Be the Change That You Want To Be - Kat Edmonson

A few weeks ago, NPR's All Songs Considered asked songwriters to write and send us a song to reflect this remarkable day in the country's history. They received submissions from first-time and veteran songwriters alike, and chose a small handful that they thought captured the spirit of America after our historic election.

Here are the ones they did choose. I'll put them on the All Songs Considered podcast this week.

Their (and my) favorite is embedded in their blog at http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/01/songs_for_these_times_our_song_1.html:

Kat Edmonson, "Be the Change"

Or you can go to Ms. Edmonson's My Space page: http://www.myspace.com/katedmonson

Wind energy still only provides a smidgen over 1 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, while coal accounts for about half.

From How the World Works Blog on Salon.com, posted on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009 12:16 PST

Green Wombat's Todd Woody, citing a release from the American Wind Energy Association, provides a new "talking point": "The wind industry now employs more people than coal mining in the United States."

Strictly speaking, this is true. Until the collapse of the economy in mid-September the wind industry had been growing at a tremendous rate, and currently, according to the AWEA, boasts a total employment of 85,000. The latest figures from the Department of Labor peg coal mining employment at 81,000.

But as a few of Woody's readers were quick to point out, wind energy still only provides a smidgen over 1 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, while coal accounts for about half. So if you counted everyone employed in actually generating electricity from coal, the wind industry's showing would be a little less robust.

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The posting concludes:

The key takeaway shouldn't be employment, but growth rates. The U.S. registered a 50 percent increase in installed wind power capacity in 2008 and the wind industry accounted for 42 percent of all new electricity generation. The recession will take its toll on those numbers in 2009, but with a Democratic Congress including renewable energy incentives in the stimulus package, future momentum is all but assured.

http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/01/30/wind_industry_employment/index.html

How to lie about tax cuts

From How the World Works Blog on Salon.com, posted on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 13:24 PST

Here's what appears to be the House Republican strategy going forward: lie, misrepresent, and obfuscate. And when you get called on it, just ignore reality and repeat yourself.

http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/01/28/tax_cuts_romer_and_jobs/index.html

The Limits of Bipartisanship by E.J. Dionne, Jr.

Washington Post Writers Group
The Limits of Bipartisanship by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
It's be a shame to let a crisis go to waste for a few Republican votes.
Post Date Monday, February 2, 2009

WASHINGTON--The coming week will test the strength of President Obama and the Democrats: Will they lose their nerve, or will they face down a rapidly forming conventional wisdom that will allow them to claim "victory" only if their economic stimulus package passes with substantial Republican support?

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=c2f925d3-e471-4989-a263-e5bc06c7ebb5

Mr. Obama's Summons

Before a crowd of astonishing size and spirit, the new president issues a call to duty.

From the Washington Post on Tuesday, January 20, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003555.html

Senator Obama will be President Obama.

Latest election calls from AP and NPR. NPR predicts that Ohio wil go to Obama. It is over.

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Chuck Todd: If McCain Wins All Toss-Ups He Still Loses

With two days before Election Day, the final NBC News map shows Obama remaining above the 270 electoral-vote mark, with a 286-157 lead over McCain. Last week, Obama held a 286-163 advantage.

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