2008 May 27 | Rowsey Blog

Obama Sticks His Foot In His Mouth Again

May 27, 2008

Very interesting press release from the RNC:

Barack Obamas dubious claim is inconsistent with world history and demands an explanation. It was Soviet troops that liberated Auschwitz, so unless his uncle was serving in the Red Army, theres no way Obamas statement yesterday can be true. Obamas frequent exaggerations and outright distortions raise questions about his judgment and his readiness to lead as commander in chief.

Obamas False Claim:

Obama: I had an uncle who was one of the — who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps. And the story in our family was is that when he came home, he just went up into the attic and he didnt leave the house for six months. Right, now, obviously, something had really affected him deeply. But at that time, there just werent the kinds of facilities to help somebody work through that kind of pain. (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Memorial Day, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV1sxq8mqvA, Las Cruces, N.M., 5/26/08)

Historical Fact:

According To The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Auschwitz Was Liberated By The Red Army On January 27, 1945. On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, where they discovered some 7,000 prisoners, including young children, who had not been evacuated by the SS. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Web Site, http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/liberation/, Accessed 5/27/08)

Paid for by the Republican National Committee.

Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.

SOURCE Republican National Committee

Clinton was hounded for dodging bullets in Serbia.  Let’s be fair.

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Politics | 4 Comments 

Fire In the Skies

May 27, 2008

This AP article details something quite crazy …

The FBI is looking into a flaming projectile that was seen near a Cleveland-bound Continental Airlines plane just after it departed from Houston.

Scott Wilson, the spokesman for the bureau’s Cleveland office, says the plane wasn’t in danger and landed safely on Monday.

Wilson says the pilot described seeing a flame and smoke trail with the projectile, which passed in front of the jet over Texas.

The FBI’s Houston office is investigating whether a rocket club shot something into the air.

That rocket club better be more careful!

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Safety | Leave a Comment 

More Economic Woes

May 27, 2008

I don’t know if I am just in one of those moods, but the two posts that I have written thus far today both deal with the lousy shape of our economy.  The Columbus Dispatch tells us of Ohio colleges and universities that are also feeling the same angst as the rest of the county lately.

Senator Hillary Clinton has advocated for plans to make college more affordable for all students during this election cycle.  We can only hope that something will happen to help, and that it will happen sooner rather than later.

None of the colleges knows what its final figure will be because of “summer melt” — a trickling-off of committed students who decide not to go to the school after all. Some receive late offers from their top-choice college and go there instead. Others put school off for a year or decide not to go at all because of family emergencies, financial concerns or other reasons.

Everyone is waiting to see how the sluggish economy — including increasing home foreclosures, layoffs, record gasoline prices, soaring food costs and fears of a student-loan squeeze — will affect families’ ability to pay for college.

All the colleges have received more student appeals for financial aid, including pleas from families asking for consideration because of a drop in income.

The biggest test will come this summer when parents, particularly those with less-than-stellar credit, go out in search of private loans. Although few if any students are being denied access to loans, college leaders are increasingly nervous about how those looking to borrow will fare as fall classes near.

“Who knows what will happen once the bill arrives at their homes in July and they have to decide how they will finance it?” said Margaret Drugovich, vice president for university enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware.

How many of you or your parents are feeling the squeeze?

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Education, Hillary Clinton, Money Matters, Politics, ohio | 2 Comments 

More Evidence of a Slowing Economy

May 27, 2008

For once I wold love to open up the paper and see good news about our economy.  It seems like it was so long ago that we had that luxury.  A new article in the Columbus Dispatch details more evidence of a downturn in our economy.

U.S. home prices dropped at the sharpest rate in two decades during the first quarter, a closely watched index showed Tuesday, a somber indication that the housing slump continues to deepen.

Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller said its national home price index fell 14.1 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, the lowest since its inception in 1988. The quarterly index covers all nine U.S. Census divisions.

The narrower indices also set record declines. The 20-city index tumbled 14.4 percent during the quarter, the lowest since that index was started in 2001. The 10-city index plunged 15.3 percent, a record in its 20-year history.

I wonder where Ohio ranks in this category?

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Money Matters, Politics | 1 Comment