Hills

It is time for me to come out of the closet. I cast my primary ballot for Hillary. I know people have varying opinions of the two democratic contenders, but I voted for the candidate that was right for me. I've been reluctant to say much about either candidate because I have many friends who I admire, love and respect and know to be very thoughtful and intelligent people who feel strongly that Obama is the right candidate for them. I also know many Hillary supporters who almost seem shy or hesitant to admit it. I don't get that! So here goes ...

The campaign is getting me down. Let's face it, this country would be better off with EITHER candidate than it is now or has been for the last 8 years. Hell, McCain would be better!

I am realistic. I know in all likelihood Obama will get the nod. Unfortunately, I have a feeling McCain will destroy him in the election. The entire cycle will become about Obama's lack of experience (it's the war, stupid - a POW of war vs. well not much there) and the Rev. Wright bruhaha (even if McCain doesn't go after him directly for this, it will be a central issue - hello, can you say swift boat?).

I like Obama. I do. I think he is a good man. I just happen to think he is woefully underqualified at this point in his career. I also think the Rev. Wright explanation was not good enough. You don't sit in a church with a pastor like that for 20 years and then say, "a person chooses their church for many reasons." True, but should the primary reason not be the pastor? It doesn't ring true to me and I know that the republicans will exploit it. If I, a diehard Liberal (with a capital L) democrat, have doubts how does he have a chance with the soccer moms and swing blue collar workers that he MUST win? Personally, I feel there is a lot of show and no go.

I voted without any hesitation for Clinton in the primary and I hope I get the chance to vote for her in the general election. I know its probably a futile hope, but it is still alive. I think she is more equipped to fight and win against McCain. I think she is more experienced. I see that she has spent her lifetime working on issues that are important to me - children, medical care, social inequities. I look at her daughter and see, even with all the crap, an accomplished, well spoken, strong young woman. I could not, push come to shove, see a qualified woman in line with my beliefs on the ballot for the first time in my life and not vote for her. I am still mystified how her husband's failings have somehow become about her. I judge not. I have not walked in her shoes. But I do have faith that she would never intentionally harm this country, nor would she do so through ignorance or indifference.

In Maya Angelou's words:

"It may be easy to view Hillary Clinton through the narrow lens of those who would write her off or grind her down. Hillary sees us as we are, black and brown and white and yellow and pink and relishes our differences knowing that fundamentally we are all more alike than we are unalike. She is able to look through complexion and see community.She has endured great scrutiny, and still she dares greatly. Hillary Clinton will not give up on you, and all she asks is that you do not give up on her."

Someone Stop this Man

Huckabee:

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do — to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

For anyone who thinks someone this crazy can't get elected, I have one name for you:

George W. Bush

A Choice

Ultimately, who should decide a woman's fate? A woman? A woman and her doctor? The Supreme Court? Politicians?

This is my body I sit in, it should be my decisions that determine my fate. The VAST majority of late term abortions PERIOD are not the result of someone deciding "hey, I don't want to have this baby after all!" The misrepresentation of the facts and the states of minds and the ASSUMPTIONS about women facing what is probably the most brutal decision of their entire lives infuriates me. I don't have to agree with you and your choice, but I do think it is reasonable to assume that women with the guidance of their doctors should they seek it should be free to pursue a long standing medical procedure. NO one is happy when this decision is set before them.

I can't site specific statistics but I would bet money that we in 99.9% of the cases the situation is one of two - the fetus is NOT viable outside the womb & will likely die soon after birth either way from severe abnormalities OR the fetus is threatening the physical health of the mother. In either case, really, do we need to legislate the options available to her?

A judge makes a bad decision and a woman pays for it with her future fertility or even her life. Maybe I am hypersensitive to this issue having just faced a potential "late-term" abortion. I was 19 weeks pregnant when we found out that our baby was struggling. We had an ultrasound tech actually use the word "catastrophic" in reference to the potential problems. Typically, the edema and fluid on the lungs is a sign that the baby has a devastating anomaly - genetic or structural - and is NOT going to make it. We were beyond extraordinarily lucky. Some would even argue that we are a reason that these procedures should be banned because you NEVER know. Well the truth is we had every test known to man and everything with the baby looked fine. Often, parents are not so lucky and they have a test confirming this terrible disease or that one, or a sonogram confirming that their child is missing a brain, or most of their heart.

To tell someone that they MUST carry to term a baby that will undoubtedly die the moment it is born is beyond cruel. Many women choose to do just that. And I applaud them. I personally do not think I would have had the strength. I would and DID do anything possible to help my baby boy's chances. But we always had hope. Reasonable hope. I am not talking pie in the sky there may be a miracle and his brain will regenerate hope ... I am talking "we see no reason for him to have this problem - nothing genetically, nothing structurally, nothing!" hope. We had to persevere and figure it out.

How about this? Let's let the women actually faced with the decision, in consultation with their doctors, decide! I am not sure what I would have decided if I had to make a decision. Thank goodness I did not have to go there. However, I do know the important thing to me and my psychological health was that I had a choice. I could decide. Either way. I always believed in my convictions before being put to this test. Now, I even more firmly believe that no one can make that decision for anyone else. It is so personal and so difficult that is makes it impossible to be absolutist.

A Place to Direct My Anger...

Well thank you Rep. Foley & the republican party for giving me a place to direct my lingering hostilities.

"Yes, I am child predator, but really its because I am an alcoholic"?!?!?!

Leave it to the "moral majority" the party of the church to have this guy as a proud member. The worst part...the Repub leadership KNEW. KNEW. But you know what trumps pedophilia? That's right. A congressional seat. Anything to hold onto that seat.

Its ALWAYS the hypocrisy that gets me.