Pressing The Flesh

Politico 44 President's Calendar

2009-04-27T14:41:00.001-04:00

Methinks I Smell A Hypocrite!

2009-04-15T21:44:00.003-04:00

Governor Rick Perry is talking about Texas seceding from the Union, because he doesn't like the ways things are going in "his" country.

There was a time not too long ago, when the roles were reversed - Democrats who voiced opposition to the Bush Administration were labeled as traitors, and were told to "Love It or Leave It."

And while I won't stoop to the same level, I will say this - Your. Party. Lost. Of COURSE, there are going to be things that happen in this Country that YOU don't agree with - and that's OK. But you don't get to change the rules all of a sudden and say that the current Administration is suddenly "unconstitutional" after watching the travesty of Constitutional treatment over the last eight years.

So, if you don't like being in the Minority... well, get used to it. And if you can't get used to it, maybe you'd prefer to take an "extended vacation" to another location until things are more to your liking.

That'll just leave more of Austin for ME to enjoy.

My First iPhone Posting!

2009-03-25T22:56:00.000-04:00

BOO!

In an effort to once again rekindle the flame of my love affair with PTF, and with all of you, I've decided to try posting via my new passion, my iPhone!

This is really just a test posting, but if it works, expect a lot more where this came from!

FleshPresser

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

2008-11-04T08:52:00.002-05:00

Regardless of your affiliation, History will be made today! GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

Don't Vote...

2008-10-02T12:23:00.000-04:00

... but if you're hell bent on it, and you're not registered, you better do it FAST. There's only another couple of days left to register, and there are a MILLION different ways to do it.

Or... just don't vote.

After You register, It's Time To Invest...

2008-10-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

No time like the present for advice on a new investment firm... right?

A Slice of Hypocrisy...

2008-09-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

This is just a SMALL sampling of the type of hypocrisy I was commenting about earlier, deliciously served up by Jon Stewart:

Couldn't have said it better!

Baby Bump In The Road...

2008-09-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

Whoops!

Over the last week, rumors resurfaced about GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her fifth child, Trig. The essential story is that Sarah Palin claimed the child as her own to protect her daughter, Bristol, who actually had the child.

While various blogs have been flurrying about trying to get to the bottom of the story, yet another story was actually substantiated today by the Palin family - that 17-year-old Bristol is actually five months pregnant going into the GOP Convention.

According to the family statement, Sarah Palin asked the media to respect her family's privacy during this difficult time.

There's one tiny problem in this... barring a hurricane battering the Gulf Coast right now, the eyes of just about every media outlet in America is focused, at least in part, on St. Paul and the Republican Convention. Not exactly a convenient time to ask for the media to respect one's privacy.

Which leads me to several questions... maybe you have some answers for me?

* Who was the Brain Trust in the McCain campaign that thought, during the vetting process, that this was going to be OK? Sarah Palin is already under investigation in her home state, there are rumors that had been flying around Alaska for quite a while now about Sarah Palin actually being a grandmother rather than a mother to her fifth child, and her daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant.

Now let's forget all of the moral high ground that Republicans love to stand on and just look at this pragmatically. Anyone who believes, given the current political climate with the Bush Administration, that the McCain campaign was going to be an easy one needs to simply put down the pipe. This was NEVER going to be an easy campaign for McCain. So, in vetting potential candidates, why on earth would ANYONE suggest to McCain that choosing Palin was a good idea?

I'm mature enough to understand political realities - though I thought John Edwards was a dream veep for Obama (and whether you agree or not is a different story), I KNEW that as soon as the story came out about him cheating on his wife, that dream was gone... regardless of how wonderful a candidate he might have been. And this is not to say that I AGREE with that particular political reality, but I'm astute enough to recognize it.

So, how could people who are paid to do this for a living think for a moment that this would just be water under the bridge that no one would care about?

And while we're talking about people not caring...

* In how many ways can one call people like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and other Christian Conservative leaders HYPOCRITES??? Look, I KNOW that Sarah Palin isn't the one who is pregnant out of wedlock. I KNOW that these types of things happen to liberal families and conservative families and strong families and trainwreck families - mistakes are made all the time across this country. But when the Religious Right holds up this family as an example and thinks it'll actually humanize the candidate... well, again I'll simply say "Put. Down. The. Pipe."

My outrage (right now, anyway) isn't with Bristol Palin. And it isn't with Sarah Palin as her parent. It's with the Republicans who suddently forget that they were the FIRM advocates of such failed policies as abstinence-only sex education, and yet jump up and down, voicing praise for the Palin family because they can make lemonade out of a bad decision? Does anyone remember what people like Perkins and Dobson have said about children having sex out of wedlock in this country?!?

Between these stories and the hurricane upstaging the Convention, the Republicans have got to be thinking twice about the adage that kharma is a bitch.

Eight Is Enough

2008-08-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

OK, so it's probably not going to measure up to the speech whose 45th anniversary is celebrated today, and maybe people will question the pillars behind him when he speaks, but make NO mistake... tonight is a historic night.

And for those of you who believe that Barack Obama has no plan to bring about the change he is talking about, LISTEN CLOSELY tonight as he spells it out for you... once again. And if you choose not to listen, you can read it right here, before it even comes out of his mouth in Denver. Here are excerpts from his historic speech to be presented tonight:

“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

“It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

“It is why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

“We meet at one of those defining moments – a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

“Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach

“These challenges are not all of government’s making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush.

“America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.”

***

“This moment – this election – is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

“Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we’ll also hear about those occasions when he’s broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

“But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than ninety percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.”

***
“You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

“We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put away a little extra money at the end of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President – when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

“We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job – an economy that honors the dignity of work.

“The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great – a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.”

***

“That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.
.
“Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

“Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

“I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

“I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

“And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

“Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

“Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

“As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.”

***

“We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans – have built, and we are to restore that legacy.

“As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”

McBush

2008-08-16T13:49:00.000-04:00

Just in case you were wondering...

'Nuff said.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation...

2008-07-29T18:53:00.000-04:00

The polls show Obama and McCain bouncing back and forth in the polls, and I've had a few inclinations to jump into the fray, but it seems like there's little substantive stuff that's actually going to make it past Labor Day... with a few exceptions, which I'll get to in the next few days.

In the meantime, I wanted to share an incredible experience I had with you. A friend of mine asked if it was "life-altering" and I replied that it wasn't life-altering, but it certainly was life-expanding... one of the greatest experiences of my life!

Satire, Eh?

2008-07-15T15:42:00.000-04:00

I'm Voting Republican!

2008-06-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

With the sadness of the last few days, it was time for a laugh, and here it is.. BIG time!! Enjoy!

The Significance of Russert

2008-06-13T23:44:00.000-04:00

If you think that Tim Russert was just another talking head for the 24-hour news cycle... think again.

Take a look at some of the work of Tim Russert, and you begin to realize the significance of the loss of Tim Russert:

When people were talking about the remaining potential of Hillary Clinton's campaign, Tim Russert very objectively explained it in plain English so everyone could understand it, fail people from the Clinton campaign:

Beyond his news capabilities, there was another side to Tim Russert:

While Tom Brokaw will anchor this sunday's Meet The Press, I would actually put my money on Chuck Todd becoming the follow-up to Tim Russert, with a close second guess given to David Gregory. They will work hard and be motivated to become "Russert-ian" in their careers, though no one will ever be able to fully take his place.

Tim Russert, 1950-2008 R.I.P.

2008-06-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

I am blown away at the news of the death of Tim Russert today. He apparently died of a heart attack while at the Washington News Bureau of NBC, at the age of 58.

For political geeks like myself, I had a morning routine, and part of that routine entailed, whenever humanly possible, not getting up to do another damned thing on Sunday mornings until after Meet The Press was over.

For geeks such as myself, this is the equivilent of someone of the statue of Johnny Carson passing - even moreso. Not only will Russert's presence be missed every Sunday morning, but his presence will be missed... period. This isn't just a retirement from the show or from journalism. This is Russert - gone.

He was FAR too young to die, and had SO much insight left to ahre. In our world of 24-hour news, and alleged pundits popping up ad infinitum on cable talk shows, Russert's voice was one that was truly worth listening to and taking note. Russert had the intelligence, backbone, and forethought to conduct truly "meaningful" interviews with anyone who WAS anyone in the political field, and to synthesize and make that information useful and meaningful.

There is so much more that I could say about the man, but I'm simply stunned right now.

Perhaps I will root for the Buffalo Bills this year, despite my STRONG allegiance to the Washington Redskins, as a tribute to Tim Russert.

It will still be Sunday... but it just won't be the same.

History Made Tonight!

2008-06-03T20:12:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Barack Obama, the undisputed Democratic Nominee for President of the United States! He has achieved what no other African-American in our country has ever achieved, and history has been made... Hallelujah!

Here is a preview of the comments he will make in Minnepolis later tonight:

Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.

Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America.
Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign -- through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.

We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning -- even in the face of tough odds -- is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency -- an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn't just about the party in charge of Washington, it's about the need to change Washington.Ê There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.

All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren't the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn't do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- we cannot afford to keep doing what we've been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say -- let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.

In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.

Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.

It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush ninety-five percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.

It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college -- policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.

And it's not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians -- a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn't making the American people any safer.

So I'll say this -- there are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush's policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.

Change is a foreign policy that doesn't begin and end with a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I won't stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what's not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years -- especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.

We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in - but start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It's time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It's time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda's leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century -- terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That's what change is.

Change is realizing that meeting today's threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy -- tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That's what the American people want. That's what change is.

Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it. It's understanding that the struggles facing working families can't be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a the middle-class a tax break, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation. It's understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was President.

John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy -- cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota -- he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for.

Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can't pay the medical bills for a sister who's ill, he'd understand that she can't afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That's the change we need.

Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he'd understand that we can't afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future -- an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. That's the change we need.

And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he'd understand that we can't afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That's the change we need in America. That's why I'm running for President.

The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon -- that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.

Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself. I've walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools. I've sat across the table from law enforcement and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent thirteen innocent people to death row. And I've worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.

So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.

So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.

So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom's cause.

So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that's better, and kinder, and more just.

And so it must be for us.

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Obama Responds...

2008-04-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

We're coming down to the Home Stretch in Pennsylvania... who even though that Obama could close the HUGE gap in this amount of time. Part of that reason is because of responses like this to Clinton attacks:

I live in the state of Pennsylvania... for now.. and I am doing EVERYTHING in my power to prevent Clinton from winning here.

I've Been Put On Notice...

2008-03-24T00:25:00.000-04:00

...by none other than Mr. Colbert himself. And why, might you ask? Because I've been doing a lousy job at keeping this blog updated.

I'm sorry, Stephen. I promise to try and do better in the days and weeks to come.

ThankGod for Keith Olbermann!

2008-03-13T17:04:00.000-04:00

I have been incredibly busy as of late, and my blogging has obviously suffered.

It has obviously suffered at a time when I have MORE to say than ever before.

That's why I LOVE to watch Keith Olbermann take the words right out of my mouth.

LIVE BLOGGING - A Little Past Super Tuesday

2008-02-06T00:06:00.000-05:00

Thus far (as of midnight), here's how the states have gone:

BARACK OBAMA:
Alabama - 56% - 42%
Alaska - 72% - 27%
Colorado - 66% - 33%
Connecticut - 50% - 47%
Delaware - 53% - 42%
Georgia - 65% - 32%
Idaho - 81% - 15%
Illinois - 64% - 33%
Kansas - 73% - 27%
Minnesota - 67% - 32%
Missouri - 49% - 48%
North Dakota - 61% - 37%
Utah - 54% - 40%

HILLARY CLINTON:
Arizona - 50% - 41%
Arkansas - 72% - 23%
California - 55% - 33%
Massachusetts - 56% - 41%
New York - 57% - 40%
New Jersey - 54% - 44%
Oklahoma - 55% - 31%
Tennessee - 54% - 41%

What does all of this mean? Well, a few things. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could honestly say that Clinton comes out of Super Tuesday with the "winning momentum." Simply by not being defeated by Obama, the Clinton campaign has declared the day a "win."

I imagined that California would be closer that it appears right now, but I also imagine that the end numbers will tighten up significantly prior to the final tally. It's also important to note that the Clinton win is not surprising, given that there was a SIGNIFICANT amount of early votes in the state - votes cast prior to the latest Obama surge.

Clinton won Arkansas and New York (the benefit of having two "home states"), but with the exception of her "prior home state" of Arkansas, she never rises higher than the mid-50s, meaning that in a system where proportional assignment of delegates takes place, Obama remained close, and will receive significant piles of delegates in each of these states.

Meanwhile, look at some of the numbers for Obama... 66% in Colorado... 73% in Kansas... 81% in Idaho. In a lot of the states where Obama won, he claimed victory by significant margins.

Think about this, as well. A few weeks ago, the Clinton camp never even dreamed that her closest competition would be this close. Moving forward, Obama is going to have a SIGNIFICANT advantage in the money race moving forward. In a Super Tuesday-style primary, the candidate with a "national name" always maintains an advantage in trying to cover all of the states across the country in a matter of days.

Now, the race shifts. The primary season moves back to a series of smaller primaries, which will absolutely favor Obama. In addition, the upcoming primaries will all favor Obama in the next three to four weeks.

Clinton did not win tonight. Simply by listening to the pundits talk about the wins in California and New York as "news" is significant to the Obama campaign. At this point, I would be VERY concerned if I was in the Clinton campaign.

Obama has won states throughout the United States - from Alaska to Delaware, from Minnesota to Georgia. And simply by looking at the number of states won by Obama versus Clinton, there's no question that CHANGE is on the way!

LIVE BLOGGING SUPER TUESDAY

2008-02-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

So, I've been in rehearsal for a show right now, which is why I've failed to follow up here on Barack Obama's stunning win in South Carolina, the seemingly odd timing of John Edwards' departure from the race, or any number of stories that have come and gone since then.

I have yet to even officially write my activist endorsement of Barack Obama yet, but it WILL be forthcoming.

I even have a strange scenario floating around in my head right now, which remains consistent with polls as they stand right now, which sees Barack Obama clinching the nomination tonight.... OK, so it's a bit far-fetched... but so was the New York Giants upset over the New England Patriots, right? And given the results of New Hampshire, anything is possible these days.

Briefly, the scenario involves Obama winning California, taking at least 40% of the vote in New York, taking his home state of Illinois, winning Massachusetts (not terribly difficult to imagine given endorsements by Kerry and the Kennedy clan), making at least a strong showing in New Jersey and Connecticut, and winning BIG in states like Georgia.

I'll go into more detail about this later.... the real point of this post is to let you know that I'll be LiveBlogging results tonight - probably some time after 10:00PM Eastern.

So, hang with Keith and Chris until then, and I'll see you later tonight!

Shades of This Week?

2008-01-25T16:52:00.000-05:00

This is one of the funnier political videos I've seen in a while, and I thought I'd share...

Obama Leads Going Into South Carolina Primary...

2008-01-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Despite all of the negative campaigning and attacks from the Clinton campaign over the last several days (or maybe because of them), Barack Obama is maintaining a 13 point lead over Clinton as tomorrow's South Carolina Democratic primary approaches.

What's even more exciting to me is that John Edwards' support is slowly creeping up, with indications that a second place finish would be possible for him tomorrow. I think that it would serve as a strong message for Clinton to be repaid with a third place finish for way the campaign has conducted themselves in recent days.

I'd love to reprint the entire endorsement from South Carolina's newspaper, The State, but I'll just share a brief portion of it, and you can read the rest of it on their website:

The restoration of the Clintons to the White House would trigger a new wave of all-out political warfare....Hillary Clinton doesn’t pretend that it won’t happen; she simply vows to persevere, in the hope that her side can win....

Sen. Obama’s campaign is an argument for a more unifying style of leadership. In a time of great partisanship, he is careful to talk about winning over independents and even Republicans. He is harsh on the failures of the current administration - and most of that critique well-deserved. But he doesn’t use his considerable rhetorical gifts to demonize Republicans. He’s not neglecting his core values; he defends his progressive vision with vigorous integrity. But for him, American unity - transcending party - is a core value in itself.

Sen. Obama would also have the best chance to repair the damage to America’s global reputation.... Sen. Obama is the only Democrat who plausibly can say that he wants to work with Americans across the political spectrum to address such subjects - and he has the integrity and the skills of persuasion that make him the best-qualified among the remaining Democratic hopefuls to address these challenges.

He would be a groundbreaking nominee. More to the point, he makes a solid case that he is ready to lead the whole country. We see Sen. Barack Obama as the best choice in Saturday’s Democratic primary.

Rezko-nize THIS Face?

2008-01-25T10:24:00.000-05:00

During the last Democratic debate in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton accused Barack Obama of aiding Tony Rezko "...when you were practicing law and representing your contributor ... in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago." Although many various sources have indicated that Obama never DIRECTLY represented Rezko, the Clinton camp continues to pound at the issue, feeding it to the media.

Well, as is typically proven, that kharma is a bitch. Today, photos surface of Tony Rezko with the Clintons.

While Clinton denies knowing Rezko, it is plain and obvious that he at least had access to the Clinton White House.

I wonder if we'll see a picture of Obama and Norman Hsu appear? Somehow, I'm thinking not.

Thompson Drops From The Ledger... and Ledger Just Drops...

2008-01-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

So, Fred Thompson dropped out of the race for President today. If he hadn't announced it, I'm not sure that anyone would have noticed.

And Heath Ledger died today, found naked in an apartment with pills around him. One of my students mentioned that they heard he was found in Mary-Kate Olson's apartment.

If I was found naked in an Olson twins' apartment, I think I'd take the same path as Heath.