We asked for change and, while Obama may not have everything to do with it, I feel that the following recent news items wouldn’t have happened if Bush were still in office… (and other good news)

A review of how well the US thwarts spies and malicious hackers has been started by President Barack Obama.

Obama Reviewing Ban On Photos Of Flag-Draped Coffins

Obama orders review of cybersecurity

Obama On Investigating Bush: I’m Looking Forward But “Nobody’s Above The Law”

It was Texas evangelicals that funded the effort to kill the Palin ‘troopergate’ probe

Sen. Leahy proposes truth commission to investigate abuses during Bush administration

Obama doesn’t pre-screen audience for town hall meeting…

Obama’s Unscreened Town Hall Audience Is Clean Break From Bush’s Supporters-Only Public Events

Ann Coulter Under Investigation for Voter Fraud

Angry senator: “We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer,” “They don’t get it. These people are idiots. You can’t use taxpayer money to pay out 18 billion dollars in bonuses.”

House GOP member to Rush Limbaugh: “Back off”

Google Maps: Cheney’s Veil Lifted From Vice President’s Residence

Obama Acknowledges Non-Believers In Speech

The White House Website: Today Vs. When Bush Took Office

“Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” was introduced in the House on February 4th, which could end the 46-year ban on travel to Cuba

KBR to Plead Guilty to Massive Cheney-Era Bribery Scheme

Obama Pulls A Major Coup!

Kucinich to hold hearings on wasted bailout money | Kucinich told CNN’s Carol Costello that he plans Congressional hearings to examine waste by banks that have taken federal bailout money.

Obama supports changing the rules to let judges modify first mortgages to prevent home foreclosures.

“Change You Can Download” – Wikileaks Releases 6,780 Congressional Research Services Reports

Court ordered coal utilities to stop spewing mercury into the air. Bush administration allied with companies to appeal to Supreme Court. Obama administration just withdrew from the lawsuit, and asked court to drop it.

Todd Palin Found in Contempt of the Alaska State Senate. Todd, and nine Palin aides are in contempt for failing to show up when ordered by subpoena to testify in the Legislature’s “Troopergate” investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin

On the other hand…

Just so people don’t think I am completely biased, here are some news items that I’m not happy about – some involving choices by the Obama Administration

New Administration Backs Bush Secrecy Policy

Bush faithful rewarded with $3,000 a day jobs

The Obama administration seemed to surprise a panel of federal appeals judges on Monday by pressing ahead with an argument for preserving state secrets originally developed by the Bush administration.

Obama fails his first test on civil liberties and accountability — resoundingly and disgracefully

Obama DOJ to secrecy-case judge: “Obama… had actively reviewed this case and vetted the Bush positions and decisively opted to embrace the same positions.”

Obama breaking his pledge to post bills on the Internet for public discussion a full five days before signing them. This seems like a pretty easy promise to keep. So why isn’t he keeping it?

Republicans continue to warn us that too many social programs will make us like Europe. All 13 nations in Western Europe have higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality, and less violent crime than we do; and all but two have less poverty.

You can blame Pelosi for Democrats’ stumbles

Obama’s Charm Isn’t Working Wonders Abroad

McCain, who wants to throw money at Iraq until the sun burns out, calls stimulus ‘generational theft’

Toward a More Orwelian America! Cities plan to use stimulus to add or expand SWAT teams, give cops bigger guns, add red light and surveillance cameras.

60% of Republicans have a favorable view of Rush Limbaugh. What are they thinking?

Heres the list of what got cut from the stimulus bill. Spoiler: Schools are apparently pork to the GOP

Now, we await the results of the local elections…

“Joe” does not represent an honest, licensed, small business owning, working-class American. If anyone says they can relate to Joe the Plumber, you really need to question their intellect and their intregity. He is simply a piece of a strategy used by a losing campaign. Every action and reaction by the McCain-Palin camp lately is another desperate act by people grasping at whatever they have left of a failed political career.

Now, why is “Joe” being used as a strategy? It has to do with McCain’s inaccurate depiction of Obama’s proposed tax policy. Like many things coming from McCain-Palin, they’re failing to provide the truth. Obama has stated repeatedly that small businesses, like “Joe” since he would likely start out making well under $200,000, would receive a 50% tax credit, which could be used for health care costs. And if “Joe” somehow came up with the money to buy a larger company, the company’s taxes would go back to what they were at during the Clinton era.

Finally, what “Joe” is failing to realize, and what McCain is failing to acknowledge is the fact that, under Obama’s plan, Joe would be taxed less, could save up more, and borrow less if he were ever able to buy a business. Of course, since “Joe” brought up his fear of Obama bringing us closer to socialism, it became readily apparent, especially seeing him out on the campaign trail now, that he never had any intention of voting for Obama. Never mind the fact that Palin already has a history of sharing the wealth with the people of Alaska.

A McCain supporter in the primary. A registered Republican. An unlicensed plumber. A tax dodger. A liar. Supposedly, he might be a candidate for the United States House of Representatives (Ohio’s 9th Congressional District) in 2010. Please say it ain’t so Joe!