ON the edge of promise

It is beautiful here. Just beautiful. Sunny and in the 70s - the weather is just fantastic.

I feel great. Fabulous. Life could not be any better at this moment.

I am spending today being very low-key. I did some laundry, tidied up a bit after the maelstrom of activity around here over the weekend. I am thinking about attending the Go Blue party downtown tonight, but I know I need my sleep.

I have to report for duty at the polls at 5 a.m. Gulp.

In the spirit of relaxation, I finished watched LBJ on American Experience. Johnson certainly knew how to work the system, and I'm sure he was something else in person - an old school politician who didn't mince words, who wanted his own way.

His legacy is overshadowed by the quagmire that embroiled him; Vietnam was not what he wanted to be remembered for. It wore him out and took him down.

But he did so much good that is overlooked, enacting legislation for:

Head Start
Clean Air and Water legislation
Educational programming
School lunch program
Medicaid
Conservation
National Parks
Highway beautification
Urban renewal
Public television
Consumer protection: truth in labeling, packaging
Auto safety
Housing
National Endowments for the Arts/Humanities
Civil Rights

It is a reminder of why I affiliate myself with the Democratic Party. When Lyndon Johnson described his Great Society, he saw a country where all children had quality of life - medical care, food, education, good jobs, access to all the need.

And I figure if the government can provide this, then what could be wrong with that picture? Yes, it costs money, but what else is money good for? Using it to help others seems like a worthy goal. Frankly, wanting to hoard it for your own use seems slightly selfish. I know, I know, you worked for it. But what is wrong with giving back a little bit, even if it's not by choice?

I know, some people will say that sounds like socialism. And maybe I'm just idealistic. But frankly, I don't see what's wrong with that. Using extra dollars from the wealthy to help the less fortunate - why is this a bad thing?

And it is easy for me to say - while we may not be in the very top echelons of income earners, we are high enough. And I do not mind knowing that some of our hard-earned money will not go in the bank for us, but instead, to help others who need it more.

It's radical, I know. But as people, we have a great power to do good. And I think we will be judged not by how the wealthiest among us lives, but by how we treat the least among us.

Today I saw George Stephanopoulos on television. He said that should Barack Obama win, we will be seen by the rest of the world as a place where truly anyone can grow up to be president. Personally, I think it will do much to repair our image, one that has been damaged by the Bush years. I am truly excited about the possibilities to come with this new era, and we will all benefit from the wisdom of this man.

I see great things ahead. This is why my spirits are lifted today. Tomorrow will tell, but wow, it is a great time to be an American.