Yesterday, I spent an entire day fully involved in politics. If I make anyone jealous, I apologize but I just had to share the events from yesterday. My friend works for John Edwards and needed an extra hand for Day 2 of the poverty tour. He does advance for the Edwards campaign.

We made sure Edwards, his staff and the traveling press corps had hotel rooms and cars to take them on the second day of the poverty tour. A little after midnight last night, I along with a few other volunteers picked all of them up at the airport in Cleveland. I had the honor, of driving John Edwards.

He jumped in the front seat next to me, and we exchanged a few words. Before we began our short conversation, he called his wife Elizabeth to let her know he loved her and he arrived safe. Then, he thanked me for helping out during the poverty tour, and for driving him to the hotel. I told him I was from Virginia and was due to head back there that evening for the Iraq Vote.

Over the weekend I caught a little bit of a discussion talking about the Democratic Presidential Candidates, and I agreed with what they were saying. I don't know who was talking (I was listening on XM Radio) but I agreed because they were saying that Americans don't want politicians anymore, we want real people running for office.

No more smiles, shaking hands, and kissing babies. But really listening, having conversations, and not being afraid to speak the truth. That's the sort of leadership that has been missing in our debate.  They were saying that John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton are great democrats, and great politicians. But that's it, they are politicians.

I just got this email from MoveOn.org.

From: "Ilyse Hogue, MoveOn.org Political Action" <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>

Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 07:12:35
To:"Dave Montoya"
Subject: FW: Gore and Live Earth in D.C. tomorrow!

Dear MoveOn member,

We just got some great news: Live Earth is coming to D.C., tomorrow, for free.

Yesterday I watched SiCKO with my friend. I have never cried so much in a movie in my entire life. I am so frustrated not just with the politics of this country right now but everything in general. Gore is right, we are as a nation more concerned about how drunk Paris Hilton got than actually caring about the general welfare of our society as a whole.

2008 is the final election for me, if we can't bring real change to this country by then, we may never. This experiment called democracy is still new to our country. People have given up, they don't believe that those in power will actually do what they are supposed to. That they will actually fight for those in the bottom.

People in power, in America take care of themselves.

This week at the Howard University event I met John Edwards again. I met him the first time in January at the DNC Winter Meeting. I was very tough on him then for his prior Iraq War support. Since then I have grown to a point where I understand and can finally accept his apology for Iraq.

I can't say I am ready to support him fully. I am however warming to him. My friend is working for Edwards now so I am starting to see what the campaign looks inside. It's quite impressive. I have to run shortly, but I just wanted to share this photo and some thoughts with Daily Kos briefly.

Have a great weekend everyone.

I don't want to read anymore into this than General Wesley Clark just making his rounds working on the 3 main media networks. But, there has been very little chatter about Clark's media rounds.

In 2002 until his Presidential Campaign in the Fall of 2003, Clark was a frequent military and foreign policy analyst for CNN. That's actually where I first saw him and discovered who he was.

He knew many of the people in the CNN Network during his tenure with them. Especially during the buildup to Iraq, Clark was on many of CNN's programs until he ran for President.

After Clark exited the race for President in 2004. He quickly endorsed John Kerry and worked on behalf of the Democratic Party until he took his next media assignment with FOXNews. From 2005 until last month Clark was employed by FOXNews as a military and foreign affairs analyst.

I just got an email from General Wes Clark's PAC, WESPAC (SecuringAmerica) asking for us to help him again elect more Fighting Dems to Congress in 2008.

In 2006, for the first time in history we had more military veterans running for Congress than ever before. Many of them failed in their bids to continue to serve our country, but all of them even those few who succeeded ran incredible campaigns as they faced incredible odds.

But that's what Veterans do, they fight.

I don't think all members of Congress and our government must have military service to do their job. However, I think we ought to have more of those who have served in Washington.

Help elect more Jim Webb's, Pat Murphy's, and Joe Sestak's.

I am in the minority here, I don't have any problem with Hillary Clinton other than her Iraq War vote. She's clearly the strongest candidate in the race right now, so strong that unless Gore runs she's the nominee. I can't see anyone strong enough in this field to overtake her.

Your not only overtaking her, but beating both her and Bill Clinton. She's impressive, and her campaign is steaming ahead like a machine.

I like Barack Obama because of his early opposition to Iraq, and his call for unity. I like John Edwards for his consistent support for working families and universal health care.

However, they can't stop her. Hillary Clinton will be our nominee unless Al Gore enters this race.

leftbird just wrote a good diary on rewriting history but I want to expand on that. I just don't think that we need to rewrite history, but we need to make history right. George W. Bush should not have been elected President in my opinion in 2000, or should not have been re-elected in 2004.

Look at all that has happened since Bush has been President. Look how far away from the things we believe in not as a party, but as a nation we have been pulled away from. Our judgment not just today but in human history will be judged by what we do now to make history right.

Yesterday, I just learned that my best friend was just hired to work for John Edwards. I have mixed feelings about this because many know I do feel strongly that our next President should have been morally right about Iraq from the start. Party why I waited out for Clark, and now for Gore.

However, I will admit John Edwards today is speaking out most of all the candidates. I support Barack Obama, but I am not firm in his camp. I haven't been completely sold yet. In fact, out of everyone running I haven't been sold by anyone.

I can say in my observation that John Edwards has run the must open and transparent campaign compared to all of the candidates. That I do like, campaigns are supposed to be about OUR future.

Dear Vice President Gore,

Over 6 years ago when you were a candidate for President I nearly 17 years old. Not understanding the issues fluently at the time I viewed myself as a Republican. I was raised Catholic, and like many of those who share my faith we consider ourselves conservatives. Even though I didn't have a vote in that election, I supported Bush.

I graduated High School that year and headed off to college, after just a few weeks of school I decided to drop out and enlist in the military. Still only 17, in August 2001 I signed an obligation to serve in the Navy for 4 years starting on September 17th of that year.

Then September 11th happened. I remember watching the entire attack on our country happen as my aunt was giving birth to her second child. I truly thought during those moments that the world was ending. Six days after that horrible day my enlistment began.

And he is right. I think John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are great Democrats but the one thing I did agree with Mike Gravel last night is when he said that those who did vote and or co-sponsor the IWR should not be President. They did fail morally in the most important votes of their lives. Saying sorry, your wrong, or it's a mistake won't bring back our dead and wounded troops.

"I opposed this war from the start."

"You're about four and a half years late on leadership on this issue," Obama said "And, you know, I think it's important not to play politics on something that is as critical and as difficult as this."

And after yesterday's reception in Oakton, Virginia she almost has done it. As teacherken wrote about earlier. Friends of the Edwards family held a private reception for Elizabeth Edwards which I luckily was invited to because my friend's parents were co-hosting the event.

She is an amazing woman, to be going through what she is right now and would it would appear a full campaign swing for her husband John shows her dedication and belief in him and his campaign for President.

As she was speaking so eloquently during a short Question & Answer session with the guests in this hot summer day in Virginia my friend and I couldn't help but say that even though we both don't support John Edwards for President we couldn't agree more that she is the greatest candidates wife we could think of since Jackie Kennedy.

No what you see above is not a joke, this weekend I was volunteering for Chap Petersen's 2007 State Senate campaign in Virginia and I walked by this sign and establishment with a few other politicos and we all just started laughing uncontrollably.

I thought I'd share it will all of you today. Enjoy!.

I am disappointed that we can't get timelines or a troop withdrawal at some point right now. However, we need to keep things in perspective.

We don't have the votes, especially with the Independent Democrat in the Senate who has decided not to budge.

Where do we have the votes? I am just tired to people talking about not giving money to the DNC or the Democratic Party because they can't end this war today.

They can't, we can't.

I didn't catch the Larry King Live Interview last night, but I was just reading a Chicago Tribune Blog and there's no doubt.

Al Gore will be a candidate for President in 2008.

When asked to make a Sherman statement:

"Look, I'm not inviting such questions. I appreciate such questions,'' Gore said on CNN's Larry King Live last night. "I am not thinking about being a candidate, I have no plans to be a candidate, but yes it's true, I have not made a so-called Sherman statement and ruled it out for all time. I see no reason to do that.''

Okay, yesterday from reading the NYT Article a few days about with Gore indicating that he didn't have to run a conventional campaign for President to win. I thought, he's probably going to run.

Well, in less than 24 hours I have changed my mind.

I have no doubt in my mind that Al Gore will be a candidate for President in 2008. Now I don't know when he will announce, I don't think he can wait too long however I don't think he has to decide today.

This isn't the first candidate I have said was going to run but was undeclared, a few months back I also said Wes Clark was going to.

I still don't know if that is the case or not, but this TIME magazine article tells me without a doubt not only is he thinking about it but it's almost a certainty.

Again, I am convinced Al Gore is running for President.

So here's the question, if and when Gore enters the race are you prepared to do what needs to be done to help nominated him and elect him (again) as our nation's President?

You have the power.

On the treadmill! There was a report a few weeks ago that Al Gore has hit the treadmill because his spokesman said "He wants to keep his health in mind and in no way does in mean anything else".

Yeah right.

Well today, based on the NY Times story Daily Kos broke last night that Gore is moving closer to a Presidential run in '08.

I too have started to work out again.