THE BOMBS START TO DROP Music Video By Paul Hooson & The Inputs

Here's a great little music video I added to an older song of mine. Enjoy.

As Mayor, Palin Inquired About Banning Library Books

As Mayor of the Wasilla City Council in Alaska, Sarah Palin inquired about banning some books from the local library and eventually fired the librarian, but was forced to accept her return after a public outcry.

For progressive voters concerned about civil liberties it is a disturbing example of Palin who was elected with strong support from Assembly Of God church, and sought to use her office to force her extremist political and religious views on the general public and control what sorts of literature may be distributed in public libraries and community businesses. It is a disturbing image of a far right book burner who would use her political office to control the flow of information and the media to only allow her own viewpoints to prevail. It is hardly much different from other dictators such Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-Il who rule by controlling the press and suppressing freedom of speech. It is a fascist instinct for sure.

Palin's Assembly Of God church also preached about some sort of a bizarre church doctrine that believed that the U.S. was going to be destroyed by nuclear war or disaster, and that Alaska was to be where the "saved" Christians would gather in safety. However, not a single word of the Bible supported such a crazed church doctrine. Further, Palin's church believed in something known as "speaking in tongues" in which members would utter out some strange sounding words claiming this is a gift of the Holy Spirit. However, in Scripture the Apostles were supposed to have the gift of "speaking in tongues" because they needed to understand and preach in foreign nations that spoke in languages other than Hebrew or Greek. For the Apostles it was a language translation gift. Language experts tend to doubt that "speaking in tongues" among some fundamentalist religious groups represents genuine language, unlike the gift that the Apostle Paul used to communicate in journeys to many lands during his ministry. Some language experts believe that modern "speaking in tongues" may be mostly just babble, and not a true language.

Palin now claims to belong to some sort of a nondenominational church. However it is a common practice for many fundamentalists to change churches several times in their lifetime for some reason compared to most people who spend their entire faith in a more established and traditional faith.

Palin may not be a member of a snake handler church. But she tends to find churches with extreme doctrines that are both far from the religious mainstream as well as not supported by Scripture. Her goofy church speeches using God to justify the bloody Iraq War for oil that may have killed as many as 1.2 million Iraqis and left another 2 million as refugees or her call to prayer in support of an Alaska pipeline project that may or may not be built in 2018 are only further examples of the type of nonsense that seems to find it's way into the type of churches that Palin belongs to compared to more mainstream churches.

Assembly Of God churches were sometimes known as "Holy Roller" faiths because of the type of music used and sometimes practices of members or pastors rolling around on the floor and shouting and acting in a radical manner.

Palin also seems to support many other church doctrines associated with the Assembly Of God faith including teaching creationism in public schools and teaching abstinence-only sex education, which seems to have worked out real well for Palin's pregnant unwed 17 year old daughter. The fall of Assembly Of God preacher Jimmy Swaggart seemed to pretty well characterize some of the hypocrisy of some members of this church who preach one thing, seek to impose their will on others, but sometimes live like the Devil themselves. The Assembly Of God church also appears to attract many members of low economic income or low education as well. Whether such persons are capable of understanding complex economic or foreign policy issues facing the U.S. is a very good question, but Palin is enjoying a bounce in popularity due to this demographic who feel that Palin is one of them and believe that she will use her office to promote their religious views. If anything it is naked attempt to establish something of a church-government for the U.S., a concept which is totally contrary to the principles of the Founding Fathers who opposed both England and it's official church-government as well.

American Servicemen Dying From Shoddy Reconstruction Work In Iraq

Shortly after the 2003 Iraq War began, most Americans had hoped that questionable deals such Dick Cheney's former company Halliburton getting a lucrative no-bidder contract for Iraq reconstruction the Pentagon would be the very worst of the questionable reconstruction deals. But then a steady drip-drip of information about shoddy reconstruction work by a number of American firms who were given reconstruction contracts began to surface in the news including leaking substandard plumbing in a major office building that made it nearly useless and it only sat empty after taxpayers paid top dollar for work that a contractor did using the cheapest possible labor and materials.

Now shocking news that a total of 16 U.S. servicepersons have been killed by shoddy and dangerous electrical work in Iraq has emerged under testimony to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

Debbie Crawford testified about her experiences working as an electrical supervisor in Iraq for contractor KBR(Kellogg, Brown and Root), and the shocking conditions that existed with some contractors who sought to cut corners with labor or materials in order to pocket the difference. In some cases, green wires that were supposed to be ground wires were used as hot leads for some electrical work, creating a hazard that would either destroy electrical equipment or could case electrocution or fires.

Crawford was so concerned about the shoddy and dangerous state of some of the work done by KBR that she started a website www.mssparky.com that educates the public on how billions of their tax dollars are being spent with Iraq War contractors that are doing extremely substandard and dangerous work and pocketing much of the money. It is indeed an important website and another bad side of the Iraq War that the mainstream media seems to often ignore. It is also important because 16 servicepersons have needlessly lost their lives to shoddy reconstruction work electrocution deaths.

Crummy reconstruction companies with multibillion dollar contracts since the start of t5he 2003 Iraq War have proven just as lethal as some insurgents to some of our U.S. servicepersons.

Senator Bryon Dorgan(D-ND) has taken note of Crawford's website and was instrumental in scheduling testimony from her and starting a process of cracking down on these lethal Iraq War reconstruction contractors and saving American lives as well as looking out for the taxpayer who is paying billions for terrible work that is often overinflated in price and substandard in safety and quality.

Some Iraq War contractors think that operating outside of the U.S. means that safety standards can be ignored and they can inflate the costs of some projects as long as the taxpayer is paying the bill. With no OSHA operating in Iraq, it is often anything goes in reconstruction quality for many contractors looking to pad profits.

It is also the same old bunch of large GOP donors who were given these huge contracts by the Pentagon and who were big supporters of Bush and now are concerned with elected McCain.

John McCain who claims to be a "reformer" has only so far claimed that his campaign will "review" bundled donations from such long time GOP supporters as Halliburton and it's spinoff KBR subsidiary. Whether this is real commitment to not accept donations from some corporations that some claim to have taken advantage of the Iraq War with rampant profiteering and who endanger American lives with crummy work remains to be seen. It will be another test of McCain's word.

On August 7, a Queen's NY couple with only modest jobs and driving a 1993 Chevy Cavalier made a questionably large donation to the McCain campaign of $61,600 which is probably more than their total yearly income combined. It all raises the question whether big corporate donors are using people of modest means to shield their identity to elect McCain and drive his policies to keep more of the same old government in the White House.

Sarah Palin's "Ebay" Jet Lie

Of all of Sarah's loud mouthed tale tales and exaggerations of her achievements in just 18 months in the governor's office, her "Ebay" jet tale has to be one of the biggest of her whoppers.

According to Palin, she sold the executive jet that the previous governor purchased on Ebay, and McCain even adds for a profit as well. Well it turns out that's just not the case. The jet cost the government of Alaska $2.7 million and was probably necessary for a governor to tour the entire state because of it's sheer size as well as bad weather conditions in many parts. It is is true that Palin had the jet listed on Ebay, and the ad was very expensive, but the jet did not sell on Ebay. Eventually the jet was sold to some private businessman for $2.1 million, in a private deal that had no connection to the Ebay ad at all. And the jet only sold $2.1 million, which was a clear $600,000 loss, nowhere near the claimed profit lie of John McCain. Neither Palin or McCain have been very honest about this tale. While losing $600,000 for the government of Alaska, Palin actually has the nerve to paint herself as some hero. Who else but a big mouthed liar like a Sarah Palin can make losing money into some election year asset. But it just the sort of horsepucky that Palin shovels out big time to the voters.

Sarah Palin's whole style is a loud mouthed style that makes up folk tales of what a claimed "reformer" she actually is. She makes up stories that make her seem Paul Bunyan in the minds of voters, even if the real truth is many miles removed. And a more than a few gullible persons actually believe some of these tall tales, which is very unfortunate.

Palin's entire style is that of a phony folk hero, a phony person who claims to look out for the little guy while acting as a major stooge for the big oil companies as the big oil companies rake in record profits and squeeze the average family.

This GOP ticket is lousy one for sure, one too old to be president, and another too dishonest to be vice president. These two blowhards claim to be "reformers" although supporting most of the same Bush agenda that got this nation into such an economic mess and such a high employment rate and foreclosure mess. No matter how McCain-Palin lie about it, it's still McSame.

Glen Beck Defends Sarah Palin's "White Trash" Family Values

In what had to be the very worst defense for troubled vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family yesterday, former alcoholic turned conservative talk show host Glen Beck referred to himself as "White trash" and argued that there are many "white trash families" in America and Sarah Palin should be vice president because she represents those "White trash" family values in a interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Thanks a lot Glen Beck.

As bad as Glen Beck's defense of Palin actually was, the truth of it is that such a tawdry image of the Palin family is certainly beginning to emerge in the minds of many voters and is already proving to be a real drag on the McCain ticket with new polls indicating falling poll numbers rather than any signs of a early convention bounce.

In all fairness, Palin will have a decent opportunity to state her case tonight in a speech at the Republican Convention. But the image of a trashy and troubled family has already been the main image that most voters have seen so far of this Palin bunch.

So far the story about the Palin bunch has hardly been the story of the "Brady Bunch". Palin's pregnant unmarried teenage daughter has been a main news item for the last two days drowning out most other GOP Convention news. The teenage father's MySpace page was taken down yesterday because of all the obscene and offensive language that proved as yet another embarrassment. It seems that the "F" word is apparently one of his favorite adjectives by far. This young guy was also in trouble for illegal fishing only last year. Gov. Palin is also involved in an ethics investigation due to her defense of her sister who has been married no less than four times so far. Her sister's former state trooper husband actually tasered their 11 year old son in one claimed domestic incident. Gov. Palin's husband has been arrested for driving under the influence. And the steady drip-drip of conduct suitable for the very worst of tralier park or carny folk families only continues by the day, not to mention the controversial political issues surrounding this poorly selected vice presidential pick by John McCain. John McCain could not have hardly done any worst with this pick. Right away the troubled vice presidential picks of George McGovern in 1972 and Walter Mondale in 1984 come to mind. The vice presidential pick problems were a main ingredient in both candidates only winning but just one state and the District Of Columbia in the 1972 and 1984 elections. John McCain is also flirting with a looming electoral disaster the longer he hangs on to this troubled vice presidential pick of his and does not request that she leave the ticket.

Where John McCain really went wrong is that Palin's name was not floated around on a short list like several others, which would have allowed for any negative items to surface and McCain could have chosen another less controversial choice. Instead McCain floated the names of some like a Tom Ridge or Mitt Romney like some "Trojan Horse", and nothing really new or startling really surfaced, which meant that these were relatively safe picks, while McCain may have been actually considering someone untested and unproven like a Palin.

But when McCain went for this wild card "Hail Mary" pass candidate when he chose the controversial Palin, there was no real good reason for McCain to make such a politically risky pick. McCain was very close in the polls before he chose Palin, and so far Palin has only depressed McCain's poll numbers as the steady stream of new revelations only makes her into a joke for the late night comics and the gossip talk of the nation for all of the trashy conduct surrounding this family. McCain might have felt that choosing a female would bring in some Hillary Clinton voters, but the Democrats could have hardly been more united last week at their convention. And so far Palin has only been a damaging choice at worst or a pandering candidate at best. Other than Palin being the same gender as Clinton, there is no similarity, and few Clinton voters are likely to jump on the Palin bandwagon which appears to be losing it's wheels as new troubling revelation surfaces.

It is also doubtful that the news will get any better for Palin as the media seems willing to pile on and find some new dirt every day because this whole Palin issue is only snowballing downhill. The only thing that really works is to open the window and let in some fresh air and give Palin the heave ho and choose another vice presidential pick who brings a lot less baggage with her. But McCain probably won't do this and instead ride this downbound train all the way into the ground and an election day disaster.

The McCain Campaign has been plagued with numerous problems with poor selections for economic advisers as well as other critical positions, however none has had the important public image problems like the troubled vice presidential pick of Palin so far. And one of the worst problems for McCain has been the conservative bloggers and the right wing of the Republican Party who only continue to stand behind Palin rather than see the light that she will only mean a near certain McCain defeat in November. Those that continue to stand behind Palin must be too young or too arrogant to remember the 1972 and 1984 electoral disasters of McGovern and Mondale, largely due to their troubled vp selections. But this crowd is into hard core right wing ideology struggles and is blind to political reality grounded in rationality and objectivity. Well, they'll have four years to think about this looming electoral loss.

Obama-Biden Ticket Surges As McCain-Palin Ticket Loses Support

Troubling new revelations related to John McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, may be having some impact by buoying the Obama-Biden ticket in the latest Rasmussen Poll out just this morning. The Obama-Biden ticket now leads by a 51-45% margin when leaners are figured in. That's the biggest lead for Obama in some time instead of the McCain-Palin ticket enjoying some early convention bounce statistics.

Not only is a family related issue having some negative impact on Gov. Palin, but a troubling ethics investigation in which she has hired a lawyer is another looming distraction for this troubled GOP ticket.

Problems with a vice presidential selections have proven disastrous in the past to other presidential candidates. In 1972, Democratic nominee George McGovern faced a difficult election against incumbent President Richard Nixon, but then problems over some depression related hospitalizations of his running mate, Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri plagued the campaign with distracting news, and Eagleton was off the ticket within a few days. But when Ted Kennedy and others did not wish to run on the troubled McGovern ticket, then the McGovern Campaign had difficulty finding a suitable running mate. In the end McGovern carried but just one state, Massachusetts and the District Of Columbia. It was the worst loss by a Democratic ticket in American history.

In 1984, Democrat Walter Mondale chose Democratic Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York to become his running mate. But as some tax problem news about the Ferraro family developed, Ferraro became a major drag on the Mondale effort and in the end, Mondale carried but one state, Minnesota and the District Of Columbia. It was one of the largest defeats for a Democratic ticket ever.

The important problem for the McCain ticket is whether Gov. Palin will only be a real drag on the ticket as the steady drip-drip of troubling revelations surfaces. It also certainly calls into question the judgment of John McCain to make important decisions such as choosing a running mate.

Instead of choosing a suitable running mate who was carefully chosen, McCain chose one of the least qualified and politically risky choices he possibly could have and now appears to be paying some political price. Whether this current slide for McCain continues will depend on how successful the rest of the GOP convention is and how much more bad news and distractions Gov. Sarah Palin creates for McCain.

John McCain may be on the verge of throwing away any long held dreams of his own to become president by his poor choice of a running mate and new questions about his judgment and leadership, while the Obama Campaign skillfully presented a positive image of competence and leadership to the nation in their carefully organized and planned convention last week.

Alaska Independent Investigator's Abuse Of Power Ethics Report On Gov. Palin Due Out In October

Just in time for the election due out in October is the report from the independent investigator in the abuse of power investigation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. A bipartisan committee of the Alaskan legislature voted 12 to 0 to investigate Palin after she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan after it was learned that Wooten had refused to fire a state trooper who had been involved in a messy divorce with Palin's sister.

Palin certainly had the power as Governor to fire the Public Safety Commissioner if reasonable grounds existed. However, the situation regarding Palin's sister's divorce and some inconsistent statements by Governor Palin call into question the real reasons for this firing. In fact, Governor Palin had used her Chief Of Staff, Mike Tibbles, her husband, the state's Attorney General and herself to contact Public Safety Commissioner Monegan no less than 24 times in regards to complaints about Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten. Wooten had been the subject of official discipline before for some conduct in the past. But the divorce situation regarding Palin's sister has certainly raised the issue of ethics in this case.

Governor Palin has attempted to justify the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan with claims that he did not adequately fill state trooper positions in the state, however Wooten has claimed that state trooper graduating classes have had some of their largest classes within the last several years which indicates that someone here is not being completely honest. The Alaska legislature has decided to get to the bottom of this matter when it authorized the report by the independent investigator into Governor Palin and her office and not the fired Public Safety Commissioner.

If the report turns out favorably for Governor Palin, then it will no doubt clear her name before the election, however a negative report will certainly be damaging right before the election and will certainly call into question any claims that Palin is indeed some sort of a reformer concerned with ethics.

It seems strange that John McCain would choose a running mate who is the subject of an ethics probe of this sort, which if it turns out badly could damage his chances right before the election. But this only proves what a high risk gamble the decision to choose Palin was in addition to her serious lack of experience should she ever become president in the event of some national emergency. The fact that some former city council member and mayor of a small town of just 9,000 persons could have their finger on the nuclear trigger in the event of a national emergency is a sobering notion when hundreds of far better qualified choices for a running mate were available to McCain, once again speaks volumes about his erratic and strange leadership style. McCain is not so much a "maverick" as he is wild and unpredictable. That's hardly "the steady hand" of leadership that many Americans think of when they think about McCain. But that's the real John McCain.