It’s a shame that so many Americans buy into the idea that George Bush has been a terrible president.  John Kerry proclaimed the economy was the worst that Americans have experienced since the great depression.  Kerry, and all the liberal media, must have forgotten the Carter administration.  Certainly, they missed school the day the real "Great Depression" was discussed.  Comparing the American economy under George Bush to the great depression is like comparing a Boy Scout summer camp to a Nazi concentration camp.  Only the grossly uninformed believe the predictable election year babble about how the country is in dire straits.  It isn’t.  Americans have been through far worse.

 

         Americans should understand, but it seems they do not, that the "War in Iraq" is nothing more that a front in a world-wide war with Islam.  It is one front that we are winning and must see through to the end. That end is a stable Iraq, able to defend itself against the radical forces next door in Iran and Islamic terrorists who want the bounty of Iraq’s oil to use to destroy the West and Israel.  Iraq is no different from the battle of Midway, or Gettysburg, or the Battle of the Bulge and no less important.  McCain-Bush understands this, but Obama-Wright-Pfleger-Khalidi-Moss-Rezko-Ayers does not.

 

         It seems to be that association with America’s liberals should be far more damaging than an association with a president that historians will judge years from now.  If one is judged by the people he calls friends, then Obama must be judged in the same manner.

 

         Every voting American should know the history of these associates and friends of Barack Obama. Most of them he has socialized with, had business ventures with, or listened to their sermons for many years.

 

         Reverend Jeremiah Wright has gotten a lot of publicity.  First, Obama stated that he had never heard the flamboyant preacher say all the racist and bigoted things caught on tape.  Then, he had to correct himself and admit that he had heard them, but never agreed with the man who married him and his wife and baptized the same children who sat beside him in church learning from the hateful rants of Wright every Sunday.  The angry and racist man, was not the man he knew, Obama said.

 

         Father Michael Pfleger is a political activist who is the pastor of a mostly-black Catholic parish in Chicago.  Like his good friend Rev. Wright, Pfleger is good friends with the Jew-hating Louis Farrakhan and the radical Muslim was a guest speaker at Pfleger’s church, Saint Sabina.  Even Hillary Clinton doesn’t deserve to be treated the way this Father Pfleger imitated her.  Apparently, this racist, sexist priest, was not the man that Obama knew either.

 

           Rashid Khalidi was a proud spokesman for Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization and is now a professor of Arab Studies at Columbia.   Khalidi has broken bread many times with Obama and discussed the evils of Israel and the horrible, perceived, oppression of the Palestinian people by Jews who should be forcibly evicted from Israel.  Before Obama decided to run for president, he was a visible and vocal supporter of the Palestinians.  Now, of course, he needs the Jewish vote and so, he is suddenly, and madly in love with "America’s good friend," Israel.  While not stating that this Jew-hater is not the man he knew, Obama just refuses to speak about his long-standing, friendly, relationship with radical Muslim Khalidi.

 

         Reverend Otis Moss is a new but important player in this political game.  He is the man replacing the retiring Rev. Wright.  Obama said he felt good about this man, and that he could comfortably remain a member of the Trinity Church because of this good and kind man who would be taking over.  Then, video surfaced of the good and kind Reverend Moss happily introducing his good friend, Father Pfleger, who then went on to rant and rave and make fun of Hillary Clinton to the approving whoops and claps and giggles from the flock.

 

         Well, what was Obama to do?  Of course, he had to leave the church.  It was the politically correct thing to do.  But he didn’t leave because of all the hate that flowed freely from the pulpit every Sunday.  No, he left because his friends and fellow Trinity members were being harassed by the evil media.  His membership was just causing those good people too much trouble.  So, being the gallant civil servant that he is, for THEIR benefit, Obama quit the church.  More than likely, all those good people who applauded the hate-speech of Father Pfleger, were not the people Obama knew.

 

         Tony Rezko has been a friend, political fund-raiser, and business associate of Obama for years. They have known each other since college.  Rezko helped Obama buy a 1.5 million dollar home on a state senator salary.  Rezko was just found guilty on 16 out of 24 counts of fraud and corruption.  Obama now says his long-standing relationship with Rezko was a "bonehead" decision, since he knew all that time that his friend was under investigation for numerous felonies.  So, in the case of Tony Rezko, Obama apparently knew the kind of man he was dealing with and simply didn’t care.

 

         Finally, there is the unrepentant domestic terrorist, Bill Ayers.   Ayers proudly led the "Weather Underground" terrorist group who liked to plant bombs in famous public buildings.  His group managed to only kill only three of their own, but it was not from lack of trying.  In his book, Ayers commented, "I don't regret setting bombs.  I feel we didn't do enough."  He and his fellow-terrorist wife had charges dropped on a technicality, but neither regretted their terrorist activity.  Once neighbor Ayers was an active participant in Obama’s campaign for Illinois state senator and they remain friends today.  Happy terrorist, college professor Ayers, is not the man Obama knew, he said.

 

         So, Americans will have the choice between McCain-Bush or Obama-Wright-Pfleger-Khalidi-Moss-Rezko-Ayers in November.  Those are the Obama friends whom we know about.  His name could get longer as the campaign evolves.  If he wins the presidency, the name on the White House stationary is going to cost taxpayers a fortune.