Study: Northeast winters warming fast

From AP:

A study of weather station data from across the Northeast from 1965 through 2005 found December-March temperatures increased by 2.5 degrees. Snowfall totals dropped by an average of 8.8 inches across the region over the same period, and the number of days with at least 1 inch of snow on the ground decreased by nine days on average.

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Clinton fans ticked at MSNBC's Chris Matthews

Tweety ticked some people off. Read More......

Europe's high-speed trains: Another example of how we're not #1

I've been harping a lot lately about how in so many areas of technology the US is not #1. From cell phones to Internet connectivity to high speed rail, we kind of suck as compared to much of the world. We like to talk about how we live in the bestest country on earth, but I've an increasing sense that we're falling behind in far too many ways while all that our politicians give us is pablum. The latest example: high speed trains. The trip from DC to Chicago on Amtrak takes 24 hours. The European high speed equivalent would take around 6 hours. Sure, we've got the Acela train on Amtrak, which doesn't go nearly as fast as France's TGV, and, I'm told by my friends who travel the DC to NY route often, the Acela is so filthy with litter that they refuse to even ride it. I've ridden many a train in Europe, of all classes and speeds, and I've never seen "filthy." It's true that we're not a train culture. But perhaps that's because we have such crappy trains, and expectations, while the rest of the world has once again passed us by. Read More......

Pro-Hillary Democratic groups trying to prevent voters' access to Nevada caucuses. That's so Republican.

We've come to expect Republicans to use various tactics to prevent voters from participating in the electoral process. But, in Nevada, it's pro-Democratic groups that are trying to stop voters from participating.

This all relates to the upcoming Nevada caucus. One thing most people seem to acknowledge as a failing of the Iowa caucus is that it prevents people who work during the caucus hours from participating. That's anti-Democratic and anti-democratic. It's an issue that was raised by Hillary Clinton in Nevada last week:

"You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard," Clinton, D-N.Y., said. "That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present."

In Nevada, the Democratic Party tried to solve that problem by establishing caucus sites where many people work. It's been part of the Nevada State Democratic Party's delegate selection plan for awhile now. (A pdf version of the "Official Rules" can be located at the Nevada Democratic Party's caucus website. Check out "Appendix C: At-Large Precinct Caucus Rules and Procudures" on page 52.) My point is that this process has been known for awhile. It's not something that somebody just cooked up.

In today's NY Times, we learn that has brought about a lawsuit filed by the Nevada State Education Association to prevent those caucus sites. The Times article calls this a "proxy battle" between Clinton and Obama supporters. But that would mean Clinton supporters are actually working against something that "is troubling" to Clinton.

Caucuses defy the concept of one-person, one-vote. That's for sure. But, filing a lawsuit to prevent access to the process by working people is weak. Very weak.

There's more after the break.

The Democratic Party does have an amazingly complicated system for picking delegates who will ultimately choose the nominee. But, the process is best served by having more Democrats, not fewer. Here's the report from the Times:

Filed Friday in Federal District Court here, the lawsuit comes just days after the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Nevada endorsed Mr. Obama, a blow to Mrs. Clinton.

In the lawsuit, the 20,000-member Nevada State Education Association and six residents of the Las Vegas area argue that the Nevada Democratic Party’s decision to create at-large precincts inside nine Las Vegas resorts on the day of the caucus, next Saturday, violates state election law and creates a system in which voters at the at-large precincts can elect more delegates than voters at other precincts.

The suit uses a complex formula to assert that voters at the other 1,754 precincts in Nevada would have less influence.

“It may be well-intentioned,” said Mark Ferrario, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “But good intentions do not substitute for complying with the equal protection requirements.”

D. Taylor, the secretary-treasurer of Culinary Local 226, criticized the lawsuit as “despicable” and “disgusting.”

“I never thought we’d have people in the Democratic Party try to disenfranchise women, people of color and large numbers of working people in this state,” Mr. Taylor said. “I am sure every single elected official in Nevada will renounce it, and so will the Clinton campaign.

Is it possible that the way the Nevada caucus is now set up favors Obama more than Clinton? Sure, it's possible. But the system was set up by the Nevada state Democratic party, which was, in principle, following the rules set down by the DNC (i.e., the Democratic party in Washington). That makes this legal posturing appear as an effort to try to gain unfair advantage - a la Republican - rather than an effort to set things straight.

There is an ugliness brewing in the Democratic campaign that's not good. Disenfranchisement should never, ever be part of any campaign operation. Read More......

Cloned food needs to be clearly marked

Now that the EU is joining the US with moving towards allowing franken-food, let's be sure to have everything properly marked. Penalties for not marking or incorrectly marking should be extremely painful to business. If the government scientists want to let this happen - despite massively high numbers not in favor - let them clearly mark the franken-food and see how the market responds. Besides marking, there should be no option to buy a market with below profit margins.

Go ahead and put it out there and allow consumers to make this call. Something tells me it will go the way of Olestra if consumers are warned. Let the governments who are allowing this serve it to themselves and be guinea pigs for thirty years. Afterwards we can have a nice study and see the results, but don't ask consumers to be testers for the Big Food industry, yet again. Isn't it time that our governments start thinking about people instead of business? Read More......

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

Another week chock full of presidential candidates with a former Democratic nominee and GOP wannabe thrown in.

Clinton gets a full hour with Russert. Besides that, we get Romney twice, Huckabee twice, Edwards once and Thompson once. And, even Rudy makes an appearance.

The full lineup is after the break.

There should be some news coming out of these shows today, mostly on the GOP side where it's getting very contentious:

ABC's "This Week" — Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

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CBS' "Face the Nation" — Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., and former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.

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NBC's "Meet the Press" — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

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CNN's "Late Edition" — Romney, Huckabee, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.; Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi, Iraqi defense minister.

"Fox News Sunday" _ Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

If you're watching, provide the commentary. Read More......

China banning plastic bags

Very nice and congratulations to China. The blight of the world is disappearing even in one of the largest polluting countries of the world. A few cities in the US have banned them and over here in Europe they're becoming less common. It's easy enough to just bring reusable shopping bags to the grocery store (or leave them in your car) so I'm fine with ditching them.

I never quite understand the right wing hostility to getting rid of plastic bags. You would think that people were asking them to turn in their best friend or something. Oh right...they're made from oil, I forgot. Read More......

Days after accepting job with bank, Blair launches EU presidency campaign

Obviously conflict of interest has no meaning in Brussels either. Blair has a new friend in Sarkozy, who will have considerable leverage in choosing the new EU president later this year. With his own share of problems at home (lack of direction, circus-like atmosphere, cabinet re-shuffle talk, soap opera/magazine cover personal lifestyle) Sarkozy may not even care if it helps distract people from domestic issues, which remain without direction. Anything that can take the political spotlight away would suit him just fine. As long as the magazine covers remain, it's fine.

Blair ought to be thrilled with the idea, since the position is questionable in terms of actual power, yet it provides him with a microphone and TV cameras to help promote himself even more. Perhaps he can even whip up a new $1m consulting gig while he's at it. Whether he will be as successful in this mission as he was with bringing peace to the Middle East doesn't even matter, because who really cares what the EU president or parliament does? No one even knows who they are, which is precisely the kind of system that the European ruling class prefers, Blair included. No questions asked, no democracy, no matter. Read More......