treatment

Just look at the facts and there is no doubt this system is broken. In 2006 we spent $2.1 trillion on health care, over $7,026 for every person in the USA, and it took over 16% of our Gross Domestic Product. That is 4.3 times more money than we spent on defense. The cost of health care increases at more than double the inflation rate annually.

At 16% of GDP we have the highest health care costs of any developed nation with the next highest being Switzerland 10.9%, Germany 10.7%, Canada 9.7% and France 9.5%. Americans spent one third more on health care than any of these nations, and while 50 million Americans do not have health insurance all of the citizens in the other nations mentioned receive health care. At our current pace we will be spending $4 trillion on health care in just 7 years, by 2015.

With the war in Iraq one might expect the cost of health care for veterans to be substantial as treatment in the war zone is far improved from earlier wars and for every death of a soldier there are 9 wounded soldiers that return home. Yet the cost of veteran’s health care drops to $5,000 per person, $2,000 less per year than civilians.

What is causing these statistical aberrations? Are we much sicker than citizens of the other nations? Is there a greater medical risk to civilians in America than our soldiers in Iraq? Why are 50 million Americans uninsured when all of the citizens of other nations receive health care?

We have Obama health care reform but we have no ability to control costs including drug costs, excessive testing, insurance premiums, medical malpractice, and unnecessary testing and treatment. So who is benefiting from the massive cost increases we were not supposed to get?

5. Pharmaceutical Industry Proliferation of Prescription Drugs

This can be short and sweet. In 2002 we spent $162 billion on prescription drugs and in 2006 we spent $217 billion on prescription drugs. One out of every five Americans takes 5 or more prescriptions per day. All Americans average 2.9 prescriptions per day. Our senior citizens, who are increasing very rapidly with the aging of the Baby Boomers, averaged $559 for prescriptions in 1992, $1,205 for prescriptions in 2000, and $1,912 in 2005 with spending expected to reach $2,805 in 2010. Recent surveys indicate it increased nearly $1,000 for brand name drugs in 2009 alone.

Every day it seems the health authorities announce yet another prescription drug that does not work, or whose long-term effects are determined to be more dangerous than expected. Yet every day it seems there are new prescriptions for new diseases. We live longer but spend far more. Kids are over-prescribed with Ritalin and other drugs. They are addicted to drugs they don’t even take raiding medicine cabinets for the new drug culture.

6. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Drug Approval Process

If drug prices in America have been rising almost five times as fast as inflation then the FDA must assume some of the responsibility as they are the regulatory agency charged with overseeing the over-the-counter and prescription drugs so abundant in our society.

The FDA new drug approval process with layers of clinical animal and human trials is the most costly, most lengthy and often most bizarre in terms of protocols and criteria for approval in the world. It is a process designed for the benefit of wealthy pharmaceutical companies, not for the small and independent research companies and laboratories.

Major pharmaceutical firms have managed to negotiate with FDA for new drug approval even if the drug extends the life expectancy of the patient by just 30 days. Yet when these products are sold to the public no one seems to mention they might only be good for 30 days at a cost of thousands of dollars.

Things have gotten so ridiculous in the approval process that television ads for the drug Celebrex contain so many warnings of side effects and drug interactions that the ad actually states “the FDA says the benefits may outweigh the risks” when taking it. Are they crazy? It might be safe to take it?

Human trials approved by FDA require a protocol where half of the patients are given a placebo rather than the drug so results taking the drug can be measured against a control group not taking the drug. Not a bad practice unless the drug is experimental and the disease is going to kill the patient.

For example, stage 3 cancer patients have weeks or months to live. At stage 3 any normal and extremely expensive treatment like chemo, radiation or surgery has already failed. When they are offered a chance to participate in an experiment that might save their life and the option is certain death you might think they would jump at the chance, but that is not the case.

Why would they sign up when only half the people will even receive the treatment, with the other half getting meaningless placebos? If they are in the half that gets the candy and not the drug they die. If they get the drug there is a chance they might live. When you are facing death there should not be a 50-50 chance you won’t get the treatment.

Other problems with the industry include their price gouging, opposition to generic drugs selling for much less, opposition to foreign drugs also selling for much less, payments to doctors for prescribing their drugs, and unsubstantiated claims regarding over-the-counter drugs like cough syrup which has been proven to do no good.

7. Agriculture – Food Testing, Ingredients and Source

You go to the grocery store, check the fresh meat, see something that looks nice and red and fresh and buy it. Or maybe you buy the chicken to fry up for dinner. Then again you might buy pet food for your favorite dog or cat. Now did anyone tell you fresh meat like beef should not be red? Did they tell you color dyes and carbon monoxide are used to give the cuts of meat that color and they are injected in the butcher shop?

Did they tell you the chicken was raised in a hen house and pumped with hormones, steroids and God knows what else to fatten it up for the slaughter? Did they tell you about everything you just bought included rendered animal parts?

Did they mention rendering plants use raw product including thousands of dead dogs and cats; heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses; whole skunks; rats and raccoons? Did they mention the millions of maggots swarming over the carcasses? Did they tell you the carcasses would be ground up and cooked to create batches of yellow grease, meal and bone meal, and that the meat and bone meal would be used as a source of protein and other nutrients in poultry, swine and pet foods?

That the animal fat is used as an “energy source” and millions of tons will be trucked to poultry ranches, cattle feed-lots, dairy and hog farms, fish-feed plants and pet-food manufacturers where it is mixed with other ingredients to feed the billions of animals that meat-eating humans, in turn, will eat.

When you look at the ingredient label and it says the meat included protein it sounds good but is that protein from the rendered carcasses and what are the health consequences of eating a standard diet of rendered byproduct? The deadly Mad Cow disease was caused by feeding rendered products to cattle.

8. Campaign Reform – Empty Promises and Empty Wallets

For the first time in our history the presidential campaign alone in 2008 is expected to cost over one billion dollars. Now that is a whole lot of money being spent to win a job that pays $400,000 a year and only lasts four years. One billion dollars spent to make $1,600,000 in four years. If that is the result of capitalism then we might have a problem.

Campaign reform has been talked about more and acted upon less than any other issue facing congress and the president. Political advertising costs are criminal. Some campaigns spend more money raising money than they do getting elected. Special interest groups give to candidates, give more to national political parties, more to state political parties and then spend money themselves to influence elections.

Over $1 billion was spent by Obama running for president and that can be changed if the president and congress have the guts. Paid ads can be stopped, special interest funding can be stopped, and a logical schedule for primaries can be held. Candidates can receive free media time since all the airways are government regulated. Voter registration can be increased.

There are about 226 million people eligible to vote in the USA and about 146 million are registered to vote. In 2008 about 125 million did vote for president. That means about 55% of the eligible voters participated in the last presidential election, a pretty weak total for the citadel of democracy in the world. That needs to be fixed. Require automatic voter registration with social security cards or drivers licenses if need be but get people back involved in the process. We can’t make people vote but we can make sure they have the opportunity to vote.
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Sarah Palin puts Principles above Party in East Coast Primary Invasion

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The voice from the Alaska wilderness has demonstrated to America that she puts principles above party, whether her own Republican party or the Tea Party that has embraced her. In a series of endorsements in races in Delaware, New Hampshire and Maryland Palin has again defied the liberal media by endorsing long shot candidates for Senate in Delaware, Senate in New Hampshire and Governor in Maryland.

Demonstrating that her principles guide her first and foremost Palin opposed the GOP candidate in Delaware, opposed the Tea Party candidate in New Hampshire, and the GOP in Maryland. Voters will determine if she was right, not the media or political parties.

Echoing criticism launched against her by the liberal media in almost every primary endorsement, in which the media claims if the Palin backed candidate wins the GOP will surely lose the general election race, Palin continues to rise above the procrastinators and is guided by her foundation of principles. So far Sarah seems to be the only person who connects with Main Street America.

Palin has demonstrated over and over again that her connection is with the voters, especially those who are disenfranchised by both political parties and who are swelling the rolls of the Independent movement in America. It is a fact the media has missed. Each time a Palin backed underdog won that person has gone on to launch a formidable campaign and is winning or competitive in the upcoming general election.

Tonight we shall find out if Palin Power again can trump her media detractors and give the people a role in the Midterm elections. If she is successful in backing winners tonight and November 2, then the media reporters, who claim to be objective while offering negative opinions on her impact, should resign. It will then be clear the media are attempting to influence the news, not report it.

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Why the Democrats and Liberal Media will be Blind Sided by the Independent Vote!

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Sometimes the people in the most obvious places have the greatest difficulty seeing the obvious. In the case of the news media, most of which is liberal, and the political party that controls our government, the Democrats, nothing could be more obvious.

Every time a Tea party backed candidate pulls off an upset and topples a Republican backed candidate in the GOP primaries the media and Democrats start dredging up a false sense of hope based on the fact the mainstream GOP candidate lost. They always declare it means the losses to the GOP in the Midterm elections will be much less because of the failure of the GOP backed candidate to win.

I say hogwash. There are three reasons why Tea party primary winners may be a bigger threat to Democrats than mainstream GOP candidates. First, votes for them are a rejection of Democrats just as votes for mainstream candidates are a rejection of the Democrats. Republicans whose candidate lost a primary are not going to vote for the Democrat, they are going to vote for the party.

I mean Obama would not be president if Hillary Clinton supporters did not back him after beating Hillary in the primaries. Yet the political pundits and news media think Republicans will support a Democrat just because their candidate lost the primary?

Second, the driving force behind the Tea party are registered Independents whose vote was also critical in getting Obama elected. They have deserted Obama which everyone knows because he is not the person to cut spending and reduce the debt as they thought. This past year for the first time in modern times the number of registered Independents has passed the number of Democrats or Republicans.

Yet the Independents, because of protectionist election laws, are not even allowed to vote in most primaries or caucuses. That means those Tea party candidates who won a GOP primary did it without the support of their primary base, the registered Independents. Thus the Independent voters will join with the GOP voters in the November elections. Anyone who thinks they will vote for Democrats en masse is goofy.

Third, there is disillusionment and a lack of enthusiasm from the fractured Democratic base because the Obama administration took them for granted and because the Obama administration favored others much more like Wall Street, pharmaceutical executives, health care and other special interests. In other words, there is no compelling reason for these groups to mobilize for the president or the Democratic party.

It is highly likely that the most dangerous opponents for the Democrats this fall are the Tea party outsiders who are far more closely aligned to the mood of the people than either political party. So, a word of advice to the Democratic pundits and news media who herald a Tea party win as a GOP loss in the primaries, get used to sipping tea rather than champagne or bourbon, there is a change coming and a mighty wind is blowing from the west.

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At What Point Does Truth Become Relevant in Politics? What is the White House Example?

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It is after Labor Day and politics in America will reach a crescendo over the next 6 weeks as both political parties inundate the airways with political propaganda in the form of TV ads. Of course the TV stations and networks will run every ad booked regardless of the accuracy of content because the media needs the money more than the truth.

There was once upon a time when the media was required to review the ads to make certain the truth was being told but once upon a time is no more. Now anything goes no matter how far it strays from the truth. Since both political parties and special interests have filled their campaign coffers with astounding amounts of cash we are in for a real avalanche of double talk.

You can count on the candidates and parties to follow the lead of the Obama White House as he is leader of the Democrats and will set the standard of truth for all to meet. Unfortunately the standard being set by President Obama, and his top staff David Axelrod, Political Director, and Robert Gibbs, Press Secretary leaves much to be desired.

Over the weekend all three stated emphatically that the Republicans, all Republicans to hear them say it, are committed to returning to the policies of George Bush over the past 8 years. In plain English as Harry Truman used to say, that is a lie. No Republican has said they want to return to the George Bush policy of the past 8 years. Why do our political leaders seem compelled to tell lies? Especially those leaders at the top of the Democratic party?

While we should always be suspect of what the political parties say as they are all about self-preservation it is not normal for the White House and the president of all the people to join in the tall tale derby as we can usually get some modicum of truth from our highest elected official. This year seems to be the exception and does not bode well for America as blatant lies foreshadow a willingness to distort the truth and there should be no doubt that our president tells the truth.

If the president cannot be believed on the campaign trail then how can he be believed when talking about health care, Wall Street, domestic and foreign affairs or any aspect of our government? All that is gained in the interest of political expediency by distorting the truth is undermining the credibility of government which has already reached the lowest levels of credibility ever recorded.

If it continues it will be a sad legacy of the political attitudes in place today and the principal motivation for people to want to throw them all out. The politics of deception has no place in a democracy built on truth and honesty.
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