Obama's Speech to National Urban League Video

Obama speaks for the first 10 minutes on the issues of the day, from the economy to Shirley Sherrod. Then he begins speaking about education. We're No. 12! See the Race to the Top finalists here. A transcript of the speech is here.

Obama says he supports charter schools -- good ones. He touts Mastery Charter School as one of the good ones.

The "good ball player" and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speaks to National Press Club:

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Obama on Tax Redistribution at Urban League

Obama says: If you're a family making less than $250,000, my plan will not raise your taxes one penny -- not your income, payroll, capital gains tax, not any of your taxes.
He has said this over and over but this needs to be repeated again and again because McCain and his crew always frame it as a tax increase -- and it is -- but only if you make more than $250,000. I would argue those people have fewer worries than the family of four making $40,000.

Obama's Speech at National Urban League

Obama spoke today at the convention. Video below. You can view the video at the NUL site. 

Here's a link to the transcript

Here's some of what he said:

On that hot August day, Whitney Young declared that the civil rights for which they were marching were "…not negotiable…." But he also described other marches that lay ahead: the march from "ghettos to decent, wholesome, unrestricted residential areas"; the march from "relief rolls" to "retraining centers"; the march from "ill-equipped schools which breed dropouts and which smother motivation" to "well-equipped, integrated facilities throughout the cities."

And he concluded, "Our march is a march for America."

Our march is a march for America.

Not black America or white America. Not rich America or poor America, rural America or urban America. But all America. An America where no child's destiny is determined before she's born – and no one's future is confined to the neighborhood he's born into. An America where hard work is still a ticket to the middle class – and you can make it if you try.

But somewhere along the way, we got off course. Somewhere along the way, we let a reckless few game the system, we let special interests tilt the scale and distort the free market, we stopped making the investments in our children and our workers to help us all rise together.

And today, we're all paying the price. Today, we stand at a defining moment in our history. With seven straight months of job losses; with the highest percentage of homes in foreclosure since the Depression; with family incomes down $1,000 and the costs of gas, groceries and health care up a whole lot more than that – so many people are looking at their children, wondering if they'll be able to give them the same chances they had.

Our cities have been especially hard hit – facing shrinking tax bases, growing budget deficits, and social services that just can't keep up with people's needs.

And let's be very clear: when more than 80 percent of Americans live in metro areas; when the top 100 metro areas generate two-thirds of our jobs; when 42 of our metro areas now rank among the world's 100 largest economies – the problems of our cities aren't just "urban" problems any more.

When rising foreclosures mean vacant homes, abandoned streets and rising crime that spills over city limits – that's a suburban problem and an ex-urban problem too.

When tens of millions of people in our cities are uninsured, and our urban emergency rooms are overflowing – that's a suburban and ex-urban problem too.

Oil Drilling Swap for Alternative Energy Cars

The so-called "gang of 10" (5 democrats, 5 republicans) came up with an $84 billion plan that swaps more oil drilling for converting most vehicles to alternative energy within 20 years. Interesting. It would give the oil companies an opportunity to change their game plan. 

I'm still learning about this, so I don't have much more to say right now. Here is a good story to read. More of a gesture on Obama's part? 

The left and the Hillaries have already flipped out, starting the flip flop argument against Obama and John McCain has welcomed Obama to the dark side, chalking up a win for himself. At least we've gotten off the race card issue. I'd much rather see them squabble about these kinds of things. But I realized today, other than a minority of people talking politics on the Internet, the general public is not paying much attention.

Here's what Obama says:

CNN: 

"I made a general point about the fact that we need to provide the American people some relief and that there has been constructive conversations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on this issue," he said during a press conference in Cape Canaveral.

"What I will not do, and this has always been my position, is to support a plan that suggests this drilling is the answer to our energy problems," Obama added.

"If we've got a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set and there are some things in there that I don't like, then obviously that's something that I would consider because that's the nature of how we govern in a democracy."

The senator from Illinois has spoken out against offshore drilling since Sen. John McCain in June proposed striking down the federal moratorium banning offshore oil and gas drilling to help alleviate high gas prices. "

The RNC is having troubles getting at Obama on oil because McCain shifted his position on drilling:

The Republican National Committee wants to portray Sen. Barack Obama as a flip flopper because he has shifted his position on off-shore oil drilling from being against it absolutely to now being willing to permit drilling so long as certain conditions are met, for instance, it comes as part of a comprehensive drilling plan.

There only seems to be one problem with the RNC tack. Sen. John McCain also changed his mind about off-shore drilling going from anti to pro.

But that doesn't stop the RNC from trying. What Obama has opposed is the idea that drilling offshore would lower gas prices--total bulldinky-- which according to the polls, is what many Americans believe. 

Here is what the RNC uses against Obama: 

Just A Few Days Ago, Obama Called Offshore Drilling A "Scheme." Obama: "Now the latest scheme is well, we're going to drill offshore. Now, I want to be absolutely clear to everybody about this. If I thought that I could provide you some immediate relief on gas prices by drilling off the shores of California and New Jersey, I understand how desperate folks are. I met a guy who couldn't go on a job search that lost his job, couldn't go on a job search because of the high price of gas. Just couldn't fill up his tank. I met a teacher in South Dakota who loved her job as a teacher on an Indian reservation, she had to quit because the drive was too far, it was taking up too much of her paycheck. I know how bad people are hurting. So If I thought that by drilling offshore, we could solve our problem, I'd do it." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Springfield, MO, 7/30/08)

Also, Obama will speak at the National Urban League today at 2 pm eastern time. It should be live streamed at cnn.com. I expect we will hear more on this.