From Drudge:
"KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reports a company in Kansas City, which specializes in political literature, has been printing Obama-Bayh material... MORE... Gill Studios, would not confirm information about the material. They would not deny it either. At least three sources close to the plant's operations reported the Obama-Bayh material was being produced..."
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Sound Of Silence
5pm here in the east and still nothing in the way of an announcement from the campaign. I cannot stress enough how strange I find the timing of all this to be. Half the country is heading off for the weekend and the other half is watching the Olympics. A Friday night is no time to make an announcement like this.
Why the delay? What is the thinking here?
Has something happened? Could choice number 1 have said no at the last minute?
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
Why the delay? What is the thinking here?
Has something happened? Could choice number 1 have said no at the last minute?
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
The Virginian
A confession regarding Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia:
I really do not know much about him. There. I said it.
I do like that he hails from what very well may be a purple state. Red Virginia has been sliding towards blue for years now, and the presence of its governor on the ticket may be enough to make the transformation complete-at least this time around.
That said, Kaine is pretty much an unknown to me. Except, of course, for the fact that he too is not Hillary Clinton.
I really do not know much about him. There. I said it.
I do like that he hails from what very well may be a purple state. Red Virginia has been sliding towards blue for years now, and the presence of its governor on the ticket may be enough to make the transformation complete-at least this time around.
That said, Kaine is pretty much an unknown to me. Except, of course, for the fact that he too is not Hillary Clinton.
The Lady From Kansas
Things I like about Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas:
1) Much like Evan Bayh, Sebelius is a Democrat from a red state. I don’t think her presence on the ticket would be enough to turn Kansas blue, but it certainly couldn’t hurt in that regard.
2) Sebelius gave what I felt was a great response to Bush’s State of the Union speech back in January. She was an interesting choice that night and it kicked off instant speculation that she would be on the short list.
3) Also like Bayh, Sebelius is a fresh, new face. Voters would be meeting her for the first time.
4) She too is not Hillary Clinton.
1) Much like Evan Bayh, Sebelius is a Democrat from a red state. I don’t think her presence on the ticket would be enough to turn Kansas blue, but it certainly couldn’t hurt in that regard.
2) Sebelius gave what I felt was a great response to Bush’s State of the Union speech back in January. She was an interesting choice that night and it kicked off instant speculation that she would be on the short list.
3) Also like Bayh, Sebelius is a fresh, new face. Voters would be meeting her for the first time.
4) She too is not Hillary Clinton.
The New Front Runner?
Things I like about Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana:
1) He is a Democrat from a red state. I recently had a chance to drive across Indiana, and there wasn’t much to see. Farms, fields, and the occasional Peyton Manning jersey. It is the picture of red America. That Bayh could win there says something about what he brings to the table.
2) That this particular red state borders Illinois is also a plus. Could an Obama/Bayh ticket squeak out a win? Probably not likely, but definitely possible.
3) Bayh is a fresh face, someone that most people won’t have made their minds up about yet. He would look damn good as the heir-apparent in 8 years.
4) Bayh, much like Joe Biden, is also not Hillary Clinton.
1) He is a Democrat from a red state. I recently had a chance to drive across Indiana, and there wasn’t much to see. Farms, fields, and the occasional Peyton Manning jersey. It is the picture of red America. That Bayh could win there says something about what he brings to the table.
2) That this particular red state borders Illinois is also a plus. Could an Obama/Bayh ticket squeak out a win? Probably not likely, but definitely possible.
3) Bayh is a fresh face, someone that most people won’t have made their minds up about yet. He would look damn good as the heir-apparent in 8 years.
4) Bayh, much like Joe Biden, is also not Hillary Clinton.
Question
My question is this:
Why is Team Obama waiting until Friday or Saturday to make the announcement that they hope will dominate the next few news cycles? A weekend announcement is known as “throwing out the trash.” It is when you announce what you hope no one will notice—and over the summer, during the last few weeks of the vacation season—there are fewer people than usual paying attention.
This announcement should have come midday yesterday. The delay is puzzling.
Why is Team Obama waiting until Friday or Saturday to make the announcement that they hope will dominate the next few news cycles? A weekend announcement is known as “throwing out the trash.” It is when you announce what you hope no one will notice—and over the summer, during the last few weeks of the vacation season—there are fewer people than usual paying attention.
This announcement should have come midday yesterday. The delay is puzzling.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Front Runner
Things I like about Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware:
1) He is both funny and fierce. Biden was a highlight of the early presidential debates.
2) He is sharp on foreign affairs. Biden not only knows what he is talking about, he knows that he knows. There is no stumbling over words or struggling for answers. Of all the candidates running this time around, across both parties, Biden gave the answers that most made sense when the topic was the rest of the world.
3) He is familiar. Joe, it seems, has been running for president almost as long as I have been alive. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt, but not on this occasion. Joe grows on you.
4) He is not Hillary Clinton. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
1) He is both funny and fierce. Biden was a highlight of the early presidential debates.
2) He is sharp on foreign affairs. Biden not only knows what he is talking about, he knows that he knows. There is no stumbling over words or struggling for answers. Of all the candidates running this time around, across both parties, Biden gave the answers that most made sense when the topic was the rest of the world.
3) He is familiar. Joe, it seems, has been running for president almost as long as I have been alive. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt, but not on this occasion. Joe grows on you.
4) He is not Hillary Clinton. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Joe
I like Joe Biden. Obama could do much, much worse.
And he still might, because this could all be a misdirection play. We shall see.
And he still might, because this could all be a misdirection play. We shall see.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
J-E-T-S
And now that he is a member of the New York Jets, Brett Favre is an even BIGGER jackass. Who woulda thunk that possible?
His legacy, which was shaky at best, is gone forever. People forget, but the "great" Brett Favre won as many Super Bowls as Jim McMahon and Trent Dilfer. Too many times when it mattered most he came up short. There is nothing Montana, Aikman, or Brady-like about him.
Now he has forced his way off the team that willingly put up with his retirement/non-retirement drama for years--at the expense of their own future. He abandoned the fans in Wisconsin who loved and supported and defended him--even when it looked this time last year like he had come back just to chase Dan Marino's records. This is how Brett Favre should be remembered.
Welcome to New York, Brett. Now nobody can complain when I boo your sorry ass.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Travel Plans
The day looks like this:
A car to a bus to my office. From my office, a train to another train to another bus to the airport. From there, a plane to Chicago and, finally, another car.
Whew!
A car to a bus to my office. From my office, a train to another train to another bus to the airport. From there, a plane to Chicago and, finally, another car.
Whew!
Monday, August 4, 2008
A Night At The Opera
Eddie Vedder descended on the stunningly-beautiful Boston Opera House this past weekend, and seeing the lead singer of Pearl Jam onstage alone was a treat none of us could pass up—despite not knowing quite what to expect. We were not disappointed.
The sellout crowd was an interesting mix of the rich, the famous, and the not-so-much. Liberal icon Howard Zinn was there. So was Bill Saggio. There were even rumors of a clandestinely-clad Theo Epstein. Truly the best and the brightest of what Boston has to offer. That is, at least as far as the second show on Saturday is concerned. Friday’s opening performance was marred by large contingents of drunken frat boys and massholes, yelling out requests and commenting at will. The singer, to his credit, took it in stride, telling the audience “I figured we’d make it to New York before the drunken assholes showed up.”
Vedder, in kicking off only his second solo tour, gave a performance Saturday night that no one could find fault with. The 26-song set list featured a few from Pearl Jam, several from the Into the Wild soundtrack, and an assortment of covers. Highlights included a mandolin-only performance of Man of the Hour and a masterful rendition of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War, a song Eddie Vedder is quickly claiming as his own. (Check out this performance and tell me that statement is not true.) ARC, an entirely vocal performance using a voice-loop machine, needs to be seen to be believed and shows just how good Vedder is at what he does.
We expected the music to be great, and it was. What we didn’t quite expect was how funny Vedder turned out to be. Before launching into James Taylor’s Millworker, he delivered a hilarious monologue on why James Taylor “is a badass.” He chastised the crowd for not being able to tell the difference between a ukulele and a mandolin, but then admitted that he “really couldn’t play the fuckin’ thing anyway.”
No Eddie Vedder performance would be complete without a little politics thrown in. He (sarcastically) congratulated Exxon on their record-breaking profits, noting that they were a company that obviously doesn’t believe in passing the savings on to the consumer. Vedder has long been a critic of the Iraq War, and he shared the story a paralyzed veteran, urging those in the crowd to write him letters of support before launching into the protest song No More.
Strangely enough it was politics that brought about one of the evening’s funniest moments. Coming back for his encore, Eddie explained that he had come to realize that while it is OK for everyone to have strong feelings and opinions, artists did need to keep those opinions to themselves and not try to influence their fans with them. As he spoke, two stagehands ran behind him carrying a giant Barack Obama banner. Even the Republicans in the crowd had to laugh at that.
This was a fantastic show that we all left knowing we were lucky to have seen. Tickets sold out quickly, but we were able to pick up some fairly priced seats through a reseller just days before the show. The tour heads to New York City tonight, and then to Newark, Montreal, Toronto, Washington, DC and Milwaukee before wrapping up in Chicago. Do not miss your chance to see it.
The sellout crowd was an interesting mix of the rich, the famous, and the not-so-much. Liberal icon Howard Zinn was there. So was Bill Saggio. There were even rumors of a clandestinely-clad Theo Epstein. Truly the best and the brightest of what Boston has to offer. That is, at least as far as the second show on Saturday is concerned. Friday’s opening performance was marred by large contingents of drunken frat boys and massholes, yelling out requests and commenting at will. The singer, to his credit, took it in stride, telling the audience “I figured we’d make it to New York before the drunken assholes showed up.”
Vedder, in kicking off only his second solo tour, gave a performance Saturday night that no one could find fault with. The 26-song set list featured a few from Pearl Jam, several from the Into the Wild soundtrack, and an assortment of covers. Highlights included a mandolin-only performance of Man of the Hour and a masterful rendition of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War, a song Eddie Vedder is quickly claiming as his own. (Check out this performance and tell me that statement is not true.) ARC, an entirely vocal performance using a voice-loop machine, needs to be seen to be believed and shows just how good Vedder is at what he does.
We expected the music to be great, and it was. What we didn’t quite expect was how funny Vedder turned out to be. Before launching into James Taylor’s Millworker, he delivered a hilarious monologue on why James Taylor “is a badass.” He chastised the crowd for not being able to tell the difference between a ukulele and a mandolin, but then admitted that he “really couldn’t play the fuckin’ thing anyway.”
No Eddie Vedder performance would be complete without a little politics thrown in. He (sarcastically) congratulated Exxon on their record-breaking profits, noting that they were a company that obviously doesn’t believe in passing the savings on to the consumer. Vedder has long been a critic of the Iraq War, and he shared the story a paralyzed veteran, urging those in the crowd to write him letters of support before launching into the protest song No More.
Strangely enough it was politics that brought about one of the evening’s funniest moments. Coming back for his encore, Eddie explained that he had come to realize that while it is OK for everyone to have strong feelings and opinions, artists did need to keep those opinions to themselves and not try to influence their fans with them. As he spoke, two stagehands ran behind him carrying a giant Barack Obama banner. Even the Republicans in the crowd had to laugh at that.
This was a fantastic show that we all left knowing we were lucky to have seen. Tickets sold out quickly, but we were able to pick up some fairly priced seats through a reseller just days before the show. The tour heads to New York City tonight, and then to Newark, Montreal, Toronto, Washington, DC and Milwaukee before wrapping up in Chicago. Do not miss your chance to see it.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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