Sir;... Mr. Obama could have hurt himself in the debate. He could have helped himself but little. To not be honest about the cost to everyones wallet, and to every future of bailing out Wall Street, or not bailing out Wall Street turn the debate into a side show for both. You noted, and it has been noted elsewhere, that opinion is running a hundred to one, or more against this bail out. That does not mean they can change a detail here or there and have an acceptible bill. It is not acceptible when we depend upon credit while gredit has done so much to destroy this country and many a third world economy -that we should not reconstitute ourselves, and instead feed more wealth to those who have cornered all our wealth. The people will KNOW, and if this does not save the economy it will take down the government. It is not enough to save the economy; and it is plenty enough to destroy the government, because what we have come to expect, of third world governments squeezing wealth out of third world countries that their rulers and rich have taken in the form of debt, will be unacceptible here, especially over the advice of the people. This is unacceptible....Thanks...Sweeney

Sir;... I have to like you and respect you because you are competent and decent. If I had but one little wish for your improvement it would be this: TRY to look at present politics less as a continuation past politics, and start to recognize that we are finally reaching a dead end in this country like a bullet. We are going to turn right, or turn left, or turn down or up, but if we continue as we are we will splatter against a wall of reality. The PAST has gotten us no where. Is this where Kennedy or Reagan thought we would be? If so they did not let on. I thought we would be here sooner, but I am a no body and I intend to stay that way. No one gets to be a somebody in this world without taking up the common ideal or inflating a flat one with bad breath. We don't need ideals, and we do need to look hard at why societies do not work when they fail so we can get this one off the rocks and into mountains. We don't have any really big problems yet. It is not as though the white man has landed, or martians. We can manage this, but we cannot endure much more without management. Economies are like events that control us when we do not control them. Who has control of the economy? The economy is anarchy, as it has always been. What are we going to do if we make it to payday on promises and find there is only rubber in all the checks?... This people have been taking it from both ends. They must sell labor and property under duress. They must buy everything with a premium. While the economy is doing that, the government is running down the money with inflation because it has no courage to tax property while it can steal a percent of value from all the money. It is an old question... How does a whole society suffer the want of basic services which is their right, while making interest payments on all their borrowed income to make up for their general want of income? Wages are fixed income. Social security is fixed income, not reasonably adjusted. Pensions are fixed income. If each is insufficient to our needs, and the value is robbed out of them, and yet, we must pay interest on everything, even if we never personally borrow a dime; how long will it take for the bankers to drain all the wealth out of our economy? They have only scratched the surface of our wealth, but now they are taping the wealth of the whole government -against the will of the people, making the people bankroll the bankers because the government can tax us to death if they choose to pay off their debt. ...This is a wall we dare not pass, of the government governing to the pleasure of the economic powers exclusively, and making common prey of the people.... Sir; a lot of people predict doom. I would not doubt that I sent you an e-mail on the subject noting how scared the treasury and fed looked, and how squirrely the economy seemed. History teaches a lot, and often about bad economies. Things are going to change here, and only because they must. No matter how straight the road behind, no one can drive by the rear view mirror. Answer this question:... If the money the government gives is to the rich to lever up an economy that serves only them, where will it get that money from, except from the very rich people it hopes to lever out of harm? It is borrowing from Peter with interest to pay Peter when all must be extracted from Paul, when Paul had no part of the bargain. It is not just stupid, it is criminal...Thanks again...Sweeney

Barack lost an incredible opportunity last night. Tuck saw that Nixon lost the debate not on substance, but on beads of sweat and general discomfort on camera. McCain never once looked Barack in the eye last night, staring down at his lectern, or at the floor like a sulking kid, or off into space, or anywhere else he could find find a place to park his face that allowed him to avoid looking at Barack. If Barack had just confronted him with a statement like "You may fancy yourself a tough opponent, John, but how do you expect to be president when you can't even find the courage to look your opponent in the eye?", he might have carried the day. ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Unfortunately, it was a win for McCain, at least for those who are looking for a demonstration of prowess and oneupmanship. Barack sounded sadly like somewhere in his head he's still back in law school struggling with how to respond to a merciless teacher who's singled him out in front of the class to describe last night's reading assignment.

Re: Masako; Sir, I agree, but what is the need to point out a deed everyone can see? It does need to be pointed out, loudly and clearly, the number of times that old madam patronized Mr. Obama. Barach Obama does not understand... Right.... He understands, and we understand that this country and this government has got their backs pushed up against infinity, and things will change there, or people will change there; but likely, nothing will remain the same. The days are passed, I hope, when old white men can patronize intelligent and educated black people when it has been them that have made all the mistakes. John Mccain says he can win the war...What war has John Mccain won? He has killed a lot of Americans, but if it was him running things we would still be in Vietnam. You have to be able to do more than pull national will out of your ear like a wax castle. You also need an honorable and worthy purpose. Who cares that their children not die in vain? Send them not to a vain purpose, mothers. Send them not to a vain purpose, Mr. President... Thanks, and thanks again...Sweeney

Re: James A, Sweeney: Cheers, Mr. Sweeney. Barack has his flaws, clearly, and we need to get him to Waziristan some day so he can counter the bull McCain is throwing him, but he's all we've got right now, if you go for the proposition that we are better off with someone in the White House who has the capability of actually understanding what he will be dealing with as president. Kind of like Clinton. He was flawed, God knows, but at least his intelligence gave us the solace that he wouldn't think he was being clever by trying to stash our American jewels in the toilet like the current squatter in the White House has.

Re: Masako; Sir... I agree with you. I do not agree that Mr. Obama can save the planet, save capitalism, or save our system of government. Each of the above would end a lot sooner without Mr. Obama. But, a black man, or an intelligent man is a hard sell for president of the united states. We especially fear intelligent people as only those deliberately kept ignorant could. People don't hate the Jews because of their avarice, which they can relate too; but because they cannot figure them out and so predict their behavior. And ignorant people all feel the sting when any intelligent person calls Mr Bush or any of theirs stupid. Stupid is something they can get behind, and relate to. They have the sense to see that even a lunatic has a hard time screwing up government worse than it is. And it gives them great pleasure to think they are smarter than the president, and ask: why'd dat dumbell do dat... What is the cost of some one like Reagan going senile in office? What are the potential hazards? To me, a guy like Reagan who could not see through his own idealism to the reality beyond, was a danger, but he beat the communists because their game is chess, and that requires understanding, foresight, and intelligence. If all you have is air in your hand, and they have their finger on the trigger and a bad attitude the game is over for you if you don't want to push into war. John Mccain is just the same sort of gung ho, blank eyed crazy man as Reagan. He is still living in trickle down land in the face of over whelming evidence that it does not work. Hell; I think he would throw social security at the problems of wall street like they have tried to do for years, but if the government goes, there goes SS anyway. The fact is that even this latest bank failure could swamp the FDIC. This economy is toast, like an oil well they have taken too much out of too fast, and trying to revive it is going to mean a lot of kissing the corpse. It will not come back, but it may take the government with it. So, a vote for Mr. Mccain is closer to suicide, and a vote for Mr. Obama is closer to playing in traffic. I can't see any long term benefit to either of them, but morally, I hope that America at this late date has found the self love necessary to give Mr. Obama a fair chance. Thanks, again... Sweeney