2012 LMS Presidential Endorsement: President Barack Obama

After much deliberation (about when to release my endorsement), I have decided to announce my endorsement for President of the United States tonight.

Now before I tell you my pick in the 2012 election, I want you to know that my choice isn't perfect. Actually, no one is perfect. In the past four years, President Obama has made some decisions I disagreed with and put forward some policies I have felt didn't go far enough. 

Four years ago, it's no secret that I was in love with President Obama. I believed in Hope and Change. Four years later, I still am in love with President Obama and I wholeheartedly believe in Hope and Change. 

Sarah Palin rhetorically asked a couple of years ago, "How's that Hope and Change thing workin' for ya?" Well, I have to tell you, I think it's worked out pretty damn well.

We've had 31 consecutive months of job growth and 5.2 million new private sector jobs. The October Jobs Report will come out in the morning. Everyone expects it to be another month of positive job growth.

Obamacare. The GOP has attempted to make the term some derogatory slur. It's not. Thanks to Obamacare, I can never be denied insurance for a pre-existing condition and possessing a uterus is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance until their mid-20s allowing them to pursue dreams without jeopardizing their futures. Insurance companies are required to spend at least 80% of insurance premiums on actual insurance benefits or send out refunds. I didn't receive a refund this year, but I know quite a few people who did. President Obama is also firmly behind the idea that women should control their own bodies and make decisions that are best for them and their families. If the right to control my our own bodies isn't enough to vote for President Obama and all Democrats, I don't know what is.

Nine words: Osama Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive. 

Oh, and Chrysler is not pulling out of Michigan and Ohio in favor of taking all their Jeep production to China. They're expanding to build Jeeps in China that will be sold in China. There's a big difference. My tax dollars helped build that.

The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill to be signed into law by President Obama, gives women more freedom to fight back against pay discrimination. I think it says a lot about a President when his first major piece of legislation is to help bring equality to half our population.

DODT is no more and POTUS endorses marriage equality.

Fuel efficiency and clean energy alternatives are a priority to President Obama because he believes in leaving a healthy planet for future generations.

President Obama ended the war in Iraq. The war that was started based on a bunch of lies by his predecessor, by the way.

Middle class tax cuts that resulted in an average savings of $3,600 for typical families over the past four years.

He doubled funding for Pell Grants. That's a big damn deal. I had Pell Grants when I was in college. Today, I'm a successful, home owning, tax paying woman earning more than I could without that education.

That's a very small list at what President Obama has done. I believe that in the next four years, he can accomplish far more that will move the country forward for everyone, not just the top 1%. 

So to answer Sarah Palin's question about Hope and Change, it's working quite nicely for us, thank you. We are far better off than we were four years ago. And I'm fully committed to the path President Obama is taking us down. I know that when he's given another four years in office, President Obama will lead us to full recovery.

Therefore, without reservation, Little Merry Sunshine endorses President Barack Obama for a second term as President. As I said on October 27, 2008, 

If you're reading my blog and still undecided, I ask you to think about the kind of country you want to leave for your children and grandchildren. If you believe in equal pay for women, that health care is a right not a privilege, that women have a fundamental right to control their own bodies, that all people absolutely are created equal, that sometimes more gets accomplished by sitting down face to face than with the "either you're with us or against us" approach, that the politics of fear don't work, that every American deserves equal opportunity, and that government should do that which we cannot do for ourselves, then you owe it to yourself and future generations to vote for Obama.

Now if you're still undecided, I don't know what to say to you. Watch the videos below and then go vote for President Barack Obama.

Oh, and in case you're curious, yes, Sammy and Zoey are Demo-CATS and fully support President Obama.

LMS Endorsement: Deborah A. Nelson for Arlington Heights Library Board

For the second time, Little Merry Sunshine is pleased to unconditionally endorse Deborah A. Nelson for the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Board of Trustees.

Ms. Nelson has served as a trustee since April 2008 and has served as the Board's treasurer for the last two years. During her tenure on the Board, Ms. Nelson has voted twice against increasing the library's tax levy, which is significant because so much of the library's funding comes from the property taxes of Arlington Heights residents.

Ms. Nelson's professional career has been spent in the non-profit industry working in customer service, strategic planning, public relations, and fund raising. Better than anyone I know, Ms. Nelson knows what it takes to run a successful non-profit in a fiscally responsible manner.

She pays her success forward by serving as a mentor for the community with the Random Acts of Kindness Club of Arlington Heights she began while volunteering at Patton Elementary School. She also models civic involvement by being actively involved in the education of her two children and advocating for all children with special needs.

Ms. Nelson is the epitome of integrity, commitment, experience and character that is so desperately needed in politics today. A vote for Ms. Nelson on Tuesday, April 5th is a vote for the continued success of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library.

LMS Receives 1st Celebrity Endorsement!

As you know, Little Merry Sunshine was named one of Chicago's Best Blogs in 2009 by the Chicago Tribune and even appeared on the front page of the Chicago Tribune's website in April 2009. That publicity has created quite the buzz for LMS in the blog world (well, mostly in my imagination) and probably helped increase our international readership, not to mention the requests for me to review such products as baby food and diapers and give you my hearty endorsement in exchange for free baby food and diapers (yes, really).

All of that is terrific. But the crème de la crème came today when Little Merry Sunshine received it's very first celebrity endorsement! That's right, Gary, Indiana's Greatest Writer, Milo Samardzija, posted the following about Little Merry Sunshine on his Facebook wall yesterday:

Despite a complete lack of foul language, criminal attitude and despicable behavior, I am growing very fond of the Little Merry Sunshine blog site.

Ya, I know, it doesn't get any better than that. Yes, you can be jealous.

Haven't heard of Milo Samardzija? Well, then you must be living under a rock. As I said, Milo is Gary Indiana's Greatest Writer. He also writes for one of the wittiest blogs I've ever read called The Third City. Plus, he's written a fantastic book called Schoolboy. Simply put, Schoolboy is a must read.

The writers here at Little Merry Sunshine (that'd be me) are incredibly honored to receive this endorsement and hope it will result in boosting readership from 7 to 8. Thank you Milo!

Endorsements for Mayor of Arlington Heights & Library Board of Trustees

One of my beliefs is that local government is more important than national government. Sure, the recent Presidential election was sexy and sucked up all the media attention for the better part of two years and I can't say I was immune to writing about it. I'm almost embarrassed for you to do a search for "Barack Obama" on Little Merry Sunshine. The number of posts with that tag is astounding. But no matter how exciting the national elections may be, the fact is that you get more bang for your vote with local elections. If you've got a problem with snow removal service, for example, President Obama can't help you, but picking up the phone and calling the mayor will get something done. If you've got kids (or plan to) then your local library and school boards will have a direct impact on shaping your child's life. Yes, it's sexy to vote for the president, but it's imperative that you vote in local elections. Your day-to-day life depends on it.

In that spirit, Little Merry Sunshine is pleased to endorse the following candidates for elected office in Arlington Heights.

For the 2-year term on the Arlington Heights Library Board of Trustees, Deborah A. Nelson, is strongly endorsed and easily the candidate of choice. Frankly, this was a no-brainer. Deborah was appointed by the Board of Library Trustees to fill the seat of retiring trustee, Jim Bertucci, in April 2008. At that time, not knowing any of the board members, she applied for the position and went through an interview process where she competed against other highly qualified applicants. Deborah's 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector including customer service, strategic planning, public relations, and fund raising, lay the perfect foundation for a dedicated library trustee. Community service and volunteerism are a part of Deborah's make up going back to her days in the Service Over Self club at John Hersey High School. Now she pays those lessons forward to a new generation by teaching the Character Counts! program at Patton Elementary School and founding the Random Acts of Kindness Club of Arlington Heights. As part of the Library Board of Trustees, Deborah is serving on the Board's Long Range Planning Committee, is the Board's liaison to the North Suburban Library System, and was part of the unanimous vote for a 0% tax levy. Deborah's commitment, character, experience, and integrity make her the ideal Library Board Trustee and I strongly encourage you to vote for her on April 7th.

For the office of Village President (aka Mayor), Little Merry Sunshine endorses Mayor Arlene Mulder. Although I have not always agreed with all of Mayor Mulder's decisions and would like to see more transparency in village government, continuing her leadership just makes good sense. After attending the Mayoral Forum sponsored by the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and researching both candidates on my own, I came to the decision that Arlington Heights continues to need the leadership, vision, and commitment of Mayor Mulder. In addition to being the Village President, Mayor Mulder serves on a number of boards and committees, locally, statewide, and nationally. She also works across party lines to bring money into the Village. In spite of the lack of pay, Mayor Mulder treats her position as a full-time job. As the 7th largest town in the Chicago Area and the 12th largest town in Illinois, Arlington Heights needs a mayor with this kind of dedication. Mayor Mulder is also highly accessible to residents and this is part of what makes Arlington Heights a great place to live.

Although I am not making endorsements in the other races, I encourage you to educate yourself on the candidates and vote on April 7th. To do that, visit the Daily Herald's Election 2009 section. There, you can choose each of the races from a pull-down menu and read biographies of each candidate, and all stories, letters to the editor, and endorsements related to the races. To find your polling place, visit the Cook County Election Department at voterinfonet.com.

LMS's Endorsements

You have been waiting patiently on pins and needles for my endorsements. Hopefully, now that I have made them, the 7% undecided can get off their asses and go vote knowing that I have made great decisions for them. Please feel free to print out this voter guide and take it with you tomorrow.

For the Office of President of the United States - Barack Obama
I believe it's important for the smartest guy we can find to be President. Being President is a difficult job and requires understanding of many complex issues. It's not good enough that a candidate went to a good school. He or she needed to have graduated at the top. I want the smartest person around. I also believe that the person who remains calm during a crisis is a great leader. Our President should have an even temper and not have a reputation for blowing up at every little thing. The old adage about getting more bees with honey is true. A President needs to have good judgement from before Day 1. And finally, a President should inspire us to be better. In this race, only one candidate met all of this criteria. That candidate is Barack Obama and I support him wholeheartedly.

For the Office of Senator from the State of Illinois - Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Dick Durbin has been the senior Senator for the past 12 years. This will be his 3rd term. During those 12 years, Senator Durbin has risen to the #2 position in the Senate - Democratic Whip. In 2006, Senator Durbin was named one of the Top 10 Senators by Time Magazine. Senator Durbin is right for Illinois and right for the country.

For the Office of 10th Congressional Represenative - Dan Seals
Dan Seals is running for the second time against 4 term incumbent Rep. Mark Kirk in a district that has been gradually changing from Red to Blue. Dan is committed to listening to his constituents and doing what is best for the district rather than doing what is best for him personally. I have been impressed with Dan's ability to communicate with his district. After a recent coffee, I had the opportunity to speak with him personally about an issue that is very close to my heart. He asked me to email him and he would look into it further. Mark Kirk routinely says one thing and does another. Plus, Mark Kirk is against a woman's right to choose and voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, my top two issues. Dan Seals, on the other hand, is committed to a pro-choice agenda and equal pay for equal work. Finally, other than write the articles for George W. Bush (note I refuse to call him President), that took us into the illegal and immoral war in Iraq, I can think of no other accomplishments by Rep. Mark Kirk.

For the Office of Illinois State Senator from the 27th District - Peter Gutzmer
My current State Senator Matt Murphy is against a woman's right to choose and only contacts constituents during election time. It's time that our State Senator reflected the progressive values of the district.

McCain's Latest Endorsement!

I think we all heard that Vice President Dick Cheney recently endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket. Let me take a moment to congratulate both Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin on this weighty endorsement. You both must be so proud.

To celebrate this stunning endorsement, Barack Obama has a new ad. My question is why isn't McCain more excited and bragging about this more? Is he embarrassed? Does this go against his whole "I'm the Maverick" and "I'm NOT more of the same" pitch? Oh well, too bad. When you sleep with dogs over 90% of the time, sometimes you get fleas.

Stephen Colbert's "The Word": I Endorse Barack Obama

Yet another important Obama endorsement!

Sarah Palin's Hometown Paper Endorses . . . . OBAMA!

The Anchorage Daily News, Alaska's largest paper, has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

Here's the entire endorsement. All emphasis is mine.

Obama for president
Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand

Published: October 25th, 2008 07:37 PM
Last Modified: October 25th, 2008 08:10 PM

Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. For the first time ever, an Alaskan is making a serious bid for national office, and in doing so she brings broad attention and recognition not only to herself, but also to the state she leads.

Alaska's founders were optimistic people, but even the most farsighted might have been stretched to imagine this scenario. No matter the outcome in November, this election will mark a signal moment in the history of the 49th state. Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis -- erratic is a kind description -- shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery.

Sen. Obama warned regulators and the nation 19 months ago that the subprime lending crisis was a disaster in the making. Sen. McCain backed tighter rules for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but didn't do much to advance that legislation. Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it. It is easy to look at Sen. Obama and see a return to the smart, bipartisan economic policies of the last Democratic administration in Washington, which left the country with the momentum of growth and a budget surplus that President George Bush has squandered.

On the most important issue of the day, Sen. Obama is a clear choice.

Sen. McCain describes himself as a maverick, by which he seems to mean that he spent 25 years trying unsuccessfully to persuade his own party to follow his bipartisan, centrist lead. Sadly, maverick John McCain didn't show up for the campaign. Instead we have candidate McCain, who embraces the extreme Republican orthodoxy he once resisted and cynically asks Americans to buy for another four years.

It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington. You need look no further than the guilt-by-association lies and sound-bite distortions of the degenerating McCain campaign to see how readily he embraces the divisive, fear-mongering tactics of Karl Rove. And while Sen. McCain points to the fragile success of the troop surge in stabilizing conditions in Iraq, it is also plain that he was fundamentally wrong about the more crucial early decisions. Contrary to his assurances, we were not greeted as liberators; it was not a short, easy war; and Americans -- not Iraqi oil -- have had to pay for it. It was Sen. Obama who more clearly saw the danger ahead.

The unqualified endorsement of Sen. Obama by a seasoned, respected soldier and diplomat like Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican icon, should reassure all Americans that the Democratic candidate will pass muster as commander in chief.

On a matter of parochial interest, Sen. Obama opposes the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but so does Sen. McCain. We think both are wrong, and hope a President Obama can be convinced to support environmentally responsible development of that resource.

Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she's a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.

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.
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Ouch! That's gotta hurt. Who knows you better than your hometown newspaper? And then it goes and calls you "too risky" and says the job would "stretch [you] beyond [your] range." Damn.

Product Review: Puffs Plus with Vicks

In case you don't know, which means you either have not spoken to me, IM'd with me, or seen my Facebook status over the last week, I've been sick. Nothing severe. Probably just a nasty autumn cold. I'm sure I'll live and that I'm on the upswing.

During the last 7 days, I have managed to finish off all the DayQuil, NyQuil, Robitussin, Cold-eeze, Vicks VapoRub, over 80 Halls Cough Drops (honey-lemon flavored), 2 huge boxes of tissues (NOTE: do not cheap out on the tissues, you want the good stuff when you're sick), and numerous rolls of toilet paper when I ran out of tissues, that I had in my house. It hasn't been pretty and neither have I.

Finally, today, I stopped at my local grocery store to pick up some necessities and restock all the OTC drugs I could get my hands on. While in the tissue aisle stocking up on high quality Puffs Plus with Lotion, I discovered a new product that has changed my life in 2 1/2 hours.

Puffs Plus with Vicks.

These tissues made in Heaven by Angels contain not only lotion to help reduce the redness and peeling skin on my nose, but also Vicks VapoRub. With every blow of my nose, I have inhaled the blissful scent of Vicks VapoRub and the congestion loosens. As of this moment, I can once again breathe through my nose. This is the first time in seven days I have been able to breath with my mouth closed.

Hallelujah!

It goes without saying that these are these are not the tissues to wipe the goop out of your eyes and I might not recommend licking your fingers after holding these tissues, but as long as you plan on doing these things, these are the perfect tissues.

As far as I can tell, the only downside to these Puffs Plus with Vicks is that they don't come in a gigantic jumbo-size box. But maybe they do at Costco.

Next time you're sick with tons of congestion, I highly recommend Puffs Plus with Vicks. Your nose will thank you.

Chicago Tribune Endorses Its FIRST Democratic Presidential Candidate EVER!

I am so proud of my hometown paper today. The Chicago Tribune has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

You may be thinking "Well, duh, of course they did! He's from Chicago and they're a Chicago paper." Not so fast there. The Chicago Tribune is from Chicago, but they are firmly a conservative paper and proud of it. In fact, since their first paper in 1847, the Chicago Tribune has never endorsed a Democrat for President. That's 161 years.

Here's the entire Tribune endorsement:

However this election turns out, it will dramatically advance America's slow progress toward equality and inclusion. It took Abraham Lincoln's extraordinary courage in the Civil War to get us here. It took an epic battle to secure women the right to vote. It took the perseverance of the civil rights movement. Now we have an election in which we will choose the first African-American president . . . or the first female vice president.

In recent weeks it has been easy to lose sight of this history in the making. Americans are focused on the greatest threat to the world economic system in 80 years. They feel a personal vulnerability the likes of which they haven't experienced since Sept. 11, 2001. It's a different kind of vulnerability. Unlike Sept. 11, the economic threat hasn't forged a common bond in this nation. It has fed anger, fear and mistrust.

On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose.

The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is proud to endorse him today for president of the United States.

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On Dec. 6, 2006, this page encouraged Obama to join the presidential campaign. We wrote that he would celebrate our common values instead of exaggerate our differences. We said he would raise the tone of the campaign. We said his intellectual depth would sharpen the policy debate. In the ensuing 22 months he has done just that.

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.

The change that Obama talks about so much is not simply a change in this policy or that one. It is not fundamentally about lobbyists or Washington insiders. Obama envisions a change in the way we deal with one another in politics and government. His opponents may say this is empty, abstract rhetoric. In fact, it is hard to imagine how we are going to deal with the grave domestic and foreign crises we face without an end to the savagery and a return to civility in politics.

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This endorsement makes some history for the Chicago Tribune. This is the first time the newspaper has endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee for president.

The Tribune in its earliest days took up the abolition of slavery and linked itself to a powerful force for that cause--the Republican Party. The Tribune's first great leader, Joseph Medill, was a founder of the GOP. The editorial page has been a proponent of conservative principles. It believes that government has to serve people honestly and efficiently.

With that in mind, in 1872 we endorsed Horace Greeley, who ran as an independent against the corrupt administration of Republican President Ulysses S. Grant. (Greeley was later endorsed by the Democrats.) In 1912 we endorsed Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as the Progressive Party candidate against Republican President William Howard Taft.

The Tribune's decisions then were driven by outrage at inept and corrupt business and political leaders.

We see parallels today.

The Republican Party, the party of limited government, has lost its way. The government ran a $237 billion surplus in 2000, the year before Bush took office -- and recorded a $455 billion deficit in 2008. The Republicans lost control of the U.S. House and Senate in 2006 because, as we said at the time, they gave the nation rampant spending and Capitol Hill corruption. They abandoned their principles. They paid the price.

We might have counted on John McCain to correct his party's course. We like McCain. We endorsed him in the Republican primary in Illinois. In part because of his persuasion and resolve, the U.S. stands to win an unconditional victory in Iraq.

It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush's tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them. He promises a balanced budget by the end of his first term, but his tax cut plan would add an estimated $4.2 trillion in debt over 10 years. He has responded to the economic crisis with an angry, populist message and a misguided, $300 billion proposal to buy up bad mortgages.

McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate--but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin's exposure to the public. But it's clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment's notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.

Obama chose a more experienced and more thoughtful running mate--he put governing before politicking. Sen. Joe Biden doesn't bring many votes to Obama, but he would help him from day one to lead the country.

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McCain calls Obama a typical liberal politician. Granted, it's disappointing that Obama's mix of tax cuts for most people and increases for the wealthy would create an estimated $2.9 trillion in federal debt. He has made more promises on spending than McCain has. We wish one of these candidates had given good, hard specific information on how he would bring the federal budget into line. Neither one has.

We do, though, think Obama would govern as much more of a pragmatic centrist than many people expect.

We know first-hand that Obama seeks out and listens carefully and respectfully to people who disagree with him. He builds consensus. He was most effective in the Illinois legislature when he worked with Republicans on welfare, ethics and criminal justice reform.He worked to expand the number of charter schools in Illinois--not popular with some Democratic constituencies.He took up ethics reform in the U.S. Senate--not popular with Washington politicians.His economic policy team is peppered with advisers who support free trade. He has been called a "University of Chicago Democrat"--a reference to the famed free-market Chicago school of economics, which puts faith in markets.

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Obama is deeply grounded in the best aspirations of this country, and we need to return to those aspirations. He has had the character and the will to achieve great things despite the obstacles that he faced as an unprivileged black man in the U.S.

He has risen with his honor, grace and civility intact. He has the intelligence to understand the grave economic and national security risks that face us, to listen to good advice and make careful decisions.

When Obama said at the 2004 Democratic Convention that we weren't a nation of red states and blue states, he spoke of union the way Abraham Lincoln did.

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.

Related links
Your comments: 'Is that chill coming from hell?'
Behind the scenes: 'Was there shouting?'
Major newspapers' presidential endorsements
February 16, 1860: Tribune's endorsement of Abraham Lincoln
November 4, 1872: Tribune's endorsement of Horace Greeley
1872: Tribune retrospective of presidential elections to date

Possible 3rd Party Candidate - October Surprise!

This is HUGE!

We all knew there would be an October Surprise in this election and I know what it will be!

Thanks to grassroots organizing - community organizing, if you will - there is a new 3rd party candidate!

You can watch the media frenzy over this new political superstar by clicking here.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on this new candidate in the comments.

I think it goes without saying, but I'm withdrawing my support for Obama in favor of this candidate. Will you join me?

What Do Those Who Know Sarah Palin Think of Her Being the GOP VP Nominee?

"I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she's a woman and a conservative."
- Faye Palin, Sarah Palin's Mother-in-Law who is also leaning towards voting for Obama

"[I]n no way does her year-and-a-half as governor of Alaska qualify her to be vice president or president of the United States. . . . I may be proven wrong, but the decision announced by McCain strikes me as reckless. She is not prepared to be the next president should something happen to McCain."
- Dermot Cole, columnist for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

"She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?"
- Alaska State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla

This is a huge mistake by John McCain and "reflects very, very badly on his judgment."
- Anchorage Democratic State Senator Hollis French

"She's old enough. She's a U.S. citizen."
- State House Speaker John Harris (R-Valdez) referring to Palin's qualifications to be VP

Sarah Palin herself isn't even sure what the Vice President does. "As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?"

"The choice also says a lot about McCain. First, that he is a bit desparate. . . Second, that he is one arrogant SOB. McCain is essentially telling the world that he doesn't really need a Vice President. It is hard to imagine Palin playing the same sort of role that modern Vice Presidents like Gore, Bush, Cheney, or Mondale played. Rather, the Office would seem poised to return to the "proverbial warm bucket of p***" category. McCain has thus made a purely political play without regard for the governance concerns."
- Shannen Coffin, writing on "The Corner" a blog of the National Review Online

If they think so little of her, how can the rest of us believe she's a solid choice for McCain?

John McCain Hates Me (and Probably You Too)!

Over on Monkey Muck yesterday, I learned that John McCain hates me (and you too probably). Truthfully, that's ok. I'm not really his biggest fan and wasn't going to vote for him anyway.

But still, hate? John McCain HATES me? Really? Why does he feel the need to put so much of his energy into HATE? This is just my opinion, but maybe if he put as much energy into his campaign as he does into HATING me (and you too!), he might be doing a bit better. I'm just sayin'.



Just so I'm clear, not only is John McCain bad for my sex life, but he also hates me. Well, ok then.

Happy 1st Blog-iversary!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started writing Little Merry Sunshine!

Tim first put the crazy thought into my head that I should start a blog. And I laughed. But he was kind of persistent. And I laughed some more. But I chewed on it. For about 3 months or so. I have so many friends who write for a living and I couldn't imagine that anything I had to say would be nearly as pretty as their prose or that I'd have any readers, much less loyal readers. Of course, one of the many things I've learned this year is that if Tim suggests it, I should just do it without hesitation.

When I first began Little Merry Sunshine, it wasn't even open to the public. It was only open to Tim, Tony and Brad. And I emailed them and asked for their feedback. That's right, I asked a New York Times Best Selling Author to review my little blog before I published it to the world. I obviously have no ego problems. I'd forgotten that Tim and Tony were in Italy and incommunicado for 2 weeks, but within a couple of days, Brad wrote me back and said "It's you. It's your voice. And it's great." And so Little Merry Sunshine made its world debut.

You know that memorable quote from "Field Of Dreams" of "If you build it, they will come"? Well, that's exactly how's it's been this year. I built it and you showed up. And I'm humbled.

What started out as my way of sharing what I believe in, what inspires me, my gratitude list (here too), adventures in gardening, journeys down memory lane and amusing family stories (they're amusing to me and that's all that counts!) has turned into so much more. We all now know what scares me, what irritates me, what I asked Santa for (and Santa, I'm STILL waiting!), whom I endorse politically, my favorite things (never to be confused with Oprah's), my lust for Rick Springfield, and all of my shameless plugs for my favorite friends and family. I've even made some new friends thanks to blogging! And, of course, Betsey and Ross. Little Merry Sunshine (and I) wouldn't be complete without them.

What's in store for year number 2? While I can't know for sure exactly where life will take me and my blog, I do know a few things. For certain, the political commentaries will continue. It's a long way til November. The Cubs rock this year, so I'm sure to continue singing their praises. Look for more shameless plugs about my super cool friends too. Betsey and Ross are turning 12 this week. Other than that, the universe is my playground and I can't wait to continue sharing my take on it.

What I know for sure, however, is that without you reading and commenting, this wouldn't be so much fun for me. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. I look forward to our continued dialogue in the new year!

Change We CAN Believe In!

Here's a great Obama video to help you feel hopeful this weekend. Enjoy.

Just A Thought . . .

Wouldn't an Obama/Edwards ticket be the hottest looking Presidential ticket ever?

LMS EXCLUSIVE: 2 New Super Dele-CATS for Obama!

In an exclusive interview with Little Merry Sunshine earlier today, Betsey (left pic) and Ross (right pic) announced today that they are officially endorsing Illinois Senator Barack Obama for President. This endorsement is unprecedented in their 12 years.

Asked why they are taking a stand in 2008, when they were apolitical in 1996, 2000, and 2004, Ross replied, "As members of the feline race, Betsey and I believe it is our patriotic duty to not simply sit on the sidelines when so much is at stake." He continued, "In previous years, we believed that our voices were insignificant, but after studying Cats for Obama, we realized that when united, our voices are loud and they must be heard. Cats have issues that are important to them including the environment and food. Betsey and I believe that Senator Obama will work to protect the environment so we always have fresh, safe drinking water and will ensure a mouse in every food dish."

Betsey chimed in, "We were against the War in Iraq going back to 2002 and Barack Obama has a solid record of being the peace-loving candidate. We appreciate his solid judgement and fiscal responsibility. Finally, given our historical past, Ross and I felt speaking out was simply our patriotic duty."

So there you have it. Barack Obama picked up the endorsements of 2 new superdelegates (oops, I mean dele-cats) today.

President Bartlet Endorses Obama!

President Josiah Bartlet (aka Martin Sheen) endorsed Barack Obama yesterday according to Wonkette!

We Are The Ones

Will.I.Am keeps knocking them out of the ballpark.

Enjoy!

The We Are The Ones Song
by will.i.am

people say Obama’s words are just words...
but...
when was the last time "words" weren’t important...???...

when was the last time a great leader didn’t use words to lead...??...
when was the last time a person didn’t use words to describe how they felt...?...
when was the last time "words" weren’t empowering...?...

and we can all recall the last time "words" were used to divide us and install fear...

Bush used words to fear us into voting for him the second time around...
terror this...
terror that...
nuclear here...
weapons of mass destruction there...

and those words effected a lot of people’s choices...

"enough is enough"...
let’s rebuild...

let’s change ourselves...
let’s allow positivity to guide us...

let's take action....
let’s activate our passion...
we are Americans....

and this is the first time in forever that someone running for president represents "US"...

some say this is all excitement...
I call it “proud to be an American”...

some say this whole Obama movement is "cult like"...
well...
if it comes across cult like...
then...
the cult is called America...

the Obama movement is connecting America.
and it has made "US" realize our importance...
the youth is excited and activated...
adults are passionate and motivated...
the elderly are proud to know the country they built is in safe hands...

we are one...

for too long politics has been corrupt...
separate from the American people...
with agendas that go against what the American people "need"...
education...
health...
safety...
jobs
etc...

politicians have spoken a different language...
making it so the youth and poor people feel as if voting was only for the wealthy and old people...
making "US" feel as if "we" had no voice...
making "US" feel powerless...
making it feel like if "we" did vote it wouldn’t change anything...

but wait...
that did happen...
some of us voted, and it didn’t change anything...

we were in the dark...
we had no voice...
we were powerless...

because America was not a united America...
and "they" spoke a different language...
and they had an agenda different from our well being...

correct me if I’m wrong... or speak up if I’m missing something...

we want education, health, safety, and good jobs...right???...
oh yeah...
and "a healthy planet to live on"...

but here we are...

in a war... poor education... poor health programs... the dollar is down... the planet, polluted...
the rich, richer... and the poor, struggling...
with sky high gas prices to top it all off...

and now even the rich aren't really rich internationally because our dollar is has fallen so far down...

in our slumber... a very small few got really rich...

because when you’re sleeping...

"it’s hard to change agendas"...

we know what happened in 2000 and 2004...
but in 2008...
it’s different...

we are awake...
and there is a movement...

and "it’s hard to change a movement"...

last time "we" didn’t have a movement...
America wasn’t united...

and now "United and "Standing"...for something...
we know the power of "US"...
and we have a person who represents the "U.S."...

"US"…

"we are the ones we’ve been waiting for"...

I’m proud to be an American...

will.i.am

Phonebanking for Obama

Last week, a friend of mine invited me to join him in phonebanking for Obama tonight. Tuesday is the crucial primary in both Ohio and Texas - both critical states with large numbers of delegates. These states could decide the Democratic candidate for President.

I absolutely love being part of the political process and being around others who are similarly excited about it. The volunteers were of all different backgrounds. Some were elected officials. Some were volunteering for the first time. But they were all passionate about Obama.

We spent 4 hours calling Ohio voters tonight and had a blast. Most people I spoke to were indeed supporting Obama (yeah!), although I did speak to one man who called me a bitch. Some people were even chatty and wanted to discuss how much they loved Obama. That made the evening fly.

On the far other end of the spectrum, however, were the people who said they'd never voted and weren't registered and the people who did not even know who was running. I can appreciate that not everyone is as wonky about politics as I am, but to be so disengaged that you don't know who's running and/or not be registered? Really?

To me, voting isn't a right. It's an obligation. As a woman, when I go to vote, I think about the millions of women around the world who are denied the ability to vote simply because of their gender. As an American, I think about all the people around the world who live in countries without elections or with fraudulent elections. I believe I'm voting for them.

I have never missed an election - presidential, primary, local, dog catcher. Whatever the election, I learn about the issues and candidates and cast my ballot. And with the internet, it's easy to find objective information about candidates and issues.

One thing I've noticed this election cycle is millions of people who have never participated in the election process are standing up and being counted. With their money. With their time. With placing yard signs. With their vote. And that's one reason I support Barack Obama. He is singlehandedly responsible for the engagement of all these new voters. My prayer is that they stay engaged, but only time will tell.