Edwards Withdrawl--

see attached article for information. Sorry Jean. I am sad to see this happen. he added a necessary voice to the debates.

Barack Obama responds to State of the Union

This speech is about 4 and a half minutes. It is worth the time.

Kathleen Sebelius

Okay, I was surprised when I her her name this morning as a Governor who would be endorsing Senator Obama in his presidential bid. I actually had to look her up and since she had only been referred to as 'Kansas Governor Sebelius' I was surprised to find she is a woman (see link).

I do not know the order in which these decisions are made but it seems the timing of her endorsement and her selection as the speaker to follow the president suggests that there is some deeper scheming going on in the core of the Democratic party.

So, does her selection suggest a stronger support growing in the democratic leadership for Obama's candidacy? And if so, given the perception of the Gvernor as a rising star in the party, what would she bring to an Obama ticket in '08?

I still like Richardson in that role and believe he brings depth, an ability to play to the right and his connection to the latino community as serious strengths.

The Democratic side of this election

Anyone who knows me or has read anything I've posted here knows that I'm a big supporter of John Edwards. And unless you've had your head buried in the sand or someplace else where the sun doesn't shine you also know that he is not doing well at all. There are a lot of reasons he's not getting the votes, some of which go way back to the last election and John Kerry but I think the main reason is because he's running at a time in our history that is unprecedented - running against a woman and a black man. This is the one time when a white man is the underdog in the race, the one time when the white man is really in the minority. I saw all three of them while they were campaigning in Iowa and they each bring their own style and uniqueness to the race. I like Obama and would happily vote for him. I also like Hillary but she would be my third choice. Edwards is my first choice because I truly believe his run for President is coming from his heart, it's truly a passion for him. I don't see that in Obama or Clinton. I believe it's more of an ambition for both of them.

My point in this post. Edwards is saying he will not drop out of the race, that he's in it until the convention. I guess time and money will tell on that but if he does stay in until the convention what's your opinion on why and what is his strategy? The media is saying he could be a "king-maker" and if that's the case who do you think will be the beneficiary?

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Here are some recent picures of Bailey...

and one of Boone.

Bailey has adjusted to his new household very well. As you can see he is getting very large (17 lbs for a 5 month old pug). Since the typical pug (that isn't fat) weighs from 14-18 lbs I think it is safe to say Bailey will come in on the larger side of that scale- and then some. By the photo on the side panel you can see that he is getting the hang of what 'outside' is for and, like me, has strong political opinions. He has the same reaction to Barry Manilow music.

Boone is finally adjusting to having a puppy around. He went through a bit of depression at the loss of Reuben. They were truly great buds. He is starting to accept the notion of Bailey as a substitute. He is also adjusting to the idea of finally being alpha dog.

Boone put on a few pounds again during Reuben's illness- he ate all the food that Reuben wouldn't touch- so He is on a strict diet again.

I've taken the day off from commenting on the political events of the weekend but will have an opinion or two to add in the next few days. But for now enjoy the photos.

Could This Man Solve Hillary's Problems?

I've always liked Harold Ford. He is among the more conservative of the Dems in Congress. As a running mate he would bring many qualities that Hillary is lacking.

Don't get me wrong- I want to see the primaries play out and still believe Obama to be preferable to Hillary. But if Ford were older I would prefer him to the other two.

I saw this and who could resist?

Billary Clinton --- This is too scary/true.

As If We Didn't Know (click)

Remember the days when our president only lied about sex or other 'none of your business' type questions.

The Bill and Hillary Show

Okay, I think this needs to be said. And I say this as someone who remains committed to ultimately support the nominated candidate with a 'D' behind their name. I say it also as someone who occasionally gets concerned about the negatives that will be flung by the eventual candidate on the other side. I also say this because it reaffirms a concern that keeps cropping in regarding a Clinton candidacy in the general election.

I remain convinced that a Mitt Romney or John McCain or Mike Huckabee or even Guiliani would rather face Hillary Clinton than face Barrack Obama. I believe this to be true because any pundit with an 'R' behind their name has been presuming Clinton to be the candidate for the past three years and they all talk (with supposed candor) about what a hard opponent she would be to face. But, after years of Clinton bashing, how can we believe this attitude is sincere?

Isn't it more likely that, by ringing the 'inevitable' bell for Hillary, they believe they can con the masses into putting forth the candidate they can trash for almost a year and ultimately beat.

Whether this presumption is accurate or not remains to be seen. But Bill Clinton's attitude is not helping.

Twice now (New Hampshire and Nevada) Bill Clinton has gone into defense mode prior to the contests. He has criticized process, challenged procedures, attacked the media, attacked their closest rival and attacked the intelligence of their rivals supporters.

In both cases the Clintons ultimately triumphed in the contested state revealing his antics as altogether unnecessary. In the process, the media paints an image of a divided democratic party and the general electorate is reminded of a very negative side of an otherwise popular former president.

For me, Clinton Fatigue is real. To move this country in a new direction will take a leader with guts and vision. It will take a leader who can move beyond the rhetoric of the past.

Setting aside the qualities of any individual candidate I am concerned that the Republicans will make it difficult to get that message across. Further, it works to their advantage if they can change the discussion away from today's issues and dwell on the past.

Bill Clinton's soft underbelly makes him a delicious target for his enemies, especially the ones who sit on their fat buts in front of microphones for a living.

I have no doubt any candidate with a 'D' behind their name will have to endure endless attacks. It may throw the attack machine off their game a bit if they are required to write new material.

Norm Coleman is a One- Trick Pony

This article is perhaps a bit dated but it raises the interesting point about the way this guy campaigns. Specifically, it points out that the 'charges' hes weighs against Franken are exactly the same ones made against Paul Wellstone in 2002.

Maybe Coleman lacks the creativity or the courage (no balls) to try a fresh approach to campaigning. Or perhaps he is using this tired tactic because he has no record to run on.

Check out these ads--

Al Franken for Senate they are the first of Al's campaign.

The fluffy senator who currently holds that Minnesota seat responded with something about how mean spirited and negative Al is. Watch the ads and see if you agree. There is also a spot to contribute if you are so inclined.

Romney in Michigan ---

no surprise really, but it makes for an interesting race on the Republican side with no clear front-runner.

Clinton was virtually unopposed in Michigan in a race that absolutely has no effect in the delegate count.

The debate is going on right now among the Democratic candidates. Ten minutes in I expect it to degrade into a hug fest.

My computer is low on power and my adapter is broken so I will reflect more on the debate tomorrow.

My take on New Hampshire

Okay, we are all sick of the pundits talking about New Hampshire as if they have a clue about what happened. The most obscene of these is Chris Matthews contention that people lied to pollsters about their intentions to vote for Obama.

Keith Olberman on Msnbc probably got this one right.

Last night he showed a sampling of 6 different polls that showed Obama taking in 35-37 percent of the vote. He ultimately took in 37%. Seems the polls could not have been better regarding Obama.

The polls got Clinton wrong. This would appear to suggest that the high voter turnout brought newcomers to Hillary's camp in larger numbers than the pollsters imagined.

So, there was no real surprise in New Hamshire for Obama. The media does enjoy these things. It gives them something to talk about in a 24 hour news cycle.

The reality after Tuesday is the same as it was before. Obamais front-runner on the Dem's side (from the standpoint of most delegates). Hillary and Barack are virtually tied in the National polls.

On the Republican side, Huckabee is the top delegate holder at this time. He is also fairing quite well according to the national polls.

My only hope is that people are taking the opportunity to check over all of the candidates so they can make an informed decision.

New Look

I LOVE this new look. It's much easier on the eyes.

I have some thoughts on the NH outcome, will try to post them tomorrow.