Focus on The Family's Dobson to Fred Thompson: You're No Christian

This is bad news for Republican former Senator/actor and potential 2008 presidential hopeful Fred Thompson. James Dobson's Focus on The Family consists of millions of bible thumping Evangelical Christians nationwide, and along with the listeners of right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh make up the heart and soul of the Republican base. As the article points out George W. Bush got six million more new white evangelical votes in 2004 than he did in 2000, and these provided his margin of victory over John Kerry, especially in the crucial swing state of Ohio. As a conservative former Senator from the bible belt state of Tennessee, one might assume that Thompson was Christian enough to pass any litmus test--apparently not so for Dobson, and that's bad news for a potential Thompson campaign for president.

BBC question time: John Bolton Versus The World

Saudi's Stiff Bush

The Bush family's long, often sordid relationship with the Saudi Royal Family over the course of several generations is well documented and it is predicated on one thing, oil. Never mind that 16 of the 18 September 11 highjackers were Saudi nationals--business is business. Therefore the news of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah abruptly canceling a red carpet formal state dinner with Bush in Washington (see story here) that was scheduled for mid-April raised many eyebrows. It is the diplomatic equivalent of spitting in Bush's face, and it is more evidence of the growing isolation, both domestically and internationally that George W. Bush faces in the remaining two years of his presidency. He has virtually no stature left anywhere, even with his family's supposed closest friends and allies.

Republican Senators Cool To Gore's 'Live Earth' DC Stop

When you have people like Republican Senator James Inhofe from Oklahoma who claim that global warming is a 'hoax', combined with a deep emnity, bordering on hatred, towards Al Gore for by many Republicans in Washington, this news comes as no surprise.

Keith Olbermann interviews Mary Tillman

Lies, deception, cover-ups. The Bush wars and the story of Pat Tillman.

Report: McCain Nearly Bolted to Dems in 2001

No surprise in this The Hill article from today, and indeed if McCain had left the Republican party back then and become a Democrat he'd stand a heck of a lot better chance at being elected president than he does now. In hindsight, he also should have taken John Kerry's offer to serve on his 2004 ticket as Vice President. As it stands now, his feeble campaign is on virtual life support, as the conservative base of the Republican party doesn't trust him, and his robust pro-war support of the Bush Iraq policy has alienated most of the Independent and moderate Democratic support he once enjoyed.

Karl Rove Gets Down at Broadcasters Dinner Party

This looks like it was a good party, you've got Rove up their rapping with David Gregory of NBC, and W cracking some pretty funny jokes about himself. Video of Bush here.

Don't Mess With Wal-Mart

Personally I don't shop there, mostly because of the low wages and terrible health care they offer their employees. This article, describing some of the methods they use to keep their employees in line, is flat out creepy. It is a sad indictment on the current state of affairs in this country that Wal-Mart is the nation's largest employer.

The "Carterization" of Tony Blair

This article provides a very interesting angle on the current Iran/Britain hostage crisis by comparing it and the situation that Tony Blair finds himself in to what happened to America and Jimmy Carter back in 1979 when 52 American diplomats were taken hostage by Iran. In this sense it can be taken as a final, humiliating blow to a politically weakened Blair who is on his way out the door as Prime Minister anyway. In 1979 the hostage crisis paralyzed the Carter administration, and it lasted for over 444 days until Carter was soundly defeated in the 1980 election and Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. It should be noted that a rescue mission taken by Carter back then to free the hostages resulted in an unmitigated disaster that resulted in further humiliation and 8 American servicemen dead. Mr. Blair, the next move is yours.
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McCain to Wolf Blitzer: Let's go for a Stroll in Baghdad

John McCain is desperate for there to be good news coming out of Iraq because his near universal support for the Bush administration's 'surge' strategy has tied his struggling presidential campaign to the effort's success. This is clearly seen in an alarming interview he had with CNN's Wolf Blitzer yesterday in which he claims that it's safe for Americans to take a stroll in certain neighborhood's in Baghdad. In the same interview he also erroneously claimed that American General Petraeus cruises around Iraq in an unarmed vehicle. Something tells me that droves of people will not be changing their vacation destinations away from Hawaii and London to Baghdad any time soon, John.

Colbert: Gonzalez Should Be Tortured

McCain Behind In Fund Raising

Of all the ominous signals that have been emanating from the John McCain campaign, this one from the candidate himself lowering the expectations of his first quarter fund raising tally is perhaps the most telling. Money is the mother's milk of American presidential politics, especially with Republicans: this is proof positive that the supposed 'establishment' Republican candidate is in serious, serious trouble and the nomination on the Republican side is wide open.

Novak: Bush All Alone

In half a century, I have not seen a president so isolated from his own party in Congress -- not Jimmy Carter, not even Richard Nixon as he faced impeachment. --Robert Novak

More and more Republicans and conservatives are bailing out on the sinking Bush presidency, as Robert Novak reports in this article. Republican members of Congress are petrified of being swept out of office in 2008 like so many of their former colleagues were last November. The word 'incompetence' has become the term most commonly used to describe the administration.

President Bush responds to Iraq timetable

..."an act of political theater..." He said this while a uniformed military person stands behind him in his press conference.

Bill: Quit Picking on Hillary Over Iraq Vote

They don't call Bill Clinton a political genius for nothing, and as this fascinating article in The Hill reports, he has focused in like a laser beam on the one political issue that is proving to be extremely difficult for his wife to navigate early on in the 2008 election: her 2002 vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq. It has become abundantly clear that Bill is taking a lead strategy role in his wife's candidacy however the question remains whether her Iraq vote and refusal to apologize for it will prevent her from emerging from an increasingly anti-war Democratic electorate.
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Jon Stewart Keeps Us up to Speed on Attorney Firings Scandal

Senator Boxer Shuts Down Senator Inhofe at Gore Hearing

Senator James Inhofe from Oklahoma is well known for calling global warming a 'hoax'. Amazingly, up until November of 2006, he chaired the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee--which is in charge of legislation regarding global warming and the environment. As this video snipped makes clear in stark relief, the Republicans are no longer in charge in the American Congress.

Is John Edwards About To Drop Out of the Race?

Maybe, maybe not, but we'll know a lot more after 12pm EST today. See story here.

Candidate Cash Battle Heating Up

What we have, friends, is a remarkably distinguished field of candidates vying in an election system that has become truly insane. --David Broder

All of the candidates for president in 2008 are spending a disproportionate amount of their time these days raising cash. After all, when it's all said and done the next presidential election is slated to be the first billion dollar election in American history. As this Washington Post article reports, in ten days on March 31 we will have the first truly important metric released in the campaign, which is when the candidates by law must release the results of their first quarter fund raising.

On the Democratic side, it's hard to see how Hillary will not come in first place, but then it gets interesting: How big is her lead over #2? Just who will that #2 be? Will it be John Edwards, who without a day job has been scurrying around the country like a hungry squirrel foraging for cash, or will it be Barack Obama, the inexperienced media darling who claims fat-walleted liberals like George Soros and David Geffen as supporters? The pressure to drop out will no doubt mount on lower profile candidates like Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, and Joe Biden if their number comes in low.

For the Republicans it will be interesting to see if the political obituaries that have been written regarding John McCain were premature or spot on. If his fund raising number is anemic, it would add to the snow ball effect of bad news that has dogged his campaign thus far. It also might very well be the beginning of the end for candidates like Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo. It has been said that cash is the mother's milk of American politics and in the race for the presidency in 2008, those words have never been more true.
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Bush on Iraq (Then and Now)

GOP War: Schwarzenegger calls Rush Limbaugh "Irrelevant"

Up until recently if you were a Republican politician and you criticized Rush Limbaugh, you would swim with the fishes. He has been the singularly most influential person to the very right wing (or base) of the Republican party. However in light of last November's electoral disaster, and with President Bush's support all but collapsing under the weight of the war in Iraq and multiple scandals, the left wing (or moderate) part of the Republican party is making a resurgence. This is illustrated not only by Arnie's public slap back at Rush, but also by Rudy McRomney--the three top tier Republican presidential candidates who have so disappointed the 'Rush' wing of the party up until now.

Supreme Court Hears "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Case

Well I'm glad to see they are finally tackling the important issues (story)....

McCain's Straight Talk Express: Day 1 Recap

Boy what a difference 8 years makes. It's evident that McCain's campaign isn't exactly on fire these days...

Coming: The Google Phone?

See story here

Gore Adviser: "He Has Lost A Few Pounds...Hillary Can Read Into That What She Wants"

Here's an update on Al Gore from Time magazine. It's been whispered for some time that the clearest signal that he does indeed plan to run for president is if he begins to shed weight--which he apparently is in the process of doing. More importantly, he will testify before Congress next week on global warming hearings. I still say that if he does run, he will announce in June, right after his book comes out. With polls showing that an inexperienced Obama catching up to a clearly underwhelming Hillary, Gore's timing could be spot on.

Trump: Bush Worst President Ever

Not much gratitude for Bush from this billionaire, even with the tax cuts...

New Zogby Poll: 46% of Voters would "Never" Vote for Hillary

This poll helps validate the opinions of those who believe Hillary Clinton will have a very difficult, if not impossible, time ever getting elected president. An overwhelming majority of conservatives and a shockingly high percentage of moderates say they would never vote for her under any circumstance. Although it is still very early, the poll seems to indicate that voters this election cycle are looking towards the future, and away from the past, as other candidates with long political histories (Al Gore, Newt Gingrich) also poll very low.

Snoop Dog Busted for Weed in Sweden

I guess this wouldn't fall under the 'shocking' category. Snoop and P. Diddy in concert together in Sweden? That sounds like one hell of a show/party--

Joe Biden Unplugged

Here is the speech Joe Biden gave earlier this week on the Senate floor regarding Iraq . Although by paying attention to the national media you probably wouldn't know it--he, along with Hillary and Obama is running for President on the Democratic side in 2008.

Fox Attacks: Black America

With John Edwards first, then the rest of the Democratic candidates for president following suit and canceling a scheduled debate in Nevada that was to be sponsored by FOX News, their 'fair and balanced' mantra is increasingly being questioned. As any casual FOX News watcher can attest to, there is no question at all that the network uses the explosive issue of race relations in America to get viewers. This video montage speaks to that.

Jon Stewart Explains the Department of Justice Scandal

New Yorkers Would Prefer Bloomy Over Rudy for President

The polling results reported in this article are interesting because it reminds people that up until the morning of September 11, 2001, Rudy Giuliani was on the verge of leaving office as an unpopular mayor of the nation's largest city. Indeed, chances are that if he were running for reelection on September 10th, he would have been trounced. It also highlights how positive New Yorkers are on the job current Mayor Michael Bloomberg has done as mayor--and as this article in today's New York Sun points out, there is plenty of buzz and speculation about him running as an independent in 2008.
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W, Laura and Condi Samba Dancing in Brazil

McCain to be Swiftboated

John McCain, like John Kerry, is a decorated Vietnam war veteran. He was permanently injured and disfigured when his fighter plane was shot down, and as a prisoner of war he was tortured by the North Vietnamese for several years. Yet amazingly to some Americans who live on the fringes of reality, he is a traitor. This article describes how a murky, fanatical group is preparing to try and do to McCain's presidential run the same thing that the 'Swift Boat Veterans For Truth' did to John Kerry's campaign in 2004: smear, lie, and distort about his experience in Vietnam in an attempt convince voters that he is an untrustworthy traitor. What is remarkable is that these folks probably had no problem voting for Bush/Cheney two times, two men who avidly and blatantly dodged the draft back in the late 60's when the war was raging, thereby sending two other men off to the jungles of Southeast Asia to fight for their country in their places.

Jon Stewart - Religious Wackos

Fred Thompson, Conservative Savior?

As this article points out there has been increasing talk in Republican circles of former actor and Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson throwing his hat in the ring for the 2008 presidential race. Thompson is well known for his role on TV's "Law and Order" and he also starred in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Hunt for Red October". Let's see, a conservative Republican former actor runs for president...remind you of someone? It might be a stretch, but in a Republican field led at this point by "Rudy McRomney", many in the party are desperate for a 'real' conservative to step forward. Could Fred Thompson be their new Ronald Reagan?

President George Bush tries to dribble a basketball

It has not been a good last several months for President Bush. This incident occurred last week when he was honoring the 2006 NBA champion Miami Heat at the White House.

'89 Giuliani ad with Donna Hanover and kids

This video is important because today Rudy is estranged from the son shown here, and he also went through a very bitter divorce with Donna Hanover, who narrates the commercial. Last week he asked the national media to 'respect his familiy's privacy' regarding these issues. Apparently family privacy was not a concern when he ran for public office in 1989.

Stephen Colbert Explains The Libby Verdict

Are The Wheels Falling Off The McCain Train?

The past several months have not been good to John McCain; and this story, if it is to be believed, hints at real trouble for the candidate as he finally launches his bid for the 2008 presidency. He has tried largely unsuccessfully to morph from the straight-talking, freewheeling maverick of eight years ago to the party's staid establishment candidate this time around. When the Republican establishment is George W. Bush, and he has a 30% job approval, you have big problems. Perhaps most ominously of all, McCain is having real problems raising cash, and signs abound that people are hopping off what appears to be a sinking ship. As this post reported, even Jeb Bush seems to be supporting someone other than McCain in Mitt Romney. It is important to note that we are almost a year away from when the first votes are cast, and the Republican party has proven time and time again to be extremely loyal to the 'next guy in line'--the establishment candidate. Think of Bob Dole back in 1996.

Bloomberg Still Eyeing Possible 2008 Run

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is one of a handful of Americans alive on the planet today who could spend $500 million or more of their own money to launch a legitimate, credible run at the presidency in 2008. And as this article reports, all indications are that he is seriously considering the prospect of doing so.

Having that kind of cash to carpet the nation's television airwaves would make an orangutan a credible candidate, let alone a highly successful businessman, philanthropist, and mayor of the nation's largest city.

If the nominees from both parties emerge damaged from highly competitive, nasty primaries an opening could arise for a moderate, independent third party candidate with deep pockets and broad crossover appeal like Bloomberg to come into the picture--not unlike Ross Perot did in 1992. Bloomberg is not only much wealthier than Perot was, but much more politically astute and experienced. President Bloomberg? It's probably not as far-fetched as one might think.

"Rudy McRomney" : The GOP's 2008 Dilemma

With President Bush's approval rating hovering around or below the 30% mark, one would have expected that this year's Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) meeting held this weekend in Washington to be a relatively somber affair--and despite Ann Coulter's annual verbal hand grenade toss (this year she called John Edwards a "faggot", last year she referred to Muslims as "ragheads"), by most accounts it was. Conservatives thus far have been either unwilling or unable to get solidly behind any of the three main contenders for president in 2008: Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney--a triumvirate now collectively being referred to by some as "Rudy McRomney".

To the pure, dyed-in-the-wool "Reagan Republican" conservative all three candidates have glaring warts on them. Giuliani has been married three times, is pro-choice and anti-gun--and to top it all off has dressed up in drag publicly on more than one occasion. That might play well in New York, but probably not so well in places like Alabama and South Carolina. Sure he is "America's Mayor" and all that, but the facts are he is from the northeast and his stance on the major social issues is identical to that of Hillary Clinton. That's a problem.

John McCain is seen as a two-faced fraud by a large number of conservatives, including the crucially influential Rush Limbaugh. They haven't forgiven him for the fierce campaign he ran against George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican primaries during which he publicly denounced the influence on the party of Jerry Falwell and the religious right. Combined with his vote against the first round of Bush tax cuts, and his sponsorship of the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform bill, he is simply persona non grata among a large tract of Republican primary voters.

Finally there is former Massachusetts (that's right, Massachusetts) governor Mitt Romney. As this video shows there was a guy running around CPAC dressed up as Flipper the dolphin to mock the 'flip flopping' Mitt Romney has done on the issues of abortion, gun control, and gay marriage. Massachusetts will never be confused with Mississippi as a hotbed of conservative values; indeed the home of Ted Kennedy and John Kerry is generally regarded as being the most liberal state in the union. It was therefore necessary for Romney to be liberal on the social issues while trying to win elections and govern there. The problem is that since then he has been scrambling frantically to move back right to woo the social conservatives so crucial to Republican presidential hopefuls: he now claims to be against abortion, pro gun owning rights (he even joined the NRA last year) and against gay marriage. Phew, what a quick metamorphosis!

If the Republicans fail to unite behind one of these three, then the stage is set for a 'true' conservative like Newt Gingrich to toss his hat in the ring late in an attempt to bring the party together. The problem is that Gingrich is perhaps the only politician on earth more divisive and polarizing than Hillary Clinton. With Bush's approval ratings so low, and their presidential field so seemingly weak, Republicans could face an electoral disaster in 2008 that would make the 2006 mid term elections pale in comparison.

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Hillary in Alabama Over The Weekend

CPAC 2007: The Unauthorized Documentary

This is a pretty hilarious video, Max Blumenthal is a lefty--a writer for The Nation magazine. He crashed this weekend's big right-wing Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) annual meeting in Washington and shot this video. The following is his promo:
Michelle Malkin goes unhinged and launches a hysterical tirade into the lens of my camera. I ask Ann "John Edwards is a Faggot" Coulter why she isn't the same person on Sunday morning as on Saturday night. Tom Tancredo fanatics lose their cool when asked about connection between race and immigration, then try to conceal their neo-Confederate paraphenalia. A curiously pale black Republican explains why black Republicans can't get elected. Bob Barr, Grover Norquist and "Flipper," the anti-Romney dolphin, discuss the conservative movement. I receive a special gift from David Horowitz...and much, much more!

Uncle Teaches 2 and 5 Year Old Nephews to Smoke Weed

Learning your ABC's, playing cowboys and Indians, learning how to spell your name...learning how to smoke dope...

Ann Coulter Calls John Edwards a Faggot at CPAC

The far right must see John Edwards as a serious threat as Coulter's attack was no accident. It happened on national television at one of the year's biggest conservative conferences, the conservative political action committee conference. Dick Cheney and most of the Republican candidates were in the audience. She was even introduced by Mitt Romney.

Is Al Gore Already Running for President?

For a guy who's been saying over and over again that he has 'no plans' to run for president in 2008, Al Gore sure is a busy beaver these days. The Politico's Mike Allen took a gander at Gore's upcoming schedule in this article:

--On March 21, he’ll star at global-warming hearings in both the House and Senate, testifying before a committee he once served on. He will be the sole witness before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. On the House side, he will testify at a Joint Subcommittee Hearing on Climate Change, held by the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, and the Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.

--A new book by Gore, "The Assault on Reason: How the Politics of Fear, Secrecy, and Blind Faith Subvert Wise Decision Making, Degrade Our Democracy, and Put Our Country and Our World in Peril," is due out in May.

--On July 7 (7.7.07), he will be among the luminaries heading a 24-hour “Save Our Selves” (SOS) concert marathon across all seven continents. The “Live Earth” concert will bring together more than 100 of the world’s top musical acts and is designed to reach more than 2 billion people through attendance and broadcasts. SOS – The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis was founded by Kevin Wall, who won an Emmy as worldwide executive producer of the Live 8 concert marathon.

Political advertising experts estimate that Gore's appearance in such a positive light at the Oscar's last week in front of a billion viewers was worth roughly $15 million in free advertising. The high profile events listed above will provide additional free publicity, and by not officially announcing it enables him to stay above the political fray, and it keeps Democratic primary voters on the edge of their seats, asking themselves, "Will he, won't he???"

It should be noted that Gore serves on the board of directors of both Apple Computer and Google--two companies that know a thing or two about marketing, product introduction and brand management. The position that Al Gore finds himself in today seems more and more like the result of a meticulously choreographed and brilliantly executed marketing strategy. All leading up to an announcement later this year or early next that would rock the political establishment to its core.
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Freak: Pete Doherty Busted Feeding Weed to Penguins

Clearly, marriage to super model Kate Moss has not completely settled Pete down:

"Everyone knew he was smoking grass. He was joking about getting the penguins stoned. He threw them his joint and it looked like one penguin gulped it down. It seemed very wobbly."

Mitt Gets Dirty: Calls Rudy "Pro-Gay Marriage"

For Republican primary voters, especially in the south, gay marriage is a big, serious issue. Therefore when Mitt Romney called Rudy Giuliani 'pro-gay marriage' the other day, it was the equivalent of Mitt insulting Rudy's mother. This is good news for Romney supporters because it shows your candidate is a fighter and that he has the razer sharp elbows that are usually necessary to prevail in the Republican primaries. If you are a Rudy supporter, get used to dodging the mud: in what is perceived as being a weak and competitive Republican field with no clear front runner, your guy is on top and the others are looking to knock him down a few notches.

A John Edwards Advantage: He Doesn't Have A Day Job

The race for the American presidency in 2008 will shatter all records regarding spending and money raised by the candidates. In order to be taken seriously experts say a candidate must raise $100 million from donors by the end of 2007--a staggering amount which comes out to a mind-boggling average of $273,000 per day. It has been said that roughly 80% of the time the candidates are not at an actual campaign event, they are on the phone calling donors. This is what the American campaign system has come to.

In any event, it's clear that part of Hillary Clinton's strategy is to present an aura of inevitability concerning her candidacy due mostly to her fund raising prowess and golden Rolodex--much of it coming from her husband. Essentially she is telling John Edwards and Barack Obama that she will drown them in a tub of cash.

This article in today's The Politico seems to indicate that John Edwards is not planning to roll over and die that easily. It also discusses a clear advantage he currently has over Clinton and Obama--he isn't in the Senate and therefore is free to travel and forage for cash much much more frequently than they are. Let's be clear here: the amount of cash on hand early on for the field of candidates will be the key metric in stacking the candidates up. This frantic, endless dash for cash has already taken the candidacy of one seemingly qualified candidate in Tom Vilsack--and disappointing numbers could quickly multiply the corpses. Edwards seems to be sort of an energizer bunny of sorts, with limitless stamina and energy in raising cash all over the country. And it certainly helps that he doesn't have a day job.

Jailer Busted Smuggling Weed Into Prison via Mashed Potatoes

From a Mississippi jail house comes this interesting story. No matter how you feel about what he did, the guy must be commended for his creativity.