St. Louis, Mo. Rally

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., right, waves as he arrives at a rally in St. Louis, Mo., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008.

LA Times for Barack Obama

Endorsement Barack Obama for president He is the competent, confident leader who represents the aspirations of the United States. 11:01 AM PDT, October 17, 2008 » Discuss Article    (289 Comments) It is inherent in the American character to aspire to greatness, so it can be disorienting when the nation stumbles or loses confidence in bedrock principles or institutions. That's where the United States is as it prepares to select a new president: We have seen the government take a stake in venerable private financial houses; we have witnessed eight years of executive branch power grabs and erosion of civil liberties; we are still recovering from a murderous attack by terrorists on our own soil and still struggling with how best to prevent a recurrence. We need a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure, one not prone to volatile gesture or capricious pronouncement. We need a leader well-grounded in the intellectual and legal foundations of American freedom. Yet we ask that the same person also possess the spark and passion to inspire the best within us: creativity, generosity and a fierce defense of justice and liberty. Ads by Google Times: Palin Dead Wrong Read the most talked-about editorials and opinions at Newser. www.Newser.com Housing Crisis Solved A Plan That Works Simple Solution. A Must Read. www.choosethinking.com The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president. Our nation has never before had a candidate like Obama, a man born in the 1960s, of black African and white heritage, raised and educated abroad as well as in the United States, and bringing with him a personal narrative that encompasses much of the American story but that, until now, has been reflected in little of its elected leadership. The excitement of Obama's early campaign was amplified by that newness. But as the presidential race draws to its conclusion, it is Obama's character and temperament that come to the fore. It is his steadiness. His maturity. These are qualities American leadership has sorely lacked for close to a decade. The U.S. Constitution, more than two centuries old, now offers the world one of its more mature and certainly most stable governments, but our political culture is still struggling to shake off a brash and unseemly adolescence. In George W. Bush, the executive branch turned its back on an adult role in the nation and the world and retreated into self-absorbed unilateralism. John McCain distinguished himself through much of the Bush presidency by speaking out against reckless and self-defeating policies. He earned The Times' respect, and our endorsement in the California Republican primary, for his denunciation of torture, his readiness to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his willingness to buck his party on issues such as immigration reform. But the man known for his sense of honor and consistency has since announced that he wouldn't vote for his own immigration bill, and he redefined "torture" in such a disingenuous way as to nearly embrace what he once abhorred. Indeed, the presidential campaign has rendered McCain nearly unrecognizable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was, as a short-term political tactic, brilliant. It was also irresponsible, as Palin is the most unqualified vice presidential nominee of a major party in living memory. The decision calls into question just what kind of thinking -- if that's the appropriate word -- would drive the White House in a McCain presidency. Fortunately, the public has shown more discernment, and the early enthusiasm for Palin has given way to national ridicule of her candidacy and McCain's judgment. Obama's selection also was telling. He might have scored a steeper bump in the polls by making a more dramatic choice than the capable and experienced Joe Biden. But for all the excitement of his own candidacy, Obama has offered more competence than drama. He is no lone rider. He is a consensus builder, a leader. As a constitutional scholar, he has articulated a respect for the rule of law and the limited power of the executive that make him the best hope of restoring balance and process to the Justice Department. He is a Democrat, leaning further left than right, and that should be reflected in his nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is a good thing; the court operates best when it is ideologically balanced. With its present alignment at seven justices named by Republicans and two by Democrats, it is due for a tug from the left. We are not sanguine about Obama's economic policies. He speaks with populist sweep about taxing oil companies to give middle-class families rebates that of course they would welcome, but would be far too small to stimulate the economy. His ideas on taxation do not stray far from those put forward by Democrats over the last several decades. His response to the most recent, and drastic, fallout of the sub- prime mortgage meltdown has been appropriately cautious; this is uncharted territory, and Obama is not a master of economic theory or practice. And that's fine. Obama inspires confidence not so much in his grasp of Wall Street finance, but in his acknowledgment of and comfort with his lack of expertise. He will not be one to forge far-reaching economic policy without sounding out the best thinkers and practitioners, and he has many at his disposal. He has won the backing of some on Wall Street not because he's one of them, but because they recognize his talent for extracting from a broad range of proposals a coherent and workable program. On paper, McCain presents the type of economic program The Times has repeatedly backed: One that would ease the tax burden on business and other high earners most likely to invest in the economy and hire new workers. But he has been disturbingly unfocused in his response to the current financial situation, rushing to "suspend" his campaign and take action (although just what action never became clear). Having little to contribute, he instead chose to exploit the crisis. We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.

Unfit for the White House

The day before Bush address at the White House plugging for a bailout, McCain was asked on what is his stand on the memo of Treasury Secretary about the economy. McCain's bland answer was, he has not read the three page memo which has been discussed in Washington circles for over a week. This prompted a wiseacre that the Straight Talk Express has no reading room. Fact is, McCain has no interest on  economy matters.    After Bush's suggestion for an economic bailout, Obama suggested to McCain that a joint statement be drawn to spur  bipartisan support of the Bush initiative. A bulb suddenly lit in  McCain's head and saw a grand opportunity to act presidential. He issued a statement on his own (never mind Obama) calling for a bipartisan support of Bush bailout, thus effectively pirating Obama's idea. He  pushed  his grandstanding to the hilt - McCain announced suspending his campaign so he could rally "bipartisan support" (his hackneyed phrase on the campaign trail) and also announced that he will not attend the scheduled debate "unless a deal is reached " in Washington. The succeeding events showed McCain stumbling at every step and eventually eating crow, but for now this writer would like to point out  the consensus at the capitol that it is the president's job together with congress to bail out the economy. In other words, McCain is trying to usurp the duties of the president after his intellectual dishonesty of pirating the idea of Obama.  McCain's rightful place is a rocking chair in front of his ranch at Sedona - definitely not the White House.

Will They Ever Learn??

Republican noise makers declared McCain winner of the debate even before it started. It means McCain need not  show up for the debate because it is already won. Talk about being scared. In the course of the debate familiar cliches were tossed  around in abundance: 1. I have plenty of experience and ready to be president. 2. He is naive and does not understand Iraq. 3.  He is naive and doest not understand Russia. 4. He is naive and does not  understand the surge. 5. He is naive and does not understand foreign policy by  talking to adversaries without preconditions.  These are pronouncements, worn out and passe were it not re-hashed  by the nominee of GOP. These were the same pronouncements of someone who is now in the dustbin of history. The electorate is not that stupid.  Will they ever learn?

Moral Fibber??

On Larry King Live hour at CNN, Susan Molinari, a republican hatchetwoman revealed that the republicans cannot attack Obama because there is no record to attack. That explains why the McCain brigade  fabricate lies to paint Obama on. Obama is  impregnable on his moral fiber, so the McCain  camp have to invent their  moral fibber. What kind of president will that make of McCain?

Pinocchio for President?

Senator John McCain has nothing to say to the electorate, so he cooks up a broth of lies and calls it medicine for the ills of the american people. There's no telling how intelligent is the american electorate - a pinocchio may yet become president.

Capricious McCain

 

   Soldier McCain flaunts his military service, in addition to love of country, as making him fit to guard the ramparts of liberty when he occupies the White House. Recent revelations of candidate McCain point otherwise. Granting his claim as expert on security, he is well qualified as security guard of the bank of america  - were he younger.

 

   Candidate McCain is at least a decade  away from senility but he is quick to fake senior moments when cornered with leading questions: he can not exactly remember how many houses he owns.  In the face of mass foreclosures and people all over the country at the brink of losing their homes, McCain's multiple homes is in stark contrast and sticks out like a sore thumb in an ailing economy. In a vain effort to mollify  ruffled feathers, McCain surrogates pictured McCain laid up as a POW in a house with bare floors purportedly to evoke sympathy.

 

   When Russian troops invaded Georgia, McCain was quick on the draw shooting from the hip. He blustered that Russia ought to be expelled from G8 nations and in unabashed demagoguery  McCain declared that all Americans are Georgians!

 

   And now comes the snake oil! McCain picks Sara Palin as running mate. This is very obvious pandering to Hillary Clinton women voters. These histrionics makes McCain very well qualified to be president of Barnum Bailley Circus.