Addressing a major issue, then on to Clinton news

Because it's March Madness I am keeping postings to a minimum at best because college basketball will dominate this month in news.

I want to address an issue that I hate to have to address but because there are still schmucks in this universe that decide that they have to act like a mother f***er, I have to post this. Granted some are reasonable comments but a lot of it is Anti-Semitic filth. Click here to read comments from a post in December 2004! Good luck with your stomach not churning.

Now on to your regularly scheduled Hillary Clinton news. Tucker Carlson, um, makes a good point with this election:


Senator Clinton will be recieving two high profile endorsements from Pennsylvania politicians.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Pitttsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, two major Western Pennsylvania politicos who had yet to endorse, will come out for Hillary Clinton tomorrow, a campaign source confirms.

Did you think the debates were finished? I have some news for you. They aren't. Senator Clinton accepted an offer from ABC News to debate her Democratic opponent.

The Clinton campaign today announced that Hillary has accepted an invitation to participate in a primetime debate hosted by ABC. The debate will be held in Philadelphia, PA in advance of the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary. The debate will be broadcast statewide and nationally.

Hillary is prepared to show she has real solutions for the problems facing residents of the Keystone State.

Hillary is the only candidate with a plan to end the housing crisis and help people keep their homes. Hillary's plan takes bold action to stem the tide of foreclosures with a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and a five year freeze on interest rates for subprime mortgages.

Hillary is also the only candidate with a health care plan that covers every American. Her plan allows for maximum flexibility while making sure health care costs are affordable for working families.

Hillary hears the voices of Americans concerned about their future and is focused on providing solutions to the problems they face.

Here's an update on military endorsements for Sen. Clinton.

More than thirty former admirals and generals, including two former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and five retired officers at the four-star rank have endorsed Hillary Clinton to be our next Commander-in-Chief. Eighteen of these esteemed flag and general officers and other senior national security officials took part in a rare conference call with reporters earlier this month; eleven met in person with Senator Clinton last week in Washington for a private conversation about ending the war in Iraq and winning the war in Afghanistan; and to testify publicly for her leadership ability. In these testimonials below, these great Americans who have given so much to our country, say why they believe Senator Clinton is the best candidate of either party to be our next Commander-in-Chief.[...]

The full list of admirals and generals who have endorsed Senator Clinton to be our next Commander-in-Chief follows:

1. General Wesley Clark
2. General John M. Shalikashvili
3. General Henry Hugh Shelton
4. General Johnnie E. Wilson
5. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral William Owens
6. Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard
7. Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
8. Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy
9. Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick
10. Lt. Gen. Frederick E. Vollrath
11. Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur
12. Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak, Jr.
13. Major General Roger R. Blunt
14. Major General George Buskirk, Jr.
15. Major General Edward L. Correa, Jr.
16. Major General Paul D. Eaton
17. Major General Paul D. Monroe, Jr.
18. Major General Antonio M. Taguba
19. Brigadier General John W. Douglass
20. Brigadier General Michael Dunn
21. Brigadier General Belisario Flores
22. Brigadier General Evelyn "Pat" Foote
23. Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr
24. Brigadier General Virgil A. Richard
25. Brigadier General Preston Taylor
26. Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr.
27. Brigadier General Jack Yeager
28. Rear Admiral Connie Mariano
29. Rear Admiral Stuart F. Platt
30. Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman
31. Rear Admiral David Stone

The Clinton campaign released the following memo on Obama's losing ground:

The path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue goes through Pennsylvania so if Barack Obama can’t win there, how will he win the general election?

After setbacks in Ohio and Texas, Barack Obama needs to demonstrate that he can win the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is the last state with more than 15 electoral votes on the primary calendar and Barack Obama has lost six of the seven other largest states so far – every state except his home state of Illinois.

Pennsylvania is of particular importance, along with Ohio, Florida and Michigan, because it is dominated by the swing voters who are critical to a Democratic victory in November. No Democrat has won the presidency without winning Pennsylvania since 1948. And no candidate has won the Democratic nomination without winning Pennsylvania since 1972.

But the Obama campaign has just announced that it is turning its attention away from Pennsylvania.

This is not a strategy that can beat John McCain in November.

In the last two weeks, Barack Obama has lost ground among men, women, Democrats, independents and Republicans – all of which point to a candidacy past its prime.

For example, just a few weeks ago, Barack Obama won 68% of men in Virginia, 67% in Wisconsin and 62% in Maryland. He won 60% of Virginia women and 55% of Maryland women. He won 62% of independents in Maryland, 64% in Wisconsin and 69% in Virginia. Obama won 59% of Democrats in Maryland, 53% in Wisconsin and 62% in Virginia. And among Republicans, Obama won 72% in both Virginia and Wisconsin.

But now Obama’s support has dropped among all these groups.

In Mississippi, he won only 25% of Republicans and barely half of independents. In Ohio, he won only 48% of men, 41% of women and 42% of Democrats. In Texas, he won only 49% of independents and 46% of Democrats. And in Rhode Island, Obama won just 33% of women and 37% of Democrats.

Why are so many voters turning away from Barack Obama in state after state?

In the last few weeks, questions have arisen about Obama’s readiness to be president. In Virginia, 56% of Democratic primary voters said Obama was most qualified to be commander-in-chief. That number fell to 37% in Ohio, 35% in Rhode Island and 39% in Texas.

So the late deciders – those making up their minds in the last days before the election – have been shifting to Hillary Clinton. Among those who made their decision in the last three days, Obama won 55% in Virginia and 53% in Wisconsin, but only 43% in Mississippi, 40% in Ohio, 39% in Texas and 37% in Rhode Island.

If Barack Obama cannot reverse his downward spiral with a big win in Pennsylvania, he cannot possibly be competitive against John McCain in November.

2008 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Results

March 13-16
Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia

FIRST ROUND
March 13 (Thursday)
Game 1: [E5] South Carolina 77, [W4] LSU 73
Game 2: [E3] Vanderbilt 93, [W6] Auburn 82
Game 3: [W5] Alabama 80, [E4] Florida 69
Game 4: [E6] Georgia 97, [W3] Ole Miss 95 (OT)

SECOND ROUND
March 14 (Friday)
Game 5: [E1] Tennessee 89, [E5] South Carolina 87
Game 6: [W2] Arkansas 81, [E3] Vanderbilt 75
Game 7: [W1] Miss. St. 69, [W5] Ala. 67 (OT)
Game 8: [E6] Georgia 60, [E2] Kentucky 56 (OT)

SEMIFINALS
March 15 (Saturday)
Game 9: [W2] Arkansas 92, [E1] Tennessee 91
Game 10: [E6] Georgia 64, [W1] Miss. St. 60

FINALS
March 16 (Sunday)
Game 11: [E6] Georgia 66, [W2] Arkansas 57

All games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be televised on your local Raycom Sports affiliate. Sunday's championship game will be televised on ESPN 2 with a simulcast feed from CBS where Bill Raftery and Verne Lundquist will call the game.

Georgia is the first six seed since the tournament expanded to play in the league championship game.

Paterson has a sense of humor

Hat tip to JTA. Here's an interesting excerpt from David Paterson's speech to Hadassah at their convention in July 2007:

Now. When I came in this evening, Carol thanked me for coming here this evening and said ‘I understand you cut your vacation short just to be here.’ And many of you might think that that was a real act of some kind of charity, it really wasn’t. You don’t understand. Lieutenant Governors never get invited to such national prestigious organizations as this. And as soon as I heard that, I was out of the Hamptons faster than Jon Corzine I was here immediately.

So. Very few people in this room even knows what the Lieutenant Governor does, and I wish I was one of them. After six months and 15 days I’ve come to this conclusion. You wake up at 6:30 in the morning and you call the governor’s mansion. If he answers, you can go back to sleep.

Many will come before you this week telling you how glad they are to be here but you know that I really am. As a matter of fact, I found out in my third month of duty that they actually have an organization known as the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association. We had a meeting in Washington DC. And I hesitated about going to a meeting with people who must have such morbid fantasies involving plane crashes and criminal convictions. Let me just share with you that before every meeting of the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association, that we have a moment of silence, not for previous lieutenant governors who have gone on to their reward, but to demonstrate to us our true role in government.

Quote of the Day

Matthew Yglesias:

He was a very promising, very solid political leader. What's more, as we watch the would-be first woman president square off against the would-be first black president, I won't deny having hoped on some level that Spitzer could be the first Jewish president someday. But most indications are that David Paterson will be a good governor and a good leader for New York state liberals, so given the damage already done to Spitzer's resignation it's hard not to see this move as for the best.

Hillary Clinton talks about Florida and Michigan

Statement from Hillary Clinton:

"If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that’s wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about what we should do to ensure that the voters in Florida and Michigan are counted.

"In my view there are two options: Honor the results or hold new primary elections. I don’t see any other solutions that are fair and honor the commitment that two and a half million voters made in the Democratic primaries in those two states. Whether voters are clamoring for solutions to the challenges that we face or not, or whether people are coming out in droves to be heard, we have a basic obligation to make sure that every vote in America counts.

"I hope that Senator Obama’s campaign will join me in working to make that happen. I think that that is a non-partisan solution to make sure that we do count these votes."

And a letter from Campaign Manager Maggie Williams to David Plouffe.

David Plouffe
P.O. Box 8102
Obama for America
Chicago, Illinois 60680

Dear David:

The 2008 primary campaign has been a spirited contest that has resulted in record voter turnout. Both of our candidates can proudly boast of bringing new people into the process and energizing our Democratic Party.

With the campaign now entering the final phase of the nominating contest, it is vital that both of our campaigns come together to ensure that the delegations from Florida and Michigan be seated to reflect the will of the voters.

In Florida and Michigan, nearly 2.5 million Americans made their voices heard and participated in primary elections. We think the results of those primaries were fair and should be honored.

Over the last few weeks, there has been much discussion about how to ensure that the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated. We think there are two options: Either honor the results or hold new primary elections.

To that end, we are in active consultation with all of our supporters in Florida, including Members of Congress. In Michigan, we are in active consultation with the committee appointed by Governor Granholm.

We hope that your campaign will join us in our efforts to ensure that these votes are counted.

Sincerely,
Maggie Williams
Campaign Manager

Where is the Jewish comedy?

I actually watched this yesterday although I didn't see the Forward post about it until today. It's great stuff and the comedian featured is Catie Lazarus, who you might recognize as the extra with a great smile in the Penelope sketch this past weekend on Saturday Night Live.

Go watch this. You won't regret it!

Late Show: Top Ten Messages Left On Eliot Spitzer's Answering Machine

From a comedic angle, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be taking a backseat for a while. Here's what Dave and the gang came up with on Tuesday

Top Ten Messages Left On Eliot Spitzer's Answering Machine
10. Hey, what's new?
9. It's Barack Obama. Remember our conversation about being my running mate? Nevermind.
8. Ralph Nader here, glad to hear I'm not the only politician who has to pay for it
7. I'm calling from the 'New York Post.' Would you rather be known as 'Disgraced Gov Perv' or 'Humiliated Whore Fiend'?
6. This is John McCain, if it makes you feel better, I once got caught having sex with Lincoln's wife
5. It's Dr. Phil, call me if you need any horse**** advice
4. This is Senator Larry Craig. Do you ever go through the Minneapolis airport?
3. It's Wolf Blitzer. Call me if you ever want a hot Spitzer-Blitzer three-way
2. Paris Hilton here. I would have done it for free
1. It's Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thanks, I'm no longer America's creepiest governor

Late Show: Top Ten Eliot Spitzer Excuses

From a comedic angle, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be taking a backseat for a while. Here's what Dave and the gang came up with on Monday

Top Ten Eliot Spitzer Excuses
10. Oh come on, like you were never involved in a prostitution ring
9. Hookers is fun
8. Just trying to help the economy
7. Have you ever been to Albany?
6. It's part of my new MTV prank show "Spitz'd"
5. Haven't been myself since Roy Schieder died
4. Uh, tainted beef?
3. Whether it's a hooker or your wife, you're always paying for it -- you married fellas know what I'm talking about
2. Wanted to be known as the Charlie Sheen of politics
1. I thought Bill Clinton legalized this years ago

Watch Paul Giammati as John Adams on HBO

Sadly, I'll have to wait for the DVD. Here's a look at the leading cast members for John Adams:

Paul Giamatti: John Adams
Laura Linney: Abigail Adams
David Morse: George Washington
Sarah Polley: Abigail 'Nabby' Adams
Rufus Sewell: Alexander Hamilton
Justin Theroux: John Hancock

Matt Roush offers his review of the epic miniseries on HBO.

John Adams, based on David McCullough's acclaimed biography, is as sumptuous and satisfying as TV gets: gorgeously produced, marvelously acted and written with a sense of high drama amid generous displays of wit.

Befitting such an enduring love story, Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney are splendid as America's second First Couple. At home, when John sheds his wig and attitude, they're equals: "You do not need to quote great men to show you are one," Abigail chides him, all the while acknowledging her husband's indisputable greatness.

As his ardent champion and best and most loving critic, she truly does complete him. They ache for each other's company and counsel during his long absences as he tends to history and she minds the family and farm.

Linney's wry warmth meshes with Giamatti's restless bluster, rendering Adams admirable even when unlikable. He's combative and impatient, whether debating independence in Congress or awkwardly practicing diplomacy in Europe. He bristles with envy when upstaged by his more admired peers, each sharply played: Tom Wilkinson as the witty Franklin, Stephen Dillane as the urbane Jefferson and David Morse as a Washington of quiet dignity.

"You are not meant to sit in the shade of life," a colleague assures him. Indeed, John Adams emerges from the pages of history as a dynamic hero of ideas in this dazzling TV event.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to resign on March 17

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has announced his intentions to resign on March 17, 2008. It is our hope that this leads to the resignations of Louisiana Senator David Vitter and Idaho Senator Larry Craig, last seen stomping his feet in an aiirport bathroom stall.

They didn't resign and they've been in trouble longer so why didn't Spitzer wait it out? There's no justice in that!

Our thoughts and prayers with New York again.

Clinton speech in Harrisburg

Here are excerpts from Sen. Clinton's speech at the "Solutions for America" rally in Harrisburg, PA:

“It is now up to the voters here. You have a choice to make. I believe that choice comes down to who offers solutions we need for the problems we face in America. There are real differences.

Today my opponent is here in Pennsylvania talking about energy policy and I think specifically talking about wind energy and that’s great. Except in 2005, when we had a chance to say no to Dick Cheney and his Energy Bill, my opponent said yes and voted for it with all of those tax subsidies and give-aways that have been used by the oil companies and others to retard the development of clean, renewable energy. Really, when you think about what we have to do, it’s not going to happen just by asking people. It’s not going to happen just by saying, “Don’t we all agree?” We’re going to have to fight to make the changes against the special interests that dominate Washington. When it counted, I said no, he said yes.

In Ohio we just finished a campaign talking about NAFTA and trade. I have said I will renegotiate NAFTA. I will make sure it reflects what we have learned over the last fourteen years. My opponent said one thing in Ohio and then his top economic advisor told the Canadian government, “Don’t worry, what he says. That’s just politics.”

The same things happened about Iraq. I’ve been saying that I will start to withdraw our troops within sixty days. My opponent has said he will have them all out within sixteen months. And then one of his top foreign policy advisors tells the foreign press, “Well, don’t pay any attention to that. That’s just talk during a campaign.”

I’ve got to tell you, there’s a big difference between talk and action. But if you’re going to talk, then you ought to mean what you say so people can count on it.”

Breaking News: Spring ends strike with Four Seasons, Winter to end in 8 days

In what was a surprising agreement this morning, Spring came to an agreement with the Board of Directors of the Four Seasons, and has come to an agreement to get back to work in eight days on March 20th.

Patric Verrone, representing Spring-West, and Michael Winship, representing Spring-East, announced the agreement this morning alongside Nick Counter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Four Seasons.

The key issues of the agreement were that Spring would fully cooperate with the start of the 2008 Major League Baseball season after a few games in Cleveland were snowed out and a series had to be moved to Milwaukee until the snow melted.

Another major issue that the representatives for spring said had to be done was the acknowledgement of global warming. This was a holdout for some members of the board, including Jim Gooch, a Democratic member of the Kentucky General Assembly, disowned by several members of his party and yet he still has his spot as Chair of the House Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.

While spring was on strike, winter decided to have some fun and stayed around a bit longer than people expected. This past weekend, it dumped about a foot of snow in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and up to two feet in Ohio.

Asked if the groundhog seeing his shadow had anything to do with it, Verrone commented, "No, not at all...okay, maybe a little."

"Spring will be back on March 20, 2008," announced Verrone and Township.

Calling the KDP and Beshear out...

This may come as a shock to the entire liberal and center-left blogosphere but I am in full favor of signing Senate Bill 1 into law. If the state is going to make students take manadatory tests, why not just let them take the ACT and not have to deal with all these CATS exams that, at the end of the day, result in teachers not being able to go through the complete textbook.

CATS, if you ask me, was a complete waste of my time. I had better things that I would have liked to do, like learn about the American political system or read British literature literature that the state curriculum required but I never really cared for.

Democratic State Party Chairwoman Jennifer Moore sent this email out to the Kentucky Democratic Party listserv, and I'm only posting excerpts:

This week, Senator Williams is publicly touting the merits of his own Senate Bill 1, which would do away with the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) in our public schools and replace it with multiple choice tests developed for national use.

CATS requires students to exhibit critical thinking by applying those skills to problem solving essay questions. Williams' bill advocates generic national testing that relies on students' skills to answer multiple choice questions by filling in a bubble on an electronic score card.

Our Democratic Governor Steve Beshear has vowed to protect the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) by vetoing SB1 if necessary. Governor Beshear puts Kentucky's children and their education at the very top of his administration's priority list and while he knows we must never stop working to improve the Commonwealth's educational system - SB1 is NOT an improvement.

Here's an excerpt from the WHAS Political Blog:

Reactiing to the governor's opposition to his bill, Williams called Beshear's comments "amateurish" and "pathetic" and said he doesn't believe the governor has even read the bill. Williams defended the move to get rid of the CATS test, saying it isn't measuring students' knowledge of basic skills. Many teachers and school administrators agree with Williams but wonder if a multiple choice, nationally normed test would be any better.

The CATS test doesn't really measure student performances at all...just look here.

Meanwhile, the Senate Education Committee heard from three testing experts who poked holes in the premise of senators David Williams and Dan Kelly that the ACT test would do a better job of measuring students' knowledge from year-to-year. Ben Oldham, Skip Kifer and Thomas Guskey of the Testing Institute at Georgetown all agreed that the CATS test measures school performances, not students. But they added that the multiple choice only ACT or other similar test wouldn't do the trick either and wouldn't tell parents whether their kids are meeting the goals and standards set by the Kentucky Department of Education.

There must be a solution to all this but having taken the CATS exam against my will while in high school, I can safely say that it didn't measure my performance. I believe that the Advanced Placement and SAT-2 exams do a better job at such performances.

I believe that Chairwoman Moore was wrong to call out David Williams for this bill. Let's see what the task force that the Department of Education decides to do but the future of CATS should be minimal at best. It's a poorly done exam, no offense to those that write the questions but I'd rather take the AP exams over CATS if I had to do it all over.

Thoughts on 2012

Should John McCain win in the fall, and you probably know by now that he will, America has lost one of it's best candidates with the downfall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and I'm in agreement with Chris Bowers on that subject.

This is a serious blow. I feel as though progressives have lost their top bench contender for President of the Unites States. Spitzer could have run against a Republican in 2012 or 2016. He could have run for an open seat in 2016. He could have even been a possible primary challenger in 2012 if a Democratic President had screwed up and sold us out really badly.

I think that should 2008 not work out for the Democrats, we should take a serious look at Senator Evan Bayh.

Billy Gillispie is 2008 SEC Co-Coach of the Year, Patrick Patterson the Co-Freshman of the Year

Billy Gillispie has won the Coach of the Year award in his league for the fifth year in a row.

UK head coach Billy Gillispie was named the SEC Co-Coach of the Year, along with Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl, by league coaches. He was also given the honor by Rivals.com.

The Gillispie-led Wildcats overcame numerous injuries to tie for the SEC’s second-best league record (12-4) and second-place in the SEC East.

It is the fifth-straight year Gillispie has been named his league’s conference coach of the year. In 2004, he was the WAC Coach of the Year honor at UTEP. He then won similar recognition by either coaches or a media outlet for each of the three seasons he was at Texas A&M.

This is the 15th season that a Kentucky coach was named by the league.

Patrick Patterson was named Co-Freshman of the Year, too. Despite missing the final week of the season, he put up awesome numbers this year.

Patrick Patterson, along with Florida’s Nick Calathes, was named the SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Year by league coaches, despite missing the final three conference games with a stress fracture in his left foot. He was also given the honor outright by Rivals.com.

Patterson finished the regular season as one of two freshmen to rank in the SEC’s top 10 in both scoring (8th) and rebounding (7th), and is one of two players in the league’s top 10 in points, rebounds, field goal percentage (5th) and free throw percentage (9th).

It marks the first time that a Wildcat has been named the league’s freshman of the year.

Here's the full list of awards and honors.

SEC CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
Billy Gillispie, Kentucky
Bruce Pearl, Tennessee

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Dave Bliss, Georgia

SEC CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Nick Calathes, Florida
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
J.P. Prince, Tennessee

SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State#

FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
Richard Hendrix, Alabama*, F
Sonny Weems, Arkansas F
Ramel Bradley, Kentucky G
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State# G/F
Charles Rhodes, Mississippi State F/C
Devan Downey, South Carolina G
Chris Lofton, Tennessee* G
Tyler Smith, Tennessee F
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt# G/F

SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
Nick Calathes, Florida G/F
Sundiata Gaines, Georgia G
Joe Crawford, Kentucky G
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky F
Marcus Thornton, LSU G
Dwayne Curtis, Ole Miss C
JaJuan Smith, Tennessee G
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt C

SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Nick Calathes, Florida# G/F
Jai Lucas, Florida# G
Chandler Parsons, Florida* F
Jeremy Price, Georgia F
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky# F
Anthony Randolph, LSU# F
Trevor Gaskins, Ole Miss* G
Chris Warren, Ole Miss# G
Mike Holmes, South Carolina* F
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt# C

SEC ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Steven Hill, Arkansas F/C
Sundiata Gaines, Georgia G
Ramel Bradley, Kentucky G
Garrett Temple, LSU G
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State F/C
JaJuan Smith, Tennessee G

#-Unanimous Selection; Ties are not broken

Tucker cancelled, retains MSNBC job

It goes without saying that Tucker Carlson is one of the few conservative pundits, if that's what one calls him, that I am tolerable of.

MSNBC Cancels Tucker Carlson Show
By JACQUES STEINBERG

MSNBC said this afternoon that it was canceling “Tucker,” the low-rated, early evening program led by Tucker Carlson, and replacing it with a new, politically oriented program featuring David Gregory, chief White House correspondent of NBC News.

Mr. Gregory, whose program will be shown weeknights beginning at 6 p.m., will continue to cover the White House for NBC News, the parent of MSNBC, the cable channel said. Mr. Carlson will also remain with MSNBC, as a campaign correspondent who will cover the presidential race from Washington and the road.

So here's what we're looking at on MSNBC:
David Gregory will anchor Race for the White House from 6-7 PM. No clue as to what the show will be named after the election is over in November.

Andrea Mitchell will anchor an MSNBC news show from 1-2 PM. It's MSNBC, what were you expecting, a sitcom?

Countdown with Keith Olbermann will air a new episode at 8 PM with encores coming at 10 PM and 2 AM, for a total of three airings a day.

On March 17th, Live with Dan Abrams will be renamed as Verdict with Dan Abrams, airing at 9 PM.

Doc Block moves to 11 PM to midnight on weeknights.

As for Tucker? He's being kept on as a Senior Campaign Correspondent and I would expect that he will appear on news shows throughout the day.

What a pay raise!!!

That's a hefty pay raise if you ask me! Reporting in The Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Ralph R. Reiland debunks what Michelle Obama told a crowd in Zanesville, OH:

There's not a lot of money in Zanesville. Nearly a quarter of the Ohio town's population, 22.4 percent, is living below the poverty line, including 32.3 percent of those under 18 years of age.[...]

Still, Michelle Obama stopped by the other day during a campaign visit and warned the locals to not go for the big money.

"We left corporate America, which is a lot of what we're asking young people to do," she told a group of women at a day-care center. "Don't go into corporate America… But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond."[...]

What Michelle Obama didn't mention during the Zanesville visit is that she's done pretty well by helping herself to a sizeable slice of "helping industry" money at the University of Chicago Hospital.

Employed as vice president for community affairs, Mrs. Obama's annual compensation jumped from $121,910 in 2004, just before her husband was elected to the Senate, to $316,962 in 2005, just after he took office.

That's a $195,052 raise -- not bad for someone who looks down her nose at the "money-making industry."

All told, the total income declared by the Obama household on the couple's 2006 income tax return, figuring his Senate salary, book royalties and her compensation from sitting on corporate boards, was $991,296 -- again, not bad for sacrificing themselves in the "helping industry."[...]

It's doubtful that many in the audience could feel Mrs. Obama's pain. The median income for female workers in Zanesville last year was $20,142.

The Argument for Sen. Clinton

In The Philadelphia Inquirer recently, Jonathan V. Last makes the argument about who can go the distance.

Barack Obama's electoral flaws manifested themselves this week as he lost primaries in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. If you've been reading this column and paying close attention to the voting coalitions of Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, this came as no surprise. By now, others have told you how "unstoppable" Obama is enough times that you should know better.[...]

Obama's argument will be as follows: He garnered more pledged delegates and he does better in prospective polling matchups against John McCain.[...]

Clinton's case is more complicated - but I think it has a better chance of working. She can argue that Obama's lead stands up only if you exclude the results of Michigan and Florida. These two states were stripped of their delegates by the national party after naughty state party officials decided to move the primaries up on the calendar. Clinton and Obama both promised not to campaign in either state. Clinton won both primaries handily.[...]

Clinton has at least even odds at being the nominee. And she would probably be the stronger candidate for the Democrats.

A Message from Your Attorney General

Jack Conway emailed the following to his campaign list this morning:
I’ve spent my first days in office concentrating on my priorities - establishing an Internet Crimes Unit, drafting cybersafety legislation and helping craft an identity theft bill. All of these initiatives protect Kentuckians from criminals who are using new technology to prey on our children and scam our seniors.

The cybersafety legislation that I co-wrote with Representative Johnny Bell of Glasgow brings Kentucky statutes up-to-date with changes in technology and truly has the potential to make a national impact. It will make Kentucky the first state to ban registered sex offenders from visiting social-networking sites that are frequented by children, like MySpace and Facebook. House Bill 367 passed the full House by a vote of 94 to 0 in late February.

We’ll be rolling out our Internet Crimes Unit this spring – committing a portion of our investigators to solely working on cases that are committed in cyberspace. The unit will conduct sexual-predator stings and work with local investigators.

In early February, I traveled to communities across the Commonwealth who were devastated by the winter tornadoes to share information with local leaders about protecting residents from fraudulent out-of-state contractors and how to report home-repair scams to authorities.

As you can see, we’ve been busy these first few weeks in office. I appreciate your support and I know that working together we can help keep Kentucky families safe.

Sincerely,

Jack Conway

Help bring Film and Television Production to Kentucky!

Please contact your legislators and tell them to support HB 756, the Incentives for Film Production Act.

AN ACT relating to the expansion of the film industry in Kentucky and declaring an emergency.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 148 to provide individual income tax, corporation income tax, limited liability entity tax, and sales tax incentives for locating a film production facility in Kentucky or filming or producing a motion picture production in Kentucky; define terms; establish qualifications including minimum capital investment and minimum qualifying expenditures and minimum qualifying payroll expenditures, application and reporting requirements; require the Kentucky Film Office to administer the incentive program; authorize the Kentucky Film Office to enter into a film industry tax incentive agreement; authorize the promulgation of administrative regulations by the Kentucky Film Office and the Department of Revenue; create a new section of KRS 141 to create a motion picture film production nonrefundable credits for a new film production facility or renovation of an existing structure to become a film production facility and a motion picture production that is filmed or produced in Kentucky against the tax imposed under KRS 141.020 or 141.040 and KRS 141.0401, allow credit to be carried forward 3 years; amend KRS 141.0205 to establish the order in which the credits may be taken; create a new section of KRS 139 to provide refund of the sales and use tax paid on the purchase of tangible personal property that is permanently incorporated into a film production facility or is used to equip the film production facility; provide for a refund of the sales and use tax paid by an approved company on qualifying expenditures if used in the filming or production of a motion picture production in Kentucky; amend KRS 139.5381, 139.5382,139.5383, 139.5384, and 139.5385 to apply prior to January 1, 2009; EMERGENCY.

For more information on this bill and what you can do to help, please point your browser to Lights...Camera...KENTUCKY.

Lights...Camera...Kentucky, Inc., is a broad coalition of companies, associations and individuals interested in creating a sustainable and profitable motion picture industry in Kentucky. It is our goal to build the infrastructure, workforce and economic climate necessary to create an industry that brings new jobs and new revenues to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Berkley hates American freedoms and liberties

Rob Riggle went undercover to find out why the Berkley area wanted the Marines to leave.

What a bunch of liberals!! How dare they speak out against the troops in such a way! It's one thing to oppose a war but to oppose the very American right to serve your country is downright wrong and absurd. It's self-hating if you ask me. You know what, here's a joke that I just recieved from a friend but with a very similar tone:

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was a vowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "G-d, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am G-d. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "G-d was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. So, He sent me."

Billy Crystal signs with New York Yankees

FOX Sports:

Billy Crystal will get to "look mahvelous" in pinstripes.

The actor will sign a one-day, minor league contract with the New York Yankees and play in Thursday's exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Crystal, an avid Yankees fan, will work out with the team on Wednesday and will wear uniform No. 60 for the game - to be played one day before his 60th birthday. The Yankees said Monday they have the approval of baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

"I've been waiting 50 years for this call," Crystal said in a statement released by the team. "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and commissioner Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players, which by the way is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone."

Crystal, according to the Yankees hit .348 and was captain during his senior year at Long Beach High School in New York. He directed and produced "61*," a move about Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and the 1961 Yankees.

"The Yankees are excited to welcome the newest member of our team known for his humor and wit as well as his undying love for the Yankees," chief operating officer Lonn Trost said.

No word yet on whether the comedian will be tested for steroids.

Jon Stewart to host autism benefit

The AP reports that Jon Stewart will be hosting the second biannual Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism Education.

Comedians to Gather for Autism BenefitBy JAKE COYLE

NEW YORK (AP) — After being surrounded by the dramatic heavyweight stars of the Oscars, Jon Stewart will play host again, this time amid a bevy of comedians.

Stewart will host the second biannual "Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism Education" on April 13 at the Beacon Theater in New York. The show will air live on Comedy Central (8 p.m. EST).

The night will feature standup routines, sketches and short films from a gluttony of comic talent, including Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Sarah Silverman and Amy Poehler.

It's the second such benefit and was organized in part due to Robert Smigel, whose son, Daniel, is autistic. Smigel's most famous character, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, will also be attendance.[...]

It was also the first event to air live on Comedy Central. This year's broadcast will also be streamed online the day after. A $1.99 download of the show will be available on iTunes and xBox Live Marketplace, with all proceeds going to charity.

Matthew Broderick, Jonah Hill, Kevin James, Rosie O'Donnell and Susie Essman will also be participating in the benefit.

Natalie Portman defends Senator Hillary Clinton

I got this via Google alerts.

ELLE: Do you see any of these dynamics at play in the way Americans have responded to Hillary Clinton's campaign? She's a woman with boundless aspirations who is clearly and necessarily calculating in her pursuit of her agenda, and I think we're still extremely uncomfortable with that kind of overt female striving.
NP: A lot of the stuff people say about her, I hear it and my stomach falls because it's so sexist. You ask people why they don't like her and it's because her husband cheated on her! That was obviously not her choice. She's so much more polished and experienced than anyone else. Last night, a friend, a social worker in L.A. who works with underprivileged kids, was saying how these girls who have never been interested in politics before are so excited that a woman might be president. I mean, look how many women are in government…Hillary's one of, what, [a handful of] female senators?

I also like Obama. I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance—which is a really big deal—but I think he's a very moral person. I met him and Hillary on the same day, actually, when I went to Washington with Finca [a nonprofit that gives loans to businesswomen in developing countries]. Hillary was by far the smartest person I met that day. Just totally focused, and knew more about the issues than anyone else, and was so able to go from one thing to the other.

Gillispie understands Kentucky

Billy Gillispie, welcome to Kentucky:

After video tributes and a taped message by Randolph Morris, who left last season for the NBA, Rajon Rondo came out and presented framed jerseys to Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rondo, who left two years ago, plays for the Boston Celtics, who were in Memphis Saturday night.

But the biggest shock might've come from Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, who was tearing up during the ceremony.

During the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home," an emotional Gillispie was shown on the video boards, which elicited small applause.

"It was emotional because this was the last time these guys will be able to play on their home court. I love tough people that don't care what happens but find ways to make things work," Gillispie said. "They are great leaders and two of the toughest guys I've ever been around. Seeing this team next year without No. 3 and No. 32 will be a sad day for me."

If that doesn't describe the feeling of Kentucky fans, I don't know what does

Judd Apatow teams up again with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen

Variety reports that Judd Apatow, the hottest name in comedy these days, is gearing up to write and direct a new movie with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann.

At one point, Judd Apatow and Sandler were roommates either in college or in an apartment.

Sandler reteams with Apatow
Untitled comedy pic will costar Rogen, Mann

Judd Apatow has tapped Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann to star in the next comedy he'll direct.

Untitled pic will be a co-production of Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment, with production to start in late summer or early fall.

Apatow, the sole writer on the project, is keeping the plot under wraps. While the studios will split the costs, U will distribute worldwide. Dealmaking is under way with his cast, and producing credits are still being worked out.

Apatow continues to work with familiar faces: He and Sandler collaborated to write, with Robert Smigel, Don't Mess With the Zohan, the Sandler starrer that Columbia will release June 6. Rogen and Mann starred in Apatow's first two feature directing efforts, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up.

Mann (who is married to Apatow) stars with Owen Wilson in Drillbit Taylor, which Rogen co-wrote and Apatow produced. Paramount releases the comedy March 21.

Apatow also produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the comedy that stars Jason Segel, who, like Rogen, began in the ensemble of the Apatow-exec produced TV series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. Universal releases that comedy April 18.

Sandler is shooting the Adam Shankman-directed comedy Bedtime Stories for Disney, while Mann stars opposite Zac Efron in the Burr Steers-directed 17 Again for New Line. Rogen, who lends his voice to Horton Hears a Who, which Fox releases Friday, is shooting Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Combine Judd's ability to make blockbuster movies for one-tenth of the usual cost with Rogen and Sandler's box office drawing power and you've got yourself another blockbuster hit.

Rogen will star in the Apatow-produced Pineapple Express, which will be released this upcoming August. Apatow is also producing Year One.

DNC hates Michigan and Florida

Yep, I'd like to congratulate the GOP right now with John McCain's eventual election. It's clear. The DNC has shot themself in the foot by telling Michigan that even if they do a revote, they will have to find their own hotel rooms.

According to our colleague Christopher Reynolds over at The Times' travel blog, the committee has canceled the hotel accommodations for the 177-member Michigan delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in late August. Just try finding that many rooms at the last minute during a political convention.

And the DNC never even made any reservations for Florida's defiant delegation.

Both states have been outlawed because they naughtily scheduled their primaries before Feb. 5 in violation of party rules. Since Hillary Clinton has claimed victory in both places anyway, surprisingly, she'd like to count them in her total. Equally surprisingly, since Barack Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot, he'd rather not count the Clinton votes.

Here's additional information.

Democratic National Convention Committee spokeswoman Natalie Wyeth said the committee, which controls hotel assignments for all the state delegations, in November billeted the 177-member Michigan delegation (that’s delegates and alternates) at a Red Lion in central Denver. But since then, Wyeth said, the committee has scratched that booking, because party leaders have found the Michiganders “in noncompliance” with the Democrats’ primary rules.

“They are no longer included,” said Wyeth.

The 210-member Florida delegation, which was already feeling the Democrats’ scorn in November, never got assigned a hotel. As far as the Democratic National Committee is concerned, they’re still homeless.

In case you were wondering, Kentucky and Maine will be housed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown. Here's the description on guest rooms where people will be resting when there is not a fight on the floor. Don't worry, there is a business center...you'll still be able to give us updates via the blogs. And you have things to do so that you can keep your mind off of the floor fight.

At least the GOP only stripped half the delegates. They did the smart thing. Howard Dean, don't disenfranchise Florida or Michigan. You will truly regret it.

Screentest: Natalie Portman

Seth Rogen: ShoWest Comedy Star of the Year

ShoWest has named Seth Rogen as their Comedy Star of the Year.

"In the world of comedy, Seth Rogen has pulled off an incredible hat trick -- not only is he an incredibly funny and talented comedic actor, but his ability to write comedy and put it all together onscreen as a producer is incomparable," said Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of ShoWest, which runs Monday-Thursday in Las Vegas.

Rogen will receive the honor at the convention's closing-night ceremony at the Paris Hotel.

The actor's upcoming films also include Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Green Hornet, and Horton Hears a Who!

ShoWest is produced by the Entertainment Group at Nielsen Business Media, parent company of The Hollywood Reporter.

2008 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament

March 13-16
Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia

FIRST ROUND
March 13 (Thursday)
Game 1: [E5] South Carolina vs. [W4] LSU 1:00 ET
Game 2 [W6] Auburn vs. [E3] Vanderbilt 3:15 ET
Game 3 [W5] Alabama vs. [E4] Florida 7:30 ET
Game 4 [E6] Georgia vs. [W3] Ole Miss 9:45 ET

SECOND ROUND
March 14 (Friday)
Game 5 Game 1 Winner vs. [E1] Tennessee 1:00 ET
Game 6 Game 2 Winner vs. [W2] Arkansas 3:15 ET
Game 7 Game 3 Winner vs. [W1] Mississippi State 7:30 ET
Game 8 Game 4 Winner vs. [E2] Kentucky 9:45 ET

SEMIFINALS
March 15 (Saturday)
Game 9 Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner 1:00 ET
Game 10 Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner 3:15 ET

FINALS
March 16 (Sunday)
Game 11 Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner 1:00 ET

All games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be televised on your local Raycom Sports affiliate. Sunday's championship game will be televised on CBS.

Winter Storm Warning starts at 3 AM

Check WHAS-11 or Weather.com for the latest.

Here's what Ken Schulz has to say:

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Friday and Saturday for counties along the Ohio River in both Kentucky and southern Indiana. These counties are: Jefferson, Scott, Washington, Orange, Dubois, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Clark and Floyd Counties in Indiana. And in Kentucky: Trimble, Henry, Oldham, Jefferson, Meade and Breckinridge Counties. The rest of southern Indiana is under a Winter Storm Watch for Friday and Saturday and the rest of central and southern Kentucky is also under a Winter Storm Watch from late Friday into Saturday. No matter where you are, you will be feeling the effects of this latest winter storm.

Snow mixed with sleet and rain will start developing in the area after 5 Friday morning. This area will expand to include all of Kentuckiana by mid morning. Precipitation will be mostly a heavy wet snow for southern Indiana and the northern counties of Kentucky, although a little sleet and rain may also mix in during the day. Through central and southern Kentucky, precipitation will likely be mostly rain, mixed at times with a little sleet and snow. Driving conditions will be the worst across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky during the day Friday but we’re hoping that the main roads will remain slushy to wet during the daylight hours.[...]

Total snow accumulations are still up for some debate but nearly everybody is thinking that the heaviest snowfall totals will end up on either side of the Ohio River. So figure two counties deep on each side of the Ohio will receive 4 to 8 inches of snow. Surrounding that band and for the rest of our area will be a snow band of 1 to 4” which will include central Indiana and central and southern Kentucky. See, I told you nobody will escape this one.

Drive safely, if you must be out on the roads.

Clinton Statement on attack in Jerusalem

Senator Hillary Clinton released the following statement earlier today:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families who are suffering the loss and horror of this despicable act of terrorism. The United States and the international community must make clear that such deplorable acts of terrorism will not be tolerated and we must continue to stand with Israel in its fight against terror.”

Krogers Employment Guaranteed

Weather.com Winter Storm Warning:

ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN- DUBOIS IN- CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN- HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY- HENRY KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PAOLI... SALEM...SCOTTSBURG...MADISON... JASPER...MARENGO...TELL CITY... CORYDON...NEW ALBANY... JEFFERSONVILLE...HAWESVILLE... HARDINSBURG...BRANDENBURG... LOUISVILLE...LA GRANGE...BEDFORD...NEW CASTLE 507 PM EST THU MAR 6 2008 /407 PM CST THU MAR 6 2008/
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM EST /2 AM CST/ FRIDAY TO 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM EST /2 AM CST/ FRIDAY TO 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ SATURDAY.

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE BY FRIDAY NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL WELL BELOW FREEZING. TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 8 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND 5 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THOSE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNTIES NEAR THE OHIO RIVER.

Eight Israelis killed in terrorist shooting

My thoughts and prayers go out to those Israelis and their families.

Y Net News:

One terrorist infiltrated a rabbinical seminary at the entrance of Jerusalem and opened fire after nightfall Thursday, police said. The ZAKA emergency response service has confirmed at least eight people have been killed in addition to the terrorist.

Jerusalem police commander Aharon Franco refuted initial reports from the scene claiming there were two gunmen. Franco said that only one attacker opened fire at the seminary and told reporters at the scene that "an Israeli army officer nearby" shot the gunman dead.

The 'Galilee Freedom Brigades' – an Israeli-Arab group - has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in Israel in the past.

Initial estimates indicate the gunman was a resident of East Jerusalem and likely possessed the blue ID card given to Israeli citizens.

Witnesses said the gunman entered a dining hall where about 80 people were gathered and opened fire.

Paramedics said they treated six additional people for injuries – among them four in serious-to-critical condition.

Yitzhak Dadon, a student, said he was armed with a rifle and waited on the roof of a nearby building. "He came out of the library spraying automatic fire ... the terrorist came to the entrance and I shot him twice in the head," he said.[...]

The seminar is the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in the Kiryat Moshe quarter of Jerusalem, a well-known center of Jewish studies identified with the leadership of the settlement movement. It is home to several hundred students, most aged 18-30.

There were no attacks by Palestinian terrorists in Jerusalem during 2007, though police and the military claimed to have foiled many attempts. Between 2001 and 2004 Jerusalem was a frequent target of Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings on buses.

And there was joy in Gaza as a result of this terrorist attack.

Jackie Mason has cow over burger

I don't blame Jewish comedian Jackie Mason for having a cow. You won't catch me mixing meat with dairy.

The New York Post reports:

"I would never entertain the thought of eating cheese - real or fake - with meat," comedian Jackie Mason, who keeps kosher, told The Post. "It makes me nauseous just thinking about it."

Cheeseburgers no matter how you play them cannot be kosher. You don't mix meat with dairy!

Rabbi Basil Herring, the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, comments:

Jewish law is very concerned for appearances. Not only should you always do the right thing, but it should be seen as the right thing.

Any Jew who keeps kosher knows a cheeseburger is not permissible. But … what happens if a young kid, a 10-year-old, goes in there and says, hmm, maybe cheese on a burger is OK?

Weren't there some 50 endorsements to be announced?

These are some tough words coming from Taegan Goddard.

On television news shows this morning, DNC Chairman Howard Dean disputed my belief that the Democratic party nominee would ultimately be decided in a "smoke filled room." He argued that there are no "party bosses" and that the superdelegates who will pick the nominee were a very diverse bunch and representative of Democrats nationwide.

At the same time, Dean proved he was not a party boss by providing no leadership on what to do about Michigan and Florida. He said the states have two options: Prove to the DNC that they can conduct a "fair contest within the rules," or appeal the decision in July. While he could have used his position to argue for new elections, he instead pushed the issue back to the two renegade states.

Well, the election in Florida was moved by a Republican legislature with a Republican governor.

Goddard closes with this strong statement:

In the meantime, there is clearly a void in leadership in the Democratic party and the question is whether someone will try to step into it. Here's a thought: Imagine how powerful it would be if Al Gore called for a new Florida primary?

Those are powerful words indeed.

Did Saturday Night Live have an effect on this past week's election. Take a look at what Joe Klein writes:

And then something happened. From a distance it seemed that her charming, self-deprecating appearance on Saturday Night Live — and SNL's reprise of a debate skit in which MSNBC moderators gang up on her — might have changed the zeitgeist. "Do I really laugh like that?" she asked her doppelgänger Amy Poehler, whose Clinton laugh resembles Clinton's laugh only in its awkwardness. Poehler nodded, laughing, and Clinton's "Yeah, well ..." response seemed more spontaneous than anything she had done on the stump in a month of electoral massacres. If nothing else, SNL had tapped into the slow boil that many of Clinton's female supporters had experienced during Obama's February — that feeling of taking a backseat to the egos of others who might not work as hard or know as much as they did. A feminine fury was abroad in the land; on March 4, women represented a staggering 59% and 57% of the Democratic electorates in Ohio and Texas, respectively.

But there were more prosaic, political things working to Clinton's advantage as well. Tiny fissures were beginning to appear in Obama's shining armor. I thought he won the Texas and Ohio debates with his elegant counterpunching and cool demeanor, but I was wrong: Clinton's policy details — her specificity and passion on health insurance during the 16-min. volley with Obama that was later, foolishly, derided by the media — apparently conveyed a degree of caring and preparation that seemed more reliable than her opponent's shiny intellect and rhetoric. On the ground in Texas and Ohio, she began to seem more real than he did.

Obama certainly didn't do himself any favors at all with regards to where he stands on NAFTA:

There was also Obama's strange NAFTA flap with the Canadians, in which one of his top economic advisers assured America's northern neighbor — accurately, no doubt — that Obama's anti-NAFTA ranting was just "political maneuvering" and shouldn't be taken seriously. The problem there wasn't merely that the North American Free Trade Agreement is (wrongly) considered synonymous with economic ruin in Ohio and not an issue on which a politician wants to be caught fudging but also that the Obama campaign had spent days denying a story that was obviously true.

Clinton's wins this past week has led to superdelegates to play hardball and withhold their endorsements for right now, reports the Politico.

Flexing their new power to determine the Democratic presidential nomination, a bloc of Ohio superdelegates is withholding endorsements from Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton until one or the other offers a concrete proposal to protect American jobs, two Ohio Democrats told Politico Wednesday.

The apparent deal among Ohioans is the first evidence of superdelegates’ banding together and seeking concessions from the presidential candidates in return for votes at the convention. It’s a practice that could become more common after Clinton’s victories in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday put her back on solid footing in her race against Obama and ensured that the battle for superdelegates will continue for many weeks to come.

What about the 50 superdelegates that Obama's campaign said would be announced on Wednesday? They weren't announced at all!

Democratic officials said Tuesday that the Obama campaign planned to unveil the support of 50 new superdelegates Wednesday. No such announcement came Wednesday, but several Obama backers said that such a plan had, in fact, been in the works. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said Wednesday morning that she thought the plan was “going forward” but added that she had yet to check in with the campaign.

Get well, Patrick Swayze

Yahoo is reporting that Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer so his life is in jeopardy. Trust me, he won't be with us much longer and I ask that you keep him in your prayers. I lost one of my mentors to pancreatic cancer at the end of June 2003, about six weeks or so from his being diagnosed. This one takes you really quickly no matter how much chemo.

Patrick Swayze is fighting pancreatic cancer, a rep for the actor has confirmed to Access Hollywood.

"Actor Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatment," a rep for the actor said in a statement released on Wednesday. "Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family."[...]

According to the statement, Swayze's physician Dr. George Fisher said, "Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."

Despite the encouraging words from Dr. Fisher, oncologist Maurice Berkowitz told Access Hollywood the outlook for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is generally not good.

"Typically it's not a slow growing tumor, so people develop symptoms quickly and, if left untreated, the symptoms get worse," Berkowitz explained.

However, Berkowitz said there are new treatments providing hope to those afflicted with the disease.

"Some strides are being done and some people are doing very well," he added.

According to the American Cancer Society, the one-year survival rate is 20 percent, while the five-year rate is only 4 percent, for patients with pancreatic cancer.[...]

According to The Enquirer, Swayze (the star of such films including "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost") has been undergoing treatment at the Stanford University Medical Center. However, they also reported the cancer has spread and the actor has been told to prepare for the worst.

Obama campaign leaks internal campaign projections

I just got this via MyDD, showing internal campaign projections.

Ohio by 3 in HRC's favor.
Rhode Island by 3 in HRC's favor.
Vermont by 10 in BO's favor.
Wisconsin by 10 in BO's favor.
Hawaii by 47 in BO's favor.
Maryland by 17 in BO's favor.
DC by 35 in BO's favor.
Virginia by 27 in BO's favor.
Maine by 21 in BO's favor(thus far, this is the only instance when the Obama spreadsheet was wrong on predicting the winner)
Washington by 17 in BO's favor.
Louisiana by 11 in BO's favor.
And finally, Nebraska by 16 in BO's favor.

Keep in mind that this spreadsheet was leaked on February 7, 2008, a mere two days after Super Tuesday.

You can view more at The Politico.

Spreadsheet:

Superdelegates on sidelines for now?

The AP reports:

More than 200 Democratic Party officials pondered their collective power to tip the presidential nomination to Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday, and came to a near-universal consensus: sit tight for now.

With the Obama-Clinton battle apparently destined to last another two months or more, these undeclared "superdelegates" are watching nervously, but remain reluctant to dive in and potentially decide the matter. One day after Clinton's campaign-saving wins in Ohio and Texas, not a single superdelegate switched from Obama to her, or vice versa (although a handful moved to or from the undecided column, mostly to Obama's advantage).

The superdelegates — various party officials including all Democratic governors and members of Congress — are poised to decide the nomination because neither candidate has a realistic chance of winning enough "pledged" delegates in the primaries and caucuses remaining before the late-August convention. Nearly 450 superdelegates have declared their choices, breaking in Clinton's favor but not by enough to negate Obama's overall delegate lead.

He leads in delegates, 1,567-1,462, even though she maintains a 242-207 edge in superdelegates. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination.

Another 270 or so superdelegates remain undeclared, and scores of them told The Associated Press on Wednesday they intend to stay that way, at least through the Pennsylvania primary seven weeks away.[...]

"The momentum has switched, the race has turned," said Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman and pro-Clinton superdelegate T.J. Rooney. Obama's inability to "close the deal" by winning Texas and Ohio raises questions about his electability, Rooney said, and "it's a new day" for Clinton.

Elisa Parker, vice chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party and a pro-Clinton superdelegate, said: "I do think it could go to the convention. But I'm not really worried about that, because I think it could help her the longer this goes."

Dozens of undeclared superdelegates said a protracted campaign is not a problem.

"Certainly it would be nice if we did have our ticket together," said Nancy DiNardo, the party chair in Connecticut. "But it's not necessary yet. We have a few more states that still have to weigh in, and I think it still generates excitement. It's like the pennant race, or even the Super Bowl."

"I think John McCain just isn't going to get the attention any more," she said.

Numerous superdelegates said a protracted Clinton-Obama battle is a problem only if the campaign turns sharply negative. But that's a distinct possibility, according to political strategists who say Clinton's only hope of overtaking Obama is to criticize him and hope he makes a major error or falls victim to a damaging revelation.

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Charles Manatt, who backs Clinton, said it is hard to argue for a pro-Obama rush after the Texas and Ohio results.

"She just won big victories," he said. "Who knows, it could go to Puerto Rico."

The Puerto Rico caucus is June 1.

Tim Couch, the politician, hates what you write

Kentucky State Representative Tim Couch (R-Hyden) and I are in agreement on something. Wait a minute? Did I seriously just type that? Stop the presses! Tell Page One! No, wait, don't tell Page One...tell the now-defunct Bluegrass Report! Actually, you know what? Tell 'em all! Blog commenters should post under their real name, not some pen name like Mark Twain or Shalom Aleichem, and be proud of their comments. But where we disagree is fining these people and forcing them to register.

Kentuckians couldn't post anonymous comments to Web sites anymore under House Bill 775, filed Tuesday by Rep. Tim Couch, R-Hyden.

Couch's bill would require anyone who contributes to a Web site to register their real name, address and e-mail address with that Web site. Their full name then would be used whenever they posted a comment.

Web site operators who violated the disclosure law would be fined $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.

Okay, I actually read the thing now...um, what the frick? What's next, requiring our legislators to submit for a steroid test?

Couch on Wednesday readily acknowledged that his bill raises First Amendment issues regarding free speech, so he won't be pushing it.

Then why in the bloody heck are your filing it, you dumb son of a *****! Put your money where you're mouth is!

It gets fishy.

Couch said he, too, has been the subject of anonymous online roasting, and while he doesn't enjoy it, he doesn't think there's much the legislature can do about it.

You think you are helping to stop the problem? But what can I say? They are just words...

The End is Near!!!

Weather forecast calls for two or more inches of snow on Friday. Not to worry, school officials say, students are already off and won't be in class. Take them sledding!

John Coleman wants to sue Al Gore

I just caught this on Yahoo. Crazy isn't it?

Citizen Sugar:

John Coleman wants to sue Al Gore for fraud. Coleman, who founded the Weather Channel in 1982, thinks taking legal action against Al Gore would be a great "vehicle to finally put some light on the fraud of global warming." Coleman rejects the notion that people must take drastic actions to reduce their energy use.

Here's some more on the subject.

“The Weather Channel had great promise, and that’s all gone now because they’ve made every mistake in the book on what they’ve done and how they’ve done it and it’s very sad,” Coleman said. “It’s now for sale and there’s a new owner of The Weather Channel will be announced – several billion dollars having changed hands in the near future. Let’s hope the new owners can recapture the vision and stop reporting the traffic, telling us what to think and start giving us useful weather information.”[...]

Coleman also told the audience his strategy for exposing what he called “the fraud of global warming.” He advocated suing those who sell carbon credits, which would force global warming alarmists to give a more honest account of the policies they propose.

“[I] have a feeling this is the opening,” Coleman said. “If the lawyers will take the case – sue the people who sell carbon credits. That includes Al Gore. That lawsuit would get so much publicity, so much media attention. And as the experts went to the witness stand and testified, I feel like that could become the vehicle to finally put some light on the fraud of global warming.”

I wonder if he'll ask the Gooch to join him in the lawsuit.

The Senate Endorsement Every One is Waiting For...

I'm waiting to hear back from the Fischer campaign on an issue so until then, you won't find me making any sort of endorsement with regards to a crucial Senate race in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Yes We Will: Hillary Clinton wins Ohio, Texas (Primary), and Rhode Island

While the Texas caucus vote results have yet finish in their counts, we can say that Sen. Clinton stopped Obama's winning streak by winning Ohio, Rhode Island, and the first step of the two-step Texas primary. She needed both Ohio and Texas in order to stay in the race for the next seven weeks.

Here's the transcript of her speech from last night in Ohio where she was introduced by Gov. Ted Strickland and former Senator John Glenn:

Thank you Ohio.

For everyone here in Ohio and across America who's ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, and for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up, this one is for you.

You know what they say, as Ohio goes, so goes the nation.

Well, this nation's coming back, and so is this campaign.

The people of Ohio have said it loudly and clearly: we're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way.

You know, they call Ohio a bellwether state. It's a battleground state. It's a state that knows how to pick a president. And no candidate in recent history, Democrat or Republican, has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary.

Audience: Yes, she will! Yes, she will! Yes, she will!

You all know that if we want a Democratic president, we need a Democratic nominee who can win the battleground states just like Ohio. And that is what we've done. We've won Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Arkansas, California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. And today, we won Rhode Island, and thanks to all my friends and supporters there.

This is a great night, but we all know that these are challenging times. We have two wars abroad. We have a recession looming here at home. Voters faced a critical question - who is tested and ready to be Commander-in-Chief on day one? And who knows how to turn our economy around, because we sure do need it.

Ohio has written a new chapter in the history of this campaign, and we're just getting started.

More and more people have joined this campaign and millions of Americans haven't spoken yet. In states like Pennsylvania and so many others people are watching this historic campaign, and they want their turn to help make history. They want their voices to count. And they should. They should be heard. So please, join us in this campaign. Go to www.hillaryclinton.com. This is your campaign and your moment and I need your support.

For more than a year, I've been listening to the voices of people across our country. The single mom who told me she works two jobs; neither provides health care for her kids. She just can't work any harder. The little girl who asked how I helped people without homes - turns out her family was about to lose their own. The young man in a Marine Corps shirt who said he waited months for medical care. He said to me, "take care of my buddies, a lot of them are still over there. And then, will you please help take care of me?"

Americans don't need more promises. They've heard plenty of speeches. They deserve solutions and they deserve them now.

America needs a president who's ready to lead, ready to stand up for what's right even when it's hard. And after seven long years of George W. Bush, we sure are ready for a president who will be a fighter, a doer and a champion for the American people again.

Oh, I think we're ready for health care, not for just some people or most people, but for every American. I think we're ready for an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, but every single hard-working American who deserves a shot at the American dream. I think we're ready to declare energy independence and create millions of green collar jobs. We're ready to reach out to our allies and confront our shared challenges. We're ready to end the war in Iraq and win the war in Afghanistan. And we're past ready to serve our veterans with the same devotion that they served us.

Protecting America is the first and most urgent duty of the president. When there's a crisis and that phone rings at 3:00 a.m. in the White House, there's no time for speeches or on-the-job training. You have to be ready to make a decision.

I congratulate Senator McCain on winning his party's nomination and I look forward to a spirited and substantive debate with him.

[Audience: Yes, she will! Yes, she will! Yes, she will!]

I want to thank the wonderful people of Ohio for your support and your confidence in me. I especially want to thank Governor Ted Strickland and his wonderful wife Frances. Governor and Mrs. Strickland are working so hard on behalf of Ohio and they deserve a president who will work hard with them to give Ohio the future that you deserve. I want to thank Senator John Glenn and his wonderful wife Annie. I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and his wife Peggy.

And I especially want to thank Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She does an extraordinary job for her constituents, and she has been a champion on behalf of the people of Ohio and America. I look forward to working with her to bring more opportunity to the people that she loves and represents so well. I want to thank my extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters here in Ohio and across America. And I especially want to thank the two most important people in my life, Bill and Chelsea.

And, of course, to my mother who I know is watching, thanks very much, mom, for everything. And finally, to Senator Obama, who has brought so much to this race. I look forward to continuing our dialogue in the weeks ahead on the issues that matter most to our country.

I want to end by sharing with you a message that I got late last month from someone who didn't have much money to spare, but sent me $10 for my campaign and sent an e-mail in which she wrote: "My two daughters are two and four, and we chant and cheer for you at every speech we see. I want them to know anything is possible."

Tonight I say to them, keep on watching. Together, we're going to make history. To those little girls, I say this is America, and we do believe you can be anything you want to be, and we want our sons and our daughters to dream big. I have big dreams for America's future. The question is not whether we can fulfill those dreams, it's whether we will. And here's our answer: yes, we will.

We will do what it takes, and we will once again make the kind of progress that America deserves. We're going to protect our country and preserve our constitution. We're going to lead with our values. We will reach out to those on the margins and in the shadows because that's what we do in America. We break barriers, we open doors, we make sure every voice is heard. Together, we will turn promises into action, words into solutions, and hope into reality.

It will take leadership and hard work, but we've never been short on either. So I hope all of you will join, join with the Ohioans who voices and votes have been heard today. Together, we will seize this moment, lift this nation, and heal and lead this world.

Thank you all and G-d bless you.

Mike Huckabee drops out

Even though I disagree with him for the most part, I want to extend my congratulations to former Arkansas Gover Mike Huckabee and his campaign. The fact that he did so well with his limited resources is, well, surprising. I have to give it to him for staying in so long even when it was mathematically impossible to catch up with John McCain for the Republican nomination. The fact that he did so well in many primaries...ask Stephen Colbert because he made Mike Huckabee.

The following is a few excerpts from his concession speech last night, which I watched on MSNBC.

Thank you very much.

Well, George Brett was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. And in his career for the Kansas City Royals, he was asked, when he was nearing the end of his career, how he wanted his last play in the major leagues to go. Well, everyone assumed that he would say that he wanted to hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to win a game, perhaps even a World Series. He surprised all of the sportswriters, because what he said was, "I want my last play at bat to be that I hit an easy, just one bounce to the second baseman, and they throw me out at first. But I was running as hard as I could toward the bag when they got me."

And he said, "Because I want it to be said of George Brett that, no matter what, he played his best game, he gave it his best, all the way to the very end." And he certainly did just that.

extended to him not only my congratulations, but my commitment to him and to the party to do everything possible to unite our party, but more importantly to unite our country, so that we can be the best nation we can be, not for ourselves, but for the future generations to whom we owe everything, just as we owe previous generations all that they have done for us.

Senator McCain has run an honorable campaign because he's an honorable man. One of the things I'm proudest of is that the two campaigns that I believe have been run in the most civil manner are the two in the Republican Party that have lasted on their feet to the final. And I'm grateful for the manner in which he has conducted his campaign.

And, quite frankly, with your great help, I'm very proud of the way that you have insisted that we conduct our campaign. And it's been one that we will always be able to say was done with honor.

Bonus Schmuck of the Week: David Williams

David Williams (R-Burkesville, anti-horse industry, state lottery, and well, anything that would move this state forward) is dead to me! That's right, he's being skipped over being on notice.

The Senator from Burkesville might as well file legislation to exile Churchill Downs because he doesn't care what the people want! The people voted to have a say on what happens with expanded gaming by voting for Steve Beshear. And if this schmuck Williams wants to get in the way and say, it isn't going to happen, then I say give Williams a vote of no confidence!

Asked if he can envision any scenario in which the Republican-led Senate would approve the measure, Williams, R-Burkesville, said, “If the Rapture came and there were enough of them left here, it might, but short of that I don’t see it happening.”[...]

“To amend this bill would be like putting lipstick on a corpse,” he said. “ And this corpse is going to be cremated. It’s not going to be embalmed. Because we don’t want it hanging around.”

Schmuck of the Week: Sonja De Vries

Sonja De Vries is the schmuck of the week for her op-ed in this past Sunday's Courier-Journal Forum section.

Castro was a dictator and dictators don't have two party elections. She writes that "he declined to accept re-election a Cuba's president." Even if he did, the power would still be in the Castro family so it's not like there would be actual change.

If Cuba loves him so much as she says he does, why do so many Cubans move to Miami?!?

Her article is anti-American, in my opinion. Go to Cuba. Castro will welcome you with an open arm. The Cuban government is the oppressor, not America.

In today's editorial page, many others replied to her comments.

Obama was wrong on Jay Rockefeller

First, they don't brief their own surrogates before appearing on national television. Now they won't even get their facts straight on the surrogates!

ABC News:

During a rally in Westerville, Ohio, Obama argued that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., should have read the National Intelligence Report before making the decision to authorize war with Iraq.

He then summoned up his newest surrogate, Rockefeller, as an example.

"Jay Rockefeller read it, but she didn't read it. I don't know where all that experience got her because I have enough experience to know that if you have a national intelligence estimate and the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says, 'you should read this, that's why I voted against the war,' then you should probably read it."

The problem? Rockefeller voted for war.

Obama’s statement left the impression that Rockefeller was the chair of the Intelligence Committee, read the NIE report and then voted against the war. Rockefeller, who is currently the chair, was not chair at the time and cast his vote for war, not against it.

Clinton's campaign was quick to come back:

The Clinton campaign was quick to jump on the confusing comments, with a Clinton spokesman saying, "Sen. Obama is so desperate to divert attention from his limited national security experience that he's not just misleading voters about Sen. Clinton, he's also misleading voters about his own supporters. That is not change you can believe in."

But, there's more. Some in the Obama camp say that he was referencing Bob Graham, the former Senator of Florida. Is that so?

Slice Obama’s comment with that of the Obama campaign’s chief strategist, David Axelrod’s comments on ABC’s "This Week," when he told George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning, "Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who opposed the war in Iraq, who read the intelligence before the war, which Sen. Clinton concedes she did not, and who said that Barack Obama has the judgment and the maturity and the vision to lead."

Photo Caption Contest

Photo by Page One Kentucky.

Have at it, folks. This picture needs a caption! It's all in good fun, right?

Breaking News: Democratic Senatorial Debate

This was just sent out and I'm not your personal assistant so don't plan on me correcting your typos:
The Metro Democratic Club
presents the
First Senate Race Debate
featuring
Greg Fischer (confirmed)
Mike Cessaro (confirmed)
Bruce Lunsford (unconfirmed)

hosted by
Mark Hebert

Wednesday, March 12, 6:30 PM
(Doors open at 5:45 PM -- be there early to get a good seat!)
UAW Hall, 3000 Fern Valley Road

Hmmm...a senatorial debate without Andrew Horne is not a debate at all.

Sarah Silverman is f***ing Matt Damon

This is not work safe, nor is it safe for people under the age of 18 to watch...or read...so turn your eyes away! What are you still doing? I said you have no right to watch this at all!

This series of videos has been so important to America that we just couldn't refuse to air them. Here you go!

For the backstory, Jimmy Kimmel often says on his show that due to running out of time, Matt Damon has been bumped from being able to appear.

Here is the video of Sarah Silverman appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live in which she tells him and the world that she is f***ing Matt Damon.

In his post-Oscars show, Jimmy Kimmel tells the world that he is f***ing Ben Affleck and a slew of celebrities make appearances: Brad Pitt, Joan Jett, Robin Williams, Don Cheadle, Pete Wentz, Perry Farrell, Macy Gray, Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Harrison Ford, Lance Bass, Cameron Diaz, Huey Luis, Josh Groban, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Meatloaf, Dicky Barrett, Harrison Ford, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Applegate and a gospel choir.


Brad Pitt was responsible for bring so many folks on board according to MSNBC.

Affleck's consent lead to Harrison Ford's involvement — he was a fan of Silverman and Damon's video, apparently — which then lead to Brad Pitt's cameo as the delivery guy who presents Affleck and Kimmel with a cake celebrating their love.

Head music booker Scott Igoe said that once Pitt was on board, he reached out to the musicians who had appeared previously on the show and had proven themselves to be good sports. Within 24 hours, he had the Maddens, Gray and Wentz on board — and had really ticked off Ashlee Simpson, who wanted to participate but was unable to because she was on tour, he says.

Now, this is where it gets shocking: Paul McCartney was devastated that he couldn't be in the video!

In a surprising follow up to the mass hysteria on the internets, Elizabeth Banks, confesses that she is f***ing Seth Rogen, an unabashed plug for the upcoming film, Zack And Miri Make A Porno. This one doesn't have the bleeps like the previous two!

Wait, Kentucky has royalty?!?

Nathan Smith feels like royalty...

Kentucky has nine superdelegates, with one still to be chosen, and Indiana 11, though it will get at least one more and possibly two.

In addition to Yarmuth, Chandler and Beshear, the state's superdelegates are state Democratic Party Chairwoman Jennifer Moore; Vice Chairman Nathan Smith; and Democratic National Committee members Terry McBrayer, Moretta Bosley and JoEtta Wickliffe.[...]

In recent weeks, Smith said he has had face-to-face meetings with both Obama and Clinton in which they both argued that they have the best chance of defeating the all-but-certain Republican nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in November.

"I used the opportunity to tell them about the issues that are important for people here," he said, adding that he remains uncommitted.

Smith, who lives in Fort Mitchell, said he'll rely heavily on how the state and Kentucky's 4th Congressional District votes in the primary.

He said he has been treated like royalty when people learn he's a superdelegate -- something that he added he didn't realize himself until just recently. People have asked him to sign autographs and pose for pictures, he said, and his phone has "rung off the hook."

"My high school principal called me to lobby me -- I haven't talked to him in 20 years," he said. "You can't make this stuff up."

Please, Kentuckians, please, I beg you, make the right decision in May and vote for Sen. Clinton.

Sen. Hillary Clinton on Saturday Night Live

As soon as they add the embedding code, I'll post it.

MSNBC Democratic Presidential Debate on Saturday Night Live:


Editorial Response with the actual Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton:


Full transcript of the editorial response...will be transcribing throughout the day:
Clinton: Thank you and good evening. The scene you just saw was a reenactment – sort of – of last Tuesday’s debate, and not an endorsement of one candidate over another. I can this confidently because when I asked if I could take it as an endorsement, I was told absolutely not. But I still enjoyed that sketch a great deal because I simply adore Amy’s impression of me.

AMY POEHLER: Oh, well, my ears are ringing.

CLINTON: How are you? I'm glad to be here.

POEHLER: Thank you for coming. I love your outfit.

CLINTON: Why, I love your outfit.

POEHLER: Why thank you.

CLINTON: I'm going to need those earrings back. (Poehler laughs) Do I really laugh like that?

POEHLER: Um, so how is the campaign going?

CLINTON: Oh, the campaign is going very well! Vert, very well. Why? What have you heard? Oh, never mind. Tonight, I just want to relax and not worry about the campaign.

POEHLER: So no politics?

CLINTON: No politics...But I would like to take this opportunity to say to all Americans… be they from Ohio or Texas, Rhode Island or Vermont, Pennsylvania or any of the other states...Live from New York, it is Saturday night!