Courtesy Flickr user Mrs. Gemstone

I almost forgot there was an election today until I saw a VP walking around with his “I Voted” sticker. Compared to last year when everybody toted stickers it was a complete turn-around in turnout. Today polls opened in Virginia (and a few other states) for election of state officials. In Virginia the big race is the state Gubernatorial battle between Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell. With the election coming on a non-Presidential election day, we could possibly see the colors change this fall: from blue back to red.

The Washington Post reports that the low turnout could help an energized Republican party take back the top seat in Virginia:

Turnout was light, and interviews with voters at several Northern Virginia precincts showed little sign of the blue tide that swept Virginia a year ago, when the state played a pivotal role in the election of Barack Obama as the nation’s 44th president. Instead, many voters said they were distressed about the direction the country seemed to be taking under Obama’s leadership, and would vote for Republican candidates in part as a way to slow the pace of change.

I’ve long since lost interest in the local elections in my state, but I do believe in voicing my opinion- and you’ll see me step out of my office this afternoon to cast a vote, because if you don’t vote you can’t complain.

Polls statewide will be open til 7 P.M. today, to find your local polling station click here.

Obama showed some wit on the comments, but theTop-Ten list deserved to be cut:

Top Ten Reasons President Obama Agreed To Appear on the “Late Show”

10. Heard the lady with the heart-shaped potato was going to be here

9. Thought it would be fun to watch someone else get heckled

8. Has something to do with that whole “Cash for Clunkers” thing

7. Every president since Teddy Roosevelt has been here

6. In this economy, someone offers you $600, you take it

5. We told him Megan Fox would be here

4. Needed a place to hang out until check-in time at his hotel

3. Honestly, I have no idea

2. Said, “Yes” without thinking… Like Bush did with Iraq

1. Wanted to congratulate Dave on the big Emmy win

Photo Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Allow me to be somewhat cynical.

Last night I was driving home from a weekend out in Pittsburgh, the four hour trek gave me a lot of time to think and to catch up on podcasts and other pieces of audio. I loaded my iPod with a couple of recent speeches that President Obama delivered: the recent address to the joint-session of Congress and his speech at The University of Maryland from last Thursday.

I wanted to make sure I had a chance to hear both speeches, the joint session address has been newsworthy thanks to a certain impromptu comment from Representative Joe Wilson. It was almost Kanyesque the way he interrupted Obama’s remarks. I also wanted to hear his speech at UMD because someone at work told me it was one of the best speeches he delivered to the young audiences and it made The Pumpernickel say, “Whatever you may think about the health care debate, the man can give a speech. Not only that; he has the ability to inspire people.”

Sounds like a hell of a speech.

So I was listening to the UMD speech as I was cruising down I-76, and it consisted mostly of the same health care message points delivered in the joint-session address I heard previously. It doesn’t come at too much of a surprise, Obama is hard on the trail spreading his message and pleading his case so one could expect to hear a lot of the same points he spoke a week earlier in Congress. He did work his message to make more of an impact to the younger crowd; my ears perked up when he said, “under my plan, if your parents have health insurance and you’re currently on their policy, you will automatically be able to keep your coverage until you’re 26 years old.” As a quarter-lifer I know how health insurance becomes a sudden worry when you graduate from college.

It’s just that I thought I was going to hear something inspiring, the buzz around me led me to expect another profound, mind changing oration. While the speech was well delivered and Obama did a great job in speaking with the young audience (always cool to acknowledge the teeny-bopper that says, “I love you Obama!”), it’s the same message he’ll say at his next stop on the health-care reform trail.

Now I’m an Obama supporter and I  somewhat understand the idea and plans Obama’s putting forth, I just didn’t think that his particular speech is going to be in his Top-5 greatest spoken word moments as I personally come to expect. I’ll say that since I’ve been somewhat isolated from the political scene recently the expectations were mine alone, built up by the people around me. I’m sure to most others the speech was nothing more than the 24-hour news story of the day.

Barack Obama is a great speaker, I thought the best moment in his UMD speech was at the end when he retold the origins of his, “fired up” slogan/chant. He is an impassioned orator who’s complete body of work should inspire all of us around the country. I guess I am just not as super-enthused like The Pumpernickel who ended her post with, “I feel blessed to be living in Washington, DC at this time in our nation’s history, and to be part the American future President Obama says I will help him to create.”

Am I proud to be living in our Nation’s Capital? Hell ya (especially after spending the weekend in Pittsburgh!) Do I believe we are living in a historic time of change? Absolutely.

I hope however people look past the rockstar appeal Obama has and actually listen to what our President has to say after they are done snapping photos of him. Health care is a very important issue in this country and I hope young Americans pay attention to it.

President Barack Obama at the AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic at Coney Island in Cincinnati, Monday (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Fresh from his Labor Day speech with the AFL-CIO (which I think is a very fitting event for Labor Day), President Obama will be in Arlington, Virginia today to talk to the children at Wakefield High School. After talking with the kids he’ll broadcast a nation-wide speech from the school around lunch-time. While the Principal at Wakefield High is excited to have The President in the school (”The building looks great and the auditorium has been transformed to suit a Presidential speech”), the kids might be a little disappointed to hear the lunch menu will be cold lunch in brown bags due to the speech. Also lunch is going to have to wait til after the speech- so kids eat a good breakfast before you come to school (remember breakfast is the most important meal of the day!) Oh well I’d put up with PB&J if it meant being able to see The President.

According to the released prepared remarks, Obama plans to say things like, “Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today?” and, “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” He’s also expected to say more inspirational things like, “Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.”

But seriously guys, Obama’s right- wash your hands.

Overall it looks like the remarks are pretty devoid of the rhetoric that would make some concerned parents pull kids from school. I side with the NY Daily News, Barack Obama is our President and he wants to inspire and impart wisdom to our children- like any good President should.

One last note, if you live or work in Arlington- be aware that the speech is going to cause some road closures today.

UPDATE: Looks like the newspapers weren’t the only ones with something to say about keeping kids from school so they can’t hear Obama, Jordan Peele (formally of MadTV) made a funny Obama reaction to all the talk on the issue.

But for those that want to see the real video you can find it below:

For youngsters like me, the former mayor of Washington DC is mostly known for scandal and drug use- the subject of many Weekend Update jokes. However to others Marion Barry was a civil rights leader, and the man who transformed some of the worst neighborhoods of Washington DC.

Fresh off it’s Silverdocs run, The Nine Lives of Marion Barry premiered on HBO this past Monday. The film directed by Dana Flor and produced by Toby Oppenheimer, intertwines Barry’s start in DC with his 2004 campaign for city council. The 78 minute profile depics Barry as a social leader who constantly battles scandal after scandal, but like the film’s title, manages to bounce back every time.

While film shows an inside look of Barry’s life, from riding down the streets of his Ward to his humble apartment in what looks like the middle of the projects, there’s nothing special with the production values- what really makes the film is the subject and story that is almost too spectacular to believe.

Before you write Barry’s latest scandal off, I encourage you to check out the film and learn more about where Barry truly came from- I assure you it’ll change what you originally thought of the current Ward 8 councilman and DC icon. The film is scheduled to re-air at various times throughout the month, check HBO for more details.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Nick Douglas

Everyone here at DC Metblogs wishes our 44th President on the United States a happy birthday as he 48. Despite the weirdo birthers who are taking the chance to question his citizenship, I personally hope President Obama has a moment to celebrate his day, just like the rest of us do. Maybe he’ll have another beer summit or take Michelle out for another night in Old Town, or maybe he should follow his Chief of Staff’s lead and catch a performance of Barack Stars.

His exact plans aren’t known yet, the official guidence for the day says he’s going to have lunch with Joe and the Senate Democratic caucus. Besides that not much is known, even though the press tried it’s best with Gibbs yesterday.

Maybe he’ll go out and see Adam Lambert, maybe he’s a closet American Idol fan.

The latest twist in the Gates story (can we call it Gates-gate?) started with a recent comment from Glenn Beck on Fox and Friends:

Glenn Beck’s accusation of Barack Obama being a racist quickly made a splash and the Morning Joe crew had a lot to say on it this morning.

After hearing Glenn Beck and the reaction I asked myself the question, why would Glenn Beck say such a thing? Does he really think Obama is a racist?

The answer for me is probably not…as much.

You have to realize that Beck is a media pundit one who’s profile has risen in the punditry world. He has a daily Television show, a radio show, books, magazines, and a blog. His growing media outlets would certainly impress Martha Stewart (Glenn Beck should just rename his site to Beck Omnimedia.) All he needs is a towel line and a recipe for tuna casserole.

Beck’s commodity are his opinions and thoughts, which he is certainly entitled to have, and he’s never been to trade with it.

What is he trading for? A little attention? Does this mean he’s just spouting shock and awe to boost his ratings? To an extent yes but not entirely so.

Remember this is the same man who’s also hinted that Obama is a communist, so this isn’t the first time he’s slammed Obama. Beck is a man with many bullhorns and only has so much to feed into each of them. I think Beck does think what he says but he knows he has to go over the top with it because in the world of punditry: the bigger the opinion the better.

What do you think- is Glenn Beck really serious when he accuses Obama of being a racist?

The videos are done by The Gregory Brothers, an all-family musical group based in Brooklyn.

I didn’t know that Katie Couric had skillz.

Courtesy Of Nasa

Yesterday my co-worker Lisa tweeted about the NASA’s updates as they attempted to launch the space shuttle Endeavour for the 4th time. Unfortunately weather once again delayed the launch.

However what interested me wasn’t the weather down in Florida, but the follow-up story The Washington Post had on the International Space Station, the reason the shuttle was going up into space in the first place. Construction on the station is almost complete but now there’s been talk that the station could be shut down and allowed to burn in Earth’s atmosphere as soon as 2016.

According to the article there’s no long term plans for the station past 2015.

I think that’s kind of ridiculous, I’m not a space aficionado by any means but to me Space Exploration has been something that has defined not only our country as a leader, but the recent accomplishments as a human race.

Now of course the de-orbiting of the ISS doesn’t mean that there isn’t another plan. With the space shuttle fleet to be retired in 2010, it’s only going to make way for the next generation of space travel vehicles. But so far I’m not hearing any plans for a replacement for the ISS, once it’s gone we’re going to lose a key presence in the heavens.

I agree with Senator Bill Nelson’s comments on the situation, “”If we’ve spent a hundred billion dollars, I don’t think we want to shut it down in 2015…My opinion is it would be a travesty to de-orbit this thing…if we get rid of this darned thing in 2015, we’re going to cede our leadership in human exploration.”

So my question is, what is the U.S. Government’s next plan post space station?