The NeoCon and the Norwegian Newlywed

THE WORD FROM ALASKA

Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.

Gov. Palin’s nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency — but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

DIRTY DANCING

Seattle Democrat Darcy Burner is running for Congress. The Republican incumbent is casting doubt on her education credentials. The irony is that she absolutely, positively graduated from Harvard with a degree in computer science and economics – his attack is completely baseless – while he claims a B.A. from Concordia University when in fact he did not receive one.

It is by this same thuggish Republican tactic that the party of George W. Bush – who went AWOL from the Alabama National Guard – mocked John Kerry’s three purple hearts.

Or by which Republican Saxby Chambliss – who sidestepped military service with ‘a bad knee’ – attacked former Georgia Senator Max Cleland, a decorated veteran and triple amputee, ‘for breaking his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.’

Or by which John McCain says Barack Obama wants to raise taxes on Joe the Plumber (he wants to lower them) . . . or Sarah Palin says Barack Obama ‘pals around with terrorists’ (what nonsense) . . . or Cindy McCain says ‘The day that Sen. Obama cast a vote to not to fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body’ (when her husband had cast the same vote a month before).

What happened to the Party of Nelson Rockefeller?

Or of Barry Goldwater, for that matter?

GOLDWATER FOR OBAMA

‘We believe strongly in what our grandfather stood for: honesty, integrity, and personal freedom, free from political maneuvering and fear tactics,’ writes his granddaughter, an Arizonan who will be voting for Obama. ‘Nothing about the Republican ticket offers the hope America needs to regain its standing in the world, that’s why [my siblings and I] are going to support Barack Obama.’

REAGAN FOR OBAMA

Click here (and then click NEXT).

FED CHAIRMAN BERNANKE FOR OBAMA

Or so says the Wall Street Journal.

‘A STRIKING NUMBER OF CONSERVATIVES’ FOR OBAMA

Or so reports the The Economist.

FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR LARRY PRESSLER FOR OBAMA

A South Dakotan who’s never before voted Democrat ‘got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better.‘

FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WILLIAM WELD FOR OBAMA

Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to1997, he calls Obama ‘a once-in-a-lifetime candidate.’

FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ARNE CARLSON FOR OBAMA

Governor of Minnesota from 1991 to 1999, he says, ‘[Obama] has laid out for this nation a vision for a national purpose.’ And writes that he ‘truly believe[s] our very survival as a successful and independent nation is at stake.’ And describes Obama as having ‘the potential to become a truly great president.’

PROMINENT NEOCON KEN ADELMAN FOR OBAMA

This Iraq War architect writes that for the first time in his life he is voting for the less conservative of two candidates:

. . . McCain’s views are closer to mine than Obama’s. But I’ve learned over this Bush era to value competence along with ideology. Otherwise, our ideology gets discredited, as it has so disastrously over the past eight years.

McCain’s temperament – leading him to bizarre behavior during the week the economic crisis broke – and his judgment – leading him to Wasilla – depressed me into thinking that “our guy” would be a(nother) lousy conservative president. Been there, done that.

I’d rather a competent moderate president. . . .

. . . McCain would not — could not — be a good president. Obama just might be.

SIGN AT AN INTERSECTION IN DOWNTOWN NORTH VERNON, INDIANA:

Even WE’VE had Enough!
REDNECKS 4 OBAMA
GO VOTE

HEARTWARMING NORWEGIAN STORY

Here it is in Norwegian. And here it is in English (with a photo):

Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn’t have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.

Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.

At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters. When it was finally Mary’s turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

“You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway,” the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.

“I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions,” says Mary.

Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy.

“I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, ‘That’s OK, I’ll pay for her.’ ”

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.

“He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?”

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.

“He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants,” says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

The piece of paper said ‘Barack Obama’ and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.

“He was my knight in shining armor,” says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

In a letter to Mary’s parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped “United States Senate, Washington DC,” Barack Obama writes:

“I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help back then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator.”

The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.

HOW THEN SHOULD WE INVEST

For those of you more interesting in money than votes, John Mauldin tells all.