Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

We've certainly seen the many, many flaws in the Dem nominating process. God A'Mighty!

Obama needs to play nice with Florida anyway, probably Michigan too. No way can he write off those states in the fall and expect to win. At this point, I don't see how seating those delegates is going to hurt him.

signs of trouble for Obama...one warning is the size of his defeat in Kentucky....he cannot win the general election and if the democratic party thinks he can ..we lose again.....Clinton can win the big states....it's about time to listen to her

Craig

Question. Is there someone within the party with the same kind of clout as Mr Truman in '52 who could put a stake through the heart of leading candidate in a floor fight?

And for those amongst us who have always wanted a Steinway, don't miss this article from today's Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121140885162712263.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal

Good morning! Hillary peeps are in the house! Yay! (Okay, I'll knock it off with the exclamation points.)

It seems to me that Sen. Obama would be best served by everything between now and August being as quiet as possible. Seating FL and MI would take that elephant out of the room. As of June 3, they would all be wherever they are in the count.

The press would still treat him as the presumptive nominee and Sen. Clinton really couldn't do all that much more except lobby SDs and make speeches.
The public just needs to get used to the idea that until those first ballots are cast in August, there will be no official outcome, and a period of quiet would reduce the rancour in the two warring factions.

The Dem party created this mess with their weighted delegations and front loading of caucus contests while Sen. Obama took advantage of the rules and Sen. Clinton didn't.. The only thing to fear from waiting that could disturb Sen. Obama would be the possibility of some campaign destroying revelation, but that could happen between now and August anyway.

How about an oral examination between BO & Hil'ry - Whomever can fix (short-term & long-term) the energy issues we have in this country...and that includes details, foresight to how their plan will effect other things and politicians & companies who are willing to go on record with their unwaivering support...gets the nomination.

I'm surprised that the travel & tourism lobby hasn't gone into panic mode. The first domino has fallen & this can't wait until 2009 for a fix.

Flatus.......that was a great story.......thanks...........

Good Morning, Craig, Patsi, Emmy and any other early morning
bloggers I missed,

The main reason Camp Obama doesn't want Florida and Michigan
votes counted is because chances are looking very good that
Hillary will have the popular vote by the end of the primaries, especially if
Michigan and Florida are seated.

Now, how would that look for the Star of the Dem Party, the
chosen one, to be crowned the nominee while Senator Clinton has
the popular vote? (Shades of Bush v Gore are all too haunting).

Frankly, I'm almost hoping Hillary continues to fight as long as she
possibly can, even to the convention floor. Why is everyone so freaked
out if Hillary does fight all summer. Didn't Teddy Kennedy take his fight
to the convention? Was the DNC all over him to drop out? Or is that negative attitude just when a woman is running?

I say to Hillary, in the words of one of my favorite poets:

"Do not go gentle into that good night. . .
Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

Craig - I must compliment your IT people for the virtual WD40 they used to fix this place. Posts are going through like quicksilver.
ha - quicksilver messenger service

Now that people in the States are arising, it's time for me to hit the sack. Peace.

An interesting article on Obama's rise to power.

"It's not quite eight in the morning and Barack Obama is on the phone screaming at me."

http://www.houston-press.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/full

Jack

I admire strength and wisdom in both candidates, but to see Hillary placing her ambition ahead of the values shared by democrats across the country is tragic. This is not a gender thing, much as the Clinton spin machine would like to make it one - this is simply good people making the best decision they can...for once choosing between two good choices. Look to Al Gore for a model of how to lose heroically. Defeat is not the end if it is done with grace. Sad...sad....

...because an "ambitious" women is threatening.

Run , Al , Run!

Oh wait , we tried that once. Never mind.

"I will consult with Floridians and the voters in Michigan because it's really their voices that are being ignored and their votes that are being discounted, and I'll support whatever the elected officials and the voters in those two states want to do."
Craig

When Hillary says she'll roll up her sleeve's and fight for "the people" , she really means it. Sorry that doesn't make Obama "comfortable". Hillary puts the people before him. He's got the power and she's here to represent those who don't.

Bring on the Convention. Go Hillary!

Perhaps you would like to submit a list of words that are to be banned because in your mind they are too gender-rich to be included in a discussion about your candidate?

good morning gang....

I'm so glad David Cook won AI last night...... he deserved it....
and hey..... at least it's nice to know that the best candidate..... I mean..... contestant actually won....

too bad it doesn't appear to be happening in the Democratic party.....

didn't think it would be possible for me not to want to vote for the Dem nominee..... but as Jamie so eloquently put it the other day..... it has nothing to do with Obama..... it has everything to do with how I feel about the process....

how in the world did the Republicans nominate a candidate so democratically while the Democrats opted for the banana republic method.....

Ambitious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-W4chBR7Uw&feature=related

Craig, I really enjoyed reading your column today (as always). I feel like I benefit so much from your insight. Food for thought. Thank You!

Go Lakers , too!

TP

You aren't "defeated" until the opponent wins. This assumption by the Obama folks that he as "won" and seeing the media go along with the fiction is one of the things aggravating the Clinton faction.

1. He cannot get the requisite number of votes without the SDs anymore than she can.

2. Until FL & MI are settled in some way, the count needed to WIN is not settled.

3. Even if MI & FL were settled, the correct number of votes needed known, and Obama had that required amount of votes pledged, he still would not have WON.

4. There will be no nominee until the votes are actually cast in August in Denver.

Pretending any other conditions exist is just assumption not fact.

Its nice to see that everyone here don't want to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida, but have no problem disenfranchising the states that Obama won because they were caucuses which don't count popular vote.

The rules say pledge delegates determine the nominee and also I doubt very much if Kentucky will be won by either candidate. It will go republican no matter who the candidate is.

After all McCain has Robertson, Falwell, Hagee and Parsleys Genocidal congregations behind him. You know the End Times crowd.

I'm just happy that people care about Michigan voters. Isn't that what Obama and JE's appearance was about last week?

TP
One thing that makes HRC the superior candidate, She is not Al Gore.
One other thing TP
To deny the fact that the Obama campaign has a major problem with sexism tell me you are a koolaid drinking fool. He and you just don't get it. Until he confronts it and deals with the problem many women are going to set out this election. The primary is mostly over now your candidate has to repare the damage he did to the democratic party. To increase the AA vote he engaged in ruthless racial slander against the Clintons. Then he completely ignored the sexist campaign his surrogates, many very close to the campaign, used against Clinton.
It is his problem , it is his job to fix it

Jack

The main reason Camp Obama doesn't want Florida and Michigan votes counted is because chances are looking very good that Hillary will have the popular vote by the end of the primaries" prof marcia

This article from yesterday laid it out really well-in case you missed it.
Hillary: The Al Gore of 2008?
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjQ4NjU0OGYyMmZkYWNlMTgyYzQxZmRjOGJiNDg2ZDc

Anon
"After all McCain has Robertson, Falwell, Hagee and Parsleys Genocidal congregations behind him"

And Obama has you behind him.

Your point?

Jack

AP

I'm not saying not to count the caucus states. It think the system is undemocratic and rediculous, but those are the rules under which those states operate as run by their state parties. Those delegates were all allocated according to those rules.

Now I strenuously object to the way some districts within a caucus state have voters with more rights than voters within the same state in another district, but that weighting is according to national party rules and can't be changed until later elections. Those delegates were awarded according to the rules.

What can be altered is MI & FL. For a whole variety of reasons, these two states were mishandled by both their state and the national parties. Just because two organizations supposedly in charge of the process messed up is no reason to disenfranchise millions of voters and give them no voice in the selection of their Presidential candidate. This has to be fixed prior to the convention.

Until the condition is corrected, there is no way to know the number of votes required to get the nomination.

this is simply good people making the best decision they can...for once choosing between two good choices. Posted by: TP from CT/NC

TP, the decision was made long before it got to "the people". And, I don't see it as being decided by gender, but that was what they saw as her weak point and took advantage of what they saw as an easy target. Isn't that what politicians do? So for the DNC and others to think this is "just" about feminism, they're not seeing the full picture. They didn't expect us to notice the game was rigged. But people are a lot more aware than they used to be, mainly because they have the information available more readily.

This is about how the how process occurred..

The catch-22 of the US energy problems.

U.S. oil output has steadily fallen as oil fields mature and the government restrict new drilling. There is an estimated 19 billion barrels of oil, and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas under public lands in the US, but they are off limits. World oil production is at 85 million barrels a day, and world consumption is at 87 million barrels a day.

New sources of energy take years to perfect before they are brought online. We use a food grain source to make ethanol, which does nothing but raise the price of all foods. It takes 5 to 10 years to build an oil refinery, and just as many years to build a nuclear power plant, it takes months to years to locate, drill and bring on line a productive oil well. Oil speculators have driven the price of oil up 60%, oil is currently traded world wide using US dollars, the US dollar has fallen in recent years and the oil producing countries are thinking about selling oil in Euros. The US $$$ is trading at 1.579 to the EURO.

There is NO politician running for POTUS that can fix this problem. Many in Congress are tied arm in arm to many of the special interest groups which are the road blocks preventing the US from becoming independent of foreign energy supplies. Maybe when oil tops $185 a barrel, gas hits $8 a gallon, the utility company start to ration out their services, people stop showing up for work because they can't afford to drive to work from the home they bought in the suburbs, which were bought to escape the major cities, maybe when we realize nuclear power is the most economical source of electricity, maybe then we will wake up, but it will be to late then. The US is like a drunk who has passed out on the Titanic just before it hit the iceberg. When the drunk finally is awaken from his drunken stupor by the ice cold water filling his cabin, even he realizes that it is to late to do anything.

America is slowly going down by the bow, and Congress wants to blame everyone from the cook to the captain for this disaster, but won't take any responsibility for the plans they designed and approved.

FD

We could double production and it still wouldn't matter. At best that would be a destructive, short term policy.

Like it or not India and China are creating the largest middle class economies in the world while producing 50 + million new bodies a year, all of whom need food and energy.

We can no longer afford fossil fuels. Until someone in power in US says, STOP and comes up with a really fast way to develop green alternatives that don't exhaust agricultural acreage, mass transit, and products that are not petroleum based we are going to be in a world of economic hurt.

FD

Disagree about nuclear. We are already poisoning our selves with petroleum by products. Adding to the load with nuclear by products that we still do not know how to store or use is not one of great ideas.

Certainly investigation should be done in the field to learn how to deal with this crud, but making it the main fuel alternative at this stage is foolish

It would make more sense to put solar panels on every building in the southwest. Instant removal from the power grid of millions of users.

The rules say pledge delegates determine the nominee"
Posted by: anon-paranoid

Anon. We're not asking that that be changed. Just that all the votes are counted and the delegates are seated. If we want to be fair, let's be fair to all the people, not the people in 48 states. Then "they can determine" (whoever that is) the winner according to "their rules", whatever they may be.

It would make more sense to put solar panels on every building in the southwest. Instant removal from the power grid of millions of users. Jamie

Jamie, why hasn't this happened? Solar panels work. And beyond the initial cost it's free. Are we even moving in this direction (in a big way)??

"This is not a gender thing, much as the Clinton spin machine would like to make it one "

Sorry, TP -- gender is exactly why a bunch of old men have been on television telling her to "get out of the way." Nearly half of the electorate voted for this woman. Why are you afraid for the whole process to play out?

"You know the End Times crowd."

Anon -- YOU are the End Timer around here.

I would like to know if anyone here disputes the deal Edwards, Dodd and Obama made to screw Michigan and Hillary. Pulling out simultaneously hours before the deadline? Really now. Old School Politics which is why Michigan will go Red without Hillary. Same for Florida.

http://stubbornfacts.us/politics/2008_election/and_the_beat_goes_on

http://stubbornfacts.us/politics/2008_election/kentucky

The US is like a drunk who has passed out on the Titanic just before it hit the iceberg. When the drunk finally is awaken from his drunken stupor by the ice cold water filling his cabin, even he realizes that it is to late to do anything." Frydaddy

Fry, why are there so few solutions? Why won't Congress take any responsibility? What's freezing up the system?

Jamie

We know how to safely store nuclear waste. It is all the political hurtles we can't seem to jump.
One is the foolish idea that any storage spot has to be designed to last forever. Most likely there are very valuable resources in those waste that we will exploit in the very near future.

Jack

"Are we even moving in this direction (in a big way)??"

At various times, states and the feds have given home and business owners tax credits for making the investment in solar, but never enough to cover the total cost that can take 10 years to recover. It has always been a private matter rather than public policy (i.e. requiring all new construction to be solar). The same is true for things such as methane recovery from feed lots, offshore wind, wave and saline technologies.

One of the more interesting blogs on sustainable energy is here http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/blue_power_blog

"This work to extend the franchise to all of our citizens is a core mission of the modern Democratic party," Clinton said.

Max, thanks for the link.
It's been rigged since the beginning.

Jack

They have done some wonderful things with ceramics and nuclear waste. The storage now is "safer". It is not "safe". There is the problem of transport from site of creation to site of storage. Certainly, this technology should get consideration and further study, but there are much safer ways to generate the same power without the problems. Why go asking for trouble?

ideas du jour:
1. base airline passenger tickets on weight as that's what determines fuel usage. a set price for anything (individual plus luggage) under 200 lbs and a surcharge for anything over. those of us who are skinny get to take more luggage or a pet. others must pay extra per extra pound.
2. turn animal (including people) shit into fuel. unending renewable energy source. we could then drive poop-mobiles.

FryDaddy, something you might want to read.

http://stubbornfacts.us/botj/the_energy_reality_challenge

1 trillion barrels available in America and that is not even touching the world's largest supplies in Canada.

There is a way to secure nuclear fuel. One reactor design which is melt-down proof and terrorist proof has the conatainment vessel as a tomb for spent fuel. The real danger is the WORLD expanding nuclear with crappy designs (Russian) and the global transport of fuel and waste. Hell, they can't regulate much or enforce laws, so why have faith in regulation?

The biggest fear for nuclear crud? The failure of the world (including Obama) to enforce strong pressure on Iran. Rez can tell you about the new report on the coming proliferation fueled by Iran. There are however, reasons why nuclear is hardly the total answer though solar has a way to go to even match carbon sequestering or cellulosic ethanol made regionally by sources most states already have. And Corn subsidies are foolish. And those SD farmers want help lower their fuel costs....LOL

Sorry Anon, your End of Time crap doesn't cut it. There has never been a President or Party that stands with your view. Talk about fear-mongering. Now 13 nations in the Middle East want to match THEIR fear of Iran. Great.....

Jack,

You might like this website. It covers a great deal of the European scientific research and has all sorts of goodies for curious critters to delve into. : )

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm

Jack -- your 8:22 post was SPOT-ON!

patd

Re poopmobiles. Energy production from animal and human waste has been developed already. There was even a news blurb about it on TV last night in relation to a dairy that got all its energy from the cows.

Not quite suitable for the family car, but certainly usable for sewage treatment plants.

One last thread from Stubborn Facts that might be interesting for some. Note the exchange between a friend of mine form Mass who voted for McCain over Kerry, but is supporting Obama. He argues with a grreat blogger who is actually helping a State Democratic race in the fall. He is more a Jeffersonian centrist and I guess Brian is a Liberal centrist like myself. The question is what Obama record and words mean about the coming Nanny State he would herald v the perception of many who support Obama.

I find the discourse very interesting and you all might as well.

http://stubbornfacts.us/politics/2008_election/naggin_nanny

And please note that at one point, Brian tells me my "facts" don't matter because most people don't have a clue about Hagge, or Wright, Pakistan or ISM crowd, Zbig or McPeak. And yet I thought Obama supporters were the smarties. Brian sure as hell knows what I am talking about.

Interesting note form the NYT about Olberidiot and complete sham NBC has become. Cheerleading has certainly become Jeerleading. I wounder how Russert would feel ever letting the Olberidiot host his show.

Got to make some money......

mornin' all.

Off to a quick start, I see. On the energy front, solar is the answer. It's here, it's free, and it will be here for as long as we need it. The oil companies know it, the government knows it, hell, we all know it. And we aren't all that far from having the technologies available to capture, store and distribute it.

The problem is that the scattershot approach being taken - supported by the oil, coal and natural gas industries through their lobbying to prevent rational tax based incentives for development of the technologies - will delay development of the more efficient technologies that will move us away from carbon and uranium based power while promoting stupid stopgap feelgood solutions such as corn ethanol as a result of wrongheaded farm subsidies to corporate food giants, which encourage the increase in food costs we are experiencing. China and India are indeed adding tremendously to the price pressure on oil (and coal), making carbon based energy a good bet for speculation, which in turn drives up its price and the cost of everything that requires fuel to be produced or distributed, and we have little control if any at all over those pressures.

The only logical solution, or so it seems to me, is to develop and implement a national energy plan with a goal of moving x% of our energy production from carbon to solar by x year, supported by tax incentives to encourage development and manufacturing of the technologies necessary to do achieve those goals. Any of the presidential candidates come up with something like this? None that get campaign funds from the energy and corporate food indiustires and their bigwigs - which they all do. I've watched it since Carter's presidency and see it today, and it pisses me off.

There was even a news blurb about it on TV last night in relation to a dairy that got all its energy from the cows."Jamie

Maybe I should make use of my horses.

pogo: With regard to the energy problem, I have long felt that we are all talking past each other. I am as green as anyone I know...I recycle like crazy, never use two appliances at one time, use my car less than twice a week, etc...but we Greenies are fooling ourselves if we think we can do away with oil in the short or medium-term.
I have long believed in (and write my Sen Boxer about this all the time) a grand compromise ... we need to allow and encourage more oil production in the US with the stipulation that oil produced here is refined and used here, while at the same time mandating increased wind, solar, biofuel (but NOT ethanol) AND an immediate push for mass production of hybrid vehicles with means-tested tax credits.
It is my instinct that at least 50% of the population (if not more) would quite happily install solar, buy new energy-efficient appliances as well as hybrid vehicles, but many of us who would do so simply can't afford the initial outlay.

For those who don't regularly read the other CQ articles, this one about McCain/ Obama approach to Vet benefits is interesting

javascript:prOpenPanel(1,1076744);

I said three days ago, that the loss in KY would be the beginning of the end for someone!
I am happy to say I was right.....

Senator Obama is on the verge of collapse, and probably I am the only one seeing it. LMPO :))
Why?

We have to thank the Media for that?
The media?????????
Yes...the media!!!!!

The media counted Hillary Clinton out since her initial loss in Iowa and that has been an healthy 5 months now.
The people are tied of hearing that. They are done with the call for her to quit, because she continues to win by wide margins.
How do they show it? By voting enmass for her..
HRC has nothing to lose anymore. She has seen the bottom and is happy to operate from the bottom.
She pokes, she parties.....

Barrack, has a problem of trying to end this. But he is continuously failing, and the people are getting weary of him......
The weariness will only grow...and keep growing as long as HRC just keeps/stays in the race.
He can end it: By seating Fl and Mi and then making her shut up about that, by trying to steal headlines.
The problem is: She will win the popular vote that way....and the DNC doesn´t want a winner who won in red states, and lost the popular vote to be the nominee...(remember Al Gore)

If he ultimately gets the nomination and subsequently lose the GE (which is in the cards), DNC will once again be to blame.

Poor Howard and Donna..If only they made their fat, unequivalent heads work for just one fuckin second...Tis would have been done and over by now.

Enjoy your day

Greets from very sunny Amsterdam

Jamie

Thanks, marked for later.
As It has been several years since I've gotten in a full blown argument about energy, Most of my bookmarks are gone, located on files from several computers ago.

Something that people don't think about when we get into these discussions is we don't have an energy shortage right now. Natural gas for heating my house this winter was cheaper than it had been the previous winter. Here in Missouri there is plenty of electrical energy.
What is on the minds of most people is energy for personal transportation. I don't think a solar car is in our near future.;-)
With current technology it looks like a hybrd car with a plug into the electrical grid may be a good solution. It would not reduce our energy usage and might increase it. But it would reduce our dependence on oil for transportation.

A fix for our current problem is to let the free markets solve it.
Tax all those huge profits away from the oil companies then return them in the form of tax breaks for investment in exploration and infrastructure.
Right now, with the current tax code there is no incentive to reinvest these hugh profits back into the oil business.

Jack

Patsi--
Agree with your statement that a bunch of old men are telling her to "get out of the way"--or as I heard someone say--"A bunch of old men are telling her to
"sit down and keep quiet!"

Craig: My own opinion is that the wisest solution to the MI/FL problem would be for Senator Obama either to accept the delegations as proposed by the states, or to allow a quick re-vote and accept the outcome. This would certainly silence both the critics and Sen Clinton. And, he would still be ahead in pledged and super delegates.
If he is confident that nothing will happen to change his position as probable nominee, he should not fear this solution. The best that Sen Clinton could do in this situation is to continue to call super delegates (although I'll bet that woudl be counter productive) and go back to the Senate and hope...
I see no reason that such a solution would hamper Sen Obama's desire to campaign in GE mode and, if nothing happens to enable the SDs to switch to HRC en masse (and it would have to be something really disabling for Sen Obama's candidacy), the Convention might actually be something worth paying attention to ... and perhaps we Hillary supporters might be somewhat mollified. Who knows?

Meg

Not unless you have a whole lot of horses who tend to stand in one place and make their deposits into a trough that gets hosed down and sent to a treatment plant.

I've never known horses to be quite that cooperative. : )

Lets try that article about vet benefits again

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002881306

Good morning peeps,

Just saw on MSNBC that Obama has started setting up his committee to vet VP candidates, good.

Meg: Several dairies in So Cal also use their waste for energy ... solves two problems (lingering odor and possible groundwater contamination as well as energy). In addition, we have long used natural gas in our buses and waste collection vehicles. Natural gas is still pretty cheap around here and now that the phony Enron crisis is past, our home energy costs are relatively stable. Wind energy has come online and many businesses are slowly installing solar and feeding their excess into the grid.
But none of this solves the driving problem. I'm with Jack ... plug-in hybrids. HRC proposed a large tax credit toward the purchase of hybrids ... I would go her one better and rather than offering an across the board $10,000.00 per vehicle would weight the size of the credit to the income of the owner. It is really low income people who can't afford to maintain their older vehicles that are in need of help.

Brian: I asked yesterday if you guys had a Lt Governor yet. I was concerned because I read that your Governor had to have emergency eye surgery the other day.

Did anyone happen to catch Elizabeth Edwards on Larry King last night? Interesting.

I don't know maggs

Brian: You mean I'll have to google it? Well, that's a fine how-de-do ....

hey in the time you posted your question and waited for my answer you could have found out! I'm not a great follower of local/state politics.

So, for anyone who didn't catch Elizabeth Edwards, she said no she wasn't endorsing Sen Obama and yes she was endorsing Sen Clinton's healthcare plan ... and yes, her husband had consulted with her before endorsing Obama ... that they always consulted each other, but he did his thing and she did her thing. It was quite amusing and interesting.

Borrock = Hare
Clinton = Tortoise

Many a slip between cup and lip

Brian: I was hoping for some inside dirt ... :-)

AP: "Democratic officials said Thursday the party's likely nominee has asked former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson to begin vetting potential vice presidential picks. Johnson did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_VEEPSTAKES?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Craig: Kerry and Mondale? Good grief ... I thought he was turning the page.

Brian: I was hoping for some inside dirt ... :-)

I could send you some pics of my bathroom if you like!

Craig MSNBC reported the same thing about 20 minutes ago.

"Last night, Barack Obama clinched a majority of pledged delegates excluding Florida and Michigan, as well as under certain Florida/Michigan scenarios. But, in spite of a big win in Oregon and a well-executed speech in Iowa, the milestone did not quite produce the sense of euphoria and closure that his campaign might have been after. The circumstances of the day -- Hillary Clinton's overwhelming margin of victory in Kentucky, the late hour at which Oregon ballot boxes closed, the subdued tone of the evening necessitated by Senator Kennedy's diagnosis, and some relatively effective pushback from the Clinton campaign on the pledged delegate metric -- conspired to prevent that.

Notice the loaded language..."clinched"..."conspired"...he sounds like he actually thinks a majority of pledged delegates means something concrete as opposed to merely psychological. I mean, the Obama talking point was successful to a point; it got covered by traditional media as though it meant something real and even confused NPR's Michelle Norris who conveniently left off the word "pledged" when describing the delegate milestone Obama would reach Tuesday night. Mara Liasson had to correct her.

Now, I'm not saying the milestone is entirely meaningless, all I'm saying is let's call it what it is: a meme pushed out by the Obama camp to influence superdelegates and the media and to manipulate public perception. I can see how psychologically it would have some power, but let's not pretend the Obama campaign wasn't being manipulative; clearly they were hoping hearing "majority" and "delegates" in the same sentence would confuse people into thinking the race had been won and thus make it so. Alas, it was not meant to be, but good try. It's about time they started playing on that playing field."
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/5/22/63121/4700

Craig: So, wait ... this guy was responsible for vetting Geraldine Ferraro?

Bock Bock Borrock: Although I am not a supporter, I think Sen Obama's going-to-Iowa tactic is pretty smart politics. By now he knows he can count on the media to portray all things Obama in the best possible light ... heck, even C-Span re-broadcasts his rallies at about a 2-1 ratio to Sen Clinton's. All in all, one has to give credit where it is due ... were I running for office, I would hire David Axelrod in a heartbeat.

Brian: There is no Lt Governor of NY. Next in line is a guy named Bruno, a Republican. But apparently the eye surgery went well and there was no need for Bruno to fill in.

Barack's rally's are more interesting than Clintons.

Some easy solutions to reduce energy consumption.

Increase grants to non profit CDCs to reduce the energy usage of older homes. This is 4fer, Helps poor home owners, reduces energy usage, Helps CDCs better serve poor nieghborhoods, it is a jobs program for poor neighborhoods.

Give land lords tax breaks for improving the energy efficiency of their properties. In all of my current rental housing I don't pay the util;ity bill the tenant does. I have no real incentive to make them energy efficient.
I know of several properties in the neighborhood where the utility bills are more than the rent. This one lets you help poor renters and the environment.

Jack

Bye Bye / Mr Democrat - You might be right but C-Span is not meant to be interesting, is it?

Craig: Read the article at CQ about Duncan Hunter Jr, candidate for his father's seat. Whoever wrote the article stated

The district also is home to several military bases including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Actually, this is not correct. MCAS Miramar is in Brian Bilbray's District, formerly the District of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the crying fighter pilot. Although a military man and a bigshot on the Armed Services Committee, I'm not entirely certain Duncan Hunter has any bases in his District. I'll have to look that one up.

maggi, moving away from oil is a long term prospect, and many stopgap measures between where we are now and a world that does not rely on oil and gas to produce energy and transport goods will make sense either as temporary or permanent measures along the way. Some of the ones that we are looking at now - ethanol from foodstock and biodeisel (also from foodstock) don't make sense as anything other than short term solutions to help a little - their "carbon neutrality" is nice, but it relies upon the carbon cycle involving the source foods that exists because of food production that is diverted to fuel production. There are other environmental benefits from the use of those fuels when compared to gasoline and deisel, but they are not the dramatic reductionsmany think they are, and when the environmental costs of increased foodstock production to replace the diverted foods are considered, the arguments for their use become fairly weak.

Here's a good place to start reading - but you have to read behind what's written - remember this is from the government.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/

Note that solar does not even show up in the links.

I am of the opinion that the argument that the time involved in moving away from petroleum based fuels toward solar that is cited as a reason not to pursue solar at the expense of increased drilling and refining is simply wrongheaded. We aren't going to kill the planet in the meantime, and other, less permanent or profound solutions are not precluded by striving toward a more permanent solution. We tend to think in zero sum game terms, which confounds the argument.

For example, in less than 50 years, in the US, we went from the first powered airplane flight to jet aviation. Twenty years later, we put a man into orbit, and less than 10 years later, on the moon. The rail industry became less important. but did not die asa result, and the auto industry flourished along a parallel track with flight. And the first practical transistor was invented 61 years ago. The first computer as we envision them was developed at about the same time - actually 3 years earlier. And while the telegraph hasa become a relic, we still talk on the telephone - everywhere, at all times, incessantly.

We are well beyond the initial levels of technology with respect to the development of solar collection and conversion. Even if it took as long to go from where we are now to the practical use of solar power as it took to move the electronics and aviation industries, it would be as transformative in my opinion as the invention of bakelite (look that one up - it's a faxcinating read even in Wiki), and in a timeframe that my kid would see. The chief impediment to that happening in my opinion is that the private energy industry, energy research funding and energy policy in our government are dominated by a few giants whose existences are mutually exclusive from the development of that competing industry. Hence, little energy seed money to develop the technology is available, no meaningful energy policy is developed and implemented in the form of tax incentives, and we argue about global warming and whether to drill for oil in ANWR and oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Barack's rally's are more interesting than Clintons."

Of course they are. Appearing between rock concerts and having the media report it as if you were the reason for the crowd certainly helps that perception.

Thanks everyone for giving me so much to mull on today. I'll be busy following links and reading and educating myself. You guys are so smart.

Opposition Grows To Clinton's Delegate Cause Celebre
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/22/compromise-in-works-to-se_n_103010.html

jack, 10-roger that.

Yup, women swooned at Beatles concerts, too.

Pogo,

For example, in less than 50 years, in the world went from three billion to almost seven billion human beings all of whom want energy. Drilling and production to increase supply can not possibly keep up with demand. We need to get people to STOP using as much petroleum based product as possible, and the best way to make that happen is to let the price rise to the stratosphere while paying to encouraging them to conserve, carpool, recycle, buy local in season and use other energy sources..

Anything less, and it is a fools paradise that will eventually come crashing down around our ears. The U.S. needs to lead the way or resign itself to becoming a third world nation if lucky enough to rate that high on the scale of nations.

This is a "we have met the enemy and he is us" point in history.

Hey
bye bye the mr D

so is a KKK Klan rally
But you won't see me there.

We need substance.
Meat /potatos

Your man is cotton candy

Pretty

But each bite is just air.

"oh let me be your candy man
oh let me be your candy man
Let me be your candy man
If I can't be your candy man
I won't be your man at all.
Let me be your candy man
or I won't be your man at all"

Friends don't let friends vote a straight ticket
Vote for divided government
Vote McCain

Maggiesd

"I'm not entirely certain Duncan Hunter has any bases in his District."

He is also fairly high up on the list of Republicans who haven't been caught - YET

McCain should probably leery of the connection.

jamie, great point - China and India are doing their dead level best to facilitate that process.

And yes, with respect to energy we are at that point - Pogo has always been right.

jamie, I meant to say ... and we aren't doing much to impede it.

Pogo: There is no doubt in my mind that the major impediment to development of alternative energy is, was, and has been, the oil industry.
Another problem, IMHO, is the perception -- as you note -- of a single zero-sum solution. We all have our pet notions, our pet ideas, etc.
I feel strongly that corn-based ethanol is a completely wrong-headed solution. And, while I do not favor drilling in ANWR, I really wonder why in the world the natural gas pipeline has never been put through.
Let's face it, except for the NE, we primarily use oil for transportation and for a variety of petroleum-based products for which we already have a lot of alternativs.

I still think that a massive push toward Hybrid vehicles would be as efficient and cost-effective as a massive push toward biofuels...biofuels require refinery capacity, retrofitting of gas stations, blah blah blah ...

And meanwhile let's all stop using plastic bags and chemical fertilizers. Cloth grocery bags and good old fashioned composting and manure ... along with efficient crop rotation.

compost and manure should be no problem around here, we have it in excess.

maggi, we're singing off the same sheet. Hybrids, particularly the self charging electric ones, why not? (But plug-in hybrids like the gov't. suggests contribute to rather than cure the problems).

And because I sailed for a summer on the Chesapeake, I have followed the Potomac River / Chesapeake Bay crab industry relationship over the past 15 or so years, and what people don't know about the effects of fertilizer to replace depleted soils is staggering. And don't even get me started on the commercial chicken industry.

yes, brian, thank you for your contribution.

Jamie: Oh, Hunter Sr will never be "caught." He was involved in the House Banking thing, as were one or two other local Republicans. The others resigned in disgrace...he just carried on and said let the voters decide.
I suspect that he was also involved with old Duke's scandal, but that investigation has been effectively shut down with the firing of the local US Attorney.

Pogo

"(But plug-in hybrids like the gov't. suggests contribute to rather than cure the problems). "

A plug in hybrid than eventually developed into an all electric would be good. They need to improve the batteries and the distances without recharging, but right now solar on your roof dedicated to your plug in car and kitchen would be a massive improvement.

All of this comes under the heading of what I mentioned about all governmental programs.

If you want more of something: Pay for it to happen.

If you want less of something: Stop paying for it to happen.

The big problem is deciding in advance exactly what you want to happen so that you know what to pay for in order to get there.

pogo: People just do not realize. And I'm with you on the commercial chicken industry.
I note here that more and more people are bringing their own bags, being careful of what they purchase, etc. It is a real financial struggle to buy local and organic, but we do so wherever possible ... it is a small thing, but without encouragement none of this will take hold and the planet will eventually die.
Not that it has to do with energy, but the other thing we need to do is plant more trees...everywhere and anywhere we can.

Hey Hillary peeps -- Tell DNC to Walk a Mile in Your Shoes -- or you'll vote with your feet! Send those shoes now!
http://www.walkamileinourshoes.org/

If the govt would change it's fleet over to hybrids over the next five years that would make a sizable impact on oil consumption and help the domestic automakers at the same time.

And meanwhile let's all stop using plastic bags and chemical fertilizers. Cloth grocery bags and good old fashioned composting and manure ... along with efficient crop rotation.
maggisd

See Jamie, I told you my horses would come in handy

Pogo

Shall we have a major rant fest? How about hormones in food increasing sexualization in younger and younger children. Then there is the whole viral load of chemicals and what it is doing to infants.

The consequences of greed in a consumer driven economy.

Jamie, Pogo: It is my observation that politicians working in this area -- as well as some environmental groups -- are far too impractical. Whenever I listen to hearings I start screaming at the TV .... sure, that's all to the good for the future, but what do we do in the meantime? Can we compromise even a little bit in the short-term?

Jamie: I don't think consumers are the actual problem -- most of them are unaware and far too many of them are financially unable to buy organic.
Food labelling and an aggressive series of PSAs by the dept of Interior might help.

Maggie

That's why we emphasize immediate actions that everyone can take. Government encouragement of these activities and real leadership rather than lip service would be wonderful. In the meantime:

Your Carbon Footprint and environmental actions

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

There are scads of sites like this one out there with practical actions and "how tos"

This is an issue where yet again many local govts are leading the way. NYC is a prime example, even though we are the greenest city in America we haven't stopped there. All our buses are already green and by 2012 all NYC taxi cabs will have to be hybrids. The city fleet of vehicles is being replaced with green vehicles too. I think we have to stop waiting for the feds to take action and push our local govts.

How about hormones in food increasing sexualization in younger and younger children" Jamie

Doesn't some of that come from eating too much meat (and milk)which are loaded with hormones. And being overweight-since more fat cells increase hormone production too. Couldn't promoting a healthy diet make a big difference?
At the same time upping the demand for fruits and vegetables-supporting farmers.

Brian: I agree with you about the government, although I think the impact of just that step would be more psychological than actual. I feel pretty confident that if we could implement a WWII-type production effort, with suitable consumer credits, we could implement a 50-75% switchover to hybrids in under ten years.
I do not know how fractionation really workers, but wouldn't this make more crude available for diesel and thus help the truckers? And, while we're at it, what are we doing to revive our railway infrastructure? Every day here one sees a freight train running parallel with a freeway filled with 18 wheelers and one wonders why there are not more freight trains and fewer 18 wheelers (perhaps if the trains didn't have to share the track with commuter and passenger trains?)

jamie, yup, why not? We're just a bunch of damn anti-capitalist socialist commie pinkos anyway, aren't we?

maggi, I used to do the same, until I found that simply rolling my eyes and muttering made me feel less tense. Like I said, the smaller, less permanent stopgap measures should be employed, but only as smaller, less permanent stopgap measures.

Brian it would, if there were viable hybrids to switch to. The ones that are available aren't particularly good - or they are Japanese.

"financially unable to buy organic. "

This is something of a myth. It is more expensive to buy organic at the supermarket, but shopping at a farmers' market or joining a buying group that buys locally and distributes to the members is cheaper. Also locally grown spoils less rapidly so you don't have as much wasted food/money.

It is more a matter of time, effort and dedication rather than money.

Maggs I'm not sure I agree with you about the consumers. There are a great many things the consumers can do but don't.

Use refillable water bottles
bar soap versus liquid hand soap
powder detergents versus liquid

ect, ect. People are lazy and that is a big part of the problem.

Brian: As you know, except for SF, California doesn't have many cities as compact as NYC. Locally, our buses and waste management vehicles burn natural gas and have done so for years. And, California as a whole has maintained a stable carbon footprint for at least the past 10 years, despite the large number of individual vehicles. Carpooling has been pushed by the County for years, but without much effect. The problem turns out to be that fewer than 10% of people know anyone who shares the same work hours consistently enough to make it worthwhile.

Both ford and chevy have full lines of hybrids

BTW pogo what do you drive?

"perhaps if the trains didn't have to share the track with commuter and passenger trains?)"

Maggie,

Actually you want more passenger rail preferrably high speed. The reaons we don't have it now is because of the switch to freeways in the 1950s. The rails were given over to freight. AMTRAK passenger trains have to give way to freight trains.

Airplanes pour tons more pollutants in the air than rail. We need more tracks and more train travel.

When I was a kid, I would travel from LA to Fresno on the Mojave. It was a wonderful train ride. You can no longer take that trip. There is a train from Fresno to Bakersfield, but then you have to board a bus for the rest of the trip to LA.

Yes, we are winning hearts and minds in Iraq on a daily basis.

"BAIJI, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. helicopter airstrike on Wednesday night killed eight civilians, including two children, north of Baghdad, police officials said on Thursday.

Colonel Mudhher al-Qaisi, police chief in the town of Baiji, said the attack was on a group of shepherds in a vehicle in a farming area. Relatives said some of those killed were fleeing on foot after the U.S. military arrived in the area.

"This is a criminal act. It will make the relations between Iraqi citizens and the U.S. forces tense. This will negatively affect security improvements," Qaisi told Reuters."

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL0434078820080522

And the yes Generals still lie when questioned by the Congress or Senate.

Don't you just love all the War Mongers and the Imperial Empire we continue to set up around the world?

Do as we tell you too or we will invade your country just like we invaded Iraq.

One day the World will stand up against us and when that day comes remember its your children and grandchildren that will end up paying the price.

Reposted from two blogs ago...

A SURVEY TO ALL PASSIONATE CLINTON SUPPORTERS

OK this is an unofficial Blog survey. Passionate Clinton supporters... Please answer these questions...

Should Barack Obama receive the Democratic Party nomination for President, I will...

(not in any particular order)

1) Do a write-in vote for Hillary Clinton in protest.

2) Will vote for John McCain

3) Will cast my ballot for Mr. Obama

4) Will vote for Mr. Obama IF Hillary Clinton is his running mate.

5) I will vote for a third party candidate in protest

6) To hell with it, I won't vote for anyone.

A secondary list of questions:

1) I am a Democrat

2) I am an Independent

3) I am a Republican but am moved by the stature of Mrs. Clinton and her positions that I plan to vote for her.

4) I view myself as NONE OF THE ABOVE. (feel free to elaborate).

Final question:

The likelihood that the Barack Obama supporters and Hillary Clinton supporters will unite overall out of concern for our country's future and direction is:

Extremely likely

Likely

I can't even predict

Not Likely

Forget it ... this is going to split the party into election day.

Looking forward to Hillary Clinton supporter responses.

Tom

I am now noting who has responded and what I see as a trend. I will report back with this...

Brian: I was commenting particularly about buying organic and local ... not only do many consumers not realize, but many cannot afford it. Then, too, there is the labeling problem. Some things are labeled and some are not. Some butchers know where their meat comes from, some couldn't care less.

On the subject of plastic water bottles ... is there a problem with them if one recycles? I had thought not, but more and more I hear yes, even if recycled. Currently I buy delivered water and fill my own bottle, but it is becoming more and more difficult for me to replace the water jug and I have wondered about switching to individual bottles. I am a demon about recycling, setting out my yard debris for mulching, etc. I generally only produce one bag of actual landfill stuff every two weeks -- but I worry about this plastic bottle thing.

Maggs there are lots of things that could be done zoning wise that would foster more efficient transportation models. Limit commercial development to certain areas. If you have most people working in the same central areas you could develop mass transit to service these areas.

Actually, by 2009, 1/4 of NYC buses will be diesel/electric hybrids, replacing (I assume) LNG buses that replaced the old diesel ones - are all the old diesel buses cycled out now? All of those (D/E & LNG) are generally considered green (certainly greener than the ones they replaced), and are a big step in the right direction. Yep, local gov't action needs to proceed alongside the fed, and without fed mandates.

Maggs the problem with plastic recycling is that it's still cheaper to buy new than it is to recycle. Maggs why not install a water filter (which is what I have) or by a Brita? The problem with buying water is that you are not taking into account the transportation costs on the environment.

"Barack's rally's are more interesting than Clintons."

Mr. Democrat,

Are you the gentleman behind Mrs. Clinton?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6sQ675Dyn_I

I drive a 10 year old Audi that I bought before any viable hybrids were available. I don't pretend to be a model of individual responsibility, but when I replace in the next couple of years, I likely will get a Honda Accord hybrid if nothing else has come along that is better to fill my transportation needs - it's my current preference of all the hybrids out there. Ford & Chevy's hybrids are a few years behind the Japanese.

Jamie: Oh, I know ... you likely remember the old Red Line in LA. We used to take that down to Long Beach to visit cousins all the time. And there were electric buses that ran off overhead power lines in downtown LA.
I know we need more rail ... my daughter used to visit her Dad in LA but would have to take the train to Union Station where he picked her up from work because the train no longer ran near his home.
Just now in San Diego, in addition to the Trolley (a very good thing) we have a Coaster from Oceanside that uses the tracks as well as about 10 AMTRAK runs into the LA area ... so the amount of freight traffic is diminished because they use the same tracks. I don't know how long since you've been back in CA but the number of 18 wheelers on the 5 is incredible ... just incredible.

Switched all your light bulbs pogo? Green appliances? And what does your wife drive?

G.E. Developing a Diesel Hybrid... Tugboat?
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/ge-developing-a.html

Gad,

Hillary is doing a great job on questioning Petraeus. Either C-SPAN on line or C-SPAN 3 on cable if you have it.

I love the water discussion - municipal water varies tremendously - f'rinstance, NYC has very good water (as do we here), but you can filter all you want in FL and still have foul water. maggi, you might want to see what a water analysis of your local water reveals - Brian's Brita suggestion may be fine for you (I use one, too, or just drink the stuff straight from the tap). I used to have a 3 stage water filter that I liked when we were on well water, but since we moved to muni water, I haven't installed one.

My mother has a reverse osmosis water filter in her home in Florida, her water tastes just fine.

Brian: I get your comment. But water is one of my few luxuries in life. My daughter has a Brita ... but it is still tap water, not Arrowhead mountain spring water, which really does have a different taste. I think only another native Angeleno would understand the need for that little luxury.
As for central commercial zones ... we do have a pretty decent trolley system, but all our counties out here are huge ... really huge. And people take jobs where they can. The problem is transport to get to and from the trolley ... some large employers do have vans that pick up people from the station, but it doesn't work for everyone in every location. Yet.

I saw an interesting segment on a local news station last night warning about the health dangers of the electromagnetic fields that hybrid cars produce.....
the scientist who is bringing this subject up got rid of his hybrid Honda Accord when he discovered high levels in the back seat.....

from what I understand, it's kind of the same argument as those that claim living under power lines is bad for one's health...... there's a claim these waves cause cancer.... particularly in children....

here's a site I found on the web for additional information if anyone is interested.....

http://www.hybridcars.com/safety/electromagnetic-fields-in-hybrids.html

In summary, the manufacture and transport of that one kilogram bottle of Fiji water consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons) .849 Kilograms of fossil fuel (one litre or .26 gal) and emitted 562 grams of Greenhouse Gases (1.2 pounds).

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php

Pogo: Our municipal water is crap. It's clean enough (although we have a county ordinance banning flourides -- think Dr Strangelove) but it is just crap. I have a chronic renal condition and have to drink a lot of water, and as I said...it's my big luxury in life.

I switch bulbs as the old ones burn out (even the floods outside) - all the ones we use with any frequency have been replaced wi