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U.S. Muslim service members say they stand out in both their worlds. Among fellow troops, that can mean facing ethnic taunts, awkward questions about spiritual practices and a structure that is not set up to accommodate their worship. Among Muslims, the questions can be more profound: How can a Muslim participate in killing other Muslims in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan? Just 3,557 members of the 1.4 million-member U.S. armed forces describe themselves as Muslim, and followers of Islam said the military is just starting to accommodate them by recruiting Muslim chaplains, creating Muslim prayer spaces and educating other...

This is in response to questions and comments I have received pertaining to this announcement: Just like at the federal level, a state legislature can override a governor's veto. So, if Governor Palin had vetoed, yes it would have been overridden -- the legislature overwhelmingly wanted that money. Of course, since she is the one signing the bill, those who hate Governor Palin are accusing her of being a hypocrite -- this is why we need to be well-informed about this matter. It's complex, and quite frankly -- dry subject matter -- and easy to just "sloganeer". Had the legislature...

"I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from "under control". As a doctor, I realise that the media does not report the truth. Authorities distributed vaccines among all the medical personnel with no results, because two of my partners who worked in this hospital (interns) were killed by this new virus in less than six days even though they were vaccinated as all of us were. The official number of deaths is 20, nevertheless, the true number of victims are more than 200. I understand that...

Having some interesting bantering with an Obama supporter, who sent me this 'resume' of all that he has accomplished: • Obama has served 12 yrs at the federal and state level (4 yrs US Sen + 8 yrs IL Sen) • Obama sponsored 823 bills and cast over 4000 votes in the IL Senate • Obama co-sponsored 15 bills that became federal law and co-sponsored 570 bills. These bills and laws are an impressive accomplishment spanning foreign policy, public health, openness and accountability in government, national security Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th...

One of the main US banking regulators allowed banks to backdate transactions so as to maintain "well capitalised" status and avoid regulatory restrictions, the Treasury department's watchdog arm has said. The practice came to light as part of a routine federal investigation into the failure of IndyMac, one of five lenders regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision to be wound down this year. IndyMac suffered a run on its $19bn (€13.6bn, £12.8bn) in customer deposits in July after Senator Chuck Schumer, chairman of Congress's joint economic committee, made public a letter he had written to regulators questioning the lender's...

You remember the Orwell novel 1984? There was a vivid description of a "Ministry of Truth" that served the function of rewriting history via rewriting the news in order to make the past jibe with whatever Big Brothers current program happened to be. Well, it turns out that Barack Obama needs a Ministry of Truth of his own. Hillary Clinton - who repeatedly described having come under sniper fire in order to bolster her flimsy foreign policy credentials until it was revealed that no such event occurred - is about to become the Obama administration's Secretary of State. And if...

When liberals, especially card-carrying members of that oxymoronicus maximus called the “liberal intelligentsia,” couldn’t contain their sarcastic guffaws while mocking Sarah Palin as “inexperienced,” I thought, “What the hell, why take those hypocritical Goliaths seriously when they will lie any lie, deny any principle, betray any friend, or sell out any (formerly beloved) grandmother if it means advancing the dogmas of the Liberal Church.” But when some conservatives began criticizing Governor Palin as an unqualified vice-presidential candidate for lacking attributes observed only in “experienced” public servants, I realized that the current spell of atmospheric warming is responsible for a lot...

Obama Recorded "Off The Record" on his Washington Experience!Explosive: Tells the Media to "Stop your complaining!" > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_43SJ-KJ4 You Tube Video: "Barack Obama Questions Washington Experience" At the conclusion of his meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board, Barack Obama challenges the value of Washington experience and explains how to reduce the influence of special interests. (more) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_43SJ-KJ4

I am truly astonished by the ignorance Obama supporters have displayed in their quest to get someone - anyone - into the White House. Now, wait a minute. I can well understand your dislike or even hatred of George W. Bush, but he is not the root cause of all of our problems. Our Congress is. And a change there would be welcomed by all. You ain't gonna get it done with Obama. You gotta fire the whole damnable crooked Congress. Perhaps I'm looking at all of this from a different perspective than you because my life experiences have been...

National Security: Biden's warning that Obama's lack of experience will prompt tyrants and terrorists to "test" him within the first six months can only be seen one way — as a confirmation of our worst fears."We're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy," Biden said. "He's gonna need help. We're gonna need you to stand with him." In other words, Americans are supposed to be patient and supportive while an obviously unqualified president learns on the job. He's so inexperienced in military and world affairs, in fact, that his presidency is guaranteed...

Let's pretend that you are a shareholder (e.g. a registered voter) in the largest most powerful corporation in the world (e.g. the United States) and your company needs a new CEO (e.g. the president). Do you want your board of directors (e.g. the electoral college) to select a person with 3 years experience (e.g. the esteemed senator from Illinois)? For those of you playing at home, the answer is no. In these tough economic times, if the esteemed senator from Illinois gets elected, raises taxes, and implements his $800+ billion social welfare programs the only "change" you will have will...

While most of us focus on national polls or battleground state polls, Karl Rove always raises one additional poll question. Is Barack Obama qualified to be president? On that question, Obama consistently does poorly, and he is not improving. This week also brought a reminder that Sen. Obama hasn't closed the sale. The Washington Post/ABC poll found 45% of voters still don't think he's qualified to be president, about the same number who doubted his qualifications in March. This is seven points more than George W. Bush's highest reading in 2000 and the worst since Michael Dukakis's 56% unqualified rating...

The campaign this year is eerily reminiscent of the election a few years back. Then, too, we had a Republican president who was unpopular and the media was favoring a relatively unknown Democrat. He was a very smart, articulate man who was a good campaigner. He sounded good and persuasive. He was friendly, likeable and really a decent man. He was a liberal with kind of a naive world view. He had no experience in Washington. The press did everything they could to promote his election. But once he was elected, it wasn’t too long until the country was sorry...

Pick your "new" thingBy Leslie J. SacksBarack Obama is perfectly suited in the running for president. He has the ability to both energize and grow the grassroots base, to motivate voters with his superb eloquence and confidence. As a result, he has broken for all time the racial glass ceiling on viable presidential candidates, an accomplishment for which America should be grateful. Based on many current polls, he might very well succeed in his quest for the presidency. On the other hand, Obama, according to a good portion of the country, is not yet experienced enough, and does not...

In the 2008 election, one of these ruling myths is "Sarah Palin does not have the experience to be vice-president." Well, let's stomp that one flat right away: out of all four candidates, Sarah Palin is the only one with any of the requisite executive experience required for office. She is the sole candidate who has ever run anything larger than a college debating society. If she is not qualified, none of them are, and we'd better dump ‘em all and start over.

As the debate shifted to national security issues, McCain demonstrated why many voters see this as a strong area for him. He's been involved for decades in deciding whether the U.S. engages militarily in hot spots such as Somalia, Lebanon and Bosnia—and it shows. His cautious words about the careful use of power indirectly addressed the fear of some Americans that he'd be a trigger-happy president. Similarly, Obama's pledge to add troops in Afghanistan and his forceful language on terrorist breeding grounds in Pakistan addressed the fear of other Americans that he'd be a weak commander in chief. On Iraq,...

In an opinion piece by Catherine McNicol-Stock, PhD for the Philadelphia Enquirer dated September 14, 2008 entitled INTOLERANCE THRIVES IN PALIN’S PACIFIC NORTHWEST, which I include a link to here for readers’ convenience (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/28361149.html), in her trashing of Governor Sara Palin and the residents of 6 states she not only exceeded the boundaries of good taste she provided a new definition for “low-class.” What is scary to me is the fact that she is part of academia and influences the brains of naïve young students at the Connecticut College where she teaches history. I know that I am just another...

... "It is clear that she doesn't pass the test as a national security candidate," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ... And Palin's predecessor as Alaska governor, Tony Knowles (D), said, "There has been no vice president that is less prepared in modern history." .... And Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Palin has "as much or more executive experience and leadership experience as Barack Obama does, and he's running for president." ..."Sarah Palin has taken more in federal earmarks per person than any governor in the history of the planet," McCaskill said on ABC's "This Week." Fiorina noted...

Like a needle stuck in the groove, the Democratic chattering class keeps repeating its mantra that Sarah Palin does not have enough experience (whatever this may mean), especially in foreign policy, compared to Joe Biden. The implication is that Gov. Palin is not qualified to assume the role of president should a President McCain be incapacitated. Even after her boffo performance at the convention Wednesday evening, the continuing firestorm is divided along strictly partisan lines: Democrat pundits, blog dwellers and editors in the mainstream media are pushing the not-qualified line; Republicans and right-of-center voices are showing enthusiastic support for Palin,...

How do they stack up? Barack Obama is supposed to be running against John McCain, but with the entrance of Sarah Palin onto the national political stage, it seems as though the race is now between these two political powerhouses. Much has been made of Obama’s judgment to lead in spite of his youth and relative inexperience. Likewise, much has been made of Palin’s unfitness to be first in line to the presidency because of her youth and relative inexperience. Therefore, it might be helpful for voters to take a look at their qualifications on key issues side by side...

"The reality is, governors every day have to make decisions for better or for worse. That's part of the job. It's an executive position. And it's a position that is like what you're going to do when you're president. Legislators, they do different things. They debate and they pass their bills back and forth," he said. "But governors make decisions, and I think it's a tactical mistake for the Democrats to question Gov. Palin's experience when she's been a governor of a state," he said. "I don't think the size of the state is relevant. It's the kinds of decisions...

In Search of Gov. Palin It is well past time for Sarah Palin, Republican running mate, governor of Alaska and self-proclaimed reformer, to fill in for the voting public the gaping blanks about her record and qualifications to be vice president. The best way to do that would be exactly what the campaign of John McCain is avoiding — an honest news conference. Instead, she has been the bell-jar candidate, barnstorming safe crowds with socko punch lines and plans for a single interview on ABC News built around a visit to Fairbanks, Alaska, and her hometown of Wasilla. Just in...

One rap on Sarah Palin's qualifications to be Vice President is that she governs one of our least populated states, with a budget of "only" $12 billion and 16,000 full-time state employees. On the other hand, it turns out that the Governor's office in Alaska is one of the country's most powerful. For more than two decades Thad Beyle, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, has maintained an index of "institutional powers" in state offices. He rates governorships on potential length of service, budgetary and appointment authority, veto power and other factors. Mr. Beyle's findings for 2008...

“But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed … when the roar of the crowd fades away … when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent’s plan?” –Sarah Palin at the 2008 Republican National Convention When Barack Obama was asked about his executive experience on Anderson Cooper's 360, he claimed that running a Presidential campaign was more "executive" experience than Governor Sarah Palin's tenure as mayor of a town in Alaska. Aside from the fact that Obama deliberately left out Palin's current executive experience...

Youtube Video. What makes him qualified now?

Service Changes People’s CharacterJerry Kellman, Barack Obama's supervisor during the candidate's days as a community organizer, talks about the attacks from the Republican Convention—and the vital role organizers play. Newsweek Web Exclusive Sep 5, 2008 | Updated: 8:17 p.m. ET Sep 5, 2008 **SNIP** NEWSWEEK: Palin questioned what Obama did as an organizer, whether he had responsibilities. What was his job like? KELLMAN: In the beginning he was by himself, he would talk to me and I would support him but that was pretty brief. Mostly, he was on his own on a small budget. Out of those scarce resources,...

BIDEN'S SON IN FUND SUITBy KAJA WHITEHOUSE Posted: 4:35 am August 31, 2008 Hedge fund executive Hunter Biden has had anything but a quiet introduction to his career in finance. The 38-year-old son of Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden is caught up in several lawsuits regarding the acquisition and operation of Paradigm Companies, an investment firm that operates a fund of funds - a hedge fund that invests in other hedge funds. Biden also appears to be feuding with partner James Park, the son-in-law of the Rev. Sun Myoung Moon, Court papers show. Biden, also a Washington lobbyist,...

By Sandy Froman This week’s treatment of Sarah Palin has been an appalling display of sexism and elitism. But the hatchet-men are in for a rude awakening. The attacks over the past few days come down to two things: First, Sarah Palin is supposedly out of her depth. She’s only been in high office for two years, age 44, and has no foreign policy or national security experience. They say she’s not ready for the big game. Second, they imply she’s a bad mother. She has a Down Syndrome baby, and her seventeen-year-old daughter soon will have a baby as...

Biden does not have 36 years of experience. He has one year of experence repeated 35 times.

Rapid-response team of female surrogates is being readied to take on the Republican ticket. By PATRICK HEALY and JEFF ZELENY, New York Times Last update: September 4, 2008 - 11:18 PM Sen. Barack Obama will increasingly lean on prominent Democratic women to undercut Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. John McCain, dispatching Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to Florida on Monday and creating a rapid-response team to deploy female surrogates to battleground states, Obama advisers said Thursday. Clinton's campaign event in Florida, her first for Obama since the Democratic convention, will include a forceful response to the searing attacks and fresh burst...

For those who may have thought that the effectiveness of the “inexperienced candidate” arguments being leveled at Senator Obama were somehow neutralized and rendered lame with the announcement of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate, don’t fret. There is a pulse and it is steady and strong. (It shouldn’t be, but it is). Indeed, conservatives were probably more than willing to veer away from that plan of attack after the vibrant and young Palin joined the McCain ticket, but thanks to the American left, it is very much alive - and conservatives don’t even have to go on...

For those who may have thought that the effectiveness of the “inexperienced candidate” arguments being leveled at Senator Obama were somehow neutralized and rendered lame with the announcement of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate, don’t fret. There is a pulse and it is steady and strong. (It shouldn’t be, but it is). Indeed, conservatives were probably more than willing to veer away from that plan of attack after the vibrant and young Palin joined the McCain ticket, but thanks to the American left, it is very much alive - and conservatives don’t even have to go on...

Over half of U.S. voters (51%) think reporters are trying to hurt Sarah Palin with their news coverage, and 24% say those stories make them more likely to vote for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in November. Thirty-nine percent (39%) also believe the GOP vice presidential nominee has better experience to be president of the United States than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. But 49% give Obama the edge on experience, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken before Palin's historic speech Wednesday night to the Republican National Convention. While Republicans and Democrats predictably favor their party's...

Who Am I? I am under 45 years old, I love the outdoors, I hunt, I am a Republican reformer, I have taken on the Republican Party establishment, I have many children, I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office. Did you guess? I am Teddy Roosevelt in 1900

** EXCERPT ** Provo, Utah - The nominating conventions, each dramatic in different ways, are nearly done and Americans are on the last lap toward the new presidency. Sen. Barack Obama promises billions for good works but is sketchy about how to pay for them. Sen. John McCain promises to bring the troops home with honor and victory, but nobody knows how this will really leave Iraq. Senator Obama wants to change Washington by vanquishing the Republicans in office. Senator McCain wants to change Washington by reforming the Republicans in office. ** snip ** William F. Buckley, that acerbic but...

"Maybe it's my own background as a mayor and United States attorney," Giuliani said. "But this whole idea of executive experience to me would really qualify her. I mean, she already has more executive experience than Biden and Obama combined...." ...Obama has argued that running his national campaign constitutes relevant executive experience. "My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wasilla, has I think 50 employees," Obama told CNN on Sept. 1, 2008. "We've got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe 12-million dollars a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for...

ST PAUL, Minnesota (AFP) - John McCain's presidential campaign on Wednesday took on claims that his shock running mate pick Sarah Palin is inexperienced, arguing she had better leadership credentials than Barack Obama. Hours before Alaska governor Palin was set to address the Republican convention, the campaign released a political advertisement saying Palin was a "reformer" while branding the Democratic nominee as made up of "empty words." Republicans have mounted a fierce defense of Palin who has been trapped in a firestorm of political and personal revelations since she was chosen by McCain last week. Supporters of McCain have been...

The ad touts the Alaska governor as an "agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's." On the day Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is set to speak at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, Sen. John McCain's campaign has propped up her credentials with an ad pinning his running mate against his opponent Sen. Barack Obama. The ad touts the Alaska governor as an "agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's." It also slams Obama as the "most liberal" senator. The 30 second ad also claims Palin "took on oil producers" while Obama, "gave big oil billions." The ad ends statubg...

At what point does a politician cross the line from wrong to rotten? Obama was asked to address the issue of experience by Anderson Cooper, specifically with a comparison of his experience with that of Governor Palin. So what does he do?Instead of addressing her time as governor of America's largest state, bordering two countries (one of them a rival nation), with a huge budget, a diverse population, and an 80% approval rating . . . . . . he focuses on her time before that, as mayor of Wassilla. THEN, he has the gall to compare her time as...

Since McCain nominated Sarah Palin, Senator Obama's experience has again become an issue. I guess the European jaunt didn't quite burnish his credentials. There are two arguments over his experience: One comparing his to Palin's, and the other absurdly argues that he is as qualified as Lincoln or Kennedy when they ran for office. I'll deal with the first and ignore the second. I think a business owner and governor has more executive leadership experience than a community organizer turned politician who eats donations and craps BS. My purpose here is to cut down the nonsensical comparisons with JFK and...

So how does the experience of Sarah Palin stack up against the experience of Joe Biden? Just ask British PetroleumWould you trust Sarah Palin to negotiate with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions? Well, why not? Palin came into the governor's office and found a mess on her desk. The oil deal struck by defeated Republican governor Frank Murkowski wasn't working. Through creative accounting by big oil and ambiguous reporting standards, the Murkowski plan just wasn't giving the State of Alaska the pay-off that was expected. So the former mayor of Wasilla (population 9,000, as the MSM always points out) demanded that...

Governor Sarah Palin is joined onstage by state commissioners, members of the gasline team, state lawmakers and representatives of TransCanada to celebrate the signing into law of HB 3001, which awards a license under AGIA to TransCanada for development of a natural gas pipeline.

Barack Obama contends that he is more experienced in executive matters than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin because he has managed his presidential campaign for the past 18 months. Speaking on a cable news channel Monday night, the Democratic presidential nominee said he is better prepared to handle a disaster like Hurricane Gustav because of his pursuit of the White House. “Well, my understanding is that Governor Palin’s town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year. You know, we have a budget of about three...

Anderson Cooper asked Barack Obama last night to answer the claim that Sarah Palin has more applicable experience than he does. In response, he completely ignores Palin’s status as governor, and then makes the claim that a campaign counts as executive experience: AC: Some Republican critics say, you don’t have the experience to handle a situation like this [Hurricane Gustav]. They’ve in fact said that Governor Palin has more executive experience as mayor of a small town and as governor of a big state like Alaska. What’s your response? BO: Well, you know, my understanding is that, uh, Governor Palin’s...

ST. PAUL, MN--From the McCain campaign on Tuesday morning.... Please see our campaign's response to Barack Obama's remarks that his experience as a candidate is equal to Governor Palin's executive experience: "For Barack Obama to argue that he's experienced enough to be president because he's running for president is desperate circular logic and it's laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama's inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to Governor Sarah Palin's executive experience managing a budget of over 10 billion dollar dollars, and more than 24,000 employees." ---Tucker Bounds, spokesman...

Article is from a Congressional report on U. S. International Boarders http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21729.pdf

"For Barack Obama to argue that he's experienced enough to be president because he's running for president is desperate circular logic and it's laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama's inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to Governor Sarah Palin's executive experience managing a budget of over 10 billion dollar dollars, and more than 24,000 employees." - Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008 Barack Obama Said That He Had More Executive Experience Because Of The Size Of His Campaign.

This guy is awesome. Let’s just get this fact out right up front. Barack Obama has no executive experience. Period. Any question about his executive experience is a trick question, and Obama should know that. It cannot logically be answered because he has never been an executive and thus cannot have any executive experience. But being Barack, I guess he can Hope for some. Hope counts for something, doesn’t it? So when Anderson Cooper asks Obama to compare his executive experience to that of Sarah Palin, The Messiah almost made me spray my coffee. Partial transcript follows the video.

Having spent over a decade as a headhunter for lawyers in another life, I've seen many résumés. And every résumé tells a story. The stories told by Barack Obama's and Sarah Palin's résumés could hardly be more different for two people of roughly the same age and aspirations. WHAT STORY DOES Barack Obama's résumé tell? Obama became the head of the Harvard Law Review in 1990 and graduated Harvard Law magna cum laude in 1991. These accomplishments suggest great intelligence and strong interpersonal skills. They also suggest limitless potential. So what did Obama choose to do with his limitless potential...

Last night, Anderson Cooper asked Barack Obama about his experience - citing the argument that Gov. Sarah Palin actually has more executive experience as a mayor and then as Governor of Alaska. Here is how Obama answered (Notice he disses Palin's hometown by calling it "Wa-silly" instead of "Wa-silla") . . . (see video at link) Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.com takes this answer apart in superb fashion: Let’s take the last point first. Did Barack Obama pass legislation bearing his recommendations for emergency management? A list of “actions” taken by Obama in the wake of Katrina compiled by a...