Who really cares about lipstick choices, hairstyles, salad green preference, hair plugs, personal injuries or injustices.

I am even sick of hearing about pregnant daughters, shooting moose, emails with stars, the tails of airplanes and the costs of a wife's dress.

Aren't we all tired of the lies and comments about religious beliefs, flag pins, "crazy" pastors and age?

As Americans, true patriotic, red-blooded stewards of the greatest political experiment (gone right) in history we need to be talking about three things.

SURVIVAL. SUCCESS. DOMINANCE

Survival -
Of course we need to protect our people from terrorists and eminent threat. Let's force politicians to provide a better definition of these terms. Let's also force them to provide a better explanation of what they will do in the future to protect us from them.

Success -
Are we all going to just wait around to lose our jobs and start drifting around the country like poor American's in the 1920's and 1930's? The excess of the first couple of decades in the 1900s provided both good and bad. There were great philanthropists, but greedy people were the majority of the rich. The results was a crash of the markets, followed by something we call The Great Depression (with all of those important capital letters). The result of this was the rise of the Democrats, Social Security, industry regulation and many of the other protections that have eroded, under both parties, for the past 30 years. Yes these things slowed our growth and created a burden for the government (especially Social Security). But, they also ensured that we had protection against those within, or outside, who care about their own success at the expense of everyone else. Let's force our politicians to provide real answers to our economic situation. Let's be prepared not to like all of them (recovery may not come easy). Let's insist that they prove they have the support from Congressmen (and women) and Senators to force these idea to become laws. NO MORE EMPTY PROMISES FROM EITHER SIDE. NO MORE CANDY-COATED STORIES ABOUT HOW OUR "FUNDAMENTALLY-STRONG" ECONOMY WILL RECOVER WITHOUT EACH AND EVERY AMERICANS HELP!

Dominance -
The single most impressive thing about America has always been US, the American people. We dominated thought around the world not because we had the biggest army, or we had the most money. We dominated not because we spoke the loudest, were the most pugnacious or won the most medals in games. WE DOMINATED BECAUSE OUR STRUCTURE ALLOWED FOR PERSONAL FREEDOMS THAT WERE UNHEARD OF IN MOST PLACES OF THE WORLD. We were willing to accept a bit less from the government in return for allowing a little more for ourselves. Now we have candidates who actively (with support) announce the freedoms that they want to withhold or rescind. I TELL YOU WHAT, GIVE ME A STRONG ECONOMY FIRST. ENSURE MY SURVIVAL FIRST. Let us once again dominate by the simple fact of being AMERICANS rather than because we have more money or more guns.

If you have made it this far I am impressed. Many of our fellow citizens stopped reading long ago. They deserve whatever failed policies we have and what ever empty promises they get. SADLY 300 Million cannot steer a ship. It takes a small command unit to accomplish that. If you want to be part of the command unit, but like me, are not a big corporation or industry with an endless supply of cash and lobbyists, then please do two things:

1. Make a list of the fundamental or core issues you truly feel it will take to fix this country. *(this list should not contain anything issue that is specific to "you". It should be something that is applicable to ALL AMERICANS)

2. Contact Barack Obama's campaign and tell them that you will vote for him, but only if Mr. Obama can prove, not just talk about, the facts of how he will enact solutions. He must be able to show support from those who have the power to stalemate him (Congress and Senate).

The reason I have not put this same challenge to John McCain is because he has already made it clear, through words and action, that he believes the current process is at east 90% correct. I think it is much too far of a leap to expect him to change course (some might say again) at this late date.

Thank you from a frustrated fellow AMERICAN.

We must make substantial changes to current laws before we give up the rights to natural resources such as oil and natural gas on lands leased to drilling companies. We need to change existing law to allow the federal government to collect the appropriate amount of royalties in lieu of being under paid by the oil companies. In light of record profits we need to take away the corporate welfare known as incentives as well as tax breaks for oil companies drilling on federal land. We need to increase the fees for oil and natural gas that is harvested from the leases. We need to put some teeth into enforcement and oversight of the leases if the recent sex and corruption scandal in is any indication. It is time to hold the CEO's of these oil companies not just financially responsible but morally and ethically responsible for the conduct of the companies they lead as well as holding our public officials and employees to a much higher standard. We need to ensure that the companies that drill on public lands are held to high environmental standards while drilling and harvesting oil and natural gas on public lands. We must insist that these companies be financially responsible for environmental problems caused by their operations on these lands and in the oceans.

"Yet there is another compelling reason to oppose the plan: the federal system of offshore leasing has been characterized by gross mismanagement that has allowed big oil companies to avoid paying billions of dollars in royalties. There is no reason to doubt that an expansion of drilling leases would bring more of the same."

After all it's our natural resources the oil companies want to put on the world market, and then charge US consumers $4 a gallon (while raking in record profits), not theirs and we as owners of these natural resources should expect more return on our natural resources.

When these conditions are meant then we need to lift the moratorium on ANWR and the continental shelf. Then and only then should we allow our government to lease any additional areas for drilling by the oil companies.

To hear what the has to say on the subject.

Submitted by j2j2
J2t2@q.com

The first is option is to kick the dirt in disgust and stay home on election day.

The second option is to go vote for the same politician you did last time and the time before that. You know, that same politician who, along with his/her fellow politicians, are responsible for this government being run the way it is.

The third option, and the only one that makes any logical sense, is to vote, and this time vote for the challenger, even if you have to hold your nose to do it. Why does this make sense? Because if the average reelection rate for U.S. Congress drops from around 92% to 60%, the majority of politicians will develop a new found respect for the voters who just might kick their butt out next time around.

Politicians won't improve government unless we voters improve our sense of responsibility for electing and UNelecting them.

David R. Remer
Vote Out Incumbents Democracy