John McCain talks about Obama as a socialist and criticizes the idea of "spreading the wealth" around.  But has he really considered what his criticisms mean?  Has he truly thought through what effects that kind of rhetoric would have if it were to become mainstream American thinking?  If he does and he's saying it anyway, he is a mean and evil man.  If he does not know, then he is willfully ignorant and out of touch.

So let me tell you about how I know what happens when we don't "spread the wealth around."

There's been a lot of speculation about what Obama will do post-Palin.  People are writing about attacking, not attacking, dealing with Palin, ignoring Palin, etc.  I think an interesting strategy for Obama would be to search the internet and find what is catching heat and then hit there and hit HARD.

If he does that, I think what he'll find is most striking is the "liar" criticism.  The media is still too timid to say it, but people are getting fired up.  Over at CNN.com, there is a new report on McCain's latest lying ad.  CNN doesn't call it a lie.  They say the ad is "calle" a 'lie' (they really put quotations around it).  But the thread is full of people - dems and independants, hardcore Obama supporters and jaded political spectators alike, and they are all going after Palin and McCain on lying.  

There's been a lot of speculation about what Obama will do post-Palin.  People are writing about attacking, not attacking, dealing with Palin, ignoring Palin, etc.  I think an interesting strategy for Obama would be to search the internet and find what is catching heat and then hit there and hit HARD.

If he does that, I think what he'll find is most striking is the "liar" criticism.  The media is still too timid to say it, but people are getting fired up.  Over at CNN.com, there is a new report on McCain's latest lying ad.  CNN doesn't call it a lie.  They say the ad is "calle" a 'lie' (they really put quotations around it).  But the thread is full of people - dems and independants, hardcore Obama supporters and jaded political spectators alike, and they are all going after Palin and McCain on lying.  

More after the fold

Those words were spoken by a killer from Washington D.C. this week. But he wasn't the only one to espouse the theological belief that God desires that some people kill some other people. We also heard that from a politician this week.

I'm a pastor.  I love theology, philosophy, and spirituality.  These things are important to me.  They are more important than politics, government, or a particular politician.  For this very reason, I want my faith far from America's politics.  I've seen throughout history (recent and ancient) the problems that can be wrought on both parties when the line between faith and government is blurred.

That is why I am particularly troubled by the intersection of two recent news stories.  They involve the interconnection of faith and politics.

Today Fox had a headline story about a man who believed that God was telling him to kill.  It got me thinking.  More after the fold...

Here is a letter that I sent today to friends and family in support of our candidate Barack Obama.  Feel free to modify it and use the text yourself, or write your own and post it here for others to read.  But please give, and then encourage others to give.  

Apparently the GOP doesn't know what organizing is.

Let's show them.

My letter is after the fold...

There was a lot about the RNC that I found offensive tonight.  But as a pastor, a resident of a small town, and a Christian who is a passionate progressive (because of issues of social justice) I was most deeply offended by the routine mocking of "community organizing."  Now certainly if this were Obama's only qualification, the attack might be fair.  But this is not Obama's only experience, so I can only take the GOP's dismissiveness as an attack on community organizing itself.  This is a terribly flawed political strategy and betrays something that stands at the heart of this year's GOP campaign.

Cambell Brown took on McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds tonight in a wonderful piece.  This was not a random supporter who was stumped (as Hannity has found from the Obama camp) this was an official supporter placed on TV to speak for McCain.

Over the last few days, the GOP talking heads on TV have told me over and over again that Sarah Palin's executive experience made her the most qualified person in the race to be President - because it was executive experience.  They act as though the nomenclature itself is enough to link her experience to her desired job.  She was an executive and want to be an executive.  Well I'm all to happy to accept that premise, and as such, I am throwing my hat in to the ring for the office of vice-president.

It goes on and on.  As soon as the media finally quit playing up the Clinton/Obama rift, they started talking about the set at the stadium.  And they talk about Obama as "all talk" despite that the convention has been full of policy statements and contrasts with the lack of change that McCain offers in 2008.  Today on Rush Limbaugh, things went one step further, and it was actually reassuring.