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DNC
Native American Council Chair Issues Statement on Derogatory Comment by
RNC Chair Michael Steele
January 8, 2010
It was the Native people who first
consecrated the ground on which we live and
grow, who first asked for bountiful harvest
and protection from the elements. In
exchange for this they promised to be good
stewards of the land. They made the
covenants that have insured that all in this
country can have a chance to live, to grow
and to flourish. Yet, it is the Native
people who remain the most impoverished and
the most disenfranchised in all of America.
The history and the problems that
Native people remember and encounter are
painful and are very real. The Obama
administration has sought to engage them and
good will come of it. The Republicans should
seek to do the same. Instead, their Chairman
makes light of their humanity publicly
validating old attitudes and stereotypes
created by those who oppressed and
brutalized Native people. Chairman Steele's
remarks were insensitive at best and have no
place in a changing real world. They are
cute but elitist and show his lack of
substance. He epitomizes the Republican
party of 2010 and those Native people Steele
denigrates today should remember his Party
in November. I certainly will.
Native Americans »
Cheyenne
Reservation receives new Health Center
July 15, 2009
The Cheyenne River Sioux Indian
Reservation is the latest community to see
progress and development as a result of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In
one of our country's poorest counties the
reservation is receiving a long needed new
health center. The new facility will not
only bring new construction jobs to the
county but also will create long term job
needs to staff the various health offices.
The new center will serve 15,000 members of
the community.
House passes bill
recognizing Indian tribes
June 3, 2009
The House today passed a bill recognizing
seven Indian Tribes in North Carolina and
Virginia. The move supports remarks made
earlier this year by the President's
administration;
Deputy Assistant Secretary George
Skibine said in March that "there are
rare circumstances when Congress should
intervene and recognize a tribal group,
and the case of the Lumbee Indians is
one such rare case."
The Lumbee tribe in particular has
generated significant support for their
cause and passage of this legislation;
The Lumbees are recognized by the state
and were partially recognized by the
federal government in 1956, but at the
same time Congress denied the Lumbee
benefits given to other American
Indians.
"What Congress started Congress
should finish, that's why we are back
here today," said Rep. Mike McIntyre,
D-N.C., the bill's sponsor. "It's time
for discrimination to end and for
recognition to begin."
American Indian Tribes to Receive
Stimulus Funding
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in
North Dakota recently to announce funding
that will go to tribes. via the Pretty Bird
Woman House blog;
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said
Saturday that $500 million in federal
stimulus money would go to American
Indian tribes across the nation for
schools, housing, infrastructure
improvements and job programs on
reservations.
President Obama
Signs SCHIP
February 4, 2009
President Barack Obama delivered remarks
before signing the State Children's Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation that
will cover an additional four million
children of low income families and include
the children of legal immigrants as well.
Full remarks below.
Remarks of
President Barack Obama Children’s Health
Insurance Program Bill Signing
Washington, D.C. February 4, 2009
Today, with one of the first bills I
sign – reauthorizing the Children’s
Health Insurance Program – we fulfill
one of the highest responsibilities we
have: to ensure the health and
well-being of our nation’s children.
It is a responsibility that has only
grown more urgent as our economic crisis
has deepened, health care costs have
exploded, and millions of working
families are unable to afford health
insurance. Today in America, eight
million children are still uninsured –
more than 45 million Americans
altogether.
It’s hard to overstate the toll this
takes on our families: the sleepless
nights worrying that someone’s going to
get hurt, or praying that a sick child
gets better on her own. The decisions
that no parent should ever have to make
– how long to put off that doctor’s
appointment, whether to fill that
prescription, whether to let a child
play outside, knowing that all it takes
is one accident, one injury, to send
your family into financial ruin.
The families joining us today know
these realities firsthand. When Gregory
Secrest, from Martinsville, Virginia
lost his job back in August, his kids
lost their health care. When he broke
the news to his family, his nine
year-old son handed over his piggy bank
with $4 in it, and told him, “Daddy, if
you need it, you take it.”
This is not who we are. We are not a
nation that leaves struggling families
to fend for themselves. No child in
America should be receiving her primary
care in the emergency room in the middle
of the night. No child should be falling
behind at school because he can’t hear
the teacher or see the blackboard. I
refuse to accept that millions of our
kids fail to reach their full potential
because we fail to meet their basic
needs. In a decent society, there are
certain obligations that are not subject
to tradeoffs or negotiation – health
care for our children is one of those
obligations.
That is why we have passed this
legislation to continue coverage for
seven million children, cover an
additional four million children in
need, and finally lift the ban on states
providing insurance to legal immigrant
children if they choose to do so. Since
it was created more than ten years ago,
the Children’s Health Insurance Program
has been a lifeline for millions of kids
whose parents work full time, and don’t
qualify for Medicaid, but through no
fault of their own don’t have – and
can’t afford – private insurance. For
millions of kids who fall into that gap,
CHIP has provided care when they’re sick
and preventative services to help them
stay well. This legislation will allow
us to continue and build on these
successes.
But this bill is only a first step.
The way I see it, providing coverage to
11 million children through CHIP is a
down payment on my commitment to cover
every single American. And it is just
one component of a much broader effort
to finally bring our health care system
into the twenty-first century. That’s
where the Economic Recovery and
Reinvestment Plan that is now before
Congress comes in.
Think about this – if Congress passes
this recovery plan, in just one month,
we’ll have done more to modernize our
health care system than we’ve done in
the past decade.
We’ll be on our way to computerizing
all of America’s medical records, which
won’t just eliminate inefficiencies,
save billions of dollars and create tens
of thousands of jobs – but will save
lives by reducing deadly medical errors.
We’ll have made the single largest
investment in prevention and wellness in
history – tackling problems like smoking
and obesity, and helping people live
longer, healthier lives. And we’ll have
extended health insurance for the
unemployed, so that workers who lose
their jobs don’t lose their health care
too.
Now, in the past few days I’ve heard
criticisms of this plan that echo the
very same failed theories that helped
lead us into this crisis – the notion
that tax cuts alone will solve all our
problems; that we can address this
enormous crisis with half-steps and
piecemeal measures; that we can ignore
fundamental challenges like the high
cost of health care and still expect our
economy and our country to thrive.
I reject these theories, and so did
the American people when they went to
the polls in November and voted
resoundingly for change. So I urge
members of Congress to act without
delay. No plan is perfect, and we should
work to make it stronger. But let’s not
make the perfect the enemy of the
essential. Let’s show people all over
our country who are looking for
leadership in this difficult time that
we are equal to the task. Let’s give
America’s families the support they need
to weather this crisis.
In the end, that’s really all that
folks like the Secrests are looking for
– the chance to work hard, and to have
that hard work translate into a good
life for their kids. I’m pleased to
report that their story had a happy
ending – it turned out that Gregory’s
two sons were eligible for CHIP, and
they are now fully covered, much to his
relief. I think Gregory put it best when
he said: “Kids look at us and think
‘they’ll take care of us.’ That is our
job – to keep them safe and healthy.”
That’s what I think about when I tuck
my own girls into bed each night. That
is what I want for every child – and
every family – in this nation. That’s
why it is so important that Congress
passes our recovery plan – so we can get
to work rebuilding America’s health care
system.
It won’t be easy – and it won’t
happen all at once. But the bill I sign
today is a critical first step. So I
want to thank all the state and local
officials, advocates and ordinary
citizens across America who’ve fought so
hard to pass it. I want to thank all the
members of Congress who have worked so
tirelessly, for so long, so that we
could see this day. And I want you all
to know that I am confident that if we
come together, and work together, we can
finally achieve what generations of
Americans have fought for and fulfill
the promise of health care in our time.
Thank you.
DNC Native American
Chair: Obama Stood With Us, Stand With Him
October 30, 2008
Stating that "Barack Obama
has stood with us and it is now time that we
stand with him" Frank LaMere of the
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska urged Native
voters this week to come out in record
numbers on Tuesday "to restore the country
and the First Nations, and to acknowledge
that we must give voice to the generations
to come."
LaMere, the Chairman of the Native
American Caucus of the Democratic National
Committee who guided the Native American
delegation at the national convention, is
optimistic about the expected turnout and
impact of the Indian vote. "Indian country
has responded to the Democratic message of
change and the need for urgency. From Maine
to California and from Washington to Florida
the Native focus on the political process is
unprecedented. This attention can manifest
itself with the election of Barack Obama and
countless Democratic state and local
candidates who will enjoy Native support but
there is much work to be done. We must
ignore the negativity of the Republicans
that is designed to raise doubts in our
minds and to intimidate voters like us. We
know the truth about what the Republicans
have brought us because we see how it
affects our children and grandchildren every
day. Let us remain mindful of this through
our every action and through our
participation in this political process till
Tuesday."
"Let there be no mistake about this my
relatives", LaMere added. "Every vote will
count and will decide much about your
future. Cast it proudly and carefully. We
have young relatives in harm's way right now
who have paid our way to enter the election
booth."
"We have many who go without because our
leaders have failed us. This election means
much to them. Barack Obama understands this
while others remain oblivious. Let us, as
Native people, help him."
Dr. David Gipp
August 26, 2008
Hau, anpetu waste yelo.
My name is Dave Gipp. I’m Hunkpapa
/Lakota from the Standing Rock Lakota-Dakota
Nation. I am president of United Tribes
Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
I’m one of thousands of tribal citizens
who support Senator Barack Obama for
accepting tribal nations and their citizens
into the future he sees for America. We’re
not another special interest group trying to
claim a share of the American pie. We are,
after all, the first Americans. We paid for
our place with land and blood. Our status as
sovereign tribal nations is specially
recognized in the U.S. Constitution. Our
rights as tribal nations to determine our
destiny within our great United States
should be protected and honored by our
government. Our treaties with the U.S. are
the “supreme law of the land.”
Every step you take across this great
nation, every vista you admire, every city
you call by its tribal name, was once Indian
country. The places many of our tribal
nations occupy have long been pockets of
poverty where the words, “liberty and
justice for all” have become empty words on
a piece of paper. Our health care is a
disaster. Our public schools need repair.
Our law enforcement officers lack the
resources to guarantee safety. People in the
Green Zone in Baghdad may indeed be safer
than citizens in Indian country.
Yet we have never turned our back on
America. Our tribal veterans have served in
every one of this nation’s wars and
conflicts in greater numbers per capita than
any other ethnic group. We recently honored
the late Woodrow Keeble of the
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, a hero of the
Korean War who received the Medal of Honor.
We never forget the sacrifices of our
veterans and elders.
We can only renew America’s promise when
the first Americans are legitimate
participants in framing the future of this
country. I urge you to look to the nation’s
37 tribal colleges and universities to lead
the way in renewing the promise for American
Indians. These institutions provide tribal
citizens with the skills they need to be
vital contributors to society and to our
culture. Tribal colleges are a key to the
renaissance in American Indian life as we
save our languages and rebuild over 550
tribal nations.
American Indians are still here and we’re
seeking justice for our people. We offer the
strengths of our spirituality and our
connection with Mother Earth in renewing
America’s promise for all. Let us remember
the words of the great Lakota patriot
Sitting Bull: “let us put our minds together
and see what life we can make for our
children.”
Pilamaya yelo! Thank you.
Mitakuye oyasin! We are all related. In
every race, creed, and color... We are all
related.
Scheunemann Link
Highlights McCain's Abramoff Problem
August 14, 2008
Following reports that scandal-plagued
Republican activist Ralph Reed is raising
money for John McCain's campaign, a new
report reveals yet another connection
between McCain and the scandal surrounding
criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff. According
to the report, Abramoff's law firm hired one
of McCain's closest campaign advisors to
work on their behalf during McCain's
investigation into the scandal. After they
"turned to a former McCain campaign adviser
for help," McCain issued a public statement
praising the firm. According to public
watchdog groups, Scheunemann's "dual role --
sometimes advising Mr. McCain as a
candidate, and sometimes advising private
clients on their interactions with him as a
senator" raises serious conflict of interest
questions.
Earlier this week, reports revealed that
Reed--one of Abramoff's closest business
associates--sent an email solicitation
claiming to be a member of McCain's Victory
2008 team and asking people to "join me and
Jo Anne at the August 18 event in" Atlanta.
This makes Reed the second Abramoff-linked
fundraiser to raise campaign cash for
McCain. Last month, reports revealed that
Juan Carlos Benitez, a lawyer and lobbyist
who was appointed to a Department of Justice
post responsible for overseeing Abramoff
clients after a recommendation from Abramoff
himself, is a bundler for McCain's campaign.
JOHN MCCAIN'S ABRAMOFF CONNECTION
Abramoff Associate Ralph Reed
Raising Money for McCain. "The
McCain campaign has long been concerned
about whether conservative Christian voters
would fall in line this fall. But last week
Ralph Reed, the first executive editor of
the Christian Coalition and an unsuccessful
2006 candidate for Georgia lieutenant
governor, invited well-heeled folks to a
"very special event" - that means a
fundraiser - for McCain in downtown Atlanta
on August 18. Reed, whose campaign was
torpedoed by his affiliation with disgraced
lobbyist Jack Abramoff, noted he's also
agreed to serve as a member of the McCain
Victory 2008 Team, the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution reported." [Washington
Post, 8/12/08]
Abramoff's Law Firm Won Praise
from McCain After Hiring McCain Advisor to
Lobby on Its Behalf. "When Senator
John McCain led a Senate investigation three
years ago of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced
lobbyist who later pleaded guilty to fraud
charges, Mr. Abramoff's old firm turned to a
former McCain campaign adviser for help. The
firm, Greenberg Traurig, which had quickly
cut its ties to Mr. Abramoff, hired Randy
Scheunemann, who had been the McCain
campaign's foreign policy adviser in 2000 --
and is again this year -- for advice on
handling the Senate investigation… Mr.
McCain praised Greenberg Traurig's
cooperation, saying in prepared remarks at
the time that 'consistent with their
professional obligations, Greenberg Traurig
and its counsel have always been responsive
to the committee's requests, always made
themselves available to answer questions,
and have always conducted themselves with
dignity and professionalism in these trying
circumstances.'" [New York Times, 8/14/08:]
Watchdog Group: Scheunemann's
Dual Role Raises Questions. "Craig
Holman, the governmental affairs lobbyist
for Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy
organization, said Mr. Scheunemann's dual
role -- sometimes advising Mr. McCain as a
candidate, and sometimes advising private
clients on their interactions with him as a
senator -- raised potential red flags. 'This
is a serious revolving door problem: a
person who keeps fluctuating between being a
lobbyist, and advising candidates,' Mr.
Holman said." [New York Times, 8/14/08:]
Abramoff Helped McCain Bundler
Obtain DOJ Post Overseeing Abramoff's
Clients. "As Mr. McCain releases
the names of hundreds of 'bundlers' -- his
top money collectors -- one person who
popped up is Juan Carlos Benitez, a lawyer
and lobbyist whom Mr. Abramoff had
championed for a Bush administration post.
According to a 2006 report of the House
Committee on Government Reform, Mr. Abramoff
had urged the appointment of Mr. Benitez as
special counsel for immigration-related
unfair employment practices. He was named to
the position in 2001. The committee's report
said Mr. Benitez's job at the Justice
Department 'gave Benitez authority' to
conduct investigations into unfair labor
practices that were 'issues of importance to
Abramoff clients.' For Mr. McCain, Mr.
Benitez raised $50,000 to $100,000,
according to the McCain Web site." [New York
Times The Caucus Blog, 7/16/08]
McCain Takes Low Road at
Urban League
August 1, 2008
John McCain capped off a week in which he
was criticized for abandoning his promise to
run a respectful campaign in favor of
deceptive attacks by loading his remarks to
the National Urban League meeting in Orlando
with even more misleading rhetoric. Instead
of offering real proposals for addressing
the big challenges facing African American
families, McCain attempted to distort the
record on key issues.
On health
care, he said he believes every American
should have the opportunity to have
affordable and available health care, yet
his promise of four more years of President
Bush's failed agenda won't do anything to
reduce the ranks of the uninsured. While
McCain said we need to help the COPS
program, he failed to explain why he has
repeatedly opposed the COPS program and
voted against both the 1994 and 1992 crime
bills. Nor did McCain offer any plan to
address the economic crisis facing African
American families after seven years of the
Bush-McCain agenda.
The following are
the facts on John McCain's record on:
On Health Care:
McCain Today: "I believe
every American should have the opportunity
to have affordable and available health
care"
McCain Facts: His Promise of More
Bush Policies Won't Reduce the Ranks of the
Uninsured.
McCain Health Plan Just Like
Bush Plan. "President Bush
proposed a similar idea" to the tax
credits in McCain's plan, which was
dead-on-arrival in Congress in early
2007, because the plan only awarded
those who purchased insurance in the
private market. [Wall Street Journal,
10/11/2007; Washington Post, 1/25/2007]
Mark Mellman: McCain's Health
Care Plan Mirrors Bush's Proposals.
In a column for The Hill, Mark
Mellman notes that "by adopting
President Bush's plan," McCain "offers
incontrovertible evidence that he
represents a third Bush term here at
home, as well as in Iraq…Asking up to
two-thirds of the American public to
relinquish health insurance they like,
provided through their employer, puts
the McCain-Bush plan on life support."
[Mark Mellman Column, The Hill,
5/7/2008]
McCain Plan Resembles Bush
Proposal. According to the
Washington Post, "McCain's proposal is
similar to one that Bush put forth in
his 2007 State of the Union address.
That plan, which would have replaced
employer tax breaks for health insurance
with a $15,000 tax deduction for married
couples, flopped in Congress, failing to
get even a committee hearing."
[Washington Post, 4/30/2008]
McCain: I Believe We Should
Grant Tax Credits to Individuals and
Families for Health Insurance.
McCain said: "I believe that everyone
should get a tax credit of $2500, $5000
for families, if they have health
insurance. It is good tax policy to take
away the bias toward giving workers
benefits instead of wages. It is good
health policy to reward having insurance
no matter where your policy comes from."
["John McCain on Health Care," Des
Moines Rotary Lunch, 10/11/2007]
Bush: We Should Give Tax Credits
to Individuals and Families Buying
Health Care. During a speech in
Madison Wisconsin, Bush outlined his
proposal of the tax credits for the
uninsured. "For those with limited
means, my budget will provide new
credits to afford health coverage -- up
to a thousand dollars for an individual,
or $3,000 for a family," Bush said.
[Bush Remarks on Health Care Reform,
2/11/02; White House Fact Sheet,
2/11/2002]
On Police Funding:
McCain Today: "We need
to help the COPS program. We need to provide
them with the technology."
McCain Facts: McCain Repeatedly
Voted Against the COPS Program, the 1994 and
1992 Crime Bills.
1994: McCain Voted Against the
Landmark $30.2 Billion 1994 Crime Bill.
In 1994, McCain voted against
the Crime Bill which has authorized
$30.2 billion over six years for crime
related programs, including the hiring
of additional police officers, prison
building, helping communities prevent
crime, and an assault weapons ban. [1994
Senate Vote #295, 8/25/1994]
1992: McCain Twice Voted Against
1992 Crime Bill Which Expanded Handgun
Control Measures. In 1992,
McCain voted twice against invoking
cloture on the 1992 Crime Bill, which
mandated a five day waiting period and
background check for handgun purchases.
The bill also provided additional grants
to state and local law enforcement.
[1992 Senate vote #53, 3/19/1992; 1992
Senate vote #262, 10/2/1992]
2005: McCain Voted For Corporate
Tax Breaks Instead of $1 Billion for
COPS. In 2005, McCain voted
against providing $1 billion for the
COPS program, offset by closing
corporate tax loopholes. [2005 Senate
Vote #70, 3/17/2005]
2004: McCain Voted To Keep Tax
Breaks For Millionaires Instead of $1.1
Billion for Law Enforcement Programs.
In 2004, McCain voted against
increasing funding for COPS and other
local law enforcement programs by $1.1
billion, offset by reducing tax breaks
for taxpayers with incomes over $1
million. [2004 Senate Vote #44,
3/11/2004]
2003: McCain Prioritized Bush
Tax Cuts Over Funding For $1 Billion for
Police Programs. McCain voted
against increasing spending on Community
Oriented Policing programs by $1
billion, offset by a reduction in
non-reconciled tax cuts. [2003 Senate
Vote #78, 3/21/2003]
2003: McCain Voted Against $500
Million For Local Law Enforcement To
Help Fight Drug-Related Crime.
McCain voted against providing $500
million for local law enforcement grants
that provide money to rural law
enforcement agencies to fight violent
and drug-related crime. [2003 Senate
Vote #6, 1/17/2003]
1999: McCain Missed A Vote On
Reauthorizing the COPS Program.
In 1999, McCain missed a vote on an
amendment to extend the COPS program to
2005 an authorize $1.5 billion for the
program. [1999 Senate Vote #139,
5/20/1999]
1996: McCain Voted Against $1.8
Billion for COPS Program. In
1996, McCain voted against providing an
additional $1.8 billion in funding for
the COPS program. [1996 Senate Vote #31,
3/13/1996]
1995: McCain Voted To Eliminate
the Successful COPS Program. In
1995, McCain voted for the Republican
Commerce-Justice spending bill which
included a plan "to dismantle [the]
cops-on-the-beat program" [COPS] and
replace it with a "block grant program
giving local governments control over
how to spend crime-fighting money."
[1995 Senate Vote #591, 12/7/1995,
McCain: N; Chicago Tribune, 12/8/1995]
On the Economy:
McCain Today: "Under my
plan, we will preserve the current low rates
as they are, so businesses large and small
can hire more people. We will double the
personal exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 for
every dependent, in every family in America.
We will offer every individual and family a
large tax credit to buy their health care,
so employers can spend more on wages, and
workers don't lose their coverage when they
change jobs. We will lower the business tax
rate, so American companies open new plants
and create more jobs in this country."
McCain Facts: The Bush-McCain
Economy Has Been Detrimental To The
African-American Community…
July 2008: Nearly 10% of African
Americans Without A Job. In
June 2008, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate
was 9.7%, up from 9.2% just one month
prior, in June 2008. [Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Employment Situation
Summary, 8/1/2008]
FLASHBACK to January 2001: 8.4%
Unemployment Rate Among African
Americans. In January 2001, the
unemployment rate for African Americans
was 8.4%. [Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment Situation Summary, 2/2/2001]
2006: Nearly One Quarter of
African Americans Living In Poverty.
According to the latest data
from the U.S. Census Data, 24% of
African Americans in the United States
were living in poverty in 2006,
representing almost 9.5 million people.
[U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty
Tables, Accessed 4/23/2008]
FLASHBACK to 2000: One Million
Less African Americans Living In
Poverty. In 2000, 22% of
African Americans or 7.9 million were
living in poverty. [U.S. Census Bureau,
Historical Poverty Tables, Accessed
4/23/2008]
McCain and Gramm:
It's All In Your Head
July 14, 2008
John McCain, who doesn't know what he is
talking about when it comes to the economy,
often pivoted to his "dear friend" and
"respected economist," Phil Gramm. He even
claimed there was "no one more respected on
the issue of economics," and many called
Gramm the "econ brain" for McCain.
Gramm told the Washington Times
an interview published last week that the
economy has "never been more dominant" and
said we have become a "nation of whiners"
constantly "whining and complaining." The
McCain campaign may be quick to throw a top
economic adviser under the bus but that does
not hide the fact that John McCain offers
four more years of George W. Bush on the
economy.
We released this web video highlighting
the shared belief of John McCain and Phil
Gramm that these troubling economic times
are "psychological" and a figment of your
imagination.
TEXT: John McCain on Advisor Phil Gramm
(Before)
McCain: "A person I've had the honor and
pleasure of knowing as a friend and a great
economist... my dear friend and comrade,
Senator Phil Gramm." [McCain Town Hall, CNN
Live Feed, (Waco, TX ), 3/3/08]
McCain: "There is no one in America that
is more respected on the issue of economics
than Senator Phil Gramm. So I'm honored that
you are here, Phil. Thank you for your great
service." [Speech at Dell Headquarters,
Round Rock, TX, 2/29/08]
McCain: "A lot of the people that I
respect that are advising me, like Phil
Gramm and Jack Kemp..." [ABC This Week,
2/17/08]
TEXT: ...But Then.
PHIL GRAMM: "You've heard of mental
depression; this is a mental recession...
You just hear this constant whining,
complaining... We've sort of become a nation
of whiners." [Washington Times, 7/9/08]
MCCAIN: "Phil Gramm does not speak for
me. I speak for me." [Media Availability,
Belleville, MI, 07/10/08]
GERSH: "Is Senator Gramm still giving
advice to Senator McCain?"
HOLTZ-EAKIN: "No."
GERSH: "No."
HOLTZ-EAKIN: "At -- I haven't spoken to
Senator Gramm since the comments took place,
and I'm not expecting to." [PBS Nightly
Business Report, 7/11/08]
Carl Cameron; While McCain was saying
Gramm doesn't speak for him today, Gramm was
in fact speaking for him to the WSJ
editorial board and saying that he's not
going to retract anything he said and that
every word is true. [Fox News, 7/10/08]
TEXT: The John McCain-Phil Gramm Economic
Plan: It's All In Your Head
MCCAIN: "I think, psychologically -- and
a lot of our problems today, as you know,
are psychological ...A little psychological
boost. Lets have some straight talk. Its not
a huge amount of money... a little
psychological boost, that's what I think it
would help." [Your World with Neil Cavuto,
4/16/08]
McCain: "Now, as far as putting
additional money in American taxpayers'
pocket, that's fine, because a lot of this
is psychological, a lot of it is
psychological." [McCain Town Hall, (West
Palm Beach, FL) 1/24/08]
McCain: "Even though it would take some
years, the fact that we are exploiting those
reserves would have psychological impact
that I think is beneficial." [McCain Town
Hall, (Fresno, CA), 6/23/08]
McCain: "And finally, could I just
mention on the issue of rebates, fine,
because part of this is psychological. Part
of the problem we have in any recession is
psychological." [CNN Debate, 1/30/08]
AUDIO: "You just hear this constant
whining, complaining... We've sort of become
a nation of whiners."
TEXT: John McCain: The Wrong Choice on
the Economy
Barack Obama's Commitment
to Native Americans
Senator Barack Obama visited the Crow
Nation in Montana to tout his plans as
President and the kind of relationship he
would maintain with the American Indian
community, stating: "You will be on my mind
every day I am in the White House."
My Indian policy starts with honoring
the unique government to government
relationship between tribes and the
federal government and ensuring that our
treaty obligations are met and ensuring
that Native Americans have a voice in
the White House.
Indian nations have never asked much
of the United States, only for what was
promised by the treaty obligations made
by their forebears. So let me be clear:
I believe that treaty commitments are
paramount law, I’ll fulfill those
commitments as president of the United
States.
Read more about Senator Obama and his
strong commitment to the American Indian
community, and Obamamania in the Crow
Nation.
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