Is it to soon to resume speculating who Obama's running mate will be? Though I'm not much of a Carville fan these days, I see the Ragin' Cajun mentions one of my favs, Gen. Wesley Clark. Bill Richardson of course would still be a great choice too.

I'm not crazy about Hillary as a pick, mostly because I don't think that would be the best strategy to win required non-Dems, though it would help bridge the two Dem camps back together. Carville also mentioned two others that I would call strategic choices in Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Michael Bloomberg.

A win would be good.

is what Obama said true?

At a time when we're facing the largest homecoming since the Second World War," Obama said of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, "the true test of our patriotism is whether we will serve our returning heroes as well as they've served us."

Just a quick Google search on the Vietnam war:

1968. U.S. strength in South Vietnam totaled more than 500,000 by early 1968.

January, February, March, 1972. U.S. troop strength in Vietnam dropped to 136,500 by 31 January 1972, to 119,600 by 29 February, and then to 95,500 by the end of March.

What if I Googled the Korean War?

Etc., etc., etc....

If you conduct a google search for the phrase “university twit,” what pops up is a photo of me in a T-shirt and mortarboard. It’s a long story involving a fellow Knox County commissioner and the day he called me a university twit, but the incident gives me some “street cred” to write about the difficult task of using one’s intelligence without being dismissed as a wonk (Michael Dukakis), nerd (Al Gore), or elitist (John Kerry).

Thanks to the mythologies built up around Ronald Reagan, Republicans get a pass on these things. All they have to do is munch on some pork rinds, don a cowboy hat, or raise a beer and the matter is settled. If your first reaction is a retort about their prep schools, Ivy League legacy admissions, wealthy contributors, or millionaire-coddling policies, you’ve disqualified yourself from this debate.

More after the break.

Nashville, TN: The Green Party of Tennessee has nominated Chris Lugo as their candidate for US Senate in Tennessee this year at their state nominating convention in Nashville held Saturday. Lugo said that he was excited to be representing the most progressive political party in the state of Tennessee, "The Green Party is the most progressive party in the state, and I am glad to be representing them as a candidate for federal office. My views about the environment, the war, health care and education are highly compatible with the ten key values of the Green Party. I hope to represent them well as a candidate and to promote the cause of peace through my campaign."

May 1st marks the international worker's holiday known as May Day, which commemorates the fight for the eight-hour work day. The day was chosen in memory of the Haymarket incident in Chicago in 1886 to honor the struggles of striking workers and the very real threats to their health, safety and even lives that workers have undertake when choosing to exercise the right to organize and form unions.

There is a crisis happening on a global scale, and we here in the United States of America have a moral responsibility to take action to help alleviate global food prices and ensure that millions of people do not suffer the ill effects of hunger and possibly even starvation. We are all complaining about the high cost of oil these days and how it is impinging on our budget, but in the developing world this is having extreme consequences. The stark reality is that three billion people on the planet earth live on less than $2 a day, and a good portion of that money goes specifically to the purchase of basic food grains to survive. As a result of the skyrocketing price of oil, the price of food grains has risen due to commercial production costs and transportation to as much as $800 a ton for rice which has led to food riots in the developing world.

Rachel Maddow lays it out so that it is easy to understand why the "bitter" comment is a red-herring thrown out by Obama's opponents. While on David Gregory's CNN show she explained it in clear, precise terms and still the talking heads like Scarborough and Gregory just haven't got the ability to grasp it.

See the video at Crooks and Liars.

Even when Scarborough finally seems to concede that she is right, he still pursues the "Obama is an Elitist" meme without skipping a beat. They just keep beating that dog to death and it still won't fly.

Are you ready? It's time again for Clinton and Obama to answer some questions.

ABC News, the National Constitution Center and WPVI-TV will host a Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 16. The live debate, which is scheduled to run 90 minutes, will be moderated by ABC News anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos and will air from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT on the ABC Television Network.

I'm excited. I just can't wait to see how George Stephanopoulos will be as a moderator.

You gotta see this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyhIBXNfqMA

Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign has racked up at least $8.7 million in unpaid bills, including $292,000 it owes in health insurance premiums for its employees, The Politico reports. A spokesperson for the Clinton campaign says that it “pays all of its bills,” but two Ohio companies — owed a total more than $25,000 —reportedly are urging other businesses to demand cash up front.

and the full article in The Politico

Anne Woodle

Super delegate Gov. Bill Richardson has chosen to not endorse the presidential candidate chosen by the majority of voters in his state of New Mexico.

Gov. Bill Richardson has chosen to endorse Sen. Barak Obama.

That is why, out of loyalty to my country, I endorse him for president.

The majority of voters in New Mexico chose Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Super delegates are not bound to vote how the people they represent vote. As with Sen. Edward Kennedy from Massachusetts who has also endorsed Obama when the voters from Massachusetts overwhelmingly selected Clinton. The super delegate math should get very interesting in that it appears the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate will not be determined by the state primaries and caucuses.

Tennessee Guerilla Women has a very nice Hillary Rodham Clinton video with the Dixie Chicks song, Not Ready to Make Nice, as the background music. I love the song and I do think Clinton is an amazing person.

Oh boy.

I can see few good things happening if this primary fight drags on for several more months.

In Pennsylvania,

Clinton now leads Barack Obama 51 percent to 35 percent among likely Democratic primary voters, according to the Franklin and Marshall College Poll.

In West Virginia,

Clinton attracts 55% of the Likely Democratic Primary Voters while Obama is supported by 27%.

Overall, in

The March 14-18 national survey of 1,209 Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters gave Clinton, a New York senator, a 49 percent to 42 percent edge over Obama, an Illinois senator.

Next.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will appear with Barack Obama in Oregon Friday and provide his endorsement to him.
...
John Edwards didn't endorse either candidate, or more accurately, he endorsed both on the Tonight Show last night. He said Barack was inspirational and could bring out the youth vote, and Hillary was tenacious, a fighter and had the experience. He said both would make great presidents.

Indeed.

They're going to debate again! In Pennsylvania! Then, maybe again. In North Carolina. Aaaggghhhhhh!

Hillary Clinton was on Saturday Night Live.

See the "Men Against Hillary Democratic Debate" video at Tennessee Guerilla Women.

This:
Link...

Or THIS?

Link...

Ralph Nader said Sunday he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will "shift the power from the few to the many."

Wow! What a surprise. Will anyone take him seriously this time?

Austin (Tex-Mex) Texas, 8 PM EST, CNN.

43,000 apply for 200 tickets available to the public. There will be 2,000 in the audience and millions watching from afar.

A sampling of questions the sports-minded propose for the debate.

RE: IMMIGRATION
Should Texas be allowed to build a border fence to keep out football recruiters from Oklahoma?

Are you ready? Is he ready?

Obamamania backlash starting?

Michelle Obama says, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback."

Florida campaigning, or not.

Via Instapundit

Hillary's been on a successful hunt. Wisconsin voters want to know if she will teach VP Cheney how to use his gun.

Nine days later the counting is complete.

Clinton 73,105 (48.8%) (14 delegates)
Obama 71,396 (47.6%) (12 delegates)

I'll be happy when this election is over and there's a Democrat in the White House.

NAACP chairman Julian Bond expressed "great concern at the prospect that million of voters in Michigan and Florida could ultimately have their votes completely discounted." Refusing to seat the states' delegations could remind voters of the "sordid history of racially discriminatory primaries," he said.
...
He sent the letter on behalf of the voters in Michigan and especially Florida, where the Republican-controlled legislature and governor changed the state's primary date.

Sharpton said he disagreed with those who say minority voters in Florida and Michigan will be disenfranchised.

"That claim, if true, should have been made many months ago before the decision was made to strip these states of their delegates, and, once the decision was made, it should have been vigorously objected to and contested by those who felt it disenfranchised voters," Sharpton wrote. "To raise that claim now smacks of politics in its form most raw and undercuts the moral authority behind such an argument."

I think the DNC has got some explaining to do. I suppose it is just as well that Howard Dean did not get elected president.

Canceled tonight

Senator McCain's lecture series: "My friends, vote for me or terrorists will kill you."

No makeup date has been scheduled.

UPDATE

"Protecting Local Ridgetops"--A special presentation by the American Strip Miner's Association, Small Assembly Room at the City/County Building, canceled.

"How I Will Be Great When the Final Chapter of History Is Written," a lecture by President Bush at the UT Historiography Symposium, canceled. Makeup date will be announced at some future time.

"NCAA Officials' Game Clock Seminar," Thompson Boling Arena, will begin 0.2 hours late.

Now THIS is funny.
Mean, but bipartisan -- Hey, it came from HuffPo

Link...

I'm not saying either is right or better, but it has occured to me that there is a really distinct honest feeling in both camps that the other "just isn't making the right choice". People do percieve things differently. This is an interesting little "test" to see which way your brain tends toward.

Link...

Mine tended right.

Yes, I could focus and make the dancer turn the other way.

Which way does yours go?

Did you know Washington State has a primary to be held February 19th? In 1989 the Washington State legislature adopted an initiative to, apparently, not only hold a caucus but also hold a primary.

The law states:

The... presidential nominating caucus system in Washington State is unnecessarily restrictive of voter participation in that it discriminates against the elderly, the infirm, women, the disabled, evening workers, and others who are unable to attend caucuses and therefore unable to fully participate in this most important quadrennial event that occurs in our democratic system of government.

A Presidential Primary allows each Washington voter to participate in the nomination process, not just political party insiders who participate in the caucuses.

The Republican Party has elected to use all or part of the primary results to select delegates.

The Democratic Party has elected to never use the primary results to select delegates.

Odd?

A friend sent this to me. I understand Morgan's feminist viewpoint. I dson't agree with everything she says, but she has some keen insight to offer, and she can be a terrific writer. it won't make me change my support of Obama, but it does raise issues we all (especially women and minorities) should not forget.

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT by Robin Morgan

"Goodbye To All That" was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a politics of accommodation especially affecting women."

"During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women's movements, I've avoided writing another specific "Goodbye . . .". But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities--the joint conscience-keepers of this country--been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.

Goodbye to the double standard . . .
--Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who's emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.

--She's "ambitious" but he shows "fire in the belly." (Ever had labor pains? )

--When a sexist idiot screamed "Iron my shirt!" at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted "Shine my shoes!" at BO, it would've inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.

--Young political Kennedys--Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.--all endorsed Hillary. Sen. Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort "See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him." (Personally, I'm unimpressed with Caroline's longing for the Return of the Fathers.

Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe's suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)

Read the full article here...