Obama and McCain Appear Together At Alfred E. Smith Charity Dinner

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain appeared together last night at the Alfred E. Smith Charity Dinner in New York. The two candidates each spoke for about 15 minutes, and both displayed a keen sense of humor as they entertained the crowd of New York's power elite for the 63rd annual fund raiser that raised $4 million for Catholic charities.

The New York Post provides additional details on the very entertaining gathering of presidential foes, who took a break from the campaign trail for one night. Obama is shown in the above clip speaking at the fundraiser.

Philly Schools Expelling Most Violent Students

The Philadelphia School System, which had not expelled a student in 4 years has decided to begin expelling the most violent students in the school system according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. With continued violence continuing to plague the beleaguered school system, this is a necessary step, and has the support of Philly Mayor Michael Nutter.

Dallas School District Fires 375 Teachers

In a sign of the times, the Dallas Morning News reports that a Dallas, TX area school district has fired 375 teachers in an effort to avoid a $84 million budget shortfall. The economic crisis is hitting all areas of our economy, and school districts are obviously struggling to to remain adequately staffed.

The Final Round

Well the final presidential debate took place last night at Hofstra Universtiy. This debate was more entertaining that the previous 2 simply because Sen. John McCain seemed to be contentious and chaotic at the same time. While Sen. Barack Obama continued to exude coolness with measured responses, McCain seemed to be all over the place with his responses. One moment he's touting his economic plan, then venturing off to the Obama/Ayers association then detouring to Obama's voting record in the Illinois Senate.

Obama did his best bob and weave throughout the debate, and was solid if not spectacular. McCain who is presently behind in all polling data just appears to be an angry man. While he was respectful to Obama during the debate, he failed to mention him by name during his closing remarks. It didn't appear that the slight was intentional, I just think that McCain lost his train of thought, and was ready to leave.

20 Year Gap Separates Baltimore's Poor And Wealthy

The Baltimore Sun reports that there is a 20 year average life expectancy gap between the poorest and wealthiest neighborhoods in the city. In West Baltimore's most impoverished neighborhoods, where residents are more likely to share a beer and cigarettes, the life expectancy is 63 years. While in the wealthy Roland Park neighborhood of the city, neighbors are more likely to be riding bikes and taking swimming lessons while living to an average age of 83.

This is an interesting read regarding simply not abusing one's body and consciously trying to live healthy.

Rove Says Obama Hasn't Closed The Sale

Former Chief of Staff To President George Bush, Karl Rove writes in the Wall Street Journal that Sen. Barack Obama hasn't closed the sale with 19days to go until the election. Rove, who is now a Barack Obama antagonist, does concede in the article that with only 19 days that McCain's chances for a win are extremely difficult, and that the financial crisis has taken an enormous toll on the McCain campaign.

Moving On Is Hard To Do

Annette John-Hall writes an interesting article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter accepting the fact that his candidate for president Hillary Clinton didn't win the Democratic Nomination, and thus transferring his support to Sen. Barack Obama. Nutter concedes in the article that making the transition was tough, but he was instrumental in organizing Obama's visit to the city last week in which he was greeted by an estimated 60,000 people and visited some of the worst sections of the city.

Obama's Redistribution of Wealth Plan

According to Fox News, the liberal media will not pick up on this story, but the New York Post reports on a conversation that Sen. Barack Obama had with an Ohio plumber confirming that his plan to increase taxes on everyone making at least $250,000 would be intended to spread that money to the less fortunate.

This particular conversation is sure to be mentioned tonight by Sen. John McCain during the 3rd and final debate.

Is Barack Getting Off Easy?

Jonah Goldberg writes in the Los Angeles Times, that Sen. Barack Obama is getting off easy in today's political climate. He states that a white candidate would be getting hit twice as hard by the GOP. I listen to a decent amount of conservative radio, and between Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and others, Obama is getting hit pretty hard in my opinion. Radio does allow a platform to express broader opinions, but also provides clear evidence that there is a nasty climate regarding Obama's candidacy.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Definitely Not Boring

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" debuted last week on Bravo, and has generated all forms of buzz throughout the Internet concerning the 5 women who are profiled on the show. Although I did watch the first episode and will continue watching, my viewing will only be for the entertainment value of the show. The premiere episode was watched by an estimated 656,000 people, and exceeded the premiere numbers of it's predecessors, which profiled housewives from Orange County, CA and New York.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that many local Atlanta Housewives are offended by the extravagance of the women.

Baltimore Homicides Decline 28% YTD

With the economic chaos that is occurring in our country, and the potentially historic presidential election 21 days away, we can't forget the chaos that still occurs daily in the largest cities throughout our country. The agenda that never gets spoken about during the presidential campaign is how to curb violence in urban communities. I know this is the "forgotten world", but the Baltimore Sun reports that homicides have declined in the city by 28% year-to-date. The police have imposed "staying put" and having a continued presence in the most violent areas of the city in an effort to reduce murders, and thankfully it's working.

McCain Supporters At Odds On How To Defeat Obama

The Los Angeles Times reports that while Sen. John McCain is poised for another comeback, Republicans can't agree on what tactics to use against Sen. Barack Obama.

With 21 days left until the election, it's amazing that Obama's organization, tenacity and desire are still being underestimated. When I saw video of him walking door to door in Ohio on Sunday, I said to myself that Obama is a man of the people, and that's what a "community organizer" is all about, reaching out to the people.

Obama's Proposal To Stabilize The Economy

Yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama took steps to separate himself from Sen. John McCain in terms of economic policy by introducing his own economic proposal. Obama's proposal includes the following: placing a 90 moratorium on home foreclosures, giving businesses a two year tax break to help create jobs, and allowing people to withdraw up to $10,000 from their retirement accounts without any penalty this year and next.

Obama's proposal will cost $60 billion, I just wonder where all of the money is going to come from to finance the package if enacted. The Atlanta Journal Constitution provides more details on the proposal.

Clinton Says "It's Not Over"

The New York Daily News reports that former President Bill Clinton campaigned in Scranton, PA yesterday with his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton along with Sen. Joe Biden and his wife. Clinton strongly stated to supporters that the race for the presidency is not over even with Sen. Barack Obama recently surging in the polls.

With 3 weeks to go until the election, the race will tighten up. If the results of the last two Presidential Elections are any indication, Barack Obama will need every vote possible to win, and we all have to do our part to ensure that he's our next president.

Palin Continues To Smear Obama

Kirsten Powers writes in the New York Post writes about Gov. Sarah Palin continuing to label Sen. Barack Obama a terrorist sympathizer. None of the rhetoric is surprising, and with 3 weeks to go until the election, the smearing is only going to get worse. It's amazing that neither McCain nor Palin realize that with the economy tanking, Bill Ayers is the last thing on our minds.

Did John Lewis Compare John McCain To George Wallace

U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) issued the following statement regarding the increasingly negative tone of Sen. John McCain's Presidential Campaign on Saturday:

“What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. [Sarah] Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.

“During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate.

“George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights.

“Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.

“As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. “They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better.”

John Lewis lived through the chaos of the Civil Rights Movement and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the height of the movement. What Sen. McCain has allowed to transpire over the last week in terms of rhetoric is divisive and unnecessary during this campaign. On Friday I saw clips of McCain finally defending Obama from these "crazy" attacks, but it may be too late for McCain to salvage his good reputation if he loses this election. Here's a link to the complete article, which also includes a McCain response.

Patty Jackson's 411 Report

This week's edition of Patty's report chronicles the Tyler Perry Movie Set Opening last week, drama behind the scenes on "Dancing With The Stars", and the real reason that Janet Jackson may be canceling so many shows on her current tour.