I Did Not Have Pastoral Relations With That Man

Now The Veepstakes Is Over!

We Needed This Today

And While We're At It ...

Let's not forget the Catholics

Bitter? Hell Yeah

Bill Maher sums it up for me

Full Opening

Excerpts From Barack Obama's press conference on Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

I'm outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday. I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992 and have known Jeremiah Wright for almost 22 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but they also give comfort to those that prey on hate and I believe they do not accurately portray the perspective of the black church. They certainly do not accurately portray my values and beliefs. If Reverend Wright thinks that is political posturing on my part, he does not know me very well.

I have already denounced those comments that have come out of these previous sermons. I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia, explaining that he has done enormous good in the church, has built a wonderful conversation. They are a wonderful people and what attracted me has always been the ministries reach beyond church walls. But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions, that the U.S. government is involved in AIDS, when he suggests that Louis Farrakhan represents one of the greatest voices of the 21st century, when he equates the United States' wartime effort with terrorism, then there are no excuses. They offend me, they rightfully offend all Americans, and they should be denounced. That is what I am doing very clearly and unequivocally here today.

I have spent my entire adult life trying to bridge the gap between different kinds of people.

That's in my DNA, trying to promote mutual understanding to insist that we all share common hopes and common dreams as Americans and as human beings. That's who I am, that's what I believe, and that's what this campaign has been about.

During Q and A with reporters, Senator Obama was asked why he hadn't reacted this way when he responded to Wright yesterday. The reporter was referring to Reverend Wright's remarks at the National Press Club on Monday (watch video).

I will be honest, I had not seen it yet. ... What I had heard is that he had given a performance and I thought at that time it would be sufficient to repeat what I said in Philadelphia. Upon watching it, what came clear to me was that it was more than just him defending himself. What became clear is that he was presenting a worldview that contradicts who I am and what I stand for. What particularly angered me was his suggestion that my previous denunciation of his remarks was political posturing. Anybody who knows me or what I am about knows that I am trying to bridge gaps and seize the commonality in all people.

London Calling!

Time to finally get that passport

FAST food chain Burger King are to serve up the world’s most expensive takeaway – costing a whopping 85 pounds.

There’s no common old meat in this burger. It will contain top-quality Kobe beef from Japan. And instead of ketchup and cheddar, it will be garnished with foie gras – a goose delicacy – and rare blue cheese.

But BK customers will still be able to buy regular fries and a fizzy drink to help it down.

It will be launched in selected branches next month, with London’s upmarket Kensington and Chelsea tipped to get the posh burger first.

At 85 [English pounds], it is in marked contrast to deadly rival McDonald’s who offer a budget burger for just 99p.

Launching the most expensive takeaway in town may seem odd during the credit crunch.

But Lucy Barrett, of Marketing Magazine, said: �The idea of a burger that no one buys is not as ludicrous as it seems. Burger King will use it to promote a gap in perception between it and McDonald’s. It could lead consumers to reassess the quality of the brand.�

Good

"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama told reporters at a news conference.

"I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he's done enormous good. ... But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS. ... There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced."

Even A Blind Squirrel?

Look, I was a Mental Health Professional for 20+ years. I have no problem seeing this theory as valid.

Even if it comes from, uh, Rush Limbaugh.

In defense of Rush, if you are looking for understanding of how bitter (there's that word) narcissistic jealousy might play out, who better to theorize than a bitter narcissist?

I watched some of Reverend Wright this morning at the National Press Club. It seems obvious to me that he's doing everything he can to wipe out Obama's candidacy, and I'll tell you why I think it is. I think that people like Reverend Wright -- and I think there are a lot of other race business hustlers out there, by the way, who think this -- really upset that if a black candidate is elected president, that they're going to be somehow diminished in their task, at keeping everybody in their flocks all revved up and angry about the ages old sin of slavery and the ongoing discrimination.

So it appears to me, if you look at Reverend Wright, listen to what he says and analyze it from the context or perspective of what's best for him, which is clearly all he's interested in, what's best for him is that if Obama loses, because then it's easy for him to say, "See, the white power structure doesn't want a black man to rise to the pinnacle of power in the United States of America." It would certainly fuel Reverend Wright's future and continue to help him raise money and keep people whipped up into a frenzy. He's not helpful. Whatever he thinks he's doing, it is not helpful to Barack Obama.

Of Course!

via Huffington Post

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted.

Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds.

A former editorial board member at USA Today, she runs something called Reynolds News Services and teaches ministry at the Howard University School of Divinity. (She is an ordained minister).

It also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club "who organized" the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter. ...

Hitchens Poison Point: Proven!

Just another ego-maniacal preacher

Keep Hope Alive

Fuuuuuuuccckkkkk.

Andrew counsels:

One response to all this is to despair. We're seeing many of the worst aspects of America's culture war come back to target the one politician who had the chance to get us beyond it. It is no accident to me that Wright is of the Vietnam generation that bequeathed us these divides; and it is no accident that the Clintons will eagerly pivot off it; or that the far right will exploit it; or that Obama's tolerance for a man like this for so many years will hurt him. And yet I refuse to believe that we have to remain captive to this syndrome; I refuse to believe that racial discourse has to be framed by Pat Buchanan and Jeremiah Wright; I refuse to abandon the hope I felt only a few months ago.

This moment is far too important to surrender to the forces that want to return us to the divisions and obsessions of the past. The only way past this, perhaps, is through it. Obama needs to repudiate Wright's grandstanding and reiterate in clear terms the rationale of his candidacy: that the past is over, and we have to move forward in ending this war in Iraq, restoring America's standing in the world, repairing the massive and mounting debt, bringing America back to the forefront of human rights, and bringing the best aspects of America to the foreground again.

The world is watching. And we still can.

Badly Injured Man Not Done Partying Yet

BATON ROUGE, LA—Veteran partier Adam Girard was seen pedaling down the street on a neighbor's bicycle, yelling that he going swimming and that his collarbone was fine.

Feel Good News

For Real - A victory against Stupidity AND Teachers -my two least favorite things.

A sophomore at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville can wear a T-shirt with an anti-gay message to class next week to protest the school's annual Day of Silence promoting tolerance of homosexuals, a federal appeals court has ruled.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that Alexander Nuxoll has a 1st Amendment right to wear the T-shirt, which reads "Be Happy, Not Gay." That right, according to the ruling, supersedes Indian Prairie District 204's desire to limit disruptions that might be caused by the student wearing it.

The court also ordered the district not to discipline Nuxoll for wearing the shirt to school, which he intends to do Monday, said Nate Kellum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which litigates on behalf of Christian causes.

"Public school officials cannot censor a message expressing one viewpoint on homosexual behavior and then at the same time allow messages that express another viewpoint," Kellum said. The American Civil Liberties Union also filed a brief with the court supporting the student's right to wear the shirt.

I will defend to the death your right to offend me.

There's No Reasoning With The Man

From Washington Note

Vice President Richard Cheney is still convinced that there are hidden WMDs in the Middle East that bear Saddam Hussein's product mark. A source reported to me yesterday that in the last two weeks, Cheney held forth at a meeting on Iraq WMDs and insisted that they were real and still out there.

Cheney believes that Syria has them -- and has been watching closely intelligence streams from a secret "black SIGINT base" that the US has placed in the mountains near the intersection of the Syrian, Turkish, and Iraqi borders.

Off TheTop Of His Head

Sullivan reflects:

Four random observations to counter the gloom that many of us are now feeling.

1) Even though we are witnessing a historically bitter and nasty and divisive fight for the Democratic nomination, both Clinton and Obama are currently competitive with McCain nationally. That has got to worry the GOP.

2) One explanation for the Clintons' suicidal behavior (apart from the fact that we have two sociopaths on our hands) is that they believe that the real struggle for the White House is now. They believe that the GOP is doomed this fall and so the prize really is worth risking the implosion of the Democratic party, and alienating an entire generation and most African-Americans for the foreseeable future.

3) I wonder if many in the Rove wing of the GOP (those who supported Romney and Giuliani earlier in this cycle and who want a kind of authoritarian, Christianist conservative politics that McCain actually resists) wouldn't actually prefer a Clinton presidency to a McCain White House. I mean: consider the two likeliest major legislative initiatives of McCain's first year: immigration reform on the Bush model and climate change legislation. Both will drive the Limbaugh-Hewitt base nuts. But a Clinton presidency allows the GOP to regroup around Clinton hatred (they'll get over their temporary love-affair once Obama is destroyed and she's back in power), and unify around an even more extremist platform.

4) It's still very hard to see how Obama loses the nomination. In the end, the Clintons, with any luck, will both expose themselves for what they really are and thereby self-destruct. Know hope.

1000 Words

Losing Bigger With Each Victory

A Political Wire reader runs the math and notes that before the Pennsylvania, Sen. Hillary Clinton needed to get at least 63% of the vote in the remaining states to have a chance to win more delegates than Sen. Barack Obama.

Clinton now needs 296 of the remaining 435 delegates up for grabs (or approximately 68% of the vote.) In contrast, Obama needs 140 of the remaining 435 to have the majority (or about 32% of the vote.)

Therefore, despite her win in the Keystone State, the results have in fact made it less likely Clinton can win.

Considering that most polls predict Obama should win North Carolina by a healthy margin and both campaigns think Indiana will be close, the chances of a Clinton victory are actually lower than ever.

What We Want To Change

Again, one is to wonder, how are they any different?

"You were the first ones to call it for Hillary Clinton. Fair and balanced Fox. You beat them all," - Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of HRC's Campaign, speaking to Fox News.

Looking Forward

On To Indiana!

Obama and Clinton have traded the lead in Indiana polls, but there have been few reliable local surveys to date. One thing seems certain: Unlike Pennsylvania, where Clinton began with a pronounced advantage, Indiana is a state where both begin on an equal footing. For Obama, the raw math suggests a slight advantage. Upwards of 25 percent of the primary vote will come out of just two counties: Marion and Lake.

The first is home to Indianapolis, the capital and state’s largest city, and the second is home to industrial Gary, located in the northwest corner of the state and part of the Chicago media market.

Thanks To Salon!

and to cutting and pasting:

Campaign roundup
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

• The Obama campaign has ruled out going after Hillary Clinton on '90s-era controversies, such as Whitewater and cattle futures. Good to know.
  
• Barack Obama continues to look like the favorite in North Carolina, where SurveyUSA shows him ahead by 9 percentage points, 50 percent to 41 percent.
  
• On a related note, Obama also got a boost in North Carolina Tuesday, when 29 state legislators, including the Senate majority leader and the former House speaker, endorsed him.
  
• Clinton will likely get a net gain of between 10 and 12 delegates as a result of her victory in Pennsylvania.
  
• Obama picked up another superdelegate this morning: "Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday, calling him an inspirational leader who can unite the country."
  
• The Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign are reportedly urging the North Carolina Republican Party to drop a scurrilous new campaign ad.
  
• Speaking of McCain, he won 73 percent of the Republican vote in Pennsylvania yesterday. Isn't that a little low?
  
• Using results she previously said wouldn't count, Clinton is now arguing she's ahead in the popular-vote count.

Moving To Britain?

Irish though we be, this item from beliefnet warms the cockles of our anti-anglo muscles:

UK: Religion is a modern evil

A new British poll finds that the people of the UK identify religion as one of the worst social evils of our time. This made some Brits happy:

Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said he was “extremely pleased”.

“Britain has had it with religion,” he said.

Nationally

Nothing changed before PA

And Here It Comes ...

GOP ad being run in North Carolina.

Not that they're racist or anything

How She Can Win

Our Spin: Not As Bad As Ohio

From the Obama Campaign:

Significant improvements over Ohio, especially among white men and seniors overall.

With voters over 60 in OH, Clinton won 69%, Obama got 28%. In PA, Obama earned 41% of the vote among voters over 60, and Clinton won 59%. The gap among seniors was cut by more than half, from 41 to 19.

Among white men, in Ohio, Obama got 39%, in PA, 46%. Clinton was at 58% in OH and dropped to 53% in PA. The gap narrowed from 19% to 7%.

Homie Is Done Wit U

This from the NY Times today. Remember, this paper endorsed HRC before the NY Primary

It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind with they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box. Mrs. Clinton once had a big lead among the party elders, but has been steadily losing it, in large part because of her negative campaign. If she is ever to have a hope of persuading these most loyal of Democrats to come back to her side, let alone win over the larger body of voters, she has to call off the dogs.

Did Too! Did Too! Did Too!

Bin Ladin's Deputy mad at the Shia for Saying that Sunni's aren't smart enough to pull off a 9/11-type attack ... Really.

This is not from The Onion.

Really.

None-the-less, McCain and Bush want you to believe that the shia and the Sunni are bestest of terrorist buddies.

Anyway, The BBC Reports:

Al-Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has blamed Iran for spreading the theory that Israel was behind the 11 September 2001 attacks.

In an audio tape posted on the internet, Zawahiri insisted al-Qaeda had carried out the attacks on the US.

He accused Iran, and its Hezbollah allies, of trying to discredit Osama Bin Laden's network.

...In response to a question about persistent rumours in the Middle East that Israel was involved in the 9/11 attacks, Zawahiri said the rumour had begun on the Hezbollah television station, Al-Manar.

"The purpose of this lie is clear - [to suggest] that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no-one else did in history, he said.

"Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it."

I Guess HRC Has A Ways To Go

The Republican Attack Machine begins its salvos.

This just out from the adman who brought us Willie Horton

Fleas

Thats what you get if you lie down with dogs

Why is it that Religious people never realize that The Political World is not an honorable place for "God" to hang out?

One of the saddest things about this presidential race is that religion isn't being put in it's proper place by the Dems, after years of Rovian Abuse, but rather it is simply being brought under the tent. I'm pleased to see in the media a Christianity more in keeping with what I remember from my days as a believer. But I'd be a lot more pleased if that picture were not being painted by people who want to become 'the most powerful person in the free world'

David Domke and Kevin Coe in The Seattle Times:

The omnipresence of "God bless America" as a political slogan is an entirely recent phenomenon. We know because we've run the numbers. Analysis of more than 15,000 public communications by political leaders from Franklin Roosevelt's election in 1932 — the beginning of the modern presidency — through six years of George W. Bush's administration revealed that prior to Ronald Reagan taking office in 1981, the phrase had passed a modern president's lips only once in a major address: Richard Nixon used it to conclude an April 30, 1973, speech about Watergate.

But Reagan brought "God bless America" into the mainstream by regularly using it to conclude his speeches. Since then, presidents and other politicians have used it nearly to death. Like Nike's "Just Do It" or any other ubiquitous catchphrase, the words eventually lose their meaning. "God bless America" has become the Pennsylvania Avenue equivalent to consumerized Madison Avenue staples.

... If a willingness to profess one's faith and patriotism and to conclude speeches with "God bless America" were accurate indicators of presidential prowess, Bush family members would have long ago secured their places among the nation's greatest leaders. Both George H.W. and George W. used it to conclude more than 80 percent of their major addresses, with the son often offering this important twist: "May God continue to bless America."

Oh Bill, Bill, Bill

With all his implulse control being allocated to keeping his fly closed and his wick dry, Bill Clinton continues to neglect to zip his mouth:

After the phone interview with Delaware radio station WHYY Monday night, a stray comment of his on the issue was also recorded before he hung up: “I don’t think I should take any s*** from anybody on that, do you?”

The former president had been asked whether his remarks comparing Obama’s strong showing in South Carolina to that of Jesse Jackson in 1988 had been a mistake given their impact on his wife Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “No, I think that they played the race card on me,” said Clinton, “and we now know from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along.”

“We were talking about South Carolina political history and this was used out of context and twisted for political purposes by the Obama campaign to try to breed resentment elsewhere. And you know, do I regret saying it? No. Do I regret that it was used that way? I certainly do. But you really got to go some to try to portray me as a racist.”

The WHYY reporter had raised the issue by asking a question about it, but Clinton didn't exactly stay on message in his response. He said the Obama campaign's implication in response that Clinton was trying to marginalize the two black candidates had been disrespectful to Jackson (whom he called a friend, though he endorsed Obama). "You gotta really go something to play the race card on me, my office is in Harlem," he said. "And Harlem voted for Hillary, by the way." Apparently unaware he was still on the phone with the radio station, Clinton muttered about the question afterward to an aide, "I don't think I should take any shit on that from anybody, do you?"

Asked about Clinton's remarks during a quick campaign stop at a Pittsburgh diner, Obama laughed. "So hold on a second," Obama told reporters. "So former President Clinton dismissed my victory in South Carolina as being similar to Jesse Jackson, and he is suggesting that somehow I had something to do with it ... These are words that came out of his mouth, not mine."

Who's the Whiner?

Clintonesque = Reaganesque ... X2

As In ... that time that the Gipper name-checked Springsteen only to be slapped quickly by the Boss. Variety reports:

Hillary Clinton hammered Barack Obama for his "bitter" remarks as "elitist" and "out of touch" with small-town voters. She even played John Mellencamp's "Small Town" at an event in Indiana earlier this month.

But the singer himself is performing for ... Obama. Mellencamp is on the billing for an Obama appearance on Tuesday night in Evansville, Indiana, at Roberts Municipal Stadium, where the campaign hopes to be celebrating a better-than-expected performance in the Pennsylvania primary. It's probably not a good sign, however, that he won't be in Pennsylvania that night.

Clinton will be at the Park Hyatt in Philadelphia, where it is doubtful that she will be playing "Small Town" or "Streets of Philadelphia," for that matter. The latter is a Bruce Springsteen song, and he has endorsed Obama.

6 vs 8

Today the PA primary finally takes place.

It has been six weeks since the last contest. Six weeks of campaigning in just one state.

There will be eight weeks between the traditional start of the fall campaign on Labor Day and the November Election.

For just two weeks less than we get for a National Campaign political junkies (and the spouses with whom they share TV's) have been cruelly subjected to the whims and concerns of a dying rust belt state.

And don't get me started about Twit of all Twit Chris Matthews and his obsession with his home state and his desparate need to be seen as a 'real guy'.....

Note To Self: Start Operation "Get To Know A Rock Star" STAT

I mean, I've only got 11 ...

Keith Richards May 'Start Up' Guitar Museum

Apr 21, 2008 Story by: Dan Weiss

Immortal Rolling Stones axeman Keith Richards, fresh off the premiere of Martin Scorcese's acclaimed new Stones doc, Shine A Light, is only now starting to realize that being in possession of 3,000-plus guitars does not guarantee much time to play them all. The 64-year-old legend is mulling over the idea of opening a museum to display them or possibly giving some away as gifts, which is how many were given to him in the first place. It was apparently a humbling realization for the enduring, who said, poignantly, "I don't know what I've done to deserve that. I've been one of the biggest assholes in the world!"

Richards estimates that maybe only 10 of his guitars have even been played, an undeserving neglect for what he describes as an "incredible collection of beautiful instruments."

The donation process has already begun: one guitar has already been passed onto stage-sharing blues icon Buddy Guy following his participation in the Shine A Light concert. Only 2,999 to go, Keef. Maybe set aside an early Christmas present for Johnny Depp?

Straight

More from Salon on some of our friend Unwired's most fave people:

McCain "glad" to have radical preacher's support

Texas televangelist John Hagee has called the Roman Catholic Church "the Great Whore," the "apostate church," the "anti-Christ" and "a false cult system" that inspired Adolf Hitler to initiate the Holocaust. He also endorsed John McCain's presidential campaign after the Republican senator sought out his support.

The subject came up briefly on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" Sunday.

There was this ...

Stephanopoulos: So was it a mistake to solicit and accept [Hagee's] endorsement?

McCain: Oh, probably, sure.

... followed a few seconds later by this.

Stephanopoulos: So you no longer want his endorsement?

McCain: I'm glad to have his endorsement.

Classic McCain. He thinks it was a mistake to accept Hagee's endorsement, but now that he has it, he's not giving it up.

Interestingly enough, the discussion on the program came shortly after McCain blasted Barack Obama for knowing Bill Ayers. Watching the interview, I got the sense that McCain missed the irony.

When One Is Busy, One Steals

So, Here's a good wonk-byte from Salon.

I don't think the last item is really helpful

Campaign roundup

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
So, what do the latest polls in Pennsylvania say about tomorrow's primary? Quinnipiac has Clinton up by 7 percentage points (51-44); Strategic Vision (R) also has her up by 7 (48-41); Mason-Dixon has her up by 5 (48-43); Zogby has her up by 6 (48-42); ARG has her up by 13 (54-41); Suffolk shows her leading by 10 (52-42); and SurveyUSA has her up by 6 (50-44). Public Policy Polling (D) is the oddball, showing Obama leading by 3 (49-46).

On Saturday, for the first time in several weeks, the Gallup Poll Daily tracking report showed Clinton taking a narrow, 1-point lead over Obama. By Sunday, however, Obama had reclaimed the lead, 47 percent to 45 percent.

The Clinton campaign still has some financial trouble: "Financial reports released to the Federal Election Commission around midnight this morning show that Clinton raised around $20 million in March and had roughly $8 million available at the beginning of April for use during the primary. But the campaign also reported debts of $10.3 million, which makes it in the red leading into contests in Indiana and North Carolina."

Most of Pennsylvania's newspapers have endorsed Obama, but Clinton picked up the support Sunday of the right-wing Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, owned and published by Richard Mellon Scaife, who helped finance the anti-Clinton crusade of the 1990s. (Just as an aside, the paper said it supports Clinton in the "Democrat [sic] primary." Even when endorsing, conservatives have to use the grammatically incorrect name for the party.)

Bloomberg takes a look at what it would take for Clinton to win the Dems' popular vote: "Clinton would need a 25-point victory in Pennsylvania, plus 20-point wins in later contests in West Virginia, Kentucky and Puerto Rico. Even that scenario assumes Clinton, 60, would break even in Indiana, North Carolina, South Dakota, Montana and Oregon -- a prospect that's not at all certain. More than just big margins, Clinton would need record voter turnout too."

Michael Moore endorsed Obama.

Back Where It Belongs

The thing about tracking polls is that one wierd day throws the numbers off for about three days.

We see that the Gallup poll today is 'regressing back to the mean'

What, A Senate Seat And $100,000,000 Wasn't Enough?

From a North Carolina Clinton event with Maya Angelou:

"I love you, Hillary. I always have, I always will," said a woman in the first row. That drew approving cheers. But then she brought up the most taboo of all taboos at Clinton campaign events. "I felt so sorry for you when Bill had his affair," the woman said. "I think the best way to overcome it is to become president."

And Again

From yet another account

Test Again

How's this, UW?

New Toy

This is a test of my new 'Treo'

Making The Dog Whistle Audible

Wherein GT12 show-off it's inside base-ball use of political terminology while going all cross-cultural on yer ass.

Not A Bushel and A Peck?

MR. GIBSON: So we're going to begin with opening statements, and we had a flip of the coin, and the brief opening statement first from Mr. Lincoln.

LINCOLN: Thank you very much, Charlie and George, and thanks to all in the audience and who are out there. I appear before you today for the purpose of discussing the leading political topics which now agitate the public mind.
We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only not ceased, but has constantly augmented.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you think Mr. Douglas loves America as much you do?

LINCOLN: Sure I do.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But who loves America more?

LINCOLN: I’d prefer to get on with my opening statement George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: If your love for America were eight apples, how many apples would Senator Douglas’s love be?

LINCOLN: Eight.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Proceed.

... continue reading here

Born To ... Lose?

Slate shows how Springsteen's Endorsement of Obama could be used against the junior Senator from IL

Drip Drip

Two More!

Ambinder reports:

Two major stars of the Democratic foreign policy establishment -- former Sens. Sam Nunn and David Boren, have just endorsed Barack Obama and have agreed to serve on his national security team. Nunn served as the Democratic Party's coverman in foreign policy debates for two decades. He voted against the 1991 Gulf War and thereby gave many other Democrats permission to take that political risk. He's a social conservative in many respects, too. More recently, Nunn has associated himself with the cause of nuclear nonproliferation. He spent 8 years as chairman of the Armed Services committee in the Senate. Boren left the Senate in 1994 and is a former chairman of what used to be called the Senate Select Committee on intelligence. He also spent 16 years as governor of Oklahoma.

Just asking: who was the latest major figure to endorse Hillary Clinton?

Another Clinton Cabinet-er Goes 'O'

From Political Wire

Reich Will Back Obama

The fact that former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president isn't really a surprise, but that doesn't make John Heileman's article about it in New York magazine any less interesting.

Reich says it was the negativity in Clinton's campaign that are forcing him to abandon his "friend of 40 years."

Said Reich: "We have three terrible traditions that we've developed in American campaigns. One is outright meanness and negativity. The second is taking out of context something your opponent said, maybe inartfully, and blowing it up into something your opponent doesn't possibly believe and doesn't possibly represent. And third is a kind of tradition of distraction, of getting off the big subject with sideshows that have nothing to do with what matters. And these three aspects of the old politics I've seen growing in Hillary's campaign."

Reich's endorsement will take place on his blog at 1 p.m. ET.

The Euro Press Cracks

From The Economist

"I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but my will has been broken. I’ve realised that covering Mrs Clinton's campaign without explicitly stating that it has turned into a win-at-all-costs operation fueled by phony outrage, hypocritical proclamations and absurd notions of who is electable and who is not is an exercise in deliberate deception, (emph. GT12) and I can't do that. Perhaps I am weaker than my colleagues, but a certain fatigue sets in when trying to sort through it all.

This is no longer a campaign based on ideas. It is a campaign focused on tearing down Mr Obama. We all know that’s her only shot at the nomination. I’m tired of pretending otherwise," - the Economist's blogger.

Danny's Last Song

Bruce and The E-Streeters March 20, 2008. The last time Danny Federici played with the band

Have I ever told you all how much I love Accordians?

Sandy (4th of July, Asbury Park)

Hillary, John and Barry

The Big Three visit Colbert on his last night in the City of Brotherly Love.

Must See GT:
HRC


John 'White Male' Edwards


Barry O

I Am Also Hearing That The Sun Rises In The East

CBS Poll: Obama Way Ahead Among College Students

Most college students in Pennsylvania "are enthusiastic about voting in the presidential campaign," according to a CBS News/UWIRE poll.Among Pennsylvania students who will vote or have voted in a Democratic primary in any state, Sen. Barack Obama leads Sen. Hillary Clinton, 71% to 28%, and among those who intend to vote in the Pennsylvania primary, Obama leads by a nearly identical margin of 71% to 29%. Key finding: Support for Obama is consistent across types and sizes of schools.

Yahoo!

A new Poll from Yahoo (They Do Polls?) documents the abject failure of Her Royal Clintoness' last argument...

Obama now appears to be the stronger candidate, she said, and electing a Democrat in November is paramount. If McCain wins and continues many of President Bush's economic and foreign policies, Costello said, "I think I would just sit down and cry."

By tracking the same group throughout the campaign, the AP-Yahoo! News poll can gauge how individual views change. It suggests that Clinton has paid a price for hammering Obama since early February on several issues as she tries to overcome his lead in delegates and the popular vote. Among those Democrats who no longer consider her the more electable of the two, most now see her as less likable, decisive, strong, honest, experienced and ethical than they did in January.

Meanwhile, those same voters are more likely to see Obama as strong, honest and refreshing than before.

Beulah Barton of Leesburg, Fla., said she initially backed Clinton, partly because she liked Bill Clinton's record as president.

"But the more I hear her talk, and the more I hear him talk, the more put off I am," said Barton, 69. "I think she's brash, I think she's rude. I get the feeling that she feels she deserves to be president" and doesn't need "to earn it."

Barton said she likes Obama, and ignores e-mails suggesting that he refuses to salute the flag or is somehow threatening "because of his name."

"People try to make him look like a traitor," she said. "I think he has risen above most of that stuff."

Some misinformation sticks, however. The great majority of the poll's participants said this month they did not know the religious affiliation of Clinton (a Methodist) or Obama (United Church of Christ). But 15 percent ventured that Obama, whose father was Kenyan, is a Muslim.

That group includes more Democrats than Republicans, and it doesn't necessarily worry them.

Danny Federici 1950 - 2008

E Street Band member Danny Federici dies at 58

NEW YORK (AP) -- Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from ''Hungry Heart'' through ''The Rising,'' died Thursday. He was 58.

Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. News of his death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen's official Web site.

He last performed with Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis.

''Danny and I worked together for 40 years -- he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much ... we grew up together,'' Springsteen said in a statement posted on his Web site.

Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Saturday in Orlando were postponed.

Federici was born in Flemington, N.J., a long car ride from the Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in the late 1960s. The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park, N.J., a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best musicians in the state.

It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band.

By 1969, the self-effacing Federici -- often introduced in concert by Springsteen as ''Phantom Dan'' -- was playing with the Boss in a band called Child. Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed shore bands Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce Springsteen Band.

Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful tour in 1999.

''Bruce has been supportive throughout my life,'' Federici said in a recent interview with Backstreets magazine. ''I've had my ups and downs, and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been there for me.''

Federici played accordion on the wistful ''4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'' from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, ''Hungry Heart.'' His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song ''You're Missing'' provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on ''The Rising'' in 2002.

In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bandana-wrapped guitarist ''Little'' Steven Van Zandt, Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as any instrument in the band.

Federici released a pair of solo albums that veered from the E Street sound and into soft jazz. Bandmates Nils Lofgren on guitar and Garry Tallent on bass joined Federici on his 1997 debut, ''Flemington.'' In 2005, Federici released its follow-up, ''Out of a Dream.''

Federici had taken a leave of absence during the band's tour in November 2007 to pursue treatment for melanoma, and was temporarily replaced by veteran musician Charles Giordano.

At the time, Springsteen described Federici as ''one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years. We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy return.''

Besides his work with Springsteen, Federici played on albums by an impressive roster of other artists: Van Zandt, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys.

Protecting Family Values Takes Vigilance

I'm beginning to think that the Dems lack of participation in Political-Sick-Fuck-Of-The-Day contest may be a sign of weaknesses .... but all we ever get are young Republicans like this:

The complaint, filed by Clearfield police Chief Jeffrey Rhone and signed by [District Attorney] Shaw, accuses Walker of using his cell phone to videotape a former girlfriend in an intimate moment with another man on Aug. 25, 2007. The complaint also alleges that he had contact with her on two other occasions, despite being told by a police officer on Aug. 25 that he should avoid further contact and that charges were pending.

Wonkette notes:

If Republican sex history is any indication, he was definitely zooming in on the guy's flappy balls and not the ex's vaginer. It would also indicate the he hoped the guy was like 12-years-old. Because if he were *straight* and *into adults*, why would he ever have broken up with a girlfriend?

Amen!

Familiarity Breeds ... ?

Well, it depends who you are.

For each day that he spends campaigning in a state in the 30 days in the run-up to the election, Obama can expect to gain about 3.5 points in his margin over Clinton.

And for every day that Clinton spends campaigning in that state, Obama can expect to lose about 2.4 points.

The relative magnitude of the these two numbers is important: Obama is helped more by his own campaigning than he is harmed by Clinton's campaigning. So when both candidates campaign in a state, Obama can expect to gain overall. That dovetails with the finding that Obama tends to move up sharply in the polls in the several weeks leading up to the election.

Because GT12 Is Just Sick Of Him ...

We thought we'd post Chris Matthews' evisceration at the hands of Jon Stewart.

Push Back

"I will tell you it does not get more fun than these debates. They are inspiring debates. I think last night we set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people.

It took us 45 minutes — 45 minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices.

Now, I don’t blame Washington for this because that’s just how Washington is. They like stirring up controversies and getting us to play gotcha games and getting us to attack each other. And I’ve got to say Sen. Clinton looked in her element," - Barack Obama, in Raleigh, today.

Brooooooooooooooooooooooce!

When Clintonites Take Their Cues From FoxPerts

Sean Hannity coaches George Stephanopoulos and this is what happens (per Tom Shales, WaPo):

...another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.

... Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.

... At the end, Gibson pompously thanked the candidates -- or was he really patting himself on the back? -- for "what I think has been a fascinating debate." He's entitled to his opinion, but the most fascinating aspect was waiting to see how low he and Stephanopoulos would go, and then being appalled at the answer.

This Might Be Good In The Studio

Wallpaper that lights up

It's A Beautiful Day

Tax Day is behind us and it's, well, wonderfully Springy today ... and I saw this again on TV last night and well, isn't it just great?

You Decide

Dan Drezner:

A random elitist question

Given the media firestorm over Obama's "bitter" statement, and given the overwhelming commetariat consensus that this episode would hurt Obama in the polls, and given the polling results clearly indicating this not to be the case in either Pennsylvania or across the country, what can be inferred?

A) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they don't watch cable news outlets;

B) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they aren't likely to show up as "likely voters" in a poll;

C) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that their phone service has been cut off;

D) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they dislike Hillary Clinton even more than Barack Obama;

E) The commentariat is elitist and out of touch with what engages gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers.

Liar!

I'm not saying it, the people are ....

Poll Shows Erosion Of Trust in Clinton

By Anne E. Kornblut and Jon Cohen Washington Post Staff Writers

PHILADELPHIA, April 15 -- Lost in the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign's aggressive attacks on Barack Obama in recent days is a deep and enduring problem that threatens to undercut any inroads Clinton has made in her struggle to overtake him in the Democratic presidential race: She has lost trust among voters, a majority of whom now view her as dishonest.

... Clinton is viewed as "honest and trustworthy" by just 39 percent of Americans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, compared with 52 percent in May 2006. Nearly six in 10 said in the new poll that she is not honest and trustworthy. And now, compared with Obama, Clinton has a deep trust deficit among Democrats, trailing him by 23 points as the more honest, an area on which she once led both Obama and John Edwards.

Among Democrats, 63 percent called her honest, down 18 points from 2006; among independents, her trust level has dropped 13 points, to 37 percent. Republicans held Clinton in low regard on this in the past (23 percent called her honest two years ago), but it is even lower now, at 16 percent. Majorities of men and women now say the phrase does not apply to Clinton; two years ago, narrow majorities of both did.

continue reading

Vitamins 'may shorten your life'

Now, Isn't that a headline to make you think.

Research has suggested certain vitamin supplements do not extend life and could even lead to a premature death.

A review of 67 studies found "no convincing evidence" that antioxidant supplements cut the risk of dying.

Scientists at Copenhagen University said vitamins A and E could interfere with the body's natural defences.

"Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality," according to the review by the respected Cochrane Collaboration.

The research involved selecting various studies from 817 on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium which the team felt were the most likely to fairly reflect the impact of the supplements on reducing mortality.

It has been thought that these supplements may be able to prevent damage to the body's tissues called "oxidative stress" by eliminating the molecules called "free radicals" which are said to cause it.

This damage has been implicated in several major diseases including cancer and heart disease.

Continue here.

Now, Shut UP About It

Full Disclosure: If elite means Ivy League by way of foodstamps able to learn from history and push back like a streetfighter and not like a Substitute Teacher,then I want an elite person running the country. And I admit that I am tired of undereducated hillbillies deciding who the leader of the free world will be.

Anyway

Matthews & Scarborough cling to the notion that BO's Urban world view has done him in. Their later in the day colleagues Olberman and Abrams think the argument is, well, specious and baseless.

This from Gallup:

As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton prepare for Wednesday night's debate in Philadelphia, Gallup's daily tracking indicates that Obama's support has yet to suffer following his widely reported remarks about small-town voters being "bitter." The remarks were first reported on April 11.

ABC reviews the lates polls

After three weeks of shifts toward Obama, the percentages in a new Quinnipiac University survey remained unchanged from one taken a week earlier. She leads 50-44 percent.

A new SurveyUSA poll showed Clinton leading 54-40 percent. Three percent chose the "other" category. The last SurveyUSA poll a week ago had Clinton leading 56-38 percent.

The latest Philadelphia Daily News/Franklin and Marshall College poll showed Clinton clinging to a 46-40 percent lead over Obama. In March, Clinton led 51 percent to 35 percent.

Susquehanna Polling and Research showed Clinton with a 40-37 percent lead over Obama, a drop from a March 5-10 survey, in which Clinton led by a 45-31 percent margin.

One poll showed a marked shift in Clinton's favor. ARG found Clinton leading Obama 57-37 percent on April 11-13. The week before, ARG had the pair tied 45-45 percent.

Gay Guy's Gay Thing Well Attended

ROCHESTER, NY—According to gay sources, local gay guy Joshua Norstrand's latest gay dance party or art thing was attended by as many as 50...

This Hasn't Helped In The Past

Ask President Kerry

Anyhoo, we still love The Boss and The Barry and we are 100% behind that first sentence:

Bruce Springsteen endorses Obama for president

WASHINGTON - Rock star Bruce Springsteen endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president Wednesday, saying "he speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years."

In a letter addressed to friends and fans posted his Web site, Springsteen said he believes Obama is the best candidate to undo "the terrible damage done over the past eight years."

"He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next president," the letter said. "He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where '...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.' "

4/15/08

As you may have guessed, for the Tax Professional April 15 is the day we sit around and clean-up any unavoidable disasters from the past 72 hours.

Then we go home and sleep until tomorrow.

See you then!

Just Because

Classic Felix

Rockers Need Tax Advice Too

Why We Pay Tax

School House Rock!

Bigger and Bitter

His Biggest Lead To-Date

(Oh, and Fuck You Joe Scarborough and Chris Matthews)

More Balls Stuff

Obama’s Explanation of “Controversial” Remarks Moves Democrats and Independents

Flemington, NJ, April 14, 2008 – A new national study among 843 self-reported Democrats, Republicans and independents, indicated that Senator Obama’s explanation for his recent controversial remarks, successfully addressed criticism, especially among Democrats and independents.

The study was conducted by HCD Research earlier today to obtain Americans’ perceptions of video segments from Senator Obama’s speech in Indiana yesterday, in which he addressed controversial comments that he made during a fundraiser in San Francisco on April 6. At the fundraising event, he was asked why his message has failed to resonate with working class voters in states like Pennsylvania. He responded by saying decades of lost jobs and unfulfilled promises from Washington have left some Pennsylvanians "bitter" and clinging to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

While viewing segments of the speech, participants indicated their levels of agreement by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. Participants were also asked pre- and post-viewing questions regarding their agreement regarding Barack Obama statements. To view detailed results and agreement curves, go to: www.mediacurves.com

Puke Inducement Of The Day

See? There are Nazi sympathizers who are Jewish

"As an Independent, it doesn’t bother me at all to be honored at the same dinner with Rush Limbaugh. In fact, to show you how much things have changed for me, one of my greatest missions this year is to convince Rush to support the Republican candidate for President!

The truth is I greatly admire Rush’s love for our country and support for our troops, as shown by his remarks tonight and his generous support of MCLEF. Rush has a big voice but he has heart that is even bigger," - Joe Lieberman.

Some Things Should Not Be News

There is something wrong with an organization that warrants a headline like this:

Pope Says Church Will Bar Pedophile Priests

This is a new idea to them?

Why We Are Taxed

Guns and Entitlements!

God Bless Him!

Please Pass (on) The Torturer

Guess who's not coming to dinner? Pope Benedict XVI.

President Bush and his wife, Laura, will host a White House dinner in honor of the pontiff Wednesday evening. U.S. Catholic leaders from around the nation will attend. The menu will offer Bavarian-style food in recognition of the pope's German heritage. It's even the pope's 81st birthday. But he won't be there.

"He's on a very ambitious official schedule," Anita McBride, Mrs. Bush's chief of staff, said Friday. "He'll be meeting with U.S. bishops that night" at a university in Washington.

Balls Beats Bitter

From Polical Insider:

There are several key signs that Sen. Barack Obama is managing to contain the damage of his ill-timed "bitter voter" comments made last Friday.

With the exception of a controversial ARG poll, most polls in Pennsylvania -- such those from Quinnipiac and Susquehanna -- show no serious erosion of his support.

National tracking polls show Obama holding a steady lead over Clinton.

Though she holds a solid lead in nearly every Pennsylvania poll, the Clinton campaign released a risky negative ad to highlight the controversy.

Chuck Todd argues we won't fully know if Obama has weathered the storm until after the Pennsylvania, Indiana, and North Carolina contests, but the early indications look good for Obama.

Yes We Can

"The problem was that I just mangled it, which happens sometimes. As a wise older woman who was talking to me the other day said, 'You misspoke, but you didn't lie.'"-

- Sen. Barack Obama, in a meeting with the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer, on his recent "bitter voter" comments.

A Fucking Tempest In A Teapot

"Um, so the issue isn't whether you regularly sit in a church pew or even occasionally go hunting, but whether you can manage to seem like the sort of person who does?" - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post.

Yes We Are!

Enough is enough. Go ahead and call me “Sullivanesque” in my rants about this awful person. Sullivan was right about her essential character and who she really is, and we all know what we will get if she is elected. Four years of bullshit, division, victimhood, and failed policies that would have been great, but those mean old Republicans just didn’t let it pass or people just were not smart enough to do what she wanted. It won’t be her fault, it will be the opposition party for opposing her, or it will be our fault because we didn’t support her enough, or, well, you know how it is with
her. - John Cole

Hope

Barry O handles the question of war crimes

What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that's already there and to find out are there inquiries that need to be pursued. I can't prejudge that because we don't have access to all the material right now. I think that you are right, if crimes have been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve.

So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity. You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I've said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law -- and I think that's roughly how I would look at it

Making Lemonade

ABC news:

"Sometimes hope and anger go hand and hand," he said today at the Philadelphia City Committee's Jefferson-Jackson dinner. "People really are angry, they really are fed up, some of them are bitter because Washington's forgotten them. And because it's not me that's out of touch, it's folks who think that folks are happy when they are out of a job and they have lost their pension and they don't have health care and their schools are under-funded."

In the comments at a San Francisco fundraiser that spurred the controversy, Obama also said that people "cling" to religion when they are bitter.
Today in Philadelphia he indicated that he is one of those people who turn to religion in hard times.

"And I go to church, just like you go to church," he said. "And sometimes we pray, ‘Lord, I hope that things will get better.’ There are a whole lot of people that are doing that now."

Obama spoke to a rowdy crowd for 25 minutes – there was a roar of ambient discussion going on while the Senator spoke but most people paid attention and some stood on chairs to see the Senator speak. By comparison, Senator Clinton, who spoke to the same group before Senator Obama, delivered her shortest campaign speech yet, speaking for less than 5 minutes.

Too Bitter

Why Atheists are hated:

Something To Be Hopeful About

Bob Novak (ugh):

Sen. Joseph Lieberman's friends are certain that if Democrats expand their one-vote Senate edge in this year's elections, they will kick him out of the Senate Democratic caucus and, therefore, oust him as Homeland Security Committee chairman.

Lieberman risked the usual punishment of ejection from the party caucus when he endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain for president and actively campaigned for him. But with Democrats in a Senate majority of only 51 to 49, they would lose control if Lieberman defected to the Republicans.

Something To Be Bitter About

I'll Let Salon say it, I'm busy:

Bush eventually dispelled the notion that he was out of the loop, though, and said -- arguably, bragged -- that he endorsed the Principals' work from the outset. The president told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, "I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved."

I realize that Barack Obama's making some clumsy comments about economic blight and the culture war may be mildly interesting, but this is a fairly big deal. Torture is, you know, illegal, immoral, un-American, etc. As Dan Froomkin noted today, "If you consider what the government did to be torture, which is a crime according to U.S. and international law, Bush's statement shifts his role from being an accessory after the fact to being part of a conspiracy to commit."

And yet, major news outlets have decided not to bother mentioning these revelations to the public at all. Froomkin observed, "There was no mention of Bush's admission in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the Los Angeles Times. There was nothing on the major wire services. And nothing on CNN, CBS or NBC."

Bitter?

I think they are ...

Mick and Keith Have At least 12 More Years

George Will Notes:

In 1935, when Congress enacted Social Security, protracted retirement was a luxury enjoyed by a tiny sliver of the population. Back then, Congress did its arithmetic ruthlessly: When it set the retirement age at 65, the life expectancy of an adult American male was 65. If in 1935 Congress had indexed the retirement age to life expectancy, today's retirement age would be 75.

If It's Any Consolation, I Am Going To Shoot Myself After I Kill All Of You

I want all of you to know that I totally empathize with everything you'll soon be going through. Nobody likes to learn that their lives are about...