With his Florida primary victory over chief rival former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Arizona Senator John McCain is now seemingly the GOP's front-runner for the 2008 Presidential nomination, but he still faces a foe that's determined to pull out all stops and to shout warnings to try and stop him: conservative talk radio. On a 500 mile drive Tuesday from San Diego to … [Read more...] about McCain Wins Florida Primary But Now Must Battle Conservative Talk Radio
Republican Hardliners Not Happy About McCain’s Florida Win
Here in Florida, Hillary and McCain carried the day. Giuliani apparently is planning to drop out of the race and give the nod to McCain. And some conservatives ain't happy, to put it mildly. At The Corner, Michael Graham says, "Assuming there is no shocking revelation or health issue, the GOP nomination is over. Conservatives need to start practicing the … [Read more...] about Republican Hardliners Not Happy About McCain’s Florida Win
Who Would McCain, Romney, or Huckabee Choose as Running Mate? (Part 2)
On Tuesday, Florida clarified what was already apparent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination: The nominee will either be Senator John McCain or former Governor Mitt Romney. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, overplaying the evangelical hand in a bid to win the South Carolina primary, lost whatever chance he had of winning the nomination by suggesting … [Read more...] about Who Would McCain, Romney, or Huckabee Choose as Running Mate? (Part 2)
No more Rudy redux, expected to endorse McCain
Republican presidential primary candidate and former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani's concession speech this evening, after a third place finish in the Florida GOP primary, is being called indicative of an imminent withdrawal from the race. From Politics on the Hudson: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani gave a last hurrah speech tonight following his third place … [Read more...] about No more Rudy redux, expected to endorse McCain
Margaret Truman Daniel
She died today in a week when Caroline Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama and Chelsea Clinton was on the campaign trail for her mother. First Families have changed since Margaret Truman's time, but she was a kind and caring woman whose books about the place, including murder mysteries, will be a lasting part of Washington lore. She was an only child in the White House, a Daddy's … [Read more...] about Margaret Truman Daniel
Florida Fight: McCain Beats Romney
Republicans: McCain at 36 percent gets all 57 delegates, Romney 31 percent, Giuliani 15 percent & Huckabee 13 percent. Giuliani to withdraw from the race and will reportedly endorse McCain. Democrats: Hillary Clinton whomps the field but may not get any delegates. CNN … [Read more...] about Florida Fight: McCain Beats Romney
Where to follow Florida returns
The state has this small set-up but WFTV has this table chart (sample below) that indicates number of votes, the percentage the number represents and a bar that fills in as the number of precincts reporting increases. … [Read more...] about Where to follow Florida returns
Gender Weirdness in Elections 08: “The National Organization of One Woman”
You read the headline right. The following missive at the end of this article is one woman's set of thoughts, presumed, for now, to be from N.O.W. I still can barely believe that this is a legitimate communique from NOW. I am still waiting for The Onion to own up as the writer of this missive. Either that, or this is an example of get-down dirty agitation or ? Here … [Read more...] about Gender Weirdness in Elections 08: “The National Organization of One Woman”
Romney Says Business Success Indicates He Can Handle the US Economy…Is That True?
With John McCain and Mitt Romney in a statistical tie there, Floridians are voting in their state's presidential primary. Concerns about the national economy have increased in recent weeks. In the face of these concerns, Romney has been touting his supposed superior capacity to deal with economic issues because of his business background. So far as I can recall, only … [Read more...] about Romney Says Business Success Indicates He Can Handle the US Economy…Is That True?
The Next JFK …
The Next President: The Nation Cannot Survive Another Erl King Carrying Off Its Leader
In our family from the Swabian side, was told an ancient story about a dark and wicked force called the Erl König who lives in the hollow woods. The Erl King is a soul stealer, a bloodless, malevolent and claw-handed creature who thieves the minds and hearts of humans so they become hollow like the withered woods... and the Erl King himself. .... The Erl King makes … [Read more...] about The Next President: The Nation Cannot Survive Another Erl King Carrying Off Its Leader
China: coping w/extreme weather crisis
I don't know how you help so many people in this kind of chaos, but watching the video on CNN is frightening. If you've ever been frustrated by travel plan delays, you may be able to empathize with what the Chinese are going through. But given the size of the country, the scale seems so much bigger. More than 67 million people have been affected by the weather and … [Read more...] about China: coping w/extreme weather crisis
Margaret Truman Daniels (1924-2008)
Obama’s ‘Noble Blow’
Does the anointment of Barack Obama by the patriarch of the Kennedy clan somehow conflict with America's iconic democratic image? According to this op-ed article from the Nachrichten newspaper of Switzerland, 'What influence do the Kennedys, or in fact any family clan, have in the United States? Apparently, more than anyone would have thought possible in such an iconic … [Read more...] about Obama’s ‘Noble Blow’
Gandhi’s Autobiography: Still A Best-seller In India
Sixty years after he was assassinated, Gandhi lives. Not just in textbooks and speeches but also through his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth which continues to sell an incredible 200,000 copies a year, reports The Times of India. "As the world on Wednesday marks his 60th death anniversary and remembers the man who lived and died for his mantra of … [Read more...] about Gandhi’s Autobiography: Still A Best-seller In India
Random Thought of the Day
It is increasingly clear that Rudy G. will not win today, and some believe he might very well drop out of the race after all the Florida votes are counted. Does that, in turn, suggest January 29, 2008 should forever hence be known as "Goodbye Rudy Tuesday"? [With apologies to the Rolling Stones, plus anyone out there from whom I might have inadvertently plagiarized this … [Read more...] about Random Thought of the Day
Meanwhile, in Iraq…
There are two reports that have come out recently that shed some light on the poor state of national reconciliation. First, the Center for American Progress reviews the latest developments and finds that the Iraqi government has only met 3 of the 18 political benchmarks. Second, the International Center for Transnational Justice has a report on the De-Baathification law and, … [Read more...] about Meanwhile, in Iraq…
Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Europe’s Minority Policy
It's no secret that the EU is pushing Ankara hard to reform its policy towards minority groups. In Turkey, the Kurds and the Alevis, for example, are not officially recognized as minorities and have struggled, as a result, to maintain their respective identities. The Islamist AKP government, under European pressure, has made some limited changes. Kurds are now allowed to speak … [Read more...] about Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Europe’s Minority Policy
Hot Flash: N.Y. NOW Disses Ted Kennedy
In a press release that so perfectly plays to negative feminist stereotypes that I first thought it was a fake, the New York State chapter of the National Organization for Women excoriates Senator Ted Kennedy for endorsing Barack Obama. An excerpt: "We are repaid with his abandonment! He's picked the new guy over us. He's joined the list of progressive white men who … [Read more...] about Hot Flash: N.Y. NOW Disses Ted Kennedy
SOTU in 60 seconds
Thanks to this "tweet" on Twitter by Jason Calacanis, here's a 60 second version of President Bush's State of the Union from last night. … [Read more...] about SOTU in 60 seconds