Barney Frank, one of the first openly-gay politicians and one of Massachusetts’ most well-known politicians, announced he would not seek re-election.

Frank, who has usually coasted to re-election, has come under fire as chair of the House Banking Committee given the current state of the economy.

Massachusetts Republicans were quick to comment on his decision not to run again:

“It is clear that Congressman Frank was not looking forward to another hard fought campaign after losing his gerrymandered district and spending nearly every penny he had in 2010,” said Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Nate Little in a statement. “Republicans were already gearing up for a strong race and Frank’s sudden retirement injects added optimism and excitement into the election.”

Frank has been in office since 1981.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee raised $100,000 to support Elizabeth Warren’s bid for congress, to give Republican Senator Scott Brown a run for his money.

PCCC is a liberal grass-roots group who got more that 53,000 people to join its online project to draft Warren, who has not yet made an official announcement that she will run for office.

$75,000 of the raised money will go directly to Warren’s campaign, while the remainder will pay for online ads in Massachusetts.

The Harvard Law professor will decide after Labor Day whether or not she will try to win back the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s seat for Democrats.

A recent study by California-based media research company Experian Simmons seems to prove what many already believe: Democrats and Republicans have different tastes. Their research reveals that Republicans are more likely to be enthusiastic about shows with big ratings while Democrats seem to gravitate towards shows that are less popular but more critically acclaimed.

“The big shows with mass appeal tend to have above-average scores from Democrats and Republicans but with higher concentrations of Republicans,” according to Experian Simmons senior marketing manager John Fetto, “Looking at the Democrats side, I don’t mean to make light of it, but they seem to like shows about damaged people. Those are the kind of shows Republicans just stay away from.”

The degree to which Republicans gravitate to more popular shows is striking: nine out of ten top shows on the Neilson list appear on the Republican list as well. None appear in the Democrats’ top 10. Democrats tend to adore “Mad Men” while “American Chopper” and “Pawn Stars” are more popular with Republicans.

While at first glance it might seem that there’s a “high brow versus low brow” conflict at the heart of these differences, the reality is more complicated. Republicans favor reality shows based around competition but certain particularly unabashedly trashy reality shows — “Jersey Shore,” “Kourtney & Khloe” — are more favored by Republicans. Animated comedies such as “Family Guy” score higher with Democrats, as do most shows on the CW.

Democrats also tend to love NBC’s Thursday night comedy block. “30 Rock”, “Community”, and “Parks and Recreation” appear in the Democrats’ top 15. Republicans tend to rate those shows lowly while, maybe surprisingly, giving “The Office” even slightly higher marks than their Democrat counterparts.

“Modern Family,” a show featuring a gay couple with adopted kids, seems like an unlikely choice for the Republicans’ number three spot, yet there it is. This and similar details of the study make it difficult to wax analytical about how viewing habits relate the supposed “culture war” between the Left and the Right in the United States. But for anyone hoping for less partisanship in American politics anytime soon, the bad news seems more concrete: Glenn Beck’s show tops the Republican list while Keith Olbermann’s program is tops with Democrats.

Here are each group’s favorites:

Pool reporting courtesy of the White House Media Affairs Office

Air Force One landed at 1.58 p.m. at Logan International Airport. A motorcade of more than a dozen vehicles waited. The motorcade included State Police cruisers, a Newton police Ford explorer, black sport utility
vehicles with tinted windows, a white van for the White House press corps, and a Boston EMS ambulance.

Videographers and still photographers stood on a flat bed truck and captured the arrival.

President Obama greeted several well wishes when he stepped off the plane. He got into a black limousine with flags on the hood. The 24 vehicle motorcade began moving at 2.11 pm. It left the airport and took the Ted
Williams Tunnel into the city.

Motorcycle police stopped traffic at entrance ramps onto the Mass Pike. A handful of people stood at a fence on top of a wall along the highway to catch a glimpse of the motorcade. The motorcade made a U-turn on the Mass Pike, headed back east, and took an exit into Back Bay.

The motorcade emerged from a tunnel on Huntington Avenue. A crowd waited on the sidewalk. People waved and took photographs with cell phones of the passing motorcade.

Several hundred people crowded outside the Hynes Convention Center as the president’s motorcade left at about 4:25 p.m. Scores of people raised cameras and cell phones above their heads and snapped
photographs as the vehicles whizzed past, onto the westbound Massachusetts Turnpike toward the Boston suburb of Newton.

As the motorcade continued west, traffic in the eastbound lanes stopped. People got out of their vehicles, walked to the concrete barriers between lanes, and took photographs of the motorcade. President Obama is heading to a fund raiser at a private home in Newton.

In Newton, clutches of people lined Washington street to catch a glimpse of the motorcade. A young boy held a New England Patriots flag. A woman on a front lawn held an American flag in her right hand and an “Organizing for Obama” sign in her left. People gathered at the end of driveways taking photographs. The neighborhood has curving, tree-lined streets with fallen leaves scattered on green lawns. The homes are large, many colonial-style brick residences with columns on front porches.

The fund raiser was held on a cedar-singled home on a small hill on Howland Road. Obama’s Cadillac limousine sat at the top of the driveway. The next door neighbors held homemade sign that said: “Can Malia and Sasha come out and play?” It was signed by Caroline (10) and Grace (5).

The fund raiser was hosted by Dr. Ralph de la Torre, the chief executive of Caritas Christi Health Care. The home had artwork hanging on the walls and wood floors stained a dark mahogany color. About 75 people gathered in a room with a vaulted ceiling and field-stone fire place, although there was no fire in the hearth. The event for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $900,000. Tickets cost $15,200 or $30, 400 a VIP reception, which includes a photograph with the president.

Attendees included Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and his wife, Theresa Hines Kerry; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island; Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Newton Mayor Setti D. Warren; US Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts; and former US Representative Martin T. Meehan of Massachusetts.

Obama and Kerry posed for pictures in another room. They then walked into the room with the fireplace and spoke with a microphone as they stood in a doorway.

Kerry spoke for about 10 minutes and began with a joke about the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is known by the acronym, DSCC. “There are so many doctors here we are going to call it
‘Doctors Sending Campaign Contributions.”

“This is a tough year and nobody knows that better than the president of the United States,” Kerry said.

Obama stood to Kerry’s right and leaned against the doorway. Obama wore a button-down dress shirt with the collar open and no tie, the same outfit he wore to the rally.

Kerry paid homage to the Newton, Setti D. Warren, who worked for him when he was running for president in 2004. He called plane trips they took over Iowa and Wisconsin. “We are in Setti Newton’s city,” Kerry said. “I never dreamed he was going to become mayor of Newton.”

Setti took a bow.

Senator John F. Kerry spoke of the night that Obama was elected in 2008, recalling he had “tears in his eyes.” “He said to the country that the road ahead will be long, the climb will be steep, and we may not get there in the first year, or even the first term,” Kerry said. “But we will get there.”

“That is being tested in ways I have never seen in my entire time in public life,” Kerry said. “Facts, science truth, seem to be significantly absent in what we call our political dialogue.”

“Though all that this president is fighting to bring us back from the brink,” Kerry said.

Kerry described a “pale” and “jittery” Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson coming to him and other senators at the end of the Bush presidency and describing the collapse of the economy.

“George Bush asked us to bail about the financial system,” Kerry told the crowd.

“We passed the recovery act,” Kerry said. “We kept police on the streets and firefighters and teachers on the job.”

The month that Obama took the oath of office, Kerry said, the country lost 750,000 jobs.

“We’ve turned that around,” Kerry said. “We’re not getting as many jobs as we want, but we are getting back on track.”

They made those accomplishments, Kerry said, despite the most extraordinary stonewalling and obstructionism he has seen in his time in elected office.

“Before he passed away, Teddy said to me how (difficult) it was to him to see this institution he loved and worked so hard in and knew how to make work, not be able to work they way it used to,” Kerry said.

In the last 1.5 years, the Senate has seen more filibusters that the entire period from World War I though to the moon landing, Kerry said.

“That’s why you being here tonight is really so important for us,” Kerry said. “We have got to hold on to the United States Senate. We’ve got to hold on to the House too.”

Kerry introduced Obama to hearty applause. The president spoke for just under 20 minutes. The White House released a transcript of his remarks.

As Obama left the home, he stopped by the neighbor’s house with the sign and said hello. The motorcade was on the road by 5:45 p.m. People still lined the streets of Newton and waved goodbye. The motorcade arrived back at Logan at 6.04 p.m. Air Force One departed at about 6.15 p.m.

Health care reform supporters gather in Phoenix./Courtesy of ellene000 on Flickr

If you followed the non-stop health care coverage leading up to last night’s vote, you may be surprised to learn that Obama isn’t sitting atop the White House with a sniper rifle picking off old people one by one.

The citizen debate was passionate, at times ugly. Racial epithets and spit were hurled at black congressmen. Barney Frank, the openly gay representative from Massachusetts, was called a "faggot". I’ll leave it up to you to guess which side was responsible for this.

President Obama, a man who campiagned on the promise of uniting the country, ripped it apart in the most unlikely of ways. He created a divide by demanding more Americans be given access to health care. He’s been attacked by every side, by countless Americans and government officials, for his policy and, in some cases, his race. You have to wonder how much of the hate is directed toward the bill, and how much of it is an explosion of pent up anger from those who still can’t beleive that a young, African American with little political experience defeated a decorated war veteran from Arizona in 2008.

Anyway, back to the bill. Ezra Klein, a blogger for the Washington Post, defined the arguments against the bill quite well yesterday on Twitter: ezraklein The GOP’s argument on the bill is 1) it’s socialism and 2) it cuts Medicare too much? So, too socialist and not socialist enough?

Too true. You know how you separate the historically educated from the historically ignorant? Those who call Obama a socialist, or who beleive the U.S. is inching toward socialism, are the latter. For example, Glen Enloe, from the Kansas City Star, who says "change is just another a code word for socialism". You sir, are historically ignorant. Or maybe these people, Enloe included, aren’t historically ignorant. Maybe they know history. Maybe they’ve studied history and know what socialism is and what socialist leaders really act like. But that means they’re inciting fear and hate for the purpose of political gain. You tell me which is worse.

I’ve strayed again. Apologies. Back to the bill. Of course it isn’t perfect. It’s the first major reform in almost a century. Obviously, not everyone can be pleased. Obama’s last minute deal with Bart Stupak guaranteed the bill would pass, and that deal, which ensured no federal money would go toward abortions, angered the National Organization for Women (NOW). They say Obama’s decision to issue the Executive Order shows his commitment to health care is "shaky at best". Obviously, that isn’t true, he’s put his presidency on the line to ensure more Americans have access to health care.

NOW is angry because they didn’t get what they wanted. I never thought the abortion clause would go through unnoticed or unchallenged, or, in fact, that it would go through at all. It’s just not a conversation the country is willing to have right now, and in the midst of sweeping health care reform, to get caught up on one issue, however important, is not in the best interest of the country. Obama recognized that, that’s why he took it out. But we all know where the president stands on abortion, so I really, really doubt he’ll toss it aside for too long.

Like I said before, the health care bill is not perfect. It can’t be. It never will be. But no matter who you are, or what side you’re on, you cannot possibly think the health care system in the United States is the “best in the world.” The World Health Organization ranks it at 37, just behind Slovenia. Infant mortality is higher than the European Union, largely because of lack of access to health care caused by racial and ethnic disparity, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Life expectancy in the U.S. is last among the G7 and 38th in the world, behind Cuba. In a country obsessed with being first, that’s not good enough.

This is not the “best health care system in the world.” It wasn’t before the bill, and it won’t be after the bill. But making great physicians available to a larger percentage of the population is a mark of an improving health care system. That’s what the U.S. needs to focus on right now. It’s people.

A billboard just outside Wyoming, Minn. has sparked a national conversation regarding our current president’s relative effectiveness as compared to former President George W. Bush.

The billboard shows a picture of a smiling President Bush with the words “Miss Me Yet?” printed beside the photo. The billboard’s creators want to stay anonymous, though an employee from Schubert & Hoey Outdoor Advertising says the creators are a ” group of small businessmen and individuals who just felt like Washington was against them,” the Christian Science Monitor reports.

The billboard has drawn strong opinions from both the right and the left. It comes at a time when Republicans and Democrats are pulling further away from each other on key issues like health care, and as Obama’s approval rating drops to record lows.

What do you think? Do you miss him yet?

Do you?

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, released the following statement on the results of the special election in Massachusetts:

"I have no interest in sugar coating what happened in Massachusetts. There is a lot of anxiety in the country right now. Americans are understandably impatient. The truth is Democrats understand the economic anger voters feel, that’s in large part why we did well in 2006 and 2008.”

"In the days ahead, we will sort through the lessons of Massachusetts: the need to redouble our efforts on the economy, the need to show that our commitment to real change is as powerful as it was in 2008, and the reality that we cannot take a single thing for granted and cannot afford even a second of complacency.”

"We must be aggressive in defining our opponents and framing the choice voters face. We cannot be timid about staking out our ground and we must be strong in reminding voters the cost of what the Republicans did on their watch and that they remain on the side of Wall Street, and the special interests.”

"But it is important to keep in mind that today’s special election in Massachusetts was just that: a special election, with a whole host of circumstances that are unique. I would caution against taking a single unique election and extrapolating what it means for the midterms ten months away."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement on the results of the special election in Massachusetts tonight:

"I want to congratulate Scott Brown on running a strong campaign and Martha Coakley on being a strong voice for progressive values.”

“It goes without saying that we are disappointed in tonight’s result. There will be plenty of time to dissect this race and to apply the lessons learned from it those to come this fall – but in the meantime we will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the America people and we will redouble our efforts to lay out a clear choice for voters this November.”

“I want to thank our state parties and our DNC and Organizing for America staff and volunteers all across the country who have worked tirelessly on this campaign and who will continue to support President Obama and work for the change we all believe is essential to getting our nation moving in the right direction again.”

President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Some are ecstatic, some are confused and some are overcome with anger.

I thought it was an odd decision. Definitely. Especially given the other nominees which include the Cluster Munition Coalition, a group that strives to clean up cluster bombs and decrease accidental civilian war deaths and Dr. Denis Mukwege, an inspired young Conoglese physician who opened a hospital to treat female victims of sexual abuse.

Inspiring, to say the least. Deserving candidates, no doubt.

And then there’s the victor, Barack Obama, a Harvard law school graduate, community organizer, civil rights lawyer, law professor, junior senator and president of the most “powerful” country in the world. A stunning resume, but where are the accomplishments? The peace work, the advocacy, the results?

That’s what so many are asking. What so many are wondering. And while I, a supporter of Obama, do not think he deserved the award based solely on his accomplishments to date, I do believe the award was given for a reason, and a just, sane reason at that.

Innovative decision to award Obama prize

Now hear me out. Obama won the prize not just for what he has achieved in less than 10 months (which is quite a bit if you look at it with an open mind) but for how he changed the game and reshaped the face of a nation so hated and demonized for so many years. For the potential of peace on a plethora of fronts.

Obama is in the process of sewing together the gaping wound that is America’s international reputation; not an easy feat. It’s something that no other modern Democratic or Republican candidate could do in two terms, let alone a quarter of one.

The fact that the Norway-based committee stressed it made the prize decision based on Obama’s efforts to date was a little strange. I don’t really believe that to be the case, nor does anyone else, even the hardest and strongest Obama supporters. Obama doesn’t believe it either, rightfully so.

Strengthening the international reputation of the most “powerful”nation in‚ the world contributes to peace in many ways. His efforts toward nuclear disarmament are commendable. His decision to end the missile-defense system in Poland led to strengthened ties with Russia, a nuclear powerhouse. His administration has striven for peace with India, another nuclear nation.

His efforts to strengthen relationships and mend ties between Americans and Muslims was politically risky, but so right and groundbreaking morally.

His confusion on Afghanistan is warranted, no one knows what the hell is needed there, and the answer given (“more troops”) isn’t a surprising one. But he’s taking his time and not rushing.

Some view him as the “do-nothing” president or the president of “inaction.” I view him thoughtful and rational, and I’d rather he take weeks to decide the fate of thousands of American soldiers than make a quick decision (like the last guy) and put so many soldiers in harm’s way just because of political pressure from both sides of the spectrum, without thinking it through and weighing the options. That’s called reasoning.

His no-nonsense discussions with Iran, without preconditions, a proposition he was so ridiculed for during his campaign, showed the world he is committed to nuclear disarmament and a more peaceful Mid-East.

His speech in Cairo, though predictable, reaffirmed that idea. His quoting the Qu’ran was a great way to connect with an overwhelmingly large global group so alienated by American ideological extremists.

We elected him for that reason. Because he’s intelligent, thoughtful, peaceful, multi-racial and ambitious. It’s been less than 10 months. How many ambitions are achieved in 10 months? None. But the path to realizing those ambitions has been laid.

Oz

Let me make it a bit clearer by using a crude but wonderfully applicable analogy.

Think of Obama as Dorothy and his path to peace as the yellow brick road. When Obama crash landed in the White House after a whirlwind electoral campaign, he was ambitious, excited and ready to overhaul the system. Soon he realized that that’s not possible, at least not as quick as he thought. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people to please and political and social hurdles to vault.

Just as the Afghanistan war became more brutal and a reassessing of the plan was needed (just as Dorothy tried to find out from the munchkins how she could get back to Kansas), Obama was given hope, something he’d given, in abundance, to millions around the world.

The Peace Prize committee are the munchkins, they are Glinda (the good witch). They gave Obama direction, thanked him for his bravery and pushed him, inspired him (as he inspired us) to continue his work. To keep on going. After all, he doesn’t want to be the guy who won the prize and did nothing to deserve it. And no, he’s not already that guy.

There will be obstacles (the wicked witch, the fake Wizard of Oz) however Obama/Dorothy prevail in the end, defeating the evils that stand in their ways. Yes you can think he was awarded prematurely, but only if you view the award as something given only for hard results. More results will come, the award is faith in that.

In fact, the award was given because he’s changed the world’s mood. He’s made global citizens happier and more tolerant in times of economic uncertainty, global racially charged fear, terrorism and war.

Uninspired criticism

Today I came across an article on the British website timesonline.co.uk written by broadcaster/writer Minette Marrin. She claims, wrongly in my opinion, that Obama should never have accepted the peace prize. That he is undeserving, and she compares his victory to that of Henry Kissenger’s in 1973.

Ms. Marrin, that’s cold. It’s unfortunate that you can’t see past the present day.

Marrin ventures another guess as to why Obama accepted the prize, a very odd one. She ventures that the president accepted the prize just because two fellow Democrats, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter, also boast the prestigious medal in their respective trophy libraries.

As if the award were some piece of trivial memorabilia, some baseball card, that an 11-year-old pines for just because his best buddies have the same one. She then quotes an “American commentator” who said “it is like accepting an Oscar now for being likely to make an Oscar-winning movie next year.” A degradation of the award that is insulting to past winners and childish, to say the least.

Marrin goes on to ask “Can it be that Obama is already intoxicated with the exuberance of his own celebrity? For that is all he is so far “" a well-meaning super-celebrity.” Well-meaning? See the second section of this piece.

However there are many who wonder if Obama’s ego has been so inflated that he believes himself the savior of America and the world.

But to those of you who ask that, I ask why is he so “humbled” by the award? Why is it the man, the president, started off his acceptance and justification speech by talking about his two children? Yes, he has speech writers, but only he heard what his kids said that morning. And he remembered.

Yes Obama is a little egotistical, he is, after all, the president. But don’t forget, we gave him that ego (see: road to ’08 election).

Finally, for those who believe Obama didn’t deserve this prize, you hold a valid view. I too believe Dr. Mukwege or the Cluster Munition Coalition deserve an award of recognition for peace work.

My argument is that Obama’s victory isn’t unwarranted or undeserving. His accomplishments to date are impressive, his future is full of possibilities and the peace prize was awarded to him by a panel “instructed to encourage international co-operation, arms reduction and acts of engagement”‚ for his initiative and to ensure he keeps working towards his, and our, ultimate goal.

Peace.

McCain and Obama went head-to-head tonight. Here’s what I thought.

Having the first 30-minutes devoted to the economy was a great idea. The candidates got a chance to stretch their economic muscles at a time of heavy uncertainty.

McCain said he would back a spending freeze on everything except defense. That’s more of a small scale solution. Obama said he wants to fund in need programs at home, while cutting funding for the programs that aren’t working.

Obama refused to take a stance on the bailout since the final details are still unknown.

The next 60 were about foreign policy as planned. If you watched it on CNN, you saw the ticker line fluctuate a few times, but mostly stay around the center. After the debate, some people were asked whether they were satisfied with the night’s discussion, most said no.

That’s because while foreign policy is immensely important, people wanted that 30-minute economy debate to turn into a 90-minute national affairs debate. If only that was possible.

McCain accused Obama of being ignorant in his handling of the Georgia crisis earlier this year. Obama had called for both sides to exercise restraint, while McCain said he’d support both Georgia and Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO.

McCain also talked about nuclear weapons in Iran, saying that if Iran acquired them, more mid-east countries would try to do the same, presenting a huge threat to much of the world.

Obama blasted McCain for being wrong about the war from the get-go, after McCain accused Obama of not acknowledging that they are now “winning” that war.

Obama said that wasn’t true.‚  He then exemplified the need for more troops to move to Afghanistan where real help is needed.

Even though McCain is more experienced when it comes to foreign policy, he couldn’t put Obama away. That’s a loss I think.

Obama has been accused of being inexperienced and inept when it comes to foreign policy, (he probably did get some pre-debate advice from Biden) but that didn’t show tonight.

He came out swinging on every topic. McCain did well, but the topic was a strength for McCain, he should have won and he didn’t.

More than 30 registered voters, (democrats, republicans and independents) were polled after the debate ended. More than 60% said they’d vote Obama come Nov. 4. It’s a small sample of course, but even CNN flash polls marked Obama as the clear victor, even when it came to McCain territory, Iraq war.

I do agree.‚  It wasn’t so clear cut but this one leans Obama’s way.‚  He wasn’t nervous, he showed sound judgement and quick response.‚  McCain was a little jumpy at times, and Obama kept his cool.‚  McCain should’ve put Obama away in a foreign policy debate and he didn’t.‚  McCain comes out the less appealing candidate.

PS.‚  McCain didn’t wear an American flag pin on his lapel.‚  Oh no!

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Secret Service responded quickly Saturday morning to an Associated Press report that stated terrorists might clone police and emergecy vehicles to conduct attacks against the Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minn., and the Democratic Convention in Denver.

“Unfortunately the article suggests a connection to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions that does not exist,” the government said in a statement. “These bulletins are periodic refresher notices designed to inform and educate emergency responders about potential threats and emergency management issues. Similar advisories were issued prior to the 2004 political conventions.”

“To be clear, there is no evidence at any level of the federal government that this type of activity is a current and viable threat to either convention.”

The government agencies went on to encourage organizers to be dilligent as always with a major national-level evnet to “maintain a heightened awareness for any contingency.”

“But again, there is no current credible threat from cloned or fake emergency vehicles,” they said.

“The Secret Service and all other federal agencies remain hyper-vigilant and focused on all credible threats,” they said. This was a quick, pointed response to a story that quickly spread across the national newswire and airwaves.

The news story came across the Associated Press newswire this morning, stating “a Federal Emergency Management Agency memo says terrorists could use such ‘cloned’ emergency or commercial vehicles to conduct surveillance or carry out an attack. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says faking such vehicles can be cheap and easy.”

The report cited examples of cloned trucks including a fake Wal-Mart truck that was busted carrying a ton and a half of marijuana and 450 pounds of cocaine.

Editor’s note: BLAST officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama Jan. 10 as the Democratic candidate for president.

It was a tale of three speeches. On the night when the Democrats finally had their nominee, the two general election candidates — and the one just vanquished – all gave speeches laying claim to the title of Best Equipped to Be President.

The first, a plodding and awkward ramble, given in front of a grotesque lime green backdrop to what seemed like only a few dozen onlookers, gave viewers a taste of the John McCain they will see over the next few months: a grumbling curmudgeon who will try to steal the “change” platform from Obama by explaining his “change” means a third term of George Bush domestic and foreign policies that promise to change absolutely nothing. The listless, same-old speech from McCain was roundly panned by critics, even his buddies at Fox News, as not what he probably wanted compared to what everyone was about to witness from the new Democratic-elect.

The last orate, by contrast, was a soaring, transcendent victory claim given in front of 33,000 people; 18,000 who filled the arena and 15,000 more that stood outside in a constant, frenzied state. Everything that John McCain’s speech wasn’t, Barack Obama’s was.

In a booming voice that crescendoed over the uninterrupted screams and applause of the massive crowd, he gave the American people a taste of the Obama presidency: An end to the war, negotiations with our enemies, rescinding the ridiculous tax cuts for the rich and an actual energy policy were laid out as rebuttals to McCain, who has been in lockstep with George W. Bush on all the vital issues facing the people of the United States.

On the historic night when Obama finally became the west’s first real African American candidate for president, he pronounced, “America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past.”

And then there was the speech in the middle.

A defiant, grasp at something that has been lost for months, Hillary Clinton, who many were expecting to at least concede something last night, gave what was at best a confusing quasi-victory speech for someone who had just lost and at worst a selfish narcissistic view of the contest that dripped with delusion and self denial. Ceding no ground to Obama, except that “he and his supporters have run an excellent campaign,” she went on to mimic asking what everyone in the press has been for the last few days, “‘What does Hillary want?’” and then refused to answer. She left the door open to her future plans and addressed the crowd as if she had not just lost the Democratic Nomination for President, which, unfortunately for her, she just had.

What Hillary Clinton will do in the next coming months for now remains a mystery. She will almost certainly have to admit she lost in the coming days, and with any luck, will fade into the background. But the two who remain will undoubtedly give us more of the taste they gave us last night. For John McCain, it will be idea that the world is extremely dangerous and only a war monger like himself can run it. And for Barack Obama, it will be the chance to bring a new face, a new voice, to the Presidency, one that has never been heard before.

Let’s hope, this time, the American people make the right decision. Though, if they just listen to the speeches from last night, it will really become an easy choice.

Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, gave the Democratic radio address to the nation this week. He used it to come out strongly against Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential candidate.

“Citing Senator John McCain’s belief that the country is better off, when more than a quarter of a million jobs have been lost this year and many people are struggling to make ends met, Dean noted how out of touch McCain is with the challenges facing American families,” the DNC said in a statement Saturday. “Despite his talk about fiscal discipline, Senator McCain has failed to account for the costs of a long-term engagement in Iraq, making the Bush tax cuts permanent, and giving additional tax cuts to billionaires.”

Transcript:

Good morning. I’m Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I want to start by offering Pope Benedict XVI the warmest welcome as he travels here in the United States. He is in our thoughts and prayers while he visits America.

His visit reminds us of the Catholic values of social justice, working for the common good, and caring for those most in need.

These are also the values of the Democratic Party.

We face challenging times in our country and our world. Our troops are in Iraq – many on their second or even third tour of duty. The gap between the most fortunate and everyone else is widening. As we elect our nation’s next leader it’s important that we choose someone who understands the struggles that so many families here at home face as they try to make ends meet.

As I listened to Senator John McCain’s remarks about the economy this week, I heard more of the same Republican policies that George Bush has brought us for the last eight years.

This year, more than a quarter of a million Americans have already lost their jobs. Since the Republicans have occupied the White House, seven million more Americans have lost their health insurance. Wages have fallen. Gas prices are at record highs. And even groceries cost more than they have in the past 17 years. And America has the largest deficits in our history.

Senator McCain believes we are better off.

On the campaign trail, Senator McCain talks about spending American tax dollars responsibly. But how can he think he’ll pay for a $12 billion a month war in Iraq, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and give additional tax cuts to billionaires without making our deficits even bigger?

So far in this campaign we have heard very little “straight talk” from John McCain.

He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them. He was for comprehensive immigration reform before he was against it. He was for campaign finance reform before he said it didn’t apply to him.

Next week, Senator McCain will embark on what he’s calling a compassion tour. We haven’t seen much compassion from George Bush and I don’t think we are going to see any more from John McCain: privatizing social security, denying our children health care, adding eight trillion in new deficits, no plan to turn our economy around, or help people keep their homes.

We honor John McCain’s service to our country, but John McCain is not the right choice for America’s future. This November, voters do have a choice. If you want to see more of this Bush economy, if you want to see our troops in Iraq for a long period of time, we can stay the course with Senator McCain.

But the Democrats have a different vision for America’s future. Both of our candidates for president have a plan to get us out of Iraq responsibly so that we can invest in the American people and American jobs.

We have a history of balancing budgets, the only party to do so in the past 40 years. Both of our candidates will turn our economy around with fair and honest tax policies, will help people keep their homes, and finally have a health care system that makes sense for all of us.

But most importantly, both of our candidates will restore America’s moral leadership at home and around the world.

I’m Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Thanks so much for listening.