According to the NY Times Obama plans to wade in to Social Security and Medicare reform:

President-elect Barack Obama said Wednesday that overhauling Social Security and Medicare would be "a central part" of his administration's efforts to contain federal spending, signaling for the first time that he would wade into the thorny politics of entitlement programs.

The strongest liberal criticisms of Obama during the primary came when he adopted the Republican's "Social Security is in crisis" line. While there is a solid case to reform Medicare within the context of reforming our national health care system and providing universal care, there is very little reason to mess with Social Security. Opening up Social Security for changes at this point in time is especially troubling since recent economic performance will make the program look less viable now than it will look in 5 or 10 years when economic growth returns. One silver lining is that any attempt to privatise the program is probably DOA given last year's stock market performance.

Since Obama made Social Security reform an issue in the primary he is probably serious about making changes with this announcement, I doubt it is a head-fake for Republicans.

Anyone have any idea why he is raising Social Security as an issue now? And why in the context of controlling budget deficits?

Did you read the "Sock Puppet" article on the Save The Internet Blog? It's a really good argument for preserving Net Neutrality and not letting a couple of giant corporations take control of the Internet.

The Heretik

Freedom Rider: Bush Goes Out a Winner (by Margaret Kimberley at the Black Agenda Report)
Bush is leaving office in the popularity basement, but his checklist of accomplishments is full. Bush has "succeeded in radically changing nearly every facet of government, and always with the help of the Democratic Party." Even when at his nadir in the polls, Bush managed to transfer $700 billion dollars into the pockets of his high-roller banking friends. He has implicated so many Democrats in torture, the party has little choice but to give him and themselves immunity. "It is hard to see how Bush can be considered a failure when the so-called opposition aided him every step of the way."
And that's why I'm so skeptical of calls for bipartisanship.  What we've seen is really unipartisanship--always leaning toward the Republican side.--Caro

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New York -- The city that never sleeps
But quivers long into the night
bloodshot eyes staring off at nothing.

New York -- that polyglottal city
filled with strange smells and sights
and a certain tawdy splendid glory

New York -- Did you really think to contain her?
To purify, gentrify that grand old lady
of lust and lucre?

New York -- returned, retracted, reborn
Elite and poor, mixed together
A melting pot

New York -- turbans and kipas
strip shows and bare ankles
the City of Sin.

Welcome home, Gotham.

When I was older talk about billions of dollars dismayed me.  Now, regular talk about trillions of dollars, especially government spending, nauseates me.  People never seem to learn that they control the fate of the American economy.

For more than 8 years now, Hamas has been targeting civilian Israelis, and most of us didn't even care that children in Israel have to sleep in bomb shelters nght after night, before, during & after the cease fire Israel observed with Hamas.

Additionally, I seldom see any post on MyDD or other liberal blogs over Darfur where blacks are being slaughtered by Arabs day after day, with the toll at almost half a million people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conf lict

And with all of us supporting the war with the Taliban (when they never attacked us, al-qaeda did) does any one of you care that 26,000+ civilians have died from that war?
http://tinyurl.com/Afghan-Deaths

One attack on America is enough for you to justify thousands of civilian deaths (we call it colleteral damage) I wonder what we will justify after 6000 rockets over 8 years with 15 civilian deaths since 2001.

How about 600 dead of whom just 30% are civilians?

How many of you have been angry over the "occupation" of Tibet and the scores of civilians killed there just last year?

How many of you have written angry posts over the Russian occupation of Chechnia and the Slaughtering of 150,000 civilians in the recent past?

We almost started WW3 when the Soviets just pointed missiles in our direction during the Cuban Missile crisis.

New update from the Moran campaign - a chance for a ticket to the inauguration!

Win a ticket to history and help organize Virginia

This January 20th, America will make history.  We've all worked so hard for so long to make this a reality - if you're like me, you can't wait.  Barack Obama knew that what mattered most were the grassroots - everyday Americans committing to build a better future for themselves and their kids.

Unfortunately, there won't be nearly enough tickets to the inauguration for every Virginia volunteer and grassroots organizer to go. That's why I'm going to be giving away inauguration tickets to dedicated Democratic leaders who sign up on our website. If you sign up today organize.brianmoran.com, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a ticket to President-elect Obama's swearing in, and we'll let you know the winners by January 16.

In a few weeks, our campaign for Governor will launch a groundbreaking new online system organize.brianmoran.com to help organize Virginia for my campaign in 2009 and keep Virginia Democrats organized going forward. I've worked all over Virginia, fighting for Virginia Democrats. I've knocked doors, made phone calls, and held rallies for nearly a decade. But I bet you're as tired as I am of building a statewide network for Virginia Democrats only to dismantle it after every election. Once the technical work is completed, this new social networking system will help Democrats organize Virginia for my campaign, all our other campaigns for that November, and beyond.  

And don't forget - grassroots leaders who sign up now for the drawing to go the inauguration will be invited to a sneak peek when the new organize.brianmoran.com launches. Sign up today!

I am glad GOP is continuing it's tail spin. Joe the plumber is becoming a crack war reporter.

Here is the story:

Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter's notebook.
The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher (WUR'-zuhl-bah-kur) says he'll spend 10 days covering the fighting.
He tells WNWO-TV in Toledo that he wants to let Israel's "'Average Joes' share their story."
Wurzelbacher gained attention during the final weeks of the campaign when he asked Barack Obama about his tax plan.
He later joined Republican John McCain on the campaign trail. At one stop, he agreed with a McCain supporter who asked if he believed a vote for Obama was a vote for the death of Israel.