Candidate's wife pledges help for families of troops

I am the wife of an Air Force Combat Controller (Special Ops) with 15yrs Motto Is "First In, Last Out". I admire Amanda McBreen's views and thoughts and like her husband who is a Marine Corps guys Special Operations Guys are Number 1 Dialed to go in First and everyone else comes in next. Health care is very important when it comes to families.

At least I was taught this in my classes on logic, discourse & debate, in public schools. So, some time there is no need to differentiate, between the two. By the way, I'm proud of my public school education, from 1st grade to post graduate. I did go to a private kindergarten. There were no public ones available for us, back in the 50's; at lest none we were made aware of. Have a great day.

Thanks for asking--the chemo kind of knocked me flat for about six days this time. I go three weeks between treatments so that is not all bad.

I saw your comments elsewhere about the Pilot doing an article on fixed income retired folks and I think you should pitch that to the public editor or someone.

It is good to hear everyone's stories--I just like to hear them group by group, as the Pilot usually does them (I think my brain is organized that way, ). Cheers, MGM

"I don't agree that Obama should choose his running mate based on a Pilot-on-line poll. Washington Post, maybe. What do we know down here?"

Sometimes I don't think we know very much, but I was using the Pilot poll just as an example of what people are thinking. I found it interesting, that here in our area, Hillary Clinton was the fave for Obama's running mate.
P.S. I hope you are doing well.

My biggest concern about the political posts is that few people seem to be able to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion. And that is taught in pre-logic courses in school (or should I say in private school--I have no idea if the publics teach it at all anymore). Cheers, MGM

Show something as to each writer's persona. As such, one person may or may not agree. One may even be unable to see logic in an other's musings, at times. Life, sometimes works that way. Makes it, quite often, interesting. You all, have a great day.

I don't agree that Obama should choose his running mate based on a Pilot-on-line poll. Washington Post, maybe. What do we know down here? All of our political posts are just diatribes, repeating the stuff we have heard others around us say or culling from websites that lean our way. And that goes for D's and R's, both together. I haven't heard one original thought about the election from either candidate nor any post on this website in the entire month I have been on here. I am beginning to think that the Virginia Beach superintendent is right--we *really* need to go back to teaching critical thinking skills, logic, etc. in school. Cheers, MGM

We should just let your past comments speak for themselves.

Any of my post, on any subject, who comes to the conclusion, that I feel any one, with an opinion different from my own, is a racist, is guilty of projection of their own bias. I write facts, nothing more. If these facts bother some of you, that's not due to anything but your own points of view & perceptions of what you feel is or isn't meaningful to you. Some of you are constantly accusing others, with whom you are predisposed to disagreement, of playing the "Race Card", or of being bigoted or racist because you refuse to see validity in any opinion divergent of your own. That's not civil discourse or debate; that's behaviour beneath an intelligent person of reason & couth, possessing decorum.

...that's what they did. And now the Bush tax cuts are about to go away, so our taxes will go up. Obama is promising to raise taxes, and if you think he'll only raise taxes on the "rich" you delusional. Gertz is right--Hillary should've had the nom. She'd make a good president.

Instead of listing one of dozens of polls we should concentrate on the fact that the polls are worthless. The only one that will matter will be a vote in November. After all, during the primary no one was concerned w/ the actual vote numbers from Florida. Guess how many people have polled me? None. Either way, they are out there.

On a side note, Obama chose not to aggresively court state's w/ poor polling numbers(see WV). Not the regular politician is he?

According to the Wall Street Journal: Published 7/23/08

Richest Americans See Their Income Share Grow, by Jesse Drucker:
In a new sign of increasing inequality in the U.S., the richest 1% of Americans in 2006 garnered the highest share of the nation's adjusted gross income for two decades, and possibly the highest since 1929, according to IRS data. Meanwhile, the average tax rate of the wealthiest 1% fell to its lowest level in at least 18 years. The group's share of the tax burden has risen, though not as quickly as its share of income....

As far as "control" of Congress, what did the GOP do during the 6 years the held both the House and Senate and the White House-not much to help out middle class Americans. The last two years, it has been veto after veto.
They are coming so often the Thelma Drake voted against the GI Bill on the "threat" of a veto.

Look at the Pilot's poll on who Obama's running mate shoud be and it's Hillary Clinton. Clinton should have been the nominee in the first place.

but Ira that cuts both ways. I know that you've seen the "Nobama" references and the like. By the way, what polls are you speaking of? I haven't seen a single poll in which McCain is ahead...

I have read three 'dependable' polls today that provide results that show the two neck in neck and McCain ahead in 2 instances. A poll at this point is about as dependable as counting votes on this blog. It is who chooses to participate. Sadly, Obama and his Obamites depend heavily on these numbers. They are a group that only speaks out if a group is standing behind them. Grazing around picking snippets out of news stories trying to link McCain to Bush, creating cute nicknames like "McBush", and using minimal information to present their candidate in a favored light. per multiple dares I have challenged several of you to "show us the light." Like someone else said, "this is not American Idol." Dig deeper than the headlines and think for yourself.

Capt Kirk, you are correct about one thing; the republican party has abandoned it’s core principals to move the real conservative base to the left. Well, guess what, the republican train left the station with very few passengers on it. One of those passengers is John McCain. But the real, true conservatives will stick to the principle of a limited, constitutional government. So your poll numbers reflect that idea. On the other hand, the democrat party was high jacked by extreme left socialists with a desire to dismantle our form of government and turn it into marxist state. So, the ass party is out of touch with Middle America. Besides, poll numbers are skewed. If I went to Ghent and took a poll you would think that 90% of all of Norfolk is voting for Mr. Obama. Don’t get too comfortable with polls. They lie just as much as politicians do.

I know the Obama plan is to have government provide all employment...

I thought you said facts?!

Obama 47%

McCain 41%

In a few months we will have a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president. This will happen because republicans allowed their party to be taken over by political and religious extremists and right wing wedge voters. The elephant party is now as out of touch with the majority of us as Democrats ever were.

It's time for the republican party to put its crazier element back in the box and return to the middle. If the party doesn't, republicans will feel like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" every November.

Before the Bush tax cuts, the top 1% of wage earners paid 37% of all income tax. After the Bush tax cuts, the top 1% are paying 39%. That's a 2% increase in taxes paid by the top 1% of Americans who pay taxes. Before the Bush tax cuts, the top 5% paid 56% of all income tax. Now the top 5% are paying 60%. This information is available at the IRS and Department of Treasury web sites. You have to do some reading and a little bit of math, but with some effort, you can educate yourself and form your own opinions instead of just repeating what you hear. What we need are more rich people paying these taxes, not the same number of rich people paying more taxes. Poor, and most middle class don't create jobs, rich folk do. I know the Obama plan is to have government provide all employment, but then we'd have to CHANGE from USA to USSR, and we all know how well that worked out.

How about pledging some help for those without health care and people on fixed income. It's not ALL about the military!

...I recommend you get your facts together before you post. The Republicans have NOT controlled Congress for the last eight years. The Democrats you appear to adore have controlled both the Senate and House of Representatives for almost two years now--they gained the majority in November 2006 (Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid). And look at the great job they've done with the war in Iraq, our economy, gasoline prices, the most ethical government ever, etc.

Keep on smoking those buffalo chips you refer to. It will be devasting to America if either candidate grants amnesty to illegal immigrants--that's where a lot of the wealth comes from -- slave labor among illegals while we Americans pay for their healthcare, schooling, etc. and are victims of their unchecked crime. Obama's own words indicate he wants "economic justice"--translation--Marxism at best, communism at worst. Obama will "invest" (take your money to give to others) your money by taking it and giving it to people who largely do nothing. Last time I checked, no poor person ever employed me or created the opportunity for me to compete for a job in their business. I'm sure there are lots of lazy people who will be thrilled to get more of your money while they sit on their porch all day, but they won't give you a job or create the business that will give you the opportunity to get one! Your st

to the top 1% of Americans. King George W. has put in place, with the help of a Republican Congress, policies that help those who are wealthy, become wealthier. So if you want this trend to continue, be sure to vote for McCain and second wife, the heiress, Miss Buffalo Chip, Cindy. Maybe then she can buy another plane or add to her list of eight houses.

I've never read such a ridiculous article. You are supposed to be impartial and REPORT the news (which this isn't) and not write little love articles on your favorite socialist and his affirmative action-educated wife (who apparently is under the delusion she got her education on MERIT which those of us who aren't of color had to do). Barack Obama has exactly 143 DAYS of legislative experience and seems to think that all he has to do to lead is to have the rest of us join hands and sing Kumbaya! This is such a total puff piece that it should be in People magazine because they don't delude themselves in to thinking that what they publish is journalism. Where are the hard questions that the Sainted Obamas have no answers for? They are busy hoping for the better tomorrow in their vision...I'm voting for one with John McCain.

This article was taken down much, much earlier than usual from the Pilotonline. V-P--your bias and clear support of Obama is transparent to your resaders. You're no longer reporters, you're advocates. Heck, I think many of you are even on Barack's campaign committee. Where's the Newport News Daily Press and local TV investigative reporters when you need them? Are they at the same Obama rallies as participants, too? Answered my own question.

Helping Americans have a better life should be the objective of every president, as long as it’s done within the framework of our constitution. Once the government takes control of anything, the government gets to call the shots. Do you really want the government to decide what YOUR better life will be, or do you want the freedom to decide that for yourself? Do you really want the government to decide how much of anybody’s money is too much, and then decide to whom the excess should be given? Do you really want the government, who, according to Michelle Obama, already provides substandard health care to our military and VETS, to provide YOUR health care? Do you really want to be told, “No we won’t vote on what the people want. We will tell them what they can have. Let them inflate their tires…and eat some cake while they’re at it!”?

... the failed Bush policies." And Obama is clear in his quest to continue the failed Karl Marx policies. I'm surprised Michelle was able to take the time off from writing lyrics for Ludacris to make this trip.

You know..FDR, JFK, LBJ.......the Big BO.....!

BHO’s presidency is a win-win for liberals. People weighed down with “white guilt” (Be gone, already! It’s not helping) get to feel morally superior by voting for an in-over-his-head, though very “articulate” half-black guy with a strange yet cool foreign-sounding name, and black liberals get to wallow in waves of smugness, hanging on to the hope that BHO will “do something for them” once he’s in office.

..... our economy is in shreds, our Constitution battered, our military overstrained and the average person's wallet is bruised and battered.