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From today's USA Today:

When President Bush addresses the United Nations this morning, a spokesman says he will tell foreign leaders there is a great sense of urgency to adopt legislation that authorizes the U.S. government to bail out troubled financial institutions.

From the 2008 Republican Party Platform:

We support energetic federal investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of criminal wrongdoing in the mortgage industry and investment sector.  We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself. We believe in the free market as the best tool to sustained prosperity and opportunity for all.

Emphasis added.  Ain't that a flip-flop.  The GOPers were against it before they were for it.  Then again, so was McCain:

After discovering a president cannot actually dismiss the SEC chief --- he can be relieved of his chairmanship, but not removed from the commission -- McCain changed his language. In a speech in Wisconsin, he called for Cox to step down voluntarily.

McCain also lobbed criticism at the Federal Reserve, saying it should focus on strengthening the dollar and get out of the business of bailouts.

So you see, flip-flopping is becoming the GOP's strategy du jour.

As a day job, I work with back-end computer support, and every once in a while a systems check is performed to make sure everything is running optimal.  Likewise, I think individuals should engage in a 'self-check' every so often.  More so, those that are involved in social affairs should do this especially as to not become immersed in their own manure.

Read below:

Latino registered voters rank education, the cost of living, jobs and health care as the most important issues in the fall campaign, with crime lagging a bit behind those four and the war in Iraq and immigration still farther behind. On each of these seven issues, Obama is strongly favored over McCain--by lopsided ratios ranging from about three-to-one on education, jobs, health care, the cost of living and immigration, to about two-to-one on Iraq and crime.

I don't know if they are ranked in order (too lazy to look at report), but I would put those as my top four.  So in a nutshell, even though I've been MIA, I feel I'm still in touch with the Latino heart.  After all, the Latino heart is a human heart, and these issues are what all Americans are concerned about.  I'd be curious to what issues some readers and writers of Latino Blogs are deemed most important.

I've written before about this at my home base.  Mr. LP himself chimed in on this issue as well.  Yet, it appears there are a good number of resentful Clinton supporters out there who would rather see Obama lose even if it meant that McCain and the same Republican crew get to keep the executive branch for at least four more years.  Via CNN.com:

In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Sunday night, 47 percent of those questioned are backing Obama with an equal amount supporting the Arizona senator.

“This looks like a step backward for Obama, who had a 51 to 44 percent advantage last month,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

“Even last week, just before his choice of Joe Biden as his running mate became known, most polls tended to show Obama with a single-digit advantage over McCain,” adds Holland.

So what’s the difference now?

It may be supporters of Hillary Clinton, who still would prefer the Senator from New York as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

Sixty-six percent of Clinton supporters, registered Democrats who want Clinton as the nominee, are now backing Obama. That’s down from 75 percent in the end of June. Twenty-seven percent of them now say they’ll support McCain, up from 16 percent in late June.

Emphasis added.  Do the math.  Twenty-seven percent out of 18 million voters is about 4.86 million.  That won't be enough to make Obama lose California, New York, or any of the other large or deep-blue states.  But it'll make a big difference in many of the battleground states out there.

And for what?  Do you really want to risk a McCain presidency?

Think about the right to choose.  Right now, one judge will make the difference between whether Roe is upheld as the law of the land or whether it's struck down.  The ages of four of these justices lie between 69 and 88 years of age.  It's not unthinkable that one or more of them will either die or retire over the next four years.

What will McCain do?  Here's a hint:

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion. Once the question is returned to the states, the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby.

Emphasis added.  Do you really want to risk that?  But wait, there's more:

Nuclear Power: Nuclear power is a proven, reliable, zero-emission source of energy, and it is time to recommit to advancing our use of nuclear power. The U.S. has not started construction on a new nuclear power plant in over 30 years. Currently, nuclear power provides 20 percent of our overall energy portfolio. Other countries such as China, India and Russia are looking to increase the role of nuclear power in their energy portfolio and the U.S. should not just look to maintain, but increase its own use. John McCain will put our country on track to construct 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 with the ultimate goal of eventually constructing 100 new plants.

Coal: John McCain will commit $2 billion annually to advancing clean coal technologies. Coal produces the majority of our electricity today. Some believe that marketing viable clean coal technologies could be over 15 years away. John McCain believes that this is too long to wait, and we need to commit significant federal resources to the science, research and development that advance this critical technology. Once commercialized, the U.S. can then export these technologies to countries like China that are committed to using their coal - creating new American jobs and allowing the U.S. to play a greater role in the international green economy.

Do you want to support costly, ineffective, and unproven sources of energy and risk increasing the environmental harm to your children?

As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos.

Emphasis added.  Is that the future you want for your country?

If you do, you're either a Republican, or you're blinded by disappointment.

An AM New York articletitled "Changing of the Guard" hit the streets today launching from Jesse's recent remarks about Obama "talking down to black people," to a change in the consciousness of black leaders today and past.

I think Latino leaders too (God, I hope!!!), have this thought process present today, but do not have the national media presence such as Jesse or Obama.

Texas, and Activists, and Bloggers.  Oh my.

Right now, Ruben Navarrete's ability to give me heartburn is remarkable.  I just came across his July 7 commentary on CNN.com and he's got the wrong facts out again.

There are 46 million Latinos in the United States. And, contrary to what the nativist fringe thinks, that figure refers to U.S. citizens and legal residents. Illegal immigrants are, shall we say, off the books. At least 9 million Latinos are expected to cast ballots in the fall, but that number could go as high as 10 million. They could have a disproportionate influence on the election because they're swing voters concentrated in battleground states.

OK, there's nothing wrong with that.  I just needed to add that to put his stupid comment in perspective:

And because this year, neither Obama nor McCain has a lock on Hispanic voters, even if it appears otherwise at the moment. Polls show that among Hispanics, Obama is leading by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Two-to-one, Mr. Navarrete?  Think again.

Obama leads McCain, 47% to 40%, with 13% saying they prefer someone else or are not yet sure about their selection in the race – just a slight shift from June’s survey, when Obama led McCain 47% to 42%. . . Among Hispanics, Obama has significantly boosted his lead over McCain to 71% to 19%. In June, Obama led among Hispanics with 54% support, compared to 44% support for McCain.

Emphasis added.  And again.

Obama leads among liberals, and has a smaller lead among moderates. He leads among black voters by a very large margin, and has a sizable margin among Hispanics.

Emphasis added.  How big?  Try 62%-23%.  That's closer to three-to-one.

The facts are that Obama has steadily gained support from the Latino community after he was deemed the presumed nominee.  He will hit a wall at some point and his numbers will go back and forth some.  Obama can't keep getting better forever (hate to break this to the Obamaniacs, but, he's only human).  But right now he's doing better than two-to-one.

The facts also are that while McCain had a three-month head start since he became the Republicans' presumptive nominee, he has not managed to attract Latinos - Cubans aside - in any significant way.

But Mr. Navarrete won't let the facts get in the way of a good political story: "Latinos Torn Between Obama and McCain."  It would make for a heck of a story . . . if it were true.

Just Discovering The Hispanic Vote?  Does this reveal more truth about McCain than other candidates?


More on candidates vying for Latino vote.

According to a poll from Public Policy Polling, Obama leads McCain in Florida 46% to 44%.  Although it's within the margin of error of the survey (+/- 3.6%), it is telling that among Latinos, Obama leads McCain 51% to 37% (on page 7 of the results).  That trend is consistent with PPP's results for Virginia (47%-36% Hispanics & "others") as well.

I guess we can start putting this myth to rest now.

UPDATE - 7-2-2008: 

Hispanic registered voters' support for Barack Obama for president remained consistent and strong in June, with Obama leading John McCain by 59% to 29% among this group.

While Hispanics generally preferred Hillary Clinton to Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, a solid majority of Hispanics have consistently backed Obama against McCain in general-election trial heats. Obama has led McCain by about a 2-to-1 margin since Gallup began tracking general-election voting preferences in early March.

Emphasis added.  This is just what I expected: when Latinos look at what McCain and Obama have to offer, Latinos would brake in large numbers in favor of Obama.

Now, the only thing we need is to remember to vote.

...this statement, I mean:

"According to some surveys, the Hispanic vote appears to favor now the Republican candidate John McCain, who has a more favorable position than Obama to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants."

However, thus sayeth the facts:

"So far, according to poll after poll after poll on Latino presidential voting preferences, Obama is edging out McCain — in most cases by a lot. […]"

If your Spanish and living in America and still don't speak English (or know someone who doesn't), and are interested in American politics and how it may affect your life then you can watch the Democratic National Convention which will be available online in Spanish this year.

What else is there to conclude when the Democratic National Convention Committee has decided to simulcast the Democratic Convention en Español:

DENVER – In keeping with its commitment to make the 2008 Democratic National Convention the most accessible and technologically-savvy event of its kind, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced today that Comcast Corporation will produce simultaneous, online streaming coverage of the Convention in Spanish at DemConvention.com and make available a broad range of Convention content through its signature On Demand service.  The DNCC also announced that Comcast has been named the Convention’s Official Cable Television and Video-On-Demand (VOD) provider. . .

“With Spanish as the primary language of approximately 35 million Americans – not to mention the more than 300 million Spanish-speakers outside the United States – offering bilingual coverage of the Convention makes more people feel welcome under the Democratic Party’s ‘big tent’,” said Texas State Senator and Convention Co-Chair Leticia Van de Putte [honest, that's her last name.  I'm not making this up]. “As a Texan and a Latina, I’m proud to belong to a party that embraces the Hispanic community.

To all those Latino bloggers crying rivers of tears because Obama wasn't reaching out to Latinos . . . I know a pretty good cheese to go with that whine.

. . . but I told you so.

Obama leads McCain among registered voters, 47 to 41 percent, which is outside the poll’s margin of error. In the previous NBC/Journal survey, released in late April, Obama was ahead by three points, 46-43 percent. . .

In the head-to-head matchup, Obama leads McCain among African Americans (83-7 percent), Hispanics (62-28), women (52-33), Catholics (47-40), independents (41-36) and even blue-collar workers (47-42). Obama is also ahead among those who said they voted for Clinton in the Democratic primaries (61-19).

Yes, it's still pretty early in the game, but when it comes to Latinos, I'm not seeing anything here I didn't expect.

Sort of to follow up on L.P.'s last entry (which sort of  follows up on one of my entries at my home base), this is really scary.  Via The Field Negro, this is the kind of crap popping up on the web now:  Hillary Clinton supporters for John McCain.  Why?

Hi folks. My name is Ed Hale and I am life long Democrat till May 31, 2008. When I saw those 30 people break the rules and make their own, and then to vote to take away 4 of Hillary Clinton's delegates, but worst of all, make the uncommitted go for Obama, that was my last straw.  What I saw today was what went on in the USSR (Russia) 30 years ago. The Boss's called the shots, and I decide that I did not want any part of them.

They have treated Hillary Clinton worst than I would treat a mad dog. This site is up to get like minded people to join so if they do go ahead and nominate Obama, we will be ready to make sure that he never goes to the White House. If Hillary get the nomination, then I will be leading the charge for her.

Emphasis added.  "Break the rules"?  Where did I read about that before?  Ah, yes.  Right here.

The rules are the rules.  Like the sword, you live by them and you die by them.

Which, of course, makes it kind of funny and sad that this loser and its kind are using the "breaking the rules" argument to try to slam Obama.  It was agreed that the Michigan and Florida delegates weren't going to count for anybody, and the Clinton crew didn't have a problem with it until she started falling behind big time and was unable to catch up.

Anyhow, what do Ed and company want?

It is our mission to raise money, promote John McCain. We will set up a "527" to raise money, run TV and radio ads against Obama. The Democrat party has left us out in the cold, so we are going to build a fire that they cannot put out.

Ah.  The old "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" argument.  It didn't work out too well for our foreign policy with the Taliban.  Or with our support for the Shah.

You know it's all nonsense.  These are the kind of people you don't bother with because you cannot reason with.  They cannot see beyond their pain and animosity.  The important thing is to keep an eye out for them to prevent them from attracting the ones who can be talked to and reasoned with.

Obama and Hillary had nearly identical positions in almost everything.  Hillary and McCain aren't even close.  It's those differences that we need to focus on when we talk to others who are considering voting for McCain.

Consider this an open letter.  I'm a male, so I can only begin to appreciate your disappointment and frustration.  And I understand why, at this stage, you'd rather sit it out in November.  I cannot understand for the life of me why you would vote for McCain since most of his positions are 180 degrees from Clinton's.    I think that's what they call "cutting your nose to spite your face."  Whatever choice you're contemplating, my sincerest plea is this:

Don't do it.  Please, don't do it.

My friend Roberto (who posts here from time to time), wrote this recently on his blog (go there for the whole piece).
I'm bewildered by this attitude that some women may have.  Hillary herself doesn't have this attitude...why do you?  Did not Hillary endorse Obama?   Would Hillary vote for McCain?  Just ask yourself WHAT WOULD HILLARY DO???

Maybe these women who share this retarded attitude are voting purely because Hillary IS a woman, and nothing more. 

I've been telling people for a long while that when Latinos look at Obama and Johnnie Mac, the choice will be so crystal clear that Obama won't have a hard time garnering the lion's share of the Latino vote.  Now, Ruben Navarrete, Jr. echoes that point, somewhat.  I have to give him some credit because Ruben is the Latino columnist that has elicited the most "shut the f*** up!" reactions from me, almost from day one.

A new Gallup Poll summary of surveys taken in May shows Obama winning 62 percent of Latino voters nationwide, compared with 29 percent for McCain. The pro-Democratic group Democracy Corps compiled surveys from March through May that showed Obama with a 19-point lead among Latinos. And a Los Angeles Times poll last month showed Obama leading McCain by 14 points among Latinos in California.

I'm not surprised. As I have been writing for months, Latinos haven't been voting against Barack Obama as much as they've been voting for Hillary Clinton. Give the senator from New York credit. She took full advantage of Obama's late start in courting Latino voters, and she had the benefit of what remains a popular brand with Latinos: Clinton, Inc.

Emphasis added.  Of course, leave it to Ruben to trigger yet another "shut the f*** up!" moment on this one.

Now that the Illinois senator has become the presumptive nominee, and Hillary has suspended her campaign and endorsed him, Latinos really have only two choices -- go with Obama, or vote for John McCain.

Choice No. 2 is not such a bad option. McCain would make an excellent president. And, in fact, I suspect that, when all is said and done, many Latinos -- perhaps as much as 35 percent -- will put their support behind him. Not because they have anything against Obama, but because McCain has -- for more than 15 years and long before the immigration issue became prominent -- had an outstanding record of reaching out to Latino voters, earning as much as 70 percent of the Latino vote in his Senate re-election campaigns in Arizona.

Emphasis added.  First, I have to wonder what the heck does Ruben see in McCain to conclude he would make an "excellent presidernt."  Perhaps Ruben was really smitten by the U.S. staying 100 years in Iraq.  Or about the possibility that McCain will nominate Supreme Court judges that will make it easier to overturn Roe.  Or, since he's out in California, the idea of suspending the federal gas tax really appeals to him.  Whatever the reason is, we don't know since that's as conclusory a statement as it gets.

Second, in politics as in the stock markets, "past performance is no guarantee of future performance."  Besides, if you bother canvassing through the election results in Arizona, which you can find here, you'll find that in McCain's "closest" election, he got about 58% of the vote.  And in 2004, he was reelected with neary 77% of the votes.  Since Ruben doesn't even mention when McCain got 70% of the Latino vote, we can't tell whether his Latino support is "substantially greater" than the norm (if that happened on the former election) or "somewhat lower" than the average (if it happened on the latter election.)

It doesn't matter how much experience McCain has courting the Latino vote.  McCain is stuck with the GOP's position on immigration: enforcement first, and foremost; dehumanization and criminalization of illegal immigrants; and border fences to "keep them out and keep us safe from 'them.'"  With a party like that behind him, he won't win too many Latino voters.

So, Ruben, when it comes to how great McCain would be for Latinos, just shut the f*** up, please!