Barney hits a homer in Investco

I think Barny has hit on the major policy differences between the two parties.

Barney Smith, a 54-year-old Fairmount man, had one question when he was asked to speak on this final day of the Demcoratic National Convention: "Why me?"
Smith is one of several ordinary Americans -- and the second from Indiana -- invited by the campaign to share their stories at the convention. Mike Fisher of Beech Grove spoke on the convention's opening day, Monday.
The answer to Smith's question lies in the story he'll share. In 2004, when is Sen. Barack Obama's warm up act tonight
Smith, a 54-year-old Fairmount man, was among the nearly 1,000 workers who lost their jobs in 2004 when Thomson Multimedia, the French conglomerate that owns RCA, closed its color TV manufacturing plant in Marion.
Smith's father had worked there from 1949 to 1979, and Smith had worked there since 1973. His final job at the plant was packing up equipment his father had helped install, to send it to China.
Smith considers himself a lucky man. He went back to school for more job training, and now has a job at the distribution center of a discount store. The pay and benefits aren't as good as he once enjoyed, but he figures he and his wife, Carla, and their family are doing fine.
He worries, he said, about " the people out there who haven't got their lives together yet after four years."
Smith said he's been a lifelong Republican, until now, saying the Republican Party has done little for working folk in recent years.
He cited health care in particular, saying programs like Obama's to make sure people have affordable health insurance would be like "money in my pocket."
"I gave up on the Republicans. I don't consider myself a full-fledged Democrat. I vote for the person with my best interests. My nephew said it best. I want somebody who takes care of Barney Smith, not Smith Barney," he said, citing the giant financial firm.