Americans want to be in the company of their loved ones in their final years. When a loved one is sick and in need of long term care in the last years of life, they almost always prefer to be at home and in the company of family. This is sometimes an option for family members, but sometimes it isn't possible because of financial considerations. Medicare covers some aspects of in-home health care through private duty nursing, registered social workers and personal health care attendants, but it generally does not pay for family members to stay home and care for their loved ones.

Haha. Just kidding. Did I get your attention? Anyway, here's a fun delegate math fact (assuming my math is correct):

If you believe RCP's current pledged delegate counts, neither candidate can mathematically get to 2025 to win the nomination even if they win every single delegate in every single remaining primary.

If you believe RCP's current "pledged superdelegate" counts, Clinton would have to win 92% of the delegates up for grabs in the remaining primaries, and Obama would have to win 75%. Neither scenario sounds likely.

So, one way or another superdelegates will decide the nomination. And it may not be until Denver, unless one of the campaigns blinks first. Which also doesn't sound likely.

(All of this could change If the DNC ever gets around to addressing the FL/MI fiasco, but not by much.)

P.S. Contrary to the News Sentinel's front page headline today ("Republicans decided, Democrats divided") and lame right-wing talking points about the big rift in the Democratic party, what this primary is showing is that Democrats can field two strong candidates who can energize the party and put up record turnout numbers nationwide.

Meanwhile, the best candidates the GOP can come up with are Mitt, Rudy, Fred, Chucklebee, and their eventual nominee... McCain? Either Democratic candidate and most of the also-rans could hick his or any of the rest of that crew's butts.

So maybe we could call a timeout and all get together behind that for just a moment?

OK, minute's up. Carry on.

Turns out R. Neal, in his Knox Views post "Obama has a Tell," was played, as many others in the media and the blogosphere were, by a false leak from the Canadian government that was apparently intended to create friction within the Democratic Party.

Watch the whole news story from Canadian Public Broadcasting.

"The Canadian Embassy here is mortified. The Obama campaign is enraged, and Ottawa is now trying to repair the damage," said CBC reporter Neal McDonald.

Dem strategist Bob Shrum said on Meet the Press: "You've got a right-wing government in Canada that is trying to help the Republicans. They are actively interfering in this campaign."

video link via DKos, which offers additional details and post-mortem.

Let's not help the wingers anymore, eh?

thanks.

Senate Bill 1408/House Bill 1829 mandates deposits for recycling of drink containers.

It will result in less litter along our roadways, less waste in the landfills, money saved on litter crews, and improved scenic quality of Tennessee.

Once assigned by the government operations committee, Senate Bill 1408 will go to the Senate Committee for Environment, Conservation and Tourism for a vote, probably next week. If approved, it will go to the full Senate. Once there, its chance of passage is deemed excellent.

If your State Senator is on the Environment, Conservation, and Tourism committee, encourage them to support this bill.

For more info visit the Tennessee Bottle Bill Project website.

Three local artists, Katie Gamble, Jessica Gregory, and Zophia Kneiss, open a new exhibition titled "Illumination: Works of Vibrant Imagination" at the Emporium Center on March 7. The exhibition runs through March 28.

Night On The Town by Katie Gamble

Members of the entire Knoxville community are encouraged to attend the opening reception on Friday, March 7, at the Emporium Center for Arts & Culture from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Admission is free and complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served. "Illumination: Works of Vibrant Imagination" is on exhibit. You can see more photos from this upcoming exhibition on the Emporium page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...).

As part of the First Friday events, all the downtown and Old City galleries are going to open late. Take the time to visit them and check out the Knoxville art scene.

Support your local galleries and artists!

Sherrie

David Houston, Chief Curator of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans will present a public slide talk titled After the Storm; a Post Apocalyptic View of New Orleans Culture on Wednesday, March 5, 7 PM, in room 109 of the Art and Architecture Building. Houston is the juror for the upcoming "Concept/Execution", The University of Tennessee’s 61st Annual Student Art Competition, which will be on view at the UT Ewing Gallery from March 11-27, 2008. For more information about Mr. Houston and the upcoming exhibition at the Ewing visit their page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...).

Sherrie

There are two excellent Democratic candidates for President this year, each with their own strengths and natural bases within the party. This is resulting in an extremely close race for the nomination. Exactly how this race will resolve itself is as yet unclear, even though there is already a presumptive Republican nominee.

That is not what this post is about.

This post is about four clear problems with the Democratic nominating process. If these problems did not exist, would either Clinton or Obama have become a presumptive nominee by now? I don't know, and, if one of them would have, I don't know which one it would have been.

But, in my opinion, these problems need to be fixed. Unfortunately, only one of these problems can be fixed immediately, and it should be. The others should be addressed before the 2012 election starts to gear up, officially, on February 1, 2009. Just kidding. The 2012 election won't officially start to gear up until January 1, 2010.

Harold Ickes. Always two there are. No more, no less. A master, and an apprentice.

For our quote of the day on yesterday's primary we go to Bill Young. Bill notes in yesterday's prediction thread that if the primary goes forward to PA, Clinton and Obama will be out at baseball games and says "These folks have been throwing brush back pitches. Come PA they'll be throwin' chin music."

Mike Huckabee says this morning that he has reconsidered and takes back his concession speech.

Speaking to reporters at a hastily called breakfast prayer buffet, Huckabee said "Look, it's only a scratch. McCain barely nicked me. He campaigns like a little girl. He should come back here and fight like a man."

When reminded that McCain has the nomination locked up numerically, Huckabee responded "The one vote that counts hasn't been cast. I'm holding out for my miracle."

The KNS reports:

Owings wants to halt Finch's pay

Knox County Law Director John Owings wants a court to freeze $14,000 in annual leave payments because of former community services director Cynthia Finch after a draft audit found she inadequately documented expenses totaling almost $13,400.