Obama's Whistlestop Tour Begins

Song of the Day: Love Train


An Historic Ride Begins After a Speech in Philadelphia (video below)
Photo: Reuters

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama gets on board for his historic Whistlestop Tour
Photo: Reuters


Photo: AP


One of the first (if not THE first) posted photos of the train as it embarks on its jouney to the nation's Capital for the Inauguration.
Photo credit: Jim MacMillan.net


Waving to the crowds

The Delaware Stop

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Record turnouts of citizens on an extremely cold day in Delaware

The Baltimore Stop


Photo: Reuters

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Suburban Guerilla has the transcript of the speech

Vote NOW for Department Of Peace

Got a message from Yoko Ono on Facebook this morning asking us to vote NOW for a Department of Peace: http://tinyurl.com/64r567 [change.org - "Appoint Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Non-Violence"] Please vote.

Innocence Speaks

This video isn't about propaganda or ideology. It's a video about real effects of war on children who have many questions, as you can well imagine. The video was created by Rula Mughrabi, 26 year-old Jordanian woman who works at a microfinance organization in Jordan.

Hillary Clinton's Confirmation Hearing

Politico: Clinton to emphasize 'smart power': http://tinyurl.com/8rzruq

OneCampaign: Hillary Clinton’s Remarks on Global Development http://tinyurl.com/8scafv

Iddybud Journal: "Microlending: Obama's Mother a Founding Force" [Sept 13, 2008] - Sen. Clinton spoke about this in her confirmation hearing today http://tinyurl.com/8qh7ew

Huffington Post/Ryan Grim: "..Clinton appeared to send a signal to Israel that that it would not have a free hand to operate in the Middle East."http://tinyurl.com/73byf3

Before I post an excerpt from a politics article by Paul Richter appearing today on the LA Times site, I offer my opinion as a blogger who's attended [and blogged] annual meetings of the Clinton Global Initiative [CGI]:

If most Americans could fully know what amazing progress Bill Clinton is making in "leading the leaders" to help the most disadvantaged people on the planet - whether they're leaders in the business world or writers/thinkers/activists or leaders as ordinary world citizens or leaders in NGOs or leaders of philanthropic institutes or dignitaries or heads of state - most US citizens would realize that the truly good and transparent work of the CGI is far, far beyond petty U.S. politics.

LA TIMES Excerpt:
[..] Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the committee's senior Republican, urged the Clinton foundation to exclude all foreign donations. He said the foundation represented a "unique complication" because of the risk that foreigners might think giving money will win favors from the former president's wife.

Clinton defended her husband, contending that plans for disclosure of contributors go beyond that required by government ethics watchdogs.

Clinton's foundation has worked to provide healthcare, particularly for people with AIDS in underdeveloped countries. It also promotes economic growth in Africa and Latin America, combats global climate change and works to solve such problems as childhood obesity in the U.S.

Matt McKenna, communications director for the former president, said by e-mail that the Clintons were "by far the most financially transparent former first couple in American history." [..]