He’s got a lot of issues on his plate right now- the lousy economy, the growing number of unemployed, a health care system that definitely needs to be revamped, a few wars, terrorists, an energy policy that needs help, a Medicare system that needs attention, Social Security that’s not exactly up to par, and a strained military. While he intends to tackle all the above, he also plans to change the way Washington does its tackling of certain issues. I fear he will be severely tested. While Obama is very popular with voters, how will they feel after his first 100 days?

Obama will do something different than other presidents. He has a website where he intends to post congressionally enacted laws for five days so he can invite the public to comment before he signs them. He would also appreciate citizen ideas about the Web site content. You can sign up to receive regular email updates from his website. “Organizing for America” is the website. Check this website. There is a lot of information on it now and more to follow.

Obama: He blamed the Bush administration for the economy and criticized the Republican party for not addressing the issue in greater detail. He also he would offer a tax break to middle and working class families, which would provide relief to 95 % of the population. He plans to invest $15 billion each year in alternate energy over the next decade. He wanted to revitalize manufacturing by investing in cleaner, alternative energy and will offer tax credits for clean energy companies that will keep jobs in the U.S. He said “We can create five million jobs in solar, wind, bio-diesel, hydro, geothermal. All those jobs are well-paying jobs and they can’t be outsourced”. Biden said the Republican party didn’t mention enough about jobs, health care, the economy and things that matter to people.Alex Conant, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said “Apparently Obama was not listening when McCain and Palin offered their plans to keep taxes low and create new jobs. On the other hand, Obama’s economic policies would only raise taxes and eliminate jobs.” Biden also stated: “America needs more than a great soldier. America needs a wise leader.”

McCain: While he has a strong voting record against abortion rights, seldom likes to talk about this social issue or his religious faith. The Democrats have been blasting him as an enemy of abortion rights. Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee said McCain would be a president who doesn’t thin that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is about his pay grade. He also stated that an Obama presidency would mean a Supreme Court lost to liberalism for the next generation. The Republicans were not thrilled that Obama made a comment in San Francisco that he believed :small town Pennsylvanians cling to guns and religion because of their economic anxiety”. Please remember Sarah Palin is from a small town in Alaska. Was this a remark about McCain’s choice of running mate?

It would seem the mud slinging has begun. Where will the next “fight” be staged? I am looking forward to any debates that are upcoming. After all, there are less than 60 days until we vote for the next president. Will the American people put this country in jeopardy by voting for the wrong man? What is the future for the United States beginning in 2009? I wonder.

Acknowledging articles written for the Philadelphia Inquirer (9/6/08) by Joelle Farrell, Kathy Boccella, Robert Moran and Thomas Fitzgerald