Pre-Election Live and Local Radio

I'm on live right now at 850 WFTL, and will give you all the web info to find out more about the guests on today's show here.

We started out by speaking with Ion Sancho, Leon County, FL Supervisor of Elections. He is featured in a new documentary about the challenges with the elections systems in place today. The film can be downloaded for free, and it's something everyone should watch, regardless of your political affiliation. Find it at http://www.stealingamericathemovie.com/.

In our first hour together today, I also spoke with Massachussetts Governor Deval Patrick, who's stumping for Obama in South Florida today.

And I had a spirited conversation with former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, who's working to unseat Lincoln Diaz-Balart in Florida's 21st Congressional District. Visit http://www.raul2008.com/ for more info.

The 1:00 hour was jam-packed with visits from Congressman Ron Klein of Florida's 22nd District, followed by his challenger, Col. Allen West.

Annette Taddeo phoned in. She's a first-time candidate who's running a competitive race against incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, from Florida's 18th Congressional District.

And the McCain campaign supplied a local businessman from his "Joe the Plumber" tour.

The 2:00 hour began with a call from State Senate candidate Linda Bird, who's running against incumbent Jeff Atwater.

The rest of the program was spent with listeners on the phone. As one less-than-fully-informed caller spouted concerns about Barack Obama because of his past association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. So, I wanted you to learn a little more about a guy who may have delivered a few incendiary sermons and went too far on a few occasions...

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you,but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, leftcollege in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.

In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They providemedical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian andbecame a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned tothe Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital , as a memberof the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery.

For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation.What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/ sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student andone for being a prospective father.

Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger thanthe African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay incollege until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies toserve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beatthe system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice somethingor those who merely talk about their love of the country?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained asa minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one ofAmerica 's biggest cities.

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.

I started the show with a piece written by John Gray, called A Day in the Life of Joe Republican. I guess we could change it to "A Day in the Life of Joe the Republican Plumber." But it is good food for thought on this final weekend before election day 2008:

August 29th, 2004 9:38 pm
Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican
by John Gray

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have”.