A Win For California, Blackwater Loses In Potrero

Today was a busy day in politics, despite it being a Saturday. Barack Obama pulled off a six to four victory in Wyoming (with one county pending as of this moment, but it will not significantly alter the outcome). Clinton's camp may call it a boutique state that sips lattes, but she can personally kiss my ass over that one, when shes done slobbering over McCain first of course. On the other side of the country, much to the fear of Republicans, Bill Foster might just win a victory in northern Illinois, a seat held by none other than ex-Speaker and all around Mr. Dennis "Nastiness" Hastert. Now both victories are great in my eyes, but the best news of the day came from Southern California.

From RawStory:

SAN DIEGO—Military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has pulled its plans to build a training facility in a remote area about 45 miles east of San Diego.

Company project manager Brian Bonfiglio said in a letter submitted Friday to the San Diego County planning department that the site near the small community of Potrero no longer meets Blackwater's business needs.

"After examining the capacity of our existing facilities and our business development goals, we have decided not to pursue plans for a training campus in Potrero," Bonfiglio wrote.

The company had planned to convert a former chicken ranch into a camp that would host weeklong training courses for law enforcement and military personnel. The initial proposal for Blackwater West included 11 firing ranges, a driving track and a helipad in a valley tucked into rocky desert mountains.[...]

The company had said the Potrero camp would be an ideal complement to its headquarters in Moyock, and a satellite training center in Mount Carroll, Ill., about 150 miles west of Chicago. The site is a short drive from San Diego and its array of military bases and federal law-enforcement field offices—including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

So it went from ideal to unfeasible just like that eh? Nothing to do with the large outcry in Potrero that led to a 180 degree switch in the town's leadership? Sure buddy. I'll believe that right after I come to realize that you run a reputable operation over there in Iraq.

Congratulations to the people of Potrero that put in the hard work and effort to repulse these mercenaries from setting up shop in their town.

McAuliffe Bolts From Bill Maher's Show

Halfway through his appearance, McAuliffe calls Maher 'weak' for suggesting that praising the Republican candidate while trashing someone from your own party could be damaging to said party, then three minutes later he literally pulled the plug on their video uplink!



Now, who is getting "soft in their old age" Terry?

If Clinton Aides Resigned Over Tasteless Comments, She'd Have No One Left

Tom Daschle made a plea with the Hillary campaign that Howard Wolfson should leave her campaign for comparing Senator Obama with Ken Starr. It is hard to forget that "independent" prosecutor that made a name for himself by exposing the sexual behaviors of President Bill Clinton. Now Hillary can be upset at him for as long as she wants and that is fine by me. But. But when you compare the monsters (pun intended) of the Clinton's past with their political opponents of today (especially those in your own party) you pass an unacceptable line.

It is the ruthless comments pushed into the media that upsets Daschle and many in the Democratic base. We want to focus our ire on McCain, but then Senator Clinton goes 180 and praises him. How dare she! And how dare Mark Penn's comments about states that Obama won that apparently "don't matter." What kind of childish crap is that? Every state matters! If we relied on swing states like we did in the last few cycles, we'd be destined to lose just like we did in 2000 and 2004. There are Democratic voters across this country, not just in California and New York (or states that Hillary has won).

It doesn't work that way, sorry.

Anyways, I would like to commend the former Senator for bringing some levity to the whole Samantha Power-monster comment. Yes, what she said was wrong and I'm glad she did the right thing by resigning. However, making comments like that against Barack are status quo in Hillary's camp and no one gets punished for it. Well, it is time she held herself to the same standards that her Democratic opponent holds himself to. I would love to see some honor in her campaign for once.

Will I see it? Probably not, but I'd love to have my mind changed.

Today Is Another Sad Day For The Presidency

While the race in Wyoming between Obama and Hillary adds to the excitement of the 2008 election, and Bill Foster takes on Jim Oberweis to reclaim IL-14 for the Democratic party in Congress, it is a sad day over at the White House. Now Bush may not be in a glum mood, but the American ethic, the people and our reputation around the world will truly suffer as George vetoes a bill that would have banned torture.

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Bush will veto legislation on Saturday that would have barred the CIA from using waterboarding _ a technique that simulates drowning _ and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects.

Bush has said the bill would harm the government's ability to prevent future attacks. Supporters of the legislation argue that it preserves the United States' right to collect critical intelligence while boosting the country's moral standing abroad.

"The bill would take away one of the most valuable tools on the war on terror, the CIA program to detain and question key terrorist leaders and operatives," deputy White House press secretary Tony Fratto said Friday.

The bill would restrict the CIA to using only the 19 interrogation techniques listed in the Army field manual.

Those 19 techniques have unearth scores of secrets and won over many of our adversaries in the past. Way back in World War II, interrogators knew that torturing their captives never provided truthful or useful information. All that does is produce what the victim perceives the torturer wants to hear.

I think that this is quite indicative of our President. He only sees and hears what he wants to, discarding the truth when he sees fit. You can't fit much of the truth in if the glass you are looking through is as narrow as the Presidential red plastic viewfinder.

McHotHead Acts Out

McCain is well known in Washington for being hotheaded and tempermental, but now it is time for the rest of the country to learn about this side of Mavericky McSame:

Paging The House Ethics Committee

Now that the Democratic party is back in charge of the House, they are supposed to start holding up the body to ethical rules that were set a long time ago. The Republicans ditched all rules that could possibly be unfavorable to them while in power, so now it is time to reverse course. Today's example comes from Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio. He is trying to help Jim Oberweis (R-of course) to beat Bill Foster for Dennis Hastert's old seat in Illinois. Now how would he go about doing that?

From DailyKos:

From: Lillibridge, Matthew
To: [redacted]@mail.house.gov; [redacted]@voinovich.senate.gov; [redacted]@brown.senate.gov; [other names redacted]
Sent: Fri Mar 07 13:04:29 2008
Subject: FW: Phone banking

Matthew J. Lillibridge

Congressman Steve Chabot (OH-01)

129 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: (202) 225-2216

Fax: (202) 225-3012

To sign up for Congressman Chabot's Newsletter, Click Here http://www.house.gov/...

-----Original Message-----
From: [redacted]
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 12:12 PM
To: Lillibridge, Matthew; [other names redacted]
Subject: Phone banking

A last minute plea, if you have interns sitting around today, please send them over to the RNC room B2 to phone bank for Oberweis in IL-14. Staff, etc. will be making calls all day up until 9 tonight. The phone bank will open tommorrow (Election day) at 9am and end at 7pm.

Feel free to forward to friends on the Hill etc.

Um, that would be a major no-no and considered unethical in accordance with the rules of our House of Representatives. The author of the email, Lillibridge, works for Congressman Chabot and since his email recipients work in the House as well, that makes his email unethical because the use of Congressional databases for electioneering purposes is, well, you can figure that one out.

So what can we do? You can let the members of the Ethics Committee know how you feel, write your own Congresscritter and especially help Bill Foster reclaim the 14th district of Illinois in order to put an end to crap like this. He doesn't have the unethical support of the GOP Congressional caucus, so why don't we assist in a more legitimate fashion. Tomorrow is Election Day and he needs all the support he can get.

Experience? What Experience?

Hillary Clinton likes to trumpet herself as the 'experienced' candidate, but longevity in Washington (and Little Rock) doesn't really mean that much to voters. People want to know concrete examples of what she has done to backup those claims. Well, she did list some things, like helping in Macedonia, Northern Ireland and even Rwanda. Um, Rwanda, hey Hillary don't you remember how that genocide went? Obviously more people than just me thought the Rwandan example was a bit strange, so some people started doing some detective work.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Earlier in the campaign, she and her husband claimed that she had advocated on behalf of a U.S. military intervention in Rwanda to stop the genocide there.

But her involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process was primarily to encourage activism among women's groups there, a contribution that the lead U.S. negotiator described as "helpful" but that an Irish historian who has written extensively about the conflict dismissed as "ancillary" to the peace process.

The Macedonian government opened its border to refugees the day before Clinton arrived to meet with government leaders. And her mission to Bosnia was a one-day visit in which she was accompanied by performers Sheryl Crow and Sinbad, as well as her daughter, Chelsea, according to the commanding general who hosted her.

Whatever her private conversations with the president may have been, key foreign policy officials say that a U.S. military intervention in Rwanda was never considered in the Clinton administration's policy deliberations. Despite lengthy memoirs by both Clintons and former Secretary of State and UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright, any advice she gave on Rwanda had not been mentioned until her presidential campaign.

"In my review of the records, I didn't find anything to suggest that military intervention was put on the table in NSC [National Security Council] deliberations," said Gail Smith, a Clinton NSC official who did a review for the White House of the administration's handling of the Rwandan genocide. Smith is an Obama supporter.

Whether or not Smith supports Obama, she is only one of many that was around to document Hillary's "experience." Being First Lady may give you a front row seat to many spectacular examples of foreign relations in the moment, but that does not mean you actively participate and facilitate change. As the Tribune sums it up in the headline, there is "scant evidence" of her foreign policy experience that she merely claims to have.

Robo-Calls From Osama

Ah, the twisted genius of Stephen Colbert and his deviant band of writers:

What Do You Know About Barack Obama?

This should be spread far and wide, it is time to counteract the negative emails out there about Obama that lie, distort and mislead countless Americans when they are making their choice for the Democratic nomination. If you know people that are voting in one of the several states that haven't had their primaries yet (and you can see which ones on the handy map on the left side of the blog) make sure they see this:

From DailyKos (updated):

Subject: Barack Obama. Did you Know?

There is a lot of misinformation out there about Barack Obama. A few of us, not connected to the Obama campaign in any way, decided to put together this list of facts you might not know.

1. Did you know that Barack Obama is a devout Christian? He has been a member of the same UCC congregation for 20 years, and was married there to his wife Michelle in 1992.
2. Did you know Barack's grandfather, a Kansas native, served in Patton's army during World War II?
3. Did you know that Barack Obama often leads the US Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance?
4. Did you know Obama favors transparency over secrecy in our government? He's

   released his tax returns from 2006. He's also passed legislation to allow everyone to see how their tax money is being spent. He's calling it Google for Government.

5. Did you know that Barack Obama was opposed to the war in Iraq from day one? Even when such opposition might have been politically unpopular?

   "I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars." --Barack Obama, 2002

6. Did you know that the fun-loving Senator Obama has grown so fond of his Secret Service detail, that he invited them to his home to watch the SuperBowl and plays basketball with them before primaries?
7. Did you know that despite the grueling schedule of running for President, Senator Obama manages to make his family a priority, making time to do things like pick out a Christmas tree with his wife and two young daughters, or hurrying home to spend Valentine's Day with them?
8. Did you know that Barack Obama has been a legislator longer than Senator Clinton?
9. Did you know that Barack Obama has co-sponsored a bill increase child support enforcement by helping governments collect a projected $13 billion in payments from those who don’t fulfill their parental responsibilities.
10. Did you know that after graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Barack practiced civil rights law and also taught Constitutional Law for 10 years at one of the nation's best law schools
11. Did you know that Barack is a member of all of these Senate Committees: Foreign Relations; Veteran's Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
12. Did you know that Barack Obama has a 100% positive rating from the major pro-choice groups and has spoken out forcefully on women's rights issues?

Well, did you know all of that? If you didn't, then I'm guessing many of the people on your email lists didn't either. So help spread the word, if not for Obama's sake, then at least for the sake of the truth.

KBR: Being Patriotic From The Cayman Islands

The Bush Administration loves to tell us they support the troops, but of course their actions speak much differently. Instead of funding the troops and keeping them well supplied, an increasing effort is made to give more contracts to private companies like Blackwater, Halliburton and its offshoot, KBR. Kellogg, Brown and Root provides a lot of logistical support for the occupation of Iraq. George Bush and his control over the Pentagon has made us dependent on them, but do they reciprocate his warm feelings back to the American public?

Well no, of course not:

CAYMAN ISLANDS - Kellogg Brown & Root, the nation's top Iraq war contractor and until last year a subsidiary of Halliburton Corp., has avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicare and Social Security taxes by hiring workers through shell companies based in this tropical tax haven.

More than 21,000 people working for KBR in Iraq - including about 10,500 Americans - are listed as employees of two companies that exist in a computer file on the fourth floor of a building on a palm-studded boulevard here in the Caribbean. Neither company has an office or phone number in the Cayman Islands.

The Defense Department has known since at least 2004 that KBR was avoiding taxes by declaring its American workers as employees of Cayman Islands shell companies, and officials said the move allowed KBR to perform the work more cheaply, saving Defense dollars.

The DoD simplifies the cheaper cost far too much. As the Boston Globe points out, the government (meaning all of us) loses money overall when they skip town and base their company out of the Caribbean. It isn't about saving money and cutting costs, its about corporate greed. These companies don't care about patriotism, the only flag they salute are the ones made out of cold, hard cash. You know, the military worked just fine before KBR and the rest of them ever existed, and it will again once we clean up our act.

Olbermann Helps Expose Hillary's NAFTA Lies

Her campaign continues to spiral out of control, attacking Obama with anything, even things that she did concerning NAFTA and the Canadians. After learning about this, I'm sure Ohio would love a re-vote along with Michigan and Florida.

Embracing George Bush.....Or Not

Two nights ago there were quite a few headlines, dealing with Texas, Ohio and clinching the Republican nomination. Yet what seemed to be even bigger was McCain being endorsed by current President George Bush. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Republican strategists might connect the dots and see that a Bush endorsement could be a bad thing, you know, with him being the worst President ever and all. Froomkin points this out quite well in today's Post.

From The Washington Post:

You'll never guess who was the most excited about yesterday's endorsement.

As of this writing, there's no mention of it on the home page of McCain's Web site. There's no mention of it all on the Republican National Committee's home page. In fact, I can't find any mention whatsoever of the event on either Web site at all. (It's like: Bush Who?)

But on the Democratic National Committee Web site, the lead headline blares: "Bush Endorses John McCain as His Successor."

"Since the event was held in the middle of the afternoon we fear that some Americans may miss George Bush's assurances that John McCain would continue the Bush Administrations failed economic and foreign policies," the DNC explains. "As a public service we've posted a video of the press conference for voters to see."

The event was pretty ugly from all angles, unless of course, you are rooting against McCain like I am. Not only I, but the majority of this country that does not want to see another four, or god forbid eight years of a Bush Presidency. The last eight have caused enough nightmares to last a lifetime.

Cuomo Stays Tough Against Corporate America

As far as Attorney Generals go, I must say that New York has one of the finer executives from across the land. After he served justice to a bar in my neighborhood for racial discrimation, he is on to big time crooks. That would be companies like Aetna, Cigna and United Health Group. You know, screwing people over and placing bottom lines before lives.

From Forbes:

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he issued new subpoenas to Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc., and other health insurers in a broadening investigation of possible fraud costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cuomo is also looking for documents and to subpoena testimony from the CEOs of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, Excellus, and HIP health insurers.

Cuomo says he believes the companies used the UnitedHealth Group (nyse: UNH - news - people )-owned Ingenix to set rates, which resulted in consumers being reimbursed at unfair and unjustifiably low rates. Low reimbursements mean higher out-of-pocket costs for consumers when they choose or need physicians outside their health plans.

Basically these crooks companies aren't living up to their part of the bargain with their clients. When you purchase insurance, you want to be insured, not just paying a premium for no good reason. It would be more fun to burn the money in a bonfire then let Aetna, Cigna or Blue Cross pad their bottom lines.

Oh and the best part about Cuomo's legal action? This is only the beginning, wait till he really gets started.

Anti-Catholics For McCain

McCain is honored to have this man's endorsement.....I wonder how conservative Catholics feel about that?



Isn't this the time to consolidate the Republican base instead of casting them aside?

You Cannot Placate The Environment

A rapid release of water from the Glen Canyon Dam is a great thing for the wildlife in the Grand Canyon....but only if it is part of a comprehensive plan to sustain the practice yearly with other water releases through the year. Unfortunately Dirk Kempthorne and the Bush Administration would rather make a good showing in the press and placate environmental groups instead. Um, Dick, no one is buying it.

From The International Herald Tribune:

The 60-hour release, being presided over by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, was the latest chapter in a long-running tug of war between the department's Bureau of Reclamation, which controls the two major Colorado River dams, and the National Park Service over how to balance the Southwest's need for hydroelectric power against the needs of an endangered fish, the humpbacked chub, for water flows that mimic the natural rhythms of the river.[...]

But the superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, Steve Martin, argued that if such high flows were not repeated several times in the next five years, the overall water management plan was very likely to impair rather than improve the fish environment.

After this week's release, the rate of flow through 277 miles of the Grand Canyon is set to rise and fall for six months in a pattern that the United States Geological Survey is calibrating to match the demand for hydroelectric power in cities like Las Vegas, said Randall Peterson, a regional manager with the Bureau of Reclamation.[...]

This week's event was publicized by the Interior Department, to the anger of environmental groups, which said the attention masked the rarity of this occurrence. Ideally, some sediment scientists argue, high flows should be annual events.

"This experiment, this celebration, is a charade," said Nikolai Lash, senior program director of the Grand Canyon Trust, a private environmental group. "It was a glamorous event staged for the media that shows the Bureau of Reclamation is doing something for the environment, when in fact there's a lot more to do."

I wonder why the Dept. of the Interior even bothers with the rapid release. If they aren't committed to doing it right, then why do it a......oh wait, thats the official mantra of the Bush Administration, if you are going to do something then royally f-it up. Why should preserving the environment in one of America's national treasures be any different than how the government mismanages the war, the economy and everything else.

Alcoholics, Gays And Bigots

What do those three groups have in common? Well it depends on who you ask. The textbook definition of an alcoholic is one that is physically, chemically or emotionally addicted to alcohol. Someone who is gay was born with the attraction to the same sex. Finally a bigot....is an ignorant person that uses hate to cover up their own deficiencies, that has to attack others in order to look tough and be tough so that they do not have to deal with their fears. PageOneQ highlights a particular bigot named Mike Haley, who writes for Breakaway Magazine and a Focus on the Family member.

From PageOneQ:

Flanked by photos of metrosexual teen boys with facial expressions hinting at inner conflict, Haley offers a two-page debunking of "myths" that seemingly run the risk of convincing a gay youth questioning of his sexuality that homosexuality is an acceptable characteristic.

Among proclamations made in the article:

• The "gay gene" is a tool to establish homosexuality as an "unchangeable" characteristic, further the marriage rights agenda, and indoctrinate pre-schoolers.
• Alfred Kinsey's research was "pretty biased," and a "series of national studies," including a 1993 Wall Street Journal article, suggest that only 3% of people identify as gay or bisexual.

"What's the big deal about how many people are gay or straight?" the article asks. "By saying that one out of 10 people in the United States is homosexual, some gay activists are knowingly promoting a lie and declaring that homosexuality should be accepted as normal. Yet even this reasoning is lame. For instance, 10 percent to 15 percent of Americans suffer from alcoholism, but we don't accept this behavior as normal or healthy."

Um, a message to Mike, bigotry happens, but it is not generally accepted by mainstream society. For the most part it stays on the fringe, such as a Focus on the Family magazine where hate is the predominant thing being preached. Comparing alcoholism to sexual preference is just plain ridiculous.

How To Liberate A Billboard

The Billboard Liberation Front is a non-violent group that is seeking to inform the public on behalf of companies and the government that violate the laws of our country. They also work to show how exactly one can liberate a billboard from PR garbage to solid informative data:



Thanks BLF!

Bombing The Army Recruiters Isn't Going To Stop The War

While most of the city slept, someone thought it would be a bright idea to detonate a small explosive outside the army recruiting office in Times Square. Obviously the bomber did not want to harm anyone due to the timing, so that was nice. Besides his thoughtfulness for passerbys, this guy or gal is a Grade-A moron. Obviously fueled by hatred for the military, this was their way of expressing that anger. Well, whoever you are, that is not the way we are going to stop the war, just in case you thought it would do anything to stop anything at all. As the photo shows, some glass was shattered and that was that.

While I am in favor of non-violent protest, I must condemn this cowardly act. Not only does it do squat for the anti-war crowd (which is a majority of the country I might add), it angers most Americans and riles the pro-war fanatics up, using incidents like these to say that anyone against the war is a wacko that hates America. That may or may not be the case for this bomber, but I assure it is not for the great majority of us that have opposed Bush and his war since he started talking it up publicly in 2002.

So to all you pro-war people that are left out there, if there is any sanity left in your heads, remember this is an act of one man or woman and that is that.

Taxing The Super Wealthy In NY

Lets face it, nobody likes tax increases. On the flip side, we need taxes to keep our civilized way of life going, or else we would each have to pave our little strip of street outside and you know that'll never happen. Anyways, it is getting more well known that in this oncoming/present recession, income taxes are going to be down across the board, but there is always one group that is able to fly through tough times. That would be the super wealthy.

From Business Week:

The Assembly's Democratic majority on Wednesday proposed a temporary increase in income tax paid by New Yorkers making more than $1 million a year.

The measure, expected to be in the Assembly's budget proposal next week, would raise $1.5 billion annually, said Dan Weillor, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

It would raise the income tax from 6.85 percent to 7.7 percent for New Yorkers making more than $1 million a year. The first year's revenue would go to the general fund, which the state uses to pay for most functions and from which it will need to fill a $4.8 billion deficit.

The second year's revenues would be split between the general fund and transportation needs. The last three years' revenues would be used for transportation costs, split between the New York City mass transit and the state Department of Transportation, Weiller said.

Oh my god, nooooooo, taxes, how will I be able to buy my third yacht?!?!? Seriously, less than one percent of an increase in state taxes will amount to a billion and a half extra dollars, money that can be spread around to help everyone. Honestly, these millionaires know that without the hardworking middle class, they would never have made their money, since no one would have bought what they were selling. And if you are just an inheritance baby, then well, pay up. This is an interconnected society, and this is the least we can do.

McSame As Bush

Ah, the natural brilliance that emanates from truth:

Bloomberg's Republican Donation Excuse Denied!

You would think when you lie to cover your tracks, that in politics the lie will eventually be sniffed out and exposed. Apparently our Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't that good of a politician. When the story came out that "Mr. Independent" donated half a million dollars to re-elect Republican state Senators in order to hold their slim majority, Democrats were pissed off and many wondered just how independent Bloomberg really is. Well his excuse was that a divided government was better and more so that Senate Republicans were better at funding the priorities of New York City and especially on education.

Well now we know that is complete bullshit:

Last year Democratic Senator David Valesky from Oneida introduced a bill that would amend the New York State constitution to prohibit unfunded mandates. The Senate bill is S.2201 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing amendments to article 9 of the constitution, in relation to prohibiting unfunded mandates. The bill went through all the hoops but was being stalled in committee by the Republican majority until February when the Senate Democrats filed a Notice of Motion to Petition which would pull the bill out of committee and have a floor debate. The Democrats did the same thing last year and lost. Yesterday the vote was straight down party lines again with the republicans once again playing petty politics with an important piece of legislation. Instead of voting to make sure that schools are fully funded by the state for mandates forced on the districts by the State, Fuschillo, Skelos, Marcellino and Hannon voted for the status quo of high taxes. Nassau's lone Democrat in the Senate Craig Johnson was a co-sponsor of the bill.

It is a testament to the Nassau republican delegations inability to do what is right instead of what is politicially expedient. The change to the State constitution would be a step in the right direction for school aid across the state. I personally do not believe that many of the state education mandates are needed to begin with but as long as they are there, they must be fully funded. This bill cannot change the fact that No Child Left Behind is a huge under-funded Federal mandate by about $955million. That is something the NY Congressional Delegation must deal with. The best thing to do is repeal NCLB because we will never see it fully funded and in my opinion it hurts students more than helps.

Basically what that is saying, and the summary of the bill below it in the link is that the New York state Republican delegation in the Senate does not give a rat's ass about education in New York City or the state. The state will now abandon their duty to finance our schools. So what do you have to say about this Mr. Independent Republican-backing Mayor?

Clinton Campaign Lies About Their Racist Ad

The diarist Troutnut over at DailyKos exposed a campaign ad by the Clinton campaign that made Obama's debate footage darker than it actually was, while stretching the shot to widen his face. Now to be fair to the Senator's campaign, this isn't the first time that a campaign advertisement has doctored images to make their opponent look bad (even though no matter when it's done it is a shameful practice). She could have denounced the ad as a mishap or fired someone for it, but instead they decided to lie about it.

From FoxNews (of all places):

Despite the strong similarities between the ad on the DailyKos site and the original ad on Clinton’s Web site, Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said he spoke with the campaign’s chief ad maker, Mandy Grunwald, who said emphatically the ad on DailyKos "was not their ad."

"We don’t know what is up there, but it is not our ad," Carson said.

Not your ad Mr Carson?

Why don't you look at that photo from your website and come up with another answer, perhaps using something called 'truth.' It'd be a nice start for you guys.

Can Hillary Win Anything Else?

HotLineTV takes a look at the rest of the landscape post- March 4th:

Michael Gerson Fawns Over McCain

There are funny jokes out there and then there are sad, pathetic and pitiful presentations like Gerson's Op-Ed in the Washington Post this morning. He tries to paint a picture of a hypothetical Obama Administration that shows a humiliated, docile and appeasing American foreign policy that is ' insulting his (Obama's) closest friends.' The entire piece is made out to make McCain look like a warrior that will command us for the next four years that will mirror his tough talk on the campaign, while Obama is merely talking to win over the Democratic base.

What a piece of garbage:

It is the Republican dream: a tenacious, buoyant, well-funded challenger to Barack Obama who is also politically doomed -- and incapable of admitting she is doomed.

So now Clinton herself is the most effective agent of the vast right-wing conspiracy -- proving just how devious and subtle that conspiracy really is.

And this is not Agent Clinton's only contribution. By raising questions about Obama's foreign policy judgment, she has identified a potent issue -- an issue she cannot fully exploit because of the liberalism of her own party.

But John McCain could. As a thought experiment, consider the foreign policy achievements of Obama's first 100 days in office.

It gets much worse as you read farther down, if you can bear it. Gerson just doesn't get it (or maybe McCain's BBQ deluded his thinking), a continued primary race is engaging the Democratic base and strengthening whomever comes out of the Democratic primary as they go into the general election. We have not even started to focus our energy on McCain, and when we do, Gerson, the media and their narratives should be put on notice. People are sick of bloviators like this McCain-lover. Their time to bloviate and make much of a difference in the voting habits of Americans is over.

Oil Companies Get Their Greedy Hands In The Iraqi Door

If anything brought a smile to George Bush's face yesterday, it would be the deal made in Iraq over oil and not his useless endorsement of presumptive nominee John McCain. Bush is only endorsing him because he won enough delegates, what Bush truly cares about is profits for his oil buddies/campaign contributors. Although the technical support agreement isn't all that they hoped for, it is definitely seen as a positive move in the quest for Iraqi oil.

From The International Herald Tribune:

Speaking to reporters as he arrived for a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, al-Shahristani said the Oil Ministry was still working on the compensation details with the Development Fund of Iraq, controlled by the U.S. and the U.N.

According to the Oil Ministry official, BP will submit a proposal for the Rumaila oil field, Chevron for West Qurna stage 1, Exxon for Zubair, and Shell for Missan and Kirkuk.

Iraq's average production was 2.4 million barrels per day in January while exports stood at an average of 1.92 million barrels per day. December's exports averaged 1.81 million barrels per day.

In dire need of expertise from international oil companies to achieve the Oil Ministry's target of 3 million barrels per day by the end of 2008, Iraq has been relying on a Saddam Hussein-era natural resources law until Parliament approves a new oil law to regulate the international oil companies' work and share Iraq's oil resources among the country's Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

Now this all sounds good in theory and our pResident can definitely try and use this to show 'progress' in Iraq, but reality tends to differ from White House press releases. These oil fields can not be operated from within the relatively safe Green Zone. Men must go out and operate equipment to drill oil from the ground and move it to port to be brought to market. There are many factors that exist in the Iraqi desert that could preclude said oil from making it to the preferred destination. Now that al-Qaeda and insurgent groups know that their oil will go into western hands, some may be angered enough to sabotage operations (and have already). So we'll see just how great these technical support agreements actually are.

Wearing Your Patriotism On Your Lapel

Rep. Kingston, the hypocrite, can't even wear one himself, how pathetic:

Pyrrhus Would Be Proud Of Clinton's Win Last Night

The term 'pyrrhic victory' comes from the life and times of Pyrrhus of Epirus, who was able to win battles but at a costly price. He was a known as a great general (like the Clinton family when it comes to commanding campaigns) but ultimately became the butt of a historic joke that was coined when he beat his adversaries but lost much of his army at the same time. The battles he lost were eventually overcome by his up and coming opponent, the Roman Republic. Although I will my best not to try to compare Obama with the Romans, they were certainly a force of change in the region at the time, much as Obama is.

So how exactly was her win pyrrhic? Well, she won three states last night in their respective primaries (though the Texas caucus is still undecided this morning). Her camp is calling it a great victory and that she sought out to do what she wanted to. Well I hate to rain on her parade, but 380 out of the last 1000 delegates were decided last night, and she ate into Barack's 130 pledged delegate lead by maybe one or two, perhaps three or four if she's really lucky.

Now if I was a statistician for Senator Clinton and I was down 130 delegates with 38% decided in one night, I'd want to at least gain at least 50 delegates or more to start plugging the gap. We all know the final totals from last night won't yield ten percent of that number. So Senator Clinton can talk all she wants about her big victory last night, but really, in the scheme of things, it was a wash. This primary is about all fifty states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Democrats Abroad, not slim margins of victory in Texas and Ohio.

Election Day Is Over, But The Votes Are Still Being Counted

It is about midnight here in New York and this election day extravaganza is far from over. Obama won Vermont at about 6 to 4 and Clinton got Rhode Island by about the same margin, but the results from Texas and Ohio still have quite some time to process themselves out. Nothing has been heard from the caucuses yet and the big cities of Texas and especially Ohio have not been counted to a large degree. Ohio doesn't expect to count their most populous city until 4:30 in the morning, long after I'm dreaming about ballot boxes and stump speeches.

So a fair guess would narrow Clinton's lead in Ohio and make Texas a virtual tie. Clinton could possibly win both states, but this isn't a winner take all system, as much as Clinton's campaign might want it to be at this moment. When this is all said and done, Senator Clinton may shave off a few delegates from Obama, but she'll still be far behind him in the delegate count. Ultimately, winning states is symbolic, the marathon of pledged delegates (and unfortunately the supers as well) is what truly matters.

Of course we may (and will) hear it spun a different way, that a Clinton win in Texas and Ohio shows a mandate for her to press on and keep the campaign going to Pennsylvania and beyond. Rush Limbaugh seems to love this, but I have to agree with Kos that the more Democratic voters pay attention to the race now the better off the party is. The more engaged the base is through grassroots networking and having a stake in the way the primary shakes out, the worse off McCain is in November.

Finally, speaking of mandates and McCain, one thing was decided for sure tonight. That is McCain and Bush are getting tighter and closer together than ever before. All for the better I say.

Rush Limbaugh, Still A Big Fat Idiot

Well he may have lost some weight, but his urging of ditto heads to go out and vote for Hillary Clinton today isn't well thought out. Even if Senator Clinton wins, it won't matter in the scheme of things because all of this is just priming Obama for the real dirty tricksters....those that are friends with Rush.



Oh and Rush, don't try to say that the Republicans will play nice this year. You know better than that, come on. You'll be slinging the mud at us just as fast and furiously as any RNC/McCain operative.

Just Another Election Day In Ohio

Officials in Ohio promised that today's election would go smoothly despite the expected record turnout. Of course we have to remember that this is Ohio, and things will go a little crazy no matter what. The votes have not even begun to have been counted yet, and there are already myriad problems across the state.

From RawStory:

An elections official in Ohio predicted the state would "shine" in tabulating results for Tuesday's primary elections, despite the state's history of voting problems. However, there had been scattered reports of confusion and delay by early afternoon.

One of the most dramatic problems Tuesday had nothing to do with ballot designs or electronic voting machines. A polling place at a northeast Ohio school closed for 90 minutes because of a bomb threat.

The threat was called in around 9:30 a.m., and about 14 voters were turned away while a bomb-sniffing dog searched the school, according to the Associated Press. All 14 voters said they would return to the polling place later Tuesday. No bomb was found and the school re-opened around 11 a.m.

And that was just the beginning of it. There were tabs you had to rip off that said not to rip off, people that accidentally voted for Dennis Kucinich and then there were stories of polling locations with multiple machine breakdowns and no remedies for the problem. So after almost four years since the state elections people screwed up voting for their fellow Ohioans, not much has changed....and I doubt much will happen before November either.

Just another reason to back a 50 state strategy....and not rely on one of a handful of swing states.

The Maverick Of Inconsistencies

John McCain loves being called the "Maverick," and for the most part the media dutifully falls in line with the infected blankets he's selling. Thankfully there are a few journalists out there that do not fall for his crap (and probably aren't invited to McCain's special getaway for the press). There are a few outside of the punditry class that will actually highlight what McCain says versus his record as a Senator.

From The NY Times:

Mr. McCain, who derided his onetime Republican competitor Mitt Romney for his political mutability, has himself meandered over the years from position to position on some topics, particularly as he has tried to court the conservatives who have long distrusted him. His most striking turnaround has been on the Bush tax cuts, which he voted against twice but now wants to make permanent. Mr. McCain has also expressed varying positions on immigration, torture, abortion and Donald H. Rumsfeld, the former defense secretary.

Mr. McCain’s advisers say that he has evolved rather than switched positions in his 25-year career in the House and Senate and that he has been remarkably consistent on his support for the war in Iraq and the American troop escalation there.

“But he also believes in getting things done, which requires legislative compromise sometimes and putting aside some goals to address more urgent goals,” Charles Black, one of Mr. McCain’s senior advisers, said Sunday in a telephone interview from Mr. McCain’s Arizona ranch.

Hmmm, so the one thing he stays consistent on is the thing Americans are most united against. Then when his adviser says that he will compromise to get things done, he really means getting things done like winning the White House. McCain will do and say anything to get that radical right-wing base behind him, even if it means forgoing those things like principles.

Morning Show Hosts Say The Dumbest Things

How do people like Chris Cuomo get jobs that allow them to come into the homes of millions every weekday morning?

Will The Congressional Dems Cave On FISA?

How ridiculous would it be if the Democratic majority in Congress gave the telecommunications companies (and George Bush) retroactive immunity, even though they have no need to do so at all? Folks, it would another failure by our caucus to stand up to the President and to act as a co-equal branch of government. This would be a repudiation of the Constitution and another symbol that Congress would lay over and die rather than protect the rights of Americans, something they swore an oath to when becoming members of the Legislative branch.

I guess many in that caucus just don't give a damn:

House and Senate Democratic leaders are headed into talks today that they say could lead to a breakthrough on legislation to revamp domestic surveillance powers and grant phone companies some form of immunity for their role in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

A senior House Democratic aide said a bill could be sent to President Bush as early as next week. But significant issues remain, including those surrounding immunity, said Wyndee R. Parker, general counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Parker, who said she hopes the House can take up the compromise legislation as early as this week, said a resolution has been delayed partly by the need for all members of the House Judiciary Committee to gain access to the letters and other relevant documents sent to the phone companies by the administration requesting their assistance.

Um, what? No, the duty of Congress is to allow the people (who they represent) to be able to sue these companies for violating their privacy. It is up to (and framed by the people that wrote our Constitution) the courts to decide whether the telecoms are culpable in their actions that aided and abetted George Bush in his quest to illegally spy on American citizens. That is how it is supposed to work.

If only the wing of the Democratic party that wishes to (and rightly) do nothing to help these corporations had more members, we'd be able to sit tight until either the President learns that this is a nation of laws and not a nation that serves corporate interests.......or, we get a new President. That is what we need, "compromise" (meaning giving Republicans everything that they want) is not the right path of action here.

Sheldon Silver Is On Notice!

The Times-Union did a great little write up on the two challengers to the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver this morning. It emphasizes that these young Democrats were not even out of the crib when Silver went up to Albany to represent the 64th District. More importantly it shows how much these two young activists want to change the scene up in Albany and institute real change, not only for the Lower East Side and Downtown, but the entire state as well.

From The Times-Union:

Newell, 32, and Henry, 33, have both formed campaign finance committees and begun campaigns to defeat Silver in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary for the 64th Assembly District.

They say they want to overturn the power structure in Albany.

For years, Silver has refused to disclose his income as a trial lawyer. Both Henry and Newell said they'd release their tax returns.

"We're running this campaign to win," Newell maintained. "That said, we're trying to get a more responsive government. If we scare Sheldon Silver, that would be a great help."

Henry puts it more simply.

"The goal is to win," he said.

Yes, the goal is to win. We need change in Albany desperately and rooting one of the three men in a room in our state government would be a great start (including taking the state Senate back) to reforming how things are done in New York. I've had the honor to talk to Paul a few months back and certainly liked what I heard. Getting face time with Sheldon Silver is less likely than the Knicks having a plus .500 season this year (hint: they've already lost 1/2 the season thus far). Silver won't even talk to the press about his challengers. That is because he does not want to acknowledge the people in his district, people like Paul Newell and Luke Henry who are sick of how things are being done. The residents of the 64th District.....and all of the districts around our great state deserve a system of government that responds to the citizens, and not the cronyism that we have now.

Obama And NAFTA Still The Big Story In Canada

Thankfully CBC News is starting to sort out the facts in the story:

McCain/Clinton '08?

Last night, Hillary tested my patience yet again. Calling herself and McCain experienced while Obama just gives speeches, that was unconscionable.

From CBSNews:

FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- Hillary Clinton told reporters that both she and the presumptive Republican nominee John McCain offer the experience to be ready to tackle any crisis facing the country under their watch, but Barack Obama simply offers more rhetoric. “I think you'll be able to imagine many things Senator McCain will be able to say,” she said. “He’s never been the president, but he will put forth his lifetime of experience. I will put forth my lifetime of experience. Senator Obama will put forth a speech he made in 2002.” Clinton was referring to Obama’s anti-war speech he delivered in Chicago before entering the United States Senate.

Experience? Experience?!?!? Experience to do what Senator Clinton? To help lead us into a war? To be played like a fool by George Bush in 2003 when you believed his faulty intelligence? To be the #2 recipient of health care lobbyist money in the country?

So what does all of this experience do in event of that 3 AM phone call she tried to scare us all with?

Criticism has been leveled towards Clinton as well, though, especially her claim that she is ready to be the commander-in-chief on "day one." When asked at the press conference if she could name a particular instance in her past that equips her to deal with a national security crisis, Clinton balked, saying, “Well, I was involved in a lot of the decisions that were made. Again, you are looking at it from the wrong perspective,” Clinton said. “You know, no one who hasn’t been president has done that, so that’s not the right question. The question is, what have you done over the course of that lifetime to equip you for that moment?”

You want to talk about rhetoric? Now that would be a clear-cut case of empty rhetoric. It is about judgment Senator Clinton, and that is something you have shown that you lack, whether it comes to campaigning etiquette or policy decision. To talk so highly of Senator McCain while trashing your fellow Democratic candidate is horrific, and a travesty to watch. Hopefully the voters will come through today for the party's sake.

Obama Gets Another Important Endorsement

Bill Richardson's sorta-kinda endorsement yesterday was just the beginning of good news for the Senator from Illinois this week. Today it seems that Obama picked up a (somewhat late) crucial New York nod from the famous, delicious, inexpensive and gotta-have hotdog spot Gray's Papaya. If Sunday and Monday look this good, Tuesday's results will be the sweet relish on top.

From The NY Times:

Last August, Mr. Gray, 71, began displaying signs at two of his three stores encouraging the candidacy of the mayor with the slogan “Run Mike, Run!” He told The Times in October that he was hoping for a Bloomberg run for the White House because “he’s cool under pressure” and he believed that the mayor’s personal wealth made him less corruptible.

But after Mr. Bloomberg officially ended his extended flirtation with presidential candidacy in an Op-Ed column last week, Mr. Gray did not waste any time.

This weekend, the large window at the original Gray’s Papaya store on Broadway at 72nd Street was filled with a white sign bearing the words “Yes Senator Obama. We are ready to believe again” in red and black uppercase letters.

“I think he is a very inspirational man and I think he’s what the country needs; we’ve grown a bit cynical,” Mr. Gray said in a phone interview.

I'm glad Mr. Gray keeps up on his political news, but does that big endorsement on the highly trafficked corner of 72nd and Broadway have an effect on possible primary state tourists?

Despite the bold new message at the Broadway store, few of the patrons at the shop on Sunday afternoon showed much excitement about politics. Outside, some passers-by on the sidewalk did stop momentarily to read the sign.

“I’m here for the hot dogs and the papaya drink,” said Mona Walsh, 54, in between the last couple of bites of her amply garnished frank. “Even if Gray’s Papaya were supporting the most deplorable candidate imaginable and there was a big sign about it out front, I’d still be here eating hot dogs.”

Hmmm, if they endorsed McCain, would I still go there? You bet your you know what I'd stop at Gray's when I'm on the UWS. That place transcends politics any day.

A Nationwide YouthQuake Coming Our Way

And only The Daily Show can explain it, or explain it being explained by the media:

It Doesn't Get Much Worse Than This

I recently watched Michael Moore's SiCKO again and realized that the documentary is still a tear jerker, exposing the awful realities that is our excuse for a national health care system. Of course there are the deniers out there that will dismiss the findings just because Michael Moore has his name on the exposé. Despite anyone's feelings about Mr. Moore, the tragedy that is the reality in the U.S. is hard to escape unless you are ultra-wealthy or live in an area where poverty has been swept away. Perhaps the wealthy Republican elite will dismiss CBS' 60 Minutes as liberal scum, but folks, the camera doesn't lie when you hear about what is going on in the South.

From CBS News:

In a matter of hours, Remote Area Medical set up its massive clinic, for a weekend, in an exhibit hall in Knoxville, Tenn. Tools for dentists were laid out by the yard, optometrists prepared to make hundreds of pairs of glasses, general medical doctors set up for whatever might come though the door. Nearly everything is donated, and everyone is a volunteer. The care is free. But no one could say how many patients might show up.

The first clue came a little before midnight. Stan Brock, the founder of Remote Area Medical, opened the gate outside. The clinic wouldn't open for seven hours, but people in pain didn't want to chance being left out. State guardsmen came in for crowd control. They handed out what would become precious slips of paper - numbered tickets to board what amounted to a medical lifeboat.

It was 27 degrees. The young and the old would spend the night in their cars, running the engine for heat, but not much - not at $3 a gallon. At 5 a.m., Pelley took a walk through the parking lot.

"We got up at three o’clock this morning and we got here about four. We’ve been out where a little while it's cold," Margaret Walls, a hopeful patient from
Tennessee, told Pelley.

"Why did you come so early?" Pelley asked.

"'Cause we wanted to be seen," Walls replied.

That is the reality for the uninsured in America. Moore talks about the insured in SiCKO, this is about the other 45 to 50 million Americans out there. These people can't afford insurance, not at the high premiums that companies like Cigna, Aetna and Blue Cross offer. The worst thing about this story was that not everyone was able to be seen because there were just too many people. A group that donates their time and money to conditions in third world countries don't have to go very far to be helpful, a short trip to Tennessee will do just fine.

Dams Are Not the Answer

There is a growing water problem in the arid western states of our country. Part of it is the long running drought but the true problem is the rapidly expanding population in these states. If you have ever been to a city like Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, etc during two different years, it is easy to see just how quickly these places expand. Of course they aren't anything like many Eastern Seaboard cities, they grow out, not up. That causes many problems, such as a healthy tax base in proportion to the area. More importantly though, water is what brings life, and it can bring the opposite as well to this region. Naturally we want to preserve our homes and our ways of (wasteful) life, so we'll go to ridiculous extremes to keep that water flowing.

From RawStory:

"The West and the Northwest are increasing in population growth like never before," said John Redding, regional spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Boise. "How do you quench the thirst of the hungry masses?"

The population of the Western states grew nearly 20 percent in the 1990s, to more than 64 million, and continues to swell even as climate change poses new threats to the water supply.

Ironically, consideration of new dams comes even as older ones are being torn down across the country because of environmental concerns — worries that will likely pose big obstacles to new construction. In Oregon, a deal has been struck to remove four dams on the Klamath River to restore struggling salmon runs.

So why would we create more problems with dams when we already know they are proven losers? Well there's money in it for one. Another obvious answer is that it is a relatively quick, short-term fix to supply a whole lot of water and power. Basically it is about instant gratification, and these burgeoning municipalities to increase revenues and size while the individuals cash in on relatively inexpensive real estate.

Now what should we be doing instead? Well you can't stop population growth, but you can regulate it. Legislators should be focusing heavily on conservation, green technology, low-water appliances and building up, not out. Many of these cities have conservation programs, but they aren't enough. I lived in Tucson for several years and watched the effects of the scarcity of water. Sinkholes opened up, the water table kept dropping and yet, the city kept expanding. If we aren't careful in places like these, the results could be disastrous.

Shame On Us Senator Obama

On behalf of America, I apologize for the senseless attacks on you for being called a Muslim....and what that means to Muslims that live in the United States, a place that is supposed to be a symbol of religious tolerance.

Pataki And His PACs

For all of the grief that New York politicos give Eliot Spitzer, he doesn't even come close to drawing the ire that Pataki deserves. Even though Pataki has been out of office for more than a year, he is still coming up in the news and not for good reasons. It turns out that the momentary Presidential aspirant raised quite a bit of cash for his PACs. That is perfectly fine to work for campaign donations, but it gets tricky when you start spending it on things other than your campaign.

From The NY Times:

After ending his exploration of a presidential bid early last year and all but disappearing from politics, former Gov. George E. Pataki spent more than $1 million from his political action committees for Broadway theater tickets, gatherings at the Yale Club and payments to political loyalists and advisers.

The money came from PACs used to raise Mr. Pataki’s profile nationally and to lay the foundations for a possible presidential run. They were organized in Virginia, where candidates are given broad discretion in spending.

In all, the committees spent about $2.1 million in 2007; about $1.4 million of that was paid out after Mr. Pataki quietly suspended his efforts to seek national office last March, according to a review of campaign finance disclosure reports and other records. Some of the spending appears to have had little connection to a political cause or candidacy.

Pataki seemed to have known what he was doing when he started his exploratory bid. Instead of opening up shop in his home state, he picked Virginia for its lenient laws. Well isn't that nice. Among his many maneuvers, he laundered took his money from his NY PAC and moved it down to the Virginia account, enabling that money to go as far as he could stretch it.

As the Times points out, Pataki has been very busy since he left office, besides creating a facebook account, he made lucrative friendships and spending ridiculous sums of PAC money on frivolous items that just might pass the legal tests of Virginia. It seems the stench of Albany followed Pataki down to Virginia.....and wherever else he goes.

Bill Richardson Endorses Obama

It isn't official yet, but Bill Richardson's comments yesterday all but confirm that the former candidate and still-current Governor will endorse Obama.

Here's what he said:

“D-Day is Tuesday," he told Face The Nation host Bob Schieffer. "Whoever has the most delegates after Tuesday should be the nominee."

Richardson deferred from announcing a personal endorsement of either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama (“I’m legitimately torn," between the two, he said), but suggested that the leader after this week's primaries will have the presumptive title.

He also called for a positive Democratic race rather than one marred by negative ads or name-calling. “We have to have a positive campaign after Tuesday," Richardson said.

Hmm, he denounces negative attacks kinda like this and then wants the nominee to be whoever is winning the delegate race by the time the ballots are counted in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island. He may be "legitimately torn" but facts are facts and Bill is calling for party unity behind the leader of the race. Unless Hillary completely wrecks Obama tomorrow (and I'm talking about blowouts across the board) then there is no mathematical way she will be the front runner in earned delegates or delegates in general. That is just not a possibility for Senator Clinton at all.

Update 3/5/08 1 AM:

Looks like Richardson can say one thing on Monday and another as the election unfolds...what does he think he stands to gain from this type of politicking?

John McCain Is A Hit

Thanks to Brave New Films, check out the latest pop star success:

Unity '08 Bloomberg Still Donates To Republicans

So I hear that Bloomberg is looking for a candidate that hates guns, loves the Earth and doesn't care about the party, so long as they work for what he is passionate about (probably gotta include corporate greed in there too). Well the now-officially non-candidate in 2008 has yet to endorse McCain/Clinton/Obama but that doesn't mean he won't pick sides when it comes to parties.

From The NY Times:

Several weeks ago, the mayor wrote a $500,000 check to help keep the dwindling and increasingly imperiled State Senate Republicans from losing their grip on power, according to an official with direct knowledge of the donation.

The Democrats are seeking to gain control of the Senate for the first time in 40 years, and the race is growing personal and bitter.

Moreover, Mr. Bloomberg has made clear to the Republicans that he is willing to personally campaign for G.O.P. senators.[...]

Senate Republicans say privately that Mr. Bloomberg may well emerge as perhaps their biggest political benefactor in the coming election, which Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, has likened to a war.

Would the donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars to a man like Joe Bruno be something characterized as unifying? That would be like cheering for unity after entrusting the nation to George Bush. Bloomberg may like to talk a lot (and even change his party affiliation) but when it comes down to it, his money speaks loud and clear.