My lovely man leaned over and quietly asked the following (good thing he's a big guy), "You're indignant now? You're pro fiscal responsibility now? Where where you two for the last eight years when President Bush was racking up a record $482 billion deficit? Where was your anger at the record deficit spending by a Republican Administration? And since we're on the subject of bankrupting America, you must be furious that not once has the cost of the two wars we're fighting been written into the federal budget."

He was first met with some quibbling, and a return to an Obama personal attack, but then they just went silent. While it's very easy to fall back on partisan personal attacks, it's hard to argue financial facts. We're in a deep, deep economic hole whose origins are not of the last four weeks. The blind eye and the rubber stamp were awfully convenient for a great deal of politicians over the last eight years and, quite honestly, the American public was complicit.

During the presidential campaign, there was a lot of talk about Main Street vs. Wall Street and how Wall Street was killing Main Street and that Main Street was taking it on the chin because of Wall Street's greed. Really? Have any of you visited a typical American "Main Street" recently? When was the last time you were able to visit a locally owned hardware store in a small city that also happened to have a Wal Mart? I would say at least ten years.

Main Street has been getting crushed for a good long while partly due to enormous tax incentives and credits that were offered by both federal and local authorities. We permitted this to happen because the prices were incredibly cheap, which in turn permitted us to purchase more cheap plastic crap from China, from whom, by the way, we borrow inordinate amounts of money.

In my view, we sacrificed Main Street years ago. For the right wing to be up in arms about how our new federal budget is killing small businesses is subterfuge. A budget that ends the Bush tax cut for those making over $250,000 in take home profit will affect a tiny portion of small businesses. Previous policies had a much more devastating and long term effect.

The irony? Many of those ubiquitous, ticky tacky box stores are now sitting empty. As the economy takes a nose dive, Americans can no longer afford to purchase even the cheap plastic crap from China. My how the wheel does spin.

So, tell me again why you're so angry over the Economic Stimulus Plan or the Federal Budget?

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...

(APPLAUSE)

... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

OBAMA: The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

OBAMA: So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

OBAMA: These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

OBAMA: On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

OBAMA: It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

OBAMA: For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

OBAMA: Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...

(APPLAUSE)

... and lower its costs.

OBAMA: We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

OBAMA: The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

OBAMA: But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

OBAMA: Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

OBAMA: They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

OBAMA: With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

OBAMA: To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those...

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

OBAMA: And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

OBAMA: These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

OBAMA: This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.

OBAMA: The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

But, ultimately, we want to talk about parents reading to their kids. We want to invite kids from local schools into the White House.

When it comes to science, elevating science once again, and having lectures in the White House where people are talking about traveling to the stars or breaking down atoms, inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about.

Thinking about the diversity of our culture and, and inviting jazz musicians and classical musicians and poetry readings in the White House so that, once again, we appreciate this incredible tapestry that's America. I -- you know, that, I think, is, is going to be incredibly important, particularly because we're going through hard times. And, historically, what has always brought us through hard times is that national character, that sense of optimism, that willingness to look forward, that, that sense that better days are ahead.

I think that our art and our culture, our science, you know, that's the essence of what makes America special, and, and we want to project that as much as possible in the White House."

-Barack Obama on the potential educational power of a White House lecture series. Meet the Press, December 7, 2008.

Amen!

There is not a fiber in my being that believes, let alone comprehends, the "sanctity of marriage" bullshit. Sorry. I ain't buying it. Marriage is complicated and beautiful and for everyone who actually wants to make that commitment, it should be an available option. Taking that right away from any individual is to spit on the principles of freedom, liberty, and justice.

Because I am now fuming, I pass along some musical theater to cut the rancor.

The McCain campaign suddenly has a new spokesperson, Mike Goldfarb, for this particular subject? What happened to Nancy Pfotenhauer? Too shiksa? Or is she currently too busy in "Real Virginia?"

Rashid Khalidi is a widely respected, if controversial, Palestinian-American Middle East scholar who founded the Center for Palestine Research and Studies as well as numerous academic panels and news outlets. He is an author, a teacher, an adviser, a journalist, and geo-political expert. He has also been erroneously linked to the PLO as their "spokesperson" or "figurehead" because of his reporting for WAFA in the late '70's and his participation in the Madrid Conference in 1991.

John McCain is now taking that false claim and running with it, claiming that Khalidi is another terrorist and extremist with whom Barack Obama has a close relationship. Sara Palin, at a rally in Ohio yesterday, called Khalidi a "radical professor" and Obama's "political ally," all while sneering his name and generally attempting to whip her crowd into yet another hate-fest.

As I have stated before in these pages, I hate hypocrisy. Fear mongering at the cost of truth runs a close second. Put the two together and I run a fever. Thus, I feel it is necessary to shine a little light onto the bullshit that is McCain's new attack on Barack Obama.

Before you claim that I am a partisan hack with a hard on for the Democratic ticket, please let me say, my distaste for political hypocrisy knows no party boundary. Should a democrat or an independent say or do something monumentally stupid or nefarious, I'll be there to illuminate it and deconstruct it as well. Don't worry.

In 2003, when Rashid Khalidi was leaving his position as Middle East professor at the University of Chicago, Barack Obama attended his farewell dinner. He had some nice things to day about the academic who was leaving the city for Columbia University. This is fact.

Another fact? While John McCain was chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in the 1990's, the IRI granted more than $500,000 to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies to fund studies in the area. You can read details of the transactions in Michael Tomasky's Guardian article.

I repeat. John McCain and the International Republican Institute gave money to Rashid Khalidi. If Khalidi is such a terrorist and radical, why would John McCain give his research group American money?

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one of the most heinous and recalcitrant geo-political messes currently on the books. Any and all light thrown on its causes, reinforcements, and realities is money well spent. This is not only research but due diligence. As a Jew, I think all measures taken to encourage diplomacy and understanding should be employed. The issue is not black and white and to treat it as such is irresponsible.

To turn around and use Rashid Khalidi as yet another tool to cast suspicion on Barack Obama is first class hypocrisy and it sits about as well with me as a day old oyster. The depth to which the McCain/Palin campaign is now stooping is right up there with what Rove and Eskew did to John McCain himself in the Republican Primary of 2000 (it's notable that the GOP ticket now employs Tucker Eskew). These actions do not speak well of Senator McCain and are an embarrassment to the political process.

Want to see who else voted to table the measure to fund troop body armor? You can see for yourself on the Senate.gov roll call. You'll be surprised. Remember, the "yea"s are to shelve the proposal NOT to pass it.