Barack Obama Leads in Four Traditionally GOP States

Word has it that Barack Obama has taken the lead in four states won by President Bush in 2004. This is not good news for John McCain. All the money that Obama has to spend is definitely paying off, as he is pressing his money and manpower advantages in a slew of traditionally GOP states. The plan is not only to win, but to remake the country's political map. McCain is scrambling to defend states where he wouldn't even be campaigning if the race were closer.

Less than a week before Election Day, Obama is benefiting from the country's sour mood and widely viewed as the winning candidate by voters in eight crucial states — Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Can you say President Obama?

Obama Will Win and be the Next President

Although anything can happen in the final weeks leading up to the Presidential election, this race is over. Barack Obama will win.

Why am I saying that? Look at the facts. Obama's lead in the polls is increasing. He has an unprecedented amount of money that is being spent on everything necessary. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans. And finally, all of this economic turmoil is being blamed on President Bush and John McCain.

So it is over. As a matter of fact, it will probably be a landslide victory for Obama. For all of you supporting him, you better be right. A change may be needed. But is it the right change?

President Bush Speaks in Attempt to Calm Stock Market Fears

The latest in news from Wall Street is that President Bush spoke to the nation this morning in an attempt to calm fears about the credit crisis. It was a brief statement acknowledging anxiety among both investors and the general public about the economy.

“We can solve this crisis and we will,” Bush said.

Wall Street wavered in another volatile day Friday, touched off by a global rout on concerns that even lower interest rates won't help end the worsening credit crisis. The Dow Jones industrials dropped below 8,000 shortly after trading began, regained all of that deficit to show an advance — and then declined again.

Frozen credit markets and a loss of confidence in the world's financial system have caused the Dow to tumble 21 percent in just 10 trading days. The blue chip index dropped 678 points Thursday, and is heading to its worst weekly point drop ever.

Friday's gyrations were likely caused by computer-driven buy orders that kicked in when prices had fallen far enough to make some stocks look like attractive bets. But that buying reflected no lifting of the market's deep despair, and selling continued.

Stay tuned as this crisis is far from over.

Government May Buy Ownership Stakes in Banks

We now have the worst credit crisis since the Great Depression on our hands. How did it get this bad? The long and the short of it is greed. However, banks' poor decisions on sub-prime loans certainly played a part. Personally, I feel that the banks are in such bad shape that the government will have to buy shares of the banks to prevent a complete collapse. Can you imagine what would happen if the banking system fails? It would be unimaginable. Certainly another depression would follow.

An administration official, who of course spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the $700 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week allows the Treasury Department to inject fresh capital into financial institutions and get ownership shares in return. This official said all the new powers granted in the legislation were being considered as the administration seeks to deal with a serious credit crisis that has caused the biggest upheavals on Wall Street in seven decades and continues to roil global markets.

So we are left with either a total collapse by the banks or the government owning them. I don't like either option, but the latter might be the lesser of two evils.

O.J. Simpson Found Guilty

O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint on Friday night. Isn't that the words so many people wanted to hear 13 years ago? Was this a case a justice delayed or the "spillover effect?" I don't know whether he is guilty or not, but I do know that there was no way he would be acquitted this time. Too many people have too many strong opinions about him.

The 61-year-old former football star was convicted of all 12 counts after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours. He released a heavy sigh as the charges were read and was immediately taken into custody. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after his murder acquittal, could spend the rest of his life in prison. His attorney said he would appeal.

What a sad story.