Turn Left @ hypocrisy.com

“This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy.”

-US Representative Christopher Shays, Republican, New York Times, March 23, 2005

Chances are you really don’t know what the Dominionists are all about, and that’s just the way they like it. They like to operate under the radar screen, but they are there - and have been there for some time - working in the background. So, just what are the Dominionists all about? The short answer is that the Dominionists are members of one of the most extreme forms of Fundamentalist Christianity, and their goal is to replace the American democracy with a theocratic form of government. It is estimated that 35 million Americans who call themselves ‘Christians’ adhere to Dominionism, some without really understanding its dangers. This may seem unbelievable to you, but consider the transformation of the Republican party since the Ronald Reagan era.

President George W. Bush was once a binge drinking, coke snorting party boy. Today, he’s a Born Again Christian touting faith-based programs and denying schools funding if they teach anything but abstinence-only sex education. In 2004, while debating John Kerry, George Bush stated that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. One of the reasons George Bush has completely destabilized the Middle East by invading Iraq and Afghanistan is because he truly believes he’s on a mission from God to eradicate fundamentalist Islam.

In 2000, when John McCain first ran for president, he called the right-wing Christian movement’s infiltration of the Republican party its ‘ruination.’ He was right. By the time the 2008 election rolled around we had Mike Huckabee as a presidential candidate who wanted to reclaim America for Jesus Christ, and John McCain was forced to embrace them because their hold on the party had become so strong. It’s now a well-known fact that McCain wanted Joe Lieberman as his running mate but, in the end, he was forced to choose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin because the right-wing Christian extremists told McCain they’d never support him any other way.

Barack Obama’s election may have derailed the operation, but the Dominionists are not going away. A post-election Rasmussen Poll shows that 64% of Republicans view Sarah Palin as their top presidential choice in 2012. (I will get to her and other Dominionist public servants in part 2 of this article.) You can be sure that Mike Huckabee will be back as well. Dominionists will diligently continue to work toward their goal, Barack Obama notwithstanding. They are a very determined lot.

Dominionism defined

Dominionism is a natural extension of ‘Social Darwinism’ and is often called ‘Christian Reconstructionism.’ Dominionists are charged with replacing our democracy with a theocratic elite ruling class who will impose their interpretation of Biblical Law. Here’s how our society would change:

• The first task would be to eliminate religious choice and freedoms, and create a ‘Kingdom of God’ where much of the nation would be converted to Christianity. All religious organizations, congregations and churches other than those that are strictly viewed as ‘Fundamentalist Christianity’ would be suppressed. Nonconformist Evangelical, main line and liberal Christian religious institutions would be forbidden from organizing or holding services. Because society would revert to the laws and punishments of the Hebrew Scriptures, those practicing other religions outside their homes would be tried for idolatry and executed if convicted.

• Dominionists will eliminate labor unions, civil rights and public schools.

• Blasphemy, adultery and homosexuality would be treated as crimes, and those found guilty would be executed.

• Womens’ role in society would be relegated to homemaker (and baby maker, of course).

The only good thing in all of this is that Dominionists have come a long way in their method of execution. We heathens wouldn’t be stoned (thank God; I hate the thought of a slow, painful and bloody death). Instead the Dominionists would use either the electric chair or lethal injection (my choice, thank you very much).

What I have listed here are not the only characteristics of a theocratic, Dominionist society, but they are the high points. Others have spent a considerable amount of time studying Dominionism, so I urge you to read the links I’ve provided for the full effect.

The master plan

As I said, Dominionists operate in stealth mode. Their goal is to peacefully convert US laws to match those of Hebrew Scriptures (aka, The Old Testament). This will be achieved by using America’s freedom of religion to train children in private Christian religious schools. These trained children will then go out and form a new Bible-based political, religious and social order. Why children? Why not? The idea is to indoctrinate when future soldiers are the most subject to suggestion. However, the training doesn’t exist strictly at the elementary school level. It goes way beyond that.

Regent University, founded by televangelist Pat Robertson, provides “Christian leadership to change the world.” As of 2007, there were 150 graduates of Regent working in the Bush administration. The most famous of these graduates is Monica Goodling, a top aide to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and, apparently, a central figure in the firing of the US Attorneys. Goodling, ever the good Christian soldier, has announced that she will take the Fifth rather than testify to Congress.

Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, where faculty must sign a pledge that they share a literal belief in the Bible, trains young Christians to be politicians. Of the sixty graduates in 2004, two found work at the White House, six were on the staffs of conservative members of Congress and eight were working in federal agencies. Two also joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and at least one worked for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. In 2004, Patrick Henry College also began offering a major in strategic intelligence, where students learn both the history of and tactics used in covert operations. Students majoring in strategic intelligence take on internships that allow them to graduate with a security clearance. Seniors must also complete a directed research project that is designed to mimic the work of an entry-level congressional staffer. According to Michael Farris, the school’s founder, “If you want to train a new generation of leaders, you have to get in on the ground floor.”

Part 2 of this article will post tomorrow, Wednesday, November 12.

While everyone’s preoccupied with the election (and with good reason), George Bush is going about his usual business of taking care of business. A George Bush full-frontal assault in the name of cronyism usually means bad things for the general populace. This time is no exception. It appears that the Bush administration is poised to enact a number of federal regulations that will weaken protections for the environment and potentially compromise public safety. Some of these regulations will ease rules for or lift constraints on private industry (such as power plants, mines and farms).

For example, one rule (proposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service) would eliminate the requirement that environmental impact studies be prepared for certain fisheries-management decisions. According to PEW research, this proposed new rule is “wildly unpopular,” inspiring 194,000 public comments, as well as protests from 80 members of Congress and 160 conservation groups. In spite of this, unnamed sources have reported that the administration has promised to have this rule enacted by the end of November.

Another rule showing blatant disregard for the public health would (get ready) allow current emissions from a power plant to match the highest levels produced by that plant. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is opposed to this rule because it worses global warming by allowing millions of tons of additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As if this isn’t enough, two additional rules would continue to weaken air quality standards.

One would ease limits on emissions from coal-fired power plants located near national parks. Another rule would allow increased emissions from oil refineries, chemical factories and other industrial plants with complex manufacturing operations. What exactly are complex manufacturing operations, and who makes those judgments? That sounds pretty broad to me. Continuing the environmental assault, the Bush administration is considering a new federal regulation that would ease rules designed to keep coal slurry waste from finding its way into Appalachian streams. Still others could compromise the safety of the general public.

It’s a good thing for George Bush that his everyday actions have become pretty irrelevant in the publics eye. That’s what he’s counting on. He talks tough about terrorism and continuously reiterates our need to be vigilant. George Bush uses the shadow ‘war on terror’ to justify every vile action he’s approved during his term of service. In the meantime, he’s busy behind the scenes supporting new regulations that compromise our safety by relaxing counter-terrorism rules requiring customs brokers to provide shipping data in advance. So much for the Bush administration’s commitment to securing our ports. This is one president who has absolutely no scruples. There hasn’t been one president like him since Tricky occupied the oval office. George W. Bush could care less about being a sell out. He could care less about his reputation. He’s only concerned with accomplishing as much as he can for his business friends before his term is up. He knows damned right well that the American people have a short memory. After all, Richard Nixon - once remembered in infamy - practically died at the top of the respectability meter. It’s an amazing phenomenon.

Unfortunately, a new administration will not easily be able to roll back these regulations once they have taken effect. This requires labor-intensive regulatory proceedings, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting of new regulations and (mandated) reanalysis. In summary, President Bush is taking a parting shot at the American people by guaranteeing them dirtier air and water for years to come. Did we really expect anything else from a president who has consistently shown a blatant disregard for the welfare of the American people and the law of the land?

Time is running short for John McCain, so the looneys are out enmasse. The latest Republican figure to walk off the deep end is Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn) who appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews this past Friday. Her latest allegation is that Barack and Michelle Obama are anti-American and cannot be trusted in the White House. Sound McCarthyesque to you? I’d suggest she rethink that and be one of the party faithful who shows up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to count the silverware after W leaves office. If anybody is anti-American it’s our present imperial ruler, who has just about gutted the US Constitution, spied on his own citizens, and has slaughtered literally millions in Iraq and Afghanistan all on this shadow “war on terror.”

She referred to Obama’s friendships with William Ayers (which Senator Obama explained sufficiently during the third and final debate) and the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Isn’t it funny that John McCain is never called upon to explain his friendships, like the one he has with G. Gordon Liddy. As recently as March of this year, McCain referred to Liddy as someone who upholds the ideals that make our country great. Really? Someone who served time for the Watergate break-in, plotted murder, kidnappings and terrorist bombings upholds the American ideal? So, why are we worried about Obama’s friends? Or perhaps we should talk about the fact that McCain has allied his campaign with the Cuban Liberty Council, some of whose members have committed terrorist attacks. In fact, Senator Joseph Lieberman met with the wife of convicted serial bomber Eduardo Arocena on July 20th of this year prior to speaking at a McCain event. Lieberman promised to pursue a presidential pardon for her husband.

Or perhaps we should talk about the fact that Sarah Palin has actively courted the Alaska Independence Party, a secessionist group whose leader, Joe Vogler, is decidedly anti-American. Vogler stated, “My government is my worst enemy. I’m going to fight them with any means at hand.” This is the group that the “first dude,” Todd Palin, belonged to for seven years. Sarah Palin spoke at their convention in 2008, telling them, “Keep up the good work. And God bless you.” While Palin criticizes Obama for wanting to engage Iran in conversation and negotiation, let’s remember that in 1993 Joe Vogler persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American efforts.

Oh, and by the way, in spite of the fact that Sarah Palin lives with the illusion that the Troopergate report exonerated her, did I mention that Mr. and Mrs. Palin will be deposed this week by investigators determining whether or not she violated state ethics laws? I suggest that abuse of power might be considered un-American as well.

So, the next time Michelle Bachmann wants to raise the issue of un-American activities, I suggest she investigate her own party. Or keep her mouth shut.

I hate to disappoint Pit Bull Palin, but I’m taking one day off the campaign trail today to take a look back. (You will remember, of course, that she reprimanded Joe Biden for looking back instead of looking forward.) At the time of this posting, there are 98 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 11.5 seconds left in George Bush’s disastrous turn. That’s plenty of time to do more harm to this country. Nevertheless, it’s not too soon to outline the events that make George Bush the worst president in American history. While there are many, many reasons to label Bush the worst, there are four watershed moments in his administration that cement his place in infamy: The 9-11 terrorist attacks, the ill-advised wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina, and the economic meltdown presently taking place in America (and spreading around the world).

September 11, 2001

First, the 9-11 attacks. No matter how Bush tries to blame the Clinton administration, this attack happened on his watch. George Bush assumed the presidency on January 20, 2000 and the terrorist attacks happened on September 11, 2001. The Clinton administration had left the Bush administration a comprehensive report on the subject of al Qaeda, including a plan to thwart its efforts. George Bush ignored it. It’s now common knowledge that he also ignored repeated warnings between April and September of 2001. Not only was he warned of potential terrorist attacks taking place on our soil, but he was warned that the terrorists might use airplanes as weapons. The administration was warned by Israel’s Mossad, as well as by Jordan and Moroccan intelligence. How did he spin his administration’s failure to act? Bush and Cheney stated that, had the domestic wiretapping authorization been given in 2001 instead of 2002, it would have prevented the terrorist attacks. As usual, this is a bald-faced lie. The memo he received a month before the attacks warned that Bin Laden was determined to hit targets inside the United States. He didn’t need wiretapping. If the memo could not move him to action, there is no way that wiretapping would have prevented the attacks. You simply have to question why he ignored it. In fact, you simply have to question the official version of 9-11 being fed us by the Bush administration.

You have to wonder why the US military was on “stand down” that day. Why were 140 Saudis safely flown out of the United States during the week after 9-11, when even Bill Clinton and Al Gore, both out of the country at the time of the attack, were not even allowed to fly back home? Many were members of the royal House of Saud, and at least 24 were direct members of bin Ladens family. Why weren’t they detained for questioning instead? This would have been a logical step, given the fact that 14 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis and it was Saudi money backing al Qaeda? In fact, Osama bin Laden is a Saudi national.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Then, we have two ill-advised, ill-planned wars, one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. The justification for these two wars, of course, was to fight terror. In fact, the 9-11 terrorist attacks became the excuse for just about every crime the Bush administration has committed. According to our truth-challenged leader, we were going to take the war to the terrorists by invading Afghanistan and capturing Osama bin Laden. In fact, George Bush vowed we would get him “dead or alive” during one of his post 9-11 speeches. New information from former US officials, however, shows that George W. Bush never had any intention of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. The only question that remains is why? Is this because of the close business ties between the Bush and bin Laden families? Or is it because bin Laden had nothing to do with the attacks at all? According to sources, George Bush was more interested in attacking Iraq than finding Osama bin Laden. Of course, President Bush justified the invasion of Iraq by lying to Congress and the American people about Saddam Hussein being involved in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. We now know that was a lie and that George Bush invaded a sovereign nation under false pretenses.

The president landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003 and announced that the Iraq war was over. There was a huge ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner behind him. It is now 2008 and there’s no end to the war in sight. In fact, our Republican presidential wannabe (John McCain) says he’ll stay in Iraq for 100 years if that’s what it takes to win the war (whatever ‘win’ means). At the five-year mark, we have lost 4,180 US troops. More than 1.2 million innocent Iraqis have died. At a cost of $12 billion per month, the mission is anything but accomplished. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, it remains a black hole for the mainstream media. Nobody even talks about it. Estimates from one web site provide these numbers: 8,587 Afghan troops killed; 3,485 Afghan civilians killed; 513 US troops killed; and 433 other coalition troops killed. Either way, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff predict a gloomy future for the Afghanistan war: Next year will even be worse than this year.

Hurricane Katrina, August 29, 2005

The third watershed event was Hurricane Katrina and our government’s disgustingly feeble efforts both before and after the storm. Katrina first made landfall at 7 a.m. on August 29 as a category 4 hurricane. At 7:30 a.m., the White House was warned that the levees were failing. In fact, before the storm was over, nearly all of the levees would be breached. Documents show that the White House had ample warning about the severity of Katrina, even though George Bush went on Good Morning America on September 1, 2005, to state, “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” There’s yet another outright lie. While still on a month-long vacation in Crawford, Texas, George Bush was told about the levees and then some. He had a report that predicted that the levees would be breached and that Katrina could potentially destroy 90% of the city structures. It also described the depth and breadth of the search and rescue effort that would be required, and predicted the displacement of more than 1 million residents. The president asked no questions. Instead, he told New Orleans officials, “We are fully prepared.” That, too, was a lie.

Washington was anything but prepared. Why is that? Because, our government officials were all on vacation when Katrina hit. George Bush, in spite of the warnings, stayed on vacation in Crawford, Texas. Meanwhile, Dick Cheney stayed on vacation in Jackson, Wyoming. Condoleeza Rice went to New York during the storm to see a Broadway play and buy herself some expensive new shoes. In spite of the devastation overwhelming the Gulf states on August 29, President Bush did not rush back to Washington. Instead, he spent his Tuesday playing golf. After that, he played guitar with some country and western singers. Think Progress has put together an incredible time line documenting Katrina’s devastation and our president’s response. It’s clear that Bush had other business on his mind.

Unfortunately, President George W. Bush showed no greater leadership after the disaster than he did before and during the disaster. Two weeks after the storm, Bush pledged a homesteading plan to help residents of New Orleans. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a complete plan and left many homeless people without assistance. The Baker Plan (named for its Republican sponsor Representative Richard Baker) was a much more complete plan, and it received the backing of Senator Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat.. It would provide compensation to victims right away and give them a choice of how to rebuild their homes. It even allowed people to walk away with compensation without rebuilding if they wished. The White House, of course, opposed the plan, mostly because it made George Bush’s plan look as anemic as it actually was. The most decisive action President Bush took was to make sure he helped businesses profit from the Katrina disaster. First, he suspended federal rules and authorized FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to extend no-bid contracts to corporations participating in the rebuilding. He also suspended the federal Davis-Bacon Act which requires contractors utilizing federal funds to play local prevailing wages on construction projects. You’ve just got to love those compassionate conservatives.

The Economic Meltdown of 2008

George Bush isn’t the only Republican proponent of deregulation. Our ‘deregulation nation’ was actually launched during the Reagan Administration. However, it was carried to new heights under the Bush administration. Over the last eight years, corporations of all types have been given unprecedented powers to police themselves. Take a look at Wall Street. It’s much more than a ‘free market’ playground. It is synonymous with corruption, deception and greed. How does the Bush administration respond? By giving the perpetrators a $700 billion infusion of new monopoly money to play with, ignoring Americans facing foreclosure and fleecing the American taxpayer. The White House employed its usual fear-mongering and strong-arm tactics to get the bail-out package passed, telling members of Congress that the stock market would suffer a devastating drop. When that didn’t work, several Senators were threatened with martial law, the final step of our descent into fascism.

The package has finally passed, and Wall Street continued its free fall. Credit is pretty much frozen. People are losing their homes and their jobs at an alarming rate. According to Robert Reich, former secretary of labor under Bill Clinton, and now at UC Berkeley, the US has lost 1 million jobs since last year. In the meantime, some of the bail-out money has been used for, of all things, pleasure junkets. The AIG sales force, for example, took a trip to a resort in California where they spent $120,000 alone on spa treatments. Another $150,000 was spent on food. This is what happens when there is no oversight, a little detail left out of the plan. In the meantime, state governments are trying to get financial help from the federal treasury just to meet payroll. What’s wrong with this picture?

It Doesn’t Stop Here

I’m mystified by those who consider George W. Bush a good president. I’m wondering what channel they’ve been watching for the past eight years. The four events featured in this article are huge, but there are so many more that have been left out. For example, the Bush administration has turned the United States into a torture state. Condoleeza Rice recently revealed that ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ (a polite term for ‘torture’), including waterboarding, were discussed at the White House among the highest officials of the Bush administration. Bush has approved the imprisonment of scores of ‘enemy combatants’ for years without bringing specific charges or allowing prisoners access to lawyers. He has sent others to countries where torture is routinely practiced under his ‘extraordinary rendition’ program. In short, he has violated articles of the Geneva Convention and he has broken both US and international laws.

George Bush has run roughshod over the US Constitution. Many view the illegal wiretapping of American citizens as his most egregious Constitutional violation. However, he also took advantage of a nation in shock from the 9-11 terrorist attacks to rush through passage of the USA Patriot Act, specifically designed to diminish our rights and expand the powers of the executive branch.

I could go on and on, but this article would become a tome. I’ll save the fine points for my online George Bush Library. In closing, do not to get comfortable just because his reign is coming to an end. With just slightly more than three months left to go in this regime, there’s plenty of time to do more damage. George Bush isn’t just any lame duck president. He wants his name to go down in history, even if it is as the worst president this nation has ever seen.

I blogged live on Twitter last night during the vice presidential debate. The consensus? Sarah Palin exceeded expectations, but that’s because she was allowed to run her own circus side show.  Sarah Palin didn’t answer any of the questions posed by Gwen Ifill. As for Gwen Ifill? Well, the big “to do” that the McCain camp made of her book on the history of black politicians (and her supposed preference for Barack Obama) certainly hampered her ability to moderate the debate. The McCain camp planned it that way. McCain insisted he didn’t know about the book until just days before the debate. This bolsters my belief that McCain and his staff spend most of their time under a rock because the book was announced in July and everybody else knew about it.  As a result, Ifill was clearly overly cautious about keeping Sarah Palin on topic.

On the first question of the evening, Ifill stated that neither candidate answered what was asked. That was the last time she noted that in spite of the fact that Sarah Palin followed her own agenda and responded to nothing that was asked. I certainly believe that there should be some flexibility in the debate to respond to issues raised and change the scope slightly to clarify positions. However, it was truly mind boggling because Sarah Palin was entirely in another place. In her mind, she was at a campaign rally talking to supporters. Palin came well prepped with a set of talking points and stuck to them like glue. She changed the very topics of the debate so that she could not fail and to make McCain look like the maverick that he really isn’t. How many times did you count the word maverick in her incoherent babble last night? She continued to portray herself as “Joe Six Pack” just like the American middle class, a portrait that some find offensive, by the way. Someone should tell Sarah Palin that not all middle class Americans are beer swilling hockey moms and dads. Someone should also tell her that she is not really a member of the middle class.

The Palins earned $230,000 in 2007, of which $125,000 was Palin’s income as Governor of Alaska. The figures do not include the $17,000 in per diem payments Palin received for 312 nights she spent in her own home since becoming governor, the $43,490 she received to cover travel costs for her family, or the $1,654 each member of the Palin family received in state oil royalties paid to all Alaskans. Census Bureau figures put the median Alaskan income at $64,333 a year, and the median American (non-Alaskan) income at $50,740. The Palin’s estimated net worth is listed at $1.2 million. They own a half million dollar home on a lake with a float plane at the dock and two vacation retreats. I don’t believe that most “middle class” Americans share that fortune. Do you? While this doesn’t come close to the McCain fortune, including 13 cars and 8 homes, the notion that either member of this regime will champion the middle class is hard to swallow.

Palin kept on with the “a change is coming” statement, but she never talked about what change was coming. She never once distinguished McCain-Palin from Bush-Cheney, and that’s because there really is no difference. There were no specifics about policies and plans. There were just broad talking points and she never veered from them. She repeated the same thing over and over. Palin did make one statement that showed how closely aligned Bush-Cheney and McCain-Palin are. Gwen Ifill correctly noted that Palin once stated that she didn’t exactly know what the vice president’s role was, so she asked the candidates how they would handle the role of the vice president if elected:

First came a lame joke, then Palin stated, “…Of course, we know what a vice president does. And that’s not only to preside over the Senate and will take that position very seriously also. I’m thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate and making sure that we are supportive of the president’s policies and making sure too that our president understands what our strengths are…”

It is clear that, like her predecessor Dick Cheney, Palin favors expansion of the powers of the executive branch at her whim. She could care less about the Constitution. It is not the role of the Senate to provide blanket support of the president’s policies. It is the role of the Senate (and the House) to represent the American people in Washington, and to provide a voice for those who have no voice. Rather than differentiate the ticket from Bush-Cheney, she aligned the ticket with Bush-Cheney because that is exactly the way our elected representatives have been manipulated since the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Americans be warned. It’s the same old wine in a brand new bottle.

Finally, a comment about the notion that Sarah Palin successfully took her cause directly to the American people. I believe she took her cause successfully to her conservative base and to those who were in a panic over the uncertainty of her performance. There was a style of sorts, but I simply have a hard time seeing Sarah Palin as having “folksy charm.” In fact, I don’t find her charming at all. She winked into the camera more than once, which is obnoxious and condescending. When Biden spoke, there were times when she sometimes snickered and rolled her eyes. She played the “mom” card far too many times in her effort to attract women voters. When Biden finally spoke of the personal pain he suffered after losing his wife and daughter in an accident and then having to take care of two sons by himself, Palin showed not one ounce of empathy and offered no comfort. In fact, she smiled throughout the entire story and then simply went coldly back to her talking points when he was finished. It could be the basis for a new movie: The Stepford Wife Goes to Washington.

While Joe Biden isn’t the most exciting speaker, he is knowledgeable, understands the real issues facing Americans, and can think on his feet. He can respond to statements and challenges without reading canned notes or changing the subject. He has a mind and uses it. He was clearly focused on differentiating Barack Obama from John McCain and his policies. This is the kind of information Americans are looking for after eight years of Republican rule. What Sarah Palin did was successfully stop the bleeding. The McCain camp has no intention of allowing her to be interviewed one-on-one for the next 32 days. Prior to the debate, the McCain camp said she will hold one press conference, but I’m willing to bet that never happens. Now, the focus goes back to Obama and McCain.  After watching McCain self destruct over the past several weeks, I don’t think this bodes well for him.