Queer as a five dollar bill

Not that I object to lavender, but still... I noticed yesterday, while buying milk, that the number 5 on a five dollar bill just went lavender. In addition, there's a big red smudge down the center of the bill (that isn't just the photo) like someone spilled grape juice on it (or bled on it). These constant, non-stop, little tweaks to the currency are very unsettling. It's as if they think we won't notice if they just do it incrementally. We're going to end up with silly multi-colored European money, mark my words. Read the rest of this post...

Olbermann: Bush lied about giving up golf for the troops

Olbermann's special comment about Bush having "given up golf" to show his solidarity with the troops, best read in its entirety. And apparently Keith has proof that Bush in fact golfed after he claimed he gave it up. Read the rest of this post...

My MSNBC spot from earlier today

It was a bit odd. Topic kind of flew all over the place. But went ok. I loved the Republican trying to call Obama an elitist and McCain, who owns 9 houses and whose wife is filthy rich, a man of the people.

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The face that would launch a thousand wars

Nasty pic.

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Things I wish I wrote

In an blog post entitled, "And I Gave Up Coke During Apartheid!", Ana Marie Cox (the former Wonkette) takes George Bush on for divulging today that he gave up golf to show his solidarity with the troops:

Bush, to Politico:

"I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said in an interview for Yahoo! News and Politico magazine.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them."

Hey, you know what sends the "wrong signal"? Invading a sovereign country based on cooked intelligence! Also, telling terrorists to "bring it on." Oh, wait, wait, you want totally crossed wires? A banner reading "mission accomplished."

Maybe he should stick to golf and give up wars.

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Big gay marriage court case coming down tomorrow

The California Supreme Court will issue its same-gender marriage ruling tomorrow at 10am Pacific time. More from the Chronicle:

More than four years after San Francisco defied state marriage laws by allowing nearly 4,000 same-sex couples to wed at City Hall, the state Supreme Court is set to decide Thursday whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry in California.

But the decision, due at 10 a.m., may not be the last word. Conservative religious organizations have submitted more than 1.1 million signatures for an initiative that would amend the state Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. If at least 694,354 signatures are found to be valid, a tally that is due by mid-June, the measure would go before the voters in November and could override a court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

If it's a presidential election year, it's gay marriage. Read the rest of this post...

Cindy McCain sells $2m in Sudan-related investments

Wish I had $2m invested in anything. Now who's the elitist? More from AP:

Cindy McCain, whose husband has been a critic of the violence in Sudan, sold off more than $2 million in mutual funds whose holdings include companies that do business in the African nation.

The sale on Wednesday came after The Associated Press questioned the investments in light of calls by John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, for international financial sanctions against the Sudanese leadership....

Last year, in a speech on energy policy to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, McCain cited China's investments in Sudan as an example of regimes that survive off free-flowing petro dollars.

Oops. The incredibly rich Mrs. McCain says she will never ever release her tax returns, even if her husband becomes president. Read the rest of this post...

More on Edwards endorsing Obama

From the Post

Aside from the obvious demographic benefits an Edwards endorsement could have, his decision to throw his backing behind Obama also has symbolic import. Edwards is widely seen as one of the major party figures who had remained on the sidelines in the race between Clinton and Obama. That he has stepped in to the fray in hopes of, perhaps, bringing this race to an end should send a powerful signal to undecided superdelegates about the direction of the contest.

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Edwards will endorse Obama tonight

UPDATE: The Post confirms it.

MORE UPDATES FROM JOHN: The Times made me laugh:

Officials announced the news shortly after Mr. Obama landed here late this afternoon. The campaign has timed the announcement to coincide with the start of the major evening newscasts, which would have otherwise focused on Senator Hillary Clinton’s landslide victory in West Virginia, which raised new questions about Mr. Obama’s strength with white working class voters.

Lots of buzz on the internets about a big endorsement for Obama tonight. Via Taegan Goddard:

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is planning to announce "a major endorsement" tonight at 6:30 pm ET.

We've heard it from good source that it will be John Edwards. Read the rest of this post...

A new reason for Hillary to stay in the race: She's very sensitive, you know

The latest argument being made by Hillary sycophant Ellen Malcolm is that it would be rude to tell Hillary that she lost the election. You'll recall that Malcolm wrote this weekend that the only reason people were saying Hillary lost is because she's a woman (apparently 2+2=5 if you're a woman, according to EMILY's List). Our female readers were none too happy about Malcolm's column. Well, now Malcolm is arguing that it would be rude to ask Hillary to call it quits before the final primaries. She's ticked that NARAL just endorsed Obama, which is huge. From Ben Smith:

A rift in the women's movement, as the head of Emily's List -- a key Clinton backer -- attacks Naral for endorsing Obama:

I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton - who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade - to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.

Wow. If Hillary is that sensitive that she can't be told when she's lost a battle, how is she going to stand up to North Korea and Iran as president? I mean, all they have to do is show her disrespect and apparently we're being told that she'll crumble like a flower. You'd think that there were no other women running, the way EMILY's List is wasting their time and money on Hillary's now-failed campaign. You'd think that Senate and House candidates - and the DNC - weren't complaining that this dragged out race is hurting their fundraising. You'd think that Democratic nominee Barack Obama had nothing better to do these next three weeks than waste time and money dealing with Hillary instead of John McCain.

For Ellen Malcolm and EMILY's List to claim that there is no cost to giving Hillary time to come to terms with her grief is simply bizarre. Hillary is hurting our candidates, starting at the top of the ticket. Malcolm either needs to tell us that she has no other viable pro-choice Democratic women candidates that she could spending EMILY's List money on, or she can just admit that she's going to waste money and time on Hillary's now-over race because, you know, it would be mean to expect Hillary to drop out of the race like every man and woman who has run for office before her. Read the rest of this post...

'Misery Index' high and likely higher than suggested

Of course it is. The only people who think otherwise are the Republicans who created this problem and Wall Street who are immune to the recession thanks to massive welfare checks from taxpayers.

The "Misery Index" was often cited during periods of high unemployment and inflation, such as the mid 1970s and late 1970s to early 1980s.

And some fear the economy may be approaching those levels again.

The official numbers produce a current Misery Index of only 8.9 -- inflation of 3.9% plus unemployment of 5%. That's not far from the Misery Index's low of 6.1 seen in 1998.

But using the estimates on CPI and unemployment from economists skeptical of the government numbers, the Misery Index is actually in the teens. Some worry it could even approach the post-World War II record of 20.6 in 1980.

"We're looking at government numbers that are really out of whack," said Kevin Phillips, author of the book "Bad Money."

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I should be on MSNBC some time in the next 15 minutes talking about the election

More or less 2:45 Eastern, give or take 5 or 10 minutes. Read the rest of this post...

Top House Repub: "The president swallows the microphone every time he opens his mouth."

The House Republicans aren't showing any love for George W. Bush. But, they own him and he owns them. They're one and the same:

Rep. Tom Davis stomped on the concrete floor of the Capitol basement when asked by reporters about Republican fortunes at the moment.

"This is the floor," he said, by way of explanation. "We're below the floor."

Inside the meeting, Davis had just presented his colleagues with what he said was a 20-page memo outlining his prescription for a way out of this mess. He did not offer details to the press, yet did not spare the party and the president scathing criticism in his public comments.

"The president swallows the microphone every time he opens his mouth," Davis said.

This is the Bush/Rove legacy. Now, every time some pundit quotes Rove, factor in the destruction he's helped wreak upon the GOP. Read the rest of this post...

But when the Soviets and the Chinese do it (did it) it's wrong

Via Atrios:

The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged.... Involuntary chemical restraint of detainees, unless there is a medical justification, is a violation of some international human rights codes. The practice is banned by several countries where, confidential documents make clear, U.S. escorts have been unable to inject deportees with extra doses of drugs during layovers en route to faraway places.

Oh, don't be silly. Human rights violations are only illegal when other people do them, like the Chinese. Read the rest of this post...

Dear Media, time to ask Hillary some hard questions

1. Your own campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe, told MSNBC last night that you will lose to Obama in overall pledged delegates. So the only way for you to win the nomination is by the superdelegates overruling the will of the people. That will cause a civil war in the Democratic party (I'll be helping to lead it). It will likely cause blacks to leave the party, possibly forever. It will disenfranchise the youth vote. The Netroots will likely declare war on you.

A) In what imaginary universe do you see the superdelegates risking a civil war for you?

B) How are you going to win an overwhelming majority of the remaining superdelegates, something you need in order to overrule the vote of the people, when the overwhelming majority of them are endorsing Obama?

C) Why are you willing to accept a civil war in the Democrat party in order to win the nomination? Doesn't that make you a traitor to your party?

2) The DNC has said that this drawn out nomination is hurting their fundraising and limiting the number of ads they can run against John McCain. You can't win, and by drawing out the nomination, you're hurting the DNC's efforts against McCain. Why does that not make you a traitor?

3) A congressional candidate and a senate candidate have both told us that your name on the ballot in the fall will be an immediate 5 to 8 point penalty in the polls for their races. This is because you are so hated by the right that your name on the ballot will inspire every lunatic to vote, and they will vote a straight party ticket, hurting every Democrat running. Explain why we shouldn't care that your nomination will devastate Democratic races across the country? Then explain why this doesn't make you a traitor?

4) A congressional candidate and a senate candidate have both told us that the drawn out nomination is hurting their fundraising, as donors focus more on the presidential election, but also as some major donors are not willing to spend money on the general if your name is on the ballot (because your name on the ballot will doom Democratic races in more conservative states). You can't win, and you're hurting Democratic fundraising across the country. Why doesn't this make you a traitor to your own party?

5) Groups like EMILY's List, AFSCME, and the American Federation of Teachers are still wasting large sums of money on independent expenditures to support your doomed candidacy. That money could be better spent on candidates who actually have a chance of winning, rather than a candidate who has already lost. You are literally taking money away from campaigns that need it. Why does this not make you - and EMILY's List, AFSCME and the AFT - traitors to your own party?

6) Because you're insisting on staying in a race that you've already lost, Obama is forced to spend money and time dealing with you, rather than dealing with John McCain. You are literally helping John McCain in this race. Why does that not make you a traitor to your party?

7) An increasing number of Democrats - Democrats who once liked and defended both you and your husband - now hate you, and are saying that the Republicans may have been right in everything they've ever said about you. Why are you willing to destroy your credibility and reputation in the Democratic party for a race that you've already lost?

Once Hillary answers those questions, then we'll talk. Read the rest of this post...

What is David Hardt's damage?

We wrote the other day about how odd it was that the superdelegates from College Democrat of America and Young Democrats of America were refusing to make an endorsement. Obama has overwhelmingly won the youth vote, and he has caused a surge (pardon my French) in youth turnout. So you'd think it would be a no-brainer for the superdelegates who represent the youth vote to endorse the candidate who represents the youth vote. Well, three of the four youth-vote superdelegates - Lauren Wolfe, Crystal Strait, and Awais Khalil - have finally endorsed Obama. And good for them. The final youth-vote superdelegate, David Hardt, is holding out. And that doesn't look good. At some point, you miss your window of opportunity. You still have a chance to get on the Obama bus, David. But the bus isn't going to wait forever. Obama is going to be our nominee, and he's going to be our next president. The only remaining question is whether you're going to announce your endorsement before folks get tired of this little dance. Because at that point, you'll have missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Lauren and Awais did a great YouTube video about their Obama endorsement.

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"The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up."

Oh, the House Republicans are so screwed. The Hill has yet another look at GOP prospects -- and the potential for GOP leadership changes. It's delicious:

The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up.

The GOP loss in Mississippi’s special election Tuesday is the strongest sign yet that the Republican Party is in shambles. And while some Republicans see a light at the end of the tunnel, that light more likely represents the Democratic train that is primed to mow down more Republicans in November.

The third straight House special election loss in three conservative districts this year is a clear indication that the GOP brand is turning off voters and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is in disarray.

In the wake of the devastating loss, the first question facing House Republican leaders is whether they will keep Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) as NRCC chairman. Speculation has been rampant that Cole would be asked to step down should Republicans lose in Mississippi, and on Tuesday that chatter intensified.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will be under tremendous pressure to do something dramatic after the trio of losses. Boehner has publicly clashed with Cole over staffing and lackluster fundraising numbers but despite their differences, their political futures are tied together.

Significant gains by House Democrats this fall would likely lead to Boehner and Cole losing their leadership posts. Travis Childers (D), who narrowly defeated Greg Davis (R) on Tuesday, will push the Democrats’ total in the House to 236 members. With six months to go until the elections, political analysts and observers are suggesting Democrats could reach 250 in the next Congress.

Some Republican conference members have criticized Boehner for not effectively managing Cole.

GOP strategists and lobbyists have also questioned Boehner’s leadership. One Republican source noted that, after Boehner called for staffing changes at the NRCC, Cole refused and triumphed in the showdown.

Okay, there are six months left til election day and a lot can happen. But, this is all looking good.

Now, if we could just get Clinton to admit she's lost so we can really start the battle against McCain. Read the rest of this post...

Hillary's campaign isn't dead, it's resting!

You really have to read Dana Milbank's piece in today's Post. It's hysterical - as metaphor for Hillary's campaign he weaves in the dead parrot from Monty Python (he's not dead, he's resting!) - though this paragraph was particularly Clintonian:

2:57 p.m., Yeager Airport, Charleston, W.Va.: A steep descent brings Clinton's plane to Charleston's hilltop airport. After an appropriate wait, she steps from the plane and pretends to wave to a crowd of supporters; in fact, she is waving to 10 photographers underneath the airplane's wing. She pretends to spot an old friend in the crowd, points and gives another wave; in fact, she was waving at an aide she had been talking with on the plane minutes earlier.

The rest is just pathetic:

7:30 p.m., Charleston Convention Center: The moment the polls closed, MSNBC, playing on the television screens backstage at the victory celebration, declares Clinton the winner of the West Virginia primary. This is no surprise: Exit polls have showed a 2 to 1 margin of victory for Clinton. But a Clinton spokesman rushes into the press area. "Look at that! Look at that! Clinton wins!" he says with mock surprise. There is no television playing on the convention center's red-carpeted floor, where all of 89 Clinton supporters have arrived so far. After a 12-minute delay, somebody thinks to turn on the television in the hall, and the small group breaks into a chant: "It's not over." A few of the supporters attempted to follow that up with a chant of "Yes, we will!"

We will? A week ago, Clinton won the Indiana primary by two percentage points -- and the media decreed that she had lost. Now she's trouncing Obama by double digits in West Virginia -- and nobody seems to be paying attention. This, no doubt, has something to do with the fact that she is trailing Obama in the popular vote, states won, pledged delegates and, now, superdelegates.

"W.Va. win unlikely to change race for Clinton," ABC News reported Tuesday morning. CBS pointed to "her nearly nonexistent chances." NBC likened the vote to "the final football game of the regular season, which really won't impact the teams headed to the playoffs." Even Clinton loyalist James Carville called Obama the likely nominee.

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Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning everyone.

That victory by Travis Childers in the congressional seat in Mississippi is just amazing. Congrats are due Childers and the DCCC. Can you imagine the scene at Republican HQ last night? The Hill reports this latest loss may result in leadership changes:

The loss could send shockwaves through the Republican Party, where murmurs about a leadership shakeup have become more and more audible.

How fun is that? Intra-GOP warfare six months before major elections.

Hillary Clinton's over reliance on West Virginia is starting to sound like George Bush defending the "coalition of the willing" because a country like Estonia sent troops to Iraq. Yes, she won, as expected. And, yes, Estonia sent 40 troops to Iraq. But, neither of those facts change the fundamentals. Both situations desperately need an exit strategy.

Okay...start threading... Read the rest of this post...

'Death gap' increasing in US

The growing delta between educated and less-educated Americans is taking a heavy toll on the health of the US. As long as we continue to favor the most privileged with tax codes there is no reason to think this is going to change. How did we become such a self-centered country, leaving so many behind? I may not subscribe to the "greatest generation" theory but it's obvious that generation was much more interested in the greater good than we see today.

Now another study uses a different proxy for “haves” or “have-nots”—education—and reaches another shameful conclusion: the gap in death rates between Americans with less than a high school education and college graduates has soared since 1993, they will report tomorrow in the May 14 issue of PLoS One.

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China continues impressive rescue mission

Severe weather has slowed the Chinese rescue missions for the earthquake victims but from the media accounts, you have to be impressed with the all out attempts to send in aid. Compare this to neighboring Myanmar or even Bush after Katrina. Between the devastation and the weather it may be days before we know how many people may have perished.

A massive rescue operation yesterday struggled with heavy rain and aftershocks in the search for tens of thousands of people who remained missing following the devastating earthquake which struck central China on Monday.

As President Wen Jiabao toured the disaster area to oversee rescue efforts, the authorities said the death toll had reached 12,000 people in Sichuan Province alone. In some towns, there were more people missing buried under collapsed homes, hospitals and schools than found alive, raising fears that the death toll could soon rise dramatically.

In Mianyang 60 miles east of the epicentrre, 18,645 people remained buried under debris and survivors spent a second night sleeping outside in the rain, some under striped plastic sheeting strung between trees. The government ordered them not to return home, citing safety concerns, and posted security guards outside apartment complexes to keep people out. At least 4,800 people remained buried in Mianzhu, local authorities said.

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"The nutjobs might have been kind of right about the Clintons this whole time."

In response to my earlier post about Hillary, AMERICAblog reader Anne sent me a note that echoes what I've been hearing from a lot of Democrats of late:

I used to love Bill Clinton. Love him. I didn't particularly like Hillary (her comments on John Kerry's "botched joke" sums up why) but I wouldn't have minded her as the nominee, though I didn't see how she could win. But this whole primary season has been about dealing with the sinking realization that the nutjobs might have been kind of right about the Clintons this whole time. That's not a good feeling. It's like finding out my mom eats puppies. (She doesn't.... as far as I know.) -- Anne

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