Forty-seven years ago, my grandfather Dwight D. Eisenhower bid farewell to a nation he had served for more than five decades. In his televised address, Ike famously coined the term "military-industrial complex," and he offered advice that is still relevant today. "As we peer into society's future," he said, we "must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow."
Today we are engaged in a debate about these very issues. Deep in America's heart, I believe, is the nagging fear that our best years as a nation may be over. We are disliked overseas and feel insecure at home. We watch as our federal budget hemorrhages red ink and our civil liberties are eroded. Crises in energy, health care and education threaten our way of life and our ability to compete internationally. There are also the issues of a costly, unpopular war; a long-neglected infrastructure; and an aging and increasingly needy population.
I am not alone in worrying that my generation will fail to do what my grandfather's did so well: Leave America a better, stronger place than the one it found.
Given the magnitude of these issues and the cost of addressing them, our next president must be able to bring about a sense of national unity and change. As we no longer have the financial resources to address all these problems comprehensively and simultaneously, setting priorities will be essential. With hard work, much can be done.
The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.
No measures to avert the serious, looming consequences can be taken without this sense of renewal. Uncommon political courage will be required. Yet this courage can be summoned only if something profoundly different transpires. Putting America first -- ahead of our own selfish interests -- must be our national priority if we are to retain our capacity to lead.
The last time the United States had an open election was 1952. My grandfather was pursued by both political parties and eventually became the Republican nominee. Despite being a charismatic war hero, he did not have an easy ride to the nomination. He went on to win the presidency -- with the indispensable help of a "Democrats for Eisenhower" movement. These crossover voters were attracted by his pledge to bring change to Washington and by the prospect that he would unify the nation.
It is in this great tradition of crossover voters that I support Barack Obama's candidacy for president. If the Democratic Party chooses Obama as its candidate, this lifelong Republican will work to get him elected and encourage him to seek strategic solutions to meet America's greatest challenges. To be successful, our president will need bipartisan help.
Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and, therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole. Without his leadership, our children and grandchildren are at risk of growing older in a marginalized country that is left to its anger and divisions. Such an outcome would be an unacceptable legacy for any great nation.
Susan Eisenhower, a business consultant, is the author of four books, most recently "Partners in Space: US-Russian Cooperation After the Cold War."
Tonight, for the seventh long year, the American people heard a State of the Union that didn't reflect the America we see, and didn't address the challenges we face. (As Usual)
But what it did do was give us an urgent reminder of why it's so important to turn the page on the failed politics and policies of the past, and change the status quo in Washington so we can finally start making progress for ordinary Americans. (amen)
Tonight's State of the Union was full of the same empty rhetoric the American people have come to expect from this President. We heard President Bush say he'd do something to cut down on special interest earmarks, but we know these earmarks have skyrocketed under his administration.
We heard the President say he wants to make tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans permanent, when we know that at a time of war and economic hardship, the last thing we need is a permanent tax cut for Americans who don't need them and weren't even asking for them. What we need is a middle class tax cut, and that's exactly what I will provide as President. (we have heard this over and over)
We heard the President say he has a stimulus plan to boost our economy, but we know his plan leaves out seniors and fails to expand unemployment insurance, and we know it was George Bush's Washington that let the banks and financial institutions run amok, and take our economy down this dangerous road. What we need to do now is put more money in the pockets of workers and seniors, and expand unemployment insurance for more people and more time. And I have a plan that to do just that. (Medicare is a nightmare-trust me! I took the Insurance exam and it is still confusing)
And finally, tonight we heard President Bush say that the surge in Iraq is working, when we know that's just not true. Yes, our valiant soldiers have helped reduce the violence. Five soldiers gave their lives today in this cause, and we mourn their loss and pray for their families. (Its working to fill his pocket, daddy's pocket and Cheney's pocket)
But let there be no doubt - the Iraqi government has failed to seize the moment to reach the compromises necessary for an enduring peace. That was what we were told the surge was all about. So the only way we're finally going to pressure the Iraqis to reconcile and take responsibility for their future is to immediately begin the responsible withdrawal of our combat brigades so that we can bring all of our combat troops home. (we were sent to secure a place in the Middle east, hence take control of the oil in the caspian region)
But another reason we need to begin this withdrawal immediately is because this war has not made us safer. (definitely NOT) I opposed this war from the start in part because I was concerned that it would take our eye off al Qaeda and distract us from finishing the job in Afghanistan. Sadly, that's what happened. It's time to heed our military commanders by increasing our commitment to Afghanistan, and it's time to protect the American people by taking the fight to al Qaeda. (we are fighting something we created)
Tonight was President Bush's last State of the Union, and I do not believe history will judge his administration kindly. But I also believe the failures of the last seven years stem not just from any single policy, but from a broken politics in Washington. A politics that says it's ok to demonize your political opponents when we should be coming together to solve problems. A politics that puts Wall Street ahead of Main Street, ignoring the reality that our fates are intertwined; a politics that accepts lobbyists as part of the system in Washington, instead of recognizing how much they're a part of the problem. And a politics of fear and ideology instead of hope and common sense. (Thank you!)
I believe a new kind of politics is possible, and I believe it is necessary. Because the American people can't afford another four years without health care, decent wages, or an end to this war. The woman who's going to college and working the night shift to pay her sister's medical bills can't afford to wait. The Maytag workers who are now competing with their teenagers for $7 an hour jobs at Wall Mart can't afford to wait. And the woman who told me she hasn't been able to breathe since her nephew left for Iraq can't afford to wait.
Each year, as we watch the State of the Union, we see half the chamber rise to applaud the President and half the chamber stay in their seats. (true-tres amusant!)
We see half the country tune in to watch, but know that much of the country has stopped even listening. (and pissed off he gets air space)
Imagine if next year was different. Imagine if next year, the entire nation had a president they could believe in. A president who rallied all Americans around a common purpose. That's the kind of President we need in this country. And with your help in the coming days and weeks, that's the kind of President I will be. (You get my vote and WE will hold you to it )
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, Barack Obama, delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston Tuesday night. Here is a transcript of his remarks.
OBAMA: Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Dick Durbin. You make us all proud.
On behalf of the great state of Illinois...
... crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.
My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin- roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
OBAMA: But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that's shown as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before him.
While studying here my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas.
Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor, my grandfather signed up for duty, joined Patton's army, marched across Europe. Back home my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA and later moved west, all the way to Hawaii, in search of opportunity.
And they too had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream born of two continents.
OBAMA: My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.
They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.
They're both passed away now. And yet I know that, on this night, they look down on me with great pride.
And I stand here today grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters.
I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
OBAMA: Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...
... that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
That is the true genius of America, a faith...
... a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution; and that our votes will be counted -- or at least, most of the time.
This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers and the promise of future generations.
OBAMA: And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, independents, I say to you, tonight, we have more work to do...
... more work to do, for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now they're having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay 7 bucksan hour; more to do for the father I met who was losing his job and chocking back the tears wondering how he would pay $4,500 a months for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on; more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her who have the grades, have the drive, have the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college.
Now, don't get me wrong, the people I meet in small towns and big cities and diners and office parks, they don't expect government to solves all of their problems. They know they have to work hard to get a head. And they want to.
Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you: They don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or by the Pentagon.
Go into any inner-city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn.
OBAMA: They know that parents have to teach, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things.
People don't expect -- people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities,we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They knowwe can do better. And they want that choice.
In this election, we offer that choice. Our party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. And that man is John Kerry.
John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith and service because they've defined his life. From his heroic service to Vietnam to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he has devoted himself to this country. Again and again,we've seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. His values and his record affirm what is best in us.
John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded. So instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them to companies creating jobs here at home.
OBAMA: John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.
John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.
John Kerry believes in the constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.
And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world, war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option.
You know, a while back, I met a young man named Seamus (ph) in a VFW hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid, 6'2", 6'3", clear eyed, withan easy smile. He told me he'd joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week.
OBAMA: And as I listened to him explain why he had enlisted -- the absolute faith he had in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service -- I thought, this young man was all that any of us might ever hope for in a child. But then I asked myself: Are we serving Seamus (ph) as well as he's serving us?
I thought of the 900 men and women, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors who won't be returning to their own hometowns. I thought of the families I had met who were struggling to get by without a loved one's full income or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but still lacked long-term health benefits because they were Reservists.
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they are going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return and to never, ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace and earn the respect of the world.
OBAMA: Now, let me be clear. Let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued. And they must be defeated.
John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.
John Kerry believes in America. And he knows that it's not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga, a belief thatwe are all connected as one people.
If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.
If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent.
If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.
It is that fundamental belief -- it is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work.
OBAMA: It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family: "E pluribus unum," out of many, one.
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.
Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.
There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.
The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too.We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.
We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.
We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
OBAMA: In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here, the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away ifwe just don't think about it, or health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it.
That's not what I'm talking. I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
OBAMA: Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope: In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation, a belief in things not seen, a belief that there are better days ahead.
I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
I believe we can provide jobs for the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs, and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us.
America, tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do, ifwe do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as president. And John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president. And this country will reclaim it's promise. And out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.
[ * Edited with Conclusions from David Shippers, Chief Congressional
Clinton Impeachment Hearing Investigator.{refer to note at the end.}]
Can somebody kindly explain these "coincidences" . . . ?
Vince Foster
Former Whitehouse counselor & colleague of Hillary Clinton. Died of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide.
[Note: Vince Foster's Son, died on the eve of the last Democratic National Convention, while driving a brand new car, his brakes failed and his car
struck a concrete bridge abutment. The FBI Report Concluded that his Brakes
had been tampered with, the lines cut! Also, Mrs.Foster his Mother, had not
waited too long after the death of Vince, and remarried - the Chief Supreme Court
Judge in Arkansas, who happened to be the last one appointed by Clinton just
prior to being sworn in as President. It was known that Mrs. Foster caught Hillary
in an Affair with Vince in the Oval Office, not long before his death. After she too
was threatened by the Clintons not to disclose this to the press. She did at one
press conference in front of dignitaries. It was not long after that her "son" died!]
Ed Willey
Clinton fund raiser. Found dead, deep in the woods of Virginia in November 1993. Gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. The very same day, Willey's wife claimed Clinton had groped her in the oval office.
Kathy Ferguson
Found dead with a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. She had several packed suitcases as if ready to go somewhere
Secretary of Commerce at the White House. Reportedly killed in a plane crash. Post-mortem: 'hole in the skull, looks like a gunshot wound'.
[ Forensic Report indicated 9MM Nato round was recovered !
That Brown was shot from the back of the Head, Mob Style -
Indicates that he was shot first prior to the crash or he was alive
and shot at the scene by a "govt rescuer". Brown was on the
way to The Impeachment Hearing Office with Documents in a
locked brief case, The case was on the Plane according to
manifest records BUT Never Recovered at the Crash Site - and
the file evidence was never recovered. Info verbally given to me
by David Shippers, Chief Investigator, Congress, Clinton Impeach
ment Office ]
Suzanne Coleman
Reportedly had an affair with Clinton whilst an Attorney General.
Died of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. She was pregnant at the time of her death.
Mary Mahoney
Former Whitehouse intern. Murdered July 1997 at a coffee shop in Georgetown. Allegedly about to go public about sexual harassment
in the Whitehouse.
Paul Tulley
Democratic National Committee Political Director. Found dead in a hotel room in Little Rock CA, Sept 1992. Described by Clinton as a dear and trusted friend.
Jerry Parks
Head of Clinton security Gunned down at a quiet intersection in Little Rock, CA. He was allegedly building a dossier on Clinton. Threatened to reveal secret information. After his death the dossier mysteriously vanished from his house.
C. Victor Raiser II & Montgomery Raiser
Major players in Clinton fund raising campaign. Died in a private plane crash in 1992.
Charles Meissner
Assistant secretary at the Department of Commerce. Died in a small plane crash.
Dr. Stanley Heard
Treated Clintons' mother, stepfather & brother. Died in a small plane crash. His attorney, Steve Dickson, was also killed.
Hershell Friday
Clinton fund raiser. Died when his private jet exploded.
Gandy Baugh
Attorney for Clinton's friend, Dan Lassater. Fell to his death by falling from a tall building in Jan 1994.
[It was known, he was afraid of heights, then why was he on
the roof?
Paula Grober
Clinton's speech interpreter for the deaf. Died in a car-crash.
Barbra Wise
Worked closely with Ron Brown (See above). Her nude body was locked in her Department of Commerce office.
[ Shipper's mentioned, the office was found locked from the inside!
Body was found Monday morning as other employees came into work!]
Stan Huggins
Investigated Madison Guarantee Scandal. Committed suicide before the report was published.
John Parnell Previously investigated the 'Whitewater' scandal. Jumped to his death from his Virginia apartment balcony. He was investigating the Madison Guarantee Scandal.
James McDougall
Clinton's convicted 'Whitewater' partner.
Susan McDougall's Husband. She was held in
contempt of court for refusing to answer questions. He Died of a heart attack whilst in solitary confinement.
James Wilson
Found hanging. Ruled a suicide. He was linked to the 'Whitewater' case.
James Bunch
Died of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. It was reported Bunch had a 'black book' of influential figures who
visited prostitutes in Arkansas, Clinton's constituency.
Florence Martin
Accountant sub-contractor for the CIA Also related to the Mena Airport drug smuggling case. Died of three gunshot wounds. Mena is a small airport in Arkansas, 160 miles from Little Rock.
[Also according to Shipper's, was the Drug Smuggling base of
operations. Also where the two young bys, "witnesses" were found
dead on the tracks.]
Danny Casolaro
Investigative reporter, reporting on the Mena Airport case. Slit his wrists during the investigation. Ruled a suicide.
Kevin Ives & Don Henry
Youngsters, rumored to have stumbled upon the smuggling
operation at Mena Airport.
Both bodies were found dead on railway track, near the airport. Coroner's verdict: Death due to falling asleep on track. [Shipper's
mentioned the boy's had witnessed the President , then Gov.
implicated in the smuggling operation. Body's decapitated, theory
is they were killed else where and then placed on the tracks! ]
Paul Wilcher
Investigating corruption at Mena Airport along with Danny Casolaro (above). Found dead on the toilet at his Washington DC apartment. 3 weeks earlier he produced an investigative report on the case.
All of the following were connected with the Mena Airport investigation:
Keith Conley
Died in a motor cycle accident
Keith McMaskie
Stabbed 113 times in Nov 1988
Gregory Collins
Died from a gunshot wound in Jan 1989
Jeff Rhodes
Shot, mutilated, and found burned in trash dump.
James Milan
Found decapitated. Coroner's verdict: Natural causes
[Totally physically impossible, Milan was murdered then
the killer decapitated the body, perhaps the same killer,
or killers that murdered the boys in Mena. AK.!]
Jordan Kettleson
Found stabbed in his pick up truck June 1990
Richard Winters
Killed in a robbery in July 1989
[Shipper's speculation, Robbery was a set-up
to cover his murder !]
The following Clinton bodyguards have all died of Unnatural causes:
[ NOTE: Four of Clinton's Bodyguards were Transferred to BATF, Just prior to WACO.
They are the Ones that Died During the First Shoot Out in the Raid, the ones who were
shot on the roof of the building - from inside the window. Forensic Reports indicate they
were murdered, by other agents. Other's who were Military, and on the WACO raid, died
by "Drowning" in a shallow river crossing, while member of DELTA FORCE during Special Forces Training Exercises, they were in excellent health and expert swimmers. and others
died when the experimental Marine VTOL Aircraft crashed, killing all on board when the
plane nose dived into the ground this past year. ]
