Iraq

Iraqis gather to watch televised coverage of the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama at a cafe in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.

43rd and 44th

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle stand with former US president George W. Bush and Laura Bush on the steps of the US Capitol following the inaugural ceremony for Obama as 44th US president in Washington on January 20, 2009.

Guantanamo Bay chain of command

U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Bill Mesta replaces an official picture of outgoing President George W. Bush with that of newly-sworn-in U.S. President Barack Obama, in the lobby of the headquarters of the U.S. Naval Base January 20, 2009 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (Brennan Linsley-Pool/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama and his family

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle stand with former US president George W. Bush and Laura Bush on the steps of the US Capitol following the inaugural ceremony for Obama as 44th US president in Washington on January 20, 2009.

Obama talks with McCain

U.S. President Barack Obama talks with U.S. Sen. John McCain after arriving at the luncheon at Statuary Hall the luncheon at Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC.

Obama retakes oath

"WASHINGTON – After the flub heard around the world, President Barack Obama has taken the oath of office. Again. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the oath to Obama on Wednesday night at the White House — a rare do-over. The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday's much-noticed stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.



Don't worry, the White House says: Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day.



Nevertheless, Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called "an abundance of caution."
This time, the scene was the White House Map Room"

Economic Stimulus Package

It’s good to be back to work after a long sabbatical following the victory of President Barrack Obama relieving the stress of the Bush error. Let me go on record in voicing opposition to any economic stimulus. What America needs is stricter regulation upon all financial institutions, ceilings on home prices which will jump start the economic and infuse wealth. Continued readjustments within the housing market on a downward trend is actually good for America. I can remember a conversation with a colleague a couple years ago in regards to buying a home, then a dream unattainable at our salaries. Those in the business of selling homes hope the decrease in home values in some markets is temproary, the fact of the matter is housing has faced a readjustment, prices have reached their peak. Current prices as of January 2009 may be the ceiling for some time in my observation. We as leaders of this new economic and political error must direct our collective competitive drive towards success in a direction void of corruption, always seeking to implement business practices that generate profit, are pleasing to the common worker, and beneficial to the common good of the nation (A.T. Brooks).




"As state legislators worked through a special session to address the budget deficit, Governor Crist announced a new economic stimulus plan for Florida's small businesses.


The two-pronged plan requires an initial $10 million investment from the state. $8.5 million will be used for a pilot loan program to provide up to $250,000 in loans to companies with 10 to 99 employees. The loans can be used to purchase capital, train employees, or provide salaries for new positions. The remaining $1.5 million will be used for additional economic stimulus initiatives.
The Governor's Office noted that this type of stimulus plan is particularly useful given that between 1997 and 2007, 17 percent of the new jobs created in Florida came from small businesses that expanded, exceeding the new jobs created by newly opened businesses or companies that relocated to Florida.


The Governor's Economic Stimulus approach is based on research showing that a small group of high-growth, high-potential businesses can generate a large number of new sustainable jobs. Littleton, Colorado successfully implemented this economic strategy starting in 1987, and between 1990 and 2005 saw an employment growth rate of 135 percent - compared to 47.2 percent for the state as a whole, and 21.4 percent nationwide " (The LeMieux Report ).

Seal - Get It Together (Peter Rauhofer Remix)

TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS SHOULDN'T REST

1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.

2.Many counties still use unsecured voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way.

Election 2008: Mid October Analysis

Will Barrack Obama win? What would happen if the Bradley Effect plays a significant role in this election? This is a discrepancy between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in American political campaigns. The theory of the Bradley effect is that the inaccurate polls have been skewed by the phenomenon of social desirability bias. Specifically, some white voters give inaccurate polling responses for fear that, by stating their true preference, they will open themselves to criticism of racial motivation. The reluctance to give accurate polling answers has sometimes extended to post-election exit polls as well.

How ironic that John McCain’s best strategy is based of Obama’s primary mantra of hope. Hope the Bradley Effect has skewed polling significantly enough to error on the side of John McCain. In the past however we have seen with victories of President George W. Bush that a well-built political machine can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. This is to the advantage of Barrack Obama who has put together the most disciplined political ground force seen in my life time.