Does ABC love America as much as you do?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Wow, major loathing of ABC on the Web tonight. ABC better cancel the welcoming ceremony, I see sniper fire...

TPM: Looking around other sites, I guess I'm not the only one that thought this debate was unmitigated travesty. Maybe the embargo on debate rebroadcast was a pro-human rights stand.

From FDL: Well, that was really, really horrible. Charlie Gibson and Mr. Snuffalupagus fed Clinton and Obama nothing but gotcha questions. Torture never came up, China never came up, unchecked executive power never came up, and it was 50+ minutes in before they asked any questions that could be considered remotely substantive or issues-based.

Atrios: Aside from the lack of policy questions, so far this "debate" has been played entirely on wingnut ground. If BillO and Sean Hannity hosted it the questions would've been the same. In a general election debate it would make sense to get questions from the right like that, but in a democratic primary it's just fucking stupid.

DKos: The questioning in tonight's debate--—mostly straight out of 1988—was an abomination. Gun control. 60's radicalism. Inflammatory black pastors. Respecting or disrespecting the flag. Taxes. Being out of touch with the military. Affirmative Action. I'll bet if they had more time, ABC anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolus would probably have gotten around to asking Obama and Clinton about Willie Horton and Piss Christ.

Editor & Publisher: In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia.

OpenLeft: Halfway through the debate, not a single question on any policy issue had been asked, it was obvious that this debate was prime-time hit job on Obama. The questions so far have been why he doesn't wear a flag pin, whether or not his pastor loves America, why he can't win, and how many people were offended by his bittergate comments. Except for Clinton being asked about why she wasn't trustworthy, and both of them being asked about their vice-presidential choices, that has been the entire debate. As Master Jack said in the comments, nothing on Iraq, nothing on the economy, nothing on health care, nothing on housing, nothing on global warming, nothing on torture. This is nothing but a prime-time hit job on Democrats, although mainly a hit job on Obama.

Tapped: Seriously "does rev. wright love america as much as you?" Really? REALLY?!!! Also, "what will you do when clips" of Wright "play over an over" on TV? [... A woman asks if Obama "believes in the American flag" because he doesn't wear a flag pin. Charlie Gibson says that questions about the flag are "all over the internet" -- along with Pamela Anderson's sex tape, cats with bad grammar, and Rick Astley. Journalism at it's finest.

Huff Post: Why in the world George Stephanopoulos felt compelled to ask Barack Obama if Reverend Wright "loved America" after he had already been made to give another recitation of his repudiation of Wright's remarks is a question that simply defies the imagination. What sort of sensible answer can be given to that question? It would require astral projection to properly gauge another man's emotional state. And if you want to ask Hillary Clinton to account for the odd contortions she advanced on the matter of her Bosnia recollections, just sack up and ask. Don't hide behind the additional, pointless cruelty of a random voter's scoldings that Clinton lost their vote. What a wholly superfluous pile on! And the flag lapel pin question came with this admonishment from Charles Gibson: "It keeps coming up, again and again." Well, no shit, Charlie! It keeps "coming up, again and again" because the media resolutely refuses to obtain the necessary courage to stop doing so. Read More......

Disastrous Debate reprise

Wow. What the hell was that? Seriously, I'm a bit stunned. The level of discourse has reached a new low -- a very new low. To be clear, I don't think the debate was a disaster for Obama. He did fine. I think it was a disaster for our political system.

It was the worst debate ever. Gibson and Stephanopoulos were horrible. The questions were literally right out of right wing talk radio. Atrios provides an opportunity for action:

Complain about this atrocity.

Main ABC switchboard: 212-456-7777 Update: Use this number: (818) 460-7477
Comment via the ABC Web site here

And, for Hillary Clinton to get so giddy about the Wright question was really just sad. She was the official purveyor of fringe talking points. Shockingly so. And, she seemed to enjoy it. There's a reason people think Clinton is dishonest as we saw today in the findings of the Washington Post-ABC News poll. She's not only in this to win, she's in it to win dirty -- and to destroy Obama. She invoked Louis Farrakhan tonight for no reason -- just to say it. Give me a break. Throughout this campaign, Clinton has pursued GOP attacks against Obama. He has not gone there against her.

Jacki: Ok, first off, I went to Facebook to see what people were saying there since ABC promoted it. Seems everyone there agrees with us here. This debate was just horrible. Too much time wasted on useless nonsense. From a media perspective, I am not sure why Stephanopoulos was in the mix at all. He didn't add much, and if anything, his history with the Clintons had the potential to take something away. I thought Gibson was especially rough on Obama, and I think ABC did not do themselves any good with this debate. If I weren't liveblogging, I would have switched to AI. Read More......

Democratic Debate Open Thread

9:51 PM: Finally, it's over. I'll be writing a reprise in a few minutes, but I will say this is the worst debate I've seen so far. George and Charlie were just rumor-mongering right wingers. Charlie thought it was "fascinating." Wrong. It was just very pathetic and disturbing. If you ever question the sad state of affairs in the American political dialogue, tonight's debate was Exhibit A.

9:34PM: Jacki now. Affirmative action's the topic. Obama: Help people who have been locked out of opportunity. Clinton: Me too. Also, let's get rid of predatory college loans. (I like that.) Gas prices now. Clinton: Investigate gas prices. (I like that too). Release oil from reserve. $4 gallon gas should spur windfall profits tax. She's saying good stuff here about energy independence. Obama: Similar plans to Clinton. Agree on windfall profits tax. Raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. Get serious about new technology too.

George: How would you use George W. Bush in your administration? (This is a strong contender for dumbest question of the night) Clinton artfully dodges. Obama goes for HW versus W. Good call. Did I mention this was a dumb question? I can think of a zillion ways Bush can be used but none of them involve being a part of any future administration.

9:33 PM Clinton was a huge advocate for gun control throughout her career. I know that to be true first-hand. Polarizing? Kinda. Obama got the question about DC's gun law as did Clinton. Both of them kept balancing their way through this issue. It's not as cut and dried as George and Charlie want to make it.

9:19 PM: Another break. Charlie Gibson got into social security. A commission. That's the typical DC answer.

9:06PM: Jacki: On economy. Clinton: No taxes. Go to my website. Why does she give the impression she's never actually been to her own website? Obama: Cost going up. Wages and income flat or going down. Lack of oversight and special interests run amok are to blame for current problems. Gibson is arguing with Obama now about the capital gains tax. We got a little into the weeds there. Clinton: Remember my husband? He rocked the 90s. (ok, not really, but that's what she was alluding to). Clinton's speaking in generalities re: the economy now, but you know what's nice? She's attacking Bush and not Obama. Thank goodness for small miracles. She just said she wouldn't raise the capital gains tax above what it was in the Clinton era. So much for subtlety.

8:55 PM: From Joe: What? An Iraq question? Of course, Charlie Gibson can't just let them answer the question from the viewer. No, Charlie has to be the bigger smartie pants.

Clinton is giving a long answer about how we don't know what will happen if we withdraw. Some might say we also didn't know what would happen going in, but she voted that way anyway.

Obama: The Commander in Chief sets the mission.

8:47 PM: Jacki now: 45 minutes and no issues. We just covered nonsense and topics the media's opted to rehash. But no healthcare plans. No plans to get us out of Iraq. No ideas on fixing the economy. Nada. It's like the great gossip debate.

Joe, too: This is the WORST DEBATE EVER. It's shockingly bad. Jacki is right: The great gossip debate. No wonder this country is such a mess.

8:41 PM: Stephanopolous doing the right wing's dirty work...again. Asking about Ayers? This is absurd. Absurd. And, Hillary piles on. She is unbelievable tonight.

Obama comes back strong, I think. This debate is ABSURD. It sounds like right wing radio. And, Obama is showing he can handle it.

8:38 PM:From Joe --Now the flag? Come on. "It's all over the internet"?? What is this tonight? It is a manufactured issue...a distraction.

8:32 PM: Jacki here: Oooo. George to Clinton: PA people don't think you're honest. Clinton: I may be a lot of things, but I am not dumb. I wrote about Bosnia in my book. You're right. I've said some things that weren't in keeping with what I said in my book. Huh? I hope it's something you can look over. Huh? How about I lied? I'm a big liar. When your kid makes stuff up, it's called lying, not "not in keeping with what I wrote once." Having experience traveling abroad gives me a huge advantage. Just don't expect me to be truthful about what happened abroad once I get back. Obama: We comment about Bosnia because we're asked about it. We're both working as hard as we can to make sure we are delivering our message as best we can. I think Sen. Clinton deserves the right to make errors. G-d is he being gracious. He's turning the corner and trying to get to issus. I love it. I fear the moderators will bring it right back around to he said/she said. But no one can say Obama didn't try.

More from Joe: Also, did Clinton just tell us she needed to get more sleep? Like somehow that's the reason she didn't tell the truth about Tuzla? She needed more sleep? On March 17th, when she was so emphatic about what happened in Tuzla, it was the middle of the day. And, if she is so sleep deprived, how can she answer those 3 a.m. calls?

8:29 PM: More on Wright? Come on. Get over this...we still haven't heard ONE question about a real issue. Stop the dumbass questions. This is RIDICULOUS. Asking if Rev. Wright loves America? STOP IT. And, Hillary's piling on is also very, very disturbing. Weird.

8:26 PM: Joe: The Bitter thing, now Rev. Wright. Don't ask the candidates about real issues. Don't ask the candidates about the things that affect real people's lives. (And, Clinton was asked a personal question by Richard Mellon Scaife.) She loves the Wright issue. Wow. C'mon, Hillary, that's pathetic.

8:22 PM: Jacki: Clinton says what's important is what we stand for. She's claiming passion for empowering people. Huh? I thought that was Obama's strength. That was just odd.

8:19 PM: From Joe: Can Obama win? Clinton: "Yes. Yes. Yes." Obama says Clinton can win, then deconstructs her recent criticism of him - reminds us that Clinton was attacked for her "staying home and baking cookies" comment back in 1992.

8:11 PM: From Joe: Okay, the first very stupid question. Come on. Asking about picking each other for V.P. After six weeks with no debate, that's the best question Charlie Gibson could offer. That's a bad signal for this debate. And, pivoting off the Constitution doesn't justify the stupid question. Obama and Clinton did well with their answers...considering.

8:04 PM: Hi all. This is Jacki. And here's my take on opening statements. Obama: As I travel PA, I see core decency and generosity yet frustration. Nice. Frustration = not quite bitter but in the same vein.

Clinton: People do feel government is not solving problems and standing up for them. Listen to what we have to say. Look at records. Look at plans. Go to my website.

And...commercial. Well, that's a momentum killer.

*commercial break*

8:00 PM: Here we go...again. What could be the last debate til the fall starts now. Jacki and I will be live-blogging. We probably won't dissect every answer to every question. But, if there are fireworks or drama, we'll definitely weigh in. And, we'll be watching for the ridiculous questions that the moderators always throw in. Always. Read More......

Bush-FDA strikes again

Imagine that. This is yet another example of how the Bush/GOP-FDA has sided with business over consumers. They don't care if humans suffer the consequences as long as business gets what it wants. Having an effective FDA working for everyone costs money but there are just too many ongoing problems for consumers as a result of GOP hacking. Isn't it time we start considering individuals instead of just business?

A chemical in some plastic food and drink packaging including baby bottles may be tied to early puberty and prostate and breast cancer, the U.S. government said on Tuesday.

Based on draft findings by the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, senior congressional Democrats asked the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its view that the chemical bisphenol A is safe in products for use by infants and children.

Read More......

High school students design vehicle that gets 2,843.4 miles per gallon

Well, in all fairness, they didn't have any auto industry lobbyist paying them not to design the car or paying them to vote against increased fuel efficiency standards. (Hat tip, reader Daniel.) Read More......

Hillary Clinton on working class white southerners: "Screw 'em"

A blockbuster from Sam Stein at the Huffington Post (remember it's the Huffington Post that broke Obama's "bitter" story as well):

During the past week, Sen. Hillary Clinton has presented herself as a working class populist, the politician in touch with small town sentiments, compared to the elitism of her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama.

But a telling anecdote from her husband's administration shows Hillary Clinton's attitudes about the "lunch-bucket Democrats" are not exactly pristine.

In January 1995, as the Clintons were licking their wounds from the 1994 congressional elections, a debate emerged at a retreat at Camp David. Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party? The then-first lady took a less than inclusive approach.

"Screw 'em," she told her husband. "You don't owe them a thing, Bill. They're doing nothing for you; you don't have to do anything for them."

The statement -- which author Benjamin Barber witnessed and wrote about in his book, "The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House" -- was prompted by another speaker raising the difficulties of reaching "Reagan Democrats." It stands in stark contrast to the attitude the New York Democrat has recently taken on the campaign trail, in which she has presented herself as the one candidate who understands the working-class needs.

Stark contrast, indeed. It is important to remember that Hillary Clinton (and John McCain) are making an issue of Obama's recent remarks. It is important to remember that Hillary Clinton is running almost exclusively negative ads in Pennsylvania about Obama's remarks. I'm just saying, this wouldn't be THE issue, if Clinton didn't make it THE only issue for her campaign. Also, a Clinton spokesman now says the quote was "taken out of context" - thus admitting that the words at least are real. Read More......

Troubling data on wealth distribution

There is an interesting story in the NY Times today about hedge funds and the substantial payouts for the leading managers of the big funds. Let's just say they're doing pretty well. What jumped out to me was the information about the previous years in which wealth distribution was so distorted. It should be at least a warning signs of an economy that has gone badly off course for decades.

In the south of France you have a number of beautiful mansions that were built just before the crash of 1929 and a fascinating book came out a few years ago detailing the history of those mansions. Quite a few were built by ultra-rich gamblers much like the hedge fund and Wall Street gamblers of today. One big difference is that back then when they went too far and failed, they really fell. Mansion after mansion was lost as the gamblers had nobody to bail them out as Paulson has done with Wall Street. Was it a good thing that the pre-Crash crowd fell so hard? Maybe not, but nobody forced them to roll the dice and those are the breaks of the game. That's how old fashioned capitalism worked.

Where I have a bigger problem is that this is the crowd who today calls anyone who raises the issue of wealth distribution a communist. I haven't heard the same smears of communism when Wall Street has been bailed out but rest assured, talk about creating an even playing field - which is different from everyone gets equal money - and you know where the GOP and wingnuts will go. Everyone in the US ought to have the same opportunity to be make money but what we have today is eerily similar to what we saw in 1928. The system has broken down and needs to change so we as a nation can move forward. Read More......

US diplomats avoiding Iraq like the plague

Mind you, they're the people who really know what's going on over there. Read More......

"Pennsylvanian" in Clinton attack ad is actually from New Jersey

The problem is that, while this may seem insignificant, it feeds into a growing pattern of deception from the Clinton campaign that is, according to the polls, increasingly hurting Hillary's credibility among voters. This is the kind of thing that will most certainly be used by the Republicans in the fall, should Hillary become the nominee. One of their favorite, and most effective, attacks is labeling Democrats as liars. From the Chicago Trib:

Clyde Thomas, who sports a goatee in the ad and says, “the good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said,” is actually registered in New Jersey. He voted there for Clinton Feb. 5.

Read More......

Why isn't McCain talking about privatizing Social Security now?

John McCain proudly supported privatizing Social Security to Wall Street a few years ago, so what does he have to say now? Now that the big financials are coughing up more bad numbers (WSJ reporting $6 - $8 billion more write downs for Merrill Lynch) we need to clearly understand how McCain thinks this is such a good idea. Why in the world would anyone want to risk the future of Social Security with Wild West gamblers? It only proves how little he knows about Wall Street and Main Street if he was so eager to outsource our future to these people.

For starters he ought to be talking about the fleecing of American retirement plans due to excessive charges by Wall Street but no, don't expect McCain to offer any common sense talk about protecting normal Americans. McCain doesn't travel in those circles and his advisers are all in the pocket of the Wall Street companies that are looking for their next taxpayer sponsored handout. Read More......

In most of PA, Clinton's running only negative ads

When the kitchen sink isn't enough, do negative ads. That's the Clinton campaign's Pennsylvania strategy based on what Greg Sargent's hearing:

In most of Pennsylvania's markets, the only TV ad Hillary is running right now is a negative one -- the spot hitting Obama over his "small town" comments, a political ad buyer who tracks buys in Pennsylvania tells me.

The buyer says that as of this morning, that ad -- and no positive spots -- are running in the Pittsburgh, Erie, Johnstown/Altoona, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton markets.

This should make all the Clinton staffers, consultants and supporters very, very proud. They can't win the nomination, but they are willing to participate in the effort to destroy the Democratic nominee. Thirty-five years of public service and experience, yet all she can come up with is an ad twisting Obama's remarks, which are remarkably similar to things her own husband said. Wow. It's not only destructive, it's sad and pathetic. And, again, it must make all those Clinton staffers so proud. So proud.

This madness has to end. Read More......

Torture that doesn't sound like torture

I was reading this excellent hilzoy post and it occurred to me that it's probably worthwhile to point out, once again, that the popular conception of torture is often quite different from the reality. For example, I recently read some piece -- I don't even remember what it was -- that was dismissive of sleep deprivation and sensory deprivation as torture. And within the experience of most people, those things don't seem, at first glance, like terrible things.

For anybody who doesn't know much about torture and/or interrogations (which I sort of hope is most of y'all), it's really worth noting that sensory deprivation produces psychosis within hours. It's shockingly fast, and can have severe long-term effects after just a day or two. All you have to do is strap somebody down, put on a blindfold, sound-proof earmuffs, and gloves that reduce tactile sensation, and full-blown hallucinations begin in less than a day. Psychosis is day two.

And sleep deprivation is reliably reported as pretty much the worst feeling in the world -- far worse than starvation, severe dehydration, isolation, etc. Keep somebody up for 72 hours (which isn't that hard), and again with the hallucinations and psychosis. So if anybody defends this stuff with anything along the lines of "Oh, it's only for a day or two, what could be the harm?" they're being profoundly misleading. It's tough to explain to people because it's not intuitive, but it's true nonetheless. Read More......

HBO's Real Sports: Obama's Got Game

Bryant Gumbel: "You can't go to your right, can you?"
Obama: "No."
Gumbel (chuckling): "On anything?"
Obama (smiling): "Don't tell anyone."

Watch it. Read More......

Murtha on McCain: Too Old to be President

It takes one to know one, I suppose. Representative John Murtha (D-PA) told the AFL-CIO's Building Trades National Legislative Conference today that being President is "no old man's job:"

Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain. He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age.

Murtha's backing Clinton and made the comments while introducing her to the union audience. The AP says the Clinton campaign is backing away from the age remarks:

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Clinton "considers Senator McCain a friend, and she respects him. But it's not his age she has a problem with, its his ideas for the future."

It's no mystery I believe age is a very real issue, and if Democrats aren't willing to go there now, they absolutely should come the general.

UPDATE: Reading the first few comments, I realize I should clarify. I suppose I don't mean to suggest Democrats should state the obvious and point out how old McCain is. I agree that's sticky ground and won't get you anywhere. However, I do think the Democratic nominee's campaign shouldn't hesitate to address McCain's antiquated views and old-fashioned perspectives. And if evidence of McCain's weariness due to age does pop up along the campaign trail, I don't think the media should ignore it. I'd want to know whether or not a potential President is physically up to the task. Read More......

Two more PA polls show unexpectedly close race

We knew it would be a week of polling frenzy. And, it is. Two more today, both from credible and reliable pollsters. Both polls have undecideds in the range of 13-14%, so how the undecideds break is critical. But, think back a couple weeks and this race in PA wasn't supposed to be close. It was supposed to be a Clinton blowout.

The poll from Franklin & Marshall University and the Philadelphia Daily News has Clinton leading Obama by a 46% - 40% margin:

WITH THE Pennsylvania primary six days away, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has moved within striking distance of rival U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, according to a new Daily News/Franklin & Marshall Poll.

Clinton clung to a lead of 46 percent to 40 percent for Obama among likely Democratic voters, with 14 percent undecided. In March, Clinton led 51 percent to 35 percent.

But experts said that the survey may not fully show the impact of Obama's statements last week that small-town Americans are "bitter" over their economic status and "cling to guns or religion."

"It's too soon — you'd have to see polls taken Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," said political consultant Neil Oxman. "It's clear [internal] polling in both campaigns show an uptick in support for her and a downtick for him."

This poll was conducted April 8 - 13, 2008. So, as instructed by Mr. Oxman, let's look at a poll conducted Monday and Tuesday (April 14th & 15th) from PPP Polling -- it shows an Obama lead: 45% - 42%, which is "a statistical tie":Barack

It seems more clear with each passing day that Hillary Clinton's efforts to hurt Barack Obama for his 'bitter' remarks are not working. Earlier this week PPP showed Obama maintaining a 20 point lead in North Carolina, and now for the third week in a row we show the race in Pennsylvania as a statistical tie.

Obama's gain since PPP's poll last week is not attributable to any major shifts of support from any particular demographic. He simply cut Clinton's lead with whites and women, and increases his advantage with men and black voters.

High turnout in the metro Philadelphia area seems likely to be the key to Obama's success or failure. Right now he leads 53-33 in that region, with Clinton showing a strong advantage in most of the rest of the state.

Also, Obama got two key endorsements today: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Bruce. Read More......

McCain's wife plagiarizes recipes for campaign Web site

Sure, the mainstream media will laugh and say "isn't that funny." But imagine if Michelle Obama had put up "home" recipes on the Obama Web site, recipes that she had actually stolen from various cooking Web sites and reposted them as her own "authentic" down-home cuisine? She'd be called a fake populist, an elitist. How are the McCain's any different? Well, first off because the media likes John McCain, so you know, it's just different. Seriously, McCain is now blaming this on an intern. How exactly did an intern get permission to publish something on McCain's official campaign site, without anyone else knowing? Read More......

Bosnia and Back Again, starring Sen. Hillary Clinton

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McCain gas-tax plan could cost tens of thousands of US jobs

But in all fairness, McCain isn't very good at economics. From the Wall Street Journal:

The Arizona Republican and presumptive presidential nominee today urged Congress to institute a “gas-tax holiday” by suspending the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day....

Relief — or fewer jobs? According to a white paper circulated on Capitol Hill last week by the U.S. Transportation Department, every $1 billion of federal highway investment supports 34,779 jobs.

Many economists have also questioned the wisdom of suspending or cutting gas taxes; doing so, they say, simply stimulates more consumption of gasoline.

Read More......

Wash Post/ABC News Poll: Clinton "has lost trust among voters, a majority of whom now view her as dishonest"

I won't make any comment on this finding from the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll because the thing speaks for itself -- and it should be speaking to superdelegates:

Lost in the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign's aggressive attacks on Barack Obama in recent days is a deep and enduring problem that threatens to undercut any inroads Clinton has made in her struggle to overtake him in the Democratic presidential race: She has lost trust among voters, a majority of whom now view her as dishonest.

Her advisers' efforts to deal with the problem -- by having her acknowledge her mistakes and crack self-deprecating jokes -- do not seem to have succeeded. Privately, the aides admit that the recent controversy over her claim to have ducked sniper fire on a trip to Bosnia probably made things worse.

Clinton is viewed as "honest and trustworthy" by just 39 percent of Americans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, compared with 52 percent in May 2006. Nearly six in 10 said in the new poll that she is not honest and trustworthy. And now, compared with Obama, Clinton has a deep trust deficit among Democrats, trailing him by 23 points as the more honest, an area on which she once led both Obama and John Edwards.

The poll showed Obama leading Clinton by a ten-point margin: 51% - 41%.

Also in today's post is an op-ed from Doug Schoen , Mark Penn's business partner (or maybe not -- the firm is Penn, Schoen and Berland) basically telling Clinton to go negative and "undermine Obama's candidacy." It seems those consultant-types, who got Clinton into her current situation, can't help but give her bad advice. Or, as Josh Marshall says:

But it's getting really hard for me not to conclude that a lot of these guys in the Penn/Clinton consultant world have simply gone insane.

Read More......

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Big debate tonight. It's on ABC starting at 8 p.m. (Eastern) We'll liveblog it. Hopefully, there won't be any more til the big ones with McCain in the fall.

Michelle Obama did an outstanding job on the Colbert Show last night. Quite an outstanding job.

And, speaking of McCain, he's still breaking the campaign finance laws. (Not that anyone in the traditional media, like CNN's Candy Crowley or the Washington Post's editorial board, would ever call him on it.) Reporters like being on John McCain's good side. After hearing more anecdotes about McCain's volatile temper from Cliff Schecter's book, I'm beginning to think they're secretly afraid of them.

What's going on in the real world? Read More......

ANC breaks with Mbeki on Zimbabwe crisis and 'silent diplomacy'

Moving forward, this is great news both for Zimbabwe and South Africa. For whatever reason (historical perhaps) South African President Thabo Mbeki has never criticized Robert Mugabe and repeatedly has talked of 'silent diplomacy' in Zimbabwe as the way forward. The policy has failed and Mbeki has never been a neutral observer, but a Mugabe supporter.

Leading ANC figures have openly contradicted President Thabo Mbeki, who declared after meeting Mr Mugabe in Harare last weekend that there was "no crisis" in Zimbabwe. A top ANC official, Matthews Phosa – a close ally of the ANC leader Jacob Zuma – said yesterday that a crisis was "evident" in South Africa's northern neighbour. The party's national working committee, in a snub to the president, resolved to open direct contact with Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to promote dialogue.

The deadlock in Zimbabwe has caused frustration in South Africa with Mr Mbeki's brand of "quiet diplomacy" to boil over.

Read More......

Does Bush FDA own responsibility for Vioxx deaths?

It's hard not to pass on at least some of the blame to the Bush administration and GOP who have systematically cut funding and resources to the bone. In addition, they've also made it a point to let industry "self regulate" instead of providing the oversight that Americans want and need. People expect business to get away with whatever they can and yes, they do exactly that. Even if information was passed to the FDA it's hard to see them even giving a damn because that might slow business. Merck is in a world of trouble but the Bush-FDA is certainly not looking very competent either. For all of the talk about how precious human life is by the GOP they sure don't treat it that way in the Bush-FDA. Read More......