So, after watching his performance today in Indiana and then his presser later tonight, I'm thinking that President Obama should take his show on the road. Hear me out on this one:

- He is clearly at his best when in campaign mode. The daily travelling, the public speaking, really getting his message to the people allows him to spread his message in a meaningful and real way, especially to those who probably don't spend their days flipping back and forth between MSNBC and CNN (like I do).

- Air Force One has a spacious and high-tech office, one which has been used in emergency situations, i.e. 9/11, to run the country. Why not take full advantage? And while we're on the subject, our President has managed to secure himself a Blackberry, let him use it.

- It even might be good for the country to see him out there, sleeves rolled up, doing his work. It would be good for everyone, so why not?

Thoughts?

We’re live from my living room on this Tuesday January 20, 2009 for the Inauguration of our 44th President Barack Hussein Obama! Let’s get right to it:

9:45 am: Vice Presidential wives make their way to the limos, followed soon after by the Vice Presidents. Cheney in a wheelchair? I know he supposedly hurt himself, but you just can’t make pure evil look any more sympathetic. Good try though, Dick.

9:47 am: Presidential wives make their way to their limo… Michelle looking her best as usual. And here are our President and President-Elect! And we’re only 5 minutes behind schedule. Excellent. How awkward will this limo ride be? As much as I would like to be in DC for this, I wouldn’t want to be in that particular spot for the next few minutes.

11:00 am: The President and President-Elect arrive at the Capitol. The Supreme Court, other dignitaries and former Presidents arriving… and George H.W. Bush looks OLD. And a cane? This man still jumps out of airplanes for God’s sake! Though the purple scarves he and Barbara are sporting are a very nice, if subtle, political gesture.

11:25 am: Still waiting for the guests of honor…

11:30 am: Wow, people are actually booing shots of W showing on the jumbotrons, which drowns out the introduction of Michelle Obama. Surprisingly bad form.

11:34 am: Current President, VP and Republican leadership get a lukewarm greeting (I’m being generous)… Bush looks lost up there, like he really just does not want to be there.

11:36 am: VP-Elect Biden arrives with the Democratic leadership to a roaring ovation. As expected. No Nancy Pelosi though… Weird.

11:37 am: And there’s Nancy! Walking ahead of the President-Elect, along with the Senate and House Sergeant at Arms and the Senate Majority Leader, and House Minority Leader. Interesting combo.

11:41 am: Obama arrives to enormous cheers, with the whole crowd waving these small American flags that were given out. What an incredible site. Thankfully our MSNBC commentators deemed his arrival an appropriate time to stay silent.

11:44 am: Diane Feinstein pontificates for a little while here, talking about America’s struggle against racism… Now, it might just be me, but the media has been all over this since Election Day, I think we get how historical it is.

11:46 am: Rick Warren delivers our invocation… Very emotional and not really as bad as many people thought. Not that his prejudices or bigotry should be overlooked, but he was good today.

11:51 am: ARETHA! (Singing My Country Tis of Thee)

11:55 am: Associate Justice John Paul Stevens is brought to the podium to swear-in VP-Elect Joe Biden.

11:56 am: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is now our Vice President.

11:58 am: YO-YO MA! (and others) for another musical interlude, arranged by the same man who brought you the Imperial March and all other Star Wars music, John Williams.

12:02 pm: Senator Feinstein introduces Chief Justice Roberts to swear in Barack Obama as our 44th President.

12:03 pm: “I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God."

12:04 pm: After a bit of a rocky oath, we have a new President… And I couldn’t be more pleased. 21 gun salute in the background… crazy. On to the speech.

12:26 pm: President Obama finishes up a tight, 21 minute speech, and it was a homerun. A call to service and responsibility that addressed a lot of our current issues, with a smattering of Washington and Lincoln to go right along. Some highlights:

“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”- So much for your big-government big-spending Democrat, right? While I’m sure there will be massive amounts of money spent, he is making a pledge of responsibility that has been absent for so long.

Perhaps my favorite section of the speech: “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”- Want to talk about a direct repudiation of the behavior of the last eight years? Especially amazing considering the fact that Bush was sitting just a few feet away. It was fulfilling to hear President Obama say that, that which, sadly, needed to be said.

To conclude, with the President’s words: “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.”

Hey Handy and Gopher-


Told ya.

A little late, but hilarious none the less, via GOOD and Youtube:

Barry and McNasty (and Busey?) in: Swing(er) States.

I didn't liveblog tonight like I said I would. I'm sorry, I'm a bad person, but I must say tonight was immensely satisfying. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow to check the final score, but right now, with three states still in play (IN, NC and MO) it looks like this:

Obama/Biden: 338 (364, assuming he picks up 11 in IN and 15 in NC)
McCain/Palin: 163 (174, assuming he picks up 11 in MO)
House: Dems + 21ish (With a few left to come in)
Senate: Dems + 19 (Assuming they pick up seats in too-close-to-call races in OR and AK)

Dems won't get 60 in the Senate, but at least they can kick Lieberman out of the caucus. They even picked up a governor's mansion in Missouri.

Nuts... Landslide kind of nuts...

Am I seriously liveblogging the VP Debate? You'd better believe it.

9.00 pm: From St. Louis, we have Gwen Ifill moderating Joe Biden vs. Sarah Palin. Looks like we’re going with a 90 second statement, with 2 minutes response and rebuttal time.

9.02 pm: “Can I call you Joe?”- Great start Sarah, please look as weak as possible.

9.05 pm: 1st Question: The big bailout, the best or worst of Washington?
- Biden says it was the situation we were put in by the current administration. What did you think he was going to say? Joe comes out fists flying against the Bush Administration, and Obama’s plan is better. Ties McCain/Palin in nicely with Bush. Palin’s response… to talk about a kid’s soccer game… Yes, soccer moms are afraid of the economy… but McCain saw it coming! He’s a reformer! John McCain made the bailout happen! (But don’t tell her it hasn’t happened yet). HA! I was waiting for the “fundamentals of the economy” quote. Biden is landing body blows. Palin tries to explain the comment away as describing the American workforce. That’s a new one. And we also have our first “maverick” of the night. Ha!

9.09 pm: Second maverick. Also, Palin tried to paint McCain as a reformer and an agent of change. Yep, because Obama voted with his party 96% of the time is more of the same, but someone who voted with Bush policies 95% of the time is for change! Like, obviously!

9.10 pm: 2nd Question: Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis, who's to blame?
- Palin points out that there is greed and corruption on Wall Street. No shit, Sherlock. Biden does a good job staying on topic, not really taking any unnecessary shots, but pointing out that John McCain was taken by surprise when the crisis arose. Palin starts in about how McCain will cut taxes (doesn't say for who), while Obama will raise taxes (without saying on who). Palin uses bogus stats to imply that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class, and Biden fires right back with bogus stats of his own, lumping McCain's decisions right in with Obama's. Palin then decides to explain McCain's behavior away as "just following the rules." Biden points out that Obama's tax plans will set rates at the same level as under Reagan, while cutting taxes for 95% of Americans.

9.17 pm: Getting off topic, Palin talks about how "she and Todd" think taxes are unpatriotic, and that McCain will give you a $5000 rebate for health insurance (not that it doesn’t cost a shit-ton more than that to buy health insurance). Thanks John.

9.20 pm: Ooh, Biden shows a little fire, hitting McCain’s healthcare plan on the cost to the average American. “I call that the ultimate Bridge to Nowhere.” OH SNAP!

9.22 pm: 3rd Question: What campaign promises will your candidate not be able to keep?
- Biden notes that doubling foreign aid will have to take a backseat, clearly he envisions the Obama administration concentrating on rebuilding America and fixing healthcare. Palin responds that McCain will do everything he says he will! And then they’ll take on Big Oil! Yeah! She ends her question with this classic, “How long have I been at this, like five weeks?” Nice.

9.25 pm: Joe, listen, get off the taxes. We know, know, that Obama didn’t vote for tax cuts for Big Oil. I get that Palin took on Big Oil in Alaska, but John McCain won’t. Do we really think he’ll listen to this inexperienced pissant? No way in hell.

9.27 pm: 4th Question: Do you support, like John McCain did, the new bankruptcy bill, making it harder for mortgage holders to declare backruptcy?
- Palin says that John McCain voted for it, but McCain should be thanked for seeing the mortgage crisis coming, even though he did nothing about it. Biden says that even though he voted for it, Obama didn’t, and Obama was right. He proposes some interesting ideas about adjusting principle amounts on mortgages, to avoid bankruptcies, which are already hard to get. Intersting ideas there. Aaaand Palin is back on energy… ? She is really damn frustrating. She’s not once connected bankruptcy laws with anything she’s said right now, but I bet she just knows that Obama and Biden are wrong.

9.31 pm: 5th Question: What is your position on climate change?
- Ha! As governor of America’s only Arctic state, Palin says it’s important for us to realize that climate change is a cyclical process, mostly natural, not man-made. Biden points out that since the Republican ticket doesn’t understand where climate change comes from, they can’t possibly hope to solve the problem. Ooh, Biden just dropped the N-word (nuclear, you idiots)… might be risky, though he points out it’s cleaner than coal. Also points out the lack of help drilling will give us. Snarky sniping by Palin. Way to reach the big point, that Joe Biden doesn’t know a silly little chant of yours by heart.

9.35 pm: If you have any doubts at all about who to vote for, Sarah Palin just said nucular. Awesome.

9.36 pm: 6th Question: Same-Sex Benefits
- “In an Obama/Biden administration there will be no difference in benefits for same sex, or heterosexual couples.” Well, even though Alaska has equal same-sex benefits, Palin isn’t a real big fan, doesn’t want to redefine marriage or nothin’. That’s between a man and a woman and all. Obama and Biden want to leave the decision about gay marriage to the faiths and the people, but don’t support gay marriage. Boo.

9.39 pm: 7th Question: Foreign Policy- Iraq
- Palin calls the surge a plan to pull troops out? Huh? Oh oh oh, I get it, the surge allows us to pull troops out… but not yet. “We’re getting closer and closer to victory”- bitch, please. Obama also voted not to fund troops (psst, Sarah, John McCain didn’t either). Biden says that Obama has a clear plan, which is in alignment with what the Iraqis want, and is currently being negotiated between Iraq and the US (actually true). Palin says, “We’ll be ready to leave when the Iraqis are ready to govern and protect themselves.” If we’re there forever, we’ll just never find out. Why don’t we give them a chance first, ok?

9.45 pm: 8th Question: Which is a greater threat, a nuclear Iran or an unstable Pakistan?
- Biden says an unstable Pakistan, though both are dangerous. Al Qaida is in Pakistan, hiding and planning. We need to do what we need to do to protect the country. Palin throws us another nucular. Again. Twice in less than 15 minutes. Oh, and Iran is more dangerous because it might, might, obtain “nucular weapons” and “nucular power.”

9.48 pm: HA! Sarah Palin criticizes our enemies for not respecting women’s rights. I almost dropped my computer I laughed so hard.

9.51 pm: Ok, so we all agree that Israel is cool. Skippy, let’s move on. Please, you’re losing me.

(Sidebar: Biden is looking a little more surly as we go along, though Palin is looking more sarcastic and snarky.)

9.55 pm: Yes, thank you Joe. “I haven’t heard how John McCain’s policies are going to be different from George Bush’s… and you’ve seen where that has taken us.”

9.56 pm: 9th Question: Is there any point at which the US should use nuclear weapons?
- Palin gives no answer. “It’s bad for our enemies to have or acquire ‘nucular’ weapons.” Palin moves on somehow deciding that criticizing Obama on Afghanistan is an appropriate answer to the question. Biden is really restraining himself, often clarifying who he is quoting and emphasizing his points. So apparently the Army doesn’t think that a surge-type offensive would work in Afghanistan, ok, good point. He hasn’t answered the question either. I don’t get it, it’s certainly not a hard question.

10.01 pm: 10th Question: Intervention in Darfur, pro or con?.
- Biden says that Americans will have the stomach for success there, as long as it's not just another Iraq (It seems that there’s a lot we can do, though I’m not sure that we can do it while still in Iraq.). “Oh, it’s so obvious I’m a Washington outsider, because I just don’t get it…” Seriously woman, just answer the question, you’re so damn irritating. She finally gets to the damn point that we should go in and help in Darfur, pointing out that in Alaska they talked about divesting assets in the Sudan. Didn’t actually do anything, but they talked about it.

10.06 pm: Palin keeps harping on Biden supporting McCain’s “war strategies,” I’m not sure how true it is, but she’s talked about it for three straight answers. She’s got to wipe that smirk off her face, too. She’s not helping herself.

10.07 pm: 11th Question: How would your administration be different than that of your running mate?
- Biden keeps it short and sweet, “I would execute Barack Obama’s policies.” Palin, not so much. “We’re a team of mavericks, what do you expect?” (So, you have opinions, but will not act on them. Right… You would be more convincing if you weren’t so damn fake. Ok, listen, let go of the whole tax hike thing, ok? Taxes on the rich don’t kill middle-class jobs, period.)

10.11 pm: This woman is so condescending, it really makes me sick.

10.14 pm: 12th Question: What does a Vice President do?
- (I’m glad Palin now gets what a Vice President does, so does my 8 year old cousin. Good for her.) Biden states that he’ll be a high-level advisor to Obama, not just a back-up to fill in spots that the President doesn’t want to deal with, which is essentially what Palin said she would be doing.

10.16 pm: Good god, Palin wants to be Dick Cheney 2. Ok, maybe I was wrong, she doesn’t get it.

10.18 pm: 13th Question: What is your weakness?
- Wasted question. Though it did give me a break, thanks Gwen.

10.21 pm: Wuh oh, Joe is talking about his son, who was injured in a car accident that killed his mother as a young boy and it’s getting a little dusty up on the stage. Nice touch, Joe (I shouldn’t say that, it seemed pretty sincere, unlike this whole maverick bull crap Palin is smearing all over the stage).

10.24 pm: 14th Question: Is there a major view you had to change while in government?
- Biden has changed the way he judges fellow lawmakers, questioning their judgments, not their motives. Palin says that sometimes she passed budgets she didn’t like to move things along. (So… she has no stones? She’s a pushover? Ok, got it.)

10.29 pm: Palin’s closing- Takes a pot-shot at the media on the way by, moving on to point out that she and McCain are fighting for the middle-class (haha), to secure the nation, and to apparently stop Americans from becoming subjects of some phantom menace... She lost me there, I'll have to look at a transcript and hope it makes sense. Maybe I'm not folksy enough to get it, my bad everyone.

10.30 pm: Biden’s closing- Nice one Joe, “Well, it's time for America to get up together. America's ready, you're ready, I'm ready, and Barack Obama is ready to be the next president of the United States of America.”

Well, it was way more of a debate than the first presidential debate, I can tell you that much. Biden brought his A game, attacking McCain without seeming like a jerk (and restraining himself when Palin slipped), and Palin showed that she can be on a national stage without handlers and not vomit on her shoes. She, however, did little to answer Biden’s attacks on the Bush/McCain policy relationship. I found her often rambling and rather incoherent, especially when it came to actually answering questions. I didn’t see a clear winner in this instance, either, just like the first presidential debate. I think few, if any minds were changed, but if pressed, I would say that Biden came out on top, because he didn’t just get by, like I get the feeling Palin did.

[A]s mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor.

From Time

Remeber folks, this woman could be one heartbeat away from the presidency, so use your heads.

Watch and listen (Skip ahead to 14:45 for the good stuff). I defy you not to get the chills. Amazing. The old lion still has it after all he's been through. Text here.

I think some may find this more interesting than others...

Our Fearless Leader came into office with a $128 billion budget surplus, courtesy of the dastardly Clinton Administration. He leaves office, and you, me and our grandchildren with a record $482 billion deficit. So much for "fiscal responsibility" and "controlled spending."

Just FYI.

Interesting piece here by Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director, about the downfall of the Clinton campaign. Maybe inevitable was just code for doomed? You decide.

As noted by Handy, the California Supreme Court has struck down that state's essential ban on gay marriage. Score one for the good guys (and gals), as I for one tired quite easily of anyone denying anyone, anywhere, any of their rights.

On a more predictable front, we have good ol' Dubbya scoring points for all manner of hate, foolishness and ignorance the world over. Comparing the Democrats, and parenthetically Obama, to the pre-WWII European diplomats who appeased Hitler? Really? Um, wow. I have railed in this forum about the politics of fear, how tiresome it is, and how it needs to be done away with.  What we have here today, ladies and gentlemen, is fear-mongering at its very very finest.  I loathe this man, I did before today, but he's taken it to a whole new level.  It's nearly criminal what he's done, and what he continues to do. It makes me want to puke.

Speaking of Dubbya and his cronies, at least there is hope for justice at some point down the road.

In a related note, at least there is someone out there who has the stones to stand up to Bush and speak in the kind of elementary school language he can understand.

Oh, and on the off chance that McCain beats the Democratic nominee (probably Obama at this point, right?), at least we'll be out of Iraq in time for my 30th birthday.

Ugh.

So I know I told you guys that I was off the soapbox for the night, but I just remembered a great Letterman joke I was shown earlier this evening:

Are you familiar with the Hillary Clinton 3 a.m. phone call commercial that she has been running during her campaign? The idea is if the phone rings at 3 a.m., who “would you want to be president? She has another one. The phone rings at 3 a.m., Hillary picks up the phone and says, “Stop bothering me, President Obama.”

HA! Rock On!

I've been trying not to get overtly political in this forum, but as anyone who knows me will tell you, this Democratic Primary has become my favorite topic of conversation. I've made reference before in this blog to my support of Barack Obama (whose name I'm sure spell checks everywhere absolutely LOVE), and recently my partner at work, BG, got me a pimp Obama poster that can be seen here. The story that goes along with the picture is pretty interesting too, for what it's worth. Gar Joseph, columnist for the Philly Daily News suggests that Obama is relying on a "cult of personality," calling him "Orwellian" and cites a Time magazine article calling the campaign an exercise in "mass messianism."

I understand that it has been an awful long time since a candidate has moved people the way Obama does, but I am exceedingly confused why so many seem so eager to attempt to strike him down. Personally I believe he has run an outstanding campaign, and weathered many storms that should have crushed his effort. I mean, I can see the similarities of his poster with lots of Soviet propaganda, just Google it if you’re interested, but don’t be silly about it. Give him credit where it is due. Since his DNC speech in 2004 (Part 1, Part 2, Text Here), his rise has been meteoric, but deserved. He wouldn’t still be in the race, much less in the lead, if he wasn’t.

If you want to look at the reality of the situation, you just have to look at the tv spots being used by both campaigns. The one (that I’ve seen) Clinton ad running in PA is her now famous 3 am spot, where she tries to scare voters, in the amazing American political tradition. Of the two Obama ads I’ve seen, my clear favorite is quite simple, straightforward and honest. He stands in front of the camera at a steel mill, dressed in a leather jacket, nice pants and an open collared shirt, explaining to voters how he got started in politics and how he plans to help blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania. Awesome, non-threatening, and relatable. It also explains one of the main reasons I like him so much. Not only do I find his politics appealing, but he’s treating the electorate with dignity and respect, rather than scare tactics and newspeak (HA! Another Orwell reference!). I appreciate how he treats us as a people, and I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out. And remember, all of you out there, please vote, for whomever, whenever you can. It’s the foundation of our democracy, and it’s so much more important to vote, rather then who you vote for.

Ok, off the soapbox for now.