Friday

* This morning President Obama and Vice President Biden had an announcement about labor and the middle class.
NY Times:

On yet another morning of grim economic news, President Obama on Friday sought to further distance himself from his predecessor as he announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor and improve the lot of middle-class Americans.

At a White House ceremony, the president signed three executive orders that he said would “reverse many of the policies towards organized labor that we’ve seen these last eight years, policies with which I’ve sharply disagreed.”

-I saw something the other day that made me physically ill. It was a Palin-Jindal bumper sticker on a car in Columbus, Ohio. Yuck.

* Huh? Does George W. Bush believe he still has presidential powers?
Raw Story:
...Fielding's letter reflects President George W. Bush's decision to continue to argue that "[t]he President and his immediate advisors are absolutely immune from testimonial compulsion by a congressional committee," even after leaving office, citing a 2007 memorandum the Justice Department prepared. Ironically, the memo was prepared by the very department that Congress is trying to garner information about.

Rove's immunity, Fielding says, thus "arises from the President's position as head of the executive branch and from Mr. Rove's position as a senior advisor to the President."

A similar letter was sent to the attorney for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers telling her not to appear at a scheduled deposition with the House Judiciary Committee. Miers, the Bush White House argues, also has "absolute immunity" as a presidential advisor...

Do these Bushies just make up laws as they go along? Has anyone told him that Bush that he is no longer the President? If Karl Rove continues to refuse to obey his subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee, I'd love to see him brought to the committee in handcuffs and chains.

* Do the Republicans think that they'll just ignore the President for the next four years? I think it was a major mistake for the GOPers to vote against the stimulus package. We know that their 'tax break' philosophy has not worked. We know they've done nothing to encourage the economy and hiring. How do Republicans think things will get fixed? I think that so many of the Republicans are so removed from real jobs, shopping, and normal life that they have no idea about what is going on in the country.

Voter Fraud?

Do you remember the charges that Republicans made about voter fraud in Ohio? Here is the result of an investigation as described at Cincinnati.com:

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he had allegations last fall of widespread voter fraud – allegations a special prosecutor reported Tuesday were wrong, noting the only voter fraud found was from a Connecticut man who told on himself.

“Ultimately,” Special Prosecutor Michael O’Neill wrote in a report, “the investigators discovered ‘get-out-the-vote’ practices, sponsored by community organizations, which took full advantage of this unique absentee-voting period, but no evidence these practices violated Ohio law.”

....Deters claimed his office had concrete allegations that people were offered booze and cigarettes to vote specific ways, suggesting they were voting for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama....

Deters must have a very low opinion of the people who voted for Barack Obama. Deters, a Republican, must think that people had to be bribed to vote for Obama. What Deters doesn't understand is that the large numbers of people that showed up to vote in Ohio was due to the fact that people wanted change---not the same old crap from the Greedy Old Party.

Joe Deters served as John McCain's regional chairman. Really.

*** Last night, David Letterman had some kind words for President Obama. Letterman said something like, "....God love President Obama because he really is trying to get things done...."

>>>> Do you know the best part about Super Bowl weekend? The Puppy Bowl will be on Animal Planet!!!!! The Puppy Bowl will run from 3pm-5pm EST and repeat until 5am. If you have young children, it is a great alternative to the sports hype. Check out the Animal Planet website for activities to keep your youngsters busy.

Are Republicans like Nero?

Don't you wonder if the Republicans even care about what is going on in this country? Are the Republicans like Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned? Will Republicans in Congress continue to do nothing while our nation tries to respond to the disaster left by the Bush administration?

It doesn't seem to matter to the Republicans that over two million people lost their jobs in 2008. They just want to keep talking about their worthless, ineffective tax breaks. The GOP is clueless. Clueless. The Republicans couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.

While the Republicans stall and complain about President Obama's recovery plan and stimulus package, things continue to get worse. More people lose their jobs and the future bad without something to get us working again:

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): (Note: This is just a sampling from the ASCE website.)

Roads D-

Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic at a cost to the economy of $78.2 billion, or $710 per motorist. Poor road conditions cost motorists $67 billion a year in repairs and operating costs, and cost 14,000 Americans their lives. One-third of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 36% of major urban highways are congested. The current spending level of $70.3 billion per year for highway capital improvements is well below the estimated $186 billion needed annually to substantially improve the nation's highways.

Schools D

Spending on the nation's schools grew from $17 billion in 1998 to a peak of $29 billion in 2004. However, by 2007 spending fell to $20.28 billion. No comprehensive, authoritative nationwide data on the condition of America's school buildings has been collected in a decade. The National Education Association's best estimate to bring the nation's schools into good repair is $322 billion....

We have unsafe bridges in Ohio. On Campus:

...There are hundreds of bridges in Ohio that are considerably structurally deficient. An example of an unsafe bridge is the Orange Road bridge near where I live. A steel-truss bridge designed in 1898, it has not been maintained properly for over a century....

We Voted for Hope and Change

Last night on MSNBC's the Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel Maddow had this to say about the Republican reluctance to support President Obama's stimulus package:

"......the election was a de facto referendum on the economy...."

Correct! The American voters rejected the do-nothing, tax cuts for the rich, sit on your hands, deregulating, policies of Republican Party. Because of the ultra-loyalty of the Republican Party, George W. Bush and the Republicans created this financial mess we are in now. We don't want to go down the same road again with Mitch McConnell and John Boehner leading the way. Americans voted for hope and change. If the Republicans don't want to support the country's recovery, then let them be viewed as obstructionists.

It is time to stand up and let McConnell, Boehner, and the rest of the GOPers know that we are pushing for change and jobs, with or without them.

Monday's Notes

> On the Today Show this morning, there were knock-offs of Mrs. Michelle Obama's dresses from the Inauguration. They were very impressive.

> The Obama White House has been working quickly to take care of overturning some of Bush's EPA standings. Thank goodness!

> It appears that the tech-savvy staff have had problems with the draconian computers found in the White House. Washington Post:

..."It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of his new digs.....
....One member of the White House new-media team came to work on Tuesday, right after the swearing-in ceremony, only to discover that it was impossible to know which programs could be updated, or even which computers could be used for which purposes. The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with six-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing. The team was left struggling to put closed captions on online videos....

Wouldn't that be frustrating?

> Is anyone else concerned about the Republicans obstructionist behavior? Haven't they read the papers? We have a Democrat in the White House with Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate. Let us keep pressure on the GOPers to help support change in this country.

Seriously

* These recent stories about bank CEO's spending millions and millions of dollars re-decorating their offices and mansions with their company checkbooks and our taxpayer bailout dollars, has just gotten me sick. Corporations and companies need to set up things called "budgets" on re-decorating CEO's offices and other business holdings. I realize that some big shots in big industries may not have ever heard of the word "budget" but most Americans deal with it every single day of our lives. Besides, there is no reason why a CEO should spend $87,000 on a rug. That is just obscene. Stockholders should rise up and try to institute some fiscal restraint in the area of corporate spending.

* I read a few articles that said that the Bush loyalists thought that the press and the new administration had been too critical of former President George W. Bush. Seriously? George W. Bush has left us with the largest financial disaster since the Great Depression. We have two wars, an attack on our country that occurred on his watch (9/11), massive unemployment, American auto industries on the brink of failure, over 4,000 Americans killed in Bush's unnecessary war in Iraq, New Orleans still recovering from the "handling" of Hurricane Katrina, our military stretched to the limit, states finding it difficult to maintain services, the public schools tied to a worthless and underfunded "No Child Left Behind", our diplomatic relations with foreign countries almost nonexistent, etc., etc., etc, and these Bushies think we should be praising Bush's catastrophic conditions he left for President Obama? Enough already!!!!

The Republicans--- Ain't What They Used to Be

This update from MSNBC may even show more evidence of the young voters fleeing from the Neanderthal-thinking GOP, as reported in a new survey of college students:

• The proportion of incoming students calling themselves liberal rose to 31 percent, the highest in 35 years. Another 21 percent called themselves conservative, down from 23 percent in 2007.
• Just under two-thirds (66 percent) support the right to same-sex marriage.
• The proportion of freshmen calling it "essential" or "very important" to help clean up the environment jumped from 22 percent in 2006 to about 30 percent last year. Nearly three-quarters said addressing global warming should be a federal priority....

If you look over the entire survey, you'll see that young voters tend to disagree with a majority of the
GOP platform and agenda.

> With the entire Republican Party seemingly lost in the wilderness, you almost wonder if they'll ever be a majority party again. On MSNBC this afternoon, Norah O'Donnell interviewed Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty. O'Donnell pointed out some recent statistics. While the GOP attracts mostly white, older individuals, the country as a whole is becoming more ethnically diverse. Those ethnically diverse American voters tend to be Democratic voters. The Democratic Party had a majority of the younger voters. Will these enthusiastic younger voters continue to support Democratic candidates? Probably.

Over at BoingBoing there is a posting of Thomas Fuchs and Felix Sockwell's 'Deconstructing Dumbo':
....illustrator Thomas Fuchs and designer Felix Sockwell have put together 100 iconic mini-tales of a GOP in disarray for their 'Deconstructing Dumbo' book, self-published and available via Fuch's site.....

The GOP's behavior in blocking legislation and in delaying approval of President Obama's cabinet members, shows their desperation and pathetic response to the voters' desire for change. The Republicans could go the way of the Studebaker and the Edsel if they are unable to go along with the change that Americans are demanding.

Down to Business

President Obama was very busy last night. Yes, it is true that President and Mrs. Obama danced through the night at 10 inaugural balls, but something more happened.

CNN:
In one of his first acts in office President Obama has ordered the U.S. government to suspend prosecutions of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days, military officials said Tuesday.

Papers filed at the U.S. prison camp said the request is made "in the interest of justice and at the direction of the president of the United States." It seeks a delay in proceedings until May 20....

Philly.com:
In one of his first acts in office, President Obama yesterday ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review. The action comes after George W. Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.....
....Obama was summoning his holdover defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, to the White House today, along with other members of his National Security Council, to discuss a way ahead in the war, according to two senior military officers who spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not publicly announced the meeting....

President Obama has been left a pile of problems. He won't have the luxury of taking naps or exercising twice per day or riding a mountain bike, as some of our previous Presidents have done. (I won't mention any names!) President Obama is ready to work and he'll need our help and support.

Update: It appears as though Republican Rep. John Boehner and his Republican friends are going to do all they can to stop President Obama's agenda for change.

A New Day

The excitement is building in Washington, DC and in my home. We are all very excited about the beginning of the Obama administration. I'm awed by the crowds in Washington, DC. It will be a busy and historic day for Barack Obama. Let us offer our new President our prayers and best wishes.

Missing Liberal Talk Radio

Here in Columbus, Ohio, we lost liberal talk radio a few weeks ago. WVKO has become an affiliate of Catholic radio. Their gain is our loss. Now, those of us in central Ohio, are forced to listen to Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz on the internet. We also lost our sense of community. Events, meetings, and special announcements kept us aware of what was going on here. However, it is gone.

I find it very sad. At a time when we could be celebrating the inauguration of the President that many of us worked for, we find ourselves unable to share our joy with each other on the radio dial. Hopefully, liberal talk radio will return to Columbus in the near future.

Friday's Notes

* Great information on Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of the U.S. Airways that landed in the Hudson River: Huffington Post. He is the type of pilot that you'd like to have driving your plane.

A posting at DailyKos reminds everyone that the people who were responsible for saving lives and the rescue (including the pilot), are all members of unions:

....Sullenberger is a former national committee member and the former safety chairman for the Airline Pilots Association and now represented by US Airline Pilots Association. He--and his union--have fought to ensure pilots get the kind of safety training to pull off what he did yesterday.....

...The ferry captains and crews are .....represented by the Seafarers International Union. They provide safety training to their members so they're prepared for events like yesterday's accident....

The pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, fire fighters, and the police officers are all members of unions. Their training and professionalism resulted in an amazing day of survival for the people on that flight.

* According to what I've read at the Star Tribune, the court fight over the senate election in Minnesota could go on for several more months. Al Franken won, but Norm Coleman wants to drag lawsuits through the courts until the tulips bloom. Give it up, Norm. Be a man and take the defeat!

* We've had quite a bit of snow here in central Ohio and now we are suffering through some serious wind chill temperatures. Many school districts have had to cancel classes for Friday.

* The tcNEWSnet indicates that Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted finally testified before the Montgomery County Board of Elections. Husted's residency has been called into question because he lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio with his wife and kids but calls Kettering his residence. Apparently, the investigation continues.

* I confess----- I did not watch President Bush give his "farewell" address to the nation. I've had enough of his presidency, his wars, and his failed economy.

* President-elect Obama visited a factory in Bedford Heights, Ohio today. We need to get more people back to work.

Really, Really Like Him

It appears that a majority of Americans approve of President-elect Barack Obama, according to a WSJ/NBC News Poll. WSJ:

A strong majority of Americans approve of how President-elect Barack Obama is handling the transition and preparing for the Oval Office, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Some 71% said they approve of the incoming administration’s efforts, while just 14% disapprove. Those ratings have held steady since the previous WSJ/NBC News poll in December, when slightly more (73%) approved and slightly less (13%) disapproved.....

Americans are desperately needing change. This change will come with intelligent leadership and thoughtful, and purposeful steps to get America working again.

While we had hoped that President Obama would be able to get the financial situation moving quickly in the right direction, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl pulled out some procedural shenanigans to delay the hearing and approval of President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner. Sen. Kyl and a few other Republicans should stop putting up roadblocks to our country's financial recovery. If you'd like to let Kyl know how you feel about his obstruction, you may contact him:

>>>WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE, 730 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4521 Fax: (202) 224-2207

>>>PHOENIX OFFICE, 2200 East Camelback, Suite 120, Phoenix, Arizona 85016-3455Phone: (602) 840-1891 Fax: (602) 957-6838

>>>TUCSON OFFICE, 6840 North Oracle Road, Suite 150, Tucson, Arizona 85704
Phone: (520) 575-8633 Fax: (520) 797-3232

>>>>United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224- 3121

President Obama had hoped to sign legislation on inauguration day to get things moving. Republicans had other ideas. Call Kyl and let him know that he must not stand in the way of our nation's recovery.

Take Note

> Do you have UnitedHealth insurance? You need to read this story from MSNBC.com:

One of the nation’s largest health insurers has agreed to pay $50 million dollars in a settlement announced today after being accused of overcharging millions of Americans for health care.

The New York attorney general’s office launched an investigation after receiving hundreds of complaints about Oxford Insurance and its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, which claims to rely on “independent research from across the health care industry” to determine reimbursement rates. In actuality though, it relies on Ingenix, a research firm owned by UnitedHealth Group.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says Ingenix has been manipulating the numbers so insurance companies pay less. In a just-released report, he contends that Americans have been “under-reimbursed to the tune of at least hundreds of millions of dollars.” Although UnitedHealth Group and Oxford Insurance were the only entities investigated, other major insurers use Ingenix, including Aetna, CIGNA and WellPoint/Empire BlueCross BlueShield.....

The New York Times has another article about this case. Included in the article is information about class-action lawsuits:

...No criminal charges have been sought in the case. Nor was UnitedHealth required to pay restitution to consumers, although the disputed reimbursements are the subject of class-action lawsuits around the country....

You may need to review this with your lawyer if you have UnitedHealth and you have a lot of problems with reimbursements.

Ohio's Republicans in U.S. House

Do you remember how a majority of Americans voted for change? Apparently, certain Ohio Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives haven't gotten the message. Once again, the Ohio Republicans are playing the old game of obstructionism and promoting their anti-worker agenda.

CantonRep:

..Members voted, 247-171, to give plaintiffs more standing to file pay-bias suits. A yes vote was to pass a bill (HR 11) allowing claims to be filed within 180 days of the last infraction, thus voiding a Supreme Court ruling that suits must be filed within 180 days of the first infraction.

Voting yes: Steve Driehaus, D-1, Charlie Wilson, D-6, Marcy Kaptur, D-9, Dennis Kucinich, D-10, Marcia Fudge, D-11, Betty Sutton, D-13, Mary Jo Kilroy, D-15, John Boccieri, D-16, Tim Ryan, D-17, Zack Space, R-18.
Voting no: Jean Schmidt, R-2, Mike Turner, R-3, Jim Jordan, R-4, Robert Latta, R-5, Steve Austria, R-7, John Boehner, R-8, Pat Tiberi, R-12, Steve LaTourette, R-14.....

...Wage discrimination
Members voted, 256-163, to strengthen the federal law that bans pay discrimination based on gender. The bill empowers women alleging bias to sue for recovery of back pay and to receive punitive and compensatory damages. A yes vote was to pass HR 12.

Voting yes: Driehaus, Wilson, Kaptur, Kucinich, Fudge, Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri, Ryan, Space.
Voting no: Schmidt, Turner, Jordan, Latta, Austria, Boehner, Tiberi, LaTourette....

*******

In conclusion, we can summarize and state that Ohio's Republican Members of the

House of Representatives are

1. against allowing people to file pay-bias suits

2. for wage discrimination.

The Republicans are once again clueless.

Exactly!

Joe Conason is exactly right when he says that those accusing Al Franken of stealing the election need to show proof or shut up.

SALON:
If Al Franken were not a longtime public figure -- and thus severely handicapped by American jurisprudence -- he could file a powerful complaint for libel or slander against several of the most prominent wingnuts in the United States. From Rush Limbaugh to Bill O'Reilly to Richard Mellon Scaife, a chorus of familiar voices is loudly defaming the Democrat whose razor-thin win in the Minnesota Senate race will now be tested in that state's courts. Ever since Election Day, on radio and television, on the Internet and in print, they've screamed that Franken is stealing, rigging, pilfering, scamming, thieving and cheating his way to victory.

These media figures, some of whom occasionally pretend to be journalists, have spewed such accusations repeatedly, without offering any proof whatsoever -- in plain contradiction of the available facts. Not only is there no evidence that Franken or his campaign "cheated" in any way during the election or the recount, but there is ample reason to believe that the entire process was fair, balanced and free from partisan taint.....

....Here's a challenge to all those lying liars. In essence, they have accused my friend Franken of a felony under Minnesota law. If they know of any evidence that would show he has stolen votes or violated any election statute, let them report it to the state law enforcement authorities. And if they don't, perhaps they will at last have the decency to shut up.

These right wing nut jobs (as mentioned by Conason) need to shut their mouths. They know nothing about the details of the recount process and they continue to yell, scream, and lie about what happened. Coleman was a special friend of President George W. Bush. Coleman even went to visit the Bush "ranch" in Texas. Many Republicans just don't want to admit that the Bush and Coleman days are gone. It is time to move on and get to work cleaning up the mess they left.

Don't You Wonder.....

* How is it that Bernie Madoff can send "gifts" worth millions of dollars to friends and relatives while he remains on house arrest because of the "ponzi" scheme? Seriously, this guy took money from his clients and used it for his personal gain. Now, according to the NY Times, Madoff ".....is under 24-hour house arrest in his $7 million Manhattan apartment....." $7 million dollars? How can he mail diamonds and watches to relatives as gifts while he remains under investigation? Besides, who sends gifts worth millions of dollars to friends and family? I think the government should take those items to pay back his victims.

* Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman (his term has expired) is doing his part to tie up the courts in order to overturn the vote in the senatorial race in his state. Why, Norm? Why do you bother? Give it up, Norm!

* What was that chainsaw carrying man thinking when he attacked his neighbor's door?
Philly.com: An eastern Pennsylvania man may face up to 37 years in prison for tearing open a neighbor's door with a chain saw. Police say 34-year-old Robert Kane began sawing through the front door of Jamie Zaleski's apartment in Scranton while Zaleski and several friends ran out the back.

Kane was angry because a friend of Zaleski's parked in front of his house across the street. Police said when Zaleski asked who was at the door, Kane said it was his worst nightmare, told him, "Open the door or I'll cut it down," and started sawing.....

Why did he need a chainsaw to communicate with his neighbor?

* Don't you wonder what your family and friends would say if you bought a replica of the White House? The New York Times is reporting that a house that is a downsized duplicate of the White House is for sale. This might be your lucky day if you have $9.88 million.

Tuesday's Topics

* On C-SPAN right now, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House for the 111th Congress. Yipeeee! Speaker Pelosi is giving her acceptance speech and she has noted that in two weeks a new President will take the oath of office. :)

* Despite a hard fought game, the Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Texas last night. Win or lose, I'll always love the Buckeyes. Thanks for great season!

* If you lived in Columbus for any period of time during the 1950's until the early 1990's, you probably remember a TV sportscaster with the loud print sports jackets. The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Jimmy Crum has passed away.

* Have you seen "Whale Wars" on Discovery? The program shows how environmental groups attempt to stop large Japanese ships from whale hunting in protected waters. According to an article posted at the Star Tribune, Japan calls these whale protector ships "like pirates." Star Tribune:

Japan said Tuesday it plans to ask Australia and possibly New Zealand and Chile to ban an anti-whaling protest ship from using their ports to refuel, heightening a cat-and-mouse game in Antarctic waters between Japan's whaling fleet and the conservationists.

The Sea Shepherd group has said its anti-whaling ship, the Steve Irwin, has left pursuit of Japan's whaling fleet after chasing it for 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) and is now headed to port to refuel. It suggested on its Web site it will seek a port call in Australia, but has not provided further details.....

.....Last year an Australian customs ship tracked the Japanese fleet in the Antarctic Ocean, gathering evidence for a possible legal battle against whaling.

Check out Whale Wars at Discovery Channel.

Monday's Notes

Earthtimes:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy left Paris on Monday on a two-day visit to the Middle East in a unilateral attempt to negotiate a ceasefire in the fighting in Gaza. Traveling in his capacity as co-president, with Egypt, of the Union for the Mediterranean, Sarkozy is scheduled first to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the resort of Sharm el-Sheik. He will then travel on to West Bank city of Ramallah to hold talks with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Monday in Jerusalem......

Where is Bush while the world falls apart?

*** Are you looking for inauguration gear? Buy your stuff at the official inauguration store. There are plenty of choices.

Never! Never! Never!

From UPI:

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said Sunday he would like to see another of his sons, Jeb, become president.

Jeb Bush, a former governor of Florida, is contemplating a run for U.S. Senate, but the elder Bush said during an interview from his Texas home aired on Fox News Sunday he'd like to see a third Bush in the White House, even as another son, George W., is about to leave the presidency with record-low approval ratings.

"I'd like to see him run," Bush said of Jeb. "I'd like to see him be president some day......"

Haven't the Bushes done enough damage to the country? There is no reason why we should have Jeb Bush or any other Bush family member in the White House. I think you'll agree with me when I say we've overdosed on the entire Bush family and the disasters they've left behind. No more Bushes. No Jeb in the White House. Never. Never. Never!

Reason and Intelligence

With the incoming Obama administration, I'm hoping that we see somethings that we haven't seen in a very long time: Reason and Intelligence. I'm sure that the Obama administration will use both to solve the myriad of problems left behind by Bush.

I've written before about the laundry list of problems that the new administration will face, but I'd like to state a few things I'd like to see taken care of in the near future. Here are my suggestions:

* Please adhere to the Kyoto Treaty/Protocol which was largely dismissed by the Bushies.

* We need to have a more open conversation with the people of Cuba. If Americans are able to visit and communicate with average Cubans, a move away from the Castro brothers would certainly happen.

* Push for greener cars, transportation, and manufacturing. We would save money and help the environment.

* We need a team of constitutional lawyers to go over the "signing statements" that President Bush created. There will be lots of things to undo.

* Take care of our men and women in the military. They've gone through so much and they deserve our thanks, respect, and care. We can no longer let the mismanagement of veterans' affairs and medical facilities continue. Clean it up and fix it.

* Throw away the abstinence education program. It is totally worthless, and unfortunately, billions of dollars have been wasted. Sex education based on science should be taught in our schools.

* End the war in Iraq ASAP!

* Start conversations with those countries and regions that have been neglected by the Bush administration. Encourage those countries to work with us instead of against us.

* Rebuild America. Get people back to work fixing roads, bridges, and schools. Make community participation cool again.

I'm certain that hundreds of more items could be added to this list, but I don't have the time or energy to name them all. It is without question, that those reading this could add even more. I think it is important that we watch the Senate and the House of Representatives and make sure that legislation gets passed to get America working again. We need to take time to make our elected officials work for us.

I may only be a wife/mother/grandmother/retired teacher/dog owner, but I wish that some of my hopes and dreams are shared by you and the new administration. We must make sure that things are accomplished to help our people and the world.

The Road Ahead

This holiday season, our family shopping was guided by cost and practicality. Even though our children are older and are not into toys, we stayed away from going overboard on spending. Although we did shop at Target, Macy's, and Best Buy, we stayed with gift cards. We all understood that it was inappropriate, given the country's economic situation and high unemployment, to spend lots of money and go into debt.

Once again we did not spend a penny at Wal-mart. My philosophy about Wal-mart is that until they treat their employees fairly with pay and benefits, we will not give them any money. Millions of Americans may think I'm crazy, but I do not want to award Wal-mart's less than stellar record of fairness in dealing with their employees.

With less than three weeks to go until Inauguration Day, I'm trying to stay calm and hopeful. Like many Obama supporters, I am very excited about Barack Obama becoming President. However, given the mess left behind by the current administration, Obama will have to deal with a boatload of problems almost immediately. You almost wonder if any other modern President has had to face such a massive laundry list of problems, wars, and financial disasters. The friends of supporters of President George W. Bush are trying to re-write his legacy at this very moment. Given the state of affairs and the lingering financial crises, W will long be remembered as the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.

The only obstacles that could possibly stop or derail the Obama administration are those Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate who are against progress. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. John Boehner, and others will do their part to delay or block legislation designed to get people working again. We must respond immediately with phone calls, and e-mails to thwart their obstruction. We've been saddled with the Republican "trick down economics" that has brought us disasters. It is time to get things done.