During the last eight years I have often wished I could buy a full page ad in every publication in this country stating imply, "Wake Up, America!"

As each new revelation of deception, greed, distortion, and pure incompetence unfolded, I thought that at last everyone would realize the damage the Bush administration was inflicting upon this country.  Yet neither proof that we had been lied into the war in Iraq,  the discovery that the U.S. was torturing prisoners at Abhu Ghraib prison,  the mismanagement of the Katrina disaster, nor a myriad of other scandals was sufficient to awaken this nation.

Most of us have realized that our country was facing economic disaster as we have seen our fellow citizens lose their jobs, their health care, and even their homes. President Bush and Senator John McCain repeatedly assured us that the economy was "basically sound." As the unemployment rate and the number of home foreclosures continued to rise, they stuck with this same party line.  Now that our economy is near collapse, they have changed their tune.  Deregulation is no longer their rallying cry.

In 2000, a statement from the Office of the President Office of Budget and Management (OBM) stated:
"In 1998, the Federal budget reported its first surplus ($69 billion) since 1969. In 1999, the surplus nearly doubled to $125 billion, and then again in 2000 to $236 billion. As a result of these surpluses, Federal debt held by the public has been reduced from $3.8 trillion at the end of 1997 to $3.4 trillion at the end of 2000 and to an estimated $3.2 trillion in 2001. With continued prudent fiscal policies, the budget can remain in surplus for many years. Under the President's budget proposals, $2.0 trillion in Federal debt held by the public will be retired over the next 10 years—all of the debt that can responsibly be retired."

Some Republicans enjoy referring to Democrats as the "Tax and Spend Liberals." Now, if memory serves me correctly, President Bill Clinton, a Democrat,  was in office when this great surplus took place. Again, there was a $236 billion budget surplus when George Bush first took office.

The fact that the price of gasoline had risen from $1.46 per gallon when President Bush took office to $4.00 plus today, has only led the GOP to declare that it's the Democrats' fault for not allowing offshore drilling. Their idea of alternative fuel seems to be finding an alternate place to drill.

This administration has never been committed to telling the American people the truth. Facts (even scientific facts) have often been hidden or manipulated to serve their purposes. In terms of the injustices that the Bush administration has perpetrated upon this nation during the last eight years, the few issues I've mentioned here are only the tip of the iceberg. (Do you remember icebergs?)

John McCain keeps referring to himself as a "maverick." Unless he is claiming to be "an unbranded range animal," the term simply no longer fits.  A senator who has voted with President Bush over 90% of the time
can certainly not claim to be "an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party." Voting in lockstep with Bush doesn't sound like a candidate promoting change.

It is clear that this nation needs change. We need progressive leadership and innovative solutions. It's time to look to the future and stop clinging to the failed practices of the past. It is also time for us to stop being ruled by fear- a favorite strategy  of the current administration.

 The push by the White House for immediate action on the Wall Street crisis was very reminiscent of the rush to war in Iraq. The original bailout proposal prompted tremendous response from citizens. Are Americans at last pulling their heads out of the sand? Are we awake yet?

Let's trade deception and fear for hope and change. Let's do everything we can to help elect Obama to be our next President.