Feathers will undoubtedly be ruffled, but here goes... Marriage is an ancient institution that has had many forms and definitions. The passion displayed here and elsewhere is indicative of the psychological and spiritual yearning that loving couples wish to share in matrimony. However, in those myriad definitions of monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, arranged marriages, yadda yadda yadda, I have yet to see a single spiritual text that endorses SAME-GENDER marriage. 98%-99% of the world population believes in some form of spirituality. Marriage is exulted in most of those faiths. It's an extraordinary uphill battle to expect that folks will turn off their "faith" because marriage has been co-opted to include a whole host of civil advantages. And it's because of those advantages that this whole debate is more complicated. To me, the civil bit is ALREADY separate from the actual marriage. When my wife and I married, the minister lost our paperwork, so we weren't re...

My 9-month-old son, Kole. I'm pretty sure he's the cutest Obama baby on the planet I ordered this onesie right after Obama's Super Tuesday blowout. It's sized at 12-18 months, so I wasn't sure it would fit by Election Day... Good thing he takes after his Dad. Tomorrow, he will accompany me as I cast my vote. The historical significance has been pressing on me as we move closer to THE DAY. Both my grandfathers passed on before I was born, but their great grandson will witness the election of a Black man to the Presidency of the United States. A few years ago, I bought a tee shirt for my older son, Tommy. I was in an airport, headed home and wanted to grab a souvenir. The shirt, then much too large for him to wear, read "Future President of the United States." As I pondered the purchase, I recall thinking, "One day, this message might be true for my son." After Obama clinched the nomination, Tommy wore that shirt for the first time. He had...

A spirited discussion about Tavis Smiley's haterism prompted this question.. Can any Black people dislike Obama's policies, Obama himself, or his actions and NOT be a "hater"? Sure. I've just never seen a thoughful critique that holds up against the alternate choice of the erratic, deeply partisan and ridiculously managed McCain campaign. Let's be clear. McCain's abandonment of his principles has left him a torture survivor who voted AGAINST the anti-torture bill . McCain is a veteran who couldn't bring himself to vote on the GI Bill DESPITE his persistent use of his service and the current Iraq soldiers as campaign props. McCain claims Obama lacks "executive experience" (pot, meet kettle) and shores up that argument by adding a mayor of a town that's smaller than some of Obama's phone banks. Palin's next gig was Governor, but she's spent so much of her time commuting between home and office (while accepting per diems) a...

Excellent production values. Very savvy to pick stories from his battlegrounds. White, Black, Latino, veterans, elderly, factory workers... national security, health care problems, education (with a nod to at risk and special needs kids). He hit the right notes for all his constituencies. For people who hadn't really been paying attention and claimed "they don't know him," it was a very clear statement of his positions (albeit a rehash of stump stuff). The only quibble I had was the odd choice of pushing the $200,000 individual income limit for the tax break as opposed to the $250,000 family limit. It's families that are hurting, not single folks making $175,000. Overall, an extremely well done piece. P.S. McCain's sour grapes are EPIC FAIL. Griping about Obama's half-hearted expression of support for public financing is not a winner in the last week of a campaign. P.P.S. Bonus points for Palin out-gaffing Biden with her quote about leading the G...

Y'all know the story by now. White, female McCain phonebanker, Ashley Todd, leaves Texas to venture North to support her candidate. After a stint in New York, she ends up in Pittsburgh until Thursday, when she lost her effing mind and became Susan Smith Part Deux . The McCain campaign can hardly be blamed for this girl's actions. However, they need to be questioned on their response. Within hours of the incendiary allegations, two things happened. McCain and Palin called Ashley Todd. A press flack from McCain's Pennsylvania operation started pushing the story and adding salacious details. Consider what was at stake here. In a campaign environment already marked with strained racial tensions, Todd's story was potenitally explosive. It would have made a lot more sense to issue a generic statement (like Obama's campaign did). Instead, McCain and Palin lent legitimacy to the allegations (at least for a few hours) by calling her. They vetted Todd's story abou...

Our law starts with the U. S. Constitution . Then state constitutions . Then regular old laws (traffic laws, statutes, etc.). By constitutional definition, a law cannot be passed (by legislature or electoral consent) that stands in conflict with a state Constitution (and by extension, the Federal Constitution). Even McCain stands against a Federal Constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage Prop 22 was found to be in violation of the Equal Protections clause of the California Constitution . That decision is PRECISELY in the definition of the role of the judiciary. That's kinda the point of CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT . Prop 8 is an attempt at adjusting the state Constitution to make an end run around the "unconstitutionality" of the language of Prop 22. But, here's the deal... The will of the people DOES NOT TRUMP THE RIGHTS OF THE FEW. That's at the core of our Constitution . People keep talking about the judges overthrowing the will of the p...

Clinton was on the trail a HECKUVA lot longer than Palin and always looked professional (albeit without Palin's MILFy assets). Notwithstanding the media's disaffection with pantsuits, I can't recall that much time was spent discussing her attire. The meme that females in the political spotlight are held to a higher fashion standard rings hollow in an election cycle where Clinton dominated headlines for the better part of a year. In fact, the biggest fashion splash before Palin's $150,000 debacle was Michelle Obama's $130 frock from her appearance on "The View." When Barack Obama is pictured with holes in his shoes, the idea that Palin is "down to Earth" in $150,000 of Neiman's and Saks is simply ridiculous. Anybody with a brain would have taken her to an Ann Taylor outlet and gotten the job done for a tenth of the price.

Beyond the newsworthiness of the cross party endorsement, Gen. Powell offers a particularly compelling and lucid argument for Senator Barack Obama. Far more than any other endorsement this cycle, his passion, intelligence and reason shine through as genuine and rational. He cuts through political posturing and spin and deals explicitly with indisputable FACTS. He was able to succinctly obliterate the standard GOP positions and talking points in clear language. He offered sincere critiques about his disappointment in McCain's campaign tactics. His example of the fallen Muslim soldier's patriotism was amazing and heartfelt. If McCain had been brave enough to nominate him, things might be VERY different in this race. Powell's political reputation may have been dimmed by his Bush administration experiences, but his intellectual and analytical gifts are clearly extraordinary. These last few days scarcely seem real. I am stunningly proud to be an American. Thank you, Gener...

Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for linking to http://tinyurl.com/colberg . Simply awesome takedown of Alaska's "Attorney General" Talis Colberg. After reading this gripping account, Palin will be lucky to escape impeachment, much less survive the election season. It is an honest-to-Blog SCANDAL that McCain is attempting to foist this patently corrupt, intellectually incurious, duplicitous, savage animal murderer onto the rest of the country. BONUS POINTS! Just for giggles, there's an equally awesome comment from the article above regarding the rest of Palin's appointments. Look for AAPA...

Bear Stearns bailout ... Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. .. Lehman bankruptcy ... Merrill Lynch sold for 2/3 previous market value... AIG looking for handout ... Greenspan FREAKING OUT ... McCain's economic advisor admitting tax increases ARE NECESSARY ... What's the chance we'll see McCain touting the fundamental strength of the economy this week? Bonus points awarded if Hannity apologizes to THE ACTUAL ECONOMIST he blasted last week .

I'm not stressing any Post-GOP polls until AFTER Palin faces the unvarnished press corps. Her ENTIRE narrative (except for Trig) is built on gross distortions and outright lies. Troopergate... Bridge to Nowhere... More earmarks per capita than ANY OTHER STATE... eBay plane farce... Wasilla lobbyists... Book banning... Per diem scandal... Ted Stevens 527 chair... Husband REGISTERED member of secessionist party... She can read a script... WHOOPDEE-EFFIN-DOO! When she comes out of the cocoon and has to face REAL journalists asking real questions, we'll see how long the Palin Fever lasts. Meanwhile, it's encouraging to see that some Dem 527s are going to get to cut their teeth on this self-described, lipstick-sporting pit bull. I can't wait...

Palin's most sincere sounding attack was the "Scranton-San Francisco" bit. On its face, it was a withering critique. However, it is particularly hypocritical given her about face on the Ketchikan bridge. According to Reuters (emphasis mine)... "in 2006, Palin said she was insulted by the term "bridge to nowhere, " according to Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, a Democrat, and Mike Elerding, a Republican who was Palin's campaign coordinator in the southeast Alaska city. "People are learning that she pandered to us by saying, I'm for this' ... and then when she found it was politically advantageous for her nationally, abruptly she starts using the very term that she said was insulting, " Weinstein said." If that isn't "saying one thing in Ketchikan and another in St. Paul ," I don't know what is. What's worse? These are HER CONSTITUENTS that she used for political fodder. This fact, combined with the recent ...

In the midst of the Bristol Palin saga, the McCain/Palin families posed for a People magazine shoot. There was one noticeable family member missing, the McCain's adopted daughter, Bridget. Maybe she simply wasn't available on the day of the shoot. She's only 17 and teenagers have lots of things to do. Add to that, her sister, Meghan (age 23) is the only child actively on the campaign trail. Of course, Palin's kids (minus the adult, Track) were all in place for the magazine spread. Then there's the issue of her adoption. The McCain's have backtracked on the long offered assertion that Mother Theresa's personally entreated Cindy to adopt Bridget. Bridget's presence invites undesired questions on an issue the "Straight Talker" would best like kept under wraps. Perhaps her absence is attributable to the fact that McCain has hired Tucker Askew , the same smear artist that used Bridget's Bangladeshi heritage against the "Maverick"...

It's official... No more "presumptive." The Democratic party has nominated an African-American for the most powerful office in the world. I sat in my office, occupying myself with busywork as the nominating speeches began. Clinton's nomination was introduced by Dolores Huerta, an activist great grandmother who worked with Cesar Chavez for worker's rights. She passionately spoke of her work and Clinton's commitment to their shared causes. In a telling moment, she revealed one of those causes to be support for Obama as the presidential nominee. It was a pleasant surprise and harbinger of better things to come. Registered Republican and Iraq war Veteran Michael Wilson presented an emotional nomination speech for Obama to thunderous cheers. He spoke of generations of his family's military service and his upbringing in a small Tennessee town. He talked of struggling to save a group of Marines targeted by a suicide bomber in Northern Iraq. His heartfel...

Passing this torch has been a long time coming, but Hillary Clinton showed her mettle and simultaneously dampened the faux furor about Democratic division. Much has been made of the "millions" of "outraged" Clinton Democrats since the close of the primary season. However, recent revelations about falsified fund-raising estimates and pathetically anemic attendance at PUMA conventions have revealed these charlatans for what they are... GOP operatives vainly trying to sow dissent. There were many strong passages in her speech last night, but for me, none so effective as when she challenged her voters to look beyond their support of HER in favor of the Democratic agenda. Hillary made the point that McCain is not going to champion the issues that defined her campaign. Her persistent refrain was that electing Obama was the only way to get the job done. Some have said that she was less than enthusiastic in her praise. I disagree. Her speaking style has never been as c...

Michelle Obama is a lawyer. Last night, she made opening arguments in the most important case of her life. The client, Barack Obama. The jury, only the United States of America. Barack has a GREAT defense attorney at home. She looked impeccable. Consultants know that juries are all too human. They respond to attractiveness just like everyone else. Top to bottom, she was stunning. A+ on that score. Then there's the speech... Seventeen minutes is a long time. But the speech was written and delivered well. Wisely, they chose to reinforce themes that have been weak spots for Obama. Elite? Michelle's dad bravely soldiered through a debiliating physical ailment to provide for his family. Her parents scrimped and saved to provide an educational opportunity for their children that was denied them. Barack's single mother struggled in the same fashion, passing on rock-solid American values that the Obama's share with us all. The speech also served double-duty to comp...

Biden is a solid pick. Here's why... Foreign Policy experience is impeccable . 'Nuff said. Biden's son deploys RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION . McCain's POW advantage just lost some of its shine. Biden is a working class, Irish, Roman Catholic from Scranton. Delaware was a gimme, but his PA roots make him a twofer. Mrs. Biden is a working teacher , unlike a certain stretched-face, pill-popping, beer heiress with two estranged, half-sisters and more homes than she can count. CHAIR, Foreign Relations Committee . McSame isn't so sure where countries are or if they even exist anymore . Member, Judiciary committee (Chair of the Crime and Drugs subcommittee) Adjunct Professor in Constitutional Law . Now, we have TWO guys who can fight for our Constitution. All candidates talk smack about their competition (the GOP was using Hillary quotes in their ads). Biden's debate answer must be viewed through that lens. Romney has some choice quips of his own. Can you pic...

I don't know which one is " cooler ," but I was stunned at how " Triumph of the Will " the GOP effort looks. The seats are arrangement oddly over deep red carpet--the sharp geometric angles hearken eerily to the British flag (or swastikas if you're less generous). Low lighting blankets the auditorium in deep shadow, punctuated by kleig lights on the dais... with an animated flag backdrop of Pattonesque immensity. A single podium indicates that McCain with take on the world BY HIMSELF!!!! The DNC's layered, curved screens seem created for vibrant motion, dynamic graphics and multiple messages and themes. The stage feels like it wants lots of people on it. It has ramps and levels. On the one hand, it tends a little on the SuperBowl halftime show side, but that's more interesting than McCain's "Gymnasium from the Pit of Hell" theme. UPDATE: The "finished" version of the DNC stage is posted and it looks amazing. Everythin...

Edwards scandal + Roll Call vote = Political cover for a Hillary Veep Slot. Edwards was a factor in the early race. He sandwiched Hillary between his "earnest" populism and Obama's "Change" message. Plus, he recanted his war vote, shining focus on her refusal to do the same. Biden/Bayh/Kaine cannot compete with the overt endorsement of the Roll Call vote. She'll pull respectable (if not significant) numbers so picking her looks like "the runner-up getting the second slot." That feels right and just and completely defuses the "Obama/Clinton strife" narrative that continues to dog his candidacy. Finally, imagine the impact of 100% of the convention votes being cast for a unified ticket of the two leading lights of the party. What a headline making picture! Obama, Michelle, Hillary and Bill. America's next President and his lovely wife posing with America's next Vice President and her Former President Husband... Bill st...

Six years, dozens of barbershop conversations and it comes down to an almost instataneous acquittal. Honestly, I'm surprised at this one. I figured that having video tape of R. Kelly having sex with and urinating on a clearly young girl would push aside reasonable doubt. I'm guessing that the verdict came down to two issues... Not being able to pin the identity of the girl, and Not being able to pin the date the tape was made. Without confirmation of identity and date, it's impossible to determine whether or not she's a minor. Without that, there's no underlying crime and Kelly goes free. That said, he's the luckiest chump alive. The prosecution mounted the best case they could (barring testimony from the supposed victim). His defense was inept (It ain't him, that's not a mole, video fakery, defense rests). At any rate, he owes that family his freedom. One hopes that child is getting enough money to provide for her future and get her any therapy sh...

"So do you think Uncle Sam invented AIDS?" Bill O'Reilly and hosts of others have posted this question since the 8 second clip of Wright's stark statement. Let's assume that the government did not invent AIDS (to kill minorities or for any other reason). Given the FACT that the government DID inject syphillis into Black men and WITHELD TREATMENT to observe the results, is it wildly improbable that the government would engage in a different form of disease experimentation? Our government has performed vile acts when it deemed it necessary. The United States used germ warfare against native tribal peoples (smallpox), interred Japanese Americans in camps during WWII and is interring and torturing (without charges) thousands of people at Guantanamo... I won't even get into the institutionalized racism that persisted well beyond the "termination of Jim Crow." Wright used incidiary language, but it was incindiary language that brought us to the great tur...

Obama has addressed America's racial divide more honestly and openly than any public figure since the King era. His comments were honest and true. There was a positive message of reconciliation that any open-minded person could take away from his remarkable address. I challenge anyone to deny that they, or someone they know, has articulated the feelings of frustration and disappointment that Obama referred to. I am more inspired than ever in this candidate and this man. I hope that people can try to frame their feelings in context and remember the random statements of friends, relatives and colleagues that have given us pause over the years. Every grimace, down-turned eye and wistful regret at a racial barb or epithet should be a reminder that Obama's speech today was uncompromisingly brave and an important indictment of the state of race relations in our imperfect, but ultimately redeemable country. Congratulations, Mr. Obama. You will make an outstanding President.

The VP nominee of the worst performing ticket in modern electoral history has some pearls of wisdom about Barack Obama's appeal. Geraldine Ferraro was quoted thusly : "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, and if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." What Ferraro WANTED to say was, "Hoke, you're supposed to DRIVE Ms. Daisy, not drive her campaign into the ground." Lest we think this some errant comment, there's this "...if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race." Ferraro COULD have said that Obama is an outstanding candidate who achieved better than expected success in the South because of overwhelming Black support.  That statement in no way diminishes his successes in states without large Black voting blocs. She didn't; and her quoted comment IS racist in the same way she accu...

By any objective measure, the 11th hour Obama "flip-flop" on NAFTA had a demonstrable effect in the Ohio primary. Both McCain and Clinton made particularly damning statements in the 36 hours before election day. However, new revelations , FROM THE SAME CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS that started the now-disproven allegations are claiming that it was the Clinton campaign who actually made the "grain of salt" call to Canada. To Canada's credit, they are issuing widespread mea culpas fully exonerating Senator Obama. If we're lucky that may help in the Pennsylvania race to come. On the other hand, Clinton's short term gambit may end up backfiring on her . Imagine the ad spots featuring the Canadian quotes opposite the Youtube video of her complaining about Obama's supposed "duplicity." She will do ANYTHING in an attempt to get elected. Bush has used the same scorched earth tactics with our slender Democratic congressional majority and whe...

Andrew Sullivan comments on the new Hillary ad running in Texas and Ohio. Check out this response as well. Obama smashes back with an excellent retort that is blisteringly on point. "Well it won’t work this time. Because the question is not about picking up the phone. The question is — what kind of judgment will you make when you answer? We’ve had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Sen. Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer." That's very presidential. Counter Hillary's abstract message of "better judgement" vis a vis fear-mongering with a concrete example of her lack of judgment on the crucial Iraq test . Here's hoping HRC realizes she's done on March 4th.

Blog comment threads are full of snippets about voting for McCain if Obama is the Dem candidate. Apparently, supporting someone other than Hillary is a fundamental betrayal of her oft-discussed "35 years" of service to America. Notwithstanding the ridiculous assertion of that much "time in the trenches," I don't buy this argument at all. She was the unelected wife of an Arkansas Governor and a two-term President. Later, ONE STATE elected her to represent them in the Senate. Why exactly does the rest of the country owe her a free pass to the "most powerful political office in the world"? If Gore hadn't been sandbagged by Monicagate, Travelgate, FBI Filegate, Lincoln bedroom "sales", sketchy Chinese donors, NOT TO MENTION Hillary's failed healthcare push, this country might be an entirely different place right now. What about what we owed HIM? or Biden... or Dodd... or Daschle? How is Hillary owed more than any of these solid Dem...

Stories like this make me proud to be an HBCU grad . More than 2,000 students, friends and supporters walked 7.3 miles to the Waller County Seat in protest of restrictive early voting locations. In their county, there is only one early voting location, with only two polling booths. The marchers hope to tie up the machines all day and into the night as necessary to ensure that their votes and voices are heard. Go on Praire View!

It's amazing to me that supporters of other candidates are so willing to make accusations about Obama's "lack of substance" based on... what exactly? He has EXHAUSTIVE policy positions on dozens of subjects on his website. If these "dedicated" Americans were so concerned with the politics in question, they could MORE than satisfy themselves by tipping over www.barackobama.com . Rather, they offer platitudes of their own... "no experience," "all talk, no action." Their candidate is "solutions instead of speeches" and "ready to lead on day one." Now THERE'S substance!!! How convenient that this script has been supplied by the "more experienced" candidate who has now lost NINE PRIMARIES in a row! Incidentally, since when has anyone laid out an actual policy IN DETAIL on a stump speech? It's ALWAYS a generic laundry list of policy POSITIONS, not legislative briefs. Hillary talks about her health ca...

Sully tipped me to this .  I had to share. Most AWESOME campaign song ever .  Obama inspires Yes We Can .  Hillary inspires an Up With People Reunion Concert? P.S.  Any song featuring the lyric "The world is getting hot, but our global warming plan is not," deserves a spot in the Adult Contemporary Hall of Fame.  LOVE THIS!

Have you heard about the Clinton's pardons of terrorists who maimed and killed citizens in New York City?  I hadn't either, but WSJ's Debra Burlingame sure has. No matter that the info is eight years old.  No matter that Sen. Clinton has disavowed the pardons (made at her behest, for her benefit in her then nascent Senatorial campaign).  In a post-9/11 political climate, TERRORIST and PARDON are a campaign-killing combination—especially for a New York Senator. Can you imagine how sordid the ads would be?  Grandpa McCain twisted Mitt's rather non-committal comments about Iraq into a "cut and run" talking point.  Imagine what the GOP smear machine would do with the Clintons on this issue... Sorry, Sen. Clinton, it's time to go.

The following exchange is from a tete a tete with "Jasper" in the comments section of this Marc Ambinder posting . I've been commenting so much on other sites, the home page has suffered. Sorry. AltonDarwin: I'm not suggesting that at all. Either Obama or Clinton should easily win all of Kerry's '04 states. The only exception I reckon is California. I think the Democrats will win it, but I suspect they'll need to spend a few buck to hold it down if Obama's the nominee, given his troubles with Asian and Latino voters (and McCain's popularity with the latter). Still, they should win it. Two points here... There's NO WAY Dems are losing California this cycle. Latinos broke for Hillary on familiarity. When he's the nominee in the general, he will have built PLENTY of broader Latino support. He was La Opinion's choice after all. The Latino metrics will have to be assessed WITHOUT Clinton as an option. Second, McCain's troubled recept...

The last eight years of partisan antics, electronic tomfoolery, electoral menace and outright theft of our civil liberties have left us with precious little of our American souls. We have become a nation of cynics and doubters... and I was one of them. But as I prepare to cast one of the most important votes of my young life, I am filled with a renewed sense of purpose.  I have been inspired.  I am CERTAIN that we will elect a leader that will transform the landscape of this great nation. Barack Obama. On February 5th, we have a choice to make.  Can we embrace the partisan politics of the past? Can we face the future with hope and determination?  Can we once again be the nation we thought we were?  YES, WE CAN. This man is the President we NEED right now.  Know it.  Believe it.  And cast your ballot for the next President of the UNITED States of America... Barack Obama.  

Barack Obama is a highly qualified, charismatic, visionary leader. I passionately believe he represents the best hope for America's future in this crucial time. As the weeks progress, it is increasingly clear that the Democratic nominee WILL NOT be a white man. Accordingly, I am thrilled that Black voters are rallying behind Obama's historical candidacy. First in New Hampshire and now in Nevada, Obama had tight races with Hillary Clinton. In both of these races, Obama has eked out one delegate "wins" from popular vote "losses." However, the Nevada tallies hold some discomforting news for Obama. The Latino vote broke 2 to 1 for Clinton. If those ratios hold in the Western states (not to mention Florida), it will be tough to take the nomination, even with Black voters going 3 to 1 to Obama. Obama's pick up of another key endorsement from the president of a strongly Latino union is promising, however, the endorsement was not from the union itsel...

One of the biggest challenges facing a Black candidate is earning the enthusiastic support of BLACK people. Barack Obama is mold-shattering in that his viability is not grounded in the Black community, but rather the American community. His Iowa win awakened many Black voters into taking a second (or first) look at a man who could defeat a Clinton in a state with barely a 2% Black population. Endorsement pick-ups of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Senators Ben Nelson and Tim Johnson (not to mention John Kerry and Bill Bradley) were nice consolation prizes after his narrow loss in New Hampshire. Surely the Clintons needed to slow his "roll." Since Bob Johnson fizzled out in his tacky smear attempt, they trotted out some old guard Dem leaders with legitimate bonafides... and look what they got for their money! Charlie Rangel AND John Lewis attempt to twist Obama's casual comment on Clinton's MLK/LBJ gaffe into some over-reaching indictment on his judgment. ...

Here . While I agree that complaining (even by surrogates) accomplishes little, I wonder what Obama gains by confronting a universally reviled attack goon like Bob Johnson. BJ's comments have been roundly critiqued as questionable or even downright slimy by the media. His attempted backtrack viewed as disingenuous. Outside of Bobcat fans and pre-teen white hipsters, I'm not so sure he's really on anyone's radar in terms of political taste-making. On the other hand, Clinton has to shoulder the burden of another double-edged riff from the new Valedictorian of the Andrew Young School of Loony Marginalized Discourse. Hillary LOSES voters with these attacks; Obama reinforces his "above the fray" persona by deftly deflecting the venom. It's one of the things I like most about him. I, however, can make disparagingly peurile comparisons to Johnson and Clinton's pecadilloes. I wonder if Hillary is still as fond of BJ as she was 48 hours ago?

BJ... phi... bruh... Your tirade about Barack Obama is appalling. You earned your billion on the backs of ass-slapping videos, blaxploitation reruns and informercials and you have THE GALL to talk about being "insulted" that "we are so stupid?" Back at you, dawg. Incidentally, NOT ONE PERSON was confused about your thinly veiled reference about Obama's days "in the neighborhood." It was pathetic when the recently dismissed Clintonian flak floated it out there. Coming from you, it's traitorously venomous. We were smart enough to avoid buying tickets to "Who's Your Caddy?" and we're smart enough to understand your half-assed attempt at a smear. By the way, if you're going to "go there," have the balls to own up to it. Your backtrack about referring to his days as an organizer is even worse than the smear. Are we to understand that Obama's grass roots community leadership is somehow less legitimate than the...

Some will defend Paul saying his racist newsletters are "old news"... He didn't write the damnable articles... he was just lazy in allowing the editorial content to slip past his review. This despite the fact that it was often written in the first person, clearly IMPLYING that the views were his own. How does this theory hold up in reality? I read the James Kirchak's excellent New Republic article . Read the quotes in question . It defies all logic that ALL OF THOSE QUOTES "slipped through the cracks." After all, what politician allows THAT MUCH CONTENT to go out in his name without review? DId he have time to read ANY OF THE ISSUES? And, if not, who were the damn staffers who allowed that vile crap to go out? There are so many despicable statements... it's astonishing. No wonder he's a darling of the white supremacy set. And you heard he refused to return the donation from that avowed racist bastard under the pretense that he would "do some go...

Sully makes some good points about Obama's silver lining here . And a kossite points to the "poll confusion" here . For one, I think it's a double-edged sword for Clinton to have eked out a win here. Of course, a win is tasty for her after Iowa, but at the least, it has people questioning the "calculation" of her 24-hour tears... Stephanie Miller fielded a somewhat paranoid call about poll-machine tampering ala Kerry in Ohio... and Bill's peevish "fairy tale" screed (not to mention his tougher than Mandela quote and Hillary's Johnson-trumps-MLK misstep ) is ricocheting throughout the Black community. It has reinvigorated chatter about whether her "machine" is involved in some shenanigans and how negative they are willing to go in this race. Accentuating her negatives is the last thing she can afford right now.

Losing by two points in literally, the whitest state in the country isn't the worst thing in the world. This "loss" is closer to the Edwards/Clinton Iowa toss-up than the ass-kicking Obama handed her. Additionally, looking at the county by county breakdown, there were counties where he matched the pre-primary polling so keep that in mind. Further, it looks like OBAMA walks away with more delegates than Clinton . So it's not a total "win" for Clinton after all. Keep hope alive, people, she's got plenty of time to show her true colors and Michigan could hand her a nasty surprise. In case you don't know, she is the only one "contender" on the ballot in Michigan , so Obama and Edwards voters have been instructed to vote "Uncommited." Since Edwards and Obama's combined vote totals have killed her in the two races so far, she could come in second TO A CHECK BOX. There are plenty of Black folks in Detroit who would be HAPP...

I've been contentedly trolling my favorite blogs for months as the political races have been heating up. Now, on the eve of the eve of the Iowa caucuses, I'm speaking my piece. First, for my favorite candidate, Barack Obama. I'll be brief at the risk of running into effusive paragraphs of support for this outstanding leader. Obama's public service has engaged him with REAL PEOPLE from the start. That's an important distinction IMHO as he has embraced citizens with mortgages, student loans and insurance bills in favor of big money corporate interests. He is a magnetic presence with populist charm. His wife is brilliant, talented, warm and magic on the stage. He represents a return to American values of hard work while still CARING enough to help those in need. After 8 years of the idiot prince "divider/decider," Obama is EXACTLY what we need to make us feel like American isn't a bad word. God bless Kucinich for throwing some 11th hour love in Oba...