There Hillary Is

In the last debate, McCain went on the offensive against Obama, but Obama decided as the front runner to grin most of the night. Hey, these are serious matters, guys.

Hillary was at Hofstra, sitting quietly and thinking. She said little. HOfstra does a fine job presenting special weeks on presidents of the past, including her husband, to tries and define their place in history. More interesting was their conference on Babe Ruth. I met their Bob Feller and Babe's old bat boy was in his 70s when we talked.

It appears that the American people have awoken from their vice presidential slumber and decided that Governor Palin is not qualified. And yes.....

How Secede In Life

THE GOP convention showed a strange film that praised its greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. Earlier in the night the media was discussing if Sarah Palin was a member of an Alaskan party that advocated succession. Strange irony for the Republican spinners.

Obama and Biden were on Sixty Minutes and one can realize why people don't support Biden. He is too much of a hail and hearty boy, with his backslapping and jousting. Spare us the false macho stuff, Joe.

The best media story of the week is that the McCain people denied poor old Larry King an interview with the Senator because a CNN reporter implied that Palin has no real experience as commander in chief just because some units of the Alaskan National Guard are in Iraq.


As for Sarah, she just got her US passport two years ago. Just in time.

Is Obama The Right Candidate?

The New York Times has listed the top search terms used most for the presidential candidates. This tally tells one what the topics users were most interested in. The top search terms used by views for McCain are health care, environment, oil prices, education, global warming; For Obama it was abortion, education, global warming , heath care, and immigration.

Talking heads are still resurrecting Hillary as a possible veep for Obama. After all she did carry half the Democrat votes and half the delegates, especially in non caucus states. The recent article in Vanity Fair argues that Hillary lost because her major advisor, Mark Penn, tried to turn her into a tough talking male type and avoid the softer woman's image. The article by Gail Sheedy also makes a case that Bill was totally off the reservation, with disastrous results after South Carolina.

Poor John McCain does his thing with a trip to the nation of Columbia, and the major story there is the release of the long held hostages. Appearing with Joe Lieberman later, he looked very old.

Obama must be convinced that he has the liberal vote locked up. In the last several weeks, he has so turned to the right that one can't figure out what is happening to the campaign. He promised a new poltics, but we are getting the old Bill Clinton-Dick Morris trangulation where the Democrats take conservative positions. As Harry Truman once said if the Amerian people have a choice between the Republicans and Democrats who talk like Republicans they will choose the real thing.

Vote for Fresh Air in 2008

McCain had his 96 year old mother on to show that he is not so old after all. She babbled on, proving that she could still remember what it was like to be 17 and in love. How that helps his case for being the oldest president in US history is a mystery. It maybe that his ideas are old, and the nation needs some fresh air after bush II.

For some reason, the Clintons insist on going on through the final primaries as if the nation owes special obligation to Puerto Rico or whomever. Her staff is bragging how much in money she has received since Indiana and North Carolina, who from is unclear.

George Bush, after neglecting the Middle East for two terms, is now pressing for a final settlement to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Has anyone seen Condi Rice? Maybe she is being held hostage and nobody realizes.

Bread and Butter

Obama's victory in North Carolina, and near upset in Indiana is pretty much the ball game for Hillary. She has fought a long and honorable campaign but the public mood is clearly for someone and something else. The Clintons have been around too long, and with the general of the Bushes, perhaps it is time to end their lock on the modern presidency and get in some young blood.

McCain may not have that blood, but he is solidifying the party and getting ready to hit Obama hard on the usual patriotic issues that the GOP loves to fight on instead of the war, taxes, gasoline, and health care.

Obama needs to bleed the new politics he so advocates with bread and butter issues which have been so important to the Democratic party since FDR. No Democrat can win without raising the class warfare issues.

That's amore?

Just when we thought they said all they can say: the McGreeveys are back in the newspapers with explicit details of a ménage a trois with their driver. There seems to be no end to their ongoing story of life, love and romance. If someone had written a novel of this relationship, none of us would buy it. It would be too absurd.

Obama is fudging about his relationship with his minister who married him and who baptized his kids. Why is it that so many men of the cloth think that they have a right to use their pulpits to preach on non religious topics and spread venom when the Prophets preach love and mercy. I guess the gospels and scriptures are not powerful enough for these inspired guys who have to regale us with their prejudices and hatreds.

McCain is back in Iraq where he walking around checking on the surge in US forces. Even the commander of the forces has admitted that he is rather frustrated with the lack of progress in the political realm.
The whole idea of adding more forces was to create the time to let the politicians in Iraq solve their problems. That is not working.
They took months to decide on the color scheme of their flag. Somehow our fighting forces deserve better. McCain can not admit the obvious, since he has staked his campaign on the surge and on staying the course. Bush III.

The media and several books have suddenly discovered the obvious: that Condi Rice is a very poor secretary state, was a poor National Security advisor, and was even a very poor provost at Stanford. But in this administration, one's judgment is not a criterion for promotion, you just have to agree with Bush II's visions and apparitions on foreign policy.

The latest study of thousands of documents done by the Pentagon shows that there was absolutely no tie of Saddam to Al Qaeda.

And the New York Times just discovered in its March 17 issue that Ambassador Bremer destroyed the Iraq army and bureaucracy on his own, and probably only Rumsfeld and maybe Bush were aware, and even then it is not clear if they understood the magnitude of what they were doing.

So we are now in the fifth year of this endless war--it has taken Bush longer to foul up Iraq than it took Franklin Roosevelt to win the wars in Europe and Asia combined. People frequently ask me what makes a president great--just think about the last fact.

Obama and/or Hillary? Hillary and/or Obama?

Even if Hillary Clinton prevails in Pennsylvania, Obama is expected to do well in Mississippi and North Carolina. She must get 2/3 of the super delegates to get the nomination and Obama needs to get 1/3 to prevail.

Now the scandal sheets are fronting the story that Obama is gay.
Pundits I talked to in Washington DC predicted that was coming months ago.

Bill Clinton is indicating that a Hillary-Barrack ticket would be unbeatable. Perhaps they would inherit each other's negatives. How could Hillary say he was qualified for the number 1 slot and for taking over from her if she is gone after she has said that he is simply inexperienced for the job? And if he is on top, does he really want Bill Clinton let loose in the West Wing? She would be better with Bill Richardson, and he would be better off with General Wesley Clark.

Meanwhile the media did a number on McCain saying that he lost his temper when he dared to confront a New York Times reporter on an old rumor that he was offered the number two slot on John Kerry's ticket.

If that is an explosive temper, the New York Times and the 24-7 television and radio media better toughen up in life. As for the New York Times, they had better watch for a major stockholders' revolt which is going to be more difficult than poor McCain.

McCain Wins NJ

Although the issue of illegal immigration is important among Republicans, GOP voters in New Jersey overwhelming picked an advocate of immigration reform in Senator John McCain. Republicans stressed both experience and change as twin themes they want in the White House. That combination is appropriate for a long time Republican who is often a maverick in his votes and behavior.

How Will Hillary Carry the South?

For Hillary to beat Romney or McCain she must carry some southern states or more than 80% of the electoral vote everywhere else. What southern states can she carry that gore or Kerry didn't?

Giuliani has postponed his campaign rev ups. If he continues to postpone combat, people will forget him. His failing support in New Jersey is a good example.

New Hampshire: The Morning After

John McCain, war hero and maverick Republican senator, had been pronounced dead in his campaign for president. Now he has won a major victory in flinty New Hampshire overcoming Romney, Huckabee and Giulani. He has always run well in that state and he gave an impassionate and patriotic victory speech. Meanwhile. Hillary Clinton also overcame the pundits and talking heads and beat Obama. She apparently drew large numbers of women, a group that had somewhat deserted her in Iowa, and carried the large working class cities of Nashua and Manchester. As the nation slips into recession, the bread and butter Democrats are more likely to turn out over the inspirational Democrats. Clinton is the only major Democrat in the Michigan campaign; McCain and Romney will have a major battle there.

What the Iowa Results Mean for the Candidates

Iowa voters chose Governor Huckabee and Senator Obama in their caucuses tonight. In defeating Governor Romney, Huckabee won very substantial numbers of Republican fundamentalist Christians. Obama's victory was due to strong support of young Democratic voters in a state where the young are leaving in droves.

Now what is in store in New Hampshire? Senator McCain has resurrected his campaign and looks strong in the Granite State. Can Romney afford to lose there too? He will not carry South Carolina. Hillary has a strong national organization and lots of money, but the myth of invincibility is gone. In Iowa, at least people of both parties voted for change over alleged experience.

John Bon Jovi for Governor

Rumor is, singer Bon Jovi is considering running for governor of New Jersey.

New york post implies Bill Bradley and wife are breaking up due to infidelity.

At a McCain rally a woman asked him how to stop "the bitch," meaning Hillary. Unbelievably the great war hero did not stop her but simply answered the question. Do you remember when McCain was a man to admire?