Okay, enough with the VP diary's already.  It's Biden, we got it.

Our great progressive buddy, Al Franken released his new ad and it's ballbusting funny.  He ties Coleman to Ted Stevens and to big oil.  The ad cleverly uses a talking fish to get the point across.  It ends with, "something smells fishy and it ain't just me".  It's a fantastic ad, a real ball buster on Coleman, and after a few watches you quickly remember the facts.  Extremely well done.

Brother's and sister's, if you can spare a dime, send Al some dough.

Al Franken's official website

I know this comes as a shock to everyone reading this diary.  But sometimes it becomes important that even the choir needs to be reminded of the obvious.  The US government prints the money in your wallet.  So choir, now that you are armed with this epoch revelation go forth and spread the news to the independents and conservatives.  Conservatives especially seem to believe that they print their own money, except for Ron Paul who has to hold his own 'mini-convention'.  

In an unprecedented move, Hillary is offering her pledged delegates to vote for Barak Obama.

Hillary: Pledged Delegates "Just Like" Supers — They Can Switch
By Eric Kleefeld - March 25, 2008, 12:09AM
During an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News editorial board, Hillary Clinton again pitched the idea that she can close the gap in the pledged delegate count — by pointing out that pledged delegates can always switch their votes.

"And also remember that pledged delegates in most states are not pledged," said Clinton. "You know, there is no requirement that anybody vote for anybody. They’re just like super-delegates."

The Republican party has an anvil around it's neck and it's named George W. Bush.  

February 20, 2008

Concerns over Economy Push
George W. Bush's Overall Job Approval to New Low

George W. Bush's overall job approval rating has dropped to a new low in American Research Group polling as 78% of Americans say that the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group.

Bill in Portland Maine predicted this, and I'll agree, I bet it does tingle.  So much for getting back into the forties by election day.  Although, anything is possible.

From www.bea.gov

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007,
according to advance estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the third quarter, real GDP increased 4.9 percent.

Soo the economy went from 4.9% annual growth rate to a ground crawling 0.6% annual rate.  Keep in mind that this is the "advance" GDP number which has generally been revised downward as of late.  Two negative quarters are described as a recession.  The country may escape a "technical" recession but to most Americans were are in a severe recession and to those that have lost their job or their house, this is a depression.

A new poll by John Zogby is showing a sharp and dramatic uptick in support for John Edwards in South Carolina.

Pollster John Zogby: "The Democratic race in South Carolina is reminding me now of the beginning of the old Buffalo Springfield song: "There’s something happening here/What it is ain’t exactly clear."

The combative South Carolina debate and the post debate skirmishes seem to have dramatically shifted the mood of South Carolina's electorate.  Edwards appears to be the clear beneficiary.
So you want to help but don't know how well please phone bank for John Edwards in South Carolina.

A new public policy poll shows that Romney has overtaken McCain in Floria.

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/...

The poll gives Romney 28%, McCain 25% and Guiliani and Huckabee bring up the rear with 19% and 15%.

This echoes the movement that several other polls are showing towards Romney.  McCain's win in South Carolina is starting to smell like a dead cat bounce.  I'm sensing that Republican voters are predicting that the economy will dominate the presidential election this fall and a plurality believe that Romney may best position the party to hold the White House.  I also recall that Jeb Bush spoke favorably about Romney so I suspect that Jeb may have provided Romney with e-mail or other mailing lists.  This is pure speculation on my part.  But Limbaugh has been especially harsh toward McCain and Huckabee so Romney may also be benefitting from those attacks.

The first precints are reporting a tight race between Clinton and Edwards, Obama trails at 23%

This is coming from the caucus results page

http://www.iowacaucusresults.com/

I suspect this is coming from the smaller rural areas, Obama numbers will likely rise as the urban centers start reporting.  
This thing will be a nail biter.

This holiday season I wish that the politicians, leaders and activists from both sides of the political spectrum will come together in peace and love to unify the country and solve the pressing issues harming the people of America and the world.

So the local area magazine, the Metro Times, of Detroit has written a great interview with Scott Ritter.  I don't mean to make this sound like an alarmist diary.  I do believe that the Bush administration is trying to provoke Iran.

http://www.metrotimes.com/...

Scott does make alot of interesting analysis in the piece.

MT: But it is now clearer than ever that our invasion of Iraq has been a disaster. How do you explain the lack of opposition?

Ritter: It's difficult to explain. First of all you have to note, from the public side, that very few Americans actually function as citizens anymore. What I mean by that are people who invest themselves in this country, people who care, who give a damn. Americans are primarily consumers today, and so long as they continue to wrap themselves in the cocoon of comfort, and the system keeps them walking down a road to the perceived path of prosperity, they don't want to rock the boat. If it doesn't have a direct impact on their day-to-day existence, they simply don't care.

You reeeealllly have to wonder about conservatives these days.  I still think a vast majority are hyper focused on taxes but holy cow are the users of this site hyper focused about gay sex or what?

Most viewed pages
1Main Page‎ [1,903,235]
2Homosexuality‎ [1,547,043]
3Homosexuality and Hepatitis‎ [516,847]
4Homosexuality and Promiscuity‎ [420,294]
5Homosexuality and Parasites‎ [387,898]
6Homosexuality and Domestic Violence‎ [353,556]
7Gay Bowel Syndrome‎ [345,420]
8Homosexuality and Gonorrhea‎ [331,189]
9Homosexuality and Mental Health‎ [279,109]
10Homosexuality and Syphilis‎ [265,143]
Retrieved from "http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Statistics"

ugh, where to start.

Well, in the comfortable confines of Fox News of course.

http://www.foxnews.com/...

Cheney said despite Rumsfeld's controversial handling of the war in Iraq, the secretary of defense was managing the war successfully.

Please, I know don't smash your keyboard into your monitor, callllmmmm down.
because it gets worse, below the fold...

From the authoratative NYPOST:

http://www.nypost.com/...

October 10, 2007 -- ODDEST couple of the decade: lifelong Democrat Andrew Stein and arch-conservative cutie Ann Coulter. The former city council president (when there was such a title) first took Coulter - author of "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans" - to the black-tie Lincoln Center Film Society gala two weeks ago, where they turned heads. More recently, they were at Soho House "in passionate liplock," according to a witness. Stein told Page Six: "She's attacked a lot of my friends, but what can I say, opposites attract!" So do blondes with ultra-long legs.

To quote kos ha ha ha ha [deep breath] ha ha ha ha ha

Apparently the shallow, hopeless pro-war group has drawn fire from Larry Klayman, the head of the conservative Judicial Watch.

In GOP world, money is thicker than the blood of American soldiers.

I would have expected a robbery from O.J. Simpson, but not from all the president's men," Klayman said. "They owe me a hell of a lot of money."

ha ha ha ha [deep breath] ha ha ha ha

Well it's looks like the goons over at the White House are going to howl for another $50 Billion in protection money for the mafia operation known as the Iraqi government.  If the taxpayers don't pay up, well, it's looks like the terrorists are going to make some trouble.  So the message is clear, FUCK YOU, PAY ME.

A story about the poverty rate declining significantly was just posted over at yahoo news.

http://news.yahoo.com/...

At first blush, you get the impression, especially since we are past the mid-point of 2007, that poverty has taken a sharp drop this year and things must be looking up.  But I found this especially important to note.

The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that 36.5 million Americans, or 12.3 percent — were living in poverty last year. That's down from 12.6 percent in 2005.

I know some people are skeptical about No End in Sight.  Some think that it will push the war was a good idea just implemented badly meme.  But after reading Roger Ebert's critique, it sounds like it could be a quite insightful movie and possibly open the eyes of many conservatives.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/...

Or what happens when you run a country on a credit card, damn the taxes!!

Good thing our friends over in Britain are looking out for our best interests.  God forbid that a major American paper, like say the Wall Street Journal, would report on China's latest "overtures" but they probably don't want to stir the pot.  Anyway, since Mr Paulson just paid the Chinese a visit, I'm sure his soft diplomacy will do the trick.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...

Henry Paulson, the US Tresury Secretary, said any such sanctions would undermine American authority and "could trigger a global cycle of protectionist legislation".

Mr Paulson is a China expert from his days as head of Goldman Sachs. He has opted for a softer form of diplomacy, but appeared to win few concession from Beijing on a unscheduled trip to China last week aimed at calming the waters.

Oops, my bad, he appeared to win few concessions. Surprise.