It's estimated that teachers spend an average of $493 out of pocket on school supplies for their own classrooms, with some spending $1,000 or more of their personal finances just to get by. As education budgets face major shortfalls in the recession, out of pocket expenses are expected to increase significantly, merely adding insult to injury.

America's teachers are professionals that have dedicated their talents to the very future of this great nation - our children - and they deserve our support and appreciation for all they do.

Even as my opponent's 'Hate' remarks continue to stalk him, perhaps even to the grave as the GOP just added Robin Hayes to their "Death List" of lost causes, the flailing Republican incumbent from North Carolina's 8th District isn't going down without a fight... or a least a lie.

Multi-millionaire Robin Hayes and his close friends in the Big Oil, Drug and Insurance industries have stepped up the attacks on my campaign and very name, and folks this time it's a WHOPPER.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the seemingly impossible goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960's.

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

Just eight years later, Astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon ultimately fulfilling President Kennedy's challenge. America and the world continue to reap the benefits of President Kennedy's inspiration and dedication to this day.

Just imagine America today had we enjoyed such leadership on energy independence the past eight years, rather than the failed energy policies of Bush, Cheney and my opponent Robin Hayes, the oil industry's #1 Representative in Congress.

There's a strong tradition of spiritual revival in the deep South as well as many parts of the U.S. that have suffered the apathy that comes from hard times. An economic depression can be spiritually depressing as well, rendering the best in all of us effectively 'asleep at the wheel' and off course. The promise of HOPE is not some new political buzzword engineered in a focus group for the 2008 elections. Hope is what I learned from my parents, teachers, co-workers, community and growing up in church. Hope is what I now teach my own children, and the very promise of America. Hope is why no matter how we may stray, we all come home to the big tent in the end.

A famous story passed down through the generations of traveling ministries that would often set up their Revival Tents in some of the most economically depressed areas of the deep South goes something like this:

A minister was asked, "Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn't last?"

The minister replied, "Why do you keep taking baths?"

Hope is nourishment for the starved soul.