Recently in Politics Category

The Olympics will always have a special place in my life with my participation in the 1984 Summer Games in LA. The best of luck in the competitions for Team USA - bring home lots of medals and memories from Beijing. On the other hand, we should all use this opportunity to ask our governments and businesses why we do business with a country that regularly violates the human rights of its citizens and continues to persecute and occupy Tibet.


Feel free to take a copy of this graphics I made - the Free Tibet-related portions courtesy of oddsock and the Team USA logo from their web site.

Being both a geek and an earth scientist, I am now beginning to wonder who in their right mind would choose a Luddite like McCain for president. He watches the Internet with his grandchildren and says that there is a common border between Iraq and Pakistan. Next will he be saying that evolution is a bunch of bunk or that Obama must be a Muslim?

Now I know that those high up in politics have aides and drones to read and respond in their name to email messages and to glean information from Internet sources, but come on. It is the 21st Century and at least a tiny bit of familiarization about technology by a candidate expected to lead what is purportedly the richest, smartest, most advanced country on Earth would be appropriate. No, he does not have to blog or tweet or plurk or text, but a basic understanding of all of the above would be nice.

And geography... don't get me started, but here we are not talking rocket science. We're talking elementary school! He can't blame lack of access to Google Earth either. He could use a paper map, atlas, or a globe. Granted, he was making a speech to a group of people who probably can't find their way to the next county, let alone state, but what if he was standing next to the leader of a country and makes a gaff like that? So many are saying he is just Bush continued and this is just another example of that. Oh, he was just confused say the conservative pundits. Well, geez, what if he is confused while deciding whether to say bomb Kazakhstan or not. He might think... hmmm, sounds like Kansas and say well... bomb Kansas! Dorothy and Toto would not like that, Mr. McCain. I know that is an outlandish example, but if he cannot do basic geography or understand new technology, who's to say?

All of this lack of knowledge by the presumptive candidate of the Republican Party or of any party for that matter should be of concern to all Americans. Does this mean if he does not understand something that he will just let his advisors take charge? If he gets confused, we should just ignore it? Does this mean that if he makes a mistake that we'll all just say oops, nevermind? I feel that being the chief executive of my country requires at least a general knowledge of the world and what makes it work. McCain flunks miserably. Being a POW does not make you a commander in chief. Being a senator does not make you a leader.

Now that you are done reading, take a moment, print a blank outline map of the world (PDF file), and see how many countries of the world you can name correctly. Here you will find larger blank maps of the world's regions to make those tiny countries easier to see. Also, look at these blank US and Canada maps and see if you can label the states and provinces. Share this with friends and family... amazing how much fun it will be when you here mention of Bahrain or Moldova or Nunavut on the news and actually can place where it it. The whole collection of blank (and labelled - no cheating!) maps can be found at Houghton-Mifflin's Education Place.

Please go over to my Important Legislation page and read how you can help get legislation passed to help Pennsylvania's volunteer firefighters and EMT personnel! Call and email your PA House Representative today to encourage their support and quick passage of Senate Bills 1169, 1315, 1315, and 1316 this legislative session!

Those are the words of who we need to elect in November. Speaking before a crowd in Mitchell, SD, he ended his speech with a story about an encounter he had early in the campaign season.

Go out to the media sites and find today's speech. Amazing how a story can get a crowd energized and, hopefully, our party in motion for victory in November.

I knew this day would come, that John Edwards (who was my first choice for '08) would come through for Obama. I do believe that the race for the nomination is finally becoming clear to all democrats and that the choice for success in 2008 is Barack Obama!