i am disappointed in my fellow californians...tonight...with 18% of precincts in...billary leads...CNN projected winna...damn! that would make grannies bery happy!

but our man wins the most states...14 of 22...

not all grannies are happy, trust me!

"..wins the most states...14 of 22..."

Don't peddle false information: its 13/22 when the message was posted.

New Mexico is virtually tied with less than 50% of precincts reporting; too close to call as of now.

Delegate count is the one that matters. Not the number of states or which states. If Obama can keep within 100 delegates, it shall be a big victory and a show of clear momentum, which will only grow stronger in the coming days.

An excellent analysis:

Super Tuesday Fallout: Where The Race Goes From Here
February 6, 2008 02:52 AM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/06/super-tuesday-fallout-wh_n_85249.html

Irvine,

Have you ever considered a career in Political journalism? I think you are made for the Job.

Hi Simon,

I wonder when Irvine has his exams :)

http://www.masscomedia.com/

Love, Mieke

Hello Mieke,

How are you these days?

Still as beautiful as ever I bet x x x

Simon

You bet Simon :)

Still waiting for your book......

xxx Mieke

It is strange you should mention that as it is that very thing I am writing as we speak.

The thing about writing a book is that they often take on a direction of their own and you have to go along with it for the ride. The Author sometimes becomes a witness or instrument for the story that is unfolding through their mind. It will be a while yet before it is finished but I will remember to send you it to read.

xx

All the best to you Simon, hope to read you more here :)

And Irvine, you're doing a great job!
You are living in exciting times being able to report about this vibrating election story going on at the moment!

It is not easy staying neutral in this, but your links provide a very good overview!

Love, Mieke

Well, yesterday I couldn't login to my myspace all day. Last night and today I can't login to my hotmail. My god, why didn't I just stay disconnected.. I am so fed up with this problem....

God--please don't let McCain win the Presidency!

North

well, I've wasted an hour and half of time this morning, trying to login to hotmail and the myspace... this is ridiculous!

North, why do you lock your self out that way?

...this morning, for the first time, I watched en entire show of "Crossroads"...why?
I happen to be at home with my son, who is with flu, he was having a nap, so I turned on the tv and flipping around, as I came to this particular program, I kept on watching because the hosts of the show just seemed so in love with each other...the way they looked at each other...drew me into their joy!

As the show went on, one of their guests gave a talk on African History. His name is Joel Freeman.
So here I am sharing with you the site he has with all this wealth of information on African History, a lot of it quite astounding.

Here is the site if your are interested

http://www.black101.com/

~~~

North, I sent you something via mail.
It will arrive soon. Hope your computer works for you soon.

mmuuaahhhh,

Cinda

goodmorning everyone,

Well, Super Tuesday has come and gone, today being mediocre Wednesday. I must say I couldn't stay up to watch all the results of the primary elections. I was very happy to hear of Hillary's win in Mass..so much for Ted Kennedy and John Kerry's endorsements...it was a sweet win..and.. also.. California's was very sweet to.

But, I must say the race is still much to close for comfort. I think we have many more months to go before either one takes a lead. A lot will depend on whether or not the media and press coverage will stop treating Barak with kid gloves and give him the scrutinization that he deserves for a person running for the highest office in the land. His press coverage has proven to be much more postitive than her's.

Anyway, it looks like the people are speaking their minds and this contest will go on, I voted for Hillary, here in NY, and plan to vote for her again in November, if she is the Democratic Candidate..but..who knows?

Oh well, I bet both Candidates are pleased that they are still in the running...

have a great day everyone, ruth

Richard
In another post you said the world has crossed a threshold.
I almost wrote the other day that I felt we are either at or very near the critical mass of people shifting consciousness.
Every time I turn on the radio or listen to people talk or turn on the TV, even in the political campaign, people are talking about CHANGE.

Exponential growth. I feel it stronger and stronger. We are leaving the old dysfunction systems behind and growing into a more mature consciousness. It gets stronger every day.

You don't have to change the world, it's already changing.

derek

Yes, Derek the seeds have taken root. I look for meme echo, where memes propagated start to be repeated back as one sign the intelligence and wisdom is streaming effectively but there I still a very dense energy to permeate. The fictions that cloud the minds of the vast majority are as thick as pea soup and many are caught in the vice of the game of survival in a man made environment the natural environment providing plenty for all being destroyed by his methods.

Then we have impetus, 45 killed in winter tornadoes. I have personally observed extremely powerful micro vortexes in the last year; I have never seen this before, storms having the destructive force of tornados because there are these micro vortices.

There is a lot to do but much of the management and authority are still not aware yet of the solutions and how to execute them many things tinted and influenced by a desire for profit.

Soon we should have a concise plan for everyone to review, and then we must garner the world’s attention.

and nothing can stop evolution which is accelerating at a very rapid unprecedented pace now.

What will be interesting to see is if the human species as a single organism produces the instructions (virus) to terminate a portion of the members of the species to guarantee the survival of the species as a whole, a sort of natural genocide.

What I have discovered so far supports the idea that one member of the species can propagate genetic changes to other members of the species these can include upgrades or performance improvements but can also include. I named it the RTG genetic propagation theory.

Don’t take it personal though since your body is just a machine, and it is not different then producing new car models.

Just a theory still…

Bacteria do something like this when they fill up the Petri dish.

Hallo and love to all at IB.

love, H

Should have read:

can include upgrades or performance improvements but can also include culling of the bio machinery that consciousness uses especially those machines hosting belief systems that do not resonate with life and impeded evolution and result in the destruction of beneficial members of the species.

#13--purple sage--well, if you know it, tell me please; because then, we would both know : )

But, the only site that will load NO problem, is IB(just like last time too; which is mentioned in the OT archives); so I consider myself being coralled towards someone elses ulterior motive.. but by who?

Who is reeling me in here? : ) (winks) and what do they "need" from me; to wield such dominant power over me? hmm... I wonder whom it is, and what is it they want, desire or need from me; so as to discrupt my own intention of the day? : ) ((wink)) thankyou purple sage...

#14--Cinda--more pics of Shekhar? : ) Muaaaah backatcha! well, this is the same pc/connection with these sites I had at christmas season...

so, to anyone that EM'd me at my usal EM; should try my alternate email for now? but, last time, even that eventually fizzled, until I was only able to login to IB..

now, if that isn't power, what is? But, who is doing it, for what purpose and intent; and why from me again? ((nervous smile)because I assure you, it is not "I"...

Love,
North

ooops typo alert! should be disrupt, not discrupt! ((blush))

Hey Richard
I heard a story about yeast growing in a container. When they reached a place where half their food was gone then some of them started dying off. I wonder who made the choice to live or die?

Antibiotics and the decreased immune systems, coincidence, conspiracy, natural process?

Either way the future looks good, healthy and more natural.
Balanced.

You can't see the future with the eyes of the past.

derek

derek

It's called the bloom and crash cycle of yeast in a beer barrel. The yeast simply reproduce and consume sugar(sound familiar?). They reach their maximum population at the point where half of the available food source is used. The population then crashes as millions of yeast die of starvation.

A species goes into overshoot when its numbers exceed those that its environment can permanently support. The result of overshoot is die-off. The number of that species is reduced "naturally" to sustainable levels.
The family of humankind is now in a state of overshoot.

Obama scorecard says...Obama 910 Billary 882...

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign said today it has surged to a 28-delegate lead following the crucial Super Tuesday contests, with top campaign staffers declaring that the Illinois senator fought off Hillary Clinton’s efforts to emerge as a strong front-runner last night.

“Through the first 26 states, we have won more states, won more delegates, won more total votes than Sen. Clinton,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said this morning. “It’s clear the (Clinton’s) strategy was predicated on trying to secure the Democratic nomination last night, and on that score they failed miserably.”

Plouffe said Obama has emerged with a delegate lead of 910 to Clinton’s 882, a tally that foretells an extremely close battle that will only intensify in the crucial days ahead. Clinton aides could not immediately be reached for their take on the numbers.

dude take a break. give it a rest. we know where to go find the delegate count. you don't have to take the effort to copy & paste it here.

5TH UNDERSEA CABLE CUT just reported(all in different areas)

IRAN is cut off from the world Packet Loss 100%

Click my name and you can see the Internet Traffic Report.

What do you all think is going on ????

From what I can tell this is not being reported in the major news media yet.

yo...eptish...is it the pot calling the kettle black....again...damn u! who is the freakin elephant of cut and paste on this site? u are suck a loser!

Hey Bonnie
Yes the beer barrel thing.
The hundredth monkey thing.
Everything is an example of everything else. If we want to know what is happening to us we can look at the natural processes around us. This is no new revelation but I believe we are becoming more aware of it. Everything in our universe follows the same rhythms and cycles of growth, makes sense that we will follow those natural rhythms.

Regardless of who wins the election the people are rising up to create technologies that give us more but uses less energy. Eventually whatever we consume will create more energy than it takes to do produce it.
Not more from less but more and giving back.

My dream

derek

Clarification, I checked and Iran does have some connectivity still; some of the routers and or Satellite connections not using these cables are operational.

There was also a Magnitude 4.8 - in the PERSIAN GULF

The cable cuts/problems are occurring in different geographic locations 5 is too many for coincidence.

good evening everyone,

Hi Richard, re#27...I have been reading about the cuts...the first three they said could be from possible boat anchors, catching and cutting them, but, now, you say .....five! doesn't sound to good whatever it may be...but if it were boat anchors you would think they would have nipped the problem in the bud after the third cut....hmmmmm?

Well, here are my words of wisdom for the night...I am so sick of Hillary and Obama right now...I do not give a hoot anymore who gets it..If Hillary gets it, yippee! If Obama gets it, I will be stuck with him! If McCain gets it, we will all be just plain STUCK! I do not want to hear about anymore polls or about who is going to get the so and so vote...What the F#$%ever! In November, I am voting for Hillary if she is still up and running, if not, well, I'll vote for the other Democrat, but I will not enjoy it, it will not be a fun vote.....and that is my story....

have a great evening everyone, ruth

http://www.ilovebonnie.net/2008/02/06/apparently-ships-can-drag-anchors-from-egypt-to-malaysia/

first, not all of Iran is down...

"EDIT Many readers have written in to inform me that Iran is, in fact, not entirely offline and that InternetTrafficReport.com is a terrible source..."

Second, here's my favorite comment on the above article:

"jones Says:
"February 6th, 2008 at 8:28 am

"Though I would not put my money on it,
you could make your list of perpetrators
more complete by adding fundamental
terrorists / interest groups against
globalization from the area. Also
if a dicatator”ship”, likes to limit
the flow of information to the people
in order to better control them,
limiting their information sources
to change their perception of reality
is also plausible, though also less likely,
but worth mentioning."

Looking at a map of where cables where cut tells me a story like that.

dear Irish, what's your source for those numbers (link, please)?

love, H

"In a surprise twist after a chaotic Super Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) passed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in network tallies of the number of delegates the candidates racked up last night.

The Obama camp now projects topping Clinton by 13 delegates, 847 to 834.

NBC News, which is projecting delegates based on the Democratic Party's complex formula, figures Obama will wind up with 840 to 849 delegates, versus 829 to 838 for Clinton."

(of course these figures are for the Super Tuesday States alone)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8358.html

Looking around further, this was a story from yesterday, not today, yet it wasn't reported on CNN, NYTimes, etc. Why? It never happened. There was one router down at an Iranian university. That was it.

Now I know why I've been quiet recently here. Time to say ta once more.

love, H

Why put the important point in parens, IW -- that the count you're talking about is the projected count for Super Tuesday only?

The total delegate count is 845 for HC versus 765 for OB.

jeez.

OK, ta again.

love, h

I was just wondering.....say Barak Obama does win the Presidency and the press and media and washingtonDC punidts do not have Bush and Hillary Clinton to kick around anymore...what are they going to do? do you think they will continue to just plain gush over Obama? do you think they will give him kudos, daily? I am just trying to picture the CHANGE...what will it be like, how will it look? Will Republicans and Democrats finally get in bed together and lovey dovey all night long and make beautiful bills together and actually pass one or two that do not weigh two tons of pork? Will the poor get some money? Will the jobless get some "f-ing good paying jobs with health care? will peace and unity be spread from our shores to the far shores? will the young unplug their Ipods and do something for their Country instead of just doing something for the next best download?

Yes, I am trying to look through the eyes of the Barak Obama supporter....I want to see what they see...I just wondering, again.

bye ruth

ruth, I've been on the fence about the two Dem front runners.

OB makes me shiver with his inspiring speeches. but because he makes me shiver, he makes me worry, too. it's very very (very very very) rare that someone can talk that well and deliver, too. and I can see so many flaws in his promises.

HC has very little real style, other than a deep tenacity and a very fine mind and heart (I think, anyway) -- less showy, more obvious in her association with power. and I find her to be more sincere than OB when it comes to making good on her word. also, as you know, she's a brilliant senator from New York State, one of the first we've had in a while who actually gets stuff done for real people. What bothers me about her is the continued presence of Bill.

Anyway, any Dem is better than Bush.

A final ta.

love, h

thanks for the accurate count Heather, and hope you don't stay too quite for too long...yours is a lovely voice to hear!! ta..ta for now ruth

ah, Ruth, I just had to come back once more -- Gotham has a great new blog... and I am loving the way comments post immediately, just like back when IB was almost new.

New York hugs to you!

now a real ta.

love, h

Let’s take a break and talk about something important.

On September 6, 1988, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Chief Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young, ruled: "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known....[T]he provisions of the [Controlled Substances] Act permit and require the transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance." - Source: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition," [Docket #86-22] (September 6, 1988), p. 57.

“I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance”.
Thomas Carlyle

Crazy wisdom Zen poets
From Japan, Ryokan

"Shaggy hair past the ears,
A worn-out robe resembling
white clouds and dark smoke.
Half drunk, half sober, I return home
Children all around, guiding me along the way."

"My life may appear melancholy.
But traveling through this world
I have entrusted myself to Heaven.
In my sack, three sho of rice;
By the hearth, a bundle of firewood.
If someone asks what is the mark
of enlightenment or illusion.
I cannot say.Wealth and honor are nothing but dust.
As the evening rain falls I sit in my heritage
And stretch out both feet in answer."

The Chinese counterpart:-

"I settled at Cold Mountain long ago,
Already it seems like years and years.
Freely drifting, I prowl the woods and streams
And linger watching things themselves.
Men don't get this far into the mountains,
White clouds gather and billow.
Thin grass does for a mattress,
The blue sky makes a good quilt.
Happy with a stone underhead
Let heaven and earth go about their changes."

~~Cold Mountain~~

Yo, Heather!

Barack is no promising political Utopia. Did a JFK or a Reagan solve all the problems facing the nation? Those supporting Obama understand this. He mentions again and again in his speeches that the road is not easy, you make mistakes that it is a tough battle, etc. Many ordinary detractors don't just listen to everything that he says or what their supporters say.

Change comes in installments. I see Obama as a reformist candidate for Change, while Hillary is a conservative choice for Change. JFK inspired a whole new generation into public service, that's how real change and transformation comes in a nation.

No one believes that Obama is a messiah or has some magic wand to solve all problems soemhow. They know he can be a good president and of course much better than Bush.

I think, some see this Obama movement as something unusual. This kind of movements for reform happened many times in the past. The choice is philosophical among other things.

If it is Obama or Hillary there may not be a big difference in how the country transforms eventually. But the possibility is more with a leader like Obama.

Hopefully the new president will think along these lines:

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, from those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its labourers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Without positive government reform; it won't much matter whom is elected leader. All candidates have their own personal agenda's for being President, and it is for their ideals, which make them run for the prized Leadership!

It is not a fault, to be so negative as I feel about government anywhere on this planet; for the whole "gang, army" system; has gone to the highest bidder anyway.

The USA and Canada; have dug a big grave years ago.. when Mulroney was hiding hundreds of thousands of dollars recieved in cash; didn't claim it for almost seven years.. then when he's caught; is proven innocent, so then Mulroney sues Canadadian Government for 2.6 millions for defemation of character; and meanwhile... Canadian PM Harper actually "may have had knowledge of Mulroney's guilt" prior to awarding Mulroney the lawsuit!!?? huh?

How can we trust anyone in power; when we still dn't punish those in power, whom defraud their constituency's, lie to the highest power of governmenet, etc.? Clinton-Monica-Gate ring a bell? The President LIED to the HIGHEST POWER IN THE USA< and now, gets almost a quarter million, sometimes MORE< for a one hour bleeping dinner?

geeez.... leadership is so cheap these days. We let drunks, pill-poppers, perverts, drunk-driving, social dysfunctional rich people run the world...

and, look at the mess they have made of it too!

: (

Mulroney, ought to be forced to give that 2.6 million back into Canadian hands; and the law-book thrown at him; jail the theiving-lawer, stealing/not claiming tax's while Prime Minister....bastard! and damn the ones in power NOW< whom are letting the bastard get away with it! Same goes for Clinton and Bush...

Impeach!! Both! NOW!~

damn cowards, all of us.. for not doing a thing to stop the corruption...otherwise, we have no business complaining about the shit they dump on us, as "their pawn-people". right?

yeah, I'm steamed.. researching icky stuff about the Mulroney cover-up here in Canada!! He's got MORE money hiding in the Greek Islands, for crying out loud..
nobody is listening to me!

North

It was rather fun to watch Mulroney squirm on the chair while being drilled. The last hour or so, all he could do, was repeat his achievements.. while avoiding admitting he lied, he cheated, he covered-it-up, and he sued the government, when the government knew he was guilty!

Now, he's admitted to taking the money...in cash. NOT claiming it for almost seven years... he simpley "forgot" because he is so busy

(sorry Mulroney, but playing a dumb lawer don't cut it),

so, now it comes to light Prime Minister Harper may have knowledge of Mulroney's guilt; prior to awarding Mulroney lawsuit money...?

I mean.. I gotta tell ya; this frosts my pickles!

Mrs. Clinton has a dirty past.
Mr. Clinton is a liar and a sexually-perverted cheat, with young women.. cigar, anyone? what a pig! I mean.. really! Then he lies to the world about it.. doesn't even get a lawful-spanking!

Bush killed the USA without one bullet, or bomb, but instead used temperamental, alchoholic-addiction mentality; carried out with cruelty, torture and war. He may have stopped an possible, american anhilation; but, he certainly created an american alienated-nation. Makes me uncomfy being next door, to such a hated country! yup yup yup!

So.. anyway... another future of this kinda leadership, and we'll all be insane anyway..

"their" mission accomplished.. perhaps? Upping the ante of "the" fear projectory? Mass induced hysteria..

North

“Looking around further, this was a story from yesterday, not today, yet it wasn't reported on CNN, NYTimes, etc. Why? It never happened. There was one router down at an Iranian university. That was it.” ~Heather

Heather as you see as I noted above there is still connectivity, it wasn't just one router affected by the cable cuts. It actually affected about 135 networks in Iran, some traffic was routed through back up satellite connections.

The cuts affected multiple countries including India.

Obviously the Internet is designed to survive cable cuts and damaged sections but this does produce great congestion on the remaining routes and affects performance which has happened.

If the congestion gets really bad it is almost the same as not having an Internet connection.

Also if you click my name you can see 9 reports from CNN and BBC has 5 so it probably happened.

I think the most amazing thing would be if it all happened without any human involvement involved.

Perhaps a mysterious force at work.

It Ain't the Economy, Stupid

Why no president can control our $14 trillion engine

http://www.newsweek.com/id/108382

Hi Heather...

here is that source...?

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1071704&srvc=rss

Consider this possibility: cables being manufactured at the same time, all laid within a year or two of each other, and several fail at the about same time (just like most lightbulbs failing on more or less the same day in your first 3 or 4 years in a new abode).

But there is a more down-to-earth reality addressed in this Wired article, posted about two hours ago:

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/who-cut-the-cab.html

For me, these are the key points in the article:

"...two more cables failed in the same area [roughly, as the first two near Alexandria, Egypt], one in a segment connecting Qatar to an island in the United Arab Emirates, and another in a link between Oman and the UAE. The former wasn't even a cut -- it was a power failure, but you can't keep a good conspiracy theory down; some news sites are even reporting incorrectly that Iran is cut off from the internet, and claiming that there's a fifth cut, which turns out to be an unexceptional cable failure from weeks ago..."

"...Only the first two cuts had any serious impact on the internet, says Beckert. Those cables near Alexandria, Egypt account for 76 percent of the capacity through the Suez canal -- connecting Europe with the Middle East, North Africa and the India sub-continent..."

"...Cable cuts happen on average once every three days," Beckert said. There are 25 large ships that do nothing but fix cable cuts and bends, Beckert adds..."

"...While any severed cable is a "cut" in the parlance of telecom, most often they're the result of cables rubbing against sea floor rocks, eventually cutting through the copper shielding and exposing the thin fiber optics inside..."

Sub- and tropical latitudes have been experiencing earthquakes and/or cold rough weather in some areas, in the last few weeks. This has been true of the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas. The motion of the sea alone could be enough to cause breaks in a cable's insulating or protective jacket.

Methinks it's a matter of perspective. We're too far away and ignorant. The downside of the web is the speed with which rumor spreads. The upside of the web is the fast spreading of rumors creates pressure that sends the researchers to work, and the truth surfaces sooner rather than later. I'm watching for the truth, now. For the moment, the Wired article feels as if it's talking about reality, to me. And big services not picking up the fifth cut story says the same thing to me. Btw, there may have been as many as nine cuts, not five, and read above again, on how often cuts happen -- once every three days, on average.

Earlier, I'd found an interesting comment form someone who said that to people in affected countries, it would look as if the West had been affected by the outages. A matter of perspective, again.

Oye, Edmund!!

love, h

Ruth,

Whoever becomes president will be in divine order.

It's not really about the President or Congress, it is about us.

Embrace and transform.

Hi, D -- that is a projection, not an actual count, and one more reason I read sources like the NYTimes rather than Boston papers (sorry, Boston).

Now remember that is Massachusetts, and the Kennedy's are to be K.O.'d to there, and they're behind your man.

So here is how the Boston paper does a spin:

"...Obama has emerged with a delegate lead of 910 to Clinton’s 882..."

-- that is a projected lead of 28 delegates for BO.

versus the AP story of the actual delegate tally to-date (which story is quoted by the Boston paper, but in such a way that its impact and reality are lost to the causal reader, which most of us are):

"...According to an Associated Press count this morning, Clinton has 845 delegates to Obama’s 765..."

-- that is an ACTUAL lead of 80 delegates for HC.

see?

love, h

that should have been the casual reader.

Latest count per NYTimes:

HC 1000 delegates, OB 902, which is a lead of 88 for HC, to-date, actual, not projected.

love to all, and now ta to all for days and days.

-- h

Hilary had 100 or more super delegates even before the Iowa caucus began.

Obama still leads in the pledged delegates who are won by actual voting both overall and also in the Super Tuesday dates.

Obama is projected to win the delegate count on Super Tuesday and he will win.

Actually he has won the delegates race on Super Tuesday Sates. He has more delegates even in the previous states. Hillary has some 100 more super delegates which gave her a slim overall lead.

Actually the most MSM mad ea spin by not giving a clear picture of delegates won on Feb 5.

Now, who won the Super Tuesday?

Obama on delegate count(not just projected) and Number of States. (Popular vote is almost equal.)

yo heather...before u go!

can dels switch their votes at the convention? or is there a rule against that?

You idiot, the super delegates CAN CHANGE their preference of the candidate till the time of convention any number of times.

Remember they are politicians and they will want to back someone who is going to win.

Therefore it is always better to count only the pledged delegates (who cannot change their preference) in a close race.

Obama 838 Hillary 834 (Projected by NBC, NM and CA still to come)

u idiot...i did not know ur name was heather!

You scatterbrain, why don't you correspond with private email if you are looking for an exclusive dialogue with a person?

Hillary's Economic Plan?

Her campaign is broke! Her top managers are going with out pay and Bill has pumped in 5 million dollars of their own money in January.

Half of their donors are maxed out. Barack has a lot of small donors who contributed less than $200. Actually, the way they are running their campaign and involving people in the process gives an insight into their approach, managing skills and leadership, .

Well I am glad to see everything is back to normal around here, "Your and idiot", "No your an idiot" No your the idiot" Nice.. Scatterbrain! nice.

u know who u are and u know u are despised...and u know u can't use ur old moniker...eptish...moreover...u don't freakin tell me what to do u sore prat...by the same token...y dont u cut and paste urself to death rather that fill our site with ur endless thrash...do u really think anyone cares to be pestered by ur piles of crap...idiot?

Heather

You present some valid perspectives, it is an interesting story perhaps born of a desire for excitement and the suspense while it unfolds.

Perhaps it is a sign, of unanticipated extreme weather effects on the systems.

You need to get laid, idiot or at lest a hot bath, reading your bullshit is like washing the car, And you know what else...ah never mind I'm sure your off in lala land by now, as it should be.

I love you tru blu lu

LOL!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/contribute_c/sincefeb5_email/graphic

glenn beck was on CNN...

he's mad at McCain...too lib..against bush tax cut for te rich, he says..

he's thinks that barack is the worst canidate

1..McCain is too old...wants to be in iraq for 100 years...get lost dino!

2..if u vote for billary...u are not voting for change...but 4 more yrs of the same...

3...there is only one great canidate in the race...barack obama...dont miss out america!

and ...yes...he can!

#45 and 46
Lady North, you are probably right, but shouldn’t you let us in on your information sources?

Good article:

Only One Candidate can Achieve Universal Health Care

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/76225/

#66--Dumas.. the info is google-able; and as well, is on the tv news.

Hillary's past is there for all to read, so is Mulroney's. Tom Hanks mentions on his myspace profile page, he'd spotted Mulroney in the Greek Islands "during" his reign of PM...

another taxpayer paid exotic holiday for the corrupt, rich-elite!?

Mulroney ought to be hung out to dry; for what he's done to Canadians trust. Sadly, he'll probably not pay back the 2.6 million; nor will he see time behind bars..

Harper should be impeached, for giving Mulroney the money, knowing of his "guilt"!!

Harper.. is Canada's Bush! sad, tragic, reality.

because the rich, the famous and political corrupted persons.. do not do time, for crime

do they?

North

http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/delegates/index.html

The link above is the New York Time delegates count page, and it shows a picture that is worth all the words on OT about this issue, imho.

Hey, Irish!

IW, I guess you guys know each other and had a fight sometime in the recent past, since your mutual emnity is so very very personal.

love, h

North says:
‘Harper should be impeached, for giving Mulroney the money, knowing of his "guilt"!!’

What money did Harper give Mulroney? Aren’t Mulroney and Harper both Conservatives but the settlement was between the Liberals and the Conservatives?

Says Allan Rock:

OTTAWA -- Former justice minister Allan Rock testified yesterday he would have killed a $2.1-million settlement with Brian Mulroney in 1997 if the former prime minister had revealed his still undeclared cash dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber.

Harper, Bush and Mulroney may all be slime balls, but let’s not give them more “credit” than they deserve!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/05/spector-ethics.html?ref=rss

"I guess you guys know each other and had a fight sometime in the recent past, since your mutual emnity is so very very personal."

false, and fallacious speculation. Of course my personal attacks are motivated by knowing him at IB from his comments.

***

"Many news organizations include delegate projections in their counts that are based on nonbinding votes for candidate preference, such as the Iowa caucuses. The New York Times counts only delegates that have been officially selected and are bound by their preferences."

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/politics/2008delegates.html

#70... Dumas

now you know, what I know. : )

For perhaps an opportunity to get insight on how political positions are to be held legally..

try this site: How Stuff Works

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

ask it anything : )

North

North

The NY Times figure doesn't count any delegates from the 8? Caucus States as of now. But anyone who have a little bit of political understanding know how the delegates pan out based on caucus results although they are not official.

Funny, how the NY Times has declared NM as being won by Hillary, although not 'official'. The provincial ballots(almost 10% of total votes polled) are yet to be counted. I think the counting process is underway right now.

Lady North, what money did Harper give Mulroney?

I am the last guy who wants to protect these slime balls, but we should try to be accurate when we blast them!

Harper wasn’t even around when the settlement happened!

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/leading-among-the-unpledged/

above a link to the current superdelegate trend distribution (superdelegates are unpledged).

about caucus states...

"...a caucus is the first step and is generally a multitiered process that culminates with the selection of delegates..."

so the NYTimes would not count delegates from a caucus state until that state's caucus process is completed. the table shows caucus completion dates for each caucus state.

Mitt Romney leaves the field... to McCain and Huckabee! I was expecting this. This is the only way he could possibly stop McCain.

It is good he dropped out now, he might have a better chance of being nominated 4 years from now. He knows McCain might lose the general election because of the conservative backlash.

heather...

dude is that famous IB reject....with a major league obsession with RCB....he knows he can pretend to be someone else...but we know he's only fooling himself...we know too that he's a loner and a comp freak...who changes ids like we change unda wear..no love lost here! i am gonna kick his wrinkled ass if he keeps it up!

#74--Dumas,

the lawsuit was recent..

Harper held other positions of power, prior to becoming Prime Minister.

And, now I must "go" as I've just recieved a call from my disability office; that I am indebted to them for another five hundred dollars....

they always find ways.. for the poor to "pay back" .. don't they?

North

I know IB people(both in US and elsewhere) would appreciate information regarding the 'delegate' race:

A Brief Primer on Democratic Delegates
from Daily Kos dairy

Are you baffled about the delegate process for the Democrats? Don't worry, just about anyone who hasn't spent hours reading the bylaws of the Democratic National Committee is probably at least mildly perplexed. We'll have a more detailed explanation of the delegate process this weekend. In the meantime, here's a brief explanation of who the delegates are.

There are two kinds of delegates. About 80% of the 4,049 delegates currently allocated for the Denver convention are pledged delegates. Pledged delegates are those who are "pledged" to a candidate based on the candidate's performance in a state's nomination contest. Most states and territories have primaries, some have caucuses, and a few have hybrids or a state convention. 75% of a state's pledged delegates are allocated by Congressional district or similar boundary, with the remaining 25% allocated in proportion to the statewide results. [This is for states with more than one Congressional district.]

Republicans award delegates on a winner-take-all basis, usually by the entire state, although some places award delegates based upon winners of Congressional districts. Democrats, however, award pledged delegates in proportion to their share of the vote. If a candidate receives at least 15% of the vote in either a congressional district or statewide, he or she will receive at least one delegate from that jurisdiction. Because delegates are parceled out mostly by Congressional district, it is possible and not rare for a candidate who finishes second statewide to actually get more delegates than the candidate who won the state. What matters isn't just the number of votes, but also how they are distributed.

Each state party has a process for determining the actual individuals who serve as pledged delegates in Denver. Individuals submit their names to the state party and declare which candidate they would like to represent in Denver. Those names are vetted with the campaign so they can determine that these individuals are in fact supporters of their candidate. This is important, as there is nothing that binds the individuals, once at the convention, to vote for the candidate to whom they originally pledged their support. But since the campaigns vet the names, it's extremely rare for someone to not vote for the candidate to whom they originally pledged support.

Within a few months of the state's primary or caucus, the state party conducts a convention or a meeting of a leadership body and votes on the individual delegates. A state's delegation must have an equal balance of men and women, and the state's delegation must represent the state's racial mix.

The other 20% of the delegates in Denver will be unpledged delegates, who are often called "superdelegates." These people are not obligated to pledge support for anyone in advance of their arriving at the convention. Furthermore, just because someone publicly declares their support now for, say, Mike Gravel, nothing officially binds them to stick with that endorsement. Thus, anyone who now declares support for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama could show up at the convention and vote for someone else.

Many unpledged delegates are elected officials. All Democratic members of Congress and Democratic Senators are unpledged delegates. Democratic governors are unpledged delegates. Members of the Democratic National Committee are unpledged delegates. And a small number of "party elders" are unpledged delegates; this group includes former Democratic presidents and vice-presidents, former nominees for President, former Speakers of the House, Senate leaders, or minority leaders in the House or Senate, and past chairs of the Democratic National Committee.

File this away if you have to, because to make sense of our nominating contest, it's going to be crucial that you can make sense of the battle for delegates. The delegate count will determine our nominee, and that contest is fierce and will not be decided for quite some time.

Umm...what is "RCB", anyone?

Playing stupid, stupid? no shame in this loser's household!

I said this before, I say it again: this person carries a similar abusive, harassing trait of Ravi Kopra.

using ur gazillion ids don't fool anyone, eptisch! lame try, reject! try something more innovative next time...wiil yah ...prat!

and if u cant stand the heat?..........

lo! there you go again!

...self-aggrandizing by having a conversation/contradicting with himself/themselves -- trying to capture the center of attention by creating controversy... diablo/irvine/ravi kopra/john/skeptisch/

enough!

vanessa, anne, tryingtobereasonable, logisch, IW etc......dude...do u really think we are stupid, reject? get serious and get a freakin life! will yah! damn! u!

Vanessa, you are more scatterbrained than dude diablo. Maybe you both are same. Cheers!

Hi Vanessa,

I don't know who you are, but please don't mix me with jerks like Diablo and Ravi Kopra. They I think mayn't be one and the same, although I won't really be surprised if they are. I am not Skeptisch either. I have denied this fact many times in the past but the sick man doesn't get it and keeps accusing. Please don't join him o in his tactics of confusion. I see right now he is showing his craziness again by abusing others. It seems to me that he visits Intentblog to unload his frustrations in life. He seeks to find any subject or anyone to hate or to project his repressed desires.

Regards.

Most blogs have a jester or clown who behaves differently from the rest of the crowd. IB is no exception. Its jester shows behaviour that might be a warning sign for something that may get worse but could be treated in the early stages.

Should we tell him or her that his or her opinionated claptrap in garbled writing might be a neurotic disorder? Should we tell him or her about warning signs like, frequent disrespect for other bloggers, making reference to age, boasting about presumed youth and virility? S/he also gets angry very quickly and has a neurotic intolerance for cut and paste information.

S/he assigns ID’s to others only to be proven wrong time and again. This strange person appears to have an inability to call others by their name and instead gives them nicknames that are often offensive.

Here is an example of the claptrap, “He's a loner, a loser, bald, ancient, angry...scary...weird, a comp geek...a freak who seeks attention at IB where he's despised and rejected...damn!”

If you know our jester in person, are close to him and love and care for her, please try to make him realise that he may need treatment. The sooner help is sought, the better the chances of a complete recovery.

Irvine Welsh, RCB means remote cutlery bending and I happen to know first hand you are not the other guy!

Peace guys!

Dumas, my friend, you are not an exception in your observations and judgment. Only one person has so far been deluding himself that others here share his own delusion. You have clearly identified many issues with this person (and John to some extent suggested...) His posts tell me that he has a strong vulnerability in taking "personal responsibility" for anything. He suffers with a low self-esteem. This guy is crying out for help... day-in-and-day-out at IB. The signs are clearly there. I can only hope for the best for him.

Thank you,
of course you know who I am -- IWzOlo

"RCB means remote cutlery bending"

(Thanks Dumas)

I see... his fixation with the "spoondbending" episode.

#67 Posted by Bonnie.

Good article:

"Only One Candidate can Achieve Universal Health Care"

[By Paul Krugman, The New York Times. February 7, 2008.]

***

I would appreciate to have you opinion on this article:

Health-Care "Demogoguery"?
Posted February 7, 2008
By RJ Eskow

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/healthcare-demogoguery_b_85531.html
(or click my name)

...

...He(Paul Krugman)should know better than to claim that the Clinton plan could provide universal coverage. Experience and political common sense say that just ain't so.

...Krugman and other supporters of the Clinton plan are now pointing to a study by the respected Urban Institute as a validation of their position. It's a good study that shows mandates are the only way to achieve something like "universal coverage" -- if you first exclude single-payer coverage from the mix.

...

***

(RJ Eskow has worked as a consultant in public policy, technology, and finance, specializing in health care issues, domestically and in over 20 foreign countries.)

Hi Bonnie, what do you think about this artcile below(and the one above)?

What makes you think, the Paul Krugman article is "good"? Is it because it supported Hillary's stance over Obama's? I seriously want you to read the Health Care demagoguery article above to understand the debate. Are you open to change your opinions regarding the plans of both candidates with a better understanding? Or are you bought into a beleif that Hillary is "experienced", Obama is not, therefore her plan must be good kind of fallacy? Did you watch the Derek Ashong video he posted at IB? Do you believe you are similarly informed and balanced in your opinions? Thanks.

***

Why Paul Krugman is Wrong
by Jayaprakash Narayan
Mon Feb 04, 2008
Daily Kos

I used to have great respect for Paul Krugman, but I can't figure out what his agenda is. Why does he hate Obama so much? And why is he shredding the coalition for universal healthcare by turning mandates for health insurance -- a historically conservative idea -- into a litmus test issue for progressives?

The most disturbing thing about his column in today's NY Times is that he's dead wrong. A mandate without enforcement, which is what Clinton's plan proposes, won't cover any more people than Obama's plan. Over 90 of the nation's most prominent health policy scholars recently signed a letter to this effect (I've reprinted the letter with the names of the signers at the bottom.) Krugman is just picking the experts who agree with him - but the balance of opinion is that mandates don't matter.

Now, Clinton says she's going to "enforce" her mandate. But if we're going to look at what she says (as opposed to what's in her plan,) then we should look at what Obama says too. He says he's willing to implement a mandate if we're able to lower healthcare costs first. So there's no big difference.

The big picture is that every prior attempt to enact universal health care has failed because we haven't been able to hold the coalition together - not because we haven't been able to figure out the public policies that would get it done. And now Paul Krugman and Hillary Clinton are doing more than anyone else in America to shred the coalition for universal healthcare by turning on their own allies.

Barack Obama is on record as being committed to universal healthcare within his first term. He has a different idea about how we should get there: lower costs first, then he'll consider a mandate.

I happen to be be for mandates, but there at least two progressive arguments to be made for doing it Obama's way:

1. Historically, individual mandates are a conservative idea.

Mandates for insurance have never been a cornerstone of progressivism. In fact, Krugman himself was lukewarm about Arnold Schwarzenegger's mandate-based plan when he wrote about it last January: select.nytimes.com/.../12krugman.html. When did the individual mandate suddenly become the best idea in health policy? As a tactical matter, we're ceding ground to conservatives when we embrace mandates for health insurance.

2. Mandates are fiscally regressive.

Progressives can make a good case that we shouldn't support them for the same reason that we don't support regressive taxation. For example MA caps its subsidies at 300% of the federal poverty line. That means that a family earning about $62,000 would have to may at least $8000 a year for bare bones, high-deductible coverage (according to the MA health connector website) or a $4000 penalty. That's unconscionable. Alternatively, you can exempt people who can't pay. MA has done precisely this, exempting some 20% of its uninsured population. If you project that percentage nationally, that's about 9.4 million people. The point is that there is an anguishing choice here -- and you can't just wish it away. You also shouldn't give Hillary a free pass on her plan, which would almost certain leave people uninsured -- possibly 10 million, but we won't know until she tells us how she'll enforce the mandate and how many she'll exempt.

Take it a step further. Let's say that low-income Americans who don't qualify for a subsidy have to purchase insurance and this drives them into an even more financialy precarious situation. All the data suggests that socioeconomic status is a more powerful determinant of health outcomes than access to medical care. This means that a mandate could leave low income Americans far worse off.

Here's my bottom line: Mandate or no mandate, we have to keep the coalition for universal healthcare together. This shouldn't be a litmus test issue for progressives.It makes no sense to attack Obama as being opposed to universal health when he's on record as being for universal healthcare (and for single-payer, if we were starting from scratch,) and when there's a legitimate policy debate within the progressive movement on mandates.

We need to stop giving Hillary Clinton and Paul Krugman a free pass for attacking fellow progressives.

Lastly, here's that letter signed by more than 90 health policy experts debunking the Clinton/Krugman mandate claim.

"The leading Democratic and Republican candidates for president have proposed major changes to our health care system. These proposals are worthy of serious consideration. Rising medical costs threaten our country's long-term fiscal stability. And our failure to provide health insurance to 47 million Americans is cause for shame....

[...]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/4/24033/97081/188/449344

dude...u talk and explain things to urself using ur various aliases ...its comical...and then have the audacity to think u r fooling us! isn't it amazing that all ur supporters appear outta the blues and immediately begin acting like oldtimers...talking about needing help...dude! oh please...just look at that homely charactor steering back at u in the mirror...so what new alias...u r gonna come up with next? angie? monika? duley??????????????

Dear Irvine

Re your #92 and #93

Healthcare is one of the more important issues we face. I, personally, do not like either Obama's or Hillary's plan for healthcare. They both add more sociopolitical complexity than necessary to solve the problem. The result of either or both is diminished returns for the investment made. But more on that later.

To answer your question as to why I think Krugman's article is good is, up to this point, the majority of discussions I have heard have been those praising Obama(on everything) and slamming Hillary. It seems to have become the chic thing to do. So, in the interest of being *fair and balanced* :) I thought it a good thing to see someone actually scrutinize something he proposes. In defense of Krugman, I have read him for some time and in the long run he has been more often right than wrong, even though he draws a lot of fire by those who disagree with him and they are usually on the right.

I also would add that Obama's 'Harry and Louise' scare tactic mailer is another confirmation for me that he too operates within the "Business as Usual" crowd, whereby legislation is mostly written by lobbyists, in this case the insurance companies. And, if I am not mistaken he has received more $ from the insurance industry than anyone, even Hillary. Either way it's a lot of $$$.[I've lost the link to the specifics, but it came from Kucinich] It also tells me Obama is not exactly what he likes to portray himself to be.

Regarding the articles you posted, I have read the one by R.J. Eskow, but haven't had time to read the other one but will. Eskow's tone seemed much more angry and demogoguery to me than Krugman's[if I had time I would pick it apart, but it's late and I have an early tomorrow], nevertheless, he has excellent points. Actually, his preferred approach to the solution is much closer to the way I think we should be progressing with the debate on healthcare, but doesn't seem to be an option for either Obama or Hillary.

I will be happy to discuss this further, but I would welcome your own opinions more so than those of others.

See ya

bonnie

Diablo, you are such a WHINER! Why don't you ask Uncle Tree to warm you a bottle of milk and tuck you back into bed. Maybe he can read you a chapter from my soon to be released book.

Here's an excerpt:
(Banuse morns:) "I had only found a contentment, a contentment like Chie's ...but I have lost my home and now my self." Tears flooded his eyes. His heart ached beyond measure. Covering his face with his arms he rolled over in despair. "Oh Chie," he said, "why couldn't I be more like you?"
(Within the mysterious Dark Woods Banuse finds his spiritual preceptor, Srimat, and embraces his discipline and spiritual consciousness, a difficult process:)
"But I cannot!" Banuse shouted back.
"If you think not," responded Srimat.
"I think not!"
"Then change your thinking, Banuse."
There was silence between them for several moments as Banuse wondered how he could do that, or if it could be done at all. Surely no one he knew could do it. Or perhaps they could and had never told them.

Last word is "him" not "them".

yo...did u hear billary?

she says...if i become prez...i'll bring the troops home in 60 days...

well stupid...y did vote to put them there in the first place? and arn't u trying to lock the barn door after the horsies have left? old woman go please bill...y don't u? damn old b*g!

dakini...shudn't u introduce urself before acting like we know who u are?

y is billy C BJ still in the news?

is he a racist? knowing what he said in SC: even J.J. won SC...hmmm!

My, my Diablo, aren't we smug in our ability to perceive. You want truth? Truth is our ability to stand honorably before the Creator. (That's from my next book.)

dakini...u make no sense...dude...u sound like u are off ur medication...again...eptish....damn!

Thanks Diablo, I'm still on my medication, though, I did cut down. OK, let me take this real slow...'to stand honorably before the Creator' is a quote from the character of my next book,Dancing Redstone. He is an Indian mystic that comes from New Mexico to dance in a tourist trap in the Adirondacks. He falls in love with his landlord. I think I will dedicate it to Keith, as I love his column here.

Tell us more, this story sounds kinda cool.

What's the landlords name? a woman or a man? hmmm? do tell, do tell..

I meant to say landlady. And as it turns out, darn! why does this always happen? Now I can't even think of my character's last name!

Her first name is Hebrew. That's all I can say.

She has an 11 year old who is depressed over his father's death and has a 15 year old girl who doesn't want an Indian getting room and board in the house for the summer. Natually, Dancing Redstone, in a way, helps the boy. Darn!

The secondary plot is the boy's suicidal tendencies. The main plot is Danny's desire not to dance in front of people.

Thank you for asking March Wind, but I'm feeling really pitter-patted all of a sudden and I think I'll work on getting the books to Amazon's CreateSpace, and maybe I'll be back to check on Diablo's growing pains at that time. (Darn, somebody knows how to confound me.)

This is Leap Year....does the landlady propose something nice to Dancing Redstone too?

don't know bout any of that, but here's a really great song, by Pink.

Yes, Dancing Redstone she dose, " Deepak Chopra" ring tones, for only 9.99 a month, now there's a great deal! while supplies last!hurry hurry

love you

billary is so yesterday!

we need a change in this country! and she thinks she is it! oh please! gimme a break!

Don't you make me have to tell you off now diablo, cause your a brat!, give your self a break! oh and FYI politics are lame and boring.

Now, that story?

tammy...u need love!

yes i do with a cherry on top.. and u2!

" I have this head shrink and he says MPD is deliberately induced. The CIA started inducing it after they brought all the Nazis over from Germany to run American Psychiatric Association.

It is all mind control and all kinds of things to invent people with multiple personalities. I believe the government has implanted some kind of a chip into my head where Barbara Walters and these other women monitor my thoughts. And they take all my ideas. I think Oprah sits with her finger on the switch to the chip. Several times I wondered if I had multiple personality disorder or if I was just from another planet”.

Does this sounds familiar to anyone?

Welcome MPD you'll fit in perfectly here. Have a few nasty mean personalities that know one likes?, well your home, because around here we all know this about each other.. and its all good.. Your perfect. All your personalities!

Let me think about it
Yes baby, let me think about it

Into this bubble-world of shyness
I am splitting myself into images and observer
I am inner-conscious in subtle-action

So, I am thinking about it
Covering myself of heat and perspiration
Keeping water and salt

I split myself and I split as I split
In a flash-second
We appear you and me, at the same time
On this stage of love

Let me think about it...

Hi Bonnie, thanks for your response. Couple of points, I think "anger" is different from "demagoguery". There can be truth in anger and misleading lies in quiet confidence. When someone takes an extreme position it should give anyone a pause to think. And then there is the question of practicality of passing a bill for political will to take shape, and many failed attempts in teh past, and the continued quanta of benefits to big pharma companies. I am not looking for a debate on the technical aspects of the two plans. Dialogue is what matters on such complicated issues. I believe in the relationship between Human Decision Making and the Bayes' Law of probability, with each new information, the probability of making a right decision increases. I am glad to know you are open to that possibility. Regards.

My column?

Your book?

The Creator?

All World Collosolly

Sherry?

goodsaturday everyone,

the article below is from www.huffingtonpost.com by Martin Lewis...an important perspective considering what is happening around and between the Clinton-Obama runs for the Presidency..

"***Woman Is The Nigger Of The World

Yes she is... think about it
Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Think about it... do something about it

We make her paint her face and dance
If she won't be slave, we say that she don't love us
If she's real, we say she's trying to be a man
While putting her down we pretend that she is above us

Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Yes she is
If you don't believe me take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slaves of the slaves
Ah yeah... better scream about it

We make her bear and raise our children
And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen
We tell her home is the only place she should be
Then we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend

Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Yes she is
If you don't believe me take a look to the one you're with
Woman is the slaves of the slaves
Yeah think about it

We insult her every day on TV
And wonder why she has no guts or confidence
When she's young we kill her will to be free
While telling her not to be so smart
We put her down for being so dumb

Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Yes she is
If you don't believe me take a look to the one you're with
Woman is the slaves of the slaves
Yes she is... if you believe me, you better scream about it

- John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1972)

***Those offended by John Lennon's lyric should be aware that Lennon's song - and its use of the "N" word as a device to express how shabbily women were treated in society - was a cause actively championed by a plethora of African-American civil rights activists in 1972 - including humorist Dick Gregory.

====================================================================

I don't think David Shuster's comments about Chelsea Clinton "being pimped out" were necessarily borne of political mendacity or Hillary-hatred.

I think they come from something far worse than that.

I think they come from the systemic misogyny in our society. Every bit as pervasive as it ever was...

And in particular from the atmosphere of dripping disdain for powerful progressive women that is a hallmark of the MSNBC culture - especially Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson.

Quite what is missing emotionally (and perhaps physically) from those men that causes them to be so angry and snide about strong women - one can only speculate about.

But it certainly fosters a culture in which David Shuster can spew his comments blissfully unaware that they might be deeply unpleasant and offensive.

Not just to all women but to all fair-minded men.

I hope that women have had enough of this and will speak - and vote - truth to power.

Part of me can't wait to see America's first African-American president. I think that Barack Obama will be a superlative president. I am deeply impressed with his integrity, acumen and aspirations.

But another part of me can't wait even more to see America's first woman president.

We've seen what men have done to this nation since 1776.

(Pretty much what Richard Nixon and George W. Bush both did to the constitution.)

So it's time to see what a woman can do.

it certainly can't be worse than what men have done over the last 232 years.

And I suspect it will be a lot better.

In order to see a woman fulfill the destiny of America's promise - I CAN wait for the first African-American president. But not for long. In fact no longer than 8 years.

Obama 2016!

Right now it's time for a woman to lead this nation.

And teach Shuster, Matthews and all the other misogynists what women and enlightened men have always known. Women are equal to men and deserve our full respect.

Have I just played the gender card? You bet. It's a card that has been played AGAINST women for over 200 years. Turnabout is fair play. I think John Lennon would approve"

ruth

also a not today there is an article in either CNN.online or the washingtonpost.online about the murder and torturte of Iraqi women in Basra, Iraq because they are not obeying the Shia Islamic laws..since the Britsh troops have pulled back the murders have increased, daily.

Also, I do not apologize at all for using the gender card this election after watching how the Barak Obama campaign has been given the "red carpet" treatment by the press and media and washington DC pundits...and a lot of his popularity is BECAUSE of it and EVERYONE knows it. That is not to say that people are not genuinely inspiried and impressed by Barak Obama but it is saying that the way the press and media have helped carry that momentum has been substantially advantageous to his popularity and campaign support...

I thought I was done campaigning for Hillary but I read this article and realized how important it is that WE women take our STAND for OURSELVES NOW!!

have a great weekend everyone, ruth

Just one point. Hillary reacting to Chelsea comment is the right thing. Threatening to cancel the debate on MSNBC is also the right thing. Just one more point. She wants a debate on FOx News, the same network which made its name on the Clinton Scandals of 90's.

The "Girl Power" may win her the democratic nomination but this will set her back in the general election.

"Obama 2016!"

Yeah

Why not Obama/Chelsea 2016!
Chelsea/Michelle 2024!
Michelle/Diablo 2032!

"Girl Power"?.....Where I am looking from I see WOMEN....got it.....WOMEN....and it is...from my perspective...The Absolute Power of Women to nurture and care for....not only their children but also their Nation's children..and it is this power that is being denegraded by a society that places much, too much, importance on the power of it's male's testosterone levels.

and, who, would I trust with caring for and nurturing my children, and my nation's children, unquestionably, today, and in January 2009...Hillary Clinton

and if I have to put my children and my Nation's children in the hands of Barak Obama, today or in January 2009 it will be with great hesitation, with worry, with great apprehension that my children will be in capable hands. Oh, do not get me wrong...if Barak Obama was elected and there were no Natinal emergencies to deal with, no global emergencies that needed an absolute spur of the moment decision and action and if I were guaranteed that nothing out of "left field" would occur...then I would feel a bit better about Obama, meaning I think he could handle the day to day legislation issues but when it comes to National emergencies....I need a LOT more time to get to know him....about four years should do it maybe eight if Hillary is kicking sass as President! I am sorry, I just can't leave my children with someone I do not know, have not seen in action, have not seen go through and come out the other side of the political hell our democracy creates year in and year out....I just do not know if the man will or can land on his feet in a battle that truly tests him, a battle that is not "all in his head" so to speak, because we know he's got the "smarts." but a battle that demands all of him, "body and soul," how bloodied can he get and "still" just simply wipe it off and go on to the next? Does he have the power to simply "change his mind," after a loss and turn left, go in a different direction to get to his goal, even though he just added many many days and hours and years to his journey, his ultimate goal of success....I wonder this about Barak Obama.....but I know this about Hillary Clinton....she CAN, she DOES, she DID!

have a great day everyone, ruth

Can Mrs. Clinton Lose?
By PEGGY NOONAN
February 8, 2008
WSJ Artcile

"If Hillary Clinton loses, does she know how to lose? What will that be, if she loses? Will she just say, "I concede" and go on vacation at a friend's house on an island, and then go back to the Senate and wait?

Is it possible she could be so normal? Politicians lose battles, it's part of what they do, win and lose. But she does not know how to lose. Can she lose with grace? But she does grace the way George W. Bush does nuance.

She often talks about how tough she is. She has fought "the Republican attack machine" that has tried to "stop" her, "end" her, and she knows "how to fight them." She is preoccupied to an unusual degree with toughness. A man so preoccupied would seem weak. But a woman obsessed with how tough she is just may be lethal.

Does her sense of toughness mean that every battle in which she engages must be fought tooth and claw, door to door? Can she recognize the line between burly combat and destructive, n