Obama / Kaine ?

The hapless Robert Novak is reporting over at the Fascist web rag Human Events that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is at the top of Barack Obama's list of vice-presidential picks.

I personally find this hard to believe - he's only been governor for two and a half years and his foreign policy experience is zero - but with Sen. Jim Webb taking his name out of consideration (he'd rather not go through the vetting process only two years following his 2006 senate run), Kaine would help keep Viriginia in play for the Democratic ticket.

But outside of that Kaine brings nothing to the ticket. Should Obama pick him I would be very surprised.

A Woman In A Mercedes Sees A Dog and A Goat...

...and the goat got arrested.

Only in Alabama.

Mid-Week Brain Break

The Mental Health Hotline. (Hat tip: Gil.)

John McCain, Plagiarist

The slogan in John McCain's new ad is "Don't Hope For A Better Life, Vote For One." Sort of ordinary and a bit wordy, if you ask me. But there is one teensy little problem...

It's directly plagiarised from a British Conservative Party ad from the 1970's.

George W. Bush For President

Quote of the Day:

We know that George Bush was God's Candidate in 2000. We know that George Bush was God's candidate again in 2004. And George Bush has been God's president for the last 8 years. Trust in God and vote your faith. Keep America safe. Write-in George W. Bush for President in 2008.

That's right...there is a "movement" afoot to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution (the one that allows only two terms as president) and begin a write-in campaign to re-elect "God's President."

I'm not joking, but I certainly hope they are!

Terrorist Attack at U.S. Consulate In Turkey

Three police officers and three assailants were killed in an attempted terrorist attack at the U.S. consulate in Instanbul, Turkey this morning. According to NBC News, several armed men opened fire on the police checkpoint at the complex's main entrance.

Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said, "There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack." While no one has claimed responsibility, one of the surviving attackers was apparently trained in Afghanistan.

So glad we're in Iraq. Aren't you?

The State of American Media

On a day when terrorists attack the American consulate in Turkey and Iran test-fires nine medium and long range missles, what is this morning's CNN "exclusive?"

Popping corn with your cell phone.

The Steadicam Tracking Shot

Laboratory 101 takes a look at some of the more memorable tracking shots in movie history. My favorite is among them. Arguably the best opening scene in recent movie history, shot with one camera all the way through (I mean, the rehearsals must have taken days just to get the choreography down), check out the first three minutes of "Boogie Nights"...



The classic pool scene from the film (also done with one steadicam tracking shot) can be seen here.

Moving a bit outside of Laboratory 101's study, another great opening shot is from 2006's "Poseidon." The visual effects team on this film are credited with creating some superb effects that paved the way for such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Done in "steadicam style" and accompanied by an amazing musical score by Klaus Badelt, every single thing in the "Poseidon" opening shot (with the exception of Josh Lucas, who was filmed jogging in front of a green screen at the Sepulveda Dam in L.A.) is computer-generated...the water, the boat, the clouds, the sun, the background passengers, the flags on the railings. It's an amazing feat of computer generated imaging! The ship and the water are so life-like one can only assume that the ILM crew lost that year's Academy Award for Best Visual Effects simply because the story was lame and the film barely broke even at the box office.

In any event, give the opening shot a look. You'll swear it was filmed on the open ocean with a real cruise ship...

The Songs of Summer

The best song of the summer of 1996..."Fastlove" by George Michael...

The First Gay VP?

So, does anyone think it's ironic that Gov. Charlie Crist (Republican-FL) suddenly got engaged this month, just weeks before Sen. John McCain is to name his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket?

The rumors of Crist's homosexuality have been running rampant for years, and if McCain names him as the vice-presidential nominee the fascist right wingers will go fuckin' nuts. From the Broward-Palm Beach New Times:

The story goes that the Florida governor frequented the Green Iguana, a bar in Tampa, back in the early 1990s when he was just starting his political career. He was less careful back then, people say, and during his partying at the Green Iguana, he was openly gay.

When I got Rick Calderoni, the bar's well-known owner, on the phone, I expected him to stonewall me about it.

He didn't.

Calderoni, who is gay, confirmed that Crist came into his bar quite often and that the two of them became friends.

Getting to the point, I asked him if he knew Crist to be gay.

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "I just wish he would come out and admit it. That would be a great thing if he did."

No word yet on whether Mark Foley or Larry Craig are on McCain's "short list."

Now More Than Ever

Reader email (from Larry):

Wayne, it is like your man, the Big O, is trying to get me to not vote for him. You see his fucking FISA letter? The arrogance is simply dripping from it. I've already bailed on Pelosi and have my Sheehan bumper stickers and buttons, but I'll be damned if I go over to Nader. I just may end up not voting for Prez come November. Talk some sense into me!

Yes...Sen. Obama has moved to the center a bit these past couple of weeks. I'll get to the FISA thing in a minute but let me tackle a few other issues first.

Iraq.

Obama has always said that the United States should be "as careful getting out as we were careless getting in." So his current positioning on Iraq shouldn't surprise anyone.

Like Obama, I (along with Larry) was among the few who were against the invasion of Iraq from the early planning stages. We should have never taken our eye off Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden. By moving resources into a country that had nothing to do with the attacks of September 11, 2001 we have allowed the Taliban to restrengthen and pissed off the entire region so thoroughly that America is less safe now than it was when President Bush took office.

That said, while it is essential that we get our troops out of there (for many reasons, not just that we shouldn't have gone in to begin with), withdrawal can not be done in one swift move. Moving American troops out in phases is the only way to keep the region semi-stable. Pull everyone out right now and let the region dissolve into chaos? The world wouldn't stand for it.

Sen. Obama should be taken at his word that he'll remove American troops from Iraq. Whether it's done in 18 months, 24 months, or by the end of his first term as president will be determined in part by his defense secretary and the commanders on the ground. To stick to a fixed timetable regardless of the reality of the situation would make "President Obama" no better than President Bush. America and the world cannot afford another four years of that shit.

Faith-Based Programs.

I must admit, Obama's embrace of such programs caught me off guard. The separation of church and state is quite evident in the Constitution; and with the budget deficit exploding out of control, handing these private religious organizations public money flies in the face of fiscal discipline. This is a major disappointment - made less so by the fact that, unlike Bush's faith-based programs, Obama’s forbids religious charities from using public money to discriminate against new hires based of faith. But if I were a Democrat in Congress and "President Obama" sent this bill to the hill, I would vote against it.

Recent Supreme Court Rulings.

Following recent Supreme Court decisions on the subjects, Sen. Obama came out in support of the death penalty for child rapists and against the gun ban in Washington, D.C. Am I disappointed in his positions here? You bet. Am I surprised? No. Obama discusses his support of the death penalty outside of capital murder cases in his book "The Audacity of Hope." In fact, when the Supreme Court issued their 5-4 ruling against the death penalty in child rape cases I knew Sen. Obama would rail against the decision. By extension, his support of the court's decision in the D.C. gun case (striking down a 30-year old gun ban), while disappointing, didn't surprise.

FISA.

If one issue where Sen. Obama's move to the right these past few weeks has disappointed me most, this is it. The whole issue of wiretaps is a bit haywire to begin with. The telecommunications companies that are being offered immunity from prosecution in order to allow the government to listen in on private phone conversations are probably being unfairly targeted. The fascist government of Bush and Cheney have forced their hand on this issue.

That said, Obama's support of the new bill is misguided. I understand his desire to move to the center in order to gain some support in middle America (he does, after all, want to win this election), but he could have won that support by refusing to back this bill and instead propose one that would have allowed for the FISA courts to issue warrants allowing the tapping of phone lines.

Obama has said he will join Sen. Chris Dodd in an effort to strike the warrantless language from the bill when it arrives in the Senate. It will be interesting to see if he backs the bill should that effort fail.

Warrantless phone tapping flies in the face of the Constitution and under Bush/Cheney has paved the way for presidential abuse of power. Should he continue this warrantless policy once in office, this blog will rail against Mr. Obama as loudly as it has against Mr. Bush.

The Perfect President?

I am not going to agree with a "President Obama" on each and every issue. No American, whether they vote for him in November or not, is going to agree with any president 100% of the time. But with Obama, unlike Bush (and McCain), I trust him to make what he feels is the right decision based on his analysis of each respective situation. Even if I disagree with a specific decision, I will do so respectfully, knowing full well that he has signed a bill or issued an executive order based on an a full understanding of the issue at hand. After eight years of shooting from the hip - and the horrible situation that such governance has left our country - such enlightenment from our chief executive will be a breath of fresh air.

If Larry wants to abstain on the presidential line of his ballot in November, that is his right. But if he's doing so because he expects any candidate to be the perfect president then he's in for a load of disappointment. No president in the history of our great nation has made any citizen happy 100% of the time on every issue.

Case in point - key disappointments of recent Democratic presidents: Roosevelt put Japenese Americans in internment camps; Truman ordered the atomic bomb dropped on Japan; Johnson expanded the Vietnam War and then failed in his exectution of that war; Carter was about as hapless as they come; and Clinton threw his gay and lesbian supporters under the bus.

When you make your decision on Election Day, you weigh the good against the bad, mark your ballot on a wing and a prayer, and hope your candidate, should he or she win, makes you at least half as happy as you hoped.

And I still believe, in my heart of hearts, that America needs Barack Obama.

Now more than ever.

John Edwards vs. Karl Rove

They'll debate each other on 26 September at the University of Buffalo as part of the school’s Distinguished Speakers Series.

(Hat tip: Ben)

The Death of Jesse Helms

The man was pure evil, and I am among the many who don't mourn his death in any way, shape, or form.

Joe. My. God. reviews the vile life of the former Senator from North Carolina:

- On threatening the life of a sitting president: "Mr. Clinton better watch out if he comes down here. He'd better have a bodyguard."

- On gays and AIDS: "It's their deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct that is responsible for the disease."

- On equality: "I've been portrayed as a caveman by some. That's not true. I think all men are equal, be they slants, beaners, or niggers."

- On civil rights: "The Negro cannot count forever on the kind of restraint that's thus far left him free to clog the streets, disrupt traffic, and interfere with other men's rights."

- On journalists: "The New York Times and Washington Post are both infested with homosexuals themselves. Just about every person down there is a homosexual or lesbian."

- On the Duke University students upset by Martin Luther King's assassination: "They should ask their parents if it would be all right for their son or daughter to marry a Negro."

Enough said.

Starbucks Down

Well, it seems you may have to walk one whole extra block to get that triple grande non-fat bone-dry cappuccino...

Starbucks said on Tuesday it plans to close 600 under performing U.S. stores and cut up to 12,000 full- and part-time positions, as it copes with an economic downturn and increasing competition. The coffee seller, bracing for its first full-year profit decline since 2000, has been grappling with the slowing U.S. economy and consumer spending.

But two things, seriously...

1. My sister works part time for Starbucks in an effort to supplement her teachers salary. I certainly hope this doesn't effect her.

2. This is yet another sign that the economy is in serious breakdown mode. So, when you hear someone like the hapless John Stossel say...

We are not...in recession. Get a grip, guys.

...you are forced to wonder if the psychology major who anchors ABC's "20/20" news magazine even knows what the hell he's talking about.

With record-high gas prices causing an increase in the costs of other goods such as food and services, I just don't believe the government's inflation and unemployment numbers. They seem way too low for the huge problems most Americans are having at the moment. It wouldn't surprise me a bit (A BIT) if we find out next year that the current administration fudged the numbers.

This is, after all, the administration of George W. Bush.

The Songs of Summer

Another from our current summer...the latest single from the Eagles' superb album, Long Road Out of Eden...

Enjoy "Busy Being Fabulous"...

Delta Will Charge For Free Flights

From ABC News:

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Friday it will start adding surcharges of $25 or $50 round trip on frequent flyers' free tickets to help offset soaring fuel costs.

I've been earning some pretty decent mileage flying United Airlines back and forth during this Seattle project. It wouldn't surprise me if they followed Delta on this. Without assistance from the current incompetent government, how else are these already-hobbled airlines supposed to make up for the huge increases in the cost of fuel?

Unintended Break

Sorry for the lack of posts since Friday. I was home for the weekend and spent some much needed time with Brent, Chloe, Gil, and a few other friends. And work has had my attention since I returned. Posting will continue to be sporadic through the holiday weekend, so please bear with me.

McCain: The Gray Ambition Tour

Trying to keep those 2 million gay Republican voters in his corner, I guess. (Embedded video corrected from earlier.)

End-of-the-Week Levity

This scene from "South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut" always has me peeing my pants! (Warning: Very strong language.)

SCOTUS and Guns: Legislating From the Bench

I'll comment more on today's Supreme Court decision that overturned a 30-year-old law banning the possession of handguns in Washington, D.C., but needless to say the seriously misguided ruling has, without a doubt, made America less safe. Talk about "legislating from the bench!"

With any luck this ruling will put the issue of judicial appointments front and center in the presidential election. At least two seats look like they'll become vacant in the next presidential term; and with the Court flirting with a Fascist majority, a Democratic president is the only buffer to keep that majority from strengthening.

The courts are the one branch of government where a president's legacy will live for decades. The five justices who threw America's domestic security out the window today (Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas) were all appointed by Reagan or one of the Bushes. And they're probably not going anywhere soon, so it will be all that more vital to get Obama elected in November just to keep the progressive side of the court tredding water.

He's Such a God Damned Fucking Idiot

Good gawd...is it January 20th yet??

First Thing In the Morning

The Friday morning news...

-Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has brushed aside last minute calls for Friday's disputed presidential run-off election to be postponed or called off.

-A federal police commander has been shot dead in Mexico City, the latest in a long line of law enforcement personnel murdered in recent weeks. It is likely that he was targeted by drug cartels who are battling the authorities over a clamp down on their drug smuggling operations.

-Global markets have suffered heavy falls after a raft of bad news including a fresh record for the price of oil, which traded at more than $140 a barrel in New York on Thursday. Markets also reacted to signs that the global credit crunch was far from over.

-Hoping for a "change of tone" in relations, Russian and European Union leaders met Thursday in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk. It was the first such summit since Dmitry Medvedev became Russian president. The two-day summit is being held to launch negotiations on a new partnership and co-operation agreement.

The Songs of Summer

Coldplay's new album, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," sold a whopping 721,000 copies and downloads during it's first week in release, and as a result it slams on to this week's Top 200 Album Chart at #1.

The title track is today's Song of Summer:

Competition for .com and .net

The engine that moves the 21st century continues to evolve...

From the BBC:

A complete overhaul of the way people navigate the internet could begin following a crucial vote in Paris. The net's regulator Icann will vote to decide if the strict rules on so-called top level domain names, such as .com or .uk, can be relaxed. If approved, firms could turn brands into web addresses while individuals could also grab a unique domain based on their name, for example.

The SCOTUS Death Penalty Decision

In a 5 to 4 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled yesterday that the death penalty is unconstitutional as punishment for the rape of a child. As heinous and devastating as such a crime is, and even though the individuals who commit such acts are sub-human in my eyes, the justices made the right decision here.

I am one of the few Americans who is against the death penalty all together. If killing someone doesn't live up to the Constitution's protection against "cruel and unusual punishment," then I don't know what does. Murderers and rapists (especially those who rape an innocent child) are let off the hook way too easily if you kill them. I say let them sit in a cinder block jail cell in the middle of the desert with no visitation, no phone calls, no cell block socialization, and with no possibility for parole. Exercise and showers can be taken individually with guard supervision. That's how you punish this scum. Let them sit and rot while they think about what they did.

Moreover, the possibility that the state might execute the wrong person is another strong case against the death penalty. Cast in point: In 2002 several inmates on Illinois' death row were found innocent years or decades after-the-fact when advanced DNA testing cleared them of the crimes for which they had been sentenced to die. As a result, then-Governor George Ryan granted blanket commutation to all 167 death row inmates just days before leaving office.

Although the death penalty wasn't on the radar in Illinois' 1998 race for governor, that single act made me extremely proud of the vote I cast for Mr. Ryan - a Republican - on that year's ballot. (The Democratic candidate, Glenn Poschard, was actually much more conservative on most social issues, thus my Republican vote.)

The current court would never overturn the death penalty at the national level. There are too many Fascist-Conservatives sitting on that bench, unfortunately. But in this particular case, the Court made the right decision.

First Thing In the Morning

Thursday's news...

-North Korea has handed over a long-awaited account of its nuclear program to China. The declaration, which is six months overdue, is expected to detail North Korea's plutonium enrichment efforts. But analysts say it is not expected to mention its alleged and separate uranium enrichment programme or any details of its nuclear arsenal. As a result of the release of information, President Bush will remove the country from his list of terrorits. Yes...even though they are a county which really does have weapons of mass destruction.

-The AIDS epidemic in some countries is so severe that it should be classified as a disaster, the Red Cross has warned. The crisis fits the UN definition of a disaster as an event beyond the scope of any single society to cope with, the group said.

-Militants in northwest Pakistan have burned down much of a hotel in the country's only ski resort. The night time attack follows sporadic clashes this week between militants and security forces.

-NBC has settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a man who killed himself when confronted with cameras for the TV show To Catch a Predator. "The matter has been amicably resolved to the satisfaction of both parties," NBC spokeswoman Jenny Tartikoff said in a statement. The network did not release monetary details.

Polls, Polls, Polls

Several polls released over the past few days show some real movement toward Barack Obama.

Newsweek:

Obama 51%
McCain 36%

L.A. Times/Bloomberg:

Obama 48%
McCain 33%

In the all important Electoral College, Obama looks to be giving the Republicans some major heartburn...

Indiana:

Obama 48%
McCain 47%

This is a state that hasn't gone Democratic for president since 1964. But it borders Obama's home state of Illinois, and he is the first Democrat to actually campaign in the Hoosier state - and run campaign ads there - in a long, long time. Indiana is the first state in which polls close on Election Day. Normally the Republican ticket wins so overwhelmingly that the networks are able to call it right away. I'll be watching the state like a hawk this year. If the networks can't declare John McCain the winner of Indiana's 11 electoral votes as soon as polls close then it will more than likely be a very long and painful night for the Republican ticket.

Pennsylvania:

Obama 46%
McCain 42%

The Republicans poured millions of dollars into Pennsylvania in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, hoping to bring the state back into their column for the first time since 1988. Both contests there were close, but Al Gore and John Kerry were able to beat back George W. Bush and keep the state blue. It looks to be close again this year; and the state's high senior citizen population is said to favor McCain. But Obama is more than holding his own. The poll above has him leading the Republican candidate by 4 points, and two other polls show him leading by 8 and 12 points respectively.

Michigan:

Obama 48%
McCain 39%

This surprises me. Although Michigan has been a reliably Democratic state since 1992, they have always had a soft spot for John McCain. That, combined with Barack Obama's tough talk to Detroit's auto industry over fuel efficiency, led me to believe that Michigan might be the one sure bet to turn from blue to red this year. McCain was up by four points in the Great Lakes state last month, but Obama has performed quite well in two polls taken this past week, including the one mentioned above. The momentum seems to be on Obama's side.

Based on these polls and averages of other state-by-state polls, here is how the Electoral College would break if the election were held today...


Obama 356
McCain 182
(270 needed to win)

And North Carolina and North Dakota are surprisingly close. If those two states swung Obama's way, his electoral vote total would be 374. Keep in mind that President Bush received 271 votes in 2000, and 286 in 2004. 356 votes for Obama would be considered a tremendous victory in comparison.

Will it shake out that way in November? Who knows. But things are looking really good a little more than four months out.

Mid-Week Brain Break

More from the late George Carlin (warning - harsh language)...

First Thing In the Morning

News for your hump day...

-The U.S. State Department will not recognize the outcome of Friday's presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe, saying that Robert Mugabe could not claim a legitimate victory amid the current campaign of violence against the opposition.

-Report: The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty and will do nothing to combat climate change.

-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit yesterday against Countrywide Financial Corp. for engaging in "unfair and deceptive" practices to get homeowners to apply for risky mortgages far beyond their means.

Celebrating Carlin

When it came to the absolute ridiculousness of the human condition, Carlin always nailed it...

Taleban Thrives In Afghanistan

From the BBC:

The Taleban made an estimated $100m (£50m) in 2007 from Afghan farmers growing poppy for the opium trade. Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said the money was raised by a 10% tax on farmers in Taleban-controlled areas.

So not only are these guys getting away with murder, they're getting filthy rich. All the while we're in Iraq doing...well...doing what, exactly?

The President of the United States is responsible for the failure to remove the governing faction of the terrorist group responsible for the attacks of 9/11, making the world - and our nation - less safe.

The Fascist-Republicans need to stop for a minute and think this through. Had "President Gore" fumbled this war so badly and so tragically, had "President Gore" taken his eye of the ball to fight a war of choice against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, they would have impeached him and shipped him to the Hague to be charged with war crimes. Moreover, they would have called the Democrats incompetent on matters of war and peace and assured their party the presidency for decades. Why aren't you holding Mr. Bush to the same standard? The only reason I can think of is that he's a fellow Republican. And that makes you a traitor as far as I'm concerned.

Political party over national security? Talk about un-American!

First Thing In the Morning

Your Tuesday morning news...

-From Israel: Gunshots fired at the Tel Aviv airport while French President Sarkozy, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres are there. Leaders were rushed away and are safe.

-Breaking the truce announced last week, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into the Israeli border town of Sderot today. No casualties have been reported.

-South Africa's governing ANC party has accused the Zimbabwean government of "riding roughshod" over democracy. The party said it was "dismayed" by the authorities' actions, and that free and fair elections were not possible. Oppposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai announced this past weekend that he was pulling, citing widespread violence as the reason.

- President Bush on Monday nominated a top logistics officer to be the first female four-star general in U.S. history, tapping Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to head the command responsible for supplying the Army with all its equipment.

George Carlin, 1937 - 2008

The sad news from yesterday...comedian George Carlin died of heart failure. He was 71.

Very few made me laugh more, and I don't think anyone else understood America - and Americans - as much as Carlin.

Obama / Webb ?

The Chicago Tribune's James Oliphant thinks the freshman senator from Virginia and former Secretary of the Navy would be an extremely smart choice as Barack Obama's running mate.

As Oliphant says:

It is widely speculated that Obama will need to choose a vice presidential nominee versed in national security matters, perhaps with a strong military background, to attempt to blunt the edge his opponent, John McCain, carries in those arenas. Webb seems made-to-order...

A decorated war hero, a "Reagan Democrat" who has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War (and by extension, President Bush), and the man who beat the hapless George "Macaca" Allen in 2006, Sen. Webb would bring a much needed balance to the Democratic ticket; and would more than assure that Viriginia, where Obama is already holding his own against McCain, is in the Democratic column for the first time since 1964.

The Songs of Summer

The review I posted in 2007 on Amazon.com of "The Fox," Elton John's overlooked gem of an album from 1981:

"The Fox," Elton John's first album for Geffen Records, went largely unnoticed in the summer of 1981. And that is a shame because the set is full of wonderful tunes. The first two tracks, "Breaking Down Barriers" and "Heart In the Right Place" are classic Elton; and the title track could just as easily fit in on 2001's "Songs From the West Coast" or 2006's "The Captain and the Kid" as on this release.

The first single, "Nobody Wins," tells the story of lost love backed by swirling synthesizers and a haunting piano hook. The track took off on radio upon release in 1981 and raced up the lower half of the Hot 100 singles chart before stalling quickly at a disappointing number 21. "Chloe," is a wonderful ballad, yet only managed to make it to number 34 on the chart.

"Fascist Faces" has found its way back into my rotating music library. With the Republicans in control of all three branches of the American government during 6 of the last 7 years, the song takes on new meaning.

"Heels of the Wind" is an uplifting precursor to "I'm Still Standing" yet stands on its own merits. Had it been released as a single, it probably would have done well.

Finally, no review of "The Fox" would be complete without a mention of the superb "Elton's Song." A heart-wrenching ballad of a school boy-on-boy crush. Sir Elton's vocals cut deep and the writing shows early indications of songs he would later write for movies and stage.

The next time a retrospective of Elton's music is released, the producers would do well to include a track or two from "The Fox." This is a wonderful album and I urge you to give it a listen.

Today's song of summer is the title track to this classic album. It's one the best compositions in the Elton John/Bernie Taupin library. Enjoy "The Fox"...

Unacceptable

Quote of the Day:

Surveying the decline of the airline industry...what we have now is a complete mess - a system that bankrupts carriers, embitters workers and infuriates the traveling public. But hold off on airlines for a moment and ponder his larger point.

Take any big issue that matters to the public...and what you see is a failure of government.

-Washington Post columnist David Ignatius on the government's failure to keep our domestic airlines from drowning.

The failure of the airline industry and how to best address it is going to be one of the next president's top domestic problems. Things can't continue as they are without a total collapse of the industry. And when the airlines collapse, the American economy - so dependent on air travel - will collapse with it.

For a president who wants to be remembered for how he handled 9/11, President Bush has been a complete and absolute failure on the two issues that were most affected by those attacks: energy and the airlines. That the Bush administration has turned a blind eye to these dire problems will, when they finally (FINALLY) leave office, be among the numerous absoulte failures for which they will be remembered.

Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.

Brokaw Will Take "Meet the Press" Until November

NBC News announced Sunday that Tom Brokaw will moderate "Meet the Press" through this year's presidential election in November. The former anchor of NBC Nightly News is taking on the job following the unexpected death last week of Tim Russert.

The way I see it, this was the only move NBC could make right now (at both the business and personal levels). Brokaw is the perfect choice to take the show through the end of the year. He will bring a steady hand to a show that was sent reeling at the news of Russert's passing; and his credibility is beyond reproach.

First Thing In the Morning

Your Monday morning news...

-Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he is pulling out of Friday's presidential run-off, handing victory to President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai said there was no point running when elections would not be free and fair and "the outcome is determined by... Mugabe himself".

-French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said the creation of a Palestinian state is in the best interests of Israel and its citizens. On the first French state visit to Israel in 12 years, he said a peace agreement would allow the two peoples to live in peace and security. Mr Sarkozy is to hold separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

-More than 800 people were missing on Monday after a Philippine ferry capsized in a typhoon that has killed scores and left a trail of destruction across the archipelago.

-Federal prosecutors have charged the largest contractor in Boston's $15 billion "Big Dig" road and tunnel construction project with lying about faulty work on a section where a ceiling panel killed a woman.

Summer Solstice

Today is the longest day of the year. I am still working in Seattle, and the NBC affiliate here said that the time between sunrise and sunset today will be 16 hours - which means about 17 hours of light all together. Since arriving here in April I have been amazed at how much more daylight there is here this time of year compared to San Francisco.

And after weeks of off and on rain and cool temperatures, the day of the solstice promises to be perfectly sunny with highs in the upper 70's.

Wherever you are here in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy this most wonderful of days.

"A Deep and Abiding Faith In the Country I Love"

Barack Obama released his first ad for the general election campaign today. It will air in several states, including ultra-red ones like Alaska, Indiana, and North Dakota - three states that haven't gone Democratic for president since 1964. Voters in those states will find this ad has the perfect timbre. It's positive and patriotic...

The Democrats Fail; Pelosi Has Lost My Vote

A memo to the hapless Speaker of the House, my congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi:

As the Fascist-Republican congress did prior to the 2006 elections, your Democratic majority has made mince-meat out of the Constitution by handing that horrid war criminal in the White House the continued ability to listen to Americans phone conversations without a warrant. Basically you've said if the President says it's legal, then it's legal; screw the laws and the Constitution you swore to uphold.

Speaker Pelosi, as one of your constituents I am so deeply disturbed by your leadership on this issue that I am spitting nails over the fact that I voted for your renomination earlier this month.

That mistake won't be made again. In November, you will not get my vote.

Period.

Update: Larry has had it with the Speaker as well:

I'll be writing-in against Pelosi. She's an absolute disgrace for being from SF.

End-of-the-Week Levity

How can you not love Clairee, Ouisa, M'Lynn, and Truvy...

Georgia Tied

It seems one of the solid red states is thinking Obama might be a Democrat worth voting for:

McCain 44%
Obama 43%

Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, who represented the state in the House of Representatives as a Republican during the 1990s, gets 6%.

A state of the former Confederacy, that went for Bush 58% to 41% over Kerry four years ago, is thisclose to going for an African-American presidential candidate.

How amazing can this election get, I ask you!?

First Thing In the Morning

Friday morning news...

-At a European Union summit in Brussels yesterday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the European Union will not be able to expand further without ratification of the Lisbon treaty.

-Several African states monitoring Zimbabwe's election campaign have added their voice to growing international pressure over the presidential run-off vote. Meanwhile, the wife of the mayor of Harare was killed on Thursday, beaten so severely with rocks and iron bars that her face was almost unrecognizable.

-Canadian researchers reported Wednesday that gastric bypass surgery - a treatment for obesity that is already known to reduce heart disease and diabetes - decreases the incidence of cancer by 80% over the five years following the procedure.

The Songs of Summer

Like the Jacksons, Sister Sledge, and the Sylvers, Tavares were an R&B group of siblings - in this case brothers - who had a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1976, the brothers Tavares went into the studio with Jackson and Sylvers producer Freddie Perren and turned out this top 10 smash.

From our bicentennial summer, here is "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel"...

Obama / Richardson ?

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, today, to the New York Observer, on the possibility of joining Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket:

Look, how can anyone turn down an honor like that, honestly?

Upside? Former congressman. Ambassador to the United Nations. Secretary of Energy. Governor of New Mexico. He's a Mexican-American and would almost guarantee Obama a super-majority of the hispanic vote in November, and might even put Texas in play for the first time since 1976.

Downside? Did you see him run for his party's nomination last winter? He can come across as a bumbling fool from time to time, giving the Republicans plenty of fodder.

Putting Richardson on the ticket is definitely worth considering, however I think he'd be more useful, in what promise to be some pretty rough post-Bush years, back at the United Nations.

First Thing In the Morning

The Thursday news...

-The US Treasury Department has frozen the assets of two Venezuelan nationals for alleged links with the radical Islamist group, Hezbollah.

-By a margin of 93 votes, the UK Parliament ratified the Treaty of Lisbon (aka the EU Reform Treaty), depsite being rejected by Irish voters on 12 June 2008. The treaty would set up institutional reforms aimed at streamlining the work of the enlarged European Union; and was drawn up to replace the draft European constitution, which was thrown out by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005.

-Hours before a truce was to take effect, Palestinian militants fired 50 rockets and mortars toward Israel on Wednesday, and Israel responded with airstrikes in Gaza, illustrating how fragile the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas would be.

-Authorities say a teenager from a faith-healing family died from an illness that could have been easily treated, just a few months after a toddler cousin of his died in a case that has led to criminal charges.

Eye Candy

Victoria Beckham, in January 2008, on her husband David's endowment:

It's great. It's huge. It's enormous. Massive!

Ain't that the truth!...

More State Polls

Obama now leads McCain in Pennsylvania by 12 points :

Obama 52%
McCain 40%

For comparison purposes, Kerry won PA by 2 points in 2004.

And in Florida, a state I thought was going to stay in McCain's column all year, Obama has sneaked ahead of the Republican candidate:

Obama 47%
McCain 43%

On the one hand none of these polls mean a damn thing. At this point in 2004 John Kerry was leading in the all important Electoral College summaries; but George W. Bush was leading Kerry by about 3 or 4 points in the national popular vote...a small lead he never gave up through Election Day, when he won by three points and with the smallest Electoral College victory for a re-elected president since 1916.

On the other hand, things are much different this time around. The President's approval ratings are around 25% and just about every American (80% or so) thinks the country is on the wrong track. These numbers are very reminiscent of President Carter circa 1980, a year in which the opposition party, led by Ronald Reagan, won the White House by 10 percentage points in the popular vote, and walloped the Democrats in the Electoral College 489 to 49.

Are we on track to another 1980? That remains to be seen. But the latest state-by-state polling is encouraging.

Just for kicks, here is what the electoral map would probably look like if the election were held today:


Obama 350
McCain 188
(270 needed to win)

(For contrast, Mr. Bush won in 2000 with 271 electoral votes and in 2004 with 286. Mr. Clinton won in 1992 with 370 and in 1996 with 379.)

Little Miss Chloe

Enjoying the afternoon sun this past weekend...

Well Done, Larry

Congrats to Larry and the entire AIDS/Lifecycle riders who completed the 7-day journery from San Francisco to Los Angeles. We're all pretty damn proud of ya.

For pictures and Larry's personal play-by-play, click here.

And welcome home, Buddy!

(Photo: Larry)

Little Alex

A powerful new ad from MoveOn.org:



Some may find it a little below the belt, but that's how the Republicans are gonna play so it's good to see the Democrats growing some cajones. And better that the independent groups run these ads than the actual candidates; better to let a progressive group like MoveOn play the "Swift Boat" role than Sen. Obama.

But the ad's point is crystal clear...

Protect your children...Barack Obama for president.

Obama By 11 In Ohio?

That's a HUGE lead:

Obama 50%
McCain 39%

This very well could be an outlier, but if Obama wins Ohio by anything more than 5 points on Election Day, then he'll be on his way to a nationwide blow out.

Mid-Week Brain Break

Straight relationships down the tubes...and it's all because of the gays:

First Thing In the Morning

Your Wednesday news...

-Israel and the militant group Hamas have agreed to a truce, ending months of bitter clashes, starting on Thursday.

-A car bomb exploded at a busy bus stop in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 51 people and wounding 75.

-Military lawyers told the U.S. Senate Tuesday that methods such as sensory deprivation and simulated drowning were based on training given to soldiers on resisting interrogation. The lawyers said they had raised concerns about the legality of the techniques as far back as 2002.

-Levees near Gladstone, Illinois burst following rising river levels. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich called up 1,100 National Guard members to assist.

Voting Republican

Heh!

Super Busy Day

Sorry for the lack of posts today. I was at work this morning at 6am and haven't been able to sit down until now.

Back to it tomorrow.

Picture of the Year

Gay and lesbian couples could legally marry in the State of California beginning at 5:01pm, Pacific Daylight Time, this afternoon. The first to do so were Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 83, who have been together for 56 years.

"I think it's a wonderful day," Lyons said shortly after being named "spouses for life" by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

"Ditto," Martin added.

Godspeed, ladies...Godspeed!

Coming soon to the matrimony calendar: Larry and Trevor.

McCain vs. McCain

Perhaps his campaign should be renamed the "Straight Jacket Express"...

The Songs of Summer

During a show in Europe this past weekend, Bruce Springsteen dedicated this track to his good friend Tim Russert. From the summer of 1975, "Thunder Road"...

On Tim

One last word on the passing of Tim Russert:

There is no doubt the man was the lion of political journalism. As countless others said over the weekend, candidates for high political office had to get through the "Russert primary" - a grilling on "Meet the Press" - if they had any chance at all of being successful. I would often watch those Sunday morning grillings, aggravated that Russert wouldn't be asking questions that were tough enough, and shout at the TV from my sofa. And the questions he asked as moderator of some of the Democratic debates this past primary season seemed, to me, absolutely ridiculous.

That said, the candidates who met with Tim and the questions he confronted them with made those candidates stronger. I give him a large hunk of the credit for making both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton the candidates they eventually became.

But news of his untimely passing hit me like a slap in the face for another reason all together. As a huge political junky I always found Russert's excitement at the processes of government a joy to watch. He lived and breathed the American political process. There were many nights this primary season where a junky like me wanted to be on that set with Russert and take part in the conversation.

And then there were those historic moments. One could tell that he was absolutely hankering for that split decision in 2000 - where one candidate won the popular vote and another the Electoral College - not because he wanted any sort of constitutional crisis, but because as a political junky, witnessing such a historic election would be one of the ultimate experiences. And then there was this year's presidential race. I don't think anyone in America was more excited about this year's presidential campaign, in which a woman or an African American would be the Democratic presidential nominee, than Tim Russert. That he was stricken down in the middle of it breaks the heart.

This morning, Tim's son, Luke, was on the "Today Show." Family man that he was, Russert would have been beaming. With his own sense of pride Luke celebrated his father this morning. He was solid, steady, and strong - in a situation where so many of us would have been sobbing uncontrolably.

Washington DC and the world of political journalism will never be the same. Russert was the stuff of legend.

Tim Russert, 1950 - 2008

Unbelievebly shocking! Tim Russert, Washington bureau chief for NBC News and the moderator of "Meet the Press," died today after suffering a heart attack. He was 58. According to NBC News, Russert was at work recording voiceovers for Sunday’s "Meet the Press" program when he collapsed.

Our thoughts are with his wife, Maureen Orth, their son Luke, and Russert's father, "Big Russ."

On Russert...

Tom Brokaw:

This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice. He'll be missed as he was loved - greatly.

Ezra Klein:

Presumably, he's up somewhere beyond the cloudline, hectoring God about His inconsistencies. "But Lord, in Exodus 6:12, you clearly said..."

Doris Kearns Goodwin:

I can't imagine what the news bureau is going through down there. I heard it is just wailing. He was just a giant of a person...

Marc Ambinder:

[Washington, DC] will all but shut down over the next few days, so vital was he to its voice...[He was] an unbelievable father to Luke and a loyal, devoted husband to Maureen Orth. A life marvelously well lived.

A House Divided Still Stands

Picture of the Day:


The lawn outside the Brentwood neighborhood home of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican-CA) and his wife, Maria Shriver (a member of the Kennedy Democratic dynasty) in Los Angeles.

NBC/WSJ Poll Is Good News For Obama

Excellent news for Barack Obama in a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday:

General Election/All Voters
Barack Obama 47%
John McCain 41%

Women
Barack Obama 52%
John McCain 33%

Hispanics
Barack Obama 62%
John McCain 28%

Blue Collar Workers
Barack Obama 47%
John McCain 41%

Those specific demographic numbers weren't supposed to be so good for Obama according to the old Clinton campaign, but those groups have stayed with the Democratic nominee against John McCain. The hispanic and women numbers alone would put Obama in the White House.

Here is how the electoral map would look:



Obama: 329 electoral votes
McCain: 209 electoral votes
(270 needed to win)

All in all, this is a pretty nice post-primary bounce for Sen. Obama.

Loss of Cabin Pressure

Where it's headin'...

The Songs of Summer

From 1990, a "kick-ass" rocker from Bad Company. Enjoy "Holy Water"...

Now, Norway

By a vote of 84 to 41, the Nowegian parliament adopted a new marriage law that allows homosexuals to marry and adopt children, and permits lesbians to be artificially inseminated.

One more step forward while Amerika remains miles behind...

3 Years For Murder of a Gay Man

Stephen Moller, who delivered a fatal punch to Sean William Kennedy after taunting him with anti-gay slurs in May 2007 outside a Greenville, South Carolina bar, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Greenville County judge on Wednesday. Originally charged with murder, the fascist hicks of Greenville reduced the charges against Moller to involuntary manslaughter, and the fascist homophobic judge took the 7 months Moller already served and turned them into two years worth of time served, thus reducing an already insulting sentence of five years down to three.

Remember this murderer's name. I guarantee a fuck-head like this will strike again within a year of being released from prison.

First Thing In the Morning

Your Thursday news...

-Police are investigating a "serious" security breach after a civil servant lost top-secret documents containing the latest intelligence on al-Qaeda. The unnamed Cabinet Office employee apparently breached strict security rules when he left the papers on the seat of a train. A fellow passenger spotted the envelope containing the files and gave it to the BBC, who handed them to the police.

-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has narrowly won a House of Commons vote on extending the maximum time police can hold terror suspects to 42 days. The 42-day proposal was passed by 315 to 306.

-Google co-founder Sergey Brin has made a $5 million down payment to book a seat on a future orbital space flight, a U.S. space tourism company has said. Space Adventures says it is planning the first private space flight to the International Space Station in 2011 in a deal with the Russian space agency.

-Residents of the Midwest desperately shored up levees holding back rising rivers on Wednesday, while others abandoned their homes to the flood waters.

Happy Birthday, Joanne Winters!

And many happy returns!

Obama / Biden ?

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, on the prospect of a Joe Biden candidacy for the vice-presidency:

Few Democrats know more about foreign policy, and few would so relish the fight against McCain on international affairs. Few are better placed to argue that withdrawal from Iraq will strengthen rather than weaken the United States.

The worst thing in a running mate is the fear of muddying his or her image in political combat. Biden would be a happy warrior.

With all of my blathering over Sen. Obama these last few months, it's easy to forget that Sen. Joe Biden was my first choice for the Democratic presidential nomination this year (my original endorsement can be read here). As such, I would be the biggest fan of an Obama/Biden ticket. Biden's foreign policy credentials are beyond reproach, and no one is better suited to be "a heartbeat away from the presidency."

Obama would be a fool not to include Biden somewhere in his administration. If not VP, then perhaps Secretary of State. The globe would heave a sigh of relief with such an elder statesman representing our great country abroad after eight years of incompetence by the current administration.

As Dionne says in the closing of his column:

To restore its strength and influence, the United States needs to return to the realistic internationalism of FDR, Truman and, yes, the first President Bush. Whether or not Obama picks Biden, he should listen to what Biden is saying.

Impeachment Now

On Monday night in the United States House of Representatives, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Democrat-OH) filed 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush that detailed a thorough indictment of numerous high crimes and misdemeanors, including not just complaints about signing statements and the war in Iraq, but also charges that the President spied on American Citizens without a court-ordered warrant, in clear violation of the law and the Fourth Amendment.

This isn't just a political issue, it's a serious Constitutional crisis; and the only way our great republic can be saved is for Congress to remove these criminals from office immediately. I don't care if they only have a few months left in office. It's the principle of the thing. If ever there was a case for impeachment...if ever the founding fathers had a best-case scenario for impeachment...George W. Bush and Dick Cheney more than meet the criteria.

Say it with me: Impeachment NOW!

Impeachment Now (Continued...)

Quote of the Day:

I do think that there is an increasing chance of a trigger event driving a fast escalation of higher and higher consequence military options. This trigger could be a mistaken signal, a ship collision, an event engineered by the Israelis...

Vice President Cheney felt it important to "tie the President's hands" when it came to Iran and to generate an event that would undermine the diplomatic track - the worry now is that the crowd in power is really talking about tying the next President's hands...tying perhaps Barack Obama's hands.

This really could be cooking -- and I think it's important for White House watchers to realize that the folks we thought had knocked back the neocons are themselves losing leverage again.

Obama and his team need to speak to this, to demystify it, and to make sure that America does not find itself tripping into an accidental war that really was no accident.

-Steve Clemons, writing for TPMCafe, on the strong possibility that Dick Cheney might be behind the plan to create "an incident" with Iran before the end of the current presidential term.

The U.S. Congress really should live up to their oath of office and follow the lead of Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Impeach these horrible people and charge them with international war crimes before it's too late!

Mid-Week Brain Break

You gotta love YouTube. People can make their own movies, comedic bits, etc. and post them on this revolutionary web site for all the world to see. This week's Mid-Week Brain Break is a mock movie trailer by a user who calls himself "ratpack1963." It's for the classic 1970 film "Airport."

Based on the bestselling novel by Arthur Hailey, the movie starred Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton (Oscar-nominated for Supporting Actress), and Helen Hayes, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the film.



The original trailer can be seen here.

First Thing In the Morning

Your Wednesday news...

-The United States and the European Union told Iran on Tuesday they were ready to impose more sanctions over its nuclear enrichment program. But President George W. Bush acknowledged the limits of U.S. influence over Tehran and, in the twilight of his presidency, appeared resigned to leaving the standoff to his successor.

-Thousands of demonstrators rallied last night in Seoul in the latest protest sparked by anger over US beef imports into South Korea. Protesters demanded the resignation of President Lee Myung-bak.

-French banking giant BNP Paribas has agreed to buy the hedge fund trading and financing unit of Bank of America for approximately $300 million.

-Whether it's Salmonella in tomatoes or E. coli-tainted spinach, outbreaks of food-borne illness are scaring people away from some foods and shaking their confidence in U.S. food safety procedures.

Happy Birthday, Laurie

Hope you enjoyed your day! Many happy returns.

XO
Wayne, Brent, and the Chlo-ster!

Howie Mandel: Terrorist?

According to some bubble-headed bleach blonde over at Fox News, that little fist tap the Obamas shared last week was a "terrorist fist jab."

Well, then! The Bush administration better get out to Los Angeles and move "Deal Or No Deal's" Howie Mandel to Guantanamo Bay immediately! All those fist jabs?! I mean...lord knows WHAT he has hidden in those suitcases of his!

Sigh. The sad thing is there are way too many stupid Americans out there who believe that actually was a "terrorist fist jab."

Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow chat about one of the more mind-boggling comments from the Fascist News Channel:

Obama / Nunn ?

From Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan:

[Obama] needs a boring white man. Because he’s an interesting black man. He needs a sober, experienced, older establishment player who will be respected by the press, the first responders of the political game. They’ll set the tone in which the choice is celebrated, or not. He needs someone like Sam Nunn. Or, actually, Sam Nunn.

For those who don't remember Mr. Nunn, he was a Democratic U.S. Senator who represented Georgia from 1972 to 1997. As chairman of that body's Armed Services Committee, and as a key player in the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Sen. Nunn would bring a certain foreign policy gravitas to the ticket. And former President Jimmy Carter (a fellow Georgian) has said Nunn would be an excellent VP nominee.

Personally, I think Obama could do better. During the 90s Nunn was notoriously homophobic. He fired two staffers in the 1980s for being gay, and was one of the architects of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Before putting Nunn on his "short list" of potential vice-presidents, Obama should sit down with him to gauge if Nunn still harbors such anti-gay sentiment. We have all been witness to individuals who transitioned from complete homophobes to PFLAG members; and while I'm not suggesting Nunn needs to have made that sort of turn around, if there's even an iota of a chance that he would deny perfectly qualified people jobs in an Obama administration based on their sexual orientation, then any talk of a Nunn vice-presidency should be squashed immediately.

If Obama wants to take Peggy Noonan's suggestion that he pick an old, gray white man then I have a better idea: Nunn's successor, Max Cleland.

Another Heartache In 2008?

From political columnist Stuart Rothenberg:

A close electoral map invariably raises the specter of a possible split decision — with one nominee winning the popular vote and the other winning an Electoral College majority. As in 2000, this seems like a serious possibility.

Obama is likely to [rack up massive] votes in Illinois, New York and California (winning them with large majorities), and he may gain some ground in normally Republican states [in the South and West] — getting closer than most Democrats normally do in those states, but not winning them.

If this happens, and if Obama narrowly loses one or two larger, traditionally Democratic states, such as Michigan...we could see an updated version of 2000, with McCain winning the White House at the same time that Obama gets more than half a million more votes.

I still think Barack Obama has the potential to change the electoral map a bit, and think that his margin of victory in the popular vote will surprise a lot of people. But when a political pro like Rothenberg hints at the possibility of a 2000 replay, the stomach sinks a bit. I don't think Americans would stand for it only two elections following the 2000 debacle.

The real danger would be very Bush-esque: McCain losing the popular vote yet governing as if he had a conservative mandate, even though Americans voted for more liberal-leaning leadership. If such a split decision occurs I would highly urge electors to place McCain in the top job and then, in states where they're not legally bound to cast their ballots based on how their state voted, turn around and make Obama his vice-president. Vice-versa if the split decisions is reversed (Obama winning the Electoral College and McCain winning the popular vote).

There is historic precedent of sorts. During America's first four presidential elections, the vice-president was the man who came in second in the Electoral College (John Adams was George Washington's VP and Thomas Jefferson was John Adams' VP. Each man came in second to the winning candidate.)

But whatever the case, whether a Democrat or a Republican comes out on top in the national vote, I really think it's time to rid ourselves of the Electoral College. It served it's purpose during our nation's early years, but in the 21st century it is antiquated and only serves to illegitimize presidencies that are won without the popular vote.

Eye Candy

Happy Birthday to Dirk Diggler himself, Mark Wahlberg...

First Thing In the Morning

Grab your java, have a seat, and read your morning news...

-Somalia's government has signed a peace deal with an opposition bloc aimed at ending 17 years of conflict in the country, the UN envoy to Somalia says.

- According to an international watchdog group, billions of dollars of aid to Afghanistan have not been spent effectively and the Afghan government and international agencies must be held to account or more will be wasted. For every $100 spent, sometimes only $20 actually reaches Afghan recipients, says Integrity Watch Afghanistan.

- A dam near the Wisconsin Dells resort area broke on Monday, sweeping away some homes, as torrential rains caused more flooding across parts of the U.S. Midwest.

-While introducing their new 3G iPhone, Steve Jobs announced yesterday that Apple Inc. cut the price of its best-selling iPhone in half Monday - to $199 - making the all-in-one smart phone, media player and Internet device more accessible than before.

Obama / Schweitzer ?

Could Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana be on Barack Obama's list of possible vice-presidential nominees?

Sean over at 538 thinks so:

The first time I heard Brian Schweitzer speak, I thought: "This guy is going to be President." That is not a common reaction on my part to politicians. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of Democratic politicians speak, and I've only had that reaction twice in my lifetime. The first was Barack Obama, the second was Brian Schweitzer...

Brian Schweitzer and Barack Obama are the two "new Democrat" styles that are extremely effective in the post-Clinton era. Both emphasize solutions over partisanship. Both are suspected by Republicans of talking a good game of bipartisanship and hewing to traditional Democratic Party ideology. Both are great communicators, but with different rhetorical strengths.

Sen. Jon Tester (Democrat-MT), who beat the geriatric crank Conrad Burns in 2006, seems to think Schweitzer is a great choice as well:

The Songs of Summer

An absolutely stunning duet by Neneh Cherry and Michael Stipe. From the summer of 1992, enjoy "Trout"...

First Thing In the Morning

News for your Monday morning...

-At least 12 people have been killed by two explosions at a train station east of Algeria's capital. A group calling itself al-Qaeda in Islamic North Africa is claiming responsibility.

-The energy ministers of the world's leading industrialized nations have met in Japan amid fears soaring oil prices could damage the global economy. The Group of Eight (G8) organization met two days after a record one-day jump in crude oil to $139 a barrel.

-While those high oil prices have caused fuel prices in major cities like San Francisco and Seattle to skyrocket well above $4.00 a gallon over the last several months, this past weekend saw the national average surge past the $4 mark.

ROTFLMAO!

Quote of the Day:

Well Dayum! The Fat Lady just sang her tits right off!

-Homogenius, a commenter to my cross-post on Hillary's speech over at DailyKos, on Hillary Clinton's exit from the presidential campaign.

Standing With Obama, Moving Forward

Quote of the Day:

The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

-Sen. Hillary Clinton, suspending her campaign today and formally endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president.

And so this primary season ends. I'll get to the actual speech and the Senator's endorsement of Obama in a moment. First though, I must speak of the heavy heart I have this morning for my mother and the women of her generation (in fact, women of all generations). They wanted, with every fiber of their being, to see the first woman president. In Hillary Clinton they had a taste of that dream. It was within their grasp only to have their candidate fall just short of the finish line. I know full well that this sort of political loss hurts more than any other. This wasn't just any political race. For my mother and her American sisters this was very personal, and I understand full well that Clinton's loss feels like the ultimate punch in the gut.

Although she didn't reach the White House, Hillary Clinton did break one important glass ceiling: It will be common-place in future elections to see women presidential candidates; in fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if we have that first woman president before 2020. And who knows? Depending on the time, the place, and the politics, it could very well be Hillary Clinton.

That said, I agree fully with Sen. Clinton's comments today that women and Americans everywhere should really think hard about why we need to have Barack Obama elected president and John McCain rejected soundly. When it comes right down to it, we're all Democrats and any thought of staying home or voting Republican in November simply because your candidate lost the nomination would, after eight years of the worst presidency in American history, put self above country. And the United States can't afford four more years of Fascist-Republican rule.

My strong support of Barack Obama is well known, and my absolute horror of the vitriolic campaign the Clintons ran well documented on this blog. But I'll give credit where it is due: Hillary Clinton gave a superb speech today. During the 1990's Bill Clinton understood the importance of moments like this, giving speeches worthy of the history books, causing lumps in throats and tears for days. THOSE Clintons showed themselves in spades today. In ending her quest for her party's presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton came across as a true Democrat and - more importantly - a true American.

I don't deny her passion and strong work ethic. She will continue to be a force in American government for as long as she wants to be; and today she showed her love of that government - and of her country - by throwing her support to Barack Obama.

Nicely done, Senator. Nicely done.