Nathan

It struck me just now: what are the naughties (00s) to say about us? When the history books are written on this decade it will be a hell of a story eh?

TPMCafe | Talking Points Memo | The Unmentionable Question: "So--on a morning when accountability seems to have evaporated in the financial world - I'd like to know what we do about accountability at the top of our government for authorizing the abuse- and in some cases the killing of U.S.-held prisoners, all of which were criminal until the day before 9/11. Any thoughts?"

What a great discussion to start and, to me, gets to the very heart of the issue. How is it that teachers at public elementary schools are now more responsible and more accountable for the jobs they do versus our elected leaders? How is this possible!?

Op-Ed Columnist - Roger Cohen - Palin’s American Exception - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "To persist with a philosophy grounded in America’s separateness, rather than its connectedness, would be devastating at a time when the country faces two wars, a financial collapse unseen since 1929, commodity inflation, a huge transfer of resources to the Middle East, and the imperative to develop new sources of energy."

Insightful article and very well put. I have not read any article that puts it so clearly as to what is behind Palinism and a lot of Bushco's supporters and issues.

The Big Picture | The Underlying Basis of Finance & Credit

Very good point and something everyone needs to read and we hopefully have to get into this legislation coming out: an investigation as to when and how these decisions were made to provide credit to those who were not worthy and an understanding we will enact laws so this does not happen again.

Politicians Point Fingers, Assign Blame - NYTimes.com: "The Democratic candidate, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, said Mr. McCain’s remarks reflected “his 11th-hour conversion to the language of reform,” and that, as a Washington insider, Mr. McCain was part of the problem, not the solution."

What is interesting to me in this issue now before us is that not only have the Republicans and crony capitalists get us into this mess, but in many arenas (including here in California now) they are still pumping the 'no tax' mantra. Is this not ironic that taxpayers are being asked to bail out these companies yet out of the other side of the government mouth it is being said: no taxes.

And so I agree with others as to how Obama should approach this and it is with an easily understandable metaphor that could encapsulate a lot: they want to pull the refs off the ball field. For now many years Bushco has been pulling back on regulations, and taking the refs off the field, that have resulted in these issues we are seeing today. But of course we are seeing these issues in other areas as well that people may not know about for years: Bushco has pulled the environmental refs off the field as well including those that watch over our water and our air and our fellow species.

It is time to put some refs back on the field and not because we love refs and regulations, but because we love our country and this is the way to our preservation.

At a forum last week at Columbia University, McCain said, "But right now we have to restore trust and confidence in government." This was always the promise of John McCain, the single best reason to vote for him. America has been cheated on too many times -- the lies of Vietnam and Watergate and Iraq. So many lies. Who believes that in Afghanistan last month, only five civilians were killed by the American military in an airstrike, instead of the approximately 90 claimed by the Afghan government? Not me. I first gave up on the military during Vietnam and then again when it covered up the death of Pat Tillman, the Army Ranger and former NFL player who was killed in 2004 by friendly fire.

McCain was going to fix all that. He was going to look the American people in the eyes and say, not me. I will not lie to you. I am John McCain, son and grandson of admirals. I tell the truth.

But Joy Behar knew better. And so McCain lied about his lying and maybe thinks that if he wins the election, he can -- as he did in South Carolina -- renounce who he was and what he did and resume his old persona. It won't work. Karl Marx got one thing right -- what he said about history repeating itself. Once is tragedy, a second time is farce. John McCain is both.

Go read this here. Maybe there is hope yet for our press - they seem to be coming around and are tired of being complicit in lies and half-truths.

Fact Check: The fuller story in St. Paul - Yahoo! News: "JIM KUHNHENN"

This guy might be one of the best reporters going right now. Keep up the good work Jim - if you could get even half our media to do this type of research and analysis of both sides our country might start to slowly get back on track again. Enough of the he said/she said bs eh?

Dow Industrials Fall 340 Points - NYTimes.com: "But the sharpest declines came nearly two hours after that report was released, a lag that rarely occurs in today’s overheated financial world. The other financial news of the day, including a $1.70 drop in the price of oil, would usually cheer investors. So what gives?"

I hate to be overly simplistic here but maybe people are starting to realize we have further to fall as far as our economy goes: the downside is heating up people and we are not now near the bottom unfortunately. You read it here first.

Op-Ed Columnist - What the Palin Pick Says - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "Rob Portman or Bob Gates wouldn’t have been politically exciting, but they are capable of performing those tasks. Palin, for all her gifts, is not. She underlines McCain’s strength without compensating for his weaknesses. The real second fiddle job is still unfilled."

I suppose I understand and sympathize with this last point, but almost every other part of this column seems to ignore reality as it is now. We are no longer in 2000 Mr. Brooks and McCain has now lost all his principles and any sort of 'maverick' credentials he may have had.

We do have an issue. The illusion of democracy surrounds us this time of year but like 2006, when we all voted to end a war, we won't much get what we want sadly.

That said I did cry before Obama's speech because I was so proud of us and where we have come since slavery, then segregation, and then now. Not to say that everything is perfect now because obviously we have a lot of issues to address especially when it comes to race relations, but man: what a proud day.