The Danger That Pastor Terry Jones Of Gainesville, Florida Represents: Planned Burning Of Koran On September 11 Denounced By General David Petraeus!
It is amazing how a so called "Man of God" can be so intolerant, but as is well known, this is not all that unusual! 
Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, a community that houses the renowned University of Florida, is about to besmirch that university town, the name of organized religion, and arouse world wide Muslim resentment, as he plans a burning of a copy of the Koran, the Islamic holy book, at his church on the ninth anniversary of September 11!
General David Petraeus, our renowned general in charge of the war in Afghanistan, has spoken up against this action, concerned that American soldiers will be more endangered by this action, and that it will sour our efforts to improve our relations with the Islamic world, which represents a billion people in the world!
This is as evil an act as Adolf Hitler ordering burning of books during the Nazi period in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and should be seen as "a clear and present danger", as the Supreme Court termed it in Schenck V. US in 1919!
The action should be prevented by local authorities by any means necessary, and if actually perpetrated, should lead to immediate arrest and prosecution of Pastor Terry Jones as undermining national security!
There is no room for this kind of action in the delicate world situation we face now! Pastor Jones will be responsible for possible death and harm, and all good Christians and Jews must immediately protest his planned action!
Female Vs. Female Political Races And More Women Running Against Men: A Record Breaking Year?
A fascinating part of the 2010 election cycle is the fact that there will be more female vs. female races than we have seen before in American history!
For the Senate, the only such race will be Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer against former Hewlett Packard CEO and Republican Carly Fiorina in California!
For the office of Governor, there will be two all female races--in New Mexico, where Republican Susana Martinez will run against Democrat Diane Denish; and Oklahoma, where Democrat Jari Askins will compete against Republican Mary Fallin! Both Democrats, by the way, have been Lieutenant Governor of their states and still are!
In Congressional races, the most notable is Republican Congresswomen Michele Bachmann of Minnesota against Democratic state legislator Tarryl Clark!
But also running in South Dakota for the state wide Congressional seat are Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin against Republican state representative Kristi Noem!
Of course, there are other women running for high office, but against men! Among them are gubernatorial candidates in California (Republican Meg Whitman), South Carolina (Republican Nikki Haley), and Florida (Democrat Alex Sink). For the Senate, we see Sharron Angle (Republican of Nevada) and Linda McMahon (Republican of Connecticut). Additionally, there are numerous Congresswomen running for reelection, and many women who are opposing men in and outside of the House of Representatives for House seats.
Will this be a major "Year of the Woman" in American politics? Maybe it will not be a record breaker, but certainly women are playing a growing role in American politics, and of course we are not talking here about the numerous women who sit in state legislatures, city councils, boards of education, and other elected bodies, or who are running to be part of these government structures!
The Total Arrogance Of Republican Politicians! :(
We are now witnessing total arrogance of Republican politicians, feeling no need to face news media or participate in debates, and yet expecting the voters to elect or reelect them!
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer had a "brain freeze" at a debate with her opponent, Attorney General Terry Goddard, yesterday, but more significant than that, was that she refused to answer his charge that she had fabricated the idea that headless corpses have been found in the Arizona desert, an assertion that has been denied by county governments near the border with Mexico, but constantly repeated by Brewer as a way to stir up support for the immigration law passed by Arizona and now in litigation!
As a result of the embarrassing "brain freeze", Brewer has now declared that she will not participate in any more debates during the campaign! What gall and nerve, and it should be rewarded by the voters defeating this woman who is best at lying and being a demagogue than governing the state in a competent manner!
In Florida, gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott, who spent $50 million of his fortune to win the GOP nomination, now refuses to debate Democratic nominee Alex Sink, and has shown a high level of arrogance, including referring to himself as the "bald, handsome guy!"
Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul and Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle have both refused to be interviewed by mainstream media, favoring Fox News Channel only!
None of these or other candidates have any solution to the problems their states or the nation faces, but they seem to think they can ride on the discontent of the population to win office without having to deal with hard questions and real challenges as to their competence for office!
Hopefully, the people of these states and across the nation are not going to reward these arrogant politicians with the responsibility for high office!
The Quandary For Florida Democrats And Progressives: Charlie Crist Or Kendrick Meek?
Two of the three candidates for the US Senate seat in Florida this November appeared on CNN this morning, and in so doing, they demonstrated the quandary faced by Florida Democrats, as well as progressives and liberals!
Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who was a Republican until he broke with the party and announced his candidacy as an Independent; and South Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, who surprised many with his overwhelming victory over Jeff Greene, a billionaire who spent many millions to try and take the Democratic Senate nomination away from him, both were interviewed by Ed Henry!
Based on polls, Meek is way behind both Crist and Republican nominee Marco Rubio, the former State House Speaker in Florida! Meek gains only about 16 percent of the vote, while Crist and Rubio keep switching the leadership in the race!
Remembering that Florida tends to be a Republican state in the past 15 years, but that Barack Obama won the state in the electoral vote two years ago, the situation faced by those voters and citizens who are not favorable toward conservatives and Republicans, and therefore would not support Rubio, is who do they support financially and vote for in November?
Crist disappointed many Democrats and progressives and liberals as he repudiated the Obama Health Care plan although he says he would work to change it in the Senate; as he refused to back gay marriage rights; as he refused to say how he feels about Sarah Palin, who he supported strongly when she ran for Vice President in 2008; and most importantly, when he refused to say if he would back the Democrats or the Republicans for Senate organization in 2011 if he wins the seat--a fact that his vote COULD decide whether Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell would be Senate Majority Leader next year! Instead, he said that he would do what was good for the people of Florida, refusing to commit himself!
It is obvious that Crist wants to keep his options open, but that is not encouraging to Democrats and progressives and liberals who have to decide if it is worth it to support him, or go over to Meek's camp, despite his apparently small chance, at least at this point, of being competitive in the race!
As Meek pointed out in his interview with Ed Henry, he had overcome a billionaire spending millions of his personal fortune, and that he is the only TRUE Democrat in the race!
So the Florida Senate race is a major problem, particularly for those who want to assure that Marco Rubio does not take over the seat, with what would seem like a likely victory for the Tea Party, and the ultimate advancement of Rubio to a presidential run at some point in the future!
The Power Of Personal Fortune In Florida Politics: Yes For The Republicans, No For The Democrats!
Florida has just seen what everyone should have realized all along!
The Republican Party is beholden to big money, while the Democrats reject it! The Republicans have just nominated a crooked health care executive, Rick Scott,who has no shame, and no limit on personal fortune investment and self aggrandizement, having spent $50 million to win the nomination for Governor!
Meanwhile, billionaire Jeff Greene, who spent $14 million of his own fortune to compete against Kendrick Meek for the Democratic Senate nomination, lost by 25 percentage points, a whopping defeat!
The concept that a crooked, arrogant health care executive who was involved in Medicare fraud, is now the Republican nominee for Governor of the fourth largest state is an absolute outrage! The idea that a man who basically has "bought" the nomination by dividing and splitting the party he wishes to run, and will find it difficult to unite the GOP for the fall election, due to such bitter feelings by party leaders toward him, is a welcome sign for Democratic nominee, Alex Sink, the state's Chief Financial Officer!
Kendrick Meek will become the only African American nominee for the US Senate, and made a great comeback, despite the heavy spending by an arrogant, corrupt stock market manipulator, Jeff Greene, and it gives Democrats hope that the voters rejected someone trying to buy the job!
The Florida results are a sign of the battles raging across the country in November, a clear cut choice between a candidate for Governor (Rick Scott) who is strongly anti abortion and in favor of bringing the Arizona immigration bill to Florida, against a Democrat (Alex Sink) who is a uniting and healing force for the Democrats, and gives them a real chance to win the Governorship, due to the split in the GOP and the horrific background of Rick Scott!
Meanwhile, the three way race of Kendrick Meek-Marco Rubio-Charlie Crist for the Senate will be one of the most watched races, with Crist in the lead for now! The question will be whether Meek can be a serious challenger and hurt Crist, or whether Crist will win many Democratic votes and be able to overcome conservative Marco Rubio!
Charlie Crist: Possibly The Most Important US Senator Next January?
Governor Charlie Crist of Florida continues to lead public opinion polls over Marco Rubio, since he left the Republican Party and started an Independent race for Senator!
Crist is gaining a large portion of Independents, as well as Democrats, who are not thrilled by either Congressman Kendrick Meek , or his primary opponent, billionaire real estate investor Jeff Greene!
Crist could become the third Independent Senator next January as a result, joining Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom ally with the Democratic caucus and often vote with the party!
The question that arises is what Crist would do if he won the Senate seat, but it seems likely that he would ally with the Democrats as an Independent, similar to Lieberman and Sanders!
This issue could be more than just interesting; it could be decisive in organizing the Senate if the Republicans, somehow, manage to gain eight seats, and Crist joins the Democratic caucus, creating a 51-49 Democratic Senate!
Of course, if the Senate was evenly divided, Joe Biden could organize the Senate by his tie breaking vote! But a nine seat gain could also be resolved without Biden, if Crist declared he was in the Democratic caucus!
So Charlie Crist could be the man of the hour and the year, and in some ways, become the most important US Senator next January!
I am sure the thought must please him greatly, particularly after the collapse of his GOP support, which led to his Independent candidacy in the first place! 
The Growing Impact Of Florida As A Microcosm Of The American Political Scene For 2010!
Chuck Todd on MSNBC this morning referred to the state of Florida as a microcosm of the American political scene for 2010!
The Florida political scene includes the role of independent candidacies (Governor Charlie Crist); the impact of "outsiders" becoming factors (Rick Scott and Jeff Greene); the battle within the major party structures (Bill McCollum vs. Rick Scott in the Republican party and Kendrick Meek vs. Jeff Greene in the Democratic Party); the impact of the Tea Party Movement (Marco Rubio); the effects of the Great Recession (mortgage foreclosures and effects of the BP Oil Spill on the economy); and the constant change in the Florida electorate due to immigration and population growth and migration!
As the late Tim Russert once said, Florida has become the center of American politics in so many ways, as it has become the fourth largest state, on its way to number three, although delayed a bit by the Great Recession in its population boom!
So the primaries on August 24 and the elections on November 2 will be closely watched as barometers of the American political future in so many ways!
Democrats Shifting Toward Charlie Crist Due To Kendrick Meek-Jeff Greene Primary Battle!
It is amazing how Charlie Crist seems to be a "cat with nine lives!"
Two years ago, Crist was seen as being on the short list for Vice Presidential running mate for Senator John McCain!
His ratings as Florida Governor were very high, and he was hailed as one of the best governors in the nation!
Then, Crist decided not to run for a second term as Governor, and instead to cast his future in running to replace retiring Senator Mel Martinez. But meanwhile, he appointed a close friend and supporter, George LeMieux, to finish up the 16 months of the unexpired term.
But then, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio challenged Crist for the GOP nomination, and gained the backing of the Tea Party Movement, and suddenly surged ahead of Crist in public opinion polls in an unprecedented way!
So Crist was faced with the humiliation that he was likely to lose the Senate Republican nomination, and many Republicans endorsed Rubio, including John McCain and Crist's appointee, LeMieux!
As a result, Crist bolted the Republican party at the end of April, declaring an Independent race. Since then, he has vetoed two bills that have gained him major kudos from Independents and Democrats, one on teacher tenure and the other on abortion restrictions!
Meanwhile, the supposed Democratic nominee for the Senate, Congressman Kendrick Meek, suddenly had a major challenge from a billionaire named Jeff Greene, who came out of "nowhere" and has become a real threat to Meek and the party, which has no interest in backing a man who benefited big time from the housing collapse, and has been associated with controversial people, including Heidi Fleiss and Mike Tyson!
The thought that an extremely wealthy person with no political experience, but with an image of being a manipulator on Wall Street, being the Democratic nominee, has turned off many Democrats who are ready to jump to support of Crist, some openly, some behind the scenes!
In recent polls, Crist leads Rubio, with Meek way behind, and with Jeff Greene the "menace" in the background. Crist is looking more and more appealing, and it seems clear that IF Crist were to win the Senate seat, he would fit a role similar to Joe Lieberman, as an Independent who would ally with the Democrats.
Crist's moderate views are becoming more liberal, and he is a very appealing candidate to many Democrats, so to read him out as having a chance to be the next Senator from Florida is NOT a wise gamble!
It seems more and more likely that Charlie Crist may be the only way to prevent Marco Rubio and his Tea Party Movement, and right wing conservative views from representing Florida in the US Senate!
Florida Governor Charlie Crist Defies His Former GOP Colleagues A Second Time!
Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who left the Republican Party more than a month ago, and is running for the US Senate as an Independent, took one last swipe at his former colleagues in the extremely conservative GOP legislature yesterday, when he vetoed an abortion bill that would have mandated that all women wanting an abortion must pay and go through an ultra sound test, and see and hear the results, unless they signed a refusal form after paying and going through the procedure.
The only women who would have been able to avoid the procedure would be those who could prove rape, incest, human trafficking, or domestic violence.
The bill would also have banned abortion coverage from health insurance plans in any way supported by taxpayer funding.
Also, it would have been legally easier for Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is running for the GOP nomination for governor, to pursue his plan to sue President Obama over the new Health Care Reform plan passed by Congress in April.
Crist received more emails supporting the bill than opposing the bill, so he went against that trend, but at the same time, he probably has gained greater support from women, Democrats, and Independents, as he battles in the three way race shaping up this fall for the US Senate.
Crist had earlier angered Republicans when he vetoed the proposed teacher tenure bill back in April!
The ultrasound abortion bill will come up in the Florida legislature next year with a new governor, and if either Rick Scott or Bill McCollum is elected, it will certainly be signed into law. If Democratic nominee Alex Sink, however, is elected, she would clearly veto the legislation as Charlie Crist has done!
Proof Of The Power Of Money And Television: The Case Of Florida! :(
Whatever one thinks of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is competing for the Republican nomination for Governor, and Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Senator, it has to be said that both have dedicated years of service to their state in public offices!
It was assumed that both would easily be on the ballot for the Fall 2010 elections, but now that assumption has been totally upended by the wealth and television ads of two extremely rich, non politicians, both of whom have had "shady" backgrounds in the business world!
Rick Scott is now ahead of McCollum by 44-31 percent in a Quinnipiac poll, despite the fact that he was involved in a massive Medicare scam in the 1990s, which helped to enrich him to the point of being an extremely wealthy multimillionaire! He seems to be cocky enough to believe that he is qualified by his business corruption experience to run the state government of Florida! What gall this man has, to say the least!
Jeff Greene, who was involved in real estate dealings during the Wall Street crash in 2007-2008, and is a BILLIONAIRE, but has no government experience, trails Congressman Meek by just two points, 29-27 percent, which is considered a statistical tie!
So the power of "deep pockets of money", massive television advertising, and being seen as an attack on the "establishment", have catapulted both Scott and Greene to what can now be seen as likely nominations for Governor and Senator, respectively!
Is this good for Florida, and since similar situations are occurring in other states, for America? Can we expect these businessmen with shady backgrounds to bring about "miracles" and effective change?
Anyone getting away from emotional reactions, and thinking rationally, must have serious reservations that this is a positive trend! But it certainly follows along with the direction of the conservative Supreme Court, which is doing everything possible to promote the power of rich people and corporations over the American political system!
If these candidates, and others like them elsewhere, triumph, one should expect quick disillusionment, when it is recognized that there are no "magic" answers or quick, easy solutions! The author would prefer to have people who have been committed to public service to manage our government at the high level of Governor and Senator, rather than "rookies" who are arrogant enough to think that because they are wealthy, automatically, that qualifies them to lead the American people, who are overwhelmingly middle class, but with a growing percentage of poor people, who also need some consideration, which is highly unlikely from those who wield such wealth and live in their own "parallel universe!"