What I'd like to hear from the President

We are heading into a weekend with a real sense of anxiety...

A loss of confidence in our markets; a loss of confidence in our electoral process with all this voter fraud...

A loss of confidence in our politicians in Washington...

And a loss of confidence in our financial institutions...

I want to see a president not beaten down and battered by the partisan battles and the public criticism of the past eight years...

I want to hear him speak about the America that I know...

Let's face it - France isn’t going to lead us out of this global crisis... Nor Germany or Spain or England... It isn’t Asia or the Middle East... and it surely isn’t Russia or China.

Or Central or South America or even Canada... It is the PROMISE of the United States of America -- that unique thing that binds us together that will lead us out of this mess... and it is time to believe again.

She's the nation who when faced w/ unprecedented odds, she stood the challenges of time...

Who when on Sept 11th, 2001, men and women, black and white, Latino and Asian and from all walks of life, came together as one nation, united as a people, to face the tyrannical destruction of those who would seek to undermine her greatness...

A nation who says we are stronger as ONE against any and all who doubt our resolve.

Who sees courage and loyalty and perseverance, dignity and honor as its core strength in times of strife...

Who believes in a just and almighty God to lead our efforts in selfless acts of humanity and determination that we preserve not only our nation and way of life, but also a culture of equality that has become a beacon of freedom for the world to see...

Though excesses may collapse our markets, as they did during the great depression, in the 80s and in the dotcom burst of 2000...

We shall survive this too with the sheer grit of this nation.

And we will continue to be the greatest force for good on Earth because at our most basic level, our undoubting courage for those who find themselves in the breach between good and evil, sick and poor, we find ourselves. It is who we are - and it is what unites us as a nation.

While we may have been the catalyst for what is becoming a global economic slowdown, it is the United States of America who will lead us out of the woods...

And I have faith still in this greatest experiment called democracy for which my grandchildren have not only hope but also that promise to those who are willing to work harder, strive farther and believe deeper in the most powerful economic system in our planets history.

That is what I believe... and our next and final debate might be a good time for Barack Obama and John McCain to set aside some partisan differences and find that common faith in our system.

MY FIVE

Here are MY FIVE questions for tonight's debate in Nashville, TN...

Hopefully we'll find out where the candidates really stand on the issues - namely, the economic crisis and the way forward.

1. The Economy is stuck. Credit is frozen. Aside from the recent bailout bill that you both voted for, what are you going to do to solve this crisis and ensure it does not happen again?

2. Who will you appoint as your Treasury Secretary and who will you seek advice from as your administration takes on the economic woes ahead?

3. Explain to me specifically how YOU think we got into this crisis and tell me why you think it wasn’t avoided before we got to the "crisis" point?

4. Taxes and Truth. Honestly explain to me your plan to raise or cut taxes - income, corporate, cap gains, estate, AMT… lay it out plain and simple and explain how it helps me as a middle-class father of two young girls?

5. Everyone has someone in their past that they regret associating with at some point in their lives. Tell me someone in your past that you regret befriending and why that association does not reflect your judgement?

Get the popcorn ready. Let’s hope for answers and not boring fluff… the American people deserve more!

Ellen's Stardust Diner

So there I was at Ellen's Stardust Diner on Times Square in NYC talking to folks about the election... and "Dana" burst into song! See if you can figure out who Dana's voting for this year...