Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Happy MLK day everyone.

I noticed the lack of enthusiasm on television....but most of those a-holes hated the idea of MLK even having a holiday.

Craig Thanks,

Nice Observation! I'm still blown away about Arizone ignoring MLK Day. ;0)

Everyone remember when they heard MLK had been shot? I was 22 years old and working in downtown Kansas City. A black female friend of mine came rushing up and told me to grab my purse, that we were taking a bus out of the downtown. She'd had a call from her brother in Memphis who advised her to do so. We huddled together all the way out of the city -- truly shell shocked, like everyone else on the bus. And Kansas City did erupt seriously. What a hell of a year 1968 was.

You Know what I want? A day without Clinton Trolls and their Hit And Runs! lol

What a load to read. Again. I got home at 2pm and I just stopped reading.

Patsi,

I have living in San Diego Cali. I was in 6th grade and directly after that, I remember the Watts Riots.....that was a time where everything started flowing out of LA and all the way down to Sleepy California. My Dad started keeping a gun under the bed.

Right after 68, my family moved to Bremerton Washington.

Patsi, Glad to see your smiling self back here.

Hipster! You've been missed. I need back up more often!

Paris and Lindsay saunter out.. Keefer does his time..

do not miss the link to Romney video in today's post -- Hear him say, "Who let the dogs out? Who who" -- Happy MLK Day everyone!

Just watched it......LOLOLOLOLOL I don't know....is he for real? Or is he memorex.

Sheila

The Watts Riot was in 1965. There was some upheaval in LA following the King assassination but not on the level of Watts. The next truly big one was following the Rodney King incident in 1992.

I remember telling friends that the only thing that surprised me about Watts was that it hadn't happened sooner.

1968 was a truly horrifying year in this country with the deaths of MLK and RFK. It is almost a dividing line with one kind of America before and another after

There was a generational, multi racial, and behavioral difference between the two.

Little children were screaming his name???? WTF??

That's me the Kid, smearing all of it together. All I remember is a very terbulent time. Watts Riots, RFK and MLK. That was some crazy times.

Oprah celebarting MLK with eye witness African American history today..

YOu See this Woman???? This is who I want to be!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/21/diane-keaton-smooches-let_n_82473.html

"Everyone remember when they heard MLK had been shot?" -- Patsi

Patsi, I was a school patrol in my Orlando elementary and my job every day was to raise the flag out front. The morning after the assassination it seemed obvious to me that the flag should be placed at half mast, which I did. But it caused a near riot when some angry white parents who were dropping off their kids started yelling at me to raise the flag. I ignored them, but a couple stormed into the principal's office and complained, but to his credit the principal agreed with me and sent them packing. An eye-opening experience for a 12-year-old. -- Craig

....When I grow up of course....

Good For Your Principle and Good For You Little 12 Year Old!

wow, craig!

"Mitt Romney greeted African-Americans at a King parade in Jacksonville (awkwardly saying, "Who let the dogs out? Who who")."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

Never let it be said that the Republicans are out of touch with the common man...

CNN debate tonight should be interesting. Will Obama whine to Hillary about Bill? It is just so very unfair-two against one. What a crybaby!

I can't really recall where I was - I think I heard about it watching the news that night. I do remember idiot friends and classmates making ridiculous racist comments (in Birmingham? Really? Yes, it's true). Suburban Birmingham wasn't exactly a hotbed of racial activism back then. Oddly enough, my parents, particularly my mother, had nothing bad to say about Dr. King when they heard about his death.

BBTL - gonna get the kid, go home, pet the dog, get warm & settle in. Everyone stay warm out there.

All right,......Romney, Rudy, and McCain in one commercial Segment. Right here in Palm Beach....I guess its started.

Hey all, I asked our Chief Number Cruncher Spike to explain the Intrade Political Futures Markets we've been following (because i am clueless). He posted a detailed guide that'll sure help me understand what they mean. check it out at http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/01/florida-to-forecast-both-party-1.html#comment-16896

Cool sheila. I noticed that Romney started running his anti-Washington ad down here the minute McCain won SC. Calling all Floridians! We're the Trailspotters now. (SCers too)

You KNow Craig.....Ms Dog joined the Obama Campaign and is now in SC with the Campaign....I hope she does an after report or something.

I'll give her a call to see. That would be great!

I don't remember where I was.. perhaps because I was young.. I do remember waking up to the news about RFK watching (yes even at 12), the chicago convention... i think perhaps it was the beginning of my political awareness..interestingly, 68 was the year my country elected Trudeau and it was a sign that the younger generation had taken over..

I just saw an Obama ad.. (is NY on SuperDOOPER Tuesday?) it was inspiring..

yep it is, tylenol, thanks for that report. the ads are going up in lots of super tue states this week --- we're all Trailspotters now

Damon Heart Rudy...and Mitt's not bad either
Yankees star outfielder Johnny Damon joined up with Bronx Bombers loyalist Rudy Giuliani here today, introducing the ex-mayor at a rally at The Presidential Ballroom in Orlando.

Rudy "I was against the Red Sox before I was for the Red Sox" Giuliani. Man this should really give him a boost. Maybe they can channel Babe Ruth for an endorsement.

great sheila, get Ms. Dog to report on SC for sure.

To all aspring Trailspotters: tv ads, direct mail, robocalls, candidate sightings -- anything you see or hear is worth reporting here.

Who says the economy is great? Here is a little gem about the second largest printing company in North America.

Quebecor World Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection after failing to work out a C$400-million rescue financing deal over the weekend.

The troubled commercial printing company, which is a subsidiary of Montreal-based Quebecor Inc., told the Quebec Superior Court that it would completely run out of cash by Thursday if it failed to secure the emergency debt financing it is seeking. The court was hearing the company's application to file for creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.

Quebecor World will also file under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the southern judicial district of New York to protect its U.S. subsidiaries not covered by the Canadian filing.

Anyone got the Romney link? Can't find it.

tt

And what I've been predicting/knowing for a long time.

"Stock Markets Plunge Across the Globe."

Time to BUY. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.

tt

Tip,

The Romney Link is in Craigs Piece "IN BLUE".

its in today's post above, tiptoe

So far I've gotten two or three direct mail flyers each from Hills and Obama (Obama's looks better in my opinion; the photograph on the front of Hills's looks straight out of Free To Be You And Me), and one phonecall from Hills (robocall).

No GOP stuff yet.

Saw the video at Fox.

Wadda moron!

tt

Post. Ha...I was thinking Washington post. Duh.

tt

Julia,

So Glad to see you. (Warm And Fuzzy)

yep..Quebecor's been in trouble for a while tho.. they own a lot of newspapers (subscriptions down) radio stations (listeners down)

Thanks Julia, you get a Trailspotter Gold Star

The Washington Post / Newsweek Team is trying to save little Barack from big Bill. If Obama is upset about these mild attacks, how could he possibly battle the vicious Repubs?

so it's OK. Saw the video and just read all the Business stuff on the Washington Post.

*blush*

tt

or maybe that should be a Golden Nugget

Fritz Alert! Fritz Alert!

LOL ..damn..i got a headache

If you want to see something ugly take a look at the chart for the last closing in the Japanese market

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/CF/FR/MKJ

and for France

http://quote.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=%5Efchi&d=c

LOLOL TY TAke a Tylenol and I'll see you in the Morning.;0)

And the FTSE

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3356899.ece

The Japanese market will open again in a couple of hours. Let see if some bargain hunters will send it up.

" An eye-opening experience for a 12-year-old."

No kidding, Craig.

I guess the first time I felt the fury was around 1964 when I was in college and my sister (who was 16 years older) asked me to come to Wichita, Kansas for three successive weekends to help her out. She was a Civil Rights organizer, and they were planning a series of big out-of-doors rallies. The cool thing was that she'd helped put together what they were calling the Fifteen Presidents' Club....fifteen of the "gang" leaders working to keep everything calm. (These were a far different kind of gang than the ones we see on tv....)

Anyway, the first rally had about 2000 people in downtown Wichita. Most were black, maybe about twenty or thirty whites helping organize. When my sister and I got out of her car and started toward the rally site, white men with twisted faces were shouting all kinds of stuff and at us and spitting.

I was never in my life as glad as when I saw some of the "Fifteen Presidents" coming to meet us.

Here's how long the resentment can last. In the early 1970s, my sister's youngest son died. He'd been in drug rehab, but was doing well. But he moved to an apartment that had a gas leak, and died that night. The next day, some talk radio guys were DRIPPING with smirks about my sister and how "that Civil Rights woman's son died...rumor is it was drug overdose." snark, snark. Unfortunately, my sister was driving to the funeral home and had the radio on.

Jamie, I already read through Yahoo Business. I have no money but I know how to handle it.

I've already moved most of my stuff to 'safe' investments in prep for this severe slide in the economy.

tt

MSNBC has been ragging on Bill all day today even to the extent of slanted questions to various spokespeople for all the campaigns.

He may have been out of line, but when a network gets so far out of balance, they might as well rename it
"Fox II"

Tiptoe,

If you can afford it, the gurus are recommending as much liquidity as possible in case of bank closures. They don't expect failures at this time, but even a temporary hold could be difficult to handle for those of us who practically live with our debit cards.

Here's a Quiz on Martin Luther King.

Pretty simple. I got 100, but bet the young ones are clueless.

Here's a Quiz on Martin Luther King. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/ae/347999_mlkquiz21.html

Pretty simple. I got 100, but bet the young ones are clueless.

oopppps! I guess stoping the post when you've already submitted doesn't work. ;0)

I love the Clinton apologists on here (and no I dont mean you Jamie or any regulars). A real one two punch.

If Obama fights back, he "overreacts."

If Obama doesn't fight back, he is just like Kerry for not fighting back.

Such bufoonish behavior.....pure sophistry

-Hipster

Hip There is a think called HOPE and its not just a Clintonism. ;0)

I heard of MLK's death while in my 8th grade Spanish class.... the teacher was so overcome she broke down crying....

I've mentioned a very good friend who is a potter several times on this blog...
her father was the FBI agent that caught James Earl Ray.....

I'm taking a break from the horse race...... I'm getting very tired of all the negativity..... life is too beautiful to get sucked into it at the moment.....

I'll be off and on C-list tonight troops....

-Hipster

If I said I wasn't born yet when MLK was killed , would I get slapped? I just remember when Reagan was shot. If I remember correctly , the guy who shot Reagan did that to impress Jodie Foster , right? As for Romney , is he gonna make a campaign promise to solve the age-old mystery of "Who Let The Dogs Out?" if he gets elected President? Or is he gonna just expose which fellow Presidential candidates voted TO let the dogs out and which ones voted AGAINST letting the dogs out?

Hip, I'm just seriously surprised at the amount of Meaness from DEMS who support Clinton. YOu'd think the other DEMS were really Republicans.

And to think some of them are going to vote REPUG is there candidate doesn't win....Like GORDO and ANNYMOUSE.

I wasn't out of high school a year when MLK was gunned down. I heard about it on a radio news break and watched the news on TV. The following Sunday was a day of national remembrance, called by President LBJ. He called for all motorists to drive with their lights on all day long as a tribute to MLK, Jr.
I lived in an all-white little Indiana town...people kept turning on their lights and blinking their high-beams at me...either they didn't agree with the "lights on for Dr. King " thing, or they were just ignorant about the President's declaration.
I was in Memphis in 1969, traveling around on a bus , playing baseball in a different city every night. I tired to get some teammates to go with me to see the Lorraine Motel...no takers...and we were a long ways from the Lorraine so I couldn't afford a cab by myself.
I did decided I needed to talk to someone about this, so I approached three Af. Am. ladies in the cocktail bar of our motel and asked if I could just ask them what it was like to live in Memphis during that day, April 4, 1968. They all had lived there all their lives. They were accommodating , but leery, and one asked me why I asking them this stuff...was I a reporter?...I just said no, I just had to know, then I left them to their drinks.
The words MLK, Jr. wrote just a year before his death are prophetic and amazing. Worth a little trip to Google.

Have HEART Renee,

There are still good hearted people. I'm so tired of it too!

Dex,

Great little Story. Thanks for telling. ;0)

See Julia? I told you that you were missed! :)

Corey, I think you need a good dose of 1968 Documentaries. That's all.

Just to bring up another political issue other than race or gender. This event described below happened Saturday. It is the sort of event that can set off a round of anti-illegal immigration furor even though the drug runners and those coming for work are very different sorts of people. The major border cities are becoming totally overrun with criminals threatening lives in Mexico and the US, and our Presidential candidates better come up with some idea better than slogans such as "comprehensive plan"

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080121-9999-1m21bpagent.html

i'm off to a debate-watching party so won't be able to live blog this one tonight. enjoy, will look forward to your reviews. interesting thread today.

Have a great time Cahoona!

craig...I have a flag raising story also...i was working as a porter/room service waiter at a brand new Holiday Inn in Fort Wayne, IN.
first thing, i had to raise three flags, on the center pole, Old Glory. on the sides, the Indiana flag and the Holiday Inn flag.
problem: the center pole was set in about two feet shorter than the side poles. I was instructed to always raise Old Glory on the center pole.
end of storyline: The new Holiday Inn flew the Indiana Flag as well as the Holiday Inn flag at three-quarter staff daily...nobody could figure that out, either.

Just realized, no KO tonight if I want to watch the debate. Rats!

Sheila: Never said I would vote Repub. Just trying to convince Obama groupies to support the most electable Dem - Hillary. It is amateur versus professional!

In the 1960s the Republicans decided to go after southern racist white voters who were angered by the Democrats support of civil rights. Huckabee may have gone to a black church today, but last week he built his campaign in SC around the right of racists to fly the Confderate flag over the state capitol.

Why ANY black person would vote Republican is a mystery to me. Republicans who talk about attracting black votes are just blowing smoke.

Gordo, for God's sakes give this a rest. You are a one-trick pony. And it's a stupid trick at that.

Gordo,
"Just trying to convince Obama groupies to support the most electable Dem - Hillary. It is amateur versus professional!"

Ain't workin'.

Not a big turnout in Denver for today's Marade.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/21/todays-mlk-events-denver/

Could be that the temperature has been in the single digits all day.

Gordo. I'm one of the ones voting for hillary

SHUT UP !!!

Patsi: Just "Staying on Message".

Thanks to their racist immigration policies, the Republicans are losing the Hispanic voters also. They should just re-name the GOP as the "White People's Party."

Excuse me, make that the "White Christian People's Party."

Or the "White Christian Men's Party." (Women can join as long as they sit in the back and remain silent.)

Craig's on his way to a debate-watching party?

Thank goodness I don't have a job that requires me to do things like that.

Watching these debates is like having nails driven into your skull, one millimeter at a time.

GORDO,

This probably isn't the place to try to convince supporters of one candidate to switch. Trailmixers are like the old Tarryton smokers "They'd Rather Fight Than Switch". So if you keep up with the Obama stuff you will probably get scorched. Just to keep things interesting talk about Huckabee or Fred Thompson or Lindon LaRouche or even Gus Hall but drop your Obama screeds.

He isn't my choice right now, but could be come November depending on how things play out.

Tucker looks like a guy who got beat up a lot in high school.

Ok, maybe not '68, you old Nixon softy, but '88 for sure.

1968 was no slam dunk. Remember the VIETNAM WAR? LBJ saw what was coming. Nixon ran as a peace candidate with a "secret plan" to end the war.

As for 1988, Dukakis ran the WORST campaign of the second half of the 20th century. Just about any high school student council election has better-managed campaigns. You can't blame the party for that.

Plus the Repugs had Lee Atwater running Willie Horton ads, which at that time, was a new low in presidential politics.

It's SO DAMN OBVIOUS. The Republicans have NO CHANCE in 2008. The Dems could run a potted plant and win.

Please check out what is ahead for the Dem nominee: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/005103.php

nash,
"As for 1988, Dukakis ran the WORST campaign of the second half of the 20th century. Just about any high school student council election has better-managed campaigns."

E-yup.

" You can't blame the party for that."

They nominated him...

Had Hart and Biden not screwed up, they'd have been preferable. Someone shoulda drafted Cuomo. Gebhart, Babbit, Gore, Simon and Pat Schroeder would all have been better than Dukaksis.

"Please check out what is ahead for the Dem nominee:"

It's official. Gordo is a kool-aid swilling Hillary troll.

To the rest of the Hillary supporters here, don't worry. I'm not listening to Gordo. Intelligent discussions will, as always, be entertained.

I'm baaack!

I am looking forward to the CNN Debate. Does it start at 8pm?

The Republican party cannot win nationally without Independents and Hispanics. Trying to hold that coalition together will be almost impossible particularly when you consider all the Moderate Republican women who in the privacy of the voting booth will vote Democratic if the candidate is Senator Clinton.

I'm Just sayin....Fritz re-encarnated.....

Nash,

Of course the Republicans have a chance.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

All it takes is one huge event to change the dynamics of the contest. A few weeks ago it was the war, now it is the economy. Granted both of these benefit the democrats right now, but the future is unpredictable, suppose Jesus shows up, might help old Huck.

I'm still betting on a Dead Obama.....what we won't be able to prove is how long he's been dead. I say Cryovaked.

OH MAN...Obama on the brain. I meant.

I'm still betting on a Dead Osama.....what we won't be able to prove is how long he's been dead. I say Cryovaked

dnd

Not to worry. It could work to your advantage. If he aggravates me enough I'll threaten him with a move to Obama ... I'm lying of course. lol

Actually I'm starting to feel a little sorry for him. The inability to hold more than one thought at a time in ones brain must be an awful handicap.

Sheila,
I don't understand. Are you suggesting Obama is with Walt Disney & Ted Williams???

OOOOLLOLOLOLOL...Shoot! read the corrected version,

Obama Osama ... there is a Billy Crystal comedy routine in there somewhere. Ari meet mary of Dewey Cheatham and Howe.

Nash: It is a mistake to underestimate the power of the Repub attack / smear machine.

GORDO. Your so negative.

They may have been powerful because we were playing by the rules and they were not.

BUT times have finally changed. Our people finally got the Cheat Sheets.

Speaking of Osama,

Did anybody catch that article tha the son of Osama wants to be a peace envoy? And that dad is misunderstood? He is son #4 of 11 by wife #1according to CNN, public enemy #1.

Going to be tough to rebrand that name. Even Madison Ave pros may not ba able to pull that off.

No Bryan. Unfortunately, That is a Fact.

Bowman, I believe that it may take a couple of life times

Motown, too, changed after Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were taken from us.

Instead of another "Baby Love" variation, Diana Ross & The Supremes introduced the controversial-at-the-time "Love Child," which contributed to the pre-Roe vs. Wade debates.

And rather than grooving to "The Way You Do The Things You Do," The Temptations suddenly rhapsodized about "Cloud Nine," anticipating the drug-crazed days and the Me Generation.

"Love Child" topped the Billboard charts on November 30, 1968, replacing the Beatles' "Hey Jude" as number one. (Mary Hopkins' "Those Were The Days" was number three, and Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" was number four.)

On December 14, 1968, Motown owned the Billboard charts! Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" took over as the number one song, "Love Child" was number two, Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" was number three and (non-Motown artist) Dion's "Abraham, Martin and John" was number four.

On January 4, 1969, Marvin was still at number one, Stevie had climbed to number two and Diana Ross & The Supremes with The Temptations "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" was number three. The Temptations' "Cloud Nine" peaked at number six and "Love Child" was still selling well, at number seven.

Claire,

Tha's easy, none. That is why Rudy quietly vanished from New Hampshire, and ended up in Florida like an unemployed carpenter looking for work at a new housing development.

Johnny Damon endorses Rudy. Could this be on par with Chuck Norris' support for Huckabee?

Gordo,
"Amateur v Professional"

Are you inferring that Sen. Clinton is a prostitute?

Love the Rudy=unemployed carpenter comparison, Bowmanc!

Check out this You Tube video about change (stick with it until the chorus):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OJtgEfIla0A

Gordo

Let the big Dawg slap a few more knots on his head and he'll toughen up just fine. I don't know that he will ever have the go for the testicles attitude of HRC but he's no light weight like John Kerry.

Jack

Chuck Norris on McCain's age: "Can he handle that kind of pressure in that job?"

Ummm...I think after the Hanoi Hilton, I'm not worried about McCain.

I think McCain is looking better now than he did several months ago. I think he thrives on the rough and tumble.

Jack

Claire,
"Ummm...I think after the Hanoi Hilton, I'm not worried about McCain."

Can't be any worse than the Little Rock Hilton...

Gordo,

Do you truly enjoy being disliked? I mean if you have a masochistic personality, you might want to seek out a psychiatric forum for discussion of your total inability to carry on a conversation without resorting to advertising slogans.

What are you thinking Claire? It is obvious that a Baptist preacher/governer will handle pressure much better than McCain. And what better authority than Walker, Texas Ranger is there??

dnd: All politicians are prostitutes!!!

Huge opening applause for Obama. Good for Hillary. Polite for Edwards.

Holy Cow! The Nikkei Index is starting off the day at almost another 600 points down. That's almost 1000 points in less than two days ....If this carries through to Europe it could get very strange on the Dow tomorrow.

just one more Dow?

LOL, Bowmanc! I'll see your Walker, Texas Ranger, and raise you a Jon Voight. (Saw him with Rudy today, too.)

Gordo,
"dnd: All politicians are prostitutes!!!"

And you're saying that Hillary is the best? Sheesh. No wonder the Hillary camp here refutes your posts.

If they start fighting on the trading floor with will be

Just one more row!

Senator Obama still doesn't do well when any idea of his is challenged. He's getting better and his plans are interesting, but he still stutters and looks up to remember what he has studied.

Senator Clinton is a great deal smoother and knows her material backwards and forwards.

Edwards is still having a hard time being heard over the adulation of the two stars.

this is a fight

dnd: Weaker politicians are bigger prostitutes. They are more easily bought.

Chuck Norris is, as KO just pointed out, just another chicken hawk: a fake (movie) Vietnam warrior. MCain is a REAL Vietnam vet. Norris served as an Air Force enlisted man, in Korea, where the greatest risk he faced was getting kicked in the groin during Tang Soo Do practice.

Good speech by Edwards, spank down on the children.

Punch back from Clinton on Rezco.

I propose they mud wrestle for the nomination.

It's a real shame that the demmycrats, who had three great statesmen in the race, kicked them to the curb in favor of these three celebrity candidates.

LOL

, bare knuckle brawling.

See Gordo I told you obama was getting tougher

I don't see any blood yet
Jack

But dnd...why should a Democrat care what you think since you are certainly not one?

Are you guys watching the debate? I'm watching KO. He's going after Ann Coulter on the "worst person in the world" contest tonight.

Also, from KO, Oliver Stone is making a Bush movie. {Now we'll find out who up on the grassy knoll. Bush the elder pulled the trigger but Bush the younger was lying beside him with a spotting scope.}

Statesman? You mean Biden? The man who out Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court?

Patsi,
"But dnd...why should a Democrat care what you think since you are certainly not one?"

Because as an independent, we will decided who wins.

Well, this debate is decidedly less boring than the last one.

The debate so far...a rowdy brawl between two of the combatants with one candidate actually talking about what we the people need to hear. I really don't see how any of you can consider voting for anyone other than Edwards.

What this garbage is likely to lead to, if either Clinton or Obama becomes the nominee, is a loss next November.

Obama snarky alert!!

"It's okay John I feel pretty tonight"

Barack said "I feel pretty bad"...not just pretty.

hehehehe edwards is a political whore, in new hampshire he was with obama now he is with clinton rofl

"Because as an independent, we will decided who wins. "

Maybe...you sure voted for Nader and gave us George Bush.....

harborwoman,
"What this garbage is likely to lead to, if either Clinton or Obama becomes the nominee, is a loss next November."

Amen sister.

I have no desire to watch people fight on tv.

Original member of Kingston trio, John Stewart, died Saturday

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/21/MN04UILUR.DTL

Patsi,
"Maybe...you sure voted for Nader and gave us George Bush....."

Nuh-uh. That was the demmycrats that voted for Nader. Just like the repubs voted for Perot.

Claire,

That's the way he does it. Emphasis and dimunition. He is very good at it and does it frequently. I don't dislike him, but it is the reason he is third on my list of these three.

He can be very sarcastic to the point of meaness and I don't like it.

Corey,
"I have no desire to watch people fight on tv."

Not even professional wrestling?

Oh wait, I see the similarity. Never mind...

It may be too early to say 2008 will be a slam dunk for Dems. The top three seem to be campaigning as a committee. Very little distinction betwenn them. They praise each other to point of its really too sweet. The spats are about things kids fight about in the sand box, not the issues important to the electorate.
The questions at most of the debates seem to keep clear of the really important issues.
Barack says stand for change. how about changing how the candidates continue to say and promise all things with no specifics. Obama does not seem to indicate what he would change and how. No one suggests we the electorate have to put more pressure on our reps.
Is he suggesting that if elected and he pulls a bonehead move like Bush did in Iraq, we can impeach or he would spare us and Resign. Doubt it. Because like all the rest, its about Power, and all the money that will follow.
Clinton, she knows the Power, has tasted the money, wants more, needs it like a drug.
Edwards, he has money, but wants the Power. He does talk alot about changing things for the electorate and we the electorate and the media just look away.
Why not support a candidate that wants to raise the miniumum wage to a living wage? Why not have medical insurance for everyone? Bush asked who would pay for it. The same poor electorate that have paid for the Iraq war, with no say so.
How about not another brick for Iraq paid by Americans until we rebuild the American Gulf?

Do we owe Iraq now, after blowing it all up? Or is that the price of Freedom? Should we build oil refineries before schools? Maybe we could at teast get jet fuel and diesel fuel for our war efforts, without buying the Iraqi crude refined in Turkey at a high price.

Maybe the candidates could comment on some of those things.

Also, does anyone really believe them when they say troops will come home immediately or within a year?
Bush has us in so deep it has become the new Berlin Wall. Soviet fear has been replaced by the Terrorist threat by the Industrial-Military complex.
Think about that and get use to troops in Iraq until 2050.

Other than that, thank you to MLK for giving us a path to making ourselves better. It is a hard one but one well worth traveling because it is priceless.

Just content to sit here and listen to Tony Bennett.

I think Edwards finally grew a set, its about time.

Too bad he didn't have them when he debated Cheny.
Yep I've got a long memory

Jack

"Nuh-uh. That was the demmycrats that voted for Nader. Just like the repubs voted for Perot."

Not true dnd....not true. Every indie I know voted Nader. The indies look for a beauty contest every damned time. "Oh, look! I love that tap dance!!!!"

Sorry, you indies, but it's the truth.

Oh dear! Would the media translate "tap dance" to racist????

Jack...Look at today's reality...not poor rookie performances of four years ago.

And I relent on my earlier post. Now that they've stopped behaving like spoiled children, both Clinton and Obama are doing well, as is Edwards.

Achilles

I think any of these three would be more mindful of the needs of the average citizen. Maybe not as much change as we would like to see, but certainly an improvement on the destruction of our nation that we have seen in the last seven years.

Patsi said..."The indies look for a beauty contest every damned time. "Oh, look! I love that tap dance!!!!""

Thank you for explaining my political decisions to me, Patsi. I wondered why I favored Edwards in this year's contest...now I know. He's purty...and I like his tap dance....

Your comment is appallingly condescending.

Earlier, didn't Obama say that his only connection to Rezko is that he worked on a project for 5 hours in partnership with a church?

If I have understood who Hillary was referring to as a slumlord, then he has more than the connection that he referred to. This is the guy who gave his thousands of dollars, and whose wife bought land for Obama so that he could have his privacy.

This Rezko guy is the same man who is not indicted on corruption charges.

Is this the same guy that Obama was walking about?

We seem to have left the boxing ring and are now hanging out at the pub being buddies.

22 more minutes of Kumbaya and then it's back to the boxing match.

lol@jamie

Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya, Oh Lord Kumbaya.

Jack

Jamie,

I agree any of the 3 Dems would strive to turn things around to help the electorate. We need great change, great courage to force the masses to wake up and not be afraid. Because the Bush message of be afraid, be very afraid has crippled us, and we stopped watching and holding the admin and power brokers accountable. T. Jefferson, I believe said, a little revolution is healthy from time to time; or something to that affect.

Jamie,

I agree any of the 3 Dems would strive to turn things around to help the electorate. We need great change, great courage to force the masses to wake up and not be afraid. Because the Bush message of be afraid, be very afraid has crippled us, and we stopped watching and holding the admin and power brokers accountable. T. Jefferson, I believe said, a little revolution is healthy from time to time; or something to that affect.

I was right! The slumlord that Hillary was referring to is Rezko. Wow! I cannot beleive what I am reading in this article from the suntimes:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article

I am not even going to summarize this because you have to read it to believe it.

I will say this though: Obama talks about turning the page on politics and fighting for the poor. In my opinion, this article highlights how he is as much as sell out as any other politician.

The difference is that the other two on the stage do not say that they are politically pure, whereas Obama touts how he is not corruptable. GIve me a break!

Achilles...

This administration has made it as difficult as they can, but it frustrates me that the Democratic Congress we elected in 2006 has done such a poor job of even trying to hold Bush and pals accountable.

Patsi,
"Every indie I know voted Nader. The indies look for a beauty contest every damned time"

That's a weird crowd you run with. Seems to me the dems look for a beauty contest.

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya

Someones singing lord, kumbaya
Someones singing lord, kumbaya
Someones singing lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbayah

Someones laughing, lord, kumbaya
Someones laughing, lord, kumbaya
Someones laughing, lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya

Someones crying, lord, kumbaya
Someones crying, lord, kumbaya
Someones crying, lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya

Someones praying, lord, kumbaya
Someones praying, lord, kumbaya
Someones praying, lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya

Someones sleeping, lord, kumbaya
Someones sleeping, lord, kumbaya
Someones sleeping, lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya

Had to look up the lyrics
We was too poor for summer camp when I was a youngin'

Jack

"Your comment is appallingly condescending."

Sorry harbor...just maybe I meant to be condescending. If you don't see the difference between these two parties, then maybe you deserved George Bush. AND Ronald Reagan.

I think I'd like a two-headed Obama/Edwards president.

So, who won? Who will get the momentum from this debate? As much as I support Hillary, my vote is for Edwards. He challenged both of them on critical issues. He did not get down and dirty with the name calling. It will be interesting to follow his poll numbers in the next week.

Here is a little snippet from that article on the connection between Obama and Rezko: "Obama, however, was associated with the firm for more than nine years, his staff acknowledged Sunday in an e-mail response to questions submitted March 14 by the Sun-Times. They didn't say what deals he worked on -- or how much work he did."

This seems to cast a murky shadow over what Obama says about working for 5 hours.

Wolf should have done the CNN commercials before he declared the debate over. Once he declared it over, the candidates couldn't wait to get out of those chairs.

in regards to SC obama is secure, edwards and hilliary competing for white vote, so it will depend on who u think won between edwards and hilliary

I'd say that Edwards won this one. He stopped being invisible.

Jan,
I don't favor any of them. But I'd agree with you that Edwards won tonight. And for all the reasons you stated.

Little did Wolf know that he should have begun the evening with: "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!"

Senator Edwards won again. He will be ignored by the MSM again.

maybe we can revisit all of hilliary work at her law firm.... lets open up the books

Obama's dealings with Rezko smells like kickbacks. Here is more from the article:

Two years ago, Obama bought a mansion on the South Side, in the Kenwood neighborhood, from a doctor. On the same day, Rezko's wife, Rita Rezko, bought the vacant lot next door from the same seller. The doctor had listed the properties for sale together. He sold the house to Obama for $300,000 below the asking price. The doctor got his asking price on the lot from Rezko's wife.

Last year, Rita Rezko sold a strip of that vacant lot to Obama for $104,500 -- a deal Obama later apologized for, acknowledging that people might think he got a favor from Rezko. Obama called the episode "boneheaded'' and a "mistake.''

He says it is a mistake and boneheaded, give me a break! Noone buys a house for singificantly less that value and get a nice view because the piece of land that was supposed to go with it is bought by Rezko's wife.

Patsi...

I apologize for thinking your condescension might have been inadvertent...won't make that mistake again. So...I guess that simply leaves me to consider you a rude person, and us to agree to disagree. What you see as my (or any other independent) looking for a beauty contest, I see as trying to maintain an open mind. You might try that sometime...it's rather fun.

And...no, I don't see a huge difference between the two parties. A difference, yes, but not a huge one. Both are filled with politicians who are so obligated/owned to and by big business that today's differences are minor. That's why I support John Edwards. I only hope that one of the other two will do half of what I think he'd try to do to end that if elected.

John-

I think the Republicans already did that on Hillary!

The difference between Hillary and Obama is that Obama keeps saying that he is pure. His hands are clean and that he wants to run a new type of politics.

The appeal of Obama is that he offers this optimism. But, it is based on a new type of politics that is not beholden to special interests.

If Democrats do not vet him, then the Republicans will do the job.

OMG...Someone on tv praising John Edwards' performance tonight! At least, one person was listening....

Jan, yes they did but rememebr that was more than 10 years ago, they will bring up again and make it seem like it just happened yesterday, people memories are short-lived so it will seem like new news.....

I love how Obama tries to distance himself from Rezko, the slumlord.

Here is another quote from the article:

"Over the years, Rezko, Mahru, their wives and businesses have given more than $50,000 to Obama's campaign funds, records show. And Rezko has helped raise millions more.

Rezko was among the people Obama appointed to serve on his U.S. Senate campaign finance committee, the Sun-Times reported in 2003. The committee raised more than $14 million, according to Federal Election Commission records, helping send Obama to Washington in 2004. "

Ok, this shows a complete lack of judgment on part of Obama. He nominates a man who is later charged with corruption among other things to serve on his Finance Senate Campaign.

Obama always talks about how experience is not important, but judgment is. Hmmm. I wonder if he holds himself to this standard on this issue.

Kucinich won

John-

I agree; they will pick apart everything that Hillary has done in the past. But here is the difference: Hillary has been through this many times. Obama is untested. As a democrat, I want to win the White House. To me, Obama is too much an unknown. How will he respond when he is attacked? Will he have an appropriate answer? Because I guarantee that the Republicans will make this an issue.

I love this replay of Edwards going after Obama on cherry picking votes.

I like it when he says, "What would have happened if I did noit show up to vote?" Great question. I just wish that he would have followed up on why Obama did not have the courage to cast a vote on the Iran vote.

I agree with Pat Buchanan's analysis tonight, which is that Obama is in a tough place.

Even of Obama wins SC, people will say, "why sure he won. He got the black vote." However, of he loses, it is huge! It shows that he does not have the wide appeal that he argues in favor of.

That said, he has an advantage going into SC.

LOL @ Craig

...he should get the UFO vote...lots of new believers in Texas these days....

Edwards did very, very well tonight. It's a shame it has taken him this long.

Obama got the audience as expected, but he hurt himself for the later contests with the sarcasm and defensiveness.

Clinton, did well but got a little too bogged down in the minutia about Obama's dealings and it threw her off message about being the most experienced. She was too busy fighting to brag.

I liked the Edwards/Clinton double teaming. Wouldn't be a bad ticket but I don't think Edwards would want the second spot again.

I thought Edwards did great! Hope it brings up his numbers..

There are huge differences between the parties... if you really want to know take a look at the DNC website and the GOP website.. their platforms are completely different.. they would handle things like supreme court justices, social issue laws, international relations, economic issues, national energy, and many others differently. There has never been a wider gap between the two and if a voter can't make up his/her mind he/she isnt paying attention.

oh..and health care..

The Supreme Court is the most urgent consideration. I think there are two members who are trying their best to live long enough to get a new President, and that president had better be a Democrat or we are all shafted.

Tylenol

I have a kitchen sink you can throw in there if you like.

lol jamie

Jan, at one time i thought voctory in november was a slamdunk, i dont anymore. if im the repub i will run on bill and hilliary, connect them together and ask america dont u want a repeat of the last 16 years of division and lies. im not sure the american people want a replay of what has happened for the last 16 years. maybe u will be right and they will vote their fears instead of their hopes.

I have friends who actually said, in 2000, that it didnt matter who they voted for..politicians are all the same, blah blah blah.. and LOOK what they got!

Jamie-

I agree! The SC is important. But you know, as a mom, health care is also important to me. I just feel enormous anxiety about it, and the only person I believe will deliver on HC is HIllary. The reason is that she is passionate about this issue, and she hopefully has learned from her past failures.

Time for me to mosey on out of here. See you tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel.

Have a good evening.

Jan.. i think you'll see that Edwards plan is also universal..and would cover every person...

I'm out too... stewart/colbert in 2008..now there's a ticket I can support.. see ya tomorrow

goes to bed humming.. "anybody heeere..seen my old friend Martin..can you tell me where he's gone.." :)

John-

I liked life a lot better when Clinton was in office. The economy was better, and we were not stuck in the middle of a war. For me, Obama does not represent hope because I do not think he can deliver any of his solutions. Plus, I do not agree with his health care solution, which is the most important issue for my family.

I am voting based on needs and who has the know how to deliver them. Obama is too untested, in my opinion.

Furthermore, I do not think he can get elected for those other reasons that I mentioned earlier.

It doesn't make any difference what any of the healthcare plans are. They are all DOA.
I would like to know what part of their plans will they deal away and what part are not for sale.

Jack

John R: I agree with you completely. I certainly don't think November is a slamdunk for the Dems. (After the moron was re-elected in 2004, I will never believe in slamdunks again.) And I just do not agree with anyone who thinks that Hillary is the most electable. I think she's the least electable of the Dems, because there's a much bigger crowd of "anyone but Hillary" voters out there than there is for any other Dem. Especially if McCain is the nominee.

Jack-

You may be right. These health care plans may not go anywhere. But, I doubt that because there are so many people in the US now who have deep anxiety about this.

I think you have to a children and not be able to afford health care to understand this issue. You have to have a family member who is sick and has been denied this coverage. Have you experience this? I have, and it is a terrible burden to know that you may not be able to get your husband life saving treatment for a heriidary condition.

This is the difference is the electorate. Those who need immediate help with issues such as health care, housing, and the econonmy versus those who are fine and are basing their vote on making history , hope, or rhetoric.

Jack...If they have a Democratic Congress and their health care plans are DOA, it will prove my point about corporate ownership of way too many of our politicians.

Tylenol...Every point you raise is well-made, but it's really not what I'm talking about. I understand everything you said, but look at the lack of follow-through with our current Democratically controlled Congress. I really believe we have to have publicly financed campaigns before we will have any hope of getting our government and our country back.

But...I'll be voting Dem for the foreseeable future..in large part because of the Supreme Court.

Claire,

I agree that this is not a slam dunk. Craig mentioned this a week or so ago.

This is going to be a hard won election for whoever is the nominee. The nominee will be attacked.

This will be a close election. I do not agree with the assertion that everyone hates Hillary, and therefore she cannot be elected. People who say this only know her based on what the Republicans have said.

John

If you want to get rid of the bickering of the last 16 years vote Democrat. Get all of your friends and neighbors to the polls to do the same. Only an over whelming defeat on all levels will knock some since into the Republican party.

Jack

Harborwoman-

One small point... the Democratic controlled Congress has not made progress because they need more Dems in office. It's too closely divided right now between Dems and Repubs.

Hi, Jan!

Just a correction... I never said that everyone hates Hillary. I only said that the anti-Hillary contingent in the American electorate is larger than the anti-Edwards or anti-Obama contingent. And that can be ruinous for the Dems if the Republican nominee is someone like McCain who is extremely palatable to independent voters. That may not be fair, but that's my impression. Unfortunately, not all Americans vote for their best interests. Many of them vote based on things like who they'd rather have a beer with or who's more likely to help them change a tire.

Kucinich is just waiting for them, ala Guliani, in the Hawaiian primary....

Milk Costs More Than a Gallon of Gas!

http://patterns2.blogspot.com/

tt

i rememebr when there was a lot of glee for geraldine ferraro as a VP with mondale, it went no where. and i think when mccain is pitted against hilliary people will vote mccain, and i do think the media will be kinder to mccain than hilliary.

Well, the Democratic debate was a real snoozer, wasn't it????

Anyway, here's the latest data from the Intrade Presidential Futures markets...

http://www.central.edu/publicdocs/01%2D21%2D08FuturesMarketGraphs.pdf

DEMOCRATS: Nationally, the race still belongs to Clinton, with her support nearly double that of Obama. However, Obama has a huge lead (and increasing) in SC (9 times the support of Clinton).

REPUBLICANS: McCain continues to hold a sizable lead nationally, a position he has held since January 1st.

Looking at the state races, McCain still holds the most support at this time (a position he's held since January 3rd), BUT HERE COMES ROMNEY IN FLORIDA!

Romney's support surpassed Guliani yesterday, and goes to #2 today with a bullet....Huckabee, despite the massive support of the homeschoolers in Florida, is fast fading into oblivion (along with Thompson).

For an in-depth explanation of monetary futures markets, please see:

http://tinyurl.com/2dv97l

imo only way hilliary wins is if romney is rep candidate, evangelicals will pick the devil over a mormon

I thought HRC darn-nearly KO'd BO with the Rezko blast, then she was instantly booed for it.
What a change from the milque toast debate of a few days ago.
Edwards is the only one I believe about Iraq, and he wants to just move the troops to Kuwait to stage them.
CNN ran a lively debate , kudos to Wolf and that crew.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/15107515/index.html

spike I've read your explanation of the Intrade thing. Verry interesting!

tt

About Tippie College of Business predictions at The University of Iowa.

http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/news/media.cfm

(Interesting college name, eh?)

tt

tt -- "Tippie" translates as "boat load of cash"

more interesting trivia about the Intrade Presidential futures market...

In the Republican overall nominee market, there were 7,289 contracts traded today on the 6 candidates currently in the race. Think of each contract as a wieghted vote for a particular candidate (each contract contains varying numbers of lots). Traders either buy or sell these contracts based on how well they believe a candidate will do in a particular race.

On the Democratic side, there were 5,453 contracts traded today on people's perception of Clinton's, Obama's, and Edwards' chance of winning the Democratic nomination.

The beauty of these markets is that people are "wagering" real money to take these positions. therefore, these "votes" are the trader's objective opinion of what will happen.

Couple that with large sample sizes, and you get results that the great majority of time accurately reflect the view of the population being measured.

Well and here is my life...I slept through the whole thing......I woke up at 4:30 to a rerun. WOW I am liking a whole new Barak!

Jamie, Now That's Snarkey and I liked it!!!!

Barack Hits Outspoken Bill: "I Can't Tell Who I'm Running Against Sometimes"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/21/barack-hits-outspoken-bil_n_82567.html

One of the more heated moments from Monday's Democratic debate came during a discussion of Barack Obama's recent comments about Ronald Reagan, which he said had been distorted by Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton told Obama, "You talked about Ronald Reagan being a transformative political leader. I did not mention his name." Obama responded, "Your husband did." She shot back, "Well, I'm here. He's not. And..." But Obama interrupted, "Well, I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes."

NOW THIS.....is what I'm talking about.

In Monday night's debate, all three candidates went at each other. But Obama finally opened up some cuts on the Clintons, calling out Hillary for lecturing him about supposedly being soft on Reagan. "While I was working in the streets watching those folks watch their jobs shift overseas," he said staring at Clinton and referring to those who suffered under Reagan's policies, "you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board of Wal-Mart."

It might be too little too late on Obama's part. But it was absolutely the right thing to do.

Hillary has made Bill, his record, his approach to politics, his policies, his style and her embodiment of all the above as the central issue in the campaign.

The only honorable position for any opponent of Clinton's is to take her -- and him -- on.

Well at end of this Debate and on Obama.

Great way to Vett a candidate is on stage at a national debate and a great education. I think he has improved and improved in the last six months in debates. I was proud of him.

There is no doubt that Clinton is a strong debater. Edwards is like a southern Pitt Bull. However, Debates have never proven to me someone's ability to Judge and Reason.

As I have said this last year, "I know he is a long shot." .....correction. Not as long a shot as I thought. I'm proud to say he's my candidate.

For all three of them. I wish the majority of the US would watch the debates, but its probably too much to ask. .

hi, Sheila

I'm hoping that most of the country IS watching the debates, although I would think many of the issues are a bit complicated for general understanding and that probably loses viewers. John Edwards took the high road and clearly won, but it is doubtful the MSM will spin it that way.

I know Colleen and its great to see more of you. I miss your cartoons and Cbob posting GEO reports.

Edwards was great! he's always great. I think all of them showed their true colors and I think all did great. I can't see why the Nom can't employ the other two.

OH NO!!! Chris is subsituting for Joe today! I hope he's charming.

Sheila, my work schedule interferes with my being here except sporadically. Anyway, I can't imagine any of the 3 would play 2nd fiddle...we'll see...

Doubt that too Colleen. But one can dream!

I love David Shuster. He must never sleep!

NEW THREAD, Sheila. Want to race to be 1st?