Once upon a time when governments no longer served most of their citizens it was the most economically disadvantaged that could be counted on to rebel against tyranny and injustice.  Times have changed, for the worse, despite the spread of democracy.

I sometimes wonder whether I'm dreaming because it wasn't that long ago we were talking about a 100 years or more in Iraq and that we would never sit down with the Iranians. Today I read we may be out of Iraq by October 2010 and that we will be opening up a diplomatic office in Tehran. Was it only a few months ago Senator Obama was criticized as naive in wanting a timetable for withdrawing our troops? According to the "experts"
we should never talk with our "enemies" this again showed poor judgment and inexperience on Senator Obama's part. Whenever I think of Senator Obama I think of "Soft Power" this is his strength and we need it now more than ever. Even before becoming President he is changing our foreign policy in a way that will save lives. This is true leadership the abilty to promote positive change that shows us at our best. My god some of the most gifted people live in this great country are we to believe that we can't figure out a way to get what we need without murdering innocent civillians?
In a matter of months we are talking about issues that few would dare talk about. We were told these are just words you've been drinking kool-aid to believe we can accomplish so much. As always the Republicans don't want us to raise the bar. Lucky for the planet Senator Obama isn't listening. I expect more of this once Senator Obama and his team of rivals takes command. Senator Obama is different from anyone we have ever had. He will show us again by reaching out to Senator Clinton as his VP and Chuck Hagel as part of his administration that this is someone who can inspire and demonstrate true leadership. The best is yet to come!

We're Number 49!  We're 49th!

Ok, so Illinois isn't dead last in state funding, as a percentage of the state's share of education funding, but that isn't anything to be proud of.  Under Rod Blagojevich, Illinois has continued the death spiral to the bottom, making education (apparently) the lowest priority in his lacklaster administration.

So what does the governor do?  Why, call a special session of course, so that he can leverage the state's dismal education record in his obsessive and increasingly bitter feud with the speaker.

I had to travel for work today and so found myself in the car for several hours.  On the way to the work site this morning, I tuned into Rush (yes, that Rush) for a few minutes.  Not long, but long enough to hear him indirectly call teachers, nurses, and social workers "losers and nobodys".  I wonder if he interacted with any nurses while in drug rehab?  I also heard about 7-year-old girl Obama trashed America to.  And then I heard about Michelle Obama.  And then more Obama, and then more Obama, and then more Obama.

On the way back from work I tuned into Sean Hannity for a few minutes (yes, that Sean Hannity).  Just long enough to hear about a twelve year-old girl Obama trashed America to (maybe these were two separate incidents?).  And then I heard about Michelle Obama, and then more about Obama, and then more about Obama.

Interestingly, I heard almost nothing about McCain.

(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama)

I live in Orange County, CA. I'm used to seeing scary Republicans that care nothing about environmental justice. But of all the crazy Republicans here, none can be crazier than "Crazy Dana" Rohrabacher. He's consistently voted against the best interests of our people and our planet, and it's time we do something about this. That's why I'm so glad to see some good friends of ours take real action for real change.

Follow me after the flip for the details...

As we all know during the Primary wars there was one issue that Clinton supporters held out as the big difference and one of the prime reasons they supported Hillary over Obama - Health Care. It was also one the few issues where there was some real distinction.

I always felt that once the primary was over and Obama and Clinton started to work together their plans would get closer. Well, it seems I wasn't all that wrong.

As some of you may know Hillary held on on line chat recently with her supporters and the Health care issue was raised. The following is the question and the response.

Following the ins and outs of American health insurance policies can be tricky, we all have encountered the cryptic phrase "preexisting condition." The way that the insurance industry words it makes it seem like Americans are scheming to cash in on their health woes from insurance companies, but in fact this policy is causing a devastating trend in our country: Americans with chronic conditions being kicked off, refused by, or reaching the benefit limits of their health coverage.

The reality is that many uninsured Americans used to be insured, and couldn't receive further coverage due to their conditions. That means that many people who are in the most need for health care aren't receiving any. Nearly a quarter of these people reported that they hadn't been to a doctor in more than a year, and said that if they need medical care they will go to the emergency room.

Our friends at the American News Project have posted a video on the usage of tax shelters by the super-rich.  "Super-Rich Tax Cheats" shines a spotlight on the $1.5 trillion currently estimated to be hidden off-shore from the IRS by the very wealthiest of Americans.

Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) estimates the resulting lost tax revenue at approximately $100 billion.  The video puts this number into context by showing what the government spends on other programs.  This is more than the federal government spends on education and training ($89.9 billion).  It's triple what is spent on the environment and natural resources ($33.1 billion) and almost five times more than what we spend on temporary assistance for needy families, or TANF ($20.9). Besides looking simply at people clearly breaking the law, the video also has a short segment with Warren Buffet, one of the world's wealthiest men, arguing for tax fairness.  This is key if our nation is to be stronger and we are to truly come together as a community.

You can watch the video at the Huffington Post.