Let’s be honest, can you summarize the proposed platform of your preferred candidate? Wouldn’t it be just swell to embarrass your arrogant and frustratingly ignorant rival by articulating candidate policy proposals while he blindly gropes for the same old misleading talking points stolen from Sean Hannity? I think so. Every week, The Shifting Center will summarize the policy positions of Obama and McCain as listed on their Web site. I’ll include additional research if pertinent. If, for example, either candidate’s initial claim contradicts what they’ve done or voted for in the past, I’ll take note of that.
The contrast between Obama and McCain on the issues is immense. Ultimately, this is what voters need to pay attention to starting now. Looking at their published platform indicates not only who they are trying to reach, but which Americans they care about, as well (you think that should be everyone, right?)
But here’s a sad preview of the forthcoming months’ election coverage so you don’t have to endure the inept bloviating. The pundits will be getting off on each other’s incessant opining of who the VP running mates will or should be for the next two months. The neocon talking heads will dig up a “scandalous” bio on every scary black person that shops at Obama’s grocery store, or something of the sort. Brian Williams will drool at the sound of his voice while his lapdog Russert will show how great he is at Electoral Map addition. Wolf Blitzer will shed the silver beard hair-by-hair as he unravels the latest poll results. Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart will be damn brilliant tearing down their “journalist” colleagues.
As much as the media wishes politics were like American Idol or Days of Our Lives, this election must be about issues. You won’t get much of that from the mainstream media (MSM), so get your pencils out, learn the policy proposals (sounds fun right!) and tell your friends. Because if I’m paying off the second trillion dollars spent on the Iraq war in 2059 because we elected McSame, it’ll be a darn shame — my grandkids will want nice graduation checks.
Civil Rights
Obama’s Stance
Yes, their are still grave inequalities in the good old U.S.A. What does Obama see as the problem? From his Web site:
Pay Inequity Continues: For every $1.00 earned by a man, the average woman receives only 77 cents, while African American women only get 67 cents and Latinas receive only 57 cents.
Hate Crimes on the Rise: The number of hate crimes increased nearly 8 percent to 7,700 incidents in 2006.
Efforts Continue to Suppress the Vote: A recent study discovered numerous organized efforts to intimidate, mislead and suppress minority voters.
Disparities Continue to Plague Criminal Justice System: African Americans and Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites to be searched, arrested, or subdued with force when stopped by police. Disparities in drug sentencing laws, like the differential treatment of crack as opposed to powder cocaine, are unfair.
His plan:
Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement
Obama will reverse the politicization that has occurred in the Bush Administration’s Department of Justice. He will put an end to the ideological litmus tests used to fill positions within the Civil Rights Division.
Combat Employment Discrimination
Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that curtails racial minorities’ and women’s ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
Obama will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepherd Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Section.
End Deceptive Voting Practices
Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
End Racial Profiling
Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support
Obama will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates.
Eliminate Sentencing Disparities
Obama believes the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.
Expand Use of Drug Courts
Obama will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.
How would he do all this? Obama provides a more detailed blueprint for cleaning up the Department of Justice. Basically, hundreds of thousands of civil rights injustice claims come in every year, and since the end of the Clinton administration, many of those claims are going unheard by courts. Hmm. Wonder why. Here’s his plan.
McCain’s Stance
Because the GOP is all about liberty and freedom, they’d be in an uproar whenever a civil rights injustice occurs; you can count on that . . . Hang on for a minute while I search for McCain’s stance on civil rights.
Hmmm . . . it appears the good people at johnmccain.com forgot to put up the civil rights link in his issues section. Darn. Not a mention of it in any of the sub-sections either. Let’s search the archived articles on his site. Nope. No policy proposals or positions found on civil rights issues. Except that gays shouldn’t be marrying each other. (Obama agrees, but supports civil unions and equal rights) I guess that’s a civil rights issue, right?
Well, at least I don’t have to write as much tonight. If John McCain is now the leader of the Republican Party, is this to say the GOP doesn’t care about equal pay, prosecuting job discrimination, stopping voter fraud, and equal treatment with drug sentencing?
But at least we have his record:
- I’ll start with a tip of my hat. He has a great record supporting Native American issues. No direct mention of that on his issues page though. Only archived links to articles. Obama has tons of policy initiatives that represent our nation’s oppressed First Americans.
- McCain voted against making Martin Luther King Day a national holiday in 1983. Last month, he conceded to the King family that his vote was wrong and apologized.
- McCain voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes in 2002.
- McCain voted against the widely bi-partisan Civil Rights Act of 1990. He helped Bush Sr. become the first president to successfully veto a civil rights measure. He stands by his decision to this day, using a false assertion that the act supported a quota system for job hiring.
Issue Scoreboard:
Obama: 1
McCain: 0
What do you think?
Next week:
We’ll tackle education. Leave No Issue Behind!
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