Dear Reverend Dobson,

I was wondering if you could help me out – seeing as how you are a fine, upstanding minister who knows exactly what is and what isn’t Christian.  You see, I’m horny and a little bit blah.  Do you think you could find me a meth-snortin’ male hooker to relieve the tension?

The results are still not in from Lake County, Indiana, but they hardly matter.  Whether Hillary Clinton wins Indiana by 2% or 1% or 1/2% or even if Obama squeaks out a victory it changes nothing.  Clinton has clearly lost the nomination tonight.  For her to have continued she needed a big win in Indiana and a close call in North Carolina.  Instead, it was the exact opposite.

It's time for Al Gore and John Edwards to endorse Obama.  We really do not need to have additional primaries where Obama may lose and where media pundits will keep blathering about working class white voters.  It is time for Hillary to concede.

I recently completed a bicycle tour from the Georgia coast through southwest Louisiana to west Texas.  For years I have looked forward to cycling through the marshlands of coastal Louisiana, a remote region of unique beauty and Cajun culture.  This is the story of Cameron, Louisiana.

What I saw stunned me.  I had long known of our nation's failure to address the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The impacts of Hurricane Rita were just as severe and remain largely ignored two and a half years later.

Crossposted at MyDD

The mainstream media is having a field day with the recorded sermons of Rev.
Jeremiah Wright, recently-retired pastor at Barack Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ.  Right-wingers and not-so right-wingers are screaming that Obama denounce his longtime spiritual advisor for saying, "God damn America" in a sermon.

Another opportunity for Barack Obama –
Another opportunity squandered.

At the State of the Union Address on Monday night, Obama had the chance to be gracious to Hillary Clinton.  Instead, he snubbed her with a scowl.  Like a petulant, grudge-bearing youngster, Obama turned his back on Hillary rather than reach out for the perfunctory handshake.  Hillary, on the other hand, was reaching to shake Edward Kennedy’s hand with a smile – even though she probably would have preferred a dagger.  You have to do that in politics.

Check out these latest results from the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll. Hillary is surging! That's nearly where she was at after New Hampshire, and the Florida bump hasn't even happened yet. This bodes very well for Feb 5.

I will vote for the Democratic nominee this November.
Whoever it is - Clinton, Edwards, or Obama.
To do otherwise would be insane.
To threaten to withhold my vote is selfish.

I don't know about you, but I want to see the Republicans out of the White House.  I would prefer that my candidate be the nominee, but if he is not then I would have no difficulty voting for either of the other two Democratic candidates.  That's how the Democratic Party works.  We air our dirty laundry during primary season, but then we put on the asbestos underwear for the general.

We call on Senator Barack Obama to reject cordially, but in the clearest language the recent endorsement that his campaign has received from Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Texas.  Mr. Caldwell is a proponent of "Metanoia Ministries" – a dangerous program that claims to convert gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people to heterosexuality within a so-called Christian framework.

UPDATE - In the past 24 hours, Caldwell and/or Windsor Village have removed the Metanoia link.  Hmmmmm.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is one hip chick.

To Whom It May Concern:

As representatives of Hillary Clinton supporters from the unreconstructed racists’ community and the African American community, we are issuing a statement together for the first time. Our letter addresses the recent issue of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo saying "Shuck and Jive" during a radio interview.  In the midst of division, we hope and believe that this is a moment to bring together communities that have been divided for far too long.

The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll is considered the "Gold Standard" by pollsters and political junkies alike.  In 2004, the Iowa Poll was the only poll to get the top four Democratic candidates in the correct order – Kerry, Edwards, Dean, and Gephardt.  

Just before the ball dropped in Times Square, the Des Moines Register released its final Iowa Poll for the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses.   It showed Barack Obama with 32%, Hillary Clinton with 25%, and John Edwards with 24%.   But the Iowa Poll contains three huge assumptions.  First, that 40% of the participants in the Democratic caucuses will be Independents.  Second, that 60% of the participants will be first-time caucus goers.  And third, that 17% of the caucus goers will be under 35.

A recent diaryon the just-released Insider Advantage poll in Iowa points to Edwards' gains and Obama's decline:

Clinton 30%
Edwards 29%
Obama 22%

But the REAL news is in the second question.
The responses to the second question point to the possibility of a significant Edwards victory in Iowa.

Now that Barack Obama’s poll bounce is subsiding, it seems clear that the race for the Democratic nomination is going to boil down to Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.  That leaves Obama supporters with a difficult political choice.  Who should they throw their support behind?  Clinton or Edwards?

Now, I know y’all are thinking, "Wait a minute!  Obama was LEADING in Iowa the last time I looked."  He’s not any more.  In fact, in national polls his numbers have dropped to October levels again.  Backwards momentum is not a nice thing to have two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

With the Iowa caucuses less than a month away everything is now in high gear.  Barack Obama has received considerable press coverage about Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement tour.  Less press has been devoted to the campaigning around Iowa by another heavy hitter, Bill Clinton.   My question is this:  Which person, Oprah Winfrey or Bill Clinton is likely to have a greater influence on those Democrats who will be at the caucuses on January 3, 2008?  

Oprah or Bill??

Images New York Times, Reuters
(Images reduced to less than 300x200 pixels)

Yes, indeed.  It is cold outside.

Well, well, well, well –
And maybe a few more wells, too.

I know the Wagnerian woman of substance hasn’t sung, yet.
Hell, she hasn’t even begun warming up.
But there is a shift taking place in the polls.

Data - Rasmussen
Graph & Image - JohnnyGunn

I am glad to see Barack Obama running for president.  It demonstrates the difference between the Democrats who have an African American, a woman, and a Hispanic among their candidates – and the Republicans who are running nine straight white males.  Nothing wrong with straight white males, I just like a little variety, you know.

But today’s ageist comment by Obama, coupled with other serious errors in the past few months, indicate that he either does not have the political experience to run an effective campaign or he allows bad advice and strategy to carry the day.  Either way, Obama has clearly demonstrated to this Kossack that he is not ready for prime time.

Let John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, know that we mean business about the Kucinich Resolution  to Impeach Dick Cheney.  Let him know in no uncertain terms.  The Democratic leadership thinks that by sending it to committee that they have effectively killed the bill.

Demand action!
Demand that the resolution receive the immediate attention that it deserves.
Why would the Democratic leadership even begin to listen to progressive Dems?
Because we must threaten to leave the party.
Not in 2010 or 2009 - next year - in 2008.