Obama agrees with Mccain

As I watched the presidential debate on friday , I couldn't help but notice how many times Obama said that he agrees with Mccain. Within minutes of the debate's end Mccain's site already had a 30 second video up with Obama saying Mccain is absolutely right multiple times. Obama's counter was a video stating the Mccain failed to mention the middle class even a single time in the 90 minute debate. In my opinion Mccain did better overall with Obama appearing weak when debating foreign relations. Obama mentioned attacking Pakistan and Mccain countered with " You don't say that aloud". One thing I found annoying was that when Obama was talking to Mccain, Mccain looked down. It appeared he was writing something down at times ,but he should have looked at his opponent when he was talking to him. One interesting thing that Mccain said was that Obama provided over 1 million dollars of funding for earmark projects for each day of his term as senator. While Mccain's goal is to reduce taxes and reduce spending , Obama wants to increase our taxes and increase government spending. Let's hope people see that even though Obama may be a good speaker , he is not experienced enough to be the next president.

Melamine in milk

This week 13,000 Chinese children were hospitalized this week due to the addition of melamine in milk powder. The milk powder producer knew there was melamine in the milk ,but failed to recall the milk in time. Melamine is a deadly chemical purposely added to milk and other products to give the appearance of boosted protein levels. This reminds me of the March 2007 pet food recalls in which rice containing melamine was used in the production of pet foods. The official number of pets affected is not known ,but it is estimated in the thousands. The problem is that melamine can get into human food when animals intended for human consumption are fed with products from china. The FDA says this is not an issue , but these days we buy so many things from China that Melamine and other poisons in Chinese goods is a real issue.

If China continues to have such lax safety standards how can we continue to trust their goods? China's companies are poorly regulated and many officials take bribes. This problem is very hard to solve because the U.S. is addicted to China's cheap goods. People are not educated and as a result more contaminated food will reach us. If something is not done people will die. The question is not if it will happen ,but when.

What does Barack bring other than pretty speeches?

At this time of political unrest and economic troubles, America needs a president with extensive political experience. Wherever I look, people are worshiping Barack Obama and singing his praises. He stands at a podium and yells about change for an hour and people blindly follow him. Review his political background and realize we need someone with more than just a few years of experience. Everyone always tells me how amazing Obama's speeches are. So what ? A speech means nothing in terms of how well a candidate can run a country. All Obama has done is manipulate America with his empty words. How will Obama help our economy with his speeches ? What will happen when Obama pulls out of Iraq and it becomes a breeding ground for terrorists? Only then will people see that they have been fooled by the great orator. His promises are empty and while things will change , none will be for the better.

Obama on gun control

Barrack Obama's view on gun control is that assault rifles and .50 caliber rifles should be banned. This view is flawed because even though those two types of guns are currently legal , less than 5% of crimes are commited with them. From The Daily Journal 1993-May-11, by Don B. Kates and Peter Alan Kasler: :

" "Assault weapon" is just a fearsome epithet for common semiautomatic arms, which fire no faster than a civilian revolver, pump rifle or shotgun. Contrary to claims that military-style rifles are preferred by druglords and other criminals, studies across the country show them rarely found in drug raids. And though they represent an estimated 27 percent of new sales, they constitute only 1 percent to 5 percent of the guns used in crimes. Their popularity reflects their use of high-strength plastic instead of wood, making them light but rugged for hunting, camping, pest and predator control, Olympic and other target competition."

There is no reason to ban something that is not causing a problem. If assault rifles were being used in a high percentage of crimes , I would support banning them ,but based on current statistics very few crimes invovle assault rifles. They are no more dangerous than regular guns because newer models cannot be converted to automatic mode. Banning them would only hurt honest people because no matter what is banned , criminals will still have it if they need to. Obama's gun ban may go through ,but the only thing this will do is give the criminals an advantage because common people will not have adequate self protection.

The proper course of action would be to put harder background checks and make sure people are trained in the use of the gun they are purchasing. The key is to develop a system that prevents criminals from buying guns ,but allows honest people accsess to them.