The Flatland Almanack

Sir Ian McKellen in 'Extras': Acting Secrets of One of the World's Greatest!

If you haven't seen it yet, you'll want to get the DVD after this. 

Hillary Takes the High Road

You've hardly heard a word about it in the media, I know, but on the night before events rather dire to Obama, she most certainly did.

Buck Naked Politics News Round-Up for March 7 through March 12

Mar. 7
D Cupples had something surprising to whisper in your ear about a certain defense contractor.

In Iraq, a suicide bomber killed 68 people.  Sixty-eight people---in one single blast.   Meanwhile, US intelligence officials were apparently debating whether it might be best to keep the next progress assessment to themselves.  We, the public, will be informed on a need-to-know basis, I suppose.

D Cupples explains why housing prices are dropping and really need to drop. 

Mar. 8
There were 63,000 jobs lost  in February.  On the bright side, you'll be glad to know that the subprime mortgage crisis didn't prevent the CEOs of the three hardest-hit companies from taking home massive amounts of compensation.  It's an ill wind that blows nobody good!

Meanwhile, while the Obama and Clinton campaigns were badgering one another and getting us Dems all upset, Bush announced that he would indeed veto the legislation that would have banned use of waterboarding by the CIA.  Say what else you will about him, he's consistent.

Mar. 9
If the economy looks pretty moribund to you, take heart:  it's not a recession till the National Bureau of Economic Research says it is.  It's NOT.  Please return to your normal activities.

In Illinois, a Democrat, Bill Foster, beat Republican Jim Oberweis in an election for Dennis Hastert's secret.  Cries of joy would have been universal if Dems weren't busy flinging stones at one another across the barricades and putting ground-up glass in each other's food.

In Iraq, the troops were getting sick from the dirty water provided to them by a military contractor. 

Mar. 10

There's a rumor abroad that one of the companies whose CEO's took home millions while shareholders lost millions might be under investigation for securities fraud. 

Some scientists said that the tipping point for climate change might be coming round sooner than you think and that the current measures to reduce global warming won't be anything like enough to stop it.  Was anyone listening over the uproar of the Democratic primary?  I bet Al Gore was.  Thank God for Al Gore.  (Pssst, Al---don't let them talk you into it!)

The Senate Intelligence Committee said that it would release a 'detailed report' critiquing the Bush Administration's claims during  the run-up to the Iraq War.

Mar. 11

Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York, former prosecutor of prostitution rings,  landed in some hot water due to an unfortunate predilection for expensive prostitutes, and some Democrats actually stopped squabbling long enough to wonder whether he had been targeted for being a successful Democrat.   Should he resign? some asked.

Speaking of the politicization of the Justice Department, the House Judiciary Committee filed civil suits against Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolton for noncompliance with its subpoenas.  Hurray for Chairman John Conyers, my hero!

Admiral William Fallon, head of CENTCOM, has just resigned.  That is not good news.  Fallon was one of the military leaders who opposed Bush on military action in Iran.

Did you know that Bush is still president?  It's true.

Mar. 12

In the Department of Say It Ain't So,  D Cupples notes that Dawn Wells---Mary Ann in Gilligan's Island---was busted for possession of marijuana.

Before Spitzer resigned there was talk of his resignation, and lots of talk about how many years he'd been purchasing the services of prostitutes and immense personal expense.  Among other problems, he moved around the money in ways that violated federal money laundering laws.

Mar. 13

In The New York Times, more news on the FBI's data mining activities. Apparently the dragnet is still wider than advertised.  House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (hero!) had a thing or two to say about that.

Buck Naked Politics 2008 Primaries Round-Up for March 7 to March 13

Well, at least I can't say I don't live in interesting times.

Mar. 7
Obama's now ex- foreign policy adviser confided to a right-wing British newspaper that she considers Hillary Clinton a 'monster.'  Sadly, she didn't say 'off the record' till after she'd said.  As my mom used to say, "You may be brilliant, but sometimes you ain't too bright."  D Cupples wondered whether Samantha Power was secretly working for Hillary. 

At The New York Times David Brooks prophetically suggested that it might not be a good idea for the Obama campaign to abandon its New Politics of Awesomeness, Truth, and Infallibility.  But is New Politics all Obama's got? 

Mar. 8
Sadly for the Obama campaign, the Canadian Minister Stephen Harper popped up to scotch the baseless rumors that it was really the Clinton campaign that contacted the Canadians to assure them that they weren't taking NAFTA too seriously.

Watch ex-Obama adviser Samantha Power wave her hands around at Jeremy Paxman.  She also was revealed on the same day to have told the Brits that Obama didn't really believe it was possible to set a firm date for withdrawal from Iraq. Meanwhile, Obama's intelligence adviser (former Bush employee) announced that he was afraid he very much disagreed with Obama's vote against telecom immunity.  In other words, Obama doesn't mean a word his advisers say.

But then Hillary stuck her foot in her mouth.  In a comment that got way, WAY more media attention than Obama's little slip-ups, she suggested that of the two Democrats, only she has the qualifications to run against McCain.  This remark was later reframed as a statement that she and McCain were better qualified to run than Obama. 

It's 3 AM.  Who do YOU want answering the Red Phone?  Don't say 'John McCain.'

Once again, there were rumors that the Democratic party might call on Al Gore to save the day.  Don't do it, Al Gore!  You're too good to waste on this nightmare.

Mar. 8
As expected, Obama won the Wyoming caucus and 18 more delegates.  But don't get too smug, Obama supporters:  there's not much chance of Wyoming voting Democratic in the general.  In other words, Obama once more proved he can win in states that are going to vote Republican in the general election.  If you don't understand the math, read this extremely useful explanation by D Cupples.

Al Sharpton, who totally is not a surrogate for Obama, threatened a lawsuit if the DNC seats Florida and Michigan delegates based on the first primaries.  As D Cupples points out, this was never the plan anyway, but whatever.  Rock on, Rev. Al.

Mar. 10

Meanwhile, William Kristol has some advice for John McCain.  He might as well, I guess.  He's bound to be right at some point.  He hasn't been yet.

Mar. 11 
No Quarter posted a list of the Obama campaign's various NAFTA-gate statements.  Because of the Spitzer scandal, nobody cared.

Did you know:  studies show that there is an anti-Hillary bias in the media?  You didn't?    I know.  Shocking, isn't it?

Mar. 12

Once again as expected, Obama wins yet another red state (Mississippi) and picks up a few more delegates from a state the Republicans are going to win in the general.

Tucker Carlson backed into saying that Hillary was a strong diplomat and better prepared than Obama. State Department official James Rubin "explained that Hillary Clinton, while not a major player, did help in Northern Ireland and China while she was First Lady."

There was talk for about two minutes of a mail-in do-over in Florida.   I'm not writing about any do over primaries until it's settled (if it ever is).

Meanwhile, in classic Rovian fashion, the Obama campaign sends out an email telling voters that the Clinton campaign wasn't "just attacking me; they're attacking you."  If the Clinton camp sent out a similar email, they left me off the list, because I sure haven't seen it.

Mar. 13

On the night before a day bringing somewhat dire coverage for the Obama campaign, former BN-Politics favorite Olbermann---whom I'm tempted to rename "Obamaman"---issued a statement criticizing the Hillary campaign.  It gave some voters chills; I just rolled my eyes, while D Cupples' little Olbermann-loving heart finally cracked in two.  Along with Hillary supporters everywhere, we BN-Politics blogmates took a solemn oath never to watch or link to MSNBC again.

Even so,  D Cupples bravely deconstructs Olbermann's speech----and MSNBC's recent campaign coverage here.  But did we really need another Fox news? she asks.