The Children's Defense Fund just released this video that gets the to core of many issues.  If the federal government is going to use my tax dollars to bailout an industry, I want to choose the industry it to which it goes. 

I choose health care.  I choose to insure every single child living within the federal goverment's reach.  I choose to use $700 billion dollars to bail out children with cancer so that their parents never again have to worry about treatments that their children desperately need that isn't covered by Medicaid.  I choose $700 billion dollars to bail out children with autism that need specialized treatment that many insurance companies deem too experimental.  I choose to get real dental care to children that need it.  I choose to bail out children over corporations. 

Demand a health care plan that works for children, adults, families and individuals.

I was sad, I thought I'd have to wait a few more weeks to get my Sarah Silverman fix - but then I found this fun video on YouTube put out by TheGreatSchlep.com and JewsVote.org.  So get out there and get your Jewish Grandparents in Florida to vote!

ABC investigated Sarah Palin's book censorship during her time as Mayor of Wasilla. It was during a town meeting that Mayor Palin asked a librarian what her response would be if she asked her to remove certain books from the shelves.  The librarian answered that absolutely under no circumstances would she do so.  Two weeks later, the librarian found herself without a job...

Sounds like she got Palin'd!

The librarian did eventually get her job back.  But eventually resigned because it was "too hard to work [for] Sarah Palin." I don't know about you, but that's certainly the kind of VP I want.   

“You can slap lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig…”  That’s actually a pretty common phrase.  But hey, I’m no fool — the double meaning wasn’t missed on me.  Of COURSE the Senator from Illinois was referring to Palin.  But why are some feminists or shall I say pseudo-feminists calling foul?  We want equal pay for an equal day’s work.  We want to be treated equally in the media.  We want to run for president and vice president.  We want to break through those 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling. 

Well, if we want to be treated equally, I have bad news for you—that means we get insulted equally. 

But – you know what?  Sarah Palin IS a pig.  

Governor Palin is a great, big, filthy, stinking, disgusting, greedy pig – with lipstick if she chooses.  We’ve all heard a million times before that she supported and benefited from the bridge to nowhere.  She refuses to teach her children anything but abstinence only as a method of birth control – and when they turn up pregnant – she turns the situation into a media circus so as not to ruin her political career.  We’ve heard all about Troopergate and the scandal surrounding her trying to get her ex-brother in-law fired by using her authority.  And the most recent scandal involving her per diem - where Mrs. Palin billed the state of Alaska $17,059 over 19 months for the time she spent at home in Wasilla while serving as Governor – oink!

So while everyone is getting him or herself in a lather about Obama using a clever turn of phrase, remember this: No matter how you dress up a rat…it’s still a rat.

In what must surely be the height of tragic irony, Kimberly-Clark is using Wall*E, a movie about conservation, to sell Kleenex, a disposable paper product containing absolutely no recycled content.

Greenpeace teamed up with Mark Fiore, celebrated political cartoonist and friend of Greenpeace, to make this animated short. It features a new character called Kleer*E who gobbles up forests and spits out boxes of Kleenex.

Join them in telling K-C to stop the Iron*E! Instead of putting money towards looking like they're "green," the company needs to actually become green by improving their environmental practices.

Maybe. This GOOD magazine video shows how it could happen.

The affair of Bill Clinton tarnished an otherwise well percieved Presidential career.  While I don’t feel the monogamy of my president’s relationship has a direct bearing on the way he runs the country, the majority of the country found a leader that stepped outside of their marriage and then proceeded to lie about and circumvent the truth until it came out on a dress and a telephone call reprehensible.  And So Bill Clinton went down in history as one of two impeached presidents in US history. 

Early 2008 we stood on the brink of a presidential era – 3 Democratic hopefuls running full steam for the lead.  Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama and our old favorite, former Sen. Edwards.  Senator Edwards — he of the shiny hair and sparkly grin.  The champion of the poor and union work.  The original progressive choice.  What a horribly irresponsible thing he chose to do.  To run a campaign for the Presidency of the United States knowing there was a smoking gun, a skeleton waiting his closet to be exposed.  You and I know that his fidelity has nothing to do with his ability to lead a country, but I think we also know that elections are not often won or lost on facts.  More often they’re won or lost on emotion.  I can just see the Enquirer headline now – presumptive Democratic nominee has love child – liberals have no family values. 

Honestly...I don't know whether to laugh, cry or run.

Watch it quickly -- it'll probably get yanked soon for copyright infringement. 

Brave New Foundation is currently seeking people who want to tell their stories about private insurance companies for a new short documentary project. We want to hear from people who have struggled to pay medical bills despite having full coverage; people that have been denied a claim; as well as from people who have been greatly assisted by public insurance systems such as Medicare and Medicaid.

If you have any stories that may be of interest to us and want to share them as a call to action to help fix the health care system in America, please EMAIL us at bnhealthcare@gmail.com.

You nominated and we read, we read and you nominated—the selection process wasn’t easy.  In the end it was difficult to get the list down to just 5 finalists since everyone nominated embodies the spirit of This Brave Nation.  We all agreed the best part of reading your nominations was that you genuinely are fans of the young people you nominated.  The words you wrote were impassioned and came from the heart. 

Here are the five finalists for the Brave Nation Young Activist Award. Vote for the one that most inspires you here.

Jeremy Hooper:
Through his daily work on his website, Good As You, Jeremy Hooper fights for GLSBT rights without losing his cool.

Aria Everts
Aria is  is a leader in organizing students to stand in solidarity with garment workers and other low-income workers across the world.

Cristina Lara
Cristina Lara started her own organization, Society of Young Leading Women.

Chris Barth
Organized the largest youth service program in his town.

Kjerstin Erickson
Kjerstin is the founder and Executive Director of FORGE.

Find out about the amazing work these young people are doing and vote for your choice NOW at BraveNation.com