Daniel Schultz:

The point is it's rough out there.

All of this affects the little church that I pastor. Retirees see the value of their pensions collapse, and a little less turns up in the collection basket. The economy sours, and we worry about neighbors who might not have enough for food or clothes or heat.

Yet at our annual Thanksgiving Eve service tonight, we will thank God for our good fortune with full and grateful hearts.

Paul Krugman:

A few months ago I found myself at a meeting of economists and finance officials, discussing — what else? — the crisis. There was a lot of soul-searching going on. One senior policy maker asked, "Why didn’t we see this coming?"

There was, of course, only one thing to say in reply, so I said it: "What do you mean ‘we,’ white man?

David Brooks: Don't just think short term, think long term. if you're going to dump this mouch money into the system, do more than dig holes that you can fill up.

Kathleen Parker: Obama means change. Don't sweat who he appoints to do it.

EJ Dionne:

What's most striking about Obama's approach to foreign policy is that he is less an idealist than a realist who would advance American interests by diplomacy, by working to improve the country's image abroad, and by using military force prudently and cautiously.

Charles Krauthammer: The entire market has gone it hell in a handbasket, and it's all the liberals' fault. How much does this remind you of Iraq, where we drop eggs on the floor and then blame everyone else for their inability to reassemble the egg? Here's what I give thanks for: being Charles Krauthammer means never having to admit how stupid and irresponsible you are. It's always someone else's fault, preferably a DFH.

And it's a teachable skill.

LA Times cartoon: The annual presidential turkey pardon ... Obama edition

Good morning.

Nearly 150 years ago, in one of the darkest years of our nation’s history, President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving. America was split by Civil War. But Lincoln said in his first Thanksgiving decree that difficult times made it even more appropriate for our blessings to be – and I quote – "gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people."

This week, the American people came together with families and friends to carry on this distinctly American tradition. We gave thanks for loved ones and for our lasting pride in our communities and our country. We took comfort in good memories while looking forward to the promise of change.

But this Thanksgiving also takes place at a time of great trial for our people.

Across the country, there were empty seats at the table, as brave Americans continue to serve in harm’s way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. We honor and give thanks for their sacrifice, and stand by the families who endure their absence with such dignity and resolve.

At home, we face an economic crisis of historic proportions. More and more Americans are worried about losing a job or making their mortgage payment.  Workers are wondering if next month’s paycheck will pay next month’s bills. Retirees are watching their savings disappear, and students are struggling with the cost of tuition.

It’s going to take bold and immediate action to confront this crisis. That’s why I’m committed to forging a new beginning from the moment I take office as President of the United States. Earlier this week, I announced my economic team. This talented and dedicated group is already hard at work crafting an Economic Recovery Plan that will create or save 2.5 million new jobs, while making the investments we need to fuel long-term economic growth and stability.

But this Thanksgiving, we are reminded that the renewal of our economy won’t come from policies and plans alone – it will take the hard work, innovation, service, and strength of the American people.

I have seen this strength firsthand over many months – in workers who are ready to power new industries, and farmers and scientists who can tap new sources of energy; in teachers who stay late after school, and parents who put in that extra hour reading to their kids; in young Americans enlisting in a time of war, seniors who volunteer their time, and service programs that bring hope to the hopeless.

It is a testament to our national character that so many Americans took time out this Thanksgiving to help feed the hungry and care for the needy. On Wednesday, I visited a food bank at Saint Columbanus Parish in Chicago. There – as in so many communities across America – folks pitched in time and resources to give a lift to their neighbors in need. It is this spirit that binds us together as one American family – the belief that we rise and fall as one people; that we want that American Dream not just for ourselves, but for each other.

That’s the spirit we must summon as we make a new beginning for our nation. Times are tough. There are difficult months ahead. But we can renew our nation the same way that we have in the many years since Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving: by coming together to overcome adversity; by reaching for – and working for – new horizons of opportunity for all Americans.

So this weekend – with one heart, and one voice, the American people can give thanks that a new and brighter day is yet to come.

After wrestling 276 heifers to the ground over the last 24 hours, our fearless crew has come up with these 13 Grade AAA Prime diaries for your enjoyment. Who's got the steak sauce?

• A must-read for anyone struggling to save their home, War on Error offers a link-rich primer on how to Save Homes from Foreclosure, Here's How - Please Share With Others. (ItsJessMe)
• Jason Rosenbaum makes a convincing case about those against health care reform in Don't Believe Arguments Against Health Care. (vcmvo2)
• Offering This Sergeant's thoughts on the future, testvet6778 lauds President-Elect Obama for tapping experienced Clintonites to help fix the "plate full of horrors" President Bush and his team leave behind. (ItsJessMe)
• Cassiodorus assesses where we are now, discusses how we fit into the capitalist system, and ends looking at how our hopes and dreams may be transformed into a future of ecological dislocation and crisis, in Waking up from the Bush nightmare: what's the next dream? (ItsJessMe)
• davidseth reports on the struggle of former Mexican farm workers for economic justice in Give These Workers Their Money And Give It To Them Now! (vcmvo2)
• jlang57 shares some family history about the impacts of union activism, in Civil Rights By Any Other Name or My Grandfather's Past Revisited. (ItsJessMe)
• sarac issues a well-researched writing, which is not only for Native Americans - A Thanksgiving Resources Diary. (jlms qkw)
• Winter Rabbit writes a powerful tribute a few days shy of the 144th Anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre of Nov. 29th, 1864. (dadanation)
• RogerShuler reminds us of ongoing BushCo tactics such as bogus criminal prosecutions or Workplace Retaliation: A Classic Weapon in the Rove Arsenal. (vcmvo2)
• Straight from the "Beyond The Pale" files comes Tadly's heartbreaking Air Force denies benefits to recruit with acute leukemia. (dadanation)
• maxcat06 tells us that Saxby Chambliss has a plan... So please make sure to help out Jim Martin. (shayera)
• LithiumCola reports that disinformation on Iran and al-Qaeda is alive and well in Suspicious al-Qaeda "Letter" in the UK Telegraph. (vcmvo2)

jotter has High Impact Diaries: November 23, 2008 while Eddie C has Top Comments 11-24-2008 Food Shortage Edition.

Enjoy and please promote your own favorite diaries in this open thread (even if you're the author! Here's where that's actually appreciated). And, of course, since it's an open thread, PLAY NICE, OK? 8^)