If Pictures Could Talk, 10/31/08

If pictures could talk, here's what today's picture of the day would say:


Obama--look old man, I've about had it with you.
McCain--ya see here sonny, I'm STILL a POW and war hero and dammit, it's my turn to be President. You wouldn't want to deny a dying man's request would you?
Obama--Look Pappy, the people have spoken and after the last 8 years they want a sane, smart President who isn't always shouting, "Hey, hey get off my lawn!"
McCain--Why I oughta... You, you just wait...Bill Ayers...terrorists...ACORN...cheating...fundamentals...not experienced...suspend a campaign...the media hates me...Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Barack Obama American Stories Recap

Full video of Barack Obama's half-hour commercial/mini-documentary broadcast on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 8pm on BET, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, NBC, Univision, and TV One.

Commentary from former Clinton Aide, Howard Wolfson:

Let's quickly dispense with the silly spin from the McCain campaign and the notion that Senator Obama's infomercial might somehow be overkill or extravagant--there isn't a campaign anywhere that wouldn't want to be able to afford thirty minutes of network time a week before the election to make a final pitch to undecided voters.

And this ad was clearly aimed at those voters still deciding--it effectively interspersed geographically and ethnically diverse tales of middle class hardship, narrated sympathetically by Barack Obama, with specific policy details about how an Obama Administration would address the problems confronting American families. [...]

This ad won't win Senator Obama the election--he was going to win in any case. But it was a highly effective, well-produced and well-executed closing argument. And at a time when the McCain campaign is doing everything it can to knock Senator Obama off his game, it's another example of how and why that task is so difficult.

Barack Obama American Stories Airs Tonight

In a move which smacks of "screw you John McCain, I have more money than you", Barack Obama will air half-hour long informercial tonight during the pregame of the World Series Game 5/6. The buy cost $3 million, and after a record-breaking $150 million month in September, the Obama for America campaign feels justified that there is no such thing as too much publicity when you're running for President of the US. Unlike the past couple Democratic Presidential candidates, Obama has learned that even when leading your opponent in polling in the last week of the election season you can never coast into an election lest you are doomed to failure by overconfidence.

For more information, check out Huffington Post's article, "Obama's Prime Time TV Commercial: A Preview", and of course tune in tonight to CBS, NBC, Fox, BET, MSNBC, Univision & TV One at 8:00pm EST to watch "Barack Obama: American Stories". This made-for-TV event is part infomercial and part testimonial, will primarily feature vignettes of people and families whom Obama has met during his nearly two-year campaign, and will include a live component from a campaign rally in Florida at the very end of the show. The show may also feature American leaders talking about why Obama is the right leader for the USA at this time.

Florida Voting by Obama Campaign Part 3 of 3: Debunking Voting Myths

PART 3 IN A SERIES: DEBUNKING FLORIDA VOTING MYTHS:

Note: Today's post is the last but most critical in my 3-part Florida Voting Series presenting another voting awareness fact sheet by the Florida Campaign for Change.

A few weeks ago I began receiving a number of email forwardings from friends and associates which contained inaccurate and often wrong information on Florida voting laws. I even heard some local radio stations giving out that same information. My advice is never rely on any voting or legal information you receive in personal email from a friend, co-worker, or family member without checking the facts. Voting emails are normally full of holes, and the Republican Party does a GREAT JOB of sowing false and misleading emails around election time (called "whisper campaigning") because they know that most of US don't bother to check to see if the information is true or not. If Ray Ray sent it, it must be true, right? This year's election is too important for us to rely on forwardings. Just as you shouldn't rely on emails from a friend for medical, legal, or investment advice without first doing your own homework, the same rule of thumb applies to voting. Please double check either with The Great Blog of Kéto, the Florida Campaign for Change, or your local Supervisor Of Elections office whose staff can clarify any misunderstanding of voting rules and laws in short order.

ADDRESS MATCHING AND ID ISSUES:
The law does NOT require that the address on the voter's photo ID match the voter's address on the registration rolls.
The Florida Secretary of State says: "I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter's identity. Not to verify the voter's ID number or address."
The law only requires that when a voter registers to vote, the driver's license number (or state ID number or last 4 digits of a social security number) match the number in the government databases. But to be clear, the only people who should be using their SSN number are those that have not been issued a valid and non-expired Florida driver's license or ID card.
If the voter has moved within the STATE since registering in FLORIDA, they may update their address at the polls as long as they are at the precinct associated with their CURRENT home address.
The following ID's can be used at the polls if they have your PICTURE and SIGNATURE: Florida driver's license, Florida ID card, US Passport, Debit/Credit card, Military ID, Student ID, Retirement Center ID, Neighborhood Ass'n ID, and Public Assistance ID. The picture and signature CAN be on two separate forms of ID. For example, if your student ID has a picture and your credit card has your signature--that would be good enough to vote.

CLOTHING:
Voters are allowed to wear ANYTHING they want to the polls. This includes Obama gear (buttons, pins, hats).

EARLY VOTE:
Any registered voter may vote early.
Early voting begins October 20 and ends on November 2 (including WEEKENDS).
Voters may vote at any early voting site in their county where they are registered. Voters must still meet the photo ID and signature requirements.
If they are in line when the early voting location is scheduled to close, they MUST be allowed to vote.
UPDATE 10/29/08: Gov. Charlie Crist has just declared "a state of emergency" in Florida, due to the overwhelming number of Floridians eager to cast their votes early. That's why yesterday (10/28/08) he issued an executive order to dramatically expand early voting.

Effective immediately, every early voting site in the state will be open from 7am to 7pm through Friday, October 31st, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1st, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2nd.

To find your Early Vote location now, visit FL.VoteForChange.com and vote early right away.

Certain locations may not be open on Sunday. If you have questions about weekend hours at your nearest location or anything else, please call 1-877-235-6226, or contact your county's Supervisor of Elections. The executive order not only extends the Early Vote deadline, it also increases the time that locations are open weekdays to 12 hours a day -- beyond the 8 hours a day mandated by state law.

EX-FELONS:
Ex-felons can vote if their civil rights are restored, and many non-violent felons are restored automatically.
You can check their status online at https://fpcweb.fpc.state.fl.us/.

EXPIRED DRIVER LICENSES:
Florida law requires that a driver's license be "current and valid" to satisfy the registration and early vote/election day requirement.
If a registrant has ONLY an expired Florida driver's license/ID, use the last four digits of their SSN to register them.
IF the registrant only has a restricted or trainer's driver's license, use that number, so long as the restricted license is otherwise current and valid.

REPUBLICAN MAILINGS:
If you hear of people getting strange or confusing mail from Republicans, please contact the voter protection team IMMEDIATELY and collect the mailing from the voter.

SIGNATURES:
Florida law does not require a voter to update his/her signature on file with the county.
It is fine for a county supervisor or other official to request such an update, but they cannot threaten the right to vote if a voter does not respond.

VOTE-BY-MAIL (VBM):
If a voter received a vote-by-mail ballot, s/he can still vote in person, though voting in person is not recommended in this case.
To vote in person after requesting an absentee ballot, the voter must RETURN the vote-by-mail ballot to the voter's precinct or to an early voting site.
If the voter does not have the absentee ballot and the election official cannot confirm that the absentee ballot was returned, the voter will have to vote a provisional ballot (which is not counted until after the election IF the voter's registration information is confirmed).
A voter may also turn in a vote-by-mail ballot at the SOE's office by 7pm on November 4.
The ballot must be received by 7pm on November 4; POSTMARKS DO NOT COUNT.
Anyone is allowed to pick up completed absentee ballots from voters (sealed in their signed envelopes) and deliver them to the Supervisor of Elections, no later than 7pm on election day.

VOTER REGISTRATION:
The First Amendment protects voter registration activity, but the government may place reasonable restrictions.
Registration activities at government buldings may be limited for security reasons or for traffic control.
Registration activities at public parks or beaches may be limited for security reasons so that visitors can enjoy the available recreational space and have personal space.
Since the legal analysis is highly fact intensive, you should call the Florida Campaign for Change if questions arise.

CONCLUSION:
The Florida Democratic Party and Obama for America are working around the clock to make sure people are able to vote and that their vote is counted.
To this end, the campaign has recruited thousands of attorneys and law students to be present at polling sites during early voting and Election Day so that they can help voters.

Link to Florida Voting by Obama Campaign Part 1 of 3: Early Voting

Link to Florida Voting by Obama Campaign Part 2 of 3: Voting by Mail

My Favorite Cell Phone Commercials

My favorite cell phone commercials of 2008 from Sprint Instinct & Verizon Wireless:

Sprint Instinct: Romance


Verizon Deadzones: Hotel


Verizon Deadzones: Freaky Hallway Brothers


Verizon Deadzones: Store Guys


Verizon Deadzones: Creepy Lady

Uncle Ted Stevens Guilty as Sin (If Ya Didn't Know, Now You Know)

In the words of a famous hip-hop legend, "If ya didn't know, now you know." "Uncle Ted" Stevens (R-AK) has been convicted of 7 felony counts of lying on his Senate financial disclosure reports by not revealing gifts and services totaling over $250,000 from 2001-2006. Uncle Ted could be sentenced up to 35 years, though with his connections is unlikely he would serve too much time. The storyline is that Stevens house was raided a year ago, and he was subsequently investigated and indicted for failing to report $250,000 of gifts, home renovations, and car deals paid for by campaign contiributor, VECO on whose behalf he passed favorable legislation. As they say, "Follow the money trail."

And speaking of the money trail, Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin was a director of The Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc. in 2003. This 527 group was created by Senator Ted Stevens to raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. Of course, Uncle Ted later endorsed Palin during her gubernatorial run, a fact which she would certainly not tarnish by calling for Stevens to step down from his Senate post. Though certainly this conviction during a dead even Senatorial race with former Anchorage Mayor, Mark Begich, a Democrat, certainly portends good news at just the right time for Begich's election chances, thus moving the Democratic-controlled US Senate closer to the magic number of 60.

FROM ABCNews.com , JULY 30, 2007:

FBI and IRS
criminal investigators executed a search warrant this afternoon at the Alaska
home of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. The search warrant is currently under
seal.

A federal grand jury has been investigating the senator's ties to VECO, an Alaska oil services firm. VECO is in the middle of a statewide corruption investigation that has tarnished Stevens' son, Ben, a state senator. The FBI raided Ben's offices last August.
Stevens has denied he is the target of a federal investigation, but he acknowledged in June the FBI had asked him to preserve certain records.

In a prepared statement for the media, Stevens confirmed the raid on his Girdwood home but declined to comment on it, other than to urge his constituents "not to form conclusions based upon incomplete and sometimes incorrect reports in the media."

In May, the Anchorage Daily News revealed the FBI was investigating whether the firm had paid for expansion work to Stevens' home in Girdwood, performed in 2000. Stevens has said he paid invoices for the work from his own pocket.

Stevens is the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate -- and the master of its appropriations process.

Alaska's sole congressman, Republican Don Young, who is also reportedly under FBI investigation for his dealings with VECO, is the man behind the "bridge to nowhere," the controversial $231 million earmark for a bridge from Ketchikan, Alaska to Gravina Island with a population of 50.

What's Up in 2008

Its been eight long years since the boys said wassup to each other. Even with the effects of a down economy and imminent change in the White House, the boys are still able to come together and stay true to what really matters.

Bush Early Votes for John McCain

Barack Obama had it right all along. John McCain is more like George W. Bush than John McCain would like to admit. Obama called attention to Bush' announcement that he had early voted for McCain. Ironically enough, the Republican party has been challenging early voting in the courts to prevent early voting on the grounds that this could disenfranchise voters by increasing the chance of voter fraud at the polls. Maybe, just maybe, the GOP realizes it's harder to win by fraudulently challenging legitimate votes following an election or concocting an October Surprise in their favor when record numbers of voters have already early voted. More from The Nation below:

But the biggest boost for Obama came from the unlikeliest Republican: George W. Bush. After Republican presidential candidate John McCain went out of his way in recent days to distance himself from his party's extraordinarily unpopular incumbent president, what did Bush do? Announce that he had voted early -- for McCain.

Bush traditionally travels to Texas to vote on election day. But on Friday the White House announced that the Republican president had gone out of his way to cast that early ballot for his party's nominee.

Obama did not neglect the news.

Speaking in Nevada Saturday, the Democratic nominee noted somewhat gleefully:
Senator McCain has been throwing everything he's got at us, hoping something will stick. He's even called me a socialist for suggesting that we focus on tax cuts, not for corporations and the wealthy, but for the middle class.

Then, the other day, he took it to a whole new level. He said that I was like George W. Bush. You can't make this stuff up, folks. In what may be the strangest twist of all, Senator McCain said that I would somehow continue the Bush economic policies – and that he, John McCain, would change them.

He actually denounced the President for letting things – and I quote – "get completely out of hand."

That's right, John McCain has been really angry about George Bush's economic policies – except during the primaries, when he said we've made "great progress economically" under George Bush. Or just last month, when he said that the "fundamentals of our economy are strong." In fact, John McCain is so opposed to George Bush's policies, that he voted with him 90 percent of the time for the past eight years. That's right, he decided to really stick it to him – 10 percent of the time.

Well, let's be clear: John McCain attacking George Bush for his out-of-hand economic policy is like Dick Cheney attacking George Bush for his go-it-alone foreign policy.

Fortunately, President Bush doesn't seem to be at all offended – because yesterday, he cast his vote – early – for Senator McCain. And that's no surprise, because when it comes to the policies that matter for middle class families, there's not an inch of daylight between George Bush and John McCain.

Obama Draws 100,000 At Denver Rally

Once again, the post title "Obama Draws 100,000 At Denver Rally" speaks for itself. With just 9 days left until the 2008 Presidential election, an excited Democratic voter base is counting down the days until the end of the wretched Bush era while at the same time being energized by Barack Obama's positive message of change and hope. To that end over 100,000 people gathered in Denver, Colorado for an Obama Early Vote for Change rally as we near the home stretch of one of the most momentous historic and political events of our lifetime--the election of either a Black man as President or a white woman as Vice President of the United States. Just last weekend Obama attracted 100,000 folks in St. Louis, MO so this is by no means a fluke.

"W." Movie Star Killed in Arkansas

It's really quite unfortunate news from my former hometown of Little Rock, AR. A few days ago KATV "Daybreak" morning news anchor Ann Pressly was fatally beaten and stabbed in an apparent burglary at her house in a wealthy subdivision. She died today. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Ann appeared as a news correspondent in the recent Oliver Stone's "W." movie. Her parents released a statement to KATV. I do have to wonder since only her purse was missing, was this a politically motivated killing by someone who thought they were defending George W. Bush? The cynic in me has to wonder why (to my knowledge) no one else has brought up this possibility. This sort of action is not as unlikely as some might think...

Colin Powell Recounts Fallen Muslim Soldier

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. Photo by Platon/The New Yorker.

Gen. Colin Powell, during his televised endorsement of Barack Obama recounted a picture he saw of a mother kneeling at the U.S. military graveside of her son, a casualty of the war in Iraq. What Powell said about the picture speaks volumes about where we are as a nation when our prejudice allows us to generalize the "terrorist" label without batting an eye to people who may not deserve that label simply because they belong to a particular culture or religion outside that of mainstream America. In this light, Muslims have become the new Blacks--the "others" of the 21st century. Note my bold highlighting in the passage below.

Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

Still Rambling by Dexter Brockman

One of my good friends, Dexter Brockman, who I met when I first transferred to University of South Florida as a Jr. in 1999 now owns a publishing company, DBrockman Publishing. I'm happy that he asked me to share some of his socially conscious poetry with you, the readers of The Great Blog of Kéto. If you enjoy his poetry or are interested in publishing a book, make sure to e-mail Dexter today! KNH

Still Rambling

It’s been seven years since 9-11 when they ran into our Trade Centers with those airplanes.
It’s been eight years of struggles in our Nation with the President with a familiar last name.

We have an experience candidate that may give us four more years of the same thang.
Then there is Barack Obama on the other side saying it time for America to see a change.

Ups and downs the Country has seen, the newest thing on Capitol Hill is a Financial Sell-Out.
I mean, if anything needs to be saved is our troops over seas we need to pull them and call it a U.S.A Bail-Out.

Leslie Lynch King Jr, known as our 38th President Gerald Ford, passed in December 2006.
Our country overcame a worst deficit and didn’t Bail-Out them banks in Texas in the 80’s with a fix.

Michael Moore tried to warn America back in 2004 that our next four years wouldn’t be right.
For two elections Florida was at fault, George as Pres. Jeb as Gov. what you expect it to be like.

Yea our citizens haven’t been Saints, we all know the story about the fraud from the company Enron.
But fruit don’t fall that far from the tree; remember all the taxpayer money spent on the escort by Gov. Spitzer for fun.

Kanye told America that Bush don’t like black people, and we supported him one hundred percent.
But that’s the same Negro charged a church $30,000 for three songs saw him differently every since.

Companies laying off, sending jobs overseas, but everyone is afraid to say that we are in a recession.
Oh, but now when Wall Street need the same help as normal citizen now it’s a congressional discretion.

For God so loved in John 3:16, Prepared a table in the presence of our enemy in the book of Psalms.
Please excuse the grammatical and the errors, I had to get this off my chest and I wont even edit this poem.

You want to make a change, VOTE!

dexter brockman sr. 2008