Going on CNN tomorrow morning to discuss the ABC debate

Should be fun, Howie Kurtz's "Reliable Sources," maybe at 10AM Eastern, maybe later (Pope stuff is messing with the schedule tomorrow morning). My friend Jim Geraghty from National Review Online is going to be on with me. Jim liked the ABC debate. Of course, I too would have enjoyed a debate in which we spent the first hour talking about John McCain's adultery and his wife's drug addiction, so I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. Read the rest of this post...

EU to ditch biofuel targets

Interesting strategy...food for people instead of the gas tank. What a bunch of strange people in Europe with really crazy ideas. Shouldn't food be kept for corporate profits and those who can afford it? Let the poor eat, well, something else. That's what Bush the GOP are suggesting and since when have they ever been wrong? Read the rest of this post...

More bad news in banking, which means great news

To be honest, it doesn't make any sense to me either. Last week a string of big financials including Washington Mutual, Merrill Lynch, UBS and JP Morgan all choked and announced that they were hitting the streets yet again, begging for more cash. Just a week prior to this news, executives were pooh-poohing any rumors of begging for cash yet it happened for the second time in just a few months. Now Royal Bank of Scotland is set to do the same and somehow the market sees this as a good thing. Really? Do tell, because taking hat in hand for billions plus chopping staff over and over and over strikes me as a very bad sign.

I'd like to be wrong on this but when markets react in a way that makes no sense this often means common sense is about to strike. Analysts typically see a second bottoming out in any recession and to date we have only experienced one hard fall and it's difficult to argue against the US being in a recession. Don't believe the Wall Street hype because the US will not be out of the woods until 2009, at the earliest. Read the rest of this post...

Airlines blame FAA for all of their problems

Someone really needs to tell the US airline industry to stick it. They consistently offer some of the worst service in the world, throw charges on to the customer at every corner, pay management excessive salaries for terrible products, jam customers in to smaller and smaller spaces, receive billions in taxpayer handouts yet it's never enough. Now it's the fault of the FAA for insisting that the US airline industry actually maintains their planes properly instead of providing the maintenance quality usually expected in the developing world. Sorry that Congress is forcing the FAA to finally step up and demand improvements, but if the airline industry doesn't like it, get out of business.

For anyone that flies on a regular basis, do we really want the airline industry telling us what level of maintenance is enough? This is an industry that is struggling with high fuel costs and cutting corners. Maybe others are comfortable with this overpaid bunch of executives calling the shots with safety but considering how well self-regulation has worked in the past across multiple industries, thanks but no thanks. They can go Cheney themselves. Read the rest of this post...

At Clinton HQ, they're making a list... checking it twice.

Another reason Hillary Clinton is losing may be explained in tomorrow's NY Times. The Clinton campaign seems to spend a lot of time figuring out which disloyal Democrats to hate -- and to what degree they should hate them. The Clinton campaign is on life support and they are busy making an enemies list.

Last year, word was that Team Clinton basically went around to donors and others with a clear message, which I'll paraphrase here:

Get on the bus, NOW. If you don't get on the bus, NOW, you will never get on the bus. This is the winning bus and we're going to remember who didn't get on early because when you try to get on, there won't be any seats left.

Despite the warnings, a lot of people took a different bus.

It does sound like the crew at the Clinton HQ puts a lot of time into tracking who, in their minds, has screwed them over. John Kerry is currently at the top of the hate list (a top Clinton supporter says Kerry is now "dead" to the Clintons):

Mr. Kerry, his top aides and family members have received varying degrees of tongue-lashing from Clinton surrogates, chiefly two top fund-raisers — John Coale and Peter Maroney — with previous close ties to Mr. Kerry.

(Quick aside: Mr. Coale is married to Greta Van Susteren from FOX News. Oh, and for what it's worth, they're both Scientologists.)

Now, I'm just saying that it might have behooved the staffers, fundraisers and consultants associated with Team Clinton to put some time into being decent to those who could have helped them. However, Team Clinton took a different approach -- and look where it got them. The arrogance of that campaign, and the sense of entitlement, permeated everything they did. John and I learned first-hand that if you weren't 100% with them every step of the way, even if you went far out of your way to help them on numerous occasions, you were persona non grata - not needed. Not that we ever wanted to be needed by Team Clinton, but we saw how they treated people who ever strayed from the reservation. And we weren't the only ones to experience the special charm that is Team Clinton. Lots of political types -- and reporters -- we've spoken to have similar stories of how they too were mistreated by the campaign. It's a window into the character of the campaign, and its leader - and it isn't pretty.

This arrogance and vindictiveness of the Clintons is important to understand. It helps explain why Hillary won't get out of the race even though she can't win it. The world revolves around Hillary and Bill. They're willing to destroy anyone who gets in their way. And if the majority of the Democratic voters, the majority of the states, and the majority of the delegates get in their way, then they'll be on the top of the list. Right after John Kerry. Read the rest of this post...

Hillary again criticizes Obama, refuses to criticize McCain

Wouldn't it be neat to have a presidential candidate who thought it was a good idea to criticize Republicans and a bad idea to criticize Democrats? Read the rest of this post...

China refuses to guarantee free press during Olympics

Nothing captures the Olympic spirit like controlling the press. Fortunately the American media is familiar with this routine, having given up their authority and independence to the Bush administration after 9/11 so this will be an easy process for them. Nobody, but nobody can provide government boot-licking like the US media. I'm smelling a few touching human interest stories about Hu Jintao and his love of puppy dogs and injured kittens. There is no low low enough for the American media when money is involved. Hooray for freedom and democracy! Hooray for GE, Nike and Coke! Read the rest of this post...

Would someone please ask Howard Wolfson what he's talking about?

The Clinton campaign, for months now, has pushed this seemingly true, but logically flawed, notion that if Obama loses big states like Pennsylvania to Hillary, then that means he "can't win" big states, aka can't win big states against McCain in the fall. Here is what top Clinton advisers Wolfson had to say, again, yesterday:

"If Sen. Obama can't win in Pennsylvania, it will be another sign he's unable to win in large states Democrats need to win in a general election," says Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson.

On its face you go, wow, he's right. I mean, if Obama can't win Pennsylvania then we're screwed in the fall - that's a lot of electoral votes for McCain. The only problem in Wolfson's logic, and he knows it, is that while Obama is expected to lose Pennsylvania to Hillary in the Democratic primary next Tuesday, that has nothing to do with the results of Obama vs. McCain in the general election. Yes, Hillary's people are lying to you, yet again. Let me walk you through the logic with an example.

1. I have a choice between brownies and cookies for dessert. I choose brownies. Wolfson is trying to tell me that this means I hate cookies, that I'll never choose cookies in the future, and even if I have a choice between cookies and broccoli for dessert in the fall, I'll choose broccoli then because I didn't choose cookies today.

You see, Wolfson is making a common error that's understandable coming from the Hillary campaign. Most Democrats are not going to help John McCain become president out of spite simply because Hillary didn't win the Democratic nomination. In the real world, Democrats support their party and their nominee - they don't take their toys and go home just because their first choice in the primary didn't win. Read the rest of this post...

Younger than McCain

A cute new video. You'll have to scroll down to find it, once you click. (Actually, easier to see it here on YouTube.) Read the rest of this post...

China protests protests

Can yellow ribbons, lapel pins with the red flag and freedom fries be far away? While China and some in the West complain about unfair anti-China sentiment they always overlook the human rights issue and say "well what about the US and human rights?" Sure, it's an issue and yes, they ought to take notice that many Americans were and continue to be outspoken against US human rights abuses. They might also take note that when the US invaded Iraq and Bush's approval rating was still high, the rest of the world all criticized the US and rightly so. Was the world wrong to criticize the US? Absolutely.

Going back in history, British factory workers refused to work with American cotton from the south because they felt a moral obligation to rid the world of slavery. The issue of slavery was indeed an "internal issue" as China says of Tibet but it was also a moral issue for the world. During the apartheid years, the rest of the world viewed apartheid as morally repugnant and led boycotts against the former regime. Again, according to China that was an internal issue. The communist regime in Beijing needs to catch up with the rest of the world and show some flexibility if they want to be taken seriously. It's no skin off of my back if business abandons China and it's likely many Western businesses are looking at Plan B at the moment so go ahead and protest. Burn down more foreign businsses and attack more Western countries. Good luck with that strategy and let us know how it works out. Read the rest of this post...

Dear Hillary: What happens if you do win?

I'm no strategist, but it seems that if you're aiming for the Democratic nomination, offending MoveOn and the Netroots is a first class disaster.

I mean, if by some chance you beat Obama, you're going to want MoveOn and the Netroots to help you beat McCain, right? Especially after you've already admitted that they're some of the biggest fundraisers the party's got.

And then there's the youth vote. Let's say you beat Obama, and they're a little angry. The Netroots could be great help in winning them back.

The "activist base" might have been willing to come around in time. They might have been willing to support you for the good of the party.

I'm guessing now...not so much. Read the rest of this post...

35,000 at rally for Obama in Philly

Wow. There's a lot of buzz about a huge rally in Philadelphia for Obama last night. HUGE:

WITH JUST days to go before the Pennsylvania primary, Sen. Barack Obama last night appeared before thousands of roaring supporters in Independence Mall, and pledged to "declare independence" from Washington politics.

"In four days, you get the chance to help bring about the change that we need right now, Philadelphia," Obama said. "Here in the city and the state that gave birth to our democracy, we can declare our independence from the politics that has shut us out, let us down, and told us to settle."

In his first public Philadelphia appearance, Obama stood on stage before the Independence Visitor Center, addressing a rapturous crowd of roughly 35,000 that stretched all the way to Independence Hall. His warm up acts included will.i.am, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas.

That has to be one of the biggest political events ever during a primary. Imagine what the general election will be like.

Rooting around this morning, there is excellent first-hand coverage at a recommended post on DailyKos by Sphexus, with lots of pictures and video -- including video of a spontaneous march by thousands of Obama supporters through downtown Philadelphia after the event.

You can probably add these 35,000 people to the list that Hillary doesn't like and doesn't agree with. Read the rest of this post...

Saturday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

It is a beautiful day in D.C. Spring is here -- and the pollen is in the air and everywhere.

Check out this week's poem of the week, This is Just to Say, by William Carlos Williams. According to the poet blogger behind the poem of the week blog, "The poem is exactly what it claims to be. Its power stems from its images, clarity of language, and the 'energy' Williams creates using line breaks."

One other thing. I'm not linking to any more Zogby polls. First, Zogby has been amazingly unreliable for the past couple years. But, there's another, more important reason that says a lot about Zogby's cred right now. Earlier this year, Zogby teamed up with Reuters on its polls. Now, Zogby is doing polls with the right-wing wackos at NewsMax. com. Yes, NewsMax.com. Check out the Shop at NewsMax.com. NewsMax isnt' a real news site. It's a right-wing propaganda site -- and Zogby has sunk to a new low.

Have at it. Read the rest of this post...

Gelato!

This gelato is from a charming little shop in the town of Menton, France which is sort of like Florida for the French. It's the last town before the border with Italy and used to be part of Italy a hundred plus years ago so there are always quite a few Italians in town. Lots of tasty Franco-Italian food in the area and of course, gelato. Read the rest of this post...

South Africans block Chinese weapons shipment to Zimbabwe

South African dock workers refused to unload the delivery for the desperate Robert Mugabe and the South African courts backed up the dock workers. The Chinese ship has since left Durban, South Africa and rumored to be heading for Mozambique. The shipment may unload in Mozambique (if dock workers again refuse) though it's a poor government so they may end up allowing passage. The problem there is that after decades of war, roads in Mozambique are difficult and drop off quickly outside of the city. Will the Chinese weapons make it in time to be distributed to Mugabe's thugs before his government folds or will the Chinese weapons be used to kill even more people? Read the rest of this post...