Our daughter did two "tours" of community service, working with refugees. She loved it. If there are any kids in college out there reading blogs, after I tell you to get a life & blogs are for geezers, I'd recommend that you seriously consider a couple of years of community service.

All I could think about, while watching this program were Guilliani and Palin making fun of community service while the repubs cheered and clapped. What a two faced bunch.

As Steve indicates, one can't overemphasize the significance of McCain's continual pandering. For example, when he's talking to right wing bloggers, he's against the Dream Act. When he's speaking to Latino groups, he supports it.

This national service forum is yet another example of McCain's ability to tell any audience what it wants to hear even though he contradicts something he said a few years, months, days or even a few hours earlier--with impunity

The only national service McCant supports is the National Of Excusing McCain's Coprophilia Because He Was A POW.

Too bad he didn't get the message to his VP nominee and Rudy that community service is a honorable thing. He was probably asleep during those speeches. I know Rudy gave me nightmares. He is downright ghoulish.

Me again. I look like I haven't received a formal education. "an honorable thing". Secondly, when I was divorced and we really didn't have anything, my children and I volunteered at the local breadline during the holidays and with Special Olympics. My kids are in their thirties now and I think that volunteer experience helped shape their lives. They both continue to volunteer in their communities. It certainly made them appreciate what they had. It was a really small thing to do and didn't take up a whole lot of time, but the impact lasted a lot longer for us. It was definitely rewarding on many levels.

only one of the two seemed prepared to make an actual commitment, bolstered by specific details

More to the point, McCain's flip-flops and pandering means that we can't trust him to honor any verbal commitment he makes, however vague. His word isn't worth a bucket of piss.

I got the distinct impressing McCain was lying.

Because his lips were moving.

Last night, I wish Obama had taken the opportunity to tie the failed Republican governance model and smarmy GOP campaign tactics into a concrete explanation of why people aren't excited about public service.

Obama: You, the American people, have for 8 years been lied to regarding the reasons for going to war in Iraq, have had the bill of rights suspended, and have watched while wolves were put in charge of the hen house at one governmental agency after another. Is it any wonder people have not felt like joining with government to participate in public service?

The GOP's 50.1% majority governance strategy has resulted in a wickedly divided country. The last 8 years have been a period of survival of the fittest. We need to recreate the American community by bringing people together instead of once again rewarding the Republican's use of wedge issues.

It all ties together into one message: we can once again achieve lofty goals like energy independence by working together as a nation instead of buying into the McCain/Palin divide and conquer scheme.

The only thing more astounding than the naked hypocrisy of those who are obviously just saying what the audience wants to hear, is the size of the audience that will accept their sincerity when they do so. If John McCain squeaks out a win (and, for the record, I don't think there's any chance of that unless the election is stolen), he will be washed to victory by a wave of stupidity.

Did my first stint at the Free Clinic today a new "position", of "general dogsbody and bottle washer", since I have no medical (or dental, which is whee I am) training. Everyone was very happy; having me on hand to to clean/sterilise the instruments (instead of taking the assistants' time) meant that the patients could be moved faster. We finished an hour earlier than usual and, for next week, the coordinator will be scheduling two more than she did today.

So that was great. All the same... I have this feeling that, in a just society, there'd be *no need* for a free clinic. No need for people too poor to afford dental or medical care, to have to depend on the whims and good heart of strangers.

And, BTW, an odd tidbit of info. Of the paid staff, only one iis a Dem; all ohers are Repubs. Of the volunteers, almost all (including the dentists themselves) are Dems. Go figure...