By Libby
Well I'm feeling better about our prospects for change already. In an aside during his speech at an invite only event in Raleigh, Obama announced he would be partinering with Elizabeth to work on a national health insurance plan. Good on a lot of levels. It's a big step for party unity; Elizabeth is really smart on policy and it demonstrates that Obama is commited to bringing women into his inner circle.
He said a lot more in that speech that the AP didn't cover. The local paper quotes it extensively. Here's a couple I liked.
Obama called for the immediate creation of a $10 billion Foreclosure Prevention Fund to provide direct relief to victims of the housing crisis. He said he'll also help those who are facing foreclosure refinance their mortgages so they can stay in their homes at rates they can afford. And he pledged a tax credit to low- and middle-income Americans that would cover 10 percent of their mortgage interest payment every year.
"The principle is simple - if the government can bail out investment banks on Wall Street, we can extend a hand to folks who are struggling on Main Street," he said.
--Eliminate income taxes for any retiree making less than $50,000 per year. He said he will not privatize Social Security.
--Reform bankruptcy laws to help those in debt and make sure CEOs can't "dump your pension with one hand while they collect a bonus with the other."
I know you can't put campaign talk in the bank, but the idea of focusing the relief funding on those who need it the most strikes me as being right on the money.
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