Grandma's Reaction to Sen. Kennedy's Death: "He was for the poor people."

I've learned a lot from my grandmother. This past week I asked her what she thought of Senator Ted Kennedy. She said she thought a lot of him because he always fought for the "poor" people and he tried to do what was right. My grandmother told me she considered herself poor. She and my grandfather, prior to their retirement, were members of the working class. Today, though pensions and savings are important, they are proud recipients of entitlements, such as social security and medicare. They paid for it. It's those kinds of programs Sen. Kennedy worked to expand and secure out of necessity for the so-called poor people. So, everyone could enjoy the a piece of the bounty America has offered for generations.

There is a lot of disagreement over what is right and what is wrong, no doubt about it. But, Sen. Kennedy's passion alone seems to be what made the difference, in my opinion. You hear all of these stories about the friendships he forged with members of the opposite party. It shows me, there was a lot more to the man than just politics. I bet some of our leaders today could learn from that.

VIDEO: Remembering D-Day from Macon GA to Tennessee

I had a chance to talk to a great guy, Mr. Stan Lester about his experience on D-Day. He was among those who stormed Omaha Beach in France on June 6, 1944. You can watch the story for more perspective on that.

But it got be to thinking about my own grandfather, who is a World War Two vet. He doesn't talk about that experience much, other than to say he was a gunner on the USS Steele. I know that he was in Navy fighter on the Pacific front. He acquired a taste for coconut, and gained a great hatred for rice after spending a few too many days in China. I'm hoping to learn more from him, mostly because Mr. Lester has rekindled my interest.

NAACP Voting Tips

The NAACP sent me this e-mail from on voting tips. Don't accept the unacceptable.

Tips for Election Day

1.        Don't wear any campaign gear to the polls. The polls are a "no campaigning" zone
and someone could use your t-shirt or hat as an excuse to deny you your right to
vote!

2.        Be prepared for a long wait, some precincts are expecting lines up to five hours
long.  Bring water, food, a book to read, an ipod, a game, whatever you need to keep
entertained through the wait. Don't get out of line, your vote is worth the wait.

3.        If you usually vote "straight Democrat" or "straight Republican, be aware that
some states will not count your vote for President if you only use this option. So
if you want to vote the ticket, punch your presidential candidate FIRST, then the
"straight ticket" option.

4.        If you are in line before the poll closing time, you have the right to cast a
vote. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

5.        If you have any trouble at the polls, call the NAACP's Election Protection
hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. Volunteers will be on hand to provide technical and legal
assistance throughout the day.

President Obama Choses His Cabinet?

It is presumptuous for Obama and his staffers to already start discussing how his administration might look. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so. I won't go as far as to call it arrogant, but it does appear improper at this point. Rather, have a secret list. Don't let leak.

Instead, a Politico.com reporter is airing the campaign's business.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/15142.html

"Socialist" Label is Code for Black

That's the word from a columnist in the Kansas City Star. The writer says when McCain called Obama "socialist" it was like when J. Edgar Hoover, former FBI Director, used the term to describe civil rights activists... WEB DuBois, MLK, and Paul Robeson, A. Philip Randolph.

http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2493

Best Website to Find the Most Up to Date Polls

If you really want to get a great snapshot of the presidential race, visit the following link. I call it the Poll of Poll from RealClearPolitics, otherwise known as RCP.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

Enjoy

Georgia Senate Run-off... It's Possible

The AJC speculates today on the possibility of a runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. The writer says Libertarian Allen Buckley might prevent the major party candidates from gaining more than half of the vote.

That would be interesting!

At that point, if there were a run off in that Senate race-- all eyes would be on Georgia. Surly, more money from the national parties would pour into Georgia buying up ads and investing in staff.

I think Saxby Chambliss is already a tough sell for a lot of conservative voters because he voted for the Wall Street Bailout Recovery Bill. But, at the same time Jim Martin doesn't really come off as a warm politician. From what I can tell, he's well known in Atlanta, but elsewhere, not so much.

I'm always for runoffs because I just like to go vote! Get excited about elections.