Day One Links

Today is a travel day for me, and I'm still processing the whirlwind weekend.  Check out these articles on poverty in my absence, and talk amongst yourselves.

Here's the transcript of Obama's speech; NYC Weboy likes this bit.

Did you know that African-American slaves built the U.S. Capitol?

In the midst of it all, Monday was MLK Day.  Congresswoman Barbara Lee has these thoughts on poverty and the Iraq War:

Dr. King's words still resonate today with unemployment and poverty on the rise and in a nation where millions live without access to a quality education or affordable healthcare, while we are still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. [...]

"Just as Vietnam was an enemy of the poor, so too is the unnecessary immoral war in Iraq that has taken the lives of over 4,200 of our young brave and women, that has left tens of thousands with grave injuries and has cost our nation hundreds of billions of dollars.  We must heed the wisdom of Dr. King by bringing our troops and military contractors home safely and quickly so that we might address the pressing economic needs right here at home, including the over 37 million Americans who live in poverty. We must also avoid a massive and dangerous escalation in Afghanistan that will only serve to cost this nation more in blood and treasure.

"Today, we stand on the historic eve of the inauguration of our 44th and first African American President, Barack Obama. Let us recommit to providing economic relief to the millions who are suffering across this country by addressing the root causes of poverty; providing support for education, job training, childcare, fair and affordable housing, universal healthcare and a living wage in an environmentally sound and sustainable Green Economy that provides opportunity for all.

In D.C., "Impoverished" African-Americans hopeful but not optimistic about Obama's leadership on poverty:

...the bulk of Obama's campaign rhetoric focused on middle-income issues, and his plan to stabilize the staggering US economy is squarely aimed at rebuilding the middle class. That, along with his personal profile of a successful, Ivy League-educated family man, puts him in a different universe from most black people struggling to get by in troubled urban neighborhoods like Washington's Anacostia District, less than 5 miles southeast of the White House.

Among the poor, "there's truly a general feeling of hope - and that this won't make a difference," said Jacki Coyle, executive director of Shepherd's Table, noting that much of her majority-black clientele shows their solidarity with the president-elect by arriving for meals decked out in Obama hats or T-shirts.

This was my experience with middle-aged and older working-class blacks in Memphis and New Orleans, that Obama was going to be just most leaders and not address working people's concerns and needs.  This is why political rhetoric about "the middle-class" worries me so much.  This is also not a sentiment limited to low-income African-Americans, by any means.

Here's a start? Obama will make it easier for states to provide health insurance to low- and middle-income families.

How do you feel about the Inauguration, about the Obama Administration, about the mess Dubya left behind?

(Photo: Leslie E. Kossoff for The Boston Globe)