Obama earns vote on defense, disabled
This may upset my friends a bit, but I’ve decided to support Barack Obama in November. The issue that finally swung it for me was his plan on disabled rights. I tried to see what McCain’s plan on disabled rights was to be fair. He simply doesn’t have a platform on that subject.
I also looked up what Obama’s plan on defense is. He’s been accused of being un-American and that simply is not true. McCain’s defense plan involves lengthening the war, which no one wants. And his military service has me quite concerned as well. Who knows what type of psychological scars he may have suffered being a prisoner of war?
I’ve been volunteering at the Obama campaign office, not because of some woman, but because I believe Obama is the best man for the job.
Jason A. Freytag, Missoula
One-party rule always proves disastrous
As a lover of history, I find it insane that the anti-Bush (Barack Obama) has become the liberal version of Bush. He comes with his very own attack dog (Joseph Biden) for vice president nearing the end of his own career, with nothing to lose and vastly more experience than his younger and more junior commander in chief (Dick Cheney anyone?).
A campaign funded like no other (remember the Bush years and his Godlike ability to raise funds) and is heavily paid for and supported by America’s social left who couldn’t admit the surged worked if they wanted to. (Replace left with right and you might have a flashback of those social conservative religious zealot years when gay marriage really was a campaign issue.)
But, most important, the House and Senate are controlled by the party that this presidential hopeful (Obama) represents. Maybe this doesn’t scream disaster to you, but I would hope that the one thing America has learned after six years of one-party rule during the Bush reign and four years of the other party’s rule during the Carter years, is that one party calling all the shots isn’t a good thing.
Ours is a government of checks and balances and without them democracy is nothing but a bully pulpit. So I pray we don’t elect Obama and his aged attack dog that will more than likely run every part of this would-be president’s administration because, I really don’t want to relive another decade of unchecked power. Our founding fathers understood how important checks and balances were for democracy hopefully this year America will to.
Jacob Otoupalik, Baghdad and Frenchtown
Democrat has plan for mental health
Mental illness in America is a complex problem with several compounding factors that affects one in five Americans. It is uplifting to have a presidential candidate with a plan to address this issue. Barack Obama’s plan for America combats obstacles facing mental health workers and clientele directly through guaranteed eligibility for all Americans in need of mental health services via his universal health insurance. Indirectly by addressing poverty, homelessness and helping to build up support systems by strengthening the middle and lower-income families in America, Obama has clearly set himself apart as the champion presidential candidate of my lifetime.
Tim Myers, Missoula
Obama fights for workers, middle class
Who are the United States of America? Who are the 300 million inhabitants of this country? Are we strong? Are we weak? Are we rich? Are we poor? Are we similar to one another, or are we vastly different?
The truth is, we are all of these. Our country is one of great diversity culturally, ethnically and socio-economically. Because of our multitude of differences, choosing a political leader is often difficult. Their action or inaction affects all of us, and as such, it is extremely important that they make choices for the good of all.
John McCain has repeatedly sided with the wealthy elite and believes “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Aren’t we facing a possible recession? Rising energy costs? A devastating housing crisis?
McCain has defined the rich as making over $5 million per year. I thought I was part of the middle class, but I make much less than
$3 million, or to be frank, even $100,000. Have I misunderstood something, or is John McCain out of touch with the economic status of our country?
Barack Obama, on the other hand, has committed to putting the people of our country first. He offers real solutions to our problems in the form of middle class tax cuts, monetary support for college students and energy rebates.
John McCain blames the middle class for the mortgage crisis and gives tax breaks to oil companies instead of where it is needed most: in our homes.
This election cycle, it is time we the working class, we the middle class, we the majority think about who is willing to do what is right for us. We need someone who can lead the majority. Thankfully, that someone is Barack Obama.
Adam Collins, Missoula
Nationalize Plum Creek acres for people
Land for the landless means Plum Creek Timber Co. land for the landless of Montana and the USA. I demand Plum Creek land for our landless poor families, land for our homeless, and land for public housing from Plum Creek. Our congressmen, Max Baucus, Jon Tester and Dennis Rehberg, must demand this land for the social sins of our government toward our poor and homeless families. Paraguay’s new leader Lugo is providing land for the landless of Paraguay. If Paraguay can do this for their people, then surely the richest nation on earth can. Nationalize Plum Creek land and distribute it to the landless of Montana and the USA. Our congressmen should stop being puppets of the emperor and give this land to our landless families. This is real family values. Viva Montana’s Bolaverean Revolution.
Daniel Gawain Waters, Troy
Where’s the outrage over fishery death?
My stomach retches at the current eco-catastrophe being dumped on the Clark Fork River by the EPA and its bed partner, the Clark Fork Coalition. By removing the Milltown dam, now almost 1 million tons of highly toxic arsenic sediment has now turned the river into a dead zone from Missoula to Thompson Falls.
The greens lied. If this kind of pollution was instigated by a private company, MEIC and the Sierra Club would be screaming bloody murder, demanding criminal charges of crimes against the environment. Not a word from Gov. Schweitzer, Max Baucus or Pat Williams. Why aren’t Russ Forba, Peter Nielsen and the CFC being investigated by our sleepy state attorney general’s office? Why hasn’t the Missoulian published a body count of dead fish? Are the EPA, CFC and DEC immune from the Endangered Species Act? The greens lied!
Here is hypocrisy at its finest hour. Every dead fish as a result of your despicable actions at Milltown, represents a 100 percent increase in fish mortality compared to the use of cyanide in mining. In spite of Trout Unlimited and MEIC’s pathological lying to the public, there is not a documentable case of a fish that has been killed in Montana due to cyanide use in mining. As Montanans lose a $250,000,000 royalty from the lost McDonald Meadows Mine, these same people are rallying against the proposed Rock Creek Mine. Yet our third-world-thinking electorate has banned common sense and not environmentalists’ politics.
I call for the resignation of Peter Nielsen, Russ Forba and Keith Large of the state’s DEQ. You are a disgrace and should stop calling yourselves scientists. Stop supporting the CFC. As long as such organizations are supported by the public, we will continue to have economic and environmental disasters as we are now witnessing.
Mark I. Pfau, Missoula
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