The Wait is Over

The First Dog, Bo, named for Bo Diddly has arrived (Hawaiian Lei and all) at the White House in time for Easter.

The Portuguese Waterdog was a gift from Senator and Mrs. Teddy Kennedy, who have several of these dogs.

Move over shirtless Putin!

PUTIN POKER

I'll see you, Putin and RAISE you one Obama!!!!

Worse Person in the World

A New Birth of Freedom

The Presidential Inauguration on Jan 20, 2009 will not be the only item on tap in the DC area. With TPTB opening up the bars 24/7, "Happy days are here again!" will undoubtedly be the song of choice.

The agenda for other activities:

The Presidential Inauguration will be held on January 20, 2009. A week of festivities will include the Presidential Swearing in Ceremony, Inaugural Address, Inaugural Parade and a night of Inaugural Balls and galas honoring the new President of the United States.

The theme for the 2009 presidential inauguration will be "A New Birth of Freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The words come from the Gettysburg address, and express Lincoln's hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the nation shall lead to "a new birth of freedom" for our nation. The theme is particularly appropriate in light of the historic election of Senator Barack Obama.

With the election of Barack Obama - the first black president in America - inaugural events are expected to draw record breaking crowds to Washington, DC. This historic day immediately follows the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr which will be celebrated with special events as well. And just in time for Inauguration Day, the nation's capital honors Lincoln's Bicentennial with a city-wide celebration including special exhibits and tours.

Getting around the region throughout the four-day inaugural weekend will be challenging. Washington Metro is gearing up for the events with increased hours and security.

Click & bookmark this link as it will update as information becomes available.

This Week: State of the Union

As I sit here waiting for the football game to end and 60 minutes to begin, I thought I would upload some cartoons that represent the state of things as we start a new week. (click pictures for easier read)

President-elect and Mrs. Obama will be interviewed tonight on CBS's 60 Minutes.

Hollywood Neighborhood Erupts with Fireworks

As the announcement rings out over the TV, of Obama's win, fireworks light the Hollywood skyline and I pop the cap on the first of eight beers that I have now consumed.

With that said, I will reserve and preserve my post-election opinion and remarks for a more sober moment in time.

GOP plan "special goody" for trick-or-treaters

Is this the Republican's idea of Family Values? To me, these are just cheap GOP tricks in Broward County:

Parents, check the kids' candy extra carefully this Halloween. Some Broward Republicans plan to drop a little something extra into the bags: a piece of political propaganda.

Each is about 3 by 4 inches on heavy paper, the brainchild of Sharon Day (pictured at right), Broward's state Republican committeewoman. When parents go through the kids' candy, they'll find messages telling them, "Don't Make Everyday Halloween in America! Keep Barack Obama from using your hard earned dollars as his own personal 'Trick or Treat' bag!"

— Original Story

Anchorage Daily News Supports Obama

The largest daily newspaper in Alaska has endorsed Barock Obama for President. The most read newspaper in the most northern state in the U.S. has been very supportive of Gov. Palin, however, in the op-ed, it feels that she is not ready to be the VEEP.

I have always said that it would be interesting if both Arizona and Alaska turned blue this year. After reading this and hearing reports of discontent in both states with their native son and daughter, it just might come true on November 4.

Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. For the first time ever, an Alaskan is making a serious bid for national office, and in doing so she brings broad attention and recognition not only to herself, but also to the state she leads.

Alaska's founders were optimistic people, but even the most farsighted might have been stretched to imagine this scenario. No matter the outcome in November, this election will mark a signal moment in the history of the 49th state. Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it. It is easy to look at Sen. Obama and see a return to the smart, bipartisan economic policies of the last Democratic administration in Washington, which left the country with the momentum of growth and a budget surplus that President George Bush has squandered.

On the most important issue of the day, Sen. Obama is a clear choice.

— Read entire Op-Ed in The Anchorage Daily News.

Ron Howard, Henry Winkler and Andy Griffith

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

I was going to vote today, however ...

Early on, I had decided to vote early and thought, I would get it out of the way and do it the first day, however ... I heard that there were first day voting machine problems and lines at some polling places.

To top it off, I looked at my sample ballot that came in two weeks ago, and to my horror, the ballot is a big as a Harry Potter book with mumbo jumbo Constitutional amendments, Broward County Charter amendments and elections for people that I assume have no campaigning budgets, because just as in the primary, I have not received a single ad in the mail.

Will try and find some information on the questions that are not worded as questions and vote a solid Democratic ticket.

I guess I'll vote on Thursday. I have that tree coming down tomorrow and I'm working on the raised beds in the backyard. Wednesday, my friends from Naperville, IL will be coming for the day. That leaves Thursday as the earliest to perform my civic duty.

News came on tonight that Barack's grandmother is gravely ill. Sounds like hospice. My thoughts are with him.

McCain office in Pompano Beach links Obama to dictators

This sign -- which was headlined "Barrack Hussein Obama" and compared the Democratic presidential candidate to Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro -- was hanging in the John McCain campaign office in Pompano Beach on Thursday, October 16.

— Full Sun-Sentinel Story

McCain: bad politics, bad judgement

Obama Gas

Gas station owner has gone all out for Obama!

Joe Biden on Negative Attacks

Very Powerful!

The American Promise

McCain in 'hatred' war of words

From the BBC International website:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has become embroiled in a war of words with racial undertones after clashing with a civil rights icon.

John Lewis (pictured at right) accused Mr McCain's campaign of "sowing hatred" against opponent Barack Obama and said he was reminded of 1960s segregationist George Wallace.

Mr McCain, who recently said Mr Lewis was one of his most admired Americans, called the reference "beyond the pale". Mr McCain has also tried to cool his supporters' resentment of Mr Obama.

In Minnesota on Friday, Mr McCain defended Mr Obama after some at the town hall meeting labelled him a "terrorist", "an Arab", a "traitor" and a candidate who inspired fear.

The Republican's campaign has also suffered from a legislative probe in Alaska that found his vice-presidential running mate and state governor, Sarah Palin, had abused her power.

With just over three weeks to go to the election, she has again denied any wrongdoing in the affair.

— Full Story & Video

106-year-old voter chooses Obama

A 106-year-old American nun living in a convent in Rome could well be the oldest person to vote in the 2008 US Presidential election.

Sister Cecilia Gaudette, who last voted for President Eisenhower in 1952, has registered to vote and says she will vote for Democrat Barack Obama.

Although hard of hearing, she keeps herself informed by reading newspapers and watching TV at the convent. "I'm encouraged by Senator Obama," she says.

"I've never met him, but he seems to be a good man with a good private life. That's the first thing. Then he must be able to govern," she adds.

Sitting in her modest office in the convent where she has lived for the past 50 years, the diminutive nun appears uninterested in the row inside the American Catholic church over Senator Obama's support for pro-choice policies on abortion.

Asked about her hopes for the US under an Obama presidency, she says: "Peace abroad. I don't worry about the Iraq war because I can't do anything about it. Lord knows how it will end."

— Full BBC story

McCain finally lets it slip ... he is White and racist

First he would even look at Barack the first debate. Now he will not even speak to an African-American who asked the question ... topping it off with referring to Obama as "that one."   I've been just hoping that it would not happen, but being a realist, have really been waiting for the "N" word to raise it's ugly head and it came close tonight. And here I thought it would be Palin who would hammer that Republican Coffin nail in.

From Joan Walsh at Salon.com:

This town hall didn't help John McCain

Barack Obama dominated this debate from the very first question. John McCain fielded directly, when he condescended to the African-American questioner, a young man named Oliver, who asked how the $700 billion rescue plan passed last week would help the average American. McCain first implied that Oliver and other regular voters wouldn't know that much about Fannie Mae and and Freddie Mac, then went into the misleading Fannie/Freddie claims Andrew Leonard broke down here. Then McCain told Oliver that his plans would "help Americans like Allen ... stay in their home." Allen? Allen was the nice older white man who asked the first question. So what about Oliver? Did he not matter? Was McCain confused?

John McCain's gaffe just now wasn't so awful or inhuman, but it was equally tin-eared. He called Obama "that one." Really. Asking if the audience knew who voted for the Bush-Cheney energy bill (an Obama mistake, by the way), he pointed at Obama: "That one."

My first reaction was that it was a little racist – depersonalizing African Americans has a long rhetorical history. But I think it was more like something a cranky babysitter would say, Angry Uncle Joe, or, yes, Mr. Wilson: "You know who broke the coffee table? That one."

Awful. He can't hide his contempt for Obama.

— Full Salon.com Article

Obama fights back

This is a short version of an ad due out today at noon.

— www.keatingeconomics.com

Gloves Coming Off In Campaign

October 5, 2008 · Palin's latest punch accuses Obama of "palling around with terrorists," while a new ad from his campaign calls McCain "erratic in crisis."


Click here for NPR's All Things Concidered audio report.