I support whatever Obama and his Transition Team think will work to stimulate the economy. I trust him implicitly. I do think, though, that we are all being a bit myopic on this thread: we already have a global economy and this slide in confidence in American institutions (except for 0% Treasury Notes) as a place
to park cash has affected every economy in the world, severely stretching all classes and STARVING the people at the economic ladder's bottom, the undeveloped world's peasantry, who do the grunt labor of the world for $2 a day. It's fine to tweak the American economy from the inside of America, but we must also extend some vision and stimulus to the rest of the world, and aim it towards the very bottom. I am not thinking this stimulation at the roots of the economic beanstalk we've grown need take the form of a flood of money (Our current aid packages--So tied up with payback-and-blowback-strings-attached, it's hardly a handout!--serve America far more than the undeveloped countries). Money aid gets stuck in the pockets of the corrupt elites in every country. Instead, I foresee a program of global/American service to the hungriest people in the world, at its grassroots. An enormous cadre of recent college graduates, seniors and out-of-work former middle class Americans could be hired by an Obama Administration to offer technical assistance, education, language acquisition, job-training, computer skills, engineering skills, all over the world. Their stipends would not be large but the blowback from the bottom of the world would be gratitude and growth instead of social injustice and terrorism. I think it would be worth considering. As a swimmer needs, usually, both arms moving in synch to move across the English Channel, stimulating the inside and the outside of America would more surely and safely lead to progress in this very stormy economic sea. One proviso: these global servants would not be solving local problems "our way"; they would be sharing their expertise to help these poverty-filled countries solve their problems "their way." That's the 21st century style.

Right ON! The government should get out of legislating "morality" for us, especially when we are being absolutely immoral all over the world in our foreign policy. I certainly hope PEO will get us back to ethics and into freedoms to choose what makes us happy and more active citizens for social justice, here and abroad. Gracias, ObamaDoug

I was disturbed, Terry, by reading in Time's Person of the Year Interview with PEO that he might not be winning the battle with his lawyers and security staff to keep a personal email going once he's President. I guess I can understand the need for caution, but, NO PRIVATE EMAIL IS ANTI-21ST CENTURY BEING, and especially for a President, he needs to keep some touch with the American People by cruising blogs on MyBO and watching these threads. I'd probably decline the Presidency if I couldn't have email and private Internet Access. Poor Man, all the burdens he's carrying for us!

That same Interview underscores that, in the main, his policies (pre-economic meltdown) have not changed that much because of it. He's still promising to cut taxes for 95% of the population, an economic stimulus. He's still going to get taxcuts for the rich back to 1990 standards, this year or next. His push to retool American Energy use will create jobs and new business. His push to improve infrastructure in America could become the new WPA. He fully intends to honor his commitment to rebuild the middle class (and facilitate stimulus for people in poverty). So the man is right in the trenches with us. GOBAMA! Gracias, ObamaDoug

This is the way these dialogues would work better. Gracias, Terry.
Isn't this thread supposed to be about housing and the economy? But, regardless of thread topic, Warren and Pot get into it on every thread because there's no thread for Pot or for GLBT Issues to comment on. Your idea is better by far and I can't see why it isn't done this way.

My cousins and I are building a thread about each of our parents and grandparents, sharing stories, in the Inbox of Facebook. Each of us has entry to each thread as it's set up, so we can all post away and get notified when there a new post from the cousins, so I know it's available technology.

Right on, Friend. If the supporters for gay rights would put their energy into the UN movement to decriminalize gay behavior in the 70 countries that still consider it a crime, there might be more movement in gay rights issues and a lot less anger and pain over Warren: He's the one who's going to lose his blindspot about gay issues from this debacle. His choice was a sublime one for Obama, bringing dialogue to the gay rights front with the rest of America. Gracias, ObamaDoug

Hey, Kimi: I'm following you now. Go for it, girlfriend! Doug

This is a tragedy, certainly. Thanks, veterans, for sharing. My mom always told me that "I always groused about my big feet until I met a man who had none." Next time we face poverty, homelessness or intolerance, let's remember these statistics: the one we might avoid might have once protected our freedoms.

Obama is clearly building coalition to bind the wounds of divisiveness and partisanship that usually keep us from facing out to the world with harmony in our eyes. It's, hooray, a brand new transformative Presidency, today.

Great, metaphoric comment, Webmaster!

President Obama (who was that other guy?) promised that we wouldn't like all of his decisions, but that he would be honest with us and explain his rationale, which he's done on this Warren choice already. The griping signals impatience for change, maybe, or a less than mature level of expectations projected on Obama as "a savior," when what he's been telling us all along is to be the change we hope for, each and every one of us: mean-spirited is certainly not a change I hope for; I'm choosing gratitude for Christmas, for America, and for Barack Obama's uncommon wisdom.