There's a strong tradition of spiritual revival in the deep South as well as many parts of the U.S. that have suffered the apathy that comes from hard times. An economic depression can be spiritually depressing as well, rendering the best in all of us effectively 'asleep at the wheel' and off course. The promise of HOPE is not some new political buzzword engineered in a focus group for the 2008 elections. Hope is what I learned from my parents, teachers, co-workers, community and growing up in church. Hope is what I now teach my own children, and the very promise of America. Hope is why no matter how we may stray, we all come home to the big tent in the end.
A famous story passed down through the generations of traveling ministries that would often set up their Revival Tents in some of the most economically depressed areas of the deep South goes something like this:
A minister was asked, "Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn't last?"
The minister replied, "Why do you keep taking baths?"
Boots on the Ground, Balloons in the Air, Up in the Polls!
Someone WORKING...for a CHANGE is so much more than a campaign slogan for this working man running for Congress to finally represent the interests of the people. It's the very work ethic that permeates our campaign for North Carolina's 8th District and shows in our dedicated army of volunteers and recent polling.
That's important to the nearly 200,000 working folks across our 100 counties employed by the North Carolina tourism industry, but it's just as important to the millions of Americans who spend billions here to enjoy the best of everything, from mountains, to cities to our one of a kind outerbanks and pristine coastline.
George Bush and Robin Hayes want to change all that to line their own pockets on the way out of office with the Big Lie that energy independence requires giving the oil industry more corporate welfare and even more access to our fragile resources, like North Carolina's outer banks.
Yesterday, George Bush's Supreme Court struck a mighty blow for downtrodden multi-millionaire long-term Congressional incumbents everywhere - especially those in economically devastated District's like North Carolina's 8th. In the typical 5-4 decision we've come to expect from this SCOTUS, Justices Alito, Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas declared the "Millionaire's Amendment" that seeks to level the playing field in an already millionaire dominated legislature a "violation of the First Amendment."
The title of the article in Hotline sums up the decision perfectly:
The Associated Press is reporting a new milestone in the ever-growing disparity between the wealthiest and the weariest as described in John Edward's mission to bring the "Two America's" together for a sustainable, strong future. For the first time in history, the planet is now home to 10 million millionaires, with the fastest growing segment of the newly rich emerging in places like India, China and Brazil. It's no accident those just happen to be the places that American millionaires, like George Bush, Dick Cheney and my opponent Robin Hayes, sent the jobs of the shrinking American middle class in their globalized race to the bottom.
Millionaires account for less than one-fifth of 1 percent of world's 6.7 billion people, yet the supperrich, with at least $30 million in assets (Robin Hayes has more than that just invested in defense firms making money off the Iraq War), are getting richer even faster off the Bush-Hayes economic policies of the last near decade while the entire world suffers global crises of poverty, energy, health, food and environmental insecurity.
Yesterday, my campaign suprised motorists traveling through the heart of the 8th District of North Carolina with $1.22 per gallon gas, the price when my opponent Republican Robin Hayes first took office. The event was unannounced, just a Father's Day surprise to help struggling families and do some good while getting our message out, so it was truly shocking to see literally hundreds of cars line up within minutes of the sign changing.
The reaction of people was even more revealing about just how much damage a near decade of the economic policies of Robin Hayes and President Bush have devasted this bellwether District.
'We are a purple state.' - U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, arguing that Obama will put North Carolina in play in November.
Our Democratic Nominee is even coming to North Carolina today to prove it.
Obama launches new tactics in N.C. Campaign aims to turn red states blue
Barack Obama stops in Raleigh today, planning to use a populist economic message and a hefty campaign war chest to capture North Carolina's independents, newcomers and Hillary Rodham Clinton voters.
It's sadly indicative of not only the current administration, but the prior near decade of complete Republican control over all government agencies, what it takes for any "progress" to finally happen for the average working American. It's tragically no different for our hard working military, in spite of all the "support our troops" rhetoric from those that do anything but...
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