Let me start off by saying - this isn't going to happen.  I strongly believe that the Democrats are going to win this November - but I learned an interesting fact today, one that I don't think is widely appreciated in the blogosphere.  If this is "old news" to DKos, I'm happy to delete - but I find it curious to say the least.

In doing a bit of background reading over the past few days, I was surprised to read the following fact:

John McCain was born in Panama

To be fair, specifically the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone.  A piece of land controlled by the U.S. at the time, and to U.S. born parents.  Fair enough.

There's just one thing - a well known (but untested) clause in the U.S. Constitution requiring the President to be a natural born citizen.  

More below the fold...

Speechless...  From AP and TalkingPointsMemo.com quoting a classified Justice Department memo (October 2001):

"Our office recently concluded that the Fourth Amendment had no application to domestic military operations"

More below the fold...

Sorry for the short diary, but this is really just a recommendation to read the NYT article today [3/20/08] entitled "States’ Data Obscure How Few Finish High School" by Sam Dillon.  

Like Mississippi, many states use an inflated graduation rate for federal reporting requirements under the No Child Left Behind law and a different one at home. As a result, researchers say, federal figures obscure a dropout epidemic so severe that only about 70 percent of the one million American students who start ninth grade each year graduate four years later.

After watching way too much political coverage last night, I dreamt again of politics.  This time, however, I woke up with a good feeling - a way out of the Democratic mess.  Hillary Clinton wins PA, gives an amazing victory speech, then steps out of the race with the acknowledgment that Obama has still won the popular vote / delegate count...  More below the fold:

I just thought the community could use some universally positive news from yesterday's Ohio Primary, and here it is:

"November will bring a rematch in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District of Democratic challenger Victoria Wulsin against Republican incumbent Rep. Jean Schmidt." [KYPost.com]

"Victoria Wulsin appeared to be easily defeating Steve Black in the Ohio 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary late Tuesday, winning a second chance to challenge Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt in November."[Chillicothe Gazette / Cincinnati Enquirer]

We've got some campaigning to do folks - let's show Jean Schmidt the door.  More below the fold:

I keep reading the following sentence (in various forms) in online news reports of the ricin incident in Las Vegas:

Mystery Surrounds Ricin Find at Motel
By KEN RITTER, AP

...Authorities said there was no apparent link to terrorist activity [emphasis added], and no indication of any spread of the deadly substance beyond the vials.

I certainly hope that this is indeed an isolated incident, but I can't shake the question of how is making ricin, a substance [from wikipedia] "6 billion times more toxic than cyanide and 12 billion times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom" NOT an act of terrorist activity?  What does this say about how we perceive terrorism in the U.S.?  The more I think about it, the more I start to believe that the word "terrorism" is becoming obsolete in the face of the incredible violence that we face as a society, no matter what the motivation.  This post is a work in progress.  My scattered thoughts below the fold.

John Sydney McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for President in 2008, is facing increasing questions about how his name may influence independent voters in the upcoming elections. Satire below the fold...

I've read a number of articles over the weekend as to whether or not the Democratic candidate for President (focused on Obama) should use the publicly financed campaign system as opposed to using private donations.  Read Obama and McCain Duel On Campaign Finance [AP] for background.  While I think that public financing is a great idea (in priciple), I think it would be a horrible idea for any Democratic candidate in this cycle.  Why?  Because Republicans don't play fair and the system is inherently rigged against Democrats.  Read below.

Two days ago I posted an edited analysis of the use of "We" and "I" in Obama and Clinton's Tuesday speeches.  Today I've looked at pitch patterns in how they are speaking.  Below the fold for pictures and methods.

Rhetoric: the art of speaking or writing effectively [www.m-w.com]

As I've tried to understand the political differences between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, one thing has stood out in their style of speaking with crowds.  At least from the media clips, it's Hillary's use of "I" versus Barack's use of "We".  For an electorate tired of being lied to, tired of being taken for granted, and ready to help make positive change, the difference between "I" and "We" may decide the primary campaign.  But is there really a difference in how they use these words?  You decide - my best shot at analysis is below the fold...

In discussing the possibility of a virtual tie in total number of state delegates between Clinton and Obama before the Convention, and the unsettling feeling of letting "super delegates" choose our next candidate for us [i.e., personally I wouldn’t describe many of them as "super", maybe Christopher Dodd, but perhaps we should rename them "moderately OK but generally weak delegates"] – a SOLUTION came to mind that I think could consolidate a Democratic coalition and almost guarantee a win in November.  Read below the fold....

1. a. The action of betraying; betrayal of the trust undertaken by or reposed in any one; breach of faith, treacherous action, treachery.

I debated on whether or not to post this.  It's either completely irrelevant, or the first indication that Lieberman is going to bolt from CT if he loses in the fall elections.  Personally I think a candidate's dedication to his or her home state seems like an important factor to consider in an election (plus the story has already been publicly released by the local media and acknowledged by Lieberman himself in the following newspaper article), so I figured I'd post it and let the readers of DKos decide for themselves....

New Haven's daily newspaper, the New Haven Register [Fri Sept 1, 2006; page A3], contains the following gem of an article entitled "Joe Moves into New Digs Downtown"[registration required]. This brief piece notes that Lieberman sold his house in Connecticut, and hasn't bought a new one yet!

[Quotes from the article below the fold...]

I've always been fascinated by the rationale for the Presidential pardon - it's a truly amazing power that enables the Chief Executive to evaporate the legal burden of conviction from those unjustly accused - or provide forgiveness to a struggling family torn apart by a conviction that is disproportionate to the crime.  Or help out a crony.  Amazing indeed - but not quite as astounding as the bizarre list of names and crimes of those actually pardoned.  Below the fold...

Contrary to my login name, I'm a resident of CT and voted this morning at my local precinct.  As a longtime moderate to left leaning Democrat I enjoyed very much the chance to vote for Ned Lamont today.  Some observations... [please share your experiences as well!]

Connecticut dKos members - make your voice heard this August 8th - if you are not registered to vote, REGISTER TODAY!  If you have friends, family members, or co-workers in Connecticut who have expressed an interest in the Lieberman/Lamont primary - ENCOURAGE THEM TO REGISTER!

This primary election will be decided by a VERY small number of voters - MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!  

Here is a link to the Secretary of State's Office:
http://www.sots.ct.gov/...

The voter registration form is at:
http://www.sots.ct.gov/...

While I assume most dKos readers in Connecticut are already registered to vote - in this critical election every vote counts! REGISTER TO VOTE!  Repeat after me: Tuesday August 8th, Tuesday August 8th, Tuesday August 8th...

Interesting analysis today at CNN.com about Bush's pardons today.  

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/21/presidential.pardons.ap/index.html

Here's the crimes:

Not getting much coverage because of the terrible events in Iraq, but is it just me or pardoning people for economic fraud a little, well, not that surpising?  Anyone know more about these cases?

Someone please pinch me - Senator McCain just threatened to introduce legislation regarding the use of steroids in baseball...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/12/04/bc.bbo.mccain.steroids.ap/index.html?cnn=ye s

Ummm, War in Iraq, Economic Decline, Terrible Debt and Deficits, Decrease in Pell Grants, Medicare Fiasco, an Election System that I just don't trust, NO ACTION ON 9/11 REFORM, Bush nominates someone relatively inexperienced to head the DHS bureaucracy, the rest of the Cabinet is jumping ship ("Steady Change in a Time of Change") - and McCain is talking BASEBALL!!!  I love a fair game just as much as the rest, but this is just ridiculous.