Great Week For Obama; Terrible For McCain

Obama won points domestically even while he was not in the country and scored even more points while abroad–ironically, it was John McCain who lured Obama into making the foreign trip, hoping the junior senator from Illinois would stumble. Instead, things blew up like a grenade in Senator McCain’s hands.

[Black Star News Editorial]

 

 

This has been a terrible week for presidential candidate Senator John McCain while conversely Senator Barack Obama could not have had a better scri pted week.

He won points domestically even while he was not in the country and scored even more points while abroad–ironically, it was John McCain who lured Obama into making the foreign trip, hoping the junior senator from Illinois would stumble. Instead, like a grenade, things blew up in Senator McCain’s hands instead.

Domestically, President George Bush unwittingly –or maybe not– seemed to endorse a position that Obama has held for a long time; that the United States needs to have direct negotiations with its adversaries, including with Iran’s leaders. The Bush endorsement came when the president sent Bill Burns, the State Department’s third ranking official to Switzerland where he met with Iran’s top nuclear program negotiator.

Comically, The White House insisted that Burns wasn’t there to negotiate; he was there supposedly only to “listen” to the Iranian’s regarding their position on dismantling their program in return for the Western offer of economic and technological inducements for a non-military nuclear energy program.

McCain is of course opposed to any talks with Iran.

President Bush continued to throw more gifts at Senator Obama when it was disclosed that the Administration has now agreed with Iraqi officials about a “time horizon” for the withdrawal of American troops from Iran. This revelation took added importance when Iraq’s prime minister, after meeting with Senator Obama revealed through a spokesman that, indeed, Iraqi officials believe that American troops can be withdrawn by 2010. Assuming Obama takes office in January, 2009, the time line indicated by Iraqi prime minister al-Maliki would fall within the 16 months period that Obama has been promoting for withdrawal.

The Iraqi government’s  remarkable change of events puts McCain in a most untenable position. McCain had previously pronounced that U.S. forces may be needed indefinitely in Iraq; perhaps even for 100 years. Since Iraq’s government want the troops out by 2010, while McCain advocates a period long beyond that, the Republican presidential candidate is actually promoting a program for the occupation of Iraq–with or without the support of its government and populace.

This is certainly the perfect recipe for disaster, as the Vietnam experience abundantly demonstrated.

McCain had also hoped to hog media space during Obama’s absence; this plan also backfired when all the top network anchors deserted U.S. soil and followed Obama on his trip.

The few reporters that are cnow overing McCain’s speeches and events have been asking him pointed questions about the deteriorating economy; more than 480,000 people have lost their jobs in the last few months; inflation is up; General Motors has plans to lay off 50,000 employees; the mortgage industry turmoil continues unabated and now those trying to negotiate home buys can’t get insurance coverage; gas prices continue to soar; the credit markets have narrowed further; and the nation was treated to scary scenes that reminded people of the 1930s—-depositors recently rushed IndyMac bank after it collapsed and was taken over by the government.

Since Obama is abroad, on a trip heavily promoted by McCain himself, the Republican senator has had to handle the tough questions about the economy all by himself.

As if things could not deteriorate, only today The Wall Street Journal reported that IRS figures show that income disparity has reached record levels; 1% of the population earned about 24% of the national income. The Journal also reports that as their share of income increased, the wealthy’s share of the tax burden has increased at a lesser rate.

McCain has been advocated even more tax cuts for these wealthy individuals.

According to the Journal’s report, the figures show that income disparity level is at its highest since 1929.

We all know what happened in 1929.

Terrible week for McCain; great week for Obama.

 

 

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