If you are tired of the mudslinging, dredging up of “gotcha’s” and the other exercises that pass as political campaigns in America, strap on your vomit bag because this ain’t nothing yet. No matter which Democrat is selected to carry the party’s banner this fall, the attacks on “character”, “experience” and everything under the sun except what really matters will grow more intense and more ridiculous. Is this any way to select the person who will preside over the largest military and economy in the world? Hell no.
For those who have followed my scribbling on this site about the campaign, you know I originally picked Dennis Kucinich because he was right on the issues that matter. When he dropped out of the campaign (I refuse to call it a “race” for what I hope are obvious reasons) I resorted to WWJVF – “Who would Jesus vote for” as my test and joined those favoring Barrack Obama.
I have, however, been increasingly disappointed by the horrid way in which this campaign has gone. Sen. Clinton has made me wonder whether the right wing cabal against her husband and herself during his Presidency weren’t more correct than it appeared. Sen. Obama has not descended quite as far, but he is also not saying a whole lot about what I think really matters, so I am going to lay out what I think are the some real issues that receive scant attention.
1. Will you as President renounce and reject the doctrine of pre-emptive war? It is so fundamentally opposed to the very essence of our national history that to not completely reject this policy of the Bush administration will leave us permanently exposed to other misadventures and ultimately our extinction.
2. Will you as President renounce and reject the so-called “unitary executive” theory and its bastard child “signing statements.”? The genius of the Constitution was the creation of a tripartite system with each branch balancing the other. We are not at war. We do not want need nor can we suffer a dictator under the guise of a “commander in chief.”
3. Will you as President bring our budget back to balance by:
a. Reducing military spending by 30%, including a reduction in “foreign aid” that is really military spending, such as to Israel and Columbia.
b. vetoing any legislation containing earmarks
c. End all subsidies to oil companies and large agribusinesses
d. Increase taxes on those earning more than $200,000
e. Eliminate the Bush tax cuts except for middle earning Americans
4. Will you as President immediately renegotiate all trade agreements so that we stop exporting industry, push jobs offshore, allow companies to place earnings beyond our tax laws and fail to insist on fair labor practices offshore?
5. Eliminate “faith based” programs. Can you say “First Amendment?”
6. Veto any bill that addresses marriage, gay or straight.
7. Sponsor legislation that repeals the Supreme Court decision that corporations are “people.”
Oh there are more issues, and I am sure readers here will add their own. But this is a list that might take up just a few minutes over the next 5 months. Of course we will have to see if they can be wedged in between all that crap thrown at us by the candidates and the media. But maybe as much time as was devoted to misleading us about Rev. Wright? Please?