Missed this Beauty

As everyone knows, there is a huge debate in the lame duck session of Congress about the sunset provision of the Bush Administration's tax cuts from 2001, which are mainly for individual and estate taxes, and 2003 tax cuts for corporations. If I recall from the Clinton years, we had higher rates for everyone, and everyone made money or lived decently. I was one of them who struggled, but my tax rate was not that high to begin with. We had a balanced budget, although I was very unhapppy how welfare mothers were treated. On the other hand, poverty and unemployment were not as great as they are today.

Rep Alan Grayson, who lost his Congressional re-election nearly 3 weeks ago, still has conviction and courage to stand up against the Wingnut machine. I missed this speech the other day, but noticed links to it on various blogs, including Taylor Marsh's which is where I finally saw the entire clip. It is classic.



I wish the Obama Administration would hire this man, but I think Alan Grayson is not enough centrist for them. They don't like anyone defending their progress directly, especially good Democrats. Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann try, but I think even they will get fatigued at some point.

Taylor Marsh has some serious criticisms of this Administration, especially on the weak messaging issues. More often these days, I find myself agreeing with Taylor's strong opinions. The only reason that I don't have her site on my blogroll is that her readers still keep pining for Hillary Clinton and how Hillary would have made a better president. I don't she would have as I think she would have moved to a more centrist position, albeit she would have worked on keeping her message consistent. While John Edwards was let go by this blogger sometime ago, I keep thinking Alan Grayson reminds me so much of what an Edwards Democrat would want for this country to get it out of the ditch.

O doesn't equate to FDR

My pal Montana Maven has a salient post over at FDL about our current administration which shies away from liberal positions, even if they try to sell them (then back away, using the moniker "they make me do it).

From FDL:

Liberals, who I like, from Mark Thompson on Sirius Left to Les Leopold invoke FDR and the idea that he told activists to "make him do it". Or that Martin Luther King made President Johnson do it. Ergo, it is our responsibility to push Obama. It smacks of a variation on the "personal responsibility" meme of Bill Cosby and shifts the attention away from the Obama administration and their responsibility. And is it even true?

FDR was a natural fighter (and so was Johnson) and became even more fierce with his ongoing battle with polio. He had the first female Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, and she was often the last person to leave after a cabinet meeting. Who is last now? Geithner and Gates? And quick, who is the secretary of labor?

FDR saw who the enemy was and it was Wall Street or as he said, "entrenched greed." Obama said in his state of the union that he wasn’t interested in punishing the banksters that brought the world economy down. He reinforced this on February 9, 2010 in is latest statement:

"I, like most of the American people, don’t begrudge people success or wealth. That is part of the free- market system."

But FDR was not only interested in punishing the Wall Street gamblers, he got laws passed to break their kneecaps.

Yeppers, Obama is afraid of the conservatives. FDR was mindful of other considerations, in which his wife was his conscience.

I'm wondering if Mrs. Obama thinks as ER about all of the windows to present to her husband. I hope so but I'm not so sure since she has two little ones to consider. My point is that while she tries to be somewhat like ER (the garden and a few things), ER's children were already raised.

What do you think about Obama compared to FDR as a sound progressive or liberal?

And please, do not bring up JRE's personal life on this thread but if you think his ideas could have been like FDR's, that's appropriate. Otherwise, this is not an intelligent discussion of ideas, which is what this thread is about. Let's discuss ideas!!!

An JRE Ideas Supporter

Hello John Edwards.

The media loved you when you won big lawsuits for the little person. The media loved you for being the underdog in a senate race 12 years ago. They sort of liked you when you garnered Al Gore's attention for a potential VP nominee in 2000. But they didn't like you in the 2007-8 race for President.

Now, they despise you for stepping out on your wife, thanks to your mistake of being involved with someone not at your social-economic status that you brought your family to due to being a great lawyer. I guess your greatest mistake was underestimating a person who was lazy and never wanted to work --- an antithesis to your own beliefs. I don't like what you did either but I still think it wasn't my business--it was between you and the families involved.

Now I will bring this post to a third person mode.

I never liked John for just being a good looking politician, even if the media did for awhile. I was inspired by him for his ideas, especially being for bold change. As someone who was never involved in politics before, I got involved, and if one talks to other JRE ideas supporters, they will tell you the same story in feeling inspired to help our country. I might add I became a more informed citizen about our government. My hair stylist fires questions at me than anyone else because she trusts my views about various events. We had a big discussion yesterday about what happened in MA and she listens to my opinions since I plug into the blogs. And like me, she doesn't care about JRE's sex scandals. She cares about our country in general.

John helped define the other leading candidates (exception, Dennis K) who were more about identity politics than having ideas. I liked what one of my fellow supporters said about the three candidates in 2007: if you want an engineer of change, you voted for Edwards. If you wanted a shop manager, you voted for Clinton. If you wanted a great salesman, you voted for Obama.

And guess what the media wanted?

John went to Haiti this week and brought back 31 refugees. And the media thinks this is a gimmick? It's not. I know John Edwards in this regard: he cares about the most impoverished. He took the time to meet with me in 2006 privately and was interested in my family history of a family who struggled, just as his did.

Thanks, John Edwards for going to Haiti. And I still wish you were President at times because I think you would have obtained more change that we needed. But America forgives rich Republicans for their un-puritanical mistakes, and not well-heeled Democrats.

Back to MA--a final note: guess what, MA voters were pissed at our POTUS? Why? Here's the answer. John Edwards would have already had health care in the bag and moved on.

Heckajob on the We are One Concert

I missed the first 15 minutes of it, but it re-airs at 6:00 CT. Good show, highly recommend it.

All of the people's faces on the mall, simply amazing. HuffPo is calling it "Obamastock." Seems fitting.

Update: You can watch the replay here: http://www.hbo.com/weareone/webcast/index.html

Will Obama Listen to Benny and Steve Clemons?

Gov Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name as nominee for the Commerce Secretary post. That's fine, he probably did the right thing in order to save Obama a little embarrassment ahead.

So who should Obama pick instead?

Steve Clemons (of the Washington Note) and I agree on a choice: Leo Hindery, Jr. He was John Edwards senior economic advisor on his campaign, and has been CEO of several businesses, and yet feels strongly about good corporate citizenship. Trade is part of the Commerce Department, and if Obama says he will redo some of the Trade agreements, then Hindery is a good pick to work with Secretary Solis (if confirmed) of the Labor Department.

Maybe Obama should read It Takes A CEO by Hindery and this article Hindery penned 18 months ago @ the Politico.

This is one thing I like about Obama: Joe Biden

Obama is on vacation for some much needed R and R with his family. I'm not certain why the press or the Republicans are making such a big deal out of it. He's visiting his sister for goodness sakes!

One thing I noticed in the news is that Joe Biden gave the economic briefing today and it's clear that Obama left him in charge. Good for Obama and good for Biden. That's teamwork.

PEBO's Thanksgiving Address

Worth reposting here even though it is on many blogs. I got this from Change.gov.




Good morning.

Nearly 150 years ago, in one of the darkest years of our nation's history, President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving. America was split by Civil War. But Lincoln said in his first Thanksgiving decree that difficult times made it even more appropriate for our blessings to be -- and I quote -- "gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people."

This week, the American people came together with family and friends to carry on this distinctly American tradition. We gave thanks for loved ones and for our lasting pride in our communities and our country. We took comfort in good memories while looking forward to the promise of change.

But this Thanksgiving also takes place at a time of great trial for our people.

Across the country, there were empty seats at the table, as brave Americans continue to serve in harm’s way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. We honor and give thanks for their sacrifice, and stand by the families who endure their absence with such dignity and resolve.

At home, we face an economic crisis of historic proportions. More and more Americans are worried about losing a job or making their mortgage payment. Workers are wondering if next month's paycheck will pay next month's bills. Retirees are watching their savings disappear, and students are struggling with the cost of tuition.

It's going to take bold and immediate action to confront this crisis. That's why I'm committed to forging a new beginning from the moment I take office as President of the United States. Earlier this week, I announced my economic team. This talented and dedicated group is already hard at work crafting an Economic Recovery Plan that will create or save 2.5 million new jobs, while making the investments we need to fuel long-term economic growth and stability.

But this Thanksgiving, we are reminded that the renewal of our economy won't come from policies and plans alone -- it will take the hard work, innovation, service, and strength of the American people.

I have seen this strength firsthand over many months -- in workers who are ready to power new industries, and farmers and scientists who can tap new sources of energy; in teachers who stay late after school, and parents who put in that extra hour reading to their kids; in young Americans enlisting in a time of war, seniors who volunteer their time, and service programs that bring hope to the hopeless.

It is a testament to our national character that so many Americans took time out this Thanksgiving to help feed the hungry and care for the needy. On Wednesday, I visited a food bank at Saint Columbanus Parish in Chicago. There -- as in so many communities across America -- folks pitched in time and resources to give a lift to their neighbors in need. It is this spirit that binds us together as one American family -- the belief that we rise and fall as one people; that we want that American Dream not just for ourselves, but for each other.

That's the spirit we must summon as we make a new beginning for our nation. Times are tough. There are difficult months ahead. But we can renew our nation the same way that we have in the many years since Lincoln's first Thanksgiving: by coming together to overcome adversity; by reaching for -- and working for -- new horizons of opportunity for all Americans.

So this weekend -- with one heart, and one voice, the American people can give thanks that a new and brighter day is yet to come.

He's America's salesman, and so far, a pretty good one.

To answer PEBO's question about what we did for our community, my spouse and I bought a bag of groceries and donated them to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank. It didn't cost much, but at least we believe we made some contribution. I read in the News-Gazette that people who don't even live in Champaign-Urbana proper are lining up for groceries because they are choosing between food, gas, and medicine. And it's getting worse.

I'm not thankful for anything particular this year. Just grateful in general as my spouse may not be here for Thanksgiving next year since he is looking for work elsewhere, and there are no jobs in his field for him where we live after August 2009. The main employer has instituted a hiring freeze, and I suspect more places will be tightening their belts.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Pax.

Letter from Elizabeth Edwards to Barack Obama

Great Crises Call for Bold Leadership
by Elizabeth Edwards 11-10-2008

Dear President-elect Obama,

Although it has been said that every great president needs a crisis during which to exhibit his greatness, it is also true, but less said, that the greatness is displayed in the bold strokes that man is willing to embrace in such times: Lincoln and emancipation, Franklin Roosevelt and sweeping social programs. The crises are here. Do not fail your destiny. Treat health care as a moral issue, not a political one. Consider those in poverty and those in fear of poverty as a test of our national character. Save God's planet while there is still time. This is your moment.


God's Politics blog by Jim Wallis

She's right. I hope he will get started on SCHIP asap.

President-Elect Obama: the American Mutt

Yesterday, our president-elect held his first press conference. Lots of questions about the economy and what kind of steps Obama might take. He actually answered the questions more about approaches he is considering. Funny how I used to get annoyed by those kinds of answers during the primaries, but now I find them refreshing.

What is more refreshing is how Obama is so comfortable in his own skin in discussing matters of race. When asked about what kind of puppy the Obama family wants, he answered it smiling with an off-the-cuff comment:

Obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household.

No wonder the Humane Society endorsed Obama this year--the first time it had ever endorsed a candidate for the presidence. He had been a leader in legislation to strengthen animal shelters and strengthen penalties to those who are cruel to animals. The above picture has him holding a dog who was rescued and has only three legs.

I think Obama is going to make a lot of us more comfortable in talking about our" mutts" --human or animal. Put a little love in your hearts, as the song goes. Here's a version by Mary Mary.

Obama Channels John Edwards

Effective ad. Only thing missing is universal health care. But I like seeing the people who JRE has been talking about for years--the ones who tried to get ahead, but ended up getting close to the ditch. Bottom line: honoring work over wealth.

Young Citizen Journalist Interviews Joe Biden

This is priceless.



This fifth grader, Damon Weaver, is more articulate than most politicians and certainly more than the wingnuts on hate talk radio. He has a promising future ahead of him.

And Joe Biden knows what a vice-president does, although Sarah Palin appears not to know.

(h/t Blue NC)

Midwestern Newspapers Favor Obama over McCain

The Des Moines Register has endorsed Barack Obama today, joining the Charlotte Observer, the Baltimore Sun, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, and the Hartford Courant, whose editorial board has endorsed a Democratic candidate only twice in 244 years.

The DMR endorsement is oddly enough based on something McCain's campaign has been touting for two years: being tested. Despite endorsing McCain last December as the Republican nominee, the DMR believes that Barack Obama has made it through many hoops in Iowa, such as winning the Iowa caucus.

From the DMR:

First test: winning the Iowa caucuses, perceived by many as an improbable feat for a black candidate in an overwhelmingly white state. But Obama believed in the power of his ideas and ideals, and the capacity of Americans to unite around them.

Eleven months later, after more than 80 days spent campaigning in the state, Iowans awarded him victory. They had heard his soaring oratory and sensed his uncommon intelligence, but they also witnessed much more: the consistency of his calls for unifying around common purpose, rather than pandering to age-old divisions, and the way he remained unflappable and his staff disciplined no matter what tumult the campaign trail delivered.

Those qualities have become even more pronounced this fall, during an increasingly negative general-election campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain and descent of the nation's economy into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. It has been Obama, not the more experienced McCain, who kept his center as events tilted crazily.

Obama has earned the Register's endorsement for the presidency because of his steadfastness in the face of uncertainty, his clear-eyed vision for a more just America and his potential for rallying the country to do great things.

The DMR also liked Obama's approaches to shoring up the middle class by expanding health care coverage and the creation of green collar jobs. Not mentioned in the editorial, but is well known that McCain is against subsidies for ethanol, and that view doesn't sit well with midwesterners.

Like other newspapers, some whom endorsed Bush last time (the DMR did endorse Kerry in 2004), the DMR believes McCain has run an "erratic" campaign.

Worst of all, in grasping for political edge in his choice of a running mate, he burdened his ticket and potentially the country with an individual utterly unqualified to ascend to the presidency. Before choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain emphasized the importance of experience and sound judgment in fighting terrorism and confronting a restive Russia and a rising China. He has also questioned Obama's readiness to be commander in chief. Then he picked a running mate who clearly isn't ready.

Sarah Palin's unreadiness to be President is a common theme in why McCain isn't being endorsed.

he DMR concluded, "An Obama presidency presents the best hope for a unified America that aspires to greatness again."

The Bloomington Pentagraph (which leans Republican) also endorsed Obama, stating similar reasons to the DMR. The Chicago Tribune, a bastion for Republican endorsements, even went for Obama two weeks ago. So did the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, according to Editor and Publisher. Likewise the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Kansas City Star.

Then there is my town's newspaper, the News-Gazette, who thinks McCain can answer that 3am phone call quicker and wiser than Obama. But the News-Gazette doesn't say if Sarah Palin is ready if McCain can't answer that call.

The More the Dow Goes Down, the Wingnuts Get Nastier, Part 1

Poor Wingnuts.

The stocks sunk another 300 points today. I'm nervous about it as my pension plan can't be rescued easily.

But Joe the Plummer the soon-to-be-less multi-mcMansion and multi-luxury car owners GOP are very nervous. McCain campaign especially.

Let's start with a bogus report by Pittsburgh station KDKA from last night:

http://kdka.com/video?id=47849@kdka.dayport.com

In case you have trouble getting to the video clip, Kos summed the incident up very well this morning:

Some poor white girl, 20-year-old Ashley Todd of Texas, was mugged at an ATM, but when the mugger (a big black guy) saw her car with the McCain sticker, he beat her and carved a letter "B" in her face with a knife. Apparently it was a dyslexic mugger because the "B" was carved backward, but whatever -- it proved that Obama's supporters were violent and craaazy!

Then Matt Drudge takes the story as "true news" and blasts it on his website. (sorry, not linking to it as it would give him more cash for his coffers) He never checks out the story, although to Drudge's credit, he's often said he's not a real journalist either.

In cohoots, Faux Noise, who takes every word Drudge (and McCain's campaign) passes on to them as gospel from the Good book, spreads the story. They don't check the story either.

And guess what? KDKA had to correct the story when the Obama campaign made inquiries to them to verify it the incident:

A campaign worker who claimed she was the victim of a politically-motivated attack in which she was beaten, kicked and cut, now admits that she made the whole story up.

Turns out that the McCain campaign was involved in pushing this story.

John Verrilli, the news director for KDKA in Pittsburgh, told TPM Election Central that McCain's Pennsylvania campaign communications director gave one of his reporters a detailed version of the attack that included a claim that the alleged attacker said, "You're with the McCain campaign? I'm going to teach you a lesson."

Verrilli also told TPM that the McCain spokesperson had claimed that the "B" stood for Barack.

(via the Huffington Post)


Ashley Todd, a 20 year old race-baiter who can't even self-mutilate a "B" correctly on her face. Not cute.

Sounds like Ms Todd wrote to either A) the McCain's about this and lied to them, and/or B) e-mailed Drudge this hoax. Probably both, and either both are gullible as hell, or they knew this was a bald-face, felonious lie. I suspect the latter. I'm waiting for Keith Olbermann to give his daily award for the "worst person in the world" tonight to Ms. Todd.

Maybe this was the October surprise that Lee Atwater and Karl Rove made up, but I'm still waiting for the Osama to come out and say he knows Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright, and has "palled around around with them."

Update: this pic sez it all (h/t to Iddybud)



More buzz l8tr in Part 2.

One America, Reprised

This morning I was part of a team who helped set up for a staff appreciation day. Over 160 people attended the event and about 23 staff were honored for milestones at my institution.

I had attended one of these events a couple of years ago and thought it was nice. But today, the event was more special. Maybe it was because I put some sweat equity into it and thus, it was more meaningful. Perhaps it was because our newest staff member was being honored for her 5 year milestone. And it was sweet to see her so relaxed and happy.

But I'm pretty certain there was another reason.

One person was being honored in working for my institution for twenty years. She appears to be one of those quiet folks who does a good job, then goes home to tend to her two daughters. She's gotten a few raises, but I wasn't aware she had struggled for years to get her family its own home. Turns out 3 years ago, Habitat for Humanity gave her family that chance.

I was moved when I heard about it today. And in a colleague's ear, I whispered, "she's why my vote was so important. Everyone deserves a chance to get ahead."

This person still volunteers for Habitat for Humanity when she can in their store to help raise money.

John Edwards was so right. So is Barack Obama. An opportunity to have a good place to live, have a good job, raise your family, and retire in dignity. Honoring work over wealth. That's what most of us want. And that's what my institution was doing today: honoring some folks and their work.

This is the One America I will continue to fight for and blog about.

Doing the Right Thing

Today I took a break and went to participate in early voting as I will be away on Election Day to visit my ailing mom. I liked the concept of "early voting" better compared to absentee ballot that I casted last time as my vote will be counted first instead of 2 weeks later.

Surprisingly, I waited in line for nearly 15 minutes, and the actual voting took nearly 10 because we use pens to darken the ovals beside the candidates' names and the referenda.

One person was trying to be friendly as I left the building in saying hello, and while politely I replied "hello" back, I was not in an amicable mood. I was sort of lost in my thoughts about how bittersweet my vote was today. It was the second time I voted for mainly for the potential of a partnership for the ticket, meaning that I was voting for Biden to give balance to the inexperience of Obama. In 2004, I appreciated Kerry and thought he was a good choice, but my vote was mainly for Edwards to lend inspiration in doing right meaning "justice" for the working poor and to work with the Kerry administration on various issues, and make a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, if necessary.

When I got to my car, I had to tell myself that I was right not to do a write-in for John Edwards. Both John and Elizabeth Edwards would agree that we are better off with Obama-Biden in the next 4 years. When liveblogging the last Presidential debate at Newsweek, EE said about Biden (and what Obama should have said in picking Biden) , "Ready, ready, Ready."

While many of us who are Edwards supporters weren't able to achieve our overall goal of getting John Edwards to the WH, the compromise, and life is full of compromises, we are seeking to get some progressives in the WH. No, Biden and Obama are not for bold change, but with the mess that they will inherit, if they are victorious, any decent changes are progress.

It's a roll of the dice either way (meaning Obama or McCain), but I think the consequences of Obama-Biden not being in the West Wing could plunge us into further despair, debt, and further erosion of our Constitution. Most citizens (voting or not) in our country believe we are seriously on the wrong track, and I think we are too.

As McCain says, Country First. I didn't vote for Iraq first. You betcha, Palin. I voted for my Country first.

Barack Obama Puts Barney Smith Before Smith Barney

Barney Smith appeared at the DNC Convention last August. I recall his speech about being laid off from the RCA plant hit home with many viewers, especially those in the midwest.

Obama campaign released this ad today (suspect it is targeted toward voters in Indiana):



Good punchline.

Rachel Maddow and Mudcat Saunders

I saw Mudcat Saunders, a former senior adviser to John Edwards, on Rachel Maddow's show Friday night. The context is the mud slinging of McCain's campaign, especially his race-baiting direct mail and "hate calls" about Obama.

Here's the interview clip:



Mucat says robo calls are literally " cheap "(meaning inexpensive) which is why they are used, and to start a whisper campaign of some misinformation.

Love that Mudcat--and Rachel, the new star pundit!

(h/t Liberty Air)

Colin Powell Channels John Edwards on MTP

John Edwards sent himself into public exile during the general election in order not to distract attention from the Democratic candidates' campaigns, most especially the Obama-Biden campaign. It was too bad that Edwards had to disappear because all of us wanted to hear Obama to talk more about poverty, as he promised, but with the financial meltdown that impacted the middle class, the working poor, who were already behind, got left out of the conversation.

Until today.

On Meet the Press, moderator Tom Brokaw asked Colin Powell about the overlooked issues in the campaigns:

MR. BROKAW: What's not on the screen right now that concerns you that should be more prominent in the minds of the American people and the people running for president?

GEN. POWELL: I think the American people and the gentlemen running for president will have to, early on, focus on education more than we have seen in the campaign so far. America has a terrible educational problem in the sense that we have too many youngsters not finishing school. A third of our kids don't finish high school, 50 percent of minorities don't finish high school. We've got to work on this, and my, my wife and I are leading a campaign with this purpose.

Also, I think, the new president has to realize that the world looks to America for leadership, and so we have to show leadership on some issues that the world is expecting us to, whether it's energy, global warming and the environment. And I think we have to do a lot more with respect to poverty alleviation and helping the needy people of the world. We need to increase the amount of resources we put into our development programs to help the rest of the world. Because when you help the poorest in the world, you start to move them up an economic and social ladder, and they're not going to be moving toward violence or terrorism of the kind that we worry about.

Powell is borrowing from what JRE said to the Council on Foreign Relations 17 months ago:

There's an emerging consensus inside the armed forces that we must move beyond the idea of a war on terror. The Commander of the U.S. Military's Central Command recently stated that he would no longer use the "long war" framework. Top military leaders like retired General Anthony Zinni have rejected the term. These leaders know we need substance, not slogans—leadership, not labels.

The question is, what should replace the war on terror? Since the end of the Cold War, folks here at CFR and elsewhere have been engaged in an effort to be the next George Kennan and define the era. As all of you know, we need a new strategy for rebuilding a strong military for a new century.

Any new strategy must include new preventive measures to win the long-term struggle and fuel hope and opportunity. This includes strong and creative diplomacy, and also new efforts to lead the fight against global poverty. I've proposed a plan to lead an international effort to educate every child in the world. As president, I would increase foreign assistance by $5 billion a year to make millions of people safer, healthier, and more democratic, and by creating a cabinet-level post to lead this effort.

In fairness to the Obama-Biden campaign, they did mention global poverty in their position paper on Foreign Policy:

Fight Global Poverty: Obama and Biden will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and they will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal. They will help the world's weakest states to build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop markets, and generate wealth.

It was good though that someone was able to remind voters that poverty is widespread and that we are all interconnected in terms of national security. It's just the American people are hurting and we have to put them first.

I thank General Powell for relaying John Edwards' ideas and putting them back on the burner.

Powell's endorsement of Obama can be found here.

Obama Tax Calculator

Obama has a tax calculator on his site. The site is http://taxcut.barackobama.com/. It's designed to make it simple and of course, it doesn't take in account the current
IRS code, but we also don't know what it will be. The calculator could be a help or a harm, depending on your income level, and doesn't consider all of the deductions.

But it's for Main Streeters who don't have many assets or income to report. And that makes sense. Only I wish Obama would order the IRS (through various means, including the Ways and Means committee) to simplify filings for more than just the 1040EZ. John Edwards called it tax filing reform. Now that I look at it closer, looks like Obama maybe channeling JRE a bit. Good thing!

Many of us aren't qualified for 1040EZ as we own homes, but we don't want every friggin' book to try to figure out the hours we spend on filing our taxes either. I think the feds ought to provide Turbo Tax (or something better if it is out there) at every public library--at least 6 copies or one copy for every machine-for free. The only thing is that the public library would want some IRS expects to help out, since the staff would be overwhelmed in trying to help people, but it would be a value added service.

(h/t to Desmoinesdem at Bleeding Heartland)

As an aside, I came home to two yard signs: Obama/Biden and Margaret Wright, a local running for the Champaign County Board. How cool is that? Go Margaret!

Bruce Speaks from the Heart in Philly About Obama

On the Net, I saw The Boss perform live in front of 50,000 folks in the City of Brotherly Love this afternoon. He did some of my favorite songs, such as "Thunder Road", "No Surrender", and closed with Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land". NCDem Amy caught a bit of the concert when Springsteen gave a speech so poignant and left the crowd ready to go out and help Obama win the election, using metaphor of rebuilding the house for saving our country.

Springsteen is an American treasure and is at his best here. No bitterness in his voice, but a tone of hope, and from his point of view, a time for our country to start healing from the abuses of the past 8 years.

From My Way News:

The legendary rocker interrupted a seven-song acoustic set at a voter-registration rally in Philadelphia on Saturday to praise Democrat Barack Obama and bemoan the crises facing the next president. Springsteen said that America remains a house of dreams for some, but that too many people have given up on the promise of fairness and equality.

"I've spent 35 years writing about America and its people and the meaning of the American promise - a promise handed down right here in this city," said the New Jersey rocker, whose songs often depict down-on-their-luck, working-class dreamers. "Our everyday citizens ... have justifiably lost faith in its meaning."

The speech is followed by the performance of "The Rising". Enjoy.