Dear Rachel,

CONGRATULATIONS!  Keith Olbermann announced today that you will be getting your own show on MSNBC and I want to let you know that I am thrilled to hear about this and that you will have an instant happy, giddy, enthusiastic audience!  It is so, so well deserved.  You, along with Keith, represent the best that we have to offer and will create a team that will be unbeatable....

Now that we will have the thrill of watching our two smartest, brightest, most articulate, funniest, prescient, most courageous...(what am I leaving out) "Speakers of Truth to the Powerful", in one block of time from 8-10pm EST, we can truly take back this country.  

We need both your voices badly and it is a thrill Rachel, that your voice will be getting its proper podium!

(in my opinion.)  I think that John McCain really showed the nation who he was (a POW, a POW, a POW- did I mention, a POW?) and took a very superficial, platform, party speech response to questions that could have opened up substance.   He spoke to the choir of the 'old line' evangelicals.  And of course, the (TM)Traditional Media wouldn't know the difference...they are the 'old line echo chamber'.

However, having listened to the young evangelicals on the media, I think he showed them that he didn't have a 'personal', not to mention, spiritual respone to a question, but a 'campaign response.'  For this reason, I wouldn't be surprised if Obama DID make inroads with the young group looking to break out of the 'all war, all the time,' mindset of Bush, and look towards the social gospel.

Today, Sen. John Edwards finally admitted that he had the affair that had been alleged by the National Enquirer.

I do not believe that this is a personal affair.  I believe that since John was campaigning for public office, while at the same time knowing that he was headed straight for the ice-bergs, shows an incredible disregard for the welfare of the country, the Democratic Party and his supporters.

As a former avid supporter, I am shaking with anger and betrayal.  I want my money and many hours spent campaigning back!  

I believe we are all owed a huge apology not self-serving claims for pity by both John and Elizabeth Edwards who both knew about the affair and both decided to go forward and seek the Democratic candidacy, regardless of the Titanic risk.

UPDATE:  11:20 AM EST

Well, Folks, so the merry go round starts.

MSNBC just corrected itself and said that the Clinton Campaign corrected the AP report and said that Hill won't concede.  Anyone surprised?

Just a quick note to pass on this breaking news

The horrible comments made by Hillary Clinton yesterday, using the assassination of Robert Kennedy in June 1968 as a rationalization of why she is staying in the election, just waiting for something to happen to Barack Obama, sent me back to 1968.  And all that happened that year.  Such, such difficult times, and as I have remembered, I am thunderstruck at the similarities between 1968 and 2008.  Today in this election year, we are dealing with many of the same issues and feel the same sense of a fight to the death for our principles and for our political lives.  

1968 was a volcanic year of violence in our country and the scars are still very, very tender and the memory still very, very fresh. Even now.  Hillary Clinton's comments ripped scar tissue off that terrible wound and poured the acidity of her unbridled ambition all over it.  It hurts very much.  Perhaps because the similarities to today's struggle are uncanny.

These are my memories and experiences of that year, and the years that led up to it, and I invite you to share it with me.  

To start on that journey down this dark, dark memory lane, let me say that "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.... "

Fellow Kossacks, I began to do some research on the Florida primary and a very little on Michigan, and have gathered some data, but unfortunately I simply do not have the time to finish and put together a decent diary.

So, I wanted to post the information that I have collected and if anyone else thinks it is of use at this point, please feel free to use it.  Perhaps it has also been diaried.  Perhaps my line of research is not important.  There are some pretty savvy people on this site, so I trust that they will make the determination if this is of any use.

Tonight, Randi Rhodes will be interviewed live on Larry King.

For those of you who have followed the 'suspension' of Randi Rhodes by Air America Radio, it was reported today that she has left Air America and has been signed on by Nova M Radio Network.

Commenter has suggested that we live blog this and I'll happily do so.  If you would like to join, please do.

Today at 1:50pm Alex Witt,on MSNBC, just quoted a blogger whom she said wrote on Daily Kos, and put on the screen the blogger's comments re. the impact of the Rev. Wright issue on the Barack Obama.

She then proceeded to use that information to present the idea that Barack Obama would lose the nomination because of the Rev. Wright issue.

Read below the fold for information

UPDATE::BREAKING INFORMATION:  AT 10:52PM,

KO announces that David Shuster has put together THAT MAURA HARDY, WHO WAS MADE AN AMBASSADOR BY PRES. CLINTON, IS NOW THE SUPERVISOR IN CHARGE AT THE STATE DEPT OFFICE WHERE THIS BREAK IN OCCURRED.....

THIS CONNECTION WAS MADE BY DAVID SHUSTER

Introduction:
Keith Olbermann is doing a Special Edition of Countdown at 10 Pm EST and is reviewing the the Breaking News on the break in to Senator Barack Obama's passport information in the State Dept.

Now we have "Passport-Gate".....  Keith devoted approximately 40 minutes to the security breach.

During the last Debate, I trudged along with all you folks on the Debate threads and in the Post-Debate Open Thread, hosted by MissLaura, I wondered whom we would like to answer the phone in the middle of the night: Hillary or Barack.  My exact quote is below the fold, but is this coincidence folks?

When I heard this today, I just couldn't believe it.  I feel like I have been ripped off.  Of course this could just be coincidence?  (Of course I know that what is put here is in the public domain.)

Would anyone like to Live Blog this interview?  Larry King interviewing Michelle Obama on February 11, 2008.  

Many Edward's supporters are now trying to decide what to do with their vote since John has left the field.  Some have gone to one of the other campaigns and some are saying that they will continue to vote for John, in the hope of giving him the 'kingmaker' role.

I plead with Edward's supporters, at this juncture, not to risk the loss of their very important vote, but to study the field and choose one of our Democratic candidates.  

MSNBC just called Edwards 15%.... not good.  I wholeheartedly support John Edwards and it is very disheartening to see him bested by the Clintons.  

What do you think that this now means for our campaign?  Let's talk and cry on each other shoulders.

I realized today that I am really down about this election and am ready to seriously tune out.  This is not another diary discussing the candidates but rather this is my meditation on why the Clinton instigated tactics in this campaign have made me feel so disenfranchised and at the point of wanting to tune out of politics completely.  

Today Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer announced that they would support Mukasey.  This is an unbelievable act of craven submission and there is no rationale that can excuse them.  Time and again the election of 2006 is being disregarded and concerned Democrats are feeling incredible frustration at how they can express their dismay at these acts of craven submission.  Emails, faxes, calls are being made and should be made.  This news was part of the Friday 'newsdump,' and there is concern that by Monday it will be forgotten.  Something dramatic has to be done!  And done NOW!

I have a suggestion.  What does the community think of the following?  If we pooled our resources and sent as many funeral arrangements as we could afford, to arrive at Feinstein's and Schumer's office on Capitol Hill on Monday morning, we would be taking a novel step which would visibly demonstrate our sentiments that this type of submission represents the DEATH of the spirit of this nation.  The novelty of this act of protest would also be newsworthy.  It is a way to take 'the Establishment' by surprise.

Join me below the fold, and please share your ideas for a novel and newsworthy way to make our fury known....

It's on now and I see that no one else is live blogging this, so here goes

Let the DKos Website be the "Bonder" for any of us who wish to make the an "Unbreakable Vow"
           --NOT TO PUBLISH ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE A SPOILER TO "The Deathly Hallows:" no information re. character, plot, etc. that would give any clue to the story line
           --for a reasonable, agreed upon amount of time.

In order for us not to mess up other people's enjoyment, let's accept the vote of the majority about what is a reasonable amount of time to wait before we can feel free to publish "Spoiler" Diaries?  (After all, this is a Democratic Website and we do believe in all our votes counting!)

In the Poll below indicate how long you would like to wait before being able to write "Spoiler" Diaries online?

I suggest giving a term of a week for everyone to read the book, since not everyone will be able to set aside this weekend to reading the book (as I am!), although we recognize that everyone will want to do this.    Please vote on what time frame you want and let us consider that whatever the majority selects, that that will be our our commonly held vow for the agreed upon date for Spoiler Diaries.

Tolkein's "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," contain timeless themes that are embedded in our collective wisdom, and are very relevant at a time when the world, and our country, is once again facing the struggle between freedom and domination.  The stories in this series contain general mythic themes such as the struggle between good and evil and the 'Heroes Journey.'

These are the very issues with which we are struggling today in our attempt to better understand and cope with the chaos in our body politic.  Frederick A. O. Schwartz, Jr. and Aziz Z. Huq explore these topics in their newly published book, "Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential Power in a Time of Terror,"

Let's start with Tolkein's mythic journey; it will reveal timeless lessons as we follow its path, and then return back to the present day.

Come below the fold...and enter 'Middle Earth.'