Okay, debates are over. Time to make decisions. Clearly, Republicans are voting for Romney. The fact that he was the last guy they wanted all through the primaries is now irrelevant. He is their guy. What's his case? He looks Presidential. If I was casting the role for a movie, he'd be a real contender. He sounds okay, as long as you don't look to close or ask too many questions. He doesn't like questions. He either dodges them or changes his previous position to get by. Or more often, just tells you to elect him and see what happens. Obama had "hope", Romney is going for "faith".

It's a close election here, friends. If nothing else, I hope you are engaged and involved. If the real majority vote for Romney, we will keep our fingers crossed that the person he really is hasn't shown up yet and that he does accomplish good things for the people that need it most. I would vocally endorse all that he does that solves problems and makes improvements. I will not be looking for him to fail or to be thwarted at every turn. Unlike the Republican congress, I would actually be hoping that he is the kind of leader that can build bridges and solve problems. I honestly don't see it. But candidates and presidents are not the same thing. Hopefully, he would surprise us. And if he did, I would praise him to the skies.

But I find that unlikely. That is why I oppose him. That is why I support with all my heart, President Barack Obama.

Now, Democrats, Undecideds, and unimpressed Republicans.... the next weeks will be critical. It is your time to be outspoken advocates. It is your time to make sure all who support the President get to the polls, get their votes in and make sure they are not disenfranchised. These are the days that will make a difference. I have recently gone to several swing states to have these kinds of talks. Many have said that they like the way I speak of certain issues, so I will share my thoughts with you to use in your own advocacy.

ECONOMY - Obama made promises and predictions, they did not all take. Let's remember, he walked in on a disaster, arguably the worst in history. It is a global disaster, not just American. We were losing jobs, companies, homes, pensions, incomes, healthcare. Real people were being hurt.

Obama made some bold moves - he saved the auto industry; he pushed the stimulus. The stimulus was intended to do life-saving things for people and country. It has been harshly criticized because it did add to the debt. But take a look at it again.

http://useconomy.about.com/od/candidatesandtheeconomy/a/Obama_Stimulus.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-obamas-stimulus/2012/08/10/7935341e-e176-11e1-ae7f-d2a13e249eb2_story.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/27/why-obama-should-run-success-stimulus

These are long, unsexy articles. But it is exactly that kind of reading that contain the details that make Obama such a hero and Romney/Reps so destructive. What the articles don't make a point of is how many Republican governors used those funds to shore up their own bloated state budgets rather then put them to the intended use they were meant to have. And then they blamed Obama for a stimulus that "didn't do enough".

Despite all this -- Wall Street is at historic highs; the housing market is in real recovery; unemployment, even adjusted (as it always is) is in decline. And several American industries are on the upswing. As these were the areas hit hardest in the crash, they are the ones to focus on as we look for success.

Rom-publicans will tell you how many are unemployed. They're right - too many. And if the stimulus hadn't been passed, those people would have been screwed a long time ago as much of the stimulus went to extended unemp. benefits. More people on food stamps - you bet. Because Obama extended that aid to people who were not getting it. The need was there, just not the program.

SO, WILL ROMNEY FIX THIS ECONOMY? Let's examine. His policy, as much as he sticks to a policy, is to cut taxes and reduce spending. Well, he fails the later immediately as every major accounting organization says his tax cut, under the best of circumstances, adds a minimum of 3 trillion to the debt and his additional military spending, which Obama did a great job explaining we don't currently need or want, would add another 2 trillion. So minimum that is FIVE TRILLION ADDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEBT WITH ROMNEY. And possibly as high as seven or eight, depending on whose math you like more.

The Romney rational is: if I lower the tax rate for small business (and big biz, by the way), that creates jobs and stimulates the economy. Okay, listen - small business should enjoy the lowest possible tax rate. Obama shows you how his plan reduces that tax for 97% of businesses. Is it perfect? No. But it comes damn close to weeding out people like Trump and Romney who have multi-million dollar "small businesses" that they zero out to offshore savings in order to qualify for being "small".

But let's take a real world look at that "cut tax for small biz and jobs get created". If you make wuks (imaginary product), you have probably hit hard times. Economy is depressed, people aren't buying wuks as often. Business fell off, you let go of some employees and you've been riding out the hard times. But you've been making enough money that you have that 35% tax rate. Good for you in these hard times. But okay, still - Pres. Romney wants to help you out. So he lowers your rate to 25%. Congrats. And so, the next thing you do is run out and hire ten new workers, right? IF YOU DO, YOU DESERVE TO GO UNDER.

No, you sit on that savings. You don't touch it. Maybe you take a bit more out in salary for yourself. But you aren't hiring anybody until the wuk market looks like it's improving - that people are suddenly buying wuks again. And THAT WON'T HAPPEN BY PUTTING MONEY IN YOUR CORP TAX POCKET. THAT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS MORE MONEY. Markets are driven by sales, not taxes. Romney's plan is classic trickle-down: feed the top guy, he'll pass the savings on. But they don't. Ever. In the entire history of America, when you include the history of the middle class, this theory of trickle down has NEVER, EVER resulted in growth or prosperity for the people. It is a favor for the rich, not a stimulus for the middle class.

And that goes for austerity, too. When governments have attempted austerity measures - cut everything, privatize everything, make the government earn nothing, spend nothing and be responsible for nothing -- it has never, ever worked. In all of modern history.

Conversely - how did we get out of our previous Great Depression? One answer - FDR and the New Deal. The biggest government investment in technology, manufacturing and infrastructure in our history. Our government stimulated our economy by creating programs and industries and jobs. And that, coupled with our WW2 effort which also was a giant government spending program, landed us into 50 of the most prosperous years our nation has ever known. That's what Obama's stimulus and his proposed but filibustered Jobs Bill was all about.

That approach, investment coupled with responsible taxes, has saved us and saved numerous countries time and time again. So, it's not the superior plan cause Obama and the Dems think so or I think so or some genius economic guy thinks so. It's the superior plan because it has been proven time and again throughout history.

Oh, but Romney is a business guy. He has run successful businesses so he will be superior in getting the business of America on track. Sounds reasonable, right? He is, in fact, a very successful business man. But let us examine that business.

First of all, he didn't build it from scratch. No one thinks Romney came into his working life without the benefits of his birth and family, do we? He had a very substantial financial base and entree to some of the biggest investors in the world at his first at bat. Regardless, he created Bain Capital and it is a huge success story and he is to be commended.

So what does Bain do? Two things, and both extremely well. They find promising companies and they make large investments in them. Those companies thrive and then Bain and their investors make solid profits. And rightfully so. Bain also focuses on struggling businesses. And time and again, they decide those businesses are worth more dead than alive. So they take the ownership stake, dismantle the company, send the parts and jobs overseas, sell off the pieces and produce a very nice profit on the investment to themselves and their investors. Good on them. That is their job. They make money for their investors. And in both scenarios, they do their job.

But that is not the job of the President. The average American is not an "investor". The average American is a worker. And more often than not, the workers that were touched by Bain did not end up well at all. Romney is not a builder, he is an investor. He is not an innovator, he is an investor. He does not make things, he does not imagine things - he invests in those that do. And sometimes he supports them and sometimes he destroys them. But how that business experience relates to rebuilding the economy of this nation is a giant whopping question.

So when they argue how good Rompublicans are with the economy - these are exactly the guys who got us here. The de-regulators, the corporatists, the bankers, the hedge fund guys, the globalists, the Kochs, the Trumps, the Adelsons, the Roves, the Norquists, the Blackwaters, the Halliburtons and all their pals. That's who you're betting on. The guys that brazenly boned you the first time and with the same policies they followed then. They screwed us good. And now they shout that Obama, with no help from the Rompublicans, hasn't fixed it all fast enough. Nice, huh?

SOCIAL ISSUES - equal pay; equal rights for women and homosexuals and minorities; reproductive rights; privacy rights; gun control; campaign finance reform; tort reform; Citizens United (which now deems corporations are people and money is speech). All of these are on the table this election. And considering that we are likely to replace 1-2 Supreme Court members in this term, this is a vital area.

It is also one of the most emotional and divisive areas in our national debate. I personally feel for people on both sides here. A lot of the stance from the Right comes from teachings of faith. So these are not arguable positions. Faith is not fact and it is often not logic. It is faith. It is unique and special and separate from other rational. That is why it is faith. And if you hold it close, you have very few options in considering these social matters. In many ways, I admire people of devoted faith and we all have to learn to respect them while trying to negotiate with them.

It is easy to believe that there is no common ground for us on these issues, but I have found that in respectful, sensitive dialogue there has been wonderful agreement.

For instance, I met a woman in Florida who was quite angry with my beliefs and positions. I said to her, "I bet we have more common ground in our desires than we can imagine". She doubted it and I asked her to name the one thing she would like to change in this country most.
She answered, "I want Roe v Wade reversed. I want abortion illegal in this country".

Now I am pro-choice. You would think this would end the conversation. Here's what I said...
"Let me try to reinterpret what you said. What you want is for abortion to stop. You want a place where people no longer want or feel they need to have abortions. You want a country where people don't ever need to choose abortions".

She agreed. And I said, "So do I. I want a country where abortions are hardly ever heard of - where no one finds themselves in a position where they feel that is the best option. The difference between us is that I don't believe we achieve that by making it illegal. I think we get there faster and farther by educating people about their bodies; by talking about sexual pressures among young people; by supporting organizations (including religious based ones) that talk about family planning and contraception and responsible sexual behavior; and by endorsing social policies that reward responsible behavior and don't reward blatant irresponsibility. I think we are on the same side, but we come at it differently. And by the way, I don't think making it illegal will stop it. Why? Because it never has". This lovely lady and I found ourselves on a lot of common ground.

That is what we must look for in addressing social issues through the Justice Department. We must find advocates for common ground. Rompublicans are committed to the reversal of Roe v Wade even in cases of rape, incest and health of the mother. They would overturn Lili Ledbetter. They are anti-union. They are anti-gay rights and/or gay marriage. They are pro-corporate. They are not big on environmental/food/public lands protections or regulations. And unfortunately, they are backed by the most extreme fringe of the right on this. It is their money source, and they are going to feed it. You can count on that.

IF YOU BELIEVE IN INCLUSION; FAIRNESS; WORKING PEOPLE; ENVIRONMENT; CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM; THE SACRED NOTION THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT CORPORATIONS... you cannot chance the far Right controlling the selection of our Supreme Court judges. In this area alone, you must reject the Romney presidency.

WHAT GOOD ARE LOWER TAXES IF YOU CAN'T BREATHE? WHAT GOOD IS A JOB THAT POISONS YOUR COMMUNITY DRINKING WATER?

Let's look harder at facts. It takes research to get to truth, folks. You won't find it by reading just the NY Times or just Fox News. You have to dig deeper and hold your sources accountable.

Here's a fun one -- the XL Pipeline. Big issue. It would tap into the shale oil deposits in Canada and funnel the energy to Texas where we would then use it to create energy independence from the Middle East. The one big drawback: it cuts through 6 or 7 states right along their aquifers. So, if that pipeline burst or if it were bombed, the oil would poison the primary drinking and irrigation waters for each of those states. Pretty dicey situation, eh?

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/the-keystone-xl-pipeline/12200/

Romney for it, Obama for it but only if proper safeguards can be assured. Not rushing to it. But did you ever ask -- hey, if the goal is just to bring the oil to the US, why does it have to go to Texas? Why not just pipe it over the border to say - Montana? North Dakota? Why the big, long, dangerous shlep to Texas? Answer: BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO SOURCES, THE REFINERY IT WOULD GO TO IS OWNED BY THE BIGGEST SILENT FINANCIAL BACKER OF THE XL PROJECT - THE KOCH BROTHERS.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/05/koch-keystone-xl-pipeline

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15797217-billionaires-ballot-bandits
The above is an amazing piece of work by an amazing American journalist.

They will tell you that it needs to be a Gulf Coast refinery. Why? Isn't the oil intended for American energy independence? I don't understand why we need the Gulf to ship around our country, do you?

HEALTH CARE: Last one, I promise.
Is Obamacare a good thing? yes and no.

It does some very good things, as we know: extends coverage for adult children to remain on parents policy; negates rejection of coverage for prior conditions; negates capped care. Plus, when fully implemented, it will ensure that maybe 30 million more Americans have basic coverage.

But it's not a perfect thing either. It has some wonky costs and doesn't provide a basic health care standard for all Americans. But it is certainly a basis on which to build and it could easily be built on if Rompublicans participated and backed parts of the plan that both Romney and Republicans created and/or supported before the name Obama was attached to it.

To those on the right who say: No one should have to buy health insurance or be penalized for not buying it - You guys baffle me. So, if my kid decides he doesn't want to pay for insurance, and he winds up in the hospital - you guys are more than willing to pick up his bills with higher hospital, drug and insurance costs nationwide? MY kid should absolutely be required to have some kind of insurance because we can afford for him to have it. Health care is not a maybe. It's an absolute. Everyone, at one time or another, is going to come into the health care system and they must be responsible for that reality. The mandate part of Obamacare simply says that at a certain income level, people must carry some kind of insurance so that they are not a drain on the country and the system. What's wrong with that? I thought Conservatives were the party of personal responsibility.

Bottom line: Obamacare extends health care coverage to millions, reduces the strain on hospitals and still engages insurance companies. Can it be improved? You bet. But it is a good start.

Social Security and Medicare: Look, clear and simple - these are entitlement programs. Not a bad word - it says if you paid into the system, the system should be there to provide you a basic safety net. It has worked for generations.

Rompublicans don't like it because unless they are funded correctly, they become a gigantic drain on the economy. Why? Because health care is out of control and that is why we need a national policy to reform it. However...

Rompublicans don't like entitlement programs. They don't believe in them. So, as long as they have to exist, they came up with a better idea - privatize them. What does that mean? Instead of a guarantee of benefits, let's give citizens a voucher for a sum of money. They will then invest those monies into private funds like the stock market and we will grow their money and the profits will take care of them better than the government.

First, win for the investor class again because you're putting your voucher money into their banks, their funds, their stocks and bonds cause the voucher amount is not sufficient to sustain you. You have to grow it and so you will have to go to them. So they get a much bigger fund to oversee and reap profits from and make no mistake - they profit off of you and your voucher.

But here's the problem - if they make you a 20 percent return for the rest of your life - good on 'em. Likelihood of that given the volatility of markets? - slim. Very smart people and organizations invested with Bernie Madoff - how did that work out for them? They lost everything.

Here's a little list of big, reliable banks that failed in this last disaster.
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
How'd you like your health care or retirement pension vouchers invested there?

THE MARKET DOESN'T GUARANTEE YOU SUCCESS AND THERE IS NO REDRESS FOR FAILURE. Medicare and Social Security are absolutes. They are dedicated programs. Reform? Absolutely. But privatize? - disaster.

FRIENDS, I could go on and on. But here is the point.

IF YOU BELIEVE, AS I DO, THAT ROMNEY IS DUPLICITOUS. THAT HE IS A PRODUCT OF THE SAME CORPORATISTS AND NEO-CONS THAT JOINED WITH BUSH/CHENEY TO DESTROY OUR ECONOMY AND MUCH OF OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD - YOU CANNOT STOP FIGHTING TO REJECT HIM.

These next two weeks are critical. If you have a few dollars left to offer the Dems, by all means please do so. Whether to the President or Senate or Congressional campaigns.

https://contribute.barackobama.com

https://dscc.org/donate?track=DPW-October-Splash

Make sure you are registered to vote; know where and how to vote.

Vote early.

Volunteer to get others to the polls on election day.

ADVOCATE. ADVOCATE. ADVOCATE. Don't be shy. Don't be angry. Don't back down. This race has been dominated by emotions, not by real facts. Talk to people calmly and decently. Find out what motivates them most and try to make the case that our platform has a better chance of success than the other.

Be proud of who you are and what you stand for. And be proud of the President and Vice-President. These are good, decent people who have worked hard and successfully to keep this country safe, get it productive; and extend it's bounty to everyone. They have done so with the MOST NEGATIVE, OBSTRUCTIONIST REPUBLICAN PARTY in my lifetime.
Mitch McConnell: It is our primary purpose to ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term president.

They have done everything they can to accomplish that at the cost of our economy, our jobs, our credit rating and the day to day business of our government.

And yet the President's list of accomplishments are many. I am as proud of him as I can be and proud to support him and his efforts. He is neither a perfect man nor perfect president. I've never met or heard of one. But decent, hard-working, intelligent, reasoned, principled, decisive, cool-headed, unflappable, compassionate and a man of the people - that he most assuredly has been.

He has earned the right to continue. He has earned the respect and support of those of us who understand this. He has earned the right to have a Congress dedicated to moving all of us forward instead of holding all of us back.

I don't know where we'll be on Nov. 7, but I will be working and talking and advocating proudly until that day. That is what being an American is all about. That is what citizenry is all about.

And regardless of the outcome on Nov. 6 - that President will have my best hopes and prayers. Because they must be the President of the UNITED States. For me, that man is President Barack Obama.

If you agree, get out there and let's bring this election home.
Thanks for putting up with the world's longest tweet.
Blessing to you,
JA

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