I don't get it. The Obamas had a thoroughly lovely family interview on Access Hollywood the other day. His kids, naturally enough, stole the show. It was perfectly innocent and heck we all want to get to know his family. Those two daughters are completely natural and adorable. And the prospect of having kids in the White House has to appeal to millions of Americans. So why apologize for having your kids partake in the interview? There was no need to apologize or regret. Senator, you cannot please everyone and if you get the label of the "I'm sorry guy" it is not going to go down well. It is going to look weak. Sir, you have got a great family, let's see more of them. And don't be so quick to apologize, especially when there is absolutely nothing to apologize about.

Dear Senator Obama,

Some of us didn't vote for you in the primaries, however we are now on board. We support you wholeheartedly. That support rests on the fact that we believe that you have superior insight and judgment. You will never please everyone in this broad and diverse party, let alone the nation. Just give us your best effort. We know that you have the heart and the mind to be a superb president. If you do what you think is right, that will be enough for us. Ignore the polls, ignore the pundits. Have the people's best interest at heart. No nation can ask more of its leader.

I have often felt that one of the moral linchpins of sending our troops off to war has been the fact that the force is an "all volunteer army". The argument being they "knew what they were getting themselves into." How much more difficult would it be to propel the country into war if those fighting were drafted? I mean no more fortunate sons but if congress had to send their own kids, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews?
How fair is the current volunteer process with its heavy reliance on the poor and the non-white?

This will seem incredibly trite to some (possibly to all).
But I have been watching footage of Bobby Kennedy. He almost always had his sleeves rolled up. It is the ultimate "can do"
sartorial statement. It is fundamentally non elitist. It is a posture that connotes energy and a willingness to do whatever is necessary. Screw lapel pins nothing says America and the work ethic more than rolled up sleeves. I want to see Senator
Obama wading through crowds this summer with his shirtsleeves
rolled up. It creates the "man of the people" image which he is in fact.

Just Americans and in fact people all over the world who wish the best for Teddy Kennedy. When something like this befalls you, politics kind of melt away. Teddy will get the best care
anyone could receive at Mass General. Kind of makes you wonder why everyone can't get the best care available irrespective of their income or status. And to his credit Teddy Kennedy has been the number champion for that kind of health care for decades.

Teddy, I doubt you are reading this but you are in everyone in the blogosphere's thoughts and prayers. Teddy we still need you.

There comes a time when even the most die-hard fan must realize that his team is not going to win the pennant or be in the Super Bowl. It is one of life's unpleasant realities. Now let me say that I really, really like Hillary. I think she is the stronger of the two candidates and the one most likely to win in November. Unfortunately, regardless of what I think and feel, Obama will be the nominee.

Today the president of Iran again demonstrated his desire to destroy Israel. He referred to Israel as a "rotting corpse".
He and other members of his government and military have made numerous direct threats to Israel's existence. Additionally there is a significant body of evidence coupled with official acknowledgment by the regime that they are continuing to enrich uranium. Mr. President I have three questions. One, at what point do we abandon diplomacy and take action against Iran's nuclear program or do we not take action at any point? Two, Would the United States come to Israel's aid in the event that Israel was attacked? Three, Would the United States approve an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear installations if there was sufficient proof that Iran was developing a bomb?

This website has been hostile to Hillary for months. In fact hostile is a pretty weak word. She has been called every name under the sun. Her supporters have been ruthlessly attacked on this site innumerable times.

Now that it is fairly obvious that Obama has won you folks want to make nice. I suggest for a start that you begin to show her and her supporters some respect. The exit polls have not been encouraging in terms of Hillary's supporters getting behind Obama

The truth is Obama needs Hillary and Bill to work like stink for him in the general. He also needs her millions of supporters.

Then the popular vote is going to be pretty close. The elected delegate count is going to narrow somewhat, but most importantly the questions concerning Obama's ability to win a general are going to soar.

Ultimately the Supers are going to pick candidate that is most likely to win in November. And we shouldn't believe that any endorsement today is written in stone. Far from it. If Obama's number continue to fall, if he looks like a certain loser is any two of Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, then expect buyer's remorse.

OK, I believe that the Obama has finally dealt with his former mentor and "everybody's crazy uncle". He has finally put the lie to Wright's lunatic ramblings. But the question still remains, did he not know that Wright was a wellspring of purulent ideological pus until say a few weeks ago?

I mean twenty years is a long time not to have an inkling of someone else's follies. It remains to be seen if Wright will crawl back under the rock from whence he came. And lord knows there have been many, many supporters and defenders of Wright on this website. Or will he, as it now appears, have developed a taste for the limelight?

Survey USA shows Hillary up 9 points 52-43 in a new Survey USA poll. As one can only assume that she is being outspent at least 2 to 1, this must represent a bit of a stunner to the Obama folks. Let's face it he has not been getting his votes at bargain basement prices. Should Hillary carry the state by double digits it will give SDs significant pause for thought. Of course we will have to wait to see if this is born out in other polls.

Perhaps more interesting will be the next spate of North Carolina polls. Of course no one seriously believes Hillary can beat Obama there due to the large black vote. If she can trim his lead to single digits it may further lend credence to growing sentiment that Obama's support is soft and slowly ebbing. Frankly neither state looks promising for Democrats in the fall.

So reports are appearing that Democratic bigwigs want to intervene to end this primary fight. I suggest that they do so at the party's peril. Hillary has support of roughly half the party. If her run were pre-empted before she was prepared to quit, the rancor would be so great that literally millions of her supporters would sit on their hands come November.

I think the party leadership should stay out of this. Let the people have their say. Stepping in to end this fight now will
have dramatic repercussions not the least of which will be almost certainly handing the presidency over to McCain.

Doesn't Hillary remind you of Glen Close in that bathtub scene with Michael Douglas? She just won't die. Has it occurred to anyone in this echo chamber that she has taken a torrent of abuse (some of it self-inflicted) but she keeps coming back?
In short, however uncool, she is a fighter. Are we so sure that Obama is a fighter?

32 years ago I took an economic seminar on Economic theory.
A long forgotten, but prescient article broached the topic of the economic externalities that flow from the use of the private automobile.

Externalities are those costs that are not taken into account by the price. Usually they are costs shouldered by society.
Back in the day it was pollution and the vast network of highways and deforestation. Now we can include urban sprawl,
more pollution, traffic accidents, ozone excess and depletion and even more oddly world hunger.

Almost everyone on Kos enjoys a good Hillary bash. The countless diaries on Tuzla, Irish and Bosnian peace, 35 years of experience. You catch my drift. I think this has got to stop. Hillary has no chance of winning the nomination. Everyone knows that, Hillary surely knows it. However the bashing goes on, and on and on. The point is at least a half of all Democrats and a majority of Democrats who have actually voted in the past support her. She has loyal demographics. The 50+ year old white ladies who have dreams of one of their own being president would go to the wall for Hillary.

Last night a CNN poll asked whether the Beijing Olympics should be boycotted (on account of Chinese actions (atrocities) in Tibet). At one point yesterday the vote was about 63-37 in favor of a boycott. That was a number that frankly surprised me. This morning the numbers are 51-49 against a boycott.
It appears that the Chinese have learned to Freep polls. LOL!
One would have to posit a huge preponderance of anti-boycotters
voting after 8 pm to create this huge swing. From a statistical point of view this is nigh impossible. It would mean an almost 80-20 split starting in the mid evening.

Please see poll.

I am a Hillary supporter. I will be an enthusiastic Obama supporter when Hillary cedes to the inevitable. Nonetheless I have been a student of the Obama phenomenon and an admirer of the manner in which his brand has been created and developed.
I do not use the term brand in a pejorative or cavalier manner.

Everything in the political marketplace is packaged. In a way it has always been like this but the power and penetration of the media has made it all the more so.

Obama's attraction goes well beyond the sum of his positions and his talking points. Indeed the ideological difference between Obama and Clinton are minor but the differences in semiology are vast.

It is obvious to almost everyone the Senator Obama will win the
nomination. So it makes no sense for Obama supporters to continue to attack Clinton supporters. You should now be smothering them with love. Leave their attacks unanswered, or at a minimum be polite.

Please remember any significant defection of Clinton supporters
will mean four years of President McCain.

Obama people it is now time to be magnanimous. Do not fight your way to defeat. You have won. It is time to embrace Clinton people. You cannot win without them.