Got to do it

Less than two months from Election Day, and with more drama than a 'Young and the Restless' season, its about time I get back into this political theater with a discussion of what's going on.

1. Sarah Palin is on the Republican ticket as vice-presidential nominee. I don't think she'll be able to do anything useful in the White House. I question whether she even wants to be there, with her hometown roots and growing family. The truth is that John McCain and the ultra-right Republicans are using her to get themselves back in.

2. Barack Obama chose Joe Biden to serve as his vice presidential nominee. Obama made this decision no doubt to sure up some foreign affairs experience on the ticket and because the Democrats still lag in blue-collar support across this great land.

3. Jim Martin is considered to be close behind Saxby Chambliss in Georgia's US Senate race. Libretarian Allen Buckley is in the race and should attend all the candidate debates -- theoretically, I support third-parties' inclusion in the process so this is all to the good. (Tomorrow the National Press Club is hosting a third-party presidential candidates discussion)

What I'm looking for in a candidate to genuinely address this Fall include:

• ending the war in Iraq


• bringing some economic stability through business growth and reigning in the federal deficit


• a serious energy initiative with clean, alternative energy given priority but all options on the table


• health care solutions for Grady Hospital and other care for the poor, social security, medicare


• doing something about the housing crisis, including addressing homelessness (not just by running a mis-guided anti-pan handling campaign; in other words, I DON'T SUPPORT THE SLOGAN 'PAN-HANDLING IS A LOSE-LOSE SITUATION')