My Independent Voice

Seattle Sports in 2008 - More than enough said!

2008-12-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

I came upon this gem while listening to the fill in host for Seattle Sports Radio station 950 KJR AM. This article on ESPN pretty much sums it up!

As an aside (or is that a snide) I really hope OKC enjoys building an NBA franchise in a business climate that is thriving in the state of Oklahoma... What's that? It isn't? Ohhh, so sorry to hear that! Maybe David Stern can help... What's that?... You don't trust David as far as you can throw him? I can understand that one!

Chris Matthews on the Rationale of the Iraq War from the Bush Administration

2008-12-16T23:35:00.001-08:00

It's been a while, and while I'm not a huge fan of Matthews, he nails this!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Obama Weekly – 11/22/08

2008-12-05T10:27:00.001-08:00

The Obama Weekly – 11/29/08

2008-12-05T10:24:00.001-08:00

Why America Feels Like it's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier

2008-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

John Hallman nails it at the Huffington Post!
My only concern is that the popular vote was closer than I would have expected. Time will tell, but the Obama administration has a huge mountain to climb in restoring our nations credibility bot domestic and abroad.

A new twist on FDR's Fireside Chats - PBO-Video

2008-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

This will be an interesting trend to follow. I hope we can have a more transparent government through clear understanding of policy and legislative efforts coming from the Executive office. I'll try and keep them chronicled here.

It's a New Day!

2008-11-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

It Was a Very Good Night for America!

2008-11-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is what kills the Republican Party!

2008-11-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is a Republican should be appalled at having any association with this kind of discussion from any pundit, period. Regardless of the closeness of the votes cast in the presidential race no one in this country should ever have a viewpoint that any slavery, and especially the enslavement of African-Americans should ever be viewed in a positive light. It is the most short sighted, ignorant and frankly stupid point of view ever! Anyone regardless of party should immediately call for this persons removal ASAP.

Duh!

2008-11-08T00:58:00.001-08:00

Quit being so scared and LAZY!

2008-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

As I read this email from Focus on the Family I am amazed at the fear mongering still going on around the election of Barack Obama. This is not Nazi Germany and we are not in the middle of WWII. I am also struck by the absolute laziness of this organization. The following section of the email just hits me.

Let me speak plainly. Our nation has never faced the kind of anti-family, pro-abortion assault that we’re likely to see in the coming weeks and months. We don’t have to guess what the Left will do now that they control Congress and the White House; they’ve told us

...

To stop these tragic outcomes — and much more that I won’t take time to list right now — we must mobilize extraordinary numbers of citizens who care about upholding virtue, defending life and safeguarding religious liberty.

This is an organization I have embraced on occasion and scratched my head on occasion. The thing that really drives me nuts when an organization spews this kind of rhetoric, is that the onus of keeping familys safe from anti-family or pro-CHOICE thinking that they are speaking of is up to the church, not the state.

Why is Focus on the Family being so lazy? It is squarely in the hands of those who deliver this message which speaks to the kind of family values and choices for pregnant women that need to "legislate" this change. The "church" needs to do this work, not the government. The government can make sure things are as safe as possible and protect the masses, but not at the cost of overall freedoms.
And the notion that somehow Obama is going to jeopardize religious liberty? C'mon... really? I would expect that the church-going guy isn't looking to keep you from going to church! But he had better make sure that everyone in this country can practice their own religion without penalty!

My point on this, we are not in the middle of an assault, rather it is an opportunity to continue delivering the message of options for expectant mothers, respecting your fellow man and putting an end to the divisive wedge that is discrimination against anyone for any reason. Christian values are about love one another not mobilize and attack. Get off your couch and go out and talk in a positive voice to people about love... and having children... and including those not like you in your daily life. We were just witness to a HUGE example of what people can do when your message is a positive one of hope or change. Go and share the love and respect for your fellow man, don't be covert.
We have enough of the negative attacks coming from religions and peoples with anti-American and anti-christian sentiment; we don't need they same coming from inside our own country.

You Mean Joe the Plumber Isn't Smart?

2008-11-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

One of Bateman's Finest!

Colin Powell - Proud American First

2008-11-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Colin Powell on Barack Obamas historic win.

FOX news tells it like it was... almost.

2008-11-05T21:08:00.001-08:00

While Bill O'Reilly is still covering for someone that was the VP candidate for the GOP, this video gives a little insight into why people were afraid of the McCain-Palin ticket.

Now the Hard Work Begins...

2008-11-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

We have just witnessed one of the most amazing turn outs ever for an election. We have one of the most inspirational leaders in generations. We have a spirit of change for the better in the air. What we need now is the conviction and commitment of those who want this change to come forth and deliver on their choice. The people that elected Barack Obama for President of the United States now need to step forward and do the work that is necessary to deliver the change we need. The commitment to the Obama campaign must now transform itself in the ways President-elect Obama outlined throughout is campaign. To do this people must shift from the campaign mentality to one of service. We all need to look at ways we can help; volunteer in some form, get more civic minded, find a cause, help your neighbor, drive the economy, and ultimately deliver on the promise that this change is about you and your country.
I am thrilled to have this feeling again. I have a strong belief that the rest of the world will look at this choice for change by our country and be relieved that the leadership of this nation will be one that is benevolent yet strong. The leadership under an Obama-Biden administration will be supportive of many of those nations that are trying to grow in this global economy and yet will help develop consensus and build allies so drastically depleted under the Bush-Cheney administration. America and the world are better today because of the election of Barak Obama and Joe Biden.
Now, lets get started in whatever support we need to provide to our government, our communities, our families and ourselves for the greater good!

Rachel Maddow's Ride to the Top!

2008-11-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Jessica Pressler does a great job of documenting one of Cable TV's latest success stories with The Dr. Maddow Show - The secret to Rachel Maddow's success.

This is why Nov 4th will be a big day!

2008-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

As I read this article I realized how similar I am to this man regarding how this election has affected me.

My wife made me canvas for Obama; here's what I learned

Everyone Needs to Watch This Video Series!

2008-10-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

FRONTLINE: The War Behind Closed Doors

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/iraq/view/

If you want to really understand why we got into the Iraq war, you need to watch this!

As the U.S. stands at the brink of war with Iraq, many are now warning about the potential consequences: the danger of getting bogged down in Baghdad, the prospect of longtime allies leaving America's side, the possibility of chaos in the Middle East, the threat of renewed terrorism.

But the Bush administration insiders who helped define the "Bush Doctrine," and who have argued most forcefully for war, are determined to set a course that will remake America's role in the world. Having served three Republican presidents over the course of two decades, this group of close advisers -- among them Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and perhaps most importantly, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz -- believe that the removal of Saddam Hussein is the necessary first act of a new era.

In "The War Behind Closed Doors," FRONTLINE traces the inside story of how those advisers -- calling themselves "neo-Reaganites," "neo-conservatives," or simply "hawks" -- set out to achieve the most dramatic change in American foreign policy in half a century: a grand strategy, formally articulated in the National Security Strategy released last September, that is based on preemption rather than containment and calls for the bold assertion of American power and influence around the world.

Through interviews with key Republican insiders, foreign policy analysts, and longtime White House observers, the report reveals how America got to the brink of war with Iraq -- and how a war and its aftermath will put these advisers' big idea to the test.

Pres. Bush and the Great Pumpkin

2008-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what an unfavorable rating can do for your political prowess.

Here is an excerpt from the White House Press Briefing on October 29th.

Q Another question, and I know this is a little bit in advance, but what exactly is the President going to be doing Tuesday night? I know you said he's staying here. Who's going to be here? Can you give us a little tick-tock about what his plans are?

MS. PERINO: I'll try to get you some more information on that. He often will have somebody over for dinner or something before they start watching the returns. So as we get a little bit closer, let me try to nail that down for you.

Q This weekend Camp David and no campaigning at all?

MS. PERINO: That's right.

Q Any particular reason why no one wants him out there?

MS. PERINO: The President is pretty focused on the activities that we have here, especially getting this economy back in order. As we've said for a while, the President was going to be focusing on this. We cancelled a lot of our fundraisers, and he's going to focus on being with Mrs. Bush and others this weekend at Camp David.

They may as well have said he was cancer to any Republican candidate out there and he just wants to be around folks that won't look at him with great disdain!

Sadly, I just get this image of President and Mrs. Bush as Linus and Sally out in the pumpkin patch waiting for the arrival of the great pumpkin.

Marxist or Marcusist?

2008-10-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

If Barack Obama is being labeled as a Marxist, does that make Sarah Palin a Neiman Marcus-ist or a Neiman Marxist?

Raise your hand if you were better off under Clinton...

2008-10-29T22:54:00.001-07:00

Bill Clinton in Scranton, PA: "Who's got the best ideas? Who's got the best instincts? Who's got the best ability to understand these challenges? Who's got the best supporting cast? The answer is Barack Obama and...that's why I'm here."

Bill Clinton in Florida: "He's got a better philosophy. He's got better answers. He's got a better understanding, and better advisers on these complex economic matters. He's got a better vice presidential partner."

Bill Clinton in Orlando, FL: "Are you ready for a new president? Are you ready for this new president?" "Barack Obama represents America's future and you have to be there for him next Tuesday!"

Clinton's four reasons to vote for Barack Obama:

Philosophies

Policies

Ability to make a decision

Ability to execute that decisions and make changes in peoples lives

If Clinton has any reason to vote for Barack Obama, and you were better off under Bill Clinton’s presidency then the choice is pretty clear, if you trust his judgment.

What? You don't want to vote???!!!???

2008-10-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Get up off of your lazy, TV watchin', sleep deprived butt and fill out your absentee ballot NOW!

How hard is it to open the dang thing, find a pen (yes a pen dumb-ass), and fill in a list of circles?!? Just pick your bones up off of that couch and go find the ballot, I'll wait!....

Oh, and don't forget to find your Voters pamphlet! If you can't find it, here is the Washington State pamphlet. I'm sure you haven't read it!

Now find a first class mail stamp. I don't want to hear about how you can't find one, ya lazy butt! Do yourself a favor and MAKE some! Now, no excuses! Do you civic duty and VOTE!

What's that? You don't have an absentee ballot? Did you find your voters pamphlet? Yeah, well READ it! I know you can read because you are reading this!

Now, you need to make sure you know where you will be voting, as you probably have lost your voters registration card which has the location on it! So look here, enter your address and you'll find out where you are registered!

So ya got it? You know when you are going to vote? MAKE SURE YOU VOTE EARLY IN THE DAY!

I cannot stress this enough, MAKE SURE YOU VOTE EARLY IN THE DAY!!!! I know you want to sleep in, but DON'T! Hit the coffee shop early and get that caffeine infusion, re-read your voters pamphlet and then hit the polling place. Remember you need to get out there and vote!

I don't want to hear any whining from you for the next 4 years because you don't like the way the election went, yet you didn't vote! If we're going to have any diswcussion on policy or politics you had better get out there and VOTE!

{Man, the things one needs to do to get motivated to vote! Conversations in the mirror are always interesting, especially when you are berating yourself!}

UPDATE: I delivered the absentee ballot this a.m.!

The Internet and Election 2008

2008-10-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

Blogs as Internet journals or stages for political commentary, contributions done electronically and volunteering in the age of unlimited long distance or VOIP and cell phones have changed the methodologies used in peer-2-peer phone calling to contact people; these Internet driven political staples have become benefactors of the digital revolution. All of these are changes from where we were 4 years ago. In this information and Internet age we are seeing unprecedented use of the digital resources available to the entirety of the American people.

Blogs & Web Sites
Blogs (such as this one) are commonplace and every campaign has more information than ever before for voters to better understand what each candidate stands for. This is forcing candidates to be consistent throughout their campaign. Some will argue that this isn't the case, but when you have examples of Google cache or the Way Back Machine being used to fact check previous entries, it is clear, you won't be able to get away with lying as was once possible. In addition the fact checking organizations as well as news organizations have added a new accountability layer that is forcing candidates to keep the distortion on their and opponent records to a minimum.

E-Commerce
With the monstrous fund-raising effort by the Obama campaign, it is clearly the mechanism to get direct public financing. Candidates as well as parties that didn't have anything setup at the start of this campaign, did after they saw the massive amounts of money flowing into the Obama campaign. I did my contribution of $50 in that manner and while it won't hit the reporting bar, I have a feeling it helped, as did millions of donations like mine.

Volunteering and Communication
Internet and cellular communication have opened the lines to voters for campaigners of all kinds and have decentralized the need for centralized call centers. Callers from all over the country can call and encourage you to vote for national and domestic candidates. College students can call and support their local candidates from out of state, all without incurring previously cost prohibitive long distance charges. In addition, volunteers on major national issues that may have state initiatives or efforts for or against can call and deliver voice messages to voters, send email to broad groups of supporters or build local volunteer groups online to get the word out locally. The advent of social networks coupled with Internet communications has turned elections on their ear. The amazing revelations we will see in the coming years will be how this may translate to international issues as more of the world has the same or better communication and new translation technologies become commonplace.

All in all, the technology of today will continue to provide advances in how voters are informed and influenced. This is just the start of my look into technology and democracy. Future installments on these topics will be on the actual voting process and polling.

Bob the Builder the big loser in the 2008 election?

2008-10-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

It has been bad enough that 'Bob the Builder' was blatantly plagiarized by Barack Obama with his "Yes We Can" message although he now supports Barack Obama. (and gets a royalty every time the phrase is uttered!)

John McCain went right after him by pulling 'Joe the Plumber' into the mix, but now Bob Barr is stealing Bob's identity.

Bob Barr has taken 'Bob the Builder' and made it his own, claiming, "Joe the Plumber doesn't need Senators Barack Obama or John McCain, he needs 'Bob the Builder.'" Claiming he is Bob "The Builder" Barr.

Bob the Builder does clearly hold out hope as he knows Washington is a mess. Bob's clearly an Obama supporter with his can do attitude and is hoping that a new administration might put he and the gang to work real soon! Asked if he felt America's infrastructure could be fixed, he replied, "Can we fix it? Yes we can!"

McCain the Seattle Pilots?

2008-10-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Nate Silver from fivethirtyeight.com givesThe Colbert Report his baseball analogies for the 2008 Presidential election.

Be a Smart Voter - VoteSmart .org

2008-10-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was listening to XM-Radio's POTUS 08 show this morning and heard about the VoteSmart.org site. After looking through they seem to have a fair amount of information on most all of the races across the country. Have a look!

Opie Pa, Richie and the Fonz (Oh My!)

2008-10-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's like VH-1 pop-up video... Only BETTER!

2008-10-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Bateman: Who are the core Palin supporters?

My Independent Voice... is actually independent!

2008-10-22T22:42:00.001-07:00

Just so others are clear (you know who you are as I don't have much traffic on this blog) I am not in for the Democrats, although this year I know many are! Having the right people for the job is what being independent is about. It is about evaluating the entirity of tickets or issues and using your best faculties to choose the best candidate or position to move in a particular direction.

At least one of my votes is for a Republican. (Ooooh...) Doug Sutherland is up for re-election as Commissioner of Public Lands. Doug has been involved in governing for a long time. I have been nothing but impressed with him and his staff through the years. (Public disclosure: He at one point was my wife's boss or at least the city manager of the city she worked at!)

I have had occaision to experience his leadership even if from afar. I have reviewed his positions and followed his career, and I would vote for him in most any capacity he saw himself fit.

So it just dawned on me… Pit-BS!

2008-10-22T22:16:00.001-07:00

I have had this problem with Sarah Palin as the VP choice for McCain from the beginning. I was actually starting to really wonder why it was I didn’t feel she was worthy of the job. I actually questioned my motivation and tried to re-analyze my position… Could I be a chauvinistic pig? (No, some of the best people I work with and respect are women in positions they not only deserve, but are excellent at!) Could it be I have a disdain for Alaskans? (No, one of my best friends married an Alaskan and she is GREAT, and most everyone I meet from there is amazing as well!) Could it be that I am jealous? (Yeah right!)

So what is it you ask? Well after dinner I was cruising Facebook and it dawned on me!

Do you remember back to high-school when you knew someone that was in a class and you said to yourself, “If that person ever gets in a position of power, we’re all screwed!” As I was cruising through Facebook looking up folks from my high-school class it hit me!

Back in high-school I took a public speaking course (boy did I need it!) and I recalled a particular day in class where a particular student proceeded to get up in front of the class and deliver what can best be described as a Palinesque answer to the question. Suffice it to say I do not remember the details as I immediately flushed any synapse to the answer as something that was remotely intelligent. What I have finally tied together is that this same student continued to have similar challenges throughout the class. I felt bad for this person, but really felt as if they were working on a skill that was probably putting the cart before the horse, or maybe putting the mouth before the brain. Gov. Sarah Palin reminds me of this person.

Now I realize I am not the smartest guy, nor the most gifted of orators, nor am I a gifted writer (as you can tell), but I’m not running for office either. I am constantly amazed at the lack of depth to Palin’s answers. The poor grasp she has regarding issues (See anything related to foreign affairs) or roles (see VP) or the frighteningly narrow/small view she has in running for one of the highest offices in the land. To imply any portion of the country in which you are running for office may be anti-American or be in any way unpatriotic is ridiculous.

I believe we need to have people with high intelligence and mental horsepower in office. Gov. Palin really feels like a pretender in this race. Frighteningly, I believe she may have given away her very essence when we were introduced to her at the RNC. Pit-Bulls are agile dogs, but highly reactionary.

Mental agility without mental horsepower leads to the very best BS. (or in her case Pit-BS) She nails that.

Tacoma Rally for Obama - Biden

2008-10-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

From the Silenced Majority Portal: Joe Biden Takes Over Cheney Stadium (great pics!)

Joe the Senator comes to T-town to rally the NW! More pics here and here

We're ALL americans...

2008-10-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Photograph: Elsheba Khan, taken by Platon for the New Yorker

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I voted today... ya gotta love absentee voting!

2008-10-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

When you get the chance, do it!

Good to see a UPS guy doing well!

2008-10-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Scott Bateman was a cartoonist at my alma mater University of Puget Sound. (long long ago)

He's now providing great content for Salon.com!

(Oops, got the url right and the text wrong...)

And now a word from our sports guy Duff McKagan?

2008-10-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

What Happened to Our Teams? What's a bassist for bands like Guns N' Roses and Velvet revolver know about sports? Quite a bit actually! I love this quote:

4) We have in Seattle probably the best sports radio station in the U.S. The staff is one of the most knowledgeable I have heard (I listen to a lot of sports radio around this country!). These guys should be given a week to try get all our sports programs back on track. What could we lose?

So Duff get's it! His article proves it!

Fiscal Conservatives!

2008-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Joe the Plumber meet Sam the Gas guy

2008-10-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

I thought this was telling. John Seery writes about a guy he meets that really would like to be heard. Sam is not alone in wanting to share the reality of what the last eight years has done to him and others like him.

What this country deserves...

2008-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

I read The GOP Is a Mess and a Fraud by Eugene Robinson and it got me thinking... why don't we have political parties that are more clearly split by their positions on the issues and solutions rather than how they can screw the other parties! The Republican's that clearly call out their smaller government position is clearly not what they DO. Similarly Democrats are known as the party that raises your taxes to pay for their overspending which clearly isn't and wasn't the case with Clinton in office.
So why can't we get to the notion of having government choose the programs that are necessary given the time we live in and securing programs that are clearly beneficial for the majority of Americans and remove programs that are out of date or update the programs that are in need of upgrade or update. Isn't that the job of cabinet members or other members of congress that are responsible to the public when it comes to fiscal responsibility. I truly hope the next President does a full sweep of programs that are currently funded and we update those in need of update or removal.

Sometimes it is amazingly simple (or maybe I am) when it comes to looking at complex issues. Sure their are exceptions, but we need to take greater care of our country. As this financial crisis has shown we really are leading the world, and unless we want to give up that position we need to lead by example!

What goes around, comes around....

2008-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Give me back the McCain of 2000

2008-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is interesting that more people haven't called out for this, but I'd really like to see the guy that ran in 2000 against Bush for the Rep. Nomination.
William Kristol has a piece on this which starts to touch on what could be done, although I also believe it to be too late.

McCain's attacks fuel dangerous hatred

2008-10-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

From the Talking Points Memo link...

I too thought McCain was the better choice for the Reps. in 2000, but this is a different man.

Post Pres debate II reaction

2008-10-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well this was still not as subtantive as I think we all would like, but at least Obama didn't "absolutely agree" with McCain on every issue brought up. The format of the debate seemed forced, not really town hall style like the did in '92 with Bush1, Perot and Clinton. I really would like to see the two of them do a drill in on economic stimulus options for the first 100 days as a debate question. More on this tomorrow...

Interesting Fuzzy Spam Crawling Feature

2008-10-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

I guess Blogger has an interesting feature that crawls for content that may be spam. I am certain, mine is not as I was just about to write my post Obama McCain debate post and try to finish my "How Obama should have rebutted" from the last debate.

CNN - Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S.

2008-10-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S.

In light of our current economic troubles, this calls out the primary reason we should be focused on Bin Laden and out of Iraq ASAP.

Potential Topics

2008-10-06T00:21:00.001-07:00

Election 2008
The economy
Live Beta
Technology

We’ll see what I can dig up on these topics.

Why am I doing this?

2008-10-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a strange stream of consciousness. I am not the type that publishes my thoughts. I have hold the point of view that many times my thoughts and ideas give me a competitive advantage. While in the workplace this may be true, in the realm of public opinion, holding my point of view may have the exact opposite effect. In the world we live in today I believe we need to have more dialog than ever.

(And now for my Gov. Palin moment.)
While I have never felt a scholar of history or government or politics, I do have opinions on issues of today and those that may impact my children. It is because of this I feel compelled to share my thoughts and help bring a perspective from my little corner of the world. While I live in what many consider a remote area of the country, I cannot see Russia, but I do see Microsoft on a regular basis.
(End Palin moment)

The issues of today are many; the economy, wars on the ground in other countries against an elusive movement of terrorists, the future of our government, Seattle Seahawks coaching and many others that affect us on a day to day basis. This will be my forum to occasionally comment, vent, rant, criticize, but more importantly to offer different opinions and solutions for some of these problems. Many who know me will be surprised by my views, but many will understand them and chuckle as they read.

I'll kick this off tomorrow as I'm tired now and need to figure out what I'm going to talk about tomorrow... it looks like I have a lot to choose from!