Stray thought

It would seem that more money and attention that pour into the Mass. special Senate election, the higher the turnout will be, which, in theory, should likely help the Dem.

Thought for the Day - 2

Bob Woodward is apparently doing another of his "insider" books on Obama's first year. How much do you want to bet that he's not as kind as he was to Bush's first year when, you know, the economy tanked and we suffered the worst attack on US soil in history?

BPA

This could be a pretty big deal. The FDA has issued an advisory to limit individual exposure to Bisphenol A (more commonly known as BPA) which is present in many plastics used for food containment such as water bottles, storage containers, and soda can linings.

Update: Harold Ford as NY-Sen spoiler

Yesterday, I speculated that Harold Ford might be getting put up for the NY Senate seat to mess up the race so a Republican could win.

Today, we have fairly credible rumoring that he might be thinking of running as an independent which could potentially draw votes (especially black votes) away from the Dem, giving the Repubs a real shot at that Senate seat.

Later: Our first polling, and Gillibrand would easily beat Ford in a Dem primary.

Hope he enjoys his time in prison

I wouldn't want to be this guy going into prison. I mean, sure he'll get some protection from the white supremacists, but this is a hell of a target to have on your head going in.

An Arkansas man has pleaded guilty to plotting to kill several African-Americans in 2008 including then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Paul Schlesselman of West Helena, Arkansas, faces 10 years in prison under a plea agreement....

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The tea partiers get a NYTimes article

The NYTimes runs a piece claiming that the teapartiers are trying to take over the GOP from the precincts up.

We'll see....

Haiti

The real horror in Haiti is yet to come as they have next to no functioning government which serves mainly to line the pockets of its office holders.

Also, the WaPo has a zoomable satellite image of Port au Prince.

Gingrich says he's in.

Gingrich says he's "thinking" about a 2012 run.

Thought for the Day

I wonder how many of those big money "supporters" who are supposedly trying to get deeply flawed (and likely losing) carpetbagger candidate Harold Ford to run for NY-Sen, are actually Republican supporters.

I mean, what better way for Republicans to win the seat than to set up tin can Harold Ford as your Dem opponent?

Frightening ignorance.

I don't even know how to launch into the unbelievable self admission by Sarah Palin on FoxNews that, before her debate prep, she didn't know where the 9/11 attackers came from. She thought 9/11 came from Iraq.... in mid-2008!

No one in the McCain campaign asked her about Iraq, 9/11, or terrorism, or foreign policy during her interview and vetting? What the hell did they talk about, because it certainly wasn't qualifications.

When she made her speech at the RNC convention, she still believed Iraq was where 9/11 came from.

The McCain people put her up to be vice president (one McCain heartbeat away from being able to launch nukes,) and they didn't even bother to ask her about the very most basic and core foreign policy challenge America faced?

I'm appalled.

This isn't about Sarah Palin. This is about John McCain and the inside Republicans who ran his campaign.

Can we finally abandon the notion that John McCain cares about national security when he really only cares about the way the press genuflect towards him?

Please, somebody ask him about this on his next Sunday show.

Almost a heartbeat away

The picture presented in Game Change of Palin's emergence as national phenomenon — and the real Palin behind her public persona — is often startling and sometimes shocking. The scantness of the vetting she received before being placed on the Republican ticket. Her substantive deficiencies, even more dramatic than those that had previously been reported: her lack of understanding about why there are two Koreas, her ignorance about the function of the Federal Reserve, her belief that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11. The fact that, at her lowest moments during preparation for her debate against Joe Biden, some senior McCain aides worried that she was mentally unstable. And, ultimately, their fears that she wasn't up to the job of being Vice President.

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Who killed the Iranian nuclear scientist?

According to the BBC, Iranian media is saying that the US and Israel killed an Iranian nuclear scientist with a bomb stashed on a motorcycle in front of his house.

The AP, no doubt sourced from US intel, seems to emphasize that this nuclear scientist was tied to the reformist movement implying the Iranians got him. (although, if you read further, he seems pretty politically safe.)

So, at this point, who knows? ..but if it was Israel or the US, I sure hope they covered all their tracks.

Later: Two more points. 1) He was a nuclear professor, not everyday active in the program. 2) The Iranians are blaming an internal opposition group backed by the US and Israel.

Quote of the Day

John McCain speaking privately during the 2008 campaign about the folks showing up at his townhalls.

Why would I want to be the leader of a party of such a**holes?

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Failed sportsgirl makes good

Sarah Palin signs on as a paid contributor to FoxNews... "as part of a multi-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed."

My state's shame

It's so nice that Sen. Cornyn, my state's shame, has suddenly taken up the issue of civil rights.

A passing

Joe Biden's 92 year old mother, who appeared sparingly on the campaign trail, has passed away.

Thought for the Day

I'm not outraged by Harry Reid's "negro" comment about Obama, but, maybe, before everyone reflexively jumps to his defense, maybe, we should think about this as an opportunity to replace him as majority leader.

Pros: A much stronger and more majority utilizing Senate leader.

Cons: It would give the Republicans a scalp and talking points, and, potentially, risk the Dems losing the Nevada Senate seat.

Just thinking out loud.

Beware the self annointed

Why is it no one ever challenges someone's claim that their elevation is "part of god's plan," despite the fact that history has shown us again and again that those who claim "specialness" in god's eyes are almost always trouble?

Schmidt said he asked Palin about her serenity in the face of becoming "one of the most famous people in the world." He quoted her as saying, "It's God's plan." Palin has not ruled out a run for the presidency.

Related: And it seems the more spiritually certain of role, the less prepared. (I'm sure there's a psychological treatise there.)

"Her foreign policy tutors are literally taking her through, 'This is World War I, this is World War II, this is the Korean War,'" Heilemann told "60 Minutes." "This is the -- how the Cold War worked. Steve Schmidt had gone to them and said, 'She knows nothing.'"

Oh, and while we're talking about the unqualified, self anointed who were promoted by the great and wise, appearing on Sunday television every week John McCain, Joe the Plumber (who you'll remember is a tax dodger, a racist, and not actually a plumber,) is going to be "barnstorming" Arkansas for the Republican Senate challenger.

Who shows up for that? Who shows up in rural Arkansas to hear "Joe the Plumber?"

Still more Steele doings

Politico has a piece on the GOP disquiet over chairman Michael Steele which leads with the classy idea that, no matter what he does, they won't fire him because he's black.

Yeah. That's the way to resolve your image problem on race relations.