First, restore confidence Forget four years. In the first six weeks of his tenure, the new president's to-do list will include: Restoring a sense of public confidence that the country can meet and solve the financial challenges ahead. At campaign rallies, Obama already has quoted FDR's admonition that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Guiding implementation of the financial industry rescue plan, including figuring out which toxic assets Treasury should buy from struggling institutions and how much to pay for them. The move to use $250 billion of the bailout to buy stakes in banks will put the government in the unfamiliar role of part owner of institutions that embody free-market capitalism. Beginning to revamp a regulatory structure largely built during the Depression so that it reflects the complexity of the current global financial system. Deciding whether and how to begin the drawdown of most U.S. combat forces from Iraq. Obama says he wants to complete the withdrawal in his first 16 months in office. McCain says a reduction is on the horizon but hasn't set a timetable. Responding to the urgent request this month by Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, for more U.S. troops there. Army Times reports that Gen. David Petraeus, who takes overall command of the region on Oct. 31, plans to deliver a report to the president in February after conducting a "top-to-bottom" review. Submitting the federal budget for fiscal 2010 to Congress in early February. It presumably will reflect the costs of the bailout plan and the revenue impact of the economic slowdown. Being prepared for terrorists to strike during the transition, a timing they have used before. The World Trade Center was bombed five weeks after President Clinton took office in 1993; the Madrid train bombings took place three days before national elections in Spain in 2004; car-bomb attacks were attempted in London and Glasgow days after a new British prime minister took office in 2007.

October 14, 2008
An Open Letter to the American People,

This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.

We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting hi m.

During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support. The government's scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant
position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.

We have watched Senator Obama's approach to these issues with admiration. We espe cially applaud his emphasis during the campaign on the power of science and technology to enhance our nation's competitiveness. In particular, we support the measures he plans to take - through new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research - to meet the nation's and the world's most urgent needs.

Senator Obama understands that Presidential leadership and federal investments in science and technology are crucial elements in successful governance of the world's leading country. We hope you will join us as we work together to ensure his election in November.

Signed,

Alexei Arikosov Physics 2003
Roger Guillemin Medicine 1977
Peter Agre Chemistry 2003
John L. Hall Physics 2005
Sidney Altman Chemistry 1989
Leland H. Hartwell Medicine 2001
Philip W. Anderson Physics 1977
Dudley Herschbach Chemistry 1986
Richard Axel Medicine 2004
Roald Hoffmann Chemistry 1981
David Baltimore Medicine 1975
H. Robert Horvitz Medicine 2002
Baruj Benacerraf Medicine 19 80
Louis Ignarro Medicine 1998
Paul Berg Chemistry 1980
Eric R. Kandel Medicine 2000
J. Michael Bishop Medicine 1989
Walter Kohn Chemistry 1998
N. Bloembergen Physics 1981
Roger Kornberg Chemistry 2006
Michael S. Brown Medicine 1985
Leon M. Lederman Physics 1988
Linda B. Buck Medicine 2 004
Craig C. Mello Medicine 2006
Mario R. Capecchi Medicine 2007
Yoichiro Nambu Physics 2008
Martin Chalfie Chemistry 2008
Marshall Nirenberg Medicine 1968
Stanley Cohen Medicine 1986
Douglas D. Osheroff Physics 1996
Leon Cooper Physics 1972
Stanley  ;B. Prusiner Medicine 1997
James W. Cronin Physics 1980
Norman F. Ramsey Physics 1989
Robert F. Curl Chemistry 1996
Robert Richardson Physics 1996
Johann Diesenhofer Chemistry 1988
Burton Richter Physics 1976
John B. Fenn Chemistry 2002
Sherwood Rowland Chemistry 1995
Edmond H. Fischer Medicine 1992
Oliver Smithies Medicine 2007
Val Fitch Physics 1980
Richard R Schrock Chemistry 2005
Jerome I. Friedman Physics 1990
Joseph H. Taylor Jr. Physics 1993
Murray Gell-M an Physics 1969
E. Donnall Thomas Medicine 1990
Riccardo Giacconi Physics 2002
Charles H. Townes Physics 1964
Walter Gilbert Chemistry 1980
Roger Tsien Chemistry 2008
Alfred G. Gilman Medicine 1994
Daniel C.Tsui Physics 1998
Donald A. Glaser Physics 1960
Harold Varmus Medicine 1989
Shel don L. Glashow Physics 1979
James D. Watson Medicine 1962
Joseph Goldstein Medicine 1985
Eric Wieschaus Medicine 1995
Paul Greengard Medicine 2000
Frank Wilczek Physics 2004
David Gross Physics 2004
Robert W. Wilson Physics 1978
Robert H. Grubbs Chemistry 2005

The views expressed in this letter represent those of the signers acting as individual citizens.
They do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The
Medicine award is for "Physiology or Medicine."

The plan, regardless of whose changes are applied to it, is still a short term reaction to a long term problem.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must be liquidated. Government caused the problem. Throwing tax dollars down the toilet fixes othing.

This plan will destroy what is left of our economy.

We need a totally different long term plan to cure our totally messed up economy.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan's largest bank, said on Monday it planned to take a stake of up to one-fifth in U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley as part of a strategic alliance.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) said in a statement on Monday it would buy 10-20 percent of the common stock of Morgan Stanley. It said it would decide on the amount it would pay after carrying out due diligence.

Buying 20 percent of Morgan Stanley would cost MUFG about $6 billion based on its total market value of $30 billion.

Morgan Stanley has chnaged into a commercial bank so that it is eligible for greater financial aid, ie more taxpayer bailouts from Paulson, and Japan wants part of the bailout.

Morgan Stanley has been under pressure to raise capital amid a sharp fall in its share price.

What international banking conspiracy?

RENO, Nev. â�" A few tents cropped up hard by the railroad tracks, pitched by men left with nowhere to go once the emergency winter shelter closed for the summer.

Then others appeared â�" people who had lost their jobs to the ailing economy, or newcomers who had moved to Reno for work and discovered no one was hiring.

Within weeks, more than 150 people were living in tents big and small, barely a foot apart in a patch of dirt slated to be a parking lot for a campus of shelters Reno is building for its homeless population. Like many other cities, Reno has found itself with a "tent city" â�" an encampment of people who had nowhere else to go.

From Seattle to Athens, Ga., homeless advocacy groups and city agencies are reporting the most visible rise in homeless encampments in a generation.

Nearly 61 percent of local and state homeless coalitions say they've experienced a rise in homelessness since the foreclosure crisis began in 2007, according to a report by the National Coalition for the Homeless. The group says the problem has worsened since the report's release in April, with foreclosures mounting, gas and food prices rising and the job market tightening.

Don't think anyone here dislikes or is as afraid of this conservative crack case to be a heart beat away from the presidency as I am. All the reasons we know.. she lies... she isn't qualified are right there for all to see. McCain picking her as VP shows his terrible judgement and putting his country last...anything to win politics.

This is the problem with Palin. We know the GOP cannot talk about the issues because they have no answers, nothing but more of the same.

As long as we keep the chatter alive about Palin we don't discuss the issues.

No more Palin chatter. Let's discuss issues and mcCain. On those topics we win.

Let's talk about the topics that weren't even mentioned at the GOP Convention...the middle class, health care...ending the war, housing foreclosures, energy independence, the environment.........

We have started a new group on the DNC Party Builder site for all grassroots organizers like you. We will be sharing info, flyers, helping each other with talking points and encouraging and sharing info to get on the phones, knock on doors and raise money to help Democrats win.

Organize your neighborhood. If you don't know how...we'll help you. You can do it on your own or we'll do our best to hook you up with Democrats in your area that could use your help.

We have less then 60 days left and need your ideas and help.

http://www.democrats.org/page/group/PartyBuilderVolunteerActionGroup

the Wall Street speculators rich.
They will come up with some goofy plan for Fannie and Freddie that will leave serious invesstors wondering how it will affect the stock price

But the insiders will know beforehand and get rich ahead of us.

They should stop trading the stock and have a true takeover just like with the banks where the stock is wiped out forever

But the Wall Street insiders will get rich and you and I will probably pay $10,000 per person in taxes for the bailout
I want to hear barack saying we will not bail out the insiders

One of our Party Builders, Robert Brooks, has written an excellent article on his blog at http://thewildernessvoice.blogspot.com/

I am not duplicating his excellent article, but making a major correction. As shocking as his article is, and with great respect to Mr. Brooks, he understates the problem.

He uses the example of the year 1967 for his computations that the dollar has lost 80 percent of its value in forty years, compared, among other things to the price of gold.

I beg to argue that the two most relevant benchmarks are the price of oil, and the median homeprice, since those two items determine the price of almost everything else we spend our money on.

In 1967 a barrel of oil was $2.90 a barrel. Today, Sept. 2, 2008 oil closed at a five year low of $105, which indicates a loss of 97 percent in the value of a dollar.

National figures on median home prices are subject to manipulation, so I will use my home.

My home was built in 1967, coincidentally the same base year used as a base by Mr. Brooks.

The current market value of my home indicates a 92 percent loss in the value of the dollar. People are mistaken when they think they have made money when a homeprice goes up. What you are really seeing is inflation: it takes more dollars to buy the same thing.

In the 39 or 40 years since 1967, Republicans have controlled the White House most of the time, but there is plenty of blame to go around for both parties.

What this really means is that our government has stolen 92 to 97 percent of the life savings that people had in 1967.

And every year they are stealing more of our life savings. Greenspan is a traitor who belongs in jail, because the statutory job of the Federal Reserve is to preserve a sound dollar.

Greenspan only missed the mark by 95 percent.

We need CHANGE

In case I did not state it clearly, WE NEED CHANGE