Wisdom Equal to Their Years

So this, our 102nd post, comes to you from someone in a little bit of a different atmosphere. I currently am a Senior at Hunter College and was pleasantly acquainted with one of the most amazing, surprising, and thoroughly organized activist groups operating in NYC. The image to the left is from the Granny Peace Brigade (my favorite part of the logo is that the banner is being supported by a cane) and these women are by no means past their prime. You might remember these lovely women from the Times Square Recruiting Center where they were subsequently arrested and thrown in jail back in 2005.

This past thursday Hunter held a Women's Leadership Day and at about 1 o'clock when I was finished for the day the 3rd floor of our West Building was overrun by groups from all the corners of NYC and even beyond like The Peace and Justice Action Network , who came all the way from Westchester, or Day One who is a group committed to raising awareness about domestice violence, just to name a couple. I must admit I was lured into the Granny Peace table by the signs proclaiming "KNIT FOR PEACE!!", having just mastered knitting myself I was intrigued. Don't be fooled by the homely seemingly bengay-reminiscent idea of knitting, these women are by no means sitting in rocking chairs. The table was overflowing with well-organized flyers from their group and their sister group Code Pink which is an equally masterful activist group. The main concern of the grannys is ending the occupation in Iraq. The "Knit-in for Peace" it's called is where women, men, children of all ages and races are welcome to come and knit (even if you don't know how, I was told lovingly by a constituent) for Iraqi veterans and for Iraqi children and their families. Taken directly from a flyer I was given, "Every stitch will be a symbol of our determination to end this war, restoring our nation's priorities to constructive action, responsibility and caring for all."

While this is how I was roped in, this is not at all the only event the grannys have organized. Among the literature on their table is all the direct phone numbers or our senators, congressman, including Hillary Clinton, and an urge to call and implore them to "Commit now to filibustering any bill that funds the occupation of Iraq" taken directly from a literal "recipe" on How to call your Senator, lovingly put together by none other than our grannys. As if this wasn't enough there was also another Recipe Card on how to organize your own Phone-a-Thon. The amount of dedication at this table is enough to make a 21 year old female college student blush with embarassment at how uninvolved I truly am.

The only literature that they had that wasn't provided on neon color stock was a flyer stating 'Say "NO" to AFRICOM' -no U.S. Military Command For Africa-. While I had vaguely heard of this no doubt Bush-driven initiative last year around this time, (it was announced in February of last year) I have only recently been reading about on the government website posted for any interested party which can be found here. While Bush of course is pushing this initiative as (so eloquently put on the website) supporting "goals of development, health, education, democracy and economic growth." The website continues to state, "The command will also seek to incorporate partner nations and huminatarian organizations, from Africa and elsewhere, to work alongside the U.S. staff on common approaches to shared interests." (It's not bold on the website just here in the blog.)

Really? Are we really, really going to set up another military base someplace else? Does Bush learn no lessons at all? We are pursuing a military occupation in Africa just like our occupation in Iraq. Before our "cover" was terrorism and what is it now? Humanitarian efforts. Newsflash: humanitarian efforts do not require bases and guns, they require humanitarians, food, water, and possibly, hopefully, pamphlets on HIV and a whole lot of contraceptives. I think we can all agree that of the global climate right now Africa is almost constantly glowing red. This, just like Iraq, just like trying to squelch the Sunnis and Shiites, is a resolution that must come from within.

Let's review for a moment though what Africa really means to the United States. Africa offers uranium, petroleum and diamonds, just to name a few. Africa, regarldess of its constant state of turmoil, is a continent whose resources are in great demand in the world today. You and no one else can convince me that Africom is not a way of us running and tagging Africa first as ours before China gets there. This whole sheet of Frequently Asked Questions is an insult to my intelligence, but judge for yourself.

But apparently, i'm not the only one who feels this way, the grannys are right there with me, and if you're with us too you can join the grannys Sunday, March 30 at the Unitarian Church of all Souls and Say "No" to Africom.

With all this talk of policy over politics, the grannys are the ones to provide you with all the resources needed not to engage in politics but be a real part of changing policy. Needless to say I know have a permanent yellow button my bag proclaiming my membership in the Granny Peace Brigade.

The Surge is Working....MORON!

You know, people love Senator John McCain, I admit, that I really like him. For a long time he has been the lone independent voice solving problems other senators and politicians were too scared to touch. But he rides the straight talk express...that bus carries one "fact" that we all need to challenge. "The Surge is Working."

The surge is not working...why? Because it was supposed to be temporary, and now we've gone from approving the "surge" to approving a "pause." The pause for the uninitiated is the maintaince of surge-troop levels and holding off on the reduction of troops to pre-surge levels. Some would say, that is only proof it is working because if it weren't we'd be seeing the same level of violence we did pre-surge. In fact, the president announced his "return on success" policy a month or so ago. I find this humorous, when the surge was announced it was announced as neccessarily temporary because there weren't enough troops to maintain this level past the spring. Guess what spring-time's coming, so I guess we're successful!!

I know, I know, violence is down over there. The number of car bombings and secaratian violence is down. But there is something simmering under the surge pot-lid. The recent attack in Baghdad, in one of the safest areas of the country yielded 68 dead. And a recent report from the washingtonpost.com tells us that the Iraqis might be getting fed up with our occupation. I want to finish this post with my grand exit strategy, the truth is I don't have one. But I think it's disingeniuos to the American people, the Iraqi people, and most importantly our soldiers to repeat the false mantra "the surge is working." We need to debate the reality on the ground, which is our magnificent men and women in the military are doing their best to keep the lid on the pot. But sooner or later, without new policies and progress its still going to boil over. The nation has lost 3,974 brave men and women because of this war. Isn't it time to change strategy?

Mad Dog McCain Chews Out NY Times Reporter

Contrary to the adjacent image, I'm not going to rail on "Senator Hothead." It was simply too hilarious an image to pass up. Rather, I'm going to wholeheartedly applaud Senator McCain for calling out a NY Times reporter today for being the insulting, rabble-rousing nimrod she was. Why must we seek out controversy at every turn? This presidential race is exciting enough based solely on the personalities, the policies and the passions of the candidates. Not to mention, they create enough of a stir without a low-brow attempt at building more party animosity by bringing up an alleged private conversation between McCain and 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry. As McCain so eloquently reminds the reporter, "I don't describe private conversations. Why should I? Then there's no such thing as a private conversation." A MOTO (Master Of The Obvious) statement, no doubt. But, honestly...is this indicative of a deeper vendetta The Times has against the Senator? As if the terribly supported lobbyist shenanigans weren't enough? Come on, guys. You're not making it any easier on yourselves. Check out the entire exchange below...gotta love the part when the photographer who couldn't care less suddenly takes interest. Still, I say a real story would have been if McCain had tossed the crazy biatch out da plane Indian Jones style, then casually turned to the press corp and coolly stated "No ticket." Now, that's what I would call straight talk!

OMG Brit's GOT A BUMP

I know this really doesn't fall in the usual realm of policy or
politics. But I came across the above in a drug store yesterday and it so
bothered me that I had to make my comments here. And the more I think
about it, the more I realize, there are policy implications...

It says something about our nation and our culture that we are all
taking pleasure in watching Britney Spears disintegrate. It says
something about us as a nation that we allow an entire industry to
thrive on the mental pain and anguish of a young woman. Britney
Spears was found at a young age and built by music producers and PR
people to be the perfect pop star, and she was. She looked like the
barbie-next door. And for awhile we all loved it. But no one can
exist like that. We make someone the ultimate model of perfection and
then as they tumble we laugh at their fall.

I'm no Britney fan, never was, nor am I an apologist. But I can tell
CNN, MSNBC, and the network news programs that watching a young woman
have a mental break down after being forced into an unrealistic image
of beauty and popularity isn't news. Its pornography. It's not even
good porn, its a snuff film, and we are all watching.

The truth about Biodiesel

You're in for a real treat, two posts in one day. I was reading the news and just couldn't help myself.  The BBC's recent report that food prices and shortages are expected to rise in developing nations around the world didn't come as a shock. However, it was somewhat disconcerting to discover one major causes of this problem is the high demand of biofuels.  Damn you Willie Nelson! Here I thought you were acting socially progressive when it's your lifestyle that give Sally Struthers a job. Alright, so I'm being melodramatic, but this completely blew my mind. According to the report food prices will rise as high as forty percent, causing impoverished nations to make dietary sacrifices. I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I saw that Afghanistan was one of the hardest hit when wheat prices rose sixty percent last year. (Please reference my last blog post on helping the poor and repairing international reputation). I am all about finding alternative sources of energy, but it seems that an exploding global population and low food stores trumps any country singer's agenda. Let's hope that the Ford Escort that runs on water is indeed the real McCoy. 

Now that's what I call Compassionate Conservatism

Since we have a few weeks to countdown to the Pennsylvania primary I figured I would take this opportunity to focus on the positive accomplishments of our lovable lame duck George W. Bush. With an unpopular foreign policy and economic recession, who knows how historians will treat the past eight years. While I'm sure that many will rail against the failures in Iraq, few people will recognize the successes in Africa. George W. Bush's goodwill tour of Africa showed Americans one thing, that Obama's message of "hope" is an extremely viable alternative to military occupation. Since 2001, under the Bush administration America has doubled its financial assistance to Africa and has transformed the way in which we lend money and negotiate with the troubled continent. As of 2010, financial aid to Africa will reach almost nine billion dollars, money so desperately needed to combat poverty, AIDS, and an inadequate water supply. For those who feel that non-military solutions don't work in troubled regions, look at the smiling faces in Rwanda, Tanzania, Benin, Ghana, and Liberia. In reality, Africa is not repaired by any means, yet in those countries George W. Bush has become a hero and not a tyrant. Now only if we could apply those concepts like generosity and good will in countries where we need a Public Relations extreme makeover. Still think the politics of "hope" is fruitless? Kudos, George, not all your foreign policy moves were blunders. To learn more about Africa and Global Poverty please take a minute to visit data.org and the ONE campaign.

Gentlemen, You Can't Fight In Here: This Is The War Room!

There's only one thing more ridiculous and laughable than Senator Clinton's "3AM" advertisement: this hilarious spoof from Chicago creative firm Coudal Partners.

Introducing The $5 Gallon of Gas

Don't think the "myth" of global warming is enough impetus to seek out alternative energy sources? Then how about the fact that gas prices have reached their boiling point.

Two summers ago, I pitched an ad campaign to a client - the nation's leading provider of commuter benefit programs. The campaign was titled "Fight The Five." The concept: a fervent movement to turn back the potential of an impending $5/gallon gas price by encouraging more people to use mass transit (and save a considerable chunk of change on commuting) with tax-free commuter benefits. The client loved the idea, but passed. (It's all good...we won an APTA Award for the ad they chose).

While the concept of a $5 gallon was very real, as suggested by research, the reality of it seemed too distant to resonate with employers or their employees. Now, fast-forward 18 months: today, I saw this article on The Huffington Post about a California town charging over $5 per gallon. And, statewide, the price of regular gas is 58 cents higher than one year ago with a 20 cent increase expected in the weeks to come. Continuing to give oil companies record profits by paying through the nose at the pumps is only hurting Americans. Now, if that's not an inconvenient truth we have to start accepting, then I don't know what is.

How Lame is Your Duck?

The political world is wrapped up in the presidential election season. But what we are forgetting is that 2008 is also a congressional election year.

I'm going to take this briefest of pauses in the year of the presidential horse race to remind everyone to study their congressman or woman. While the presidency is obviously the single most important political office in the nation, your local congressional representative is meant to express your interests in Washington.

We all lament the rise of lobbying in Washington. We all long for a time when our voice was heard in the political square, but when was the last time you sent a letter, or called or emailed your representative? Do you even know their name? The president may set the agenda for the nation, but it is your member of congress that will create the laws we live by.

So I implore the media, the politicians, and the citizenry to reinvigorate congress with a sense of importance. Ever since FDR's presidency we have lived in an era of strong autonomous executives in the White House. We need congress to get its share of input. But only we, the voters, can give it to them.

New Bloggers!

Morning!

As always we'll be getting into the politics and policy throughout the day, but I wanted to take a second and introduce the latest addition to the blogging line up. My future bride, and all-around genius Raquel Florim joined our posting ranks yesterday with a quick hit on what it means to be Hillary Clinton's VP. Also joining yesterday, Marc Valentine, a friend of the team here, and school teacher, his sense of humor and history will be appreciated among we city-dwellers.

We're always looking for more voices! Start commenting, sending email, generally bantering with us makes us happy. Thanks!

Thank You Ron Paul

Watching Sen. John McCain secure the Republican nomination was somewhat bittersweet. Perhaps I am the only person in America that feels this way, but I want more Ron Paul. No, it's not because I agree with his less than orthodox political philosophies, it's because the man has become the best political joke since Ross Perot. The more you think about it, the more you will probably agree with me. Oh, come on! What was your favorite Ron Paul moment? Was it when his supporters mauled Sean Hannity during the New Hampshire primary? Was it when he damn near lost his mind when asked by a moderator if he was delusional for thinking he was actually electable? My personal favorite is when could barely contain himself when given the opportunity to describe the conspiracy that exists between the United States, Mexico, and Canada to create a multinational highway system. I mean don't get me wrong, the man has some really good points about Constitutional interpretation, but damn when is the mothership going to beam you up? So let me take this opportunity to thank Ron Paul for one of the best primary elections in modern memory. Your campaign and supporters are right up there with the Howard Dean rebel yell, purely insane! While you might not have been Chuck Norris approved, your antics were certainly Marc Valentine approved.

Bush Cuts Taxes...and Rugs

Stand back, Savion Glover! Here comes George W. Bush, dancing machine. So, McCain gets an endorsement and a jig. What a day at the White House indeed. (Wait for it in the video...just wait for it...)

This Just In: America Is Full

Sorry, poor, tired and huddled masses. According to an anti-immigration and overpopulation group, it turns out that America Is Full. They even have the t-shirts to prove it. One of my co-workers, a French immigrant, saw someone wearing one of these yesterday and was not the least bit surprised. Just another notch in the belt for the ugly American.

In his "Oh, shit...I lost Ohio" speech last night, Senator Obama stated rather astutely that the world is watching us and our actions. He was talking about the election, but I couldn't help but think of it on the larger scale. What are we doing as Americans to improve our place in the world? What good is being a world leader if no one wants to follow? And what good is putting up a wall? It's like Microsoft Windows and other proprietary software: people want to hack the walls and get in simply because someone says they can't.

Somehow I don't think shutting our borders to the world is a solution. In black t-shirt lingo, I say "FCUK that."

Clinton/Obama ticket?

On CBS news this morning, Sen. Clinton answered questions, including one about the possibility of her and Obama running on the same ticket.

The question is, assuming that Clinton gets the top spot on the ticket, would it be beneficial for Obama to be VP? In terms of winning the general election, I don't think that people who don't like Clinton are going to be any more likely to vote for her because Obama is on the ticket. And moreover, does he want to be in that position? Its likely that Bill Clinton will be a VP in his own right. Going on the previous Clinton presidency, who doesn't remember the attention and focus on Hillary's healthcare concerns as opposed to Gore's environmental concerns? No matter who the Clintons tap for the VP spot, that person has to contend with the fact that this is a far from usual situation.

Brief: What the three left standing need to do

There are but three candidates remaining here's my quick, unsolicited take on what their strategy should be over the coming weeks.

Senator Clinton-Ride the media wave for a week and then take a break. The nation is getting tired of this story and are going to want a resolution soon. Staying in the headlines only makes the nation want it over faster, since you are behind in delegates this means you lose. Let the media come to you, don't press the issue.

Senator Obama-Clinton beat you by attacking your rhetoric. Her crowds chant "yes, she will!" Is an example. This is not the time to cave. A rhetorical flourish, similar to that of the Jefferson-Jackson dinner will reinvigorate voters and remind them why you are the more compelling candidate.

Senator McCain-Court the money-givers, but don't pull too hard right now. The general election is a center left/center right contest. In wooing donors don't push so hard to the right that you can't course-correct and be the independent "maverick" of your reputation. The exact reason the base hates you is why moderate America will love you.

The Year of "Nomentum" Continues

In January and Iowa victory for Obama didn't lead to a win in New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton's wins of NY and California didn't push her to victories for the rest of February. And last night, despite winning 11 straight contests across the country Obama couldn't seal the deal in either Texas or Ohio, giving Senator Clinton the ability to soldier on despite a murky path to the nomination.

Some questions to ponder over the next seven weeks until Pennsylvania.

Delegates-despite her big state wins, the margins weren't very wide, so the delegate math stay squarely with Obama. His campaign will be quick to point out that she will need to win 70% of the remaining delegates just to tie Obama's delegate count.

SuperDelegates-They were with Clinton when she was the main name in the pack. Obama's surge in wins gained him a portion, but the vast amount are undecided. Can they be courted in the time before April 22nd?

Michigan and Florida-The uncontested victories for Senator Clinton came in contests that weren't supposed to matter. The Democratic party will need to come to some arrangement. The media will get bored between now and the next major contest. Expect them to shine a little light on this problem, as now the Clinton campaign has time to make its case.

What narratives do the candidates choose?

Obama will have a higher popular vote and more delegates for the next seven weeks no matter what the final tallies are today. This is likely to be his narrative. Senator Clinton can say she has won all the big states and many of the swing states, the ones you need in the general election, how could she not be the nominee?

How much does this help John McCain?
Now that he is the sole contender left on the GOP side, do these seven weeks serve as time to build his reserves? Can he coalesce his message? Solidify his base? This is critical building time for him. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

The Hillary Problem: Bad Branding or Just Bad Timing?

Imagine the Democratic candidates as brands, if you will. Like Brawny and Bounty. Or as The New York Times would suggest, Mac and PC. From a marketing/advertising perspective, Hillary is clearly the lesser in terms of brand warfare. And this AdWeek Article from ad critic Barbara Lippert offers a number of rationales for her brand blunders.

At first, being in advertising by trade, I reviewed these articles and a plethora of additional blog posts and I found myself apt to agree. Now I really just wonder if it's really awful timing.

It's not so much bad branding for Hillary. It's that, first female powerhouse nominee or no, she's still a product of the last generation of politicos. At the same time, Barack isn't a new brand of politician. He's a new kind of politician. He's not a Mac. He's an iPhone. A next-generation of convergent technologies for a new generation of voters. And when it comes to experience, in terms of products like iPhone, it's experience be damned - how many people really said, "I'm not going to buy an iPhone because it's not proven yet" and actually followed through? Even with its flaws, and even among the most ardent Apple fanatics who held out (including our own blogmaster Bedell), the iPhone has become a ginormous hit. Why? Because it's simply a game changer. Like Barack.

It's not the branding. It's the product. It's not that Hills is the PC to Obama's Mac. She's the cell phone to his iPhone.

Truthfully...

He said this, she said that...Every campaign and every party is attacking us with their pamphlets and speeches, each claiming that their ideas are the best. How is the average voter supposed to cull through and get the truth, especially when so much of our media is busy endorsing whichever candidate they take a liking to?

Enter sites like Factcheck.org and Politifact.com

These sites report on the truth of all these claims in great detail.  Its a refreshing bit of objective research and highly recommended for anyone that wants to cut through the B.S.  

WP: Clinton Changing the Rules

Dana Milbank with the Washingtonpost.com's Rough Sketch Blog is saying that Clinton is planning on staying on even if she were to lose both Texas and Ohio. I highly doubt that will happen.

If Clinton loses either Texas or Ohio, she should quit the race. Why? Because the delegate math is too difficult for her to win she will need to convince the super delegates to come her way, or get the delegates from Florida and Michigan seated despite the party's rules. This is not a win...its a swindle, and a perfect scenario for John McCain.

Will.i.am's Cult of Personality

Senator Obama has received, in my opinion, a lot of undue criticism for his "charisma" and "eloquence." Since when do we penalize leaders for having the innate ability to inspire others to follow with clear, concise, and meaningful words? It's amazing what eight years with a self-confessed C-student at Yale as our Commander in Chief has done for our expectations. That said, AdAge poses a very serious question about Obama's cult of personality - more specifically, in the way that Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas exploits it in this political commercial. His first "Yes We Can" video was brilliant. This one kinda spooks me (and not just because the cast of Friday Night Lights is in it to sway my vote for Barack). I'm deeply involved in the artistic community, but I have to say that artists are potentially hurting the Democratic party yet again. And frankly, sometimes I think Hollywood needs to stick to walking the red carpet instead of trying to tread its message through the red states.

We have a Freaking Ray Gun!

So there I was listening to my 60 minutes podcast this morning. When I heardan unbelievable story on the Pentagon's Ray Gun project. Our military has developed a weapon that can neutralize a person from great distance, without causing any injury. The Ray Gun is a game changer in a world where our conflicts are less and less about deadly force and more and more about insurgency control. In Iraq for example our troops fight with forces enmeshed with crowds of civilians. Wouldn't it be helpful to be able to neutralize threats broadly and not harm the innocent members of a crowd or household?

Yet our military brass is reluctant to deploy the non-lethal weapon. The idea of disabling but not killing strikes some as a half-handed attempt to change the game. This kind of innovative technology that can actually change the rules of engagement and save countless civilian lives needs to be deployed sooner rather than later.

Media shift

Does this Time Cover prove the media has shifted? Or is it just
insight into one of the important questions this election?

Tuesday: Brooks Day

Its election day in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, but its also David Brooks day at the NY Times. This week he profiles Obama's burst onto the political scene.

Also, I wanted to give Mike Ruby, my good friend and fellow dork a big shout out for climbing aboard with me and starting to post. Mike actually writes things for a living so count on his posts to be a bit more coherent than my own.

Happy March 4th

Many of us thought both parties would have their nominations locked up by now. A few things to remember here. The MSM and most of the blogosphere (including little ole me) have predicted a final momentum shift that takes Senator Clinton out of the race. But then most of the media was predicting the death of her campaign the eve of New Hampshire and she managed to get off the mat that point.

On the morning that could bring the decisive day of this nominating process. I wanted to drop a few thoughts on Ms. Clinton.

Try to imagine for a moment that the young woman named Hillary Rodham never married Bill. Imagine that simply on her own merits as an intelligent, well versed policy wonk she took he Ivy League education and community activism for feminist causes and rose the political ranks of her home state...Illinois. Imagine the media didn't have reason to be suspicious of every move her campaign makes. That much like they have for Senator Obama, her points and campaign manuevers are taken at face value. Imagine there had been no White Water or Monica scandal. Imagine instead that she was simply who she is, a smart, driven woman.

Would this election have turned out differently? I recognize its still far from over. And while it is impossible to quantify all of the advantages and dissadvantages of the mega-watt name Bill Clinton on his wife's campaign, it is worth noting and questioning-Did we judge her on her merits alone? Of course we couldn't. To judge Senator Clinton and pretend that President Clinton somehow wasn't there would be naive. His very presence in her campaign altered the choice of advisers and political allies. But more than anything Bill Clinton's involvement in the 2008 campaign handicapped her in one very critical way. She could not be the change candidate in a change election. While she is a relatively young Senator, her time as what some see as "first lady-in-chief" made it impossible for them to see her as an agent of change.

The Youtube clip below is a ghastly 9:36 long and I expect no one to watch the whole thing, but look at the faces at surround her. Madeline Albright, Bill Clinton, Wesley Clark, these faces are all of the past, and that set the tone against the Obama-phenom.



It's too early to carve Senator Clinton's headstone, but one wonders...if she was running as Senator Rodham...might this all have been different?

All Work and No Play Make Jack an Entertaining Endoresement

Dear Readers,
I am thrilled to join the discussion here at Thinking About Policy. And I'm honored to break this news on this blog: On the eve of the Ohio and Texas Democratic primaries, as reported by The Huffington Post earlier this afternoon, we now have a critical endorsement from the man simply known as "Jack." Who says Hollywood's hippest cats are all about Barack? (PS: Yes, this appears to be for real)

Prediction Time

Ok, I got a few emails and IM's asking for my March 4th predictions. Who's winning where?


Alright I'm gonna run it down.

Senator Clinton is going to win a squeaker in Ohio. I think in the 52-48. The delegate count? Who knows, bottom line not enough to make a difference.

Obama is going to win Texas, probably by a very small margin. The Primary/Caucus layout bodes very well for him. He will also win the delegate count.

Vermont and Rhode Island also look good for Obama. I think his win in Texas will drive the superdelegates to him and ultimately end the Clinton campaign. If it does not, then we are looking at a final fight April 22 in Pennsylvania. The party doesn't want that, and neither does the public. I would be very surprised if the Supers don't play grown up and end this thing after tomorrow.

Added Widgets

So we heard some complaints about the NY Times widget, there was something wrong with the RSS Feed, and so we ditched it for a Reuters Political news widget. Also, we've added an exciting YouTube widget with political videos grabbed from the tube. Its all an effort to be you're browsers start page. Where not only do you get to the latest headlines from CBS News and Reuters, but insights from the Washington Post and Politico.com and now YouTube videos! All while we try to provide some insight into politics and policy swirling around the country.

Health Care Plans in Perspective

I know, I know tomorrow is a potentially decisive day in the Democratic Horse Race for the nomination. But I came across a nice analysis of our current medicare and medicaid crisis, one of the centerpieces in the policy debate going on between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama.

"It's All On You!"

Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont are gearing up to start casting ballots tomorrow in what has been dubbed by some a "mini super tuesday." Before the Wisconsin primary I posted saying that I didn't think the results from that contest would matter much. I can tell you today I feel very differently about the results tomorrow. While the media is already playing Hillary's swan song. This race isn't over yet. Bill Clinton openly stated his theory recently in texas....




Though Chuck Todd of NBC news has a different prediction. He really doesn't see a path for Clinton to winning the nomination.

When I made my Wisconsin prediction, I based it on the idea that the overall narrative of the campaign wouldn't change just by Obama taking another relatively small state. In that alone, I think I was correct. The narrative didn't change, but what I have been surprised by is the Clinton campaign's lack of energy since Wisconsin. She has proven the willingness to go negative, and the willingness to run her own red phone ad. But none of the attacks on Obama have stuck. Her campaign has never found a compelling narrative for itself and a reason beyond experience that makes her better qualified for the presidency. That, I think is the big surprise of the campaign.

Rational Versus Irrational

Like any American, and specifically any New Yorker, I hate Osama Bin Laden. I would very much like to know that he is dead somewhere. Senator McCain likes to have this issue both ways. On the one hand....




Well good for him that's more that I might have asked of the President. Honestly, just find the guy and you know..off with his head. I would like the president to not hesitate, attack Bin Laden wherever he is...maybe like this...




But that's a problem for Mr. McCain. While it's ok to declare your willing to follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell...apparently the mountains of pakistan are off limits. “Will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan?” (source MSNBC)

This kind of double talk will not win many independent voters. This seems to be a preview of the debate we can look forward to in the general election, assuming Senator Obama is the nominee.