A Guest Message from Pinky Reid and Grandma Pelosi

You Americans just don't know what's good for you and the country. We cannot continue our addiction to carbon based energy. We don’t have a supply problem in the US, we have a consumption problem. Americans are using too much energy, far more than their share of the world’s supply.

The United States Congress under our leadership is going to encourage America to use less by continuing to block development of oil reserves in the outer continental shelf off the east and west coast. We will continue to block additional drilling for oil in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. We will continue to protect ANWR from oil production. Nuclear power plants will also be blocked, although we may study that energy source for a few years before we decide not to allow their development.

To control our excessive consumption we will mandate the following measures: an emissions cap, hybrid and flex fuel cars, 25%-30% renewable fuel electricity, zero emissions buildings, reduction of speed limits, personal carbon limits, and decreased development in suburban areas. All of these mandates will most likely keep gasoline prices below $10 per gallon. That’s our energy plan for the future.

The result may be massive unemployment, freezing poor people, and a chaotic economy but we're willing to impose those sacrifices in order to cure this unhealthy addiction. Call it a cold turkey solution if you like, and we're not referring to lowered thermostats, but we, with our vast experience and wisdom, know that this is the best medicine for our country. Vote for the Democrats and Oback Arama in November and you can count on it.

Oback Arama and "THE BOMB" at Pearl Harbor

There are some who have taken snippets of my recent speech in Indiana that referred to Pearl Harbor and accused me of gaffing. So I will publish the statement in context so that you will see that it is not a "gaffe" as some have charged. Here is the statement:

"But it is wonderful to be back in Indiana. In a few moments, we’ll open up the discussion. But I want to offer a few comments about some of the emerging threats that we face in the 21st century and offer some ideas about how we can face those threats.
Throughout our history, America’s confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world."

Now, no one can dispute that a bomb fell on Pearl Harbor. In fact, as we all know, many bombs were dropped by the Germ... uhh... umm... hold on one second, I can't hear myself, by the ahh.. all right, ok, uhh, oh yeah, you know, aah... by the enemy on D-Day at Pearl Harbor. The particular single bomb type weapon that I was referring to was the one that fell on the battleship that's out there in the harbor. You know, the one with that memorial thingee on top of it. So I was correct as you can see and within the context of what I was saying, there was no, in point of fact, actual gaffe spoken or committed by me or the Oback Arama campaign.

So the media and my opponents need to stop the politics of personal destruction and fear, and start talking about the facts and substance of this campaign. We need to be talking more about change and hope and a looking at the future for our generations that will be in the future after us and our children and our children's children and our children's children's children.

That's change that works for me, and that's why Oback Arama is running for president.

Oback Arama and Brandenburg Gate

Many seem to question my qualification to speak at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. I will now set forth to you my history of support of historic events which cry out that I merit the opportunity to speak at this important landmark.

Back when Winston Churchill gave his famous Iron Curtain speech in Fulton, Missouri in March, 1946 although I was not yet born, I gave my full support to everything he said to the extent that I was able, and I still support and endorse him completely.

I remember well the famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech given by my idol John F. Kennedy in Berlin back in June of 1963. I watched it from my crib on my mom’s TV that day. I gave JFK my full endorsement and support, and I was so moved by his words that from that day on I demanded that my mom let me wear big boy underpants. I still had a few accidents but I can say unequivocally that to this day, I almost never have any more accidents. I do, however, have a strange craving for jelly doughnuts.

Although the film actor, Ronald Reagan was a Republican of the opposite party, I supported him leading up to his speech in 1987 at the Berlin Wall by patriotically opposing mid range missiles in Europe, by supporting a nuclear freeze, and by opposing the Strategic Defense Initiative. Furthermore, in my powerful position as a community organizer in Chicago I was an instrumental part of the destruction of that wall.

I supported the 1991-92 Gulf War by patriotically opposing it as a law student and as President of the Harvard Law Review. My opposition to the war brought quick victory, although George H. W. Bush should have gone to Bagdad, so that I could have had an opportunity to oppose the occupation of Iraq. As president of the Law Review, I gained valuable experience as a wartime president that I will use to oppose things when I am elected U.S. President by you.

I am the only presidential candidate to patriotically oppose the current Iraq war from its beginning, and I am the only presidential candidate who actually had no power to vote for or against the war. You see, I was an important member of the Illinois Senate where I opposed the war by voting present on a great number of bills, and by voting in favor of the right to choose death for abortees accidently born alive. I also patriotically opposed the surge of troops in Iraq, and although some have said it has been a success, everyone I hang out with says it was too little too late.

I could probably drone on for hours about my qualifications but I will just sum up by saying that I shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, and say whatever is necessary in order to assure that I attain the presidency. I have the audacity of hope that you will now change your mind about this important issue. That will be hope and change that I can use.

I am Oback Arama and that’s why I’m running for president.

Oback's Comprehensive Mandating Plan

You Americans are energy pigs and the world is not going to allow you to continue to be energy pigs. It's just not fair. I have a comprehensive energy plan that will reduce consumption and the cost of energy for all Americans and will also increase our reputation in Europe and around the world.

My first steps as president will be to rein in the oil companies with a windfall profits tax, and a full investigation of oil company price gouging. I will reinstate the presidential executive order banning drilling on the outer continental shelf and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. ANWR will remain off limits to oil drilling. There will be no new refineries or nuclear power plants during my watch. These policies will allow us to usher in a glorious new age of green renewable alternative energy and after 30 to 50 years we will no longer be dependent on foreign oil imports.

My green economy and climate change program includes the following:
1. mandate an emissions cap and trade auction,
2. mandate hybrid cars and biofuel infrastructure,
3. mandate 25% to 30% renewable fuel electricity,
4. mandate zero emissions buildings,
5. mandate flex fuel vehicles,
6. mandate speed limits,
7. mandate mileage standards,
8. mandate personal carbon limits for each citizen, and
9. anything else I can think up to mandate.

All of this mandating and change would wear out an old guy like John McCain but with my youth and inexperience, I can assure you that you can have hope that I will mandate things until the cows come home as they say in my home state of Illinois.

So vote for me and you can have hope, change and audacity all in a single package: me.

I'm Oback Arama and that's why I'm running for president.

Oback and Evangelicals

I have hope that I can get enough of the evangelical vote to put me over the top. I don't need a lot of it. My strategy is to soft pedal the abortion thing and perhaps claim a change of heart on the late term and accidently born alive issue. I don't understand the reasons behind the evangelical love affair with fetuses. There is no way that a mere blob of tissue's right to life trumps the right of the mother to terminate it but I'm willing to risk losing a few pro-choice votes to gain a bigger chunk of the evangelical vote. Besides, who else do the pro-choicers have to vote for?

My other tactical thrust is to press the social gospel program to the limit that I can and to keep emphasizing my "born again" experience. Those things should give comfort to evangelicals who differ with me or feel uncomfortabe with my positions on certain less weighty issues. It also gives my "yes we can" followers amunition for debate with dangerous "right wing" evangelicals. The right wingers will never vote for me but I don't need them anyway. I only need to peel off a percentage of the rest to reach the goal.

I have the audacity of hope that I can pull this off.

I'm Oback Arama and I'm running for president

Oback and the Illusion of Flips and Flops

I had hoped that my previous post on this subject would have put this issue to rest but I feel that I must again respond to the vigorous false charges that claim that I have been shifting positions on the issues. Those who complain are making a basic philosophical error as I will now show you.

Because I received my education in the halls of the Ivy League and because I am a true 20th century liberal, you should know that truth to me has a relative quality. With respect to the issues in this campaign the truth is, of course, relative to my ability to get elected. So to those who have the primative view of truth being absolute, it would seem that my positions have shifted when in fact they have remained bedrock "true" to the anchor of my electability. These complaints of flips and flops are evidence of the intellectual bankruptcy of the neanderthal political right and it would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic. My presidency will bring hope, change and a clearer view of truth to our great country.

I'm Oback Arama and I'm running for president.

Oback Arama and High Energy Prices

Fellow Americans, I felt that it was important to summarize my policies concerning high energy prices:

1. I will tax the windfall profits of all domestic oil companies.

2. I will allow no drilling on the outer continental shelf in any currently unleased locations.

3. I will allow no additional nuclear power plants during my presidency.

4. I will allow no drilling in ANWR.

5. I will endorse a cap and trade carbon emissions law which severely penalizes the majority of our current energy producers and users.

6. I will enforce conservation through speed limits, automotive MPG requirements, enforced car pooling, enforced mass transit use, centralized government thermostat control in commercial and residential buildings, a restriction on suburban residential growth, a ban on interstate trucking, nationalization of the US rail industry, nationalization of the US airline industry, and ultimately the nationalization of all US energy industry.

The above measures will either increase energy prices, or cause severe dislocation for many of our citizens, but that will be good for America and fair for the world.

I know that these measures will not be popular, but it's time we stopped using more than our share of the world's energy. I know that the United Auto Workers, Teamsters, airline workers, energy workers and other hard working Americans will have some employment difficulties due to the destruction of their jobs, but I am confident that if they vote for me, they can have the audacity of hope that many more ethical and environmentally responsible jobs will be created for them in emerging green industries.

My hope and your hope should be that we can take our failed Democrat policies of the past and make them work this time. It will require that we all sacrifice with a little discomfort here and there. Just put a sweater on over yur sweat gear in the winter and take off your underwear in the summer. I know that we can do it if we unite together, and crush anyone in the opposition with quick and severe enforcement.

Can we do it?

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

I'm Oback Arama and I approved this message.

Oback Arama and Flips and Flops

I’m not sure what my critics mean by “flip/flop” on issues. I have had a perfect consistency on all of my positions since I started public life. My critics are starting out with false premises that of course lead to false conclusions. They think that Democrat politics are logical, that policies must be consistent within their own context, and that truth is something that has an absolute quality about it. What I believe and have shown consistently is that truth has a relative quality about it. It brings to mind the words of a famous Roman procurator who asked many years ago “What is truth?” Well, for us Democrats, the truth is whatever will get us elected to office. By using that parameter, you right wing bozos will finally see the consistency of our words and actions. Now, have I confused you? If so, then try this on for size: truth is whatever I say it is. After all, I am Oback Arama. I’m for change, even for changing the definition of truth.

That’s change that works for me and change I can believe in. Can you believe in that kind of change?

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

I’m Oback Arama and I approved this message

Oback Arama and Drilling for Oil

Frankly, I am disapointed that the price of gasoline has risen as rapidly as it has. I would have preferred a more gradual increase to current levels. I support a gradual increase in price to the price paid in European countries in the range of $9 to $10 per gallon. That will constrict demand so that people will switch to driving golf carts to work and to grandma's house.

Yes, it's true that high gas prices will hurt the middle class the most but it's time they learned that the world is sick and tired of our using so much energy and the middle class just needs to get over it. Yes, yes, I know that Democrat policies have caused the high prices that are destroying the auto industry, the trucking industry, the travel industry and other energy intensive industry, but our standing in the eyes of the world will increase dramatically if we reduce our use of fossil fuels. I am counting on the fact that the unions will still support me and those boz.. irr... aaah workers will still vote for me and when they do, I will get new and better and more ethical jobs for them in green industries that the auto workers and teamsters will love.

The right is so ignorant about the laws of supply and demand. Just because you increase supply by drilling doesn't mean that prices will come down, at least that's what my advisors and the Democrat brain trust in Congress keep telling me. When you elect me to be your president, I promise to use sound Democrat laws of supply and demand such as: confiscating obscene profits from our evil domestic oil companies, starting Justice Department investigations of oil company price gouging, and additional regulation of oil companies and the securities industry. Long term I will mandate that states develop and implement a centralized mechanism controlling the thermostat settings of all residential and business property.

You can have hope that I will change these things and others to bring us to policies that will make us feel good about ourselves. Riding in golf carts is change that works for me and change that I can use. Can you use that kind of hope and change?

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

That's why I'm running for president.

I'm Oback Arama and I approved this message.