Barack Obama For President

I've waited long enough. It's time.

I believe that Barack Obama is the right person for the job of President of the United States of America.

I believe that Barack Obama is the only candidate who has the potential to unite our country - in more ways than one.

I believe that Barack Obama is the only candidate who will be able to restore our nation's positive standing in the world.

I believe that, if push comes to shove, Barack Obama will not hesitate to be a strong Commander-In-Chief.

I've thought about this decision for a while. I toyed with waiting to make my feelings public until there was a Democratic party nominee. But yesterday, along with the Pajama Wife, I attended a rally event in State College, Pennsylvania. 22,000 people waited in line in 40 degree weather to 'stand for change'.

That counts for something.

I didn't cry (though I did see some who did). I didn't faint. I don't believe that Barack Obama is the Messiah. However, I came away from that event with a desire to act. Not only with the best interests of myself and the Pajama Family in mind - but also for my community, my state and my country in general.

You see, the Pajama Wife and I don't usually do this kind of thing. Typically, we form an opinion on a candidate - and then go vote on election day. We are self-described introverts. We don't usually like to leave our 'comfort zone' (which for me is right here on my blog, and for the Wife it is on the floor playing with our kids).


But yesterday, standing in that long line waiting for the gates to open onto the lawn of Old Main, I talked with other like-minded individuals. Some old, some young. Some Republican, some Democrat and some independent. Some black, some white, some red, some yellow. ALL Americans wanting demanding change.

I believe that Barack Obama is just the change that this country needs. Is he perfect? No. Will he cure all that ills our country? Probably not. Will he disappoint some people? Most likely. But despite those probabilities, I think that he'll do a better job than either of the other candidates.

Pundits and politicians have been talking a lot about experience and judgment in our presidential candidates. While that is all well and good, I submit to you that once in a while a candidate comes along who is the antithesis of the conventional politics. A candidate that challenges people to think. A candidate that challenges people to learn. A candidate that inspires people to act.


That candidate is Barack Obama.

Please, educate yourself. Go to http://barackobama.com/ and learn more about his candidacy. Don't let anyone form opinions for you.

I still view myself as a political independent. I will try to keep my fervor for Senator Obama from skewing my prose on this blog. I just felt that, in the spirit of full-disclosure, my readers should know where I stand.

I stand for change.

Obama O8

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Photography: me

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Busy Weekend

I've got another busy weekend ahead of me. The Pajama Wife and I are taking a special trip on Sunday - our destination I will reveal next week, to be accompanied by some first-rate photography (I hope).

Until then my blogospheric friends - I bid you adieu.

More Monday.

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That Letter To Nancy Pelosi

-Mike Keefe, the Denver Post

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Funny Of The Week

Seriously, they said it wouldn't last.

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In Case You Forgot

Just in case you have forgotten - because it seems that the MSM has. It's a long clip, but you should watch it - and share it with others. I think that it's important to note just how much Hillary Clinton's story mutated over the course of the coverage.

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Not Much Difference

It's interesting, this whole battle between the Democrats.

I've made clear my disdain for Hillary Clinton - and the Clinton brand in general. It's the same 'ol, same 'ol. Politics as usual, as far as I'm concerned.

But, when it comes right down to it, there really isn't a whole lot of difference between Hillary and Barack Obama - particularly on the topic of the economy. Craig Crawford ably illustrates that here:


Most notable about this clip is not Crawford's analysis of the candidates, but rather the pack of cigarettes on the table behind him. I thought you gave up smoking Craig?

Anyway, what is so interesting to me is that to sit down and talk with a Clinton supporter and an Obama supporter, you would think that we are looking at the difference between Karl Rove and... Karl Marx. When, in reality, there really isn't that much policy difference between the two Democratic candidates.

I would argue, however, that there is a TON of difference on the character front. But that is a post for another time.

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Just The Tax, Ma'am

I'll believe it when I see it.

Give us your tax information Senator Clinton.

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Bob Casey Endorses Barack Obama

One of my U.S. Senators, Bob Casey (D-Pa) is set to endorse Barack Obama. This comes as a shock to many as Casey had vowed to remain neutral during the Democratic primary. Ben Smith at Politico:

This is a big break for Obama, who has substantial disadvantages going into the April 22 Pennsylvania primary. Gov. Edward G. Rendell has endorsed Clinton, and the Keystone State is full of the white, blue-collar voters who have turned out strongly for her.

The endorsement also will help Obama with Roman Catholic voters. Casey is one of the state's leading Catholics, and graduated from the Catholic University law school.

Casey won his senate seat in 2006 when he crushed the Republican incumbent Rick "man-on-dog" Santorum. Many now believe that more and more super-delegates are going to swing to the Obama column in light of the negative
campaigning on the part of the Clinton campaign. Bill Richardson may have started a momentum of endorsements, now that another prominent Democratic senator has also gotten in line behind Barack Obama.

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Photo: Pittsburghlive.com

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The Hillary Deathwatch

Slate put up the the Hillary Deathwatch. It's a very interesting article and running tab on Clinton's odds of actually winning the Democratic nomination for the presidency:

Hillary Clinton is as good as dead. This became the consensus over the past week, when the media awoke en masse to the dual reality that 1) Clinton can't close the pledged-delegate gap and 2) Obama has her beat in the popular vote. ... So the question now is not just "How dead is she?" but "When will she realize it?"

Right now, Slate is giving her a 12% chance of winning - hence the graphic:


I think this is so interesting that I've posted it in my sidebar under "the DeathWatch" heading. I will update daily, as Slate does.

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Graphic: Slate.com

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Florida

I thought that Hillary Clinton was the one who was pushing so hard for the Florida (and Michigan) delegates to be counted?

She's been on a rampage the last few days (weeks?) saying that Barack Obama doesn't care about the voters in Florida (and Michigan):

[W]e have been trying to support what is going on in Florida, because the people there want their voices and votes to be heard. And again, you know, Senator Obama doesn't want to support that.

Well, it appears that the truth is actually the opposite:

The Hillary Clinton campaign has yet to express any interest in negotiating a solution to Florida's delegate mess, but a couple key Barack Obama staffers ... called state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman to talk about possible ways to give Florida a voice in the nomination.

"We're just looking for solutions," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

*ZING*

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The Dodd Squad

I love Chris Dodd. He sure does tell it like it is:

I think the race has been determined, anyway, at this point. I think it's very difficult to imagine how anyone can believe that Barack Obama can't be the nominee of the party. I think that's a foregone conclusion, in my view, at this juncture given where things are.

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Barack Obama Is Not A Muslim

... not that there's anything wrong with that.

This untruth is still floating around amongst voters:

[N]early a quarter of Democrats (23%) who hold a negative view of Obama believe he is a Muslim.

Come on people. There is no reason that you should still question Obama's religion. Not after all of the uproar over the Jeremiah Wright controversy. Geez.

Do some research.

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Backfired

That letter that some deep-pocket-Democrats sent to Nancy Pelosi?

Yeah, it's having the opposite effect than that which was intended.

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Democratic Convention ::: A Crazy Idea

Mark Daniels at TMV has a really crazy idea about the Democratic nomination process at the convention:

The superdelegates could remain uncommitted through the first ballot of the convention. Neither Obama or Clinton would then have enough votes to win, freeing their delegates to go elsewhere on the second ballot. The sd’s, ostensibly leaders of the party, then could reveal their choice, maybe Bill Richardson or Joe Biden. The convention could spend a ballot or two moving in that direction and then, after nominating the sd choice, give the vice presidential nomination to, say, Dianne Feinstein.

Of the three finalists on the Democratic side–Obama, Clinton, and John Edwards, the Senator from Illinois had the most substative experience, both in terms of time in elective office and relevant leadership experience. But the credentials of all three can’t compare to those of Richardson, Biden, or Feinstein.

Wow. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes. Still, an interesting proposition nonetheless.

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Headline Of The Day

Headline of the day:

Somebody forgot to tell Hillary Clinton the Democratic presidential race is over and Barack Obama won. -Reuters

That's fairly blunt, wouldn't you say?

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Barack Obama's Ball & Chain

Why, oh why won't this go away?

I sit here, an unabashedly proud independent/Libertarian, and I find myself depressed. I'm not depressed because the economy is tanking (though it is). I'm not depressed because last week was the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war (although that is depressing), I'm not even depressed because it's a gray-cloudy day in my neck-of-the-woods (yuck). I'm depressed because this f**king story will not go away.

Barack Obama has said and done everything he can to show that he is not a party to the comments made by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. And yet, the likes of "Morning" Joe Scarborough continue to spew forth this incessant bile that suggests that Barack Obama is somehow unfit to serve as our country's leader - because of what someone else said. What someone else, who is NOT running for any elected office has precisely zero to do with how well, or poorly, Obama would lead our nation.

Of all of the elections in which I have voted, I feel that this one is, by far, the most important. With every mention of this Wright "controversy", I feel the election of a very viable candidate is slipping away. I swear to God, Allah, Jehovah, Buddha, and Nothing that if Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic primaries - and I don't see how that is possible with the current "math" - I am going to lose my mind. Barack Obama has made millions of Americans get up and get involved. He emits a positivity that I have not seen in my lifetime.

Personally, I have never switched my voter registration to Democrat so that I was able to vote in a Democratic primary before. And yet here I am sending in paperwork - that defies my very own political philosophies of limited government and individual liberties - to switch from my independent registration to that of the Democratic party. Only a remarkable candidate could have this kind of an affect on me - and millions like me.

It is literally breaking my heart to see likes of Lee Habeeb painting Barack Obama as "unpatriotic" or "an unfit leader", and continuing the meme that he is somehow inextricably linked to Jeremiah Wright. It sickens me.

Why, oh why won't this go away?

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Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

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Mail Bag ::: Ignorance Is Bliss Response

In response to my disgust over comments on a previous post - Albert was good enough to chime in and sum things up:

wow, I would have left that last comment anonymous too if I had typed it. You'd think Rush Limbaugh himself just made a cameo on PJP.

Hell, you can bend almost any war into the view of a holy war. Hilter created "positive christianity" with twisted reason's for the genocide of Jews, Pol Pot believed Buddhist's should be purged (and did). What about the religious assaults between Catholic and Protestant Ireland in the last 100 years.

There are always going to be mad men and women using religion as a means to create hate and violence. That's the fault of those Men and Women, not the religion.

"Muslim turns to anything else..." yeah, great, let's use fringe religion to encompass the whole. Get educated.

I wholeheartedly agree. Get educated. Great advice for everyone.

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International Space Station

My brother just sent this to me. It's a schedule of satellite "flybys" in the night sky. You can input your zip code to see when different objects are visible in the night sky.

[click for larger image]

In Pennsylvania, the International Space Station (ISS) will be visible tonight around 8:45 p.m. It is the largest object that will be visible to the naked eye. Sweet.

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Screenshot: http://spaceweather.com/

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Mail Bag ::: Ignorance Is Bliss

The post in question here. Anonymous commenter said:

You don't apparently believe that the caravan-raiding pedophile from Mecca got his "revelations" from demons. That's your right.

The rest of us judge a religion be more generic terms.

What happens to a follower of that religion if they decide to follow another path?

Catholic turns Buddhist? Nada.
Buddhist turns atheist? Nothing.
Baptist turns Presbyterian? Nope.
Muslim turns to anything else? Death if he's caught...

How many religious wars have been started by non-Muslims in the last 100 or so years? How many by Muslims?

You make the call...

Umm... yeah. My "call" is that this comment is not even worthy of a rebuttal because it is so blatantly ignorant. Period.

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Hillary Clinton Turns People Off

Matthew Berger reports:

Democratic Party insiders say they believe Clinton's direct attacks against Sen. Barack Obama in recent days are hurting the party and its chances in November, and also say it is showing a calculated, desperate-to-win side of Clinton that they dislike.

I've been saying that for a while now. She will do anything to win - even destroy her own party.

Also worth noting is the letter that some wealthy DCCC donors, and backers of Senator Clinton, sent to Nancy Pelosi. Some good questions to it's purpose - and more importantly - desired affect on the Speaker of the House and the greater Democratic party at large:

Why didn't the Clinton campaign get superdelegates to sign on to that letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi rather than donors [my emphasis]? Doesn't this letter coming only from major donors make it look like a threat or a shakedown? Wouldn't this letter coming from fellow superdelegates have had more impact? One Dem operative who doesn't have a horse in this fight reminds us: "Members of Congress -- who are superdelegates -- make up the DCCC. Threatening the DCCC is essentially threatening the very superdelegates HRC's trying to court. The HRC donor letter will just push undeclared superdelegates in Congress leaning toward Obama to endorse him sooner. It also reinforces the notion that the Clintons will destroy the party to win the WH. I just don't get it."

I don't get it either. But then again, I don't want to get it.

There is also another way to look at this 'threat' from these Clinton supporters. Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean can look at these large financial donors, AND their threats, and simply laugh. With a candidate like Barack Obama, you no longer need as many of the deep-pocketed donors upon which the political parties rely so heavily. Granted, when someone wants to donate large sums of money to your political party, you take it. BUT, Obama brings a different kind of donor into the fold: the kind of supporter who gives $25-$100 at a time. Now multiply that donor several hundred-thousand times over and you have 90% of Senator Obama's financial support.

Pelosi, Dean and the DCCC will literally be laughing all the way to the bank.

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Photo: Mannie Garcia/Getty Images

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Lowering The Bar ::: Clinton Style

Love it. The Meat:

As expected, one of the two major Democratic candidates saw a downturn in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, but it's not the candidate that you think. Hillary Clinton is sporting the lowest personal ratings of the campaign. Moreover, her 37% positive rating is the lowest the NBC/WSJ poll has recorded since March 2001, two months after she was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York.

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The Bosnia Lie - On Purpose?

Craig Crawford puts forth an interesting theory:

Hillary Clinton's Tuzla lie may help:Although seemingly embarrassing for her, this episode did serve to provoke repeated airings of video showing Clinton on her trip to Bosnia 12 years ago looking more like a Commander in Chief than like a First Lady. While hardly arriving under a hail of bullets, as she has repeatedly claimed, the video clips do show Clinton in a much grittier setting than anything that might be expected for a purely ceremonial visit.

I disagree. I think that the lie heavily outweighs the images of Hillary looking somewhat presidential. Voters are not going to think that Hillary "looks the part" without also realizing that she made up some story about sniper fire and other nonsense.

Then again, Crawford's got a 'real' blog and appears in the MSM nearly everyday. I'm sitting at my computer at home.

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Mail Bag ::: Me Vs. B-Diddy

This is an ongoing e-mail conversation that I'm having with B-Diddy. I thought it was interesting and wanted to share. Basically, the conversation started with Diddy saying that he thought that Howard Dean was a "disgrace". I questioned how it was Howard Dean's fault that Obama and Clinton are still going at it on the campaign trail while John McCain has locked down the GOP nomination. And away we go:

Howard Dean is running the show...he is the Chair...he needs to bring these two [Obama & Clinton] together and negotiate a deal. They [Democrats] want to negotiate with everyone around the world...no wars...let's talk and let's chat...he can't even bring these two together to decide who the candidate should be...and WHEN HILLARY wins Pennsylvania...imagine the headlines for Obama. He better get ready...and WHAT IF the momentum carries her into N Carolina for a victor...oh boy!

[the Pajama Pundit], I know you think Hillary should drop out...but WHAT IF she beats Obama by 15-20 points on April 22nd. WHAT IF? What does that say about Obama. And since the new Gallup Poll... says that Dems might jump and vote for McCain...PENNSYLVANIA could very well be a RED STATE. I really really doubt you're going to see these RED STATES that vote for Obama go BLUE this year. You really think ALABAMA, GEORGIA, MISSISSIPPI, etc are going to go BLUE? NO! The states are BLUE..Hillary has won them all. That says something! Yes... Huckabee won the RED RED states but I highly doubt those people will not vote for McCain as this anti-McCain sentiment has certainly died down.

This prompted my response:

Seriously. Not Dean's fault. He can try to bring these two together all he wants, but we all know what kind of personal political aspirations the Clintons have. They want to rule the world... again. Nothing short of an Act Of God will stop her from running. That, or a minority of the vote - oh wait, she already has that.

I have already conceded that Hillary will, in fact, win PA. However, she will NOT win by a larger-than-10-point margin. Not. Gonna. Happen. She keeps trying to claim that "I can win the 'big' states" like California, New York, New Jersey, et al. BUT, it's not like Obama wouldn't win the usual blue states in the general election anyway. Her basic arguments are all flawed - along with her candidacy.

Now, if Hillary could develop some strategy other than "I've won the most electoral college votes" - which has JACK SQUAT to do with the Democratic primary I might add - then we can start talking about her perceived momentum. Otherwise, this is just going to get uglier and uglier because she should drop out, and it's clear that she isn't going to anytime soon.

Regarding the Gallup polling... I did see something like that yesterday - I think it was on Hardball. Anyway - I know that is what some people are saying NOW - but I think that they will be singing a different tune in November. Look - the typical anti-war Democrat does NOT WANT John "bomb-bomb-Iran" McCain running shit. Period. End of sentence. Say what you will about the two Democratic candidates: Barack is a coke-head, inexperienced, smooth-talker,with big ears. Hillary is a lying, two-faced criminal, backstabbing, power-hungry, do-anything-to-get-elected, spouse-of-a-pathological-womanizer. BUT, by November, the Democratic party will have coalesced behind their candidate. Mark my words.

I will continue to stand by my argument that no matter how much she praddles on about "change" - there is no such thing when you are the spouse of a former president. If this exact same thing were happening in a democratic nation elsewhere in the world, we would laugh and say, "HA! That's not a democracy. They've been passing the highest position in their government back-and-forth between two families for nearly 30 years! HA! I spit in their general direction!" ... or something like that. It's like Tracy Morgan said on SNL the other weekend:

I wanna know what qualifies Hillary Clinton to be the president. Is it because she was married to the president? If that was the case, Robin Givens would be the heavy-weight champion of the world.

Boo-yah.

I hope you've enjoyed today's episode of My E-mail Inbox Is Open To The World. I know that I have.

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I've Got Gas

-Jerry Holbert, The Boston Herald

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More Gravel?

Apparently so.

Mike Gravel = Libertarian? Observe:



Well, at least he won't be at any more of the debates. Ugh.

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Screenshot: http://gravel2008.us/

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Krugman Hits Clinton

Ouch.

If you follow the economy and know any of those names, you know how hard Krugman just hit Hillary.

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The Sketch

If you haven't read Dana Milbank's latest Sketch, do it now. The Meat:

[T]here can be no doubt about Medicare's woes; its payouts are forecast to exceed tax revenue starting this year. But the rest of official Washington was too busy with other matters yesterday to heed the alarm.

"I've got the fishing champs of this year," the president announced yesterday in the Oval Office, where he was hosting the Bassmaster angling champions.

The f**king Bassmaster angling champs?! Really?!

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Nothing To See Here

Nothing to see here. Please move along.


Never mind the fact that Hillary is deliberately trying to change the subject. I certainly hope that the MSM doesn't go for her not-so-clever-rouse to deflect attention from her tall-tale about Tuzla and her questionable (at best) accounting of her role in the peace talks in Northern Ireland.

Oh, and her tax returns. Where are they again?

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Shots

Love it.

I just got back from taking the kids to see the doc. The Boy simply ran interference with the Girl - which was good since she had to get not one, but TWO shots in her leg.

Yikes.

All things considered, she was really good. She screamed for about 30 seconds, then calmed down and was playing with her brother in no time. Lucky for me.

I'm happy to report that my daughter is happy and healthy - an obvious testament to my 'skillz' as a stay-at-home-dad.

Rrrrright.

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Hillary Clinton Is Occasionally A Human

Senator Clinton's interview with KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania earlier TODAY:


Did you catch that statement in there?

Occasionally, I am a human being like everybody else.

Occasionally?! A human like everybody else?!! I'm sorry folks, but that is arrogance at it's worst. Apparently, James Carville and the Clintonite minions are correct in worshiping her - for she sees herself as some deity who "occasionally" becomes human "like everybody else" - and therefore makes a mistake once in a while.

Last week, for the first time in 12 or so years, I misspoke.

That's a pretty good record there Ms. Clinton. One mistake in "12 or so" years?

Look, everybody expects you to embellish your resume when you are applying for a job. That's not the issue here folks. I'm arguing that she is not simply embellishing that resume, she is telling BOLD-FACED-LIES to the American people about her experience. I sincerely hope the MSM runs with this and starts to dissect every statement that Clinton has made on the campaign trail.

BUT, what's more is that she's speaking a revisionist history on the subject. As the YouTube video clearly shows, she was "misspeaking" back in February - and there are several other documented occasions where Ms. Clinton is telling the EXACT same story about the "sniper fire". There is no way that her excuse of "I was sleep-deprived" will float - unless of course, she was sleep-deprived on a number of other occasions where she told the exact same story of her visit to Tuzla.

And don't even get me started on her re-hashing the Jeremiah Wright controversy again. An obvious attempt to shift the subject away from her media troubles.

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Hillary Clinton ::: Straw Grasper

From John Marshall at TPM:

The system is based on pledged delegates and super-delegates. Period. There's a set of rules everyone agreed on. The wisdom of those rules is irrelevant at this point. The Clinton campaign is entitled to do whatever it wants to get superdelegates to come over to her side to even out the pledged delegate deficit. My take is that whatever the arguments, the superdelegates aren't going to go against a clear pledged delegate leader. And I think they'd be extremely ill-advised to do so. But the superdelegates do have this power under the rules. But these constant efforts to say the rules aren't fair are just silly, and truth be told I think they're more undermining of the Clinton campaign than they realize.

Indeed.

Look, I'm all for the equal rights of ever voter (Democrat OR Republican) and not having anyone disenfranchised. BUT, rules are rules. The rules were designed by the DNC and signed off on by the campaigns. For Hillary Clinton to want to change the rules in the middle of the game - or offer up some "new math" that favors her candidacy - is just unthinkable.

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The Tax Returns

Barack Obama has released his tax returns. He (and I) would like Hillary Clinton to do the same:

Sen. Clinton can’t claim to be vetted until she allows the public the opportunity to see her finances — particularly with respect to any investment in tax shelters.

Particularly with more major primaries coming up. Voters want to know where you get your money Ms. Clinton. Where are the tax returns? Why haven't you released them? What are you hiding?

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Wrasslin' With OBL

Some more great satire from Andy Borowitz. In this week's column, Hillary Clinton defends her statements about Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong-Il:

“I may have misspoke about what went on that particular day,” Sen. Clinton said today. “But it was a very busy time for me, what with having that knife-fight with Kim Jong-Il and all.”

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Brooks Raises Good Questions

From his column "the Long Defeat" in the New York Times, David Brooks asks some good questions:

When you step back and think about it, [Hillary Clinton] is amazing. She possesses the audacity of hopelessness.

Why does she go on like this? Does Clinton privately believe that Obama is so incompetent that only she can deliver the policies they both support? Is she simply selfish, and willing to put her party through agony for the sake of her slender chance? Are leading Democrats so narcissistic that they would create bitter stagnation even if they were granted one-party rule?

My responses: I don't know. Yes. Yes. Maybe?

It's worth a full read. Check it out.

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Ain't No Other... What?

Hilarious. You deserve a break.

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A "Democratic Conclave"?

One of the more interesting ideas that I've heard thus far:

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Hillary ::: Eating Lots Of Crow

Wow. It sucks to be the Clinton campaign right now.

The whole Bosnia story that is blowing up:



The media has actually done their job and questioned her about it - which is good. This provoked a response from the Clinton camp saying it was a "minor blip". Yeah, a minor blip? Really? Not a bold distortion of the facts? I don't care who you are - if you are in politics, particularly on the national stage, you have to know that cameras are always running. YouTube will come back to get you.

Now, I have read this memo from Mark Penn (Chief Strategist for the Clinton campaign) on RealClearPolitics. The Meat:

This election will come down to delegates.

Again and again, this race has shown that it is voters and delegates who matter, not the pundits or perceived "momentum."

As history shows, the Democratic nomination goes to the candidate who wins the most delegates - not the candidate who wins the most states.

Really? Wow. By that rationale, Barack Obama is the Democratic party nominee for the presidency... right?

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Slacker

[a grey, surprise-snowstormy day visiting relatives]

Okay, so I slacked-off pretty heavily yesterday - and for good reason. Those of you who have a family of your own will understand what I'm talking about. Traveling with two kids to visit even more family is tiring. It really drains you, both physically and mentally, of energy. The Pajama Wife and I were both feeling the effects of a long weekend with two sets of family: hers and mine.

My head is clear today after a great night's sleep and I'm ready to bring the punditry to the masses.

So, where should I begin?

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Photo: me

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Coming Soon...

... to a voting booth near you:



If you ask me, the media should dissect everything that this woman says. My guess is that her "mis-statements" do not end with this incident.

Thoughts?

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Pride

As I've argued before, I never started this blog to gain a huge readership. I have never envisioned having a huge influence on the political blogosphere - nor do I necessarily want to. My goal was - and is - to present my opinions on breaking news and commentary from across the political spectrum. It's a creative outlet for me, as well as a (tiny) voice in the political world.

That said - I had to mention that on Friday last week, 102 different people looked at my blog. I know that it makes me a complete dork, but I think that's pretty cool - seeing as how I get about 35 visits per day on average.

I just thought I'd share.

More tomorrow.

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4,000

4,000. It is indeed a sad day.

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Photo: AP file

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Monday

Hey all. I hope you had a great weekend.

I'm still recovering from the busy weekend that my family endured. Yesterday, I was hit with another migraine. A testament to my family perhaps?

Anyway. I'm feeling a little better today - but still somewhat foggy. Posting will likely be sporadic at best.

Either way, happy Monday to you. What did the Easter Bunny bring you?

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Easter Weekend

The family has packed up the car and we are headed out to visit with relatives for the holiday weekend. I bid you all a fond adieu and hope that you have a great weekend filled with pastel-colored eggs, assorted delicious candies and underpaid teens in large-creepy-rabbit costumes.

Me? I'll coloring eggs with the kids...


... and whoopin'-up on my brother while we play Guitar Hero.

I'll be back Monday. Have a good one.

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Dick Cheney ::: IMOM

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Richardson Endorses Obama

Great speech by both. It's a long clip - but worth watching. Here's the video:

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Fox & Friends (Kind Of)

... or maybe it's Fox & Not-So-Friendly.

Either way, Chris Wallace hits his Fox News colleagues pretty hard:


And they deserved it. Fox News has been continuing to "report" on the Jeremiah Wright comments despite so many other breaking news stories.

Here's what a blogger with the Obama campaign had to say:

We appreciate Chris Wallace for doing his job as a tough but fair journalist on a network that has been deeply irresponsible over the last week in its unrelenting and sensationalistic coverage of Senator Obama.

...

If Fox News wants to play clips of the same offensive sound bites every day from now until November, that's their right, but that type of coverage does a disservice to their viewers and to a nation that is facing serious challenges that merit thoughtful and honest reporting.

Oh, SNAP!

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Hillary Clinton ::: The Real Story

Someone finally tells it like it is:

The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe.

The real question is why so many people are playing. The answer has more to do with media psychology than with practical politics.

Journalists, for instance, have become partners with the Clinton campaign in pretending that the contest is closer than it really is. Most coverage breathlessly portrays the race as a down-to-the-wire sprint between two well-matched candidates, one only slightly better situated than the other to win in August at the national convention in Denver.

Oh, and the Clinton campaign is sure to love this gem:

One big fact has largely been lost in the recent coverage of the Democratic presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning.

It's what I've been saying for weeks. Now, if we could just get the MSM outlets to start covering the race in this way...

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Photo: Eric Thayer/Getty Images

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Katrina ::: Sad Stories DuJour

And the sad stories continue to come in from the Gulf Coast region. This time, it's with building contractors:

The [Mississippi state] attorney general has 377 open investigations of contractor fraud and has made 58 arrests.

These contractors are hired to come in to an area and build, or re-build damaged homes. They collect money and allegedly do some pretty spotty work - and then leave customers in a lurch.

How can anyone want to benefit from the loss of others? Shameful.

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More Breaches

Geez. Who's passport file wasn't breached?

It seems to be the popular thing to do at the State Department these days. Chronic Passport File Breaching.

Duh.

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Hard Wuerk

- M. Wuerker, Wuerking Drawings

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Money As An Indicator

If fundraising is any factor in determining who has the best chances of winning the presidential election, Barack Obama is way out in front.

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Obama ::: Clintons Know Wright Too

I'm rarely critical of the Obama campaign. They have given me very little to criticize, what with their nearly flawless campaign thus far.

Alas, I cannot let this one slip by.

As I understand it, this picture was released to the media by the Obama campaign:


Ugh.

Now, my first question is, how does this help Obama? By linking the Clintons to Jeremiah Wright, Obama is bolstering the argument that Wright is a bad dude. "You see? They met with him too!" Yeah, not good.

Secondly, I thought Obama was above this kind of middle-school tactic. Honestly. Pretty childish.

Thirdly, the campaign had to know that Bill Richardson was going to be endorsing Senator Obama today. These kinds of decisions do not happen in a vacuum. If they didn't k now, then I'm not sure that Obama's advisers are worth what he is paying them. If the campaign did know - and they most likely did - then why release a stupid photo to the media when you are picking up one of the most-sought-after endorsements in the Democratic primary?

Instead of resorting to Gotcha Politics, the Obama campaign could have just dangled the Richardson endorsement out in front of the cameras, and the Clintons. After all, Richardson worked for Bill Clinton in the 90s.

That's gotta hurt Hillary. Why not just go with that and call it a day?

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Photo: via Ben Smith's blog at Politico.com

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Bill Richardson Endorses Barack Obama

In an e-mail to supporters:

Dear Friend, During the last year, I have shared with you my vision and hopes for this nation as we look to repair the damage of the last seven years. And you have shared your support, your ideas and your encouragement to my campaign. We have been through a lot together and that is why I wanted to tell you that, after careful and thoughtful deliberation, I have made a decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.

We are blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President. My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall. The 1990's were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward. Barack Obama will be a historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.

Earlier this week, Senator Barack Obama gave an historic speech. that addressed the issue of race with the eloquence, sincerity, and optimism we have come to expect of him. He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing in our own responsibility. He asked us to rise above our racially divided past, and to seize the opportunity to carry forward the work of many patriots of all races, who struggled and died to bring us together.

As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants--specifically Hispanics-- by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences--and place blame on others not like them . We all know the real culprit -- the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!

Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.

His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need such a leader.

To reverse the disastrous policies of the last seven years, rebuild our economy, address the housing and mortgage crisis, bring our troops home from Iraq and restore America's international standing, we need a President who can bring us together as a nation so we can confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad.

During the past year, I got to know Senator Obama as we campaigned against each other for the Presidency, and I felt a kinship with him because we both grew up between words, in a sense, living both abroad and here in America. In part because of these experiences, Barack and I share a deep sense of our nation's special responsibilities in the world.

So, once again, thank you for all you have done for me and my campaign. I wanted to make sure you understood my reasons for my endorsement of Senator Obama. I know that you, no matter what your choice, will do so with the best interests of this nation, in your heart.

Sincerely,

Bill Richardson

Now, we'll see just how influential this endorsement is. Also, I'm interested to see if the talking heads in the MSM will get off of the Jeremiah Wright comments.

Last night, news broke of the security breach involving Senator Obama's passport files at the State Department. Today we have this news of Governor Richardson's endorsement. And yet - Joe Scarborough is still prattling on about Rev. Wright's comments and Obama's response.

Give. Me. A. Break.

Get on with it already.

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Obama's Passport File Breached

Wow.

Lots of conjecture could be made. I'm watching it develop.

More tomorrow.

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No Re-Vote In Michigan

Probably not going to happen.

With lawmakers leaving for the holiday weekend today without taking up a bill that would’ve provided for a second Democratic primary, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan basically declared the do-over option dead.

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Dave Grohl For President

Yes. Dave Grohl. Of Foo Fighters fame. For president. Of the United States. From Harp:

On paper, Grohl’s story reads like a high-powered political strategist’s wet dream: born to a struggling public school teacher mother and Republican speechwriter father, a small-town kid from way outside the Beltway goes on to tour the world in Nirvana and later forms Foo Fighters, becoming the CEO of a multinational corporation known as Foo Fighters LLC; helps campaign for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election; and continues to raise awareness for a number of non-profit do-gooders like Democracy for America, CarbonNeutral and instant-runoff voting. Add all that to Grohl’s infamous “nicest guy in rock ’n’ roll” persona and his 100-watt smile, and you’ve got yourself a pretty compelling candidate.

I'd vote for him.

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Photo: Harp Magazine

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Status Kuo

David Kuo raises an excellent question: Where should we look next? Some thoughts:

[W]hat of every other political candidate in America?

Should we undertake an exhaustive review of the sermons of each and every pastor, priest, rabbi, or imam to make sure that they aren't offensive?

If not, why not? If Obama can be disqualified because of Jeremiah Wright who knows what kind of dirt can be dug up on other pastors?

Why not send political party representatives into the churches to monitor the activity of elected parishioners? Did they stand at controversial moments? Did they applaud? Did they say Amen? Clearly these things matter now.

They matter to some people. Not me. I'm tired of it. I just want to get back to hearing the candidates debate actual issues. Issues that affect our country.

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Mail Bag ::: Confusion?

A post from yesterday.

A reader's response.

My rebuttal.

Did I miss something? Did my post come across as pro-Bush? If it did, I need to seriously re-evaluate my writing style.

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Ferraro Still Talking

Someone please tell her to just shut up.

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What The F**k?

In today's episode of What The F**k?, all you need to do is view the following video.


I must say that I continue to be completely blown away by the arrogance and douchebaggery that spews forth from the vice-president.

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Clinton & Obama ::: Re-Vote

Hillary Clinton seems hell-bent on blaming the Florida and Michigan delegate situation (that they don't count) on Barack Obama. Via FirstRead:

Clinton suggested Obama was afraid to have a re-vote. "For the life of me, I don't understand why Sen. Obama seems to be afraid of letting there be a re-vote in Michigan," she said.

No snark intended here: what the hell is she talking about?

Florida. The state Democratic party has already decided not to have a re-vote. The decision was made in the hopes of avoiding more fodder for comedians. After the 2000 presidential election - remember the hanging chads - Floridians are apparently tired of their state being the punchline to nearly every joke on late-night talk shows. I can't say that I blame them. So, how is this Obama's fault?

Michigan. To begin with, 10 October, 2007, Hillary Clinton went ON THE RECORD saying that Michigan's primary "won't count for anything". Audio here. So, yeah - that's bad. But more importantly, Barack Obama has absolutely nothing to do with stopping a re-vote in Michigan either. It's the state legislature that decides this stuff.

What is she talking about?

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Twitterdee & Twitterdum

One of John McCain's campaign staffers was caught circulating an Obama attack ad via Twitter - and has been "suspended and reprimanded" by campaign big-wigs. This type of activity is in direct violation of John McCain's "no personal attacks" policy.

I respect McCain for running this type of campaign - but the dude needs to be fired. Otherwise, campaign staffers are able to attack opponents, and then be reprimanded, just to make it all look kosher.

The ad in question is simply moronic anyway.

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Chris Matthews ::: Goofball

You've probably seen it already, but it's worth another view.

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Scooter Gets The Boot(er)

Remember I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby?

Ah, but for the good 'ole days when a guy could get off of obstruction of justice and perjury charges just by working for the vice-president.
Well, 'ole Scoots is back in the news today - and it's still bad news for him. He's been disbarred:

"When a member of the bar is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, disbarment is mandatory," the appeals court ruled.

I guess that happens when you lie to federal agents and a grand jury. You probably should not be allowed to practice law anymore - even if your sentence has gotten commuted by your buddy "W".

And how great is the word turpitude? Awesome.

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Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters

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Blogger Envy

I want to be a 'blogging star'.

At my current levels, I'm getting almost 1,000 visits per month. Not too shabby for someone who has absolutely no clue about Search Engine Optimization. I'm still learning.

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Rude Vs. Wright

The Rude Pundit makes a good point about the uproar over Jeremiah Wright's controversial remarks, and the ensuing media scrutiny of Barack Obama's big speech on race. Check it (keep the sarcasm in mind):

'Cause, like, the Rude Pundit wants every candidate's advisors and allies vetted for every time one of them said something potentially offensive that's YouTube-ready. And then he wants the candidates to have to have to make a statement about it.

Indeed.

RP's take on the entire speech is brilliant. A must read.

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Good Question

From FirstRead this morning:

Is it safe? It's been a week since Rev. Wright became a household name and his sermons became discussion at the water cooler. Should the Obama campaign take heart in the fact that no new controversial sermons have become public? One would assume a slew of journalists have been scouring his sermons for more crazy statements and simply haven't found any ... yet? On the flip side, who else besides the Los Angeles Times yesterday and Nicholas Kristof today has attempted to look at Wright in a positive light (who he is, what he stands for, why he had thousands of parishioners including Obama, etc)?

Good questions.

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Rough

I'm in a rut today gang. I'm not sure how much prose you will see from me.

Let's just say that I'm not feeling very inspired due to the lack of 'good' news.

Ugh.

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Sign Of The Times

It speaks for itself. I need not comment:



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Photo: Freewayblogger

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Iraq News Coverage

In February, news coverage of Iraq averaged only three percent of air time on media news outlets:

According to the News Content Index conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the percentage of news stories devoted to the war has sharply declined since last year, dropping from an average of 15% of the newshole in July to just 3% in February.

Change that.

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Scratching The Surface

As the thousands of documents from the Clinton Library are poured over by investigative reporters, the trickle of information starts to come out. Remember how Hillary Clinton said that she didn't have much to do with NAFTA, and was a "longtime critic"? Records show that she had a lot more to do with the program than she first let on:



Yeah. That's not good.

There are also a lot of "unexplained calendar entries" that have arisen:

Dec. 22, 2000 also remains a bit of a mystery. That's the day when Mrs. Clinton and the President met in the White House with a New York rabbi who successfully lobbied President Clinton to commute the sentences of four Hassidic men who had been convicted of massive fraud and conspiracy. The commutations were extremely controversial at the time, and photos of the meeting exist. And yet, there's no mention of it in Mrs. Clinton's daily log. The calendar simply lists four separate "private meetings" in the Map Room that day, with no names attached.

Oh, and by the way Bill & Hillary, where are those tax returns?

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Photo: Ben Smith @ Politico.com

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Skewz ::: News Askew

An interesting take on media bias - both left and right.

http://skewz.com/

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Status Kuo

More reaction to Senator Obama's speech yesterday. This from David Kuo:

It was a speech of profound respect for America and for Americans. It didn't try and sound bite its way around dicey issues, it didn't try and spin its way out of trouble. Instead it paid tribute to its audience by treating the audience as grown men and women capable of understanding and appreciating a nuanced argument on a controversial and divisive issue.

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Funny Of The Week

Funny... but sad in many ways too.

I hate war. Make no mistake about it. I'm on record talking about - hell I talked about it earlier today.

BUT, for someone to say that the U.S. Marine Corps are "recruiting to commit mass murder" is, well... it's F**KING INSANE. These fringe-leftists are the types who give rational anti-war people like me a bad name.

Ugh.

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Huckabee On Obama

You can't hold a candidate responsible for everything that people around him may say or do.

Huckabee is a bright guy. I may not agree with many of his policies, but I admire his grit. He could have, very easily, done his "Republican duty" and attacked Barack Obama. He could have said that Obama completely botched his reaction to the Jeremiah Wright "scandal" - but he did not. I admire that.

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Florida, Michigan & The DNC

I was over at the reader forum at a post on FirstRead and some commenters are insisting that Barack Obama is obstructing a re-vote in Florida and Michigan. So naturally, I added my thoughts:

Can someone please explain to me how Senator Obama is "obstructing" a re-vote in FL & MI? I'm honestly asking - no snarkiness intended.

These states clearly violated DNC rules and unless a compromise is reached, delegates will not be seated at convention.

I don't understand why so many people are up-in-arms over this. Regardless of your opinion of Howard Dean, he made it perfectly clear that FL & MI broke the rules. THEY. BROKE. THE. RULES. Period. End of story.

The mere fact that the DNC and the two remaining candidates are willing to work with two rule-breaking states is a good thing. I hope they come to some sort of agreement. I really do.

I must say that I feel bad for the voters of the aforementioned rule-breaking-states. The moronic decisions of a few people in power are putting the many people not in power at a disadvantage.

Shameful.

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McCain's Iran/Iraq/Al Qaeda Gaffe

I mentioned this yesterday. I thought that this story would get buried by the Obama speech for sure, but apparently, I was mistaken.

Good.

I like McCain - I really do. But when you base nearly your entire campaign on your foreign policy experience and credentials, a gaffe like this (that was repeated on at least one other interview) should not happen. It's not only careless, it's irresponsible.

The full video:

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My View ::: Iraq

My view:


It's rainy today.

Appropriately so. Today marks the five-year anniversary of the ill-conceived, and tragically mismanaged invasion of Iraq.

Put aside your feelings of whether or not this was a 'just' invasion. I'm not interested in hearing your arguments for, or against the United States' occupation of Iraq. Rather, my question today is this: Was it worth the cost?

When making a decision in the business world, one must always weigh the ratio of cost-to-benefit. One must ask themselves, "Will the benefits of this decision outweigh the expense that I must incur?"

That is my question to you today.

I believe that I've made my feelings on the war in Iraq fairly well-known. It's no secret that I deplore this conflict, or conflict for that matter. But what bothers me MOST about this particular skirmish is that I do not see the benefits outweighing, well, anything.

Sure, one can argue that Saddam Hussein was a bad motherf**ker. It is definitely not a bad thing that he is gone.

However, look at the price with which we, as a nation, have paid for the removal of a second-rate international thug. First and foremost, nearly 4,000 of our brave men and women have DIED and countless thousands more have been maimed - both physically and mentally - for the removal of a man who posed no imminent threat to U.S. security. Our government will have spent an estimated $640 billion by the end of this year. Yes, that's billion with a 'b'. Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have died as well. That's a high price to pay

In my view, the cost has far outweighed the benefit of this whole mess. But hey, the president still thinks that the war in Iraq is "noble and necessary".

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Done.

Hey gang, I'm done for the day. I've been reading articles and opinions for most of the afternoon and my head is literally starting to hurt.

I'll be back tomorrow with more thought and opinion of my own.

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