Get The Facts

Are you confused by the mud-slinging and negative campaign ads during this election? Check out http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/07/fact-check-did-obama-vote-94-times-for-higher-taxes-2/#more-23411


GET THE FACTS!
Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.


The Statement:
Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain said at the Oct. 7 presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, that Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama "has voted 94 times to either increase your taxes or against tax cuts. That's his record."


Key Findings:
53 were votes on budget resolutions or amendments that "could not have resulted by themselves in raising taxes," though many "were clear statements of approval for increased taxes"–23 were against proposed tax cuts–11 were to increase taxes on people making more than $1 million a year, to help fund programs such as Head Start, school nutrition, or veterans' health care–Seven were "for measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals."– The total includes multiple votes on the same measures.

Annenberg says a close look at the record reveals that Obama has "voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers."

Has anyone noticed how gas prices come down near any election?

Eliminate the incumbents. Vote for change.

Vacation!!!

It's vacation time!! At long last, I finally got my vacation. This was my third try this year. My first request in May was approved and then retracted 3 days before my flight. My second request was just flat out denied. My third request stood on shaky ground for awhile but finally went through.

So I find myself in Orlando, Florida. I've actually been here for nearly a week. And it's been a busy week too! I've tried to keep it low key but there is just so much to do!

Today we drove over to the Gulf Of Mexico to a place called Longboat Key. Longboat Key is near Bradenton which is near Sarasota just to give a reference. Longboat Key is special to me as I spent some summer vacation time there with my Great Aunt Neps. She lived in a real nice house a block and a half away from the beach. Since I wanted to get to the beach at some point this year, this is where I wanted to go.

When we arrived, we stopped for a drink at a place called Harry's Kitchen. I had a beer and Kristi had an Orange Crush Martini. What made the martini special was that it was garnished with a slice of pineapple that had been marinating in a rum concoction for several days. She said it was quite tasty. My friend the Captain has not joined us yet. I'm sure we'll see him tonight!!

Longboat Key is about as quaint as you can get. I nice little raod that runs along the sure with the beach on one side and nice little shops, homes and rentals on the right. Corporate commercialism has not invaded this beach town.

We laid out our towel and I quickly went for the water. It was so blue and green! I remember swimming out in the Gulf as a kid with no fear. I would swim out so far loing complete track of where I was, snorkeling deep until my lungs screamed reminding me that I had to breathe at some point. I watched with wonder the fish that didn't mind sharing the water with me. I would follow the conch endlessly never caring how far out or how deep I went. Today I went out to five feet of water and started to worry about where the sharks were. It started to rain, so we packed up and went souvenier shopping. I drove back to the hotel in wet shorts.