Obama's campaign is bringing out both the most hopeful and the most heinous attitudes in the world. Most people fall between those two attitude-camps. There is a full and very complex spectrum of attitudes about race in play in this election. So let me start by telling you what I am NOT saying. I am not saying that anyone voting for McCain is racist. I am not saying that everyone voting for Obama is NOT racist.

And now for some uplifting news. Louisiana Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, has lost his position as vice chairman of the House health care committee in that state's legislature. In September, the Louisiana statesman unofficially proposed paying welfare mothers $1,000 to undergo sterilization as a solution to poverty. He further proposed giving incentives to "well-educated" citizens to broaden the state's tax base, suggesting that both "positive" and "negative" eugenics would save America.

Let’s talk healthcare, shall we? I’m for it. I think we should have doctors and specialists and nurses and hospitals. What I am not for, and never will be no matter how you sugar-coat it, is nationalized or socialized or government-sponsored healthcare. Look at where we are today, folks. I’m hearing every side blame the government for the state of affairs. These are the people you want in charge of your healthcare? Not me, thanks.

Neither heavy rain nor three thousand members of the media all crowded into one large tent nor the realization that Greta Van Susteren can't possibly weigh more than 90 pounds could keep me from last night's presidential debate.

I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. I'm not liberal and I'm not conservative. I'm moderate and I'm Independent. I vote for the candidate, not the party, and typically my ballots include votes for members from both parties. So at this point in the presidential election, I'm feeling a little lost. 

They are both nice men. It seems like an obvious observation, but it was the main thing I took away from the Presidential Forum on Service at the Service Nation Summit last night. Of course you have to have an ego to run for President, but I didn't feel like that was either of the candidates' core motivations, which is refreshing. It's sad though, that they both could only take the gloves off because it was September 11th, like going to church once a year at Christmas.

It's not often that a little do-good blogger like myself gets invited to cover a big 'ole event, but I am!

A new report is out about insurance and health care, and it's not good. If you think the cost of health care is high now, just wait...It's going to get even higher. Who would have thought that you could have insurance, and still not be able to afford healthcare? How is that possible? Only in America.

A few weeks ago, it occurred to me that reproductive rights were not a priority issue for women this election year. This insight struck me while I was in a writing class with nine other (mostly liberal) women in prime childbearing years (20s and 30s), and I was the only person who mentioned that repro rights were among the three issues I considered most important in this election. I wondered what this meant.

"If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."- Harry TrumanCalvin Coolidge went above and beyond the call, reportedly owned a pygmy hippo and a wallaby, but I'm ashamed to say that I don't know enough about his presidency to know if that says anything about his track record. (That may say enough, actually - with those kinds of animals on your mind, what time do you have left to run the country?)

I think all the talk about women supporters of Hillary Clinton, voting for John McCain, is being overblown by the media. Shocking. Yes, it has been a tough time to be a Hillary supporter. And yes, there are a lot of fresh wounds that will take time to heal. However, I do believe that most women who supported Hillary, did so because of her positions on the issues, and not just because she is a woman. For that reason, I have to believe that after careful consideration of the issues (especially women's issues), Clinton supporters will see that a vote for McCain, would be a vote against women.

Would you be covered under John McCain's health care plan? I wouldn't.