GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION?

A lot of attacks have been coming out of the media about Senator Barack Obama's associations with several, um, let say, questionable characters. Fair enough. It is, after all, one way to tell something about a person's character; by the friends he keeps. But what isn't being discussed properly is the associations of the other two candidates. Since it is my self-proclaimed job to keep you abreast of all the facts, here is a summary of the worst of the three candidates associates.

*SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-Ill.)*

Reverend Jeremiah Wright;

The fiery preacher of Barack's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, located in Chicago, Illinois is quite possibly the worst anchor that Senator Obama has hanging around his neck. With recorded statements such as "God Damn America" and claims of America causing the Aids epidemic, Reverend Wrong, as I call him, is a big problem for Barack amongst white people, who seem to be the group most offended by his statements.

William Ayers;

A Weatherman from the 60's terrorist group The Weather Underground, and now a professor of education at University of Illinois at Chicago, Mr. Ayers participated in the bombings of several government buildings in his youth. Senator Obama's connection to Mr. Ayers is that he received contributions for his campaigns from him and was once his neighbor.

Antoin "Tony'' Rezko;

Obama has been friends with slumlord Tony Rezko for 17 years. Rezko has been a political patron to Obama and helped to raise thousands of dollars for him through his own contributions and by hosting fund-raisers in his home. Mr. Rezko also sold Senator Obama a house for $300,000 less than the asking price (a payback for help from Obama in getting a $43 million government loan?) He is currently being tried in Chicago accused of demanding kickbacks on business deals.

*SENATOR JOHN McCAIN (R-Az)*

Charles Keating;

Mr. Keating was the ringleader of the infamous Savings and Loan Scandal of the 1980's. In an effort to cheat thousands of elderly people out of their retirement, Keating recruited five Congressmen known as the "Keating Five" (including Senator McCain). They helped push legislation through Congress that made it possible for him to sell junk bonds that were virtually worthless, without the usual oversight. Several elderly people committed suicide upon learning they had lost their life savings. Over a thousand people that he cheated showed up at his trial. Charles Keating was sentenced to 151 months in prison but was released after a mistrial was declared due to bad jury instruction. The Judge who erred so badly? None other than Judge Lance Ito, who was the judge of the O.J. Simpson Trial. Oh, and the beneficiaries of this scam? Neil and Jeb Bush, brother of President Dubya, who profited over $30 million. One big happy family.

President George W. Bush;

It's next to impossible to separate Bush from McCain. Whether helping Georgie's brother make millions, bowing out to give G.W. the nomination in 2000 or backing the Iraq War and all his policies no matter how failing, McCain has been a friend indeed to the Bush family. It's no wonder people are already calling McCain's run "Bush's Third term". Counting H.W. Bush, I would even say it's more like "The Family's" fourth.

The War and Oil Lobbies;

Much like the Bushes, McCain gets a lot of funding from lobbiests that stand to profit from our involvement in world affairs, particularly those that have oil. Haliburton stocks have soared under Bush, as have profits for the oil companies. Mercinaries such as Blackwater also have made a fortune. These people are not a big fan of ending this gravytrain whether by funding alternative energy or by withdrawing from foreign involvement.

*SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY)*

Norman Hsu;

A quick glance through pictures of Hillary's fund raisers will find Norman Hsu posing with Hillary, posing with Bill, and hob-nobbing with all their Hollywood friends. Norman helped raise millions for Hillary's Presidential run and contributed thousands. The problem? Mr. Hsu had been wanted by the F.B.I. since 1998, he was indicted on charges of violating federal campaign finance laws and defrauding investors "out of at least $20 million." . Hill claimed she couldn't know the back ground of all her supporters, even though he was among the top five. I consider this an odd statement, considering her position on Barack's supporters.

Health Care Lobbiests;

A few years back, the #1 Senate recipient of Health care lobbiest dollars was Pennsylvanian Republican Rick Santora. But not anymore. That crown is now held by Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton. If your wondering why Hill abandoned her efforts to creat a single-payer plan in favor of a big hand-out to the insurance companies, simply follow the money.

A mess of pardoned felons;

This list was simply too long to put in this column. In fact, if I listed all of felons Bill Clinton pardoned in his last few days (including two Weathermen and other terrorists), along with all their crimes, it would fill the equivalent of 5 of my usual posts. Instead, I'll just link them up for you here. Sit down, it takes a while to go through.

President Bill Clinton;

Hillary sometimes seems nearly schizophrenic when referring to her husband. She claims to be both his right hand woman (when it works in her favor) and someone who was either out of the loop or quietly opposed when it doesn't. She denies any support for NAFTA (which was signed and supported by her husband) when campaigning in Rust Belt states. Avoids questions about the Assault Weapons Ban (signed by her husband and hated by gun owners) when in Pro-Gun States. She even goes so far as to pretend to support Second Amendment Rights when her husband's administration was the first in history to deny it applied to the individual. Barack may have went to a church run by somebody he disagreed with......but he didn't marry him.

The bottom line on all this? Each of the candidates has a history with shady people. For the press to decide to focus on only a few is dishonest at best. I recommend doing some research yourself and then deciding if it reaches a level you find unacceptable. For me, I try to see how honest they are about their involvement and whether it would affect me personally or the future of our country. After all, that's what's most important. H.C.

UNDER THE GUN

Gun, guns, guns. That seems to be the #1 issue of the week. It started with Senator Barack Obama's statement that small town people "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” Then Hillary, (smelling blood in the water), jumped all over it by pretending she was a pro-gun, pro religion, Second Amendment-loving home town girl who grew up shooting guns behind her Daddy's shed. A regular Ellie May Clampet, to hear her tell it. Barack tried desperately to defend his statement by saying he only meant that they (small town people) turn to the issues of guns and religion out of frustration.

Unfortunately for Barack, his choice of words will come back to haunt him.

I have a suggestion for Barack on how to help fix this problem; Go turkey hunting. That's right, turkey hunting. What the rural folks want from you is the guarantee of a seat at the table and a little respect. That's not asking much. I believe "city mouse" people have a very different opinion about guns than their "country mouse" counterparts. This comes from the fact that city people rarely see guns used for anything other than crime, while country people only see them used for hunting, sport, or home protection. You could simply say that you don't have much of a reference point for fully understanding rural people, and therefore, you've decided to make an effort to better understand them; by goin' huntin'. You don't have to shoot a turkey (in fact, I'd recommend you don't try), just spend a little time at the pre-hunt sighting in. Take a couple shots for fun, and then head into the field. Don't pretend that your a great outdoorsman, don't even carry a gun, laugh at yourself a few times and enjoy the camaraderie. When you come back, be respectful of your hunting partners and honest about what you thought about the experience. Remember Barack, it's not so much whether your one of them, as much as it's respecting them.

Hillary's problem with guns is that her history doesn't back up her position. Therefore, she's been trying to choose her words carefully. In responding to Baracks "bitter" comment, she's careful to say that, "You know, Americans who believe in the Second Amendment believe it’s a matter of constitutional right. Americans who believe in God believe it’s a matter of personal faith. Americans who believe in protecting good American jobs believe it’s a matter of the American dream.” But notice she doesn't say she believes in these things.

At the Democrat debate she made two statements that give me great pause as a believer in the Second Amendment. (both of which went uncontested by the moderators; George Stephanopolis, an ex-Clinton advisor, and Charlie Gibson.) The first one was, "We need a way to track illegal guns." How in the hell do you do that? GPS tracking systems in the handles? What's going to stop criminals from disabling it? They're illegal gun owners, Hill. By definition they're not following the rules. I personally would have liked to hear her expand on that one. The second statement that went unchallenged was, "We don't need a Federal gun law that applies to all the different regions of the U.S.." Um.....I think we have one now; the Second Amendment. Is she saying she wants to do away with it? Where are the questions, Charlie and George????

Hillary once said in 2000, when she was running for the New York Senate seat that she currently holds, "The moms who are marching in Washington this Sunday [the Million Mom March] have it right" Well the MMM was sponsored by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Their interpretation of the Second Amendment is that it does not apply to the individual, only to government regulated militias. If the Brady Center "has it right", then we need to hear her say, from her own lips, whether or not she supports an individuals right to bear arms. So far, everyone has given her a pass on this question.

For the record, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama have both made it clear that they believe the Second Amendment applies to the individual.

In this clip, you'll see Bill Clinton caught in several lies in just one statement. That's the problem with the Clintons; they just can't seem to answer a simple question or make a statement without lying or evading. My analysis of this past week is that Barack made a real bad gaffe that will most likely haunt him along with the "Reverend Wrong" statements. But the real damage, I believe, is on Hillary. She has, along with her husband Bill, proven once again what her critics have been saying about her; that she will say or do anything to get elected....no matter how dishonest. I'm closer to being Dennis Rodman than Hillary is to being Annie Oakley. These sad attempts are looking increasingly desperate. A drowning person will grab at anything and the Clinton's are now drowning in their own lies and grabbing for straws. That will only hurt the Dems chances in November along with the whole Clinton legacy. H.C.

FOR DEMOCRATS, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT

The 1968 Democratic convention was a low point in Democrat history. Sharply divided over the War in Vietnam, the Democratic party had split into two passionate camps. Eugene McCarthy, a Democrat Senator from Minnesota, ran a decidedly anti-war campaign on the one side. He was calling for immediate withdrawal of all troops from the region. On the other side was Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson's vice president, who wanted a more measured withdraw. To throw even more gas on the flame, the Democrats then proceeded to nominate Hubert Humphrey, (who didn't even participate in the primary), because he had the majority of the delegate support. (Does any of this sound familiar?) The end result was riots, demonstrations, and eventually, a loss to Richard Nixon.

It's easy to see why political junkies such as myself make the comparison between the 1968 Convention and the present problem confronting the Democratic party. The likelihood of a brokered, bitter convention is drawing closer and closer.

The strange thing is; It doesn't have to be this way. There is a path that could lead to victory, but there is only one path in my opinion.

That path is through Barack Obama. The problem for Senator Hillary Clinton is that she can't feasibly win the pledged delegate count (the count without the Super delegates). A nominee selected by the Super delegates is going to bring all sorts of unseemly politics to the surface. Who are the Super delegates? Why do they support Hillary? Is there Payola in the form of political promises for the supporters? The Democratic Party (or any party for that matter) can not afford to have it's back room dealings made public. Secondly, by comparing states similar to the remaining 10 states left to vote, it becomes clear that Hillary will not win the popular vote either. Oddly enough, the Clinton's will find themselves in the position of supporting a system that is very similar to the Electoral College (which they severally panned during the Florida Bush Vs. Gore fiasco). Both the Democrat Primary delegate system and the Electoral College are systems that are set up to be ultimately decided by representation, not by popular vote. (Self destruct sequence initiated).

Furthermore, I believe that there is a real problem with the candidate's bases. Barack's black support (which he carries over 90% of) is becoming increasingly irritated with Hillary's tactics and are building the kind of resentment that could easily lead to them sitting on their hands this November. The race is going to be too close for the Democrats to be losing any support from the base. On the other hand, I don't see that kind of resentment by Hillary supporters for Obama. I firmly believe that the mostly white woman who make up Hillary's base will certainly want to participate in such a historic election and will, of course, vote for Barack Obama over any Republican. Once again, there is only one choice.

I am an Independent. Normally, I wouldn't much care if the Democrat Party wanted to go into self destruct mode. But it feels like a lot is at stake here. We are close to ending the idea of turning our county into a Two Family Dynasty (which is off-the-charts important). We have a chance to make a great step toward racial conciliation (we should consider that in the equation.) The issues of debt, war, and the role of government are all on the table. I'm ready for a good debate between the principles and strategies of Republican John McCain and the vision of Democrat Barack Obama. It's time for the Hillary supporters to understand; There's only two ways this can go and only one of them leads to victory for the Democrats. The other leads only to chaos, lawsuits, and the affirmation of the Republican claim that the Dems, "Can't even run their own primary, how can they be trusted to run the country?" Pennsylvania, I'm begging you please, put an end to this for the sake of your party, and for the sake of the only candidate that can feasibly win. A loss for Ms. Clinton in your state would mean the end to the fight. A win for Hillary only drags it out. With visions of another 1968 Convention looming over your head, it is obvious which way you have to go. In fact, there's only one way out of this mess. Vote for Barack Obama and save your parties chances this November. H.C.

"MY WICKED GARDEN" WEDNESDAYS 5:00 TO 6:00pm

As unbelievable as it may seem, someone actually thought it would be a good idea to give me my very own Internet radio show. What the heck were they thinking? I decided to call it "My Wicked Garden" after one of my favorite Stone Temple Pilot songs, and because I love gardening metaphors. I will be recording it live, with call-ins, at (724) 444-7444 caller ID #16636 (they'll ask you for it when they answer), every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. It's going to reflect my love for hard rock groups (like STP), my unique (and some say strange) sense of humor, and my never-ending quest to reveal the deceitful nature of our mainstream media . I will be using clips, information, musical performances, and guests to keep it all interesting while making sure the show is still light and fun. My friends over at Studio 1714 have been working hard to create a top-notch studio to record our shows along with a new website, flinttalkradio.com to promote them. This, I believe, is the future of radio. With the growth of Internet content and it's availability to Ipods, it's only a matter of time before all our car radios, T.V.s, and other media sources will be plugged into the Internet full time. Soon you will be listening to shows, selected by you, anytime you want to. I believe this will create a diversity of opinions that is less controlled by media moguls, and I intend to be part of that future.

My show will have several goals;
First and foremost, it must be entertaining.
Secondly, it must be informative and honest.
And Finally, it will hinge on the input of you, the listener.

Our main objective is going to be to expose lies and deceit. If you hear something being promoted by the mainstream media that you don't feel is accurate, give me a call. If you feel a group is not being portrayed fairly by someone, give me a call. If you feel a story isn't being reported enough, give me a call. If you just want to talk to me in person, give me a call.

Since that fateful day nearly two years ago when I first started writing this blog, I have met a lot of intelligent and diverse people. Andre and his friends have helped me to better understand the views of black people. Nic has helped me to understand the views of liberal young people, and the rest of you have all contributed in ways that I'm positive have helped me become a better pundit and person. For that, I thank you all.

But the war is far from over. Our two-party system is now working overtime to separate us by gender, by race, by class, and by political affiliation. The lobbyists and special interest groups have succeeded in putting all of their interests ahead of the interests of the people. Our tax dollars and Congressional efforts are being funneled off to support a war between two dynasties; the Bushes and the Clintons. Partisanship has reached new heights and the true needs of the people have been all but ignored. All of us want safe streets for our children, honest government, fair justice and an opportunity to advance ourselves. Our similarities far outweigh our differences and that is what they don't want you to consider. The best way I can think of to defend ourselves is to destroy their base, the people who vote for every issue or person based not on it's merit, but on it's party. By creating a strong middle ground of independent thinkers, we can tackle the things that should be the most important. I have yet to meet a single person that thinks it's acceptable for the U.S. to have children dying of some horrible disease simply because they were born to poor parents, yet, here we are. If we stay focused, and we have a forum, we can force the far left and the far right into impotence. This is my main goal.

But I can't do it alone.

Let's change Wednesdays from "hump day" to gardening day. Join me in "My Wicked Garden" as I rip up the weeds of deceit and lies. Help me plant the seeds of independent thought. Let's all become gardeners of something worth growing and create a country that we can all be proud of. (I told you I love gardening metaphors.) Let's remind politicians that they work for us, not the other way around. I'm out here every week spending my time and effort to do my part to change things. I'm hoping all of you will too. You can do this easily by investing a couple of moments once a week by going to flinttalkradio.com and clicking on the "My Wicked Garden" logo to listen to my show either live, or through the archives. It can't grow into a good show without your help. It's your ideas and input that has inspired nearly all the pieces I've done. Without you....I'm empty of inspiration. Let's stand up and scare the hell out the people that think they have beaten us into complacency. Remember my creed; All evil needs to prosper...is for good people to do nothing. H.C.