NYC Gym Pundits Frustrated Over Hillary Hate

by CODY LYON

Politics was flowing from mouths faster than the sweat from brows at New York City’s Crunch Gym on Lafayette this past Wednesday as a group of amateur pundits gathered within the downtown house of body worship engaging in more chit and chat than arms on curls.

Background beats from Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s “4 Minutes to save the world” kept heads bobbin while the pundits voiced frustration over continued calls by Democrats and media bullhorns to kick “their girl” off the playing field in the race for the White House this season.

As he sat and strained with a tortured look on his face pushing down a tricep machine, one of them began his diatribe.

“I just don’t get it, she’s like that girl in school with the real big glasses who knows everything, you just can’t trip her up, no matter how hard you try… of course I want her as my President,” he said of Hillary.

But his friend shot back with a sarcastic tone, “that’s not want they want at CNN” as he glanced over at the TV screens airing the nightly punditry from the Cable giant.

“They (the media) are blowing so much smoke up the Obama campaign’s bottom it’s pretty obvious they so want him to win” he said, standing, hands on hips, scoping the happy hour crowd that frequents the East Village institution on this busier than usual night.

Yet another chimed in “I want someone who is going to kick some butt” and “she’s really the only one that I think will do that, forget this coming together with Republicans crap.”

Obviously, there was some anger in this gym pundit’s tone that night, and it wasn’t because his set had been interrupted. Politics seems to be the one excuse an instigator of conversation can use these days when interrupting Downtown Manhattan gym routines.

Later, while pedaling and reading the “Village Voice” on a stationary bike, really fast, as if he was actually trying to outrun the police or a mad lover another pundit was interrupted

“What are you reading that liberal rag for” the instigator said jokingly to the reader pundit on his way to no place.

“Can you believe this cover” he said

On the cover of the alt press king, is a cartoon image of Hillary Clinton, looking less than flattering, as cartoonist often draw politicians, with bandages on her face and all swollen.

“It’s about MSNBC for God’s sake so why so cruel,” he said.

“MSNBC hates her” the biker/reader concluded saying that despite the art-work, the “Voice” article written by Wayne Barret, was an excellent indictment of the shrill antics at the NBC cable network.

But then, as if on cue, the instigator of the gym pundits, allowed his mind to distract into deeper reality, a reality that inspired his own private rage at the way politics in America is conducted today, the way the issues get reported, the frustration with an epidemic of disconnect that some party officials and outspoken elites often appear to embellish when it came to the best most productive ways government can and should affect change in everyday lives.

Why did we not openly discuss the legacies of racism in America and instead focused on shrill, offensive but essentially true words uttered or preached by public figures and ministers? Why readers and viewers hear more about a ‘most dangerous cities’ list as if, entire American cities were somehow places we should not go? Why do we not see or hear about the thousands of Mother’s who shed millions of tears for sons or daughters that have been gunned down on our own streets? Why have we not spoken of the unjust and still racist ways we fund our public schools, a system that perpetuates a festering culture of poverty and an un-prepared workforce?

Why do we not ask our candidates how they would address the shocking high school dropout rates in many of our nation’s cities and rural areas? Where is the talk of providing solid and equal ladders of opportunity in the delta or the black belt of the south? Instead of the negative blasting between the Obama’s and Clinton’s, where are the loud and proud solutions to the ongoing injustice, black, white and elderly, that is on vivid display within our nation’s healthcare system, a system so rotten that many of our people are subject to inhumanity in of all things, their health? How did we all allow ourselves to become so embroiled in such tawdry rhetoric when it came to engaging, challenging and getting to know our would be public servants, especially, our President?

“And while I was in Florida, I asked some people are you upset as voters about being potentially disenfranchised at the Democratic Convention”? said the biker.

Suddenly, the instigator of the gym pundits returned from his trance, and inner rant, continuing yet again in his punditry.

What the biker found in the Sunshine State was several of those quizzed in hanging-chad land had apparently given up on their voices ever being heard in this contest, shrugging it all off and saying “well, I guess so,” he reported.

“That state is so discombobulated,” he said as he wondered aloud.

Then, the biker shared an example of the political “meanness” floating around liberal rumor land about Clinton. A co-worker of his who is an Obama supporter, apparently is under the false impression that if Senator Clinton does not win the Democratic nomination, she would then resign as Senator of New York.

“That would prove she just used New York,” the pundit’s co-worker allegedly said to which both proceeded to take to blast the apparent hate expressed by some Obama supporters towards Clinton as her supporters feel increasingly alienated by people they thought they had shared values.

He then said “look, it’s not that I don’t like Obama, I just like Hillary “more” and I think she could win against McCain and I’m sick of people who say she ought to quit.”

“Don’t these people know history?”

He went on to remind the other that in 1980, current Obama supporter, then Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Edward Kennedy, entered the summer behind candidate Jimmy Carter by 24 states to ten, further trailing Carter by 2.4 million popular votes yet he still did not drop out of the race. Instead, Kennedy took his fight all the way to the convention floor, intent on somehow wrestling a victory from the party.


“I’m really tired of all these whining babies who complain about how the party is being torn apart, this is politics,” said the biker who said it’s Clinton that stands the only chance in winning a general election.

“If they think things are ugly now, just wait until November, I mean, what the hell are they thinking, she’ll kick their ass,” he said.

As the night moved on, a glance over at the leg’s section of the gym brought dread as the observer of the night’s discussion contemplated squats. But then, almost like a convenient distortion from the physical pain that awaited, a curious thought popped up.

A certain news story from earlier that day had not grown legs of its own.

Earlier that day, “Reuters’ had reported on a Quinnipiac University poll that served up a dose of reality from the ground, news that anyone who calls himself political junkie ought to partake of and ponder if they are curious about truths of what to expect come November.

The poll, not only found Hillary Clinton ahead of Barack Obama 50 to 41 percent in Pennsylvania, the report said she runs better against Republican Senator John McCain in that same state as well as discombobulated Florida and the buckeye state Ohio.

Reuters reported that McCain trails Clinton 42 to 44 percent in Florida but McCain leads Obama 46 to 37 percent in the Sunshine State.

The same report said that in Ohio, Clinton has a 48 to 39 percent lead over McCain while Obama would lead McCain only by one percent at 43 to 42 percent.

In Pennsylvania, Clinton leads McCain 48 to 40 percent while Obama leads the Arizona Senator by only 43 to 39 percent according to Reuters.

The countless scattered voices in thousands of other gyms or other places where people gather and unintentionally find themselves embroiled in heated political discussion often represent more of the nation’s voice than they’re given credit.

But it’s still what takes place deep inside the mind that is at the heart of the deeper mission and quest for a better tomorrow.

The people, they all still talk and debate, even in the face of 24 hour news cycle soothsayers with platforms who attempt to convince them that they are either out of touch, perhaps outside the norm, somehow destroying any efforts at unity, which in itself is a ridiculous notion in the end. This is after all, part of the beauty of a free political system, where no matter how much power some believe they have in shaping opinion, it is in the end, individuals who still think and ultimately decide for themselves.

Perhaps, the chit and chat occurring inside this spec of space within the 35 square mile island that is Manhattan, here deep inside this, the nation’s biggest city, has its ear closer to the ground that is America, and yet again, that’s why this all continues with the hope that whoever wins keeps their ear to the ground and their finger on the pulse of that which is all of America.




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Bear Stearns CEO in hot seat (REUTERS)

Apr. 3 - Bear Stearns CEO Alan Schwartz was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill as lawmakers review rescue plan.

In the days leading up to the fire sale of investment bank firm Bear Stearns, the company was the topic of rumors, speculation and fear that led the venerable Wall Street firm to the brink of ruin.

Bear Stearns CEO Alan Schwartz, testified about those uncertain days before the Senate Banking Committee.

Deborah Lutterbeck reports.(REUTERS)

Clinton leads Obama, McCain in key matchups: poll (REUTERS)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton holds a 9-point lead over rival Barack Obama among likely Pennsylvania Democratic primary voters ahead of the state's April 22 primary, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday.

Clinton, a New York senator who would be the first female president, leads the Illinois senator 50 percent to 41 percent, the poll found. She also runs better against the likely Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, in Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio -- all important swing states in the general election.

In a general election matchup in Florida, McCain closely trails Clinton 42 percent to 44 percent but McCain leads Obama, who would be the first black president, 46 percent to 37 percent, according to the poll.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT REUTERS

A Reason for Supporting Congestion Pricing In Manhattan.....Cycling

Regarding Reasons to Support Congestion Pricing...The battle between cyclists and automobiles...

Excerpt from my 2006 piece at OMNI

But, truth be told, there is a daily battle taking place on the streets of New York City between automobiles and bicycles.

Automobiles, whose weight is measured in tons and can reach speeds capable of triple digits, maintain the clear safety advantage over the pedaling human eggshells called cyclists.

Cyclists glide through streets on two wheels all the while dodging arrogant SUVs, cumbersome bullying buses and manic trucks on deadlines making deliveries to homes and businesses across the five boroughs.

Yellow Cabs race for fare-paying customers, phantom looking black sedans zip through lanes ignoring all around them, and lost or intoxicated commuters attempt to pass, cut in front of, or compete for parking in the chaotic, poorly policed traffic-choked streets of New York City.

In addition to the unpredictable cars, cyclists must be on the lookout for the thousands of Carries and Bills, who while frantically discussing the evening's plans or an earlier lunchtime meeting on their cell phone, tend to jaywalk, wandering aimlessly into a crosswalk or bike lane, disregarding traffic signals or worse yet, completely ignoring the moving human on the bike headed right for them.
Link to the full Story

Residents of Alabama's Black Belt hit hardest by high gas prices

***(Opinion) Throughout the United States, there are places so isolated and impoverished that residents are literally unable to access the basic economic and educational ladders of opportunity that so many others take for granted. The impoverished rural areas in Alabama's Black Belt region offer testament to a nation that appears to have forgotten vast swaths of its own people. In fact, some might say Alabama's Black Belt presents a case study of blatant economic injustice. Here is a story from "The Birmingham News" that illustrates just one, but obviously major symptom of that apparent truth.***
Cody Lyon
****
Monday, March 31, 2008
TOM GORDON
Birmingham News staff writer

SELMA - Alabama's Black Belt has some of the nation's poorest counties, and a recent survey suggests many of its residents are suffering more from high gasoline prices than most people in the nation.

According to the latest Pain at the Pump Index by the Oil Price Information Service, residents of Wilcox County spend more of their money on fuel than their counterparts in any other county in the nation.

The median monthly income in Wilcox is $1,460.50, according to the index. Each month, Wilcox residents spend more than 13 percent of that monthly income on gasoline. And the price they pay at the pump is 12 cents higher than the national median of $3.17.
Link to Full Story at "The Birmingham News"

Obama had greater role on liberal survey (from POLITCO)

EXCERPT FROM POLITICO
by KENNETH P. VOGEL | 3/31/08
During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion — positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he has projected during his presidential campaign.

The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group’s detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state Senate seat.

Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama’s answers to the original questionnaire, his aides said he “never saw or approved” the questionnaire.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT POLITICO.COM

(REUTERS) Clinton says China holdings threaten U.S. security

By Jeff Mason at REUTERS

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Reuters) - The Bush administration has jeopardized national security and the ability to intervene in world crises because of the huge U.S. debt held partly by China, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said on Saturday.

The New York senator, who argues she is better prepared to deal with economic and foreign policy problems than rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told a rally in Indiana that the United States' $9 trillion in gross national debt puts it at the mercy of other nations.
LINK TO FULL REUTERS STORY

Footage and Brief Statement from Alabama's Former Governor Don Siegelman on The Day He Left Prison

From AL.COM

Don Siegelman leaves prison

LINK TO AL.COM Post"The Birmingham News"

James Carville-Disloyalty that Merits and Insult (Washington Post)

By James Carville-OPINION FROM "WASHINGTON POST"
Saturday, March 29, 2008; Page A15
excerpt:
Last Friday the New York Times asked me to comment on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for president. For 15 years, Richardson served with no small measure of distinction as the representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. But he gained national stature -- and his career took off -- when President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later made him energy secretary.

So, when asked on Good Friday about Richardson's rejection of the Clintons, the metaphor was too good to pass by. I compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot. (And Matthew Dowd is right: Had it been the Fourth of July, I probably would have called him Benedict Arnold.)
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT WASHINGTON POST

Politics on The Runway

By Cody Lyon

Each week, countless fans of Bravo Television’s smart reality show, Project Runway, get a kick out of hearing Heidi Klum, in her pronounced German accent say, “you’re out” to the losing contestant of the competition.

But before the final rendering, in the final moments on the program, viewers are treated to a fashion show, this being the moment when competitors parade their gowns, dresses or suits before the judges, often constructed under the most difficult situations.

The contestants represent, as models strut down the runway while Nina Garcia, Heidi and Michael Kors all take notes and then offer sometimes stinging critiques, building the drama for the commercial break, and when viewers return, Klum makes her final analysis and bids auf wiedersehen to one unlucky contestant.

At its very fundament, fashion is taking something ordinary and making it fabulous. Beneath all of that creation is fantasy and interestingly enough, it is fantasy that has bled into current day Democratic Party politics, fantasy that could potentially lead voters astray under the assumption that if you can’t beat them, join them, all in the name of party unity.

The beauty of Project Runway is that we the viewers get to watch, as contestants struggle with all manner of seemingly impossible obstacles to construct creations, utilizing everything from curtains to plants, sewn, stapled or taped together under what seem to be impossible time frames. The contestants argue, back stab or team up on each other often while dealing with personal drama, but in the end, they produce and dazzle or disappoint us with their end products.

Sometimes, these same patterns emerge in political races. But, at least on Project Runway, the final goodbye is saved for after the runway show. In the case of the contest between Hillary and Barack, the runway is still occupied and the show goes on, but, fantasy seeds of an already rendered final decision have been planted by some who would bid one candidate goodbye.

As has been widely witnessed, calls by pundits, some Democratic leaders and other people with platforms are being made for Hillary Clinton to step aside so that the prematurely anointed candidate Barack Obama, can have free reign over the direction of the upcoming general campaign against Republican John McCain.

According to a number of those calling for a Clinton departure, this longer than expected campaign is “dividing” the Democratic Party and hurting chances for a victory against John McCain and the Republican 527 machine of dirty politics sure to emerge in November.

Howard Dean, chairman of the national party, has called on both sides to stop being personal, to cool it with the bickering, yet, as anyone can read, the nastiness continues throughout the web and elsewhere as members of the media engage in what Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post called, “Open season” on Hillary.

But as Kurtz pointed out in his March 28 column, while 22 percent of Obama supporters say Clinton should leave the race, the same amount, 22 percent of Clinton supporters, feel the same about Obama, and that he should be the one who drops out, according to a Ramussen poll of Democratic voters.

In other words, while many in the media have given the Obama side a bullhorn in telling Hillary to hit the road, the reality on the ground seems to say otherwise, and apparently, that is what is keeping Hillary’s engines revved up for the prolonged battle in this truly close race.

Add that to what appears to be convenient lack of outrage over the Florida and Michigan delegate issue which would have closed any sense of a gap in the contest further.

One would think that whole issue was “settled”, at least according to the dearth of outrage from editorialists and pundits over what could prove to be one of the biggest cases of democratic party voter disenfranchisement ever, a case that has already sewn seeds of resentment in those swing states that will haunt Obama moreso than a loud Rev. Wright sermon, that is, if his supporters do indeed prevail in kicking Hillary out of the sandbox.

As Senator Obama told a voter this past March 20 who’d ask him when he’d get to vote for him in Michigan, a “re-do vote is very complicated.”

Indeed it would, but, what will prove more complicated is the convincing of those voters that you have their best interest in mind in November, especially after you did very little to see to it that their voices were heard in a Democratic primary, not some pre arranged caucus "arrangement" where the younger grass roots types prevail.

As some Democratic voters sit back and watch all of this unfold before their eyes, they wonder, should they too engage in the sort of shrill tactics being served up online and elsewhere over their displeasure at the sort of fantasy politics being sold them by some of the purveyors information?

Does the fact that Hillary Clinton won in big states like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California, states that Democrats won in 2004 general election, serve as a realistic reminder that pushing Clinton out would do very little for party unity and that her victory in Manhattan serves as a note to the news folks, Clinton’s base also includes well read “latte liberals?”

Does the fact that Hillary won primaries in the crucial swing states like Ohio, and yes, Florida, give room for pause in the crusade to kick Clinton off the team?

And, what about Pennsylvania where she now leads in double digits?

The judges are still writing on their cards, the runway is still occupied with two models of American democracy and guess what, they both deserve to be heard until the final auf wiedersehen is pronounced by voters not pundits.

Siegelman to be Released

Ex-Governor of Alabama Is Ordered Released (New York Times)
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: March 28, 2008
Don Siegelman was ordered released from prison pending his appeal of a bribery conviction that Democrats say resulted from a politically driven prosecution.
FULL LINK TO STORY

Battles rage in southern Iraq (REUTERS)

(REUTERS)Mar. 27 - Fighting in Iraq's south between government-backed forces and Shi'ite militia continues for a third day.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed security forces would battle Shi'ite militia in Basra "to the end" despite thousands of protesters marching to demand his resignation.

Mehdi Army fighters loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remain in control of streets of Basra, Iraq's second biggest city and main oil hub, defying a three-day government offensive that has led to violence spreading across the south and Baghdad.

Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.

The Uncle Al Election- Gail Collins at "The New York Times"

Op-Ed Columnist-"New York Times"
The Uncle Al Election
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: March 27, 2008
The race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has now turned into one long Uncle Al show. Everybody wins! Nobody loses! How do we make them stop?
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT The New York Times

White House Offers Grim Outlook for Medicare (New York Times)

From "The New York Times"
White House Offers Grim Outlook for Medicare
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: March 25, 2008
The new reports, like those issued last April, said that Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund would be exhausted in 2019, while Social Security’s reserves would be depleted in 2041.
Link to FULL STORY

What Does Iraq's Oil Say About The Iraq War? (Re-post)

by Cody Lyon (LINK TO FULL TEXT)
EXCERPTThe Iraqi cabinet approved the hydrocarbon law on Feb. 26 and sent it on to parliament where it now sits. If fully approved, Iraq's oil reserves would be opened to investment from foreign multinational oil companies. The current legislation would also provide oil companies the option for long-term contracts of up to 30 years. The laws would set up Profit Sharing Agreements, or PSAs, where revenue is based on the profit after oil companies' deduct their production costs. Reportedly, the remaining profits would then be divided among the Iraqi provinces.

Critics charge that the law offers excessive and unfair profits to the oil companies. Others worry that since Iraq is now a country experiencing horrific turmoil, the time is not right to debate such important economic legislation.

Supporters of the oil law disagree. They say the regulatory, legal and tax structure the oil law sets up, will invite the necessary outside investment the country needs to jumpstart its economy. They see the law as an enabler of market-based economic infrastructure that will produce streams of revenue, helping restore stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people.
LINK TO STORY

A View From The Black Pulpit (Birmingham News)

by-P. BANNEKER HATCHERSON- Pastor at 23rd Street Baptist Church South- Birmingham, Ala., (Birmingham News)

excerpt 3/23/2008The recent and ongoing parley over a few "sound bites" of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, demonstrates afresh the wide gulf existing between the black community and the white community.

Wright is and has been one of my favorite preachers. It is the freedom of the black pulpit that makes it so unique. It's not a freedom without accountability, for the black preacher is more scrutinized than probably any person in America. However, he is expected to "endure hardness as a good soldier" (II Timothy 2:3) and speak the truth regardless.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT THE "BIRMINGHAM NEWS"

Barack Tells Cheney of Hezbollah Threat in Israel (REUTERS)

(REUTERS) Mar 24 - Israeli defence minister Ehud Barack has renewed fears about the threat posed by Hezbollah.

Barack said the Jewish State must be prepared to protect itself against Hezbollah threats to avenge the death of a top guerilla commander.

The comments came during the final day of a visit to Jerusalem by United States Vice President Dick Cheney.

Andrew Potter reports.

What Politicians Say When They Talk About Race (New York Times)

What Politicians Say When They Talk About Race (FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
By JANNY SCOTT
Published: March 23, 2008
Whether Barack Obama’s speech on race helped or hurt him, the moment was unlike virtually any other in American politics since the civil rights movement.
Link to FULL TEXT AT NYT

White House Computer Hard Drives Destroyed (CBSNEWS/AP)

(CBS/AP) Older White House computer hard drives have been destroyed, the White House disclosed to a federal court Friday in a controversy over millions of possibly missing e-mails from 2003 to 2005.

The White House revealed new information about how it handles its computers in an effort to persuade a federal magistrate it would be fruitless to undertake an e-mail recovery plan that the court proposed.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT CBSNEWS.COM

PBS FRONTLINE PREMIERES BUSH'S WAR

BEGINNING THIS MONDAY ON PBS- LINK TO PBS FRONTLINE For Further Details
FROM PBS FRONTLINE:From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge -- for six years, FRONTLINE has revealed the defining stories of the war on terror in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence.

Now, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga unfolds in the two-part FRONTLINE special Bush's War, airing Monday, March 24, from 9 to 11:30 P.M. and Tuesday, March 25, 2008, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS (check local listings). Veteran producer Michael Kirk (The Torture Question, The Dark Side) draws on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism -- more than 40 FRONTLINE reports on the war on terror. Combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush's War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history.
PREVIEW

Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading- (New York Times)

US- NEW YORK TIMESD
Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading
By IAN URBINA
Published: March 22, 2008
Plans for municipal Wi-Fi grids have been tripped up by unrealistic ambitions and technological glitches.
Link to Full Story at "New York Times"

On Iraq: Time to Spread the Pain-(Re Post)

RE-Post
from 1/19/2007
also at Oh My News International (podcast link read by Claire George)
by CODY LYON
During an interview this week with PBS's "Newshour," journalist Jim Lehrer asked U.S. President George Bush, if the struggle in Iraq is so "important to all of us and to the future of our country, if not the world, why have you not, as President of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something?"

Lehrer, himself a former U.S. marine, noted that the only Americans actually sacrificing anything at this point were military members and their families.

The President responded that he thought Americans "sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night. I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war."

True, much of the sadness Americans feel about Iraq is based on what we read, see, or hear in the media. But our bout with the blues is a minor inconvenience when compared to the pain and sacrifice of American military families.

Face it: Americans can choose to tune in or out and avoid news about the war if we want to. For many, Iraq is viewed as just another current event that may or may not spark political passions.

Keeping us safely on the sidelines is that word "volunteer" military, which appears to absolve many politicians of real guilt, responsibility or understanding of the gravity of what war is, especially when these things are in the planning stages.

In further response to Lehrer's question, the president was quick to defend tax cuts, saying that raising taxes was not an option.

That means the one percent of Americans who earn 16.9 percent of all income in the United States will continue to enjoy peace of mind if they don't watch the news. These are the same individuals who, according to the Economic Policy Institute, control 42.2 percent of all net financial assets in America. According to Bush, if they were asked to make a financial sacrifice through higher taxes, it might "hurt" our growing economy.

But the real tearjerker is that we are sending this financial sacrifice to our children. Our current national debt is $8.6 trillion, a figure that tacks on another estimated $200 billion in war costs each year.

Could it be time for a little soul searching when it comes to spreading the pain of this national debacle?

Is it moral to ask military families to make the tremendous sacrifices they are making, while not asking wealthy Americans to make financial sacrifices during a time of war?

During the PBS interview, Bush told Lehrer he wanted to make sure people feel like "life's moving on, that they're able to make a living and send their kids to college and put more money on the table."

Compare this to the collective psychology surrounding World War II and the days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Roosevelt, with his dramatic -- what today might be called radical -- 1942 "Call for Sacrifice" said, "indeed in these days when every affordable dollar should go to the war effort, I do not think any American citizen should have a net income in excess of $25,000 per year after taxes." This translates into about $313,000 in the inflation-adjusted dollars of 2005.

That would surely send shivers down the spine of Student Loan Company Sallie Mae (SLM) CEO Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, who earned $39 million in 2006.

But, that leads back to Jim Lehrer's simple question. If the struggle in Iraq is so important, why haven't all Americans been asked to sacrifice something?

While no one can measure an entire nation's psychology with any real degree of certainty, if all Americans, regardless of wealth, were required to "sacrifice," for instance, a year or so of their lives to public service, rest assured the collective level of engagement would rise when it comes to issues that lead to military actions. And that's to say nothing of the positive shared experiences and connectivity.

For now, according to the president, the shared sacrifice is occurring when watching the evening news. My how we've changed.

Roosevelt said in 1942 that the price of civilization must be paid in hard work, sorrow. and blood.

Apparently, Roosevelt and his generation believed that war is fought through the real and tangible sacrifice of all its citizens, including the wealthy. And, Roosevelt, along with his generation, understood that war is a last resort.

Our current president appears to be more concerned with the impact of powerful images -- that the rash of negative news and journalism coming from Iraq is our shared sacrifice. He continues his arrogant spin, to try to spook us with false threats, in order to justify the images, the stories, the truth: a truth that is America's biggest foreign policy mistake in decades.

So, in what has become a time of crisis, where is the call for shared national sacrifice Mr. President? Why have you not asked all of us, as another president did some 20 years after Roosevelt, to ask ourselves, what we can do for our country?

Court Tosses Suit over Florida Dem Delegates(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

By AARON GOULD SHEININ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/21/08

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee over the party's decision to strip Florida of its delegates to the national convention.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT AJC.COM

Socialized Compensation (The New York Times-Editorial)

Editorial- THE NEW YORK TIMES
Socialized Compensation
Published: March 21, 2008
Until bankers face a real risk of losing their shirts, they will keep ratcheting up risks to collect rewards while letting the rest of us carry the bag when their punts go bad.
LINK TO FULL EDITORIAL FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

John Kerry on Barack Obama-from Southcoasttoday.com

Michigan Do-Over Appears To Be Out of the Question

By DAWSON BELL • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • March 20, 2008 (DETROIT FREE PRESS) Freep.com
LINK TO FULL STORY

LANSING — The Detroit Free Press is reporting...The huffing and puffing is over: Michigan Democrats dropped plans Thursday for a June 3 do-over presidential primary, conceding it had no chance of winning approval in the state Legislature.
Advertisement

The decision leaves unresolved for the foreseeable future the question of what role, if any, Michigan Democrat delegates will play in selecting the party’s nominee.

The remaining options — chief among them holding some form of party caucus election or challenging a national party decision to take away Michigan’s delegates to the nominating convention — have drawbacks of their own.

*****

The Associated Press reported that Obama was questioned at a campaign stop Thursday in Charleston, W.Va., by Jeff Lynch, 48, of Mount Pleasant.

“When am I going to get to vote for you in Michigan?” Lynch asked.

“Probably in the general election,” Obama replied. “A redo vote is very complicated.”

A Memory from The East Village: My Shock and Awe

BY CODY LYON
On March 19, 2008, New York City’s East Village neighborhood is cool, gray and wet as light rain dampens the aesthetic sprit of what is usually one of Manhattan’s most colorful and lively neighborhoods, a neighborhood filled with memories for so many.

The sky is thick, the view limited, obscured by the clouds and mist, the empire state building is no where in sight, the sidewalks sparse, as few brave the weather, only venturing to go from one boutique or thrift shop to a sushi bar or perhaps a deli for a newspaper or magazine.

On Avenue C at Eleventh Street, backhoes, asphalt cutters and men with red flags directing traffic sends muffled noises into apartments and co-ops, as water pipes, power sources or other infrastructure gets repaired.

A grocery store is filled with shoppers some speaking Spanish, a few notice the Turkey Hill Ice Cream is on sale for $2.99 a gallon while others see that WIC covers Peter Pan Peanut Butter.

There’s an old man, one of several standing who bags your groceries, he keeps a pile of coins in the corner hoping customers leave a nickel, dime or perhaps a quarter or more.

Later, a walk is taken, along the way, the phone rings, a friend is having some issues with her boss, she feels betrayed, but advice is given, she hangs up, the walk continues.

On a nearby schoolyard, two young men brave the mist, toss a ball to each other, they laugh and carry a conversation, a woman with a stroller pushes quickly past, she pays them no mind.

Black smoke billows from the chimney of a brown stained building, about 6 stories high, it rises straight into the sky, a slight breeze sends it west.

A yellow school bus, its driver wears a white shirt, children are sitting two to a seat, headed home after a day of learning, playing, being together perhaps engaging in mischief..

A woman with plastic shopping bags hanging from her pockets walks down Avenue B, around 5 dogs on a leash, a small erudite looking dachsund leads, the human lumbers along pulled by her canine team, she smiles as she passes.

On Avenue A, one thin young man, thick black hair wears a blue sweater, he’s also braving the mist and sits outside at a café on 9th street under a canopy, the other tables empty, he reads a book, sips coffee from a white china cup on a saucer with green trim

Further west, on First Avenue at 10th Street, a young woman with blond hair, blue highlights around its edges, searches in an oversized black purse, finally, she finds that cigarette and struggles to light it. Her red and black tweed skirt with combat boots underneath, trigger memories of a neighborhood that celebrated individuality, a time in the late 1980’s, when a young man from Alabama, said hello to New York for the first time.

But, that particular memory is overshadowed by another, a more recent memory that has led to a shared painful reality, a reality that some say has divided and fatigued an entire nation, a reality most of us witness from the comfort of our homes and communities, a reality that is nightmarish, a shared but awful truth of where we the people find ourselves today.

In the five long years since the first bombs landed in Baghdad, this nation has seen countless sacrifices that most of us learn about through photographs and stories and occasional movies. But what most of us see, hear and read only begins to touch the deeper truths, truths that are too painful and awful to communicate by words, images or anything beyond experience itself.

And, as time continues to pass in neighborhoods and homes across the nation, as images of fireballs and thundering explosions fade yet another year away into our collective memory, millions still ask the question, was it all worth it.

Still, melancholic observations from New York don’t when compare to the memories and tears of a Mother in Indiana, a wife in Detroit or a Father in Mississippi who deals with the daily reality that their son, daughter or husband will not be coming home to walk the dog, go to the grocery store, play ball with a friend, go to school or push the baby in a stroller down the street?

There is a sense of collective sadness, helplessness and outrage in America today and it really began to burn itself into our conscience during news reports of military operations called shock and awe. But, are we still in shock over the bloodbath that has taken so many from us and from the Iraqi’s themselves?

Or, are we in awe of the memory that we allowed leaders and the nation itself to be misled into the belief that all of this was somehow, absolutely necessary?

Meanwhile in New York City’s East Village, the raindrops continue their long descent from the sky.

(ABC NEWS) Buried in Eloquence, Obama Contradictions About Pastor

FROM ABCNEWS-By BRIAN ROSS and AVNI PATEL
March 19, 2008 Buried in his eloquent, highly praised speech on America's racial divide, Sen. Barack Obama contradicted more than a year of denials and spin from him and his staff about his knowledge of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial sermons.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT ABCNEWS

Bush Defends War During Speech (New York Times)

International / Middle East (NEW YORK TIMES)
Bush Defends Iraq War in Speech
By JOHN HOLUSHA
Published: March 20, 2008
In remarks prepared for a speech on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, President Bush defended the conflict.
LINK TO FULL TEXT

Obama Speaks About Pastor and Race

Mar. 18 - In a speech in Philadelphia, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama said comments by Rev. Wright were "not only wrong but divisive." (Reuters)



FULL TEXT OF SENATOR OBAMA'S SPEECH AT NEW YORK TIMES

Mortars kill Baghdad school children (Reuters)

Mar. 18 (REUTERS) - A mortar attack kills six children at a school complex in northern Baghdad.

The attack took place around 5.30pm at the Al-Ah'ali primary school on Monday (March 17).

The school's wall was pockmarked with shrapnel holes and bloodstains were still on the street near the school early on Tuesday.

The wounded children were taken to al-Sadr hospital in Sadr city for treatment.

Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.

Bush, Praising Fed’s Intervention, Faces Criticism (New York Times)

Bush, Praising Fed’s Intervention, Faces Criticism (NYT)
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: March 17, 2008
Critics accused the administration of bailing out a prestigious bank while ignoring the hardships of Americans facing foreclosures on their homes.
LINK TO FULL POST AT "New York Times"

ASIA STOCKS TUMBLE- (REUTERS)

(REUTERS) March 17 - Bourses across Asia suffered heavy losses on Monday ignoring an emergency move by the Federal Reserve to stem a fast spreading credit crisis.

Banking stocks were badly bruised on news that U.S. bank stepped in to buy ailing peer Bear Stearns with worries that more financial institutions were suffering big losses.

Japan's Nikkei fell to a 2.5-year closing low. the dollar fell 3 percent against the yen as confidence eroded that the U.S. can avoid a deep recession.

Tara Joseph-Hui reports.

Sale Price Reflects the Depth of Bear’s Problems (New York Times)

Business
Sale Price Reflects the Depth of Bear’s Problems
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
Published: March 17, 2008
In a shocking deal to save Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay a mere $2 a share to buy all of Bear — less than one-tenth the firm’s market price on Friday.
LINK TO NEW YORK TIMES STORY

FED CUTS DISCOUNT RATE IN EMERGENCY WEEKEND MOVE( Bloomberg News)

BLOOMBERG NEWS IS REPORTING
U.S. Fed Cuts Discount Rate, Says Dealers May Borrow (Update2)

By Scott Lanman
Enlarge Image/Details

March 16 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve, in an emergency weekend decision, cut the rate on direct loans to commercial banks and opened up borrowing at the rate to primary dealers in government securities.
FULL LINK

Obama Ferraro Race Flap Roils Race (Huffington Post)

FROM "HUFFINGTON POST"
-Obama Ferraro Race Flap Roils Race-

LINK TO EXTENDED COVERAGE AT HUFF POST

(via-YOU TUBE) Jeremiah Wright- Senator Obama's Minister

More on Rev. Wright from Politico.com
Wright's committee (via Ben Smith's Blog at Politico)

via POLITICOJeremiah Wright, in the news today because video of a sermon (parts of which had been reported, and disavowed, before) adds some heat to the discussion of his relationship with Obama, has generally been described as connected to Obama only informally — a religious figure with whom Obama has said he disagrees at times, a kind of cranky uncle.

But he also has a formal role on the campaign.

Wright is a member of Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee — the sort of largely honorary, advisory body that in recent days has recently been used mostly to throw people off who say controversial things.

The Obama campaign couldn't immediately say whether he'd remain on the committee.

Why Democrats Should Never Neglect the South

By Cody Lyon

Over the past few generations or so, the deep southern states of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi have engaged in a sort of pecking order amongst themselves. Georgia people sometimes claim to be more sophisticated and worldly than the folks in Alabama while Alabamians have been known to say, well, at least we’ve got Mississippi.

But, those little put downs are the result of a shared regional psychology that extends back over the years as the South dealt with its many curses including a sense of defeat, the horrific sins of racism, along with a shared sense of defiance and pride in the face of a nation that made no secret of what part of the country was most looked down on.

And, despite dramatic social change over the past few decades and a greater integration into the economic national fold, there are still reasons for southern insecurity that are evidenced through inexcusable and dramatic social ills that should bother the conscience of every American who calls themselves progressive, and there is no place those ills are more evident than Mississippi.

Still, during national elections, the more progressive party, the Democrats, basically write off the South as un-winnable during national elections which in turn, further fuels a sense that parts of this nation have been truly left behind.

It’s as if Democrats gave up on the South after the successful Southern strategy by Republican candidates who first latched onto racism and later pedaled hot button right wing social topics that played well in the Bible Belt, while the truly immoral injustices of economic, health and educational equity continued to fester in many parts of the region.

In truth, it’s almost sad to watch horse race pundit powered Mississippi Democratic political primary coverage as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton come calling for votes knowing full well that if the past is any indication, once November roles around, Barack and or Hillary probably won’t spend much time in Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia.

National Democratic leaders, inhibited by political strategy have proven lazy, almost timid in their approach to the vast swath of Southern voters who were hijacked by an empty right wing Republican social agenda. Perhaps now the time is right to repackage and aggressively sell a message that embodies the spirit of FDR, or perhaps more recently, John Edwards, a superior inclusive message that trumps the divisive, fear based tactics that have basically prayed upon deeply held beliefs while conveniently serving as political smokescreens that were used to further the economic interests of a few who end up doing more harm in Dixie than polluted dew.

There is no place that could benefit more from a confident progressive agenda than the Magnolia State, Mississippi, a state that year after year finds itself on the receiving end of one bad statistic after another.

For example, according to the American Community Survey, 21.6 percent of Mississippi citizens live below the poverty line.

A July 2007 “Washington Post” article titled “Poverty Tightens Grip on Mississippi Delta” said Fifty-Five percent of households in the tiny community of Coahoma Mississippi earn less than $15,000 a year.

The “Washington Post” article spoke to misperceptions many Americans have about rural areas saying “a lot of people believe it’s got to be cheap to live there (in rural areas) and food has got to be more available. But cheap is relative to income. Your ability to get yourself around is limited. There is no public transportation.”

Adding to the negative news, a June 2007 journal study titled “Preventing Chronic Disease” by Leonard Jack Jr. PhD said 51 percent of rural residents experience poverty levels that are hard for most Americans to imagine. That same report noted that from 2000 to 2003, the number of poor people in Mississippi increased by 38,000 to 456,000.

The 2004 “Kids Count Data Book” found that among the 50 states, Mississippi had the second highest level of children living in poverty with 13 percent living in “extreme” poverty compared to 8 percent nationally.

That sort of poverty translates into a sad report card on the general health of many of the state’s citizens.

In Morgan Quinto’s 2004 State Health Care Rankings that among other factors, looks at access to health care providers, affordable health care services and general health of a state’s population, Mississippi ranked last among all the states.

Adding to that, another report from the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2005 to 2006 found the number of uninsured Mississippi residents rose by 24 percent from 483,000 to 600,000. The number of un-insured children rose by 72 percent from 85,000 to 146,000 placing at the top of the list in the nation for that category.

As it stands today, around 17 percent of Mississippi’s citizens have no health insurance at all.

Another cruel symptom of poverty shows up in dietary choices since eating healthy costs more than high calorie junk food evidenced in Mississippi’s ranking as America’s most obese state with Alabama and Georgia not far behind on the scales.

And despite the hope that the 1954 Brown V Board decision would somehow equalize educational opportunities in the South and elsewhere, de-facto segregation and incredible funding disparities became the norm throughout the south.

Truth be told, this nation has yet to offer any sort of aggressive national public school education policy that seeks to address the epidemic of educational inequity so prevalent and obvious in the deep-south where a few wealthier districts funded by local tax dollars do exceptionally well, while a vast portion do poor in test scores, funding per pupil, drop out rates and other measurable factors. Mississippi education statistics, like much of the south are mind numbing, almost always at or near the bottom, all coupled with the fact that the state is home to one of the nation’s lowest literacy rates.

Still, according to 2004 Manhattan Institute report, Mississippi saw a 62 percent high school graduation rate which tied with Alabama and beat Georgia with its 54 percent rate of successful graduates.

But, that compares to a national average of 71 percent.

Proactive solutions are scarce if teacher pay is an indicator since Mississippi ranks 50th out of the 51 states including the District of Columbia in average teacher salaries.

Of course, a litany of statistics has the potential to bore people or perhaps ignite the usual dismissive, disparaging remarks about the South that are fueled by simplistic and ignorant stereotypes. And that sort of dismissive attitude is precisely when the ugly head of hypocrisy within the Democratic Party political strategy rears its ugly head.

Just miles away from the glass towers and majestic suburbs of places like Atlanta, Birmingham and Jackson are the real and living examples of Southern socio-economic injustice. They are found in countless isolated communities along back roads or in the poor often violent cities. These stories offer up evidence that we operate under a failed system run by a government that has in essence, relegated millions to cultures of poverty that continues to breed psyches of hopelessness and isolation. It is a system sorely lacking a national beacon of hope, direction and real solutions.

It would appear that ambitious programs like the New Deal, the Great Society are long gone, not even any sort of national education policy task force that seeks to target those desperate areas that need it most. Where and when did the Party and America lose its way and become such a fractious divided land where power grabs became the goal of politicians and where the collective goal to elevate all our people seemed to slide to a backburner of national indifference and individual greed.

Shrill tactics by Republicans created a pattern that neutered what should have been an aggressive plan to win Southern voters by offering policy solutions in a region where hope is a distant land that far too many can’t afford to visit. In the South, Democrats long ago failed to call the Republican bluff, and for that they should be ashamed. Perhaps it’s time to once again, explain and actively sell a progressive agenda that tells Southern voters what Democrats can do for them.

Otherwise, if national Democratic leaders continue the pattern of neglect, they are complacent in allowing its problems to fester since much of this region is a living laboratory filled with the ills the Party has long claimed it wanted to cure.

In Florida, Worth Breaking the Rules

by Cody Lyon

There’s no denying that seating Democratic Party delegates from Florida and Michigan at the party’s convention in August would be controversial and potentially divisive since both States held their primaries on dates that violated party rules

As it stands, Senator Hillary Clinton stands to gain the most if they are seated and counted, so her campaign is working the system to try and make sure that happens.

Still, in Michigan’s case, a do-over of the primary, or a caucus, would probably be the only way to settle that state’s mess and re-empower voters since Clinton was the only candidate on the ballot in the state’s primary.

But down in Florida, it’s a different story altogether. While neither candidate campaigned in the sunshine state, both Clinton and Obama were on the primary ballot.

Further, there’s a common misperception fueled by the common rhetorical reference in the press and elsewhere to “Florida’s decision” to move the state’s primary to January.

It was not Florida Democratic ‘voters’ who made that decision, but instead, a Republican Governor and a Republican majority Legislature that passed HB 537 which changed the state’s primary date to January 29, ahead of February 5, which we all know now was in violation of national Democratic Party rules.

As a result of this violation, 1.75 million sunshine state voters may not be heard in August. Some are saying if that happens, the issue would move beyond politics and instead become a case of massive voter disenfranchisement.

And, while much of the growing effort to seat the Florida delegates in August has come from Clinton supporters who now see Florida as a decisive political factor that would work in their favor at the convention, there is a deeper concern for all voters that should be considered.

Any attempts by party officials to deny the voice of almost 2 million Florida voters would violate what many see as one of our most treasured rights.

It certainly would not be the first time in our nation’s history that “rules” have been used to discourage, take away or prevent entire swaths of US citizens from being allowed to participate in the political process. We now regard many of those rules with shame.

Regardless, it wasn’t so long ago that certain rules prevented Women and African American citizens from casting vote that would count in elections. Even as little as 50 years ago, in certain parts of the nation, black people were unable to vote thanks to absurd rules like poll taxes and other discriminatory tactics at polling places like reciting the state’s constitution before being allowed to even register to vote.

Fortunately, through the efforts of countless foot soldiers and brave political and judicial leaders, most of those rules rooted in racism and sexism were done away and eventually, voter empowerment for all citizens became an increasingly recognized as the precious right it is, and with that that we saw a greater attempts at distribution of voter equity in our democracy.

Despite the hard fought struggle for voter equality, over the past few decades, political disenchantment and other factors have led to decreasing national voter turnouts that have on average, been only around 50 percent according to the United States Census Beureau.

But, this particular 2008 election cycle is different.

The bells of politics are ringing through the internet, other media, street corners, bars, churches, activist organizations, school campuses and entire communities in every state, county and city all fueled by dialogue and debate that has led to a level of political engagement unlike anything witnessed in recent history.

There is a pronounced collective thirst for change and new leadership, largely the result of eight years of what many call a failed Republican White House and administration that has led to national malaise, partly the result of a nightmare called Iraq and an economy on the brinks of recession. Across the nation, voters are heading to polls in record numbers holding tight to the core belief that every person’s vote will count and effect the direction this nation takes in the future.

No doubt, our convoluted current system of selecting delegates to party conventions is confusing and flawed. But as it stands now, it’s the closest thing we can come up with in selecting the best candidates for the more important contest in November.

And, despite rules over when those votes were cast, any attempt to disenfranchise a voter, much less an entire state, regardless of what party officials point to as guidelines, is fundamentally wrong. Such a move threatens the very spirit of our democracy unless there is a tangible and workable solution that gives every voter a voice in the selection process.

According to a March 1, press release from the Florida Democratic Party, the state’s Party Chairwoman said “the party continues to move ahead with our delegate selection process, and we’re looking forward to our delegation being seated in Denver.”

The press release said the diversity of its delegation would be strong, representing the diversity that Florida is a delegation of multiple ethnicities, incomes, sexual orientations and genders.

And as Florida well knows, there have been questionable tactics and behaviors that have led to some of the country’s greatest scars in electoral history.

The hope is that in August, the elected delegates of Florida’s Democratic Party will be seated, and with them, the almost two million voices of Florida voters who went to the polls in January because that’s when their state’s officials told them they should go, will be heard. And, while some say that recognition of Florida’s delegates might threaten national party unity, there are still others who warn there are more important values within the concept Democracy itself that trump political aspiration and party cohesion.


\

From "The New Yorker"- The Other Obama

by Lauren Collins at "The New Yorker"
LINK TO FULL TEXT
Excerpt below:
The other Chicago connection that dogs the Obamas is Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., their pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ. Wright, who drives a Porsche and references Bernie Mac and Terry McMillan in his unorthodox sermons (“Take what God gave you and say, ‘In your face, mediocrity, I’m a bad mamma jamma!’ ”), officiated at Michelle and Barack’s wedding and baptized their two daughters. Barack took the title “The Audacity of Hope” from a sermon that Wright preached. In 2006, the Obamas gave $22,500 to the church.

Wright espouses a theology that seeks to reconcile African-American Christianity with, as he has written, “the raw data of our racist existence in this strange land.” The historical accuracy of that claim is incontestable. But his message is more confrontational than may be palatable to some white voters. In his book “Africans Who Shaped Our Faith”—an extended refutation of the Western Christianity that gave rise to “the European Jesus . . . the blesser of the slave trade, the defender of racism and apartheid”—he says, “In this country, racism is as natural as motherhood, apple pie, and the fourth of July. Many black people have been deluded into thinking that our BMWs, Lexuses, Porsches, Benzes, titles, heavily mortgaged condos and living environments can influence people who are fundamentally immoral.”

In portraying America as “a Eurocentric wasteland of lily-white lies and outright distortions,” Wright promulgates a theory of congenital separatism that is deeply at odds with Obama’s professed belief in the possibilities of unity and change. Last year, Trumpet Newsmagazine, which was launched by Trinity United and is run by Wright’s daughter, gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to Louis Farrakhan, leading to accusations that Wright was anti-Semitic.
LINK TO FULL NEWYORKER ARTICLE

Whew!

There is more to this exciting political story...a new chapter in the season begins.

Healthcare in America: Remote Area Medical's Lifeline

(Comment-Cody Lyon)This February 28, 60 Minutes report will probably go down as one of the most important and moving stories ever produced in television journalism. CBSNEWS' 60 Minutes holds up a mirror to America, and the reflection we see is a heartbreaking, cruel and unjust crisis in America's Health Care system. Absent from the story are the familiar policy wonks and debates over political rhetoric. Instead, viewers see and hear real life stories that illustrate the cold reality facing those who have no insurance or inadequate coverage at best.

But, it is also a story about real life angels like Stan Brock, founder of the organization "Remote Area Medical" or RAM, who works with teams of volunteer health care providers by setting up weekend clinics, that offer free health, dental and eye care to the often poor or working class who have inadequate policies or are fully uninsured.

As it stands, an estimated 47 million citizens of the world's wealthiest nation have no health insurance. While that's a startling number, even more startling are some of the real life stories shared in this report. It left this viewer asking, how is it that we as a nation allowed ourselves to become so indifferent to the plight of our own?

Thank you RAM for your efforts at providing some relief to these fellow Americans and thank you 60 Minutes for restoring some faith in the mission of modern day journalism.

FULL CBS NEWS 60 Minutes Report below:
CBS) One of the decisive issues in the presidential campaign is likely to be health insurance. Texas and Ohio vote on Tuesday, and those states alone have nearly seven million uninsured residents; nationwide, 47 million have no health insurance. But that's just the start: millions more are underinsured, unable to pay their deductibles or get access to dental care.

Recently, 60 Minutes heard about an American relief organization that airdrops doctors and medicine into the jungles of the Amazon. It's called Remote Area Medical, or "RAM" for short.

As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, Remote Area Medical sets up emergency clinics where the needs are greatest. But these days, that's not the Amazon. This charity founded to help people who can't reach medical care finds itself throwing America a lifeline.


LINK TO FULL REPORT FROM CBS NEWS "60 Minutes"

(CBS NEWS) FOR THE RECORD- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama

links:
Hillary:

Video URL
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3894937n

Barack:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3890665n

Meanwhile in the Middle East

From Reuters-
Feb. 29 - War of words alongside the escalating rocket attacks and air strikes between Israel and Gaza.

Hamas has raised the stakes in the confrontation by using Soviet-designed Grad missiles, more powerful and accurate than improvised Gazan Qassams, to strike deep into Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people.

Benet Allen reports.

(Reuters) Obama and Young Voters

Feb. 29 - Barack Obama trounces Hillary Clinton among the young even though he's of the same baby boomer generation as Clinton.

Clinton appeals to non-college goers, who are far less likely to vote than the campus crowd Obama pulls in.

Fred Katayama reports.

"Daily Show" Reports From the Anti-Hillary News Center

The Prosecution of Don Siegelman (CBS NEWS-60 Minutes)

Link to full report

More on Siegelman- From Alabama

FROM THE MONTGOMERY INDEPENDENT

Judge, conduct of Siegelman trial defended
Saturday, February 23, 2008
By Eddie Curran (Part I)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Eddie Curran is on leave from the Mobile Press-Register while writing a book on the Don Siegelman investigation, indictment and trial. The Independent's readers should be familiar with Eddie's articles about the former governor, most which were published in this newspaper and had a significant impact on the investigation and indictment of Siegelman.

This article seeks to defend Mark Fuller, the judge in the Siegelman trial, and in so doing, is very critical of columnist Scott Horton, who writes a blog for Harpers Magazine and is occasionally published in The Independent. Horton has been critical of the former "Newhouse" newspapers in Alabama, which includes the Press-Register, The Birmingham News and The Huntsville Times, for not reporting fairly on the Siegelman case. He has also criticized Curran, suggesting that his work relies heavily on the prosecutor's case.

The Independent has not published any criticisms of those newspapers, now operated under the corporate umbrella of Advance Publications, or any criticisms of Eddie Curran, a friend of the editor. Horton's writings are opinion columns and have been published in the opinion section of the newspaper. However, we have corroborated any facts reported in his articles, particularly those involving Judge Fuller's ownership in Doss Aviation, Doss of Alabama and Aureus International, their contracts with the Air Force, the FBI and the Department of Defense and Judge Fuller's 43.75% ownership, which is documented in federal court filings. Judge Fuller has not refuted this information. Eddie called and requested to write this article, which we publish without editing, and even though it is an opinion article, we start it on Page One.

I opened my mail the other day to find a one-sentence letter from a friend from Montgomery and someone, I might add, whose judgment I respect.
LINK TO EDDIE CURRAN ARTICLE

A River of Smarmy Campaign Tactics Flows From Obama

OPINION-Cody Lyon
Once again, charges over misleading allegations are put on the back burner and met with a smarmy dismissive by spokespeople and even the candidate himself, Barack Obama. This time it's regarding loud allegations by Hillary Clinton over a pair of recent mailings by the Obama campaign in Ohio.

CNN reported that Obama said "There's nothing in that mailing that is inaccurate," adding that he was puzzled by the sudden scrutiny since the mailers had been around for days, if not weeks.

True, some of the campaign material which Clinton blasted as "right out of Karl Rove's playbook" had already been called into question by Clinton and others, but, as has been the case with much of this campaign, the media along with other players with platforms failed to take much notice.

One of the mailers says that "Hillary Clinton thought NAFTA was a 'boon' to the economy," going on to say that the New York Senator is "changing her tune" now that she's campaigning in the Buckeye State," of Ohio.

But as Sam Stein at the Huffington Post wrote in a piece on February 14, former Clinton officials and biographers like Carl Bernstein and Mickey Kantor had spoken in the media and elsewhere noting that Hillary had long held political and philosophical opposition to NAFTA, but being first lady, was unable to publicly oppose the legislation at that time it was enacted.

And, further, the quote "boon" was never verified. The other mailer, on the hot button, sensitive issue of healthcare coverage had drawn a loud condemnation from the Clinton campaign because of what it saw as a use of visual images that harkens back to the insurance industry sponsored 1993 ad campaign well known as the "Harry and Louise" commercials.

Whether or not the images of the kitchen table couple worrying over healthcare costs offers similarities to Harry and Louise is subjective to some, the text does engage in "misleading politicking 101."

According to Factcheck.org, the mailer opens with the claim that "Hillary's health care plan forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it.

But Factcheck.org says "the mailer leaves out any information on cost reduction any information on cost reduction measures and low income help that Clinton's plan offers, while it touts such measures found in his plan, some of which very closely mirror Clinton's."

Naturally, politicians in the heat of campaign are going to engage in slippery talk and a tendency to plant seeds of doubt aimed at potential voters that is often laden with fact challenged or questionable text and messages. But in the end, voters suffer because they are misled into believing messages that simply aren't true. And that's where the news people come in since its there job to expose that sort of material and behavior to readers, viewers and listeners for what it is, misleading.

But, as this campaign season has shown, over the past few weeks, they've done a pretty lame job and have according to those on the Clinton side, appeared almost biased.

In fact, some in the public forum have already spun Clinton's attack over the mailers a desperate candidate resorting to harsher tactics to save her campaign.

Well hooray for Clinton for putting on the political hot foot because she and plenty of her supporters recognize that this is a fight for her political life and potentially a fight for a Democratic victory come November. Maybe a little drama is necessary to capture the attention of those watching the cameras. And, hopefully, those watching the footage will realize, that in November, when allegations over tactics and other questions start hurling from Republicans, it will be necessary for them to be met with answers, and not dismissive and arrogant missives. For one, the American people don't like that sort of condescension.

Eventually, they figure out when they are being misled or hoodwinked.

So far, it's only Hillary who's been nailed to the cross by a host of pundits and columnists who obviously had long running axes to grind with the Clintons. Her laundry has been hung out on the line for the world to see. Interestingly, the other side has not even been to the cleaners.

It has become increasingly disturbing to watch a complacent media participate in the "what a feeling" drumbeat of the Obama campaign. Indeed, it is a powerful message of change, unity coupled with hope filled packed houses led by a media darling rock star of politics. But, what might be in order is more reality checking where purveyors of news may need to do some digging despite the danger that it may upset the flow of "smarmy and misleading" rhetoric flowing down this very popular river.

Albeit a cynical observation, the Obama campaign's message feels increasingly shallow and synthetic, where its advisors and its candidate are in fact, willing participants in the old school ways of dirty politics it likes to point to as "tired".

As "The Chicago Tribune" reported on February 10, regarding Obama's message that he is taking the moral high ground when it comes to taking money from lobbyist and special interests.

The "Tribune" report said "those who lobby for a living say it's not that simple, and even Obama's stance shows some flexibility. He won't take money from federal lobbyists but accepts money from employees of firms and corporations that lobby, and he uses lobbyists and other government relations professionals as advisers."

With the exception of scattered print reporting like this, there has been no real and aggressive vetting of the man who would be President, more, a sense of blind faith in a stated message of hope and change. But, what is this change he speaks of? Who or what anointed this campaign with scrutiny Teflon?

Unfortunately, an appealing and infectious message of change is not the key to unlocking the reality that is the megalithic prickly, interest driven world of Washington DC politics where give and take is necessary to seizing that stubborn bull by its horns.

More importantly for this important moment in the race to the White House, if change is what a candidate offers potential voters on the campaign trail, the candidate might ought to be a willing participant in what he preaches in his own campaign methods and tactics lest he be called out as less than real.

Don Siegelman and The Rove Connection (CBSNEWS)

Coming Sunday 2/24 at 7pm CBS
CBS) A Republican operative in Alabama says Karl Rove asked her to try to prove the state’s Democratic governor was unfaithful to his wife in an effort to thwart the highly successful politician’s re-election.

Rove’s attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, says the operative, Jill Simpson.

Simpson speaks to Scott Pelley in her first television interview, to be broadcast on 60 Minutes Sunday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
PREVIEW FROM CBSNEWS "60 Minutes"

(Reuters) NY Times Scrutinized Over McCain Story

Feb. 21 - Following the story's publication, it is the New York Times -- and not John McCain -- that has appeared to face the toughest scrutiny.

The McCain campaign said the paper had engaged in what it called a "hit and run smear campaign."

Jon Decker reports. (REUTERS)

For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk (NEW YORK TIMES)

The Long Run (New York Times)
For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk
By JIM RUTENBERG, MARILYN W. THOMPSON, DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and STEPHEN LABATON
Published: February 21, 2008
John McCain’s relationship with a female lobbyist underscores a paradox: Even as he embraces high ethical standards, his confidence in his own integrity sometimes seems to blind him to potential conflicts of interest.
LINK TO FULL STORY

Is Barack Obama a True Agent of Change?

By CODY LYON
(Opinion)
There is no doubt that Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has clearly inspired millions of voters in what had become an arguably depressed electorate. His words have engaged many who might have otherwise watched the primary process from the sidelines those who were resigned to the belief that change is virtually impossible within America's current political landscape.

"If we don't inspire the country to believe again, then it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have," said Obama on February 17, according to Bloomberg News.

True, words, even if some phrases are borrowed, have the ability to inspire the electorate. But it's the enacted policy that impacts and ultimately changes American lives. And when one takes a closer look at the nuts and bolts behind Senator Obama's message, there are troubling signs that the change Obama espouses might be nothing more than beautiful rhetoric.

You'd be preaching to the choir if you wanted to harp on the Clinton machine's flaws and scars and then, there's always her yes vote that giving President Bush military authorization before the invasion of Iraq.

But, the Clinton machine has been, and continues to be picked and cleaned dry by the press, its past, its campaign tactics, its relationships questioned, blasted and torn apart by conservative as well as liberal columnists, pundits and bloggers.

The Obama camp has yet to be fully vetted by the majority of a press that seems almost shy about interrupting what many have called a movement. Those that have done their homework and posed legitimate questions about policy, relationships and other issues have often been met with arrogant, evasive and dismissive shrugs and a fiercely protective network of supporters who shoot down critiques of the anointed beacon of change.

According to a February 17 "New York Times" article by Kate Zernike called "The Charisma Mandate," accounts of the Obama campaign's volunteer training sessions have a revivalist flavor where "volunteers are urged to avoid talking about policy to potential voters, and instead tell how they came to Mr. Obama."

But it would be naïve to think that sort of tactic will work in November and it would serve Democrat's interest if the contradictions and holes in the message were pointed out now, before the Republican attack machine brings out its own weapons of destruction and doubt.

Central to Obama's message of change are claims that he is free of lobbyist influence. But in fact, he has been, and still is being funded by some of the same types of corporate interests as Clinton and other candidates through big corporate donors known as bundlers.

In fact, he's received so much funding, an estimated $30 million per month, that his campaign appears to be backpedaling on a November pledge where he said if he was the Democratic nominee, he would aggressively pursue and agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.

"The Washington Post" said in a February 16 editorial that "this kind of backtracking and parsing is't what the millions of voters who have been inspired by Mr. Obama are looking for."

More telling, a November 2006 Harpers article "The Making of a Washington Machine" by Ken Silverstein quoted an anonymous Washington lobbyist who said, "big donors would not be helping out OBama if they didn't see him as a player."

"What's the dollar value of a starry eyed idealist?" the anonymous source said according to the Harpers article.

No one can say for certain what kind of role that big money contributions would make in a future Obama administration but they deserve full airing and warrant further questions that require answers, not evasive missives from the man who might be President.

A February 3, article by "The New York Times" reported that Exelon Corp, the nation's largest nuclear plant operator is one of Obama's largest campaign donors. According to the article, Exelon's support of Obama far exceeds money given to the other candidates.

The "Times" pointed out that Exelon chairman John W. Rowe has been an Obama donor and is also chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear power industry's largest lobbying group.

The article did not mention that Rowe, like several other powerful energy power players also sits on the influential, right wing and neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute's Board.

Alluding to the Exelon relationship, the Clinton campaign charged that Senator Obama had allowed the nuclear industry to water down a 2006 bill regulating nuclear plant safety. Her charges were met with evasiveness.

Obama spokesperson Bill Burton responded to the charges on CNN saying his campaign "doesn't need any lectures on special interests from the candidate who's taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any Republican running for president."

"Sen. Clinton may have said that attacks and distortions are the 'fun' and 'exciting' part of the campaign, but they're exactly what everyone else in America is tired of," Burton said according to CNN.

True enough, Americans are sick and tired of distortions. But unfortunately, much of the feel good rhetoric in the Obama camp has served as a convenient "distortion" for those hungry for a more forthcoming and critical examination of Obama.

For example, Senator Obama has touted his healthcare policy as part of his change we can all believe in since it would make healthcare available to everyone.

But, The Annenberg Political Fact Check, or Factheck.org said that Obama is being misleading when he says his healthcare proposal would "cover everyone."

Factcheck.org says Obama's plan would make coverage available to all, but experts that the organization consulted estimate that 15 to 26 million Americans would not take it up unless required to do so, which means, the new policy would still leave almost half the currently un-insured, still un-insured.

Another hot button topic close to any progressive's heart is how the future President will address the sub-prime mortgage crisis that has driven a recession that is still threatening world financial markets.

In his January 24 "The Nation" commentary titled "Subprime Obama" Max Fraser pointed out that predatory lenders "targeted the most vulnerable; black and latino borrowers have been twice as likely to receive sub-prime loans as whites: female homeowners, 30 percent more likely than male; black women five times more likely than white men.

But, Fraser noted that of the Democratic candidates, only Obama has not called for a moratorium and interest rate freeze. The article said "though he has been a proponent of mortgage fraud legislation in the Senate, he has remained silent on further financial regulations."

The "Nation" piece quoted Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute who said "Edwards and Clinton talk much more about regulation of the financial industry going forward, and to the extent that blame is placed, they tend to place it on lenders for steering people into loans they couldn't afford."

Senator Clinton has loudly gone after Obama on several occasions regarding his yes vote on the 2005 energy bill.

To his credit, Obama led efforts to ensure investments in renewable energy and has sponsored legislation to strip incentives from oil companies.
Still, according to an August 9, 2005 report from the "Washington Post", the final bill included around $85 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for most forms of energy.

Many charged that the policy was co-written by big oil corporations under the watch of Vice President Dick Cheney but it got a yes vote from Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has said his vote for the energy bill was reluctant.

But more telling, in the heat of campaign season 2008, when Exxon Mobil announced, at $40 billion once again the largest corporate profits ever reported by any United States corporation, it was Hillary Clinton who called for a corporate windfall profits tax on oil companies that would be reinvested into a strategic energy fund.

While the Obama campaign has called for the removal of oil company subsidies and other tax breaks, he has steered clear of a clearly populist and progressive proposal that would impose a windfall profits tax on big oil corporations.

But finally, although Obama toots the horn of change for all people, happily embracing all members of the Democratic base, just four years ago, an incident in San Francisco offered telling traits that Obama is first a politician, who in the end, is probably capable of crafting a message or image that is capable of suiting whomever he seeks to appeal to.

According to a February 5, 2008 "San Francisco Chronicle" article by C.W. Nevius, in 2004, then Illinois Senatorial Candidate Obama told former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, that "he would really appreciate if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor," Gavin Newsome.

Newsome, San Francisco's current mayor, was then at the center of a national uproar over his decision to allow same sex marriage in San Francisco and according to the "Chronicle" report, Obama was worried about the image that would present to potential voters back in Illinois.

While things have certainly changed since then, and Obama has certainly championed LGBT individuals and issues, the incident doesn't speak well of Senator Obama as a real agent of change.

Instead, that incident along with other serious reporting beg the question, is Obama's message of change for real, or is it a carefully crafted political rhetoric that is in the business of selling an image.

NEWS UPDATE from AP 3/3/08- Political Positioning on NAFTA?
Associated Press ReportBarack Obama's senior economic policy adviser privately told Canadian officials to view the debate in Ohio over trade as "political positioning," according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press

HADITHA REVISITED- Necessary Viewing

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT PREMIERS on PBS
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
9 P.M. (check local listings)
FRONTLINE cuts through the fog of war to reveal the untold story of what happened in Haditha, Iraq—where twenty-four of the town’s residents were killed by U.S. forces in what many in the media branded "Iraq’s My Lai." With accusations swirling that the Marines massacred Iraqi civilians "in cold blood," the Haditha incident has led to one of the largest criminal cases against U.S. troops in the Iraq war. But real questions have emerged about what really happened that day, and who is responsible. Through television interviews with Iraqi survivors and Marines accused of war crimes, FRONTLINE investigates this incident and what it can tell us about the harrowing moral and legal landscape the U.S. military faces in Iraq.

Watch online beginning 2/19/08
preview:

Drama On the Trail- Bill Clinton Tells it Like it Is

(Washington Post-The Trail)Black Commenter, Criticizing Obama, Causes Firestorm

FROM Darryl Fears at "THE TRAIL" at "The Washington Post"Tavis Smiley, the bestselling author of the "Covenant With Black America," is in a world turned upside down. He said he's being "hammered," "barbecued," and is "catching hell" from black Americans for suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a major mistake by declining to speak at the State of the Black Union event that Smiley plans to host next week in New Orleans.

"There's all this talk of hater, sellout and traitor," Smiley said to me in a telephone interview. Smiley even mentioned getting death threats, but wouldn't elaborate. He said his office has been flooded with angry e-mails. "I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley said.
LINK TO FULL TEXT

On Siegelman Case: Corruption in a U.S. Attorney’s Office (Harpers)

excerpt: If we had to pick one state in the nation where these evil tendencies are most obviously on display, then certainly it is Alabama, home to the nation’s highest profile and most abusive political prosecution. A major television network will shortly be exposing a number of lurid details surrounding the Siegelman case which point to corruption inside of the Justice Department.From Scot Horton's "No Comment" at Harpers)
LINK TO FULL STORY

The Differences: Clinton, Obama and Health Insurance (New York Times-Krugman)

Clinton, Obama, Insurance
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: February 4, 2008
The difference between the health care plans of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could well be the difference between achieving universal health coverage and falling far short.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT NYT

Horror, Devastation and Heartbreak in the South (CBS coverage of Tornadoes)

From CBS NEWS
Link to video report on deadly southern tornado outbreak:
***Please Remember the victims of this horrible event in your prayers, thoughts and or meditations***

On Exxon Mobil's Reported "Interest" in Developing Iraq's Oil Industry

Cody Lyon
(Opinion)

A Wednesday report from Reuters is saying that Exxon Mobil is “interested in helping to develop Iraq’s huge oil reserves. According to the February 6 report, the company declined to comment on whether it has registered yet to compete for contracts there.

The “Reuters” report also says that spokesperson Len D’Eramo said in an emailed statement “if the Iraqi government decides it wants international oil companies to partner with them in developing their resources, Exxon Mobil would be interested in participating."

The report said that D’Eramo wrote in the email that Exxon “would pursue profitable business opportunities as they arise in Iraq, just as it would in other countries in which is permitted to operate.”

While it’s not surprising that oil companies have long been interested in “developing” the resources of oil rich nations, there is a bit of collective bewilderment and sad resignation at the fact that this monolith of energy production is admitting its interest in nightmare stricken Iraq just a few days after reporting the largest profits ever for a United States corporation. Add to that, if Exxon Mobil takes part in the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure, its profits only stand to increase thanks to PSA’s in Iraq’s oil law, profits that will increase the company’s corporate windfalls.

But, will those increasing windfalls benefit everyday Americans in any way like lower gas prices or perhaps investment in cleaner energy or alternative fuel initiatives?

According to Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union, between January and May 2007, gasoline prices increased 80 cents, 60 cents of that going toward increased refining and marketing prices.

Some blame ongoing gas pump price increases on a lack of competition that allows the few large oil companies to exploit tight markets. Others say those prices were driven up by those same companies participating in “speculative” energy markets.

Regardless, there are a couple of easy to comprehend political issues that need to be addressed more openly and aggressively on the campaign trail. Democrats should be demanding that the US treasury re-coup billions of dollars in US tax subsidies to oil companies. A Senate measure to do just that, failed by one vote last year.

And then there’s a corporate windfall tax that so many seem to shudder at the very mention of.

We can only hope that candidates will spell out, and tout a corporate windfall profits tax. And, there’s always the hope that the additional tax money will be promised to fund clean or alternative energy initiatives under close government scrutiny.

As things stand, the Wednesday report from Reuters noting Exxon-Mobil’s interest in Iraq, seems to be at least part of the ugly crystal ball images some clearly saw back when the drumbeats for war for war began to roll.
**************
WHAT DOES IRAQ'S OIL LAW SAY ABOUT AN INVASION? Story link below
Link to Iraq Oil Law story (2007)

Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexuality (EDGE)

Excerpt from my story at EDGE
Over the years, there have been countless theories and studies seeking to find some sort of biological or genetic factor that might play a role in determining sexual orientation. Debate over the validity of such studies and how they might impact the gay community in its quest for acceptance and greater equality has gone on for nearly just as long.

Some proponents of this sort of research hope the results reveal a scientifically conclusive genetic component in homosexuality whereby the hope is that social conservatives and other groups, especially those who call sexual orientation a "choice" might temper or silence some of their criticisms.
LINK TO FULL STORY

VOTE

Cody Lyon

Vote because you can. Vote, because it matters and just so happens to be your right, some might say your duty, as an active citizen of these beautiful United States. Vote, because in the end, you'll respect yourself more if you participate in the process. Vote, since it could make a difference in some precincts where the tallies might be very close. Vote because almost every person in this country has relatives and ancestors who at one time in our nation's history, couldn't, simply because of their gender or race. Fortunately for all of us, they fought the hard fight, won the right, and now, we can all vote.

Vote because like working out, it makes you feel good and look better and you never know who you'll run into at the polls and perhaps you'll find someone like you, someone who actually cares.

Vote, and remember that in November, you'll need to vote again.

Vote,and keep in mind that whoever the person you support in this race will face a formidable candidate in November and that candidate will likely do whatever they can including the utilization of their party. The opposition party and its supporters will pull any number of tricks to de-rail your candidate. It will not be the kind exchange of ideas we've seen so far, the kissing of cousins, not the snip and snaps over issues or the mildly insulting rhetoric who said who and what did what, instead, rest assured, it could, most likely will, get very ugly, and who ever you vote for, must be strong enough to withstand sharp, well informed attacks as well as dirty tricks of those who engage in well funded swiftboat tactics. Your candidate must be able to use their intellect to respond with volleys of their own, that simply deflate the cheaper tactics we've seen in past general elections.

Regardless, hold on to vision, keep hope in your heart, believe in your system, realize that government can do good things for people and vote and vote and vote.

Go Vote with November in the back of your mind, then move it to the front and vote to win.

Ask Not What J.F.K. Can Do for Obama (New York Times- Frank Rich)

Ask Not What J.F.K. Can Do for Obama (NYT)
By FRANK RICH
What has often been forgotten is that Barack Obamas weaknesses resemble John F. Kennedys at least as much as his strengths.
Link To Full Story

Exxon Mobil Profit Sets Record Again (New York Times)

By JAD MOUAWAD
Published: February 1, 2008 (NEW YORK TIMES)

Exxon Mobil delivered its strongest performance ever last year, earning a record $40.6 billion in net income because of surging oil prices, the company said Friday.

The figure, a 3 percent increase from the previous year, exceeded the company’s own record for profits at an American corporation, set in 2006, and is nearly twice what it earned in 2003.
LINK TO FULL STORY