Barack "Life is one big Tax Credit" Obama is touring red states and speaking at red state places: Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, and military bases. He's long been known to shy away from military audiences, except now, because he needs to reverse his unfashionable reputation regarding patriotism/war issues in order to decrease his chances of being slam-dunked in red locations in the upcoming election. Oh, and he's also putting on the flag lapel pin again, too. First off:

At $3.5 billion a year, his service plan, laid out last December and expanded on only slightly Wednesday, has been derided by conservatives as an example of big government. He would expand the AmeriCorps program established by President Bill Clinton by 250,000 slots, double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011, expand the Foreign Service, and create an Energy Corps to conduct renewable-energy and environmental-cleanup projects. Veterans would be enlisted to help other veterans find jobs and support, and a Social Investment Fund Network would support the nonprofit sector.

In addition, in order to maintain his status as our global warming alarmist president, GI Bill benefits will be expanded for veterans who seek job training in the renewable energy sector. In addition, college students would also also get tax credits (what else?) for public service.

Obama also asks us to "serve a common purpose, a higher purpose," and of course that means to set aside your own family and individual goals for the purpose of serving the state and its goals of collectivism for the common good, along with servitude to the planner-elites and their statist agenda.

And McCain? He just continues to tell us what he's always told us: state first, individuals last. Serve "the larger cause," he says, and forget about your own selfish needs. McCain also quotes Jefferson and Adams (as if their words lend support to the hegemony of modern government), and compares modern imperial wars with the American Revolution.