Still riding the high. More great pictures of the moment.

Pictures from Jack and Jill Politics

This is what it means

This picture says it all. It's bigger than politics.

Election Day

I'm going to cry no matter the outcome. I just hope it's tears of joy rather than tears of anguish.

Barack Obama is not a socialist

Let's dispense with this ridiculous notion and obvious scare tactic that Obama is a socialist. It's a blatant lie. Obama supports a progressive tax structure, as does John McCain. Since the U.S. enacted the income tax in 1913, we've had a progressive tax system where the wealthiest Americans--those most able to afford it--pay more in taxes. 95 years and counting of progressive taxation. During WWII and the Republican administration of Dwight Eisenhower, the wealthiest Americans paid over 90% of their income in taxes. You read that right--over 90%. That period also saw extraordinary economic growth, as did the decade following Clinton's 1993 tax increase on the wealthiest tax brackets. Obama is calling for a roll back of the Bush tax cuts to the Clinton levels of 39.6%, which is itself hardly high by historical standards.

Even Ronald Reagan supported wealth redistribution, such as through the Earned Income Tax Credit, which refunds money even to low income people who may not have paid any taxes. By the way, Thomas Jefferson agreed that leveling income--less wealth disparity--would benefit society, in case you care what a founding father had to say on the matter.

The point is that we have a mixed economy, in which capitalism is alive and well, but we have basic policies in place to protect the unfortunate and give greater opportunities to working-class and middle-class Americans. It's Obama's plan; it's the American way. It's been that way for nearly a century.