Dear Dennis Edelbrock
I read your letter and thought that at least you demonstrated a bit more intelligence in asking questions about Senator Obama's "core beliefs" than had other writers before you. You were at least not nearly so shrill or as filled with hate as others who live here in Kootenai County. Well, here is my response:
It just so happens to be that I agree with you that I don't believe in a government that does all things for everyone. That being said, we only had 8 years of Bush who managed to create a government that did all for a select group. Such as the haves and have mores and the religious activists. Quite frankly they as special interest groups that shouldn't have any more access to the generosity of the federal government than the extremely poor with regards to welfare and needy following natural and manmade disasters among other issues that has people routinely crying to government for help. But as long as they have the money and the organization, they are more likely to be heard even before the welfare mom, the working poor, and the middle class who finds their lifestyles quickly disappearing because of outsourced jobs, foreclosed homes, high and getting higher gas bills, food and medical costs that constantly increase. Even the costs of education make them feel very poor indeed. While you are sniping at Obama because of the controversial pastor of his church: Trinity Church--United Church of Christ; seems that any time Senator Obama speaks to the crowd he tends to resonate more often than not because he talks directly to the pain that most of us feel. The fears that most of us have. Which is also why (his church and pastor notwithstanding) he has won many more states, more of the popular vote, more pledged delegates than even Senator Clinton.
Yes, I'll agree that amnesty for illegal aliens is a sticking point for me with this man. It also happens to be a sticking point that I had with GW Bush who certainly promoted amnesty and ended up dividing sharply the GOP on this issue. It is a sticking point that I have with Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton as well. Do I believe in socialized medicine? Of course not. However, did you take a look at the GOP controlled Congress before the Democrats assumed a bare majority? Seems they passed a "Medicare Reform Bill" that did a great deal for the insurance industry and the pharm companies. As for how it was going to affect the senior citizens in this society, you had to be pretty wealthy to afford the new plan. Yeah, what GW passed into law was definitely "socialized medicine" all right, as long as it first benefited the right business interests. And right in the same area of "socialized medicine" is what religious activists hope that government will do with the fetus. The collective rights of fetuses being the argument behind government intrusion into the private medical decisions that a woman makes with her doctor. So, even your side of the divide cares for some form of "socialized medicine." The question is, just how far would the religious activists take such an argument that government ought to defend the "defenseless" before it becomes when do we draw the line on what government ought to do for anyone, esp. children, and come off sounding hypocritical. Questions for Obama at this stage becomes questions of your own core beliefs as well.
So the creed of his church pushes a unity with Mother Africa. I have noted that Christians, esp. among the more extreme, claim an identity of being Christian even before they recognize their American citizenship. Christians are very prepared to attack their fellow Americans for sharing no beliefs in common with themselves. Of saying that America is a "Christian Nation" without considering the theocratic ramifications of such a claim. Of wanting the Federal government to be "Christian" presumably in the mold that they find most desirable. Never mind that this is a democracy and the government must also represent non-Christian constituencies. Yes, we matter as do our votes. This Republican Druid will vote for a Democrat before I vote for the "Christian" who refuses to honor the plain language of the U.S. Constitution. And what of Roman Catholic Americans who will travel thousands of miles to pay homage to a foreign pope? And it is the expectation that American presidents should pay respects to the same man with whom they share no common religious belief? While you are zeroing in on what you find so troubling about Senator Obama's understanding of Christianity, what about the Neo-Nazis who caused a lot of fear among the various counties of North Idaho, who misrepresented the Jewish Christ as a fellow who'd support a butcher in the form of Adolph Hitler and as an extreme form of "Christianity." A mass murderer of his people. I would very much find those forms of Christianity troubling indeed. Just as I would find Rev. Hagee troubling indeed.
I watch CNN's "Ballot Bowl." So, yes, as a matter of fact I do know what Obama's core beliefs are. As a Republican, I recognize that what Obama stands for goes beyond what I would care about as someone who prefers a truly limited government, one constrained by the U.S. Constitution. However, in the last 8 years of GW, we haven't exactly seen a limited government now, have we? A government that begins supporting the little people is what Obama's core beliefs are all about. Hopefully, this answers your questions.
I read your letter and thought that at least you demonstrated a bit more intelligence in asking questions about Senator Obama's "core beliefs" than had other writers before you. You were at least not nearly so shrill or as filled with hate as others who live here in Kootenai County. Well, here is my response:
It just so happens to be that I agree with you that I don't believe in a government that does all things for everyone. That being said, we only had 8 years of Bush who managed to create a government that did all for a select group. Such as the haves and have mores and the religious activists. Quite frankly they as special interest groups that shouldn't have any more access to the generosity of the federal government than the extremely poor with regards to welfare and needy following natural and manmade disasters among other issues that has people routinely crying to government for help. But as long as they have the money and the organization, they are more likely to be heard even before the welfare mom, the working poor, and the middle class who finds their lifestyles quickly disappearing because of outsourced jobs, foreclosed homes, high and getting higher gas bills, food and medical costs that constantly increase. Even the costs of education make them feel very poor indeed. While you are sniping at Obama because of the controversial pastor of his church: Trinity Church--United Church of Christ; seems that any time Senator Obama speaks to the crowd he tends to resonate more often than not because he talks directly to the pain that most of us feel. The fears that most of us have. Which is also why (his church and pastor notwithstanding) he has won many more states, more of the popular vote, more pledged delegates than even Senator Clinton.
Yes, I'll agree that amnesty for illegal aliens is a sticking point for me with this man. It also happens to be a sticking point that I had with GW Bush who certainly promoted amnesty and ended up dividing sharply the GOP on this issue. It is a sticking point that I have with Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton as well. Do I believe in socialized medicine? Of course not. However, did you take a look at the GOP controlled Congress before the Democrats assumed a bare majority? Seems they passed a "Medicare Reform Bill" that did a great deal for the insurance industry and the pharm companies. As for how it was going to affect the senior citizens in this society, you had to be pretty wealthy to afford the new plan. Yeah, what GW passed into law was definitely "socialized medicine" all right, as long as it first benefited the right business interests. And right in the same area of "socialized medicine" is what religious activists hope that government will do with the fetus. The collective rights of fetuses being the argument behind government intrusion into the private medical decisions that a woman makes with her doctor. So, even your side of the divide cares for some form of "socialized medicine." The question is, just how far would the religious activists take such an argument that government ought to defend the "defenseless" before it becomes when do we draw the line on what government ought to do for anyone, esp. children, and come off sounding hypocritical. Questions for Obama at this stage becomes questions of your own core beliefs as well.
So the creed of his church pushes a unity with Mother Africa. I have noted that Christians, esp. among the more extreme, claim an identity of being Christian even before they recognize their American citizenship. Christians are very prepared to attack their fellow Americans for sharing no beliefs in common with themselves. Of saying that America is a "Christian Nation" without considering the theocratic ramifications of such a claim. Of wanting the Federal government to be "Christian" presumably in the mold that they find most desirable. Never mind that this is a democracy and the government must also represent non-Christian constituencies. Yes, we matter as do our votes. This Republican Druid will vote for a Democrat before I vote for the "Christian" who refuses to honor the plain language of the U.S. Constitution. And what of Roman Catholic Americans who will travel thousands of miles to pay homage to a foreign pope? And it is the expectation that American presidents should pay respects to the same man with whom they share no common religious belief? While you are zeroing in on what you find so troubling about Senator Obama's understanding of Christianity, what about the Neo-Nazis who caused a lot of fear among the various counties of North Idaho, who misrepresented the Jewish Christ as a fellow who'd support a butcher in the form of Adolph Hitler and as an extreme form of "Christianity." A mass murderer of his people. I would very much find those forms of Christianity troubling indeed. Just as I would find Rev. Hagee troubling indeed.
I watch CNN's "Ballot Bowl." So, yes, as a matter of fact I do know what Obama's core beliefs are. As a Republican, I recognize that what Obama stands for goes beyond what I would care about as someone who prefers a truly limited government, one constrained by the U.S. Constitution. However, in the last 8 years of GW, we haven't exactly seen a limited government now, have we? A government that begins supporting the little people is what Obama's core beliefs are all about. Hopefully, this answers your questions.
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2 comments:
I hope this post is widely read.
I sent a link to it by way of M. Patrick. The guy who initially published this letter that I responded to. No telling if he will have read it. But if he had, he may begin to get somewhat embarrassed over the idea that publishing rancid letters about presidential candidates in his paper is going to get a blog post response and an invitation to read it for himself. In many ways, Senator Obama is hardly my cup of tea. Neither is Senator Clinton. Neither is Senator McCain. But I'll live with whom the rest of the voters put in office as long as they make a full break from the last 8 years of Bush.
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