So many emotions

Surfing the blogosphere two posts in particular touched me. The first, from Melissa at Shakesville, made me smile (GO INDIANA, my home state, for going BLUE); and the second, from Tengrain at Mock, Paper, Scissors, caused me to shed a tear. It's been a day full of emotions.

Introducing...

President-Elect Barack Obama

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How sad that she will not see her grandson elected…

A tear runs down the face of U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) as he speaks about his grandmother who died earlier on Monday, during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina November 3, 2008. On the eve of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election, Obama’s grandmother Madelyn Dunham died after a battle with cancer.

YES HE CAN

The New York Times headline says it all.

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.

Mr. Obama’s election amounted to a national catharsis — a repudiation of a historically unpopular Republican president and his economic and foreign policies, and an embrace of Mr. Obama’s call for a change in the direction and the tone of the country. But it was just as much a strikingly symbolic moment in the evolution of the nation’s fraught racial history, a breakthrough that would have seemed unthinkable just two years ago.

Mr. Obama, 47, a first-term Democratic senator from Illinois, defeated Senator John McCain of Arizona, 72, a former prisoner of war who was making his second bid for the presidency. To the very end, Mr. McCain’s campaign was eclipsed by an opponent who was nothing short of a phenomenon, drawing huge crowds epitomized by the tens of thousands of people who turned out to hear Mr. Obama’s victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago.

Turnout all across the country was phenomenal, and a testament to how hungry people are for change.

This win is truly a mandate, unlike the mandate George W. Bush claimed when he barely won in 2004.

And I must say this is also a testament to how beneficial the long primary season was. By taking the primary literally to all 50 states, it gave the entire country a chance to get to know Barack Obama before the general election campaign began. It also allowed him to build an infrastructure in 50 states. So a quick shout out to Sen. Hillary Clinton for not giving up!

I would also like to point out that the glass ceiling in the Senate has cracked open a bit more. I can remember when there were just a little over a dozen women in Congress, and we now have 17 women in the Senate! Congratulations again to Jeanne Shaheen and Kay Hagen.

And while we wait to hear the results from my home state of Indiana, I'd like to send a shout out to my friends in Virginia who have been working for YEARS to turn Virginia BLUE! Congratulations, and THANK YOU!!

In giving his concession speech I think we saw a bit of the old John McCain that I had respect for in 2000. I do think given the level of frustration the country has with the current administration that Sen. McCain in the end did very well. As I have said earlier, I think the Republicans -- by accident -- nominated their strongest candidate.

And as I watch local DC residents party in front of the White House I hope George W. Bush is having a really miserable night! ha

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One More Day

Yes, one more day -- today -- and election season 2008 will be over. Lines are long, but it's important that everyone VOTE!

Rachel Maddow interviews Obama

Obama makes a good point in talking about Republicans, saying they should not be lumped in with their leadership. It's sort of like talking about the Catholic Church and reproductive justice. Most Catholics support women using birth control or choosing to have an abortion. It's the Catholic hierarchy that hold the extremist position.

And here is part two.

Big Dog and Obama on the trail in Florida

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Tough times for McCain

It's been a tough few days for Sen. John McCain. First, respected Republican and long-time friend Colin Powell announced his support for Obama.

The Obama campaign announced campaign contributions of $150 million in September.

And John Amato reports on Crooks and Liars that McCain's economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin said Obama's health care plan is better for America. Yikes!

And now this!


I think Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars said it best: "It looks like someone is just putting in the motions this week, biding her time for her next chance in the spotlight. I'm sure the McCain campaign appreciates the hell out of this."

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Oprah steps up to the plate

It's always refreshing when wealthy people do the right thing. Progressive blogs often fall into the trap of bashing anyone with money -- or at least most people with money. So it's nice to be able to say something really good about someone who is really wealthy.

Everyone knows by now that Oprah Winfrey is supporting Obama -- she may have been responsible for helping turn the primaries his direction. Well guess what? Should Obama win on Tuesday, Oprah stands to lose a bunch of money.

You see, under the Obama tax plan Ms. Winfrey would pay and estimated $16 million MORE in taxes, while under the McCain plan she would receive an estimated $9 million tax break! So even though it's not in HER financial best interest to support Obama she is doing just that.

Like I said, it's nice when wealthy people do the right thing.

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Obama and McCain at Al Smith Dinner

"Joe the Plumber"

The Associated Press answers the burning question: Who is 'Joe the Plumber'?

He is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man looking to buy a plumbing business who came to symbolize the notion of 'spreading the wealth' in Wednesday night's third and final presidential debate.

The Trail, a daily diary of the 2008 campaign published on WaPo reports: reports:

Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.

Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works. [...]

Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.

Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.

So what do you think about Joe?

The Winner and Still Champion …

Clearly the winner, and still champion, in this presidential contest is Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. McCain threw everything at Obama tonight (including the kitchen sink) and nothing seemed to stick. McCain clearly seemed unable to change the minds of the uncommitted voters featured on CNN’s instant dial poll.

With 19 days to go it would been dangerous for any progressive to take this election for granted — though God only knows why after 8 years of George W. Bush it hasn’t been an absolute runaway for the Democrats. In politics a week can be a lifetime.

That said, the CNN debate team outlined just how difficult it would be for John McCain to win. He literally would have to win EVERY toss-up state, and then some. Winning all the current states too close to call still has McCain short of the 270 electoral college votes needed to win.

So keep pushing! It's only 19 days until election day!

How Racism Changes Things

The author of this is unknown to me, but it seemed worthy of posting.

How Racism works...

What if Michelle Obama walked 5 kids including a pregnant 17 year old on stage? Would racism change the perception?

What if a video surfaced of Michelle Obama being cleansed of witch craft by a black preacher?

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said 'I do' to?

What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife at the age of 42 (for a 22 year old heiress) after she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama were a member of the 'Keating 5'?

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Food for thought ...

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McCain-Obama and The Bailout

I'm still not convinced the bailout was the right course of action to take, but for now that seems to be a moot point since it's a done deal. What I would like to point out, though, is how the media reported the role the two major party presidential candidates played in the process.

Sen. John McCain made a huge grandstanding effort to try and appear to be the candidate who would sweep into Washington to save the day ... but did he? Here is what the Post had to say:

Sen. Barack Obama's outspoken support for the package proved critical. The influence of the Democratic presidential nominee, who spent the week dialing no voters, was cited by five vote-switching freshmen as a key motivator. Obama was particularly successful in persuading members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was deeply divided Monday. Yesterday, 13 black caucus members switched to vote for the measure.

"What helped me is Barack Obama, who called and said 'We really do have to do this,' " said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), adding that Obama promised to do more to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure if elected president.

On the Republican side, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) pulled in votes from allies such as Judy Biggert (Ill.) and Pat Tiberi (Ohio). The Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), also worked the phones, but none of the GOP vote switchers interviewed yesterday cited him as a major factor.

There you have it! No one cited Sen. John McCain as a major factor in their decision.

Now, depending on how all this works out Sen. Obama's role could come back to bite him in the butt ... but that's still to be seen. What we do know from this is the candidate with the most influence in getting what they want done in Congress appears to be Sen. Barack Obama.

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As Congress Bails OUT, Who Looked Presidential

"The fundamentals of our economy are strong" and "I'm suspending my campaign" to work on the economic crisis is how John McCain responded.

For his part, Barack Obama worked quietly behind the scenes on a solution, and tried to keep the public calm.

So who looked more presidential?

The New York Times reports:

It was classic John McCain and classic Barack Obama who grappled with the $700 billion bailout plan over the last week: Mr. McCain was by turns action-oriented and impulsive as he dive-bombed targets, while Mr. Obama was measured and cerebral and inclined to work the phones behind the scenes. [...]

For Republicans, Mr. McCain’s performance proved mixed, however. His quick call to fire the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, then his decision to suspend his campaign and return to Washington even though he lacked an alternative to the bailout, risked making him look impetuous in a moment of crisis. He comes out of this without an easily definable role or set of obvious results, though his top advisers said he had bought time for House Republicans to raise their own concerns.

“Obama’s approach to this has been very Obama — measured, cool and thoughtful, which I hope is what the country wants more than theatrical anger,” said Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who had supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential candidacy.

So who looked more presidential?

The Washington Post reports on Obama and McCain:

Sen. Barack Obama said that "it's important for the American public and the markets to stay calm" in the wake of a failed vote on a financial sector bailout bill this afternoon and strongly advocated for its approval, adding, "One of the messages I have to Congress is, get this done, Democrats. Republicans, step up to the plate."

And this:

After bragging today about his role in shaping the economic bailout package, Sen. John McCain made no statement to the press after the defeat of the bill, in part at the hands of House Republicans.

Instead, McCain boarded his Straight Talk Air charter plane, where he sat in front, separated from reporters by a brown curtain, without making a comment on the bill's defeat.

So once again ... who looked more presidential?

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Women's Rights Groups Endorse Obama

It's official! The leading women's rights organizations are lining up behind Sen. Barack Obama. The Washington Post reports:

Women's rights groups endorsed Barack Obama for president Tuesday, asserting the historic selection of a female Republican vice presidential candidate does not make up for John McCain's lack of support on issues important to women.

"We don't think it's much to break a glass ceiling for one woman and leave millions of women behind," said Eleanor Smeal, chairman (sic) of the Feminist Majority Political Action Committee.

Smeal was among leaders from six organizations that announced their endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee at a news conference. [...]

Obama also won the support of the National Organization for Women, which said it has not endorsed a candidate for president since Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro shared the Democratic ticket in 1984. Ferraro was the first female major-party vice presidential candidate.

NOW backed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries. "We join with her in saying 'no,'" said NOW President Kim Gandy, referring to a line Clinton used at the Democratic convention last month. "No way, no how, no McCain."

Gandy and Smeal dismissed polls that suggested McCain has received a boost in support from white women after he picked Palin.

"The die is not cast yet," Smeal said.

Recent polling data has Obama barely ahead of McCain, 47% to 46% -- a statistical dead heat.

An Associated Press-GfK Poll of likely voters last week showed Obama's lead among women at 49 percent to 44 percent. The same AP-GfK poll showed that white women are backing McCain over Obama, 53 percent to 40 percent.

Along with NOW and the Feminist Majority, Obama was also endorsed by leaders from Business and Professional Women/USA, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Congress of Black Women and the Women's Information Network.

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McCain's ads are LIES ... pass it on

The politics of distraction and why the "bad man" can't win

Obama has got to stop laughing off the attacks from the McCain/Palin camp as simply the "silly season" in politics. What we have right now is the politics of distraction. McCain/Palin NEED the politics of distraction so that voters won't discover just how aligned their politics are with the current administration.

And LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING ... George W. Bush has nearly destroyed this country. Obama had it right during his acceptance speech when he said "ENOUGH."

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that caters to special interests -- like oil companies, defense contractors, and all the others who have seen their profits go through the ROOF during this administration -- while hard working Americans suffer.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that can bail out failing corporations but turned a blind eye to families losing their homes.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that continues to lie to the American people -- lies that have resulted in the deaths of THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration so filled with corruption it's getting harder and harder to find even a single person with integrity in ANY department of government.

The political HAS become PERSONAL.

Crime in my neighborhood is skyrocketing. We've had dozens of break-ins, armed robberies and cars stolen in JUST THE PAST FEW MONTHS! The robbers are getting so brazen they are breaking into houses while the owners are home! It's so disconcerting that I just had an alarm system installed. I RESENT feeling afraid in my own home!

To make matters worse, I talked with one of my neighbors last night and she shared a chilling story. I will call my neighbor Bea. Bea and her husband moved next door about three years ago. They are wonderful neighbors -- quiet, their house and yard always look nice, and they are always willing to offer help to anyone who needs it. Bea works as a nanny and sometimes cleans houses for additional income, her husband is a contractor.

Bea had just picked up her daughter from daycare and was driving home. It was a sunny afternoon and she had just been paid by her employer -- in cash. Bea stopped to get gas on the way and had just started filling her tank when a man approached. He jumped into her car, started the engine, and drove off -- with little Abby still in her car seat in the back.

Bea's heart stopped. She was screaming for him to take her purse, take the car, but PLEASE GIVE HER DAUGHTER BACK. The man either didn't hear her, or didn't care. In a split second he, the car, and little Abby were GONE.

Bea started running after her car, screaming at the man. Someone at the station called the police.

I can't even begin to know the horror my dear friend must have felt as she watched her daughter being so violently taken away.

As she was telling me this story my heart stopped. Abby is a beautiful little three year old girl. When I see the two of them together it's not at all uncommon for Abby to come running toward me, with her arms outstretched, wanting me to pick her up. She is so sweet and loving. All I could see was her face.

And then fear was replace by anger. I was angry at George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for their greed -- greed that created a climate where people feel desperate. Some so desperate they will do despicable things. I wanted Bush and Cheney, and all their cronies, in prison -- for a very long time.

This story has a happy ending. The carjacker ditched the car a few miles from the scene of the crime. He took Bea's purse -- with the $300 she had earned that week -- but he left our beautiful little Abby in the back seat.

Another driver saw the car, with the gasoline hose still attached, and called the police. Abby was back in her mothers arms within the hour, and Bea understands just how incredibly lucky she is. She can replace her $300 salary, she can replace all the contents of her purse ... the one thing that could NEVER have been replaced was Abby.

Abby is still traumatized by the incident. When she sees a man who matches the description of the carjacker she begins to cry and asks her parents "is the bad man going to hurt me?"

Now it's personal ... our little Abby is safe and sound at home with her parents. We were lucky -- and I'm using the universal "we" because Abby's safety is the responsibility of ALL OF US ... and WE simply can't let the bad man win ... again.

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Statement of Sen. Barbara Boxer on McCain Acceptance Speech

September 5, 2008

Last night at the Republican National Convention, John McCain used the word "fight" more than 40 times in his speech.

In the 16 years that we have served together in the Senate, I have seen John McCain fight.

I have seen him fight against raising the federal minimum wage 14 times.

I have seen him fight against making sure that women earn equal pay for equal work.

I have seen him fight against a women's right to choose so consistently that he received a zero percent vote rating from pro-choice organizations.

I have seen him fight against helping families gain access to birth control.

I have seen him fight against Social Security, even going so far as to call its current funding system "an absolute disgrace."

And I saw him fight against the new GI Bill of Rights until it became politically untenable for him to do so.

John McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 100 percent of the time in 2008 -- that's no maverick.

We do have two real fighters for change in this election -- their names are Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Go Sen. Boxer!

Are you having fun yet?

No time for blogging today ...

The clock is counting down ... it's time to take our cue ... so in the words of Gloria Estefan: "Get on your feet ... stand up and take some action!"

Gloria understands that after eight years of George W. Bush: "We've all been through some nasty weather ... you've got to keep looking on to tomorrow ... there's so much in life that's meant for you!"

There is so much that's meant for us. An economy that works, an end to a war started on a lie, and leaders who will respect instead of shredding the Constitution! We can make it happen.

So what are you waiting for? Get on your feet ... now!



ps: ... and who doesn't love Shelia E!!

Breaking with their party

I'm just now getting around to watching the Obama interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Sen. Obama is being asked to share how he would "break" with his party. The question is in response to Sen. McCain's constant mantra that he's the maverick with a history of breaking with his party.

Let's be very clear about one thing -- when your party has fucked up the country as much as the Republicans have, when THEY have broken the country, you'd better break from them as much as possible!!

Sen. Obama needs to reject the premise of this line of questioning. For the most part the Democrats have been the party trying to lookout for the American people. Republican have taken on the role of the obstructionist party, with a history of looking out for their wealthy friends.

Don't forget it was John McCain who recently commented that everyone earning less than $5 million is part of the middle class. $5 MILLION ... MIDDLE CLASS??? Is he kidding???? Again, this demonstrates just how out of touch he is with everyday, working Americans.

So Sen. Obama, the next time a reporter asks you how would you break with your party remind them that what's in the best interest of the country is for all of us to break with the Republican Party! At least that's my opinion ...

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