A steady hand for another "period of gloom"

“It was a period of gloom….when no man could foretell the happening of the morrow, when strong men trembled at the possibility of the destruction of our Government.”

So begins the 1909 tribute to Abraham Lincoln by Adlai E. Stevenson, Sr. on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of our 16^th President.

While I doubt there are many who believe our Government is at risk of destruction today, hardly anyone doubts we are in a “period of gloom.”

As we approach two milestones in the life of our nation – the swearing-in of the first African-American President and the 200^th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth – Stevenson’s tribute is particularly apropos to these times.

Stevenson, an Illinois native, who became a congressman, and still later, Vice President, knew Lincoln, and thus, was well suited to the task of paying tribute to the beloved President.

“He came from the common walks of life,” recalled Stevenson. “His early home was one of the humblest, where he was a stranger to the luxuries and to many of the ordinary comforts of life…“How inspiring to the youth of high aims every incident of the pathway from the frontier cabin to the Executive Mansion…”In no other country than ours could such attainment have been possible for the boy….whose only heritage was brain, integrity, lofty ambition, and indomitable purpose.

Are there any parallels to be drawn with the lanky young lawyer from Illinois now preparing to take the oath on January 20^th, 2009? For Barack Obama, born in 1961 to a struggling bi-racial couple, his beginnings were humble indeed. Certainly, it can be said his only heritage was “brain, integrity, lofty ambition, and indomitable purpose.”

As the 1909 tribute continued, Stevenson praised Lincoln’s judgment in handling the question of slavery, an issue, he acknowledged, that “had been the subject of repeated compromise by patriotic statesmen.” This “apple of discord,” as Stevenson described it, had “darkened our national pathway from the beginning. It was well that in such an hour, with such tremendous issues in the balance, a steady hand was at the helm.”

Stevenson concluded his centennial tribute by selecting one particular paragraph from the inaugural address to share with his audience. It was the closing paragraph:

“We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot’s grave to every heart and hearthstone of the broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when touched as they will be by the better angels of our nature.”

In America’s most recent history, passion and stridency have divided us – on a distant war and on a broad range of social issues at home. Such divisions weaken the Union. In Barack Obama, Americans have discerned a leader who – like Lincoln – believes our Union is stronger when we subscribe to “the better angels of our nature.”

In his memorable Philadelphia speech of March 18, 2008, Obama sounded a lot like Lincoln:

“I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

President-elect Obama is demonstrating already that he meant it—he really meant it – when he said he would reach across partisan lines, across ideology, across any social issue that would divide us, in order to keep us united and our collective eye steady on the goal of strengthening the republic before we hand it to the next generation.

President Lincoln is surely smiling today as Barack Obama prepares to become the next steady hand at the helm.

Not a stimulus but an investment package

The economic stimulus package under consideration should not be described as just another stimulus package. In truth, it is an investment package. It is an investment in rebuilding America, an investment to make America stronger. It is “nation building” in the finest sense because its dollars are dedicated to rebuilding this nation.

Look, our nation’s roads and bridges are crumbling. Many states are “making do,” some are even repairing their bridges with wooden braces – and all such bridges are living on borrowed time. Levees need repairs in California, water ducts are leaking one billion gallons daily in New York. Every state has a long list of urgent projects that need attention and funding. Public works projects in all 50 states soon could employ hundreds of thousands of workers.

President-elect Obama says he wants to bring high speed Internet access to all Americans, especially those who live in rural areas. Building out networks to rural and under-served urban areas will create hundreds of thousands of jobs doing everything from digging ditches to designing the networks that will serve us. This bill makes a down payment on that initiative.

There are tax cuts for the middle class included as well as extension of unemployment benefits…and many other initiatives. Not everything in the package will find universal support, but taken as a whole, it is the best package for our nation’s immediate and long term security.

I have always believed that disaster and opportunity are close relatives. So, while standing knee deep in the disaster of these sad economic times, what better time is there to look for opportunities to succeed before they become opportunities lost in the swirl of our present despair.

It is my hope that this difficult period will be known in history as The Great Transition. Yes, not a recession but a transition, a period when we closed the books at last on antiquated 20^th century industrial leadership and began the transition to a new period of economic growth and prosperity based on technological advances as revolutionary as the telephone, light bulb and automobile.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote, “Often do the spirits of great events stride on before the events. And in today already walks tomorrow.”

The spirit of renewal is upon our land and a sense of tomorrow’s greatness already walks with us. With a new President about to take the oath of office, this is the hour for breaking with the past. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 shook this nation to its foundation – our national security was threatened; and now the economic system we rely upon has shaken to our core our sense of personal security. We continue to address the former threat, now it is time to address the latter.

I believe we are not at the end time for American leadership and influence; I believe our influence and leadership on the world stage has just begun. We must not shrink from our responsibility nor fail to seize the opportunity before us to build upon the heritage that has been entrusted to us.

Congress should pass the new stimulus package. Tomorrow already walks in this day.

If John McCain and Newt Gingrich get it, why not the RNC?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sent a rather scathing letter to Mike Duncan today, accusing the RNC chairman of engaging in "a destructive distraction" by attempting to tie Barack Obama to Rod Blagojevich. In particular, Gingrich hit the RNC for putting out a web ad that made it seem as if the President-elect was hiding a nefarious chapter of his personal history with the embattled Illinois Governor.

"The RNC should pull the ad down immediately," Gingrich wrote.

The GOP is a party that, apparently, has learned nothing from its recent election defeats. Gingrich is trying to get RNC leadership to understand that Barack Obama is the real deal. You will gain nothing by attacking him on character issues.

Obama is a man of the highest integrity. If we didn't know it before, we know it now.

Several days ago, John McCain told David Letterman's audience the RNC should “lay off.”

Will someone please call Mike Duncan and tell him to turn the page? The opposition party is supposed to oppose when it has something to oppose. The current attempt to diminish the stature of Barack Obama just makes the RNC look foolish and amateurish.

By these words shall they be remembered...

“Just remember, if you break it, you own it.”

Colin Powell to Bush 43 when warning Bush of the consequences of invading Iraq.

The so called Pottery Barn rule was referenced by Bob Woodward in his book, The War Within, on page 48: “’'You are the one who is going to have to pick up the pieces and put it back together again. And it’s not going to be easy to do,” said Powell.

Powell added on another occasion, “You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people.” He told the president, “You will own all their hopes, aspirations, and problems. You'll own it all.”

“It’ll be a slam dunk.”

George Tenet in describing his certain view that Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, had weapons of mass destruction and the evidence soon would be obvious.

"I can't imagine anyone here wanting to spend another $30 billion to be there for another 12 years."

Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense testifying before House subcommittee on Iraq, February 28, 2003

“The cost of the Iraq war will be about $4 Billion, and most of it can be paid for by the Iraqi’s from their oil revenues.” (Later, Wolfowitz elaborated.) “There's a lot of money to pay for this. It doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money. We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."

Paul Wolfowitz in congressional testimony, March 27, 2003

“Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

Bush 43, standing on the deck of the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier with “Mission Accomplished” sign behind him, May 1, 2003.

“So?’

CHENEY: On the security front, I think there’s a general consensus that we’ve made major progress, that the surge has worked. That’s been a major success.

RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.

CHENEY: So?

RADDATZ So? You don’t care what the American people think?

CHENEY: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.

Comment from Cheney in ABC interview of March 2008 with Martha Raddatz. President Bush added, “So what?” when he was interviewed by Raddatz this week.

“So what?”

BUSH: One of the major theaters against al Qaeda turns out to have been Iraq. This is where al Qaeda said they were going to take their stand. This is where al Qaeda was hoping to take–

RADDATZ: But not until after the U.S. invaded.

BUSH: Yeah, that’s right. So what? The point is that al Qaeda said they’re going to take a stand. Well, first of all in the post-9/11 environment Saddam Hussein posed a threat. And then upon removal, al Qaeda decides to take a stand.

Comment from Bush 43, Dec. 15, 2008, in interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz:

That’s right, Bush said, “so what?” I wonder what the mothers of the young men and women who died in his “so what?” war are thinking today? I’m confident it is not, “So what?”

Finally, we shall never forget this one:

"Waterboarding was appropriate."

"It (waterboarding) was appropriate -- and I supported it. I think the results speak for themselves."

Comment of VP Cheney on ABC's Good Morning America, Dec. 16, 2008, ignoring historical precedence that waterboarding is a war crime.

Colin Powell speaks to GOP

I'm going to keep this very short....so my Republican friends will "get it" clearly and unambiguously. In an interview with former Sec. of State Colin Powell, taped for Sunday broadcast, Powell said his party should stop listening to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

I know, it's OK; catch your breath....and read on.

"Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh?" Powell asked. "Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?"

Got it? Good.

Now -- Turn. It. Off.

Change? You want change?

Every day, I hear from friends who say something along these lines: So far, I honestly have to say I don't see as much change as retreading in the Obama cabinet selections. (Clinton, Richardson, Daschle, etc.)

I tell them all, "The change is before you; open your eyes."

Look no farther than Barack Obama. The "change" is the judgment, integrity, intellect, and instinct required to surround himself with the best brains in the business.

Yes, Obama could go down to Main Street and pick up Joe Jones, Sam Barley, and Dick Frick -- that would be change, and the media would say, "Wow, he really meant it, we certainly have change." And 15 minutes later, the media would say, "But will this change work? Are we sure we trust this change? What do we know about these selections? Shouldn't Obama have selected men and women of substance, and ability, and experience to help him affect the change he talked about?"

I find it incredible that reasonable people aren't telling the talking heads to sit back and give the man a break ...and a chance to do the job we elected him to do. He has a mountain to climb, and he is hard at it. In fact, he hasn't taken one day off since the election. He is the de facto President because Bush 43 is NOT. Obama has been forced already to deal with a range of national security issues, an economic meltdown with international repercussions, and a criminal in Illinois attempting to sell his Senate seat. Good grief!

So, I say to you: sit tight. January 20 is still 39 days off! He is not even on the payroll yet! And by the way, 79% of the American people approve of the way he is handling his transition so far.

You want change? You got it already...and you are going to get a lot more!!

When I was introduced to my first political campaign nearly 37 years ago, I was told by one of the experienced campaign professionals, “There is Chicago politics, there is Lose-i-ana politics, and there is all the rest.”

Over the years, his assessment of the American political landscape has been proven correct over and over. As yet another Chicago politician faces our justice system, I find it very sad, and have only one question: Where are the people of Illinois?

Ok, and maybe several more questions.

Why do you elect these scumbags? As my mother would say, “What were you thinking?" Aren’t you in charge? Why can’t you tell the difference between those who only want to line their pockets and those who only want to serve the public interest? What keeps you from doing a better job of discerning the qualities we all hope for in our leaders: unimpeachable integrity, sound judgment and an innate instinct to do the right thing? After all, integrity and sound judgment are all that is required to earn the public trust.

Is that too simple?

When Sam Nunn retired from the U.S. Senate in 1996, he said he had tried “by word and example” during his 24 years of service, to demonstrate “that it remains possible to be involved in the political process and still retain both intellectual honesty and ethical behavior. In the final analysis, this may be the single most important responsibility of public service.”

Indeed.

We need men and women in public office who firmly believe in Nunn’s basic tenet of public service. And we need an electorate in every state that will not vote for anyone who demonstrates anything less.

What's wrong with the GOP?

It seems everyone is trying to figure out what the Republicans did wrong in the last election. Why can’t these people stay in the majority once they have it? The answer is easy and some of them recognize it but they refuse to do anything about it because it would cause them to accept an internal revolution (which would dismiss the extreme right wing) and strike out on a serious effort to identify what they stand for in the 21st century. In other words, as Bush 43 would understand: a do-over.

And we all know how likely that is to happen.

My good friend Charlie Cook, a contemporary of mine who also paid his dues on The Hill, wrote a recent column in which he let a couple of Republican consultants offer their analysis of the current state of the GOP.

One of them hit the problem on the head while listing a range of problems the GOP has been unable or unwilling to address. He identified a major problem as being “the shallowness of our policies.” Oh, really? He explained. “Republicans are a whole lot better at being against things than at being for things. That’s a problem if you’re in the majority. On topics the center really cares about, such as education and health care, we do one of two things. We either avoid them like the plague and are scared to talk about them or, if we say anything at all, it is to propose a tax cut or a tax credit.”

Any more words from me would be superfluous. He got it right. As Jo Dee Messina would say, “Let 'em dig a little deeper…nope…sorry, nothin’.”

They could go back to the ideas of Newt Gingrich. He had plenty but they were not good ideas. So, that’s not a place to start.

Maybe they should go back to what they do best: sit on the back row and complain about everything the Democrats are doing and when the problems are solved, stand up and take all the credit they can while blaming the D’s for spending too much.

That is not much of an exaggeration.

I’m sorry but I’m still ticked at what they did to my country – and yours – these past 8 years.

"But what can you do?"

As frequent readers know, Ben Franklin is my favorite Founding Father, and I enjoy sharing his insight. Once, Franklin, writing to friends in England, declared, “America is where people do not ask a stranger, ‘what is he?’ but ‘what can he do?’” Status and lineage were not important to Franklin, only talent and skill.

The freedom that Franklin and the others gave us is the freedom to be the masters of our own destiny, to be problem solvers who “do” whatever is necessary with our talent and skill to “secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

When I look at my grandchildren, I wonder what they will “do” to contribute to America’s strength. I know they will be encouraged by their parents and teachers to develop the potential they possess.

Above all, I hope they and their friends will help us avoid repeating past mistakes and use experiences of their lifetimes to help find solutions to problems that vex us as a nation. And there are plenty of problems for them to address. Nuclear proliferation, energy independence, illegal immigration, international terrorism, and a crippling recession are but a few.

It is a cliché but our children and grandchildren are, indeed, our best hope for preserving this republic. Among them right now are individuals who will emerge uniquely prepared to make a difference – in the arts, science, education, business and government. Our duty as citizens is to provide them with every opportunity to share their potential with all.

Barack Obama’s election is an affirmation of the sentiment that America is now – more than ever – a nation where the horizon can be seen equally well by every citizen, and where what is discovered just over that horizon is determined only by those willing to travel there.

What Would You Do?

Journalist Judy Woodruff was on the radio this morning talking about the nation’s current economic crisis. She summarized the economic challenges we face and concluded with a question: “If any member of Congress is listening: what would you do? I don’t think anyone has a good and clear answer to that question.”

One could almost see her throwing up her hands in despair, an emotion shared by millions of Americans.

In my view, no one has yet been able to articulate a clear vision of government actions that should be taken to address the complex integrated nature of the entire economy. Mortgage foreclosures, investment firms failing, insurance companies struggling, banks facing insolvency, the entire auto industry on the brink of bankruptcy – and all demand immediate attention.

Ben Franklin noted the natural aversion of man to anticipate and solve problems before they rise to crisis proportions. In his autobiography, he wrote of developing an early plan to unite the colonies and coordinate their resources to provide for their common defense. He was anticipating war with France and tried to advance this idea before a congress of commissioners from each of the colonies meeting in Albany, New York in 1754. (As usual, old Ben was ahead of his time.)

Ultimately, the Franklin plan was judged too bold for the time and rejected on both sides of the Atlantic. Franklin writes in his memoirs that perhaps the later “bloody contest” with England could have been avoided if the congress had the vision to adopt his plan. “But such mistakes are not new: history is full of the errors of states and princes,” he wrote. “Look round the habitable world: how few know their own good, or knowing it, pursue.”

In other words, those who govern are frequently too busy handling the problems of the moment to engage their intellect in a visionary exercise that might anticipate a more urgent problem advancing on the horizon. Franklin wrote, “The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forced by the occasion.”

And so, that’s where we are today:” forced by the occasion” of economic crisis to develop the “best public measure” to address it. President Roosevelt would understand. When FDR was elected in 1932, America was on the precipice of disaster and the state of the union was not good. Fourteen million Americans were out of work when FDR launched his New Deal. If you think the Bush administration and the current Congress have already overstepped in attempting to save the aforementioned industries, consider just some of the steps Roosevelt took in his first 100 days in office:

Emergency Banking Act, giving the President broad powers over all banking transactions.

Economy Act, reducing the salaries of federal employees and payments to veterans.

Reforestation Relief Act, establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps which eventually provided work to 250,000 young men.

Federal Emergency Relief Act, providing grants to states for relief projects.

Tennessee Valley Authority established, providing for construction of dams and power plants in the Tennessee Valley.

Federal Securities Act, providing for the government to register and approve all issues of stocks and bonds.

National Employment System Act, creating a US Employment Service to cooperate with the states in providing employment services.

Homeowners Refinancing Act, providing mortgage money and other aid to homeowners.

National Industrial Recovery Act established the Public Works Administration, providing funds for a major public works program.

Farm Credit Act helped farmers get mortgages at low interest rates.

Banking Act of 1933 sets up the FDIC which was empowered to insure individual bank deposits.

And all that was done in the first 100 days of the new Roosevelt administration. And oh yes, FDR also took America off the gold standard during that time. The net effect was to devalue the dollar and stimulate the economy. The stock market began to recover.

Today, President-elect Barack Obama announced his team of economic advisers and they include Tim Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury and Lawrence Summers, Chair of the National Economic Council. America has been crying for leadership. Now it begins. It appears we don't have to wait until January 20th for the leadership we seek.

So, to Judy Woodruff and anyone else looking for a clear answer, I would say this: If the past is prologue, buckle up and get ready for bold steps and visionary leadership.

It's about time.

Thoughts about change

The talking heads are talking again and they’re saying Obama is no different from any other politician who ever came to Washington touting “change” but doesn't bring any. They cite as evidence his pick of so many old Washington hands for his staff and Cabinet posts. How else do they propose he effect change? He needs people who know how to get things done in Washington. He will counsel with them, and work with them, and through them he will lead the country in a new direction. HE IS THE CHANGE. Through him will change occur.

Bush’s presidency has been like a festering sore. Yes, we want to get rid of it, but if we keep picking at it, it will never heal. Obama is your mother saying, “Stop picking at the scab, and let it heal.” To the talking heads, I say, “Let the Office of President heal, give Barack Obama a chance.” Got that?

OK, and now NPR voices are complaining that Obama is not choosing NPR for his weekly radio address. “If radio was good enough for FDR, it is good enough for Obama,” they say. Good grief. This is not 1932! Obama is using his transition website, change.gov, for his weekly video message and is posting the same message on YouTube.com. Hello, NPR. Communications technology has changed and Obama is simply tapping state of the art tools to stay in touch with the American people. If YouTube is good enough for you and me, why not a President Obama?

Barack Obama has already changed many things. He permanently changed the way presidential campaigns raise money when he raised $500 million dollars from 6.5 million donors. No one has ever done that. Others will try in the future, and that will be fine. The Obama model will likely be the future “public financing” of campaigns that stimulates voter participation throughout the entire process. He has also demonstrated that a 50-state strategy not only works politically but is also more in keeping with our founding democratic principles, that is, solicitation of the broadest measure of public support by presidential candidates from all states. In its purest form, this strategy is a uniting force, and its success something to celebrate. The other party would do well to attempt to emulate it in the future.

Aptera? Absolutely!

It seems to me that the new Aptera (300 mpg!) automobile is to American capitalism as Barack Obama is to representative government. Both are breathtakingly refreshing in their approach to solving pressing problems.

The Aptera is a light-weight, high tech, vehicle that, according to the website of the manufacturer, will be available to residents of California only (darn it) in about a year as an electric car or a plug-in hybrid.

This is not an ad for the car. It is a message for all the Nellie Naysayers out there who believe America’s best days are behind her. Don’t you believe it! Since 1973, we have known there was a finite amount of oil left in the world and, as demand increased and supplies shrank, the price was bound to go up. It did. And while market forces will make the price fluctuate, even pushing it down from time to time, the long term view calls for higher and higher gas prices.

Enter American ingenuity…again. While our elected leadership has mostly slept, American entrepreneurs have been hard at work, and we are beginning to see the fruits of their labors. To paraphrase Captain John Paul Jones, we have not yet begun to invent!

The thought of the Aptera and similar new technology should bring a smile to your face. It must surely be Saudi Arabia’s worst nightmare. It must give Iran's President Ahmadinejad and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez very bad heartburn. Soon…very soon, we may not need so much of their black gold.

Yes, I know China is ready to buy what we don’t…but that is just a temporary salve for the oil producing nations. Their time, as dictators of price for the one of the world’s most valued commodities, is almost up.

And isn't it nice to see the price of oil back to below $60 a barrel again!

GOP is NOT Dead!

Far from it. Over 58 million Americans voted for the McCain/Palin ticket. They voted for the Republican ticket in spite of an incumbent President of their party who set lowest disapproval record in the nation's history, in spite of a disastrous pick for a vice presidential running mate by John McCain, and in spite of the worst meltdown in the economy since the Great Depression.

58 million people actually went to the polls and voted for the Republicans. I would say that's a strong show of support for the current lost cause. 58,343,671 to be exact (although it does not include the Missouri vote which has not been made final).

So, here is some free advice...absolutely no charge: STOP TRYING TO TELL THE AMERICAN VOTER THAT YOU ARE THE PARTY OF LOWER TAXES AND SMALLER GOVERNMENT. You were at one time. You are not now -- and haven't been since around 1980.

If you want to win again, start telling people you are for fair taxation of all Americans -- and those who pay their taxes are the real patriots in our society. Start telling people you are also for responsible government spending for programs and services that strengthen America and that you are also in favor of holding all public servants accountable for their actions, deeds, decisions.

I know it will be hard to fit that on a bumper sticker but you need to figure out a legitimate way to tell this story because right now the American people are not buying that soap you've been selling them for the last 40 years.

Early Release of President Bush

I heard a rumor the other day that there will be a major change in the traditional ceremony at the White House in which the President performs the annual ritual of pardoning the national turkey. The bird is then returned to the turkey farm and allowed to live to a ripe old age.

This year, the TURKEY WILL PARDON PRESIDENT BUSH, releasing him from his Presidential duties early, thus allowing Bush to return to Crawford on the first bus out of town. The turkey will then go into the Oval Office and assume the duties of the President until January 20.

How will they get away with it? Well, the belief is that no one is likely to notice any difference.

The early release of President Bush will be a blessing to the nation.
And that will be a blessing for which all will give thanks this Thanksgiving.

Lock and Load, Rush. Karl Marx is at the door

OK, I want to make one thing clear: anyone who listens for one second to Rush Limbaugh is admitting he is perfectly willing to suspend all semblance of reality in his life. Rush is blaming Obama already for the recession we are in. He is blaming the President-elect for a whole range of national plagues a full 69 days before Obama is set to take the oath of office.

Rush and the nut-case right wingers on talk radio are also responsible for the run on weapons -- especially assault weapons -- at gun stores across the nation. They are telling those foolish enough to listen to them that the next President is going to pass new laws to confiscate their weapons and gun owners should prepare to resist that day, apparently with violent revolution if necessary. Brian Williams had a report about the up tick in gun sales tonight on the Nightly News.

No one could make this up. Who ARE these people who listen to that fruitcake? Please tell them as calmly as you know how, when you have the misfortune to engage them, "Stop, please stop listening to Rush Limbaugh." If possible, add this bit of truth, "Rush is not a patriot; if he were, he would not be seeking to blame Obama for every mistake visited upon the nation the past 50 years, except, of course, the period when Bill Clinton was President. Bill Clinton is still responsible for all the bad that happened in those eight years -- including, I guess, all that peace and prosperity we enjoyed.

Say goodnight, Rush.

Barack Rocks!

Our 44th President of the United States!

(On September 2, while R's were convening in Minneapolis, I speculated on the outcome and this was my post: "While the Republicans are still in convention in Minneapolis, I’ve taken a look at the electoral map and here’s what I see: if the election were held today, Obama would win with 348 electoral votes and McCain would have 190."
At 11 p.m. the final electoral count is not in but it looks like it will be close to that 348 guess of September 2.)

Almost Over...

This was the cold day in Feb. 2007 when Barack Obama announced his candidacy in Springfield, Illinois.














Obama cleaning up after himself at an ice cream shop. (His mother would be proud and grandmother, too.)














Staff passed this bar and did two pull-ups before him, so he stopped and did three...before going out to make a speech.














Shades of Adlai Stevenson's (famous photo). I wonder how many pairs he wore out over the course of this campaign?

First Time Voter!

I met a first time voter today. Not just any first time voter. She is a middle aged woman, an immigrant from South America, who came here several years ago and became a US citizen earlier this year.

She saw my Obama button as I walked through the grocery store on my way to pick up three lemons. As I passed, she grabbed my arm and immediately started to tell me why she also supported Obama. I was in hurry, but the sparkle in her eye as she talked about Obama told me I should listen.

It turns out she knew a lot about both campaigns. She had been listening to both sides closely. The first thing she wanted to say was, “I can’t vote for McCain because he chose a woman who is not very smart to run with him. She doesn’t seem to know anything about anything. And how can he think she is ready to be President? He is an old man…and sick…and he needed to name someone much younger, someone people know about, someone who could help him right away.”

Her voice slowed a bit as she talked about Obama but lost none of its fervor. “Obama seems like a man you can trust. He seems like a man who cares about everybody. Obama seems like a man with a good heart…AND he fills my heart with hope.” I could see a tear starting to well up. “America is the hope of the world; everybody I know wants to come to America. It is the land of opportunity. You can be what you want to be. I love America. “She paused, and then added, “Please tell me Obama will win!”

Clearly she has paid more attention to this race than many Americans who have voted many times.

I told the lady from South America she was not alone in her exuberance. I assured her she was about to vote for a candidate who possessed the personal integrity, raw intellect, life experience and good judgment necessary to lead all of us as President. She liked that. I hope we don’t disappoint her.

Does my vote count? Will it make a difference?

537 votes. That’s how many votes in Florida ultimately determined the election of George Bush in 2000. (I know; I, too, get a sinking feeling in my stomach each time I recall that unfortunate day for America.)

Don’t let anyone you know skip tomorrow. It may be the most important voting day in American history.

If you have someone in your family under the age of 35, I implore you to CALL THEM and urge them to vote as if their future depends on it…because it does.

[Photo: Obama speaks in pouring Philadelphia rain. McCain canceled his appearance that day.]

VOTE!

Miracle of America

This photo was made by my daughter, Katherine, during a tour of the Miracle of America American Museum in Polson, Montana (sort of a "Smithsonian Museum West").



If there was ever a time for this sign to be posted everywhere, it is TODAY.

Almost time to...........GO TO WORK!

No celebration should be planned. There is stil work to do...and after the winner is declared, it will be time for all of us to redouble our efforts to take back this republic and make it work for all of us, not just a select few.

As of this morning, it appears Barack Obama will carry "swing states" Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada. Although he is ahead in Ohio and Florida, it would be premature to count them (although I feel better about Ohio this morning).

Indiana, North Carolina, and Missouri will be interesting to watch because the candidates are in a virtual tie right now...BUT, and it is an important but, those three states are not likely to change the outcome. And that is the good news.

But wait, there's more. The really good news is: Arizona, John McCain's home state, is now considered a very real "toss-up" state...as opposed to a "wishful thinking toss-up" state.

An interesting side note to think about today: late polls that include cell phone users have Obama up nationally 9.4 points as compared to landline users only that have Obama ahead just 5.1 points.

National Erratum

Apparently, Sarah Palin has never read the Constitution for she does not have even a fundamental grasp of the rights protected. She asserted on the campaign trail last week that media criticism of her may be a violation of her right to free speech.

Wrong, Sarah.

It is the First Amendment that protects everyone’s right to free speech, and especially the right of a free press to criticize those charged with the responsibility of upholding the US Constitution. Sarah, please read it once or at least ask someone to explain it to you. (I prefer that you not ask your husband, who has previously only demonstrated his interest in having Alaska secede from the Union.)

PS Note to founders: I’m sorry, Mr. Madison, we are not doing our best right now. Please apologize to Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Adams for us, too.

"Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide"

We now stand 232 years removed from the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The government that followed that declaration left us a magnificent heritage. In the dynamic of history, it is not possible to return to those times, much as many of our friends in the opposition party would like to. I say that because they have insisted for decades that government is too big.

Government is big today because the country is big (300 million citizens as opposed to just 2.5 million in 1776). And the government is big because it takes a big government to serve the citizens. Citizens, for the sake of the Union and for the common good, give their taxes to government, asking only that government administer responsibly the many and diverse programs that serve them. If the programs don’t serve the people, it is up to the people to elect representatives to change them.

But go back? No, not possible. So politicians, please stop promising a smaller government. You don’t mean it; you couldn’t deliver it if you did.

Times change. Circumstances differ, but it still remains possible to build upon the great heritage our founders left us. How many times have I heard a politician say, “The responsibility of each succeeding generation is not to exhaust our inheritance, but to replenish it?” I would add, “And to expand upon it.” Because that is part of our responsibility as citizens.

Barack Obama will be our next President. It will be up to him – AND US – to expand upon our founders’ legacy.The way will not be easy. The decisions at home and abroad will be difficult. I have no doubt that Obama and his administration will not shrink from the task at hand.

What is the role for each of us?

In this day when we are reluctantly counting the declining assets in our bank accounts, and when we are tempted to dwell only on the flaws in the fabric of our nation, it is time to count our blessings and to recommit ourselves to getting this nation back on track. In that great protestant hymn by James Russell Lowell, the opening line reminds us, “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide.” This is that moment for our generation.

The choice we make on November 4 will send a message to all that America’s government remains “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We stand as a witness to the entire world that freedom is not a blessing to be taken for granted, where justice is promoted equally throughout the land, where the rights inherent in our Constitution are not to be dismissed but held sacrosanct, and where the promise of a brighter tomorrow is considered imminently achievable for every citizen.

Tiptoe to the Horizon

If only we could tiptoe to the horizon and take a look over to gain at least a glimpse of what the future holds for us. None of us have that gift (or curse, depending on your point of view), but it doesn't take much imagination to see enormous potential for growth and strength in the American experience.

It seems clear that alternative fuels will soon power our automobiles, thus decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

It seems clear that alternative and renewable fuels will be used to generate our electricity, including clean coal technology (which really will be clean).

It seems clear that advances in nanotechnology will soon transform the way thousands of products are manufactured, and the products thus made will be in the millions.

It seems clear that computers will become increasingly more sophisticated, faster and more powerful, and even more integrated in our lives, not just to help us play video games or to keep us better connected to each other, but including, especially including, providing better health care.

The capitalist system is perfectly suited to take advantage of the innovation and invention that flows from American ingenuity. The problem for this country has been that, for the past eight years, there has been no leadership at the White House. The Bush-Cheney cabal was never able to address "that vision thing" -- as Bush 41 described it -- because they were not, and are not capable of it. With Obama taking the helm, at last we will have a chance to take advantage of the real potential in America that has been suppressed by this incompetent Administration.

If You Need a Clue...

The front page of today's The Washington Post displays the best clue to still unknowing Republicans why their candidate will not win on November 4.

The headline says: A Last Push to Deregulate. Here are the first three paragraphs:

"The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January.

"The new rules would be among the most controversial deregulatory steps of the Bush era and could be difficult for his successor to undo. Some would ease or lift constraints on private industry, including power plants, mines and farms.

"Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining."

There you have it. That's more of the Bush legacy that Americans have grown tired of.

THE PEOPLE ARE NOT IN CHARGE.

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE.

THEIR GOAL IS TO DISMANTLE OUR GOVERNMENT.

Who among us does not look forward to lower "drinking water standards?" Won't that be special?

It's Bill Clinton's Fault

What is it with Republicans? Why do they hate Bill Clinton so much that they HAVE to attach every misbegotten deed that has adversely impacted the nation since he left office to something he did or didn’t do during the 8 years he was in office?

Mmmmmmmm…?

Was it his success as a President? Was it the balanced budget he submitted to Congress which Republican Presidents in recent history were want to do? Was it the enormous prosperity the country enjoyed during his presidency? Was it the record jobs created during his years of federal stewardship?

Or was it those moments of immoral behavior, moments of personal failing that have caused them to hate him so? If so, where is the Christian spirit of forgiveness they supposedly learned in church school each Sunday? Where were these “Christians” when THAT lesson was being taught?

I’ve heard Bill Clinton blamed for Osama bin Laden’s attacks on America. To hear Pat Robertson tell it, 9/11 was a direct result of Bill Clinton’s presidency. I’m sure he must have thought up that Mission Accomplished banner, too, knowing all the while the grief it would cause Bush 43.

I’ve heard him blamed for the mortgage crisis. One of the talk radio nuts said it was Bill Clinton who came up with the subprime lending scheme.

The next thing you know the Republicans will blame global warming on Bill Clinton. I guess he is to blame also for all those terrible hurricanes visited upon the Bush Administration. And surely he is to blame for those high prices at the gas pump which had us all running for Japanese hybrids.

Male pattern baldness will be next. Just ask Rush Limbaugh.

I’ll bet Bill Clinton was the one who gave John McCain the idea that Sarah Palin would be a good choice for a running mate.

We must never forget...

As hard as it may be to believe, a few voters remain undecided. If you know one, remind him or her of a few of the painful days indelibly printed on the Bush legacy:

I hope we never forget the day the bridges collapsed in Minnesota, reminding us that the Bush administration would not support spending dollars from the Highway Trust Fund to repair and maintain our federal highway infrastructure.

I hope we never forget the day the Bush appointed head of the Consumer Products Safety Commission shrugged as she testified before Congress, confessing she could not remember whether or not the Commission had recalled a single toy made in China that was unsafe for our children.

I hope we never forget the near misses by aircraft at Reagan National Airport, and the fact that the FAA does not have the money to install current state of the art systems to keep planes from colliding on taxiways because the Administration does not support such spending.

I hope we never forget when the USDA announced the biggest meat recall in US history, partially because they cannot afford enough meat inspectors to do one of the basic jobs Americans expect from their government.

I hope we never forget that the FDA permitted unsafe drugs to enter the prescription drug market because of lax oversight, and because the FDA cannot afford the experts needed for proper testing in a timely manner.

I hope we never forget the inept reaction of FEMA to the catastrophic damage to the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

I hope we never forget that $500 million in federal support for development of a clean coal-fired electric generation project that was withdrawn because such spending would add more dollars to an already bursting federal deficit, even though such spending might result in cleaner more breathable air for all.

These are but a sampling from a very long list. There are many more from nearly every agency and department of our government where, over the past eight years, budgets have been slashed, staffs have been cut, and the delivery of services American taxpayers depend on has suffered.

Then there is the complete meltdown of our economy under the Bush Administration. It should come as no surprise that the Bush administration was not minding the store. They never did.

John McCain says he and George Bush share the same philosophy of government. Is there anything else you need to know?

We will strengthen our republic when we go to the polls next week remembering the failings of the current administration and determined not to forget what it did to our country these past eight years.

John Lewis called it a movement

There's something going on in America, said Rep. John Lewis a few months ago. Indeed, there is something going on. It is Americans taking back their government. It is ordinary citizens surprising even Barack Obama with their passion for redressing the wrongs of this administration as is their right under the US Constitution.

And here they are: in Portland where 75,000 came to see him, in Houston, where 25,000 came out the night Obama won the Wisconsin primary, in Philadelphia where 35,000 came to show their support the next day, in New York where 60,000 cheered, in Pittsburgh where 50,000 showed up, a 100,000 in Denver, a 100,000 plus in St. Louis, even Boise where 14,000 supporters showed up to hear his message of hope and belief in America's future.

American can't wait for the change Barack Obama will bring. It is nothing more than restoration of the underpinnings of this republic.

Higher taxes on higher profit or lower taxes on lower profit?

"I'd rather pay higher taxes on higher profit than lower taxes on lower profit."

That comment by a businessman in today's news sends a clear message to Republicans: "we're not buying the same old line this year." Did you hear that, McPalin team? We are not buying.


I think Americans finally understand the GOP's game. Every four years for at least 44 years, the GOP walks out the same old line: "Vote for us because we will lower your taxes and reduce the size of government. The only problem: they never do. It's a nice promise and they count on the voters with short attention spans and even shorter memories buying it.

I remember when Barry Goldwater and Bill Miller tried to sell it in 1964. Even Nelson Rockefeller, the acknowledged leader of the liberal wing of the Republican Party in the early 1960s was promising not to raise taxes. (Yes, there was a liberal wing of the Republican Party in those days.)

Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew tried it, too, in 1968 and 1972 with better success. They even threw in a promise of victory in Vietnam with, "Peace is at hand." (They were smart enough not to say "victory is at hand" as John McCain does today.)

In 1976 Jerry Ford and Bob Dole would have used it to better effect if the aftermath of the Watergate scandal had not cleared the way for Democrats Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale to be elected.

Then came Reagan in 1980. The former Democrat, former actor turned Republican, understood what to do with the old line. He and George H.W. Bush got elected twice on the line. Voters generally have forgotten that Reagan/Bush tripled the national debt as they lowered taxes (because they did nothing to reduce spending) and the size of the government almost doubled on their watch. Oh well, maybe nobody noticed.

Reagan -- the fiscal conservative -- never balanced a budget. He never came close to balancing a budget. He never came remotely close to even thinking about balancing a budget. Ronald Reagan, the patron saint of the GOP, paid for his massive expansion of the federal government by pawning off the expense on the next generation. And he used his communication skills to tell us this was all somehow OK.

Bush 41 and Dan Quayle got their chance in 1988 and simply continued the Reagan "borrow and spend" years but Bush made one fatal mistake. He emphatically stated, "Read my lips: no new taxes." He forgot that you are not supposed to lay that sacrosanct campaign tenet in concrete, you are only supposed to promise lower taxes. But those Bush boys were never very good with the English language. When taxes went up and Bush 41 did not veto them, voters turned him out because he could not erase the words he had put in the consciousness of every voter.

Democrat Bill Clinton was the first President since Lyndon Johnson to present a balanced budget to the Congress and the American people. When he left office after two terms of consistent growth and prosperity, he left a $230 billion surplus for the next administration.

In 2000 Bush 43 came into office with his co-president, Dick Cheney (still hard to know who was the real President but that's another blog entry). Bush 43 and Cheney went back to 1964 and picked up the mantra: "we promise you lower taxes and smaller government." And they added, "Who knows better than you how to spend your own money? Certainly not the government." Sounds so sweet, doesn't it? They didn't believe it, of course, but sure thought the electorate would.

The GOP must think we are all infants...or idiots? 91.4 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET GOES TO DEFENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL DEBT. The GOP will not speak of these locked in spending items. Only Defense can be called discretionary but the GOP certainly does not see it as discretionary.

It is up to us -- as Sarah Palin likes to say -- to "call them out" when they promise something we and they know they can't deliver and indeed, have no intention to even attempt to deliver.

As Obama says, it's time to declare, "Enough."

The truth is this: The fiscally conservative party has indebted this country since 1980 with a mammoth amount of debt. Bush 43 will leave office on January 20, 2009, having doubled the national debt from 5.4 trillion dollars to 10.6 trillion dollars.

Just typing those record debt numbers is depressing to me. I'm ready for someone who will speak the truth to us, not the tired old mantra of discredited political ideology.

Not one of us wants to pay higher taxes, we just want to pay our fair share of taxes when it is warranted. That is patriotism in action. And we are all patriots -- at least we believe we are -- when we ask government to keep greed in check by regulating financial markets, care for the elderly by providing a small measure of support through Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid programs, pay for the infrastructure that provides safe roads and bridges and levees, secure our borders from those who would do us harm, and most importantly, provide for the common defense. There's more, much more we Democrats AND Republicans expect of our government, but you get the picture. We will pay taxes, we will pay higher taxes if needed, but we insist they be taxes fairly apportioned among the citizens and expended only in ways that are transparent and fully accountable.