The stock market took off—up almost 1,000 points the other day and the cheers rang through Wall Street and the media. But what exactly is there to cheer about? Face the facts: for most Americans life is tough and going to get a whole lot tougher. For three decades the US has been defined by wage stagnation. If you can’t count on earnings, well that’s a time to speculate. Housing became little more than a pyramid scheme so just hope you’re not on the bottom, because that equals foreclosure. 

When the banks need a bail out they get it. It’s amazing that they ran themselves into the ground. Think about it: they pay depositors very little and charge borrowers a whole lot.  How can you go wrong with that? Well, they couldn’t get enough. But with all this aid going to banks, what about education, infrastructure, and alleviation of poverty?  

For the poor, there is no relief in sight, from government, banks or businesses. It could be different.

McCain says outright that he'll cut Medicaid. Millions and millions of poor get all their health care through Medicaid at ER rooms. To cut that would be a disaster. 

Barack Obama proposes a 90-day suspension on home foreclosures. But beyond that? Would an Obama presidency and a new Congress bail out poor homeowners who will otherwise be crushed by foreclosure? Democrats now have a chance to make a real commitment to stopping the Great American Demise? And with about $200 billion of home value threatened with foreclosure in the hands of blacks and Hispanics-- Barack Obama has the chance to stop the largest transfer of wealth away  from the minority community in the history of this country. It's time for him to do it.