Saturday, April 21, 2007

Obama-Spitzer Vs. Giuliani-Romney



I started out thinking it will be Clinton Vs. McCain, but then that is B.O. Before Obama. Now I am thinking it will be Obama-Spitzer Vs. Giuliani-Romney. McCain is not a contender, neither is Hillary.

It is obvious to me Giuliani will be the Republican nominee. Why will he pick Mitt Romney? He will think, we already got the South. If we can compete in the Northeast, suddenly the MidWest and the Left Coast will start looking shakey for the Dems. And so he will pack it up with another Northeasterner. And that will be smart.

If Giuliani is the Republican nominee, suddenly New Jersey no longer looks securely Democratic no more.

There is a saying in Hindi, loha lohe ko katta hai. Iron cuts iron. Obama will need Spitzer like it were nobody's business. Obama will need Spitzer so bad, he better not even be thinking in terms of anyone else as running mate. He will need Spitzer heart and soul, not just as, okay, so I became the nominee, and I was looking around, and my staff had a short list, and we figured you might be the right choice. That is not how you pick a running mate. You have to make your running mate feel like The One. Shopping around is not how you do it.

Without Spitzer, Obama will likely lose New Jersey to Giuliani. And if you lose New Jersey, that shakes up the entire Dem thinking on where we are secure and where we are not. Suddenly a whole bunch of not so safe states emerge.

Giuliani is also going to be super hard-hitting on security issues. And this guy knows. He has done his homework. To many Americans his face is synonymous with 9/11. Obama will need a New Yorker to counter that. Spitzer knows New York as well as Giuliani does. Spitzer's knowledge of the city is actually more current. Giuliani has been travelling the world and the nation the past few years. Spitzer has been digging his heels. He knows the terrain.

Giuliani has another advantage. He does not have the baggage of a Bush or a McCain. He has not been in power. He is as much an outsider as Obama who has not spent much time in Washington. "I have not been in Washington long, but I have been there long enough to know the ways of Washington must change."

And with Giuliani, suddenly the Dems' social edge is blunted. This guy used to l-i-v-e with a gay guy.

We will win, but the victory will not be easy. Even with Obama-Spitzer, we will be running neck and neck most of the way. Rudy is going to make us earn our victory.

Without Spitzer by his side, Obama could actually lose.

An Obama Spitzer Ticket
Obama, Hillary, Spitzer
7 Point Agenda For New York City
Two Terms As Governor

In The News

New Hampshire Woman Tearfully Begs Barack Obama to End Iraq War if ... FOX News
Local Dems back Sen. Obama - Assembly/Senate coalition backs ...
The Brooklyn Graphic, NY
Michelle Obama vs. Hillary Clinton
New York Times, NY Michelle Obama, 43, has a reputation for telling it like she thinks it is—whether about the butter, her husband’s ongoing effort to quit smoking or his political priorities. And though she’s lighthearted in her critiques, she never plays the role of the deferential political wife........ “He’s a gifted man,” she tells the audience, “but, in the end, he’s just a man.” ....... She’s a charismatic public speaker, an accomplished professional whose life as a working parent looks familiar to all kinds of women. ...... While Mr. Romney called the Senate’s top Democrat ill-informed, Rudolph W. Giuliani called Democrats naïve, saying they don’t understand the “big picture” with Iraq as part of the “overall war on terror.”
Clinton, Obama Speak At Sharpton Convention NY1
New Jersey Democrats Organize for Obama WNBC
Democrats 2008: Hillary 32%, Obama 30% Angus Reid Global Monitor
Barack's rock
Chicago Tribune, IL
Michelle Obama profileChicago Tribune The daughter of a loving, tight knit family, she's an anchor for a spouse who grew up all over the world but never knew a stable nuclear family. Her background, deeply rooted in a working-class South Side neighborhood, lends credibility in some quarters to her husband, who has consistently battled questions from some African-Americans as to whether the son of an African father and a white American mother is authentically black. ....... "I heard that growing up, 'You talk like a white girl' " ....... One of the things I hope happens through our involvement in this campaign is that this country and this world sees yet another image of what it means to be black
Barack Obama speaks to MU students UM Maneater, MO
Fundraising breaks political alliances Boston Globe, MA
Fundraising breaks political alliances Sacramento Bee
Obama in Boston WBUR, Boston's NPR News Station, MA
Clouds Part for Obama's Appearance Wyoming News, WY
Romney, Obama lead Ohio money list Dayton Daily News (subscription), OH
Hillary Clinton Maintains Modest Lead Over Barack Obama Among ... PR Newswire (press release), NY

Spitzer orders IG probe into threat allegations
WSTM-TV, NY
State Panel Authorizes Blackout Investigation NY1
Spitzer Aiming for Greener NY Newswatch 50, NY
Spitzer plan tackles energy, global threat Buffalo News
Spitzer given green grades for first 100-days EmpireStateNews.net, New York
Spitzer: Moment of silence Friday for VT victims Syracuse Post Standard, NY
Spitzer issues first veto WCAX, VT
NY Governor Pursues Violent Game Legislation - Friday, April 20th ... Shacknews
Federal Aid for Flood Victims: Spitzer Seeking Out Help WTEN, NY
Spitzer on Negotiation, Gay Marriage and Energy New York Observer, NY
Elliot Backs Eliot On Tax Deductions Albany Times Union, NY

Giuliani Delivers Keynote at Oklahoma City Memorial
WNYC, NY
Rudy Giuliani Leads John McCain by More Than 2-to-1 in Race for ... PR Newswire (press release), NY
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks at Texas A&M KCEN-TV, TX
Giuliani backs Bush, war, at A&M Austin American-Statesman (subscription)
Rudy Giuliani Tops All Others in New Jersey Poll NewsMax.com, FL
Romney, Giuliani a hit with SC GOP Jackson News-Tribune
Giuliani becomes first Republican candidate to file for primary WIS, SC
Giuliani could be a strong candidate
Cincinnati Post, OH
GIULIANI BANDWAGON BRANCHES OUT TO ISRAEL
New York Post, NY
Rudy Giuliani On Iraq, Taxes, Mistakes
BusinessWeek

Romney, Giuliani a hit with SC GOP
Sacramento Bee, CA
Mitt Romney stumping in McCain turf Arizona Republic
On Iowa visit, Romney predicts caucus success DesMoinesRegister.com, IA
Younger Romney Whips Up Support Signal, CA
Mitt Romney Blasts Sen. Reid on Iraq NewsMax.com, FL
Romney: America is the 'hope of the world' Iowa City Press Citizen, IA
Romney: Gonzales may have to resign Concord Monitor, NH
Romney Leads All Candidates In NH Cash WMUR
Patrick names own majority to council, can undo Romney policy SouthCoastToday.com, MA
Romney, Obama lead Ohio money list Dayton Daily News (subscription), OH
Obama, Romney lead in Colorado fundraising Rocky Mountain News
Romney taps donors through Mormon church
Jackson News-Tribune, WY
Mitt Romney makes first '07 Seacoast visit Portsmouth Herald News, NH



Friday, April 20, 2007

Health Care As A Spectrum


Culture Shift
  • Better eating, sleeping, exercise habits
  • Shift primary focus from illness to wellness
  • Incentivize good behavior
Bedrock Basic Care
  • A national grid of medical clinics that provide basic care to anyone who walks in
  • As the country gets richer you add number and quality of services offered
Basic Universal Insurance
  • For the next level services not offered by bedrock basic care
  • Private sector
  • Managed competition
  • Plenty of market forces so there is a constant push to bring down costs and enhance quality
Advanced Health Insurance
  • For services not covered by Bedrock Basic Care and Basic Universal Insurance
  • Purchased by those who can afford it and those who qualify for associated government programs
  • Plenty of market forces so there is a constant push to bring down costs and enhance quality
Flight Into Space Kind Of Health Insurance
  • If the super rich want super care at super expensive rates and can afford it, let them have it
  • Over time services move from the right to left


When you say universal health insurance, that can sound like you are saying no matter who you are, no matter what disease you have, no matter how expensive an operation you need, you will get it. That would be utopia. And any such promise would be a lie, not humanly possible. There is no such thing called a blank check.

Take a look at the table above.

Left takes pressure off of right. As in Culture Shift takes pressure off of Bedrock Basic Care which takes pressure off of Basic Universal Insurance and so on. Right adds to the quality of left over time. So what was once only available to those with Advanced Health Insurance can end up being part of the Bedrock Basic Care package over time.

This way health care is universal. It is unnecessary for the vast majority of the people for vast stretches of time. It is there when it is needed. The market forces are at work. Innovation is not muffled. Money is made. Profit is made. There is competition. So costs don't go up when they don't have to.

Health Care Options
The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications
The Spectrum On Gender
The Spectrum/Dialogue Concept Is Key To Power

Something similar should be thought of in terms of education. If you put all books and all journal articles online that are "free" and supported by ads, you are putting all that in the Bedrock Basic Care compartment. The technology is already there. I am working on my autobiography that way. I am not looking for a publisher. I am publishing it as I am writing it. Online. Ads are displayed. It is so easy to do. All it will take is for some college textbook writers to follow in my footsteps. And there will be a deluge. Money will still be made. But there will be no artificial profits.

Bill Clinton's Gore Offensive

Never underestimate Bill Clinton. He just might talk Gore into jumping into the fray to split up what he thinks is the male voting block. Well, Obama has the Spitzer option.

In The News

India marks 'wedding of century' CNN International
Bollywood couple's low-key wedding disappoints celebrity-mad India The Age A woman claiming to be the lover of Bachchan slashed her wrist in front of the actor's home. ..... Police later arrested the woman, who they said was a struggling fashion model. ..... the guests — much like Liz Hurley's guests at her nuptials with Arun Nayar — were sworn to secrecy. .... the union was a gathering of the who's who of India. Top industrialists, film stars and politicians attended. ...... The most conspicuous absence was that of the other big dynasty that dominates Indian life as much as the Bachchans — Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and her children. ...... The two families used to be inseparable. It was Amitabh's mother, Teji, who gave Sonia away at her wedding to Rajiv. ..... Their children grew up together. The family albums are full of shared picnics, dinners and holidays. But at some point after Rajiv's assassination, a rift occurred between Sonia and the Bachchans. They have been estranged since. ....... Speculation was rife that the Gandhis would be invited, but the Bachchans evidently decided to seal the estrangement. ........ The gold-embossed invitation cards were four-pages long and came in a box, accompanied by flowers and traditional Indian sweets. ...... The henna was brought in especially from Rajasthan, the brocade silk saris were from Benares and the white tents air-conditioned.
No PowerPoint? Google will offer a free alternative Indianapolis Star
New Star Sanjaya Malakar Plans On Hiring Bodyguard
Playfuls.com He dropped out of high school after his sophomore year and later obtained a GED. ...... While most people believe it was the “American Idol” haters who kept Sanjaya on the show for so long, the 17-year-old Indian thinks it was his fans alone who voted for him. .... Speaking about the Idol contestants and the outside world, Sanjaya said they are kept busy and isolated. ...... "We're in a bubble . . . . I got inklings every once in a while of something different going on that I guess was a cultural phenomenon, but I don't think it really has hit me yet how big it is."
Barack Obama outlines energy policy MSNBC Obama seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars by five percent in 2015 and ten percent in 2020. The idea echoes California's approach.
Obama: Change gun laws for mentally ill
MSNBC
A new era of black political leaders
Obama critical of McCain over Iraqi visit
Obama dismisses notion of VP spot
Obama: U.S. ready for health care reform Obama said his fundraising success was proof that the nation's political mood was shifting and that Americans were eager to embrace new ideas. ..... take our country back...... Obama noted that in previous campaigns, presidential candidates have offered detailed proposals without building that political support
Sculpture of Obama as Jesus causes stir the plan he'll eventually support will offer universal coverage and will squeeze efficiencies out of the health care system. It also will stress preventive programs, such as weight control. .... "Standing pat is not an option." ..... Obama said if he was starting from zero, he would likely support a single-payer system, similar to the government-run program in Canada. But he's leery of taking such a step because the United States already has a complex and established system of employer-based health coverage. ....... "The government is already covering half the people," said Obama ...... Medicare, Medicaid and veterans health systems ..... Obama cited his mother's struggle with health care as she dealt with ovarian cancer. She died at age 53. ..... Obama said he was surprised that few at the meeting were willing to scrap the system. ..... "There are no simple answers," Kirsch said.

Dems and former President Clinton reach out to black leaders Staten Island Advance
To Bill Clinton, Obama's just one of the pack
Chicago Tribune
Bill Clinton: Hillary would be best; Gore might run; Dems have ... USA Today "you have got the prospect that vice president Gore might run." ..... Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, "would be the best president by a good long stretch, for all kinds of obvious reasons -- or at least they are obvious to me. ... But she also genuinely loves her job in the Senate. ... So for her personally, she is going to (be) fine regardless. "






Wednesday, April 18, 2007

An Obama Spitzer Ticket


An Obama Spitzer ticket is something Spitzer himself might not have thought of. He is a New Yorker loyal to the Hillary cause, resigned to at least two terms as Governor. But do the math.

Say it is Obama-Hillary in the White House for eight years. Unlike Cheney, Hillary has a fine heart, in more ways than one. It will be highly unlikely she will step aside. And if she runs for the top job in 2016, she will be younger than McCain is now. If she wins, she will run again in 2020. And it will be awkward for Spitzer to run against her in 2016 or 2020.

If she runs and loses in 2016, some Republican will be seeking reelection in 2020. Unless it is some mediocre, lousy type totally flumoxxed by the office, it will be hard to beat a sitting president. Not impossible, but hard. So you are looking at 2024 for Spitzer. Spitzer will be older than McCain is today.

Since he has no term limits as Governor of New York, I guess Spitzer could get elected Governor again and again. But that is politically high risk behavior. The crowd's love can prove fickle, or you can run out of steam. You can run out of ideas. You can start seeing political setbacks. Some worthy opponent might show up out of the woodworks.

Or imagine this, Obama in for eight years, then Hillary, then Spitzer. 24 years of one party in the White House. When was the last time that happened? That is highly unlikely.

In the trio that are Obama, Hillary and Spitzer, one person is going to lose. Who will be that one person? Only two of the three can hope to be president.

Who was Obama in 2003? Today he is on the top of the haystack. When you mix the political process with near universal broadband, you make it more and more possible for new, grand faces to show up out of the blue. So it is not possible to look and predict too far into the future. It will be nice to see a woman Obama emerge.

In short what I am saying is this. If Obama is not going to be president in 2008, he will have to make peace that this was his last chance. 2008 also might be Spitzer's last shot at the White House. Surprise, surprise.

Or if Hillary is president, and Obama is vice - highly unlikely - then Obama will get in for the next eight, bad news for Spitzer.

But if Hillary is the one who is going to lose, these next generation Dems better adopt a Muscular Gender Agenda. That is the only way I will not feel bad that Hillary did not make it.

2008 is when Spitzer decides if he is serious about the White House or not. Surprisingly, this might be his last chance. Do the math.

As for Obama, he would be lucky to have Spitzer on the ticket. There is absolutely noone like Spitzer in American politics today. Spitzer takes "new kind of politics" to a whole different level. So Obama should go for Spitzer like Clinton went for Gore in 1992. Don't look at anyone else. Don't shop around. Kerry did that in 2004, and that was a mistake. Edwards' first speech after defeat sounded like a 2008 election speech.

2008: Spitzer's Last Shot At The White House

Hillary is going to be in the Senate for a long long time, kind of like Ted Kennedy. She will see Obama come and go. She will see Spitzer come and go.

Early in their relationship Hillary told Bill, "You are the politician."

I have always been under the impression Hillary became Senator to ensure Bill a long life. Some people are hooked to nicotine. They get literally disoriented without it. Bill is hooked to the political process. Hillary's becoming Senator was like saying, my guy is still young, how will he deal with political retirement? So she became Senator so as to give Bill Clinton a direct umbilical cord into the center of the national political life.

Bill Clinton never understood the concept of term limits. And I don't blame him. Human history has not produced a more gifted politician to have worked in the one person one vote framework. The guy desperately wanted Hillary to run in 2004. He knew that if Kerry won, Hillary will not get another shot. And so he had a heart attack and denied Kerry the bounce all candidates are entitled after a convention.

So finally Hillary gave up. White House you want?

The Clintons are our royal couple. Bill Clinton is our Ronald Regan, only more real. But paying respects and running the country are two different things.

In The News

Chaudhary’s son to marry Mittal's daughter Kantipur
Cabinet meeting cancelled after Maoist ministers walk out
13,000 cantoned PLA fighters to be sent home the Maoists have pressed the government to register and issue number plates for some 400 vehicles, which they say were brought illegally from India. .... The Maoists have been using the vehicles that bear their self-issued registration plates in the villages across the country.
Maoist MPs continue to flex muscles, disrupt house proceedings
Maoist victims hold sit-in at PM's residence
Maoist-affiliate transport workers halt traffic in Biratnagar
PM Koirala, Mukherjee discuss Terai
Tough industrial security policy in pipeline
Maoists demand Rs 500m for PLA The CPN-Maoist has demanded Rs 500 million for its People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants. Maoist Central member Ananta said, "We have demanded Rs 3,000 per month as pocket money for our PLA combatants, besides the regular monthly Rs 1,800 for food." ..... The government has been providing Rs 1,800 per month to each PLA combatant for food. ..... the government has been asking Maoists to submit expenditure details of the previously released amount for the PLA ..... The government had released some Rs 550 million to the Maoists for the management of food and shelter of the PLA. The Maoists haven' t yet submitted expenditure details to the government.
Police seize Prachanda’s vehicle
Airport tax being siphoned off
‘US won't punish people for sins of Maoists’

Google targets PowerPoint but denies building Office-killer iTWire
Google buys Tonic for online PowerPoint capabilities Guardian Unlimited
Google Docs & Spreadsheets: one step closer to Microsoft Office TECH.BLORGE.com
Coming Soon: Google's 'PowerPoint' Techtree.com
Google To Add Presentations To Web based Tools Playfuls.com
Bombs kill more than 100 in Baghdad Reuters
Moktada al-Sadr’s Gambit New York Times a brazen power play by Moktada al-Sadr. .... with an unquenchable appetite for attention and power ..... Mr. Sadr’s party, the largest faction in the ruling Shiite bloc. ...... Mr. Maliki, a colorless and ineffective politician ...... Mr. Sadr, a charismatic demagogue with an intimidating private army, a potent political party and an impressive capacity for sending his followers into the street. ..... Mr. Sadr had his cabinet ministers resign in an attempt to bully the government into setting a timetable for the departure of American troops from Iraq. ......... Mr. Sadr has aligned himself with a highly popular cause that is likely to expand his following even further. ........ The American military drive in Baghdad has yet to show significant results. ...... any security gains would be quickly erased without a series of decisive moves by the Iraqi government. These include sharing political power and economic resources with the Sunni minority, shutting down sectarian militias, and creating security forces committed to protect all Iraqis. ....... That will require political will and authority, not mere administrative competence. Mr. Maliki displayed neither before Mr. Sadr’s latest power play.
Baghdad hit by five car bomb attacks Sydney Morning Herald
NGO team finds high level of fear, violence in Nepal Gulf Times Almost a year after Nepal’s Maoists signed a peace pact with the government signifying a formal end to a decade of violence, an NGO founded by former US president Jimmy Carter has reported “unacceptable levels of continued fear, intimidation and physical violence” in the Himalayan nation. .... After visiting 50 of Nepal’s 75 districts, the Carter Center’s team reported “unacceptable levels of continued fear, intimidation and physical violence” and “disruptive activities” in the Terai plains in the south that were likely to prevent a credible election. .... election officials were locking themselves in their offices out of fear. ..... there was widespread concern in the villages that local Maoist guerrillas were continuing abductions, illegal detention, extortion and threats to resume arms. ...... violations are not consistently condemned and redressed when they occur .... Threats by the rebels to start a new revolt, coupled with fresh protests in the southern plains by armed groups, have cast a cloud on the peace process.
Barack Wins the First Primary FrontPage magazine.com Bill Clinton defined the March 31 financial filings as the "first primary" ..... when it comes to net primary cash-on-hand raised this quarter, Obama has a substantial edge - $19 million vs. $12.5 million. ..... Hillary padded her fund-raising total with almost $7 million that she can only spend in the general election. ..... Hillary raised extensive contributions, certainly more than $1 million, from special-interest political-action committees (PACs) and lobbyists. Obama refused to tap this source of funding and even returned $50,000 he'd received from lobbyists...... An estimated three-quarters of Clinton's donors have maxed out, (that is, given the legal maximum of $2,300 a person for during the primary), vs. with fewer than half of Obama's contributors, according to news reports. Most of his donors can keep giving; most of hers can't. ...... Obama out-raised Clinton on the Web by 3:2. .... Obama's success in assembling a cash juggernaut so early in a campaign that wasn't a gleam in anybody's eye seven months ago is extraordinary. ...... CNN has the Hillary-Obama margin closing from 37 percent to 22 percent on March 9-11 to a bare 30-to-26 on April 10-12. The Rasmussen poll reflects a similar tightening from 34-29 on April 9 to a scant 32-30 on April 16.
'The decor is grander than Taj Mahal' Rediff "Babu, the decoration is so grand that even Taj Mahal will look like a tiny monument," Nurrudin Shaikh, a worker, says. "Those who are not in are really missing something in their life," he adds. "A jhoomar (chandilier) has arrived from London. Everything is newly ordered," quips his friend Shafi Mohammad.
The wedding day finally Hindustan Times
Blackberry users hit by systems failure MSNBC
BlackBerry knocked offline CNNMoney.com
RIM's BlackBerry system remains down CNET News.com
Shootings 'I-Report' a coup for CNN Globe and Mail CNN has a specific section (www.cnn.com/exchange) featuring these amateur clips, where they are branded as “I-Reports.”
Deadly Rampage and No Loss for Words New York Times a gunman who had carefully “put together his killing package” ...... The most disturbing thing on the screen was the sound recorded on Jamal Albarghouti’s cellphone camera outside Norris Hall — the sharp blast of a gun or guns firing over and over. Mr. Albarghouti, a student, told CNN that he thought at first that the police were responding to a bomb threat. Ordered to the ground by officers, he kept his cellphone on and aloft as shot after shot rang out, then at 11 a.m. sent his material to “I-Reports,” a section on the CNN Web site that solicits news and disaster images from bystanders. ........ There have been similar tragedies since then, too many. Now everybody knows the drill. ...... It was the worst shooting ever, but it was also yet another tragedy in which television turned first to amateur reporters on the scene. “Stay out of harm’s way,” the CNN anchor Don Lemon said, addressing students at Virginia Tech. “But send us your pictures and video.”
Citizen Journalists, Dangerous Settings CBS News


Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Muscular Gender Agenda


"What do women want?"
- Sigmund Freud

I have a Hillary problem. I want Obama to become president. And so I think Obama has no option but to go for a muscular gender agenda.

(1) Equal Pay
(2) War On Domestic Violence
(3) Cabinet Half Female
(4) Universal Health
(5) Lifelong Education

The power should be with the people, not with the leaders. And so the progressive focus has to be on the agenda more than on the leaders. What do we want? How much of it do we want? When do we want it? It is time for the progressives to get ambitious.

In The News

Relative Newcomer Obama Giving Clinton a Run in the Campaign Money ... CQPolitics.com, DC Obama’s campaign spent about $6.6 million overall in the first quarter. It reported spending $909,000 on payroll for nearly 200 individuals. It also spent about $700,000 on travel and lodging, $494,000 on postage and $354,000 on printing.
Clinton old guard lines up with main rival ObamaMail & Guardian Online
Obama dominates local race for money Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Clinton trails Obama in primary donations Turkish Daily News (subscription)
Sen. Barack Obama and wife's 2006 income $991296, much lower than ...
Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN
Obamas' 2006 income put at $991296 China Daily
Barack Obama Makes A Stops in Milwaukee WEAU-TV 13, WI
Obama Postpones Speech New York Times
Obama: Citizens can, must act to stop violence Janesville Gazette
Obama Campaign Announces Launch of Women for Obama Barack and ...
dBusinessNews Chicago (press release), IL
Obama launches campaign initiative aimed at women Chicago Tribune Women for Obama raised about $750,000 at its inaugural event, a fundraising lunch in downtown Chicago attended by an overwhelmingly female crowd of about 1,200 ...... Michelle Obama, who introduced her husband, said he knows what women like her are going through as they juggle careers, family and their own well-being. ....... Barack "recognizes that our society, our community is only as strong as our women and our families." ........ a spirit that is embodied in this room, a wisdom that is not unique to women but — in my life — I have found oftentimes it is stronger in women
Obama and Clinton tussle over women ZDNet Hillary Clinton has been aggressively playing the gender card, and Obama is following suit, announcing “Women for Obama”
Obama trounces Clinton in online campaign money grab
Google wins big as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle
Obama Comes To Atlanta The Emory Wheel
Barack Obama Visits Tampa Central Florida News 13|
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama makes first campaign trip to Tampa Tampa Bay's 10
Barack Obama makes a central Florida fundraising stop Sun-Sentinel.com
Obama gains ground in new poll MSNBC Clinton leads Obama, 31%-26%
Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton In Dead Heat to be Most Web-Searched ... Business Wire (press release)
Obama backs Armenian genocide allegations Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sen. Obama: 'The Sun Is Shining on Me' NewsMax.com
Obama is Best-Rated Democrat in 2008 Race Angus Reid Global Monitor, Canada 46 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in 2008, while 42 per cent would vote for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Obama also holds an eight-point advantage over Arizona senator John McCain, and a 19-point advantage over Massachusetts senator Mitt Romney. Hillary Rodham Clinton leads McCain by three points and Romney by seven points, but trails Giuliani by six points. .... Edwards also holds advantages over McCain and Romney, but trails Giuliani by two points.

Hillary Clinton Talks American Idol’s Sanjaya Malakar Portable Planet
Clinton asked about Sanjaya Malakar Myrtle Beach Sun News
Hillary Clinton Weighs in on American Idol’s Sanjaya Malakar Bodog Beat During a radio call-in on WOKQ-FM, Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked what the United States can do about 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar, the American Idol underdog who has the media in a frenzy. "That’s the best question I’ve been asked in a long time," Clinton responded. "Well, you know, people can vote for whomever they want. That’s true in my election, and it’s true on ‘American Idol.’ "
Hillary Has One Senate Endorsement NewsMax.com
Clinton out-raised but still sits atop largest war chest CNN
Hillary Clinton Raises Most From Minn. Donors WCCO, MN
Hillary Clinton postpones visit to Rutgers The Trentonian, NJ
Letter writer holds Hillary Clinton to unrealistic standard Cumberland Times-News, MD
Hillary Clinton, the 'evidence-based decision-maker,' here on May 19
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA
Hillary Clinton Piles On - Misogyny Hypocrisy
Agoravox, France Clinton blasted the fired radio entertainer for comments that “showed a disregard for basic decency and were disrespectful and degrading to African Americans and women everywhere.” .....Just two weeks ago, Mrs. Clinton pulled in $800,000 at a fundraiser held in the palatial Miami home of music mogul Timbaland. Born Timothy Mosley, the rap composer is one of the most influential producers in the music industry, and one whose songs are peppered with words that even Don Imus didn’t use........ She once said her own iPod was filled with tunes by more mainstream groups like The Eagles and The Beatles.
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney takes back endorsement of ...
International Herald Tribune, France
Romney takes back endorsement of Clinton's "village" concept Boston Globe
Wash. Post's Balz alleged "Clinton fatigue" but did not quote ... Media Matters for America, DC "Among Democrats, a sense of 'Clinton fatigue' has led some major fundraisers to reassess with whom they want to align." ..... "some" Clinton donors "cite fatigue after more than a decade" of various fundraising efforts for the Clintons ...... Most, though, blame the defections on the enthusiasm generated by the upstart campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). ..... Obama has created an excitement unseen since that surrounding Clinton in 1992. ....... Clinton's current approval rating is 60 percent and that "[i]n the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 71% said he was a good president -- more than double Bush's 34% approval in the poll."
  1. Sources: Virginia Tech gunman left note
  2. Gunman was both methodical and angry
  3. Massive Web searches chase shooting details
  4. Missing suburban student’s body found
  5. The natural rush to blame

Obama, Hillary, Spitzer


Good Times Are Here

The Democrats have it real good right now. But we must remember, a party in power for about 12 years gets tired. You become too much of a status quo. You are no longer looking for new ideas, new political techniques. But I must admit I did not think Bill Clinton was spent in 2000. That guy would easily have won two more terms if there were no term limits. He is a policy work. He is experimental. He is open minded. He works like a demon. That last part escapes most people's minds. If there is one outstanding quality that Bill Clinton has, it is that he works very very hard.

The party is on an upswing. We won 2006.

I was crazy about Hillary, and then Obama showed up, and I have been crazy about him since. I am betting on Obama. He really is gifted, his appeal is postracial. Take two examples.

Hillary: "I am in to win."

Obama: "I am in to transform the country."

Hillary was in a hurry to announce how much money she had raised, $25 million tops. Obama instead came out saying more than 100,000 people had donated to him.

Those were two master strokes in a row.

The third was on health care. Hillary came out as the policy work, with all the right ideas. But Obama was the one who hit it on the selling part. He came out saying it is the selling part that is more challenging. And he started work on that.

Hillary is supersmart. I have long thought she is smarter than Bill Clinton. She sure got better grades at Yale than he did. And she is methodical. Her mantra is Money, Message, Organization.
Obama is smart too. But I suspect he has better political instincts than Hillary, slightly better. That is what draws me to him. It also helps that I can identify with him more: he is a minority male, brown, with Third World background, has spent a few years as a child in a poor country.

Bad News

Hillary has only spent 20% of what she raised. That looks great on her. She is thinking long term. She is being wise. Obama on the other hand has been spending left and right. This is the worst Obama news I have received since he jumped into the fray. If he were to repeat this Dean mistake two more quarters, Hillary will be the nominee.

Looks to me like Obama does not have tight control over his staff. Some of his staffers are believing the Obama halo and hype a little too much. Obama's charisma is for real, but not even he can survive bad budgetary indiscipline in his campaign. If you can't run well the finances of a presidential campaign, how will you run the finances of a country where you are talking trillions of dollars?

Because Obama is more reliant on small contributors than Hillary, he needs to be miserly. He needs to beat the Hillary ratio. She is at 20%. You shoot for 18.

Fitting In Spitzer

It might be an Obama-Hillary ticket. It might be a Hillary-Obama ticket. It might be an Obama-Spitzer ticket. It might be a Hillary-Edwards ticket. My first choice is Obama-Hillary with a muscular gender agenda: half the cabinet is female, War On Domestic Violence, a major push for equal pay.

There are three Democrats in America right now who I would love to see in the White House: Obama, Hillary, Spitzer. All three fire up my imagination. Good for Spitzer he is not national right now. That plays to his number one strength: making sure you do your due, diligent homework.

How do you fit all of them in?

Say it is Obama-Hillary for eight years, and then Hillary does a Cheney and steps out. That opens it up for Spitzer who has had eight wonderful years as New York Governor. And although he is a Dem, he has been away from Washington, acting like he were in the opposition, away from the national seat of power, and so preparing, busy preparing, and it does not feel like Democratic continuation, but eight fresh years.

I would hope Spitzer would have a woman running mate.

16 Years Are Possible

Thanks to Obama, Hillary, and Spitzer.

Hillary

I really really did like the idea of the first woman president. The good news for me is I don't matter. I am not even a voter. It is the process that will decide if it will be Obama or Hillary. So I will not feel bad if it is not Hillary but Obama.

But I do think 2004 was Hillary's year. She missed it. Oh, well. And she could not have been an anti-war candidate back then.

Remember when in 1992 Bill Clinton said "Vote for one, get one free?" It is the same deal with a vengeance. Now the Clintons are post-scandal. There is no more mud for anyone to throw. They are rich and content and so more focused. Daughter is post-college. No kid to raise. They know presidential politics inside out. And they have each other.

Obama sure has his work cut out for him.

But then Hillary has Bill. Obama has the internet. Obama has done a great job with his website. It is much more interactive than that of the others.

In The News

Richard Gere up in flames in India Online Rock Radio Protests against the actor erupted in at least three Indian cities ..... At some point during the event, Gere kissed Shetty several times on the cheeks and dipped her in an embrace. Pictures of the hug made the front page of several newspapers ...... Shetty said protesters "over reacted" ..... He recently spoke to 15,000 sex workers about the subject and said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of his life: "I asked the girl who was translating for me, 'They understand the word sex?' 'Yeah, absolutely.' 'Do they understand the word condom?' She said, 'Absolutely.' So I started chanting 'No condoms. No sex. No condoms. No sex.' And 15,000 sex workers chanting that as a family, it was really extraordinary. One of the more moving moments I've had."
Bollywood Stars to Marry Friday in India ABC12.com
Obama dominates Democratic fundraising race World Peace Herald has out-spent every other Democratic candidate -- Analysts studying the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings warn that Mr. Obama is taking the same path as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, whose 2004 Democratic presidential campaign generated early excitement but collapsed quickly after his defeat in the Iowa caucuses. ....... Obama has a clear edge over his Democratic rivals among small donors, with 22 percent of his fundraising coming in contributions of less than $200, accounting for $5.8 million. Small donors accounted for 9 percent of Mrs. Clinton's fundraising ........ Mrs. Clinton's campaign is in a strong position, Mr. Toner said, because her rate of spending was less than 20 percent of her receipts -- a frugal pace for a major national campaign operation. ..... Obama also has received contributions from former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner ..... "When you can get millions to participate and donate small amounts to your campaign, you have an easier time and you can focus on other things."
Clinton old guard lines up with main rival Obama Mail & Guardian Online Senior Democratic figures are defecting from Hillary Clinton's camp to her main rival, Barack Obama ..... Among Obama's contributors were a dozen former fundraisers for Bill Clinton and at least four members of his administration. ....... he will seek to blunt criticism that he is all sizzle and no beef, lacking detailed policies. ...... The defectors include Alan Solomont, who was in charge of party finances during the Clinton administration and was close enough to the Clintons to be an overnight guest at the White House. He told Newsweek: "People are ready for a new generation, a new face and a new voice." ........ Former members of the Clinton administration now supporting Obama include James Rubin, Reed Hundt, Michael Froman, Brian Mathis and Greg Craig. Obama raised almost twice as much as Clinton from one of the leading Democratic funders, Goldman Sachs: $94 450. Leonore Blitz, who raised about $250 000 for Clinton's senate race, said she was supporting both Clinton and Obama. ........ Obama raised $24,8-million in donations for the Democratic primary contests, which begin in January, whereas Clinton reported $18,2-million. ........ On the Republican side, Mitt Romney was confirmed as the most successful fundraiser ...... Obama's biggest donor state was California, providing him with $4,1-million, followed by his home state, Illinois, with $3,8-million. He raised $2,7-million in New York ....... Clinton only raised $378 000 in Illinois. She raised $5-million in California, and $3,5-million in Washington DC. Obama, who refuses money from lobbyists and has returned money received from them, raised only $876 000 in DC.
India to be second largest market: GM Times of India Indian manufacturing costs are extremely competitive and among the lowest in the world, even as this country is poised to become the world's second largest market in less than a decade ...... not just because of low wages but also because of the Indian attitude that abhors waste ........ "In the second phase of growth, we expect more and more OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to use India as a domestic base for exports,"
Why Lalu Prasad failed in Bihar - and succeeds as railway minister
indiainteracts.com when he took charge of the railway ministry, transformed it into a miracle of modern management technique. ..... behind his deceptive exterior ticks an astute mind, which has little difficulty in mastering the complexities of a behemoth such as the railways and ensuring that it operates at a profit.
Iraq's Shiite political fissures widen
Christian Science Monitor
Sadr pulls loyalists from Iraqi CabinetLos Angeles Times
Al-Sadr orders six Cabinet ministers to quit Houston Chronicle
Google breaks into radio Stuff.co.nz
Why Google spent $3.1 billion on DoubleClick
Times Online
Microsoft Warns of Google-DoubleClick Danger Redmond Channel Partner
Is Google taking over the internet? PC Advisor
Microsoft Wants Google's Acquisition of DoubleClick Blocked SYS-CON Media
WiMAX Devices, Coming Soon GigaOm
San Francisco, Partying Like 1999
Look, it’s a router in the sky Cisco and Intelsat are working together to put routers in to orbit, as part of Internet Routing In Space (IRIS) project. The idea is that the U.S. military could use internet protocol for their voice, video and data needs. “IRIS is to the future of satellite-based communications what ARPANET was to the creation of the Internet in the 1960s
First Look: Preparations on at Bachchan residence Rediff Amitabh Bachchan's famed Jalsa Bungalow in Mumbai's Juhu suburb ..... massively guarded home ....... Bachchan's other Juhu residence, Pratiksha .... A wedding in a massive Indian family: is there ever a more legitimate time for household chaos?
Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka likely to skip Abhishek-Ash wedding Newindpress (subscription)
Parent of Bell Canada Considers Going Private New York Times
Dell hires first-ever Chief Marketing Officer Blogging Stocks Former execs with Solectron, Motorola, AMR Airlines and now Oracle have all joined Dell Inc.'s (NASDAQ: DELL) ranks as the world's second-largest computer manufactures tries to fight back from a very depressing 2006 and regain some semblance of growth and profit levels. ...... Dell has operated in a cost-crucial commodity business for so long that it really didn't need a marketing leader. Even its servers, storage and printing businesses operated in a commodity fashion. You don't need to market in that universe in most cases. ....... Competitor Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) has beaten Dell soundly in the retail consumer market in physical stores (where Dell does not even exist). Also, Dell's recent acquisition of Alienware (high-end PCs) needs a marketing push. If Dell wants to sell more high-margin goods and less of the boring-box and low-margin PC, where competitors have erased Dell's direct manufacturing advantage, it needs to focus on marketing.
Quanta may be developing Smartphone/PocketPC Phone for Dell Mobility Site Quanta, which is the biggest notebook supplier for Dell, is actively developing products for the PDA handset and 3G phone market, and it currently supplies handsets for Hewlett Packard (HP) and O2. Although the size of Quanta's handset business is smaller than High Tech Computer (HTC), its position as an ODM without its own-brand business or collaboration with telecom carriers has allowed it to win the Dell PDA handset project, the sources commented.
Dell to eliminate more than 19 million pounds of lead Reliable Plant Magazine pledged to eliminate more than 19 million pounds of lead from its manufacturing processes as part of EPA’s National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP). ..... Dell will achieve the pledged lead reductions by eliminating the cathode ray tube computer monitors it previously manufactured and replacing them with flat screen panels. The switch will cut a total of 19.75 million pounds of lead and lead compounds and will make Dell the largest reducer of hazardous chemicals in the nation to join the NPEP program
Owner of Bell Canada In Talks To Go Private New York Times it would convert to an income trust, a structure that avoids corporate taxes by paying out most of its earnings directly to investors