WASHINGTON — President Obama urged the nation on Tuesday to see the economic crisis as reason to raise its ambitions, calling for expensive new efforts to address energy, health care and education even as he warned that government bailouts have not come to an end.

In his first address to a joint session of Congress, Mr. Obama mixed an acknowledgment of the depth of the economic problems with a Reaganesque exhortation to American resilience. He offered an expansive agenda followed by a pledge to begin paring an ever-climbing budget deficit. Read more

In our last installment, we discussed some positive signs in the race relations situation.

I have now graduated from college and am hanging around Raleigh, taking courses and working for the Raleigh Recreation Department in preparation for graduate school in the fall.  This was the summer of 1963, called by some the “long hot summer,” or by others, the summer the police turned around.

To set the time frame, this was the summer of the Greensboro lunch counter sit it, the Selma, Alabama march and other large acts of civil disobedience in which African Americans let it be known that they would no longer accept second class citizenship.  Many cities in the Southeastern United States  were  “integrated” thus, and Raleigh was no exception.  The only difference was that the leaders of both sides agreed to keep the press out of it, and the only coverage was short articles on the back page of the Raleigh News and Observer.
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In our last submission, I was attending a Southern institution of higher learning that was ahead of its time in that it did admit some African Americans, allowed them almost equal rights with their white(and asian and middle eastern counter-parts), even though all other surrounding schools were strictly segregated, as was the town of Raleigh, NC, where the college was located. Read more

CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama asked the White House if his family could move to Washington earlier than normal, but aides say the White House couldn’t give them the official guest house as early as his family wanted. Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Blagojevich, wearing a black and blue jogging suit, appeared before a federal judge this afternoon on corruption charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan set a $4,500 personal-recognizance bond for the governor, who was arrested at his North Side home this morning. Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested at their homes this morning in a probe involving the governor’s quest to fill Sen. Barack Obama’s open Senate seat and focusing on wire fraud and bribery charges.
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Blatant & Latent Racism in North Carolina & the Midwest

Previously, we had discussed racial perceptions in affluent suburbs of Chicago during and after WWII.  It is perhaps well to realize that at this point in history, the armed forces were still segregated, with black units often drawing the most unsavory assignments.  Accomplishments such as those of the Tuskegee airmen went unnoticed.  In fact, it has been only recently been public knowledge that the first colonist killed at the Boston Massacre was black: even the classic painting of the event revises history to make him white.

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Being of an age such that I can just barely recall World War II

and having been moved all over the country, I should be astonished beyond belief at the election of Barac Obama, an African American, as our president.  But I’m not, probably because I’ve lived and participated the changes in our culture and attitudes that made this possible.  I have many, many recollections and thoughts that I wish to share on this subject, far more than that I can set down in just one sitting.  None of them are about current politics are the qualifications of Mr. Obama or his opponent.
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Is E. Rahm Tough Enough?

You Tell Me.

Emanuel once mailed a pollster a big dead fish. Enraged by disloyal Democrats during Bill Clinton’s first presidential run, he blew away dinner guest by calling out the names of the offenders, punctuating each name by shouting, “Dead.” and stabbing the restaurant table with a dinner knife.

Once he summoned a reporter to his office, shut the door and yelled at him like he was the Chief of Police in a bad Cop Movie. Each sentence was filled with profanity that would make a drunken sailor proud. His face was beet-red. At one point, he suddenly stopped, jumped out of his chair and whipped the door open. He then delivered the coup de grâce, declaring “And, dear sir, the horse you road in on.” , loud enough for people in the Outer office to hear.

As far as getting things done. There’s not much doubt about that. Some people may not like how, but by golly it gets done. Here’s what some Washington people have to say:

“He is competitive, hardworking, hard-charging and street smart, … At the end of the day, you send him to get a mission done, he’ll get it done.” -Rep. Thomas Reynolds (NY), who ran the Republicans’ House election committee in 2006 while Emanuel ran the Democratic counterpart.

“He is the perfect choice. He knows the Hill, he knows substance, he knows politics, and most importantly, he can get the job done.” – Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y

“Rahm knows Capitol Hill and has great political skills … He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together.” - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“No one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel” President-Elect Obama

That common theme of getting things done is going to be vital during the upcoming presidency. We are facing so many problems right now that taking immediate action about some of them is imperative. Rahm seems to understand this.

“We often disagree, but I respect their motives,” Emanuel said. “Now is a time for unity, and, Mr. President-elect, I will do everything in my power to help you stitch together the frayed fabric of our politics, and help summon Americans of both parties to unite in common purpose.”

For the last two years, Emanuel and Rep. Ray LaHood, (R-IL), have put on dinners for small groups of lawmakers from both parties.

“These intimate, yet no-holds-barred dinners have underscored something that I believe is very important for a functional Congress: To get things done on Capitol Hill, one must work in a bipartisan manner,” LaHood said. “Rahm Emanuel shares that belief.”

That’s what Washington needs right now…One Big Dinner Party

Some of the Rumored Guests at the Party:

James Jones was being discussed as secretary of state
former Secretary of State Colin Powell interested in becoming education secretary.
Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel(R)
Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar(R)
and I definately wouldn’t count out Warren Buffet.

Here’s my personal favorite part. Ari from “Entourage” is based on his Brother Ari, an agent in Hollywood. Gotta love that!

~Casper

By: Kirsten Jackson

This is definately an historic moment….someone that was left out of the picture from the previous article is Martin Luther King.

Obama is going to be a historical figure and I have felt since the beginning that he is our Martin Luther King. That doesn’t have anything to do with the color of his skin. Personally, I am really tired of hearing that he is black….what about the other part of him that is white? Why is that always forgotten?
This election has brought out the best and the worst in people. I am reminded of the ignorant Americans in this country that refuse to educate themselves and embrace every American the same. It is 2008….why are we still worried about what color someone’s skin is? I wonder if we will ever get past that but on the other hand realize that there will always be people out there that truly believe that they are superior than other’s. There will always be people that don’t educate themselves and open their eyes to the changing world around them. Where have you all been the last 8 years? Obviously not watching the news or picking up a newspaper. Have you not been affected in some way the past 8 years? I have, countless times, and not in a positive way.
I didn’t vote for Barack Obama because of the color of his skin or his ability to ignite a crowd and speak so eloquently. I voted for him because he is the beacon of hope that this country needs, our light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. He wants this country to heal, not divided into red and blue states, but actually be the United States! Who cannot be moved when listening to what this man has to say? He represents what our country was supposed to be when the constitution of the United States was written.
While online today I finally got the Republican viewpoint. Two comments made by people that consider themself Republican. The first was “now all of our guns are going to be taken away” and “now all of our money is going to be taken away.” OK WHAT??? Are you serious? That’s what I thought, these people have not been listening! Someone else said that they voted on their morals, that they didn’t need to listen to what they have to say. WOW! First and foremost, Obama does not want your guns! In fact he wants you to keep your right to bear arms! He would like to keep, for example, an AK-47 out of the hands of a gang member. And money….he wants to give you money, that is, if you don’t make over $250,000/year. Obama makes over that amount and he doesn’t mind paying higher taxes because he has the money! Wow…that is quite a concept! Personally, I don’t know anyone who makes over $250,000/year. In fact I would feel rich if I made $100,000/year. I know plenty of people that live paycheck to paycheck, don’t have a dime in savings, and don’t have health insurance. Do I feel these people need tax breaks over the rich? Definately! I want my kids to grow up in a different world than we have now. I believe in Barack Obama and I believe he is going to show everyone what an amazing person he really is.

FDR, JFK, Lincoln?

I’m hoping for some wonderful combination of the above. One things for sure he will be remembered. No Franklin Pierce presidency in store here. His name will never be lost in our nations history. Will he be able to bring together our country and guide us through Our Generations Great Depression. I certainly hope so. No matter what your feeling were/are about Obama everybody better get on board cause this country is in for some very very rough times.

The Choices that he makes in the next few weeks will really tell us what kind of policy changes are coming.

It will also tell us a great deal about how much bipartisanship the next term(s) will have.

The social election of Obama are amazing. I guess I really hadn’t thought alot about how much this will change the way future generations will view race. Or more importantly how they WON’T be thinking about it. Exciting times.

The Phantom will be making it easier to submit stories, comments, and improved Member options in the near future. Keep your eyes on the Phantom Story ticker for details.

 

Barack Obama along with the help of his Democrat majority run Senate and Congress will easily pass the policies and laws needed to advance his oppressive socialist agenda and this will cause so much damage to our socioeconomic system…..

along with the dismantling of our Constitution that it will be catastrophic and within two years from the time he steps into the Oval Office he will have turned our whole county into a steaming pile of feces and from what I’m about to tell you this will seem like the good part because from this point on only gets worse.

The citizens of this country that so wholeheartedly voted Mr Obama into office will become so disillusioned and disenchanted by the havoc he and his cohorts will have caused in such a short time to this country that a large portion of his constituents will reject the Democrat Party and will flee in droves like a Democrat refugee tsunami to the Republican Party flooding it with people that will still hold on to their liberal ideology that they for so long believed in and is so ingrained in their souls. Their overwhelming numbers will make it impossible for the Republican Party already severely weakened by the Republican R.I.N.O.’s and other liberal forces within it’s body and without a strong conservative base it so desperately needs to ward off the effects of this onslaught will not be able to assimilate such a vast number of liberal ideologues into its fold and will morph into a party no longer recognizable as the strong Republican party of the past but now will now become a party crippled and disfigured by liberalism. So weakened and in disarray it will not be able to fight off the nightmare to come.

Obama will see this rejection by his former supporters as desertion and betrayal of the highest degree. Senators and Congressmen in his own party after witnessing the desertion and along with the dismal state of the nation and with the American people at the boiling point they will recognize the large cracks starting to appear in the foundation of Obama’s house of cards and being the narcissistic but smart lowlifes that they are will begin to think there might be a better future in the Republican Party. The word will get back to Obama that his opportunistic rats are getting ready to jump ship. Obama and his advisors know this would create a vacuum in his party and would hand the power of the Senate and Congress back to the Republicans virtually bringing his rein of power to an abrupt end and this I guarantee you he will not let happen.

Mr Obama being the radical socialist that he truly is, will be in a state of panic at the thought of losing his power and authority that is more important to him than life itself and will unleash every weapon of power from the government arsenal afforded to him as president. He will tell the Senate and Congress that any individual that does not go along and help implement what he is about to do will face harsh retaliation like never imagined. Each member putting his own self interest first will succumb to this threat forcing the Democrat majority run Houses to do his bidding. Mr Obama at this point will have free rein to implement a plan so diabolical that in the end will utterly destroy our nation and in the end put every man, woman and child in this country into bondage.

Mr.Obama in his quest for total power with the help of his Polit Bureau(the Senate and Congress) will nationalize all the private business sectors making the people of this country dependant on the government for all it’s wants and needs. He will nationalize the media virtually eliminating the 1st amendment. He will also eliminate the 2nd amendment and confiscate all the guns from the people in the attempt to eliminate any uprisings or opposition from the masses. The Senators and Congressmen of the Republican Party stripped of all their power will for self preservation ally themselves with the new socialist regime or find themselves eliminated. Mr Obama will now have successfully put into place his own tyrannical government and will make himself king.

The people of this country already at the boiling point will in masses explode like an atomic bomb. Civil violence like never seen in this country before will spread from one end of our nation to the other in such ferocity King Obama will not be able to quell it.. The American Military will not be able to turn their weapons on their own people and will also experience massive desertions and attempted coups by it’s own officers. King Obama faced with his own survival will in desperation need to look elsewhere to save himself and he will find it in the most unlikely allies that are already laying in wait like crouched predators hungry for the kill.

Russia and China will both step in and offer to King Obama their services in the form of their militaries. After all he is a fellow Marxist. In return they will expect a reward for the sacrifice of their fellow soldiers and comrades in the form of one third of the United States for each of them. King Obama will have no other choice but to accept this offer if he wants to remain in power and save his head.

With King Obama as commander and chief of the American Military, the Russian and Chinese Military will be free from any threat of reprisal and will proceed with a scorched earth policy so barbaric that our country will be decimated and left a wasteland and this will leave our people on the verge of extinction. Those of us who are unlucky and survive face a life of slavery and misery. The Russians and Chinese and King Obama will now divide the country into three different sectors much like Germany after world war two and our once great country will have vanished for all of eternity.

If what I have written scares the hell out of you this is good because fear is a wonderful source of inspiration and motivation and hopefully it will inspire and motivate you to take a more hands on, pro active approach in helping shape and defend this great land of ours by getting more involved in the political process. I believe it is part of our patriotic duty to keep ourselves informed of what is going on in our country. Do not sit idly by while some politician that a majority of us don’t even know the name of represents us in the Congress or the Senate and where by some kind of blind faith we expect them be the caretaker of our rights and freedoms. That’s crazy! This “inactivisim” we practice in this nation is why we have a socialist knocking at the door of the White House and for some strange reason close to half of us I’m sad to say are happy to see him there. This is a tragedy! Get out there and do your duty. Become a “Radical” Conservative Republican and by all means VOTE. Last but not least DON’T GIVE UP YOUR GUNS!

For all you cynics who are laughing and saying this could never happen here I’d like to save this argument with you for another place and time, like the Indoctrination Camp when the guards aren’t listening…. jagloss

More details about the suspected plot to assassinate Obama come trickling in

Apparently the skinheads are afraid again. *Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

2 Men were planning on killing 88 people, 14 of which were to be beheaded. Apparently the numbers 88 and 14 have some kind of special meaning in this group of wacko’s.

*”Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt,” the court complaint states. “Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt.”

Top hats and tuxes? Once again showing that there was some quality planning here. I mean really, did they think that by the second heinous action that a description of skinhead in tuxes wouldn’t have made them a little hard not to stop?

*Sheriffs’ deputies in Crockett County, Tenn., arrested the two suspects — Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark. — Oct. 22 on unspecified charges. “Once we arrested the defendants and suspected they had violated federal law, we immediately contacted federal authorities,” said Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce.

Will this be the first of many stories that haunt this future president, or is he doomed to suffer the same fate as Benazir Bhutto. Are we really living in a country as unsafe for our Leader’s as Pakistan?



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Couldn’t agree more. The fact that O-Man didn’t get badly beaten, which I don’t even think Fox Noise has been saying, is in reality a huge win for him. This mornings polls that I have seen are giving O the Victory 51% to 38%.

The unfortunate part is the quest of whether it matters. Kerry was given the win in 2 out of 3 debates last time and that didn’t get him a W over GW. Even more importantly I believe that there is a huge segment of people that don’t admit how prejudiced they are. Once they get in that booth they just won’t be able to pull the trigger and vote for “the black guy”. I really hope I’m wrong, but only time will tell.
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Good evening from Fargo…..

I look forward to a lively discussion. I urge readers to give me their own assessments of the debate — who did the best, and why? Which points were the most effective? Who stumbled, and when? I’ll post as many of your comments as I can, sometimes adding observations of my own, sometimes not.

My first impression: Neither man committed a terrible goof. I learned in the last couple of weeks while working on an article about debate preparation (link below) that this was their single biggest concern. Defense is the name of the game.

To my eye, McCain was not at his best tonight. Comparing this debate to the two candidates’ appearance in August with Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church is interesting. I thought McCain on that occasion was warm, funny, confident, loose. By comparison, he seemed a little tight to me tonight.

Obama I think was closer to the top of his game. He dispelled the idea that he couldn’t keep up with McCain on foreign policy issues. Earlier this year some Republicans said they thought McCain would clobber the Democrat in this debate; it didn’t happen.

Obama said he is not going to raise, even lower, the taxes for 95% of the working families. If you make less than $250,000/year, you will not see anymore taxes, everyone over that will see a raise. If you make $250,000/year, you can afford more than a family of 6 who might not have their home anymore because the parents got laid off due to the economy. The single parent who works two/three jobs so that their children can have a decent chance at accomplishing something wonderful in their life. John McCain is against this, because he is part of that since he is worth around $25 million himself. Obama wants to close all of the loopholes in the business tax and give that money to people who need it. This country is being run by the rich and portrayed as the rich, however, working families are struggling to pay the mortgage and the medical bills. It isn’t right for some families to choose between paying for the house, eating properly or send their children to get an education. I am not talking about the people who screwed up their lives because of drugs, gambling or alcohol. I am talking about the families who work to try and get by and then get laid off because the company can’t afford them anymore due to the economic crisis.
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The Real World

Survivor

American Idol

Temptation Island

Who Wants to Marry A Millionaire?

Since the early part of this decade, America has enjoyed their reality tv. I remember when Survivor first came on–I was glued to my tv set. I wanted to see “real” people in unreal situations. How would they act? Who would back stab? Who was gossiping? I, like many Americans, enjoyed a somewhat guilty pleasure watching these shows and hoping that there would be something juicy said or done. The great thing about reality shows is that it had nonprofessional actors, ORDINARY PEOPLE, in extraordinary situations.
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The left has spent the last three day trying to kill the Palin candidacy in the crib.

Their allies in the media realize that if she is allowed to define herself, they are looking at the most formidable Republican politician since Ronald Reagan. That is why they are cowardly attacking a 17 year old girl or claiming that a mother is unfit for the job of Vice President.

They want the street organizer in the White House and the best way to do it to carpet bomb an up and coming GOP star, who because of her gender and personal story, is a major, major threat to them.

As my man Admiral Ackbar would say, “It’s a trap!”. Palin is going to take the stage tonight and wow the crowd and the televison audience. She knows how to communicate and she has the common touch that you cannot fake and that is going to resonate big time with undecided swing voters. The unease about Sarah Palin is that no one has seen her on the national stage. The only things people know about her story have come from far left wing journalists at liberal propoganda mills. This is her opportunity to tell her own story in her own words. If she goes out there tonight and tells the story of a conservative, workig mother ho made her own way in the world on nothing but her own merits, there is going to be a serious, serious, serious backlash against the pinkos in the media and their hero, the street organzier.

Just to Let You Know These People at the Phantom Will Publish all Views Submitted.

South Fargo Republicans

The Mile High Stadium was packed with Democratic Frenzy. The dawning of a new day in Denver, Colorado according to Sen. Dick Durbin, Introducing now Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Barracks acceptance speech… with profound Humility and great gratitude I accept your nomination

Before more than 70000 people in Denver
Excerpts of Barack Obama’s speech, as prepared for delivery:
Barack Obama’s acceptance speech: ‘We meet at one of those defining moments’

“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story — of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
“It is that promise that has always set this country apart — that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

“It is why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women — students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.

“We meet at one of those defining moments — a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.
Four people are being questioned about a suspected racist sniper plot to assassinate US presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach.

“These challenges are not all of government’s making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush.

“America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.”

“This moment — this election — is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight. On Nov. 4, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

“Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we’ll also hear about those occasions when he’s broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

“But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90% of the time. Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90% of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10% chance on change.”

“You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

“We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put away a little extra money at the end of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president — when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

“We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work.

“The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great — a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.”

“That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president. . . .

“Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

“Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

“I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

“I will cut taxes — cut taxes — for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

“And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

“Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Sen. McCain took office.

“Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

“As president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies retool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy — wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.”

“We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — have built, and we are to restore that legacy.

“As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”

Newly-nominated Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday counted on his long resume of foreign policy experience to slam the Bush administration and link Republican presidential candidate John McCain to an entrenched Iraq war policy and threatens Russia in a War Hawk position.

“Our country is less secure and more isolated than at any time in recent history,” Biden said. “The Bush-McCain foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole, with very few friends to help us climb out.”

The Delaware senator took the stage after accepting his party’s nomination by acclamation. He drew sharp contrasts between his new boss, Barack Obama, whom he will start campaigning with on Friday, and his old friend McCain.

“The choice in this election is clear. These times require more than a good soldier,” he said, referring to McCain’s military service that includes his legendary five and half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. “They require a wise leader who can deliver change. The change everybody knows we need. Barack Obama will deliver that change.”

Biden cast doubt on McCain’s judgment for saying there can be no time lines to withdraw troops from Iraq and praised Obama for advocating a time line and shift in responsibility to the Iraqis.

“Now, after six long years, the Bush administration and the Iraqi government are on the verge of setting a date to bring our troops home,” he said. “John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.”

Biden’s acceptance speech marks a high point in his 30-plus year political career that includes two failed bids for the White House. Biden’s career appeared to be heading back into obscurity after he dropped out of this year’s race

Biden’s son, Beau Biden, who is scheduled to go to Iraq Oct. 3 for a year-long deployment, introduced his father. Beau Biden, 39, is Delaware’s state attorney general and apparent heir to his father’s Senate seat if Democrats win the White House in November.

In his remarks, Beau Biden alluded to his imminent military service when he said because of other duties he won’t be able to stand by his father in the fall the way his father has for his family.

“So I have something to ask of you,” he said. “Be there for my dad like he was for me. Be there for Barack Obama because our country needs him. … Be there because Barack and Obama and Joe Biden will deliver America the change we so desperately need.”

In Biden, Obama chose a foreign policy heavyweight who has a biography as compelling as his own.

Elected to the Senate at the age of 29 in 1972, Biden confronted a personal tragedy before he could take office. His wife and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were killed when a tractor-trailer broad-sided her station wagon. His two sons survived the crash, and Biden took his oath of office for his first term at the hospital bedside his sons.

A Catholic with blue-collar roots, Biden, 65, is expected to appeal to working-class white voters that Obama struggled to pick up in the primaries.