The U.S. economy is currently thrashing about like a dying beast, and at the moment, all attention is focused on what the hell can be done to save it.  Or if, in fact, it can be saved.  Or for that matter, if it is even worth saving or if it should be left to die to see what comes up in its place.

I think it's important to take a step back here and look at what this really means from a political standpoint, in particular what it says about Republican economics.  Wall Street right now is nothing more than a microcosm of what the U.S. economy has become under Republican policy.  And what is happening right now is a precursor of what is to come for the greater U.S. economy if something isn't done before it's too late.

Good evening,

(applause)

Thank you everyone for coming.  I know this has been as long and grueling a process for you as it has been for me.  From the bottom of my heart, I offer my thanks.  And your country offers its thanks, for your efforts and your inspiring work in both participating in and strengthening the democratic process.

(applause)

First, I must offer my heartfelt apology to John Edwards, because I am going back on my word.  In an email I sent last week that will probably never be read by human eyes, I pledged that I would stay with John Edwards to the end, be that a nomination, election, and inauguration, or his leaving the race.

I still believe that John Edwards is speaking about the single greatest issue that must be dealt with in the United States today : the class war.  And I still believe he would make a fantastic President.

However, after further consideration I must reluctantly and apologetically rescind my support for Mr. Edwards, and place it with Barack Obama.  For whatever that may be worth.

From MSNBC:

A man took an unknown number of people hostage at a New Hampshire campaign office for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton, police said Friday.

The man claimed to have a bomb strapped to him when he walked into the office in Rochester, WHDH-TV reported.

Police said they believe two hostages were being held and that the man had released an adult and a child.

I will try to update as more details come available.  Note that right now there is no information on motivation; it could be political, or it could just as likely be a personal dispute gone horribly over the edge.

The United States budget is, simply put, huge. It is based on numbers that are abstract figures with no relevance to everyday life. They are so difficult to understand that not even regular nerds can understand them; that is left to a special breed of ultra nerd who is such a nerd they even have their own classification: policy wonk.

I think it's important to be able to talk about these numbers in a way that bridges the gap between the average citizen and the policy wonk. In order to do that, let's get outside the arena of politics, and start breaking some numbers down into smaller portions for easier consumption (yum).

First, let me introduce someone.



That's Kevin Garnett (aka "KG"), the new Beast of the East and currently the highest paid player in the National Basketball Association.

Promoted by Steven D.

Hey everyone!  The day so far has been off to a great start.  I'm going to use this diary to post pics and updates from DC throughout the day (though the updates will likely be sparse or non existent in the middle of the day).

I crawled out of bed at about 4am this morning to head to the airport.  I was the only one in the shuttle from parking to the terminal, so the driver and I started talking.  He asked what I was going to DC for, and when I told him about the March, he said he had heard about it on the news last night.

He obviously sticks pretty much to the cable news, but he knew what was up.  One of the first things he said was "Man, we got to get out of there.  And now, he's talking about Iran?  Is he for real?"  We agreed impeachment was necessary.  I was surprised he had heard about this on the news.

I'm living with war everyday
I'm living with war in my heart every day
I'm living with war right now

And when the dawn breaks I see my fellow man
And on the flat-screen we kill and we're killed again
And when the night falls, I pray for peace
Try to remember peace (visualize)

--Neil Young, Living with War

Tonight, the President will give his annual State of the Union address.  Early indications are that he is going to focus his comments on domestic policy.

This may be a wise move on his part, because as we know his foreign policy is a nightmare.

On the other hand, we have just come off an election in which the people spoke loud and clear : Iraq is the issue.  We know what we want.  Do something about it.

This piece grew from a comment that I never posted on BooMan's piece Obama and that Generational Thang.  Generational gaps are hard to quantify, but I guess my generation is at least one removed from BooMan's (I was born in 1978).  So I am going to offer a slightly younger perspective.

First, let me say that Obama is not my #1 choice.  He is probably about #3 for me right now.  But I could get excited about an Obama run.  Here is part of the reason I think Obama appeals to my age group, but first let me set some generational context up.

The title of this diary is a line from the chorus of Better Days, by one of my favorite contemporary alt-pop-rock bands, the Goo Goo Dolls.  I don't think it would be possible to sum up how I feel about tonight any more completely or succinctly.  

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days.

Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire or love or empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days.
  -- Goo Goo Dolls, Better Days

Four years ago today, I was (more or less) your average American.  Two and a half years out of college, with a good job for someone my age, I was much more concerned with finding a real direction for my own life than I was in politics or current events.

Living in a heavily liberal area, it was only a matter of time before the waves of distrust, discontent, and disgust would come crashing on the shores of my consciousness, finally stirring my awareness.  But it wasn't until I read the headlines of Kerry's concession that it all really hit me as a tidal wave.

From that point on, I knew that there was no way I could go back to that bubble world in which I had been living.  I have made it my passion and my duty for the past 2 years to try to make up the learning I'd missed in the first 26.  For much of that, I owe the many fine authors here and at various other blogs and media outlets.

The one thing that becomes obvious after less than 5 minutes of reading any liberal or progressive blog is this : We need a champion.  A hero.  A shining light we can rally around.

As I meandered unknowing in my little self centered world 4 years ago, our last true hero died.

We are beings of contrast and change.  Daily we walk the lines between anguish and joy, anger and compassion, despair and hope.  The sheer range of emotions defies description, the strength they contain dwarfs the most powerful of titans.

I can recall a winter night during my sophomore year of college.  I was visiting my mom in Florida over spring break, and I decided to take a drive.  Driving is therapeutic to me.  I love having time to myself, to think, to listen to music, and to just experience the feeling of moving.

As I drove along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, windows down, sunroof open with the warm Florida air coursing through my car, I was suddenly overtaken with tears of happiness.  Everything just seemed right with the world, and every molecule in my body was brimming over with hope.  I can't explain it; surely it was some kind of cosmic alignment (or for the more cynical, some fortuitous chemical imbalance).

As random as that moment was, others are certainly triggered by those things that we see or hear.  It can be a poem.  A song.  A painting, or a picture.  

Last night, John Edwards posted a diary on DailyKos, and hung around to answer some questions for a little over an hour.  As you can probably guess, the thread exploded, eventually garnering nearly 1000 comments (hell, it may be over 1000 at this point).

I was impressed enough with his answers that I thought I would put a little bit of effort into sorting through the thread, and translating them into green.  Questions and answers, after the flip.