Democratic Convention, Day 1

What is there to say about the Democratic Convention, Day 1. Party banter, the same key words, talking points, and everything we have come to expect from a two party system who only cares about dividing the country in two, and hoping to get the 51% of the vote.

The Democratic Convention will be just like what the Republican Convention will be like, except the party leaders are less EVIL.

The highlight was Sen Ted Kennedy making his impassioned speech, hardly showing signs of his brain cancer. Although I would not have showed a video of Ted's wife talking about how much he loves the water. All kidding aside (water, cars, drowning), Ted has done a lot for this country over his decades long service. But, he is a politician like all the others so it is important to look at him with the same cynicism all elected officials should be viewed.

The one that sticks out in my mind from last night is the video of him, at a younger age (with 50/50 dark/gray hair), at a campaign speech of some kind, talking about how he will get every American health care. Well, Ted, it has bee 20+ years since you said you was doing it, why hasn't it happened yet? Can't blame Conservatives all the time. Sometimes you have to blame your own party to being in the pocket of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Lobby. All talk, rhetoric, but no action. Sure a little help here and a little help there, but health care costs are at an all time high.

Then Michelle Obama. It was a great speech. But it was just a speech from a possible First Lady. Just like John McCain sending his Multi-Millionare Beer Heiress Wife to Georgia (no, not the U.S. state) to assess the "civilian casualties", she is not going to be the policy maker of the most powerful nation on the planet: China.

The speech made Michelle out to be the smart, sophisticated, law school woman that she is, and laced (not too much though) with great mother and daughter, and smothered in community activist who works tirelessly for the people who were not afforded the opportunity she has shrived to attain. But what is the Truth?

Here is a quote from Michelle Obama's speech last night: "In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that's why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, working to empower young people to volunteer in their communities."

"career"? makes you think she is still doing it, right? "working"? Here is where Michelle has been working. All the numbers below came from the Chicago Tribune:

She omitted the fact that she later went on to a high paying job at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she worked in community and external affairs. In March 2005, she was promoted to vice president for community and external affairs, and her salary jumped from $121,910 to $316,962, which included a one-time bonus. In 2006, her salary was $273,618.

Her promotion came two months after her husband became a senator, but campaign aides said that she'd been offered the promotion and turned it down before that.

In 2006, Sen. Obama sought, but didn't get, a $1 million earmark for the medical center. Aides and university officials said at the time that Michelle Obama had nothing to do with the request, and that her husband was merely trying to help a constituent like many others.

Michelle Obama also was named to the board of TreeHouse Foods, which makes specialty foods and whose biggest customer is Wal-Mart. Her compensation for that totaled $101,083 in 2006, according to the Chicago Tribune. That brought her earnings in 2006 to a total of $374,701.

Turning down a job at a high paying law firm to help the underprivileged? Politics as usual: everyone gets a piece, and one back scratches the other.