Opinion Streams

Our country needs change. For seven years we’ve been held hostage under the grip of fear-based politics and Reganomics 2.0. For six years we’ve stood by shocked as our President squandered the friendship of millions who once cried en masse alongside us when the towers fell. For seven years we’ve grieved for every child left behind by failed policies and ineffective laws. For five years, we’ve shed confused tears as we watched the parade of flag draped coffins carrying the bodies of sons, daughters, husbands and fathers lost to an ill-conceived and unnecessary war.

By a unanimous vote last night, Barack Obama officially became the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. In an amazing display of grace and unity, and once again erasing tension by standing firmly with her party, Senator Hillary Clinton moved to halt the roll call so that the convention could nominate Barack Obama by acclimation. And so they did, in roaring, celebratory fashion. Obama also made a surprise appearance to accept the nomination.

Within two hours after Hillary Clinton nominated Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton took the stage and removed any lingering questions about whether the Clintons were prepared to support Barack Obama’s candidacy in unison.

Hillary Clinton needed to deliver the speech of her career last night. She needed to deliver the message that not only had she accepted the fact that Barack Obama was her Party’s nominee, but that she was also willing – no, more than willing – excited to endorse and fully support him. Hillary Clinton needed to deliver the message to her supporters that not only was she fully behind Barack Obama, but that anyone who claimed to support Hillary but refused to support Barack Obama is a traitor to her Party and to the ideals for which Hillary Clinton stands.

Last night was the kick off of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. With the theme of “unity” and the hope that candidate loyalty doesn’t erupt into unity destroying protests, the Democrats are hoping to give their Party a boost and present Barack Obama’s platform on a national stage. Ted Kennedy made an emotional appearance and gave a rallying cry, evoking the memory of John F. Kennedy and declaring that with the election of Barack Obama, we will pass the torch onto a new generation. The audience erupted in cheers as Ted Kennedy finished, but the night clearly belonged to Michelle Obama.

By now the world knows that Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is Barack Obama’s pick for vice-presidential running-mate. Most Americans have listened to or read comments from media pundits, political insiders and anyone else weighing in with early analysis – mostly partisan – of how Joe Biden will help or hurt the ticket. Given an early analysis, Joe Biden, much the same as any other VP contender, brings a host of both positive and negative attributes to Obama’s campaign.

A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe Biden (who represents Delaware in the Senate), has working-class roots and a Roman Catholic background.

Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood from an impoverished upbringing in Chicago’s South Side and who, along with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley, was one of the “Original Kings of Comedy”, died Saturday due to complications from pneumonia at age 50.

Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago on October 5, 1957, Mac was raised by a single mother, Mary, whom Mac said inspired him to become a comedian. In a 2001 interview, Mac recalled that when he was five, he saw his mother crying on the couch while “The Ed Sullivan Show” was playing on T.V.

“In 2006 I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs….  I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public.”

Those were the words of former Senator John Edwards in a statement released on August 8, 2008. In that statement, and in a subsequent interview on ABC’s “Nightline”, Mr. Edwards, who ran his campaign partly on a platform of morality and family values, publicly acknowledged having an affair in 2006 with Rielle Hunter, a film-maker who filmed a series of Webisodes - Web-based documentary shorts intended to show Mr.

I am honored to have been chosen for the Arte y Pico award. The award was given to me by Lori Laws, who runs Persevere, a blog that provides heartfelt inspirational messages geared toward helping you unlock the strength you already possess to run this race called life. Please visit Lori’s blog. The Arte y Pico award is given to those who inspire others with their creative energy and talents in writing, artwork, design or contributions to the blogging community. That’s what makes this award so special to me. I’m sure Lori has seen a lot of great blogs.