Jeff Beatty, Massachusetts Candidate for US Senate - Operation Cookie Drop

Last Saturday, Jeff Beatty, Republican candidate for Senate, Massachusetts (John Kerry, D. is the incumbent), participated in the “Cookie Drop”, an event held in Shirley, MA. (Nashoba Publishing Article The Cookie Drop, in its third year, is a volunteer effort to bring comfort to our military personnel. The volunteers package both personal health items and snacks, including homemade cookies, and mail these packages to our military overseas. Jeff Beatty along with two other politicians (who are unnamed in the article from Nashoba Publishing), did anything that was needed to help. However, Jeff Beatty recorded a video to send onto the troops, taking footage of the volunteers, sending personal messages to those who defend our country and letting them know how very much their efforts are appreciated. It is Beatty’s willingness to go the extra mile for his constituents that is winning over Bay State voters. (Operation Cookie Drop)

Mike Huckabee joins Cindy McCain on Trip to Rwanda, Michelle Obama travels to Access Hollywood

The AP has reported that Cindy McCain, wife of John McCain, and Mike Huckabee will join a bi-partisan group traveling to Rwanda this week. The group is looking at how U.S. aid to the region has helped improve conditions and what more can be done to fight global poverty. Former Democrat Senator Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, Republican, from Tennessee, are leading the delegation for ONE campaign, an organization that educates political leaders on the issues relating to the worlds poor. Cindy McCain has long been an advocate for the poor, founding AMVT in 1988, and working with organizations such as CARE, Operation Smile and HALO. (Baltimore Sun) She also traveled to Kosovo (April), and Vietnam , giving the American voters insight into what she might bring to the White House as well as the nation. Mike Huckabee, who has traveled extensively on similar trips, is a natural to accompany McCain.

The McCains and the Huckabees

Michelle Obama

Meanwhile, Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama has been traveling around the country in support of her husband, making a stop at Access Hollywood. The media has reported endlessly on Michele Obama’s exploits, no matter how trivial and unimportant they may be. In partisan fashion, and in an age where feminism is in peril (exhibit A: Hillary Clinton), the most frivolous receive the most press, while the most qualified and most serious are denigrated to page 32, if given any press at all.

The question then arises: “Where are the strong women who represent our country and who would best be suited to address the needs of women?” Two immediately come to mind: one is gritting her teeth and moving forward to lend a hand to an opponent who insured that his wife receive a “make-over” in order to appeal to those pesky independent voters, the other is on her way to Rwanda.

Michele Obama "refined"

V.P. Speculation - From the Right and From the Left.

John McCain with Mike Huckabee

Political Insiders, Journalist, Pundits, and Beltway hanger-on’s are all weighing in on who they think the candidates should choose as running mates. How much weight should these individuals carry? The answer is simple: “No Weight at all”. The choice is up to the individual candidate, who hires a consultant or team of consultants to vet choices and ultimately make a decision based on several factors including experience and geography. What boggles the mind is that all of these pundits, insiders and the like, have no idea of what the voters want, and appear to feel that they know what is best for the country, more than the people, more than the candidate and more than the candidates staff. They may have a voice, but, they also may have an agenda. The Conservative Club for Growth is pushing Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor as their choice. Romney was their choice for the nominee, during the initial primary stages, they did everything they could to downplay the significance of the other candidates to no avail – they failed in that attempt to muddle with the political landscape – what makes them believe a second attempt will succeed?

John McCain with Mitt Romney

Newt Gingrich is suggesting and endorsing Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, an inexperienced, but upcoming Republican politico.

There is a clear difference between the arrogance of the two aforementioned, and the groups and journalist and pundits proffer suggestions and analysis to each candidate. Carl Leubsdorf, of the Dallas Morning News, wrote an excellent analysis of the McCain V.P. possibilities in this morning’s edition. His point of view: that McCain may want to look to those who have had experience on the campaign trail, and who have the support of a block of voters who may aid McCain come November. He goes on to point out the various pro’s and con’s of each name that has been bandied about, including Huckabee, Romney, (safe choices), Pawlenty, Portman, Jindal, Palin, and Hutchinson. (Full article here) What is refreshing about this particular analysis is that it is clear that this is Mr. Leubsdorf’s only.

The choices:

Mike Huckabee: Resonates with the south as well as the mid-west and west, brings the values voters (religious minded) to the mix, excellent debate skills, 10 years gubernatorial experience. Appeals to the regular folk, not Newt Gingrich, the Club for Growth or other ultra-conservative groups who prefer:

Mitt Romney: Brings the cash, will do well in the certain western states including Michigan and Utah, and has proven business leadership skills and some gubernatorial experience. He does not do well in the south or mid-west, is a favorite of elite conservatives (which is not seen as a plus by the grassroots).

Both men bring experience to the table.

The balance of the speculated upon are pure political picks based on race, age and gender and who John McCain invites to his picnics.

Barack Obama and Caroline Kennedy

Barack Obama is getting advice from Newsweek’s, Andrew Romano. Romano examines each potential pick in a weekly segment – to date, he has vetted Ted Strickland, Jim Webb, Hillary Clinton, Wesley Clark, and Sibelius and, in this weeks installment he looks at John Edwards. Obama’s is taking his advice from consultant, Caroline Kennedy, whose political expertise includes being the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy. (Note: Dick Cheney was in charge of vetting George W. Bush's 2000 V.P. Picks.)

Suffice it to say, that the V.P. choice is appearing critical in this particular election due to several factors (negatives) that both candidates possess, which may account for all the “suggestions” coming from those who think they know better than the candidate and the people who have their support and trust. In the final analysis, the election will not be won by the largest war chest, or the even the V.P. pick, but by the “trust” factor. It will be the candidate who makes the people believe he is the one they can trust to keep them safe, and who has the best record of working with the other side of the aisle. With congress ratings in the single digits, regardless of party, the time to put partisanship aside has come. The biggest factor for the politically engaged will be the Supreme Court – both parties understand that there will be replacements made during this next presidential term. For conservatives this is clearly a time to vote party line (further lessoning the import of the V.P. pick), as the Court is not quite balanced. It is much the same for the other side, the court is now being brought to bear as a reason to vote Democrat. Lanny Davis, former Clinton supporter, and now firmly in the Obama camp, in an interview at Fox, pointed to the danger of Roe vs. Wade being overturned – should McCain prevail. One might, therefore, expect to see ads from both camps referencing the court - the pro-abortion Democrats in support of Barack Obama and the anti-abortion Republican’s, in support of John McCain. Last thought: In 2004, Bush won a second term with the help of values voters, especially in key states where Marriage Questions were on the ballot.

John Kerry – Kerry In Your Corner Tour – Massachusetts Senate Race.

John Kerry, Junior Senator, Massachusetts (D) is making another rare appearance in Massachusetts to campaign for re-election to the US Senate (Tenure - 24 years). An article in the Boston Herald notes that Kerry will be accompanied by Local Elected Officials while he walks around Lowell’s Canal District - proceeding from there to Lawrence for a stroll through the business district. Earlier this year, Kerry made an appearance in Western Mass., visiting the cities of Northampton and Springfield, again, accompanied by local elected officials. Stopping by a coffee shop and visiting with constituents does not appear to be on the Senator’s agenda. A visit to the Senator’s Campaign Website John Kerry.com also does not list a “Kerry In Your Corner” itinerary giving his constituents a heads-up on where he may be showing up next. His website does include selective video from the Mass. Democrat Convention, where he was assured he would handily walk away with the nomination, thereby freeing up his summer for other pursuits, more national in scope. Things did not work out the way Kerry had planned.

Recently on CBS Face the Nation Kerry, stumping for Barak Oabma, referred to John McCain, the Republican Presidential Nominee, as a Flip Flopper, whose judgment is “Dangerous”. It may appear, to Massachusetts locals that Kerry is more interested in being in the national spotlight than hobnobbing with the locals – he has made 3 appearances in Massachusetts since April related to his campaign. He has made hundreds of national appearances however, in support of Barack Obama. There may be a reason that his visits are brief and that he is surrounded by “Elected Officials” when he does set foot in Massachusetts – an overwhelming majority of Massachusetts Democrats voted for Senator Hillary Clinton in the February primary - not Barack Obama, who Kerry chose to support over the wishes of his constituents. This also may be why Ed O’Reilly, a Gloucester Lawyer, against all odds, received more than the necessary 15% of the votes at the Democrat Convention to become the first Democrat to challenge Kerry since he took office.

Amazingly, Policker MA.com suggests that Kerry has a comfortable Lead against the Republican challenger, Jeff Beatty. This analysis is somewhat questionable. First, Kerry led Beatty by 62 percent in a previous poll, and is now down to 58%, which one would think comfortable for Kerry. However, factor that this poll was taken when Jim Ogonowski was still in the Republican race against Beatty and 44% of the respondents had no opinion (or knowledge of) Jeff Beatty. That is a problem with polling data over a month old being released as “news”. More over, Jim Ogonowski left the race in early June and Jeff Beatty has been crisscrossing the state, building a strong grassroots campaign and getting a good deal of press, especially on the NECN network. He has not yet begun to roll out campaign ads. A Suffolk University poll, differed from the Rasmussen Poll in both length of time to publish the poll and in results. The Suffolk Poll suggested that 51% of the state voters were ready for someone different in that Kerry held seat. Additionally, this poll did not mention names of those who might compete against Kerry for the seat.

Kerry’s visit with Local Elected Officials coupled with dismal polling data, suggests that his tenure as Senator may be over this November. Granted, he does have the money, but, that said, residents of Massachusetts just watched Mitt Romney spend millions in a failed presidential bid against candidates who ran on a shoestring. In some instances, Money can’t buy love nor votes. One must spend time with the “masses” in order to succeed.

John Kerry – Defends Barak Obama’s Flip Flops

Massachusetts Senator, John Kerry, on the stump for Barack Obama, appeared CBS’s Face the Nation this past Sunday. The topic: Barack Obama’s apparent change of stance, or evolving view of the War in Iraq – otherwise known as flip-flopping. In defense of Obama, Kerry turned on John McCain, accusing McCain of flip-flopping on, of all things, the war in Iraq. The term, flip-flop, became part of political speak during the 2004 presidential election, when John Kerry changed his position on a variety of issues almost daily. Kerry’s use of euphemisms is therefore, somewhat ironic. John McCain has changed his position on several issues, chief among them, off-shore oil drilling. McCain, in his change of position has responded to the nation’s energy crisis – which is not a flip-flop in the pure sense of political pandering. McCain has also called for a gas-tax holiday to help reduce the burden on consumers, and has also called for long-term solutions to reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. However, on the War in Iraq, McCain has remained steadfast. He has been highly critical of the handling of the war, called for an increase in troops on the ground long before the surge was implemented, and has defended the military, over the policy and politics, at all times. Kerry’s position in his 2004 campaign, voted for the war and then against the war as he tried to pacify the left and move to the middle – political pandering at its most transparent.

Barack Obama, in his naiveté, explained his position on his “policy shift”, in two separate press conferences on July 3. Mike Huckabee, former presidential candidate, McCain supporter and Fox News contributor, noted that Barack Obama’s second press conference indicated that the candidate, and or his campaign handlers, understood that he had made an error in his first effort to explain his position.

Barack Obama's flip-flops, Mike Huckabee comments

Jeff Beatty, Republican candidate for Senate, MA, issued the following statements following Kerry’s comments on Sunday: “When John Kerry authorized placing American troops in Iraq, he showed a profound lack of judgment by making it about ‘politics’ and his personal political ambitions, a trend that has marked his entire Senate career.”

“I looked at the same facts that Kerry did. As Senator, I would have voted against this war. But Kerry’s vote for the war wasn’t about ‘facts’ or about protecting families in Massachusetts or our country. It was all about his presidential run. Today, Kerry’s continued insistence on a cut and run timetable is once again all about pandering and politics and will not result in a success. This ‘withdrawal in the face of the enemy’ would lead to more trouble for the United States in the very near future.”

Beatty goes on to question: “Can you trust Kerry to do what is in the interest of Massachusetts citizens or what is in his own political interests?” asks Beatty. Beatty goes on to say, “John Kerry is campaigning - not for the US Senate in Massachusetts, but for Vice President or Secretary of State in a potential Obama Administration. It is actually John Kerry’s lack of interest in serving the people of Massachusetts that is once again exposed, along with his poor judgment and profound lack of trustworthy leadership.”

Beatty, who recently received the endorsement of the national organization VetsforFreedom, is challenging Incumbent John Kerry in the Massachusetts senate race. A recent Suffolk University Poll, which is at odds with a Rasmussen Poll touted by major news networks, indicates that over 50% of the states voters would like a change in the Senate in 2008.

Note: John Kerry has not been campaigning in the Baystate to retain his Senate seat. He faces a challenger within his own party, and must first gain the State Democrat nominee before facing Jeff Beatty in the general election.

Watch John Kerry Speak on Flip Flops

Monday's Musings - The Left - Using Religion for Politial Purpose

Robert S. McElvaine, History Department Chair at 87th Ranked (Liberal Arts Colleges) Millsaps College in Jackson MI and noted member of “Historians Against Bush”, pimped his new book, “Grand Theft Jesus: The Hijacking of Religion in America”, in a Huffington Post article he posted July 6, 2008. In his post, he complains about the endorsement of John McCain by the 90 Church Leaders who met in Colorado last week. He dubs these leaders as “Jesus Thieves” as they interpret the Bible somewhat differently than Professor McElvaine. He cries foul that these Leaders had the nerve to hold a conference in Denver, of all places, because that is where the Democrats are holding their convention this year. He does, of course, mention Obama.

In his analysis of these church leaders petition to McCain suggesting he choose Mike Huckabee or someone who has a similar charactor as a running mate, McElvine states: “In short, they don't like Huckabee on precisely those issues where he actually heeds the teachings of Jesus -- and suggests policies that might help the least of these and cut into the profits of the money-changers.”, This is almost praise for Huckabee from one who can be categorized as “Committed Left” but it serves a purpose.

He continues: “ Phil Burress, one of those at the Denver meeting, said that the most important thing is that McCain's running mate be "pro-life and pro-family." Those are, of course, code words for being anti-abortion and anti-gay.
"The only evangelicals that will support Obama are the ones who haven't read their Bible," proclaimed Burress.
These Jesus Thieves must be reading a different Bible from the one I have. In mine, Jesus never mentions abortion or homosexuality. He does, however, talk about loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, helping the poor, and how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven.”

Herein lies the problem. The church leaders who met in Colorado are all reading from similar Bibles - Bibles that are in concert with the King James Version or the Catholic Bible, its predecessor, with only modest changes in the language, without any deviation from the original context. In looking at issues held dear by the Left, specifically Abortion, it behooves them to print a newer version. In Matthew 5-17 Jesus commenting on the Law states (paraphrasing): that he did not come to change it but to fulfill it. In all interpretations other than McElvaine’s, Jesus is referring to the Law of Moses - the 10 Commandments, which, if memory serves includes that one biggie: “Thou Shalt Not Murder.”

How far will the Progressives go to subvert Religion? In an attempt to counter the Republican ideology, which does bring God into the public square, the new brand of liberal Christians are doing the same. Isn't this a contradiction of their constant mantra of “Separation of Church and State”? (One can just imagine how McElvine interprets the Constitution!)

Finally, the problem with Mr. McElvines weak thesis is his lack of research. Had he taken the time to actually compare several Bibles, he would have found that, yes indeed, as a Jew, Jesus did conform to the law. Specfically those practices set down by the prophets and he also encouraged those that followed his teachings to keep God’s commandments, forever linking the old to the new testament. In other words, the Church Leaders who met at Denver, as well as the millions of Christians of like mind, including Catholics, do not use pro-life as a code word for Abortion. Code word? They have no need for code-words as they are all reading the non-McElvine’s approved Bible, which is pretty clear on that point. Note of interest, McElvine fails to mention which version of the Bible he prefers.