McCain has chance to grab the presidency -- Ray Hanania

McCain has a chance to grab the presidency

By Ray Hanania

John McCain is not my choice for president. But he sure has a chance to win the presidency this November. He just has to make the right choice.

Will he?

My perspective on McCain is tugged between him being the silent accomplice watching and witnessing as President Bush and his "Cabinet of Evil" orchestrated one of the world’s greatest frauds and war crimes lying to send our soldiers to Iraq to avenge the lost honor of his father, George H.W. Bush, the former president.

On the other hand, McCain the Republican is the only other choice left as Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate runs out of steam and his Democratic Convention putters along, boringly and with no real inspiration.

That’s the problem with "phenoms," a cute word contrived by his spin-masters to describe Obama as a "phenomena." They start out strong and run out of steam.

The first night of the Democratic Convention should have opened like the Beijing Olympics. Dazzling inspiration and awe-inspiring choreography that took our minds away from China’s history of tyranny and oppressive civil rights abuses.

Instead, the ObamaFest in Denver looked more like a boring remake of a popular movie that just isn’t better than the original.

I’m tired of the Kennedys, the Irish political mafia clan that has exploited the inspiration of two sons murdered by American hate. Sure, the Kennedys are great people, but is that what we need in today’s day and age to inspire us?

Michelle Obama was a poor choice to keynote the Denver Convention. She is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But the issue isn’t whether or not we need to know how loving of a husband Barack has been. She didn’t speak to the "Democratic Street."

In fact, what is happening on the "Democratic Street" on the floor of the convention, on the news talk programs and even right here in Chicago, Obama’s own back yard, is that Obama hasn’t delivered on his "phenom" promises.

Hillary Clinton remains a formidable force and even if she tells her supporters to support Barack, we know she doesn’t mean it. The fact is Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton have been disrespected by the Obama’s and his expensive and over-funded campaign machine.

When it comes to our economy, Bill Clinton was the best president we ever had. Better than Ronald Reagan.

Despite his personal flaw with Monica Lewinsky which was little more than gristle for the hate-mongering Republican and Conservative news media, and his fumbling of his last minute Middle East peace efforts, Clinton was the real "phenom."

And instead of starting the convention with Sen. Ted Kennedy – the least loved of all the Kennedy clan, or even with Michelle Obama, a nice lady, the convention should have started with a bang. A Powerful speech from Bill Clinton, followed tonight by a powerful speech by Hillary Clinton.

That’s what’s lacking in the Obama candidacy. He is too insecure about the Clintons and it shows. He is too afraid that they can steal the show. Obama might become a great president, if he had someone at his side who many Americans can trust.

Senator Joe Biden? Give me a break. He’s a selfish political animal who has pandered to his constituency and has ruled the Senate Foreign Relations Committee only since Democrats took control of the Senate and has done what? Nothing. A cowardly lion on a committee of power.
The Democratic Covention is over before it even started.

I don’t care how much Hillary Clinton urges her supporters to support Barack Obama.
The bottom line is many Americans are wondering whether a gamble on Barack for four years will be any worse than a gamble on a "mini-me" George Bush in the form of John McCain.

McCain may represent a third-term Bush – the only difference is that while Bush hid from his patriotic military service during the height of the Vietnam War, McCain showed courage.

By the way, what war did Obama serve in? The South Side political wars?

McCain may be a Republican clinging to a party that has driven this country into an economic tailspin and caused the world to hate us even more.

But McCain might only be in office for four years. And that means that Hillary Clinton could easily and would most certainly become the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in 2012.

And so far, there is little convincing evidence that that is a bad thing.

McCain has a chance to win. He needs to do something inspirational if he hopes to win the support of the disgruntled Clinton voters, who represent MORE than half of the voting Democrats, even counting the "independents" who swing back and forth at elections and supported Obama this time.

His choice of a vice presidential candidate is his last shot at securing the election this November.
If it is Rudy Giuliani, he might as well say goodnight. Giuliani is a George Bush who knows how to lie better. If it is disgruntled Sen. Joseph Lieberman, McCain can say goodbye to an opportunity. Lieberman is a disloyal Democrat who disrespected the wishes of the Democratic voters in his state.

It’s up to you John McCain.

This is your election to win or lose.

You will decide whether Obama’s so far uninspiring convention will lead to a victory or whether you can steal the thunder.

Do you care about American Democrats?

Or, are you so wedded to Republican ideology that you can’t see what’s best for America as a whole?

END

Free Credit Reports are not free at all

Every once inawhile I will try to address consumer issues that affect many people. If you have an interesting one, send it to me and I will check it out. This came from a reader who said she wanted to get here "Free Credit Report."

You've heard that jingle on TV where the "dude" sings his song about how he had a lousy credit and didn't know it and it ruined his life. He tells you to go to FreeCreditReport.com and get your "free" report. Well, it's not as "free" as they claim. There are, as always, strongs attached.

You get a free credit report ONLY if you enter your credit card and sign up to pay a monthly fee to get the service. If you don't fill out the credit card information, and agree to make the monthly payments, you won't get the free credit report. And, when you do fill out the credit card information, if you don't call them to cancel AFTER receiving the report, they can start billing you.

Is that "free?"

I think the dude should start singing a new tune.

I don't think so.

How come our elected officials don't crack down on companies like that? A Free Report should be free, no strings attached.

PayDay loans targeted by legislature

Robert S. Molaro
6245 S. Archer Avenue • Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 838-1212 • (708) 354-0743 FAX


STATE LEGISLATURE TO GO AFTER
PAY-DAY LENDERS
PRESS RELEASE 8-11-08
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Rep. Julie Hamos has held her first meeting at the State of Illinois Center in Chicago attempting to stop the high interest lenders from avoiding the Payday rules and regulations and making CILA (Consumer Installment Loan Act) loans at the same high interest rates they were making as Payday loans.

Currently, Illinois residents can borrow money from a number of sources referred to as sub-standard lenders. This would include what we refer to as "Payday Lenders" and CILA Lenders.

The Payday Lenders charge a statutory 403 percent interest for a two-week loan. However, they are regulated and required by the State of Illinois to have every loan approved from a database program which monitors and limits the individuals borrowing to a maximum of $1,000, as well as other numerous consumer safeguards.

Some of these Payday Lenders have been circumventing this database and interest rate cap provision by making CILA Loans which allows them to exclude themselves from the database while continuing to charge 300-400-500-600 percent (or more) interest rates and avoid other consumer safeguards.

The traditional CILA lender provides emergency cash loans to credit-challenged individuals.

These companies provide an important service to this under-served populace by lending cash to the Illinois residents without traditional access to credit, providing them a necessary alternative from traditional Payday loans with their high interest rates.

During the last General Assembly session, Rep. Robert Molaro proposed drawing a definite line between Payday and CILA lenders. He proposed distinguishing the CILA companies as "double-digit interest rate lenders" and a Payday operators as "triple-digit interest rate lenders." Rep. Molaro’s legislation acknowledges that triple-digit lenders must be strictly regulated, including participating in the $1,000 loan limit database, and be subject to other necessary consumer protection provisions.

Rep. Hamos will hold her next hearing on August 21, 2008 at the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle Room C-500, Chicago, Illinois at 1:00 p.m. in an effort to resolve all of the complicated issues needed to not only protect consumers, but also address the concerns of traditional CILA loan companies

"I am very supportive of Rep. Hamos’ efforts in addressing predatory lending in Illinois. We recognize that many people have failed credit and rely heavily on being able to borrow money without having any collateral. The major concern is to not be unfair to the hard working men and women of Illinois who do not have good credit and have a real need to borrow money at rates that are not ‘predatory,’" Molaro said.

Besieged Franktfort Township official Paul Ruff to address anti-Muslim charges Wednesday

Frankfort Township Assessor Paul Ruff, who I reported has been under siege for allegedly making anti-Muslim comments in an email sent out to residents in Frankfort will hold a press conference Wednesday at 1 PM at the Township building. Here is the email notice of the event that Assessor Ruff sent out Saturday afternoon:

I just wanted to take a moment to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to
everyone who has contacted me over the last several weeks to express their
support. The phone calls, e-mails and letters have been overwhelmingly
positive.

As most of you know, the media coverage has been much less positive, and in consideration of this I will be holding a press conference at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, August 20th. The press conference will be held at the Township Building, 11008 W. Lincoln Highway, Frankfort, in the meeting room available to all residents.

I will have a Will County sheriff’s department deputy available to make sure there will no demonstrations. Please, feel free to join me as I need your support, if you can’t come I understand about this short notice.

Thanks again for your continued support and, as always, you can contact me at any time by e-mail, paulruff@msn.com or through my web site www.paulruff.org

Warmest
regards,
Paul

PS, You Must read this Sundays Southtown-Star on Page A-10; you will not be disappointed.

The controversy received much press, as Ruff notes, including this column by a writer at the HuffingtonPost.com, where I also write.

I tried to reach Mr. Ruff but could not get through and he did not respond to my emails.

I believe the email he sent out was one he received and then forwarded to others, something people do all the time, incuding with material that is somewhat edgy in nature. There haven't been an prior instances of Ruff expressing anti-Muslim sentiments.

My only concern is that the township will be using its staff or a Will County sheriff to prevent free speech in the form of counter demonstrations. There's a middle ground here on this issue that is important and while I am not sure if Ruff did or did not cross the line -- things involving Muslims always gets exaggerated on both sides of the contrvoersies -- I don't think anyone should be prevented from expressing their views or even protesting.

That said here is what I believe:

Mainstream Americans like Ruff have real concerns about Islam that are not being addressed.

There is a tendency for some Muslims to gather around the wagons on every issue involving a Muslims -- oftentimes I am denounced (ridiculously) as "anti-Muslim" simply because I criticize the ridiculous and stupid actions and dictates of Islamic extremists like the Bridgeview Mosques Imam Jamal Said who has reportedly told his Muslim parishioners that it is a sin" to participate in Halloween. They also denounce Valentine's Day and even Thanksgiving as "sins." It's pathetic, but the real problem is the even more naive and ignorant mainstream American media which over reacts on every issue.

I don't believe Ruff is a racist. I think he may (or may not) have dispatched an email that said bad things about Muslims and he should know better, but that doesn't deserve the attacks he is getting.

On the otherhand, some of the loudest supporters rallying around Ruff are extremist Christian racists and fanatics, too, like some of those who have been writing letters to the editor, cited by Ruff above, in the Sunday Southtown/Star.

There is a moderate middle ground and it behoves everyone to try their best for the sake of preserving our great society to find it.

-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com

Hypocricies in the mainstream media

I had to laugh when I read Steve Huntley's column in Friday's Chicago Sun-Times. Steve, my former editor there, has fashioned himself as one of the leading enablers of anti-Muslim hate. He has company at the Sun-Times although the ranks of Muslim bashers have been weeded out in the newspaper's transition from bully pulpit under the racism of Baron Conrad Black to returning to respectable journalism again as a great newspaper. Huntley is the odd-man out, though, with his narrow views on the Middle East.

Huntley, citing one of the most critical anti-Muslim newspapers in America, the Wall Street Journal, notes that Muslims have protested to Random House over a new book called “The Jewel of Medina.” And then Huntley goes on to set up the Council on Islamic Relations, CAIR, in his column, tying them into the theme that Muslims protest excessively and monitor the media too closely. (CAIR, in my opinion, is inconsistently either a leading proponent of free speech or often the leading vigilante squelching free speech.) The protests have led Randomn House to not release the book. The book is about the Prophet Muhammed who led and founded the Islamic religion that “only” a 5th of the people of the world observe. The book has been described as scurrilous and vicious and pure anti-Muslim hate.

And here's Huntley, arguing that it's sad when voices are silenced because of bigotry. What a hypocrite. Huntley served on the Sun-Times board at a time when anti-Muslim and anti-Arab voices were not only silenced and prevented from being articulated, but when they hate-mongering against Muslims and Arabs was at it’s ugliest and most vicious crescendo.

Believe me, if the book were a gossip-filled dissertation exposing Jesus as something other than the Christian Messiah, he’d be all over it demanding that it be removed from store shelves. Sure, he’d say, publish it, but don’t you dare sell it or face my ugly wrath!

Huntley didn’t write to blast the Wall Street Journal which hounded Chicago attorney Mazen Asbahi out of a job as a volunteer liaison between the Muslim Community and the Barack Obama campaign. The Wall Street Journal reported that Asbahi served on a board that had some members who were from another board who were … GASP! … Muslim! Eeeeiyiiiiiiieeeeee! Oh my God! Muslims are Americans too!
Guilt by association is the bludgeon that hypocrites like Huntley and the Wall Street Journal justify when the targets pray to the wrong religion.

It’s all pathetic and one reason why the mainstream American news media is faltering. It’s not just the economy. Hell, the economy has been up and down for years but you have never seen the devastation being reeked upon the print news media like the Chicago Sun-Times these days.

No. The print media is faltering because the writing in many newspapers over the past decade have turned to the far, ugly right. Conservative neo-fascism disguised as free speech used to bully and intimidate anyone who has a viewpoint that they dislike. And it hasn’t been just one newspaper. It has been most of the major newspapers. The writing has been filled with hate-mongering, and vicious slander of a religion and a people.

If a Gay person went on a killing spree, no one would write he’s a terrorist symbol of the evil Gay Rights movement. Andrew Cunanan. If a Chinese man on the street in Beijing goes on a knife wielding rampage killing two innocent tourists, no one calls him a representative of a terrorist people. If a Catholic farm boy fills a truck with explosives and parks it in front of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, no one calls Christians terrorists.

But, if one Arab or one Muslims does anything crazy, criminal or violent, the entire Islamic World is held responsible. Islamic terrorism. Islamic violence. Muslim fanaticism. Islamo-fascism. Those words role off the lips of writers who exploit anything to make Muslims and Arabs look bad.

No. The print news media isn’t suffering just because the economy is bad. Everyone is suffering because the economy is bad. The print news media is suffering because more and more open-minded people are turning to alternative sources on the Internet instead of reading their junk in the inked up pages of their newspapers and their minds. More and more journalists who have been shut out of the mainstream media because of their religion and ethnic heritage have found a stronger wider voice on the Internet. More and more people have found that the Internet, not hate-mongering newspapers like the Chicago Sun-Times, allow them the true essence of free speech that the mainstream news media hypocritically manipulates.

The Chicago Sun-Times, overall, is a better paper than it was when it was in the hands of imprisoned felon Conrad Black. But the anger from some corners in its newsroom remains far too disturbing. Not that newspapers care. They love to dish it out but they can never take the criticism. They slam everyone and then one someone slams them, they engage in campaigns of intimidation and libel.

I’m going to send Random House a letter thanking them for caring about the concerns of Muslims and Arabs – Christian Arabs, by the way, are Muslim by culture and although we don’t observe Islamic religious practices, we identify closely with the essence of the Islamic lifestyle that is really about peace, justice and family values. (Yes, every group has its dark side but, like I said, no one holds those bad apples as representatives of the entire orchard, except writers like the Chicago Sun-Times’ Huntley, I guess.


(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and author. He can be reached at www.TheMediaOasis.com and by email at rayhanania@comcast.net.)


Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com

Is your computer safe: from the Better Business Bureau

Steve J. Bernas President & CEO

Tel: 312-245-2514
Fax: 312-832-1907
Cell: 312-848-8437
Web: www.chicago.bbb.org

BBB
330 N. Wabash Ave Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611




News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE





Is Your Computer Taking You Where You Want To Go?

Chicago, IL, August 14, 2008- The Better Business Bureau warns that if you use your computer to buy or sell items, or do other financial transactions, requiring passwords and user IDs, you should confirm the online security of those Web sites. And you need to make sure the latest patches to stop criminals from diverting users to fake Web sites where a user’s personal and financial data could be stolen have been installed.

“For every new use that your computer enables you to do, there always seems to be another negative, nefarious or criminal use that often counters the benefits,” says Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.

Bernas explains that on July 30, 2008 the New York Times printed an article about a flaw in the Domain Name System. This Internet-wide system translates Web site addresses that most users can understand into numeric versions that computers understand.

The flaw allows a criminal to redirect Web traffic to a fake site that looks like the intended Web site. This would allow the person to steal the user’s name, password and other information. There would be little or no indication of the user’s misdirection.

“This is a global problem but it is our understanding that many of the large Internet providers, such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have fixed the problem for their customers,” Bernas says. But he adds “for consumers to insure the safety of their personal information they need to check with their internet providers”.

This issue affects businesses as well so it is equally important that IT departments and network administrators take the necessary steps to safeguard their systems. That includes contacting the webmasters of the sites that you visit to make sure that the appropriate system patch has been installed.





“As with any type of potential identity theft, it is often difficult to determine what’s been done,” Bernas notes. “It’s always a good practice to look at all your credit card and other financial transaction records on a regular basis to spot any that are unauthorized.”

Additional information about the Better Business Bureau and this specific situation can be obtained by going to www.chicago.bbb.org, or contacting the BBB at: 312-832-0500.


###

About the BBB

As private, non-profit organization, the purpose of the Better Business Bureau is to promote an ethical marketplace. BBBs help resolve buyer/seller complaints by means of conciliation, mediation and arbitration. BBBs also review advertising claims, online business practices and charitable organizations. BBBs develop and issue reports on businesses and nonprofit organizations and encourage people to check out a company or charity before making a purchase or donation.

A tornado in Orland Park last week?

JUST MY POINT EXACTLY. No one ever really cares about the Southwest Suburbs. Orland Park DID have a tornado but no one reported it, until now, a week later. Even the local papers missed the story. Here's a story in the Chicago Tribune that finally came out today and that officially confirms what many people in Orland Park have been saying all along. There was a tornado here, albeit not a huge whirlwind. (I say many because a few just were so drunk that during the tornado they thought they were sober.)

The wind ravaged my bedouin encampment in the backyard and I think my hookah got wisked away in one of those August 4th zephyrs. Trees were bent at 45 degree angles. The unkempt lawn at the Award Winning Orland Park Police Station -- which the village insists is an open lands project -- was howling in the wind. The debri that often covers the parking lot of the 151st Street and West Avenue strip mall just vanished, the winds were so bad. A above ground pool a few blocks away was lifted up and relocated in a neighbor's yard (and the village cited them for excessive water use during the summer water drought ban whatever.) The suburban stereotype of swingers and wife-swapping was replaced by garbage can swapping.

All we heard about was Bolingbrook, Bloomingdale and Griffith, Indiana.

All that and nary a mention in the local gossip pages. Isn't it like the news media and everyone everywhere else to just ignore us?

It's not just Orland Park that everyone is ignoring. It's the entire Southwest Suburban region. To the bosses in Chicago -- who control some of the politicians right here in Orland Park, hint, hint -- Orfland Park doesn't exist.

Here's my top 10 list of pet peeves about how the Southwest Suburbs are ignored:

10 -- We have a tornado and it takes 9 days for anyone to officially acknowledge it

9 -- Why is it the state has spent the past half century building expressways to serve the Northwest and North suburbs and all we get is some far out extension to help voters in Will and DuPage County?

8 -- Why is it that everyplace else get's efficient and round-the-clock public transit and all we get in the Southwest Suburbs is "After Thought." PACE, Metra ... the undependable lines.

7 -- The terms "Southwest Side" and "Southwest Suburbs" are often misused by the media usually to describe murder and mayhem in other areas like Little Village, or the far South Side. The far south side is NOT the Southwest Side.

6 -- The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times (which steals copy from the Southtown) takes very seriously issues of importance to residents in Winnetka and Skokie and Evanston, but they barely take notice of our region.

5 -- Political corruption and mismanagement are headline grabbing leads in other areas of the region, but very few serious journalists pay any attention to government corruption, waste, lying and deceipt when it takes place in Orland Park.

4 -- Why does the Southwest Suburbs have more racial hatred than other regions -- people are still steaming over the building of the mosque here

3 -- Chicago has made a pitch to bring the Olympics to the city in 2016 and the grand plans for the events involve every place else except the Southwest Suburbs.

2 -- Coffee at Starbucks in Buffalo Grove tastes exquisite, but in the three franchises in Orland Park, it tastes like dead possum!

1 -- How come Bernie Mac used to come to Orland Park and smoke his cigars through his oxygen tank tubes at local cigar stores and no one ever mentioned that?

Ray Hanania
OrlandParker.com