HO HO HO HAPPY CHRISTMAS, READER

Hey there,

The Dr.'s in a full press holiday rush, trying to get everything together and finish up some badly needed work so that he can have an Xmas...therefore, and so forth, It'll be a few days before I can return to full on posty goodness! In the meantime...

Happy Holidays!
Peace on Earth!
Good Will Towards (Persons)!

Enjoy whatever festival you want to celebrate and I'll see you in a few days.

Oh I'm sure he'll turn out just fine

"A three-year-old boy called Adolf Hitler Campbell has been refused a birthday cake with his name on it by a New Jersey supermarket.

"Heath Campbell, 35, and his wife, Deborah, 25, say they are upset at the decision made by their local ShopRite not to write "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler" across the cake, and that people needed to move forward.

Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because "no one else in the world would have that name".

"They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what [Hitler] did," he said." More Story.

Yes, sir, it is unlikely that your child will rise up to become chancellor of Germany and slaughter millions of people in acts of genocidal lunacy. On the other hand, as George Costanza would say "It doesn't help."

Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, I've discussed many an idiot in my short time of blogging here--but I think you rise to the top. Congrats.

December 14, 2008 Best Day Ever? You Decide!

Stop your teasing Blagoffovich!

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scandal-plagued Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will not resign Monday, his spokesman said Sunday, but pressure to do so continued to grow on the governor to step aside before he is impeached.
Blagojevich was arrested last week on charges of conspiracy to swap political favors for cash, including an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama following his November presidential election victory.
"We have heard that there is a possibility that tomorrow he will make an announcement where he will step aside," Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told NBC's "Meet the Press."
But Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero Sunday denied the governor planned to resign on Monday: "I can confirm the no resignation."

READ THE REST HERE

I'm sorry but I keep having to use my precious blog space to address the colossally stupid. Excuse me, Gov. Jackass, you are continuing to waste our time and taxpayer money. You will be impeached. It will cost Illinois who knows how much change to do so. In the meantime, you will simply continue to make our state a laughingstock nationwide, and potentially leave our U.S. Senate seat open in a time of national crisis. You are indicted, in part, for attempting to EXTORT MONEY FROM A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL!!!! Even Nixon knew when the gig was up.


Go home to your hair products. Good day to you, Sir. I say, Good Day.

Mixed Messages

So I'm reading this week's Entertainment Weekly cover story on Jennifer Aniston, because it was in my car and I was waiting for it to defrost and I already had read everything in there first, including the Target ads...and I was "deeply touched" by her constant complaints about how it's impossible for her to have a normal life with the paparazzi chasing her every move, and how she'd just like to be left in peace. Okay, I'll buy that, I thought. Then, I got to the office and the first thing I see on Yahoo is some flap over Jennifer's new magazine cover pics that look a lot like this.....

Really, Jen...babe....loved you on Friends....but I'm not entirely sure you understand how the celebrity press works. If you want to be left alone, it may help if you don't pose naked in faux orgy scenes. Just sayin...

Ahhh, Jr., We Hardly Knew Ye....

The Chicago Tribune reports today that Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.--already on the hot seat for being identified as "Candidate No. 5" in the indictment of Gov. Jagbagovich (my apologies to Jon Stewart)--was perhaps, allegedly, engaged in attempting to raise that $1 million dollars Gov. Jagbag wanted for the purchase of a U.S. Senate seat (and the soul of the recipient).

The Trib reports:

"As Gov. Rod Blagojevich was trying to pick Illinois' next U.S. senator, businessmen with ties to both the governor and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job, the Tribune has learned."

Read the rest.....here.

Granted, like everything coming fast and furious here, these are just allegations. Still, I wouldn't expect to see Jr. in the U.S. Senate anytime soon.

Hester Jr????

It was nice to see a runback in the Bears game last night, seems like it's been so long we've been spoiled. On the other hand, did you catch in the fourth quarter, game on the line, few minutes left, Greg Olson getting MUGGED in the endzone and NO FLAGS???? I don't have a clip..but it was ridonkulous. NFL refs have been uniformly bad this year.

Still, Fire ANGELO. Thank you.

NO BROWN ONES

Ahhh, The Smoking Gun is back, and back with a vengence. Behold, the famous concert rider belonging to a certain eponymous hard rocking, hard partying 80s band that apparantly had a phobia of a certain type of...well.. M & M.




"Well, as seen below, the hunt is over. TSG has finally obtained the 1982 Van Halen World Tour rider--typewritten and 53 pages long--containing the M&M prohibition (and a few other uniques demands)."

Perhaps more disturbing, the need for Schlitz Malt Liquor and Country Time Lemonade.

Ahh, Mariah Carey, we thought you were demanding.

Check it out at .... The Smoking Gun

If only they'd thought of this years ago...

Supreme Court Overturns Bush v. Gore
December 9, 2008 Issue 44•50



WASHINGTON—In an unexpected judicial turnaround, the Supreme Court this week reversed its 2000 ruling in the landmark case of Bush v. Gore, stripping George W. Bush of his earlier political victory, and declaring Albert Arnold Gore the 43rd president of the United States of America. The court, which called its original decision to halt manual recounts in Florida "a ruling made in haste," voted unanimously on Wednesday in favor of the 2000 Democratic nominee.

(PHOTO: President Gore, retroactively determined by the Supreme Court to be the winner of the 2000 election, is sworn in for his six-week term.)

Always read, The Onion.

Blago=Jagbag. Jon's on top of his game again...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Rod Blagojevich Is a Jagoff

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Joe you ungrateful bastard

Hey, how about taking a nice long leak over the metaphorically dead body of the guy that gave you your 15 minutes of fame. Good ole' Joe the Plumber is now shooting off his excessively dim mouth that Sen. John McCain, Republican Presidential Candidate and respected war hero "appalled him" on the campaign trail and that, yes, Gov. "Aww Shucks" was the "real deal."

Okay, Joe. Go away. Now. Your time has long passed. Your brand of hypocrisy has left the building. Maybe you could go pay your taxes.

Read the story, here.

The All Rod News Network....

Illinois Governor Arrested on Corruption Charges CNN

Ill. Gov. Arrested in Obama Successor Probe Yahoo

"For Sale" Sign up for Obama Successor. MSNBC

Corruption Tied to Sale of Cubs Chicago Tribune

Blago Attempts to Influence Trib's Editorial Board Sun Times

FULL 78 PAGE INDICTMENT HERE

Dear Reader... (the lack of plural is likely correct)

First, I apologize for the lack of posty-stuff lately. The Dr. took a little tumble and didn't have much energy...then he had a desk to clean up that looked like a Russian power plant exploded...nevertheless, I'm back...and on a day when the Ill. Gov. is detained on corruption charges (Dem or not, I didn't vote for this goof, FYI, it's the perfect day to be back...

So here's something even weirder to start off with from CNN...

'Nanny' state: Fran Drescher seeks Clinton's Senate seat

Fran Drescher is a women's health advocate and a public diplomacy envoy for the State Department.

NEW YORK (CNN) — Actress Fran Drescher has expressed interest in being appointed to the U.S. Senate seat that New York's Hillary Clinton is giving up to become secretary of state, a spokesman for the actress said.

No, seriously.

"Fran Drescher, actress, women's health advocate and public diplomacy envoy for the U.S. State Department, announced that she is throwing her hat into the ring of contenders for the senate seat being vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton," Drescher spokesman Jordan Brown told CNN in a written statement late Monday.

Read the rest, here

Saxby May Have Won...

...but he's still a perv.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Indecision 2008 - Chambliss vs. Martin

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Muhahahahahahahahha

See the rest and laugh out loud a lot, here.

Geek Heaven, 2009 Editions

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Fire this Man!!!

Sunday Stats:

Thomas Jones, RB, NYJ (Jettisoned by the Bears for Angelo Draft Pick Cedric Benson)

138 yrds on 16 carries, 8.6 avg, 2 tds, one a 59 yard run

Benson:

10 attempts 17 yards 1.7 avg. for Bengals.

This really should be enough. Add on the pathetic nature of the defense this year and the fact that he hasn't bothered to find a receiver who can catch a ball--oh wait, he did, but that guy just ran a 99 yard reception in for the VIKINGS against you--and it adds up to one easy conclusion.

FIRE THIS GUY!!

I Never Knew It Was So Saucy...

Just what I needed when feeling a bit down, 9 minutes of laughter...

Dammit The World Still Sucks

So, I was a little bummed out when something came up and I had to work over most of Thanksgiving weekend...and then I watched the news, and, as usual, realized that (although I still retain the right to complain) that's really not worth getting worked up about when there's still so much agony in the rest of the world.

So even though I have to work when I'd usually be kickin' back, I'm thankful for living in relative peace, for having good friends, hell, for even having a job right now. I'm trying to send some Good Karma across the globe today, how about giving me a hand!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I am uncertain how much posting I'll do over the next few days. Actually, I've been cutting down a bit since the election to kinda regroup anyway--Bruiser is going through some major election withdrawal. But, never fear, there's always going to be more stupidity to rant about, even as we approach 2009...

In any event, if you stopped by in the meantime, have a great Thanksgiving everybody!!! And, if you are stopping by from a foreign land, well, just have a great weekend!

Derek Rose is the Real Deal...

That 1.7 percent chance of getting the number one pick paid off. Now, if there were 5 or 6 other actual players on this team...

Obama's Flux Capacitor

There's some criticism coming down--perhaps a bit of hyperbole, but with a grain of truth--that President Elect-Obama's "Change Express" is a little bit off the tracks. After all, he campaigned expressly on hopes of a new manner of government...but a vast majority of his first appointments to staff and cabinet level positions, including, but not limited to, Rahm Emanuel, Eric Holder, Bill Richardson, Lawrence Summers and certainly, the Hillster, are all persons with great ties to the Clinton Administration. Is this really "Change" or a return to the policies of the 90s? And, if so, is that even a bad thing?

Putting aside the predilection to fail to keep it in his pants, the Clinton era did leave office with a balanced budget, a budget surplus, a regime change in Kosovo that DIDN'T leave us in a 10 year boondoggle...there were significant accomplishments that the current occupant can't point too. (In fact, I'd like to see him point to one that didn't turn out to be a joke--other than the accomplished way he oversaw election stealing.)

It's also understandable that an incoming Democratic Administration would look towards experienced people in a time of economic crisis and world turmoil--and that the Democrats of this era with that kind of experience probably worked for Good Old Bill at some point.

Still, I would like to see a few more new faces. It's hard to make the case for a new kind of government when you are falling back on an administration that began 16 years ago now. It's tempting, and easier, to go after experience...but as you said during the campaign, time and time again, it's more about judgement. Maybe some new blood, with some different ways at looking at problems are in order.

For the second time this November...

Gov. Palin stands next to a turkey being slaughtered...

Many Props....

Sometimes you think the World is generally made up of self-interested sons of *$(#*$()#*()#, and then you are minding your own business reading a magazine and you see a story like this, a short one, in Men's Health no less....

Two doctors (oddly enough, Twins) who donated their time, their money, and potentially their lives to operate on kids in a war zone...

"The Healers

Occupations: Cardiothoracic surgeon; urologic transplant surgeon

How they make a difference: Operating on kids in war zones

Picture an identical-twin pair of 6'2" African American surgeons with stethoscopes draped around their necks trudging through a poppy field in Afghanistan, seeking to heal victims of disease, land mines, and the crossfire of guerrilla war. Any Hollywood screenwriter would reject the scene as implausible."

Read the rest and start working on your screenplay, here.

Also Not Good.

"Breaking News: At the final bell, the Dow drops below 8,000 for the first time since 2003"

So, can we get that economic stimulus package sometime soon?

Anyone...Anyone....

Bruiser does not have a lot of his assets tied up in the market, but ye olde 401K looks worse every time I stupidly forget and open a statement. That's that screaming sound you hear once a month, followed by substantial weeping.

Peeps who are ready to retire and were planning on those funds for substantial income--I just don't see how they could make that money back. Even if the market is cyclical, at some point, you have to pull out, right? (That's what she said).

I'm not at that point yet...but it's been scary out there for some time...and I imagine there's going to be a lot of sad lookin' xmas's this season, here, in the leader of the free world.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

(CNN) — A grand jury in south Texas indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on separate charges related to alleged prisoner abuse in federal detention centers, Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra told CNN Tuesday....The Associated Press reported that the indictment stems from Cheney's investment in the Vanguard Group — an investment management company that reportedly has interests in the prison companies in charge of the detention centers. It also charges Gonzales halted an investigation into abuse at the detention centers while he was attorney general. Read mo.

I hope this is true. If so: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Bout Damn Time.

HIMYM--Consistently Funny

My favorite sitcom this year is by far How I Met Your Mother. I've been hit or miss on it in the past (I still think the title is too "on")--but this year the cast seems to really be enjoying itself, and as Neil Patrick Harris continues genius work on the show the rest of the gang has molded into the funniest ensem on TV (sorry, Entourage dudes). Some HIMYM fun...



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Playoffs You Can Believe In!!

Doc Brown loses DeLorean, etc.

CNN is reporting that among those suffering major loss in the most recent round of California wildfires is Christopher Lloyd, star of Taxi, the Back to the Future flicks, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and many other memorable roles.

"Doc Brown" suffered a complete loss of an $11 million dollar home as well as a large collection of memorabilia accumulated over his lengthy career. I'm sure the guy's got pretty good coverage--and there are many who had less whose loss is just as profound--but it still falls into the major suckage category.

Best wishes to everyone suffering through this traumatic event.

Uh Oh.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Citigroup said Monday it planned to cut more than 50,000 jobs, the latest move by the struggling bank to cut costs in order to weather the credit crisis plaguing Wall Street
In an investor presentation on its Web site, the company said it would reduce its staff levels to approximately 300,000 employees. As of the end of September, the New York City-based bank had about 352,000 workers....read more.

I'm not an economist...actually my economic knowledge ranks below that of even John McCain, for the love of God...but I gotta think this is bad. On the other hand, Citigroup could probably save the same amount of money, and keep 50,000 jobs, by cutting one outrageously paid CEO. I'm all for awarding achievement, but when do more of the top dogs start taking the hit for the mess they created, rather than laying it off on the employees? I'm guessing, never.

Secretary of State Bingo....

Is it down to one...

Reports are coming fast and furious out of Chicago and D.C. that HRC may be the next Secretary of State--if she wants the job. Mike Allen reports at Politico today that "An Obama adviser threw out one final rationale: It’s better to have the Clintons inside the tent than outside, causing trouble."

Allen's report cites to the possiblity that President-elect Obama is intrigued by the notion of forming a Lincolnesque "Team of Rivals" to advise him in the Oval.

I think she may be a better choice than John Kerry. Although I can't tell you why. Maybe I'm still ticked that he ran a crappy campaign in '04. The question with Sen. Clinton--will she go rogue, as they say in Alaska.

Is it a Quantum of Suck?

I hope not. I plan to be in line tomorrow to see it...but...reviews are coming in and they can be described as mediocre at best

A brief sample...
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by Roger Ebert

OK, I'll say it. Never again. Don't ever let this happen again to James Bond. "Quantum of Solace" is his 22nd film and he will survive it, but for the 23rd it is necessary to go back to the drawing board and redesign from the ground up. Please understand: James Bond is not an action hero! He is too good for that. He is an attitude. Violence for him is an annoyance. He exists for the foreplay and the cigarette. He rarely encounters a truly evil villain. More often a comic opera buffoon with hired goons in matching jump suits. Read Rest.
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Where the film should be lively, it's frenetic, sometimes so furiously paced that key plot details can be easily missed amid the whiplash editing. It's as if director Marc Forster (The Kite Runner) didn't so much study Casino as try to pull off another Bourne movie. USA Today

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Opening credit sequence: 5 — the usual semi-abstract woman's form, liquid and monumental. The song: 4 — Jack White and Alicia Keys duet on a power-pop number that's tenacious but not delightful. Chief villain: 6 — Amalric, who normally plays underdogs, hasn't the stature of a Dr. No or a Salamanca, but he's got the evil sneer down pat. Bond girl: 9 — Olga Kurylenko is more than OK. Fight scenes: 9 — frenetic, if familiar. And Bond — 7: Craig certainly fills the frame of a modern, wounded action hero; but, just once or twice, could he, and this mostly knuckle-cracking, often crackerjack film, crack a smile? Time

Daaaaaaaaammmmmmmnnnnnn

I tend to prefer College Hoops to pro...just like the speed of the game better...but, you have to 'preciate sometimes...

Flicks I plan on catching ASAP

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Hi hooooo John Deere, Away

Deep in the heart of central Illinois--God's Country, you might say--there's a little town called Arcola. Arcola, you may not know, is Broom Corn Capital of the World. Broom Corn is, well, the corn they use to make natural fiber brooms out of--duh. (I can't tell you how I know this, it hurts too much).

Each year, in the end of summer, Arcola holds an annual Broom Corn Festival. It's quite popular. The streets of the town are filled with entertainment, good food, and down home fun. There's a nice parade, and, one of the highlights of the parade each year are the Lawn Rangers! Who, you ask, are the Lawn Rangers. Well, they are America's premiere lawn mower marching brigade! (Also, they drink a lot). Pretty much every male of stature in town of a certain age becomes a Lawn Ranger in a rite of passage. They are charged with decorating their Lawn Mower to the best of their ability, imbibing in as much alchohol as their respective livers can stand, and march proudly through the streets, brandishing their mower.

Sometimes they have special guests. The Columnist Dave Barry has writte about the Lawn Rangers a few times and has been there to march. Often th Rangers are invited to parades around the state! But I was just alerted to what you see below--it's a dang good thing it didn't come out before the election, could have swung the whole thing!!!

Sen. Al Franken???

My new favorite pollsters....Nate Silver and the gang at 538.c0m (they of the very accurate Presidental prediction at 1 p.m. on Nov. 4) are giving Al Franken a very slight edge to win the MN recount despite Franken starting off behind Norm "He should just concede despite State Law" Coleman.

The analysis is based on the expected areas of the State where "undercounts" were not picked up by the Optical Scanner voting system used in MN and therefore may be picked up in the required hand recount.

"Franken did in fact perform better -- really, quite a bit better -- in precincts with more undervotes. If undervotes follow the pattern of the recorded votes, then Franken would win 52.5% of recounted ballots (excluding any ballots cast for third parties). This is a significant finding, as these are the first numbers I have seen to break the undervote down to the precinct level....

The long story short is as follows: if Al Franken in fact wins anywhere near 52.5% of the undercounted ballots, it is quite likely that he will prevail, even given what I would consider to be fairly pessimistic assumptions about the number of correctable errors. You could halve my estimate of the number of recounted ballots, for instance (to 5,623) and Franken still projects to prevail around 69% of the time. If, on the other hand, Franken only wins say 51% of the undercount, then the precise number of correctable errors is more important.I hesitate to say this, but I think the evidence points on balance toward Franken being a slight favorite to win the recount."

Read the rest, here. These guys are very meticulous. I wouldn't be suprised to see them pull off another one here--bet the underdog!

Recomended Watching

"There are those in our own country too who today speak of the 'protection of country' -- of 'survival.' A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient -- to look the other way.

Well, the answer to that is "survival as what?" A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult!

Before the people of the world, let it now be noted that here, in our decision, this is what we stand for: justice, truth, and the value of a single human being."
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Does that sound like rhetoric you may have heard during the recent political season? Yeah, I thought so, too. It's actually a monologue delivered by Spencer Tracy near the end of Judgment at Nuremberg, a 1961 film by Stanley Kramer detailing a fictionalized version of the Nuremberg Trials (the Trials of Nazi War Criminals after WWII).

I was flipping channels last night and caught the start of the flick. I'd never seen it before. I like to watch the old grainys sometimes, and I thought I'd give this one a try. I wasn't sure if I'd stay the whole time, because ye olde Tivo told me it was 3 hours and ten minutes long--quite the commitment for a black & white. I knew it was a courtroom drama, a genre I enjoy...so I settled in at the start--and was simply riveted.

The film is a fictionalized trial of Four Judges who helped carry out Hitler's extermination orders during the Third Reich. Remarkably, it raises and discusses issues regarding the role of the judiciary in a way that we still talk about in campaigns today--is it a judge's role to idly enforce the law's passed by the judiciary or to take a more "active" role in legislating? What does a judge do when faced with immoral orders from the legislative branch? Is it enough to say "I was just doing my job" when charged with horrific tasks? Most would say no, but the question isn't really that easy.

Obviously, the role of judges in Nazi Germany was a difficult one--and perhaps the most extreme example of the discussion between a so called active and passive judiciary. In the film, as at the real trials, the judges were held "responsible" for not taking it upon themselves to disobey the law of their country. It's hard not to agree--under the circumstances--with the verdicts handed down. As the debate goes on even today in this Country over whether judges should merely enforce the laws given to them this film makes a powerful argument against taking a hard and fast rule on this subject.

I also found it unbelivable that in 1961 they filmmakers got away with using actual footage of the concentration camps...the gruelling images are not unlike those you've seen in more modern documentations of the era like Schiendler's List. It caught me off guard, but also made the experience of the film more compelling and moving. Unlike most films of that era, it felt for the most part like I was watching a movie that could have been made today. (Except for a couple of points where they had the old, "he's driving in a car on a soundstage while they run pictures of Germany behind 'em" effect).

The cast is simply ridiculous. There's a lot of good acting happening. A sense that this is one of those films in the era when actors were starting the transposition from matinee idol expounding to really getting into their characters. Maximilian Schell won an Academy Award (rightfully so) as the defense counsel for the accused. Spencer Tracy is perfect casting as the lead judge of the tribunal. Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, a somewhat sad Judy Garland, and yes, a very young William Shatner (even keeping his emoting in check) make up the kind of cast you couldn't afford to put in one flick today.

If you happen to be flipping channels on a Sunday night and run across this one--stick around, it's an amazing film.

Secretary of State Bingo!

Generally considered the most prestigious of Cabinet Positions...Who's it gonna be??? Rumors are flying that 2004's most famous elongated face is pushing heavy for it--but some are suggesting the Sen. from New York. I'm guessing Hillary doesn't want the job, and it may be none of the above--but it's fun to play the game.

Why not hear it again :p

Blamin' Palin

Wow. There's something odd going on here. Two days ago, McCain staffers and the jolly good folks at Fox Snooze were perfectly happy to have Gov. Palin as next in line for the Presidency--now, Fox (That's right, Fox) is reporting McCain staffers stating that Palin didn't know such things as, well, whether Africa was a continent. If you've ever read this blog...ever...you know I'm not exactly a fan of the Gov. Still, it's awfully hypocritical two days after an election to so completely toss under the bust this woman you were endlessly touting as being qualified for the Vice Presidency.

I'm not sure even I buy that she was as ridiculously uninformed as the staffers are making her out to be (FOX News not actually being, news, per say). She was a bad pick--but if she truly was as woefully unprepared as you say, then, John McCain, for the good of the country, should have dropped her from the ticket. I just heard someone say on MSNBC that the Repubs have a habit of trying to appeal to "Joe Six Pack" during elections and then pissing all over them immediately thereafter. This may be another prime example of the Repub hypocrisy machine.

I feel a bit bad for the Gov. if the 47 million or so votes her ticket got didn't make me a bit scared for what might have been.

Impressive Work at 538.com

Over on my blog list under "Electoral Projections" is a link to a site called 538.com.

At approximately 1 p.m on Election Day I got a text message stating that the polling web site 538.com was calling the race for Obama, projecting a 6 percent win in the popular vote and 344 electoral votes.

At approximately 10 p.m. that night, Obama had 349 Electoral Votes and had a nationwide lead of--six percent in the popular vote. The numbers have changed a bit as more states finish counting, but man, that's an impressive call.

Throughout the course of the campaign, especially at the end, there was talk about inaccurate polling methods, the "Bradley effect" and any other conceivable way to discount the fact that Obama was polling well. I think the folks at 538.com prove pretty convincingly here how polls can work crazy accurate when done right.

Very Impressive Work.

I'm Still Sleepy...

This is a fun little round up of Tuesday from Countdown.

November 4, 2008

If you look hard enough, maybe you can see me at Grant Park....the Doc. is a bit tired today. More on my election day experience later...but for now....Good luck, President Elect Obama. The really hard part comes next--cleaning up the Bush mess.

Make Your Choice Count

Well, five faithful readers, I will be off tomorrow participating in the Obama Campaign's "Counsel for Change" Voter Protection Program. Thousands of people around the country are volunteering their time to help combat vote suppression efforts..I've only met a few of them, but I'm proud of every one.

Now, obviously, I have a favorite. You may be able to tell...but whether Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Naderite, or whether you want to write in your Aunt Milly because you think she'd do a damn good job--you have a right to vote. It's a cliche to say that people died to give you that right--but dammit if it ain't true. So don't let anyone screw with your right to vote. A couple of tips....

They are expecting massive turnout. Get there as early as you can.

Be patient. The precinct workers are under a lot of pressure tomorrow, too. Ninety-nine percent of them want everything to go smoothly as well. Help them out.

Know your local rules before you go. Some states have ID requirements, some only require you to be on the rolls. It's best to bring some proof of registration or address just in case.

IF YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT A PROVISIONAL BALLOT YOUR VOTE WILL NOT BE COUNTED UNTIL YOU COME BACK WITH PROPER ID. (BUT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AGAIN TO PROVIDE IT).

There may be people wandering the lines giving you instructions. Be wary of anyone telling you of voting requirements--often times members of certain parties will try and make up voting requirements that are non-existent and will succeed in tricking voters to get out of line. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TOO.

If you are in line at the time the polls close--YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE in most states. Don't get out of line just yet!! A cut off person will be designated by the election officals on site.

Also, again, there are monitors (like the good Dr.) who will be on hand to answer questions and help if there are verification problems. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, PLEASE DON'T BE SHY.

Have a great Election Day and maybe I'll see ya at Grant Park.

Peace.

Dr. Cherryhill's Congrats of the Day

Goes out to this lovely lady on the news of her Engagement this past weekend in Napa. My heartfelt congratulations...and may God have mercy on your soul.

"It's funny because it's true"

Meanwhile...while we vote...

There's a lot of problems here in the good old U.S.A., and I think we've pretty much metaphoically beaten them to death over the course of an election...but, at least we don't have this...people actually being beaten to death like this:

"MOGADISHU, Somalia — A 13-year-old girl who said she had been raped was stoned to death in Somalia after being accused of adultery by Islamic militants, a human rights group said.

Dozens of men stoned Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow to death Oct. 27 in a stadium packed with 1,000 spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo, Amnesty International and Somali media reported, citing witnesses. The Islamic militia in charge of Kismayo had accused her of adultery after she reported that three men had raped her, the rights group said..." Read more, here.

I'm hoping the next Administration, either one, takes a much stronger position on human rights abuses. These acts should not be tolerated by civilized nations. No one has all the answers, but more should be done.

John McCain can be pretty funny...

Again, if this guy had showed up on the campaign, we might have a different race tomorrow. On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if Tom Ridge or Joe Lieberman was the running mate, that Sen. McCain wouldn't have stood by while Tina Fey, once again, made Gov. Palin look ridiculous. Could it be there is some truth to the reports of tension between McCain and Gov. Failin? My guess is, he can read. He knows this was a bad choice, and it may in the end cost him an election he could have won even though he was starting well behind thanks to eight years of President "Duh".

Community Organizing Crack Fiends.

Happy Halloween Part II

A friend sent me this and I figured if the Simpsons' Halloween Special can always run after Halloween every year, then, there's nothing wrong with a little post Halloween Buffy.

Reagan Chief of Staff Supports...The Socialist?

From CNN:

Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein told CNN's Fareed Zakaria this week he intends to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Duberstein said he was influenced by another prominent Reagan official - Colin Powell - in his decision.

"Well let's put it this way - I think Colin Powell's decision is in fact the good housekeeping seal of approval on Barack Obama."

Powell served as national security advisor to Reagan during Duberstein's tenure as chief of staff.

Happy Halloween...But Be Careful...

....you never know what you might run into.

Fight the Robocalls! lol. Very clever..

COUNSEL FOR CHANGE

DO NOT ALLOW ANOTHER YEAR 2000. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM NOV. 4TH, OBSERVERS WILL BE ON HAND (FROM EACH PARTY) TO HELP YOU. IF YOU ARE A LEGAL, REGISTERED VOTER--NO ONE FROM EITHER PARTY SHOULD BE ABLE TO STOP YOUR EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. TURNOUT IS EXPECTED TO BE HUGE, THINGS MAY GET HECTIC, BUT PEOPLE WILL BE THERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS--USE THEM.

The Wink

The Closing Arguments...Unedited...Make Yo Choice

In this corner, the gentleman from Arizona (less distinguished since he started this thing) Sen. John "Me So Maverick" McCain:

"You know, my friends, we've heard a lot of words over the course of this election. After months of campaign trail eloquence we'vefinally learned what Senator Obama's economic goal is. As he told Joe the plumber up in Ohio, he wants to spread the wealth around.

He believes in redistributing in wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans. Senator Obama is more interested in controlling who gets your piece of pie than he is growing the pie.

Senator Obama may say he's trying to soak the rich but it's themiddle class who are going to get wet.

You know a lot of his promised tax increases miss the target. Pay for nearly a trillion dollars of new government spending, his tax increase would impact 50 percent of small business income in this America and the jobs of 16 million middle class Americans who work for those small businesses.

So I ask our small business people to raise your hands so we can thank you. Thank you, Joe the doctor, Joe the plumber, the car dealer, thank you all.

Thank you, the men and women who are making our economy grow. Our economy is in trouble, my friends. We know that. We've lost over 700,000 jobs and it's 300,000 jobs that have been created by small business. My friends, whether you're Joe the plumber in Ohio or Gary the dentist in Alamonte Springs or Jesus the restaurant owner in Orlando or Christine the florist in Plant City or Bob the boat builder and Tony the teacher, we shouldn't be taxing our small businesses more as Senator Obama wants to do.

We need to be helping them expand their businesses and create jobs. These small-business owners have achieved the same dream Joe the plumber has. They now own their own businesses and combined employ hundreds of thousands of workers because they've been successful. Senator Obama wants to spread their wealth around.

That's exactly the wrong approach in an economic slowdown. Just today, just today we received news that jobless claims has increased by 15,000. Senator Obama's tax increases would put even more people out of work.

The answer to a slowing economy is not higher taxes but that's exactly what is going to happen when the Democrats have total control of Washington. We can't let that happen and I won't let it happen.

Now I don't how much you've seen but we've already seen a preview of their plan and it's pretty simple: Tax and spend. Now, the chairman of a powerful committee in the House of Representatives said this week that they quote, "Are going to focus on an immediate increase in spending" and then he went on to say there are quote "a lot of very rich people out there who we can tax." Really? Is there really? Is there really?

You know my friends, you've got Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, you've got… you've got a recipe for tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend. What should concern the American people is that the Democratic budget plan they passed just this year with Senator Obama's help called for raising taxes on people making just $42,000 per year.

No wonder he thinks there are a lot of very rich people out there. Everybody is rich when you define rich as $42,000 a year.

This week we learned that Senator Obama is concerned that his plan for wealth redistribution is welfare so he just added a work requirement. Thirteen days to go in this election and he changed his tax plan because the American people had learned the truth about it and they didn't like it.
My friends, that's just another example that he'll say anything to get elected.

So now if you're unemployed Senator Obama's plan won't help you at all even as his tax increase makes fewer jobs available so you can back to work and that's the problem with Senator Obama's approach on taxes. He's more concerned about using taxes to spread the wealth than creating a plan that creates job and grows our economy.

Now, my friends, the McCain-Palin tax plan is the real thing. We're going to double the tax deduction for every family. We'll cut the capital gains tax. And we'll cut business taxes to help create jobs and keep American businesses in America.

As Joe and small business owners across this country have now reminded us all, America didn't become the greatest nation on Earth by giving our money to the government to spread the wealth around. In this country, in this country we believe in spreading opportunity for those who need jobs and those who create them.

And that's exactly what I intend to do as president of the UnitedStates.

My friends, you know the next president won't have time to get used to the office. We face many challenges here at home and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world.

This weekend, this weekend Senator Biden guaranteed, he guaranteed, he said: "Mark my words, that if Senator Obama is elected we will have an international crisis to test America's new president."

We don't want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis.

Americans are fighting already in two wars. Yesterday Senator Obama tried to explain this away, this warning, by saying that his running mate sometimes engages in rhetorical flourishes. Now, that's another of saying that he accidentally delivered some straight talk.
My friends, Senator Biden referred to how Jack Kennedy was tested in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I have a little personal experience in that. I was a Navy pilot onboard the USS Enterprise. And I was ready to go into combat at any moment.

I was ready to go into combat at any moment and I know how close we came to a nuclear war. And I will not be a president that needs to be tested. I have been tested. Senator Obama hasn't.
My friends, it shows in his responses to our challenges abroad. What's more troubling is that Senator Obama told their campaign donors that when that crisis hits they would have to stand with him because it wouldn't be apparent that Senator Obama would have the right response.

Forget apparent, we know Senator Obama won't have the right response.
Senator Obama said this morning if you want to know how he would respond in a crisis, look what he's done during his campaign. But we've seen the wrong response from him over and over during this campaign. He opposed the surge strategy that is bringing us victory in Iraq and will bring us victory in Afghanistan.

My friends, I will bring our troops home but I will bring them home in victory and honor and not defeat.
He said he would sit down unconditionally with the world's worst dictators … including the Castro brothers.

When Russia invaded Georgia, Senator Obama said the invaded country should show restraint. He has been wrong on all of these.

My friends, you know we can't spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight hoping for our luck to change at home and abroad. We have to act. We need a new direction and we have to fight for it, my friends.

I've been fighting for this country since I was 17 years old and I have the scars to prove it.
If I'm elected — If I am elected president I will fight to shake up Washington and take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last. I am not afraid of the fight, I am ready for the fight.

I'm not going to spend $750 billion of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers that got us into this mess. I am going to make sure we take care of the working people who are devastated by the excesses, greed and corruption of Wall Street and Washington.
Now, my friends. We all know what triggered this crisis. The subprime lending, the home loan crisis. My friends, we've got to keep people in their homes.

I have a plan to protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so you can afford it so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him. We must preserve the American dream. We have to keep people in their homes and those home values rise, that's the American dream. Let's stop taking care of Wall Street. Let's start taking care of the homeowners of American and let them realize the American dream.

I have a plan to let retirees and people nearing retirement to keep their money in their retirement accounts longer so they can rebuild their savings.
I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home.
Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. Keeping taxes low creates jobs, keeps money in your hands and strengthens our economy.

The explosion of government spending — my friends — the explosion of government spending over the last eight years has put us deeper in debt to foreign countries that don't have our best interests at heart. It weakened the dollar and made everything you buy much more expensive. If I am elected president, when I'm elected president I won't spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money. Senator Obama will and he can't do that without raising your taxes or diggingus further into debt. I am going to make government live on a budget just like you do.

I will freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans' care, Social Security and health care until we scrub every single government program, get rid ofthe ones that aren't working for the American people.

And every single earmark pork barrel bill that comes across my desk, I will veto them, and I will make them famous and you will know their names.
I want to tell you again, I will make them famous, these pork barrelers, we'll get rid of them.
If I — When I am elected president I won't make it harder to sell our goods overseas and kill more jobs. Senator Obama will. I'll open new markets to goods made in America. And make sure our trade is free and fair and I'll make sure we help workers who have lost a job that won't come back, find a new one that won't go away.

Senator Obama wants to raise taxes and restrict trade. The last time America did that in a bad economy it led to a Great Depression. You know they say that those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

Well, I know my history lessons and I won't make the mistakes that Senator Obama seeks to repeat.

When I am elected president we are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries to buy their oil that don't like us very much.

The other night in the debate I acknowledged Senator Obama's eloquence but you had to pay attention to his words.

For example, he said he would quote, "consider" offshore drilling, consider. My friends when I am president we will drill offshore, we are going to drill offshore and we've got to drill now and I've got to tell you also, let me also tell you…
Let me also tell you — Let me also tell you — I want to also tell you, and I've committed this to Charlie Crist in the state of Florida and all those states. You need to get a lot more of those revenues to stay in the state of Florida if we're going to drill offshore of the state of Florida.
And the state of Florida deserves more of those revenues and my friends, that's what this is all about.

Senator Obama wants to delay drilling, he is against building new nuclear power plants in America.

And when I am president we will start and we will invest in all energy alternatives, nuclear, wind, solar, tide, we will encourage the manufacture of hybrid, flex — hybrid, flex and electric automobiles.

We'll invest in clean coal technology. We will lower the cost of energy within months and we will create millions of new jobs in America, my friends.

Let me give you a little straight talk, my friends. We have less than two weeks until the election. And what America needs now is a fighter, someone who puts all of his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people.

I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.

My friends, look, I know you're worried. I know you're worried. America is a great country but we're at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future.
Let me ask you, will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?

My answer to you is yes, yes we will lead.

Yes, we will lead, yes we will prosper, yes we will be safer, yes we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country but we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly, with courage and wisdom. My friends, I'm an American and I choose to fight. Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage and fight.

Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America.
Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.
Fight to get our economy back out of the ditch and in the lead. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for.

Nothing is inevitable. We never give up, we never quit, we never hide from history, we make history.

Now let's go win this election and get this country moving again. Thank you and God bless you and God bless America. And thank you all. Thank you.
__________________________________________________________________

And now, the Sen. from Illinois who is about to prove that we dislike George W. Bush enough to elect a black man, Barack "Don't blow this for me Biden" Obama:

After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are one week away from change in America.

In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.

In one week, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy from the bottom-up so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.

In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.

In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.
We began this journey in the depths of winter nearly two years ago, on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Back then, we didn’t have much money or many endorsements. We weren’t given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits, and we knew how steep our climb would be.

But I also knew this. I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics. I believed that Democrats and Republicans and Americans of every political stripe were hungry for new ideas, new leadership, and a new kind of politics – one that favors common sense over ideology; one that focuses on those values and ideals we hold in common as Americans.
Most of all, I believed in your ability to make change happen. I knew that the American people were a decent, generous people who are willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations. And I was convinced that when we come together, our voices are more powerful than the most entrenched lobbyists, or the most vicious political attacks, or the full force of a status quo in Washington that wants to keep things just the way they are.

Twenty-one months later, my faith in the American people has been vindicated. That’s how we’ve come so far and so close – because of you. That’s how we’ll change this country – with your help. And that’s why we can’t afford to slow down, sit back, or let up for one day, one minute, or one second in this last week. Not now. Not when so much is at stake.
We are in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. 760,000 workers have lost their jobs this year. Businesses and families can’t get credit. Home values are falling. Pensions are disappearing. Wages are lower than they’ve been in a decade, at a time when the cost of health care and college have never been higher. It’s getting harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month.
At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, old theory that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else.

The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven’t worked, and it’s time for change. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And he can point to a few moments over the past eight years where he has broken from George Bush – on torture, for example. He deserves credit for that. But when it comes to the economy – when it comes to the central issue of this election – the plain truth is that John McCain has stood with this President every step of the way. Voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once opposed. Voting for the Bush budgets that spent us into debt. Calling for less regulation twenty-one times just this year. Those are the facts.

And now, after twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he’d do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy Senator McCain says that we can’t spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change, but you understand that the biggest gamble we can take is embracing the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed us for the last eight years.

It’s not change when John McCain wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO It’s not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies or $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess It’s not change when he comes up with a tax plan that doesn’t give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans That’s not change.

Look – we’ve tried it John McCain’s way. We’ve tried it George Bush’s way. Deep down, Senator McCain knows that, which is why his campaign said that “if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose" That’s why he’s spending these last weeks calling me every name in the book. Because that’s how you play the game in Washington. If you can’t beat your opponent’s ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. You make a big election about small things.

Ohio, we are here to say “Not this time. Not this year. Not when so much is at stake.” Senator McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I’m worried about Americans who are losing their homes, and their jobs, and their life savings. I can take one more week of John McCain’s attacks, but this country can’t take four more years of the same old politics and the same failed policies. It’s time for something new.

The question in this election is not “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” We know the answer to that. The real question is, “Will this country be better off four years from now?”
I know these are difficult times for America. But I also know that we have faced difficult times before. The American story has never been about things coming easy – it’s been about rising to the moment when the moment was hard. It’s about seeing the highest mountaintop from the deepest of valleys. It’s about rejecting fear and division for unity of purpose. That’s how we’ve overcome war and depression. That’s how we’ve won great struggles for civil rights and women’s rights and worker’s rights. And that’s how we’ll emerge from this crisis stronger and more prosperous than we were before – as one nation; as one people.

Remember, we still have the most talented, most productive workers of any country on Earth. We’re still home to innovation and technology, colleges and universities that are the envy of the world. Some of the biggest ideas in history have come from our small businesses and our research facilities. So there’s no reason we can’t make this century another American century. We just need a new direction. We need a new politics.

Now, I don’t believe that government can or should try to solve all our problems. I know you don’t either. But I do believe that government should do that which we cannot do for ourselves – protect us from harm and provide a decent education for our children; invest in new roads and new science and technology. It should reward drive and innovation and growth in the free market, but it should also make sure businesses live up to their responsibility to create American jobs, and look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road. It should ensure a shot at success not only for those with money and power and influence, but for every single American who’s willing to work. That’s how we create not just more millionaires, but more middle-class families. That’s how we make sure businesses have customers that can afford their products and services. That’s how we’ve always grown the American economy – from the bottom-up. John McCain calls this socialism. I call it opportunity, and there is nothing more American than that.

Understand, if we want get through this crisis, we need to get beyond the old ideological debates and divides between left and right. We don’t need bigger government or smaller government. We need a better government – a more competent government – a government that upholds the values we hold in common as Americans.

We don’t have to choose between allowing our financial system to collapse and spending billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out Wall Street banks. As President, I will ensure that the financial rescue plan helps stop foreclosures and protects your money instead of enriching CEOs. And I will put in place the common-sense regulations I’ve been calling for throughout this campaign so that Wall Street can never cause a crisis like this again. That’s the change we need.

The choice in this election isn’t between tax cuts and no tax cuts. It’s about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or whether we should also reward the work and workers who create it. I will give a tax break to 95% of Americans who work every day and get taxes taken out of their paychecks every week. I’ll eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000 and give homeowners and working parents more of a break And I’ll help pay for this by asking the folks who are making more than $250,000 a year to go back to the tax rate they were paying in the 1990s No matter what Senator McCain may claim, here are the facts – if you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime – not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes. Nothing. Because the last thing we should do in this economy is raise taxes on the middle-class.

When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or allowing every job to disappear overseas. The truth is, we won’t be able to bring back every job that we’ve lost, but that doesn’t mean we should follow John McCain’s plan to keep giving tax breaks to corporations that send American jobs overseas I will end those breaks as President and I will give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create right here in the United States of America.

I’ll eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-up companies that are the engine of job creation in this country. We’ll create two million new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling roads, and bridges, and schools, and by laying broadband lines to reach every corner of the country. And I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy to create five million new energy jobs over the next decade – jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and a new electricity grid; jobs building the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow, not in Japan or South Korea but here in the United States of America; jobs that will help us eliminate the oil we import from the Middle East in ten years and help save the planet in the bargain. That’s how America can lead again.

When it comes to health care, we don’t have to choose between a government-run health care system and the unaffordable one we have now. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums. If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll be able to get the same kind of health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves. We’ll invest in preventative care and new technology to finally lower the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the entire economy. And as someone who watched his own mother spend the final months of her life arguing with insurance companies because they claimed her cancer was a pre-existing condition and didn’t want to pay for treatment, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care most.
When it comes to giving every child a world-class education so they can compete in this global economy for the jobs of the 21st century, the choice is not between more money and more reform – because our schools need both.

As President, I will invest in early childhood education, recruit an army of new teachers, pay them more, and give them more support. But I will also demand higher standards and more accountability from our teachers and our schools. And I will make a deal with every American who has the drive and the will but not the money to go to college: if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford your tuition. You invest in America, America will invest in you, and together, we will move this country forward.
And when it comes to keeping this country safe, we don’t have to choose between retreating from the world and fighting a war without end in Iraq. It’s time to stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while the Iraqi government sits on a huge surplus.

As President, I will end this war by asking the Iraqi government to step up and finally finish the fight against bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.

I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century, and I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

I won’t stand here and pretend that any of this will be easy – especially now. The cost of this economic crisis, and the cost of the war in Iraq, means that Washington will have to tighten its belt and put off spending on things we can afford to do without. On this, there is no other choice. As President, I will go through the federal budget, line-by-line, ending programs that we don’t need and making the ones we do need work better and cost less.

But as I’ve said from the day we began this journey all those months ago, the change we need isn’t just about new programs and policies. It’s about a new politics – a politics that calls on our better angels instead of encouraging our worst instincts; one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another.

Part of the reason this economic crisis occurred is because we have been living through an era of profound irresponsibility. On Wall Street, easy money and an ethic of “what’s good for me is good enough” blinded greedy executives to the danger in the decisions they were making. On Main Street, lenders tricked people into buying homes they couldn’t afford. Some folks knew they couldn’t afford those houses and bought them anyway. In Washington, politicians spent money they didn’t have and allowed lobbyists to set the agenda. They scored political points instead of solving our problems, and even after the greatest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, all we were asked to do by our President was to go out and shop.

That is why what we have lost in these last eight years cannot be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits alone. What has also been lost is the idea that in this American story, each of us has a role to play. Each of us has a responsibility to work hard and look after ourselves and our families, and each of us has a responsibility to our fellow citizens. That’s what’s been lost these last eight years – our sense of common purpose; of higher purpose. And that’s what we need to restore right now.

Yes, government must lead the way on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and our businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But all of us must do our part as parents to turn off the television and read to our children and take responsibility for providing the love and guidance they need. Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but at this defining moment, all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort – black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; Democrat and Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, disabled or not.

In this election, we cannot afford the same political games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one another and make us afraid of one another. The stakes are too high to divide us by class and region and background; by who we are or what we believe.
Because despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There is no city or town that is more pro-America than anywhere else – we are one nation, all of us proud, all of us patriots. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.

It won’t be easy, Ohio. It won’t be quick. But you and I know that it is time to come together and change this country. Some of you may be cynical and fed up with politics. A lot of you may be disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what has been asked of Americans throughout our history.

I ask you to believe – not just in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.
I know this change is possible. Because I have seen it over the last twenty-one months. Because in this campaign, I have had the privilege to witness what is best in America.
I’ve seen it in lines of voters that stretched around schools and churches; in the young people who cast their ballot for the first time, and those not so young folks who got involved again after a very long time. I’ve seen it in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see their friends lose their jobs; in the neighbors who take a stranger in when the floodwaters rise; in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb. I’ve seen it in the faces of the men and women I’ve met at countless rallies and town halls across the country, men and women who speak of their struggles but also of their hopes and dreams.

I still remember the email that a woman named Robyn sent me after I met her in Ft. Lauderdale. Sometime after our event, her son nearly went into cardiac arrest, and was diagnosed with a heart condition that could only be treated with a procedure that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Her insurance company refused to pay, and their family just didn’t have that kind of money.

In her email, Robyn wrote, “I ask only this of you – on the days where you feel so tired you can’t think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder.”

Ohio, that’s what hope is – that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting around the bend; that insists there are better days ahead. If we’re willing to work for it. If we’re willing to shed our fears and our doubts. If we’re willing to reach deep down inside ourselves when we’re tired and come back fighting harder.

Hope! That’s what kept some of our parents and grandparents going when times were tough. What led them to say, “Maybe I can’t go to college, but if I save a little bit each week my child can; maybe I can’t have my own business but if I work really hard my child can open one of her own.” It’s what led immigrants from distant lands to come to these shores against great odds and carve a new life for their families in America; what led those who couldn’t vote to march and organize and stand for freedom; that led them to cry out, “It may look dark tonight, but if I hold on to hope, tomorrow will be brighter.”

That’s what this election is about. That is the choice we face right now.

Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does.
In one week, we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up.

In one week, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.
In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.
In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.

That’s what’s at stake. That’s what we’re fighting for. And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and talk to your neighbors, and convince your friends; if you will stand with me, and fight with me, and give me your vote, then I promise you this – we will not just win Ohio, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.

ANYONE STILL UNDECIDED?