Friday, April 27, 2007

The Democratic Debate

Sometimes eight is more than enough. Such was the curt, confused debate of the Democratic candidates in South Carolina last night.

The questions were often downright silly and took up precious time from the major issues of the day. MSNBC should have focused on the war, medical coverage and the envirnoment and tried to get some responses in-depth from the candidates. Instead, only some of the people could answer, and then they were restricted in the time they had.

At several points, the moderator actually asked candiates to raise their hands, including on the idea of impeaching the vice president. That was a low point in the history of debates. If these are supposed to have been based on the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, can you imagine how those men would have rebelled if told to raise their hands to designate if they favored slavery???

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Bush Fatigue or Establishment Fatigue?

Obama over McCain 45 to 39% in latest poll. What is happening? There is an increasing anti-Washington sentiment. Or as George Bush Sr. has said, there is “Bush fatigue” in this country. Oh, really....

War in Iraq

The Democrats in Congress will send the President a bill on the war and its deadline, which they know he will veto. He holds a meeting with them in which he seeks their advice, which he knows they won’t consider. There is no wonder why people are so cynical about people in Washington. Meanwhile nine more brave men and women in the 42nd Division of the Airborne Paratroopers died in Iraq; the total is now 3,333.

Clinton and the Black Community

Recent polls show that among African Americans there is movement from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. The Clintons had expected that their long courtship of the black community might secure some guarantees, but it appears that this is not going to be so.

At Iraq's Edge

There used to be a saying that politics stopped at the water's edge, but that is not true with Iraq. The Democrats, not sure why they won and what to do with the war, and the President, who is totally without a clue as what to do, are involved in a titanic battle on prerogatives. Should there be a timetable to leave or should there be benchmarks? Somehow that is supposed to be a major defining moment for the parties and also one in which the entire Middle East is at stake. But the Iraqi government has already said that it wants the U.S. out of the country by the end of this calendar year. That is their government responding to their public opinion.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Presidential Candidates

John Edwards had a 400 dollar haircut from a Beverley Hills stylist. Good by Iowa. McCain was singing a tune about bombing Iran. Is he really ok for the presidency?

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Monmouth University Poll

The Monmouth University Polling Institute, in conjunction with the Hall Institute, has released a poll today showing how the 2008 presidential race is shaping up in New Jersey. Following the trend of prior presidential polls, the two most familiar NY candidates continue to lead the pack.

Michael P. Riccards, executive director of the Hall Institute think tank, which has held forums on New Jersey's 2008 presidential primary, said voters are going with who they know.

"I don't think either McCain or Obama are very well known in New Jersey; they haven't spent much time here," Riccards said. "Familiarity is important in figuring out how people will vote."

- Asbury Park Press 4/18/2007

Friday, April 13, 2007

Do We Really Need a 'War Czar'?

The White House has announced that it is seeking a new war czar to run the effort in Iraq. His or her job would be to coordinate and organize the Ameican war.I had thought we had a war czar and he was called the Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, better know as the President.In the Civil War, World War I, and especially World War II, the republic was well served by its war chief or czar. Now we need another layer of bureacracy to not make decisions in this administration. So far, four military men have turned the job down. One said, "They don't know what the hell they are doing." Not exactly an original thought, general.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Is Imus Fireproof?

The election will see many highpoints and low points, but the low points are beginning to reflect even more our public distasteful behavior. No episode better epitomizes that than Imus in the Morning and its racist attack on the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

There is the view that people can say whatever offensive things they want, whether they are sober or not, and all they have to do is indicate later, after millions have heard it, that they apologize. If Howard Stern made the remarks that Imus made… the FCC would have fined him and he would have been kicked off numerous stations across the country.

But yet this silly, tired “I-man” and his pathetic producer will be allowed to get away with it, because unlike Stern he interviews politicians instead of prostitutes.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Is McCain Able?

If McCain continues to have money troubles and his support of the war runs into the problems it did immediately after his visit to the Baghdad market he will fold by July 4th.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Second Tier

Is Richardson really running for president OR vice president? Nobody has run for vice president since Henry Wallace since1940 and Chub Peabody from Massachusetts- who no one ever took seriously anyways.

Thompson Drama

Latest polls show that TV star Fred Thompson has already pulled ahead off Mitt Romney and that McCain seems frozen at 22-25%. Could the Republicans and the Democrats once again be under estimating a working actor? An additional complication is if Thompson is a candidate what happens to Law and Order on the regular broadcasting channels and does fair access embrace cable reruns as well? Thanks Pat.

The Gap

The New York Times reported that the top 300,000Americans had almost as much income as the bottom 150 millionAmericans. Is this not an important campaign issues???