Had not seen this before, though it came out just before the Potomac Primary.   It's now cited on Raw Story.   Joseph Wilson isn't a high-powered politician or a media icon, but I found the endorsement interesting both because I respect his efforts to uncover (part of) the truth in Iraq leading up to the war as well as his conduct afterwards and because it captures some of my reasoning for supporting Hillary Clinton as well.

Recent polling (feb 9/10)by the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown gives Senator Clinton an 8 point lead over Senator Obama.   The survey reached 739 registered voters in RI, of which 474 were likely Democratic primary voters.  The MoE on this piece of the survey was +/- 5%

They survey had some very interesting resutlts:

From Politico, Obama's response to the Clinton campaign.   So let the negotiation begin - 5 is way too many, 2 is probably one too few.  I'm guessing the settle on 3.  Perhaps one this Monday, one Sun before OH/TX, one in between.  I would love to see one sponsored by Spanish language media, and focused on Latino issues.   Chance for Obama to make his case to a skeptical audience, and for Clinton to reaffirm her support there.  And for both candidates to reach an important base for November.  

We are an outnumbered and outgunned minority on this site, braving the withering hyperbole of the Obamaniac supporters but soldiering on, because we know in our hearts that Hillary Clinton is what America needs - right now.  

My family has just completed voting in the NJ primary.   I live in a heavily Republican town (so much so that they run unopposed in local elections - I have to write in "Any Democrat" on the ballot).   Voting was very sparse (like a ghost town).  And tellingly, one of the administrators said that they had had only one Republican voter in the first 90 minutes of the election.   This is incredible for my town.

Now for the exit polling results from my house:

There's been lots of buzz about the recent set of endorsements for Barack Obama.   They are impressive, and I respect many of the people who are formally behind his campaign.

What hasn't gotten any attention on these pages (at least recently) is the set of endorsements for Hillary Clinton.   I've posted them below (from her website).  It is a very long and diverse list, with plenty of unions, LGBT, African-American, Latino, Native American, and Asian-Americans behind it.  

I expect Barack Obama's list to also be long, impressive and diverse.

As an undecided voter, I don't know that these endorsements are really helping me to make up my mind.  What these endorsements do say is that Hillary Clinton can pull together a broad and diverse coalition of people to support her candidacy.   Barack Obama can do the same.  I am very happy with our field of candidates - they all have their flaws, but I will be enthusiastically supporting any of them in November.

I have been very enthusiastic about our field of candidates this year, both the majors and (dwindling) group of second tiers.   Until yesterday, John Edwards had been my top choice, followed by Hillary Clinton with Barack Obama third.   I believed that Edwards hit the message of reform and people-first better than the other two, and that Hillary had the best ability to hit the ground running and get things done.   On the other side, I thought that Barack Obama was somewhat of an empty shell that was being defined by the aspirations for change held by his supporters, rather than someone with a true inner core.  

All three of the leading Democratic candidates are running tonight as uniters, although the each take a different tack in defining what this actually means.

The political reality is quite different.   Thus far, Edwards, Obama, and Clinton have simply managed to unite a particular tribe of the democratic party.   This reality is underscored by all major poll results showing none of these candidates receiving more than 33% of the likely vote this evening.

The biggest implication for this evening's contest is that the candidate who has the most reliable and strongest tribe behind them is likely to eke out a "win."  Longer term, as the race progressesses, one candidate will have to assimilate at least one of the other tribes (and bring in others) to seal the nomination.

Apologies if this has been covered, but story being reported in the Denver Post and blogged on Think Progress about CO rep Doug Lamborn.  He apparently took exception to his fellow zealots writing as letter to the editor of a newspaper complaining about his acceptance of funds from gambling interests.  Rep Lamborn decided that the best course of action was to leave two threatening (and bizarre) voicemails on their answering machine:

One of the defining moments of the 2004 Presidential debates occured when John Kerry suggested that the fight against terror was more like a long term police action than a war.  The smirker and his mindless minions piled on with their phony rightous indignation at the time, claiming that Kerry just didn't have the touhgness or understanding to lead the nation on terror (echo of this moment is Rudie's stupid call-out of Paul in the GOP debate when Paul had the common sense to suggest that there is a reason why terrorists are motivated to attack us).  

Oh, but now it appears that our top military commanders have come to the same conclusion as John Kerry on this topic (or maybe they always felt this way but were cowed by the bullying chickenhawks in the executive branch and their lackys in the GOP congress).  See today's MSNBC article below on the shift to a concept of "indirect action."  Sure sounds more like policing than war to me.

Wal*Mart Turns in its worst performance since the dawn of the Reagan Administration, but look who's doing well.  Welcome to the Bush Economy.

I think that this is a very good idea.

O'Malley Signs Bill to Bypass Electoral College

By John Wagner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2007; 2:52 PM

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed a bill into law today that makes Maryland the first state in the nation to join a movement to bypass the Electoral College and elect U.S. presidents by national popular vote.

I came across the following tables from realclearpolitics.com.  They show the congressional and presidential approval ratings from recent polls.  What amazes me is that our new Democratic Congress still lags Bubble Boy Bush in the public's esteem.  I have a few theories on this, but wanted to hear from others:

• People judge politicians based on results not actions.  Very little of the Dems agenda has been enacted
• The public is simply ignorant of the change that has come to Washington.
• The continued negative tone in Washington is hurting all politicians.

Your thoughts?

This issue must be kept alive.  There is a fraudulently elected Republican sitting in the Sarasota House seat.  This issue has dropped off of the radar screen.  The callousness of the elections supervisor is Katherine Harris-esque.  This woman needs to be recalled, and they need to have a special election in Sarasota.

One way or another, Bush and Co.  are determined to make Iraq a feeble client state.  The example below:  Killing off the educated and technical classes.

White-collar Iraqis targeted by assassins
By Brian Conley and Isam Rashid