Obama Speaks in Sentences

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/obamas-use-of-complete-se_b_144642.html

I love this!! The president speaks English, sounds educated, even intelligent! Go Barack!!-ps

700 Headlines for Obama

http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html
See the amazing 700+ headlines for Obama from all over the

US. Here's a sample

There's No One As Irish as Barack Obama

Veterans' Day

History of Veterans' Day - http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2008

A Veterans Day Message
From VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake
WASHINGTON -- Ninety years ago today, the guns fell silent in Europe. World War I – the “war to end all wars” – was over. Almost five million Americans served during that first modern, mechanized war. Our last living link with them, 107-year-old Army veteran Frank Buckles, observes this Veterans Day at his farm in West Virginia.

It is important, on Veterans Day, for all Americans to reflect on the service and sacrifice of our veterans, from Mr. Buckles to the men and women who recently fought for us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their bravery, their resourcefulness, and their patriotism mark them as our nation’s finest citizens.

Since 2001, the President and Congress have provided the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with a 98 percent increase in funding, and with the guidance and support to enable VA to honor America’s debt to the men and women whose patriotic service and sacrifice have kept our nation free and prosperous; to provide them with medical and financial help when they need it most; and to build and maintain beautiful national cemeteries to perpetuate their memory and their accomplishments.

During this Administration, VA has met the challenge of a new generation of veterans: those tempered by war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those who have defended America’s interests elsewhere while their comrades served in combat.

The Benefits Delivery at Discharge program serves these separating service members at 154 locations, assisting them to file for VA disability benefits. To further help these men and women, a new insurance benefit is in place to assist them with the costs of living with traumatic injury; life insurance coverage has increased by $100,000; and the time it takes to process requests for education benefits has been reduced from 50 days to less than 20.
- More -
Veterans Day Message 2/2/2/2


One hundred Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been hired to reach out to their fellow veterans throughout the nation and tell them about the benefits and services VA offers. Federal Recovery Coordinators are on board, actively engaged in helping severely injured veterans and their families navigate our system for health care and financial benefits. Our Vet Centers now provide bereavement counseling to families of those who have given their lives in the war against terror, and we’ve provided health care to nearly 350,000 new veterans—about 40 percent of all separated war veterans.

Our program to screen all veterans coming to us who served in Iraq and Afghanistan for possible traumatic brain injury is giving us great insight into how best to serve these men and women. Those who screen positive are referred for a comprehensive medical evaluation to confirm the diagnosis, and are quickly and appropriately treated. For those with very severe injuries like brain injury, amputations, visual impairment and burns, we’ve established Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers in Richmond, Va, Tampa, Fla., Minneapolis and Palo Alto, Calif., to provide the very finest, state-of-the-art care. They are examples of great cooperation across the continuum of care with the Department of Defense.

While caring for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans has been among VA’s most important priorities, we continue to provide the full spectrum of care and benefits to our veterans of other eras. Since 2001, we’ve reduced our average number of days required to completely process a claim from a high of 233 days in 2002 to 162 days today and have reduced the number of disability claims pending from 432,000 in 2002 to 384,500 through a combination of process improvements, increased staffing and improved training. We’ve placed particular emphasis on adjudicating claims for veterans aged 70 or older. Our home loan guaranty limit has increased from $203,000 to as much as $729,750, providing a better opportunity for veterans who want to own a home. The programs to deal with the issue of veteran homelessness have measurably paid off, reducing the number of homeless veterans by nearly 40 percent from 2001 to 2007.

- More -
Veterans Day Message 3/3/3/3


The number of veterans enrolled in VA health care has increased from 4.8 million to 7.8 million in the past eight years. Their care is provided by the Veterans Health Administration, an organization that excels in the provision of high quality health care, that has set benchmarks in patient satisfaction in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for seven consecutive years; that has substantially cut waiting times and improved access to care throughout the nation; and that has set, and met, a standard of 24 hours for initial assessment and a 14-day standard for comprehensive assessment of new mental health patients, thanks to more than 4,100 mental health professionals hired in the last five years.

VA leads the nation in the development and use of electronic health records, receiving the coveted “Innovations Award” from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2006. We’ve laid the groundwork for sharing electronic records with the Department of Defense, launched a web-based application to allow patients and their families to interact with VA physicians over the Internet, and worked hard to set the “gold standard” for health information security to protect the vital personal information veterans entrust to us.
Addressing readjustment needs and rural access, we have announced plans to place at least one Vet Center in every county in which there are 50,000 or more veterans. We are also purchasing fifty “mobile Vet Centers”—vans which will travel to rural areas throughout the nation to bring Vet Center services to veterans in rural and highly rural areas; we’re also in the process of expanding our community-based outpatient clinics to a total of 782, an increase of 100 in five years.

Our National Shrine Program has uplifted the beauty of our cemeteries, and by the end of 2009 six new national cemeteries will have opened for burials, adding to the six cemeteries we have already opened since 2001.

I am proud of this great record of accomplishment, prouder still of the approximately 270,000 men and women of VA who daily fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for veterans and their families; and proudest to have had the opportunity to serve men and women like Frank Buckles, whose dedicated service to our nation in all its wars has enabled generations of Americans to live their lives in freedom.
# # #

Yeas We Can!!

http://usacoup.scoop.co.nz/?p=965

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Text of President Elect Barack Obama’s Election Night Victory Speech
As prepared for delivery in Chicago

OBAMA: Hello, Chicago.
(APPLAUSE)

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
(APPLAUSE)

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
OBAMA: We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)

It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
(APPLAUSE)

It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
(APPLAUSE)

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.
(APPLAUSE)

Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton…
(APPLAUSE)

… and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
(APPLAUSE)

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years…
(APPLAUSE)

… the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady…
(APPLAUSE)

… Michelle Obama.
(APPLAUSE)

(APPLAUSE)
Sasha and Malia...
(APPLAUSE)

... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us...
(LAUGHTER)

... to the new White House.
(APPLAUSE)

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe...
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)

To my chief strategist David Axelrod...
(APPLAUSE)

... who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics...
(APPLAUSE)

... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy...
(APPLAUSE)

... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.

(APPLAUSE)

AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

OBAMA: There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

OBAMA: This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
(APPLAUSE)

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
(APPLAUSE)

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

(APPLAUSE)

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

AUDIENCE: Yes we can.

OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

AUDIENCE: Yes we can.

OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

AUDIENCE: Yes we can.

OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.

AUDIENCE: Yes we can.

OBAMA: America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
(APPLAUSE)

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
END

Mr. President

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

New Federal Rule Allowing Water Pollution Challenged

RELATED INFO Case:
EPA Water Transfer Rule
Lake Okeechobee Backpumping, Florida
Issue:
Water
Region:
Southeast
Office:
Florida
Buck in Brief:
News from the Sunshine State (06/15/05)
Fact Sheet:
Lake Okeechobee Backpumping Fact Sheet
Feature:
Pumping Pollution into Our Waterways
Press Release:
In Latest Anti-Clean Water Action, Bush Administration Gives Polluters OK to Pump Wastewater into Drinking Water Supplies (06/09/08)
Pumping Polluted Water into Lake Okeechobee Ruled Illegal (06/15/07)
Court Rules Pumping Polluted Water into Lake Okeechobee Violates Clean Water Act (12/11/06)
EPA Water Transfer Rule Proposes New Pollution Exemptions (06/01/06)
Closing Arguments Summarize Lake Okeechobee Contamination Case (04/19/06)
Additional Resources:
Florida Wildlife Federation's Arguments, Part 3
Florida Wildlife Federation's Arguments, Part 2
Florida Wildlife Federation's Arguments, Part 1
Reports:
Lake Okeechobee Pollution Crisis and the St. Lucie River and Estuary
South Florida Water Management District Legislative Budget Request Admitting Contamination of Drinking Water Taken from Lake Okeechobee
Report by City of South Bay on Water Quality Violations in South Bay Drinking Water
Army Corps of Engineers Report Showing Canals and Lake Okeechobee are Chemically Distinct and that Backpumping Sends Polluted Water into the Lake
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report on Health Impacts of Lake Okeechobee Water
Victories:
A Historic Victory for Everglades Restoration
Relief for Lake Okeechobee Is on the Way
Polluting Lake Okeechobee Declared Illegal

Press Release
New Federal Rule Allowing Water Pollution Challenged
Bush administration okays pumping of polluted waters into clean rivers, lakes and streams
June 27, 2008

Discharge into Lake Okeechobee
Tallahassee, FL -- Earthjustice filed suit in U.S. Circuit Court in Atlanta today to challenge the Bush administration's latest attempt to weaken the Clean Water Act.
On June 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a new rule that says polluters don't need to comply with the Clean Water Act when they transfer dirty water -- from canals contaminated by urban or agricultural pollution, for example -- directly into public lakes and streams.

Representing Florida Wildlife Federation, Earthjustice contends in its lawsuit that such water transfers should be protected by the Clean Water Act.
"The Bush administration has no right to create exemptions in the Clean Water Act that endanger public drinking water supplies," Guest said. "The public won't stand for this last-ditch move to protect polluters."

The Bush administration's water transfer rule has been the subject of legal challenges since it was first proposed in 2005. The issue arose out of a court case at Lake Okeechobee in South Florida. That case challenged the practice of "backpumping" water from contaminated drainage canals into Lake Okeechobee. The drainage canals are laced with fertilizer and urban and agricultural wastes. The practice has had disastrous effects on the lake, a major drinking water supply.

Earthjustice and the Florida Wildlife Federation sued, and won. The federal court ruled that the polluted water, coupled with routine disinfection at public water plants, creates "toxic disinfection byproducts that can sicken humans."

Transfers of contaminated water have already triggered numerous toxic algae blooms around the United States. The algae growths can make people sick and sometimes kill livestock or pets that drink the water. The drinking water supplies for millions of Americans across the country have been affected, including notable cases in Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, and California. The dirty water is a health risk for pregnant women, and taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in additional treatment costs while polluters put more profits in their pockets.

"Instead of tightening protections and cleaning up the pollution, the EPA chose to legalize it," said Manley Fuller, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation. "We had no choice but to file suit."
Read the suit (PDF)
Contact:
David Guest, Earthjustice, (850) 681-0031

Earthjustice 426 17th Street, Oakland, CA 94612 1.800.584.6460 info@earthjustice.org Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.

Online Degrees

Online degrees have become common place over the last few years. As an adult learner/student working full time, it is complicated with full time on campus classes. It is sometimes necessary to be mobile for work. Working full time, traveling for work and /or relocating makes getting a degree difficult. Online degrees provide flexibility. It allows one to stay with the same college to completion of degree requirements. Being an online student eliminates transferring from college to college. Computers are readily available today. There are computers at work. Some employers encourage employees getting online degrees. Employers are clamoring for better prepared college graduates. There are computers available in libraries, computer cafes, education centers, and our own personal desktops or laptops. Wherever there is a computer, you have a personal classroom.

As parents, time is limited. The flexibility of online degrees is being able to plan and schedule time for the important things – family, friends or relaxing. Getting a degree online allows the use of down time at work (yes lunch and breaks) to complete and submit course work. On occasion, coursework be done on weekend evenings/nights after the kids are in bed. Online degree programs are available 24 hours, seven days a week. Doesn’t matter what your schedule, there’s an online degree for you. The biggest barrier to successfully completing an online course is discipline. As an adults we are busy, but a degree can be obtained with a scheduled and devotion to staying on course.

Having a bachelor's degree in hand automatically increases your salary and your employment options. There are so many online bachelor's degree programs designed to fit your schedule. Whatever your field or career there’s an online degree program to help meet the goal. There is no shortage of the types of online degrees. Students may choose from stand alone courses, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and PhD degrees, baccalaureate completion programs, continuing education courses, and professional certificates. There are so many opportunities to move forward in your career. This option is available to anyone, anywhere – local and overseas. We know that many adults would not be able to get a degree attending a traditional college. Adult students are older than traditional on-campus students, and are often juggling work, family and school responsibilities to make a better life for themselves. Commitments require such an option. Commitments like family, work, schedules, work-related travel, and military service. These commitments especially don't fit easily into the strictures imposed by traditional colleges. They need greater flexibility.

First Dude and absent Sarah upstage Norm at Duluth Sportsmen for Coleman rally

http://minnesotaindependent.com/13461/first-dude-and-absent-sarah-upstage-norm-at-duluth-sportsmen-for-coleman-rally

Picture worth a thousand word!

Yes. The Secret Service says it can't find the people in the crowd who keep calling for Barack Obama to be killed, and now we perhaps know why. Their agents are busy making sure that reporters don't leave their penned in areas and ask regular American citizens questions.Now, how is it the Secret Service's job to play crowd control with reporters? Do they take sandwich orders too?We know about this because Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank finally went public, and Huff Post caught it. Here's Milbank: http://www.americablog.com/2008/10/secret-service-isnt-doing-its-job.html

I Am Not Joe the Plumber

http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/I-Am-Not-Joe-the-Plumber.301073

I was pretty undecided until last night’s third presidential debate. McCain had me going for the first 20-30 minutes. I actually stopped to listen to what he was saying.

MRSA and Sports

School Sports Teams and MRSA

There is an outbreak of community MRSA among school sport teams. This is different from the organism associated with hospitals. Prevention is simple common sense - wash, wash, wash.....hands, body, uniforms. Don't share towels, uniforms, razors.

McCain refers to Americans as 'my fellow prisoners'

Republican candidate back to the Hanoi Hilton he called home for five and a half years. At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania Wednesday, McCain referred to his supporters as "fellow prisoners" in a botched attack on his Democratic opponent Barack Obama.

Download video via RawReplay.com

Palin's Parenting Skills-Sweet

Waste of Toxic Mining Pit-Shot From Int'l Space Station

nasa.gov — Old Montana mining pit site--mined for decades, gradually filled with deeper water. As shot by NASA in 2006 depth of water in pit reached 900+ and site was on Superfund list for clean-up.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aVXfypExIZ9M

AIG, Castigated for Resort Event, Plans Another One (Update2)

American International Group Inc., castigated by the White House, Congress and Barack Obama for hosting a $440,000 conference days after an $85 billion federal bailout, plans to hold another gathering for brokers next week.
The event, at the Ritz-Carlton in California's Half Moon Bay, aims to ``motivate and educate'' about 150 independent agents who sell AIG coverage to high-end clients, said spokesman Nicholas Ashooh.

AIG execs' retreat after bailout angers lawmakers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081008/ap_on_bi_ge/meltdown_aig

AIG sent its executives to the coastal St. Regis resort south of Los Angeles even as the company tapped into an $85 billion loan from the government it needed to stave off bankruptcy. The resort tab included $23,380 worth of spa treatments for AIG employees, according to invoices the resort turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Second Presidential Debate

You were watching Dancing With the Stars and missed the debate last night between Barack Obama and John McCain! Ahhhh Well the air ways, Internet and TV are a buzz, so you
can catch up. My spin on last night's debate is this: McCain
is a very angry man. His and his wife's body language tell a story. John McCain was unable to take the
opportunity in what is his preferred format for
campaigning: the town hall meeting. Several months
ago Senator McCain challenged Senator Obama to hold
ten such meetings throughout the campaign. McCain appeared more uncomfortable with the forum than Obama. At the end of the debate, McCain's wife walked around with her hands behind her back so as not to be touched on purpose or accidentally. The McCains quick left after the debate. The Obamas stayed, talked, and took pictures with the American people...not afraid to be touched.

My proof: The video - McCain Refuses to Shake Obama's Hand, Desperate Angry McCain Lies About Romney , McCain Why Are You So Angry? The comments: "That One," McCain Calls Obama In Debate (VIDEO) "McCain punctuates a contrast with Obama by referring to him as "that one," while once again not looking in his opponent's direction (merely jabbing a finger across his chest)." What's that about?

At times McCain was cranky and condescending. His remark to the questioned asked by "Clark: Well, Senators, through this economic crisis, most of the people that I know have had a difficult time. And through this bailout package, I was wondering what it is that's going to actually help those people out." McCain: ".....But you know, one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis." Why would McCain assume the man never heard about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Read it for yourself: Transcript of second McCain, Obama debate.

This was a good one: Brokaw: Senator, we have one minute for a discussion here. Obviously the powers of the treasury secretary have been greatly expanded. The most powerful officer in the cabinet now. Hank Paulson says he won't stay on. Who do you have in mind to appoint to that very important post? McCain: "...I like Meg Whitman [former CEO of eBay and current McCain campaign adviser], she knows what it's like to be out there in the marketplace. She knows how to create jobs. Meg Whitman was CEO of a company that started with 12 people and is now 1.3 million people in America make their living off eBay." Ebay may cut 1,500 jobs: Barron's, eBay Layoffs - Executives To Get 4 Years Pay. That sounds like a plan.

Brokaw: Quick discussion. Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility? (A simple enough question.) McCain: I think it's a responsibility, in this respect, in that we should have available and affordable health care to every American citizen, to every family member. And with the plan that -- that I have, that will do that. But government mandates I -- I'm always a little nervous about. I am confused, it's not a mandate, whose responsibility is it?

And the last most confusing, well may be not the most confusing, claim to fame: McCain: That's why we're going to have to go out into the housing market and we're going to have to buy up these bad loans and we're going to have to stabilize home values, and that way, Americans, like Alan, can realize the American dream and stay in their home. US Congress and President Bush have signed into law a $700 billion bailout plan, what was this?

Winter Without Heat and Lights

Since last year in various parts of the country, people have gone without heat and electric. Well that was before the banks failed, mortgages fall in the toliet and the stock market got flushed away. We are rapidly moving toward an other winter. Now people may not have a house after foreclousure. the discussion may be gas for the car to get to work (if not laid off already), or money for utilities.

Yesterday, AP reported a soar in power cutoffs. I didn't find too many current stories on this issue. Shut-offs are up 17 % higher than last year for New York customers' major utilities, and 22% higher in economically hard-hit Michigan. I grew up in New York in cold winter when we had heat. Snow up to your knees, because the city did not close for snow storms. I washed in cold water, because I was the first up. Now people are looking forward to no heat, hot water and/or roof over their heads. Cut-offs are up in all or part of dozens of other states, including Pennsylvania, Florida and California, according to an Associated Press check of regulators and energy companies.

US Military rips away pet of deployed US Soldier shortly before Baghdad Pups can send puppy to safety in Minnesota

http://www.getfreshminds.com/2008/10/baghdad-pups.html

One of my good college friends is in Iraq right now. A couple months ago, she told me about Baghdad Pups, a really amazing organization that provides medical care, clearance and transport for the animals U.S. soldiers have come to love during deployment in the Middle East.

My friend has been held in Iraq by the stop-loss policy for over 15 months longer than her original commitment to the military.

It gets worse. According to the Baghdad Pups press release on my friend's behalf:
"Soldiers can face immediate court-marshal [for befriending animals] and some even see their animals brutally murdered by a direct gunshot to the head from commanding officers who will not bend the rules."

Reader Pays Off $14,330 In 20 Months With Our Tips

Reader Pays Off $14,330 In 20 Months With Our Tips

Stuck in a $14,300 debt hole, reader Trixare4kids was able to dig herself out using tips she learned about on Consumerist.com. Let's learn how she attacked her personal finances and learned to live frugally, and did it all in 20 months

MIT report debunks China energy myth

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/china-energy-1006.html

The problem isn't in the technology, it's the operations
David Chandler, MIT News OfficeOctober 6, 2008


A detailed analysis of powerplants in China by MIT researchers debunks the widespread notion that outmoded energy technology or the utter absence of government regulation is to blame for that country's notorious air-pollution problems. The real issue, the study found, involves complicated interactions between new market forces, new commercial pressures and new types of governmental regulation.

JP Morgan Chase aka Chase aka.....

J.P. Morgan Chase located at 60 Wall Street, a 115th highest building in the world, 745 feet/227 meters, 50 floors, built in 1989. J.P. Morgan Chase contributed to McCain’s campaign. J.P. Morgan Vice Chairman James B. Lee Jr., a top McCain fundraiser, put him in a room with the chief executives of companies such as General Electric, Xerox and Sony. McCain was invited by J.P. Morgan Chase for its annual leadership conference in March 2008.

OK what’s in a name, J.P. Morgan Chase in 2000, merged with Chase Manhattan Corp., in effect combining four of the largest and oldest money center banking institutions in New York City (J.P. Morgan, Chase, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover) into one firm called J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. 2008 J.P. Morgan Chase acquired Washington Mutual Bank also has a subsidiary, Washington Mutual FSB, Park City, Utah. They have combined assets of $307 billion and total deposits of $188 billion. Before that they took over Bear Stearns J.P.Morgan has been on the prowl for a prime brokerage business, which services hedge fund clients.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. history page says it’s earliest predecessor in 1799. That’s not totally correct. John Pierpont Morgan’s (1837-1913), father introduced Anthony Drexel (1826-1893) to his son. These three men formed an exceptional partnership, Drexel, Morgan and Co., with JP as the senior partner in 1871. The company played a leading role in financing governments, railroads and corporations. Drexel was considered by some as the most prominent financier of the 19th century. He was credited with transforming an underachieving JP Morgan into a wizard of high finance according to Dan Rottenberg. He and his brothers inherited his father's Philadelphia banking house and built it into a successful investment-banking concern, specializing in flotation of government bonds, railroad organization, mining development, and urban real estate. Drexel is not mentioned on JP Morgan Chase’s history. According to his book, Rottenberg stated that JP Morgan learned to respect Drexel's business shrewdness. As long as Drexel lived, Morgan refused to make any move that that failed to meet with Drexel’s approval.

According to its history, the present day institution was built on the skeletons of more than 1,000 predecessor institutions. The bank founded in New York with banking operations in more than 60 countries. The history says that the foundation of JP Morgan started with Bank of The Manhattan Company established in 1799. Aaron Burr was one of the Directors. The principal object of this incorporation was to obtain a supply of pure and wholesome water for the City of New York. The Bank of the Manhattan Company was profitable from the start and commenced paying dividends in July 1800. Actually in 1895 J.P. Morgan’s firm, a private bank engaging in commercial as well as investment banking, adopted its final name of J. P. Morgan & Company. Chase Manhattan Bank founded in 1955 with the merger of Chase National Bank (founded in 1877) and the Bank of the Manhattan Company.

JP Morgan Chase’s history makes vague references to the 1800s and new banks being formed across the nation. It mentions the historic links JPMorgan Chase has to Western Reserve Bank, one of the first banks in Ohio and a predecessor of Bank (Banc)One, which merged with JPMorgan Chase in 2004.

In 1996 Chase Manhattan merged with Chemical Banking Corp. (owned the nation's second largest bank) but kept the Chase Manhattan name. A merger with investment bank J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000 created J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

"Manny Hanny" was the popular nickname of Manufacturers Hanover Trust, an old New York City bank. The New York Manufacturing Company began in 1812 as a manufacturer of cotton-processing equipment and switched to banking five years later. It merged with Chemical Bank, and then Chemical Bank merged with Chase (the name used today).

In 1823, the New York Chemical Manufacturing Company began producing medicines, paints and dyes at a plant in Greenwich Village. After successive mergers and name changes, the bank assumed the name Chemical Bank in 1969, when it became part of the holding company Chemical New York Corporation and the chemical business was dropped. The corporation acquired Texas Commerce Bancshares, Inc., in 1987. Its 1991 merger with Manufacturers Hanover Corporation represented one of the largest U.S. bank.

1998 Banc (Bank) One Corp. merged with First Chicago NBD, taking the name Bank One Corp. Subsequently taking over Louisiana's First Commerce Corp., Bank One was than the largest financial services firm in the Midwest. It was the fourth-largest bank in the U. S., and the world's largest Visa credit card issuer.
Enough said!

The Old Watchdog of the Manhattan Company: Every morning he would sit on the front stoop, greet each clerk as he arrived and accompany him to his desk.
Where is that watchdog?

Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/3/43222/8057/718/618653
I know some folks out there might have had trouble following the Vice Presidential debate. Particularly, trying to parse meaning from the things that Sarah Palin said. With that in mind, I have compiled a handy resource for your perusal. I hope to update this chart, both graphically and grammatically, when it is no longer ten to five in the morning. For for the mean time. . . enjoy!

VP Debates - 2008

Watch the videos and read the stories about the VP debate:

More in Politics: Bushies: Biden Won... Palin's Eyelash Problem... Biden Chokes Up...

Why Little Johnny Isn't a McCain Fan

Why Little Johnny Isn't a 'McCain Fan'

A teacher in Elmira, New York, who is a McCain supporter, asked her4th grade class, 'How many of you are McCain fans?' Not really knowing what a McCain fan is, but wanting to be liked by theteacher, all the kids raised their hands, except for Little Johnny.

The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different?Little Johnny said, 'Because I'm not a McCain fan.' The teacher asked, 'Why aren't you a McCain fan?'Johnny said, 'Because I'm a Democrat.'

The teacher asked him why he's a Democrat. Little Johnny answered,'Well, my Mom's a Democrat and my Dad's a Democrat, so I'm a Democrat.'

Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, 'OK, you little smart ass. Well what if your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot...then what would that make you?

'With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, 'That would make me the child of George Bush and Sarah Palin...and oh yeah, a McCain fan.

OBAMA '08!

'The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Newstex and Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, http://www.mokellyreport.blogspot.com.

Letterman Rants on McCain

David Letterman Reacts to John McCain Suspending Campaign watch!
youtube.com — On the "Late Show," David Letterman talks about John McCain suspending his campaign in order to solve the economic problems

The Point: Disturbing line Palin tossed off in address

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/20080921_The_Point__Disturbing_line_Palin_tossed_off_in_address.html?referrer=digg

......But it was in that much-heralded speech at the Republican convention that Palin tossed off a line I found more disturbing than anything unearthed about her since. It got a predictably enthusiastic response from the keyed-up partisan crowd.

"Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America," said Palin, and then, referring to Barack Obama, quipped: "He's worried that someone won't read them their rights."
Quite apart from the cheap distortion of Obama's position, typical of most campaign rhetoric, this is a classic lynch-mob line. It is the taunt of the drunken lout in the cowboy movie who confronts a sheriff barring the prison door - He wants to give 'im a trial?.......

The Contrast Between Obama and McCain

The Contrast: Barack Obama vs. John McCain
The responses of Barack Obama and John McCain to the economic crisis today tells you all you need to know about the choice in this election.

On the one hand, in Barack Obama we've got a statesman who wants to work together to get things done for all Americans. On the other hand, in John McCain we've got a yipping little dog (apologies to canine lovers everywhere) who will tear anything down to get ahead.

Canada Trashes Palin

Canada's CBC columnist calls Palin admirers "white trash"
elections.foxnews.com — The incendiary column by Toronto-based writer Heather Mallick appeared on the CBC ’s news site on Sept. 5, after the close of the Republican National Convention. On the same day, Britain’s Guardian newspaper published another column by Mallick in which she trashed Palin’s Alaska as a “frontier state full of drunks and crazy people.”

RNC & Sarah Palin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al_y3g77ZsA

Take Care of Your Queen

Hello, I am just an average guy. I am no expert, but I will give my opinion on a topic of importance, taking care of your Queen. What are we not teaching the male generation? Don’t get me wrong, all songs on the radio do not insult women, but there are enough that do. None of the degrading songs describe the women in my life now or ever. The lyrics do not describe my grandmother, mother, sisters, and girlfriend, friends that are girls or any daughters I may father.

My grandmother is the matriarch of the family. She’s my mother’s mother. My father’s mother died when I was a baby. My grandmother is a hard working woman, raising five kids after her husband died at the young age of 42 years. Grandma Rose did days work, cleaning white people houses. Every one of her children went to college. At 81 years old she still goes to Las Vegas with her senior citizen group. Grandma is as independent as ever. When her driver license expires, we convinced her not to renew.

My mother was an example to me of how far you can get in life working smart, not hard. Two things she always says is, “Don’t settle for anything but the best, and If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything.” My father taught me what a Queen my mother is. My grandmother is the Queen mother. There is nothing too good for the women of this family. My sisters are princess. They are not spoiled brats, but they know how to be treated. My father is the head of the family, but my mother has put out more fires and solved problems my father will never know.

My lady is a beautiful person. She’s not just physically good to look at, but she is a kind caring person. She volunteers for Habit for Humanity because she thinks all people should have a nice place to live. She’s a fourth grade teacher, really under paid. Angela buys extras for her class with her own money. I appreciate all that she does. I show that by opening doors for her. I pull out her chair. I surprise her with flowers, not just on Valentine Day or after a fight. After the football with the guys, we watch one of her girly movies together. Why, she’s my lady, my Queen.

McCain Gets Testy On Morning Joe

huffingtonpost.com — McCain openly sparred with Brzezinski, whom he accused of being an open supporter of Obama.

"Wow McCain is losing it. I hope he goes off at the debates and lunges for Obama and starts spitting out racial slurs on national T.V. That is my dream..lolMorning Joe is a Conservative show on top of it. Joe is a Republican, was in congress as a Republican. Makes you wonder."

Obama campaign files suit over “voter-foreclosure” plans

http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4463/obama-campaign-files-suit-over-foreclosure-lists


michiganmessenger.com — The Obama campaign and the DNC have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan over the Michigan GOP ’s plan to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls... noted that in July alone 11,000 Michigan residents received foreclosure notices. The McCain campaign “wants to add insult to injury” by denying those residents their right to vote

Why We Vote the Way We Do

http://www.physorg.com/news140709580.html

(PhysOrg.com) -- So you're standing in the election booth. You look at the names in front of you: McCain and Obama. Chances are, by now you know who you're going to vote for. But what went into that decision?

Researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR) have been trying to understand voter behavior since the presidential election of 1948, when the institute, then the newly founded Survey Research Center, launched what eventually became the American National Election Studies (ANES). The national survey was carried out through face-to-face interviews with the same sample of respondents just before and after the election.

Provided by University of Michigan This news is brought to you by PhysOrg.com

New Obama Ad: "The Fundamentals of Our Economy Are Strong" watch!
youtube.com

"What's it going to take for McCain to admit that the fundamentals of our economy are not strong, the downfall of JP Morgan or Citibank?"

"Alaska Women Reject Palin" Rally: UPDATED 4x Pics coming back up

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/14/103042/902/965/597033

dailykos.com — Despite overcast skies and a forecast for rain, there was a rally here today. Oh man, was there! In fact, it was by most accounts the largest protest rally in the history of Alaska

John McCain's health records must be released

http://therealmccain.com/doctors/

John McCain has not yet released his medical records to the public. McCain is 72 years old, and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma. In May of this year, a small group of selected reporters were allowed to review 1,173 pages of McCain's medical records that covered only the last eight years, and were allowed only three hours to do so. John McCain's health is an issue of profound importance. We call on John McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all of his medical records, available for the media and members of the general public to review.
Signed by 21,321 people, 851 doctors:
Noah Craft MD, PhD
Fellow of the American Academy of DermatologyStephanie Taché, MD, MPH
Diplomate of the American Board of Family MedicineJeffrey Becker, MD
PsychiatryClaudia Borzutzky, MD
Diplomate of the American Board of Family MedicineStephanie Koven, MD
Diplomate of the American Board of Internal MedicineJonathan Reitman, MD
Diplomate of the American Board of Internal MedicineRobert Krochmal, MD
Diplomate of the American Board of Family MedicineDavid P. Michener, MD, MPH
Point Richmond, CAEdwin Stein, MD, PhD, L.M.D.
Cleveland, OH
Jay A. Gold, MD
Madison, WIDeborah Commins, M.D., Ph.D
Los Angeles, CAPatricia Blochowiak, M.D.
East Cleveland, OHJames Self, MD,
Eugene, ORJudeth McGann, MD
Portland, ORRobert Rapkin, MD
Doylestown, PAGerald Levitis, MD
Bethesda, MDKaren Levitis, MD
Kensington, MDJames Pelloquen, MD
Brooklyn, NYJohn H. Uhlemann, MD
St. Charles, MO
Jon Bjornson, MD
Philadelphia, PAFormer Major in U.S. Army Medical Corps and Vietnam VeteranThomas A. Sattler, M.D.
San Francisco, CAJacob T. Chachkes, M.D.
New Caanan, CTJonathan Cobb, MD
Morristown, NJIra Monosson, MD
San Fernando Valley, CAJohn McCarthy, MD
Sacramento, CAMichael D. Fratkin, MD
Eureka, CAAllena Burge, DMD
Tampa, FLPresident, Hearts for Haiti FoundationDon Kelley, MD
Rapid City, SDMini Ann Liu, MD
New York, New YorkRachel Boykan, MD
Stony Brook, NY

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and
conscientious stupidity. " - Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 - 1968)

Values Voter Summit organizers cut off sales of Obama Waffles boxes on Saturday, saying they had not realized the boxes displayed ''offensive material.'' The summit and the exhibit hall where the boxes were sold had been open since Thursday afternoon.

Obama Waffles (1 box) $9.99
Grab your own box of of delicious, nutritious Obama Waffles—the perfect compliment to the Sunday Morning talk shows or a midnight snack for the late news.
Three recipes and a stack of laughs. Makes a great gift for liberals, conservatives, greens, and gun owners. Get this Limited Edition 2008 edible election souvenir while he's still hot.

Forum sells 'Obama Waffles' with racial stereotype

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Obama-Waffles.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Activists at a conservative political forum snapped up boxes of waffle mix depicting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype on its front and wearing Arab-like headdress on its top flap. Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian.

Big Brother Has Arrived!

online.wsj.com — The Justice Department unveiled a set of proposed guidelines designed to loosen restrictions on how Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conduct preliminary national-security investigations.
FBI Seeks to Loosen Restrictions On National-Security Probes

"......that made it difficult for FBI agents to comply with legal rules?" Hmmmm! Sounds like "1984" a book with major significance for its vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive and constant surveillance of the populace, insidious and blatant propaganda, and brutal control over its citizens.

Why isn't Obama stretching the truth more often?

slate.com — Non-partisan truth-squad operations working the race have concluded that during the past two and a half months, McCain has lied more often and more outrageously than Obama. This is exactly what's so puzzling about Obama's strategy —why is he paying any attention to the fact-checkers? So far, McCain has seen little blowback from lying.

Why doesn't Barack Obama lie more often?

"Fact Check: Palin is Wrong on Former VP Credentials"

"Fact Check: Palin is Wrong on Former VP Credentials"

During her interview with ABC News Thursday, Sarah Palin attempted to deflect a question about the fact she has never met head of state by saying that "many" other vice presidential nominees in history hadn't met a head of state either. She was mistaken. Every vice presidential nominee over the last 30 years had met a foreign head of state.
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Fact_Check_Palin_is_Wrong_on_Former_VP_Credentials?OTC-em-st1

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." -Bertrand Russell

We Will Never Forget

.....But It's Not Ok for Obama!

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_Blasts_McCain_on_Lipstickgate_Enough_of_the_lies?OTC-em-st1 ---"Obama Blasts McCain on Lipstickgate: Enough of the lies!"Barack Obama slams the McCain camp for creating lies and distractions from the real issues, stating that, "The American people deserve a serious debate."
The McCain camp took a quote by Obama out of context for a smear ad.
Obama had used the saying, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig," in reference to John McCain's plans...

Is It Ok for McCain to Put Lipstick on a Pig?

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/McCain_refers_to_Hilary_s_Plan_as_Putting_Lipstick_on_a_Pig?OTC-em-st1 ---"McCain refers to Hilary's Plan as "Putting Lipstick on a Pig"John McCain in Iowa on 10/11/2007 referring to Hillary Clinton's health care plan as putting "lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig"

Guidelines for Helping Children Experiencing Abuse or Neglect

Every adult involved in the life of a child plays a critical role in helping maintain that child’s safety. It is important to recognize your vital role and learn how to help protect the children in your life from abuse and neglect.

If you suspect that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect and you are unsure whether the child’s situation has been reported to child protective services (CPS), you should report your concerns to your local CPS agency. Refer to What Should I Know about Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect?, another fact sheet distributed by the American Humane Association, to learn about reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nr_fact_sheets_childguidelines

© 2008. This American Humane Fact Sheet may be reproduced and distributedwith appropriate citation given to American Humane.

http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/news_at_glance/214512/pfv.html

Biden's Son in Iraq

Much was made of Palin's son in the military. He was photo in uniform during the Republican National Convention. The week before, at the Democratic National Convention, Biden's son "mentioned" he would not be around for his father's campaign. On Oct. 3, Biden's son, Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III, will be deployed to Iraq. There are many news stories but the Democratic have not "milked" the topic.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/bidens-son-going-to-iraq_n_120329.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/20/bidens_son_off_to_iraq.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20316309/

Why Do People Give Up Their Vote?

I was on a forum where people were actually willing to settle for a presidential candidate. On one forum, no one could find anything good about the Republican candidate qualifications. Being a POW did not make him unique. There are Viet Nam Vets against McCain http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/. Yes, I am a Democrat. No, Obama is not Black. The man is biracial. Because the whites don't want to claim this intelligent man, the Blacks will. He is the face of America-both Black & White. How many candidates can say that? He is African-American-father from Africa and mother from America. Barack's mother, Ann Durham, grew up in small-town Kansas. He's educated-He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Family values-he been married once with children. His wife, Michelle, and his two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, live on Chicago's South Side. Political experience-see http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php

Why would Americans settle because they think the old white Republican may win? At least find out the facts before throwing in the towel!!