She's so predicatable.....

Unable to talk herself out of the mess she talked herself into, Hillary Clinton enlists a wealthy, black supporter to do her dirty work:

And to me, as an African-American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues since Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood –­ and I won’t say what he was doing, but he said it in the book –­ when they have been involved.

Notice the reference to Obama's acknowledged drug use as a young man. Which of course Johnson quickly denied is what he meant:

My comments today were referring to Barack Obama’s time spent as a community organizer, and nothing else. Any other suggestion is simply irresponsible and incorrect.

They have no shame.

Mute no more?

Celebrating her primary victory in New Hampshire tonight, Hillary Clinton asserted, with a straight face, ''Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice.'' This from the woman who has been "making change for 35 years"? How did she make all that change if she didn't have self-knowledge and the ability to channel it into action? Perhaps she means that until now she has been completely poll-driven, scripted, and insincere. But wait - we already knew that!

HRC retools strategy? Not so much.

This from Politico.com:

Clinton and her aides downplayed the significance of her Iowa loss, and she said the New Hampshire primary Hampshire primary is a more meaningful contest.

'This is a new day, this is a new state, this is a primary election,' she said, turning to sharp criticisms of the Iowa process. 'You're not disenfranchised if you work at night. You're not disenfranchised if you're not in the state.'

If she's being truthful (which is always in doubt), then shouldn't she have know about the way the Iowa caucus process "disenfranchises" groups of voters from the start? Why did she participate at all? Why didn't she lead a protest to bring some change to the system - isn't that what she claims she's so good at? Don't the Democrats believe that "every vote counts, and every vote should be counted"?

Obama - He is the One!

Oh, joy and rapture - Barack Obama won Iowa big! Now it's on the New Hampshire and then all the way to Denver!

Update: Isn’t blood-lust a bad thing?

Another blogger picks up on Huckabee's complaint that Romney didn't execute anyone during his time as governor.

He's pro-life, except for....

the convicted who receive the death penalty, apparently. That seems to be the implication of Mike Huckabee's attack ad against Mitt Romney that, among other "facts," points out that Romney presided over zero executions as Massachusetts governor. Nevermind that Massachusetts does not have the death penalty. So when Huckabbee lumps  "no executions" with "left office with a deficit" and "supported gun control," his criticism begs a question about how he reconciles his own record of 16 executions his espoused belief in the sanctity of life - which he recited on this past Sunday's Meet the Press:

It's not a faith belief.  It's deeper than that. It's a human belief.  It goes to the heart of who we are as a civilization. If I believe that your intrinsic worth is not changed by your ancestry, your last name, by your IQ, by your abilities or disabilities, if I value your life and respect it with dignity and worth because it is human, then that's what draws me to the inescapable conclusion that I should be for the sanctity of every and each human life. 

I don't know why Tim Russert didn't challenge him about this apparent contradiction. Maybe another journalist will follow-up, but I'm not holding my breath.

Good Habits

As I did last year, in 2008 I'm going to try to blog at least once a day. I got out of the habit last winter just as I began the final push to finish my dissertation. I've heard that it takes 21 days to develop a sustainable habit. So, one day down - twenty to go!

Creepy, yes; but a crime?

Here's a thoughtful analysis that questions the basis on which Larry "I'm not gay" Craig's behavior in that now infamous men's room arrest was deemed criminal.

Dan Savages Keillor

After he reads this, Garrison Keillor won't know what hit him. People who live in glass houses....

Confessions Of A Former Sprint Sales Rep - Consumerist

I've been off-contract with Sprint since November, but I'll definitely keep these tips in mind the next time I'm ready to get a new cellphone.

How Well Can You Type?

Check out this group of Boston guys who combine the gift of rhythm and a love of manual typewriters to create these fun little ditties.

Oscar Predictions 2007

It's just five hours until showtime, so here are my Oscar predictions. I'm not going to do the whole should win/will win game, as the only info I have about "will win" is what I read in other blogs and the mass media. So, here's who I think is most deserving to take home a statue:

Picture: Babel
Actor: [didn't see any of the nominees, but I wouldn't be upset if 8-time nominee Peter O'Toole won]
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Suppt. Actor: Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Suppt Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel [sorry, Marty]
Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Original Score: Babel
Original Song: "I Need to Wake Up" Melissa Etheridge

Here's a summary of what others are predicting.