Convergence of Relevant Stuff

The economic crisis is growing more serious every day, and the time for action has come.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will jumpstart our economy and put more than 3 million people back to work.

I hope to sign the recovery plan into law in the next few weeks. But I need your help to spread the word and build support.

It’s not enough for this bill to simply pass Congress. Americans need to know how it will affect their lives — they need to know that help is on the way and that this administration is investing in economic growth and stability.

Governor Tim Kaine has agreed to record a video outlining the recovery plan and answering questions about what it means for your community. You can submit your questions online and then invite your friends, family, and neighbors to watch the video with you at an Economic Recovery House Meeting.

Join thousands of people across the country by hosting or attending an Economic Recovery House Meeting this weekend.

The stakes are too high to allow partisan politics to get in the way.

That’s why I’ve consulted with Republicans as well as Democrats to put together a plan that will address the crisis we face.

I’ve also taken steps to ensure an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Once it’s passed, you will be able to see how every penny in this plan is being spent.

You can help restore confidence in our economy by making sure your friends, family, and neighbors understand how the recovery plan will impact your community.

Sign up to host or attend an Economic Recovery House Meeting and submit your question for the video now:

http://my.barackobama.com/recovery

Our ability to come together as a nation in difficult times has never been more important.

I know I can rely on your spirit and resolve as we lead our country to recovery.

Thank you,

P.S. — If you can’t host or attend an Economic Recovery House Meeting, you can still submit your questions for Governor Kaine and then share the video with your friends and family this weekend. Learn more here:

http://my.barackobama.com/recovery

According to Presidential Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel the Inaugural address  will mirror the  main theme of   the Obama campaign.  Obama  says that we must lead by example.  There is a culture that has been promoted that anything goes.   Any thing is right. That has led America into the value deficit that we have. Economically we have placed ourselves into  a period of debt. On average each  American household is at least  $17,000 in debt.  This and many other areas must be addressed.

Obama’s  theme is to continue to invest in the economy, by creating 3.5 million jobs.  According to President Elect Obama, this will be the first ting we can do to make sure that people are getting back to work. So Obama’s plan requires for a good portion of all we do is for all of us, businesses, consumers,  and government,  to operate differently from the way we have operated in the past.

Joe Biden took the first step to bring it to John McCain. After all he has known John McCain for over thirty years and considers him a friend. However Biden says McCain is joined at the Hip to George Bush and he said so in his speech today where Barack Obama introduced him as his Vice Presidential choice. Joe Biden is loyal and has been that way all of his senate career. I  Biden Linked McCain to Bush time and time again.

There is an extreme contrast between Obama and Joe Biden. Joe Biden will go a long way in bringing on board Hillary Clinton’s supporters.  He is a fighter to the middle class, has enormous experience in  Foreign Policy.  Biden will bring in the displaced Hillary Voters, the Catholic Voters, and Jewish voters, that Obama has had trouble connecting to. Obama prefer to remian above the fray and is not entirely comfortable attacking.  BIden role is to attack time and time again.

Joe Bden’s mother once paid him $10 to go down the street and beat down, a neighborhood bully who messed with one of her son’s. Barack Obama just paid Joe Biden by selecting him as his VP, to do the same to John McCain and the Republicans, who have been beating up Obama pretty bad in July. This is a smart pick. With Biden, you have a Senator who marching to his own beat, and not his Washington colleagues.

So it is a mistake to think that Biden is just another Washington insider; he’s not, he a free thinker and some one who can bring creative ideas. And for the first time during his long tenure in Washington, Biden now has the Most Important World stage that he ever had.

Biden charge will be to address the concerns of older American,  and that Obama has what it takes to lead this country. Biden , A Roman Catholic, can speak to this constituency. He can also speak to those who feel uneasy about voting for some one, particularly, an African American, who is not like them. This is and issue and it needs to be dealt with. The election will really tell whether Americans have grown up and truly faced or embraced diversity in America.

Race

Barack Obama is not doing as well in the Polls, because of his race. That is not an excuse, it is a reality. Obama, will have trouble in the polls as the First African American to possibly win the Presidency. Are white Americans ready to vote for a black man for President?  To put it bluntly, no one wants to talk about this issue, but all of us need to do soul searching in this area.

Would we really put the stressful economic concerns to the back burner and not vote for Obama, because he’s black?  I know we are the greatest country in the world, yet we can’t get past our racial biases. Obama would improve every ones lives and with him we would have prosperity. Republicans have not been able to bring prosperity to this country and John McCain certainly want. He doesn’t know how many houses he owns, and he thinks being rich in America means you are worth at least $5 million dollars a year.

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy is the primary issue that defines Joe Biden. The Georgian crises has been an advantageous issue for Biden, in relation to his pick as VP. And it is a great help for Obama. Obama seems more confident in talking about international affairs because of his International trip and Biden’s ties to the Foreign Relations Committee.  Both effectively negates any perceived gain, that John McCain felt he enjoyed.

 John McCain does not know how many houses he owns. John McCain, it stands to reason, does not know how many houses his wife owns. I wonder if he knows he own an office complex and that is worth over $14 million dollars?

Since McCain did not know these things the Obama Campaign checked and guess what? He owns 7 Houses and just purchased one in Arlington, Va. Let me see now, which candidate is out of touch with the average American; Obama,who owns one home and just so happens to know where he lives? Or is it McCain who net worth is probably over $100 million; and own 7 homes, and has no idea where he lives?

Does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the logistics. McCain is out of touch, with you, me, and a whole bunch of other folks. Except for those who make over $10 million per year. Do you think someone worth $100 Million a year could care less about you or me who are struggling to make ends meet?

Americans are thinking about electing Republican big money to the White House? If you are making less than $250,000 a year you don’t consider yourself in the same class as John McCain. He can pay  for his own health insurance if need be; so he doesn’t care about those of us who can’t. That off his radar screen.

And he calls Barack Obama an elitist. What’s wrong with this picture? If McCain lost his job, his wife could easily take care of him for the rest of his life. Definition of an elitist; someone who doesn’t know how many houses he owns.

Do you think McCain cares that eggs cost $3.00 a dozen or 4 rolls of paper towels cost $7.00? Do you think  McCain saves his change for a rainy day? Do you think McCain brings his lunch everyday from home? Oh, that’s right,  he doesn’t know where his home is.

Do you think he’s facing a foreclosure on one of his homes like millions of Americans are? He not. Because He’s worth $100 million a year.

You get the picture and if we are as smart as we think we are as Americans; there only one choice for President. Someone who feels your pain. Someones who goes to Wendy’s and MacDonald’s, White Sox games,or who ever your favorite team is, just like you. I think you know; Barack Obama should have your back economically, not someone who owns 7 houses and is worth $100 million dollars.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N38Ug_ugzXs&feature=related]

Joe Biden may be a good choice for Obama. It seems he wants the job and he has the credentials needed at this time to compliment Obama. Obama and Biden would be sort of a good cop bad cop duo.

What Biden brings to the table is tangible Foreign policy experience. A wealth of knowledge on the world stage, something Obama sorely needs. But is it a match. Probably not a perfect one, but one nevertheless that must be considered.

Biden is relentless, not afraid to express his opinion and he would not run from a fight. He would probably have Obama’s back in a street fight with Republicans. Biden is Not at afraid to mix it up.

He is willing to stand for Democratic principals and will forcefully agrue his point. Biden is a debater and skilled at breaking down the foundation of any argument. He can identify the core argument and apply it to any discourse.

So the time may be right for Obama to have a fighter in his camp someone who will go toe to toe with McCain and carry out the dirtywork. So Barack Obama maybe on to something by sending Biden to Georgia on a fact finding mission. We will see how it plays out.

During Rick Warren’s Forum He asked Both Candidates this question……”How Do You Define Rich?” A good question to ask because it would give you an tremendous amount of information about the  person.  This question would illuminate hidden agendas and perhaps even hidden beliefs.  The answer would probably  show where the candidate’s interest lie.  What would an Obama Presidency Look Like in terms of  bills passed and who would these bills favor?  In contrast what would a McCain Presidency look like, what segment of the population would he favor economically?

Well, the answers to this particular questions could not be more diverse and have so much difference between the two. Obama’s answer was  that he would define anyone making over $250,000 a year as being rich.  McCain’s figure was much higher, even light years away, McCain said how about $5 Million dollars a year? Some say he was joking, but was he? Considering  the McCain household income was  over $6 Million in 2006.  When one looks at the question practically and realistically the point is,  most Americans make a lot less than $5 million dollars  a year.

To illustrate this point let take a look at what the medium income of Americans  was in 2007. The medium household income in America  in 2006 was $48,201, the medium means half  of Americans make more that $48,201 and half make less than $48,201.   It is the centerpoint. In America income distribution is disportionate, here are the numbers reported by the Census Bureau for 2006. Whites had a medium Household income of $52,423,  while the medium  income for blacks was much less at $31,969.  Hispanics had a slightly higher household income than blacks at $37,781.  Asian had a higher household income than all races at  $64,238.

I mention these numbers so that we can bring some perspective to  McCain’s comment. By the way, again,  John and Cindy McCain’s Household income was $6.1 million income.  Although both The Obama and McCain households made over $3 million dollars, yet their views of when one is rich in America are quite different.

How much is Barack Obama Households Medium Income? In 2007 Barack Obama Household income was $4.2 million dollars.  McCain is clearly out of touch with the average American and has no empathy for them.  By saying that $5 million dollars is his definition of rich, suggest that he believes that someone making say $1 million dollars a year is middle class. 

Were are we going if McCain wins the election. He will cater more to the segment of Americans who are rich and how no empathy for  those making less than $250,000 per year.

What did McCain Know and When Did He Know It? CNN Reported and Rick Warren Confirmed in an Interview with Rick Sanchez that John McClain was not in a Cone of Silence, but more accurately he was Late and  on his way to Saddleback Church, when Barack Obama’s interview with  Rich Warren started.  Keep in mind we were assured that McCain, could not hear any of the questions. 

McCain did not mention that he was late and not in the Cone of Silence.  But more accurately he was in a Cone of Traffic on his way to  the forum. Do you think McCain  possibly could have tuned into the preceding to get a heads -up on the questioning from Rich Warren?  And how is it that Barack Obama won the coin toss to go first? Perhaps it was a weighted coin? We will never get a straight answer to any of these questions. Well Senator McCain did you hear any of the questions  and  answers by Barack Obama, while you were stuck in traffic?  It was rather odd that McCain could appear so sharp and answer his questions so brisk, direct, and to the point.

This is all just food for thought, but it is interesting that the integrity of the debate parameters were seriously compromised by McCain arriving late. So much for the Cone of Silence. All we can honestly say ‘What did McCain Know prior to arriving at the forum and when did he know it?  We will never get the answer on this one. You draw your own conclusions.

Brett Favre made his debut tonight against the Washington Redskins. In the first quarter, Farve went  5 of 6 for 47 yards and a  4 yard touchdown pass which put the Jets up at the end of the first quarter 7-0 over the Redskins.  Favre certainly looked sharp in his passing and it is obvious that Favre will help the Jets this year. and he most certainly would have helped the Packers.

The Jet simply wanted to get Favre some reps in the game to test his arm and get him acclimated with the offense.  This was Favre first game ever as a Jet, so it was important that he get  a feel for his new teammates in a game situation.  Favre was sharp in his Jet debut.  We are in for an exciting run this season with New York and look for great thing form Favre.  Favre sat out the remainder of the game.

Favre retired in March and decided a few months later that the still wanted to play football, but the Packers had another thought in mind; they wanted to move on. Favre was traded to the Jets less than three weeks ago and since it has been a world wind of activity.

The National highway traffic administration has recently put on tougher enforceable standards on the auto industry in order to bring them in line with EPA standard and to raise the fuel economy from 26 mpg to 35 MPG by 2011. The auto industry is balking because of the high cost this will entail and the loss of revenue they will suffer by producing these cars and working to meet tougher standards. The is a difficult assignment given an auto industry that is suffering tremendous losses in the face of high gas prices and rising overhead cost.

While the consumer has no choice but to reign in spending to make ends meet, this has in effect left the auto industry reeling from unsold cars and double digit losses in sales from the previous year. This is in effect a crises of monumental proportions and flys in the face of the National Highway Traffic administration mandates. There is literally no end in sight. We were hit with high Gas prices, but no plan in place to deal with a slow down in automobile purchases in just about every town and major city in America.

Off shore drilling is not the answer at least not immediately. Dependence upon foreign oil will continue for the foreseeable future. We rode the tide of good times for way to long without having the foresight to prepare for the inevitable; the high jacking of the American Consumer with our continued dependence on foreign oil.