Science Sense

First Mobile Post

2011-07-01T22:09:00.000-04:00

I haven't had time to post of late, but maybe if I write shorter more informal posts I'll write more of them. I'm amazed that folks keep finding my blog via keyword searches, often leading to posts several years old. It kinda takes the chronological element, the log, out of blog. So enjoy my b.

Midterm Elections: Don't Reverse into a Ditch

2010-10-11T09:14:00.000-04:00

In the autumn of 2008, the economy was in free fall. Things were so bad that I was in favor of President Bush's actions to rescue the banks (independent of how poorly they behaved, we simply could not let them drag down the whole economy). The ditch we went into was still plenty deep. For the last two years, the Democrats have been trying to get us out of that ditch. It is slow going, but the economy has begun to recover. The Republicans made the tactical decision to oppose President Obama at every turn, gambling that if the economy did not recover quickly, Democrats would be blamed.

Now you may not like the direction the Democrats took to head out of the ditch. That's fine. But in the next two years, it is critical that we keep moving forward on a path to recovery. You may not be happy with the way things are now, but it would be far worse to go into reverse, backing into the ditch. And that's what the Republicans plan to do.

How do I know: they say so. They have concluded that "stimulus" is unpopular, and they plan to stymy any further stimulus to the economy. They want to revisit the last two years of legislation instead of moving forward. Rush Limbaugh told his listeners, “People want an end to what is happening now. They want the brakes applied to the Obama agenda.” It will be just like 1937, when FDR was persuaded to cut spending while the economy was still struggling out of the Great Depression, which caused the recession of 1937-38.

We need to control spending in the long term, just as one should drive prudently down the road. But we are still coming out of a ditch, so we need to keep the pedal to the metal. And we certainly have to keep the car in Drive, not Reverse.

Sometimes It's Just Hay

2010-09-27T23:47:00.005-04:00

Last December I wrote about rumors that an experiment called CDMS had found evidence for direct detection of the Dark Matter. I called my post "Searching for Unusual Hay in a Haystack" because the "needle" they were looking for (the dark matter) is so close in appearance to the "hay" (background events) that it is really hard to tell them apart. At the time, I said that it was quite likely that the "signal" of two events was just some background events that happened to look a lot like the signal they were looking for---that they had just found normal hay that looked a little unusual. And I concluded, "So we await future experiments with more signal and less background".

Well, that data has just been published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Here is a nice writeup of the results. In brief, an experiment called XENON100, which is much more powerful than CDMS, was able to take enough data in just its first 11 days of running to basically rule out the CDMS signal (in the plot pictured above, the solid black XENON100 line is below the dotted CDMS line on the left half of the plot, where CDMS signal events were found). Another way to put that is this: if the CDMS signal were real (not just a background fluctuation), XENON100 would easily have seen it. But XENON100 saw nothing unusual.

This is often the pattern on the frontiers of science. There is a hint of a signal, and then it is either confirmed or it is ruled out by a more powerful experiment. Alas, this time it was ruled out. So it's back to waiting for a hint of a signal from somewhere else.

[the plot is taken from the journal article, which is available here]

Ground Zero Mosque and Religious Freedom

2010-08-29T16:05:00.006-04:00

It seems to me that there are two very different issues regarding the mosque (and cultural center). Whether the builders have the right to build it two blocks from Ground Zero, and whether one thinks it is a good idea to build it there. I believe President Obama tried to make this distinction, but, in part because he addressed the points on two separate days, it was in-artfully done (to be kind).

Let's be clear about the first point. There would be no objection to building a Christian church two blocks from Ground Zero. This country was founded, in part, by those fleeing religious persecution, and freedom of religion is fundamental to our society and our Constitution. As such, any attempt to prevent the building of the mosque (and cultural center) should be, and likely would be, ruled unconstitutional. But it goes far beyond legality. I think that to be true to the freedoms we hold dear, we need to support the right to build the mosque even if we strongly disagree with its construction. Supporting freedom means supporting things one does not agree with.

Note that this principle applies to the speech of those who oppose the mosque. They have the right to say it should not be built, and, like Voltaire, I will defend to the death their right to do so. But when someone uses their right to free speech to call for the rights of others to be curtailed, I think it is particularly important we use our right to free speech to call for those rights (here freedom of religion) to be respected.

Now, is it a good idea to built it there? Well, that depends somewhat on what 'it' is. If it really is a center designed to promote religious understanding, then Ground Zero would certainly serve as a powerful reminder to all who came there what horrible things rage coupled with fundamentalism can do. On the other hand, there are some who lost loved ones in 9/11 who will be traumatized by its presence. One can argue that they should not react that way, since the terrorist act was committed by a small sect of people (and sects in all religions have done awful things), but this is an emotional issue.

If one thinks it is a bad idea to build it there, I think it is perfectly reasonable to ask the builders to reconsider their location. But I think it goes against the idea of religious freedom to demand it.

In brief, I think there is nothing wrong with having misgivings about a mosque (and cultural center) being built two blocks from Ground Zero, but I think all of us need to defend the right for it to be built there.

[photo: Dramatization of a pilgrim praying freely in the New World.]

French President Sarkozy Speech in Support of Basic Research

2010-07-27T04:31:00.007-04:00

[September 2010 Note: I am appalled but what President Sarkozy has done of late regarding the Roma People, but I am leaving up my positive impressions of him from this summer on the narrow issue of science funding]

I am attending the International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP) in Paris. I'll write a subsequent post about the science. But first, in a perhaps unprecedented move, a head of state for major country has chosen to address a physics conference. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic of France, gave an impressive impassioned visionary speech to a skeptical audience of particle physicists. He won us over.

The speech lasted perhaps 1/2hr, and was constructed specifically for the assembled audience. No doubt he can use elements in other speeches, but most of it was really directed at us. He said that some of his friends asked why he would give such a speech to "those people", and the content of his speech was a ringing answer. He highlighted the need for basic research, especially in a world where fundamentalism and economic conditions threaten it. He stressed the need for politicians, such as himself, to work actively to support science. And he talked about the role basic research plays in future innovation, saying something like "you can't build a lightbulb by successive improvements to the candle". Finally, he called upon us to convey what we know to the public.

The speech was also remarkable for it humility and for its grasp of the topic of the conference, which really is, in some sense, an attempt to understand the very small in order to understand the very large.

So to President Sarkozy and his staff, all I have to say is, "Merci beaucoup".

UPDATE: Here is a page devoted to the speech with video and full text in French and English.

[photo: Mike Paterson, from the only other hint I have seen of the speech on the web thus far: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2010/jul/27/sarkozy-high-energy-physicists-ichep]

Blog short-circuited by Twitter

2010-06-26T09:00:00.007-04:00

Apologies for not writing in a while. Life is busy, and when I have a quick idea or link I want to pass on, I simply issue a tweet and leave the blog for "sometime soon". (email me at science.eyes at g m a i l . c o m if you want to follow me on Twitter.)

This 'Compose' window now seems absolutely enormous compared to the 140 characters of a Twitter window. Now, if I just had the time to create text worthy of filling it...

I do plan to write a few posts about climate change and my perspective on the Obama administration. I will also post on the LHC, and update the CDMS dark matter story. Soon.

Searching for Unusual Hay in a Haystack: The Case of CDMS

2009-12-19T10:50:00.009-05:00

Over the past two weeks, rumors have swirled around the web that the CDMS collaboration had discovered particles of "dark matter". [I have not yet written a promised post on dark matter, but there is this.] It all started with a single blog post which contained "facts", such as the statement that there was a paper in press at the journal Nature, which turned out to be false. One very connected person tweeted about the post, and it spread like wildfire. Soon the Nature editor sent the blogger a snarky letter denying the claim, which the blogger posted. Others speculated that the Nature editor was just trying to throw them off track. The next day the Nature editor posted a comment on the blog apologizing for the snarky nature of the letter, but again refuting the claims. Still rumors shot around the net about what result there might be.

So there was much anticipation Thursday when the CDMS collaboration gave two simultaneous talks announcing their results.

I watched a live stream of one of them. It proceeded in a halting fashion from the strain of the web traffic. Then, when the speaker got to the point of announcing their results, the stream froze for ten solid minutes. When it recovered, it zipped straight to her conclusions (how many of you were assuming the speaker was male--come on admit it), and I was left to guess a number of the details. But the bottom line is this: they saw 2 events with a background of 0.8. What does that mean, you ask?

The experiment looked for a very rare signal: that a particle of dark matter, which rarely interacts with anything, leaves a small ripple in the detector. The detector is located at the bottom of a mine to shield it from most cosmic rays. But there are still background events: interactions in the detector from particles which come from radioactive elements in the rock or particles which somehow survive going through hundreds of meters of rock. There are telltale signatures of dark matter particles (such as the energy and timing of the event) which help distinguish them from background particles, but occasionally a background particle mimics those signatures by chance. In the CDMS experiment, they calculate that over two years of running, that happened on average 0.8 times ( it took heroic efforts to keep it this small) . Maybe this helps: if they ran for 20 years with the same detector, i.e. 10 times longer, then they'd expect it to happen 8 times.

Now they saw 2 events. So what is the chance that those events are really signals of dark matter particles? Well, it is easier to ask "what is the chance they are background events?". If you ran for 20 years, what is the chance that 2 of the background events happened in the first two years. Using something called the Poisson distribution, they find that there is about a 1/4 chance those 2 events are both just background events. That's not a strong signal. As good as their efforts were at reducing backgrounds, it was not enough. If there were no dark matter particles and you ran the experiment for 20 years and divided them into ten two year periods, about two or three of those ten periods would happen to have 2 background events in them.

Still, if the events do turn out to be really from dark matter, it will begin to explain one of the great mysteries of science. So we await future experiments with more signal and less background.

UPDATE: Sometimes It's Just Hay

Why the rising star of Sarah Palin troubles us

2009-11-28T14:40:00.001-05:00

This post is directed at fans of Sarah Palin (if there are any amongst my readers!). It may help you to understand why the rest of us are so appalled at her success. I've tried to think objectively about why I find her rising star disturbing.

It is not because she is "folksy", which I suspect is a big aspect of her appeal. Nor does it have anything to do with her being a working mom--many of us admire the ability to balance work and family. No, it is because of her overt incompetence and shallowness. After having just lived through the worst presidency of modern times, that of Geroge W. Bush, where decisions were made on a political basis without regard for competence ("heck of a job Brownie") and as if the world were black and white, it is disturbing that another politician with very limited knowledge and ideological blinders could gain such popularity. It is also disheartening to have such a polarizing figure rise in prominence now. Whatever you think of President Obama, he has made an effort to restore thoughtful dialogue to our national debates. We can disagree, but let us not disagree with the gleeful venom of Sarah Palin.

Whatever you think about Sarah Palin's politics, or her ability to raise children while working, or whatever you perceive as positive, please recognize that she is not fit to be President of the United States. I don't know if she really believes what she says, or she is just an opportunist, but the scariest thing is that her ambitions seem to greatly exceed her abilities.

Trip to Hawaii Big Island

2009-11-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

I attended a conference in Hawaii held jointly by an American and a Japanese physics society. Where else are you going to hold it? It was an incredible trip. This post is about the stuff I did before, after and during breaks in the conference. Here's the list of places I went on the Big Island:

• Waipio valley

• Akaka falls

• Kiluea caldera & lava fields

• Inside the Keck observatory atop Mauna Kea

• Kohala waterfall hike

• Underwater in a sub near Kailua-Kona

I was staying in Waikaloa Village on the west coast of the Big Island. Here is a sunset from a restaurant there:

Here is a dolphin in their lagoon:

A colleague and I drove around the island past gorgeous Waipio valley,

stopped at Akaka falls, the tallest in Hawaii,

and Halema'uma'u crater (big circle) inside the Kiluea caldera (huge circle that goes beyond the edge of the photo):

The sulfur dioxide streaming up with the steam made the air quality poor, and several areas were shut down. Nothing grows in the caldera. Lava flows underneath it via a lava tube to the sea. We went on the lava field at night, and you can make out the lava in the distance (as close as one is allowed to go):

Then several of us took a trip to the top of Mauna Kea, which from sea floor to summit is the tallest mountain in the world. Here are the twin domes of the Keck observatory, the most powerful in the world. Their main mirrors are 10m (30ft) in diameter! (the mountain way in the distance is Haleakala on Maui)

We were honored to receive a tour from a friend of a friend of the inside. This is the secondary mirror of one of the telescopes. You can see the dome opening in the background.

The main mirror is hard to see. It is the honeycomb structure just to the left of the blue girders (the pipes which seem to be on it are actually a reflection):

Then I went on a waterfall hike (the water was cold!)

and finally a submarine trip off the coast of Kailua-Kona:

Catcerto

2009-08-04T09:04:00.002-04:00

Mere words cannot describe this. Watch it.

[thanks N.J.]

The Two Cultures

2009-05-17T16:02:00.022-04:00

Fifty years ago, C. P. Snow lamented in his famous lecture, The Two Cultures, that there was a rift in understanding between the sciences and the humanities. He noted that ignorance of the laws of thermodynamics is akin to never having read a work of Shakespeare, and that such scientific illiteracy could prove harmful to society. How can our leaders solve our problems if they don't understand them?

So it was with great interest that I went last Saturday (9 May) to the New York Academy of Sciences, at the top of the world, to attended a conference exploring the current state of the Two Cultures and what could be done about it. There were many fascinating people there.

The 192 year old NY Academy of Sciences now resides in the gleaming new building at 7 World Trade Center. Forty stories up, there is a panoramic view of Manhattan, and an overlook on the unimproved hole of ground zero.

Actually, one feels the presence of 9/11 as soon as one steps in the elevator. Each wall of the elevator is roughly polished metal, so that one's reflection is distorted as it is bounced back and forth, and one is surrounded by ghostly images.

There were two main topics discussed: the nature of the divide between scientists and nonscientists (both in the humanities and the general public), and what one could do to bridge the gap.

E. O. Wilson, the famous biologist, described his idea of consilience, and argued that the walls between fields were illusions because of the interdisciplinary bridges which already exist. He is a hardcore reductionist who believes that complex sociological behavior can be mapped to chemical reactions in the brain. On the other hand, the historian Ann Blair argued that having walls between fields was important so they can flourish independently.

But most of the day was spent discussing how to bridge the gap between science and the larger society (such as you, dear reader). There was a panel on "How to more effectively communicate science issues to the public," with the executive producer of Nova, Paula Apsell, and the host of Science Friday, Ira Flatow. There was a panel on science and politics with the founders of Science Debate 2008. And there was a concluding keynote address by Segway inventor, Dean Kamen. I have to say that I was impressed with his organization, FIRST, which sponsors a robot competition that makes science cool for kids. In just 20 years, it has gone from a handful of people, to something which won't fit in the Houston Astrodome!

Science is increasingly important for our society. For democracy to work in such an environment, it is essential that the average citizen be at least somewhat scientifically literate. For example, everyone should have some vague idea why a perpetual motion machine can't work (thermodynamics says, "there ain't no free lunch"). So I hope we can all work on bridges of understanding between ourselves.

Report from the 'April meeting'

2009-05-05T14:25:00.004-04:00

Scientific conferences have personalities. They shift locations and take on the color of the locale, but the canvass of a given conference is the same. I write this from a hotel room in Denver, CO, site of my society's annual meeting. It does not matter that it is in Denver, or that it's May, it is still the 'April meeting'. The April Meeting is not a cozy specialized meeting, nor is it a zoo that the largest meetings become. It covers just the subjects of particle physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics. So it is a chimera of the small and the large, the specialized and the very broad.

There is the same rhythm of expansive plenary talks in darkened ballrooms, and frenzied cryptic parallel session talks in small rooms which either are empty or overfull. There are talks on science and society. There are all the organizational meetings. There are the booths and posters. Yet at 1400 people it feels sparse.

The most exciting results this year are from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly called GLAST). Launched in June 2008, it is already changing our view of the high-energy sky. Its main instrument, the Large Area Telescope, or LAT, has made a precise measurement of ultra-high energy electrons and positrons. A previous experiment had shown indications of an excess in number of particles detected, which was hard to explain with known physics. LAT has shown that that "bump" was likely just a statistical fluctuation. Alas, this is what usually happens--most coincidences are actually just coincidences. LAT also showed that there is some new source of high-energy positrons out there, which will surely launch a thousand papers.

Fun anecdote: One of the talks was given by a senior physicist (he received the Nobel prize for work done in 1964). He admitted that he had a habit of showing data before the large collaboration of which he is a part was ready to release it. After his talk, someone asked a question about the composition of the cosmic rays his collaboration had detected. He excitedly jumped to a slide he'd prepared because he "knew someone would ask that question". He explained that the collaboration would release the data soon, after further analysis, but he'd show the figure now. When the figure popped up there was a big "X" in place of the plot. He was astonished and confused and wondered aloud how it could have happened. Then one of his collaborators raised her hand and admitted to have hacked into his talk. She said, "we knew you might show this but we're not ready to release it yet". He laughed at being thwarted.

Evolution in a Nutshell

2009-02-16T11:41:00.006-05:00

Sorry I haven't been writing much lately. My personal life has been evolving. More on that later. But I would be remiss if I didn't have some kind of post for Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, which was on February 12th, 2009. To celebrate, let me give you evolution in a nutshell. I want to take a slightly different tack than most other treatments. I want to argue that Darwin's central brilliant idea is so close to a tautology that it can't be wrong.

There are two things which determine whether a creature reproduces: the traits it was born with and the environment it lives in. This is true even if you believe (which I don't) that a deity has an active hand in forming the creature, or in affecting its environment. Now, given a bunch of creatures in that same environment, some will have inborn traits that make it more likely they will survive and reproduce, and some will have traits which make it less likely they will survive and reproduce. For example, if there are a bunch of feral cats in Minnesota, those with heavy fur are more likely to survive than those with very light fur. But if they are in Mexico, those with light fur are more likely to survive (all other things being equal).

Well, Darwin's central idea is Natural Selection by Survival of the Fittest. Those creatures which are most suited to the given environment are the ones which are most likely survive. It is almost tautological, because what else can "fittest" mean than "most likely to survive?" And what does the "selection" entail other than "having survived"? Nothing. Darwin simply pointed out the obvious. If you have a population of creatures, the ones best suited for the environment are the ones most likely to survive and reproduce. And how can you tell which creature are the ones best suited for the environment? Because they are the ones which survived!

So, then, what's the big deal if it has to be true, almost by definition, that the "fittest" are "selected"? The answer is that this simple mechanism, which as we have shown has to be true almost by definition, is enough to explain the evolution of life. How did drug-resistant bacteria arise? There were some bacteria in the huge population of bacteria which were resistant, and they took over in the patient because they were the fittest (they survived the drugs). How did polar bears get such thick fur? Because their ancestors who had thinner fur did not survive as well.

Some people are fine with the above until one gets to major changes in species or complicated organs like a wing. It would take me too long to delve into all possible considerations here, but the central answer is TIME. Creatures have been roaming the Earth for a very long time, so even very slow change can have a dramatic effect. Suppose each generation of creatures changes in some attribute by just 0.01%. Then after 10,000 generations, they could have changed that attribute completely. Even to take the human value for a generation, 20 years, that would take only 200,000 years. That may sound like a lot of time, but life has been on the planet for almost 4 billion years, which is 20,000 times 200,000 years.

So in summary, there has been a selection process going on for millions of generations of life, picking out creatures who are fittest for their environment. That process can explain the diversity of life we see now and in the past, and that is why, despite being essentially a tautology, Darwin's theory of evolution is the cornerstone of biology.

Happy Birthday Darwin!

Inauguration Ticket Essay Contest

2009-01-08T23:59:00.004-05:00

The Obama campaign is giving away 10 tickets to the Presidential Inauguration via an essay contest phrased as, "what does the inauguration mean to you?" Here is my entry:

Exclamation Point

Once in a great while, a nation alters its course through history, casts off its shackles of fear, and turns resolutely to face the challenges of the past, present and future. As its people wake from a nightmare of illogic, indifference and intolerance, they assemble, shoulder to shoulder, ready to overcome old divisions and new obstacles, with reason, determination and humanity. Celebrating their power to chart a new course, they gather as one, having reached an exclamation point. Yes we can!

[photo: March on Washington (Program), 08/28/1963; Bayard Rustin Papers; John F. Kennedy Library; National Archives and Records Administration.]

New UK Band: The Script

2008-11-21T10:01:00.004-05:00

The Script have just vaulted to the top of the charts in the UK. They describe their genre as Celtic Soul, but I would call it Celtic Rock. They have elements of U2, Savage Garden (listen to "Before the Worst"), and a dash of hip-hop. Listen, they are good. Here is their homepage.

Surprise! President-Elect Obama

2008-11-05T23:01:00.008-05:00

What do you say when the revolution is televised? The world has seen the celebrations in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and in pubs and gathering places around the country and across the globe. What can I add to that? Just this: I was surprised at the surprise.

For months I have been following the polls closely, to the point of knowing , thanks to fivethirtyeight.com, which polls have a Democratic lean (e.g. PPP) or a Republican lean (e.g. Mason-Dixon), why there wasn't going to be a Bradley effect, what kind of inside straight McCain would need to eke out a win, etc. So I was confident that Barack would win. And I, and most pundits, and the candidates themselves, downplayed the effect of race on the race. Race may have played a role earlier in the contest, but by now it was all supposed to be about the economy, Iraq, Palin's lack of competence, McCain's erratic behavior, Bush fatigue.

And then, when the election was called, many people reacted with disbelief. And they celebrated. The celebrations were partly about the change in parties and policy, but they were mostly about something which has hardly been talked about. And so I was surprised at how much of John McCain's gracious concession speech centered on race.

And I realized how important it was to me to see the color barrier broken, to see a dream realized. For one night, all thoughts of President Bush, war, and the economic crisis faded as we entered a new world. The impossible has happened. I should have been surprised.

Caption: Colorado State University student, Mercedes Scott, looks in disbelief at the election results on her cell phone which shows Barack Obama the winner in the presidential race Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008, in the Black Student Services office on the CSU campus.

[photo and caption from the Coloradoan]

Running List of Obama Endorsements

2008-11-04T08:50:00.005-05:00

[Originally posted 2/4/08; FINAL UPDATE 11/4/08 11:30 AM]

[Following Obama's clinching of the nomination, I will include only notable or unexpected endorsements. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Newspaper endorsements are from the primary season. I will add 'General Election' next to papers which endorse him over McCain, but I doubt that my marking will be complete. If you don't see a mark next to a paper, don't assume they haven't endorsed him for the General Election.]

I have decided to leave my two previous endorsement posts alone (Barack Obama Endorsements [January 4-14] and Obama Endorsements January 14-28), and keep one running list of endorsements (people more or less in reverse chronological order; newspapers by state). I don't claim this is complete, but I hope it gives a sense of the breadth of his support. Endorsements before the beginning of the year are NOT listed [I've added some to the bottom of the list]. Feel free to email me if I've missed an important endorsement. (I list endorsers that I think will have an impact—no judgment is made about their positive or negative value.) Recently added endorsements are in green. [3/31: Following the lead of the Superdelegate endorsement list Pelosi Club, I am adding a separate list of people who have not endorsed Obama, but are superdelegates who will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates, which is all but certain to be Senator Barack Obama. See also The Cantwell Club about the Pelosi Club's most exclusive member (she has now endorsed Obama).]

Politicians and Academics:

Peter Monroe (Florida Republican & Former President of Resolution Trust Corporation Oversight Board; story)
"Florida and the United States have the opportunity to vote for one of the 'best and brightest' as president -- without a doubt such person is Senator Barack Obama."
Ron Reagan (son of President Reagan; audio)
Nixon & Reagan Speechwriter Jeffrey Hart Obama is the Real Conservative
Former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein (story)
Duberstein says Palin isn't ready:
Prominent New Hampshire Republican Fred Bramante
Former Republican Sen. Larry Pressler (of SD; story)
Former Republican Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. (of MD; endorsement)
Former Republican Gov. William Weld (of MA; story)
"Senator Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America's standing in the world. We need a president who will lead based on our common values and Senator Obama demonstrates an ability to unite and inspire."
Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson (of MN; story)
Former George W. Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan (story with video clip)
Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson (story;wikipedia)
Republican Former WI State Rep. Barbara Lorman (story)
Conservative Republican Ken Adelman (story; story on story)
Google CEO Eric Schmidt (story)
Former Republican Secretary of State General Colin Powell

Endorsement (or see annotated combined video from Daily Kos):

Image mentioned in Powell's Endorsement:

Press conference:
Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria (The Case for Obama)
Christopher Hitchens (A toughly worded endorsement)
Michael Smerconish (Conservative Radio Host; Story; Audio)
"I’ve decided. My conclusion comes after reading the candidates’ memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general election debates.

John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I’m voting for a Democrat for president.

I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amidst the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia."
76 Nobel Laureates (An Open Letter to the American People)
"This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.

We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him."
Jim and Sarah Brady
Lilibet Hagel (wife of Republican Senator Chuck Hagel; video endorsement)
Catholic Scholar Nicholas P. Cafardi (story)
Christopher Buckley (son of William F. Buckley; blog post; in his own words)
"I have known John McCain personally since 1982. I wrote a well-received speech for him.
...
I thought at the time, God, this guy should be president someday.
...
This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget “by the end of my first term.” Who, really, believes that? Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis. His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?
...

As for Senator Obama: He has exhibited throughout a “first-class temperament,” pace Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s famous comment about FDR.
...

I’ve read Obama’s books, and they are first-rate. He is that rara avis, the politician who writes his own books. Imagine. He is also a lefty. I am not. I am a small-government conservative...

Obama has in him...the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
Wick Allison (owner of D magazine, former board member of the National Review; endorsement: A Conservative for Obama)
Former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton (of VA; story)
Former NY Mayor Ed Koch (he supported Bush in 2004; Why I'm Voting for Obama-Biden)

"If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency."
Conservative Activist Larry Hunter (his Daily News opinion piece)
"How could I support a candidate with a domestic policy platform that's antithetical to almost everything I believe in?

The answer is simple: Unjustified war and unconstitutional abridgment of individual rights vs. ill-conceived tax and economic policies - this is the difference between venial and mortal sins."
Former Vice President Al Gore (TN)
Senator Hillary Clinton (NY; former first lady, presidential candidate; video of entire endorsement speech) video of news story on her endorsement:
[Obama Declares Victory]
Senator Maria Cantwell (WA; switched from Clinton, a promise discussed in this post)
Superdelegates of 6 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs): Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV)
Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC)
Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC)
Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
Gov. Steve Beshear (KY)
Gov. Joe Manchin (WV)
Rep. Tim Ryan (OH) (switch from Clinton)
DNC Garry Shay (CA) (switch from Clinton)
DNC Yolanda Caraway (DC) (switch from Clinton)
Rep. Jason Altmire (PA)
Superdelegates of 5 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):
[Note: I am not bolding Reps who switch any more. The train has already left the station, so to speak.]

Former House Speaker Tom Foley (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Jay Inslee (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Nikki Tsongas (MA)
Gov. Ted Strickland (OH; switched from Clinton)
DNC Billi Gosh (VT; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Diana DeGette (CO; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Zach Space (OH)
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL)
Rep. Corrine Brown (FL)
Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (FL)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
Rep. Jim Matheson (UT)

All 23 members of the NY Congressional Delegation switched from Clinton:
Anthony Weiner, Brian Higgins, Carolyn Maloney, Carolyn McCarthy, Charles Rangel, Edolphus Towns, Eliot Engel, Gary Ackerman, Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, John Hall, Jose Serrano, Joseph Crowley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Louise Slaughter, Maurice Hinchey, Michael Arcuri, Michael McNulty, Nita Lowey, Nydia Velazquez, Steve Israel, Timothy Bishop, Yvette D. Clarke

Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH; switched from Clinton)
Superdelegates of 4 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):

Former VP Walter Mondale (MN; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Gov. Phil Bredesen (TN)
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (IL)
Rep. Mike Doyle (PA)
Sen. Ken Salazar (CO)
Sen. Tom Harkin (IA)
Rep. Tom Udall (NM)
Sen. Ben Cardin (MD)
Sen. Herb Kohl (WI)
Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)
Rep. John Salazar (CO)
Rep. Mark Udall (CO)
Sen. Tom Carper (DE)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Michael Michaud (ME)
Rep. Susan Davis (CA)
DNC Claude "Buddy" Leach (LA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Superdelegates of 3 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):

Former President Jimmy Carter (GA; was in Pelosi club)
DNC Ben Johnson (DC; switched from Clinton to Obama)
DNC Kamil Hasan (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Maxine Waters (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
DNC Rhett Ruggerio (DE; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Dennis Moore (KS)
Rep. Bob Brady (PA)
Rep. William Jefferson (LA)
Rep. John Sarbarnes (MD)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
Christine Pelosi (CA; was in Pelosi Club)
DNC Rachel Binah (CA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Sam Farr (CA)
Rep. Bob Filner (CA)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA)
Gov. Bill Ritter (CO)
DNC Michael Thurmond (GA; switched from Clinton)
DNC Patsy Arceneaux (LA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Bart Stupak (MI)
Rep. Rush Holt (NJ; one of three physicists in Congress)
DNC Ian Murray (PA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Ron Sims (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Rick Stafford (MN; switched from Clinton)
Sen. Max Baucus (MT)
Sen. Jon Tester (MT)
Governor Brian Schweitzer (MT)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (of WV)
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (of CA;switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Jim Costa (of CA)
Rep. Joe Courtney (of CT)
Investor Warren Buffet
Senator Robert Byrd (of WV; This is an amazing endorsement given his beginnings in the KKK)
"Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support"
Mayor Mufi Hannemann (of Honolulu HI)
Rep. Henry Waxman (of CA)
"I wanted to make sure that Senator Clinton had every opportunity to bring her campaign to the American people. It is now clear, however, that the Democratic Party is nearing a broad consensus on our nominee. And it is with great pride that I endorse Senator Barack Obama for President."
Rep. Howard Berman (of CA)
Rep. Jim McDermott (of WA)
Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards (of NC; full video)

William Donaldson (Former SEC Chair, appointed by George W. Bush)
Arthur Levitt (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Bill Clinton)
David Ruder (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Ronald Reagan)
College Democrat superdelegates Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel
Rep. Peter Visclosky (of IN)
Sen. Daniel Akaka (of HI)
Rep. Tom Allen (of ME)
Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (of KY; key endorsement)
"I believe Senator Obama can unite the Democratic Party and build a coalition of Independents and Republicans to win in November"
Rep. Harry Mitchell (of AZ)
Rep. Mazie Hirono (of HI)
Rep. Donald Payne (of NJ; Switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR)
Rep. Brad Miller (of NC)
Rep. Rick Larsen (of WA)
Former Rep. David Bonior (of MI; Former Campaign Manager for John Edwards)
Former Presidential Nominee George McGovern (of SD; Switched from Clinton to Obama)
"Obama has won the nomination by any practical test... It's time to unite the Democratic Party."
Superdelegate Jennifer McClellan (of VA House; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Former Gov. Parris Glendening (of MD;add-on superdelegate)
Superdelegate Joe Andrew (of IN; switched from Clinton to Obama)
"A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain."
Rep. Bruce Braley (of IA)
Rep. Baron Hill (of IN)
Rep. Lois Capps (of CA)
Rep. Ben Chandler (of KY; story)
"Now is not the time to be timid. It's instead a time to be bold and support a candidate who can transform our future."
Senator Jeff Bingaman (of NM)
Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon (big Clinton donor; switch to Obama)
Rep. David Wu (of OR;story;Chair of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee)
Governor Brad Henry (of OK; story)
Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel (of Evansville, IN; story)
Former Sen. Don Riegle (of MI)
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (in the Clinton admin.; three endorsements; his blog)

My avoidance of offering a formal endorsement until now has also been affected by the pull of old friendships and my reluctance as a teacher and commentator to be openly partisan. But my conscience won't let me be silent any longer...

His plans for reforming Social Security and health care have a better chance of succeeding. His approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers. His ideas for improving our public schools and confronting the problems of poverty and inequality are more coherent and compelling. He has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming...

...he offers the best possibility of restoring America's moral authority in the world.

Former Sen. Sam Nunn (of GA; was head of Senate Armed Services Committee; three endorsements)
I believe Senator Obama has a rare ability to restore America's credibility and moral authority and to get others to join us in tackling serious global problems.
Former Sen. David Boren (of OK; was head of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; three endorsements)
Rep. David Price (of NC; Obama can change the equation)
"With Barack Obama as our nominee, I believe we can turn North Carolina blue this year"
Rep. Mel Watt (of NC)
Rep. Andre Carson (of Indiana)
Auditor General Jack Wagner (of PA; last of the statewide officials to decide: now 2-to-2)
Former Gov. Barbara Roberts (of Oregon)
Former Gov. John Kitzhaber (of Oregon; story for both)
Mayor Steve Luecke (of South Bend Indiana; story)
Former Republican Gov. & Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr (of CT; story)
Governor Dave Freudenthal (of Wyoming; story)
Former Sen. John Melcher (of Montana)
Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (of Indiana; cochair of the 9/11 Commission; story)
“I read his national security and foreign policy speeches, and he comes across to me as pragmatic, visionary and tough. He impresses me as a person who wants to use all the tools of presidential power.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar (of Minnesota;unexpected endorsement)
Mayor John Engen (of Missoula, Montana; story; since some have asked: he is NOT a superdelegate)
Senator Bob Casey (of Pennsylvania; surprise endorsement; video)
"I believe in my heart that there is one person whose uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama."
Rep. Dan Lipinski (of IL, penultimate superdelegate in IL to decide)
Mayor Yvonne Johnson (of Greesnsboro, NC)
Doug Kmiec (Republican; Head of Office of Legal Council for Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush; Head the Romney for President Committee on the Courts and the Constitution; endorsement)
"Today I endorse Barack Obama for president of the United States...It is not arrived at without careful thought and some difficulty...I believe him to be a person of integrity, intelligence and genuine good will. I take him at his word that he wants to move the nation beyond its religious and racial divides and to return United States to that company of nations committed to human rights... I do have confidence that the Senator will cast his net widely in search of men and women of diverse, open-minded views and of superior intellectual qualities to assist him in the wide range of responsibilities that he must superintend."
Gov. Bill Richardson (of New Mexico; former presidential candidate, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times; story)
"I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world. As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation. There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line."
Cass Sunstein (U. of Chicago Law Professor; great piece: The Obama I know)
Rep. Bill Foster (just elected to Dennis Hastert's vacated seat in IL (Hastert, a Republican, was the Speaker of the House); physicist and programmer!)
Lt. Gov. Beverley Perdue (of NC; story)
Brigadier General Larry Gillespie (Army)
Major General Scott Gration (USAF-Ret;Former Director of Strategy, Policy, and Assessments of the United States European Command)
Admiral Don Guter (Navy)
Brigadier General David "Dave" McGinnis (Former Chief of Staff of the National Guard Association of the U.S)
General Merrill "Tony" McPeak (Former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force)
Admiral John B. Nathman (Former Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command)
Major General Hugh Robinson (military aide to Lyndon Johnson)
Brigadier General James Smith (USAF-Ret; Former Commander, Joint Warfighting Center)
Admiral Robert "Willie" Williamson (USN-Ret Rear Admiral; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy)
Major General Ralph Wooten (Army)
Rep. Nick Rahall (of West Virginia; story)
Daniel Kurtzer (former US Ambassador to Israel for Pres. Bush, 2001-2005; quote)
Former Gov. Hugh Carey (of New York; story)
Current and Former Mayors of Brownsville, TX
Jim Hightower (progressive populist in TX; statement)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (of WV; Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee; his strong endorsement)
Rep. Rob Wexler (of FL)
Rep. John Barrow (of Georgia)
Senator Byron Dorgan (of North Dakota; story)
Paul Strauss (shadow Sen. of DC)
Michael Brown (shadow Sen. of DC)
Former Gov. Mark White (of Texas)
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (of South Dakota)
Sen. Chris Dodd (of CT; former presidential candidate; story)
Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley
Steve Novick (Merkley's opponent in the US Senate race; story)
Mayor Mark Mallory (of Cincinnati OH)
Mayor Michael Coleman (of Columbus OH)
Mayor Donald Culliver (of Mansfield OH)
Mayor Frank Jackson (of Cleveland OH)
Sen. Russ Feingold (of WI; story)
Rep. Steve Kagen (of WI)
Rep. Kathy Castor (of FL; story)
Rep. Ron Kind (of WI; voting with his district)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (of TX;story)
Mike Panetta (Shadow Rep. of DC)
Rep. Chet Edwards (of TX; story)
Treasurer Richard Cordray (of Ohio)
Former Mayor Ed Garza (of San Antonio Texas)
Mayor Will Wynn (of Austin TX)
Rep. Brian Baird (of WA)
Rep. John Lewis (of Georgia; civil rights elder statesman; switched from Clinton -- maybe, now definitely)
Rep. David Scott (of Georgia; switched from supporting Clinton)
Former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee (of Rhode Island; story)
Christine "Roz" Samuels (NJ superdelegate switched from Clinton to Obama)
Governor Aníbal Acevedo Víla (of Puerto Rico, location of the winner-take-all last primary)
David Wilhelm (Bill Clinton's former campaign manager; superdelegate)
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)
Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (TX)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (of Oregon)
Rep. Jim Oberstar (of MN)
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN)
Rep. James P. Moran (of Virginia)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (of CT)
Rep. John Yarmuth (KY)
Rep. David Obey (WI)
Rep. Michael Capuano (MA)
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch
Frank LaMere (Nebraska superdelegate; chair of DNC Native American Caucus)
Governor Christine Gregoire (of Washington State)
Doug Wilder (former Governor of Virginia; currently Mayor of Richmond; statement)
Governor Chet Culver (of Iowa)
Rep. Tim Waltz (of Minnesota)
Several Maryland Politicians
Several Louisiana Politicians
Marion Barry (controversial former DC mayor)
Lawrence Lessig (Internet freedom intellectual; really cool video; transcript)
Katha Pollitt (journalist and feminist; her reasoning)
Julie Nixon Eisenhower (daughter of Republican president Richard Nixon; story)
Maria Shriver (First Lady of California, niece of JFK)
Kate Michelman (former president of NARAL; former Edwards supporter; her reasoning)
Harold Varmus (Nobel Prize winner; head of the National Institutes of Health in the Clinton admin; story (be sure to read his last paragraph))
Susan Eisenhower (granddaughter of President Eisenhower, Washington Post Op Ed)
Paul Volcker (former Chairman of the Federal Reserve)
Alma Rangel (wife of powerful Clinton supporter Rep. Charles Rangel)
Rep. Chris Murphy (of Connecticut)
Rep. John Larson (of Connecticut)
Rep. Earl Pomeroy (of North Dakota)
Elizabeth B. Moynihan (window of fomer NY Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan)
Governor Kathleen Sebelius (of Kansas)
Rep Anna Eshoo (of California)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (of Arizona, had endorsed Edwards)
Toni Morrison (author who famously called Bill Clinton "the first black president")
Senator Edward Kennedy (of Massachusetts, brother of JFK)
Caroline Kennedy (daughter of JFK, see A President Like My Father)
Senator Patrick Leahy (of Vermont)
Former Senator Jean Carnahan (of Missouri)
Rep. Benny Thompson (of Mississippi)
Rep. Rick Boucher (of Virginia)
Senator John Kerry (of Massachusetts, former presidential candidate)
Senator Claire McCaskill (of Missouri, vowed to work hard for Obama)
Governor Janet Napolitano (of Arizona)
Former Senator Bill Bradley (of New Jersey, former presidential candidate)
Rep. George Miller (of California, close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, liberal Democrat)
Governor Jim Doyle (of Wisconsin)
Senator Ben Nelson (of Nebraska, a conservative Democrat)
Senator Tim Johnson (of South Dakota, a moderate Democrat)
Mayor Shirley Franklin (of Atlanta)
Former Senator Tim Roemer (of Indiana; member of the 9/11 commission)
Rep. Zoe Lofren (of CA, endorsed in Jan 2008; will vote for him unless somehow Hillary takes the lead--i.e. she is a Pelosi Club Superdelegate)
Rep. G. K. Butterfield (of NC; supporter of Edwards, switched in January)
Rep. Adam Schiff (of California)
Rep. Patrick Murphy (of PA;story)
Former Senator Tom Daschle (of SD; former Senate Majority Leader; Pelosi Club Superdelegate)
Alice Walker (Pulitzer Prize winning author; video endorsement)
Governor Tim Kaine (of Virginia; first official outside IL to endorse him)

[For a complete list of superdelegates, see this great site]

Pelosi Club Superdelegates (those who will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates) some of whom are listed above:

Former President Jimmy Carter (story;my post;officially endorsed)
“It would be undemocratic if the super-delegates blatantly went against the decision of Democratic voters across the nation.

"And I think that many super-delegates who have not yet declared their preference have the same feeling that I do, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She’s said over and over that whoever gets the most [pledged] delegates by June 3rd ought to be the nominee.”
Denise Johnson (DNC in Texas; story)
Senator Maria Cantwell (of WA; endorsed Clinton, but will vote for winner of pledged delegates; story; officially endorsed)
“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.
Former Governor Roy Romer (of Colorado; former co-chair of Bill Clinton's '96 campaign; story;officially endorsed)
Christine Pelosi (DNC member in CA; daughter of Nancy Pelosi; officially endorsed)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (of CA; Speaker of the House of Representatives; will vote for the candidate with the most pledged delegates; Pelosi: Party should heed the will of the voters)
“If the votes of the super-delegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party,’’ she said.

What if one candidate has won the popular vote and the other claims the most delegates?

“It's a delegate race. In other words, one wins the Electoral College and one wins the popular vote -- guess who's president of the United States. The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee."
Betty Ritchie (DNC Texas; story;officially endorsed)

Celebrities, Actors, Musicians (very incomplete):

Billy Joel (first political endorsement ever)
Tom Hanks (video endorsement)
Michael Moore (filmmaker; upset at Clinton tactics)
Bruce Springsteen (full quote)
Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams from My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers; story)
Russell Simmons (Def Jam; story)
Joan Baez (first time endorsing a candidate)
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Charles Barkley
John Legend
Usher
Common (super-Tuesday video)
Dave Matthews
The Grateful Dead
Robert De Niro (actor, usually apolitical)
Garrison Keillor (host of A Prairie Home Companion)
will.i.am
Scarlett Johansson
Oprah
Stevie Wonder
George Clooney

Organizations:

Cuban American National Foundation (Jorge Santos column)
Mathew 25 Network (argues that fewer abortions would occur in an Obama administration)
200 Former Diplomats (story)
National Association of Police Organizations (287,000 police officers;story)
400 Rabbis (full story requires login)
Association of Professional Flight Attendants (19,000 members; story)
The National Organization for Women (NOW; 500,000 members; first endorsement in a presidential race since 1984)
Business and Professional Women PAC
National Association of Social Workers
National Congress of Black Women
Women's Information Network
League of Conservation Voters (story)
National Association of Letter Carriers (300,000 members; motion by Sen. Clinton)
Planned Parenthood
AFL-CIO (10 million members)
Sierra Club (1.3 million members)
Oregon AFSCME Council 75
United Steelworkers Union (600,000 members)
NARAL (!)
American Federation of Government Employees (600,000 members, the nation's largest federal employee union; press release)
Friends of the Earth Action
Princeton College Democrats
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (85,000 members, affiliated with AFL-CIO;story;press release)
43 NC Mayors
29 NC state lawmakers
The American Hunters & Shooters Association (story)
US Postal Workers Union (300,000 members)
Some Philadelphia Lawmakers
Philadelphia chapter of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (16,000 members)
Laborers District Council of Metro Philadelphia (10,000 members)
60 Pennsylvania Jewish Leaders (story)
25 Indiana State Legislators (story)
"There, you've had it, Indiana, north, south, east, west, middle. Black, white, Hispanic. Urban, rural. We cross all of these spectrum. And with those kinds of demographics that Indiana possesses, those are precisely the demographics that will make Barack Obama the next president of the United States." -- State Sen. Earline Rogers
Oregon Council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME; story)
Harrisburg PA City Council
Philly for Change
University of Penn Democrats
Social Security Administration Union (25,000 members)
1500 Feminists for Peace (story; grew out of NY group listed below)
Akron/Canton group of pastors (story)
Change to Win (7 unions, 6 million members (many included below); press release)
The Teamsters (1.4 million members)
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (65,ooo members; part of AFL-CIO; statement)
Texas group called the Mexican American Democrats
Service Employees International Union (1.9 million members;press release)
United Food and Commercial Workers (1.1 million members)
Washington State Service Employees International Union (100,000 members)
MoveOn.org (3.2 million members)
New York Feminists for Peace (statement)
CA Service Employees International Union (650,000 members)
NY Transport Workers Union (200,000 members)
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (800,000 members)
Nevada Culinary Workers Union (60,000 members)
Unite Here
United Association of Plumbers and Piperfitters (January 2008 endorsement)

Newspapers (Primary and General Election--see also this list) (Republican leaning papers in red):

UK - The Economist for General Election: It's Time
"America should take a chance and make Barack Obama the next leader of the free world.
The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly.
Merely by becoming president, he would dispel many of the myths built up about America: it would be far harder for the spreaders of hate in the Islamic world to denounce the Great Satan if it were led by a black man whose middle name is Hussein; and far harder for autocrats around the world to claim that American democracy is a sham. America’s allies would rally to him."
UK - The Financial Times for General Election
UK - Nature [the weekly science journal] America's choice
US - College Newspapers for Obama 66-2 (story)
US - Esquire for General Election, their first ever
US - Rolling Stone (I just had to attach this link :) )
US - The Nation
AK - Anchorage Daily News (largest newspaper in Alaska) for General Election
"Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career...
Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time."
AL - Birmingham News (primary only)
AL - Decatur Daily for General Election
AL - Florence Daily Times for General Election
AL - Montgomery Advertiser for General Election
AL - Tuscaloosa News (General Election)
AR - Benton County Daily Record for general election
AZ - The Arizona Republic (primary only)
AZ - Arizona Star for General Election (McCain's home state) Barack Obama for President
CA - Black Voice News
CA - Chico News & Review
CA- The Fresno Bee for General Election
CA - Hoy for General Election Obama para presidente
CA - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
CA - La Opinión (General Election: Barack Obama para presidente)
CA - Long Beach Leader
CA - Long Beach Press Telegram for General Election
CA - Los Angeles Sentinel
CA - The Los Angeles Daily News for General Election
CA - The Los Angeles Times (General Election: first time endorsing a Democratic nominee ever, done without hesitation)
CA - Marin Pacific Sun
CA - Modesto Bee (General Election)
CA - Monterey County Herald for General Election
CA - North Bay Bohemian
CA - Oakland Tribune for General Election
CA - Palm Springs Desert Sun
CA - Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News for General Election
CA - Precinct Reporter
CA - Riverside Press-Enterprise
CA - Sacramento Bee (General Election)
CA - San Bernadino Sun for General Election
CA - San Diego City Beat
CA - San Francisco Bay Guardian
CA - San Francisco Bay View
CA - San Francisco Chronicle (General Election)
CA - San Gabriel Valley Tribune for General Election
CA - San Jose Mercury News (General Election: "Seize the historic moment")
CA- San Mateo Country Times for General Election
CA - Santa Barbara Independent
CA - Santa Cruz Sentinel (General Election)
CA - Tri County Bulletin
CA - Tri-Valley Herald for General Election
CA - Stockton Record (General Election: first for a Democrat since FDR in 1936)
CO - Aspen Daily News for General Election
CO - Boulder Daily Camera for General Election
CO - Denver Post for General Election
CO - Durango Times for General Election
CO - El Semanario for General Election
CO - Gunnison Times General Election endorsement
CO - Rocky Mountain News
CT - The Day (re-endorsement for Rhode Island voters)
CT - Connecticut Post
CT - Hartford Courant for General Election (only second Democrat backed in 244 years)
CT - New Haven Register for General Election
CT - Norwich Bulletin (General Election)
DC - The Washington Post for General Election:
"Mr. Obama's temperament is unlike anything we've seen on the national stage in many years. He is deliberate but not indecisive; eloquent but a master of substance and detail; preternaturally confident but eager to hear opposing points of view. He has inspired millions of voters of diverse ages and races, no small thing in our often divided and cynical country. We think he is the right man for a perilous moment."
DE - News Journal for General Election
KY - Louisville Courier-Journal (and Southern Indiana)
FL - Daytona Beach News-Journal for General Election
FL - Florida Today for General Election
FL - Gainesville Sun
FL - Miami Herald for General Election
FL - Naples Daily-News for General Election
FL - Orlando Sentinel for General Election
FL - Pensacola News-Journal for General Election
FL - Palm Beach Post (General Election)
FL - The Sun-Sentinel (General Election)
FL - Sarasota Herald-Tribune for General Election (Why Obama? His record, judgment, temperament)
FL - Tampa Tribune
FL - St. Petersburg Times (General Election)
GA - Atlanta Journal Constitution (General Election)
GA - Atlanta Daily World
GA - Columbus Ledger Enquirer for General Election
GA - Macon Telegraph for General Election
GA - Serma Times-Journal for General Election
HI - The Honolulu Advertiser
HI - Honolulu Star Bulletin for General Election
IA - Ames Iowa State Daily
IA - Des Moines El Latino
IA - Des Moines Register for General Election
IA - Iowa City Press Citizen
IA - Iowa City Daily Iowan
IA - Logan Herald-Observer
IA - Mason City Globe Gazette for General Election
IA - Ottumwa Courier
IA - Sioux City Journal
IA - The Storm Lake Times for General Election
ID - The Idaho Statesman for General Election
IL - Chicago Defender
IL - Chicago Sun-Times (General Election)
IL - Chicago Tribune (re-endorsement: Indiana, go with Obama) (General Election: first endorsement of a Democratic nominee ever)
"Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them.

We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president.

We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready...
It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after all. We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States."
IL - Daily Herald
IL - Belleville News Democrat
IL - The Pantagraph for General Election
IN - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette for General Election
IN - Gary Post-Tribune
IN - Lafayette Journal and Courier for General Election
IN - Merrillville Post-Tribune for General Election
IN - The Muncie Star (general election)
IN - Richmond Paladium-Item for General Election
KY - Ledger Independent for General Election
KY - Lexington Herald-Leader for General Election
KY - Louisville Courier- Journal for General Election
MA - Bay State Banner
MA - Boston Globe (General Election)
MA - Daily News Tribune
MA - The Springfield Republican
MD - Baltimore Sun (General Election)
ME - Bangor News for General Election
ME - Brunswick Times Record for General Election
ME - Portland Press Herald
MI - Battle Creek Enquirer for General Election
MI - Bay City Times for General Election
MI - Detroit Free Press for General Election
MI - Lansing State Journal for General Election
MI - Livingston Daily for General Election
MI - Michigan Chronicle for General Election
MI - The Muskeegan Chronicle for General Election
MI - Saginaw News for General Election
MN - St. Cloud Times for General Election
MN - Star Tribune for General Election
MO - Columbia Daily Tribune for General Election
MO - Joplin Globe for General Election
MO - Kansas City Call
MO - Kansas City Star for General Election
MO - The St. Louis American
MO - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (general election)
MS - Jackson Clarion Register for General Election
MT - Billings Gazette for General Election
MT - Independent Record for General Election
MT - Montana Standard for General Election
NC - Ashville Citizen-Times for General Election
NC - Charlotte Observer (General Election)
NC - Durham Herald Sun for General Election
NC - Greenville Daily Reflector for General Election
NC - News & Observer for General Election
NC - Rayleigh News and Observer for General Election
NC - Wilmington Star News for General Election
NH - Cabinet Press for General Election
NH - Concord Monitor for General Election
NH - Littleton Courier
NH - Nashua Telegraph (General Election)
NH - Portsmouth Herald (General Election)
NH - Valley News
NM - Albuquerque Tribune
NM - Farmington Daily Times for General Election We like John McCain, but who is Sarah Palin?
"The tip of the scale for us came with McCain's choice of a vice presidential candidate. Few of us are convinced that Sarah Palin is ready to be the president of the United States, and as with any vice president, she would be only one heartbeat away if McCain is elected. Further, we question McCain's judgment in making such a choice...All of our previous endorsements have supported the Republican ticket. We, however, must break ranks and endorse Barack Obama for president."
NM - Las Cruces Sun-News for General Election
NM - Santa Fe New Mexican (General Election)
NJ - Asbury Park Press for General Election
NJ - Bergen Record for General Election
NJ - The Trenton Times (General Election)
NJ - The Star-Ledger (General Election)
NV - Elko Free Press
NV - El Tiempo for General Election
NV - Las Vegas Review Journal
NV - Las Vegas Sun for General Election
NV - Reno Gazette Journal (General Election)
NY - Buffulo News for General Election
NY - El Diario/La Prensa for General Election
NY - Newsday for General Election
NY - The New York Daily News for General Election
NY - The New Yorker for General Election
NY - New York Observer
NY - New York Post (primary only)
NY - The New York Times for General Election
Barack Obama for President
"It will be an enormous challenge just to get the nation back to where it was before Mr. Bush, to begin to mend its image in the world and to restore its self-confidence and its self-respect. Doing all of that, and leading America forward, will require strength of will, character and intellect, sober judgment and a cool, steady hand.

Mr. Obama has those qualities in abundance...

We believe he has the will and the ability to forge
the broad political consensus that is essential to finding
solutions to this nation's problems."
OH - Akron Beacon Journal for General Election
OH - The Athens Post (nuanced endorsement)
OH - Cleveland Plain Dealer (General Election)
OH - The Canton Repository (General Election endorsement)
OH - The Cincinnati Enquirer (audio interview) (for primary only)
OH - Dayton Daily News (General Election)
"Meanwhile, the Republican Party is asking the American people to ignore their discontent with President George W. Bush and give the party another chance. But if a party can retain the presidency after failing in it — just by putting up somebody different — then accountability is undercut. Failure should exact a political price. If it doesn't, failure becomes harder to deter."
OH - Hamilton Journal-News for General Election
OH - Mansfield News Journal for General Election
OH - The Springfiled-Sun News for General Election
OH - The Times-Reporter for General Election
OH - The Toledo Blade (General Election)
OH - Youngstown Vindicator for General Election
OH - Zanesville Times Recorder for General Election
OR - East Oregonian for General Election
OR - Eugene Register-Guard (General Election)
OR - Mail Tribune for General Election
OR- Oregonian for General Election
OR - Portland Tribune
OR - Salem Statesman Journal for General Election
PA - Allentown Morning Call
PA - The Bucks County Courier Times
PA - Dubois Courier-Express for general election
PA - The Daily Item
PA - The Daily and Sunday Review
PA - Easton Press Times for General Election
PA - Erie Times-News for General Election
PA - The Lehigh Valley Express-Times for General Election
PA - The New Castle News
PA - Philadelphia Inquirer (General Election)
PA - The Patriot-News (general election)
PA - The Philadelphia Daily News (General Election)
PA - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (General Election)
PA - Pocono Record for General Election
PA - Pottstown Mercury for General Election
PA - The Scranton Times-Tribune (General Election)
PA - The Washington Observer Reporter
PA - The Wilkes-Barre Citizen's Voice
PA - York Daily Record for General Election
RI - Providence Journal for General Election
SC - Charleston Post and Courier
SC - The State
SC - The Rock Hill Herald
SC - The Greenville News
TN - The Tennessean for General Election
TN - Tri-State Defender
TX - Dallas Morning News (primary only)
TX - The Austin American-Statesman (General Election)
TX - The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (primary only)
TX - The Eagle for General Election
TX - The El Paso Times
TX - Houston Chronicle (General Election)
TX - Fort Worth Star-Telegram (General Election)
TX - Longview News-Journal (General Election)
TX - The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (primary only)
TX - San Angelo Standard-Times
TX - San Antonio Express-News (primary only)
UT - The Salt Lake Tribune for General Election (A simple choice)
UT - San Angelo Standard Times for General Election
VA - Falls Church News Press for General Election
VA- Staunton News Leader for General Election
WA - The Columbian for General Election
WA - The Seattle Times (General Election)
WA - Seattle Post Intell. for General Election
WA - Yakama Herald-Republic for General Election
WI - Chippewa Herald for General Election
WI - Kenosha News for General Election
WI - Lacrosse Tribune for General Election
WI - Marshfield News Herald for General Election
WI - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (General Election)
WI - State Journal for General Election
WV - The Charleston Gazette (largest paper in WV) (General Election)
"We hope they support the brilliant, inspiring, eloquent frontrunner in the race, Barack Obama.

Sen. Obama is a rare figure in U.S. politics - a deep thinker who rises above partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He raises hope that, after the disastrous Bush years mercifully come to an end, Americans can again be proud of their national leader."
WY - Caspar Star-Tribune (Dick Cheney's hometown paper) for General Election Obama can lead us through troubled times

Obama 30 Minute TV Message--It's About Us

2008-10-29T23:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the 3o minute video the Obama campaign aired tonight on network television (minus three minutes of live feed from Florida shown at the end). The video weaves through the tapestry of his campaign by tracing the threads of people across the US.

Senator Obama's campaign has been different in many ways, but principally because it has been driven by ordinary citizens. We have contributed the money which has fueled it. We have provided the stories which inspired it. We have used our creativity, our ideas, and our heart to further it. We have created art, music, videos, and blogs. We have made calls and knocked on doors in neighboring states. We have held house parties and major concerts. And the campaign has welcomed our participation and involved us at nearly every level. A vote for Obama is a vote for us.

Obama's Closing Argument

2008-10-27T22:32:00.004-04:00

Here is the full video of Obama's speech in Canton OH, one week before the election. It is effectively his closing argument: We cannot afford to keep doing the same thing. We need to move forward forcefully but pragmatically. And though the times ahead will be challenging, there is hope if we are willing to change.

If you can't listen to the whole thing, at least listen starting at 28:14 for his inspiring uniting closing message of hope.

TRANSCRIPT

One week. (Cheers, applause.) One week. (Cheers, applause.)

After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California and everywhere in between, we are one week away from changing America. (Cheers, applause.)

In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks right here in Canton, folks right on Main Street. (Cheers, applause.)

In one week, you can choose. You can choose policies that invest in our middle-class and create new jobs and grow this economy from the bottom-up, so that everyone has a chance to succeed, from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor, from the factory owner to the men and women on the factory floor. In one week. (Cheers, applause.)

In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation, just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region and city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope. In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need. You can do that. (Cheers, applause.)

You know, we began this journey in the depths of winter, nearly two years ago, on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, the place where Abraham Lincoln served for so many years.

You know, back then, we didn't have much money and we didn't have many endorsements. We weren't given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits. And we knew how steep our climb would be.

But I also knew this. I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics. I believed that Democrats and Republicans and Americans of every political stripe were hungry for new ideas and new leadership and a new kind of politics, one that favors common sense over ideology, one that focuses on those values and ideals we hold in common as Americans. (Cheers, applause.)

Most of all, I believed in you. I believed in your ability to make change happen. I knew that the American people were a decent, generous people who are willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations. (Cheers, applause.)

And I was absolutely convinced that when we come together, our voices are more powerful than the most entrenched lobbyists or the most vicious political attacks -- (cheers) -- or the full force of a status quo in Washington that wants to keep things just the way they are. (Cheers, applause.)

And Canton, 21 months later, my faith in the American people has been vindicated. That's how we've come so far, how we've come so close -- because of you. That's how we'll change this country -- with your help. That's why we cannot afford to slow down or sit back. We cannot let up for one day, or one minute, or one second in this last week. (Cheers, applause.) Not now, not when there's so much is at stake. One week. (Cheers, applause.)

We are in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. I don't have to tell you, Ohio; 760,000 workers have lost their jobs so far this year. Businesses and families can't get credit. Home values are falling. Pensions are disappearing. Wages are lower than they've been in a decade, at a time when the cost of everything from health care to college have never been higher. It's getting harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month.

At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, worn-out, old theory -- (cheers) -- that says -- that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down on everybody else. The last thing -- the last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. (Cheers.) Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven't worked, and it is time for change. And that's why I'm running for president of the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)

Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And Senator McCain can point to a few moments, like torture, where he has broken with George Bush over the past eight years. He deserves credit for that. He deserves credit for that.

But when it comes to the economy -- when it comes to the central issue of our time, the central issue of this election -- the plain truth is that John McCain has stood with this president every step of the way, voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once opposed; voting for the Bush budgets that spent us into debt; calling for less regulation 21 times just this year.

Those are the facts.

And now after 21 months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he'd do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy. (Cheers, applause.) Not one thing. Senator McCain says we can't spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change, but you understand that the biggest gamble we can take is to embrace the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed us for the last eight years. (Cheers, applause.) We can't afford to take that risk.

It's not change when John McCain wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. It's not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies or 300 billion (dollars) to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. (Boos.) It's not change when he comes up with a tax plan that doesn't give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans. That is not change. (Applause.)

So look, Ohio, we have tried it John McCain's way. We have tried it George Bush's way. And deep down -- deep down, Senator McCain knows that, which is why his campaign said that "if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." (Applause.) That's why he's spending these last weeks calling me every name in the book -- (boos) -- because that's how you play the game in Washington. If you can't beat your opponent's ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up. (Boos, applause.) If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. You make -- you make a big election about small things.

Ohio, we're here to say not this time, not this year -- (cheers, applause) -- not when so much is at stake. (Cheers, applause.) John McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I'm worried about Americans who are losing their homes and their jobs and their life savings. (Cheers, applause.) I can take one more week of John McCain's attacks, but this country can't take four more years of the same failed politics -- (cheers) -- and the same failed policies. It's time to try something new. (Cheers, applause.) It is time, Canton, to try something new. (Cheers.)

The question in this election is not are you better off than you were four years ago. We all know the answer to that. The real question is, will this country be better off four years from now? (Cheers, applause.)

I know these are difficult times. They're difficult times for Ohio; they're difficult times for America. But I also know that we've faced difficult times before. The American story has never been about things coming easy, it's been about rising to the moment when the moment was hard. It's about seeing the highest mountaintop from the deepest of valleys. It's about rejecting fear and division for unity of purpose.

That's how we overcame war and depression. That's how we've won great struggles for civil rights and women's rights and workers' rights. That's how we'll emerge from this crisis stronger and more prosperous than we were before, as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.)

Remember, we still have the most talented, most productive workers of any country on Earth. We're still home to innovation and technology, colleges and universities that are the envy of the world. Some of the biggest, brightest ideas in history have come from our small businesses; in the back of somebody's garage, in our research facilities.

So there's no reason we can't make this century another American century. We just need --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Off mike.)

SEN. OBAMA: -- we just need a new direction. We just need a new politics.

Now, understand, I don't believe that government can or should try to solve all our problems. You don't believe that either. But I do believe that government should do that which we cannot do for ourselves -- protect us from harm; provide a decent education for all children -- (cheers, applause); invest in new roads and new bridges, in new science and technology. (Applause.) Our government should reward drive and innovation and encourage growth in the free market, but it should also make sure businesses live up to their responsibility to create American jobs, and look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road. (Cheers, applause.)

It should ensure a shot at success, not just for those with money and power and influence, but for every single American who's willing to work. That's how we create not just more millionaires or more billionaires, but how we create more middle-class families. That's how we make sure businesses have customers that can afford their products or services. That's how we've always grown the American economy -- from the bottom-up. John McCain calls this socialism.

I call it opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) And there is nothing more American than that. (Cheers, applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

SEN. OBAMA: Thank you.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Obama! Obama!

SEN. OBAMA: Look, if we want get through this crisis -- if we want to get through this crisis, we need to get beyond the old ideological debates and divides between the left and the right. We don't need bigger government or smaller government. We need better government. (Cheers.) We need a more competent government. We need a government that upholds the values we hold in common as Americans.

We don't have to choose between allowing our financial system to collapse and spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money to bail out Wall Street banks. As president, I will ensure the financial rescue plan helps stop foreclosures and protects your money instead of enriching CEOs. (Cheers, applause.) And I'll put in place the common- sense regulations that I've been calling for throughout this campaign so that Wall Street can never cause a crisis like this again. That's the change we need. (Applause.)

The choice -- the choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts. It's about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or whether we should also reward the workers (sic) and workers who create wealth. (Cheers, applause.) I will give a tax break to 95 percent of Americans who work every day and get taxes taken out of their paychecks every week. (Cheers, applause.) I'll eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000. (Cheers, applause.) And we're going to give homeowners and working parents more of a break. (Cheers, applause.) And yes, I'll help pay for this by asking the folks who are making more than $250,000 a year to go back to the tax rate they were paying in the 1990s. (Cheers, applause.)

No matter what John McCain may claim, here are the facts. If you make under $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime; not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes. No taxes. Because the last thing we should do in this economy is raise taxes on the middle class. (Applause.) And we have been saying that throughout this campaign.

Now, when it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or allowing every job to disappear overseas. The truth is, we won't be able to bring back every single job that we've lost here in Ohio or across the country, but that doesn't mean we should follow John McCain's plan to keep giving tax breaks to corporations that send American jobs overseas. (Cheers.)

I will end those breaks as president. (Cheers, applause.) I will give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create right here in Ohio, right here in the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)

I'll eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-up companies that are the engine of job creation in this country. We'll create 2 million new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges and schools, by laying broadband lines to reach every corner of the country.

And I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy -- (cheers, applause) -- to create 5 million new energy jobs over the next decade -- jobs that pay well; jobs that can't be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and a new electricity grid -- (cheers, applause continue) -- jobs building the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow, not in Japan, not in South Korea but right here in the U.S. of A. -- (sustained cheers, applause) -- jobs that will help us eliminate the oil we import from the Middle East in 10 years and help save the planet in the bargain. That's how America can lead again.

When it comes to health care, we don't have to choose between a government-run health care system and the unaffordable one we have now. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower your premiums. (Cheers, applause.) If you don't have health insurance, you'll be able to get the same kind of health insurance that members of Congress give themselves. (Cheers, applause.)

We'll invest in preventive care and new technology to finally lower the cost of health care for families and businesses and the entire economy. And as someone -- as someone who watched his own mother spend the final months of her life arguing with insurance companies because they claimed her cancer was a pre-existing condition and they didn't want to pay for her treatment, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most. You can count on that. (Cheers, applause.)

When it comes to giving every child a world-class education -- (applause) -- so they can compete in this global economy for the jobs of the 21st century, the choice is not between more money and more reform, because our schools need both. As president, I will invest in early childhood education -- (cheers, applause) -- to close the achievement gap. We'll recruit an army of new teachers. We'll pay them more money. We'll give them more support. (Cheers, applause.)

But I will also demand higher standards and more accountability from everybody, from our teachers and principals and our schools. (Cheers, applause.) And I will make a deal with every young American who has the drive and the will but not the money to go to college: If you commit to serving your community or your country in national service, we will make sure you can afford your tuition. (Cheers, applause.)

You invest in America; America will invest in you. Together we'll move this country forward.

When it comes to keeping this country safe, we don't have to choose between retreating from the world and fighting a war without end in Iraq. It is time to stop spending $10 billion a month, in Iraq, while the Iraqi government sits on a huge surplus. (Cheers, applause.)

As president, I will end this war, by asking -- (cheers, applause) -- by asking the Iraqi government to step up, and finally finish the fight against bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.

I will never hesitate to defend this nation. But I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home. We will treat our veterans with honor and respect. (Cheers, applause.)

I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again viewed as that last, best hope for all, who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, who yearn for a better future.

Now, Canton, I won't stand here and pretend that any of this will be easy, especially now. The cost of this economic crisis, the cost of the war in Iraq means that Washington will have to tighten its belt and put off spending on things we can afford to do without.

On this, there is no other choice. As president, I will go through the federal budget, line by line, ending programs that we don't need and making the ones we do need work better and cost less.

But as I've said from the day we began this journey, all those months ago, the change we need isn't just about new programs and policies. It's about a new attitude. It's about new politics, a politics that calls on our better angels, instead of encouraging our worst instincts, one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another.

Part of the reason this economic crisis occurred is, because we have been living through an era of profound irresponsibility. On Wall Street, easy money and an ethic of "what's good for me is good enough" blinded greedy executives to the dangers in decisions that they were making. On Main Street, lenders tricked people into buying homes they couldn't afford. Some folks knew they couldn't afford those houses and bought them anyway.

In Washington, politicians spent money they didn't have and allowed lobbyists to set the agenda.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah!

SEN. OBAMA: They scored political points instead of solving our problems.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right!

SEN. OBAMA: And even after the greatest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, all we were asked to do by our president was to go out and shop. That's why what we've lost in these last eight years can't be measured just by lost wages or bigger trade deficits.

What's also been lost is the idea that in this American story, each of us has a role to play. Each of us have responsibilities to work hard, to look after ourselves and our families, and each of us has a responsibility to look out for each other, our fellow citizens. (Cheers, applause.) That's what's been lost these last eight years, our common sense of purpose, our sense of higher purpose. That's what we need to restore right now. That's one of the reasons I'm running for president of the United States of America. (Cheers, sustained applause.)

So yes, government must lead the way on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair, but all of us have to do our part as parents, to turn off the TV set and read to our children, to take responsibility for providing love and guidance. (Cheers, applause.)

Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort -- black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; Democrat, Republican; young, old; rich, poor, gay, straight; disabled or not. All of us have to come together. (Cheers, sustained applause.)

Ohio, in this election, we cannot afford the same political games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one another, to make us afraid of one another. The stakes are too high to divide us by class and region and background; by who we are or what we believe. Because, despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There is no city or town that is more pro-America than anywhere else. (Cheers, applause. We're one nation, all of us proud, all of us patriots. (Cheers, applause.)

There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women who serve in our battlefields -- some may be Democrats, some may be Republicans, others independents, but they fought together and they bled together, and some died together, under the same proud flag. (Cheers, applause.)

They have not served a red America or a blue America. They served the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)

It won't be easy, Ohio. It won't be easy; it won't be quick. But you and I know that it is time to come together and change this country. (Cheers.) Some of you may be cynical. Some of you may be fed up with politics. A lot of you may be disappointed and even angry with your leaders, and you have every right to be. But despite all of this -- (applause) -- I ask of you what has been asked of Americans throughout our history. I ask you to believe, not just in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.

I know this change is possible, because I've seen it -- I've seen it over the last 21 months -- because in this campaign, I've had the privilege to witness what is best in America. I've seen it in the lines of voters that stretched around schools and churches; in the young people who cast their ballots for the first time -- (applause) -- and those not so young folks who got involved again after a very long time. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see their friends lose their jobs; in the neighbors who take in a stranger when the floodwaters rise; in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb. I've seen it in the faces of the men and women I've met at countless rallies and town halls across the country, men and women who speak of their struggles but also of their hopes, of their dreams.

I still remember the e-mail that a woman named Robyn sent me after I met her in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sometime after our event, her son nearly went into cardiac arrest. He was diagnosed with a heart condition that could only be treated with a procedure that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Her insurance company refused to pay, and their family didn't have that kind of money.

In her e-mail, Robyn wrote, "I ask only this of you -- on the days where you feel so tired you can't think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder." (Cheers, applause.)

Ohio, that's what hope is -- (cheers, applause) -- that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting around the bend -- (cheers, applause) -- that insists there are better days ahead if we're willing to work for it; if we're willing to shed our fears and our doubts; if we're willing to reach deep down inside ourselves when we're tired, when we're worn out and we come back fighting harder. (Cheers, applause.)

Hope -- that's what kept some of our parents and grandparents going when times were tough, what led them to say, "Maybe I can't go to college, but if I save a little bit each week my child can go to college -- (applause) -- maybe I can't have my own business but if I work really hard my child can open one of her own." Hope -- it's what led immigrants from distant lands to come to these shores against great odds and carve a new life for their families in America; what led those who couldn't vote to march and organize and stand for freedom -- (cheers, applause) -- that led them to cry out, "It may look dark tonight, but if I hold on to hope, tomorrow will be brighter."

That's what this election is about. That's the choice we face right now. (Cheers, applause.)

Canton, don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power concedes. We have a lot of work to do. We have to work like our future depends on it, in this last week, because it does depend on it this week. (Cheers, applause.)

In one week's time, we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom up. In one week, we can choose to invest in health care for our families and education for our kids and renewable energy for our future.

In one week, we can choose hope over fear and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo. In one week, we can come together, as one nation and one people, and once more choose our better history. (Cheers, applause.)

That's what's at stake. That's what we're fighting for. And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me and make some calls for me and talk to your neighbors and convince your friends; if you will stand with me and fight with me and give me your vote, then I promise you, we will not just win Ohio; we will win this general election. And together we'll change this country and we will change the world.

God bless you. God bless the United States of America. Let's get to work. (Cheers, applause.)

Obama's Defining Moment Ad

2008-10-26T23:27:00.005-04:00

I have spent all my blog time keeping the running list of endorsements up to date (that post has been getting about 100 hits a day of late). I will try to make some short posts rather than none at all.

This 2 minute ad lays out Barack's closing argument. As usual, he balances forward-thinking ideas with pragmatism.

2008 Nobel Prize in Physics

2008-10-07T08:29:00.007-04:00

The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to two different achieve- ments. Both relate to symmetry breaking, but in very different ways. All three recipients, Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa, certainly deserved the prize, but Nambu should have gotten the prize years ago, and they should given the prize to Nicola Cabibbo as well—after all it is called the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism!

In brief, this is what they did.

Nambu explained how protons and neutrons could get mass in the same way that superconductivity happens. If that doesn't sound ground-breaking, I don't know what does! He showed that a symmetry in something called a quantum field theory can be "spontaneously broken".

Think of looking down at a pencil from above. What is the most symmetric way of placing the pencil? Why on its point! That way, if you rotate your view, it looks the same. But of course that is not a stable situation. The pencil immediately falls over. Which way? Well, it goes spontaneously in a random direction. And after it falls, the situation isn't invariant under rotations—the symmetry is broken. That is in essence what Nambu showed worked in a quantum field theory—that the most stable state need not be the most symmetric one.

Now on to a completely different topic. There are three families of quarks: up-down, charm-strange, and top-bottom (yes, these are silly names). Back when we knew about only two of them, Nicola Cabibbo realized that they could mix together—that if you started a process with a strange quark, there was a chance you could end it with a down quark. Such mixing is controlled by just one parameter, the Cabibbo angle. (It's an angle of rotation in quark mixing space.)

A puzzle at the time was how to explain CP violation—the observation that the symmetries of charge conjugation (C, switching + and -) and parity (P, switching left and right) were not actually good symmetries of nature. In other words, if you took some processes and switched both + and - charges and left and right, you didn't get the same result (trust me, that's odd).

Kobayashi and Maskawa realized in 1973 that if there were a third family of quarks (there is, but no one knew it then), one would get not only other mixing angles, but something called a phase. This phase was just what one needed to explain CP violation.

In brief, they came up with a mechanism which explained the existing observation of CP violation by proposing that there was a third family of quarks—and lo and behold a third family of quarks was found a few years later! Come to think of it, Cabibbo, Kobayashi, and Maskawa should have won years ago.

Obama and McCain Contrast on Economic Crisis

2008-09-20T11:53:00.004-04:00

I think it is fair to say that a large part of this mess on Wall Street is due to deregulation, mostly championed by Republicans (Senator McCain has been a strong proponent of deregulation). I think it is also fair to say that the Bush administration, after years of not minding the current, took some bold steps this week to try to keep the economy from going down a waterfall.

Senator Obama has supported those efforts and called for bipartisanship.

Senator McCain has, on the other hand, staked out firm positions only to reverse himself the next day, and issued attacks on Senator Obama which, to be tactful, seem to be at odds with the facts. And as the video montage above from the Jed Report shows, Senator McCain has certainly not always been the voice of calm, steady, bipartisanship this week.

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Page, known for its rightward tilt, wrote:

"In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership, not easy, misleading answers that will do nothing to help. Mr. McCain is sounding like a candidate searching for a political foil rather than a genuine solution."

Science Debate Answers!

2008-09-16T08:03:00.005-04:00

As I introduced in one of my first posts, there has been a grassroots effort to get the presidential candidates to have a debate centered on concerns of science and technology. These concerns are intertwined with many foreign and domestic political issues. It is vital that the next President be aware of these concerns when constructing policy.

Well, we didn't get the candidates to hold a live debate, but we did get them to answer 14 important questions. Senator Obama responded on 30 August, and Senator McCain on 15 September (McCain thus had the advantage of seeing Obama's answers before committing to his own). Here are their complete answers, side by side. Below I offer a brief summary of their answer and my take on them. [under construction]

Innovation

Obama proposes doubling federal funding for basic research over the next decade. McCain would provide tax incentives for research. It is not clear whether he would increase funding for basic research, but he does say he will "Fund basic and applied research in new and emerging fields".

I am all for stimulating the market to engage in technological research, but basic research can take decades to pay off. Further, some basic research will end up enriching our culture but not providing direct economic benefit (e.g. the Hubble Space Telescope). So we cannot rely on the market alone.

Climate Change

Obama: "I will implement a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050."

McCain: "I will institute a new cap-and-trade system that over time will change the dynamic of our energy economy. By the year 2012, we will seek a return to 2005 levels of emissions, by 2020, a return to 1990 levels, and so on until we have achieved at least a reduction of sixty percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050."

It is encouraging to see both candidates state that climate change is real and to set specific goals. McCain seems more likely, IMHO, to expand fossil fuel use in the short term (e.g. his position on offshore drilling) which is unlikely to move the market in the right direction. But this is one area where he does seem to differ markedly from the Bush administration. I do worry, however, about Gov. Palin, who seems to be skeptical that global warming is caused by humankind. To meet the goals that Obama or McCain have laid out will require a determined push from the White House. If Palin were to assume the presidency, I fear that she would return to the disastrous do-nothing policy of the Bush administration.

[more to come]

Is the Large Hadron Collider safe?

2008-09-10T09:40:00.002-04:00

The Large Hadron Collider, usually referred to by scientists as the LHC, had its first preliminary test today. All went well. But what does the LHC do, and is it safe?

What is the LHC?

The LHC is a "particle collider". It has two main parts: beams and detectors. Two beams of protons will be channeled at near the speed of light around a tunnel 27 km in circumference, one clockwise, one counterclockwise, by a pair of rings made of 9000 superconducting magnets. The beams will cross in several places, allowing the particles within them to collide (hence the term "collider"). The by-products of those collisions will be observed by two enormous detectors (as well as two somewhat smaller ones). It short, it collides beams of particles and detects what happens.

What is the LHC for?

Physicists have learned a lot about the fundamental constituents of matter by bashing particles together. The higher the energy scale of the collisions, the deeper, in a sense, one can probe. We now understand what particles make up all the matter we can see, and what particles are responsible for forces. For example, as I said in a previous post, we understand about electrons and their siblings (yes, I know I haven't gotten around to doing the followup posts yet), and we understand that the electromagnetic force comes from the particle of light, the photon. In fact, we have understood how these particles and forces behave in terms of some rather beautiful symmetries. A symmetry is an invariance, as in "looks the same in a mirror", or "runs the same if you switch all the red and black cables for one another". A key point is that a symmetry can be broken. For example, you don't look the same in a mirror. Even if you part your hair down the middle, there is always some freckle to give away that it is a mirror image.

Our theory of particle physics using symmetries works great, except for understanding why most of the particles have mass. If the symmetries of the theory were not broken, these particles would have to be massless. We need to understand how the symmetries are broken—we have to find the freckles. The main freckle is called the Higgs boson (please, can we stop using the awful term "God particle"!). It has never been seen. We think that is how the electron gets its mass, but we don't know for sure. And we don't understand how the Higgs boson might fit into a more complete theory.

The LHC is designed to find the Higgs boson, and we hope it will point us to a more complete theory of matter and energy. It may also shed light on the dark matter, but that is a post for another day.

Is the LHC Safe?

Sometimes the LHC is described as "recreating the Big Bang". This sort of language is colorful, and conveys the grand nature of the endeavor, but it also makes it sound scary, and, more to the point, is completely inaccurate. The LHC will probe a new frontier for humans, but the kinds of collisions that will take place in it happen in and around the Earth all the time. Cosmic ray protons hit protons in the atmosphere and create sprays of particles just like in the LHC. If you were to wait in one location, it would be quite rare that you would see a collision at the same energies as the LHC, but across the whole atmosphere they happen all the time. If these collisions were dangerous, they would have done their damage long ago.

One worry that has been stated in the press is that the LHC might produce mini black holes. Well, that is a possibility if there are extra dimensions of space that become visible just at the LHC energy scale, but that is unlikely (not quite as crazy as it sounds though). But such mini black holes would not be like the monsters you may have seen in Sci Fi. They would be tiny (way smaller than protons) and would decay in a fraction of a second.

Could these mini black holes be stable? First of all, even if they were, a mini black hole would take hundreds of millions of years to grow appreciably in size in the Earth, so it could not be the doomsday machine some have feared. But everything we know about the theory says that such mini black holes must decay very rapidly due to quantum processes. Mini black holes are essentially just another kind of particle that decays.

If all of that is not enough to convince you that the LHC is safe, here is a final comfort: we have seen pulsars. Comforting eh? You see, pulsars are like canaries in the coal mine. They are spinning neutron stars. Neutron stars are dense cinders of dying stars that just barely avoided collapsing on themselves into black holes (the large kind). They would feel the effects of a mini black hole much much faster than the Earth would. They too are bombarded by cosmic rays all the time. They recreate the LHC experiments each second. If particle collisions created mini black holes that somehow were stable, all neutron stars would quickly be triggered into collapsing. We see pulsars, so that can't have happened.

So the LHC is not a threat. It is just a tool to look for freckles.

An engineer leans on a magnet in the 27km-long tunnel that houses the Large Hadron Collider (BBC News; Image: Cern/Maximilien Brice)

Sarah Palin's thoughts on Iraq

2008-08-30T11:25:00.006-04:00

Here are some thoughts from Republican VP pick Gov. Sarah Palin on Iraq. She makes George W. Bush sound coherent.

Further, her energy policy seems to consist mainly of further oil drilling. We cannot free ourselves from foreign oil by domestic drilling—there is not enough of it. And continuing to rely on oil will certainly do nothing to help global warming.

I also find it troubling that McCain met her only once or twice before picking her. Is that Putting America First? Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a qualified woman (like Hillary Clinton) elected to the US Presidency, but we can't just omit the "qualified" part.

McCain's Choice

2008-08-29T15:35:00.002-04:00

Today, John McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska to be his running mate. There is no question that it was a Hail Mary pass. It was designed to

• Obliterate coverage of Obama's historic acceptance speech.
• Appeal to anti-abortion activists
• Try to pick off disaffected Hillary voters

But the pick carries with it great risks because Palin has so little experience (less than two years as governor of Alaska), and none on the national much less the international stage. The Republicans have already tried to compare her experience to Senator Obama's, but this is truly laughable. He has experience at the state, national, and international level, plus he has led an incredibly successful campaign organization with more twice the number of people in the state of Alaska. He has learned a lot in those two years of campaigning. She has 67 days.

But the thing I find most troubling is that they are making a naked grab for Hillary supporters. Palin and Hillary disagree on almost every issue. Yes, there are some supporters so childishly angry that Hillary lost that they will buy the ruse, but how can John McCain argue with a straight face that he puts the country first when his choice of running mate was based solely on cynical politics?

Obama's Acceptance Speech

2008-08-29T14:57:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life is busy. Here is Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. I thought he did everything he needed to do in a masterful way. The text is below.

Democratic Convention at Invesco Field
Denver, Colorado
As Prepared for Delivery

To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;

With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.

To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.

Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?

It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.

For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.

Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.

In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.

I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.

What is that promise?

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.

America, now is not the time for small plans.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise.

And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.

And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.

So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.

I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.

You make a big election about small things.

And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.

For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

America, this is one of those moments.

I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.

And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.

"We have water"

2008-07-31T23:00:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, the Phoenix Mars probe successfully delivered a scoop of icy martian soil to its chemistry lab. Previous attempts had failed because the soil proved stickier than expected. Although all indications were that the white stuff Phoenix uncovered was water ice, Phoenix's lab results now confirm it. William Boynton, lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer said, "We have water".

Obama's Speech on Patriotism

2008-07-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

Senator Obama gave a speech on patriotism in Independence, MO on 2 July. He touches on the current election in a few places, but the speech is mostly about defining patriotism in general using historical references. It is well worth the half hour. Here is a transcript (from the NY Times)

Transcript:

You know, on a spring morning in April of 1775, a simple band of colonists -- farmers, and merchants, and blacksmiths, and printers, men and boys -- they left their home and their families in Lexington and Concord to take up arms against the tyranny of an empire.

And the odds against them were long, and the risks were enormous, for even if they survived that particular battle, any ultimate failure would bring charges of treason and death by hanging. And yet they took that chance.

They did so not on behalf of a particular tribe or lineage, but on behalf of a larger idea: the idea of liberty, the idea of God- given, inalienable rights.

And when the first shot of that fateful day, a shot heard 'round the world, was fired, the American Revolution and America's experiment with democracy began.

Those men of Lexington and Concord were among our first patriots. And at the beginning of a week when we celebrate the birth of our nation, I think it's fitting to pause for a moment and reflect on the meaning of patriotism, theirs and ours.

We do so in part because we're in the midst of war. More than 1.5 million of our finest young men and women have now fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 60,000 have been wounded. Over 4,600 have been laid to rest. The costs of war have been great, and the debate surrounding our mission in Iraq has been fierce.

It's natural in light of such sacrifice by so many to think more deeply about the commitments that bind us together as a nation and that bind us to each other, as well.

We reflect on these questions also because we are in the midst of a presidential election, perhaps the most consequential in generations, a contest that will determine the course of this nation for years, perhaps decades, to come.

Not only is it a debate about big issues -- health care, jobs, energy, education, retirement security -- but it's also a debate about values.

How do we keep ourselves safe and secure while preserving our liberties? How do we restore trust in a government that seems increasingly removed from its people and dominated by special interests?

How do we ensure that, in an increasingly global economy, the winners maintain allegiance to the less fortunate? And how do we resolve our differences at a time of increasing diversity?

Finally, it's worth considering the meaning of patriotism, because the question of who is or is not a patriot all too often poisons our political debates in ways that divide us rather than bring us together.

I've come to know this from my own experience on the campaign trail. Throughout my life, I've always taken my deep and abiding love for this country as a given. It was how I was raised; it is what propelled me into public service; it is why I am running for president.

And yet, at certain times over the last 16 months, I've found for the first time my patriotism challenged, at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears and doubts about who I am and what I stand for.

So let me say this at the outset of my remarks: I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign.

(APPLAUSE)

And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.

(APPLAUSE)

My concerns here aren't simply personal, however. After all, throughout our history, men and women of far greater significance and stature than me have had their patriotism questioned in the midst of momentous debates.

Thomas Jefferson was accused by the Federalists of selling out to the French; the Anti-Federalists were just as convinced that John Adams was in cahoots with the British, intent on restoring monarchal rule.

Likewise, even our wisest presidents have sought sometimes to justify questionable practices on the basis of patriotism: Adams' Alien and Sedition Act, Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, Roosevelt's internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

All were defended at the time as expressions of patriotism, and those who disagreed with their policies were sometimes labeled as unpatriotic. In other words, the use of patriotism as a political sword or a political shield is as old as the republic.

Still, what's striking about today's patriotism debate is the degree to which it remains rooted in the culture wars of the 1960s, in the arguments that go back 40 years or more.

Some of you remember this. In the early years of the civil rights movement and the opposition to the Vietnam War, defenders of the status quo often accused anybody who questioned the wisdom of government policies of being unpatriotic.

Meanwhile, some of those in the so-called counter-culture of the '60s reacted not merely by criticizing particular government policies, but by attacking the symbols, and in extreme cases the very idea of America itself, by burning flags; by blaming America for all that was wrong with the world; and, perhaps most tragically, by failing to honor those veterans coming home from Vietnam, something that remains a national shame to this day.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, most Americans never bought into these simplistic worldviews, these caricatures of left and of right. Most Americans understood that dissent does not make one unpatriotic...

(APPLAUSE)

... and most Americans understand that there's nothing smart or sophisticated about a cynical disregard for America's traditions and institutions.

(APPLAUSE)

And yet the anger and turmoil of that period never entirely drained away. All too often, our politics still seems trapped in these old, threadbare arguments, a fact most evident during our recent debates about the war in Iraq, when those who opposed administration policy were tagged by some as unpatriotic, and a general providing his best counsel on how to move forward in Iraq was accused of betrayal.

Given the enormous challenges that lie before us, we can no longer afford these sorts of divisions. None of us expect that arguments about patriotism will, or should, vanish entirely. After all, when we argue about patriotism, we're arguing about who we are as a country and, more importantly, who we should be.

But surely we can agree that no party or political philosophy has a monopoly on patriotism.

(APPLAUSE)

And surely we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that, however rough and imperfect, captures the best of America's common spirit.

What would such a definition look like? For me, as for most Americans, patriotism starts as a gut instinct, a loyalty and love for country that's rooted in some of my earliest memories.

And I'm not just talking about the recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, or the Thanksgiving pageants at school, or the same fireworks on the Fourth of July that we just heard from earlier from Vince. Rather, as wonderful as these things may be, I'm referring to the way the American ideal wove its way throughout the lessons of my family, the lessons that my family taught me as a child.

You know, one of my earliest memories is of sitting on my grandfather's shoulders and watching the astronauts come to shore in Hawaii. I remember the cheers and the small flags that people waved, and my grandfather explaining how we Americans could do anything we set our minds to do. That's my idea of America.

(APPLAUSE)

I remember listening to my grandmother telling stories about her work on a bomber assembly line during World War II. I remember my grandfather handing me his dog tags from his time in Patton's army and understanding that his defense of this country marked one of his greatest sources of pride. That's my idea of America.

I remember...

(APPLAUSE)

I remember, when living for four years in Indonesia as a child, I listened to my mother reading me the first lines of the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they're endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

I remember her explaining how this declaration applied to every American, black and white and brown alike, how those words and the words of the United States Constitution protected us from the injustices that we witnessed other people suffering during those years abroad. That's my idea of America.

(APPLAUSE)

As I got older, that gut instinct that so many of us have, that America is the greatest country on Earth, would survive...

(APPLAUSE)

That gut instinct, that knowledge would survive my growing awareness of our nation's imperfections: its ongoing racial strife; the perversions of our political system that were laid bare during the Watergate hearings; the wrenching poverty of the Mississippi Delta and the hills of Appalachia, and inner cities and rural communities all across America.

That instinct that this is the greatest country on Earth survived not only because, in my mind, the joys of American life and culture -- its vitality, its variety, its freedom -- always outweighed its imperfections, but because I learned that what makes America great has never been its perfection, but the belief that it can be made better.

I came to understand that our revolution was waged for the sake of that belief: that we could be governed by laws, not men; that we could be equal in the eyes of those laws; that we could be free to say what we want, and assemble with whomever we want, and worship as we please; that we could have the right to pursue our individual dreams, but the obligation to help our fellow citizens pursue theirs.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, for a young man like me of mixed race, without firm anchor in any particular community, without even a father's steadying hand, it is this essential American idea -- that we are not constrained by the accident of birth, but can make of our lives what we will -- that has defined my life, just as it has defined the life of so many other Americans.

(APPLAUSE)

And that's why, for me, patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map or a certain kind of people. Instead, it's also loyalty to America's ideals, ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion.

I believe it is this loyalty that allows a country teeming with different races and ethnicities, religions and customs, to come together as one. It is the application of these ideals that separates us from Zimbabwe, where the opposition party and their supporters have been silently hunted, tortured or killed.

It separates us from Burma, where tens of thousands continue to struggle for basic food and shelter in the wake of a monstrous storm because a military junta fears opening up the country to outsiders.

Or Iraq, where, despite the heroic efforts of our military, men and women like this, and the courage of many ordinary Iraqis, even limited cooperation between various factions remains far too elusive.

I believe those who attack America's flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America.

(APPLAUSE)

Of course, precisely because America isn't perfect, precisely because our ideals constantly demand more from us, patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader, or government, or policy.

(APPLAUSE)

As Mark Twain, that greatest of American satirists and proud son of Missouri, once wrote, "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."

(LAUGHTER)

That's what patriotism is.

(APPLAUSE)

That's what patriotism is.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, we may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, stand up for what's right, and there are many times in our history when that's occurred. But when our laws, when our leaders or our government are out of alignment with those ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expressions of patriotism.

(APPLAUSE)

The young preacher from Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led a movement to help America confront our tragic history of racial injustice and live up to the meaning of our creed, he was a patriot.

The young soldier who first spoke about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, he is a patriot.

(APPLAUSE)

Recognizing a wrong being committed in this country's name, insisting that we deliver on the promise of our Constitution, these are the acts of patriots, men and women who are defending what is best in America. And we should never forget that, especially when we disagree with them, especially when they make us uncomfortable with their words. (APPLAUSE)

That's part of the American tradition. That's part of why we are proud to be Americans.

Beyond a loyalty to America's ideals, beyond a willingness to dissent on behalf of those ideals, I also believe that patriotism must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice, to give up something we value on behalf of a larger cause.

Now, for those who've fought under the flag of this nation, for the young veterans like Vince, the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed, for those like John McCain, who have endured physical torment in service to our country, no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary.

And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters of both sides.

(APPLAUSE)

We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform, period, full-stop.

(APPLAUSE)

Indeed, one of the good things to emerge from the current conflict in Iraq has been the widespread recognition that, whether you support this war or oppose it, the sacrifice of our troops is always worthy of honor. That's a change from the '60s that's been very welcome to many of us.

But for the rest of us, for those of us not in uniform or without loved ones in the military, the call to service for the country's greater good remains an imperative of citizenship. Sadly, in recent years, in the midst of war on two fronts, this call to service never came.

After 9/11, we were asked to shop. The wealthiest among us saw their tax obligations decline, something that had never occurred before during wartime, even as the costs of war continued to mount. Rather than work together to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and thereby lessen our vulnerability to a volatile region, our energy policy remained unchanged and our oil dependence only grew.

In spite of this absence of leadership from Washington, I've seen a new generation of Americans begin to take up the call. I meet them everywhere I go, young people involved in the project of American renewal, not only those who have signed up to fight for our country in distant lands, but those who are fighting for a better America right here at home, by reaching out to those who are less fortunate, by teaching in underserved schools, or caring for the sick in understaffed hospitals, or promoting more sustainable energy policies in their local communities.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe one of the tasks of the next administration is to ensure that this movement towards service grows and sustains itself in the years to come.

We should expand AmeriCorps and grow the Peace Corps. We should encourage national service by making it a part of the requirement for a new college assistance program, even as we strengthen the benefits for those whose sense of duty has already led them to serve in our military.

(APPLAUSE)

So government can do its part. We must remember, though, that true patriotism cannot be forced or legislated with a mere set of government programs. Instead, it must reside in the hearts of our people, and cultivated in the heart of our culture, and nurtured in the hearts of our children.

As we begin...

(APPLAUSE)

As we begin our fourth century as a nation, it is easy to take the extraordinary nature of America for granted. But it is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to instill that history in our children, both at home and at school.

The loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many young Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are, or what they did, or the significance of the founding documents that bear their names.

(APPLAUSE)

Too many children are ignorant of the sheer effort, the risks and sacrifices made by previous generations, to ensure that this country survived war and depression, through the great struggles of civil, and social, and worker's rights.

It is up to us, then, to teach them. It is up to us to teach them that even though we have faced great challenges and made our share of mistakes, we have always been able to come together and make this nation stronger, and more prosperous, and more united, and more just.

It's up to us to teach them that America has been a force for good in the world and that other nations and other people have looked to us as the last, best hope on Earth. It is up to us to teach them that it is good to give back to one's community, that it is honorable to serve in the military, that it is vital to participate in our democracy and make our voices heard.

(APPLAUSE)

And it is up to us to teach our children a lesson that those of us in politics all too often forget: that patriotism involves not only defending this country against external threat, but also working constantly to make America a better place for future generations.

(APPLAUSE)

When we pile up mountains of debt for the next generation to absorb or put off changes to our energy policies, knowing full well the potential consequences of inaction, we are placing our short-term interests ahead of the nation's long-term well-being.

When we fail to educate effectively millions of our children so that they might compete in a global economy or we fail to invest in the basic scientific research that has driven innovation in this country, we risk leaving behind an America that has fallen in the ranks of the world.

Just as patriotism involves each of us making a commitment to this nation that extends beyond our own individual immediate self- interest, so must that commitment extend beyond our own time here on Earth.

Our greatest leaders have always understood this. They've defined patriotism with an eye towards posterity.

George Washington is rightly revered for his leadership of the Continental Army, but one of his greatest acts of patriotism was his insistence on stepping down after two terms, thereby setting a pattern for those that would follow, reminding future presidents that this is a government of and by and for the people.

(APPLAUSE)

Abraham Lincoln did not simply win a war or hold the union together. In his unwillingness to demonize those against whom he fought, in his refusal to succumb to either the hatred or self- righteousness that war can unleash, in his ultimate insistence that in the aftermath of war the nation would no longer remain half-slave and half-free, in his trust in the better angels of our nature, Lincoln displayed the wisdom and courage that sets a standard for patriotism.

And it was the most famous son of Independence, Harry S Truman, who sat in the White House during his final days in office and said in his farewell address, "When Franklin Roosevelt died, I felt there must be a million men better qualified than I to take up the presidential task. But through all of it, through all the years I have worked here in this room, I have been well aware than I did not really work alone, that you were working with me. No president could ever hope to lead our country or to sustain the burdens of this office, save the people helped with their support."

In the end...

(APPLAUSE)

That's what Truman said. And in the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind, not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, the American people.

That's why our hearts swell with pride at the sight of our flag, why we shed a tear as the lonely notes of "Taps" sound. For we know that the greatness of this country, its victories in war, its enormous wealth, its scientific and cultural achievements, all result from the energy and imagination of the American people, their toil, drive, struggle, their restlessness and humor and quiet heroism.

That's the liberty we defend, the liberty of each of us to pursue our own dreams. That's the equality we seek, not an equality of results, but the chance of every single one of us to make it if we try.

That's the community we strive to build, one in which we trust in this sometimes messy democracy of ours, one in which we continue to insist that there is nothing we cannot do when we put our mind to it, one in which we see ourselves as part of a larger story, our own fates wrapped up in the fates of those who share allegiance to America's happy and singular creed.

(APPLAUSE)

That's what patriotism means to me. Thank you, Independence. God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you.

Ice on Mars!!

2008-06-20T23:49:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, I posted that the Phoenix probe uncovered a white substance which might be frozen water, though it could have been a salt. Turns out it IS water. The evidence? Some of it disappeared by the time the next picture was taken--it must have evaporated. You can see that white chunks in the Sol 20 picture have disappeared within 4 Martian days. Salt doesn't do that. So Phoenix has found water ice on Mars!

As I said Sunday, this is the first contact with alien water. The probe will now look for evidence of the building blocks for life.

Obama's Father's Day Speech

2008-06-15T23:27:00.000-04:00

Barack Obama speaks on the importance of fatherhood and challenges the African American community to take more responsibility. It is not a partisan speech--McCain is never mentioned. In fact there is no policy at all for the first 18 minutes. In the last minute and a half he talks abut his faith in Jesus and God. I could do without the "God as our father" analogy. Other than that, it was a great speech.

Mars Phoenix Probe Hits White Gold?

2008-06-15T14:34:00.006-04:00

The Mars Phoenix probe, which touched down on the north polar region of Mars twenty days ago, has begun digging with its robotic arm. Dirt from the first scoop was "stickier" than expected perhaps due to moisture? Where would moisture come from on that dry world? Scientists chose the polar landing site because orbital imaging indicated that there is ice underneath the surface. But could it be this close to the surface? Pictured above is the trench that Phoenix has enlarged. You can see light patches in the trenches. They are either streaks of some salt, or water ice--white gold, if you will. If turns out to be ice, it will be the first alien water we've ever had a chance to study. We should find out very soon. [It IS ice!]

Obama Challenges Smears

2008-06-12T23:56:00.005-04:00

When someone says something truly ridiculous about you, you have two options: ignore it or rebut it. If you rebut it, you risk elevating the person making the charge. But if you ignore it, some people may believe it is true. In 2004, John Kerry chose not to rebut criticism from a right wing group of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that challenged Kerry's war record. This kind of unfounded attack on something that should be your greatest strength is now called "swiftboating." It cost Kerry dearly. By the time he responded, it was too late to change some people's opinions. [It is is interesting how a belief can sometimes be cemented in the mind quickly and firmly enough to resist all attempts to alter it using factual information.]

Senator Obama has decided it is better to rebut the spurious charges than to leave them unchallenged. His campaign has set up a website to rebut smears. If anyone you know has heard a scurrilous rumor about Barack Obama, please send them to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/

Mars Phoenix Probe Sees Permafrost Pattern

2008-05-26T10:24:00.006-04:00

The Mars Phoenix probe has just landed safely on the polar region of Mars. The terrain exhibits "polygonal cracking"—it looks like it has been shaped by repeated melting and freezing of ice below the surface. If Phoenix's digging arm can detect that ice, it would be the first contact with alien water.

Men for Clinton Supporters to Blame

2008-05-22T21:40:00.011-04:00

In the hotly contested Democratic primary for US President, many supporters on both sides have focused on things they see as unfair. Inevitably, issues of race and gender arise. Some people have voted for Senator Obama because he is black and some for Senator Clinton because she is female. In both cases these voters hope their candidates will break through a glass ceiling and provide a role model for those to come. I think this is fine. Others vote against Obama because he is black or against Clinton because she is female. This is of course terribly wrong, and supporters of both candidates should decry both sins. But I think that the vast majority of people, such as myself, voted for who they thought was the best candidate, not for issues of race or gender. Obama has won a good fraction of the white vote and Clinton has won a good fraction of the male vote.

Some Clinton supporters have blamed her apparent loss on sexism. While I think it is true that some, particularly in the cable media, have made some misogynist comments, they are but a drop in the bucket of verbiage that has been spewed ad nauseam in this long contest. No, I think there are four main reasons that Barack Obama is now within reach of the nomination:

Senator Obama is a thoughtful, talented candidate with a powerful message of change.
The Obama campaign has excelled strategically at the large (50 state strategy) and the small (cool website).
There are millions of voters who were waiting for a candidate like Barack. We existed before his campaign, he just energized us.
Senator Clinton's campaign made two key strategic blunders.

It is the last point to which I devote the rest of the post.

Senator Clinton's campaign was run mostly by two men, Mark Penn and Howard Wolfson. Mark Penn has since stepped down from the top job. The two key mistakes they made were not campaigning in the caucus states on Super Tuesday, and not having a strategy for after Super Tuesday. They assumed that winning big states like NY, NJ, CA, as well as Clinton's home state of Arkansas, would seal the deal. But the Obama campaign cobbled together enough pledged delegates from IL and some smaller states to make the day nearly a tie. When the Clinton campaign did not achieve a blowout, they had no strategy to compete in the next set of states, and they lost a dozen in a row. These were fatal blows to the Clinton campaign.

I think this was a matter of hubris. Now maybe it is unfair, but hubris does tend to be associated with men. And the men that displayed that hubris, the men that destroyed Hillary Clinton's chances, were Mark Penn and Howard Wolfson. So Clinton supporters, please, if you want to blame men for Senator Clinton's impending loss, you need look no further than her own cocky campaign strategists.

Obama on Trade and Investing in Science

2008-05-11T21:22:00.007-04:00

Senator Obama answers a question about trade. He makes clear that he is not opposed to trade, but he wants trade deals with much stricter labor, safety, and environmental standards. He also talks about the need to support innovation, such as by doubling the research and development budget. Let me say a few words about that.

Much of the world economy is based on science and technology. While there is a lot of appreciation for the latter--just look at the computer you read this on--the role of basic scientific research in creating that technology is often overlooked. Without research over the previous decades, current technology could not continue advancing at the same rate. Without basic research today, future technological innovation would be starved.

Sometimes the payoff is fairly quick. For example, something called giant magnetoresistance was discovered 20 years ago, and now it is used in most computer hard drives. (The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg for their discovery of giant magnetoresistance.)

Sometimes the payoff takes a long time. For example, the arcane theory of quantum mechanics was developed in the 1920's. Few would have predicted a theory needed only at the atomic scale would end up being important to the world economy. But most of our understanding of electronics, lasers, nuclear technology, and chemistry depends on an understanding of quantum mechanics. In fact, it has been estimated that 1/3 of the can be traced back to quantum mechanics.

The point is, we do not know which avenues of scientific research will lead to future technological breakthroughs. Currently, the US government spends about 0.3% of the US GNP on basic research. The report Rising Above the Gathering Storm calls for doubling that number--this is probably what motivated Senator Obama's comment. That report also calls for improving math and science education--which I think is crucial for our future success.

Obama Takes the Lead in Superdelegates

2008-05-09T08:20:00.005-04:00

Since early February, Barack Obama has been chipping away at Hillary Clinton's lead in Superdelegates. The 2008 Democratic Convention Watch Superdelegate Endorsement List has chronicled her fall from a lead of around 100 on Super Tuesday, to 7.5 today. But this tally excludes an important category of superdelegates called the Pelosi Club, which I explain below. When the Pelosi Club superdelegates are included in the tally, her 'lead' is reduced by 8, which means that

Barack Obama Now LEADS in superdelegates

Those familiar with this blog have heard about the Pelosi Club in several posts, including The Cantwell Club, my Running List of Obama Endorsements, and of course, Former President Jimmy Carter Joins the Pelosi Club. In brief, any superdelegate who has committed to voting for the winner of the pledged delegates (those elected by the voters) is in the Pelosi Club. The group is named after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has repeatedly said she would cast her vote for the winner of the pledged delegates.

At this point, all experts agree that Clinton cannot overtake Obama in pledged delegates. She would need to get more than 80% of all remaining votes to do so--a larger margin than any state so far for either side. So, for the purposes of tabulating the number of superdelegates who have said how they will cast votes at the Convention, it makes sense to add the Pelosi Club superdelegates into Obama's column.

What is the effect of that? Well, there are two Pelosi Club members who have endorsed Obama (Zoe Lofgren and Tom Daschle). They are already being counted in the Obama column, so there is no effect on the tally. There are 6 uncommitted Pelosi Club superdelegates (Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Jimmy Carter, Governor Roy Romer, Christine Pelosi, Betty Richie, and Denise Johnson). Adding them reduces Clinton's superdelegate lead by 6. Finally, there is 1 Pelosi Club superdelegate who has endorsed Clinton: Maria Cantwell. Her commitment to cast her vote for the pledged delegate winner means we should move her from the Clinton to the Obama column, which reduces Clinton's superdelegate lead by 2.

The combined effect of counting these Pelosi Club members is to reduces Clinton's superdelegate lead by 8, from 7.5 to -0.5. Thus Obama now has a lead in superdelegates (as well as a huge lead in pledged delegates).

Obama Will Help Our Image Around the World

2008-05-05T00:40:00.003-04:00

Ordinarily, I would say that the opinions of people around the world should not matter much in a US election. But after 8 years of George W. Bush's policies destroying our image, it is relevant that there is only one candidate who has a great chance to restore that image, Barack Obama. In recognition of that, here is a video endorsement of Obama from an Italian who is married to an American.

"I love the US very much... we live in a globalized world... when I am outside the US, I always want to defend it... It is time for America to restore its moral standing in the world... Barack Obama is the only one who can bring about that change"

Many people around the world had pictures of JFK on their walls. It would be wonderful to have another American president inspire that kind of global good will.

[Thanks to Miriam for that meme.]

Former President Jimmy Carter Joins the Pelosi Club

2008-05-03T12:50:00.006-04:00

Former President Jimmy Carter previously strongly hinted that he supported Senator Obama. Since he did not officially endorse him, I did not add him to my Running List of Obama Endorsements. But now President Carter has said he that as a superdelegate he would not go against the will of the people--he would vote for the winner of the pledged delegates, who is all but certain to be Barack Obama. In short, President Carter has joined the Pelosi Club.

“It would be undemocratic if the superdelegates blatantly went against the decision of Democratic voters across the nation... Whoever gets the most [pledged] delegates ought to be the nominee.”

--Former President Jimmy Carter [source]

There are now 9 Pelosi Club members: 2 Obama supporters, 6 uncommitted, and 1 Clinton supporter (Maria Cantwell). For the purposes of adjusting the superdelegate difference between Clinton and Obama, one should add the uncommitted SDs and twice the Clinton SDs in the club (because the latter will leave the Clinton column and move to the Obama column when the pledged delegate total is finalized)--i.e. one should adjust Obama's numbers up by 8 (=6+2*1).

For example, as of today, the Superdelegate Endorsement List has Clinton leading Obama 267 to 244, i.e. by 23 superdelegates. But at the end of the primaries, the 6 uncommitted Pelosi Club members (Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Jimmy Carter, Governor Roy Romer, Christine Pelosi, Betty Richie, and Denise Johnson) will enter the Obama column, and the Clinton SD in the Pelosi Club, Maria Cantwell, will switch from Clinton to Obama, so the total really is 266 to 251, only a 15 SD lead for Clinton. Many are watching for when Obama overtakes Clinton in superdelegates. If one counts the Pelosi club members, it will happen perhaps a week earlier.

Electrons and Their Siblings

2008-04-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

Electrons are the little points of charge that are racing right now through the logic board of your computer, just so you can read this blog. They are tiny. In fact, they are too small to measure. We know that they are smaller than 1/1000th the size of a proton†. They weigh 1/1800th as much as the proton. They have one unit of electric charge.

The photo is of J. J. Thompson, who used the pictured Cathode Ray Tube to discover the electron in 1897.

There are two siblings of the electron which are just like electrons, except heavier. They are called the muon and the tau.

[first of three posts designed to explain what this giant thing is.]

Muons (μ) weigh about 200 times as much as the electron. They are not stable, and decay in about 2 millionths of a second, on average. That's actually very long-lived for an unstable particle. They are produced in the upper atmosphere by cosmic rays, and because they are going near the speed of light, they live until they reach the ground (I'll explain that later). There are hundreds of them going through you every second. Don't worry, we have spent our entire time as a species bathed in a background of particles going through us. Most of them pass straight through, and our bodies are well equipped to deal with a small amount of radiation.

Taus (τ) weigh about 3500 times as much as the electron (they are almost twice as heavy as a proton). They are even less stable than muons, and decay in about a trillionth of a second. Since they are shorter-lived and produced less frequently in cosmic rays, there are far fewer taus going through you than muons.

[next Neutrinos and Their Siblings]

† 'Size' becomes less well defined for elementary particles. What do use to measure it? Here I mean that electrons don't seem to be made of other particles and so are pointlike, as far as we can tell. (Protons and neutrons are made of quarks, and they do have a size, a quadrillionth of a meter, better known as a femtometer.)

[Note: The numbers for mass in the table are actually in units of Gev/c², and the proton weighs 0.938 Gev/c², not 1, but one shouldn't worry about such small differences when one is getting a sense of scale.]

[confidence: established, my qualifications: trained]

The Cantwell Club

2008-03-31T23:55:00.004-04:00

The blog 2008 Democratic Convention Watch has an excellent running post called the Superdelegate Endorsement List, which keeps track of which candidates each of the 793 superdelegates support. I have found it very useful for my Running List of Obama Endorsements. Currently, about 214 superdelegates have said they would support Obama, 246 would support Clinton, and 333 of them are undeclared. (It should be noted that Obama leads among superdelegates who are elected officials, as opposed to DNC members.)

Recently, the site has decided that a fourth category is needed, which they call the Pelosi Club, after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She has said,

"If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party...The way the system works is that the [pledged] delegates choose the nominee."

Of course, Senator Obama is almost certain to end up with a majority of pledged delegates, so despite the fact that Speaker Pelosi has not endorsed either candidate explicitly, for purposes of tallying votes, she should be counted in the Obama column.

There are currently six other members of the Pelosi club, three like Pelosi who have not endorsed a candidate by name, two who have endorsed Obama (Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Former Sen. Tom Daschle), and one who has endorsed Clinton...Senator Maria Cantwell.

So Maria Cantwell, the Junior Senator from the state of Washington, is in a club by herself. She is the only superdelegate who endorses Clinton, but will vote for Obama (absent a total collapse of the Obama campaign). She has not renounced her endorsement of Senator Clinton, she has simply said that the will of the people is more important than her opinion:

"If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.

With that one quote, she diminished Senator Clinton's lead in superdelegates by two (decreasing the number pledged to Hillary by one, and increasing the number who will vote for Barack by one).

I think Senator Cantwell should be rewarded for respecting democracy. If you concur, please send her a message of thanks, or contribute to her campaign. Just mention that you are doing it in honor of her starting the Cantwell Club.

I would like other superdelegates who have endorsed Senator Clinton to join the Cantwell Club. They need not renounce their endorsement of Hillary to join the club, they can simply say that democracy is more important than their personal opinion and so they will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates. An obvious candidate is the Senior Senator from the state of Washington, Patty Murray. If you want to send a positive message encouraging her to join the Cantwell Club, contact her here.

Senator Obama's NYC Speech on the Economy

2008-03-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

This is a detailed, thoughtful look at our financial situation from the underlying forces leading to the current upheaval to specific policy proposals on how to fix it. Senator Obama describes the thinking on both sides, and charts a sensible middle path. He conveys that he is as thoughtful and knowledgeable as he is inspiring. He begins with a history lesson and ends with stirring rhetoric.

In other words, it is a typical Barack Obama speech. Below is the full text.

March 27, 2008

TRANSCRIPT [from the NY times]

Obama on ‘Renewing the American Economy’

Following is the transcript of Barack Obama's economic speech at Cooper Union in New York, as provided by CQ Transcriptions Inc.

[PRIOR TO START OF VIDEO]

Thank you so much for being here.

Let me begin by thanking Dr. Drucker and Cooper Union for hosting us here today. I have to say that the last time an Illinois politician made a speech here it was pretty good. So...

(LAUGHTER)

... the bar is high. And I -- I want everybody to know right at the outset here that this may not be living for generations to come, the way Lincoln's speech did. I want to thank all our elected supporters who are here. I want to -- there are a couple of special guests that I'm very appreciative for being in attendance: Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board...

(APPLAUSE)

We appreciate his presence. William Donaldson, the former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We thank you. And finally I want to thank the mayor of this great city, mayor Bloomberg, for his extraordinary leadership. At a time...

(APPLAUSE)

At a time when Washington is divided in old ideological battles, he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. Not only has he been a remarkable leader for New York, he's established himself as a major voice in our national debate on issues like renewing our economy, educating our children and seeking energy independence. So, Mr. Mayor, I share your determination to bring this country together, to finally make progress for the American people. And I have to tell you that the reason I bought breakfast is because I expect payback at something more expensive.

(LAUGHTER)

I -- the mayor -- I'm no dummy.

(LAUGHTER)

The mayor was a cheap date that morning...

(LAUGHTER)

... and I figured there's some good steakhouses here in New York.

(LAUGHTER)

[VIDEO BEGINS HERE]

In a city of landmarks, we meet at Cooper Union, just uptown from Federal Hall, where George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. With all history that's passed through the narrow canyons of Lower Manhattan, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on the role that the market has played in the development of the American story. The great task before our founders was putting into practice the ideal that government could simultaneously serve liberty and advance the common good. For Alexander Hamilton, the young secretary of the treasury, that task was bound to the vigor of the American economy. Hamilton had a strong belief in the power of the market, but he balanced that belief with a conviction that human enterprise, and I quote, "may be beneficially stimulated by prudent aids and encouragements on the part of the government." Government, he believed, had an important role to play in advancing our common prosperity. So he nationalized the state Revolutionary War debts, weaving together the economies of the states and creating an American system of credit and capital markets. And he encouraged manufacturing and infrastructure, so products could be moved to market. Hamilton met fierce opposition from Thomas Jefferson, who worried that this brand of capitalism would favor the interests of the few over the many. Jefferson preferred an agrarian economy, because he believed that it would give individual landowners freedom and that this freedom would nurture our democratic institutions. But despite their differences, there was one thing that Jefferson and Hamilton agreed on: that economic growth depended upon the talent and ingenuity of the American people; that in order to harness that talent, opportunity had to remain open to all; and that through education in particular, every American could climb the ladder of social and economic mobility and achieve the American dream. In the more than two centuries since then, we've struggled to balance the same forces that confronted Hamilton and Jefferson.: self-interest and community, markets and democracy, the concentration of wealth and power and the necessity of transparency and opportunity for each and every citizen. Throughout this saga, Americans have pursued their dreams within a free market that has been the engine of America's progress. It's a market that's created a prosperity that is the envy of the world, and opportunity for generations of Americans; a market that has provided great rewards to innovators and risk-takers who've made America a beacon for science and technology and discovery.

But the American experiment has worked in large part because we guided the market's invisible hand with a higher principle. A free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it. That's why we've put in place rules of the road: to make competition fair and open, and honest. We've done this not to stifle but rather to advance prosperity and liberty. As I said at Nasdaq last September, the core of our economic success is the fundamental truth that each American does better when all Americans do better; that the well-being of American business (OOTC:ARBU) , its capital markets and its American people are aligned. I think that all of us here today would acknowledge that we've lost some of that sense of shared prosperity. Now, this loss has not happened by accident. It's because of decisions made in board rooms, on trading floors and in Washington. Under Republican and Democratic administrations, we've failed to guard against practices that all too often rewarded financial manipulation instead of productivity and sound business practice. We let the special interests put their thumbs on the economic scales. The result has been a distorted market that creates bubbles instead of steady, sustainable growth; a market that favors Wall Street over Main Street, but ends up hurting both. Nor is this trend new. The concentrations of economic power and the failures of our political system to protect the American economy and American consumers from its worst excesses have been a staple of our past: most famously in the 1920s, when such excesses ultimately plunged the country into the Great Depression. That is when government stepped in to create a series of regulatory structures, from FDIC to the Glass-Steagall Act, to serve as a corrective, to protect the American people and American business.

Ironically, it was in reaction to the high taxes and some of the outmoded structures of the New Deal that both individuals and institutions in the '80s and '90s began pushing for changes to this regulatory structure. But instead of sensible reform that rewarded success and freed the creative forces of the market, too often we've excused and even embraced an ethic of greed, corner cutting, insider dealing, things that have always threatened the long-term stability of our economic system. Too often we've lost that common stake in each other's prosperity. Now, let me be clear. The American economy does not stand still and neither should the rules that govern it. The evolution of industries often warrants regulatory reform to foster competition, lower prices or replace outdated oversight structures. Old institutions cannot adequately oversee new practices. Old rules may not fit the roads where our economy is leading. So there were good arguments for changing the rules of the road in the 1990s. Our economy was undergoing a fundamental shift, carried along by the swift currents of technological change and globalization. For the sake of our common prosperity, we needed to adapt to keep markets competitive and fair. Unfortunately, instead of establishing a 21st century regulatory framework, we simply dismantled the old one, aided by a legal but corrupt bargain in which campaign money all too often shaped policy and watered down oversight. In doing so we encouraged a winner take all, anything goes environment that helped foster devastating dislocations in our economy. Deregulation of the telecommunications sector, for example, fostered competition, but also contributed to massive over-investment.

Partial deregulation of the electricity sector enabled (inaudible). Companies like Enron and WorldCom took advantage of the new regulatory environment to push the envelope, pump up earnings, disguise losses and otherwise engage in accounting fraud to make their profits look better, a practice that led investors to question the balance sheets of all companies and severely damaged public trust in capital markets. This was not the invisible hand at work. Instead, it was the hand of industry lobbyists tilting the playing field in Washington as well as an accounting industry that had developed powerful conflicts of interest and a financial sector that had fueled over-investment. A decade later we have deregulated the financial sector and we face another crisis. A regulatory structure set up for banks in the 1930s needed to change, because the nature of business had changed. But by the time the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed in 1999, the $300 million lobbying effort that drove deregulation was more about facilitating mergers than creating an efficient regulatory framework. And since then we've overseen 21st century innovation, including the aggressive introduction of new and complex financial instruments like hedge funds and non-bank financial companies, with outdated 20th century regulatory tools. New conflicts of interest recalled the worst excesses of the past, like the outrageous news that we learned just yesterday of KPMG allowing a lender to report profits instead of losses so that both parties could make a quick buck. Not surprisingly, the regulatory environment failed to keep pace. When subprime mortgage lending took a reckless and unsustainable turn, a patchwork of regulators were unable or unwilling to protect the American people. Now, the policies of the Bush administration threw the economy further out of balance. Tax cuts without end for the wealthiest Americans. A trillion dollar war in Iraq that didn't need to be fought, paid for with deficit spending and borrowing from foreign creditors like China. A complete...

(APPLAUSE)

A complete disdain for pay-as-you-go budgeting, coupled with a generally scornful attitude toward oversight and enforcement, allowed far too many to put short-term gain ahead of long-term consequences. The American economy was bound to suffer a painful correction, and policy-makers found themselves with fewer resources to deal with the consequences. Today those consequences are clear. I see them in every corner of our great country as families face foreclosure and rising costs. I see them in towns across America, where a credit crisis threatens the ability of students to get loans and states can't finance infrastructure projects. I see them here in Manhattan, where one of our biggest investment banks had to be bailed out and the Fed opened its discount window to a host of new institutions with unprecedented implications that we have yet to appreciate. When all is said and done, losses will be in the many hundreds of billions. What was bad for Main Street turned out to be bad for Wall Street. Pain trickled up. And that...

(APPLAUSE)

... and that's why -- that's why the principle that I spoke about at NASDAQ last September is even more urgently true today. In our 21st century economy, there is no dividing line between Main Street and Wall Street.

The decisions made in New York's high rises have consequences for Americans across the country. And whether those Americans can make their house payments, whether they keep their jobs or spend confidentially without falling into debt, that has consequences for the entire market. The future cannot be shaped by the best-connected lobbyists with the best record of raising money for campaigns. This...

(APPLAUSE)

This thinking is wrong for the financial sector and it's wrong for our country. I do not believe the government should stand in the way of innovation or turn back the clock on an older era of regulation. But I do believe that government has a role to play in advancing our common prosperity, by providing stable macroeconomic and financial conditions for sustained growth, by demanding transparency and by ensuring fair competition in the marketplace. Our history should give us confidence that we don't have to choose between an oppressive government-run economy and a chaotic, unforgiving capitalism. It tells us we can emerge from great economic upheavals stronger, not weaker. But we can only do so if we restore confidence in our markets, only if we rebuild trust between investors and lenders, and only if we renew that common interest between Wall Street and Main street that is the key to our long-term success. Now, as most experts agree, our economy is in a recession. To renew our economy and to ensure that we are not doomed to repeat a cycle of bubble and bust again and again and again, we need to address not only the immediate crisis in the housing market, we also need to create a 21st-century regulatory framework and we need to pursue a bold opportunity agenda for the American people.

Most urgently, we have to confront the housing crisis. After months of inaction, the president spoke here in New York and warned against doing too much. His main proposal, extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, is completely divorced from reality, the reality that people are facing around the country.

(APPLAUSE)

John McCain recently announced his own plan. And, unfortunately, it amounts to little more than watching this crisis unfold.

(LAUGHTER)

While this is consistent with Senator McCain's determination to run for George Bush's third term...

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

... it won't help families that are suffering and it won't help lift our economy out of recession. Over 2 million households are at risk of foreclosure. Millions more have seen their home values plunge. Many Americans are walking away from their homes, which hurts property values for entire neighborhoods and aggravates the credit crisis. To stabilize the housing market and to help bring the foreclosure crisis to an end, I've sponsored Senator Chris Dodd's legislation creating a new FHA housing security program, which will provide meaningful incentives for lenders to buy or refinance existing mortgages. This will allow Americans facing foreclosure to keep their homes at rates that they can afford. Now, Senator McCain argues that government should do nothing to protect borrowers and lenders who've made bad decisions or taken on excessive risk.

And on this point I agree. But the Dodd-Frank package is not a bailout for lenders or investors who gambled recklessly; they will take their losses. It's not a windfall for borrowers, as they will have to share any capital gain. Instead, it offers a responsible and fair way to help bring an end to the foreclosure crisis. It asks both sides to sacrifice, while preventing a long-term collapse that could have enormous ramifications for the most responsible lenders and borrowers, as well as the American people as a whole. That's what Senator McCain ignores. For homeowners who are victims of fraud, I've also proposed a $10 billion foreclosure prevention fund that would help them sell a home that is beyond their means or modify their loan to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy. It's also time to amend our bankruptcy laws so families aren't forced to stick to the terms of a home loan that was predatory or unfair.

(APPLAUSE)

To prevent fraud in the future, I've proposed tough new penalties on fraudulent lenders and a home-score system that will allow consumers to find out more about mortgage offers and whether they'll be able to make payments. To help low- and middle-income families, I proposed a 10 percent mortgage interest tax credit that will allow homeowners who don't itemize their taxes to access incentives for homeownership. And to expand homeownership, we must do more to help communities turn abandoned properties into affordable housing. The government can't do this alone, nor should it. As I said last September, lenders must get ahead of the curve rather than just react to the crisis. They should actively look at all borrowers, offer workouts and reduce the principal on mortgages in trouble. Not only can this prevent the larger losses associated with foreclosure and resale, but it can reduce the extent of government intervention and taxpayer exposure. But beyond dealing with the immediate housing crisis, it is time for the federal government to revamp the regulatory framework dealing with our financial markets.

(APPLAUSE)

Our capital markets have helped us build the strongest economy in the world. They are the source of competitive advantage for our country.

But they cannot succeed without the public's trust. The details of regulatory reform should be developed through sound analysis and public debate. And so I won't try to cross every "t" and dot every "i" in this speech. But there are several core principles for reform that I intend to pursue as president. First, if you can borrow from the government, you should be subject to government oversight and supervision.

(APPLAUSE)

Secretary Paulson admitted this in his remarks yesterday. The Federal Reserve should have basic supervisory authority over any institution to which it may make credit available as a lender of last resort. When the Fed steps in, it is providing lenders an insurance policy underwritten by the American taxpayer. In return, taxpayers have every right to expect that these institutions are not taking excessive risks. Now, the nature of regulation should depend on the degree and extent of the Fed's exposure. But, at the very least, these new regulations should include liquidity and capital requirements. Second, there needs to be general reform of the requirements to which all regulated financial institutions are subjected. Capital requirements should be strengthened, particularly for complex financial instruments like some of the mortgage securities that led to our current crisis. We must develop and rigorously manage liquidity risks. We must investigate ratings agencies and potential conflicts of interest with the people that they are rating. And transparency requirements must demand full disclosure by financial institutions to shareholders and counter parties. As we reform our regulatory system at home, we should work with international arrangements, like the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the International Accounting Standards Board, and the Financial Stability Forum, to address the same problems abroad.

The goal should be to ensure that financial institutions around the world are subject to similar rules of the road, both to make the system more stable and to keep our financial institutions competitive. Third, we need to streamline a framework of overlapping and competing regulatory agencies. Reshuffling bureaucracies should not be an end in itself. But the large, complex institutions that dominate the financial landscape don't fit into categories created decades ago. Different institutions compete in multiple markets. Our regulatory system should not pretend otherwise. A streamlined system will provide better oversight and be less costly for regulated institutions. Fourth, we need to regulate institutions for what they do, not what they are. Over the last few years, commercial banks and thrift institutions were subject to guidelines on subprime mortgages that did not apply to mortgage brokers and companies. Now, it makes no sense for the Fed to tighten mortgage guidelines for banks when two-thirds of subprime mortgages don't originate from banks. This regulatory framework...

(APPLAUSE)

This regulatory framework has failed to protect homeowners and it is now clear that it made no sense for our financial system. When it comes to protecting the American people, it should make no difference what kind of institution they are dealing with. Fifth, we must remain vigilant and crack down on trading activity that crosses the line to market manipulation. On recent days, reports have circulated that some traders may have intentionally spread rumors that Bear Stearns (NYSE:BSC) was in financial distress while making market bets against the country. The SEC should investigate and punish this kind of market manipulation and report its conclusions to Congress. Sixth, we need a process that identifies systemic risks to the financial system.

Too often we deal with threats to the financial system that weren't anticipated by regulators. That's why we should create a financial market oversight commission, which would meet regularly and provide advice to the president, Congress and regulators on the state of our financial markets and the risks that face them. These experts' views could help anticipate risks before they erupt into a crisis.

These six principles should guide the legal reforms needed to establish a 21st-century regulatory system, but the changes we need goes beyond the laws and regulation. We need a shift in the cultures of our financial institutions and our regulatory agencies. Financial institutions have to do a better job at managing risk. There is something wrong when board of directors or senior managers don't understand the implications of the risks assumed by their own institutions. It's time to realign incentives and the compensation packages so that both high-level executives and employees better serve the interests of shareholders. And it's time to confront the risks that come with excessive complexity. Even the best government regulation cannot fully substitute for internal risk management. For supervisory agencies, oversight has to keep pace with innovation. As the subprime crisis unfolded, tough questions about new and complex financial instruments were not asked. As a result, the public interest was not protected. We do American business and the American people no favors when we turn a blind eye to excessive leverage and dangerous risks. And finally, the American people must be able to trust that their government is looking out for all of us, not just those who donate to political campaigns. I...

(APPLAUSE)

I fought in the Senate for the most extensive ethics reforms since Watergate, and we got those passed.

(APPLAUSE)

I've refused contributions from federal lobbyists and PACs. I have laid out far-reaching plans that I intend to sign into law as president to bring transparency to government and to end the revolving door between industries and the federal agencies that oversee them.

Once...

(APPLAUSE)

Once we deal with the immediate crisis in housing and strengthen the regulatory system governing our financial markets, we have to make government responsive once again to all of the American people. And our final task, in fact, is to make sure that opportunity is available to all Americans. You know, the bedrock of our economic success is the American dream. It's a dream shared in big cities and small towns, across races, regions and religions, that, if you work hard, you can support a family; that if you get sick, there will be health care that you can afford; that you can retire...

(APPLAUSE)

... that you can retire with the dignity and security and respect that you've earned; and that your children can get a good education and young people can go to college, even if they don't come from a wealthy family. That's our common hope.

(APPLAUSE)

That's our common hope across this country. That's the essence of the American dream. But today, for far too many Americans, this dream is slipping away. Wall Street has been recently gripped by gloom over our economic situation. But for many Americans, the economy has effectively been in recession for the past seven years. We have just come through...

(APPLAUSE)

We have just come through the first sustained period of economic growth since World War II that was not accompanied by a growth in incomes for typical families. Americans are working harder for less.

Costs are rising, and it's not clear that we'll leave a legacy of opportunity to our children and our grandchildren. And that's why throughout this campaign I've put forward a series of proposals that will foster economic growth from the bottom up and not just from the top down. And that's why the last time I spoke on the economy here in New York, I talked about the need to put the policies of George W. Bush behind us, policies that have essentially said...

(APPLAUSE)

... policies that have essentially said to the American people, "You are on your own."

We need policies that once again recognize that we are in this together. And we need the most powerful, the wealthiest among us -- those who are in attendance here today, we need you to get behind that agenda.

It's an agenda that starts with providing a stimulus that will reach the most vulnerable Americans, including immediate relief to areas hardest hit by the housing crisis and a significant extension of unemployment insurance for those who are out of work.

(APPLAUSE)

If we can extend a hand to banks on Wall Street when they get into trouble, we can extend a hand to Americans who are struggling, often through no fault of their own.

(APPLAUSE)

Beyond these short-term measure, as president, I will be committed to putting the American dream on a firmer footing. To reward work and make retirement secure, we'll provide an income tax (sic) of up to $1,000 for a working family and eliminate income taxes altogether for any retiree bringing in less than $50,000 per year.

(APPLAUSE)

To make health care affordable for all Americans, we'll cut costs and provide coverage to all who need it. To put Americans to work, we'll create millions of new green jobs and invest in rebuilding our nation's infrastructure.

(APPLAUSE)

To extend opportunity, we'll invest in our schools and our teachers and make college affordable for every American. And to ensure...

(APPLAUSE)

And to ensure that America stays on the cutting edge, we'll expand broadband access, expand funding for basic scientific research, and pass comprehensive immigration reform so that we continue to attract the best and the brightest to our shores.

(APPLAUSE)

I know that making these changes won't be easy. I will not pretend that this will come without costs, although I have presented ways we can achieve these changes in a fiscally responsible way. I believe in PAYGO. If I start a new program I will pay for it. If I intend to cut taxes for the middle class, then we're going to close some of the tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy that are not working for shared prosperity.

(APPLAUSE)

So we're going to have fiscal discipline. I know that we'll have to overcome our doubts and divisions and the determined opposition of powerful special interests before we can truly advance opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. But I would not be running for president if I did not think that this was a defining moment in our history.

If we fail to overcome our divisions and continue to let special interests set the agenda, then America will fall behind, short-term gains will continue to yield long-term costs, opportunity will slip away on Main Street, and prosperity will suffer here on Wall Street.

But if we unite this country around a common purpose, if we act on the responsibilities that we have to each other and to our country, then we can launch a new era of opportunity and prosperity.

I know we can do this because Americans have done this before. Time and again we've recognized that common stake that we have in each other's success. It's how people as different as Hamilton and Jefferson came together to launch the world's greatest experiment in democracy. That's why our economy hasn't just been the world's greatest wealth creator, it's bound America together, it's created jobs and it's made the dream of opportunity a reality for generations.

Now it falls to us. We have as our inheritance the greatest economy the world has ever known. We have the responsibility to continue the work that began on that spring day over two centuries ago right here in Manhattan, to renew our common purpose for a new century and to write the next chapter in the story of America's success.

We can do this, and we can begin this work today.

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

END