President Obama on Tuesday pulled the ol’ “pop-in” on our friends over in Iraq, but instead of dropping a friendly “Hey buddy” like Kramer in Seinfeld, Obama told the entire nation to hurry up and become self-sufficient.  

1776, 1865, 1945, 1968 and now 2008. There are some years that stick out in American history as significant turning points, with events occurring that are so momentous even those living through them know they’re witnessing history.   

Coming into 2008, my priority as CityBeat editor was implementing our “refreshment” project, with new features, an updated cover look, section fronts that made our opinion columns more prominent and a redesigned Web site. My priority as the organization’s lead editorial voice was to help get a Democrat elected president.  

Though our collective attention was often fractured by the local media’s coverage of poor people getting arrested, gay rights and cigarettes, national issues like housing market crashes and America’s increasingly diminished standing among the international community, we at WWE! were lucky enough to have a public medium to express our feelings and enough Internet access to look up the stuff we didn’t know anything about.  

More than 4,200 “Change Is Coming” parties were held Dec. 13 and 14 across the United States, including Guam and Puerto Rico. They included about 10 held in Cincinnati neighborhoods.  

When taking walks in my neighborhood in Westwood, I see political signs for U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot all over the place. I’m currently living in what’s considered a Republican and conservative community, but apparently we have a few Democrats here too. It does my heart good to see Steve Driehaus signs scattered here and there. I like the Driehaus television commercials. He often ends his TV.ads by saying, “Steve Chabot’s not a bad guy. He’s just been in Washington too long.”   

America has a monumental decision coming up Nov. 4. Do we elect as our president - the theoretical leader of the free world and the individual who we expect to lead us to the Promised Land - an old guy who's been in public/political life for more than...  

John McCain heard about President Bush's proposed $700 billion economic-help-out plan today and said, "Hold it! America needs help from a maverick! I'm going to Washington!" and then he postponed his presidential campaign.  

With the MidPoint Music Festival a glorious memory, we turn our attention to the next big local music event - the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. The nominees have been announced; go to citybeat.com to see the full list. Vote now before you start worrying about that other little voting thing coming up in November.  

As Election Day creeps ever closer, it's time for CityBeat to start publishing election endorsements and help those remaining undecided voters get their act together. Given our niche in Greater Cincinnati as a voice for progressive causes, we've recommended candidates and ballot issue positions since our founding in 1994 and take that role seriously.