My sister is a second grade teacher at an impoverished school in Denver.  She just sent me a heart-breaking plea via e-mail for donations for her kids in her class for Christmas.  Here is part of her e-mail:

“To put it bluntly: I have 26 8-year-old kids. 7 of them are homeless: they either live in shelters or with other family members. Most of them don’t have their own coats, boots or enough food to eat at night. 5 of my kids’ families have lost their jobs recently in the tough economic times we are facing and their futures look even more bleak. The school lunch and breakfast that we serve every day is the only times a few of my kids even get to eat. Five of my kids have family members (a mom or dad or brother) in jail, 2 just lost their cars and have no transportation and the vast majority of my kids don’t have enough books, pencils, paper or even crayons at home to do their homework. 

It’s not that the parents are deadbeats or don’t care: I’ve met all my parents and you’ve never seen a group of parents that are more devoted to their kids and passionate that their kids MAKE IT: they want their kids to rise above their situation and become better than they themselves have it.”

As I read further, I got tears in my eyes seeing what some the children had requested for A Christmas present in a writing assignment (my sister did not edit their responses): 

“…a beautiful, red, sparkly dress. Like a princess.”

The votes have been counted, and while I wish the outcome of the election were different, I want to say, Congratulations to President-elect Obama.  It was a historical election, but I think most of us are glad it is over.

I sincerely hope Obama will be able to deliver on the promises he has made to America, and I hope he will act on his words in his victory speech-that he will work with those who have a difference of opinion, and he will hear them.

Even though I don’t agree with the decision the American people have made today, it is the decision that has been made, and I respect it.   I respect the office of the President of the United States, and that will never change, no matter who holds the office.  I’m not going to be sporting any ”Obama is Not My President,” or “A City in Illinois Wants His Idiot Back,”  bumper stickers even though similar messages of disrespect have been displayed prominently in the last eight years, towards our current president.  

Every president deserves a chance and support, and Obama is no different.  I like to think that we will not see the same level of president-bashing during Obama’s term that we have seen during George Bush’s terms, and hopefully like Obama referred to in his speech tonight, that immaturity is behind us.  We are facing tough times, so that is one hope I have, for the next four years.  I read a great blog post tonight, for those of you who may not feel like there is a lot to be happy about right now.  It is “Why I Am Still Smiling Tonight-Reasons for Republican Joy.”

I know how I would feel if the outcome of the election had been different tonight, and I know I have many readers who do not agree with my political viewpoints.  I hope we can continue to have civil and repsectful discussions when we do not agree.  But the next few days belong to Obama and his supporters (the clear majority), and I am happy for you.  :-) 

I am also happy that John McCain decided to give it is best shot running for president. He really inspired me, and I think he is the most honorable person to have ever ran in recent times for President.  Whether you agree with his politics or not, I think most can agree he is a great Amercian, who has always served our country well.

I don’t plan to write very many more political posts- A Mama’s Blog should be mostly back to its regular format.  :-)  But if I learned one thing during this election season, it is never say never.  I have been invited to be Contributer to Moms in the Right, and plan to write for them, when I can.  I have learned a lot about myself, by expressing my political views on my blog- but that is another post entirely. 

Thanks for sticking with me during this election and supporting my views.  When you couldn’t support my views, thanks for agreeing to disagree.  If you voted for McCain, be sure to read that post, and if you supported Obama, please stop reading my blog and go celebrate this historical election result. 

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I voted for McCain because he voted to protect infants that were born alive after an abortion by signing the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. 

I voted for McCain because his record shows he can work across party lines on important issues. 

I voted for McCain because he has the his record to back up what he says he will do. 

I voted for McCain because he won’t raise taxes on anyone in this economy, ensuring new jobs will still be created through small businesses. 

I voted for McCain because he does not think “spreading the wealth around” is good.  

I voted for McCain because he wants to help create wealth for everyone. 

I voted for McCain because he can work with people in business and industry to help create jobs. 

I voted for McCain because he can help end the United States dependence on foreign oil with energy alternatives.  

I voted for McCain because he understands you can’t bankrupt an entire industry, while trying to create energy dependence, without creating dire consequences.  

I voted for McCain, because he understands the water and land rights that are an issue in the West, where I live. 

I voted for McCain because he tried to regulate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae years ago, and could foresee it was a crisis waiting to happen. 

I voted for McCain because he can keep America safe, and our enemies won’t be as likely to “test’ him. 

I voted for McCain because if our enemies do decide to test us, they will be facing an experienced military man who has who is qualified to be making national security decisions.   

I voted for McCain because he has experienced both sides of war and he understands the strategy involved.  

I voted for McCain because he understands there are enemies of the United States, and some countries are just not our friends, no matter what we say to them. 

I voted for McCain because I think he has the experience and the knowledge to bring an end to the war in Iraq, without giving up the gains that have been made there.

I voted for McCain because I believe he will find a way to end the war in Afghanistan successfully. 

I voted for McCain because I like and admire his foreign policy knowledge.  

I voted for McCain because his health plan will help my family save money on our health insurance. 

I voted for McCain because he wants to pay teachers for performance and turn the schools back over to the parents and the students.  

I voted for McCain because he wants to help teachers who just weren’t meant to be teachers, find another line of work, so our children can learn.  

I voted for McCain because he thinks “good teachers should make more money than bad lawyers.” 

I voted for McCain because he believes in school vouchers and charter schools for choice. 

I voted for McCain because he believes climate change is important, and has voted against his party on this issue, to ensure it gets the attention it deserves. 

I voted for McCain, because I like that he selected Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.  

I voted for McCain because he believes in, and has implemented equal pay for women.

I voted for McCain because he kept his word that he would select public financing to fund his campaign.  

I voted for McCain, because I think he is the more experienced, and qualified candidate to be president.

Feel free to ad your own reasons why you are voting or voted for John McCain in the comments below. 

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If you are supporting Sen. McCain this election, it hasn’t been easy to remain positive.  From the polls always showing McCain behind, to the biased media coverage of McCain and Palin, the media is now starting to acknowledge. 

I don’t have to tell you, it isn’t very encouraging when McCain is being outspent by Obama in all aspects of this race, and also the record amounts of money raised by the Obama campaign. 

When we see stories in the media such as Obama is already speaking to individuals for his cabinet, and “stories” such as this: AP:Obama backers gleeful,  McCain’s glum, or when day after day, there are “scandalous” in-depth smear stories campaigns on Sarah Palin, but issues like Obama’s associations and lack of experience are ignored by the media, it is very easy to start assuming the election is over.  After all, if Obama is so far ahead, what is the point in voting?   

It is no big revelation, that the media wants Obama to win.  I have heard countless people say Obama has gotten a free pass in this election by the media.  When we know more about ‘Joe the Plumber’s’ background and details of his life, than we know why Obama chose to associate with his questionable acquaintances, for example- the majority of the media is not asking Obama the tough questions. 

So with that in mind, realize that is the purpose of the media with these biased stories, and the Obama campaign- to project the image that Obama really is so far ahead, and we might as well stay home on Election Day. 

If you don’t agree with me, ask yourself why Obama would spend four million dollars on an infomercial last week, if the election were in the bag?  Why would Obama still be campaigning and spending money  in the swing states, if he was really as far ahead as the “polls” show him to be?  

I live in Colorado, and I have constantly read in the media (newspapers, on-line news, etc.) that Obama doesn’t need Colorado to win.  I can’t recall specifically where I read last week, that Colorado would be a feather in Obama’s cap, but he doesn’t need it to win.  But Obama has been in Colorado at least eight times, and representatives from his campaign (Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, etc.) have been here many times as well.  

Two weeks ago, the day I went to a Sarah Palin rally, CNN reported that McCain was pulling out of Colorado. That proved to be false, and McCain was in Denver a week later, and this Monday (Nov. 3rd), Sarah Palin will be in Colorado Springs.  Meanwhile, Joe Biden campaigned in Colorado, and Obama has been back to Colorado twice since that story broke.  Why would he be in Colorado so many times, if he didn’t need Colorado, and the race here were not close?  The truth is, it is a close race.  On Saturday, Obama campaigned in Pueblo, and said, “We’ve got to win Colorado.” 

Quite a different story than what the media is projecting.  Early figures from last week, show in Colorado, more Republicans have voted, than Democrats. In Florida, early exit polls have shown McCain leading Obama.   

The point in my bringing up all of these examples is, we can’t control stories, media bias, and Obama interviewing his next chief-of-staff before the election has taken place.  But, reading between the lines, we can see this is a very close race.  Don’t succumb to these tactics to discourage you from voting.  It is meant to demoralize, but the election is not over yet.  

The one aspect we can control is our vote.  I have read on blogs, and on Twitter, some people hoping the Republicans and Independents who support McCain, stay home on election day.  If we don’t vote, that is favorable for Obama.  

So much of  what is out there is to give the impression that Obama is so far ahead, and is winning.  But when you look at what his campaign is actually doing overall,  and where they are campaigning, it tells a different story.  Consider the quote,

“Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The reverse is also true for McCain.  Story after story says he is trailing in Virgina, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Missouri, Florida, and Ohio.  Yet, he keeps campaigning there.  Would he be wasting his money in these states, if there were no chance of him winning there?  Unlike Obama, he does not have unlimited money, so he has to be even more prudent on where he spends the campaign money.  He would not be campaigning in these states, if he thought they were a lost cause. 

I have no idea how the election is going to turn out.  But I do know, if we become demoralized, and think this election is over before we have voted, then we are playing right into the hands of the media and the Obama campaign’s strategy.   After all the talk, campaigning, polls, media articles, commentaries, etc., it boils down to this: If McCain supporters stay home and do not vote, McCain will lose.  If they show up and vote, there is a good chance McCain can win the election. 

I spent Sunday morning volunteering at my local Republican office, making phone calls to Republicans, and Independents, reminding them to vote on Tuesday.   

As I have mentioned before, I live in an overwhelmingly Democrat town and county.  I fully expected most people to tell me they had or were going to vote for Obama.  I made over 150 phone calls, and that was not the case.  By far, the majority told me they had or were going to vote a straight Republican ticket. Of course, those were more than likely the Republicans (my list did not say who was a Republican or who was an Independent.)

I had only a few people tell me they had or were going to vote for Obama.  Those people also added they were planning on voting for the Republican senate candidate.  I also had the reverse- I had some tell me they were voting for McCain, but were going to vote for the senate candidate running on the Democrat ticket.  I assume some of these voters were Independents.  But by far, I had so many people tell me they were voting for John McCain, and the Republican senate candidate. 

I realize this was a very small sample, but I never imagined in a dominate Democrat county, there would be so much support for John McCain.  It  reaffirmed for me, that it is a close election, and every vote will count.  Your vote will count!

Don’t allow anyone to convince you, your vote doesn’t matter.  It does matter, and it will matter.  As Americans, we have always been blessed and privileged to vote for our leaders.  Exercise that privilege and vote.  Make your voice heard.   McCain has just as good a chance as winning as Obama does.  But to ensure your voice will be heard, you have to vote. 

I urge everyone who has not yet voted, to vote on Election Day- this Tuesday,  November 4th.  Call your local county clerk and recorder’s office if you don’t know where you should go to vote.  Or you can send me a private e-mail, and I can point you in the right direction.  Do not be discouraged by what is happening in the media.  Make your voice heard, and exercise our wonderful freedom and liberty of voting!

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

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More relevant quotes from our Founding Fathers.

Quotes from George Washington:

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.

Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.

The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.

To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.

Quotes from James Madison:

Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. 

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. 

The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and their own raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent and happy. 

The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world. 

The rights of persons, and the rights of property, are the objects, for the protection of which Government was instituted. 

We are right to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties.

I know Abraham Lincoln is not a Founding Father, but he was one of our greatest presidents, during one of our most tulmutuous periods.  I found several of his quotes also very applicable. 

Quotes by Abraham Lincoln: 

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

 Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.

 My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.

 You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.

 We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.

 You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

 Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

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A few weeks ago, I came across this quote in a letter to the editor in my newspaper:

“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.”

The author of the letter credited Thomas Jefferson with this quote, but after doing some research it seems to be the consensus that Gerald Ford said this in Congress in 1974.

I thought it was a very relevant quote, during this election season, and became interested in some of the quotes Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Father’s uttered in their time.  It is amazing, how some of their words, written and spoken hundreds of years ago, still have meaning for us today. I have always liked quotes, and thought I would share some of my favorite ones I found. 

In part one, I’ll list some quotes from Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.  Part II will be coming soon, and if you have a favorite quote from one of our Founding Fathers, please leave a comment, and I’ll try to use it. 

Quotes by Thomas Jefferson:

The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits.

To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association-the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it. 

I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

Most bad government has grown out of too much government.

The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.

A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.

My favorite quote from Thomas Jefferson:

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

Quotes by Benjamin Franklin:

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.

 There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means - either may do - the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.

Words may show a man’s wit but actions his meaning.

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As I wrote yesterday, I had some exciting news, which was I had tickets to my first ever political rally today!  The speaker- Gov. Sarah Palin in Loveland, Colorado.

Sarah Palin has been to Colorado a few times before, but she was always speaking really far away from where I live.  Loveland is a bit closer, so when I heard she was going to be in Loveland, I decided I wanted to go and hear what she had to say.

My town and county is predominately Democrat- so much that sometimes a Republican won’t even run on the ticket for certain offices- it is a given a Democrat will be voted in.  Nevertheless,  I got up nice and early on Friday morning to get tickets, and was surprised to see so many people in the Republican office in my town, trying to get tickets.  I honestly thought I’d be the only one in there, but that was not the case at all.

My mother-in-law offered to watch the boys, and to take Ryan to school.  My father-in-law kindly accompanied me, so I wouldn’t have to go by myself.   

We arrived at the venue half an hour after they said the doors would be open.  The event center has 7,200 seats, so I thought we would arrive, walk through the doors, go through some security, and be there in plenty of time.

We were surprised to see the line of cars, backed up all the way to the highway, even though the event center was a few miles in.  It took us about 10 minutes to park, once we got off the highway.  It was cold, cloudy, and windy. The temperature was in the 40’s. 

We got out of the car, and walked up a hill to the gate, and we were beyond surprised.  There were people everywhere.  At first glance, it looked like there were thousands.   There were policeman at the gate, who told us the end of the line snaked around.  So we just started walking, and walking, and walking-  trying to find the end of the line.  We did, and when we were in line, the front of the building was probably a good mile or two away.  As long as our line was, I could not count the rows of people in front of us-there were too many.

I took a picture when we first got in line:

This picture doesn’t really doesn’t portray the true sense of the lines- the event arena isn’t in this shot.  I would have needed a ladder and a panoramic lens to capture it.  But everywhere we looked, lines like this, is what we saw. I am no expert crowd estimator, but when we arrived at the back of the line, it is a conservative guess to say there were at least 5,000 people outside with us in line. 

We stood in line for half-an hour, not moving at all.  Some were saying there was a problem with the security, and then some were saying Gov. Palin hadn’t arrived yet, and they weren’t going to let anyone in, until she had arrived.

An hour later, we were starting to move, but there was probably about 3,000 people still outside.  A lady behind us told us she was from Lamar, Colorado, and they had drove for five hours to come to the event.  She said her sister was already in the arena, and she had been talking to her on her cell phone.  She said she had arrived very early in the morning, and had been one of the first to be allowed in.  She had said the arena was full. 

This lady said she did not think we were going to make it in, but they were setting up an adjacent building with a big screen for the overflow.  The lady said like most rallies, they gave out more tickets than what the arena could hold.  I couldn’t believe that there were thousands of people still outside, even though the arena was full. 

My father-in-law, and I realized that we were not going to be making it in. There was no way, unless the event center had miraculously added about 5,000 extra seats overnight.  Besides, it was really cold, and I had not been expecting to stand outside in the weather.  I had a light jacket on, and that was it. 

So we reluctantly stepped out of line, and headed back to the car.  As we walked back to the hill, and I looked over my shoulder at the crowd, it just struck me how many other people like me, wanted to hear Gov. Sarah Palin speak.

There were young and old, male and female, and people from every ethnic group.  While we had been waiting in line, some people shared stories about why they were there, and why they were leaning or voting for Sen. McCain.  One lady in front of us said she had lived in 25 different countries (for her husband’s work), and no matter where she went in the world, everyone always asked her one question, and that was “How can I become an American?”  

One young mother in front of us said she had grown up in Saudi Arabia, and having lived in that kind of government, she felt McCain best represented and could preserve the values of America. 

Another said she had a roommate in college who was from Sweden.  While this person loved their country, he had hated how the government controlled every aspect.  She said his father had died of heart disease, while on a waiting list to receive medical with the government-run health care program in Sweden.  She said she did not want America to takes steps closer to socialism.

I had brought a little notebook expecting to take notes on Gov. Palin’s speech, but I used it for notes I took on the people’s comments waiting with me.  As we drove through the thousands of cars leaving the grounds, not being able to hear what we came for, I realized I gained something else. 

A sense of appreciation.  I was grateful, so many people expressed their views and thoughts openly.  I did not hear one “racist” or rude comment regarding Sen. Obama, or his supporters.  Everyone was very respectful, but felt free to express their feelings.  That is something.  So many people all over the world, are not free to do, what we just did- assemble, offer their opinions, and show support for their political candidates.

I think the woman standing in front of me who had lived in so many different countries, said it best, when she said  “No government is perfect, and we have our problems. But this is America, and it is the greatest country in the world. Everyone wants to come here, and it is our home-we love living in other countries but when we come home we always say, ’Thank God we are Americans.’”

I couldn’t agree with her more.

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I left a political comment on a ‘mommy blog’ I read.  The post was about why the writer was voting for the candidate she believed in.  After I left my comment, another reader commented back to me, and told me that if I had an opinion, I should “take a stand.”  That was a few weeks ago, and it got me thinking. 

Recently I wrote I felt politics were best left private, but some of the comments my readers left on that post, also got me thinking.  

In the true spirit of the elections, ”I was for that position, before I was against it.”  :-)   I believe everyone has the right to decide for themselves who they want to vote for, and that is our right and privilege as Americans.  But that comment, encouraging me to “take a stand”, as been gnawing at me, and here is why.

I don’t believe abortion is morally right.   (I am not saying this about the mothers who have abortions, but the act of abortion itself.)  I guess you could say I had the ‘politically correct’ view that it was a woman’s right to choose.  Then I was blessed to be pregnant, not once, but twice. 

I knew I was pregnant both times, before I took pregnancy tests.  I felt different.  At eight weeks, (with my first baby), I had an ultrasound and saw his tiny heart beating.  Yes, there was a baby with a heart- it was alive. 

My body started changing in the next eight weeks, supporting and nurturing the life I was growing.  At sixteen weeks, I felt that flutter in my stomach, and knew it was my baby kicking me.  The baby was alive-it could kick! 

Needless to say, the signs that I had a real baby, a real life in me became more and more evident as the months passed, and finally when I gave birth to my son, I could finally see with my eyes, what my heart knew all along- I had grown a life, and now he was in my arms. 

After I experienced being pregnant and having a baby for the first time, I could not accept anymore that a baby was just a lump of cells and was not a life until it was technically born.  I experienced the exact opposite of that.  Everything my body went through for ten months of being pregnant, and during birth, proved the opposite.  

Holding my brand new son, five days after his birth, and for the first time after coming home from the hospital, I looked into his sweet, innocent, sleeping face and cried.  I could not believe the miracle that I had just been through.  For me, my baby was a life before he was born, even  if that is not politically correct to say or not. 

I wish we lived in a world where decisions like whether to have an abortion or not, didn’t exist.  I wish no woman ever felt like an abortion was her only or best option.  But I realize that abortions will still be performed, and in this country it is legal to do so.  I hope adoption as an alternative to abortion, will keep increasing, as will education on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place, and support to those facing a “hardship” pregnancy.   

But in the meantime, I never imagined in a million years, that babies who had survived the abortion procedure and who were being born alive, would be callously disposed of with medical waste- and left to die. 

It shocked and disgusted me to say the least.  This was being done to babies who were born alive after an induced labor abortion, as late as 22 weeks.  If a mother goes into pre-term labor, and delivers a baby at 22 weeks, every modern medical procedure is used to try to save that baby.  But not for aborted babies who survived. Many times, including in the state of Illinois, they were being left with the dirty towels, and medical waste-alone-and left to die. [1] 

In 2001, the United States Senate passed the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act bill unanimously (98-0), which guaranteed some small dignity to these babies while they died or some medical care for them.  Even senators who support abortion signed it.  Senators Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy signed the bill.  Repbulican Senator, John McCain, also signed the bill. [8]   It was approved by Congress and signed into law in 2002.   

In 2001 and 2002 Sen. Barack Obama, had a chance to pass similar state legislation in Illinois.  But he opposed both bills and voted against them, on the basis that the state law could have been used to undermine abortion.  He said he would have supported the state bills if they contained the wording from the federal bill that President Bush signed in 2002, because the federal bill contained protections for Roe v. Wade. [2] 

However, in 2003 an Illinois state bill containing the exact wording of the federal bill was introduced.  This time Sen. Obama chaired the Health and Human Services Committee, where the bill was being debated.  And once again, Sen. Obama voted against the bill. [2] Three times, he voted against a bill giving dignity and medical attention to these helpless babies. [3]

Sen. Obama said the reason he didn’t vote for the 2003 state bill was because it lacked the wording protecting Roe v. Wade as was in the 2002 federal bill.  When challenged by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) providing proof that the 2003 state bill and the 2002 federal bill were identical, Sen. Obama said critics of his “born alive” stance were “not telling the truth” and “lying.” [2] 

Sen. Obama’s exact words were,

“… I hate to say that people are lying, but here’s a situation where folks are lying. I have said repeatedly that I would have been completely in, fully in support of the federal bill that everybody supported - which was to say - that you should provide assistance to any infant that was born - even if it was as a consequence of an induced abortion. That was not the bill that was presented at the state level. What that bill also was doing was trying to undermine Roe vs. Wade.” [4]

When presented with proof in from the NRLC on August 11, 2008 that the two bills contained identical wording, not too long after, Obama changed his campaign website and posted a different reason why he was against the bill.  Even Factcheck.org, concludes this (new) reason now being given by Sen. Obama was “not the reason Obama had been giving for his 2003 opposition…it is false.” [2] The Huffington Post also reluctantly reported on August 20, 2008 that the Obama campaign was forced to rebut Sen. Obama’s previous reasons on why he did not vote for the 2003 state bill. [5]

It is easy for anyone to write a blog post, or publish a You Tube video, on a subject without having facts to back it up.  So I have spent time researching this issue, because I wanted to know the truth.  Some argue that the bill in 2003 would have made it easier for doctors to be sued, etc. [5].  But there is undisputed proof that the wording was the same, and based on the reasons Sen. Obama gave, he didn’t vote for the 2003 bill because he claimed the wording was not the same-not because doctors could be sued more easily. [2]

I have to conclude that Sen. Obama is lying about this.  The plain fact is he did not want to vote for the bill, which would have provided treatment and care for these babies.  The fact is Sen. Obama does not want to pass a bill like this because the original decision was for these babies to be aborted.  Sen. Obama says,

“…and that, essentially, adding an additional doctor who then has to be called in an emergency situation to come in and make these assessments is really designed simply to burden the original decision of the woman and the physician to induce labor and perform an abortion.  As I understand it, this puts the burden on the attending physician who has determined, since they were performing this procedure that [the abortion], in fact, this is a nonviable fetus; that if this fetus, or child — however way you want to describe it — is now outside the mother’s womb and the doctor continues to think that it’s nonviable but there’s, let’s say, movement or some indication that, in fact, they’re not just coming out limp and dead, that, in fact, they would then have to call a second physician to monitor and check off and make sure that this is not a live child that could be saved.” [6], [7]

If an abortion is not successful, Sen. Obama does not want another doctor called in, who would be able to determine the health of the living baby, because that would “burden the original decision of the woman.”  

This is heartless and cruel- particularly his statement, “let’s say, movement or some indication that, in fact, they’re not just coming out limp and dead.”  Those are live, breathing, human babies. This statement is so cold.  Sen. Obama wants these babies to come out “limp and dead,” so as not to ruin the original intent of the abortion and not to put any undue burden on physicians.  What about the babies?  It is okay to leave them for dead, so as not to put a physician at risk for being sued? 

Sen. Obama talks about helping every American.  He says he has a message of hope for Americans.  He says he is the candidate for change, but yet he failed to vote for a law not once, not twice, but three times, that every member of the U.S. Senate voted for unanimously that would ensure protection of the most innocent, the most helpless, and the most deserving of compassion and real change- aborted babies who were born alive. 

While no political candidate is perfect, and they all make mistakes, this goes beyond a mistake.  This is the epitome of hypocrisy for me.  Sen. Obama preaches change and there were three chances for Sen. Obama to do the right thing, to step up and make a real change for helpless babies, and practice what he preached. However, not only did he vote down the bill three times, but he lied about it, flat-out accused the people who were telling the truth about this bill of lying, and then tried to cover it up.  

These are not qualities I want in a president.  I realize not every president will be pro-life, but this is beyond being pro-life, or pro-choice. This speaks volumes about the character and the heart of Sen. Obama as a leader, and as a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. 

At the very least, Sen. Obama should have taken a stand, and told the truth why he didn’t want to vote for the bill instead of lying about it, falsely accusing others of lying, and then trying to cover it up.  Why not explain it?  Because he can’t.  Who can explain something so callous, and merciless as leaving born alive aborted babies to die?   No wonder any talk of abortion has been absent from the debates.  

This is why I had to write this post- this is NOT right.  No one else in the entire United States Senate voted against this bill-but Sen. Obama as a state senator, voted against it three times.  I suppose on some level that is change, but it is not the change I want.   

Sen. Obama says to look at his record, so I have.  Sen. Obama lost all credibility with me because of this issue.  If he can’t be trusted to do what is right for helpless babies, for them not to be tossed aside as medical waste, and left to die, I cannot trust him to do what is right for our nation.  I cannot trust him to do what is right for every American, because he consistently has not with the ones who have needed it the most-born alive aborted babies.

Contrast Sen. Obama’s words and attitude on this issue towards these helpless babies, with these words from other leaders,

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” ~ Nelson Mandela

“A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying,”  ~Pope John Paul II

“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi

Some may argue that I am being overly simplistic for choosing my candidate on this singe issue.  What could be more simple and humanitarian than giving born alive abortion babies dignity and healthcare?  It doesn’t get any simpler than this.  Sen. Obama has failed to grasp this three times, and he does not get my vote.  I have taken a stand, and it is that simple. 

EDITED on 10/14: Based on some comments I have received,  I think it is important to know that I am not against Sen. Obama for being pro-choice. I would not be for or against a president strictly because he/she are pro-choice or pro-life.

I am against Sen. Obama because, he failed to intervene and use his power to help these babies that were already born ALIVE. No one was asking him to revert on his pro-choice views. No one was asking him to determine when a life was started, no one was asking him to take away a woman’s right to choose. etc., even though several of the comments are hinting at this, and using this as a reason why Obama voted against the bills.

The last bill in 2003 bill did NOTHING to threaten Roe vs. Wade, and yet he still voted against it. Every member of the Senate, even very liberal and adamant pro-choice senators voted for it such as Barbara Boxer. The bill in Illinois was identical to the bill all the Senate members signed, and he wouldn’t sign it. Then he blamed others and said they were lying, and then tried to cover it up. 

If the motive of the bill was to undermine Roe v. Wade, then the Federal bill would never had passed unanimously in the Senate 2001.  Furthermore, If this was a valid concern, the bill would not have passed in Congress, and signed into law.   

Also, I have read twice in the last two days, that Sen. Obama did not vote down the Illinois state bill for these babies three times, but four times.  The latest person to state this, is Nat Hentoff (who is a liberal), who says in starting off his article “My Tortured Vote for President,”

     “The cold fact that Barack Obama voted four separate times in the Illinois state legislature to deny care to a baby born alive after a botched abortion makes him the most repugnant candidate I will have ever voted for.”  [9]

Hentoff continues to explain that he is really voting for Biden, by voting for Obama, and gives his reasons for doing so. 

When I researched this post, I only came across sites like Fact.check.org, which listed Sen. Obama voted against these bills three times.  I will do some more research into this, and see if I can find the fourth time Sen. Obama voted against the bills. 

Here is a video further discussing Sen. Obama’s record on born alive aborted babies.

Lately, this video has not been showing up on my blog-not sure why, but here is a link to the video, or you can look it up on You Tube- it is under “I Invented the Internet (Ep. 4: Kill and Destroy)”

1.  bnet Business Network: “Hospital Left Aborted Babies to Die-After Birth”

2.  Factcheck.org:  “Obama and Infanticide”

3.  Worldnet Daily: “Obama Changes Abortion Story-Again”

4.  National Review Online: “Life Lies by David Freddoso”

5.  The Huffington Post: “Obama “Infanticide” Smear Gains Traction: Campaign Forced to Rebut”

6.  RS RedState: “In 2002 Barack Obama Supported Infanticide, and I’ve Got the Transcript of His Words by Erick Erickson”

7. State of Illinois 92nd General Assembly Regular Session Senate Transcript April 4, 2002, Pages 33, 34

8.  United States Senate:  Roll Call of Votes on Santorum Amdenment No. 814 (to protect infants born alive)

9.  WorldNetDaily: “My Tortured Vote for President-Nat Hentoff“

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Our offer on the house was finally accepted by all the banks holding mortgages.  One of the banks, Wachovia, ceased to exist today, so I am glad we got it in writing before they went under.

So we are officially under contract, and have started the process to close on the house in 30 days.  To compare rates and fees, I have been calling around to the banks that are still in business, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Chase.  We have gotten good faith estimates, and have decided to pursue a mortgage with Wells Fargo.  We had been pre-approved through a mortgage broker, but after comparing fees, and loan options, we will end up saving 50% through Wells Fargo, over the mortgage broker.  I guess it really does pay to shop around.

Our next step is to apply for the mortgage, and I didn’t know this, but after we apply, we can ’float’ the rate up to about five days before closing, before we have to lock the rate in.  Considering what is happening right now, everyone I have talked to, expects the mortgage rates to go down if a bailout agreement is reached.   So we can apply for the mortgage, and wait for a few days, or a few weeks and see what the rates do before we lock in the rate. 

We also need to find and schedule a home inspection.  Since this is a short sale, the bank(s) are selling as is.  Meaning if there are any problems in the house, they will not pay to have it fixed- it is up to us.  We believe the house is in good shape, but you never know.  Before paying for the appraisal, we have to find out if there are any problems in the house that we could not live with, or afford to fix ourselves.  If there are, we can terminate the contract, but we expect there not to be any major problems.

With all of this going on, my blogging may not be as regular as it usually is- I will be blogging when I can fit in though. 

Speaking of the bailout, the more I read and research, the more I am convinced a bailout is not in the best interest of us, the taxpayers.  I think something needs to be done, but not as it is being proposed now.  It really is amazing how political this bailout has gotten, and it makes me really fed up with entire process.  I hope to write a post about that soon- once I get more research together.

If you can’t wait that long, here is one of the best articles I have read on why the bailout is not a good idea.  It is a brief article written by Jeffrey Miron, a senior lecturer on Economics at Harvard.  It was posted on CNN. 

One of the best You Tube videos I have seen explaining how we got into this mess in the first place, is below.  It covers a lot of history, is 11 minutes long, but moves fast, and is backed up with sources.  It explains everything in an easy way to understand and shows you the source of the fact.  It was removed from You Tube though, after 1.2 million views due to a music copyright claim from Warner Brothers.  Interestingly, before the video was removed, it had an almost perfect Five Star Rating. It has since been reposted on You Tube as version two. 

There are people to hold accountable for this mess, but I doubt they every will be brought to justice. I figure if we are supposed to bail out these people, we should at least understand how they got us into this mess, so it NEVER happens again.  The average American family doesn’t get bailed out by Wall Street, if we are not fiscally responsible, so I fail to see why the average American family has to bail out Wall Street, but that is another post. 

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A news station out of Vermont, claims that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sent a letter to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, asking them to use breastmilk in their ice cream, instead of cow’s milk. 

Evidently PETA decided to make this request because of a Swiss restaurant owner, who will be purchasing breastmilk from nursing mothers, and using it place of cow’s milk in 75% of items.

When I first read this, I chuckled.  Obviously PETA’s angle is using human milk would be better for the cows.  On one hand, there is a saying, human milk for human babies, cow’s milk for baby cows.  In theory, isn’t human milk better for humans?  After all, we are the only species who drink another species milk.

It is a given that breastmilk contains antibodies to protect babies from countless diseases and illnesses.  However, in recent years there have been reports that donor breastmilk has helped adults with some illnesses. 

From a Mothering Magazine article, discussing the benefits to adults:

Besides healing common minor afflictions, breastmilk has recently been in the news for helping to treat more serious illnesses. Adult cancer patients have been drinking breastmilk in an attempt to boost their immune systems and cope better with the side effects of chemotherapy.2 While this is not a common practice, a milk bank in California has supplied a group of pioneering patients with breastmilk for the past few years. One lucky recipient of this donor milk, Howard Cohen of Palo Alto, California, strongly believes that ingesting breastmilk daily has helped his prostate cancer go into remission.3

Donor milk is used to treat a variety of health problems. I spoke with Pauline Sakamoto, RN, MS, executive director of the Mothers’ Milk Bank in San Jose, California, about some of the other ways breastmilk benefits people. “Historically, human milk has been used for diseases and health conditions of adults and children and as a superior food for babies. These folk cures have been tested throughout time. Currently, there has been more interest in the scientific community to test the components of human milk’s effect on different health problems that plague us today. Hopefully, in the near future, we will validate the incredible power that our body has to promote growth, heal itself, and preserve its integrity via human milk.

Breastmilk may even kill cancer cells. In 1995 physician and immunologist Catharina Svanborg and a team of research biologists at Sweden’s Lund University discovered in breastmilk a protein compound, alpha-lactalbumin (they gave it the acronym HAMLET), that selectively induces apoptosis in tumor cells.4 In other words, HAMLET makes cancer cells commit suicide. In fact, it has killed every type of cancer the researchers have tested it against. HAMLET has also been used to successfully treat virally infected warts, which were reduced by 75 percent in volunteers who received daily treatments with an ointment containing the protein. The same viruses that cause warts are also linked to cervical cancer, genital warts, and some types of skin cancer.

Kellymom.com also has a page called Healing with Breastmilk, which has links to several articles and studies of medicinal uses of breastmilk. 

Just like cow milk, human milk has to be sterilized for safety when being used as donor milk.  Personally, I don’t think there would be any more risk from human milk than cows milk, if proper sterilization processes occurred.  But from a practical standpoint, I think this is a idea that would never fly.

Currently, it is illegal for women to sell their breastmilk, so any milk given to Ben & Jerry’s (or any other food establishment) would have to be done as a donation.  Furthermore, in order to replace all cow’s milk with breastmilk, there would have to be a lot of donors.  It is hard enough at times to make enough milk for your own baby, let alone for donation.

I know some mothers who have donated their surplus of breastmilk to milk banks, for babies who need it for medical emergencies.  This is a very loving gift they give, and the mothers who do this are not paid.  I would like to think that mothers who donate their milk, would be more likely to donate it to a milk bank for critically sick babies, than to Ben and Jerry’s so they can make ice cream.   

Suppose the industry could find enough women to donate their milk.  Sadly, I think most people are grossed out by consuming human breastmilk.  In this society, we are used to consuming animal products, but we are not used to consuming a human product like breastmilk. 

While PETA is thinking out of the box on this one, I think it will be a very, very, long time before we start seeing breastmilk replacing cow’s milk in dairy products.

What do you think?  If human milk was pasteurized/sterilized, would you buy a dairy product with breastmilk in it?

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