In a speech here, on the final weekend of campaigning before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries on Tuesday, Mr. Obama urged voters to move beyond the political controversies that have dominated the Democratic nominating fight and stirred skepticism about his strength as a general election candidate.
“That’s the only way I can win this race,” Mr. Obama said, “if you decide that you’ve had enough of the way things are, if you decide that this election is bigger than flag pins or sniper fire or the comments of a former pastor — bigger than the differences between what we look like or where we come from or what party we belong to.”
As Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton appealed to voters in North Carolina, holding a breezy chat session with a few hundred mothers and later appearing before Nascar enthusiasts, she highlighted her support for suspending the federal gas tax this summer. Mr. Obama derided the idea as “a Shell game — literally,” drawing distinctions with Mrs. Clinton and Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Mr. Obama’s speech here underscored his efforts to retool his campaign — and fend off what his aides acknowledged was unexpected strength from Mrs. Clinton in Indiana and North Carolina — by forcefully returning to themes that had served him well in Iowa and other states, presenting himself as an outsider and an agent of change. He did not, at least on this day, seem prepared to end the campaign with harsh attacks on Mrs. Clinton.
In television commercials and in his public appearances, Mr. Obama confronted the issue Mrs. Clinton has put at the front of her campaign — a three-month moratorium on gas taxes — and tried to turn it against her, portraying her as being politically calculating and cynical. That left the two rivals pointedly arguing over one of the few major policy areas on which they disagree.

nytimes.com

Today is a day to celebrate mothers. We think about all the things mothers do for us and our families. Our mothers provide us with comfort, warmth, food, clothing, a place to call home.
Our mothers are not the only ones that take care of us. Remember, our Earth has provided many of these same things that make our lives more comfortable and meaningful.
What have you done for the mothers in your life? On Mother’s Day, my dad was famous for gifts that would lessen my mother’s workload. A sewing machine, a new washing machine and a riding lawn mower come to mind. As you enjoy the day and spend time with family, take a few minutes to think of ways you can honor moms and Mother Earth.
Green is more than just a color now. It is a term used to represent a new way to live, work and play that lessens the workload or impact on our Mother Earth. Sustainability, living today in a way that will allow us to continue to provide for the needs of future generations, has been a buzz word. But now folks are understanding how our quality of life depends on it.
We can live green and make a difference without sacrificing how we behave. We can make choices at the cash register by making choices in the products we buy. Informed consumers are changing the ways that businesses market themselves.
Green choices are not just good for the environment. They can save us money. High gas prices have resulted in increased costs of power, food and goods and services including our entertainment. Home buyers are shopping for homes closer to where they work so they don’t spend so much on fuel.
The price is only one part of a purchase decision. Now, we also are looking more closely at the maintenance costs. Car shoppers are reading the miles-per-gallon labels as much as the bottom-line price so they can get farther on a gallon of gas. Appliance shoppers are using the yellow-and-black energy-guide labels to see how much it will cost to operate a new washing machine, television or refrigerator.

orlandosentinel.com