I have believed for years, that what we need in a president, is someone who loves this country, loves the people, and puts the welfare and future of its people as his or her, number one priority.

Political platforms are all too often, an admixture of stances aimed to appeal to groups who can deliver votes, and/or money. They are pieced together with a promise here, a backdoor deal there, an outright lie here and there.

I believe that a potential president must sincerely have the best interest of the present generation, and future generations first and foremost in his or her heart and mind.

Because, in many ways, we are indeed a melting pot, and are also a collection of special interest groups, a president must walk a fine line, a line which is drawn to benefit the most, and hurt the least.

This sounds like I am going down the road of trying to say a lot and yet, really say nothing. So much for my early attempt to maintain a politician's doublespeak :) .

I advocate a return to taking care of America first. I don't necessarily say we should return to a strict isolationist doctrine, but, our nation has eased into the position of policeman for the world. We are spreading our troops and resources to thin. We have troops in Afghanistan, troops in Iraq, and now we are moving troops into Haiti. Has all this interventionsim improved our image internationally? No. We are probably hated in the world, more than we have been in the last 40 years.

We have people in this country who are standing in bread lines, we see beggars on most street corners in our large cities. More people are losing their jobs, their homes, their health insurance, and yes, their optimism that our country has a bright future.

I could throw around statistics, but the most important statistic is how you are affected. In other words, if you lose your job tomorrow, for you, unemployment is at 100 percent.

I want the young men and young women graduating from college to regain that feeling that they have a great life ahead. Too many of our young graduates from high school and college, know before they graduate , that the jobs are just not out there for them like there were for graduates before.

I believe we need to revive a spirit of national unity, of commitment one to the other. People living in apartment complexes these days often don't know the name of the person living two doors down from them. We have become too isolated from each other, while we were moving toward globalism.

You know the basic issues as much as I do. Jobs are being outsourced and the current President's spokesman says this is good.
We are becoming a people who are quickly losing our rights of privacy, right to demonstrate, right to freely assemble, and more and more surveillance cameras are springing up around this country.

Prescription medicines are becoming so expensive that many older people are having to make hard decisions between food and medicine. At the same time, the FDA is trying to prevent our people from getting their medicines cheaper from Canada, and yet, are doing nothing to see that the price of prescription medicines are brought down.

A color coded threat warning, duct tape, and clear plastic are no more a national defense system, than tax cuts are the answer to jumpstarting the economy. There are several reasons for the shape of the economy. One is that this administration has generated a very depressing, paranoid, and yes, pessmistic spirit in the country. Stockholders have lost large amounts of money in scandals like Enron, and we've seen so many other large corporations
that have established a pattern and practice of "inventive accounting" in order to maximize the income of the top officers, and "to hell with stockholders". And, at the same time, more and more companies making money from this country, are multinational corporations, and HAVE NO LOYALTY to their consumers, their workers, nor to this country. Their loyalty is to their bottom line, plain and simple.

We've seen Patriot I, and so-called Patriot II passed, threatening our basic liberties. We've seen the Total Information Awareness program, the brainchild of convicted felon, Admiral John Poindexter, which they attempted to push onto the populace, urging all of us to become snitches and tatteltales on our neighbor. The money that was targetted for this, has not gone away, but has been funneled off to another similar operation, and data mining operation. March 22, the Supreme Court will be hearing a case which may set a precedent for us all having to carry "our papers", i.e. our identification with us at all times, and present it to any law enforcement person asking for them, even if they have no good reason to demand it. This, to me, smacks too much of Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany.

We are becoming, as a country, mired in a debt so deep, that we will have a hard time clawing our way out, and it gets larger and deeper daily, with no end in sight. We have heard that the Social Security fund has been raided by Congress for all kinds of pet projects and pork barrels. And, now those of my generation, are losing all hope of having Social Security around when we qualify.

We must rearrange our priorties in this nation, and ironically, all that means, is going back to reaffirming and again instituting the guiding principles this country was founded on. This country was founded on fiscal responsibility. Our founders knew that if a house was not structurally and fiscally sound, it could not stand long. They also understood that government does not create rights. Rights are inborn, they spring from being born, and many will say, the come from God. But, these days, it seems that the government is trying to convince the people that rights are something they ALLOW us to have. This is a slippery slope because, before you know it, a "right" can become a "privilege", and privileges are allowed only as long you are on "good behavior".

Look, the bare truth is this. No candidate for presidency has all the answers. It is often like the blind leading the blind. But, the presidency is not to be like a pseudo-monarchy, with King President granting certain, favored and influential people, private audiences.
Presidents too often act as if the only time they have to pretend they are listening to the electorate, is when they are trying to get the job. I'm sorry, but getting the job is just the BEGINNING of listening to the people. Our representatives , senators, and Presidents have forgotten who their boss is, they have forgotten who they are accountable to.

We need a change in government. We need accountability, and greater transparency. I believe we have lived under the thumb of the Wizard far too long. I often get the sense that any minute, the President will run behind a curtain and proclaim himself the all powerful OZ.

And, like in the story, we need people with real hearts and brains and courage, not just medals, diplomas, and testimonials.
Sure, there are real "Wicked Witches of the West" and flying monkeys in the world today, but should we give up our freedoms in exchange for a measure of perceived safety? I say no. Our country has always put a premium on freedom, and we have lived in dangerous times, but in the past, we always understood that our forefathers put their lives on the line and their fortunes in danger, so that we can have freedom.

And, yes, after Septmeber 11, we did find that we were not in Kansas anymore, but it is also true, that there is no place like home.

I believe we have the most beautiful country in the world. I believe that we have some of the hardest working people. We have always been seen by people in other countries as a "can do" kind of people.

We need to restore that spark, that optimism, that "can do it" attitude. Our ship of state, from the outside, looks a bit rusty, and riding a bit low in the water, and yes, in places, we are taking on water. But, we have two hundred plus years of blood,sweat, and tears. Our sons and daughters have died in foreign lands, and after all the bodies are buried, often we look at each other and ask why...what did this accomplish..what was all this for?

I love this country, I love the people, and echoing the words of our forefathers, I believe we need to provide for the common defense and to preserve the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

I am proud of our service men and women, but I am also proud of the man who drives the garbage truck, the guy who climbs the telephone pole during the rain and lightning, and everyone else out there who keeps our country rolling forward.

I just want to return our country to a productive, prosperous, proud land. Because, I do happen to believe that we are the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

People are tired of living in fear. The government spreads fear through these terrorist alerts, through intimidating people that, standing up for what is right, might get you on a "list". The best antidote for fear is a combination of courage, and love. We cannot continue to be afraid we are going to lose our jobs, or that you are being tracked as you go on the internet, or that someone is trying to peek into your computer. I for one am tired of the politics of fear.

Thank you all for reading this, and I deeply appreciate each of you for being in this fight for freedom.

~CodeWarrior

Code, I posted this on another thread but it's more appropriate here. You are right on with your views. Shmoo's been activly nominating you. I'd vote for you but you're too honest to pass their scrutiny. take care my friend....

it's a sad state when we have to vote for the less of two evils. personally I blame all us voters on that. (myself included) we have allowed the two major parties to convince us that...

1 only two parties should be considered and any thing else is throwing a vote away.

2 That the winner must have more than 50% of the vote (this supports only two parties)

Both these ideas goes against the constitution and our forefathers intentions. I know there are many who debate the validity of the electorial system but if we are going to allow more than two people to compete in elections then we have to have some way that will fairly do that. Run off elections for the top two candidates comes to mind instead of the electrial college.
If we continue to accept the concept that there has to be only two candidates so someone can get elected with more than 50% then we will never have a choice and we get what we deserve.

Vote for who you think is the best, not who you think will beat someone you don't like and you will not waste your vote

Compmore, I appreciate what you say my friend. And, you know what Comp...I just want the American people to win.

you bet

I for one, fully support the electoral system, comp. Someone countered an argument awhile back, saying that if the majority votes a president in, even if all the votes are from CA and NY, then that person should be in office. But different parts of the country are vastly dominated by people with certain viewpoints. And come on.. do you really want 50+ percent of the vote coming from California on a 50%+ wins system? I sincerely hope not.


"People are tired of living in fear. The government spreads fear through these terrorist alerts..."

This is quite true. If you tell people they are being attacked, they'll tend to be more complacent. "The people that say the Patriot Act is bad for the country just don't care if it gets attacked." Better to be attacked externally than internally I say. The post 9/11 "protections" have cost us more than terrorists ever have. Next thing you know, Bush will have non-supporters put in "free speech zones."

You're right on with everything you said, Code. Not just that half sentence. You too comp. Can we please get everybody here to actively promote a non-republican and non-democrat candidate? Should greed grip a third party, that party will still have far too much to lose to be anywhere near as bad as anything we have now.

Seriously, we already have an established independent candidate running. He believes basically everything Code believes. Why not rally behind Nader?

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a third party, a true third party and not some strange party created by a billionaire to combat two other groups of billionaires. And wouldn't it be nice if this new party could actually hold itself together and not split over some BS like funding? I've seen two parties do this, the much ballyhooed Reform Party and the barely known Southern Party. Both were founded on the principle of combating the Democrats and Republicans and even seemed to be the next big thing, but both fell apart because one member wanted to do one thing and another wanted to do another thing. Funny that this happens in the Democratic and Republican parties and they rarely split.

Why can't this happen now? Maybe we of the current generation could come up with a great, and stable, third party. Maybe we could call it the Freedom Party (unless that name is already taken). Our party would be one of restoring the rights of the common person and setting the balance right. We'd be the party of creating jobs and encouraging a return to the inventionism that was so much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (to do that, we'd have to get rid of the overburdensome patent and copyright laws and replace them with fair and balanced patent and copyright laws).

You know, I seriously thought of making a run for Congress this year. I turn 25 in one month and five days so that would make me eligible for the House of Representatives. The seat's up this time since my Representative is off running for the Senate seat of John Edwards. Unfortunately, one of the candidates is a decendant of a furniture magnate so he'll probably win with ease, though the other guy is a workers type man.

Anyhoo, just my crazy idea to save the nation from itself, but an idea nonetheless.

I still want dibs on Secretary of Home Defense. After I fire everybody else, I'll fire myself. What a waste of tax dollars that thing is.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/161841_educ24.html
"Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" yesterday, taking on the 2.7 million-member National Education Association early in the presidential election year.

Paige's comments, made to the nation's governors at a private White House meeting, were denounced by union President Reg Weaver as well as prominent Democrats. Paige said he was sorry, and the White House said he was right to say so."

I think page apologized only because he had pressure to do so. If a group is labelled terrorist, you can use the Patriot Act provisions on them.

typo..Page=Paige
-------------------------------------
I don't know all the Nader stances on issues..but here are
some links...

http://www.votenader.org/

http://www.issues2000.org/Ralph_Nader.htm
this is for 2000

http://www.ralphnader.com/opeds.html

http://www.votenader.org/media_press/index.php?cid=6

I don't know Mr. Nader's stance on issues like filesharing, digital rights, copyright reform, and the like. I know mine.


Here's something about Mr. Nader's views on software patents from Feb 2003..

http://realmeasures.dyndns.org/C-FIT%20Archives/ARC00548.TXT

We need to pass a Digital Consumer Rights Bill that will address the following:
1) The right to a reasonable expectation of digital privacy
2) Elimination of software and hardware measures which aim to prevent end users from having free choice on how to use their software and hardware.
3) Accountability on surveillance of private individuals who are not terrorists or criminals.
4) Copyright reform. We need to abolish that Title 17 implementation of European WIPO copyright guidelines called the DMCA
-------------And we need to address the following--------
5) Dissolution of so called "free speech areas:
6) We need to stop this mad rush toward globalization.
We need to re-establish the integrity of American laws, and no supreme court should ever use a European law to decide a case, as has happened with regard to the sodomy law in Texas (I felt the law was a bad one...but we don't need to look to European masters to decide this).
7) We need to take some of the money being WASTED elsewhere in the government and establish ways to promote creation of jobs, permanent, well paying jobs...not just low paying dishwasher or other service jobs.
Just giving tax cuts to the rich does not stimulate job creation...it just lines the pockets of the well to do with more cash. Tax cuts for the rich has NOT solved the unemployment problem.
We need to look at the problems of outsourcing and the ways in which multinationals do business in this country.
For example, they are producing their products in the countries they can exploit workers the most, and pay them the lowest wage...outsourcing jobs there, and selling these items where they can get the most money.

I advocate that companies doing business in the US, need to have a certain percentage of their total workforce and workforce payroll here. In other words, this measure would aim at making sure they share the wealth with the country where the majority of their profits come from.

9) Audits of insurance and the banking industry. I believe that there these two industries, are taking advantage of the American people to the tune of millions of dollars. Court records show that major wrongdoing has been discovered as being an ongoing practice against the largest of insurance companies...
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/01-1289.pdf

and the earlier case...
http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/supopin/campbell.htm
Please see what the court says at : ¶40

There are so many serious issues, that I don't want to fill up the comments area...but these issues are not trivial to me, nor do they seem to be trivial to members here.

Well done CodeWarrior........we must fight the power!!!

Please, vote...........

Be well friend..........

Fascism is at ALL our doorsteps.........

OK, I think it is a little off topic, but, if we want to start with this CW for Pres stuff, then we need some criticism here:

1 through 5 ok, but then the platform just gets silly after that.

“6) We need to stop this mad rush toward globalization.
We need to re-establish the integrity of American laws, and no supreme court should ever use a European law to decide a case, as has happened with regard to the sodomy law in Texas (I felt the law was a bad one...but we don't need to look to European masters to decide this).”

Might as well argue that the world should just stop spinning or we should put a stop to that annoying gravity thing.

As far as European laws go are entire system of common law is based on European laws, Furthermore, the Texas law was not overturned because the court gave the European law any kind of legal precedent or authority. The court looked to the rational of the European law.

One of our biggest problems is our penchant for flouting international law.

raoulduke1...
I think that if you are sayhing that globalizaton is as immutable and unavoidable as gravity, then we have some serious problems.

There are millions across this country in the Patriot movement who would disagree with you if you are referring to concern over globalization. I also started an online petition which has many signatures at this time that agree with me that this globalization is dangerous, and can be stopped, and should be stopped. The DMCA, as an implementation of the WIPO copyright guidelines...something the RIAA lobbied strongly for passage of, is just another globalist action.

Respectfully, I must strongly disagree with you. Our courts should not be looking to the rationale of European laws. If we did that two hundred years ago...we wouldn't have this King George, but an English monarch.

I must say that, if I read your comments correctly, that you are FOR us adhering in lock step with "international law"...there are many international laws, and I certainly do not agree we should adhere to all of these. Some are very dangerous and act as potential enemies of our cherished rights as American citizens.

But, I respect your voicing your opinion and thank you.
~CW

sorry for typo...sayhing should read "saying"

sorry for typo...sayhing should read "saying"

With regard to the Sodomy case...
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-hillyer070703.asp
"Of even more importance," wrote Kennedy,

"...almost five years before Bowers was decided the European Court of Human Rights considered a case with parallels to Bowers and to today's case. An adult male resident in Northern Ireland alleged he was a practicing homosexual who desired to engage in consensual homosexual conduct. The laws of Northern Ireland forbade him that right.... The court held that the laws proscribing the conduct were invalid under the European Convention on Human Rights.... Authoritative in all countries that are members of the Council of Europe (21 nations then, 45 nations now), the decision is at odds with the premise in Bowers that the claim put forward was insubstantial in our Western civilization.

A few paragraphs later, Kennedy returned to this theme: "The right the petitioners seek in this case has been accepted as an integral part of human freedom in many other countries. There has been no showing that in this country the governmental interest in circumscribing personal choice is somehow more legitimate or urgent."

There you have it: The values of Europe, and the decision of its (misnamed, borderline anti-Semitic) Court of Human Rights, are deemed somehow relevant for American constitutional jurisprudence."

Link to actual Supreme Court decision in that case...
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/02-102.pdf

Raoulduke1 - I would have agreed with you wholeheartedly about five years ago...but now, I completely disagree.
Respectfully...
~Code

I'm working right now on my latest article on the candidates and our issues. I should be submitting it in a little while.

Just saying this so that nobody else writes one and makes mine unusable...

"I don't know Mr. Nader's stance on issues like filesharing, digital rights, copyright reform, and the like."

Why not ASK? I think Nader will be more open to us than Kerry or Bush.

For those who are unsure of every candidate's stance, I am writing my article right now. You will not be confused anymore after reading it. Sit tight, and your concerns will be addressed.

I'd be happy to ask Mr.Nader..anyone have his email?

Code... let me find out. He's on my list in the article. I tackle everything that should concern us.

Also, if you see him speak outside of campaigining, he's nice enough to speak with you. I was told that he was a nice guy and I should try to see him speak and talk with him.

thanks in advance undeath...much appreciated...

Expect it in a few hours. I am revising my Patriot Act section to include quotes in interviews. Any Democrat is good on the Patriot Act question, and I'm expecting Nader to be strongly against it.

As for copyright reform, I will be getting to it shortly.

Yeah, thats great Code, but are you pro-choice?

*sound of tha heathen getting smacked upside the back o the head somewhere off camera*

Ok, ok. Code for President!

I'm pro-choice...

...in all matters

good answer