Our friends over at Wonkette have recently posted a revealing video of Sen. Clinton struggling to figure out how to operate a beverage dispenser at a gas station. As some of you here might recall, during his reelection campaign, the current president's father was tarred by members of the press as being out of touch with the general public after receiving a tutorial on how supermarket checkout scanners work. Will Sen. Clinton end up being portrayed the same way? Click that 'Recommend' button and jump with me...

As many of you already know, the state of Washington is holding a primary election today, February 19th. While this election will not result in any additional pledged delegates being awarded, it could prove to play a crucial role in the race for the Democratic nomination. The reason is simple: if Clinton garners more votes than Obama in the Washington primary, she will use the election results as evidence that caucuses don’t represent the will of the people.

We must not let that happen.

It’s no secret: the United States has made some huge mistakes in its conduct of the war in Iraq.  Many of these mistakes have been exposed and have subsequently resulted in a dramatic shift in public opinion against the war.  However, there is still one key mistake that the United States and political partisans on both sides of the aisle are failing to identify and learn from: a lack of concern for political developments inside Iraq.

This diary is a response to sclminc’s comment that we need more Arab voices here on DailyKos to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict.  I agree.  Now, I’m not Arab, but I am Muslim, and my family originates from the Middle East.  Therefore, I’d like to take this opportunity to explain to the community here some of the reasons why Arabs and Muslims are so upset with Israel, Jews, and America.  I hope this helps people better understand our perspective.

In a disgusting display of anti-Americanism, Arkansas GOP Chairman Dennis Milligan gave his prescription for what America needs most right now: more terrorism and mass civilian casualties.

This diary is the first of three entries to focus on the war in Iraq and what actions the United States can take in preparation for responsible troop withdrawal.

To preface this diary, I feel obligated to share with you my personal take on Iraq, which is bound to be at odds with many members of the DailyKos community. I strongly disagree with the policy positions of both the Republicans and the Democrats. Neither party has offered a change in course. Our nation's politicians have yet to escape the dichotomy of ‘Stay the Course’ vs. ‘Cut and Run.’

I believe that combat troops can begin to responsibly leave Iraq starting May 1st, 2008, and be fully redeployed before the next American election. Such a scenario, however, will not be realized either by hanging tough or setting a date for withdrawal. We must focus on accomplishing three specific objectives: preventing Turkish interference in Kurdistan, helping implement a new governance system for the city of Baghdad, and supporting plans for Iraqi federalism. None of these objectives are adequately addressed in the latest benchmarks bill, yet they remain essential to forming the basis of a political solution to Iraq’s problems and putting the United States in a position to withdraw its troops.

I really wasn't sure if Al Gore was going to run for president until tonight; it's clear to me now that he is. On PBS's The News Hour journalist Gwen Ifill took a unique approach to interviewing the former vice president. What did Ifill do differently? Simple: she refused to ask him if he's running for the Democratic nomination. Don't get me wrong, she did ask questions pertaining to the subject. But she never asked directly or even challenged Gore's sincerity when he stated that he had no plans to run. Gore had to struggle to make mention of the fact that there was even speculation of a possible run.