A trip to Israel this summer?

If things go as planned, I should be on the Birthright Israel trip this summer. I would have to take a May trip due to any potential internships that I am offered. I am not going to blog about internship offers here. Registration has opened up today. I just hope my parents, who read this blog daily, approve. Last time I registered was two years ago (in April) and due to safety concerns, they wouldn't let me go.

James Webb, a former Secretary of the Navy, will file for the United States Senate race in Virginia. He joins Harris Miller as the candidates for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will face George Allen.

Webb, who was secretary of the Navy under Republican President Ronald Reagan, resigned in protest of cutbacks in the Navy fleet. He has been a strong critic of the war in Iraq, saying that the Bush administration has never developed an exit strategy.

Webb is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Marines in the Vietnam War. He is the author of the nonfiction book "Born Fighting, How the Scots-Irish Shaped America," as well as six novels.

A more in-depth look at the MusiCare's tribute to James Taylor.

Paul McCartney, nominated for several Grammys this evening, should be a safe bet to win tonight for many of those. For the first time ever, McCartney will perform a song.

If McCartney wins, it will prove something long suspected about Grammy voters: They occasionally ignore challenging work by young artists in favor of works by aging pop vets who have been overlooked. If the former Beatle walks away with the album of the year Grammy, the upset would be reminiscent of the 2000 telecast when Steely Dan won over Eminem, or the 1998 show when Bob Dylan beat Radiohead.

I plan to watch the Grammy's this evening.

Mets Geek compares the New York Mets to my St. Louis Cardinals. I think the St. Louis team as a whole is much better.

It's only 2006 but it is not too early to start running for president.

We need financial literacy and I am glad to see that subject on Jonathan Miller's agenda.

Ideas for the proposals began a year ago when Miller made a stop at Fort Knox to address issues of financial literacy, he said.

"My eyes were opened wide by the many struggles of our military," he said. "We've been assuming by the language of Washington that they are taken care of."

One aspect of the group of initiatives would provide financial assistance to families most in need.

"The hallmark is the Military Family Relief Fund," Miller said. It would help with mortgage payments, life insurance and medical care among other things, he said.

Funding would be provided by philanthropists and foundations and citizens willing to contribute a portion of their tax refunds.

He noted that Illinois passed something similar a year ago and has already raised $10 million.

The initiatives that would require government funding would cost in the single-digit millions, Miller estimated. He added it is a small thing to ask when compared to a trillion-dollar federal budget.

The legislative process is flowing smoothly, Miller said, and he pointed to the Military Spouse Expedited License Act, sponsored by Sen. Dorsey Ridley of Henderson, that passed unanimously in the state Senate as an example.

Now for a shameless plug of The Compassionate Community.

Yes, Tom Brokaw, the former NBC News anchor, can be funny. See for yourself.

Mr. Brokaw told a few jokes: "I used to get juiced up at 5:30 every night. I’d go up to the NBC cafeteria, and I’d make out with Tina Fey for about 15 minutes." Ms. Fey, Darrell Hammond and Barbara Walters took their own turns. At one point, Conan O’Brien appeared onstage to do some shtick, telling Mr. Brokaw, "It was nice of you to take time out of your not-busy schedule," and cannily noting NBC’s poor performance in prime time.

"It was Bob who graciously supported the decision for me to take over The Tonight Show, just 18 years from now," Mr. O’Brien said. "For those of you who live to see it, it’s gonna be a doozy."

But, the question remains, who will take over for Late Night?

John Hall, a candidate for Congress, is a former musician. He's a Democrat and has recieved contributions from other musicians. You may have heard of them.

In a relatively short time, Hall has shown he will be a force in the race thanks to his connections in the music world. Hall co-wrote the hit songs "Still the One" and "Dance With Me" for the mid-1970s rock band Orleans, of which he is a founding member.

He has already attracted support from fellow musicians. Singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt has donated $4,200; Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Hollies, gave $2,100; Beacon resident and folk singer Peter Seeger chipped in $500; and country musician James Talley donated $250.

Hall, along with Raitt, Nash and Jackson Browne, staged a string of concerts in 1979 to protest nuclear power.

The campaign is on the right track, said Hall's campaign manager Amy Little.

"John has a big advantage over the other candidates with his national name recognition and ability to bring greater resources to the district," Little said in a written statement.

You can visit his website at John Hall for Congress. John Sebastian will join him in concert for a fundraiser.

Hayley Barbor will not be a candidate for president in 2008. He's much too busy focusing on rebuilding of Mississippi.

Will Kentucky require the ACT for juniors? I'm so glad that I am done with standardized tests. One graduate program that I am looking at doesn't require the tests.

Many members of Congress believe that the president is out of line.

Les Paul missed his own birthday tribute. He was in the hospital at the time.

Ohio Democrats don't realize the "dynamic message and the necessary command of the issues" that Eric Fingerhut has.

Evan Bayh gave another speech that was well-recieved. This time, it was to the United Auto Workers.

Bayh drew strong applause Tuesday when he called for tariffs on Chinese imports "until they get right the currency issue."

Bayh has a history of supporting free trade but has recently been critical of how trade agreements are being enforced. In Washington and on the exploratory presidential campaign trail, he has complained that the United States hasn't done enough to stop China from manipulating its currency and illegally subsidizing its products so they're cheaper for foreign buyers.

It's a particularly tough time for autoworkers, with massive job cuts looming at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. In addition, Delphi Corp., GM's former parts division and Indiana's third-largest industrial employer, filed for bankruptcy in October.

Bayh revved up the autoworkers by saying a proposed $510 million pay package for Delphi executives, while the company seeks wage cuts from workers, is "a disgrace."
Bayh entered the cavernous Washington ballroom accompanied by a group of cheering UAW members from Indiana. Indiana's UAW membership is one of the three largest in the country.

Bayh said that neither he nor his father, former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh, would have been elected without the UAW.

The autoworkers were the first union to endorse Evan Bayh when he started his political career by running for secretary of state at a time, Bayh said, when there was no Democratic Party organization in the state.

Sources close to the Kentucky Democrat are saying the crowd was roaring after the speech.

Sherry Frank paid tribute to the late Coretta Scott King at her funeral.

Speaking Tuesday, Sherry Frank, the executive director of the Atlanta chapter of the American Jewish Committee, emphasized that King signed autographed copies of her books to give to Soviet Jews, as well as the gratitude the Jewish community felt when King joined members of the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition in denouncing anti-Semitism and honoring Holocaust memory. "Her timeless dedication to the cause of equality inspired generations," Frank said.